Shi Yanchao was riding on the street with several cavalry commanders. He recalled the way he had just seen the civil officials groveling before Li Chuyun. He gathered his saliva and spat it on the ground: The civil officials did not use their pens properly, but flattered the military generals.
The military officers hadn't said anything just now, but when they heard Shi Yanchao's words, they immediately became excited and started to curse, insulting the two officials' personalities from beginning to end. Because everyone was not afraid of the civil officials at all, they were not on the same side, and no one could control anyone.
Scolding the officials seemed not enough, and a commander began to complain tactfully: "In every battle, it was General Shi who led the charge. It's strange that they didn't come to bow to General Shi, but instead ran to others."
What can we do? Li Dianjian is the chief inspector of the palace, so he has to suppress General Shi. Another general came up and took over the conversation as if they had discussed it beforehand.
A few people were frightened when they heard this and stopped cursing.
After a while, one of the generals lowered his voice and said: Li Dianjian only fought a good battle with the navy during the war against Southern Tang. In other battlefields, General Shi made great military achievements. Ten times of leading the vanguard is not as good as his victory in one battle.
When Shi Yanchao heard this, he raised his head and snorted. In his heart, he really didn't think that he was inferior to Li Chuyun in any way, and he didn't even think that any other general was as good at fighting as him. The title of the most powerful general in the Great Zhou was not just a boast.
Someone immediately muttered: General Li Chuyun is not great in military achievements, his daughter is a concubine
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately agreed.
Someone else was dissatisfied and said: Is a concubine more important than the bloody battles of the soldiers
The man who was muttering said: There is also a prince
The crowd suddenly quieted down for a while, and rode their horses to accompany Shi Yanchao and slowly walked south along the street. Someone said: Just relying on nepotism is not enough. Li Dianjian did not fight well in the battle of Wenyu River in Youzhou, and even the emperor's carriage was disturbed.
Shi Yanchao said coldly: “The court officials mean that the Liao people have many and good horses, no wonder General Li is so good.”
Everyone immediately started grumbling.
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted from behind: It's General Shi, my apologies.
Everyone looked back and saw an unfamiliar civil servant getting off his horse. Shi Yanchao sat on his horse and looked down at the guy. What was going on
Hey, the civil servant looked at Shi Yanchao's posture and said, "Just now you were talking about Shangguan's right and wrong.
When the commanders saw the color of the civil servant's clothes, they were immediately furious and pretended to beat him. However, the civil servant seemed to be fearless and slowly mounted his horse, saying: "It is useless to disturb your leisure time."
In Tokyo, although the generals looked fierce, they did not dare to attack an official appointed by the imperial court. Shi Yanchao was annoyed and spat, saying: "I despise civil officials the most."
The official's face suddenly changed and he said angrily: This is unreasonable. I spoke to you politely, but you just walked away after saying something.
A military officer looked at the official's back and said with some concern: "The civil servant's words are quite powerful, there won't be any trouble."
Another person said disapprovingly: Who is he to dare to mess with General Shi
Shi Yanchao said coldly: The only people who can touch me are the government.
Everyone stopped for a while, and saw a sturdy man wearing a fu hat coming over. The sturdy man immediately clasped his fists and faced Shi Yanchao.
Shi Yanchao looked carefully and found that it was Yang Ye. He was angry and said immediately: "You are a defeated general."
Yang Ye, who had been calm, suddenly turned pale and blue, looking at Shi Yanchao speechless. Shi Yanchao did not take this surrendered general of the Northern Han Kingdom seriously, it was Yang Ye who made him angry.
Yang Ye felt indescribable in his heart, and rode away with his followers in a depressed mood. He kept cursing in his heart: "Damn it, why are you so proud? I didn't provoke you."
After Shi Yanchao and other generals walked away, the followers started to curse: What the hell is this? You just ate shit and came here!
Yang Ye thought to himself that he was not a troublemaker and was usually cautious and prudent. But after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure out how he had offended Shi Yanchao.
Could it be the Battle of Baigu? In the Battle of Baigu, Yang Ye led his troops to ambush, targeting the vanguard of Zhou army. The commander of the vanguard of Zhou army at that time was Shi Yanchao.
Must remember that.
Yang Ye was very upset and said in a deep voice: This was a different time, and we each served our own master. I am a general from Hedong. What's wrong with seeking victory in battle
The attendant sighed and said: The generals of the Zhou army still don't treat us as their own people.
Yang Ye said: At least the emperor does not treat me as an outsider, otherwise he would not have entrusted me with the important task of Hedong.
When several people heard this, they nodded in agreement.
Yang Ye exhaled, but held it in. He had no choice. He had just joined the Zhou Dynasty, and there was nothing he could do about the prejudice against him in the Tokyo officialdom. Thinking that he would be returning to Hedong tomorrow, he exerted force on his calves and slightly quickened his pace.
The group turned west along the main street and walked for a while. Then an attendant said: Madam Hongying lives here.
Yang Ye glanced sideways, and one of his followers dismounted, went up and knocked on the corner door, and handed the name card in. Soon, the door opened, and a woman sitting in a wooden wheelchair was pushed to the door, struggling to stand up.
Yang Ye hurriedly said: "No need for formalities, no need for formalities. You have difficulty walking, so you don't need to care about such empty formalities."
General Yang has come to visit us. I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. Hongying said with a happy face.
Thinking back to when they parted in Jinyang, the two had a very unhappy time, but unexpectedly they met again in Tokyo. Hongying gave him a warm smile, and Yang Ye didn't blame her anymore. Although there were many grudges between them, he thought that she had never harmed him.
Yang Ye was welcomed into the gate and said casually: "My old friend, how are you?"
Hongying raised her little mouth: I am sick, will you take care of me
Yang Ye thought, I did keep you here, but you despised my status as a concubine and thought Tokyo was better. But there were other people around, and Yang Ye was stunned, thinking that this sentence was not very stable, and immediately observed the people around him.
A handsome young scholar caught Yang Ye's attention, and the scholar looked very unhappy.
Yang Ye remained calm and walked into the living room in the front yard. After the tea was served, he pondered and said: Hongying is living well here alone.
Hongying nodded: "I bought this yard and some property. General Yang, don't worry about me, Madam Shen will take care of me."
Yang Ye had never heard of Madam Shen, but he thought to himself that since this woman had been an important spy in the Imperial Council, she must have someone protecting her in official circles.
Not long ago, he was still a general of the Northern Han Kingdom. Zhou Kingdom was an enemy country and had no one in Tokyo. This Hongying was someone he had known for so long. No matter what, as the saying goes, a husband and wife will have a hundred days of grace. She was more friendly than a stranger he met temporarily. If he didn't even have an acquaintance in Tokyo, what if someone like Shi Yanchao was slandering him in the court, he wouldn't be able to hear anything.
Hongying didn't say much about that lady, and said in a low voice: It's a pleasure to have an old friend come from afar. General Yang, please stay at my humble home tonight, and I will prepare some wine and food later.
Yang Ye smiled helplessly and said: I'm afraid the young man at the gate just now will be unhappy.
Hongying blushed and said: Don't pay attention to him. He takes money from me to build connections. What else can I do? I am alone and helpless, and I have no choice.
Forget it. Yang Ye said, I can’t control you.
He thought to himself, you can enjoy your life this way, but you don't have to worry about your reputation. This woman seems to be no different from a prostitute in a brothel, and she doesn't seem to care about her reputation.
Hongying said: "It is past the hour of You now, General Yang, please stay here for one night. It just so happens that Madam Shen will bid for an interesting famous painting tomorrow, and I will go to help. Since General Yang is in Tokyo, please accompany me to take a look."
Yang Ye shook his head and said: I'm afraid I don't have time this time, I have to return to Hedong tomorrow.
Hongying looked sad at the urgency.
Yang Ye looked at it and said: "I have no choice but to attend to official business. If Hongying is interested, we can exchange letters."
Alas, Hongying sighed softly.
Yang Ye pretended to be interested: What painting
Hongying said: Picture of Han Xizai's Night Banquet.
Oh, Yang Ye frowned. Han Xizai, I have heard of this person. He is from the Southern Tang Kingdom.
Hongying said: "You are right. Han Xizai is very famous in Jiangnan nowadays. This picture has a profound meaning."
Yang Ye said: I would like to hear the details.
Hongying said: Han Xizai and the current prime minister Li Gu were good friends. Han fled south to avoid disaster, and Li sent him to Zhengyang. Han agreed that if the Southern Tang Kingdom hired him as prime minister in the future, he would definitely conquer the Central Plains to achieve great things; Li was not polite either, saying that if the Central Plains hired him as prime minister, it would be as easy as taking something out of a bag to take the Southern Tang Kingdom. It was a pity that the Southern Tang ruler was addicted to sensual pleasures and was not ambitious and suspicious of his ministers. Han was worried and was suspected by the Southern Tang ruler. He had no choice but to drink and have fun in his house every day, pretending to be crazy and stupid.
The picture was made by the painter based on what he saw at the night banquet because the Southern Tang ruler did not trust Han Gong and sent palace servants to monitor him. The painter recorded the expressions of the people in Han's mansion on paper for the Southern Tang ruler to read.
After hearing this, Yang Ye said: So, the ruler of Southern Tang is a tyrant, and Han Gong is a loyal minister with a sincere heart.
Hongying said: "That's right. Now people in Jiangnan say that if the ruler of Southern Tang had used Han Gong, things would not have turned out this way. He would have broken through the country in just a few months. Han Gong is already the most famous person in the Jiangnan literati circle."
Yang Ye nodded: So that's it, so that's it
Hongying smiled and said: "If General Yang declines the trip, go and see the painting tomorrow and buy it. The price will definitely rise in the future. Although the painting is not old and is not from a famous artist, the person in the painting is a famous person, and the hidden value is difficult to estimate."
Yang Ye said: I won’t buy it. As a military general, I don’t understand this very well.