Chapter 188 Rushing to the scene

Chapter 188 Rushing to the scene

Chapter 188 Rushing to the scene
The army retreated as soon as it was ordered, and at an extremely fast speed.

Gou Xi was among the first group to evacuate. He returned to Yanzhou and sent his brother Gou Chun with more than 10,000 soldiers to Qingzhou in an attempt to suppress Wang Mi.

Liu Yu withdrew on the fifth day of September, and the soldiers from various counties returned to their respective counties, and the young and strong men in Sizhou returned home one after another.

Shao Xun was the last one to leave.

Big and small cars, big and small bags, it’s like moving house.

Some people saw this and ridiculed him for being greedy because he wanted everything - he even found a way to take away the pottery jars and porcelain utensils used for eating and drinking.

When passing by Ji County, he had a chat with the prefect Yu Chen.

Yu Chen's attitude became much better. He looked at Shao Xun's appearance several times during the conversation, but he didn't know why.

By the end of September, Luoyang was already in sight.

The Silver Spear Army and the Yamen Army were stationed outside the Daxia Gate in the north of the city, and Shao Xun personally led more than a hundred personal soldiers inside.

After such a long time, when I saw Jinyong City and Daxiamen again, I was filled with emotion.

On September 30th, the emperor summoned Shao Xun and he hurried into the palace.

The occasion of this audience was rather casual. The emperor held a banquet on a cruise ship in Hualin Garden to entertain his ministers.

When he heard the sound of stringed instruments, Shao Xun suddenly remembered that the emperor had rewarded him with female musicians again.

In addition to Lan Ji, there are seven other people.

He had seen the first few, one of whom was prettier than Lan Ji, but he was not very interested and was thinking about marrying them to meritorious soldiers in a few days. It would be good for them and for the soldiers as well.

"General Shao, this way." The emperor's uncle, Palace Attendant Wang Yan, waved from afar and personally got off the boat to greet him.

"Wang Sanqi is polite."

"No need to be polite, General."

After the two of them exchanged greetings, they boarded the cruise ship one after the other.

The sounds of stringed instruments in the cabin were even more pleasant, as were the graceful figures of dancers, and occasional men's laughter.

"Your Majesty, I, Shao Xun, pay my respects to you." This time, without armor on, and without a reason, Shao Xun could only prostrate himself on the ground.

Hmm, the scene seemed familiar, and Shao Xun caught a glimpse of the gorgeous skirt in front of him out of the corner of his eye.

These gorgeous, noble, majestic and beautiful long dresses had a fatal attraction to him.

"You should get up quickly and tell me about the battle of Feixiang." Emperor Sima Chi had drunk a lot, and when he saw Shao Xun, he laughed heartily.

A palace servant led Shao Xun behind a desk.

After Shao Xun sat down, he said, "Your Majesty, the victory of Feixiang was due to the great grace of the emperor and the loyalty of the soldiers. I dare not take credit for it."

Sima Chi held the white jade wine glass and smiled at Wang Yan.

"Why should you be so modest in front of the emperor? Are you worried about not getting a reward?" Wang Yan laughed pretending to be generous.

To be honest, Shao Xun didn't find anything funny.

However, the emperor obviously wanted to know the inside story, and Empress Liang was also looking at him curiously. Shao Xun's old habit of being a high-quality man came back, and he couldn't help showing off a little, so he told him the inside story in detail.

After a long time, everyone's attention was drawn to him. Even the female musicians who were playing the music glanced at him from time to time, and the dancers were also a little distracted.

"He charged into the battle array alone, seized the shield and returned, and then led the troops with confidence, defeating the enemy army. Even the famous generals in ancient times were no better than him." The emperor sighed, raised his wine glass and said, "I will drink this cup to defeat the enemy in Feixiang."

"Drink this cup to its fullest." Everyone raised their cups and drank together.

Only then did Shao Xun have time to look around at everyone in the cabin.

Most of them had been seen before, and he could even call out their names and official titles one by one. After all, the position of general in the palace was not for nothing.

Some people raised their glasses to him, such as Shangshu Zuo Pushe Liu Tun.

Some people also turned a blind eye to him, such as Shangshu You Pushe Xun Fan.

Overall, these royalists were fairly friendly toward him, and their intention to win him over was obvious.

"Shao Qing is so talented, it is a blessing for the country." The emperor put down his wine glass and said with a smile: "Tell me, what reward do you want?"

"The previous merits have been rewarded, and new merits have not yet been achieved. I really dare not ask for reward." Shao Xun said.

It's not that he couldn't accept the emperor's reward, and he could give it in secret, but this was a public occasion, and if he accepted it, it would be obvious that he was taking sides, so he wouldn't do that.

After hearing this, Sima Chi remained calm and said to Wang Yan and the others with a smile, "How could Shao Qing have achieved this without a reason? He has been firm in upholding the principles and has behaved uprightly, as we can see now."

Wang Yan, Gao Guang, Liu Tun and others nodded in agreement, talking and laughing happily.

Normally the banquet lasted until dusk, when Shao Xun finally had the chance to leave.

The person who opened the door for him was General Miao Yuan.

"Your Excellency is now a very popular person." Miao Yuan felt a little sour, but also a little happy. After all, they had been through hardships together.

Shao Xun chatted with him for a while outside the palace.

"In a few days, gather the old brothers who fought together to kill Zhang Fang and invade Guanzhong, and have a drink together." Shao Xun said, holding Miao Yuan's hand.

Miao Yuan's eyes lit up and he immediately smiled and said, "This is easy to do. We have been talking about getting together for a long time."

Shao Xun nodded and asked, "What is the current situation of the Imperial Guards?"

"The Grand Tutor brought in a lot of people, but they were busy fighting for power and embezzling money, and no one cared about the drills anymore." Miao Yuan sighed and said.

It’s similar to the situation I have control over.

Shao Xun frowned. As expected, any army would be in trouble if it fell into Sima Yue's hands.

When the imperial guards had only 20,000 men, he was in charge of a quarter of them, and he conducted strict training and regular drills.

When it expanded to more than 30,000 people, the training was normal. After absorbing a large number of veteran soldiers from the defeated central army, it was even able to pull out several high-quality troops to fight tough battles.

There are now more than 50,000 or nearly 60,000 imperial guards, but they have been completely destroyed.

Logically speaking, as the Imperial Army grows older, with strict management and regular training, its combat effectiveness will gradually increase. But the reality is that it is internally divided and the army is demoralized.

Shao Xun had heard complaints from Yang Bao and others before, and Mi Huang, who served as the Inspector of the Imperial Guards in Beijing, had also mentioned it. After meeting Miao Yuan today and having a conversation, he basically confirmed it.

If we continue like this, what will we use to defend Luoyang in the future?

If Luoyang is lost, his family business in Liang County and Guangchengze will also be in danger - to put it bluntly, Luoyang is Shao's shield, and he doesn't want this shield to be broken soon.

******
After staying in Shao's house for one night and preparing to go out to buy gifts and visit Cao Fu, Mi Huang and others, Tang Jian came to report: Sikong Wang Yan invited him to a banquet.

Shao Xun hesitated for a moment and agreed.

When you are famous, you are prone to gossip. He sighed in a pretentious manner as he was busy with the press.

In the past, he would have nothing to do with these people at all, and his life would be monotonous training and fighting.

Every time I open my eyes, I hear the stinky feet of the soldiers. Every time I close my eyes, I hear the grinding of their teeth.

It was as if his world was missing a big part compared to others.

It’s different now.

The banquet was held at a farm villa outside the city, surrounded by mountains and water, with pleasant scenery.

When he arrived, the palace servants led him into the courtyard, where he saw a group of people, young and old, chatting.

Wang Yan waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop talking about metaphysics, and then introduced them one by one.

Wang Han and Wang Chuhong were the sons of Wang Ji, the Imperial Censor.

There is no need to say much about Wang Dun and Wang Chuzhong. Shao Xun has met them several times. They appear easy-going on the surface, but they are not so in their hearts.

Wang Han and Wang Dun were both sons of Wang Ji, and their mother was from the Yang clan of Taishan.

There were also Wang Shu, Wang Chuming, Wang Sui and Wang Chuzhong, who were sons of Imperial Censor Wang Hui.

Shao Xun greeted these young masters one by one and observed silently.

He didn't know Wang Han well, but judging from his appearance and temperament, and listening to a few words from him, he had a preliminary feeling that he had a similar personality to his brother Wang Dun: generous on the outside but cautious on the inside, cold-hearted, and even a bit cruel.

Uh, Wang Dun was already looking at him with an unfriendly look.

Shao Xun was stunned and subconsciously fiddled with the dried dates in his hand. Wang Dun's look became even more unfriendly.

What's wrong with dried dates? How does it bother you?

Shao Xun picked up a pill, put it in his mouth and started chewing it.

Wang Yan patted Wang Dun's hand gently, and then said, "Your Excellency is already twenty years old, do you have a courtesy name?"

"No." Shao Xun said.

A courtesy name is usually given by elders or teachers, but Shao Xun didn't have this opportunity yet.

He thought about it yesterday and decided to ask Cao Fu to choose a name for him to further deepen the relationship between the two sides.

When Wang Yan brought this up, Shao Xun was a little surprised. How dare you take advantage of me?
Fortunately, Wang Yan did not mention this matter again. He changed the subject and said, "Your Excellency defeated the bandit army in Hebei and is obviously familiar with military affairs, but I wonder what you think of Wang Mi?"

"Wang Mi suffered two disastrous defeats, rose up twice, and quickly gathered more than 10,000 soldiers. Apart from other things, there must be hundreds or even thousands of veteran thieves around him. If we don't eliminate these people, we can't eliminate Wang Mi." At this point, Shao Xun glanced at Wang Dun and said, "I heard that Envoy Wang will go to Qingzhou as an official, and he may meet Wang Mi. If he is not careful, he will suffer."

Wang Dun's face was smiling again, but no one knew what his mood was like.

Wang Han was not as good at superficial work as Wang Dun. When he saw Shao Xun, a military strategist, was calm and talked eloquently, as if he did not take Wang Dun seriously, he felt a little dumbfounded and even angry.

A person's position is not something that can be achieved by pretending. It comes from inner confidence and is a natural self-confidence - to put it bluntly, if I make you unhappy, what can you do to me?
Wang Han could see that Shao Xun was not pretending, but this made him particularly angry.

Wang Shu and Wang Sui remained calm and watched quietly.

To put it bluntly, today's gathering is just a preliminary contact and neither side will discuss anything substantive.

They have to test the waters a few times, and after both sides have a clear idea of ​​the situation, the cousin will look for an opportunity to make things clear.

Shao Xun is indeed as domineering as the rumors say.

The servants brought wine and food, and everyone sat on the ground in the courtyard and chatted as if they were going on a trip.

In a side hall at the back of the courtyard, Wang Jingfeng brought a low table, stood on tiptoe, and quietly looked into the courtyard from the top of the screen.

Her eyes swept around and finally locked onto one person.

The complexion is resolute - a little ugly!

His skin color is the same as that of the farmer who works in the fields all year round - too dark!
While sitting there, his right hand occasionally raised and waved it once or twice, but his left hand always hung low, very close to the hilt of the knife - a killer!
What kind of person is this!
"Wang Mi is a bandit, and was defeated twice. Now General Gou Dao is the commander-in-chief of the Qing and Yan military affairs. Can't he suppress him?" Wang Dun asked.

"You will know when you go there." Shao Xun said with a smile.

Wang Jingfeng didn't want to watch it anymore because she was a little worried that her cousin Wang Dun would get angry.

"Ayu, what are you doing?" A surprised voice came from the side.

Wang Jingfeng was frightened and lost his balance, so he fell down on the spot, landing on his face in a humiliating position.

"Aunt..." Wang Jingfeng was in so much pain that tears came out of his eyes.

The person who came was her aunt, Princess Xiangcheng Sima Xiuwei, who was looking at her helplessly.

The maids came forward and pulled Wang Jingfeng up.

Wang Jingfeng limped a few steps and was then pulled into the inner room by Sima Xiuwei.

"Were you eavesdropping just now?" Sima Xiuwei asked Wang Jingfeng who was rubbing his face.

Wang Jingfeng woke up from his dream and said hurriedly: "Aunt, be careful. There is a rebellion of Wang Mi in Qingzhou. I heard it is very fierce. There are a thousand fierce thieves around him, each of them is eight feet tall..."

Sima Xiuyi chuckled and said, "Are you going to say that they can call the wind and rain next?"

Wang Jingfeng was embarrassed and couldn't continue.

The maids also laughed secretly.

Princess Xiangcheng was the most beloved daughter of Emperor Wu. When she married Wang Dun, her dowry was ten times that of other princesses.

Because of Sima Xiu's status, the maids became a little arrogant and once mocked the son-in-law Wang Dun.

As to whether Wang Dun still holds a grudge in his heart, it is hard to say. At least so far, out of consideration for the princess, he has not taken any action.

"Who told you that?" Sima Xiuwei asked with some amusement.

"Shao Xun, Marquis of Luyang, is that Ah Hei." Wang Jingfeng said.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Sima Xiuwei scolded.

Ah Hei was the nickname of the son-in-law Wang Dun. How could this be mixed up?

"Don't worry, your uncle was once the General of the Left Guard and is well-versed in military strategy. Nothing will happen to him." Seeing Wang Jingfeng's worried look, Sima Xiuyi smiled and said, "He will protect me."

Of course, it's just talk.

She had no idea what her husband would do if they really encountered danger. They had been quarreling for years, and her husband even wanted to take the opportunity to execute her maid who came with the dowry.

She is so petty and vindictive. If Marquis Luyang offended her husband, she would probably bear a grudge against her forever.

Today's gathering should be a special invitation to Marquis Luyang, with the intention of testing and winning him over.

But Marquis Luyang showed his talents, but no one knew what the effect was.

Sima Xiuyi shook his head and took Wang Jingfeng away. These things were not something that women should worry about. Married women should obey their husbands and just let men take care of things.

Ah Yu does have some beauty, and having been a widow for so many years, will she be forced to get married in the future?

Perhaps, it is not a bad thing. Sima Xiuyi sighed secretly, and it was difficult to tell others about his troubles.

(End of this chapter)