There is a saying that plans cannot keep up with changes.
Just when Wang Zheng and Yangzhou Civil and Military thought that they had solved the hidden danger in the north, and were actively preparing for the southward march to Jingzhou, they did not expect that a big event would happen in Yecheng, Jizhou, thousands of miles away!
Under the sudden change of the situation, the situation suddenly became confusing again.
It was February 15th of the second year of Jian'an, the beginning of spring, and the sky and earth were filled with warm colors.
This day was the wedding of Yuan Shao's second son, Yuan Xi, who was marrying Zhen Mi, the legitimate daughter of the Zhen family in Zhongshan.
Zhen Mi was not only beautiful in appearance, but also well-known. She was virtuous and early-witted. She was well-known in the countryside and spread throughout the prefectures and counties. I heard that some fortune-tellers had commented that this girl had the image of the mother of the country and would be extremely valuable in the future.
This last one may be the most important reason why Yuan Shao still chose to make her his daughter-in-law even though the Zhen family has shown signs of decline in recent years.
The wedding of Zhou Mu's young master caused a stir in Yecheng. Yuan Xi's mansion was even more decorated in red and colorful and looked particularly festive. Not only that, Yuan Xi also specially invited all the famous actors and theater troupes from Wei County.
Come here, the performance will begin three days before the wedding. Nu'e sits and sings for a long time, with a clear and clear voice. Hong Ya stands and points his head, and is covered with hairy feathers.
His acrobatic display attracted countless passers-by to stop and watch, making it clear that the noise should be as loud as possible.
Not long after, almost everyone knew that the second son of the Yuan family, who had just been appointed governor of Youzhou, was about to marry the most beautiful woman in the North. It could be said that he was enjoying both career and love.
Today, the atmosphere has become even more heated, pushing Yuan Xi to the pinnacle of his life.
From the first light of dawn, those who came to the house to give gifts and congratulations had crossed the threshold of Yuan's house. Not to mention that Yuan Tan had now replaced Wang Zheng and became the youngest prince of the Han Dynasty, and he had no such relationship.
, he is Yuan Shao's son, he can be regarded as the young master. If the master is happy, who among the ministers dares not to come?
Of course, you need qualifications to congratulate yourself in person. A low-ranking official with an average status can send you a gift list, say congratulations, express your feelings and leave directly. Only those with more important official ranks, or children of aristocratic families, can enter.
The residence is still in the outer hall, and its own servants serve exquisite tea and fresh fruits.
At the same time, the maid suddenly raised her head, with a murderous intent shooting out of her eyes!
This look.
Yuan Shao was startled at first, but soon after he realized what he was doing, he felt shocked. Just when he was about to shout, the maid let out a sweet shout, and then suddenly accelerated, throwing down the tray, while vigorously raising his sleeves, with his left sleeve throwing out first.
The dark thing suddenly shot up into the sky, higher than the head, and turned into a net to cover the few soldiers behind Yuan Shao, and a cold light suddenly appeared on his right sleeve!
It was too late to say it, but it was so fast at the time. In just a blink of an eye, no one was aware of it. Just as Yuan Shao showed a shocked look, the maid had already thrown herself in front of him and stabbed the dagger straight towards his neck!
Her attack was so cruel and fast that she was caught off guard. Yuan Shao had no time to call out, let alone dodge. He was about to burst into tears at the sight, when a loud shout suddenly came from beside him: "How dare you, thief!"
Yuan Fang was startled and quickly followed the sound, just in time to see Yuan Shaolong striding towards him. At this time, the entire Yuan Mansion suddenly became quiet, and everyone stood up in unison, paying attention to the supreme leader of the North.
present.
On the wedding of "Brother Cong", Yuan Fang, a relative, naturally came to congratulate him. However, when he stood among a group of civil servants and generals, watching Yuan Xi in his auspicious uniform being honored by the crowd, he accepted it happily.
The official congratulated him, but he never said a word, and his eyes looked a little gloomy.
With such skill, Yuan Shao's mood has calmed down a lot, and he has returned to his former demeanor. He calmly waved his hands and said: "I'm fine, there is no danger! You don't need to worry."
"Capture the assassin quickly!"
For example, one of the maids serving food on the tray had an extremely delicate short dagger hidden in her sleeve.
Thirty steps.
Twenty steps.
Fifteen steps.
As the distance got closer, the assassin became more and more confident. Although she looked like a weak female, after years of training by her master, she was actually extremely skilled. Although Yuan Shao was a military general, there were still several soldiers standing behind him to protect him.
, but once she gets within ten steps, it's almost a certain death.
"Cui Yan, the head of the Cui family of the Qinghe Kingdom and the captain of the cavalry, sent a pair of Ruyi jade and attached a personal congratulatory message: I would like to make a white-headed promise and write it to Hong Jian, so that the red leaf alliance can be recorded."
"Okay, okay, Zi'er is newly married, and there are guests at a banquet. Let's gather together to congratulate you and wish you the best of luck on your marriage."
In the dusk, with the clatter of footsteps, she finally came within ten steps.
As if he felt something in his heart, Yuan Shao suddenly turned sideways and looked towards the maid.
In such a situation, if a hit is missed, there will be no chance to strike again. The female assassin was about to retreat, but was intercepted by Zhu Ling.
The assassin screamed miserably and was chopped to the ground, seriously injured.
Before he could finish his words, Yuan Shao waved his hand and cut him off, "Today is your special day, don't talk about these disappointing things anymore."
Yuan Shao also did not expect that when he first planned to kill the eunuchs, he defeated Dong Zhuo but was not assassinated, forced Han Fu, and fought against Gongsun Zan, he never received real life threats. As a result, when these enemies were defeated, he had become the leader of the North.
When you are the lord of the world, the most powerful prince in the world, and even the most powerful prince in terms of military strength, how dare anyone dare to stroke the beard of a tiger?
Still using such despicable and despicable methods!
From the moment Yuan Shao entered the house, this woman kept her eyes firmly fixed on the Jizhou shepherd, and as she approached the throne, she lowered her head and began to secretly concentrate on her luck.
Father is here?
However, when facing Yuan Xi who was coming towards him, his expression sank and he just said calmly: "My son's wedding is really noisy."
Without waiting for his instructions, the military captain had already issued a series of orders. The wedding banquet was stopped immediately. Everyone was gathered in a corner of the backyard and the entire mansion was sealed. In addition, all the gates of Ye City were also closed immediately, and the entire city was searched for possible assassins.
accomplices!
At this time, not only the other guests were silent, but also the groom, Yuan Xi, lost his previous pride and turned pale. He did not expect that there would be such a big flaw in the security of the mansion, which almost caused Yuan Shao to die.
If it were someone else's mansion, with Yuan Shao's character, he would most likely express his anger. Even this could no longer be considered as expressing his anger. If an assassin could sneak into the mansion to carry out an assassination, the master's family would certainly have an inescapable responsibility!
But Yuan Xi cannot completely stay out of the matter. It is true that he is Yuan Shao's son, but the problem is that Yuan Shao has more than one son, and he is not his favorite!
Thinking of this, Yuan Xi no longer bothered to comfort his new wife Zhen Mi, who was also frightened, and immediately ran towards Yuan Shao.
It wasn't until they saw the pool of blood on the ground and a large number of soldiers swarming in and escorting a maid away that they realized what had happened.
"No matter who it is, I will destroy the other nine tribes!"
While drawing his sword and retreating in front of Yuan Shao, Zhang He greeted everyone. At this time, other people nearby also reacted. Amidst the shouts, everyone quickly moved towards Yuan Shao. At the same time, another general Zhu Ling also shouted angrily,
He rushed towards the maid.
It seems that because of his son's wedding, Yuan Shao seemed to be in a good mood. Not only was he happy, but he also took off his armor and changed into regular clothes for the trip. Along the way, he waved to the civil and military officials in the hall, "Just be more casual."
It just so happened that at this moment, the sun was setting in the west, and it was an auspicious time to arrive. As the music was playing, countless maids carried exquisite trays and walked between the tables like butterflies in flowers to serve food. The first one was naturally served to Yuan Shao.
's theme.
After all, in a time of great chaos, princes from all sides not only competed for supremacy on the battlefield, but also committed assassinations and poisonings in private.
Thinking of this, Yuan Xi couldn't help but smile and quickly said, "Father, please take a seat."
Since he got the imperial seal, Yuan Shao has spent the past few days admiring it day and night, playing with it all the time, and not wanting to leave for a moment. This shows how much he cherishes it. But now it seems that no matter how important the jade seal is, it is still not as important as his son.
ah.
But if you can be absolutely foolproof by being strict and defensive, then the assassin industry will not be extinct until the modern era of thousands of years later. And in the cold weapon era, this industry will not choose to use weapons that are not suitable for hiding like swords.
.
"It was my son's negligence that allowed the assassin to sneak in. Fortunately, my noble father has a hundred spirits to protect him. God has blessed us."
"Ha ha."
At this time, Yuan Xi also came over with a look of surprise on his face, "Father, you haven't shown up before. I thought you wouldn't even come today."
"General Yan Liang is stationed at the front line and is unable to attend the banquet. He has specially ordered me to bring gifts. I would like to wish the young master and his wife a marriage of two surnames and a contract together. They will have a good relationship forever and have the same name!"
Only those truly important ministers, such as Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xu You and others, or the heads of top aristocratic families, legitimate sons and the like, are qualified to enter the wedding hall and be one of the spectators at the wedding.
At this time, Tian Feng, Xu You, Yuan Fang and others had all come to Yuan Shao's side. Everyone was worried and expressed concern in every word.
He was very unhappy, and even more unconvinced. We were all the sons of Yuan Shao, so why did only Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi have the share of good things? They were the ones who became the governor, and they were the ones who married Zhen Mi.
And I have nothing!
"Xun Chen prepares a special gift for offering wine."
Some people are proud, and naturally some people are frustrated.
The person who took action was none other than General Zhang He, one of the Four Court Pillars of Hebei!
He is highly skilled in martial arts and has been on the battlefield for many years, so his five senses are extremely sharp. No one else noticed anything unusual about this maid, but when he approached Yuan Shao fifteen steps from the other party, he keenly caught the hidden murderous look on the maid's body.
I immediately became more vigilant.
Facing Zhang He, Zhu Ling's tone became more gentle: "Junyi, I'm lucky to have you here this time, otherwise, hey, my life would be in danger. Wenbo, you have made great achievements in catching the thief, I will give you two a big reward!"
Seeing Yuan Xi going to the new house and slowly walking with his bride, Yuan Shao's face was full of joy. Everyone on the side also congratulated him one after another, but they never thought that at this festive and joyful moment, he had ulterior motives and evil intentions!
After all, it is Yuan Xi's wedding, and Yuan Shao is likely to appear, so the soldiers did not neglect it. They had already conducted strict inspections before the wedding. No matter whether they were congratulatory guests or servants, they were strictly prohibited from bringing swords into the wedding.
Mansion.
Why?
While he was screaming in his heart, his face was distorted, and it was difficult to remain calm, suddenly a shout of welcome came from outside the door: "Zhou Mu is here!"
For such a grand event, almost all qualified people in Ye City came to participate. Amidst the continuous announcements, major families and central officials appeared in the inner hall one after another. The tables on both sides were filled with dignitaries, and there were soft couches everywhere.
The appearance of the hall is even more exaggerated. Hundreds of pottery tables have been set up in the outer hall, but it is still not enough because there is still an endless flow of people outside the house.
Hearing the hint of complaint in his son's tone, Yuan Shao laughed, patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder and said: "I have been too busy these days to get a treasure for my father, but in any case, my son's wedding day is
It will never be forgotten.”
If Zhu Ling hadn't wanted to catch her alive, the sword light was slightly deflected at the last moment and the force was slightly weaker. In fact, the sword just now would have been enough to kill her on the spot!
Because this is not only the first time Yuan Shao has been assassinated since the uprising, but the timing of the assassination is also too heartbreaking.
What do you mean, you came to assassinate someone's son on his wedding day? Do you want the Yuan family to turn from extreme happiness to extreme sorrow, and to turn a happy event into a funeral?
The next moment, a long sword came out of its sheath, and jumped from the other end like lightning. It actually hit the dagger accurately, first with a knock, then with a pick, and then there was a sound.
Amid the cry of pain, the dagger was immediately thrown away from the distance.
The more scared he became, the angrier he became. Yuan Shao's expression quickly became gloomy, and the murderous intent in his body almost solidified. He roared: "Who wants to assassinate me?"
Unfortunately, the maid was already within ten steps of Yuan Shao at this time. She opened the tray the moment Zhang He exited and accelerated suddenly!
The opponent burst into action, and Zhang He immediately took action without thinking. He grabbed the sword from a guard beside him, rushed forward at the same time, and finally blocked Yuan Shao's fatal blow at the critical moment.
Carefully, when I looked at the woman again, I discovered something more strange. How could anyone still have her hands tucked into her sleeves when holding a tray? She immediately stood up and wanted to tell her to stop.
Since the marriage has been going on, Yuan Shao's family members have not shown up. Others don't know the reason, but people close to Yuan Xi know that it is because the Yangzhou delegation happened to come to Yecheng not long ago and brought the legend that Yuan Shao was thinking about.
National Jade Seal.
"Today is a family banquet, you don't have to be formal."
The key is.
Looking at the dagger that fell on the ground, the blade glowed blue under the firelight, showing that it was tempered with poison. Yuan Shao became more and more frightened. Mad, this time his life is really hanging by a thread!
Yuan Shao was assassinated?!
In an instant, the entire Yuan Mansion was in an uproar.
Yuan Xi was still waiting to explain, but he saw Yuan Shao snorting softly, flicking his robe sleeves, and walked away under the guard of the soldiers.
Yuan Shao sat down at the head table with a smile on his face, and asked Yuan Xi, "Where is my bride? Let me take a good look at what it means to be the most noble lady in the world."
From the sudden attack of the assassins, to Zhang He's late attack, to Zhu Ling's capture, it only took a dozen breaths. It could be said that it was like a flash of lightning, and many guests who were a little further away even responded. Didn't realize what was happening.
"Go and let Mi'er come out now."
PS:
1. Zhang He’s courtesy name is Junyi, junyi.
It's a bit unfamiliar (the cowboy doesn't recognize it anyway), so for the sake of convenience, Yu Kori replaced it with two homophones.
2. Among Yuan Shao's sons, according to the degree of favor, they should be arranged like this: the third son Yuan Shao, the eldest son Yuan Tan, and the second son Yuan Xi.
For example, if they are both governors, Yuan Tan's governor of Qingzhou has real power and can lead the army on his own, while Yuan Xi's governor of Youzhou is basically a decoration. If his wife hadn't been named Zhen Mi, he wouldn't have had much value in appearing.