Xu Ji relayed the request of the county lord of Huanyan, and Ma Wei nodded after hearing it: "I know that the county lord is reasonable and will not be twisted like an ordinary woman." ”

Ma Wei invited the emperor over and announced in public that he would marry a daughter of the Tiancheng clan and marry the Zhang family.

The soldiers on both sides cheered and celebrated, and Zhang Shiyu also shouted a few times, taking advantage of King Liang's unpreparedness, he cast a surprised look at Xu Ji, obviously guessing who the "daughter of the clan" was.

The next peace negotiation became very simple, and Ma Wei left behind a jade pendant - it is said that it was originally an old artifact of the former Liang, which was buried in the Tiancheng Palace for many years until it was rediscovered by the King of Liang.

"This is an antiquity, it has been passed down for at least thousands of years, and I hope it can continue to be passed down in the hands of the county lord."

The county lord of Huanyan accepted the gift, nodded in thanks, and said flatly: "Leaving the city in a hurry, and giving it back rudely, Your Majesty may have something on him." ”

Zhang Shiyu groped up and down, "Yes, they are all ordinary ornaments......"

Ma Wei smiled: "No need, the county lord's consent to this marriage is the biggest gift." ”

Ma Wei took his leave, leaving Qiao Zhisu and the others to discuss the details.

The county lord of Huanyan and the emperor then left, leaving the follow-up matters to Sun Yalu.

Xu Ji also stayed, but did not participate in the negotiations, stood outside for a while, suddenly turned on his horse, chased in the direction of Yuyang, the soldiers on both sides outside the tent were surprised, but seeing that he was only one person, no one stopped or chased.

Two or three miles later, Xu Jilema stopped on a small mound, looking at the distant procession, confused, unable to tell what he was going to do.

I don't know who found the figure behind the team, a knight left the team and galloped over, went to the bottom of the mound and said, "Xu Gongzi is in trouble?" ”

"No, it's just ...... See off. ”

The knight jumped off the horse and handed over the cloak that had been holding on his arm, "Your Majesty said that the weather is cold and there is nothing to give, just bring an extra cloak with you, and I hope that Xu Gongzi will smile." ”

Xu Ji also dismounted, and took this unexpected gift, the cloak was very new, very thick, decorated with a lot of soft fur, just holding it in his arms felt warm, as if he hadn't worn it much.

"Thank you."

"Does Xu Gongzi have anything else to say?"

"Please tell Your Majesty...... Xu has nothing to say, just these few words, and 'thank you', nothing else. ”

The knight nodded, mounted his horse and left, chasing the slowly marching team ahead.

Xu Ji put on the cloak, kept watching the team disappear, turned around and was about to get on the horse, suddenly smelled a fragrance, as if it came from his body, he smiled, untied the cloak, folded it carefully, and held the reins with one hand after getting on the horse, and held the cloak with the other hand.

didn't go far, the two rode towards each other, and when they got closer, Xu Ji recognized Qiao Zhisu and Chang Yanzhi.

Seeing that Gongzi was fine, Chang Yanzhi stopped, Qiao Zhisu caught up and let out a sigh, "At least I saw that Mr. Xu was going back." ”

"Mr. Joe thought I was going to run away?"

Mr. Xu didn't say hello...... Forget it, it's good for Mr. Xu to come back, it's my heart, Mr. Xu doesn't have to stay here, let's go back to the barracks quickly. ”

"Okay."

The three of them returned to Shili Pavilion, and the negotiations were suspended because of Qiao Zhisu's departure, and then they started again.

The four soldiers escorted Xu Ji back to the Liang army camp, Chang Yanzhi had already noticed the clothes in Xu Ji's arms, and asked in a low voice on the way: "Who sent it?" ”

"Emperor."

"Why did the emperor give a gift to his son? Is that a cape? ”

"Maybe it's because I'm thinly dressed, and they want me to talk less."

Chang Yanzhi was slightly stunned, and said even more quietly: "The emperor is kind, the prince takes it, don't let it ...... The one who saw it. ”

"Which one?"

Chang Yanzhi glanced at the four guards, and then at Xu Ji, and the strange son asked knowingly.

Xu Ji smiled: "Instead of covering it up, it's better to show it generously." ”

"Hmph, I don't understand what Gongzi thinks, since he lives in the Liang military camp, why do you have to chase the enemy alone and provoke suspicion?"

"I didn't think about it for a while."

"Others didn't think it through, I believe it, Childe? I believe in others, and I don't believe in others. ”

Chang Yanzhi nagged all the way, and Xu Ji knew that he was worried about his safety, so he listened to more and talked less in the second half of the journey.

Back in the camp, Xu Ji had just walked into the tent, and before he had time to rest, Gao Shengze came to summon him.

Xu Ji put on a new cloak and went to King Liang's tent.

Gao Shengze smiled: "New cloak? This is a good thing, and the fox fur on it alone is worth a lot of money. ”

"Hmm." Xu Ji didn't say a word.

In the big tent, Ma Wei sat on a chair, holding a glass of wine in his hand, his face was serious, and he didn't have the joy of deciding on his family, seeing the new cloak on Xu Ji's body, his face softened slightly, put down the cup, and said, "The emperor's gift?" ”

"Yes."

"The emperor is a good man, why didn't he send you in person, waiting for you to catch up?"

"In front of King Liang, the emperor was a little nervous and forgot to take it out."

"And you have a close relationship with the emperor, and you deliberately chased after him to ask for gifts?"

Xu Ji smiled: "Of course not, I chased after the emperor and asked if there was any news of Princess Fangde, the emperor didn't know anything, but giving me this cloak may be just a random move, not prepared in advance." ”

Ma Wei's face softened a little, "I didn't ask you to come here for this matter." I'm about to send someone to Jiangdong to deal with the matter of Louji, so please consider it. ”

"Does King Liang want Lou Ji to die or live?"

Ma Wei was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "What are these words?" I just want him to write a letter of renunciation, and I have no other intentions. ”

"Then there is nothing to consider, King Liang wrote to Guo Shifeng and asked him for help, this matter is nine out of ten."

Ma Wei let out a long hum, not very satisfied, waved his hand, ordered the others to exit the tent, and said, "You have to ask everything clearly." ”

"I don't know how to give a word without asking."

"If it is Guo Shifeng, he will figure out his intentions, no, no, if he changes any strategist, he will figure out his intentions, and then solve his worries for the Lord.

Xu Ji smiled: "No wonder I've come all the way, and I won't be anywhere for long." ”

"Hey, you're the best at figuring out people's hearts, but you're only used to make plans, not to please."

"Is there a shortage of people around King Liang?"

"Forget it, I know what you're going to say and don't want to argue with you. Let's tell the truth, I want to die Lou Ji, don't live Lou Ji, I am not He Rong, I can't be vague about my reputation, Lou Ji defected to King Ning, if I take the marriage letter to talk nonsense in the future, I and the county lord will have no shame. ”

"This is a bit troublesome, Lou Ji is protected by King Ning, and King Ning must have some complaints about King Liang......"

"That's why I'm looking for you."

"King Liang wants me to persuade King Ning to kill Lou Ji?"

Ma Wei shook his head, "As soon as you go to King Ning, you will never come back, I want you to think of another way, borrow a knife to kill people, frame people, whatever." ”

"Who does King Liang think of me?"

"Smart people." Ma Wei's face was slightly gloomy, "Lou Ji is your half-brother, but I know you don't care, the reason why you are pushing back is nothing more than to delay the family affair - the person you chased before was not the emperor, but the county lord, this cloak ......"

"King Liang can inquire about the situation at that time sooner or later, why should I hide it?"

"It's a gift from the emperor, but I know exactly who you think in your heart, so you have to make an idea for me, so that I can be sure that you really support this marriage and will not secretly obstruct it."

Xu Ji didn't squeak, pacing back and forth in the tent, Ma Wei didn't urge, picked up the cup again, and drank slowly.

After seven or eight back and forth, Xu Ji said: "Let me go to Xiangyang with the army." ”

"I haven't talked about it yet." Ma Wei said sternly.

"No, no, I'm talking about Lou Ji."

"What do you mean?"

"Thinking about it, it is impossible to let King Ning kill Lou Ji, it's not that King Ning attaches great importance to Lou Ji, but that he is absolutely unwilling to act on the orders of King Liang."

Ma Wei understood Ning Baoguan, and he had always been a little afraid of him, so he nodded and said, "It's really difficult, can Guo Shifeng help?" ”

"If there is only a letter of renunciation, Guo Shifeng may be able to help, and he will not let King Ning know at all, it is not okay to kill people."

"Lou Ji must die, I have made up my mind."

"Then the only way to make King Ning resentful of Lou Ji is to make him."

Ma Wei smiled: "This is your ability." ”

"So I'm going to go to Xiangyang with the army, and then send someone to ask King Ning to send troops over."

"King Ning wants to capture Jingzhou and hold Wuzhou, how can he have the spare strength to help Xiangyang? And he will never lose money, even if he really has spare power, he will not give it to outsiders. ”

"Of course, so I still have to ask Lou Ji to 'help', King Liang had better write a letter for me to bring, saying that he will marry the daughter of the clan, and Lou Ji will be relatives from now on, and nothing else needs to be mentioned."

"And then let King Ning find this letter? Well, it's a clever plan, maybe it works, but I don't need to send you to Xiangyang. ”

"It must be me in Xiangyang, King Ning will enter the palace, if there is a random person, it seems that King Ning's ambition to guard Xiangyang is not strong, and King Ning and Guo Shifeng will be suspicious."

Ma Wei stared at Xu Ji, "You just want to leave me like that?" ”

Xu Ji smiled: "I stay here, King Liang suspects that I will obstruct the marriage, I go to Xiangyang, King Liang suspects that I will never return - it really makes me in a dilemma." ”

Ma Wei smiled apologetically, "Do you really want to guard Xiangyang?" ”

"Xiangyang is very important, I have been trying my best to send reinforcements, Jingzhou everyone knows it."

"I also know that you've brought it up several times. I don't know how Shan Yu offended you? ”

"Shan Yu didn't offend me, but Kyushu must not fall into the hands of foreign races."

"You step back first, and wait for me to think about it, maybe there is another way to sow discord, and I don't have to let you go out yourself. As for Xiangyang, I will definitely send 20,000 soldiers. ”

Xu Ji retired, and as soon as he returned to his tent, he untied his cloak, folded it and wrapped it.

Chang Yanzhi said in surprise: "Why is Childe going to 'cover up' again at this time?" ”

"Because we're going to be out soon, and we'll be able to get a few new robes, which we can put away."

"Far away? Don't be Koto. Chang Yanzhi is willing to follow Xu Ji from birth to death, and the only thing he doesn't want to do is to take refuge in Ning Baoguan.

"Go back to Xiangyang."

"Xiangyang?" Chang Yanzhi also began to pack up his things, "I don't know what the situation is over there, maybe it's already lost." ”

"If Xiangyang is lost, you can only retreat to the eastern capital." Xu Ji sighed, Xiangyang is difficult to defend, but the situation is important, the eastern capital is easy to defend, but it is not a dangerous place, and it is impossible to stop He Rong's army.

The two had just packed their luggage, and Gao Shengze came uninvited, with a dissatisfied face, "Early tomorrow morning, Mr. Xu will go to Xiangyang with the army, and I will go with you." ”