The more people there were, the merrier. After Aunt Bai and her family moved into the front yard, the house was filled with the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs. There were also the sounds of children playing and the scolding of adults.
Ang Lee liked this kind of noise. After all, White Wolf Village was not a big city in the future. The population here was sparse, and being able to feel the liveliness was the greatest happiness.
"Big Brother, everything is ready. We can go up the mountain anytime."
Ang Lee nodded. "Okay, let's go up the mountain now."
"Brother Dalang, Gou 'zi wants to go up the mountain too."
"Brother Dalang, Xiao Kui wants to go too."
"Heh, two little things. There are wolves in the mountain that eat little cubs."
Gou 'zi said fiercely, "Don't be afraid. I'll bring Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei. These two dogs are very powerful."
Ying Province was close to the Two Kingdoms, and the people there were more ferocious. Even the children were fierce, especially the boys.
"It's three dogs," Ang Lee joked. He looked at Little Ya 'er. "I'll leave the sled to you. Bring these two little things along and let them pick wild fruits with you."
"Yes, Big Brother."
"Dalang, these two children are too naughty. I have to watch over them." Aunt Bai was worried.
Ang Lee nodded to show his agreement.
After some preparation, Ang Lee, Kun Xiong, and Fei Yu went skiing in front. Little Ya 'er drove the sled, and Xiao Kui sat beside her. Aunt Bai and Gou' zi sat at the back, while Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei followed behind.
Seven people, two dogs, and two red deer. The scene was quite spectacular, and the atmosphere was naturally livelier. The reason why Li An wanted to bring so many people was to use this opportunity to increase everyone's experience, especially Gou 'zi. Letting him see more of the scenery in the depths of the mountains would be beneficial for him in the future. Moreover, with one more person, there would be more strength, and they would be able to collect more wild fruits.
"Mother, we have a third dog." Gou 'zi was still thinking about Ang Lee's teasing words.
Aunt Bai reached out and twisted Gou 'zi's ear. "You little brat, aren't you the third dog?"
"Mother, Brother Dalang scolded me."
"Did he scold wrong? You're not even as obedient as a dog." Aunt Bai twisted Gou 'zi's ear.
"Mother, it hurts."
"Woof Woof"
"Hahaha!"
Gou 'zi's antics livened up the atmosphere of the entire team. Everyone was happy, and this kind of cheerful atmosphere was exactly what Li An wanted.
In a forest with a lot of wild fruits, Li An let Aunt Bai and the others stay behind to pick the wild fruits. Then, Kun Xiong and Fei Yu went hunting nearby. With the two dogs guarding them, Li An wasn't worried about their safety.
.............
"What's the situation?" Yan Zhenqing hurriedly asked.
"Imperial Censor, the investigation conducted by the Pinglu Army and Liucheng County is consistent with what An Lushan reported to the Imperial Court, but the investigation conducted in the countryside outside the city has a different result."
. "Yan Zhenqing was startled." Tell me about the investigation outside the city. "
"Imperial Censor, our people found a farmer. An Lushan ordered Li Wu and the other generals to lead three hundred soldiers to attack the enemy. He also promised to personally lead five thousand soldiers to support them. However, the soldiers fighting at the frontlines did not see any reinforcements from An Lushan."
Yan Zhenqing frowned. "How did a small farmer know about this? Have you investigated clearly?"
"Imperial Censor, the farmer's second brother was among the three hundred soldiers. He was lucky enough to escape this calamity. When he returned home, he told him."
"Then where is the farmer's second brother now?"
"He left a day after returning home. It is said that he went to White Wolf Mountain and joined the bandits."
Yan Zhenqing nodded. "This matter is very important. We must not reveal anything. Especially that farmer. He must not reveal anything to avoid being silenced."
"Imperial Censor, do not worry. I will not speak carelessly."
"An Lushan is indeed not that simple. But who is An Lushan relying on? Li Xiangguo or Prince Qing?" Yan Zhenqing frowned.
"Imperial Censor, since An Lushan has chosen to oppose the Crown Prince, why don't we use this matter to impeach An Lushan and intimidate the people behind him?"
Yan Zhenqing waved his hand. "No. An Lushan is Ying Province's Governor. He has enough reasons to explain himself. The evidence we have is nothing. Also, Li Xiangguo is very close to Prince Qing. The Crown Prince's situation is becoming more and more dangerous. If we have a falling out with An Lushan, it is the same as making a great enemy."
It was clear that Yan Zhenqing felt that An Lushan was not willing to shed all pretense of cordiality in order to leave a path of retreat for himself. Why would he block this path of retreat and push An Lushan to the enemy?
"That's right, Imperial Censor, when I passed by the Pinglu Army's camp, I discovered that they were gathering troops. I asked around and found that An Lushan is going to attack the Xi Tribe. He has ordered Tian Qianzhen and Sun Xiaozhe to each lead a thousand elite soldiers."
"Don't worry about that. We need to hurry to White Wolf Mountain and find the surviving soldier." Yan Zhenqing was not interested in An Lushan's northern expedition to the Xi Tribe.
"Yes, Imperial Censor."
"Imperial Censor Yan, you've only stayed for three days and you're leaving? Stay a few more days." An Lushan rubbed his belly, appearing extremely enthusiastic.
Yan Zhenqing cupped his hands. "I've troubled Governor An for the next few days. I still need to report back to the court. I really cannot stay any longer."
"I've been busy dealing with the two invaders and haven't been able to take good care of Imperial Censor Yan. I really feel uneasy." An Lushan's smile became even brighter.
"I've been eating delicacies every day. I've gotten a lot fatter."
"Hahaha!"
Yan Zhuang rolled his eyes and hurriedly said, "Governor, since Imperial Censor Yan has been ordered by the emperor, we can't keep him. Before he leaves, let's give him some local specialties so that he can slowly taste them."
"Mister Yan is right. Men, bring it over."
When the servant heard the order, he immediately walked over with a red wooden box.
"Imperial Censor Yan, this is a token of my appreciation. You must accept it."
"Thank you, Governor An. This is my ink. It's a gift to Governor An."
"Loyal to the Tang dynasty. Good, I'll accept it." Looking at the words written by Yan Zhenqing, An Lushan was very happy.
"Governor An, I'll take my leave now."
Yan Zhenqing accepted the red wooden box and left the Governor's Manor with his servant.
An Lushan sent a group of soldiers to escort Yan Zhenqing ten li outside of Liucheng County before returning.
"Imperial Censor, the box is very heavy. I wonder what local specialties are inside."
"Open it and take a look." Yan Zhenqing was also very curious.
"Imperial Censor, it's gold. There are thirty of them. That's three hundred taels of gold."
Yan Zhenqing took a deep breath and sighed. "An Lushan is really rich. Three hundred taels of gold in one go. No wonder the officials sent by the court praised him in front of His Majesty."
"Imperial Censor, there are rumors that An Lushan only reports the number of enemies he kills when leading troops into battle. As for the gold and silver seized, he keeps it all for himself. It seems that these rumors are mostly true."
"Such a lowly person actually managed to climb to the position of Governor of Yingzhou. It really is the misfortune of the country."
"Imperial Censor, how should we report to the court when we return to the capital this time?"
Yan Zhenqing said helplessly, "If An Lushan can give me three hundred taels of gold, he will definitely give more taels of gold to Minister Zhang. If I impeach An Lushan, I will definitely be bitten back. Things are like this. What else can I do?"
Obviously, Yan Zhenqing knew that he could not impeach An Lushan at all. After all, many of the court officials who went to Yingzhou had accepted bribes from An Lushan and praised him greatly. If he impeached An Lushan, he would definitely be slapping the faces of many of the officials and be attacked by the crowd. The officialdom was so helpless. Many times, Yan Zhenqing felt that he could not control himself.
In the western courtyard of the ancestral mansion, Li An was admiring the results of his planning. In this huge courtyard, two rows of sheds had been built, and in these two rows of sheds, there were quite a lot of prey that had been captured.
There were four large red deer, six sika deer, and nearly twenty small roe deer and water deer. In addition, there were dozens of snow rabbits, chicken, and all kinds of small animals that he could not name. Of course, the dozen or so chickens that Aunt Bai had brought were also raised. As a result, the entire western courtyard looked like a small zoo.
The restless Little Yellow was wandering back and forth in the courtyard. Little Black was lying at the end of the shed quietly basking in the sun. Gou 'zi and Xiao Kui were holding hay in their hands and feeding the sika deer. However, the sika deer did not seem to appreciate it and did not give the two little fellows any face. This made the two of them very angry.
Little Ya 'er was tidying up the hay bought from the farmer's house so that it would not be too messy. Kun Xiong and Fei Yu were slaughtering the wild boar they had caught in the north. As for Aunt Bai, she was naturally cooking in the front courtyard.
"Sister Ya 'er, why doesn't this deer eat grass?" Xiao Kui pouted, looking disappointed.
"The deer is not hungry, so it naturally won't eat grass."
"Then when will it be hungry?"
"Xiao Kui, how will I know when the deer will be hungry?"
"Oh." Xiao Kui looked disappointed.
"Ha, these two little girls."
Looking at the two little girls' cute conversation, Ang Lee felt very happy.
"Dalang, a guest is here."
Aunt Bai's voice came from the courtyard door.
"A guest?"
Ang Lee was stunned, but he still walked to the front courtyard.
Outside the front courtyard door, Yan Zhenqing stood with his hands behind his back. He looked up at the door plaque and sighed. "Brother Li's house is still here, but he is no longer here. Thinking back to when we were in the capital, we drank together. That time is really nostalgic."
As the saying goes, the world is unpredictable. People will always encounter all kinds of setbacks and unhappiness in their lives. The path they experience is always different from what they imagined. Yan Zhenqing and Li Wu were like this, but what about the others?
The attendant beside him nodded and did not interrupt.
"Yan Langjun, how did you find this place?"
Ang Lee's eyes were filled with surprise.
"Li Shaolang, how dare you seriously injure the eldest son of Ying Province's Governor. Do you think others won't find this place?" Yan Zhenqing's tone was neither warm nor angry.
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