"Whew, whew." Hu Jichen supported the tree with one hand, half-bent over and the other hand supporting his knees, panting loudly. He is in his sixties this year, and even if his body is still strong, he can't stop running like this.

Bai Mingjing looked around, but he didn't see the mourners chasing after him, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said to Hu Jichen: "Your Majesty, the mourners have retreated. ”

"That's very good. Let the soldiers rest here and continue to Tan Binh City tomorrow. Bai Aiqing, where is this place? How far is it from Tan Binh Thanh Castle? Hu Jichen said. Just now they were in a panic, and they didn't know where to run.

Fortunately, Bai Mingjing was familiar with the terrain in this area, and when he looked around just now, he already knew where they were, and immediately replied: "Your Majesty, this place is still in the mountains and forests in the northwest of Ha Tinh Province, about seventy or eighty miles away from Xinping City. However, there are about thirty or forty miles to get out of the mountains and forests. ”

"Seventy or eighty miles?" Hu Jichen asked the guards to lay a mat on the ground, sat down and said: "In the mountains and forests, the fastest day is at most twenty miles, thirty or forty miles has to walk for two days, and when you go down the mountain, you have to walk for one day, and you can walk to Xinping on the twenty-sixth day of the first month of the day after tomorrow." ”

"Your Majesty is right." White name Kyodo.

Hu Jichen nodded and did not answer, but lowered his head to think, and after a while he ordered: "Bai Aiqing, how much dry food is there now?" Is there enough food for the soldiers tonight? ”

Bai Mingjing glanced around. At this time, although many soldiers had been killed by the mourners just now, and some people did not know where to flee, there were still more than 80 soldiers guarding Hu Jichen.

"Your Majesty, when I retreated just now, the two guards carrying the grain were beaten to death by the mourners, and they couldn't stop to clean up carefully in their eagerness, and a lot of dry food and dried meat were lost. But fortunately, the food in his hand was enough for more than 40 people to eat, and the two soldiers had to share a share of food. ”

"That's not going to work! I'm tired today, and I'm going to have to go early tomorrow morning, so I can't eat half of the food! Hu Jichen immediately said: "Bai Aiqing, you arrange for a few people who are familiar with the terrain here to look for wild vegetables around, and then go to fetch some water to make some vegetable soup for the soldiers to drink." It would be better if you could shoot some wild animals, and it would be okay if you didn't. "Because he was in the ranks, they also carried a small iron pot, a few small barrels, and teacups.

Bai Mingjing was very reluctant to accept this task, and said: "Your Majesty, if the fire is raised, it may be discovered by the mourners, and it is better not to make a fire." ”

"It's so dark, how can you easily spot the light of a fire in the distance? When you start a fire, find a few large rocks to block the fire. Hu Jichen said. He used to go out for a picnic, and if he deliberately blocked it at night, the fire was small, and it was difficult to be detected.

Bai Mingjing had no choice but to accept the order, called a few of his cronies over, and told them to dig wild vegetables, and he took a few other people to the creek to fetch water.

After a while, Bai Mingjing came back with water, piled up the dry firewood he had picked up, lit a fire with a fire fold, and threw the wild vegetables into the pot when the people who searched for wild vegetables returned, and after a while the vegetables were cooked, and the soldiers each divided half of the grain, and lined up to make soup. Now the remaining Annan soldiers are Hu Jichen's Imperial Forest Army, many of them have helmets, and several people share a helmet to serve soup.

After the soldiers had eaten, Bai Mingjing arranged for a few well-fed soldiers to stand guard on all sides, and most of the soldiers cleared a place without stones and rested in their clothes. Hu Jichen also asked the guards to spread a layer of cover on the ground and lie down to sleep.

……

……

"Taishi, Your Majesty has something to give to Taishi."

"Thank you for your kindness." Hu Jichen took the item in his hand and said to the eunuch who came to give it.

He then opened the box, took out a rolled-up calligraphy and painting, and unfolded it to look at it. The painting is divided into four pieces, each of which depicts a man in a long robe, with a child or a person lying in bed who is dying.

Hu Jichen only glanced at it, then immediately knelt down and kowtowed in the direction of the palace and said, "The minister will definitely follow the example of Duke Zhou, Duke Huo, Marquis Zhuge Wuhou and Doctor Su, and assist the official family." If you violate this statement, you will be disgusted. ”

In an instant, the picture changed, Hu Jichen, who was about fifty years old, stood beside an old man in a royal robe, walking in the beautiful imperial garden, only to hear the old man in a royal robe say: "Taishi's relatives, state affairs, a commission, now the country is weak, widowed and old, after his death, the official family (referring to the emperor of the Chen Dynasty) loves Qing considerably, if he feels that he can be supplemented, he will be supplemented, and if he is dark, he will love Qing himself. ”

Hu Jichen immediately took off his hat and knelt on the ground and kowtowed, and at the same time pointed to heaven and earth and swore an oath: "Ministers can't be loyal to the official family, pass on the descendants, and the ghosts and gods will abandon them." And King Lingde (Emperor Chen Dynasty abolished) had the intention of harming before, if it was not His Majesty Weiling, the minister had already smiled into the ground, and he had to do it today? Broken bones, unable to repay in case, dare to have different plans? May Your Majesty learn from this and not worry too much. “

In a blink of an eye, the picture changed again, I saw Hu Jichen wearing a dragon robe, sitting on the stage, and countless ministers knelt down and said: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live!" ”

"Aiqing is flat!" Hu Jichen smiled and asked them to get up, and then said to the five-year-old child standing aside: "The monarch of the Chen Dynasty is dim, and the widow is taking the position of the monarch of the Chen Dynasty with the will of heaven today, are you not convinced?" ”

The little child immediately knelt down and stumbled and said, "The father and ancestor of the minister are mediocre and immoral, and what Your Majesty has done is very proper. ”

Hu Jichen nodded and said: "The widow originally wanted to abolish you as a concubine, but because you are the grandson of the widow, I now crown you as the king of Baoning and move to the western capital to live." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The little child prostrated again.

When the ceremony of enthronement was completed, it was already noon, Hu Jichen returned to the harem in a dragon robe, and lay down to sleep after lunch. ”

Hu Jichen looked up at the sky and saw a bolt of lightning striking his Heavenly Spirit Gai.

……

……

"Ahh Hu Jichen suddenly screamed, straightened up and sat on the cover.

"Your Majesty, what's the matter?" The only eunuch who was still with him said busily.

Hu Jichen looked around, found that he was in the mountains and forests, and said, "It's okay, I had a not very good dream." ”

"Your Majesty, it must be that you have been too tired these days, so Your Majesty is dreaming. When you arrive at Xinping City, Your Majesty will have a good rest, and it will be fine. The eunuch said.

Hu Jichen said a few perfunctory words to him, looked up at the sky, and saw that the east was already bright, so he put on his clothes and stood up.

At this time, the surrounding soldiers were still sleeping. Yesterday they were so tired that if no one woke them up, they could sleep until the next morning.

Hu Jichen walked to the northernmost part of this open space, facing the direction of Thang Long City, and muttered silently: "Could it be that the reason why I fell to the point of losing the country only three years after I ascended the throne is because I usurped the throne of the Chen Dynasty and abandoned me?" ”

He also recalled the dynasties of China and Annam. 'I am just the Annam Dynasty, the country of the Central Plains, all those who have won the country for a long time are very righteous emperors, such as the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties. Although the Song Dynasty enjoyed the country for a long time, the country was congenitally insufficient, and it was never able to unify the Central Plains and succumb to the barbarians. ’

'Could it be that the world is really intolerable to seek a dynasty and usurp the throne?' ’

He then bowed his head and said silently, "If it is true as I have said, please send lightning from the sky, or mourners attack my camp." After Hu Jichen said this, he knelt on the ground facing the north.

But after a while no lightning struck down, and no pursuers appeared. Hu Jichen breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, walked back to his original position, and was about to call the eunuch to wake up Bai Mingjing, when suddenly, there was a shout of killing from the east.