The banks of the river were dead and willows, and the water had formed a thin layer of ice, but the warships were not affected in the slightest, and slowly moved forward in the night.

Li Xuanba was wrapped in a robe, standing on the bow of the ship with an expressionless face, the stars in the sky were like eyes, looking down in the air, and at the same time exuding some brilliance, making the night not so gloomy.

Li Jiuzhi and Liang Xiao stood beside Li Xuanba, they didn't understand why Li Xuanba was willing to stand in the cold wind and look at the cold river water in a daze for a long time.

"Rather than fighting on the battlefield, I'd rather do something to match other people's marriages." Li Xuanba said as if talking to himself: "You two are still young, I will take you to the battlefield, do you have any complaints in your hearts?" ”

Li Xuanba's words made Li Jiuzhi and Liang Xiao a little surprised. What surprised them was not Li Xuanba's first words, but Li Xuanba's intention to take them to the battlefield.

In the name of a criminal slave, Li Jiu pointed out that their idea was very simple, to be able to become Li Xuanba's guard, and protect Li Xuanba's safety at all times, in order to repay him for saving his life. Imagine again, maybe one day you can get rid of the identity of the sin slave. But they never imagined that one day they would be able to fight on the battlefield.

"Nine Fingers only fights for Childe." Li Jiuzhi said resolutely: "The imperial court killed Jiuzhi's father, how could Jiuzhi fight for the imperial court?" Liang Xiao also shook his head, but Li Xuanba turned his back to them and didn't see it.

Although Li Xuanba didn't see it, he could feel the resistance coming from behind him, he didn't reprimand out loud, and said lightly: "In the troubled times, life and death are fateful, if your relatives don't join the chaotic army, how can they end up in a different place?" I already have a rough idea of Nine Fingers' life experience, Liang Xiao, you are silent and have never told about yourself, and now there is no one around, are you willing to talk about it? ”

Liang Xiao's heart warmed, he looked up at Li Xuanba's back, and replied involuntarily: "The villain is from a stable background, and his family is still well-off, but the imperial court has been fighting for many years, and there are countless taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and the Liang family didn't want to join the rebels, but they had no choice but to take advantage of the general trend." ”

"What about after joining the rebels?" Li Xuanba sneered and said, "Could it be that you are robbing the rich and helping the poor? ”

Liang Xiao was stunned when he heard this, and said shyly: "While the rebels resist the imperial court, they will also attack the people of other counties, and my father has the heart to dissuade him, but no one wants to listen." The imperial court sent a large army to exterminate it, and my father knew that the rebels were powerless to resist, so he let the villain flee secretly, and later the rebels were defeated, my father was killed, and the villain was also captured and sent to the eastern capital. ”

Hearing this, Li Jiuzhi gently patted Liang Xiao's shoulder to show comfort, Liang Xiao glanced at him gratefully, smiled slightly, and signaled that he was fine.

"In this way, the two of you are somewhat similar." Li Xuanba sighed lightly and said, "The imperial court is wrong, but these so-called righteous soldiers are even more wrong. You must remember that it is not the imperial court that ruined your family, but only His Majesty. ”

"Childe's meaning, the villain understands." Liang Xiao was only twelve years old, and he spoke in a tone like a weak crown. Maybe it's because of the change in his family background that he matures early.

"Your Majesty and the Imperial Court, what's the difference?" Liang Xiao understood, but Li Jiuzhi didn't understand, he said with some excitement: "Although Jiuzhi is young, he also knows that the world is in turmoil, and the monarch of the Great Sui continues to live an imperial life in Jiangdu regardless of the lives of the people, why do we have to fight for him, why are there still people willing to fight for him?" ”

Li Jiuzhi was angry and said something casually, but the three questions he asked were extremely difficult to answer.

In fact, Li Xuanba had also asked himself these questions, but he couldn't think of enough reasons to convince himself. Since he can't even convince himself, how can he convince others?

"You are not in his position, and you can't understand His Majesty's thoughts at all." Li Xuanba turned around, looked at the immature faces of Li Jiuzhi and the others, and said very seriously: "Your Majesty is eloquent and strategic, in order to ensure the safety of Liaodong County, he has always wanted to conquer Goguryeo. Of course, His Majesty is to blame for the failure of the expedition, but His Majesty's original intention is, after all, for the sake of the stability of the Great Sui. ”

Liang Xiao didn't seem to understand, and Li Jiuzhi frowned.

"We are now able to take a boat to Xingyang, which is also thanks to Your Majesty." Li Xuanba thought about it and felt that it was a bit boring to say these words, so he changed the topic and said: "Regarding the rights and wrongs of His Majesty, history has its own conclusion. What I want you to do now has nothing to do with Your Majesty, nothing to do with the imperial court, only to the lives of the people of Xingyang. ”

In fact, Li Xuanba didn't need to explain so much, but he believed that Wei Zheng asked him to bring Li Jiuzhi and the two of them, which showed that the two of them must have something special.

The number of names at the end of the Sui Dynasty is inexhaustible, and there are not a few who have been recorded in history, since the princes and princes have a kind of Xiangning, why can't they cultivate talents by themselves? Li Xuanba had such an idea a long time ago, so he asked Li Gou and Wei Zheng to teach the children in the mansion.

If he hadn't met Li Xuanba, Li Jiuzhi could only be a criminal slave who carried water and dung, and Liang Xiao was just a servant who couldn't eat enough and didn't know when he would be killed by his master, but since he had met, why couldn't he let them have a different future?

Li Jiuzhi and Liang Xiao are more sensible than their peers, although they can't understand the big truth, they can understand Li Xuanba's thoughts.

Regardless of whether the imperial court is at fault or not, and ignoring the intention of the righteous army to overthrow the Great Sui, what is wrong with the people of the world? Why live in dire straits?

"I would like to be sent by my son." Li Jiuzhi and Liang Xiao replied at the same time that those who have experienced the war understand the hardships of survival.

Li Xuanba laughed happily, his ugly face was matched with a bright smile, and it was indescribably weird. But in the eyes of Li Jiuzhi and the others, it made them feel that Childe's smile was so sincere and innocent.

The night deepened, the cabin became colder, and the first snow of the twelfth winter of the Great Cause fell silently

Li Gou thought about it behind closed doors in his room for a few days, as if he had been forgotten by the whole world, except for Li Xing's occasional arrival to deliver food, Li Gou never saw anyone again. But no matter how Li Gou lowered his voice, Li Xing still didn't want to say anything.

As time passed, Li Gou became anxious, he no longer had the luxury of having a relationship with Miss Du, and the only thing hovering in his mind was how to get Li Xuanba's forgiveness.

The door was opened, and Li Gou thought that Li Xing had come to deliver food, so he lay on the bed indifferent. Wei Zheng looked at the haggard Li Gou, sighed secretly, and said softly: "Li Gou, clean up and get ready to go out." ”

When Li Gou heard this, he hurriedly jumped off the bed, bowed down and bowed: "Sir, please help me say good things, Li Gou knows that he is wrong." ”

"Childe has been gone for four days." Wei Zheng smiled bitterly and said, "Childe has already lost his anger, so you don't have to worry about it." There is something more important today, you hurry up and dress up and go to Du Mansion to welcome your relatives. ”

"What?" Li Gou's thoughts were confused, and he didn't understand what Wei Zheng meant for a while: "The son is gone?" Greeting? ”

Wei Zheng felt that he couldn't speak clearly for a while, so he commanded outside the door, and a few people entered the room, hurriedly freshened up Li Gou, and put on Liang Guan's dress for him. Li Gou was in a trance, like a marionette, allowing others to be busy on him.

Dressed neatly, Li Gou walked out of the room and found that the Tang Guogong Mansion was decorated with lights, and everyone's faces were full of joy. Li Gou gradually understood, tears came out of his eyes, and he bowed to the northeast.

Today's weather is not bad, and the greeting team sang all the way to Dufu.

Unexpectedly, Cai's congratulatory message was also sent at the same time, which made Master Du feel that his face was doubled, and he no longer dared to underestimate his son-in-law, and happily ordered someone to send Du Yueru out.

Du Yueru is twenty-eight years old, seven years younger than Li Gou, and she is wearing an emerald green dress at this time, which matches Li Gou's red dress, which is in line with the meaning of red men and green women.

Although Li Xuanba asked for Li Gou's marriage, he didn't know Du Yueru's age, if he knew, he was afraid that he would secretly say: The old cow eats tender grass.