Raising wolves

The next day, the news of General Shi Da's death spread all over the capital, and quickly dispersed from the capital.

Shocked countless people for a while.

Just like Chen Xiaodao, many people even grew up listening to the legend of General Shi Da, and felt that Shi Rongfeng was standing on a wall at the border. , this wall will not fall.

But the wall is already riddled with holes.

In the Shi family's line, only Lin Xi, a thin young man, was left, and several old servants and personal soldiers of the government's mansion were dressed in burlap and filial piety, helping him to arrange funeral affairs for the general.

The various ministries are busy during the New Year. As the head of the personnel department, Lu Qing naturally cannot escape the tedious official duties. At this time, being dismissed from his post has reduced the trouble for him. He is in charge of a personnel department. .

Actually not in a hurry.

When he came to Beijing, Shi Rongfeng guessed that he might not be able to last for the winter months, so he had people prepare the coffin, paper money and incense in advance.

Being able to endure another month under Xu Shu's recuperation, and spend more time with Lin Xi, is already very good for him.

The military generals in the court came to offer condolences first, followed by other courtiers.

There are also people outside Beijing who heard the news and came in the wind and snow.

Although the courtiers were still arguing, most of them respected Shi Rongfeng and came to the Duke's Mansion. In front of Shi Rongfeng's mourning hall, when they saw Lu Qingze, no matter how badly they looked, nothing happened.

It was rare for the Duke of Wu's mansion to be lively.

The little prince who had been hidden and tucked away and rumored to have also appeared in front of everyone.

In fact, according to Shi Rongfeng's usual temper, in his last days, not only would he not hide Lin Xi, but he would push Lin Xi out no matter what, and learn how to deal with these people in the capital who are different from the outside. After he left, it was still difficult for Lin Xi to face strangers, which was good for Lin Xi.

But Lin Xi has mute disease.

This is a speechless, shy child.

Fortunately, at the last moment of his life, Lin Xi finally broke through the demonic barrier that sealed his mouth, and stammered out the first sentence.

After the first sound, it is not so difficult to speak again.

And with Lu Qing taking care of him, Lin Xi didn't have to respond too much to the guests who came and went, so as not to expose his stamina.

After seeing the little prince, everyone felt awe in their hearts. They only felt that this little prince had an indifferent expression, cherish words like gold, and was not a bully.

As expected of the blood of the Shi family, like a general, no one would dare to be presumptuous once he sat there.

To a certain extent, it is another layer of protective color.

That night, Ning Juan also personally came to the Duke of Wu's mansion to put incense sticks for the old general, giving Shi Rongfeng full respect.

Turning his head, he saw Lu Qingze who was staring at the snow scene in the courtyard outside the mourning hall. Ning Wan thought for a moment, but walked over under the sneaky gazes of everyone, and asked in a low voice, "Huaixue, are you sad?"

Under the watchful eyes of the public, Lu Qing did not avoid him, turned his head to look at the coffin, and said lightly: "Everyone dies... I just didn't expect it to be so fast."

After a pause, he lowered his voice and said: "The military power of the general has been handed over to Your Majesty. In the future, no one can threaten you again, and Your Majesty can rest assured."

Some old clans in Beijing are troublesome, and it is inconvenient to implement Ning Juan's New Deal.

Ning Juan frowned, suspecting that Lu Qing's words meant something else.

But after Lu Qing finished speaking, he lowered his head and coughed a few times. After running back and forth for the past few days, he was still cold and choked.

Ning Juan had no choice but to swallow the words and turned to shield him from the wind: "Pay attention to your body."

Ning Juan got a little closer, and the faint scent of ambergris swept across the tip of his nose.

Lu Qingze's eyelashes trembled.

In the past, General Shi didn't like being harassed when he was sick. Most of the people he visited in the future would be fine. Now it's not good to turn people away after handling funeral affairs. There are many people around now. Holding the pen and staring at Lu Qingze, waiting for him to show any "horses" at any time, there are also many officials who are good at writing.

Lu Qing didn't want any trace of what Ning Wan meant to him.

Compared with his reputation, Ning Juan, as the emperor, can't get involved in this kind of thing. It needs to be known that the historian has made a note, and it will be written down for generations to come.

Seeing Fan Xingyan approaching, Lu Qing turned sideways, nodded slightly to Ning Juan, and went to talk to Fan Xingyan.

Lu Qingze's attitude was very natural, but his every move touched the sensitive Ning Juan.

Does the teacher even want to be shielded from the wind by him?

His eyes followed Lu Qingze and, watching him and Fan Xingyan said a few words, the corners of his pink lips curled up slightly, his expression relaxed and natural, a casual gesture that had not been shown in front of him for a long time.

Jealousy is like smashed glass, not only shattering loudly, but the splashed residue will hurt people.

The officials who secretly paid attention to Lu Qingze and Ning Juan saw the eyes of His Majesty looking at Lu Qingze, and their hearts were instantly excited:

His Majesty looked at Lu Qingze's eyes, so terrifying!

Sure enough, His Majesty had already thought of killing Lu Qingze!

Ning Juan restrained his gaze back, thinking in his heart that he was ready to give Lu Qingze a gift.

After the first seven days, after burying General Shi Da in his ancestral tomb on the outskirts of Beijing, Lu Qing would follow Shi Rongfeng's last wish and send him back to Mobei for burial.

From the capital to Mobei, it will take at least ten days to travel with the coffin. When Lu Qing returns, it will be his birthday.

When Lu Qing came back from Mobei, he offered his gift with his own hands.

During the seven days of filial piety in the mourning hall, Lin Xi was quiet most of the time and rarely spoke.

On the seventh day, after Lu Qingze, Chen Xiaodao, and Tang Qing and other personal soldiers accompanied Lin Xi to bury their clothes and crowns, the three got into the carriage and swayed back to the capital. People rode horses and escorted the carriage, and whispered who stayed in the capital to protect the little prince, and who accompanied Lu Qingze to **** the coffin back to Mobei.

Listening to the occasional words from outside, Lin Xi suddenly gently tugged at Lu Qingze's sleeve and whispered, "Lu, my lord."

He kept his mouth silent for more than ten years, and when he spoke again, it was a bit difficult, feeling very unfamiliar.

Lu Qing turned his head and said with a pleasant expression, "What's wrong?"

Lu Qing asked Lin Xi to change his words, but the child has called him that since he first met, and it has become a habit. It is not unfamiliar to call him Lord Lu, and Chen Xiaodao used to call him son, and Ning Juan used to call him teacher No difference.

Lin Xi lowered his eyes and thought for a while, seemed to have made up his mind, and said with difficulty: "Can I go to Mobei with you?"

According to General Shi's intention, he wanted to keep Lin Xi in the capital.

No matter how bad and conspiracy the capital is, his shadow can also protect Lin Xi to grow old safely, which is safer than the war-torn and bitter cold in Mobei.

Several generations of the Shi family have shed their blood on the battlefield. He was overwhelmed by Emperor Chong'an and felt that it was not worth it. General Shi, who was loyal and selfless all his life and served the country and the people, was very concerned about this man who had been lost for more than ten years. Child, with a rare trace of selfishness.

Lu Qing naturally understood what Shi Rongfeng meant. Hearing what Lin Xi said, he was slightly startled: "Do you want to go to Mobei?"

Lin Xi nodded: "I, want to see, father, and mother, the place I know, I want to visit, father, the place that I have guarded all my life."

Although he spoke stumblingly like a child learning language, his face was serious.

Lu Qing intuited that what he meant was not only to follow him to send General Shi Cheng, take a look at the border guard city, but to have a deeper meaning, staring at him and asking, "After going to Mobei, you will return to the capital. ?"

Seeing that Lu Qing was aware of his own thoughts, Lin Xi lowered his eyes, put his legs together nervously, his fingers tangled together, and after a while, he raised his eyes again and met Lu Qingze's eyes: "I think, stay In Mobei."

Chen Xiaodao originally listened quietly, but when he heard this, he was startled: "Staying in Mobei? How dangerous is that?"

Lu Qing suddenly remembered what General Shi Da had explained to him earlier.

If Lin Xi is willing to stay in the capital, he will take care of him. If Lin Xi wants to go to Mobei, don't stop him.

Did General Shi guess that Lin Xi would make this decision?

Although they only got along for a few months, from the moment they met, the connection between the bones and blood was difficult to break up. It seemed that General Shi was the one who understood Lin Xi the most.

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "After visiting Mobei, if you want to stay there, stay there, and I won't stop you."

After a pause, he added: "That's what your father meant too."

Lin Xi's eyes lit up slightly and nodded vigorously.

Chen Xiaodao was a little sad: "Mobei is so far away, we won't see each other in the future."

Lu Qing patted his head: "When I'm not here, you stay in the Duke Wu's mansion, you know?"

If Lin Xi chooses to stay in Mobei and inherit the legacy of General Shi, the generals in and outside the capital will respect him, so even if Lin Xi is not in the capital, Chen Xiaodao will continue to stay in the Duke Wu's mansion. Reasonable, you know that you can't let people go to Wuguo Gongfu to arrest people.

Chen Xiaodao muffled "Oh".

The suburbs of Beijing are quite far from the city, and it was already dark when I came back.

The backyard was covered with snow, reflecting a bright circle around it.

Lu Qing took a shower, changed his clothes, and walked into the study with a thick cloak wrapped tightly.

Tomorrow, he was going to see General Shi off for a trip to Mobei. His official duties were temporarily handed over to the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was hand-picked by him. It was rare to have a free day.

He poured a cup of hot tea, held it up and warmed his hands. A white mist floated in front of him. After a moment of contemplation, he got up and spread out a piece of letter paper. , The complexion is pale, and he looks weak, but every word is written steadily and neatly.

Before leaving, he had to teach Ning Juan another lesson.

Ning Juan was only seventeen years old, and he was already standing in the most honorable position in the world.

No matter how precocious he is, he is far from mature enough at this age. He has the toughness of a king, a paranoid personality, and is occasionally impulsive and irritable. For five or six years between teachers and students, he has taught a lot of things, and there are still many things that he has not yet had time to teach.

Ning Juan still didn't understand what liking was, and maybe he wasn't so tenacious in thinking about him.

About a few years later, Ning Juan would feel extraordinarily surprised and puzzled when he recalled the love that had hurt his self-esteem.

Lu Qing didn't want him and Ning Juan to feel regret, but he also wanted to give him a price for his wrongdoing.

Leaving is the best option.

The candle light flickered faintly, while Lu Qing lowered his long eyelashes and slowly finished writing the letter. After the ink was dry, he folded it up and sealed it in the envelope. When he was about to write the words on the envelope, he hesitated. a moment.

It is too unfamiliar to call His Majesty, and Guoguo is too intimate.

After deliberation, Lu Qing still left four words on the envelope, although he didn't know whether Ning Juan would still be willing to use his own words.

"Ji Wei personally enlightened."

Early the next morning, Lu Qing was picked up by Tang Qing in the carriage and went to join the team that came out of the city gate with the coffin first.

There were a lot of people in this team. In addition to General Shi's personal soldiers, there was a team of Jin Yiwei who was assigned by Ning Juan to protect Lu Qingze on his way back.

The new law promoted by Lu Qingze touched the interests of princes, nobles and some officials, and offended many people - this is the reason why Feng Gelao didn't speak for Lu Qingze. He once stood on the same front, but now he has interests It's good that he didn't add fuel to the conflict.

The hard-to-remove Xu Gelao was also one of the people who was completely offended. Just letting women enter the school made the old-fashioned Xu Gelao furious, and every day he wrote the book and scolded Lu Qingze.

At present, there are countless people in Beijing who regard Lu Qing as a thorn in their eyes, and there are naturally many people who want his life. It is not easy to start in the capital.

Before the morning was over, Lu Qing felt that Ning Juan would not come, and he was inevitably a little regretful. Standing at the gate of the city, he said goodbye to Chen Xiaodao, who was reluctant to join him and Lin Xi.

Chen Xiaodao has cried once at Lin Xi's side, but when he came to Lu Qing's side, his mood was relatively stable and worried: "The capital is so cold, Mobei will be even colder, son, you have to be careful, don't get sick, and stop being indifferent. If you stay in the north for too long, your body can't stand it."

What is less sickness? Don't you think he can get better?

Lu Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Got it."

Chen Xiaodao continued to instruct: "Doctor Xu has made a lot of pills for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of wind-cold according to the method you said, remember to take them."

Lu Qing nodded again with a smile, and patted his head: "Don't worry, go back to the Duke's Mansion to make up your sleep. I will post more when I have time. After so many years, the words are still so ugly."

When it comes to practicing calligraphy, Chen Xiaodao has a big head, and quickly jumps back a step: "The son, hurry up and get on the carriage, don't blow your hair."

Lu Qing was about to get on the carriage when Ning Juan came.

He came riding on a fast horse, his figure was dazzling and straight in the wind and snow, and people couldn't help but want to look up. The next moment, the young emperor turned over and got off his horse, no matter who was kneeling beside him, he strode to Lu Qing was beside him and blurted out, "Teacher."

Lu Qing paused: "Is there any order from Your Majesty?"

"Your birthday is coming soon," Ning Juan stared at him with a deep emotion in his dark eyes, "Go early and return early, I will wait for you in the capital."

Lu Qing had forgotten all about this, blinked his eyes, lowered his eyelids: "This minister follows the order."

Ning Wan's lips were straightened immediately.

He didn't like Lu Qing's unfamiliar attitude. He didn't want Lu Qing to call him His Majesty, but he didn't want Lu Qing to call him Guo Guo.

When the teacher came back, he wanted to hear the words Lu Qing called him.

Neither of them spoke for a while, but they didn't turn their heads to leave immediately.

Lu Qing looked at Ning Juan's face deeply, the young man's face still had a hint of youth, he had not had time to take off his clothes, handsome and noble.

This may be the last time he sees Ning Tien in his life.

"Will Your Majesty still listen to me one last time?" Lu Qing said in a harmonious voice.

Ning Lian said, "You say it."

"Never take anger and kill innocent people." Lu Qing said slowly, "But don't be merciful to those who attack."

Ning Juan was stunned for a moment. He didn't quite understand why Lu Qingze suddenly told him this. Before he could understand it, Lu Qing stared into his eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, do you agree?"

Ning Juan was immersed in the gaze of those eyes, and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I agree."

Lu Qing smiled slightly at him, then turned around and stepped on the small stool, got into the carriage, only a few words leaked from behind the curtain: "Guo Guo, goodbye."

Ning Juan stood outside the city gate for a long time, watching the motorcade leave without blinking. The snowflakes swirled down and landed on his eyelashes.

It was not until the convoy completely disappeared before his eyes that he got back on his horse and rode back to the palace in the opposite direction to Lu Qingze.

When the horse ran to the palace, he felt a little uneasy in his heart, Ning Juan turned around suddenly, and looked at the empty gate of the city, only the wind and snow whistled.

The guard following him quickly asked, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"

It was clear that when Lu Qingze came back, he would be able to truly have him, but the uneasiness appeared in the sky and lingered at the top of his heart.

The journey to Mobei was unexpectedly smooth.

Probably because General Shi's coffin was still there, and the guards were all brave and good at fighting. Those who wanted to take action against Lu Qing didn't want to cause more trouble, so they put up with it for the time being.

When we arrived in Mobei, the weather was cold and the ground was freezing, and the wind and snow were much heavier than those in the capital. They rushed towards me, with a knife-like cut in the face and a pain in the bone.

Lu Qing took the small hand stove with him, but it would cool down after a while. As long as a cold wind penetrated through the clothes, it was a bone-chilling cold.

Lu Qing's sickly crooked body really couldn't accept this kind of place. He insisted on burying General Shi Da along with Lin Xi, poured a bowl of wine in front of the tombstone, and accompanied Lin Xi for a day before he was ready to return to Beijing.

Before leaving, Lin Xi was not at ease: "Master Lu, do you want me to ask Tang Can to take them back to Beijing?"

Except for the death row prisoner and Duan Lingguang, no one else knew about Lu Qingze's plan. The more he knew, the more unlucky he would be.

Hearing this, he just smiled: "It doesn't matter, there are people from Your Majesty with you, you are careful in everything in Mobei."

Lin Xi nodded obediently.

Lu Qing thought of another person: "If you meet a person named Qin Yuanan, you can try to reuse him. He is strong in martial arts and has a good character."

Lin Xi nodded again, and personally sent Lu Qing away from the defense.

On the way back to Beijing, Lu Qing could clearly feel that the surrounding air was not very peaceful.

Those who are in the dark are ready to start.

Lu Qing was waiting for them.

Borrowing their hands would not only be able to escape, but also give Ning Juan a reason to attack those princes and nobles who had been entrenched in the capital for a long time and did not move. Killing two birds with one stone was the last thing he could do for Ning Juan.

From then on, he has nothing to do with thousands of miles of land and mountains, he is just an insignificant member of the common people.

According to Ning Juan's instructions, after leaving Mobei, the convoy was going to return to the capital as quickly as possible.

But Lu Qing was sick.

It was also expected that the weather in Mobei was too cold. Even though the guards looked closely at him, he unfortunately contracted the cold and took the medicine Xu Shu gave, but he didn't get better. Instead, he traveled in a hurry. , getting more and more serious, and had to stop at the inn for the return journey and take a break.

Seeing that Lu Qingze's cold was getting worse, the leading guard was worried, for fear that this delicate Lord Lu would burn himself out like this, he sent someone to look around, invited a gentleman to prescribe a side drug, Lu After Qing Ze drank it, he wrapped himself in the quilt and fell asleep.

Because they were vaguely reminded by Zheng Yao not to get too close to Lord Lu before departure, everyone did not dare to stay in his room, and they all stood guard outside the door.

Guarding guarding, I do not know why the collective fell asleep.

By the time I realized something was wrong in the house, it was too late.

In the cold winter and twelfth lunar month, the oil lamp was knocked over at some point in the house, and the fire was extremely hot.

Gorgeous fire tongues licked the broken beams, and the hot waves of fire spread over, and the wooden beams kept making crackling sounds.

The intense heat wave makes it impossible to get close.

The fire was so fierce, the people in the house...

The faces of all the guards immediately turned pale, and they roared: "Quick, put out the fire! Master Lu is still inside!"

However it was too late.

It was midnight when the news reached the capital in a hurry, and Ning Juan was reviewing the memorial.

At the moment when those words entered his ears, there was a sudden "hum" in his mind, and his mind went blank. When he regained his sense of reason, he realized that the pen in his hand had fallen on the desk, and the vermilion ink was playing. There are several uneven red marks left on it, blood-like dazzling.

There was a burst of cold air from his back, and his fingers were cold and soft.

Ning Juan opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but he couldn't squeeze a voice out of his throat.

Chang Shun came back to his senses in disbelief, seeing that Ning Wan lost all the blood on his pale cheeks in an instant, his voice trembled: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

He had never seen the expression on his little majesty's face, as if his bones were taken away in an instant, and he was about to fall the next moment.

Ning Juan was actually quite dazed. He felt like he had fallen underwater, and his ears were blocked by water. Everything around him seemed to be happening on the surface of the water. He could vaguely hear the sound, but it was not clear.

He didn't know what he was doing, but his lips moved first: "Prepare the horse."

Changshun was frightened and worried about Ning Juan's current state: "Your Majesty, wait, wait for another message from there, you..."

"Prepare the horse!"

Chang Shun swallowed the words, his mind was also in a mess, and the words of the guard who came to report repeatedly echoed.

The station went into the water, and Mr. Lu was inside, but could not be rescued.

How could this be?

It was clear that the news came only in the next day, saying that he would be able to reach the capital in two days.

Changshun thought in panic, how sad your Majesty should be...

The fire burned all night, and the frozen water could not be taken out. The guards tried to put out the fire with buckets of snow, but they all ended in failure.

Inflammable materials were placed in many places in the inn, and oil was poured on them, so that the fire would never end.

This was a long-planned assassination.

By the time Ning Wanye came over a hundred miles away, the fire had been extinguished.

The entire inn was burnt to an empty shelf, and all the guards knelt on the ground with their heads bowed, covered with a white cloth beside them.

When Zheng Yao heard the news, he got up from the bed and followed him all night. Seeing this scene, his bones were chilled, and only two words flashed in his mind.

Done.

Before seeing this scene, he still comforted himself with a slight fluke, what if someone was rescued, what if.

There is no case.

With such a big fire, it is good that people are not burned alive to skeletons.

Ning Juan stared at the piece of white cloth, the boiling thoughts in his mind froze for a moment, his lips moved, his voice was extremely suppressed, his voice was hoarse, and he asked each word: "Where's the teacher?"

There will be no teacher in it.

Lu Qing, on the other hand, should always be graceful and quiet. Even if he is ill, he has a straight back and stands quietly waiting. When he sees him, he will raise his eyebrows slightly and tease him with a smile: "Just kidding. Forget it, why are you here?"

So it won't be Lu Qingze in it.

Hearing this, the leading guard lowered his head lower and his voice trembled: "My subordinates deserve to die for their crimes, and I am willing to take the death penalty for failing to protect Mr. Lu!"

"Where's the teacher?" Ning Juan clenched the reins, as if he didn't hear what he said, and asked again.

The guard didn't dare to speak at all.

Everyone can vaguely perceive that His Majesty seems...a little out of control.

The roaring north wind suddenly hit and lifted the white cloth.

It was like opening a nightmare.

The charred corpse below inevitably fell into view.

Even though his entire body was charred, Ning Juan could recognize at a glance the figure he was so familiar with that he could no longer be familiar.

And the Hidden Arrow on his wrist that he personally participated in forging.

Ning Juan's breathing suddenly became a little heavy, and his mind couldn't help feeling dizzy.

He didn't know how he got off the horse and walked to the charred corpse. He knelt down beside the corpse, his voice trembling: "Teacher..."

He was wrong.

He shouldn't have forced Lu Qingze, if he hadn't forced Lu Qingze, General Shi would not have given Lu Qingze this chance, Lu Qing would not have left the capital, nor...

No more horrible nightmares than that.

Zheng Yao looked at His Majesty's crumbling figure, as if he could see the deadly and quiet despair, and swallowed desperately several times before he squeezed out a dry voice: "Your Majesty, the top priority is to find out who is behind the scenes and avenge Lord Lu. , if you fall, who will avenge Lord Lu?"

He said hoarsely: "By the way, there is Mr. Lu's... funeral."

Ning Juan, still as if he had not heard it, bent over and hugged the charred corpse in his arms, whispering something in a low voice, and when he heard the last sound, those whispering murmurs stopped.

Zheng Yao looked at His Majesty as if he could not bear some kind of weight. He bent down deeply and buried his head, and his shoulders shook finely. He thought that His Majesty was uncomfortable, so he hurried over, but bumped into a pair of boiled dry. Eyes that were red with tears.

The young emperor's tall and straight spine seemed to be silently broken, his pupils were confused and empty, and his consciousness was blurred. He suddenly remembered that when Lu Qing was in Jiangyou, after the serious illness, he repeated the scene nightmare.

He dreamed that Lu Qing was trapped in the sky-high fire, he rushed into the fire, but only saw a charred corpse.

Nightmare come true.

As a child, he watched helplessly as his mother was taken away and burned to ashes, but there was nothing he could do.

To this day, his most important person has once again died in the sea of ​​​​fire.

Lu Qingze, do you hurt?

Ning Juan opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but a fishy sweetness suddenly rushed into his throat.

He vomited a mouthful of blood amid the terrified cries around him.

You clearly promised me that you would return to Beijing earlier.