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Chapter 232
Soon after rectifying the family's name, Pei Ling asked to go north to experience. The Emperor Jingyao was right.
Pei Ling took a soldier and horse from the Pili Battalion and went north for defense.
Only when he arrived at the northern border did he know how tragic changes had taken place in the Xuelie clan during the time he left.
He had heard the news before in Beijing, but he had never thought that the reality was a hundred times more cruel than the worst he could have predicted.
But in just two years, the once powerful tribe is on the verge of extinction!
Because of the continuous earthquakes at the foot of Tianxing Mountain, other tribes swarmed up. Even Great Zhou sent soldiers and horses to take advantage of the fire and looted a large number of slaves and property.
Pei Ling's hands were trembling while reading the newspaper. He listened to the joyous discussions of his colleagues around him because of their achievements in battle, and he could only remain silent.
When was the crash? Probably that evening, he came out of the Shubei General's Mansion and walked on the way back to the station, passing by the market, crowds were in front of him.
It seems that someone is selling slaves. Through the cracks of the bustling crowd, Pei Ling saw the blue-eyed boy. His cheeks were red and swollen, and his exposed neck and arms were full of scars.
He was being sold loudly by a human trafficker. From the surrounding discussion, Pei Ling knew that this human trafficker sold more than a dozen Xuelie children with snow-skinned eyes today. This is the only one left because of his fierce temperament and has not been sold.
"It's a discount. Any master, who is exactly six years old, can be used for two years after being trained and taught. It's better to use it as a small servant or to warm the bed." The trafficker yelled. While holding the child's chin.
In the setting sun, the child's white skin was as transparent, but those beautiful gray-blue eyes were filled with fierce hostility.
Pei Ling's body trembled, and he actually recognized the boy, who was a child of his Xue Lie clan. He had just given birth when he was assigned to his command. When Pei Ling first led the army, many Xue Lie people were not convinced, thinking that he was only relying on to please the spiritual girl to obtain his current status. That person had also been dissatisfied, but was quickly convinced by Pei Ling's talent. He has a calm temperament and has been devoted to his duties under Pei Ling's command. The two even became friends.
After getting acquainted, he often triumphantly mentioned in front of Pei Ling that his intelligent son, the child with pure blue eyes, went to his home for a banquet, and Pei Ling also hugged him once. Now saw this child of noble origin in the remote northern border slave market.
The look in the eyes of a vicious little wolf, bruised and bruised, with unwillingness and anger.
"Bah, who wants to buy such a fierce thing! I was bitten just now." A middle-aged short fat man cursed angrily.
"Guest officer, don't be angry, haven't I already taught him this." The trafficker was sweating profusely, and it was really unlucky for the trafficker to accidentally accept the master.
On the periphery of the crowd, the soldiers next to Pei Ling suddenly saw that the young general they had always respected was shaking, taking two steps back, and finally leaning on the wall. He suddenly raised his hand to cover his face, as if crying.
"General." Dai Deyao, the leader of the soldiers, asked in a low voice.
After a brief gaffe, Pei Ling quickly woke up. He barely recovered his composure, bought the boy named Lan Er, and brought it back to the camp.
The waves in my heart can no longer be suppressed. How is the Xuelie clan now? How is she now?
A few days later, in the name of going northward to conquer, he asked to lead troops northward.
Because of the great chaos in the northern Xuelie tribe, some brave generals on the northern border will also take the initiative to attack the city with troops and horses in the past two years. As these tribes did to them.
Pei Ling's request was quickly granted. He brought two small tribes with troops and horses, and their main force was busy attacking the Xuelie tribe, and the tribe was very empty.
Between the march, Pei Ling found an excuse, quietly left the team, and lurked near Tianxing Mountain.
The situation of the Xue Lie clan was more tragic than he had imagined, and even the high priest had already taken the clan with the people on that path in despair.
Just this time into the mountain, Li Tuoer was accused by thousands of husbands and they agreed to execute them.
She jumped down from the highest hall of the temple, where the two people laughed and laughed, and their love affair started, but now it has become the end of despair.
Pei Ling, who had been following, lurked down the cliff, and finally rescued her who was hanging by a thread.
Li Tuoer was seriously injured, and the wound on his head was bleeding. Fortunately, his strength was so deep that he was not killed immediately. Pei Ling bandaged her wound, took her across the mountains, and returned to the northern border in that cold season.
After all the support and treatment, she survived, but she has forgotten all the past.
Pei Ling could not describe, whether this coincidence was lucky or unfortunate, for the two of them.
Six months after returning, the two got married.
In the days that followed, the tribes that swelled up because they swallowed the flesh and blood of the Xuelie tribe were not satisfied with occupying the fertile land. Many provoke Hangu Pass and try to plunder the northern border. Pei Ling led the army to attack several times, all of which were outstanding.
Accompanied by his outstanding military exploits, he has risen step by step in the army and has become a star of the northern border and even the whole world.
When he was twenty-four years old, General Cheng returned to his hometown. With his strong recommendation, Pei Ling succeeded General Shubei.
Such a young man has been appointed as the second-grade member, and he is in charge of hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers on the northern border. In the history of Great Zhou, it is absolutely rare.
Before the official reward came, he returned to Beijing to report on his work.
***
Walking on the familiar corridor of the palace, he looked at the scenery from all sides.
Twelve years of time passed in a flash, and the palace still looked like a lot of flowers.
His life, two twelve years, seems to be two reincarnations. The former is a carefree noble son, who is best known as the capital, and the latter is a general of the northern border, covered in dust and blood.
The chief of internal supervision who led the way smiled with joy: "It is a coincidence that the general came. The emperor is in a good mood."
Pei Ling recovered and asked with a smile, "Is there any happy event in the palace?"
"Of course there is a happy event, but it is a big happy event. The imperial physician came to report this morning. Now the favored Consort Chen empress is pregnant. The emperor Longyan Joy, not only received great rewards from the empress palace, but even me. "
Pei Ling smiled and said nothing, Emperor Jingyao has succeeded to the throne for several years, and now the government is stable. The emperor is still the romantic temperament of the year, with countless beauties in the harem, and constant favors of his concubines. He has also heard of this Consort Chen. She has only been in the palace for one year, and she is in the sixth house. Three thousand beauties have no color.
He was not interested in these inner palace matters. After meeting with the emperor, he found that the emperor really treated this empress with unparalleled grace.
The emperor was in front of the table, thinking hard, his expression tangled.
Pei Ling thought there was a political problem, and after asking about it, she realized that it was the name of the future prince who was having a headache.
"Minister Pei came over to help me to find out which name is the most suitable for this child." The emperor beckoned and couldn't wait to ask.
"Where does the minister understand this?" Pei Ling responded with a smile. Secretly vomiting, he may not be a prince, maybe a princess.
"Hey, Minister Pei was originally a talented man in Beijing, how could he not know, although he is now a military general, he is also a Confucian general." Emperor Jingyao smiled happily.
Pei Ling had no choice but to step forward and glanced over. On the white rice paper, dozens of words such as "Zhen, Ze, Zuo, Nuo..." were written on the white rice paper, and they were altered and altered, indicating that the emperor had been pondering for a long time. .
I'm afraid didn't even bother to name the prince before. Pei Ling thought helplessly.
The prince of Xingjiu, it must be impossible to inherit the Datong, it is better to be a Zhongzheng and peaceful name, without showing the mountains and dews.
For more details, he pointed to the word promise in the middle and smiled: "The minister thinks that this word is very good. A gentleman's promise weighs more than a thousand catties. This is the virtue of a gentleman..."
Emperor Jingyao thought for a while and nodded, "Minister Pei makes sense, just use this promise."
After dealing with this important matter, Emperor Jingyao began to deal with government affairs.
Beyond Pei Ling's expectation, this time he was not only promoted to the second-ranked general Hubei, but also restored the hereditary first-class marquis of Pei's Qingyuan Marquis.
Although he had found evidence before and cleared the family’s accusation of embezzling food and grass and inciting a mutiny, Pei still had no knowledge and was responsible for negligence in guarding, so he only returned the property and did not restore the title.
Emperor Jingyao smiled and said: "Minister Pei has made outstanding contributions to the border over the years. Even if he is white, it is enough to be nominated. Not to mention just restoring the clan title."
Pei Ling knelt and thanked her.
The emperor said again: "In the past two years, I am going to mobilize troops against Nanchen, so I need a Jingping environment in the north. What does Minister Pei think of Beishuo's military situation in recent years?"
The two talked about the military affairs of the northern border, the internal affairs of the Beishuo Royal court, and the situation of the whole world. The talk lasted for two hours. The emperor in the middle also gave food.
It was dusk when Pei Ling left the palace.
Dai Deyao and other soldiers greeted them with horses. Pei Ling turned on her horse and walked back to Qingyunfang, thinking. Mobilizing Nanchen, this is an action to change the overall situation of the world! I don't know how long this battle will last. In the next few years, the Southern Army and the Chinese Army will be busy, and the pressure on guarding the border will also increase.
After this meeting, he quickly returned to the northern border. This time, he was General Shubei.
Soon after returning, he received a good news, the news that made him more delighted than promotion and rejuvenation, Li Tuoer was pregnant!
He was looking forward to this child. At the same time, she is extremely worried about Li Tuoer's body. She has been in poor health since jumping off the cliff. Especially after hearing the news that the unparalleled Consort Chen in the palace gave birth to twins and died. He was even more anxious, searching for famous doctors to restore Li Tuoer's body during pregnancy.
Finally, when it came time to give birth, he walked back and forth outside the door, feeling the anxiety and tension that he had never had in his life.
Until the maid in the room hurried out, she trembled and informed her that she had given birth to a daughter, but her body was bleeding and she was afraid that her life could not be saved, she kept calling for the general.
Pei Ling was horrified and rushed into the delivery room regardless of the obstruction of the midwife.
He set up the account nervously, trying to check his wife's condition.
Li Tuoer's face was pale, and the entire tent was filled with a strong smell of blood. Pei Ling had never felt that death was so cruel after many battlefield killings.
Despite the doctor's efforts to rescue her, her body still declined sharply and quickly came to an end.
At the last moment, Pei Ling sat on the side of the bed desperately, watching his wife's flower-like lips turn pale.
The end and the end came so abruptly.
Li Tuoer stared at the tent above her head blankly, her lips moved slightly, as if she was saying something.
Pei Ling immediately leaned down and leaned to her lips, trying to hear her last words clearly.
However, the one who greeted him was unprepared, and his heart suddenly became cold. The sharp blade pierced his chest, and Pei Ling couldn't even feel the deep pain, so he cast his shocked eyes to his wife.
Already on the verge of death, Li Tuoer's eyes were surprisingly bright.
Guanghua Qingming, love and hate are hard to distinguish.
Only then did Pei Ling hear her repeated words clearly.
"Worry-free..."
Pei Ling was trembling, and she recovered her memory! At this most unexpected moment.
It turns out that the end of this scene is not only hers, but also his.
The two came to the end together... That's good, it's like above the temple, when there is no one in the middle of the night, the two people hand in hand to make a promise... At that moment, a rare flash in Pei Ling's heart Weak emotions.
At the moment of dying, outside the tent, an untimely cry of a baby sounded, breaking this strange atmosphere.
Li Tuoer was trembling, his eyes cast out of the tent.
Her hand became weak, and she couldn't hold the hilt of the short sword. Because of the shaking, Pei Ling's chest injury was expanding, and blood overflowed.
He finally felt pain in hindsight, and suddenly came out of this suffocating illusion of death.
He can't be so weak, he still has many ideals and misses in life. He held Li Tuoer's hand, pulled out the blade, and quickly sealed the acupuncture points on his chest.
Li Tuoer did not struggle, or because she was completely out of strength, she let go of her fingers obediently, letting the dagger covered with Pei Ling's blood fall on the bed.
The blood of the person she loves most, and the person she hates most, dripped on the bed, mixed with the blood flowing out of her body, unable to distinguish.
She stared at him stunned, her eyes were extremely complicated, until there was no light in those eyes.
The whole process only took a moment, and the midwife and maid who were short of the tent didn't notice anything at all.
But for Pei Ling, it was extremely long.
Just like when he was twelve years old, he received the bad news of ransacking his family and exile in the frontier.
A period of his life is completely over.
Pei Ling lost all his strength, he leaned over to get close to her, his blood-stained hands traced her delicate but cold cheeks.
Li Tuoer walked out of his life forever, and the love acquaintance he met under the snow-capped mountains in the north was buried in the deep house compound of General Shubei's mansion.
Compared with the panic when he was a teenager, he is used to it and knows how to look away.
Life is always being lost, whether it’s family or love,
Perhaps the first meeting between the two was a mistake. When I was young, I didn't know how to suppress my feelings, and it finally evolved into such a tragedy.
The pain in the chest is still clear and bloody.
But Pei Ling knew very well that the sword was rubbing against her heart. Although it was dangerous, it was not fatal.
Was it because of exhaustion of energy at the time of dying, this momentary deviation of life and death? Or is it simply unbearable to start?
Ha, I'm so obsessed with it. With her hatred for me, it must be the former.
Since when did she recover her memory? Hiding this dagger under the pillow can't be done in a room where people come and go between births, at least until then...
Recalling the last few days of the two people getting along, Pei Ling was sour and unspeakable.
***
Li Tuoer passed away, and Pei Ling didn't even have time to grieve, before receiving an order to move troops south.
The conquest of Nanchen began vigorously shortly after he returned to the northern border.
There were frequent mobilizations between the DPRK and China. Originally, Pei Ling thought that this battle had nothing to do with him. He only needed to guard the northern gate for the court when the Southern and Chinese Army conquered. Unexpectedly, this battle continued to be so difficult and tortuous. As a result, Emperor Jingyao had to mobilize the Northern Army cruelly.
Leading the elites of the northern border to go south to help, Pei Ling captured the Mi State defense line with a thunderous force and broke Jianye City. He once again made a feat that shocked the world.
If Nanchen was in the first battle, what made him most delighted was not that he won the honor of being a general of the first rank at the age of twenty-six. It was not a siege, defeating a well-matched opponent like Bai Feiheng. But a young child.
The child named Ren Jinglei came to him.
Then return to the northern border to repel Beishuo's invasion. Next, is the long northern border time.
Compared with the merriment of the emperor and his ministers before, Pei Ling could clearly feel that after destroying Nanchen, Emperor Jingyao felt more jealous of him.
Yes, such a young general who has made outstanding contributions and holds a heavy weapon in his hand, and think about it carefully, there is a hatred of extermination with their Qin clan. Any emperor must have a thorn on his back.
Compared with the constraints on the court, the northern border life is more free.
He reformed the military system on the northern border, set up a school, developed business with the tribes of the northern border, and developed his influence. He even went northward as Helanzhen several times and established a powerful force.
He has been paying attention to Xue Lie's affairs. Rescue them through business travel, sell them hardy seeds, and purchase their yellowstone and other minerals. Although this hypocritical behavior cannot compensate for anything, it will eventually make the remaining women and children more comfortable.
Every day on the northern border is full and busy.
His authority and power are expanding step by step, and everything is developing in a good direction, just like a farmer who sowed the seeds and watched it take root and grow.
If there is any accident, it may be on the way to the north. When acting as Helanzhen in the Beishuo realm, he was stabbed with a group of masters by Li Qianjun and was seriously injured.
Pei Ling could only smile bitterly at the consequences of this willful behavior.
At the time when the court was jealous of him in every possible way, Emperor Jingyao was in poor health, and the Huo family was gaining power, and the court gradually suppressed and squeezed military resources on the northern border.
It was necessary to ease the atmosphere on both sides for the time being. After thinking about it, Pei Ling chose to retreat temporarily taking advantage of the injury.
Soon, on the battlefield of a northward attack, news came that General Pei was injured. Within the capital, Emperor Jingyao was overjoyed and immediately made an order to call Pei Ling back to the capital to recuperate. The military power of the northern border was handed over to other generals.
Pei Ling returned to the capital steadily, and lived a rare leisure life for decades. Pei Tuo and Ren Jinglei also followed him back to the capital.
As for the situation within the northern border, everything is under control anyway. Taking advantage of the invisibility behind the scenes, it is time to manage the court well.
Only two years after he came back, Emperor Jingyao's body was getting worse, and the undercurrent lurking in the center gradually came to the surface.
The Huo Family pressed on every step of the way, and the Guo family and the third princes secretly showed his favor. All contexts are secretly woven in invisible corners.
If there is something out of control, it may be that person.
The Ninth Prince Qin Nuo.
My fate with this person was really unexpected.
The first meeting was the night Emperor Jingyao was seriously ill. He was called into the palace, but outside the Beginning-of-Creation Palace was blocked by a fallen palace lady.
Following Pei Tuo's exclamation: "Look, general, there is a maid climbing the wall in front of you!"
The poor maid fell into the pool under the wall in shock, and was then taken out of the water by Pei Tuo with a whip.
He was a beautiful child, his eyes were like stars in the middle of the night, his long skirt was wet and clinging to his body, and an ordinary little court lady's costume still couldn't conceal his refined temperament.
The concealed attitude of Wang Gaoge next to Pei Ling immediately knew that the girl in front of her could never be an ordinary court lady, most of whom were nobles in the palace. If the concubine is too young, then which princess should be.
Dignified princess, want to leave the Beginning-of-Creation Palace. Don’t you walk the right way, but you want to get over the wall?
Pei Ling almost immediately realized that the situation had changed, and Emperor Jingyao's summoning was not necessarily what it was on the surface.
Even though he is extremely martial arts, he has no interest in throwing himself into the net. Immediately found an excuse, turned and left.
After returning, I heard news of Emperor Jingyao's death the next day. Cao Qi shook his fan and sighed: "Fortunately, the lord did not get caught, it must be the conspiracy of Huo Family. God bless the lord."
It's not so much a blessing as a reminder of someone's chance.
So in the second meeting, in the bloody fight of the King’s rebellion, he surrendered to him, covered the "Thirteenth’s Princess" that happened by chance, and sent it to the Changshui Village of her brother-in-law.
I just don't know how this charming princess escaped from the chaos alone?
Well, this was only the second time he thought he had met. In fact, the real second meeting between the two was in Nanyingfang, the handsome young man who amazed Cao Qi with arithmetic.
Smart and keen, yet gentle and courteous, is this the legendary Ninth Prince?
Whenever thinking of the wonderful fate of the two, Pei Ling always wanted to laugh.
It was a relaxed and pleasant feeling, like a trickle, moist and cool, flowing through the heart.
Just like the character and mind of this young emperor.
The ancients said it was like drinking glutinous mash, so it's the way to feel drunk.
When did you give up the goal that you used to fight for half your life?
Being in power was an ideal I had pursued for a long time. Although there were various twists and turns in the middle, he was still approaching this goal step by step.
He was not in a hurry, because for the final result, the halfway struggle was more worthy of taste and joy. Maybe he was born to be unwilling to be lonely. He likes to be on the battlefield, strategizing, rushing and attacking, and he also likes to be on the battlefield where no swordsmen can be seen, step by step, and calculate the hearts of the people.
When the man fell in the Northland and did not know his life or death, he once thought whether he should do something. Anyway, all he needs to do is to send a message, just like gently plucking a string, everything happens without even getting himself dirty. With both hands, there is no need to bear any infamy.
The people in the capital were full of guard against him. It's better to just follow the direction of their fear and see their shocked and terrified expressions.
When this thought comes out, it is incredibly sweet and inviting.
But thinking of that person's smile, unconsciously, the eagerness faded.
Forget it, he still looks forward to his return more than this, and asks himself how he feels when he says that sentence.
Later, when he got off the boat in Changlong Guan, he thought about it carefully. It was probably that the surprise that the man gave him always made him reluctant to leave.
Those miscalculations have not happened for a long time in these years. In just three short years, it was because this teenager continuously let himself taste this unexpected taste.
Surprised? It's more joy.
People can't help but want to see more. In the next three years, how many surprises can that person give him and give this world?
This person may be able to do better than himself in that position.
The words on board, although arrogant, revealed more confidence. Pei Ling couldn't help but look forward to...
Startled by a crisp sound, Pei Ling opened her eyes from a sleepy dream. It was the wind chime hanging on the bar of the pavilion that was blown by the howling cold wind, making a crisp sound.
Snow flocks in, falling on the chairs, tables, and wine cups in front of them.
The white ice crystals instantly melted into the golden liquor and disappeared.
The ancients said that forty is not confused.
Now that I have finally reached this age, have I started to be confused?
Pei Ling stared at the wine glass, recalling the conversation when Zhuo Xinwu came just now, and recalling that when the court was just leaving this morning, he walked outside the palace and happened to meet Huo Donglai in the long corridor, and the two walked side by side. .
"It's so snowy in the good harvest year, and next year must be a good harvest year." Huo Donglai said with a smile.
The New Year’s Day is approaching, coupled with the merits of several victories, now the government and the opposition are beaming.
Pei Ling looked at Huo Donglai's handsome appearance, and suddenly smiled: "I didn't pay attention to it before. After only a year, Brother Huo actually gave birth to gray hair."
A few days ago, when the emperor fell to the Northland, Huo Donglai's hair was a few gray, and Young Master Dong Huang, who had always paid attention to appearance, looked a lot haggard. He could only smile bitterly at Pei Ling's ridicule, "Times make people grow old, so many years have passed unconsciously."
Seeing Pei Ling Fenghua Zhengmao's face, he couldn't help but shook his head, "Time doesn't treat people, and unlike the generals, he has a profound skill and a long life." He sighed when he mentioned this matter, "I regret it now. In the early years, he refused to endure hardship and studied martial arts seriously."
Pei Ling laughed for a long time, "I'm afraid it is not because of the merits, but our emperor, who is more aging than the years."
Huo Donglai couldn't help laughing out loud: "Fortunately, it's the New Year's Day. I will rest for ten days, and I can finally relax for a while."
Pei Ling smiled and said: "It's time to take a good rest. I heard that after the New Year's Day, Fan Cheng is about to return to his hometown. There is a vacancy in the position of the prime minister in the middle of the court, and I must be busy in the future.
Huo Donglai shook his head and smiled, "The position of Shangshu of the Criminal Ministry is also good, and I don't want to work hard for the time being." This sentence is sincere. The daughter is about to be sealed, and it is very likely that he will monopolize the harem. As a relative, it is better to be a little low-key these two years.
The two walked side by side until they reached the gate of the palace. At the moment of breaking up, Huo Donglai looked at the rising sun at the east end, suddenly turned his head and smiled: "This momentum, Brother Pei, maybe, you and I will see a flourishing age that has never been seen in the past."
Is it a prosperous age? Thinking of the age of the emperor today, it is indeed very possible.
...
Pei Ling looked away from the wine glass and looked at the messy courtyard of Feixue. The clear fragrance of plum blossoms came, as if the whole world was clear and clear.
After being lost for a long time, Pei Ling picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it in one go.
The wine blended with ice and snow is cool outside, but it brings a fiery heat into the throat.
He looked at the colored glaze world outside the pavilion, and raised his glass.
"This prosperous world, the minister will wait and see!"