"A thief attacked the city with a sword, and everyone shunned him. I said that he was not brave alone, and everyone was unworthy. Why? There is no difference between death and life..." As soon as he arrived at Sikong Mansion,
Shao Xun heard the sound of reading loudly. No need to ask, it must be Xu Lang.
Sure enough, when Xu Lang heard the footsteps, he immediately went out to greet him and said in surprise: "Unexpectedly, my husband is here."
"We are busy with everything, and some of us don't dare to specialize in it. It must be decided by the princess." Shao Xun said with a serious face: "Is the princess here?"
"Yes." Xu Lang said, "I asked about Hongnong today."
"The princess is actually Sikong's virtuous wife, and she worries about big things all day long." Shao Xun sighed: "Where is the prince?"
"The prince has gone out to study rituals and music."
"Oh?" Shao Xun said in awe: "The prince is so diligent at a young age. He will definitely have great achievements in the future."
"What Lang Jun said is absolutely true." Xu Lang sat back directly and held up the military book again.
Shao Xun was too lazy to talk to him and slipped away quietly.
The princess was sitting on her knees in the study, reading classics.
Although this place was called a study in the past, there were only a few bamboo slips, paper books, or books copied on silk. The princess used it more as a place for self-cultivation, where she could read music scores and write and draw.
Paint, make a pot of tea, look at the flowers and trees in the courtyard leisurely, and let your thoughts fly to the sky.
But now it can be called a serious study room.
The princess collected many collections of scriptures, histories, and even travel notes, divided them into categories, and placed them one by one. When needed, she would bring a copy and read it carefully.
"Yiyang..." There was a hand-painted silk map spread out on the table. Concubine Pei's slender white fingers were scratching on it, circling the word "Yiyang" from time to time.
There is a piece of white paper next to it, with many words written densely on it. If you look closely, you can see that most of them are about how many miles away a certain place is from a certain place.
Footsteps sounded softly.
Concubine Pei raised her head and looked out the door.
Shao Xun appeared at the door with his fur under his arm.
Concubine Pei covered her mouth and smiled softly, then stood up to greet her.
"The princess has her head buried in documents all day long, but it's hard work." Shao Xun sighed.
Concubine Pei could recite poems and compose poems, and she could write a good calligraphy poem, but she did not particularly like reading.
Now this study room, I can only say...
Shao Xun took out the fur and said: "We killed a lot of wild animals in the first month, and we just had enough to make a fox fur, so I gave it to the princess."
"Why give it to me?" Concubine Pei asked with a little surprise in her eyes.
"I owe you." Shao Xun said honestly.
"It's February, but I don't know how many days I can wear it. Why didn't I send it earlier?" Concubine Pei pretended to be dissatisfied.
Shao Xun glanced around with the corner of his eye. When he saw that no servants were present, he took the fox fur, walked behind Concubine Pei, and gently draped it on her body.
Concubine Pei subconsciously took a few steps away, but she did not blame him. Instead, she rolled her eyes at him and scolded him: "Presumptuous."
"I am aware of my guilt." Shao Xun also took a step back and said respectfully.
The term "downgraded official" was first seen in "Hanshu Jia Yi Biography" in "downgraded official does not hold office".
"Wei Zhi Biography of Du Shu" also mentioned that "if the official affairs are no matter how big or small, you should consult them before proceeding."
As the name suggests, it refers to subordinate officials.
During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the prince-in-law Xiao Zong saw the princess and called himself a lower official to express his respect and love for her.
Of course, the funniest thing was Emperor Qi Shenwu Gao Huan. When he met his concubine, the former empress Er Zhu Ying'e, he respectfully called himself "Xia Guan" and then climbed into bed.
"Tomorrow I will find someone to make a bed and send it to the mansion." Shao Xun looked at the heel in front of the case and said.
"But the bed where Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty sat?" Concubine Pei asked curiously.
Emperor Ling loved Hu clothes, Hu tents, Hu beds, Hu seats, Hu rice, Hu Konghou, Hu flutes, and Hu dances, and all the nobles in Kyoto competed for them.
Hu bed first appeared in Tianzhu, and was later introduced to the Western Regions and then to the Central Plains.
"This Hu bed is not that Hu bed." Shao Xun said with a smile.
The Hu Bed introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty is a rope bed and a rope chair to be precise. It is actually a small foldable horse tie with a chair surface densely woven with ropes.
This is the original version. Later, as time evolved, it became a wooden sitting and sleeping device in the Tang Dynasty, with a backrest and armrests added, making it much more comfortable.
This is what Shao Xun wants to do.
"Then I'll wait." Concubine Pei said happily.
Shao Xun giggled along with him, thinking about how to ask for a loan.
After the smile on Concubine Pei's face dissipated, she saw that Shao Xun was still smiling absentmindedly. She lowered her head and thought for a while, then asked: "You are leading the army with Mi Zihui, Commander Mi Zihui, to suppress the Hongnong bandits, right? Why all of a sudden?
Back to Luoyang?"
"When marching and fighting, food and grass are the most important thing, but now it is quite insufficient..." Shao Xun sighed.
"Who else dares to deduct your food, grass and military supplies?" Concubine Pei was a little surprised.
"No." Shao Xun said: "The situation in Hongnong is complicated and there are many bandits. There are several places where troops and horses need to be stationed for a long time. This is a huge expense."
"Which places?" Concubine Pei had already arrived at the table.
Shao Xun didn't expect Concubine Pei to ask this, and subconsciously said: "Nuji Mountain, Kinmen Mountain, Tanshan..."
Concubine Pei took out a piece of paper on the desk, read it, and realized something.
"Do you want to build a fort?" she asked, shaking the white paper.
Shao Xun was a little dumbfounded.
He was still thinking about how he could maintain face in front of Concubine Pei and still borrow money. Unexpectedly, he had already guessed half of it - in fact, borrowing money from a woman was not very honorable in the first place...
"I want to build forts. There are three places in total, Yunzhongwu in the east, Jinmenwu in the middle, and Tanshanwu in the west." Shao Xun answered honestly.
"I know something about your family background." Concubine Pei smiled and said, "Wubao is not that easy to build. When do you want to build it?"
"This year and next."
"It's not impossible, but what about people? Are there any?"
"I am recruiting people who were displaced from Bingzhou, and I have gained hundreds of households."
"Where's the food?" Concubine Pei asked: "It's not easy to make a wall out of rammed earth. The homeless people are building a city for you. You have to be full before you have the strength to work, right?"
"The Commander-in-Chief of Zhuwubao in Yiyang is willing to give 30,000 dendrobium in grain..." Seeing that Concubine Pei had guessed quite a bit, Shao Xun stopped hiding it and told the whole story.
After Concubine Pei listened, she finally understood.
The people in Jianwu Fort are actually refugees, but you have to keep them fed, and the food consumption during this period is not generally large.
Shao Xun meant to buy grain from the commander of Yiyang Wubao.
In troubled times, food is very valuable, and even if you have money, you may not be able to buy it. But Mi Huang is the prefect of Hongnong, and they led an army to show off their power, so this is possible.
"You have done a great job..." Concubine Pei looked at Shao Xun with a complex expression and said, "Are you so worried about something happening in Luoyang?"
"Yes." Shao Xun did not want to deceive Concubine Pei, and said seriously: "I am worried that the Huns will attack Luoyang, so I want to be prepared."
"Liu Yuanhai has no one to control in Bingzhou?"
"There are few people who can control it."
Concubine Pei was silent. She was willing to believe Shao Xun's words. In troubled times, there was no one more convincing than a capable general like him.
"The government's money is hard to use." Concubine Pei quickly calmed down and said, "Tomorrow I will ask Pei Shiliu to allocate five hundred guans and five hundred pieces of silk to you. That's all for the short term.
You use it first."
"This is..." Shao Xun asked.
Concubine Pei raised her eyes and looked out the window and said: "The dowry I gave when I married into the Donghai Prince's Palace has been managed for many years, but there is only so much in Beijing."
Shao Xun was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"If that's not enough, Bian Yi and his wife have returned to Beijing, and I will think of something myself." Concubine Pei said again.
Shao Xun was still silent.
"If you feel bad about it, take me to see the Wubao after it is completed." Concubine Pei smiled and said.
"Okay." Shao Xun responded.
"Who else are you going to borrow money from?" Concubine Pei asked curiously.
"Look for...find Junsi Cao."
"You just know these people." Concubine Pei said: "Cao Junsi's family is rich, but he may not be willing to lend it. Instead of that, it is better to let Mi Zi recover some of the military rations for you, and he can ask for it from Cao Junsi.
"
"The lieutenant has given him 30,000 hu of grain, but he doesn't want much," Shao Xun said. "He also wants to build warehouses in Yiyang, Mianchi and other places to reserve grain and military supplies in preparation for the Western Expedition."
"Zi Hui is an honest man. If you go to him a few more times, you can always get some." Concubine Pei said, "Even if there are only three to five thousand dendrobium, it is still good."
Shao Xun nodded.
A 10,000-strong army, even including draft animals, consumed only a little over 30,000 hu of food per month during the expedition. A hu is a unit of volume. Cao Wei basically followed the weights and measures of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Western Jin Dynasty "followed but did not change". At this time,
Dendrobium is about 20 liters, and one dendrobium of grain (different grains have different densities) is generally equivalent to more than thirty kilograms in later generations.
Thirty thousand hu of dendrobium is consumed in one month, and Shao Xun needs more than a few 30,000 hu of dendrobium. It is really difficult to do anything, so he can only find a solution through various channels.
"The world is so difficult." Concubine Pei sighed again and said, "If Luoyang doesn't defend it, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to hide in your Wubao."
"It's not my Wubao, it's our Wubao." Shao Xun corrected softly.
"You're being presumptuous again..." Concubine Pei turned around, her face a little hot, and said, "You should leave quickly."
"No." Shao Xun glanced at Concubine Pei, who was wearing fur, and left quietly.
When they returned to the street, Chen Yougen brought the horse over.
"Go to Cao..." Shao Xun muttered.
"Cao Junsi's residence?" Chen Yougen asked.
"Wang..." Shao Xun said again.
"Wang Yan's family?" Chen Yougen's eyes widened in disbelief.
"sheep……"
"Sheep market?"
"Well, I won't go to the sheep market." Shao Xun patted Chen Yougen's shoulder heavily and said, "We are tight now. In a few days, we will ask brothers Jin Gen, Yin Gen, and Tong Gen to buy sheep and send them to Wubao.
"
"Okay." Chen Yougen agreed casually.
At this moment, Shao Xun saw his eldest nephew running towards him from a distance.
"Second uncle." Shao Shen supported the stone lion in front of Sikong Mansion. After taking a breath, he whispered: "A servant from Henan Yin came to Shaoyuan to invite you to a banquet."
"Zhou Fu? When?" Shao Xun asked.
"Just today."
Shao Xun's face was troubled for a while, and then he said after a long while: "Wait until nightfall before going."
Banquets at this time usually start in the afternoon and often last until midnight.
If it's a dinner party, it's normal to stay open until late at night.
Zhou Fu is looking for himself, which means a lot.
Shao Xun didn't want too many people to observe his whereabouts.
Enter the village quietly, don't let anyone shoot you.
Chapter completed!