To the west of Kaifeng, on both sides of the flat straight road, the rows of willows have been dyed with a layer of green. The spring breeze is blowing gently. Between the open roads and the intensive travel, a rather special team is walking.
Two carriages and a dozen attendants were driving hundreds of horses. Everyone was wearing coarse linen and linen clothes, like merchants from poor areas who came to Kaifeng to sell horses. However, there were several police officers in public uniforms ahead to clear the way...
This group of people has obviously attracted the attention of many people. They can organize such a large team of horses at one time. They are all tall horses. Although they have lost some fat, judging from their physiques, they are all strong horses. This is also rare in the Central Plains today. Generally speaking, there are only those big horse ranch owners and barbarian business travelers.
Therefore, there is still a long way to go from Kaifeng City, but there are already many people along the way asking about the situation and paying attention. However, when they learned the whereabouts of these horses, they behaved very wisely, because these horses were presented to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty.
This team came from Jingyuan and consisted of Yang Bing and Su Fengji, the former prime ministers who once had all the power in the government and were extremely popular. I have been staying in Xiqiao for more than ten years. After so many years of hard work, I finally got through it.
"We're almost at Xiangfu Station!" A guard leading the way shouted, "Speed up, we can rest when we get to the station!"
Behind, on one of the simple carriages, Yang Bin, who heard the sound, couldn't help but poke his head out, looking at the unfamiliar environment around him, feeling the aura of prosperity, and a hint of reminiscence appeared on his rough and aging face. Colorful, he sighed with emotion: "I have been in Beijing for more than ten years, but I never thought that I would come back one day in my lifetime..."
"Husband!" Mrs. Yang, who was leaning against him, felt his excitement and shook his hand to express comfort.
Feeling the madam's thin and rough hands, noticing her gray hair and weathered face, she was a very ordinary old woman, no longer having the magnanimity of the prime minister's wife back then. Thinking of the years of mutual friendship, Yang Fan felt a surge in his heart. Waves of guilt arose: "I have wronged my wife for so many years!"
Mrs. Yang smiled calmly and said, "As a married woman, since I have enjoyed the glory and wealth brought by my husband, how can I complain about going through hardships with my husband?"
Hearing what she said, Yang Bin was even more moved and said, "If I get a wife like this, even if I don't have all the hardships and joys, this life is enough!"
"Wenzhong!" In another carriage, Su Fengji, who was a little dazed, also regained his energy, stuck his head out, and called out.
Soon, a young man with a strong figure and heroic brows came on horseback and called out: "Big Father!"
Seeing his eldest grandson, Su Fengji showed a loving smile and asked, "What were you shouting just now? Where are you?"
Su Wenzhong immediately reported: "We are about to arrive at Xiangfu Station!"
"Xiangfu Station?" Su Fengji muttered to himself.
Su Wenzhong explained: "I heard from the messenger that it is the largest official post in the western suburbs of Kaifeng. After passing Xiangfu, it is not far from the capital!"
"Finally back!" Su Fengji's eyes flashed slightly, as if there were tears, and then he took a breath and ordered: "Lead the servants, watch the horses, don't run away and rush, Tokyo is no better than other places!"
"yes!"
Su Fengji is now nearly seventy years old, and his beard and hair have turned completely gray, but he is obviously in good spirits. Compared to Yang Bin, his situation was even more miserable. Starting from the first year of Qianyou, his family had been on the move for fourteen years, and he still carries a sentence called "no use within three generations". .
In fact, if Su Fengji hadn't been somewhat capable, never gave up in the face of adversity, endured hardships, and led his family to run the horse farm and improve their livelihood, I'm afraid the Su family would have completely sunk.
However, for Su Fengji, the pain has finally come to an end. Although he is old, his mind is not slow. From the moment he received the summons from Tokyo, he knew that the shackles on the Su family were about to be removed, and his years of perseverance were finally rewarded. Over the years, the Su family's horse farm has provided the court with more than 2,100 war horses, which is still far from the number of 3,000. However, it is not a big problem now.
On that day, the elderly Su Fengji and his family bowed toward the east, then sang, danced and drank as much as they wanted. That night, Su Fengji cried loudly in response to the emperor's order until he ran out of voice.
During the more than ten years in Yuanzhou, all of Su Fengji's sons died, either from illness, from serving in the army, or from the local Han-Barbarian conflict. Up to now, there are basically only a handful of old, weak, women and children left in his Su family. The only thing that is relatively lucky is that several grandchildren have gradually grown up. After his training, his eldest grandson Su Wenzhong, who is most valued by him, is also married, enough to support his family. family.
On this trip to Beijing, no one else from the Su family was brought with them, and the eldest grandson was the only one to accompany him. Su Fengji also had high hopes for him.
The team didn't stop until they reached Xiangfu Station. With the size of Xiangfu Station, it is more than enough to accommodate hundreds of horses. However, it is impossible to give them all the space, so under the guidance of Su Fengji and Su Wenzhong, they drove the horses to a place northeast of the station. They were resettled in the wild and camped on the spot, under the supervision of Su Wenzhong.
Su Fengji came to the station, and in front of Xiangfu Station, a touching family meeting was unfolding. Yang Bin's eldest son, Yang Tingkan, and his wife and children knelt down to greet him in the road. His face was full of excitement and sadness. He had been separated for more than ten years and had never met. He could only learn about his father and mother through letters. Now that we see him again, he is naturally full of emotions. Come out vigorously.
Compared with Su Fengji, Yang Bin was luckier in that the disaster did not reach his descendants. Although he was exiled to Jingzhou and suffered, his three sons were not greatly affected and could still serve as officials in the court, especially the last one. The highly valued eldest son Yang Tingkan is now serving as the imperial censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, holding an official position of fifth rank.
"Unfilial son Tingkan, bow down to the two elders!" At this time, Yang Tingkan was kneeling on the ground, not caring about his demeanor or appearance at all, his tone was excited and his emotions were exposed.
In his early years, Yang Tingkan advised Yang Bin several times not to go against the King of Zhou, the Crown Prince, and Emperor Liu, but Yang Bin stubbornly refused to listen, and he later brought disaster upon himself. After being demoted to Jingzhou, Yang Tingkan once thought of serving his parents in Jingzhou, but was severely rejected by Yang Bin.
But for more than ten years, Yang Tingkan has always been angry and even uneasy. He feels that his parents are suffering in a remote and cold place, while he enjoys comfort in Kaifeng, which is an unfilial act. He also went to the emperor several times to plead for his father's life, but was rejected all the time. Over the years, he has been under great psychological pressure. It is almost unimaginable that Yang Tingkan, who is not yet forty years old, has half of his hair white. For this reason, his feelings for his parents cannot be faked.
"Get up!" Yang Bing leaned his old body and helped his eldest son up.
With tears in his eyes, Yang Tingkan looked at his gray-haired old mother and his old father who could no longer straighten his waist. Yang Tingkan said emotionally: "Father, mother, you are unfilial, and you have suffered!"
As for Yang Bin, he noticed Yang Tingkan's gorgeous hair and the appearance of premature aging, and he also let out a deep sigh: "How can a little physical hardship be compared to the pain in your heart!"
As soon as he said this, Yang Tingkan burst into tears again, and finally managed to calm him down. Focusing on the three grandchildren following Yang Tingkan, the eldest grandson was still an ignorant boy when he left Beijing and traveled westward. Now he has grown into a green young man. Facing the strange and curious eyes of his grandchildren, Yang Bin Finally a smile appeared.
Su Fengji saw this scene of reunion of flesh and blood from a distance, and his heart was full of emotions. After they recognized it, he slowly walked forward and said in an old voice: "Congratulations to Brother Yang, father and son are reunited, flesh and blood." I’m so happy that we recognized each other!”
Looking at Su Fengji, Yang Bin immediately ordered to Yang Tingkan: "Quick, I've seen Mr. Su!"
Yang Tingkan finally showed a little surprise. You know, in the early years, these two people were political enemies in the court and fought to the death. However, he still obeyed the order and saluted Su Fengji respectfully.
The two of them, Yang Su, have some sympathy for each other. In the past many years, they have experienced the ups and downs of life and suffered a lot. At this age, there is no grudge that can be ignored.
Although one is in Jingzhou and the other is in Yuanzhou, they are also neighbors. In the past, Su Fengji would visit Yang and his wife with wine and meat from time to time, and drink and talk with them. Yang Bin did not have Su Fengji's ability to manage the household, and his life had always been poor. Whenever he could no longer survive, Su Fengji would always provide food and money to support him.
It can be said that the bitter enemies back then are now true confidants.
