Chapter 142: The Magnificent Tang Dynasty
It’s just the beginning of autumn, the leaves haven’t turned yellow yet, and the sun is even scorching hot at noon. How can it be like a season for snow?
But it just happened.
On a blue sky, snow fell from the sky and the river froze for no apparent reason.
Kah, Kah!
The sound of ice freezing became louder and louder. A wave suddenly rose up on the river covered with a layer of floating ice. The wave was so high and wide that it froze in the middle. In the blink of an eye, it became an ice bridge connecting the two banks. It was straight and wide, and ten people could walk on it side by side.
The Zhengu troops parked on the shore were so frightened that they dared not move.
The conspirators looked at the young general in the front, their minds filled with mixed feelings.
A good omen?
Is it a bad omen?
Second Young Master...
People cannot stand being nagged, and the same is probably true for God.
Before going to the battle, Li Shimin was still wondering, when will the goddess return?
He specifically instructed the Guanyin maid who stayed at home that if she saw a woman covered in starlight and moonlight, with a glazed star ring on her head, and whose eyes contained the stars in the sky, then that woman must be the goddess.
Changsun put a helmet on her husband who was about to go to war, and the little bear that had shrunk into her husband's breastplate rubbed her hand affectionately. The couple had been separated briefly many times before, and there was no need for them to say anything, as they had already understood each other's thoughts.
Large flakes of snow fell, soon covering the ice bridge formed by the waves. Li Shimin looked up, and a few white snowflakes fell on his eyelashes. He saw a layer of shimmering glass-like glow on the horizon, and the scorching sun was outshined by this dreamy glass-like glow.
When will the goddess return?
——He has already come.
The cute little bear Sissi had a head poking out from the human's breastplate. It seemed to grow at the touch of the wind. Its head was squeezed flat and without even a foreplay, it suddenly became round again.
Oh, the master is back!
The silver-haired witch, covered in starlight and moonlight and wearing a glass star ring on her head, sat on the cloud, her starry eyes curved, and she waved to the little bear below in a very good mood.
Xixi puffed up her cute pink mouth, stretched out her little paws and waved vigorously in the direction of her owner.
After finally breaking through the realm that had been stuck for more than two hundred years, Tarona could feel that her perception of the cause and effect of fate was a level higher than before. She looked down at the Son of Fortune who was as tall and straight as a bamboo, who even dismounted and bowed to the infinite sky and looked more handsome than anyone else present.
The Great Witch slowly raised the corners of her lips.
Speaking of destiny, who in this world can beat the Son of Destiny?
Who dares to say that the future Khan is not destined to be the Khan?
Cihang Jingzhai, Heshi Bi, choose the master on behalf of heaven...
The silver-haired witch raised her hands, her slender fingers were shrouded in the hazy moonlight and bright starlight. She could see the stars, and she could see the fate of everyone in the world.
Oh my god...
She is already a demigod.
Who can say that demigods are not gods?
In the past, she was only infinitely close to the demigod realm, but she still acted calmly and composedly as a deity. Now that she is a demigod, she feels more at ease with the title of goddess.
In this age of great strife, it wouldn't hurt to have another goddess.
With a thought, she fell from the clouds.
The howling wind lifted her up, her dress woven of starlight and moonlight fluttering like clouds, the star rings above her head whispering something deep and inaudible to humans. She opened her arms, the sunlight reflected broken glass, and star fragments like clouds and mist rose from under her feet.
She is beautiful.
[The Rich Witch] was born among the sea of stars. Her beauty is like the stars. No matter what race you are, she is beautiful.
The stars are eyes, the stars are mouths, the stars are ears.
In the silent universe, the whispers of stars echo everywhere, the stars emit dazzling light, and the sea of stars flows eternally.
Is there anyone in this world who is more like destiny than her?
No more.
She heard the human scream.
The silver-haired witch chuckled.
There is no need to worry, her body is made of thousands of gold and rocks. Even if she loses control and falls from the sky, the one who needs to worry is not her, but the world she falls into.
"Hello again, human."
A wingless bird can float above the earth, let alone a non-human being born from the sea of stars.
She is so light that it is beyond human imagination, and more like a god than humans imagine.
No one can remain calm in the presence of a living god.
The exception was Li Shimin, who had seen it once before. Although he was still excited at this time, he was not as shocked as the first time.
"goddess……"
The young general gave a slightly shy smile, but before he could bow again, the little bear hidden in his breastplate couldn't help himself.
The cute little white bear made a sweet mumu sound while using all four paws to crawl out from the shiny human's clothes. Then, like a young swallow flying into the forest, it took a leap of faith and jumped into its owner's arms.
Tarona held Sissi, who kept making mumu sounds, and gently caressed the little bear who had been by her side since she signed the contract with her.
What bad intentions could the little bear have?
It's just a child.
After being comforted by its owner, Sissi soon calmed down. It nestled in its owner's arms obediently, sniffing the scent of the stars and the moon, its bright red eyes gradually dimming.
It fell asleep.
This was the first time it had truly fallen asleep in the past two months. Only the owner's arms were a safe and warm haven where it could seek shelter.
Li Shimin lowered his voice and said, "Goddess, be merciful. In troubled times, there are wolves everywhere. I was powerless and my children were almost in danger. Fortunately, Xixi protected them. Only then did they stay safe. I would like to thank you!"
Having said that, he was about to lift up his clothes and kneel down heavily.
His love for his son and daughter was sincere, without any thought, and this bow was full of clear gratitude.
Tarona refused his greeting. She held the sleeping Sissi in one hand and lifted up Li Shimin, who had just bent his knees, with the other hand.
She said, "Don't thank me. Sissi loves your children, so she saved them. This is the friendship between children."
The friendship between children is the purest.
She only asked Sissi to protect Li Shimin. Sissi would protect his children only because she liked these children.
She remembered that Li Shimin had a daughter, who was... probably not even one year old this year?
Seth flipped the file open and gave a positive answer a second later: [Yes, Li Lizhi is now nine months old.]
That's it.
Sissi's former owner was only five months old when she got her.
Li Shimin was held up by an invisible force and could not kneel down. He did not dare to look at the goddess's deep starry eyes for too long and could only bow solemnly again.
It is to thank the goddess for her protection, and also to thank the innocent Sissi.
The huge team has been silent for a long time.
They were almost in a daze as they watched their young master/general conversing with the goddess who had descended from the sky. Not only the people, but even the active war horses became unusually quiet, like a bronze ornament, without moving their mouths or kicking their hooves.
Such silence and quietness cannot be broken by anyone.
Tarona waited for Li Shimin to finish his greetings and stand up. The feet of the [Golden Witch] would not touch the ground because she was too heavy. The starlight and moonlight would lift her up, so she spun in the air, as light as if she was also a member of the Eight Directions Fufeng.
She pointed at the frozen river, with tiny starlights emanating from her fingertips: "Aren't we going to cross the river?"
Li Shimin smiled, and there was a glimmer in his eyes when he lowered his eyelids.
really.
It was no illusion, he thought.
The goddess...does have some preference for him.
…
The first person to capture Chang'an was Li Shimin, the second son of the Li Clan.
It took him only one day to barely stabilize the chaotic Chang'an. The people no longer scattered in panic, the bodies were buried, the messy streets were cleaned up, and when the subsequent army arrived, Li Shimin's troops were cleaning the city walls, and there were even people around who came to help spontaneously.
How is this possible?
Li Jiancheng admitted that his second brother was indeed very capable, but how could he make the people of Chang'an accept him as the one who captured the city gate in just one day?
Li Yuan was also very surprised, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes that he himself could not detect.
He looked back at his eldest son who was lowering his head, and felt a little confused.
He was a little confused when it came to the matter of his children... Did he really want to make Jilang the crown prince as he had said at the banquet?
However, he still prefers Jiancheng in his heart.
Under normal circumstances, he is the father, and he will have the final say on who will be the crown prince. Moreover, he just said it, and it is not something he can rely on...
This thought ended when he saw the "woman" sitting in the air, allowing his second son to tell her interesting stories in the army.
Li Yuan was stunned.
Li Jiancheng was also stunned.
It's not that he hasn't seen top-notch masters before. Recently, the forces of the Demon Sect have been approaching him frequently, and the several new faces that have appeared around him are also masters from the Demon Sect. Therefore, he is very confident that he can seize the position of the prince.
He admitted that Li Shimin's ability was superior to his, but so what? He knew their father, and he knew that Li Shimin didn't even have a decent master around him.
So before going to the battle, he was not worried.
So he was not worried when Li Shimin was ahead of him.
This mentality of winning ends at this moment.
Li Jiancheng stared blankly at the woman sitting next to Li Shimin. He vaguely heard whispers coming from far away, but he paid no attention to them and just stared at her blankly.
It's not like he hasn't seen master-level masters before. On the day he reached a cooperation with the Demon Sect, he met the Demon Queen who only existed in the rumors of the world.
But it was not until now that he clearly realized a fact——
The Grandmaster is but a mortal.
Even if he is a great master, in the eyes of gods, he is just a grain of sand in the mortal world.
Just like...himself.
The silver-haired goddess sitting in mid-air raised her eyes and looked towards them.
倏然，極為高亢的樂聲在李建成耳邊奏響，那些激蕩又混亂的絮語毫無征兆地變得震天動地，他感覺自己的魂魄都在剎那間被震得離了體，奇經八脈中的內力在倒流，渾身的鮮血都在同一瞬被點燃！
“呃！”
李建成七竅流血地跪倒在地。
不僅是他，凡是與那雙蘊藏着幽邃星海的雙眼對視的人皆是頭疼欲裂，連站立都分外勉強。
他還不是最慘的那個，與他同行的魔門高手無不經脈逆行，轉瞬間便去了半條命。
——神明不可直視。
——神明不可隐瞞。
——神明全知全能。
擡頭看，漫天的星辰都是她的眼睛，她的耳朵，諸世的一切都無所遁形。
神明禦前，沒有秘密可言。
谒見神明時，當收起你心中的黑暗，埋藏你心中的肮髒，低下你欲望的雙眼。
很早很早以前，人類的先祖就告訴了後人正确對待神明的方式——
你當敬畏。
李淵痛苦地咳嗽起來，身邊的人已分不出餘力來攙扶他，莫大的惶恐淹沒了他抽痛的心髒，他想要擡頭去看，緣何神女會突然震怒？
可這念頭才在腦中浮現，他的眼睛像是要瞎了一樣，突如其來的劇痛扼住了他的喉嚨，使他再發不出一點聲音。
二郎……
他想到了他的二兒子* ，他此刻已經來不及計較為何二郎安然無恙，他想要向他的兒子求助。
可是他發不出聲音，疼痛蔓延到了他的全身，他的腦子疼得像是被一柄巨斧劈開，他甚至看到了自己流淌下來的腦漿。
這驟變不過瞬息之間，李世民甚至還來不及向他的父親見禮，才下馬來的一行人就猛的倒了一半，更有甚者吐血吐到停不下來。
李世民頓時倒吸了一口冷氣，驚聲道:“神女！”
這樣的變化只能是因為神女，也只可能是神女。
可他不明白，阿耶他們不過才入城，如何就冒犯了神女？
不過是朝這些人投訴一個注視的塔羅納:……
她看到了自己和【千金女巫】的同步率，眨眼間就竄到了百分之三十二。
真是零幀起手啊，明明上一秒還是百分之二十一的。
大魔女略有些心虛地移開了視線，心中阿巴阿巴，擡手給這些遭受無妄之災的人刷了一個群體治愈魔法。
李世民連忙匆匆拜過，顧不得那麽多，他跑得衣擺翻飛，眼中滿是慌張:“阿耶！”
随行二公子的親衛、謀士和将士也跟着跑，無不繞道而行，以銀發神女為中心，他們恨不得貼着牆跟走，唯恐自己走得近那麽一些，便會冒犯到神女威嚴。
他們已經确定是國公和大公子冒犯到了神女，否則又怎會如此？
而他們的二公子……
衆人心中不由得火熱起來。
世子必是二公子！
等無辜遭難的李淵他們從恍惚和劇痛中緩過來了，塔羅納已經看完了【千金女巫】新開放的設定資料。
她的目光完全被設定的最後一行牢牢吸引。
“該馬甲卡力量來源——虛無領主，赫曳。”
塔羅納頓覺眼前一黑。
她！就！說！
同步率怎麽就duang的一下竄上去那麽多，一個平平無奇的注視怎麽就搞得李淵他們瞬間去了半條命……
虛無領主……
那可是中立的外神！
雖然中立，但也是外神！
為什麽！不在馬甲卡的設定第一行就标注力量來源？！
賽斯猜測:【馬甲卡中力量來源于虛無領主的，很少，而且都是SSR，技術部門那邊……大概是擔心幹員們看到力量來源後就不願意用了吧。】
不願意啓用，就無法得到使用數據，沒有使用數據，他們就無法對這一類馬甲卡進行調整改動。
而虛無領主在技術部門眼中就是一座泛着耀眼金光的寶山，讓他們幹看着，卻用不了一點……
殺人誅心不外如是。
塔羅納:……
她猜也是。
大魔女深吸一口氣，緩了緩湧到心窩裏的怒火。
罷了罷了，說起來也是她賺到了，在馬甲卡沒有完全損耗之前，這些馬甲卡她可以暢用，算是幹員的個人所有。
有這樣一張實力爆炸的馬甲卡傍身，她以後在綜英美世界大可橫着走。
再說……
塔羅納看了一眼誠惶誠恐的倒黴蛋們，這些人也沒幾個無辜的，無辜遭難的只是痛而已，吐血的那幾個就不了，還不是心裏有鬼。
【千金女巫】的[星辰震懾]是被動buff，只要對她有惡意，就會自動觸發，這些只是痛極的一部分人不過是被[星辰震懾]的威能尾巴掃到了而已，它主要針對的還是李建成和他身邊的魔門高手。
居然這個時候就已經和魔門合作了嗎？
塔羅納愛憐地看着扶着他爹，真情切意紅了眼眶的李世民，真就是天家無親情，這還不是天家呢，血脈相連的親哥哥就想要整死他了。
賽斯道:【照這樣看來，玄武門之變也是因果報應。】
塔羅納不予評價。
有她在，玄武門之變已經不會發生了。
李建成也優秀，可誰讓他的二弟是李世民呢？
李淵再偏心長子，如今率先攻下長安的二子得到了神女的垂青，他還會食言而肥嗎？
他敢嗎？
李淵不敢。
人豈能和天鬥？
人豈敢和神鬥？
數日後的慶功大宴上，李淵握着李世民的臂膀，高聲宣布:“這，便是我的世子！”
父子倆持手相看，席間衆臣舉杯歡慶，好一副父慈子孝，君臣相宜。
李建成坐在下首，牙都要咬碎了。
李元吉養氣功夫完全不到家，他被王世充的殘兵拖住，第三日才到長安，也算是幸運，不然吐血的人就要多他一個了。
見他什麽都寫在臉上，李建成瞥了他一眼，那眼神有些冷，再往裏深究，還有懼怕。
那日驚鴻一瞥，僅僅只是一瞥，就險些要了他命的神女住進了李世民的府邸。
李閥上下，唯有李世民能夠近神女周身三尺之內，也唯有李世民能和神女對話，李閥的閥主卻連谒見的資格都沒有，甚至不敢表露出一絲一毫的不滿。
那僅僅只是一瞥啊……
神之威能，縱然只顯露出熒光些微，也足以讓凡人于生死之間探個虛妄。
長安上下都在說，李閥二公子受神女垂青，必是天命所歸。
天命所歸……
李建成想起當日魔門魔後向他許下的承諾，以及鋪展在眼前的未來，如今再看，只覺諷刺無力。
凡人怎麽可能決定誰才是天命所歸？
凡人哪裏來的資格，哪裏來的依仗？
憑一件死物？
還是憑高強武功？
李建成急急飲下一杯冷酒，燒刀子似的酒液順着喉嚨淌進胃囊裏，又灼又痛，于心底蔓延開的沉重無力感幾乎要将他淹沒。
如果只是人，他會争，他還能贏。
可對手是神……光是看着，就已經教人失去了全部的鬥志。
他有些醉了。
看着站在阿耶身旁，與衆臣對飲的李世民，李建成看了很久，末了，他長嘆了一口氣。
是他輸了……
天下那麽多人，神女獨獨選擇了李世民。
或許，李世民真的就是天命所歸罷。
是他輸了。
……
天命所歸究竟是什麽？
塔羅納想了一會兒，回答賽斯:“是民心。”
民心所向，即是天命。
民是水，君是舟，水會載着明君前行，水也會将昏君溺死在冰冷的河底。
匹夫之怒，尚且血濺五步，那萬民之怒呢？
舍得一身剮，敢把皇帝拉下馬，華夏大地上的人從不缺乏血性。
沒有人敢去嘗試的。
李世民是歷史所承認的仁君，亦是前無古人後無來者的人君。
他創立了萬國來朝的大唐盛世，大唐的子民皆以自己生在大唐而自豪，他就是天命。
不過——
塔羅納笑着摸了摸在手掌心裏跳舞的茜茜，道:“天琪沒有意向換到綜武俠世界執行任務，我記得她的第一意向是綜英美世界，第二意向是無限世界，所以這些不必學。”
她擡眸看天，今夜星空璀璨，天邊的北極星亮得驚人。
大魔女輕聲呢喃:“我們只是任務者，我們只是世界的過客，不必因世界的歡喜而笑，也無需因世界的悲傷而哭。”
幹員要做的第一件事，就是讓自己成為旁觀者，哪怕已經踏入劇情之中，他們依舊只是旁觀者。
“我們提供助力……”
而腳下道路如何，是崎岖，還是平坦，終究是要人自己去走。
如果是一心找死，蠢得離奇，幹員也是無法的。
“我們同情，我們悲憫……”
但世界的未來不會因為他們的同情和悲憫改變，他們只存在一時，未來太長，去描繪它的還是這個世界的人。
銀發的女巫踏着星光與月華，在群星的閃耀下緩緩啓唇，唱着只有星星能聽見的歌。
瑞雪兆豐年，今年會是一個好年，之後的争奪和算計，就等到明年再登臺吧。
是人定勝天，還是命運安排呢？
纖長的手指劃過夜幕，一顆閃亮的流星稍縱而逝，漆黑的天邊漸漸漫出夢幻的極光。
Under the canopy of sky, the mortals looked on foolishly.
Under the starry sky, the witch stirs up the galaxy.
She remembered that the history books of this world said that Taibai passed through the sky.
The tributaries of destiny are too stable, why not make them a little more chaotic.