Seeing the two old men sad, Li Xu also felt a little separation in his heart. Not wanting his mother to worry, he smiled and comforted in a low voice: "I'm just going to protect food, and I don't have to fight, so there's no danger!" ”

"There's no danger, there's no danger, how did you get that injury. Who doesn't know that the Goguryeo people are vicious, and everyone says that the Liao River flows backwards, and the strong man is gone......" Aunt Zhong was anxious and retorted loudly. When the words were almost finished, he suddenly realized that he shouldn't have made a lip gloss before the young master left, and spit twice at Lixia, stepped on the spit a few more times, and explained curtly: "Look at my mouth, don't blame the young master, I'm a little confused......"

"You said him for his good!" Li Zhang hurriedly interrupted Aunt Zhong's words and comforted in a low voice, "Besides, he was raised by you since childhood, and he has always been like your own son......."

"The porridge is ready, I, I'll go see the fire!" Without waiting for Li Zhang's words to finish, Aunt Zhong lowered her head and fled. While walking, I wiped my eyes with the corners of my clothes.

"Don't blame her, Aunt Zhong is for your good!" Li Zhang looked at his son's face that was instantly blue and persuaded in a low voice.

"I know! I don't blame him! Li Xu smiled weakly at his mother, hiding the bitterness between his eyebrows. Aunt Zhong's words were well-intentioned, but they slammed into his chest like a sledgehammer. 'The Liao River and the Liao River flow backwards, and the strong man will never look back', this is not wrong at all. On that day, 300 strong men who guarded food stepped on the company camp and pulled back more than 3,000 brothers from the brink of death. With the desire to go home, everyone fought thousands of miles and broke through many obstacles, but they didn't expect to see two flames just a stone's throw away from home.

The bridge broke, and the door home slammed shut before the lone man stepped onto the threshold. Two thousand desperate soldiers faced more than 100,000 Goguryeo pursuers, and it was impossible to create a miracle again. Relying on the foot strength of the war horse, Li Xu, Liu Hongji and others broke out of the encirclement, fought and fled, and fled until they fled to the opposite bank of Wuli Luo City, and were taken over by the defenders of the city on a raft. (Note 1) Of the 350 brave men who volunteered to save people with a certain heart of death, a total of 23 returned! Wang Yuantong, Qi Poning, Qin Ziying, countless good brothers disappeared on the way to escape, and more than 300 brothers who protected the grain exchanged their lives for a general surnamed Xue, and a horse governor surnamed Yuwen!

Asahiko didn't want his family to worry either, but at this point he had no choice. Even if it wasn't for merit, he had to rush back to Huaiyuan Town to participate in the second expedition to Liao. Most of the more than 300 brothers buried in Liaodong were his subordinates, and he had to let the brothers die blindly.

"If you go, be careful!" Li Zhang also smiled, stretched out his hand to brush the hair around his son's ears, but suddenly found that he had to put his feet up to be able to reach his son's ears. Li Xu quietly bent his knees and fulfilled his mother's wish. In my ears, my mother's hands were still so warm, but unconsciously, the once soft palms had become a little rough, and it hurt a little crispy when rubbed on my face, and it hurt all the way to the bottom of my heart.

"When fighting, try not to rush forward. In case of retreat, run faster! Li Zhang choked up, and the moment her hand was raised, she saw faint tears in her son's eyes.

Because of the mention of the military book, the family's breakfast was a little dull. The Li family is no longer as embarrassed as it was back then, in order to nourish Xuzi's body, every morning, dried meat, salted eggs, and pickled vegetables can be put on the table five or six. Some small dishes that Li Xu loved to eat, but could only smell their fragrance during the festival, have now become home-cooked snacks. It's just that everyone didn't have much appetite today, so they hastily picked a few chopsticks and put down their rice bowls one after another.

"When are you leaving?" Lao Li Mao looked at the growing greenery outside the window and asked in a low voice.

"By the end of this month at the latest, the emperor has reactivated the old general Yuwen and recruited civilian warriors as Xiaoguo. The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass go first! Li Xu sat up straight and explained to his father in a low voice.

The so-called Xiaoguo is a person who has the courage of the people and wants to seek fame on the horse. In last year's Liaodong War, the elite of the government soldiers were lost, so this time the Great Sui had to re-use gold and silver to recruit warriors. Judging from the official newspaper after the Chinese New Year, the Great Sui Emperor made a lot of money this time. On the second day of the first lunar month, he ordered all localities to continue to transport grain to western Liaoning. In the third year of junior high school, he ordered to recruit Xiaoguo to join the army. On the twenty-third day of the first month, an amnesty was granted to the world, and death row prisoners were allowed to go to Liaodong to make meritorious service and atone for their crimes. Twenty-four, Wei Wensheng, who had ordered the construction of the Liaohe pontoon bridge, returned to Chang'an, served as the secretary of the criminal department, and assisted the emperor's grandson Yang Yu to supervise the country. On the twenty-fifth, the soldiers who were ordered to go home for the New Year went to Zhuo County to assemble...... Old Li Mao's face twitched, and he wanted to say something, but he never said it. After being silent for a long time, he muttered: "You are now in the country, and you have to make your own decisions about many things, our Li family, hey, our Li family has not had such a big official for five or six generations......"

'Our Li family has not had such a big official for several generations, can you beg that Tang Gong to arrange for you to stay away from the battlefield?' Old Li Mao asked quietly in his heart. He knew that the current prosperity of the Li family was all due to his son's life outside, and now, he was more afraid of losing this son than he was more than two years ago. However, he finally held back these unseemly selfishness, and muttered half a sentence: "Don't worry, Dad knows that since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety cannot be both!" ”

"Daddy!" Li Xu didn't expect his father to say such high-sounding words, so he couldn't help but pause. Soon, he understood the old father's distress, nodded, and responded in a low voice: "I know, I try to protect myself!" ”

"You're big!" Li Mao looked at his son with wide eyes.

"Hmm!" Li Xu agreed in a low voice. looked at his mother and saw her slowly stand up and silently clean up the dishes and chopsticks scattered on the table. My mother's back was already a little tired, and her legs and feet were not as sharp as they used to be. The belated good days did not slow down her aging in the slightest, and the new clothes made of silk made the wrinkles on her face more obvious.

Li Xu wanted to stand up to help, but was gently pressed on the stool by his mother. "It's rare for you two to talk for a while, I'll clean it up, and Aunt Zhong will help!" With that, she picked up the dishes and chopsticks and walked out, and the sound of trembling footsteps echoed in Li Xu's ears all the way.

"Don't worry about your mother, the two of us, we're both still strong!" Li Mao looked at his wife's back and said in a low voice.

"Hmm!" Li Xu agreed, turned around, and saw the gorgeous hair on his father's sideburns.

"The younger generations have already had my share of the incense money in the filial piety clan. Our family is no longer in business, and Second Brother Zhao in the county has not been to the door for a long time! Lao Li Mao paused and repeated what he had said many times.

"If you don't have enough money, sell a few of the things I brought back!" Li Xu finally found a relatively easy topic and suggested it to his father with a smile.

"Those jades" Lao Li Mao smiled and shook his head gently, "I discussed with your mother, it was your hard-earned back, and I want to keep it for you to be your wife!" ”

"Why do you need so much!" Li Xu couldn't help laughing at his father's absurdity, "Those jade and stones are for honoring you and your mother, in a few days, you can sell a few pieces, you can buy a larger house, and hire a few maids to serve my mother." If my mother is willing, I can also lend some to Uncle Baosheng as capital! ”

"Your mother and I are the rich and noble, we have worked hard for half our lives, and we really have to make people serve everything, but we are going to make trouble!" Old Li Mao was moved by his son's childish filial piety, and said while being happy. "It's you, now that you're from the government, you won't be able to find a country woman to marry in the future. Keep these jade and stones, it's a dowry that you can get your hands on! ”

"It's still early!" Li Xu bared his teeth at his father and smiled happily. "Besides, I'm just a lieutenant now, and I'm not an official......"

"You kid, how many captains have there been in our old Li family? A few days ago, a matchmaker came to the door to deliver eight characters, and they were all replied by your mother and me. The two of us thought, when you come back from Liaodong this time, if you are in a good mood, you can choose one according to your own heart......." With a smile on his son's face, Lao Li Mao's words gradually relaxed.

Xuzi's child was blessed to be born, and he had a good year since he was born. Over the years, his body has grown strong and his appearance is neat. When I was studying, there were many daughters staring at me. Now that he has an official coat, it is the goal of matchmakers from near and far. In the previous paragraph, seeing that the child was very concerned, Li Mao and his wife didn't want to bother him with these things, but today he is rarely happier again, so it is better to explain to him the major events of his life.

Thinking of this, Lao Li Mao cleared his throat and said in a low voice: "The year before last, you sent a letter saying that you wanted to get married. Your mother and I rejoice for you. Later, you went to Liaodong, and we didn't ask about some things. It's good to think that the daughter of the Su Sibu is also good, but as the daughter of the patriarch, she may not be able to help herself in many things......."

Li Xu listened to his father's words quietly, he didn't expect his seemingly old father to have such a unique insight when analyzing the problem. That dream has become a permanent memory in his heart. When I mentioned it, there was no longer pain, no more regret, just a faint sadness mixed with a faint joy.

"Now, it's been almost two years!" Lao Li Mao glanced at his son and continued: "What should be put down has to be put down, people can't live in memories for a lifetime." Your mother and we don't expect you to marry a young lady like a flower and come back, as long as she is good, she can be good to you in the future, and we will be happy! ”

Li Xu listened quietly, and a smile slowly welled up in the corners of his eyes. People can't always live in memories, but the gentle sorrow in memories is as unforgettable as wine.

Suddenly, the grassland in my memory turned into a river on fire, and someone shouted loudly on the other side of the river, "Run, flee north, Zhongjian, flee north-"

He smiled and nodded at his father, and let his memories ride his war horse all the way north.

Note 1: Wuliluo, located at the bend of the Liaohe River, has its ruins in Faku County, Liaoning Province. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty attacked Liaodong, and in order to save face, the city was renamed Liaodong.

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