Harue Kagetsu

Gao's house is not far from Taicheng. Enter the West Gate, cross the Imperial Street, and it is near the Zhuque Gate in the south of the Imperial City.

Gao Qiao returned earlier than usual today, but there were also several visitor cars parked in front of the house.

Luoshen waited until everyone was gone before entering the study. Seeing that my father had changed into a green robe and a towel, sitting behind the case, he was writing with his head down, coughing twice from time to time.

Father is a famous handsome man. When he was young, his face was as beautiful as jade, with sword-like eyebrows and phoenix eyes. When he was older, he had a flowing black beard. His elegant demeanor was unforgettable.

Luoshen heard that there was a time when his father went out to observe the feelings of the people. When I went to Yangqu County, I learned that many peasant women in the county took advantage of the slack to weave the summer brown cloth for sale because of the lack of harvest that year, and the cloth merchants in the city deliberately took the opportunity to lower the price. . After returning to the city, he was cut into a wide dress, and he wore it and sat in a bullock cart, swaying through the market, fluttering. Passersby thought it was beautiful and envied them very much. Men, regardless of whether they were scholars or commoners, followed suit. Within a few days, there was nowhere to buy the brown cloth that was originally unpopular, and the price skyrocketed.

The so-called celebrity style, in him, can be said to be reflected most vividly.

It's just that in the past few years, my father has lost a lot of weight, and sporadic white hair has grown on his temples early, but even so, he is still bright and clear, and his bearing is good.

Luoshen called Aye, came to Gao Qiao's side, straightened up, knelt down and sat down.

After the turbulent state affairs last year, she noticed that her father was very anxious, and in front of him, she always tried her best to look like an adult.

"Aye, do you want me to help you?"

Gao Qiao held the post of prime minister with the decree of Zhongshu. In the government office of Taicheng, there are clerical assistants of their own. But over the past year, due to turbulent state affairs, frequent wars, and laborious food has become the norm. For convenience, the study at home is also set up as a place for discussion.

Luoshen has been free to go into and out of his study since he was a child.

Gao Qiao smiled and said, "Aye has nothing to do here today. If you go to rest, you don't need to stay with Aye."

"Today I went to my mother's place."

After Luoshen finished speaking, he secretly paid attention to his father's expression and paused slightly when he saw his writing hand: "Why don't you stay for a few more days and then go back to the city?"

"Auntie heard that you were sick, so she urged me to come back, and told me to be obedient and stay with Aye."

Luoshen said nonsense with a serious face.

Gao Qiao said nothing.

"Auntie also specially sent Mammy Ju and I back to the city, just to take care of Aye's body, so that Aye can get better sooner. Mamma just wanted to come to worship Aye, but it was inconvenient to come here because she saw someone in front of you. I went to make medicine for Aye first. If Aye doesn't believe it, ask her when Mamma comes!"

Gao Qiao smiled slightly: "Aye's illness doesn't matter. If you don't want Aju to accompany you, you should ask her to go back to serve your mother."

"Aye! It's really A-Niang who asked Grandma Ju to come back to take care of you! A-Niang herself should also want to go back. Aye, someday you will pick A-Niang back to the city, okay-"

Luoshen was a little anxious, put his hands on the table, and straightened up.

Gao Qiao coughed slightly.

"Okay...Okay...let's talk about it after a while..."

"Aye, you have to remember it! Don't be afraid! A-Niang is hard-mouthed and soft-hearted. If you dare not go alone, I will accompany you. If A-Niang doesn't come back with you, I will cry to her! I'm crying softly!"

Unconsciously, the little girlish attitude she had hidden just now was revealed in front of her father again.

Gao Qiao smiled wryly.

For this only daughter, he really loves him to the core, and he just wants to make her a happy and carefree life.

He answered vaguely a few times, suddenly remembered something, and raised his eyebrows.

"Ami, there is good news from Jiaozhou today. The chaos in Lin Yiguo has been settled. In a few days, Yi'an will be able to return."

During the civil strife in Linyi this time, Lu Jianzhi was the one sent by the imperial court to lead troops to help King Linyi to pacify the chaos.

The ancestors of the two Gaolu families had a good relationship, and after the southward crossing, they were also one of the leading overseas Chinese surnames in the world, and they intermarryed each other.

Luoshen and Lu Xiurong, the daughter of the Lu family, are close friends who have played together since childhood, and they have known Lu Xiurong's eldest brother Lu Jianzhi since childhood.

Lu Jianzhi was not only regarded by the Lu family as the successor of the family among the younger generation, but also as a leader among the children of the Jiankang clan.

Luoshen knew from the time he was sensible that the two wanted to marry.

Her parents have always regarded Lu Jianzhi as her best support for the rest of her life. The Lu family is also ready to marry Gao's daughter.

Last year, after she had a wedding ceremony, the two decided to propose a marriage.

If it weren't for the sudden news of the war in the north and the rebellion of King Linchuan, the two should have already engaged in a marriage at this time.

Luoshen has followed Lu Xiurong to call Lu Jianzhi his brother since he was a child. Every time he thinks of him, his heart feels warm.

In the future, she was married to the Lu family. For her, it was just like changing the house she lived in. She was still surrounded by people she had known since childhood, and she felt very at ease.

As she grew up, she, who was originally carefree, also began to know people.

She began to worry about her parents. For more than half a year, she had been thinking about her cousins ​​Gao Huan and Lu Jianzhi who were away. She had been hoping that the war would end sooner and that they would return safely as soon as possible.

Suddenly hearing this news, one of the concerns finally came to an end, and Luo Shen couldn't help showing a smile on his face.

"When Aye is free, I will discuss the marriage with the Lu family, okay?"

Gao Qiao teased his daughter.

"Aye! I won't marry!"

Luoshen blushed, full of the shyness of his little daughter.

Gao Qiao looked at her and smiled without saying a word.

Luo Shen's face turned even redder.

"Don't tell Aye! I'll take a look at Mamma Ju's medicine!"

She quickly got up from the couch and walked out.

Gao Qiao looked at the slender back of her daughter with a smile.

In the bottom of my heart, although I am very reluctant to let my daughter marry, this day will come sooner or later.

It is impossible to keep her by her side forever.

Fortunately, Lu Jianzhi is impeccable in character, appearance, or talent.

Entrusting the rest of her daughter's life to him can be considered a peace of mind.

Luoshen still had residual heat on his face, so he walked to the door of the study, and he saw Uncle Ah Qi holding a letter in his hand, rushing in, looking anxious.

Uncle Ah Qi is an old man of the Gao family. He is experienced and experienced. He rarely looks like this on weekdays. Before he got to the door, he shouted loudly: "Xianggong, it's not good! Xu Situ just sent a message urgently, Liu Lang has an accident. It's gone!"

While he was talking, the person had already rushed in and handed over the letter.

Liulang is the family name for Luoshen's cousin Gao Huan.

Luo Shen was taken aback, stopped, turned around, saw that his father had quickly got up from the couch, took the letter, opened it, and glanced at it, his face changed greatly.

"Aye, what's wrong with Adi?"

Luo Shen asked. Seeing that his father was silent, he immediately turned back and snatched the letter from his hand.

The letter was written by Taiwei Xu Mi, the father of Empress Xu of the dynasty.

In the letter, Xu Mi said that since he led the army to suppress the rebellion for the imperial court last year, he has done his best and fortunately did not disgrace his life. The rebels of King Linchuan have now retreated all the way, and have retreated to Luling, where they are stubbornly resisting, and the rebellion is just around the corner.

Just when the situation was good, an accident happened.

The day before the letter, the rebels secretly assembled, and they attacked Anseong County, which had been retaken by the imperial army.

At that time, Gao Huan was in the city. Due to the lack of guards and the sudden incident, the rescue was not in time, and the city fell.

When he broke through, he was unfortunately captured by the rebels.

King Linchuan knew that he was a son of the Gao clan, and threatened him, saying that he would exchange his life for Yuzhang City. If not, they will take him to the front to sacrifice the flag to strengthen the army.

In the letter, Xu Mi apologized to Gao Qiao with tears, saying that she was responsible for Gao Qiao's previous trust. If Gao Huan could be rescued, he would have spared no expense. It's just that this matter is of great importance, and I dare not make an assertion, so I specially sent an urgent report, asking Gao Qiao to make a decision.

Luoshen was stunned, the letter fell from his hand and fell to the ground.

Gao Huan is one year younger than Luoshen, the only son of Luoshen's late third uncle. Gao Qiao regarded this nephew as a parent-child upbringing. He and Luo Shen grew up together, and the two had a very good relationship.

Jiankang's younger generation of gentry children are more smeared and powdered, and their bodies are not diligent. Many people are afraid of even riding horses, and even fewer volunteers to join the army.

Gao Huan is different. Last year, when the news of the northern war came, Luo Shen's uncle Gao Yun took his cousin Gao Yin to go to Guangling in Jiangbei to prepare for the war, and he also asked to go with him. On the grounds that he was still young, Gao Qiao did not allow him to cross the river, so he was forcibly left behind.

Unexpectedly, King Linchuan's rebellion broke out. He left an impassioned letter of departure, and he left without saying goodbye. He went south and went to Xu Mi, asking to join the war to pacify the chaos.

Xu Mi wrote to Gao Qiao at that time, saying that he did not want to take him in, but Gao Huan insisted not to return to Jiankang.

Gao Qiao had no choice but to ask Xu Mi to take care of him. Xu Mi also agreed, and Dao sent him to the rear to supervise the transportation of food and grass.

Never imagined that such a thing would happen today.

Luoshen looked at his father and saw that he frowned, standing there with a dignified figure.

Over the past year, because she often helped her father with some clerical work in the study, she gradually learned about the situation of the Linchuan War.

King Linchuan had been planning for many years, and at the beginning of the rebellion, he captured Yuzhang with lightning speed.

Yuzhang is not only geographically important, it is the intersection of the Gan River and the Yang River, and Poyang, a land of fish and rice in the north, is like a natural grain depot.

It was precisely because of the occupation of Yuzhang that the rebels had confidence, and the court's suppression of the rebellion was often unsuccessful at first. After several fierce battles with heavy casualties, Yuzhang was finally recaptured from the rebels a few months ago.

"Aye, you must save Adi!"

She rushed up, clutched her father's sleeve tightly, and begged in a trembling voice.

Several uncles in the clan came after hearing the news.

That night, the lights in my father's study stayed on all night.

The voices of fierce arguments could be heard faintly from time to time.

Luoshen stayed up all night.

At the fourth watch, the sky was still dark, before she came to her father's study.

The uncles have all left, and the study is empty, with only one light, accompanied by the thin figure of his father.

He stood in front of Xuan Chuang, his back was motionless and extremely heavy, and even Luoshen approached, he didn't even notice it.

"Aye..."

Luo Shen called him in a trembling voice.

After a long while, the father slowly turned his head, his eyes were bloodshot, his face was haggard, and his expression was bleak.

It's only been one night, and he looks a lot older.

"Aye-"

Luoshen couldn't hold it any longer, and tears were streaming down his face.

She already knew her father's final decision.

…

Although the situation in Linyi in the southwest has stabilized, the pressure on the court has not eased in the slightest.

According to the news from Jiangbei spies, Beixia intends to invade the south this time, and it is bound to win. It is rumored that there are millions of people in the army.

And Dayu, lacking in its strength, could only recruit 300,000 soldiers at most.

300,000 soldiers and horses would require three times the supply of millions of people.

The Book of Duzhi reported that Dayu's state treasury was only enough to support the north, and the imperial court must end the rebellion as soon as possible, so as to concentrate on the battle from the north, which is related to the country's fortunes.

…

"Ami, don't hate Aye. It's not that Aye doesn't want to save your brother. Aye can't do anything. If Yuzhang loses again, the civil strife will not be peaceful.

With a hoarse voice and tears in his eyes, Gao Qiao explained his final decision to his daughter over and over again.

"Aye!"

She doesn't hate Aye's ruthlessness.

She only hated that the world was not peaceful, why wars were always one after another, and there was no peaceful day.

Because of the war, the country was weak and the people were poor, and the father was exhausted and exhausted, and he was not happy all day long.

Because of the war, the dreams and ambitions of young noblemen like Adi who dream of making achievements are nourished.

It was also because of the war that for the first time in her life, she had tasted the death of her relatives.

She cried so hard that she was finally exhausted. She fell asleep in her father's arms. When she woke up the next day, she had a headache and was unable to get up.

Luoshen stayed up all night and lay in bed for three days. Even Xiao Yongjia, who had not returned to the city for several years, rushed back after hearing the news and took care of her day and night.

Early in the morning on the fourth day, when she was groggy, she was shocked by another news.

Brother was rescued!

When he was about to fight, a low-level military attache in the army actually broke into the front of King Linchuan's battle alone, and rescued her brother.

The military attache's name is Li Mu.