The sudden heavy rain was followed by two days of continuous drizzle. By the time the water in the Bian River was about to overflow the city's river embankment, the rain stopped before the first ten days of September.
On September 9th, the Double Ninth Festival is still a relatively important festival in the year. The government and military camps also have a three-day holiday in time, so that the officials of the new dynasty can enjoy the good time after a few days of rain and clear skies.
During the Double Ninth Festival, it has always been a custom to climb mountains and enjoy wild excursions, but Guo Xin planned to stay at home - there were no decent mountains around Kaifeng Mansion.
After Guo Xin got up early, he first went to say hello to his elders.
When Guo Wei saw him, he asked, "Weizhou has been delayed for a long time. What do you think of Erlang?"
Guo Xin has been observing the current situation, and naturally he cannot be questioned on this matter: "Du Chongwei is short of troops and food, and has repeatedly lost people's support. If Weizhou is besieged for a long time, it will be defeated sooner or later."
"Erlang is right." Guo Wei nodded when he heard this. It was obvious that Guo Xin's answer was exactly what he wanted, but he turned around and shook his head and said: "A while ago, Li Tao, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, asked the officials to personally recruit him. Although the officials did not agree, , but he added Li Tao as his prime minister, obviously with the intention of personally conquering."
Guo Xin thought for a while, Weizhou was an isolated city, and it was a must-win battle for the Han army. If Liu Zhiyuan was to lead the expedition in person, he would naturally have to bring the newly reorganized imperial army to run in. He no longer felt strange and nervous about going into battle, but the thought of another fierce siege in Weizhou still made him feel a little headache.
Guo Wei saw the embarrassment on Guo Xin's face and frowned: "Is Erlang afraid of war?"
Guo Xin hurriedly explained: "I'm not afraid of the battle, I just think of the young men dying like ants, and I feel very sad."
"I think my children are not cowards." Guo Wei's face softened and he said kindly: "Erlang still has a kind heart, but he should also understand that whether he is an official or a Han family, if there are no sons and daughters who are born and die, you I can’t even live a stable life.”
Guo Xin lowered his head slightly: "I will remember it, kid."
Mrs. Zhang had been listening to the conversation between father and son. When she saw the two fell into silence for a moment, she finally had the opportunity to interject: "What Mr. Lang said is very scary. I, a woman, don't understand the big things in the outside world, but I know that as long as there is someone, As long as Lang Jun and Brother Yi are here, our family will be stable..."
While they were talking, Guo Tong also came to say hello to Guo Wei and Zhang.
After Guo Tong entered Kaifeng Mansion, he quickly got his wish and was promoted to the rank of envoy of Xishang Pavilion. Guo Xin was not familiar with the official system. He only knew that he seemed to be a high-ranking official, but he had no real power. He was probably a position specially used to support noble children.
But recently, Guo Tong has experienced a turn of fortune. Somehow, he got into the lap of Liu Chengxun, the eldest son of the emperor. He often went in and out of Liu Chengxun's left guard general's house. Now even Guo Xin couldn't help but look at his thin brother with admiration. .
After Guo Tong greeted Guo Wei and Zhang, Guo Wei asked Guo Tong the questions he had asked Guo Xin before.
Guo Tong did not hesitate: "Does this need to be said? No matter how deep the city of Weizhou is, with Gao Xingzhou's army on its side, how can it be reasonable that Gao Xingzhou will not retreat for two months? It must be that Gao Xingzhou is unwilling to sacrifice his life for the officials. The recent imperial court There are different opinions in China on whether the officials should go out for the expedition, but I think it must be done by the officials themselves."
Guo Wei didn't speak, just shook his head slightly.
Guo Tong's face looked gloomy when he saw this: "When the child was in the general's residence, His Highness also approved of the official expedition."
Guo Wei's dissatisfaction became more obvious: "The official personally recruited the troops, so naturally the eldest prince has the power to know the Kaifeng Mansion. How could he not like it? Brother Qing is still too immature. He needs to think more about everything before he can see clearly. "
Guo Tong's mouth opened slightly, but he still lowered his head and said, "My child has learned a lesson."
At this time, Guo Wei turned to look at Guo Xin: "Da Lang has never been in a battle formation, so it is inevitable that his ideas are not well thought out. You can ask Brother Yi more about battle formations and other matters, so as not to talk about it on paper."
Guo Tong immediately cast a complicated look at Guo Xin, and Guo Xin said helplessly: "Brothers should help each other."
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "Look at what Mr. Lang said, I think Brother Qing is reliable..."
Guo Xin said goodbye to Guo Wei and Zhang. There was nothing going on, so he was going back to his room to read for a while. This was an interest he had only developed recently. He had already read some miscellaneous books at this time when he was in Taiyuan Prefecture, but later he found that the little ink in his belly was not enough.
Guo Xin didn't want to be the kind of warrior who couldn't read and write. It would be fine if he didn't know how to write and write. It would be unjustifiable for a commander or general commander who couldn't even understand the military orders from above. Moreover, his current ambition is far beyond this, and he believes that in the future, he will be indispensable for communication with pen and ink.
The new home is more than twice the size of the previous residence in Taiyuan Mansion, and there is even a small lake in the backyard - but the drizzle has not stopped in the past few days, and the lake has overflowed. Guo Pu was there yesterday with the help of the family. Busy cleaning up the mud.
Like Taiyuan Mansion, Guo Mansion still has almost the same people. It stands to reason that there are not more people, and the house is wider, so it should be emptier and deserted than before. But for some reason, Guo Xin felt that this place made him feel more at home than when he was in Taiyuan Mansion.
Guo Xin walked to his courtyard, and before he entered, he heard the sound of Guo Fengchao's three brothers, Lang Lang, reading from inside. He was no stranger to this voice. The men in the house were busy outside all day long. Mrs. Zhang couldn't control these three boys. Yu Niang, who was young and well-versed in poetry, music and music, naturally became the best person to discipline the three boys at the moment. Candidate.
Guo Xin walked into the courtyard, and all four pairs of eyes in the courtyard looked at him.
Guo Xin suddenly understood the answer to the question in his mind: unlike when he was in Taiyuan Mansion, there was an extra Yu Niang in the family.
Because of Yu Niang's existence, he had someone to talk to at night, and it also made him look forward to going home when he was outside. For men and women who have known each other for a long time, the joy in bed is not as important as it was at the beginning.
"I've met Brother Ercong." Seeing Guo Xin come in, the three brothers put down their books and saluted him.
Guo Xin's attention was not on the three of them, but on Yuniang who was sitting in front of the bedroom door, embroidering something.
Yuniang no longer wears those exquisite clothes, nor does she apply too much makeup. She looks very simple and natural. But in Guo Xin's eyes, it has a different charm. After all, for a young lady at such a good age, the unique youthful energy and enthusiasm in her demeanor cannot be concealed by any coarse linen clothes.
Guo Xin nodded and walked to the three brothers. He felt that the three brothers seemed to have grown a little taller. The oldest Guo Fengchao had barely reached his chest.
Guo Xin looked at the books in the hands of the three people, but didn't see what they were, so he had to ask Yu Niang at the side: "What are Yu Niang teaching them?"
Yuniang cast a puzzled glance at Guo Xin: "Can't Guo Lang understand the Master's Analects?"
Guo Shoujun and Guo Dingge lowered their heads and laughed. Guo Xin blushed, cleared his throat, and found a sentence from the book to question them: "What does the Master's sentence mean that women are gentlemen and Confucians, not villains?" "
The three of them shook their heads and stared at him.
Guo Xin immediately regretted it. How could he know what Master meant? But at this time, for the sake of face, I had to pretend to be serious and explain to the three of them:
"The meaning of this sentence is that I would rather pursue a gentleman than give in to a villain."
The three of them let out a long sigh, but Yu Niang burst into laughter instantly: "What nonsense is Guo Lang talking about..."
Guo Xin was embarrassed, but fortunately, a servant suddenly came in to report that there was someone outside asking to see him. Guo Xin asked if there was a name sticker, but the servant replied: "No, the person who came seems to be a military master, claiming to be Brother Yi's... brother, he talks very poorly."
When Guo Xin heard this, he immediately knew who was coming. When we met in the concierge, it turned out to be Shi Dejun. After Shi Dejun entered Kaifeng Mansion, he also received a promotion - General of the Gate Guards of the Right Prison, which happened to be opposite to Guo Rong's General of Gate Guards of the Left Prison.
Shi Dejuan still looked like he was in trouble. When he saw Guo Xin, he said warmly: "Send a message to Brother Yi. Tomorrow, the eldest prince Liu Chengxun will take the lead and take us young men to Chigang for hunting. Brother Yi is good at bow and horse. Maybe I can shine in front of those birdmen."
When Guo Xin heard this, he was immediately moved. He didn't have many contacts in the yamen circle, so there was nothing wrong with taking this opportunity to show his face.
