At dusk, Chen Shang, Chen Caozhi, Shen Chiqian and more than ten private soldiers of the Shen family left the Langya Prince's Mansion and rode towards Hengtang in the north of the city. Chen Caozhi wanted to go to the Gu Mansion to visit Gu Minzhi first, and then Since entering Jiankang in February last year, he and his third brother Chen Shang have been living in the Gu Mansion. Everyone in the Gu Mansion is very friendly. The east garden of the house built by the Chen family on the bank of the Qinhuai River was completed two months ago, but Gu Mansion Compassionately, Chen Shang stayed in the Gu Mansion, saying that it would not be too late to wait for Chen Caozhi to return from his mission, and then take the female family members from Qiantang to the capital and move to a new home. However, Chen Caozhi came back this time with too many followers, and Ran Sheng had two There are ten sergeants, Shen Chiqian has sixteen private soldiers and several servants, and there are nine people in Ding Licheng's family. Although Gu's mansion is large, it cannot accommodate so many people, so Ran Sheng has already taken his sergeants to Dongyuan. I bought simple bedding, borrowed two cooks from the Gu Mansion, and two maids under the stove went to the East Garden to cook——
Gu Minzhi was very happy to see Chen Caozhi, and arranged for the kitchen to prepare wine and food for him. Ding Licheng was also left at the Gu Mansion for a dinner. During the banquet, Gu Minzhi inevitably asked about the situation of the envoy to the North. Chen Cao He only talks about his difficulty in defeating Dou Tao in argument, his verbal battles with the Qin Confucian scholars, and his use of the conflict between Murong Ke and Murong Ping to get out of trouble in Yecheng. The rest is kept secret. After all, the less people know about these estrangements and rumors, the better, otherwise it will happen once If the news is leaked and known by Qin and Yan's spies, the plan of the Northern Expedition will most likely fail——
Gu Minzhi talked about Lu Song's matter again, implying that he was worried about Chen Caozhi. When he learned that Sima Yu, the king of Langya, had promised not to punish him for this matter, Gu Minzhi showed his face and said: "Cao Zhi is so profound that Langya The king is so precious!"
Chen Caozhi gave Gu Minzhi two pieces of sable fur and some products from Guanzhong and Hebei, and Gu Minzhi accepted them happily.
Chen Caozhi was very grateful to Zhang Tongyun. If Wei Rui had not been helped by Zhang Tongyun and had her company and comfort, her life would have been much more difficult. Chen Caozhi asked Xiao Chan to send two pieces of sable skins to Zhang Tongyun, Mrs. Xiao Gu. Twenty northern pearls, as well as brocade, silk and other items from Di Qin——
Chen Shang and Chen Cao's brothers still lived in the Gu Mansion, and Ding Licheng's family also stayed. Shen Chiqian took his private servants to the east garden of Chen's house to rest for the night.
It is still the same small courtyard with a zigzag-shaped wooden building. Ding Licheng's family and nine maids have been arranged to live in the east wing. Chen Shang moved to the west wing to live next door to Chen Caozhi. Chen Caozhi went to visit Huang Xiaotong first. and another sergeant who had a broken arm. Their broken arms had been repaired by Qin Xiong, a famous doctor from Jiankang Orthopedics. They were wrapped in pungent wound medicine and splinted. Their left arm could not be moved for the time being. Ran Sheng sent a A sergeant served Huang Xiaotong and the two white falcons——
Chen Caozhi comforted Huang Xiaotong and the sergeant for a few words, and then went back to his room to write a letter to his fourth uncle and sister-in-law Ding Youwei to report that they were safe. He also said that he would return to Qiantang in about November and pick up his third sister-in-law Wang and his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. When everyone entered the capital, Chen Shang was also writing a letter to his family on the other side of the desk. Xiao Chan was sitting on one side, spreading paper and studying ink while waiting, looking at Chen Caozhi with joy, her heart leaping with joy——
Laide was smiling and sitting at the small table in front of Xiaochan's bed outside. He was sitting on the dim yellow oil and using a sharp knife to cut toys for his son who was about to turn one year old, including a rolling wooden car and a small child with connected arms. Ape Marquis... While he was peeling, Lai Dehui raised his head and looked into space, with a silly smile on his face. It seemed that his son was waiting for his toys to play with. He thought for a while, then lowered his head and peeled again——
At this time, I heard someone in the courtyard laughing heartily and saying: "Zizhong, Zizhong, Jiangzuo Wei was traveling to the north of the country. Wasn't he killed by the Di girl Hu?"
"Shangzhi is here." Chen Caozhi put down his pen with a smile and went out to greet him with his third brother Chen Shang.
Liu Shangzhi did not come alone. He had a wife, a concubine, and a four-year-old son. The concubine was Gillian, who was also several months pregnant. Liu Shangzhi was informal. When he heard that Chen Caozhi was back, he took his wife and son with him.
Come visit Gu Mansion together——
Xiao Chan hurriedly came forward to say hello and invited Liu Shangzhui's wife Zhong and Gillian to the small hall to drink tea and talk. As soon as Liu Shangzhui's four-year-old son saw the car made by Laide, the little monkey squatted next to Laide.
He stopped moving and grabbed an unmade wooden monkey and said it was his. Liu Shangzhi laughed and scolded: "I am such a bad boy. I insist on saying that anything he likes is his. It seems that I was a robber in my previous life."
When he came to Germany, he said that he would give the wooden monkey to Liu Xiaolangjun. He also said that there were still some parts of the wooden monkey that needed to be carved more finely, so he asked Liu Xiaolangjun to return it first and then give it to him to play with after it was carved. Unexpectedly, Liu Shang was worth this four-year-old man.
The son suspected that his virtue was deceitful and was afraid that he would not be able to get it back once he handed it over. He held the wooden monkey tightly behind his back and refused to hand it over——
Everyone laughed, Liu Shangzhi shook his head and said: "This bad boy, my father spoiled him too much when we were in Liujiabao, so he is extremely naughty. Next year I will teach him how to read, and he will be beaten at least."
When Chen Caozhi and his three brothers Chen Shang and Liu Shangzhi talked about what they had seen in the North, they naturally avoided the key points. Liu Shangzhi was not interested in those things. He was only very curious about Zhu Yingtai's transformation into Xie Daoyun and asked: "
Zi Zhong, I heard that you went to the Xie Mansion to visit Lady Xie. How is her condition? Can she be cured?"
Chen Cao said: "The condition is serious and it is not yet certain whether it can be cured."
Liu Shangzhi heard Chen Caozhi say the same thing, so Xie Daoyun was really seriously ill, and he said with pity: "I always thought that Zhu Yingtai was arrogant and reclusive, but I didn't expect that she was a woman——"
"Brother Shangzhi, I am going back to Qiantang tomorrow in Lai De. Do you have a letter from home that you would like to take back to Lai De?" Chen Caozhi was indeed not sure of curing Xie Daoyun's illness yet. He didn't want to say more now, so he changed the topic.
Liu Shangzhi also knew the interest, so he kept silent and wrote a letter to his father in Liujiapu, Qiantang Dynasty with a ready-made pen and paper. He also asked when Lai De would set off tomorrow. When he learned that Chenshi was about to leave, Liu Shangzhi
He said: "Then I will send some silk utensils over tomorrow morning and ask Lai De to take them back to Qiantang and give them to my old father. I won't be able to go back to Qiantang this year."
After talking for a while, Liu Shangzhi said goodbye with his wife and children and returned to the apartment outside Zhuquemen. Chen Caozhi was tired after running around for a day. After bathing, he went to bed and slept peacefully. Xiaochan slept outside and couldn't sleep for a long time -
Early the next morning, Liu Shangzhi drove to the Gu Mansion and packed the gifts for his father and family members in two large boxes. Tolaide brought Qian Tang back, and Ding Licheng also wrote to his uncle Ding Yi and his sister Ding Youwei respectively.
After receiving the letter, he asked Lai De to take it back with him. Lai De took two private soldiers of the Chen family and borrowed two private soldiers of the Shen family from Shen Chiqian, and escorted three bullock carts to leave Jiankang and return to Qiantang.
Chen Shangzi went to Langya Palace for duty. Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng went to Taicheng Shangshutai. Yesterday Wang Biaozhi invited Chen Caozhi to participate in today's meeting with Yan State envoy Huangfu Zhen. Shangshu servant Wang Biaozhi already knew
Chen Caozhi's strategy of attacking Yan was naturally ignored by Huangfu Zhen. The two sides quickly reached an agreement to guard the border and not invade each other. To show his sincerity, Huangfu Zhen followed Murong Ke's order and expressed his sincerity to Wang Biaozhi.
The Yan army will withdraw from Xuchang City, which they occupied five months ago——
After the alliance was reached, Huangfu really thought that he had a plan, so that the alliance between Qin and Jin would collapse, and Yan could deal with Qin calmly. After Guanlong was defeated and Liangzhou was pacified, the cavalry would move south and the world would be settled. Well, who knew that the mantis stalked the cicada, with the oriole behind? All of this was in the steps planned by Chen Caozhi.
In the evening of that day, a cold rain began to fall. Chen Caozhi took an ox cart and took Ran Sheng, Shen Chiqian and several others to visit Xiaolu Shangshu Mansion. Banli had previously sent a message that Lu Na was willing to see Chen Caozhi.
A 12- or 3-year-old maid waiting in the foyer saw Chen Cao Zhi come in. She turned around and ran to the inner courtyard. This maid was sent by the short hoe. Her mission was to report to Chen Cao Zhi as soon as she saw him entering the house. Little lady Zhiwei Rui.
Lu Na, the Minister of Zuo Min, was used to meeting Chen Caozhi in the study. He stood on the porch in front of the study, watching Chen Caozhi coming briskly in the drizzle at dusk. Banli held an umbrella for him. After not seeing each other for half a year, Chen Cao He is still as handsome as ever, and even more heroic. How many people are there in Jiangzuo like this?
Lu Na smiled bitterly in his heart and said: "This Chen Caozhi caused such a big disturbance when he returned to Jiankang. He beat up Lu Song and Zhu Lingbao for Wei Rui. It is said that the emperor was very angry and wanted to remove Chen Caozhi from his position as Prince Xi Ma. , but King Langya refused to agree, saying that Chen Caozhi had made great contributions to the country and wanted to reward him. The emperor was so angry that he walked away on the spot——"
Chen Caozhi entered under the eaves, and after six or seven steps, he bowed deeply to Lu Na and said, "Cao Zhi pays homage to Mr. Lu."
Lu Na returned the gift and invited Chen Caozhi to sit down in the study while the boy served tea.
Just as Chen Caozhi was about to speak, Lu Na waved his hand and said, "Your Aunt Zhang and Wei Rui will be here soon, let's talk together then."
Chen Caozhi felt slightly embarrassed. Lu Na had given him a hard time. No wonder Lu Na was a little resentful. Not long ago, when the shocking news came out that Zhu Yingtai, who joined the army in the Xifu, was actually Xie Daoyun, Lu Na said to Chen Cao She was quite dissatisfied and asked Wei Rui, but Wei Rui said she already knew and asked her father not to blame Chen Langjun -
Lu Na and Chen Caozhi, the father-in-law and son-in-law, were sitting silently in the study, as if they were deep in thought. When Mrs. Lu, Zhang Wenwan and Lu Weirui came to the study, their eyes widened when they saw this scene——
Lu Na smiled slightly and calmly concealed it: "Wen Wan, do you think Cao Zhixiang is someone who has returned from a long journey of thousands of miles?"
Chen Caozhi quickly stood up to greet Mrs. Lu, Zhang Wenwan, and then saluted Wei Rui.
Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan and Lu Weirui returned the gift to Chen Caozhi, gathered their skirts and sat down on their knees. Mrs. Lu looked at Chen Caozhi with a smile and said: "If you look carefully, you still have a weathered look." Then she asked Chen Caozhi about his mission -
Chen Caozhi took out a thick volume from his arms and said, "This is what I saw and felt when I was on the mission, and I wanted to show it to Wei Rui when I came back." After that, he handed it over with both hands. .
Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan looked at Lu Weirui with a smile. Lu Weirui's face was as red as the morning glow. She stood up and took the book. After thinking about it, she presented it to her father Lu Na first -
Lu Na flipped through a few pages, and Chen Caozhi's unique left-hand regular script made him secretly praise him. Seeing that the number of words in this thick volume should be more than 50,000 words, it showed Chen Caozhi's intentions, and Lu Na was greatly relieved. , Cao Zhi has a deep affection for Wei Rui.
