Khufu was in the territory of Tanzhou Prefecture and met the large army of Beigui soldiers.

On the day he arrived, according to the news from the front, the Beigui soldiers were crossing the river.

Khufu went non-stop.

Listening to the introduction of the reception officials of the Tanzhou Prefecture, the flowing northward river in front of him is called Xiangjiang.

Khufu raised his eyes and looked at the middle of the Xiangjiang River, a water and land continent formed by the accumulation of sand and soil, like a long belt, floating on the Xiangjiang River.

Seeing this, the governor of Tanzhou, Shi introduced: "Lord Hu, this state is called Orange Island by the local people. ”

"Hmm."

Khufu couldn't help but look into the distance and take two more looks.

In front of you, the sky is clear, the Xiangjiang River goes north, and the orange island is headed.

In Khufu's chest, there was a sense of heroism in the sky.

"Lord Lieutenant, those soldiers are in front, and they have just crossed the river."

"Let's go."

Khufu was suddenly alone, and rode forward.

"Lieutenant Envoy, wait for us! Be careful. ”

The officials and guards of the Tanzhou Mansion hurriedly followed this bearded eunuch, this is the personal envoy of the Son of Heaven, on behalf of the empress, in case there are three long and two short, they will also be unlucky.

Khufu ignored it and believed in the reins.

Soon, the crowd of soldiers appeared in front of him.

"Wait, wait, the lower official will send someone to negotiate the ......"

"No, stop."

Khufu gave the order, did not look back, and went alone.

Facing the crowd that suddenly appeared in front of them, the soldiers who had just crossed the river quickly assembled in a column under the leadership of a few leading men.

They held weapons in their hands and looked at these teams that seemed to be soldiers and horses of the Tanzhou Prefecture with a wary expression.

"Your Excellency, please stop." The leader stepped forward and shouted.

"Zajia Khufu, the imperial envoy of the Son of Heaven, on behalf of the saint, is here to issue an edict."

The soldiers of the northern return were stunned, as if they didn't expect a eunuch's voice to be so strong and heroic.

However, what they didn't expect was that this bearded eunuch came to the front, did not restrain his horse, and continued to raise his whip to advance, leaving the officers and soldiers of the Tanzhou Mansion in the rear far behind, and walked alone into the vigilant crowd of soldiers.

Several leading men were silent, and the crowd of soldiers subconsciously moved out of the way and let Khufu enter.

Single-handedly, Khufu pintoned a yellow silk book and passed by the soldiers.

Along the way, he turned his head left and right, and his eyes fell on the tired faces of the Beigui soldiers, the dusty armor, and the cooking objects of pots and pans, and swept them one by one seriously.

The audience was silent.

The leading man, the soldiers returning to the north, and even the officials of the Tanzhou Prefecture in the rear all witnessed this scene quietly.

Khufu's expression was calm, but in fact, he was also a little drumming in his heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.

He reined in the middle of the crowd, untied his shawl, unfolded the decree with both hands, and read it in a high-spirited tone:

"Emperor's Edict ......"

Words of forgiveness came out of Khufu's mouth, resounding through the silence of the audience.

Nian Bi.

The audience was silent.

Khufu looked at the leading men.

One of them, a tall thin man, with all armor and a red cloak, stood at the forefront of several leading men, and seemed to be Duyu Cai Qin, the leader of the mutiny.

As for Jiang Governor Shi Ouyang Lianghan and Su Qian, the captain of the Third Regiment that he had privately mentioned, they should be one of these leading men, but Hu Fu didn't recognize it, and he didn't care much about it at the moment.

While Khufu was observing the expressions of the generals, the generals were also observing the expressions of the Son of Heaven's personal envoy.

Khufu handed over the decree with both hands, and gestured, and he said in a deep voice:

"General Cai, please take the order."

Cai Qin was silent.

Khufu kept his face unchanged and did not rush.

Minutes and seconds passed.

Hu Fu, who was stared at by a group of warriors who were fighting on the border, stared at Cai Qin intently, but his eyes faintly lost some focus, as if his perception of time had become dull.

He didn't know how long it had been, whether it was a moment or permanent.

Until......

Cai Qin suddenly dismounted, stepped forward to receive the order, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head in thanks.

The audience suddenly resounded with a wave of voices.

It's cheers. It is like the waves of the Xiangjiang River next to it, sweeping the crowd on the riverside.

The bearded eunuch on horseback quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and when he reacted, his shirt was already soaked.

At this moment, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at the sandbar in the middle of the Xiangjiang River like a streamer.

The surrounding Cai Qin and other generals stepped forward to greet each other.

The crowd of soldiers rushed in jubilantly.

The officials of Tanzhou Mansion also cautiously stepped forward to celebrate.

The crowd was varied, and the scene was chaotic.

Later, Khufu was also distracted and forgot how to comfort and deal with Cai Qin and other soldiers.

I only feel that the pardon process on the banks of the Xiangjiang River in front of me is full of vitality and all things are competing.

That night, he and his soldiers were in a temporary military camp outside Tanzhou City, and returned drunk, so they simply did not go back to the refined official residence arranged in the city, but lived with these soldiers.

When he woke up the next day, walked out of the tent, and went to the main tent to discuss with Cai Qin and the others, Khufu clearly felt the closeness and respect of the soldiers in the barracks......

In the next few days, during his stay in Tanzhou Mansion, Khufu was always with the soldiers of Zhao'an.

Cai Qin and other generals have more and more trust in him,

Even when Khufu slightly expressed his concern about the weapons and armor, Cai Qin did not say a word, took off his armor, and at the same time ordered all the soldiers to remove their weapons together.

So these weapons and armor were left in Tanzhou Mansion.

On this day, after the rest was completed, everyone set off and left Tanzhou Mansion.

Before leaving, the Tanzhou government sent military rations and fodder to supply the soldiers.

Khufu decided to follow Cai Qin and the others and return north together.

It can also be regarded as leading by example, representing the court and showing attitude.

Before leaving the Tanzhou capital, Khufu, as a lieutenant envoy, sent several letters to the state capitals along the way, affirmed the situation, ordered the officials along the way not to stop, and let the soldiers cross the border and return to the north......

In particular, Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, which were the end points of the return to the north, ordered the governors of the two states to be ready to receive them.

After the official document was issued and the arrangements were in place, Khufu followed the large army, left the Tanzhou Mansion, and continued north.

At present, the recruitment is successful, and the matters prepared in advance are carried out step by step.

He just felt that the wind was smooth.

may be admiration for the heroic measures of his single-handedly announcement that day.

On the way back to the north, Khufu and Cai Qin gradually became acquainted.

Moreover, in order to blend into the atmosphere of this military camp martial arts, the bearded eunuch envoy, who has never drunk much, also learned to drink at the table together.

During this period, Khufu finally met Su Qian, the captain of the 3rd Regiment.

This is a round-faced man like a stuffy oil bottle, with a strong body and wheat-colored skin, who drinks at the wine table and speaks very little.

Although most of the 1,500 soldiers were soldiers from Hongzhou Zhichong Prefecture, and Jiangzhou soldiers led by Su Qian accounted for a minority.

However, it may be because of his dull and honest personality, Su Qian gets along well with Cai Qin and other Hongzhou generals, at least there is no kind of exclusion and coldness.

Khufu observed this, but because the appeasement went smoothly and he didn't encounter any difficulties, Khufu didn't take the initiative to find Su Qian.

And Su Qian was also silent about Khufu who occasionally wore a certain waist knife, or said that he was silent about Cai Qin and others, let alone took the initiative to talk to Khufu.

Khufu didn't care much about that.

As the days passed, things moved steadily and for the better, until everyone entered the hinterland of Gangnam Province.

Hu Fu and Cai Qin and other soldiers came to the territory of Raozhou, which was not far from Hongzhou.

After passing through a city level, I suddenly noticed something different.

"Envoy Hu, what do the guards at these checkpoints mean?"

At the front of the team, Cai Qin turned his head and asked the voices of the generals and soldiers in confusion.

Khufu glanced at the heavily guarded checkpoint behind him.

Comforting in a wide voice: "It should be ...... It should be that there are many bandits in the local area, and the government should be stationed on guard. ”

There was a captain who said sullenly: "In the hinterland of the south of the Yangtze River, it was peaceful in the past, where are there such rampant bandits, and they must be strictly guarded." ”

The marching procession fell silent.

Khufu frowned slightly.

In the next few days, after some checkpoints, I still encountered some strict guards. It seems obvious who is guarding against it.

Although they were all allowed to pass by the garrison team, Cai Qin and the others looked sideways at Khufu more and more frequently.

Khufu's face remained unchanged, but in his heart, he couldn't help but scold the chief official of Raozhou and other places.

When the team approached Raozhou City, Khufu immediately entered the city, entered the Raozhou hall, and called out the chief officer of Raozhou to question the matter.

Raozhou Thorn Shi recently took a leave of absence from illness, and only a Rao Governor surnamed Zhao Shi came forward on his behalf.

Explain that Raozhou is the hinterland of Jiangnan Province, and its location is critical, and for the sake of safety, officers and soldiers are sent to guard at the checkpoint to prevent trouble, which is the duty and responsibility of local officials and must not be done.

However, Zhao Changshi emphasized that it was just a routine vigilance, and it would never block the way back to the north for the envoys and the soldiers.

This kind of old fritter psychology and the lack of responsibility for prevention, Khufu couldn't understand it, so he was naturally very dissatisfied and reprimanded, Zhao Changshi groveled, full of compensation, but he still played haha.

However, in the end, under the pressure of the Son of Heaven's private envoy, Raozhou still bowed his head, removed some of the officers and soldiers at the checkpoint, and only sent sporadic officers and soldiers to guard the pass, and went through the motions......

In the end, the officials of Raozhou sent the calm faces of Khufu and the silent soldiers of the North Returning Soldiers out of the country respectfully.

Leaving Raozhou, which "doesn't know the general situation", Khufu breathed a sigh of relief,

At the wine table at night, he comforted Cai Qin and other generals, everyone nodded in agreement, and Cai Qin took the initiative to enliven the atmosphere.

But soon, Khufu and his generals discovered that Raozhou was not alone.

It may be that Raozhou is a substitute model, or it may be that he knows that the hinterland of Jiangnan Province is too important, and the governors everywhere are afraid that the soldiers will take the blame for accidents when they cross the border.

As I passed through several states, I saw that there were all strictly armed soldiers standing at the checkpoints, patrolling and guarding, staring coldly at the unarmed Cai Qin and other soldiers to clear the customs and pass under their noses.

As a lieutenant envoy, although Khufu has great power, he can't scold him in the face of such behavior in various places.

Not to mention the sleek pot shakers, Yang Feng Yin and Yin Xiao Er officials.

Khufu had no choice but to do his best to maneuver, and at the same time released a promise to comfort Cai Qin and other generals and soldiers.

At the beginning, when encountering this kind of strict guarding, Cai Qin and the others would look at Khufu in confusion or complain a few words, but in the back, after more experience, Cai Qin and other generals became silent

Khufu walked with them every day, and Ziruo also found that the atmosphere around him became silent, and his attitude, although still respectful, was not as warm and intimate as it had been at the beginning.

This sign and atmosphere made Khufu slightly uneasy.

This day, night.

The soldiers camped on the outskirts of a county town and spent the night.

Khufu paid for it, bought wine and food in the county seat, and invited Cai Qin and other generals to dinner in the main tent.

During the banquet, he said a few words of relief and made some reassurances.

Cai Qin and other generals nodded and smiled reluctantly, and the atmosphere was quite warm.

Khufu was too drunk to drink, drunk to the back, drunk on the table, his vision was confused, and he faintly saw a lieutenant walking in outside the tent, leaning into the ear of Cai Qin at the next table, as if he had said something.

Khufu didn't hear clearly, only saw Cai Qin suddenly get up,

Then he sat down again and continued to drink.

Khufu raised his head and asked with a big tongue, "What's the matter", Cai Qin shook his head, saying that there was a brawl between soldiers and that it had been dealt with.

After saying that, the leader of the Northern Returning Soldiers raised his glass and continued to toast towards Khufu.

After a drinking feast, Khufu got drunk.

By the time he woke up with urine and opened his eyes, it was already late at night.

It's pitch black all around.

Khufu got up with some vigilance, looked around, and found that he was lying on the mat of his tent, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Secretly said: "You, you, why are you shocked." ”

Recent events have really made him a little frightened.

Khufu frowned, and recalled, as if he was drunk and sent back by Cai Qin and others.

He left the tent and looked for a place to urinate in the grass in the wilderness, and suddenly he saw that the main tent where the camp was stationed was still brightly lit, as if it was a wine banquet.

After the convenience was completed, Khufu approached quietly.

"Who?"

A guard on duty who appeared out of nowhere stopped in front of him.

"It's a miscellaneous family."

As soon as Khufu spoke, the curtain of the main tent was lifted, and Cai Qin walked out with a restrained expression:

"Hu Zhong's envoy woke up?"

"General Cai still hasn't slept yet?"

Khufu glanced at the main tent, where there were scattered figures.

Cai Qin shook his head and said:

"Recently, some brothers wanted to drink two more glasses, so they drank with them for a while. Hu Zhong's strength is not good, he was drunk too early, and we just sent him back. ”

"Thank you General Cai, by the way, which of you is drinking......"

Without waiting for Khufu to finish speaking, Cai Qin took the initiative to step forward, took his arm, invited him to go for a walk and chat, and sobered up by the way.

Khufu nodded.

So, the two left the door of the main tent.

As soon as he arrived and walked not far away, Khufu suddenly turned around.

A figure on the other side of the main tent lifted the curtain and left one after another, and he saw with sharp eyes, in addition to some familiar generals, he also vaguely saw the figure of a young man in a strong felt hat, and he couldn't see his face clearly.

"Your Excellency?" Cai Qin in the rear called him.

"Hmm." Khufu pointed over there: "Who is that, why don't you know?" ”

Cai Qin turned his head and looked at it, and replied:

"It's a brother from Guizhou, who left Guizhou before, got separated, and just came back......"

"Oh, what's your name, what's your position?"

"Captain Du." Cai Qin hesitated to report his name, and the next moment, he changed his words:

"Lord Lieutenant, will the saints and the princes not be held accountable for the postponement of the harsh administration in the Guizhou Hall, Lan Changhao, and the chief officials of Hongzhou and Jiangzhou are all safe and sound?"

Khufu was silent for a moment, shook his head and said:

"Someone in the court called for a thorough investigation, but the sage did not ignore this matter, General Cai rest assured, when you go back, the miscellaneous family will speak for you, the sage... will administer justice. ”

Cai Qin turned his head: "Who is calling for the DPRK and China." ”

"Jiang Governor Shi Ouyang Lianghan has the toughest attitude."

"Is there only the position of the five-grade long history......" Cai Qin whispered, raised his head, and smiled: "This gentleman is a good man." ”

Khufu nodded.

The atmosphere was slightly awkward, and the two chatted a few more words and said goodbye to each other.

Go back to your account and go to sleep.

Returning to the tent and lying down, Khufu tossed and turned, and whispered:

"Good decent, what do you mean by asking this......"

Soon, the sky outside the tent was white.

There is a sunrise today.

(End of chapter)