Chapter 341 Traveling
Chapter 341 Traveling (Part )
The deep courtyard is extremely quiet.
Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps.
The girl held onto the door frame, her face flushed and her breathing unsteady.
Several people who were doing needlework raised their heads and looked at the person who came.
"Lord Chen is discussing military and national affairs with a group of old-fashioned people." The girl said immediately without being urged.
"Oh..." The girls sighed in ambiguous expressions.
"Pu Tao, what is Lord Chen talking about?" asked Yu Wenjun.
After these words were spoken, the other three girls in the room had different expressions.
Guanqiu was full of curiosity, just like a dreamy girl of her age. She did not hide her thoughts in front of her sisters and tried to find out everything about the Marquis of Chen.
Xun pretended to be calm, but judging from the fact that she had completely stopped moving her hands, it was obvious that she still cared.
Yin looked nervous and didn't dare to look at the person who came.
"It's said that the emperor gave up the idea of moving the capital and issued an edict ordering Zhou Fu to withdraw his troops, but he only had to send grain to the capital." Pu Tao took a breath and said, "The Lord of Chen seemed very happy. He said it would be best not to fight and to preserve his vitality."
Yu Wenjun breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
Lord Chen is happy, which means this matter is good for him. That’s good, that’s good.
"The Princess of the East Sea is here too." Pu Tao said mysteriously again.
"Ah?" Before Yu Wenjun could say anything, Guanqiu cried out in surprise.
Yu Wenjun pinched her in annoyance, and Guanqiu pinched her back, and the two of them started laughing and joking.
Guanqiu was Yu Wenjun's cousin. The two often slept in the same bed and confided their secrets to each other, so naturally they had a very good relationship.
Xun sat there dignifiedly and asked, "Pu Tao, what is the purpose of the Princess of Donghai coming here? Why is she with Lord Chen?"
Xun has been learning etiquette from the main branch of the family recently, and her words seem a little deliberate, as if she is learning from the ladies in the family.
As expected, Pu Tao looked at her with disdain and said, "Jiang Xia, why do you have to be like this? Can't you just speak properly?"
After saying that, he walked up to Xun and started tickling her.
Xun's trick was indeed broken, and she couldn't help laughing.
After laughing, he sighed a little, not knowing whether it was because of her fate.
Yin was a little shy. She looked at a few people and subconsciously felt that this was not a good idea, but she did not dare to speak up to advise them.
Well, she felt that Yu Wenjun was very kind to them and they were very close, just like they were many years ago.
But people will eventually grow up and have their own lives.
Yu Wenjun was the wife appointed by the Marquis of Chen, and her status was different from those concubines. To put it bluntly, it was the difference between master and servant, although everyone's status was similar before.
Yu Wenjun couldn't even manage her four close playmates. Without the authority of a senior wife, Yin Shi couldn't imagine how she would face the concubines of the princes and princesses after she really married into the Chen Marquis's mansion.
Yu Wenjun seemed to think that it was not good to laugh and make noise like this, so she said, "Stop for a moment and listen to Pu Tao continue talking."
The group of girlfriends fell silent.
Pu Tao straightened her messy hair and said, "I heard that Marquis Chen escorted the princess and the prince to Yanzhou, and there was a bit of chaos over there. After Situ passed away, many people from the shogunate left, and many soldiers also dispersed."
"The soldiers also dispersed?" Yu Wenjun was a little puzzled.
"There are more than 10,000 soldiers under the Si Tu's command who are begging for life. These people are former subordinates of the Right Guard General Li Yun, and they may want to return to Luoyang." Xun said on the side.
Yu Wenjun glanced quickly at Xun, feeling a little surprised and unhappy.
Xun didn't notice Yu Wenjun, and Yin saw it all happening from the side, but being introverted, she said nothing and just lowered her head and twisted her fingers.
"Jiangxia, you really have some knowledge." Pu Tao exclaimed: "That's what your Jibei Marquis said. He also mentioned that some Yanzhou noble families called back their troops, saying that they had lent them to Situ to fight in the war before, and now that Situ is gone, they want them back. Fan County is probably really in trouble. Oh, Zhong Yanzhou (Zhong Ya) is also present. He just came back from Fan County and mentioned the war in Qingzhou. He said that if it drags on for too long, Cao Yi and Gou Xi might reach out..."
"Zhong Yanzhou is quite famous in Yingchuan. Did he come back to join Lord Chen?" Yu Wenjun asked hurriedly after hearing half of it.
"No." Pu Tao shook his head: "Marquis Chen also advised him to stay in Yuzhou. Zhong Yanzhou declined, saying that he had made an agreement with the two people from the Weishi Ruan family to cross the river to Jianye together."
"Is the prestige of the King of Langya so high?" Yu Wenjun was somewhat dissatisfied.
Pu Tao wanted to say something, but was tongue-tied.
After thinking for a moment, everyone present lowered their heads.
The reason is obvious. Thinking of this, Yu Wenjun was fine, but the other four felt a little lost, and even a little self-pity.
"It doesn't matter if we don't help Lord Chen. There will be others who will come to join us," said Yu Wenjun.
"I heard from the elders in my family that Lord Chen enrolled more than ten people in the Imperial College before the New Year. He probably doesn't trust outsiders very much..." said Xun.
She resumed her dignified sitting posture, and her manners, speech speed, and expression were very particular when she spoke, just like those noble ladies who had been managing the family business for many years. But with her slightly childish face, it always felt a bit funny.
"Yes, our own talents are the most reliable." Yu Wenjun immediately agreed.
The five people present all came from Yingchuan noble families, but they were women. When women think about problems, it is more complicated.
It would be great if the family could stand with Lord Chen and provide assistance.
If they were more distant from Chen Hou, they would be very uncomfortable being caught in the middle. Of course, since they had joined Yu Wenjun's "girlfriend group" for marriage, in a sense, their families had already made a preference, at least they were hedging their bets, so it wouldn't be too difficult for them.
"Speaking of those who came to seek refuge..." Pu Tao suddenly added, "Le Mo, the governor of Dunqiu, led the soldiers and civilians of Hebei from Liang State to the south. I heard that he was going to Nandun soon. The Marquis of Chen wanted him to be the internal historian of Xincai."
"Le Mo." Yu Wenjun lowered her head slightly when she heard this surname.
Guanqiu nudged her.
Yu Wenjun shook her head slightly and continued her needlework.
Le Mo lost Dunqiu, but he was able to become the governor when he came back. Is she really that favored?
Yin looked at Guanqiu and then at Yu Wenjun, feeling a little anxious, but she was not good at speaking, so she could only say one sentence in the end: "The Lord of Chen just wants to stabilize Nanyang."
Xun glanced at Yin and was a little surprised.
Yin avoided her gaze, lowered her head and twisted her fingers, her face gradually turning red.
Yu Wenjun glanced at Yin happily and said, "That's true."
After saying these things, the girls did some needlework for a while, and soon began to chatter about Lord Chen's attire, until a servant came to invite them to dinner.
They were all unmarried girls, so it was impossible for them to eat at the same table with men. The five of them left the courtyard and walked towards the western side room. As they walked, they stopped because they heard a man talking in front of them.
"When you go to Fan County, the princess doesn't need to say anything more to them. You just need to occupy the righteousness of the mistress." Shao Xun walked beside Concubine Pei and said softly: "In this way, I dare not say anything else, but the Qingxu scholar will be much easier to control."
"What about Wang Bing?"
"Don't worry, Princess. With me here, Wang Bing won't dare to act rashly."
"Wang Anqi has been away from Donghai for a long time. Should we appoint a new internal historian?"
"It may be necessary. In fact, not only the internal historian, but also the lieutenant needs to be selected."
"Liu Qia is now a military officer in the shogunate. Should we let him go back to be a lieutenant?"
"Let's see after we get there." Shao Xun said, "I'll talk to them one by one first to find out the truth. If it doesn't work, I'll replace them immediately. The four counties of the East Sea Kingdom are not a small country. It would be a pity to lose them."
"It was rumored in the court that the emperor wanted to demote him... to a county king. In that case, where would the four counties be?"
"This is indeed a matter of concern." Shao Xun said, "I have made a deal with Wang Yifu. I will help Yang Mao become the governor of Yanzhou, and he will find a way to stop the emperor."
"Will I become a target of public criticism if I do this?"
"It's not a big deal." Shao Xun said, "Since Situ appointed himself as the governor of Xuzhou and the governor a few years ago, and later appointed himself as the governor of Yanzhou, more and more people have been doing this."
"I'm still a little worried."
"Some things always require risk. The emperor has a strong opinion of me now. Normally, it is unlikely that I can take down Li Shu. I can only take an unconventional approach."
"I'm glad you know." Concubine Pei sighed and stepped forward.
When he reached the gate of the courtyard, he was stunned.
Yu Wenjun and her group of close friends looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yin subconsciously wanted to escape.
Xun bowed with all her might, still analyzing what she had just heard in her mind.
Guanqiu and Yu lowered their heads.
Yu Wenjun glanced at Concubine Pei and then bowed.
Concubine Pei returned the gift and looked at Yu Wenjun with complicated eyes.
Recalling the spring outing in Qilijian seven or eight years ago, she was surrounded by many people. Yu Wenjun, who was still a naive little girl, was not taken seriously by her at all.
But now—she is already fifteen years old and she wants to steal a man!
Shao Xun was a little dizzy at first, but then he quickly reacted and smiled at Yu Wenjun.
According to etiquette, they shouldn't meet each other now, but they bumped into each other, so it would be inappropriate to pretend not to see each other.
Yu Wenjun also smiled, then left with a heavy heart.
The four playmates followed closely behind, occasionally glancing at Shao Xun out of the corner of their eyes.
Shao Xun smiled and nodded in greeting.
Did you say anything nonsense just now? I don't think so.
How could these little girls understand military and national affairs? They also don't understand the ways of the world.
Shao Xun recalled it one last time and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he was cautious and didn't say anything frivolous, otherwise he would have been caught red-handed.
Concubine Pei's face did not look very good, and she whispered, "Let's go in the afternoon and get this over with."
"Okay." Shao Xun nodded.
Only after finishing one task can you devote your whole heart and soul to another.
(End of this chapter)