This winter, the price of hot charcoal in Yejing is so high that the people of Yejing are stunned. However, Yejing was full of wealthy people, and each family was not visible on weekdays, but at this time, only a little clue was revealed.
While the rich wine and meat smell, the road with frozen bone. It is most appropriate to describe today's Yejing.
Ordinary people are still struggling to survive the harsh winter, but rich people are vying for a hundred taels of silver and a pound of charcoal. Even because hot coal is hard to find, many mansions bought enough hot coal first, and they also held red fire banquets to enjoy snow and plums.
The Red Fire Banquet, as the name suggests, is when rich and noble families surround the gardens of their mansions with thick cloth, and place many heaters in the gardens. When the snow does not melt in the garden, the plum blossoms are in full bloom. Guests sit around the fireplace, cook wine and enjoy the snow, in order to show their financial resources.
An Changqing looked at the numbers on the ledger and sighed: "It's really a drought, a drought, and a flood."
The new shop has only opened for more than ten days, and the 15,000 catties of charcoal that have been hoarded have been sold short. On the contrary, there are more and more people in the porridge sheds outside the city, not only the poor people, but even some poor students who go to Beijing to prepare for the exams, who can't bear the hunger and cold, and go to the porridge sheds in groups of three or five to get porridge.
Zhou Helan saw it a lot, and said lightly: "It has been like this since ancient times. The rich have stinky wine and meat, and the poor have no surplus food."
An Changqing sighed: "I really hope that spring will start earlier."
He has done his best to build porridge sheds and distribute winter clothes, so as to give these people more life. But manpower is limited after all, even so, there are still many people who can't stand it, and silently freeze to death in the cold night. And Ye Jing's situation is pretty good now. I heard that Suzhou, Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Yanzhou, and Chenzhou, which are further north, are more affected by the cold winter this time. Because the weather is so cold, many people have been frozen to death.
Listening to Xiao Zhige, the local booklets were sent one after another and piled up in the hands of Prime Minister An Zhike, but Emperor Anqing didn't even look at it, and just sent people to look for the whereabouts of the mad Taoist. An Xiangguo has always figured out what he likes, and after that, whenever there is a similar case, he will suppress it.
Even Xiao Zhige, who was in Yejing and asked less about court affairs, had already received several urgent reports from Yanzhou.
Yanzhou is located in the north of Daye, bordering Beimo, and it is the first pass to defend Daye. In such a cold winter, the Yanzhou military and civilians who are accustomed to the cold can still endure it, but it is even more difficult to deal with the Beidi people who lack clothing and food and are marching south.
Bei Di has a strong physique, is good at riding and archery, and has always lived by water. Whenever there is not enough food in winter, the elites of the whole clan will be sent south to burn, kill, and loot, so as to grab enough supplies for the winter.
Every winter, it is a tough battle for the three states in northern Ye.
This year, due to the approaching of the Queen Mother's 60th birthday, Xiao Zhige was recalled to Yejing early, and Yanzhou only had a lieutenant in charge. This was the best opportunity for the Beidi people who hated and feared Xiao Zhige very much.
After An Changqing finished reading the account, when he came back from the shop, the light in the study was still on. Squinting to look over, I saw a blurry figure standing by the window. When he got closer, he realized that it was Xiao Zhige standing with his hands behind his back.
An Changqing pushed open the door and went in, only then did Xiao Zhige turn around, seeing the snow falling on his shoulders, frowning and brushing it off for him,
"Wang Fugui said that the lord hasn't had dinner yet?" An Changqing knew that he must have encountered something troublesome when he saw that the wrinkles between his brows deepened.
"Yeah." Xiao Zhige didn't want him to worry, he just said, "I don't have any appetite at night,"
"I just didn't eat, so please accompany me to eat some." An Changqing smiled.
Xiao Zhige obviously had no appetite, but after hesitating for a while, he nodded. An Changqing asked An Fu to pass the meal. It was freezing cold outside, and the two of them didn't stick to the rules.
An Changqing held a bowl of chicken soup and blew lightly, drinking a small half bowl to warm his stomach. Seeing that he didn't know how to eat, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Is there something wrong with Yanzhou?"
"Yeah." Xiao Zhige didn't want to worry him, but after thinking about it, if he really wanted to go to Yanzhou, he couldn't hide it, so he could only say: "Beidi people have long held a grudge against me, and now they know that I am not in Yanzhou, Just in time to meet Yidong again, we have gathered all Beidi soldiers and prepared to attack Yanzhou by storm."
The three prefectures in the north of Ye, Yanzhou in the middle, Liangzhou and Chenzhou guarding the two sides respectively, the three prefectures connected into a line of defense. Now both Liangzhou and Chenzhou leaders are there, only Yanzhou has no leader. Although there is a lieutenant in charge, and his iron cavalry army, but now there is still a censor of the prince's party who is holding back. If the Beidi people concentrated all their forces to attack, they might not be able to defend against internal and external troubles.
Moreover, in such a cold winter, Liangzhou and Chenzhou are too busy to take care of themselves, and they must not be able to come to the rescue. Once the Beidi people are allowed to break through the city, not only the people of Yanzhou will suffer, but his many years of business operations will be destroyed, and the Anqing Emperor will also be held accountable for this.
None of this is the result he wants to see.
An Changqing lowered her eyes, she already knew in her heart, "Your Highness is going to Yanzhou?"
Xiao Zhige said, "I have to go."
After saying this, his clenched palm loosened a little and looked at him apologetically.
An Changqing was not as dissatisfied as he thought, but asked with a restrained expression, "When will you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, I will enter the palace to ask for orders, and I will leave the day after tomorrow at the latest."
An Changqing lowered her eyes, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Can I go together?"
Xiao Zhige shook his head: "The situation in Yanzhou is urgent, so you can rush to it day and night, you can't go."
"I understand." An Changqing nodded and said nothing more: "Then let me pack for the prince."
That night, the two still slept together as usual. After learning that Xiao Zhige was going to Yanzhou, An Changqing never showed any emotion from the beginning to the end, only when it was time to sleep, tightly clinging to his body revealed a trace of reluctance.
Although he closed his eyes, An Changqing did not fall asleep. He struggled to recall the events of his previous life. But I found that the memory of this time was too vague. At this time in the last life, Xiao Zhige also went to Yanzhou. But he didn't know how to fight the enemy in the process and whether he was in danger. At that time, he cared too little for Xiao Zhige. He only knew from the few words of his servants that the battle was difficult, but he still won in the end.
But that war was just the beginning. The Great Ye Jiangshan, which was handed down from Tai. Ancestor, was in the hands of Emperor Anqing, and now there is only an empty shell left. Internal and external troubles are concealed under the false prosperity that is deliberately maintained. A snow disaster, became the beginning of the end of prosperity.
Shortly after the snow disaster, it was the Queen Mother's 60th birthday. In order to pray for the Queen Mother's blessing, Emperor Anqing added taxes and corvee labor, and built 99 pagodas. After the snow disaster, the people in the north who had not recovered from the snow disaster were once again oppressed, and finally some people were overwhelmed and rose up. Since then it has been a cycle of uprisings and repression.
There are constant internal worries and constant external troubles. Since then, Xiao Zhige has been in Yanzhou for three years, until Emperor Anqing suddenly fell ill and ordered him to return to Beijing, and he returned to Yejing again.
In Xiao Zhige's eyes, this may be just a small farewell, but An Changqing's heart is full of reluctance. The two have fallen asleep together every day since they got married and have never been separated. Now that he suddenly mentioned the separation, he finally realized that the man sleeping beside him had quietly merged into his life.
"The Guard is Here"
Just thinking about the days when there was no such person to warm hands and feet after parting, I felt that there was a piece of emptiness in my heart.
He curled up more and more nostalgically, and pressed against Xiao Zhige tightly. The man seemed to sense his unease, embraced him, and gently stroked his back with a strong palm.
After a long silence, An Changqing whispered willfully: "I also want to go to Yanzhou."
Xiao Zhige paused for a moment, but his heart was hot: "Yanzhou is cold, remote and barren, and it is always infested by Beidi people. I can't live a stable life for a few days a year. There are not many servants in the general's house. , not as good as Ye Jing."
An Changqing pressed his forehead against his chest, and said in a muffled voice, "But Ye Jing doesn't have you."
"The Queen Mother's birthday is not over, I will come back when the war in Yanzhou subsides." Xiao Zhige could only say that.
An Changqing struggled out of his arms, bowed his head and looked at him: "This is what you said. You will come back on the Queen Mother's birthday. Otherwise... or I will go to Yanzhou to find you."
Xiao Zhige just thought he was angry, hugged him again, and tucked the quilt behind him, and said helplessly: "Okay."
An Changqing snuggled into his arms again. After a long time, he added in a low voice, "I will follow the recipe you gave me. When you come back... we will complete the house."
Xiao Zhige's body tensed, and after a while, he responded in a hoarse voice.
***
Early the next morning, Xiao Zhige really went to the palace to face the saint, saying that the situation in Yanzhou was in critical condition, and please order to return to Yanzhou to fight against Bei Di.
Emperor Anqing's expression was unclear, but the crown prince was the first to object: "Yanzhou has lieutenants in charge and 80,000 soldiers, so can't they be no match for the mere northern barbarians? Besides, the 60th birthday of the emperor's grandmother is approaching, and filial piety is the first... I want to say two. Brother, you really don't have to be so anxious."
Although Emperor Anqing did not speak, his expression was quite agreeable. This second son held the military power of Yanzhou for many years and made Yanzhou like an iron barrel. Although I can't see any dissent at the moment, it makes people feel uneasy. This time, he was called back to Beijing on the basis of the Queen Mother's birthday. Just to take advantage of his absence, to put people in Yanzhou.
Although Emperor Anqing also counted on this son to guard the border for him, but it would be impossible if he were not guarded.
Xiao Zhige looked at the prince coldly with his eyes like a knife: "I don't have to go back, but if the city breaks down, will the emperor take responsibility for me, the city guard? May I pay for the lives of the people of Yanzhou who were trampled by the Beidi people. ?"
"Yanzhou is the first line of defense at the border. Once the city of Yanzhou is broken, and Chenzhou in Liangzhou and Chenzhou can't come to the rescue, the Beidi people can drive straight in, march south to Suzhou, and then approach Yejing. Yejing is safe, and the emperor's brother may be responsible for it. Down?"
The prince was speechless by what he said. He was not good at marching and fighting, so he had no confidence: "Why is the situation so urgent with the second brother. Even if the city of Yanzhou is broken, there is no Suzhou behind it? Shentu? Could it be that Xu can’t hold it anymore? Could it be that I, the Great Ye generals, are so incompetent that even the mere northern barbarians can’t match?”
Xiao Zhige sneered: "Why don't the emperor go and ask the old general Shentu, can he defend or not?"
"Enough!" Emperor Anqing interrupted the argument between the two with a calm expression, his expression changed for a while, but he was still afraid that the Beidi people would really break Yanzhou City. The prince had never been on the battlefield at a young age, but he once followed the previous emperor on the battlefield. The ferocity and arrogance of the Beidi people is indeed terrifying.
Three ordinary soldiers may not be able to beat a Beidi cavalry. Otherwise, the mere Beidi would not have been a worry for Daye for many years. For so many years, Da Ye has only been Xiao Zhige, and he was more vicious than the Beidi people, which made them cold.
Emperor Anqing pondered for a while, then finally waved his hand and said, "Forget it, you can go now. This battle can only be won, not lost!"
"Yes." Xiao Zhige knelt down to give the decree, then got up and went out of the city to order troops in the wind and snow.
The author has something to say: Cowardly: Well, if you come back, you will be able to consummate the house (anxiously happy
———
Waiting for a long time, I went out today, I just finished writing, and sent 99 red envelopes.
I'm going to open a new map~ Has anyone poured a nutrient solution on the poor soon-to-be expedition
Thank you to the little angel who voted for the king or irrigated the nutrient solution for me~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the [hand grenade]: 27586380 2; 27702636, Caicai, sugar cube 1;
Thank you to the little angels who voted [Landmine]: Silent Reading, Ziyue Pavilion Master, Chunyou, Gu Lingzimu, Unparalleled Fairy. , A Shui, Yan Kui, Liu Feng 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!