Only when pain comes to you can you feel the real pain.

Trai Ang feels it now.

How has he ever suffered like this in his life?

Although his family was not very wealthy when he was a child, it was still a well-off family, and it was easy for him to support his education. In his lifetime, his official career was smooth, and more than thirty years ago, he became the husband-in-law of two houses in the Song Dynasty.

, becoming a group of top people in this world, he never thought that he would have such a disaster.

The prison was as cold as an ice cellar.

The only thing they could keep warm was the haystack in the corner. What was even more frightening was that he actually saw mice running in and out of the haystack, and there were countless other insects.

As the former Prime Minister of the Privy Council, the former Hebei Road pacifier, and the current Yushi Taichung Cheng, he has put countless people in prison and made countless people lose their heads. But now it is his turn to go through it himself.

But I was frightened and frightened.

Now whenever he closes his eyes, he can remember the scene when he and Cheng Gui were arrested.

It's always been good.

Xiao Ding was not in Xingqing, but Zhang Yuan and Tuoba Yangwei took turns coming to accompany him, and he also extended his friendly and warm hands to them.

He only wanted to get these two people by his side by appointing officials, making wishes, and sparing no words of praise. Then after Xiao Ding came back, there would be nothing he could do.

Cui Ang still did a lot of homework.

I know that in the Western Army, apart from Xiao Ding, Zhang Yuan and Tuo Ba Yangwei have a very important position and can be called the second or third figures. If they can successfully instigate rebellion against these two, this trip will be a big deal.

Tuoba looked at him with a smile and showed off his power, never giving an accurate word. Cui Ang was not in a hurry. In his opinion, he was a barbarian! As long as he didn't fall to Xiao Ding at the critical moment, he was just a barbarian!

That's enough.

The one he focused on wooing was Zhang Yuan.

A former poor scholar, a frustrated old scholar, he had many means to lure him into taking the bait. Sure enough, after he threw out the bait, this man began to test him left and right. His eagerness made Cui Ang sneer.

The fish is hooked!

He is very happy.

The only thing that made him unhappy was that Cheng Gui and Cheng Deqian, who were traveling with him, had been taciturn since they passed Hengshan. They rarely said a word. When they arrived at Xingqing Mansion, their expressions became even uglier. They were not even a little bit concerned about his great cause of winning over.

He was unable to help. He was asked to find some colleagues he knew in the past to try to establish a relationship, but this person refused to agree. In the end, he actually said that he was sick and hid in his room and refused to come out at all.

Ma Xing's number one aide is actually at this level?

This disappointed Cui Ang.

Well, if you don’t do something, you won’t get any credit in the future.

Everything went smoothly.

But all the changes happened on that sunny morning.

Outside the post house, there was the sound of horse hooves, the clash of swords and guns, and the rustle of beetle leaves. Immediately after, the door of the post house was knocked open, and heavily armed Western soldiers rushed in.

The Banzhi guards who didn't know why they stepped forward to block and resist were instantly chopped to the ground by these ferocious-looking Western soldiers. When Cui Ang rushed out, a head rolled under his feet, and he suddenly fell to the ground.

He was so frightened that he sat down in a pool of blood on the ground.

He ordered many people to be killed, but rarely witnessed the killing process with his own eyes.

Then, they were caught here.

No one pays attention to them anymore.

One meal a day, a bowl of porridge and a black flour steamed bun.

This level lasts for more than ten days.

The censor Zhongcheng, who has always paid great attention to his appearance and image, is now unkempt and skinny. This is not only a result of harsh treatment in life, but also psychological torture.

What happened?

He looked back at Cheng Gui and Cheng Deqian.

This person leaned against the wall and nestled himself in the haystack. He looked very good. Also, this person had eaten and slept in the past few days. Although his food was very poor, he was able to eat well.

He gnawed away the cornstarch, which was as hard as a rock in his eyes, and drank up the porridge without leaving a drop.

But Cui Ang can’t do it!

"What happened? Did Xiao Ding rebel? Did he not want the lives of his family?" He asked Cheng Gui countless times. Until now, Cheng Gui had not given him a definite answer.

But today, Cheng Gui opened his eyes, looked at him, and said, "Maybe we will have the answer soon."

"How do you know?"

Cheng Gui narrowed his eyes and said: "Counting the time, Xiao Ding should be back from Montenegro. Well, well, it seems that someone is coming. Listen, the prisoners who usually don't make much noise are shouting loudly

When injustice comes, the person who comes must be someone who can decide their fate, and the people locked up here are not ordinary people? Who is here? Xiao Ding? "

There was no need to guess anymore, because the person who came was coming for the two of them, and soon appeared in front of them.

"Zhang Changshi!" Through the fence, Cui Ang looked at the man who was flattering him a few days ago.

"Is there any misunderstanding? Is Mr. Xiao back? I want to see him!"

Zhang Yuan looked at this senior official of the imperial court.

To be honest, whenever he sees this guy in front of him, Zhang Yuan feels very unfair to himself.

Such a person can be a Jinshi, and has become the top official in the imperial court for decades, but why can't he do it?

The abilities this man showed were simply not worth looking down upon.

A little cleverness may be enough, but great wisdom is simply not enough.

On the Hebei Road, in the Bianliang Court Hall, the man in front of me was played with by Ye Lujun, Xia Jie and others, and he was sent to a dead end without knowing it.

Such people can do it, why can’t I do it myself?

This damn Song Dynasty Hall!

This damn Zhao Song official family!

Zhang Yuan shook his head slowly: "There is no misunderstanding at all. Cui Zhongcheng, I am here today to tell you something."

"What's going on? Does Xiao Ding really dare to rebel?" Cui Ang mustered up his last remaining courage and shouted sternly.

"It's not that we, Mr. Xiao, want to rebel." Zhang Yuan had a murderous look on his face: "Fifteen days ago, we received the news that Mr. Xiao was executed at the Yushitai in Bianliang."

"What? This is impossible!" Cui Ang screamed. Not only him, but also Cheng Gui, who had been sitting quietly in the haystack, jumped out of the haystack in shock.

Xiao Yu died, but he was still tortured to death at Yushitai!

Cui Ang was confused.

Cheng Gui didn't believe his ears at all.

"Nonsense!" he shouted: "Zhang Yuan, if you want to rebel, just rebel. Don't spread rumors!" Cheng Gui didn't believe that with the wisdom of the court officials, he would do such an irrational thing.

"Rumors?" Zhang Yuan sneered: "Last night, we received the second news. Mrs. Xiao and the third lady were preparing to escape from Bianliang, but in the underground passage near Nanxun Gate, Xiao

Madam was shot and killed by Quan Gong, the commander of the Imperial City Division."

Cui Ang was completely stunned.

Cheng Gui stared at Zhang Yuan. He wanted to see the clues on the other party's face that the other party was lying and spreading rumors. Unfortunately, the information he read from that face was that it was all true.

Cheng Gui's legs felt a little weak.

The Xiao family and his wife both died at the hands of the imperial court. What reason did Xiao Ding have not to rebel?

He glanced at Cui Ang and sighed, he was so unlucky that he accompanied this bastard turtle son all the way to Xingling to die.

People like Xia Jie clearly want Cui Ang to die.

Otherwise, according to this timeline, they have every chance of recovering Cui Ang.

It's a pity that I have suffered such an unreasonable disaster.

"Cui Zhongcheng, do you understand now? The imperial court sent you here just to die. Well, maybe there are officials of your level to confuse us!" Zhang Yuan sneered and said: "But such a big thing

, even if the imperial court surrounded Bianliang like an iron barrel, the news would still not be concealed."

"This is not true, this is not true!" Cui Ang didn't believe it at all.

Rather than saying that he didn't believe the news of the death of the Xiao couple, it was better to say that he didn't believe that Bianliang had completely given up on him and treated him as a chess piece that could be discarded at will.

I was once the Privy Councillor, the Hebei Road pacifier, and now the Censor Zhongcheng, one of the few high-ranking officials in the Great Song Dynasty!

"I can tell you one more thing. Zhang Chao has already arrived at Jingzhao Mansion, which is about the time when you crossed Hengshan Mountain!" Zhang Yuan added another point: "Now you understand, right? Manager Xiao will be here in three days.

It’s time to return to Xingqingju, you still have three days, so cherish it!”

Zhang Yuan is gone!

Cui Ang collapsed to the ground with a bang as if he had lost his soul.

After planning for so long, he thought he would soon reach the peak of his life, but reality gave him an extremely cruel slap, and he was slapped mercilessly into the Nine Nether Hells.

Only now did he realize that people like Xia Jie were the real scheming people. In front of him, he couldn't even be considered an enlightened child, right?

Zhang Yuan was walking on the street, and he saw that someone had already hung a white lantern outside the door.

News spread quickly.

The news that the father and mother of the General Manager of the Western Army were persecuted to death by the imperial court has spread like wildfire in Xingqing Mansion.

Of course this was done intentionally.

Of course Zhang Yuan would not do such a thing, because it would definitely make Xiao Ding unhappy, but there are many people who do such things.

Everyone in Xingqing Mansion believed that Xiao Ding would definitely raise a flag to rebel.

This is someone trying to force Xiao Ding, leaving him with no way out.

Zhang Yuan was happy to see all this.

"If you do this, the manager will be unhappy!" When he saw Tuoba Yangwei, Nan Renzhong, and Yu Zanghuama, Zhang Yuandao said: "How to do things should be decided by the manager, not you.

.”

Tuoba Yangwei smiled and thought to himself, this is really an old fox. I'm afraid you have been happy for a long time, but now you are putting the blame on all of us.

But it doesn't matter.

After all, Zhang Yuan is just a strategist and an excellent administrative talent with no strength at all, but they are different, so even if it makes Xiao Ding unhappy, he doesn't care too much about expanding his power, as long as the goal is achieved.

Although Xiao Ding is their leader, he is also a partner.

"How is Shentang Fort now?" Zhang Yuan looked at Tuoba and said: "With Zhang Chao's ability, if he can see the key here, he might take the initiative and seize Shentang Fort. Li Yi

There must be only three thousand infantry there!"

"In the name of the deputy general manager of the Western Army, I have asked the Hengshan regiment training envoy to immediately gather 2,000 troops and rush to Shentang Fort." Tuoba said in awe.

Zhang Yuan nodded. The men and horses under the command of Hengshan Tuanlian are all party members who did not immigrate out of Hengshan. Those people make a living by hunting and are extremely brave. They rush to the rescue of Shentang Fort to ensure that Shentang Fort is safe.

.

In the past few years, the defense of Shentang Fort has been strengthened. It is no longer a small fort, but an outpost of the Western Army guarding the Hengshan defense line.

As long as Shentang Fort remains, the Western Army can advance and attack, retreat and defend.

The status of Shentang Fort is as important as Siwuguan.

Now that Siwuguan is in Li Du's hands, Shentang Fort cannot afford to lose anything.

The vast wilderness is covered with snow, and there is no trace of green. A big black horse, carrying a big man in black armor, stands alone on a snow hill.

There is no one around.

It's not that there is no one, it's that no one dares to disturb him at this moment.

This lonely knight with a dark horse and black armor is Xiao Ding, the general manager of the Western Army who now controls a hundred thousand strings and controls the northwest.

Just a quarter of an hour ago, a messenger from Xingqing Mansion brought bad news to Xiao Ding.

Mrs. Xiao, Mrs. Han, Xiao Ding's biological mother, was shot dead in Bianliang by the Imperial City Secretary. His sister, Mrs. Xiao Sanniang, was missing.

Xiao Ding was so angry that he drew his sword with a roar, and waved the sword wildly while running wildly, as if he was fighting an invisible enemy.

The surrounding soldiers looked at each other in confusion, and Xin Jian stopped them from following him.

At this time, the manager needs to vent.

Xiao Ding finally stopped on the snow hill and stood with his sword in hand, like a statue.

More than a hundred steps away from him, thousands of kites were also standing on horseback, waiting quietly for Xiao Ding.

If Xiao Ding doesn't move, they won't move either.

Even the horses seemed to dare not neigh at this time.

It seemed like a long time passed, and it seemed like it was only a moment. Xiao Ding turned his horse and returned slowly.

"Manager!" Xin Jian greeted him.

Xiao Ding raised his palm and did not let the other party continue speaking. Instead, he rode his horse directly to his own flag and looked up at the flag.

The banner of Xiao, the general manager of the Western March of the Song Dynasty, was flapping in the wind.

With a choking sound, he drew his sword, and a cold light flashed, and the upper half of the flag fell immediately. The flagbearer holding the flag was panicked and at a loss. Normally, he would risk his life to defend the flag, but

Now this flag has been cut off by his own general.

Before the flag fell to the ground, Xiao Ding continued to wave the knife in his hand, and the bright red flag shattered into pieces in the light of the knife, drifting into the distance with the wind.

"Let's go back!" Xiao Ding choked and returned the knife to its sheath. He shouted loudly, turned his horse and ran towards Xingqing Mansion.
Chapter completed!