In Yanzhi County on the border of Youzhou, the Tao family is a famous family that can be called the prestige of the county. The children of the family are both civil and military in the officialdom of Youzhou, and the Tao family has a simple and honest family style. Opened warehouses many times to relieve disasters in Youzhou. At the time when Beimang's million-strong army invaded Beiliang, many big families in Yanzhi County followed the family management philosophy of "Jiaotu Sanku" and asked young children to secretly transfer out of Beiliang with their property, but the Tao family remained silent.
A group of dozens of people rode to Tao's mansion late at night at the beginning of spring. In the night, the horseshoes stepped densely on the bluestone road with six memorial archways bestowed by the imperial court, which looked particularly crisp and melodious. Tao Jinzao, who was over 50 years old, received a secret report that he was caught off guard. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and the whole family went out, opened the door of the ceremony, and a family of more than a hundred members respectfully knelt at the stone steps outside the door. The first rider is a young man covered in a thick fur robe, behind him is a one-armed old man with two white long eyebrows, and a woman in white with a figure that is better than that of a northern athlete, and the other ten riders are all wearing short crossbows Cold knife, all white horses.
Tao Jinzao's two granddaughters who were waiting to be married were kneeling side by side. They couldn't help but courageously took a peek at the young man who was helping his grandfather with a smile. A son of a family from the Central Plains who rose to power while the scholars were in the cold? In the past, I could always hear that the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River were handsome and elegant, and there would be a smell of books in every gesture, and they were completely different from the local men in Beiliang. But of course they guessed wrong. It is true that non-local scholars are busy occupying seats in Beiliang officialdom, but there are only a handful of them except Yu Luandao. The one who made them fall in love at first sight was the King of Beiliang who led ten white horses Yi Cong to travel to Yanzhi County in disguise at night.
Xu Fengnian and Tao Jinzao walked into the gate quickly, and seeing a young child in the arms of a woman who was born with a delicate spirit, they took off a jade pendant from his waist, and gave it to the child with a warm smile as a meeting gift. Then Xu Fengnian asked all the old and young women and children of the Tao family to disperse to rest. Only Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai and his son were left with them. There was no polite greetings. Is everything settled properly?"
The agitated Tao Jinzao calmed down and reported: "This group of 26 people has been deployed in various places, and the three groups have a total of 81 people, plus the four who were secretly dispatched from the palace to Yanzhi County. The second-rank junior master and fifteen third-rank masters can support each other in the dark, and everything is ready, just waiting for the dead soldiers from Beimang who sneaked into the territory to throw themselves into the net. Now all the gates on the border have been closed, and there are elite frontier soldiers wandering crossbows Hands and the local scouts in Youzhou are swimming around in large numbers, even if some escaped from the line of defense, it is difficult to go deep into the hinterland of Youzhou to assassinate officials."
Xu Fengnian nodded.
Tantai Pingping, Sui Xiegu and Baima Yicong naturally wouldn't participate in the secret conversation, only Xu Fengnian and Tao's father and son were left sitting in an elegant room, and clumps of lush green bamboos could be seen outside the window. At the end of last year, there was heavy snowfall in Liyang, especially in Beiliang. This year's late spring is not as severe as in the past, but Xu Fengnian did not take off the fur coat after sitting down. Tao Jinzao, Tao Wenhai and his son were also seated. , but obviously faced with this prestigious young feudal lord, even on his own territory, he was still very cautious, instead he looked like a shabby guest. Tao Wenhai admired more than feared.
Soon, a graceful woman brought hot ginger tea. After putting it down, she went to the corner of the room and sat down on her knees. She bent over and deftly opened the drawer, and put more than ten kinds of precious spices in a small box made of red sandalwood in front of her. On a few cases. On the sandalwood case, there was a typical "three pieces of master and maidservants", one bottle, one furnace and one box, and the furnace was the main bottle box as the maidservant.
Xu Fengnian took a sip of ginger tea with his hands in his hands, and immediately dispelled the cold air a bit, infiltrating his heart and spleen with warmth. In this rare time of leisure, he subconsciously looked at the woman who gave people a quiet and peaceful feeling. She was probably the so-called weak A charming woman with strong bones and muscles, the clothes are light and heavy, but the roundness of the chest, the connection between the waist and the hips, and the kneeling legs will not disappear because of the winter clothes. Of course Xu Fengnian would not be charming, and he didn't even have the slightest idea of having anything to do with her, but such a brilliant woman is really pleasing to the eye. Xu Fengnian is an expert in the appreciation of elegant games, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is a master, otherwise Tai'an City would not be flocking to those calligraphy and paintings that were ruined as "fakes" by His Royal Highness in the early years with his seal. Xu Fengnian knew it at a glance. The brass censer was made by Huang Yu, a famous "Nanzhu" master. The stove is very old-fashioned, diluted and vigorous. After years of maintenance, it exudes a bright red color, like the radiance of a famous sword. If there is no accident, the ashes in the furnace will be the residue after burning agarwood for many years, accumulated, "half ash after burning incense for ten years".
Xu Fengnian was absent-minded, and his eyes stayed near the young woman. Tao Jinzao smiled knowingly. His oldest granddaughter has been unwilling to marry for so many years, which caused him to be ridiculed by some old friends who failed to marry as "Tao Jinzao" If you have a daughter in your family, you can live with rare goods." Different from his father who is quick-witted, Tao Wenhai has been secretly observing the king of Beiliang who "turns his son back for money". Because the Tao family has a hidden identity in Fushuifang, Tao Wenhai has long been involved in Beiliang, especially Youyu. Tao Wenhai's curiosity about Xu Fengnian was richer and deeper than that of the ordinary descendants of the rich families in Beiliang in the transmission of state military intelligence.
Xu Fengnian withdrew his thoughts and said calmly: "I'm sorry."
The woman smiled sweetly.
Xu Fengnian took a deep sip of ginger tea, put down the teacup, and said in a deep voice: "According to the information Chu Lushan dug from the Southern Dynasty, Empress Bei Mang asked Li Mibi to arrange a plan for the assassins before the soldiers and horses move. The forces in the rivers and lakes are divided into two parts. Most of the top masters and all the low-level warriors have entered the army to serve, while the middle-level masters are assigned to Li Mibi, the chief spy of Northern Mang, to assassinate our border army generals and territory in Beiliang with precision. Civil servants, they will not go to the Beiliang Dufu Mansion where Chu Lushan is located to seek their own death, but a solid official like Tao Wenhai who is indispensable to Beiliang and relatively lacks personal guards is the best choice for Beiliang dead soldiers. Assassinate the target."
Xu Fengnian stretched out his fingers and gently turned the teacup, "The borders to the north of Liangzhou are all cities and military towns, with a great depth, it is difficult for the opponent to find opportunities, and Youzhou is much more complicated. Big and small Wubao beacon towers, but the original intention is mainly to block the rapid advance of the Beimang army. It is powerless to deal with these secret stealthy cobweb dead soldiers and Jianghu masters. Even General Yan Wenluan and General Youzhou Huangfu Scale Sixteen elite rangers of about 500 people have been sent to hunt fish that escaped the net on the border. I believe it is still very difficult to be effective. The real battlefield in the direction of Youzhou will still take place in the territory, so Wutongyuan and Fushuifang The peregrine falcons should mainly focus on border counties like Rouge County. But even though all the peregrine falcons have already dispatched their nests, when it comes to real calculations, they are bound to be in a hurry."
Tao Wenhai glanced lightly at his father Tao Jinzao, who nodded, and then Tao Wenhai said: "My lord, what I am most worried about now is that Bei Mang will break up the team after entering the country. Each team has one or Leading by several top masters, even if our side has the secret protection of the peregrine falcons, sending a message at the cost of their lives before death, the dead near our side will rush to the battlefield immediately after hearing the news, fearing that the opponent We hid our strength in the previous raids and kills. In fact, we had no intention of withdrawing after a successful blow. At that time, we may suffer a second round of heavy casualties. When we regain our senses, we have to gather a few major forces to intercept , Maybe the rest of the enemy's cutting-edge forces have started to attack quietly again, and we will naturally lose sight of the other."
Having said that, Tao Wenhai hesitated to speak, obviously hesitant. Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "It's okay to be straightforward."
Tao Wenhai said straight to the point: "After all, we Beiliang is only a sparsely populated corner of the country. This kind of war that consumes the power of masters is not dominant. Especially Beimang Daozong, Qijian Yuefu, Gongzhufen and Tibingshan The four major forces have already sent elites to join them, and many long-established Beimang demon heroes have also been urged by Li Mibi. Our side is definitely at an absolute disadvantage in the number of second-rank and third-rank martial arts masters, but it is precisely this kind of characters. In the contest of assassination and anti-assassination, it can produce the most decisive effect. Our large number of light cavalry rangers are difficult to play. To put it bluntly, they may be led by the nose from beginning to end, and they may not even grab their clothes. live."
Xu Fengnian nodded and said: "Actually, there are five first-grade masters with clear identities in Beimang, namely the Elder Zhanglu of Daodezong, Da Yuefu of Chess and Sword Yuefu, Xiao Niandou of Gongzhufen, and two others on the list. He is a well-known devil, so His Majesty the Emperor has dug out the whole history of Beimang Jianghu this time, and our Youzhou is the first touchstone for that old lady to rectify the Jianghu."
The father and son Tao Wenhai and Tao Jinzao looked at each other, and they both saw the deep worry in each other's eyes.
Xu Fengnian smiled and said: "Of course, the good news is that except for that 'half-faced makeup' Xiao Niantou, the rest are only at the Diamond Realm and the Zhixuan Realm. Besides, most of the second-rank junior masters are Chess Sword Yuefu, and the realm of such masters is not low. , but when it comes to fighting for life and death, it may not be comparable to the third-rank martial arts in Beiliang."
Tao Wenhai smiled wryly and was speechless. The enemy is so strong and difficult to fight anyway, which doesn't seem like good news to be thankful for.
In the corner, the woman sitting on her knees slowly stirred the incense ash evenly, cut the agarwood into small pieces, and the burning of charcoal and incense was full of appropriate graceful beauty. Because the conversation tonight would definitely not be short, her actions were not rushed.
Tao Wenhai said cautiously: "My lord, I have the audacity to propose..."
Xu Fengnian quickly said: "You want the Wu family to come to Youzhou to fight the fire with a hundred horses and a hundred swords?"
Tao Wenhai nodded in embarrassment.
Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, "The swordsmen of the Wu family have to stay at Chu Lu Mountain to prevent accidents, and they can't move yet."
Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai knew that the long-browed, one-armed old man next to the King of Beiliang was a famous swordsman who became famous in the battle in Liangzhou City, but of course they didn't think that such a master would leave the side of the King of Beiliang. No matter how poor their eyesight is, their father and son can see that the King of Beiliang is "weird" at the moment, as if they only won a tragic victory after the war, and if unfortunately they guess correctly, then the old sword fairy can't do it without authorization. left. In fact, Xu Fengnian had Tantai Tranquility by his side, and he hoped that Sui Xiegu could help, but the old man didn't take the situation in Youzhou seriously at all, and he was so disrespectful, saying where was Tantai Tranquility? He was right there, and the two of them together were over two hundred years old. In Sui Xiegu's words, "How many times can we still look at each other now? Of course, we can look at each other more."
But of course Xu Fengnian would not stand still and let the forces of Beimang show off their power in Youzhou. In addition to the mobilization of Fushuifang in Wutongyuan and the masters of Chaoge Pavilion, he also let Mi Fengjie, the master of Shenjian Grotto in Zhixuan Realm, come to Youzhou Zhou, in cooperation with Fan Xiaochai, who was once the granddaughter of Fan Baoshan, the great general of Zhenguo in the old Northern Han Dynasty. The second-rank junior master of Jian Yuefu, even one against two, can still win. With her deformed stubborn character, she might be able to perish if she faces three. In addition, the Qi trainers of the Guanyin Sect have already quietly rushed to Youzhou, and they will not directly get involved in this muddy water, but they will try their best to keep an eye on those first-rank masters who are "flash in the pan" during the war, and will pass on the military information to the nearby Peregrine Eagles, So that Youzhou can be targeted.
This war must be a series of bloody battles consisting of many small-scale contact battles. Once the two sides meet, they are destined to die or be injured. .
Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai only guessed that the King of Beiliang was seriously injured, but Li Mibi of Beimang knew it clearly, so the existence of Sui Xiegu would be a point that Beimang needed to focus on. In Xu Fengnian's opinion, apart from that Princess Grave's Xiao Nian Tou will see Sui Xiegu as the backhand of the imaginary enemy, and there should be a top master who hides deeper. Of course, the "top" in Xu Fengnian's eyes is naturally not on the same line as Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai.
Xu Fengnian asked: "Is there a more detailed map of the situation in Youzhou?"
Tao Wenhai hurriedly got up and went to the study to get the pictures, and brought back a large stack, including maps of the territory of Youzhou, as well as maps of counties and counties. Four or five pieces are placed separately. Not everyone dares to hide these things privately. Once the government finds out, they will definitely be caught and eaten in prison. Xu Fengnian stood up, and Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai also got up quickly. Xu Fengnian asked in detail about the distribution of the dead in various counties and counties of Youzhou, thinking of checking for omissions and filling in the gaps. The three of them would naturally talk about the topography of various counties and counties by chance. Tao Wenhai was surprised to find that the vassal king knew the geography that many locals in Yanzhi County couldn't explain clearly. , even those military generals whose ranks are less than six or seven ranks are clear about their resumes and military personalities. Tao Wenhai inevitably suspects that he, a small county captain, cannot escape the eyes of his eyes. The young feudal lord left a bad impression.
The three of them chatted for a full two hours. Apart from adding incense, tea and candles, the young woman just sat in the corner with her knees bent.
Her name is Tao Tanxiang, and she didn't show courteousness so gracefully for the King of Beiliang. In fact, she began to pay attention to Xu Fengnian very early, when he was just the notorious and idiot His Royal Highness. Tao Tanxiang's father, Tao Xuanlong, paid a lot of money to buy a famous painting from the Prince's Mansion in Beiliang. In the end, I was dumbfounded. Is there such a reckless bastard in the world? These famous paintings, which celebrities and refined scholars would look at with a pilgrimage mentality every time they open the book, will definitely be passed down from generation to generation. As long as they are well preserved, they may be put on desks for viewing and appreciation after five hundred or even thousand years. Aren't you afraid of being notorious for thousands of years because of those two words? Later, she became a little angry, and asked her father to spare no expense to buy back any calligraphy and paintings that were stamped by His Royal Highness. "Youdao" Yanzhi County prefect Hong Dongdong has blue eyes and thinks that this person is a man who can be made, especially when His Royal Highness becomes the Queen of Beiliang, Tao Xuanlong has once again been promoted exceptionally. Over time, Tao Tanxiang collected no less than 30 paintings and calligraphy with Xu Fengnian's stamp on them intermittently, not all of them are fakes. For example, Xu Fengnian's one is privately praised by collectors in the capital as the witty "quick chapters", and the other is concise and vivid. The rough phoenix-shaped seal and the mother-child seal on the "Loquat" are even more memorable.
So Tao Tanxiang gradually felt that he had known this man for a long time.
She knew all the news he had received from the Liyang rivers and lakes, from the imperial court in the capital, and from the official circles in Beiliang over the years.
She put her hands on her knees lightly, raised her head and stared at the man who had never been a little bit domineering. Every time he frowned, every time he smiled warmly, she took it into her eyes carefully, as if collecting Same treasure.
After another hour, Xu Fengnian smiled and asked the elderly Tao Jinzao to go to bed first, and continued to chat with Tao Wenhai by lighting the lamp. The topic was also wider, not limited to Youzhou or even Beiliang, but including Liyang and Beimang The government and military of the two dynasties, the local customs of the two dynasties. The head of the Tao family walked up to his granddaughter Tao Tanxiang when he was leaving, and asked her to cook tea and prepare some pastries for dinner. So after moving to the small couch by the window to chat, she sat on the seat between the King of Beiliang and her uncle Tao Wenhai, which seemed like a three-legged stand.
When the sky turned pale, Tao Wenhai, who was in good spirits and didn't feel sleepy at all, got up and said goodbye. He asked the king of Beiliang to allow Tao Tanxiang to wander casually with him in the Tao family mansion. Xu Fengnian nodded and agreed with a smile.
The two of them walked towards the Tao Family Bookstore for a walk. There was a distance of two shoulders between them from beginning to end, without any sense of distance.
Xu Fengnian apologized: "Miss Tao has worked hard."
She shook her head and said with a smile: "It's not hard work, but my grandfather may be a little disappointed, but I am not disappointed, I am very content."
Xu Fengnian smiled knowingly, and said bluntly: "You don't have to worry about getting married. Nowadays, there are a lot of handsome scholars who go to Liang to be officials, and there are quite a few of them with excellent character, talent and learning."
Tao Tanxiang hummed, approached the attic, and said: "Book collections in the world value edition and full rank. For example, there is a saying that a page of a hundred taels of silver is worth a thousand pieces of gold for a well-engraved Fengban book, but our library does not Picking this, my grandfather felt that nothing is as important as the words of the sages in the book. Instead of spending a thousand taels of silver to buy a set of Fengban, it is better to buy a hundred sets of ordinary books, so the number of books in this library is not as large as those in the Central Plains. There are fewer buildings, and if there are scholars who come to borrow books to read, they will be unimpeded."
Xu Fengnian nodded and said: "I heard that your Tao family will take full responsibility for the food and accommodation of those poor students, which is very rare. The style of studying abroad in Beiliang is far inferior to that in the Central Plains, but because of your Tao family in Yanzhi County, Don't lose to Jiangnan."
Tao Tanxiang said softly: "My father said that a prosperous and prosperous family is like a person with full skin, but if the yang energy is too strong and not adjusted, it will definitely hurt the internal organs one day, so our Tao family year Year after year of disaster relief, borrowing books, and being kind to neighbors are all necessary medical treatment, and the treatment cannot wait until the disease is terminally ill to make up for it.”
Xu Fengnian jokingly said: "Based on these words, your father can be a more than adequate county sheriff."
Xu Fengnian walked towards the gate of the Tao family mansion, and when he crossed the threshold, he said to Tao Tanxiang, "You go back first, it hurts women to stay up late, and I have to go to the archway to wait for someone."
She squinted her eyes and smiled brightly, and said playfully, "It's okay, I really want to know who in the world can make the King of Beiliang wait."
Xu Fengnian laughed it off.
The two stood under an archway.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, a carriage and a team of more than a hundred white horse Yicong finally appeared in the distance at the end of the field of vision.
Tao Tanxiang turned her head, just in time to see him smiling.
She saw him walking quickly to meet him, but she didn't follow up, and stood there watching his receding back.
The carriage and the cavalry stopped neatly, and Tao Tanxiang saw a young woman with an invisible face stepping down from the carriage.
Xu Fengnian looked at the woman who came all the way from Liangzhou Palace, and asked softly, "Is it cold?"
She shook her head.
A certain rider who came with Bai Ma Yicong did not get off the horse suspiciously, but nodded after meeting Xu Fengnian's eyes, then turned the horse's head and rode away.
The knight had neither a sword nor a crossbow.
There is only one heavy iron gun.
But there is a shot at this ride.
The whole Youzhou will not be in chaos.
Xu Fengnian asked Baima Yicong for a war horse, first put her on the horse, then got on the horse himself, and the two of them rode with her in their arms.
Xu Fengnian apologized: "I promised you before that I would see all the scenery in Beiliang."
She leaned in his warm embrace and didn't speak.
Xu Fengnian clamped his horse's belly and galloped along the road that Baima Yi came from.
Except for the two of them riding together, there was no one around. With a radiant face, she raised her hands to her mouth and said with a childish smile: "Xu Fengnian took Lu Chengyan's white horse to Beiliang!"
The white horse goes to Beiliang.
A thousand miles of wind!