Chapter 1111 Promise, command in the army, furious Zhongjinghou
When Zhou Xu arrived in front of the Sheng Mansion, everyone in the Sheng Mansion had already made preparations, and even Sheng Hong, who was in the Yamen, hurried back.
When Zhou Chen came before, they gave him a grand reception. Now that the eldest lady of the Hou Mansion is here, the serious Madam Gaoming, the Sheng Mansion will naturally be even more grand.
So as soon as Zhou Xu arrived, she was received by Sheng Hong and the eldest lady Wang Ruofu. After greeting each other, the group came to Shou'an Hall.
The meeting between aunt and nephew was another touching moment, and Mrs. Sheng couldn't hold back her tears. Aunt and niece can be said to be one of the closest blood relationships besides parents and children, and the old lady saw that she had a close relationship with her.
Zhou Xu, who is somewhat similar, seems to have seen herself when she was young.
The two reminisced about old times for a while, but they did not neglect Sheng Hong and his wife, and exchanged a few words from time to time.
While talking, Mrs. Zhou Xu suddenly looked at Sheng Hualan, who was standing next to the old lady and dressed beautifully.
"Aunt, this girl must be the eldest girl raised by you, right?"
The old lady understood immediately, so she smiled and asked Hua Lan to come over and salute.
Hualan looked a little nervous and saluted cautiously. She placed her right hand on her left hand and made a fist with both hands. She placed her right foot in the center of her abdomen and took a small step back. Her knees were slightly bent and she nodded and lowered her eyebrows: "I have seen the eldest lady, Jin An.
"
"Get up, good boy, get up quickly."
Mrs. Zhou Xu personally helped Hualan up and looked at her carefully.
"This kid is so adorable. Madam, I'm so lucky."
Madam Wang immediately burst into laughter and replied humbly: "Madam praised highly that this child has grown up beside his mother and has been taught well by his mother. As a mother, I have not done my duty. I am ashamed, ashamed."
"Ahem."
Sheng Hong said "Qingke" twice, and Mrs. Wang suddenly stopped. However, she still glared at Sheng Hong dissatisfied, blaming him for interrupting her words.
Sheng Hong was speechless. This girl was so excited that she kept talking out of her mouth.
Mrs. Zhou Xu didn't care, and said with a smile: "My Sanlang told me when he went back, thanks to the care of Shanda and Madam, I would like to thank you two."
"Whatever the eldest lady is talking about, they are all relatives, they should be, they should be."
Zhou Xu returned to the old lady and sat down next to her. She looked at Hua Lan and hesitated to speak. The old lady was so shrewd that she immediately understood what she meant.
"Hua'er, go and ask someone to buy some pastries from Yangzhou. Hui Niang comes here only once, so she must try them anyway."
Hua Lan immediately saluted: "Yes, grandma."
"Madam, I'm going out first."
"Go ahead, kid."
Hua Lan spoke to her parents again and then left the hall.
As soon as Hua Lan left, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. Only Wang Ruofu didn't seem to feel anything. She still smiled and looked very happy. She was looking forward to the words of Zhou Chen's mother, Mrs. Xu.
Zhou Xu's expression calmed down a little, and she said slightly seriously: "Aunt, Shanda Ren, Madam, I came here today. In addition to visiting aunt, I actually have one more thing I want to discuss with Shanda Ren and Madam."
Wang Ruofu said: "We are all relatives. If you have anything to say, Madam, please tell me."
"To be honest with Mr. Sheng, madam, I came here this time because I wanted to get married to you two. My Sanlang and the eldest girl of your house are similar in age..."
Mrs. Wang's head was buzzing. As for what Zhou Xu said later, she could no longer hear clearly. She only knew that Zhou Xu really took a fancy to her Hualan family and wanted to get married.
"Agree, agree, I have no objection, our family all agrees."
But as soon as the words came out, they realized something was wrong. The three people in the room all looked at him. Zhou Xu had a strange expression, while Mrs. Sheng and Sheng Hong were angry and embarrassed.
Mrs. Xu is still saying, you couldn't wait to agree, and you acted too eagerly. Originally, their Sheng Mansion and Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion were not a good match, so your behavior made people look down upon you even more.
If Zhou Xu hadn't been present, Sheng Hong would have couldn't help but curse.
Zhou Xu was stunned for a moment, then smiled. She could see that although Mrs. Wang was not young, she was very straightforward, simple and honest, and had no reputation.
"If Madam has no objection, then let's make this decision?"
"Ahem."
Mrs. Wang was excited and wanted to agree, but Sheng Hong quickly coughed to stop her and stood up.
"Mother, what do you think?"
Mrs. Sheng said calmly: "You and the eldest lady are Hua'er's parents. It is up to you to decide on the marriage. I, an old woman, will not participate."
"No matter what mother says, you are the anchor of our family. We will definitely obey your words."
With Mrs. Zhou Xu here, Mrs. Sheng would of course have to take the Sheng Mansion's face into consideration.
"It's up to you and the eldest lady to decide."
Naturally, she has no objections. She has met Zhou Chen and spent ten days together. She knows that Zhou Chen is a very outstanding child with broad vision, maturity and strong opinions. If Hualan can marry Zhou Chen, she will definitely do it.
Marrying high is definitely happier than marrying a stranger, so she agrees.
But as he said, the marriage of children, the orders of parents, and the words of matchmakers, although she is a grandmother, ultimately have to be decided by Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu.
Sheng Hong sat down, looked at Wang Ruofu, and then said, "We also like Brother Chen very much, but although our Sheng family is humble,..."
Mrs. Zhou Xu understood what Sheng Hong meant and immediately replied: "People of Shanda, please rest assured. We are seeking to marry Jiaojin from your noble family. It must be a eldest lady's standard. Three books and six etiquettes. The matchmaker is marrying. Eight-carriage sedan chair. We only need two."
If you agree, after I return to Tokyo, I will arrange for a matchmaker to come and propose marriage."
When Wang Ruofu heard this, he clenched his fists excitedly and wished he could blurt out his agreement.
Of course Sheng Hong was also happy, but he could still hold it back.
"If the eldest lady doesn't dislike the little girl, of course we will agree."
Both parties had no objections, so the matter was settled naturally, and the next few people gradually became familiar with each other. However, Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu did not stay too long, and quickly left Shou'antang, leaving space for
Mrs. Sheng and Mrs. Zhou Xu.
After Zhou Xu left the Sheng Mansion on the second day, word spread throughout the Sheng Mansion that the eldest lady of the Marquis Zhongjing Mansion came to propose marriage in person.
Madam Wang's family, Wei Ruixuan, was naturally very happy. The eldest lady was getting married to a disciple of the Marquis Mansion, and it was the Madame Wang Mansion who came to marry her personally. That was truly honorable, how could she not be happy.
If anyone was to say who was least happy about the prosperity of the family, it would definitely be Lin Sushuang of Lin Qige.
She and the eldest lady were enemies, and she knew that she would only hold the housekeeper's power like this for the rest of her life, and her status would never be as good as Wang Ruofu's.
So she put all her hopes on her children, thinking only about their children growing up and their future, and relying on them to get a job or something, and live a good life.
But now that I know that Wang Ruofu's eldest daughter is getting married to the Marquis Mansion, the jealousy in my heart makes me want to take her place.
So much so that when Sheng Hong came to see her at night, after she had served him well, she started acting coquettishly towards him.
"Honglang, it is such a great joy for the eldest lady to get married to the Marquis Zhongjing."
Sheng Hong looked proud: "Of course, that's the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion in Tokyo, a famous high-ranking nobleman, that is, our Hua'er is outstanding, and the eldest lady of the Marquis' Mansion took a fancy to it at a glance, so Hua'er is lucky.
Yes, I like Brother Chen very much, haha."
For his daughter to be attracted by the Marquis's wife, and even come to kiss her in person, this is a great deal for him. For him, who has a very good reputation, he is certainly proud of it.
Lin Sushuang followed his words and praised him several times, which made Sheng Hong extremely proud.
But suddenly she changed the topic: "Honglang, the eldest girl has made such a good marriage, you can't favor one over the other in the future. When Mo'er grows up, you have to find a good marriage for her, preferably to a marquis.
of."
"Oh my God."
Sheng Hong pushed Lin Sushuang away in shock and stared at Lin Sushuang in disbelief.
"Are you crazy or something? How dare you think about it? It's a Marquis Mansion. If it weren't for the relationship with the old lady, do you think they would like our family? Tell Mo'er about a Marquis Mansion.
Why didn't you say let Mo'er enter the palace and become a concubine?"
The excited Sheng Hong seemed to have started talking nonsense.
Lin Sushuang looked panicked and pretended to be weak: "Honglang, I'm just saying, I just hope that the eldest girl's life is good, but I'm also sad that Mo'er came out of my concubine's belly, so she's not as good as she was born.
Big girl, you want to find a good husband for Mo'er. I'm sorry, Honglang, I was wrong."
Sheng Hong snorted: "Don't say that again in the future. Even if the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion is placed in Tokyo, it will still be a first-class wealthy family. Do you think Tokyo is Yangzhou?"
"I understand, Honglang, don't be angry."
Lin Sushuang pretended to be pitiful, but Sheng Hong just accepted her.
"Okay, okay, Mo'er is also my daughter. She is so well-behaved and beautiful. I will definitely arrange a good marriage for her in the future, so don't worry."
Lin Sushuang immediately acted like a baby with joy: "I knew that Hong Lang loves me the most. Hong Lang, you are so talented, smart and capable, you will definitely be able to become an official in Beijing in the future."
Sheng Hong said with emotion: "I have always dreamed of returning to Tokyo."
…………
Zhou Chen followed the army to the northwest border. On the march, he had contact with the British Duke several times. The British Duke had a good impression of him and gave him a few words of encouragement. Maybe it was because of the disparity in status or the age difference.
Not too close.
But before arriving at the border, led by the British Duke, he met a very legendary general in history, but maybe because of the fictional world, this person was called Di Qing, but his resume told Zhou Chen that Di Qing's prototype
It must be the famous Grand Prime Minister Di Qingdi.
This is a true legend who climbed all the way up from the bottom and finally became the prime minister. Even if the final ending is not good, he is indeed a real big shot.
The British Duke and Di Qing were both representatives of the military and had a very good relationship. When the two met, the British Duke also brought Zhou Chen with him, and Zhou Chen was able to meet Di Qing.
It's a pity that the army can't stay long, so they only met once and got to know each other, but there was no more contact.
When he arrived at the border, his position had been arranged and he became a commander in the Baode Army, one of the northwest frontiers. He commanded a battalion of 500 soldiers and horses, which was a good starting point.
The Baode Army is located on Hedong Road and is stationed in Baode County. In fact, Zhou Yexiong's previous garrison was not here, but he served in several places in the northwest, and his last location was Yan'an Prefecture.
But Zhou Yexiong has been in the northwest frontier for many years and has a deep foundation. Even if Zhou Chen is assigned to the Baode Army, he can still arrange it.
In fact, the situation in the army is also very complicated. For example, empty pay is everywhere. However, Zhou Chen's battalion is indeed a battalion with sufficient numbers. Zhou Chen knows that this is also run by his father Zhou Yexiong.
Having a supportive backend really saved Zhou Chen a lot of trouble.
In the early days of the official rule, which coincided with the founding of the Xixia Kingdom, the two sides frequently fought wars. However, in recent years, the two sides have no longer had large-scale wars. At best, they have been fighting hand-to-hand with constant small-scale frictions.
Due to its special geographical location, the Baode Army not only borders Xixia, but is also very close to the Liao Kingdom. Therefore, in addition to defending against Xixia, it will also fight against the Liao Army if necessary. However, Zhou Chen knows that the competition between Song and Liao is now
The relationship between Song and Xia will be even calmer.
To be honest, it was really frustrating to fight for a general in the Song Dynasty, not only externally but also internally.
Therefore, after Zhou Chen arrived at the border, he basically did not participate in the battle. He stayed in the military camp every day, training, training, and training.
Nowadays, when officials are in power, it is no easier to rely on war to make meritorious deeds than to pass the imperial examination. Therefore, if you want to make meritorious deeds, you must create opportunities yourself.
Zhou Chen is very patient. He is in a very special position. He waits patiently. As long as there is a conflict between Song and Xia and it affects them, he can make the small conflict expand and turn into a big conflict. When the time comes, there will be no fight.
As for how to control his subordinates, Zhou Chen is more experienced. There is one kind of person in the army who will definitely be respected, that is, the strong, and the strong must be fought.
Zhou Chen, with his identity as the legitimate son of Marquis Zhongjing, has fought against all the invincible opponents in the army, and his strategy and wisdom are excellent. Who among the people below dares to dissent?
As for the one above, with Zhou Yexiong's name, even if someone may have objections to the young Zhou Chen, they will never offend him rashly.
Therefore, Zhou Chen was quite at home in the Baode Army. Not only the battalion he commanded, but also other generals and commanders, he was willing to make friends with everyone who came.
Not many generals in the army are willing to be soldiers all the time. Zhou Chen is backed by the Founding Marquis Mansion. If they can make good friends with each other, they may find a place in the future, so many people are willing to make good friends with Zhou Chen.
.
Zhou Chen has strength and background, is not arrogant about his status, is bold and generous, can drink, and gambles when he is rich. How could such a person not do well in the army?
The Zhongjing Hou Mansion far away in Tokyo was not at peace either. Zhou Yexiong was furious with his eldest son Zhou Tong for the first time.
The reason is that Zhou Tong took the initiative to apply for transfer to serve in a local area, but Zhou Yexiong wanted him to continue to stay in the Hanlin Academy. After all, although the rank of the Hanlin Academy was not high, it was one of the good places for civil servants. Once Zhou Tong was transferred to an official position,
, it is impossible to come back within at least a few years, and it may not even be possible to come back in eight or ten years.
Zhou Yexiong certainly didn't want to let his eldest son, who he had high hopes for, leave. If the Zhongjing Hou Mansion still had prestige in Tokyo, he could barely cover it. Once Zhou Tong was transferred to another place, he would be beyond his reach.
But Zhou Tong had different ideas from him. He knew best the rejection he encountered in the Hanlin Academy. If he stayed, he might not be able to get ahead for many years. It would be better to serve as an official outside, and maybe he would be able to get a job based on his political performance.
Approval from officials and great ministers.
He was able to make this determination because of the great changes that took place in the court this year. Prime Minister Di Qing was promoted to deputy privy envoy and officially became prime minister.
With the legendary experience of Xianggong Di, Zhou Tong felt that instead of staying in the Hanlin Academy and being ostracized, it was better to go out. As long as he had the ability, he might not be able to worship the prime minister as a military officer like Xianggong Di.
In the end, Zhou Yexiong could not defeat Zhou Tong, and Zhou Tong was successfully transferred as a local official and promoted to an official in any state.
Zhou Yexiong was very angry again. First, his second son, and now even his eldest son no longer obeyed him completely. This made him unable to express his anger. After all, he could not disobey the imperial court's appointment.
With the two legitimate sons, Zhou Tong and Zhou Chen, gone, Zhou Yexiong's anger had nowhere to vent, and he had a strong desire for control, so he quickly targeted his concubines.
As a result, the good days of those bastards in the Zhongjing Hou Mansion who he had not cared about in the first place came to an end, and they were whipped by Zhou Yexiong for crying out loud.
…………
"Shua, shua..."
On the martial arts field, Zhou Chen wielded Zhang Xu's red tassel gun, and the gun came out like a dragon, stabbing, stabbing, beating, and attacking...
There are many people around who are watching and learning. Within a few months, Zhou Chen's unparalleled combat power has already spread throughout the entire army. Many people want to come to Zhou Chen for advice. Zhou Chen does not refuse anyone who comes.
I have taught many people, but only a few can understand it.
At this moment, someone suddenly ran over.
"Sir, there is a military order. It is discovered that a small group of Xixia aliens are attacking the border. The commanding officer orders you to lead your battalion and go out to destroy them."
Zhou Chen stopped instantly, threw the spear to his own soldiers, and shouted: "Send the order, gather."
Then he quickly returned to the camp, put on his armor, and hung up his sword.
Xixia was a country established by the foreign party members. Most of the people in the country were foreigners and did not engage in production. They often raided the borders of the Song Dynasty and plundered, but they were only small groups of troops.
The Song Dynasty would not send a large army to suppress it, because by the time your army launched, everyone had already fled, so it could only send a small number of troops to drive away the Xixia army at a time, which was very passive.
Zhou Chen has been here for a few months, and he has often encountered such things. However, it has never been his turn to attack before. Today, it is finally his turn. The opportunity to make meritorious deeds will come soon.
But it’s not that simple. The Song Dynasty’s army and horses were scarce. Most of the soldiers and horses under his command were infantry, while the small Xixia army must be mainly cavalry. If you want to use infantry to deal with cavalry, you will only get ashes if you follow them.
, so we must take a preemptive strike, determine their location, find out their route, and then wait in advance to capture them in one fell swoop.
Seeing that the troops and horses had gathered, Zhou Chen sat on the war horse and waved his hand: "Let's go!"