Huan Rong

In the seventh year of Taiyuan, May

The Qin brothers led troops into Chang'an, the war subsided, and the rebels Xiahou, Wang, and Zhou were all put to death.Those who follow the thief are punished according to the crime, or beheaded in the execution ground, or flow thousands of miles to guard the border.

The sinners were punished, the city's squares and cities were reopened, crowds shuttled through them, caravans resumed their exchanges, shops hung up their guises one after another, and the bustle of the past resumed.

Within the four cities, there are still traces of being burned.

Collapsed houses were cleared, new houses were erected on the old sites, people returned to their homes, young and old people transported wood, women were busy, children were chasing and playing, and there were laughter and laughter in the streets and alleys.

After Qin Ce's death, he was buried in the ancestral land of Xihe, posthumously named Emperor Wulie.

The Feng family and the Zhao family named Shuyi after her and buried the late emperor with her.

The Qin Jing brothers personally escorted the coffin, and Qin Jiu and Qin Yue and his son went out of the city fifty miles to meet them.Upon hearing the news, Qin Yu, Qin Jue, Qin Yu and others hurriedly set off with only a hundred guards to go to Xihe for the funeral.

On the day of the burial, the sky was covered with overcast clouds, and a strong wind blew up on the ground, flying sand and rocks, making people unable to open their eyes.

However, dark clouds entrenched overhead for a long time, and no drop of rain fell from the beginning to the end.

The people of Xihe commemorated Qin Ce's early achievements and thanked the Qin family for their kindness. Every family hung up white banners, and everyone wore white flags.On the day of sending off the spirit, he waited by the roadside before dawn, waiting to send Qin Ce off for the last time.

The Qin brothers sent Ling out of the city, Qin Jiu was in front, Qin Yu, Qin Yu, Qin Jing and others stood on the left and right.Behind the coffin are guards in series, all wearing black leather armor with white cloth wrapped around their arms.

When the procession passed by, the common people knelt down to see them off, unable to hold back their grief, they cried loudly.Amidst the crying, someone yelled that the traitor deserved to die, that he should be hacked into pieces, in order to comfort Qin Ce's spirit in heaven.

The ancestral land of Xihe is the burial place of the patriarchs of the Qin family and Erlang.Since the establishment of Qin's Wubao, I don't know how many heroic spirits have been buried.

Qin Ce was buried according to the ancestral system and did not follow the emperor's etiquette.

In his tomb, there is a place for the queen.Although Feng and Zhao were buried together, they could not enter the main tomb, but were buried in the left ear chamber.The right side is empty, which is the place behind Concubine Liu Shu.

After the funeral, it was rare for the Qin brothers to gather together.

After several years, it is rare to get together with each other.When we saw each other again, things were different and people were different, and the brothers sighed a lot.

"I think back then, I practiced swords under this tree..."

Standing under an old tree, Qin Yu patted the trunk with his hand, trying to find the knife marks left on the trunk when he was young, but unfortunately he couldn't find it after searching.

Qin Jue stood beside his elder brother, looking up at the crown of the tree with folded arms, narrowing his eyes slightly, with nostalgia in his expression.

"Brother wants to find it, but I'm afraid I have to climb up."

"Climb up?"

Hearing Qin Jue's words, Qin Jue was gearing up and eager to try several times.

Qin Jue and Qin Yu sat on the floor, pointing to the stone platform not far away, and told Qin Zhen and Qin Jue the interesting stories of the year.

"When I was my brother's age, I practiced martial arts with my third and fourth brothers. The third brother was easy-going and not very strict. The fourth brother was very strict. If he didn't obey, the whip would come on the spot. It's really scary."

"The four brothers went to the battlefield in their teens, and even hunted and killed the wolf king alone."

"By the way, where is that white wolf skin now..."

In the main room, Qin Jiu and Qin Jing sat and talked with each other, while Qin Jue watched the chess from the side, holding a cup of tea soup in his hand, and occasionally took a sip.I am used to the light taste, but I always feel that the tea soup with onion and ginger is not very good.

The carved window was half open, and the voices of Qin Jue and the others came in from time to time, some were vague, some were clear, after listening to it for a while, I just found it interesting.

At the halfway point of the chess game, the advantage of white pieces is fully revealed.

Qin Jiu frowned and thought about it. After a long time, he finally threw away the sunspot in his hand and shook his head.

"I lost this round."

"Brother accepts."

Qin Jun woke up from his contemplation, and looked at the chessboard with his head. Even a person who is not good at chess can easily tell the winner or loser.

"When will brother leave for Chang'an?" Qin Jiu didn't summon the servants, but rolled up his long sleeves, cleaned up the chessboard himself, and put away the chess pieces one by one.

"Three days later." Qin Jing said while helping.

"It's so urgent, but something happened in the court?" Qin Ju put down the lacquer cup and interjected.

Qin Jing nodded and said: "The incident in Chang'an seems to be in the past, but in fact there are many hidden dangers, and the country may not be peaceful."

Qin Jiu picked up a sunspot and said with a sigh, "It's already the end of May, and there is still no rain. I'm afraid this year will be another disaster year."

As soon as this remark came out, the room fell into silence.

The three brothers stopped talking, for a long time only the sleeves brushed against the low couch, and the chess pieces collided lightly.

"Are you concerned about brother?" Qin Yu broke the silence.

"The catastrophe is unavoidable, and we have to find ways to deal with it." Qin Jing said honestly, "Since the past few years, the domestic drought and locust plagues have occurred frequently, and they have almost never stopped. A few days ago, I ordered people to count the treasury and report the grain stocks of various governments. Not optimistic."

Qin Jiu and Qin Yu frowned at the same time.

"Last year's harvest was poor, and last year there were several counties with no harvest. The people had no food to feed themselves, and thieves were sure to live. Besides..."

"what?"

"There are signs of severe drought in Youzhou and Bingzhou, what will happen to the nearby grasslands?" Qin Jing sighed, "This year's border will not be peaceful."

Qin Jiu and Qin Yu were slightly stunned, and couldn't help feeling worried.

"My brother is worried that the grassland tribes will take the opportunity to go south?"

"Yes." Qin Jing didn't hide anything.

"Before I left Shuofang City, I secretly sent people to Monan to inquire about the news of the tribes in Mobei."

"How?" Qin Yu asked.

"It is reported that there has been a disaster in the grassland. A large number of cattle and sheep have starved to death, and an unknown disease has spread. The tribes in the north of Mobei can't find the grassland, and most of them migrate to the south of the desert. The leader of Gaoche and Wusun Kunmi secretly contacted each other and sent messengers to each other. , are likely to unite and aggressively invade the border."

The Xiahou family raises troops, and a rebellion suddenly breaks out in Chang'an. The Qin brothers lead troops to suppress the rebellion, and the frontier troops become empty.

The war subsided, Qin Ce was buried in his ancestral land, and all his brothers returned to Xihe, which inevitably left opportunities for people to take advantage of loopholes.

Coupled with the hidden dangers left by the Xiahou clan's rebellion, Chang'an's hearts are not in harmony.Suspicions arose in the old department, while the powerful newcomers had other ideas, and the hidden dangers were not small.

Under such circumstances, the tribes of the prairie moved southward in a large scale. Even if they could not invade the Central Plains, it would cause a lot of crisis to the Qin Clan.

"If a large-scale deployment of troops is made to garrison the north, the south may take advantage of the opportunity to send troops." Qin Jiu said.

Qin Jing didn't speak, Qin Ju frowned and looked at him, a thought flashed in his mind, but he didn't express it in his mouth after all.

"There are Hu thieves in the north, and Huan Han in the south. If both sides raise troops at the same time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with it." Qin Jiu's voice gradually sank, "There are signs of catastrophe in You, Hehe and other places, and it is difficult to get the army rations together."

This statement is true, every sentence points to the main point.

If wars ignite on the border and Huan Han takes the opportunity to send troops, the situation will be quite unfavorable for Chang'an.

How can we win under the enemy?

Qin Jing does have strong soldiers under his command, but no matter how strong the soldiers are, they still have to eat.

Especially the more than [-] cavalry of the Zhuhu United, who used to fight to support the war, and every time they go out, they can make a lot of profits. Naturally, they are full of fighting spirit and win consecutive battles.

Not so today.

The grassland suffered a catastrophe, and Gaoche and Wusun suffered huge losses. They couldn't eat enough, and there was no oil or water to fish for.On the contrary, in order to survive the calamity year, all the ministries brazenly united and went south regardless of Qin Jing's reputation.

When the two armies meet, they can certainly win, but the problems after the victory are also not small, and it can even be said to be quite big.

"Brother..."

Qin Jiu was really worried.

Without a proper solution, Chang'an is almost facing a dead end.

Deliver the letter of credence to Huan Han?

Qin Jiu and Qin Yu looked at each other, obviously having the same thought.His eyes lit up briefly, then quickly dimmed, and he shook his head.

How could the Jiankang court miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Brother Huanhan had a great friendship with Emperor Huanhan, but when it comes to national affairs, this friendship has to be set aside.

"Brother, after returning to Chang'an, I will go to Jingzhou in person."

"To Jingzhou?" Qin Jiu was surprised.

"Yes." Qin Jing nodded, her eyes half-closed, looking at the vertical and horizontal lines on the chessboard, she was a little lost in thought, "Emperor Huan Han went on a hunting tour for the second time, and I would like to take this opportunity to meet him face to face."

Going to see Huan Rong at this time?

Both Qin Jiu and Qin Yu were taken aback, not understanding what Qin Jing was planning.

"Brother, this matter still needs to be considered in the long run." Qin Jiu persuaded.

"Brother, there is no need to worry. This trip is not a friendship, but friendship." Qin Jing raised his eyes and smiled, "Besides, brother also said that there may be a catastrophe this year, and he wants a large amount of market food, which will be cheaper."

If Huan Rong ordered to block the passage to transport grain to the north and not allow caravans to transport grain to the north, things would become quite troublesome.Even if it is supplemented by the Western Regions and the land of the Three Koreas, it will not be able to fundamentally solve the problem.

In fact, Qin Jing had long thought that the lack of food in the north was a fatal weakness.

However, the heavens are merciless, and the northern states are suffering from disasters in rotation, and there is no time to catch their breath.Jiankang focused on this weakness, as long as the grain road was blocked, and then the commercial road in the Western Regions was cut off, Chang'an could be dealt a fatal blow.

Qin Jing has been guarding the border all year round, sweeping away Monan, deterring the Hus, and also trying to break the predicament.

Although it has a certain effect, it cannot eliminate hidden dangers from the source after all.

Huan Han's management in the Western Regions was not comparable to that of the Qin Clan. After a few years, all the barbarians in the Western Regions almost followed Jiankang's lead.

Huan Si firmly controlled Gu Zang, and the barbarians in the city were bound by interests, and had long since lost their rebellious intentions.There was a rift between each other, but they asked to go to the gate of the government office and ask the officials of Huan Han to uphold justice.

Xie Xuan and Wang Xianzhi returned to the south, and the army left behind should not be underestimated.

Gaochang and Yanqi all returned to Han, Qiuci became a vassal of Huan Han, and Shanshan leaned towards Chang'an, but they were also under the control of Huan Han.

It is not impossible to break this predicament.

The most direct way is to send troops to attack Guzang, destroy Huan Han's army left in the Western Regions, and completely occupy the Western Regions trade routes.But in that case, the business route may be cut off again, and everything will return to the original point, and the gain will outweigh the loss.

"The only plan for now is to supply food from Huanhan City first, to supplement Shuofang, Xihai and other places. And dispatch troops from various prefectures to strictly prevent the Hu tribe from going south."

Gao Che and Wusun may not have the ambition to dominate the Central Plains, [-]% of them plan to grab it once and leave.In this way, he will naturally act without scruples, and he will burn, kill, loot, and do all kinds of evil.

If the precautions are neglected and the troops are not sent in time, these tribes cannot be completely blocked from the border, and the frontier state may lose their lives and reproduce the tragic scene of the thieves raging in the early years.

"Have you thought about it clearly?" Qin Yu asked.

"Yes." Qin Jing nodded, "The Qin family's ancestral instruction, drive out the Hu thieves, and protect the people of the Central Plains first, Jing never dares to forget."

Qin Jiu and Qin Jun didn't try to persuade him any more, they only told Qin Jing to be careful.

"My brother is now the king of a country, no more than before, you need to be cautious in your actions."

After several times of exhortations, Qin Jiu always felt that something had been neglected.Thinking of the words "lord of a country", a flash of surprise flashed across his expression, and he said, "After the majesty's funeral, it's time for my younger brother to get married."

"Yes!" Qin Yu slapped his hands, as if reminded by Qin Jiu, and then said, "Ah Ke is about to get engaged, and there is no one around my brother, so it really can't be justified."

"Even if there is no queen, there should be several concubines." Qin Jiu added.

"If necessary, you can welcome the daughters of the Huan Han clan. Emperor Huan Han has no biological sisters, and several concubine sisters are already married. There are many girls in the Huan clan, brother, you can carefully consider it."

Qin's situation is not good, and marrying Huan Han is indeed a solution.

However, Qin Jing didn't want to do this.Even if he wants to welcome the Huan family girl, it shouldn't be him.

"Brother, Ah Yue is already in the age of dancing spoons. You can report to your mother and propose to Huan Han for him. Get married first, and get married after the crown."

Qin Jiu stared.

Why did the emperor's harem, who was clearly talking about it, go around and around his own son?

"Brother, I don't plan to get married." Qin Jing spit out the truth, "My mother knew about this a long time ago."

"Why?" Qin Jiu frowned, "Could it be because of the sorcerer's words? My brother, these are all things from the early years, just listen to it, don't believe it all. Even if you don't become the king, you should marry a wife and start a family."

Qin Jing still shook her head.

Qin Jiu wanted to persuade him again, but was stopped by Qin Yu.

"Could it be that brother has someone in his heart?" Qin Jue tried to ask, "It's just that it's not easy to ask for marriage?"

Qin Jing didn't speak, it was already acquiescence.

"It's not easy to ask for marriage?" Qin Jiu frowned, what's the reason?Could it be the Wang Xie family in the south?

Qin Yu seemed to have an epiphany, and a flash of light flashed in his mind, and asked, "Is it the person who gave the pigeon to brother?"

Qin Jing did not deny it.

"Does Mom know?"

"I know." Qin Jing said, "Aunt once sent me a phoenix hairpin."

"Did the other party accept it?" Qin Yu continued to ask.

Qin Jing nodded.

After two seconds of silence, Qin Jun patted Qin Jing's shoulder with a bit of sympathy.

It's really the one he thought, and this matter is really difficult to handle.Unless the two countries go to war and win the war and snatch people over, otherwise, brother will really be "bachelor" for the rest of his life.

Na'vi?

Adi would like to talk about it, the one who is still single and doesn't even have a concubine by his side, his attitude is obvious enough.If there were a few more beauties in Chang'an Palace suddenly, even if it was just for decoration, things would be difficult.

Qin Jun and Qin Jing have been together for a long time, and they have a certain understanding of the matter based on various signs.

People who know Qin Jing's favorite will inevitably feel "sympathy" for his brother, and have a strange idea: Looking at the past and present, the world is divided, but there are two single emperors at a time, one in the south and the other in the north. At the same time, it is really unique.

Qin Jun had the answer, but Qin Jiu was still puzzled.

Seeing his confusion, Qin Ju kindly explained a few words in a low voice.

Unexpectedly, Qin Jiu is too good at making up brains. He associates the Huanhan court, the noble status, and Luanfengchai. When he gets the answer, he breaks out in a cold sweat.

"Brother, no! This is absolutely impossible!"

Qin Jing frowned and said nothing.

Qin Jun was full of disapproval, how could brother be so arbitrary!

"Brother, even though Concubine Huan Han and Li Concubine have the reputation of being an alluring city, they are actually the same age as Auntie, absolutely not!"

Qin Jing: "..."

Qin Yu: "..."

Accidentally listened to Qin Yu and Qin Yu: "..."

Qin Jue and Qin Yu who didn't know the cause and effect at all: "..."

Qin Zhen and Qin Jue who are still very innocent: "..."

Among the nine Qin brothers, except for Qin Jiu, Qi Qi fell into silence, which can be described as a historic moment.

Sitting with Qin Yue in the room, when his father and uncle talked, they never said a word, acting as the background.When his father's words were astonishing and several uncles fell silent, the young man sighed and looked up at the sky helplessly: the majesty is so out of tune, how can we save him?