Fang Xuanling, who was worrying alone in the inner hall, was slightly shocked when he heard that Qin Mubai and Princess Gaoyang were visiting. There have been many events in the court recently, and many civil servants and military officers came to visit the Fang family. But Fang Xuanling still felt a little surprised that Qin Mubai would come in person at this time.
While getting dressed and changing, Fang Xuanling ordered her family members to dismantle the mourning hall and clean the main hall in preparation for receiving guests. Mrs. Fang, Mrs. Lu, refused to make a fuss. When she heard that Qin Mubai was coming, she started crying and wanted to fight him. Fang Xuanling, who rarely got angry once in ten years, was furious and ordered several servants to carry his wife to the backyard and lock her up without letting her go. The mourning hall was quickly demolished.
Qin Mubai and others waited patiently at the door and were not in a hurry. They had to give Fang Xuanling some time and space to adapt to avoid embarrassment on both sides.
The hands and feet of everyone in the Fang family are quite nimble, and they can take care of everything in just a cup of tea. Fang Xuanling, dressed in formal attire, took her eldest son Fang Yizhi to the door to greet him personally and performed the courtesy of a minister.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Prince Consort are here in great numbers. I am sorry for the inconvenient ministers who came from afar to greet you!"
"Your Majesty, please get up quickly." Qin Mubai and Princess Gaoyang stepped forward to support each other and returned the gift. Qin Mubai said, "We are all uninvited guests. We take the liberty of disturbing you. Please don't take offense to your husband. "
There was no trace of sadness or joy on Fang Xuanling's flushed face, which looked slightly sick and tired. It was calm and indifferent, as quiet and humble as ever. He led the way and invited Qin Mubai and others in. The etiquette was so complete that Qin Mubai felt a little uncomfortable.
After entering the main hall and sitting down, although the surroundings were very clean, the smell of burning incense candles and paper money still lingered in the air. Qin Mubai turned to Fang Xuanling and cupped his hands and said: "Fang Gong has a mind as generous as the sea. I am both ashamed and admired. I came to your house uninvited today because I came specially to plead guilty and accept punishment. I have done a lot of things in the past. If you are reckless and offended, I will not complain at all because of my father-in-law's fortune today."
"The prince-in-law's words are serious." Fang Xuanling seemed to have expected that Qin Mubai would say this. She smiled lightly and returned the greeting, "Fang's adopted son is unfilial and violated the national law. Both father and son are guilty; the previous evil son has done it many times. He committed crimes and killed others first, and Fang Mou acted out of self-defense. Let him let go of what happened in the past! Fang Mou’s family is unlucky, just pretend that he never gave birth to this son!”
"Ms. Fang... you say that, we are so ashamed!" Princess Gao Yang whispered, "As early as the beginning..."
"Your Highness, please don't mention the past anymore." Fang Xuanling waved her hand to interrupt her, shook her head helplessly and smiled bitterly, "There is a certain destiny. In the past few years, my Fang family has experienced ups and downs. I've seen it through. In the final analysis, no one is to blame. Your Highness, Prince Consort, if you two came here just to apologize, Fang Mou can say that you are here in vain. Secondly, Fang has never held any grudge against you two.”
Qin Mubai shook his head in shame, cupped his hands and sighed: "The more lenient my husband is, the more ashamed Qin and the princess will be. If my husband and Mrs. Ling can beat us up and scold us, they will feel good in their hearts." Be more comfortable."
Fang Xuanling smiled lonely and said: "I think the two of you came here because you heard that I, Fang Xuanling, have a powerful wife, right? As you said, my wife has always doted on the evil son. If it weren't for In this way, he wouldn't have reached the point where he is today. Now Fang finally understands that he can't just obey this tough woman. The fate of Nizi is the best example."
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "This is Fang Gong's family matter. I can't ask any more questions. In fact, Qin's visit today has no other deep meaning. One is to apologize to Fang Gong and accept punishment, and the other is to express his gratitude. The third is Well, Qin is so shameless, I still need to ask my landlord for help with a little matter."
Fang Xuanling, still as calm as water, nodded gently and said: "The first two things came out of nothing, so please tell me about the third thing!"
"Thank you, Fang Gong." Qin Mubai said with cupped hands, "Fang Gong was ordered by Your Majesty to be responsible for the deployment of troops and generals for the Battle of Lanzhou. Qin will soon rush to Lanzhou to preside over the overall military and political situation. Qin wants to know what troops the imperial court is planning to allocate. General Ma and me, so that I can make preparations in advance. Of course, if it’s confidential, just pretend that Qin didn’t ask.”
"Is there anything that can't be said?" Fang Xuanling chuckled and said, "You are the commander of the war, so this matter actually needs to be discussed with you. It's just that time was short and Fang didn't have time to inform the prince-in-law. The Lanzhou War After discussing with the officials of the Ministry of War, the Prime Minister of the imperial court decided to allocate ten thousand cavalry to you to set off from Chang'an, and increase the prince-in-law's original private guard of thirty hundred cavalry to one hundred men with one hundred thousand grain and one hundred thousand stone men. We are making preparations and will be ready to go on the expedition soon.”
"Is that so little?" Princess Gaoyang said in surprise, "There are so few soldiers, horses, money and food!"
"Princess, don't interrupt if you don't understand." Qin Mubai turned to him and said to Fang Xuanling, "Qin understands."
Fang Xuanling bowed his hand and returned the gift, then said to Princess Gaoyang: "Her Royal Highness, it is natural that the soldiers and horses have little money and food. To be honest, in a battle as big as Lanzhou, more than 10,000 soldiers and 100,000 food and grass are really a drop in the bucket. But the court has been in turmoil recently. Guanzhong is unstable, and it is understandable that it is difficult to mobilize troops and horses for a while. In addition, now is the important season of spring plowing and the lean period. There is not much food in the imperial Taicang, and even if there is a lot of food and grass, it is difficult to collect it at the moment. There are many civilians. Therefore, one hundred thousand grains and six thousand civilians is the limit of the imperial court's ability."
"I don't think so?" Wu Meiniang, who had been sitting aside without interrupting, smiled slightly, saluted Fang Xuanling and said, "Ms. Fang, please forgive me for being rude to the daughter of the people."
"Young lady has something to say, but there's no harm in saying it." Fang Xuanling said politely.
Wu Meiniang thanked her and said: "As far as I know, Guanzhong was very ripe last year, and Jiangnan, Shannan, and Sichuan were even more mature. The tax grain collected by the imperial court after autumn and early winter should have filled Taicang, even the world The price of the most expensive rice in Chang'an has dropped by 30%, and many of my colleagues who sell grains have lost money. In addition, the King of Wei is raising funds to build the Daci'en Temple. Before the construction has started, more than 7,000 people from all over the country have been recruited to carry flowers, stones and grass. Gangs, prefabricated Buddha statues and other objects. The three armies went ahead without using food and grass. Even if they did not allocate many soldiers and horses to Lanzhou, they should provide more food and grass. After all, once the war started, Lanzhou's local agricultural and animal husbandry production would be affected. The huge impact, coupled with the remote location, makes it difficult to buy food and rice even if you have money. I wonder, is the war in the empire not as important as a temple? Civilian husband?”
"Meiniang, don't talk too much!" Qin Mubai pretended to drink softly and said, "How can I allow you to come and discuss important military and national affairs?"
Wu Meiniang cooperated and lowered her head to admit her mistake, and said softly: "Ms. Fang, please forgive me. A common girl has little knowledge, so she naturally said whatever she thought of."
"Haha... I've heard for a long time that Wu Meiniang is extremely smart and thoughtful, but she is a heroic woman. Today, she really deserves her reputation!" Fang Xuanling shook his head helplessly and smiled, and said, "Your knowledge is not shallow at all. These words of yours are This hit the mark. In fact, the prince-in-law is also a sensible person, so Fang will not lie. Taicang has food and grass, and recruiting civilian husbands is not a big problem, but the court still has to prepare a large dowry for Princess Wencheng who is about to marry Tibet. This is not easy. It is easier than dealing with a war, so it is too busy for a while; secondly, since last year, Lanzhou has not asked the court for a penny or a grain of grain, and it is completely self-sufficient. Therefore, someone in the court insisted, Since Lanzhou can be self-sufficient, the imperial court does not need to support food and grass for the time being. After all, transporting food and grass over a thousand miles consumes a lot of manpower and material resources. "
"This means that they are clearly trying to strangle Lanzhou by the neck so that we can hold on to the enemy and be unable to carry out an expedition, right?" Qin Mubai sneered softly and said.
Fang Xuanling smiled helplessly and said: "Consort, since you understand the reason, there is no need for Fang to say more. Differences in stance cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences and then accommodated. Can Allocating 10,000 troops and 100,000 grain and grass, Fang has done his best!"
"Humph, is it Changsun Wuji who is causing trouble again?" Princess Gaoyang said bluntly and bitterly, "Why does he have to go against Mubai and Lanzhou? This court does not belong to his family, and the money and food for soldiers and horses does not come from him. He took it out of his pocket, why is he so anxious? It’s true!”
"Okay, just say a few words." Qin Mubai dissuaded her with a smile, and then said to Fang Xuanling, "Qin knows that Fang Gong has always dedicated his life to serving the country, and now that there is such a situation, no matter what Fang Gong needs, No need, Qin is really grateful to you! If Qin goes to Lanzhou, he will be able to run a good business, and his dedication to serving the country and the people will be in vain!"
"Haha, that's serious!" Fang Xuanling waved her hands and said with a smile, "Fang is seeking his own things in his position, and he doesn't dare to be selfish."
"Ms. Fang, the daughter of the people has something to say again." Wu Meiniang said suddenly.
"Haha, tell me!"
Wu Meiniang smiled and saluted: "Since the imperial court cannot allocate grain and grass and recruit civilian husbands, can the peasant women organize private caravans on their own to spontaneously supply grain and rice supplies to Lanzhou?"
"Oh?" Fang Xuanling said in surprise, "The state has sponsors for charity. Although this matter is not new, it is really rare for such an army to be funded from thousands of miles away. Wu Meiniang, you want to sponsor the imperial court in your own name." This is naturally allowed for the army. However, Lanzhou is thousands of miles away, and transportation is not only difficult, but also risky. Moreover, the cost of transporting one pound of grain from Chang'an to Lanzhou is at least three pounds. Have you settled the account?"
"No need to calculate." Wu Meiniang smiled lightly and said, "Even if it means losing everything, Wu Zhao must do this!"
"Mei Niang, this matter is no child's play. You'd better not get involved in it." Qin Mubai also said to her in surprise, "It's not as easy as running from Chang'an to Lanzhou than to Xiangyang. This way. The journey of thousands of miles in the past was covered by wind and sand in the Gobi Desert, making the journey miserable. Lanzhou is like being alone in the ocean. How can you, a weak woman, lead tens of thousands of people on a long journey? "
"Mu Bai, you don't need to worry about this. Am I that reckless person? As long as you and Fang Xianggong agree to let me transport food, I can do it and guarantee safety!" Wu Meiniang said with a confident smile, "The imperial court I only give you 100,000 grains and 6,000 civilians. I will transport you 500,000 stones of grain and 30,000 civilians - how about it, it will last a long time!"
This statement made Fang Xuanling, who was deeply obsessed with money and food, take a breath. He exclaimed in surprise: "This is a huge gesture! Even if the court wants to branch out, it will have to spend a lot of manpower and material resources. Wu Meiniang , are you really good?"
"No problem!" Wu Meiniang smiled confidently and said, "Ms. Fang, just agree! Anyway, we don't want the court to worry about anything! As long as you give the order, Wu Zhao will transport the grain, grass and military supplies to Lanzhou, ensuring that the soldiers will not Hungry!"
"Of course Fang is very happy... But..." Fang Xuanling frowned, twirled his beard, and shook his head gently.
"If Fang Gong has something to hide, why don't you tell him?" Qin Mubai asked.
Fang Xuanling nodded and said with a wry smile: "In this way, the imperial court will accept a huge favor from the Wu family. How can Fang Xuanling represent the emperor and the imperial court in this family? If you disagree, Fang should go ask the emperor. Your Majesty!"
Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile softly after hearing this, and thought to himself: People say that "Fang's plans can be eliminated". Fang Xuanling is indeed resourceful, sophisticated and prudent, but his character does have some softness and lacks a little courage, otherwise he would be a perfect counselor. What's the use of Du Ruhui who is also 'good at making judgments'
At this time, Wu Meiniang smiled and said: "Ms. Fang, please don't tell His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Why?" Fang Xuanling asked in surprise.
Wu Meiniang smiled mysteriously and said softly: "If Fang Xianggong went to tell His Majesty the Emperor that the imperial court could not provide money to feed the people and asked Wu Zhao to sponsor them privately, wouldn't this bring disgrace to His Majesty the Emperor's face? Could it be that if the Imperial Court of the Tang Dynasty were so big, Not as rich as a civilian girl? Of course, this is not true. Because of this, if Fang Xianggong went to tell the emperor, he would naturally know that someone in the court was deliberately trying to make things difficult for Qin Mubai and Lanzhou. Soldiers... If this happens, conflicts will arise again, and Fang Xianggong will also have a bad reputation for complaining. "
"Oh? It really makes sense!" Fang Xuanling said in surprise, "I can't believe that a woman at your young age is actually proficient in the art of power and strategy. It's really amazing! ... Having said that, Fang I can’t bear to suffer from you for hundreds of thousands of grains and grass, right? This is a wealth that can rival the country!”
"It doesn't matter, I will treat it as a gift to my man." Wu Meiniang said with a smile, "How can a man go without food when he is marching and fighting? Not only can he not be without food, but the soldiers around him cannot be hungry either. Otherwise, if you don’t have the energy to fight, what will you do if you can’t win on the battlefield? Mr. Fang, please be more decisive. Wu Zhao is a businesswoman who never does anything without reward, but this time she is an exception - I am doing it for my man. , I don’t mean anything else! I don’t need the court to owe me any favors, and I don’t even need the emperor and Changsun Wuji to know—just think of me as someone who goes to Lanzhou to sell grain privately, and give me a piece of white fish that has been released from customs. Just order it!”
"Okay!" Fang Xuanling finally made up his mind and nodded affirmatively, "I will give you a token to leave the customs and write you a handwritten letter in my personal name. It will also work if I pass through some checkpoints and counties along the way. It’s a little convenient.”
"Thank you, Mr. Fang!" Wu Meiniang happily saluted and said with a smile, "Mr. Fang, I still have something to ask for, my daughter!"
"Haha, tell me!" Fang Xuanling seemed to like Wu Meiniang very much, and said with a smile, her tone and expression were much more relaxed.
"The civilian girls know that Mu Bai has a senior brother who is proficient in the art of war. His name is Su Lie, also known as Dingfang. He is usually called Su Dingfang by his personal name." Wu Meiniang said, "Mu Bai has a deep relationship with him. The day before yesterday, Su Dingfang came to ask Mu Bai to take him with him. Let’s go to Lanzhou to join the army. Mu Bai can’t refuse, but he doesn’t dare to ask the Prime Minister openly, so...hey, the daughter of the people will say it on his behalf.”
"Haha!" Fang Xuanling laughed, "You are really an eccentric and smart woman! Let Fang owe you a favor first, and then come and ask me for help... Okay! Is that Su Lie and Su Dingfang? Among the prison guards General Lang was a disciple of Duke Li Yaoshi. Although Fang was not very familiar with him, he knew that he was a rare talent. It was indeed a waste of talent to be put in prison as a guard to guard the imperial city. Well, let's just let him go. Let him go with Chunhe to Lanzhou to make contributions to the country!"
Qin Mubai and Wu Meiniang thanked each other. Qin Mubai said: "Fang Gong, as a result, Lanzhou has gathered a large number of generals. Are some people worried that we and other self-contained factions will not be able to defeat them?"
"Whether they worry or not is their business." Fang Xuanling smiled slightly, "If you act upright, you are not afraid of the shadow. As long as your heart is clear, you don't have to think so much. Besides, does it make any difference whether you people are together or not? Haha... "
"That's true." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Now, some people are worried about the generals who are leading troops outside. They wish they could call all the soldiers and horses back to Guanzhong and transfer all the generals back to the court for convenience. He is in control. But in this case, who will be stationed at the border of Datang to resist foreign enemies? The overall situation is more important, and we don't care about it! - Fortunately, there is His Majesty the Emperor, who has a clear mind and sees everything, and can wait for us. Save yourself the worries.”
"Well... it's good to know." Fang Xuanling nodded slightly and said, "The court is full of dangers, and it is actually a relief to be able to lead troops abroad. Prince Consort, when you go to Lanzhou, you don't have to think about the court for the time being. Just focus on leading the troops and taking care of the people, and do your part. As for the follow-up money and food for the troops, please don’t worry.”
"Okay! With Fang Gong's words, Qin really has the confidence to run freely and boldly!" Qin Mubai clasped his fists heavily and said, "Qin, thank you again, Mr. Xie!"
"There is no need to be too polite. This is all a matter of state responsibility, and Fang should do his best!"
…
Until they left the Fang family, the famous woman Mrs. Fang, Mrs. Lu, did not show up. Qin Mubai and his party all breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt relaxed!
When three passers-by talked about Fang Xuanling, they all had the same feeling - a good, honest and honest man!
Loyalty, integrity and kindness are easy to say, but not easy to do. Qin Mubai imagines that if he were Fang Xuanling, no matter who killed his biological son for whatever reason, if they didn't say they would put aside all the past grudges with him and work together sincerely, if they didn't kill him and dig up his ancestral grave, the whole family would be dead. What a great gift!
"Fang Xuanling is the most gentlemanly person I have ever met!" Qin Mubai sighed, "In comparison, I am really a villain."
"You still need to compare?" Princess Gao Yang said with a wicked smile, "You have admitted it a hundred times, you are really a villain!"
"That's better than being a hypocrite!" Qin Mubai said angrily.
"Yes, yes." Princess Gao Yang and Wu Meiniang both laughed together, "If you are not a villain, we will really not be used to it!"