Chapter 3400 Heart like a snake
Seeing Zhu Suiliang's figure disappearing outside the door, Changsun Wuji silently drank all the tea in the cup. The old servant wanted to step forward to refill the tea, but Changsun Wuji waved his hand to stop him.
"It's getting late, so get ready and hit the road."
"Here."
Several servants were all close confidants who had followed Changsun Wuji for many years. After hearing this, they quickly put clothes, shoes, hats and other items into the boxes and cages, and also brought some sealed documents with them. Then several people carried the boxes and cages on their backs, each equipped with a horizontal knife, and stood at the door.
Changsun Wuji stood up and let an old servant behind him serve him. He put on a mink fur cloak and a mink fur hat on his head. The whole person was wrapped tightly and airtight, and then he went to several confidants. He nodded slightly and walked out of the tent first.
Outside the tent, dozens of soldiers from the Changsun family were already waiting here. When they saw Changsun Wuji coming out, they all knelt down on one knee.
In the distance, a group of soldiers rode up. Qiu Xiaozhong came to the front first, jumped off his horse, bowed and saluted: "The last general has seen the Duke!"
Changsun Wuji raised his eyes and saw heavy snowfall under the night sky. Dozens of soldiers were kneeling in front of them in darkness. In the distance, there were soldiers patrolling by groups outside the camp gate.
He has been decisive in killing all his life. After considering the pros and cons, he went all out and made no reservations. However, at this moment, his previously firm will was wavering, and his mind was inevitably hesitant.
Taking this step, you will become a king or a loser, and there will be no room for change. Either the Changsun family seizes the power of regency, continues its glory for fifty years, and once again creates the most noble family in the world; or it goes to a dead end, suffers a huge defeat, and in the future, the blood lineage is cut off and the ancestral temple is in ruins...
However, the current situation is like this, and the Changsun family has gradually reached its current situation, which is no longer broken or established. If you don't want to make progress and settle for the status quo, you can only wait for this war to bear the responsibility and suffer unprecedented suppression. When the prince ascends the throne in the future, the Changsun family will be completely reduced. As vassals, their descendants are tortured and killed like dolphins and dogs.
With his character, how could he be willing to be captured and killed at the slightest sign of his neck?
Since settling for the status quo is a dead end, how can we risk our lives for a chance to turn things around and bring ourselves back to life?
Taking a deep breath of the cool air, his chest and abdomen seemed to be frozen for a moment, making Changsun Wuji think clearly. He nodded slightly towards Qiu Xiaozhong and said in a deep voice: "Let's go!"
"Here!"
Qiu Xiaozhong stood up and mounted his horse with the soldiers behind him. When Changsun Wuji and his soldiers also got on their horses, they wrapped him in the middle of the team and rode out of the camp.
After walking not far in the wind and snow, they saw a group of patrolling soldiers approaching. They stopped Qiu Xiaozhong and his party and asked why they left the camp in the middle of the night.
Qiu Xiaozhong explained that he would lead his troops to attack the city tomorrow, but there was a shortage of arrows in the army, so he had to go to the rear army overnight to transport arrows, and took out the arrow allocation list issued by the rear army.
The patrolling soldiers did not doubt that he was there, and Qiu Xiaozhong was a general in the army. Naturally, some ordinary military disciplines could not be imposed on him, so he was allowed to go.
A group of soldiers and horses passed through most of the Tang Army's camp in the wind and snow. Along the way, they encountered patrolling soldiers who were interrogating them, but they were able to cover up with ease.
Changsun Wuji, who was in the team, looked at such a strict interrogation and admired Li Ji's military management skills. If it weren't for Qiu Xiaozhong's cover this time, he would never have thought of leaving the military camp without anyone noticing...
< br>
Half an hour later, the team passed through the military camp. The mountains ahead were covered with wind and snow. Qiu Xiaozhong raised his hands on his horse and said: "My lord, the road is difficult, so please take care of yourself."
He didn't know what Changsun Wuji had planned, and why he left the military camp and returned to Chang'an at such a critical moment as His Majesty was seriously injured and the army was attacking the city, but he could vaguely guess in his heart.
He had not had much contact with Changsun Wuji, but his private interests were intertwined, so he was willing to take the risk to escort Changsun Wuji for a journey. If Changsun Wuji achieves great things in the future, he will also benefit from it. Compared with this, taking some risks now is insignificant...
Changsun Wuji also clasped his fists on horseback and returned the gift: "Thank you so much, general, for sending me this time. I will keep this friendship in my heart and repay it later!"
Qiu Xiaozhong smiled and said: "Your Majesty, you are welcome! The mountains are high and the rivers are far away. Take care along the way!"
Although this place is away from the Tang Army camp, no one can guarantee whether there will be scouts coming and going. If someone catches him, he will be guilty. So after saying a few polite words and gaining Changsun Wuji's favor, he hurriedly left and returned to his camp.
Changsun Wuji, with his tribe of servants, headed north in the wind and snow.
This road is indeed as "high mountains and far away" as Qiu Xiaozhong said, and it is very cold and snowy. It is difficult and dangerous to avoid the Tang army garrison along the way. However, Changsun Wuji not only did not fear the difficulty at all, but his blood boiled in his chest.
As long as he thinks about how he will prepare for great things after returning to Chang'an, and will once again push the eldest son's family to the pinnacle of glory, and he will also become a hero admired by all people in the world, the impulse that has disappeared for many years will return to his body.
How can a man be afraid of hardships, be content with the status quo, and wait for the loess and flying dust to slowly decay with the vegetation?
*****
In the stormy night of May, Zhu Suiliang returned to his tent without lighting a lamp. After repelling the waiter, he placed the brocade box in his hand on the coffee table beside him and sat alone in the darkness, listening to the howling wind outside the tent. , the sound of hoofbeats bursts, the waves in the chest rise and fall, and the mind is wandering.
He raised his hands to rub his face, but found that his legs were numb from sitting for so long. While rubbing his legs, he let out a long sigh.
In the past, he always thought that he was talented. Since he could dominate the world in calligraphy and poetry, even if he entered an official career, he would be able to do it with ease. All he lacked was just an opportunity.
To this day, he still has lingering fears about the intrigues in the officialdom. The cruel and unreasonable fights often make people lose their conscience and lose their morals, and they have to face life and death decisions anytime and anywhere. However, once you enter the officialdom, it is as deep as the sea. It is easy to get in, but you cannot quit if you want to.
He was unwilling to take this step, but Changsun Wuji had already clearly analyzed the pros and cons, whether it was persuasion or intimidation, in short, there was no turning back for him now.
Taking a step forward is indeed an abyss, but if you step back, you are still in a deep and dangerous ravine, and you will be shattered into pieces if you fall down.
There was darkness in the camp. Zhu Suiliang sat there for a long time before he stood up, opened the brocade box in front of him, fumbled for a pill the size of a fingernail and pinched it in his palm. Then he let out a long breath, strengthened his will, and turned around to leave. Camp, came to the Chinese army tent not far away.
There were lamps and candles burning in the tent, and the imperial doctor was massaging His Majesty Li Er's legs to prevent blood vessels from being blocked and muscles to shrink. When he saw Zhu Suiliang walking in, he stopped massaging and bowed.
Zhu Suiliang stepped forward to take a look and asked: "Has your Majesty ever taken medicine?"
The imperial doctor said: "The decoction has just been cooked and is a bit hot. I will wait for the decoction to cool down a little before serving it to Your Majesty."
Zhu Suiliang nodded, glanced at the medicine bowl on the table next to him, and said, "It's getting late, and you've been tired all day long. You might as well go and have a rest. I'll serve your Majesty in taking the medicine."
The imperial doctor hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "In this case, I'll help you all."
Zhu Suiliang forced out a smile and said softly: "Serving Your Majesty is the duty of a minister, and it is our honor."
The imperial doctor hurriedly said: "That's exactly what it should be!"
After saying that, he walked from the side of the bed to the desk, put his medical skills, silver needles and other items into a medicine box, then carried the medicine box on his back, cupped his hands and said: "I'm going to rest for now. If your Majesty has anything, If the situation arises, Zhu Huangmen only needs to shout at the door, and the official will come immediately!”
Zhu Suiliang nodded and said, "Just leave."
The imperial doctor nodded in greeting, opened the tent door and walked out. After taking a few steps, he turned back and stood quietly in the shadow behind the tent door, motionless as the snowflakes fell on his head and shoulders.
Inside the tent, Zhu Suiliang stepped forward, stood beside the bed and looked at His Majesty Li Er, who had his eyes closed and was breathing evenly, his heart fluctuating.
Human beings are not grass and trees, how can they be ruthless?
Over the years, His Majesty Li Er has loved his talent and recruited him to his side, conferring official titles and honors on him. Even when he made mistakes, he protected him and loved him so much that few people in the court could do so...
But what is the difference between what I am doing now and the poison of a snake and a scorpion?
After a long time, he gritted his teeth, turned around, walked to the table, and put the pills in his palm into the medicine bowl. The pills melted when they saw water and dissolved into the medicine soup in a moment.
Zhu Suiliang came to the bed with the medicine bowl in his hands, knelt on his knees, raised the medicine bowl high above his head, and said softly: "Your Majesty, I will serve you to take the medicine."
After saying this, tears burst from his eyes. (End of chapter)