In October of the fifth year of Jianwu, Xu Wei left Shaanxi and headed for Jiangnan. Because part of the Central Plains is still controlled by the Jurchens, the route of his trip is still from Sichuan to Jinghu and then to Jiangnan, Jiangxi. Before leaving, he personally bid farewell to the Khitan mission, and Ma Kuo was also among them, and carried a gift from Sichuan and Shaanxi to Yelu Dashi.

The bell still needs to be tied to the people, it was Ma Zichong who attacked Liao in the past, and now Lian Liao is attacking Jin, Xu Wei still let him be the envoy. Although some people are worried, saying that Ma Zichong was an important participant in the Maritime Alliance back then, you let him out of the Western Regions, and the Khitans were still blushing when they saw him?

But Xu Wei believes in one person, and that is Yelu Dashi, who has never met. Dashi is known as the Khitan royal family, the eighth grandson of Liao Taizu, which means that he must go back to eight generations in order to have a direct relationship with the emperor. In this way, the relationship between Dashi and the last emperor of the Liao State may not be much closer than that of Uncle Liu and Emperor Xian of Han. Therefore, when Dashi was young, he had to take the imperial examination by himself before he could enter the court as an official.

But such an almost negligible clan, on the eve of the fall of the Liao State, he, as a border guard, defeated 100,000 Song troops. He also participated in the establishment of a new monarch and the creation of "Northern Liao" when the last emperor of Liao was defeated and fled, and his life and death were uncertain. Later, he only led hundreds of horsemen to the west, and with the support of the Khitan people in the Western Regions, he led the Khitan, Han and other soldiers to fight bloody battles for more than ten years, and finally rebuilt Daliao.

From his experience, it is not difficult to see that despite Oishi's repeated setbacks, this man is completely different from his colleagues. No matter what kind of adversity, he never thought of surrendering on his knees, and rose again in unimaginable difficulties. Such a hero must be a pragmatic person, and his sending troops to the east also shows that he has the heart to recover. He is a man of great wisdom, and he must know what is good and what is harmful.

Of course, although Xu Wei actively worked hard to expand diplomacy, as a gambler, he did not bet on others. In the gambling game, instead of hoping that others will always have bad cards in their hands, it is better to hold the trump card in your own hands.

Xu Wei set out from Shaanxi to Sichuan, and then went east along the Yangtze River, and entered Jinghu Lake in less than half a month. This is the defense area of Zhang Jiujiu's uncle He Guan, known for its wealth. But Xu Wei found along the way that now is the time to prepare for spring planting, but a lot of land along the coast is still barren and has not been ploughed. It is estimated that the Xianghan War had a great impact on the Jinghu area.

He went to the pilgrimage this time, and there was a time limit, so he didn't plan to take his wife to visit his uncle He Guan, whom he hadn't seen for many years. Speaking of which, although they are relatives, because of what happened to Zhang Jiujiu in He Mansion at the beginning, the He and Xu families have not had much contact with each other.

In late October, Xu Wei traveled to Jiangzhou, because Zhang Jiujiu was a northerner, he was really not used to this kind of long-distance boat ride, and he fell ill for a while. Xu Wei was considerate of his beloved wife, so he landed in Jiangzhou and stayed in the pavilion, planning to take the land route instead.

"Slow down, slow down." Xu Wei hugged Zhang Jiujiu, knelt on the bed with one foot, and slowly put his wife on the collapse. And he himself widened her clothes and covered her with a quilt. When Zhang Jiujiu gave birth to his second daughter, he fell into some confinement diseases and the like, and he was afraid of cold and cold, and Xu Wei made a fire before the collapse.

He took care of his wife himself, but the servants who accompanied him had nothing to do. Zhang Jiujiu's face was very bad, her face was pale, because of seasickness, she vomited everything she could, and in the end she could only vomit some yellow water. Xu Wei put a basin of water in front of the bed, and as long as Zhang Jiujiu moved, he would help him up and caress his back.

He also ordered the servant to get some gruel, stirred it at the right temperature, tasted it, and then scooped up a spoonful and handed it to September's mouth. Zhang Jiujiu didn't have any appetite, so he just shook his head.

"You have to eat a little even if you are strong, and you vomit all the things in your stomach, and then vomit after a while, what do you spit out? Come, eat a bowl of more. Xu Wei patiently persuaded. The servant woman next to her was not surprised by this scene, but if an outsider saw it, her jaw fell to the ground. Can you imagine what a dignified Western leader would look like?

Xu Weiben is not a considerate and careful person, but he often leads troops outside and owes a lot to his wife and daughter. Once the truce is stopped, it is always hoped that it will be compensated as much as possible to ease the guilt in my heart.

Zhang Jiujiu listened to her husband's words, so she barely ate a few bites. After a while, the entourage invited a doctor, and after treating Zhang Jiujiu, he said to Xu Wei: "Madame has worked hard all the way, and she is not accustomed to water and soil, and now her body is very weak, so there is no need to open the prescription, it is best not to suffer from bumps and recuperate for a few days." ”

"Is there anything I should pay attention to when eating?" Xu Wei asked.

"Light, nourish your stomach." Lang Zhong said, packed up his things, said goodbye and left. Xu Wei ordered someone to pay enough for the consultation and send him out of the door.

Zhang Jiujiu heard it well on the collapse, and at this time he lifted the curtain and called: "Official." ”

Xu Wei stepped forward, sat on the edge of the collapse and said, "It's okay, rest for a few days and then go on the road." ”

"But the officials were ordered to enter the Hajj, and I am afraid that the time will be lost." Zhang Jiujiu said worriedly.

"It's okay, it's not too far to Hangzhou, and you can arrive on schedule." Xu Wei said with relief. "It's a good rest, don't think too much."

Zhang Jiuwan smiled, grabbed his hand, and closed his eyes. Xu Wei has been with him all the time, looking at his wife's face that gradually has fine lines, he can't tell what he feels in his heart, he only feels that his wife is holding his hand, as if it is his own, and the husband and wife are completely inseparable from each other.

I don't know how long it took, Xu Wei himself was sleepy, sitting on the edge of the collapse and dozing off his head little by little. At this moment, the door was gently pushed open, and the servant woman given to them by the fourth sister-in-law Xu Wang is now the eldest lady, her surname is Fan, and Zhang Jiujiu calls her Fan Ganniang.

That Fan Ganniang walked over lightly and said in a low voice: "Tai Lieutenant, the soldier reported that the governor of Jiangzhou came to worship." ”

The unwritten rule in the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty was that passing officials lived in the post station, and the local governor generally did not need to pay attention to it. But when you meet a high-ranking official like Erfu, then you have to run faster. It's best to show your hospitality as soon as the other person stays. Although Xu Wei did not have the experience of serving as the chief official in the East and West Mansions, first, he was famous, and secondly, he came to Sichuan, Shaanxi and Xuanfu's deputy envoys, and was the second rank of the Tai Lieutenant, which was enough to compete with the ruling rulers of the court. It is also reasonable for Jiangzhou Zhizhou to come to worship quickly.

"Let him go to the flower hall for tea." Xu Wei said casually.

After accompanying for a while, Xu Wei gently put the lady's hand into the quilt, pressed the corner of the quilt, and then went out. When I arrived in the hall, I saw two officials in regular clothes waiting.

As soon as he came out, the two officials hurriedly got up, and one of them, an official in his forties, dressed in a red robe, stepped forward and saluted: "Xiaguan Jiangzhou Zhizhou, Chen Kangbo, I have seen Taiwei Xu." ”

Xu Wei also politely returned the salute: "Passing by for a temporary stay, why bother to work in Zhizhou?" ”

Chen Kangbo didn't say much, tilted his head and stepped aside. The man behind him, estimated to be less than thirty years old, was taller than Xu Wei, and he looked like a sturdy man, standing in front of him like a mountain, with a big face, a fierce appearance, and a bit of a foreign style. At this time, the fierce face was full of respect, clenched his fists in an orderly manner, leaned down his upper body vigorously, and said loudly: "I have seen the captain in my humble position!" ”

When Xu Wei waited for him to get up, he took a few closer looks, and suddenly smiled: "Zhe Yanye!" ”

"I don't want the captain to remember his humble duties! Tongguan has been absent for many years, and the demeanor of Taiwei is still the same! Orihiko said excitedly. Back then, he followed his father to ask for the rescue of the Hu'er Army, and was once supported by Xu Wei.

Xu Wei beckoned the second official to sit down and say something about the scene. Although Chen Kangbo came to worship quickly, he didn't talk much, and he didn't see flattery. Because of his old days, Zhe Yanye talked about the anti-Jin situation, especially praised the Western Army for recovering all of Shaanxi, and of course inevitably publicized the achievements of the Zhejia Army in Xianghan. He also told him that his brother Zhe Yanzhi was very happy to learn that Mrs. Xu was temporarily living in Jiangzhou, but he had some urgent affairs to deal with, and he should come to see him in person in the evening.

It stands to reason that Zhe Yanzhi is the ambassador of Jiangxi Xuanfu and the king of the county, and he has a great friendship with Xu Wei. It's just that, firstly, because his wife is sick, and secondly, Xu Wei is low-key and does not plan to be too public, so he is not ready to meet Zhe Zhonggu. But now that the person Ori Hikono has brought it up, he can't be indifferent, so he said some kind words.

Seeing off the two of them, Xu Wei rested in the pavilion for a while, and went to see the lady in the evening, and saw that she was sleeping deeply, and his heart was a little peaceful. Tell the servant woman to wait for the lady to wake up, boil some porridge, serve her with some light side dishes, and if she still vomits, ask the doctor to come and see.

When it was a little late, I didn't see the quality of the Orihiko. Xu Wei thought about it, Yu Gong, Zhe Yanzhi is the commander of the aspect, his prestige moves the world, Yu private, he and his father Zhe Keqiu saved themselves back then, and they have a very good personal relationship, so they should indeed take the initiative to visit others.

It's just that it's not appropriate to go empty-handed, and now it's getting late, and I don't think I can buy anything good in the market. Xu Wei went to Hangzhou this time and brought many gifts to Xu Shao's widow and his aunt, in addition to gold and silver, there were also rare things in the mainland, all of which were offered by merchants, and many of them were purchased from the party in the market. There are more than two dozen valuable hides alone.

Xu Wei ordered a part of it, let the soldiers take it, asked Ming Zheyan Mansion, and went straight away. Because the sky was dark, Xu Wei walked in this historical city, and he couldn't get it if he wanted to see the flowers, only to see the brilliant lights, showing the prosperity here. It is said that the world-famous Lushan Mountain is also here, but Xu Wei may not have time to play.

After a while, Fang found the folding mansion, but he saw that the courtyard was lofty and magnificent. Not to mention, look at the two rows of doormen standing under the light, all with big shoulders and round waists, and clubbing like spirits. Ordinary people passing by here, I'm afraid they don't even have the courage to take a second look. As the saying goes, the prime minister's door is a seven-grade official, and the door man of the mansion really has this posture.

Because Xu Wei was on the Hajj, he never brought a guard of honor, and he only hired a carriage when he went out, and the soldiers followed behind with things. When the car stopped on the street in front of the Folding House, the eyes of the two rows of people at the door shot down, all of them fierce.

Xu Wei was meeting with the deceased, so he didn't need to be too formal, so he didn't wear official clothes. Just a Luo green brocade jacket, tied with a leather belt around the waist, and a big collar of flowers and brocade on the outside, and a knotted head on the top. Although it is also luxurious, it does not show its identity.

As a result, when he raised his feet and walked up the steps, the people at the gate of the Folding Mansion had already unconsciously begun to block the door. Xu Wei has encountered many times before when he was entangled by other people's doormen, because he is young, no one takes you seriously. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Xu Wei said as he walked: "Please pass the word to the mansion, Xu Wei will come to worship the king of Zhejun." ”

The people at the door heard it clearly, and they immediately dispersed when they were approaching the middle of the mansion gate, and one of them hurried into the mansion gate to report, and the rest looked at the official in front of them with a kind of awe.

Zhe Yanzhi was named the king of the county because of his "merit covering the contemporary", and Jiangxi was his "territory", so his servants naturally had a higher vision, and ordinary officials could not enter the eyes of the law at all. But Xu Wei definitely does not apply the word "ordinary", the leader of the Western Army has 200,000 elite soldiers in his hands, and there are five or six generals under his command who are only at the level of the Jiedu envoy, looking at the world, who dares to underestimate him?

It's just that the people of Zhefumen can't figure it out, why is the Purple Gold Tiger, which is almost as famous as our king, so casual?

After a while, I heard the sound of footsteps crackling, but I saw Orihiko in casual clothes leading some people to come out quickly. Before anyone arrived, the voice came first: "Ziang! Ziang! ”

Xu Wei stepped forward and saluted with a fist: "I've seen the King of Zhejun." ”

Zhi Yan didn't return the courtesy, grabbed his hand, tightened and tightened, looked carefully through the light, and sighed: "Ziang, how many years!" ”

"Yes, I haven't seen you for many years, how is the king?" Xu Wei asked with a smile.

Zhi Yanzhi patted his hand, nodded frequently, and said, "Okay, okay, I was going to go to the pavilion, but you came first." ”

Xu Wei didn't care whether the other party's words were true or not, and chuckled: "I came to Jiangxi from Sichuan and Shaanxi, so I should come to the door." ”

Zhi Yan seemed to be very moved, unable to speak, and pulled Xu Wei to go inside. The latter rushed to say: "It's just a small courtesy, it's not a respect, and I hope the king will smile." ”

"Oops! Come and come, what kind of gifts! It's too outward, you and I talk about this? Ori rebuked. Immediately, he ordered the servants to hurry up and prepare a banquet, claiming that he wanted to get drunk with Mrs. Xu!

When they arrived in the hall and sat down, Orihiko summoned his son and asked them to pay a big salute. Zhe Zhonggu is just one round older than Xu Wei, and now he is in his forties, and he has three daughters and two sons. Of the two sons, the eldest is already an official, and the younger is still a minor. They all followed their father's orders and saluted Xu Wei respectfully.

"Okay, let's go, when today's wine is drunk, you should be good and ask your elders for advice. You know, Mrs. Xu has supported half of the country in the west! "Although Zheyan is a civil servant, he is also a serious Jinshi background. However, because of the relationship between leading troops to fight all the year round, his style is quite militaristic.

Xu Wei said a few polite words, and then asked again: "Hey, Ziang, are you going alone, or what?" ”

"The official family has issued an edict to let me take my wife to Jiangnan." Xu Weidao.

"Oh? Why don't you see your brother and sister? Orihiko asked.

"The Hun family is a northerner, not used to taking a boat, all the way upside down, to Jiangzhou is sick, and resting in the pavilion." Xu Weidao.

"It's okay, I'll let Humble Jing visit tomorrow with medicinal supplements, and don't be in a hurry to leave. I lived in Jiangzhou for a few days, you and I haven't seen each other for many years, and I have a lot to say to you. Orihiko smiled.

Xu Weiguan described the king of the county as being in his forties, although the demeanor of the year is still there. But I did feel a little tired, the corners of my eyes were loose, my face was a little collapsed, and my body was a little fat, compared with when I was leading troops in Tokyo, the difference was still quite big.

When he looked at Zhezhonggu, the other party was also observing him. I think that back then, Xiao Xu Guanren was very famous in Tokyo, not only because of his military exploits, but also because this guy was born with a good skin, walking on the street, people flocked to watch. Now, more than ten years have passed, this guy has grown from a teenager to a strong man in his thirties, many years of military career and frontier tempering, so that the purple gold tiger is full of sharpness, his eyes are as bright as the moon, his skin and bones are like iron and steel, and his promoted body is as straight as a gun even if he sits, but there is a smile at the corner of his mouth, and he can vaguely see the graceful demeanor of the year.

After a long while, Zhi Zhonggu broke the silence: "Ziang, you and I have struggled for ten years, and we have gone through many hardships to get to where we are today. Ouch, when I think about it, it seems like it was just yesterday when Qixian County robbed grain. ”

Xu Wei smiled, he hadn't always recalled the glory of the past, and his eyes were always looking forward. "It's different, in the past, the Jurchens chased us and fought, but now ...... The battle of the Great King Xianghan is enough to illustrate the problem. ”

Zhi Yan sighed and sighed sincerely: "What I admire most is your confidence. Think back then, the gold thieves were almost approaching Tokyo, and which of the Manchu Dynasty civil and military was not frightened? But you always say that things are done by people, and repeatedly explain to people that Da Song can make a difference, and by now, you have really proved your words, not easy, not easy. ”

Xu Wei waved his hand: "The past is over, and the present is the most important." ”

Orihiko slapped his thigh: "Not bad!" That's true! Now that the north and the south are making peace, on the surface, this is a boycott of war and a return to the land, as if the gold thief really wants to reconcile with our dynasty. But in my opinion, this is also a cloth to cover shame, and sooner or later it will have to be torn off! When the time comes, the golden people will raise a large army to attack! ”

Speaking of this, he didn't wait for Xu Wei to reply, and continued, "But this time is different from the past, although the official family has not been on the throne for a long time, it is still enterprising. Not long ago, he summoned me and He Taibao of Jinghu to enter the dynasty and inquire about military aircraft, which has the meaning of the Northern Expedition! True Hero! ”

"The Northern Expedition? Right now? Xu Wei couldn't help but be surprised. During the reign of Emperor Zhao Huan, the major policies of the imperial court were repeated back and forth, and before the abdication, he finally chose a path to go to the dark and was passive and conservative. Now the new emperor is not conservative, but there is no need to be radical like this, right?

"The official family does mean this, but He Taibao and I both think it can't. The only way to do this is to wait for the time. If you don't make a hit, it's a blockbuster! If you don't fight, you have to fight, at least drive the Jurchens across the Yellow River! Orihiko said with a smile. Of course, you have done this first, and when the time comes, Jiangxi Jinghu will go north to Tokyo and you can send the teacher out of the Tiger Prison, so why worry about the big thing? ”