"This road leads to Jingzhou via water from the south of Xiangqing Mountain."
After walking for several days, Zuo Ning estimated their foot strength and time and knew where they were now, reaching a fork in the road.
Zuo Ning rode a white horse, raised his hand and pointed forward, and said firmly.
Lu Shuihan looked at Zuo Ning and tilted his head slightly: "You know what? Didn't you say it was your first time coming here? Did you lie to me?"
"hehe……"
Zuo Ning looked at the road ahead and said with a smile: "I haven't walked it before, but I have seen the map and I remember correctly. According to our current traveling speed, we will reach the fork in half an hour."
With the purpose of teasing Lu Shuihan, he then turned to look at Lu Shuihan in a white dress next to him, and asked with a half-smile:
"If you don't believe it, what else?"
Seeing his vow, Lu Shuihan suddenly remembered that Zuo Ning had been fighting against the Liao people in the north for five or six years.
For people like him, it may not be difficult to memorize a map.
Especially, Zuo Ning is still a martial saint.
In the past few days, although Zuo Ning was hunting and cooking for her along the way, Zuo Ning's guidance on martial arts from time to time allowed her to understand the practical training, and she felt that her strength was slowly improving. rising.
Therefore, after the relationship between the two became more and more familiar, Lu Shuihan completely abandoned the iceberg beauty persona. In Zuo Ning's eyes, she was an out-and-out witch.
In addition, Lu Shuihan has a rather stubborn character, and Zuo Ning keeps talking here, how can she just get along with it so obediently?
Just bet! Who is afraid of whom! ?
She rolled up her cuffs, galloped forward, turned around and shouted to Zuo Ning: "I'm going to take a look at the front first. If it's not what I told you, watch me come back! Why~ I'll deal with you!"
Zuo Ning listened to her clear and melodious voice without saying anything or asking what she would do if what he said was right.
He just nodded, and then looked at Lu Shuihan, who was dressed in white and snowy, riding a horse and disappearing at the end of the road.
"This Tuxue has enough foot power to compete with my Chaiyang..."
Lingyu underneath snorted, and it was obvious that he was in a good mood. His eyes fell on the snow-trodden white horse that disappeared with Lu Shuihan in the distance.
Horse in dream...
Zuo Ning, who was alone for the time being, suddenly lost the eye-catching and chatty fairy next to him, and his thoughts drifted involuntarily.
As he floated, he thought of the people around him.
Li An probably won't miss me, he's so careless...
Dad and grandpa don’t know how to do it anymore. I led the troops out to kill people and lost the prize without caring...
By the way, does Princess Huaiyu know who I am? Just don’t be a naughty princess...
After thinking about it, he suddenly remembered that there was another person he had missed.
——Old Tang, the great steward of the Tang Dynasty.
He arrived earlier than me. Why did he go to the capital?
...?
Beijing
"You! Bah! You! You! I recognize you!"
In a large courtyard in the capital, a middle-aged shopkeeper looked at the middle-aged man with a vicissitudes of life and several knife marks, who was led to his side by Yaxing's subordinates. There was a lot in his eyes. surprise.
He tightened his red robe and the jade belt around his waist, and walked quickly to the entrance of the courtyard, in front of the middle-aged man. Because of his long strides, the gold and silver accessories on his body shook loudly.
"What? Do you recognize me again?" The middle-aged man looked confused and asked as he looked at the thin but rosy middle-aged businessman in front of him.
Since arriving in the capital, he feels as if the entire capital knows him, making it easy to do whatever he wants.
As you imagined, there were no obstacles at all, it was very smooth.
"You are such a noble and forgetful person! I am Lu Tuo. In the early years, General Tang followed Zuozhou Mu in the battle of Changshui and recovered one of the counties from the Liao people, Changling County! I was the one who was rescued by the general at that time. A small businessman!"
Long water? Changling County?
The middle-aged strong man touched his beard, raised his head and carefully recalled what Lu Tuo said.
Oh, I remembered it.
Decades ago, Zuo Cheng had just worshiped Yanzhou Mu and was granted the title of Marquis not long after.
It was because at that time he had just become a state pastor, he was very energetic, he had become a famous master, and he wanted to make great achievements.
Then in a battle at Changshui on the border of the Great Wall, the unprepared Liao army was defeated and driven back for more than a hundred miles. In one fell swoop, they regained the lost territory that had been lost for decades, namely two and six counties in Changshui.
He, Tang Yi, was sent by Zuo Laozhou Mu to recapture Changling County. On the way, he met the Liao army who had robbed the baggage and the population, and a fight ensued.
Thousands of Liao troops were slaughtered.
The Lu Tuo in front of him was indeed one of the people he saved and abducted by the Liao army.
Unexpectedly, I met him again in Beijing today.
Unexpectedly, this small businessman at the beginning has now become a big shot in the dental shop in the capital.
Tsk tsk tsk.
"Is it you? You didn't go back at that time and came directly to the capital?" Old Tang chuckled when he remembered it and asked.
Lu Tuo also stroked his mustache, feeling very emotional.
"Oh, yes, I don't dare to stay there anymore. Even if it is recaptured by the army, I can only leave in a short time. Who knows, it will take more than thirty years to leave like this. Fortunately, I came to the capital. , I have some capital in my hands, and now my family business is getting bigger and bigger, so I have taken root here."
Old Tang thought for a while and originally wanted to continue talking about old times or something, but he couldn't find anything to say.
Then he chose to get straight to the point and asked: "I am a rough man, so I asked directly what I wanted to do without going around in circles. I am going to buy a property here for my eldest son..."
Lu Tuo laughed loudly, pointed at the compound where they were now, and then said with a smile: "General Tang, you have already received the news from the palace. A few days ago, Eunuch Zhang in the palace asked us to pay attention La."
"Master Zuo marries Princess Huaiyu. This is a great joy! After Guyu, the Zuo family will become serious royal relatives! How can an ordinary mansion be worthy of the royal family? How can it be worthy of the Zuo family? "
Lu Tuo spread his hands, motioned Old Tang to look at the mansion, and then said.
"Did you see it? This mansion! Let's just collect the principal. This location faces the Qingjiang River on the left and the Xiuchun Mountain in the back. This location, let alone ordinary people, was the one that the big shots in the court wanted to buy! Then come to the door. None! Even if you have money, you can’t buy it!..."
Then Lu Tuo leaned into Old Tang's ear and whispered: "Eunuch Zhang got this directly for us, but it was found after a lot of hard work according to the princess's preferences..."
As soon as these words came out, Old Tang felt something strange.
He thought about it carefully: The people in the palace helped to solve the problem. What does this mean? What else can be explained? The person in the palace obviously played a role in fueling this incident!
You can’t live without this house. If you want to buy a house, you can only get this house!
No wonder when I first went to the dental store to inquire, the shopkeeper took a look at me and directed me here.
This shows that Princess Huaiyu's marriage may have been facilitated by this group of people in the palace who were adding fuel to the flames and gossiping in the ears of the Holy Emperor.
This is obviously looking for a backer for himself.
The Zuo family of Yanzhou has been in charge of Yanzhou for more than thirty years, and holds the Yanzhou army, and is now at the peak of its power.
Mr. Zuo couldn't do anything wrong with finding this supporter...
So what's the hesitation? So be it.
Old Tang waved his hand and nodded.
"Let's just go to this one. Just go to the bank to ask for the money. Tell me about this mansion and let me get familiar with it."
Lu Tuo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the instructions in the palace were completed, and then he showed a happy face and introduced to Old Tang.
"This mansion has a total of five courtyards. Among them, Ningluan Courtyard is the largest, and the courtyard is also the largest. After that, there are four courtyards of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, and four wing rooms in the east, west, south, and north..."
…
"Sister, I'm getting married in more than half a month. What will I do if you leave? I'll be suffocated to death if I only have a little brat like Shen Feng!"
In a waterside pavilion in the palace, a girl who looked like sitting next to Princess Huaiyu Shen Luan complained softly.
Shen Luan closed the book in his hand and placed it on the tea table next to him. His slender legs were not pulled out of the water, and her crystal pink feet swayed in the water, causing ripples in circles.
She stretched out her smooth hand and gently tapped the girl next to her on the forehead.
In a gentle voice, she scolded with an angry smile: "Well, Luo Yu, I thought you were here to care about me."
The girl next to her pursed her lips and continued to complain softly.
"My sister is married to a husband who is still Zuo Gongzi, the first of the four Qingzheng sons. There is nothing to worry about..."
Shen Luan pulled back her hair on her temples, and her hair moved the pendant on her head, making a clear and joyful sound. After listening to her sister's words, her soft and elegant little face was full of doubts.
What is the Fourth Young Master Qingzheng?
Luo Yu Princess Shen Yuan can tell from Shen Luan's confused look that her eldest sister is really not interested in outside things and rarely understands them.
Every time she comes to her sister's place, she is basically alone making tea, holding a book, or doing calligraphy and painting, or being a female celebrity.
The biggest action may be to feed the few goldfish in the pond.
It's a huge difference from running around in the palace every day.
They are all born to the same mother. My sister is Chang'e on the moon, who is as quiet as if no mortal dust has fallen from the sky. She is the jade rabbit next to the fairy...
Hey! Strange.
"They are the four most famous heroes in our Daqing. That Zuo Ning is one of them, and the first. I heard that he is very handsome and has strong martial arts skills, but he is also a general on horseback."
Shen Luan listened to his sister's statement and felt calm, but he was still a little curious about what was going on with his fiancé.
Although she had made the preparations she should do, she had never deliberately gotten to know her future husband in the past few days.
All that was known about him was that he was still engaged to the daughter of Yunzhou Mu.
There is obviously an engagement, but my father still wants to marry me to him, so there must be something special about him, right?
"Sounds pretty good."
she said with a smile.
"I wonder if a handsome person can be very romantic, and then marry his sister and go to the brothel every day like those romantic young men in the book... Isn't there a saying? What is it called... Oh , Home flowers are not as fragrant as wild flowers!”
Shen Yuan played with her green fingers, looked up at the blue sky, and said nonsensical words.
Although she was just talking nonsense, Shen Luan listened and was stunned. She hugged the overly plump watermelon in her clothes and couldn't help but worry.
What Shen Yuan said makes sense.
well.
She sighed and thought: I just hope he can hold a bowl of water in his hands, and just do his part.
"Sister, if he dares to bully you, I will beat him directly. The emperor is still a grandmaster, and he dotes on us."
After saying that, Shen Yuan waved her pink fist in the air, and her cute kitten's face was filled with an expression of indignation.
When Shen Luan saw that his sister was so concerned with him, he smiled, loosened his arms around Xigua, stretched out his hand and pinched her little face.
"good."
Shen Yuan blinked at the eye-catching movement after her sister let go of her arms, the overwhelmed clothes, and the snowy abyss that could be seen inside along the collar.
Then he asked: "Sister, aren't you... tired?"
When Shen Yuan was still wondering what Shen Yuan was talking about, he followed her gaze and saw the mountains where he could only lower his head to barely see his toes, and then his face turned red.
"Otherwise, why do you think I like to sit and read..."
Looking at the envious look on his sister's face after the comparison, he comforted her,
"It's okay. Also, you haven't grown up yet, why are you anxious?"
"Oh... they are both born to the same mother. Why is one a big watermelon and the other a poached egg..."
When Shen Luan heard this metaphor, he blushed slightly and stretched out his hand to weigh it. It was indeed very heavy.
Shen Yuan couldn't stand the defeat. She snorted and ran away like a defeated rooster, leaving Shen Luan's place.
"This girl..."
Shen Luan shook his head helplessly, subconsciously straightened his chest, stretched, and then continued to open the book, quietly returning to the state of immersed in the sea of books.
