Chapter 1 Thunder (3) In the spring of the twelfth year of the great cause, Boling Hou Li Xu defeated the bandit commander Zhang Jincheng in Nangong, beheading 3,000-level thieves and defeated them. Jinchenzhi was able to escape Boling, Xindu, Zhaojun, and Hengshan.
Di Naian
This was a victory that excited the Sui Dynasty. Since the beginning of the spring, bad news has come one after another about rogue bandits from all over the country capturing counties and cities. Only in Hebei, Dou Jiande and Zhang Jincheng were defeated by the official army. However, His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty
He didn't seem to be particularly happy about this. When the good news was delivered to Dongdu, he was drinking on the river with the bachelors from the Secretariat Province and received the urgent document sent by the eunuch. He only glanced at it briefly and then said:
He threw it in the bamboo basket beside him
Naturally, such an obvious action could not escape the eyes of interested people. Before evening, the news that Li Xu, the general manager of the Fenyang Army, had lost his power, spread outside the palace wall. "Your Majesty seems not to like that wild boy recently!" Someone pretended to be profound to his companions.
After revealing the result, all he received was a series of contempt: "What kind of eyes do you have? That boy is so arrogant. Your Majesty has seen his true nature since he passed Taiyuan. Otherwise, why didn't he originally say that he would be married to the daughter of the palace?"
Will you mention it again when you see Your Majesty? In my opinion, that boy's good luck has come to an end. How can such a cheap thing happen? He has reaped all the benefits in the world by himself!"
"That's true!" The person who realized it later was full of shame and made up his mind to make up for the mistake, "How about we all jointly write a poster tomorrow to show that this kid is arrogant, domineering, and has no respect for his elders?"
"Let's wait and discuss this matter. The two Masters Pei and Yu have not done anything. Why should we come forward to offend this person!" A mature and prudent person frowned and suggested.
The two masters Pei are the leaders of the civil servants, especially the imperial censor Pei Yun. He is well-informed and good at figuring out the holy will. The officials all follow their lead. If Li Xuzhen is going to lose his favor, master Pei Yun will definitely call on everyone to attack.
However, Lord Pei's performance this time disappointed many people who wanted to watch the fun. Instead of taking the opportunity to add insult to injury, he successively impeached several officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs who were unfavorable in transporting grain and grass to Hebei, and attacked their corpses, thus delaying the good opportunity to put down the rebellion.
Lord Pei Yun's behavior is incomprehensible, and Lord Pei Ju's behavior is even more confusing. Zhao Xiaocai, Minister of the Ministry of War, came to ask for advice on whether to continue to fulfill His Majesty's promise when he was in Hedong and to provide Fenyang with the standard of a military force.
When the soldiers were picking up the armor and equipment, the old man pondered for a long time with his beard on his hands, and only replied, "You can't do it all, and you can't stop doing it!" Then Zhao Xiaocai refused to say another word no matter how anxious he was.
"The reason why he has to dial it back is because His Majesty's promise was made with pure words. He said it in front of so many people. He can't swallow it back by himself. I'm afraid it's because Mr. Pei couldn't figure out that there was a misunderstanding between Your Majesty and General Li.
, or the kindness of the emperor and his ministers has been cut off." Zhao Xiaocai has many experts around him. He reversed Pei Ju's hint and analyzed it clearly and clearly, "As for how much to send, your lord, you can take it easy. Anyway, your majesty has not set a time limit. You can finish all the equipment in three months.
, it still took five years to complete the allocation, and no one can find anything wrong!”
Zhao Xiaocai was timid and fearful, so he had to act according to the analysis of his staff. Remembering Li Xu's life-saving grace, when the ordnance was sent out, he asked his confidant to bring a letter to the other party. After Li Xu received the letter, he was very generous.
The emperor expressed his understanding of Zhao Xiaocai's difficulties, rewarded the messenger heavily, and sent a pair of captured coral trees to Zhao Xiaocai's house. Zhao Shangshu saw that Li Xu knew what was going on, so the next time he allocated supplies, he secretly sent them to Zhao Xiaocai's house.
The transportation volume increased by half. When Pei Ju, who was in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of War, learned about this situation, he shook his head and laughed it off.
"The boy named Li is very good at doing things!" This was the unanimous evaluation of Xu Zi by several important officials at the time. Since the Fenyang army arrived in Boling, they rarely received emergency documents from several counties around Boling.
, the local surnames Cui, Zheng, Li, and Zhang seemed to be getting along very well with the newly arrived consolation ambassadors from the six counties. According to their nephews, the Li family in Zhao County and the Li family in Shanggu were of the same clan, and Bo
Cui Qian, a rising star of the Lingcui family, has also been greatly promoted under Li Xu. In just a few months, he has been promoted two levels in a row.
In order to thank the imperial court for sending a good official who was "diligent and caring for the people" to the local area, several local surnames made appropriate gestures. Pei Ju, Yu Shiji and others accepted gifts from others, so naturally they would not disappoint them. As for Yang
Guang, everyone is trying not to let him see Li Xu's name for the time being.
However, many local officials in the six counties were at odds with the new arrivals. They no longer had to sweat over writing emergency documents, but they began to work hard to maintain their authority. Regarding the separation of civil and military affairs, and Li Xu
Memorials suspected of raising soldiers' self-respect have been pouring in continuously since January. Fortunately, Yu Shiji took all the benefits from Li Xu and "accidentally" classified those memorials into the most insignificant category, so that Yang Guang had no time to read them.
Li Xu cautiously dealt with the overt and covert attacks from the court and the local government. He was exhausted. He was now more powerful than the princes, but he did not realize the happiness brought by power. In fact, since the Battle of Nangong, his mood has been...
Not only was he troubled by Yang Guang's sudden change of attitude, he was also deeply saddened by seeing Zhang Ji's death and Zhang Jincheng's true colors with his own eyes.
Zhang Jin claimed that he was Uncle Zhang. More than half a month had passed since the incident, and Xuzi still couldn't calm down. Although in his impression, the image of the stingy and cunning Uncle Zhang was far inferior to that of Sun Jiu, he still could not change his timid and fearful attitude towards the weak.
The wretched hawker who has no lack of sympathy is connected with the devil who encourages his subordinates to eat human flesh. In comparison, the evil deeds of Uncle Zhang and Sun Jiu seem less shocking. Uncle Jiu's martial arts is very good, if he is not an ordinary and peaceful person,
It is not easy for people who are very close to him to plot against him. Only Uncle Zhang, who has been walking with him outside the Great Wall for many years, can make Uncle Jiu relax his vigilance. Only those who have rescued Uncle Jiu at all costs can easily attack him at the wine table.
Do something dirty
Troubled times have changed everyone, no matter whether their original nature was kind or vicious. Zhang Jinchen shouted that day that even if he didn't kill Sun Jiu, Sun Jiu would kill him. Although it was quibbling, it also illustrated a bloody reality in troubled times.
It's a pity that Zhang Ji has just returned from outside the Great Wall. His memory of human nature is still a few years ago. Therefore, he would rather die than believe that his father is a demon who eats human flesh.
It is already April, and the chill is still biting to the bone. The sky outside has always remained blue-grey, as if this is the only way to be worthy of the tragedy in the world.
"These are troubled times!" Xuzi sighed longly and put the official document in his hand on the desk. He remembered that many years ago, beside the charcoal basin, Tang Gong Li Yuan also sighed like this. He was very puzzled by this back then.
, now, I have begun to appreciate the heaviness of it
There may be a few heroes in troubled times, but for most people living in them, what they see is definitely death and destruction. It can turn honest people like Sun Jiu and Zhang Jinchen, who are usually resigned, into giant thieves.
Uprooting aristocratic families like Boling Cui and Zhaojun Li can turn a once prosperous city into scorched earth, and rebuilding a city on scorched earth will take at least dozens to hundreds of years.
Whose fault is it? Xuzi can put all the blame on Yang Guang, but no matter whose fault led to the arrival of this troubled world, it is all the people living in it who are about to pay the price, and the more they live at the bottom
Although he is now a prince, chief steward, and general, his parents, uncles, and relatives were once ordinary people, and some of them have already suffered the disasters that come with troubled times.
The charcoal basin behind him was turned bright by a pair of hands, making the coldness in the room slightly lessen. Li Xu turned around gently and saw Xinger's smiling face reflected red by the firelight.
"Why are you sighing again? Are you still sad about Zhang Ji's death?" Qier has always been very considerate, and she can understand Xuzi's thoughts without even trying to figure it out. "He gave his father a way to live with his own life, and also
There is nothing to regret. Besides, if you report him as 'martyr to the death in battle', the imperial court will give him some posthumous honor!"
Xuzi shook his head with a wry smile, his eyes still filled with lingering loneliness. "He has already married a family in Saishang, and his children are over two years old. Last year when he handed Gan Luo over to Yulenbu Kedun in Yanmen, those
The Khitan people are still reluctant to let Zhang Ji leave. He wants to get an official position in the Central Plains, so that he can comfort his parents' souls in heaven and wait for the world to settle down again in the future, and also give their children a good background. If I had known the outcome today, I might as well have advised him to stay.
At the Khitan people!"
What he was talking about was what happened at the end of October last year. After Yang Guang was sent to Taiyuan, the Fenyang army completed its mission.
On the way to Boling by taking a detour, he took another trip to Yanmen with his soldiers. He handed over Gan Luo to Ayun as promised, and by the way accepted from Pan Zhanyang what he had deserved for so many years in the two warehouses outside the Great Wall.
dividend
"Who can predict the things in this world? You have tried your best to help him. Zhang Ji will be able to rest in peace after his death. As for that child, in fact, being an official may not be a good way out."
He picked up the pot at his feet and poured a bowl of strong tea for him. There were enough servants and maids in the house, but the husband and wife were used to the warmth of taking care of each other and were unwilling to give a bowl of rice or a mouthful of water to others.
"When you are not an official, some of you don't want to stand out!" Li Xu smiled and reached out to take the tea cup, "With such clear hierarchies, who wouldn't want to be the best? Why are you here, where are Niang, Lan'er and the others?
"
The feelings of some ordinary people cannot be understood by people like Qi'er who grew up in fine clothes and fine food, but this does not hinder the communication between husband and wife. So far, Qi'er and Li Xu have been able to tolerate each other's shortcomings and understand each other.
Through the tolerance between each other, we can experience a lot of joy in life.
"My mother and Lan'er took a bus to the nearby Zhuangzi. The organization was weeding the wheat fields. They were afraid that Uncle Zhong and Aunt Zhong wouldn't be able to greet me and I was too clumsy to help, so I came to your place to have a look.
Find something to do by the way!" Qier made a face and pretended to be humble.
"It just so happens that there are some official documents here. I need someone to help me with my advice. General Cui Lang's injury has not been cured yet, and Zhao Shenjun is busy receiving supplies from the court again!" Li Xu moved to the side and sat on the bench.
Give some space to Zhen'er
It is not easy to maintain the balance of a family, especially the two women of the Li family. One is a charming girl and the other is a careless person. Because of their different origins and experiences, they cannot even be sisters, so Li Xu can only try his best to make them
Everyone has a space to display their talents, lest they really focus on fighting with each other
Zhen'er grew up with conspiracies and had a very good grasp of interpersonal relationships. Xuzi always discussed with her some things about how to interact with courtiers, and always gained a lot. Shi Lan understood that she was good at handling government affairs.
In any case, he was not as good as Qi'er, so he put all his thoughts on housework. Li Xu was now the Marquis of Boling County, and he had received countless rewards from the court, gifts from local powerful people, and land purchased by his family over the years.
Taking care of the chores on these properties and supervising whether the housekeepers who stayed in various villages were doing their best, etc. The daily chores fell on Shi Lan's shoulders. In front of all the brothers, it was easier for Qi'er to win respect, but in the Li family
In the eyes of the two elders, Shi Lan, who was both from a small family, was probably more considerate and more to their liking.
The two women also understood Li Xu's thoughts, so they tried their best to maintain the appearance of harmony. Shi Lan intervened in the matter, and Zhen'er easily ignored it. Shi Lan also tried his best to hold back his curiosity about Zhen'er's plan for Xu Zi.
The heart does not participate
Zhen'er gently sat next to Xu Zi, gathered the messy official documents on the table into a pile, and then sorted through them one by one. The handling of these daily government affairs was related to Lang Jun's future and the fate of the family, so she could not
Bu Xin Xin Judging from the official letters exchanged from various places, the situation in the Sui Dynasty has become increasingly declining this year, but the imperial court is still adhering to the practices established over the years, and has a day-by-day mentality to deal with rebellions in various places.
Just when Li Xu led his troops and fought a bloody battle with Zhang Jin, the imperial court summoned the county guards to go to Dongdu for a routine assessment. As many as 20 county guards were unable to come because of the blocked roads. The emperor was furious and decided to send troops.
Due to various reasons such as the lack of supplies and the reluctance of the generals to move forward, not a single soldier has left the eastern capital.
In the same month, the imperial court ordered the construction of sixteen palaces in the south, which were extremely luxurious.
In the third month of the lunar month, the emperor and his ministers were drinking on the water in Xiyuan. He ordered the scholar Du Bao to write the "Water Decoration Illustration", which collected seventy-two ancient water stories.
, wine boat, the characters are as automatic as life, the bells, chimes, zither and zither can be made into music.
In April, the emperor solicited fireflies from Jinghua Palace and got a few dendrobiums. He went out to the mountains at night and released them. The light filled the rocky valley. In Yang Guang's eyes, the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty was still the same.
"Where are the others, what are you busy with today?" The two discussed and dealt with more than ten official letters that urgently needed to be responded to. Li Xu was afraid that Zhen'er would be too tired, so he hugged her shoulders and changed the topic to daily trivial matters again.
"My father-in-law said that he couldn't stay idle, so he went to work in the village!" Zhen'er thought for a while and replied in a low voice. She thought of a certain elder in the family. In an instant, her eyes turned a little dim, "Shenjin and I
You said that she wanted to go back to Shanggu to see her uncle's grave. She and her uncle have no descendants, and the weather has warmed up. If she doesn't go there in person, the grass on the grave will keep growing like crazy!"
Uncle Baosheng died at the same time as Li Xu Yanmen rescued him last year. In the same month, King Mantian and Li Shanfei teamed up to capture Shanggu County. The generals sent by the Li family in Taiyuan and Xu Zi's own soldiers protected Li Xu's parents from the disaster.
, but unable to protect everyone
Zhang Baosheng, the innkeeper, accountant and waiter, was hacked to death by bandits in the backyard of his home. The proprietress Zhang Liu managed to escape by hiding in the cellar where vegetables were kept. Next to the cellar entrance, which was concealed by stone slabs and stacks of firewood, her husband Zhang was lying.
Baosheng's body
Chapter 1 Thunder (Three Strikes) To be fair, the impression left by Jin Jin Zhang Liu on Li Xu was not very good. Her image of a shrew holding a knife in one hand and twisting the neck of a chicken with the other almost ruined Xu Zi's love for all members of the opposite sex when she was young.
Fantasy, but this does not weaken Xuzi's sympathy for his uncle's family. Xuzi knows that if it were not for the series of adventures on the fortress, he would now be among his uncle, Jin Jin and countless fellow villagers who were displaced in troubled times.
He is like those thick bamboos outside the window. His arms can already hold up the clouds, but his roots are still rooted in the soil. Therefore, he almost feels every single thing about the sufferings that ordinary people are experiencing.
King Mantian and Li Shanfei only occupied Shanggu County for two days before they were driven back by the army from Zhuo County. However, Yi County, the seat of Shanggu County, and the surrounding ten miles and eight townships were completely reduced to ruins. Li Shanfei and King Mantian
The two took away everything they could, and burned what they couldn't take away. The fire lasted for three days and three nights in the city, and it was not until a winter snow fell that it was completely extinguished. Almost every household in Yixian County was deserted.
Wailing, miserable as hell on earth
From the report of the soldiers, Li Xu learned that his uncle had refused the request to go to Linjun for temporary refuge with everyone. They thought he had a lot of money.
