A group of chariots and horses marched from the north toward Hanzhong.

Lin Zi sat astride the horse, eyes slightly closed, body swaying, as if sleeping but not sleeping.

Until there was a fast horse galloping ahead, he opened his eyes and looked for a while, and saw that it was the flag of the Public Opinion Department, so he cheered up.

"Jiang Gouzou, when did you come back from the southeast?"

"Just a few days ago," Jiang Fan said, "I have brought back Mr. Wu's nephew."

"Where is General Wang?"

"It was never done."

Lin Zi laughed, turned around and pointed.

"The Military Intelligence Department has gone deep into Luan City and has picked up Mr. Jingzhai who the prince wants to see."

Jiang Fan hurriedly threw his hands away in embarrassment and said with a smile: "Chief Lin, please save some face for me. I'm here to send word that the prince is waiting at the city gate to welcome Mr. Jingzhai."

It seems that it would be easier for the Public Opinion Department to go to the south of the Yangtze River. After all, Li Xia was still the king of the Song Dynasty in name, and the passes along the way could still be passed by order. However, it would be much more difficult for the Military Intelligence Department to go north.

But this time, Lin Zi really sent someone to Zhending Mansion in Hebei to pick up Li Ye, a famous scholar from the North.

Li Ye opened the curtain and could already see the Han River in the distance and the big city standing on the far bank of the Han River.

"Thousands of mountains and rivers, I was captured here."

He sighed while stroking his long gray beard, looking sad...

Li Ye, whose courtesy name is Renqing and nickname is Jingzhai, was born in Luancheng, Zhending Prefecture, Hebei Province.

When he was born, it was the time when the Jin Kingdom was turning from prosperity to decline. The imperial court was issuing excessive amounts of paper money, prices were soaring, and the country was weak and the people were poor.

When he was young, he made friends with Yuan Haowen, and they went out together to study with famous Confucian scholars. His talent spread throughout the world, and he was known as "Yuan Li" in the world.

He passed the Jinshi examination in middle age, knew Junzhou, governed the local area, and was known for his integrity and ability.

Afterwards, Mongolia was destroyed by gold. He and Yuan Haowen saw that the situation in the world was no longer feasible, so they refused to join the Mongolian government and took refuge in Shanxi. They devoted themselves to learning, summarized the "Tian Yuan Technique", and wrote "Measuring the Circle Sea Mirror".

Ten years ago, Kublai Khan passed through Monan, and the lives of the survivors improved. Li Ye was able to return to Zhending Mansion, build an academy in Fenglong Mountain, and teach his children.

Four years ago, Kublai Khan specially sent people to invite Li Ye to the court. After Li Ye made a few suggestions, he returned to Fenglong Academy, devoted himself to mathematics, and wrote "Yi Gu Yan Duan" to popularize Tianyuan Shu.

Last year, Kublai Khan proclaimed himself emperor and once again asked Li Ye to serve as an official, and was given the position of "Hanlin Bachelor, Zhizhi Gao, and National History Fellow", the most noble and dignified position. Li Ye politely declined, citing old age and illness.

He was still dissatisfied with Kublai Khan.

"If the way of the world goes against the grain, then a gentleman will remain in hiding and not be an official."

At this point, Li Ye has been living in seclusion for nearly thirty years, and he is sixty and nine years old.

A whole life has passed by in a blink of an eye, with the country destroyed, the family destroyed, and the family displaced. The ambition of running the world and benefiting the people when I was young has passed.

Unexpectedly, in mid-May, someone came to Fenglongshan Academy in the name of Zhang Jiawulang and paid a visit on the pretext of entrusting the manuscripts of his old friend Yuan Haowen.

Li Ye was not suspicious. Zhang Rou had always taken good care of the Jin Dynasty's remaining scholars. Zhending was not far from Baozhou. Zhang Wulang sent people back to Baozhou to do business. It was normal for him to pass by Zhending.

After the two sides talked, Li Ye learned that Li Xia, the commander-in-chief of the Song Dynasty, had taken over Guanzhong. When he talked about the current situation of his old friend Shang Ting, he couldn't help but sigh.

When he learned that Yang Guo and Yuan Yan had defected to Li Xia, he had a premonition that the other party was a bit strange.

Finally, Yang Guo's letters were taken out, and Li Ye was shocked to realize that Zhang Jiawulang had betrayed the Mongols and defected to the Song Dynasty.

"I sincerely request Mr. Jingzhai to take his family and children to Hanzhong to use his political methods to relieve Shengli's plight."

"you!"

Li Ye was very angry.

He doesn't understand the Song Dynasty yet, nor does he understand Li Xia.

But no matter what, it is indeed too arrogant and disrespectful to send someone to forcibly kidnap an old man thousands of miles away.

Kublai Khan was not so forceful.

Li Ye had no choice but to move his chariots and horses southward in the name of going north to transport grain and return it to Bozhou. Instead of going through Henan, he diverted to Shanxi, arrived at the Yellow River, and crossed the river at night.

After a long journey, he first went to Chang'an to meet Yang Guo. After a long conversation, Li Ye's anger subsided slightly, but he still had many complaints in his heart.

Then going down south of Shu, we finally saw Hanzhong City.

Li Ye definitely wanted to scold Li Xia severely...

In front of Gongchen Gate in the north of Hanzhong, Li Xia was leading many people to welcome Li Ye.

He first heard Yuan Yan mention Li Ye's name last year.

This is one of the few remaining celebrities in the North who has not yet entered officialdom. His mathematical attainments may be regarded as the best in the world.

There was also the relationship between the Yuan family and Yang Guo, and Li Xia started to recruit them at that time.

It was difficult to send Xizuo to Hebei. But with Zhang Hongdao's arrival, there was an opportunity.

The Zhang family has always had some smuggling business, which was managed by Zhang Hongdao. After Zhang Hongdao ran away, Zhang Hongfan could only return Bozhou to Kublai Khan and liquidate Zhang Hongdao's people. This is true.

But it takes time.

For the time being, Zhang Jiulang was busy apologizing to Kublai Khan, and it was too late to think of ways to draw a clear line between Zhang Wulang and the Zhang family. Zhang Wulang's defection would not be made known to the world immediately.

Taking advantage of this juncture, Zhang Hongdao decided to send someone to Baozhou to secretly contact some people.

It is conceivable that the people from the Military Intelligence Department over there had just crossed Shanxi based on Zhang Wulang's order, and Zhang Hongfan must have quickly deprived Zhang Hongdao of his power.

In the blink of an eye when he could penetrate Hebei, Li Xia chose to "rob" Li Ye.

This move will inevitably arouse the vigilance of the Jinlianchuan shogunate again and strengthen their defense against Li Xia. I am afraid that such an opportunity will rarely arise again in the future.

It doesn't matter, with Li Ye's talent and fame, it's worth it.

You know, Kublai Khan even invited him to serve as an official twice but failed.

…

"Junior Li Xia, I have heard about Duke Jingzhai's name for a long time..."

"Hmph! Stop showing off in front of me. You should be a wise man, and I will only think of you as a bandit!"

Li Ye shakily got off the carriage, pushed away Li Xia's hand that wanted to hold him, and stood still.

He has traveled through mountains and rivers all his life and experienced hardships. Although he is nearly seventy years old, his body and bones are still strong and his eyes are bright and clear.

Looking around, I saw Zhang Hongdao behind Li Xia.

"You're such a bastard!"

Zhang Hongdao showed a wry smile and saluted: "I have seen Mr. Jingzhai, my nephew is rude."

"Hmph! Cheating and kidnapping, this is the style of your family?!"

Li Ye snorted heavily, glanced around, and saw a few people from Beigui he knew in the crowd, such as Zhang Kaoming, a member of a famous doctor family in Kaocheng, so he raised his crutch and continued to curse.

Only when he saw Yuan Yan did he sigh.

"Sister Yuan Er, are you already this big? You were only a little tall back then, right?"

Seeing the daughter of his old friend again, Li Ye's eyes turned red as soon as he said a word.

Yuan Yan saluted and said: "My niece was also involved in the matter of deceiving Duke Jingzhai to go south. I also ask Duke Jingzhai not to blame the prince and Wu Lang."

Li Ye took a few steps forward and couldn't bear to curse anymore.

"I don't blame you, I don't blame you... When I see you, I think of brother Yu, but it's a pity that I couldn't send him off. I still remember the year we met, he was only sixteen years old, and in the blink of an eye..."

The old man seemed a bit verbose. He was already seventy years old, and old friends and memories were too important to him.

He has never been afraid of the Mongolian Khan or the Emperor, or the Song Dynasty king.

For him, it is even better to chat with others about old friends and past events.

"Do you know, Second Sister? In recent years, I have also composed a song called "Moyu'er" and Yu's brother..."

When these people were young, Yuan Haowen's poem "Mo Yu'er·Yanqiu Ci" was famous in the world. At that time, Yang Guo wrote the lyrics to complement it, and so did Li Ye.

The talent, ambition, and friendship of this group of young people once appeared under the title of "Moyuer".

Recently, old friends have withered away, and when I write poems again, they become even more desolate.

"By chance, there is a place to meet again in the netherworld. The poet felt that he would meet again. The wind and the moon in the north and south of the Yangtze River were buried in a pile of soil..."

A few days later, Hantai.

"The old man once made five suggestions to Beijun, the so-called 'distinguish evildoers, go away from women, avoid greed, reduce punishments, and stop conquests.' It was difficult for Beijun to do, 'stop conquests.' I don't think that the king of the Song Dynasty even went to

Even Nu Ye can't do it."

When Li Ye said this, he glanced at Yan Yunyun in front of him, turned his head, raised his long gray beard, and said proudly: "I don't want to work with little girls!"

Yan Yunyun lowered his eyebrows and said, "I heard that Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism has not yet emerged in the north, but I don't know why Duke Jingzhai is so pedantic?"

"Pedantry, the most taboo thing in governing a country is for women to interfere in politics..."

"I am not a woman intervening in politics." Yan Yunyun had always been respectful before, but now his face suddenly straightened and he said: "I am not the daughter of the prince who interferes with state affairs with her personal affairs, but a practical minister who has been appointed to the shogunate.

Although she is a girl, she does things just like a man. Administration, not politics."
To be continued...