The shogunate, there was already a waiter waiting at the door for a long time, and when the waiter saw that Nagahei-kun had arrived, he led everyone straight to the lobby.

In the lobby, Old Man Lu Sheng was already sitting in the hall drinking tea and tasting tea.

Mu Sheng stepped forward and gave a military salute and said: "General Qiqi, the last general was defeated and captured, which is really insulting to the prestige of the three armies, and now he has come to the General's Mansion to ask for guilt." ”

When Lu Sheng heard this, he waved his hand to sit down, and said with a pleasant face: "Changpingjun, what are you guilty of?" You are not only innocent in this battle, but also meritorious, you are just a little bit of a person, surrounded by 60,000 horses and horses, you can still hold on for four times, it is already very good, the detailed battle process and battle damage, the old man has already reported to the court, and even the court's reward for you has come down, just waiting for you to come back. ”

Mu Sheng's face was shocked: "The last general is the general of the defeated army, and according to the law of Jin, he will be escorted to the Jingshi for questioning, how did you turn decay into magic, General?" The younger generation should ask for advice. ”

Lu Sheng smiled slightly and said: "You don't care about this, Benhou has his own way, but don't worry, I won't hide the cause and effect of everything here, and as for your capture, I have also reported it truthfully." ”

"Your Majesty also appreciates Changpingjun's heroic battles on the front line, and affirms Changpingjun's contribution to leading by example, marrying and marrying mountain puppets, and stabilizing the situation on the frontier.

Lu Sheng saw that Mu Sheng was confused, and waved his hand, and the waiter next to him handed him the military report of the front-line battle.

After Mu Sheng took the military newspaper and read it carefully, he had to admire the old general's ability to turn his hands into clouds and cover his hands for rain, and the black can become white, but to be honest, he did his best, there were no reinforcements outside, and in the face of ten times the enemy army surrounding, the whole army was annihilated, it was almost a matter of smashing nails, and in the end, more than half of the brothers could go back alive, which was considered lucky, and even if the military god was alive, he could not win the situation he faced.

After Mu Sheng carefully flipped through the military report, he understood how Lu Sheng, the old slippery head, gave himself credit and turned decay into magic.

It probably means that our 7,000 men and horses, in order to cover the retreat of the large army, attracted the main force of the mountain puppet to attack in Lingxi, and the large army barely escaped from the encirclement of the mountain puppet and the 300,000 coalition troops of the former tribe, and finally escaped.

Although Changping Jun was defeated and captured, in the face of the elite main force ten times that of the mountain puppet, Mu Sheng took the lead in fighting to the death, dragging the 60,000 elite of the mountain puppet, and successfully avoided the end of the 120,000 Jin army.

After reading the military report, Mu Sheng really convinced the old man Lu Sheng in his heart, and the real marching route is indeed like this, it can't be a bully, just add a little oil and vinegar, a big stroke of the pen, and the spring and autumn penmanship.

The difference is just to bring him out as a hero, after reading the military report, Mu Sheng's old face was hot, and he was a little embarrassed to put gold stickers on his face, he naturally knew what the real situation was like, and reporting to the leader sometimes depends on what happened to you.

In particular, many of the ancient front-line generals took advantage of the fact that the frontier was far away from the imperial court, and they did not understand the actual situation to mix up the credits, and the defeat could become a victory, and the victory could become a big victory......

Lu Sheng actually understood that Changpingjun came here to mix his qualifications and brush up on his military merits, but fortunately, he turned this unsuccessful military operation into a successful strategic transfer, and then dressed him up as the key factor in the success, even if it was Qi Sheng.

After reading the military report, even if Mu Sheng's face was as thick as the city wall, he couldn't hang it anymore.

Mu Sheng arched his hand to Lu Sheng and said, "General... This... Isn't that good? I'm afraid that the officers and men of this army will not be convinced when they know about it. ”

Lu Sheng smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, which of them dares to disagree?" Let them come to the old man to theorize in front of the old man, Changpingjun, you can rest assured to go back! The old man has already arranged the things here, and on the side of the mountain puppet, don't you also move the enemy chief of the Immortal Emperor to conclude a treaty, and you are not on the side of the offense, this is also a great achievement! As long as the mountain puppet can stop, there is nothing to worry about on the former side. ”

Mu Sheng laughed secretly in his heart when he heard this, he had instructed him to conclude a peace and friendship treaty with Lu Sheng in private, and he didn't want the foundation that he had managed to get here in southern Xinjiang to be destroyed by Lu Sheng, the old man.

Mu Sheng and Lu Sheng chatted a few more words and then returned to the post house.

As soon as Mu Sheng returned to the post house, Feng Wei handed him the edict of the imperial court's reward, which probably meant that all the soldiers who participated in the battle were rewarded and knighted, and the main generals such as Feng Wei and Yan Kun were also promoted.

The level of lieutenant and lieutenant has almost reached the top as a military future, and the title of general has always been only an honorary title or official title, and it is rarely directly awarded to the minister, I feel that this reward is somewhat too high, and his three-point hard work and seven-point boasting of credit are not worth such a high-level reward.

After reading the edict, Mu Sheng said: "Feng Wei, it seems that you will also be released from office in the future." ”

Feng Wei said with a smile: "It's not for the blessing of your son, that I have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions to the imperial court." ”

Mu Sheng smiled: "It's all military merit earned by pinning your head to the waistband of your trousers, even if it's not me, you will still come out sooner or later with your talent......"

After a few idle words with Feng Wei, Mu Sheng turned around and went to the upper room on the second floor of the post house to look for Mu Yinaqi and them.

As soon as he arrived at the door, Mu Sheng unexpectedly saw Hua Zilan, he thought that Hua Zilan had already gone away, but he didn't expect her to be here.

Mu Sheng saw that she had resumed her daughter's outfit, and she felt a little bright.

Mu Sheng stepped forward and greeted, "Hua Daoyou, I didn't expect you to be here?" I thought you had already gone looking for your old lover. ”

Hua Zilan said angrily: "I have promised you to wait for the crown prince to succeed to the throne before leaving, my Hua Zilan's words have always counted." ”

Mu Sheng smiled and said: "If the emperor succeeds in cultivating immortals, then the crown prince will not be able to ascend the throne for the rest of his life, won't you have to stay by my side for the rest of your life?" If I were you, I would have slipped away a long time ago. ”

When Hua Zilan heard this, her face changed, and she scolded angrily: "Childe, why did you treat my kindness as a donkey's liver and lungs, now as long as you say a word, I will immediately turn around and leave, do you really think that anyone is rare to stay by your side." ”

Mu Sheng hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Just kidding, what kind of friendship do we have, we have been on the battlefield together, we have carried guns together, and we have a lifelong friendship, you have a lot, Zilan's sincere heart towards me cannot be repaid." ”

When Hua Zilan heard this, her expression was slightly better.

Hua Zilan glanced at Mu Sheng up and down a few times, and said with a slight smile: "Look at Gongzi, your face is ruddy and your aura is lofty, it seems that the puppets who are going to Yucheng Mountain treat you well?" ”

Mu Sheng smiled: "Hmm! That's a must, I'm a child of the clan, not an ordinary defeated general, naturally I eat well, live well, eat hemp and fragrant, I don't want to come back a little. ”

Hua Zilan teased in a tone of voice: "It seems that the mountain puppets have treated you a little too well, I almost thought that you had already surrendered to the enemy!" ”

Mu Shengqi said: "Oh? How so? ”

Hua Zilan pouted into the room, and her tone was a little delicious: "Others are captured, and the dungeon torture is served, you are good, not only are you fat and fat with delicious food and drink, but the mountain puppet actually gave you two great beauties, and you can be a prisoner for your part, and I am also a five-body throw to the ground that you admire." ”

Mu Sheng scratched his head embarrassedly and said with a smile: "Hey! No way, who called me charming? Let the goddaughter of the Immortal Emperor, Naqi sister, give a glimpse, I want to marry me before I come back, and I have to go to the Central Plains with me, I have been there for so long, and it is really not good to refuse a piece of kindness! ”

Hua Zilan sneered and said, "Cut! You are a merry man, I don't know what hooligan tricks you used to deceive other girls, what kind of virtue do you have, I don't know? As long as the woman who is with you, which one have you let go? ”

Mu Sheng had no choice but to smile and acquiesce in her "prejudice", and said secretly in his heart, haven't I already let you go? This shows that I am still a principled person.

In the early morning of the next day, Mu Sheng went out of the city to the barracks to see the soldiers who had gone with him on the expedition, and when everyone saw that Changping Jun had returned, they also surrounded him one by one and shouted loudly Long live the general, too, if he hadn't taken the initiative to go to the mountain puppet to be a prisoner, these people would not have made meritorious contributions, I am afraid that none of them would have returned.

Mu Sheng also greeted them with a smile, naturally it was inevitable to drink and eat meat with his subordinates at night, and they also made great contributions this time and were rewarded by the imperial court, so they were naturally full of energy and red faces.

After the reunion, Mu Sheng did not forget the fallen soldiers, and went to the collective mausoleum where they were buried dozens of miles from the barracks to pay a grand respect.

After this battle, when Mu Sheng had the opportunity to lead the troops to the expedition in the future, it would not be their group, this was the strategy of the imperial court to balance the generals.

The front-line generals who really lead the troops will not have the troops to fight with you for a long time, and they will have to rotate the defense area every once in a while, or the next time they go out to fight, they will change a group of new people for you, and the old people you bring out will be replaced by others.

This move of the imperial court is intended to prevent generals and soldiers from forming interest groups, which at any time, it is very dangerous for the imperial court to form an alliance between generals and soldiers, although this will reduce the combat effectiveness of the army, but compared to the potential rebellion ability of military generals, it is a problem.

In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, due to large-scale land annexation and bankruptcy of military households, the government military system could not be maintained.

The Song Dynasty established afterwards learned from the lessons of the Anshi Rebellion, and excessively compressed the power of the generals, using literature to control the military and compressing local power, resulting in the Song Dynasty on the battlefield of the Song Dynasty to perform extremely stretched, and finally died of external humiliation. You have to master everything to a degree, too left or too right will go to extremes, and sometimes maintaining balance is probably the least bad strategy.

A few days later, Mu Sheng took Mu Yinaqi, Hongmei, Hua Zilan, Feng Wei and other guests to officially embark on the way home.

The horse team escorted the remaining 500,000 gold, in addition to his own 500,000 dividends, half of which he borrowed from Song Zhong, and he really couldn't get so much money at once, so he advocated returning half of the money first and returning it to Song Zhong.

As for the troops that Mu Sheng brought to Lingnan to participate in the battle, he will be assigned separately, after the battle, he will hand over the tiger talisman, so he is not qualified to ask the whereabouts of this army, he is now a light commander, and he will return to Beijing first.

On the way back, Mu Yinaqi and Hongmei were accompanied, and they walked and played along the way, and Mu Sheng was also very comfortable.

Mu Yinaqi is also full of praise for the scenery of the Central Plains, on the way Mu Sheng has the heart to take Mu Yinaqi to see the scenery of the Central Plains, to meet her desire to travel to the Central Plains, this delay, along the way more than five months to return to the capital, normal from Lingnan back to the capital by land will take nearly four months, not too delayed.

When the horse team arrived in the capital, it was already early winter in November, and the cold wind was cold in the air, Mu Yinaqi didn't feel anything, Hongmei couldn't adapt to it a little, and shrunk in the carriage wrapped in this fur fur trembling like a frightened rabbit, she was a native of southern Xinjiang, and it was reasonable for Zheng to be unaccustomed to the water and soil

The mountain golem is relatively close to the subtropical climate, there is no so-called winter at all, only the dry season and the rainy season, the mountain puppet people basically live in a layer of short clothes all year round, and they have never even seen what the snow looks like.

The first thing Mu Sheng did when he returned to Beijing was not to go home immediately, but to hurry to the Taiji Palace to face the saint, to ask the emperor for peace, to appease the sacred heart, although he was defeated and captured this time, but he did not hide his flaws, and he was also outstanding in battle, and his performance on the battlefield was not bad.

Entering the palace and entering the machine hall, the emperor saw Gongzi Sheng's red face, safe and sound, he hadn't seen him for two years, Gongzi Sheng looked a little blessed, he felt a little at ease, it seemed that the mountain puppet was not too difficult Sheng'er.

The emperor got off the throne, got up and came to Gongzi Sheng, and said, "Sheng'er, it's good to see that you are fine." ”

Although the emperor was still so unsmiling, the tone revealed this faint concern, which made Mu Sheng's heart warm, and it seemed that he still had a little place in the emperor's heart.

Mu Sheng hurriedly bowed down and said: "Father and Emperor, although the son was defeated and captured this time, fortunately, the lord of the mountain puppet did not embarrass the son, but ate and drank well, treated the son and son preferentially, and taught him what he had learned all his life. ”

What Mu Sheng said, and the truth, thousands of miles away, sometimes the truth is always buried in the past is the best, to tell the truth, it may not be pleasing to the end, and in the end he did not forget to add a credit to his head.

When the emperor heard this, he bowed his head slightly and said, "Well, you have done a good job, without the invasion of the southern barbarians, I can be peaceful for a few days towards the south." ”

The emperor comforted Mu Sheng with kind words and rewarded him with a lot of property, Mu Sheng thanked him for his kindness, and then kowtowed and went home.

When he walked out of the machine hall and walked to the gate of Taiji Palace, Mu Sheng saw that Yang Liu, the temple man who had served him before, was directing everyone in the palace to carry the gift box, and some palace maids were holding plates, which contained silk and jade.

Yang Liu saw Chang Pingjun, a popular man in front of the emperor, coming over, and hurriedly ran over to greet him with a smile: "The slave has seen Chang Pingjun." ”

Mu Sheng pointed to the palace people coming and going in the palace and asked, "Gonggong Yang, the palace is so lively, what is this doing?" ”

Yang Liu replied respectfully: "Qi Qi Changpingjun, Mrs. Sun in the palace is about to celebrate her birthday, so Your Majesty ordered it to be grandly handled, and the minions are so busy." ”

Mu Sheng's heart moved when he heard this, and said, "Okay! Good! I see, go get busy! ”

Yang Liu bowed, and then went back to direct everyone to carry Lihai

Seeing this situation, Mu Sheng thought that after returning to the mansion, he immediately went to the treasury to find the precious white fox fur that Song Zhong had purchased. Since the emperor's favorite concubine is going to celebrate her birthday, his gift must be indispensable, anyway, it has already been prepared, this Mrs. Sun can stammer, her own shortcoming is the early death of her mother, no one in the inner palace speaks for him, you have to pay attention to clinging to nobles in the palace, at least brush up on a good popularity, presumably other princes can not be outside.