OBS Chapter 145 Winter Night
Chapter 145 Winter Night
Dali Temple dungeon.
It was dark as far as the eye could see.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of mold and dried blood, which was nauseating.
In the long, narrow and dark corridor, the jailer walked in front with his back bent.
Behind him, followed a graceful man in a green robe.
I saw him walking slowly, the corner of his robe swaying slightly with his steps.
Clean and noble, it seems out of tune with everything around it.
When he reached the cell where Liang Yuanzhong was imprisoned, he stopped, turned around, and looked at the person in the cell through the cell pillars.
In the cell, there was a small ventilation window high up on the wall.
The bright sunlight shone through in beams, shining obliquely on the young man, making his dark blue brocade robe look even brighter.
Liang Yuanzhong was stripped of his official uniform in the hall and sent directly to prison.
So at this moment, he was only wearing a gray middle-length coat and sitting on the haystack leaning against the mottled wall.
Even though he was imprisoned and in a miserable state, he still kept his back straight.
The jailer opened the cell door and said, "My Lord, please come in."
The jailer didn't dare to stay any longer.
If he listened to one more word of the conversation between these dignitaries, his life might be in danger. He smiled obsequiously, bowed, and hurried away.
Liang Yuanzhong's hair was messy, with a few strands of gray hair hanging in front of his forehead, barely covering half of his face.
After hearing no sound for a long time, he slowly opened his eyes.
The sharp gaze passed through the hair and fell directly on the tall green figure outside the prison door.
He curled the corners of his lips in disdain, closed his eyes again, and ignored Shen Beiqi's existence.
"Everyone who comes is a guest. Sir Liang, why don't you invite me in to sit down?"
Shen Beiqi's tone was lazy and casual. If you didn't know him, you would think he was visiting the Liang family today and was exchanging greetings with the host.
"Ah--"
Liang Yuanzhong sneered, "I'm afraid Lord Shen may not want to set foot in such a place, but..."
He slowly opened his eyes and raised his gaze slightly.
"I am today, and I may not be Lord Shen tomorrow. Lord Shen is still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Shen Beiqi curled the corners of his lips slightly and walked into the cell.
The black soles of the boots stepped on the messy weeds, making a slight "click" sound, which was very much like the sound of a neck breaking when an executioner swung his machete.
In the cell, Shen Beiqi, tall and slender, looked down at him condescendingly.
Liang Yuanzhong moved his gaze upwards along his robe, and when he met the calm peach blossom eyes, he chuckled sarcastically.
Once upon a time, he stood arrogantly, while the noble young man in front of him knelt on the ground and bent his usually straight back towards him.
Now, the situation is reversed.
It was a winter night many years ago.
The winter rain is so cold that it seems to freeze people from the inside out.
Duke Jingguo Shen Chuanlin died on the battlefield, which should have been a matter of honor for the whole family.
However, he was too soft-hearted for a moment and let go a six-year-old spy from the enemy country, which almost led to the fall of Chuzhou and indirectly killed nearly 100,000 Beilin soldiers.
Even if he died in battle, it can only be considered that his merits offset his demerits, or even that his demerits outweighed his merits.
The night after Shen Beiqi buried his father, he asked to see His Majesty outside the Xuande Hall.
My father is dead, and the military power of the Beilin Army cannot fall into the hands of others, otherwise the Shen family will become fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others.
It’s ridiculous that before my father’s body was even cold, those who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak were exposed.
No one was willing to recommend him to Your Majesty, not even his grandfather, Master Yang.
What's even more ridiculous is that he only realized it today.
What he was tired of was the treacherous court.
What he despises is the sinister and cunning human calculations.
It is precisely the iron wall that protects the family from being ravaged and trampled upon.
While he was kneeling outside the hall waiting, Liang Yuanzhong was discussing matters with Emperor Hongyang inside the hall.
After Shen Chuanlin's death, someone had to take over the mess in the north, but looking around the court, there was not a single capable general.
Liang Yuanzhong considered his words and said, "Your Majesty, why don't I go to the northern border to quell the war first, and then find a suitable person to be stationed in the state after the storm subsides?"
Emperor Hongyang waved his hand.
"My dear minister, you are good at naval warfare. The southern border is the place where you can show your strength. Moreover, although the southern border is not turbulent on the surface, Luo Zhu has not yet sincerely submitted to you. If I rashly transfer you away, I am afraid it will not be appropriate."
Liang Yuanzhong's eyes dimmed. Although there were hidden dangers in the southern border, it was ultimately a rebellion in a small country, so His Majesty did not really give him the military power.
If we can get the military power in the north, then there is no need to worry about not achieving great things.
It’s a pity that Emperor Hongyang is very wary of him and may not give in easily.
It seems that only by making the northern border more chaotic will His Majesty hand over the military power of the northern border to him.
"Master Yang did recommend someone."
Emperor Hongyang flipped through the memorial and read out the name on it, "Yang Xiujun?"
Liang Yuanzhong secretly despised him in his heart.
What a great guy Yang Jiuzhang is. He doesn’t even care about his own nephew and actually recommends his nephew to take the position?
He thought about it and said,
"Your Majesty, Yang Xiujun is a deputy commander of the Patrol Battalion. Although he is a military commander, he has never led troops in battle. Wouldn't it be a joke to order him to take on such an important task?"
This is indeed true. Being a general of an army requires more than just brute force.
It also requires the ability to plan and command.
Emperor Hongyang frowned slightly, and just as he was troubled by thoughts, Liu Quan came in to report,
"Your Majesty, Young Master Shen requests to see you."
"Shen Beiqi?"
With a snap, Emperor Hongyang slammed the letter in his hand shut and asked, "What is he doing here?"
Liu Quan was about to relay Master Shen's words when Liang Yuanzhong interrupted him and said, "Who knows, is he asking for mercy for his father?"
"The people have been buried, what else is there to ask for?"
Emperor Hongyang waved his hand, "No, let him go back!"
Liu Quan bowed and left, and returned to the hall after a moment.
"Your Majesty, Master Shen said that this is a matter concerning the war between the two northern countries and the safety of the people, so I would like to ask for a meeting with Your Majesty."
Emperor Hongyang sneered,
"If it weren't for his father's soft-heartedness, I wouldn't be worried about the North every day. He is a playboy who has never been on the battlefield. How can he understand what a national war is? It's really shameless."
Liang Yuanzhong was quite satisfied with Emperor Hongyang's attitude, but he still pretended to be kind and said,
"Brother Shen and I have worked together for more than ten years. Why don't I go out and persuade Your Majesty not to worry about these trivial matters?"
Liang Yuanzhong walked to the door and saw a white figure kneeling in the darkness.
He raised an eyebrow and walked closer to the boy.
The rain was light but extremely cold.
Liang Yuanzhong was wearing a fox fur coat and was shivering from the cold, but Shen Beiqi was only wearing a thin white brocade robe.
"Master Shen?"
Shen Beiqi slowly raised his head, with fine drops of water glistening on the tip of his tall nose, "Lord Liang."