Don't run away to touch porcelain

The night of New Year's Eve is rarely a sunny day without wind and snow. If it was this time of year in the past, everyone in the military camp would make dumplings and sing together to celebrate the New Year. But this year, the whole line is preparing for the battle. Let alone a group celebration, except for eating extra meat at night dishes, there is not even a plate of dumplings on the table.The soldiers woke up and went to bed as usual, battalion general Meng Ban and military commander Lu Yi took care of the old age watch, Ye Huizhi had nothing to do and came along for fun, and Ye Huizhi naturally stayed in Ji Canghai.

The charcoal fire in the tent was burning warmly. Ji Canghai and Lu Yi sat at the table and played Go. It wasn’t long before Meng Ban was beaten with fifty army sticks because of this. Standing on the side to watch the fun, Ye Huizhi sat lazily on the side, leaning on his chin in a well-behaved manner without any intention of getting involved, as a self-aware stinky chess basket, it's okay to embarrass himself in front of his general Yes, you still have to hide your clumsiness from others.

Black and white are intertwined on the chessboard, and Ji Canghai, who is holding white pieces, is not in a good situation. Even so, Ji Canghai is still relaxed, and while playing chess, he still has the leisure to talk to Ye Huizhi, "Aren't you bored watching from the sidelines?"

Ye Huizhi pointed to Ji Canghai's chessboard, "You're going to be dumped."

After talking about making dumplings, Ye Huizhi swallowed his saliva reflexively. People in the imperial city love to eat dumplings, not to mention it's the New Year, so they are naturally very gluttonous. Ji Canghai saw Ye Huizhi's gluttony. There was a slight smile in the corner of Xiang Xiang's eyes, "If someone makes some dumplings for you and you refuse to eat them alone, who will show you if you swallow your saliva now?"

"Who swallowed?" Ye Huizhi calmly stepped on Ji Canghai's foot under the table and crushed it in front of Meng Ban and Lu Yi, "I am the least particular about food. New Year's Eve Only a three-year-old would care about having to eat dumplings at thirty."

Ji Canghai nodded solemnly, "It seems that I misunderstood the young master. The young master doesn't care at all. After I finish talking, can the young master remove the foot that stepped on my shoe?"

Ye Huizhi gritted his teeth and said yes, then rolled his feet angrily before lifting his foot, while Meng Ban and Lu Yi bowed their heads and endured the hard work with a smile.In fact, Lu Yi is a considerate person. Before dinner, he ordered the kitchen to make some dumplings for the young master alone, but Ye Huizhi refused after hearing it. He couldn't even eat dumplings. If he made dumplings for him alone, the soldiers would naturally be more homesick and sad when they saw it. This young master is sensible, so he naturally refused to do so.

Seeing Ye Huizhi slumped, Ji Canghai was in a good mood instead, he stretched his foot towards Ye Huizhi and continued to tease, "This year there are no dumplings to eat, and no fireworks to watch. Thinking about it like this is quite wronged, otherwise you Step on two more feet."

Ye Huizhi kicked Ji Canghai's foot away, with a cheeky smile on his face, "Although there are no fireworks, aren't there firework bombs in this barracks to pass the message during the war? Why don't the general set off a hundred and eighty fireworks bombs for you?" I want to see it now?"

Hearing Ye Huizhi's nonsense, Ji Canghai responded calmly, "What's the point of the fireworks? Why don't I light the beacon tower directly, and it would be better to accompany the little prince to play with the princes."

Ji Canghai has always been strict in governing the army and showing dignity to others. Meng Ban and Lu Yihe have seen Ji Canghai's appearance before. Seeing that the country is about to perish if they continue talking, the two turned their faces silently and pretended to be deaf. They didn't hear anything. Ye Huizhi was searching his mind and thinking about what could be more harmful to the country and the people than Ji Canghai, when the curtain of the camp was lifted, and Meng Ban's adjutant came in with two steaming plates of freshly cooked dumplings.

Ye Huizhi watched and unconsciously licked his lips, forgetting about the bickering with Ji Canghai.

Lu Yi moved the chessboard from the table and moved it to let the adjutant put the dumplings and bowls and chopsticks. Meng Ban thought that the dumplings were arranged by Lu Yi quietly, but he was surprised when he saw the shape of the dumplings, "Jiao Chu is here? "

The adjutant replied while laying out the dishes, "Master Jiao has already left. He brought some wrapped and frozen dumplings over and sent them to the gate of the barracks for the guards before leaving. He said that it is not good to enter the barracks when it is time to prepare for war. It broke the rules, so I didn't let you know, and said that the dumpling was for General Ji to make amends, and I shouldn't have invited you over the house a few days ago."

"Lord Jiao," Ye Huizhi thought for a while, "is that the mutual market supervisor from your hometown?"

Meng Ban nodded, "That's him."

Ji Canghai moved his chopsticks first, put a dumpling into Ye Huizhi's bowl, and then said, "The supervisor of the exchange market has always been a good critic, and you are not a ignorant person. Why did he have a banquet that day? Do you have to go?"

Meng Ban didn't want to explain so much at first, anyway, he was beaten and the incident was over, so why did he talk so much, now that Ji Canghai asked, Meng Ban had no choice but to explain, "Chu'er mother, oh That is, Mrs. Jiao’s mother is my godmother, and that day is the godmother’s birthday, she is an old man,” Meng Ban paused and explained hastily, “I miss me.”

Ji Canghai nodded and didn't say anything else, Meng Ban looked a little gloomy, looked at the two plates of dumplings and said they were not enough, I'll let them cook some more, got up and left without waiting for an answer, and waited until Meng Ban strode After leaving the camp, Lu Yicai said, "General Ji, you know that Meng Ban was a slave sent by the army. He was actually an orphan when he was in his hometown. He was brought up with the help of Mrs. Jiao's mother, Mrs. Jiao. Meng Ban had an accident and was dispatched to our place, so he lost contact with the Jiao family. By the time he wrote a letter to the south to look for his adoptive mother, Mrs. Jiao had already brought Mrs. Jiao to the imperial city to be an official for many years. No one was found, and it was Mrs. Jiao who came all the way from the imperial city to the north to look for him in order to see Meng Ban again. Fortunately, the emperor paid off and finally let them meet again. Widowed, I suffered a lot to pull Mrs. Jiao and Meng Ban, and now my body is getting worse every year as I get older. Our military doctor went to see him a few days ago and said that he might not be able to survive this year, so Meng Ban knew that he had committed a crime. Even after passing the military law, I still insist on going."

Ye Huizhi felt embarrassed after eating Master Jiao's dumplings, "Why didn't General Meng Ying explain."

Lu Yi looked at Ji Canghai, and Ji Canghai said, "Military law is military law, and if you explain it, you will fight accordingly."

Ji Canghai knows this, Meng Ban knows it, Lu Yi knows it, but Ye Huizhi doesn't know it, but he always subconsciously starts with emotion first, and then thinks about military law. Ye Huizhi paused and replied yes Suddenly, I understood the sentence that loyalty and filial piety are difficult to achieve. Where is it so sonorous and heroic sung in the opera? These five words, every word is full of resignation and helplessness. Ye Huizhi only felt it when he really came to the frontier. Well, in this barracks, from soldiers to generals, everyone is worthy of respect.

For some unknown reason, Ye Huizhi felt a little depressed all of a sudden. Ye Huizhi lightly rested his head on Ji Canghai's shoulder, looked at the ground and said nothing. A back of the head is visible.

Ye Huizhi said in a low voice, "I probably won't be able to lead soldiers."

Ji Canghai naturally knew what Ye Huizhi was thinking, kindness does not command soldiers, Ye Huizhi grew up in the brocade pile, and after all his heart was soft, Ji Canghai rubbed Ye Huizhi's head and pointed out, "There is a country before a family , when you have to make a choice, you will naturally not soften your heart."

Lu Yi on the side coughed twice, and waited until Ji Canghai raised his eyelids to look at him before he opened his mouth, "General Ji, Young Master, you two may not have noticed, but in fact, the lower officials are still sitting here, and feel a little embarrassed .”

Ye Huizhi thought for a while, then turned his head and said, otherwise you should bring Meng Yingjiang back, so that you can be a companion and embarrass yourself together.

Lu Yi was amused by Ye Huizhi, and Ye Huizhi himself laughed in relief.

Compared with the joy and harmony in the small tents at the frontier, the people in the imperial city are not having a good time. In the palace, the prince took the initiative to marry Princess Xirong to increase the embarrassment of the emperor, and there was news from the south that Fengzhou City was not only unable to attack for a long time, The small Nanhong Kingdom seems to be ready to move, and the Nanpi Kingdom, which borders Fengzhou and Yongzhou, is using its troops to guard against Fengzhou. Even the Dongwen Kingdom, which has always had a good relationship with Nanming, has silently increased its troops. Quite a few, not to mention that there is a Shuobei country in the north that has been coveting all year round. The emperor finally knows why Xirong has the confidence to bring the princess to be the crown princess, because at this time Nanming is already besieged by enemies on all sides, and the same two countries may still have one However, if so many countries want to take the opportunity to seek some benefits, it will be difficult to deal with it. At this time, Nanming has no way to tear itself apart from Xirong.

In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, as usual, all the officials entered the palace to pay their respects. During the ceremony, the emperor looked the same as usual, but after the ceremony ended, the officials left the palace, and several adults were quietly invited back to the palace.In the imperial study room, the emperor sat upright with a serious expression on his face. His Excellency Mr. Wang Yuan, the Chief Superintendent of the Supervisory Department, gave a detailed introduction to several pieces of information on the increase of troops from various countries. The courtiers in the imperial study, Minister of the Ministry of War, Minister of Hubu, Minister of Punishment, Minister of Rites, Chief of the Dujing Department, Marquis of Zhaowu, Marquis of Dingdong, these gentlemen are all well-loved by the emperor on weekdays. And most importantly, none of them are gay.

The emperor sighed, and his upright body relaxed a little tiredly. He leaned on the back of the wide dragon chair and looked at his courtiers, with a slightly angry tone, "You have all seen the battle report, this At that time, what the crown prince was thinking was not how to protect our Nanming land without losing it, but to collude with foreign countries for the throne. In order to get Xirong's support, he even granted the queen's position to Princess Xirong, and united with other countries to persecute me. If Nanming is true in the future In his hands, I am afraid that the hundreds of years of foundation will also be ruined, it is because I am confused that I have reached this stage."

The emperor has been in power for many years, although he did not create a prosperous world, but he is diligent in governing and loving the people and strictly guarding the territory. You can say that he is a wise emperor. Unexpectedly, Nanming fell into such a passive situation because of the wrong choice of heir. The second time, he was secretly surprised when he really separated from the crown prince. He Zhulan, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, always dared to speak, he stepped forward and persuaded, "According to the current situation, the reserve position should not be moved rashly. If Xirong really wants to help the prince Ascend to the throne, I am afraid that if the reserve position is moved, it will attract war."

"It's a small thing for me to bear this threat and lose face," the emperor looked at He Zhulan, "but Nanming is really going to fall into the hands of that unfilial son. In the future, will Nanming be named Wen or follow Xirong's surname?"

Marquis Zhaowu and Marquis Dingdong were both famous generals back then, but as they got older, Ji Canghai and Ye Jinglan among the juniors who were good at fighting could be regarded as successors, so the two veteran generals gradually let go of their military power, and now the emperor is moving. With the intention of starting a war, these two generals were the first to speak out to stop them. Marquis Zhaowu saluted and said, "My Majesty, if you really break up with Xi Rong, if there is a trouble, I'm afraid other countries will take advantage of it. If it's just To hold on to the city, our Nanming army is barely enough, but good generals are not enough, I'm afraid this fight will be impossible."

Ding Donghou also echoed, "The last general has been guarding the border all his life. He is never afraid of war, but he is unwilling to start a war lightly. If the city falls, the unlucky ones must be the border residents. Back then, the Nanhai fishing village was occupied and massacres occurred. The last general still can’t sleep at night thinking about it, it’s our Nanming people.”

The old Shangshu of the household department also remonstrated, "My lord, if there is a war on the whole front, the military supplies will be a huge expense, and the tax on the border will not be collected again. The old minister has a little calculation. This battle will only need to be dragged on for a year. , I am afraid that the national strength will be overwhelmed."

What the courtiers said, the emperor never thought about it, and everyone who came to remonstrate with the emperor did not show any displeasure. Instead, they nodded and said, "What you Ai Qing said is also reasonable, the plan for now is to find a way to solve it. With the momentum of encirclement, Xirong's marriage contract can be accepted. In the future, I will slowly think of a way. Naturally, Princess Xirong can be the crown princess. What can I do, that princess will be nothing more than a useless concubine at that time, don't think about controlling our situation in Nanming."

All the ministers said in unison, "The emperor's honorable name."

All the people in the imperial study room have been with the emperor for many years, and at this moment they already understood that the emperor probably had this intention a long time ago, but he was afraid that the Qingliu in the court would stand up against this marriage, so they let them He opened his mouth, seeing that no one had any objections, the emperor continued, "The encirclement situation is not incomprehensible. I thought about it, but I can use the prince's marriage to stabilize Xirong first, and Dongwenguo has always been friendly with us in Nanming. If the east and west are stable, even if the north and the south go to war at the same time, we will be able to deal with it, what do you think, my lords?"

The emperor's idea is feasible, and no one raised any objections. Seeing that everyone agrees, the emperor nodded and said, "Who do you think is more appropriate to send as an envoy to Dongwen Kingdom?"

At this time, Liu Longxiang finally understood why he was qualified to stand with the first rank of the court and the other marquises. As soon as the emperor finished speaking, everyone looked at Xiaoliu Zhuangyuan standing at the back. Liu Longxiang was quite self-aware. Flicking his sleeves, he knelt down and kowtowed, "I implore you to share the worries of the Holy One and go to Dongwen Kingdom."

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, "Yes."