Du Qi's group left Lantian County and continued to head east, finally entering Weinan County. Weinan County was the border of Jingzhou. Once they left Weinan County and entered Zhengzhou County, they would enter Huazhou.
Du Qi was in the west of Weinan County. His speed was not fast, so he looked around as he walked. Now that they were heading to the border of Jingzhou, although the people there had settled down and had finished sowing, the place was still a little barren. The successive years of war and the chaos in the region made life difficult for the common people.
Further east was Huazhou, which had just submitted to Du Qi. It had taken the initiative to submit. Although it belonged to the Xia Kingdom, Du Qi had never adjusted it. Therefore, although it had submitted, it was not as safe as Chang 'an and Lantian County.
The weather at the end of May was already a little hot at noon.
Du Qi's group stopped halfway and rested under the shade of a tree. Liu Jian was already preparing lunch. Lunch was a plate of vegetables, stir-fried meat, and white fungus soup.
Lunch was simple but delicious.
After lunch, there was no shade outside and the sun was quite hot. Therefore, the group stayed under the shade and did not go out for the time being, continuing to avoid the hot summer.
Shangguan Yi said, "Your Majesty, we're close to Huazhou. And we're not far from Weinan County. Should we go back to Chang 'an after arriving in Weinan County? After all, if we go back to Chang' an from Weinan County, it might be June if we travel slowly. After entering July, the autumn harvest is not far away. "
Du Qi said, "Since we're already in Weinan County, how can we not go to Huazhou? Moreover, Huazhou has already submitted to Xia Xia. It's Xia Xia's territory. How can we not go? Also, I don't believe that there will be a large number of Tang dynasty troops in Huazhou. After all, Li Shimin's main force has already retreated to Jiangdu. There's nothing to be afraid of in Huazhou. "
After a pause, Du Qi said again, "Besides, the closer we are to Weinan County, the stricter your protection will be. Not only are there personal guards accompanying you, but even bad people are mobilized. What's there to be afraid of?"
Shangguan Yi said, "It's better to be cautious."
Du Qi leaned against a tree and said, "Actually, there is another benefit to this trip. Use me as bait to fish out all the people with bad intentions. Jiang Taigong is fishing, those who are willing to take the bait. Zhen will fish and see if anyone comes out. "
When Du Qi was out in Chang 'an, the guards around him were not too strict. Only a few guards were around to protect him. The further east they went, the closer they were to the border of Weinan County. Shangguan Yi constantly made adjustments to ensure Du Qi's safety.
Shangguan Yi knew very well that Du Qi's safety was closely related to Xia Xia's safety. He couldn't afford any mishaps, so he could only strengthen the guards. Now, it wasn't just the Imperial Army protecting Du Qi, there were also people from the Imperial Army who could respond at any time.
Shangguan Yi smiled at Du Qi's relaxed tone. He couldn't relax at all.
Du Qi and the others were hiding from the sun under the shade of a tree. Suddenly, the sun in the sky disappeared. Instead, dark clouds gathered and covered the sun, causing the sky to darken.
Boom!!
A thunderclap exploded in the sky.
Accompanied by the thunderclap, the wind suddenly blew, causing the trees in the forest to sway.
Du Qi looked up at the sky through the gaps in the forest. Du Qi hurriedly said, "Dark clouds are gathering in the sky. It's going to rain soon. Pack up, we'll be on our way immediately. Let's go ahead and see if there are any villages nearby. Let's find a place to stay first. After we've avoided this heavy rain, we'll consider continuing on our way. "
"Yes!"
Mordor immediately made the arrangements.
The group packed up and hurried on. After walking for half an hour, they saw a village not far ahead. The group entered the village directly and came to a house at the entrance of the village.
This house was quite spacious.
Although it wasn't particularly luxurious, it was simple and elegant.
"Drip! Drip! "
At this time, raindrops were already falling.
The rain soon became dense, forming a heavy downpour. Du Qi and the others were standing under the eaves. Liu Jian went forward and knocked on the door. Soon after, the door opened and a little boy poked his head out and said, "What's the matter?"
Liu Jian said, "Please inform the master that when we passed by this place, we encountered rain and temporarily can't continue on our way. So, we sincerely ask the master to let us take shelter from the rain. After the rain stops, we'll continue on our way. "
Hearing this, the little boy didn't say much. He directly led Du Qi and the others into the courtyard and came to the hall of the house to take shelter from the rain. Then he said, "You take shelter here for the time being. I'll inform the master."
Liu Jian thanked him and waited quietly.
Du Qi was looking at the situation of the house at this moment. Although the house was simple, there was elegance everywhere. It wasn't something that ordinary people could have. In addition, the calligraphy and paintings hanging on both sides of the hall also had the style of a big family. It was very unusual.
Shangguan Yi praised, "Your Majesty, the calligraphy hanging on both sides of the hall has a combination of strength and gentleness. It's clear and beautiful. It's not simple. I've seen such calligraphy before. It's the current Chu style. It's Chu Suiliang's calligraphy. Only Chu Suiliang had this kind of skill. The master of this house is not simple. He can actually collect Chu Suiliang's calligraphy. "
Du Qi nodded and said, "It's indeed not simple. We'll see the master in a while."
Shangguan Yi smiled and admired the calligraphy.
The more he looked, the more pleasing it was to his eyes.
Not long after, a series of footsteps could be heard as a skinny figure walked into the hall. This person was thin and had a scholarly expression. When he entered the hall, he saw Du Qi. His scholarly face was full of surprise.
Du Qi saw the person and was also quite surprised. Because the person was Chu Suiliang.
Chu Suiliang immediately regained his composure. He cupped his hands and said, "Chu Suiliang greets Emperor Xia."
Du Qi said, "It's really fate. I can't believe I can meet Mr. Chu in such a small place."
Chu Suiliang was now around 40 years old. He was a famous calligrapher and his calligraphy was famous for a time. During the early Tang Dynasty, he, Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, and Xue Ji were known as the Four Great Clans of the early Tang Dynasty.
In addition, Chu Suiliang was an extremely important courtier in the Li Tang Dynasty. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Chu Suiliang followed Xue Ju and later submitted to the Tang Dynasty. He served as the Imperial Advisor, the Yellow Gate Assistant Minister, and the Head of the Secretariat. Before Li Shimin died of illness, Chu Suiliang and Zhangsun Wuji were appointed as assistant ministers by Li Shimin to assist Li Zhi.
Everything had changed now. Because of Du Qi's influence, the Tang Dynasty was now in decline and had been forced to move the capital to Jiangdu. But in the imperial court, Chu Suiliang was also an important minister. Even if Chu Suiliang couldn't be compared to Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang's importance was becoming more and more important in the Tang Dynasty.
But Chu Suiliang actually stayed in Weinan County. Du Qi was a little puzzled.
This was strange.
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