Section 21: Search

On the south bank of the Han River, Cao Chong and Xun Wenqian said goodbye slowly, got out of the car and said a few more words to Pang Tong and others, then came to Xun Yue in particular and bowed and bowed: "Sir, Cheng Bo, how dare Chong come to see him off and kill Cao Chong."

Xun Yue smiled and waved his hand: "Cang Shu, with the care of Doctor Ji, and Master Hua's Five Animal Show, you can take care of it with delicious food and drink. You see, my spirit is much better than when I came here, so it's okay to come and send it off, just come out to relax. You should be careful when you go here, don't be greedy for merit and come back soon, I'm still waiting for you to discuss the great way."

Cao Chong laughed. Xun Yue's health has been much better these days, his face has become rosy, and his quarrels have become much louder every day. He was so surprised that a great scholar like Song Zhongzi was so energetic that he was full of energy in Xiangyang Academy. He didn't say much, and helped Xun Yue's hand to persuade him to take good care of his health, so that the future would be long.

"It's getting late, get on the boat." The two walked side by side to the dock. Xun Yue smiled and pushed Cao Chong's hand away, and waved.

Cao Chong bowed to everyone and looked at Mrs. Da Qiao and Sun Shangxiang in the distance. Mrs. Da Qiao, who was holding Sun Shangxiang's hand and talking, saw it, and smiled and pushed Sun Shangxiang: "Okay, Hu Niu, go, General Cao is waiting for you to set off."

"Sister-in-law--" Sun Shangxiang raised her voice embarrassedly and lowered her head. She had become a disaster in Xiangyang City. Every day, she took her twenty female guards around Xiangyang City or went to the military camp to find someone to fight. Wherever she went, she was called a tigress. Not only did Liu Ba have a headache, but even Mrs. Da Qiao could not bear it, so she simply called her a tiger. This time she heard that Cao Chong was going to go on a war again, so she asked Liu Ba to ask him to take Sun Shangxiang away. She could no longer let her play around in Xiangyang City, which would affect her reputation. Cao Chong also heard Sun Shangxiang's heroic behavior, so he had to agree to Mrs. Da Qiao's request and took Sun Shangxiang to Fangling.

"Let's go." Sun Shangxiang strode into the boat, greeted Cao Chong repeatedly, and bent down and got into his cockpit.

Cao Chong ordered the sail to rise, and said goodbye to the people on the shore again. He waited until the ship was far away from the shore before he got into the cabin. Sun Shangxiang was sitting upright on his mat, pointing at the map on the desk seriously: "The left wing made a feint attack, the central army retreated, the right wing surrounded, and the left flying formation..."

"What left flying formation?" Cao Chong burst out laughing, walked to Sun Shangxiang, and tilted his butt to squeeze her aside: "You can sit in this position? Go there."

"Stingy, what's wrong with sitting there?" Sun Shangxiang gave him a blank look, moved to the side, and sat next to Cao Chong. Cao Chong didn't dislike her, and was just enjoying her increasingly mature body. He smiled and looked at Sun Shangxiang: "I said that the people in your Sun family are so affectionate. Your sister-in-law takes care of you so much, and you didn't say hello when you left?"

"Who said I didn't say hello?" Sun Shangxiang lay on the map and said without looking back: "Besides, she didn't take care of me. She thought I had ruined her good deeds, so she drove me to Fangling, and she didn't have any kindness."

"Good thing, what good thing?" Cao Chong asked with some surprise.

"Don't you know?" Sun Shangxiang turned around and looked at him: "Your confidant Lord Liu ran to my sister-in-law every few days. You don't even know this, and you're really confused."

"Mr. Zichu?" Cao Chong was really surprised. Why did Liu Ba run to Da Qiao?

"It's useless to tell you. Children don't understand adult affairs." Sun Shangxiang curled his lips and turned his head to continue looking at the map: "Mr. Liu probably has a crush on my sister-in-law and goes to show his attention if you have anything to do. Even if he was busy like that a few days ago, he has gone a lot. My sister-in-law saw that it was inconvenient for me to be in front of them, so she asked Mr. Liu to tell you that you want me to take me to Fangling to fight. I just happened to feel bored in Xiangyang. It's better to go to Fangling with you to see how you trained troops."

"Oh——" Cao Chong suddenly realized that there was something happening here. No wonder Liu Ba was a little hesitant when he said that. It turned out that he thought Sun Shangxiang was a light bulb. As he thought about it, he laughed: "This Liu Zichu is very brave. He actually played this trick under my nose."

"What does this matter?" Sun Shangxiang said without raising her head: "Mr. Liu is your subordinate, not your son. Who he likes has something to do with you. He is single, and my sister-in-law is also single. It is their business that they are willing to be good, but you don't care."

Cao Chong smiled and said nothing. He looked at Sun Shangxiang who was focused on the map, looked at him for a long time and smiled, "Do you like fighting so much?"

"I like it." Sun Shangxiang replied: "I have wanted to be a general like Dalang since I was a child."

"Your sister-in-law called you Hu Niu, it wouldn't be wronged to you. Your father is known as the tiger tiger in Jiangdong, and your elder brother is known as the little overlord. They are all famous. I wonder if you, Hu Niu, have the talent in this area." Cao Chong joked while asking Deng Ai to take a few maps to spread on the case: "This is Shangyong's defense map. If you were asked to lead the troops, where would you go, how many troops would you use, how long would you use to take Shangyong?" He greeted Deng Ai again: "Shizai, don't be busy, sit down and see General Sun dispatching troops."

Deng Ai responded with a smile, and quickly packed up the documents on the desk. He knelt on one side with his legs bent, blinked his eyes, swept around Cao Chong and Sun Shangxiang's faces, smiling without saying a word.

"Little brat, what are you looking at?" Sun Shangxianghu glared at Deng Ai, turned his head and smiled flatteringly at Cao Chong, "If I promise, you can ask me to lead troops to attack Yong, can you do it?"

"I'll talk about it after I've agreed." Cao Chong waved his hand: "Let me first hear if you have made progress in the past few months, and don't use any fake moves of the left flying formation and the right flying formation to deceive people."

"Hey, don't say that, okay? I changed the left and right flying formation from the Yanxing formation. Why is it worthless in your mouth?" Sun Shangxiang pouted unhappily and clenched her fists. If she hadn't known that she was not Cao Chong's opponent, she might have pounced on him and beat him up a few times.

"I know that your left and right flying formations are just a combination of punches with left and right bows? Why bother to scare people with mysterious name? I tell you that the nice side of the name is not practical. The more concise and clear the more effective it is." Cao Chong waved his hand disdainfully, pointed to the map and said, "Tell me quickly how you plan to attack Shangyong, start with military ration transportation."

Sun Shangxiang was discouraged and swallowed, coughed, looked at the map carefully, calculated with his fingers for a while, and began to carefully tell his expectations. He was so nervous that he was just like the on-site exam, and he was one student and two examiners.

Seeing Cao Chong's big boat gradually drifting away and disappearing between the water and sky, Xun Wenqian invited Xun Yue into the car and turned back to the city. Xun Yue looked at the passers-by who were walking hurriedly on the roadside and smiled and said nothing. Xun Wenqian was also overjoyed as his face gradually improved. He called Xun Xiaoqing to take out the warm wine in the car, poured a small cup and handed it to Xun Yue: "Full, drink some wine and run around. It's cold this time, you have to pay attention to your health. Don't listen to Cang Shu running around. It's not too late to see it when spring begins. Anyway, you have to live in Xiangyang for a few years."

Xun Yue smiled and sighed in a complicated way: "Cang Shu's car is indeed comfortable, spacious and stable. These two horses pulling the car are also divine. I'm afraid the emperor will be jealous of him when he sees it."

"He, the most trusting thing about the saint is to eat fine food and stew fine food." Xun Wenqian deliberately put a stern face, but a smile that could not be concealed in his eyes: "A saint seeks justice, but he first makes profits. In front of Cong Bo, he is still so striking and speaking naturally. I said that he was just a false argument, but he was not convinced."

Xun Yue shook his head and smiled. He put down his wine glass and tasted the fragrance. Then he said, "Wen Qian, he was polite in front of me, because he did not treat me as an outsider. These words are contrary to the sage's scriptures. If outsiders hear it, it will naturally damage his reputation. He did not hide it from me, which means that he really wanted to realize his ambition, but he also felt confused, so he had to understand it with me."

Xun Wenqian looked at Xun Yue in surprise, as if she didn't know him. When arguing with Cao Chong, the old man was staring with a sharp and aggressive remark. In his mouth, Cao Chong was simply a powerful minister who wanted to seek power and usurp the throne. Why did he have such a high opinion of him behind his back? Seeing the old man like this, he seemed very happy.

"Don't look at me like this. We are not incompatible with water and fire, but seeking common ground while reserving differences." Xun Yue smiled and said, "In fact, our goal is to have the same goal, but we just choose different ways."

Xun Wenqian became interested, tidy up her clothes, leaned against Xun Yue and said, "Then tell me, how do you seek common ground while reserving differences."

Xun Yue looked at Xun Wenqian with fun, looked at her for a long time before smiling, "Wenqian, Cang Shu is right, you are very good at your father's true teachings in the practice of cultivating power, but you are still a little limited in the empty affairs of thinking and debate."

Xun Wenqian smiled sweetly: "That's why I have to ask Cong Bo for advice."

Xun Yue nodded, looked at the branches outside that were as smoke as mist in the morning light, and frowned slightly, and his voice was as vague as a dream: "Wen Qian, do you still remember He Boqiu who was buried in my Xun family's ancestral tomb?"

Xun Wenqian thought for a while and nodded: "Remember, but my father never talked about this person to me. I always felt strange, how could He Boqiu be buried in the ancestral tomb of my Xun family? I vaguely heard from my brothers that he was a party member, and he didn't tell me about the specific situation."

"He Boqiu is a party member, a famous scholar, and a swordsman. He was from Xiangxiang, Nanyang. When he was young, he went to Luoyang to study, and had a good relationship with Guo Linzong, Jia Weijie and others, and became famous in the Imperial Academy. The first party and countenance disaster in Xiping occurred, Li Yuanli and others were falsely imprisoned, and He Boqiu led the Tai students to ask for an order to rescue Li Yuanli. In the first year of Yongkang, Emperor Xiaoling Huan ascended the throne, Li Yuanli and Chen Zhongju failed to eliminate the traitor, but instead he was harmed. He Boqiu escaped from Luoyang, changed his name in secret, and contacted the famous scholars of Ruying. It was at that time that he became close friends with your father. Your father did not hesitate to spend all his family money to support He Boqiu..."

Xun Yue's eyes were blurred. He started with the first party-black disaster during the reign of Emperor Huan, and talked about how the Xun family, under the guidance of Chen Zhi, became a local tyrant elite and became an important aristocratic family. He talked about how they were persecuted by eunuchs, how they were disappointed with the Han Dynasty, and secretly protected the party members wanted in court. Xun Shuang conspired to assassinate Dong Zhuo in the capital city and others. Some of Xun Wenqian heard of these things occasionally, and some were not clear at all. She was shocked by her family. She did not expect that her family had done so many ruthless things. The ancestor Xun Shuang, who was observing the scriptures, actually advocated the change of dynasty when he was observing the Book of Changes, and had academic exchanges with Zhang Jiao of the Yellow Turbans.

"This..." Xun Wenqian didn't know what to say, straightened her body and looked at Xun Yue nervously, feeling that the uncle in front of her suddenly became unfamiliar with him. She opened her mouth several times and closed her mouth again. She really didn't know how to say it.

"You have lived in seclusion on the Han River for more than ten years since Mr. Zu Ciming lived in seclusion on the shore of the Han River. You are in Wudang, which is facing west of Xiangyang. I don't know if the hut of that year was still there." Xun Yue sighed: "Of course, I lived in seclusion with him. No one except your father knows where we are. Even Zhang Jiao came to visit. Who would have thought that thirty years later, Zhang Jiao became a sinner who almost subverted the Han Dynasty, and our Xun family became a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. He tried his best to make the shaky Han Dynasty. Is God's will really unpredictable?"

"Then... the master resigned from his post all the time, but Dong Zhuo accepted the position of Sikong. Is it..." Xun Wenqian said halfway, and was afraid to say anything. Xun Shuang was the most talented and learned among the eight dragons of the Xun family. He was recommended as an official many times, but he did not accept it. He devoted himself to writing books and studying. Dong Zhuo abolished the Young Emperor and appointed him as the son of today. He accepted Dong Zhuo's appointment and became the prime minister of Gan Ling. On the way to take office, he received an edict from changing his post to Guangluxun. In a few days in Luoyang, he took office as Sikong, one of the three dukes. His changes have always puzzled Xun Wenqian. Today he finally had the opportunity to ask the view of the Cong Bo who was closest to Xun Shuang.

"Yes, I had hope for Dong Zhuo at that time. Unfortunately, he was just a murderer who only knew how to kill. Not only did he not have hope of revitalizing the great man, he stabbed the terminally ill man, almost ruining the great man's country, and almost ruining the great man's country. He was suffering from the creatures and living in poverty. So you started to revive the traitor with Zheng Yilang (Zheng Tai), Zhong Shizhong (Zhong Ji), Wu Yueqi (Wu Qiong), He Boqiu and Gongda and others plotted to eliminate the traitor. Unfortunately, you died from the ancestor's illness before the incident. Wu Yueqiu assassination of Dong Zhuo by mistake. Zheng Gongye (Zheng Tai) escaped from the east and returned to Yuan Gonglu. Gongda and He Boqiu were arrested. If it weren't for the Prince's Secret (Wang Yun) to rescue him, I'm afraid Gongda has...ah, it's so dangerous."

Xun Yue remembered the danger back then and was filled with emotion. He was in his prime and was in his prime. He followed Xun Shuang to rise up. After failing, he returned home. He then saw the war in Guandong for more than ten years. He watched the people who were running for their ideals and began to fight for their own interests. Especially the Yuan brothers of the fourth generation and three kings ignored the emperor being bullied by Li Jue and others in Chang'an, and only wanted to fight for power and profit, and tried to build their Yuan family. The young and passionate blood became cold and had fewer impulses. He slowly recalled what he did at the time. He felt very confused. He didn't know whether they were saving the great man or destroying the great man?

"In the first year of Jian'an, the emperor returned to the east. We thought that with the assistance of Cao Cao, the Han Han had the opportunity to revive again, so I wrote the Han Dynasty under the order of the emperor, hoping to provide some reference for the Han Dynasty to revive again. Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao died in the tenth year of Jian'an, and Hebei was pacified, Cao Cao's actions changed and he was not so respectful to the emperor. The year before yesterday, he pacified Liucheng, and the north was settled, and it seemed that the Han Dynasty had regained its vitality. In fact, I knew that the fire of the Han Dynasty was almost extinguished and was about to be extinguished by the overwhelming loess. Kong Wenju died, but in fact, his heart had long been dead, and my heart was also dead. So after writing Shen Jian, he resigned and returned home. You wrote a letter to ask me to come to Xiangyang. I just learned a saint and knew that it was impossible."

Xun Wenqian was speechless.

"Cang Shu said that my book was inconsistent, which was just a matter of words. Times have changed, how could people's thoughts be consistent? The passion of the past has long been cold." Xun Yue sighed and ended his story. Xun Wenqian handed the wine glass to his hand at the right time. Xun Yue raised the wine glass and drank it all, and she burst into tears.

"Then Congbo thinks that there is a solution to the differences between you and Kurasu?"

"Of course there will be, because our goals are the same." Xun Yue said affirmatively. He pointed to the old woman who was smiling with her grandson in front of a thatched hut on the side of the road: "We all want the people to live happily like this. With this common purpose, other methods can be negotiated. Cang Shu is right. No matter how good the idea cannot be realized, it will be empty words."

Xun Wenqian pursed her lips and smiled: "Congbo, I invite you to Xiangyang because I hope you can help me convince Cang Shu, but I didn't expect you to be convinced by Cang Shu."

Xun Yue also smiled with tears in his eyes: "This is not what anyone convinces anyone, but whoever makes sense will listen to anyone."

Liu Ba and Pang Tong were sitting in the same car, not far behind Xun Wenqian's car. The two of them were drinking wine with great pleasure and chatting and laughing. Pang Tong glanced at the carriage of Mrs. Da Qiao behind him and joked: "Zichu, you are so brave. Mrs. Da Qiao is the Prime Minister's, don't play with fire."

Liu Ba frowned and looked bitter: "She went to Yecheng and didn't even see the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is not the kind of person who is not open. You should understand what she means. He can let her go back to Xiangyang without saying a word. The young master is still so polite to her. I don't think there should be any problem."

"Then you can't cross Chen Cang secretly. You have to say to the young master first. There will be some trouble in the future, so it's better for you to relieve it. If the storm reaches the Prime Minister's ears, but the young master is still in the dark, he can't help you even if he wants to." Pang Tong reminded with kindness.

Liu Ba nodded and smiled proudly: "So I advised the young master to take Sun Huniu away."

Pang Tong was stunned and immediately laughed softly, pointing at Liu Baqiu and laughed: "It turns out that I'm worried about you for nothing. You have planned it for a long time. This trick is good to use."

"It's easy to say." Liu Ba bowed and smiled, "Let's stop talking about this. You're going to set out again in a few days. Have you thought of a solution to this Mr. Zhongyu? Don't let him mess up the young master's heart and ruin the young master's big affairs."

Pang Tong shook his head: "You are too worried. When did the young master be said to be messed up? Besides, Xun Zhongyu is not a pedantic person. Look at what he said, what is similar to those sour scholars who buried their scriptures all day long? He scolded Song Zhongzi and others for being bullshit, only knowing how to quaint words but not understanding the worldly affairs, and mistaken the original intention of the saint. Xun Ciming wrote about the scriptures all over the world, but he was obsessed with Han Dynasty. Isn't it true to what the young master often said to use history as a secret understanding?"

"Well, it's true." Liu Ba smiled, "You're still thinking through it, I'm worried in vain."

"Hahaha..." Pang Tong also smiled: "You are the opposite of your son. You are not confused about major matters. You ask us to remind you in detail. What about you, you have done your meticulous matters very well recently, but you are a little confused about major matters. Could it be that you are beautiful and have used your heart and mind?"

"Shame." Liu Ba smiled awkwardly.

Pang Tong and Liu Ba joked for a while and stopped their smiles: "Zichu, the war in Guanzhong has not yet begun, and this large amount of food and grass has been shipped. Although Jingzhou's harvest this year is good, it cannot be left to them without restrictions. These are the young master's belongings, and they have to be kept for Yizhou and Jiangnan. You, the housekeeper, cannot be careless. Some things are difficult for the young master to come forward, so you have to hurry up. Is Cao Ziping's hands and feet too big? Do you really feel sorry for not being your own thing?"

Liu Ba glanced at Pang Tong: "I know this in my mind. Cao Ziping can't stay in Xiangyang for a long time. Let him be happy for the time being. But you can take Shangyong and Xicheng, be careful and you must grasp the time well. It cannot be too early or too late."

Pang Tong laughed and patted Liu Ba on the shoulder: "As long as Zichu has no shortage of food, grass and weapons, it is all within our control when he will take Hanzhong. I said Zichu, what bid should the young master do after taking Xicheng? Don't raise the price too high, so that we can't make a profit."

Liu Ba looked at him angrily, raised his glass and sniffed: "You just fight your war. When did I do this? The young master said that you should win-win. As long as you keep your promises and be rich and kind, the young master will ensure that you are harmonious and wealthy and safe. The price is not what I said casually, and it must be calculated based on the actual situation. In the end, the young master nodded. If you want to make some cheaper, it is not better to directly tell the young master. Why cry in front of us? "

Pang Tong shook his head and waved his hand and said, "I know it's the answer, it's useless to say it. I won't say anything else. I'll take down Shangyong and arrange my brother to be Shangyong. This is not difficult for you."
Chapter completed!