The knight galloped to Xu Liang and the others, stopped his mount violently, and then turned over and dismounted beautifully, and in a blink of an eye, the person was already standing in front of Xu Liang less than five steps away, took out a fire-painted sealed letter from his arms, and presented it to Xu Liang with both hands: "Lord Yu, Lord Jingshi Huang is in a hurry." ”

Xu Liang sighed, took it, and waved his hand to let the knight retreat. Luo Baiguan, Wang Qinian and others saw that Xu Liang was opening the letter, and they all consciously took a few steps back, paying attention to Xu Liang's face.

Xu Liang unfolded the letter, read it carefully, his face suddenly turned terrifyingly dark, and he shouted angrily: "Bastard! ”

Xu Liang's voice broke off and startled Wang Qinian, Luo Baiguan, and Tietou who followed behind him, and couldn't help but look at Xu Liang curiously.

Wang Qi followed Xu Liang for a long time, and was considered Xu Liang's confidant, so when he saw this, he asked carefully: "My lord, what did Lord Huang say in the letter?" ”

Xu Liang looked around, there were people coming and going on the street, it was not a place to talk about things, so he glanced at the people behind him and said, "Go back to the governor's yamen." ”

So everyone was not in the mood to hang out, and quickly returned to the governor's yamen of Shaanxi.

Xu Liang didn't stop, and went straight into the study, and Wang Qinian and others hurriedly followed. When the guards on duty at the governor's yamen saw that the governor's expression was serious today, they all knew that something big must have happened, so no one dared to say much and move more, and paid close attention to the movements in the governor's study.

In the study, Xu Liang handed over the letter from Huang Daozhou, the imperial historian of the Imperial Palace, to Wang Qinian, and the three of them circulated it.

After reading it, the three of them were shocked.

Xu Liang shouted angrily: "Xu Guangqi, this old fool, is actually determined to give up the position of first assistant to Wen Tiren, an old bastard!" What a self-destruction of the Great Wall! Hopeless! ”

Wang Qinian, Luo Baiguan, and Tietou looked at Xu Liang, Wang Qinian said with difficulty: "My lord, I don't think Xu Ge Lao is the kind of person who does things recklessly, he must have his reasons for doing this." ”

Xu Liang scolded: "What can be the reason?!" ”

Wang Qinian thought for a while and said: "Lord Huang said in the letter that a few days ago, the emperor approved the proposal of Yu Dazhong, the squire of the Ministry of War, and Wang Xian, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Officials, to Shanxi, and at the court meeting, the cabinet minister Wen Tiren also stood up in favor of the proposal of the Ministry of Officials!" We all know that Wang Guoguang, the secretary of the ministry, has always followed Xu Ge Lao closely, and Wen Tiren supports the ministry, that is, he supports Xu Ge Lao in a phase change. I guess that Xu Ge Lao took the initiative to give up the position of first assistant, whether it was just to gain the support of Wen Tiren, so as to help Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian to take office in Shanxi. ”

When Xu Liang heard this, he was very dissatisfied with Wang Qinian's analysis, and sneered: "For the sake of Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian, Xu Ge Lao is going to give up the position of the first assistant that is about to be acquired?" This is really picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelon! Xu Ge is really getting more and more confused! ”

Wang Qinian thought about it carefully, was a little puzzled, and said: "This doesn't make sense, if Xu Ge Lao made such a big sacrifice just to support Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian, then there are places in Jiangnan and southeast to arrange these two people, why do you want to let them go to Shanxi?" Now Shanxi has been plagued by the people's army...... Xu Ge Lao put Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian in Shanxi, so he was not afraid of killing them? ”

Xu Liang's eyebrows moved, and he was suddenly a little surprised. I thought about it for a while, but I couldn't get the point. After walking in the house for a while, he said to Wang Qinian: "No matter what Elder Xu Ge plans, the position of the first assistant of the cabinet must not be given up lightly!" At the beginning, the official joined forces with Wang Guoguang, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, Li Tengfang, and others, and it took a lot of effort to put Xu Ge Lao in the position of the second assistant, in order to be able to send him to the throne of the first assistant of the cabinet one day! Now Emperor Chongzhen is already quite dissatisfied with the current first assistant Zhou Yanru, Zhou Yanru leaving the court is already an inevitable thing, Xu Ge is on the throne, it is a matter of course! ”

"Qi Nian, immediately reply to Huang Daozhou, asking him to do everything possible to dispel Xu Guangqi's stupid idea!" Xu Liang shouted with a serious face, and turned to Tietou and said, "Let Duan Zhigang immediately bring people into Beijing to find out what happened in the capital." ”

The iron head knew the seriousness of the situation, and immediately nodded.

Due to such shocking bad news suddenly, Xu Liang's original plan to inspect various prefectures and counties in Shaanxi Province was not implemented.

Duan Zhigang of the Detective Department rushed to Beijing with the elite forces of Tsing Yiwei to comprehensively investigate what happened to Xu Guangqi. Xu Liang was in Chang'an, because the war with the Tupan Lu Sutan coalition army had just started, and many things still had to be decided by himself, and he couldn't take time to pay attention to the affairs of Jingshi for a while.

The battle outside Chijin City, He Huchen and He Renlong led 40,000 Shaanxi soldiers to Chijin, echoing with Luo Rucai's troops stationed in Chijin, and on the sixteenth day of the lunar month, he launched a fierce battle with the coalition army of Tulu Pan Sutan, and with the support of Cao Bianjiao's cavalry and artillery battalions, the coalition army of Sutan was defeated, forcing Sutan to retreat in panic.

The two generals He Renlong and He Huchen took advantage of the victory to lead the army to pursue, and the battle line once extended to the city of Tulupan! If it weren't for the approaching New Year, the officers and men in the army had no intention of fighting, but they were afraid that Tulupan City would be broken by He Renlong and He Huchen in one fell swoop.

Subsequently, the two generals saw that the morale of the army was indeed low, and that it had snowed heavily in Tulupan for several days, and the heavy snow closed the road, which was not conducive to the battle, so He Renlong and He Huchen temporarily withdrew to Chijin City. Prepare to spend the New Year in Chijin City and fight again next year.

When the news of the expeditionary force's withdrawal to Chijin City reached the Governor Yamen, it was already the thirtieth year of the Chinese New Year's Eve.

There was a heavy snowfall in Chang'an City last night, and in the early morning the outside of the governor's yamen courtyard was covered with a thick layer of snow. Xu Liang stood under the eaves, smiling and watching the third lady of the Xu Mansion, Lou Xian'er, directing a group of Ding Yahuan to clean up the snow in the courtyard.

Shaanxi political officer Wang Qinian walked in with the military report of the expeditionary force, Xu Liang listened to Wang Qinian's report in silence, and sighed lightly: "It's a pity, let Sutan spend another year." ”

Wang Qinian said: "My lord, this is also a matter of no way, the expeditionary force is homesick and has no intention of fighting, the military heart is like this, the two generals He Renlong and He Huchen cannot risk the risk of army mutiny and forcibly order an attack." ”

Xu Liang nodded and said, "This official also knows." The soldiers of the expeditionary force have worked hard, and you will send someone to send some condolences when you turn around. Reward the whole army. ”

"Yes. Even if the adults don't explain, the lower officials will remember it. Wang Qi said in a young voice.

The two exchanged views on Shaanxi's government affairs for a while, and Xu Liang smiled and said, "Today's Chinese New Year's Eve, tonight this official will hold a banquet in the backyard of the Inspector Yamen, and call Tietou, He Qi, and Luo Baiguan over, let's get together and have a reunion dinner." ”

Wang Qinian said with a smile: "That dare is good." ”

The dinner of the governor's yamen was quite richly prepared, and Xu Liang brought out all the treasured wines. In the evening, Luo Baiguan, Tietou, He Qi and others also arrived one after another, and everyone congratulated each other and entered the table one after another.

Xu Liang, as the person with the highest rank and status in a table, began to say some words about the scenes where everyone has worked hard this year and will achieve great results in the coming year, and then opened the table with a cup. Since they are all familiar people, a table of people is very open, you come and go, and fight each other's wine.

The delicacies in the back kitchen were served at a low price, and seven or eight jars of mellow wine had bottomed out. Xu Liang drank warmly, so he shouted loudly and asked the people to go to the kiln to carry wine again.

"Come on, go and move the five altars again!" Xu Liang shouted in a rough voice.

Wang Qinian grinned: "How can the five altars be enough?" He Qi alone can destroy the three altars! Governor, you can't be too stingy, move ten altars! ”

Xu Liang glared: "The official's wine doesn't cost money?!" ”

Wang Qinian smiled hehehe.

Since He Qi was transferred to serve as the prefect of Xi'an, he has had more opportunities to contact Xu Liang, and he also knows Xu Liang's temper very well, so he immediately ignored Xu Liang's murderous eyes, slapped the table and shouted: "Ten altars!" Ten altars to lay the foundation!! ”

Xu Liang pointed at Wang Qinian and scolded one by one: "How did my subordinates clean up you drunkards!" ”

The crowd laughed.

Xu Liang snorted lightly, waved his hand at the subordinate who was bowing down and obeying the order, and said, "Go and move the ten altars again!" If they don't drink it clean tonight, I'll have to skin them!" ”

When Wang Qinian and the others heard this, they laughed one by one, completely inappropriate.

When everyone was giggling and making a fuss with red faces and thick necks, they saw a Tsing Yi guard come over, and arched his hand to Xu Liang with a strange expression: "Lord Qiqi, two people came to the yamen, saying that they were friends of the governor, and they wanted to enter the mansion to meet the governor." ”

After Tsing Yiwei finished speaking, everyone gradually stopped laughing, Xu Liang looked at the guards in surprise, and said suspiciously: "This is the New Year, and my friends are uninvited?" Have these two people been named? ”

The guard said, "Report it." One of them said it was called Yu Dazhong, and the other was chubby, called Wang Xian. ”

"Yu Dazhong? Wang Xian? The eyes of the people in the room widened suddenly. Xu Liang stood up and said to the guards with an excited expression: "Quick, please." ”

When the guards saw Xu Liang's demeanor, they understood that these two were indeed Xu Liang's friends, and hurriedly walked out and brought Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian in.

When Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian walked into the warm spring-like house, as soon as they entered the house, the two of them hurried to the brazier like hungry wolves pounced on food, and kept warming their hands. The chubby Wang Xian is in better condition, even if Yu Dazhong is on the fire, his whole body is still shivering.

Xu Liang, Wang Qinian and others looked at these two people in surprise, and did not speak, and when Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian were almost roasted, Xu Liang asked funny: "Brother Yu, Brother Wang, where did you come from here, and how did you get like this?" ”

Yu Dazhong said to Xu Liang tremblingly: "Brother Xu, I'll answer your question later, do you have any wine?" After speaking, Yu Dazhong saw the wine jar stacked next to the table, and immediately hugged one unceremoniously, and poured it into his mouth when he picked it up. This scene stunned Wang Qinian and others, and Wang Qinian quipped: "Look, this is like a drunkard." ”

Yu Dazhong poured a small half jar into his mouth before he hissed and stopped, and then his face began to turn red, and he burped a few times with satisfaction, and said, "It's much warmer now." ”

Xu Liang and the others waited quietly for a while, and when Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian came to their senses, they beckoned the two to enter the table, and everyone watched Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian like people who had not eaten a full meal for a few days, scratching and biting at the table full of deliciousness, eating with their mouths full and their hands full of oil.

Xu Liang couldn't help but sigh and asked, "You haven't eaten for a few days?" ”

Wang Xian stuffed something in his mouth and stretched out three fingers towards Xu Liang.

"Three days?!" Xu Liang was surprised.

Wang Qinian screamed strangely and said, "Lord Yu, Lord Wang, isn't it?" Now the two of you, one is the governor of Shanxi, and the other is the prefect of Taiyuan...... Although Shanxi is chaotic, the two of them will not be hungry like this! ”

Wang Xian swallowed the food in his mouth fiercely, poured a large sip of wine to smooth his breath, and then glared at Yu Dazhong, who was still immersed in hard work, and explained to Xu Liang and the others: "This is all Yu Dazhong's idea, saying that he should rush to the Shaanxi Governor's Yamen before the first day of the New Year, otherwise Lord Xu will meet a debtor on the first day of the New Year, which is too unlucky." ”

Xu Liang sneered, shook his head and said, "What did Brother Yu say, what is the relationship between me Xu Liang and Brother Yu and Brother Wang?" That's a lifelong friendship! When Brother Yu and Brother Wang came to me, I welcomed them with both hands. ”

When Wang Xian heard this, he was very useful, the white flesh on his fat face trembled, he glanced at Yu Dazhong, and said proudly: "Look, I know that Xu Liang is still a person who values love and righteousness." ”

Everyone else laughed, but only Wang Qinian could listen to it, so he asked Wang Xian solemnly, "Fang Cai, Lord Wang said that the two of you are the ones who borrowed debts from Lord Xu?" I don't know what debt you want to borrow? ”

When Wang Xian heard this, he hesitated, his face was embarrassed, he pointed at Yu Dazhong, and said, "You ask him." ”

Wang Qinian looked at Yu Dazhong, Xu Liang and Luo Baiguan, Tietou, He Qi and others listened, and also looked at Yu Dazhong inquiringly. At this time, Yu Dazhong had almost eaten, so he stopped, wiped the oil on his hands with paper, and then met everyone's eyes, hehe laughed dryly, and said to Xu Liang: "Yu and Brother Wang came out of Beijing in a hurry from the 21st day of the lunar month, hurried slowly, tired of two horses, and barely rushed to Chang'an before the arrival of the New Year to see Brother Xu!" Today is a gathering of old friends, let's not talk about business, only about friendship, how about it? ”

Wang Qinian choked.

Xu Liang blinked, laughed, and stroked his palms: "What a good one doesn't talk about business, only about friendship!" Okay, one of us here tonight counts as one, and if you don't get drunk, you won't return! ”

Xu Liang said this, and the others naturally responded. Immediately put aside the official business, and choose some interesting anecdotes about the government and the opposition, and the ups and downs. For a while, it was also enjoyable.

That night, everyone went home drunk.

The next day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the streets of Chang'an City began to light up loud firecrackers early in the morning. Xu Liang put on the New Year's brocade dress specially sewn for him by Lou Xian'er, the third lady of the Xu Mansion, and stood in the front yard of the entrance of the governor's yamen with a smile, greeting the Shaanxi officials at all levels who rushed to the governor's yamen early in the morning one after another to greet the governor.

After the arrival of Wang Qinian, a political officer in Shaanxi, he exchanged New Year's red envelopes with Xu Liang, so he took the time to pull Xu Liang aside and whispered: "My lord, my subordinates have thought about it all night, I think Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian rushed to Chang'an, they must have come with a purpose, you take the time to ask clearly." ”

Xu Liang nodded, last night when Lord Yu said that he would not talk about business and only talk about friendship, Xu Liang guessed something. Looking up, I happened to see Yu Dazhong and Wang Xian coming over, Xu Liang greeted him, and after congratulating each other, Xu Liang smiled and said, "Brother Yu, what did you mean by borrowing last night, it's time to say it, right?" If you don't say it, I don't know the bottom of my heart. ”

Yu Dazhong was greatly surprised, looked at the endless stream of Shaanxi officials who came to pay New Year's greetings, and asked with a smile: "Brother Xu, are you sure you want to listen to this not very good news on the first day of the New Year, when so many officials come to visit the New Year?" (To be continued.) )