"No wonder Xiao Zhongwu and his wife fought for military power before the seventh day of their death. No wonder they remained calm when 60,000 people were drowned in the battle of Changgu in Guocheng. When it comes to ruthlessness, who in the Wei Dynasty can compare to Xiao Huaijin?"

The dungeon was silent for a moment.

Shen Han wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. The young man turned his back to the prisoner, and his hands at his sides slowly clenched into fists.

But after a moment, he slowly loosened his grip. He turned around, looked at Lei Hou, and said with a cold smile: "It seems that you know very well what kind of person I am. Then you should think more clearly." He walked out, his voice cold, "I never give people a second chance."

When he reached the door, he happened to run into He Yan and Lin Shuanghe standing at the corner. He stared at them, ignored them, and walked away.

No one dared to chase after him.

Shen Han had Lei Hou locked up again. Maybe it was because of what he had just said to Xiao Jue that Lei Hou felt hopeless or something else, but Lei Hou laughed out loud. The laughter echoed in the dungeon, eerie and sad.

Fei Nu came out and was startled when he saw He Yan and Lin Shuang He. He asked, "Mr. Lin, why are you here?"

"I want to say," He Yan took a look inside, "I have fought with Lord Lei before, and when the governor interrogates Lord Lei, maybe I can help, so I came to take a look."

"No need, it's been solved." Fei Nu replied quickly, "You two can go back now."

Lin Shuanghe shrugged his shoulders, and seeing the cloak of Xiao Jue in Fei Nu's hand, he took the initiative to reach out and take it, saying: "This is Huai Jin's clothes, I'll give it to him. I think he doesn't want to see anyone right now."

Fei Nu: "Don't bother Master Lin."

"No trouble, no trouble," Lin Shuanghe said, "I'm going to look for him later."

Fei Nu then stopped and nodded to Lin Shuanghe: "Thank you very much, Master Lin."

Lin Shuanghe smiled and said to He Yan, "Let's go."

The two walked outside together.

It was snowing when they came out, and now it was snowing a little heavier. He Yan was injured, and walked very slowly, still covered with Cheng Lisu's cloak. Although Lin Shuanghe called her "sister" affectionately, he was also very tactful when dealing with women, as if he was deliberately avoiding suspicion, and didn't even help He Yan.

But the two were not in a hurry and walked very slowly.

Snowflakes fell and hit people. He Yan was thinking about what Lei Hou had just said in the dungeon. He was deep in thought when Lin Shuanghe suddenly spoke. He asked, "Have you heard about the battle of Guocheng and Changgu?"

He Yan was startled, then replied, "I've heard of it."

The Battle of Guocheng Changgu was the most important battle when Xiao Jue led the Southern Army to quell the Nanman Rebellion after Xiao Zhongwu's death. At that time, everyone in Wei was waiting to see Xiao Jue's joke. A 16-year-old boy led so many soldiers, and even his father couldn't defeat the foreign warriors. No matter how you look at it, he is doomed to fail.

Who would have known that they would win a complete victory in the first battle, so that the Nanman would be defeated step by step later, and it only took Xiao Jue half a year to quell the Nanman rebellion.

"Do you know how he won the battle against Hase?"

"Water attack."

"You knew that?"

He Yan said nothing. He stabbed the bamboo stick into the snow, making a small hole.

"Then you also know that in the Battle of Changgu, General Feng Yun Xiao Huaijin flooded Guocheng, killing 60,000 people." Lin Shuanghe hugged Xiao Jue's black cloak tighter. "At that time, corpses were floating, the east of the city was stinking, and Guocheng was like hell on earth. It was too tragic to bear." He asked with a smile, "What do you think? Do you think he is cruel and inhumane?"

He Yan said calmly, "War is inherently cruel. Being kind to the enemy is being cruel to the people of your own country. Moreover, no one knows the truth unless they are in that position. If it weren't for his cruelty and lack of humanity, perhaps we would be the ones drowned now."

Lin Shuanghe paused, turned to He Yan, and asked, "Why would you think like that?"

"I just think that Governor Xiao is not that kind of person."

Lin Shuanghe stared at He Yan as if he was seeing her for the first time.

He Yan asked: "Is there anything wrong with what I said?"

After a while, he shook his head and smiled, saying, "I'm just surprised that you and Huai Jin have been together for less than a year, and yet you trust him so much. Why wasn't I as firm as you when I first heard about this?"

He Yan thought, that's because Lin Shuanghe has never been to the battlefield. Only those who have seen fighting on the battlefield know how difficult it is for a general to make a decision. Xiao Jue is smart and calm. If there is no reason to do so, there is no need to do so, and he will leave himself with a bad reputation for bloodlust.

You know, after the Battle of Hase, although Xiao Jue defeated the Nanman and was admired and respected by countless young people, he was also criticized by many scholars for being ruthless and ungrateful and killing too many people. After all, among those who drowned in the Battle of Hase, there were also Nanman civilians.

"Doctor Lin seems to know why he did this." He Yan asked: "Why?"

"I didn't know that at first." Lin Shuanghe sighed, "You said, with 3,000 soldiers against 60,000 people, what other methods are there besides water attack?"

"Three thousand soldiers?" He Yan raised his head suddenly: "Isn't it 100,000 Nanfu soldiers?"

"One hundred thousand?" Lin Shuanghe said with a smile, "If he had one hundred thousand Southern Army soldiers, he wouldn't have to resort to this method."

When Xiao Zhongwu died, Madam Xiao followed him. For a time, the Xiao Mansion was filled with weeping and grief. At that time, everyone in the court said that Xiao Zhongwu was defeated in the Battle of Mingshui because he was stubborn and made mistakes in command, which led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Wei soldiers.

His Majesty was merciful and did not pursue Xiao Zhongwu's negligence, considering the Xiao family's many years of contributions. However, at the same time, the military power was also taken back. Xiao Jue was only sixteen years old at the time, and Xiao Jing was only eighteen. Bai Rongwei had been married for less than half a year when this disaster happened. For a time, people were panicked and didn't know what to do in the future.

Lin Shuanghe still remembers the first time he met Xiao Jue after the Xiao family’s accident.

The boy always looked indifferent and lazy, as if nothing mattered to him. But it also taught us that nothing in the world could stump him.

It's just that anyone's family who suffered such a disaster would be devastated and would never be able to recover. No matter how poor they were, they would be very different from the past. But the Xiao Jue that Lin Shuanghe saw was not like that. Except that he looked a little more haggard than before, he didn't look depressed at all.

"Do you have any medicine that can make people sleep all day?" Xiao Jue asked.

Lin Shuanghe said, "I have it in my pharmacy. If you want it, I'll get it for you right away."

The Lin family's pharmacies were all over Wei, and there were several in the busy streets of Shuojing alone. Lin Shuanghe asked his servant to go to the nearest pharmacy, get two sets, and handed them to him, saying, "Take it and you will sleep for ten hours." He suddenly thought of something: "If you have insomnia at night, I can prepare a milder one for you."

Perhaps, Xiao Jue had trouble sleeping the whole night because of a sudden change in his family, and wanted to take medicine to calm his nerves and help him sleep.

Xiao Jue put the medicine back into his sleeve, waved his hand at him, said, "Thank you," and turned to leave.

"Huai Jin!" Lin Shuanghe called him.

Xiao Jue stopped and looked at him.

"This medicine... is for you, right?"

The young man had delicate and bright eyebrows. He looked past him and into the distance. At the end of the distance, the towering palace was looming. He said calmly, "I want to enter the palace."

Lin Shuanghe was not a stupid person. He understood Xiao Jue's intention immediately. He asked in horror, "Are you going to enter the palace without telling your elder brother?"

"Tell him what to do." The young man lowered his head and smiled, "It's just adding to the trouble."

"You're crazy!" Lin Shuanghe said anxiously, "Do you know that the court is in chaos because of General Xiao's matter? Now no one dares to speak for General Xiao. Recently, Prime Minister Xu has been accompanying His Majesty every day. Do you know why?"

"I know." Xiao Jue said, "So what? The military power must return to the Xiao family."

"You'll probably die if you do this!"

Xiao Jue turned his head and looked at him steadily, "Then you'll die."

"you!"

"By the way, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with," he said.

The boy's face rarely showed such a serious expression. Lin Shuanghe suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart. He stammered and asked, "What's the matter?"

"If I come back alive, just pretend that this incident never happened. If I die," he paused, "there's no need to collect my body. Imperial Doctor Lin has a say in front of the Empress Dowager. Please help my brother. This incident has nothing to do with him."

"What do you mean...you're dead?" Lin Shuanghe heard his own trembling voice.

"It's very simple. After tonight, either I die today or he dies tomorrow." He looked calm, as if he was talking about someone else. "But I'm not sure of the outcome, so," he curled his lips, "you can pray."

"Xiao Huaijin!"

The young man bowed deeply to him, and when he stood up, he only said two words.

"Thank you."

Lin Shuanghe's eyes were red.

Xiao Jue waved his hand at him: "Go back."

Lin Shuanghe didn't move.

He laughed and turned away.

That was a long, long time ago, but Xiao Jue's back seems to still be in front of my eyes. On the busy streets, the young man's back is tall and straight, yet particularly lonely.

No one knew what path he would take, but Lin Shuanghe was very clear about one thing.

Xiao Jue will not look back.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he was suddenly interrupted by He Yan's words. He Yan asked, "So later on, the governor entered the palace by himself?"

Lin Shuanghe came back to his senses and continued to walk forward slowly, saying as he walked: "I didn't follow them into the palace. I heard about what happened later from my grandfather."

It rained that night.

The autumn rain was cool and cold, and seemed to penetrate people's hearts. In a few days, it would be Mid-Autumn Festival. If Xiao Zhongwu had not been in trouble, the Xiao family should be busy preparing moon balls and arranging the banquet for the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, now it was miserable and everyone was in mourning.

The three people at the table were silent.

No one wanted to touch the food, so Bai Rong spoke in a gentle voice, "Eat a little at least. If you keep eating like this, your body won't be able to take it anymore."

They were all simple porridge and side dishes. After a moment of silence, Xiao Jing picked up the bowl. He took a sip, put it down again, and said, "Huai Jin, I will go to the palace with you tomorrow morning."

Xiao Jue: "Okay."

Bai Rongwei asked: "Enter the palace...what are you doing?"

"Without the military power, the Xiao family will sooner or later become meat on the chopping board, at the mercy of others." Xiao Jing said: "No matter what, the Nanfu soldiers must return to the Xiao family, otherwise..."

Otherwise, the Xiao family doesn’t know how long they can hold on.

"Then, even if His Majesty returns the military power to us, what should we do in the future?" Bai Rongwei said cautiously, "Rubi, you are a senior official. Even if Huai Jin joins the military, he is only sixteen years old."

Xiao Jing paused.

He had to admit the fact that the Xiao family was empty-handed. Even though Xiao Jue was gifted, he was only sixteen, and he was a half-grown child, so how could he lead tens of thousands of Nanfu soldiers?

It's hard to convince the public.

"There are so many things you can do at the age of sixteen." Xiao Jue picked up the food nonchalantly, "Brother, if you are timid, you will accomplish nothing."

Xiao Jing sighed and said, "Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. There is no other way to go now."

"Will His Majesty return the military power to us?" Bai Rong said with a worried look, "Now that Prime Minister Xu is extremely powerful, he will not miss this opportunity to deal with the Xiao family."

"Yes." The young man lazily poured them tea. "Don't be afraid, Xu Jingfu, he is just a mortal."

No one spoke anymore.

The night rain was falling continuously, and the servants helped Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing back to bed.

Xiao Jue stood up, put on his outer clothes, and walked out the door.

Outside, Fei Nu was waiting. The rain fell on the ground, creating puddles and ripples, soaking the white lantern hanging at the door.

Xiao Jue stopped at the door.

Fei Nu said, "Young Master."

He lowered his head and told the butler, "Take good care of them." Then he turned and got into the carriage.

"Let's go."

And then disappeared into the night.

The carriage drove towards the imperial palace, where the current Prime Minister Xu Jingfu was playing chess with Emperor Wenxuan.

The palace maid came to report: "Your Majesty, the second son of General Guangwu's mansion wants to see you."

Emperor Wenxuan paused in his chess moves, "Xiao Huaijin? What is he doing here?"

"Maybe it's about his father." Xu Jingfu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, be careful." He picked up a black piece.

"You, don't take advantage of my distraction to do evil things," Emperor Wenxuan scolded with a smile, "You are so cunning."

Xu Jingfu also laughed: "Your Majesty is giving in to this old minister."

The two of them continued to chat and play chess, seemingly having forgotten about Xiao Jue. After an incense stick of time had passed, the palace servant came in again to remind them: "Your Majesty, the Second Young Master Xiao is still waiting outside the palace gate, and it is still raining outside."

"If it rains, we can go back," Emperor Wenxuan was worrying about the chess game in front of him, "What are you waiting for?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry," Xu Jingfu said, "This Second Young Master Xiao's family has gone through a great change, and he is still a child now. He must have many grievances in his heart. It would be best if I can persuade him to go back."

"You go." Emperor Wenxuan waved his hand impatiently, "It is Xiao Zhongwu's job to attend court, and he cannot get away from it after court. I am tired of hearing about the Xiao family and the Xiao family all the time. Let him go back! Go and come back quickly. When you come back, you have to play this game of chess with me."

Xu Jingfu stood up and bowed respectfully: "Yes."

As soon as he walked out of the palace, he saw Xiao Jue kneeling at the door waiting for him.

Xu Jingfu was over sixty years old. When he was young, he worked in the Imperial Academy and had students all over the world. The outstanding young men in Wei Dynasty were more or less related to him. Although Xiao Jue was not his student, he had heard of Xiao Jue's outstandingness. He had met Xiao Jue once during the royal hunting trip, and he remembered that the young man in white robe was charming and charming, like a bright pearl, which made him look better than others.

Xu Jingfu also sighed in his heart, thinking that it would have been great if such an outstanding young man was a member of the Xu family, but unfortunately, he fell into the hands of that brutish man Xiao Zhongwu.

He stood in front of Xiao Jue and said, "Second Master Xiao."

The young man raised his head and looked at him, "Master Xu."

"It's raining so hard outside, why is Mr. Xiao waiting outside without an umbrella?" He ordered the palace servants, "Come here, bring Mr. Xiao an umbrella."

The palace maid stood behind Xiao Jue holding an umbrella, and Xu Jingfu made a gesture to help him up, as if an elder truly cared about the younger, saying: "What are you still kneeling for? Get up quickly."

Xiao Jue did not move and said, "I want to see your majesty."

"Your Majesty is busy right now. If Mr. Xiao really has something to do, there is no rush to come tomorrow. It is already late now, and Your Majesty will need to rest after his work. This is not a good time to see the Emperor."

The young man remained unmoved and just repeated, "Master Xu, I must see His Majesty today."

Xu Jingfu took two steps back, put his hands in his sleeves and looked at him, with a kind smile on his face, "Second Young Master Xiao, His Majesty is kind, and the Xiao family has made great contributions in the past, so he favors you. Now your father has failed, and the battle of Mingshui caused a terrible defeat for the Wei soldiers. He should be held accountable, but His Majesty, thinking of the old friendship, let him off the hook. How can you go further and not know what is good for you?"

The night rain was falling obliquely, slipping in from under the umbrella, soaking the boy's clothes. His eyebrows and eyes were extremely handsome, his expression was calm, and his voice no longer had the lazy and romantic tone of the past. He said, "Master Xu is right."

Xu Jingfu's smile remained unchanged.

"So," Xiao Jue raised his head and looked at him, "I kindly ask Lord Xu to make an exception with His Majesty. Xiao Jue wants to see His Majesty."

"Mr. Xiao, you are joking. Why should I make concessions to His Majesty on your behalf?" Xu Jingfu asked.

The young man looked at him and bowed his head slightly: "Please help me, Master Xu."

The pride of young people cannot stand being crushed. Sometimes their spines just bend slightly and they can never stand up again.

If Xiao Zhongwu knew what was happening in his afterlife, what expression would he have when he saw his second son, whom he was so proud of, kneeling in front of him and begging for his mercy and charity?

In an instant, Xu Jingfu no longer wanted to force him into a desperate situation. It was much more interesting to see a proud person fall into the mortal world, be trampled into the mud, and have his self-esteem trampled into worthless pieces.

He raised his head slightly and said distressedly: "Second Master Xiao, it's not that I won't help you. It's just that His Majesty is angry with the Xiao family right now. Even if it's me, it's difficult for me to intervene in this matter."

Xiao Jue just said, "Please help me, Master Xu."

Xu Jingfu stared at him for a while, then said, "If Second Young Master Xiao insists on seeing Your Majesty, he might as well accept the punishment first. The Xiao family is already guilty, and if Second Young Master Xiao can risk his life, Your Majesty will see that, and the anger in his heart may subside a little, and I can also speak for Second Young Master Xiao."

"Please give me some advice, Master Xu."

"You are young now, and you can hardly bear more punishment. Just go and receive fifty strokes of the cane first," he said.

These words were said very lightly, as if Xiao Jue was already being very lenient. The palace maids beside him lowered their heads and said nothing, but they could not hide their surprise in their hearts.

After fifty strokes of the cane, a person with a weak constitution would be killed. Even an ordinary person would lose half his life after fifty strokes of the cane, and it would take him a year or so to recover.

Xiao Jue said: "Okay."

Xu Jingfu smiled: "Second Young Master really has the style of his father." He turned around and told the people behind him, "Take Second Young Master Xiao down to get the punishment."

It was a night with heavy rain and fifty boards falling on people. It was not as easy as imagined, especially for the palace maids who were carrying out the execution, who had been specifically "instructed" by Xu Jingfu.

The boy said nothing, gritted his teeth and endured it. After fifty strokes, he wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, slowly pulled himself up and stood up.

When he stood up, his steps were a little shaky, and he almost lost his balance. The palace maid beside him looked at him with some pity. In the past, the second son of the Xiao family was dressed in brocade clothes and fox fur, noble and gorgeous. Who could have expected that he would be so wicked now? No one could have expected it.

Xu Jingfu had no interest in watching Xiao Jue being beaten with a stick. He entered the palace and went to talk to Emperor Wenxuan first.

Emperor Wenxuan asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to drive him away?"

"Your Majesty," Xu Jingfu shook his head, "Second Master Xiao is determined to see Your Majesty, and I, an old minister, cannot persuade him. Young people are full of energy, and if they really make up their minds, no one can stop them. Now that General Guangwu is gone, and his mother... I, an old minister, feel sorry for him, so Your Majesty, why don't you meet him and listen to what he has to say. If he doesn't speak well, just let him go and don't meet him next time."

Emperor Wenxuan sighed: "My dear minister, you have become soft-hearted."

"It is your majesty's mercy."

"Forget it," Emperor Wenxuan ordered the palace maid, "After all, I watched him grow up. Let him come in."

It was very cold outside the palace, but very warm inside. There was no rain to hide from, only the intoxicating fragrance of flowers. The lights were dim, and someone was approaching.

He knelt down before Emperor Wenxuan and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"No need to be polite." Emperor Wenxuan said casually, and looked up at Xiao Jue. As soon as he saw Xiao Jue, he was stunned and asked, "Why are you like this?"

It was raining outside, and the umbrella Xu Jingfu had someone hold up only lasted for less than a moment. He was soaking wet, and he looked extremely weak, having just been beaten with fifty boards. His face was pale, and his lips were as white as gold paper, as if he was about to faint.

It's completely different from the past.

After all, he had watched him grow up, so Emperor Wenxuan could not help but feel sympathy and genuine concern for him. He softened his tone and said, "Tell me, has anyone bullied you?"

"No." Xu Jingfu stood aside and answered: "Second Master Xiao knew that the Xiao family was guilty, so he took the fifty-stroke punishment on his own initiative to make himself feel better and to let His Majesty know that the Xiao family regretted their mistakes."

Emperor Wenxuan looked at him and sighed, "Fifty strokes of the cane... is too much."

"Second Master Xiao is also grateful for your majesty's kindness." Xu Jingfu said with a smile.

"Why did you come to see me?" Emperor Wenxuan said, "I don't want to talk about the Xiao family anymore."

Xiao Jue's eyes swept across the chessboard on the table. Black and white pieces were intertwined and scattered, and under the warm light, it looked eerie and cold.

Life is as strange as it is; no one can predict what will happen in the future.

But the past is past, and since we cannot predict the future, we can create the future.

The young man fell forward, speaking in a calm voice with unstoppable persistence, each word pronounced with pause.

"I, your Majesty, beg your grace to allow me to personally lead the Southern Army into Mingshui again to fight against the Southern Barbarians."