Chapter 26: Unjust Prison

Sang Weihan encountered a big nail in Liangzhou. On the way back to Hedong, he remembered a plan and wanted to take the way to Khitan and sold goods to Yelu Deguang. However, it was not a good way to go from Guanzhong to Khitan, and there were many difficulties in the middle when he changed his mind temporarily. At this time, he had gradually trusted Guo Wei's ability, so he came to discuss it with him.

Unexpectedly, Guo Wei immediately objected and said, "No, absolutely not!" He was an independent person. After going to Liangzhou this time, he witnessed and heard the various governance and atmospheres of the Tiance regime, and resonated with Ding Hao and others. His daily entertainment was to listen to the text of the change. The various concepts in "The Long March of the Tang Army of Anxi" were imprinted into his heart without knowing it. At this time, he blurted out: "The Tiance Army is a border vassal of the Han family. Now the country is not right. Our Linggong is just a competition for the world. But the Khitan is a barbarian, and it is a great crime to lead them into the Sena!"

Sang Weihan frowned and said, "What are you talking about? What are you talking about? Our masters are different from other Turkic tribes!"

"That's different," Guo Wei said: "Although Ling Gong came from a different Shatuo tribe, he talked about Tang Dynasty. According to the customs of Han, he had already escaped from the barbarians and entered China. Who among the entire Hedong army regarded himself as a barbarian? Although the Khitan once called himself the Han family, it was very short. He still spoke Hu language and used barbarian customs. If these people were allowed to invade Yanyun, the people of Lulong would inevitably suffer a great disaster!"

Shi Jingtang did claim to be a minister of the Han Dynasty. Guo Wei was right. However, after the end of the Tang Dynasty, warlords fought in the melee, and the distinction between the Hu and Han and the Chinese and foreigners in the north was very indifferent. Generally, warriors were simple and easy to accept a certain concept, but they became more firm after accepting it. The literati were changeable. Although they read a lot of books of sages, they only read them in their stomachs and used them one by one. They rarely practiced them. At this time, Sang Weihan was full of thoughts on how to avoid disaster. The more he listened to Guo Wei's words, the more impatient he became, and he said angrily: "What kind of distinction between the Chinese and foreigners! I think you were poisoned by the Tiance Army!"

So he ordered Guo Wei to protect himself to go to Khitan as the official envoy. Guo Wei said, "The order I received from the commander-in-chief (Liu Zhiyuan) was just to escort the secretary to Liangzhou and then return to Hedong. Now the secretary suddenly changed the order, which was contrary to the original intention. I am sorry that I cannot be ordered."

Sang Weihan was shocked and angry, but there was no way. Without Guo Wei's help, how could he get to the Khitan with a scholar?

As a last resort, he had to go back to Hedong. After entering Taiyuan, Sang Weihan came to see Shi Jingtang and said to Guo Wei: "I'll go to see the Lord, you can go back and reunite with your family first."

Guo Wei was afraid of this! But when he went to the commander-in-chief to hand over his duties, he hurried back home. When he pushed open the door, he couldn't help but be shocked: But seeing that the door was neglected and there was no one in the room, he touched the table and was covered with dust. Guo Wei was shocked and called his wife a few times, and how could he respond at all?

When I asked my neighbors, I realized that Chai had died of illness and was buried outside the city by relying on my neighbors. Chai Rong suddenly disappeared a month ago. Guo Wei was so excited that he stood at the door that he couldn't come back. Even though he was a man who was beaten up, he couldn't help but burst into tears when he arrived at this point. He had to ask Ming Chai's burial place and bought some incense and candles to worship.

How far away was he left the city gate? He heard the scream from behind: "Don't leave with the traitor Guo Wei!" Guo Wei was shocked. When he turned around, he saw a squad coming. He didn't know what had happened, so he was about to ask, and he was surrounded by soldiers and the general in charge said: "Go! Go back and see Gong Ling!"

Guo Wei was shocked and shouted: "What's the matter! Who are you?"

But he could tell the truth clearly, so he was dragged back to the city and captured the military prison. He was completely confused and didn't know what the disaster was. He only heard the military man who brought him back mutter inadvertently: "I'm so bold, I dare to betray Gong Ling!" When Guo Wei was about to ask, the military man did not answer at all.

After a while, a civil servant came to the prison and shouted, "Is it Guo Wei?"

Guo Wei stood up anxiously and said, "Yes, I am Guo Wei under the commander Liu Shuai. May I ask why this official imprisoned me here?"

The civil servant did not answer him, but said, "Mr. Ling wants to ask you a few words, you must tell me the truth."

Guo Wei had to do it.

The civil servant asked, "You are in Liangzhou, have you ever drunk wine with Shi Ba, the general of the Tiance Army?"

Guo Wei said: "Yes." But he was careful after all, and hurriedly said: "But Secretary Sang knew about that."

The civil servant asked again: "Do you go to drink by yourself, or do you go with Secretary Sang?"

Guo Wei said: "I went by myself, but I asked Secretary Sang for instructions."

The civil servant said again: "Where is your wife and children now?"

Guo Wei cried and said, "My wife died of illness while I was out, and my adopted son Guo Rong is nowhere to go now."

The civil servant sneered: "Do you know where to go, or do you hide it from reporting?"

Guo Wei vaguely guessed something and hurriedly said, "It's not to hide it, I really don't know!"

The civil servant said, "I really don't know? Do you know that after you left, the commander sent someone to visit your house every three days. Your wife died of illness. Although it was the truth, your son Guo Rong took advantage of the three-day gap and fled out of the city without reporting or reporting. What explanation do you give?" The Taiyuan military sent someone to visit once every three days, and there was a surveillance inside.

Guo Wei's fingers were cold and he said, "This...I really don't know..."

The civil servant said, "You really don't know? Then why did you not go to pay homage to Gong Ling after entering the city, but you immediately escape from the city?"

Guo Wei shouted: "I didn't run away, I didn't run away! I just wanted to go out of the city to worship my deceased wife! As for not going to pay homage to Gong Ling, it was Secretary Sang who said I could go home first."

The civil servant sneered, "Absurd! The business has not yet been completed, why would you allow you to go home! You don't know what you should know, you shouldn't leave, but you left. What you said is in a mess, untrue way, who believes there are so many coincidences!" He said that, he ignored Guo Wei and left.

Guo Wei was anxious as if the fire was roasted. The military prison was dark and dirty, and no one delivered food. He only guessed that the sunlight that came through the window had been through the night, and it was day and night. During the two nights and one day, people were almost hungry. Then someone suddenly sent a lunch box. The prison boy said, "You are lucky. You have a commander who has specially asked someone to take care of you."

Guo Wei was relieved when he heard this and thought to himself: "The commander of the Ministry is still interested in me, so there should be nothing wrong."

Another day later, a few people came outside, and Guo Wei jumped up suddenly. As soon as he saw Shi Jingtang's confidant general Liu Zhiyuan, his immediate boss, came in. Guo Wei shouted: "Huh, handsome! I'm here!"

Liu Zhiyuan didn't mind the dirt and asked someone to unlock the lock and walked in, waved his hand to let the others go out, and then said: "You did a good thing!"

Guo Wei exclaimed: "Huh, what's the point!"

Liu Zhiyuan said: "You don't know?"

Guo Wei said: "How can I know? The day before yesterday I went out of the city to worship my deceased wife, but I was trapped as soon as I left the city gate. A civil servant came and asked me about it. I was confused and I really didn't know why."

Liu Zhiyuan stared at him carefully under the light to see if he was fake. After a while, he said: "Sang Weihan told Ling Gong that this trip to the west, the matter was about to be completed, but someone secretly colluded with the general of the Tiance Army, leaked the mechanism, causing the power struggle between the two factions of the Tiance Army, and even failed! This person is you."

Guo Wei exhaled his nostrils and blew out, and he jumped up and said angrily: "Shameless Confucian scholar! There are people who are wronged like this! Eun Shuai! I am the one you promoted me. You should know my character! Yes, I understand. Sang Weihan couldn't make it, so he dragged me to take the blame! Eun Shuai, you must believe me, I have been loyal all the way and never betrayal. If I am willing to confront him!"

Liu Zhiyuan shook his head and said, "Ling Gong is in a rage and has convicted you of death. Besides, the situation is urgent now, Sang Weihan is no longer in Taiyuan, and Ling Gong is not in the mood to worry about you now."

Guo Wei looked like he was dead. He knew that he was just a small officer. Life and death was a big deal. Shi Jingtang was no different from a dog and horse. In the face of state affairs, I was afraid that he would not even have time to ask about himself again. He held it in a long time before he burped and shouted: "Enshuai, it's unfair! If Guo Wei really did this, he would have to kill the sky and beat the five thunders and would not die well! Please let Enshuai explain to Ling Gong no matter what."

Liu Zhiyuan asked: "Do you have any definite evidence?"

"this……"

Liu Zhiyuan said: "That day, Sang Weihan had already sued you while I was away. He said that you colluded with Shiba, your adopted son fled, and stole out of the city. All are facts and are very suspicious. If I had not believed in your character, I would have doubted you only by these three traces. You just made a swearing and it would be hard to win the faith. Since Ling Gong had already made preconceived ideas in his heart, I had no choice. When I entered that day, Ling Gong was furious and almost had to deal with me. I knelt outside the door for half a day, and he angrily scolded me for inappropriate use of people and beat me with fifteen military sticks..."

When Li Congke forced Emperor Min of the Later Tang Dynasty to flee, Shi Jingtang and Emperor Min met with each other. Emperor Min secretly buried armor and soldiers to kill Shi Jingtang and seized his territory and military power. It was Liu Zhiyuan and led his men to kill all the people. Since then, Shi Jingtang trusted Liu Zhiyuan very much, but now he actually beat Liu Zhiyuan to a military stick. Shi Jingtang's anger can be imagined!

Guo Wei shouted: "Em Shuai, please believe me, I will never betray me. Then Sang Weihan was knocked out by me, so he fell into my stolen position." Then he told Sang Weihan to escort him to the Khitan, but he refused.

Liu Zhiyuan glared at the ear and said, "You are just a entourage. Sang Weihan asked you to escort him to the Khitan, so you escort him! Although he is selfish and does not comply with the rules, if things are successful, you, Sang Weihan, are all good for you, Sang Weihan. After you come back, Ling Gong might have another last time, but you said that you are not like this before, why did you leave for a few months and your tone of speaking change?"

Guo Wei was secretly shocked and said, "Is it Ling Gong... he is going to be with the Khitan..."

Liu Zhiyuan interrupted him and said, "It was not your turn to interrupt such a big thing. If you offend Sang Weihan for something else, I still have a chance to declare it for you, but if this matter is in front of Ling Gong, you will still be the word "death"!"

Guo Wei said: "I...I..."

Liu Zhiyuan shook his head repeatedly and said, "I am confident in you, but now it makes the public irritable, and I dare not mention your matter again. But your sentence is close, and you and my subordinates will be in one battle, and I don't want you to die unjustly. I'll find another way."

He said and went out.

Guo Wei stayed in prison, staring at the light that came through the window and was stunned, thinking: "Has I really done something wrong? Enshuai said that my tone of speaking changed, did I really change?" Two days later, someone sent a plate of meat and two pots of wine. Guo Wei knew that this was a farewell wine and meat, so he refused to sit and wait for death, and shouted: "I want to meet the commander of the capital, I want to meet the commander of the capital!"

The prison head said, "Okay, don't yell anymore. Do you think it's too much to drag down? If you are a little loyal to the old master, be more cheerful, eat wine and meat and go on the road, say a few beautiful words, take all the suspicious things, and let the commander clean up."

Guo Wei still shouted: "I am wronged! The commander knows! San Weihan hurts me!"

The prison head just ignored him. When the time came, Guo Wei still didn't eat or drink, so someone locked him, stuffed his mouth, put his head in a bag, and pushed it all the way to somewhere.

After leaving for an hour, he opened the lock and suddenly pulled the condom away. Seeing that there was a mass grave at the sight, Guo Wei sighed: "I didn't expect that Guo Wei died here!"

But when someone behind him pushed him, "Brother Guo, please go quickly." Then he stuffed a bag of monies into Guo Wei's hands. When Guo Wei turned around, he was a military man named Ma Liu who was familiar with him, and said in surprise: "Brother Ma, this is..."

Ma Liu said: "Enshuai said that he knew you one day. Although he could not understand how to save you, he could not bear to die. Therefore, he had already done his best to find a death row prisoner to die for you. You should leave quickly. Don't appear in Taiyuan again in the future, otherwise it may drag Enshuai down." He said: "I came on the day my sister-in-law was buried, and she was there..." He pointed to a grave: "I will send you here, and from now on, we brothers will be together forever." As he said that, he sent another horse to him and said goodbye to him.

Guo Wei walked to Chai's tomb with a horse, squatting against the stone tablet, and his mind was blank for a long time. He thought that he was still in his thirties, but his wife died of illness and his adopted son was separated. Because of a few more words, he did something "not to be done" and he was so troubled that he had no place to stand up!

After thinking about it, I almost wanted to kill Chai’s tomb. However, this thought flashed and turned around and said to myself: “How can a man be so unhealthy! Although I am suffering at this moment, the great world may not be able to live in the world! Besides, Liu Shuai has not repaid his great kindness. If I die now, I will let him down and be ridiculed by the heroes in the world!”

I patted the horse, took out a meat pie from my bag and ate it. My stomach was full and I was excited. I thought to myself, "I can't stay in Hedong, but where can I go? There are no relatives and friends everywhere, but there are only a few brothers in Liangzhou. I might as well go back and vote for them!"

He climbed up on the horse and walked to Liangzhou. This was the road he had just walked in the first month of the year. At that time, he was also sneaking. In order to ensure the confidentiality, he did not dare to disclose his itinerary in Hedong. At this moment, he walked back to the old road and was empty again. In less than a month, he arrived at the Weishui River again. Compared with the beginning of the year, Weixi was much more nervous at this time. The border officials were stricter than before. Guo Wei wanted to sell the horse, so he collected enough money to bribe the border soldiers to pass through.

After entering Jincheng, everything remained the same. The officials of the Tiance Army were still in business, and compared with the beginning of the year, their attitude seemed to have become more serious. Guo Wei completed the registration procedures and was familiar with everything. He set out from Jincheng to Liangzhou City.

Jincheng is located on the east bank of the Yellow River. After passing Jincheng, he still had to transition. When he crossed the river, he saw that there seemed to be two more cities in the upper and lower reaches. When he looked closely, he was not a city, but a fence, and there seemed to be someone digging water to irrigate the water and some people were building houses. Guo Wei had rich military experience, so he guessed that it was the army's military farming. He speculated based on his visual analysis that there were probably only thousands of people in the two major military farms upstream and downstream.

After crossing the Yellow River, I found that there were many rebuilt villages along the way. It seemed that many people settled here. When I asked, a passerby said, "That is the military farming place in the military camp."

"Military camp?"

"Yes, it seems that I moved from Guazhou. We don't know what the details are. I heard that even the military family members have come. This is really strange, but as long as they don't disturb us in doing business."

Guo Wei was only a rough literary and ingenious person and did not have a deep knowledge. However, he was a person who had been trained for many years and had unique vision. Seeing that the 17 military farms along the way were close to the water source and guarding the official roads, the originally empty land gradually saw the fields because of these 17 military farms. This situation continued to Liangzhou.

"There are so many military farms along the way. Is the Tiance Army going to use troops to the East?" Guo Wei said in his heart: "These seventeen military farms, plus the two upstream and downstream of Jincheng, have a total of 19 military farms, and at least tens of thousands of people. Starting from now on, the harvest will be enough for tens of thousands of troops to make a year's use. The Tiance Army has made such a big noise, and it will never be without a reason. Ah, the military situation in Weixi suddenly becomes tighter. Could it be because of this?"

But he has no official position and only relies on his own imagination to see what he sees. If he can infer the intention of the Tiance Army in this way, wouldn’t the strategy of the top leaders of the Tiance Army be exposed by neighboring countries?

When I was approaching Liangzhou, it was already autumn. Guo Wei had spent all his money, his clothes were tattered, and his soles were worn out. When he arrived at the tea shop in Xiao Zhufang, the tea shop had been converted into a wine shop, selling wine. Ding Hao was in charge of several men moving things in the room. When Guo Wei shouted, he called out, "Brother!" and jumped out, shouting, "You are back!" Looking at Guo Wei, he said, "Why did you make this look? Where is that Boss Zhang?"

Guo Wei smiled bitterly and said, "It's hard to describe it!"

Ding Hao smiled and said, "There's no hurry, let's talk about it later." He pulled Guo Wei into the store and said, "That day we arrived here and saw the letters you left to us. Although we didn't know why the elder brother left us, we had left so many families for us. We had a few plans. Instead of moving out and selling it, it would be easier to buy the store for business. If the elder brother comes back in the future, it would be easier to find us. We only said that it will take you a year or two to come here. I didn't expect you to meet again so soon. Brother, what happened to you when you go there?"

Guo Wei sighed and was about to speak when someone ran in outside the house, but it was Tian An and shouted: "There is a war, the war is a war!"

"What!" Guo Wei and Ding Hao shouted together.

Ding Hao asked: "Who will you fight with? Are you with the Khitan?"

Guo Wei asked, "Who will fight with? Are you going to Zhongyuan?"

Tian An said, "None of them are! They are with the Uighurs."

"Uighurs? Haven't the Uighurs tied?"
Chapter completed!