A drizzle of rain in the sky darkens the sky at dusk, and the white mist shrouds the towering walls of Youzhou City, which looks majestic and mysterious. Since ancient times, Youzhou has been an important military town for northern border defense, a water and land transportation hub in the north of the Hebei Plain, and a commercial metropolis for trade between various parts of the Kanto region and the northern grasslands.

Although the metropolitan city is famous all over the world, but there is always its suffocation, Youzhou City is like this, although it has a total of ten doors on all sides, but the pedestrians who enter and exit every morning and evening are still like a carp crossing the river, congested.

Moreover, the day of the birthday celebration of Li Quanzhong, the marshal of Youzhou Town, is approaching, and the officials of the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Youzhou Town and the generals stationed abroad must send people to send gifts and congratulations. The feudal towns that are allies of Youzhou Town naturally have to send someone to express it. This has increased the ten gates of Youzhou City and made it even busier.

At dusk that day, from the gate of the Andong Gate in the middle to the other end of the moat suspension bridge, the people waiting to enter the city formed a long queue, and the front could stand on the ground paved with city bricks, or on the suspension bridge, but the crowd behind could only stand in the mud and drizzle, screaming and cursing for this ghost weather.

Zhuang Yi belonged to the latter, and a hundred soldiers in front and one hundred guarded his carriages, and also brought five hundred war horses, which were also blocked in the mud at this time, silently waiting to enter the city. In fact, he had already turned around from the Chongren Gate in the north, but the situation was still like this, so he could only wait. Steward Zhao also came this time, and he had already gone to the Yingchun Gate in the south to inspect the situation, if it was not blocked there, he would have to transfer it again.

I didn't find Lei Niang in Yuyang, and I returned home, Zhuang Yi's mood has not been very good these days. He silently thought about all kinds of deeds since he met Lei Niang, but suddenly found that he didn't know anything about Lei Niang, at least he didn't know anything about her life history.

Thinking of saying goodbye last year, Lei Niang gave him shandan flowers and made an appointment to meet at this time, but at this time, there was no trace of her, and she suddenly found that this thing was unusual. But he couldn't think of what this unusual thing could be.

Since you can't guess, you don't want to. Love beauty, but also love the country! This is a two-and-one, one-and-two thing, there is nothing to focus on, and the business cannot be left behind.

Bidding farewell to Zhao Ting, after being sent ten miles by Zhao Jing and Zhao Qiuling, Zhuang Yi hurried during the day and took the people and horses to stay at the post station at night. He is now an official, and he can be better taken care of, but he also has to pay some money. After three days of rapid travel, I finally arrived outside Youzhou City at dusk on this day, and I waited helplessly to enter the city.

"Uncle, aunt! Hurry up and go to the Spring Festival! There are a lot fewer people over there, and they don't crowd ......" Steward Zhao came back soon and shouted in front of the car window.

"Hmm...... Turn to the Spring Festival! Zhong Ming! You lead the people to the front to open the way! Zhuang Yi shouted in the carriage.

A group of people and horses left the team, and along the moat to the south for two miles to Qihua Gate, the flow of people here is really a lot less, can already cross the moat bridge, only wait for a moment to line up to the city gate, there is Zhao Steward to go to the point, the soldiers guarding the city gate did not check the carriage and horse goods, directly released.

The first to pass through is the narrow and deep outer city gate, that is, the urn city gate, and the second is the city gate. Entering the city is Kaiyangfang Street, because the Youzhou Jiedu Envoy is in the sub-city in the southwest corner, so this Kaiyang Street is an official road, and there are relatively few pedestrians. The north is the outer city, with the north city and the east and west markets, so the flow of people is like weaving.

After passing Kaiyang Street and turning north to Danzhou Street, passing Tongma Fang, Sushen Fang, Huayan Fang, there are really many pedestrians on the road, the traffic is busy, shoulder to shoulder. As soon as the chariot and horse team entered Yandu Fang, Steward Zhao immediately took the horse and left first, and he wanted to rush back to report to the old master.

Two hundred soldiers shouted and hugged each other, plus five hundred war horses, and the momentum was so great that the streets of the square were full. Pedestrians on the street avoided one after another, stopped to watch for a while, and then lowered their heads and hurried away. Because Zhuang Yi entered the city in a low-key manner and did not play a flag, pedestrians on the street could not guess his identity, but this situation is common in Youzhou, and they are not surprised.

A housekeeper led the way, and after a while, he exclaimed in surprise: "It's here!" Someone came out to greet you! ”

Zhuang Yi jumped out of the carriage and saw two squatting tall white marble lions standing in front of him, and the steps gradually went up, leading to the vermilion lacquer gate in the front yard, and the door was hung with a wide plaque with two golden characters of "Zhao Mansion".

Steward Zhao had already trotted out with more than 20 domestic servants, and ordered everyone to lead the horses, pull the carts, and even the two hundred soldiers were taken away. Steward Zhao personally stepped forward to lead Zhuang Yi into the door, climbed the steps and went up the front yard, and saw the middle door wide open, and a middle-aged man in a green robe in his thirties and forties, with several young students, was standing in front of the door to greet him.

Steward Zhao leaned over and smiled: "This is Ah Lang's second brother, and he has never been out of office." I'll call my subordinates Erlang, and you can be called Second Uncle! ”

"Second Uncle Zhao?" Zhuang Yi nodded, speechless for a while, he had already heard Zhao Qiuling say this.

This second uncle Zhao's name is Zhao Chen, because he has been weak and sick since he was a child, so he delayed his studies, so he took care of the family at home and did not go out. There is only a pair of children under the knees, the eldest daughter is married, and the second son has not yet been released. The old family owner Zhao Hao has these two sons, and they are big houses; The second room lives in another house in Gu'an County, south of Youzhou City, and the family situation is not very good, and Zhao Wende and Zhao Yingzhe, who are guarded by Yancheng, are born in the second room of the Zhao family.

"Son-in-law to meet the second uncle!" Zhuang Yi stepped forward and saluted.

"No need to be polite! Why didn't my niece come with you? Zhao Chen obviously knew about Zhuang Yi and Zhao Qiuling, so he asked a little strangely.

"Qiu Ling is going to stay in Yuyang for a few days, I have something to do in Youzhou this time, and I can't stay too long, so I ......," Zhuang Yi replied with a smile.

"That's it! I heard that you also married Princess Xi Wang, and in less than a year, you became a soldier and horse envoy of the Pingliao Army. Please...... Please come in and talk! Zhao Chen laughed.

Zhuang Yi followed Zhao Chen into the main hall, and saw a thin old man with gray hair, dressed in a blue round-necked narrow-sleeved robe, who was already sitting on the head, and knew that this must be the old master Zhao Hao, so he had to come forward to meet him again and say hello.

This father and son saw him for the first time, and they were very curious about him, and asked a lot about the Shanbei grassland and Yingzhou, but they didn't mention Zhao Qiuling again. Zhuang Yi had no choice but to answer them one by one, and it took a long time to finally find an opportunity to retire, and he was taken by his family to rest in the East Wing Mansion arranged for him, Zhang Zhen and Duan Sizhen took two hundred soldiers and lived in the outer courtyard.

It was May 24, and early the next morning, Zhuang Yi took Duan Sizhen and other fifty knights as guards, and rode a carriage to the Youzhou Jiedu Embassy in the southeast of the city.

Youzhou Jiedu is now governing Kyushu, plus Yingzhou is ten states, of course, there will be no shortage of military and political affairs, and those who came to wait for the meeting have three or four groups of people at this time. Zhuang Yi asked to see him in private, but he didn't expect that there were so many people, and the guards took them to a guest room in the courtyard to rest, and then brought tea, so they didn't pay attention to it.