"Be sure to find Gala. Even if you follow Xihu, you have to snatch it back." Xiao Cong looked angry, "I'm going to dispatch tens of thousands of troops south, not just for Nanxia! Nanfeng is dead, Gala must not make any mistakes, otherwise if the clues are cut off, all the efforts of the Nanzheng will be in vain. Her lock is also in the hands of Xihu, so I must try to retake it!"

"Abide by the order! Even if I die in Xihu, I swear to take back Gala!"

Xiao Cong asked again: "At that time, Gala was robbed, wasn't it the Xihu people pretended to be Yang Jian?"

"No. I know the appearance of the Xihu people. The leader has seen it on the battlefield a few years ago. The woman next to Gala is very powerful. She killed the Xihu people with me and couldn't pretend. This time I lost people, I was incompetent. I beg your highness to promise me to make meritorious service, rob Nagala, and come to ask your highness to apologize!"

After saying that, he held a scimitar in his hands and sent it to Xiao Cong.

Xiao Cong's eyebrows and eyes were gloomy, and after a while, he said, "I'll go to investigate you in secret first. If there is not enough, I'll send someone. Be sure to find Gala, otherwise the whole family will be punished!" After that, he took the dagger, cut off a bunch of his hair from the movement of his arm.

The house is quiet again.

The depression that had been ineffective in recent days was difficult to dissolve. Xiao Cong looked at his assistant who was always valued and looked depressed, and even more angry. He threw the dagger on the ground with a gloomy face and quickly walked out of the house.

The sun is very bright outside, and the flowers and trees in the yard are lush, which is completely different from when I first arrived.

From late February to the present, nearly a month has passed, but the peace talks have not ended as he expected.

The harassment of the remaining soldiers of Nanxia is becoming more and more frequent. I heard that the dismissed Meng Xu was re-engaged and was gathering troops to regain the city.

A few years ago, Meng Xu's name as the God of War resounded throughout the northern part, causing all the Western Liang and Western Hu to be scared and shrouded like shadows. Xiao Cong had a fight with Meng Xu in his early years and had seen his unpredictable skills. That time, he besieged Meng Xu with five times his troops, but was killed by Meng Xu and almost lost his opponent when he ran away in the underworld. Even after many years, he still felt frightened when he looked back.

Yang Jian was even more so. He was in Yunzhong City, but he arranged several raids without knowing it. If the war report had not been reported, he would have never noticed it!

In adversity, he did not beg for mercy, but instead used attack as defense. This courage was much stronger than the previous emperor.

Xiao Cong didn't want to stay here for too long.

However, after several days of stalemate, the terms of the peace talks were still not agreed, and Yang Jian refused to give in at all, obviously intending to delay time.

Xiao Cong advanced rapidly, although he captured many cities, the hidden worries of the rear army became increasingly serious.

The Xihu has always been eyeing the fierce battles, and the capital guards and border defenses should not be moved lightly. Almost all the troops that Xiliang could mobilize quickly were in the hands of Xiao Cong. The army went deeper alone and the support was weak. Under such circumstances, if it delayed for a few more days, the situation would probably be even more difficult.

Weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Cong was in a dilemma.

Yang Jian received a report that Xiao Cong was not surprised when he wanted to see him.

He had not been able to rest well for several days, his body and spirit were tired, but his fighting spirit was getting higher and higher. Meng Xu outside the Yunzhong City did not disappoint him. He attacked several times quickly and bravely, with unexpected results. In the peace talks, Xiao Cong's initial tough and arrogant attitude gradually became increasingly restrained, and replaced by anxiety.

This is of course a good thing.

Yang Jian drank the strong tea in the cup in one sip. The bitter tea spread from the tip of his tongue to the root of his tongue, and went into the abdomen through his throat. It had no other taste except bitterness. If it were the literati in Huainan, he would probably say that he was wasting his natural resources. But at this time, he urgently needed such bitterness to cheer up his spirits.

As I often arrived at Mingguang Hall, Xiao Cong was walking back and forth inside.

There was no one else in the house. When Xiao Cong saw him, he said straight to the point: "She was robbed!"

Yang Jian showed a little surprise and frowned, "Is it Miss Dugu? When did it happen?"

"Three days ago." Xiao Cong stared at Yang Jian, "The Emperor doesn't know?"

"There are many trivial matters recently, but I haven't paid attention to it." Yang Jian rubbed his eyebrows and brought out a little joke. "The prince attached so much importance to her, so he should have arranged heavy troops to guard her. Who dares to be so bold in Yunzhong City?"

Xiao Cong sneered, "It was Xihu who robbed him on the way. My people came to report that it was the bandits from your country who colluded with the Xihu people."

Yang Jian said oh, "Since Huyang Pass was defeated, bandits in the territory have risen everywhere, and the prince laughed."

Xiao Cong snorted coldly, "The emperor intends to sit idly?"

"It's not to be hiding from it. Now my court is too busy to take care of myself. I can't even take out what the prince wants. How can I have the strength to suppress the bandits?" Yang Jian looked at Xiao Cong and realized the suspicion. He then said: "Since the prince asked Gala to go there, he naturally knew her life experience. The Dugu family has a grudge with me, and the Gao family has a grudge to kill relatives. My court's Supreme Emperor only wanted to kill them and then go faster. I used to protect Gala, just to fulfill my promise. Now she is the prince's person, and I have no intention of saving her."

His appearance of nothing to do with him made Xiao Cong believe and doubtful.

After a moment of silence, Yang Jian said again: "Xihu is so chasing him, is this Gala really extraordinary?"

"It's just an extraordinary appearance." Xiao Cong replied immediately, then smiled and said, "That's really a beauty, beautiful, soft and fragrant, holding it in his arms and ecstasy, completely different from the woman next to him." He was guilty and looked down and tidy up his clothes, but did not notice that Yang Jian suddenly turned into a gloomy gaze.

The room was quiet for a moment, Xiao Cong seemed to feel embarrassed, and smiled and said to Yang Jian: "Is the emperor interested in her?"

"I have no time to take care of the matter outside Huyang Pass. Just the prince will just take it away from the grace of a beauty." Yang Jian said coldly.

The pitch-black iron fan slowly buckled the sandalwood table. When he looked at Xiao Cong, he looked like an eagle, without any concealing the provocation. "The peace talks have been delayed for several days, and it is not a good thing for you and me. The Supreme Emperor of our reign was wise and appointed several generals. They saw that the family and country were in trouble, and they were excited and disturbed the prince several times, which made it difficult for me to restrain him. Xihu had a lot of trouble and dared to steal people from the prince, which was obviously fearless. I advise the prince to stop when he saw the good."

Xiao Cong sneered coldly, but his eyes became dimmer.

Although Gala was robbed, he was even more frightened by the fact that Xihu and the bandits in Nanxia were even more frightened by him.

During this deal, Xiao Cong felt that Yang Jian was very scheming, and he was silent in the city of Yunzhong. His plans thousands of miles away were shocking. Meng Xu had to be guarded against. If Yang Jian took advantage of Gala as the guide and really secretly conspired with Xihu to deal with Xiliang, it would be a big deal.

He smiled sinisterly, "I want to stop too, but the conditions given by the emperor are considered good?"

"I would like to add another 20% to the original amount." After a long stalemate, Yang Jian finally let go, "What's the prince's intention?"

Xiao Cong was slightly stunned and stared at Yang Jian's eyes.

After a moment, he slowly smiled. On March 28, the long-standing peace talks finally ended.

On the day when Xiao Cong led his army to evacuate, Yang Jian roughly arranged the aftermath of Yunzhong City, leaving Han Qinhu here, and set off to return to Beijing.

Wenbei was invaded by the twelve prefectures, and officials were either killed in the war or scattered and missing. During these days, he had arranged for people to go to various places to investigate and report to the capital. The Supreme Emperor would make arrangements.

Meng Xu also returned to the position of governor and led his troops to guard Huyang Pass.

The siege in the north was temporarily resolved, and the situation in the capital was still not optimistic. With internal and external troubles, Yang Jian was eager to return home.

The peace talks were settled, and he lost patience with Pei Ju and others, and ordered the remaining officials to return to Beijing under the escort of the two guards of Jianzhang Palace. He only brought Zhan Qing and five personal guards and flew out of Yunzhongcheng.

To the south of the Wenshui River, the people who heard the withdrawal of troops in Xiliang cheered continuously. The previous dullness was swept away, and the streets and alleys gradually regained their vitality. The willow trees beside the road were already lush, with green mountains far and near, and even the mountains in the mountains and wild winds increased the artistic conception. Even though the murderous intentions were still hidden in the capital, Yang Jian was still loose and fast when he rode his horse by, and the horse's hooves were light and fast.

A few days later, he entered Lingzhou.

This place is far away from Wenshui, after all, it has not been disturbed by war, and the streets are even more lively.

Yang Jian did not reveal his identity as the emperor, and he only stayed in the same clothes as a guest, and he rode his horse through Lingzhou City. He felt relieved to see the people living in peace.

After leaving the city and heading south, we galloped for nearly two hours. The suburbs were surrounded by water and mountains, and the farmland was green. Between the undulating mountains, there was a blue cloud peak rising into the sky, and the steep mountain was like a knife and an axe.

There is a manor at the foot of the peak, where the former governor of Lingzhou worked in the countryside.

Yang Jian urged his horse to go, crossed the path hidden by green trees, passed through the fields of farmland and flowerbeds, and finally arrived in front of the courtyard.

Under the lush wisteria stand, the courtyard gate is covered with vagueness.

Yang Jian went in first and walked through the pebble path surrounded by pine and cypress. He saw a Taihu stone standing among the water. The three people standing by the pond heard the movement and looked here together.

The gray-haired and graceful old man was wearing a cloth clothes, with big scissors for repairing flower branches in his hands, and Yu Shiji was straight beside him, while the graceful girl was standing beside him, smiling with her face, looking at her in autumn.

Compared to the sorrow and worry she was in the city of clouds, her eyebrows were stretched, her lips were slightly raised, and a strand of black hair fell on her shoulders. Red beads were dripping around her ears, which were set off with white skin and were soft and pleasing to the eyes in the sun. Under her jade white double-breasted half-sleeved, the crabapple-red skirt was slightly swaying in the wind, standing tall by the water, as if in a painting.

Yang Jian couldn't help but stayed, and stepped forward and saw her bowing behind Yu Shiji.

"Greetings to Your Highness."

After the three of them greeted each other in unison, Gala laughed in his eyes and said softly: "Thank you for your life-saving kindness."

It was early summer, and his clothes were thin, and Gala's voice was soft. He exposed the skin behind his neck while he bowed his head and performed a ceremony, and he even showed his slim figure.

Yang Jian suddenly remembered Xiao Cong's words "Soft and fragrant, soul-absorbing" and the smile on his lips was slightly frozen. He helped the old man with both hands up, said to Mr. Yu Shiji to refrain from li. When his eyes fell on Gala again, he finally said: "Xiao Cong was sorry for you?"

Galo shook his head and said, "No. Your Highness is in time to rescue me, and he has never made things difficult for me."

Yang Jian looked at her for a moment, and saw that her expression naturally did not seem to be fake, so he felt a little relieved.

Immediately, he said to the old man: "The trivial matters are complicated, so I have gathered in the countryside to disturb Mr. Husband. Since that year, it has been six years since the capital. The situation is limited. Although the students are always worried, they have never been able to come to visit Mr. Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband Husband

"The Taoist priest is safe, I am worried about your highness." The old man said with a smile.

The old man's surname is Su, and he was a famous scholar in the court. He was not only knowledgeable, but also unparalleled in poetry. Because he often interacted with people in Buddhism and Taoism, he was more free and transparent than the important officials around him, and naturally innocent.

When he was young, he started as a minor official in the border area. Because of his outstanding political achievements, he met Bo Le, and gradually went to the center of the court and held important positions. However, the court was too serious and he had no desire to compete for fame and fortune. He gradually became tired and asked to let go. He worked as a governor in Lingzhou for several years. Under his rule, the people were happy and political affairs were clear.

Later, when he got older, he resigned from his official position and became a leisurely cloud and wild crane under the Biyun Peak, with poetry and wine in the countryside, and was content with peace and contentment.

Yang Jian taught him when he was young and had a deep gratitude. This time he wanted to visit him, so he arranged for Yu Shiji to wait here.

Mr. Su was very happy, "I was really happy when I heard that Your Highness had escaped from Huainan before, and I just hoped to meet soon. The day before yesterday, the two of them arrived here. This Dugu girl was innocent and proficient in gardening, helped me take care of the flower garden, dry books and copy scriptures, which increased a lot of fun. How could I bother? Your Highness came here this time, probably because Wenbei was safe?"

Even if he is a person who is idle in the clouds and wild cranes, he has always bowed to the desk and loved the people as much as his son. He is inevitably worried when he hears the war in the north.

Yang Jian said: "Xiao Cong withdrew his troops from Huyang Pass, but our dynasty needs to pay a lot of money and cloth, which is ultimately the suffering of the people."

Mr. Su sighed softly and entered the hall to order the boy to serve tea.

The master and disciple met again after a long separation. One was an important official of the previous dynasty and the other was the current emperor. He had a lot to say. Gala and Yu Shiji stood with him for a moment, then left.

Let's take a break here for the day, and Yang Jian arranged to set off tomorrow morning.

In the evening, Gala and Yu Shiji were leisurely traveling in the back garden. The blue peaks were stacked with sunlight and the wind was light.

The cousins ​​and sisters got along well when they were young. Although they had been separated for several years, Yu Shiji still took good care of Gala. Seeing that she was so sad for many days on the way to peace talks, she found two horses to ride, went out of the back garden, waded by the Biyun Peak, and then returned to a deep green peach forest, feeling refreshed.

Gala smiled on his face, and even when talking about the Dugu family's situation, he was not as worried as before.

When he returned home, Yu Shiji accompanied her slowly, "At that time, my father first arrived in the capital, and it was the old marquis who helped to make arrangements to gain a foothold and finally reached his current status. Now the old marquis and uncle's life and death are uncertain. Gala - what are you planning after returning to Beijing?"

"I haven't thought about it yet. If I go home, I will inevitably be detained. But the matter between Xiliang and Xihu has not been found out yet. My father's whereabouts are unknown. I can only go back to Huainan to see if my grandmother knows it. I just don't know what your highness will do. Cousin, has he ever spoken?"

"I didn't say anything. I just let me save you and wait for him here."

The two walked away silently for a moment, and the evening breeze became colder in the countryside.

Walking along the river bank, the water surface gradually becomes narrower and the water flows turbulently. When you encounter a slope, the river water falls steeply, when you encounter rocks in the river, and splashes everywhere.
To be continued...