Harue Kagetsu

The setting sun in the distant mountains was about to twilight, and the plains that covered the ground also dyed the small river of drinking horses winding around the barracks into a sparkling blood red color.

Li Mu led his black war horse, stopped by the river, and dipped the bristle brush in his hand with water, and brushed its whole body hair one at a time.

When he bent down and focused, Wu Yan turned his head and stretched out his tongue to lick the rough palm he was extending.

He looked at Wu Wei, a faint smile appeared in his eyes, raised his hand, and patted its head gently.

The soldier named Liu Yong was running in the direction of Xiaohe.

"General Li!"

Liu Yong called him. -Because he was promoted to Zhonglang a few days ago, the soldier changed his name to him.

Li Mu straightened his body and turned his head to look at Liu Yong, who was running towards him.

Liu Yong was an orphan who came from exile in the north. He became a soldier for food. After a war a few years ago, when cleaning up the battlefield, Li Mu, who was only a hundred people at the time, picked him back from the dead pile. After surviving, he has been following him.

"General Li! Someone wants to see you!"

Liu Yong raised his voice and shouted.

Others are like monkey spirits, with great strength, and have grown two flying scuds in the sky - it is only by relying on these two legs that they have been able to survive in the chaos many times. At this moment, it is rare to run out of breath.

"It's that person! The eldest son of the Lu family!"

Liu Yong finally ran in front of Li Mu, stopped, gasped for breath, pointed his finger behind, and kept gesturing.

Li Mu turned his head and looked over.

Facing the setting sun, a tall young man was striding in this direction. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed his whole body a touch of gold, and the wild wind in the wild blew the corners of his clothes. With a solemn expression, he came straight ahead, got closer and closer, and finally stopped in front of him.

"Li Huben, a certain Lu Jianzhi, took the liberty to come here because he has something to say. Can I ask Li Huben for a second?"

His eyes stared straight at Li Mu, his tone was calm, but deep in his eyes, there was a suppressed and incomparably deep hidden anger.

Although he didn't have too many expressions, even Liu Yong seemed to be aware of this.

He glanced at his boss uneasily, and while looking back, he slowly stepped back.

Li Mu put down the bristle brush in his hand, washed his hands, got up and stared at him, and smiled: "I don't dare to do it. Young Master Lu has something to say, please tell me."

"Li Huben, why do you insist on marrying the daughter of Xianggong?"

Lu Jianzhi asked.

"You are now famous because of your military exploits. You could have taken this opportunity to form a good relationship with all parties. In the future, you will be like a fish in water, and your future will be limitless, but why do you risk the world's greatness, and would rather carry a favor and seek retribution? In the name of becoming flamboyant, you don't hesitate to offend the Gao Clan and my Lu family at the same time?"

"Do you think your boss Xu Situ is really helping you? He is just using you as a **** to humiliate me, the Lu family and the Gao family, and divide the two families. He is just taking advantage of it!"

He paused slightly.

"If you have sinned against the Gao and Lu families, do you think Xu Situ can protect you for the rest of your life? Besides, it's not me who criticized others behind their backs. You have sinned against the Gao and Lu families at the same time, and in the future, you can only bear Xu's breath. With Xu Situ's mind, he is not a person who tolerates others. Since he regards you as a chess piece, whether he will use you in the future, or abandon it, it all depends on his thoughts. I see that you are also a hero, are you really willing to cut yourself off?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "I'm thankful that Young Master Lu looks down on me. I don't know what Young Master wants to do on this trip?"

"I heard that because you insisted on marrying Gao's daughter, Gao Xianggong was forced to try you on Chongyang Day."

"What do you want to take back this thought, don't make trouble for the Gao family again?"

After a moment of silence, Lu Jianzhi stared at Li Mu and asked.

The blood-colored setting sun on the top of the distant mountain suddenly and completely sank. The sky suddenly turned gray. The light in the wilderness suddenly dimmed.

In the distance, the homing old crow chirped loudly.

The evening wind was blowing fast, and the corners of the two people's clothes swelled.

Li Mu's face, with the news of the light, seemed to follow, and quickly covered with a faint shadow.

This made his expression suddenly look a little more indifferent.

"I and Gao's daughter did not dare to intercede, but we have known each other for many years and know each other well. In my eyes, she has long been regarded as a wife who has never met. I asked you just now, why did you ask to marry her? No. If my expectations are correct, it is either for profit or love. If it is for profit, as I just said, it will be better for each family, and with your kindness to the Gao family, you will be able to benefit in the future. , far better than what you can imagine today, not to mention the situation you may face after you commit high crimes and Lu two at the same time!"

"Li Huben, the wind knows strong grass, but it can also destroy big trees. I didn't threaten you, even if you really want to become Gao Xianggong's son-in-law, you will see evil in the Gao family, and the marriage you forced will be yours in the future. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, I don't need to say, if you are a smart person, you should be able to think of it."

"If you are out of admiration, then you insist on fighting with me..."

He glanced at Li Mu and intensified his tone.

"Then I look forward to you, but I have to consider it carefully. I am an acquaintance of Lu Jian, and I don't care about the family, but only the character. But there are differences between scholars, like the sky, and it is impossible to break the status quo. You and I are deeply involved in it. , no one can be detached. As for marriage, it is even more so. It is not that I despise you, but if you are really out of admiration, you should consider her a little more. She has never met you, let alone talk Have you ever thought about what she would think when she learned about this? Not to mention, if she is really forced to marry you, the inconvenience she may face in the future..."

Lu Jianzhi hesitated, and finally said:

"That's all for the inconvenience! For her, if she were to marry into a concubine, it would be a great humiliation in the eyes of others. Li Huben, even though you are full of admiration, where do you want to put her? Let her be the rest. In the rest of your life, how can you still communicate with your old relatives and friends as you used to?"

"Li Huben, don't blame me for speaking so bluntly. But whether it's in love or reason, you should judge whether what I said is true or not."

"She is ignorant of the world and has a pure heart. I can't imagine how she will handle herself if she faces such a situation in the future?"

"I earnestly hope that you will be fulfilled by her as well as by yourself."

After Lu Jianzhi finished speaking, he bowed to Li Mu to the end, then straightened up and stared at Li Mu closely.

When he spoke, Li Mu remained silent.

The sky was darkening rapidly, and the wild wind was getting more and more urgent.

His eyes seemed to be stained with the gloomy color between the heaven and the earth after the sunset, but the expression on his face became more and more calm.

"I don't dare to accept such a big gift from Young Master Lu. What Young Master Lu said is justified in every word. But Young Master Lu doesn't know something. In my eyes, there is no such thing as 'perfect'. I am perfect, who will perfect me? "

"Luoshen Gao, since I ask for marriage, I won't give up halfway. The success or failure of fortune and misfortune, heaven knows, earth knows, but neither you nor I know. On the Double Ninth Day, we will see the difference."

He returned the salute, turned around, and continued to brush the mane for that Wuxian.

Lu Jianzhi looked at him, his brows furrowed, and he suddenly turned to leave, his back quickly disappeared into the fog-like twilight.

"General Li, what did he just look for you for?"

"Could it be for the daughter of Gao Xianggong?

Liu Yong, who had been peeping not far away, ran over quickly and asked curiously.

Everyone in the army knew that in two days, on the day of Chongyang, Gao Xianggong would go to school and ask for his daughter Li Mu.

Everyone is looking forward to it, and there have been discussions these days.

Li Mu finished brushing the last horse, got up, threw the reins to Liu Yong, and smiled: "It's dark, come back."

…

The day before Chongyang arrived, not only was the military camp temporarily stationed outside the city, but almost all the people of Jiankang City were spreading a message like chicken blood.

Lu Jianzhi, the eldest son of the Lu family, took the initiative to request that he compete with Li Mu in the examination of Gao Xianggong on the day of Chongyang.

The winner is the son-in-law of the Gao family.

The location of the two men from the Gao Xianggong Examination School was located on Fuzhou Mountain in the north of the city. At that time, the public can't help watching, and it can be regarded as a battle for the public examination of the son-in-law.

One is an outstanding son of the later generation of the gentry. Not only is he elegant in literary style, but he also has outstanding military exploits.

One is a young officer from a prostitute who became famous in the Jiangbei War. He is admired and supported by thousands of soldiers and soldiers, and he is the most popular figure recently.

For a long time, all the emotions accumulated by Shishu's confrontation seemed to explode completely because of this incident.

Heaven is beautiful, and on the day of Chongyang, the autumn is high and crisp. Before dawn, the foot of Zhoushan was overturned, and people came to watch the battle one after another. The number of people gradually increased, and they began to discuss and guess who would win. You can win money according to the order. There are many participants.

The sky was getting brighter gradually, and before the time came, the usually deserted Fuzhou Mountain was crowded with people watching the battle.

At that time, accompanied by a majestic sound of opening the way, the current Emperor Xingping also left the palace, took a stool, and was surrounded by guards of honor and guards, and finally appeared.

The people knelt down to greet them.

Gao Qiao, Lu Guang, Xu Mi and others all followed on foot from the side of Long Yu.

In response to the Chongyang Festival, today's test site is also located in Fuzhou Mountain, a famous climbing place in the northern suburbs.

A viewing platform in the middle of the mountain was originally built for those dignitaries in the city who like to travel in the mountains and waters to take a break in the mountains, but today it has been changed to a judge's seat. Felt clothes are laid on the floor, and several cases are set on it. The case in the middle is the seat of the emperor. The two sides are arranged in order, followed by the seats of Gao Qiao, Xu Mi, Lu Guang and others.

After Gao Qiao appeared, his expression became extremely solemn. Lu Guang sat next to him, and after taking his seat, he stared at Xu Mi opposite him, with a sneer on his lips.

Xu Mi was in a good mood, chatting and laughing with a colleague nearby, until a servant leaned over to his ear and whispered, "Situ, in those gambling games down the mountain, most of the winners buy Young Master Lu."

The smile on Xu Bi's face disappeared, and he glanced at the dense head of people at the foot of the mountain, and snorted.

At two o'clock, with the sound of a bell chiming from the ceremonial officer, Feng Wei, the servant who was selected as the officer today, came out of the column, announced the beginning of the examination, and ordered Lu and Li to come forward and give a great gift to Emperor Xingping. After getting the approval, ask Gao Qiao to show the questions that he took the test.