Chapter 276 Open the skylight and tell the truth

Chapter 276 Open the skylight and tell the truth

Chapter 276 Open the skylight and speak frankly

After Sima Yue fell ill, Liu Tun officially began to issue orders.

On the sixth day of November, his first order was to send troops to pursue the Huns.

The main force was the Liangzhou cavalry, and the results were quite satisfactory. They beheaded more than 3,000 people and recovered a batch of captured property, women and food.

On the ninth day of the eleventh month, the Liangzhou troops returned to Luoyang.

At this point, the second defense of Luoyang came to an end and Luoyang returned to peace.

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Shao Xun went to Situ's mansion to visit a patient.

The reason why I didn't go there as soon as I entered the city was mainly because I didn't want to give people an aggressive feeling.

After three days of relaxation, Sima Yue's mood should have calmed down a little and he would be easier to talk to.

Of course, he did not waste these three days, as he met with wave after wave of former members of the Imperial Guards - mainly concentrated in the Zuowei.

At the beginning of the hour of Wei, three groups of Silver Spear Army soldiers escorted Shao Xun to Situ Mansion. They did not leave but waited nearby.

Shao Xun entered this familiar yet unfamiliar mansion under the protection of more than a hundred personal soldiers.

Hearing that Situ was taking a nap, he did not let anyone wake him up, but waited quietly in the side hall.

Perhaps, in the eyes of others, he was being very respectful out of consideration for Situ's old kindness.

But only he himself knows what he is waiting for.

The sound of footsteps was heard, and a blooming peony appeared at the door.

Shao Xun couldn't help but stand up with a smile on his face.

Concubine Pei walked in lightly, first carefully looked at Shao Xun from head to toe, and then asked: "How dare you come to Luoyang when the war is so fierce?"

Shao Xun did not reply. He was also looking at the mature and beautiful woman carefully.

In just a short moment, her eyes changed several times.

First came the surprise.

Perhaps, during her time in Yue Mansion, although she was the mistress, she still had a very hard time and was not as comfortable as when she was in Tangli Courtyard.

Then there is shyness.

It was just a moment, and soon faded from her eyes. Perhaps, she was also "thinking nonsense" sometimes, after all, people can't control their thoughts that fly freely.

The last thing that comes to mind is worry.

Entering Luoyang doesn't mean you can control Luoyang. Concubine Pei is not a homely woman like Lu Xun who knows nothing. She knows the nature of the power game too well. She is a little worried about Shao Xun's next move.

"Come whenever you want, who can stop me?" Shao Xun smiled and stood there.

Concubine Pei walked up to him, shook her head and laughed, saying, "I really don't know what you were thinking when you sent out the troops."

"I'm thinking about you." Shao Xun said seriously.

Concubine Pei didn't say anything, her face seemed to be flushed, she was so beautiful.

"The Xiongnu has tens of thousands of cavalrymen, galloping across the land. It's a lie to say that you are not afraid. It is not impossible that you will be defeated and killed." Shao Xun said, "But no matter how difficult or dangerous it is, I will always come to Luoyang to make sure that this place will not fall, that the Jin court is still there, and that you are still there."

Concubine Pei's body was shaking a little.

Shao Xun gently reached out and held her in his arms.

He sighed with contentment as he sniffed the fragrance of the woman's hair and neck.

"Sometimes, when it's still dark and the wind is biting, and I don't want to get up to practice martial arts, I'll think about how the world is about to collapse, and I have people who need protection, so I don't have the right to be lazy."

"Sometimes, in the scorching heat of midsummer, when I don't feel like teaching soldiers military skills, I think I need a reliable force to build a place for me and the people I care about to settle down. No matter how hard or tiring it is, I have to persevere."

"Sometimes, when I see the reports of defeat everywhere, the various dirty things in the court, and the increasing number of thieves, and feel depressed, I will think of that afternoon seven years ago when you sat there brewing tea, elegant and peaceful, and my worries will disappear."

"I've been working hard for almost eight years, and now I'm getting closer and closer to you."

With every word Shao Xun spoke, Concubine Pei's body softened a little. In the end, her slender hands quietly hugged Shao Xun's waist.

In fact, they haven't met very often in recent years.

Some feelings will gradually become dull.

Some troubles will grow slowly.

She has also been angry, depressed, and even regretful.

But at this moment, the Princess of Chengdu, the Princess of Fanyang and even the young lady from the Yu family were no longer important.

This world is deformed and broken.

For the common people living in this world, to expect to be perfect and complete is itself a luxury.

Everyone is compromising.

Everyone gives up a lot of things that can be given up just to survive.

The two hugged each other for a long time before letting go.

Shao Xun sat down.

Concubine Pei began to make tea, occasionally glancing at him. Only Shao Xun could understand the meaning in her eyes.

"I was born in a humble family. The first time I saw a flower slave making tea, I thought that the way a beautiful woman makes tea is different, almost like the Tao. From then on, I vowed to find a lady who is good at making tea." Shao Xun said with a smile.

Concubine Pei rolled her eyes at him, as if to say that he was so bold and shameless, and it turned out that he had already had such intentions at that time.

After making the tea, Concubine Pei poured a bowl for Shao Xun, then sat opposite him and asked, "Now you are qualified to speak about the situation in Luoyang. What are your plans?"

"In fact, Luoyang is a hell of a mess right now." Shao Xun pondered, "I don't want to take over this mess for the time being."

To say it was a mess might be an understatement.

Luoyang faces many problems, the most pressing of which is the food problem next year.

I don't know how much crops were destroyed in this battle in October.

The farmlands in the eight counties of Henan, Luoyang, Yanshi, Goushi, Gong, Heyin, Xin'an and Chenggao were almost all damaged to varying degrees.

Coupled with the high possibility of a locust plague, Luoyang will face a very serious food problem.

Furthermore, the Luoyang Basin alone could not support so many soldiers and civilians. The governors of various states did not have time to send taxes to the central government this year, and it was still unknown how much they would be able to send next year.

It's not easy to be the boss.

As soon as you open your eyes, you will see that the eating, drinking, defecating and urinating of so many people are all on your shoulders.

Shao Xun weighed himself and realized that he didn't have the face to ask for so much money and grain. The scary thing about politics is that it kills people without shedding blood.

There are similar examples in history.

It was easy for Shao Xun to think of the "throne" of the president of the Beiyang government.

That is really a big fire pit. Whoever jumps in will never be able to escape.

Even a man as cunning, strong and resolute as Yuan Shikai could not escape the presidency.

If one swallows his anger, is gentle and cowardly like Li Yuanhong, he will still become a captive of high-level politics.

Cao Kun was even more so. When he was off the stage, he was very powerful. But once he came to power, today foreigners came to collect debts, tomorrow cabinet officials came to ask for money, and the day after tomorrow soldiers came to demand pay. He was scolded in the newspapers every day, and there were a lot of internal disputes...

In the end, the only outcome is to exhaust the prestige that has been accumulated with great difficulty and become unpopular with everyone.

Shao Xun is very clear-headed and knows that the conditions are not yet ripe.

The big pit of Luoyang's powerful officials needs someone to fill it - and it just so happens that there are people who are actually interested in it.

"It's great that you can figure it out." Concubine Pei looked at Shao Xun with relief and said.

She often witnessed her husband's various troubles in the Situ Mansion. One of the main reasons why his prestige was consumed so quickly was that many things disappointed people.

This is certainly due to his own reasons, but there are also external factors.

It's amazing that Shao Xun can figure things out at his age.

"You are the only one in Luoyang City who deserves my attention." Shao Xun said after taking a sip of tea.

Concubine Pei gave him a reproachful look, then said, "In less than four months, Xun Niang will give birth, right?"

Shao Xun didn't know what to say for a moment.

Just now he was still the most affectionate person in Luoyang, but now he found that his family had already collected two princesses. If things continue like this, there will be no "Eight Kings' Rebellion", but there is a high possibility of "Eight Princesses' Rebellion".

Concubine Pei chuckled, stood up and left. When she reached the door, she turned her head to look at him and said softly, "Be careful, I'll wait for you."

After saying that, he left happily.

******
When Shao Xun arrived at Sima Yue's bedroom, Concubine Pei was already serving him medicine.

Wang Yan, Liu Yu, Pan Tao, Pei Miao, Guo Xiang, Wang Cheng, Sun Xun and other staff members were all there.

Of course, the two family generals He Lun and Wang Bing were also there. In addition, there was also a chief clerk in the royal palace named He Sui, who was from the same clan as He Lun.

Crown Prince Sima Pi sat in the inner seat, with Zhao Mu and Deng You standing behind him.

"Your servant Shao Xun pays homage to the King and Queen." When he saw Sima Yue, Shao Xun bowed and said loudly.

Sima Yue opened his eyes, looked at Shao Xun, and closed them again.

"Sit down," he said softly.

Shao Xun knelt directly in front of the couch and looked at Sima Yue.

"It's been many years since you and I, the king and the subject, have sat so close to each other?" Sima Yue opened his eyes, looked at Shao Xun with a complicated expression, and asked.

"It's been a few years." Shao Xun replied.

He didn't care about the words "king and minister" from Sima Yue's mouth.

Theoretically speaking, he was born in the Donghai Kingdom, Sima Yue and Concubine Pei were both his "kings", and he was their "subject".

But those are all old almanacs.

Since he joined the Imperial Guards and became the General of the Palace, he became a subject of the Emperor and no longer a subject of Sima Yue.

"What do you want?" Sima Yue asked.

"If I tell you that I want to destroy the Huns and put an end to the chaos, I wonder if Situ will believe me?" Shao Xun asked back.

There was no sound for a long time.

Shao Xun waited patiently without saying anything.

The generals and their assistants signaled with their eyes and exchanged information silently.

Crown Prince Sima Pi looked a little uneasy.

Zhao Mu and Deng You, who were teaching him, shook their heads slightly, signaling him to be quiet.

"I don't have many days left..." Sima Yue suddenly sighed.

Shao Xun listened silently, without saying anything.

"You win this round." Sima Yue turned to look at Shao Xun and said, "The situation is set, no one can touch you."

"Si Tu is too competitive." Shao Xun sighed and said, "There is no such thing as winning or not. Zhao Wang Lun won and lost. Qi Wang Jiong won and lost. Changsha Wang Yi, Chengdu Wang Ying... Lose and win, there is no certainty. In the end, the Xiongnu came, and the entire court, including the civil and military officials, nobles and aristocrats, lost everything."

The shogunate generals all felt a little uncomfortable.

After fighting for a long time, the Huns almost got the upper hand.

After hearing what Shao Xun said, Sima Yue was somewhat touched.

"All I'm thinking about is not wanting the world to fall apart." Shao Xun continued, "After all, I was born in Yue Prefecture and have received favors from the king. When I can, I will definitely protect the princess and the prince, so don't worry, Situ."

Sima Yue twitched the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to laugh, laughing at the man in front of him who overestimated his own abilities.

Is it really that easy to help the world?
The most difficult people to deal with are not the Huns, but our own people.

"What do you want?" Sima Yue asked again.

The same question was asked twice, but the meaning was different.

"The position of Yuzhou Governor is vacant. The court may select a talented person to take the position." Shao Xun did not hesitate and directly put forward the conditions.

Sima Yue did not reply.

After a long time, seeing that no one was paying attention, Concubine Pei quietly winked.

Shao Xun understood and stood up and said, "Situ, just rest and recuperate. I will take care of the outside affairs."

After saying that, he went out and left.

The clanging sound of armor leaves was heard, and Tang Jian left Situ Mansion with his personal guards by his side.

Sima Yue let out a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)