At this time, Shanzhou was also holding a welcoming banquet.
The welcoming banquet was held at the posthouse.
Because there were many merchants traveling from the south to the north, this posthouse simply ran an inn. In this way, not only did the imperial court not need to allocate a lot of construction funds, but it could also make a lot of money. Now, this posthouse in Shanzhou was connected with luxurious rooms. Just the banquet hall alone had several rooms, such as the upper hall, the lower hall, the main hall, the side hall, the east hall, and the west hall.
The inner walls of the posthouse were lined with bamboo mulberry trees, halls, and corridors. There was also a pond with a circumference of several acres. One could go boating, fish, or lean against the railing to admire the moon. The environment was very elegant.
Because this place also ran an inn and received merchants from all over, the posthouse was divided into different areas. The area for receiving officials and messengers was separated from the other areas by high walls. It was equipped with special kitchen rooms, livestock corridors, warehouses, and so on.
It was Lou Shide's idea to make use of the large number of merchants from the north and south to open an inn to make up for the lack of funds allocated by the imperial court by running a hotel.
Lou Shide was an honest official and did not take any money other than his salary. These years, Hei Ya Chang Zhi was in charge of the military and administration of the Qingyuan Army. As his deputy, he was in charge of logistics and farming. It could be said that he was in charge of money. However, he lived in a shabby house and could not even afford to hire a few servants. Now that Wang Xiaojie and Qiu Shenji had come from Luoyang, he could not afford to hold a lavish banquet in his house.
Fortunately, these two officials of the imperial court were here and should stay in the posthouse. The posthouse would be responsible for their food and accommodation, so it was reasonable for Lou Shide to host a banquet here. In fact, Lou Shide still benefited from them. Otherwise, as a local chief officer, there was no reason for this General Lou to go to the posthouse for receiving officials to eat.
Lou Shide was the same age as Di Renjie. He was also an old man with a head full of gray hair. He was eight feet tall, had a square mouth, and a plump body. In fact, he was a man of great self-restraint and magnanimity. The idiom "dry one's face after spitting" came from Lou Shide.
One of Lou Shide's legs was a little disabled. When he was young, he fought in the army, and his right leg was cut by an enemy's hook. Although he recovered later, his leg was a little inconvenient to move. In addition, he was old and fat, so when he welcomed Qiu Shenji and Wang Xiaojie into the inn, the two of them had to slow down in order to walk with him.
Wang Xiaojie was also a general of the border army and was an old acquaintance of Lou Shide. In terms of seniority, he was much younger than Lou Shide. Seeing that Lou Shide was having difficulty walking, he hurried forward to help him.
Lou Shide smiled and said, "This old man is old, I'll have to trouble General Wang."
Wang Xiaojie said respectfully, "Duke Lou is too polite. Duke Lou has been guarding the western border and has worked hard. As a junior, it is only right for me to do so."
Qiu Shenji, who was walking on the other side, glanced at Lou Shide and said lightly, "Lord Lou has been farming in the Western Regions for more than ten years and has stored tens of thousands of bushels of grain, so that the soldiers in the border towns have enough grain. Not only did he avoid the pain of transporting grain for the imperial court, but he also saved a lot of money and grain for the imperial court. His Majesty is also very approving of this."
Qiu Shenji's words seemed to be a compliment, but in fact, he was hinting that Lou Shide was just a petty official who was good at farming and had no achievements in military affairs. The border of the Western Regions was an important place. No matter what your strengths were, they would ultimately be in military affairs. If you had no achievements in military affairs, how could you be qualified to be the commander of an army?
And at this moment, Lou Shide was acting for Hei Chi Chang Zhi as the Qingyuan Army's Administrator and Chief of the Army.
Lou Shide heard Qiu Shenji's implied meaning, but he only smiled faintly and did not explain.
On the contrary, Wang Xiaojie felt that it was unfair for him and said on the side, "General Qiu's words are wrong. Since the first year of Yongchun, Duke Lou has led troops to fight against the Tubo, and won eight battles and dominated the western border. Later, because Hei Chi Chang Zhi became the Qingyuan Army's Administrator, Duke Lou became the deputy and was in charge of the military supplies, so he rarely had the opportunity to go to war. "
Qiu Shenji chuckled and glanced at Lou Shide's fat body and stiff legs. He laughed and said in a joking tone, "Fortunately, Duke Lou has not led troops to war since then. Otherwise, this lifetime of fame, haha …"
Wang Xiaojie said angrily, "The martial arts of a general is the ability to devise strategies and mobilize the three armies. Could it be that in General Qiu's eyes, the commander-in-chief of an army relies on personal bravery in battle? Duke Lou has won eight battles in the Western Regions. I wonder if you, General Qiu, have fought against the Tubo and the Turks? "
Lou Shide pressed down Wang Xiaojie's hand and coughed, saying, "The banquet will be held in this hall. Since the two generals are here on a secret edict, it is not appropriate to announce it to the public, so this old man did not inform the other generals. Today, only this old man is here to welcome the two generals. I hope the two generals will not mind the cold atmosphere. Haha, please come in!"
This time, Qiu Shenji and Wang Xiaojie were actually sent by Wu Zetian to find out the situation. Wu Zetian sent two groups of people. One group was Qiu Shenji and Wang Xiaojie, who rushed to Longyou to understand the actual situation of the Tang Dynasty's military strength, combat power, deployment, provisions, equipment, and other aspects of the actual situation.
The other group was sent to investigate the military strength, equipment, roads, fortresses, tribes, and conflicts between the various tribes in the area controlled by the Tubo with the cooperation of the local scouts. This was to act according to the situation and sow discord. This was the so-called knowing one's enemy.
It was necessary to use military force, but it was impossible to defeat the Turks and Tubo in the Longyou area with military force, which was superior to the Tang dynasty. Whether it was the previous dynasty's Yang Jian or the current dynasty's Li Shimin, they were able to achieve brilliant results in the Western Regions because they cleverly made use of the internal conflicts of the foreign tribes and finally used military force to achieve great victories.
This was the so-called 'the best military strategy'.
On the other hand, Wu Zetian had sent out troops to conquer the Tubo Empire several times, but she had always met them head-on with force. In the end, the Great Tang Empire had exhausted all of its troops while the Great Tang Empire had been waiting for its exhausted troops. Their battle prowess was not inferior to that of the Great Tang Empire at all.
This time, Wu Zetian learned from the painful experience and decided to imitate the method used by Yang Jian and Li Shimin.
On the point of sending troops, Qiu Shenji and Wu Zetian had the same goal, because he wanted to seize the opportunity to seize the military power of Longyou. At the same time, he was worried that the series of defeats in the past, coupled with the opposition of Di Renjie and other important officials in the court, would force Wu Zetian to send troops due to internal pressure and fear of another failure. So he planned to create a conflict in Longyou.
He wanted to give the Tubo or Turks a chance to continue to the east, occupy an important Tang town, create a bloody case, and arouse the indignation of the court, so that it would be inevitable to send troops to the Western Regions. At that time, Lou Shide, as the commander-in-chief of the Western Regions, would have to bear the responsibility of the failure, be executed or exiled, and the military power would naturally be handed over.
Before that, he still had to use Lou Shide and obtain Lou Shide's trust until this scapegoat completed his mission. After all, Lou Shide was the one who had to take the blame, so it wasn't good for him to become enemies with Lou Shide before that.
Thinking of this, Qiu Shenji quickly changed his tone and said, "General Wang, why do you say so? I was just joking with Lou Shide. Duke Lou's military skills are divine, and I also admire you very much. "
Qiu Shenji said, attentively holding the other side of Lou Shide, and said with a smile, "Duke Lou, please!"
…
In a pavilion by the water, music was pleasing to the ears.
Two dazzling Persian beauties danced gracefully in front of the hall. Their exotic dance was captivating. Their graceful and alluring bodies constantly transformed into soft and graceful curves. Not only were the men unable to take their eyes off them, but even Duo Duo and Qiqi were amazed by them.
Little Qi was lying in Duoduo's arms, staring with her big black eyes, seemingly stunned.
The two dancers had Persian beards, brown eyes, high noses, and snow-white skin. Their facial features were beautiful and charming, and they were very moving.
Shen Mu nodded repeatedly. Yan Zhenhao stroked his beard and said with a smile, "These two beauties were bought from an Arab merchant two months ago. They are very beautiful, and their bodies are enchanting. They are especially good at singing and dancing, and they are very tactful. Young Master has come from afar, and the journey is lonely. I will send them to Young Master to serve on the pillow, grind ink, and sing songs to relieve your boredom. "
"Haha … Old Yan, you are too polite. Then I won't be polite."
Shen Mu laughed, and just as he accepted the gifts, he suddenly felt two sharp gazes shoot toward him. Shen Mu was alarmed, and only then did he remember that he had brought a vinegar jar with him. He quickly changed the topic and very naturally said, "However, Shen Mu is not young anymore, and I don't have the frivolous mood of a young man. I plan to give these two dancers to Erlang. Brother Yan, please don't take it to heart. "
Yan Zhenhao smiled and said, "Since they have already been given to Young Master, it is naturally up to Young Master to decide."
Yang Fan was greatly embarrassed. These two beautiful and enchanting Persian beauties were indeed very beautiful. As a man, Yang Fan could not take his eyes off their dance, but he was not at all used to giving women away like they were goods. Besides, he had come to the Western Regions on official business. What was the big deal about taking two beauties back?
Yang Fan hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Brother Shen should keep them for yourself."
Shen Mu was stared at by Miss Qiqi's murderous eyes and did not dare to accept these two troublemakers. Even though he felt the pinch, he still laughed and said, "Since you call me Brother, don't reject my Brother's gifts."
Yang Fan said, "No, no, no …"
He turned to look at Zhang Yi and immediately said, "Brother Zhang and I feel like old friends. This is our first meeting and I do not have any presentable gifts to offer. Since that is the case, I will present these two dancers to Brother Zhang."
Zhang Yi did not expect such good fortune to fall into his lap. Upon hearing this, his spirits rose and he laughed and said, "If that is the case, then I am ashamed to accept it! Hahaha, although this is the first time I have met Erlang, we are indeed compatible. From now on, you and I are brothers! Brothers! Haha! "
After the banquet, all kinds of drinks, dried fruits, and candied fruits were served. Everyone either sat or walked around, chatting with each other. Shen Mu gave Yan Zhenhao a look, and the two of them slowly walked side by side along the pool ….
…
Yan Zhenhao and Shen Mu strolled along the lake.
On the surface of the lake, a few couples of mandarin ducks swam leisurely. Yan Zhenhao told Shen Mu in detail. When they walked three rounds around the lake and returned to the pavilion, Yan Zhenhao was already at the end of his story, "Young Master, don't worry. The first batch of rations has been safely delivered."
Shen Mu nodded his head and said, "Rations, weapons, and armors must be provided in a timely manner. In order to contain the Turks and Tubo, it is not enough to rely on the army of the imperial court. Even if the imperial court were to pay a heavy price and innumerable amounts of rations, they might not be able to suppress their development.
Moreover, Longyou is a long and narrow line. The Turks are in the south and the Turks are in the north. One south and the other north, they are keeping us in check. The border line is long and they can attack us at any time. This is also one of the reasons why they are able to succeed so many times and become so arrogant.
If we can create some internal strife in one of the factions, we can focus on the other. After defeating one, we can deal with the other. This will make things easier. Supporting the Western Turks is a good idea. Their roots are also in the Turks. By supporting them, they can fight with the Eastern Turks for territory, tribes, and war. There is no lack of wise men in the imperial court. They will not let go of this good opportunity and can focus on dealing with the other ferocious tiger! "
Yan Zhenhao nodded his head repeatedly, saying, "Young Master is thinking of the long term and has a grand plan. I understand. You don't have to worry about me. I will definitely provide you with the necessary supplies. "
Shen Mu nodded his head, saying, "If that is the case, I can rest assured. I still have some matters to attend to in Longyou and these matters have nothing to do with you. You are a merchant and as long as you can handle these matters well, it will be the greatest help to me. "
Yan Zhenhao laughed, "Young Master can rest assured!"
After they finished talking about the main topic, both of them relaxed. Yan Zhenhao joked, "I remember that last year in Chang 'an, you were a frequent guest at the brothel, snuggling up to the beauties and living a carefree life. I bought these two courtesans at a high price and have never touched them before. I was planning to give them to Young Master as a gift for your birthday celebration. Why did Young Master change his mind? "
Shen Mu grumbled, "You are still talking! You can give them away but you have to do it in such a grand manner. You want me to do it in front of Seven … Ai! How can I accept them? "
Yan Zhenhao was enlightened and said, "Could it be that Young Master does not want to offend one of the two ladies? Let me guess, hmm … it should be that noble and elegant lady in a light blue dress? "
Shen Mu did not speak and only pretended to be distressed.
Yan Zhenhao said with a smile, "Young Master is really like the stars shining in the sky. That lady is really not bad. Hehe, I did not think this through. I thought she was just an ordinary lady by your side. I did not expect her to have such a great background. How about this, I will look for two excellent courtesans and send them to Young Master. "
"There is no need!"
Shen Mu said with a smile, "Fortunately, Beta Persei did not want to accept them and gave them to Zhang Yi. I was just being polite to Beta Persei but he did not stand on ceremony at all. Hehe! After we leave this place, I will ask him to give them to me. "
Shen Mu had just said this when he saw Zhang Yi's eyebrows crooked, his eyes slanted, his face full of satisfaction as he walked out from a fork in the forest. Behind him were the two Hu girls. Their hair was disheveled, their clothes were untidy and their cheeks were flushed red.
Seeing Shen Mu, Zhang Yi immediately greeted him with a smile, "Ha! Young Master, these two women are really interesting. Their butts are round and big. They are so charming … "
Shen Mu looked at Zhang Yi and then at the two courtesans behind him. He stared and said, "You … where do you work?"
Zhang Yi stuck his thumb up and said proudly, "In the forest! I have not touched a woman's body for two months. Today is really comfortable. "
Shen Mu looked up at the sky and sighed, "How could I forget that you are called 'Little Flying General'. It is not only because of your fast arrows!"
…
When Shen Mu and the rest left the Yan residence, Yan Zhenhao opened the door and sent them off.
In order to prevent people from noticing, Yang Fan did not ask for his carriage back. Instead, he gave it to Shen Mu to take with him. He also changed one of the courtesans who was given to Zhang Yi into the same outfit as Duoduo. She carried a bundle in the shape of a baby and boarded the carriage first. She purposely rolled up the curtains so that people could vaguely see her.
Shen Mu walked out of the residence and chatted with Yan Zhenhao for a long time before boarding the carriage. He swaggered to the Huangshui Posthouse. Among the local residences, that was the best place.
Yang Fan and Duoduo carried the baby. While they were pretending to chat in front of the gate, Madam Gong personally escorted them to the corner gate of the backyard and left in a hurry.
Before they left, the steward of the Yan residence had already given them a few pointers so that they knew the layout of Huangshui City and which areas had houses for rent. Therefore, after leaving the Yan residence, they went straight to the south of the city.
Because there were a large number of merchants coming and going in this city, there were many shops, inns, taverns, and brothels. As a result, the entire city was divided into relatively obvious areas. The east side of the city was where the civil and military officials and the mansions of the rich and powerful merchants gathered. The west side of the city was where all kinds of shops and businesses gathered. The north side of the city was dominated by all kinds of entertainment venues. The south side of the city was where the local residents gathered.
Therefore, if they wanted to rent a long-term residence, it was easiest to find it in the south side of the city. Duoduo carried the baby and followed behind Yang Fan. She blindly followed his every step like a little wife. From the east side of the city, they directly turned to the south side of the city. Along the way, they inquired about the information of the local people's houses for rent and sale. They entered the first alley in the south of the city that separated the Cross Street.
Inside the alley, in a house with two courtyards, a young man wearing only a pair of jeans, his entire body tanned and extremely sturdy, was currently chopping firewood under a tree. There were deep traces of a pile of firewood by the wall, but other than the firewood at the bottom that was old, the firewood stacked high above was freshly chopped.
In front of the pile of firewood was a flat bluestone. The young man held an axe in one hand and erected a wooden stake. With a swish of the axe, he cleanly chopped the wooden stake into two halves. It seemed that the chopped firewood by the wall was the result of his labor today. The firewood was still fresh, but when he chopped firewood, it was still accurate, steady, fast, and powerful. His arms really did have some arm strength.
There was a stool under the shade of the tree. A woman in her forties, wearing a beige long dress that was half new but not old, sat on the stool with one leg crossed. She scolded him, "Look at you. You're not young anymore. How can you not even know how to go on a blind date, huh? When you were a spy, you were so capable. You could pretend to be a dragon and a tiger like a tiger. But when you see a girl's parents, you're so clumsy. You can't even fart with three sticks! "
The young man didn't say a word. He just kept chopping firewood. The woman was annoyed and said angrily, "Did you hear what I said? You only know how to chop firewood! Every time you go out and come back, you chop a wall of firewood for me. No matter how much firewood you chop, I'm still living alone at home. I don't have a daughter-in-law, not to mention a grandson. When I see other people's children, I'm very curious. I say, Sheji, although our Gao family has declined, you're still a descendant of the Goguryeo royal family. If you can't even find a wife, won't our Gao family have no descendants? "
"Pa!"
Another two pieces of firewood fell to the ground. The young man helplessly turned around and said, "Mother! Look at what you're saying. I'm only in my twenties. Why are you worried about having no descendants? "
The woman said angrily, "You blockhead! When you were young, Crow, who played with you in the mud, became a father at the age of 15. Now, his fourth daughter can call him father. You're already in your twenties. Don't you think it's too late? You don't even know how to go on a blind date. If you only know how to chop firewood, do you think your wife and child will come looking for you? "
Just as the woman said this, the door knocker knocked a few times. A clear girl's voice came from outside the door. She asked, "Excuse me, is there anyone in the house?"
The woman glared at her son. She got up and opened the door. She saw a pretty girl with big eyes and handsome eyebrows. She was holding a child in her arms. She stood under the door and asked, "Auntie, do you have a house to rent or sell?"
The woman looked her up and down. She hesitated and said, "There is an empty house. We can rent or sell it. Miss, you …"
Duoduo heard her words and happily turned around. She called out to someone in the distance, "Second brother, don't look anymore. This family has a house to rent or sell!"
Hearing the call, Yang Fan, who was asking at the door of another house, immediately ran over.
The woman looked at them and asked, "Are you … husband and wife?"
There were some married women in the Longxi area who called their Langjun brother. Therefore, the woman was not sure about their relationship.
Yang Fan smiled and said, "Auntie, you misunderstood. This girl is my sworn sister. I'm here to accompany her to find a place to live."
The woman said, "Oh." She opened the door and said, "Come in and talk."
When Yang Fan and Duoduo entered the courtyard, they saw a strong man with braided hair. His upper body was bare, and he held a sharp ax in his hand. He stood there and coldly sized them up.
The young man was quiet, but the woman was talkative. She pulled the two to sit in the courtyard and started chatting with them.
The woman was Mrs. Pu, and the young man was her only son. His name was Gaoshe Chicken. The mother and son lived in a house with two entrances and two back entrances. The house was not an exquisite mansion, it was the most common type of house in the area. The roof was made of yellow mud mixed with grass, and it was covered with a thin layer of tiles.
Because there were only the two of them and their son was not home often, they wanted to rent or sell the house in the back so that it would not be empty. If the house in the back was sold, the buyer would only need to build a wall between the two houses and open a door in the original back wall. They could enter and exit through another alley without much work.
This was originally Mrs. Pu's idea of selling the house, but she changed her mind when she heard the pretty girl's identity.
It turned out that on the way here, Yang Fan had discussed it with Duo Duo and felt that it wasn't suitable for her to live here as a married woman. After all, she still had to get married. Moreover, she was actually unmarried and had no children. As time passed, the neighbors in the neighborhood would inevitably notice it and inevitably arouse suspicions.
What happened in Luoyang would not spread so far. Besides, Wu Youyi did not even know that the person he was looking for had already given birth. It was better for her to choose a place to live as an unmarried woman, making it easier for her to start her own life. As for the child, he would say that he was the son of her eldest brother. Her brother and sister-in-law had been killed by bandits, and she and the child had been rescued by Yang Fan.
Duoduo thought that this was reasonable and agreed to his arrangement. Mrs. Pu, who was suffering from her son's inability to find a wife, heard of Duoduo's background and felt sympathetic tears. She suddenly thought of her son who could not find a wife. She looked at Duoduo again and felt like an old woman looking at her daughter-in-law. The more she looked at her, the more she liked her.
Mrs. Pu immediately said enthusiastically, "Is that so! What a poor girl. Then you can stay here with me. It's just a run-down house. Just give me a few coins. You're a girl with a child. In my opinion, there's no need to build a wall in the middle or open another door. We can live in the front and back courtyards and look after each other. "
Yang Fan looked worriedly at the silent youth and asked, "Auntie, are there only the two of you at home? Is your son unmarried?"
Mrs. Pu clapped her hands and laughed, "Yes! You don't have to worry about this. We are a family of our own. My son is especially honest. Also, he is a soldier and works under Ambassador Lou. He won't do anything illegal. "
"Oh?"
Yang Fan didn't quite believe her. Mrs. Pu panicked and ran into the inner room to retrieve her son's uniform and badge. She placed it in front of Yang Fan so he could see it clearly. She said, "Look, it's right! If it weren't for the fact that my son is a soldier and is often away from home, I wouldn't have sold the house in the back. Warrior, don't worry. We've been living here for dozens of years, and we obey the law. How would we dare to do anything that goes against the rules? This old woman and this daughter of mine are very congenial, so let her stay here. This old woman is usually alone at home, and it's boring. At least we'll have a companion. "
As Mrs. Pu spoke, she seemed to be afraid that her son's fierce look would scare the girl away. She glared at him and said, "I'm talking to someone here. What are you listening for? Go and chop the firewood!"
Koshek Chicken's chiseled face was expressionless. After being reprimanded by his mother, he didn't make a sound. He just silently picked up his axe and turned to chop the firewood. Mrs. Pu chuckled and said to Duoduo politely, "Miss, what do you think?"
Yang Fan also cast an inquiring glance at Duoduo. Miss Duoduo looked at the benevolent-looking Pu shi, then turned her head to look at the Kosho chicken who was busy chopping firewood in the yard. She did not feel that this taciturn and seemingly fierce young man was dangerous. Instead, she felt that he was steady and reliable, so she nodded to Yang Fan.
Yang Fan smiled and said, "Good! If that's the case, Duoduo, you and Aunty Pu will be neighbors from now on! "
When Yang Fan left the Gao family, Duoduo carried the child and accompanied by Mrs. Pu to the alley. When Yang Fan asked her to go back again, Duoduo suddenly handed the child to Mrs. Pu and knelt down. She kowtowed to Yang Fan three times, tears streaming down her face.
Strolling along the long street, thinking of this scene, Yang Fan couldn't help but sigh. At the same time, he felt a sense of relief. No matter what, all of this was over for now. He would never forget the great mother who was buried alone under the seventh grain cellar of Cang City in Luoyang – Chun Ni 'er. If she was still in heaven and saw her son safely return to his hometown, she would probably be smiling in the underworld.
The trip to Longyou was over. Next, it was time for him to fight for his goal!
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