The howling night wind followed the direction of the river, and as if God was playing tricks on them, it blew violently towards the two people leaping in the air, causing them to tilt their bodies and plunge towards the fast-flowing river.
"Chen...ah!"
With a "pop" sound, the two fell into the fast-flowing river. The splashes they made were covered up by the current without causing any waves.
...
Since the beginning of summer, the war between Shang and Chu has become increasingly stalemate. The Chu State has also recovered its lost territory, greatly improving the morale of the soldiers and sweeping away the haze caused by the previous Three Immortals War. The victory of the war spread throughout the world.
Most of the Chu State, who had previously slandered and looked down upon the Border Guard King, was like a grassroots, and began to advocate the bravery and martial prowess of the Border Guard King.
Those who fled from the three states of northern Chu, that is, the fiefdom of the border guard king, had not been able to rest in the new place, and began to look in the direction of their hometown. After all, they were unfamiliar with the place and wanted to start a family.
A matter of a day or two.
But they soon discovered that how easy it was to get out, how difficult it was to go back. When they returned to the northern border of Chu as wives and children, there were officials and soldiers at those checkpoints like them "foreigners".
People's incomes are subject to high head taxes.
You said that you were originally from the three regions of Northern Chu. I'm sorry, but the people from the three regions of Northern Chu are staying well here and swear to live and die together with the soldiers of Northern Chu.
No matter how hard those who return home try to prove that they are from there, it is in vain.
What, you want to say that you are a relative of a certain general? Those adults who guard the card will become extremely "attentive" and send people to the border, because those generals are all at the border and are worrying about missing you.
I am a relative and I miss you very much.
Anyone who understands at this time knows that if those people go there, they will not be able to come back unless the war is over. Even if they can come back by then, there is no guarantee that the family will be intact.
The people who came out from there were basically people with some wealth. Seeing such a blatant robbery, they would knock out their teeth and swallow it in their stomachs, unless they turned around and left. Of course, there are such people, but they are just
few.
The war in Northern Chu was intense, and it could be said that the imperial court received almost no rear support. As long as some indifferent words of encouragement, the actual things were completely self-sufficient.
Danzhou and Hezhou started to hide manpower and materials to support Northern Chu, but now they have become blatant. In addition to giving a lot of things to the court, they also tightened their belts and continued to send troops to the border guards.
They sent things to the fiefdoms and supported them with the slogan "the lips are dead and the teeth are cold".
The two state shepherds in Danzhou and Hezhou were also praised by the border guard king, and they looked like a family between the army and the people.
...
Over in Yingdu, in the court hall, those who originally were not optimistic about the border guard king all gave thumbs up and praised them. Who really wants their country to be invaded by enemy countries again and again. If the family is big,
Only when your career is big can your pocket be truly full.
Even the prince who was tit-for-tat with the border guard king no longer spoke ill of that man, nor mentioned the mistakes he had made before. He even proposed to let his brother come back in front of the eloquent emperor.
But the emperor did not agree.
"I think it's good that the King of Border Guards is there. You two brothers, one inside and one outside, are both using their expertise in their own fields. I'm very pleased. If you don't quarrel, I can sleep peacefully."
"Yes, father, I will remember your teachings."
East Palace.
The prince sat in front of the desk and reviewed the memorial. A few days ago, his father's attitude made him greatly relieved. His beloved concubine's suggestion that he should retreat in order to advance was indeed the right thing. At that time, he was really afraid.
His father really agreed to his request and summoned his eldest brother back to the palace.
If this is the case, and his eldest brother comes back with such achievements, it will pose a serious threat to his position as prince. This is why the good news from there is frequently sent back, making him forget about food and drinks.
Fortunately, he has a smart concubine who can help him solve problems and analyze things from the perspective of a bystander. The situation is indeed not conducive to them, but they can also target them everywhere at this time. Since it is unstoppable, it is better to go with the flow.
It may have unexpected effects.
The prince was in a better mood and could handle his affairs more easily.
"Prince, I've been in a good mood these days." Crown Princess Shuhua, wearing a gauze as thin as cicada wings, walked in lotus steps, carrying midsummer fruits, came to Prince Jiang Zuo, and gently took the fruits.
The fruit plate is placed on the table.
"Of course, my father really didn't agree to summon my eldest brother back from the border. How can I be unhappy? It's my concubine's idea that is better." Jiang Zuo smiled, but still did not put down the copywriting in his hand.
"The prince is a fan of the authorities. If you open your mind a little more, the prince can solve this problem by himself. He doesn't need my concubine to make suggestions."
"Why is my concubine such a bitch? You are my prince's think tank. With my concubine here, I feel at ease." Jiang Zuo put down the copywriting in his hand and gently grabbed Shuhua's wrist.
"I don't want to be a wise man. I just want to quietly be the sachet around the prince's waist." Shuhua lightly slapped Jiang Zuo's hand, picked up a piece of fruit pulp, and brought it to his mouth.
"Hmm~" Jiang Zuo ate the piece of fruit pulp in one gulp and sucked on his beloved concubine's green fingers. "It's so sweet."
"Ah, don't be so immoral." Shuhua blushed at Jiang Zuo's rude behavior and hurriedly retracted her hand and hid it under her sleeve.
"My prince is serious now. He is busy with all kinds of things every day. He has no time to spend time with his beloved concubine. Instead, he neglects his beloved concubine. He is really not a good husband." Jiang Zuo blamed himself with a smile.
Then he continued: "I want the sachet, I want the brains tank, I want both the fish and the bear's paw. When I sit in that position, my beloved concubine will be the most beautiful, charming and intelligent queen in the history of the Chu Kingdom.
"
When Shuhua heard the word "queen", Shuhua's eyes lit up because she was so shy. The best thing a woman can do is to become a queen!
But she did not show this eloquent expression in front of Jiang Zuo, and returned to normal, saying: "The emperor is still in good health, but he cannot die early..."
"Don't worry, my beloved, these princes know that what they need to do now is to lay a good foundation for themselves, so that when the time comes to inherit the throne, there won't be so many twists and turns."
"It's good to know. Don't be too hasty in doing things. Haste makes waste."
"Yeah, yeah, my concubine taught me that there is still a big problem. Although my father doesn't want my eldest brother to come back for the time being, the deeds he has done are also favored by many ministers in the court. This..."
"It's one thing to be optimistic, but another thing to support or not. The King of Border Guards is too upright and has harmed the interests of too many people. Of course, those people have no objection to him stationed at the border, and may support him with actions, but
If he is allowed to come back, those people will be unwilling to do so."
"Indeed, a wealthy family only needs a housekeeper..."
"Prince, be careful what you say." Shuhua immediately interrupted the prince.
"The weather is so nice." Jiang Zuo changed the topic knowingly.
"What's so good about it at night?" Shuhua rolled her eyes.
"Isn't it great? My beloved, don't you think how round the moon is and how bright the stars are? It's really a good day to lie down and count the stars together."
Shuhua didn't believe that this guy would count stars with her leisurely and elegantly. Thinking of this, she lowered her head and looked at her abdomen, but there was still no change.
"It's been a while, why hasn't there been any change?" Shuhua said with some resentment.
Jiang Zuo stood up, walked to her, put his arms around her slim waist, put his head close to her neck, and took a deep breath: "The fragrance is really a good sachet."
A woman with a family background like Shuhua has been bathed in various fragrant flowers by her family since she was a child. Over time, the fragrance of these flowers will soak into the human body and linger for a long time.
"Haste makes waste, this is what my beloved concubine just said, why not take advantage of the nice weather tonight and work hard for a while?"
"Disgusting." Shuhua huffed.
...
In a military town on the border of Saizhou, Chu State, the border guard king Jiang You looked at the map on the big table and frowned. It seemed that the recent results did not make him happy.
After regaining the lost territory, two voices emerged on the border. One was the warring faction, which proposed taking advantage of the high morale to turn against foreigners and send troops to the Shang Kingdom. The other was the conservative group, which had regained the lost territory and had achieved the greatest success.
After the victory, the soldiers also suffered heavy casualties, and it was time to recuperate.
The two voices were quarreling over what should be done.
Jiang You didn't pay much attention to the foaming words of these big bosses. Instead, he held in his hand a secret letter brought back by an unknown person from the north, and pointed his fingers back and forth at some places on the border between Yuzhou and Quzhou on the map of Shang Dynasty.
Rubbing.
After thinking for a while, Zai patted the table. The sound was not loud, but it immediately silenced those who were arguing.
"This king decides."
Jiang You slowly said four words, which made those people hold their breaths. Some people were full of expectations, and some were full of confidence.
"Attack on the offensive, hold your troops in Huzhou, strengthen the defense, and attack Quzhou from our side."
As soon as these words came out, the expectant people cheered and the confident people's expressions changed several times.
"Your Majesty, please don't act out of anger." The admonisher said meaningfully.
"This is not motivated by emotion. If you want to fight, you must hurt the enemy, otherwise they will think that we are easy to bully. I will make them repay the shame of the three northwest states bit by bit."
The border guard king Jiang You said firmly.
"Your Majesty!"
"Okay, there is no need to say more. I have my own sense of proportion." Jiang You waved his hand. "All the soldiers should go back and rest first. When this year is over, I will fulfill all my promises to you."