"However, I didn't enter Beijing for you."

When I heard this, I didn't feel disappointed, and I didn't even feel a little angry and dissatisfied, the emotion that made my chest almost burst open was still surging like a tide, I even knew the answer, but I still asked, even if it hurts, it must be clear that it hurts; Even if you cry, you have to cry happily.

I looked at him and said seriously, "What are you here for?" ”

He also looked at me and said solemnly: "Speaking of which, maybe you won't believe it, but I-I-" He glanced at me, as if blushing a little: "I always feel that I have a responsibility to Jiangnan." ”

“……”

"Speaking of which, you'll probably find it funny too." With a shy face, he whispered, "I'm just a clay leg. ”

I felt a tingling in my heart when I heard it, and I subconsciously grabbed his hand.

His palms are wide, his fingers are long and rough, and he can feel the thick calluses on his fingertips and palms, which are a pair of "mud legs" hands, doing the most tiring work, getting the cheapest pay, and being trampled on the bottom. I have seen with my own eyes how those corrupt officials prey on the common people and oppress good citizens like them.

But such a person will not live a silent life like this.

"But I'm glad I'm a mud leg," he said, his eyes darker and his voice a little lower, "because I can really see more dark places and know more dark things than people who stand on high places." ”

"Light Cold ......"

"Light, you didn't grow up in Jiangnan, you don't know what happened there, and you don't know how hard the 'untouchables' lived. You may have heard of and seen what these people have done in the south for the sake of the common people, but what you have heard, seen, and experienced is absolutely not the same. ”

My heart sank slightly.

He is right, empathy is actually a hypocritical word, other people's pain may be able to see in your eyes, can understand, but it is impossible to really experience it out of thin air, if you see a person trapped in a cold pool, but will not understand how deep that cold pool is, how cold that pool of water is. I only know that the harsh government is fiercer than the tiger, and I only know that the untouchables are miserable, but how bitter it is, it is only an illusory imagination after all.

Those who don't suffer are not suffering.

Now, I seem to really understand why he was so eager to learn, think, and even discuss with Huang Tianba the way out of the south in the fishing village at that time.

Because only those who are really caught in such a quagmire will find a way to save themselves and those who are in a desperate situation like themselves.

"Therefore, I always have that feeling that I have a responsibility for Jiangnan that I can't get rid of. Even, before I rescued you, it seemed that the feeling was strong. ”

“……”

Before I jumped from the Tiger Leap Gorge, that is, after the assassination of Lord Liu Yi, I fell ill and died.

Is this really the nature of father and son? Is it the constant affection and habits in the blood? He embarked on the same path as his father and brother, even if he lived in the people, even if he had lived so hard over the years, he did not wear down the righteousness in his nature, and the arrogance of the Liu family worthy of heaven and earth.

Is this qiē really destined by God?

But - what about his end?

I will never forget what Huang Tianba told me, how tragic Liu Shizhou's death was, and I will never forget the tragic situation after the assassination of Lord Liu Yi, and the persistence before he died.

What about Liu Qinghan? What about him?

He embarked on the same path as Liu Shizhou and Liu Yi, so will the end of this road be like this?

As soon as I thought of this, I only felt as if my chest was pierced by thousands of steel needles, and the pain was so painful that I almost couldn't breathe, and my eyes immediately became red and hot, and I thought I was wronged by his words, so I hurriedly reached over and held my face: "Light, you-don't cry, I-I won't say it, I-"

My cheek was held in the palm of his hand, and the rough texture and warm body temperature made me shiver with a slight fear.

I was afraid that these hands would disappear, that they would become cold, that I would not be able to grasp them even if I stretched out my hands, that I would wake up in a dream, only to face nothingness. What should I do when that day comes?

Thinking of this, I gritted my teeth and raised my head to look at me: "Qinghan, I understand you." ”

He didn't seem to expect me to say these three words suddenly, and only looked at me for a while: "Light ......"

"However, Shen Gongyi is finished."

He was stunned.

"Shen Gongyi, it's over."

I repeated it again, looking straight into his eyes: "The emperor spent so much effort to get rid of him this time, not only because Shen Taifu's power leaned towards the government and the opposition and threatened the imperial power, but also because with their group of old ministers, the new policy in the south could not be implemented smoothly. The south is uneasy, and the entire Central Plains will be affected. ”

Light Han nodded: "I understand." ”

"And now, Shen Gongyun has fallen, and the group of old ministers who followed him have been given a lot of orders during the imperial examination before, this time - the emperor will definitely not be merciful, and after returning to Beijing, I am afraid that a great purge will begin."

Qing Han didn't speak, and there was a hint of brazenness in his clear eyes.

Of course, he knew that he and Fu Badai had been planning with Pei Yuanhao until now, and they had been waiting for this day.

I continued: "That is to say, after this time, there is no great obstacle for the Emperor to implement a new policy in the South, and some of your previous ideas for the tax system in the South, I, I have already presented to the Emperor. ”

Qinghan looked at me with wide eyes, and immediately seemed to understand something: "It turns out that you told him!" ”

I nodded.

"No wonder ......," he muttered, "no wonder at that time, we hit it off. ”

I didn't ask, when did they talk, and how they hit it off, since Pei Yuanhao trusts and reuses their master and apprentice like this, it is naturally because the path they want to take and the goal they want to achieve are the same. Now I just kept looking into his eyes intently and asked seriously, "In this way, are you going to give up on me too?" ”

"......" He was slightly startled and looked up at me.

"The affairs of the imperial court, the overall situation has been decided; And your idea will soon be realized in the south. What kind of emperor Pei Yuanhao is, you already knew it in the past, but now, I'm afraid that I know it more clearly, his conception of the south is the same as yours; Without those people's obstacles, the future of the South will surely be realized slowly according to your vision. ”

“……”

"The South, too, will get better, will become, just as you think."

“……”

"The only difference is -- you do it yourself."

“……”

"Even so," I said, grasping his hand, "can't you choose me too?" ”

Qinghan seemed to be very shocked, and I couldn't say anything for a while, just sat there a little stiffly, my rough fingers in my palms, and by the way, they became cold.

Can't you choose me?

I never knew I could be so weak, so withdrawn that there was almost no way back, but I really wanted to try.

Holding his fingers firmly, I was already stammering a little when I spoke, as if there had never been such a difficult "negotiation", because what I gambled on was what I had been looking forward to for half my life, and the right to judge was only in his hands.

"You choose me, okay?"