Not long after, Xiang Xun came in person; it was the first time that the main door of Guo Shao's house was opened to a guest, as they usually went through the corner door.
Xiang Xun brought a message that the court was preparing to recover the lost territories of Qin, Feng and other places. The two main generals in charge of this Western Expedition were: Wang Jing, the governor of Fengxiang, and Xiang Xun, the governor of Zhen'an, the governor of Nanyuan. There was also a part of the Central Imperial Army to assist Xiang Xun's army, and the general was Guo Shao; in addition, Zan Jurun, the guest envoy, was mainly responsible for diplomacy, and should also have the responsibility of monitoring his own people and reporting to the central government in a timely manner.
Say hello to Xiang Xun and ask Guo Shaoduo to prepare.
Guo Shao had no idea how the higher-ups were planning and what the grand strategy was. Everything happened suddenly. Suddenly someone said: You are going to go to war. Of course, no one would tell him why the court was going to war or what the intention was, nor even why they had chosen him. You just have to obey orders.
Not to mention Guo Shao was completely in the dark about what was going on in the inner palace of the Military Affairs Office. Even Xiang Xun, who was at the level of a military governor, probably didn't know everything. It was just that Xiang Xun knew more people in the upper class, so he knew more.
Guo Shao planned to ask for something from Wang Shenqi, the governor, or someone familiar to him in the Palace Guards when he went to work the next day. The two essay questions given by the government a while ago, "It's Hard to Be a King and It's Not Easy to Be a Minister" and "On the Strategy of Peaceful Border Control", should be read in the newspaper to learn the spirit of the central government.
But these articles are not necessarily accurate. After all, they are for many people to read, so they cannot write everything. There is no way. Guo Shao's level is not qualified to report to the palace; let alone participate in the small circle of the Privy Council to plot military affairs.
However, the layout above is not very important to Guo Shao.
Now he had only one firm thought in his mind: a great opportunity to make achievements and advance was before him. He was one of the main generals in this expedition. As long as he won, the credit would be a sure thing. It was much more stable than the last battle of Gaoping, which was completely dependent on chance.
I want to really make a name for myself, Guo Shao had this thought in his mind.
He was thinking about this, and even as he sat at the dinner table he had a strange yet joyful smile on his face.
Dong! Suddenly, a bowl of food was placed heavily on the dining table. Yu Lian was setting the table and the man could already sense Yu Lian's unhappy mood.
Guo Shao raised his head and glanced at Yu Lian. Sure enough, her oval face did not look very good. He then said casually: How did a bowl offend you
Yu Lian said: No matter who annoys me, I dare not spoil my husband's good mood. I can just smile foolishly.
I laughed, did I? Guo Shao turned around and looked at the other two people. The little girl Dong Sanmei nodded affirmatively, and the old man Huang remained silent.
Because there were only a few people in the Guo Mansion for the time being, Guo Shao did not distinguish between the master and the servant. There were only four people in total, so they ate together to save trouble. The four people here were very strange, from the old to the young, and they pieced together the illusion of three generations of a family.
Yu Lian said: Is your benefactor trying to win you over again? She is very nosy and even cares about Jing Niang's affairs.
Guo Shao then remembered that he had sorted out all his things for Yu Lian, and she must have read the letter.
They are giving wealth and honor. We can be sorry for whoever we want, but why bother with power, wealth and money? Guo Shao advised, and then smiled and said in a joking tone, "Why do I hear your words sound sour? Did you accidentally get jealous today?"
Yu Lian said angrily: Yes, I just overturned the vinegar jar, and the pot and bowl are full of vinegar.
Her attitude seems to have changed a lot recently. When she worked as an assistant in the blacksmith shop, she had been getting along with Guo Shao for several years and was always polite, humble and cautious. But after only a month, she is completely different.
There is a saying that goes "one's body is in Cao's camp, but one's heart is in Han", which seems to indicate that a person's heart and body can be separated, but a woman's body and mind are indeed difficult to separate. Once Yu Lian had physical contact with Guo Shao, she was completely different, and she almost lost too much awe. Even though Guo Shao is now a world apart from the former boss of a blacksmith shop, he should be respected now; but at least in front of Yu Lian, it is not the case at all.
Guo Shao glanced sideways, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Why are you jealous? Jingniang and I did that unexpectedly, but I don't think you are jealous at all. You even advised me to be responsible for her. Could it be that after living in Yuzhen Temple for a few months, you were brainwashed by her and became one of her own?"
Yulian said: Jingniang is also a pitiful person.
Guo Shao did not refute. He thought that even if Jing Niang was not pitiful, she was not very lucky either.
Yu Lian couldn't help but say: But that person, she was born with everything, beautiful, rich and noble, she has nothing missing, and now she is the mother of the country, which woman can compare to her? Why is she still not satisfied, why does she want everything, and even wants to provoke you
Haha, Guo Shao couldn't help laughing. What a petty mind, and what a weird mind!
Yu Lian said angrily: Yes, people like me are ignorant and short-sighted, how can I compare with others
Guo Shao shook his head and sighed: "Comparing yourself to others will only make you angry. But you, why not compare yourself with anyone else? Compare yourself with the most noble woman in the world. There is no need to be so hard on yourself. Just don't compete with him for the throne. Why would she have the time to compete with you? I think you, Yulian, should keep your thoughts to yourself and avoid getting yourself hurt by anger. For people like us, being favored by nobles is the result of our good deeds accumulated in our previous lives. People in the world are probably crying and begging to be favored and promoted, but they are just dreaming. We should be happy."
Yulian still refused to accept it: "If she doesn't fight, then of course no one can fight her. She is just playing tricks on you. Will you also risk your life for her and care about your family next time?"
Not everyone will appreciate it if they try their best to show their loyalty, Guo Shao said.
At the table, only Guo Shao and Yu Lian were arguing noisily, while the other two, the old and the young, remained silent. Old Huang was always like that, he would not ask about anything that was beyond his understanding, and he was not interested in any gossip at all; while Dong Sanmei was concentrating on eating. She had a delicate mouth, but she never stopped while eating, and ate a lot at every meal, only putting down her chopsticks when her stomach could no longer hold any more.
This is how the days passed, and it was relatively peaceful during this period.
At the beginning of August, Guo Shao was on duty at the inner palace direct barracks at the north gate of the imperial city. It was his turn to take the tasks arranged by the Privy Council. At this time, an old eunuch came to the north gate and conveyed the empress's decree, asking him to lead two cavalry teams to protect the emperor and the guard of honor.
Guo Shao naturally obeyed the order and only dispatched two teams of troops, which could not be considered as mobilizing troops; what's more, it was the Queen's decree aimed at protecting the emperor, so this matter was not a big deal. Guo Shao only needed to make a record in the direct camp in the inner palace. If it was not two teams, but several hundred cavalry were used without authorization, this matter would have alarmed the Privy Council of the Palace Front Department.
The Queen Mother is leaving the palace and going to Daxiangguo Temple.
On the eve of the Battle of Gaoping at the beginning of the year, the emperor led the army in person. The empress went to the Buddha in Daxiangguo Temple and prayed to the Buddha to bless the emperor's safety and success, and made a vow to donate incense money; later, the emperor really turned the danger into safety and returned to the court after a great victory. This time, the empress went to fulfill her vow in person.
A large group of ceremonial guards marched out of the palace, with Guo Shao leading the way with his cavalry, followed by more eunuchs and palace maids, and a small group of cavalry at the end. It was very similar to the scene at the beginning of the year when Guo Shao was looking up at the ceremonial guards in the blacksmith shop with a dirty sweat on his body, and the current team was even more impressive.
The idlers inside and outside the Daxiangguo Temple had been cleared, and the Kaifeng Prefecture Ma Zhi also dispatched a group of people to maintain public order. The common people were also lucky enough to see the queen's phoenix appearance. Everyone just stood far away on the street, waiting for the short moment when the queen got off the carriage at the temple gate. Keep your eyes open and don't miss it, you can feast your eyes.
When the large group of people arrived at the gate of the temple, the abbot and a group of monks were already waiting outside the gate to greet them.
The Queen was surrounded by a huge crowd, with eunuchs and palace maids surrounding her in several layers. This must have disappointed the excited onlookers in the distance. However, this might not affect everyone from bragging about it in the market and at home, claiming that they had seen the Queen with their own eyes.
Guo Shao led his troops and followed the queen into the temple gate, with guards outside. The queen rarely showed up. She might be seen in the crowd, but who in the temple dared to stretch their necks and eagerly look at her? That would be too rude.
At this time, the old eunuch Cao Tai said to the abbot: The monks in the main hall should also be withdrawn, so that the Queen can have a good talk with the Buddha.
Then he called to Guo Shao: You go in and take a look first, and then guard the gate of the palace.
Guo Shao obeyed the order. He went to the main hall to check if there were any potential safety hazards, but there shouldn't be any problems. Although the queen was noble, she was a woman and should not be regarded as a threat to be eliminated by certain forces.
Everything was ready. Guo Shao and the old eunuch were guarding the front door, while another general and the eunuch were guarding the back door.
At this time, the soldiers and monks in Daxiangguo Temple finally saw the elegance of the empress. She did not wear complicated formal clothes, but plain clothes, perhaps because she should be pure and free from desires when worshipping Buddha. She had almost no decorations and did not need any material possessions to set off her. Her dress was so elegant that even ordinary people could imitate her. Even so, the people around could no longer care about anything else and looked at her sideways. One monk even stared at her with his eyes wide open, looking very out of control.
Among the monks of Daxiangguo Temple, some have not yet practiced enough and have not yet completely entered the state of emptiness of the four elements.
The queen walked into the main hall and knelt down gently on the prepared cushion. Although she was the most noble woman in the world, she was limited to the mortal world, and a god was still a god.
Everyone else was watching from afar in the yard outside. It was very far away, but they could see the queen's back.
She was praying quietly in front of the Buddha.
：The Ghost Festival ghost fighting activity ends on the 15th. This activity is mainly for rewards to get monthly tickets, which are easy and fast to get. Everyone should take a little time to read the rules on the homepage of the website
Currently, Xifeng ranks ninth in the monthly ticket list. So the number of monthly tickets this month is very important to Xifeng. In the past, there were too few tickets and no chance to compete for the list. Now that there is hope, it is reluctant to be squeezed out.
So I plan to focus my firepower on the last day of the event on the 15th to kill a ghost king, mainly to rush to the monthly ticket list. I hope to get your support by then, even if it's only a few dollars, it will make me feel your heart. I will explode on the 15th
In addition, you can also support me a little during these two days. Let's save the big firepower for the 15th. The money from killing the ghost king will be counted as a reward for me, and I will get the biggest benefit. The monthly tickets will drop quickly. For friends who want to reward this book Ten Kingdoms and Thousands of Beauties, now is the best time, and the benefits will be much greater than usual.
Xifengjin thanks everyone for their support.