Chapter 391 Looking forward to the father

The four words "fight to the death" came out, not to mention the shocking stone, Li Daozong and the other three people really fell into silence.

After a long time, Li Daozong said, "Mu Bai, you'd better think twice."

"Don't think twice. Even if I think four times and think five times, I am the decision. Qin Mubai looked at Li Daozong with a smile and firm eyes and said, "Your Majesty, please give me a detailed analysis of the twists and turns. All here are understanding people, and it is certainly not out of impulse to make this decision. It can be said that since the day I became an official, I have always been cautious and submissive and dare not cross the thunder pool. I have played the poor role of a good man. Today is the only day I am proud of myself. Because I can finally be myself with my head held high, even if I go to perish from now on, I have no regrets.

The three of them stared at Qin Mubai with different looks. The only thing that is the same is that they don't seem to know Qin Mubai.

"There is seed." Hou Junji stood up and took the initiative to punch Qin Mubai for the first time. He said, "This cheap life of Hou has long been worthless, so it's up to you!" I don't want to listen to the rest of the nonsense, so please say goodbye! Qin Mubai, when to use Hou, let me know. Hou, play with you with your head - goodbye!"

Qin Mubai looked at him with a smile and nodded, "Please go."

Hou Junji left and made great strides. After going out, the happy laughter shattered the tranquility of the night sky.

"Crazy man!" Li Daozong took a deep breath and frowned, "Mu Bai, he is a gambler who has lost nothing. Don't be taken away by him. Now any of your decisions are not only related to the honor and disgrace of your personal and your family, but also the peace of the whole territory of Kansai and the life and death of hundreds of millions of soldiers and civilians. With a longer perspective, one of your decisions now is related to the pattern and situation of the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese people in the next hundred years or even thousands of miles. I want you to think twice, not to express your opposition. In the face of big right and wrong, men need the courage and determination to take care of them, and at the same time, they need wisdom and skills. It's easy to give up your life, but it's hard to take justice. I hope you understand this truth.

"I know what the prince means." Qin Mubai smiled relaxedly and said, "In the past, when Xiang Yu broke the cauldron and fought back, he must have thought a lot, but he had no other choice. Now, I'm just like him. Lord, think about it, do I have any other choice besides fighting with Gar Qinling?

Li Daozong fell silent for a moment.

Su Dingfang said, "Mu Bai's words make sense. Tubo repeatedly provoked me rudely. This time, he killed my envoy and refused to negotiate peace, and also cheated us to go to the plateau to gather and annihilate it. It's so sinister and vicious that even if we don't condemn and fight against it, this marriage will definitely be ruined. In this way, how can we be let go in the court? In the treatment of Tubo, there is no neutrality, only 'war' or 'and'. Since they took the initiative to declare war, we had to fight back. Instead of passive defense, it is better to take the initiative to attack. I agree with Mu Bai very much on this point. As for the other... If you blindly consider the consequences and the way out, you will die!"

"Those who know me are determined!" Qin Mubai took a long breath and cast a grateful look at Su Dingfang and said, "It's not just the war situation. From the public and private standpoint and the overall situation of Lanzhou, we can only take the initiative to attack. First of all, the defeated envoy was killed, and this matter must be a shock to the government and the opposition in Chang'an. Therefore, my Tang Dynasty is famous, and the main war faction will definitely be active again and have the upper hand, which is a good side for me. The disadvantage is that I guess the court will still not forgive us for going to war with Tubo without authorization. Regardless of the success or failure of the war, what awaits me in the end is perhaps the cruelest judgment. But I can't take care of this much. Fighters are fleeting and require a high degree of confidentiality. Do you want me to ask for a letter from the court and then arrange the war with Tubo step by step?

"Why not?" Li Daozong interrupted Qin Mubai and said, "Don't forget that the court has given you everything, and you can take everything back at any time. If you want me to die, I have to die. As a minister, the most taboo is not to be bold. Why can't you report to Chang'an quickly, ask your majesty to decide this matter, and then follow the arrangement?

"It won't work, my lord." Qin Mubai said, "It takes a lot of time for this letter to exchange in Chang'an, and it is unknown when there will be a decision under the debate in the court. None of these are the most important. Importantly, people in the court do not understand the current crisis in Lanzhou. Since garqinling dared to refuse to negotiate peace and attack Lanzhou, who knows if he has any other drug arrangements?

Li Daozong was slightly stunned and said, "You mean... Gaochang and Puchanghai?"

"That's right!" Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Gar Qinling is definitely not the kind of hot-headed reckless man. He will not declare war on Lanzhou recklessly on his own. Now I have an extremely ominous hunch in my heart. Thinking of the situation in Lanzhou in front of me and the previous war, I vaguely feel... From the beginning, we have got into his trap, and we are getting deeper and deeper. At present, Liu Shan's death is just an appearance and inducement, which makes me vaguely detect his far-reaching and sinister intentions!"

"Why did you say this?" Li Daozong and Su Dingfang were shocked.

"Garqin Mausoleum is by no means simple!" Qin Mubai took a deep breath and spit it out and said, "Your Majesty, Ding Fang, do you still remember that when we were in Chang'an last year, Tubo instigated Gao Chang to rebel and took the initiative to attack the area of Liangzhou?"

"Of course I remember. What's the matter?"

"I guess it has been a huge trap on Lanzhou's head since then." Qin Mubai said, "In the battle of Dafeichuan, Tubogar Qinling's department was defeated and abandoned thousands of miles, so Lanzhou recovered Tuyuhun. The prince once said that at the age of ten, he joined the army at the age of 15, and he was not defeated after a hundred battles. The failure of the battle of Dafeichuan is undoubtedly an unprecedented stimulus for people like him. He will never be reconciled! So I guessed that he immediately had the next series of actions - the first thing was to send envoys to Chang'an to ask for marriage. Of course, the purpose is just to delay time to win a chance to breathe. This can be easily proved - when the Tubo messenger heard that his majesty chose the prince's beloved daughter Li Xueyan as the princess and was ready to marry Tubo, he actually went away! This is absolutely rare in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries! It can be seen that Tubo did not come to propose sincerely. The so-called dissatisfaction with the fake princess is just an excuse!"

"Let's go on." Li Daozong's face was tense.

"Immediately, after the break, the panting Tubo began the military operation." Qin Mubai said, "First of all, they sent troops to Kunlun to invade Liangzhou, cut off the contact between the Silk Road and Lanzhou, and restrained the main troops and horses in Lanzhou so that we had no time to care about it. Thus, it won time and space for Gaochang's rebellion. Then, Gao Chang rebelled at the instigation of Tubo and the Western Turks. Just as the battle in the court and the two factions were arguing, my father thought that the military situation was urgent. He resisted the order to rise out of Yangguan in the west, and won 18 victories in the battle and went straight to Gaochang... Two people, have you ever thought that although my father is a tiger general, he is tired of the veterans who go deep into the division. Why is it so easy to fight for 18 victories in a thousand miles?

"Ah?" Li Daozong and Su Dingfang both exclaimed and said, "What do you mean is that it is a fraudulent defeat set by Kar Qinling who deliberately lost 18 games to Shu Bao?"

"Isn't it?" Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Although I'm not completely sure, it's at least 50% likely!"

"Is his purpose to disperse Lanzhou's troops so that I can take care of one and lose the other, so as to defeat each other?" Li Daozong's face suddenly changed and he shouted, "In this way, Uncle Bao is in danger!"

"Not only that, Gar Qinling is still sitting on the mountain to watch the tiger fight, watching our Lanzhou fight with the Western Turks and the Western Regions, so as to sit and put cold arrows behind the fishing profits." Qin Mubai's face also became a little pale and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, my father has encountered a big trouble in Gaochang. At this moment, the Chalqin Mausoleum only needed to send a brigade of iron riders out of Kunlun to threaten the second pass of Yuyang and trip over Xue Wanche's troops in Puchanghai. Then Lanzhou was like being locked in an urn. My father and Xue Wanche became a broken kite. Your Majesty, in such an emergency, do you still want to persuade me to write to the court a decree to go to war? After those ministers argued for ten days and a half months, I'm afraid my father and tens of thousands of soldiers have already been cold!"

"Wh..." Li Daozong is breathing cold air.

Su Dingfang said in a low voice, "In this case, plan for the worst in advance! Mu Bai, you need to urge the general as soon as possible and ask him to return to Lanzhou as soon as possible! It was also rumored to order Puchanghai Xue Wanche and Yuyang Erguan to be on high alert to prevent the Tubo raid and escort the commander-in-chief. If we can successfully move this soldier and horse back to Lanzhou, we can break our worries and strengthen our strength and have more confidence.

"It suits me." Qin Mubai said firmly, "It's not too late. I can't take care of that much. Ding Fang, pen and ink to serve, I personally wrote a book to ask my father to be the master. In addition, please work hard. You led my Yifu to ride 10,000 horses, and set out to Puchanghai in the starry night to pass my order. Tell Xue Wanche that Pu Changhai doesn't want it, but if Yuyang Erguan is lost, he will dig his own grave and climb in. Don't come back to see me again!"

"No!" Su Dingfang solemnly took the order and said, "So... when will Xue Wanche abandon Pu Changhai and stick to the second pass of Yuyang? Is it necessary to let him wait until he converges with the general's soldiers before abandoning him?

"..." Qin Mubai, who was working hard to write, paused in his hand, and his expression was stagnant.

He thought: Xue Wanche led more than 20,000 soldiers and horses stationed in Puchanghai, in order to take over his father's department in Gaochang, thinking of echoing and supporting. But now, Gao Chang's situation is unknown. How should Xue Wanche make a decision at that time? - Make two extreme assumptions. First, his father has realized the subtlety and interests of the overall situation and decided to leave Gaochang and return to Lanzhou in advance. This is the most ideal situation. In this way, Xue Wanche can join his father's soldiers and horses in the shortest time, smoothly move back to the second pass of Yuyang and stick to the door; the other extreme is... his father's soldiers and horses have fallen into the trap of the Chalqinling and can't get out, and have even been completely covered...

Qin Mubai's hand trembled. A ball of ink dripped down and became a few petals.

Li Daozong and Su Dingfang's faces changed slightly. They had never seen Qin Mubai show such a frightened and panicked look, even if it was fleeting.

"Mu Bai, what's wrong with you?" Li Daozong asked, "When did you get so frightened?"

Su Dingfang, who was as careful as his hair, advised, "Mu Bai, please relax. The general is unstoppable for half of his life. He is wise and brave. Maybe he has already escaped safely on the way to Lanzhou!"

"Uh-huh..." Qin Mubai took back his mind and answered, picked up a piece of paper again to write, and said, "As you said, you should prepare for the worst in advance. If... I mean, if my father's department has been destroyed, then Xue Wanche's department can't be put in again.

"You mean... so that Xue Wanche doesn't have to wait for the commander-in-chief to withdraw from the second pass of Yuyang?" Su Dingfang was surprised and said, "Mu Bai, this... is not appropriate!"

Li Daozong frowned and said, "Mu Bai, I understand your mood at this moment. You must wish you could fly to Gaochang with a pair of wings and pick up your father back. But at this moment, you control the overall situation, and everything should start from the interests of the overall situation. You just said that you should prepare for the worst first, which is very calm and wise... However, we can't abandon Uncle Bao for public and private. Let's take a compromise plan. Let Xue Wanche last for a month. Of course, it's best for Shubao to return within a month. The two soldiers and horses retreat to the second pass of Yuyang together; if Shubao doesn't return within a month..."

"Do as the prince says." Qin Mubai waved his pen like an iron stone. He quickly wrote a military order, took out his own governor's seal and covered it heavily, blew dry the ink and gave it to Su Dingfang, saying, "Brother, please!"

The five words

made Su Dingfang feel quite heavy. He has always known that Qin Mubai is not that kind of frivolous and shallow person. Especially after being in the position of the lord of Lanzhou, he is more stable and experienced, and his feelings have become complex and deep. At this moment, everyone knows how much Qin Mubai wants to pick up his father as soon as possible. Even if he now orders Xue Wanche to send his troops to Gao Chang to save Qin Shubao, it is normal.

However, Qin Mubai did not do so, because Xue Wanche's department must not be lost, otherwise not only could he save Qin Shubao, but it would also lead to the fall of the second pass of Yuyang, which would cause the collapse of the Lanzhou portal!

So Qin Mubai made the coldest decision. He expected that something had happened to his father's side and it was irreparable... Do your best and listen to fate!

Li Daozong looked at Qin Mubai with complex and deep eyes. He is very clear that Qin Mubai at this moment is no longer the Qin Mubai he knew in Jinzhou in the early years. Now, he has dared to shoulder heavy responsibilities and go his own way, and is becoming more and more mature in military politics.

But this kind of maturity often comes at a great price...

Su Dingfang led the 10,000 elites of Qin Mubai to ride more and more. He left the city on a starry night, with a heavy military order that was enough to determine the life and death of tens of thousands of people.

The night is like ink, and the cold moon hangs in the air.

Qin Mubai stood alone at the head of the city of Lanzhou, raising his hands and looking into the northwest, as quiet as an ancient stone sculpture.

"Father... You're already on your way home, aren't you? Do you know how much Sanlang misses you..."