Fu Song

Chapter 475

Outside Donghua Gate, there is a small restaurant along the canal. The homemade peach blossom wine is very famous in Bianliang. Because it is fruit wine, it doesn’t need food, so it doesn’t need a wine making license. However, the output is too low and the income is limited. , can buy peach blossom wine, all of them are dignitaries and noble families in Bianliang.

There are not a few people who can make fruit wine, but there is only one in Bianliang that can have the flavor of peach blossom brewing, and there is no semicolon.

The third wife of the Xiao family loved this peach blossom wine the most.

A bowl of peach blossoms and a poem was the pursuit of Xiao Min in the Bianliang celebrity circle at that time.

Luo Gang naturally knew it too.

There is strong wine in Tianxiang Pavilion, but Xiao Qi doesn't like it, it's him, he only loves this gentle and fragrant peach blossom wine.

Standing in front of the restaurant in a daze, Luo Gang stared blankly at the door of the restaurant.

It was still the same as before, but in Luo Gang's heart, it was completely different.

Vaguely, Luo Gang seemed to see at the gate, there was a woman with peach blossom cheeks standing against the gate, holding a pot in one hand and a pen in the other, smiling sweetly, taking a sip of wine, a line of poetry, and in an instant, she was there. A poem called Qijue fell on the gate.

Last year, in this door today, the peach blossoms on the human face were red, and the human face did not know where to go, but the peach blossoms still smiled at the spring breeze.

The full moon in the sky was like a jade plate, and the boat in the river passed by leisurely. The wind blows soft willows on the bank, and even peach petals came with the wind and landed on the woman.

At that time, no matter it was the companion next to the woman, or the shopkeeper in the store, Xiaoer, everyone was stunned.

At that time, there were Luo Gang, Zhang Cheng, and Xiao Cheng. They made full use of their status as noble children and drove out all the other customers in the store, just to let the woman come here to drink. some.

Now that I think about it, that poem of Qijue seems to be an arrangement of fate.

Xiao Yan, who was slightly smoked, wrote such a poem that was not festive, and it could even be said to be full of tragedy.

Looking up to the sky, he took a long breath, his sore eyes felt better, and he walked towards the small shop.

Today's Luo Gang's identity is naturally different from the past.

At this moment, all the idlers in the store have been cleaned up, only the shopkeeper and a few waiters are left, standing in the room tremblingly.

"A pot of peach blossom stuffing!"

Luo Gang didn't say much, and went straight to the small table by the window. Sitting there, he could see this section of the canal at a glance, full of peach blossoms, and willows on the opposite bank.

At that time, he was sitting here, facing Xiao Min, and on both sides were Xiao Cheng and Zhang Cheng.

At that time, he and Xiao Min were in charge, and Xiao and Zhang were companions.

A bowl of bright red like blood, drink it all in one gulp.

Luo Gang frowned.

"Why is it bitter?"

The shopkeeper turned pale with shock, took a step forward, wiped the mouth of the altar with his hand, and put it in his mouth to taste it.

"Officer, it has always tasted like this, it's not bitter!"

He answered cautiously.

He didn't know who was in front of him, but he didn't need to think too much about the identity of so many guards who arrived early and cleared all the guests, since he was the top group anyway.

In Bianliang City, if ordinary officials dare to do this, they will definitely be impeached the next day and have to leave the capital.

"It's not that the wine is bitter, it's that my heart is bitter!" After drinking another bowl, Luo Gang said plainly.

The shopkeeper didn't dare to speak anymore.

"A thousand cups of wine are rare for a bosom friend, and it's too much to say if you don't speculate!" Luo Gang chuckled, raised his bowl to the non-existent person in front of him, and said, "I can't imagine that I, who boast a lot of food, have half a bowl of fruit stuffing to smoke in my stomach." Xunran, you, do you still love this peach blossom wine?"

The house was silent.

After sitting quietly for a while, Luo Gang stood up, put down a few golden beans, and said, "I want to take the two jars of this year's latest peach blossom wine!"

Bianliang City, or perhaps the only city in the world without a curfew.

Even though it was almost midnight, the area around Donghua Gate was still brightly lit and crowded with people.

Holding the wine, Luo Gang walked among the endless crowd.

The accompanying guards scattered around, seemingly unintentionally, but they firmly guarded Luo Gang in the middle. Anyone with malicious intentions who wanted to approach Luo Gang had to pass through them first.

Finally, the smell of fireworks slowly faded away, and the high walls and deep fortifications on both sides gradually increased. The scarlet gate, the stone beast tied to the horse, and the lion guarding the gate can always be seen at a distance.

In this area, it is obvious that all the dignitaries lived there.

Luo Gang turned his head and beckoned seemingly casually.

Among the crowd, a man with an ordinary face strode over.

"You know, don't you?" Luo Gang's tone was very unfriendly. "It's impossible for Zhiqiuyuan not to know."

This middle-aged man is the deputy director of the Statistics Department, Wu Ke who is in charge of the Zhiqiu Academy. This time, he came back with Luo Gang mainly to restore the intelligence network of the Statistics Department in Bianliang and the further north.

Listening to Luo Gang's words, Wu Ke lowered his head and said after a long while, "Futai doesn't want you to be sad about this."

sad?

Luo Gang stopped suddenly.

Are you sad?he does not know.

For five full years, he always thought that that person was dead.

He stuffed the two altars of peach blossom wine into Wu Ke's hands, and said without doubt: "Send it to Zhongjing, and send it to her. Don't say you can't do it."

Of course Wu Ke can do it.

As the largest espionage agency in the South, Qiuyuan, the chief of statistics, had no contact with the Liao people?

Sometimes, the two sides even exchange information.

Fighting life and death, and cooperating with each other, this is a true portrayal of their lives.

"Do you want to bring a message?" Wu Ke hesitated and asked.

It was absolutely impossible for Luo Gang to write a letter and send it over. Even if Luo Gang wanted to do this, Wu Ke would never send it for him.

"No need for anything!" Luo Gang shook his head and continued to stride forward.

"Is Futai going to Xiao's Mansion?" Wu Ke hurried two steps and asked.

"Go and see!"

"Go through the side door, the door is still sealed!" Wu Ke said, "There is only one small door leading to the Xiao Family Ancestral Hall."

Xu Wuyan is already very old.

With a stooped figure, he stood beside Luo Gang, watching Luo Gang salute and offer incense.

"It's been five years, and you are the only one who came to pay homage." Xu Wuyan said, "I thank you on behalf of Dalang and Erlang."

Luo Gang nodded, did not speak, but his eyes fell on the bottom row of spiritual tablets, there was a tablet that belonged to Xiao Qi.

By the way, her name is Xiao Chuo now.

Mrs. Xiao Mi and Xiao San, maybe she is really dead!

"Grandpa Xu, I'll go for a walk in the garden."

"There are guards in front!" Xu Wuyan said.

Luo Gang smiled and left without making a sound.

There is a courtyard wall ahead, and the moon gate in the middle is locked. Wu Ke stepped forward and drew his sword without hesitation.

With a clang, the lock was cut open.

There seems to be the sound of footsteps inside, but they are not moving forward, but retreating towards the distance.

"It should be the guard, probably knows who is coming, so stay away!" Wu Ke said with a smile.

Luo Gang stepped in.

He went all the way to the bottom of the two-story building.

There used to be a pond in front of it. In summer, it is covered with lotus leaves, red and white lotus flowers bloom in it, and there are fish playing in the water and the sound of frogs croaking.

Now it is covered with weeds, and the boundary of the pond can't be seen clearly. Looking up at the boudoir, half of the window is hanging upside down, and it may fall down at any time.

Pushing aside the weeds and moving forward, I unexpectedly saw the small boat, but there was a wild cat standing on the boat. At this moment, it was arched, its hair stood on end, and it neighed loudly at them.

This boat is probably its home!
Maybe there is this cat's child inside, otherwise, a wild cat should have run away long ago when it saw people.

Leaning halfway on the boat, Luo Gang closed his eyes, listening to the sound of insects in the garden.

It turns out that the queen of the Liao Kingdom is actually you?

No wonder Xiao Cheng always had a weird expression whenever the Liao Kingdom was mentioned.

No wonder in the past two years, information about the Liao Kingdom has suddenly increased.

That Xiao Chuo, known as the most capable empress since the founding of the Liao Kingdom, who played in harmony with the emperor's qin and se, and played with husband and wife, is it you?
I debated with you many times back then, but ended up losing time and time again. At that time, I knew that you had your own views on the world, and even Xiao Cheng sometimes had no choice but to shy away from you.

If it wasn't because of you, I would still be just a son of a lord, a dandy in the capital, a joke in the eyes of others, right?
If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have traveled far to the southwest, and naturally there wouldn't be today's Yunnan Road appeasement envoy Luo Gang.

However, you are still alive.

You have become our worst enemy.

Moreover, it is a truly malicious enemy.

Mrs. Xiao San, are you really planning to fight back with the Liao people?
Luo Gang hurriedly opened his eyes.

Then let's compete again, maybe, this time, you will be the loser.

He waved the half jar of peach blossom wine that he hadn't finished drinking, and threw it into a pond not far away that was overgrown with weeds.

There was a splash of water with a bang.

The sound of insects and frogs disappeared without a trace in an instant.
There was a dead silence in the garden.

Luo Gang stood up straight, straightened his clothes, and strode out.

Behind him, the wild cat that had been huddled in the cabin before, although it was afraid but did not leave, stood on the bow again, looked at the back of the faraway cat, and meowed a few times.

Following these meows, the garden regained its vitality, and those chaotic sounds appeared in Luo Gang's ears again.

Luo Gang suddenly remembered, maybe this cat is the Sanhua raised by Xiao Qi earlier?When we took a boat ride in this pond that year, we seemed to have seen such a three-coloured cat lying lazily on the window sill of her boudoir.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, the cat is still alive and has not left.

Zhao Jing was half lying on the bamboo couch in Chu Palace, the weather was getting hotter, the huge water wheel outside the house lifted the water in the pond and dumped it on the roof, and then flowed down the roof, not only sweeping away the heat , and the water drops to the ground, the crackling sound like pearls falling on a jade plate, is another scene.

"Ziyu, do you think that Liu Fengkui's proposal is another way?" King Zhao Jing of Chu thought thoughtfully, "If you really want to talk about it, then Xiao Cheng is really a talent. In my opinion, he is better than Xia Jie. They are much stronger. If they can manage a place like Guizhou Road to its current state, what kind of situation would it be if he were to be the chief assistant?"

Zhao Yuan laughed: "I admire Xiao Chongwen's talent, but the more it is like this, the more worrying it is."

"If he wanted to rebel, he would have rebelled a long time ago." Zhao Jingdao: "Tell me what he was thinking in the early days? To be honest, I am a little confused now."

"This person is so treacherous and loyal." Zhao Yuan said decisively: "Your Highness must not be fooled by this person. What is loyalty to the Song Dynasty, and to expand the territory for the Song Dynasty, it is just a choice he has no choice. In Yunnan, it is equivalent to the feudal town in Tang Dynasty, and the calamity of the feudal town is familiar to His Highness."

Zhao Jing took a deep breath, how could he not be clear about the disaster of the feudal town in Tang Dynasty?
It is precisely because of this that since the Song Dynasty, they have been vigorously curbing the power of generals, using literature to suppress military affairs, and weak support and strong officials. This has kept the Great Song Dynasty safe for hundreds of years.

"Not only Guizhou Road has become a de facto vassal town, Guangnan West Road Cen Zhong is also walking on that road step by step, and Yunnan Road, which will be established soon, is actually the same." Zhao Yuan said: "If you don't change this quickly This situation, but if it continues like this, I am afraid that it will not be long before all places will follow suit, and by then, the Great Song Dynasty will exist in name only."

"But now, it's not enough to use force!" Zhao Jing sighed, "If the outside is not stable, how can we clean up the inside?"

"So, this negotiation with the Liao people is very important!" Zhao Yuan said.

"Why would the Liao people sincerely negotiate with us?" Zhao Jing looked a little annoyed: "I talked with Lin Ping once, and it was aggressive and annoying."

"Your Highness, don't look at their external attitudes, but look at their internal needs!" Zhao Yuan said: "The Liao people came to negotiate this time, and they had to do so. Xiao Ding couldn't help it."

"The power of the Liao people is concentrated in the five capitals. In other places, the land is vast and sparsely populated. It is indeed very uncomfortable to face Xiao Ding's light cavalry harassing everywhere!" Zhao Jing laughed, a little gloating, the two enemies attacked each other, Of course he was happy.

"The most important thing is Xijing Road. After being attacked by Xiao Ding a few years ago, three surrendered cities were built in the east and west. It was like three steel needles stuck in their hearts. They had to pull them out, otherwise Xiao Ding would be able to kill them if he made a move. No one can bear to approach the core of their Xijing Road."

"So, this time, they actually asked us."

"Of course." Zhao Yuan said with a chuckle: "If they want to solve Xiao Ding's threat to Xijing Road, they must cooperate with us, otherwise, they will not be able to defeat Xiao Ding. This is a good opportunity for us to ask for a price. If We have a good talk, and we can even get back the territory we lost last time."

"really?"

"So, Your Highness, this time, you should not back away, but try your best to use this plenipotentiary negotiator to negotiate with Lin Ping. Attacking Xiao Ding is also beneficial to us. If you can take this opportunity, you can get back the lost territory , that kills two birds with one stone, why not do it?"

(End of this chapter)