Chapter 195 Guests

Chapter 195 Guests

Chapter 195 Guests
While Wang Yan was traveling south, Shao Xun was also entertaining guests.

Hearing that he had become rich, a bunch of relatives from his hometown in the East China Sea came over, and there were usually dozens of them making a lot of noise.

Shao Xun placed them in an empty house next to Green Willow Garden and devoted himself to taking care of his parents.

Yes, his parents were also brought here, along with his sister, niece, and others.

My father is over 50 years old. When he was young, he was a soldier and even participated in the campaign to destroy Wu. It is said that he had achieved some success - I don't know if it is true, but my father has always boasted about it.

However, he does have some prestige among the hereditary soldiers in the village, and his voice is loud.

Well, my voice dropped suddenly today, and I felt quite restrained.

When Lan Ji, dressed in gorgeous clothes and looking very noble, came out to greet him, he was almost startled.

My mother, Liu, was an honest woman from a military household. Her hard life had left her with countless wrinkles on her face. It was only during the past two years that she had lived in Mijiawubao and did not have to work that her complexion improved.

Her focus was different from others. When she saw Lan Ji's bulging belly and heard that she was about to give birth, she wiped away her tears.

"Xiao Chong, you must be kind to Lan Ji in the future. You must treat her well." Liu took Shao Xun's hand and reminded him carefully.

The country people didn't care much about whether Lan Ji was a wife or a concubine. They only knew that she was their daughter-in-law and was about to give birth to a child.

Shao Xun nodded repeatedly, his face looking a little dark.

Tang Jian and other personal soldiers stood outside the door, their eyes wandering, not knowing where to look.

It seems like you heard something extraordinary?

"Da Chong had an unfortunate fate, dying suddenly in a foreign land. You must take good care of your nephews and nieces in the future and let them live happily." Liu continued.

"Yes, I remember it." Shao Xun replied.

Nephew Shao Shen stood aside, head slightly lowered, and behaved obediently.

He is now in the countryside in the western half of Luoyang, a complete bully.

He often rode a tall horse, holding a horn bow and a long spear, and paraded through the streets with a dozen young men around him.

He didn't do anything to bully men or women, otherwise he would have been dealt with by Shao Xun long ago.

"Alright." Shao Xiu, the old father, waved his hand and frowned, saying, "Say less. Xiao Chong is now an official, surrounded by many brave generals. How can you still call him by his nickname?"

"Didn't you shout too..." Liu asked puzzledly.

Shao Xiu couldn't hold back his anger, so he snorted coldly and stopped talking.

"Forget it." Liu wiped her eyes, walked to Le Lanji, took her hand, and said, "The bride is pregnant, so you should go back inside to rest. Don't disturb my grandson."

Lan Ji glanced at Shao Xun subconsciously. The title of "bride" made her secretly happy. When she saw that Shao Xun did not correct her, she responded and then went back to her room to rest with the help of her maid.

It's about ten days before she gives birth, so we can't be careless.

After Le left, Lao Shao glared at his wife again, walked over and whispered, "She is the Princess of Chengdu, why are you being so disrespectful?"

Liu ignored him.

Normally, people in the countryside are so well-off that they dare not even breathe when they see a woman who has given birth to a child. What's the point?

Even if she is a princess, the baby in her belly is my son's. I have my son's support, so why should I be so cautious?
While they were talking, Shao Xun's sister Shao Ying quietly left the hall and went in the direction Lan Ji left.

She was eleven years old, at the age of innocence. She stood outside the door, looking at her "sister-in-law" timidly, and was a little afraid to get close.

Lan Ji was playing the zither. When she saw Shao Ying, a smile appeared on her face. She waved and said, "Come quickly, sister."

Shao Ying came closer little by little.

Lan Ji looked at this wheat-colored country girl and asked with a smile, "Can you play the piano?"

Shao Ying shook her head.

She knew how to fish and catch loaches in the countryside, but Qin had never seen it.

In addition, there was an indescribable aura about her "sister-in-law", and her every move made her feel ashamed. Subconsciously, she didn't dare to be presumptuous and didn't know where to put her hands.

If Shao Xun were here, he would certainly be extremely surprised.

The last time he saw his sister was five years ago. The six-year-old sister was very naughty, wandering around outside every day and fighting with boys of the same age. She was a real wild girl.

I heard that she hasn't changed much in the past few years, except that she doesn't play with those boys anymore. She is still a lively and active person.

When I saw Lan Ji today, I was completely suppressed and became so honest that I seemed like a different person.

Perhaps, she already had a vague idea of ​​something in her young mind.

"Sister-in-law" and she are not from the same world.

My second brother went through life and death, so he must have done something great, right? Otherwise, how could he marry a beauty like my sister-in-law?
"I, your sister-in-law, will teach you how to play." Lan Ji took Shao Ying's hand and gently touched the strings.

When the pleasant voice came out, Shao Ying subconsciously retracted her hand, and then smiled embarrassedly.

Lan Ji asked her to sit next to her and taught her carefully.

Shao Ying sometimes listened to the lecture, and sometimes was attracted by the gorgeous dress worn by her "sister-in-law".

Lan Ji didn't care.

She never thought that there would be a day when she would have to go to such great lengths to please a little girl from a military family.

What's more, I'm not her real sister-in-law.

A few days ago, Yu Min, the Grand Chancellor of Yingchuan, came to visit. My husband had a secret conversation with him for half a day, and they were all talking and laughing, but I didn't know what they were about.

Things in this world always make people so worried.

******
When Wang Yan arrived at Lvliu Garden, Shao Xun was being forced by his mother to pick up salted pickles, then wash and chop them.

His hands were strong from years of wielding the heavy sword, but he felt awkward when cutting vegetables and almost hurt his fingers.

When he heard Tang Jian's report, he was a little confused.

When Liu heard the three words "Wang Situ", she was frightened and hid in the kitchen, urging her son to go and greet him.

Shao Xun smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. Wang Yifu must have come here to ask for something. It's okay to leave him alone for a while."

Liu could only feel her heart pounding.

What kind of official is Situ? She has some authority, and seems to be higher than the prefect or the governor. Can she just let him go?
"Little bug..." She hesitated to speak.

Shao Xun turned around and said to his mother seriously: "Mother, I am not a small figure anymore. Wang Yihou was born in the Wang family of Langya, and is one of the Three Dukes. He is in charge of tens of thousands of imperial guards, and even the emperor and the grand tutor rely on him very much. But this is nothing. In this world today, there are few people who I can be afraid of. Back then, I captured the King of Changsha--" "You captured the King of Changsha? Did you capture the King of Chengdu? The Princess of Chengdu..." Liu asked puzzledly.

Shao Xun's face changed, and he said quickly: "Mother is right, Wang Situ is an honored guest, how can we neglect him? I will go out to greet him now."

After saying that, he left in a flash.

Wang Yan waited for a while in confusion, and then was welcomed in.

Shao Xun directly brought Wang Yan and Pan Tao to the study. After exchanging pleasantries, he smiled and said, "Situ, you are in a good mood. It's almost the New Year, but you still come to Liang County to play."

Wang Yan coughed and said, "It's really an eye-opener after traveling all the way."

"We came from the south via Shiqiaofang and Lijiafang." Pan Tao added.

Shao Xun suddenly realized and said, "I'm just a country bumpkin. Situ, please forgive me for making a fool of myself."

Wang Yan was silent for a while.

This is not like his style at all, as if he had been hit by something that reduced his dimensionality.

"Your Excellency has set up a rural militia, but I don't know what it is for?" After a long time, Wang Yan finally spoke.

Shao Xun calmly adjusted his sitting position to make himself more comfortable, and then said: "In order to guard against Wang Mi and the Xiongnu, can Situ be trusted?"

Wang Yan nodded and said, "There is a report from Bingzhou that Liu Yuan has gathered a large number of troops and intends to march south to Taihang. But this is a defensive move, right?"

Shao Xun has no external intelligence network, and he cannot build one.

Sima Yue actually wasn't any better than him either, he was only slightly better than him.

But Wang Yan's network of contacts extends in all directions. Even in a place like Bingzhou where the Hu people have an absolute advantage, he can get you first-hand information. It is indeed not simple.

The news Wang Yan received was: Emperor Liu Yuan of the Han Dynasty sent Liu Cong and other generals to lead troops south to occupy the various passes in Taihang Mountains.

In his opinion, Liu Yuan was taking advantage of the geographical advantages of the mountains and rivers in Hedong and trying to block the pass with a small number of troops so that he could exert force in other directions.

In addition, Shi Le and other generals led their troops eastward and also occupied Fukou and other passes, seemingly preparing for something.

From this perspective, Liu Yuan should attack Pingyang and Hedong counties.

But he didn't point this out directly.

"Liu Yuan wants to attack Pingyang and Hedong." Shao Xun didn't want to beat around the bush and said directly: "Shi Le may go to Hebei. Wang Situ, do you think that Jizhou, which has just experienced a war, can stop the Xiongnu army? Can Pingyang and Hedong counties be defended without the reinforcement of the imperial army?"

Wang Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "What does Wang Mi mean?"

"Si Tu." Shao Xun moved closer, looked into Wang Yan's eyes, and said, "Wang Mi has gathered tens of thousands of people. If he breaks out of Qingzhou and rushes into Yan, Yu, and even Heluo, who can stop him?"

Wang Yan suddenly sat up straight, frowned and said, "General Gou Dao is the governor of Qingzhou, and he has defeated Wang Mi many times. Can't he be defeated?"

"What if Gou Xi lets Wang Mi go?" Shao Xun asked.

Wang Yan’s brows furrowed even deeper.

Although he had a good vision, he had a fatal blind spot in his thinking, which was that he did not consider the possibility that a warrior might overturn the table.

It's not his fault, because given the social environment at the time, this kind of thing sounds a bit unbelievable.

Shao Xun's thinking had no such limitations at all. He analyzed every possibility and even used Huang Chao as an example.

Before and after Huang Chao crossed the Huai River, Gao Pian, who commanded a large number of troops, kept his troops in Huainan and watched Huang Chao move north.

Huang Chao's route was Ruzhou, Luoyang, Tongguan, and Chang'an, all of which were areas that were under the deep control of the Tang court. As for the places where the power of the vassal states was rampant, Huang Chao did not go there, and the vassal states also stood by and watched Huang Chao enter Guanzhong and capture Chang'an.

When Huang Chao became arrogant and felt that he was strong, he planned to send troops to take over the area west of Chang'an. However, he was beaten badly by the various vassal states in the northwest of Beijing and returned with a crushing defeat. Then the various towns in the world realized that Huang Chao could not destroy the Tang Dynasty, so they took action and sent troops into Guanzhong to wipe out Huang Chao's forces.

Wouldn’t this scene happen in the Western Jin Dynasty?
"Min Tu, if Gou Xi only drives Wang Mi away and protects Qingzhou, and lets him enter Yanzhou, will the Grand Master be able to resist him?" Shao Xun asked again, "If the Grand Master cannot resist him, and the local prefectures and counties have no soldiers, Wang Mi will kill all the way to Luojing. What will happen then?"

"Your Excellency, are you exaggerating a bit?" Wang Yan found it a little hard to believe and even harder to adapt.

The things he saw along the way during his trip to Liang County made him feel a little uncomfortable.

What Shao Xun is doing can only be considered as embryonic stages at the moment, but Wang Yan knows that it is a model that can be promoted nationwide, which is terrifying.

Therefore, when he arrived at Green Willow Garden, he was a little silent.

Now after chatting with Shao Xun for a while, he found that Gou Xi might not be able to be manipulated by the Grand Tutor or even him. He actually quit his job? Why do you dare to let Wang Mi enter the capital when you are a military leader who is not even a poor man?

But Shao Xun told him with certainty that Gou Xi could have done so and could find countless reasons.

"Situ." Shao Xun dealt another heavy blow to Wang Yan: "Not only will Gou Xi let Wang Mi leave the territory, but the Grand Tutor will probably not dare to confront Wang Mi. Wang Mi sees that there are no obstacles ahead, what do you think he will do?"

Wang Yan's mind was a little confused.

He felt that he had failed to perform to his full potential today. His eloquence, which he was so proud of, could not be brought into full play. He was completely led by the nose by Shao Xun, the little military leader. After sorting out his thoughts, he said, "After the imperial army returns to Luoyang, the Grand Tutor still has tens of thousands of soldiers from Yan and Yu..."

"But the Grand Tutor dares not." Shao Xun interrupted Wang Yan without hesitation and said, "The Grand Tutor may dare to intimidate the emperor, but he dares not face Wang Mi and the Xiongnu directly. He is afraid. What's more, will Hebei be peaceful by then? Gou Xi is absolutely unwilling to send troops to Hebei for the Grand Tutor again. The Grand Tutor can only find a way to pacify it himself."

These words were said mercilessly, causing Pan Tao to look at him sideways.

"The Grand Tutor is in charge of Yanzhou, while the Minister of the Interior is in Luoyang." Shao Xun reminded him implicitly.

What this sentence means is that your interests and Sima Yue’s are not completely consistent.

Sima Yue has already been sent to guard the outer vassal state, but you are an official in the central government, and you cannot leave Luoyang. It is in your greatest interest to keep Luoyang and the court.

Wang Yan suddenly stood up and walked around the study.

After a while, he turned and looked at Shao Xun.

"I am willing to fight hard and defeat Wang Mi's bandits." Shao Xun said in a deep voice: "If the Xiongnu move south, I will also lead my troops north to fight them."

Wang Yan looked at him for a long time and finally nodded slightly.

Shao Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Yan was not Sima Yue's subordinate, but a political ally and collaborator. This is very important because it represents considerable independence.

What he said to Wang Yan just now was half true and half false, with a bit of misleading elements, but there was no problem overall.

Regardless of whether Sima Yue really didn't have the courage to fight a decisive battle with Wang Mi, or his attention was tied up in Hebei, the outcome would be the same.

Shao Xun didn't think he could stop Wang Mi, and it was more likely that he couldn't stop him at all.

Considering Gou Xi's attitude, the possibility of Wang Mi coming to Luoyang is quite high and must be taken seriously.

(End of this chapter)