Chapter 124: Heading North

"I'm curious, Sister Huilan, you can take me there."

"What's curious, it's all men's stuff." Liu Huilan said with a smile: "What billiard room, dart hall, drum set, I went once, and I lost a lot, nothing fun." ”

"That's all." Although Liang Hongyu didn't know what it was, she probably knew the approximate effect, and said a little disappointed: "You want to say that this Ou Ping is too stingy." I read a few sentences of his unfinished manuscript, and then I turned my face and snatched it. Of course I know I can't mess around, but I just want to see what the hell he looks at, and then I go in and see what's wrong? ”

Liu Huilan smiled and asked, "Is the result very disappointing?" He didn't think you were his own. ”

"Yes!" Liang Hongyu chuckled: "He still dislikes my background in the end. ”

"It's impossible not to dislike it. You and I both know that men are so generous. Let me tell you, if it weren't for the adults here who deliberately praised me, your brother-in-law and I might not be able to make it. And even if you have the intention of falling flowers, adults are ruthless. In my opinion, if adults are so busy every day, they will never want to get married in this life. Liu Huilan said: "So I pondered, I must always arrange a female housekeeper for adults." After all, Ou Ping can't take care of his family's affairs. So I'm also interested in you staying. You want to be a wife, to be honest, it's very difficult, even the county lord has not entered the eyes of the adult, for this matter, he can be on top with the emperor, and he should not be detained in the palace. But if you are willing to be a concubine, there is always some hope. ”

Liang Hongyu shook her head: "He really wants to keep me, and he can be a concubine." But he is hypocritical or dispensable, Sister Huilan, don't say it. Even if I go into the kiln again, I won't let him look flat. ”

"Nonsense, don't talk about the past."

"I'm not afraid to say it." Liang Hongyu smiled: "I'm not afraid of hardship, but I want to keep some self-esteem." ”

Huilan looked at Liang Hongyu for a while and sighed: "I know you are stubborn, okay, let's leave this matter at that, don't talk about it...... Your brother-in-law is back. Zhan Ming came in and nodded to Liang Hongyu, even if it was a greeting, Huilan took the official knife and said gently: "Have you eaten?" ”

Liang Hongyu said with interest: "Sister, brother-in-law, I'll go first." ”

After seeing Huilan leave, Huilan was a little puzzled and asked, "Husband, you didn't have this attitude when you saw Hongyu before. ”

Zhan Ming shook his head: "Madame doesn't know, the adult said to me before leaving." He wondered one thing, you were originally from an official family, how could you know the little daughter-in-law of this big family? There are a lot of things going on these days, and I haven't had time to ask, and I forgot something when I was free. ”

Liu Huilan replied: "Oh! I met my father at a very grand banquet when he was a child, before he committed the crime. My father and his father said that since we got along, it would be better to exchange tokens, saying that we would let us be a pair of sisters with righteous surnames, but we never saw each other since. If I didn't have a token, you think I would still recognize her on the street? ”

"That's even more difficult!" Zhan Ming's eyes flashed and said: "This sworn sister is probably mostly a kind of father's friendship. Your father is a four-grade official, how can he have a relationship with a gambler? ”

"That's right!" After thinking about it, Whelan said: "Do you say that it may be a person like a businessman, and then he will fall into the middle of the road because of his good gambling." ”

Zhan Ming shook his head: "Lady, you are not a person in the court, you don't know, and you look down on any businessman when you are an official." Of course, what you said is not impossible. Forget it, it's so a guess, it's better for me to go to Jingkou and Tokyo to check it out in person. It's just that I'm worried that if she lies and comes prepared, I'm afraid it won't be easy to find her flaws. You ask Li Yifeng to go to the Ministry of Officials to help me get a copy of the information of officials with the surname Liang for decades and above, and see if there is an official named Liang Hongyu's daughter. You must not dare to hide your real name, otherwise you will be exposed. ”

"After lunch, I'll prepare some dry food for you to bring, things are not clean on the road."

Zhan Ming grabbed Whelan's hand and said, "Still madam, you are careful and considerate." ”

Ouyang didn't think about Liang Hongyu at all, and even Master Li almost forgot about it. For Liang Hongyu, he is indeed dispensable, but dispensable is not to be a concubine, but to work. There are still jobs, and when a royal newspaper expands there is a lack of managerial talent. And Liang Hongyu's insight into the nuances can really be a helper, and Liu Huilan alone can't really do it. Of course, people still don't understand it, and it's hard to make a conclusion.

The team consisted of more than a dozen officials and 50 workers from military factories. Ouyang is now wondering that he seems to be an envoy with a serious holy decree and a clerk in the Ministry of Rites and Rites, holding a knotty battle in his hand, how do he see that this formation seems to be fleeing the famine. The last time I canonized Zhan Ming, the holy decree was also brought back by myself. Watching TV, the envoys are protected by at least a few hundred people. But Ouyang didn't know that in fact, the ancient envoys were generally the officials' own guards. There will be no additional protection for your army, but you can go to the Ministry of Officials for reimbursement. When the envoys of the Liao State came to the Song Dynasty in Taizong, there were six people, and one was the envoy's concubine. This is not to say that diplomatic relations are not valued. This scale has to do with whether the envoy is dull or not, but with the identity of the envoy. If you don't have to go abroad for the first and second grades, you can go to a state or something, and thousands of people will be called before and after. Since it is an eighth grade, it is such a treatment anyway.

Besides, in ancient times, the envoy was not talking about people, but about things. It's this brass battle. It is engraved with dragons, tigers, and people. These three patterns are also exquisite, such as going to Liaoguo, there are many plains, and the use of human festivals. Go to the swamps and use the dragon festival, and the mountainous area is the tiger festival. What Ouyang is holding now is the People's Day. If you want to say that this thing is quite useful, it's called a special pass. No matter which country or checkpoint will not check you, you will be released directly, quite modern diplomatic baggage. It's a pity that this section must be returned, otherwise it will be hidden, and it should not be too simple to smuggle, depending on how you Zhao Yu take 30% of my taxes.

Everywhere the envoys are gone, it is not as miserable as living in a post station, but the reception of the government. And this road faces north, and there are more Yangping Chamber of Commerce, and naturally Yangping people are indispensable. Ouyang's treatment is not low at all. Those who ate and drank approached the border. After getting closer, Ouyang ordered to turn around and turn to Qinfeng Road to the west, Han Shizhong had already received the news, and very politely brought ten subordinate generals to greet Ouyang thirty miles away from a small county.

Ouyang saw Han Shizhong dismount and arched his hand: "General, you are a fifth-grade official, and the lower official is just an eight-rank Xiaozhi County, this pomp is too polite." ”

Han Shizhong also dismounted and replied: "The adults are joking, I prepared a little wine and food in the county to catch the wind for the adults." He is heroic by nature, and he really won't accept Ouyang's words.

"We're all doing serious business, and it's still early to eat. I have to go to Liaoguo after I have something here, so it's better to look at the goods first. "After Liao, I have to go to Cai Jing's birthday, this time is not ordinary tension.

Han Shizhong also said politely: "My lord is refreshing, Han admires it." Ten miles away in this county is Han's temporary camp, and Han's house is also there, so it is better to rest in the past and try the craftsmanship of the clumsy house. ”

"Done!"

Immediately chatting, Han Shizhong first introduced the generals behind him to Ouyang, all of whom were his favorite generals and his own people. Then Ouyang learned that in fact, although this Qinfeng Road was a military road, its strength was not very good. The quota is 40,000 for the forbidden army and 60,000 for the van army, but the old, weak, sick and disabled account for a considerable proportion. Coupled with the military slack, the soldiers do not know the generals, and the generals do not know the handsome, although Han Shizhong has rectified it after he arrives, he has become weak and sick, and it will not be completed in a while and a half. And now when it comes to the elite, Han Shizhong selected about 3,000 people.

Ouyang smiled: "The general might as well use some hands and feet on the military quartermaster." The original 100,000 people were reduced to 50,000. With 100,000 people's food money to feed 50,000 people, the elite soldiers will naturally come out quickly. ”

"Deficit?" Han Shizhong asked in surprise.

"What is a deficit, this money does not fall into your own pocket, the gentleman is frank. The emperor still understands these things, who is more useful than 50,000 elite soldiers or 100,000 waste soldiers. Besides, you should have received an order from the emperor to prepare for war in secret, right? It doesn't matter if you're a black cat or a white cat, it's a good cat if you can catch a mouse, and a bad cat if you can't catch a mouse. The general understands what I mean, right? ”

"My lord." Han Shizhong admired: "My lord solved Han's dilemma with one sentence." However, Han Mou still has one more thing to ask, now the other materials in the army are fine, that is, there is a very short supply of horses, and there are less than 800 horses on the entire Qinfeng Road, and those who can go to the battlefield must be discounted. ”

"This ...... Adults should be a little bolder, and press the official to see that there is a way called smuggling. ”

"Smuggling?" Han Shizhong asked in a low voice.

Ouyang nodded and said, "Yes!" According to the knowledge of the lower officials, tea, iron, ceramics, and silk in Liao were taxed very heavily from the border passes of the Great Song Dynasty, but their horses were very cheap, and a war horse was only a dozen yuan, but when it was obtained in the Song Dynasty, it reached more than forty yuan. ”

Han Shizhong shook his head after thinking about it: "My lord, this Qinfeng Road does not border Liao. ”

"So be bold." Ouyang Dao: "I looked at this smuggling route early in the morning, there are three, and the first one enters the Liao border along the Western Xia border. The second is to cross the border of Xia Prefecture in Western Xia. The third is to borrow the Eastern Army. "The Eastern Army is the Hebei East Road, and the Western Army is the Hebei West Road, both of which are military roads, and eighty percent of the elite forbidden troops of the Great Song Dynasty are hoarded on these two roads.

"Well, most of the first one is under the jurisdiction of Qin Feng Road." Han Shizhong took out the map and said while looking at it: "It is okay for the east side of the Yellow River under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Army to enter the Western Xia border along the Great Wall, but the only thing is the border of these fifty miles, and there are some Great Wall Western Xia troops with tun troops. If I want to discuss with the Eastern Army, I'm afraid that I, Qin Fenglu, can't afford to raise that big lion. ”

"There is no problem with this, Xiaguan has a little friendship with the Si family of the Liao State, and they have a good relationship with the Western Xia Frontier, if they are allowed to be intermediaries to receive goods from the Song Realm, this may be possible." This turned around and asked them to contact the general. ”

Han Shizhong said gratefully: "Then thank you, my lord." He really admired, fortunately he didn't treat him slowly, this family also has a relationship, not an ordinary capable person.

When he arrived at the barracks, Han Shizhong introduced his wife Bai. Ouyang knew at a glance that Bai was a good wife and mother, although he was also quite beautiful, but men with good wives and mothers generally had second wives. Bai went to arrange the food and drinks, while Ouyang asked the horse team to deliver the things to the school yard. Han Shizhong issued a general's order, and two thousand forbidden troops gathered, all of which were led by the generals to leave the station, except for some personal soldiers.

For the sake of secrecy, after everyone left, Ouyang started, and first recommended an improved individual gunpowder bag, the power of the gunpowder bag is very large, and the key is in the tamping link. And Ouyang's gunpowder bag was not tamped by manpower, but by a waterwheel, and the torrent hit the waterwheel, and the tamper turned down and smashed on the fixed gunpowder bag. The gunpowder formula has also been improved, mainly purified and finely ground, although it is not much powerful, but it is better than nothing. In addition, the fire line is also the research result of the military factory, which is soaked in several herbs and boiled, and after drying, it is wrapped in oiled paper and cloth, as long as it is not soaked in water, it can be used in rainy days, and it has an advantage that the burning time is easier to control.

Then there were rockets, Ouyang only brought two, not too big, but quite heavy, four horses and one. The sealed iron pipe only exposes the arrows. Light a fire in the back, and once lit, forty-nine arrows will shoot out. The range is about 100 paces, although it is closer than a bow and arrow, but the lethality at close range is huge, and it only needs to be operated by a single soldier. The disadvantage is that there is a real war, and there is no time to pay attention to it after using it once, so Han Shizhong positions it as a first-class weapon to defend the city.

Then there is a small cannon, which is small and has a range of about 300 paces, but when the shells are sold, there is a fire in the distance, and it is not easy to extinguish.

Finally, there is the explosive pack, which weighs fifty pounds, which can be pushed by a cart to the city gate and ignited. After the test, no matter how heavy the city gate is, as long as two packs of explosives are fired at the same time, it will basically collapse.

Han Shizhong was very satisfied with these four things, but he was embarrassed: "My lord, although the emperor has issued an edict to actively prepare for war, the court has not discussed such a big matter as a war. Not to mention such a large amount of money transferred. "He means, you have good goods, but unfortunately I don't have any money.

"The emperor may not know these four things, but Zhang Xuanming of the Privy Council has already tested them all, and the price is reasonable. You only need to open the list of requirements to Lord Zhang, and he will explain it to the emperor and then hand it over to the military department for purchase. "Zhang Xuanming looks polite, but he is a hawk in his bones. On the other hand, Li Han leans on the old and sells the old, but he is a dove, advocating unity with the ministers, internal harmony and external deterrence. Zhang Xuanming's superiority, this war will burn sooner or later, and the purpose of him and Ouyang is to hit it off, from the perspective of his thoughts and the interests of the businessmen led by Ouyang, starting a war is the common goal of the two. Zhang Xuanming can not only give himself more power space, but also improve the status of military generals in the imperial court.

However, there is a long way to go for this purpose, and Cai Jing and his civilian Confucianism will not want to see war happen. As they thought, the prosperity of Tang Taizong's future dynasty was the ideal they pursued.

Han Shizhong is not stupid, but he doesn't like to pay attention to these details, for him, a hot-blooded general, there are battles, elite soldiers, good horses, advantageous weapons, and logistics, which is better than anything else. Because of this, Zhang Xuanming asked Ouyang to convey to Han Shizhong: "The focus is on Lingzhou and Yongle. These two cities are famous for our divisions, and they were taken by their former emperor Li Jiqian from our Great Song Dynasty. At that time, the imperial court will issue an envoy requesting that the Western Xia return these two cities. ”

"Rest assured, my husband will protect his family and defend the country, expand the territory, and human physiology should be like this. The hatred of the Western Xia for seizing the land will inevitably be repaid. Han Shizhong looked at it and said: "Come on, seal these things in the warehouse, and those who speak to the outside world will correct the Fa on the spot." My lord, I have prepared the wine and food, and I will rest in the camp for the time being, one is to thank the adults for their support, and the other is to thank the adults for the sharp weapons, but do not refuse. ”

"Definitely not shirking." Ouyang replied with a smile.

During the banquet, several cronies and generals accompanied him, and Han Shizhong also raised some current problems, which Ouyang could answer, and asked Zhang Xuanming if he couldn't. There is also the matter of supervising the army, Ouyang thinks that if there is a war, he may send Li Han over. Let Han Shizhong give him some credit, and it also shows that Li Han's temper is a little stinky, but he is not a bad person.

Because he was talking more than drinking, Han Shizhong didn't get Ouyang drunk, and arranged two camp prostitutes to serve Ouyang that night. In the Tang Dynasty, prostitutes were rampant, and in the Song Dynasty, they were somewhat restrained, and they were generally used by homeless dependents as officials, and there were many music camps in border towns. Most of these people committed crimes or were sent into exile, and it is not excluded that they were made up of women who had been falsely accused. For example, if Bai Lian had been to the border at the beginning, there would have been only one way to camp prostitutes. The camp prostitutes belong to the official pay, and they are on duty for ten days every month. However, group sex was forbidden in previous dynasties, that is, the maximum number of receptions for a prostitute in a day was two. Another kind belongs to purchasing, for example, a general with an official position does not have a wife, so he can buy a prostitute by his side. Prostitutes are sold for three years, five years, and so on, depending on the crime, and once they are old, they can take the money to go home. Buying prostitutes is not free, and some of the good ones are quite expensive. This system did not die out until the Ming and Qing dynasties, and in the Southern Song Dynasty, the regulations on compulsory prostitution were abolished, and coolies and prostitutes made their own choices.

Accompanying Ouyang is naturally the best, and Han Shizhong brought it from the state and county early in the morning and placed it in the county. Ouyang did not shirk his kindness. When he arrived at his accommodation tent, he let the two women sleep on one side. The journey is tired, and I have to be a woman, which is to increase the burden on my body. Men are not all like what they say on TV, they can pull their pants when they see a beautiful woman, and they have to see if they are in the mood. The cow in the film and television work, the little Izumo country that had just finished the battle, ignored the corpses of his killed comrades and stared at the side, and he was not in a hurry to clean up the battlefield to see if there were any enemies alive, but pulled his pants on the woman...... Besides, the men who drank were not all in a hurry, on the contrary, many of the men who had drunk a little bit wanted to sleep. Han Shizhong's intentions were good, but he didn't take into account Ouyang's specific situation, and stuffed two.

The next morning, Han Shizhong waved goodbye after sending out thirty miles of land, and Ouyang led the horse team to the border pass. There is no trouble in a war, and as soon as this special pass is lit, the officers on both sides have to greet it. Ouyang's daimyo was resounding in the Liao State, and the Liao generals not only did not search, but also sent a small team of men and horses to escort Ouyang to Linhuang Mansion. Ouyang was not stingy, and directly rewarded him with ten catties of high-quality tea. The Shangliao generals are very happy. I heard that Ouyang was generous, and when I saw it today, it was really the case.