After hearing Ma Jin's intention to visit, Zhang Shiqing was greatly annoyed, "The queen is too unreasonable, she is already the queen, and her son is also the prince, what else is there to dissatisfaction with?" And if she wants to compete for favor, she will fight, why did she come all the way to threaten you? You have been retired for many years, and you are not a living immortal, so that the emperor will no longer favor the prince of Colorful and Free? ”

"The queen doesn't think I'm a 'living immortal', but the emperor and Colorful came to me first, and she had to guard against it."

Zhang Shiqing was slightly stunned, "Colorful really hurt me...... But she is lonely in the palace, she must have been bullied a lot, who can she find if she doesn't come to me? ”

In Zhang Shiqing's heart, Colorful is still the timid and loyal little maid in the past, and the previous meeting in Yecheng has not changed this impression.

Xu Ji smiled, "The emperor and Colorful came to me because Tan Wuwu has been protecting me in Yecheng and not allowing outsiders to come and disturb me. ”

"That's Tan needlessly harming you...... But he has protected Siguo Valley for many years, and he finally has a good heart. Zhang Shiqing is not a person who doesn't know good and bad, and he can't complain about his own patron, so he has to sigh, "The difference between good and bad is clear from afar, and the closer you are, the less clear the distinction is." ”

"Tan doesn't need to protect me, because I happen to live in Siguo Valley, and he happens to be sealed in Yecheng, if I change places, he can't reach him, and he won't care about my business."

"That's your fault, you have to choose to live in seclusion in Siguo Valley, this is not a place outside the world that no one knows, it's better in troubled times, the world is peaceful, and no one can be hidden here - but this can't blame you, if it weren't for being closer to Yecheng and getting some care from the city from time to time, how could these dozens of people survive until now?"

Zhang Shiqing couldn't find out who was wrong or what was wrong, and frowned: "What are you going to do?" It's really not good, I'll take the prince to live elsewhere, leave Jizhou, and don't make trouble for Siguogu. ”

Xu Ji smiled: "The prince is my disciple, he hasn't made any mistakes, how can he be expelled from Siguo Valley?" ”

"It's not easy to find faults, he's getting more and more naughty now, I see him walking a little stiff during the day, and when I deliberately hide it in front of me, he must have fallen off his horse."

"Don't worry, I told Ma Jin that I have no intention of participating in any disputes, whether he believes it or not, it won't be anything for a while, I think he is loyal, maybe he will speak well in front of the queen, at least he won't say bad things about me. Just wait. ”

"Again, 'wait a minute.'" Zhang Shiqing believed in her husband, blew out the light and went to bed to lie down, didn't fall asleep for a while, and suddenly said: "Is it never possible to stay away from right and wrong and live in peace?" ”

"Well, you have to be able to do it for a while, not for a lifetime."

Zhang Shiqing turned around, got into her husband's arms, and whispered, "It's okay for a while." ”

Ma Jin said goodbye the next day, and said when he left: "Mr. Xu said that he doesn't ask about the world, and I believe that he will try his best to persuade the queen to believe it after he goes back, but ...... It's far from enough, I hope Mr. Xu can do something more, win the trust of the queen, and I can speak. ”

Ma Jin returned to Beijing, Xu Ji did not immediately "do something", he still studied and taught, and his requirements for the children of Guzhong did not become stricter.

Suddenly, nearly a month has passed, it is the end of the year, the atmosphere in the valley is gradually lively, but the old servant in charge of the treasury is not sick, Xu Ji personally served the decoction, and the old servant did not get better.

Seeing that the oil ran out of lamps, the old servant no longer had hope, and said to Xu Ji: "In the past ten years, I have had a wish, not to be starved to death, to lose my son, this wish has not been disappointed, I have no regrets." ”

That night, the old servant died, and Xu Ji buried him near Fan Guan's tomb, and until this time he couldn't remember the name of the old servant, so there was no monument.

The New Year had just passed, and some news reached the valley, and Zhang Shiqing sent someone to Yecheng to inquire about the exactness, and immediately came to the school to find Xu Ji.

Xu Ji is teaching a few children to write and read, the smaller ones are red, the older ones are reciting the classics, Xu Ji is walking back and forth, occasionally correcting it, if the students have doubts, they can ask at any time, and he will try his best to answer.

The prince and the Xu brothers are not here, and they are under Zhan discipline.

Zhang Shiqing coughed lightly and called her husband to the door, "The news from Yecheng said that the emperor was defeated in Liaodong a few years ago, retreated to Yuyang, and was coming to Yecheng. ”

"Big defeat?" Xu Ji was very surprised.

"Yes, it's a big defeat, not a big victory, the Chu army drove away He Rongren, but it was defeated in Liaodong - do you think it will be this battle fought by Huanyan?"

Xu Ji shook his head, "I don't know, the biggest enemy of the Chu army in this battle is probably this cold winter." ”

At the end of the first month, the imperial army really returned to Yecheng, and the public news did not admit that it had suffered a "big defeat", but it was a big victory, seizing more than a dozen cities from Liaodong and expanding the land for hundreds of miles, but the snow was thick in the middle of winter, hindering the march of soldiers and horses, and the emperor could not bear to suffer from the soldiers, so he ordered the division to disband a part of the army in Yuyang, and then to rest in Yecheng for a while, disband another part of the army, and then prepare to return to Kyoto with only the forbidden army.

Seeing that the imperial court was still full of soldiers and horses, the rumors immediately decreased a lot, and only a few people noticed that the news of the "great victory" of the imperial court did not mention which enemy nobles were killed or captured in the battle of Liaodong.

Tan Wuxuan contracted the disease outside the Saiwai and returned to Yecheng with the emperor, but there was still no improvement, and Xu Ji had to visit in person.

It happened that Colorful also wanted to see his son and sent someone to fetch it, so Xu Ji followed this team into the city together.

The atmosphere in the palace was depressing and tense, and everyone was in a hurry, but they didn't dare to make a sound, and tried to hold their breath.

Tan Wuwu was lying on the bed wrapped in a thick quilt, his breath was dying, and he seemed to be more seriously ill than the old servant who passed away not long ago, seeing Xu Ji, Tan Wufu said hello with effortless effort, and only said after a long breath: "I'm afraid that I have to go first, if the fourth brother has the heart, please take care of my wife and children, and I will be grateful for the kindness of the fourth brother." ”

Xu Ji comforted him, asked the waiter on the side to bring some tea, and when there were no outsiders in the house, he said, "What kind of trick is this used by the second brother?" ”

"Meter? I don't use a plan, I'm really sick, I don't believe you......"

Tan was needless to lift the quilt, but was stopped by Xu Ji.

"If the second brother doesn't believe me, I won't ask too much, and after I go out, I will preach that the Marquis of Yecheng is seriously ill, but I am just a commoner, and I can't take care of the prince's wife."

Tan Wufu was stunned for a while, and was about to speak, when the waiter came in with tea, Tan Wufu pulled him back, stretched out an arm from under the quilt, and held Xu Ji's hand, "I do get sick, but it's not that serious, no way, I ...... The fourth brother went to the door to take a look. ”

Xu Ji got up and went to the door to check, and after confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he returned to the bed and sat down.

Tan sighed meaninglessly, "It's me who is out of the mood, after the former defeated He Rong's army, I proposed to His Majesty, thinking that I should send 30,000 elite cavalry to pursue the remnants of the enemy and completely annihilate He Rong's army." His Majesty is anxious to attack the Tiancheng court in Liaodong, and I offer a plan, thinking that Liaodong is small, but the land is dangerous and the city is many, it is difficult to sweep, once the stalemate, it will suffer from the cold winter, it is better to go back to Yuyang to rest and recuperate, and after the spring next year, step by step, steady and steady, less than one year, more than three years, can occupy the entire territory of Liaodong. ”

"What the second brother has offered is a clever plan."

Tan Wuxian sighed again, "The trouble is here, Your Majesty didn't listen to my plan, I was angry, and I happened to be sick again, so I asked Yuyang to return, and Your Majesty agreed." As a result, His Majesty personally conquered Liaodong, although he was not defeated, but he lost his troops and lost his generals, failed to capture Liaodong, and failed to force Tiancheng to surrender...... I may have angered the Emperor. ”

Xu Ji also sighed, "Second brother lost a great opportunity. ”

"What chance?"

"The second brother should persuade the emperor to return to Yuyang to sit in the town, and you yourself will take your illness and lead your troops to attack Liaodong."

"When I go to Liaodong, I won't win a big victory, and the loss without a row will be smaller."

"The second brother is just too many 'big wins', so he has today's worries, and it is beneficial and harmless to lose in Liaodong last time."

Tan Wuxuan suddenly realized, sat up on the bed, and said with annoyance: "I always make mistakes in this kind of thing, the fourth brother is right, I should have begged for this defeat a long time ago - what now?" Your Majesty obviously thinks that it is my lack of help that causes Liaodong to be unfavorable, and my illness is now neither mild nor serious, and sometimes I really want to stab myself twice. ”

"I have a plan, I don't know if the second brother can use it?"

"The fourth brother's plan must be wonderful, how can I not use it?"

"The second brother also knows that I haven't done this kind of thing for more than ten years, if there is something that is not well considered, the second brother needs to make his own decision, don't blame me afterwards."

Tan smiled meaninglessly: "You and my brothers both know the difficulty of persuading people, I can get the fourth brother's plan, I am satisfied, how can I complain?" ”

"Second brother should not pretend to be sick again, he should ask to see His Majesty as soon as possible, and lead his troops to fight again with Liaodong after the beginning of spring."

"If I win this battle, I will be even more feared, and if I am defeated, I will be severely punished."

"It is better to punish severely than to be afraid."

"But...... It's easy to defeat the battle, Your Majesty in case...... Do you want to get rid of me? ”

"Second brother needs to make arrangements as soon as possible to please Concubine Zhang beside His Majesty."

Colorful does not know her surname, borrowing Zhang's family, so she is called Concubine Zhang.

Tan was stunned again, "Concubine Zhang...... Can you help me with good words? ”

Xu Ji shook his head, "If Concubine Zhang is a good word, the second brother is even more dangerous." Concubine Zhang has a son, who is eleven years old this year, and is deeply favored by His Majesty, but unfortunately he is at the bottom of the list, and he is not a son-in-law, so he cannot be entrusted to Sheji. I look at Your Majesty's intentions, and it seems that I have the intention to crown this son as king. After the defeat of the second brother in Liaodong, he could cut half of his fiefdom and return it to the imperial court. Concubine Zhang asked for the title of the son, nine times out of ten it can be done, since then there are two kings in Jizhou, Your Majesty is less afraid, the prince has to be crowned the king, and the second brother can be worry-free. ”

Tan was silent, a little reluctant to hand over half of the fief.

Xu Ji continued: "It's just that this is not enough, the second brother wants to ask the court for the title of son, and the king of Yecheng will stop here." ”

Tan was senselessly shocked, "The king's name can't be passed on to future generations, what kind of king is it?" ”

"There are many things that can be passed on to future generations, and the king is not the most important one." Xu Ji didn't persuade him more, got up and said goodbye, no matter how Tan Wuwu tried to keep him, he refused to say a word more.

The prince was left by Colorful's side, and Xu Ji returned to Siguo Valley alone and said to his wife: "The eldest of our family is going to the capital." ”

"Huh?" Zhang Shiqing was taken aback, "What happened?" ”

"It's okay, Queen Ma needs me to do something, so let's do something. Xu Xun...... and Ma Shi, who entered Beijing together and served as an attendant to the prince. ”

"I'm just eight years old, I'm used to it since I was a child, how can I ......"

Xu Ji interrupted his wife and said earnestly: "You are the county lord of Tiancheng Zhang, I am the son of a general, our son is destined not to spend his life in the valley, rather than having to do it in the future, it is better to make some arrangements now." ”

"But our seclusion ......"

Xu Ji smiled: "I'd rather be a big hidden than a small hidden." ”