Chapter 618: The Mongolian Envoy Watching the Fire Well
Miao Gui nodded with a smile.
He said: In this way, the army can recruit new soldiers and demobilize old soldiers. Some soldiers have never returned home since they put on their military uniforms. We should also consider such brothers and formulate a charter to properly place them.
The gentlemen all nodded and drank tea.
Zhao Feiyan went on to say: Our new Song court cannot do things like hiding away the good bows when the birds are all gone. The Shenwei Army set out from Yibin, overcame all obstacles along the way and fought for the country. Every soldier is a great contributor.
Hua Yue and Yu Jie followed suit and supported Zhao Yulin's proposal to ensure that military affairs were handled well.
Zhao Yulin was very satisfied and said to Miao Gui: "A country cannot be without soldiers for a day. The army must be able to come when called, fight when they come, and win when they fight. We cannot be proud and complacent because we defeated the Mongolian army, lose our vigilance and make mistakes."
Miao Gui's expression immediately became serious and he reported to him that he would arrange it right away.
Seeing that everything was agreed upon, Zhao Feiyan said happily that they could finally have a relaxing year this year. Everyone should set their shifts and take a good rest. Now it's time to go home.
The two of them went out to Huaxi Village, where Chengdu prefect Chen Chen was bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year with a banquet for his officials.
In Qiongzhou, the prefect Hu Lan also hosted a banquet at the Wenjun Restaurant opened by Chen Liu, but the guests were a large delegation from the grassland empire.
When Jinzhu heard that the Mongolian envoy was coming to dine, she immediately frowned and her chest was burning with anger. Chen Liu saw her expression and thought of his elder brother Ma Yuan who died in the battle, and he also looked unhappy.
The loyal guards around him said: Mongolian envoys are Mongolian envoys, war is war, and Mrs. Hulan is still a grassland person. Second Young Master, you must distinguish them clearly. If we don't receive them here, no one will be willing to receive the grassland delegation in Qiongzhou.
Chen Liu thought for a moment, took Jinzhu's hand and said: Since Hulan's mother asked us to arrange the meal, then let's do it and live up to the dignity of our New Song Dynasty.
The couple took care of it themselves and quickly got busy.
Inside the government office, Hulan was receiving the Mongolian envoy. The person in charge was called Wang Han, who was speaking to Hulan very humbly, praising the good government and harmonious people in Qiongzhou under the governor's rule, and the people living in peace and contentment.
An envoy named Han Ketian sat in the back row, looking at Hulan intently and nodding frequently.
Hulan felt that these Mongolian envoys who came to Qiongzhou were not like the ones she had seen in the royal court when she was a child, where each of them was arrogant and domineering. Instead, they were a bit like the Han envoys, who were all well-educated, polite and well-behaved.
After Wang Han finished speaking , she was very pleased and said happily: The New Song Dynasty is so large that there are countless Qiongzhous like the one under her rule, and there are colleagues who are more diligent and wise than her and do better.
Then Hu Lan gave a detailed introduction to the basic situation of Qiongzhou, including population, fields, taxes, etc. He said with particular pride that a natural gas demonstration zone had just been established in Huojing County of Qiongzhou. In half a year, several large workshops for salt production and wine making were built. People were using natural gas to make fire and cook. If Envoy Wang was interested, he could take a look.
Wang Han immediately turned his head habitually to look at Han Ke Tian in the back row, who immediately nodded and lowered his head.
Hu Lan looked at this scene with some surprise.
Wang Han then said that he had read in the newspaper that your country's Commander Zhao dug a well himself and found a top-quality fire well in Qiongzhou, and he was just about to request to see it. It was great.
Hu Lan was very pleased to hear this and said with a smile that it was not difficult. A cable bridge has been built across the Baimo River and it will be very fast to go back and forth. He would invite everyone to go and have a look tomorrow.
He then invited the Mongolian envoy to have dinner at Wenjun Hotel.
The Mongolian envoys were very happy to eat authentic beggar's chicken and Korean kimchi.
Hulan found that all the envoys were respectful to the envoy named Han Ketian, and he became curious. Logically, these people, including Han Ketian, should respect the chief envoy Wanghan, so why was it the other way around?
The little girl began to pay attention.
After the meal, Hu Lan walked behind the guests while seeing them off and observed carefully. It would have been fine if she hadn't looked, but when she did, she was shocked. She felt that Hanketian was her biological brother Hubili.
The young woman's blood pressure soared, her heart beat violently, and a look of nervousness immediately appeared on her face.
Chen Liu and Jin Zhu were beside her. Seeing Hu Lan's expression change, the couple became nervous. Chen Liu asked her with concern: "Little mother, what's wrong?"
Hu Lan woke up immediately and shook his head vigorously, saying no, no, today's Wenjun Restaurant was decorated so beautifully, it brought honor to our Qiongzhou Governor, and all the expenses were paid by the government.
Jinzhu immediately smiled and said that it was what they should do and she would not charge a penny.
Hu Lan shook his head vigorously and told them that the court had expenses and they should reimburse them according to the actual expenses. It was necessary.
When she got back, she called her guard captain Bart to her side and gave him instructions.
In Huaxi Village in the western suburbs of Chengdu, Chen Chen was entertaining government officials with a firewood chicken feast in the bamboo forest. When he saw Zhao Yulin and Feiyan, he immediately welcomed them to the main seat. After Zhao Feiyan praised the achievements of Chengdu Prefecture this year, Chen Chen shouted for a banquet and invited all officials to toast the king Zhao Feiyan.
Zhao Yulin was speechless when he saw the sisters' pretentious politeness.
Haha, this is the officialdom and the drinking world. After two glasses of wine, he went out to look for his good daughter Wu Jing.
When Zhu Fugui saw him walking over, he immediately called Wu Jing, and the couple immediately went up to catch Zhao Yulin. He stretched out his arms and hugged Wu Jing and the others to sit in the back hall. He smiled and said to Fugui: Jingjing is his good girl, and he must serve her well.
Fugui nodded shyly and said, "Yes, yes, we haven't served tea to Dad yet." Wu Jing immediately picked up her tea bowl and handed it to Fugui, saying that she hadn't had it yet, so it was just right for her to serve tea to Dad.
Zhao Yulin was amused. He took the tea bowl and took a sip from it with a smile. He put the tea bowl down, took out two thick gold coins from his pocket and handed them to Wu Jing, saying: These are for them. Keep them as a souvenir. You are not allowed to sell them if you are short of money again.
Wu Jing accepted it happily, and said to Fugui with a blushing face: This is a gift from my father, we must pass it on.
He looked at the two young men lovingly, stood up, patted Fugui's shoulder, and walked away.
Wu Jing pulled Fugui over to look at the gold coins carefully. One of them was engraved with a soaring golden dragon, and the other was engraved with a soaring phoenix. Fugui smiled naively and said: Daddy gave it to us.
Wu Jing happily elbowed him and said, "Of course, I'll keep it." Geng immediately pushed Fugui out to entertain.
Chen Chen's banquet had ended, and the two women were waiting for Zhao Yulin to go back together.
He asked them to go and see Feiyan's parents, but Chen Chen was unwilling to do so. She muttered that she had been to Danfeng Garden three times this year, but just didn't want to go into Huaxi Villa.
Zhao Yulin knew Chen Chen's temper, so he pulled Feiyan over and waved to Chen Chen, and the two of them walked towards Huaxi. It was almost spring, but it was still chilly, and there was still a hint of coldness in the breeze.
Feiyan leaned tightly on his shoulder and said that her father was much better. He had supervised the compilation of history and made great progress in the past year.
He said that everyone should have something to do, and if there is really nothing to do, things will go wrong.
As they were talking, the two of them walked to the door, and the guards immediately went in to report. As soon as Zhao Yulin entered the living room and sat down, the emperor came over with his two wives, smiling.
After some warm greetings, the old emperor took over the topic and asked him: The Shenwei Army defeated the Northern Barbarians and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. The whole country is jubilant. It is really a cause for celebration. I heard that the Northern Barbarians have sent an envoy recently. Can we bring our Lan'er back?
Zhao Feiyan said angrily: The Ministry of Rites has already contacted them, and the conditions offered by the Mongolian envoy are too high. First of all, they want us, the New Song Dynasty, to return the prefectures and counties outside the Great Wall to them, and they also want us to reopen trade and sell refined iron to them to make military equipment.
How can this be possible?
I will never agree to this.
The imperial concubine said nervously: Those counties and cities outside the Great Wall are dilapidated and sparsely populated, and there is little tax. It’s okay, Feiyan, just approve it and give it to them.
Our Lan'er is Feiyan's biological sister. They are both precious daughters. How could you have the heart to let Lan'er continue to suffer?
As she spoke, the old imperial concubine began to sob.
The queen was infected and also cried with her face covered, telling them that Lan'er was fought over and raped by the princes of the grassland, and that she still did not stop even after she became pregnant. She caused Lan'er to lose the child and suffer from the disease of being in the cold palace, and she would never be able to have children again.
The good son-in-law must find a way to bring Lan'er back.
This scene reminded Zhao Yulin of the helpless predicament he faced when he traveled to the Wang family in Yibin. He said to the emperor solemnly: "Dad, Aunt, and Second Aunt, please rest assured. I will definitely try to bring Sister Lan back this time."
The emperor was delighted and watched his good son-in-law leave with a smile on his face.
Looking back, the queen was surprised to find that the queen mother did not come to join in the fun this time.
The imperial concubine whispered to her: It was my husband who ordered people to guard the place and not allow my mother-in-law to come out.
The queen began to look at the emperor with new eyes.
The emperor said proudly: Letting her out will only bring bad things. She thinks that she can get things done just by crying like she did in Lin'an. Is that possible?
The dynasty has changed long ago.
The imperial concubine was certain that Zhao Yulin would rescue Lan'er. She told the queen: Yulin looks serious and is not kidding. He will definitely try to rescue our Lan'er.
As the woman spoke, she couldn't help sobbing again.
This woman had a very clear mind. The men on the grassland were just as particular about passing on their family line as the people in the Central Plains, especially those princes, generals, and wealthy families with status.
In their eyes, if a woman cannot give birth, she is like a hen that cannot lay eggs. She is useless and will be abandoned by men. Moreover, her daughter was a slave captured and brought to Mobei. When she grows old and loses her beauty, she will be thrown into the stable and no one wants her anymore.
Zhao Yulin and Zhao Feiyan's carriage had already left Huaxi and was on the Chengwen official road. Feiyan told him: The grassland delegation entered Shu this time without any harm, and there was no roughness at all. Shunfengsi had already noticed that there were many learned Han people among them.
Zhao Yulin smiled and said: Grassland people also love to learn, so Hubili encouraged them to follow Chinese etiquette and study Chinese studies. He also built the Taiji Academy in Daxing Prefecture to teach the children of princes and nobles, and the professors in the academy were all Confucian masters.
Zhao Feiyan said disdainfully: So what?
She was beaten to a pulp by her husband. Now that they have lost Datong and Daxing Prefectures, they don't know where to build a new academy.
