During the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, on the vast and long horizon, a round of fresh red sun hung in the sky, and three golden dots came from far and near. Soon, I saw three young men riding horses and wearing the morning glow. Two of them rode in front, and the early morning wind ruffled their clothes and hair, and the road was not endless. One of these two people is heroic and handsome, he is our protagonist, named Ye Xun, the word Tianyu. And the other young descendant, dressed as a scholar and looking very elegant, was Shen Wendu, the general who the emperor had just pointed out to him. The one who was left far behind was Ye Xun's family Ding Lu Xiaohu.

Seeing that the two of them were getting farther and farther away, Xiaohu, who was left behind, couldn't help but shout, "Young master, you two slow down!" Wait for me for a while. ”

Ye Xun looked back at him and said with a teasing smile, "Why are you so slow?" Always holding us back. I don't know, I think you're riding a donkey! ”

Xiaohu was quite unconvinced, pouted and complained, "You two are just one person and one horse, but you look at my horse, how can you run fast if you camel all the luggage and belongings of the three of us?" Why don't you help me share the burden? ”

Sure enough, there were several heavy bags of luggage hanging on both sides of Xiaohu's horse's buttocks, and there was almost no place for Xiaohu to sit. The horse walked with great difficulty. Ye Xun and Wen Du couldn't help but laugh.

Ye Xun shook his head and smiled, "It's too ugly, we won't help carry it." ”

Wen Du said to Ye Xun reasonably: "Let's go slowly, wait for him for a while." ”

Ye Xun nodded, and the two of them rode their horses and chatted while hurrying slowly. People are in good spirits on happy occasions, Ye Xun at this time is full of spring breeze, and his good mood cannot be hidden. A few days of riding his horse made his mood even more relaxed. Because he can finally leave the cage-like capital and home for a while and go to the battlefield of his heart!

Shen Wendu was the person assigned to him by the emperor before Ye Xun went out this time, they met for the first time, I don't know why Ye Xun and him hit it off at first sight, and there was an indescribable sense of intimacy, and he was especially willing to talk to him. Shen Wendu had just turned twenty years old today, three years younger than Ye Xun, but he looked even more old and dignified than him.

Ye Xun glanced at the delicate side face of Wen Du reflected in the morning sun and said, "Wen Du, I heard that you are from the two Jinshi ranks?" ”

"It's only the third place in the second class." Wendu said humbly.

"Hey!" Ye Xun's eyes were full of envy, "It's all?" That's amazing! I admire people who are good at reading. With you, I don't have to worry about those correspondence and sloppiness in the future. The theory says that you are so good at learning, you should go directly to the Hanlin Academy? Why did the emperor point you out to me? ”

Shen Wendu thought about it, and didn't seem to come up with a reason, "Maybe, the emperor wants to train me more." General Ye, I heard that you are also from a Jinshi? ”

Ye Xun shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I don't want to mention that Jinshi." The last of the three lists, almost fell off the list. I suspect that my father gave the examiner a favor. At that time, my father was forced to prepare for the exam, so he closed me for three months, sealed the door with wooden bars, and delivered food through the window. It was a terrible time! I finally got in. But when I got out of the exam room, I immediately returned everything I had learned to my teacher. Now I don't even want to look at the word, it's just a martial artist. ”

Shen Wendu lowered his head and smiled, "General Ye, you are too arrogant. Students all over the world have studied hard for decades, and there are not many people who can try once, which shows that the general is very intelligent. ”

Ye Xun stared at him, a smile flashing in his eyes, "Wendu, since you are with me, we are our own people." You don't have to go out of your way to greet me in the future, I know what I'm like. ”

Wen Du didn't expect Ye Xun to say this, he hurriedly expressed his heart, "General Ye, what you say below is what you say from your heart." Wendu was really happy when he knew that he was following you. Because General Ye is young, he gallops on the battlefield, and he is a man with iron bones, and his Wendu has long been like thunder. ”

Ye Xun lowered his head to hide the smugness in his heart, "Wendu, don't be too careful, I don't mean to blame you." I'm just not used to it. You don't have to be so restrained, we will be brothers in the future. Do you see the one in the back? Ye Xun turned his head and pointed at the somewhat embarrassed little tiger, "He has never been as big or small as me." Of course, we still have to be polite in front of people, and it's better to be casual in private. ”

Wendu nodded and replied, "Yes." ”

"Wendu, I'm not mistaken, you are a Jinshi at the end of the year before last, this won't be your first errand, right?" Ye Xun asked again.

"No, Wen Du has been in Jinyi Wei for a year." Shen Wendu looked a little embarrassed.

"Jin Yiwei?" Ye Xun was surprised and said with some amusement: "Our emperor doesn't know what to think?" A talent who can be a university scholar, but he refers to a place like Jinyiwei, what else does he do to observe politics? What's there to see there? Only he can figure it out. Does the emperor have an enmity with you, and you don't like it in the palace? ”

"And then it's up to you. This is my second job. Wen Du said with a faint expression to hide his embarrassment.

Ye Xun felt that Wen Du was a little stunned, and he couldn't help but think of himself, so he comforted, "The emperor must have his ideas in such an arrangement, maybe he will use you a lot in the future." There are too many famous ministers and brave generals in the court today, and it is too difficult for us juniors to come out. However, with your talent and learning, with more experience, in the next thirty or fifty years, it is not impossible to rank among the three princes and nine kings, and to be the marquis and worship the prime minister. ”

Wen Du smiled dryly, "I don't even dare to think about this." ”

"Anyway, we've got a good job this time. This time I went to southern Xinjiang to quell the turmoil, but it was a rare and good opportunity. Saying that, Ye Xun looked yearning, as if the sound of fighting horses on the battlefield sounded in his ears.

"General, this time we have returned triumphantly, I don't know how Your Majesty will reward us." Wen Du said with interest. Ye Xun was stunned for a moment and didn't speak. Wen Du immediately realized that the good opportunity he said had nothing to do with the reward. They all knew that even if this stream of rogues was easily eliminated, the reward would not be much.

Xiaohu had already caught up with them, listening to their conversation and walking side by side with them. After a while, Ye Xun sighed, "I really hate myself for being born at the wrong time?" If you can be born ten or twenty years earlier, born in the Yongle War, you can be a general who does not take off his armor and rides a horse to meet the enemy, and crisscrosses the battlefield. What a wanton thing that must be! The emperor is only six years older than me, and he has repeatedly conquest Mongolia with Emperor Yongle and his grandfather, and the emperor always can't hide his pride every time he mentions this matter, which is really enviable! ”

"I don't know if the general was fortunate to participate in the change of Zhu Gaoxu, the king of the Han Dynasty, in the first year of Xuande?" Wendu asked curiously.

Ye Xun's face was excited, and he nodded vigorously, "That peace is really thrilling!" It's a pity that I didn't have my turn to deploy and lead the troops, I just followed the emperor every inch to be his bodyguard. ”

"The general was fortunate to have witnessed that rebellion himself. We're all too young, and a lot of times even if we have the chance, we don't get our turn. Wen Du said with emotion.

"That's because it's peaceful now, if it was the founding period of the ancestors, who would still rank according to seniority, not all of them were capable. Famous generals like Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, what background qualifications do they have? It's still a hero in troubled times! Ye Xun said disapplausively.

Shu Wendu disagreed. The reason why the ancestors fought was to have a peaceful and stable country. Now it is a time of peace and prosperity, the emperor is diligent and wise, and he is vigorously rectifying the rule of officials and revitalizing the economy. There are many talents in the court, although it is not our turn to show our strength, but we should cheer for the cadres on the stage, and we should have more experience and wait for the game. And born in a period of war, not to mention the misery of life, the general died in a hundred battles, ten people and nine did not return, and how many men had to stay away from their wives and children and parents to embark on the road of no return. Wendu said impassionedly.

Ye Xun looked at him fixedly for a while, then nodded, "Wendu is so knowledgeable!" Well, you have a lot of point. But...... I still think that the horse leather shroud is the best place for every hot-blooded man. ”

Shen Wendu smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Wendu, you don't know." Xiaohu interjected, "For my young master, it is better to die on the battlefield than to die at home." ”

Shen Wendu was surprised: "How do you say this?" ”

Xiaohu was just about to answer, but was glared at by Ye Xun fiercely, and quickly stopped talking.

Ye Xun's eyes showed a fierce look and threatened him, "Xiaohu, people are knowledgeable people, be careful when you speak in the future, you can't have any more, your mouth is full of nonsense!" ”

Xiaohu pouted and nodded, "Yes!" The little one got it! ”

Wen Du was puzzled, "The general doesn't have to be like this. Didn't you just say that we will all be brothers in the future, so we don't need to be restrained in private. What to say, what to say? ”

Ye Xun smiled embarrassedly, "Xiaohu is a big old man, and he doesn't have a door on his mouth, and he will be bald if he is dirty and smelly, I am afraid that he will insult the sage in front of Mr." ”

Xiaohu was quite unconvinced, and muttered a protest in a low voice.

Ye Xun glanced at him, turned back to Wen Du and said, "Let me tell you about going to the battlefield, right?" ”

Xiaohu looked loveless, "Huh? Again? I've heard it almost ten times. Let's get a new one! ”

Ye Xun glanced at him, and said angrily: "Are you here to dismantle the stage for me?" Besides, you've heard of it, but Mr. Shen hasn't heard of it yet! ”

"Okay, you say it." Xiaohu was very helpless.

"General, you can call it by your name, you don't need to call it sir." Wendu said with some embarrassment.

"I called it to Xiaohu to teach him how to respect scholars, let alone someone like Wendu who has a university question!" Ye Xun's eyes swept at Xiaohu, and then turned to Wen Du and said, "Wen Du, let me tell you, I spent a few years in the army after I was eighteen years old, and I have been on the battlefield countless times, and I was also sent to fight after returning to Beijing, but the boss has only done it once and a half, and the others are other people's deputies, and I have also been a pioneer." ”

"How about half a time?" Wendu asked suspiciously.

"That's because the manager was shot and killed, and I was ordered to turn the tide of the battle and turn defeat into victory. I also became famous because of this battle. Only then did I get the opportunity to actually be a manager. But now that the prosperous world is peaceful, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to go to the battlefield again. There are a lot of famous military generals waiting in the back, not to mention me, a civilian official with the title of military attaché? Ye Xun couldn't help sighing, and then shook his head to shake off those unhappiness, "Don't talk about this." Let me tell you about that battle, it was really dangerous and exciting......"

Just as Ye Xun was speaking with great interest and spittle, a horse galloped past them in the distance and stopped in front of them. The man was dressed as a palace attendant, and the three of them were stunned. I saw that the man was holding the Huang Ling and shouted sharply, "The holy decree has arrived!" Mingwei General Ye Xun - Ye Tianyu receives the order! ”

Ye Xun looked at Xiaohu and Wendu beside him at a loss, and the two of them were also surprised. The proclamator urged, "General Ye, don't get off the horse and take the order!" ”

Ye Xun and his entourage hurriedly turned over and dismounted, kneeling on the ground, "Minister, Mingwei General Ye Xun - Ye Tianyu takes the order!" ”

"Fengtian carrier, the emperor summoned and said: Ming Wei General Ye Xun is now ordered to rush to Hangzhou, take over the post of prefect, and set off immediately. In addition, Shen Wendu was awarded the six-rank general judgment to assist the Ye prefect to benefit the people and govern one party. Chin this. The proclaimer finished reading the decree in a procrastinated voice.

After listening to the holy decree, Ye Xun, who was kneeling on the ground, was like a blow to his head, and he almost collapsed. He stretched out his hands and said in a very sad tone, "Minister, accept the order, thank you." Xiaohu on the side hurriedly took the holy decree from the hand of the announcer and put it in Ye Xun's hand.

The proclamator completed his mission, and his face was relaxed, "General Ye, no, it's time to call Lord Ye." After receiving the holy decree, why are you still kneeling, get up quickly? After the miscellaneous family announced the decree, it was time to return to the palace to resume their lives. ”

Xiaohu helped Ye Xun, who was a little depressed, up, and Ye Xun suddenly remembered something, "This father-in-law, has the riots in southern Xinjiang been pacified?" Why is it not mentioned in the Holy Decree? ”

The proclamator was stunned: "Riots in southern Xinjiang? I don't have to worry about this. Lord Ye should hurry up and go to Hangzhou to take office. ”

"Does the emperor have nothing else to say to me?" Ye Xun still didn't give up.

The proclamator shook his head. "There was nothing else to do, so the miscellaneous family rushed back to resume their lives. Leave. ”

Ye Xun sat on the big stone on the side of the road dejectedly, drooping his head, completely losing the vigor he had just now. Xiaohu and Wendu stood beside them a little uneasily, not knowing what to say. After a while, Ye Xun sighed faintly and sneered, "The emperor is really well-intentioned!" ”

Xiaohu was curious: "How do you say it?" ”

Ye Xun raised his head and stared at them, and said with some annoyance, "For this expedition, I have repeatedly asked the emperor for help. I went to kneel and begged him three times, and he reluctantly agreed. It turned out that this was a trap from the beginning, and what else did you say that there were rogues in Yunnan? He was afraid that I would be sent to be a local official, and I didn't agree that he would bother him again and again, so he sent me to make an order. ”

Xiaohu suddenly realized: "I said, I always feel that there are people following us behind." It is certain that the decree has been written a long time ago, and our official has been following us from afar when we go out of Beijing. After we have been gone for five or six days, we will catch up with us and read the decree. ”

Ye Xun glanced at him and said to himself, "Why am I so stupid!" I didn't see the flaw in this. Said let me go to quell the rebellion, and if I didn't give me soldiers, just the three of us set off with our luggage? Saying that there will be troops to meet us when we get to the place, it turns out that this is a complete scam! ”

"My lord," Wen Du also changed his words, "Wen Du thinks you don't need to worry too much. Now it is a time of peace and prosperity, and the future of military generals is not as good as that of civilian officials. What's more, our Ming Dynasty has always governed the military with civility. Although your General Mingwei and the prefect of Hangzhou are both fourth-rank officials, you are actually promoted. ”

"Who the cares if you get promoted or not? I'm going to war. Ye Xun said angrily.

The little tiger next to him coughed, "Young master, pay attention to your words and deeds, don't insult Sven." ”

Ye Xun also felt that he was a little out of shape just now, and smiled apologetically at Wen Du, "Wen Du, you don't know how long I waited for this opportunity?" What do you think the emperor thinks? ”

"Perhaps...... The emperor wants to make great use of you, let you mix in the officialdom for a few years, and accumulate a little merit and experience to pave the way for your future promotion. Wen Du persuaded when he saw him.

Xiaohu also nodded again and again: "I also think the emperor thinks so." ”

"You know the." After speaking, Ye Xun looked at Wendu embarrassedly again.

Wen Du smiled nonchalantly, "My lord, in fact, officialdom is also a battlefield, although there is no gunsmoke, but there is also an undercurrent and dangers, and the slightest negligence may lead to ruin, catastrophe, and it is more dangerous than the battlefield." ”

Ye Xun looked up at him, thinking that it was not easy for him to persuade me, so he said, "The matter has come to this, and I can only accept my fate." Where has Xiaohu traveled now? ”

Xiaohu looked up and took out the map he was carrying, "We are still at the boundary of Henan now, and we will reach Hangzhou in about three or five days to the south." ”

"How far is this from the nearest inn?" Ye Xun asked suddenly.

Xiaohu was very surprised, the three of them kept hurrying along the way, hungry to eat the dry food they brought, and they would spend the night in the broken temple noodles at night, and then they would rush early in the morning, when did they stay at the post station?

Seeing Xiaohu like this, Ye Xun frowned and asked, "Didn't you hear what I asked you?" How many miles are left? Didn't you put the survey sent by the military department? Let's go to the post station today to rest and then hurry! ”

Xiaohu hurriedly lowered his head and checked the map, "Young master, the nearest post station has been to the south, and it is still 20 miles away from us." ”

"You just follow me, follow others like you, things can't be done well, there is more nonsense than anyone else, and sooner or later you will be beaten to death! What to see! It's time to go! Ye Xun turned over and rode away alone.

Xiaohu was suddenly scolded by Ye Xun for no reason, and his heart was aggrieved, and he looked at Ye Xun's departing back in a daze.

Wendu stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Gone, brother."

"Have you ever seen him like this? If you're in a bad mood, you know to be angry with me! He can also bully me and bully others to try? Xiaohu complained and took the trouble to get on the horse.

Wen Du rode a horse and followed Xiaohu step by step, "Why do you say Lord Ye likes to fight so much?" How good is it to be a civil servant? You don't have to go out all day, you can take care of it at home and outside, and you are more powerful in the court. ”

"Because he was a wretched worm, he did not get a little respect and warmth at home, and he was tormented all day long. Only by going to the battlefield can he escape these troubles and affirm the value of his existence. Xiaohu's eyes were still staring at Ye Xun in front of him, and he said hatefully.

"Wouldn't it? I heard that Mr. Ye has been sick and at home, and now Mr. Ye is the pillar of the family? Wendu asked incredulously.

Xiaohu pouted and smiled, "The pillars are real." But it is not false that he lives in dire straits every day. You'll find out with us later. ”

Wendu was very curious, but seeing that Xiaohu didn't seem to want to elaborate, it was inconvenient to ask.