Under the sky

Chapter 304: It’s hard to repay a debt of gratitude

The wheels were turning on the galloping road, and forty riders were surrounding a golden-domed carriage. The horsemen were well-dressed and majestic.

To go from Lengshuitan to Kunming, even if we change horses every day, it would still take five or six days for the team to travel.Zhuge Ran rolled up the curtains, and the shadows of mountains in the distance were majestic, and the shadows of trees outside the car kept passing by.

"I miss your dad very much." Zhuge Ran said this out of the blue. Zhuge Changzhan was surprised. After a while, he said: "I miss my dad too."

He smiled and said: "Dad is not very good at reasoning. Every time he lectures us, if he feels guilty, he will add the sentence 'Ask your second uncle if this is true'. One time Youmei lied to him , saying that what the second uncle said was different from what the father said, the father touched his nose and said, listen to your second uncle. Later, the eldest brother reported to the father that Youmei had lied to him. Youmei was so happy at first, but then she cried so miserably. .”

"That girl is being naughty." Zhuge Ran remembered that it had been a long time since he saw his niece, and sighed, "My eldest brother was not stupid when he was a child. He was very scheming and was spoiled by your mother until he didn't understand anything at his age. Tell me, Stupid, ignorant, ignorant, what did your brother do to have so many problems?"

Zhuge Changzhan remained silent. Seeing that Zhuge Ran did not dare to reply, he slapped his cane hard, and then Zhuge Changzhan replied: "Stupidity is born, ignorance is ignorance, and ignorance is lack of learning."

"Are you teaching me how to read words?" Zhuge Ran said, "You can't always be afraid of your mother and your brother."

"They are elders and brothers. Do you want to quarrel with them?" Zhuge Changzhan smiled bitterly, "Second uncle, you can't even win against my mother. She has her own principles, and no one can defeat her."

"How old is your mother, and you have to be afraid all your life? Where is your brother, how long do you want him to be? When I go to see my eldest brother, who will discipline your eldest brother?"

Zhuge Ran put his hand on the top of the crutch and twisted it on the ground a few times: "Stupidity, ignorance, and ignorance are not scary. What is scary is not knowing it. You are obviously stupid but you are smart, you are ignorant but stubborn, and you are ignorant and easy to point out. But mortals have If you know yourself clearly, you will avoid making a lot of jokes, so the word "knowledge" is the most important. Compared with your father, your brother is just short of this word. "

The difference between this clear word is a huge difference, Zhuge Ran thought.The eldest brother listens to the second master and listens to himself. The stinky orangutan will also look for others to help with ideas. Only when people understand themselves can they be modest and their talents can be used. If they don’t understand themselves, their talents will be limited. If you listen to the top, you will be fucked. So accustomed to having no self-awareness.

"Changzhan, the thing about you that is most like your father is that you are open-minded. You can ask for advice humbly, and you will work hard to make up for your shortcomings when you encounter someone who is not good at it. Moreover, you are talented. But your biggest shortcoming is also this clear word. You know that you will not suffer Chong, I never argue with your brother in front of your mother, and let your mother be partial. Even if you understand, you still have to fight. If you don't fight, there will be nothing."

Zhuge Changzhan looked puzzled. He felt that his second uncle seemed to have something to say.

"Your elder brother wants to kill me." Zhuge Ran said.

Zhuge Changzhan was shocked, stood up suddenly, and hit his head on the roof of the car with a muffled sound.

"Sit down, sit down, show off your height in front of me." Zhuge Ran raised his crutch and knocked on the seat.

"How did the second uncle know?" Zhuge Changzhan asked anxiously.

"I've heard about the rumors in Kunming. What are your brother and your mother thinking in their heads that I can't predict?"

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding!"

"Tangmen Chen Bing border, just send an envoy to inform us of this kind of news. Your mother was afraid that I wouldn't go back, so she sent you here. This is called being smart."

"In this case, why does the second uncle want to go back?"

"Tell me, why do other sects either establish virtuous people or establish direct virtuous people, or recommend and select them, but only Dian Cang Li Chang?"

"Second uncle, don't go back!" Zhuge Changzhan begged, "I will be out here, and I will not accept your fate. Just find a reason to stay in Guidi!"

"Ask you, why are you talking nonsense?" Zhuge Ran knocked on the seat again.

Zhuge Changzhan had no choice but to reply: "It is easy to form cliques by recommending people. If you select someone, someone will flatter you. If you recommend a good person, brothers will be jealous of each other and fight against each other. Infighting will be a waste of time."

"If a leader has problems, the generation will be unlucky at best. More than seventy years ago, Dian Cang also had a bad leader, Zhuge Yun, do you remember that?"

Zhuge Yun is the second leader of Dian Cang after Kunlun's consensus. He is violent and lustful, moody, and often whips and kills his disciples for no reason, leaving everyone on the left and right trembling.He ordered people to collect beautiful women for sexual pleasure. At that time, the Kunlun people agreed that no adulterous women should be punished by the whole country. The punishment was decided by the sect. However, if the leader breaks the law, who can control it?

At that time, the borders had just been drawn and the war between the nine families had stopped. The smaller sects below were still fighting for territory. Fighting with weapons was commonplace. When Zhuge Yun heard about it, he often asked for beautiful women to be bribed with gold in the name of mediation. Some small sects were overwhelmed. Bribery leads to destruction.Zhuge Feng, then the head of the General Punishment Hall, was his cousin. He advised him to support the people and not be violent. Instead, he ordered him to be sawed to death with a saw. From then on, no one dared to give advice.He served for seven years and committed numerous atrocities. When he died in the prime of life, many people suspected that he was poisoned by left and right.

"Of course I remember the name of Grandpa Tianzu," Zhuge Changzhan said.

"The records in Dian Cang's history books are still polite." Zhuge Ran said, "You have to go to other places to read the historical materials, especially the records of the Tang Sect, which are more exciting. But even so, Dian Cang did not weaken for long. I was still thinking about it. , no matter how stupid Tingguan is, can he be worse than Zhuge Yun? But now that I think about it, it’s different."

Zhuge Ran said: "At that time, Kunlun had just discussed it, and the rules were made clear. The nine families had been fighting for 40 years, and they were all tired. They were all cleaning up the mess. No one dared to violate the borders lightly. The world will not be peaceful in the future. There will be such a situation. The incompetent leader is defensive from within and from the outside, making it impossible to defend against him."

"What are your second uncle's plans?" Zhuge Changzhan asked in a trembling voice, "Are we going to depose the leader?"

Zhuge Ran sighed: "I miss your father, but I also blame your father for dying too early and not changing the rules of establishing a leader. I also blame him for his sudden death, which forced me to send troops to attack Hengshan. I also blame him for his unexpected death." , caught me off guard, and it was difficult to take care of both sides. If Ting Guan can obediently be the leader, that's all. If he doesn't want to, I can't let him restrict me in everything, and I have to settle once and for all."

"Second uncle also knows that the rules cannot be broken." Zhuge Changzhan said, "It is the rule to stand up in Dian Cang. Once the rules are broken, others will follow suit. Today, the second uncle set the example, what should I do if someone follows suit in the future? Every generation of Dian Cang Brothers have to be suspicious of each other, and it's hard to trust between uncles and nephews. Wouldn't it be a mess?"

"This kind of thing will happen in every dynasty, sooner or later. It's not easy to survive for 90 years." Zhuge Ran said, "Shaolin has a dispute between the orthodox and the secular, Huashan competes for the heir, not to mention the Tang Sect, and the Beggar Clan also has Xu Fangge. ?No matter what methods you use to avoid it, you can't escape it after all. It is human nature to fight for power and gain."

Even so, rules are still important. Breaking them without restraint will only cause chaos. This is why he wants to become the leader of the alliance, Zhuge Ran thought.Kunlun consensus is still necessary. Although Dian Cang broke the tacit understanding of the round selection, he did not break the rules. Everyone wanted to play chess on the chessboard. If the chessboard was lifted, it would immediately be a fight. Zhuge Ran knew the consequences of removing Zhuge Tingguan. Evil Once the case is opened, Dian Cang will not be calm in the future.

And that was the eldest brother's son. If he hadn't been murderous first, Zhuge Ran would have been assisting him.But now it is no longer just a choice between the eldest brother's son and Dian Cang's power division.This is the hegemony that Dian Cang has been planning for decades. It is only a few steps away. But if this threshold is not passed, there will be nothing. The decades of planning have all come to nothing and have been given away.

The kid Tingguan doesn't understand. As long as he understands a little bit and doesn't ignorantly think that this is a win-losable war, he won't recruit himself back to Kunming at this time.Why are you so stupid that you don’t even know how to wait for yourself to return to class before taking action?Not only him, but also Zhen Chengxue. For some people, a steamed bun that they can get right now is enough for them to sell off the future career of their sect.

Must be more decisive.

"I plan to kill your brother." Zhuge Ran said.

Zhuge Changzhan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Your brother is still alive, even if he is deposed, there is a hidden danger. He has a righteous name, and your son will be affected when he becomes the leader in the future."

"Can't... we wait until my sister-in-law gives birth to a child before killing her?" Zhuge Changzhan asked, "Can't we help our eldest brother's child?"

Zhuge Ran shook his head: "That is more troublesome and irresponsible. It will be a problem for your son to deal with himself in the future."

Now that the establishment has been abolished, Zhuge Ran and Zhuge Changzhan are bound to become powerful ministers. Even if they return power to Tingguan's son, he and Changzhan's son will inevitably struggle for power in the future, and Diancang will be even more chaotic.

"What about mother and grandpa?"

The entire Qitian Sect must be dealt with. Should we eradicate the weeds or...

"If my eldest brother dies, my mother will definitely go crazy..." Zhuge Changzhan lowered his head and said.

And Yu Niang, this niece-in-law is very innocent.Let's send her back to the sect she came from. Fortunately, she is not pregnant, and Tingguan's neglect saved her life.

"Changzhan, it was your mother and your brother who forced your second uncle." Zhuge Ran said, "We had no choice."

Zhuge Changzhan nodded and asked in surprise: "Second uncle, you know that your eldest brother wants to kill you, why don't you lead your troops back?"

"There is a stalemate in Lengshuitan. Once the army moves, all the territory we finally gained in Hunan will be lost. Not to mention that your eldest brother is as timid as a mouse. When he heard that my army had moved, he wanted to surrender. Your grandfather and your mother I won't agree to it. I will definitely summon troops from all over the country to serve the king. A civil war will break out in Diancang. Even if we win, the great cause planned by your grandfather's generation will be over. I thought for a long time yesterday, and what I wanted to do was how to deal with this matter. You have no choice but to go back, and you can’t bring troops back, and you can’t ruin a big event just because your brother is stupid.”

"I know that hegemony is my second uncle's lifelong ambition." Zhuge Changzhan said, "But in order to win this battle, is it worth taking such a big risk?" "It's worth it." Zhuge Ran nodded decisively, with a determined expression.

To others, the deputy head of Dian Cang is already a person who is inferior to ten thousand people, but how many deputy heads have there been since the establishment of the Dian Cang sect?How many deputy heads can be remembered?A mediocre person can become the leader of Diancang even if he is as stupid as Zhuge Tingguan as long as he is born in the right person.

Unlike those who worked hard to climb to a high position, he easily got the position of deputy commander, and he was very qualified. Therefore, just being competent was so ordinary that it was not worth mentioning.

Everyone hopes that their story will be spectacular. Zhuge Ran wants to write a story and become a figure in history. Whether he is a good person or a traitor, as long as his name is worth remembering, no matter whether he is praised or reviled by others. , many years later people will say: Zhuge Ran is the most important person to change the pattern of Kunlun consensus.

Zhuge Changzhan was still worried: "The eldest brother must have set up a dragnet, and the second uncle will only use these forty horses to deal with it?"

"A dragnet? Just rely on the brains of your eldest brother, your mother, and your grandfather? It's almost enough to break a fishing net." Zhuge Ran laughed dumbly, "What can they do? Just lure them and kill them."

"Even this is dangerous!"

"I know." Zhuge Ran said, "That's why I need your help."

Zhuge Changzhan pondered for a long time, with an indescribable strange expression on his face. Zhuge Ran knew that he was hesitant and confused.This child, even if his mother and brother treated him so harshly, he didn't complain, he just avoided them.

"You can't hide forever." Zhuge Ran said, "I said, even if people understand, they still have to fight."

"There is still time." Zhuge Ran said, "Think slowly."

Zhuge Ran knew that his nephew didn't have many questions anymore, and it was time for his nephew to think.Changzhan will eventually figure it out. With his intelligence, he will know that he has no choice.Zhuge Ran moved his buttocks slightly to relieve the discomfort of sitting for a long time. It was a long journey, and there were still some offences along the way.

The next day, Zhuge Changzhan finally said: "What does the second uncle want me to do?"

"I want you to go ahead and use the post station to rush back. I will slow down the drive to delay. Before you arrive in Kunming, use my handwritten letter to summon disciples from nearby sects. I will tell you which sects to find. The number does not need to be too many. One or two thousand people will be enough, try to be as strong as possible, reorganize the army, and come after I arrive in Kunming."

"Two thousand men can't defeat Kunming!" Zhuge Changzhan exclaimed in surprise, "Not to mention that the city of Kunming is stable, the garrison alone has 2000 elite troops, not to mention the garrison!"

"Your third uncle is not dead yet, right?" Zhuge Ran said, "Your brother doesn't dare to kill him, for fear of disturbing the grass and alarming the snake."

Zhuge Changzhan nodded.

"These forty riders are just a cover." Zhuge Ran said, "I will sneak into Kunming in advance."

Zhuge Changzhan was surprised again.

"When these forty cavalry arrive in Kunming, your eldest brother will pretend to come out to greet me and set up an ambush outside the city to ambush me. He may invite your uncle's Qitianmen to help, so that your grandfather can be trusted and there will be no fear of leaks."

"Wait until your brother leaves Kunming... In fact, it doesn't matter whether your brother leaves or not. This waste is of no use. As soon as they leave the city gate, I will go to your third uncle to discuss the matter and take over the garrison for my own use. It will be easy to order the city gates to be closed and capture your brother alive." Zhuge Ran said, "Unless he bribes your third uncle, that's okay, I can always convince your third uncle."

"As for the 2000 men and horses you brought, they will be used to flank your brother's team. I guess the war will be over soon." Zhuge Ran sneered, "The team your brother led is not even a dog, at most it is a chicken. "

"Is it that simple?" Zhuge Changzhan was in disbelief, "Second uncle, you are betting on your life. There are too many eventualities..."

"Do you know what is the best way for your brother to kill me?" Zhuge Ran smiled, "Let the assassin disguise himself as a messenger and deliver a message to me, or wait for me to go back and arrange assassins in the God Emperor's Palace, or even learn from Zhou Wu , let me recite a wedding ceremony in front of your mother, and then stab me to death with a sword from behind."

"The simpler the method, the more effective it is. It can be decided in one fell swoop." Zhuge Ran said, "It's stupid to twist and turn. If he didn't ask you to come, can I guess that he has murderous intentions?"

"But it won't be easy for my second uncle to sneak into Kunming. If you are discovered, you will be alone, just like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth!" Zhuge Changzhan was still worried.

"I will act by ear. When I meet your third uncle, the matter will be settled." Zhuge Ran said slowly, "See you in Kunming in six days."

"Six days?!" Zhuge Changzhan said uneasily, "It's too late!"

"Collect as much as you can, as much as you can." Zhuge Ran said, "Don't underestimate your own prestige."

Zhuge Changzhan rode away quickly, but Zhuge Ran ordered to slow down the speed.According to his estimate, Zhuge Changzhan would have three to four days to recruit disciples, which was not a lot of money. It might be difficult to recruit 2000 people, but 1000 people should not be a problem.Zhuge Ran did not have the apparent luxury and confidence, and he was also making a thrilling gamble.

Five days later, Zhuge Ran left the forty cavalry guards and took a small road and rushed towards Kunming.He bought old fur trousers from a nearby village and wore them outside, and blended in with the crowds at the morning market.The cane and lame leg were conspicuous, so he got a baggage and hung it on the cane, carrying it like a pole, and limped toward the city gate.

It didn't attract much attention, but he heard a guard mocking him: "This short cripple looks a bit like our deputy." Zhuge Ran glanced at the joking guard and silently remembered it in his heart.

After entering the city, he just waited. He found an inn, took off his old trousers, asked for a basin of water to wash himself, and returned to his true colors.By noon, as expected, more than a hundred riders set off from Diancang Palace to escort Zhen Chengxue and Zhuge Tingguan out of the city in a mighty manner.

When the men and horses walked away, Zhuge Ran sneered and came to Dian Cang inner city.Everyone recognized him because of his unique appearance, and he also had a deputy head badge. But when they saw him arriving on foot, they were all surprised and hurriedly opened the door to greet him.He ordered not to disturb Mrs. Zhen. He always enforced his orders, who dared to disobey?
Zhuge Ran went straight to Zhuge Yiyun's study. Everything went smoothly. He was already ready to persuade Zhuge Yiyun.When he arrived at the study room of the garrison commander, he saw that the door was closed. Zhuge Ran opened the door and saw Zhuge Yiyun lying on the table and taking a nap, so he called out: "Third Uncle!"

Zhuge Yiyun didn't know whether he was too asleep or something, but he ignored him. Zhuge Ran became suspicious, and when he got closer, he saw a large pool of blood on the table.Zhuge Ran was shocked and ran forward. Zhuge Yiyun pressed his face on the table, and blood dripped down the edge of the table.

Third uncle is dead?Zhuge Ran was shocked.In this case, wouldn't all my preparations be in vain?Could it be that his plan was discovered?

Although Zhuge Ran was panicked, his head was spinning rapidly.In just a flash, I realized that there were too many unreasonable things here. Not to mention whether Zhuge Tingguan was so smart. If it was really a trap, someone should have rushed in and caught him long ago, even before entering the city. It was time to be caught.

There was a scar on Zhuge Yiyun's neck, which was a fatal injury.Seal your throat with a knife?With Third Uncle's martial arts skills, who has the ability to kill him with a single blow?

Now is not the time to think about it carefully. The plan failed and he must leave Dian Cang immediately.

No, no need to leave.Zhuge Tingguan and Zhen Chengxue were both out of the city. They must not know that they were here. If they knew, they would be able to catch them immediately as long as someone yelled.

Zhuge Yiyun was dead, but with his own power, he could still command the garrison. Together with the 2000 troops brought by Chang Zhan, it was enough to force Zhuge Tingguan to death.

Who killed Zhuge Yiyun?Zhuge Ran was about to leave when he suddenly saw a figure standing at the door. He didn't need to see the person's face clearly, he knew who it was just by the figure, and his heart suddenly sank deeply.

Everything became clear for a moment, but then fell into a deeper fog and disbelief.

"Second uncle, run away quickly. There is still time to escape from Kunming." Zhuge Changzhan stood at the door with his head lowered, as if he had done something wrong every time.

"Changzhan..." Zhuge Ran took a deep breath. Huge anger, disappointment, shock, pain and sadness surged in his heart. Zhuge Ran tapped his cane heavily.Why?He clearly personally delivered the position of head to him, why would he betray him?

"Second uncle, you are really smart. You turned the situation around by yourself." Zhuge Changzhan lowered his head, "I just tried a little bit, and third uncle agreed to help you, and everything turned out as you expected, so... I can only kill my third uncle."

"Give me a reason." Zhuge Ran said, "What are the benefits of doing this? Is it possible that you can't bear to leave your mother and your brother?"

Zhuge Changzhan shook his head: "It's not that I can't bear to leave my mother and my eldest brother. Second uncle, my eldest brother won't live long. When Yu Niang gives birth to the child, he will die. My second uncle is right, Dian Cang cannot be left to a waste." .”

Zhuge Ran's pupils suddenly shrank, he didn't expect this.

"I will be the regent of Dian Cang." Zhuge Changzhan whispered, "I want my son to be the head of the family in an upright and upright manner, not the child of an incestuous uncle and sister-in-law."

(End of this chapter)