The journey back seemed to be much shorter than the journey before. Perhaps because of the eagerness to return home, the soldiers walked briskly.
It took a month to go there, but it only took more than half a month when I came back.
The harshness and roughness of the border are gradually replaced by the delicacy and delicacy of the Central Plains, and even the seasons are subtly changing in the day-to-day itinerary.
From cold to warm, from full of cold to lush.
In midsummer, the brightly colored fruits ripen and are sweet and tempting. The troops of Shengyao Mountain went all the way, and the soldiers also ate them all the way.
Sandy watermelons, juicy peaches, red and attractive plums, and bunches of crystal clear grapes that are sweeter than honey...
Tasting the melons and fruits in midsummer tenderly, the sweet and juicy delicacy made her mutter in her heart: Alas! How wonderful it would be if this deliciousness could last for a long time! It's a pity that the seasons are changeable. The desert cistanche in front of me is bleak in autumn, and even more lonely in winter...
If there is a way to store the summer fruits and wait until the end of autumn and winter, and then take them out to taste, the delicacy that has undergone precipitation must be more touching...
Along the way, she could not stop thinking softly, and the rudiment of a sweet idea gradually appeared in her mind...
"In this season, pomegranates must be sweet and sour!" While resting, Ren Yue leaned on Yingxue's back, fiddling with one or two unknown grasses as if nothing had happened.
"Yes! If you are still in the provincial capital, the pomegranates in the backyard must be sour, sweet and juicy, and they must be this big!" Wen Rou responded to Ren Yue's words, and smiled and gestured with her hands.
"Yes! The pomegranates are red. If you sit by that well, eating sweet and sour pomegranates, with the pomegranate leaves covering your head, how pleasant it would be to have cool water vapor around you!" Ren Yue stared blankly into the distance. It seemed that the scene had already appeared in front of him.
Sweet in the mouth. The green shade is on the top, and it is cool. Accompanied by a beautiful woman, it must be sweet in my heart at this time...
Perhaps when Ren Yue was looking at the small courtyard that day, he had imagined that one day, he would kneel with Wen Rou under the pomegranate tree...
"Ren San, what emotion do you have when you're fine!" Sheng Yaoshan walked over with a smile, just now he also took a handful of foxtails in his hand, and now he has transformed into a handful of fluffy animals.
Lifelike puppies and bunnies. And little hedgehogs.
He giggled softly: "General Sheng, you are so old, you still play this!"
"Of course I don't play, hey, I'll relieve you on the road!" Sheng Yaoshan handsomely stuffed all the straw things into his gentle hands, smoothed off his robes, and got on the horse.
"Let's go!"
The mighty army went straight to the capital!
Liu Heng was overjoyed that the good news arrived first in eight hundred miles. After calculating the itinerary of the Sheng family army, it must be a good day to arrive in Beijing today!
After going down to court, he brought all the civil and military officials with him. He left the city in good spirits, laid out a long red carpet, and waited at the gate of the city early.
The huge banner of the Sheng Family Army was waving in the wind. Let everyone's eyes shine from a distance!
"Your Majesty, they're here!" Sheng Biji and Ren Hongting said in unison with joy in their hearts.
"Hehe, the two lovers, the two sons are the meritorious persons of my Dazhou today. Hehe, these two lovers are good at teaching their children! Tell me, what reward do you want?" Liu Heng was very excited. Joy.
"Thanks to the emperor, this is what a dog should do. Veteran officials dare not be greedy for credit!" Ren Hongting cupped his hands.
"Your majesty is wise! The dog has been trained all these years, and in the future, he only needs a word from the emperor. My Sheng family will definitely do my best for Da Zhou!" Sheng Biji cupped his hands.
"Hahahaha! Good!" Liu Heng Long looked joyful and straightened his loose sleeves. Said: "Since the two lovers are so humble, I'd better go and ask the two little heroes in person! Hahahaha!"
While joking, the Sheng family army had already reached the end of the red carpet.
With a green shirt and a red horse, the heroic Sheng Yaoshan took the lead, and the bright silver spear behind him was shining brightly!
White-clothed and white horse, Ren Yue, who is flying like a god, follows closely behind, leisurely and leisurely, making people unable to see the hardships of the journey.
"Your servant Sheng Yaoshan and Ren Yue are meeting with the emperor, long live my emperor!" Dismounting from their horses, the two peerless princes bowed in unison.
There was a chorus of hula behind, and the well-trained Sheng family soldiers knelt down on the ground in unison.
"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!" The voice was so loud!
"Pingshen!" The smile on Liu Heng's face never disappeared from the moment he received the good news, the current hero is at the front, he, the emperor, walked up quickly, helped him left and right, and he was overjoyed!
In the past, there were two favorite generals: Sheng Biji and Ren Hongting;
Today we have two heroes: Sheng Yaoshan and Ren Yue!
With such a good general in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the fortune of the country will be prosperous, the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe!
"Yaoshan, Ren Yue, you have worked so hard to put down the frontier rebellion this time, if you have any wishes and requests, just ask, I am very happy, and I will reward you!" Liu Heng laughed.
"I don't ask for rewards, it's the honor of my Sheng family's army to serve the Great Zhou!" Sheng Yaoshan said loudly.
"Your Majesty, if you don't want a reward, let's use the great frontier victory as an excuse to celebrate three days in Beijing!" The corners of Ren Yue's mouth curved gracefully, and he really couldn't think of any good suggestions. Returning from an expedition again, it's really boring, it's better to have fun with the officials and the people!
"Well! That's a good proposal from Ren Yue! It's been a long time since there was a festival in Beijing! According to my decree, starting tomorrow, Beijing and China, regardless of whether they are rich or famous, or ordinary people, regardless of men, women, old and young, will celebrate together for three days! The soldiers are well-mannered, and Ren Yue is resourceful and resourceful, each rewarding a hundred acres of fertile land, a hundred feet of cloth, and a thousand taels of gold! The officers and men of the Sheng family's army will be rewarded according to their military rank, and there must be no mistakes!" Liu Heng's broad sleeves waved in the air, and the emperor's The imposing manner is clearly revealed in this gesture!
"Your majesty is wise!" The soldiers echoed again.
"Come on, come on, the two of you will go back to the palace with me, and tell me about the war on the frontier! I heard that you have captured the leader of the second department alive. Let's have a long-term plan tomorrow morning, how to deal with them..." Liu Heng left his hand Pulling Sheng Yaoshan, pulling Ren Yue with his right hand, he walked towards the dragon chariot full of joy.
Palace Central South Study Room.
"Oh? So, that cook contributed a lot to put down the frontier rebellion this time?" Liu Heng opened his mouth wide and looked surprised.
"Report to the emperor. Without the support of Miss Wen's cook, the soldiers would not have successfully attacked! I think that if the emperor rewards you for meritorious service, the most important hero is Miss Wen!" Sheng Yaoshan cupped his hands.
"Your Majesty, people in the world often say that women are delicate. In my view, Miss Wen sacrificed her life for righteousness, and her integrity and heart are better than men!" Ren Yue also cupped his hands.
"Report!" At this moment, outside the South Study Room, there were soldiers presenting letters and bowing down.
"What is this?" Liu Heng asked suspiciously.
"My Majesty, this is a collectively signed letter from all the officers and men of the Sheng family. In the letter, they all recommend Ms. Wen, the chef, for her meritorious service in the journey. She deserves a great reward!" The officers and men clanged their words.
"Oh? Is this a joint letter from the soldiers?" Liu Heng took it and checked it carefully.
On the folded letter paper, everyone's signatures and the spotted red handprints wrote pieces of sincerity.
"The woman surnamed Wen doesn't seem so simple..." Liu Heng stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Your Majesty, Miss Wen is kind and straightforward. A few days ago, the Empress Dowager was ill. The meal was cooked by Miss Wen herself..." Seeing that Liu Heng was silent, Sheng Yaoshan once again took the opportunity to play the prelude.
"Oh? The time I came with Nangong Xue?" Liu Heng recalled carefully, but he couldn't think of any appearance or details about Wenrou that day.
It's no wonder that Ruan kept keeping a low profile that day. She quietly hid aside, and entered the palace as Nangongxue's attendant and assistant. The Empress Dowager was in an emergency that day. It wasn't Liu Heng's mistake that there were so many people in the mix, and he didn't notice Tenderness.
"I see. You two have worked hard all the way. I won't keep you in the palace today. Come and prepare a few jars of good wine for General Sheng and Mr. Ren, and let them take them home to drink!" Liu Heng stroked his beard. laughed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Sheng Yaoshan was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A hint of surprise flashed in Ren Yue's eyes.
For these two peerless sons, one is addicted to alcohol, and the other is generous. There is nothing more tempting than rewarding royal wine!
After the two sons left the palace, Liu Heng casually flipped through the memorial. He said to the little eunuch beside him, "Go and find out. Where does the girl surnamed Wen live now?"
The little eunuch bowed in salute, held his whisk in his hand, and left respectfully.
"Father, mother, brother, I'm back!" Outside the small courtyard of Wen's family, a gentle and beautiful female voice sounded familiar.
"It's Rou'er! Rou'er is back!" Crying with joy, Zhou staggered towards the door.
"Sister, sister!" Wen Ting rushed out after hearing the sound!
"Rou'er, it's really you! You're back!" Mrs. Zhou seemed to have aged a lot in the past two months, and her trembling hands kept caressing her gentle and thin face.
"Mother, Rou'er made you worry..." Rou'er's eye circles instantly turned red.
"You child, you said that you are a girl, why are you going to join the army! You left without saying goodbye! Your father and I can't eat and sleep well..." Zhou said, and couldn't help wiping away tears.
"Mother... it's all about Rou'er's fault, I won't be able to do it again in the future, you see, didn't I come back well? Mother, you see, this is a reward, a reward from the emperor, but it's a pity that Rou'er is just a mere secretary. Cook, next time Rou’er has meritorious service, I will earn more rewards for my mother!” Gentle and gently helped Zhou to wipe off the tears on his face, and proudly took out the two ingots of silver in his cuff, which was enough for him. Fifty taels!
"Mother, don't you miss the cloth from the Huanshui Pavilion? You will get all the rewards! Later, I will accompany you to make some clothes!" Gentle and softly coaxing the rosy-eyed Zhou Shi, Zhou Shi smiled through tears.
"You child, who wants the reward you got in exchange for your life! From now on, you have to stay by your mother's side, and you are not allowed to go anywhere!" Zhou Shi tightly grasped the gentle hand, afraid of If the girl in front of her is not paying attention, she will evaporate again.
"Mother! Isn't my sister coming back in good condition? No one wants to tie a child by her side for a lifetime! In the future, my sister will have to marry sooner or later, and then you won't cry until then?!" Wen Ting persuaded from the side .
"Go, go, you brat, you just have no conscience. Your father and I are in fear all day long, and we wash our faces with tears. You are lucky, you eat well and sleep well! You don't think of Rou'er as your sister at all!" Mrs. Zhou beat her gently. He glanced at Wen Ting beside him.
"Mother, my sister is going to fight with the army, but not to the execution ground. Do you need to wash your face with tears! Besides, isn't there General Sheng accompanying you? With General Sheng here, you can put your heart firmly in your stomach! "Wen Ting said with a laugh.
"You brat, you're talking nonsense! See if I won't tear your mouth!" Zhou Shi was about to raise her hand.
"By the way, mother, why didn't you see Daddy?" Rourou looked around, the small courtyard was clear at a glance, and there was no sign of Wen Shouzheng.
"I'm afraid you are too confused, child. You have been away for two months. We can't just sit here and wait for two months, can we? Just after you left, your father and I discussed the relationship between Master Tuoqiao and Master Zizhang. Fu, I rented a place at the downtown entrance in front, and opened a food stall! I don’t want to make more money, I just want to be self-sufficient. I never thought that the business is very good! Your father is busy there all day, cooking and cooking. Looking forward to your return!" Zhou's eyes glowed.
"Mother, what are you talking about? Why did Daddy open a food stall in the capital? Didn't he participate in the chef selection? What's going on here!" Rourou was confused.
... ... ...