At dawn, Guo An returned.

"Cheng Wuting has already agreed to meet the young marshal today." Guo An stood in front of Xue Shao as usual, clasped his fists and spoke calmly.

It was just an understatement reply, but Xue Shao could imagine how hard Guo An and the others had to do it. At this moment, he and the scouts who had just returned looked very tired.

"Good work." Xue Shao nodded with a smile.

Guo An smiled with relief and put down his hand.

Xue Shao's eyes have always been very poisonous, and he suddenly found that Guo An's left hand had been kept in a state of clenching into a fist, and there was something abnormal.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Xue Shao asked.

"Nothing!" Guo An made an innocent statement.

"Right hand. Reach out and show me! ”

"It's really nothing!" Guo An was stunned and looked embarrassed.

Xue Shao stepped forward and reached out to grab his right wrist to drag his hand out. Guo An used all his strength to freeze and refused to move. Xue Shao also exerted enough strength to pull it hard, and Guo An used his hands.

The two men were fighting in the room, and the scouts next to them were dumbfounded, and they didn't dare to come forward to help.

Xue Shao suddenly withdrew his hand and shouted: "Stretch out your right hand, this is an order!" ”

Guo An had no choice but to slowly stretch out his right hand.

Xue Shao looked at his right hand, his brows furrowed, and his face tightened suddenly.

Guo An's right index finger is gone!

The wound has not been bandaged, and a little hemostatic medicine has been simply tied, and you can still see Sensen's white bones and fresh red meat. Look at the uneven wound, as if it was bitten by Qi Gen'er!

Shocking!

"What's going on?" Xue Shao asked.

Guo An lowered his head and said in a low voice: "Cheng Wuting thinks that the young marshal is the henchman of the Queen Mother, and this time he came to Hebei specifically to target and eradicate him. I said that the young marshal has always regarded Cheng Wuting as a brother in the robe of life and death, and the young marshal came to Hebei just to prevent a civil war in the Tang Dynasty and prevent Cheng Wuting from making a big mistake with one thought. I also told him everything about the young marshal helping Cheng Qizhi in Chang'an. But he didn't believe it, he even thought that the young marshal and the Empress Dowager Wu set a trap for Cheng Qizhi and forced him and his wife to a dead end. Therefore, he was not willing to meet with the young marshal again...... In desperation, his subordinates could only bite their fingers as an oath. Only then did he reluctantly agree, and he met with the young marshal today. ”

Xue Shao stared at the broken mark in Guo An's hand, clenching his teeth and being speechless for a long time.

Guo An lowered his head and didn't say a word.

Long.

Xue Shao exhaled heavily, and gently patted Guo An's shoulder, "Go down and rest, and heal your injuries well." ”

"Yes......" Guo An agreed and walked out.

Xue Shao turned around, only to feel a tingling pain in his eyes, and his heart was like a knife.

Half an hour later, Cheng Wuting sent someone to Xue Shao and said to Xue Shao that Cheng Wuting's illness was cured, and he would make up for the wind and dust washing banquet for Xue Shaoshuai today.

Xue Shao arrived as promised, and Cheng Wuting was waiting for Xue Shao in the dining hall of the Governor's Mansion.

said it was a "banquet", but only Xue Shao and Cheng Wuting attended. The two fireheads quietly retreated after placing some wine and food on the two food tables.

Cheng Wuting didn't look much different from usual, but it seemed to have added a few strands of gray hair. His attitude when he saw Xue Shao was neither enthusiastic nor indifferent. After the two of them sat down in their respective seats, they exchanged a few words of greeting and then persuaded each other to drink and toast, just like a very ordinary shared lunch.

"The young marshal is a senior official of the Qin Mission, thousands of miles away, and this official has lost his welcome, which is a sin." Cheng Wuting's eyes didn't look at Xue Shao, stared at his food table, and said as if he was endorsing: "In order to apologize, this palace has a small gift, and I hope the young marshal will accept it with a smile!" ”

Xue Shao knew that Cheng Wuting was a person, where would he really want to give a gift, there must be another article.

So he said, "Take it out!" ”

Cheng Wuting didn't call anyone, he got up and walked behind the screen, and took out three almost identical boxy wooden boxes, slightly larger than basketballs.

It was placed in the center of the dining hall.

"What's that?" Xue Shao asked.

Cheng Wuting didn't answer, he walked back to his place and sat down, "Why don't you open it and take a look in person, young marshal?" ”

Xue Shao walked around and walked to the three boxes. Just as he was about to reach out to open the lid, Cheng Wuting said, "Young marshal, you might as well open it from left to right." ”

Xue Shao followed him and opened the box on the left first.

A human head!

Xue Shao frowned, and reached out to lift the human head.

This is a head that is no longer "fresh", and it looks like it has been cut off for at least three to five days. Look at the facial features and hair accessories, it's obviously a Turk!

Xue Shao knew this person.

He put the head back and asked, "Who is this?" ”

Cheng Wuting picked up the cup and poured himself a drink with an expressionless face, and said: "The young marshal is very smart, it should not be difficult to think of it." ”

Xue Shao took a deep breath, "Is it someone sent by Ashina Gu Dulu?" ”

"To be precise, it's Ashina's cousin, Ashina Yuanzhen's brother-in-law." Cheng Wuting said calmly.

Xue Shao nodded, there is no doubt that the Turks first thought of "fighting" for Cheng Wuting. But Cheng Wuting gave a very clear answer - no matter what he does, he will not commit treason to the enemy!

"Young Marshal thinks, should I send this head back to Ashina?" Cheng Wuting asked.

"You've already given a clear answer, so why bother asking me again?" Xue Shao replied.

Cheng Wuting showed his first smile today, although the smile was a little far-fetched, "It's still the young marshal who knows my heart - come, I'll give the young marshal a drink!" ”

"Please!"

The two took a drink.

I have drunk a lot before, but Xue Shao thinks that this is the first glass of wine that should be drunk between friends.

"Young marshal, please come with me." Cheng Wuting lifted an urn of wine with both hands on his left and right hands, and walked towards the back hall after speaking.

Xue Shao followed him all the way through the corridor to a military watchtower in the backyard.

The tower is narrow, and the two stand side by side.

Cheng Wuting took out the mud seal of the two urns of wine and handed one of the urns to Xue Shao.

Xue Shao took it, and the two of them touched each other without saying a word while holding the wine urn, and began to drink for a while.

Until the whole urn is drunk!

"Whew-"

Cheng Wuting let out a long breath, as if he wanted to exhale all the depression in his chest. He then threw the urn under the tower and shattered it with a thud.

Xue Shao didn't fall, and gently put the wine urn at his feet.

Cheng Wuting turned his head to look at him, and there was a little puzzlement in his expression - it is common for soldiers to drink and smash bowls and urns, and many times it is to show a kind of unrestrained and boldness.

"It should be cherished." Xue Shao smiled slightly and said, "It used to contain the wine that the robe should drink."

Cheng Wuting is clear. He turned his head to look in the direction of the south and laughed twice.

Xue Shao didn't know what he was trying to express with this "ho ho". Huh? Disdain? Sad? Or is it a mockery?

"Young marshal, please look—" Cheng Wuting suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the south.

Xue Shao raised his eyes and saw that the mountains were like shadows, the desert eagles were rising, and the yellow sand was rolling and the war horses were like dragons.

What a majestic scene of the border stopper battlefield!

"There is Datang's, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains!" Cheng Wuting said.

Xue Shao frowned, what he saw was no longer a battlefield, but a ...... Got it?

"I see it." Xue Shao sighed softly, "The country is picturesque!" ”

"What a picturesque country!" Cheng Wuting looked up to the sky and laughed.

"The country is picturesque, why bear to trample on it?" Xue Shao twisted his eyebrows and looked into the distance, sighing softly.

Cheng Wuting suddenly turned his head and glared at Xue Shao, "Young marshal, the old man wants to ask you a question today, do you dare to answer it truthfully?" ”

"Just ask!" Xue Shao's expression was calm.

"If you talk about competing on the battlefield, who can compete with me Cheng Wu in Datang?" Cheng Wuting asked.

Xue Shao frowned slightly and looked into the distance, and replied calmly: "Fang Yi, the king of the Western Regions, Qingyuan Black Tooth Changzhi, Shuo Fang Xue Shao, may be able to fight with you." ”

"The young marshal treats me well, and at this time, he is willing to tell me this kind of truth." Cheng Wuting smiled, "Then if you and I join forces, who can be the enemy?" ”

Xue Shao took a deep breath, "The world is invincible!" ”

"Hahaha!" Cheng Wuting laughed out loud!

Xue Shao was silent.

"I know it's not the same time it used to be. Like you and I joining forces to level the grand event of Yujin Mountain, I will never see it again. Cheng Wuting said: "Now, Wang Fangyi is thousands of miles away in the Western Regions, and the black-toothed Changzhi is confronting the Tubo people who are about to move in Dafeichuan. In this way, if I really want to fight the males and women, only the young marshal can be generous with me? ”

"Yes." Xue Shao calmly replied with one word.

"Is this why you came to Hebei?" Cheng Wuting asked.

"It's not." Xue Shao's answer was still very calm.

"Then why did you bring 50,000 foot cavalry from the Weishui camp, your right guard?" Cheng Wuting asked.

"The safety of the country is more important than a qiē, and prevention is better than ignition." Xue Shao replied.

"Haha!" Cheng Wuting laughed, "High-sounding! -- It is clear that I don't believe in Cheng Wuting, and it is clear that I will treat Cheng Wuting as a national thief to defend! ”

"If you want to say that, you can't do that." Xue Shao said.

Cheng Wuting was taken aback, he never expected Xue Shao to answer like this, shouldn't he be persuaded with good words and explain in every way?

Immediately, Cheng Wuting became angry, "In that case, what are you doing here?" - Hurry back to your camp, and come to fight me with the whole army! ”

"Evil, you're so confused!" Xue Shao turned his head to look at him, looking very helpless.

"I've always known that I'm not a cunning person who is too shrewd!" Cheng Wuting snorted and turned his face away, not wanting to look at Xue Shao.

"Well, I'm an overly shrewd cunning." Xue Shao said calmly, "I knew that you wanted to rebel with two ambitions, and I ran to your military camp to send my head to the army, so that you could sacrifice the flag and increase your military might!" ”

Cheng Wuting was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look at Xue Shao, his expression was full of puzzlement, "I'm really curious when you say this-aren't you really afraid of death?" ”

"I'm afraid." Xue Shao smiled slightly and said, "Of course I'm afraid." ”

"Then you dare to come?" Cheng Wuting frowned and asked loudly.

"I'm not afraid of dying in battle, I'm not afraid of dying unjustly in conspiracy, and I'm not afraid of dying of old age and inaction." Xue Shao looked into his eyes, "I'm only afraid, I will die of debt and self-blame!" ”

"You! ......" Cheng Wuting was angry at first, and then he was puzzled, "Don't beat around the bush, what do you mean?" ”

"If you can't stop the precipice and avoid the ......outbreak of this civil war," Xue Shao took a deep breath and said: "You will be stinking for 10,000 years, and I will die a hundred deaths!" ”