After the cotton field incident, all the aristocratic families in Bingzhou and Hedong who participated in the investment would send their responsible persons to be stationed in Chang'an.
After all, since you have decided to board the Han chariot, you must always pay attention to the political center of the Han.
Moreover, when children from the clan are sent to study at the academy, they also need someone to take care of them.
Facts have proved that this decision is very correct.
The news that the Dahan United Reserve Bureau decided to expand its membership was like dropping a huge boulder on a calm lake, causing huge waves.
Like sharks smelling the smell of blood, every house came to the house one after another.
"Jun Hou, someone outside has sent a greeting card..."
"No, no! How can I have time to see them now? Tell them I'm not free."
"Here."
I really succumbed to these guys and submitted my invitations three times a day. What does it mean to be the Feng Mansion?
A wastebasket?
Besides, paper is so precious, and using it to do such repetitive and futile tasks is a waste of money.
Now that we have decided to lead the army on an expedition, we naturally put the military situation first.
How could Feng Duhu have the time and mood to engage in those things that smell like copper?
"You don't have to worry about how much food each family will pay in the end, and how to pay it. It's all up to Mr. Jiang from Shangshutai to talk to them."
"After Jiang Gong has reached an agreement with them, he will send you the details of the money and food submitted by each family."
"All you have to do is to see how to allocate the member quotas based on the detailed list sent by Mr. Jiang."
"This matter is roughly governed by the regulations. I have already told you that if there are any major changes, you can discuss it with Madam Right."
Feng Duhu ordered Li Mu, and in the second half of the last sentence, he turned to Madam Right, who was holding the child.
The right lady rolled her eyes at him and curled her lips.
Li Mu, on the other hand, lowered his eyebrows and bowed his head, and replied respectfully:
"Yes, sir, don't worry, I will remember it."
When Feng Duhu was appointed as the captain to protect Qiang, she stayed in Nanxiang and did a good job.
Some of the personnel in the exchange and reserve bureau were brought out by her herself.
Now that he is back to his old business, Feng Duhu has nothing to worry about.
Of course, this matter can also be left in the hands of Madam Right.
But Mrs. Right has to take care of her children, and she also has to read the political affairs sent from the chancellery and file them.
If Feng Duhu hadn't gone on an expedition, she would have selected the important contents so that Feng Duhu could know more easily.
So don’t put this matter on her anymore, lest she get tired.
This is definitely not because there are royal seats in the Han Dynasty Joint Reserve Bureau, so Feng Duhu was afraid that if he was not at home during the expedition, the royal family would take advantage of the situation and take the opportunity to interfere in the matter.
Feng Duhu walked to Mrs. Right and looked down at his youngest daughter.
The child has fallen asleep in her mother's arms. She is quiet and well-behaved. It seems that she will grow up to be a lady.
A smile appeared on Feng Duhu's face. He lowered his voice subconsciously and said:
"Although Jiang Gongyan will negotiate with them about the money and food involved in this matter, we still have to meet the target for the final amount, and supervision must be done well."
"But there is a real problem. It is inconvenient for the third lady to meet Jiang Gongyan, but you can. You should also keep this in mind."
There are ladies on the right and left in the house, and they come in order, but there is no distinction between big and small.
So Amei is the second lady, and Li Mu is naturally the third lady.
The right lady weighed the child in her arms, shook it slightly, and hummed softly:
"You and Jiang Gongyan worked together to promote this matter, why can't you still trust him?"
As a queen, my sister personally went to the Zhongduhu Mansion to discuss matters with her Alang a few days ago.
No matter what the reason is, in the end it is still a bit condescending.
As the queen's younger sister, she could naturally vaguely guess some of the reasons - the Chancellor's desk had exerted some pressure, which put some pressure on the palace.
The prime minister passed away and the emperor took charge. The palace, or rather the queen, wanted to use Wei Yan to suppress Alang.
Alang was so angry that he went to patrol the border. At the same time, in the eyes of outsiders, this was Alang taking a step back.
It's just that the queen probably didn't expect that the counterattack would come so quickly - she even handed over a knife behind her with her own hands.
When the Dahan Joint Reserve Bureau was first established, the palace contributed a lot.
Taking advantage of the original share, the palace's voice in the Reserve Bureau is not as small as that of the Xinghan Hui, but it is not small.
Now that the number of seats has suddenly been expanded, and it is still led by the Central Protectorate and the Chancellor, it has virtually diluted the palace's voice.
After all, who doesn’t know the virtues of those aristocratic families?
Whoever gives you a favor will go with you!
If it weren't for the aristocratic family's push, even if the Later Han Dynasty were to eventually fall, they wouldn't have fallen so quickly.
"Why don't I trust him? Isn't he responsible for all the food and fodder for this expedition?"
This expedition used the last resources in the treasury.
However, the summer grain will be put into storage soon. Looking at the appearance of these aristocratic families now, they must be able to seamlessly make up for it soon.
When the prime minister went on an expedition, Jiang Wan was able to provide enough food and clothing for the army.
Feng Duhu believed that Jiang Wan could do the same when it was his turn.
Feng Duhu did not raise his head, but said calmly:
"So in this matter, it's not a question of trust or disbelief, but a question of rules."
"Friendship is friendship, but if you want to do things, you still have to follow the rules."
Having said this, he finally couldn't hold himself back, reached out his hand and gently touched the child's pink cheek:
"If you don't follow the rules, you will not get far."
The right lady bit her lower lip and suddenly asked: "Then you are not afraid that I will go to the palace?"
After hearing this, Feng Duhu raised his head, with a gentle smile on his face, and said softly:
"You are different. I believe in you and I can change the rules for you."
As he spoke, he leaned over the child and kissed Mrs. Right's face gently, then stretched out his hand and rubbed her head:
"You will be buried with me in the Feng family's grave from now on!"
"ah!"
Although they were an old married couple, Feng Duhu suddenly came to do this in front of the other three wives and concubines, which frightened the right lady to let out a short exclamation.
The blush on her cheeks rose like a girl's, and it spread quickly, making Mrs. Right feel as if her face was on fire.
"You, you... what kind of family grave..."
Where do the Feng family’s family graves come from now?
The graves of uncles and aunts are now cemeteries, not to mention that I have never heard of Alang saying that he would designate them as family graves.
Choosing a place for a family tomb is a big deal.
In recent years, Feng Duhu had rarely seen his wife acting like a little girl again, and he couldn't help laughing.
But I guess Madam You is right. If nothing else happens, after her death, she will probably be buried next to the little fat man’s imperial mausoleum.
With the little fat guy's temperament, it is impossible to put himself first.
As for Mrs. Right, she has always had an identity, that is, the female official Shang Gong in the palace, and she also represents the person in charge of the Young Mansion outside.
He has not made any contributions to the palace in these years.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to become Lord Shunde, and the palace even gave her a palace.
When the time comes, I will be buried next to the emperor's mausoleum, and maybe Lord Shunde will also be buried next to the hou mausoleum.
As for Mrs. Zuo, based on General Guan's illustrious reputation, it is more than enough to be buried in the imperial mausoleum as a meritorious official.
Hey, when the time comes, the three of us may not be buried in the Feng family's family grave.
When Ah Chong, Ah Shun, A Mo and others go to worship themselves, wouldn’t they have to go to Adou’s imperial mausoleum to worship?
Thinking of this, Feng Duhu put his arms around Mrs. Zuo and kissed her as well.
Mrs. Zuo's eyes were twitching, her cheeks were red, and she seemed angry but also happy.
"I am leaving!"
"Alang (male gentleman), be careful!"
After leaving the house, a group of children lined up in the courtyard.
Liu Chen's eyes were full of curiosity, but more of admiration and excitement.
Zhongduhu is a famous general of the Han Dynasty. It is a blessing to see Zhongduhu go to war with his own eyes.
What made him feel a little disappointed was that the right hussar general of the Han Dynasty seemed to be a little too low-key when he went on the expedition.
As for Zhuge Zhan, although he was a little curious, he tried hard to hide his emotions.
After all, compared to Liu Chen, his lord was the prime minister and had led an army to conquer bandits many times.
As for Ah Chong, Ah Mo and others, they were much calmer.
In the early years, my lord and my mother were often away on military expeditions, and it was not uncommon for me not to see anyone for a year and a half.
The only child who was in a wrong mood was the eldest sister, Shuangshuang.
Her little face was full of worry, and her eyes were even a little sad.
"Sir, can you not go?"
When she saw the master and her mother coming out, she rushed up, hugged Feng Duhu's thigh, and cried.
When Feng Duhu saw her like this, he felt a little pain in his heart. He picked her up and comforted her with a forced smile:
"My lord is going on an expedition for the country, how can you say not to go? Don't worry, your lord will be fine."
My daughter still loves me.
They both hugged Feng Duhu's neck and shouted loudly:
"But I can't bear to let you go, sir!"
"Shuangshuang be good, don't worry, the adults will be back soon."
"Really?"
"Really, how could I lie to you?"
Both of them let go of Feng Duhu's neck, looked at Feng Duhu with flickering eyes, and then counted with their fingers:
"Then, are those three days enough? Can you come back the day after tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow?"
Probably in her mind, three days is a long time.
Seeing his daughter in such a state, Feng Duhu felt even more reluctant to give up.
Mrs. Zuo behind her looked at the father and daughter in front of her affectionately, and suddenly said calmly:
"My lord is not here, so you have to study hard. Otherwise, no one in the house will be able to protect you."
Feng Duhu felt his body stiffen.
Just when he was in a daze, they both got down from his arms, ran to Mrs. Zuo, took Mrs. Zuo's hand, and said obediently:
"Mom, I will definitely do it. I will never make my mom angry again."
Feng Duhu subconsciously hugged her and took in the air, and suddenly felt empty.
Mrs. Zuo glanced at Feng Duhu.
Feng Duhu sighed: "Let's go!"
"Congratulations to your lord (Zhongduhu)! I wish your lord (Zhongduhu) a great victory!"
Amidst the greetings from all the children, Feng Duhu walked out of the mansion, got on his horse, and raised his hands to express his gratitude to his relatives inside the mansion.
Then he clamped the horse's belly and said, "Drive!"
The horse's hooves were strong, and under the protection of his personal guards, he headed towards the city gate.
The sun is like fire, and the armor is like blood.
The military order to mobilize the Tongguan garrison had long been issued together with the emperor's edict in the name of the Central Protectorate.
By this time, Li Qiu should have assembled his army and set off.
Feng Duhu set out from Chang'an and did not wait for Li Qiu. Instead, he took only the soldiers from the personal guard battalion and headed towards Wuguan.
When passing through Lantian, he deliberately stayed for a day and went up the mountain to pay homage to the prime minister.
Guo Mo, who has been guarding the Prime Minister's Shrine, is also old and his body has become a little stooped.
Sometimes he would play the flute or play the harp, playing "The Swordsman" and "The Swordsman" as well.
Some people who came to pay homage heard the name of the song, and when they heard that it was passed down by Feng Duhu, they were immediately shocked to hear that it was a heavenly song.
"Sir, you are a great talent. You can play it much better than me on the flute."
Feng Duhu stood in front of the prime minister's tomb and said to Guo Mo.
Guo Mo's strength has declined and he rarely goes up the mountain on weekdays. But when Feng Duhu came, he had to follow him no matter what.
Hearing Feng Duhu's praise, he didn't look proud at all. He just stroked the long flute in his hand as if he was nostalgic or regretful, and said:
"If the Prime Minister is still here, how happy it would be to be able to play the piano and flute with him!"
"The Prime Minister once said that when the Master comes back, he will play a song with the Master. The Master and the Prime Minister are indeed close friends."
If you are not a close friend, how can you die happily for the prime minister?
Guo Mo smiled, then sighed again:
"The ensemble seems to have lost hope..."
He glanced at Feng Duhu, and then sighed again:
"If you are lucky enough to be buried beside the Prime Minister, and perform with the Prime Minister under the yellow soil, it would be good to fulfill your long-cherished wish."
Hearing this, Feng Duhu understood the meaning and said with a smile:
"Sir's wish has been known forever. I have written this down, but when I return to Chang'an to meet His Majesty, I may ask about it for you."
I remembered that the Prime Minister was frugal during his lifetime and allowed himself to be buried sparingly after his death. If only the Prime Minister was buried in such a big mountain, I am afraid that the Prime Minister would scold himself underground.
Not to mention that the Prime Minister might be a little lonely on the mountain alone. It would be a sign of filial piety to have Guo Mo, his confidant, accompany him when the time comes.
After Guo Mo received Feng Duhu's promise, his eyes lit up, and his hunched body straightened up a bit, and then he bowed down again:
"I'm here. I'd like to thank the Central Protector in advance. If my wish comes true, I'll shed tears of gratitude..."
Feng Duhu helped Guo Mo up:
"Sir, why do you need to be like this? If the Prime Minister can have your husband accompany you, I'm afraid you will be happy. As the Prime Minister's disciple, it is I who want to thank you."
After paying homage to the prime minister, Feng Duhu continued eastward, passed Yiguan Pass, and finally came to Wuguan Pass.
Jufu and Meng Yan greeted him at the gate of Wuguan Pass early:
"Meet the Central Protector!"
"No need to be polite, get up!"
Feng Duhu got off his horse, looked up at Guancheng in front of him, and said to the two of them:
"Let's go and talk after we enter the city."
Wuguan is built on a relatively flat highland in the canyon, with the cliffs of Shaoxi Mountain in the north.
The east, west and south sides are surrounded by the Juejian of the Wuguan River Valley. Guancheng lies across the middle of the river, and the terrain is extremely dangerous.
There is one gate on the east and west side of Guancheng, and the west gate leading to Guanzhong has a relatively flat terrain.
To the east of Guancheng in the direction of Jingxiang, there are four high and steep ridges, which go up the mountain and cannot be ridden side by side, so they are shielded by Wuguan.
Therefore, as long as Guanzhong sends troops to guard this place, once the city is closed, the Jingxiang Road will be difficult to pass.
But no matter how dangerous the pass is, it must be guarded by someone.
The former Han Dynasty prospered in Wuguan and also perished in Wuguan. It can be seen that the danger of Guancheng lies not in the terrain, but in the people's hearts.