Hsu Fengnian led a Dark Cavalry warhorse along the edge of the posthouse. Just like how Yang Shenxing had many reservations in his words, Hsu Fengnian naturally would not reveal everything to Yang Shenxing. The place he was going to next was not the Helan Mountains, where the army was pressing down on the border, but Lingzhou, which supported more than half of Beiliang's tax revenue. Even more secretive was that Hsu Fengnian had already met Wang Sui. At the time, Hsu Fengnian had only brought eight hundred White Horse loyalists with him, while Wang Sui had led Beimang's winter imprisonment, Wang Jingchong, and several hundred personal soldiers to separate from the main army and meet in secret.
Hsu Fengnian was in no hurry to hurry to Lingzhou. He sank into deep thought. Even though he had met with the commander of Beimang's eastern front, he still did not understand what Wang Sui was planning. It was clearly Wang Sui who had asked for this secret meeting, but when they actually met, Wang Sui did not say anything serious. In their conversation, other than talking about old friends and old matters, it was more like an elder meeting a somewhat promising nephew. However, while implicitly praising the younger generation, the old man did not forget to boast about his past glory. This made Hsu Fengnian feel very helpless, and he very easily thought of Xu Xiao, who had retired in Mount Qingliang. During this time, Wang Sui mocked the situation in Liyang, saying that each crab was worse than the last. Whether it was the talents of the court officials or the knowledge of the scholars, they were declining with each generation. He even cursed the two emperors of Liyang as cowards, saying that they could only beat domestic dogs if they couldn't beat a wild wolf. They didn't dare to fight to the death with Beimang, so they could only deal with the remnants of West Chu. Although Hsu Fengnian did not agree, it did feel rather good to hear. In the end, Wang Sui took advantage of his seniority to pat Hsu Fengnian on the shoulder. Without another word, he swaggered off. From the beginning to the end, Wang Sui had only said one thing that hit the nail on the head. Since Wang Sui hadn't been able to reap any benefits from his hunting trip to the west, no one on the eastern front would be willing to make things difficult for Beiliang. Hsu Fengnian understood what the old man was implying. It was not that Beimang had given up on the eastern front, because most of the troops garrisoned on the eastern front of Beimang that were confronting Gu Jiantang were conservative forces on the grassland. They had no intention of attacking Beiliang in the first place and were more inclined to break through the gap between the two Liao and Great Peace City. Therefore, Wang Sui's obstruction at the eastern gate of Beimang was very likely to give the Peace Order and Dong Zhuo a fatal blow.
It was precisely these words that dispelled Hsu Fengnian's thoughts of trying to kill someone. He only chatted with the old man and did not act in the end. Thus, this trip to Helan Mountain could not be said to be a pleasant surprise, but at the same time, it could not be said to be a disappointment. For Beiliang, who had been seriously injured in the battle of Liang Mang, as long as there was no bad news, it was already good news. Thus, as long as Yang Shenxing did not come to Beiliang to take up the post of Deputy Jiedushi, Hsu Fengnian did not mind giving Yang Shenxing a stable life. He could even take the initiative to help this old man accumulate some merits so that Yang Shenxing would not be in a difficult position. Beiliang and Hsu Fengnian did this to Yang Shenxing, and it was the same to Administrator Han Lin of Lianhuai.
Of course, this kind of forbearance could not be said to be hearty, nor could it be said to be chivalrous.
Hsu Fengnian finally flipped onto the horse. Before he whipped the horse forward, he looked to the east.
The woman at the tea stall was bored to death as she sat on a bench. She raised her head to look at the back of the scholarly young man on his horse, going further and further away on the post road. She thought about the scene of this handsome young man bargaining with her and smiled. She thought to herself that this young man's background was definitely not bad, but he was even haggling over a few copper coins. He really knew how to live his life.
— —
The capital of Lingzhou was filled with celebration. This kind of celebration came from top to bottom like the spring wind and rain. The people did not know why the city suddenly became lively again. Naturally, they guessed that there was a great victory outside Liangzhou Pass and Youzhou Calabash Pass. However, there was no news that spread out, so no one could be sure. However, during this period of time, one could often see high ranking officials and nobles, especially the important people of the general family, getting drunk. What was strange was that it was different from the past where the general children of the same generation would drink and chat merrily. This time, it was mostly a family or a few families that were separated by generations celebrating together. Some of the local wealthy families that were usually at odds with each other, now that they met on the narrow road in a restaurant, there was no hostile atmosphere and they passed by with a smile. In the dusk, a number of riders coincidentally stepped on the gate and entered the city, heading straight for Song Yan's mansion in Lingzhou. The gatekeeper was a clever person. He saw that although the riders were not wearing armor, they did not look like ordinary retainers of a rich and powerful family. Instead, they were elite soldiers with cold blades hanging at their waists. Song Yan, who received the gatekeeper's report, quickly walked out. When he saw Hsu Fengnian standing on the street with a horse, he was stunned. Hsu Fengnian had someone free up a horse for this Lingzhou political elder who admired Legalism. The two of them slowly rode toward the provincial governor's residence. Song Yan's expression was emotional as he asked softly, "My lord, did we really win?"
It seemed like Yang Huchen was not the only one who found it unbelievable. Even Song Yan, a member of Beiliang, did not dare to believe the intelligence reports from the border. Due to Hsu Fengnian's considerations, he did not announce the victory at the border with great fanfare in Beiliang. Even Song Yan, a lower third rank official with real power, could only learn about the final results of the three battlefields from the simple intelligence reports.
Hsu Fengnian nodded and said, "It was a pyrrhic victory."
Song Yan's face suddenly flushed red and his lips trembled. This stubborn scholar who could straighten his back when he first met His Royal Highness was speechless for a moment.
Hsu Fengnian sighed and said, "This battle can still be fought. However, there shouldn't be too big of a battle in the next half a year. The border army can take a breather for now, but your Lingzhou will be in a terrible fix. You will only be busier than before."
Song Yan smiled and said, "Compared to the other three provinces, only Lingzhou is far away from the smoke of war. For us peace officials, being a bit busy is nothing. I have only heard of people dying on the battlefield, rarely have I heard of people dying from exhaustion in the officialdom. "
Hsu Fengnian hesitated for a moment. He looked at the bustling streets that were bustling even at night and said softly, "Xu Beizhi is going to step down from his position as Lingzhou Provincial Governor and take over from Tian Peifang as Liangzhou Provincial Governor. However, the position that Xu Beizhi vacated, Sir Song, you …"
Hsu Fengnian did not finish his words. Song Yan remained silent. He did not reveal an expression of resentment, nor did he say anything like a civil official who only cared about the well-being of the people and did not ask for a high position and generous salary.
Hsu Fengnian felt a bit helpless and said, "Thousands of scholars have gone to the cold. Just like how some scholars from other places have privately criticized them, up until now, they have all been minor officials. It is like a rich and powerful gentleman casually giving alms to beggars on the side of the road. It does not conform to the logic of a thousand gold coins supporting a scholar. Although Song Dongming has become the deputy administrator of Beiliang and is a secondary second-rank official, he is not strictly a scholar who has gone to the cold. As the rumors say, Song Dongming is more like Xu Beizhi, Huangfu Qiang, and the others. He is a trusted aide that I, Hsu Fengnian, made an exception and promoted based on my personal preference. "
At this point, Hsu Fengnian gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Now that Beiliang has won the war, logically speaking, it should be time for officials to make wishes and give these scholars who are crying piteously for food something to look forward to. Beiliang only has four provinces, and there are only so many official titles. There are already many scholars from other places in the various yamens. I can't chase away the local officials of Beiliang to make room for them. It is not suitable, so I can only use the position of Lingzhou Provincial Governor as a gimmick. Originally, with Sir Song's ability in governing, of course, you would be the best choice for the position of Lingzhou Provincial Governor. "
Song Yan finally spoke. He did not hide anything. On the contrary, he was very direct. He asked, "Prince, if I cannot become the Provincial Governor in Lingzhou, can I go to another province?"
Hsu Fengnian also said honestly, "After Tian Peifang is promoted to deputy administrator, Xu Beizhi will take over. This is set in stone. The current Provincial Governor of Liuzhou is Yang Guangdou, and if nothing goes wrong, the next one will be Chen Xiliang. It can only be Chen Xiliang. After experiencing a series of wars in Liuzhou, to put it bluntly, even if I am willing to let Sir Song move to Liuzhou, it will be hard for you to convince the masses. This has nothing to do with your ability in governing. As for Youzhou, I can tell you the truth. Hu Kui, who wants to make a name for himself on the battlefield, will return to the border army very soon. However, the next Provincial Governor has to be chosen carefully. Compared to Liangzhou, Youzhou places more importance on Wu Qingwen. Otherwise, Tian Peifang would not have been so sullen a few years ago, complaining that he was just a pretty face provincial governor. Back then, he tried his best to get a position in Lingzhou. This was something that everyone in Beiliang knew about. During the Great Battle of Liang Mang, Youzhou contributed a lot and suffered the most casualties. It is not appropriate for you to go to Youzhou. "
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