Harue Kagetsu

This turmoil that lasted for several months, with the ensuing rain, finally calmed down.

The rain washed over Jiankang, washed away the scorched blackness of the wasteland and the traces of blood on the streets, the giant pit was filled up, and order was slowly restored in the city, but the newly repaired section was distinct from the old bricks on both sides. The city wall of the boundary line is like a dazzling scar, always reminding everyone who passes by. Not long ago, this Huanghuang Imperial Capital had suffered a baptism of blood and fire.

For the people living here, the long-standing suffering and fear related to the troubled times also started from the day Rongkang entered the city, and they left a truly unbearable mark in their lives.

Just before the fall, for them, who had the natural protection of the imperial city, it seemed that the sky was falling, and the emperor and the group of high-ranking officials of the court would also bear it. No matter how chaotic and chaotic Jiangbei is, all the blood, tears and dire turmoil of the refugees spread to this city, but it was only a topic of indignation or lamentation or helplessness or even numbness after a meal in the streets and alleys.

Although the imperial court was weak, Jiankang had been threatened by rebels and northerners many times since the capital was established, but the experience that was closest to Aimin in their minds was the Xu Mi Rebellion that year. Looking back later, it was just a family move at the time, and soon came back safely, nothing changed, it was just a bit of work—it seemed like a scar that wasn’t very deep, and it was done, and it was uncovered, and it was not given to anyone. How much skin pain is left.

This time is completely different from the past. In just a few short months, they were personally subjected to round after round of looting, day and night, living in the threat of death and trembling fear. On that day, when they learned that the army had invaded the city and the rebels had dispersed, the people's emotions could no longer be contained. They poured out of their homes and rushed into the streets. Together with the army, they surrounded the fleeing rebels. Crying sounds spread all over the city.

The order in the city was quickly restored, but the emotions that were surging among the people did not calm down.

The once aloof royal family and court, overnight, fell from the clouds to the mud.

When the noble and gorgeous robe is mercilessly stripped away, a rotting body full of boils and maggots is revealed, and the destroyed authority can no longer be brought back to the altar, maintaining the old sanctimonious appearance. .

Disappointment with the royal family and the strong dissatisfaction that followed, like an invisible plague, spread rapidly among the community. In sharp contrast, the news that the Yingtian Army was stationed at Jingkoudu and Caishidu was spread wildly among the people.

As if smelling an unusual aura, the people were ecstatic and congratulated. Within a few days, the rumors of "the country will prosper, and the white tiger will play the dynasty", which had been banned by the imperial court, were hotly discussed everywhere. The dark prophecy of "Muhexing, Guolongtai" appeared on "Auspicious Rui".

The change of dynasty is about to come out, and everyone is eagerly waiting, waiting for that day to come.

Gao Yin naturally quickly received news from the defenders in these two places.

Jingkou and Caishidu, located in the upper reaches of Jiankang, are the two major military fortresses connecting the north and the south in the lower reaches.

It is self-evident that Ying Tianjun made a statement without telling the truth.

He sent away Feng Wei, who had just been recuperating for a few days, but despite his frail health, he had come to see him with a lot of worry, and thinking about the popular public opinion these days, his mind was heavy.

After much deliberation, he finally rode out of the city and came to the barracks in Shizigang, asking to see Li Mu.

Li Mu will leave for the north tomorrow. When Gao Yin entered his tent, he saw that he was dressed in his regular clothes, sitting behind the desk, with a scroll beside his hand, which seemed to have just been put down.

Gao Yin's eyes were sharp, he glanced at it, and recognized it as the Book of Songs. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised. It was hard to imagine that a person like Li Mu would carry this book with him when he went to war in the south and the north. Inquiry, for that is not what he came here for.

Li Mu got up to greet him, invited him to a seat, and after a few words of greetings, he asked him his intentions.

When he asked the question, he smiled and had a kind of graceful bearing.

When he came to the road, Gao Yin had a lot of thoughts.

Countless words that he wanted to say swirled in his heart.

However, when he really faced it at this moment, he couldn't say a word of those words.

He was silent, and Li Mu didn't rush him. After waiting for a while, seeing that he didn't say anything, he picked up the scroll at hand and slowly turned a page.

"Dare to ask the big Sima, is the day of ascending to the top set?"

It seemed like a long time passed, and finally, Gao Yin heard such a question in his ear.

After the words were out of his mouth, the epiphany was what he said, and he couldn't help being in a trance.

He didn't know why he would suddenly say such a word.

He didn't even know if this was what he was thinking, so he blurted out, or it was just a test of the person in front of him.

Whatever the reason, it was obviously abrupt and out of place.

He subconsciously wanted to take back these words, moved his lips slightly, but was silent again, just holding his breath.

Li Mu raised his eyes slowly, his gaze shifted from the scroll in his hand to Gao Yin's face.

The two looked at each other.

In his ears, there was the vague shouts of soldiers in the distance outside the tent, and it became more and more silent in the tent, so quiet that Gao Yin could hear the bursts of blood flowing through his chest repeatedly. The sound of washing.

The four eyes looked at each other for a short time, as short as icy snow flakes fell on the hot skin, and soon disappeared. But in Gao Yin's sense, it was extremely long. He even felt a trace of tension that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Just when his heartbeat also accelerated, he saw Li Mu smiled at himself.

"When Datong is broken, Xiliang is destroyed, and the Northern Expedition is over, it should be close."

He said this with an ordinary tone and a calm expression, as if he was talking to himself about a very ordinary thing, without the slightest bit of aggressiveness, but invisibly, Gao Yin felt the momentum of Mount Tai's top.

That is a kind of power and momentum that is enough to crush everything.

In front of his eyes flashed a few Dayu courtiers who came to see him during the day, and asked: "If there are people who don't go well, what does the Great Sima want?"

"Those who are disobedient will be punished."

Li Mu said. Just these five words, nothing more.

Gao Yin was silent for a moment, then got up slowly and resigned.

Li Mu didn't stay any longer, he sent him outside the tent, and when he came back, he picked up the scroll. After a moment of ecstasy, he slowly lay on his back on a couch, covering the scroll on his face, motionless, as if falling asleep.

Several generals who came from the same company were waiting outside, and finally waited for Gao Yin's figure to appear, and hurriedly greeted him.

"General Gao, do you really want to fight Yingtian's army again to retake the ferry?"

a lieutenant asked in a low voice.

Gao Yin was silent.

Several people looked at him with apprehension on their faces.

Gao Yin's eyes slowly looked around the people around him and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

The few people didn't say anything at first. For a long time, a lieutenant looked at his solemn face, and finally said, "The next sergeant, all want to release Ma Nanshan... I don't want to fight anymore..."

"It's not that I am afraid, but it is inconvenient to fight against the Yingtian army." Another person said.

"The people are very supportive of the Heavenly Army. Many soldiers in the army have received advice from their families in the past few days, saying that they are not allowed to oppose the Great Sima, for fear of being pointed at the spine by the villagers and scolding their ancestors..."

"To tell the truth, the military's heart is already uncertain... Naturally, if the general has an order, the last general will sacrifice his life and obey the order of the general..."

After a few people finished speaking, they held their breath and looked at Gao Yin.

Gao Yin was silent for a moment, and said, "Return all to Guangling."

Several lieutenants glanced at each other, showing unbelievable surprises, and hurriedly received the order.

Gao Yin didn't say more, passed by a few people, left the barracks, let his horse go aimlessly, and finally stopped by the river.

He dismounted from the horse, independent of the river bank, and looked at the river under his feet that was going eastward. It seemed as if Fangcai's subordinates who were loyal to Gao's subordinates had listened to his orders, showing a beaming expression. .

Yes, as the head of the Gao family today, he has made his own decision.

Even though it was difficult, even with many regrets, he knew that his decision was the right one.

This is not only the glorious decline of the gentry he was born with and was proud of, and the end of the old dynasty. Perhaps, this is also the curtain call and departure of an era.

Just like the river under his feet, once it goes east, it never returns.

When everything that should come finally arrives, there is no power that can stop it.

Gao Yin took a long breath against Jiang Feng who was hunting.

He thought that he was ready, waiting, to welcome the arrival of a new dynasty.

…

The last winter snow also melted. Outside Chang'an City, when the greenery in the field was flourishing again, Luoshen received a message.

Her cousin, Gao Yongrong, could not afford to be ill. Now her condition is very serious, but day and night, as long as she is awake, her name will be read in her mouth.

Gao Yin sent someone to bring a handwritten letter and asked her if she would like to visit Gao Yongrong in Jiankang.

Li Mu returned to Chang'an from Jiankang at the beginning of last month. After the couple met for a short time, he led his troops north again and continued the previously interrupted Northern Expedition.

After taking Yongzhou, capturing Datong, and driving the Huns back to where they should go, the great cause of the Northern Expedition could finally be accomplished as he wished.

Luoshen looked forward to the end of this troubled world and endless wars.

After receiving the letter, she thought for a long time and finally decided to go south.

Gao Huan did not accompany Li Mu on the expedition this time. He brought an army and personally escorted his sister on the road to the south.

In the middle of spring and February, on this day, Luoshen once again set foot on the boundary of Jiankang.

Gao Yin traveled a hundred miles away to welcome her in Xuanwu City, which is under the jurisdiction of Jiankang.

That night, Luoshen temporarily stayed in the city, preparing to re-enter Jiankang the next day.

Returning to Jiankang again, recalling the scene when she left, it was already a matter of right and wrong, and she had a lot of feelings in her heart. As he was thinking about it, he suddenly heard someone reporting that it was Feng Wei asking for an opinion.

Luoshen asked someone to pass him in.

Although several months have passed since the catastrophe of life and death, there are still some traces left on Feng Wei's body.

It seemed that his body had not been properly maintained, his steps were faltering, he was wearing the official uniform of the Dayu court, and he was extremely respectful towards Luoshen.

Luoshen still treated him with the courtesy of the younger generation, greeted him with a smile, and invited him to take a seat.

However, Feng Wei insisted not to sit down and said, "Madam, it's the truth, Feng Wei is here for one thing, and he wants to ask Madam to help."

Luoshen didn't force it. After he took his seat, he smiled and said, "What's the matter? It's the truth."

Feng Wei took a step forward, and suddenly knelt down to her and gave her a salute.

Luoshen hurriedly turned to avoid and said, "Feng Xiang is older than me, and is highly respected. I should call you Shibo, why did you give me such a great gift? Hurry up and get up!"

Feng Wei couldn't afford it, he just straightened his body and said, "Madam, you know how to talk about the Great Sima in the court now?"

"How to discuss? Tell me and listen." Luo Shen still had a smile on his face.

"Everyone said that Da Sima now has the heart to stand up for Yu, and Chen Bing Jiangbei Shuangdu is a clear proof. If this is the case, isn't it a kind of restraint, taking advantage of the danger?"

Feng Wei paused.

"In the past, when everyone criticized the Great Sima, I refuted it in public. The Great Sima is definitely not a person who has the intention to make trouble. Now he has heard such an outrageous behavior. The wife is of noble birth and has always been very righteous, so you should know this move. It is extremely inappropriate. If Madam is willing to persuade her, the Sima will obey."

"Although the young emperor has died today, the clan still exists. Why not choose someone from the clan to stand up, with the Great Sima as the country's assistant?"

"As for the Empress Dowager, please rest assured that the Great Sima and his wife have learned from the past. The Empress Dowager will definitely put the Great Sima first in everything in the future, and will not repeat the same mistakes and listen to slander. If this is the case, the Great Sima will not only be able to complete the re-creation of this society. Merit, the reputation of loyalty and righteousness, will be recorded in the annals of history, and will last forever..."

"Whose society is it? Whose rules are set by others? The ruler of this country can only be chosen from the Xiao family?"

The smile on Luoshen's face gradually disappeared, and suddenly he rose from his position, interrupting Feng Wei's words.

Feng Wei hesitated for a moment, then muttered: "Da Sima is a minister, so if he replaces him like this, he may have a bad reputation and be disrespectful..."

Luoshen sneered: "Feng Xiang, I think you have already forgotten the fact that you were trapped that day! Who is the emperor, only to benefit the people, you know it clearly in your heart, but you are still here, just because of a bit of selfishness. !"

She walked to the door, opened it, and pointed to the outside: "You can tell me what you just said to me, and then tell the soldiers to listen to them, and see if they agree or not!"

Feng Wei was at a loss for words, and his face turned red.

It is true that the reason why he came here is not entirely out of loyalty to Xiao Shi.

For this dynasty, his true loyalty is actually far less than he thought.

He just had a hunch. Once Li Mu becomes emperor, the familiar Southern Dynasty, many things that he has been accustomed to in the first half of his life, will probably be overturned and will no longer exist.

Even if the wealth and honor can still be retained, he is instinctively afraid of this kind of change, hoping to maintain the current situation.

It was because of this fear that he still came here knowing that there was little hope.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the auspicious stone presented by Rong Kang in the past.

About the truth of that thing, in the court, far more than one person knows it.

What auspiciousness in the world. They just appear at the right time when needed to achieve some unspecified purpose.

But now, when I think about that thing again, it has become a prophecy, and it has become true. It seems that in the dark, there are already arrangements.

He already knew that everything was doomed, and it was impossible to shake half a point.

"Madam, you were born in the Gao clan, and the Gao clan is closely related to Dayu. Today, the imperial court has fallen to this point. Are you actually indifferent?"

Feng Wei murmured, and could only say so.

Luoshen stared at him, suddenly smiled, and said: "Feng Gong, didn't you just say that Da Sima heard someone's slander and started to make trouble? Let me tell you, that person is me. I always wanted, To be the queen of this world."

"My husband, now my wish will come true for me. Tell me, how should I feel at the moment?"

Feng Wei was stunned, unable to say another word, got up from the ground, retreated in a low voice, turned around, and walked away slowly.