After leaving Liu Biao's place, Deng Hong took Shen Chen back home.
Cai likes reading and spinning in her daily life. Shen Chen also improved the spinning machine for this purpose, and today she is spinning in the backyard.
Seeing Deng Hong and Shen Chen suddenly returning, Cai came to the front yard in surprise and asked Deng Hong: "Husband, why did you come back so early today? Don't you have to be on duty at the state capital?"
Deng Hong felt bitter in his heart, but he still picked up his spirits and said: "Ming Gong asked me to go to Nanyang on a business trip. It may take three to five days to come back. I will go home and get some clothes."
Mrs. Cai saw that her husband's face was a little reluctant, so she was keenly aware of something and asked, "Is your husband going to a very dangerous place on this trip?"
"It's okay." Deng Hongqiang said with a smile: "I haven't seen anything about your husband? Going south from Xuzhou, walking through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, is just a trip to Nanyang. How can there be any dangerous place in Nanyang?"
“Champion County!”
Cai said with determination: "My husband must be going to Champion County as an envoy to those Xiliang troops who have passed through Wuguan, right?"
Deng Hong suddenly looked stunned and said: "Awei, who told you that I was going to Champion County?"
Cai asked: "Tell me first whether it is yes or no."
Deng Hong and Shen Chen looked at each other, and they could see the surprised expressions on each other's faces.
Today's meeting was held at an impromptu meeting, and Shen Chen also asked his uncle to take over the job at an impromptu time. It was impossible for Cai to know in advance.
Therefore, there is only one possibility, and that is that Cai simply guessed it because of Deng Hong's expression.
It is said that women's intuition is very sharp, and Shen Chen finally saw it today.
What kind of monster did my grandfather marry?
Deng Hong smiled bitterly and said: "That's true, but the Xiliang army has suffered a new defeat and is in panic all day long, so it won't do anything to me."
Cai's face suddenly darkened.
She was unsure just now, but now she is sure that her husband is about to go on a mission to the Xiliang Army, which has a very bad reputation. How can this make her feel at ease?
What's more important is that my man knows that although he is somewhat talented, he is not a man of great talent.
If I go to Xiliang as an envoy, I'm afraid I'll be devoured by those guys who eat people without spitting out their bones.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Cai shook her head repeatedly and said: "No, a gentleman will not stand under a dangerous wall. Those Xiliang soldiers are extremely evil and poisoned all Xia. How can my husband put himself in danger?"
Either he came from a wealthy family, he was familiar with "Mencius" and "Hanshu", he quoted scriptures, compared Wang Mang to the Xiliang army, and told Deng Hong that it was too dangerous there and hoped he would not go.
However, Deng Hong said seriously: "I know Awei is worried about my safety, but since I have promised Ming Gong, I must keep it. I believe Awei doesn't want me to be a person who breaks my word."
"But."
Ms. Cai had a worried look on her face and couldn't help but touch her belly. She had some words on her lips but didn't know how to say them out.
Deng Hong laughed, turned to look at Shen Chen and said, "Besides, Ah Chen will also come with me. Ah Chen can bring our Deng family back to Nanyang and can also ensure my safety. What do you think?"
Shen Chen said with a smile: "Yes, Sixth Grandmother, Zhang Ji came to Nanyang just to survive, not to die. Now he will definitely not be able to go back to Guanzhong. If he continues to fight Liu Shijun, it will be nothing more than a dead end. So it is for us to surrender him. For them, it’s all benefit and no harm.”
"I see."
Mrs. Cai nodded silently, turned around and walked towards the back room: "I'm going to help my husband get two sets of clothes."
Looking at her leaving back, not sure if it was an illusion, Deng Hong said strangely: "Ah Chen, your sixth grandmother is a little strange today."
"What's wrong?"
Shen Chen didn't have much contact with this sixth grandmother. In the past, she always thought she was just a fat lady in the boudoir of a wealthy family.
Last time I was with Gan Ning, I had a great impression of her. I thought she was very knowledgeable and very smart.
But that's all.
After all, he spent most of his time studying in the academy, and occasionally went down the mountain to ask Liu Biao about ancient scriptures to make his presence felt in front of him, so he didn't spend much time with his grandmother.
Deng Hong scratched his head: "I can't explain why. I just feel like she might have something to say to me."
"Maybe I'm worried about my sixth uncle."
"maybe."
"Compared to this, uncle, have you thought about what you want to say when you meet the Xiliang army?"
"Shouldn't you think this through before teaching me?"
"You have to adapt to the situation."
"That's true, but is it really just the two of us going? It's too dangerous."
"Didn't Liu Shijun say that? If you need anything, just ask. Uncle Xingba has always been brave, wouldn't it be much safer to ask him to bring someone to accompany us?"
"Call Xingba?"
"Yes, besides, we don't need to go to Champion County. The Xiliang Army is in a hurry. Wouldn't it be better to find a rural pavilion outside the city?"
"Yes, Ah Chen, you are still smart."
Deng Hong slapped his head, why didn't he think of this?
There is no need to go deep into the tiger's den.
The meeting with the other party was just outside the city. Both parties agreed to bring a few people with them. The wilderness and pavilions stretched as far as the eye could see, and neither party needed to worry about the other party ambushing people.
In this way, not only can one's own safety be guaranteed, but it will certainly not be an offense to the Xiliang Army.
The grandparents and grandson are still discussing the specific content here, but Cai has already packed two pieces of clothing over there.
After Deng Hong was reminded by Shen Chen just now, all he had in mind was this thought. He didn't notice that there was something wrong with the look on his wife's face. He took the bag and said, "Awei, if everything goes well, I'll be back in two days. You can wait at home." I."
"Um."
Ms. Cai nodded slightly.
Deng Hong picked up the baggage and walked out of the house and said: "Awei, let's go."
"Grandma Six, please go back, we are leaving."
Shen Chen also said hello.
"Husband, Ah Chen, you must pay attention to your safety."
"Do not worry."
Mrs. Cai sent her grandfather and grandson to the street, where a servant driving a carriage was waiting outside.
She watched the two of them get on the carriage, sit on the carriage and wave goodbye to her. It wasn't until the carriage slowly left that she unconsciously rubbed her belly gently.
She has actually lost a lot of weight in the past few months. Her appearance was not outstanding at first, and she had a low self-esteem due to being fat since she was a child. When she grew up, she never left the door or took a step forward, which led to her getting fatter and fatter.
But since Deng Hong married her, Mrs. Cai left the home that had only brought her depression in the past. After feeling better, she gradually lost more than 20 kilograms.
But even though she had lost a lot of weight, she was still fat, so after more than a month of pregnancy, she didn't even know she was pregnant.
If menstruation hadn't come for a long time, I had no choice but to send someone to ask a female doctor in the city to take a look. Maybe it would take some time to find out.
I learned the news this morning, and I originally planned to tell my husband after he left work in the afternoon.
But now...
If you are afraid that he will be distracted, why would you dare?
．
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Deng Hong and Shen Chen arrived in Beicheng in a carriage.
The carriage had the seal of Jingzhou Prefect's Residence, and it arrived at the Xiangyang Pier outside the city almost unimpeded.
The city of Xiangyang is actually surrounded by water. The entire city is surrounded by a moat with an average width of eighty feet, so people must have boats to travel.
Deng Hong was an official of the state government and went there with Liu Biao's mission, so the first stop of the trip was not actually to go directly to Champion County, but to Fancheng.
Because when officials go on missions, they definitely need soldiers to accompany them for protection, so they must first find Zhang Yun and ask him to send soldiers to accompany them.
Then he had to go to Chaoyang, Xinye and Rangcheng to inform Deng Ji, Liu Wei, Wang Jie, Wenpin and others stationed there of Liu Biao's current strategic intentions, so that they could prepare to gather troops and prepare for the worst.
.
In other words, it's best to reach an agreement through negotiation. If you can't reach an agreement, you have to go to war.
And even if they reach an agreement, they still have to be informed of this matter. When the Xiliang army accepts Liu Biao's conditions, they will have to give up the city north of Nanyang and evacuate their troops to the south.
The grandfather and grandson and the two state officials who followed them took a boat to the other side of the river and found Zhang Yun in Fancheng. When they learned that it was Liu Biao's order, Zhang Yun did not dare to slack off. According to Deng Hong's wishes, he sent Gan Ning and Lou Fa.
Shen Mi and others led eight hundred soldiers to accompany them.
When Gan Ning heard about this, he was overjoyed. He was very happy that Deng Hong, a good brother, had not forgotten him when he had good deeds. He quickly reorganized military affairs, took his old team of Jinfan thieves with strong combat capabilities, and went north to Chaoyang with Deng Hong.
Fancheng in Chaoyang County is relatively close, but it is still a hundred miles away. We started from Xiangyang in the morning and arrived in the evening, which took us almost five hours.
Deng Ji's defeated army was stationed here.
Deng Hong conveyed Liu Biao's order to Deng Ji, rested in the city for a day, and set out for Xinye the next morning, arriving at noon. After finishing, he set off again and arrived at Rangcheng in the evening.
After arriving in Rangcheng, Deng Hong did not neglect. Instead, he sent someone to Champion County overnight to deliver a message, inviting the current leaders of the Xiliang Army to gather at the Xiangting Pavilion near Tuanshui.
It was not until the morning of the third day that Deng Hong received a reply. Zhang Xiu, the current leader of the Xiliang Army, agreed to his request to meet at the Xiangting Pavilion outside Rangcheng.
In the afternoon, the weather was unfavorable, and in mid-February, a steady spring rain began to fall in Nanyang. However, it was just a drizzle. It was so small that I didn’t feel anything on my body. Maybe I stayed in the rain for a long time, and only a few drops of water would appear on my temples.
The spring breeze felt particularly comfortable on people's faces. Deng Hong and Shen Chen were sitting in the carriage. Next to them was Gan Ning, who was leading a small force of about twenty people. There were several scouts in front who were watching from a distance.
Champion County is very close to Rangcheng. The location agreed upon by both parties is exactly on the left bank of the rapids in the middle. The river is running continuously. There is a pavilion built on the post road near the left side of the river.
The surrounding fertile fields are full of farmland and villages, but at this time due to the war, a large number of people fled to other places, and the villages and pavilions seemed empty.
At this moment, outside the pavilion, twenty cavalrymen covered in black armor were seen from a distance. They lined up neatly and with extraordinary momentum. In front of them, two men who looked like generals were sitting on horseback.
"That Zhang Xiu seems to be in a real hurry."
Seeing this scene, Shen Chen smiled slightly and whispered to Deng Hong beside him: "I'm afraid he is eager to negotiate peace with us now."
Deng Hong asked puzzledly: "How can you tell this?"
Shen Chen said: "Negotiations cannot be rushed. What the two sides are competing for is patience. But now we have just arrived, but they seem to have arrived a long time ago, which shows that Zhang Xiu obviously wants to solve this problem as soon as possible."
"So it seems there is hope for peace talks?"
"Of course it's very promising."
"That's good."
Deng Hong was relieved, he believed that Shen Chen's judgment would be correct every time, and this time would be no exception.
The group of people slowly arrived at the pavilion, while the drizzle was still falling.
Deng Hong and Shen Chen got off the carriage. When they looked at Zhang Xiu, they saw that he was about thirty years old. He was powerful, tall and strong, with a beard on his face and a straight hair. The roughness of people from the cold frontier.
Behind Zhang Xiu, there was another general protecting him. The man was taller and stronger than Zhang Xiu. He only wore a white coarse linen suit on his upper body, and a small Zha armor outside.
Since Xiao Zha's armor only protects his chest and back like a vest, his arms are naturally exposed, and his knotted and bulging muscles show that he is obviously not an ordinary person.
The person one position ahead is naturally Zhang Xiu, followed by Hu Che'er.
You must know that the weight of Dianwei's double halberds of eighty kilograms is recorded in the "Three Kingdoms". Hu Che'er was able to steal his double halberds and walk as fast as he could with 500 kilograms on his back, which shows that he is a strongman and long-distance running champion.
If you don't take his specific martial arts into account, it might be easy to be fooled into thinking he is a particularly powerful character just by looking at his appearance.
While Deng Hong and Shen Chen were sizing them up, Zhang Xiu and Hu Che'er were also sizing up their grandparents.
Deng Hong is a Confucian scholar. He is quite handsome, but he is thin and less than 1.8 meters tall. He is far less than Zhang Xiu and Hu Cheer who are over 1.8 meters and 1.9 meters tall. He is slightly lacking in imposing manner.
There is a child standing next to him. Shen Chen is ten years old this year. Because he insists on exercising and eating high-protein and high-calcium foods such as meat, fish, shrimp, and milk every day, he has grown very rapidly. He is already 1.68 meters tall and has a height of 1.68 meters. Mi Qi stepped forward and looked like a young man.
Although it was puzzling to bring a young man who looked about twelve or thirteen years old to such an important matter, Zhang Xiu was eager for peace talks now and did not dwell on it. Instead, he took the initiative to get off his horse and came over and said: "It's Deng Gongcao." ?"
"General Zhang!"
Deng Hong stepped forward and cupped his hands and said: "Deng Hong, Cao Shuzuo, a pastoral official in Jingzhou, has met General Zhang."
"Merit comes with courtesy."
Zhang Xiu returned the favor.
Deng Hong then stretched out his hand to the pavilion next to him and said, "It's windy and rainy outside. General, why don't we go inside and talk in detail."
"good."
Zhang Xiu nodded and went in with Hu Che'er.
Deng Hongze, Shen Chen and Gan Ning walked into the pavilion with Zhang Xiu in front and behind him.
The pavilion is not big, but it is kept clean. Apparently, Zhang Xiu had sent someone to clean it before they came.
Everyone sat down in the hall, and no one took the main seat. They sat on opposite sides.
After everyone sat down, Zhang Xiu also knew that he couldn't act too impatient. Of course, he didn't know that Shen Chen had seen through the details, so he pretended to be calm and said: "I wonder what the reason Liu Jingzhou sent the meritorious officer here is? ?”
Deng Hong glanced at Shen Chen and saw that the old man was there. He hesitated and hesitated for a moment. Finally, he had no choice but to follow the instructions he had given before. He gritted his teeth and said in a calm and steady manner: "General, I'm here today. Therefore, I am declaring war on the general on behalf of Liu Shijun. The general’s death is coming, don’t you know it?”