Huan Rong

The weather in Linhuai in April is changeable, often the sky is clear one moment, and it rains the next moment.

Near the end of time, the sky began to drizzle again.

The convoy traveled all the way from Yandu, and encountered rain almost every day or two. They were used to the difficult road and changeable weather.

Without further instructions, the health servants and private soldiers had moved the cart closer, and quickly pulled up the wooden boards to block the surroundings of the cart.At the same time spread the tarpaulin to cover the roof firmly.

During the process, I did not forget to leave a few feet at the edge, propped up with bamboo poles and tied with thick ropes, as a place for everyone to shelter from the rain.

The health servants and the private soldiers acted in tacit understanding, and within a quarter of an hour, the carts were covered with tarpaulins, leaving no gaps.

The cavalry brought by Qin Jing got off their horses one after another, and they also stretched out the rain cloth, but instead of protecting themselves from the rain, they covered their horses.

Huan Rong couldn't see it, so he ordered the cavalry to be near the cart.

"The rain is getting heavier. I'm afraid it won't stop for a while. Why don't we hide together?"

Qin Jing thanked Huan Rong for his kindness, and ordered his subordinates to take care of the horses and borrow a cart to shelter from the rain.He boarded the military chariot by himself and sat opposite Huan Rong.

"Ah Mi, prepare some ginger soup for everyone."

"promise."

A Mi took the order, Fushen exited the carriage, opened a bamboo umbrella in the rain, and called the cooks in the motorcade to work separately.

Huan Rong and Qin Jing were left in the car, they were not in a hurry to speak, but they were drinking tea slowly, as if they were waiting for each other to speak.

As Huan Rong expected, the rain was getting heavier and heavier. When you opened the window, you could see that the heavy rain was continuous and splashed from the clouds, like a curtain hanging in the sky, and the sky and the earth were gray.

The ruts were filled with rainwater.

The raindrops fell densely and splashed a lot of water.

The rainwater hit the carriage, making a dull sound.

The goshawk folded its wings and stood obediently on the wooden frame.

After combing the feathers, he turned his head and picked up a piece of jerky from the tray, swallowing it halfway as if disgusted.When Qin Jing turned his head, the fluffy breast feathers fawned on him, but unfortunately he didn't get a reward, so he let out a depressed cry, and the jerky fell to the ground.

Ah Mi didn't come back for a long time, Huan Rong looked at the rain curtain outside the window, a little lost in thought.

Qin Jing put down the tea soup, looked at Huan Rong's face, and said softly, "Brother Rong is happy for the rain?"

Hearing this, Huan Rong couldn't help but sneered, nodded indiscriminately, and withdrew his wandering thoughts.Take out the wooden box prepared in advance and send it to Qin Jing.

"This is?" Qin Jing looked at Huan Rong with doubts on his expression.

"Brother Qin can tell at a glance."

Qin Jing glanced at Huan Rong again, opened the lid casually, and found two letters inside.

The paper quality of the envelope is not something ordinary people can use, and the sealing wax is even more rare.

Qin Jing unwrapped the wax seal, took out the letter and unfolded it, glanced at it hastily, his expression changed slightly, and a flash of emotion that Huan Rong couldn't understand flashed in his eyes.

The letter paper was not cut, but written on a whole piece of paper, and then folded repeatedly, similar to the memorials of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

According to the shadows of the words on the paper, the letter is not long, roughly two or three hundred words.Qin Jing spent an extraordinarily long time reading the letter, her eyes fixed on the end of the letter, which aroused Huan Rong's curiosity, wanting to know exactly what was written in the letter.

Unexpectedly, after reading it twice, Qin Jing folded the letter paper up, put it in an envelope, and kept it close to her body.

"The matter in the letter is of great importance. I can't make the decision. I need to report to the family lord."

Huan Rong became more and more curious, and couldn't help asking; "What is the content of the letter, brother Qin, can you tell me a little about it?"

"Brother Rong doesn't know?" Qin Jing was surprised.He asked Huanrong to deliver the letter, but he did not inform him of the contents of the letter.It's fine if it's normal, but thinking about what was said in the letter, he had to frown.

"I don't know." Huan Rong shook his head.

"It's okay to tell Brother Rong." Qin Jing said in a deep voice, "Xie Shizhong said in the letter that the Jin Dynasty intends to join forces with Wubao to attack Yan."

what? !

Huan Rong thought he had heard wrong.

He only met Xie An once, but had some friendship with Xie Xuan.Through Xie Xuan's mouth, he could somewhat understand Xie An's personality.With Xie Shizhong's behavior style, it is really unlikely that he would write such a letter.

"Brother Rong doesn't believe it?"

"No." Huan Rong frowned.

He believed that Qin Jing's character should not lie to him about this matter.It's just that he didn't understand, the matter of Jiankang hadn't been clarified yet, so why did it involve the north again?

For the matter of succession to the throne, Jiankang, Gushu and Jingkouzheng wrestled with each other, and it was difficult to distinguish the outcome for a while.In this case, it is hard to say that history will develop according to the original track.

However, there must be a result whether Sima Yu succeeds in assuming the position, or Sima Yao replaces him.

At such an important juncture, the imperial court is not in a hurry to contact Xi Yin to fight against Huan Da Sima, but to join forces with Qin's Wubao to attack Yan. What is the idea?

Head flooded or swollen face to pretend to be fat?

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, Huan Rong's head seemed to be entangled in a mess, no matter what, he couldn't find a thread.

"Brother Rong doesn't understand what Xie Shizhong means?" Qin Jing asked suddenly.

Huan Rong nodded, he really didn't understand.

Pretending to be ignorant in front of smart people does no good.

"I also ask my brother to help solve the confusion."

"The Jin family may not really intend to cooperate with Wubao to cut down the swallows." When Qin Jing spoke, she put one hand on the table, slender fingers across the table, the white fingertips contrasted sharply with the dark hardwood.

Didn't you really mean to kill Yan?

Huan Rong's brows frowned even deeper, and a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, but the speed was too fast and too vague, and he still vaguely understood.

"I have heard a little bit about Jiankang, and the Jin family's move has a lot of meaning."

Qin Jing leaned over the table, pushed the wooden box in front of Huan Rong, brushed the back of Huan Rong's hand intentionally or unintentionally with her fingers, leaving an inexplicable ambiguity.

Huan Rong looked down, said nothing, and retracted his hand by putting away the wooden box.

In a serious moment, this move is inappropriate.As for the crimson ears... nothing else, it's just stuffy in the car.

Qin Jing lifted the corners of his mouth slightly, a smile stained his eyes.

"cough!"

Huan Rong coughed uncomfortably, corrected his expression, and intended to be serious, but he didn't want to raise his head and bumped into the bottom of his black eyes, his scalp was numb, and he felt a sense of frustration of digging a hole and jumping on his own.

"Brother Qin," Huan Rong clenched his fingers, secretly suppressed the throbbing in his heart, and said in a hoarse voice, "Can you explain to Rong?"

Qin Jing accepted it as soon as he saw it, so as not to really offend a certain raccoon.

"A few days ago, I learned that Taicheng was not stable, and the magician made a divination of 'the Jin Dynasty is stable, and the emperor is out of the palace'."

Huan Rong's heart sank.

Even in Jiankang City, only a few people knew about the hexagrams that Hu Qian divination, so why did Qin Jing say it when he just opened his mouth?

Is it because Qin's Wubao has great powers, or has Taicheng become a sieve long ago?

"Last year, the Jin army's Northern Expedition failed halfway, failed to capture Yecheng, and let go of Zhongshan King, but won two great victories, and captured Murong Chui's general Xi Luoteng, and the reputation of Sima Huan's skill in warfare spread throughout the north. .”

"This year, Yuanzheng is offering captives in front of the imperial court. The grand occasion is unprecedented. Sima Huan is highly regarded by the people, and I have heard a little bit about it."

Huan Rong looked at Qin Jing, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, and his mood became more and more complicated.

"Nowadays, Huan Da Sima's meritorious service is highly respected, and he is respected and prominent, and he seems to be the hope of all husbands. However, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty is addicted to wine and sex all day long, ignoring the government, and the hearts of the people are completely lost."

Speaking of this, Qin Jing put away her relaxed expression, her eyes were darkened, and she stared at Huan Rong for a moment.

"Given Sima Huan's prestige today, it is all right to abolish the establishment."

From his point of view, the emperor is destined to be abolished, and who will inherit the throne is the key.This is related to the interests and attitudes of both the Jin family and Huan Wen. Obviously, the two failed to reach an agreement.

The Jin family contacted Qin's Wubao at this time, on the surface to attack Yan, but it was definitely not the case behind the scenes.

I'm afraid it was because of Huan Wen's rebellion, but Xi Yin couldn't resist or changed his mind halfway and looked for an alliance outside.

"Brother Qin," Huan Rong swallowed, and said with difficulty, "Don't say any more."

In fact, when Qin Jing talked about Huan Da Sima's popularity, he already had some understanding in his heart.Speaking of succession to the throne, it was even more like enlightenment, and the confusion in my mind was instantly untied.

Without Qin Jing's further mention, he could already guess Xie An's intention in writing this letter.

With the talent of Jiang Zuo's prime minister, it is impossible not to fail to see that Murong Xianbei's sun is setting in the western mountains, and Qin's Wubao is destined to rise.

As Qin Jing said, the imperial court did not really intend to send troops, but to express its attitude to the "neighbors" in the future. I hope that Qin's Wubao can understand that everyone is Han Chinese, and it is best not to fight lightly. .

If Qin's Wubao is willing to take over the olive branch, he will definitely have some goodwill towards the Jin family.

Once Huan Wen seeks rebellion and Xi Yin is unreliable, the imperial court will have the opportunity to borrow troops from the North.Even if it is drinking poison to quench thirst, there is a danger of luring wolves into the house, at least it is Sima's way out.

If Huan Wen knew about this, he would be a bit scrupulous, and would not dare to fight lightly, just to give the court a chance to breathe.

This is an alliance in another sense, but it is not on paper, in order to prevent things from being wronged.

Wang Tanzhi and Xie An are both leaders of the imperial court, so the content of the letter must be similar with minor differences.And when the two sent such a letter, the Empress Dowager Chu in Taicheng would not be unaware.

Thinking of this, Huan Rong couldn't help sighing, the Empress Dowager Chu once served as a regent, and she was able to leave her name in the history books, her political skills and courage are really extraordinary.

Thinking about it carefully, as the messenger, I was obviously dragged into the game.

Princess Nankang worked hard several times in order to prevent Huan Rong from being tricked by the Queen Mother Chu.As a result, Huan Rong was careless for a while and neglected to take precautions, fearing that her painstaking efforts would be wasted.

Huan Rong sighed again.

If you want to really enter the court, you really need to continue to practice and accumulate experience in many ways.

In a word, there is a long way to go.

Qin Jing looked at Huan Rong, saw that his expression changed again and again, and became more and more sure of his previous thoughts.

Brother Rong has indeed changed, and the change is not small.

When the two were talking, Ah Mi had already brought someone to boil ginger soup and handed it out in clay pots.Whether it is the people in the convoy or the servants brought by Qin Jing, they can all get a full bowl.

The ginger soup that gave Huan Rong a headache was a good thing for everyone.

A bowl full of lower abdomen, the spicy taste slipped from the throat into the stomach, poured into the limbs and bones in an instant, and the whole body was warmed up.

Zhong Lin was sitting in a carriage, and she was unfolding the map to check it carefully.Hearing the knock on the car door, seeing that it was Ah Mi who came to deliver the ginger soup in person, she hurriedly got up to take it.

"Mr. Qin is in the Ming bus?"

"Yes."

Ah Mi didn't say much, turned and left after the ginger soup was delivered.

Zhong Lin held the lacquer bowl, stared at the cold rain outside the car, and did not take a sip for a long time.

Turning around to look at the map again, thinking about Huan Rong's friendship with Qin Jing, thinking about Yandu's business with Qin's Wubao, and all kinds of things inside and outside the court, his heart sank, and his expression became more serious.

"It would be great if Zhongren was here."

With Xun You by his side, at least he can help analyze what Qin's Wubao plan is, is it content to be king and unify the north, or is it planning to unify the north and south and eventually replace the Jin family.

Regardless of the former or the latter, Duke Ming will be affected, so we must make early plans.

"Every step is difficult..."

Zhong Lin murmured, took a sip of ginger soup.

The ginger soup was still a little hot, but he didn't notice it at all. He frowned and sat down at the table, all his thoughts were on the map.

Inside the military cart, Huan Rong put aside the matter of the letter and asked Qin Jing why he came from the west.If you are starting from Pengcheng, you should go to Linhuai instead of detouring from Huainan.

In fact, he wanted to ask more about how Qin Jing led the cavalry across the border.

No matter how incompetent the emperor is, there is still the Empress Dowager Chu sitting in the palace, and there are many insightful people such as Xie An Wang Tanzhi in the court.In order to guard against evil neighbors, the generals stationed at the border are by no means the kind of people who live in poverty.

These ten or so riders can come and go freely, and they have not been discovered by the generals, so people will have doubts.

"Brother Rong doesn't know?" Qin Jing raised his eyebrows, his puzzled expression didn't seem fake.

"What is Brother Qin referring to?" What should he know?Could it be that the border guards had neglected their duties, or had they simply defected to Qin's Wubao?

"Yuan Zhen rebelled against the Jin Dynasty and is now relying on Shouchun to stand on his own." Qin Jing looked at Huan Rong, saw the surprised expression on his face, and couldn't help frowning, "Brother Rong was awarded the title of Youzhou Assassin, but no one told you about it." ?”

"Yuan Zhenju Shouchun? How long?"

"Brother Rong, do you remember that I wrote to you, saying that the Yuan family has three families to take refuge in?"

Huan Rong's eyes widened suddenly.

So long?

Qin Jing nodded, and continued: "My trip is to borrow Shouchun."

Huan Rong was silent.

Blame Qin Jing?

He hasn't lost his mind yet.

From Qin Jing's standpoint, whether Yuan Zhen rebelled against Jin or not will not harm the interests of Qin's Wubao.On the contrary, Yuan Zhen relied on Shouchun to stand on his own, and deliberately brought his territory and subordinates to join him, which was even more beneficial to Wubao.

Squeezing the base of his nose hard, Huan Rong told himself to calm down.

He must be calm.

Only when you are calm can you wake up.

Only when the mind is sober enough can it be thoroughly realized that Qin Jing and him have business dealings, and they are regarded as an alliance maintained by interests.But at the root, they do not belong to the same camp, and they may turn against each other or even fight each other with key interests involved.

Now, it is a big favor for Qin Jing to come to see him specially and tell the truth about Shouchun.

If he didn't know the details, and his eyes were smeared, he would suffer a small loss, and he might die.

Yuan Zhenhui rebelled against Jin, and Sima Huan was the source.

When he met Huan Rong, he would not think about the "friendship" they formed during the Northern Expedition, [-]% of the time he would vent his anger, raise a knife and snap him off, and send his head to Gushu.

The remaining [-]% will probably save Huan Rong's life, judge his use value, and strive for the greatest benefit for himself.

No matter how you look at it, Huan Rong's entry into Shouchun is 100% bad luck.

not going?

Youzhou Mansion is in Shouchun!

If he hadn't met Qin Jing, according to the predetermined travel plan, he would have been on his way to throw himself into the trap.

"No wonder."

Huan Rong closed his eyes wearily, and tasted an unspeakable bitterness in his mouth.

It's no wonder that the imperial court appointed him as the assassin of Youzhou, but the scumbag father didn't object, let alone ordered the forces in the court to obstruct him.It is likely that Yuan Zhen had already known that Yuan Zhen was going to Huainan with the idea of ​​killing people with a knife.

In Taicheng before, Empress Dowager Chu mentioned Youzhou, saying that she had wronged herself, but it was hard to guarantee that she knew about it and still concealed the news to appease her mother, so that she could go to Youzhou honestly without any twists and turns on the way.

As far as the Jin family is concerned, Yuan Zhen is a traitor and must be punished.

Huan Rong and Yuan Zhen face each other, if they win, the imperial court will save them from worrying about it and give them some rewards; Strengthening one's own strength can also take back the coveted salt, which can be said to kill three birds with one stone.

Accusing the court of concealing the news and sending him to die?

In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and Shouchun was thousands of miles away from Jiankang. You only need to avoid obstacles on the road, and you can succeed in throwing the pot away.

In this matter, Sima Huan and Empress Dowager Chu adopted different methods, but their purposes were extremely similar.

Should I say sarcasm?

Huan Rong's mouth was even more bitter.

Does Xi Ji know about this?

He dared not think.

If the only reliable ally is also the driving force behind it, who should he trust in the future, and who does he dare to trust?

He suddenly understood what Princess Nankang had said.

Things are helpless in the world, and sometimes, everything can be done without strength.Thinking about the heroes in history, how many of them fell into a trap and died helplessly?

It's just a Youzhou assassin, so he made himself a shield against Yuan Zhen, and was pulled into the network of contact with Qin's Wubao. He could become an abandoned child at any time.

If Huan Rong is not the person involved, 100% give Empress Dowager Chu a thumbs up.

Such strategies and methods are really beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"Brother Qin laughed." Huan Rong smiled wryly, feeling inexplicably aggrieved.

"Brother Rong, have you ever thought about how to go in the future?"

"How?" Huan Rong still smiled wryly, "Let's take one step at a time."

Mrs. Li once said that if you want to gain a foothold in troubled times, you must have blood on your hands.

Kindness does not necessarily form a good cause.

Huan Rong learned the lesson and firmly remembered this sentence.

"Brother Rong, what I said before is still valid."

"what?"

"If one day, Brother Rong has no intention of staying in the south, he can take the bronze sword and go to Qin's Wubao."

"I remember." Huan Rong nodded and smiled sincerely.

With Princess Nankang around, he would never go back to Shanxi and go north unless it was a last resort.However, Qin Jing's ability to say such words really warmed his heart.

Surrounded by conspiracies and tricks, with spider silk entangled all over, every step is a trap, and there are difficulties everywhere.

Qin Jing is willing to lend a helping hand, no matter what the purpose is, Huan Rong is grateful.

The rain gradually stopped, the sun broke through the clouds, and the remaining puddles on the ground reflected sparkling light.

A rainbow spanned the sky, and a flock of brown-gray birds flew by. They looked like wild geese returning from the north. Although the formation was beautiful, their calls were a bit ear-piercing.

Huan Rong stepped out of the carriage, and jumped off the shaft neatly.

Putting one hand on his forehead, looking at the blue sky like washing, the haze in his heart gradually dissipated, and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.

"Master, do you want to continue to Huainan?"

"No." Huan Rong put down his hands, glanced at Qin Jing standing beside him, and said to Qian Shi, "Turn around and go back to Xuyi."

"Xu Yi?"

Not only Qian Shi, but also Zhong Lin who heard the sound was also surprised.

"Shouchun is occupied by the rebels, and Huainan County is no longer a good place." Huan Rong took a deep breath and said, "I will report to the imperial court to explain the rebels, and please change the state capital to Linhuai."

When Huan Rong spoke, he didn't avoid Qin Jing, Zhong Lin seemed to want to stop him, but saw the former blinked his eyes, although he couldn't understand his meaning, he didn't say much.

After the order was issued, everyone quickly packed up the cart and set off to return.

Qin Jing led the team for a few miles, and when they were about to part, Huan Rong pushed the window of the car and motioned for him to approach.

"Brother Qin, please trouble me."

"What's the matter?"

"If you return to Pengcheng by Dao Shouchun, please tell Yuan Shijun everything I said before."

Qin Jing raised her eyebrows, and said with a smile: "Brother Rong asked me to deliver the letter, what good is it?"

"Benefits?" Huan Rong smiled and said, "I have a big business, and I will definitely make a lot of money. Then I will give Brother Qin [-]%, how about it?"

"Only [-]%?"

"One and a half, twenty percent, no more."

Huan Rong was a bit tangled, Qin Jing couldn't help laughing out loud, even though he was wearing armor, he still couldn't hide the handsome and unrestrained appearance of the noble man.

"Okay, [-]%, it's a deal!"

Qin Jing suddenly bent down from the back of the horse, breathing past Huan Rong's ears: "Brother Rong, it's up to you whether to keep Yuan Zhen or not. If you change your mind, you can send a letter to Pengcheng. For that big deal, Jing will live up to it." Please."

After saying that, without waiting for Huan Rong to answer, he straightened up and turned his horse's head.

After a whistling sound, more than ten horsemen galloped westward, with their horses' belly touching the ground, and amidst the sound of rumbling horseshoes, soon there was only a cloud of smoke and dust left.

Huan Rong covered his ears, thinking about Qin Jing's words, and thinking about his current situation, he couldn't maintain a good mood for two seconds, and a gloomy look flashed in his eyes.

Since everyone wants to plot against him, don't blame him for being ruthless.

Again, those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes, and those who wear straw sandals can still wear leather boots.

If you can't get along with others, then just tear your face apart and compare who is darker.