On March 25, the fourth year of Tongguang, Li Congjing led a coalition army with the Youzhou Army as the main force to meet the Khitan army outside the West Tower. At the end of the day, the battle was over, and the Khitan army suffered nearly 100,000 casualties.

Li Congjing knew that Yelubei would choose this way, in front of you or me, no one would not choose you to die.

For Yelu Bei, he was stabbed in the back by Yelu Deguang for a lifetime, and this time he was finally able to stab Yelu Deguang. The outcome of such a war is the most beneficial to Yelubei, and the tens of thousands of troops under his command have become the decisive combat force of the Gongwei West Tower, and the Khitan nobles in the West Tower want to hold the city and family business, so they can't help but rely on Yelubei, and even if Yelu Deguang has Shu Luping's support, he is no longer able to compete with Yelubei. And the army of King Qin of Khitan, which was dozens of miles away, could make Li Congjing unable to break through the West Tower, so that Yelubei could sit firmly on the Khitan throne.

In addition to Li Congjing, Yelubei became the biggest beneficiary of this war.

It is precisely because of this that Yelubei decisively withdrew his combat forces from the battlefield last night.

Although this move will cause Yelubei to suffer a lot of criticism and will certainly affect his future governance, it is still better than being deposed now and ending up in a miserable fate.

As for what the situation will be in the future, it depends on the wrist. Compared with killing his brother and killing his father, will Yelubei's move be more criticized? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how the victors turn black and white upside down and write history.

The coalition army killed tens of thousands of enemies, wounded tens of thousands of enemies, the elite of the Khitan army, most of the casualties in this battle, coupled with the brother Xiao Wall, the tribes were in turmoil, the Khitan national politics were already unstable, and the attack on the Bohai Sea failed, and now whether Fuyu and Changling can hold are in doubt, and Li Congjing's strategic goal of containing the Khitan state has finally been achieved.

It is also better to make Yelu Bei the Khitan emperor than to let Yelu Deguang succeed him.

What Li Congjing has to do now is to expand and stabilize the fruits of victory in the war.

Subsequently, the two sides communicated and agreed to negotiate peace

In the battle of the West Building, the two sides invested nearly 300,000 troops, and the fierce battle started suddenly and ended suddenly. The whole battle lasted for one or two decades, but it only took two days for the two sides to really make a move to determine the winner.

Li Congjing, accompanied by Mo Li and others, inspected and condoled the battalions of the Youzhou Army, as well as visited the grassland departments.

The battle with the Khitan army, although it won a big victory, but the war so far, the Youzhou army has been fighting for half a year, has long been tired, the grassland tribes have experienced turmoil and only settled down, the Khitan has the army of King Qin on the side, it is almost impossible to capture the West Building, and it is the best choice to negotiate peace.

Since arriving in the West Building, the burden has been on their shoulders, and so far they have relaxed a little, and Li Congjing and others are all in a happy mood.

It always takes a few days to negotiate peace, and Li Congjing took advantage of this time to get acquainted with the grassland departments. After the war, each ministry returned to its territory, and for a long time in the future, half of the northern desert grassland will be a chaotic situation in which a group of heroes coexist, and Li Congjing still hopes that the time for the various departments to check and balance each other will be longer.

When he returned to the big tent, it was already late at night, and the guards told Li Congjing that there was a visitor.

"Who's coming?"

"Princess Ahri of the Tatar Ministry."

Li Congjing sighed, lifted the curtain and entered the tent. Mo Li and the others glanced at each other, they all smiled incomprehensibly, and they didn't follow up, and they all went home. In the midst of laughter, Tao Yaoyao walked over, ignoring the crowd, and did not intend to report it, the big boss raised his feet and was about to enter the account.

Mo Li wanted to speak again and again, and finally had to bite the bullet and say: "What, Commander Tao, the military commander is meeting guests, I'm afraid it is not appropriate to disturb at this time." ”

Tao Yaoyao glanced at Mo Li, sighed, stopped, and waited in front of the tent.

Ahri, who was standing in front of the knife holder, was concentrating on the horizontal knife on the rack with his hand behind his back. She has a beautiful inner armor and an outer one, her snow-white mink fur makes her look graceful and luxurious, and her slender and straight legs set off her posture extremely attractively.

This pearl of the Tatar department, beauty and wisdom coexist, every battle is always in the front, her sincerity and courage make the most unruly men on the grassland willing to surrender, she is the pride of the sky here, see Li Congjing, she salutes dignifiedly, "I have seen General Li." ”

After Li Congjing sat down on the handsome case, he motioned for Ahri to sit too, took off his helmet and put it on the table, "The peace agreement can be finalized in two days, and then the Tatar Ministry will be able to return to its hometown, and my promise to your Ministry that day will be fulfilled now." In the future, on the Mobei grassland, the Tatar Department will be the biggest force that can compete with the Khitan, Her Royal Highness the Princess has worked hard these days, and I have to thank each other. After speaking, he looked at Ahri and asked, "By the way, why is Her Royal Highness the princess here?" ”

"You're done with everything, what else can I do?" Ahri grinned, her beautiful eyes rolling, "But the general just said that he wanted to thank me, I don't know how to thank you?" ”

"How do Her Royal Highness the princess want to thank you?" Li Congjing looked at Ahri who had moved over and asked.

Ahri snorted in disgust, and sat down next to Li Congjing, "You are really a negative person, you have seen each other for so long, and you only remembered my good today?" ”

Li Congjing said helplessly: "Wasn't the war always urgent before?" ”

"I don't care." Ahri lay on Li Congjing's shoulder and stared at his side face, "Have you read the letter I gave you before?" ”

When Li Congjing was still in Bohai, when the gentlemen went to report the battle situation in the West Building to Li Congjing, they carried a letter written by Ahri to Li Congjing, and Li Congjing naturally read it.

Li Congjing stretched out his hand to wrap his hand around Ahri's elastic little waist and hugged her in his arms, "Of course I saw it." ”

"You bad guy, I've been waiting for you for two whole years!" Ahri patted Li Congjing's chest, took advantage of the situation to straddle and sit on his lap, wrapped his arms around Li Congjing's neck, his eyes were flowing and his eyes were like mist, and the tip of Ruyu's nose was about to touch Li Congjing's forehead, and he exhaled like a land: "I don't care about it today, you have to repay my affection for you."

At dawn the next day, Princess Ahri, who had been well repaid by Li Congjing for a whole night, walked out of the big tent with a red face and satisfaction, feeling the rising sun, Ahri Meimei stretched her waist.

Only then did she notice someone approaching, and when she turned her head to look, she saw that it was Tao Xiaoyao who was about to enter the account.

"Peach command, so early!" Ahri greeted with a smile.

Tao Yaoyao glanced at Ahri lightly, and her footsteps did not stop, "Her Royal Highness the princess is earlier." ”

Li Congjing was dressing, and when he saw Tao Yao entering the account, he couldn't help but be a little embarrassed, but then asked with a righteous and serious attitude: "There is news from the Central Plains?" ”

"Yedu Line News." Tao Xiaoyao dropped a wax pill, and just wanted to say something, but at this time he frowned slightly, but he turned around and left.

Seeing that Tao Yao walked so simply, Li Congjing said, "Don't sit down for a while? ”

"The air in the tent is not good." Tao Xiao threw down a sentence.

Two black lines emerged from Li Congjing's forehead, the air was not good, the air was not good

When Peach came out of the tent, Ahri was still breathing in the fresh air in front of the tent, and she exuded a charming brilliance under the red sun, blending in with the season. Turning his head, Ahri smiled at Tao Yaoyao and said, "Tao Tong left so soon? ”

Tao Yaoyao hummed casually, and didn't look at Ahri directly, let alone confront the opponent. The breeze was light, her sideburns were light, her steps were indifferent, and she had to continue to deal with the affairs of the MIA.

You have a spring breeze for ten miles, and I am independent from the world

The matter of peace negotiation has reached a critical time, how to sign the treaty, and the bargaining between the two sides is almost completed. Tomorrow is the deadline given by Li Congjing to the Khitan, and after dawn he will meet with Yelubei to finalize the matter.

It was Jeremiah who came.

Yelu Min was in the dust, and when he saw Li Congjing, the first thing he said in front of him was: "I want to go back to Khitan!" ”

Li Congjing was reviewing the collegial draft, and when he heard this, he raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him who had done a lot of things in Lu Long, without surprise or anger, but asked lightly: "It's decided?" ”

Yelumin bit her lip and nodded.

Li Congjing put down the book in his hand, "Okay, I'll set up a banquet for you." ”

The farewell feast was not set up in the tent, but outside the tent. The two sat opposite each other, and there was no one else within a radius of a hundred steps. Hundreds of thousands of troops were crowded outside the West Tower, and the wreckage of the war was still shocking, but this place seemed very empty.

Yelu Min looked at the wine and food on the desk, and Li Congjing neither urged her nor spoke, so he was silent with her.

After a long time, Ye Lumin looked at Li Congjing and asked softly, "You don't have anything to ask me?" Don't you even have the slightest anger? ”

Li Congjing smiled faintly, "Everyone has their own life, and after decades of secular life, there will naturally be many choices, and everyone has their own reasons for making choices." ”

Yelu Min lowered his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Yes, you think so?" ”

Li Congjing looked up at the night, there was no avenue and no future in the night, sighed, he said: "The road of life is very long, when you are young, you can't help but be anxious and panicked, and you will also be anxious about your choice, because you don't know if the road under your feet is correct and whether it will bring us glory." But when you look back, you will find that in fact, everything is not as terrible as we were anxious about at the beginning, and whether it is brilliant or not may be important, but many things are not fixed in the dark. We all have our own lives, or calm as water, or magnificent waves, or happy and stable, or upside down, but more than both. There will be many experiences in this process, which make up everyone's different life, where the future will be unpredictable, and where we will go may not be so important, as long as you feel at ease, everything will be fine. ”

Yelu Min looked at Li Congjing blankly, with confusion in her eyes, she couldn't understand the meaning of Li Congjing's words for a while, but she knew that this was not the answer she wanted.

After a long silence, Yelu Min picked up the wine glass and drank the wine in one gulp, she drank a little more hurriedly and coughed a few times. Putting down the wine glass, she stared at Li Congjing, plucked up the courage to ask, "Li Congjing, do I have a place in your heart?" ”

"Absolutely." Li Congjing replied.

"What kind of position is that?" Because of the wine, Yelumin's cheeks flew two pinks, and she stared at Li Congjing in a daze.

Perhaps because of the impermanence of life, Li Congjing suddenly felt a little emotional, he was silent for a moment, and said: "I will probably always remember that once and now in Xilou City, I held a woman covered in water and ran for several streets. In front of Yelu Min's wide eyes, he smiled and continued, "So it doesn't matter whether you choose to stay in Lulong, or choose to wander the world, or return to Khitan. ”

Yelumin was stunned again, and it took a long time for him to come back to his senses and hum softly. She raised her glass and said, "What are you doing?" ”

"Good!"

Sometime later, when it came to Yelumin's return to the Khitan, Mo Li asked Li Congjing why he didn't persuade Yelumin to stay at the beginning, why he was relieved that the mature Yelumin returned to the Khitan, wasn't he worried that Yelumin would be harmful to the Tang Dynasty in the future?

Li Congjing told Mo Li that even if Yelubei got what he wanted after the Battle of Xilou, he might not be able to win Shu Luping and Yelu Deguang join forces, and let Yelumin go back to help Yelubei, which would be conducive to the development of the Khitan Bureau in the direction he wanted.

However, at this time, Li Congjing didn't know how important his words to Yelumin were to Yelumin that night, and what impact it would have on the grassland situation in the future. Just like Li Congjing realized after a long time, what weight did the sentence "Do I have a place in your heart" that Yelumin asked at the beginning, to Yelumin.

Everyone living in this world has their own beliefs, some believe in wealth, some believe in power, some believe in merit, and some just want to live and live better. There are also people whose faith is someone else.

Many years later, Yelu Min said to Ye Lu Bei: Only Li Congjing can make the world truly peaceful, stay away from war, and the people live in peace. So don't be an enemy of him

On this day, Yelubei personally came to the Youzhou military camp and signed a collegial agreement with Li Congjing.

In the face of the Khitan civil and military forces, Li Congjing was condescending, his demeanor was dumbfounded, and he said in a non-negotiable tone: "The Khitan started wars in vain, repeatedly attacked neighboring countries, offended the majesty of the Celestial Empire, and caused the lives to be ruined, and the people were not able to make a living. However, the Celestial Empire has a benevolent heart, and I am a state of etiquette, and I do not want to prolong the war for a long time, so as to destroy the homeland. But heaven and earth must not be humiliated, all the people must not be bullied, the wrongdoers cannot be punished severely, and the order of respect and humility cannot be observed! In order to stop the war and withdraw the army, the Khitan must meet the three conditions of the Tang Dynasty. ”

"First, be a minister!"

"Second, Nagon!"

"Third, compensate for war losses!"

On the day of the signing of the collegiate agreement, the chiefs of the grassland tribes gathered in front of the tent of the commander of the Youzhou Army and thanked them.

In the face of the submission of the four yi, Li Congjing knew that from today onwards, the Tang Dynasty would rebuild its authority in the grassland.

Behind Li Congjing, Mo Li shook the folding fan gently, his demeanor was calm, and the mountains and rivers on the folding fan loomed; Wang Pu stood tall with a long sword in his arms, his eyebrows were high; Du Qianshu's expression moved slightly, his fists clenched, showing his eyebrows raised; Li Shaocheng, Li Yanchao and other generals stood solemnly according to their swords, their armor was clear, and their faces were expressionless.

The sun is shining and the spring is just right.

Li Congjing remembered many things.

Liu Laohan, an old pawn who set up a tea stall at the border of the thistle, was covered in scars and was in pain every time the sky changed; Zhao Zhongming, who would rather bury his talents than be a thief in the city of Pingzhou, knelt in front of the official office full of people on a street that day and night, blocking the street to the point of impassability; Outside Yingzhou, in order to return the military information and cover the evacuation of the robe, Sun Erniu, the scout general who was chased to death by the Khitan rangers; Zhou Xiaoquan, the soldier of the military fort in the northern border of Jizhou, whose father and brother were killed in battle, was led by Ma Huaiyuan to attract the Khitan army and killed and wounded more than half of the Jizhou army; He Junlai, who was seriously injured and couldn't get off the city, fought to the point of exhaustion and died

In this never-ending war on the border of Lulong, there are countless people like Du Qianshu, whose families are ruined, and there are countless people whose feelings are like him and Liu Xixi, who have fallen into the boundless abyss. In Lulong Kyushu, there are hundreds of people who shed their blood in this war, and there are 100,000 sons and 100,000 soldiers, who died in the battle and returned their bodies to the frontier. For the victory of this war, Lu Long has already paid a price that is difficult to write.

Protecting the border and fighting thieves, generations of people have dreamed of crossing the Great Wall and stepping on the grassland.

And now, he, Li Congjing, finally brought this never-ending war to an end, leading Lu Longerlang to achieve his long-cherished wish.

Four years ago, when Li Cunzhen, who was gray-haired and seriously ill, but had to defend the northern frontier for the Central Plains and endure the bitter cold, asked Li Congjing's plans, he said that one day, he would go north to the clouds, step on the grassland, break the trend of the Khitan for decades, and prevent him from having the opportunity to harm the Central Plains.

Now, he did.

In this era when the princes of the Central Plains attacked me and fought with each other, he Li Congjing guarded the northern border for the Han people!

"It's over!" Mo Li took a step forward, stood beside Li Congjing, looked at the west building, and exhaled heavily.

Li Congjing nodded. He drew his horizontal knife, plunged into the grassland, opened his arms, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, his eyes were clear and sharp, and he said: "There are no Khitan thieves in the world, only Khitan slaves!" ”