Huan Xi and Huan Chong went back to their rooms to clean up their belongings. Huan Xi's mother, Sima Xingnan, the eldest princess of Nankang, rushed over after hearing the news.
"Xi'er has just recovered from a serious illness. It's time to recuperate, old slave! You have something important to do, so you have to let him run for you!"
Sima Xingnan asked angrily.
She does not have a good temper. As the eldest daughter of Emperor Ming of Jin Dynasty, she has been spoiled since she was a child, and her temper is not ordinary arrogant. They have been married for more than ten years, and Huan Wen still dare not take a concubine.
In the original time and space, after Huan Wen pacified Shu, he took the daughter of Li Shi, the leader of the Han Dynasty, as his concubine and hid her in the back room of his study.
When Sima Xingnan heard the news, he was filled with jealousy. He brought dozens of maids with swords and planned to kill people. If Li's appearance was not lovable, he would turn into a dead soul under the sword.
Huan Wen looked heroic in front of outsiders, but he did not dare to be heroic when seeing his wife. He explained with a smile:
"It wasn't me who forced me, but it was Xi'er who begged me hard. He volunteered himself and wanted to share my father's worries. How could I refuse his offer?"
Sima Xingnan was doubtful, but after thinking about it carefully, Huan Wen did not need to deceive her. She hummed:
"I'm sorry you don't dare to fool me either."
After that, he walked away and went straight to look for Huan Xi, leaving Huan Wen lamenting that there was no peace in the family because of the fierce woman.
When Sima Xingnan arrived at Huan Xi's residence, Huan Xi had already packed his bags.
"Mother, why are you here? I was just about to say goodbye to you."
Huan Xi scratched his head and smiled.
Sima Xingnan rolled his eyes at him:
"If I don't come looking for you, I'm afraid you will slip away without making a sound."
Sima Xingnan was a shrewd and jealous woman in Huan Wen's eyes, but in front of her son, she was a loving mother.
If it weren't for her pampering, how could Huan Wen's legitimate sons be so arrogant and spoiled.
Huan Xi was told by Sima Xingnan, so he had no choice but to explain:
"My father has the ambition to support the imperial family and restore the Central Plains. He has to have a place of strength to make a difference.
"Now that Duke Yu is critically ill, Jingzhou has no owner. Only my father can guard the western frontier for the country and ensure peace on the left side of the river.
"I entered the court to serve my father, not only as a son but also as a minister."
Sima Xingnan said dissatisfied:
"You use Zhongxiao to suppress me, how can I stop you!"
Huan Xi stepped forward and hugged his mother's arm, smiling flatteringly and saying:
"The child only dares to speak freely because of his mother's love. I also ask for the mother's permission and consideration for the child's innocent heart."
Sima Xingnan couldn't bear the pleading of his eldest son, and said helplessly:
"That's all. Jingkou is not far from Jiankang. You can go if you want. It's just that the cold has just recovered, so be sure to take care of yourself."
Huan Xi was overjoyed. After saying goodbye to Sima Xingnan, he went to the study to say goodbye to Huan Wen.
Before leaving, Huan Wen said seriously:
"When you come to Beijing this time and work for me, you should use your nickname as a title."
With that said, Huan Wen took out a piece of white paper with the word Bo Dao written on it.
Bo Zhong and Shu Ji, when Huan Xi's younger brothers come of age, they will be named Zhong Dao, Shu Dao and Ji Dao.
Huan Xi knelt down to receive the word "Bo Dao" and thanked him:
"My son, thank you very much for your father's words. You must remember your father's teachings and dare not forget them."
Huan Wen nodded and said:
"lets go."
Huan Xi paid homage to Huan Wen and Sima Xingnan again, and with the reluctant eyes of his mother and younger brothers and sisters, he and his uncle Huan Chong boarded the carriage heading for Jiankang.
Jingkou is located one hundred and sixty miles east of Jiankang. The distance is not far. If you hurry up, you can reach it in less than half a day. This is why Huan Wen was able to get the news so quickly.
It's just that Huan Xi is not good at riding, so he can only ride with Huan Chong.
The two of them rushed to Jiankang in a hurry. The driver whipped his whip frequently and the carriage bumped. Huan Chong had to worry about the weak Huan Xi.
Huan Chong helped Huan Xi steady and said comfortingly:
"In fact, there is no need to be so hasty. If you think about the ownership of Jingzhou Governor, the DPRK and the Central Government will not come to a conclusion so quickly."
Huan Chong helped Huan Xi steady and said comfortingly.
Huan Xi shook his head and said:
"My nephew understands what my uncle said. However, there are many differences in the court, and I am afraid that there will be unintended consequences."
Seeing his persistence, Huan Chong stopped trying to persuade him. After a bumpy journey, the two set off early in the morning and finally arrived in Jiankang, the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in the afternoon.
Jiankang was the capital of the Eastern Wu and Eastern Jin dynasties. It was surrounded by Qinhuai to the south, Houhu to the north, and the Yangtze River to the west. It was a beautiful place with strong defense.
The carriage drove into Jiankang, and there were prosperous scenes on both sides. However, Huan Xi had already experienced the prosperity of this city in the memory of the original owner, so it was not surprising.
After all, no matter what, when it comes to prosperity, it cannot compare to the commercial streets of later generations.
Most of the nobles in the city live in two areas, one is Qingxi River in the north of the city, and the other is along the Qinhuai River in the south of the city.
Among them, the Qingxi River in the north of the city was dominated by native nobles from the south of the Yangtze River, while the northern nobles who crossed to the south were distributed in lanes near the Qinhuai River. For example, Wuyi Lane, where Wang and Xie lived, was located on the north bank of the Qinhuai River.
Qingxi, also known as Dongqu, connects the tidal ditch in the northern cut of the city to drain the water from Xuanwu Lake and into the Qinhuai River in the south.
He Chong was from the He family in Lujiang and had lived in Qingxi for a long time. Huan Xi and Huan Chong were on their way to pay a visit to this assistant minister.
It was still early when the two arrived at He Mansion. He Chong was still on duty in Taicheng. Huan Chong handed over the greeting card. After the steward explained, he suggested:
"You two gentlemen have come a long way, why don't you find a place to rest first. When my master returns home, I will convey it to you."
Huan Chong wanted to agree, but he felt Huan Xi tugging on his cuff. He looked down and saw Huan Xi pointing his finger. Huan Chong understood and changed his words:
"It doesn't matter, I'll wait outside the house for Mr. He."
After the steward left, Huan Chong said doubtfully:
"It's still early in the morning, why don't you and I find a restaurant to rest and wait until Mr. He returns home to make plans."
Huan Xi lowered his voice and explained:
"What if my uncle is like this? Will he feel the sincerity of the visitor because he waits outside the house for a long time and is unwilling to leave?"
Huan Chong was speechless, and after a long while he sighed:
"I don't know what you went through during your illness to become so smart."
Huan Xi said proudly:
"A tiger father has no dog son. My father is a hero of the world. How can my qualifications be any worse? It's just that my original pearl was covered in dust and my sharp edge was not revealed."
Huan Chong also smiled and said:
"It's just as Xi'er said."
...
He Mansion's carriage drove through the noisy streets. He Chong, the Central Secretary and Supervisor, sat in the carriage, closing his eyes and concentrating, but his brain kept running. What worried him was who should leave Jingzhou.
Yu Yi was terminally ill and his time was running out. He had already sent a memorial to Jingzhou, hoping that his second son Yu Yuan would succeed him.
But in public and private matters, this is something He Chong cannot accept. Not to mention the hatred between the two families, Jingzhou is the western gateway of the country, how can it be guarded by a white-faced boy who is still young.
Previously, Yu Liang and Yu Yi were brothers in Jingzhou. Now, He Chong will never allow their father to die and his son to succeed.
But the Yu family has been operating in Jingzhou for many years, so how can they be willing to give up power? If they are not careful, there will be another rebellion.
He Chong understood that if he wanted to veto Yu Yi's petition, he needed to find someone who could convince the public.
Not only could the court officials not criticize him, but it could also deter the Yu family, so that they did not dare to rebel and had no choice but to hand over Jingzhou.
But He Chong really couldn't find such a person under his command.
Just when He Chong was worried about this, the carriage slowed down, and his confidant reported through the curtain:
"Master, there are two young masters waiting outside the house."
He Chong hummed, and when the carriage stopped, he lifted the curtain and walked out. He Chong did not recognize the visitor.
After all, he and Huan Wen were not close friends, so how could he recognize the children of Huan Wen's family.
It's just that the young man's facial features were quite similar to those of Princess Nankang, which made him feel familiar.
Fortunately, the steward who had received the Huan family's uncle and nephew had been waiting at the roadside early. He helped He Chong down, respectfully handed over the greeting card, and reminded:
"Among the two, the older one claims to be the brother of Duke Huan, the governor of Xuzhou, and the younger one is the son of Duke Huan. They have been waiting for the master of the family for a long time.
"The old slave asked them to find a place to rest, but they didn't want to leave. He asked them to wait in the house and refused to move."
He Chong suddenly understood, and his eyes that were still slightly cloudy suddenly became energetic.
When sleepiness comes, someone will give you a pillow.
If there is anyone in the world who can succeed Yu Yi, go out to control Jingzhou, and make the Yu family dare not fight, it is only Huan Wen, who has always been respected by Yu Yi.
Now at a time when the ownership of Jingzhou was pending, Huan Wen sent his son and younger brother to pay him a visit. How could He Chong not guess the purpose of their visit.
Before He Chong could move, the Huan family uncle and nephew had already taken the initiative to come over:
"Young man Huan Chong came here to pay homage to Prime Minister He on the orders of my elder brother."
Huan Chong bowed and said, Huan Xi also introduced himself to his family and saluted He Chong.
He Chong nodded slightly and said with a smile:
"You two don't need to be polite. Huan Xuzhou is a minister of the country. He guards the borders for the country and has done a lot of hard work. Today he specially asked you to come to visit me. I am overjoyed. You two can come with me quickly. I will entertain you with food and wine." .”
The Huan family uncles and nephews quickly thanked him and followed He Chong into the mansion.
He Chong had no children but only one daughter, who was already married. Therefore, only his nephew He Fang and his guests were accompanying him at this banquet.
Huan Wen needs He Chong's support, and He Chong also needs Huan Wen to replace Yu Yi and end the Yu family's rule in Jingzhou. The two are going in both directions. Therefore, at the banquet, He Chong and the Huan family's uncles and nephews can be said to be guests and hosts. .
After drinking for three rounds, He Chong took his uncle and nephew to the study and asked about their purpose of coming.
Huan Chong said:
"On my brother's order, I came to ask He Xiang to subdue Jingzhou."
He Chongsurong said:
"The position of governor of Jingzhou should be decided by public discussion and should not be awarded privately."
When Huan Chong heard this, he resisted not looking at Huan Xi and said seriously:
"If this matter is subject to public discussion, I'm afraid Jingzhou will be hereditary and replaced by the Yu family from now on."
He Chong's expression changed and he asked:
"What do you mean by this?"
He Chong's expression all fell into Huan Chong's eyes. With confidence in his heart, Huan Chong became more and more calm:
"Previously, Su Jun's rebellion had affected all the ministers in the court. Instead of cutting down the vassalage and stimulating the Yu family to rebel, I must have asked for peace and quiet, and the voice of approving Yu Gong's request still prevailed."
He Chong said curiously:
"Since you also know that most of the court officials support the Yu family in continuing to guard Jingzhou, why do you still come to beg me?"
Huan Chong said seriously:
"Because He Xiang is different from ordinary people. He Xiang is a lonely and important minister. What he considers is not the interests of one family, but the safety of the country.
"Jingzhou is a powerful vassal state. If the Yu family continues to guard it, and the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, the country will be ruined.
"The Cao family usurped the Han Dynasty and Sima replaced the Wei Dynasty. Who knew that the Yu family would not use Jingzhou's troops to go down the river to ask for the importance of the Jin Dynasty.
"Therefore, my brother told me that He Xiang will definitely lend a helping hand to help him get out of Jingzhou. My brother will also not forget He Xiang's kindness and is willing to guard the western border for the country and cut off the Yu family's wings."
He Chong suddenly realized that these words were taught by Huan Wen. He sighed:
"Yu Yi once spoke to the late emperor, praising Huan Xuzhou for his heroic talents, which should not be encountered by ordinary people. He was always a son-in-law and should be entrusted with the task of Fang Zhao. He would definitely have the honor of helping people in difficult times.
"When I heard you relay Huan Xuzhou's lofty views today, I realized that what Yu Yi said was true."
The matter was quickly settled. He Chong fully supported Huan Wen as the governor of Jingzhou, while Huan Wen served as He Chong's foreign aid, guarding the western border and helping him.
After discussing the important matter, He Chong noticed Huan Xi, who had always remained silent. He became interested and asked questions for the exam. However, Huan Xi behaved extremely clumsily and his answers were unsatisfactory.
After the uncle and nephew left, He Chong and his cronies shook their heads and said:
"Huan Yuanzi (Huan Wen's courtesy name Yuanzi) was a prodigy in the world, and his son had the ears of a dolphin or a dog."
The confidant smiled and said:
"The Huan family had no foundation in Jingzhou, nor was it a high-ranking family. The only person they relied on was Huan Yuanzi's personal talent.
"Now his son is extremely stupid and his younger brother can only learn to speak. I congratulate you for being able to sit back and relax without worrying about becoming a Yu family again in the future."
In addition to being the maternal clan of Emperor Cheng and Emperor Kang, the Yu family's current power is inseparable from the talents of Yu Liang, Yu Bing, Yu Yi and others.
He Chong waved his hands, but it could be seen that he was in a good mood, but He Chong didn't know that what Huan Chong said was not learning from Huan Wen, but from that stupid dolphin dog.
