When he stepped into Suzhou City again, Li Xiucheng only felt like a world away. The last time he went to Suzhou was more than seven months ago, when Li Xiucheng entered Suzhou City with high spirits, and at that time he returned to Suzhou to participate in the reorganization of soldiers and horses in the West Palace, and at the same time he also accepted the title of King of the West. Since the defeat of the Qing army of Xiangrong in the Battle of Siyeling, Li Xiucheng has led the troops alone all the way, and the battle of Suzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo has made Li Xiucheng famous all over the world.

The West Hall is a star-studded place, Li Kaifang, Lin Fengxiang, Ji Wenyuan, Zhu Xineng, Chen Yucheng, Li Xiucheng, Lin Qirong, Liu Lichuan, Luo Xuan, Tan Shaoguang, Tang Zhengcai, Tongbao Monk, etc., every name will make the Qing army frightened. When Suzhou was knighted, only Li Kaifang, Lin Fengxiang, Lin Qirong, and Li Xiucheng were awarded the title of first-class baron. That is to say, the most prominent reputation and military exploits in the West Hall are the four people of Lin Shuangli, who are often praised by the Taiping Army as the four generals of the West Palace.

Seven months ago, Li Xiucheng was full of spirits, and it only took him two years to reach today's position from one or two Sima, which was enough to make him proud and proud. It's a pity that blessings and misfortunes depend, this sentence may be true, seven months later, when Li Xiucheng stepped into Suzhou City again, he already felt a kind of sadness of the hero's end.

Although the edict summoned by the King of the West to Beijing was very polite, and even praised Li Xiucheng greatly, Li Xiucheng seemed to feel that something was wrong. First of all, the newly formed 1st Division and the 2nd Division, which were under their own control a month ago, were suddenly withdrawn from military power by the Ministry of War, and were directly commanded by Li Kaifang, the secretary of the Ministry of War. The second is Liu Lichuan of the Ningbo Military and Political Division, who replaced several important figures in the Ningbo County and Township Military Division, and these people are all friends with themselves. Zuihou is the intelligence department and supervision department of the military department and the criminal department of the Xiwangfu in Ningbo, and the activities of the supervision department began to become frequent.

Lee so-sung smelled a hint of uneasiness from these actions, and then the reorganization charter of the second phase was adjusted. Originally, Li Xiucheng's troops from Ningbo County went to Shanghai in three batches to reorganize and receive new equipment, but half a month ago, the military department issued an official document mobilizing all the remaining troops and horses of Li Xiucheng's troops to Shanghai for reorganization. Li Xiucheng suddenly found that overnight. He has become a bare-bones commander, and except for the more than 1,000 people in the personal guard team of his henchmen, he can't mobilize other soldiers and horses.

All these transfers are so rapid and so logical, Li Xiucheng once wrote to the military department to ask, but the attitude of the military department was very tough, Li Kaifang only replied to him a few words: "Soldiers take obedience to orders as their duty!" ”

Li Xiucheng's subordinates also received many orders, either to Suzhou, to Shanghai to participate in the officer training course, or to the local township soldier system. The appointment order was issued in several stages, and at first Li Xiucheng thought it was an ordinary transfer. But when he realized that something was wrong, he found that there were few of his cronies left.

A week ago, even his brother-in-law Song Yongqi and his brother Li Mingcheng realized that something was wrong and came to Li Xiucheng to discuss countermeasures, but now what countermeasures can Li Xiucheng come up with? Not to mention that there are no soldiers in his hands, even if there are soldiers, he may not be able to stand on his side, not to mention that there are more than 20,000 new division generals in Ningbo.

Li Xiucheng consulted with his relatives and henchmen and came to a terrible conclusion. The king of the west has to move himself, otherwise it is impossible to arrange it so carefully. Think the other way around. Why did the king of the west move himself? When Lee so-sung realized the problem. Only to realize that it was too late. Under his repeated questioning, Song Yongqi, Li Mingcheng and others said some things they did behind Li Xiucheng's back.

I don't know if I don't listen, I was shocked when I heard it, when Li Xiucheng knew what dirty things Song Yongqi, Li Mingcheng and others had done behind his back, he was already disillusioned, and these things violated the law of the New Deal. Together, it's enough to kill the head a dozen times. He is not strict with his subordinates, and he makes mistakes first, no wonder the king of the west wants to move himself.

When the king of the west came to summon him back to Suzhou, Li Xiucheng had no power to resist. Besides, Li Xiucheng didn't think about resisting at all, in Li Xiucheng's mind, the King of the West is a god, a god who cannot be offended. After Li Xiucheng received the order, he simply explained a few words to his family, and then followed the messenger from Suzhou on the road. On the same day, 27 of Li Xiucheng's relatives, including Song Yongqi and Li Mingcheng, were secretly arrested by Bai Zetang and the Intelligence Department at the same time.

So when he returned to Suzhou this time, Li Xiucheng knew that he might be questioned, and his heart was always heavy. The envoys and generals who "escorted" Li Xiucheng along the way were polite to him and did not treat him as a prisoner, but there were people following him wherever he went, and Li Xiucheng found that he had completely cut off contact with the outside.

After entering Suzhou City, Li Xiucheng was taken directly to the Xiwang Mansion, and after arriving at the Xiwang Mansion, he was taken directly to the Xiwang's study.

In King Xi's study, Li Xiucheng saw King Xi, he just glanced at King West in a hurry, and then bowed to the ground and didn't dare to look up again.

When Li Xiucheng visited the King of the West, he claimed that the sinner Li Xiucheng visited His Royal Highness the King of the West, but the King of the West seemed to ignore him, just waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to guard out. When King Xi's guards covered the door of the study and went out, only King Xi and Li Xiucheng were left in the house.

King Xi flipped through a dossier and looked at it, but he didn't speak, and Li Xiucheng didn't dare to speak, so he knelt on the ground. Originally, Li Xiucheng thought that this time he would go to Suzhou and go directly to the prison of the Criminal Department, and he would not see the king of the west at all, and he would not think that the king of the west would still be willing to see him. Seeing the Queen of the West, Li Xiucheng was a little scared, he was afraid of the thunderous anger of the King of the West, usually the King of the West looked like he was not angry and arrogant, if the King of the West was angry, it would be such a frightening thing. But Li Xiucheng thought wrong again, and the king of the west didn't say a word, ignoring himself at all.

In this way, neither of them spoke, one sitting, the other kneeling, and was silent for a whole time. Finally, it was the King of the West who broke the silence, and suddenly said, "Do you know why you were summoned back?" ”

Li Xiucheng sweated on his forehead, and said in a trembling voice: "My subordinates have committed a big crime, and they should be arrested and returned to Suzhou for punishment." ”

King Xi closed the file and said lightly, "What crime have you committed?" ”

Li Xiucheng replied tremblingly: "The subordinates are not strict, and the relatives will encroach on people's land, extort money, and occupy the treasury in Ningbo, committing seven major crimes and twenty-three minor crimes in the new political law. ”

King Xi snorted and said, "You have already figured it out yourself. Speaking of this, King Xi sighed lightly and said: "Xiucheng, I am your Bole, but you are not my Maxima, why did you come to such a point?" Is there anything else you'd like to say? ”

Li Xiucheng knew that King Xi's was giving himself a chance to defend himself, but along the way, Li Xiucheng couldn't say a word when he wanted to speak to his mouth, and King Xi's Bole and Maxima metaphors were very appropriate. Two years ago, he was just a two Sima, but the King of the West gave him a lot of opportunities, and it was by virtue of the incomparable trust of the King of the West that he Li Xiucheng came to this day step by step, but he lived up to the trust of the King of the West, whether he knew the things that the relatives and tribes would do, he did not have the face to say the first half of the words begging for mercy or excusing himself. A deep sense of guilt made Li Xiucheng feel that he should bear the responsibility, and at that moment Li Xiucheng raised his head slightly and said, "No, my subordinates admit their crimes!" The subordinates have the trust of the king of the west, and the crime deserves death! ”

King Xi slapped his palms twice and praised: "Okay, it is worthy of being the person I fancy, I don't excuse myself, I don't beg for mercy, I take responsibility calmly, it's good." ”

After the king of the west praised two sentences, Li Xiucheng did not feel happy at all, but felt even more ashamed, and bowed down to the ground and said: "Ask the king of the west to give his subordinates the death penalty, so as to set the record straight." ”

King Xi snorted and suddenly became angry: "Are you farting when I am a new law?" Whether you Li Xiucheng dies or not is not up to me, Xiao Chaogui, but the Criminal Department to convict according to the criminal law! Do you want to die? Your life belongs to the king, and the king didn't let you die, and the criminal law didn't let you die, so you can't die! ”

Li Xiucheng fell to the ground and didn't dare to speak again, and the king of the west said coldly: "The king is already very clear about the matter, and you don't know most of the things, but you, as a general in the Ningbo army, are so confused, so dereliction of duty, and let your subordinates commit crimes in your name, so that the local officials dare not manage, and make my new political law lose face, how can we win the trust of the people in the West Palace?" How can Yu people fight for the world without trust? Go down and think about your sins yourself! In a few days, the Criminal Department will openly hear the case, and your guilt will be made public, and how to convict will also be determined by the Criminal Department according to the law! ”

Li Xiucheng raised his head, tears were already rolling out of his eyes, and a man who hid seven feet was so ashamed that he left tears, which showed how remorseful he was at this time, "My subordinates remember the teachings of the King of the West." ”

King Xi said lightly: "Xiucheng, a manly husband must have the courage to face his mistakes, death can't solve the problem, sometimes he can have the courage to face his mistakes and live, and continue to complete his ideals with a repentant heart, this is the real man." You haven't forgotten the ideals of our West Temple. ”

Li Xiucheng wiped his tears and said: "I haven't forgotten, expelled Hu Nu, restored China, and revived the Han family." ”

King Xi nodded, stepped forward to help him up, and said, "In the future, it is good to repent, remember that your life was given by me, keep it useful, and this king will ask you to pay it back in the future." ”

Li Xiucheng was so excited that he knelt down again, and the king of the west waved his hand and said: "Go down, tell everything you know to the people of the Criminal Department, I am not forcing you to kill your relatives in righteousness, but you yourself want to give an explanation to the military and people of Sufu Province and those bitter masters, you are a famous general in the West Palace, not a nameless person, you must have the responsibility of being a person, you have to give everyone an explanation!" ”

Li Xiucheng retired in a trance, the officials and soldiers of the Criminal Department outside the house were already waiting outside, Ji Wenyuan of the Criminal Department personally came up and read out the arrest warrant, Li Xiucheng didn't hear what Ji Wenyuan was thinking at all, and he was just thinking that King Xi let himself give everyone an explanation, why wasn't this protecting himself? (To be continued......)