It snowed in Jingshi, and Huainan's music flew into the imperial city like snowflakes.

Yan Yi successively wanted to borrow from Huai'an Mei Yin and Fengyang Xu An, and wanted to go to the imperial tomb to worship incense, but they were all refused. The envoy of King Yan was also cut off by Mei Yin.

Then Sheng Yong wrote a book, wanting to rely on the Huai River to delay Yan Shi. Unexpectedly, within a few days, Yan Wei crossed the Huai River and made a detour to attack Sheng Yong's camp. Sheng Yong's army was scattered at the first touch, defeated, and retreated to the river. The emperor then sent Xue Yan, the secretary of Dali Temple, to cross the river to question Sheng Yong.

Inside the imperial gate, Zhu Yunwen's face was haggard, and his sideburns were also a little messy by him. At this time, it was reported that Xue Yan had returned to Beijing, so Zhu Yunwen announced his visit.

After Xue Yan finished bowing, Zhu Yunwen immediately asked: "Sheng Yong said that he could use the Huai River to block Yanshi, why was he defeated in a few days?" ”

"Back to the Shengshang, there were officials in the upper reaches of the Huai River who defected to the enemy without permission, and Yan Shun got a boat to cross the river, and then went east to attack Sheng Yong. Sheng Yong's army was unbearable and defeated. Xue Yan said.

Zhu Yunwen clenched his fists and put it heavily on the imperial case, "Sheng Yong is writing again, and he wants to retreat straight to the river, will Huainan give it up?" ”

Xue Yan said: "The minister also asked Sheng Yong in person. He replied that when Yan rebelled against the army to Huainan, the people's hearts were in turmoil, and those who surrendered would be numerous; At this time, a victory is necessary to encourage the army and the people, so that the waiters can support the court officials and soldiers. But Sheng Yong had no elite soldiers, so he wanted to retreat to Puzikou City, and urged the imperial court to send reinforcements across the river, and then he went north to meet the Yan division. ”

How long has it been? Yan Shi is actually going to Dajiang!

Zhu Yunwen stood up from the throne and paced back and forth, his face very pale. His hands trembled a little, and he suddenly stopped and said: "Immediately issue an order, ask Sheng Yong to control all the soldiers and horses in Huainan, and strictly order him to meet Yan Yi in Huainan!" ”

Unexpectedly, ten days later, there was a Tang report to Beijing, and Sheng Yong led the army to meet Yan Rebellion in Liuhe, and was defeated! He himself had gone straight to Puzikou on the bank of the river.

Zhu Yunwen was furious. The official army was defeated all the way from Shandong, Huaibei, and Huainan, and they never really won a battle!

Sheng Yong was obsessed with Puzikou, a new city built during the Hongwu period, and seemed to have chosen a place a long time ago, and said that he wanted to go to Puzikou when he was still in the Huai River. Now I finally got my wish, and retreated straight to this city, looking at the river.

Shi Fang Xiaoru said that according to the opinion of the front-line general Sheng Yong, it was necessary to gather elite soldiers to defeat the Yan division in order to stabilize people's hearts. It is proposed to transfer a group of elite troops from the Beijing battalion, join the Weisu army that has arrived in Beijing, and transport it through the hands of Shengyong in the great river in order to fight a decisive battle.

Zhu Yunwen was unwilling, if he wanted to move the last bit of foundation in the Beijing camp, why did he have to transfer back in Lingbi in the first place?

So Fang Xiaoru offered another strategy, and sent Xue Yan, the secretary of Dali Temple, to escort King Yan's cousin, Qingcheng County Lord, across the river, pretending to negotiate peace with King Yan, and delaying the Yan division with a delaying tactic, so as to buy time for the reinforcements from various provinces to gather. The emperor gave permission.

But King Yan is obviously not so easily fooled. A few days later, the plan to delay the army failed, and King Yan saw through the court's plan when he met, and said in public: The traitors of the court want to delay me in order to wait for the ears of foreign soldiers.

Xue Yan went to the enemy's camp and saw that Yan's soldiers were strong and strong, and after returning to Beijing, he actually persuaded the saint to give Yan more benefits and cut all the territory north of the river to seek peace.

So Fang Xiaoru scolded Xue Yan for being a bloody dog!

Fang Xiaoru once again advised the saint to transfer the reinforcements from the Beijing camp and the guard to immediately reinforce Sheng Yong. This time, the Holy One finally agreed.

……

Xue Yan was not Fang Xiaoru's opponent at all in the scolding battle, he was called disloyal, unfilial, spineless, etc., and went home with a stomach, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the ministers of the court could not do anything! He wrote a secret letter to King Yan in private, wanting to surrender to him.

After receiving the secret letter, King Yan responded immediately, praising Xue Yan for abandoning the darkness and turning to the light, and the good birds choosing trees and perching on the clouds. I don't know how King Yan learned that Xue Yan had a personal relationship with Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding, so he asked Xue Yan in the letter to persuade Guo Ying to surrender together.

Xue Yan then ventured to visit Guo Ying's mansion, wanting to test Guo Ying's attitude first.

Xue Yan complained in front of Guo Ying, and when he talked about the discussion and experience, he deliberately emphasized that the Yan division was huge and strong, implying that King Yan could win.

But Guo Ying was unmoved, he sighed: "The old man has been eating the country for decades, and now he can't serve the country, he only dies in the community." ”

…… Guo Ying's second son is called Guo Ming, who was originally an official in the Liao Palace, and when the Liao King was recalled to Beijing, Guo Ming also came back.

After he returned from Liaodong, the whole family lived in his father's Hou Mansion. Xue Yan's words had no effect on Guo Ying, but Guo Ming listened attentively.

Guo Ming paced back and forth under the eaves outside the hall, his face flushed in a hurry.

The King of Liao has lost power, and he must not be able to hold the big tree, and now Guo Ming has nothing to do all day. But the current situation is not the worst, the worst thing is that if King Yan enters the Jingshi, the father does not surrender, what if he is a son?

Guo Ming is very sure that his father will not surrender! My father is already old, and he will not bear the reputation of disloyalty for the sake of the wind and candles. As for the offspring? Marquis Wuding couldn't manage his twelve sons, but the eldest son, Guo Zhen, took the princess's ......

What can Guo Ming have that time? Relying on his father is unreliable, if King Yan ascends the throne, the Guo family will even be wrong, and it will be good if it is not cleared!

At this moment, the voice of Marquis Wu Ding came from the hall: "Someone, send off!" ”

Guo Ming hurriedly walked to the door and arched his hand: "Xue Siqing, please." ”

"The etiquette of the old marquis's family is thoughtful." Xue Yan smiled, "You don't have to send it far, you don't have to send it far, please." ”

Guo Ming led the way, walked up a corridor, then turned around and said with a smile: "My father is old, he likes to be pure, and he rarely sees guests. If Xue Siqing comes again, I am afraid that I will snub you, Xue Siqing can go straight to me, I am idle. ”

Xue Yan was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Okay, good." The shelter is also ready to welcome Guo Dianbao. ”

This Xue Siqing came to the door and said how powerful King Yan was. Guo Ming suspected that this guy had already taken refuge in King Yan, but Guo Ming didn't dare to act rashly, so he had to come and go first to see the situation.

Xue Yan's voice said again: "The old marquis is strong, it's not that he can't go into battle to kill the enemy for the court, but it's ......" He stopped a little and said in a deep voice, "The princes of the court don't trust the marquis very much. When the Hou Ye was in Zhending City, didn't King Yan send someone to climb relatives? Asari has known these things for a long time. ”

"Huh?" Guo Ming didn't react for a while.

Xue Yan smiled: "Mrs. Ling, isn't it from the Xu family?" ”

Guo Ming suddenly realized: "Yes, there is a little bit of kinship." ”

Xue Yan shook his head and continued to walk forward.

Guo Ming really didn't expect this to be a relative! His wife is indeed surnamed Xu, how did she get close to King Yan...... He thought about it for a long time before he roughly figured it out: The relationship between the Guo family and King Yan was mainly connected by the relationship between Xu Da, the king of Zhongshan. Xu Da's daughter is Princess Yan; And Xu Da's uncle's daughter is Guo Ming's wife.

Guo Ming thought about it for a long time, but he felt a little dizzy in his head.

He sent Xue Yan away and returned to the small courtyard where he lived in the Hou Mansion, where he saw his wife Xu rolling up her sleeves and washing clothes. Guo Ming immediately walked over and said, "It's all snowing, it's so cold, there are so many slaves and maids in my father's house, how can my wife do the laundry herself?" ”

Xu raised his head and said, "Although it is at the house of my husband's parents, our family depends on the Hou Mansion for food and drink, and my father-in-law has so many children who look at it...... We have to be a little self-aware. ”

Guo Ming suddenly looked up to the sky and sighed, "I didn't expect that the son of my dignified marquis would be reduced to Si!" He said apologetically, "Madame was born in the Xu family, but she suffered like this with me, alas! ”

Xu shook his head and said, "It's just a little bit of the light of the King of Zhongshan, how much does the King of Zhongshan's family have to do with our family?" Before I married my husband, my family was not a big family, so don't say that. ”

"Guo Yan and Guo Weili?" Guo Ming said.

Xu said: "They are doing something else, it's cold, don't freeze them." ”

"You're too spoiled." Guo Ming strode to the boudoir of his two daughters, and when he opened the door, he saw that the two girls were doing needlework. They stood up one after another and said, "Daddy is back." ”

"What are you two doing?" Guo Ming asked.

The second daughter Guo Wei had just turned thirteen years old, looked childish, raised her head and said: "It's almost the New Year, my mother asked us to make new clothes for my father, and my mother said that my father wants to interact with dignitaries and nobles, and he must wear silk." ”

Guo Ming was stunned when he heard this, and when he saw that his two daughters were wearing cotton jackets and skirts, his heart suddenly became sour. He still received the money, but after he had no power and no power, he was very poor to live on that little official income.

Guo Wei touched the slippery and shiny silk material, looked up and said, "When Daddy is promoted, can you buy us new silk clothes?" ”

"Don't talk too much, Dad is getting down to business." Guo Yan tugged on her sister's sleeve and admonished in a low voice.

Guo Wei looked aggrieved, pouted and didn't say anything.

The eldest daughter is sixteen years old and is indeed sensible. She was born to Guo Ming's concubine, and the concubine died very early and was raised by Mrs. Xu...... However, Mrs. Xu treated her well, because she was afraid that she would not be her own daughter, but she would be more pampered and accommodating to Guo Yan.

The two daughters are not the same mother and do not look the same. Guo Yan is a little older and more charming, Guo Wei's body has not fully grown, and her bones and body are thin and slender, but she is also delicate and lovely.

Guo Ming sighed for a long time, couldn't say anything, turned around and walked out of the door, came to Xu's side again, and asked, "Do you still have the Yulu you received at the beginning of the month?" It's almost the New Year, so let's buy a new dress for the two girls. ”

Xu said: "They don't go out, why are they dressed so well?" Don't worry about these trivial matters, husband. ”

Guo Ming didn't say much after hearing this, and still paced around on the eaves. He tugged his hands into his sleeves, looked down in contemplation, and occasionally looked up to see the laundry lady looking at him silently.

There was a faint hope in Madame's eyes, and her expectations could obviously only be pinned on Guo Ming.

......Mrs. Xu rubbed her clothes vigorously, she silently took care of her children's family affairs, and she has not complained since returning to Beijing. But it was precisely because of this that Guo Ming felt that his heart was heavy, and he couldn't go on with it.