The mistress is so kind to the little lady. The little lady is obviously not young anymore, but in the mistress's heart, she still loves her like a child.
Dongxue was thinking about something when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She took a few steps back and turned sideways to see her master bowing with his hands folded.
"Madam, it's cold, let's go to Cuiwei Pavilion to eat hot pot." Zhou Xu asked Dongxue to go on her own without any courtesy, and then strode into Jiaofeng Hall.
Xiao Luolan patted the snow-white scarf, and the delicate and soft hair could feel warm when touched lightly.
"Okay." Xiao Luolan put the white fox scarf aside with a smile on his face.
Zhou Xu was startled when he saw the smiling lady on her face. This was the first time since he left Langge that he saw his lady so happy.
Zhou Xu held her hand and walked out, feeling sour in his heart, but when he saw the plump and beautiful lady with black hair and snowy skin, there was a gentle smile in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, just like the winter sunshine, warm, Zhou Xu There was a little more indescribable joy in Xu's heart.
Inside Cuiwei Pavilion.
Hot pot has always been very popular in Dachu, especially in winter.
The food table is full of processed raw ingredients, tofu, leeks, white rice, radish, celery, mushrooms, thinly sliced fish fillets, tender lamb, beef, chicken, and ice shrimp from the Kama River. The whitebait, plus various fruits in the glass plate, seemed to be too rich at first glance.
"Can you finish eating this?" Xiao Luolan sat on the soft cushion, next to Sect Leader Zhou.
Zhou Xu poured a glass of wine for his wife and said with a smile: "I have been busy for a while in the afternoon and I haven't eaten yet."
Xiao Luolan felt a little guilty after hearing this. She had been packing clothes and thinking about going back all day today, so she didn't notice it.
"Then you eat more." Xiao Luolan put the vegetables in. The beef bone and radish soup was bubbling and rolling in the pot, and the aroma was permeating. He also added some thin fish fillets.
"No hurry, no rush." Zhou Xu poured himself a glass of wine: "Madam, let's drink two glasses first."
Xiao Luolan put down the chopsticks and saw the reddish wine rippling in the jade-white cup, and the aroma of the wine overflowed.
She had a drink with Sect Master Zhou. It was sweet, sour and refreshing.
Zhou Xu also drank a glass and said with a smile: "This wine was chilled in the snow outside for a while. It goes well with the hot pot."
There are several condiments on the table. Xiao Luolan feels that this is hot pot. Unfortunately, there are no chili peppers. Qingxue likes spicy food, but the beef bone soup is also very good.
Zhou Xu served a bowl of soup to his wife.
"You eat first, I'll do it myself." Xiao Luolan was indeed very happy, and even felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation. Since coming here, her emotions have been tense all the time.
Zhou Xu ate some. He wanted to make another spicy peppercorn and mutton soup, but after thinking about it, beef bone and radish soup was more nourishing. People in Youzhou often eat mutton soup in winter, but they rarely eat beef. .
Xiao Luolan started to sweat after eating for a while. After drinking some wine, her cheeks felt a little warm.
"When is Madam going to leave?" Zhou Xu looked at Madam's flushed drunken face, as if he was also drunk in Madam's twinkling starry eyes.
"The day after tomorrow." Xiao Luolan said, always give others some time to prepare.
"It's pretty much what I guessed." Zhou Xu said, "In this farewell, Madam should pay more attention to her health when she is out. I have informed Ling Zhi, some juniors from the Zhou family, and Xuanjia cavalry to escort Madam back."
"Are there other juniors from the Zhou family?" Xiao Luolan was a little surprised. She always thought that only Zhou Xuan and Zhou Lingzhi came out this time.
"They are some concubines and the Zhou family members who come to earn merits. They don't have high official positions, and Madam doesn't usually see them." Zhou Xu took another sip of wine: "If anything happens on the way, Madam, just ask Ling Zhihe Winter snow.”
Xiao Luolan nodded. She looked at Sect Master Zhou, pursed her lips, and said softly: "Thank you."
If Sect Leader Zhou doesn't agree, she can't leave.
This time she was grateful to him.
Zhou Xu took advantage of his drunkenness to touch Madam's face, leaned into her ear and asked, "If I don't agree to Madam leaving, will Madam be angry with me?"
Xiao Luolan remained silent because Clan Master Zhou was telling the truth and she did not want to deceive Clan Master Zhou.
Zhou Xu held his wife in his arms, took a deep breath of her fragrance, and seemed to murmur: "Is your wife's heart made of ice?" Why couldn't he cover it with heat?
As long as the madam wavers even a little bit and wants to stay in Huiyi, Zhou Xu will never let her go, but the madam is truly happy and there is no trace of hypocrisy.
Two days later.
When Xiao Luolan left, she looked out at the endless ice fields and the blue sky, and breathed in the long-lost taste of freedom.
It was like a small crack had finally been torn open in the dark sealed space.
Although it wasn't big, it finally gave her a chance to breathe.
Chapter 102 (revision)
What is faster than the wind.
It's news.
The news of Youzhou's great victory reached the ears of some people earlier than the wind. Those small countries who were hiding in the dark and paying close attention to the war situation, the secret tribes who were lucky enough not to participate in this matter, and the dormant big Border caravans, large and small, as well as small tribes dotted on the grasslands all know this fact.
The Huiyi Alliance was defeated, and the Turkic cavalry was defeated again.
I can't explain how I feel. It seems to be natural and it should be like this. After all, ever since Zhou Xu, a local tycoon in Youzhou, became powerful, their grassland tribes have been beaten by him.
All of them huddled in the belly of the grassland farther away, like a lingering old dog. Although the skeleton is still there, it is skinny and skinny, and its teeth have fallen out. They can only gather together to regain their former majesty.
But now, the last fig leaf is gone.
Five of the six heads of the Khans are hanging on the gate of Huiyi City. The old king of Huiyi was even worse and was made into a sky lantern. The new king of Huiyi is a little-known third prince. As for the Khans The elite tribal cavalry they brought with them were completely wiped out, and even the Turkic pagoda cavalry did not escape.
I heard that Zhou Manzi had already finished the Jingguan and placed it where everyone could see it where people came and went.
The huge view stimulated everyone's nerves, some were happy, some were afraid, and some were watching with uneasiness.
The ones who are happy are naturally the border caravans. After this battle, their journey between Gu Chang and Hui Yi will be safer, which greatly reduces their chances of being harassed and robbed by grassland bandits. Even the border is safer. Knowing that You After the victory of the state cavalry, they began to carry out small-scale activities.
The ones who are naturally afraid are the small and medium-sized tribes in the grasslands.
These six major tribes are not the only ones on the grassland.
In the past, when the Turks were at the height of their power, the tribes on the grasslands respected the Turks and formed the prototype of a country. As a result, the trees fell and the hozens scattered, and the scattered sand that had barely gathered together was restored. Before, in the vast grassland Spread upward.
Zhou Manzi's heavy-armored cavalry named Ghost Tuqi swept through everything, like a fierce god coming, and captured nearly 300,000 cattle, sheep, horses and livestock. This huge number made everyone stunned, and also for Youzhou. Jieduzhi's cold and cruel style was horrifying to the core.
It's not that the remaining six tribes never thought of uniting to resist, but once their khan was killed, all the tribes were left leaderless and fighting for power. The chaos of political power plunged the six tribes on the grassland into chaos. In addition, they were afraid of being beaten in this battle, especially the advent of heavy cavalry, which destroyed half of their courage in an instant.
They didn't move, and the other small tribes didn't even dare to move. Now they were full of vigilance against the people of the six major tribes, because there were no livestock for the winter, and those people would definitely come to rob them, and they had no city walls to defend.
But at this moment, a news spread on the grassland. Zhou Manzi would accept the grassland tribes who returned to Yi. As long as they were willing to return to Yi, they could temporarily settle in the Baiya Mountains behind Hui Yi. The first tribe to return to Yi It was the father-in-law of the new lord of Huiyi City, Qimi Khan. He directly followed the Ghost Tu heavy armored cavalry with the people and livestock of his tribe and the fodder for the winter, as if they were adorned with a small tail.
Gradually, the number of these little tails increased, and the Shatuo tribe, who had the same origin as Tuoba, gritted their teeth and followed suit.
It’s impossible not to follow. The cold and hunger will make the people of the six major tribes red-eyed. It’s not yet the heavy snow season. When the severe cold approaches, they will turn into wolves wandering on the grasslands to hunt them. Follow them now. The Youzhou cavalry left, and everyone gathered together in the Baiya Mountains behind Huiyi. With this mountain range, everyone crowded together to escape the winter. Moreover, when there were more people together, those The six failed tribes had to think twice before plundering them. The most important thing was that the Baiya Mountains were close to Huiyi. If the six tribes were forced to rob them, they would turn to Huiyi for help. .
Anyway, these small tribes have not participated in the Huiyi Alliance. Although Zhou Manzi is ruthless in his methods, as long as he is obedient, he will generally not be mad at them, except for the Turks.
Many tribal leaders have already speculated that Zhou Manzi had released the news about his return to Yi.
More and more small tribes followed, and they gathered together. They followed the Ghost Slaughter Cavalry and the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry at a short distance, watching those people drink mare's milk and eat slaughtered cattle and sheep, feeling cold. In the winter, they had a good harvest.
On the contrary, they dare not eat or drink here.
The Khan of the Qimi tribe followed General Zhou. The cold wind blew on his face. He rubbed his stiff old face and smiled flatteringly.
"General Zhou, General Li, we are about to enter Huiyi. Are the leaders behind me following the general into Huiyi?" Qimi Khan Ges asked boldly.
Zhou Xuan is sitting on the horse, and Li Xun is riding with him. The middle-aged general is strong and strong, but he cannot escape the years. When the cold wind blows, the strands of white hair are particularly obvious. Both of them are rigorous in running the army. , a man of serious words, when he heard this, Zhou Xuan said without any emotion: "Master Jieduzhi invites you to be a guest in Huiyi, don't you want to go?"
Qimi Khan suddenly fell limply on the horse's back, sweating profusely, and even had no strength to hold the horse's belly. This time he took the lead and set an example, attracting some small tribes to follow him. On the surface, he was confident, because he returned King Yixin was his son-in-law, and his tribe was the only one that did not suffer losses during this siege. In fact, the old Khan was panicking.
In his opinion, returning to Yicheng is now like a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, but if he doesn't agree, he won't even dare to give him 10,000 courage.
The heads of other khans are hanging on the city wall. How dare he say no?
"Go, go, I remembered that I haven't seen my daughter for a long time. I just happened to go to Huiyi to see her this time. I took a few of my son-in-law's dolls with me. Children should always be with their parents," Qimi Khan said. .
"That's good." Zhou Xuan said.
He looked at Jin Ben and Tuoba in front of them. One hundred thousand livestock was not a small number. Most of the people in the team were focused on driving cattle, sheep and horses, and the Tuoba tribe's cavalry contributed the most.
The eldest brother's adopted son Tuoba Agu and his younger brother Tuoba Amu kept a close eye on the livestock. The Tiele people who set out with them acted as shepherds and mingled among the sheep.
Zhou Xuan recalled that on the first day of occupying Huiyi, his eldest brother issued a series of orders to them, including quickly plundering the livestock of the alliance tribes before they could react, gathering the Guiyi of the small tribes, and finally of a plan.
He looked at Huiyi City in the distance and showed a smile. On the way, they also met a group of light cavalry sent by their elder brother. Naturally, they looked at where they were. General Yan Huiyi's wine had been prepared and was waiting for the soldiers. Come back and drink together.
As soon as these words came out, everyone was very excited and rushed back with all their strength. This group of bloody cavalry returned to Huiyi City with a large number of livestock.
The first thing he did was to meet Lord Jiedushi. Of course, the respectable generals had tidied up before that. When Zhou Xuan heard that his sister-in-law had left three days ago, he was a little surprised. After thinking about it, he pretended that he didn't know. this matter.
The person escorting his sister-in-law was his son, with about two thousand black armor cavalry. There were also some juniors from the side and the eldest brother's disciples in the team. Generally speaking, it was very safe.
A grand wine dinner was held in Huiyi City.
Zhou Xu sits in the first place, and the new king of Huiyi is ranked below. On the left are Cui Shizi, Zhou Xuan, Li Xun, Jin Ben, Yi Fan, as well as the military secretary, school captain and others. On the right is Tuoba A Gu, Tuoba Amu, Chachawu, the leader of the Tiele clan, Qimi Khan who returned to Yiyi, and more than a dozen leaders of the Shatuo clan.
Arilang sat under Lord Jiedushi, his face a little pale, and his body had not fully recovered. His two children had arrived at Huiyi in the afternoon and were by his side.
"The general will meet you at the end." Zhou Xuan and everyone else knelt down in salute.
"You don't need to be polite, get up quickly." Zhou Xu helped the people up one by one and looked at them: "Everyone has worked hard in the battle at Huiyi. Let's drink as much as you want tonight, don't be restrained."
After speaking, he looked at the obviously nervous Qimi Khan and the leaders of the small grassland tribes and smiled: "I am very happy that the leaders can respond to the call to return to justice."
Qimi Khan immediately took up the conversation and said: "General, those who rebelled against the alliance will be punished by everyone. We are willing to serve as eagles and dogs for the general, waiting for the general's orders, and looking forward to the general's protection."
"I am willing to listen to the general's orders." The other leaders also agreed.
Zhou Xu sat back and said, "The cold winter is coming, and the leaders are worried that the rebellious tribes will anger you and others."
Qimi Khan said: "That's right." He showed a flattering smile again: "The general is kind and placed us Guiyi tribes in the Baiya Mountains. With you here, how dare those clowns make mistakes? Everything is fine. Thanks to the general."
The remaining leaders all agreed.
Zhou Xu smiled slightly: "Gus Khan is polite."
Qimi Khan was covered in cold sweat as he listened to Lord Jiedushi's polite words.
"Although the Baiya Mountain Range is good, it is still far away from Huiyi. I think the leaders can build beacon towers in Baiya and spread them out on the road between Baiya and Huiyi. This way, if the rebels attack, Ah King Rilang can also know and respond in advance."
"Khan's hard work has yielded great results. I would like to appoint Khan as the Bai Ya Captain of Bai Ya Feng Sui, and Shatuo Chief as Bai Ya Lieutenant to unify the important affairs of Feng Sui. I wonder if you are willing."
Arilang raised his head when he heard his name, and it took him a while to understand Lord Jiedushi's plan.
This is to allow these people in Guiyi to build beacons in Baiya. It can indeed provide early warning, but in this way, once they accept the official position appointed by Lord Jieduzhi, it means that these people have completely broken with the six major tribes on the grassland. .
Arilang's teeth chattered and he felt a chill. This was to divide the tribes on the grassland and make them fight among themselves and consume their strength.
