The evening breeze blew lightly, but it could not blow away the bloody breath in the air, and in the slightly drunk dark night, there were souls who had not had time to return, and the people hid behind the windows, extinguished the lights, and wept for the unknown fate.

Chang'an City was pitch black. In addition to the Imperial City Vermilion Bird Gate, the camp tent of the Jin King garrison, and the camp tent of the Wang garrison in Chang'an City, there are only two bright lights.

After three days of siege, they were all tired, and the two armies reached a consensus to rest and recuperate for the time being. However, the whole world understands that this is only a dream of peace, and when the sun rises, the flames of war will be rekindled.

The city was quiet, the soldiers were so tired that they didn't have time to take off their bloody clothes, so they snored, the weaver screamed loudly, and the king's tent outside the Suzaku Gate was connected into a piece, accounting for most of the city.

Li Jingting stood on the corner tower of the imperial city, watching this scene and clenched his fists, the injuries all over his body were still oozing blood, he couldn't sleep at all, but for three days, his jaw was already covered with green stubble.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind, "Lord Yu, Cui Yan brought", and immediately, it was a slight sound of two people kneeling and bowing.

Li Jingting suppressed the fluctuations on his face, and turned his head lightly, Li Gui, the head of the Li family in Longxi, brought a man and was saluting him, and between his knees touching the ground, two more blood circles were imprinted.

Li Jingting's heart was slightly sour. Hurriedly helped Li Gui up: "The head of the Li family doesn't need to be polite. In the battle of Mingde, you were also wounded, so rest well tonight. Tomorrow will have the strength to collect debts from the traitors. ”

Li Gui smiled self-deprecatingly: "My old bones, Lord Lao is worried." Even the body of the prince's daughter is fighting in front of him, how dare I, Longxi Li, speak cowardly. It's just a temporary defeat, and the prince doesn't need to blame himself. Even if Wang Jian's villain succeeds, he will never break through this imperial city. The old man believes in the royal family, and the prince should also believe in the ancestors of the Li family. ”

Li Jingting's face softened by two points, and he patted Li Gui's shoulder: "Don't worry, the Li family master, tomorrow's strategy, this king will make a good calculation, and he will definitely not make the traitor dirty and insult my heavenly city by half a step." ”

Li Gui nodded, saluted again, and turned to retreat. In the corner tower of the palace city, Li Jingting was left, and the man with his head bowed.

The evening breeze mixed with blood and gas, the corner tower lights were dim, and Chang'an City was full of holes. Li Jingting's gaze suddenly became faint, and the majesty of a superior person rose on him.

With a bang, he drew his saber, put the horizontal sword in his hand, and stretched it out in front of the man: "Cui Yan." Qinghe Cui, who has five surnames and seven hopes, isn't it far away to help this king?"

The man looked up, it was Qinghe Cui's son-in-law, Cui Yan. But what people don't understand is how he, who usually only likes to steal things, can be connected with the changes in the current situation.

Cui Yan looked at the sword in front of him and smiled strangely: "If I say no, will the prince kill Weichen just like that?"

"Not bad. Li Jingting did not hesitate and gave the answer, "Others only say that you are a rich and noble person, except for stealing treasures by the family's hobby, you don't hear anything outside the window." However, the truth is that you are the next head of the family protected by Qinghe Cui, just like the eldest grandson Yuru back then, called Cui's military advisor. What you mean is what Qinghe Cui means. If you say no, even if Qinghe Cui says no, this king will not be able to spare your life. ”

Cui Yan didn't speak. just turned his head and looked outside the city, three hundred and sixty squares, towering Chang'an, but now it is as dead and silent as a tomb, and the military tent of the Wang family is noisy, as if he has become the master.

"It's ironic. At the feet of the Son of Heaven, the traitor is still in the nest. Cui Yan shrugged his shoulders and sighed nonchalantly, "I thought that the prince would be able to guard the city gate." I didn't want to be broken by Wang Jian. Mistakes, really mistakes. ”

Li Jingting gritted his back molars, and a frowning flame rose between his eyebrows: "Five surnames and seven wangs, Xiao, Cui, Wang, Zheng, Li." The Xiao family helped the Wang family, the Zheng family and the Li family returned to the king, and now the neutral one is your Cui family. This king admits that this king has lost, but you have to wait for Wang Jian to attack the Daming Palace and change the dynasty, will you Qinghe Cui come out of the nest? This king believes that you Cui Yan is not this kind of person. ”

"Of course. I, Cui, don't want to see anyone surnamed Wang. However, this does not necessarily mean that my Cui family will help the prince. Cui Yan smiled faintly, his eyes were as deep as the sea, "Positive, negative, neutral, both lose, my Cui family reaps the benefits of the fisherman." If the prince wants our team, he has to take out enough benefits. ”

The straightforward and cruel words only aroused Li Jingting's inevitable, and locked Cui Yan to death: "Have you heard that the one surnamed Qian is out of the customs." ”

A simple word for money made Cui Yan tremble, maintaining an indifferent face, and unexpectedly became unstable.

This instantaneous change made Li Jingting more and more confident, and continued: "Qian Zhuxi. It's her, how?"

Cui Yan's pupils shrank. The corners of Li Jingting's lips curled, and he leaned forward and lowered his tone: "The benefit that this king gave you is that he took Qian Zhuxi from his hand and gave it to you." The advantage for the Cui family is that when the king ascends the throne, the Cui family has completely independent governance of the Qian family. ”

Cui Yan's throat moved, his face was a little strange, and there was a slight blazing spark in the depths of his eyes: "She and the Qian family, that is equal to half of Jiangnan...... The prince breathed a big sigh......"

"You should know that the Qian family and the chess boy, oh no, have a relationship with him. Now the only one who can fight against him is this king. If you don't send troops and let Wang Jian defeat this king, in the last battle, the Wang family will definitely be no match for him, and he will be in charge at that time, can he still give you the good of the Qian family?" Li Jingting's tone was more tempting, and the coercion in his body reached its peak, "Women and power, whether it is as Cui Yan or as the next head of the Cui family, is this king enough?"

Cui Yan thought about it for a long time, and the night was surging under his eyes, and after a long time, he resolutely knelt down on one knee and slammed his knee on the ground: "I, the Cui family, am willing to be loyal to the King of Jin! Send troops to Wang Jian to help the prince! I only hope that on the day the prince wins, I will not forget today's oath!"

Li Jingting smiled. The face covered in blood and exhaustion suddenly glowed with brilliance, and he reached out to help Cui Yan, and thousands of miles of rivers and mountains exploded under his eyes.

"It's a deal!"

On the night when the war situation was temporarily stopped, there was still an undercurrent, it was still treacherous, Chang'an was speechless, and the gods were watching.

The chess game that can't be stopped, going on, the fate of the car turning, coercing, calculating the means of the lover's heart, coveting.

The long night was silent, and the bones fell into a dream, but it was the last silence before the darkness came.

And on the other side, Tiantai Mountain, a hundred miles away, Jiucheng Palace. This is the summer palace of the royal family for generations, and it is also the residence of Li He and his entourage, and the residence of Yu Xing at this moment.

"Ninety" is the meaning of "nine-fold" or "nine-layer", the crown mountain resists the palace, the absolute gully is the pool, the water frame is crossed, and the rock is towering. The pavilion is uneven, looking up is a hundred fathoms, and the next is a thousand miles, watching it move mountains and return to the stream, and the poor are extremely luxurious (Note 1).

The three watches have been knocked, the partridges in the mountains have also fallen asleep, the evening breeze between the mountain streams is blowing, there is a slight chill, it is not at all like the remaining July, and the Xianheng Hall where the emperor is located is still brightly lit.

Li He sat casually on the gold brick floor, without the majesty of an emperor, and glanced at the woman in the hall with all directions: "Have you finished reading?"

"Courtier...... See...... After reading ......, "The woman is Xin Yi." She closed the scroll in her hand, and the surprise lingered on her little face, and even her tone was a little turbulent.

There are two conspicuous small seals on the volume: the chess list. Just two words, shocking.

exegesis

1. Jiucheng Palace: Jiucheng Palace is the first palace of the Tang Dynasty, which is located in the new urban area of Linyou County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, built in the thirteenth year of Kaihuang (593), and completed in March of the fifteenth year of Kaihuang. Emperor Wen of Sui came here six times to escape the summer. In the fifth year of Tang Zhenguan (631), Tang Taizong repaired and expanded, and renamed Jiucheng Palace. The text comes from the site of today's Jiucheng Palace, and there are only two memorial stone tablets on the ground, "Liquan Ming" and "Wannian Palace Ming".