There is a mountain peach forest on Qingle Mountain. It is the season when the peach blossoms are in full bloom. Looking at the pink patch halfway up the mountain from a distance, it is so beautiful that people don't want to look away at all. The mountains and forests are emerald green and the peach blossoms are blooming. Even a master who has practiced for decades in Danqing, I'm afraid he can't describe the beauty of this mountain scenery.
The Yiqi Temple is hidden in the mountain peach forest, faintly visible.
Because Xiao Zhenren, the head of Yiqiguan the day before yesterday, left for the imperial capital, there were far fewer high-ranking officials and nobles who went to the mountains to see Zhenren. It's rare that there are few people on the 2,999 stone steps, but it makes the mountain a lot cleaner, the view is also a lot cleaner, and the peach forest is even cleaner.
Every year when the mountain peach forest blooms, tourists are not allowed to enter the peach forest. I don't know if the Taoists in Yiqi Temple are afraid that tourists will ruin this natural beauty, or if there are some secrets in this peach forest that cannot be revealed to others every time the peach blossoms are in full bloom. Yiqiguan has a high status, not to mention tourists, even the governor of Jianghuai Road will not touch the rules of Yiqiguan easily.
There is a pavilion in the peach forest, which has no name.
Originally, this pavilion was a resting place for tourists, but since a remarkable person lived in Yiqiguan, this pavilion has almost become her private property. Miss temper. If he really annoyed her, he might provoke the Taoist priest in charge of Guanli to teach him a lesson.
The face of this eldest lady is more beautiful than flowers, but her temperament is a bit savage and willful.
Naturally, this eldest lady was none other than Wu Yidao, the richest man in the Sui Dynasty, who spent 15,000 taels of gold to stuff it into Yiqiguan's favorite jewel.
Wu Yinyu, this eldest lady is only fifteen years old, but she is loved by everyone. But maybe because Wu Yidao pampered her too much, her brutal temper made her speechless. On the first day at Yiqiguan, the eldest lady pinched Xiaoman's waist and asked Taoist Heju, the eldest disciple of Daoist Xiao in Yiqiguan, where he lived. Taoist Heju pointed to a single courtyard and said it was there. Miss Wu didn't even turn her head, she pointed to the mountain peach forest and said, "I want to live there."
Since then, the pavilion in the peach forest has become her private property.
And the fenced courtyard where Xiao Zhenren lives in retreat every year when the peach blossoms bloom in the deepest part of the peach forest has also become her private property.
The good weather makes people feel brighter, but this Miss Wu family, who is not fully grown yet, is actually a beautiful girl in bud, is not in a good mood. The priceless Jiaowei is placed on the stone table in the pavilion, but Wu Yinyu, who likes to play the piano the most, has no interest today.
Her slender fingers like spring onions stroked the burnt tail back and forth, absent-minded.
Du Juan, the little maid who was close to her, saw that the young lady was not happy, and put the lotus heart that had just been soaked in her hand and asked softly: "What's wrong with the young lady today, I don't even have the interest to play the piano."
A girl with an oval face, no matter how delicate and delicate her eyebrows are, will always make people feel cute and messy. Even a slight frown didn't feel sad, it was still so lively and fresh.
Wu Yinyu stroked the strings of the qin, sighed softly and said: "When I was in the imperial capital, Luo Weiran, the commander of the Ouchi Guards Department, checked it for me personally. One hundred and twenty-eight air pockets were opened, and one hundred and twenty-two were opened. Even he said I was a rare genius, not to mention Chang'an City, even the entire Sui Dynasty couldn't find another person."
She looked at Du Juan and asked, "That's what Luo Weiran said at the time."
"yes."
Du Juan proudly said on behalf of his master: "Commander Luo also said that if Miss doesn't dislike him, he would like to accept you as his closed disciple. I don't know how high Commander Luo's cultivation level is, but I guess he wants to worship him as his teacher." There are plenty of people around."
Wu Yinyu nodded, but her brows did not stretch a little: "But why, after reaching this level of aura, I don't take it seriously?"
"No, miss, you have arrived at the Qi Temple and lived in the small courtyard that Master Xiao lived in when he was in retreat. No one else is allowed to come to this pavilion. Before leaving, Master Xiao specially explained to Taoist Heju that you can do whatever you want." Whatever you give, you can do whatever you want, which shows that Master Xiao attaches great importance to you."
"That's because of my father's fifteen thousand taels of gold."
Wu Yinyu sighed and said, "If you really value me, why didn't you take me to Chang'an to take the exam at the Academy of Martial Arts, but took that woman instead?"
"Miss, you mean that... Mo Ningzhi?"
"Who else but her?"
Wu Yinyu looked up at the peach forest and sighed: "At home, I am a little bird raised by my father. I am afraid that I will be hurt, so I am not allowed to touch anything. The courtyard in the mansion is a bit scary, but Isn’t it just a big cage? When I arrived at Yiqi Temple, I have taken over the peach forest, but what I took over was nothing more than a bigger birdcage.”
She stood up suddenly, clenched her fists and said, "I want to go back to Chang'an."
"But miss, we just escaped from Chang'an?"
"Don't be afraid!"
Wu Yinyu said: "I have already given Master Xiao 15,000 taels of gold, so he can only protect me in one go? If he can't protect me in Chang'an, then I will ask my father to get the gold back! Others don't know, but I know, That old man is greedy for money to the extreme!"
…
…
Chang'an, Taiji Gongbao and Dianyu Study Room.
Emperor Yang Yi of the Great Sui Dynasty glanced at the courtier who was standing bowed in front of him, snapped the memorial and threw it at the courtier's feet, leaned back, shook his sore neck and said angrily: "This is A group of so-called elites from the War Department of the Ministry of War have worked out a so-called winning military strategy for days and nights? I feel ashamed for them when I look at it! The Sui Dynasty established the country by force, and the army never lacked generals who were able to recruit and fight well. Elite soldiers! But look at the strategy written in this memorial, do you mean that I have never led an army before?"
"What are you talking about using elite soldiers to bypass Nirvana City and raid the Mengyuan Mandu Banner garrison, burn and kill for a while, then retreat, and then set up an ambush halfway to wipe out the pursuers that Mandu Banner hastily organized!"
The emperor looked at the courtier in front of him and suddenly raised his voice: "The counselors of the war department and Yuanwailang under your command, do you think that fighting is a joke?! It is true that there have been no wars in the Sui Dynasty for nearly 20 years. Since the first emperor destroyed the Shang Kingdom, I ascended the throne It has been 11 years now, more than ten years without soldiers, have the people in the Ministry of War forgotten how to fight!"
"The minister is guilty!"
Minister of the Ministry of War Yu Donglai fell to his knees with a plop, but he didn't dare to pick up the memorial that the emperor threw on the ground.
The emperor turned around and pointed to the complete map of the Sui territory hanging on the wall, and said, "Could it be that the map hanging in the War Department of the Ministry of War is different from the map hanging in my East Nuan Pavilion? If it's the same, wouldn't those nerds see the north-south line?" What is the terrain to the west of Langru Mountain, which is thousands of miles away? What kind of surprise attack... No matter how fast the infantry of the Great Sui Dynasty ran, could they outrun the cavalry of Meng Yuan after passing Langru Mountain? After burning for a while, they retreated and set up an ambush halfway ... To the west of Langru Mountain is a flat grassland, where to set up an ambush?"
Pointing to the map, the emperor asked, "Yu Donglai, you handed me this booklet. Come and tell me where to set up an ambush!"
Yu Donglai lowered his head deeply, not daring to speak.
Emperor Yang Yi came down from the kang, and the chief eunuch Su Buwei quickly knelt down on the ground and helped the emperor put his boots on. After the emperor stood up, he knelt down and straightened the hem of the emperor's robe before standing up and retreating. The emperor glanced at Yu Donglai and said, "It's not as good as a slave who does everything with all his heart!"
Su Buwei quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty... Mr. Yu is in charge of the Ministry of War, and there are too many facts to worry about every day. All the soldiers and horses in the whole country need to be dispatched by the Ministry of War, and there are other trivial matters. The servants only need to serve Your Majesty. Once it’s done, it’s done, there are specializations in things, it’s different.”
The emperor nodded and said: "You can say that you have specialized in these four words, that's not bad."
Even Yu Donglai had to secretly cast a thankful look at Su Buwei, thinking that this Su Buwei was much better than the original eunuch Wu Peisheng who was holding a pen. Wu Peisheng is a snobbish person, he will do things if it is beneficial, if it is not beneficial, he will naturally add insult to injury.
As soon as he thought of Wu Peisheng, he heard the emperor ask about the dead man.
"Wu Peisheng died in Fangu. The military report of the Ministry of War said that he died in aid of the war. He was not a perfect man, but he was able to do such a heroic thing. I usually trust him. I originally thought that I would pay him back in a few days. His nephew in his hometown had a free job, and he was rewarded with a big house... But it suddenly occurred to him last night that none of the people who went to the capital came back alive... This is unusual, Yu Donglai, you send someone to investigate. I also asked Hou Wenji's people to investigate, and the Ministry of War can't do nothing. If it is true as the battle report said, I will not only reward Wu Peisheng for victory, but also reward Fan Gu's army and civilians!"
"If... something is hidden..."
The emperor glanced at Yu Donglai, but did not continue.
Yu Donglai said: "Your Majesty, the military report of the Ministry of War will never be false. Moreover, the first to report is Li Yuanshan, General You Xiaowei. Your Majesty also knows that Li Yuanshan is a fair and humble person, and he will never dare to deceive His Majesty. .”
"Li Yuanshan can still be trusted."
The emperor nodded, kicked the memorial on the ground and said: "Take this thing back, and all officials in the Ministry of War will deduct one year's salary. If the counselors in the war department do things just to fool me, then I will keep it." They are useless. If you can't give me a reasonable strategy within three days, I will leave this matter to the Academy of Martial Arts."
"The minister obeys the order, and the minister is afraid."
"Okay, get up."
The emperor took a sip of tea and said slowly: "I have been in power for eleven years, and I have not stopped the army because I don't want to do it, but if I want to do it, I have to do it like a landslide and a tsunami! And I want to fight Meng Yuan, it’s not Nanyan, it’s not Eastern Chu, you naturally understand the importance of success or failure in this battle. If you fight well, you servants will be famous in history. Infamy! But don't worry, I will never take the blame for others. If this battle is not fought well, I still have the courage to deal with it from top to bottom in the Ministry of War."
"The minister will go back and make a new draft, and the minister will draft it himself."
"Go."
The emperor waved his hand, because his legs were numb from sitting cross-legged on the kang for too long, he walked back and forth in the East Nuan Pavilion for a few times, suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Su Buwei: "Su Buwei, why don't you come here?" Tell me... what if I use a group of newcomers from the Academy of Martial Arts to serve in the Western Expeditionary Army?"
Su Buwei bowed his head and said: "Slaves dare not discuss political affairs, and..."
"And what?" asked the emperor.
"And... Dean Zhou's test, I'm afraid it will be difficult."
The emperor was stunned, and then said with some annoyance: "I have already said that no matter how good a student enters the Martial Arts Academy, he will not belong to me within three years! If I want to use it, it depends on Zhou Banchuan's face... Forget it, this Just treat it as if I want to play to relieve boredom."
…
…
Fan Gu.
The imperial capital has already bloomed, and the snow in Fangu City has not completely melted. The frontier army on the city wall was no longer the original eight hundred veterans, but replaced by You Xiaowei's troops. Although these soldiers were Li Xiaozong's people in name, he also knew that these soldiers could not be manipulated by himself.
There are also common people in Fangu City, and even several iconic buildings in Fangu City are still bustling with each other. But these people are not the people of Fan Gu back then.
On another day when the market opened, more than a dozen people appeared on the edge of the forest outside the west gate of Fan Gu City. More than a dozen people who were rare in the Sui Dynasty... bald, gray cloth clothes, Buddhist beads hanging on their chests, and demon pestles in their hands.
The most special of these people is a young monk with picturesque features, so beautiful that he looks like a beautiful woman. He was tall and slender, with elegant manners.
Curved eyebrows, almond eyes, both the nose and the mouth are delicate and enviable.
He was wearing a red monk robe, which made him stand out even more among the dozen or so people.
"My lord... there is Fan Gu in front, but that person seems to have already set off for Chang'an, the capital of the Great Sui Emperor. It is said that he is going to take the exam at the Great Sui Academy of Martial Arts."
A gray-clothed monk respectfully said to the red-robed young monk: "If you enter the Martial Arts Academy, it will be difficult to make a move."
"Yanwu Academy..."
The rich and jade-like red-robed monk murmured and repeated these three words, and then said calmly: "Then I'll just go to the Yanwu Academy to find him."
"It's not easy for us to enter the territory of the Sui Dynasty, and the Academy of Martial Arts... let alone enter."
A monk said angrily.
"Because of this bald head?"
The young monk in red robe pointed to his head, then smiled and said: "It's just a skin, and the reason to not keep your hair is to get rid of the roots of the mundane, but King Ming also said that it is not important to pay attention to the body, and it is enough to devote one's heart to the Buddha." That's enough. So it's not a matter of thinking if you're bald?"
After he finished speaking, hair began to grow on the bald head, growing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and after a while, the long hair reached his shoulders.
He took off the beads from his wrist, and then used the string of beads to randomly tie his hair behind his head.
What a handsome young man.