Chapter 294 Brewing

Chapter 294 Brewing

Chapter 294 Brewing
On the third day of March, scholars and common people go out to the rivers, banks and ponds to drink from the winding stream.

There is no rain today and the spring weather is bright and sunny.

With a red face, Yu Wenjun followed her mother and brother on an outing, looking at the intersection seemingly casually.

Several girls who were said to be "playmates" but were actually "concubines" followed her, occasionally looking towards the intersection and blushing unnaturally.

Shao Xun had never married a woman from a noble family. It was only recently that he learned that when Yu Wenjun married, she would have concubines and maids as a dowry.

Pei Shiliu, Pei Jin and others were the concubines when Concubine Pei married into the Palace of Prince of Donghai.

Yang Ming was a concubine who was married off to Yang Xianrong when she became the queen.

Shulü Ping, the famous empress dowager of Liao Dynasty who had her wrist cut off, had a concubine named Han Zhigu and her grandson was named Han Derang.

The girls following behind Yu Wenjun were the concubines who would be her future dowry.

One of them was surnamed Yu, from a distant branch of the Yu family, and was considered a cousin of Yu Wenjun.

One of them was named Guanqiu, and she was Yu Wenjun's illegitimate cousin.

One of them was surnamed Xun, and it was said that he was from the family of Xun, the ex-wife of Yu Gun of Ji County.

A woman named Yin, she was the daughter of Changping Yin, who was on good terms with the Yu family. Changping County belonged to Runan in the Western Han Dynasty and to Chen County in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Western Jin Dynasty, Xihua County of Yingchuan County was merged into Changping County of Chen County. The merged county was under the jurisdiction of Yingchuan and Chen County in the Southern Dynasty. Therefore, it was called "Chen County Yin" in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. This county is located at the junction of Yingchuan and Chen County.

So Shao Xun is just a country bumpkin, he doesn't understand any of this at all.

If you marry a woman from a prominent family, you don’t need to prepare a concubine, as the wife will be prepared for you.

When your wife is pregnant, she will considerately let your concubine accompany you to relieve your sexual desire, and you don't need to go out to hunt for food.

Of course, it’s boring if things come too easily!

As a man, when his wife is pregnant, it is boring to have concubines as a dowry. It is better to go out to a brothel, which is more fun.

The Princess of Chengdu, the Princess of Fanyang, and the Queen Yang all had such a group of concubines around them. Some of them were in their twenties or even over thirty, but had not yet been separated from their husbands by men. This is the reason.

Every time Shao Xun returned home, he would go straight to the princess, without paying any attention to the concubines who might also be from aristocratic families (usually illegitimate daughters of close branches or legitimate daughters of distant branches). This was truly a waste of talent.

Mountain artillery is mountain artillery, in one word: vulgar.

From time to time, a group of people passed by the intersection, mostly riding in ox carts or horse carriages. It was obvious that they were also going for an outing.

Not long after this group of people passed, a group of knights in distinctive armor appeared on the road.

Yu Wenjun held her breath and looked at everyone carefully.

She searched with her eyes, and suddenly, a knight in red military robe and riding a white horse appeared.

He looked proud and majestic, and was surrounded by people in the center, like the moon surrounded by stars.

The knight on the white horse turned his head and looked over here.

It is said that a sharpshooter's eyesight must be very outstanding, and this is true. The Knight on the White Horse passed over the loser Yu Liang, and then passed over Yu Yi, Yu Bing, Guanqiu Shi and others, and directly locked onto Yu Wenjun.

He rode his horse away from the group and ran straight over.

The horse was not riding fast. There was a gentle smile on his face and his lips were moving as if he was saying something.

The knight on the white horse was approaching, his lips still moving, his brother Yu Liang was already greeting him and saying something.

Yu Wenjun's heart was pounding. She was sure what Shao Xun said, but her ears were buzzing and she couldn't hear anything clearly.

Seeing that the knight had dismounted and was walking towards her, her face suddenly flushed with shyness and she quickly walked to her mother's side.

Shao Xun smiled slightly and looked at Yu Wenjun who was beside Guanqiu.

After the girl ran away, she still looked at him boldly.

But that's all.

Even though there is a wild side in the girl's character, she is still shy and reserved due to her traditional education.

She was longing for something, yet was also somewhat afraid. She was not afraid of Shao Xun, but of other people's eyes.

She was also lucky. In an era when people could not choose their own marriage, being named by the ray of light that pierced the darkness in her childhood and being asked to marry was perhaps the least bad choice.

The four girls behind Yu Wenjun behaved differently.

Someone was hiding in the crowd, secretly looking at him through the gaps between them.

Someone looked at him calmly and boldly.

Some people's cheeks were flushed, and they were fighting fiercely in their hearts. Occasionally they raised their heads to take a look, but then quickly lowered their heads.

Others took one look and then looked away in disappointment, but kept hypnotizing themselves in their hearts, trying to beautify Shao Xun's image.

What else could she do? She had no choice, she was doomed to marry, even if she didn't like it or was unwilling, she had to accept it. It was impossible to quit, because it would be seen as a humiliation, the family couldn't afford it, a good thing would turn into a bad thing, and the in-laws would become enemies.

Shao Xun stepped forward, bowed to Guanqiu first, and then greeted several male members of the Yu family one by one.

"Your Excellency is going to go on an expedition, what a coincidence..." Yu Liang said somewhat unnaturally.

Shao Xun glared at him quietly.

He is 22 years old and has already married - Yu Liang has a wife and two concubines. His wife is from the Xun family of Yingchuan, and the two concubines are from the Shang family (Ji County) and the Li family (Dongyu County) respectively - but he is still so impatient. What is going on?

I tell you, today not only did you leak Yu Wenjun's whereabouts, Yu Hua also "told" her, why are you panicking! "Yes, what a coincidence." Shao Xun said, "I was just about to go to Chenjun."

After being glared at by Shao Xun, Yu Liang gradually calmed down and said, "In a few days, I will also lead my family soldiers to meet you."

After that, he asked in a low voice: "Are you really going north?"

"How could it be false?" Shao Xun replied while glancing at Yu Wenjun.

The little girl was startled at first, as if she didn't expect Shao Xun to be so bold in front of everyone. But after finding that no one seemed to notice them, she squinted her eyes and smiled.

Yes, this is the taste!

Shao Xun almost instantly returned to eight years ago, recalling the glorious days of the past.

It feels great to marry a little fangirl as your wife.

"Sir, the imperial decree hasn't come down yet, why bother?" Yu Liang asked puzzledly.

"Yuan Gui." Shao Xun said earnestly, "Now that we have come to this point, we can no longer be petty. We should look further ahead and be more tolerant. We should let people see that you are responsible and can protect others. Even if you suffer a loss for a while, as long as it is beneficial in the long run, it is worth doing. Don't be like a mercenary businessman. Remember to have the world in your heart."

After saying this, he looked at Yu Yi and Yu Bing again and said with a smile, "Shu Yu is eighteen this year. Has anyone recruited him?"

Yu Yi smiled shyly and said, "The King of Xincai wanted to recruit me as a clerk in the Western Division, but I have not accepted the offer yet."

Shao Xun nodded and said, "You have your own ideas, which is good."

"I heard that Ji Jian is going to serve as a secretary in the court. Do you have any thoughts on this?" Shao Xun looked at Yu Bing again and said with a smile.

The fifteen-year-old Yu Bing said seriously: "The secretary is in charge of books and classics. He can influence the king's rule and purify the country's customs. This is exactly what I want."

"What a strong young man!" Shao Xun praised him, saying, "I heard that pine and bamboo stand tall and proud, unafraid of severe frost; eagles and falcons soar into the sky, with their own elegance. I hope Ji Jian can stick to this ambition and never give up. If he does, he will be much better than others."

Yu Bing bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Shao Xun returned the greeting, and then said to Guanqiu: "Madam is leading her family out for a trip, so I will not disturb you. I am going to Chen County now, and we will meet again later."

"Military and national affairs are important and cannot be neglected. You may leave now." Guanqiu said.

Shao Xun bowed, turned around, mounted his horse and left.

Yu Wenjun subconsciously took a small step forward and soon stopped.

Guanqiu grabbed her hand and sighed, "It's been eight years. He has changed so much, but you haven't changed."

Yu Wenjun lowered her head. Her mother was talking about him asking the two princesses to have children...

The four girls each had their own thoughts.

This warrior and son of a military strategist is eloquent. He doesn't look like someone from a military family, but rather like the son of a scholar. How strange.

Yu Liang breathed a sigh of relief.

I don't know why, but when he saw this brother-in-law, he was like a mouse seeing a cat, with its tail between its legs. Obviously Shao Xun had never said harsh words to him, and was gentle and polite to others, but why was he so uncomfortable and so scared in front of him?

Some people can have profound prestige without relying on harsh laws and brutal killings. They are truly anomalies.

******
Ten days later, Shao Xun led his team to Chen County, and the governor Lu Zhi led the officials of the provincial government to the north from Xiang County to welcome them.

At the same time, the nobles from various counties who received the news began to send people to join them.

It was also at this time that Li Chong led the main force of the Yamen Army of 3,000 and auxiliary troops, carrying a large number of chariots and military supplies, and marched towards Xuchang.

The government troops also began to mobilize and gradually gathered towards Liang County, with the total number reaching two thousand.

There may not necessarily be a war, but the military mobilization is real and the tense atmosphere is real.

Sima Yue left Luoyang as soon as his health improved.

He took with him the Left Army, the Right Army and the Beggars' Army, plus several hundred cavalrymen, totaling about 32,000 people. Surrounded by dozens of assistants from the shogunate, he took a last look at Luoyang City in the cold wind and rain, and embarked on the journey to Yanzhou with an indescribable feeling.

Wang Mi's troops had completely retreated to the Yellow River ferry, but did not leave. Instead, they cut down trees and set up fences to protect the ferry and pontoon bridge, as if they were unwilling to lose this bridgehead.

Shi Le fought like the wind in Hebei, and plundered Qinghe, Pingyuan, Yangping, Guangping, Dunqiu and other counties, and more and more fortresses surrendered to him.

Shi Le appointed officials to supervise the construction of various forts, collect money and food, and actively train troops.

Today, almost a year and a half after the Battle of Yemagang, his troops have already become somewhat capable, at least much more capable of fighting than Wang Mi's soldiers.

Lemo seemed to be unable to hold on in Dongqiu.

The gap in strength between him and Shi Le was too great, and he did not have as deep a foundation in Hebei as Yu Chen. He had already thought of giving up this county and moving his army and civilians south to Yanzhou.

The Liu Han court was arguing endlessly about the memorial sent by Wang Mi, and had no clue for the time being.

As for Liu Yuan himself, he was inclined to attack Chenliu and Xingyang in the south and cut off Jin's water transport routes.

In the past year or two, he felt increasingly overwhelmed and his physical weakness was very obvious.

He had realized something and was extremely eager to achieve his wish of conquering Luoyang before his death.

Some things seem inevitable and will involve everyone.

Jijun, Dongqiu, Henei, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Luoyang and even Jingxiang, a war that will sweep across most of the Central Plains has begun to brew.

(End of this chapter)