Xia Houwei didn't know what the "herd effect" was, but he knew what "a embankment of a thousand feet collapsed with the holes of ants; a room with a hundred feet of feet burned with the fire of the gaps."
What's more, the Pei family in Hedong is not just an ant, but a wealthy family that is rare in Hedong and even the Central Plains.
As the Minister of the Wei Dynasty, Pei Qian voluntarily surrendered to the Shu Kingdom, and it was not as simple as the appearance of an ant's nest.
This is basically a part of the embankment that has cracked and cannot be blocked.
With such an extremely bad example, it is conceivable how much shock it will have to the Kanto family.
So from this perspective, we can easily understand why the Yang family has an ambiguous attitude and why the Xin family sent people westward.
Xiahou Wei returned to his house in a daze, and his wife Xiahou Cai was shocked when she saw his lost look.
He only thought that he had encountered something evil outside, so he quickly had someone help him into the inner room, and called out in a trembling voice:
"Alang, Alang, are you okay? Don't scare me!"
Fortunately, Xia Houwei quickly came to his senses after being called out by her.
He glanced at the wives, concubines, and children surrounding him, all of them were frightened, and suddenly felt something in his heart, remembering what Xia Houmao said:
There are more than a hundred people in the house, and they all point to me to help them find a way to survive...
If something really happened to me, what would happen to the wives, concubines, and children in my house?
Xia Houwei didn't dare to think about it anymore. He forced a smile and said, "I'm fine."
Seeing the worry on his family's faces, he knew they were still worried.
So he explained:
"I went to my second brother's house today and saw that the house was declining day by day, which made me feel sad."
"Think of me, the Xiahou family, how glorious it was for Emperor Zuowu to establish the foundation back then? Who would have thought that it would only be so many years ago that it would be like this?"
"I remember that when Emperor Wen was appointed Wu Guan Zhonglang General, he hosted a banquet for more than thirty guests. Zhu Jianping, a good physiognomist, was present. He once made a prophecy for me, saying that I would be able to reach the state of Mu at the age of forty-nine."
"But now..."
Xia Houwei pointed to himself, then to the surroundings, and sighed:
"Given the current situation of our family, how can we only seek peace, and dare we seek wealth and high status? I recall the past and lament the present, so I lose my mind."
Cai comforted him and said:
"Don't be confused before Alang arrives. It will still be eleven years until he reaches forty-nine. It's still a long time, so why bother?"
Xia Houwei smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"A man should make contributions early in his career. Some men have already led troops into battle and achieved great success at a young age. In their twenties, they have become a famous general and become famous all over the world."
"Standing with such dignity, he is already the pillar of a country. Anyone who is his enemy will be afraid of him."
"I am already thirty-eight years old and have not made any achievements yet, yet I hope to be the state shepherd in ten years. Isn't it ridiculous?"
Xia Houjun, the son of Xia Houwei, was very dissatisfied when he heard this:
"Your Majesty, this is an exaggeration. Is there such a person in the world? He is the Champion. It can be said that he died young and was established before the end of his life."
Xia Houwei was in a bad mood and didn't even look at his son. He just spit out a name: "Feng Yong, Feng Mingwen, Feng Thief."
Xia Houjun felt as if he had eaten shit and was choked to the point of being speechless.
Can a traitor from Shu be called the pillar of a country?
But no matter how reluctant he is to admit it, after Ge Zei's death, Feng Zei has become the most cunning and fierce among the Shu captives.
At the same time, he was also the most talked about traitor among the princes of the Great Wei Dynasty, and his reputation was quite great.
But for young people of three or four generations like Xia Houjun, this person has been the opponent of his father's generation and even his grandfather's generation for so many years.
In many cases, it is easy for people to subconsciously feel that this thief is a contemporary of his father's generation, making people ignore his age.
Xia Houwei sighed again and murmured to himself in a low voice:
"More than ten years ago, Ge Thief called him a young hero. The Wei Dynasty only thought that he was a Shu captive and had no one. Who could have imagined that he would be here today?"
Xia Houwei worried about the country through thieves, and Feng Junhou, who he called a "young hero" in the past and was now gradually becoming an "uncle hero", was dealing with official affairs with an irritable look on his face.
The emperor and empress officially moved into Weiyang Palace, and their marriage to Zhang Siniang was also put on the agenda.
This was something that had been expected for a long time.
But this involves a very critical issue.
Because Zhang Xingyi's marriage was approaching, she was taken to the palace and the two were not allowed to see each other casually without getting married.
This one is also normal.
The key is that Mrs. Zhang is the chief secretary of General Zhendong's mansion.
She is in charge of running the entire secretariat on weekdays.
Without the chief secretary, what is the secretariat called?
Now all the official affairs sorted out by the Secretariat have been transferred to Feng Junhou.
Feng Junhou, who had been overwhelmed by official duties for many days in a row, was so angry that he cursed:
"When I was guarding Guanzhong alone, there were not so many troubles. How come the emperor brought the Chancellor to Chang'an, but there were so many more official duties?"
Immediately, he threw away the paperwork, got up and walked outside:
"Come here, prepare your horses!"
"Where do you want to go?"
"In the palace, meet the emperor!"
The little fat man who was digging out ice cheese with a spoon in Weiyang Palace was so happy when he heard that his brother-in-law had come to the palace to see him, that he didn't even wipe the cheese stains from the corners of his mouth and said repeatedly:
"Quick, get Mingwen over here."
"Chen Yong..."
"It's clear, get up soon. No need to be polite. Come on, sit down. Sit here."
Adou patted his side and greeted Feng Junhou.
Feng Junhou came to the palace fiercely. Faced with the emperor's enthusiasm, his momentum suddenly faltered and he hesitated:
"This is not very good, Your Majesty? It is a bit too polite."
Adou doesn't care, if the queen sees it, who knows what she will think?
Guan Xiaojunhou is not around, and he is in the Queen's territory, so it is better to be cautious.
"It's okay, there are no outsiders."
Feng Junhou looked around. Although he didn't find the queen, he was still unwilling to obey.
Adou had no choice but to have someone add a chair next to him, and Feng Junhou sat on it.
"What are you doing here? Why don't you give Mingwen a bowl of ice cream? I can't see that Mingwen is sweating? It's hot today!"
The palace attendant quickly brought a bowl of ice cream.
Adou raised his chin again and told the palace fan not far away:
"And the cool breeze, fan yourself towards Mingwen!"
Putting ice cubes in a copper ice pan can not only refrigerate food, but also dispel the heat through the cool air it emits.
If there is someone nearby to fan the air, it is really an artificial air conditioner in the hot summer.
Feng Junhou was so hot that he thanked his brother-in-law and couldn't wait to take a big spoonful of ice cream and put it in his mouth.
Coupled with the cool breeze fanned by the palace attendants, he couldn't help but close his eyes and sigh in comfort.
The little fat guy really knows how to enjoy being with his mother.
A Dou looked at Feng Zhendong's appearance, a smile appeared on his face, and he asked with a smile:
"Why is Mingwen free to enter the palace today?"
It was not good for Adou not to mention this, but when he mentioned it, Feng Zhendong's injustice was immediately aroused again.
In this world, my surname is Liu, so why am I the one who works so hard, but Fatty Liu can be so relaxed?
No justice!
Feng Zhendong took another spoonful of ice cream and put it in his mouth. Before he could swallow it completely, he said:
"Your Majesty, I came here today to ask for your help."
Hearing Feng Zhendong's words, Adou couldn't help being surprised:
"There is actually a request for rescue in Chang'an City?"
After speaking, he waved his hands again and again, "With Mingwen's talent, if you find it difficult, then I'm afraid I won't be able to give Mingwen much help."
When Feng Junhou heard this, he almost choked on the ice cheese in his throat, and his eyes bulged out.
What the hell...
Can you face your identity?
Do you know what it means to look down upon someone who is not like you?
But A Dou's face remained normal and his expression was sincere, as if he was speaking the truth.
This is Chang'an, not Jincheng, let alone Hanzhong.
He really couldn't think of anyone who could force his brother-in-law to run to the palace and ask for help from him.
Except for a very few people.
Coincidentally, even the emperor of Han Dynasty would not dare, ahem, not want to mess with these very few people.
However, as a brother-in-law, Adou is still very loyal:
"I am self-aware. Self-knowledge may not be able to help Mingwen much, but Mingwen might as well speak up and listen to it, and see if we can come up with an idea?"
Feng Junhou swallowed the ice cheese completely, then gave a thumbs up and praised:
"The most valuable thing about people is self-knowledge. Your Majesty's words of 'self-knowledge' are already better than most kings in the past and present."
"The reason why a king is wise is that he listens at the same time; the reason why he is secretive is that he is partial to trust. A king who is able to listen to discussions and bend down to discuss with his ministers can be said to be a wise king."
After hearing this, Adou was so happy that his eyes almost closed with his chubby face. He pointed at Feng Junhou, shook his head and said with a smile:
"What Mingwen said really makes me feel ashamed. If I can't do anything about this matter today, I'm afraid I won't be able to regret it! Okay, let's talk about it."
Feng Junhou coughed, tried to straighten his face, sighed again, and then said:
"Your Majesty, these days, I have been busy preparing for my marriage to my fourth mother, and at the same time I have to deal with various official duties. I really can't have a moment of leisure."
Having said this, he sat up straight again and beat his waist to show that he was tired:
"My Fourth Mother used to be with me all the time, helping me with my official duties, and I could still handle it. Now that my Fourth Mother is gone, I have accumulated a lot of official documents in my house."
"I finally know now why the Prime Minister fell ill due to overwork..."
It's okay that Mr. Feng didn't mention his father-in-law. When he mentioned his father-in-law, Adou quickly sat up straight, nodded repeatedly and said:
"It's very true, since my father-in-law died of illness, if Jiang Gongyan hadn't come in time to help me stabilize the court, I'm afraid I would have been in a lot of trouble."
News of the Prime Minister's death spread to Shu. Although Feng Yong was guarding Guanzhong, many people in the court believed that Feng Yong was young and lacked qualifications.
And although he had experience in leading an army, the Hanzhong army plus the Liangzhou army numbered more than 100,000, and most of the Han's troops were under his control.
It is also worthy of the initial designation of the three areas of Bingzhou, Hedong, and Guanzhong. The area is huge, but they all border on the bandit territory.
If Feng Yong's precautions were neglected and thieves took advantage of him, and the prime minister passed away, the morale of the troops at the front might be unstable. If there was a defeat, the country would be in danger.
Under this situation, many people are doubtful and anxious.
Some people even suggested that they should voluntarily abandon the east of the river and let Feng Junhou concentrate on guarding Guanzhong to preserve the core results of this expedition against the bandits.
Only Jiang Wan stood out, and he was on the right side of the group of officials. He had neither a sad look nor a happy expression. He behaved as if he were ordinary. He said:
"Feng Junhou became famous at a young age. He was well-equipped in civil and military affairs. He led an army to fight against thieves and never failed. In the past, he could defeat a hundred thousand thieves with 20,000 elite soldiers."
"Now we have led an army of more than 100,000 tigers and wolves to guard the pass. The thieves are too frightened to avoid the danger. How dare they attack? All gentlemen, please be at peace."
At the same time, he also personally supervised the transportation of grain and grass to ensure that there was no shortage of food and grass for the army ahead.
In the next few months, the thieves did not dare to commit crimes, and everyone felt at ease.
When the news that Junhou Feng sent Wei Yan to capture Shangdang reached Hanzhong, all the princes in the court admired Jiang Wan's foresight, and everyone gradually became convinced.
It can be said that the Secretariat led by Jiang Wan was to Adou what the Secretariat led by Zhang Xiaosi was to Feng Junhou.
Therefore, Adou can especially understand Feng Junhou's difficulties at this time.
"Your Majesty, it would be best if you could understand my difficulty. Do you think you can let Si Niang go back to my house for two days to help me handle my official duties and then come back?"
As soon as Adou heard this request, a look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face:
"This, it's clear, you know that this matter must be decided by the queen, and I can't interfere..."
Let me just say this, I don’t want to mess with anyone who can force Feng Mingwen into the palace to ask for help.
However, facing his brother-in-law's eyes that were full of disappointment and contempt, Adou probably felt that he was not very interesting:
"Let's see. I'll send someone to tell Siniang that you are coming to the palace. See if she can avoid the Queen coming to see you?"
Am I going to see Si Niang?
Do you understand that I am bringing my mother-in-law home?
Feng Junhou was very dissatisfied in his heart, but he bowed sincerely and thanked you: "I thank your Majesty."
A Dou started waving his hands again:
"What's the point of thanking my family for coming and going?"
After he finished speaking, he turned his head and gestured.
An eunuch appeared silently like a ghost.
It was none other than Huang Hu, the chief internal officer, who was an old acquaintance.
When the emperor and his wife came out of the palace to the imperial palace and ordered Feng Junhou to meet him, he basically sent Huang Hu to contact him.
After Huang Hu listened to Adou's instructions, he smiled slightly at Feng Junhou and retreated like a civet cat again.
After chatting with Adou for a while, when Huang Hu came back to report, Adou burst out laughing:
"It's clear, it's done!"
Feng Junhou quickly stood up: "I will forever thank your Majesty."
"I see you're in a hurry." Adou shook his head, "You two haven't seen each other for a long time, so go quickly."
"Your Majesty, please follow me here."
The emperors of the Han Dynasty were not very luxurious, and they had just arrived in Chang'an, so there were many uninhabited houses in Weiyang Palace.
Huang Hu led Feng Junhou to the door of a side hall, stopped, and then bowed to signal Feng Junhou to go in by himself.
Feng Junhou stepped into the palace. After the palace door behind him slowly closed, he saw a figure rushing out from the darkness.
"You're so heartless, I thought you really wouldn't come to the palace to see me!"
The figure jumped straight into Feng Junhou's arms, jumped for the last time, and wrapped his legs directly around Feng Junhou's waist, hanging on Feng Junhou's body.
Holding the person in his arms and smelling the familiar smell, Feng Junhou easily picked up Zhang Xingyi:
"How is it possible? Now that you're gone, I can't eat or sleep well. I miss you so much!"
As the saying goes, a little separation is better than a new marriage.
The two of them had been apart for so long, and now they suddenly hugged each other tightly in this dim side hall, their hearts aflame and their breathing became heavy.
The sound of rustling sounds sounded like a man and a woman having an affair.
I don’t know how long it took, but on the couch in the side hall, Zhang Xingyi seemed to have melted and transformed into Feng Junhou, with no trace of strength left in his body.
Even the sound is watery:
"How are you these days, A Mo?"
After finishing the business, I thought of my son.
"Fortunately, I just cry for my grandma sometimes."
Zhang Xiaosi was taken to the palace by the queen, but Feng Amo could only stay in the Feng family.
In General Guan's words, Feng Amo is a bloodline of the Feng family. As long as she, the aunt, is here, no one can take him away.
"Then you have to marry me quickly, otherwise, I'm afraid my child will disown me."
Feng Junhou sighed:
"You tell me I don't want to? I'm more anxious than you! As soon as you left, I realized that we can't live without you at all."
"It's just this matter. What's the use of being anxious? I still have to follow the process. After all, I can't make the decision. Otherwise, why would I come to see you secretly now?"
Zhang Xingyi smiled softly and seemed to be very satisfied with Feng Junhou's answer.
But the tone was hum:
"Have you just remembered how good I am now? Humph! Tell me, are you encountering some difficulty again? Your Mrs. Zuo, who only knows how to kill people with a knife, can't help, so she came to see me?"
There is a priority when entering the door, and there is no hierarchy when standing side by side, only left and right.
That's what I say, but the big man respects the left.
General Guan came in first and settled on the left lady. Secretary Zhang, who came in later, could only be the right lady no matter how unwilling she was.
"What are you talking about? I just miss you so much, so I came to the palace to see you."
"Of course, if there is something wrong, it is indeed something. Madam Right, you have always been my best friend, but I can't trust anyone else except you."