Chapter 22: He Shihu

On the first day of the new year, there was an endless stream of people visiting Sennohe Prefecture. On the day He Fangxiong formed an army in Pingshan Fort, the news of personally giving Mobao soon spread to the three towns in southeast Liaoning. With the glory of the Battle of Pingshan Fort, He Tengxiao became a rising star in Liaodong. Although He Tengxiao is not yet accepted by the senior management of the He family, there are not a few people who intend to get to He Tengxiao.

He Tengxiao couldn't ignore the promotion and turned away all these people, so he could only take the trouble to accept these people. At dusk, the number of people who come to visit is gradually becoming scarce.

"General He Shihu of Gaizhou is here." He Tengxiao was napping on the table, and Chang Qingyu reported.

He Teng got up lazily, surprised by He Shihu's visit. Only subordinates have ever given New Year's greetings to their superiors, and it was the first time for superiors to visit their subordinates He Tengxiao on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

He Shihu is a general in Gaizhou, and he is He Tengxiao's uncle in terms of seniority, He Tengxiao did not dare to slack off, and tidied up his clothes and went out to greet He Shihu.

He Shihu's position is more embarrassing, He Fangxiong only has one wife and one concubine, and has few children, only three sons and two daughters. He Shihu was born to a concubine, not a concubine, according to Da Zhao's practice, the title can only be inherited by the concubine, and if there is no concubine, the concubine will be considered.

He Fangxiong had three large states under his rule, and his three sons were divided into three states. Gaizhou is the most inferior state among the three states, and Gaizhou has a lot to do with his status as a concubine.

"The second uncle came to see Teng Xiao on the New Year's Day, and Teng Xiao is guilty." He Tengxiao went out to welcome He Shihu into the house.

After He Tengxiao's efforts, the appearance of Pingshan Fort has been completely renewed, and the reconstruction work is also being carried out in an orderly manner. A thriving scene. Before He Shihu arrived at Qianhu Mansion, he carefully observed Pingshan Fort along the way, and everyone he saw was very motivated, if it weren't for the cracks and blood stains on the city wall, it would not be obvious that this place had experienced a bloody battle two months ago.

He Tengxiao led He Shihu to the front hall and instructed Yuan Zhengyu to watch the tea. At that time, the world paid attention to dignity and humility, on the eldest and youngest He Shihu was He Tengxiao's uncle, and on the official body He Shihu was the three-grade general of the imperial court. He Tengxiao gave up the chair in the middle hall and asked He Shihu to sit down, and He Tengxiao moved a chair and sat sideways after He Shihu sat down.

Yuan Zhengyu served tea, and first finished serving tea to He Shihu in the hall before going around He Tengxiao and serving tea to He Tengxiao. Yuan Zhengyu is beautiful and delicate, and his figure is graceful, He Shihu couldn't help but look at it twice, and said in his heart that He Tengxiao is also a person who can enjoy it, and there is such a beautiful maid in the house.

Shi Yufeng gave He Tengxiao more than 20 catties of high-quality Longjing tea before leaving, there was no extra tea in the house, and He Tengxiao used more than 20 catties of Longjing left by Shi Yufeng to receive guests.

As a general of a state, He Shihu is also a well-informed person, and there are not a few famous teas he has tasted. He Shihu took a sip of Longjing tea, knowing that this tea was the best Longjing tea, and he didn't know where He Tengxiao got such a good tea.

"Good tea, good tea." He Shihu smiled, "I didn't expect you to be a person who can enjoy it." ”

"The second uncle laughed, where is Teng Xiao such a person, these tea leaves were left by the merchants of Jinling to Teng Xiao, Teng Xiao is a rough person, and I don't know what kind of tea this is, since the second uncle likes tea, Teng Xiao still has ten catties here, so it should be given to the second uncle as a New Year's gift."

He Shihu did not refuse, and happily accepted the tea sent by He Tengxiao. He Shihu chatted with He Tengxiao about some homely things, and He Tengxiao barely coped with He Shihu with his memory, and he didn't show any horses.

"He Shizhong, that monkey kid didn't give you any trouble." He Shihu abruptly mentioned He Shizhong.

He Tengxiao was slightly stunned, and He Shihu sat in the hall and sipped tea leisurely. He Tengxiao thought about it, Gaizhou is He Shihu's territory, and many things can't be hidden from He Shihu, so he is relieved.

"It seems that the second uncle knows everything?"

"Your second uncle has been in Gaizhou for more than ten years, if you don't know this thing, isn't it in vain in Gaizhou?" He Shihu put down the teacup and said.

Could it be that He Shihu came today for He Shizhong's business? He Tengxiao was full of suspicions, and he didn't know the purpose of He Shihu's visit to Pingshan Fort today.

"Why did you kid choose to be private? Don't want to let out this bad breath? He Shihu asked.

"It's all a family, and spreading such a thing to outsiders will damage the face of my He family." He Tengxiao naturally would not tell He Shihu the truth.

Although He Shihu is a martial artist, he has been in the officialdom for so many years, and he is already a personal elite. I know in my heart that the truth will never be as simple as He Tengxiao said, and He Tengxiao is by no means such a simple person.

"Second uncle came to the little nephew today, it won't be because of this incident, right?" He Tengxiao asked.

He Shihu looked at Chang Qing and Zhang Yuyang in the hall, and He Tengxiao motioned for Chang Qing and Zhang Yuyang to withdraw from the hall. It wasn't until Chang Qing closed the door that He Shihu spoke, "You should have heard of Yunguam Island in the east of Gaizhou. ”

He Tengxiao nodded, Yunguan Island is a small island east of Gaizhou, located a few miles from the mouth of the Daqing River. Yunguan Island controls the river and sea fortress, is located in the border defense danger, and was once a battleground for soldiers. In the nineteenth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, led a large army to recover Liaodong and garrisoned it on Yunguan Island. At the beginning of the country, Emperor Taizong failed to attack Gaizhou for the first time, and led the army to retreat to Yunguan Island, and Murong Xiao, the general of Yan State at that time, led 5,000 iron cavalry to pursue Emperor Taizong to Yunguan Island, and the two sides launched a bloody battle on Yunguan Island. It wasn't until the reinforcements of the Zhao army arrived that Murong Xiao led his troops back to Gaizhou.

Until the Shenzong Dynasty, Yunguan Island was still the military stronghold of the empire in Liaodong. Later, due to the frequent invasion of the Great Zhao Haijiang by the Japanese invaders, the town army was paid, and the imperial court ordered the town army on the island to be abolished, and Yunguan Island was abandoned.

As far as the current form is concerned, the Liao army will be able to take care of Gaizhou if it re-operates Yunguam Island. He Tengxiao wondered if He Shihu was going to re-operate Yunguam?

"Recently, Huang Yongtao's people often go to Yunyun Guam, and He Shizhong also sent people to wait for Yunyun Guam." He Shihu said leisurely.

It seems that the situation in the upper echelons of Liaodong is much more complicated than He Tengxiao imagined, and even Huang Yongtao, the king of Pingliao who is far away in Jinzhou, wants to get involved in Gaizhou. Within the He family, He Shibao in Jinzhou also wanted to intervene in Gaizhou.

"The second uncle can re-operate Yunguam Island, as far as Liaodong is concerned, Yunguam Island is also a military powerhouse, and there is no reason for the Huang family to get involved." He Tengxiao's reason for He Shihu coming to him is still unknown.

"It's not that simple." He Shihu said, "I came to you for this matter, although I am a general of Gaizhou and have the right to decide on the affairs of Gaizhou, but He Shizhong is the son of your third uncle, and it is likely that his third uncle instructed him to interfere in Yunguam, if I intervene directly, your third uncle will do nothing?" ”

He Shibao is the most ambitious of the three brothers of the He family, although He Tengxiao's father He Shilong is the eldest son, and in the future, the Duke of Wu'an will inherit He Shilong without accident. The significance of Duke Wu'an to the He family has gone beyond the title itself. The person who can inherit the title will also be the head of the He family in the future. The title of Da Zhao is roughly divided into two types: eternal hereditary and third hereditary, and the Duke of Wu'an belongs to the former and can be hereditary forever.

This kind of title is called the golden rice bowl by the people among the people, except for the Song clan relatives, only the eighteen meritorious founding heroes who were knighted for military merits during the founding period of the People's Republic of China. The principle of inheritance of this title is that the eldest son inherits the original title, and the rest of the sons descend to inherit the title.

The hereditary titles of the third generation are mostly awarded to some Zhongxing generals in the middle and late stages of the empire, and they are not demoted, but they can only be hereditary for the third generation, which is commonly known as the silver rice bowl. Shang Chuanren, a famous general in the Zhongxing period of Shenzong, was awarded the title of Duke of Anguo, and the hereditary grandchildren belong to this case.

As the eldest son, He Shilong is qualified to inherit the title of Duke of Wu'an, but he has no ambition and is addicted to wine and cannot extricate himself, He Fangxiong is disheartened by He Shilong. I don't worry about passing on the position of the head of the He family to He Shilong, and the third son, He Shibao, has always been ambitious and has coveted the position of the head of the He family for a long time. And He Shihu, as a concubine sandwiched between the two, has a very awkward position.

He Fangxiong is old and frail, and anyone with a discerning eye knows that He Fangxiong does not have much time left. He Tengxiao thought to himself that He Shibao was involved in Yunguan Island, did he want to blackmail He Shihu to support him as the head of the He family after He Fangxiong's death, and inherit the title of Duke of Wu'an

"If I interfere in Yun Guam, the third uncle will not care?" He Tengxiao asked with a smile.

"You're different." He Shihu said, "You are the son of the eldest brother, the eldest brother and the third brother have always been incompatible, and you and He Shizhong have already had contradictions. When you rebuilt the Pingshan Fort Thousand Households Team, your father also personally gave the military flag, and on this point, you meddled in Yunguam Island, He Shizhong could only swallow his anger. The third brother doesn't dare to do anything to you. ”

"How many times has my father ever recognized me as a son?" He Tengxiao's voice was a little bitter. After He Shilong threw He Tengxiao into the barracks, he kept it silent, as if he had never had this son.

"It doesn't matter if the eldest brother recognizes you or not, after all, you have the blood of the eldest brother on your body." He Shihu's mouth was a little dry, he took a sip of tea, and then said, "You are willing to live in a corner of Pingshan Fort and smuggle smuggling railways from Jiangnan, and Yunguam Island is still very suitable as a small dock for smuggling boats." ”

Hearing He Shihu say this, He Tengxiao was choked by the tea, and he knew everything about his feelings. He Tengxiao thought that he was unaware of this matter, but he didn't expect that he still couldn't hide it from He Shihu, it seems that he underestimated the ancients, and he will despise the ancients in the future.

"I'll leave my words here, you have figured it out and come to Gaizhou to find me." He Shihu took the tea given by He Tengxiao and got up to leave.

"Why are you looking for me?" He Tengxiao was a little excited.

"You should understand the truth of cold lips and teeth, I think we all have a common purpose, we all hope to be able to keep Gaizhou and be able to live." He Shihu walked straight out of the lobby without looking back, and the soldiers waiting at the door led the horse for He Shihu and took the tea in He Shihu's hand.