It was noon on the third day of the Lion Camp's expedition.
In Shilipu, east of Pingliang City, the King of Han grabbed a spoon and dug into the watermelon and ate it happily.
As he ate, he frowned and looked at the melon farmer: "I'm eating melons from you. You keep watching. Have you never eaten melons?"
The melon farmer stood by the side and was greedy. He nodded and said: "Your Majesty, I have never eaten this before."
King Han glared and said, "Have you ever eaten melons as a melon grower?"
How did that happen?
King Han was not so happy after eating. He looked at Cao Huachun. Cao Huachun looked at him and said, "Your Highness, be more virtuous and pay for food."
"Who says otherwise? I don't know that he has never eaten melon."
After that, King Han looked at the half of watermelon in front of him, pushed it over and said to the melon farmer: "Come on, try this half. It's okay. Eunuch Cao will give you the money later."
Cao Huachun stood aside and stared when he heard this: "Your Highness, who do you see bringing money out of the palace to do business?"
"Hey, I don't even have any money to pay back my father-in-law."
King Han rolled his eyes at Cao Huachun and continued to eat. After two bites, he looked up at the melon farmer and said, "Then...let's give me a melon on credit. Let's see who wins or loses on the front line."
The melon farmer refused to eat, but still looked at King Han pitifully.
"No, it's useless for you to look at me like this. If you win the battle on the front line, I will lend you a few taels of silver. If you lose the battle, whoosh..." Along with the pronunciation, King Han raised his hand and pointed to the north: "The defeated army tied me to a tree."
"When Eunuch Cao stays with me, who can give you money?"
Cao Huachun rolled his eyes: "Your Highness, this slave is still back in the palace to serve the emperor, and I won't keep you company!"
King Han glanced at him angrily and said in his heart that you don't even know how to flatter and deceive others, so you got the favor of Prince Xin's eldest companion, otherwise you won't be able to become a figure in this life.
Ningzhou Zhizhou Qiang stood aside on Sunday, watching the King of Han making jokes here with great ease. His heart was beating with anxiety, and he kept standing at the door of the express delivery shop, looking eastward.
There were more people standing outside the shop, including a bunch of generals and lieutenants, with their families and friends looking eastward.
Everyone is waiting for the news of victory or defeat to come back.
Zhou Qiang got really tired of listening to the two people chatting in the shop on Sunday. He turned around and took out the melon money from the money bag embroidered with Ruyi on his waist. He put it in the hands of the melon farmer and said, "The king tells you to eat it. Just eat it. Don't be afraid."
Seeing the money, the melon farmer thanked him profusely, but he did not hold the melon and start eating it. He just looked at King Han cautiously and said, "I want to give the melon to my baby. Your Majesty..."
King Han waved his hand, and the melon farmer walked out with half a melon in his arms. Then he said to Sunday with an unhappy face: "Zhou Zhizhou, you are wrong. If you have money, you should first lend me the money, and then let me Give me money!"
Zhou Zhouqiang didn't have the thought to buy a melon for more than ten cents at this moment. He waved his hand and said, "It's not much money. I can't borrow it."
"What do you mean by borrowing or not? You know nothing!"
King Han was still anxious: "I gave him the melon money. If there is a rebellion in Pingliang in the future, he will think of me eating melons and giving him the money, so he can stay at home well! You just gave me the money and you don't care what happened. Just pat your butt and leave." It’s useless!”
Cao Huachun and Zhou Zhouqiang looked at each other and were stunned for a long time. Cao Huachun shook his head and said, "If His Royal Highness the King of Han uses his mind in the right place, he will become a wise king of the Ming Dynasty."
"whispering sound!"
King Han rolled his eyes and said to himself that Xiao Wang knew nothing. Xiao Wang didn't even know how to pay for eating melons, and it was all taught by the big king.
He raised his finger to the sky and said, "With a knife hanging above your head, everyone will be wise."
Cao Huachun didn't comment on this. As far as he knew, sometimes even if a knife is hung above their heads, many people can't be virtuous.
King Han ate another mouthful of melon, spitting it out like a pea shooter.
After vomiting, he looked at Sunday Qiang, who looked calm and looked like a playboy: "Hey, we don't have any money, how can you be rich?"
"Earned it at Lion's Camp."
Zhou Qiang said matter-of-factly: "I didn't bring any money. Commander Cao said that the commander's son should be enlightened in two years, so he asked me to write a short article."
"Son, son, his mother-in-law doesn't even have a son like him?"
King Han rubbed his chin with a surprised look on his face. Isn't this a trick?
"Where is it? Why haven't I heard him say it?"
"The doll I picked up is in Zhenyuan."
King Han shook his head regretfully, it was too far.
Not to be born in the same year, the same month and the same day, but to die in the same year, the same month and the same day.
Not only can he be the big brother, but he can also directly extend his life in metaphysics, the best of both worlds.
King Han even wanted to dance. For him, the happiest thing in the world was to leave Pingliang.
If you leave Pingliang, you can live for more than ten years.
If you stay in Pingliang, you can live for decades.
These two things must go hand in hand at least in this life, right? If you want to build one, the easiest solution at present is to work with the eldest son of Liu Chengzong's family.
This way, I might be able to leave Pingliang, and I would definitely be able to live a few more years.
I have ten thousand dan of salary every year, and I don’t have to do anything. Not to mention the confusion of seniority, I can happily replace my father.
However, Zhou Qiang poured cold water on it: "The water in the Qinwangzhuang dam was cut off, and the commander heard the baby crying in the ruins, so he rescued the baby from its mother's arms. When the child grows up, he may not be finished with the clan."
Cao Huachun, on the other hand, looked at King Han and Zhou Zhouqiang and didn't know what he was thinking.
Suddenly, he raised his hand to Zhou Qianggong and asked: "Zhizhou Zhou, I heard Governor Yang said that General Liu will be recruited and recommended to you for the fourth rank. I will first congratulate Mr. Zhou."
"Thank you very much."
Sunday Qiang smiled and hugged his fists, then shook his head and said: "To be honest, after staying in Liu Shuai's camp for a long time, Zhou felt a lot of emotion. He has no intention of pursuing an official career and plans to resign and return home."
"Wait a minute, there is actually a better place to go."
Cao Huachun said forcefully to Sunday: "The emperor said that Liu Chengzong can do good things and needs someone to carefully persuade him... Si Tongzhi, the Xuanwei envoy to Qinghai, is the fourth rank."
"Don't?"
"Don't!"
The previous sentence was said by Sunday Qiang. He finally felt that he was out of the sea of suffering. He wanted to throw him to Qinghai all of a sudden. He was unwilling to do anything for public or private reasons.
Yu privately returned to Zhili in the north to study, and could eat fresh seabass from Nanjing every day through the Cao River. What kind of fairy life is that? Isn't it much more beautiful than following Liu Chengzong in fear?
Although following Liu Chengzong around, seeing different things from a different perspective than a traditional literati, especially now that he is no longer a rebel, is like a very attractive adventure.
But Sunday Qiang was not sure that he could fulfill the emperor's instructions. One day Liu Chengzong would rebel again. If the emperor in Beijing could not reach Liu Chengzong, would he be able to strangle his son in Baoding?
Say goodbye to the last one, it’s the King of Han.
Cao Huachun just smiled forcefully at Sunday. Quan Dang didn't hear his rejection, but asked King Han: "Your Highness, you think it's inappropriate?"
King Han didn't think anything was wrong, he just felt that he had neglected Zhou Qiang a little during this period, and was afraid that Zhou Qiang would go to Qinghai and wear small shoes for himself at Liu Chengzong's place.
But can you tell others this?
He thought for a while, looked at Zhou Zhouqiang, shook his head and said: "I am not hindering Mr. Zhou's official career, but it is too hard. Let's do it this way. I heard that in the past, merchants from the Tea Horse Road would bring bowls of Yunnan candies when they went to Uzbekistan. , Every time I go to the mountains to get sugar to eat."
After that, he said forcefully to Sunday: "I will send a letter to Lanzhou and ask them to prepare more to relieve the pain of my husband's fatigue."
Sunday Qiang looked confused, when did I promise to enter Qinghai!
Are you making arrangements for me now?
As he said that, King Han's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand and pointed up at the side of his head: "Yes, I have to prepare some for the king."
He added in his mind, maybe the commander-in-chief will forgive my debts when he is happy!
Seeing Cao Huachun very worried, why did the descendants of Emperor Taizu become like this?
At this moment, the servant from the palace in front ran very fast, shouting as he ran: "Come back, come back!"
King Han couldn't sit still anymore and threw half of the melon on the table. He slurred in his mouth and almost choked: "Win the battle or lose the battle?"
"Victory, great victory!"
King Han stood up and spat out a bunch of watermelon seeds. He pulled the man's sleeve from his sleeve and wiped his mouth. He ran out of the courier shop, jumped up high, and shouted to the generals and lieutenants: "You can't die!"
"Hide all the paper money for me... Loess is used to pave the road and pure water is poured into the street!"
Suddenly, there was chaos. Those who hid paper money, hid flower wreaths, and those who wrote elegiac couplets picked up the suona and snare drums, threw mourning sticks into the courier shop, and picked up the water basin on the spot.
When Liu Chengzong returned with the Lion Camp, everything was in order.
Several princes and princesses of the Han Dynasty, led by the King of Han, went out of the city for ten miles. Each held two large banners on the left and right, beating gongs and drums to make a noise. Zuo Shu Wei Fan went out to fight, and the right Shu flag was raised to win. The generals and lieutenants each brought their families and led sheep and preparations. Wine greets us along the way.
King Han was so happy that his face bloomed. He grabbed the reins in front of him and kept saying: "The little king knows that the king will win when he goes to war!"
Liu Chengzong searched for Yang Dingrui on horseback and asked: "Sir, does His Highness the King of Han really know that I can win?"
Yang Dingrui smiled and nodded: "I know half of it."
Liu Chengzong thanked the vassal clan for their kindness and was not in a hurry to return to the city to discuss the purchase of a cemetery with the King of Han.
After returning to the city, Cao Yao went into battle despite his injuries and cooked Shaanxi's authentic Henan donkey meat on fire.
This may be the most expensive donkey meat burning he has ever done in his life. Four donkey meat burnings were exchanged for 200 acres of the King of Han's cemetery.
One hundred acres was originally enough, but the King of Han said he was afraid that the fallen soldiers would fall asleep and be crowded, so he had to give two hundred acres.
Later, Liu Chengzong discovered that the King of Han actually didn't even know how big a hundred acres of land was.
Because he was afraid of another rebellion in the future and others digging up the graves of his fallen soldiers, the King of Han chose a place where the graves would never be dug up.
In the Jiuding Meihua Mountain to the east of Pingliang City, two Korean kings and an emperor from two dynasties are buried, which is considered a geomantic treasure.
The two Korean kings were King Han Gong of Han Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty, King Wanyan Heng of Han who was the best polo player in the Jin Kingdom, and his son Wanyan Yangti.
There is also the shortest reigning emperor in Chinese history, Wanyan Chenglin, the last emperor of the Jin Kingdom.
Wanyanheng was originally King Rui and died in the rebellion of King Hailing. His family members brought his and Yangti's bones to Anding where Jin Wushu's old tribe was located for burial. Seven years later, he was rehabilitated and granted the title of King of Han.
Seventy years later, in Caizhou City, the Allied Forces of Mongolia and Song Dynasty came to the city. Emperor Wanyan Shouxu in the city did not want to be the king of subjugation, so he passed the throne to Wanyan Heng's grandson Wanyan Chenglin. Before the enthronement ceremony was completed, the city was destroyed.
The defeated soldiers took Wanyan Chenglin's body and fled to Anding, where they were also buried.
Liu Chengzong thought this place was nice and lively. He wanted an emperor to be like an emperor and a prince to be like a prince. He could also play polo when he had nothing to do, so he wouldn't be lonely.
At the funeral, he asked King Han: "Will you bury it here too later on? It's a nice place and lively."
"I'm not going to bury him. Who the hell can I beat if I go down there?" King Han said with a shameless face even if his life was not in danger: "The rest will be bullied."
A funeral was being held for the fallen soldiers here. A message was sent from the Tang soldiers in the east, and another troop came to station in Jingchuan. They came from Ningzhou, with only three to five hundred people.
This unit was much more well-behaved. They stationed themselves at the foot of Jingchuan City and stopped moving. They asked the local people to come and send a message to Tangqi, saying that they were the people of Yang He, the governor of the three sides, and were not here to fight. So don't take action.
Later, the general came over on his own and signed up as Zuo Guangxian.
Liu Chengzong knew this man and asked him to come over.
The year they left Yuhebao, Zuo Guangxian was still an officer in Xuanfu, and was asked by Governor Yue Hesheng to work as a firearms instructor in Yansui Town.
But before it was their turn to teach Yuhebao, Liu Chengzong and his brother were released.
Zuo Guang came over first and was very embarrassed. He saw a funeral being held here from a distance, and secretly thought that he came at the wrong time.
Who brings money when going on an expedition? Does he follow the etiquette but not the etiquette?
Anyway, I came here shamelessly, and I was a little too nervous to straighten my back.
The funeral scene was so terrifying that, not to mention the army, a lot of princes had to stand back. Zuo Guangxian stood at the end of the procession very self-awarely and followed the funeral procession.
He followed him for a long time. Liu Chengzong was puzzled in front and asked: "Didn't you say that Zuo Guang came here first? It's been so long and he still hasn't come?"
King Han said: "I've been here for a long time. Just now, several lieutenants from Fengguo were bowing in front, and there was an unknown person in the middle. It should be him."
Liu Chengzong was dumbfounded: "Go and find him. I don't know Lieutenant Fengguo either."
Sure enough, this matter still had to be done by knowledgeable people. King Han went over to look around and without asking any questions, he accurately picked out Zuo Guang who was mixed up in the team.
In the past, even if He Renlong was in front of him, Zuo Guang would not lower his posture when speaking first, but now the form is different. He saluted first and then asked: "General Liu, do you have your official seal?"
"Yes, my eldest brother hasn't come over yet, what's the matter?"
Zuo Guang first said: "After the governor has sent me to clear the way for the general, if there is nothing else, let's set off as soon as possible. If the general's brother's official position is not available, he will be awarded on the way, so hurry up and take office."
Cao Huachun was not happy: "Why do you ask me to teach you on the road? Do you want me to follow you to Xining?"
"Oh, father-in-law." Zuo Guangxian didn't dare to offend anyone and said with a smile: "The general doesn't mean that. Governor Yang wants General Liu to take office as soon as possible to avoid too many troubles in the local area."
In fact, the meaning is very clear, that is, let Liu Chengzong get out of here and stop fighting anywhere.
Cao Huachun snorted: "Just wait, wait for General Liu to come and set off after being awarded the official position."
"You guys don't know how to talk to military generals properly, do you, General Zuo?"
Liu Chengzong thought that Yang He had a good idea. Taking the emperor's eldest companion to Xining would be good for them to intimidate Xining guards and local officials.
He smiled and asked Zuo Guang first, then turned around and said, "Let's go then, Eunuch Cao, let's go to Xining for a tour together. Will King Han come?"
