As soon as the car passed Jinan and before entering the territory of Qi, the surrounding area became uneasy - last year, the late emperor rehabilitated the king of Qi, and Sima Chao, the eldest son of Sima Jiong, ascended the throne.
Wang Dun was a little nervous, so he got off his horse and climbed up a hillside to take a look.
To be honest, he doesn't have much military experience.
Among the Wang family's descendants, because he was good at reading "Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals", he gained a reputation as a good soldier, so under the guidance of his clan brother, he went to Qingzhou to serve as the governor.
But his own family knows his own affairs. When he leads troops to fight, he relies solely on his middle-level generals, and he doesn't know much about it.
This wouldn't have mattered originally.
Is it a big family? Who doesn’t raise some generals? Who doesn’t know a few soldiers who have been generals for generations?
I just need to get a general idea, and they will naturally be responsible for the specific formation of troops.
Well, it's a good idea, but sometimes we encounter surprises.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The rapid sound of horse hooves galloped from a distance, and arrows fell in the convoy, causing panic and even crying.
"Useless woman!" Wang Dun cursed bitterly.
It is of no use crying and screaming at critical moments to disrupt the morale of the army.
He has not touched a woman for many years since he dismissed dozens of concubines in the mansion. Since then, he has eaten well, slept well, and does not have to worry about that kind of thing every day. As for the princess constantly quarreling with him because of this, it is not a big deal.
.
As a man, if you can't do some things, don't give up on yourself. I can still pursue other things.
Just today——
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The arrows were getting closer and closer.
When someone saw Wang Dun on the hillside, they immediately dismounted and ran over, shouting and shooting arrows at him.
Wang Dun was shocked and hurriedly escaped.
As if joking with him, a sharp arrow passed over his head with a roaring sound.
Wang Dun was so frightened that he quickened his pace and returned to the convoy at the foot of the mountain.
The guard generals have already led their men forward to resist the enemy.
Several other generals, each leading more than ten men, climbed up the hillside to prevent the enemy from occupying high ground and put them into a passive position.
Sima Xiu opened the car curtain and hurriedly got out of the car, his face pale.
"Husband..." She grabbed Wang Dun's hand.
"Get out of the way!" Wang Dun threw him away, causing Simujia to stagger.
"You?" After all, she is a princess, so she cannot be short-tempered. When she saw her husband treating her like this, she became angry and anxious. She stretched out her fingers tremblingly and wanted to scold her.
Another arrow came from the air and landed on the carriage. The feathers of the arrow trembled endlessly, preventing a quarrel that was about to break out.
Simujia burst into tears with a cry of "Wow".
In her thirty-five years, no one has ever treated her like this.
The maids stepped forward to help and comfort him one after another, and some of the bold ones even reprimanded Wang Dun.
Wang Dun became increasingly angry, but he had no time to care about these bitches now, he only cared about the incoming enemy.
"Brother." Wang Shu hurried over with a few grass clippings on his head. He looked ridiculous. He said, "Qingzhou bandits are becoming more and more fierce this year. The states and counties cannot attack them. They have become a problem."
I don’t know which group of people this is, could it be Wang Mi’s tribe?”
Wang Dun swallowed dryly.
He regretted it a little.
He thought that by relying on his military management skills, after arriving in Qingzhou, allocating money and food, and raising soldiers well, he could develop a strong army and suppress the bandits, and then build Qingzhou like an iron barrel, becoming the foundation of the Langya Wang family.
After receiving the order at the beginning of the month, he happily took more than a hundred followers and rushed day and night to the official position in Qingzhou.
As a result, before I even arrived at the jail, I was threatened.
Are the bandits in Qingzhou so rampant?
The sound of weapons clashing could be heard in the front, as well as the screams of people dying.
Wang Dun became more and more panicked as he heard this, his temples pounding.
Xiangcheng Princess Sima Xiao wiped her tears and came over again, saying: "Husband, the road is difficult, it is better to return to Luoyang. I beg the emperor to let your majesty..."
"Get out!" A voice suddenly sounded next to him. Wang Dun was startled and pushed him directly.
Sima Mao fell to the ground and looked at Wang Dun in disbelief.
"Here, take the horse." Wang Dun took three steps at a time, came to the back of the convoy, took a horse, turned over, and said: "I bear the weight of the country, I can't make any mistakes, go first, and you will take care of yourself." Let’s go.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Are you giving up your wife just to escape for your life? Is that so?
Although the thieves were shooting arrows everywhere, they had just fought for a few times and the number of them was not too large. They could be driven back and then go to Qingzhou to see the situation.
"Brother." Wang Shu pulled the reins of Wang Dun's horse and said with a serious face: "Yifu has worked so hard for you to earn the Qingzhou governorship. Now you don't want it?"
Wang Dun hesitated and turned his head to look behind him.
The guards were still fighting against the bandits, but they seemed to have stabilized their position and were driving the bandits away step by step.
It seemed like——there was no need to run away in such embarrassment?
But soon I thought of the sharp arrow that just passed by, and my heart tightened.
When he thought about the news that Qingzhou bandits had resurrected and gathered tens of thousands of people to attack the city, he suddenly lost confidence.
Even if we successfully reach Linzi (the governor's office of Qingzhou), so what? Can we suppress those fierce thieves?
"I have made up my mind." Wang Dun opened Wang Shu's hand, looked back and rekindled hope, and looked at his wife with expectant eyes, saying: "The hard-working soldiers have fought hard. Princess Xiangcheng's maidservant Bai Bai All the rest will be given as wives to the sons and daughters. My family wealth should also be divided. The matter is urgent, so I will go first."
After that, he flicked his riding whip and ran away.
Wang Shu looked at Wang Dun's back stupidly and remained silent for a long time.
Sima Mao sat paralyzed on the ground. There were no tears in his eyes, only a feeling of emptiness and despair. After a long time, it turned into deep-seated hatred.
The maids were all frightened.
They usually rely on the support of the princess and are not very respectful to the prince-in-law. Unexpectedly, they were resented. Now that they were rewarded as wives by the soldiers, they couldn't even cry.
The sound of weapons clashing in the distance gradually faded away.
The bandits did not have a numerical advantage, so the guards fought hard. Seeing that they could not hold down the convoy, they scattered and withdrew.
After a while, the guards and soldiers who had gathered back were very excited to hear that a woman was sleeping and there was money being taken.
Simiao Yao suddenly reacted.
She slightly modified her appearance, stood up, looked at the soldiers, and said: "Of these maids, the longest one has been with me for twenty years. She was with me when I got married. They are called masters and servants, and they are like sisters. Now I will You are a wife, you have children, you are a husband and you teach them, you must treat them well."
"Princess..." All the maids wept.
Sima Mao frowned, pretending not to see it, and ordered someone to count the money and divide it into more than a hundred parts. He choked and said, "Just think of these as my dowry, so that you can live a good life from now on."
"Princess is so kind that it is hard to repay her with a lifeless body." Upon hearing this, all the soldiers burst into tears of gratitude and knelt down one after another.
"Let's go back to Luoyang now." Sima Maobao turned around and got on the carriage, put away his sad face, and his face instantly turned ice-cold.
****
As the New Year approaches, the pace of life in Luoyang suddenly slows down.
The bad news from other places was too far away for them, and Luoyang had been peaceful for a few more years. Everyone subconsciously ignored those troubles and spent the New Year happily.
Outside Kaiyang Gate in the south of the city, carts lined up waiting to enter the city.
Winter vegetables, firewood, grain, etc., all kinds of consumables to maintain urban life, were delivered one by one by horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, ox carts, mule carts, etc.
Wang Yan waited inside the door for a while before leaving the city with Pan Tao and others.
"Food, food, still food, you know Aduwu." Wang Yan sighed and said: "If there is a shortage of food some year, I don't know how many people will starve to death."
Pan Tao laughed loudly after hearing this and said: "My family also has dozens of acres of vegetable fields in the suburbs of Luoyang. A while ago, the gardener came to report that he got 20,000 yuan from selling vegetables. He wanted to give it to me, but I confiscated it. I grow vegetables near Luoyang. It’s much more profitable than growing grain.”
"Why not accept it?" Wang Yan asked curiously.
Although he didn't like money when he was young, he definitely didn't hate it. Now, alas, he hates people asking for money in front of him. This is all thanks to his old wife Guo.
"I set up a garden to grow vegetables for the dozens of servants and maids in my house to eat. Why do I need to sell vegetables to get money and take advantage of the gardener?" Pan Tao said with a carefree smile.
Wang Yan was in awe, but still asked: "One acre of coriander can produce two carts, and one cart is worth three or four bolts of silk, which is a lot of money. My family - well, there is someone who sells onions for a business, but it's just a humble business. It’s just a side dish, but it has accumulated a lot of money. Yang Zhong doesn’t want it anymore? The Pan Garden occupied by Lu Yanghou was once owned by the Pan family, right? In summer and autumn, there are teenage boys pushing carts and selling fruits and vegetables along the street. , it’s a huge profit, isn’t it a pity?”
Pan Tao laughed.
As Wang Yan talked, he brought the topic to Marquis Lu Yang, which was interesting.
But he knew about it and didn't think it was a big deal.
Pan Yue's house was confiscated by the imperial court and occupied by Marquis Lu Yang. The imperial court had no explanation and kept dragging on.
The court is not in a hurry, so why is he in a hurry?
He has also seen those children selling vegetables.
It is said that they were orphans adopted by Marquis Lu Yang, who taught them knowledge, martial arts, and sometimes worked in the fields. When fruits and vegetables were harvested, they were sent out to be sold, which was not unique to this year.
I heard that Shao Fan, the third brother of Lu Yanghou, was in charge of this matter.
Some of the fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, fish and shrimp produced in Shaoyuan, Jinguyuan and Panyuan were eaten by young students, and some were sold in exchange for money and silk.
It seems that some people have moved away this year, and there are more fruits and vegetables that cannot be eaten, so they are naturally sold.
"Marquis Lu Yang sent two wild boars and several deer to my house yesterday, and the tenancy money has been collected." Pan Tao said with a smile.
Wang Yan was silent.
He also received a lot of wild animals, as well as a lot of skins. It was said that they were obtained by soldiers hunted by the Marquis of Luyang in Guangchengze. His wife, Guo, praised them greatly, and changed from her usual meanness, which made Wang Yan lose face.
"Marquis Lu Yang is a good man." He sighed: "I'm afraid I can't move him about the prophecy."
"But it is always a thorn in the hearts of many people." Pan Tao said.
Who does “many people” refer to?
First of all, the emperor, whether there is any need to win over Marquis Lu Yang, this is a question.
Next is the Sima clan. No matter which clan king is in power, they are better than people with other surnames. They don't want to be expelled from the country.
Finally, there is the Taifu who came out of Xuchang. He may have the most complicated mood, and his inner fear is no less than that of the emperor.
"Yang Zhong, why are you driving a wedge between Gou Yanzhou and Taifu?" Wang Yan asked in a low voice after walking forward for a while and distanced himself from his entourage.
"Why did Situ say this?" Pan Tao disagreed: "Yanzhou is an important place, and Wei Wu used it to start a business. Gou Xi has great ambitions and is not a pure minister. If he stays in Yanzhou for a long time, he will be troubled. It is better to move to Qingzhou and enrich his reputation.
The name is Xi Biyue. After Xi left, Taifu took care of Yanzhou, the Xia of Jingwei, and the vassal to guard the imperial court. This was to nip problems in the bud."
This month, Wang Yan was promoted from Sikong to Situ. At the same time, he was also the Lieutenant Commander of the Northern Army and the Supreme Commander of the Forbidden Army.
Pan Tao has already entered the shogunate as Sima.
Just a while ago, he suggested to Sima Yue that Gou Xi, the commander-in-chief of Qing and Yanzhou, had too much power and should seize Yanzhou.
Sima Yue felt that it made sense, so he went to the imperial court to appoint Xi as the general who conquered the east. He opened the three divisions of the imperial palace, led the governor of Qingzhou, added a minister to the middle school, and took charge of all military affairs in Qingzhou during the holidays. He was granted the title of Duke of Dongping County.
Obviously, this is what Pan Tao proposed to "thicken his reputation" and seize his actual power.
Some people like fame and promotion.
Some people like real power and believe that fancy official positions cannot bring them actual benefits.
Gou Xi is obviously the latter. After all, the military leader is more concerned about how many resources he can control.
Faced with the imperial order, Gou Xi obeyed, and finally left Yanzhou and went to Qingzhou to take office. But he must have also hated Sima Yue, and it became a fact that the two fell out.
"Chu Zhong rushed back to Luoyang." While walking, Wang Yan suddenly stopped and sighed.
The story that Wang Dun did not dare to go to his post, and was so frightened by the bandits that he abandoned his princess and ran back halfway, has spread in Luoyang and became a joke.
Wang Yan also had a dull face and hated him even more for not fighting.
The governor I finally won for you is thrown away so easily.
Now that Qingzhou has returned to Gou Xi, in addition to the governor, he is also the governor, and it is difficult to control the military and political affairs.
well!
Wang Yan didn't want to say anything, he didn't even have the energy to curse.
There are only a few crooked people in the family, what can he do? Who can he rely on? Could he rely on his son-in-law?
"Yifu." Pan Tao thought about it for a while and said: "The Marquis of Luyang is brave and good at fighting. He has made many meritorious deeds and all the three armies are subdued. His army is also stationed in Liang County, which is the elbow and armpit of Luoyang. For the current plan, it is better to fight with
If we get along well with each other, we will be able to take care of you in the future."
Wang Yan sighed and didn't want to say anything.
He just thought of his younger brother Wang Cheng.
He went to Jingzhou last month to serve as the governor of Zhijie, the captain of the Southern Barbarians, and the governor of Jingzhou.
Wang Yan arranged people around his younger brother. After learning that he was taking office, he took Guo Shu as his assistant and entrusted him with the affairs of the government, leaving nothing to do himself.
Then he indulged in drinking day and night and did not touch the common people. Although the relationship between the enemy and the enemy was urgent, he did not think he was pregnant.
Guo Shu repeatedly remonstrated, thinking that it was better to love the people and raise troops to protect the state, but Cheng refused.
When he heard the news, Wang Yan almost lost his temper.
These brothers talked freely when in front of him, were respectful, thrifty and modest, and acted like gentlemen.
As a result, once he went to work somewhere, his true colors were revealed, leaving him without food or drink and feeling extremely sad.
How could this happen?
"How about -" Seeing Wang Yan's frowning face, Pan Tao rolled his eyes and said, "I'll send someone to invite Marquis Lu Yang to come to Luoyang, have a heart-to-heart talk, and see what's going on."
Wang Yan didn't say anything, but he didn't object either, so he acquiesced.
Just when Pan Tao was about to call someone, Wang Yan stretched out his hand to stop him and said: "There is nothing going on, and Liang County is not far away, so why not go take a look."
Chapter completed!