Chapter 174: When the flowers fall, I meet you again

Chapter 174: When the flowers fall, I meet you again

Chapter 174: See you again in the season of falling flowers
At the end of August, the city of Gyeongju became empty and no longer noisy due to the departure of the northern expeditionary army.

The unpleasant smell in the air also dissipated little by little.

The sky is high and clear, and the sunlight, with the gentleness of summer, shines on the earth.

It illuminates the mottled city walls and the wild grass swaying in the wind, making the city look even more desolate.

At the southern city gate, thanks to the great victory in the northern expedition,
The trade between Ming Dynasty and the northern grasslands was no longer hindered.
Some merchants with good backgrounds came from Daning and Beiping, and their goods poured into Qingzhou City.
Just waiting for the order from the court to be issued,
They would rush out of the north gate and go to the grassland to exchange goods with the remaining grassland tribes.

This was a speculative move before the establishment of the court's commercial institutions.

But the people did not report this matter, and the officials did not investigate.
If it was just selling some daily necessities, the court would not make a big deal about it.
Border cities will also open their doors to convenience, after all, the carriage taxes and gate taxes for merchants traveling back and forth are a huge sum of money.

At the north gate of Gyeongju, the heavy wooden door was closed tightly, and the iron lock was heavy.
The city gate, which was temporarily expanded due to the arrival of the army, appeared particularly wide and somewhat abrupt on the low city wall.

The soldiers of Qingzhouwei stood on the city wall. They no longer had the vigilance they used to have, but instead looked relaxed.
They gathered in groups of three or four, looking at the dense green grassland in the distance and feeling the fresh breeze, feeling relaxed and happy.

After the fall of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, there was no more enemy chieftain in the north of Gyeongju.
Soldiers no longer have to worry as much as they did in the past.
The sudden comfort made them feel a little uncomfortable.

However, this tranquility did not last long.

A burst of hurried horse hooves sounded from afar, breaking the silence that was only disturbed by the breeze.

The soldier sitting on the city wall suddenly changed his expression, recalling the bad memories of the past.
They picked up their swords, spears and longbows and stood up as quickly as possible.

Run towards the designated defensive position, and then look into the distance.

In the distance, the sky is blue and the ground is green, and the breeze is floating.

A black dot suddenly appeared at the end of the sight and approached quickly.

The black spot gradually grew larger and turned into a giant black dragon, like a black torrent rolling in from the end of the horizon.

It was only then that the defenders on the city wall saw who was coming.
He stayed on the black armor and the big flag with the word "Lu" fluttering in the wind for a long time. A trace of dullness flashed in his eyes, but soon he showed joy!
In the entire northern part of Gyeongju, there was only one group of soldiers still at large.
The soldiers were very familiar with this because their chief officer Lu Yunyi was from Qingzhou and was familiar with the soldiers.

As the distance got closer, the soldiers finally saw who was coming!

They were dressed in iron armor, with long swords on their waists, spears in their hands, longbows and muskets on their backs, and the battle flags on their horses fluttering in the wind like rolling waves.

Even though they were familiar with him, the soldiers still held their weapons tightly and looked alert.

But this did not stop the smiles on their faces.

The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer. The sound of thumping thumping was heard through the city wall and poured into the only two streets in Gyeongju City.

The people stopped what they were doing, looked around in surprise.
When they saw more and more people doing this, the people were completely sure that the sound of horse hooves was not their illusion.

At the city gate, a loud shout was heard from afar:
"end!"

The black-armored soldier that looked like a giant black dragon slowly stopped.

The horses' neighings rose and fell, their hooves were raised high, and then they landed in unison with a loud thud.

Lu Yunyi was at the front of the team, looking at the familiar general on the city wall, and couldn't help but smile.

That man was the general who defended the city when he returned to Gyeongju twice before.

"Open the city gates. The vanguard scouts have returned victoriously."

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi waved his hand.
Xu Zengshou on the side quickly dismounted and trotted forward.

He took out the military order and official seal from the package and placed them in the bamboo basket that had been put down long ago.

He waved his hand gently and the basket slowly rose.

During the journey, Lu Yunyi's mind was free and he felt an unprecedented peace.
When I was young, I always wanted to leave my parents, stay away from my hometown, and make my own way, but as I got older, I increasingly felt that home was my haven.

Looking at the mottled city walls, Lu Yunyi felt complicated and didn't know how to express it.

He cast his eyes towards the generals on the city wall and shouted loudly:
"We have met several times, but I still don't know your name. Can you tell me?"

The general waiting for the bamboo basket at the city gate was startled, then smiled and spoke loudly, his voice echoing all around:
"General, I am Dai Chunfeng, a captain of the Qingzhou Vanguard."

Dai Chunfeng did not hide anything, leaned forward and shouted,
Suddenly, he thought of the scene when they first met last year.
It was the end of the year and it was snowing heavily, so the army had not yet arrived.
At that time, Lu Yunyi was only the general flag of Qingzhou's rear guard, and he went to the northern grassland to investigate the enemy situation. He was also called a general.
Unexpectedly, in just one year, the status of the two changed.
If he wasn't at this city gate, he would have to report to his superiors in advance if he wanted to meet him.

Thinking of this, Dai Chunfeng suddenly laughed.
If Lu Yunyi's official position was slightly higher than his, he might even feel jealous.

But now, the difference in status between the two is like heaven and earth, and he does not feel jealous at all.

At this time, the bamboo basket was brought up.

Dai Chunfeng saw the military orders from the army, and the bright red seals on top made him dazzled.

If the army did not arrive in Gyeongju, he might never see such a seal in his life.

The military order was very short, just a few words.

After Dai Chunfeng swept past, he waved his hands vigorously and shouted loudly:
"The army has returned victoriously, open the city gates—"

The sound continued, and along with the sluggish sound of gears sliding, the long-sealed North Gate of Gyeongju slowly opened.
Lu Yunyi looked up and shouted with a smile:

"Our army will celebrate its victory in the city tonight. Brother Dai, please come and have a chat then!"

"Thank you very much, General. I will definitely sacrifice my life to accompany you!"

There was some happiness in his voice. As they were both from Gyeongju, there was not much estrangement between them because of their official positions.
Dai Chunfeng showed much more calmness than the generals in the army.

Lu Yunyi laughed loudly, whipped his horse whip, and shouted behind him:

"Brothers, enter the city!!!"

The city gates were completely opened, and the scouts of the front army poured into the city like a tide and headed towards the camp in the north of the city.

The sound of their horse hooves echoed in the streets, breaking the tranquility of Gyeongju.

The people stood on both sides as usual, staring wide-eyed at the faces of the soldiers, hoping to find someone familiar.

The folks in the village were naturally familiar with Lu Yunyi, the leader.

Seeing that he was safe and sound, the people smiled and stretched out their hands to greet him.

Every time at this moment, Lu Yunyi can feel the care from the elders and fellow villagers.

He also responded by shaking his arms vigorously with a smile on his face!

The same was true for the Gyeongju soldiers including Wu Fuliu, Liu Heiying and others who followed in front and behind. They felt an unprecedented sense of security.

As he walked, Liu Heiying looked around and his sight stopped in front of a house not far away.

His father Liu Huaipu stood there, with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, standing slightly on tiptoe.

The father and son looked at each other while walking. Liu Heiying smiled, and Liu Huaipu put down his tiptoed feet and breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, the front army scouts arrived at the camp north of the city.
Compared to when we left, this place is more deserted than ever before. Most of the camps have been demolished, leaving only the original part.

The soldiers of Gyeongju Wei opened the camp early, and the vanguard scouts rushed in without any hesitation.

Half an hour later, after settling the soldiers, Lu Yunyi did not go home immediately.
Instead, he planned to distribute the money promised to the soldiers first.
Each person received five taels of silver as a reward for victory.
The rewards received for military achievements and the salaries issued by the court are naturally not included, as they are issued by the court.

Now, these five taels of silver are the reward from the front scouts.
However, a supplementary document must be submitted after returning to the army, otherwise it may be regarded as buying people's hearts.

As for where the silver and money came from, it naturally came from the King of Liao and others.

At this moment, outside the military tent, people were busy distributing rewards.

Lu Yunyi was looking at the account book in the empty military tent. The three of them had contributed a total of 100,000 taels of silver, and Lu Yunyi planned to keep 30,000 of it.
On the one hand, it was used as reward money for soldiers, and on the other hand, it was used as compensation for soldiers who died in battle.
Although the imperial court would also issue death compensation,

But Gyeongju is located in the border area, so the return trip may take until next year.
It was common for local garrisons to make advance payments in order to ensure that the soldiers' families would not live in poverty.

As for soldiers from other places, they were sent off by the Qingzhou Post Station.
Time passed, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yunyi had just completed the calculations. Of the thirty thousand taels that were intercepted, only one thousand taels were left, which was just right for celebrating tonight.

With a long sigh, Lu Yunyi stretched his body, put the account book aside, and instructed:
"Zigong, collect all these accounts and keep them safe. We will show them to the general when we return to the army."

There was no response for a long time, Lu Yunyi frowned slightly and looked up.

But he saw Xu Zengshou lying at the door of the military tent with his back to him, looking out through the gap with a look of great concentration.

"Xu Zengshou!"

"Here!" Xu Zengshou shuddered and turned around quickly to see Lu Yunyi staring at him with wide eyes.
Xu Zengshou chuckled and came over quickly: "What do you want, sir?"

"What are you looking at?" Lu Yunyi asked.

"Reporting to the Lord, I am watching the brothers receiving the reward money."

Xu Zengshou's face was full of eagerness to try.

Although he was short of money, he did not take the five taels of silver seriously.

What he valued was the meaning contained in it. This was the reward after the army's victory, and it would also be something he could brag about in the capital in the future.

He only had one chance to fight in battle.
He had bad luck and didn't get anything, so he valued the five taels of silver very much.

"Have you received your reward?"

"Reporting to the Lord, I haven't received it yet!"

"Put these account books away and go collect your reward."

Lu Yunyi pointed to the account books and bills in front of him. Xu Zengshou showed joy and said quickly:

"Yes!"

Seeing him leave in a hurry, Lu Yunyi blinked and quickly called him: "Wait."

"What else does your Excellency say?" Xu Zengshou stopped at the entrance of the military tent and turned his head.

"There are still some unclaimed spoils in the army. Do you really not want them?" Lu Yunyi smiled.
Along the way, Xu Zengshou kept repeating that he had gained nothing, and he was never tired of listening to him.

In every war, there are always some unclaimed spoils, who may die at the hands of their own people, fall off their horses, or be trampled to death by startled horses.

The Ming army strictly forbade falsely claiming military merits. Once discovered, military law would be imposed.
Over time, it was left there, controlled by the chief officer.
It can be used as a reward or given to a trusted person. If you are more greedy, you can keep it for yourself.

However, for Lu Yunyi, these military achievements and rewards were not important to him.

If Xu Zengshou wanted it, he would not be stingy.

Xu Zengshou stood at the entrance of the military tent, looking hesitant and struggling. After thinking for a long time, he shook his head:
"Sir, let's do it next time. I have too many acquaintances in the army. They all know that I didn't get anything."

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Xu Zengshou's face.

Before the front scouts of the army set out, General Lan Yu
All the nobles among the generals and the sons and nephews of the generals were transferred there.
Give them a chance to make merit and enrich their resumes.

Xu Zengshou wanted to win in order to show off to his playmates in Beijing.

Now that everyone knows he has not achieved anything, there is no need to force it.

Lu Yunyi ignored this and waited until Xu Zengshou left.
He took a long breath and slowly stood up.

He took the head armor and long sword from the side and prepared to return home.

After dealing with the affairs of Gyeongju and waiting for the soldiers escorting money, food and spoils to arrive, we can set out to chase the main army.

Walking out of the military tent, a huge tent was set up on the parade ground.
More than a dozen clerks sat in the room, holding the list in their hands and calling out names one after another.

The soldier whose name was called squeezed over happily, took the silver from the clerk, and smiled happily.

This trip is not only to issue rewards, but also to confirm the gains and military merits of this trip and the time of the expedition, which will be used to issue subsequent rewards.

So the soldiers were extremely attentive and did not notice Lu Yunyi coming out.

However, the tall Liu Heiying looked over at once, ran over happily, with some sweat on his face, and smiled:
"Brother Yun'er."

"Aren't you going home yet?" Lu Yunyi was a little surprised to see that he hadn't left yet.

Liu Heiying's smile widened. He rubbed his hands back and forth, moved closer, lowered his voice, and spoke mysteriously:
"Brother Yun'er, Qingfei and Jianing have already returned. Yarong and Ertai have been placed in Qingping Town."

Qingping Town was originally Yingchang, the temporary residence of Yuan Huizong Toghon Temur after he fled from Peking, and also the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.

"You're back? So soon?"

Lu Yunyi's eyes widened slightly. He originally planned to arrange for the mother and son to stay in Liaodong and then help them find an identity.

However, because the front army scouts had to go to war, the resettlement location was changed to Qingping.

Liu Heiying took out a slightly wrinkled letter from his pocket and handed it over:

"At this time, Qing Fei's letter, they turned into grassland people and hid in a herdsman's house.
The grassland people we selected were also settled there as serfs. "

Lu Yunyi took the letter and followed Liu Heiying into the distance.
He opened it and looked at it carefully. A smile gradually appeared on his face and he nodded gently:
"I'm going home now. The pass and ivory cards should have been prepared long ago. Let's settle them in first.

Liu Heiying's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly, looking like a sex-hungry ghost.

Lu Yunyi knew what he was thinking and smiled and said:

"Young men should take care of their health. Invite all the cooks in the city to the barracks at night, and buy more wine so that the brothers can have fun."

"Don't worry, Brother Yun'er, everything has been arranged, and the cooks have gone to buy food."

"It's really fast. Okay, I'll go home first and come to my house for a drink tomorrow."

Lu Yunyi smiled and patted Liu Heying's increasingly empty belly. The days of fighting were very tiring and both of them had lost a lot of weight.

"Anything happy?"

Liu Heiying was surprised. Mr. Lu was a conservative person.
The number of days we drink alcohol throughout the year can be counted on one finger.

Lu Yunyi laughed with emotion, with his hands on his hips:
"Now you and I are both somewhat famous, and we can be considered successful.
Wouldn’t it be a pity if you don’t experience the life of having three wives and four concubines?

I have already promised Qiuhe that I will take a concubine when I return.

Well, I'm leaving now. You should go back to see your uncle and tell him not to sell the house in Peking."

Lu Yunyi turned around and left without looking back.

Liu Heiying stood behind and stared at his figure with a strange look on his face.

He has always called himself a playboy, opened a brothel, and had countless women.
But he has not yet married, let alone a concubine.

Unexpectedly, the usually conservative Yun'er brother took the lead this time.

Just got married and he wants to take a concubine! !

This made Liu Heiying secretly decide to give birth to the cub as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)