Chapter 517: Victory over the Sun (11)
"Grandma, my father recently passed away, and I am still in mourning."
"It's just a matter of discussing the marriage. We'll get married after the mourning period is over."
"Grandsons have no interest in their children's affairs."
"Are you not paying attention to your children, or do you have other thoughts? I heard that you and Xiaoxia have been inseparable for the past two months. After all, you are not siblings. You are both grown up, so you should avoid suspicion."
Shen Zhuo's voice came after a while, "Since you know that my sister and I are inseparable, you know that we are in the study and the door of the study is open."
The old lady looked into his eyes and sighed, "If you don't want to marry, then don't marry. Xiaoxia is now of marriageable age, and it's time to arrange a marriage for her."
Shengxia breathed lightly and clenched her fists. The old lady was kind to her, but after all, Chen Zhuo was her grandson.
"Grandmother, my sister is very smart and should not be trapped in the harem. Now there are internal and external troubles. If they want to fight, I will definitely be transferred away from the capital. My brother Shuo is young, and an orphan and a widow cannot protect the Duke's Mansion."
"The Duke's Mansion needs someone who can take responsibility."
After a long while, the old lady said, "I'll do as you say. Grandmother is old and can't compare to your foresight."
Midsummer left quietly.
Chen Zhuo came out of the room not long after, and his attendant came forward and said, "Master, the young lady was here just now."
Chen Zhuo nodded, and without stopping, he strode away to the study. Soon, Shengxia came over. He continued to teach her and took her to meet the generals of the Wuguo Mansion.
Shengxia looked at him with a complicated look, but didn't ask anything.
The following summer, in the height of summer, I sat in the courtyard drinking tea. The cicadas chirped incessantly in the courtyard. It was only early summer, but the heat was already unbearable. Only under the shade of a tree could I find a bit of coolness.
The emperor was seriously ill and could only stay in bed.
Chen Zhuo strode over, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it.
Shengxia turned her head and looked at him in a daze.
Chen Zhuo raised his eyes and said, "At your coming-of-age ceremony two years ago, your grandmother gave you a name. I remember it was Huixian."
Shengxia nodded.
"Change it. Huixian doesn't suit you. The cicadas are chirping non-stop. Although March is short, but the sound of them croaking out is still leisurely. Let the cicadas be leisurely."
This word is more free, while Huixian is more restrictive.
Shengxia looked at him, her eyes slightly red, "Brother, are you leaving?"
Her premonition was so strong, as if she was about to lose something again.
"Don't cry, it's not like you won't come back." Chen Zhuo raised his hand and wiped away the tears rolling down her cheek. "The summer sun is scorching. Your name is very good, and it should be three times brighter than the sun."
"The border war has started again, and I have no choice but to go. They have evil intentions and use the border as a pawn. They have lost all conscience, but I cannot lose my kindness, so I have no choice but to join the game."
In the end, his kindness was their bargaining chip, calculating people's hearts, and they bet on his heart.
"Grandmother won't interfere with your marriage. You can marry as you wish in the future. When I'm not at home, you'll be in charge of everything at home, and they'll all listen to you." This was the freedom he gave her, whether it was marriage or power.
The struggle for imperial power is turbulent and complicated. He takes the initiative to join the game and will send all the evidence to her in the future, and she will decide the outcome.
"It's up to you to decide whether to stand on the side or be neutral."
Shengxia's voice choked, "But if you say that, how can I believe that you will come back? You are so sure that I will protect the Duke's Mansion, is it because of my brother?"
Chen Zhuo chuckled, his smile obvious, "No matter what your purpose is, I believe you."
"Xiao Xia, once or twice is a coincidence, but the third time, it's not."
There was a knowing smile in his dark eyes, but there was no panic in Shengxia's eyes as she looked at him steadily.
Shen Zhuo sighed inwardly, his eyes becoming indistinct. He leaned over and hugged her, whispering, "Linzhi, please stay in the capital. If you have any problems, let her find someone to handle them. I'm leaving."
"Brother, can you promise to come back for me?" Shengxia grabbed his sleeve.
Chen Zhuo said nothing. He held her wrist and pried open her fingers one by one. "I should go change my armor."
He could not give a definite promise. His father's death was complicated. The second prince was the mastermind, and the other princes were not clean either. No one was a fool.
Shengxia looked at his back, stood up and followed him.
When the old lady heard the news, she also came over, leaning on a cane and with tears in her eyes.
Chen Zhuo came out and bowed to the old lady and Li Wan. "I am leaving now. Please be at ease, elders, and do not worry too much. The war is urgent, so I will not say goodbye any more."
"I'll take you out of the city." Shengxia followed him out of the house and got on the horse.
Chen Zhuo nodded, mounted his horse quickly, and rode out of the city with her.
After a farewell of ten miles, the army was waiting at the long pavilion.
Shengxia reined in her horse and watched him lead the army away. She held the reins and watched the figure gradually get smaller in the distance.
Soon the sound of horse hooves came closer. She looked up and saw Chen Zhuo galloping back.
Chen Zhuo came to her side, stopped his horse, and stuffed a dagger into her hand. "This year's birthday gift is given to you in advance."
"Can't you give it to me when you come back?"
She gave him amulets, and he gave her weapons for protection.
Chen Zhuo smiled and shook his head, then rode away. "Don't cry anymore. The tears of the weak will only make them more arrogant. Just smile and let them think you have victory."
Shengxia looked up, the scorching sun burned her eyes, so bright that it brought tears to her eyes.
I haven't seen your smile for hundreds of years, and a smile means farewell.
In a time of power shift, everyone is a pawn. What can she change by coming?
Only when he could no longer see the figure did Shengxia turn his horse around and gallop towards the capital, his red clothes fluttering in the wind like fire.
When they arrived at the gate of the mansion, the servant came to lead the horse. Sheng Xia leaned over and picked up the staggering Shen Shuo, and looked at the old lady and Li Wan, "Grandma, mother, let's go back."
The old lady sighed, nodded, and looked at her with complicated eyes.
After Shen Zhuo left Beijing, the struggle in the court intensified. Zhao Zhe was promoted from the Minister of Revenue to the Minister of Revenue, and the former Minister of Revenue retired and returned to the countryside. Almost all the high positions were replaced.
The border battle report was passed back by Chen Zhuo's men. Chen Zhuo led his army to attack the city, capturing one city every half a month, which was almost a life-threatening fighting style.
Shengxia asked Linzhi, "What is he going to do?"
"The general found out that the second prince wrote a letter to the eldest prince of Bianman." Lin Zhi replied.
Shengxia understood that treason would not win the support of the people, no matter whether you were a prince or a powerful official.
Shengxia went out early and came back late every day, and exchanged the income from the shops under the name of the Duke's Mansion for grain, which was sent to the border.
At the end of June, a package was sent back to Beijing, carrying a bloody amulet.
Shengxia looked at Linzhi's expression, and her hand trembled as she took the package, causing it to fall to the ground.
She squatted down to pick it up, tears falling one by one, soaking the package. Later, she almost dared not look at the system monitoring screen.
Shengxia knew that she could not change Chen Zhuo's decision.
Shengxia held the amulet tightly, her fingers turning white. Soon she unwrapped the package and found two letters inside.
A letter written by the Second Prince to the Great Prince of Bianman, probably asking the Great Prince of Bianman to invade the border and lure Chen Zhuo out of the capital, and then give him five cities after the Second Prince seizes power.
One letter was written by Shen Zhuo.
"I have entered the enemy's capital, and have lured the enemy with my body. If I do not return, do not think of it."
Lin Zhi said, "General Min will escort the Bian Man Khan to the capital, and the Bian Man's letter of surrender will be returned to the capital along with the general's coffin."
Shengxia wiped away her tears and whispered, "Since he has the ability to force the barbarians to surrender, why doesn't he just slowly seize the country and establish himself? Why is he in such a hurry?"
Such a brave army.
"The young lady, the old lady and others are all in Beijing." When Linzhi heard Shengxia's shocking words, her face turned sad and then calm.
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