Chapter 281: A New Journey

Mu San followed behind Fang Xie with a tray in both hands, and he was even happier than Fang Xie laughing. In the tray was a new viscount crown uniform, as well as the token of the Rank Ranger General. This is the emperor's reward, which came a little suddenly, which can be regarded as a surprise for Fang Jie.

I thought I would get nothing, but who would have thought that I would return with a full load.

The real lords of the Great Sui, from high to low, are princes, county kings, national princes, county dukes, county marquis, county marquis, county marquis, county uncles, county sons, township sons, and township men. Since the county has its own food estate, the people do not need to pay taxes to the imperial court. The feudal king has his own fief and can have his own private soldiers, but the number of people must not exceed the limit of the imperial court, otherwise it will be regarded as a major crime of rebellion.

Except for the prince and the king, each title is divided into three classes.

For example, the highest is the first-class national prince, and the lowest is the third-class national prince. Fang Xie was made a viscount by the emperor, not a county, but a first-class township. Originally, at the beginning of the founding of the Great Sui Dynasty, the sixth-rank real lords on the basis of the idea had their own food and people, but this decree was abolished during the Taizong period. For no other reason, every year many meritorious heroes will be awarded the title of real knight, which means that every year some people will no longer pay taxes to the imperial court.

At the beginning, no matter how many founding heroes of the Great Sui were, they were also the ones who came over. But later, the descendants of these heroes also had titles. Just twenty years later, there are more than ten times as many people as there were at the beginning of the founding of the country. Soon after Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he abolished this rule set by Taizu and re-established it as a county marquis and above to have his own fiefdom and food. In the Zhenzong period, it was changed to a county candidate and above to be a fief and eaten.

Although Fang Jie's first-class townsman is not a very high title, as long as he is a real lord, it means that he has escaped from the cold family.

"The slave and maid congratulate Lord Xiaofang."

Mu San said with a smile as he walked: "Oh, look at the broken mouth of the slave, I will call you Lord Fang in the future." ”

Fang Xie smiled and shook his head: "I don't have a red envelope for you today, no matter how sweet your mouth is, it's useless." ”

All he thought about was what the emperor had said just now, and if the emperor's reward surprised him, then after hearing the emperor's explanation, he didn't feel any surprise. For this errand, the emperor had to give Fang Xie a decent-looking identity.

It's just a top spot in the martial arts academy, but it's not very good.

He didn't talk much with Mu San along the way, and he could see that Fang Xie was preoccupied, and Mu San simply stopped talking, but he was glad that he was proud of his good eyes. If Fang Xie had been hiding far away when he was imprisoned, I was afraid that it would be difficult to have a relationship with this hot little Fang now.

The icing on the cake is never as good as charcoal in the snow.

When Fang Xie returned to the shop, it was already dark and he couldn't see his five fingers, and when he got off the carriage, Fang Xie still stuffed Mu San with a silver ticket with a large denomination. Mu San didn't refuse this time, and simply accepted it neatly. Fang Xie gave Mu San a silver ticket every three or five times, but he didn't want to have any emotional involvement with him. The relationship between the two of them is still better only on the level of interests. It's all to talk about feelings with eunuchs.

Shen Tianfan and the others saw Fang Xie come back, and stood up one after another. Fang Xie rubbed his frowning brows and smiled at everyone: "What gift do you think the emperor gave me?" ”

Mu Xiaoxiao looked at his expression and couldn't help but sigh: "No matter what gift the emperor gave you, it is not as heavy as the gift he asked you to give him." ”

Fang Xie smiled slightly bitterly: "Just you're smart." ”

Shen Tianfan smiled and said: "It's all written on your face, let's talk about it, what did the emperor let you do that was not easy to do?" ”

Fang Xie leaned back in his chair and stretched his body vigorously. Mu Xiaoxiao walked behind him and raised his hand to knead his shoulders for him. Fang Xie smiled softly at her: "It's not a bad thing to do, at least it's easier to say than playing hide and seek with Prince Yi." And it happened to be a place that I was interested in, and I wanted to go there in the first place. This time, the emperor asked me to go, and I could spend public money to eat, drink and have fun all the way, and there didn't seem to be anything uncomfortable. ”

"And you're still frowning?"

Shen asked the fan.

Fang explained: "The point is that I really want to go to that place, but it's not the right time." At least a few years earlier than I expected. ”

"Where?"

"Southwest of the Great Sui...... Yongzhou. ”

Hearing this, the faces of Mu Xiaoxiao and the others all changed. She subconsciously looked at the big dog, but found that Fang Xie and Shen Tianfan were actually looking at her. Mu Xiaoxiao's movements stiffened, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes. Fang Xie kept staring at her, and this fleeting fear did not escape Fang Jie's eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Fang asked.

Mu Xiaoxiao shook his head: "It's just surprise, we fled all the way from the southwest, although we haven't been to Yongzhou, but thinking about the places we have walked through, I feel a little uncomfortable." Why go to Yongzhou? The emperor asked you to see Luo Yao? ”

Fang Xie hummed and said, "I don't know if Luo Yao took the wrong medicine, but he actually had the courage to write and ask His Majesty for marriage." I want His Majesty to marry the eldest princess, who has reached adulthood, to his son Luo Wen...... What good things did this Rowan do in Chang'an City, doesn't he, a father, know? During this period, he sent someone to give His Majesty a marriage...... Luo Yao didn't know what to do. ”

"What are you going to do?"

The big dog couldn't help but ask.

Fang explained: "Your Majesty said, because the eldest princess is his favorite daughter, even if she wants to go to the southwest, she must send someone to see the environment, climate, customs and customs of the southwest first, and then discuss with the eldest princess after reporting the truth, if the eldest princess is unwilling, then there is nothing to say." Now that the important ministers in the court are busy, the emperor remembers me as an idler. So I was given the title of a first-class villager, and I also had the false position of a fifth-rank ranger general. ”

Shen Tianfan was silent for a while and asked, "The emperor doesn't want to marry the eldest princess to Luo Yao's son?" ”

Fang Xie nodded: "Naturally, I don't want to...... If so, why bother? ”

……

……

Fang Xie took a sip of tea and moistened his throat: "Although I don't know what medicine is sold in Luo Yao's gourd, it is inevitable that there is definitely no kindness." The northwest army was defeated, Chang'an was in turmoil, at this juncture, Luo Yao sent people to Chang'an to ask His Majesty for marriage, superficially speaking, he felt that his status was not high enough, so he wanted to be a relative of the emperor. Going deeper, it's not necessarily a temptation. ”

Shen Tian Fan said: "The emperor asked you to go, just to see the customs?" ”

Fang Xie nodded: "That's what he said, it's nothing more than dragging, the emperor gave me half a year, saying that he didn't come back after spending half a year in Yongzhou, and immediately put me in the cage of the Ouchi Guard's Office." Half...... In half a year, the emperor will be enough to mobilize people from all over the Great Sui, and then the emperor will personally conquer and pacify the northwest. The marriage of the eldest princess will naturally be delayed until the northwest is settled...... Will the emperor still be afraid of Luo Yao? ”

The big dog said: "I understand, Luo Yao just wants to take advantage of the fire to rob." ”

Mu Xiaoxiao shook his head: "Where is such a simple thing, everyone in the world knows that the most elite men and horses of the Great Sui are the Sixteen Guards, and the most elite of the Sixteen Guards, except for the Sixth Army of the Son of Heaven, is the left guard stationed in the southwest." Because the left avant-garde has never stopped fighting, every year will use troops against the barbarians, although the scale is not large, but the left avant-garde men and horses take turns to fight, and the soldiers have always carried a murderous aura. ”

"But when the emperor used troops in the northwest, he did not mobilize men and horses from the southwest. This time the northwest army was defeated, and the 700,000 army was buried in the hands of the rebels, and it was not a matter of time and a half for the emperor to want to transfer troops again. Luo Yao must have already known about the defeat of the Northwest Army, so he came up with such a way to test the emperor. ”

Fang Xie rubbed his nose and smiled: "In short, the emperor doesn't trust Luo Yao as much as he seems, and Luo Yao is not as loyal as he seems." So this trip is not easy, in case Luo Yao really has any rebellious intentions, our trip will be more auspicious. ”

"To go or not?"

The big dog asked.

Fang explained: "Go, naturally I want to go...... As I just said, even if there is no such thing, I will still have to go to southwest Yongzhou sooner or later. I was going to go in a few years, when I had the strength to protect myself. But now that I have this opportunity, I just go early. ”

"In case ......"

The big dog muttered, "What if Luo Yao really has a disobedient heart? ”

Fang Xie looked at the big dog and said seriously: "Then our lives will be handed over to you, and your nose will be more sensitive when the time comes." ”

The big dog smiled bitterly: "I thought that Prince Yi would be able to rest for a while after the rebellion, and I had to travel thousands of miles to the southwest." ”

"It's not a rush."

Fang Xie smiled: "It's a delay, it's not too urgent and not too delayed along the way, how can it take two months to get to Yongzhou." The round trip is four months. We only need to stay in Yongzhou for two months, didn't the emperor say that he wanted us to see the customs and climate of the southwest, then go around, as a tour of the mountains and rivers, two months is not difficult to get through. Even if Luo Yao really had any dirty thoughts, we could escape back then, but now our strength is much stronger than before, can't we escape? Again...... This time, we also have people sent by the emperor to follow. ”

Mu Xiaoxiao's expression was still a little weird, although she could control it, it still looked slightly unnatural. Fortunately, Fang Xie and Shen Tianfan didn't stare at her anymore, which made her quietly relieved in her heart.

"Since you have to go, you have to prepare."

"There's nothing to prepare."

Fang explained: "This time the emperor gave two super bodyguards, and if they are used well, they are unparalleled in the world, and if they are not used well, it will be like raising two poisonous snakes, and they may bite back." ”

"Chen, hum, Chenha?"

Shen Tianfan asked after being stunned for a moment.

Fang Xie nodded: "It's those two living treasures......"

……

……

Post

The lights were still on in the innermost room, and outside the room stood four sturdy men like nails. These four people can be seen at a glance that they are from military backgrounds, and they have a cold murderous aura on their bodies. At the gate of the post station, there were also four strong men standing there with the handle of their knives, and the cold aura emanating from their bodies made the people of the post station dare not approach.

In the room, a middle-aged man of medium stature, slightly thin but looking a little aggressive, picked the wick with a needle, and the room suddenly became brighter.

He glanced back at the man sitting on the side, was silent for a while, and said, "What does Your Majesty mean exactly?" Do you still need to go to great lengths to send someone to the southwest and come back? ”

"I can't say."

Sitting on the chair was a man about twenty-five or sixteen years old, about 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thin waist. Although he was wearing a regular uniform instead of armor, the kind of military temperament that can only be found on the battlefield is still exceptionally clear.

This man's face is like a crown of jade, and his appearance is dignified.

And the middle-aged man who looks about forty years old looks much uglier. And he also has a long scar on his face, looking at the length of this scar, you can imagine how heavy the wound would be at that time. If the knife wound is deflected by one more point, his right eye will be destroyed.

The young man said: "It's true that the emperor loves the eldest princess, maybe he is just really worried that the eldest princess is not suitable for our life in Yongzhou." Originally...... To be a colt, you have to stay in Chang'an, but the general only has such a son as the major general, and he definitely wants to stay by his side. His Majesty didn't reject the general's request, even if it was good, and sending someone to the southwest to take a look was nothing. ”

"Let's hope so"

The middle-aged man was silent for a while and said, "Lu Ou, I heard that His Majesty seems to have handed over the matter of going to the southwest to a new talent named Fang Jie. ”

The young man called Lu Ou snorted: "I have heard of this person, and it is said that he is a talented guy. However, since he was born in the military, he should not be as pedantic and sour as those literati. ”

"I'm going to meet this Lord Xiao Fang tomorrow."

The middle-aged man smiled: "The marriage between the eldest princess and our young general, although this person is not of high status, he can't play a decisive role and can't be underestimated." ”

"There you go."

Lu Ou looked at the package on the table, smiled and said, "Don't say that there is money that can make ghosts push and grind, if there is enough money, it is not a problem to let the ghosts be grinded." Since he is a person who is only appreciated, he is not the kind of person who is not short of money. As long as he is willing to take the money, what is not easy to do? ”