In the hall, the sun was warm, but Pei Mingcui's heart and face seemed to be condensed into ice.

Although her illness is not mild, it is more serious than heart disease. Heart disease needs heart medicine to cure, but unfortunately, in her opinion, she has no cure.

She looked at her father, but there was not much warmth in her eyes, although Pei Ju was her relative, her father, blood was thicker than water, but she looked at Pei Ju like a stranger.

Pei Ju looked at his daughter and sighed lightly: "Mingcui, how long have we not had a face-to-face conversation like today?" ”

Pei Mingcui coughed lightly, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "It's been a long time, I can't remember it for a long time." ”

Pei Ju's face also showed a sigh of emotion, "Mingcui, you haven't changed yet." ”

"You haven't changed." Pei Mingcui looked away and looked out of the hall, "You have always been very busy, not only too busy to talk to my mother, but also too busy to talk to me, like this initiative to ask, I remember that this is the third time in my life." ”

The two fell silent, dead silent.

The muscles on Pei Ju's face twitched slightly, and he sighed lightly, "I came back this time, and I didn't want to quarrel with you." ”

Pei Mingcui said lightly: "But I want to!" If I don't quarrel with you, how can I be right about my deceased mother?! ”

Pei Ju seemed to have received a heavy punch, staggered back two steps, reached out and held the table, there was no anger in his eyes, only sadness.

The sun is warm, but it can shine on the two of them, as if there is no warmth at all.

Pei Mingcui began to cough again, covering her mouth with her hand, trying her best not to cough out, Pei Ju saw that her face was flushed, and finally sighed, "If you stab me, I can reduce the bitterness in your heart, Mingcui, you can say the resentment in your heart." I know that if there are any sorry people in my world, one is your mother, and the other is you! But no matter what, you're always my own daughter! ”

Pei Mingcui still coughed, but she no longer spoke sarcastically, and there was sadness in her eyes.

Hurt is a double-edged sword, and when you hurt others, you are also hurting yourself.

Every time she mentions the past, she also has pain in her heart, she is a persistent person, and many things are unforgettable.

"Mingcui ......" Pei Ju said again: "What you need now is rest......"

"Then you go and get busy." Pei Mingcui replied softly.

Pei Ju sat down instead, and said softly: "I'm not busy." ”

Pei Mingcui finally turned her head, her smile full of ridicule, "You're finally not busy?" I remember that you were always busy, and even when I was born, I couldn't see you......"

Her tone was a little rushed, and Pei Ju just listened quietly.

Pei Mingcui rarely gets so excited, she, like Pei Ju, is very good at covering her expression, which is originally a way to protect herself.

"You're busy during the day and busy at night, and you only get home for a few days a year. When I was a kid, it was hard to even remember what you looked like! I just thought you didn't care about our mother and daughter at all, and I also thought that you weren't my father at all! ”

Pei Ju's face showed pain, and his expression was gloomy.

"But my mother always said, you love us, you are just busy, you are busy with your great career, you are busy with being promoted to the knighthood, you are busy and finally rewarded, you are now under one person, above ten thousand. I've always wanted to talk to you when you're not busy, but never like that. Later, I also forced myself to be busy, only in the busyness, I can forget the pain of my mother's departure, and only in the busyness, can I forget the pain of my aunt's departure. Pei Mingcui sighed softly, and the meaning of ridicule was even stronger, "But now, you and I are not busy, but I find that there is nothing to tell you." ”

Pei Ju lowered his gaze, "Mingcui, men always have men's things to do." ”

Pei Mingcui nodded, "Yes, my mother always says this, and she says so until she dies, so you go and do your thing." ”

Pei Ju finally stood up with difficulty, sighed lightly, and turned to leave.

Pei Mingcui just sat there quietly, there was no anger on her face, only sadness, and murmured: "You are very busy, and I am also very busy, but we are so busy, what do we get in exchange?" ”

She got up with difficulty, picked up the medicine bowl, poured it out, and then went back to her boudoir.

After sitting in a daze for a long time, the door knocked a few times, and Pei Mingcui didn't raise her head and said, "Come in." ”

A black shadow flashed in, like a shadow, "Miss Pei, we found Xu Hongke and brought him back." ”

Pei Mingcui's eyes flickered, and she slowly got up, "Take me to see him." ”

**

The shadow led the way, and went straight to the back garden, and when he reached a rockery, he gently rotated a raised stone. The rockery suddenly cracked, revealing a dark and secluded hole.

The entrance to the cave is so cleverly designed that when it is closed again, nothing unusual can be seen from the outside.

The two walked along a zigzag road, at the end of the road was a large stone room, the oil lamps on the four walls were quite bright, one was chained, and the iron cable penetrated into the stone wall at one end, which was extremely firm. The locked man looked abrupt, and his demeanor was no longer calm, but it was the Taoist priest Xu Hongke.

The first time the two met was in Tianxiangfang, Xu Hongke at that time was suave, and Pei Mingcui at that time was full of spirit.

But now the two meet again, one is a prisoner under the stairs, and the other has a haggard face.

"Mr. Xu, I haven't seen you for a long time." Pei Mingcui smiled, "But I never thought that we would meet in this way." ”

Xu Hongke raised his head reluctantly, "Miss Pei, I never thought that Miss Pei, who has always been convincing with reason, would use such a vulgar way. ”

"For those who are reasonable, of course I convince people with reason. But for the Taiping demons, I only hate to kill them endlessly. Xu Hongke, who told you to bewitch the saint? ”

Xu Hongke smiled and said, "It's God." ”

Pei Mingcui was also not annoyed, "Your plan is simply seamless, while I am away, I will first get a fake Chen Xuanhua to dedicate to the saint." took advantage of the Luoshui attack to assassinate Chen Xuanhua, which made the saint sad and had no intention of ruling the government. And because of Chen Xuanhua's incident, I left the Eastern Capital in frustration, and then I bewitched the saint to go south. Li Mi led the Wagang people to cut off the main road of Yangzhou to the eastern capital, and the rivers and mountains of the Great Sui Dynasty seemed to be powerless to return to the sky. I still underestimated you, when I was in Tianxiangfang, I killed you, and there wouldn't have been so many twists and turns. ”

"All I can say is that this is the will of God, and the will of God cannot be violated." Xu Hongke said lightly: "Kill me, everything will still be executed according to the will of heaven." ”

"Is it providence, or is it man-made? You and I know that. Pei Mingcui suddenly sighed, "The world is bustling, all for fame and fortune, I just don't understand, what are you so painstakingly for?" ”

"How can you understand something?" Xu Hongke said with a smile.

Although he was in a shackle, he was talking and laughing, and he didn't care at all. Pei Mingcui was not angry, but sighed: "Providence, what is Providence?" If you are really providential, as long as Chen Xuanhua is alive and continues to persuade the Holy Lord to exercise benevolent government, the Great Sui will be able to be stable, and the people will not have to suffer. It's a pity that you are too persistent, only to overthrow the Great Sui as your own responsibility, without considering the suffering of the people, the Great Sui collapsed, the world is in dispute again, and I don't know how many people will die in the troubled times, is this also the will of heaven? ”

"Aren't the people bitter now? Have the people died less in these years than in troubled times? Xu Hongke sneered: "Pei Mingcui, don't deceive yourself. ”

Pei Mingcui frowned and said: "At least as far as I know, in the past year, the saint has rarely started construction, and he has considered the people's livelihood, as long as he has patience......"

"Who has patience with him?" Xu Hongke said coldly: "Instead of raising the soup to stop boiling, it is better to draw wages from the bottom of the kettle, and if the Great Sui does not fall, the people will not have a good time." ”

Pei Mingcui coughed, and only said after a while: "You alone must not have such a detailed plan, tell me which one is conspiring with you, and I will let you go." ”

Xu Hongke suddenly laughed, "Pei Mingcui, you weren't such a naïve person, and now you think I'll tell the truth?" You want me to tell me about the people in the sky? ”

Pei Mingcui just smiled and didn't say anything.

Xu Hongke said again: "When I went to Tianxiangfang, I can say that three points were to see Dream Butterfly, but seven points wanted to go to you!" The women in the Great Sui, except for Princess Yicheng, Pei Mingcui, you can make me tempted, the rest of the women, even if they are Chen Xuanhua, what is the way? She's just a pretty skeleton......"

There was a sense of madness in his expression, Pei Mingcui paid attention to his actions, and said with a smile: "It turns out that in your eyes, our women are just skeletons and white bones, I seem to have heard someone say this......"

"Of course you're a skeleton, but you're a skeleton with wisdom!" Xu Hongke changed his usual gentle and elegant manner, and said loudly: "Among the women I have seen, although you are average-looking, you are extremely intelligent!" If you join forces with us to overthrow the Great Sui and achieve great deeds, it is a pity that you are obsessed. ”

Pei Mingcui frowned again, "I seem to have only met you twice, but you seem to know my actions very well?" ”

"If I knew what you were doing, how could I have been caught by you?" Xu Hongke let out a long breath, and his expression instantly calmed down.

"That's right." Pei Mingcui nodded lightly, "If you have any great causes, you might as well talk about it." ”

Xu Hongke's eyes flashed with a strange color, and he smiled: "Actually, you shouldn't ask me, but Xiao Buyi." ”

"Why do you ask him?" Pei Mingcui's face was full of incomprehension.

"Because he is a heavenly machine, and you should have known it a long time ago," Xu Hongke said slowly: "In the Book of Heaven, the Heavenly Machine is a vital part, only the Heavenly Machine can crack the Book of Heaven, and everything we do is for the Heavenly Machine." According to the Book of Heaven, Xiao Buyi ......"

When he said this, he stopped talking, Pei Mingcui smiled coldly, "Since you said that the will of heaven cannot be violated, what does it matter if you say it?" ”

Xu Hongke also sneered, "I'm not afraid to explain to you and let you know that the will of heaven cannot be violated." According to the records of the Book of Heaven, Xiao Buyi is actually the first general under the Supreme King, pacifying the Turks and stepping on Liaodong, you know this, what can you do to get him? Besides, the unification of the world is really a thing that has been dreamed of by all dynasties and praised by all the people, even if you know it, how can you stop it? ”

Pei Mingcui's face changed slightly, "You said that in the records of the Book of Heaven, the Supreme King replaced the Great Sui?" ”

"Yes, exactly." Xu Hongke cut the railway.

"Then what is the explanation for the rumors that the Li family has been the king all along?"

Xu Hongke laughed loudly and said: "Pei Mingcui, you are smart and confused for a while, until now, I am not afraid to tell you, the Li family is just a smokescreen released by us, the Li family is really an obstacle to the great cause of the supreme king, we should design to eradicate the Li family." ”

"I see." Pei Mingcui smiled and asked, "Who is the Supreme King?" ”

Xu Hongke smiled and said, "Do you think I will say it?" ”

Pei Mingcui still smiled, but there was an indescribable coldness in her smile, "In this world, the most terrible thing is not death." Xu Hongke, you are a smart person, you should know the consequences of not saying it. ”

Xu Hongke restrained his smile and said lightly: "Sometimes smart people do some foolish things!" ”

Pei Mingcui slowly stood up, and said the last sentence when leaving, "When you want to speak, you can come to me at any time." She walked into the corridor, and Xu Hongke let out a terrible scream behind her. Pei Mingcui was indifferent, walked out of the secret room, and the stone door closed behind her, cutting off all sounds, and the shadow followed her like a shadow, and asked in a low voice, "Miss Pei, what am I going to do next?" ”

"What about Xiao Buyi, what are you doing now?"

He entered the city of Xiangyang, took Baling County, re-issued the Juntian Order, and the rent was regulated, and the people praised him. Looks like he's determined to do the opposite. ”

Pei Mingcui sighed lightly, "It's a pity that the saint fell for the trick of the Taiping Dao and forced Xiao Buyi to rebel......"

"Maybe Xiao Buyi originally had a backbone, but now it's just starting in advance?"

Pei Mingcui pondered for a long time, and ordered: "Now I am not doing things for the court, but just solving the mystery in my heart, Xiao Buyi wants to rebel, let him go, how can we manage a lot?" Besides, the world is in turmoil, Xiao Buyi is not against it, and others will oppose it, who can win the world, it is still unknown. If Xiao Buyi is a heavenly opportunity, when he knows the will of heaven, he rises up, can he say......"

Pei Mingcui's tone was full of doubts, but the shadow continued: "Could it be that he will be the king, otherwise how can he act against the sky." He is now full-fledged, and he will definitely not be subservient, Xu Hongke said that he is a general of the supreme king, but I don't believe that there is anyone else in this world who can command Xiao Buyi! ”

Pei Mingcui nodded, "Shadow, what you said is very true." But what about Xiao Buyi is not something we have to consider. We've been inquiring about the whereabouts of the Supreme King, but unfortunately all we've caught are minions, and we don't know what's going on. This Xu Hongke is the key person we have captured, you have to be careful to ask, record what he said, and not a word can be missed. This man is not telling the truth, and we may not be able to torture him to tell the truth, but at least we can analyze the clues in his words. ”

The shadow nodded, and Pei Mingcui muttered, "Pink skeleton? Suddenly, Pei Mingcui's face changed slightly, and she said in a low voice: "Shadow, you immediately mobilize the power of the Shadow Alliance to find someone and monitor his whereabouts." ”

"Who?" Shadow asked.

Pei Mingcui had a strange expression on her face, and spit out two words, "Daoxin!" ”

**

In a village outside Taiyuan, in a roadside wine shop, the two sat opposite each other. A white horse neighed and stared at the wine bowl on the table.

Snowflakes flying, wrapped in silver, although the scenery is beautiful, the weather is cold to the bone, there are no pedestrians on the road, in the wine shop, there is a small red clay stove next to the two of them for warming wine, but the old man who sells wine is unknown, because he received a silver ingot, and this ingot of silver is enough for him to not have to sell wine for a living in the past few months.

"Second brother, is my sister-in-law okay?" Xiao Buyi is full of wine for Li Jing and has a warm attitude.

Li Jing looked at the wine bowl, and the warmth on it was warm, "She's fine, she's going to give birth in a few months." ”

Xiao Buyi picked up the wine bowl, "Congratulations to the second brother." ”

Li Jing picked up the wine bowl and drank it dry in one gulp, "Thank you." ”

Xiao Buyi also slowly drank his wine, thinking about something. He set out from Tongguan without any hindrance along the way. The more you go to the north, the colder the climate, and when you don't reach Taiyuan City, the sky has already fluttered snowflakes.

When he arrived in Taiyuan City, he did not enter the city, and went directly to a village dozens of miles west of the city, and then met Li Jing.

Li Jing has been waiting for him here for a long time.

Although the moonlight is handsome and very fast, but after all, it is still not as good as a bird, after Li Jing received the news that Xiao Buyi was about to arrive, he came here early to wait and warm up the wine.

Xiao Buyi took a sip of warm wine and handed it to the moonlight, the moonlight was overjoyed, and the wine was dried in one sip, and he was very happy. Xiao Buyi fed it three more bowls of wine, patted its head and smiled, "Let's go play on the side." ”

Moonlight obediently walked away, Li Jing watched his actions, and suddenly said, "Third brother, I envy your unrestrainedness." ”

Xiao Buyi said with a smile: "I also envy the second brother, your man's true character, the men I admire in this world are all very responsible, the second brother is a good man in the eyes of all women, but I am not." ”

Li Jing looked up into the distance, and said again after a while: "Thank you." ”

"Don't say thank you, you've already said too much thanks for your kung fu." Xiao Buyi shook his head and said, "This is not the second brother I knew before. If you want to say thank you, in fact, it should be me thank you, the second brother has strategized and helped me too much. ”

Li Jing smiled and diverted the topic, "By the way, when you go to Mayi, go find Fang Wuregret, and then go north." The required manpower should be ready in Zihe, and he will show you to find it. There are not many people I have prepared for you, only three hundred warriors, after all, you are not fighting, general use, these people should be enough, not many soldiers but fine, besides, you must also hide your whereabouts, there are too many people, but it is not conducive to acting. However, there is a person who is familiar with the grassland terrain, called Tulu, you are not familiar with the grassland terrain, you must first familiarize yourself with the location of the grassland. As for other special manpower, that's Yuan Lan's business. But I think most of them are in Mayi. ”

Xiao Buyi listened quietly, and his eyes showed emotion.

Li Jing asked, "Buyi, I don't know what your plans are to go to the grassland?" ”

Xiao Buyi smiled bitterly: "I don't have any plans for the time being, I'm not an immortal, all I can say is four words of improvisation." ”

Li Jing smiled and said: "If you talk about improvisation, you really don't let others." But for now, you have to be careful, because you're not the only one you're dealing with. ”

Xiao Buyi frowned, "Who else wants to be my enemy?" ”

Li Jing pondered: "Third brother, according to the observations of me, Meng Chenxue and Yuan Lan in the frontier, although the trade between the Great Sui and the Turks was blocked, the Khan never stopped selling horses. And Guanlong, northern Xinjiang, and even Hebei and other places, there are Turkic horses. ”

Xiao Buyi frowned, "Second brother, are you saying that the scholars in these places are colluding with the Khan?" ”

Li Jing nodded, "Most likely, so when you go to the Turks, you don't have to deal with Shibi Khan alone." Now everyone has anti-intentions, the important surname of the military horse in the battle should be the first, everyone is going to use the Turkic war horse to oppose the Sui, if you openly and Shibi Khan as an enemy, sabotage their plan, I am afraid that the first thing they have to deal with is you! I calculated that the Xue family in Jincheng, the Liang family in Shuofang, and the Li family in Wuwei may all collude with Shibi Khan, even the Liu family in Mayi is ready to move. Do you remember the big boss we met at the beginning of the Prairie Wedding? ”

Xiao Buyi felt a chill in his heart, "He was injured by you, second brother, and there is no more follow-up, you talked about him, but do you think he is also a character of these families?" ”

Li Jing nodded, "Third brother, you can think of this, I can finally let go of my worries." The number of martial arts of the big boss is similar to that of the Central Plains, and I think that most of this person is also a figure in the Central Plains. It is likely that they had been in contact with Shibi Khan before the siege of Yanmen, but I don't know who that man really is. However, according to my estimate, your martial arts skills at the moment are not inferior to his, but beware of their outnumbered numbers. At this time last year, they would still be patient, but now, you can understand without me saying that Zhang Xutuo is dead, Yang Guang is trapped in Yangzhou, and the world is in chaos. ”

Xiao Buyi nodded, "I went to the grassland on this trip, but I knew that it was best to help the old two of Kedun Khan fight with Shibi Khan when they didn't meet the poor dagger. There was a fire in the Khan's backyard, so naturally he was not in the mood to go south, as for the horses and the world, it depended on their respective abilities. ”

Li Jing laughed, "Third brother, you really didn't disappoint me, but I want to remind you one thing, be careful!" ”

Xiao Buyi was silent for a long time, nodded and said, "I know." ”

"Okay, everything that should be said has been said, what needs to be done has been done, a glass of water and wine, I wish you a safe return." Li Jing picked up the wine bowl.

Xiao Buyi drank it all, got up to leave, and suddenly stopped, "Second brother, I know that you are far more than I think, but you are in Taiyuan, you must be careful of Li Yuan." I think this guy is very rebellious, and he is estimated to be reversed for a while, I think he has been at odds with you, if he rebels, I'm afraid it will be bad for you. ”

Li Jing smiled: "I'm just afraid that he won't dare, if he is really unfavorable to me, then you will be an enemy." You are the last to come, now the power is not small, Li Yuan is scheming, how can he be the enemy of you first? If he is against you, your first move is to enter the customs and attack Taiyuan, but he can't eat and walk around. ”

Xiao Buyi smiled, "Anyway, be careful to make the Wannian ship, but ......" He wanted to speak and stopped, wanting to say that Li Jing was probably fine, but when the words came to his lips, he retracted again.

Li Jing said with a smile: "You also said it just now, this world, it depends on their respective abilities, without Li Yuan, and Zhang Yuan and Wang Yuan, the land of Taiyuan, in the north of Guanlong, the place where the Turks and Guanzhong are attacked, in fact, it is not a good place, it can almost be said that it is surrounded by enemies on all sides, Li Yuan will help you polish the forces of Guanlong, Turkic, and Hebei, you can easily take Jiangnan first, and then map the north ......"

Xiao Buyi laughed, greeted the moonlight, turned his head and said: "Second brother, please say hello to my sister-in-law on my behalf, and if there is a change in your calculations, you can go to Xiangyang to find me at any time, don't hesitate." ”

Li Jing nodded, looked at Xiao Buyi and walked away in the snow, disappeared into the boundless in an instant, a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and in an instant, he sighed again, and slowly rode out of the village and walked in the direction of Taiyuan City.

The snow is falling tightly, and the world is white and vast!

(To be continued)