first minister

Yeluceqi jumped down from the carriage as lightly as a white deer crossing the meadow.

She tilted her head slightly and looked at Xia Jingyun with a direct and bold gaze, "Are you the Marquis Jianning of the Southern Dynasty?"

After being slightly stunned, Xia Jingyun couldn't help but cursed secretly in his heart, "Xia Yunfei and Yelvshi, what are you two going to do!"

Why don't you write me a letter in advance about such a big thing?

What's your plan?

Yelv Shi, isn’t this your precious granddaughter? She ran from Liangdu to Lieyang Pass and then to Yuyan Prefecture. Don't tell me that you, an old man, don't know anything!

The moment of confusion fell into Yelu Caiqi's eyes, but it naturally became a familiar and classic performance like a madman. Fortunately, although she was pure and natural, she was not unruly and aggressive. She only frowned slightly and coughed lightly.

Xia Jingyun was also interrupted by the cough. When he came to his senses, he rolled up his sleeves and bowed solemnly, "Xia Jingyun has met Miss Yelu."

Yelu Caiqi looked at the person he most wanted to see when he first came to the Southern Dynasty, and calmly returned a salute, "Yelucai Qi has met Mr. Xiahou."

Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "It's been a hard journey. Miss Yelu, please come to the city to rest for a while."

Yelucaiqi nodded and turned back to the carriage.

The carriage started slowly, and her maid in the carriage whispered: "Miss, this Marquis of the Southern Dynasty looks extremely weak, and he doesn't have the majesty and majesty of our prairie men at all!"

Although Yelu Caiqi was not as narrow-minded as the slave girl, due to the environment he grew up in, he also felt that this powerful official of the Southern Dynasty, who was rumored to be a god, lacked a bit of heroic and high-spirited spirit in addition to his literary style. For regrets.

However, she still said: "Don't talk about others behind their backs. The Southern Dynasties valued culture and etiquette, and the customs are not the same as those of me, Daliang. How can we generalize."

The maid shrank her neck, but she was not too scared. She continued to smile and said: "Miss, if this Mr. Xia Hou shows his kindness to you, what will you do? Will you fall in love with him?"

Although the Northern Liang Dynasty is not as demanding on etiquette as the Southern Dynasty, Yelu Caiqi is definitely not bad in these aspects because of her background. She sat upright, elegant and calmly said: "Everyone has a love for beauty. I look good." If you look better, it's natural for him to give you preferential treatment, but don't think that people have any illusions about you because of this, it's a shallow delusion only possessed by ignorant women in the countryside."

Yelu Caiqi looked at her and said slowly: "The Marquis of Jianning already has a beautiful wife and concubines, and he is also an outstanding person standing at the top of the Southern Dynasty. If you just think about it, there will be many beauties flocking to him, so he will not be like this." It’s unbearable, and at the same time, it’s also proud of itself. It’s best to think more carefully about your words and never be as reckless as in Liangdu.”

After hearing this, the maid nodded quickly and seriously, "Miss, you have taught me a lesson."

After teaching the maid, Yelu Caiqi sighed quietly in his heart.

To this day, his grandfather and father have not sent anyone to force him to go back, which shows that they have acquiesced in his escape.

The reason behind this was to compensate, or to allow her to temporarily avoid Liang Du's limelight, or even with some deeper considerations, she was too lazy to guess.

Anyway, now that I'm out of town, let's experience it. Maybe there won't be a second chance to come here again in this life.

While thinking about it, the team had already stopped in front of the city lord's mansion.

Yelu Caiqi got off the carriage and looked at this gorgeous building that was completely different from Daliang's style, and was slightly stunned.

When he turned his head, he did not find Jianninghou's jade tree facing the wind in the team.

"Huh? Where is Marquis Jianning of your country?"

The Wudang military captain who escorted them all the way said: "Miss Yelu, Marquis Jianning has gone to do his own business. He specifically asked the general to entertain Miss Yelu well!"

Yelu Caiqi:? ? ?

The maid on the side looked shocked and whispered: "Miss, you are indeed right. This Marquis Jianning is really not an ordinary person. He has his own ethics and pride!"

Yelu Caiqi turned to look at her, his eyes filled with resentment and speechlessness.

Seeing Yelu Caiqi's hesitation, the Wudang Army officers thought that Yelu Caiqi was dissatisfied with their arrangements and felt slighted. They quickly said: "Don't worry, Miss Yelu, my Prince Jing from the Wudang Army is also in the Prefectural Mufu. I will not treat the girl lightly."

It's okay not to mention this. When the name was mentioned, everyone in Beiliang shuddered. Yelu Caiqi immediately looked at him, "Where did Marquis Jianning go?"

Na Wudang Military Academy Lieutenant said: "I don't know, it's just heading south."

Before he finished speaking, Yelu Caiqi had already climbed onto his horse and said, "Borrow the horse."

As he spoke, he pinched the horse's belly skillfully, shook the reins lightly, and rushed out.

The maid behind him also quickly borrowed a few horses to catch up.

This incident immediately stunned the Wudang Military Academy Lieutenant. He took a few breaths on the spot and then quickly ordered a small team to catch up and escort him. He hurried into the Prefectural Mufu to report to the Young Master.

When he saw Jiang Yuhu, he was once again shocked by the magical scene in front of him.

I saw the young master who usually killed the people of Beiliang with swords and horses, cold faces and cold spears, and made the people of Beiliang throw away their helmets and cry for father and mother. At this moment, he was sitting on the ground, smiling like the two fools in his hometown village. The most important thing is that in Opposite him, a pretty girl sat on a bamboo chair and was made to giggle by Jiang Yuhu.

How long has it been since we last seen each other? Why do you already have a child?

Apart from Marquis Jianning, there are no other women here?

He swallowed, not knowing how to speak.

Jiang Yuhu also sensed that there was someone behind him, but he always acted as he pleased. After teasing Maid Guanyin, he handed her over to the trustworthy wet nurse specially found by the Qin family. Then he stood up and returned to his usual expression, "Why are you here? Already?"

"My lord, Yelu Caiqi, the granddaughter of Prince Dingxi of Northern Liang, suddenly appeared at Lieyang Pass. General Jin and Marquis Xing'an did not dare to take advantage of it, so they ordered five hundred people from the end of the army to escort her to Yuyanzhou City and hand her over to the generals and Marquis Jianning. Disposal."

Jiang Yuhu pursed his lips and said, "Just leave it to Marquis Jianning to deal with it. There is no need to include me."

"Cough cough."

"What about people now?"

"Run away." The captain spread his hands and explained the situation just now.

Jiang Yuhu was also stunned when he heard this, "Do you think they are afraid of being with me, or do they want to be with Xia Jingyun?"

"Cough cough."

"If you are sick, get some medicine!" Jiang Yuhu glared at him speechlessly, "Since you are chasing him, don't worry about it and let him have a headache. You have worked hard all the way, so go out of the city and rest in the camp for two days before returning. "

When the captain took the order and retreated, Jiang Yuhu rubbed his chin, thinking that it was almost time for him to pass the Lieyang Pass.
-

"Young master, you are so powerful! Miss Yelu is so good-looking, but the master actually left without blinking an eyelid. This kind of character is really extraordinary!"

On the way south, Xia Jingyun listened to Chen Fugui's words that seemed to be flattering but actually reminded him, and rolled his eyes at him speechlessly, "What? I don't say anything this time. I only know about the Pearl of Dongting, not the Pearl of the Grassland?"

Chen Fugui smiled naively, and Xia Jingyun sighed, "Not to mention what I personally think, just her identity and my identity, it is destined that this cannot be a simple love between a man and a woman. I haven't figured out how to deal with it yet. , let her stay in the State Shepherd’s Mansion first, and wait for me to think about it for a while.”

Chen Fugui said with a smile: "The Marquis of Xing'an is also willing to give up. He is not married yet. Isn't this a good match sent to his door! How can he be thrown to you like a hot potato?"

Xia Jingyun shook his head, "He is a military general, and even a frontier general. As long as the situation of confrontation or coexistence between the north and the south does not change, how could he have anything to do with the relatives of the important ministers of the Northern Liang Dynasty. This is also the reason why I turned around and ran away. In the future Before the overall situation is settled, I cannot have any substantial involvement with this girl Yelu."

Chen Fugui looked serious when he heard this, "Then why don't we send people back to Beiliang immediately?"

Xia Jingyun suddenly paused, was silent for a moment, and smiled, "I asked why the eldest brother would send people here instead of sending them back. No wonder no one from the Yelu family came to call them back for so long. So that's what happened. .”

He expressed emotion and smiled bitterly, "I've made progress, I've made progress!"

Chen Fugui heard this and was about to ask, when a sound of horse hoofbeats suddenly sounded.

They turned around and saw Yelu Caiqi, a heroic figure, taking the lead, leading a team of maids and dozens of guards, and rushed in front of them.

She turned over and dismounted, looked at Xia Jingyun, and smiled lightly, "Marquis Jianning left without saying goodbye, but is there anything inconvenient for this little lady to know?"

Xia Jingyun really didn't expect that Yelu Caiqi would catch up with him, but when he thought about it carefully, he had just made a miscalculation and let Yelu Caiqi and a bunch of Beiliang people stay with Jiang Yuhu, the murderer, in the state pastor's mansion. They might as well have followed. I’m living in the open air by myself!

Thinking of this, he stood up with a smile and said, "Miss Yelu, you are serious. My duty is to inspect the counties in the state. The journey will inevitably be tiring, so I did not invite the girl to accompany me. If Miss Yelu is willing, I will naturally It’s welcome.”

Yelu Caiqi nodded decisively, "That's just right. The little girl has come all the way and wants to see the customs and customs of your country. She has to work hard to build the Marquis of Ning along the way." "Whatever I do, it's all Yelu's own hard work."

He smiled slightly, "Then let's get on the road!"

Along the way, Xia Jingyun and Yelu Caiqi rode their horses one after another, stopping from time to time to rest and chat. Xia Jingyun talked about the scenery of the place, and the atmosphere was not too bad.

The maids and guards accompanying Yelu Caiqi did not notice anything, but Yelu Caiqi, who had learned many things through words and deeds from Yelu Shi and Yelu De since he was a child, secretly claimed to be surprised.

This young important minister of the Southern Dynasty was said to be from Sishui Prefecture in the southwest of the Southern Dynasty, but he was almost familiar with Yuyan Prefecture in the northeast. This knowledge and practicality in doing things really amazed her, and even reminded her of her. grandfather.

However, this somewhat positive impression soon disappeared because of Xia Jingyun's few words.

When passing by a place with towering trees, dense forests, and several ancient tombs on both sides, Xia Jingyun said: "Miss Yelu, you know, there is something about this place in Guangyang County, and it has even spread to the city. of."

He pointed to the ancient tombs on both sides, "It is said that there is a large tomb deep here. The ancient corpses in the tomb have turned into monsters, which have the ability to confuse people's minds and eat their souls to replenish their essence and blood. There is also a fierce tiger that has become a spirit. The people under his tent obeyed orders and captured people for blood, and the local residents never dared to walk through this place alone at night."

Yelu Caiqi looked indifferent when he heard this, "Oh, really? That girl would like to see it."

She looked at Xia Jingyun and smiled sweetly, "Marquis Jianning may not know that under my sword, bow and horse, I have never heard of any ghosts."

After realizing that Yelucaiqi thought he was someone with bad intentions who was "bringing girls to watch horror movies", Xia Jingyun, who had no such intention at all, smiled helplessly.

He wasn't angry at all. People with good looks and family backgrounds like Yelu Caiqi did face more temptations and disguises. Being cautious was not a bad thing.

But he didn't say any more. At sunset, after a whole day of galloping, they arrived outside Guangyang County.

The officers and soldiers guarding the city were frightened when they saw this battle from a distance. Fortunately, Xia Jingyun sent Sergeant Wudang to run ahead to understand the situation and verify the tokens, and then they were able to enter the city smoothly.

Then they arrived outside the prefect's Yamen without saying hello and walked in directly.

When Cao Yuting, who was working at his desk, heard the noise and raised his head, the elegant Marquis Jianning had already stepped inside.

"Hurry up and get free of charge!"

Xia Jingyun stepped forward quickly, supported Cao Yuting who stood up in a hurry to salute, and said warmly: "These days, you are here alone, the situation is difficult, thank you for your hard work!"

Cao Yuting's eyes immediately turned red, "The Marquis has made a serious statement. The imperial court has entrusted you with important tasks. The Marquis has entrusted you with the important trust. I should do my best to repay it, live up to the expectations of Your Majesty and the Queen Mother, and not destroy the arrangements and arrangement of the Marquis in Yuyan Prefecture." Big picture.”

His thoughts were exactly the same as those of the two subordinate officials in the city. Being able to work under Xia Jingyun was a rare opportunity for people with no background. How could they not seize it and give excellent performance in order to achieve success? The future is here!

Yelucaiqi stood outside the door, but silently frowned upon hearing it.

Obviously he was afraid that he would not see the truth, so he rushed over without saying hello, wanting to check the work attitude and ability of his subordinates, and to catch the current situation;

The other person also knew this very well, but the two of them acted so harmoniously here that they were moved to tears. It was really hypocritical.

But having said that, this is also the norm in official circles. Her own grandfather often bowed before the late emperor, and her father had been hiding for ten or twenty years. It was the same after all, so after a while, her mood returned to normal.

Xia Jingyun did not hide her presence, and introduced Cao Yuting openly: "This is Yelu Caiqi, the granddaughter of King Dingxi of Daliang, Princess Anle of Daliang. I came here in the name of King Dingxi of Daliang , came to discuss further peace talks between the two countries."

After the two greeted each other, Xia Jingyun added, "We will act openly and selflessly. There is no need to avoid Princess Anle. If we have anything to say later, we can just say it directly."

Cao Yuting was promoted from the bottom, and he understood immediately when he heard it, that is, the most core things must be avoided, but you can choose a few things that are not so core but seem to be important things to show off.

However, Yelu Caiqi is not an ignorant person from a small family. Hearing this, he immediately said: "You two are discussing business, and I won't disturb you here."

Xia Jingyun smiled and nodded, "In that case, Mr. Cao, I would like to trouble you to make some arrangements. First, please ask Princess Anle to wash up and rest for a while. After we finish talking about things, let's have something to eat together."

Although Yelucaiqi knew that he should have avoided it, when he saw that Xia Jingyun didn't even say a polite word and sent him away with the same attitude as sending him away to the God of Plague, his self-esteem as a top beauty was still somewhat affected.

After a busy period of work, Xia Jingyun took two documents and began to seriously discuss the New Deal with Cao Yuting, carefully recording the various resistances encountered by the grassroots, the problems that may arise, and the solutions to be resolved when facing the local rich at the grassroots level. Methods and so on.

They also directly discussed and decided on some risks and issues that Cao Yuting was unsure about or didn't know about in person.

After this conversation, it was already dark.

Cao Yuting slapped his thigh and said, "Oh, Lord Marquis, I'm sorry, we forgot about Princess Anle in this sudden excitement! I'm sorry for my poor thinking, Lord Marquis!"

Xia Jingyun also had some forgetfulness in the discussion just now, but with his behavior, he naturally remembered it, but deliberately did not make arrangements in advance.

This wayward noble lady from Beiliang has caused a lot of trouble for herself. It doesn't matter if she goes hungry for half a meal, so as not to treat herself like a licking dog again.

But listening to these words now, I am afraid that this Governor Cao is also a wonderful person.

He smiled and said, "No problem, let's make arrangements quickly. After talking for so long, everyone must be hungry."

Naturally, he didn't need to worry about the affairs of the accompanying soldiers, as they had already been arranged. Cao Yuting quickly set up a sumptuous banquet in the prefect's mansion and invited Xia Jingyun, Chen Fugui, and Yelu Caiqi.

Xia Jingyun smiled and said: "Princess, I am sorry for the lack of etiquette when you are away from home. If you are not used to it, you can also have the food delivered to your room."

Yelu Caiqi shook his head, "You're welcome, Marquis Jianning. When you go to a country, do as the Romans do. Guests do as the host does, as long as you don't dislike the little girl's trouble."

According to Cao Yuting's hometown, it is almost impossible to eat at the same table with women, but Marquis Jianning did not object, and Yelu Caiqi's status was amazing, so that was another matter, and he immediately invited everyone to sit down with a smile.

Along the way, Yelu Caiqi felt that the only thing in the Southern Dynasty that was undoubtedly far superior to Daliang was the food in the Southern Dynasty. It was simply amazing. In addition, he was hungry again at this moment, so he immediately started eating with restraint and frequency.

Xia Jingyun filled his stomach lightly and started chatting with Cao Yuting, "Are these big families in the state quite honest recently?"

Cao Yuting smiled and nodded, "The Marquis has made such a big noise in the city. How dare they jump around? They are all so honest!"

At this point, he suddenly stopped smiling and said, "Speaking of which, there have been some weird things happening in the city these past two days."

Xia Jingyun raised his eyebrows, "Something strange?"

Cao Yuting hummed, "I wonder if Marquis Jianning has heard of the rumors of ghosts in the ancient tombs in the northern suburbs outside the city?"

Yelu Caiqi immersed himself in eating for a while, biting into a piece of fried golden and crispy meat, raised his head in surprise, and his big eyes widened.

Ancient tomb? Ghost? Co-authored Is this true?

Xia Jingyun hummed, "I heard something."

"The Yang family in the city is second only to the Hong family in the past, and now it has become the largest family in Guangyang County. But just the day before yesterday, something strange happened to the Yang family."

"The Young Master of the Yang family has always been a bit dissolute. He took his beautiful concubine out of the city for an outing the day before yesterday. He happened to pass by that place. At that time, his beautiful concubine was a little worried, so he went to the side of the road for a while. After returning home, he rested that night. , in the middle of the night, they heard a strange scream and the sound of the window being knocked down. After hearing the news, everyone rushed to the eldest son of the Yang family who was staying in the concubine's room, and found that he had been disemboweled, and his heart and liver were gone. His beautiful concubine has disappeared."

Yelucaiqi felt a sudden gust of cool wind blowing on his back, which made his heart feel cold. He couldn't help but shiver, and he almost subconsciously reached out to grab Xia Jingyun's arm for comfort.

After hearing this, Xia Jingyun frowned slightly, "What then?"

"Then of course the Yang family went crazy with fear and invited Taoist priests to perform rituals at their house yesterday and today."

Hearing this, Xia Jingyun thought for a moment and slowly shook his head, "No, no." (End of Chapter)