To The Land of Nevernight

That night, Tang Shen came to Zhengxi Marshal's mansion for a banquet in a carriage.

There is a lot of yellow sand in the northwest, and even in August, the sky is still full of wild sand. People have to wear thick clothes and wrap their hair with gauze scarves to resist the yellow sand blowing from the north.When Tang Shen arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, it was still dark, and there were still a few peripheral lights shining down from the west.Li Jingde supported a huge and fat yellow ox on an iron skewer, roasting it on the flame.

The firelight reflected General Li's bearded face, making his eyes sparkle and focused.

The servant reminded that Tang Shen was coming, so Li Jingde raised his head and beckoned, "It's considered here. Have you seen this cow? This general personally picked it for you, do you like it?"

It's not that Da Song can't eat beef, but Tang Shen has been in this era for many years, and he knows that the Xixia Restaurant he owns sells shabu-shabu beef, and he still hasn't seen anyone who eats roasted whole beef.

Li Jingde is indeed very human.

Tang Shen said: "Why does the general roast the cow himself?"

Li Jingde asked Tang Shen to sit down, and he said generously, "What is roasted beef? When marching and fighting, there is no meat to eat. I often eat wild vegetables and drink some hot water with the soldiers to pad their stomachs. Wild vegetable soup is considered It’s delicious, I still remember that we met the Liao army in the canyon 12 years ago, we were trapped for [-] days, and we even ate bark at that time!”

Tang Shen thought in his heart that I still asked you how you roasted the cow yourself, why did you say a lot of things.

Not everyone is honored to eat the meat that Li Jingde grilled himself. He cut off a piece of oily tendon meat with a dagger, sprinkled it with salt, and handed it to Tang Shen.Tang Shen took a sip, the meat was smooth and tender, although the taste was a bit bland, it still had a unique flavor.He said seriously: "The general roasted it very well."

Li Jingde laughed: "Then eat more."

The two were having barbecue and drinking spirits, Tang Shen took two sips and said, "I'm too strong to drink, I'm afraid I won't be able to continue drinking with the general."

Li Jingde: "Then don't drink any more, if you get drunk, it will ruin my business."

Tang Shen was taken aback for a moment, he quietly looked at Li Jingde, thinking that this General Li really wanted him for something?It's not like, Li Jingde is a straightforward martial artist, he can't keep his words in his heart.If he really wanted to discuss something with himself, would it be necessary to beat around the bush like this and delay talking?

The next moment, Li Jingde confirmed Tang Shen's evaluation of himself with actions: "Actually, this time the general invited Mr. Tang to tell you about the Liao Kingdom."

Sure enough, this is Li Jingde!

Hearing this, Tang Shen looked around first, and found that the people in the marshal's mansion had all left the small courtyard before they knew it.

Li Jingde actually came prepared.

Tang Shen: "The lower officials don't understand what the general means."

"You don't understand? Why don't you understand. You civil servants, you think about messy things all day long, and you always talk messy things. For example, Su Wenyun, if he hates this general, he hates me. , can I still lose a piece of meat? I dare to call him a little boy in front of him, and see if he will scold me face to face." Li Jingde took a bite of meat, "Hey, I got away again. I thought You are different from those guys like Wang Zifeng and Su Wenyun, I didn't expect you, Tang Shen, to learn from them."

Tang Shen was a bit cautious at first, but when he heard this, he finally said dumbfounded: "General, I really don't understand what the general means."

"You really don't understand?"

"don't know."

Li Jingde scratched his head: "Then to put it more simply, when can we kill those bastards in Liao Kingdom? I have wanted to beat them for many years."

Tang Shen was silent, and said: "Don't be in a hurry."

Li Jingde's eyes widened: "Still in a hurry? How many years has it been!"

Tang Shen: "General, the affairs of the Liao Kingdom are not the work of the lower officials alone. The lower officials have little experience and have no experience of marching and fighting. But even the common people of the two countries know that the Song people are rich and the Liao people are rough. The Liao people are The nation on horseback is all soldiers. In the past 22 years, our Song Dynasty has won many battles in the Northwest War, but this does not mean that we can defeat the Liao people."

Li Jingde bit the beef and remained silent.

"If you want to die, you must follow it." After a pause, Tang Shen felt that what he said seemed inappropriate.In fact, with the current military strength of the Song Dynasty, it is difficult to see the demise of the Liao Kingdom in at least 20 years.After all, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if the Song Dynasty has the upper hand, once the Liao Kingdom recovers, the situation of the two armies will be very different.Tang Shen added: "Are there still a few years left before regaining the lost land, General?"

Li Jingde bit down a piece of beef with tendons, and took another sip of strong wine: "I respect you, Tang Jingze, I believe you."

Perhaps it was the fire of the barbecue that ignited his eyes, Tang Shen's heart felt hot, he raised the wine jar: "To the general."

Tang Shen never expected that Li Jingde's drinking capacity was so mediocre!

It was Li Jingde who took the initiative to hold the wine jar and said that he would drink with him.Who knew that after drinking two altars, he was so drunk that he started talking nonsense.He hooked Tang Shen's shoulders and called him brothers and sisters. After drinking a little more, he wiped away his tears and began to complain: "I am not easy, Tang Jingze, I am not easy, do you know that! Bad water Wang Zifeng, after you return to the capital, persuade him to give me some more money, please. I am so miserable..."

Tang Shen panicked and panicked, "General, don't cry."

Li Jingde couldn't stop crying: "You civil servants can bully people. How honest we are in war, we are so bullied by you..."

As he spoke, Li Jingde cried more and more vigorously. After he passed out from crying, Tang Shen found a chance to escape.

However, as soon as Tang Shen left the Marshal's Mansion, General Li, who had passed out from drunk just now, straightened up, stretched his neck and looked out the door: "Has Tang Shen left?"

The boy handed the hot towel to Li Jingde: "General, let's go."

Li Jingde wiped the tears off his face with a hot handkerchief. He acted roughly. After wiping, he sighed and said, "Hey, this general is really miserable. I have to pretend to cry if I want some money. Fortunately, I am used to crying in front of the general. Come on. Do you think this general was pretending just now, but Tang Jing didn't see it?"

Servant: "..."

General, you are truly outstanding!

On the other hand, after Tang Shen returned home, he was deeply moved: "It's not easy for the army in the Northwest, why is Li Jingde so short of money?"

Tang Shen also very much suspected that Li Jingde was really drunk and fake drunk, nine out of ten he was pretending to be drunk.But to make a great general shed tears in front of others, even if it was pretending, Tang Shen felt very sad!

"Senior brother is so over the top? After returning to Shengjing, you should mention it to him!"

How did Tang Shen know that General Li cried a little for three days and a lot for ten days in the Northwest barracks.It's impossible not to cry, if you don't cry, for the things he did, Zhou Taishi can directly demote him from the second-rank Marshal Zhengxi to a soldier!

At the end of August, Tang Shen returned to Shengjing.

Shengjing is different from the northwest, where the sun is scorching hot and the heat is unbearable.

Just as Tang Shen came home, in the evening, Aunt Yao cut a table of cold melons and invited him to eat.

This cold melon is very similar to the watermelon of later generations, and should be an ancient variety that has not been cultivated.Everyone ate a few mouthfuls of cold melon and were talking.Suddenly, Don Juan's complexion changed, and he said "I forgot", and then hurriedly put down the cold melon, not daring to eat any more.

Both Tang Shen and Yao San were at a loss.

Aunt Yao covered her mouth and smiled: "I'll make some brown sugar water for Ah Huang."

Yao San still couldn't understand. After all, Tang Shen was a descendant, so he had some common sense of physiology, so he realized it now.

At night, because he ate two slices of cold melon, Don Juan really felt unwell and couldn't get out of bed.Tang Shen originally planned to spend the night at Shangshu's Mansion, but he couldn't leave after seeing this, so he stayed at the mansion with his sister.

After Tang Shen entered, he stood by the bed and stared at Tang Juan.

"Is it better?"

The little girl was extremely ashamed, and she covered her face with a pillow: "It's much, much better. Brother, why did you come in? Aunt Yao said a few days ago that I am seventeen, even if it is brother and sister, you, you can't directly How about you come in?"

Tang Shen said speechlessly: "You also know that we are brother and sister?"

Don Juan said confidently, "But I haven't left the cabinet yet!"

Tang Shen smiled and said, "You also know that you haven't left the cabinet?"

Don Juan was speechless and buried his face in the pillow again.

Originally Tang Shen didn't want to mention this, but now that he mentions it, he also remembered that Tang Juan will be 17 years old this year.

In the Song Dynasty, there were not many unmarried girls at the age of 17, and there were also some who did not leave the court at eighteen.But most of the girls must be married by this time.Tang Shen once promised that Tang Juan's marriage would be decided by herself.

"When are you going to be a master?"

Don Juan revealed a pair of eyes from the pillow: "What decides?"

Tang Shen pulled up a chair and sat down. He raised his eyebrows, smiled slightly, and said two words: "Marry."

Don Juan: "..."

"Brother, have you noticed that you are becoming more and more like Lord Shangshu?"

"Ok?"

"...You are more like it now!"

Tang Shen suddenly laughed.He didn't want to resemble Wang Qin, it always sounded weird.He coughed twice, and his tone became serious: "Seriously, when are you going to decide for yourself."

Don Juan was silent, and after a long time, she whispered, "What if I want to stay at home forever."

"Let's stay then."

Don Juan said in surprise, "Brother!"

Tang Shen rubbed her head helplessly, and said, "I told you to make the decision, so naturally it's all up to you."

Don Juan was overjoyed and was so happy that he yelled "Brother" three times.

On the second day, Tang Shen came to Shangshu Mansion, and Wang Qin was reading a book.

Mr. Wang is a person of great taste, reading under the clear moonlight, Tang Shen felt his eyes hurt for him.He leaned in front of the book to read it, curled his lips: "What, "The Analects of Confucius"? Brother, don't you know it by heart?"

Wang Qin sighed and said, "If you read the book a hundred times, you will see its meaning."

Tang Shen was reflecting on whether he was a little vain, he should read more books, and shouldn't just rely on his golden fingers to forget things casually.Unexpectedly, the next moment, Wang Qin put away the book, bowed his head and kissed him on the cheek, and said with a low smile, "Of course, today is reading under the moon, and I'm waiting for you specially."

Tang Shen: "..."

Daringly, you are really playing handsome!

After dinner, the two chatted, and Tang Shen talked about Don Juan.

Wang Qin raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly: "If you don't want to, then it's fine to let her."

Tang Shen stared at his expression.

Wang Qin: "What's wrong?"

Tang Shen: "...I actually look so much like you!"

Wang Qin didn't know the cause and effect, so naturally he didn't know why.But Lord Wang smiled indifferently, took a sip of tea without taking it seriously.

Tang Shen: "Actually, you don't know. There is a secret that only I know now, not even Ah Huang himself."

"Oh?"

After struggling for a moment, Tang Shen said helplessly: "Ah Huang is not actually my own sister. When she was one year old, my mother picked her up and brought her home. Everyone in the village thought she was born by my mother, because my parents I happened to go to Fucheng to visit relatives, and when I came back, there was an extra Ah Huang. But at that time, my mother just wanted to find me a child bride. According to my mother, Ah Huang's parents had passed away due to illness, and there were no relatives in the family. "

Wang Qin didn't expect Tang Shen to say this, he was slightly surprised, and his voice was surprised: "Child bride?"

"What are you thinking, Ah Huang is my younger sister." Tang Shen continued, "Because within two years, my mother passed away due to illness, and my father is a corrupt scholar who never liked the vices of child brides-in-law. When my younger sister was raised. The country people always love some ugly baby names, saying that they are cheap and easy to support. For example, the name Ah Huang is very careless. But my name is Shen, which comes from "a gentleman must be cautious "Du Ye", my father is very particular about this. Because Ah Huang was picked up, my father didn't give her a good name, and just called her casually."