Jiuxi

Chapter 82 081 [Laughing and laughing through the remaining years]

To the north of Huaizhou, come to An.

The city is filled with a festive and noisy atmosphere, which is completely different from the previous stormy weather.

The Battle of Qingxia had an extremely far-reaching impact. The Qi army not only thwarted Bei Yan's intention to invade Huaizhou from the south many years later, but also successfully pushed back the front line by more than two hundred miles.

Although the Governor's Mansion is still as busy as before, everyone has a look of joy on their faces. Even the old officials who are too deep-minded to be able to knock out anything with three sticks can clearly see the smiles in their eyes.

How could the imperial court not praise the frontier army for their great victory?
The military intelligence report has been quickly sent to Yongjia, the capital. In addition to asking for credit for everyone involved in the war, there is another very important task, which is to hope that the court can allocate food and grass as soon as possible. It is best to send tens of thousands more troops to provide Prepare for the next counterattack.

"Rewarding is not difficult. I'm afraid there is no hope of increasing troops."

In the study room of the back house of the Governor's Mansion, a middle-aged man with a wide body and a fat body clasped his hands in his sleeves. The smile on his face was no longer the simple and honest one of the past, but instead showed a bit of bitterness.

Xiao Wangzhi, who was sitting behind the big case, put the brush back into the pen holder and said calmly: "On this issue, you and I have different views."

The middle-aged man sighed and said quietly: "Indeed, we have discussed it too many times in the past 13 years. You can't convince me, and I can't convince you. But I still want to say that the imperial court is not worthy of trust. Even if the emperor wants to go to the Northern Expedition, he It can’t change the minds of those high-ranking families. If not, why has Nanya’s [-]-strong army refused to march north?”

He paused for a moment, with a hint of chill in his tone: "Isn't it because the elders in Zhongshu and Xuanyuan know what kind of person Governor Qin Xiao is? Even if the imperial court doesn't send a single soldier, you will fight to the death. Defend Huaizhou."

Xiao Wangzhi laughed dumbly, looked at his posture and joked: "Aren't you hot in the hot summer?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man took out his hands from his sleeves and said angrily: "I have told you a long time ago, don't live like an ascetic, it's okay to enjoy it properly. It's summer now, you can get some ice cubes to dispel the heat. Why not? If you are not willing to pay this money, I will have someone send it to the Governor's Mansion on time."

Xiao Wangzhi smiled and said, "Are you planning to bribe this governor?"

The middle-aged man said: "If you are willing to accept it, I will certainly give it to you."

Xiao Wangzhi said with a hint of helplessness: "It is said that Juqi Qi nourishes the body. You have been the richest man in Guangling for more than ten years. Why don't you change your temper? If that kid of yours sees it with his own eyes, I'm afraid He will suspect that his father is the number one traitor in the world."

The middle-aged man was naturally Lu Tong. According to the information Lu Chen had, he was supposed to be in Qingliu Mansion to control the store, but he didn't know when he came to Lai'an Mansion and appeared in the Governor's Mansion.

Hearing him mention his only son, the anger on Lu Tong's face gradually faded, and he said slowly: "I have been pretending to be in front of outsiders for 30 years. If I have to act like a good old man in front of you, what's the point of living in this life. "

"I know that you are very disappointed with many people and many things, so you have stayed in Guangling for more than ten years and refused to move."

Xiao Wangzhi's tone was solemn and he added: "If not for this, how could I have turned a blind eye to your son and allowed him to waste his 19 years in Guangling."

Lu Tong said softly: "There's nothing wrong with letting him be a carefree dandy. At least he doesn't have to work so hard like me, only to get nothing in the end."

Xiao Wangzhi coughed twice and said slowly: "It's just that now it's difficult for Lu Chen to keep a low profile and bide his time. Not to mention his performance in the Battle of Guangling, how can he be promoted if he is not promoted? People are convinced? In my opinion, the imperial court will probably grant him a discharge from the fifth rank, and then let me arrange an equivalent military position for him in Huaizhou."

Lu Tong rolled his eyes and said, "The Governor is planning Wushuang. When Shen'er comes, I will ask him to kowtow to you in thanks."

Xiao Wangzhi asked curiously: "What does this have to do with me?"

Lu Tong stood up and poured himself a cup of tea. He turned around and saw that the cup in front of Xiao Wangzhi was also empty. After hesitation, he walked over to fill it up, and then said unhurriedly: "At the beginning of the war, you let me I went to various places to help the government stabilize prices, from Taixing, Qingliu, and Donghai to Lai'anfu. If I were in Guangling, even if Shen'er would help defend the city, I would not allow him to lead his troops out of the city to fight. In terms of military, I am not as good as you. What if, but I know very well how strong Guangling City is."

"Don't say that the Yan-Jing coalition only has 2 men. Even if the enemy's strength is doubled, how can Qin Chun capture Guangling with his careless temperament? It would be good for him if he doesn't die on the top of the city."

Lu Tong looked unkind. There were very few people who dared to speak in this tone in front of Xiao Wangzhi in recent years.

However, Xiao Wangzhi did not get angry, but instead motioned for him to continue talking with great interest.

Lu Tong returned to the chair and sat down, and said calmly: "The case of the Procuratorate's frame-up of the Lu family should have nothing to do with you, but the subsequent events must have the shadow of your subordinates. If nothing else, if Duan Zuozhang is really that How can you let such a half-hearted person guard Guangling?"

Xiao Wangzhi shook his head and said: "Don't describe me as a monster. I'm not a bug in his belly. How can I know everything so well?"

"If this were said by someone else, I might believe it."

Lu Tong's mood gradually calmed down. The most important thing was that the deal was done. At the moment, it could only be regarded as a review, so he continued: "First, after the Guangling Yamen of the Sutra Weaving Department reported the report, you did not send someone to replace Duan Zuozhang. This is very unfortunate. It’s incredible. After all, it’s impossible not to notice the crisis in Guangling with your eyes, but you didn’t replace the seemingly half-hearted Duan Zuozhang, which only shows that you have great trust in him.”

"Secondly, Duan Zuozhang was arrested after Shen Er came forward, which is even more ridiculous. It is true that the Sutra Weaving Department has deep authority, but this is Huaizhou in the north of the Yangtze River, not the capital. Su Yunqing, as the inspector of Huaizhou, In terms of status, he is second only to you and Governor Yao, but he will always be humble in front of you because he knows who controls Huaizhou's [-] troops. In the same way, Duan Zuozhang holds [-] defenders just because Lin Yatou has a sword. , will he easily succumb to these two little ones, Shen Er and Li Jin?"

"If he doesn't obey, do Shen'er and Lin Yatou really dare to kill him in the street and trigger a military uprising in Guangling?"

Lu Tong shook his head and smiled helplessly: "Su Yunqing thought this was the work of the Weaving Department, but ignored that you have been operating in this area for nearly 20 years. If I didn't guess, Li Jin is actually the secret son of the Governor. , right?"

Xiao Wangzhi neither admitted nor denied, but just sighed: "I thought you had gradually lost your former sharpness over the years, but today I know that you have not become a businessman who is obsessed with money, but you are still the big housekeeper who knows everything. "

These three words hurt Lu Tong's eyes.

He whispered: "After the commander-in-chief passed away unjustly, there will be no more great steward in this world."

"I know you have hatred in your heart and blame me for not avenging the commander-in-chief."

The expression on Xiao Wangzhi's face was very bitter.

"I don't blame you or anyone else." Lu Tong shook his head and said desolately: "When the general passed away, you were just a commander in Huaizhou, with more than 1 troops under your command, and few of them were truly What can your confidant do? In these years, you have been able to uphold the commander-in-chief’s legacy and protect the land of Huaizhou for the people of the world. I believe the commander-in-chief can also feel comforted under Jiuquan. "

Xiao Wangzhi took a long breath and said slowly: "I really don't know what happened in Guangling. After the Gu family came to Duan to make trouble, I asked him to compromise in order to follow the lead and catch them all. Later, the kid Lu Chen got involved. , Duan Zuozhang took it upon himself to cooperate with him because I asked him to take care of you and his son. After I know it, there is no longer any need to take Lu Chen out, and he may not be willing to do so." He paused slightly. He said calmly: "I believed that Guangling could be defended, so I sent a simple military order to Duan Zuozhang at that time. He would naturally understand what I meant. But I didn't expect that Lu Chen performed so well, and Jingzhou Governor Li trained another A good daughter, so they were able to defeat the enemy outside Guangling City. You also know that defending the city and waiting for reinforcements and going out to meet the enemy are two completely different things, and the difficulty is as different as clouds and mud. From this we can see, Lu Chen is a very angry kid."

Lu Tong sighed softly: "Actually, when I was committing the crime, Shen'er asked Li Chengen to come to you, and I found that he was very thoughtful. It was all because of the bad name I gave him."

Xiao Wangzhi said: "This is not necessarily a bad thing. He has such a spirit and no lack of ability, why do you need to restrain him? I know you are reluctant to let your only son take risks, but in today's world, there is no absolutely safe way to live. ? You asked him to be a carefree dandy, can he really be carefree? How can he be so clear when the whole world is turbulent? "

"But the more you value him, the harder it will be for him to stay in Huaizhou."

Lu Tong raised his head, a sharp light suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Xiao Wangzhi remained silent.

Lu Tong said in a deep voice: "Why are you suppressing Xiao Hong? Isn't it because as long as he shows up, those people in Yongjia City will definitely promote him and transfer him to the south? Don't forget, your family The boss, Xiao Lin, is still in the Taiping Prefecture Governor’s Mansion, spending his days guarding against those ambitious and talented guys from Nanzhao Kingdom, it’s a waste of time!”

"The reason why I suppress Xiao Hong is not because of the reason you mentioned, but because he has an impatient temper that needs to be tempered. In terms of military skills and martial arts, he is not weaker than Xiao Lin, but he lacks a lot of calmness and solidity. If he is really allowed to lead troops in battle, he will say You might be tempted to death."

Xiao Wangzhi said sincerely.

Lu Tong muttered: "I won't argue with you on this matter, but... let's call it my selfishness. I don't want Shen'er to quarrel with those people in Yongjia City. The commander-in-chief once said that I hope I can I had to pull away earlier, but both he and I knew it was impossible.”

He sighed softly and said: "I can't retreat and I don't want to retreat, but at least I can make my son live a more comfortable life."

"I think Lu Chen's own wishes are more important."

Xiao Wangzhi's calm words made Lu Tong's expression change slightly.

Putting aside those big principles, Lu Chen's recent performance has revealed a fact very clearly.

He is very independent and has his own ideas about the future.

Xiao Wangzhi added: "Besides, he doesn't necessarily need to go to Yongjia to work. If we don't let him go south, why don't we let him go north? Su Yunqing's stupid suggestion can actually give us some inspiration."

Lu Tong frowned slightly when he heard this. Naturally, he would not impulsively think that Xiao Wangzhi, like Su Yunqing, wanted Lu Chen to become a spy for Lao Shizi.

This is going north, not that other way.

"I have advised Lin Jie. It is far from the time to raise troops now. On the contrary, his situation is very dangerous. How could Qing Yugong miss the largest gang in the green forest around him?" Lu Tong said solemnly.

Xiao Wangzhi smiled and said: "If I hadn't heard it from you, I wouldn't have known that Lin Jie's daughter was Bodhisattva Man. Speaking of which, this girl was very powerful. She killed Li Xuanan with one knife and made all the plans in the north and south go to waste. It flows eastwards. In fact, you don’t have to worry too much. Lin Jie himself is well-known, and he also asked his daughter to raise Wangbei under the guise of Bodhisattva Man. This shows that he also has a sense of proportion. "

Lu Tongdao: "You mean, let Shen'er go to Lin Jie's side to help?"

"If you don't object, I think you can give it a try."

Xiao Wangzhi pointed to the map of Beiyan hanging on the wall and said leisurely: "In my idea, if Lin Jie's manpower can be converted into regular troops, they can attack the puppet Yan Dongyang Road from the south to the north and connect this area together. , we will have more confidence to promote the Northern Expedition. He will not be in any danger with Lin Jie, and Qing Yugong will not go to the mountains to target a few grassland before he has completely digested the Northland. Gang.”

"Of course, that is a long way off. What Lu Chen needs now is to enter the Governor's Mansion and learn how to lead troops to fight. You can rest assured that I will teach him step by step and ensure that he will grow up soon."

Xiao Wangzhi's smile was a little cunning.

Lu Tong heard this and said unconvinced: "My son is very talented, otherwise he can combine more than 1000 grass warriors into a fierce cavalry that is not afraid of death?"

"Yes, very much so."

Xiao Wangzhi repeatedly agreed and said: "Then it's settled."

"You got me in again." Lu Tong couldn't help but shook his head and said, "It is said that scholars are as cunning as foxes. How come you, the governor, are so skillful at this game? Are you really afraid that the generals below will suspect that you have been tricked?"

Xiao Wangzhi said cheerfully: "As you said before, the true face will only be revealed in front of people you can trust."

This sentence made Lu Tong's face look much better. He suddenly changed the subject and said, "Actually, your arrangements and expectations for Shen'er don't mean that you can't do it without him. Xiao Hong can also do these things well."

Xiao Wangzhi was silent for a moment and said with a sigh: "The old brothers who followed Marshal Yang back then were dead and alive, but no matter dead or alive, they knew one thing very well in their hearts. If you hadn't taken the initiative to take over the place under the water, We can't do anything in this big stall. But even the commander-in-chief has said that your leadership ability is not weaker than ours at all. It's just for the sake of the overall situation that you are willing to take off your shirt and mingle among merchants."

He stared at Lu Tong, his expression gradually becoming solemn: "We owe you a lot. Since we can't pay you back, we have no choice but to return Lu Chen's child."

"Okay, you don't mind being pretentious when the Grand Governor makes it so disgusting." Lu Tong rolled his eyes again, stood up and walked out, leaving a sentence: "We have agreed in advance that if Shen'er doesn't want to, you Don’t make false threats.”

He still put his hands in his sleeves habitually.

Xiao Wangzhi looked at his back and suddenly sighed softly.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of the heroic and unrestrained fighting back then.

However, all the old friends have been blown away by the rain and wind. How many people can have a good time over wine and talk about the past again?

(End of this chapter)