Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 277

Chapter 277 Comprehend
Two days later.

Princess Gaoyang fell into a deep sleep on the bed. She took a deep breath and stretched out her hand to hold Qin Mubai’s hand, refusing to relax. The moment Qin Mubai moved, she tightened her grip and was pleasantly surprised.

Looking at her gray face and thin outline, Qin Mubai felt a faint pain in his heart.

This girl hadn’t slept for two days and two nights. Qin Mubai cried until her tears dried up and her voice became hoarse. She was really worried that she would go crazy.

Li You’s corpse had already been stored away, and the coffin was ready to be transported to Chang’an. Yin Hongzhi was cremated and his ashes were put into a small jar.

At this moment, Qin Mubai had a feeling. A person, regardless of whether he was a traitor or a good person, after his death, everything turned into smoke.

Previously, Qin Mubai had incomparably determined to kill Yin Hongzhi, fantasizing about many ways to kill him, and how to calm Princess Gaoyang’s trauma afterwards. But now that Yin Hongzhi had died, Qin Mubai realized that he no longer hated him.

Yin Hongzhi had lived his entire life in hatred and shadow, causing his heart to distort and become abnormal. What he had done was truly intolerable to ordinary people.

But now, Qin Mubai thought about it … What if he had witnessed his parents and children being killed and his sister being kidnapped by his enemies?

Would he go even further than Yin Hongzhi? …

Because of the different standpoints, different interests, there are contradictions and conflicts between people. Standing on Yin Hongzhi’s side, he had a deep grudge against the sea of blood, so how could he write it off? From the standpoint of others, he was insane and had his own personal grudges. He had deliberately used his own nephew to cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Perhaps at the last moment, Yin Hongzhi discovered that his hatred had already been repaid-because Li You had openly rebelled against his father and brought an earthquake-like disaster to the Great Tang. Or perhaps, his hatred was lost to Princess Gaoyang’s persistent and sincere love for her family. His conscience was somewhat repentant, especially after witnessing Li Youzhi’s death, he did not have the heart to love the world, so he fell into the city and committed suicide …

Perhaps, everyone had different answers to Yin Hongzhi’s suicide. However, Qin Mubai was most willing to believe that at the last moment of his life, he, like Li You, still retained his dignity and conscience.

He didn’t want to imagine and understand human nature as ugly, especially when accompanying Ling’er, who was like an angel.

Yes, Ling’er is an angel, Qin Mubai firmly believes so.

Yin Hongzhi’s paranoia, madness, hatred, and sin had not completely vanished from Ling’er’s heart. Even when she had the thought of killing Yin Hongzhi to end everything, she still recalled the kindness and affection that Yin Hongzhi had for her in the past.

Qin Mubai also understood why Ling’er would turn against Yin Hongzhi completely, and she had the intention to kill him quickly.

Perhaps she was the one who made this decision, which made her feel as if it was a knife cutting through her heart.

Because Ling’er understood him and knew that since he had come, she had made up her mind and wanted to take the initiative to take responsibility for everything.

The way to take on this responsibility was to personally kill Yin Hongzhi and resolve everything!

As long as Yin Hongzhi died, Li You would be able to shift most of the responsibility onto him and perhaps find a way to survive.

As long as Yin Hongzhi died, especially in Qin Mubai’s hands, Qin Mubai and Li Ke could be cleared of suspicion.

As long as Yin Hongzhi dies, the Xiang City rebels will not attack and self-destruct, and the citizens of a city will be spared the calamity of war …

All in all, Yin Hongzhi was the source of all evil. Solving him meant resolving everything!

But … if Qin Mubai really killed him, it would definitely leave a shadow in Princess Gaoyang’s heart. After all, that was one of her closest relatives.

Apparently, Princess Gaoyang had thought of this.

That was why she made the decision not to let Yin Hongzhi die at Qin Mubai’s hands. She would rather do it herself!

She would rather hate herself and torture herself than leave a shadow between her and Qin Mubai!

…

The angel fell in love with a mortal, but she belonged to heaven. He could not refuse the homesickness, nor was he willing to leave and hurt mortals, so the angel broke his wings, letting him bear the sorrow of homesickness and the pain of his body …

Qin Mubai thought of this beautiful and sad fairy tale. At this moment, Ling’er was an angel. He was that vulgar and snobbish mortal …

After sitting in the room for more than an hour, Princess Gaoyang finally fell asleep. She rolled over and let go of her hand uncontrollably.

Qin Mubai walked out gently and discovered that Yin Yang had been waiting for him outside for a long time.

“What is it?”

“Li Ji sent someone to invite him. The messenger has been waiting outside the hall for more than two hours. At the end of the day, the general dares not let him in to disturb him.”

“I see.”

After arriving at the front hall to meet the messenger, Qin Mubai tidied up a little and went to the barracks outside the city to see Li Xu.

Li You offered the city, Yin Hongzhi killed himself, and the remnants of the thousands of rebels supported Princess Gao Yang as their leader, asking for their surrender.

Neither Qin Mubai nor Li Ji had expected such an outcome.

Victory without a fight was a battle of the highest order in terms of military techniques.

However, one of the “biggest” accidents was that Li You had committed suicide by poisoning himself!

This was probably the last thing the emperor wanted to see.

Seeing Li Lu, the two of them tacitly thought about this matter in their hearts.

“The city is collecting and suppressing bandits to appease the officials. After three days of rest, I will return to the capital.” A flash of light flashed in Li Ji’s eyes as he said briefly, “Come with me.”

“Yes.” Qin Mubai nodded.

Li Ji came forward and looked at him quietly. He patted him on the shoulder and said, “Something unexpected. You have to think about how to deal with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I know.” Qin Mubai nodded again.

“This Commander also has a responsibility. He will not shy away. At that time, I will face you with Saint.” Said Li Ji.

“No need.” Qin Mubai said, “If it weren’t for my sudden appearance, King Qi wouldn’t have gone too far. I’ll take responsibility for this.”

Li Xi frowned, “I am the commander-in-chief of the three services. If I don’t let you in, how can you appear at the gate of Xiang City? There’s no need to say anything else. I, Li Xi, have never been used to shirking responsibility, nor will I give orders to avoid the important matters. What’s the truth? Let’s go straight to the Emperor and leave it to His Majesty.”

“Alright Uncle Shi, thank you.” Qin Mubai smiled.

“There’s nothing to thank.” Li Xuan smiled faintly and said, “Actually, when I was willing to let you in, I should have predicted that there would be such an ending. Now that things have already happened, let’s face it calmly and accept it!”-Princess Gao Yang, how is the situation?

“Fortunately.” Qin Mubai said, “Just now, I finally fell asleep.”

“Ah … Fortunately, she’s fine.” Li Ji sighed leisurely. “Actually, Li You and Yin Hongzhi died just like that. It’s over. The remaining people are truly pitiful.”

Qin Mubai fell silent for a moment. For the first time, he felt his incompetence. Once upon a time, he had sworn in his heart that he would never let Ling’er and Mei Niang suffer any injuries or wounds. Back in Xiangzhou, after Li You kidnapped him to assassinate the Crown Prince, Qin Mubai did his best to keep Li You alive. In the end, wasn’t he doing all this for Ling’er?

However, in the end … a person was truly inferior to heaven’s calculations!

“You don’t have to blame yourself. Everyone has their own destiny. Perhaps this is what King Qi was destined to do.” Li Ji seemed to have seen through Qin Mubai’s thoughts and said, “A man stands between heaven and earth, but I beg you to have a clear conscience. Success or failure is not entirely within your grasp. It is not a bad thing to suffer some setbacks.”

“Thank you Uncle Shi for your advice.” Qin Mubai smiled faintly and his mood became much brighter.

Li Xuan nodded and smiled, “Mubai, be calm. Let nature take its course. There is no need to worry too much. The current Emperor is a wise and knowledgeable Saint Sovereign. He will naturally decide everything.”

“Yes, I know.” Qin Mubai nodded.

“Now, I’ll go back to Xiangyang to make arrangements.” Li Xuan said, “Bring back your troops, properly organize them, hand over the military affairs, and prepare to go to the capital with me in a few days. By the way, who is that Xue Rengui?”

Qin Mubai couldn’t help but smile, “What, is Uncle Shi interested in him?”

“Haha!” Li Xuan smiled and said, “I’m afraid there aren’t many people in this world who can make Xue Wanche admit defeat. This Xue Rengui is one of the strongest generals in the world today. Since I’ve met him, how can I not ask a few more questions?”

Qin Mubai smiled and told Rengui about Xue Li Ji’s background and identity.

“Oh, so you still have this kind of ability to recognize people? Only talent is good. Presumably, you have added another powerful general to our Great Tang!” Li Ji patted Qin Mubai’s shoulder and laughed heartily.

Qin Mubai also laughed, but he laughed to the point of being a thief, “I thought Uncle Shi was thinking of digging a corner!”

“Cough!” Li Xu coughed dryly, “If it were your people, I would definitely not be courteous. Is it Prince Wu’s …”

“Haha!” Qin Mubai laughed loudly, “Aren’t they all from the Great Tang?”

“You’re right.” Li Ji smiled relieved. “Yesterday, King Wu and Chu Suiliang came to our camp together. Today, they went to Chang’an first. That Xue Rengui also went with him.”

“Oh, King Wu has already left?”

“Yes.” Li Ji nodded and said meaningfully, “Mubai, no matter how deeply we are treated by the saints, we are still separated by a layer. No matter how unfamiliar the royal family is, we are still a family. Blood is thicker than water. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand.” Qin Mubai nodded. He knew that Li Ji was trying to persuade him not to get too close to Li Ke. At this moment, getting too close to any prince was a sign of danger. For example, even if Li You raised his flag and rebelled, Li Shimin still sent troops to suppress the rebellion, but he first thought of capturing Li You alive. As for Yin Hongzhi and the others, they would undoubtedly die.

To put it more clearly, even if the prince made a mistake, he still had the royal bloodline, the gold medal of avoiding death. On the other hand, the people beside him were undoubtedly doomed.

This was also the reason why the successive dynasties’ struggle for possession of the first wife was so dangerous. If one stood in the wrong line at such a time, it meant that one’s head landed on the ground.

This court was clearly the stage for the Crown Prince Li Chengqian and King Wei Li Taiyi. Although Li Chengqian was unethical, he had the innate advantage of being the eldest son of the first wife and was backed by the traditional “rules” of the Standing Committee of the Standing Committee of the Standing Committee of the Standing Committee. As for Li Tai, his outstanding literary skills were far-reaching and more in line with Li Shimin’s standards and requirements for his successor. Right now, the cries for him were louder and louder.

Regardless of which of the two won, it was unlikely that they would let go of Li Ke, who was similar to Li Shimin, in the end.

From this point of view, standing in Li Ke’s “squad” is indeed dangerous.

Li Xi was the famous “middle faction” in the court. He didn’t favor any of the princes, only the emperor’s orders. Back then, when Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng fought, he didn’t favor any of them. Even Li Shimin tried to recruit him to stand in line, but he refused. Similar to him was Li Jing.

Not only did this not affect their future prospects, Li Shimin instead trusted their “integrity” and “loyalty” even more.

Qin Mubai seemed to have sniffed out some of the meaning behind Li Lu’s words, trying to persuade him to “remain neutral”.

“Mubai, you’re a smart person, so I won’t say anything else.” Li Ji smiled and said, “It’s rare for Duke Wei to accept you as his disciple and teach you the art of war. You should cherish the opportunity and use your own intelligence and wisdom in the right place.”

These words were even more straightforward.

Qin Mubai nodded in understanding, “Thank you, Uncle Shi, for your inculcation. After returning to the capital, I will go to Duke Wei’s mansion to ask more questions. I will concentrate on studying the art of war and not ask about other matters.”

“Yes, a child can be taught.” Li Ji smiled and nodded. “Also, the Guanlong area seems to be very lively recently. Your father might be a little busy in Lanzhou. Take care of yourself when you go to Chang’an and see if you can find an opportunity to help your father.”

“Oh, is there a war in Guanlong?” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Heh, there’s no need to talk about military affairs. I didn’t say anything.” Li Ji chuckled and said, “Anyway, you will understand everything once you go to Chang’an.”

“En … Alright.” Qin Mubai thought. Hearing Li Ji’s words, it seemed that he wanted me to “invite” him to leave Xiangzhou and march to the Guanbian to fight!

Could it be that this was also the Emperor’s message?

After careful consideration, Qin Mubai felt that the possibility was very high. After coming to Xiangzhou for a year, he got mixed up with Li Ke and caused quite a lot of trouble. When the Emperor saw this, he thought to himself-was Qin Mubai from me or from Li Ke?

Emperors had their own techniques. Is it a good thing for a capable official to be too intimate with his own son, especially the capable concubine son?

Back then, Emperor Gao Zu Wu De killed Liu Wen Jing because he was Li Shi Min’s loyal loyalty. Of course, the deep reason was not the rumors of Liu Wen Jing conspiring to rebel. Rather, Liu Wen Jing was somewhat arrogant and did not like Li Yuan, the emperor, except for Li Shi Min. Liu Wen Jing herself was still a meritorious hero of Yuan Mou who followed Li Yuan when he arose in Taiyuan. At that time, his ability and prestige were generally acknowledged to be far superior to Fang Xuan Ling, Du Ruhui, and the others.

“He still has such a fate, let alone my mere Qin Mubai?” Qin Mubai began to reflect deeply-after Li You betrayed him, Li Shimin would definitely increase the pressure on his sons. This could be seen from the fact that he had summoned Li Ke back to the capital as soon as possible. After that, it would be difficult for him to work with Li Ke in the same state as before.

Keeping a distance and drawing a clear line between positions and boundaries might be good for both of them.

The court is so sinister and politics so cold. Families could still be wiped out in one slash, let alone friendship?

Qin Mubai sighed softly in his heart and nodded, “Uncle Shi, I understand. After returning to court, I know what to do.”

“Mm, I know that you have always had excellent perception, so I don’t think you need to say anything else.” Li Xuan said, “Just remember what I said. The man stands between heaven and earth, but I beg you to have a clear conscience.”

“Yes, I remember.” Qin Mubai nodded.

This Li Lu in front of him was now in charge of half of the army in the world, and he held half of the rivers and mountains in Shandong and Hebei provinces of the Great Tang Dynasty. He could be said to be more than ten thousand men below him. The so-called’not being envied by others’ was mediocre. In the court, there were many people who scolded him for being exquisite in all aspects, and he was the best at catering to the Sacred Heart’s ability to make wall grass.

Actually, what’s wrong with a gentleman seeking good fortune and avoiding evil? In other words, it’s wrong to be smart?

Only those who truly understood Li Ji would know that he was not a villain. In his heart, there was a moral principle. But I beg you to have a clear conscience, not to be kidnapped, not to be ignorant of your conscience.

Qin Mubai felt that after Li You’s incident, it was time for him to learn to be smarter.

In reality, it was impossible for him and Li Ke to be loose immortal dao friends in the court, covering their ears and stealing bells. Since it was inevitable, it was better to learn more from Li Ji and be smarter.

Keeping a clear distance was not cutting off one’s robes and breaking one’s righteousness to turn one’s enemy into enmity. It was good that he had his own universe in his heart. Like Li Ji said, a clear conscience.