A month later, it was nearly noon.
Qin Mubai was practicing troops and horses with Xue Rengui, Yuwen Hongtai and others at the school grounds of the military camp of the Dudu Mansion. In the dusty campus, Qin Mubai was covered in sweat and his face looked like a tabby cat, and he was panting from exhaustion.
I just had a fight on horseback with that barbarian Yuwen Hongtai. Although he won, Yuwen Hongtai was too fierce and fierce and not afraid of death. It was really tiring to fight with such a man. If it were okay to face the enemy in front of the battle, he could kill An Jingjing with one strike, but now it was a competition and he couldn't really kill him. Yuwen Hongtai, a stupid person, didn't think so. Whether it was a competition or a battle, he went all out and had no idea what "letting go" and "stopping at the last minute" were. In the end, Qin Mubai finally saw an opportunity and shot him off his horse. He yelled and got up without wiping off the dirt on his face, and continued to fight on foot.
While the sergeants were enjoying themselves, they were also amused. Fortunately, Xue Rengui came out to persuade him, so he gave up.
"This stupid black guy gets excited when it comes to fighting. I won't compete with him anymore." Qin Mubai smiled bitterly and was about to go to the barracks to wash his face when a doorman from the Governor's Mansion hurriedly came to say that there was an imperial edict, please The major general went to receive the order.
Qin Mubai hurriedly came to the Governor's Mansion, and it was Qian Niuwei who came to announce the decree. The content of the imperial edict is very simple. It says that Her Royal Highness Princess Gaoyang is visiting Lanzhou and will arrive soon. Please ask all the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion to do a good job in welcoming you.
After receiving the order, Qin Mubai smiled and asked the Qianniu Guard: "When will Her Majesty the Princess leave and when will she arrive?"
Qian Niuwei replied that they were on the road together with the princess's chariot and traveled lightly on their own to report the news to Lanzhou. The princess's chariot was escorted by General Qibi Heli with a thousand armors. They were already halfway there and believed they could arrive within five days.
"General Qibi Heli is also here?" Xiao Yun asked.
"Yes." Qian Niuwei replied, "It is reported that His Majesty the Emperor not only assigned him to protect Her Royal Highness the Princess along the way, but also appointed him as Her Royal Highness's escort general before driving, and was under the command of the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion."
"Oh, good thing. Lanzhou has gained another powerful general!" Qin Shubao burst out laughing when he heard this.
Qin Mubai sent people to invite these Qianniu Guards to the post house to rest and entertain them. He turned back to his father and said, "Commander Father, I only met Qibi Heli once when we were in Dengzhou. At that time, he and the Xue brothers came with Li Ji to put down the rebellion. What does Commander Father know about this man?"
"I know a little bit about it." Qin Shubao nodded and said, "He is a Turk. 'Qibi' is the name of the tribe. His ancestors and father were both the chief Khans of the tribe. The Qibi tribe inhabits the Altai Mountains. In the sixth year of Zhenguan, Qibi Heli and his mother led more than a thousand tribesmen to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. His Majesty appointed him as the general of the left army and settled his people in the area of Ganzhou and Liangzhou. Well, he is now the governor of Lanzhou. The administrative center under the government."
"How is he a person?" Qin Mubai asked.
Qin Shubao smiled slightly and said: "Loyalty and bravery are commendable. It is worth mentioning that a few years ago, he, the Xue brothers, Li Daliang and others also participated in the battle to pacify Tuyuhun. They were ordered to lead the army to attack Chishui River. Brother Xue Wanjun led his army to advance rashly and lost some troops. Qibi Heli led his army to attack bravely, repulsed the enemy and rescued the Xue brothers. Later, the Xue brothers were afraid of the enemy and did not dare to lead the army to attack again. Bi Heli made a prompt decision and selected more than a thousand elite soldiers to attack King Tuyuhun's tent and achieved a great victory. However, when it came time to reward him for his merits, the Xue brothers took the military honors together and squeezed out Qibi Heli. He was so upright and indignant that he almost resorted to violence. Later, when His Majesty found out about the matter, he was so angry that he wanted to remove the Xue brothers and transfer their official positions to Qibi Heli. Instead, Qibi Heli came forward to intercede. , advised your majesty to take the overall interests of the people into consideration, not to provoke conflicts between Han and Hu generals, and refuse to accept official positions. His majesty was deeply moved and pardoned the Xue brothers. From then on, he greatly appreciated Qibi Heli. , His Majesty ordered him to serve as the North Gate Guard, inspect the school and camp affairs, and married Princess Lintao to him. "
"In this way, this Qibi Heli is really a strong, loyal and knowledgeable general, and he is broad-minded and open-minded." Qin Mubai said, "But, your majesty knew that he had a rift with the Xue brothers, how could he still treat him with it? Is he sent to Lanzhou?"
Qin Shubao said: "Your Majesty still sees the overall situation more in your eyes. Qibi Heli was once the leader of the Turkic tribe. There are many Turkic remnants under our rule in Lanzhou. Bringing him here will be beneficial without any harm. As for personal grudges , That’s a trivial matter. Aren’t we and my son still here? Sanlang, Qibi Heli is a useful person, so we should make good friends with him.”
"Well, I understand." Qin Mubai smiled, "Besides, isn't he still our relative?"
"Haha! Although Princess Lintao is not His Majesty's daughter, she is indeed related to her!" Qin Shubao also laughed very happily.
"Since the emperor has made the decree, it is a big event for Princess Gaoyang to visit Lanzhou." Qin Shubao said, "Sanlang, you should immediately start preparing for the princess's journey. Don't neglect this little ancestor."
"I know, Dad."
Qin Mubai knew that his father always valued Princess Gaoyang very much. Now that he had spoken, he began to prepare for the princess's journey. Lanzhou was going all out for production and development, and he didn't want to be too extravagant and cause criticism, so he rented a wealthy manor near the Governor's Mansion and sent some craftsmen to clean it up. It was barely enough to be considered attractive. After Qin Shubao visited it once, he said it was not good and not worthy of the status of Princess Gaoyang, so he asked Qin Mubai to expand it and decorate it more beautifully. Qin Mubai persuaded his father for a while, and then he reluctantly took back his life and made do with this place as a cabin to entertain Princess Gaoyang.
A few days later, several cavalrymen rushed in from the east city gate and reported to the Dudu Mansion that Princess Gaoyang had arrived thirty miles outside the city. Please ask the Dudu Mansion to send someone to greet her. Qin Shubao suddenly became angry: "Why not report it early!"
Immediately, together with Qin Mubai, he led the officials and generals from the Dudu Mansion to the Yi Mansion with thousands of troops and horses to go out of the city to greet him. Qin Mubai had no choice but to obey him. Who made his father a veteran of Zhenguan? The idea that the king is noble and the minister is unworthy is deeply rooted in his bones, and he is so satisfied with Gao Yang, his future daughter-in-law. It was Qin Mubai himself who could just sit at home and wait for her to fall into his arms obediently.
After recent and a half years of development, the area to the east of Lanzhou was once a wasteland, and now it is lush farmland, green pastures, and mountains and forests are beginning to take shape. After more than ten miles of riding out of the city, more than a thousand people saw a large group of vehicles approaching. Qin Shubao was so happy that he ordered the military academy to blow the horn, which shook the sky.
The opponent rode several horses ahead of him and quickly rode forward. When he got in front of Qin Shubao and others, he turned over and dismounted and bowed: "General Qibi Heli, pay your respects to the Governor of Qin!"
"General Qibi Heli, please get up quickly!" Qin Shubao personally stepped forward to help him up, and said with a smile, "General, escorting Her Royal Highness the Princess, thank you for the hard work all the way!"
Qibi Heli has thick eyebrows, thick beard, and a long beard. He has an unusually muscular appearance and a typical Hu face. He cupped his fists and bowed in front of him: "Your Highness, Princess, will come to report first, saying..."
Halfway through, he couldn't help but smile and stopped.
"What did you say?" Qin Shubao and Qin Mubai asked together.
"Say..." Qibi Heli said with a smile, "Let Qin's consort prepare the fragrant soup early, she wants to take a bath."
"Haha, this is such a big deal!" Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing, "This guy, it's a shame she can speak out."
"No need to be rude, what do you mean by 'this guy'?" Qin Shubao glared at Qin Mubai and said sternly, "General, please return to Her Majesty the Princess. Everything is ready, just waiting for the Princess to arrive in Lanzhou!"
"Yes!" Qibi Heli got on his horse again, gave him a fist, and whipped back.
The princess's car is approaching. Princess Gaoyang was sitting on a gorgeous apricot-covered pink palace carriage. With excitement in her heart, Princess Gaoyang also opened the curtain from a distance and peeked forward, asking several palace maids who were riding in the same car to help him see where Qin Mubai was. When I got closer and saw it, there was a burst of joy in the car.
"There, there! I saw it! What a huge battle!"
The carriage stopped, Qin Shubao and others dismounted one after another and came forward to pay homage: "Qin Qiong, the Governor of Lanzhou, led the generals of the Governor's Mansion of Lanzhou to greet Her Royal Highness Princess Gaoyang, and wish you a happy visit to Lanzhou!"
Princess Gaoyang, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a palace-brimmed hat that hung down to her shoulders, got out of the car with the help of her maids. Seeing that the formation was so formal, she had no choice but to suppress her excitement for the time being. She stepped forward gracefully and said loudly: "Captain Qin, please excuse me. Everyone, please excuse me."
"Thank you, princess." Everyone stood up together and stood in military posture without squinting.
Through the brim of her hat, Princess Gao Yang was staring straight at Qin Mubai. If it weren't for the battle in front of her, she would have been unable to hold back and would have rushed forward and thrown herself into Qin Mubai's arms. At this time, she thought about returning to the city as soon as possible without being stared at by so many people.
"I... am tired and want to go back early to rest. I would like to ask Governor Qin to lead the way." Princess Gaoyang said.
"Your Highness the Princess, please! The old minister is waiting to escort the Princess into the city."
"Excuse me, Governor Qin, and you all." After saying that, Princess Gaoyang had no choice but to return to the car, but she turned back three times every step of the way and glanced at Qin Mubai from time to time.
Qin Mubai was also a little elated. After not seeing each other for more than half a year, I really miss Gao Yang very much. Moreover, Princess Gaoyang seems to have a more mature and enchanting charm than before, and is full of charm. Looking at the straight eyes of the generals around her, you can tell how attractive she is now.
When the princess got into the car, Qin Shubao personally led the way, while Qin Mubai saw her off from the car capital. Princess Gao Yang couldn't hold it any longer, so she opened a curtain of the carriage and called in a low voice: "Mu Bai, Mu Bai!"
Qin Mubai smiled, patted his horse and said, "What are your orders, Your Highness the Princess?"
"Hee hee! I'm coming!" Princess Gao Yang's smile was extremely bright.
"Isn't it obvious that the whole Lanzhou knows this? Why do you need you to tell me?" Qin Mubai said with a teasing smile.
"Humph, don't you miss me?" Princess Gao Yang wrinkled her nose.
"I think so." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Just like you think about me. But now that there are a hundred and eighty pairs of ears listening to us, are you really embarrassed to flirt with me?"
"Hehe! Let them be jealous, I don't care!" Princess Gaoyang smiled mischievously, suddenly frowned, shrugged and scratched her ears, and said: "Prepare some fragrant soup for me, I want to take a bath! I'm so annoyed, I'm so tired I haven’t showered in two days and I’m starting to stink!”
"Haha, Lanzhou is short of water, and people here only take one bath throughout the year." Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"Ah, no?" Princess Gao Yang was shocked, "Then, doesn't that stink to death? Wow! Honestly, how long has it been since you took a shower?"
"Hmm... It seems that I washed it once when I first came here." Qin Mubai said seriously.
"Oh my God, no?" Princess Gao Yang suddenly cried and said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have come! ... What kind of place is this? It's all sand and rocks, no water!"
"Do you regret it? It's too late to turn back now. How about I let General Qibi Heli do the hard work again and send you back?" Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"I don't want it!" Princess Gao Yang changed her face like a magic trick, and suddenly smiled, "You stink, and I stink too. None of us dislike it, so we'll just make do with it! Anyway, as long as I can be with you, why not Anything works!”
"What did you say?" Qin Mubai said with a bad smile, "Then we won't take a shower from today on to see who smells worse than the other."
"You're so disgusted, you're lying to me again!"
When the car entered the city, the people of Lanzhou lined the streets to welcome him, and it was really a lively scene. Princess Gao Yang was quite happy and said with a smile: "The people in Lanzhou are quite simple and enthusiastic."
When they arrived at the Dudu Mansion, Qin Shubao invited Princess Gaoyang to the main hall, gave her a formal greeting, and prepared to arrange a banquet to welcome the princess.
Princess Gaoyang endured it for a long time, and now she couldn't bear it anymore. She walked to Qin Shubao and whispered: "Mr. Yi Guo, why don't you... let me go back and wash away the dust first? I feel so uncomfortable!"
"Haha, let Sanlang arrange it for you!" Qin Shubao laughed, feeling quite happy.
"Hey, thank you Duke Yi...!" Princess Gao Yang ducked down obediently and performed the royal courtesy of a palace woman. Qin Shubao was so happy that he was so happy that he even defeated the ministers and defeated the ministers. The officers and generals next to him laughed happily.
"Mubai, let's go!" Princess Gaoyang finally waited until this point, and she didn't care about the many people present. She stretched out her little hand, took Qin Mubai and left.
The two of them left the Governor's Mansion, but Princess Gao Yang still didn't let go and ran forward in a hurry.
"Where are you running?" Qin Mubai smiled and pulled her to a stop.
"Oh, where do I live?" Princess Gaoyang remembered this and asked with a smile.
"It's right next door to the Governor's Mansion!" Qin Mubai said and took her to her residence. Princess Gao Yang took one look and immediately frowned: "Is it right here? Why is it so shabby!"
"Didn't you say that as long as you can be with me, you can do anything? Lanzhou is not as good as the capital. Do you still want to live in a palace-like mansion?" Qin Mubai curled his lips and said.
"Okay, okay, as long as it's your arrangement, that's fine." Princess Gao Yang immediately turned around and smiled, "Come in, I can't wait!"
"Isn't it just a shower? What's the rush?" Qin Mubai was pulled by her and rushed into the cabin. The few palace maids and accompanying soldiers knew what was going on and consciously fell behind.
Princess Gao Yang snickered again and again, pulled Qin Mubai all the way into the room, closed the door, threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly: "You thief of a military academy, you stinky man, you miss me so much!"
With the beauty lying in his arms like a jade, Qin Mubai couldn't help but feel elated. He hugged her tightly and kissed her lips.
"Do you miss me, you stinky man?" Princess Gao Yang returned the kiss with forgetfulness and asked while taking a break to catch her breath.
"Stop talking and concentrate!" Qin Mubai hugged her hard. Princess Gaoyang screamed in surprise and burst into laughter: "Bad guy! - Stop messing with me. Let me take a bath first. She stinks so much. !”
"It doesn't matter, I don't mind it!"
"Oh, here we go again!..."