Su Dingfang personally went out to invite Liu Shanyin's son Liu Yi. Just as he walked to the gate of the Governor's Mansion, he rode a fast horse and settled at the door, and immediately jumped down a pawn wearing a banner of arrows and arrows, and rushed to the Governor's Mansion with a military briefcase in his hand.

"Stop, what is the military situation, give it to me." Su Dingfang stopped the pawn.

The pawn was stunned for a moment, and then he came back to his senses and realized that it was Su Dingfang, and hurriedly gave a salute and said breathlessly: "The villain was ordered by General Xue, the governor of Shanzhou, Sichuan, and Dafei, to send a reply from the plateau messenger Liu Shanyin, and he was eager to go straight to the governor of Qin!" ”

"Come with me to see the Grand Governor!" Su Dingfang's heart sank: It's just the right time!

Later, Su Dingfang, Liu Yi and the messenger pawn entered the main hall, and when they saw the ceremony, Su Dingfang first asked the pawn to submit the official document.

Qin Mubai read the text, which was an official letter written by Liu Shanyin, who made a special trip to report to the envoy Tubo Golmud to discuss the marriage of the alliance. The letter said that he had met with Tubo Zanpu and renounced the sect, and everything was negotiated. It was agreed that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the envoys of the two countries would meet and form an alliance in the Qingluoyuan grassland, one hundred and thirty miles west of Dafei Sichuan, and formally sign the peace covenant, and at the same time hold the engagement ceremony between the abandoned sect and Princess Wencheng. On the same day, the Tubo Zanpu Society personally attended the peace alliance meeting and welcomed Princess Wencheng Luan to the plateau with a grand guard of honor.

Qin Mubai read this letter in detail and repeatedly, his brows gradually furrowed, and he couldn't help muttering: "Is the peace really successful?" ……”

"The peace talks were successful?" Su Dingfang was surprised, obviously incredible.

"See for yourself." Qin Mubai handed him the letter, then looked back at Liu Yi and asked him, "Are you Liu Yi, the son of Liu Honglu, why did you come to see me?" ”

"The villain is Liu Yi." Liu Yi, a young descendant who was full of bookish spirit, gave Qin Mubai a respectful salute, and he was also generous and decent, and said gently: "Dare to ask the Metropolitan Governor, is this letter from my father?" ”

"Yes."

Liu Yi hesitated for a moment, and begged: "The villain is brave, can you show the villain the letter of my father?" ”

Qin Mubai nodded and said to Su Dingfang, "It's not a top secret, so it's okay to show him a look." ”

"Governor Xie." Liu Yi took the letter, read it carefully word by word, and read it at least three times, and suddenly a thick cloud of sorrow suddenly appeared between his eyebrows, and finally closed his eyes and shook his head, and sighed with infinite sadness and grief, "Father, my life is at rest!" ”

"What?" Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang were both taken aback, "Why do you say this?" ”

"The Governor of the Metropolis." Liu Yi's eyebrows tightened, he took a deep breath and exhaled a long breath, and arched his hand, "My father once had an agreement with the villain, and this trip to Tibet will be more than auspicious." If he can't make peace, he will be buried on the Tibetan Plateau. If it can be done, there will be a letter to the Governor's Office within three months. Before leaving, my father repeatedly told him that if the Metropolitan Governor's Office received his handwritten reply, it must carefully verify the authenticity and beware of forgery. ”

"Forgery?" Su Dingfang was surprised, "You mean this letter is a forgery?" Probably not! I am also familiar with Liu Honglu, and I recognize his handwriting! ”

"The handwriting is very similar, but the letter is definitely fake." Liu Yi said with great certainty, "My father is a person who is thick on the outside and fine on the inside, and when he was leaving, he specially told me that if there is his reply, the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth sentences should be hidden sentences, and together they should be 'benevolence and righteousness'." But this letter, no. From this, it can be seen that the epistle is definitely a forgery! Moreover, although the handwriting is very similar, the tone is not very similar. Although my father is full of poetry and books, he acts rough and uninhibited, even if he writes official documents, he is also full of coarse voice, and will never be as low and gentle as this. ”

Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang were surprised, and picked up the letter to refer to the method Liu Yi said and compared it carefully, and sure enough, as he said, it was full of flaws.

"What else did your father say to you?" Qin Mubai asked.

"My father once said that it is difficult to achieve both loyalty and righteousness, and public and private affairs cannot be taken into account." Liu Yi's mood was already very heavy, and he said slowly, "There are people in the court who want my father to send an envoy to Tibet, of course, there is a reason. ”

"I know." Qin Mubai said, "Ten years ago, your father was only the head of a small county in Xiangzhou, Hebei Province, and then he joined the eldest grandson Wuji's disciple to rise to the top and become a member of the court. In the final analysis, he is the person of the eldest grandson Wuji. ”

"That's right." Liu Yi nodded without denying it and said, "In the past, my father has always respected and trusted the eldest grandson Wuji. However, in this war and dispute, my father had his own ideas, thinking that it was not appropriate to negotiate peace and give marriage. He has served in Honglu Temple for many years, and has come into contact with many Tibetan people, and he knows that the Hu people are greedy and untrustworthy, and they are deeply disgusted. But because of the relationship between teachers and students, it was not good to disobey the will of the eldest grandson, so he had to follow the order. In fact, my father knew very well in his heart that whether he was fighting or making peace with Tibet was a matter related to the fate of the country and the century-old plan in the eyes of people like the general and his father, but in the eyes of the eldest grandson Wuji and others, it was the key to the party's struggle and conspiracy. My father hated the party struggle between the DPRK and China, but he was powerless to change it...... My father told me more than once that the eldest grandson Wuji and others lived in the cramped Chang'an and the imperial palace, and gradually lost the struggle for interests and power, and lost the vision and ideas that a national scholar should have. The current eldest grandson Wuji is no longer the eldest grandson Wuji at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In fact, there is no need to argue about the war and the issue of Tibet, the contradictions between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet cannot be reconciled, and the struggle will continue forever. Therefore, in the long run, the only solution is to rely on armed forces to conquer and pacify, and then to carry out thorough integration. However, the eldest grandson Wuji and others were unwilling to give away their military power and power, and did not want anyone to obtain higher merits and prestige than him so as to erect a strong enemy above the court, so they ......"

"You don't need to say it, I understand......" Qin Mubai nodded and sighed, "So your father was very embarrassed." Yu Gong, he was not willing to negotiate peace with Tubo at all; For personal reasons, he can't go against the wishes of his mentor Sun Wuji. He was so embarrassed that he decided to die to free himself, right? ”

"It's not a relief. Although my father is a Confucian student, he is a hard bone who would rather cut off his head than bend his knees! Liu Yi suddenly said loudly, "Father, I rushed to the plateau with a heart of death!" One of the reasons why he brought me here was to report the truth to the general today; Second, I also hope that I can ask the Metropolitan Governor to help me see if I can bring back his bones...... Fallen leaves, back to the roots! ”

Falling leaves return to the roots, four words, Liu Yi said it to the heart, and burst into tears.

"Is it a heart of death...... Qin Mubai groaned, stepped forward and patted Liu Yi's shoulder, and said, "How did your father know that he was going to die on this trip?" ”

"Has the Governor forgotten that my father once served in the Honglu Temple? The former Tibetan envoys lived in the Honglu Temple, and my father paid attention to them morning and evening, knowing that not only did you not have the sincerity to make peace, but also resented the defeat of the previous Dafeichuan and still coveted it, and also hated the Dadu Governor to the bone. Their so-called initiative to negotiate peace, one is to give Gao Yuan a chance to rest and recuperate, and the other is to earn the wealth of the princess and the dowry, all of which are net profits and no losses. Liu Yi said, "Therefore, my father knew the treachery and hypocrisy of the Tibetan robbers and hated them deeply. But others are soft-spoken, and they dare not and cannot rely on one-sided words to influence the major affairs of the state, so they bury these thoughts deep in their hearts and dare not tell others. Before the departure of the envoy to Tibet, my father had predicted that Tibet would never have the slightest sincerity to negotiate and give marriage; The commander of the plateau, Gar Qinling, who was in charge of contacting the Central Plains mission, was extremely deep and proficient in the art of deception, and he was also a tyrant on the plateau who was unruly and unruly in his mouth, and there would be a conspiracy at that time. Therefore, there is a conspiracy agreement between the father and the villain - if the alliance is completed, it is the will of heaven, and the letter has the four words "benevolence and righteousness"; if it does not work, there will be a conspiracy and trickery in the Galqin Mausoleum, and sending someone to deceive the letter is one of the ways. My father knew very well that Garqinling was proficient in Sinology and had a large number of talented people under his command, so it was inevitable that he would forge one or two letters. If you deceive the governor or the father and daughter of the king of Jiangxia to go to the Tubo Plateau...... The consequences are unimaginable! ”

Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang glanced at each other, and they all felt a chill on their backs!

Liu Shanyin, a small person who was not noticeable before, now plays a crucial role - if it weren't for his integrity, shrewdness and generosity, even Qin Mubai would not be able to guarantee whether he and Li Daozong would fall for Gar Qinling's poisonous plan!

As Liu Yi said, if the Tang Dynasty side follows the agreement in the letter, Qin Mubai and Li Daozong take Princess Wencheng and others to the Qingluoyuan grassland to meet the covenant, it will not take much effort, and Gar Qinling can wipe them out......

"Young marshal...... This...... It's unexpected! Su Dingfang, who has always been the most calm, inhaled a cool air.

Qin Mubai put his hands behind his back, clenched his fists tightly and his sword eyebrows tightened, paced back and forth a few steps, and said in a deep voice: "Please, King Jiangxia!" ”

"Yes!"

"Metropolitan Governor ......" Liu Yi had red eyes and smiled.

Qin Mubai stepped forward, patted him lightly on the shoulder, and said softly, "Liu Yi, I have nothing to say. If it weren't for you and your father this time, Qin and countless soldiers and civilians would definitely die on the plateau! Lanzhou is closed, and the land of the Tang Dynasty and the west of the country may also collapse for thousands of miles, and the country will shake the Tang Dynasty and be in danger...... Although your father is a weak Confucian student, he turned the tide and supported the collapse of the building, and he is a great hero who stands up to the sky! Qin is grateful to him and to you - please accept Qin's worship! ”

"The Metropolitan Governor Hugh wants to torture the villain!" Liu Yi was frightened and hurriedly knelt down first, kowtowing and saying, "The villain only has one thing to ask for!" ”

"Get up, speak. But everything Qin can do will promise you, and he will not swear to death! Qin Mubai looked at him and said word by word.

"Villain...... I just want to fulfill my father's last wish, welcome my father's bones or ashes back to his hometown in Xiangzhou for burial, and let him return to his roots. My father also said that it is difficult to achieve both loyalty and righteousness, and asked the general not to publicize all his words and deeds to the outside world, so as not to ...... the eldest grandson Wuji's side The general only said that Tubo treacherously humiliated and killed my envoy of the Tang Dynasty, and he could be justified and famous. My father worked hard, and asked the general to be considerate and fulfilled! ”

"I promise you." Qin Mubai gritted his teeth, nodded heavily, and said, "Actually, Tubo may not really have the guts to kill your father......

"Yes, my father said that. But my father will die for his country. Liu Shanyi's eyes were red, his lips trembled and he choked, "Otherwise, I will be in the Tang Dynasty...... What is the name of the teacher? Governor of Qin, how to raise troops?! ”

Qin Mubai put his wrists on his back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and muttered: Liu Shanyin, you are amazing! The Tang Dynasty, there is finally a righteous man and a national warrior that I Qin Mubai sincerely admire! In public and private, I Qin Mubai owe you ...... in this life The afterlife will be returned!

Late at night, the lights and shadows flickered in the study of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion. There were actually not many people present, only Qin Mubai, Su Dingfang, Li Daozong and Hou Junji, but it was as if there were thousands of people holding their breath together, and the atmosphere was tense and depressing.

"Everyone expressed their opinions for a long time, and the argument was decided, which was not a solution." Li Daozong said, "Mu Bai, you have listened to all of us, this is very good. But after all, you are the lord of Lanzhou, and Your Majesty will hand over half of the country in Kansai to your father and son, at this time, it should be up to you to make the decision. ”

"Wait a minute!" Hou Junji interrupted Li Daozong's words and said, "I don't think my idea is the best, but in the end, it is only a matter of time before there will be a battle with that bastard of Gar Qinling. Rather than this, it's better to plan - didn't he want to deceive the young marshal and the prince, you go to Qingluoyuan to catch them all? Why don't we treat others the way they do? ”

"Hou Junji, you don't want to underestimate the enemy." Li Daozong said, "Don't underestimate that young Gar Qinling. If it weren't for the prestige of the king, Gar Qinling joined the army at the age of ten and became the commander at the age of fifteen. Among them, Gar Qinling was the first in military merit, and he grew up with the renunciation of the sect and the praise of the sect since he was a child, and he was as close as a brother and was deeply trusted and relied on, and he even dared to exercise the power of the state on behalf of the abandonment of the sect and the troll. Also, entrenched at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, 200,000 Tibetan iron horsemen, Gar Qinling dared to wave them as free as his own slaves - let me ask, do you Hou Junji dare? Qin Mubai, are you okay again? ”

Hou Junji's expression was stiff and speechless, and he was instantly dumbfounded.

Li Daozong's words hit the nail on the head, and also hit the weakness of Qin Mubai and Lanzhou. Compared with the two, Gar Qinling's military superiority is not inferior to Qin Mubai's, and his superiority lies in his absolute authority and freedom; On the other hand, the imperial court lacked trust and support for Lanzhou, and Qin Mubai was stared at to death, and he was constrained everywhere - if he started a war with Gar Qinling without informing the imperial court in advance and obtaining his approval, Qin Mubai and Lanzhou would face great pressure and even sanctions.

To put it seriously, this is a typical self-respecting army without the court!

"I'm really a little envious and jealous of Gar Chinling." Qin Mubai smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "You don't have to fight anymore, I have already made a decision." ”

"What should I do?" Everyone asked.

Qin Mubai's eyebrows sank slightly, and glanced at the other three people present, and said in a deep voice: "Even if I am beheaded by the imperial court in the future, I don't want to, I don't dare, and I can't be a turtle at this time, tightly shrinking in the shell and pretending to be dead." I have decided, on the day of the alliance, with Gar Chinling - duel, one, death, battle! ”