mountain river road

In the early morning of the next day, Chu Xi grabbed the saber hanging on the wall, and in the faint morning light, as soon as she stepped out of the door, she shouted to the guard who was standing erect on the side: "Liu Muyi, practice sword with me!" !"

Liu Muyi, the head of the bodyguard, is ordinary, with a strong body and unadorned facial features, he looks like a decent person.Chu Shu arranged for him to be Chu Xi's personal bodyguard, firstly to protect him, and secondly to train the young Prince Chu's muscles and bones.

I have to say that Liu Shiwei's kung fu is still very good, at least Chu Xi hasn't won yet.

Liu Mu glanced at Chu Xi, and sincerely suggested: "Young Lord, it's better to do some activities first."

Boring, Chu Xi rolled her eyes and said, "I know, I know, anyway, I can't beat you anyway, I just don't want to play the sword manual."

Liu Muyi still stood beside him like a wooden stake, noncommittal.

Chu Xi sighed in resignation, and swiped a sword flower, her expression concentrating.The young man's changing figure was dazzling, and the long sword cut the air and made a sharp friction sound.

In the morning wind, Chu Xi's face was tense, her steps were sharp, and she held a long sword with a cold light, stabbing, picking, chopping, slashing, and hiding. The sharpness and ambition of a young man unfolded with the sword's intention, and he was full of vigor and vitality.

Chu Xi said that she didn't want to think about it, but she immediately calmed down after she took out the sword. The sword manual that had been practiced thousands of times endowed the body with memory, while her heart was separated from the sword again and again, and she learned to look down.

After the last gesture, Chu Xi took advantage of the opportunity to point her sword at Liu Muyi's throat without waiting to stand still!

With a sound of "Boom", Liu Muyi quickly took a step away, the long saber was out of its sheath, and before Chu Xi could turn around, the saber was in the head!The long knife and the famous sword collided in the air, and sparks flew all over the place. Chu Xi made a slight effort, made a mistake with the knife, and took a few steps back.

It was still a little slow, Chu Xi regretted in her heart.At the same time, he kept walking, kicked on the peach tree next to him, jumped up in the air with his strength, and was about to step on the long knife when he turned over.Liu Mu slashed at Chu Xi's waist with a backhand at an extremely tricky angle.Chu Xi barely resisted the blade, and the two fell into a stalemate again.

Liu Mu paused, and greeted him with a wave of the long knife.

After dozens of strokes, both of them were a little out of breath.

Distracted for a moment, he slashed straight down with the sword, Chu Xi's sword was in the air, and the long knife was in the chest, barely stopping.

Liu Mu took the knife back with a swipe, smiled hehe, and patted his head with his hand.

Chu Xi panted and said, "Don't laugh, I will beat you one day."

Liu Muyi said seriously: "I am the guard that the prince specially placed by your side. If that day comes, you will have to change someone."

Chu Xi sighed helplessly: "No, I won't need guards on that day. How about you being my deputy?"

Liu Muyi: "I would like to do the work of a dog and a horse for the little prince."

This guard was really dead serious, even though he was used to it, Chu Xi couldn't help but think so, he patted Liu Muyi's shoulder casually.

"Let's go to Zhenqing for breakfast."

Early in the morning, only a servant named You Fu was guarding the door.The door is still closed.Chu Xi was sweating all over, and said to You Fu, "Where did Xu Zhenqing go?"

Blessed: "Go back to the little prince, Mr. Xu hasn't woken up yet."

Chu Xiqi said: "He is not always eager to learn, why did he sleep in late today? If he sleeps again, he will have breakfast."

Blessed replied: "I'll go and have a look."

"No need, I'll go by myself." Chu Xi said, then turned to Liu Mu and said, "You wait for me outside."

Chu Xi pushed the door open, walked to the bed, and when she lifted the curtain, she was stunned.

Xu Zhenqing frowned slightly, and curled up into a ball.Half of her face was exposed in the brocade quilt, her long hair was in a mess, half of it was poured on the quilt, and half of her face was covered.

Her usually pale lips were so red that they almost dripped blood.

Chu Xi suddenly felt that her heartbeat, which had just calmed down, started to beat violently again, even more intense than when she was practicing sword just now.

He was dazed for a while, until his mouth became a little dry before he realized that Zhenqing was probably ill.

Chu Xi bent down and reached out to brush his hair away, and found that his cheeks were also flushed, and even the breath on his fingers was a little hot.Quickly leaned over and touched his forehead, it was really hot.

He hurried out of the door and asked Youfu to fetch the doctor, and Fu came back and squatted beside Zhenqing's bed.

Xu Zhenqing slept lightly and woke up slowly.I just felt dizzy, my body was weak, and I was still extremely cold wrapped in the quilt.As soon as he opened his eyes in a daze, he saw Chu Xi staring at him frowning on the side of the bed, and when he saw the sky outside the window, he knew that he was sick and had overslept.It's just that she didn't expect Chu Xi to come to her bed.He shrank back under the quilt again, looking at Chu Xi silently.

Chu Xi said: "You are sick, you have already gone to see a doctor. How do you feel?"

Xu Zhenqing: "It's good."

Chu Xi: "It's all like this, what's the point?"

Xu Zhenqing: "But it's a bit cold."

It was only then that Chu Xi noticed that Xu Zhenqing had already covered her with a thick quilt not long after autumn began.

Youfu has brought the doctor back.Chu Xi stepped aside, quietly waiting for the doctor's diagnosis and treatment.

The doctor replied: "Mr. Xu is physically weak. It should be because he has been running around recently and caught a cold. I will add some medicines to take care of him."

Waving him to go down, Chu Xi stared at Zhenqing's face with the same expression as usual, feeling an indescribable feeling in her heart.Zhenqing has lived here for more than half a year, and she has been taking medicine almost every day, either to treat illnesses or tonic.The whole person looks like a medicine jar, and the servants all feel sorry for Xu Xiaogong's beautiful life in private.He doesn't care if he is beautiful or not. Xu Zhenqing is a talented person. In his father's words, he is the kind who "has valleys in his chest", but he can only linger on the sick bed.

"It's okay, I've been like this since I was a child." Zhen Qing said suddenly, and smiled at Chu Xi. "So I can't practice martial arts, and I can't go to battle to kill the enemy. You are so lucky, you should make good achievements."

His shallow smile actually grabbed Chu Xi's heart.He whispered: "You can plan a strategy and win a decisive victory thousands of miles away."

Zhen Qing silently stared at his face for a few seconds, wondering what she was thinking, she lowered her eyelashes and shrank under the quilt.

Later that day, the palace welcomed an incredible guest.

A young man in a black cloak showed a dragon-shaped jade pendant to the servant at the door.Only real royals are eligible to wear it, and the king of Chu wears a python.

The servant knelt down to salute in fear, and then trotted in to report.

Chu Shu didn't look surprised when he heard this, but just smiled at Xu Mo beside him, as expected.

Xu Mo said: "I'm going to hide for a while, it's not appropriate to have counselors in the former general's residence."

Chu Shu nodded, and got up to meet the distinguished guest who arrived suddenly.

"My emperor is here, and my minister is far away to welcome me. I hope the emperor will not blame me." Chu Shu said and knelt down to salute.

Chu Yuanzhi immediately stretched out his hand to support Chu Shu, and said sincerely: "Now that the country is facing a crisis, what are you talking about with these vain etiquettes between the monarch and his ministers? I came here uninvited to disturb the emperor's rest."

This call of Uncle Emperor was too close.Chu Shu's father, that is, Chu Xi's grandfather, had a very good relationship with Chu Yuanzhi's biological father, King Huainan, and the two had sworn brothers.

Princess Huainan died of dystocia, and King Huainan was depressed because of this, and she died young.At that time, the emperor brought Chu Yuanzhi to the palace to take care of him in order to show his benevolence.

Therefore, the generation of children and grandchildren has no connection, but they can meet each other at palace banquets.

Chu Shu immediately sighed, and led Chu Yuanzhi into the elegant room.

Sitting on both sides, the tea is fragrant.Chu Shu ordered his servants to retreat, and said, "I wonder why His Majesty came here in person?"

Chu Yuanzhi frowned slightly, with deep worry in his eyes, he sighed and said, "There is no one in court."

Chu Shu said: "Wang Lang from the south, and Liu Cheng from the north. Both are celebrities. Why did your majesty say that?"

Chu Yuanzhi shook his head slowly: "To tell you the truth, the envoy sent to the western border this spring was killed by the barbarians."

"This." After being stunned for a moment, Chu Shu immediately became angry: "Bold barbarian! They also killed our envoy from the Southern Dynasty?"

"Alas..." Chu Yuanzhi sighed deeply, and the young emperor's face was full of worry: "Xijiang has always been in conflict and chaos, and now the crown prince Tuoba Yuan is ruling all the ministries, and I am afraid that he is unwilling to bow his head and become a minister. It is said that the envoy was killed by mistake in the chaos, but why did the envoy run into the chaos, and why did the barbarians get so dizzy that they couldn't recognize the envoy's official uniform?"

When Chu Shu was young, he also fought for more than ten years to quell the civil strife in Western Xinjiang, so he naturally understood the meaning of Chu Yuanzhi's words.What he lacks is not civil servants, but generals.Now that the domestic rebels are everywhere, and the western borders are restless, Yan Qi and Yan Fei cannot be of great use.Looking at the entire Southern Dynasties, apart from Chu Shu, there is indeed no other famous future.

Chu Shu knew in his heart that he shouldn't have disarmed and returned to the farm early, if it wasn't for the ancestor's instruction, if it wasn't for the Chu family's tacit agreement with the emperor.He was unwilling to take off his armor, and there was always a secret desire hidden in his heart. For this reason, he never forgot his sword and the world.Although he is already in the rivers and lakes, his heart is still tied to the temple and the battlefield.

He watched the rebel army everywhere, and the courtiers recruiting poets and troupes everywhere. It has been too long.

Now, the new emperor came before him, telling about the current crisis of the country.

The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

Chu Shu stood up, his eyes were firm, and he said in a resolute and passionate voice: "Defending the family and the country is a duty! I am willing to do my best for your Majesty!"

He had waited too long for this moment.

The young emperor sitting behind the tea table showed a knowing smile.