The Tao in the word Tongdao does not only refer to the path of demons, or the way of cultivation.

The empress had read Ning Que's dossier many times back then, in order to deal with him, because he had killed her only brother Xiahou, and the relationship between the two of them was very complicated, and the feelings that echoed between each other were very delicate.

Back in Helan City, that subtle love still echoed between Ning Que and the queen mother, until he entered the pavilion retreat and saw the gray coffin.

The coffin was large, made of dozens of pine trees from the cliffs of the abandoned mountains.

The bark on the pine trees had not had time to be peeled off, and it looked too plain and simple. Especially compared to the status of the person lying in the coffin.

Ning Que was silent for a long time, then walked to the pine coffin and knelt down, bowing down to each other.

The queen mother said calmly: "When you saw him in the palace, you never liked to kowtow, and now that he is dead, you kowtow many times, and he can't see it." ”

Ning Que stood up, stretched out his hand and gently stroked the rough bark of the pine tree, and didn't say anything.

The Empress originally thought that he would laugh and say that the dead are the most important things like before, and then she would be able to mention the dead Xiahou in passing, and then continue to delve into the more strict topics.

Ning Que stood beside the pine coffin for a moment, then looked at Master Huang Yang and several generals, and said, "What is the situation now, why are you staying in Helan City?"

"The dean and His Majesty passed away one after another, heavy rain fell from the sky, and the Zhenbei army was forced to stay in Helan City, and then the news was cut off, we don't know what is happening in the south, but we can guess some ......"

Master Huang Yang said slowly, and then recounted the situation of these days.

"Since the Golden Horde Court dares to besiege Helan City, then Shan Yu must have already led a large army south. ”

Ning Que broke off a small piece of charred bark from the pine coffin, squatted on the ground, drew a very simple map, drew a horizontal line under the map, and said: "The Seven Cities Walled ......"

He fell silent suddenly, and his fingers stopped drawing the line.

The room was silent, and people knew that Ning Que was from Weicheng. Weicheng is a border fortress in the Seven Cities.

The expression on Ning Que's face did not change, and he continued to say calmly: "The Seven Cities Walled City must have been broken, and the cavalry of the Golden Horde has even passed the Pingling Pass and is approaching Hebei County. ”

He threw away the bark in his hand, looked up at everyone, and said: "One-third of the cavalry of the Zhenbei Army is in Helan City, does the Beida Battalion have enough military strength to resist? If Chang'an City transfers troops from Gushan County or even Tuyang City, what will happen to the eastern border? Longqing will definitely not miss this opportunity." ”

The order in which his speculations and the actual situation occurred changed slightly. But the conclusions reached. There is no essential difference with reality, and it is completely consistent with the queen's opinion.

"We have to leave right away. ”

The queen said, "Retreat south as fast as you can." ”

Han Qing said: "The road is far away, what about the grain and grass?"

A general of the Zhenbei Army said: "Collect firewood all the way. It would be enough to grab a few more Golden Horde tribes. ”

Ning Que shook his head and said, "The Golden Horde Court must have already made arrangements, their elite is going south, and the wasteland is empty. Surely we will not be given an opportunity, and those tribes are afraid that after the rain has stopped, they will retreat to the north, and if we want to pursue, the road will be stretched longer, and it will be too risky to go deep into the wasteland without food. ”

The queen asked, "What can you do?"

"There's no good way. ”

Ning Que stood up and said, "First of all, all the food in Helan City must be taken away, and it must be calculated. All the grain and grass must be supplied to the war horses first, and the people can starve, and they will not die of starvation for a few days, and they can continue to move forward with the horses, and in the end, if they can't do it, then the horses will be killed. ”

The generals were silent for a moment, and then responded in a deep voice.

Han Qing frowned and said, "Take all the food in the city away." What about the defenders?"

Ning Que said: "The defenders in the city followed the Zhenbei Army to the south. ”

Han Qing was surprised and said, "The defenders retreated south, don't you want Helan City?"

When Ning Que was about to say something, the queen said: "As long as the people are still there and the Tang Dynasty is still there, Helan City will be lost." One day it will be regained. ”

Time is of the essence, after the deliberations are over. The generals left in a hurry to arrange the retreat of the army to the south, Master Huang Yang went to retreat and heal his wounds, and the queen went to visit the six princes who were a little frightened.

In the quiet room at this time, in addition to the gray pine coffin, there were only two people, Ning Que and Han Qing.

"When you and the daughter of Hades crossed the border in a black chariot, I watched you from the top of the city. ”

Han Qing looked at him and said.

Ning Que said: "I don't have time to sigh now, please say what the general wants to say." ”

Han Qing glanced at the gray pine coffin and said, "Your Majesty was very fond of you back then, and you already know his will now, so what do you think?"

Ning Que said, "You continue." ”

Han Qing continued: "Everyone knows that you have a close relationship with Her Royal Highness the Princess, but you have an old grudge with the Queen Mother, and Your Majesty passed on the throne to the Sixth Prince...... I don't really care which side you support, but I want you to make it clear at this time that the road to retreat south will be difficult, and then there will be problems......"

Footsteps were heard outside the door.

Khan Qing stopped talking.

The queen mother walked in with a teenager in tow.

The young man was wearing a bright yellow prince's costume, his eyes rolled slightly, looking at Ning Que, looking a little curious and a little timid, as if he was not used to seeing the living.

Ning Que was silent for a long time beside the pine coffin.

Then he looked at the prince and asked, "Do you want to be the emperor of the Tang Dynasty?"

The prince was a little confused, and looked up at his mother.

The queen gently touched the top of his head, looking particularly doting.

The prince looked at Ning Que, thought seriously for a long time, and said, "My father asked me to be it, then I will do it." ”

Ning Que said: "Very good, what is yours is yours, and no one can take it away." ”

The queen looked at him quietly and said, "Is this the promise of the academy?"

Ning Que said: "This is my promise, but it is just as effective. ”

"I don't doubt that," the queen said. ”

Ning Que asked, "Why?"

The queen said, "Because you ended up marrying Sangsang." ”

Ning Que looked at her gentle and beautiful face, remembering that she was on the grassland under the city before, when she turned to look at herself, her black hair flew across her face, and the picture was very beautiful, with a thrilling beauty.

He found that the queen mother knew herself very well.

So he suddenly understood why His Majesty had to marry her back then.

......

......

The grain and grass stored in Helan City for many years were carried away, and the war horses that died on the battlefield in front of the city. His limbs were cut off by the Tang Army and piled up in a trailer as a substitute food.

It didn't take long for tens of thousands of Tang troops to withdraw from Helan City. A general of the Zhenbei Army asked for instructions on whether to burn the crossbows and buildings in the city, so as not to fall into the hands of the barbarians of the royal court, and the queen mother and Ning Que made a veto at the same time, in their opinion, the Tang Dynasty will always come back in the future, these are the wealth of the Tang Kingdom.

The Don army was besieged in the depths of the wasteland by torrential rain and enemies. Finally began the journey back to the south. It's just that when it comes. Their country was still the most powerful nation in the world, and when they returned, their country was already in turmoil. It's like a broken ship in the ocean, which can be destroyed at any time.

So the journey back seemed a little silent and depressing. Still a little nervous.

The expression on Ning Que's face didn't show anything unusual, and the hand holding the reins of the horse clenched tightly from time to time for no reason, and the tight knuckles turned white. revealed that his mood was more nervous than anyone else, and more depressed than anyone else.

After a difficult trek, the large army of the Tang Army returning to the south finally arrived at the middle foot of Minshan Mountain, the blue in the field of vision became more and more intense, and the autumn trees on the mountain became more and more red.

This place is still a long way from Beidaying. The Tang army was already hungry and exhausted, and there was little food and grass left, but as long as there were no major problems, they should be able to return south.

Ning Que's tense mood for many days finally relaxed, and the fear and tension that had been hidden deep in his heart also broke out at the same time, and he could no longer control his feelings. He offered to go west.

Several Tang army generals expressed strong opposition, in the context of the southern invasion of the Golden Horde, no matter how strong he was, once he was surrounded by a single person, there was only a dead end.

Everyone knew why Ning Que wanted to go to the west. It's just that so much time has passed, even if you rush over at this time, what can you salvage?

In the end, it was the queen who agreed to Ning Que's request. An elite cavalry squad was also sent to escort it.

"It's impossible for the Seven Cities Fortress to hold out until now. ”

Han Qing looked at the dozens of horsemen running towards the west of the wasteland, frowned and said, "He took a look at it at this time, except for making himself more painful, it didn't make any sense. ”

The queen said: "Many things always have to be seen with your own eyes before you can really die." Although Ning Que is not an ordinary person, he is no different from an ordinary person in this regard. ”

......

......

Weicheng is right in front of you.

In the middle of the barren wilderness, there was a quiet earthen city, and when the wind blew, the ash from the walls would fall down on the cutting boards of the butcher's stalls, and into the wine urns that had forgotten to cover the cloth.

Weicheng is still the same Weicheng, extremely simple, the city gate is a little crooked as in previous years, but if it is closed from the inside, it is difficult for the city-breaking car to break through.

Today's Weicheng seems too quiet, and the old ash that has accumulated under the earthen city wall can faintly see black traces inside, I don't know if it is the color after blood coagulation, or something else.

Ning Que waved his hand to signal the cavalry to stop.

He jumped off his horse, walked to the gate and pushed it, and the crooked gate fell with a slight cloud of smoke and dust. He stood at the gate in silence for a long time, then walked inside.

The cavalrymen sat on horseback, looking at him as he walked into Weicheng, and the emotions on their faces were a little complicated.

I don't know how long it took, Ning Que walked out of Weicheng.

The expression on his face was still calm, his back was still straight, and his right hand on the hilt of the knife was still steady, and he couldn't see any changes, as if he hadn't seen anything in Weicheng.

"How's the situation inside?" asked the Tang cavalry officer.

Ning Que shook his head and said, "Nothing." ”

The officer frowned slightly, and motioned for a few cavalrymen to enter Weicheng to have a look.

Ning Que said in a low voice, "Don't go in." ”

The cavalrymen glanced at the officer, saw that he did not say anything, and took the reins and drove towards Weicheng.

Ning Que didn't turn around and shouted, "Don't go in!"

His voice was loud and violent, like thunder, and it exploded in the wasteland outside Weicheng, and the mounts under the cavalry were startled when they heard the sound, and they stood up.

A broken wine banner in Weicheng shook gently.

Hearing Ning Que's angry roar, people finally understood what was going on inside Weicheng.

No one tried to go in and take a look.

Ning Que walked towards his mount.

With each step, his head lowered a point and his body fell a point.

"When I left, I said to you, don't get old, don't die, wait for me to be filial...... And now, you old fox, always like to talk and not talk. ”

Ning Que muttered to himself.

Then he laughed, and his smile was somewhat sad.

......

......

Although the army did not pass through Weicheng, it finally entered the war zone. The horrific destruction caused by the cavalry of the Golden Horde in the border fortress, as well as the Tang towns that had been reduced to ruins, appeared before people's eyes.

This is a tired army, but it has been aroused by the blood and fire, ruins and broken walls, and dead clansmen seen along the way, and it only takes a period of rest and food and grass replenishment to turn into a terrifying military force, and even now, many soldiers are red-eyed and want to fight the Golden Horde.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the Tang Army brigade that returned south along the Minshan Mountains never encountered the main force of the Golden Horde, and after easily exterminating dozens of grassland rangers, they approached the northern camp.

The Tang army returning to the south regained contact with the Great General's Mansion, because of the large number of people and horses, it was naturally inconvenient to enter the Beida camp at the same time, and the Great General's Mansion sent an elite cavalry to respond, sending food and grass supplies, and at the same time was ordered to take the queen's mother and prince, as well as the most important emperor's coffin back to the northern camp.

After some temporary discussion, the Nangui Tang Army did not raise any doubts about the military order of the General's Mansion, and the large army rested on the spot, while the Empress Mother and the Six Princes set off first with His Majesty's coffin.

His Majesty's corpse is very simple, but it is very heavy, the weight of dozens of whole pine trees, it takes several war horses to pull, all the way south, the biggest difficulty encountered by the Tang army is this.

Today's Beida Camp, which bears the important responsibility of resisting the Golden Horde, naturally looks a little chaotic, and the Tang army who stayed around the General's Mansion looked anxious, but when the carriage carrying the loose coffin came from outside the city, both soldiers and ordinary people knelt on the ground one after another, showing grief on their faces.

Not many people noticed that Ning Que was sitting in the carriage and sitting next to the pine coffin.

Several horses pulled heavy coffins and drove slowly through the streets, their wheels crushing against the hard stone ground, making a monotonous and heart-palpitating sound.

Suddenly, there were several shouts on the side of the street.

"Kill the Demon Queen!"

"Wash away the shame for Your Majesty!"

The sound of killing shook the sky, and a Tang general with hundreds of cavalry charged from the streets, and the sword was bright.

In the carriage in front, the queen mother was holding the six princes with a calm expression. Ning Que sat beside the pine coffin, hanging his head slightly, his expression calm, as if he hadn't heard anything.

......

......

(At the beginning of the book, Ning Que left Weicheng and left three sentences for General Ma Shixiang, which are the three sentences mentioned in this chapter.) ）