The white fields were still uninhabited, the thick white snow covered the fertile wheat fields, and a flock of small birds soared in the sky, as if this endless land of Longyou was their world.

Pei Ying had been on the road for two days, and five hundred of the most elite Xiliang troops escorted her all the way south, crossing the Yellow River in the north of Jincheng County, passing through the state and passing through the county, and the team had entered the territory of Kaiyang County at noon that day.

"Madam, is that Kaiyang City?" The maidservant Xiaoqiu suddenly saw the swarthy city wall in the distance, and she was so excited that she suddenly cried out and exclaimed, "It's so majestic! ”

A woman's role often changes depending on the environment and the object, Pei Ying is like this, in front of her father, she is a little lady who does not grow up, naughty and willful; In front of Zhang Huan, she is ten years old, she is a delicate and lively girl in love, passionate, and the heat of love is enough to melt Zhang Huan; But in front of the maid and the subordinates, she suddenly grew twenty years old, and she was a stern and slightly tolerant housewife.

Pei Ying patted her head and scolded with a smile: "How can I have such an uninformed maid as you, the next time you see Chang'an, you have to fall off the carriage?" ”

Xiaoqiu is only twelve years old, it is a by-product left by the Wang County Order of Tianbao County after sentencing a trafficker case, she has indeed not seen anything in the world, she has heard of Chang'an, but she can't imagine what the Tang Capital will be like for her to fall off the carriage, just like the children of later generations will only jump out of their minds when they talk about Beijing, Xiaoqiu's concept of Chang'an is only two words, but the reprimand of the housemother makes her more nervous than Kaiyang City and Chang'an City, she immediately lowered her head. Obediently sit back in your place.

Pei Ying saw that she was obedient, so she smiled and pulled the curtain a little higher. Letting as much warm sunlight shine into the car as much as possible, she looked at the sky for a moment, and then smiled at a cavalry team outside the window: "Luo Sanlang, go and call your General Lin." ”

The team named Luo Sanlang immediately answered and rushed to the front. After a while, Lin Jiuhan galloped over and saluted Pei Ying, "Madam, please command." ”

Pei Ying smiled slightly: "Lao Lin, you go and tell the brothers, after entering the city, don't be busy going to Weifu first, find the most famous restaurant, and I will invite the brothers to drink." ”

After a pause, she took out another ingot of gold and threw it to Luo Sanlang, "Take a dozen brothers to reserve a seat first, I remember that Songhe Tower is very good." I ordered it, and if the shopkeeper refused, I would smash its brand. ”

Luo Sanlang readily agreed, waved his hand, and led more than 20 brothers to gallop towards the city first, Lin Jiuhan was overwhelmed, he hurriedly said: "Madam, you invited the brothers to dinner all the way." Why don't the brothers get together today and ask Mrs. once?

Before he finished speaking, Pei Ying interrupted him with a smile, "I am the daughter of Xiangguo." Do you still care about this little money? It is not easy for the brothers to be soldiers, so save the money to buy something for your parents, wives and children, and when you go back, I will tell you all to send someone to the homes of the brothers during the New Year, and send your things and letters back a little bit. ”

Lin Jiuhan only felt a spicy rush into his nose. His eyes were a little red. Don't turn your head in a hurry and don't let Pei Ying see it. After a while, he suddenly waved his arms and shouted at all the brothers: "Madame, please invite us to the best restaurant in Kaiyang City to drink today, everyone hurry up!" ”

Everyone agreed, accelerated the march, and the group drove towards Kaiyang City

Kaiyang City was rebuilt after being broken by Hui Hui last year, heightened and reinforced, and now it is the most majestic city in the Helong area, more than Jincheng County and Wuwei County, and Wuwei County, the snow in Kaiyang City has been swept away, it is noon, people come and go on the street, it is very lively, most of them are for the New Year of Xuanren two years to prepare New Year's goods early.

Like Chang'an, Kaiyang City is also a square layout, large and small forty squares are distributed among them, with a population of nearly 300,000 people, under the painstaking management of the Wei family, the population of Kaiyang City in Qingzhi ten years will exceed Jincheng County, becoming the first largest city in the Helong area, prosperous commerce, prosperous handicrafts, listed as the seventh largest commercial city in the world (Chang'an, Guangling, Chengdu, Luoyang, Taiyuan, Ye), although it was broken by the Hui last year, but the purpose of the Hui cavalry was not to slaughter the city, so it escaped a catastrophe, and soon recovered its vitality.

Songhe Tower is the most famous restaurant in Kaiyang City, it is rumored that it is actually the branch of Chang'an Taibai Building in Kaiyang, it is located in the bustling Qianmingfang, the building is five floors high, covers an area of more than 40 acres, can accommodate thousands of people to eat at the same time, but at this time it is the time to eat lunch, and the Songhe Tower is closed, a big stop sign hangs on the gate, which means that the business is suspended, it can be said to be closed, but the restaurant is full of people, more lively than usual, someone secretly stepped forward to look through the window, only to see that the restaurant is full of soldiers, There are even many horses in the lobby enjoying the delicious food of the world.

Of course, this is the Wuwei visitor, they chartered the entire restaurant, for an hour and a half, no other diners were allowed to enter, the shopkeepers ran up and down sweatingly, and the shopkeeper of the restaurant had a sad face, no! Sitting behind the big platform with a blue nose and swollen face, his eyes looked melancholy at a horse tied not far from him, money is not a problem, fifty taels of gold is enough to cope with the wild eating and drinking of this group of big-bellied men, the key is the reputation of the Songhe Tower, wandering in the quiet tree moon, chattering in the small pavilion wind, how poetic and picturesque, but now it is crowded with a group of stinky horses and a group of stinky men

Alas! The brand was smashed, the shopkeeper sighed, and desperately thought about how to explain to the proprietor, soldiers, bandits! Can he be blamed for this?

At this moment, more than a dozen people came from outside the door, also soldiers on horseback, led by an officer about thirty years old, with a slender face and cold eyes, and the shopkeeper suddenly came to his senses, and he recognized this person as Cao Wei Deqing, a soldier of Kaiyang County.

Of course, the surname Wei is also a member of the Wei family, but his status in the Wei family is extremely low, he was born to a concubine and a maid, and became a sesame official, and it was also because he bravely killed ten Hui soldiers in a row in the Hui Rebellion last year and saved Kaiyang County Assassin Shi Wei Ping, and the family reluctantly gave him a petty official, so that he could support his mother.

Wei Deqing walked to the door. As soon as he pushed the gate open, several Xiliang soldiers on duty stepped forward to stop him, "We have already covered it here." Brother go somewhere else for a drink! ”

The shopkeeper hurriedly stepped forward and pulled him aside, and said in a low voice: "Brother Qing, they are from Hexi, and I heard that they seem to be escorting the envoy's army. ”

Wei Deqing nodded, he knew. Someone at the city gate had already told him just now, Wei Deqing glanced at the store, pointed to the shopkeeper and said coldly: "There is nothing wrong with eating, but you forcibly occupy the business like this, and you also injured the shopkeeper, this is not good, open the door of the store, you must not monopolize the restaurant, and your land, please take it to the backyard." ”

Soldiers were not allowed to drink alcohol in the barracks during normal times. But outside, the lady indulged them, Lin Jiuhan also turned a blind eye, these soldiers were drinking happily, and suddenly saw that they came to find a stubble, and they all gathered around, and in a moment, there were one or two hundred people blocked at the door of the restaurant. surrounded Wei Deqing in the middle, and even some of them pulled out their knives. Seeing that the situation was not good, the shopkeeper trembled and slipped to the side, and Xiliangjun didn't care about him, only surrounded Wei Deqing and glared angrily.

Wei Deqing was not afraid of the large group of wolf-like Xiliang troops, he straightened his waist and raised his voice: "Please come down your messenger." I have something to say. ”

"What do you have to say?" Pei Ying slowly walked down from the second floor. The soldiers immediately dodged a way, but many of them clenched their fists. As soon as this person was the slightest offending lady in his words, they would unceremoniously come forward and beat him flat.

Pei Ying walked up to him, looked at him, and said with a faint smile: "I am the envoy sent by the Governor of Liangzhou Zhang Dudu to Kaiyangdi, we have lunch here, and use six hundred wallets to go down to the Songhe Tower for an hour and a half, and the shopkeeper also agreed, this is a fair and righteous thing, is there anything wrong?" ”

Wei Deqing saw that the envoy was actually a very beautiful woman, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but the surprise quickly disappeared, he bowed to Pei Yingchang, and said solemnly: "Cao Wei Deqing, a soldier in Xia Kaiyang County, has seen the envoy of Zhang Dudu. ”

Xiliang Jun next to him saw that he was actually a small county soldier Cao, not even the smallest Jiupin Sesame Official, just a small official in charge of public security, many people couldn't help laughing, Pei Ying waved his hand, ordered the soldiers to be quiet, she smiled slightly: "Wei Bing Cao is sent by Wei Shangshu to meet us." ”

"Definitely!" Wei Deqing shook his head and said: "I am in charge of the security of Kaiyang County, and some people told me that someone in Songhe Tower expelled them to eat, and this soldier Cao Te came to handle the case. ”

"Then now that the misunderstanding has been clarified, Wei Bingcao can go back!"

Wei Deqing sneered, "Although the matter is not big, since the noble envoy has come to Kaiyang as a guest, he will be as he pleases, and the food and accommodation will naturally be arranged by the government, so why bother to fight with the people and ruin the reputation of the Xiliang Army?" I hope that the envoy will restrain his subordinates, and don't let me come a second time. Pei Ying saw that he could still talk eloquently under the siege of hundreds of Xiliang troops, without fear, and loyal to his duties, and couldn't help but admire his courage, so he smiled gently: "Wei Bing Cao Di Jinyu's words have been written down, and I will definitely let the soldiers follow the laws of the Tang Dynasty." ”

She waved her hand lightly, "Open the door of the store, let the Songhe Tower continue to open as usual, and the brothers can continue to eat and drink!" ”

Seeing that there was nothing to do, the soldiers of the Xiliang Army all returned to their seats and continued to drink and fist, but the sound was even louder, there was a lot of noise in the restaurant, the door was open, but who dared to come in, Wei Deqing frowned, but he was helpless, there was nothing in the Tang Dynasty law that said that he was not allowed to speak when eating and drinking, and he was not allowed to lead the horse into the restaurant, he sighed secretly in his heart, and arched his hand to Pei Ying, preparing to leave.

At this moment, a group of people rushed outside the restaurant, it was the people sent by Wei Ge to greet Zhang Huan's envoys, all of whom were important ministers of the Wei family, led by Wei Du, the secretary of Shaofu Temple, followed by Wei Du, the deputy head of the Wei family, Wei Ge's third brother Kaiyang County Thorn Shi Wei Ping, and Longxi County Thorn Shi Wei Rang, which is a very high-level courtesy, second only to Wei Ge personally to greet him.

Seeing this, Wei Deqing knew that his position was petty, so he immediately quietly flashed to the side and went out through the back door

Wei Ge received a flying pigeon letter from Wuwei County yesterday, saying that Zhang Huan had a sincere peace agreement and had sent an envoy to Kaiyang County.

Wei Du knew Pei Ying, he was stunned for a long time, and just wanted to ask, but suddenly remembered that he was a messenger from Hexi, he looked left and right, but he didn't see where the majestic envoy was?

Pei Ying knew what he was looking for, so he stepped forward and gave a light salute, and said with a slight smile: "Pei Ying is the messenger sent by the Governor of Liangzhou, are you looking for me?" ”

"Is that you?" Several important ministers of the Wei family opened their mouths wide in unison, stunned in surprise.