Some things will eventually pass away, and some people will eventually change.
Time flies by and years grow old easily. This is beyond human control. Instead of struggling, it is better to be free and easy.
Gao Shi fulfilled his promise to Li Kuo and sent Li Kuo's relatives to the military camp that day. All the horses, grain, ordnance needed by Li Kuo were gathered the next day. Although the Huainan Road interview made Wei Lin criticize Gao Shi's actions, it could not change Gao Shi's decision.
Because it was Gao Shi, not Wei Lin, who really held the military and political power in Huainan Road. Although he had the power of impeachment and supervision, he could not directly interfere with local military affairs. Therefore, even if he hated Li Kuo with all his heart, he could not stop Jianghuai's army from accepting all the rice, grain, ordnance, and horses.
Li Kuo also fulfilled his agreement with Gao Shi and wrote a letter to Gao Shi. With this letter, Gao Shi could order the soldiers stationed in Tangzhou, Nanyang and other places to open the city to welcome the imperial court's takeover, which meant that Li Kuo dedicated the city to the imperial court.
Afterwards, Li Kuo openly explained his future plans to his brothers in the Jianghuai Army, saying that he would not force the issue of whether to stay or leave, and that everything would be decided by the soldiers themselves. Most of the soldiers in the Jianghuai Army were natives of Yangzhou and were very attached to their hometown. Therefore, Li Kuo believed that it was cruel and unfair to force them to leave the land, so he simply handed the rights into their own hands.
But the outcome of the matter was somewhat beyond Li Kuo's expectation. There were a total of 10,000 people in this army. After the fierce battle with the Hulu, there were still more than 8,000 people who could fight. Excluding more than 300 people, they chose to stay in Yangzhou. , the remaining soldiers expressed their intention to advance and retreat together with Li Kuo.
After hearing this result, Li Kuo was filled with emotion and immediately distributed part of the rice sent by Gao Shi to reward the soldiers. As for those soldiers who chose to stay in Yangzhou, Li Kuo did not criticize them harshly. Instead, he distributed five taels of silver to each of them, hoping that they could take care of themselves.
Youth is an indefinable piece of clay. Everyone has the right to knead it and bake it of their own choice. If everyone's youth is like the calligraphy printed on a rubbing board, it itself will become meaningless.
Who has not made mistakes in his youth, who has not been confused in his youth, and whose youth has not been in chaos?
Youth is meant to be squandered. When you turn the page and settle down, looking back at the past things you have done, isn¡¯t it a different kind of enjoyment?
Li Kuo is not afraid of making choices, nor is he afraid of making wrong choices. In his opinion, he could no longer stay in the so-called infinitely bright Tang Dynasty, whether in public or private matters. The backside of light itself is darkness. The brighter a being is, the more he will ignore his own backside, taking everything for granted and letting darkness naturally grow.
"Darkness itself is not scary. What is scary is that darkness does evil things in the name of light."
??Bright Chang'an, bright Datang, and the bright Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Or it could be the dark Chang'an, the dark Tang Dynasty, or the dark Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. There is no need to discuss this in itself. Different people see different aspects and naturally draw different conclusions.
In Li Kuo's view, this is the best era and the worst era, this is the era of wisdom and this is the era of stupidity; some men of the Tang Dynasty would destroy their homes to save their homes in order to defend their homes, and they would die in the end. A drop of blood. Of course, there will be some who will throw themselves into the arms of the rebels without hesitation, and then raise the butcher knife to their own people.
¡°It is a time of faith, it is also a time of doubt; it is a season of light, and of course it is a season of darkness; it is the spring of hope, and it is the winter of despair; we have everything before us, and we have nothing before us.
Just like Xiao Zhang Tanhua¡¯s behavior of sticking to Suiyang, different people will have different opinions when reading it. Some people criticize it, and some people praise it. It's just from different perspectives.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? If it hadn't been for the efforts of King Guangping and Guo Ziyi to stop them, the Uighurs would have looted Chang'an City, right? The money, silk, and women all belong to the Uighurs. What a crazy commitment and choice. How can we explain this kind of thing clearly? If we really want to get to the bottom of it, hasn¡¯t His Majesty, the wise and heroic Emperor, become a thief like An Lushan?
Now he no longer hates Gao Shi¡¯s approach. As he said, everyone has the right to make their own choice. And he believed that Gao Shi must have his own unspeakable reasons for doing this.
Since he has fulfilled his request and returned his relatives, he is no longer in debt.
Fortunately for Li Kuo, he was able to see the other side of the light. It's just that light is not a bronze mirror, and its back is not as perfect as everyone imagines. But this is not important, because I see the weaknesses of Datang civilization.
??Once you know your weaknesses, you will know the direction of change, and there will be hope for change. And hope is such a wonderful thing. Maybe one day, Datang will become more powerful
Dusk.
Outside Yangzhou City, Gao Shi and other civil and military personnel were seeing Li Kuo off.
The flags are fluttering and the drums and horns are majestic.
It¡¯s just that this is not a reunion but a parting, and even the parting is not so comfortable.
Gao Shi looked at the general who was standing on horseback, knowing that no matter how he tried to remedy the situation, he could no longer make up for the rift between the two, but he did not regret it, because the choice he made was worthy of his heart.
After all, there are too many worries in life. If Shichiro has relatives, why doesn't he, Tadafu?
Maybe this separation is the best result.
"Qilang, have a nice journey. Remember to reply to the letter when you get there."
Gao Shi raised a bowl of strong wine and saluted Li Kuo from afar.
He does not expect the other party to forgive him, he only hopes that he can have a safe journey.
Li Kuo hugged A Tian by his side, tightened the reins of his horse and said, "Don't worry, uncle, I will ask someone to tell you when I get there. But if you are unhappy here, why not come to me with your sword and horse?" . When the time comes, I won¡¯t dare to mention the delicacies of mountains and seas, but I will be willing to offer a pot of turbid wine and a pot of mutton.¡±
Gao Shi¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple surged slightly, as if he wanted to say something.
"Will you come back?" Gao Shi asked seriously after a long time.
"Who can say what will happen in the future? Maybe running away is just the beginning!"
Li Kuo knocked lightly on the horse's belly, and the breeze rose up, making a rustling sound.
Nearly ten thousand cavalrymen raised up the dust, following the general in black helmet and black armor with straight bow and straight hair.
The sun sets and the wind rises.
A faint voice came from the swirling yellow dust: "Where the rising sun rises, there is the Tang Dynasty!"
ps: When the rising sun rises, it¡¯s the Tang Dynasty!
The main text of the book is complete, with an open ending. But I will write the epilogue, maybe two.