Chapter 397 Stop it!
Chapter 397 Stop it!
On the third day after the Spring Festival, Chu Huo hurried to Lutian.
"Mouyuan is here." Shao Xun waved from afar and laughed.
"I'm actually later than you, sir. I'm ashamed." Chu Huo said somewhat embarrassedly.
"It doesn't matter. I'm here too early." Shao Xun waved a rake and hit the plowed field, breaking up and crushing large pieces of soil.
The functions of Chenjun Mansion, which evolved from Luyang County Mansion, became increasingly weaker.
Most of the political and military power were stripped away and transferred to the Xuchang Shogunate.
The areas under control now, apart from the five counties of Chen County, are mainly the seven counties of Liang, Yangdi, Yangcheng, Yiyang, Luyang, Ye and Duyang located at the junction of Luoyang, Yuzhou and Jingzhou, plus several private estates of the Shao family, Lutian, Juntian, Xiutian, Guangchengze Ranch and other industries.
The number of officials was not complete, so Shao Xun recruited a lot of student soldiers who had switched to civilian positions and slowly got the organization up and running.
Because Prime Minister Cui Gong, Chancellor Pei Yi and others went to Chen County, Chu Huo, as a sixth-rank minister of agriculture, remained in Liang County. Therefore, he was the de facto person in charge of Luonan and had the final say on all matters, big or small.
The spring ploughing in Lutian was a big event, so of course he had to be there.
After changing into a short brown cloth shirt, Chu Huo and his subordinates went down to the fields and started working.
"Le Kuan, the Central Minister of the Court, will come to the palace next month to serve as the Left Eunuch. From now on, the horse administration will be under his jurisdiction." Shao Xun said, "You can hand over the more than 3,000 horses to him, and the Right Eunuch Wu Qian will assist him."
"Yes." Chu Huo responded.
Le Kuan gave up his sixth-rank post as Zhong Dian Mu in the imperial court and went to the mansion of Duke Chenjun to serve as the eighth-rank Zuo Changshi. It seemed that he had made up his mind.
Wu Qian was originally a ninth-rank shepherd, and now he was promoted one rank to the eighth-rank Right Chamberlain, but this was almost the end of his career because he could not even read.
Wu Qian's son Wu Yong also had limited literacy and was originally a servant in a government office. This time, he and his son were registered as filial and incorruptible officials in Xiangcheng County, and he got an official position and took over the position of the ninth-rank shepherd.
Although Chu Huo looked down on these two people, he did not dare to offend them.
When Wu Qian and his son went to Mr. Chen's house during the New Year, they were able to chat and laugh for most of the day, and were even invited to stay for drinks and meals, but he couldn't do that. Just for this reason alone, offending others would really be a pain in the ass.
The two talked a little more about the affairs in Guanzhong and the two armies approaching Chang'an, and then they lowered their heads to work.
Lutian has been managed by the Yu family's troops for several years.
Hundreds of soldiers walked back and forth on the ridges of the fields, most of the time guarding near Shao Xun, worried that he would be beaten to death by the garrison troops with hoes and dung forks.
At noon, Yu Wenjun came over with a food box, and the Yu family's followers all bowed to her.
After the ceremony, everyone held their heads high and looked even more proud.
In the Guangchengze area, the "prison guards" who were responsible for guarding the garrison troops came from several groups: the Nanyang Le clan, the Yanling Yu clan, the private soldiers of the Jing brothers, the private soldiers of Princess Xiangcheng, and the farmhands of the Shao clan.
There is competition among the five groups.
After Yu Wenjun became Chen Gong's wife, the status of Yu's troops increased dramatically, and they could get more rewards. How wonderful!
"Husband." Yu Wenjun knelt on the futon and said softly, "Just now I met a woman outside Wang Guojiu's manor. She said she was an old acquaintance of my husband."
"Huh?" Shao Xun felt very wronged.
Jing had been seducing him, but he really didn't take the bait. If it had been any other woman, it would have been fine, but it was ridiculous that he fell for Jing.
"After Wang Guojiu died, Liu Yu and Wang from the Taifu Shogunate fought for this girl and then fled to Guangchengze." Shao Xun said, "My husband felt sorry for her, so he asked his two brothers to take care of the garrison soldiers with their family soldiers. The garrison soldiers were responsible for planting her family's fields, that's all."
"Oh, that's why." Yu Wenjun smiled and said, "No wonder she said she wanted to thank her husband."
Damn, what can this woman do to thank him? Shao Xun's heart trembled, and he said, "No need to thank me, it's just a small matter."
"You should eat something too." Shao Xun pushed the lunch box towards his wife.
"Hmm." Yu Wenjun picked up a small piece of steamed bun and bit it politely.
Shao Xun cut some meat for her, scooped some soup and put it in front of her.
Yu Wenjun bit the steamed bun, looked at him, squinted her eyes and smiled.
Shao Xun was a little dazed.
A girl, who has regarded you as a hero since she was young, wants to marry you when she grows up, and after becoming your wife, she tries hard to fulfill her duties, and her heart and eyes are filled with you...
Little bug, stop it!
Stop playing, you bastard!
He picked up a piece of silk and wiped the corners of his wife's mouth.
Yu Wenjun looked at him, her eyes full of shyness and joy.
The sound of rumbling carriages was heard, and after a moment, two carriages stopped, one in front and one behind.
The guards spread out, shouting and yelling, but when they saw Shao's personal soldiers wearing Ming Guang armor, they retreated in a hurry like mice seeing a cat. However, the two women who had just got off the car were suddenly dazzled.
The person in front of him was surprised, then sneered twice and said loudly, "This is the newly cultivated alfalfa in Cuiyou. You should be careful."
"Yes." The head of the farmhands responded, then he went down the ridge and shouted, "Don't be sneaky. These twenty hectares of land are Mr. Chen's salary land. We have to cut the grass in May. Everyone, please work hard. Do you understand?"
"I understand." The troop soldiers replied weakly.
Alfalfa grows fast and grows in large quantities. It has to be harvested three or four times a year, which is actually a very heavy task.
But Mr. Chen and his personal soldiers needed meat, so they sent a batch of livestock to Xuchang every two months. They were fed entirely by alfalfa produced in the land, and no one dared to take this matter lightly.
When Yu Wenjun heard the noise, she looked back and asked in surprise, "Isn't that Queen Hui?"
"How do you know her?" Shao Xun asked while eating calmly.
"I have seen you from afar." Yu Wenjun turned around and asked curiously, "Has Empress Hui always sent people to take care of your husband's land? Did Empress Hui also send people to send those cattle and sheep to Xuchang?"
"Alas!" Shao Xun put down his chopsticks, sighed, and said, "Back then, Donghai was in power and there were constant killings. When the previous emperor passed away, Donghai's followers falsely accused Queen Hui of poisoning. The queen had no way to defend herself, and was escorted to Guangcheng Palace by General Chen Jing to temporarily avoid the limelight. I was filled with righteous indignation, so I drove back the imperial guards who were chasing Queen Hui and protected her in Guangcheng Palace. The queen was kind-hearted, so she planted rice and raised livestock in Guangcheng Lake to increase my military supplies. Some things, once you get used to doing them, you will do them that way. I advised her several times, but the queen refused to stop. What can I do?"
"My husband protects so many women." Yu Wenjun said in a low voice.
"How can you talk like that?" Shao Xun scolded with a smile.
Yu Wenjun smiled and said, "My husband, please enjoy your meal. I will go and pay my respects to Queen Hui."
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and trotted over.
Shao Xun couldn't bear to look back, so he sat there silently and started brainstorming.
What would Yang Xianrong do? Mock Yu Wenjun? It seemed like something she could do.
Will there be something more serious? It's hard to say.
I've been thinking about it over and over again, but I can't find a solution.
So he silently picked up the steamed bun and started eating. No matter how big the matter was, he had to fill his stomach first.
I don’t know how long it took, but when he finished eating everything in the food box, several women’s voices were heard, including Yang Xianrong, Yu Wenjun, and Sima Xiuwei?
He stood up silently, looked at Yang Xianrong who was looking at him dangerously, bowed, and then bowed to Princess Xiangcheng.
The two returned the gift.
"Husband, the Queen invited me to Guangcheng Tang..." Yu Wenjun said in a low voice.
"It is better to obey the Queen's request respectfully." Shao Xun said calmly. Yu Wenjun also thanked Yang Xianrong.
"I live alone in Guangcheng Palace and cannot see outsiders for most of the past six months. Now that Madam Yu is here, I am so happy that I cannot express my happiness at all," said Yang Xianrong.
Sima Xiuwei stood silently behind, without saying a word, just looking at Shao Xun and Yu Wenjun with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Let's go then." Shao Xun said helplessly.
The group of people rode on horses or in cars, and when the sun was setting, they arrived at Guangcheng Tang.
Not long after, Yu Wenjun's four concubines came over with clothes and daily necessities.
Several people chattered in the yard. After a while, they stepped on the stone steps and entered the hot spring one by one.
Shao Xun changed into a robe, sat in front of the window, and looked at the five little white fish in the pond.
After a while, Princess Xiangcheng Sima Xiuwei also entered the pool accompanied by her maid.
Shao Xun didn't know whether he should look away.
Footsteps sounded.
Shao Xun turned his head to look at the door, and Yang Xianrong looked at him expressionlessly.
"Changqiu..." Shao Xun shouted.
Yang Xianrong walked in, knelt down opposite him, and said leisurely, "When you want me to wear the queen's dress, you come running here eagerly. When you get tired of playing, you go away for a year and I haven't seen you since."
"Now is not the right time." Shao Xun argued.
Yang Xianrong sneered and said, "What opportunity are you waiting for? When are you waiting for?"
"You are enjoying yourself outside, and I am running around here, managing your land and raising cattle and sheep for you. All your wonderful ideas, cultivating this and cultivating that, which one of them is not done by me for you?"
"Your generals and lieutenants receive so much meat jerky and rice at the end of the year, and they all thank you profusely. Who earned all that for you?"
"Before the Xiongnu went south, I wrote a letter back to Mount Tai, urging my people not to be fence-sitters. Otherwise, do you think they would fight so hard with the Xiongnu? If they hadn't attracted Liu Ya and Hu Yanyan, your old nest in Chen County would have been destroyed."
"Who is fighting for you in Nanyang? Who is helping you resettle refugees in Nandun and Xincai?"
"This..." Shao Xun was speechless.
What Yang Xianrong said was a bit exaggerated, but he didn't want to argue anymore. The more he argued, the more hopeless it would be.
Seeing him hesitating, Yang Xianrong became even more angry and taunted, "Mr. Chen is too powerful now. After he married a new bride, all the nobles in Yingchuan bowed down to him. What? Are you bringing a new bride to provoke me today? Are you making fun of me for overestimating my own abilities?"
Shao Xun frowned, thinking that Yang Xianrong's mental state was not right.
Ignoring her for a whole year did seem a bit too much.
Yang Xianrong saw that he was just frowning and not saying anything, and his eyes became more dangerous.
She turned her head and glanced at Yu Wenjun in the hot spring outside the window, then stood up and sat in Shao Xun's arms, saying, "Your bride is outside, and I'm inside. You just hold me and love me here, and I'll forgive you, how about that?"
"Are you crazy?" Shao Xun growled.
"Who wouldn't go crazy after not seeing you for a whole year?" Yang Xianrong said, hugging his neck.
"Changqiu, there is a long way to go." Shao Xun tried to push her away.
"Yu Wenjun may see us at any time." Yang Xianrong said, "If you hold me down, she won't be able to see us. Don't you like the queen the most? What are you waiting for?"
"Changqiu, I think you should go out of the palace and walk around." Shao Xun swallowed his saliva and said, "Xuchang and Chen County have beautiful scenery. You can go there and take a look."
Yang Xianrong was stunned and the strength in his hands weakened a lot.
"It can also ease my longing for you." Shao Xun said in her ear again.
Yang Xianrong was silent for a while, then she stood up gently, walked to the outer room, called a maid, and said, "After Madam Yu comes out of the bath, please take her to the guest room to rest. I won't invite her to drink tea here."
"Yes." The maid turned and left.
Shao Xun was sweating all over his forehead.
Yang Xianrong sat back across from Shao Xun weakly, her eyes red, and said, "When you 'miss' me, you come and carry me to bed. When you don't 'miss' me, you won't think of me for a whole year. What do you think of me?"
"Maybe you were too nice to me before, so I couldn't be cruel just because you said a few soft words or lies to me."
"Who are you showing off to by making such a fuss about marrying a wife?"
Yang Xianrong kept chattering, but this time his tone was much more normal, not as crazy as before.
Shao Xun thought about it and felt that this bomb could not be delayed any longer.
People always have to pay for past mistakes. Just think about it, he was stupid and lustful to the point of even provoking the late emperor's widow. Now we have to find a way to resolve the issue.
He glanced out the window quietly, then hugged Yang Xianrong and hid in a corner, gently stroking this delicate face that could rival Wang Jingfeng's, and said, "There are wars every other day in Luoyang, and I guess no one cares about Guangcheng Palace. You go out and walk around, and the court is too lazy to care."
"The court is so poor that it hasn't sent money to the palace for more than a year. There are no envoys coming to comfort the emperor on New Year's Day." Yang Xianrong laughed and said, "Why are you so worried?"
"Where do you want to go?" Shao Xun asked.
"I want to learn calligraphy from my uncle. Please help me find a place in Chenjun." Yang Xianrong said.
Holy shit! What a genius excuse!
The Yang family's calligraphy is quite famous. They go to their uncle to learn and are not afraid of gossip. Shao Xun really admires Yang Yang's wit.
"Okay." He agreed immediately.
"What do you want to do now?" Yang Xianrong asked, burying her face in his arms.
"If love lasts forever, why should we be together day and night?" Shao Xun kissed her and said, "We'll talk about it when you go to Chen County."
Yang Xianrong was silent for a moment, then sneered, "You are so nice to Yu Wenjun, but you only fool me."
Shao Xun smiled awkwardly, hugged Yang Xianrong, and comforted her softly.
Having entered the track he was familiar with, Yang Xianrong also felt better, so it was naturally impossible for him to make mistakes again.
Under Shao Xun's repeated urging, Yang Xianrong left unwillingly.
Not long after, Yu Wenjun, with her flushed face, threw herself into Shao Xun's arms: "Husband."
Suddenly, she sniffed lightly, then hugged Shao Xun tightly and whispered, "I'm tired, take me back."
"Don't you want to live here?" Shao Xun asked in surprise. He had even brought his clothes with him.
Yu Wenjun shook her head.
"Okay, let's go back to Caiguanzhuang." Shao Xun said.
"Are you going out tomorrow?"
"No. I will summon Wei Fu and Liang Chen at Caiguanzhuang tomorrow, check on the ranch the day after tomorrow, train the soldiers for a few days, and then leave." Shao Xun said.
(The ticket has expired if I don’t vote. Please kill me.)
(End of this chapter)