This single platform in the north of Xiangguo City was originally built by the prince Shi Di in order to resist the ban of the lord, so the pattern structure is quite grand, far better than the old platform in the Jiande Palace. Of course, because the power of Shi Di was seized, the construction of the pavilion was not smooth, and according to the current situation, the possibility of being rebuilt in the future is very small.

But even so, the part that has been built alone is more than enough to accommodate the 5,000 reinforcements from Xindu. Shi Zun personally led Shi Min and the others here, and here there were already various tribes of Xiangguo who had prepared meals and accommodation in advance. These nobles and elders are all weak-hearted, and they don't dare to be stingy at this time in order to avoid being harassed.

Shi Min and the others ran all the way, and it was indeed hard, so they would naturally not be polite at this time, and the follow-up soldiers arrived and stayed overnight, and when all the five thousand soldiers arrived here, the sky was already bright.

Because Shi Zunyan said that the crisis in Xiangguo had been resolved, and the remaining troops in Xiangguo were also pursuing and suppressing the Jin army, Shi Min was no longer in a hurry to use troops, and simply ordered the soldiers to rest and recuperate temporarily. After all, from Xindu all the way to this place day and night, it is indeed a tiring man, and it is the proper meaning to rest in Xiangguo's small work.

In this process, Shi Zunze has been here to accompany him, and his attitude is very attentive. Although Shi Min also felt this, he didn't bother to think about it, and after Xiao Zuo explained, he also undressed and went to sleep.

Sleeping until mid-day, although it is only two or three hours, for the experienced generals who have been in the Rong Brigade for a long time, it is enough to recuperate their physical strength and sweep away their fatigue.

When Shi Min entered the temporary residence, he saw that Shi Zun was still here, and he was not arrogant at all, and he was personally commanding the soldiers to prepare materials for the war horses.

If you are courteous to others, you must ask for something, no matter how disagreeable Shi Min is, she naturally can't completely ignore Shi Zun's goodwill at this time. He stepped forward and gestured: "For such chores, the army has its own duties to take on, and Your Highness really doesn't have to work hard yourself." ”

"I was born in the world's first heroic portal, but I have never known much about military affairs, and I am really ashamed to talk about it."

Hearing Shi Min's words, Shi Zun turned his head and sighed and said, "In the past, my father and brother were both heroic, and I could raise the forbidden garden in peace, regardless of the chaos of the world. But this time it was inside the door of the court of disaster, and seeing all the arrogance of the southern thieves, I realized how rare it was to enjoy many ordinary things in previous years, and I felt even more guilty for the inaction of previous years. ”

Shi Zun's words did come from the bottom of his heart. Although the turmoil in Xiangguo did not last long, it had a huge impact on his whole person, especially when he saw the ugly appearance of his brother Shi Di, who was invincible in front of him in the past, but even so, Shi Di still dared to draw a knife at every turn to intimidate and even really show murderous intent to him.

All kinds of piles and piles made Shi Zun deeply realize that the living must not be without power in the world, otherwise no matter how vain and respectful he is, when the real disaster comes, he can only let people eat him.

It was precisely because of this realization that he behaved so actively during this period and began to really attach importance to the management of his own forces. Previously, Xiangcheng Gongshi Shigui and others also showed their attachment to him through various hints.

To be honest, Shi Zun didn't look down on Shi Shigui and the others, whether it was because they were snubbed and idle by the lord before, or because of their clumsy performance in the turmoil in Xiangguo later.

But Shi Zun also understands that as a prince who is not very eye-catching, the only one who can be trusted is that the identity of this concubine is already shaky, and it is difficult for him to win over really powerful ministers to help him, and he usually doesn't even have the opportunity to contact those powerful people.

As for this time, Shi Min led the crowd to return to China, which was a rare opportunity for Shi Zun. Although strictly speaking, Shi Min, a fake relative who has been adopted in the family since childhood, is actually not a powerful faction, but just a young strong general under the command of the Lord. In fact, there are many such characters under the command of the Lord.

But this is also a suitable choice for Shi Zun, a prince who is not very powerful, because if Shi Min's position is more prominent, Shi Zun will not be able to impress the other party at all.

When Shi Min stepped forward, Shi Zun walked over and took his hand and said with a smile: "Actually, I and the thorn slave are also old acquaintances, even if we are friends regardless of kinship, we can be called friends in cloth." Now that you are following the Lord, your name has already shaken Heshuo, but I am still just a lazy idler in the garden, and I am afraid that I will be annoyed by my deeds......

Shi Min was not used to Shi Zun's intimate posture, although he was not flattered, but he still clenched his fists and bowed his head: "The last general is just a martial artist, fortunately the lord loves to promote, it is really difficult to be so courteous to His Royal Highness." ”

"If the courtesy is too polite, it is fake, not to mention that others are just saying, thorn slave, you are a hero raised by my family, between us, why be polite."

Shi Zun said with a smile again, in previous years, he was just because his brother Shi Di was too eye-catching in front of him, and it was difficult for him to make any small moves, but it didn't mean that he didn't understand the world at all and didn't understand the truth of dealing with people. Because of his ability to keep quiet, he seems to be more deferential and amiable than the other brothers.

Sure enough, after receiving Shi Zun's repeated overtures, Shi Min's posture gradually eased, but he didn't dare to forget the affairs of this trip, and said: "The king's life is heavy, don't dare to slack off, and ask His Royal Highness to guide the last general to enter the garden to worship Her Majesty the Queen, and listen to the thieves all kinds of things, and ask the thieves as soon as possible." ”

Shi Zun came forward to receive reinforcements, and Shi Min was still second, and the main intention was to prevent his people from entering the palace too early to meet the queen. Therefore, after hearing Shi Min say this, his face changed slightly, and then he sighed: "The queen mother is already frail and sick, and after being disturbed by this, she is already sick and bedridden, and she can't be summoned immediately, but she is not slower than you." ”

"In that case, please forgive Her Majesty that you will not be able to hold the worship ceremony."

After a pause, Shi Min said again: "It's just that the military situation is like fire, and it can't be delayed." May I ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the King to lead the army, but you have time to meet at this time? ”

"The capital is in turmoil, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is staying in the prison country, and he is also busy chasing and pacifying at the moment, I have sent an envoy to report, as for when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be free, but I can't decide."

Shi Zun said with a bitter face: "As for the leader Wang Lang, hey, if it weren't for his faintness and exhaustion of the country, the national capital would not have ......caused disaster this time."

When Shi Min heard this, no matter how dull he was, he realized the strangeness of the situation in Xiangguo. The queen didn't want to see him, and the prince didn't want to see him, as for Wang Lang, the henchman arranged by the lord in Xiangguo, since Shi Zun said so, the situation must be not good.

"The last general will lead his troops back to the country, only according to the order of the lord to fight against the thieves, since the danger of Xiangguo has been lifted, it is useless to stay for a long time, or to pursue the thief army first."

Shi Min stepped forward, his palm faintly resting on the war knife in his crotch, and said in a deep voice: "Please also ask Your Highness to send a messenger to convey this king's order a little, and then ask the city to prepare some weapons for the army, and inform the thieves in detail, and the last general will immediately lead his troops to attack." ”

Shi Zun's demeanor was calm, as if he didn't notice Shi Min's implicit threatening attitude, but stepped forward and patted Shi Min on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Sure enough, when the wind and rain come, only your own pillar stone can be relied on." If the internal and external ministers appointed by the Lord before were as loyal and brave as the generals, then what trouble would the society have! As for the general's request, it is all due, and I have sent someone back to the city early in the morning to start playing. But it also takes time to raise and dispatch, and during this time, I, the wicked guest, will still be bothered and stay here, and I hope that the thorn slave will not get bored. ”

Shi Zun's words and attitude made Shi Min unable to find a chance to continue to make trouble, and he could only temporarily press down all kinds of doubts and irritability, and leave under the pretext of inspecting the camp, but he arranged for people to enter the city to investigate, and at the same time arranged fast horses, ready to report to Xindu at any time the strange things of Xiangguo.

When Shi Min returned again, he saw Shi Zun'an sitting in the seat, his expression was calm and calm, and he was not cramped and panicked as a hostage, which made Shi Min a little puzzled, I don't know if he was too sensitive, or if this Boling Duke had an unknown Yajing endowment.

Having a quick glance outside the city before, Shi Min had already seen the dilapidated state of Xiangguo, especially the direction of the palace, which was by no means as simple as Shi Zun said. He was impatient to continue to go around in circles at this time, so he simply said directly: "Fortunately, His Royal Highness looks at him personally, and the last general has the courage to ask, is Wang Lingjun still alive at this time?" ”

This question is a bit impulsive, but it also goes straight to the point. It must be known that in the entire Xiangguo City, Wang Lang, the leader of the army, can be regarded as the person who is truly trusted by the lord Shi Hu, and Shi Min, as the leader of the reinforcements sent by Shi Hu, should naturally be Wang Lang who needs to be contacted first. If Wang Lang has any mistakes, no matter what the reason is, at least it means that the current Xiangguo is no longer controlled by the Lord to some extent.

"Wang Lang is dead."

Shi Zun did not hide this, Shi Shigui's old guy directly killed Wang Lang in front of everyone, which directly caused the collapse of the Praetorian Guard, and also made the strength insufficient later, and was humiliated by the two hundred cavalry of the Jin Military Region and thousands of chaotic people blocking the gate of Jiande Palace, such a big turmoil, there is no way to hide it.

If it weren't for Shi Min's return too quickly, even if it was a day at night, he would have learned about it through hearsay, so there was no need to hide it at all.

When Shi Min heard this, his eyes flashed, and there was already a hidden fierce light circulating, and he said calmly: "Since this is the case, then please ask Your Highness to stay in the army for the time being, and please also tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince again, please raise and deliver supplies before nightfall." The military order is urgent, there is no time to stay for a long time, if there is no gain at that time, or there is rudeness, enter the city to take it for yourself, I hope to forgive me. ”

"Why wait, the thorn slave has naturally sensed that the situation is not right, why not send troops directly at this time? If you wait any longer for nightfall, the city will have its own precautions, and it is better to take it directly. ”

Hearing Shi Zun say this, Shi Min's face became even colder, and he simply pulled out the knife and put it on the case: "Does Your Highness want to find out if I am brave or not?" As soon as the army moves, human lives are not counted, and we and our guards are only instructed by the orders of the Lord, and whoever is on the battle array is just waiting to mow the weeds! ”

Even if Shi Zun has no shortage of bamboo in his chest, when Shi Min, a fierce warrior on the battlefield, undisguised his murderous aura was revealed, he also became a little unnatural, his gaze retracted at the touch of the blade of the sword, and then forced a smile: "I am willing to go into this, and all kinds of prefaces, why do you bother to see me as an enemy?" Besides, I am just a weak idler, and my courage is not as good as that of a small man, and all I can rely on is to pass on the blood and bones of the Lord. If you kill me, I can't stop me, but if you can listen to me quietly, you and I can go forward hand in hand. ”

When Shi Min heard this, his brows furrowed deeply, he withdrew the war knife, and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness is the lord's descendant to pass on the blood and bones, how can you kill or injure?" The last general is stupid, only knowledgeable, loyal and brave, afraid of lack of strategy. ”

Having said that, he did not leave immediately, but sat in the room, putting on an attitude of personally monitoring Shi Zun.

Seeing this, Shi Zun's heart was slightly calm, and he understood that this person was not completely interested in his plan as he said, but he was just pressuring with this unwilling attitude.

In fact, for me, it is more self-help, but for you, it is a rare opportunity to make progress. You are conceited of the Lord's favor, and I am the blood of the Lord, how can the rebellion come from between you and me? ”

Shi Zun continued to say slowly: "This time the Xiangguo disaster, as seen by the thorn slave, is indeed a lot of monsters. There are all kinds of obscurities, and to be honest, even I, who is in the middle of it, can't see a lot of it. Even though the enemy has left the country, there are still many hidden dangers. Thorn slave, you don't want to get involved in this, but take the king's life first, that's right. In the capital, a pool of turbid water, recklessly entered here, even if you did not drown in it, the stench around your body was inevitable. ”

When Shi Min heard this, he took a deep look at Shi Zun again, and his eyes paid more attention than before. This is indeed what he is talking about, he has a large army here, looking at a ruined Xiangguo, so what deadline to give, etc., not that he is worried about the people in the city, but he is not clear about the key, once the army enters, or will inevitably bear the notoriety of killing the prince.

Shi Min has been following the Lord all the year round, and naturally knows that the Lord's many dissatisfaction with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is about to explode, but this is not the reason why he cleans the house on behalf of the Lord. At least when he led the army back to help, the lord did not have a clear order to tell him that he could directly be imprisoned or even besieged and killed by the prince. But once the prince has any drastic moves, it is not up to Shi Min to decide whether to kill the other party or not.

"Pingyuan Gong was supposed to supervise the war in southern Hebei, but he led his troops back to the country, and there was no lack of haste in his deeds, and he didn't even dare to stay in Duyi after that, and went straight to Xiangguo. As for the people who attacked Xiangguo, they came after the footprints of Pingyuan Gong. The war situation in southern Hebei, I'm afraid there has been a big reversal, right? ”

Shi Zun looked at Shi Min and continued. Although Shi Min didn't answer, his eyes suddenly froze, which naturally made him more sure of his guess.

"Then I want to ask, the defeat of the southern Hebei army, the chaos of Xiangguo, the many dangers of the state, and many of the lord's beloved sons are involved in it, even if the general you ride and sweep and make great achievements, can you get enough rewards for the reward?"

Without waiting for Shi Min to answer, Shi Zun had already smiled and shook his head: "I'm afraid I can't!" After that, in the country, whether the merit advances or not, is not in the battle array, but in the sons of our highnesses to advance and retreat with waste. I'm not trying to dissuade you from being faithful to the king, but even if you have great courage, why spend it extravagantly? You are fighting in the border field, and the corpse in the country is speculative, even if the general can boast of being worthy of the king's grace, but the people under his command may have the same heart and no resentment? ”

When Shi Min heard this, he was even more silent, and even lowered his head. He didn't think of this section, but he got Shi Zun's reminder and understood that this was true, and there have been various state affairs in recent times, among which the most powerful princes like Prince Shi Di and Pingyuan Gong Shi Xuan are deeply involved, and Shi Zun is not clear but Shi Min knows, that is, Bohai Gong Shi Tao has died in Henan.

Therefore, it is conceivable that there will be a major adjustment in the country in the future, as Shi Zun said, it is absolutely not impossible for those who fight hard to succeed and those who are in the position of corpses move high.

However, when Shi Zun said this, Shi Min always felt a little weird, after all, this Sheji belonged to his family, and the children of the family actually advised the subjects not to be too loyal to the king.

But I also have to say that after Shi Zun said this, Shi Min was really not as eager to pursue the enemy as before. It is not that he has any cowardly thoughts of war, or that he thinks that he will have a great chance of staying in the country, but he understands the most simple truth, that is, when this storm is in turmoil, merit may not be rewarded, and if it is excessive, there will be punishment.

Don't seek merit, but seek no fault, this is the safest way to protect yourself at this time. If anyone behaves too out-of-the-box and attracts too much attention, it will definitely be a crisis.

But then Shi Min couldn't help but feel melancholy, right now, even if he wants to protect himself, it is difficult, he took the lead in leading his troops to return to help, if he does nothing, when the lord returns to the south, what kind of good face will he give him?

When it comes to his own vital interests, Shi Min can no longer maintain the indifference he had before, and after a little hesitation, he still spoke: "The Lord ordered me to go south to chase the enemy, clear the county, and drive the order eagerly, how dare I slack off......"

After hearing this, Shi Zun smiled slightly: "At present, the country is in trouble, and the internal troubles are far greater than the external disturbances. For example, in the current misfortune of Xiangguo, the enemy who committed the border is only a few hundred thousand, but it can cause the most harm to our country, is it really just the southern thief who can fight bravely, and the heavenly soldiers come into the world? It is nothing more than a deep internal disturbance, each of which acts as a constraint to give the enemy a good opportunity to take advantage of. ”

"If it is a crowd of hundreds and thousands, even if they are wiped out, it is not enough to boast of merit, and besides, the southerners are so powerful that they may not allow me to come and go calmly. The internal troubles are not quiet, and thousands of people will come soon, and then they will be disturbed by internal and external disturbances, and they will not be able to calmly respond to the enemy. The Lord has been in charge of state affairs for a long time, can you still not see clearly the trade-off? ”

Shi Min frowned and said, "Why did Your Highness teach me, you might as well speak up." ”

"At present, Xiangguo, although the external troubles have receded, but still the internal traitors are marked, if the current situation is worried, the reinforcements are even more afraid to ignore and lightly pursue and kill the weak enemy, it is appropriate to repair the palace ban, calm down the people, and wait for the lord to return to the town."

This is the second time that Shi Zun has promised the entire city of Xiangguo to others, and the first time before, because of rustiness, he had to pretend to be the queen's edict, but now he is much more proficient.

After hearing this, Shi Min frowned and said, "The Lord has no such life...... What's more, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? And Wang Lingjun, why did he suffer? ”

Seeing that although Shi Min was still hesitant, he did not veto, Shi Zun continued: "The prince is powerless to supervise the country, and the army is incompetent to defend the city, and the conclusive facts are in front of him, what is there to argue about? As for the cause of the leader's death, in any case, his person bears the favor of the Lord, and Xiangguo is in his hands, and he can't protect himself, no matter how he says it, it is a crime to the country, and he is innocent of death! ”

When Shi Min heard this, his heart couldn't help but froze, and his eyes looking at Shi Zun couldn't help but be more solemn. Xiangguo is in such a strange situation, it can be said that Wang Lang's death must have grievances, but if Shi Zun says so, it will completely erase his merits, grievances, and even his reputation behind him should be erased, which is indeed cold. The son of the tiger and wolf, even if he is young, should not underestimate his ferocious nature of choosing people and devouring them!

"The prince, I have come to lobby and appease, but I will not let him stop you from rectifying the affairs of the city. In fact, how is the city defense of Xiangguo, but it is just a trivial matter, you have come to this point, you can know that the lord is not far away, and there is no hidden worry about the city affairs. It's just that inside and outside the city, many of the dead people who died due to the chaos had to be pacified and incorporated as soon as possible, otherwise they would also be eroded into disaster. ”

Hearing this, Shi Min finally understood that Shi Zun had made such a big circle, not to help him to the position of Xiangguo City Guard. This is not something they can decide, and Shi Min is not interested in it at all, he is in his prime, just as he is chasing merit in all directions, and he does not want to stay in one place.

Shi Zun's real intention was to teach him to absorb these Jinhu people inside and outside the city of Xiangguo in the shortest possible time, and this did speak to Shi Min's heart.

As a young and strong general of the Qiang Kingdom, he naturally has the desire to recruit a wide range of troops and organize a private army that belongs to him, not that there is already rebellion in his heart, but because only by having his own lineage is the right way for a warrior to settle down.

Shi Min was orphaned when he was young, and then he was adopted by Shi Hu in the mansion, even if his father still had some beggar tribes, he was half-withered for so many years. Now he is also reused by the Lord, but this kind of reuse is all a thought, he does not have his own strength, this time he led his troops back to the country, 5,000 people seem to be majestic, in fact, just a piece of edict, he will not be able to stay.

Especially as the Jin Kingdom in the south became more and more powerful, the lord became more and more wary of the Han courtiers under his command, although Shi Min also had a fake grandson, but in fact, it was becoming more and more difficult to stand up. In the final analysis, he is just a slave of the Shi family, and the lord is willing to use him, also because he is harmless, once disaster comes, he can only be killed, and he has no ability to rebel.

Shi Min also saw the ups and downs of the eunuch journey of the Qiang Kingdom, not to mention that he was a rising star, what about Ma Qiu, who was known as the first general of the Lord's Hidden Mansion? is a little frustrated, and he is often reprimanded and scolded, just because he has no strength of his own team, and he is just a chess piece in the hands of the master who can be discarded at any time.

Thinking of his situation, Shi Min couldn't help but think of Li Nong, who was similar in age and seniority to him. Li Nong was also born in a begging position, but unlike Shi Min, who had already broken off contact, he was always the backbone of the begging army, and the Shangbai beggar he was born in was the most powerful in the entire remnant system of the begging army.

The Lord is indeed very wary of such a person, and he will not be a confidant, but he does not dare to insult and scold him at will. Not long before that, in order to appease the beggar army transferred to the north and be able to stabilize the town of Youzhou and conquer the state, the lord also appointed Li Nong as the Sikong, ranking as the third duke, which is already far inferior to Shi Min.

As he became more and more heroic, Shi Min did not have the intention of regaining his friendship with the beggar army, and regarded it as a force that he could rely on at a critical moment. However, the begging army is the most closed and xenophobic, and Shi Kan, who was destroyed in the Central Plains War in the early years, was also born begging, but it was different from the remnants of Guangzong's begging army, and the begging army sat back and watched its people being attacked and captured by the southerners without help.

As for Shi Min, who has been separated from the long-standing beggar bloodline, it is even more difficult to be recognized.

At present, Shi Zun's proposal showed Shi Min a new possibility, but he was still a little undecided, and just sighed: "The strategy of calming down, I'm afraid the lord has already made a plan......

"But there's no face-to-face teaching yet, right? If the thorn slave feels that he can't use the king's order without permission, I will also open the mansion soon, so I might as well choose his spirit to send it to my house temporarily, and then we will share the blessings and woes and work together. Wind and rain, only the roots and leaves can live, the opportunity is short, and you can't wait to miss it. ”

When Shi Min heard this, his shoulders trembled slightly, and after a while, he turned over and bowed in front of Shi Zun's seat, and said in a condensed voice: "Fortunately, His Highness did not abandon ......."

"You are the strong child of my family, I and your life can be trusted, these little things, what is it. In the future, the road is wide, which is what you and I should look forward to! ”

Shi Zun also got up from the table, still with an intimate attitude, and hugged Shi Min with his arms to help him up. ()

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