Kaifeng Prefecture, Tokyo City.

The Ningyuan Hou Mansion on Ningyuan Street is still peaceful.

In the main hall of the Hou Mansion, Gu Yankai stood with his hands behind his back, looking outside the gate and looking towards the south. After being silent for a long time, he still said: "I have gone to my hometown in Xiangyang to ask my uncles and brothers to select suitable children from their clan.

Go to Erlang's tent and listen to him!"

When Xiao Qin heard this, no matter how good her acting skills were, she couldn't suppress the shock in her heart, and there was a look of shock in her eyes.

The Gu family of Ningyuan Marquis was originally from Xiangyang, but they did not have much influence in the local Xiang army. The Gu family's influence in the army was mostly distributed in Tokyo and Hebei. Gu Yankai also spent several years in the Western Army and had many old sisters.

, in the past, most of the people who promoted their sons, nephews and descendants were in the Western Army and the Hebei Forbidden Army.

In terms of combat effectiveness among the official armies of the Song Dynasty, the strongest was the Imperial Army, followed by the Xiang Army, and then the local Xiangyong.

There are also superiors and inferiors among the Forbidden Army. During the founding emperor Taizong's time, the most elite Forbidden Army was the one located in the camp in the western suburbs of Tokyo. However, as time went by, there was no war in Beijing for a long time, and instead it was the border area.

, there were many frictions with the Khitan and Xixia, and wars broke out frequently. The border troops gradually became the most elite among the Forbidden Army. To this day, the most elite soldiers and horses among the Forbidden Army are those stationed in Shaanxi and Qinfeng.

The Western Army has been at war with Xixia all year round, and its combat effectiveness is impressive.

Next are the Forbidden Army in Hebei and Hedong, and then the Forbidden Army in Tokyo.

Gu Yankai is now working as an errand in the western suburbs camp, leading an army and holding a high position of authority.

"My Gu family started out with military exploits. If the sons and nephews in the family are willing to study, they can study hard and take part in the imperial examinations. However, we must never forget that the foundation of the Gu family lies in the military!"

Although Gu Yankai doesn't say anything on weekdays, he has always been like Ming Jing'er in his heart. Otherwise, he would not have personally taught Gu Er martial arts and military tactics when he was a child. First, it was for the sake of Gu Er's future.

, and the second is for the future of the Hou Mansion.

Although Xiao Qin was unwilling to give in, Gu Yankai had already made a decision by killing first and then telling the story later. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only grit her teeth and accept this reality.

At the same time, the Sheng family located in Jiying Lane, Xicheng City, was also not peaceful.

Old Mrs. Sheng and Minglan are not here, so Wei Shuyi only concentrates on teaching Changdong in his own courtyard. Now the housekeeper of the Sheng family has changed from Wang Ruofu to Changbai's eldest wife, Haishi, and Molan lives with Rulandu.

In your own courtyard.

As night fell, everyone had already had dinner, but Changbai today was different from the past. He held a letter in his hand and frowned slightly.

It has been several days since this letter reached Changbai, but Changbai still has not made a decision.

After hesitating for a while, Chang Bai went to find Sheng Hong.

In Wei Ruixuan, after reading the letter sent by Chang Bai, Sheng Hong's eyes flashed with some thoughts. He looked up at Chang Bai, his son who had high hopes for him and never let him down, and asked:

"What do Bai'er think?"

Changbai cupped his hands and said: "My son thinks what Zihou said is quite reasonable. Now the official family is seriously ill, the position of the crown prince has not been decided yet, and there are rebels in Huaixi. We really can't put all our eggs in one basket."

inside!"

"Then there's no need to go to Huaixi!" Sheng Hong frowned and said, "Now that the rebels are raging in Huaixi, it's very dangerous!"

"Although Haozhou and Shouzhou are now occupied by rebels and all officials have been killed, these rebels are just a mob. Zhonghuai used the weak to defeat the strong and the small in Shen County. If there are many, the rebels will be defeated.

Besides, the imperial court has also sent out a large army, and it is only a matter of time before we regain the prefectures and counties occupied by the rebels. Now that the two prefectures have just been ravaged by the rebels, after they are recovered, it will be a time when everything is in ruins and waiting to be revived, and it will be easiest to make achievements!"

Sheng Hong looked at the son in front of him who always had a right mind, and couldn't help but said: "So, you have made your decision?"

"This opportunity is rare, and my son wants to give it a try!" Changbai nodded and said, "And Zhonghuai is in Haozhou now. If my son goes there, he can also help me."

"But the war is dangerous. As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand behind dangerous walls. In the future, the Sheng family will have to rely on you to support it. As a father..."

"Father! Mencius said: When Heaven is about to entrust this man with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, and deplete his body. He has benefited from what he could not do. My son has studied hard for more than ten years, and now even though He has entered the official position, but he is still young and has little experience. He has not made any achievements in political affairs, and he lacks experience in governing the local area. Although there is great chaos in Huaixi now, it is also an opportunity. If you wait until the dust settles before going there, the difficulty will be only It will be bigger!”

No one is plowing the thin fields, but many people are fighting to cultivate them!

Huaixi is now in chaos, the rebels are ferocious, and the war is getting intense. Although this group of rebels will eventually be wiped out, until this group of rebels is completely wiped out, no one can predict what will happen tomorrow. Those in the DPRK who are waiting to fill the vacancies The officials also avoided it like snakes and scorpions, fearing that they would follow in the footsteps of their colleagues in Huaixi who were killed by the rebels.

But if we wait for the rebels to be put down, Haozhou, which is in a state of ruins and waiting for prosperity, will definitely become a good place for officials who are preparing to be candidates and Jinshi to compete for it.

Although everyone understands the principle, not many people are willing to take the risks involved.

After all, becoming an official means that the prosperity and wealth for this life have been secured, so who is willing to risk his life to fight for it.

Changbai naturally understood his father, so he took advantage of the situation and continued: "Besides, Bianjing has become a whirlpool now. I only have a false position in the Hanlin Academy. Even if I stay in the capital, it will be of no use. It is better to take advantage of this opportunity." , go and get some merit and come back, it can also be used as a resource for future advancement."

"Is it too dangerous to go to Huaixi at this time?" As a father, Sheng Hong still loves and cares about his children, especially Chang Bai, his eldest son who has high hopes for him.

"My son is a civil servant, and he doesn't have to lead troops to fight on the front lines like Zhong Huai, so what danger can there be!"

"Opportunities should not be missed, and they will never come back again. When walking in official circles, looking forward and backward, and being hesitant are taboos!" Changbai said with a serious expression.

This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Seeing that Changbai has already made up his mind, Sheng Hong knows that he cannot convince Changbai. If the old lady is still at home, he can still He took Chang Bai to discuss with the old lady. After all, the old lady was used to wind and rain. She had eaten more salt than the father and son had eaten, and her ideas proved to be right. Over the years, Sheng Hong always When I'm in doubt, I always turn to the old lady for advice.

It's just that now the old lady Sheng has gone to Quanzhou with her daughter and son-in-law, not in Tokyo. It takes a month or two for letters to come and go. The situation on the front line is changing day by day. How can there be time? Moreover, now the old lady is here with Wang Zhong. In Quanzhou, since Wang Zhong wrote a letter suggesting that Chang Bai go to Huaixi, he might have told Mrs. Sheng in advance and she had already agreed.

"Let me think about it again!" For such a big matter, Sheng Hong naturally needs to consider it carefully and does not dare to make a decision easily.

"Father, do you still remember what happened during the Lantern Festival this year?" Changbai suddenly changed his voice and mentioned the past.

Sheng Hong was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully: "Why did Bai'er suddenly mention this matter?"

"Father doesn't think that what happened to Rong Feiyan was really the work of rebels, right?" Chang Bai suddenly said.

The expression on Sheng Hong's face changed. He was not a fool. How could he not see something strange? But what could he do if he knew it? Even the Kaifeng Mansion couldn't do anything to find the culprit behind the scenes, not to mention that he was only a fifth-grade official. Neng sighed helplessly: "Hey!"

"Now King Yong is not yet the crown prince, but he is already so arrogant and domineering. He openly attacks the noble daughter of the prince's family and humiliates him so much. It seems that he does not have the appearance of a wise king. Today's officials are generous and benevolent, and they are only afraid of the prince's objections. There will be another misfortune, and then Tokyo will really become a dragon's pond and a tiger's den."

Sheng Hong only felt that his mind was in a mess, and his thoughts were like a mess without any clue. He couldn't help but look at Chang Bai: "What Bai'er means, is this country really going to fall on King Yan?"

"The emperor's heart is unpredictable. Who knows until the last moment!" Chang Bai shook his head and said solemnly.

Although Changbai doesn't talk much on weekdays, Sheng Hong knows that this son's ideas have always been the right ones. The things he decides are difficult not to mention his own father, but also Wang Ruofu, a pig teammate. Change Changbai's mind.

Just when Changbai decided to ask Sheng Hong to help with the ups and downs, seeking to go to Huaixi, a piece of good news quickly spread throughout Bianjing. Qi Heng, the young prince of the Duke of Qi, who was well-known in Bianjing, also The head of Jiacheng County of the Yongwang family has been engaged and will be getting married soon.

Today's Duke of Qi's mansion seems to be full of flowers, but in fact it has long been empty. Among the Duke of Qi's generation, he is the only one who has served as an official. He used to have a salt affairs job, but it has disappeared since the year before last. Now he only has a job with no power and no real achievements. , only receiving a stipend for an empty position, it was only because Princess Pingning had some dignity in front of the officials and the Queen Mother that she maintained the dignity of the Duke of Qi.

But Princess Pingning's surname is Chai, not Zhao. This is the most important thing.

Today's officials are benevolent and have shown favor to the descendants of the Chai family. They even brought Princess Pingning into the palace when she was young and lived with the princes and princesses. Eye, then he was canonized by the princess.

Nowadays, the official family is approaching its twilight years, and the queen is also getting older.

In the eyes of some people, the marriage between Qi Heng and the head of Jiacheng County is a sign that the Qi family has completely turned to King Yong. Some people even overestimated whether Princess Pingning was so favored that she had obtained it from the palace in advance. What kind of news did he let his son marry the daughter of the Yong family?

After all, Princess Pingning has always set her sights higher than anyone else's, and this is something everyone recognizes.

Suddenly, the undercurrent in Bianjing City surged again, and countless people began to communicate privately, and some even took the initiative to approach King Yong to express their willingness to surrender.

Sheng Hong was a well-rounded man, very good at observing people's opinions and socializing with others. Although he did not dare to get involved in the matter of establishing a prince, he was in officialdom and could not notice the change of situation.

Before Qi Heng's wedding, Changbai filled the vacancy of Dingyuan County Magistrate. He was also a member of the Imperial Academy. He set off south on the same day and rushed to Dingyuan County, Haozhou to place prisoners, appease the people, and raise food and grass for the counter-rebellion army. , to support the front line.

Coincidentally, while Sheng Hong was helping Changbai move up and down, the news that Gu Er led the Wuwei Army to regain Dingyuan County spread back to Tokyo, so Changbai naturally filled the vacancy of Dingyuan County Magistrate, and he became the magistrate of Dingyuan County on that day. He said goodbye to his family, took Khan Niu and about ten guards with him, and quickly left the capital and rushed to Haozhou.

When Changbai arrived at Dingyuan, Gu Er was leading the army, and together with the troops on Huainan East Road, they had just recaptured Zhongli County and returned in triumph.

At the north gate of Dingyuan County, Gu Er looked at Changbai, who was wearing the robe of a magistrate and waiting for him at the city gate. He immediately got off his horse and gave Changbai a firm hug.

"When did you arrive?" Gu Er looked at Chang Bai and couldn't help but ask.

Changbai also smiled and said: "Three days ago!"

"Are you still used to it?" Gu Er asked as he pulled Chang Bai towards the city.

When it comes to Dingyuan County, Gu Er is much more familiar with it than Changbai. After Dingyuan was recaptured, Gu Er did all the repairing of the city walls, repairs of fortifications, and comforting the people himself. Changbai just arrived yesterday, and he hasn't even sat down yet. hot.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, so naturally they had endless things to talk about. Gu Er was filled with joy and told Changbai with great interest about his experiences in the past few months, how he used ingenious strategies to regain Shen County, how he sent people to sneak into Dingyuan, and how to cooperate inside and outside. , taking advantage of the darkness to capture the county seat, how to use a majestic force to cooperate with the soldiers and horses of Suzhou and Chuzhou to forcibly break through Zhongli County.

That said, it lasted for most of an hour.

"Now that Zhecheng is here, I can lead the troops to fight with peace of mind, and finally don't have to worry about anything else!" Gu Er also felt this, although Luzhou Yiying officials were very grateful to Gu Er for rescuing them. Cooperation, but now that Gu Er's army has arrived in Haozhou, it is naturally not easy for officials from Luzhou to go over their shoulders and come to Haozhou to handle logistical matters for him.

"I'm new here, and I'm not very familiar with the situation in Dingyuan, so I can only do my best!" Changbai always speaks steadily and never boasts.

Gu Er said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, just take your time! Now there is only one Haozhou City left in Haozhou that is still in the hands of the rebels. I have stationed a thousand soldiers and horses in Yong'an Town on the east bank of Luoshui River, Dingyuan There are still 500 defenders in the city. I have made an appointment with General Liu, who is currently stationed in Zhongli County, to send troops to Haozhou in three days! Suzhou will also send troops by then, and the recovery of Haozhou will be just around the corner!"

Changbai nodded and asked, "How is the situation in Shouzhou?"

Gu Er said: "Only Lu'an County is still in the hands of the imperial court!"

Changbai said: "The east of Shouzhou is Yong'an Town. Zhonghuai stationed troops in Yong'an. Is he worried that the rebels from Shouzhou will attack Dingyuan?"

Gu Er nodded solemnly and said: "This group of rebels is not simple. It was really just a mob at the beginning. But now, it has been more than half a year since the rebels started fighting. They have fought dozens of times with the government and the army. Now

The rebels have many veterans who can be said to be elite, and among the rebels there are also those who have experience in the military. I am afraid that future wars will not be so easy."

Now that Dingyuan has just been liberated, the people in the countryside have been robbed by the rebels and have lost all their houses. All the wealthy gentry's houses have been looted, and no one has been spared. Fortunately, there is still some left in the treasury, which was originally used by the rebels.

, now it is much cheaper for Gu Er and Chang Bai.
Chapter completed!