At dawn the next day, a faint fish belly white appeared on the horizon. Liu Yan summoned Yuwen Chengdu, Wang Zhen, Yang Yue and others. They walked into Liu Yan's big tent and saw that the tent was brightly lit and Liu Yan was sitting at the table enjoying breakfast. Everyone found a place to sit down, and there was a sense of silence and tension in the air.
"Yang Yue..." Liu Yan held a steaming steamed bun in his hand and looked at Yang Yue firmly, "I read the battle report from Chengdu last night. You showed extraordinary strategy and overall perspective in this battle. , and his contribution to the army is indispensable."
After hearing this, Yang Yue showed a humble smile on his face, "Thank you, Lord, for your praise..." He said softly, "All these victories are inseparable from General Yuwen's wise command and the bravery of the soldiers of the three armies. I am just doing my duty. , dare not take credit."
Liu Yan nodded, handed the empty porridge bowl to the guard beside him, and motioned for him to fill up another bowl. The moment the porridge bowl was passed around, a warmth flowed in the air. The porridge this morning seemed particularly delicious, perhaps because the worries in his heart were gone and Liu Yan had a great appetite. He quietly waited for the arrival of a new bowl of porridge, and at the same time said to Yang Yue, "You don't have to be too modest. You are the first person to enter the Peach Blossom Spring, and you have studied in the Taixue Division for two years. You should understand that here, merit will be rewarded. Anyone who commits a crime must be punished.”
Yang Yue's heart trembled, he understood what Liu Yan's words meant. In this world full of intrigue and interests, it is normal to have rewards for merit and punishment for mistakes. And what he is about to step into is a battlefield where strength and wisdom are paramount.
Liu Yan then said calmly: "You have witnessed the tragic situation in Hekou County. Many officials in the court only care about self-preservation and competition for interests, without caring about the lives and deaths of the people at the bottom. Therefore, I decided to let you shoulder the responsibility of Hekou County. The important task of reconstruction. You have always been excellent academically in the Taixue Division, and you have worked with Liu Bowen in Jingzhou. I believe you have the ability to lead Hekou County to a better future."
Yang Yue was speechless for a moment after hearing Liu Yan's words. The fire of excitement that was originally ignited in my heart was instantly extinguished by the cold water of reality. He never imagined that Liu Yan would choose him to take over the task of Hekou County. This is not just a reward, but more like a relegation, a relegation from the beginning to the end.
He was once the chief strategist of the army, and his position was the same as that of a county governor. Now he was appointed as the magistrate of a small county, responsible for managing a ruins. His mind couldn't help but start to look back, wondering if he had done something wrong in the previous battle.
"Yang Yue..." Liu Yan's voice broke the silence.
Yang Yue suddenly came to his senses and immediately responded with his hands raised: "Yes, I will do my best to live up to my lord's high hopes and rebuild Hekou County."
Liu Yan smiled slightly and looked deeply at Wang Zhen. At the moment when their eyes met, Wang Zhen's heart trembled suddenly, as if some ominous premonition was lingering in his heart. This feeling was stronger than facing thousands of troops, and it made the hairs all over his body stand on end.
Liu Yan didn't seem to care about Wang Zhen's twinkling eyes. He continued calmly: "Wang Zhen, I am determined to let you command an army of 30,000 to guard Hekou County. In addition, I will also assign 30,000 surrendered soldiers to your command. It will be used to assist the construction of Hekou County. This place is only more than two hundred miles away from Jingzhou, and all the necessary materials are allocated from Wancheng County. I will send someone to inform Liu Bowen and order him to fully cooperate with you."
"Follow your orders, I will definitely live up to my master's trust!" Wang Zhen's voice was slightly trembling, revealing the helplessness and heaviness in his heart.
At Liu Yan's signal, Wang Zhen and Yang Yue, who also looked grave, quietly left the tent. The two people's eyes met, and they both saw the helplessness and sympathy in each other's eyes. Under the strange looks of many sergeants, they walked forward resolutely, summoned troops and horses, and selected soldiers to surrender. Liu Yan once promised that they could freely choose among the 70,000 young and middle-aged people who suffered strokes...
Inside the tent, Yuwen Chengdu's breathing became cautious, as if he didn't even dare to breathe out. He witnessed with his own eyes the vanguard general and the head of the military strategist being demoted during a breakfast, and the fear in his heart surged like a tide. He was deeply afraid that the next fire would burn him.
Since following Liu Yan, he has always felt that Liu Yan has an easy-going personality and is approachable. In the past few years, I have never seen him lose his temper. He always shares good things with them, often gathers with civil servants and military generals, and even makes some harmless jokes with them.
With the passage of time, these civil servants and generals have become relaxed and casual. Although they have respect for Liu Yan, they no longer have the fear they once had.
However, at this moment, Yuwen Chengdu truly realized that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. He finally understood that the Lord is the Lord, and his grace and power are unpredictable. No matter how good your Lord is to you, your ministers should not get carried away and lose their sense of reverence.
"Chengdu!" Liu Yan's voice echoed in the tent. Yuwen Chengdu's heart trembled, and he immediately responded: "Here!" His voice trembled slightly, but he revealed his determination. He understood that at this moment, he needed to rediscover his fear of the Lord in order to survive this crisis safely.
Yuwen Chengdu was immersed in his own thoughts and was awakened by Liu Yan's voice. He hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked cautiously: "Lord, why are you calling me?" His voice trembled slightly, with a hint of uneasiness.
Liu Yan looked at his nervous expression and was slightly stunned. He did not answer immediately, but asked lightly: "Where are Mr. Hu and Mr. Cai? Why haven't I seen them in Hekou County?"
Yuwen Chengdu felt relieved when he heard Liu Yan's question. He finally let go of his hanging heart, took a deep breath, and his tone became relaxed: "My lord, you don't know, right? The two old men often quarreled during the march, and Miss Cai taught them how to play chess. They played on the chessboard. I went back and forth, refusing to give in to each other, and gradually became obsessed with this chess skill.
At this moment, they are probably still playing fiercely. "
After hearing this, Liu Yan suddenly realized. He smiled secretly in his heart. These two old men were always chattering around him. Now that they had a new pastime, it was a relief. So he told Yuwen Chengdu: "Don't worry about them. Go and prepare. In an hour, we will set off back to Jingzhou."
When the army left Hekou County, Yang Yue and Wang Zhen saw them off in person.
However, both of them looked lost. When they were saying goodbye at the city gate, Hu Zhao suddenly appeared and talked to them in a low voice. As they spoke, their expressions changed suddenly, from sadness to joy, and they watched Liu Yan leave happily...
In Jingzhou under night, Liu Bowen received a notice from the messenger and learned that Liu Yan would arrive tomorrow morning.
He immediately put down all the work at hand and concentrated on preparing for the reception.
However, tension and worry lingered in his mind. Jingzhou was the place Liu Yan chose to build his capital, and all the government affairs of the continent were entrusted to him, which undoubtedly showed Liu Yan's high expectations for him.
The night was deep, and the candlelight in the study room was beating slightly. He had been sitting here alone for two long hours, thinking a lot.
The maids and servants in the mansion were wandering around, with deep anxiety on everyone's faces. They wanted to ask Liu Bowen to go back to his room to rest, but they did not dare to disturb him.
So they invited the steward Liu Fu, hoping that he could comfort and persuade Liu Bowen. When Liu Fu heard the news, he was also anxious. He dismissed the maid and servant with a wave of his hand and gently opened the study door.
The moonlight spilled into the study through the window lattice, reflecting on Liu Bowen's body.
He leaned in front of the desk, resting his arm on one hand, as if falling into a dream.
The lights in the study are dim, giving people a hazy feeling.
Liu Fu approached lightly, took off the cloak from the hanger on the side, and gently covered Liu Bowen's body.
He didn't want to disturb the hard-working governor, so he just stood by silently.
For more than half a month, Liu Bowen had been working day and night to deal with the mountain of government affairs in the governor's office.
Liu Fu saw all his hard work and dedication. Looking at the sleeping Liu Bowen, Liu Fu couldn't help but sigh in his heart: His master is really too tired, and I really hope he can have a good rest.
Liu Fu tried his best to make his actions as subtle as possible, but even though he was extremely cautious, Liu Bowen still slowly opened his eyes.
When he saw that it was Liu Fu approaching, Liu Bowen rubbed his temples and asked tiredly: "Ah Fu, is something wrong?"
Looking at Liu Bowen's thin body, although he is only in his fifties, he looks like an old man in his twilight years.
The weak candlelight reflected the white hair on his head. In Liu Fu's eyes, the white hair was like silver needles, piercing his heart deeply.
He couldn't help but get slightly wet in his eyes. He gently adjusted Liu Bowen's cloak and advised him with concern: "Master, it's late at night and the weather is cold. Go back to your room and rest!"
Liu Bowen slowly turned his head and looked out at the deep night sky through the half-closed window. Over the years, he developed the habit of observing the moon and stars, thereby accurately calculating the number of days in January and the hours of each day.
Liu Bowen slowly turned his head and looked through the window at the deep night sky outside.
Over the years he developed the habit of calculating the days of January and the hours of each day by observing the positions of the moon and stars.
This skill has a resounding name among Taoists - the art of observing the sky. According to Taoist historical records, the art of observing the sky covers everything from the rise and fall of dynasties to the misfortune and good fortune of living beings.
Liu Bowen knew this well and was very accomplished.
However, it is undoubtedly futile to use the sky-gazing technique tonight. The sky-gazing technique needs to be based on the stars and the bright moon, and tonight's night sky is covered with dark clouds and the bright moon is nowhere to be seen.
He turned around and stood up, looked at Liu Fu who was standing next to him and asked, "Ah Fu, what time is it now?"
Liu Fu replied softly: "Master, it's just past one song."
"Yi crow" is the ancient people's elegant name for the first rooster crow in the middle of the night.
People at that time relied on sundials, hourglasses and cockcrows to record the passage of time.
It is divided into six yin, six yang, and twelve hours, corresponding to the six yin, six yang, and twelve gods.
In ancient legends, the head of the underworld is dissatisfied with his priestly title. He felt that the gap between him and the Head of the Yangshen was only a hair's breadth. However, he could only hide in a dark corner and endure the cold eyes and scorn of the world; while the Head of the Yangshen could openly accept the world's scorn. Respect and worship.
As a result, the head of the Yin God became angry and started a shocking battle with the head of the Yang God.
Although the Yang God is brave, it is difficult to defeat the resentment of the head of the Yin God, and the situation is precarious.
Upon seeing this, the Jade Emperor sent the Pleiades Star Officer to the Nine Heavens Tower and let out a thunderous cry.
This cry is like gold and stone cracking the sky, directly hitting the head of the Yin God. Under this sacred thunder, the head of the Yin God was defeated.
In order to avoid future troubles, the Jade Emperor also ordered the Pleiades star official to emit this cry every day at the yang hour, so that the head of the Yin God would never turn over.
From then on, roosters all over the world will raise their heads to the sky and crow at sunrise every day to fulfill this sacred mission.
After the defeat, the Head of the Yin God felt deeply suppressed, and at the intersection of Yin and Yang, he poured out his resentment into the time controlled by the Head of the Yang God. Therefore, Zishi becomes the coldest time of the day.
Liu Bowen tightened his cloak tightly, walked to the extinguished charcoal fire in the center of the study and sat down. He picked up the tongs on the side and dug out the ashes inside. Some tiny sparks came out, bringing out a trace of undetectable traces. of heat.
He gathered the sparks together, and then clamped the small extinguished charcoal residues scattered around the charcoal basin one by one on top of the sparks. He lowered his head and puffed up his cheeks and blew air into the basin to make the charcoal fire burn faster.
Every breath he blew stirred up a cloud of dust in the basin. Seeing this, Liu Fu hurriedly ran to close the ajar windows and went to fetch charcoal from the charcoal cylinder in the corner.
Liu Bowen was still blowing air into the basin, and the fire had not yet started. He put the charcoal bag on the ground, hesitated for a while, and nervously summoned up the courage to say to Liu Bowen: "Master, let me do it."
In fact, these things should be done by servants like them, but Liu Bowen has a habit. He likes to think while doing things.
Once, when the maids in the mansion saw him sweeping the floor, they were so frightened that they ran over to take the broom and refused to let him sweep it, saying that these things were done by servants like them. However, instead of praising the maid, Liu Bowen immediately got angry and yelled at the maid. She was scolded and fined half a month's wages.
It was because he was thinking about an extremely important thing that day that he subconsciously picked up a broom to sweep the floor, and the maid's actions interrupted his thoughts. If it weren't for the laws set by Liu Yan that were too strict, it would be illegal for the master to beat his servants. behavior, otherwise that girl would be punished a lot.
From then on, he issued a strict order that whenever he was doing anything, the maids and servants in the house should not interrupt him easily, so Liu Fu was so worried at this time...
