When several people were holding their own opinions, they didn't know that Xu Junlongyin in the capital issued another decree, ordering Li Sui, the general of the town, to rush to the capital at the end of the year, and congratulate the Holy Lord on the New Year with hundreds of civil and military officials.

When the Divine Decree arrived in Jiyan City, it was already the winter moon. According to the itinerary, Li Sui must go to the capital immediately after receiving the holy decree.

However, Li Gong resolutely did not agree with his father's entry into Beijing.

Tang Ji smiled and invited the minister and his entourage to the post house to rest.

Li Gong kicked out the servants, closed the door, and said in a low voice: "Dad! You can't go to this capital anyway! That dusk - why did you suddenly summon you to Beijing today? Think about it, everyone understands, the eight generals, now there are only three left, Du Xin grew up with Jinshang, and his emotions are extraordinary, Liu Tong I heard that he has taken refuge in Chen Sima, only your father, this time, it must be more than lucky. When I go and kill Na Qincha, let's turn it around! ”

Li Sui had a gloomy face and scolded in a low voice: "You are almost forty years old, how can you do things and be so uncalm?" I am not at fault, how can the Holy One be indiscriminate? If you have time to talk nonsense here, you might as well hurry up and prepare some tributes for me, so that I can worship the Holy One!" ”

Li Gong said unwillingly: "Dad-"

Li Sui glared at him, Li Gong didn't dare to say anything, so he had to hold his breath and answer "yes", and was about to withdraw.

As soon as he walked to the door, he heard Li Sui say again: "Tomorrow you will invite General Kou here." ”

Li Xuan said puzzledly: "Dad, do you want to let General Kou enter Beijing with you?" ”

Li Sui was silent for a moment, and said: "I heard that his daughter Yu Niang is sixteen or seventeen years old this year, and she was born very dignified and elegant, and your eldest son Li Yu is also eighteen years old. ”

Li Quan said impatiently: "Dad, when is this, are you still in the mood to care about this-"

Li Sui waved his hand, cut off Li Gong's words, and said, "I only ask you, are you willing?" ”

Li Gong had no choice but to say: "What's not to be willing to do here?" General Kou and I have been together for so many years, and we have long been like brothers. His daughter, I have also seen before, can be married to this family, naturally it is very suitable. And it's your idea again, I don't have anything to say. It's just—"

Li then waved his hand and signaled that his son could go out. Li Gong had to stomp his feet and turn around and go to the treasury.

Seven days later, Li Sui prepared all the tributes to the saint and went to the capital with Lord Qinchayin. Everyone sent to the ten-mile long pavilion and said goodbye with tears.

A fine snow hapze floated in the sky, and Tang Ji, Li Gong, and Kou Yue stood side by side under the long pavilion, silently watching the queue that was getting farther and farther away, letting the north wind blow on their cheeks.

After a long time, Tang Ji said softly: "Young General, I heard that the general talked to you all night last night, what did he say?" ”

"Oh," Li Xuan seemed to be choked, he looked at Tang Ji, and then glanced at Kou Yue, who was still moving, and said lightly: "My father said that when he comes back, he will do family affairs for my son and General Kou's daughter." Let's Jiyan City, it's been a long time since we've had such a happy event. To—" He paused again and said, "Let's do it well!" Everybody rejoices! ”

Tang Ji and Kou Yue glanced at each other and didn't speak, they both knew that things were definitely not so simple.

In fact, before Li Sui left, he also summoned them separately and secretly confessed. They all understood that General Li's parting words to the three people probably had something in common.

Now is the Spring Festival, and the cold city is full of vitality and joy.

Even the poorest families bought a few New Year's goods, washed all the clothes on their bodies, and patched them with new patches, neatly and neatly; The doors are also plastered with red couplets. Walking on the street, everyone has a red and happy mood.

The palace is even more splendid, with lanterns and lanterns, embroidered curtains and colorful curtains, and mattresses on the floor.

Because of the heavy snow on the road, Li Sui and Qincha's vehicles were delayed for a lot of time on the road. The young Lord Yin complained for a long time, but Li Sui, who had gray temples, wanted to comfort him from time to time, but he was afraid of delaying time, so he had to urge the carriage and horse to rush forward as soon as possible. Finally, on the 28th day of the lunar month, the group arrived in the capital.

Li then stayed in the pavilion, so he went to face the saint first, and waited at the gate of the palace for two hours before the eunuch came to pass the word, asking General Li to wait for the New Year's Day court meeting and meet with the ministers.

Li Sui hurriedly ordered someone to put the tribute up, and gave the steward eunuch a generous gift. Only then did there be a smile on the face of the eunuch in charge, and he said, "General Li has worked hard all the way!" His Majesty is busy with government affairs and has no time to summon the general, so the general should be patient and wait for a day or two. ”

At this time, Li Sui stood in front of the window on the upper floor of the pavilion, overlooking the pedestrians downstairs inside and out. Usually, this is one of the busiest streets in Cold City; There is no one today. Those who do business have also closed their stalls and waited at home with their relatives to welcome the New Year.

In the days of family reunion, Li Sui, an old general with gray temples and a great contribution to Xu Guoguo, could only stand alone, waiting for the fate of an uncertain future.

In previous years, when Li Sui entered Beijing, there would always be other ministers who would invite him to a banquet at home; This year, there was none.

The royal banquet of the New Year's Day court meeting was extremely extravagant. First of all, there was a burst of drumming sound, and then there were musicians imitating the chirping rhyme of a hundred birds. Hundreds of officials bowed down to congratulate. As soon as the saint raised his hands, a deacon and eunuch shouted at a sharp voice: "Excuse me! All the officials are seated! ”

On each table, there are all kinds of delicious dishes, fine fruit desserts, morning leeks and evening sads, golden jade, and each has a pot of jade liquid and a calendula. The hundred officials toasted to the saint for three rounds together, and then a dancer came up and danced in the hall, and the sound of drum music became more and more gentle and tactful, which made people's hearts flutter.

At the end of the court meeting, the civil and military officials returned home one after another, and Li Sui had to return to the pavilion again, facing the lonely lamp, silently distracted. He knew that he would come back eventually. As a battle-hardened general, he had long felt that in this seemingly peaceful pavilion, he didn't know how many people were secretly watching him, perhaps, to prevent him from escaping.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart: "Run?" If I wanted to run, would I still come? ”

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Sui finally waited for everything he had expected a long time ago. Perhaps, Xu Junlongyin is not willing to let the too cruel scene wash away his joy of the New Year.

The one who came to take Li Sui away was not a eunuch; The person Li Sui saw was not Xu Jun, but a messenger from Dali Temple.

Li Sui was taken to the lobby of Dali Temple, and it was Wu Lian, the secretary of Dali Temple, who interrogated him.

Wu Lian looked at Li Sui, who had been stripped of his official uniform, stood up and arched his hand, and said with a smile: "General Li, offended!" Offend! There is one thing, I would like to ask you to understand, and ask General Li to be honest, as long as General Li says it, he will immediately apologize to the general and send the general back to the pavilion. ”

Li Sui smiled lightly, fortunately he didn't bring him a shackle, so he also arched his hand and said, "What does Lord Wu ask?" Just ask. I know that Lord Wu represents the Holy One, and I definitely don't dare to hide anything. ”

Wu Lian showed a look of disbelief on his face, and continued to say politely: "General Li, just because last year, the criminal officer Qin Bao was executed and his family members were exiled, but there is his son Qin Ao, I don't know where he went, presumably General Li knows?" ”

Li Sui was stunned for a moment, he didn't expect that Wu Lian would ask such a thing, Qin Ao escaped, he knew, and the sea fishing documents were also sent to Jiyan City, but where Qin Ao fled to, he really didn't know, so he shook his head helplessly, and said, "Lord Wu, how can I know about this matter?" I am in Jiyan City, thousands of miles away, and there are state capitals hanging lists to arrest him along the way, how can he escape? Presumably, Lord Wu misheard some rumors. ”

Wu Lian dusted off his official uniform, sat down on the official position, and sneered: "General Li pushed it clean!" Back then, General Li was able to save the family of the criminal officer Yao Dian, and now he can naturally save Qin Bao's son! Either General Li hid him somewhere, or General Li knew where he was and said it well, and then there was nothing to do. The old general is so old, if he forces me to be executed, I really can't do it! ”

Li Sui was speechless for a while, how was he found out that he had saved Mrs. Wen and the Liu family? Nonrecognition? Since the other party can say it, there must be evidence. Admit? It's getting more and more endless, where can I go to find a Qin Ao to come out? Thinking of this, he had to grit his teeth and say, "What did Lord Wu say?" Why can't I understand? Both of these things happened in the capital, how could they be relied on by me thousands of miles away? According to me, all the adults in the capital are a little suspicious! ”

Wu Lian was annoyed and ashamed, slapped the shocked wood, and shouted angrily: "Li Sui! You are bold, first harboring the family of the criminal official Yao Dian, and now you are conniving at the son of Qin Leopard to escape! This official inquired by the holy decree, and wanted to let you live, but you didn't know how to lift! Come! Punishment awaits! ”

A few servants who were like wolves and tigers rushed up, and Li Sui shouted loudly and said, "Who dares to step forward!" The old general's majestic voice suppressed the few small people, and they couldn't help but take a few steps back.

Li Sui pointed at Wu Lian and scolded: "Wu Lian rats! Thinking of me Li Sui, I have been fighting in the field for most of my life, which makes Hu Lu frightened! Now it's in the hands of you, a shameless man! Impose trumped-up charges on my head, the stone can be cracked but not rolled, and the soldier can be killed but not humiliated! How can I be at the mercy of you, shameless villain! He raised his head to the sky and let out a long roar, and said tragically: "First Emperor! The old minister is loyal, and the sun and the moon can be learned! Now that he is forced to be helpless, he has no face to see the Holy Monarch under Jiuquan! As he spoke, he slammed his head into the pillar in the lobby.

The room was dumbfounded.

In less than an hour, the old general Li Sui, blood splashed in Dali Temple, and the news of his death in the public hall spread all over the streets and alleys of Hancheng.

The strong New Year's atmosphere disappeared in the cold city in an instant.

In a small inn not far from Dali Temple, there was a man in a white shirt and a white hat, riding a white horse, running to the suburbs, and quietly releasing a white carrier pigeon.