A large house located in a prime location in Xianyang City.
Princess's Mansion.
In the dark night, there were clear car bells ringing, and a luxuriously decorated carriage drove towards the Qin Palace.
"The Lord has returned home!"
Following the announcement from the attendant who was leading the way, the solemn and solemn mansion door opened.
Countless maids and servants, all dressed in black formal attire, filed out. They lined up in two rows and stood outside the mansion, lowering their heads and waiting respectfully.
The carriage slowly stopped.
"We sincerely welcome you back to your home."
Many maids and servants immediately spoke respectfully, their eyes filled with excitement.
Their master is back!
"Go home."
Zhao Tuo got off the carriage, looked at the mansion in front of him, still feeling in a trance, and sighed softly.
He went to Northland County to train cavalry in the early winter of last year, and it was already the end of the second winter.
For more than a year, he fought outside for nearly a year, which also meant that he had been away from his wife for a year.
Kudos to her.
At this moment, Zhao Tuo's heart surged with warmth, and longing poured out of his heart uncontrollably.
He nodded to the many maids and servants who were waiting for him, making the servants feel excited and more respectful.
Zhao Tuo strode into the mansion.
The lights in the mansion were bright, and the shining light drove away the darkness, making the place illuminated like daylight.
Just under that light, a woman holding a baby was standing there. She looked at Zhao Tuo who walked in the door and smiled sweetly.
"Princess."
Zhao Tuo whispered softly and immediately strode up.
He reached out and took Ying Yinman and the baby in his arms into his arms.
The familiar fragrance poured into his nose, making Zhao Tuo's originally excited mood slowly calm down.
The tenderness did not last long.
Ying Yinman raised her head, glared at Zhao Tuo, and muttered: "Oh, the servant who attended the dinner next door has returned home long ago."
She was complaining, but she still leaned gently into Zhao Tuo's arms.
She has been waiting for this day for a long time.
Around him, the male servants retreated silently, and the maids also consciously retreated to a distance and stood with their hands lowered.
Zhao Tuo smiled and shied away the responsibility: "Not even after the dinner, the emperor asked me about the war in the northwest. Do you think I dare to refuse?"
Ying Yinman curled her lips and said nothing more.
The sleeping baby in her arms was awakened, then moved its little mouth and spoke "baby talk".
Zhao Tuo quickly lowered his head.
He has thick dark hair, a round head, plump cheeks, and especially those black eyes that are very lively. He is staring at Zhao Tuo curiously and mumbling something in his mouth.
"my son."
Zhao Tuo whispered, looking at the little life in front of him, he felt very strange in his heart.
This baby is his son named Zhao Che.
Calculating the time, it's almost ten months.
"Tuo...Tuo..."
Zhao Tuo's eyes widened. He actually heard his son open his mouth and call his name. Although the tone was a bit strange, he was definitely calling him.
Ying Yinman wrinkled her nose and said with some amusement: "Father and son are really connected. You can recognize them as soon as they hug each other."
Seeing Zhao Tuo looking at her, she explained: Don't look at me, your son has already learned to speak simple words."
Zhao Tuo nodded. The ten-month-old child could indeed imitate and speak some simple words.
It’s just that.
He smiled at Ying Yinman and said: "Learning to speak, someone has to say it before he can learn it. I just don't know who in this family is calling my name all day long?"
Ying Yinman was stunned for a moment, and when she realized what she was doing, her face turned red with embarrassment.
"That's nonsense. Go and accompany your son. I'm going to take a shower."
She handed the baby in her hand to Zhao Tuo and went to take a bath and wash herself.
Zhao Tuo understood and smiled.
He teased his son for a while, and then the little guy closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
Babies of this age spend most of their time sleeping.
But for Zhao Tuo, this was just right.
"My son is smart and really considerate of others."
Zhao Tuo kissed his son on the head, handed him to the wet nurse, and went to take a bath eagerly.
People say a little goodbye is better than a new marriage.
Some people say that after serving in the army for three years, a sow competed with a Diao Chan.
Zhao Tuo had both, and now that he finally returned to his home, he couldn't bear to face his beautiful and charming little wife.
When he was clean and got into the room with flickering lights, he saw a woman in plain clothes sitting on the couch. The hairpin had been removed, and the hair in front of her forehead was hanging down, which highlighted the white jade-like face.
The face becomes more soft and attractive.
Zhao Tuo swallowed.
"Manman, you've been waiting for a long time. Let me tell you about my experience in the battlefield."
Zhao Tuo was already itching unbearably, talking nonsense in his mouth, and strode towards the bed.
Just when he walked to the bed and was about to touch the other person, he was slapped down by Ying Yinman.
"Wait a minute."
Ying Yinman raised his head and stared at Zhao Tuo.
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Tuo was a little confused.
Could it be that he rejected the emperor's request in the palace, and now his daughter will reject him too?
"Hmph, my good Lord, can you tell me what happened to that woman?"
Ying Yinman sneered and spoke, with a woman's unique vigilance on her face.
…
Time flies by.
By the time the red sun rose on the second day, Zhao Tuo felt refreshed and energetic after a night of hard work.
The Huns had been defeated, the boulder that had been hanging on his heart had finally fallen, and he himself was named Lunhou for his meritorious service. He no longer had much thought about the future war.
Although the title of Marquis is good, it is absolutely impossible for him to leave Xianyang.
"I will stay in Xianyang and watch the emperor, and then find a way to get involved in the internal affairs, and change Qin's laws and national policies bit by bit like last time."
"The military merit system is also a bomb. If it continues, it will become militarism. It must be expanded indefinitely to maintain it. Sooner or later it will explode on the spot, and we have to find a way to solve it."
Zhao Tuo was thinking about the future direction.
As the saying goes, "The butt determines the head." Now that he has become the martial lord of the Qin Dynasty and the son-in-law of Qin Shi Huang, he will naturally try his best to save the country and never let Qin fall into the abyss of destruction again.
Just when Zhao Tuo was staying in his palace, thinking about national affairs and living a happy life with his beloved wife and young son.
Xianyang City, which had just calmed down, was once again shocked by the good news.
Southeast of the Qin Dynasty, in Dongou, one of the hundred great kingdoms, the whole country surrendered to the Qin general Feng Wuze.
The entire territory of Dongou was merged into the Qin State!
Qin will expand its territory and annex a country again for Qin!
This news came to Xianyang after Zhao Tuo's triumphant Northern Expedition, making the First Emperor laugh out loud in the court, and announced it, so that all the people of Qin could feel this glory and once again witness the greatness of Qin.
"Brother Feng is awesome."
When Zhao Tuo heard the news, he was also very surprised and couldn't help but nod in praise.
Despite the fact that the Yue people in the south are rough people, have crude weapons, and are not many in number, they rely on the vast jungle and the poisonous, smoky environment, and they are definitely the most difficult to defeat among the barbarians around the Qin Dynasty.
Now Feng Wuze's surrender to Dongou is actually the best strategy in the art of war.
He who subdues the enemy's troops without fighting is a good person.
Zhao Tuo thought again that Feng Wuze seemed to have been staying in the south since the last time he parted at the Huai River when he was attacking Chu. Five years had passed in the blink of an eye.
It has been fine for five years, which proves that Brother Feng has a good adaptability to Vietnam.
"It seems that Brother Feng is more suitable than Tu Sui to deal with Baiyue in the south. If the emperor forces the attack on Baiyue in the future, why not recommend Brother Feng as the commander-in-chief? Maybe he can win that place more easily than in history."
Zhao Tuo couldn't help but make a small calculation in his heart.
The First Emperor was also very satisfied with Feng Wuze's achievements in the south. Feng Wuze conquered Dongou, which proved that Qin had the possibility of annexing Baiyue. His emperor's vision was not wrong.
After being overjoyed, the First Emperor personally conferred the title of Grand Concubine on Feng Wuze as a sign of encouragement.
At the same time, it also implies another layer of meaning.
He was motivating Feng Wuze. As long as he kept up his efforts to win Baiyue, he would be able to become a marquis!
Marquis Wugong attacked the Huns from the north and took Henan and the Yinshan grasslands.
The great concubine Feng Wuze surrendered the land of Dongou and opened up territory for the Qin Dynasty.
This double happiness made the entire Qin people in Xianyang fall into joy and pride.
But what people don’t expect is that this is just the beginning.
Within two days, an even more shocking news came from Xinqi from the Northeast.
In the middle of the night, Li Xin restored the land of Liaodong!
At the same time, the Qin army attacked Donghu at night, beheaded the king of Donghu, and defeated the Hu people.
Then Li Xin took advantage of the victory and pursued it, attacking quickly, and defeated more than ten tribes of Donghu in a row, but the Donghu was more than 500 miles away, which shocked Liaodong!
Along with Xinqi came the pickled head of King Donghu.
When the First Emperor heard the news, he was slightly shocked, and then he laughed heartily.
He touched his sword and said: "Li Xin, Li Xin. After suffering setbacks, he was still able to avenge his shame and forge ahead. He is worthy of being the flying general of our Great Qin!"
The First Emperor was very happy. The young man he had once taken a fancy to stood up from failure and avenged his shame, which brought him great glory.
Donghu!
This is a grassland powerhouse alongside the Xiongnu and Yueshi. It is a powerful grassland force with more than 100,000 string-controllers.
Now Li Xin defeated Donghu and killed his king. In one fell swoop, Li Xin cleared the northeastern frontier for Qin and opened up a large territory.
His achievements were great, even as great as Zhao Tuo's feat in attacking the Xiongnu in the north.
After being overjoyed, the First Emperor issued an edict to praise Li Xin's contribution, and combined his achievements in recovering Liaodong, defeating Donghu, and opening up the territory, and awarded Li Xin the title of Dashangzao!
Being promoted to three levels in a row shows how happy the First Emperor was about this matter.
As for the head of King Donghu.
"Hanging in the North Tower, hanging with the head of the Xiongnu Chanyu!"
"I am very much looking forward to seeing which barbarian prince's head will hang on my Qin Que."
The First Emperor looked to the southwest.
The Qin Dynasty started a war with all four parties, and now three parties have won, leaving only one place missing.
…
When the martial arts lord Zhao Tuo heard the news of the great victory in Northeast China, his eyes became red with excitement and joy.
"General Lee."
Zhao Tuo murmured softly.
All the events from back then came to his mind.
Li Xin looked high-spirited when he captured Yan Dan in western Liaoning.
At the celebration banquet in Xianyang, he made the bold statement of "two hundred thousand people will destroy Chu".
After marrying the Bai family's daughter, he compared himself to Lord Wu An and looked arrogant.
Outside Pingyu City, Zhao Tuo begged, but Li Xin was indifferent to him.
And in Xianyang City, Li Xin looked lonely and did not speak to Zhao Tuo.
Various images flashed through his mind, and finally settled on the scene of Fan Yan returning, Li Xin patted Zhao Tuo on the shoulder, and asked him to ride with him in the car and enjoy the glory of victory together.
Li Xin is Zhao Tuo's bole.
Without Li Xin, how could we be the martial arts lord we are today?
Zhao Tuo's eyes were already a little moist.
"General Li, I'm waiting for you to come back."
Zhao Tuo looked to the northeast, already looking forward to meeting Li Xin.
…
In the mansion of Tingwei Li Si.
Li Si stuffed oranges dipped in sauce into his mouth and muttered: "Zhao Tuo defeated the Yuezhi in the northwest and killed the Xiongnu Chanyu."
"Feng Wuze surrendered Dongou without fighting in the southeast."
"Li Xin recovered the entire territory of Liaodong in the northeast and killed King Donghu."
Li Si chewed the orange segment in his mouth, feeling the mixture of sour, sweet, salty and other flavors in his mouth.
He looked at Zhongzi Li Yu, who had a calm face and was chewing winter dates next to him, and said with some worry: "The Qin Dynasty is at war in all directions. Now there are good news coming from these three battlefields. Why is there no news about your brother?"
Li Yu spit out a date core and said slowly: "Why is there no news? Didn't the last news from Shu County say that my brother has almost reached the Dian Kingdom? The land of Dian is far away and the road is rugged. My brother has to march while he is marching.
While building the road, it will naturally be slower, and even sending the news back will take longer."
At this point, Li Yu smiled and said: "Father, there is nothing to worry about. The Dian Kingdom is just a small country, and the surrounding southwest barbarians are tribes with poor military armor. How can it be the opponent of our Qin army?"
Not to mention that they were unlucky to meet my brother who is good at fire attacks."
"Haha, there are many mountains and forests in the southwest. If my brother puts down a fire, the barbarians in the southwest will be burned to the point of peeing. They will have no time to escape. How can they dare to resist? Sooner or later, they will have to surrender like the barbarians in Nanjun."
"In my opinion, the good news about my brother is only in these few days. People in Xianyang said before that my brother is not good at fighting and that I, the Li family, are unscrupulous generals. When the envoy from Shu County comes with the head of the King of Dian,
It will definitely surprise the whole of Xianyang!"
Li Yu's eyes flashed with contentment.
My brother relied on fire attacks to defeat the southwestern barbarians, but he also had a share of credit for it.
Li Si nodded.
The previous reports from Shu County were indeed good news. They were all talking about how Li You relied on his fire attack skills to make the southwestern barbarians flee in embarrassment and approach the Dian Kingdom with overwhelming force.
Li You did not listen to Zhao Tuo's advice and chose to continue using his fire attack, which made Li Si a little worried. After all, he had never heard of a tactic that used fire to kill enemies all the time.
But Li Si still feels quite proud every time he sees the good news.
It proved that even if Li You didn't follow Zhao Tuo's advice, he could still win a big victory with his own abilities.
The reason why Li Si was worried today, apart from the fact that there were good news in three consecutive battlefields, which made him anxious, was mainly due to the previous rumor that "Li Youshu is strange".
Although Li Si dismissed such rumors, sometimes he still felt a little embarrassed when he thought about it.
Especially as he grows older, he becomes more and more in awe of those things that cannot be explained.
Now listening to Li Yu's analysis, Li Si reluctantly felt relieved.
Peeling another orange segment into his mouth, Li Si smiled while chewing it.
"You are right. The people of Xianyang say that it is difficult for me, the Li family, to produce good generals, and they also slander your brother with rumors, saying that there are many strange things. When the good news from Shu County comes, it will definitely surprise them."
"Let the whole Xianyang know that I, the Li family, are also talented generals!"
…
On the road dozens of miles outside Xianyang City, a fast horse was galloping towards Xianyang.
The knight on the horse comes from Shu County in the southwest.