Hebei Province deposed the envoy and took charge of the local government affairs of Hebei Province.
The governors and county magistrates of all states and counties must obey the orders of the deposed envoys. The deposed envoys have great power. They can even depose the governor of a state and kill them first and then report them.
The chief military officer of Hebei Province is in charge of the military affairs and defense of various places in Hebei Province.
All local garrisons, frontier troops, etc. must obey the orders of the marching general. To put it bluntly, even if the marching general intends to rebel, the soldiers must obey.
The Queen's conferment of these two titles on Su Xian is equivalent to conferring Su Xian as the "Tu Emperor" of Hebei Province.
This shows that the Queen trusts and respects Su Xian.
The ministers were naturally envious of him. He was the deposed envoy and the general manager of the march! How glorious would it be if such a good thing happened to them?
However, the ministers also knew that they were helpless regarding the issue of Ping An City. Even if the Queen intended to grant them a title, they would not dare to accept it.
I can’t envy this kind of thing!
Princess Lanling was suddenly confused. She had also been given the titles of Hebei Province's deposed envoy and Hebei Province's marching general manager last year.
But she is the princess of the Liang Dynasty and the queen's daughter. The queen should trust her.
To put it bluntly, even if she rebels in Hebei Province, the world still belongs to their family.
And Su Xian... is a foreign minister after all, and the Queen's trust in him is not as high as that of Lan Ling!
Princess Lanling's heart was deeply touched.
But after thinking about it, the Queen's move was quite reasonable. She was prepared to win over and maintain a relationship with someone as talented as Su Xian at all costs, let alone the Queen.
…
Su Xian thanked the queen again and left the palace immediately.
He is planning to leave today.
The Queen was very satisfied with this. After Su Xian left, she dismissed all the ministers and returned to the imperial study to continue reviewing the memorial.
Fan Yanghou Mansion.
The news that Su Xian will leave for Youzhou today has already spread throughout the mansion.
Mrs. Tang Shuwan and Liu Huixiang were both reluctant and worried, but they had no choice but to pack Su Xian's luggage thoughtfully and carefully.
afternoon.
Everything is ready.
Su Xian is about to leave.
In the back house, in Tang Shuwan's room.
The two ladies took matters into their own hands and changed Su Xian's clothes for the trip.
"My husband is going to Youzhou. Although there is no war, you still need to be extra careful. No matter what the circumstances, you must protect yourself and not be easily involved in danger..."
Tang Shuwan babbled.
Su Xian reassured:
"Don't worry. When I go to Youzhou, there will be countless people following me covertly and covertly. My husband's safety is very important. Besides, isn't there Zhi Lan? She will protect me."
"With Miss Yang by my husband's side, I feel at ease, but..." Liu Huixiang hesitated before speaking. She glanced at Tang Shuwan secretly, hesitated for a moment, and finally said:
"What I'm worried about is that my husband won't be able to eat or sleep well outside. Why don't I... go with my husband so that I can take care of my husband's food, clothing, housing and transportation along the way."
Su Xian turned to look at Liu Huixiang and said with a smile: "No need, my husband has never traveled far, so he will take good care of himself."
The two women wanted to say something else, but Su Xian spoke first:
"What you have to do is to stay well in the house, don't think about it, and just wait for your husband to return to Beijing."
"Yes." The two women finally nodded in unison.
"By the way, Master and Master's wife..." Su Xian considered the words.
The two women said: "Don't worry, husband, I will definitely visit the ladies from time to time."
"No, what I mean is, if you have nothing to do, don't go there, just pretend they don't exist." Su Xian didn't think too much and simply said it.
"Ah?" The two women were stunned, with puzzled faces: "Husband, why...that's the master's wife!"
"You don't understand. Anyway, just listen to my husband. Okay, it's almost time. Let the two ladies see your husband out of the house." Su Xian straightened his face.
"good."
The two women were still confused, but they didn't bother to ask any more questions, and followed Su Xian slowly towards the door of the house.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the inner house, he met a young man running towards him with a group of eunuchs.
Su Xian recognized at a glance that the eunuch holding the fly whisk at the front was none other than Eunuch Liu. Why was he here? Su Xian was puzzled.
"Lieutenant, it's not good, it's not good!" Eunuch Liu panted and ran closer, shaking the whisk in his hand and looking anxious.
"What happened? Speak slowly, don't panic."
Su Xian couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart. Eunuch Liu was a eunuch in the palace. He came to the Hou Mansion and shouted "It's not good". It was really unreasonable for people to think too much.
Could it be that something is wrong with the queen in the palace?
This is not good.
If the Queen is not good, the only possibility is that the old disease will relapse... Su Xian couldn't help but cursed Li Qingniu in his heart for being such a cheat. Can't the disease be eradicated by treating it? Repeatedly it really damages the reputation of the miracle doctor!
Eunuch Liu gasped and said:
"The news that the Yellow River... will overflow in July and August this year, somehow... leaked out. People in the states and counties along the Yellow River... are discussing it heatedly and the public sentiment is boiling!"
"Who leaked the news?"
The stone that was weighing on Su Xian's heart was removed. It wasn't because the Queen was in trouble.
Then, he frowned again. Once this kind of news is leaked, it will definitely cause panic among the people, and it may cause some trouble. This is not a trivial matter.
"Replying to the Lieutenant, it is said that they are... remnants of the previous dynasty. They somehow knew about this and secretly spread rumors in the counties and counties along the Yellow River!" Eunuch Liu was still panting.
"Remnants of the previous dynasty!"
Su Xian's heart suddenly brightened. There was no doubt that it was the remnants of the previous dynasty who were causing trouble. He said in a cold voice: "Sooner or later, I will uproot these evildoers!"
"..."
As soon as he finished speaking, another eunuch rushed over and saluted Su Xian:
"Her Majesty the Queen has a decree, please don't worry about the problems of the people along the Yellow River, and go north to Youzhou with peace of mind to negotiate with the Liao Kingdom without being distracted."
Su Xian was startled: "How does Your Majesty plan to solve this problem?"
The eunuch replied:
"Reporting to Taiwei, Your Majesty has decided to inform the world about the fact that Taiwei went to Youzhou to negotiate with the Liao Kingdom to obtain the two million taels for dredging the river."
"Believe in the prestige of Lieutenant Yi, the conspiracy of the remnants of the previous dynasty will definitely be defeated without any attack!"
Su Xian raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "I accept the decree and ask my father-in-law to go back and tell your majesty that your trip to Youzhou will definitely not disappoint your majesty!"
"yes!"
After seeing off the two eunuchs, Su Xian took the two ladies and finally walked out of the house.
On the bluestone street in front of the mansion, a long motorcade was ready.
Su Xian let go of the two ladies' little hands, took a step forward, then stopped, looked back, looked at the two ladies and said:
"Husband, I'm leaving now. You guys just stay at home and wait for your husband to come back and bring you gifts."
The two women had a lot of emotions. They had only expected Su Xian to come back a few days ago, but Su Xian had to leave again two days before they were reunited. Although they felt uncomfortable in their hearts, they only had one sentence in the end:
"Husband, please take care of yourself!"
Su Xian waved his hand, turned around and boarded the carriage resolutely.
With the sound of "dang" gong, the motorcade set off slowly.
Tang Shuwan and Liu Huixiang had been standing on the street in front of the mansion, watching the convoy go away, and then they returned to the mansion lonely.
…
As soon as the convoy left the city, Su Xian, who was sitting in the carriage, heard commotion coming from outside.
The carriage has also stopped.
Su Xian wondered, could someone still dare to break into his motorcade in broad daylight?
Don’t even look at his current status!
"Brother Su, Brother Su..."
At this time, a familiar voice came from outside.
Su Xian was stunned for a full second before he realized what he was doing. He got out of the carriage and took a look. The person not far away who was mingling with the soldiers of the Hou Mansion was none other than Lin Chuan!
"Brother Lin! Long time no see!"
Su Xian laughed, jumped off the carriage, dismissed the soldiers of the Marquis Mansion, and bowed to Lin Chuan.
During this period of time, Su Xian often traveled abroad, but other things did not stop because of his absence. For example, Lin Chuan passed the exam and "promoted" from Yingzhou Prefecture School to the Imperial College.
When Su Xian saw Lin Chuan, he couldn't help but think of last year——
In Leshou County, Yingzhou, if he had not seized the opportunity to rescue Princess Lanling, he might have become a supervisor of the Imperial College like Lin Chuan.
Climbing up step by step through studying, taking imperial examinations, and becoming an official is also a path.
But Su Xian resolutely gave up this path because it was too slow.
"Brother Su!"
Lin Chuan walked over with a smile and bowed in return. He was very thin, with a slightly hunched back, and was very enthusiastic. He put his arm around Su Xian as soon as he came up.
Su Xian didn't feel repelled, but was very cordial. He also put his arm around Lin Chuan's shoulder, as intimate as before.
In fact, Su Xian clearly felt that since he rose through the ranks, became a first-grade Taiwei, and became a hereditary marquis, his relationships with many people had undergone tremendous changes.
For example, for Princess Lanling, Su Xian used to hold her thigh, but now it's the other way around. There is a tendency that Lanling needs to hold his thigh, and Lanling's attitude has also changed greatly.
For example, Liu Huixiang was obviously more respectful to him, and Zhang Cuihua, who used to be a tough woman who dared to chase him out, now only shows respect.
Another example is Tang Ju, Tang Shuwan, Tang Shujing, Chen Keyan, Chen Di, the Queen, etc. Their attitudes towards Su Xian have also undergone irreversible changes.
Only Lin Chuan has remained unchanged, retaining his original intention as always.
He is not afraid of Su Xian's current glory and aura. Su Xian has carefully observed that Lin Chuan is not pretending. He really doesn't care too much. Su Xian can feel it.
Su Xian likes this feeling, it always reminds him of the days when his former classmates were studying.
It gives people a relaxed and comfortable feeling, which seems very valuable and precious to him at the moment!
Probably, it's because the relationship between the two was so good before.
At that time, Su Xian was very poor, and Lin Chuanduo had financial support and protection. They ate together, slept together, and went to brothels together, forming a deep friendship...
"I heard that Brother Su is going to Youzhou?" Lin Chuan came closer with a mysterious look on his face.
"Not bad." Su Xian nodded, his distant thoughts brought back.
"Just in time, I'm going too, we just happened to be traveling together." Lin Chuan was mysterious, but he also turned around and glanced behind him guiltily, as if he was hiding from someone.
When Su Xian saw this, he understood and said with a smile:
"Of course it's okay to go together, but you have to tell me, what are you going to Youzhou for? I remember that you are now a student of the Imperial College."
Lin Chuan came closer, with a mysterious and excited look on his face, and lowered his voice:
"It's okay to tell Brother Su. Brother, I learned through special channels that a group of foreign women came to Pinyu Pavilion in Youzhou. They are all young and beautiful virgins!"
"It is said that they are not ordinary women. They all have the appearance of courtesans, and their literary talents are also extraordinary. They are the best that have been rare in hundreds of years! And they are a group of them."
"Pinyu Pavilion is going to comb them."
"Brother, I have never seen a woman from a foreign race in my life. This time I have to go and meet them for a while. If I can be lucky enough to comb them, my life will be in vain, brother."
Su Xian twitched the corner of his mouth and said with a smile: "Them? Do you still want to take them all?"
Lin Chuan suddenly held his head high, and the mysterious look on his thin face became a little thicker. He said proudly: "You don't know this, brother, I had an adventure some time ago!"
"What adventure?"
"I met a Taoist priest who studied the art of health and bed. I spent a lot of money and finally learned many tricks from the old Taoist priest. If there is a chance, I can conquer all those foreign women!"
Lin Chuan was very proud and stared at Su Xian with burning eyes, as if to say: "Please beg me. If you beg me, for the sake of brotherhood, I can consider teaching those skills to you!"
However, Su Xian was indifferent and even showed some disdain, which made Lin Chuan confused. Could it be that Brother Su was pretending not to care?
Just when he was about to say something, the crowd of onlookers suddenly started to commotion, and someone shouted: "Beast, don't run away if you have the guts... Come back here..."
Su Xian was stunned. This voice sounded like Lin Chuan's father - Lin Youcai!
"Brother Su, let's set off quickly."
As expected, Lin Chuan panicked and pulled Su Xian to get into the carriage.
Su Xian did not move, and sighed slightly in his heart, saying to himself: "What a pity the hearts of parents in the world!"
When Lin Chuan saw Su Xian not moving, he felt anxious. He could no longer care about showing off, and said anxiously with a look like "I'm giving you an advantage":
"As long as Brother Su takes me to Youzhou, I will teach you those skills. Is that interesting enough?"
"All right."
Su Xian was not coveting his few moves. What moves were more powerful than Li Qingniu's Pre-Qin Guidance Technique?
He just didn't want to see the Lin family and his son causing a scene in the street.
…
This time when heading north to Youzhou, Su Xian planned to take the water route.
The Grand Canal in the north is called "Yongji Canal".
Yongji Canal connects Youzhou to the north and Qinshui River to the south. Qinshui River merges into the Yellow River, and the Yellow River is connected to Luoshui River.
This entire golden waterway connects Shendu and Youzhou. It is equivalent to a direct connection and is faster. In addition, taking a boat is more comfortable.
A long time ago, Su Xian had symptoms of seasickness, but Li Qingniu prescribed some medicine for him and after some conditioning, he was no longer afraid of seasickness.
After the convoy leaves the city, it goes directly to the Luoshui Pier outside the city, where they will board the ship and head north...
Life on the ship was very slow. At night, in addition to the sound of rushing water, there was the sound of the hull and mast swaying gently. Su Xian fell asleep very late.
When he got up early the next morning, Yang Zhilan entered the cabin and awkwardly helped him change his clothes.
Su Xian yawned and asked casually: "Where are we?"
"Xinxiang!" Yang Zhilan cherished his words like gold.
Xinxiang County is part of Weizhou, which is the southernmost state and county in Hebei Province.
After sailing all night last night, their big ship had sailed from Luoshui into the Yellow River, and then from the Yellow River into Qinshui, arriving at the boundary of Hebei Province.
This is the southernmost end of the Yongji Canal, and a canal wharf is built. Generally, ships traveling from south to north will stop here and go ashore for repairs for a period of time.
