prosperous age

Chapter 59
The sound of galloping horseshoes can be heard far away in the night.

Pengze County is not a big city, so of course it is not a city that never sleeps. It is very quiet at night.

Wu Zhankui and Wei Meng who were drinking were taken aback for a moment, put down their chopsticks and listened attentively.

The sound of hoofbeats seemed vague at first, then became louder and clearer, and finally the sound of the rider reining in the reins was even heard.

The rider stopped his horse just outside the gate.

Both Wu Zhankui and Wei Meng felt a sudden shock in their hearts, knowing what this meant.

Running horses in the middle of the night is rare, if they are sent directly to the county government, they can continue to eat and drink without worrying about other things, but it is obvious that the rider is running after them, and the faces of the two of them are cloudy .

As an important role in this banquet, Wei Guangde has always kept a low profile. He is now thinking of how to speak up and tell his family elders that he does not plan to continue the next few exams, and directly prepares for the government exam in two months. Keen He noticed the subtle changes on the faces of his father and uncle.

He also heard the sound of horseshoes, but he didn't think much about it.

But combined with the sound of the horse's hooves seeming to stop outside the house now, and the changes in the faces of his father and uncle, he knew that there must be something going on inside.

Sure enough, with the slap of the iron ring on the gate, someone knocked on the door.

After a while, hurried footsteps came from outside the house, and a servant entered the house and walked to Wu Zhankui's side, whispering something in a low voice.

The lively banquet just now gradually became quiet, and all eyes in the room were focused on Wu Zhankui.

After the man finished speaking, Wu Zhankui stood up and smiled at the others, "You guys continue to eat and drink, I have some things to deal with first."

After speaking, he winked at Wei Meng, and the two hurriedly left the table and walked out the door.

No one in the room was deaf, so they had heard the sound of the horse's hooves before, but no one paid attention to it, but at this time, they couldn't help it.

After Wu Zhankui and Wei Meng left the table, everyone naturally lost the intention to continue eating and drinking. Although the aunt kept warming up the scene, calling everyone to eat food, and said a lot of auspicious words, Wei Guangde must also be named on the gold list this time. But everyone's thoughts were not here, and naturally the warm atmosphere before was gone.

For a while, neither father nor uncle came back. Seeing this scene, my aunt knew that there was no need to hold on. She asked someone to clean up, and everyone got up and went out.

The door to the left wing outside the main room was open, and everyone walked in. Wu Zhankui and Wei Daddy were sitting there with sad faces at the moment, and there was a piece of paper and a letter box on the table between them.

"Dad, what's the matter?"

Wu Dong stood in front and asked.

"See for yourself."

With that said, Wu Zhankui handed the paper on the desk to Wu Dong, and Wei Wencai and Wei Guangde also stood beside Wu Dong, staring at the words on the paper with their eyes wide open.

Mother and aunt didn't know a few words, so naturally they didn't rush to read it. They were still waiting for Wu Dong to finish reading and tell them what happened.

After reading the content on the paper, Wu Dong was frightened. It was a military order, and it was stamped with the seal of the commander of Jiujiang Guard, so it could not be faked.

"Father, what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Open the city gate at dawn tomorrow, and you and Wencai will ride back to assemble the team and bring everyone over."

Wu Zhankui replied.

"Where are you going this time? Was the messenger sent by grandpa?"

Wu Dong asked again.

"I don't know, I just know that there seems to be another fight in the north. This time the military order from above didn't make it clear, only the callers were called to prepare for departure."

At this time, Wei Guangde was also in a daze, trying his best to think hard, but he couldn't remember when the Jiajing Dynasty transferred troops from the south to fight the Tartars in the north.

I really have no impression at all.

"What did you write?"

My aunt felt something was wrong at the moment, fearing something serious would happen, so she hurriedly spoke to Wei Wencai.

"This, this is the military order to gather the troops to prepare for the expedition."

Wei Wencai hesitated a little, but said what was written in the military order.

"Still going north?"

Aunt screamed.

I have been worried for a year, thinking that this matter is over, especially after the imperial court and the Tartars started to trade each other, I thought that the north would be peaceful, but why did war start again.

Wu Zhankui shook his head before replying: "Last time I heard from Shigui that the Tartars invaded Datong again in the first lunar month, and His Majesty sent General Qiu Luan to lead the reinforcements. I'm afraid there will be a real fight. The palace is worried that the Tartars will appear again two years ago." The situation in the capital, so we need to assemble our team and prepare for the expedition."

When my aunt heard that Jiujiangwei might really be going to the north, she was really terrified. If the Tartars really came to fight, they didn't know what they would do.

But such a big matter, of course, she is not a woman who can make irresponsible remarks, so she can only stand aside, at a loss.

"Same as last time, it is estimated that we should go to Yingtian Mansion first and join the Nanjing Jingying troops."

Wu Zhankui looked at the panic of his daughters and said, hoping to stabilize them.

"It's already in the mutual market, why do we still have to call back and forth?"

Wei Wushi also spoke at this moment.

Although it is a woman's family, the family members of officials naturally know a lot more than ordinary people outside.

Didn't the Tatars besiege the capital last time because of the mutual market?
Since the emperor agreed to the mutual market, and the mutual market started last year, why do we still have to fight?
For this point, Wei and Wu couldn't figure it out.

Wei Guangde didn't look at the military order, but asked his uncle, "Uncle, there is an exchange market, why are the Tatars still attacking Datong? It's not right."

Wei Guangde was puzzled, he knew that the Tatars' withdrawal from the capital was said to have been negotiated in private, and the horse market was reopened to trade with the Tartars.

It's not clear outside, but he knows it, and he also knows that the horse market opened last year, otherwise it's hard to say that all the soldiers and horses of Jiujiangwei have gone to the northern border town now.

"The horse market was reopened twice last year and the beginning of the year, and the Tatars used the market twice to loot border forts."

Perhaps afraid that others might not understand, Wu Zhankui continued: "I heard from Shigui before that the horses were snatched back by the Tartars after the trade was made, and a few border fortresses were taken by the way."

There are not many meaningful things in the military order, that is, to gather the troops of Qianhusuo and prepare to set off for Zhenjiang at any time.

But this was enough, it was not written in black and white to tell them to go to the north, it was probably the previous news that scared uncle and father.

The so-called "will not accept the orders of the generals outside the country", naturally uncle and father do not want to go to the north, not to mention the guest army, the main reason is that it is too dangerous.

Fortunately, the military order is only to go to Zhenjiang to assemble. Even if the Tatars come to the capital again, they can drag along the road and pass slowly.

"Father, Uncle, the military order is only to gather people to go to Zhenjiang to join the Nanjing Jingying, but not to go directly to the north."

Wei Guangde opened his mouth after reading the things in his hands.

(End of this chapter)