The three brothers, Zheng Xin, Zheng Sen, and Zheng Miao, have all been made marquises, and the imperial court newspaper has to give them a share as usual. As soon as they received the summons from their father, they immediately entrusted the business they were handling to their capable people, and drove their horses to Guangyang City overnight.

Among the three people, Zheng Xin and Zheng Miao were handling the matter of screening cult minions and relocating displaced people outside Shanhaiguan, and Zheng Sen assisted Cui Nan and Wei Huer in organizing the army's rest and training in Bozhou, and hurried to Guangyang City in a hurry, it was already the morning of the third day.

Although the matter of impeachment between the DPRK and China is important, it is different from the military situation and warfare, and it is not an urgent task that cannot be delayed. Zheng Rong knew that his sons would be exhausted if they dared to come in the starry night, so he asked Zhang Long to pass the order, asking a few people to rest for a day, calmly have dinner, and then ask to see him all night when he arrived. Zheng Xin and the other three were helpless when they heard this, so they had to hastily eat lunch, sleep indiscriminately, and then enter the palace after having dinner.

When the three brothers entered Zheng Rong's study, their father was already talking to Zhong Li Kuang and Qiu Yizhi in the house, and I don't know how long they had been here. After the three of them kowtowed, they listened to Zheng Rong's instructions and sat on the embroidery pier that had already been placed in turn.

Zheng Xin is the eldest son, and he has been prepared for what he is discussing, and as soon as he arched his hand, he was about to speak, but he heard Zheng Rong say: "Father King 100,000 is in a hurry to call a few of you over, so what's going on, I'm afraid you all already know, right?" This king has been discussing with Mr. Zhongli for a few days, and he also finds this matter very difficult. I don't know what you say? ”

Zheng Xin finally caught the conversation and said: "I thought that these impeachment pieces were just making something out of nothing. Either written by his father or by Master Zhongli, he wrote a defense chapter and listened to the heavens. With the emperor's trust in his father, presumably this barking dog will be scattered. ”

Zheng Rong listened to this, thinking that Zheng Xin was thinking about it like this, if this matter was so simple, why would he summon a few of you to come over to discuss? But he said: "Zheng Xin's words are deeply in line with the heart of this king, and this king has drafted the next defense document with Mr. Zhongli today, and is about to frame it with yellow silk and send it directly to Beique." ”

Zheng Xin listened to his father's praise, and was a little pleased.

Zheng Sen beside him was an anxious son, and before his father could ask, he said, "Big brother is easy to cultivate, but I don't have the patience." If you want me to say, you don't even need to play any musicals. At present, our army in the south of Youyan has all triumphed, and its morale is high. As long as all the passes that connect to it are closed, and then heavy troops are sent to guard them, what can the imperial court do with us? When they think clearly, they will naturally send someone over to admit their mistakes. At that time, the father didn't have to give them face, he just put on a show and scolded them severely, so that he could get out of this evil breath! ”

Zheng Sen is the most rude and stupid, but although his proposition today is simple, it is also reasonable. If King Youyan really made up his mind to just lock up the retreat and guard the danger, then with his current strength, financial resources and popularity, the court really had no countermeasures against him.

This suggestion was deeply in line with Zheng Rong's heart, but he remained quiet, neither praising nor reprimanding, and asked Zheng Miao: "Zheng Miao, what do you say?" ”

Zheng Miao's brows were twisted, and he said cautiously: "What the eldest brother and the second brother said are all good plans for a while. But in my humble opinion, this impeachment is like a snowflake, and if you have to refute every letter, you will die of exhaustion first; And supporting the army to protect itself, although it can be held for a while, it cannot be held for a lifetime. Neither of the above is a long-term solution......"

Since Zheng Rong was named the king of Youyan and led Youyan to a military and political task, the court has been very trusting, and there has never been such a situation of attacking it in groups. Zheng Miao was dedicated to his father's advice, and he had long forgotten the word "Tao Hui" that he had always believed in, and he offended the two brothers in just a few words, and he didn't seem to notice it, but he continued: "In my opinion, if the ministers attack like this, there will be a mastermind behind them!" Today's plan is to find out who is behind the instigation, and then either stand still, or draw salaries from the bottom of the kettle, or want to get caught and indulge, so that we can fight-for-tat. I am not afraid that my father will blame the child for being despicable, and then I will follow the example of the autocratic Nie government, and I will not do it! ”

Zheng Miao has always been gentle and kind, but today's words are murderous, and the people in this room shudder when they hear it in the scorching heat, and they are all silent.

After a long time, Zheng Rongcai said: "Zheng Miao's words, although they are biased, they also have merit. This king and Mr. Zhongli have been discussing for days to find out who is in trouble with this king. It's just that I, Guangyang and Luoyang, are thousands of miles away, and I can't reach the whip, and this king is planning to send a person to Beijing to visit, I don't know if you have any personnel to recommend? ”

Everyone looked at each other when they heard this, but Qiu Yizhi, who had been silent for a long time, straightened up and said: "Yizhi is not talented, and I am willing to go to the city to serve my father-in-law and relieve my worries." ”

Zheng Rong listened to it and asked with a smile: "How can you be virtuous in Qiuyi?" How can such an urgent errand be yours? ”

Qiu Yizhi saw that his father-in-law looked at him with a smile, knowing that his wish had been fulfilled, he bowed down from the stool, and said with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth: "Father-in-law, please forgive me for being arrogant, Yizhi is the only person in this matter at the moment." ”

Zheng Rong laughed and said, "You haven't been arrogant for a day or two. However, the generals under the command of this king are like clouds and strategists are like forests, so why can't he find a second person to do this? ”

There are three reasons for this. Although there are many confidants of a father-in-law, the only ones who can be sure of it are Master Zhongli, the three brothers and me. Only these five people can faithfully and wholeheartedly help their father-in-law do this great thing. Qiu Yizhi glanced at Zheng Rong and continued, "In the current situation, the stepfather can't leave Master Zhongli for a moment, so the master can't be moved lightly. And several brothers are all of their father's blood, and they have all been knighted, and sending them to Beijing is an earth-shattering event, which is not conducive to handling hidden affairs; or for someone with other plans, it will inevitably be hindered by the father-in-law. Three ......" Qiu Yizhi said this, and suddenly paused.

"What is the third reason? But it doesn't hurt for you to say it. Zheng Rong said

Qiu Yizhi raised his head and stared at Zheng Rong's eyes, and said slowly: "This third one, if I say it, I am afraid of hurting my father's kindness of licking calves......" said with a few hints of crying.

Zhongli Kuang shook the folding fan on the side and could hear it clearly. Sending Yizhi to the capital to inquire about news and handle affairs was decided by him and Zheng Rong, since this Qiu Yizhi can volunteer now, it is the best. But he sighed: he has been teaching as a student for so many years, and he has the same problem as when he was young-I don't know the truth of Taoguang's obscurity-why bother to speak so thoroughly in this public?

So Zhong Li Kuang answered: "Yizhi doesn't need to say more, I have already discussed with your father, and I want to send you to Luoyang to do business." Now that it's unitary time, you should go back and get ready, and you should set off as soon as possible, so as not to waste time and miss the opportunity. ”

When Qiu Yizhi returned to his small mansion, it was already the time of the E card. Because of hunger in his stomach, he hastily ate a bowl of Yangchun noodles under the old king, washed up and lay down, it was already Shen Shi.

The small back bedroom was really stuffy, so he simply moved the pillow mat on the bed to the courtyard, bare-chested, lit the mugwort, and slowly lay down, looking at the night sky above him half asleep. "Lulu" sensed his master's actions, slowly crawled out of the nest, stretched his waist appropriately, and lay down beside his master.

Qiu Yizhi stroked the thick and long white hair on the body of "Lulu", looking up at the stars of the Milky Way, I don't know which star his deceased parents have turned into, and whether they are looking at themselves high above the sky?

The sound of the night watchman's "tuk tuk" bangzi came from the thick night.

Qiu Yi thought to herself: This time she went to Luoyang, the capital, her future will be like this bottomless night, full of dangers and confusion. After reminiscing, why did you want to take this errand strongly? It is nothing more than his father-in-law Zheng Rong rebuilding himself and treating him as his own, even if he gives up his own skin, Qingqing's life cannot be repaid. But in case there are really three long and two short here, this father-in-law, master, brother, Yiran, Brother Zhao, Ruishou, and "Lulu", and ...... And this world of flowers, can you really leave it behind?

Thinking of this, Qiu Yizhi saw distant stars twinkling in the dark night sky, crickets vibrating their wings, frogs singing in their throats, and even the snoring of soldiers in the military camp in the distance were clearly heard in his ears, so noisy that he couldn't sleep.

Just when Qiu Yi couldn't sleep, the "Lulu" next to him suddenly jumped up, jumped to the front of the courtyard gate, and kept barking loudly towards the outside of the courtyard. Qiu Yizhi's groggy nerves were instantly awakened by it, and he was about to scold the dog that disturbed the people in the middle of the night, but he heard a voice calling the door from outside the door: "It's me, Yizhi open the door!" ”

Even in the rapid barking of dogs, Qiu Yizhi still clearly distinguished the owner of the voice - it was none other than his father-in-law, Zheng Rong, the king of Youyan. In a panic, he went to open the door barefoot and shirtless.

The door opened, and it was Zheng Rong standing at the door. I saw that he was personally holding the lantern, so he took Zhong Likuang alone, looked at the embarrassed Qiu Yizhi with a smile, and looked down at the big white dog, and said: "I didn't expect that the dog in the broken temple back then is now so majestic, if he makes a contribution on the battlefield with his master one day, this king will have to reward him as a general!" Hahaha! Before Lu Lu met, this person was very popular, he actually stopped barking, bent his hind legs, sat upright on the ground, and hung his tongue and gasped.

Qiu Yizhi was in a dream, only then did he realize that he was still half-naked, and hurriedly said: "Yizhi has lost his manners, I will make amends first, and ask my father-in-law to let me change my clothes." ”

Zheng Rong said with a smile: "This king is also used to leading soldiers, and this Guangyang City is a big military camp. If the officers and men in the army have a slight imperfection in their clothes, they will apologize, and they will not be able to do the work, and the battle will not be fought? Go ahead, just be casual, and don't dress like you're going to be in peace. ”

Qiu Yizhi was like being pardoned, turned around and walked briskly to the back hall. At this time, Ruishou and the janitor Wang were also woken up, and were walking out while dressing, Yizhi hurriedly said that there was an officer who wanted to discuss urgent military affairs with him, and ordered both of them to go back to the house to sleep and not to come out to eavesdrop.

When Qiu Yizhi put on his pants and shoulders, and came out of the bedroom to greet him, Zheng Rong was already sitting in the main hall with Zhong Likuang drinking water.

Zheng Rong saw that the furnishings of Yi's mansion were extremely ordinary, except for the knife hanging on the wall was a priceless treasure, the rest of the objects were extremely crude, as for the calligraphy, paintings, vases and other elegant things that the official eunuchs always prepared, they were not the same, so he reprimanded: "The sage said that self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the country, and leveling the world." You see that you have no room for anything, just now my father-in-law and your master searched for a long time, but I couldn't even find a piece of tea, so I had to drink this cold water...... It quenches thirst. Halfway through speaking, he actually laughed at himself.

Yi Zhi nodded yes and said, "Since my father asked, then Yi Zhi will cry poor." Even the dog 'Lulu' in my house has four mouths to eat. Rice is expensive in this Guangyang city, and I buy some firewood, rice, oil, and salt with silver every month in May or two months. As for the purchase of clothes, shoes and hats, it is all thanks to the reward of the father-in-law. Fortunately, Yiran has money, and I go to her every ten days and half a month to fight for tooth sacrifices, otherwise these gluttonous worms in my stomach can't deal with it! ”

Zheng Rong didn't expect Qiu Yizhi to be so poor, and asked again: "Then you went south to Henan to quell the rebellion this time, and made a lot of achievements, remember that this king gave you a reward of one hundred taels of silver, what about the money?" ”

Yizhi listened, reached out and scratched his head, smiled awkwardly and said, "Father-in-law, don't mention this." That Zhao Chengxiao and others were assigned to my father-in-law who knew that since I came, I would do my best to be a landlord, and I had a full meal and bought some clothes, shoes and hats, which cost me fifty taels of silver. Later, Ruan Wenyuan and other scribes sent by the master were working in my house, and I couldn't treat them badly, and after a month, the remaining fifty taels were gone...... Don't hide it from my father-in-law, I'm penniless now, and I still have to fight a few famines with Yiran this month, I really don't know how she wants to laugh at me! ”

Zheng Rong saw this set of ordinary home clothes on Qiu Yizhi's body, although there were no patches, but they were also old clothes that had faded after being washed countless times, and said with emotion: "You are not like Zheng Xin and the three of them, in addition to the monthly silver, there is also a piece of money from the imperial court, but I didn't expect you to be so poor, why didn't you tell your father-in-law earlier?" ”

Qiu Yizhi said with a smile: "My father-in-law said a long time ago that I and the other three brothers are treated equally, and the three brothers are all the same monthly money, so how can I ask for a lot of money...... And although Yizhi is from a wealthy family, he has also suffered hardships, and these five taels are enough. ”

"Okay, you have this thought, and my father-in-law is very pleased." Zheng Rong said with a very solemn face, "Although you Qiu Yizhi does not have a famous brand, you are also the son of the dignified Youyan King, so some people say that your father-in-law is a miser." Don't compare yourself to your three brothers in terms of money, they have other incomes. In this way, I will give you a tenfold increase, and I will receive fifty taels of silver every month, don't let Yiran, the lord of the state, see the joke. ”

(The value of the silver mentioned in this book refers to "Dream of Red Mansions", which is about 2,000-3,000 yuan per tael of silver.) )