Chapter 495: Fat Crucian Carp with Patchouli
At this time, the chief clerk came in and bowed to report: The crucian carp is ready, please invite Lord Cao and Commander Zhao to sit down and have dinner. The chef said that it is more delicious if you eat it while it is hot.
Lao Cao said with a smile that was of course, stood up and asked the leader to lead the way, and the two of them went to the back hall to have their meal.
The county magistrate brought a jar of Wu Gu Feng to serve them both wine, but was stopped by Lao Cao, who told the magistrate that the Huoxiang crucian carp was wild and inexpensive, but Wu Gu Feng was too expensive.
The Ministry of Personnel has already issued an official document requiring officials to practice strict economy when traveling and not to drink alcohol in the middle of the day.
After saying that, he actually lowered his head and praised: This crucian carp is fat, and then he started to concentrate on eating the fish.
The county magistrate was left standing there in an idiot manner.
Zhao Yulin smiled and said that they had to travel after dinner, so the wine would not be served.
After they had lunch, he said that time was running out and they had to hurry and reach Qingcheng Mountain before dark.
The county magistrate immediately reported: This year, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System has diverted all the water to the Neijiang River for irrigation. The water level in the Jinma River is still low. The two adults can cross the river via the Yushi Dike and pass by the Shiyangchang on the opposite side to get to Qingcheng Mountain, which is much closer. You will definitely arrive before sunset.
Lao Cao was amused and asked him if he wanted to wade across the river.
Zhao Yulin asked why not, and went to Qingcheng Mountain via Shiyangchang.
The county magistrate had already called on the county lieutenant and a team of patrol detectives to lead the way, and everyone rode their horses straight to the Jade Dike. The river was indeed very shallow, and even the stones on the riverbed were not submerged.
Lao Cao was overjoyed and rode his horse across the river.
As soon as he got ashore, Lao Cao drove away Wenjiang's guide and wanted to talk to Zhao Yulin alone.
Zhao Yulin knew that this was the key point. The two of them went to sit in the thatched pavilion on the shore. The guards had cleared the area, leaving Ke Zhenxie alone to wait from a distance.
Lao Cao told Zhao Yulin that Guiyou, the biological son of the Grassland Empress, had returned to the royal court. Intelligence showed that a large number of troops returning from the Western Regions were heading south to join the expanding army garrisoning in the south of the desert. He was worried that the family of Ogedei would cause trouble in the northwest after their strength increased, so he had to go to the north to have a look.
Zhao Yulin nodded and said: Don't worry. Your friend's soldiers have traveled all the way east and have only walked thousands of miles. The men and horses must be thinner. They need to eat grass for at least two months before they can run.
However, no matter how Zhao Yulin tried to persuade him, Lao Cao didn't want to delay any longer. He told him that he was annoyed by the noise in Taijian Hall and let him go out for some fresh air.
Seeing Lao Cao's miserable look, he was speechless and suggested to Lao Cao that he take a few officials from the research office with him to go out and take a look. This way they could provide cover and not feel lonely.
Lao Cao laughed and said: "Great! Brother has a way." He went back and prepared to pack up and set off.
The two of them reached a consensus and set off immediately. While the sun was still high in the sky, they arrived at Jianfu Palace in Qingcheng Mountain.
The open space on both sides of the mountain gate was full of guards camping everywhere. Zhao Yulin roughly estimated that there were at least three thousand people. He began to sigh that it would be exhausting for the entire army to just march to the Central Court.
When I entered the door, I found that Zhao Feiyan, Yangjin and Shunzhidi had all arrived early.
Zhidi told him: This time, the great professors from the Central Academy, Taijian Hall and Caotang Academy are all here. Our king has instructed that an outing cannot be just drinking and climbing mountains, but also involves handling government affairs.
Let's forget about tonight. Starting tomorrow, we will discuss state affairs in the morning and go hiking in the afternoon. We will only be allowed to drink at the dinner party. You must follow the arrangements, brother.
Mom, you really are the ruler of a country. You have to set rules even for an outing.
Zhao Yulin said to Zhao Feiyan with a smile: I obey your order. How dare I disobey you?
Zhao Feiyan nodded seriously.
Yangjin couldn't help laughing when she saw Feiyan pretending to be so pretentious.
Zhidi pulled Zhao Yulin up and told him to take a shower and change clothes quickly because the dinner was about to begin.
Zhao Yulin changed his clothes and came to the banquet hall. A large table was full of people. Zhao Feiyan said happily that it was all thanks to Mr. Ding. The old man suggested that we visit famous mountains to recuperate for a few days so that we have time to get together. Please keep giving me advice in the future.
Then he picked up his glass and asked for a toast.
Everyone laughed happily, and the whole room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses.
After three rounds of drinking, Feiyan pulled Yangjin and Zhidi together and asked Zhao Yulin to toast with them. She wanted to have a drink with each adult.
Fairy Banban, this is incredible.
Zhao Yulin followed behind happily, circling around the table.
When they came to Shi's son, he had already stood up. Feiyan said with a smile that the four members of her family would like to toast to Mr. Shi and wish him good health and all the best in Chengdu. So they should drink.
Yangjin and Shunzhidi also asked Mr. Shi to toast with a smile.
Zhao Yulin said with a smile that he was busy with work and had not hosted a welcoming party for Mr. Shi, so he made up for it today. Then he raised his glass and drank it all.
Shi's son was flattered and quickly drank the wine in his glass.
After returning to her seat, Zhao Feiyan talked about her new requirements and announced that a half-day meeting would be held every day.
The officials kept expressing their approval, especially the one who proposed the outing, Mr. Ding. The old man said: "Good, very good. We are all important officials of the country. We can't just spend the money from the court and think about having fun."
Haha, these people’s brains work really quickly.
The next day, everyone sat together to discuss state affairs. Zhao Feiyan said with a smile that today we should talk about state affairs freely. Then she called on Zhao Yulin to speak first, asking him to talk about the future state affairs.
How should we respond?
Cao Youwen immediately followed up and said, "Yes, yes, yes, brother, tell me more."
Mr. Ding and Mr. Li also greeted him: Just talk, young man.
Zhao Yulin wondered why his wife had become a traitor to her husband today, asking him to speak as soon as he sat down at the table. He really thought Zhao Feiyan wanted to discuss matters, and he was totally unprepared.
Zhao Yulin was helpless. He took a sip of tea with a smile before saying: Everyone in the military knows that the Crown Prince Guiyou of the Grassland Empire has led an army of 100,000 back to the royal court, and he is here to inherit the Khan throne.
However, his mother would certainly not give up power immediately.
Because Lemazhen has just come to power and definitely wants to have some fun.
Everyone began to talk among themselves.
Li Gong asked him: Why are you so sure that the empress of the grassland will not hand over power? The empress had spent so much effort in the past, wasn't it just for her son to inherit the Khan's throne?
Zhao Yulin said calmly: This is the evil habit of monarchical dictatorship. Once these people sit on the throne, they want to rule the country forever and live forever for ten thousand years. How could they not do it easily?
Unlike our new Song Dynasty, which no longer has an emperor, we adopt a recommendation system with a term of office. Lord Ding and Lord Cao abdicated before even completing their term of office.
Everyone immediately started discussing with laughter.
After taking a sip of tea, Zhao Yulin continued: Your friend's army is entering Linzhou and Datong Prefecture to garrison, and its strength will be greatly increased after joining forces with the expanded troops. Regardless of whether he inherits the Khan throne or not, he will be a huge threat to our New Song.
After he inherits the Khan throne, he will mobilize the power of the grassland empire and march south to continue plundering and causing trouble on the border.
If he had not inherited the Khan throne, he would also have concentrated his family's military forces to attack southward and occupy territory. The grasslands in northern Shaanxi are vast, and the Hetao Plain is an excellent pasture for raising cattle and sheep, so it naturally became the focus of your friend's attack.
We must prepare actively for war.
As for Shandong, after we repaired the Cunjin Dike, we used the river to actually assign Shandong to our New Song Dynasty. The princes and ministers of the grassland empire should be very clear that it is only a matter of time before that place is lost, and it will soon return to the arms of our Song people.
Everyone laughed knowingly after hearing this.
However, Shi's son thought that they should not be careless, because Li Quan, the leader of the Shandong army, was a martial arts expert, and he had many capable and brave generals around him.
Lao Cao said disapprovingly: Although Li Quan is a good fighter, our Shenwei Army is not a coward. The reason why we did not attack Shandong immediately is because we did not want to cause a huge massacre. Yulin brother ordered Kaifeng to continue to build the Cunjin Dike in order to make the military and civilians in Shandong wake up and consciously return to our New Song.
When Shi's son heard what Lao Cao said, he was immediately frustrated. This guy was a separatist king when he was in charge of Liangzhe. He was ignorant of the current situation and only jumped up and wanted to return to the New Song Dynasty when the fire was burning from his trouser legs to his buttocks.
Hua Yue of the Censorate was full of confidence. He believed that as long as the Yellow River changed its course and rushed forward to cut off the connection between Shandong and Zhending Prefecture in Hebei, the recovery of Shandong would be a foregone conclusion.
We can continue to intensify our outcry against Shandong, urging them to abandon darkness and join the light and surrender as soon as possible.
Zhao Yulin nodded, thinking that this was the key point.
Zhao Feiyan said with a smile: This is such a great kindness. Our New Song Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous. We should do our best to protect the border and fight against the northern barbarians and recover the mountains and rivers of the Song Dynasty as soon as possible.
Lao Cao said happily that he would go straight to Huanglong and drink with you guys, hahahaha.
Everyone was laughing.
Zhao Yulin went on to say: As long as we work hard and steadily, and in the absence of major natural disasters, he believes that within three years, or at most five years, we will be able to recover all the lost territories, and we can even attack the desert to rescue our abducted fellow Song compatriots.
Everyone was excited and followed Cao to recite Yue Fei's "Man Jiang Hong".
Zhao Feiyan also had a look of joy on her face, and asked everyone to work together to complete the tasks at hand and strive to recover all the territory as soon as possible.
In the afternoon, Feiyan asked Zhao Yulin to accompany the beauties to climb the mountain, to see who could reach Tianshi Cave first, and he was not allowed to practice Qigong. The three women climbed thirty feet before they shouted and started, climbing up.
Damn, this is too bullying.
It's clear that he won't win.
Zhao Yulin received the order, raised his legs and climbed up desperately.
In Huaxi Village outside the west gate of Chengdu, Hulan and Aqian were walking in the countryside, visiting the common people’s homes.
The two men walked past the house construction site at the west end, checked the progress of the construction and the number of workers on the site, then looked at each courtyard one by one, and were about to rush back to the Zhang family courtyard for lunch.
A Qian asked her why she didn't follow Commander Zhao to go to Qingcheng Mountain for some fun?
Hu Lan asked A Qian why she didn't go either?
A Qian said that they are all high-ranking officials at the level of the head of state or vice-head of state. We are of low official rank and not high enough level, so how can we have the nerve to get involved?
Hu Lan laughed and said that it was all the same. They went to Qingcheng Mountain to discuss confidential state affairs. We also have a lot of things to do here, such as spring ploughing, preparation for plowing, house repair and construction, digging ditches and building roads. Each of them is an important matter.
We are busy with our work, why should we go?
