The grass and trees are withered and the leaves are rustling.
The strong wind passed over the vast desert, carrying fine wind and sand that raged between the sky and the earth. The caravans on the road were like old women covered with veils in the wind and sand, stumbling and struggling to move forward.
After this sandstorm passes, the entire Western Region will fall into a severe winter.
In the Anxi Protectorate, Guo Xiaoke's mood was similar to that of the increasingly cold climate, and he fell into an irreversible winter bit by bit...
Official documents from Chang'an came one after another, all with harsh derogatory and admonishing tone.
The winemaking workshop has been built a long time ago, but without Fang Jun's secret recipe, the taste of the grape wine produced is very different from that of the Fang family's workshop. All merchants are dissatisfied, and sales have dropped again and again.
The consequences of the "banning" of wool workshops are obviously more serious.
With the arrival of cold winter, various tribes in the Western Regions are preparing supplies for the winter. Those tribes that destroyed their farmland to raise goats are miserable. The Fang family's wool workshop no longer exists, but the trusted Anxi Governor has no intention of purchasing wool.
, each tribe had no choice but to continue to raise goats as food for the winter. However, a tribe could have hundreds to thousands of people. How much food would it need to survive this winter? Such a little mutton is obviously not enough.
The situation seems to be back to the past.
If you want the entire tribe to survive this winter, you must rob it. Nature chooses the fittest to survive. Whoever is stronger can survive.
The situation in the entire Western Region is in turmoil. If it were not for the Tang army's tyrannical fighting power, various tribes would have started fighting each other and plundering supplies...
Faced with the imminent situation, Guo Xiaoke's heart felt cold, but his mouth was frothy. He understood that it was the dangerous situation in the Western Regions that he had created by himself that prevented the imperial court from immediately arresting him.
Removal from office to avoid exacerbating this unrest.
However, the court's patience has its limits. He must now plead guilty and perform meritorious service in order to restore his image in the eyes of His Majesty and several ministers. Even if the position of Anxi Governor must be dismissed, he can still seek a good position in the future. Otherwise, even if His Majesty wants to
If you cannot bear to deal with yourself because of your past achievements, you will inevitably become idle and stand aside without any political status.
"Report!"
The military guards shouted outside the hall.
"Come in!"
"Report to the Commander-in-Chief, something bad has happened! I have just received the news from Xiaozuo that the Western Turks Yugushe Khan killed Shabo Luo Yehu ten days ago, then attacked Tocharo, and invaded Yizhou three days ago
!”
The military guard was sweating profusely and speaking very fast.
Guo Xiaoke was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked: "Is the news true?"
"After a thorough investigation, I have found that there are three channels of information spreading the same information at the same time. It should be correct."
This is a big deal. Yizhou's military strength is less than a thousand. Once attacked by Turkic cavalry, the city can only be destroyed in a matter of seconds. Without Yizhou, the already severe predicament of the commander-in-chief will inevitably be worsened. How will he explain to the court?
?
Unexpectedly, instead of showing any signs of nervousness or panic, his commander-in-chief had an excited look on his face. He slammed the table in front of him and shouted, "Well done!"
The military guard looked confused...
The Marshal drank too much and still didn't wake up?
The Turks dared to invade on such a large scale, and they must have made careful arrangements. It can be said that the attackers were evil, so how could they say hello?
Guo Xiaoke was in a happy mood and immediately ordered: "Quickly rule all the generals under your command and come here immediately to discuss the dispatch of troops. If there is any delay, military law will be engaged!"
"promise!"
The military guard retreated in confusion and informed the lieutenant generals.
Guo Xiaoke laughed three times and said to himself: "Mom, if you really doze off, someone will give you a pillow! If you want to, I will capture you under the steps one day, and I will definitely treat you to a few drinks!"
This is a good opportunity to break the situation!
As long as he can defeat the main force of the Turkic invaders, he will be able to make up for the mistakes he made in the grape wine and wool workshops. After defeating the Turkic cavalry, who else dares to be dishonest in the Western Regions?
If Yugushe Khan can be captured alive, it will not only be a matter of atonement, but also an unparalleled feat that can be compared with Li Jing!
At that time, who else would dare to discuss Guo Xiaoke’s previous mistakes?
In less than a moment, all the generals under his command came to the lobby.
Guo Xiaoke was also a famous general, and he was naturally familiar with marching and fighting. He immediately arranged the transportation of grain and baggage, the dispatch of vanguards, and the arrangement of scouts. Then he personally led two thousand light cavalry and set off immediately for Yizhou!
At the same time, Tiele and other tribes were anxious to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and ordered them to immediately send cavalry to Yizhou for reinforcements!
Guo Xiaoke’s heart was filled with excitement!
As long as he wins this battle, his status will be as stable as Mount Tai, and he will be guaranteed the title of Duke!
I am about to turn my fortune around!
*****
At night, Wu Meiniang called her sister Wu Shunniang into the room and asked about Fang Jun's injury during the day. When Wu Shunniang said that Fang Jun's injury was caused by Princess Changle, Wu Meiniang stared and almost bit her tongue!
"How could the two of them have an affair?"
Wu Meiniang felt that she couldn't accept it.
She is well aware of Fang Jun's charm. He is in a high position at a young age and is talented in poetry. He has a fatal attraction for women. But how can Princess Changle be compared with ordinary women?
Your Highness, as Fang Jun said in his article "On the Love of Lotus", "The middle is straight and the outer is straight, without vines or branches, the fragrance becomes clearer from a distance, and the pavilions and pavilions are clean and planted, which can be viewed from a distance but not played with."
"...
How could such a noble and beautiful woman have an affair with a man as casually as an ordinary woman? Not to mention that this man is also his sister's consort!
Wu Shunniang smiled and said: "It's not what you think. Maybe Erlang has an intention for His Highness Luohua, but Princess Changle is ruthless, so that's why Erlang was injured by Princess Changle, right?"
She thinks this is the truth of the matter. As for the misunderstanding that Fang Jun told her, she doesn't believe it at all. Which man doesn't cheat? Even if Wu Shunniang is very self-sufficient, facing Princess Changle's delicacy and beauty
It is inevitable for people to feel admiration, let alone a young man like Fang Jun, who is full of energy and is close to the world.
My fair lady and gentlemen are very jealous, this is really normal in Wu Shunniang's opinion.
If he didn't have outstanding looks, would Fang Jun steal him too?
Wu Meiniang had a headache. She held her sister's hand and said sadly: "Sister, what's going on between you and Erlang? To be honest, my sister wants you and Erlang to get along. After all, my sister has been a widow for so many years and her life is really too much.
It's miserable and lonely. But sister, you should know that with Erlang's status and your status as the wife of the Helan family, it is impossible for us sisters to be brought into the house together..."
Fang Jun is the prince-in-law, so taking in a few concubines is not a big deal, but his sister is the daughter-in-law of the Helan family. Even if the Helan family has lost the glory of their ancestors, it is still one of the first-class wealthy families in Guanzhong, how can they tolerate their own family?
The daughter-in-law goes to be a concubine for someone else?
Wu Shunniang stroked the hair on her temples, a helpless smile appeared on her delicate face, and a sense of charm naturally flowed out.
"How dare my sister ask for more? My sister admires Erlang's talent and bearing, and Erlang admires my sister's body. She is satisfied if we can meet each other occasionally to relieve the pain of lovesickness. But being so shameless makes my sister sad...
…”
Identity, after all, is a knot in Wu Shunniang's heart.
If Fang Jun hadn't been her sister's husband, Wu Shunniang, who had already become obsessed with Fang Jun, would have thrown herself into Fang Jun's arms like a moth to a flame. She didn't care about ethics, propriety, justice or shame!
But she can't care less about her sister's feelings...
Wu Meiniang bit her lips, her beautiful eyes turned red, she gently stretched her arms around her sister's still slim waist, and sighed softly: "Although we sisters have a mother alive, we have been dependent on each other all these years. Who has cared about us?
As long as my sister can live a happier life, why should my sister be reluctant to part with her?"
Wu Shunniang brought back the sad past, which also brought tears to her eyes. The two sisters hugged each other and cried.
What was their life like in the Wu family these years?
She was originally a young lady from the Wu family, but she was not as good as a servant of some status. She didn't have enough to eat, didn't wear warm clothes, was often yelled at, and had to do tasks that only servants would do...
Because of this, Wu Meiniang voluntarily entered the palace.
Now that he has found his home, Erlang will take good care of him sincerely, and he must hold on to this happiness tightly.
If my sister can be in love with Erlang, even if she is secretly like this, it is better than sleeping alone and living in misery...