Chapter 227 The King of a Lost Country 27

A man with a sad face was crying in front of him. This scene still gave Nan Liujing a headache.

But Nan Liujing could understand Yao Shengan's feelings, so he just patted Yao Shengan's shoulders gently and waited for Yao Shengan to calm down slowly.

After a while, Yao Shengan's crying stopped. He turned his face away: "You lost your composure."

"It's better to cry than to hold it in your heart." Nan Liujing handed over the handkerchief and asked someone to bring a basin of warm water.

Yao Shengan simply washed up and sat back next to Nan Liujing, with a bit of embarrassment on his face.

Nan Liujing said considerately: "Little uncle, do you want to go back to the room to rest early?"

Yao Shengan covered his face and sighed.

Forget it, I'm already crying, why am I embarrassed.

"I'm not sleepy yet. Are you tired?"

Nan Liujing shook his head.

Yao Sheng'an put down his hands and said seriously, "Then let's talk."

"I have something to tell you."

"- It's about the truth of the battle that year and where I have been for the past eighteen years."

***

Twenty-two years ago, in the second year of Yongqing.

Yao Rong and Ji Guifei entered the palace at the same time and were both canonized as Zhaorong.

Yao Sheng'an went to the border and trained with General Yao.

Nineteen years ago, in the fifth year of Yongqing.

Yao Rong was pregnant and was promoted to Zhaofei.

Yao Sheng'an also became "Little General Yao" in the mouths of border soldiers and people.

In the study, the incense burner was smoking and the candles were bright.

Yao Sheng'an sat at the table, holding a teacup in his hands.

The hot air rose up, blurring his facial features and making the scar look less ferocious.

"During that time, Di Rong often sent out small groups of soldiers to massacre villages. After training every day, I would take my men out for patrols, hoping to kill those beasts."

"But unfortunately, they came and went quickly. By the time I got the news and rushed over, it was often too late."

"But after a few times, I found some clues and guessed that Di Rong might use heavy troops against Daye."

Nan Liujing suddenly realized: "So, uncle, second uncle and youngest uncle, you jointly wrote a letter saying that Di Rong was going to launch a large-scale war against Daye, and asked the court to prepare early?"

Yao Shengan raised his head, a little surprised: "It seems that you know a lot about what happened back then."

Nan Liujing couldn't explain too much, so he just said: "My martial arts master is Liang Guangyu, and my teacher is Qu Jianbai."

"So it was them." Yao Shengan suddenly realized, "Then I don't need to go into too much detail."

Nan Liujing nodded: "I want to hear what happened from your perspective."

Yao Shengan lowered his eyes and continued: "Guessing that Di Rong was going to invade the border in a big way, my eldest and second brothers immediately began to mobilize troops."

"One of them led the army to guard Xingtang Pass, and the other led the army to guard Shanhe Pass. They rely on each other. As long as one side is in danger, the other side can immediately rush to help."

The geographical locations of Xingtang Pass and Shanhe Pass immediately emerged in Nan Liujing's mind.

Xingtang Pass is the first line of defense on the border, and Shanhe Pass is the second line of defense.

As long as the enemy can be kept outside the two passes, the Di Rong army will not be able to truly invade the north, and the 16 cities within the two passes will also be free from war.

"This layout is stable." Nan Liujing said.

Yao Shengan said: "You are right, this layout mainly relies on the terrain of the two passes that are easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"If you want to break this layout, you must find a way to cause chaos inside Xingtang Pass and Shanhe Pass and force the army out of Xingtang Pass and Shanhe Pass."

Nan Liujing sighed lightly and knew the answer: "So Di Rong cut off the supply of Daye soldiers, so that food and grass could not be transported into the city."

Yao Shengan smiled lightly. Even though so much time has passed, he still has a look of misery in his eyes when he recalls that year.

"From the beginning of the war, my eldest and second brothers have been urging the grain transport officer, but the grain and fodder have not arrived yet."

"Later, the grain transport officer repeatedly assured my eldest and second brothers that the grain and fodder were on the way and would be delivered to the interior of the country in ten days at most."

"The grain transport officer did not lie, and the grain and fodder were indeed delivered on the ninth day. But that day, Di Rong suddenly mobilized a large number of troops and blocked the two gates, making it impossible for the grain transport team to enter the city safely."

"If we want to go out of the city to meet them, there is only one way to go, and that is to attack from the front."

Yao Shengan closed his eyes, as if he could still see the raging fire.

Only two miles away.

Just two miles away.

With the determination to die, they fought the enemy to the death under the city wall, but they could only watch the fire rising into the sky and burning all the food and grass.

There was no point in fighting back.

Besides, they couldn't fight back.

At the critical moment, General Yao led his troops to rush in, repelled the enemy, and solved the dilemma of Shanhe Pass.

After a short rest at Shanhe Pass, General Yao decided to send troops to rescue Xingtang Pass.

After all, the situation at Xingtang Pass was worse than that at Shanhe Pass, and the number of enemies they faced was also greater.

Recalling the scene of that year, Yao Shengan smiled softly, and the candlelight reflected the moisture at the corners of his eyes: "Except for the army brought by my father, the only ones who still maintain combat effectiveness in Shanhe Pass are the 5,000 people under my command. So I volunteered to be the pioneer."

Nan Liujing's lips tightened.

He knew that the most critical place was coming.

Yao Shengan suddenly changed the subject: "You should have heard of the Dark Chamber."

"The Dark Chamber has two divisions. One is stationed in Kyoto, responsible for protecting the king; the other is scattered all over the country, specializing in collecting intelligence."

"The relationship between Daye and Dirong is tense and there are frictions all year round, so there are many members of the Dark Chamber scattered in the sixteen cities on the border."

"These members of the Dark Chamber are not under the command of the military, but when they collect important intelligence, they will promptly convey this intelligence to the military."

"Before leaving, my father received the intelligence from the Dark Chamber."

Nan Liujing didn't expect that there was something about the Dark Pavilion here, and his brows slightly frowned: What role did the Second Dark Pavilion Division play in that battle?

He had doubts in his heart, but he didn't interrupt Yao Shengan's narration.

"My father deployed the troops according to the intelligence, and ordered me to lead the team to march quickly, and to ambush in Maple Valley within one day to intercept the enemy's logistics and food."

Although General Yao brought a lot of food and grass when he entered Shanheguan, these food and grass could not last long.

To rob Di Rong's logistics and food can not only increase the amount of food and grass for our side, but also cause chaos in Di Rong.

So Yao Shengan went.

Nan Liujing's suspicions grew even stronger: "Is there something wrong with the information from the Dark Pavilion?"

When he recalled this, Yao Sheng'an's face was no longer painful, only a chilling hatred.

"The information from the Dark Pavilion was correct." "

On the 20th day of the 12th month of the fifth year of Yongqing, Di Rong did have a logistics unit escorting grain and grass through Maple Valley."

"But what the intelligence didn't mention was-" "

This was a trap set by Di Rong from beginning to end."

"In addition to the logistics unit, Di Rong also ambushed 10,000 troops in Maple Valley."

When he found out something was wrong, it was too late.

The gap of 5,000 to 10,000, the exhausted self-defense and the enemy waiting in a serious battle...

This battle was almost without suspense.

Yao Shengan had no hope of survival at that time, and was just trying his best to kill the enemy.

But he didn't know whether God had mercy on him or hated him. When the fighting ended and the world returned to silence, he, who should have died, opened his eyes again.

He dragged his wounded body, stepped over the corpses of his comrades, and limped out of Maple Valley. Before he had time to feel grateful for surviving the disaster, he heard the news that his father and brother died on the battlefield.

"Before entering Maple Valley, I was still the young general Yao who was admired by everyone."

"When I crawled out of Maple Valley with a disfigured face, I had become a criminal of the Yao family who was hated by everyone."

Nan Liujing was silent.

Yao Rong in the endless space was also silent.

Yao Shengan lowered his head and smiled, then continued, "Everyone says that my father and brother fell into the enemy's trap in order to save me."

"But I know that my father definitely did not fall into the enemy's trap."

"On the contrary, he saw through the enemy's plan, so he led 30,000 elite soldiers to fight Di Rong head-on, killing as many Di Rong as possible, causing Di Rong to suffer heavy losses and eventually unable to continue southward, successfully saving the people of the 16 cities in the north from a war."

Nan Liujing nodded: "After the war, Di Rong's army retreated within a few days. General Yao may not have won, but he definitely did not lose."

Yao Shengan sneered: "It's a pity that the ministers in the court don't see it as clearly as you."

Nan Liujing said: "Maybe they see it clearly, but they don't care. They only care about their own power and want to take this opportunity to Will suppress the generals and win the party struggle."

Yao Shengan gulped down a cup of tea, and after calming down a little, he continued: "You are right. This is why I didn't go back to the capital at that time. I was worried that as soon as I showed up in the capital, I would be killed and silenced."

Raising his hand and touching his scar, Yao Shengan said: "The scar on my face has become the best disguise. Over the years, I have never stopped investigating what happened back then." For

the past 18 years, he has tried hard to live even if he carries all the sins, because the Yao family's stigma has not been washed away, and because the people who really deserve to pay for the lives of 30,000 soldiers have not been executed.

This world may let down those who have shed blood and sacrificed for it, but there will always be people who will always remember it.

Nan Liujing's eyes lit up slightly, and he thought of the conversation he had with his teacher: "For the past eighteen years, there has been no news from my uncle, and now he suddenly appears in front of me. Could it be..."

Yao Shengan smiled again.

But unlike before, this time his smile was filled with obvious relief and relaxation.

"Don't worry, just listen to me." Yao Shengan motioned Nan Liujing to be patient, "Last year when I was having a meal outside, I heard people at the next table talking about Yao Nan, and I was a little suspicious of your identity at the time."

Nan Liujing sighed: "Uncle, you are too sensitive."

Yao Shengan said: "Your age is just right. And in the north, few people dare to have the surname Yao. The word Nan is even the national surname. Dare to use these two words to combine your name, either you are extremely confident in your own strength, or you have a hole in your brain."

Nan Liujing: "..."

He couldn't admit the latter.

But he did use the name Yao Nan on purpose.

"Later, I kept asking about your deeds."

Yao Sheng'an raised his head and looked directly at Nan Liujing, with a faint fire in his eyes.

"I can see that you want this world, right?"

Nan Liujing asked, "If I say yes, what would my uncle think?"

Yao Sheng'an smiled, "When Emperor Tai|zu established Daye, our Yao family's ancestors had already begun to guard the border."

"Generation after generation, they worked hard."

"Every inch of land on the border is soaked with the blood and tears of the Yao family."

"You are my sister's only child. You have the blood of both the Nan family and the Yao family flowing in your body. No one is more suitable for that position than you."

"If you want this world, then I will give you a knife and wish you success." As he said this, Yao Sheng'an picked up a box he was carrying and put it on the table.

"This is..." Nan Liujing was secretly impressed, but he was not sure.

"The things inside can prove that the grain transport officer, who is now the Minister of War, deliberately delayed the battle, resulting in the failure to deliver grain on time."

"The things inside can prove that the people in the North of the Dark Pavilion have betrayed Emperor Yongqing. They deliberately passed the incomplete intelligence to my father, causing my father to make a wrong judgment."

"The things inside can prove that the deputy generals who made false confessions were either bribed or silenced."

"The most important thing is--"

The faint fire in Yao Shengan's eyes lit up little by little, and instantly turned into a raging fire that spread across the prairie, as if to burn all his life obsessions.

"Here is solid evidence of Ji Yushan's collusion with Di Rong."

"It was he who ordered the grain transport officer to delay the delivery of grain and fodder, it was he who ordered the secret cabinet to pass on the information, and it was he who revealed my father and brother's marching route to Di Rong."

"Eighteen years ago, the demise of the Yao family and the death of 30,000 elite soldiers were all caused by Ji Yushan! His selfish thoughts destroyed Daye's layout on the border for hundreds of years!"

***

This wooden box is not big, but the things inside are really too heavy.

Nan Liujing's palms trembled slightly, and he tried twice before he successfully opened the wooden box.

The objects inside were almost all yellowed.

The traces of time were engraved on them.

Nan Liujing looked at it for a few seconds and closed the wooden box: "Uncle, are you sure you want to give these things to me?"

Yao Shengan said: "These things are of little use to me. I am already a useless man who has lost his power. Even if the evidence is conclusive, I can't bring down Ji Yushan who is in the limelight."

"I don't feel safe handing them to others."

"Only when they are handed over to you can the value of these things be maximized."

Nan Liujing took two deep breaths and said what Yao Shengan wanted to hear the most: "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely clear the name of my grandfather and my two uncles, and I will definitely make all those involved in this matter pay the price."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Yao Shengan smiled lightly, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed.

The slightly hunched back was finally able to straighten up as if a heavy burden had been unloaded.

***

Yao Shengan's emotions fluctuated greatly throughout the day. After handing the wooden box to Nan Liujing, he was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes.

Nan Liujing asked the servants to send Yao Shengan back to rest. He stayed in the study alone. After washing his hands, he opened the wooden box again: "Teacher, let's take a look together."

Yao Rong said softly: [Okay.]

The evidence in the wooden box was sorted and placed in different categories.

Nan Liujing started to read from the beginning.

He read very slowly. After reading each piece, he would discuss it with Yao Rong. After the discussion, he picked up another piece of evidence.

When Nan Liujing finished reading the things in the wooden box, the candles on the table had burned to the end, and a streak of fish belly white appeared in the sky.

"I've finished reading it all." Nan Liujing rubbed his eyebrows and asked with all his strength, "Teacher, are you happy?"

[Why am I happy? ]

Nan Liujing was a little confused by the question: "... With these things, we can clear the name of the Yao family."

[That's true.] Yao Rong agreed, [I am very happy.]

[To vindicate the Yao family.]

[Also for everything Yao Shengan has done in the past 18 years.]

[He lost his identity, his status, his family, and lived in pain and hatred every day.]

[But he was not trapped by pain and hatred, but used pain and hatred to spur himself on, and collected evidence in advance before Ji Yushan and others wiped out many traces.]

Time is enough to erase many things, so Nan Liujing has been investigating the Yao family case, but has not gained much.

But Yao Shengan is different.

He was an eyewitness of the battle 18 years ago. He knows the inside story better than anyone else, and knows where to start the investigation.

It was he who pulled himself together in time, and spent a full eighteen years to get this box of evidence.

Yao Rong was proud of Yao Shengan from the bottom of his heart.

This was the young general of their Yao family.

Nan Liujing also praised: "My little uncle is really amazing."

"When the Yao family got into trouble, he was only eighteen years old, about the same age as me now."

Yao Rong waited for him to finish his sigh, and suddenly asked: [Are you sleepy? ]

"Not bad." Nan Liujing got up and stretched his muscles, "I plan to eat something before going back to the room to catch up on some sleep."

[Just don't rush to sleep.]

Yao Rong's voice softened a little: [Why don't we talk about it, when did you guess it? Nan Liujing

subconsciously said: "Guess what..."

His voice suddenly stopped, his eyes blinked twice at a very fast frequency, and suddenly yawned: "It's so strange, why am I suddenly sleepy."

"Teacher, I won't talk to you anymore, I have to catch up. There are still a lot of documents waiting for me to deal with in the government office and the military camp. There are too many things these days and I can't be busy at all."

Yao Rong said nothing.

Nan Liujing strode towards the backyard.

After walking a dozen steps, his steps became slower and slower, and finally he stopped with a guilty conscience, and his voice carried a little grievance that he didn't even realize: "Teacher, don't be silent."

Yao Rong sighed lightly: [Okay, I've spoken, are you still leaving. ]

Nan Liujing stood still: "I'm not leaving."

Looking at Nan Liujing's slightly stubborn face, Yao Rong didn't know what to say for a moment.

Nan Liujing is a very smart and independent person.

He is not only her child, but also the future emperor she has cultivated with all her efforts.

Sometimes even she would fall into the trap of his words if she was not careful.

She didn't know when he guessed her identity, nor did she know what he was thinking, so he didn't take the initiative to tell her.

If Yao Shengan hadn't suddenly appeared and exposed his flaws, maybe she would not realize this until a long time later.

[…You have learned everything I taught you very well, and now, you can use it on me.]

Nan Liujing lowered his eyes: "Are you angry?"

Yao Rong asked back: [Have I ever been angry with you? ]

Nan Liujing shook his head.

[What are you thinking about, Liujing?]

Yao Rong took the initiative to clarify: [Or should I call you, my child?]

Nan Liujing's body stiffened slightly, he opened his mouth, and the name he had said countless times in his heart finally came out: "Mother."

[It's me.] Yao Rong's eyes curved slightly, with a smile in his voice.

Nan Liujing called out again: "Teacher."

[You can call me whatever you like. If you feel it's too awkward to call me mother, you should call me teacher in the future.]

"It's not awkward."

Nan Liujing shook his head.

"Not at all."

"Mother, if you want to ask me any questions, just ask. Breakfast is not ready in the kitchen yet, I have enough time to answer your questions."

Yao Rong first asked the question he cared about most: [When did you guess it.]

Nan Liujing walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down.

Facing the morning light and breeze, Nan Liujing squinted his eyes comfortably: "Before leaving Beijing."

[That was two years ago. Although Yao Rong

had never concealed her concern for Nan Liujing, she was still surprised that Nan Liujing could guess her identity.

[Can you satisfy my curiosity?]

"Of course."

Nan Liujing's eyes narrowed, with a little pride.

"In fact, from the beginning, I didn't believe that you were sent by Emperor Tai||Zu, but I didn't think about it that way."

"Then we spent the first New Year's Eve together."

"Even I didn't know that Guisheng liked to eat chestnut cakes, but you knew it and specially prepared one for Guisheng."

"At that time, I felt something was wrong. Saving Guisheng could be said to be to gain my trust, but giving Guisheng chestnut cakes seemed to be purely for Guisheng."

"Later, when the teacher told me about the Yao family case, he suddenly changed the subject and asked me not to blame my mother."

"At that time, I thought that the teacher was my ideal mother image, satisfying all my imaginations of female elders."

There are many, many insignificant details.

These details are separated and cannot attract attention at all, but all piled together, they deepened his doubts.

"My doubts accumulated more and more. Many times, I felt that I was close to the truth, but I always felt that I was just one step away."

"Until that day, I completed the fourth main task and successfully subdued Mr. Qu. When the task reminder sounded, I suddenly reacted."

"Every time you release a task, the ending words are the same: there is no punishment for mission failure."

Since he was born, he has been called "unclear" and "mother-killing" by his blood father.

Guisheng and Aunt Chunyu are very good to him, but a large part of this kindness is due to the grace of his mother.

Before he met the teacher, there was only one person who loved him unconditionally.

That was his mother.

Even though he had never seen his mother, he was very sure of this.

After meeting his teacher, he was worried about gains and losses, and felt uneasy, but the sentence "no punishment for mission failure" that never missed for years finally convinced him that the teacher would love him unconditionally and would not bear to let him get hurt.

Who would look forward to his future, guide his growth, name him, prepare gorgeous clothes and various accessories for him, and plant a persimmon tree with him?

At that moment, the answer that was about to come out finally emerged clearly in his mind.

His teacher is his mother.

The person who loves him unconditionally will prove it to him again and again and make him sure of this even if she returns to him in another identity.