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Chapter 516: Toasting, playing chess, thirty games in thirty years (asking for monthly tickets)

Two hundred thousand elite soldiers of the State of Chen were arrayed outside the Zhenbei Pass to fight a desperate battle with the Turkic steppes. Afterwards, many troops were separated in batches and transferred to the south of the Yangtze River to settle down.

Those who were responsible for the resettlement were Fang Ziqiao and others. They were meticulous and tried their best to resolve possible hidden dangers. After the death of the Great Khan in battle, it took some time to quell the sporadic disturbances among the Turks on the grassland.

During this period of time, Chen Tianqi was fighting against the great nobles of the grassland in the front, while Chen Dingye swept away the last Chen soldiers who were still loyal to him, as well as more than ten thousand confidants, and retreated to the northwest.

However, this time Chen Dingye retreated and did not take Ye Zhongdao and Zhou Xianping with him.

By the time the two famous generals reacted, Chen Dingye had already left.

Ye Zhongdao was seriously injured. When he staggered out of the place where he was recuperating, he saw Zhou Xianping also rushing in. Zhou Xianping was not wearing armor, and his naked body was wrapped up like a dumpling.

"Ye Zhongdao, Ye Zhongdao!"

"Where are you?!"

Zhou Xianping shouted, but saw Ye Zhongdao also came out. He was stunned, his eyebrows drooped, and his lips trembled: "You, were also left behind..."

Ye Zhongdao pursed his lips. He looked at Zhou Xianping, these two warriors who had conquered all over the world and had white hair on their temples. He realized that the cruel and bloodthirsty emperor had left them behind at the last minute.

I don’t know whether it is sadness, or relief, or it is hard to describe, as a general who grew up in the State of Chen but never really made it to the end, it is a kind of pain.

Ye Chongdao, Zhou Xianping and other generals received the box given by Chen Dingye.

They snatched the box from the hands of their personal soldiers. Ye Zhongdao looked at the box, and Zhou Xianping was also silent. The two famous generals felt each other's heavy emotions and each other's struggle in an instant.

They were all generals who were well-versed in military books, and they had conquered the four directions for countless years in this chaotic world. At this moment, the classic battles of the past came to mind one by one -

If the secret letter left here is to ask them to cause chaos in the Qilin Army’s base camp.

If they were asked to assassinate the counselors in the Qilin Army.

Buy time for Chen Dingye to escape.

Will the two of them do it or not? And what choice will the other party, their good friend and lifelong rival sitting opposite them, make?
If there really is such a secret letter, will you take action?

If your friend on the opposite side attacks, should you stop him or remain indifferent?

Life and death, the world, family and country, betrayal, monarch and ministers.

All kinds of emotions surged in their hearts, making it impossible for both of them to speak. Even Zhou Xianping, who always liked to laugh and joke, was as silent and solemn as a rock at this moment.

Just as his palm touched the box, a voice suddenly came:
"Wait a moment."

Zhou Xianping's palm trembled, and he looked up and saw Ye Zhongdao. It was the latter who spoke. He couldn't help but get angry and cursed, "You didn't say anything before, why did you suddenly speak at this time? I almost scared someone to death."

"what happened again?!"

Ye Zhongdao said: "Let's put down our weapons."

Zhou Xianping looked at his friend: "Yeah."

Both famous generals put down the weapons in their hands, the Night Chi Sword and the Hook-Sickle Spear, which were weapons that were almost connected with the fortune of Da Chen for three hundred years, and were also closely related to the history of the Night Chi Cavalry and the Hook-Sickle Spear Soldiers, two unique and powerful armies of Da Chen.

They opened the box again.

"Wait a moment!"

Ye Zhongdao suddenly spoke again.

Zhou Xianping's forehead was bulging with veins. "It is said that a general should remain calm even when a mountain collapses in front of him, and have a calm face even when thunder is in his chest. Where is your composure? Have you eaten a dog?!"

Ye Zhongdao said, “You ate it.”

Zhou Xianping's anger suddenly exploded and his forehead twitched.

Ye Zhongdao looked at the box and said, "Open it."

They slowly opened the box, and sure enough, each of them contained a secret letter and a pot of wine sealed with wax. The atmosphere was silent, and they opened the piece of paper and saw the letter on it.

It was written by Chen Dingye.

It turned out to be a secret letter.

Each of them had simple orders, requiring Ye Chongdao and Zhou Xianping to stay in the rear, disrupt the logistics of the Qilin Army and interrupt its deployment. At the same time, they should find the right opportunity to use the methods of grandmaster-level generals to kill those counselors with weak martial arts skills.

"We are all loyal subjects of the country and should die for the country"

'If not'

'Even if I drink the poison, I will still be loyal to my country'

"To act for loyalty or to drink for treason, the two generals can choose!"

Ye Zhongdao looked at the letter in silence for a long time. Zhou Xianping grinned and whispered, "...Such a method is indeed the same as the Majesty we are familiar with, a poisonous dragon with bared claws and fangs in troubled times."

"You really can't have any expectations for this guy. You can't forget what kind of character our emperor has just because he was so heroic when facing the Turks."

"Ye Zhongdao."

"We can't mess up the future our children have created with their own hands."

Zhou Xianping spoke in a low voice.

Ye Zhongdao stared at the letter quietly and replied, "They are already older than we were when we stepped onto the battlefield. The one who is willing to fight is already in the later stage of the sixth heaven. It is very likely that he will become a master before the age of thirty."

"Liuying is also on the battlefield against the grassland, becoming the sixth level."

"They are only in their twenties, much better than us."

"As a general, he died in the battle against the Turkic steppes, and established an unprecedented feat in eight hundred years. As a father, I am able to see my child reach this point. As a minister, I was not able to go to the end, which is ultimately a pity."

Ye Zhongdao put down the letter, picked up the wine jug, and calmly removed the wax seal. The wine was pure in color and looked extremely tempting. Ye Zhongdao calmly poured himself a glass of wine.

Zhou Xianping smiled carefreely: "A real man can conquer the four directions, conquer the grasslands, and finally die for his country. Isn't that a happy thing?"

"Although I am a loyal subject."

"But in this world, there are still people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for justice, but only at this moment."

Zhou Xianping put down the secret letter left by the emperor and poured himself a glass of wine. He sniffed it and found that it was the fine wine prepared for the Turkic Khan that day. Looking at the leader of the Night Cavalry opposite, the two raised their glasses.

He seemed drunk even before he drank.

"Come, the night is heavy, the world is in chaos, and we haven't had a drink together for a long time."

Zhou Xianping raised his glass with a smile on his face:
"Respect the Night Cavalry, three thousand armored men, galloping through the troubled times to defeat the Tiger Barbarian Cavalry."

Ye Zhongdao sat upright, clinked glasses with Zhou Xianping, and said calmly:

"Respect the hook-and-sickle spearmen, whose military discipline is as strong as a mountain, and who hold their spears to destroy the Turkic cavalry."

"Respect the founder of the Great Chen, the alliance in troubled times, tearing the world apart."

"I salute my Great Chen General Chen Tianqi, whose spear will lead us to the depths of the enemy."

"Respect Lord Taiping!"

"Cheers to the Divine Martial King!"

"Respect Lu Youxian!"

The two men drank heavily, clinked their glasses, and finally laughed loudly. They drank the two pots of poisoned wine and lay down backwards. Finally, the wine in the cups dripped onto the ground, and the two gods fell there, never talking or laughing again.

…………

Hurry footsteps were heard, and Ye Buyi rushed to his father's position almost madly, followed closely by Zhou Liuying. After they knew that Chen Dingye created an opportunity to leave, they realized that their father was left behind.

My heart skipped a beat.

Oops!

Ye Buyi and Zhou Liuying both looked unhappy.

As soon as he had time to report to the front, he immediately rushed over.

Thoughts in my heart kept surging, passing through my mind one after another.

Whether their father became an abandoned pawn, a hidden pawn, or something else, it made both of them feel heartbroken. No one knows a son better than his father, but as sons grow up, they will gradually understand their fathers' stubbornness and silence.

They know too well what those old men will do!

Ye Buyi, Zhou Liuying chose Li Guanyi and others because these young people themselves have passionate dreams, and for these old men, they also had passionate dreams when they were young.

But at this moment, the once beautiful and passionate dream has rotted away.

The desire they were pursuing was not what it is now at the beginning.

That white moonlight, that beautiful wish has rotted, can we still abandon it?

Abandoning the youthful vigor and youthfulness of the past, abandoning the friends and comrades who have walked along the way and died for this dream before it decayed. Sometimes, even if people know that the path they have taken is wrong, there is no room to turn around.

Can't, don't want to, must not, unwilling to.

Zhou Liuying almost carried Shi Dalin over.

Nearly ten years have passed, and the seven old ghosts of the Qilin Army have become little old men with gray hair, carrying a small medicine box in a cross-body bag. This medicine box was made for him by the omnipotent Lei Laomeng himself out of wood.

A good thing, resistant to insects, fire and weapons.

Holding the strap and swinging it in a circle, it is like a hammer that can break armor.

By tapping the hidden button next to it, it can be transformed into the Gongsun Crossbow, firing twelve crossbow arrows.

Even with such a treasure in his hand, Shi Dalin was still carried by the young general as if he were carrying a piece of wood and running towards him. A strong wind blew on his face, making his white hair flutter and his eyes dizzy. He could only see everything in front of him passing by at high speed.

A pair of hands tightly grasped the straps, but he was still able to yell and comfort the two outstanding generals of the younger generation, saying: "Ah, Ye boy, Zhou boy, don't worry, don't worry, those two generals are decent people."

"Even if that old poisoner Chen Dingye poisoned the wine or drugs, there's no need to worry, cough cough cough..."

"Look, there's this!"

“There is this!”

Shi Dalin patted the small medicine box on his back vigorously, and said confidently, "This is a full-scale restoration of the secret medicine box made by our master, Mr. Hou Zhongyu!"

"Do you know Master Hou Zhongyu? He's the one who makes the elixir of immortality!"

"I can even make the elixir of immortality."

"This pill for curing diseases and detoxifying can be pinched in your hand!"

Zhou Liuying was anxious, but he still managed to chatter: "Okay, okay, I know you are awesome, old man! Awesome!"

"I'll have to rely on you later." "We must make full use of Hou Zhongyu's medical skills and magic, and don't embarrass him!"

He was still eloquent, but perhaps he was using this method of chattering to comfort himself, to calm his heart, and to cover up his inner fear and worry.

They ran to the residences of Generals Zhou and Ye. They had clearly arrived, but they did not go in immediately. They were all frozen for a moment. Even Zhou Liuying was speechless. Only Ye Buyi remained silent, kicked open the military tent and went in.

The scene that caught the eye was shocking.

The box was opened and the letter was placed there. There were two pots of strong liquor on the table. Zhou Xianping and Ye Zhongdao were both lying there. They were very drunk, but not in any danger of life.

Shi Dalin rushed forward, stretched out his hand, and pouted:
"Drunk."

"This stuff has such a strong taste. Wow, it's so strong that even a master can get drunk. It's the Imperial Wine. It seems to be similar to the Thousand Days Intoxicating Wine that Senior Zhenkui got overseas."

"Back then, Mr. Wen Qingyu was almost knocked over by this Qianrizui before he was brought back."

Captain Zhou Liu breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't feel anything before, but now he breathed a sigh of relief, but cold sweat broke out all over his body. He kicked his drunk father and gritted his teeth, "Damn old man, you scared me to death."

"Grass!"

Then he paused, looked at Ye Buyi, and said vigilantly:
"I'm expressing my feelings, not a plant."

Ye Buyi looked at him in confusion, then remained calm and said succinctly: "You can associate a plant with a word, and then say this to me. It really makes me..."

Ye Buyi paused and considered his words.

He said simply: "I couldn't help laughing."

Shi Dalin inexplicably felt that the surroundings were a little cold and he shivered.

But, it’s so cold in the north at this time.

Well, probably, probably.

Zhou Liuying: “…………”

Damn, this guy deserves a beating!
He frowned, but still smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Buyi looked at the two secret letters on the table, and then at the two jugs of wine. After a long time, his brows relaxed and he looked at the two divine generals. The two generals who had experienced hundreds of battles were sitting on the ground leaning against the table. They were drunk, but seemed to be still awake.

He could even murmur.

Ye Zhongdao raised his glass and murmured: "Drink, drink..."

Zhou Xianping laughed drunkenly: "Drink, drink!"

"Anyone who doesn't drink is a grandson!"

Zhou Liuying supported him and said, "Dad, you are drunk!"

Zhou Xianping shook off Zhou Liuying's hand and shouted loudly in dissatisfaction, "Who, who is drunk?! I'm very sober, come on, drink, keep drinking, hiccup..."

"Old Ye, how come you become younger?"

"Also, you have three faces and six eyes, hahahaha, but you still only have a neck and a mouth. No wonder you don't like to talk. Keep drinking!"

Zhou Xianping staggered to his feet. When he was young, he followed his father onto the battlefield. He stood up to face the fierce general of Tiefutu. Facing the crazy attack of Tiefutu, he did not retreat a single step. But after taking two steps, he staggered and fell down and sat down next to Ye Zhongdao.

The two men lowered their eyes, with countless wounds on their bodies. They were no longer young.

It seemed that he was finally drunk, but after being drunk, he was still murmuring.

It was just a whisper, a voice that almost only I could hear:

"Drink, drink..."

Their palms were curled up as if holding wine glasses, and they clinked glasses with each other. The crisp sound of the wine glasses colliding could be heard in their ears. They squinted their eyes and leaned back, as if toasting their younger years.

"Cheers to these three hundred years of romantic spirit."

"Salute to the fall of Dachen."

"Respect this, the world of great contention."

"Cheers to this...time for a drink."

…………

The sound of horse hooves was deep, and Chen Dingye's expression was calm. He held the reins tightly, just looking at the side, and said with a smile: "Ye Zhongdao, Zhou Xianping is also there. I'm just curious, Master Yan Chen, why don't you stay?"

"Your son, Yan Daiqing, is only 27 years old now."

"But he is already in charge of a country's logistics. When he reaches the age of thirty, he will be qualified to become a prime minister, and he is doing a great job."

“In times of turmoil and struggle, when a nation is being founded, there are always such prodigies who emerge.”

"It's time, luck, and fate."

"Because he has great talent, but also because he has great luck. Without great talent, he would not be able to bear such a heavy responsibility. But without great luck, how could he be able to step into the forefront of the world and leave his mark at such an age?"

"You have such a good son, why don't you go?"

"They will surely be able to give you a good settlement."

Yan Chen beside him said, "Your Majesty is about to reach the end of his road. The troops you are leading are all the last loyal confidants of the State of Chen. This army will fight to the end, but no matter what, it will be the king's downfall after all."

“When a king dies, even if he is a tyrant or a fool, he must have a historian by his side.”

Chen Dingye laughed out loud, and laughed very happily.

Then, with a smug tone in his voice, he said:
"I left some gifts, secret letters and fine wine for Ye Zhongdao and Zhou Xianping. They have been looking at me with worry recently. They are probably afraid that I will ask them to turn against the Qilin Army and Li Guanyi in the end."

"I left these two things behind on purpose."

"Tell them that if they want to kill someone, they should kill themselves. Given their personalities and heroic spirit, they will definitely make up their minds and drink the so-called poison wine."

Yan Chen asked: "What is that wine?"

Chen Dingye said, "They wanted to steal something to drink when they were young. We were still young at that time, and it was also a martial arts ceremony. They were more willful and free than Ye Buyi and Zhou Liuying when they were young."

"I lost the competition on purpose and went to drink alcohol secretly."

"I didn't get to drink the wine, but I met Chen Chengbi and got beaten up."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Chen Dingye laughed loudly, with a hint of loneliness in his voice, and finally said calmly:

"I know their nature, and you know it too. They are loyal, but there is no need to be so. They just think it is poisoned wine, and drink it with the intention of dying. Then it is considered that they have died for Dachen once."

"He has died for his country."

"The days after that will be up to them."

"As for the letter, it is a [pledge of allegiance], which means that even if they die, they will not draw their weapons to destroy the Qilin Army. Only in this way can the two of them truly settle down there."

"Just think of it as me treating them to a drink when they were young."

"Finally, have another drink."

He tightened the reins and said calmly: "Even if I die, I cannot die there like a prisoner. I will fight to the end. Chen Dingye can die in a cowardly way, but the emperor of Chen cannot die in a cowardly way."

"To die by suicide, to die by hanging, that is not the way for a king to die."

"Only when you resist till the end and are hacked to death by the chaotic army can you be considered graceful."

"I do not intend to be killed as a prisoner by Li Guanyi."

"If the king dies, it must be by the sword that destroys the nation."

Yan Chen looked at him and revealed his thoughts in one sentence. He said:
"Your Majesty wants to give the King of Qin a fair revenge."

"I will use all my strategies and tactics to escape from the rear while the King of Qin is in the front."

Chen Dingye laughed.

Yan Chen said: "It also gives me a chance to 'avenge' myself."

Chen Dingye was quiet, then burst into laughter, but did not answer.

He just smiled, then smiled sideways and said:
"Master Yan Chen, please write down Chen Dingye's final appearance in the history books."

Yan Chen pursed his lips and looked at the emperor quietly. The emperor was riding a horse, and the eunuch in charge of ceremonies was leading the warhorse in front. The emperor turned sideways to talk to him, but Yan Chen was on the left. Chen Dingye turned to the right and spoke, as if he thought Yan Chen was on the right at the moment.

Chen Dingye's hair had turned completely white, and his pupils had become as hard as wood and stone.

He could no longer see what was ahead of him.

Using himself as a bargaining chip, he led the Turks into death and personally pushed forward the beginning of the war to destroy the grassland. The price he paid was that Chen Dingye's poison had penetrated into his bones and internal organs. Even if there was no such chaotic world, he would have died.

But he deserved to die by the sword.

Yan Chen looked at the tyrannical, hateful, cold and cruel emperor, but thought of a long time ago, when it rained heavily, and a poor scholar was playing chess at a stall outside the Imperial College of Chen State, while his mother was sick in bed at home.

No one wanted to play chess with this poor young scholar.

He looked at the rain, which obscured the prosperous Jiangzhou City and his future like fog.

The young prince who came to play chess.

He seemed to be very interested and played chess for 30 times in a row. He put down the chess pieces and said with a smile:
"You are very talented. I played thirty games of chess. How about you accompany me for thirty years?"

"Here, I'll give you enough silver in advance for your salary."

"My name is Chen Dingye."

The young prince held up a bamboo umbrella, bent down to protect the poor scholar from the rain, and said with a smile:
"With a noble character and a noble spirit, he is the one who supports the country."

"The king's ambition to dominate the world."

"Chen Dingye."

The young man who would kneel all night in the rain for a eunuch, who could play chess and admire talents, helped a poor scholar save his mother, and also led him to meet a young man who liked women. In a trance, he merged with the tyrannical, suspicious and hopeless king in front of him.

Nothing is more complex than this.

Yan Chen rode his horse quietly and followed Chen Dingye.

Chen Dingye rode on a horse, unable to see anything, with his back straight, holding the reins, waiting for his death with the grace of a tyrant.

(End of this chapter)