Chapter 144: The Messenger

In the study, Wei Yan sat facing the wall. He had been silent for a full quarter of an hour, and there was still no sign of returning to reality. Several important figures from the Wei family stood behind him and quietly watched the Minister of War of the Tang Dynasty who had been hit by consecutive attacks. No one dared to disturb him. In just one month, the storm of Helong suddenly changed, from a single family to a situation where the three strong men were in a row. If the handling was not done properly, this was very likely the turning point of the decline of the Wei family. The firecrackers outside were still ringing, the sound of silk music did not stop, and the birthday celebration continued, but the room was very quiet.

Jiang Huan, who was at the right time, also stood among several important figures of the Wei family. At this time, his heart was extremely complicated. He originally regarded the powerful strength of the Wei family and its slightly weak power in the court. He could become the backbone of the Wei party, so he refused Cui. Pei's win over and chose the Wei family as his backstage. This was a mentality of rather being the head of a chicken than a queen of a cow. But at this moment, he suddenly understood a truth. Although the place to take up a cool place under the small tree can occupy a larger area, under the storm, the small tree may fall down and hurt himself. He regretted it a little, but regretting it, but he has no way out. Will he withdraw from the kiss? This will affect his daughter's reputation, but his reputation is not the most important, but his reputation is ruined.

"Mr. Jiang and Brother Zheng stayed, and the rest went to celebrate their mother's birthday!" Wei Yan finally spoke, but Jiang Huan's heart suddenly sank. Wei Yan was actually very sober, more sober than ever.

Wei Yan turned around and he had calmed down. Things had happened. Regret and self-blame were useless. Only when facing reality could he recover the decline. Although Zhang Huan and Duan Xiushi occupied Hexi and Shuofang respectively, the two had not yet established a stable foothold and had weak power. But one by one, the key was that they could not make an alliance. Once they formed an alliance and went south, half of Longyou's country would be over. Although Zhang Huan had the least force, his combat power was sharp and he had a strong city in Wuwei. More importantly, he possessed a great power and was the legitimate governor of Liangzhou. On the contrary, Duan Xiushi had weak soldiers and was able to gain a fortune.

Thinking of this, Wei Yan raised his head and looked at Jiang Huan with great sincerity, "Mr. Jiang, how should I play chess next?"

It’s helpless to have a fucked away, but it’s not worth it if the egg is beaten.

Jiang Huan smiled bitterly in his heart and had to sit down slowly. He pondered and said, "I'm not very clear about the specific situation. It's not easy to say much, but I know one thing. If the Cui and Pei families destroyed Hedong, the next target must be Longyou. Pei Junke crossed the Yellow River west, Cui Yuanke came out of Fengxiang, and the Zhang family's car is still there, so Wei Shangshu must be on guard."

"Thank you, my brother, Jin Yu, my good words. Brother Yu, I am in mind. I plan to let Wei Qing and Ying'er get married after the New Year. What do you think?" Jiang Huan saw that he pressed step by step and had no way to answer. He thought for a while and said, "I thought I would let the two have more contact in the end, and the marriage was just happy. Brother Wei thought?"

Wei Yan smiled slightly, "So, Na Ying'er stays in Longyou! After the beginning of spring, I will let Wei Qing officially come to the door, so let's settle it!"

Jiang Huan had no choice but to agree and put down his worries. Wei Yan said to his second brother Wei Zheng: "The matter in Hexi is related to the life and death of my Wei family. Let me tell you too!"

Wei Zheng is Wei Yan's brother, only two years younger than him, and he is very mature and steady in his work. He has been considering the Helong Incident. When he saw his elder brother ask him, he said frankly: "I agree with Minister Jiang's opinion. To prevent Cui and Pei families from taking advantage of the situation, this matter is urgent and needs to be discussed for a long time. I think my elder brother should think of taking back Huijun first. One way to block Zhang Huan in Hexi, the other way to prevent Zhang and Duan from joining forces. What do you think?"

Wei Yan lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then nodded, "You are right, so I will act steadily. Now it's cold and the earth is frozen. Zhang Huan can attack Hexi, but he can't use sneak attacks to Longyou, so he won't use troops again. I decided to send an envoy to test Zhang Huan's words before making a decision."

Wei Zheng smiled, "I asked the court for a month's leave. I have nothing to do, so why not just go for my elder brother!"

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

Wuwei County, the blizzard that had been raging for several days stopped three days ago. The snow was sunny after the snow. The red sun shone on the snow, faint and lacked enthusiasm. The streets were filled with people who went out to clean. Three days ago, someone knocked on the door door and told them that the newly appointed governor of Wuwei County, the imperial court, had taken office. He understood the suffering of the people and encouraged everyone to go to the street to sweep the snow. He could earn fifty cents a day. Although the money was not much, a large number of people still fucked them.

After a few days of cleaning, the streets of Wuwei County finally became lively. Taverns, teahouses, brothels, and inns opened one after another. Although the business was deserted, there was hope when the door was opened. Many customers were family members sent by wealthy families to inquire about the news. The wealthy families knew more than ordinary people. Wuwei changed the world, and the small families had no impact, but the wealthy families were different. Warlords in troubled times were often the fat sheep that were slaughtered first.

The four gates of the city were closed, only the south gate was open, and there was a rare sight outside the city. In the distance was a vast white land. A group of hundreds of cavalrymen protected a carriage and slowly entered the city. In a carriage in front, Pei Ying was pulling the curtains and watching the people shoveling snow with interest. Many people stopped and looked at the fairy-like woman in surprise. In a carriage behind her, the original wife of Tianbao County, the rather strange Yang Feiyu. Her face was gloomy and her eyes were complicated.

At this time, Lin Jiuhan brought a team of cavalry to usher from afar. He stepped forward and bowed to Pei Ying and said, "Madam, the governor is receiving an envoy from Anbei Army. I will order me to take you to the mansion first."

Although Pei Ying was just a prospective wife, she liked her very much. She pursed her lips and smiled, "Then I'll trouble General Lin."

Lin Jiuhan scratched the back of his head and smiled and said, "Madam, I call me Lao Lin, I can't be a general."

At this time, Yang Feiyu behind pointed to the working people and asked, "Do you pay for them to shovel the snow, who is the idea?"

Lin Jiuhan glanced at her and said coldly: "This is a major military and political matter, and outsiders are not allowed to ask about it."

Yang Feiyu was robbed and her face turned red. She pulled the curtains on the floor. However, Lin Jiuhan's explanation to Pei Ying was heard in his ears, "Madam, this is the idea of ​​Mr. Du, the new aide of the governor. Spending money to let the people work can reduce their fear and stabilize the situation as soon as possible."

Yang Feiyu couldn't help but bit her teeth secretly, and a strange thought suddenly arose in her heart.

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

Wuwei County has five counties under its jurisdiction, with a total population of more than 100,000, and a central governor. Generally speaking, the governor serves as the governor. He is a military and political system, and his subordinates are also two teams and one team. The governor's yamen and the governor's yamen are naturally together. They are located next to the small schoolyard in the middle of the city, covering an area of ​​more than 100 acres. In front is the official residence behind the bureau, which is quite imposing.

At this moment, Zhang Huan was in the inner hall of the government office to meet Duan Xiushi's special envoy. Under his head, Zhang Huanxin's aide Du Mei, was the judge of the Anbei Army. He was named Ma Xingzhong, a middle-aged man in his forties. He was a Jinshi in his third year of Qingzhi. He looked gentle and had delicate skin. He could not tell at all that he was an official in the army. He had no majesty and murderous aura. He had thin eyebrows and eyes, and looked like a teacher.

Although he was a special envoy, the purpose of his trip was to submit a handwritten letter from Duan Xiushi to Zhang Huan, and then explain Zhang Huan's confusion in the letter. The letter was written very thickly, with thousands of words. It started with gratitude to Zhang Huan, but the next one was a long discussion about what his ancestors were like, what he had in a certain classic, and how he quoted from classics. But after all, he had only one meaning to say that Zhang Huan was loyal to the court and must not be able to do separatist affairs. At the end of the letter, he hoped that the two families would form an alliance to deal with Wei's counterattack.

Zhang Huan looked at it for a quarter of an hour before he finished reading the letter patiently. He closed the letter and smiled at Ma Xingzhong, "Speaking of it, I have the same friendship as General Duan, and I am loyal to Your Majesty. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the Helong area has been divided into Shuofang, Hexi and Longyou. It is clearly divided into two parts. How can it be monopolized by a family? Therefore, I will cooperate with General Duan in both public and private. Please ask Judge Ma to tell General Duan to reassure him."

Ma Xingzhong smiled, "My old general knew that the governor would agree readily, so I didn't need to think about anything, just hand over the letter."

Speaking of this, Ma Xingzhong sighed slightly and said, "General Duan often tells me that the younger generation he admires the most is the governor. If the late emperor had not necessarily taken the governor away, he would have accepted the governor as his closed disciple. Unfortunately, God did not give him this opportunity. Fortunately, he is lucky to meet again. General Duan hopes that when will the governor go to Lingwu meeting for a while and reminisce about his old love. He was once the governor of Hexi, and he can also give guidance to the governor. What should the governor see?"

Zhang Huan sneered in his heart. He first made a long statement in his letter to be loyal to the emperor and patriotism, but now he wanted to take the title of master and apprentice. After all, Duan Xiushi just wanted to use the names of old ministers of the four dynasties and the Anbei University Protector to suppress himself, so that he would become his subordinate and obey his orders. What kind of good things are like in the world? He smiled faintly and said, "Now the governor's military and political affairs are heavy, and he really can't get enough time. Let's go long!"

After pondering for a while, he continued: I have another word to ask Judge Ma to tell you together."

Seeing that Zhang Huan rejected Duan Xiushi's invitation, Ma Xingzhong felt a little disappointed, so he forced a smile, "Please tell me, Governor!"

Zhang Huan's face slowly became gloomy. He said in a slightly cold tone: "Wulu still needs literary attacks to support each other. Although General Duan took Lingwu, his reputation was not right. If he could not be recognized by the court, not to mention that Wei Yan was famous for his troops, he might not be able to station in Lingwu for a long time. Therefore, the next thing is not to think about how to expand his power, but to find a way to truly turn Lingwu County into his own territory."

Ma Xingzhong's face turned slightly red. He understood the implication of Zhang Huan's words. Zhang Huan was the governor of Liangzhou officially appointed by the court, but you, Duan Xiushi, are not justified. You, should take care of yourself first. This is an implicit warning Duan Xiushi not to attack Hexi.

He sighed in his heart, and stood up and saluted Zhang Huanchang, "Governor Zhang is willing to form an alliance with General Duan and deal with Wei Yan together. This is the most urgent matter for our two families. If you lose your lips and teeth, you should work together."

Zhang Huan also stood up and bowed and smiled, "As long as General Duan is sincere, everything will be easy to say!"

Ma Xingzhong rushed back to reply, but refused to stay too late. He immediately took Zhang Huan's reply and said goodbye. After he left, Zhang Huan returned to the inner hall and shook his head at Du Mei, "It seems that Duan Xiushi is also a wolf!"

Du Mei smiled and said, "It's no wonder Duan Xiushi has to put on the airs of an elder. The governor has only been in the army for a year, and even a soldier is not as qualified as a soldier. In one step, which court official can convince him? Not to mention Duan Xiushi, the veteran of the four dynasties who had been the governor of the four towns of Hexi and Anxi, was the one who had been the governor of the four towns of Anxi."

Speaking of this, he secretly looked at Zhang Huan's face, and when he saw him smiling without saying a word, he mustered up the courage and said, "The governor fled from Chang'an to Hedong, from Hedong to Longyou, and finally ran to a remote small county. To put it nicely, he was looking for the foundation, to put it bluntly, he was as anxious as a dog that was a broken family. At least Lu Sigong thought so, he didn't take the governor seriously at all, so Duan Xiushi asked you to subordinate him. I don't think he wanted to plan for Hexi, but a natural idea. The governor must not have a estrangement from Duan Xiushi, so that Wei Yan can benefit from it!"

Zhang Huan nodded silently. Du Mei was right. Some things were in it and he didn't know. There must be someone who understands it. This is the role of the staff. He bowed to Du Mei with gratitude and smiled: "Thank you, sir, for reminding me, but Zhang Huan is not as frustrated as a dog with a broken family!"

Du Mei felt relieved of a hung heart, and he quickly smiled and said, "This is Lu Sigong's original words. My subordinates are just reposting them. However, the governor is so determined and decisive and ruthless. Now he is doing good deeds and is now able to make a conclusion. The land of Helong will sooner or later belong to the governor."

Zhang Huan laughed loudly, "I love to hear these words."

He strode into the inner hall, waved his hand and smiled, "Sir, please sit down, let's discuss how to deal with the Wei family?"

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

．

The governor's residence and the bureau's office are separated by a wall. The layout of the bureau's office is square, with each room distributed along a central axis, while the official residence is different. It emphasizes twists and turns, and the layout is staggered. The pavilions, towers, rockery and fish ponds are all hidden among clusters of green trees. There is no green at this time, and the red walls and black tiles set off the white snow, which has a unique charm.

Zhang Huan's inner house is located in the middle of the official residence, consisting of eight or nine houses. On both sides of the inner house are guest rooms and the residences of the people. There are more than twenty houses to the west, which are the residences of the guards.

Although there were not many rooms in the inner house, Pei Ying still seemed too spacious. She followed Zhang Huan all the way, and there were no other items in the box or cage. Although Yang Feiyu gave her some items in Tianbao County, she did not bring them this time. She felt very uncomfortable facing the empty room.

"Madam, it turns out that this place is where Lord Xin's concubines live. When they returned to Jincheng County, they took everything away." The person who spoke was an old housekeeper named Yan. After Xin Yunjing left, he and his wife were left to guard the inner house.

"It's okay to take it away. I'll throw away the things they used." Pei Ying looked at the empty sleeping couch and sighed in her heart. Even though she said that, what should I do tonight? She thought about it and asked, "Is there a shop selling daily necessities nearby?"

"No need, I've made all arrangements." Zhang Huan's voice suddenly came from the door. Pei Ying hurriedly turned around and saw Zhang Huan standing at the door open, looking at her with a smile.

A small separation is better than a newlywed. After not seeing each other for five or six days, Pei Ying's longing for her lover has long been unforgettable. At this time, she could no longer control the excitement in her heart. Regardless of the presence of the old housekeeper and maid, she threw herself into her lover's arms and hugged him tightly without saying a word. Tears immediately surged out.

Zhang Huan gently stroked her hair and said softly: "I have lived in the military camp these days. I thought you would arrive tomorrow, so I didn't have a room set up and I have already bought the things."

He pulled Pei Ying to the outside of the inner house, and saw hundreds of large cages filled with vacant land. Notes were posted on the cages, with words such as dormitory, living room, study, wing room, etc., all of which had been allocated one by one. Fifty or sixty personal soldiers stood aside. They were ready to hand in the arrangements after a command.

Seeing that Zhang Huan was ready, Pei Ying was happy and hurriedly said to her personal soldiers: "I will clean up the dormitory myself, and everyone can do other rooms."

The wife's words were sometimes more effective than the governor. The personal soldiers responded with a loud bang, and they started to work together. Pei Ying was about to enter the house. When Zhang Huan saw that it was still early, he grabbed her and smiled and said, "It's still early, I'll take you to buy some jewelry and pendants."

Pei Ying certainly knew that this was Zhang Huan who wanted to find an opportunity to talk to her. She smiled and nodded heavily, like a happy bird, pulled Zhang Huan out and ran out. She waited for their figures to disappear, and a pair of jealous eyes slowly flashed out of the room next to her.

．

．
To be continued...