Chapter 36 Decision
Ouyang Zhong stood alone in the snow for a long time. He was immersed in his thoughts without noticing that it was getting late, and by the time he was ready to go back to his residence, he was already covered with a thick layer of snow.
He wandered slowly and aimlessly through the barracks when a soldier suddenly called him and invited him to the General's tent. He lifted the mantle and went in. He saw someone he least expected to see right now, and this person had been waiting for him for a long time. They looked at each other, and Ouyang Zhong slowly knelt and saluted him.
"My child pays his respects to my lord father."
Standing in the General's tent, Ouyang Ming looked at his son for a long time in silence, letting Ouyang Zhong kneel on the ground covered in snow on a cold day, the wounds on his body so apparent that he did not have the slightest sympathy. According to reason, now with Ouyang Zhong's status position, his father, Ouyang Ming, should give him a salute, and Ouyang Ming is also very polite. But at this time, Ouyang Ming was angry and really couldn't care less. If it is not already highly restrained, not good in front of outsiders to attack, this father wants to take the family law to whip this brat severely.
Sitting in the General's tent, Wei Kongji was initially watching the fun, but this time also could not see. Have I asked in a low voice: "Prime minister? Why don't I first leave the place for you, father and son? You guys talk alone?"
Ouyang Ming barely squeezed out a polite smile and returned Wei Kongji's favor, counting it as tacit approval. Ouyang Zhong uprightly bowed to his father once more before opening his mouth and asking, "Father, a great man has arrived. Please forgive my child for not being able to greet him from afar without realizing it. May I ask what is the reason for my father's visit to this small border town?"
"What is the so-called matter? Humph, I say Ouyang Zhong ah? Do you not know, or are you pretending not to know?" Ouyang Ming took two steps forward, looking down at Ouyang Zhong from above, "You've grown up, your wings have hardened, and you've begun to learn the method of openly repairing the inns and darkening the silos? For the sake of your selfish desires, you even disregarded the lives of hundreds of people up and down the Ouyang family, didn't you?"
For Ouyang Zhong, his eldest son, Ouyang Ming, had always been the most dedicated and satisfied. Ouyang Zhong grew up diligent and studious, knew how to read and write, was youthful and dignified, and rarely let the elders and adults bother and worry about anxious and angry times. It can be called the entire vertical city is not a weak young man in the model in the model. Half of Zongcheng's noble family is taking Ouyang Zhong as an exemplary benchmark to educate their children and grandchildren on the family's naughtiness and unruliness. But I didn't expect it! Such a good boy, now even did such a treacherous thing, especially offending the Nanling Elder Princess!
Wang Changshi from North Hope City back to the national capital of Zongcheng after the first thing is to go straight to the residence of the Princess, with that deputy general together with the Princess to Nanling to repeat orders. I said it was a reply, but it was called a denunciation. Wang Changshi will be in Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong things here, as well as the vice general was arrested things, add oil and vinegar greatly exaggerated. Then the words were cut and tearful, saying:
"The eldest Princess understands the old enslaved person is just to help the Emperor do the work, help the eldest Princess pass on the message, but suffered such a shock and aggrieved. The old enslaved person suffered some insults, and scares are no harm, but Wei Kongji is too deceitful and does not put the Princess in your eyes. And that Ouyang Zhong, with the appearance of inconsistency, says one thing and does another, in the old enslaved person left, also did not behead that dirty little servant girl, but also found Wei Kongji, that guy as a helper, together conspire to violate your decree. Old enslaved people are speaking on behalf of the eldest Princess. Your heart is not fair, ah!"
When the Princess heard these words, she immediately slapped the table and said, "How dare you! Do Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong not want to live? Someone come, go to the Xiangguo Mansion, and call Ouyang Ming over to me! I would like to have a good talk with this in-law of mine."
Ouyang Ming, because his son had become a royal relative, his official position had also piggybacked on his promotion to the first rank of Sangguo Gong, which was almost the same level as that of the Marquis of Ping'an. Although his son went to the border to fight, his own heart had all kinds of intolerance and aggression. When Ouyang Ming got the imperial decree, head wearing only the knighted person could wear the three beams into the virtuous crown. Official robes changed into a higher status of the five hours of the court dress. Each piece of the court dress on the increase of a few symbolizes the quality of the gold line pattern; he was stillborn with joy for a good while; it seems to think that his son, in exchange for the glory of the very worthwhile, very much in line with his heart.
When Ouyang Ming came to the Princess's residence with a smile and a happy face, he bowed to the Principal. But I did not expect this bow to be turned. The Principal shook his head and cursed at him. He was scolded in the clouds, unable to find the direction; this PrincPrincesshy scolded him? And for what has offended this great god?
Ouyang Ming waited for the Eldest Princess to finish scolding him and respectfully asked, "I don't know, what is the Eldest PrincPrincessngry about? Please clarify. In addition, please also ask the Eldest Princess to take care of your body. Don't hurt your body due to small matters, and also hurt the peace between our two families."
The Eldest Princess laughed coldly and said, "You can go to North Hope City and ask your precious son directly. He has become my royal Emperor's son-in-law, has been promoted three times to be named a left guard general by the Emperor, and is in a high position of power at a young age. What else does he not know? Not only did they not know to be grateful and serve the country, but they also privately brought a slave girl to the North Wangcheng barracks, even wanting to play the idea of concubines. Does he think I, Eldest Princess Xiao Wushuang of Nanling, am easy to bully? I will not spare him if he dares to treat my daughter like this! Also, if he obeys and obediently beheads that bitch, I can still spare your Ouyang family. If not! If not, you'll have to prepare the coffins of your entire family!"
It was still the first month of the year; the weather was still cold; Ouyang Ming was wearing a jacket and a cloak; however, when he heard the words of the Princess, sweat swished down his neck, and his coat and jacket permeated work. How could his son, the most well-behaved and understanding son, elope with another woman? It was impossible. But now, the eldest Princess does not add fuel to the fire to provoke her.
Ouyang Ming held a bellyful of fire; Gray slipped out of the Princess House, returned to his own house, took inventory of the subordinates, and found that only Linghu Xian was not. Then again, the trustees went to the county master's residence, and a little check found that Linghu Xian followed Ouyang Zhong to the border. Now, Ouyang Ming realized the seriousness of the situation. He handed a fold to the Emperor, pretending to be sick to take a leave of absence for a few days, and then took a car to North Hope City overnight. Only then did this scene in the General's tent appear.
The more Ouyang Ming thought in his heart, the more angry he suddenly raised his hand and fiercely slapped Ouyang Zhong. He had never hit this son, but he couldn't suppress the fire even if he said anything this time. Ouyang Ming growled: ''Where did you hide Linghu Xian? The Eldest Princess sent orders for you to kill her, and you've learned to disobey orders?"
Ouyang Zhong was stunned by this sudden slap. He stomped his neck and asked his father, "Did the Eldest Princess threaten father?"
"You still have the nerve to mention the Eldest Princess? Don't forget that you are now her son-in-law! The lives of our entire Ouyang clan are in her hands! You dare to fight against the Eldest Princess for a slave girl. Have you forgotten who you are?" Saying this, Ouyang Ming kicked Ouyang Zhong again.
Ouyang Zhong fell obediently, hugged his father's leg, and defended, "Father, I truly like Linghu Xian, but we haven't done anything unusual. Moreover, Linghu Xian saved my life! She is my savior! How can I betray my trust?"
"A slave girl, saving her master is supposed to be her duty! The biggest thing I can do is to set up a pillar of loyalty and righteousness for her and burn two incense sticks every year to pay tribute to her, so it's considered that my Ouyang family has done right by her. I tell you, Ouyang Zhong if you dare to do anything treasonous for her, I will personally behead her now!"
"Father, don't! Please calm your anger, and I beg you to think twice!" Ouyang Zhong flung himself down by Ouyang Ming's legs and hugged his father's legs tightly. Ouyang Ming looked at this indomitable son and said in a fiery rage, "If you don't let me move her, then you do it yourself! I'll have to take her head today and give it to the Elder Princess to make amends!"
"Father, I've already agreed to return her deed of sale to her and let her out of slavery. She's no longer my slave girl. She is now an engaged officer in the army and has made many battle achievements. Father, you cannot kill her!" Ouyang Zhong was in a hurry, hoping to use the matter of military honors to bring back Linghu Xian.
"Military merits? Hmph! A woman sneaking into the barracks is a felony; I don't care if she has made merits, just this one. I can punish her for deceiving the king and disregarding his superiors; she is not worthy of death!"
Ouyang Zhong grasped his father's leg with a deadly grip; now, he had no way out; he regretted so much that he victimized Linghu Xian.
Just when their father and son were at odds with each other, Linghu Xian was assisted by Xuan Mo and entered the General's tent, along with Great General Wei Kongji and several senior generals. They all knew that Linghu Xian was a girl, but they were all impressed by the fact that a young woman could have such vigor and courage, and they unanimously respected her as a qualified soldier.
Linghu Linghu Xian stood in front of Ouyang Ming and slightly curtsied to give him a salute. Then she looked at him very calmly and said, "Lord Ouyang, as General Ouyang said just now, I am no longer a slave girl of the Ouyang family. I am now a free agent and a warrior ready to go into the field and kill the enemy anytime. You can't force General Ouyang to kill me. If he kills me, he will be subject to military justice for killing a man without reason, and if this gets out, it won't be a good thing for him, for you, or even for the Eldest Princess of Nanling."
"How dare you, Linghu Xian! You still dare to use strong words here and move right and wrong. In the past, our Ouyang family was not kind to you, but now you even put the safety of my entire family at risk, you snake-hearted bitch, let's see if I don't behead you!" Ouyang Ming didn't care if what Linghu Linghu Xian said made sense and didn't care how many people around him were looking at his family's jokes. At this moment, even if the king of heaven came, he didn't care, and he had to kill her with his hands, no matter what he said.
Ouyang Zhong tightly dragged his father and shouted, "Linghu Xian, you run!"
Several generals couldn't let the hallowed Sangguo Duke fool around in the barracks and came over to persuade him to fight. The scene was highly chaotic for a while; only Linghu Xian always calmly watched the farce as if none of this had anything to do with her. She suddenly felt that Ouyang Ming and even Ouyang Zhong were extraordinary. Who were they? Do they know each other well?
Linghu Xian, stoic since she was a child, breathed free air at this moment and sighed in relief. Then she smiled and said to Ouyang Zhong, ''Thanks to General Ouyang's kindness, I don't need to run. Your father can't move a hair on my head either."
"You have a cocky tone. Even if I'm no longer in a master-servant relationship with you, I'm now a first-ranked Sangguo Duke. While you're just a small military engagement, me wanting you dead is simply like pinching an ant!"
Wei Kongji couldn't hold his temper any longer now; he said very calmly, "Sangguo Gong, don't forget that you are now in my General's tent, whether it's Ouyang Zhong or Linghu Xian. Both of them are soldiers and generals under my command. They have to be my say whether they live or die now."
Ouyang Ming didn't intend to fake superficial harmony anymore and said to Wei Kongji with a cold smile, "Great General Wei, I advise you to take care of your family affairs first! As soon as I left the PrincPrincess'se, she went straight to the palace to see the saint, and it's you, Hussar General, who is suspected of disobeying orders, deceiving the king, and also suspected of being in cahoots with an enemy country! Maybe your General's residence has already been surrounded by His Majesty's decree; your Wei family will be waiting for the fall execution!"
When these words came out, there was an uproar. None of these charges were true. Fighting openly with reasonable people is the you and me between gentlemen; more or less, there is still some bottom line and dignity. Fighting with unreasonable people is messy and unjustified, and there is no excuse for wanting to add to the crime!
At this time, Linghu Linghu Xian quickly drew his sword, but with a move and a half, Ouyang Ming captured a bright, shiny sword across his neck. Although Linghu Linghu Xian was weak, it was still enough to deal with Ouyang Ming, a half-grown older man who could not do any martial arts. Ouyang Ming was dumbfounded, and Ouyang Zhong was also shocked. Even Wei Kongji and the vice generals present were dumbfounded.
Linghu Xian calmly told Wei Kongji, "Don't worry, General, you can write a report to the Emperor. The army mistakenly mixed with an outlaw named Linghu Xian, who is not only lawless, misrepresenting his age and gender, but also secretly colludes with foreign enemy troops. However, two generals, Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong, discovered his trick. Knowing that he could not escape death, he hijacked Ouyang Ming, the first-ranking minister of the dynasty, who had come to console the soldiers. He used this to blackmail the great generals and the generals of the left guards into letting him live. This traitor, later in the escape, was surrounded by the generals and finally was shot with arrows on the spot. His body was hung on the city wall as a warning to others. While being held hostage, Lord Xiangguo was accidentally injured in the head, resulting in a coma, and lost a lot of memory. He has personally ordered his son, Left Guard General Ouyang Zhong, to escort him back to the national capital, Zongcheng."
Ouyang Zhong looked straight at Linghu Xian and suddenly said in shock: "Xian, what are you talking about? What are you going to do? ... Don't!"
When he realized, Linghu Xian, as he said just now, knocked Ouyang Ming out with a palm strike, then used the Spirit Bead to erase his memories of the general's tent just now, and then stabbed his own body with a sword straight from Ouyang Ming's left shoulder, making the false impression of being held hostage and injured.
This series of actions flowed in a flash, and no one reacted to the fact that what she had just said was what she would do immediately. She was trying to take all the blame on herself, thus preserving both Ouyang's family and Great General Wei Kongji's entire family. She even pushed Ouyang Zhong away from the battlefield, allowing him to return to a typical, peaceful life trajectory.
Linghu Xian supported herself on the ground with her sword. She smiled miserably and said, ''Great General, Left Guard General, and all the generals, let's do what Linghu Xian said! A few of you present to be a proof to each other, if in the future, if the saint chastises down, we all have the same caliber, there will be no cracks." She slowly turned her head to look at Ouyang Zhong and said, "General Ouyang, the last General, will no longer have anything to do with you. You'd better send Lord Xiangguo back to the capital soon! Be good to your Sheriff's son-in-law. I wish Mr. Emperor's son-in-law and County Lord Jiao Yang would be forever united and have a son early. I also wish General Ouyang a prosperous and peaceful life!"
Ouyang Zhong collapsed to the side, his lips trembling as he asked, "What about you? Are you and I going to part like this?"
Linghu Xian nodded and said, "We are both shouldering our respective responsibilities; my responsibility is at the border; your responsibility is in the Imperial City. We both have to make a choice." After saying this, he could not support himself and fainted.
Xuan Mo, who had stood for a long time without speaking, calmly said to the Great General, "The method of Linghu Xian just now seems to be the most stable and foolproof plan. I also ask the Great General to find the corpse of a condemned prisoner and hang it on the city wall for good measure. I will first take Linghu Xian to get treatment for her injuries, and from now on, she will change her name and surname, and there will be no more Linghu Xian in the world. Farewell!" Then he gently picked up Linghu Xian and walked towards the tent.
Sitting on the ground, Ouyang Zhong can no longer say half a word, only with endless remorse and helplessness; he hated himself. Why was he born into the official family? Why listen to the family's arrangement to marry the county princess and do what the royal relatives do? Such a weak woman like Linghu Xian smoothed whenever he encountered difficulties. What use was he in the end? Xuan Mo was right. He was a complete coward and scoundrel!
Ouyang Zhong watched as Xuan Mo took Linghu Xian away. They will not be able to see each other as strangers from now on, are they?