Hanhou

Yuanshuo first year, June

Just after a light rain fell in Chang'an, five hundred Dawan horses had arrived from the border county at the newly built racecourse on the outskirts of the city. More than 50 foals were led by horse servants, separated from the mares, and put into another enclosure.

Leaving the horses, everything is unknown and strange.

The foals felt uneasy, and they gathered together in three or five, or ran away from the ladder, or kept neighing immaturely, trying to call their mother.

The eldest son of the emperor, Liu Ju, was carried out of the carriage by the eunuchs. When he saw the pony not far away, he couldn't help feeling excited.Patting the eunuch's arm, Liu Ju was put on the ground, turned around and grabbed the princess's hand, and the siblings trotted all the way to the fence.

"Your Highness, slow down and be careful!" The eunuch exclaimed repeatedly, following closely behind the two.One is counted as the other, they are all bent over, with arms outstretched, like birds guarding their young.

Following the two, Liu Xi got off his horse, walked to another carriage, and helped Liu Jun get off the railing.

"Brother, it's rare to come to Linyuan, don't worry about me, go and choose a good horse that suits you."

Two months ago, Liu Rong was summoned to Beijing, Yunmei and her youngest son stayed in the border county, and Liu Jun's sister and brother went with their father.

Liu Ju clamored to learn how to ride a horse, and the emperor allowed him to go to Linyuan.At the same time, they sent people to Liu Rong's home and called Liu Jun's sister and brother to Linyuan.

This kind of grace can only be given to Liu Rong with a pair of children, which is beyond the reach of other Liu clansmen.For example, the prince of Jiangdu who came to Beijing to meet, and the princes of King Lu and Changsha, did not have such honors.

Liu Jun was young and intelligent, and knew that this was the emperor's favor to his father. Regardless of Liu Xi's objection, he dragged him out of the study and went to Linyuan with Liu Ju's sister and brother.

In addition, the three foreign relatives of the Dou family, the Chen family, and the Wang family, as well as several meritorious marquises, also received orders to summon the children of the family to accompany the prince and princess.

Sending away the eunuch who delivered the decree, the parents and seniors took action immediately. All the young people who were selected were strictly instructed by their father and brother to behave well.

Because Wei Shang guarded the frontier for decades, Wei Yue expelled the Xiongnu to the north and made great military exploits, Wei Yutong was called to Linyuan.

He didn't want to go alone, so he asked Wei Jian to take Sang Hongyang with him.

Sang Hongyang's father and brother have no official positions, but their ancestors were Yin and Shang nobles. After the end of Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and from Qin to Han, the family has never declined, and they have accumulated considerable wealth.He is proficient in arithmetic and is outstanding. He was appreciated by the Tainong Order, summoned by the emperor, and became famous in Chang'an City.

Wei Yu made friends with him and invited him to go with him, so others naturally couldn't comment.

When the group arrived at Linyuan, Liu Ju pulled the eldest princess straight to the fence, Liu Xi followed behind him unhurriedly, and for the convenience of movement, Liu Jun replaced the straight one with a curved one, the cuffs were narrowed, and her long hair was tied behind her. A little soft, and a little more heroic, it attracts the eyes of young people unconsciously.

"Sister, look!"

Liu Shichang was in front of Chen Jiao and was taught by Xu Meiren. He has a cheerful and lively personality and is very active.Seeing the running pony, he put his hands together and stepped on a rail, which made the eldest princess laugh and clap her hands.

Seeing this scene, the eunuch and the guards were sweating on their foreheads. They were afraid that he would fall somewhere, but they didn't dare to hold him down, so they could only keep chanting: "Your Highness, be careful, be careful!"

Seeing the jubilant pony, Liu Xi and Liu Jun couldn't help but feel joy, and sat on it one after another, standing with the eldest princess.

Teenagers learn to ride horses early, and are not interested in pre-grown foals.

Thinking of the thorns and leather whips of the elders in the family, I had to suppress the boredom, and stood by the fence with the prince and princess, watching a dozen foals neighing happily.

The servant opened the fence, picked out a few of the most docile horses, tied them with ropes, fitted them with special saddles and stirrups, and led them to Liu Ju.

"Your Highness, please choose one."

Liu Ju had a goal long ago, pointing to a brown-red horse, said: "This one!"

"promise."

After the eldest princess and Liu Jun's sister and brother each chose their mounts, the horse servant led the reins in front, and the eunuch bowed to the ground, waiting for Liu Ju to mount the horse.

He waved to Xiao Huangmen who was lying on the ground, motioning him to get up, Liu Ju turned his head and said, "Du Wei, come and help me."

"promise!"

A tall guard stepped forward, supported Liu Shi with one arm, and helped him sit on the horse.

"Your Highness, hold the reins."

While speaking, Du Wei led Liu Ju to hold the reins firmly and step on the stirrup with the sole of his foot.

The servant got the order and began to lead the pony forward slowly.

Sitting on the horse, Liu Ju felt nervous at first, but his back felt tense.After being reminded, I gradually relaxed and started to master the tricks as the pony rattled forward. The tension quickly receded and a smile appeared on my face.

"Sister, come here!"

Liu Ju waved to the eldest princess, and when he saw Liu Xi and Liu Jun who were some distance behind, he smiled even wider and said loudly: "Brother, sister, let's compare and see who can learn it first!"

The little pony was controlled in speed, but it didn't seem irritable. It gnawed the grass offered by the servant, ate the candy from the palm of Liu Ju's sister and brother, snorted occasionally, and seemed very cheerful.

Wei Yu and the others cheered up, but they were still bored after all.When he was about to yawn, Da Changqiu, who was traveling with him, suddenly spoke, saying that the emperor had a decree, and promised that the teenagers who entered Linyuan today would each choose a Dawan horse.

"Your Majesty said that only those who can be tamed can be taken away."

Liu Che's meaning is very clear. If you want a good horse, you must rely on your own ability.He gave the opportunity, and whether he can get what he wants depends on the skills of the young people.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The teenagers finally stopped being bored, their eyes lit up immediately, each grabbed their whips, and prepared to try their skills.

Hearing the movement outside the fence, Liu Ju and the others couldn't help being curious.After asking the eunuchs and knowing that everyone was going to train horses, including Liu Xi, he immediately became interested and wanted to see it with his own eyes.

The four reached an agreement, Liu Ju pointed, and the horse servant quickly opened the fence, pulled the reins, and led the two pairs of sisters and brothers sitting on horseback to another fence not far away.

Seeing the magnificent Dawan horse, the teenagers were all gearing up and eager to try.When the servants opened the fence and looked at each other, they could see the fighting spirit in each other's eyes. They couldn't help but bent their whips, thinking of competing.

With the help of the servants, the crowd dragged the targets out of the horse herd one after another.

After success, without stirrups and saddles, he jumped on the horse directly, wrapped the rope around the neck of the horse around his arms, clamped his legs around the belly of the horse, and followed the galloping and jumping of the horse, his body undulating, which attracted bursts of applause and applause.

The atmosphere in the racecourse was warm, and the young men on horseback were full of fighting spirit.

Beside the fence, everyone was full of enthusiasm, and they did not hesitate to praise the excellent performance on the field.The better the opponent is, the more meaningful it will be to win the first place, and the sweeter it will be to taste the fruits of victory in your mouth.

"it is good!"

Beside the fence, there was a lot of applause.

Seeing someone being thrown from the horse, turning over and sitting back, Liu Ju was full of surprise, waving his arms vigorously and applauding loudly.Liu Xi didn't look as calm as usual, and his throat almost broke.

There were teenagers taming their mounts one after another, and a few of them failed and gave up voluntarily, unwilling to try again.

When it was Wei Yu's turn, he directly picked out a black horse, which was seven to eight points similar to Wei Yue's mount in terms of body shape.

Sang Hongyang stood by the fence with an expression of "as expected".He often heard Wei Yu talking about his father, and his ears grew callused.Naturally, he was not surprised at his choice.

Inside the enclosure, Wei Yu brandished a lasso, and with the help of two servants, he led the target out of the horse herd.Then he jumped on the horse's back, tightened the reins, leaned over and hugged the horse's neck, and prepared to start a tug-of-war until the target was completely taken down.

With a shoulder height of more than 1.6 meters, the black horse has a strong body and a violent temperament. It is by no means easy to tame.Even though Wei Yu was well prepared, he almost fell off the horse several times.

The situation in the arena was full of dangers, and the crowd almost held their breath, and there was no more cheering.

It wasn't until the black horse showed fatigue, gradually slowed down, and began to trot following Wei Yu's guidance, that everyone regained their voices.

"it is good!"

Sang Hongyang slapped his hands hard, not enjoying himself enough, so he grabbed his dagger and slammed on the fence.

The teenagers couldn't contain their excitement, and when Wei Yu got off his horse, walked out of the fence, they rushed up together, lifted him up, and threw him high over their heads.

Wei Yu laughed and fell to the ground, and Sang Hongyang was afraid on his back.

"Good job!"

"Of course." Wei Yu raised his chin and smiled, "How can I embarrass Congfu!"

Fortunately, Wei Jian was not present, otherwise, hearing what his son said, it is impossible to guarantee that he would not be angry, and when Wei Yue returns to Chang'an, there will be another brother-in-law fight.

What happened in Lin Yuan was quickly reported to the Empress.

Liu Che was quite satisfied with his son's performance, and in a good mood, he decreed to reward the young man who tamed the Dawan horse, and the best ones would enter the Weiyang Palace, or be added as servants, or guards.

Although the official position is not high, he is a real minister of the emperor.As long as you don't lose your foot in the middle of the journey, let yourself go suddenly, go down step by step, seize the opportunity to gain military exploits, and the title and promotion are just around the corner.

When the news came out, every family in the south of the city was happy and worried.

The selected parents grinned from the corners of their ears to their ears, walked with wind, and were more confident than their colleagues than their sons.

The unsuccessful families closed their doors, knowing that their own children were not up to date, and gave up voluntarily, waving whips and rattans all the time.Not to mention this, when the injuries healed up, one counted as one, and they were all kicked out of the house and sent to the barracks for training.Regardless of whether the father and brother are Liehou or Guanneihou, they will all be sent to the border areas, and they will not come back without military achievements.

There was a lot of excitement in the south of the city, and there was a lot of talk in the north of the city.

Not long after the incident, the officials in Bian County sent back a report, saying that the fifth battalion of the pro-army had already set off and would arrive in the capital in a few days.

Along with the report, Wei Shang's request for resignation and a secret report from the embroidered emissary were also sent.

Wei Shang's performance was as expected. Liu Che always respected this Yunzhong Shou who guarded the frontier for decades, made a great reputation and made the Huns fearful.

Yunzhong County is located in the center of Chongzhen. Although the Xiongnu have gone, the Hu tribes who returned to them are still there.In order to ensure the stability of the county and completely include Monan and Mobei in the territory, the successor prefect must not be a mediocre person, and the candidate must be carefully selected.

In fact, Liu Che already had a charter in mind, but whether it can be finalized still needs to be discussed with the prime minister and general.

Putting down Wei Shangzuo's request, Liu Che picked up the Embroidered Clothes Envoy's secret music.Knowing all kinds of things that happened in Shaling County, thinking about Zhao Jiasu's daily life, he didn't realize that his behavior was too much, but thought it was too kind.

"Those who betray the Lord's favor should be killed!"

Probably Aiwujiwu, who had seen what happened to Wei Qingye, knew that she and Zhao Jia were like sisters and brothers, and it was not easy for her to protect her family. Liu Che went to the Jiaofang Palace that night and talked about it with Chen Jiao in detail. Give her a reward in her name.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Chen Jiao said with a smile, "I really want to meet such a strange woman."

"Leave this matter to Jiaojiao, so I can rest assured."

Liu Che leaned on the couch, slightly closing his eyes.

Chen Jiao untied his hair crown for him, and was about to turn around, when suddenly her waist was hugged.

The eunuchs and palace people retreated silently, the silk curtains fell, and the palace door was closed, covering Chen Jiao's chuckle and the spring scenery in the room.

In the first year of Yuanshuo, in August, Zhao Jia and his party arrived in the capital.

Seeing the majestic city walls, hearing the loud voices of people, and seeing the desert grassland that he crossed during the expedition, Zhao Jia grabbed the reins, suddenly feeling as if he had been separated from another world.

In the military carriage, Wei Qing'e opened the window and looked at the city not far away, feeling somewhat complicated.

The past is over, and everything in the past should be completely buried.

As Adi said, Chang'an will be a new starting point, where you will learn a lot of wisdom, wear off your inflated mentality, and everything can start again.