first minister

"Father!"

Outside the palace gate, when he saw his father coming out, Wan Xiang's eldest son, who had been waiting for a while, hurriedly greeted him, "How is it? Master Yan must have returned home, right?"

Wan Wenbi twitched the corner of his mouth, said nothing, and silently sat on the sedan.

The eldest son was stunned for a moment, then he realized what he was doing and followed the sedan in a low voice: "You are a reckless kid and you shouldn't speak in such a crowded place."

Wan Wenbi felt his heart twitch again and sighed quietly.

Yan Songwen might end up siding with him because of his interests, but...
He really didn't want to mention the embarrassment when they parted just now.

Is Xia Jingyun really so defiant?
He can even calculate the thoughts of Beiliang monarchs and ministers so accurately?

In such a situation, the land of Hebei is free for cavalry to gallop, and there is no natural danger all the way to Sishui Pass. How can he calmly figure out this in such a short period of time when he has only a few soldiers? of something?

Thinking of this, Wan Wenbi couldn't help but start to doubt his decision to go against him.

But a person who has reached his position has already had a tough mind that is unimaginable to ordinary people. How could he change his mind because of such a small setback.

He calmed down and said to himself: He and I were just having a gentleman's dispute. He promised me that he would make me a prime minister worthy of the name. Now it is he who failed to do so, not me.

The sedan quickly arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion. The eldest son waited for him to get off the sedan and took the initiative to help him walk towards the mansion.

After entering the mansion, the eldest son said, "Father, have you gained anything today?"

Wan Wenbi didn't expect that his son was so stupid that he dared to ask even though he ignored him just now.

In comparison, how could a country woman from the Xia family give birth to such a talented person as Xia Jingyun!
Thinking of this, he turned to look at his expectant son, and became angry.

"Why are you wearing white today?"

"what?"

The eldest son was stunned. What's wrong with wearing white clothes?
"How many times have my father told you, don't think that you are great just because you become the prime minister! Wear white clothes and want to imitate Qin Sichao? Do you have the ability? Go and change!"

The eldest son was so confused after being scolded that his eyes were straightened. Looking at the back of his father leaving angrily, he finally realized what he was doing.

It must be deflated in the center! ——
In Wei Yuanzhi's house, Li Tianfeng was sitting opposite him.

The earth dragon roast made the room warm as spring. There were several plates of absolutely exquisite side dishes on the table in front of the two of them, as well as a pot of Jiannan Shaochun given by the emperor, but neither of them had much interest in drinking and eating.

Li Tianfeng's elegant face was full of worry, "Old Wei, I'm really worried!"

Wei Yuanzhi said softly: "Brother Yun Qi, do you think that Anding Bo is not enough to take on such a big responsibility?"

Li Tianfeng stroked his beard, "If An Dingbo can train in the Wudang Army for another three to five years and fight a few more big battles with the Prince of Anguo, he will have more military experience and there will be no worries. But now... Hey, Wei Old man, a year and a half ago, Andingbo was still working hard in a labor camp, how can he compare to a veteran in the army?"

"That's wrong!" Wei Yuanzhi looked at Li Tianfeng, "According to what he said, isn't Gao Yang like that? How does he compare to you and me who have been in officialdom for decades?"

"Gao Yang is different! He passed the screening of Lian Zhong Sanyuan, withstood the test and trust of the late emperor, and finally handled government affairs in Longshou Prefecture, subdued the Caogang, and finally did such a big thing. That has been proven He has passed his own, but An Dingbo has not!"

"Hahahaha!" Wei Yuanzhi suddenly laughed when he heard Li Tianfeng's worry, "Brother Xian, you have lost one of your brains today!"

He looked at the confused Li Tianfeng, "Since you are convinced by Gao Yang, will he do anything random? How could the person he chose not be the right person? Look at An Guogong and Wei Guogong, they both followed him in their early years How is the old man who made such great achievements like the late Emperor better than you and me?"

Li Tianfeng subconsciously said: "Of course it is far better."

"Then with their abilities, how could they not know that this is a big deal and no nonsense is allowed, but can they stop it?"

Li Tianfeng suddenly understood, but how could he let go of the worries in his heart so easily? He always felt that such comfort was okay in theory, but it still made him feel empty and unsettled.

He frowned and was about to speak when there was a gentle knock on the door, "Master."

Wei Yuanzhi hummed, and the housekeeper pushed the door in, said hello to the two of them, and then said: "Just now, the central government sent someone to deliver a message. They just received the military report from Wudang Army and a letter from Zezhou. The King of the South of Beiliang Town The Crown Prince has led a delegation here, and according to the estimated distance, it will arrive in the capital in two or three days."

Li Tianfeng and Wei Yuanzhi's expressions changed as they thought of Xia Jingyun's inference in the court last night.

[If our guess is correct, the messenger from Beiliang is already on the way and will arrive soon.As long as a messenger really comes, no matter what he says, the matter is already inseparable. 】

After shooing away the butler, Wei Yuanzhi twirled his beard and smiled, while Li Tianfeng shook his head and sighed, "It's amazing, it's really amazing!"

Wei Yuanzhi picked up the wine glass, and Li Tianfeng raised his glass in response. The clinking of the wine glasses was like a high-five of victory.
-
The Qin family, both members of the family and the servants, have been a little cautious since afternoon today, and do not dare to speak too loudly when walking.

When news of the events in Yuyan State in the north came out, it sounded like the country was about to be destroyed. Anyone with a little bit of brains would know that the marriage between the eldest daughter and Marquis Jianning would probably have to be postponed.

For the Qin family, which had suffered enough from having no one in the court, such an absolutely important event was postponed, and a few people in power in the Qin family were in a good mood.

Not to mention the eldest lady herself, who has already been deeply in love with Marquis Jianning. If anyone doesn't pay attention, he will suffer.

But if they knew the facts, they might feel that they were judging a gentleman with a villain's heart.

In the long courtyard, the large room was lit up with lights that looked like daylight.

Qin Li was sitting at the table, with a large abacus in her hand and a fine pen in her hand. There were a circle of accountants around her, all of them working on their abacus.

Judging from the thick paper manuscript on the side, it has obviously been working like this for a long time.

The matter of military supplies is simple to say:
You write the report and I approve the note.

But at present, there is rebellion in all directions in the imperial court, which has caused huge losses to the accounts and huge military expenditures. The Ministry of Household Affairs is already stretched thin.

Now it is even more necessary to collect so much military rations and materials in the shortest possible time, and they can only rely on the help of the Qin family, which has trade routes all over the world and has a huge amount of resources.

Qin Li was sitting here, making arrangements in the middle, trying to find ways to transport materials from various states and counties along the way to ensure the expenses of the army.

She looked solemn, and although her beauty was still visible between her brows, her majesty was also gradually revealed.

The group of accountants below didn't take it seriously at first, and just thought they were cooperating with the eldest lady. However, after seeing Qin Li's clear task assignment, Qin Li caught them one by one for their careless mistakes, and then they were ignored. After being scolded mercilessly, everyone became honest.

Looking at the beautiful, generous and majestic woman above, everyone finally understood why the old family leader would bet the future of the Qin family on her.

After working for a while, Qin Li rubbed her sore wrist, looked at the paper in front of her with satisfaction, dried the ink, and said hoarsely: "This should be enough."

"Ali, are you done?"

Patriarch Qin appeared at the door in a wheelchair, covered with a thin blanket, smiling.

A group of accountants all stood up to greet each other, and Qin Li also came out to welcome him. He took the wheelchair from the old servant and pushed the old master Qin to the table. "Grandpa, please take a look and see if there are any mistakes."

Patriarch Qin took it with a smile, glanced at it pretendingly, and nodded, "My Ali will definitely be a good housekeeper in the future!"

Qin Li couldn't help but blush after being teased in front of her by her elders.

"You have been sitting for a long time. Please push Grandpa to get some air."

Qin Li pushed the wheelchair and took Patriarch Qin to a waterside pavilion. The surroundings had a wide view, and he did not worry about anyone secretly eavesdropping or peeping.

"Do you feel uncomfortable?" Patriarch Qin asked with a smile.

"Fortunately."

"Everyone in the world admires the good things of powerful people, but they don't know that powerful people also have the importance of being powerful. If you marry him, you are destined to have many such things in the future, so you have to be open-minded."

"Yes." Hearing the word "marriage", the blush on Qin Li's face gathered again, "Grandpa, don't worry, Ali will remember it."

"You have always been sensible. Grandpa doesn't need to say anything." Mr. Qin smiled happily, "If you have nothing to do, go out and walk around. It doesn't matter. You don't have to stay at home all the time."

Qin Li naturally understood what grandpa was saying and said softly: "He must have a lot of things going on right now, so it's best not to disturb him."

Patriarch Qin turned his head and glanced at his granddaughter, "Speaking of which, this is a big deal, aren't you worried?"

Qin Li shook his head, "Ali only needs to do his own thing. I believe the court and the central government will make their own arrangements for the rest."

Mr. Qin nodded, "Look at you. Compared to your incompetent father, I don't know how much more enlightened you are. For such an old man, he didn't know how to help in the house today. He went out to follow him all day long. His equally incompetent friends are worried about national affairs, what can they talk about if they get together as a bunch of losers!"

Speaking of his father, Qin Li naturally couldn't say much.

Just as he was talking, a sound of footsteps came, "Father! Father!"

The head of the Qin family walked quickly and saw that his daughter was there. He nodded to Qin Li and said excitedly: "Father! There is a letter from Wudang Army and Zezhou. There is actually a mission from Beiliang. !”

The head of the Qin family looked at him lightly, "What happened next?" "Ah? Nothing more. That kid Gao Yang is really a god! He actually guessed it correctly! We are still discussing today, what happened in Beiliang? What's the plan? Now it's okay, once the mission comes, no one will have to fight!"

Patriarch Qin pursed his lips and said, "What can you ignorant people argue about? Okay, okay, let's get down."

Seeing her father being scolded, Qin Li said softly: "Grandpa, my father is also worried about our family's affairs."

"Okay, okay, Ali is right." The old man's tone softened, "Okay, you have worked hard to find out the information. It's so late and you should rest early."

The head of the Qin family had to rely on his daughter to say good things to get some good looks from his father, but he didn't feel aggrieved even though he was used to it. The most important thing was that the earth-shaking event was proved to be just a false alarm, or was it a false alarm? My prospective son-in-law is awesome. Thinking of this, I retreat happily.

Show off to your friends tomorrow!

After he left, Patriarch Qin looked at the lights in front of him and said with emotion: "Ah Li, you have married a good husband!"

"Oh, I'm not married yet!"

"Haha, sooner or later! This kid has some skills, no wonder he can enjoy the blessings of everyone."

"Ignore you!"

Qin Li stomped away in shame, and the old Patriarch Qin laughed.
-
At the same time, there was a post station in Changping County, more than three hundred miles away from the capital.

Xue Wenlu, the Crown Prince of Beiliang Zhennan, sat in the room, silently watching the various intelligence collected by his entourage and the information on the customs and customs of the Southern Dynasties.

He came in with a bowl of hot soup and said, "Your Majesty, it's late at night. Let's drink something warm."

Xue Wenlu hummed lightly, but did not move his hands.

The attendant put down the things and boasted with a smile: "The prince is extremely talented, but he can still study so hard, how can the rest of the world live!"

Xue Wenlu's tone was calm, "If you want to achieve extraordinary achievements, you will have to go through extraordinary hardships."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of rapid horse hooves outside the window.

The sound of horse hooves was like a stone thrown into still water, instantly causing a commotion in the already quiet inn.

Downstairs were the accompanying guards who were waiting in full formation. Xue Wenlu stood by the window with his hands behind his hands, watching the cavalry gradually reveal its outline in the night, and frowned immediately.

The neatly formed cavalry rushed to the inn and stopped neatly, like a spear that could be freely retracted and retracted in the hands of a martial arts master. The team of hundreds of people did not make a sound.

A cavalryman lightly pulled the reins, broke away from the team, knocked on the door, "Where is Yi Cheng?"

When Yi Cheng heard the noise, he knew that it was not thieves who were coming. He let out a sigh of relief and quickly ordered someone to open the courtyard door. He stumbled forward to greet him. Unexpectedly, there was a sudden sound of drawing swords in front of him. .

He was so frightened that he backed away, but there was also a weaker sound of drawing a sword behind him.

The sergeant standing in front of the courtyard gate squinted his eyes, the light of the sword reflected in his eyes, and the light of the sword reflected the cold moon, "A person from Beiliang?"

The Northern Liang warriors also had solemn expressions on their faces, recognizing that the person facing them was the nightmare of their Northern Liang cavalry, Da Xia Wu Dangjun.

Only then did Yi Cheng react and said quickly: "Master Jun, Master Jun, this is a misunderstanding. They are the Beiliang envoy on a mission to Zhongjing. The official has read the document and it is correct!"

The sergeant glanced at the people on the opposite side and waited silently for a moment. When no new orders came from his own team, he put away his knife.

The sound of the sword being sheathed skillfully and neatly behind him was like a stern warning to the people of Beiliang.

"I'd like to ask Yi Cheng to prepare some boiling water and give us some supplies."

"Master Jun, you need to eat. The clerk has also prepared it. Don't worry, you will be safe."

The sergeant shook his head, "There are many of us, so we won't bother you anymore."

The original resting place was full and the itinerary was disrupted, but Wudangjun, who had been traveling all day, did not complain at all and went directly to the other side of the road to dismount and wait.

Several sergeants went to the post station and watched the entire process of boiling water to prevent the Beiliang people from taking the opportunity to cause trouble.

In the inn, all the big pots were washed and water was boiling, but the three Beiliang people walked towards the Wudang Army's team.

They stood at a distance, as if they did not dare to enter the area covered by Wudang's swords and guns, and said loudly: "May I ask if General Jiang is here? The Crown Prince of Zhennan invites you to talk."

Everyone in the Wudang Army looked slightly solemn. Xue Wenlu, the crown prince of Beiliang Zhennan, one of the famous Four Horsemen of Beiliang, was actually in this small inn.

Among the team, Jiang Yuhu was sitting on a rock with his eyes closed, his eyelids closed, and with deep contempt, "Does he think he is qualified to let me see him? Get out!"

Everyone in the Wudang Army quietly held their heads high and held their chests high. A mere Prince of Beiliang was just a ball, but my young master didn’t even bother to pay attention to him!

The three Beiliang people's faces were green and red, they cupped their hands and left dejectedly.

The strong are respected at all times, especially in places like Beiliang. They are full of respect, or at least fear, for this little military god of the Southern Dynasty who can make their Beiliang border troops breathless. .

The three of them had just walked away for a moment when Xue Wenlu came over in person.

He stood in front of the team and saluted, "Xue Wenlu, I have met General Jiang."

The team automatically moved out of the way. Jiang Yuhu remained motionless, but slowly opened his eyes, "Is something wrong?"

"We meet from the left and right. I have admired General Jiang's reputation for a long time, and I still hope to talk about it."

Jiang Yuhu looked at his respectful manner and closed his eyes again, "My opponent is your father, and you are not qualified enough."

Being humiliated like this, Xue Wenlu did not get angry, "Well, I'm taking the liberty of you. I've long admired the name of General Jiang, a hero of the Southern Dynasties. I hope to have the opportunity to talk to him in the future."

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Yuhu suddenly stopped Xue Wenlu who was about to leave, "Go to Zhongjing and work hard, don't lose too badly. Otherwise, when I talk to you today, I will look like a waste."

Xue Wenlu smiled and said, "Now that General Jiang is gone, who in the Southern Dynasty can be an enemy?"

Jiang Yuhu was noncommittal, with a slight smile on his stern face, "You'll know when you go."

After Xue Wenlu left, a group of unworthy sergeants puffed up their chests proudly, but Jiang Yuhu frowned quietly in the night.

People like Xue Wenlu are not idle. At such a time, what is the purpose of him leading an envoy to Zhongjing City?

He closed his eyes and continued thinking.

The long border with Beiliang clearly flashed in his mind. The passes, the garrisons on both sides, the people leading the troops, and a lot of information poured into his mind.

Suddenly, he suddenly opened his eyes.

The next day, Xue Wenlu got up early and stood in front of the window, looking down. Everything was as usual, as if the hundreds of people who came and left in a hurry last night were just a dream.

"Having no military service is indeed a serious problem for my court!"

The personal attendant flattered him: "However, the Jiang family is so loyal that they still have to listen to the imperial court's orders. This time Jiang Yuhu goes north, and there will be no rival for the prince in the capital. The prince will accomplish great things!"

"That's right. Jiang Yuhu has his own father to deal with. I just need to do my own thing! Form the team and set off!"

The carriage moved forward slowly, and at noon, everyone passed by a tea shed beside the road.

"Sir, it's cold, please have a cup of hot tea!"

A boy came forward and made a secret gesture.

The driver on the carriage turned his head and whispered, and instructions came from the carriage, "Stop and drink some hot water."

The sergeants quickly filled up the small tea shop, and in the inner room of the tea shop, a middle-aged man knelt on his knees, "Wei Chihong, the three-star embroidery envoy of the Southern Dynasty Branch of Daliang Embroidery Bureau, pays homage to His Royal Highness."

Xue Wenlu personally helped him up and said with a courteous corporal smile: "You have left your hometown and served your country loyally. I should respect you as my son, so there is no need to pay such a big gift."

The other party showed emotion, "Your Highness, the situation is urgent. I will report the situation first. Yesterday morning, the news about Yuyan Prefecture was spread. Now General Murong and Dongfang Ping have captured the entire Yuyan Prefecture. We will follow the original plan Plan and immediately organize people to create panic and rumors in the city."

Xue Wenlu smiled and said: "The orphans and widowed mothers in the Southern Dynasties, I'm afraid they can't sit still anymore, right?"

Yu Chihong looked embarrassed and said, "The lower officials and others are not doing their job well, but the capital of the Southern Dynasties is not at all panicked."

The confident smile on Xue Wenlu's face froze. (End of chapter)