"Therefore, when there is injustice, we should fight against it. How can we be filial if we obey our father's orders?" [The Book of Filial Piety·Admonishment]
Jingzhao, Chang'an.
The clouds on the horizon began to pile up, and a cold, wet wind blew from the southeast to the northwest of the city. A picture of an unknown store flew to the sky with a clatter, like a sudden rush to the sky.
Eagle, that goshawk is flying farther and farther, and I don’t know whose tree it will hang on the next day.
Listening to the distant bell of Taixue ringing steadily in the wind, Su stood in front of the door of Jingzhao Mansion, looking numbly through the rows of rooftops in the direction of Taixue. The wind blew hard, and the spring on his body
His shirt was flapping like a flag, and he was swaying, almost unable to stand.
A hand was stretched out from behind to help him: "Master Wen, you can't be too sad, your health is still important."
Geng Ji steadily caught Su Ze, who had lost weight all night, and said with concern: "I have heard about Fufeng Su's Wu, but I have never seen it. No one can conclude that the rumors are true. You have to believe Huangfu
Sir, if he is resisting the bandits in Yi County, how can there be bandits in Wugong County behind him to attack Haoqiang Wubao?"
Su Ze turned back to look at this classmate and friend who came specially to comfort him. He was filled with emotions. His eyes were sore and swollen as if they were about to shed something, but they were blown dry by the wind. He had only heard the news in the past two days.
Yes, since Huangfu Song's defeat in the battle caused Han Sui to capture Chencang, the three assistants were in shock every day. Su Ze was a martial artist in Fufeng. His family built a Wubao Manor in Wugong County, with hundreds of tribes and hundreds of fine horses.
.But when Han Sui took advantage of his victory to attack Xi County, many Qiang soldiers broke away from the tribe and began to harass Wugong, Meiyang and other counties after Xi County.
This was Han Sui's strategy to attack the grain road. He didn't send many troops and horses, so he couldn't capture the strong city, so he had to attack the villages, manors, and some fortresses outside the city with only a few hundred because they stored a lot of wealth.
Much plundered.
Fufeng Sushiwu is one of the powerful Fufeng fortresses that is rumored to have been looted.
"The thieves' army is huge, and all my clan members are in Wubao. There has been no news these days. Please teach me how to feel at ease!" Su Ze's voice was hoarse. He had countless words in his heart but could not say a word. He said angrily: "
If I had known where Taixue was assigned as an intern, I should have listened to the elders in my family and returned to Youfufeng as a secretary instead of staying in Chang'an... and ended up being a widower!"
Geng Ji was silent when he heard this. In mid-September last year, according to the emperor's decree, Taixue had an official connection with the imperial court and arranged internships for their current generation of Taixue students. Geng Ji was because Weiwei Geng Zhi was a relative of his clan and what he had learned.
Because of the relationship with the "Economic" department, Zhang Chang, the Shaofu, directly promoted the Imperial Academy and was transferred to the Shaofu Palace Guarding Order as a false assistant. The Guarding Order was in charge of the royal paper, pen and ink, as well as the minister's finance, materials and seals. The position was important.
, although he is just a 'fake' assistant who is inferior to the lowest officials, and only has three hu of rice per month, but this is not something that ordinary powerful people can get through.
Before the formal exams and official appointments, Geng Ji and all his classmates were instantly separated from each other, and even reached a place that they may not be able to enter in their lifetime.
The same is true for Su Ze, who also comes from the Fufeng family. His family background is slightly inferior to that of Geng Ji, but he also has certain connections and influence in You Fufeng. He could have been directly allowed to serve as a secretary to the Prime Minister of You Fufeng. But Su Ze
I don't know why, but I had to choose to stay in Chang'an, so I had to take the lower step and serve as a false assistant under Jingzhao Yin Hu Miao, who had a bad reputation.
"With such luck, why talk so much?" Zuo Ling, the prime minister of Jingzhao County, came behind them at some unknown time. His shrewd eyes were deliberately restrained at this moment, and he looked at Geng Jida like a kind-hearted elder: "I heard from the court.
There is talk that the prince wants to send Wei Wei Geng Gong and the three assistants to garrison troops to rush to Yi County. If Master Wen is willing, I can make the decision to let you go."
The Geng family was a well-known general. Wei Wei Geng Zhi had served as the general of Liao in his early years and had some achievements. At this juncture, promoting Geng Zhi was indeed a very reasonable move. But Geng Ji had never heard the news at all, so he promoted it.
He raised his eyebrows and turned around to see the Jun Cheng. He first bowed to Su Zeyi and said hello, and then said in confusion: "I don't know where the Jun Cheng started talking about. I have never heard of Duke Geng sending troops."
"Haha." Zuo Ling laughed, stroking his beard and said: "Perhaps it is because you are still young that it is inconvenient to tell you about such a big event."
Geng Ji felt that he was being looked down upon and was a little dissatisfied. He said to himself: "Gong Geng will definitely not hide such a big thing from me. Since I have never heard of it, I can see that the county magistrate has misheard it."
Su Ze also asked in confusion: "Is this really not the case?"
He now urgently wants to return to his hometown of Wugong to take care of his funeral affairs. However, Chang'an has been strictly guarded recently and no one is allowed in or out. Even Su Ze has trouble leaving the city. So if he can take advantage of Geng Zhi's expedition, he can return to Wugong.
It could not be better.
Geng Ji was speechless. Unexpectedly, Su Ze, who had always been calm, was in chaos at this time. He didn't know how to explain it. He smiled helplessly and said seriously: "It's really nothing! The spring rain has been wet recently, Mr. Geng."
The ankle paralysis has recurred and it is difficult to walk. How can I get on the horse?" Then he added: "Furthermore, if there is such a proposal, why wouldn't I be the first to tell you?"
Ankle paralysis is a type of wind-cold-damp paralysis. It can cause joint pain and other symptoms due to environmental changes, which is equivalent to rheumatoid arthritis in later generations. If this disease relapses, it will be impossible to go to the battlefield in a short time. Su Ze sighed
He sighed and nodded lowly.
Zuo Ling on the side seemed to have heard something, a sharp flash of light flashed in his eyes. He concealed his emotions very well, and asked: "Since it is paralysis, why not invite an imperial doctor?"
"This is an old disease and cannot be cured. Geng Gong said..." Geng Ji suddenly remembered something in the middle of his sentence and immediately closed his mouth, looking a little annoyed.
Zuo Ling seemed unaware and said to himself: "This disease is a trouble! Hey, it's a pity that we are in urgent need of people now, but Weiwei..."
A long purple lightning snake suddenly pulled across the sky, and a thunder suddenly sounded from a certain layer of black clouds in the sky.
"What a spring thunder." Zuo Ling stood beside the two young men and said with his hands in contentment. His eyes suddenly looked at the intersection. The lightning flashed just now, and some figure seemed to suddenly appear on the road.
.
Su Ze and Geng Ji also saw that figure. The tall and majestic figure seemed to suddenly grow out of the ground, and it seemed that it had walked past the intersection a long time ago. It was just that the dusk was deep and it was difficult to see.
.
Although the sky was obscured by dark clouds like night at this time, it was not yet time for the door to be closed, and there were only a few people walking on the street. The figure seemed to be carrying something long behind his back, and he was walking quickly towards Su Ze and others.
.
"Literary Master!" The voice was extremely familiar, but Su Ze had already identified who it was from the other person's figure.
"Ma Chao!" Su Ze's voice seemed to roar from his throat, like an invisible wall blocking the figure.
When Ma Chao was called by his first name by his friend, his face immediately turned pale, and his pupils were shaking. He stopped, and then walked forward resolutely. When he walked up to Su Ze, he looked at the indifferent and yet indifferent face.
A face of disgust, and a feeling of sadness in his heart. This face had been like this many years ago when he and Su Ze first met on the Wei Bridge. Now facing him again with a frosty expression, Ma Chao made a difficult decision
Swallowing action, and then suddenly knelt down:
"I know you have hatred!"
"What hatred do I have? I hate your father for not changing his evil ways, hate your father for breaking into Su's Wu, hate your father for leaving no news about my family members?" Su Ze's tone became increasingly cold and stern. He was no longer calm in the past.
Seeing the calm and composed demeanor, his eyes were full of bloodshot eyes, and he complained to the kneeling man: "Ma Mengqi, why do you think the country wants to keep you in Taixue even though they see you as a martial artist? Because of you?
Both father and son are disloyal and unjust traitors! If you don’t rebel today, you will rebel tomorrow, which is unsettling!"
"you!"
Zuo Ling was startled by the ferocious gaze and quickly took a step back. Seeing that the situation was not good, Geng Ji reached out and pulled Su Ze back.
After Ma Chao and Su Ze glared at each other for a moment, they were quickly defeated. He lowered his head and said angrily: "Yes! I am stupid, I don't care about Chang'an's wife and children, and I will risk my life to rebel with Han Sui! I
Although I don't know about this matter and have never participated in it, my son and his father have done it. I am lucky enough not to be captured today, so let me suffer for him! How long the beating will take is up to you!"
As he spoke, he took off his shirt, revealing his strong body, and took out a long thorn from behind, and held it in front of Su Ze with both hands.
"Carrying a thorn to plead guilty?" Su Ze ignored Geng Ji's horrified gaze, reached out and picked up the thorn-covered thorn, and sneered: "You deserve it too!"
After saying that, he raised the thorn tree high and knocked it down hard.
There was a "boom" in the sky, and the mountains of black clouds seemed to collapse. The heavy rain that had been brewing for a long time suddenly poured down, soaking everyone present, except Zuo Ling, who quickly hid under the eaves when he saw the opportunity.
The icy raindrops struck the tiles like hailstones, making the tiles crackle and make the body extremely painful. Ma Chao endured the severe pain, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether the blood or the rain flowed down first from his back.
"I have one more thing!" In the violent showers, Ma Chao's quiet voice stopped the wattle that was rising again: "If you want to fight, then fight, I hope to spare my life!"
"What?" Su Ze panted slightly and sneered, "Xiliang Jianyong begged for mercy?"
Su's Wu was not necessarily destroyed by Ma Teng himself, but it was inseparable from his rebellion! However, Ma Chao, as a traitor's family, had to be dealt with by the court. Su Ze should not have lost control like this, but he had no resentment in his heart.
He vented his anger everywhere, and when he met Ma Chao who took the initiative to send him forward, he could not control his anger and regret. If he had known this, when he first learned that Ma Chao failed to join the army as he wished, he should not have stayed in Chang'an against his family's expectations!
"I can't die!" Ma Chao didn't cry out in pain just now, but now he was shouting in the wind and rain, his white lips trembling: "You are a student of the Imperial Palace. The current Tingwei's rule of law is very strict, and you don't like it the most.
Killing people for personal reasons will harm you! In addition, I also want to leave one life behind. I will visit Bei Que later and ask the imperial court for permission to join the army...to conquer Ma Teng!"
Not only Su Ze, but also Geng Ji, who was frightened and at a loss, and Zuo Ling, who was watching the show, were all shocked.
How dare this Ma Chao be unfilial!
The cold wind blew by, water vapor splashed up to his face, and there was a fresh, wet and cold breath. Su Ze calmed down for a moment, and he didn't know what to say: "Are you... are you crazy?"
"It is said in the "Book of Filial Piety", 'When there is unrighteousness, the son must not compete with his father.'" Ma Chao actually quoted the scriptures and said righteously: "The so-called loyalty, filial piety, loyalty and filial piety, loyalty naturally comes before filial piety!"
He actually learned something at Taixue. Zuo Ling was strangely thinking about strange questions.
"It's better to leave. It's not good for you if someone is killed now." Geng Ji pulled Su Ze's sleeve and said for his sake: "It may not be Ma Teng who attacks Su's Wu..."
The implication is that Su Ze cannot kill Ma Chao for revenge just because Ma Teng rebelled and led Han Sui to join the Kou Sanfu. The grievances should be vindicated and the debts should be owed, and the person who personally attacked Su's Wu should be found. Ma Chao should be found guilty. The Tingwei asked, Su Zeyi said that a student of the imperial family should not start a fight on his own initiative.
"Madman." Su Ze dropped the thorn stick and walked straight into the heavy rain.
Geng Ji frowned, glanced at the bloody Ma Chao behind him with emotion, and then anxiously ran over after Su Ze.
Zuo Ling watched the play for a long time, and suddenly someone came over with a bamboo hat, and said to Ma Chao in a gentle voice: "You are worthy of being a descendant of General Fubo! Get up quickly, if you want to join the army to fight against rebellion, I can I will introduce you to the Taiwei...eh? eh!"
Ma Chao seemed not to have heard what Zuo Ling said. He suddenly stood up, pushed aside the bamboo slats, and ran out like crazy.
"Hmph." Zuo Ling kicked the thorns left on the ground and mocked, "You don't know what is good and what is evil."
Ma Chao actually likes rainy days. In his memory, the color of Xiliang seems to always be yellow. Countless dust rises in the open fields, which looks like a rolling cloud from a distance. But only when it rains. , the sky and the earth in all directions were covered by a cloud, the sky and the earth were cool and humid, and the water vapor was misty. After the rain, the grass in the field was fresh and the air became very clean.
Every time it rains slightly, his father Ma Teng will take him riding in the rain. He lies on the horse's back and the raindrops sprinkle on his face.
"No matter how good the foal is, it has to go through more wind and rain. You can't hide in the stable all the time, otherwise you will never succeed!" Ma Teng led him to run aimlessly in the wilderness until the wind stopped and the rain stopped. There was a rainbow hanging in the sky, and the two people said what they said when they stopped.
The hail-like raindrops on my body suddenly disappeared.
After hearing the news, brothers Ma Xiu, Ma Tie and others came over and held an umbrella for Ma Chao, who was kneeling on the ground in the north palace of Weiyang Palace, looking like a dead man.
"Brother, go back quickly." Matthew said softly.
"We can't go back." Ma Chao raised his head, his eyes were a little dull. He looked at Ma Xiu and said: "When I went back, I just waited for the Tingwei to come...Aweng did what he did, regardless of our lives, and now the Ma family is in trouble Someone needs to stand up. That person is me, and it can only be me."
He looked blankly past Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, and looked directly at the tall and majestic Beigong Gate, which almost blended into the rainy night, like a monster squatting in the rain: "I was really stupid when I first entered Taixue. ...No wonder Su Ze and the others look down on me."