Changes in the sky
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 152: Secret Chamber
Everyone was in an uproar, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. All kinds of looks came at me, and even Sister Qi was a little overwhelmed. She looked at me with an anxious and inquiring look. Not only her, but all kinds of looks were cast at me. Some of those who were originally looking at Sister Qi seemed to notice that "he" was looking at me, and they all looked at me.
"Who is the deceased?" It's time for me to step out.
"You...you..." This answer is really strange.
"Brother Gang, are you kidding? Am I not here?" Although he was worried, he still smiled.
"Marquis of Ping An Feng Yun?"
"I'm here. The one who died couldn't be me. Oh, it turns out that Brother Gang recognized me." I also suddenly realized.
The crowd was even more shocked, and all looked at me.
I quickly stood up and bowed to the leader. "I came out to play with my sister today. I didn't want to show my face. I have been hiding my identity to thank Brother Gang for his kindness. I am sorry to bother you. But I want to ask, who in my house died?"
I noticed that the people around me were looking behind me again, and there was a lot of discussion, and Yuan Gang had to control the noise.
"Oh, I don't know who it is, and neither do they. They just have this thing with them. I'm afraid we'll have to send someone to check it out tomorrow. It's said that the eyes have been gouged out, and it looks very scary." There was a voice of surprise from the side.
Suddenly, a clear cry of surprise and fear came from Sister Qi behind me.
She was pouring wine from a wineskin, but the wine was red.
She stopped and was about to pick up the wine bag when she saw a round object fall into the wine cup.
Yiren's face turned pale for a moment and she turned her back.
Everyone's eyes were on the wine cup. Some who were brave enough covered their eyes, while others who were bold enough walked forward to watch.
There were still people there after we left!
"Someone did this evil thing on purpose. The people who were killed were either from my family or they wanted to frame someone from my family." I paused. "They killed someone and took out his eyes and threw them into a water bag, and then abandoned the water bag in the forest. If it wasn't to show off to me, then it was a frame-up. If someone from my family did it, why would they leave an item with my family's mark in the forest?"
"Also, how did you find this at night?" I found another water bag, how could they find it
"Just now, a sentry on patrol heard someone screaming in the forest, so he took a torch to check. When he found out, the person was already dead, with his neck strangled by a tree and his hands covering his eyes. He had this thing next to him."
"We won't be here by then."
Suddenly someone came to report that Duke Wei had arrived.
This matter has obviously become a big deal, and it happened so quickly, so it may be more than just a big deal.
Brother Meng De had a solemn expression on his face, and with a dozen of his followers behind him, he strode forward with his head held high without taking off his shoes. Sister Qi stood up, and at first wanted to hide behind me, but after a moment's thought, she came forward and bowed gracefully like a wife.
Meng De was a little confused for a moment. After a careful identification, he immediately returned the greeting with a solemn expression and said: "Madam, so you are here. Is my dear brother Zirui here?"
I immediately stepped forward and greeted Brother Meng De. Meng De briefly greeted Young Master Yuan and the others, but turned around and pulled me out, and took another water bag from someone behind him.
"It seems that my dear brother already knows about the matter? After the incident, two guards patrolling the city followed the servants of Yuan Mansion to Yuan Gong’s mansion. When they found the body, they came over to inquire. I wondered who it was and followed them to see. It turned out to be Zirui and my wife. I am on duty today. Someone just informed me of this matter urgently. This matter is a bit tricky at this time. And I found this on the road when I came here, and on it is the emblem of me when I was Marquis of Gaoling. Because it is not far from the woods, it should have been done on purpose." I was really embarrassed to explain the facts in detail.
I immediately turned around and picked up the water bag from Sister Qi's table. After a little hesitation, I still brought the wine cup over.
"My brother has been framed, I wonder who did it?" Brother Mengde and I both have a lot of enemies. Brother Mengde is a member of the group of eunuchs who are under Shichang, and a member of He Jin's group. I am from the Dong family, and Shichang is a member of the group of eunuchs who are under Shichang. Since the original plan was to harm Mengde, but I accidentally replaced him, that person didn't care and did the same thing, so he must be a member of the eunuchs' group.
"I don't know either. The dead one was one of my former colonels. Later, he was seriously injured and stayed in Luoyang. After he recovered from his injury, he was promoted to a Yulin Lang because he was young. He should have gone to the palace with me to kill the eunuchs that year. I'm afraid his death is related to this matter." Meng De frowned as he spoke.
I thought to myself, "As expected. I was originally trying to harm you, but I ended up killing you."
"However, the thief's actions were too blatant, and the frame-up was quite neat. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this matter has nothing to do with you and me. If it was just a lost water bag, who could have been careless? But the lost water bags of two enemies were used to frame the person, and when the news spread to ordinary taverns and schools, no one would believe that this matter had anything to do with us." Meng De still frowned, "Besides, you just came to Luoyang, and you were just meeting the emperor. How could such a thing be arranged as soon as you arrived? It is really puzzling that they framed you. My patrols have already gone to look for him. According to the data, the murderer cannot escape from this area of 50 miles." Suddenly, Brother Meng De felt relieved and even smiled.
Meng De went to apologize to Yuan Gang again, and I followed suit and said some soft words, then left with Meng De and Sister Qi.
This matter will be offered to Taiyi God tomorrow (a custom during the Han Dynasty, author's note), so it is not appropriate to announce it to the world. Even if he is arrested, he should be interrogated first, and it is not appropriate to report it to Your Majesty. Meng De said so, and I nodded. Suddenly he said, I can't go again. Meng De asked, don't you have a wife? Even if your wife is not here, you can still participate in the public sacrifice. The answer was: I haven't fasted for a day these days. Meng De laughed.
"Tomorrow night we will enjoy the lanterns. Sister, you can go with Brother Meng De. In a few days, I heard that the emperor plans to visit Shanglin Garden. I wonder if this will happen." I noticed that my sister was silent after coming out. In order to avoid awkwardness, I brought up this matter, but in order to avoid it being too obvious, I also brought up the latter matter, which might show my playful nature.
"Well, it's scheduled for the 18th. The emperor will come with many people, and it will be more convenient for all parties to meet at Shanglin Garden. We may have to go earlier. Brother Zirui, you can go on the 16th to relax, go hunting, and inspect. The general of the cavalry will receive the imperial edict and go with you. The emperor and the empress also have this idea. What do you think?"
My head is just as what you said.
Nothing else happened along the way, except that I deliberately felt a little anxious and ran away early, leaving the two of them behind, and they said some words that I shouldn't have heard.
Actually, I wanted to go and see the body, but I thought about it and didn't want to have nightmares at night. It was mainly Brother Meng De who was in charge of this matter. If I intervened, it would be inappropriate and difficult. I thought that I really didn't have any talent in judging cases, so I gave up the idea and went straight back to my father's apartment.
My father and mother were waiting for me, so I told them the whole story, leaving out the woods and what happened next.
My father shook his head and said that I was too stubborn and Qi'er was too naughty.
Mother frowned but wondered how Meng De could find us. Could it be that he had ordered someone to follow us
My father seemed to realize something and asked my mother to go and rest first, but asked me to follow him to the back room. My mother asked what the mystery was, and my father smiled and said it was a military and national affair and told my mother not to interfere.
My mother was a little reluctant to leave, so she helped me tidy up the clothes that were wrinkled from riding, and told me to go to bed early after discussing with my father.
This is a secret room at the back, with several doors leading in and out. My father and I entered one and bolted the door, until we reached the last room, which had no windows around it. When we got to this room, my father said that this was where he usually discussed matters with Meng De and others.
The next sentence really scared me, "Did something happen tonight?"
I immediately recounted everything that had happened in the woods, but I was just thirsty, so Sister Qi threw the water bag to me, but it didn't hit me, so I knocked it down.
However, my father’s reaction shocked me even more: “If I had known this would happen, you should not have been involved in this matter. Just leave it to Meng De.”
I felt a little strange that the matter was let go, but since my father asked me to let go of this burden, I felt better. So my mood quickly drifted back to this house from the forest.
The room was very small, with only a map of the world on the wall and a few scattered cushions on the floor. The map had been changed into divided territories, and even the bottom one was marked with a "thank you" on the back. But other than that, there was nothing unusual. Just as I was about to sit down, I found that my father motioned for me to help lift a mat on the floor, pushed aside a layer of wood, and suddenly there was a ladder leading down.
There is actually a 400-foot-square ground below! The bottom is 40 feet high, and there are many wooden pillars in the middle to support it. Although it is located underground, it is wide, but it is not stuffy, and there may be an outlet to the surface. There are many altars with long-burning lamps inside, which are very bright.
I thought this was where my father discussed confidential matters with others, but I didn't expect it to be so big.
"I never imagined such a scene." My mouth was open all the time. I just said a word when I landed on the ground. I looked up and saw a very wide screen in front of the ladder. It looked the same as the one hanging above. It was a map of the world, but it was not divided into the feudal states like above. Instead, it was divided into the states, counties and districts of my Han Dynasty.
“This is what a big man like me should look like.” My father stood beside me with his arms hunched. Suddenly, he seemed much taller, but his belly was more protruding.
My father noticed that I was looking at him with a lack of respect and kindness, so he punched me in the stomach and shouted with a smile, "What is there to look at? No, you will be like this when you are older."
The fist was not heavy to begin with, and he saw through my bad intentions, so I could only smile foolishly. I asked my father casually if he had any water to drink, as I was thirsty after running all the way back.
The father pointed to the corner of the wall and saw a table with a kettle and some cups on a large round plate. "A few days ago, your teacher and Meng De came to discuss this. If you don't mind it being old, drink it. Haha, otherwise, you can go out again. Dad is too lazy to run. But don't let others bring it to you. Bring it yourself, and don't let others come near. This is where I discuss things with others. Only your teacher, Meng De, Zi Yu and now you know about it. If other people come to discuss things, they have never come in. At most, they chat with others in the hall above."
I just hummed, I was too lazy to run, if we were father and son, this laziness would be inherited. Then I took two steps at a time, picked up the kettle, and there was still most of it, I was too lazy to use a cup, so I poured it directly into my throat. I had dipped the meat in sauce a little too much, and my throat was very dry, so I ignored the comments behind me: My heart was choking, such an adult, and a marquis, but he looked like a bandit.
Of course, after drinking, I turned around with a silly smile, and my father also looked at me and smiled, not at all as serious as in the court. My father didn't say much, turned around the screen, and motioned for me to follow.
I know what is behind this screen. I have also piled it on the land of Mingzi. However, it is more delicate and the scope is much larger than mine. Rice is the land, fine sand is the water, and stone is the city. The world is divided into six parts by wooden boards: one for Qingxu, Jiyu, Yan, one for Sili, Liangbing, one for Jingyi and the western part of Jiao, one for Yangzhou and Jiaozhou, and one for the Western Regions Protectorate. The last part is the more delicate Zhao State of my father.
My father said nothing and just let me watch with great interest. I looked at my father's Zhao State and excitedly pointed to the newly acquired land in Heshuo and asked, "Does this place have a name? I was in Jiaozhou and only knew that it was taken, but I didn't know what happened to it."
"Well, the emperor gave it a name called Shuowei County. At that time, the emperor was very happy. As long as there was Shuowei, Sili would never be invaded by the Xianbei. Also, if anyone can take..." My father led me back to the Sili Liangbing area and drew a line on the rice pile between Juyan Lake (north of Liangzhou) and Shuofang with his hand, "Take this piece back and name it Wuyu County. Also, announce to me, my nephew, and the Earl of Dongliang and the Earl of Xiliang that whoever conquers it will own it, no matter how much is conquered. In fact, if you were still in Sili, I would have asked for permission to let you lead the fight." But I thought to myself, fortunately I was not in Sili, otherwise, I would either let my father down or the fourth brother down.
"This new county has just been established with great difficulty. I wonder who my father will appoint as the prefect?" I acted very interested and changed the subject.
"Being a county governor is very hard. You need someone who can command wars and know how to govern government affairs." My father paused and said, "But you do know Yang Shuo, do you know him?" My father laughed.
"You've even brought Brother Hongwei here... Dad, my teacher didn't complain about you? How many more people have you poached from Jingzhou?"
"Your teacher took the initiative to recommend him. Let him go so that he won't waste his talent. He doesn't need so many talents for the time being." My father smiled and said, "But your teacher is very capable. I admire him very much. What's rare and precious is that he cares about his students and always hopes that his students can achieve something. He doesn't have any selfish motives and doesn't think about getting any benefits from me. Do you want someone... The Zhou Xin whom you recruited in Wu is here too. My men now admire your teacher very much. As for my father himself, although he likes to make friends, he is not the kind of person who likes to bribe people. Apart from Wen Yuan and Cheng Yuanzhi, I don’t have any outsiders who are worth mentioning; and I can’t be like your teacher, who can teach some talents himself even though he doesn’t have many contacts. Among these people, there is actually my own son, haha. Most of his strategies when he met the emperor were planned by his students, and many of his insights are really eye-opening! The leading counselor in Jingzhou is Zishe, the virtuous son-in-law of Lord Sikong. "I cannot agree with this. It is true that this man is a son-in-law, but I dare not say that to him. It is annoying. "After I became the Duke of Zhao, many people from our clan came from all over the place at my request, and there are still quite a few Able people. I want to fight and make things happen directly. Don't be ruthless and disregard the feelings of my clansmen. I will use them if they can be used, and not use them if they can't be used. That's why I selected 18 people. This is not as good as Meng De. He has promoted more than 40 people from the Xiahou and Cao clans, and he is more capable than your father and me in recruiting talents. There are many officials from other surnames. Many of his officials in the court are very insightful. Such counselors should not be underestimated. I recruited Zhou Xin to attract some people from the Zhou family in the future. No matter what, your teacher has helped me a lot for my Zhao State. Zisheng is half of my Zhao court. Don't look at him as a little dull, often looking at maps and bamboo slips in a daze, but the suggestions he made are brilliant. I didn't expect it! "Zisheng can be called "dumb", which is something I never thought of before. But when he mentioned his officials from other surnames, it reminded me of Huo Ran, now Huo Lan.
Of course, I was still confused, but after a little thought, I felt a little strange: "Since you think that our teacher, Brother Meng De, has unique insights and is very wise, and you often discuss with them. Why are you still so stubborn about choosing the crown prince this time, and don't reach a consensus with my teacher and Brother Meng De first?"
"Deposing the eldest son and enthroning the youngest has never been a good thing since ancient times, and Prince He has done nothing wrong. I'm afraid that someone will rebel under the guise of respecting Prince He. Although they were very cowardly when they fought the Yellow Turbans, each one of them was more ruthless and fierce than the other when they plundered the Xianbei. Sometimes, delegating power can indeed make government orders and military orders much more effective, but... alas, it's also very dangerous. Once they respect the eldest prince as emperor in the future, let alone those outside who are going to make trouble, just the existence of a queen dowager in the court will be enough to cause us a headache." My father didn't seem to be lying, nor did he seem to be hiding anything. It would be my idea to be too selfish.
However, my father also spoke for the teacher and Brother Meng De: "They are right to be concerned. After all, there is no power from the outside relatives behind the Lord Dong. And... Zi Rui also saw it tonight. The general of the chariot and cavalry actually has no military merit. He is a young man in his twenties, but he can talk a lot and has also been promoted. It seems that the queen wants to give him some military power. However, after all, your father holds the tiger talisman of the inner eight armies, so I am not afraid that he will cause trouble for me. As for the outer eight armies, since you left the post of Sili Xiaowei and replaced by Bao Xin, the emperor took the tiger talisman of the outer eight armies. It is not certain who will use this tiger talisman in the future, and there may be some trouble in the future, but even if it is in his hands, the outer eight armies are scattered and are far less convenient to command than my inner eight armies. Taking a step back, your father will still be afraid of this He Miao, and Zi Shi will also stand on my side, so he can't rebel no matter how much trouble he makes. Having said that, your father has considered it again and again, and I think that for the stability of the situation in the world, it is better to recommend Prince He."
My father suddenly became full of heroic spirit, staring at the piece of Zhao State in a trance, and asked casually: "Which part of Zhao State is the most important to you and me?"
This question is very simple, so I just pointed casually: "It must be Shuofang."
My father's entire northeastern territory was protected by Yunzhong Duke Lu Zhi, while Shuofang and Shuowei counties faced the Xianbei. The newly opened Shuowei county was shaped like a wine bag, and it was unclear whether there was blood, wine or water in the middle. The Yellow River ran across this narrow opening, and to the north of the opening was Shuofang, and to the south was Qin's Beidi County, which belonged to the second son of our family. If there really was a Wu Yu County in the future, Shuowei would be completely within the territory of our Great Han Dynasty, while Shuofang would still face the center of the territory controlled by the Xianbei.
“Well, since you answered like that, I can guess that you are an honest child. However, some things are not as you think, but I am already very happy with your answer. Let’s not talk about this for now…” My father turned his head to the area of Jingzhou, Yizhou and the western part of Jiaozhou nearby, but I didn’t like being kept in suspense like this, so after a little thought, I had an idea.
"The Southern Xiongnu royal court in Xihe County? (This is a historical fact, author's note)" Xihe is in the middle of Zhao State, with Shuofang and Shuowei counties to the west and Taiyuan and Shangdang counties to the east. Because I just met those Xiongnu women, I can immediately think of this special force in my father's territory.
"Haha, my son Zirui is quite clever! That's right... Yes, this group of Huns has been here for quite some time, and their power is growing. Although they have been intermarrying with the Han people, this group of Huns has also established their own court, like a country within a country. The recent generations of Chanyu have been very powerful, especially the young Huns, who are somewhat unruly and warlike. They are not willing to respect the majesty of the Han Dynasty, and often ride horses to rob passers-by. Sometimes, if the Huns nobles take the lead, I can't control it. I'm afraid that once Chanyu Yufuluo dies, his sons don't seem to be good at anything. Once he colludes with others and suddenly does this to me, my Zhao State will be split in half. But these people are not easy to move, and we can't just rouse them to move. Shuofang is naturally important, but if it is attacked from both sides, Shuofang will never be able to maintain it. Internal troubles are always more worrying than external troubles!"
"But, fortunately..." Father was silent for a moment and said something out of context.
"What's wrong?"
"Tan Shihuai (a historical figure, author's note) of the Xianbei is dead! He has been dead for several years. The Xianbei were almost unified under his leadership. Many Xiongnu tribes came under him and were proud to be called Xianbei. If he had really unified the great Xianbei tribe, it would have been the greatest disaster for our Han Dynasty. Fortunately, it is also a blessing for our Han Dynasty that he is dead... So now the Xianbei are still a mess, and no one knows who is behind it, which has made them suspicious of each other and fought each other. They are even less to be feared. The emperor should make this You a king, and I will pay him a great tribute." My father breathed a sigh of relief.
I don't know who went on the trip, and this is the first time I've heard of Tan Shihuai. I'll have to ask him when I get back, but I can't tell him about the wars between the northern princes and the Xianbei.
"Give them a piece of land to enclose it, and don't let them go out without permission. The inside is under their jurisdiction, and the father can't care about it. Outside, they must be strictly punished." I gave my suggestion. This one I used in Yue, so I copied it. In the past, it was hard to tell. You can come and go freely in this place, and other ordinary people can also come and go freely, which often leads to frequent friction. They are all yours, so it's better to take the initiative to enclose a larger piece for him. You have full power here, but those who come out to cause trouble will be killed. It's much better to use both kindness and power.
"Hmm?" Father thought for a while, "Someone else has mentioned this. Since Zirui also thinks so, I will go back to Zhao State to have a look and discuss it with Zisheng. Also, you should work harder. You are such an unfilial son. You have been married for such a long time, but you still haven't given me a grandson. Fortunately, Pei'er is pregnant, otherwise I would have asked the imperial physician, Lord Zhang, to take a good look at you."
In response, I could only smile foolishly and said that I would definitely work hard. These few words were quite relaxing, and my father seemed to be no longer in a hurry to talk to me about business.
"How is Huo Ran now?" Father suddenly sighed.
"Everything is fine. She has not been allowed to show up yet. She has changed her name to Huo Lan. She is asked to do some work like a housekeeper, accompany Pei'er and the others, and help take care of the internal affairs of the Yue Kingdom's court. I still have to ask my father about this matter. Does the Huo family really have an heir?"
"Actually, I used to think about not letting her do that. She only has two older sisters, and her mother died not long after giving birth to her. Her father was so heartbroken about this that he fell ill and ordered people to carry her to see your uncle and me. Your uncle is a very honest and loyal man. He couldn't bear to see the Huo family without an heir, but didn't want to just find a boy to replace him. So he came up with an idea that in the future, sister Huo Ran could have sex with someone during the Shangsi Festival. If she could get pregnant, it would be considered passing on a bloodline. And Huo Ran would dress up as a man, and wait until her sister gave birth to a son, then the matter would be done." My uncle's idea was really too "honest", "honest" to the point of being inhuman. My father seemed to agree with me and sighed, "So, her family lives in a very remote place, just to keep it secret; she doesn't seldom attend the various banquets of my family, for fear of being discovered. ; but she didn't expect you to see through her at a glance. At first she was scared to death, but later she felt relieved when she saw that you were trying to protect her everywhere. Since she is a woman, how can she marry a wife? She put on a beard and choked her voice with medicine. After that, she ate in ordinary taverns every now and then, just to let everyone see that "he" is a man and hear that "he" has a wife. When her sister was really pregnant, she would talk to others about her wife's pregnancy. I also went to help him act a few times, so the country taverns said that her wife was about to give birth. When it was a boy, Huo Ran was naturally relieved. In fact, her sisters were also relieved. Poor family! Later, I made the decision. The eldest sister of the Huo family married Lao Cheng. This rough man is honest and honest, and it’s right to entrust him; the second sister of the Huo family married one of your cousins, who is now the governor of Shangdang in my Zhao State, called shè Jian.”
"shè?" In my Xie clan, besides Shen Gong, Shen, and Xie, there is actually another shè.
“Well, his ancestor was an important official. Because his name was not nice, the emperor let his branch change his surname to shè. In the family tree, they have always been under our Xie family.” I wondered if it was "Thank God for the Earth", but thought to myself that no, according to these two, it still sounds good; or if it was "Xie Zui (Zui)" or something like that, I thought that one should not talk nonsense about our Xie family's ancestors, and quickly gave up the idea.
"How many children are there in the end?" I always feel that there must be "failed products" before.
"The eldest sister has a girl and a boy, and the second sister has a boy. The girl is one year older, and the boy born the year after will be considered one of the wives or concubines." But I was thinking that when these two children grow up, because they have different fathers, their looks may be quite different from the late Princess "Huoran". Of course, this is not something I need to worry about now.
"Now they are Huo Ran's flesh and blood, being raised in my Zhao Palace, and sent to their biological mother from time to time for Aunt to see, which actually relieves their pain of missing their son. And in order to prevent Huo Ran's future affairs from being leaked, we let 'him' capsize in the Luo River on a boat, haha." Father suddenly relaxed, "Then he removed his beard, became a woman, and followed your mother as a maid to your place. I also built a cenotaph for Huo Ran and his wife who later 'jumped into the river to commit suicide' due to excessive grief. I think I have done all the work to prevent leaks. Uh, let's not talk about Huo Ran for now, let's talk about your affairs!"
"... I... what?" My father didn't ask me about any political affairs, but I didn't know which one he was referring to, the affairs of my two wives, or the government affairs of the State of Yue.
Fortunately, my father brought up the matter directly without waiting for me to figure it out.
"Lord Cai has talked to me about some things. This is not new. It was when Yinling came to the house for the first time. When I asked Ling'er about your marriage, I heard Yinling say that you seemed to have a favorite girl before Yinling and Pei'er? Even later, you still regarded her as the mother of the daughter you adopted." It turned out that my father knew about this matter: "She is very talented, and I like her very much. Why didn't you marry her at the beginning? How can you just find a girl and ruin her innocence like this?"
"Didn't father only have mother?" I was a little confused, but then I straightened my face and said indifferently, "Why do you want me to enjoy the happiness of having two wives? Besides, this is not a blessing. In fact, this woman has an elder sister who died in the hands of Dong Zhuo. I let Yi Yue be registered under her sister's name, but it has nothing to do with her."
After saying this, he sighed. Seeing that his father had no further words, he continued, "I am her brother-in-law. If she gets married, I can also arrange it for her. But now she wants to imitate me and travel around the north. Let her find a better gentleman and marry him. I am married and I have someone else in my heart. There is no place for her to stand." This was a bit against her will. In fact, there was a mountain in my heart, and she lived on it. It was snowing on the mountain. But I was very determined. There was really no place for her to stand. In fact, I was still silently thinking in my heart: Yi'er! Or Xin'er! Go and find happiness that belongs to you all!
"I asked who was climbing the tower, and we were enjoying the fading autumn together; why did I talk about joy, and why did I reminisce about the past? Confucius said that those who uphold the truth are wise and know how to correct mistakes. (From the Analects of Confucius, Ai Gong's Questions) If you don't abandon me, my heart will be filled with worries." My father suddenly recited this long paragraph, which was obviously very familiar. I guess he heard the broken part of it at Yuan's house: "When I first heard these few sentences, I didn't notice anything unusual, but Lord Cai did. This involves your son Yuehou. I asked why? He wrote down these sentences one by one, and put them together. I understood it after reading them."
I'm not stupid, I was shocked when I heard the sixth sentence, and I was even more convinced when I heard the next two sentences. I was confused, maybe she just wanted me to still think of her, but the original text seemed to have a hint of regret, which made me feel even more uneasy.
In fact, I really hope she forgets me; but if she really forgets me, I might be very disappointed. But if she still misses me, I feel that she is too pitiful.
"That day, he slowly recounted the whole story to me. It was a song he heard a woman singing in a low voice in a tavern. He came back and quickly wrote it down. When I first listened to it, I felt that this woman was really talented. Later, after listening to Lord Cai's explanation, I felt that the words were more and more wrong. He came to me to discuss how to deal with this song. Cai Taichang loves talents as if they were his life, and he also likes dance and music, but he also knows that there are some serious relationships. I have heard some of your stories from Yinling before. At that time, I didn't know she was so talented. He obviously also found that this woman had a great connection with you. In the end, I asked him to delete all the words that directly wrote your identity, and the others could be kept as a song and sung. These days, I taught your mother to recite the song repeatedly. Your mother also felt that this woman was in love with you and was very bitter. However, I also asked your mother not to mention this matter to outsiders."
I nodded and said, "Father, let's let this matter go. This love is gone, and I really don't want to drag down this woman's youth."
"You young people are really beyond our comprehension." Regarding the outcome of the matter, my father just looked at me, shook his head and sighed.
In fact, I should shake my head and sigh. I love Yinling, I believe it; I believe I respect Pei'er, I believe it deeply; but if I have forgotten Yier, I don’t have this confidence.
"However, Lord Cai also said that if you really marry her, he will visit your house every day. If you take her to Yue State, he will resign from his position as Taichang on the same day and return home to be a musician in your Yue State until the end of his life." My father laughed, and I laughed too. Lord Cai is only in his thirties, and it is too early for him to retire. Looking at my father's expression, I knew that Lord Cai was joking, otherwise he would definitely find a way to keep Huang Yi in Luoyang.
However, this matter is really over.
Before my father finally turned back to Jingzhou, I also hurried over. I was waiting for my father to ask me about Jingzhou and let Yier's matter go completely. But I didn't expect my father to praise my teacher one by one: "Your teacher is really a good teacher. Under his guidance, the emperor cheered up. The emperor also talked to me about this matter. Your teacher Wei Dingguo asked the emperor, what was the greatest contribution of Emperor Xiaowu to the country in the past. The emperor said, of course, fighting against the Huns, sweeping away the great troubles in the north of our dynasty for decades. He asked again why Emperor Xiaowu was criticized by the common people. The emperor was also shocked at the time. He thought about it. He had been fighting for years, the taxes were too heavy, and the punishments were too harsh. Your teacher said: Now the Xianbei in the north of our Han Dynasty have been harassing us for many years. We will fight them and drive them north. This may be similar to the work of Emperor Xiaowu; reduce corvee and taxes, do nothing and know, "It may be similar to the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. The emperor was very happy with these words, and felt that he could become a wise ruler and be praised by generations. This is just like how you met the emperor this time. In a few days, we will go to Shanglin Garden for a hunting tour. The weather is not too cold these days, so it is suitable for hunting. The emperor wants to emulate the emperor Xiaowu. Moreover, have you noticed that you were the lieutenant of Sili and the general of cavalry, and now Zishi is also the general of cavalry. You were both promoted to such high general ranks at the age of nineteen or twenty, and you are only below the general. Have you ever thought about why? You should know that the general of cavalry during the time of Emperor Xiaowu was Huo Qubing. Don't you understand the emperor's thoughts?"
I was stunned. After listening to these paragraphs, I felt like I had suddenly realized something. As for the teacher, I was taught by the teacher, as were Ziyu, Zishe, Zisheng, and a bunch of other people. I also think the teacher is amazing. Imagine picking a student who has been distracted or sleeping in his class for many years and asking him to do the most important thing for him. The teacher's vision and courage are no joke.
"Zirui, which cities in Jingzhou are the most important? You are not familiar with Bingzhou, and it's not your fault. Jingzhou is where you grew up, and you should know it well." Since they are talking about Jingzhou, it is obvious that his father and teacher are ready for war. It seems that they are preparing to slowly clean up these feudal states.
"To the north is Wancheng, and if there is no Wancheng, it is Xinye. To the east when the water recedes is Jiangxia, and if it is still like the Yunmeng Lake, it is Jiangling. When there are bandits on the Mufu Mountain in the south, it is Changsha, and when there are no bandits, it is Quanling in Lingling. These places are all very important. To the west is Zigui, although it is a strategic point, it is not a big deal, and you only need to be careful and meticulous." I did not mention Mingzi, which is where the Marquis of Ba temporarily resides.
My father laughed and nodded, but he didn't ask me how I knew. The reason is very simple, although I didn't look at the map or the terrain to consider it. In fact, as long as you know, the teacher is a person who knows people and assigns them to positions, so as long as you think about which city's commanders are, you will immediately know the degree of importance. Brother Chen, our family's Jiang Laoer, me, the current General of the Cavalry, Gan Ning, Su Fei, and Zi Tong, Zi Yu and Feng Qing, none of them can be easily sent away. Although this principle is lazy, it was inspired by the story of my wife An Guo when she was putting bamboo slips together.
Of course, this is also the actual situation.
"Zi Rui has mastered the essence of military tactics." His father was very happy. He did not stay and went straight to Yangzhou and Jiaozhou. "Then what is the key point of your Yue Kingdom? I have discussed it with Zi Sheng. Zi Sheng said, Yin Ling will definitely help you arrange it. Has Yin Ling ever been with you?"
I was also very happy. Being praised by my father is always a happy thing.
"I haven't had time yet. At first, Yinling was in Nanhaipingluàn, but I was in Guangxin. Not long after she came back, I went to Tanzhong again. I haven't discussed with her how to deal with it yet."
"Then I'd like to see what you think."
I have indeed thought about this. After looking at the topographic map, I became more certain. I pointed to a city in the middle of the South China Sea and said, "Longchuan." (To the west of today's Longchuan, the former site of Tuocheng. Because the water flow meanders here, silt is washed and accumulated, which has caused the shape of the river to change in the past two thousand years.), but then moved my finger to the west and said, "Xie Mu."
"My son, are you still on guard against your teacher?"
"It's not to guard against the teacher, but against Yuan Shu." I looked at my father and shook his head, and then explained directly, "Last year, when I went to the Kingdom of Yue to take up my post, I wanted to take advantage of the situation and directly sent most of the food and grass that I had originally collected to the teacher in Jingzhou, and asked the teacher to help me store it in Lingling. I didn't expect that someone would take advantage of it and stir up internal strife. In order to pacify the strife, that night I led a few hundred cavalrymen to travel the distance from Yuan Shu's Suiguo across Guiyang to Xiemu Pass. Although this section of the road is long, the road is very good; from Shaoguan to the Nanhai County of the Kingdom of Yue is close, but Shaoguan is guarding it, and once you enter the northern part of the Nanhai of the Kingdom of Yue, there are many checkpoints. There are hundreds of miles of mountains, and there are also various tribes of Luoyue, Xiou, and Liren waiting by his side. It will be very troublesome for him to come here. By the time he finds the way and passes by, Guiyang should have given me the news. I can reach Panyu from Guangxin in one day by following the water. Panyu has 10,000 of my troops, all of whom are good at fighting in the mountains and forests. He can come here, but I can't provide food and supplies. I only need to be careful during the autumn harvest season to prevent him from robbing my food on the spot. At other times, he can go anywhere he wants. The same is true for Longchuan. I will strengthen the defense of this city, but store food and grass in Zengcheng, downstream of Longchuan. If he wants to attack me, the supply and transportation of food and grass will be a big problem."
"What do you think of Jieyang?" Jieyang is located at the easternmost part of the South China Sea. (Today, Jieyang is located westward mainly because of sediment deposition and the eastward migration of the estuary.)
"If Wu were to attack me, it would definitely go by water. Otherwise, by the time his troops arrive, they would have basically run out of food. Moreover, with the Yue people in this large mountainous area, he would not dare to move on land. The Yue people are my wife's clan. If he dares to attack my clan, wouldn't he be telling me that he is my enemy? If he wants to come, he will come quietly by land, but he will come by water. When I was in Wu, I didn't have so many ships. If he wants to build ships to attack me, he has neither the financial resources nor the manpower at this time. In any case, Jieyang is too far behind for the navy. I plan to build a city on the seashore near the border and build a garrison. I need to build a navy, but I won't do it now. I'd better cultivate the people's strength first. I'll also deploy some navy in Panyu and Jieyang, so that we can support each other, rescue each other, and cut off their food supplies. Moreover, once the war starts on the water, I will attack Dongye directly from the land. If I can take Dongye, Wu will have no place to stand in the south of Kuaiji. If I hold Dongye firmly, I can concentrate on dealing with the enemy on the water. Besides, Lord Wu is an important minister of the country and a veteran general. He should not provoke internal strife. However, I am really worried about the internal strife in Wu. "
My father didn't say anything for a long time, but after listening to me, he nodded. In fact, I really wanted him to praise me. I think I am still quite vain.
But my father didn't. After a while, he suddenly said, "I'm afraid that the unrest will start here first." My father pointed at Wu and said, "Of all the leaders of the countries, only General Zhu didn't come this time. His only son's ship sank in the sea and he fell ill!"
I also feel that the movement is bound to happen here.
My father also told me something that further confirmed this: "The eldest daughter of Suihou married the eldest son of Sun Jian, the general of Wu."
My father suddenly became silent. Finally, he said to me, "It's getting late. Go to bed, my son. Tomorrow, you don't have to attend the sacrifice to Taiyi God, but you have to attend the emperor's banquet at noon."
I nodded, but I wanted to be alone for a while.
My father agreed and told me to go to bed early. Finally, he smiled at me and said, "Zi Rui is indeed worthy of the title of Marquis of Ping An Feng Yun."
I stayed in this secret room alone for a long time, thinking about all kinds of things, my heart was in turmoil and I couldn't calm down.
I seemed to have fallen asleep and had a strange dream. Lieya and Nan were very old, probably almost forty years old. They happily woke me up and we went to war together. That night we fought against all kinds of strange and weird guys until I woke up.
The surroundings were still eerily quiet, I could even hear the sound of the wick burning, and when I stretched, I could hear the restlessness in my bones. I walked out layer by layer until I saw a layer of light green on the window paper.
The Lantern Festival has finally arrived. This night is so long!