Winter passed and spring came. Orioles sang among hundreds of birds. Flocks of small orioles could often be seen shuttling among the green grasses on both sides of the posthouse road in Youzhou. Unfortunately, Beiliang had a rough folk culture, and there were no scholars who would go to listen to orioles singing "Yellow Opera" in spring. A carriage was moving slowly northward. A woman in the carriage was holding an oriole's nest that she picked from a low branch. Occasionally, she would lift the curtain to take a look at the scenery along the way. Along the way, in order to save time, she seldom stopped in the city. She was in the middle of nowhere, and the most embarrassing thing for a woman was that she had three urgent needs. The first time she wanted to go to the toilet, she clenched her legs and gritted her teeth to hold on for half an hour. However, the man, who had long sensed that something was wrong, didn't say anything. When she finally couldn't hold it anymore and asked to get off the carriage, she lowered her head and sat back in the carriage. She even heard a bad joke from the man. He said that there was once an official who dressed incognito to observe the public's opinion, but his stomach felt uncomfortable in the wilderness. Every time he wanted to go to the toilet, he asked the coachman to find a quiet place for him to take off his pants. The coachman found several places for the official, but every time the official untied his belt and squatted down, he didn't want to go there anymore. Later, whenever the official asked if he had found a place, the coachman said no. Finally, the official couldn't stand it anymore, so he jumped off the carriage and took off his pants while running. In the end, he even added fuel to the fire by asking her if she had found a place with good feng shui. On the way back, she had conveniently picked up a bird's nest made of pine needles and grass. After hearing his words, she threw it at him fiercely. The man gently caught the bird's nest with one hand and handed it back to her with a smile. He made up for his mistake by telling her an embarrassing story. He said that when he was traveling, he accidentally went to the toilet and heard a lot of noise next door. He was bored to death, so he opened his mouth to tease his brother a few times. In the end, his toilet door was torn down by a female hero with a cold face with a sword. He was so scared that he almost fell into the toilet pit. He quickly covered his crotch with his hands. In the end, the female hero coldly threatened to cut off his three legs. This motherf * cker really is a loose tongue. If he hadn't been quick-witted and suddenly let go of his hand, letting that heroine have a good look at what it means to have a great display of masculinity, scaring her away, he probably wouldn't have been able to avoid a good beating.
Pei Nanwei didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she saw him say these shameful words. She didn't argue with him anymore. Even the Heir Apparent of Beiliang was so embarrassed. She, a woman who was no longer the Princess Consort of a vassal state, was too lazy to pretend to be a heroine. On this trip north to the border, peregrine falcons had been constantly passing on secret reports. Naturally, Xu Fengnian did not tell her the important military information, but he did tell her all the harmless secrets. For example, the Qingcheng Prince Wu Lingsu of the Qingyang Palace had entered the capital to be conferred a title. He had been given half a cup of the Taoist Master's Mansion's Minister of Feathered Dress and was able to rule across the river. He had great power and was in charge of the North and South Taoist Schools together. The high and mighty Longhu Mountain seemed to be unable to bear such grievances and quickly took out their trump card. It was said that their leader Zhao Danxia had cultivated the most difficult Jade Emperor Tower in Taoism and ascended together with the old Taoist master Zhao Xiyi. Then the imperial court immediately allowed Prime Minister Qingci Zhao Danping in the capital to be the leader of the Southern Taoist Sect. They also made an exception and granted the young Taoist master of the Taoist master's residence, Zhao Ningshen, to be an official in the imperial court. He became the Emperor's personal attendant who was even more envied than Huangmen. There was another thing that had nothing to do with the imperial court. It was purely a matter of Jianghu people. The nameless old swordsman who was addicted to eating swords finally made a move. However, it wasn't Wang Xianzhi of the Martial Emperor City who did it himself. Instead, he let his four direct disciples block the sword one by one. The first three disciples who were recognized as geniuses were unable to block the sword. In the end, the eldest disciple, Yu Groom, who had always been hidden by his junior brother, blocked the sword with his saber. This shocked Jianghu. This sabersman was immediately regarded as a top master who could make General Gu Jiantang fight with all his strength.
Pei Nanwei didn't have the slightest interest in these secrets that made the blood of all Jianghu people boil. They went in one ear and out the other. She just took it as a joke to relieve her boredom.
When they were close to the frontier fortress, the carriage stopped for a while in Qingshan County. Hsu Fengnian specially took Pei Nanwei to a restaurant to eat a local dish called Green Essence Rice, which was made by crushing the leaves of Nanzhu, soaking the rice in its juice and steaming it. It was green in color and had a tempting aroma. However, the large blue and white porcelain bowl used to hold the rice was almost a foot wide, which made Pei Nanwei stunned. She went all out and ate less than half of the bowl before she couldn't swallow it. Hsu Fengnian finished his own bowl like a whirlwind and clouds and took Pei Nanwei's bowl without hesitation. He still enjoyed the meal with relish. Xu Yanbing didn't enter the restaurant earlier. When he showed up later, he was accompanied by a middle-aged man in satin casual clothes. Hsu Fengnian, who was still eating with his head lowered, waved his hand and motioned for the strange-looking man to sit down. After the man sat down, he said softly, "Greetings to His Royal Highness."
Hsu Fengnian put down his empty bowl and chopsticks and leaned lazily against the back of the crudely made and slightly rugged chair. He joked with a smile, "Huangfu Cheng, what are you calling me? I've already changed from Commandant Guo Yi to General Youzhou, who is in charge of the military power of a province. Are you still used to it?"
Huangfu Cheng, who was already the new General of Youzhou, didn't have the fear and modesty of an ordinary general. He only said in a deep voice, "I dare not disappoint Your Highness even if I have to die ten thousand times!"
Hsu Fengnian nodded and said, "Chen Xiliang is in charge of the salt policy. If he doesn't ask you for help, you don't have to think too highly of yourself and let those unrestrained local tyrants do whatever they want. When Chen Xiliang asks you to borrow soldiers to kill someone, you can take action. At that time, don't be soft-hearted."
Huangfu Cheng's speed of promotion in the Northern Liang Path was second only to the Provincial Governor of Lingzhou, Xu Beizhi. He was fully deserving of being His Highness' trusted aide. However, the price he had to pay was so great that it made one's heart turn cold. He had to watch his entire clan die out. Huangfu Cheng, who was so obsessed with being an official that he went crazy, naturally had a good reputation in the officialdom of Youzhou. However, Huangfu Cheng was fighting with his back to the wall in Beiliang. No one was willing to sit at the same table with such a treacherous villain even if he wanted to form a clique. This kind of puppet was most suitable to be used as a borrowed knife to kill people. It could be said that whoever used him would feel relieved. However, in Beiliang, only Hsu Fengnian was qualified to hold a knife. The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. In addition, Huangfu Cheng had always believed in using meritorious deeds to exchange for official positions. Even if he had a meteoric rise, he still gave people the illusion that he was unhappy. Hsu Fengnian didn't care whether this General of Youzhou had eaten or not. He still ordered a bowl of green rice for him and said with a smile, "You've integrated the Jianghu forces in Youzhou well. My sister has a good opinion of you. I'll allow you to generously extend your hands and feet to Liangzhou in the future. By the way, you'll pay for the meal. I'll take it that you've done your duty as a host. "
Huangfu Cheng stood up and respectfully saw His Royal Highness off. After sitting down, he wolfed down the rice. In the end, he took out all the gold and silver in the restaurant's waiter's eyes, which looked at him like he was an idiot. He placed them on the table and swaggered away.
His duty as a host!
He had bought the military power of the entire Youzhou with the gold and silver he carried with him. Was it expensive or cheap?
The carriage drove out of Qingshan County City. Hsu Fengnian lay comfortably in the carriage, crossing his legs and burping. Pei Nanwei sneered and said, "Isn't this notorious Huangfu Cheng the person you said has no bottom line? Aren't you also comfortable using him?"
Hsu Fengnian laughed and said, "How do you know he has no bottom line? Huangfu Cheng, and even Chu Lushan, are actually not as simple as the outside world thinks. Naturally, they have nothing to do with good people. But when it comes to whether they have a bottom line or not, in my opinion, they have a much higher bottom line than those talkative and famous scholars who keep saying that they are worried about the country and the people while having sex with prostitutes. Those who regard themselves too much as human beings will easily not regard others as human beings. Those who do not regard themselves as human beings will, on the contrary, leave a little bit of a pure heart. To make an inappropriate comparison, Mount Wudang and Mount Longhu are both Taoist ancestral courts. The Taoist Master's Mansion's Yellow Purple Noble Lady is full of immortal aura, so high and unapproachable that only high-ranking officials and dignitaries can walk through that door. The Old Taoist with the highest seniority on Mount Wudang does not have any immortal aura, but he can chat with the common people and pilgrims about their daily lives. Who do you think is more humane? Huangfu Cheng is my lackey. Whether it's me, His Royal Highness, or Huangfu Cheng himself, we won't deny it. But if Huangfu Cheng really wants this Youzhou General to pour out his grievances, you won't have the heart to listen. "
Pei Nanwei flatly said, "I don't want to hear it either."
Hsu Fengnian sighed and said, "Every family has its own difficulties. Only Qing Feng, who flips through books for no reason, knows about it."
Pei Nanwei was stunned. She laughed and said, "I didn't know that you would also be sad about the passing of spring."
Hsu Fengnian rolled his eyes and said, "I'm a talented scholar who can write hundreds of poems in a year, okay?"
Pei Nanwei squinted and said, "Buying poems and copying poems counts?"
Hsu Fengnian laughed and said, "If I didn't spend a lot of money to buy these poems of Beiliang's poor scholars, do you think they would have enough money to travel thousands of miles to the capital to take the imperial examination?"
Pei Nanwei asked in return, "Has anyone ever said good things about you and remembered your kindness?"
Hsu Fengnian's mouth twitched. There was a rare awkwardness on his face. "It's probably because I didn't hear it."
Pei Nanwei sneered and said, "Moreover, Beiliang is barren and the number of scholars is even fewer. In the end, you gave them all to the imperial court with both hands. You, His Royal Highness, are really magnanimous!"
Hsu Fengnian rubbed his stomach, which could fill two big blue and white bowls of rice, and said self-mockingly, "My magnanimity is not small. But good people have good karma. Didn't nearly a thousand foreign scholars come to Beiliang to take root? "
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