Xie Changgeng's subordinates include a man named Liu Guan, who is very capable and good at planning and strategizing. He used to work as a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel of the imperial court. He was frustrated that his talent was not appreciated, and was later convicted by his superiors and exiled. He escaped halfway and followed Xie Changgeng when he was still traveling on the Yangtze River. Now he is an official of the Jiedushi Mansion and one of Xie Changgeng's few secret staff members.
He also had another skill. Because of his previous position in the Ministry of Personnel, he was fully aware of the situation of each feudal state. From the king and prime minister to the officials, he knew the background of all those who held official positions.
Xie Changgeng called Liu Guan and asked Yuan Handing.
Liu Guan said, "This man is the adopted son of the late prime minister of Changsha State. He grew up with Mu Xuanqing and was a companion to Mu Xuanqing in the palace when he was young. Although Yuan is young, he is very capable and is a good general. In the years before Changsha State and you signed the marriage contract, the war between the vassal kings affected the country and caused unrest in all four regions. Because of the boundary dispute, they fought several times with the southern barbarian leader Jiang Rong. At that time, Yuan Handing was only a teenager of fifteen or sixteen years old, but he had already joined the army with the old King of Changsha and fought and made great contributions. Now in Changsha State, apart from Lu Lin who can barely take charge, there is only Yuan Handing left."
Xie Changgeng pondered.
Liu Guan thought he wanted to recruit talents.
In the past few years, Xie Changgeng has quelled civil unrest many times and his reputation has been rising. What he still lacks is a great victory over foreign races.
The dynasty has continued to this day, but its national fortune has declined and it is in decline. It is unable to deal with internal strife, let alone resist foreign aggression. The three counties and twenty cities north of Hexi have been successively occupied by northerners. Whenever the people talk about it, they are filled with indignation and are increasingly dissatisfied with the incompetence of the court.
Three years ago, the northerners sent a large number of troops to the border, intending to retake Hexi.
At that time, the natives and locals in Hexi frequently clashed, and the soldiers in various garrisons were not united and were afraid of the northerners. It was a situation of internal and external troubles. The former Jiedushi was unable to cope with it, and was defeated in the first battle and lost another city. After being dismissed, the situation in Hexi was precarious, and no one in the court dared to take the post of Jiedushi again, fearing that Hexi would be lost in their hands and be cursed by the whole country.
Xie Changgeng was recommended by the King of Changsha at that time. He had been in officialdom for only a year and had just made his mark in the war to pacify the vassal kings.
Fighting the powerful northern enemy with heavy troops on the border is not the same as fighting the vassal king of China. Given his situation at the time, he would not wade into this muddy water if he was not sure of victory.
When he received an urgent imperial edict from the court summoning him to the capital, he was clearing out the last of the King of Jin's forces.
Liu Guan and others were trying to persuade him that it was not appropriate to take over the hot potato of Hexi at this time. If he was defeated, not only would he be ruined, but all his previous plans would also be in vain. He might as well deliberately let the remaining troops of the King of Jin go, allowing him to make a comeback and start a rebellion. In this way, he could cleverly avoid this crisis by saying that he was entangled in military affairs because the rebellion had not been quelled. When he had built up enough power and Hexi was in tatters, he could then come forward to clean up the mess and achieve twice the result with half the effort.
However, Xie Changgeng did not listen to the advice and quickly wipe out the remaining troops of King Jin. He immediately left the capital and came to Hexi. In the past few years, he trained soldiers and stored food, defended the country from foreign aggression, fought against the strong with the weak, led the troops himself, and gathered the people's hearts and resisted the invasion of the northerners several times, which led to the temporary stability of Hexi today.
After that, Liu Guan and others truly admired him and were completely devoted to him.
Liu Guan knew that he was meticulous and had planned everything out. But even now, when he sometimes recalled his decision to take the post of Hexi Jiedushi despite dissuasion, he was still not sure what his original intention was.
Did he not want the Hexi area to fall into the hands of the northerners and wanted to turn the tide with his own strength, or did he have great confidence in his ability to control the overall situation under such unfavorable conditions, so he was willing to take a gamble and risk leaving the capital
But no matter what, he won in the end. Looking back, it was a wise decision.
Judging from the current situation, if he can change defense into counterattack in the war against the northerners, achieve a complete victory, and recapture the three counties and twenty cities, he will be truly popular and have unrivaled prestige. He only needs to wait for Empress Liu to start a rebellion on the pretext of self-protection, and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Hexi will obey his orders. He can crush the enemy with one call and win the support. Who in the court can resist him? He has everything. Unless he doesn't want the throne, who else in the world can stop him
The day he defeats the northerners will be the day he ascends the throne.
Seeing that he didn't say anything for a while, Liu Guan spoke again: "The Jiedushi is indeed eager to recruit talents and is more respectful to them, but this Yuan Handing has a close relationship with the Mu family, like a family, and I'm afraid it is unlikely that he will be used by you. What's more, Hexi is not short of good generals now. Instead of recruiting this Yuan Handing, it would be better for the Jiedushi to..."
The other half of the sentence he wanted to say was a little inconvenient to say.
There is still one hidden danger inside Hexi, and that is the natives.
Faced with these stubborn natives, even the governor, who had always been invincible, was at a loss.
According to Liu Guan's observation, the lady who was sent away by the Jiedushi seemed to be able to be used as a breakthrough in dealing with the natives.
But I could think of this myself, and with the Jiedushi's mind, it was impossible that he had not noticed it.
He was a little confused as to why the Jiedushi did not make good use of the person but instead sent him away.
But as an outsider, it was not convenient for me to talk about such matters between husband and wife. And since he had sent the person away, he must have other considerations.
Manager Liu stopped talking halfway and looked at Xie Changgeng opposite him. Seeing that Xie Changgeng still did not respond, as if he was immersed in some thoughts, he called out, "Sir?"
Xie Changgeng came back to his senses, said "Oh", looked at Liu Guan, nodded and said: "I understand, thank you."
After Liu Guan left, the steward returned to the Jiedushi Mansion and met Xie Changgeng, saying, "According to your instructions, I have brought the people of Changsha to the post house in your name."
"General Yuan, the leader, asked me to tell you that he brought a handwritten letter from Changsha King Mu Xuanqing to you, and he hopes you can find time to meet him as soon as possible. He will be very grateful."
"Did you say anything else besides this?"
The steward shook his head and suddenly remembered something.
"Yes. He also asked me about the princess. I followed your instructions and did not mention that the princess had gone back. I just said I didn't know."
After the steward finished speaking, seeing that he looked indifferent, he did not ask any other questions and bowed to leave. However, he was stopped again and given some instructions.
The steward was very surprised.
In recent years, court officials have often been sent to Hexi on official business. They are all received by relevant officials of the Jiedushi Mansion in accordance with the court system.
This time, Guan Shi really didn't understand why the Jiedushi would be so "hospitable" to General Yuan from Changsha.
But once the order was given, the steward naturally did as he was told, hurriedly took his leave and went to make the arrangements.
Early the next morning, a beautiful female prostitute was brought to Xie Changgeng by the steward.
The courtesan knelt on the ground and said in fear, "Sir, it's not that I don't obey your orders, it's that General Yuan who doesn't want me to accompany you. I tried to seduce him in every way and knelt down to beg him, saying that if I was driven away, he would punish me for not serving him well, and he would ask me to stay and go out to live in the same room with someone else. I really have no choice. I am useless, please forgive me, sir."
Xie Changgeng ordered the female entertainer to go down and stand by the window.
Guan Shi really couldn't figure out the purpose of last night's arrangement. After waiting for a while, seeing that he didn't speak, he turned to his back and asked, "Sir, can I see him today? He saw me this morning and asked when I could see him."
Xie Changgeng turned around, his expression cold: "No rush, tell him to wait a few more days."
Yuan Handing waited anxiously in the post house for three days, and the days passed like years. On the third day, he finally received the news of the meeting and set out immediately.
Xie Changgeng met him in the meeting hall of the Jiedushi Mansion, but there was no one around except the two of them. He sat behind the desk. Yuan Handing greeted him and presented him with a handwritten letter from Mu Xuanqing. He opened it and immediately invited Yuan Handing to sit down. With a smile on his face, he said, "I had a lot of things to do in the past few days, and I was able to get away today. Please don't blame me for neglecting General Yuan."
Yuan Handing said respectfully, "You are too polite. I am very grateful for being able to meet the Jiedushi today and pass on your handwritten letter."
Xie Changgeng glanced at the letter for a few seconds, put it down, and said with a smile: "The King of Changsha and I are uncles, just like family members. Even if there are disagreements, there is no overnight hatred. Why is the King of Changsha so polite and ask you to travel thousands of miles to come here? I understand his kindness. If you don't mind that my place is remote and the people are humble, you may stay for a few more days. It's a good time to exchange gifts, so let me prepare some small gifts, and when General Yuan leaves, please bring them back to the King of Changsha."
In the letter, Mu Xuanqing not only thanked him for bringing his sister out of the capital before, but also expressed his wish to bring his sister back this time.
Yuan Handing waited for three days in anxiety and speculation, and now he finally met Xie Changgeng.
He thought he would be treated coldly, or even humiliated, just like the last time Xie Changgeng went to Changsha. Unexpectedly, the other party was so cheerful and cheerful, as if he didn't care about the past. Whether it was true or not, at this moment, Yuan Handing could no longer suppress his concern for the princess and his urgency that had been buried in his heart for a long time.
Seeing that Xie Changgeng did not mention it, he said, "Thank you very much for the governor's kindness. Before I left, His Highness repeatedly asked me to pass on his message, hoping that the governor would facilitate it and allow me to take the princess back on His Highness' behalf. His Highness must have mentioned this in his letter. His Highness asked me to tell the governor that if the princess can return, His Highness will reward her with all his strength. As long as he can afford it, he will not be stingy."
After he finished speaking, he held his breath and looked at Xie Changgeng.
Xie Changgeng stared at Yuan Handing, looked at him for a moment, and said, "If I tell you that you are too late and she is no longer here, and just a few days ago, I was ordered by the Queen Mother to send her back to Shangjing to keep her company, what will happen to your Changsha Kingdom?"
Yuan Handing's heart skipped a beat, his face changed slightly, and he stood up suddenly from his seat.
"When was she sent away?" he asked without thinking.
Xie Changgeng said calmly: "Why, do you want to intercept her halfway and take her away?"
At this moment, Yuan Handing, whose thoughts were spoken out, felt extremely confused and heavy.
If he could do whatever he wanted, he would go and rescue her at all costs.
But he knew he couldn't do that.
She wouldn't allow herself to do that.
Just like the last time, he knew clearly that Shangjing was a den of wolves and tigers for her, but he could do nothing but watch her leave Dongting.
Yuan Handing looked at the man opposite him who was looking at him calmly. He was also the husband of the princess. He gritted his teeth and said word by word: "I dare not!"
He calmed down, suppressed his chaotic mood, and said: "Since the governor had taken the princess out of the capital before, he must have had good intentions towards her. He must have been forced to send her back this time. The governor still has a favor to my Changsha country. Your Highness will remember it when he knows it. The princess is in the capital, and my Changsha country is powerless. Only you can protect her. On behalf of the people of Changsha, I would like to thank you in advance!"
After he finished speaking, he came out from his seat and knelt down to kowtow to Xie Changgeng.
Xie Changgeng looked at the figure who was about to kowtow to him and said, "General Yuan, there is no need to do this. It was just a joke. Since I took the princess out of the capital, how could I send her back? She is indeed not here, but she did not go to the capital, but returned to your Changsha country."
Yuan Handing was unable to react for a moment, and after a pause, he finally came to his senses.
He still couldn't believe it.
"Thank you, Jiedushi. Are you serious?"
"If my guess is correct, she should have arrived by now. When you go back, you will be able to see her."
Xie Changgeng said calmly.
The whole person seemed to rise from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain.
Yuan Handing was struck by a huge surprise and had no time to think about the man opposite him and why he wanted to play such a joke on him after he had already let the person go.
Without even a second thought, he not only did not stand up, but he immediately bowed to the person sitting opposite him.
"Yuan is here on a mission entrusted by His Highness to bring the princess back home. Thank you for your help. Please accept my greetings!"
His eyes shone with an unconcealable light of joy.
At this moment, facing those shining eyes, for the first time in his life, Xie Changgeng felt clearly in his heart what it meant to be filled with regret.
He regretted letting her go back to Changsha.
He had been tolerating her. He was really irritated by her attitude at that time. What completely angered him was that she was willing to use a poisonous drug on herself in order to get rid of him.
She was well versed in medicine and even the doctor knew the toxicity of the medicine. She naturally also knew the consequences of taking it for a long time.
But she still did it, just to avoid any entanglement with herself in the future.
He thought that he had been very good to her and had never done anything wrong to her.
It was at that moment that he felt angry, cold and disgusted.
I completely lost my patience.
But she is just a woman, and a virgin. Why should I continue to get entangled with her
So he sent him away without hesitation.
But Xie Changgeng was not a tolerant person.
Even though Mu Fulan was not that special to him, she was his wife.
Even if he divorces her when it is convenient for him, she is still the woman he married in a formal ceremony. This will not change.
Whenever he thought of the man who had won her love, taken her virginity and brought shame to herself, he felt like a thorn in his back.
This feeling was like a poisonous thorn, firmly embedded in his heart.
Now that she had been driven away by him, he had no plans to see her again, but thinking about it made him even more angry.
He really wanted to know who that person was.
When she was here before, he wanted to interrogate her several times after they made love.
It was just for the sake of face, and I knew she wouldn't say it out loud, so I forced myself to hold it back every time.
He once suspected that the man was Zhao Xitai, the prince of Qi, but Zhao Xitai and Mu Fulan seemed to have never met again after they parted in the palace in their early years until she entered Beijing again last year.
Unless the two people had secret dealings later on, otherwise, the possibility seems unlikely.
After his doubts about Zhao Xitai were alleviated, out of intuition, Xie Changgeng thought of the young general named Yuan Handing whom he met when he went to Changsha State last time.
They grew up together, were childhood sweethearts, and secretly fell in love. Later, due to circumstances, they followed their father's orders and got engaged to me.
After just a little probing today, Xie Changgeng felt more and more that his guess was correct.
This young general from Changsha claimed that he came with the king's order, and he was extremely careful to conceal his intentions towards the princess in front of him. But how could his subconscious reactions escape Xie Changgeng's eyes
His reactions went far beyond the duties of an ordinary envoy or minister.
Xie Changgeng suppressed the jealous anger that surged in his heart, and remained calm. He stood up from his seat, walked to Yuan Handing, and personally helped him up from the ground. He smiled and said, "It's just a small matter. I am very impressed by your loyalty for coming from afar. Since you are here, stay for a few more days before leaving."
Yuan Handing's original intention was to pick up the princess and convey Mu Xuanqing's gratitude to Xie Changgeng. He thought the mission was difficult, but he didn't expect it to be so smooth. Moreover, the princess had returned, and this was the fairyland of Yaochi. He didn't want to delay any longer, so he declined immediately.
Xie Changgeng stared at him and said, "My beauties are vulgar and cannot please you, General Yuan, let alone keep you here. Since you have something to do, I can't force you to stay, so as not to delay your work."
Yuan Handing thought of the beauty that night and said hurriedly, "Jiedushi, please don't make fun of me. I am very grateful for your kindness and will remember it in my heart."
Xie Changgeng laughed it off, called the steward in, and set up a farewell banquet for Yuan Handing.
Yuan Handing was eager to return home, so as soon as the banquet was over, he left Guzang with his men and returned to Changsha without even having woken up that day.
That night, the lights in the Jiedushi's residence remained on until midnight and were not turned off for a long time.
Xie Changgeng sat alone in the study, his eyes fixed on the file in his hands. For a long while, he did not turn a page.
He frowned and was lost in thought for a long time, then suddenly thought of someone.
When I left Yuecheng last year, I left Zhu Liuhu in the city.
Half a year had passed, and during that time Zhu Liuhu had only sent him a few meaningless letters, saying that he had not noticed anything unusual in Changsha State.
Xie Changgeng originally wanted to call the person back.
He took a piece of letter paper, picked up a pen and wrote a letter, then sent someone over to send the secret letter out.