Ji Han Liu Zhang

In the cage, the father and son Zhao Wei and Zhao Xi, who had always been pampered and pampered, put aside their noble cultivation as sons of aristocratic families. They leaned on the prison pillar and talked about the sky and the earth.

"Dad, are you telling the truth? Liu Shijun wants to let us, father and son, live." Zhao Xi's voice had an unstoppable trembling, not because of fear, but because of happiness.

Just now, his father Zhao Wei said that Liu Zhang wanted to let him and his son go. This incredible news made Zhao Xi surprised and a little unbelievable. This was really against common sense.He had never heard of anyone who could escape the punishment of ax after treason. Even if Liu Zhang was benevolent, he would at most let go of the Zhao children who followed his father and son in the rebellion. However, as the masterminds and culprits, his father and son were , how could it be possible to escape this disaster.

"Why, you can't even trust me as a father?" Faced with Zhao Xi's questioning words, Zhao Wei, a father, looked a little unhappy.

In order to settle the hesitation in Zhao Xi's heart, Zhao Wei argued: "No matter what, I have assisted Liu Shijun and his son for two generations. Even if he has no merit, he still has hard work... In addition, the former Yizhou Shepherd When he passed away, if his father hadn't made great efforts to persuade Wang Biejia to support Liu Shijun, how could Liu Shijun have been able to take the position of Yizhou Mu and take charge of the power of the state? Any meritorious deeds made can be passed down to three generations."

"Although my father did some wrong things this time, these wrong things are nothing compared to my father's achievements. Liu Shijun has to be careful not to attack our father and son."

After hearing Zhao Wei's explanation, Zhao Xi was still hesitant. He was not sure that his father and son had escaped the murder so easily. He murmured: "Even if Liu Shijun doesn't kill us, we should be punished one or two times." Bar."

Zhao Wei, as old-fashioned as ever, nodded: "What you said is right. What our father and son committed was a serious crime of treason. Although we luckily escaped death, we can avoid the death penalty but cannot escape the crime of living. You and I, father and son, All should be exiled."

When hearing the word "exile", most people tend to panic and worry, but Zhao Xi does not take it seriously, and even shows a little joy on his face: "Exile is good, exile is good, dad, where are we exiled to? Is it Nanzhong?" Or Wenshan County...Hey, actually, no matter where I am exiled, as long as I am with you, dad, it doesn't matter where I go."

Zhao Xi guessed two places of exile, one was Nanzhong, a place of miasma since ancient times. In the past, criminals from Shu were often exiled to Nanzhong, and the other was Wenshan County. It was established in the [-]s, but later it was abolished. When it was abolished, it was included under the rule of Shu County. After Liu Zhang pacified Ba County, he reset Wenshan County and used it to exile the wealthy children of Ba County who rebelled. Therefore, it is speculated that After arriving at Nanzhong, he guessed Wenshan County, because this is the style of Liu Shijun today, who likes to keep criminals close.

But the place of exile is not very important to Zhao Xi. Whether it is Nanzhong or Wenshan, as long as he can serve Zhao Wei, for him, he can go to Jiaozhi in the extreme south.

'Father is old. Zhao Xi sighed in his heart. He looked at his father Zhao Wei carefully. Zhao Wei, who had always been tall and straight, was now a little bent. His hair, which was originally more black and less white, was now too thin. Overworked, his face has become darker and whiter. There have been a few more wrinkles on Zhao Wei's face during this time, revealing a face with deep grooves.

A look of relief flashed across Zhao Wei's face, but it passed quickly, and he became as rigid as usual: "Xi'er, you have guessed the place of exile. There are places in Nanzhong and Wenshan."

"Although the child is not smart enough, he still has a brain." Zhao Xi looked happy, but when he saw that Zhao Wei suddenly looked much lower, he felt a bad feeling in his heart. He lowered his head and thought about Zhao Wei carefully. if.

After a while, Zhao Xi raised his head, with a panic look on his face, and said hesitantly: "Dad, one of them will go to Nanzhong and the other to Wenshan."

Facing the panicked Zhao Xi, Zhao Wei nodded calmly: "Go to Nanzhong for your father, and Xi'er, you go to Wenshan... Sometimes don't think about the good things, even if Liu Shijun is lenient, he wants to treat you and me as father and son." The two of them are exiled to one place, but the people under Liu Shijun's account will definitely dissuade him. If you and I, father and son, stay together, something will happen in the future to reject Liu Shijun's idea."

'One is Nanzhong and the other is Wenshan. 'Zhao Xi's ears were like a thunderbolt. He stood up and walked around the small cage, turning a deaf ear to Zhao Wei's words to educate him later.

"No, no." Zhao Xi muttered, his expression extremely panicked.

Finally, Zhao Xi calmed down. He knelt down, stretched out his hand to hold Zhao Wei, and said solemnly: "Dad, you can't go to Nanzhong. That place in Nanzhong is a place of miasma, and few people live long. Most of them die young... Wenshan County is better, it is close to Shu County, it is more or less a civilized land, and I heard that the medical craftsmen there are also very skilled. If you have any pain, brain fever, a dose of medicine will cure you. .”

"Father, you are getting old. I'm afraid you won't be able to bear it halfway to Nanzhong. My child is young and his body can still resist. It's up to me to go to Nanzhong... Tomorrow morning, my child will ask Ambassador Liu to change my child to Nanzhong. Father, go to Wenshan." After saying this, Zhao Xi was nervous and flustered, and tears flowed down unconsciously. He was worried for Zhao Wei, and his words were full of worry.

"Don't act like a daughter." Zhao Wei turned a deaf ear to Zhao Xi's filial piety. He pulled Zhao Xi's hand away and scolded him, but it was just a scolding. Then he put down his frowning eyebrows and said, Wen Yan's thoughtfulness seduces Zhao Xi.

"Xi'er, this is not something you and I can decide. Nowadays, people are killed by swords and I am fish and meat. We can just listen to Liu Shijun's arrangements... An old bone for my father, even if it is broken in Nanzhong , it’s not a pity, but as my father only has a son like you, I still want you to give me seven or eight grandchildren so as not to cut off the bloodline of my Zhao family.”

Zhao Wei raised his hand and stopped Zhao Xi who was about to say more: "It's settled, if it were you who went to Nanzhong, if anything happened, my father would live well in Wenshan County, and What's the point? There is no hope for the future... Besides, there are as many as ten thousand soldiers who followed Liu Shijun south, and not all of them have to come back. There are also many Han nobles in Nanzhong. He is still alive and well in Nanzhong, and my father is still in good health. It is only a place called Nanzhong, why not go there."

Zhao Xi nodded silently. Although his expression was still a bit unbearable, he finally agreed.There are three kinds of unfilial piety, the worst is not having an heir. The bloodline of their Zhao family cannot be cut off at the hands of their father and son.

Seeing Zhao Xi agree, Zhao Wei had a rare smile on his face. He looked at his only son with soft eyes. Although he was not good at writing or martial arts, his filial piety would be perfect. If it weren't for this time, Due to changes, maybe Zhao Xi can be promoted as Xiaolian.

Zhao Wei stretched out his hand and stroked Zhao Xi's head. Such an action was something he had never done when Zhao Xi was a little older. He mostly urged Zhao Xi to practice martial arts with a straight face and cold words, thinking about Zhao Xi. There are many achievements, but there is little warmth between father and son.

Zhao Xi accepted Zhao Wei's touch peacefully, just like a calf being licked by a cow.

"Speaking of which, my father has never made an engagement or a wife for you. He originally planned to choose a woman from an aristocratic family for you after you achieve great success, thinking that only a woman from an aristocratic family is worthy of my son, Zhao Wei. "

At this point, Zhao Wei's face flashed with bitterness, and he continued: "Forget it, let's not talk about this, Xi'er, after you arrive in Wenshan County, don't look down on the head of Guizhou because of your old status. A woman born in the family... As long as they don't dislike your status as a refugee, you will accept it... I asked Liu Shijun for your life to marry you, and Liu Shijun agreed. "

"My child knows." Zhao Xi responded solemnly. "If a grandson is born in the future, my father will be far away in Nanzhong, but he will not have the opportunity to take care of him, nor will he have the opportunity to enjoy the joy of having his grandson around his knees." Zhao Wei spoke melancholy and depressed.

"Even so, as a father and a grandfather, I have to do something for my grandson. As a father, I am incapable of doing other things, so I will decide on a name for the grandson of my Zhao family... In the past two days, As a father, I have figured it out. As long as you are alive, it is good to be safe. As for other things, don’t ask for anything else. So if a grandson comes to this world, he can be called Zhao Ping or Zhao An. With these two names, if you have another If you have many sons, just name them yourself. You have to do something, and you can’t blame everything on the father.”

Zhao Xi nodded heavily: "I understand, my eldest son, Zhao Ping, and the second son, Zhao An, are safe and sound."

The father and son talked earnestly and happily. Outside the camp, the cold wind howled and ghosts cried. Inside the camp, the lights flickered and the atmosphere was warm.

At the end of the night, Zhao Wei stood up and said goodbye to Zhao Xi: "My father asked Liu Shijun to meet with you one last time before we parted. It's almost time now, and I have said everything I need to say. It's time for my father to leave. It's not good to delay it for too long... After tomorrow, you and my father will be separated by a world, and I'm afraid we won't have the chance to meet each other for the rest of our lives."

After saying this, Zhao Wei walked to the door of the camp without looking back, and then he couldn't help but look back at Zhao Xi, and solemnly told him: "Xier, please take care of yourself and work hard to eat more." ""

"Father, you take this very seriously." Zhao Xi knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, as he respectfully sent Zhao Wei off.

Zhao Wei held back the grief in his heart, put down the tent, and blocked Zhao Xi's sight of him. Then he came to another tent under the guidance of Qingqiang Zhangba.

"How should you kill me? With a knife, an ax, or with poison." Zhao Wei spoke calmly and asked Zhang Ba, who was ten feet tall and eight inches wide in waist.

When Zhao Wei talked about using knives, axes, and poison, Zhangba shook his head and told Liu Zhang's instructions: "Ming Gong said that Zhao Zhonglang will assist the second generation and have the merits to support him." , so you should die with dignity, the sword and ax will see blood, and the face with poison will not look good... Therefore, Ming Gong issued an order to strangle you and save some dignity."

"Very kind, please come back and thank Ming Gong for me." Zhao Wei breathed a long sigh of relief, closed his eyes, and waited for the judgment to come.

Zhangba said nothing, just nodded in agreement, then he took the long piece of cloth from the soldier's hand, walked behind Zhao Wei, wrapped the cloth around Zhao Wei's neck, and then there was an ordinary man's hand on his forearm. Zhangba, who had thick thighs, exerted force in opposite directions with his hands.

Usually people will struggle before facing death, but Zhao Wei did not react at all when his neck contracted sharply and his breathing became difficult. He just clenched his fists with both hands and accepted it all calmly and accepted Liu Zhang's arrangement. The ending given to him was to accept a death that he thought he was satisfied with.

After a moment, as Zhao Wei put down his hands weakly, his pupils were dilated like a falcon, and the corneal reflection disappeared.Zhangba loosened the taut cloth, caught Zhao Wei who had fallen out of support, and placed him on the mat on the ground of the tent.

Zhangba looked at Zhao Wei's face. He was a little surprised. Zhao Wei's face was not like the dead people he had seen in the past. There were more or less traces of panic on his face. Zhao Wei's face was full of peace, as if he was not going there. To die, but to go sightseeing in the mountains and rivers in the next moment.

Shaking his head, Zhangba shook the doubts out of his mind. As a Qingqiang, he was straightforward by nature and didn't have many thoughts. He wouldn't think too much about things he couldn't think of.

After finishing off Zhao Wei, Zhangba left the camp and planned to go to the Chinese army's tent to report to Liu Zhang. However, with his big hands like cattail leaf fans, he opened the tent curtain and half-knelt down like a reflex in the next moment.

Without him, Zhangba's immediate boss Liu Zhang, wrapped in a big cloak, stood at the gate of the camp here.

"Ming Gong, we have completed the execution of General Zhao Zhonglang and returned to life." Zhang Ba, who was half kneeling, approached the standing Liu Zhang with his tall body. He reported to Liu Zhang in a loud voice.

There was no trace of joy on Liu Zhang's face. He just stood quietly. After a moment, he slowly said: "Get up. Did Zhao Zhonglang say anything before he died?"

"General Zhao Zhonglang asked me to thank Ming Gong on my behalf for making him look decent." Zhangba said Zhao Wei's last words straightforwardly without any embellishment.

"But there are others."

"Nothing else."

Liu Zhang nodded silently: "Zhangba, please go down and rest."

When Zhangba said goodbye and was about to turn around to leave, Liu Zhang stopped him: "Zhao Xi, the son of General Zhao Zhonglang, will be escorted and exiled to Wenshan County tomorrow. I'm afraid there will be something wrong with what others do... Zhangba, it's up to you." Escort Zhao Xi to Wenshan."

Liu Zhang remembered the last wish that Zhao Wei had made to him when he was watching the sunset, and added Zhang Ba: "Remember, don't mention the death of General Zhao Zhonglang in front of Zhao Xi. When you arrive in Wenshan County, someone will take care of Zhao Xi. Don't let him freeze and starve, and don't let the guards tell him the news from the outside world, don't let him know about the death of General Zhao Zhonglang... In addition, tell the guards that if Zhao Xi has any shortcomings, be careful with their heads."

"No." Zhangba responded, then strode away.

After Zhangba left, Liu Zhang opened the tent and walked in. He looked at Zhao Wei who walked into the underworld with a look of relief. After a moment, he stretched out his hand and closed Zhao Wei's eyes, letting Zhao Zhonglang Close your eyes. (End of chapter)