When he came out of the palace, Feng Duhu looked a little gloomy.
Some people in later generations said that Shu Han shone with the last remaining light of ideals and humanity in this era.
Only then did Feng Duhu fully understand what this sentence meant.
It seems to be praising Shu Han, but in fact it reveals a bloody fact:
In this era, human life is as cheap as grass.
Cao Wei massacred the city, and Sun Wu starved the people to death. There is no essential difference between the two.
The only people who can remain true to their ambitions and never forget their original aspirations are probably Liu Bei and his ministers.
"Zhongduhu?"
Seeing Feng Duhu blocking the entrance to the palace, he didn't say anything for a long time.
The captain of the personal guard called out tentatively, waking Feng Duhu out of his reverie.
"Oh, it's okay, let's go back home."
"Here."
There is a lovely wife, a beautiful concubine, a dog, and a beloved daughter in the house.
It can heal Feng Duhu's injured soul.
"grown ups!"
Seeing the guards of their own house escorting the Lord back to the house, the two people who had been waiting in front of the house gave a crisp cry.
The first one rushed out and ran towards Feng Duhu, who got off his horse.
Feng Duhu responded with "Hey", bent down, picked up both of them, and lifted her up.
They both giggled and danced.
The younger brothers who were following behind could only watch with envy in silence.
After playing affectionately with his beloved daughter for a while, he put down his hands and looked at his wives, concubines, and sons.
"Alang is back?"
"came back."
His eyes fell on the right lady's swollen belly.
"It's such a cold day, what are you doing out here? Be careful of catching a cold."
"Staying in the house all day long makes me feel a little bored. Going out for a walk makes me feel more comfortable."
The right lady is the youngest among the wives, and because she is pregnant, her temperament is somewhat changeable.
She pursed her lips unconsciously, realizing that it was not appropriate in front of her children, and quickly calmed down her expression.
Burning a heated kang in winter is indeed much more comfortable than before.
But at the same time, there is a lot more smoke from the fireworks, and it does feel a bit stuffy if you stay there for a long time.
Mrs. Zuo, on the other hand, was much more like a royal lady. She was seen shouting softly to all her children:
"What are you doing standing still? Why don't you call the adults quickly?"
Ah Chong and others were excited, and they quickly saluted and shouted: "I have met you, sir."
The duck's voice in the voice-changing stage and the clear voice of a child blend together.
"Okay, okay!" Feng Duhu said with great comfort, "It's too cold outside. Let's take a walk and go home."
The anger during the northern tour and the depression felt in the palace disappeared in this moment.
Sure enough, a warm kang with your wife and children is the only cure in the world.
Leading his wife and children towards the house, Mrs. Zuo smiled and said:
"I also said that you couldn't come back to spend New Year's Day with your children, but I didn't expect that you could come back before the New Year."
Feng Duhu sighed: "This was indeed the plan, but who knew that the plan would change so quickly."
Although I don’t want to talk about these troublesome things, as the Central Protector, some things cannot be avoided after all.
The right lady walked slowly with a big belly, holding her waist, and was a little impatient when she heard this:
"The kids are here, why are you talking about this? I can see you look bad from a distance."
"It's finally a happy time for the family to be reunited. If you have anything to do, can't we wait until tonight?"
"Okay, okay, now you are the most delicate and the biggest."
Feng Duhu took the initiative to reach out to support Mrs. Right, and also put on a smile.
It's unavoidable, but there's nothing wrong with delaying it for one night.
After all, things in Hedong are no different than this night.
Moreover, the appointment with the State of Wu to send troops is in April next year. If anything happens, it will not be too late to discuss it after the New Year.
It was night, the masters of Zhongduhu Mansion, Zhendong General Mansion, and Shunde Jun Mansion gathered together.
Even Guan Hua, the wife of General Zhendong, held her child and sat down in her seat majestically.
When there are more people, it becomes lively.
Children love fun the most.
Especially today, when the adults return home and everyone has dinner together, there are not so many rules.
If you make some noise, you won't be reprimanded.
So they like it more.
Except Ah Chong.
Ah Chong, who will be twelve years old after the Chinese New Year, looked at the adult sitting on the main seat, then at the two aunts sitting on both sides of the adult, and Aunt Hua, who was eating with her head down.
Then look at the cheerful third brother Ah Shun and the fourth brother A Mo.
At such a young age, he imitated adults and sighed.
I always feel that my own home is different from what is described in the book, and it seems to be very different from other people's homes.
"Brother, do you want to eat?"
Ah Shun noticed that his brother was looking at him, and he raised a chicken leg very sensibly and asked.
"I won't eat, you can eat."
"Third brother, you can eat it yourself. I think I still have two chicken legs."
The eldest sister is so skilled and the second brother is so knowledgeable that A Mo admires them more.
But among all the brothers, with whom he has the best relationship, it is the third brother.
Because the third brother is not that powerful and his age is not too different.
The most important thing is that the third brother is rarely beaten by his mother.
The three brothers Amo, Abu and A'nan are all of the same age, almost six years old, and have already begun to enlighten.
All the children in the family, regardless of their concubines, receive the same education, which means that if they do not learn well, they will receive the same punishment.
The third brother, who could escape being beaten every time, was the envy of the three younger brothers to imitate.
Ah Chong picked up a chicken leg and put it over to Ah Shun, motioning Ah Shun to pass it to Ah Mo, and asked at the same time:
"Third brother, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"
"What?"
Ah Shun was a little confused at first, as if he didn't expect Brother Ah to ask this, and then he immediately reacted.
I saw him saying excitedly:
"Yes, yes, I will definitely be like an adult in the future!"
Ah Shun's eyes were shining, and he looked at the adult sitting at the top with admiration in his eyes.
Um?
Brother, is this not good for you?
Ah Chong looked at Ah Mo again:
"Where are you, fourth brother?"
"me too!"
A Mo followed in the footsteps of his third brother while chewing on the chicken legs.
Ah Chong's eyes were somewhat resentful.
You are all the same, what about me?
Seeing the children below talking and laughing, and the wives and concubines next to him smiling like flowers, Feng Duhu couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
He even made an exception and drank a few glasses of wine.
But maybe it’s because I’m older and my head is a little dizzy after drinking a little wine.
When I woke up the next day, it was already bright outside.
In winter, the days are inherently short and the nights are long.
When the sky is bright, according to summer time, it will be almost three o'clock in the morning.
Feng Duhu turned over and remembered how deeply he slept last night, and couldn't help but sigh:
I'm old, I'm really old, and I can't stand it anymore.
A few years ago it was possible to have one dragon and two phoenixes, but now just one tiger girl can make you unable to get up.
As soon as he thought of Tiger Girl, Tiger Girl pushed open the door and walked in, followed by the right lady with a big belly.
"I guess Alang is awake. Do you want to eat something first?"
General Zhendong took matters into his own hands, placed a small eucalyptus table on the Kang, and ordered the maid to put food on it.
It’s all brought to your mouth, so why not eat it?
"When is it?"
We are an old married couple, what have we never seen before?
Feng Duhu was too lazy to stay and wash up.
The same goes for washing after eating.
"Chenshi, why not sleep a little longer and have lunch directly."
The right lady climbed up on the couch, took up a warm position under the quilt, and said something gloating.
There are probably very few women in the world who can compete with Tiger Girl in physical strength, probably none.
Madam You's physical fitness is actually very good.
After all, I did some boxing and kicking when I was a kid.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to follow Feng Duhu around for so many years.
But compared to Tiger Girl, it's still far behind.
The tiger girl could make Feng Duhu unable to get up the next day, but Mrs. Right herself did not have this ability.
Before the Northern Expedition, I didn’t know why this guy was so crazy. He thought about having a child with him all day long.
They all say that there is no bad land for plowing, but Madam You knows that these are only words that can be said by an ignorant person.
As far as she knew, Pingcheng had already obtained a large black bull from the barbarians two years ago.
He is tall and strong, and can even walk in ice and snow.
No matter how deep the plow is, it can still be pulled, so it's strange that it won't break down.
To Madam You, Feng Duhu, who had only been focusing on her for the first half of the year, was a big black bull.
Now that she saw Feng Duhu looking like this, she naturally wanted to take revenge on him.
After the maid put away the food, she withdrew and closed the door sensibly, leaving the couple alone in the room.
Feng Duhu took a bite of a bun, chewed it a few times and swallowed it. He glanced at Madam Right in a mood, and then his eyes fell on the quilt.
Although the big belly is covered by a quilt, the outline of the bulge is still visible.
It's not very harmful, but it's very insulting.
The right lady gritted her teeth and kicked him under the quilt:
"What are you looking at!"
Feng Duhu showed a victorious smile.
General Zhendong couldn’t stand it:
"Don't make trouble, eat quickly, and talk about business after eating."
"Talking while eating." Feng Duhu swallowed another meat bun.
Although I ate a lot at dinner yesterday, it was obvious that I consumed more food at night.
"The Hedong matter was due to our negligence. The official document was sent directly to Jiuyuan, without considering that you had already left Jiuyuan for Pingcheng at that time."
During Feng Duhu's northern tour, General Guan took charge of the affairs of the Central Duhufu as General Zhendong. At least on the surface, that was the case.
As soon as General Guan opened his mouth, he took the initiative to admit his negligence.
Feng Duhu shook his head:
"This is all in the past, or should we talk about what happened in Hedong?"
"Alang went to the palace to meet the emperor. Didn't the emperor's brother-in-law mention it?"
The right lady, who was half lying down, interrupted.
It shouldn't be. For such a big matter, due to emotions and reasons, Alang, as the Central Protector, the emperor's brother-in-law should talk to Alang about this matter.
"I said I said it, but I didn't elaborate."
"Furthermore," Feng Duhu looked at the two wives, "I couldn't make a good judgment at the time and didn't know the details, so I still wanted to come back and ask you."
"Alang is more calm than before." Madam You praised, "Actually, a few days ago, we were worried that Alang would have a conflict with Wei Yan after arriving in Hedong."
"Wei Yan is in the Shangdang and I am not in the Shangdang. What kind of conflict will there be?"
"I was worried that you would meddle rashly in Hedong's affairs. I didn't expect that after I learned that you left Hedong, no more news came from Hedong."
The right lady said with a smile.
Feng Duhu glanced at her angrily:
"Hedong is a strategically important area. After all, Wei Yan, as a Zuo Hussar, is highly matched with the Governor of Hedong. As the Central Protector, am I going to fight with him for power in Hedong? Then Sima Yi of Luoyang will probably wake up from his dream with laughter."
General Zhendong nodded:
"Wei Yan is a veteran general in the army. He has guarded Hanzhong for so many years without making any mistakes. He is a good leader."
"As long as there are no big problems on the Hedong side, Alang doesn't have to intervene rashly."
"And this time, it is not unreasonable for Wei Yan to want to capture Yecheng from Shangdang."
"The palace once asked the government for their opinions. We studied it carefully and thought we could give it a try."
General Zhendong's words surprised Feng Duhu, and he slowed down his chewing:
"It means that this is Wei Yan's initiative to propose the plan, and the palace has also asked the Central Protector for his opinion?"
General Zhendong smiled. Last night's moisturizing made her face extremely smooth, giving her the unique flavor of a young woman with beautiful flowers:
"Wei Yan wanted to change Hedong's defenses, and I was a little angry at first."
"But then I thought about it carefully. Henan and Hanoi are both heavily guarded by Wei thieves, and Sima Yi is not an easy person to get along with."
"Therefore, whether it is from Zhi Pass or Hangu Pass, if you want to march eastward to the Central Plains, you will probably have to fight hard."
"Instead of doing this, it is better to let Wei Yan try Yecheng. Since Cao Shuang and Sima Yi are at odds, we can take advantage of this opportunity to test Sima Yi's reaction."
"Even if it fails, we can still test Xuchang's support for Yecheng."
"Huh?" Feng Duhu even stopped chewing this time. He had never considered this aspect before.
He looked at General Zhendong blankly, then thought of something again, and subconsciously looked at Madam Right.
Mrs. Zuo alone cannot imagine this kind of meddling with politics through the military.
The right lady, who had a big belly, was lying there comfortably and said lazily:
"Anyway, Wei Yan took the initiative this time. We didn't force him to do it. It was just a matter of convenience. If something goes wrong, it doesn't have much to do with us."
"Besides, it just so happens that Soochow has also proposed to jointly send troops to attack the Wei thieves next year. Wei Yan is also the Zuo Hussar General after all, so it's just right for him to take the initiative."
The right lady said with a smile:
"Alang is now the commander-in-chief of the Chinese and foreign military affairs. It would be too embarrassing for Wu to personally lead the troops into battle."
Feng Duhu swallowed the food and said nothing.
As expected, it is still necessary to seek the opinions of the two ladies on military and political matters.
"You are not optimistic about the troop dispatch next year?"
"The people of Wu State are still starving to death, so they are eagerly preparing for an expedition next year. To put it bluntly, don't you just want to take a gamble?"
The right lady curled her lips and said, "Although I don't understand military matters, I also know that this war is about food and grass."
"The State of Wu sends out a large number of troops. How long can their food and grass last? Neither Hefei nor Xiangyang is a city that can be taken lightly."
"As long as Wei can hold on for three or four months, the Wu people may have to retreat obediently."
When Feng Duhu heard Mrs. Right's words, he suddenly realized:
War is a method to divert domestic conflicts, and it is a very important method.
Feng Duhu, who claimed to have learned the art of slaying dragons, finally understood why Sun Quan wanted to send troops to attack Wei.
Ashamed, ashamed, I didn’t think of this yesterday.
"According to this, if the Wu State sends troops this time, it will be quite powerful. If we, the big men, send too few troops, wouldn't it look like we are insincere?"
"That's why Wei Yan was asked to lead the army! Wei Yan is the general of the Zuo Hussar, ranking above A Lang."
Mrs. Right emphasized Wei Yan's identity and rolled her eyes, "It's best if you win. If you don't win, it doesn't matter."
"Anyway, I'll lend you some food to Wu at worst..."
The big man didn’t even think about winning this battle next year!
In other words, the two ladies have no intention of cooperating with Wu to win next year's battle. Of course, Feng Duhu still doesn't know what the palace is thinking.
Feng Duhu stretched out his chopsticks, nodded at the two ladies, and said with a smile:
"You are so bad!"
If Wei Yan really wins by luck, the Han Dynasty can continue to expand its results, sweep Hebei, and outflank Hanoi and Henan.
If he loses, how can Wei Yan fight Feng Duhu?
As for the Wu State, let alone that, it will only become more dependent on the Han Dynasty.
After figuring this out, Feng Duhu smiled even happier.
How about marrying a virtuous wife?
Feng Duhu thought for a while and asked again:
"Does the palace know you are so bad?"
"Go, what are you talking about!"
The right lady kicked Feng Duhu again, "The palace is not stupid, how could it be possible to place all hope on Wei Yan?"
After touching her big belly, Mrs. Right glanced at Feng Duhu again:
"Winning or losing, do you think the palace will suffer?"
Also, as long as he can't let go of his wife and her children, the palace will be considered invincible in advance.
I originally thought that the structure in the palace was still a bit small, and he only wanted to check and balance himself.
Unexpectedly, there are still experts in the palace who can advance and retreat with ease. He can always achieve the same goal by checking himself and scheming against other countries.
Miscalculated!
After thinking about it, it turns out that the one with the smallest pattern is myself.