This time the Han Dynasty sent troops to attack Wei. In addition to some guard troops left in Yong'an and Nanzhong, there were also 20,000 garrison guards in Hanzhong to guard the emperor and prevent thieves from coming up the Han River.
In other places, almost all the troops have been depleted, even Jincheng is no exception.
It can be said that this can be regarded as a national effort.
It's just that this time, the battle to defeat Wei, which the Han Dynasty had placed the greatest hope on, was full of depression from the beginning.
The Prime Minister’s army was blocked at Wuzhangyuan, the Liangzhou army was silent, and the Longyou army was forced to retreat to Xiaoguan...
There is no good news for the three-pronged army.
Hanzhong is under the greatest pressure.
Not only because the emperor was stationed here, but also because Guanzhong, directly north of Hanzhong, was like a huge shadow that had been hanging over Hanzhong since the founding of the Han Dynasty.
Whether it is taking over Longyou or managing Liangzhou, in the end we are still preparing to dispel the dark clouds above Hanzhong.
Only when the old capital is returned can the Han Dynasty be truly qualified for revival.
To put it another way, even with all the efforts of the whole country, there is no way to dispel this dark cloud.
Then the confidence that the big man has built up with great difficulty over the years will be mostly destroyed.
Just when everyone thought that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, one after another good news suddenly broke out.
“The prime minister retreated Sima Yi, defeated the Wei thieves and defeated tens of thousands of elite troops in Wuzhangyuan, and forced Chencang and Qian County to surrender..."
“General Jiang has conquered Qiaoshan and entered Guanzhong from the north…”
“Feng Junhou fought thousands of miles away, killed 40,000 Hu cavalry, captured Bingzhou, and marched to the east of Hedong..."
Over the past ten years or so, Hanzhong has become the actual center of the Han Dynasty, starting from the development of Nanxiang and then the emperor's stay.
Not to mention that in recent years, there have been many well-informed merchants traveling from north to south.
After hearing the news, many people immediately exclaimed:
“In this case, haven’t the Han people already surrounded Guanzhong?”
“Tsk tsk! I can’t complain that there has been no news for more than half a year. I was just waiting for Feng Junhou to take a detour to Hedong!”
"Isn't that right? If Jingzhou is still there, these Wei thieves might all be blocked in the pass?"
There was a sigh from the crowd.
The topic of Jingzhou was a sensitive topic in the past.
The higher-ups don’t want to talk about it, but the people below don’t dare to talk about it.
However, with the continuous victories of the Han Dynasty on the front line in recent years, and the establishment of the Loyalty Temple in Hanzhong, the legend of "Three Brothers in Taoyuan" and "loyalty and righteousness unparalleled in the world" has become more and more popular.
The Han Dynasty is no longer taboo about talking about this issue.
“Huh, if it weren’t for the rats from Wu Kingdom…”
“Quietly, Wu is now an ally of the Han Dynasty!”
“Tsk!” someone sneered, “The Han Dynasty has been sending troops for more than half a year, right? Guanzhong is almost defeated, what about the allies’ troops?”
“Didn’t you say you have already set off from Chaohu?”
“The war between the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty is almost over, and the Wu people are setting out?”
“If the news hadn’t come through, we ourselves wouldn’t have expected that Guanzhong would be like this, right? The Wu people would have never expected it even more.”
Some "folk think tanks" are talking loudly, "I think the people of Wu just want to see the two tigers of Han and Wei competing, so that the fishermen can benefit."
“Hey, I’m afraid what you said has hit the right chord with the Wu people! It’s just that this tiger does have a real tiger, but it’s a pity that the advantage may not necessarily be the advantage!”
“Who says it’s not true? To be honest, among the princes of the Han Dynasty, there are still some experts. Maybe they have expected it a long time ago. They just don’t want the Wu people to take advantage of it, so they attack Guanzhong like this!”
Everyone laughed knowingly.
The so-called real tiger refers to the fourth son of Guan Laojunhou, Guan Suo.
I heard that this time Feng Junhou sent Guan Suo as the vanguard, and the cavalry marched all the way. No one could defeat him. Only then did the Liangzhou army move to the east of Hedong with lightning speed.
At that time, Guan Laojunhou was the former emperor's tiger general. Guan Suo was regarded as the son of a tiger general. It is not an exaggeration to call him a tiger general.
Someone chuckled:
“Back then, Guan Laojunhou forced Xuchang from the south, and now Guan Shilang is pushing Luoyang from the north. This Guan family is worthy of being a loyal man!”
“I had only heard that the Guan family had two sons and one daughter, but I didn’t expect that there was actually a fourth son.”
"It is said that during the Jingzhou Incident, Guan Suo was still young and was sent to the countryside to remain anonymous. Later, when he was a little older, he thought of a way to return to Shu."
“Yes, yes, yes, I also heard that Guan Suo is the bastard of the Guan family, so he was abandoned in Jingzhou. During the southern expedition, he stayed with Feng Junhou..."
This is not completely nonsense. After all, when the Xinghan Society was first established, wasn't it just a group of second sons or concubines of the family?
No wonder he can be with Feng Junhou.
Someone clicked their tongues:
“No wonder, he turned out to be a lucky man. I’m afraid he got Feng Junhou’s careful instruction. No wonder!”
Feng Junhou was a leader of the new generation of the Han Dynasty. With his outstanding talents and intelligence, Guan Jiashilang must have learned a lot of skills by being with him all year round.
Looking at the current Xinghan Society, are the second sons and concubines important?
Someone had a sudden idea:
“I have never heard that the Guan family has a third wife, so does Guan Shilang not have a wife yet?”
Some people in the crowd seemed thoughtful.
"What are you thinking about? It's not your turn to care whether someone marries you or not."
“We don’t care, but someone does!”
Some of the words of private think tanks may be conjectures, but some of them do speak to the thoughts of some people in their eyes.
Judging from the current news, it may be difficult to say whether the Han Dynasty can pacify Bingzhou and Hedong, but it is a matter of great probability to regain Guanzhong.
This is already an unprecedented victory.
It is conceivable that as long as Guanzhong is captured, the emperor will definitely give a large reward after this battle.
No one knows how many high-ranking ministers or future high-ranking ministers will emerge by then.
As long as there are people who want to go further, who dares to ignore this point?
In this battle, the Prime Minister and Feng Junhou were naturally the biggest contributors.
Needless to say, the Prime Minister is devoted to the country and is fair and strict. Who dares to go to the Prime Minister's house to engage in some evil spirits, fearing that he will be kicked out?
As for Feng Junhou, not only did he win the trust of the emperor and the prime minister, but he also had a tiger girl to guard the house inside and a female official to wait on him outside.
Without a family background like the Guan and Zhang families, it would be difficult for them to be qualified to join the family.
The only thing that can be obtained is that the number of wives and concubines of Feng Mansion seems to be small.
It's just that Feng Junhou has never been fond of women. Unlike ordinary wealthy and powerful families, he likes to keep Kabuki and dance performers in his house.
I heard that among the three concubine positions given to Feng Junhou by the imperial court, there is still one vacancy.
But look at the two concubines in the Feng Mansion, one controls the operation of nearly half of the textile workshops in the Han Dynasty.
Not to mention the other one, the whole Han Dynasty and countless students would call her "Mr. Mei" when they saw her.
From this point of view, even the position of a concubine in the Feng Mansion is not something that ordinary women can care about.
But it doesn’t matter, if you can’t reach the relationship between the Prime Minister and Feng Junhou, how can you not reach the relationship with others?
For example, the man who led the army to break through Qiaoshan might be Jiang Wei who was the first to reach Chang'an City.
This first is very important, very important.
Because this means that the desire of the two generations of Han Dynasty to return to the old capital is within reach.
And naturally it is Guansuo who is called Jiangmen Huzi.
By coincidence, I heard that Guan Silang was born as a concubine, and he had been with Feng Junhou in these years, and he had never married a wife.
General Guan is going through life and death for the sake of the Han Dynasty, and has delayed his own life-long event!
The soldiers are fighting for the country at the front, but they also need someone to help them take care of the housework in the rear, right?
It was not because of anything else but the loyalty of the generals...
Guan Tong, the direct son of Guan Xing, has not yet formally tied his hair, but in these days, he has personally received many prominent people.
His treatment of others is commendable, and the guests who come to the door praise him and say that he is the successor of the Guan family.
After sending away all the guests and closing the door, the legitimate son of the Junhou Mansion began to turn pale and his hands and feet were trembling.
These guests who came to visit Guan Mansion were all asking about their famous fourth uncle.
But as the direct son of the Guan family, Guan Tong naturally knew that he did not have a fourth uncle at all.
Because the third aunt who married into the Feng Mansion is your youngest sister.
Well now, the whole world knows that there is a tiger in the Guan family, Guan Suo.
Everyone has come to inquire now, and they want to know whether Guan Jiashilang, who is deeply favored by Feng Junhou, is not married yet, as is rumored outside?
What is this thing called?
What kind of marriage?
Who are you getting married to?
“Brother, are you okay?”
Guan Yi, the concubine of Guan Xing, asked with concern.
Guan Tong took a deep breath, stabilized his mind, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Nothing."
After the two and a half grown men supported each other and walked back to the house, Guan Tong was still only a boy in his teens. No matter how young and mature he was, he could not withstand such a fight.
He finally couldn't help but said:
“Erlang, tell me, it is said everywhere that we have a fourth uncle in our family. Do you really think there is a fourth uncle in our family?”
Guan Yi didn’t know whether he was crying or smiling:
“Probably, maybe there is, right?”
Guan Tong patted his face and shook his head to wake himself up:
"I am too tired, so I am talking nonsense. Let me go and take a rest first."
"Brother, I'm afraid it won't work like this. Tomorrow we might as well close our doors and thank guests. I'll accompany you outside to relax."
Guan Tong sighed:
“I’m afraid that some people will say that our Guan government will look down on others once we gain power.”
Guan Yi was a bystander, but he saw him sneer slightly:
“When our family was in dire straits, did those people say a word for the Guan family? It would be nice if they didn’t slander the Guan family behind their back.”
"Our Guan family is now on the rise again. Do we need these people to help us speak?"
As soon as Guan Yi heard this, his eyes began to regain clarity. He looked at Guan Yi suspiciously, thoughtfully.
"Although in the past few days, our house has been full of cars and horses, but how many of these people can speak to the government?"
At this point, Guan Yi lowered his voice:
“It’s just guys who don’t know anything who come to the door eagerly at this time. They just want to bully us because we are young and think we don’t understand the rules here.”
Hearing Guan Yi's analysis, Guan Tong suddenly realized: "This statement is very reasonable!"
He looked at his concubine and sighed:
“Erlang, I didn’t expect you to have such knowledge. You are much better than your brother!”
Guan Yi chuckled:
"How did I get such ability? It's just someone who told me to listen."
Guan Xing blurted out and asked: "Who taught Erlang?"
“Fourth aunt.”
“Fourth aunt?” Guan Tong was a little confused, “What fourth aunt?”
“She is my fourth uncle’s wife.”
Guan Tong was stunned: "What fourth uncle?"
“It’s the Fourth Uncle that people have been talking about outside.”
Guan Tong's eyes were dull, he looked at Guan Yi in disbelief, and murmured: "Then you just... weren't you, we really have a fourth uncle?"
Guan Yi sighed: "I don't know either, but the fourth aunt has already appeared, so I guess the fourth uncle is there too, right?"
Guan Tong suspected that he was in a dream: "The fourth aunt...appeared?"
Guan Yi nodded:
“Yes, she came quietly when my brother was receiving guests in the front hall, and now he is waiting in the side hall. This is the letter she sent.”
Guan Tong saw the familiar handwriting on the envelope and opened it hurriedly.
Unexpectedly, when he finished reading it, his eyes were dull and his feet seemed to be floating on floating clouds.
The woman who called herself the fourth aunt of the Guan family could not help but frown when she saw Guan Tong looking like this:
"You are the legitimate son of the Guan family after all. Why have you become like this? You are not afraid of being laughed at!"
As soon as Guan Tongcai saw his "fourth aunt", he was scolded and he quickly cheered up and looked at her carefully.
But I saw that this woman was small in stature, barely as tall as myself, but her appearance was quite moving.
With bright eyes that are good at gazing, the water ripples rise up while looking forward, and the dimples support the power, and the words are not uttered, just like an elf.
Seeing the true face of this woman, Guan Tong couldn't help but let out a sigh and swayed. At such a young age, he seemed unable to withstand the impact of this incident.
“花……花……”
“Call me Fourth Aunt!”
Hua Wan raised her chin, sat on the chair, and said to Guan Tong and Guan Yi in an old-fashioned manner.
The two brothers looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
Seeing this, Huawan was very dissatisfied and snorted:
"If I hadn't been entrusted by others, I wouldn't have bothered to take care of the family affairs. Since you don't want to call me, I'll leave. If someone pursues me in the future, don't blame me!"
She simply stood up and left when she said she wanted to leave.
How could Guan Tong dare to let Hua Wan leave like this?
“Flower lady, please stay!”
"Um?"
Hua Wan turned her head and looked at him.
Guan Tong lowered his head, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly: "Fourth Aunt, please stay."
When Hua Wan heard this title, she didn't know what she was thinking of. Her face was filled with sadness and joy, and finally she sat back downcast.
“Now, the news about Kanshiro is being spread outside. If someone really asks you about it in the future, just answer it directly and say that there is indeed a Kanshiro in the house.”
Hua Wan said the words "Guan Suo Guan Shi Lang" with a sullen face and gritted teeth.
"But this Guan Silang, he is a concubine of Guan Mansion. Since the Southern Expedition, he has been with Feng Junhou."
“It was also during the Southern Expedition that he met me,” Hua Wan said, pointing to herself, “Then I didn’t know him until we got to know each other, and we finally got married.”
Huawan has the unique frankness of a southern barbarian girl. When talking about this kind of thing, she is not shy at all and even grits her teeth.
"If anyone asks about you again, just say that you are a junior and don't say anything more."
The world is in chaos, wives and children are separated, and it is very common for any family to suddenly have an extra relative.
It is not a strange thing for a concubine of the Guan family to marry a daughter of Meng Huo, let alone a big deal. It sounds reasonable and reasonable.
But when things happened to him, there was an extra fourth uncle and an extra barbarian aunt, which made Guan Tong finally unable to bear it:
“Why is this? Why do you do this?”
Huawan said angrily:
“How do I know? But as far as I know, this matter is still arranged by Liangzhou, but your family also agreed.”
Guan Tong plucked up the courage and asked: "Then...that flower...well, why is Fourth Aunt willing to do this? This reputation..."
Hua Wan curled her lips: "I have such a big business in the south, how many people have to rely on me to make a living! If I really have a relationship with the Guan family, I won't be happy enough."
"Besides, I am now the clan leader of the Zhurong tribe. Even if I marry your fourth uncle, according to tribal customs, I still own the tribe alone and do not necessarily have to join the Guan family."
“So besides me, who else is the most suitable for this fourth aunt?”
Hua Wan finished explaining to the two of them and left without saying much, leaving Guan Tong and Guan Yi sitting across from each other with frowning faces.
“Brother, what do you think is going on?”
“How do I know? I have a bigger headache than you now!”
"Then what should we do? Is it possible that we really have to do what the flower lady said? What good will this do to our Guan family?"
“If our Guan family really has such a distinguished fourth uncle, how can it be no good?”
Guan Tong stood up and scratched his head, "It's just that this matter is of great importance. I have to find someone to ask."
“Who do you plan to beat, brother?”
“Nature is the queen.”
The Guan family has become more and more prominent in recent years. As the legitimate son of the Guan family, Guan Tong was scheduled to marry the princess a few years ago. When he reaches adulthood, he will choose a date to marry the princess.
To him, the sudden appearance of his fourth uncle and fourth aunt was a major matter in the Guan family. He did not dare to make any arbitrary decisions, so he wanted to find a way to find out.
Hearing that Guan Tong requested to enter the palace to pay his respects, Zhang Xingcai smiled and said to Adou:
“Although the son of the Guan family is somewhat mediocre in talent, he is quite cautious in temperament and knows how to advance and retreat, which is quite impressive.”
The emperor of the Han Dynasty was half-lying on a recliner a little tired. Hearing Guan Tong’s request to see him, he had to stand up and pretend to be sitting upright, but he sighed and said:
“I finally wanted to lie down for a while, why did he come here at this time?”
In the past two years, with the decentralization of the Prime Minister's Office and the return of the functions of the Chancery, Adou is no longer as relaxed as before and has to deal with a lot of government affairs every day.
Especially since this year, the father-in-law has led the troops to go on an expedition, and the emperor's workload has increased dramatically, making the little fat man who is used to ease and comfort miserable.
Over the past six months, my originally chubby, round face has actually lost some weight, and I no longer have the cheerfulness that I had before.
Zhang Xingcai looked at the Emperor with some relief and said softly:
"If your Majesty is tired, why don't you go inside and rest? I will talk to him about family matters."
The little fat man shook his head:
“Forget it, we are still a family after all, what’s the point of avoiding seeing each other? This matter of the Guan family concerns Jingzhou, I’ll see how the boys of the Guan family react.”
Zhang Xingcai nodded:
“The Jingzhou Incident is a hurdle that the Guan family has always wanted to overcome. For it, the Guan family’s elder brother and the Guan family’s elder sister risked their lives. It’s not bad to see the reaction of the Guan family’s elder brother at this time.”