"Commander, Zhaojiazhuang said I guarantee you will like it?"
The messenger didn't dare to hold his head, so he forced himself to endure the pain and said while cupping his fists.
"Since I like it, let them come in." Wu Lianghetai glared at him, took back his whip and put it on the coffee table.
It turned out that the coffee table had been kicked to pieces just now, so the soldiers had to replace it with a pro coffee table.
He put the whip on the coffee table just to see what kind of gift it was.
If he doesn't like the gift, the messenger will inevitably slap it again.
The ordering soldiers were trembling and forced to endure all the pain.
When they came outside, the messenger's eyes were full of resentment and fear.
Without these Zhaojiazhuang soldiers, how could he have been beaten.
In the past, these southern barbarians would have given me a lot of money, which would have been a great benefit.
Unexpectedly, Nanman not only refused to give him any money, but instead asked him to report it in a commanding tone.
It's fine now. I was just informed, but I didn't get any benefits. Instead, I was whipped more than a dozen times.
But he didn't dare not report it. What if he didn't report it and it would cause a war between the two sides?
If a war breaks out between the two sides, he will not simply be whipped with a whip, but will turn around.
The ordering soldier endured the pain and said respectfully: "The commander-in-chief invites you."
Outside are a hundred soldiers of the security group, and on the horses are gifts for the barbarians.
"Please lead the way." Formation leader Xu Tong nodded and spoke calmly.
Xu Te was actually a little nervous when he received this task.
Give gifts to the barbarians. The barbarians have not lost the battle, so why do they still give gifts?
According to the rules, gifts should be given to foreigners, not to Zhaojiazhuang.
However, as a soldier, you can only keep your opinions and orders must be carried out.
He had no idea what Zhao Ping was thinking. After all, he was just a soldier.
And Zhao Ping not only has to consider it from a military perspective, but also from a political perspective.
The gifts Zhao Ping sent Xu Te were a deadly economic weapon against the Hu people.
But this kind of economic weapon can only be fooled by barbarians.
How to make the barbarians fooled, of course, you have to give them a little sweetness.
After much deliberation, Zhao Ping felt that giving gifts would be a straightforward way to impress the foreigners.
As a soldier, Xu Te simply didn't understand the twists and turns.
As an envoy, Xu Te has not yet understood the significance of this visit.
They were not civil servants of the Song Dynasty, and they never thought of bribing the Hu people's messengers.
Facing the security officers and soldiers, the barbarians just want to ask for bribes. Even if they have the thieves' heart, they don't have the courage.
Seeing the resentful looks of the barbarian soldiers, Xu Te smiled lightly and automatically ignored them.
However, his eyes were sharper, and he also saw the wounds on the back of the hand of the Hu Ren, the messenger.
He could tell at a glance that it was a whip injury.
It seems that the barbarian commander is indeed cruel, and he is always ready to use a whip.
There are stone lions on both sides of the Marshal's Mansion and a huge wooden door with two copper rings on it.
Dozens of guards on both sides looked at Xu Te with hatred in their eyes.
Not only did he look at me with hatred, but he also put his hand on the handle of the knife in protest.
If the commander-in-chief gives orders, they will definitely take action.
When the general is humiliated, the soldiers must fight tooth and nail. This is the rule.
Seeing the menacing appearance of the barbarians, some soldiers in the security group felt like they were covered in cold sweat.
After all, this is not the territory of the security group, but the territory of the barbarians.
Xu Te smiled faintly, led ten soldiers, and climbed up the steps without squinting.
Seeing the formation commander's attitude, the soldiers following behind breathed a sigh of relief, and followed Xu Te's posture.
As the special envoy from Zhaojiazhuang, Xu Te walked through the gate with documents in both hands.
The soldier behind him held a linen bag with both hands.
There is a stone avenue from the door to the living room.
Although the sun is shining brightly today, it is not bright here and is even a bit eerie.
It turns out that the barbarians on both sides of the place set up their scimitars, forming a scimitar passage about ten feet long.
The messenger smiled coldly and passed away long ago.
And these scimitars were exactly what the ordering soldiers set up after they passed by.
As long as someone gives the order, these scimitars will inevitably fall on the heads of Xu Te and others.
Apparently, the Hu people gave the security group a warning and asked them to pass under Daoshan.
As a member of the security regiment, it is not like he has never fought against barbarians.
It can be said that he can pass under the mountain of swords without changing his expression.
However, this move by the barbarians does not cause much harm, but is extremely insulting.
Xu Te held the document with both hands and shouted loudly: "Commander Wu, I am the envoy sent by the little saint to give gifts to the commander. I heard that the warriors of the Khanate are hospitable, but today we met unexpectedly It's not as good as the rumors. If the commander is so hospitable to guests, then he will have to go back in the next line."
Xu Te said this without saying anything. If the barbarians refused to withdraw, he would definitely go back.
Xu Te was actually betting that the Hu people would withdraw from this demonstration. His confidence was that Zhaojiazhuang had the upper hand in the war with the Hu people.
But if the Hu people don't withdraw, it will be difficult for him to do business when he goes back, because he hasn't done anything well.
This is a dilemma task, but as an envoy sent by Zhaojiazhuang, he must maintain the dignity of Zhaojiazhuang.
He would rather things not go well than to maintain the dignity of Zhaojiazhuang.
"There is nothing wrong with the prairie's hospitality. That one is an invited guest, but do you have our invitation?" The captain of the Wulianghetai soldiers said while looking at Wulianghetai.
He did not ask Wu Lianghetai for instructions on this matter, but came up with his own idea.
Xu Te was gambling, and Wu Liang Hetai was gambling.
Wu Lianghetai also found it strange that although the two countries had temporarily signed an agreement, they did not eliminate the hostility.
He didn't know the play sung by the little saint Zhao Ping, and he acquiesced in the demonstration behavior of the captain of the soldiers.
Now the envoy suddenly proposed to go back home, which made him feel something was wrong.
After all, the other party is not here to declare a challenge, but to give a gift.
However, he found it even more difficult to imagine what kind of gift the other party was giving.
It's rare. Is the other party sending Xizuo's head?
Wu Lianghetai thought about it and felt that this possibility was unlikely.
Sending a detailed head is equivalent to a declaration of war between the two sides.
Now that the agreement has been signed, this method of issuing a challenge should not be possible.
In the last negotiation, the Khanate did not want to fight, and obviously the other party did not want to fight either.
If it’s not a declaration of war, then what is it?
Thinking of this, Wu Lianghetai couldn't help but turn his attention to his staff Zhang Ming.
The last time Zhang Ming negotiated, he was neither arrogant nor humble, and was polite and courteous, which made him rely on Zhang Ming even more.
"Commander, the Nanman may give you a gift this time." Zhang Ming stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "It's just that the students can't guess what the gift is."
Wu Lianghetai nodded and said to the captain of the soldiers, "Then withdraw."
The captain of the soldiers saw that his careful arrangements were dismissed by this third-class Han man with just one sentence, and he couldn't help but glared at Zhang Liang bitterly.
But Wu Lianghetai had already given the order, so he had to cancel the operation.
When Xu Te saw that the Hu people had withdrawn from the mountain of swords, he couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
In this silent contest with the Hu people, he made the right bet and safeguarded the dignity of Zhaojiazhuang.
When I came to the living room of the Marshal's Mansion, I saw a man of about fifty, with Da Ma Jin Dao sitting on the middle seat.
There were about ten Hu generals on both sides, and a Han man dressed as a scholar.
In addition, there were dozens of personal guards with their hands on the hilts of their swords, looking at them with hesitant eyes.
It seemed that the man in the middle was Wu Liang, the barbarian marshal. Xu Te came to him without being arrogant or humble.
"Commander Wu, the weather is cold now. The foreign envoy Xu Shuzhi (characterized by Xu Te), on the orders of the little sage, has specially sent things to keep out the cold to the commander, the generals and military advisor Zhang." He faced Wu Lianghe. Tai bowed slightly and said in a deep voice.
After speaking, Xu Te presented the letter in his hands with both hands.
The soldiers took it from Xu Te and presented it to Wu Liang Hetai respectfully.
Wu Lianghetai tore off the paint and took a look. The content of the letter was: "Your Excellency, Marshal Wu, the weather has cooled down, the frost has arrived, and frostbite has come uninvited. It is disrespectful to send fifty sets of things to keep out the cold. Haha, haha. .Zhao Ping."
Wu Liang read it together and handed the letter to Zhang Ming.
Wu Lianghetai, Zhang Ming and others couldn't help but look at each other. The Nanman and the Khanate were obviously sworn enemies, but they were worried that they would fall out in the cold, so they even sent them something to keep out the cold.
Xu Tecai waved his hands regardless of what the barbarians thought.
The soldiers behind opened the sacks one after another, revealing a pile of furry things.
While Wu Lianghetai was watching, he wondered how these things could keep out the cold.
After thinking about it, Wu Lianghetai winked at Zhang Ming to see how he would handle the matter.
As a staff member, Zhang Ming naturally wanted to share the worries of his master and took the initiative to come to the sack.
He bowed his hands and asked Xu Te, "May I ask Ambassador Xu, how can this thing keep out the cold?"
"The little foreign envoy doesn't dare to ask, who is the military advisor Zhang Congzhi?" Xu Te returned the salute hurriedly.
He didn't answer directly, looked at the scholar and asked.
It turned out that the little saint also knew my name, and Zhang Ming felt a little excited.
In fact, Zhang Ming negotiated on behalf of Wu Lianghetai and had already left an impression on Zhaojiazhuang.
In fact, Zhao Ping asked Xu Te to give gifts this time, one of which was for Wu Lianghetai, and the other was for Zhang Ming.
Wuliang Hetai represents the Hu people, and Zhang Ming represents the Han people in the north.
Although Zhang Ming felt proud, he did not dare to show a proud look on his face.
No matter how much Wu Liang Hetai liked him, he was Han Chinese after all and was inherently inferior among the Hu people.
Sometimes he even thought of simply fleeing to Xixian County with his family and joining the Little Sage.
However, his whole family was in the territory of the Hu people, and he was under the nose of Wu Lianghetai. He only had the thief's heart but not the courage.
"I don't dare, it's Zhang Congzhi who wants to ask how this thing can keep out the cold?" Zhang Ming bowed again.
Xu Te glanced at the patio outside, then looked at Zhang Ming and asked, "Commander Zhang, the season has already reached frost. May I ask whether Commander Zhang has ever experienced frostbite?"
After speaking, he looked at Zhang Ming's hand intentionally or unintentionally.
Zhang Ming's face turned red and he quickly retracted his hands into his sleeves.
His family had fur coats in winter, and now he has started to wear fur coats.
Although fur coats are expensive, they have one weakness: they don’t fit the body snugly.
Although Zhang Ming appears to be a talented person, he also has a shortcoming, that is, he often develops frostbite on his hands and feet after the frost every year.
He came from a well-established family and sought out many famous doctors and prescribed many medicines, such as cherry-eating and other folk remedies.
However, these can only cure the symptoms but not the root cause. The frostbite will grow back within a year at most.
Xu Te saw Zhang Ming retract his hand and knew that this man must have frostbite or something like frostbite.
He took out a pair of furry hands from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Ming.
"May I ask Ambassador Xu, what is this?" Zhang Ming looked at this thing and asked confusedly.
Xu Te looked at him and explained in a friendly tone: "Commander Zhang, these are gloves specially designed to protect your hands from the cold. With these, your hands will not get frostbite."
"Mr. Xu, my hands have started to develop frostbite. I wonder if it's still effective?" Zhang Ming did not take it, but asked cautiously.
Xu Te looked at him and said with a smile: "Commander Zhang, may I ask if your hands are broken?"
"The chilblains haven't rotted yet, and the frostbite has started to appear." Zhang Ming hesitated and said sheepishly.
Xu Te still smiled kindly at him: "If Commander Zhang can be trusted, let me take a look."
"Then I'll trouble Messenger Xu." Zhang Ming hesitated again and again, but still stretched out his hand from his long sleeves.
Xu Te took a look and saw that Zhang Ming's fingers began to become red and swollen, and there were ice wounds on the joints.
Xu Tong nodded, looked at Zhang Ming's hand carefully and said, "It's okay, it can be treated."
"Is Messenger Xu a doctor? This doctor has not been able to cure him well." Zhang Ming looked at Xu Te with some doubts.
Xu Te continued to smile and shook his head: "I am not a doctor, but there is a medicine specially invented by the little saint to treat ice mouth."
"Little saint or doctor?" Zhang Ming was stunned and couldn't believe it.
Xu Te still shook his head and said in admiration: "Although the little saint is not a doctor, he has many prescriptions that are used by many doctors."
Without the bone-setting water, safflower oil, alcohol, etc. invented by the little saint, the death rate in Zhaojiazhuang would have increased by at least 80%, or even 90%.
Xu Te was also wounded by swords and arrows on the battlefield, but under the treatment of drugs invented by these little saints, he recovered as before.
"Isn't that little saint a medical saint?" Zhang Ming looked at Xu Te in disbelief.
Xu Tong nodded and bowed to Xixian: "Although the little saint is not a medical saint, he is almost the same."
"Since it was invented by the little saint, please ask Messenger Xu to heal Bucai."
Xu Tong nodded and took out an object from his sleeve. It was not big, only about the size of three fingers.
Zhang Ming saw him take out something like a clam shell and open the shell. There was a milky yellow oil-like medicine inside.
This medicine is made from ozokerite and borneol. In later generations, it was specially used to treat dry and cracked skin.
Ceramic wax was not produced in the Song Dynasty, but was found on the Qinghai Road of the Silk Road, which was later known as the Qaidam Basin.
Zhao Ping arranged careful work and through many efforts, finally found this ozokerite.
"How do you feel?" Xu Te applied the yellow medicine with his finger, applied ice on Zhang Ming's finger a few times, and then looked at him and asked.
Zhang Ming nodded and said happily: "Thank you, Ambassador Xu. I don't feel as painful as before, but when will it completely get better?" "Commander Zhang, this ice mouth should get better within three days." Xu Te nodded and answered easily.
Zhang Ming couldn't help but be overjoyed. He looked at the frostbite and asked, "Thank you, Messenger Xu. I dare not ask, how to treat frostbite?"
"Chilblains are easier, just use gloves." After Xu Te finished speaking, he put on the furry gloves Zhang Ming.
Zhang Ming looked at the glove and compared it with his own hand, and couldn't help but be overjoyed: "It's indeed a glove. It's about the same size as Baicai's hand."
Gloves had already appeared in the Han Dynasty, but they were usually made of leather and could only be used by noble families.
Naturally, I cannot praise its workmanship. Since the leather is difficult to process and the fingers are especially made to be short, it feels very uncomfortable to wear on the hand and cannot work normally.
It is for this reason that it is difficult to popularize and only plays a role in keeping warm.
After Zhang Ming put on the gloves, he looked at the light blue gloves, nodded and asked, "It's very warm. Is this convenient for doing things?"
He had heard about gloves before, they only kept warm but could not do anything.
If this is the case with this glove, it’s okay not to use it.
"It doesn't have much impact. It's very convenient." Xu Tong nodded and looked at Zhang Ming's gloves.
Zhang Ming couldn't believe it. He put on gloves to lift the tea cup, took a sip of tea, nodded and sighed: "It's really convenient. Not only does it keep you warm, but it's also convenient for doing things."
At this point, he felt a little embarrassed and pointed to his feet and said, "Tell Messenger Xu that I also have frostbite and ice on my feet."
Xu Te's feet were so smelly, how could Xu Te dare to apply them to him?
"Apply it yourself." Xu Te nodded, opened the clam shell oil and said.
Zhang Ming was embarrassed, so he untied the string on the silk socks and smeared them with clam shell oil.
"It's really good. It doesn't feel so painful after applying it." Zhang Ming was overjoyed, his eyes shone when he saw the clam oil, and he wished he could pass it on.
But in front of everyone, this is obviously impossible.
"Mr. Xu, may I ask if there are any foot covers?" Zhang Ming looked at the beautiful silk socks that did not keep his feet warm, looked at Xu Te with a wry smile, bowed his hands and said, "These socks are pretty but useless."
"Ankle gloves?" Xu Te shook his head, "I don't have any."
Zhang Ming couldn't help but be disappointed. He already had gloves but no foot gloves.
Seeing the disappointment on Zhang Ming's face, Xu Te took out a pair of furry foot-shaped objects from his linen pocket and said, "Although there are no foot covers, there are woolen socks."
"Mr. Xu, this is a sock of yours. How come it's different from Bucai's? And there's no rope?" Zhang Ming took Xu Te's woolen socks and repeatedly compared them with his socks.
While enduring the stench from his socks, Xu Te explained: "Commander Zhang's socks are triangular in shape and don't fit your feet at all. Plus, silk doesn't keep you warm, so you're prone to frostbite. Woolen socks not only fit your feet, but they also don't fit your feet. And it keeps you warm, and you don’t have to worry about falling. The two are not on the same level at all.”
"It turns out that there is so much knowledge between socks. I have learned from you." Zhang Ming bowed respectfully and put them on himself.
After putting on Xu Te's socks, Zhang Ming took a few steps and saluted Xu Te happily.
"Sure enough, these are socks. The previous socks had a false reputation. They were not only comfortable, but also very warm." Zhang Ming couldn't help but dance and shout loudly even though he was a scholar.
Xu Te smiled slightly, it was not like this before.
Zhang Ming saluted Xu Te respectfully and said, "Messenger Xu, I shouldn't have put on gloves and socks."
"Isn't it warm, or is it uncomfortable?" Xu Te asked in confusion while returning the courtesy.
Zhang Ming smiled awkwardly and said, "My hands and feet are warm, but my body feels too cold!"
"This is natural. Military Master Zhang has gloves and socks for his hands and feet, but his fur coat is equally beautiful but useless." Xu Te looked at Zhang Ming's fur coat and shook his head, "Because fur coat is easy to breathe."
Zhang Ming tightened his body, but still felt not very warm. He bowed respectfully and asked, "Mr. Xu, do you have any ideas?"
"Of course, these are woolen tops and woolen trousers. Commander Zhang might as well give them a try." Zhang Ming took out two more items from his pocket.
Zhang Ming took it and took a look. He couldn't help but be shocked. He asked dumbfoundedly: "These are just the top and pants. How come they are completely different from the ones below?"
This looks very similar to the costumes of lowly people, so wouldn't it lower one's status?
Could it be that Xu Te used this kind of clothing to humiliate me, a scholar?
