In fact, when this news was sent to the Southern Song Dynasty, the Southern Song Dynasty could not figure out why the Ming Dynasty sent such a central official to the south at this moment.
There hasn’t been anything worth sending high-level envoys to each other in recent times, right?
The Southern Song Dynasty court was full of doubts and uneasiness about this, and gave Wang Lun the task of discovering the Ming Dynasty's southward purpose in advance.
Wang Lun accepted the order bravely and came to Chuzhou to meet Xin Qiji.
The two of them are both military officers of the same country, so it seems that they will have many common topics, and the conversation must be pleasant. However, it must be said that Wang Lun has never led troops into battle since he became an official.
He was a military officer who became a monk on the way. He was a Jinshi himself. He only followed the practice of the Song Dynasty to use civility to control military affairs, so he became the head of the Privy Council, specializing in military issues. He was also a civil official.
Xin Qiji is different from him. Although he is also a Confucian scholar, Xin Qiji is a serious military officer who grew up on the battlefield. He is not bad at killing enemies and making achievements. He is majestic and powerful. He can swing dozens of kilograms. A real tough man who never retreated from the bloody battle with the Iron Buddha of the Golden Army with his giant axe.
That record was achieved by force, and the recognition of Xin Qiji among the Ming army was also achieved by Xin Qiji himself. Otherwise, a civilian who became a monk halfway could be the chief of staff and command the entire army's operations?
What a joke!
So when Wang Lun saw Xin Qiji, his first thought was "This young man is so strong".
Standing in front of Xin Qiji, who was tall and powerful, Wang Lun suddenly felt that his body was as thin as a pole, and his attributes were completely suppressed.
Really, Xin Qiji was tall and strong, and Wang Lun felt like he was like a wall, giving him a great sense of oppression.
He didn't quite understand how a military chief who was said to be from a wealthy family could look so tall, mighty, and majestic. He felt like a general who had experienced battles for a long time.
oh!
It is said that Chief of Staff Xin once participated in a real war, went to the battlefield and killed enemies, and was capable of both civil and military affairs.
Now it seems that this statement is true.
Without such a majestic body, it would be difficult to survive on the battlefield.
It has to be said that the Southern Song Dynasty's intelligence collection on the Ming Dynasty was really useless. Except for what Su Yonglin took the initiative to let them know, they still don't know quite a few things.
Even the high-ranking political and military officials of the Ming Dynasty are not fully gathered. We don’t know who they are, their growth history, let alone their political stance.
In contrast, Su Yonglin already had a good understanding of the high-ranking administrative and military officials in the Southern Song Dynasty. He was no stranger to a group of people who had real power and could influence the situation of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Such as Tang Situi, such as Shen Gai, such as Wang Lun, such as Zhang Jun and Chen Kangbo before.
So at this moment, Xin Qiji knew that Wang Lunwenchen had become a monk halfway, had never had actual military command experience, had only a paper understanding of military affairs, and was a silver pewter spear head.
And Wang Lun was still sighing at Xin Qiji's strong body.
"I heard that President Xin has a majestic appearance before, and I was still thinking about how majestic he looks like. When I see him today, I know what majesty is."
Xin Qiji laughed loudly when he heard this.
"After all, I have been on the battlefield. I marched and led troops to fight. Without this body, I would not be alive today."
After hearing Xin Qiji's words of boasting or ridicule, Wang Lun smiled awkwardly.
Xin Qiji also didn't realize that after following Su Yonglin for a long time, he inadvertently learned Su Yonglin's yin-yang way of speaking, and often couldn't help but be yin-yang yin-yang towards people and things he couldn't understand.
But who is Wang Lun?
An old bureaucrat.
As thick-skinned as a city wall, he didn't mind very much and asked Xin Qiji to follow him into the Southern Song Dynasty and go to Lin'an to attend a formal meeting.
On the way south, Wang Lun used Xin Qiji's background as an entry point and asked Xin Qiji for relevant information.
There was nothing that couldn't be said, so Xin Qiji briefly talked about his origins and past experiences.
So Wang Lun learned that Xin Qiji was from a Confucian family. He had received a good education since he was a child. He also had famous teachers, was familiar with Confucian classics and had participated in the imperial examinations of the Jin Dynasty.
He is a high-level intellectual.
However, he joined the rebel army led by Su Yonglin, and he took the initiative to join it. He killed a county magistrate of the Jin Kingdom as a surrender certificate and joined the Liberation Army. From then on, he embarked on the road of rebellion, and then obtained his current honorary position.
Today, Xin Qiji is only twenty-three years old, but he is already the chief of staff of a country, a senior military commander, and his position is very important.
Wang Lun was greatly moved.
"Chief Xin is such a hero!"
"No prizes, no prizes. It's just a fluke to follow His Majesty. Without His Majesty's trust and promotion, how could I be where I am today?"
Xin Qiji chuckled and said: "The reason why we as a group have reached this point is entirely due to the cultivation of His Majesty the Emperor of our country. I will never dare to take credit for this."
Of course Wang Lun would not think that Su Yonglin was an incompetent person.
On the contrary, leading such a group of young people to conquer the world and still succeeding in it only shows that Su Yonglin is far more awesome than he imagined, much more awesome than he thought.
The two of them chatted while walking south, talking about the social customs of the Ming and Song Dynasties, the scenic spots, the differences in customs between the south and the north, and food.
At the end, Wang Lun seemed to inadvertently ask Xin Qiji what important things needed to be discussed when he went south.
Xin Qiji originally thought that the Southern Song Dynasty was really determined. When facing officials of his high position, they could keep their expressions and their hearts calm when they went south. He really thought that the Southern Song Dynasty had a good foundation as a great country. However, in the end, they still had no confidence and showed their timidity.
However, it is better to say this matter sooner rather than later.
"Before departure, His Majesty told me repeatedly that this matter can only be told to His Majesty the Emperor of your country first, and cannot be disclosed beforehand. Privy Wang should let me keep it under wraps."
Xin Qiji's expression and tone made Wang Lun think that this matter might not be a bad thing.
Moreover, Xin Qiji said this, which means that it is definitely impossible to tell him now. Wang Lun could not continue to ask questions, so he could only accompany Xin Qiji on the road south slowly, and made short visits to some big cities along the way. .
When they arrived in Jiankang, it happened to snow.
Xin Qiji caught up with the good times, looked at the flying snow in the sky, looked at the snowflakes falling on his hands, and felt that the literary part of his heart began to feel restless.
"Is the snow in the South like this?"
"Huh? Is the snow in the North different?"
Wang Lun stood next to Xin Qiji and asked him.
Xin Qiji nodded.
"The snowflakes in the North are like powder and sand after flying. They will never stick together. They are scattered on the house, the ground, and the dead grass. When the wind blows, they can even lift up, just like flying sand and rocks, causing you to accidentally fall from your face. It's powdery snow that comes to your mouth, but the snow in Jiangnan is not like that."
After Wang Lun listened, he nodded slowly.
"Maybe the snow in Jiangnan is more moist."
"A land where water and soil support a person can naturally create a land of snow. The snow in the north is as powdery as sand, but the snow in the south is so nourishing and beautiful. It's great."
Xin Qiji wore a thick leather jacket, tightened the collar, and said, "But then again, I thought that the south of the Yangtze River was warm and not cold in winter. But as soon as I crossed the river, I felt a cold wind blowing, which was bone-piercing. Even more so than in the North Country.”
"Hahahahahaha."
Wang Lun saw Xin Qiji's shriveled look and laughed: "Jiangnan is known as warm, but the cold wind in winter carries water vapor and sweeps southward. Wherever he goes, no pedestrians dare to open their collars and face each other. They are all tightly wrapped. It's not enough to hold on to the clothes and the collar. You have to wear a scarf to keep warm.
I have been living in the South for many years, but I am afraid of the cold. Every winter is very difficult. The cold wind blows in with water vapor. It is really like a sword, piercing straight into the body. It is cold and painful. Sometimes if it is snowing, It's so big that it can go up to the calf, and you'll get frostbite if you're not careful. "
Xin Qiji listened, thought for a moment, took another breath of hot air on his hands, and rubbed them vigorously.
"Yeah, I thought it would be warm, but it's bone-chillingly cold. This is winter in the south, right?"
"Yeah, it says it's warm, but it's actually very cold."
Wang Lun didn't seem to hear the implication of Xin Qiji's words.
