Huan Rong

It was May, approaching the summer solstice, and there were several light rains in the south, and the drought eased slightly.In the north, there is still a month of severe drought, and there is no rain. When encountering villages without rivers, all the wheat seedlings in the fields have died.

Qin Jing returned to Luozhou, learned about the Hu people's movements from Qin Yu's mouth, entrusted everything in the Wubao, left the salt and grain back, and set off for the north on the same day, heading for Xihe County in a light car.

Watching the horse team gallop away, Qin Yu stood on the top of the Wubao wall, watching the servants carrying salt and grain, and lamented his "hardship".

Qin Jun deceived him, Qin Jing fooled him, if this continues, there is no guarantee that other brothers will not follow suit, and is there any love for Kong Huai, can they be brothers happily?

The horse team traveled day and night and arrived in Xihe County on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.

At that time, the head of Wubao was heavily guarded by soldiers. Qin Yu and Qin Jue led cavalry to go out to patrol, and went back and forth several times a day to guard against the rebellion of Xianbei and Di people.

"Brother!"

When Qin Jing entered Wubao, he happened to meet the cavalry led by Qin Jue.

Compared with when he left, Qin Jue's body was a little less jumpy, and a little more calm.

"A Yan, why are you out on patrol, where is A Rong?" Qin Jing rode forward, pulled the reins, and the steed raised its front hooves and neighed for a while.

"Fifth brother went to Shangdang County." Qin Jue replied.

"Brother, isn't he in Shangdang?"

"A few days ago, more than a hundred Di people fled from Pingyang County. They wanted to go to Xianbei, but they happened to be discovered by the servants of the Shangdang. The eldest brother was worried. He was worried that the Di people were cheating, and his intention was in Wubao, so I wrote to ask for reinforcements."

"How many servants did Ah Rong lead?"

"Three hundred cavalry, eight hundred infantry." Qin Jue moved closer and lowered his voice, "I heard from the captured Di people that Di Lord Fu Jian didn't kill Fu Liu who led the rebellion, but only dealt with Wei Gong."

"what?"

"News came out from Chang'an that Fu Liu was going to guard Pingyang. These Di people had helped Wang Meng hunt down the rebels. They were afraid of being retaliated by Fu Liu, so they fled overnight. They only took their belongings with them, and they didn't even want their territory."

Hearing this, Qin Jing was speechless on the spot.

"I know my brother doesn't believe it. To be honest, I don't believe it." Qin Jue continued, "But these Di people are so convincing, and the spies sent to Chang'an also sent back the news. This is [-]% true."

Having said that, Qin Jue couldn't help shaking his head.

After confirming that the news was true, the Di people did not lie, and everyone in Wubao was dumbfounded.There was only one thought in everyone's mind: Fu Jian's head must have been flooded, or he was walking carelessly, and bumped his head against the door frame, and was caught by the door panel on the spot.

Anyone with a normal head, especially the head of a country in power, would make such a decision?

Incredible!

"Father said at the time that sooner or later, Fu Jian would be killed by himself."

The rebels are not punished, but they are captured and reused.The generals who helped him put down the rebellion did not reward him, and he was allowed to defect to the country of Yan with anxiety.

Qin Jue really didn't understand what Fu Jian was planning.

Good reputation?

Righteousness?

In war-torn lands, the word "benevolence and righteousness" is not a compliment most of the time.

"Let's not mention this matter for now." Qin Jing asked, "How about Fu Ya?"

Speaking of Fu Ya, Qin Jue's mood improved immediately.

"It's done! Brother, within two days of going south, there were Di people and Xianbei people who sent gold. Originally, people should have sent it to Xianbei, but I didn't expect the Di people to take down Shancheng, and Fu Liu, who delivered the gold, was arrested." When we go back, there is no one from Murong Chui's side, so my father decided to hand over Fu Ya to the Di people."

"How to deal with the gold sent by the Xianbei people?"

"Of course I stayed." Qin Jue smiled, "The few who sent the gold were all traitors from the Di people. When they learned that Fu Liu was captured, they all stayed in Wupu. Father didn't want to take them in. He knew that Chang'an News, send people to Pingyang immediately, and tie them to the carriage if they don’t want to leave.”

In short, never keep these hot potatoes.

Along the way, Qin Jue kept talking, telling Qin Jing something important.

When the two brothers returned to Wubao, most of Qin Jing knew what happened in April.

"Lang Jun is back!"

The servants on the top of the city blew their horns, the drawbridge was lowered, and the gate was hung.

Qin Jing rode his horse across the wooden bridge and found that the moat had already bottomed out. He couldn't help frowning and said, "Before I left, my father had sent someone to search for a well in the county. Are there any gains now?"

"Not yet." Qin Jue shook his head, with a heavy expression on his face, "There are a few wells in Wubao, which can be used for emergencies for the time being. Most of the nearby villages are short of water. Those near the mouth of the river are fine, but those far away from the river, every day You have to walk miles to fetch water."

After passing through the Wengcheng, most of the cavalry diverted to the barracks to rest, and they had to go on patrol again before evening, to guard against the intrusion of disorderly soldiers, and only a few troops returned home with the two of them.

Seeing the few people following Qin Jing, Qin Jue asked in surprise, "Brother, where is Qin Lei and Qin Jian?"

Thinking of Qin Jing encountering troubles on the way, Qin Jue inevitably had an ominous guess.

"Brother, don't they all..."

"No." Qin Jing glanced at Qin Jue and gave a negative answer.When he got to the gate of the mansion, he got off his horse, and immediately a healthy servant stepped forward to take the reins.

"I leave them in the Southlands."

"Ah?" Qin Jue's eyes widened, he didn't pay attention when he dismounted, and nearly fell.

"I will report this matter to my father." Qin Jing said, "If you want to know, just follow me."

Qin Jue nodded hastily, threw the whip to the servants, and strode after Qin Jing.

The news of Qin Jing's return had already been sent to Xihe County by Black Eagle.

Qin Ce has been busy mobilizing troops recently, just in case the Di people and Xianbei people change.When Qin Jing and Qin Jue came to see him, he was discussing defense strategies with his advisers, focusing on the neighboring Taiyuan and Shangjun.

"Murong Chui is in Yuzhou, and Luozhou also needs to step up its precautions."

Whether Murong Chui raised his troops to rebel or defected to the Di people is still unclear.The situation in Ye City was difficult to distinguish, and the decree and government orders were changed day and night. Not to mention Qin Ce who was far away in Xihe County, even the Xianbei nobles in Ye City couldn't understand it.

Hearing that the Jin Dynasty was about to make another northern expedition, and the target was likely to be Yan, Qin Ce added another layer of worries.

He sent Qin Jing to the south last year in order to unite with the Jin Dynasty to expel the Hu people.When his son came back, he told him that the current Jin court was not enough to plan, and that Huan Wen, who led the Northern Expedition twice, had the attitude of a traitor and Wang Mang's ambition.If the Qin family rashly cooperates with him, not only will the goal not be achieved, but it may also be plotted against.

As a result, Qin's position became delicate.

Facing enemies from both sides, the alliance plan was in vain, Qin's Wubao isolated the Northland, and could only face the powerful enemy alone.

Qin Jing and Qin Jue walked into the room, Qin Ce was frowning at a map.

"Father."

Qin Jing came back in a hurry, didn't change clothes and wash up, and her body still smelled of dust.

"Azi is back." Qin Ce pinched his forehead wearily, "Is the journey going smoothly?"

"It's fine."

In fact, there were troubles on the way back. Xianbei rebels attacked and harassed the cavalry. Qin Jing led people to charge back and forth twice, leaving no less than fifty lives behind.

When these Xianbei people saw the flag of Qin's Wubao, they still raised their knives and rushed to kill them, obviously they came prepared.

It took Qin Jing a lot of effort to catch the two captives. After examining the totems engraved on the shoulders of the two, he recognized that they were begging Xianbei, and he couldn't help being surprised.

Begging Xianbei had already taken refuge in the Di people, so why did he appear in Murong Xianbei's territory?

This matter is too strange, even the accompanying counselors can't figure it out for a while.

After listening to Qin Jing's narration, Qin Ce's brows were furrowed, and he was also puzzled.

"Are you sure it's the begging Xianbei?"

"Judging by the totem, [-]% of them can't be wrong."

The nobles of Murong Xianbei have fair skin and profound facial features, which are very different from the other five tribes.However, most of its divisions are wide-ranging details, except for Yuwen Xianbei, which originated from the Huns, and there is no obvious difference from the other four divisions.

If you want to distinguish each other, apart from clothing, you can only rely on totems.

"The place where this group of ambush soldiers appeared is close to Yuzhou." Qin Jing speculated in his heart, but there was no evidence, and he was not very sure, "I suspect that Murong Chui may have secretly informed the Di people, and these begging Xianbei were sent by the Di people." .”

The room fell into silence, and Qin Ce's frown deepened.

"But there is another possibility." Qin Jing changed the subject and said, "Murong Chui has no intention of joining the Di people. This group of begging Xianbei broke into this place and blatantly attacked the Qin's convoy in order to spread the news. Attract Yecheng's attention."

Assuming the latter, the Xianbei court must have doubts about Murong Chui, and the short-term balance is doomed to be broken.

If Murong Ping or Kezu Hun's family were to kill, Murong Chui didn't want to lose his head, he would either rebel or defect, there was no third way to go.Whether it is the former or the latter, Di people can reap the benefits of fishing.

What's more, the Jin Dynasty, which sent troops to the north, could get a share of the pie.

"The only one who can come up with such a plan is Wang Meng, who is reused by Fu Jian."

Earlier, Murong Chui used Wang Meng decisively as a trick.With the latter's style of work, sooner or later the capital will be recovered with interest.

Forcing Murongchui's rebellion is just an appetizer, and there must be some back-ups in the plan.It's a pity that no matter how good Wang Meng's strategy is, if he meets a lord like Fu Jian, he still has to give a discount, and even go back to the city to buy and sell at a loss.

After some discussion, the father and son decided to stand still and wait to see how Yecheng would react.

If it was really Wang Meng's plan to drag the Qin family into trouble, naturally he cannot be allowed to do so.What's more, let him know that the Qin family is not a pawn that can be used casually. Not only can it not be used, but it must be detoured when encountering it. Otherwise, it will suffer sooner or later.

"Father, my son is going south this time, bringing back five boats of salt and grain."

After the military affairs were finished, Qin Jing took out the books that recorded the amount of salt and grain, and presented them to Qin Ce one by one.

"The salt and grain will stay in Luozhou for the time being, and father will decide how to distribute it."

"Why didn't you bring it to Xihe?" Qin Ce didn't blame his son, but was puzzled.

"My son is carrying this map, and I need to present it to my father as soon as possible, so that it is inconvenient to transport salt and grain." Qin Jing said while taking out the map and waterwheel map wrapped in silk from her bosom.

In order to be safe, he abandoned the wooden box and hid it on his body all the way.

"Map?"

Qin Jing spread out the drawings, and everyone present gasped.Despite previous experience, seeing such an accurate map of Beidi still surprised everyone.

"Where did this picture come from?"

"Gift from Lord Huan."

"……Sent?"

"Of course."

"No mention of anything in return?"

"No."

Qin Ce looked at the map, then at his son, and a flash of light suddenly flashed in his mind.

"Ah, you released Goshawk a few days ago, and asked your mother to find the white wolf fur, so you want to give it to him?"

Qin Jing nodded, calmly.

"Before my son returned to the north, the Jin court had decided to make a northern expedition, and the magistrate of County Huan was ordered to lead the troops to the north. As a token of gratitude, my son left behind [-] episodes, and said that if you encounter danger in the future, you can go to Qin's Wubao for help. "

"Twenty episodes?"

Qin Jing nodded and said, "If he arrives at Wubao, he will have a bronze sword as evidence."

Bronze sword?

Qin Ce was so stunned that he almost tore off the long beard under his jaw.

"You gave him the bronze sword?"

"Yes."

"How can this sword be given away so easily!"

"I know that the sword is a treasure, but I don't think it's too light to be polite."

Qin Ce: "..." Is this what he wants to say?

The Qin family has been handed down for hundreds of years and has a profound heritage. Although the ancient bronze sword is a treasure, it cannot be called a treasure.The problem is that such ancient bronze wares were cast during the Warring States Period, with a total of 27 samples, which were only handed down to the direct line of the Qin family.

Qin Ce had many sons, and most of the bronze wares passed down were axes, axes, swords and halberds. According to the ancestor's precept, the bronze swords obtained by Qin Ce were to be passed on to his sons!

It's fine to give it to a girl, the big deal is to marry him back.

What's the matter with giving it to a gentleman?

Qin Ce looked at his son and then at the map. He was speechless for a long time, and his mood was really indescribable.

With a calm expression, Qin Jing folded up the map and carefully put it aside, waved and rolled out the map of the waterwheel, saying that it would be beneficial to build the waterwheel to dig the ditches, which elicited another burst of exclamation.

Huan Rong, who was far away in Yandu, naturally didn't know what happened in Xihe County.

The fifth day of May is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is celebrated with the summer solstice during the Jin Dynasty.

On the day of the festival, the city of Yandu was full of joy.

There is no salt ship on the river passing through the city, but a flying duck boat with colorful cloth hanging on it.

On the widest salt river, five light boats lined up side by side.

On the boat are all young and strong men standing up to the crown, all wearing only short clothes and trousers, with their chests open, revealing their strong chests.

The strong men beating the drum even took off their shirts, and with the sound of an urgent drum, the muscles of the shoulders and back were tense and swelled, which contained a majestic strength, which was very different from the elegant, unrestrained and fairy-like spirit advocated nowadays, but it could attract people's attention. High-pitched cheers came and went.

The shore was crowded with people, and the people in the city gathered here to watch the flying boat race.

If it is Jiankang, the number of light boats will be several times greater, and they will be divided into water troops and water horses.

Yandu is only the county seat of Qianhu, so the scale of the festival is naturally not comparable to that of the capital.However, after several months of operation, the people in the city have become more and more prosperous, and the refugees have settled down. This year's festive atmosphere is far better than the old days.

Boom!

When the drums sounded, the five light boats broke through the calm water like five sharp arrows and shot out instantly.

The strong men on the boat all paddled their wooden oars, chanting chant to the sound of drums, scrambling to get past the bow of the boat, and rushing to the finish line where the red silk was drawn.

"Quick! Quick! Overtake them!"

The people on the shore clenched their fists and shouted. As the first light boat passed the finish line, flowers and willow branches rained down, and there were even auspicious patterns made of colorful ropes, which were tied to the willow branches and danced together, as if the sky was full of colors. rain.

Huan Rong stood in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by healthy servants.

Seeing the first flying boat to cross the finish line, he couldn't help laughing and said, "Dian Kui won."

Among the five light boats, two were led by Dian Kui and Qian Shi. The two were different from each other in the military camp, and they also wanted to compete in the boat race.

"Your Majesty, the winner will get a piece of silk."

Shi Shao took half a step forward, and reminded Huan Rong in a low voice that, as the magistrate of Yandu County, seeing the excitement is not counted, and he has to go on stage to present awards.

"Happy today, the winner will get doubled, and everyone who participates in the boat race will be rewarded with a piece of rice."

The reward is not huge, but it is a pleasant surprise.

After the news was announced, no matter the boat was on the shore, they all shouted the county magistrate's benevolence in unison.

Huan Rong took a wrapped piece of millet and threw it into the river first, then he was about to board the car and leave, but he didn't want to be surrounded by young ladies again, singing songs and refusing to let him go.

Helpless, Huan Rong could only sit in the car and let the crowd watch.

The enthusiasm of the little ladies remained undiminished, not counting the onlookers, but they also wanted to throw silk handkerchiefs and flowers. After half an hour, Huan Rong was released and returned with a scent of fragrance.

Where the ox carts pass by, the ruts of the wooden wheels seem to have the fragrance of flowers.

"Lang Jun Junyi, I am so happy!"

As the ox cart traveled far away, there were still bursts of singing with ancient rhymes behind him.

Huan Rong looked back from the car window, but he couldn't see the red flying green dancing on the shore, only Qingyue's singing kept coming.

"I am pleased with you, do you know?"

This is a cruel age, but also a romantic age.

People are displaced and precarious, but they dare to sing out the enthusiasm in their hearts without being imprisoned by the world.

This is the unique style of the two Jin Dynasties, with the bold and unrestrained left over from the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States, which cannot be imitated by later dynasties, and the same is true for the boldness of the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Back at the county government office, Huan Rong washed off the scent of flowers, put on a dry robe, and sat casually on the porch.

Looking at the ancient trees in the courtyard, with black hair fluttering in the wind, Huan Rong heaved a sigh of relief, with a slight smile on his lips.

Month after month of constant troubles, and recent nightmares, it is rare to relax and steal half a day of leisure.

"Lang Jun, a letter from Jiankang."

The little boy sent cool honey water and a letter from Princess Nankang.

Huan Rong sat up straight, took the letter and unfolded it. When he saw the contents of the letter, his expression suddenly became serious.

Yu Rou and Yu Qian beheaded, Yin Juan moved thousands of miles, and Yu Xi disappeared?

After reading the letter again, Huan Rong leaned against the wooden railing with his brow deeply furrowed.

If it wasn't for Aunt's mention, he almost forgot about these people.

The treatment of Yu Rou and the others was unexpected, even if Sima Huan didn't do anything, envoy Xi Ting would not let it go lightly.In fact, Yin Juan was only exiled and had no family members, which is considered a light sentence. There must be other forces intervening in this.

What he didn't expect was that Yu Xi would disappear.

Judging from her mother's letter, Yu Xi escaped by herself, and was definitely not held hostage.

Since Yu Rou and Yu Qian were imprisoned, the power of the Yu family was suppressed by Huan Da Sima and Xi Ci envoys. Relatives and friends have put aside their ties in order to protect themselves. Who can Yu Xi go to, and who helps him escape from Jiankang?Will his escape affect the Northern Expedition?

Holding the letter paper, Huan Rong looked at the two birds perched on the ancient wooden branch, and couldn't help but fell into deep thought.