Chapter 534 Go to the backyard and take a look
The weather suddenly changed last night, and the first snow fell, and the entire Qinling Mountains looked like a blanket of white. Zhao Yulin counted on his fingers and found that it was almost snowing heavily.
This mountain and this scenery are truly ever-changing in all four seasons.
Before they had walked three miles, the two little boys' faces had turned red like apples from the cold. He asked the little guys how they felt, and whether they were uncomfortable.
Gao Yutian said he was not afraid, his father said that it was even colder in the north of the desert, and if you went out of the tent in the freezing cold, your ears would get cold. All the children of the northern barbarians who were tall enough to ride on a big wheel were sent to the battlefield.
Zhao Yulin asked him with a smile: Didn't his father tell him that the cold in Mobei is so bitter and cold that his little brother will freeze to death if he goes out to pee?
The guards around immediately burst into laughter.
Seeing Gao Yutian’s embarrassed look, Hao Zhongliang said: Uncle Gao must have told you so.
Everyone laughed again.
Zhao Yulin said to Gao Yutian: His father loved to call them "Northern Barbarians, Northern Barbarians". We should respect our opponents. They are grassland people. The grassland empire also has countless warriors.
We must respect our opponents so that we can better defeat them.
The young man said nothing and followed Zhao Yulin closely.
Three days later, the group arrived in Yangzhou and saw Meng Gong waiting there with Lu Huacai's two children.
Meng Gong told him that it was Madam Lu who didn't want the children to go with her because she was too sad, so she wanted him to lead the children here and wait for his brother to go with him.
Zhao Yulin and Wu Yuqi stepped forward and held the child's hands, but the child broke free and knelt down and kowtowed three times to them. The boy glanced at the little girl next to him and shouted: Call us daddy and mommy.
The two children immediately opened their mouths and made childish sounds.
Tears welled up in Zhao Yulin and Wu Yuqi's eyes and they immediately squatted down and held the baby in their arms.
Meng Gong knew that both Wu Yuqi and he were injured, so he patted the child and said, "Come down quickly, Uncle Zhao and Aunt Wu are still injured."
The two children immediately struggled to get off them.
Zhao Yulin didn't dare to look at the child. He patted his shoulder and told him and his sister to take the bus.
Yuqi then took the two children's hands and led them to the carriage.
When everyone arrived in the city, Meng Gong said with a smile that they were about to leave Yangzhou, so how about going to Linshui Street today to try Yangzhou's beggar's chicken?
Zhao Yulin laughed and said, "The general has given an order, and we must execute it."
He asked the two young men beside him if it was true?
Gao Yutian immediately replied: "Yes, I will obey the general's order." This is called "obeying orders and enforcing prohibitions."
Meng Gong was very happy and laughed loudly. He rode his horse in front.
As soon as Zhao Yulin and his friends arrived at Beggar's Chicken, they occupied all the empty seats there, leaving some of the brothers with no choice but to look for food everywhere.
Wu Yuqi pulled Lu Huacai's children to sit next to her, and Meng Gong told them: The son is Lu Yongzhi, nine years old, and the daughter is Lu Yongfang, five years old, both are well-behaved.
While they were still talking, his daughter Lu Yongfang pulled Zhao Yulin's hand and asked for chicken legs.
He smiled and said, "Yongfang is still young, let's let her eat first." He tore off a chicken leg and passed it to her. Everyone quickly started working.
After the meal, they stayed at the post station. Meng Gong invited him for tea and told him that the battle in Hedong was a thrilling and enjoyable one. He had nothing else to ask for in his life and decided to resign.
Zhao Yulin was stunned, and the tea in his hand froze in his place before he even drank it. He put down the tea bowl and asked Meng Gong what was wrong? What was wrong with what he did? He asked the general to make such a decision.
Meng Gong said no, he really wanted to resign. A few days ago, he was in Guanghuo Street and took out the newly made Qinglong Yanyue Sword to use, but he sprained his waist.
It seems that I have to accept my age.
Zhao Yulin didn't know whether it was true or not, and looked at Lao Meng in confusion.
Meng Gongcai told Zhao Yulin about how he and Lao Cao saw the Qinling Mountains filled with morning glow and the scorching sun on the Guanghuo Street, and how they were so excited that they danced with spears and swords on the top of the mountain. Zhao Yulin laughed non-stop, making fun of how they were both famous kings and generals but still looked like young boys.
Meng Gong said very happily: He is really old. He knew that the big knife brother had specially instructed to reduce the weight of 20 kilograms and make it only 60 kilograms. He couldn't bear it when dancing.
Zhao Yulin knew that Meng Gong's body was covered with scars and his physical condition had weakened as he grew older.
He said: If I don't want to do it, then don't do it. But I can't just enjoy my life doing nothing. I'd better go to Taijiantang and help him guard against those busybodies coming from Lin'an together with Cao Gong.
Meng Gong happily said that this was what he meant. There weren't many things to do in Taijian Hall, and he could still handle it, so it was just the right time to share his brother's worries.
Zhao Yulin thanked Lao Meng with a smile and toasted him with tea instead of wine.
On New Year's Eve, Zhao Yulin hurried back to Chengdu. Hulan Du had already given birth to a good girl. The girl was so happy that she asked him to hold the child and name her.
He laughed and said: If you follow his advice, we can name her Zhao Guanglan. It contains the word "Lan" like Hu Lan, which sounds sweet to our daughter.
All the girls praised him for his good speaking skills.
Shunzhidi said proudly: She knew that her brother would give this name.
Yangjin burst into laughter, "Zhao Guangshun, Zhao Guangzhi," and asked Shunzhidi, "Since you keep your brother so close to you, do you want to give birth to a Zhao Guangdi?"
Zhidi went to tickle Yangjin immediately.
Zhao Yulin knew that it would be troublesome if his women gathered together, so he immediately left under the pretext of taking a shower.
In the evening, the family changed into formal wear and went out to attend the New Year celebrations. Walking on the street, Zhao Yulin found that the streets of Chengdu had changed a lot. The shops and streets were much cleaner and tidier. The rows of big red lanterns made the city look particularly beautiful, and it didn't seem so cold anymore.
After several years of expansion, the Chengdu Central Court's institutions have become increasingly complete, and the newly built public housing in Jinguan City is bustling with people coming and going.
Shunzhidi pointed to a row of official buildings and told him: Sister Yangjin suggested that the various departments of the Central Council add a lot of judges to work, and Jinguan City is almost full of officials working there.
Zhao Yulin said with a smile: Our New Song is a big country with a population of nearly 100 million. Naturally, we need a lot of people to govern it. When we have recovered all the territory in the future, we will rebuild a larger central government.
Chen Chen was delighted and said to him: Leave this matter to me, I guarantee it will be handled properly, I have experience.
Yangjin said with a laugh: Sister has experience in everything, so let’s hurry up and have another child.
The girls laughed, but Zhao Yulin kept silent.
Zhao Yulin arrived at the meeting hall. The huge banquet hall was already filled with officials of all levels.
After summarizing the achievements of the past year, King Zhao Feiyan particularly emphasized the brilliant record of the New Song army in resisting the southward invasion of the grassland empire, defeating the enemy, liberating Linzhou, and recovering Hedong. He wanted the people of the New Song to know that it was the countless New Song warriors who fought one after another and sacrificed their lives for the country that brought about the peaceful days in Jinguan City where everyone could discuss state affairs together.
Zhao Feiyan proposed: All gentlemen should bow three times to General Lu Huacai, the general of the escort flag, and bow three times to the brave warriors of the New Song Dynasty to express their condolences.
Zhao Yulin was very satisfied. Zhao Feiyan became more and more mature under Yang Jin's guidance. The New Year's Eve Talk Party had more and more flavor of later times, and it brought together more and more people with lofty ideals to serve the country. It was very good.
He accompanied Feiyan to toast the elders, and they drank with the gentlemen until they were slightly tipsy before leaving.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Yulin took his wife and children to Lingxiao Pavilion. He saw Lu Huacai's wife and two children there. He pulled the children to his side and said: Huacai sacrificed herself for him, and he would raise the children.
Mrs. Lu sobbed and shook her head, saying: Hua Cai died for the country, Third Young Master, please don't blame yourself. She was going back to Yibin to handle Hua Cai's funeral, and she would not come back after she was done, so she asked Third Young Master to raise the child.
Zhao Yulin came back yesterday and handed the two children to Mrs. Lu so that the mother and children could be reunited. Seeing Mrs. Lu's sad face, it was indeed not appropriate for the children to stay with her.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Feiyan immediately went over to support Mrs. Lu and talked to her, telling her not to worry, that the two children were her children and she would take good care of them.
Zhao Yulin told the children about the achievements of Zhu Congwen, Li Yunqing and Lu Huacai, who were enshrined in the pavilion, and asked them to burn incense, kowtow and remember them all.
When they got back, Shunzhidi told him that Lord Cao felt guilty about the death of his elder brother Huacai, and he blamed himself in front of all the gentlemen while drinking in Taijian Hall.
Zhao Yulin believes that fighting a war is like playing chess. Who can accurately predict the opponent's next move? Don't blame anyone.
He sighed and said: What has passed has passed, and we still have to continue to move forward with our burdens.
He asked Yangjin to take the children back to have a good time. It was New Year, and the children couldn't miss the taste of New Year. He went to Cao Youwen's house with Zhao Feiyan.
Old Cao was drinking with Meng Gong, and when they saw them arrive, they immediately invited them to sit down. Mrs. Cao happily went to the kitchen to add more dishes.
Meng Gong raised his glass and called one person away, then said: He was discussing with Cao Gong and proposed to increase the pension for the fallen soldiers. Our country has had good weather in the past two years, so it should be possible.
Zhao Feiyan nodded and told them that the treasury was full and that it would work. Although our cavalry suffered heavy losses in the battle of Linzhou, we also captured a large number of horses. The report submitted by the Ministry of War analyzed that after we recover Linzhou and liberate the serfs, many grassland warriors who are skilled in riding and shooting will join our Shenwei Army cavalry, and it will not cost too much money to rebuild the cavalry of the new Song Dynasty.
When Lao Cao heard Zhao Feiyan talking about the Linzhou cavalry under his command, his face immediately darkened.
He fought a fierce battle at Mount Nailung, and only less than 20,000 of his 40,000 cavalry were left, which was equivalent to crippling the main cavalry of the Shenwei Army.
Cavalry is different from infantry. They cannot go into battle just by learning to wield a sword or draw a bow.
It is a highly difficult technique for a rider to fire a volley on horseback. To be able to shoot easily on horseback and then to shoot accurately, one must practice for a long time to become a real cavalryman.
Meng Gong said with some worry: This time the Mongolian army was defeated in Linzhou, and the grassland empire lost Hedong again. Your friends and Kuoduan suffered a big setback and will definitely hate our New Song.
Now, your friend has become the master of the grassland again and has concentrated the power of the empire in his hands. Will he go south with all he has to take revenge on our New Song?
