Chapter 43 of Volume 1: Dismounting to Ask About the Road Ahead

  In the account, Tang Guanxiao said with a smile.

  Outside the account, Chen Yunsheng walked in slowly, his face somewhat heavy.

  Entering the account, I saw no shadow of Changying, and asked: "Where is Chang's guard?"

  "Go and find out if there are any boats left," Tang Guan responded.

  Chen Yunsheng nodded, and after a long conversation with Pei Yan, he only got a brief sentence in the end.

  "Set out tomorrow, you don't need to worry about it anymore."

  Although Pei Yan said so, Chen Yunsheng was one of the victims. How could he say that he didn't care and just ignore it? He thought that after entering the capital, no matter what, he would have to take revenge on him.

  Chen Yunsheng sat down, and Tang Guan said: "Uncle Chen, when are we setting off?"

  Chen Yunsheng was deep in thought, and upon hearing this, he raised his head and said, "Tomorrow"

  "So early?" Tang Guan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

  Just as the two were talking, another person entered the room, it was Chang Ying, at this time his expression was slightly excited.

  Jin Zuan saw Chen Yunsheng and said: "The imperial historian, there is a grain transport ship that will set off for Chang'an tomorrow."

  Chen Yunsheng nodded slightly, he had already learned of this news from Pei Yan.

  Jiang Ying saw Chen Yunsheng seemingly having known something all along, realizing that he had been redundant, and sat down with a bitter smile.

  "Your Excellency, what about Liu Xun's case?" Chang Ying asked Chen Yunsheng with a hint of gritted teeth.

  Chen Yunsheng shook his head and said, "The old master said don't worry about it."

  "Ah!?! Doesn't matter?! This is a charge of treason!!" Chang Ying heard this and immediately jumped up in alarm.

  "Constantly guarding, Old Master lets us not manage, doesn't mean he doesn't care, you slightly calm down." Tang Guan said with a smile, Chen Yunsheng also looked at Tang Guan upon hearing this.

  Tang Guan stuck out his tongue and said: "I was just talking nonsense, just talking nonsense"

  Chen Yunsheng shook his head, and the gloom in his heart also eased a bit. Tang Guan's words were right, Pei Yan was the current prime minister, and since he had learned about the matter, no matter how biased it was, he wouldn't let it go unattended.

  In the army, except for the commanders, there are only two meals a day, breakfast and lunch. Fortunately, several people didn't eat until late in the afternoon, so they're not hungry now.

  Just as a few people were silent, Xia Qi pulled Tang Guan and whispered: "It's too boring, let's go out and have a look, maybe there's something fun"

  Tang Guan nodded and said: "Uncle Chen, I'll take Xiao Qi out for a walk."

  Chen Yunsheng was lost in thought and didn't respond, waving his hand and saying "Don't go too far"

  "Got it"

  Tang Guan and Xiao Qi left the tent, while Chang Ying stood up wanting to follow them.

  Chen Yunsheng asked, "Are there heavily armed guards escorting the grain ships?"

  Chang Ying heard this and was stunned on the spot.

  The officers who had been stationed here for many years naturally took the scenery of the military camp for granted, but Tang Guan Xiao Qi felt that every hour in this place was a different scene.

  It is now dusk, and the sunset has cast a golden glow over the entire military camp, with the armor also showing a rather brilliant luster.

  "No wonder they say 'cold light shines on iron armor', this sunset is no exception." Tang Guan stared at the rows of soldiers passing by, and couldn't help but think to himself.

  The two of them wandered aimlessly, turning seven times and circling eight times, looking around in all directions. They were occasionally scolded by the soldiers guarding each camp in a low voice. Tang Guan didn't argue with them either, silently pulling Xiao Qi away.

  The camp wasn't big and before long the two of them arrived at the entrance.

  There was a figure that caught Tang Guan's attention. He saw the figure mounting his horse in the distance, seemingly preparing to head elsewhere.

  But this man was actually Old General Pei Yan.

  He was just about to ride off when Tang Guan pulled Xiao Qi forward.

  Tang Guan shouted: "Old Master, where are you going?"

  Pei Yan turned his head and looked at him, slightly stunned: "Come on, get on horseback"

  Tang Guan had never ridden a horse before, and when he looked at it, he didn't know how to get on. Pei Yan saw the situation and stretched out his hand to pull him up forcefully, and Tang Guan finally clumsily climbed onto the horse.

  Then Pei Yan picked up Xiao Qi and put her behind him.

  "Hold on!"

  The Tang Emperor had just sat down when he suddenly stumbled.

  "Go!" Pei Yan slapped the horse's back with force, and in an instant, all four hooves lifted off the ground, racing straight towards the mountain top.

  Feeling the wind around him, Tang Guan involuntarily shifted his buttocks backward and leaned closer to Pei Yan's chest, afraid of falling off.

  It was his first time feeling the horse's galloping, and as they climbed uphill, their momentum gradually slowed down. A wheel of sunset appeared before his eyes.

  The horse slowly came to a stop, Pei Yan got off the horse and put Tang Guan down on the ground, leading the reins forward step by step. Xiao Qi sat on the horse in a daze, unsure of what to do.

  Tang Guan laughed and said: "Mr. Liang, you are so lucky that even the prime minister is holding your horse for you."

  Xiao Qi heard this and was delighted, although he was still a bit fuzzy about the official ranks. However, seeing that everyone seemed to be afraid of this old man, he couldn't help but feel pleased and clapped his hands, laughing: "The Prime Minister is holding my horse for me!"

  Pae In, who was standing beside them, burst out laughing. His laughter was as hearty as it had been in his youth, and the horse beside him jumped in surprise, moving several paces.

  Xiao Qi on horseback hastily hugged the horse's body, almost falling off.

  This scene of the old premier leading the horse became a dramatic and delightful story in later histories, "When the Duke of Loyalty was young, he met an old premier who led his horse as they walked. The king said: 'It is not like holding onto the premier's hand, nor is it like walking with Premier Liang. The old premier was delighted, and those seated were shocked."

  Pei Yan smiled wistfully and gazed at the setting sun, letting out a soft sigh.

  "Old master, I didn't expect you still have such elegant taste." Tang Guan looked at the rather beautiful sunset scene and walked forward with a smile.

  Pei Yan didn't say a word until Yu Hui hit him and then said: "Gobing, do you know what's ahead?"

  Tang Guan looked at the mountain afar, it was vast and boundless, except for flying birds and forest rocks, nothing else could be seen.

  Xiao Qi said: "There is a big worm ahead"

  "Oh? Big worm?" Pei Yan's interest was piqued as he looked at Xiao Qi.

  Xiao Qi scratched her head and pointed at a cloud in the sky that looked like a burning cloud, saying: "Look, doesn't that look like a big bug?"

  "Haha, you're as innocent as my child was when he was young." Pei Yan smiled upon hearing this. As a parent himself, he had also experienced the joy of having children and grandchildren full of vitality and liveliness.

  It's like this year's Chinese New Year has passed, and the current ruler has a unspeakable sense of desolation under the sunset.

  Tang Guan gazed at Pei Yan's desolate back, also feeling a sense of melancholy. As people age, he had steeled himself to attain the status of a superior being, but now that he had truly become one, Pei Yan's expression didn't seem particularly joyful either.

  What is a superior person? His grandfather told him that a man of letters has an arrogant bone, which is a superior person. Until now, Tang Guan still doesn't understand what the arrogant bone is.

  Is it just like Pei Yan in front of you, who refused to yield to others and ended up dying miserably, being arrested and implicating a large group of people?

  In his view, Pei Yan was someone who would not die if he did not seek death himself. Despite having many opportunities to choose otherwise, he ended up being imprisoned, with all the officials in the imperial court pleading for leniency on his behalf.

  Tang Guan only then realized that the change was not just Pei Yan, but also Cheng Wuti, a famous general who guarded the border and intimidated the Turks, Liu Jingxian, the prime minister of the current dynasty with Pei Yan, and Guo Shihui...

  Throughout history, the case of Pei Yan's imprisonment was one where all officials who pleaded for leniency ended in a tragic fate. However, this cannot be used to prove that they were not good officials. These names make Tang Guan choke with rage, and he can't even think of how those treacherous and sycophantic titles came about.

  Cheng Wu was wrongly accused by the cruel official and died a miserable death because he pleaded for Pei Yan. After his death, the Turks held a grand banquet to celebrate. Such a loud slap in the face could not stop that woman's crazy footsteps. She led the empire step by step to its heyday, but after she was gone, the empire prospered extremely and then declined. The prosperous era of Kaiyuan seemed to be her brief glory.

  "This woman is really terrifying" Tang Guan couldn't help but mutter to himself.

  Pei Yan's eyelids moved slightly, it was unclear whether he had heard or not.

  "After a long time, he said: 'Go to the disease, in front of you is the road you want to take, and it's also the battlefield where my comrades-in-arms killed each other. What Luo Guang said was right, but for the common people, there is no right or wrong.'"

  Pei Yan didn't even look at Tang Guan, and spoke to him with his back turned. Xiao Qi was making faces and winking at Tang Guan on horseback, but upon hearing this, he was taken aback.

  "Old fellow, is the Chang'an Road easy to walk?"

  "It's okay to go, but also not okay to go"

  "Old fellow, how long have you been walking on Chang'an Road?"

  Half a lifetime

  "What about the rest of your life?"

  Yu Hui was gone, and the sky darkened, Pei Yan turned his head and said: "On horseback"

  He finished speaking and led the horse, picked up Tang Guan, put him on the horse, and then got on the horse himself.

  The two men didn't say much, and Pei Yan also didn't regard Tang Guan as a child. A few simple responses made Tang Guan's heart skip a beat. He turned his head to glance back at the rear of the horse, letting out a soft sigh.

  They went down the mountain very quickly and soon returned to the camp. Pei Yan sent the two into the tent, looked at Chen Yunsheng and said: "Yunsheng, follow me out"

  Chen Yunsheng responded with a "yes" and stood up to follow Pei Yan out of the tent.

  Pei Yan took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Chen Yunsheng, saying: "When you go to Chang'an, hand over the letter to Empress Tian, say it's written by me, and don't open it on the way."

  Chen Yunsheng's eyelid twitched and he nodded. Pei Yan saw this and said, "Let's go back, tomorrow morning someone will send you to the dock."

  "Old master, when can this battle be finished?" Chen Yousheng took over the letter, carefully put it in his bosom and asked.

  "To want victory, it can be won in three days; but to want to convince others, it may take another three years."

  "Ah!" Chen Yunsheng exclaimed, some of the monks were confused.

  Pei Yan had already walked away with his hands behind his back, while Chen Yunsheng stood there for a long time, until a gust of cold wind blew by, and he shrank his neck and returned to the tent.

  Pei Yan walked back to his tent with his hands behind him and gently tapped on the table.

  The two guards outside the door slightly moved their ears and turned into the account.

  No one knows that Pei Yan's two guards in front of his account are actually his most trusted confidants in the camp.

  Pei Yan threw the letter of promise on the case in front of the two people.

  The two men exchanged a glance, and one of them picked it up without even looking at it and said, "Sir, it can't be done."

  Pei Yan let out a soft sigh and remained silent, while the two guards also bowed their heads and dared not speak.

  After a long time, Pei Yan finally said: "Who am I?"

  The two of them looked at each other and glanced at Pei Yan, then stopped talking. They held the letter in their hands and left the tent directly.

  Pei Yan lit the oil lamp on the table and, as usual, carefully picked up the official documents on the table.

  At the same time, a team of soldiers quietly left the camp, led by the two guards in front of the tent.

  The men following behind were all robust, with bright and colorful clothing, and the armor on their bodies was also different from the ordinary brave warriors. There were even patterns of fierce cows, and at their waists, they wore a ring-shaped knife with an unusual shape. If Chang Ying were here, he would definitely exclaim: "The Imperial Thousand Bull Guard!"

  They rode off in a cloud of dust, and the direction they were heading was none other than Hangzhou!