When night fell, the empress slowly woke up, and when she opened her eyes, Wang Xiaolai crawled beside the bed, and next to him, there was a bowl of decoction that had been cooled.

"Ugh."

With a long groan, the empress sat up and shouted softly: "Little Laizi, little Laizi." ”

Wang Xiaolai, who heard the voice, opened his eyes, sat up straight, and said, "Your Majesty, you are awake." ”

The empress snorted: "Little Laizi, didn't I ask you to find Ning Shiguang, why are you in the imperial study?" ”

Wang Xiaolai was stunned: "Your Majesty, you don't remember?" This is your dormitory, Shou'an Palace, and you have come back after parting from the Imperial Study, what is the matter with you? ”

When the empress heard this, she patted her head, shook her head and smiled: "Look at my memory, I have forgotten it, is I still vomiting blood in the middle?" ”

Wang Xiaolai nodded, got up and picked up the decoction, touched the bowl with his hand, and found that it was already cold, so he put it down again, and said while walking out: "You also said that Your Majesty, you almost didn't kill people in a hurry, and called the imperial doctor in the middle to give you a medical treatment, saying that it was the blood that caused you to vomit when your menstrual period was approaching, and Narcissus put them all in prison." ”

The empress blushed when she heard this, what's the matter, after all, it is the feudal era, even if she is the son of heaven, when she mentions the topic of menstruation, the empress still feels shy, so she hurriedly said: "How can Narcissus be so irritable." ”

Wang Xiaolai sighed: "Your Majesty, don't say it, you vomited blood at that time, Narcissus is your close attendant, can you not be in a hurry, plus those imperial doctors are also talking nonsense, Narcissus will shut them all up, and in the end, let a Xiaolang named Zhang Zheng from the Tai Hospital show you." ”

"Are I okay then?" The Empress asked.

Wang Xiaolai nodded: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, you are just too angry, and you are in a hurry, which leads to the reverse flow of qi and blood, there is no big problem, just take care of yourself." ”

The empress sighed when she heard this: "Recuperate, how can I have time to recuperate, Zhao Sui is approaching Tongguan when he speaks, the situation in Suiyang is at a moment's notice, how many people in the world are looking forward to me sweeping away the decline." ”

Wang Xiao came to the door and called out to Qiulan, who was waiting outside, and asked him to bring a pair of hot decoctions, then turned around and said, "So, Your Majesty, this is your mistake." ”

"I'm not right? What's wrong with me? The empress asked.

Wang Xiaolai sat down beside the empress and said, "Your Majesty, you know that the current situation in Suiyang is chaotic, and you don't take care of your body, let me ask you, if you really fall, so many people in Suiyang, when the time comes, who will you rely on?" Zhao Sui is now bullish and bullish, but after all, it is just a flash in the pan, look at it, Your Majesty, it won't take long, what should he do, or what, I don't believe it, just the so-called rabble composed of eighteen anti-kings, can it really overturn the sky? ”

The empress just smiled: "You, no matter what time it is, you look optimistic, do you know what the current situation is, you only know that standing and talking does not hurt your back." ”

Wang Xiaolai shook his head honestly: "I don't know, then Your Majesty, tell me about it." ”

When the empress heard this, she obediently folded her fingers and counted Wang Xiaolai: "Listen, first of all, Zhao Sui is the richest man in Suiyang, and his logistics and silver grain are far more timely than the supply of the imperial court. Secondly, the Eastern Capital also fell into the hands of the rebels, which is especially important, if the Eastern Capital is in the heart, the people will still think that Zhao Sui is just a small fight, and sooner or later he will be taken by me, but once the Eastern Capital is lost, this situation will be different. If you don't believe it, after a few days, after the news of Zhao Sui's capture of the Eastern Capital comes from the front, what do you think the people of Daxing City will look like? Under the premise of these three advantages, Zhao Sui will attack Tongguan again, it will not be overwhelming, even if Lu Gong is invincible in the world, but what I am worried about is that before Lu Gong returns, then Zhao Sui has already taken Tongguan. ”

Wang Xiaolai sighed and said: "Your Majesty, I listened to it, how can you praise Zhao Sui again, what's the matter, don't you have a little advantage?" ”

The empress smiled bitterly: "Yes, of course there is, isn't this all dependent on Lu Gong now, but even if Lu Gong can return before Tongguan is broken, but I don't have many troops in my hands for Lu Gong to deploy, how can I make Zhao Sui's 280,000 army an opponent?" ”

Wang Xiaolai said: "It's really not good, I will bring the people of Echo Valley at that time, no matter what I say, I can also make up 20,000 troops for Your Majesty." ”

The empress was stunned: "When did you have so many troops?" ”

Wang Xiaolai smiled: "There are more than 15,000 of them, all of whom were sent by Your Majesty, why, Your Majesty, you have forgotten them." ”

The empress was speechless: "No, those armies are the guarantee to protect our hole cards, and they can't be easily mobilized." ”

Wang Xiaolai said: "Isn't this over, Your Majesty, you know, we still have the hole cards to turn over, even if we let Zhao Sui win Tongguan?" As long as my hot air balloon and gunpowder appear on the battlefield, let alone Zhao Sui's rabble, even if Huyan Zhuozhuo comes in person, he can beat him to the ground, I don't understand, what are you worried about, Your Majesty. ”

The empress glanced at Wang Xiaolai: "The responsibility is not on you, of course you are not worried." ”

Wang Xiaolai subconsciously said: "Who said that? Who said that I have no responsibility on me, but you are not my responsibility, Your Majesty? ”

When the words fell, the two of them were stunned at the same time.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room became a little eerie.

In half a day, Wang Xiaolai broke the deadlock with a cough: "Actually, Your Majesty, the matter is not as serious as you said at all, Zhao Sui wants to clear the customs, so let him fight." ”

The empress didn't understand: "What do you mean?" ”

Wang Xiaolai said: "Your Majesty, it's not me bragging to you, I personally think that Tongguan is the worst choice for Zhao Sui, if he really takes this road, then his road will not be long." ”

"Xiao Laizi, don't comfort me, you don't know the significance of Tongguan to Daxing City at all." The empress said speechlessly, and said in her heart how she had said so much to such a military blind person.

"Your Majesty, I don't know if it's clear, but what I said is based on reality, don't pout your lips first, how about you comment after I finish speaking?" Wang Xiaolai said.

As she was talking, Qiulan took the medicine outside and said, "Waiter, the medicine is here." ”

Wang Xiaolai said to the empress: "Your Majesty, you will wait for a while." ”

As he spoke, he turned around and went out, took the medicine back and sat down, touched the bowl with his hand to test the temperature, and then sent it to the empress, saying, "It's just right, Your Majesty, drink it while it's hot." ”

The empress shook her head, looked at Wang Xiaolai and said, "I will listen to your opinions first." ”

Hearing the slight joking flavor in the empress's words, Wang Xiaolai just smiled: "Actually, I think ha, in Zhao Sui's current situation, it can be said that he is killing himself." Your Majesty, you know, even we know the news that Marquis Lu has defeated Nurhari, as an ally, doesn't Zhao Sui know? ”

"So, what does this have to do with Zhao Sui's beating Tongguan?" The empress didn't understand.

Wang Xiaolai said: "This is the misunderstanding that everyone has entered now, Your Majesty, including you, why, do you have to fight Tongguan?" Could it be that just because behind Tongguan is Daxing City? ”

The empress asked rhetorically, "What else?" ”

Wang Xiaolai said: "Anyway, if I change me, I will never gnaw on the hard bone of Tongguan." ”

When he said this, the empress became curious: "Then if it were you, what would you do?" ”

Wang Xiaolai said: "How confident is Your Majesty in the defense of Tongguan? Is it possible to defend it before Marquis Lu returns to defense? ”

The empress thought for a while: "This is not accurate, although Tongguan is strong, but Zhao Sui is not a fuel-efficient lamp, he does not know how much preparation he has made for this rebellion, it is difficult to ensure that he uses silver to pile siege vehicles and forcibly take Tongguan." ”

Wang Xiaolai snapped his fingers: "Your Majesty, you think so, Zhao Sui Bacheng also thinks so, otherwise, there is no way to explain that he knows that Lu Houye is coming back soon, and he still has to put on a posture of fighting Tongguan." ”

"Speaking of Xiao Laizi, you still haven't said why Zhao Sui is killing himself by beating Tongguan." Empress Dao.

Wang Xiaolai said: "It's very simple, let me ask Your Majesty, in the world, who dares to say that it is Lu Houye's opponent, not to mention the comparison of the military strength of the two sides, Lu Houye has fought fewer battles with less and more battles?" ”

The empress said: "If you say so, there should be no opponent of Marquis Lu in the world, after all, the name of Lu Invincible is fought from the enemy." ”