Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 417 Happened
Yuan Luqian's residence was not far from the Changshan Mansion. When he returned to the mansion that day, the family manager Zhai Wande immediately came to greet him.

"Alang said that there will be a banquet in honor of Prefect Xue. Is it scheduled to be today?"

"I'm afraid it won't be convenient for him, let's do it tomorrow." Yuan Luqian recalled the scene he saw outside the city.

"Here." Zhai Wande responded. He glanced up and noticed a person behind Yuan Luqian. He immediately saluted and said, "Xianyu Langjun, are you injured? Do you need to call a doctor?"

Xian Yuyu wore a bamboo hat and lowered his head. He didn't expect to be recognized by Zhai Wande like this and was shocked.

"No, please bring some medicine." Yuan Luqian said, "Don't make any noise."

After that, he took Xian Yuyu to the guest room.

Just after entering the door, Xian Yuyu took off his bamboo hat and said, "The steward in your house has very poisonous eyes. He won't tell others, right?"

"Don't worry, he can be trusted." Yuan Luqian said: "Tell me quickly, how did Xianyu Gong pass away?"

Mentioning this matter, Xian Yuyu still had a look of fear in his eyes and said: "My father came to Fan Yang in February and was recruited to Xiongwucheng by An Lushan soon after. My father had a premonition that something was wrong and asked our brothers to stay with my mother. In Fanyang. Last month, a family member came back quietly and asked us to take my mother back to Chang'an. At that time, I was in my hometown in Yuyang..."

Just when he said this, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. Xian Yuyu quickly stopped and looked around to see where he could hide.

Yuan Luqian stepped forward and opened the door, and saw Zhai Wande coming with medicine.

"Alang, the prefect is here."

"he?"

Yuan Luqian was surprised, thinking that Xue Bai was just immersed in the gentle countryside, how could he come here at this time?
He then asked Xian Yuyu to stay for a while, saying that he would come back after he had seen the guests.

Xian Yuyu immediately became nervous after hearing this and said: "Yuan Changshi, I came to you because I trust you. Please don't betray me."

"If you are worried, just follow me behind the screen and listen."

As long as Yuan Luqian intends to capture Xian Yuyu, it doesn't matter whether he is in the guest room or behind the screen, but Xian Yuyu feels relieved after hearing this. He ignored the application and followed the steward to the screen in the lobby.

After a while, there was a conversation in the hall.

"I didn't expect the prefect to come here at this time. I wonder if you have any official business?"

"There is no official business. I came to ask Yuan Changshi for help."

Yuan Luqian was surprised and asked: "What does the prefect mean by this?"

"Since I have a personal grudge against An Lushan, I still dare to serve as an official in Changshan County. The news must have reached An Lushan's ears by now. Perhaps the troops he sent to kill me are on the way..."

Xian Yuyu listened behind the screen and felt that the prefect's voice was very young and somewhat familiar.

He then quietly poked his head out to look at the screen and exclaimed in surprise: "Xue Bai?!"

During the Battle of Nanzhao, Xue Bai and Xian Yu Zhongtong's three sons had all met before. Although they didn't have a deep impression, they recognized them immediately because he had always been very concerned about Xian Yu Zhongtong.

"How are you here?"

"Are you actually the governor of Changshan?!"

Xian Yuyu was surprised by Xue Bai's rapid promotion in official position, and at the same time he felt unexpectedly happy. He knew Xue Bai's position, so he quickly told Xue Bai and what he had just said to Yuan Luqian.

"I returned to Fanyang from my hometown in Yuyang. I heard that my mother-in-law and brother encountered bandits on the way out of Fanyang... and the whole family was killed! I didn't believe it, so I pursued the matter until I bribed a slave from Fanyang Dudu Mansion. , I discovered that the matter was related to Ashina Chengqing, so I pretended to be a slave and sneaked into Ashina Chengqing's house. Finally, I met him entertaining guests. They drank too much and talked proudly about how they were doing. They dressed up as robbers and killed my mother-in-law and brother. In order to look more like robbers, they also stripped off their clothes..."

Speaking of what happened later, Xian Yuyu burst into tears.

Xue Bai asked: "You said, Mr. Xianyu passed away?"

"Yes, someone at the banquet asked, 'How about revenge on Xianyu Zhongtong?' Ashina Chengqing laughed loudly and said that as early as last month, my grandfather had been killed in Xiongwu City, and his head was placed in a box. Sent back to Fan Yang."

"Killed last month?"

"Yes, on April 12th, my grandfather wanted to bribe a school captain in Xiongwu City, but he was betrayed."

"Did you hear it with your own ears? What Ashina Chengqing said?"

"Yes."

"Is this person a big talker?"

"No." Xian Yuyu recalled, with hatred in his eyes, and gritted his teeth and said: "Ashina Chengqing is very calm."

Xue Bai pondered: "But I also received a letter from your father yesterday. The time of writing was at the beginning of this month, the third day of May."

"how come?!"

"Let's talk to the government office."

Xian Yuyu had previously been a little excluded from the Changshan Yamen Office, thinking that there were many idle people in the Yamen Office and it was not as safe as Yuan Luqian's house, but he no longer cared about this.

And if Xue Bai couldn't even control the small government office, how could he control the huge Changshan County?

When they arrived at the official residence, several letters were immediately handed to Xian Yuyu.

"I have had some correspondence with your grandfather since he was appointed Deputy Envoy of Fan Yang Jiedu." Xue Bai asked, "Do you know?"

"I don't know why my grandfather wrote to you?"

"Because he understands that he will be in danger when he reaches Fan Yang, and he needs an ally who can really help him."

Xian Yuyu took a look at the letters and found that they were indeed Xian Yu Zhongtong's handwriting.

There are four letters in total. The first three letters were all written in February. The first letter was written by Xianyu Zhongtong when he arrived in Fanyang and described what he saw and heard at that time. The second letter said that he had done nothing since he took office. Sanfeng said that he was recruited to Xiongwu City by An Lushan, and he was very worried. Xian Yuyu has experienced all these things and is certain that they were written by Grandpa.

Then, he opened the fourth letter, which was written by Xianyu Zhongtong in Xiongwucheng. The content was that Anlushan had transferred a large number of troops to Hedong and had not returned yet. The defense of Xiongwucheng was greatly weakened, and he finally found an opportunity to hand it over. At the end of the letter, he said that he, the deputy envoy of Jiedu, had been targeted and hoped that Xue Bai would find a way to save him.

Xian Yuyu looked at the place where the signature was signed. Sure enough, the time was fifteen days ago. He immediately said happily: "My grandpa is still alive!"

There was some doubt in Xue Bai's eyes, and he asked: "Are you sure this is your grandfather's handwriting?"

"Yes." Xian Yuyu cried with joy and said, "At least I can't tell it's fake."

Yuan Luqian also received the letter and read it. His eyes swept back and forth between the two people's faces. Unable to tell what was going on, he asked: "Prefect, how did you receive these letters?"

"Through private business travel."

It is said to be a business trip, but it is actually a bank of Fenghui Bank. Although there is no Fenghui Bank in Fan Yang, there are also shopkeepers who can exchange flying money. As long as Xianyu Zhongtong hands the letter to them, they will naturally be able to deliver the letter to Xue Bai with the help of Fenghuixing's powerful delivery capabilities.

Yuan Luqian recalled that what Xian Yuyu said just now was not fake, and asked: "Is it possible that the fourth letter received by the prefect is a forgery?"

Before today, Xue Bai thought this possibility was very small.

If the letter written by Xian Yu Zhongtong is fake, it can only be forged by someone under An Lushan. Let’s assume it’s Gao Shang. Looking at the content of the letter, if Gao Shang can forge such a letter, it means that Gao Shang can forge such a letter. , he must have known that Xue Bai was spying on Fan Yang's information, and also knew that Xianyu Zhongtong had been communicating with Xue Bai through private money exchange. Then, he shouldn't have reacted like this, only reporting the situation in Xiongwu City without setting a hook.

Also, if these people can find out this, they should also know that Xue Bai has arrived at Changshan. How can they not react at all?

But when I met Xian Yuyu today, some things were different.

"It's possible." Xue Bai said, taking back the fourth letter, squinting his eyes slightly, looking at every word on it, and murmured: "I can almost conclude now that this letter is a forgery."

Xian Yuyu couldn't stand the ups and downs of his mood. He would rather believe that the news he found was false, but also wanted to maintain the authenticity of the letter, saying: "Who forged it? Why did it do this?"

"There's only one reason."

~~
Houya.

Li Tengkong put the folded Taoist robe into the closet, dusted off the lint on it, thought about it, and placed it in another compartment, freeing up the space next to it.

"Who can put the clothes here?" Li Jilan came over and said, "Can I put my clothes here?"

"There are many rooms, so you can sleep next door."

"Huh?" Li Jilan pretended to be confused.

Li Tengkong's ears were a little red, but he was still trying to cover it up, and said in a calm tone: "I recently want to practice meditation and meditate at night, so I don't want to disturb you."

"I'm not afraid of disturbing you." Li Jilan said with a smile, "I gave up the opportunity to ask Li Bai and Cui Hao for poetry advice to accompany you. It's better for you to alienate me. I'll sleep in mine at night, so you can just clean up."

Li Tengkong couldn't stand her teasing, and was at a loss when he heard Mian'er calling from the yard: "Mr."

It was already dark at this time, Jiao Nu was hanging a lantern at the courtyard gate, and Xue Bai came over in a hurry.

Li Jilan then echoed: "Look at him, he is impatient."

"Where did you learn this? Be more serious."

"Am I not serious?" Li Jilan was surprised.

Li Tengkong calmed down his expression, raised his eyes, and met Xue Bai's eyes.

She was very happy, finally leaving Chang'an and being able to stay with him for a while.

However, Xue Bai spoke quickly: "The situation has changed, you must leave immediately."

Li Tengkong's originally bright and happy eyes dimmed immediately, and he pursed his lips stubbornly and said, "We agreed that you would let me stay with you for a while longer."

In the morning, she had said calmly that it was her freedom to stay, but in desperation, she still expressed her inner expectations.

Xue Bai stepped forward, patted her slender back as if no one was watching, and said softly: "The situation has changed. I'm afraid An Lushan has rebelled. The soldiers and horses have moved south from Xiongwu City and may come at any time."

"What about you? Are you leaving too?"

"I am the prefect of a county. How can I abandon the city and run away just because of the slightest speculation or the slightest rumor?"

"I'll accompany you. I can take care of myself and don't have to distract you."

"But I still get distracted."

Li Tengkong lowered his head, preparing to leave obediently.

Xue Bai said: "I have sent someone to tell my uncle to speed up his journey. You don't have to join them anymore and go straight to Yangzhou."

"Okay." Li Tengkong was obedient in the end, but he was inevitably a little aggrieved.

Even Li Jilan felt a sense of disappointment as her expectations were dashed. She turned to look at the door and said, "It's getting dark. Can we start again tomorrow?"

Xue Baicai had been busy just now, and then he remembered that he had just ordered the city gate to be closed.

"Okay, are you hungry? Let's eat something delicious tonight."

~~
Zhending is a very prosperous and wealthy city.

This is a thoroughfare on the North China Plain. It is located side by side with Taiyuan on the left and right of the Taihang Mountains. They are both metropolises. Therefore, people later said that "Huahua Zhending Mansion and Splendid Taiyuan City".

Although its scale has not yet reached its peak, the pattern of the northern metropolis has been formed. At night, both sides of Dasiqian Street in front of Longxing Temple are lined with vendors, brightly lit.

Although it's just a normal season, Zhending City without a curfew feels a bit like the Lantern Festival in Chang'an. Of course, it's limited to one or two streets.

Xue Bai took Li Tengkong and Li Jilan along the street, sometimes quietly holding hands with Li Tengkong.

"Do you remember that the first time you and I met was on the Lantern Festival?"

"But you haven't taken me to the lantern market during the Lantern Festival yet."

At this time, Xue Bai was very busy as he had many arrangements to make after dinner. But after hearing Li Tengkong's words, his anxious heart suddenly calmed down.

He then led her to the stall and said he would buy her some jewelry.

However, Li Tengkong took a fancy to the straw butterflies sold by an old woman in the back. The old woman obviously did not make a living by setting up a stall, and she could not afford to light a candle. She only placed a few straw handicrafts made by her daughter in the corner.

Xue Bai handed over the money, and Li Tengkong tied the straw butterfly on her lotus crown, smoothed her hair, and after a while, she asked in a low voice.

"Does it look good?"

"When everyone looks at each other, the color of the world is like dust." "Slick tongue."

The wind was blowing very pleasantly at this time of year. Suddenly, I heard shouting from behind, and a group of officials came to drive away these vendors.

"Everyone go back, Zhending City will implement a curfew starting tonight, and you are not allowed to go out without any reason!"

The sudden decree was unacceptable to the vendors, and the streets became chaotic.

Li Jilan turned around and saw that the old woman selling straw weaving just now was also pushed and pushed in a very awkward manner. She couldn't help but said: "These officials slap their heads on the head for doing things, but they suffer for the people."

"Stop talking." Li Tengkong reminded in a low voice.

"But look how much they bully others..."

Li Tengkong then glanced at Xue Bai and knew that it must be the chief official of Changshan County who ordered the curfew.

They quickened their pace and looked for a restaurant on the street. The shopkeeper was standing by the door anxiously, saying that he might not be able to entertain many guests. But he didn't know what Xue Bai said to him, so he arranged for a private room, ordered a few of the restaurant's specialty dishes, and asked for a bottle of sake.

"Xue Lang is such a bad drinker, why should he drink?" Li Jilan asked curiously.

"Here you go."

"You want to get me drunk? But I have a good capacity for drinking."

"It's okay to pretend to be drunk." Xue Bai said with a smile.

Li Jilan was taking a sip of wine when he heard these words and blushed on his face.

Li Tengkong also blushed.

~~
It was late at night and the back house was quiet.

Xue Bai took care of some more affairs and came back under the moonlight. He saw that the lights in several rooms had been turned off.

He pushed the door open and saw Li Tengkong meditating on a futon by the window. The soft moonlight shone through the window paper on her face and neck, giving her a hazy beauty.

Xue Bai couldn't bear to disturb her Qingxiu, so he quietly walked to the side of the couch and took off his coat.

Li Tengkong walked over as softly as a cat and hugged his waist from behind.

"Are you done?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"No, Ji Lanzi is drunk..."

Everyone gets drunk even if they are not drunk. Xue Bai smelled the faint fragrance of Li Tengkong and felt a little tipsy, so he turned around, took her into his arms, and sighed comfortably.

She was too thin, a little bit awkward, but it made him pity her even more.

"I really want to hold you like this forever." Li Tengkong said.

She was a noble outsider, but she could say such words so emotionally. Xue Bai was surrounded by this affection and became more and more drunk.

He seemed to have fallen into a gentle land, soft and comfortable, with a faint fragrance...

When I woke up from the gentle countryside, the sky was already bright.

Li Tengkong fell asleep on her side, sucking her fingers. Her broken hair, which had been wetted by sweat and then dried, was still stuck to her red cheeks. She was obviously still sleeping deeply because she was exhausted at night, which made Xue Bai unbearable. Wake her up.

Feeling her even breathing, he hesitated a few times and said, "Are you awake?"

Li Tengkong snorted and buried his head in his shoulder.

"Are you awake?"

"No."

"It's time to get ready to go." Xue Bai couldn't bear it and explained in a low voice: "I'm afraid there's going to be a war. I can't take care of you..."

"I hate fighting."

~~
The separation of a pair of young lovers is probably the most insignificant destruction that the war will bring.

~~
At noon, Xue Bai sent Li Tengkong and Li Jilan out of the city.

They left the government office and led their horses through the long street. When passing by Tianning Temple, I heard the bell ringing in the temple.

Xue Bai then looked in the direction of the temple.

He saw a straight line of smoke in the distance. The smoke was so thick that it was not blown sideways even in the wind.

That's the smoke.

There should be no beacon smoke. Even if An Lushan rebels, the local people are not very good at lighting up beacon smoke, unless there are still officials in Hebei who are committed to the Tang Dynasty... Of course there are.

Xue Bai felt excited and finally came back to his senses from his sluggish state.

"Get out of the way! Urgent report! Get out of the way!"

There is a knight riding on horseback from the other end of the long street.

Looking back, we can see that the people are stopping to look at the smoke in the distance and pointing, but most of them are not afraid.

After a long period of peace, the people living in Changshan County had never seen the smoke of war and had no idea what it was.

Xue Bai pulled Li Tengkong and Li Jilan to the side of the road. With a "swish", the knight who reported the news rode past them and went straight to the government office.

"go back."

Xue Bai immediately turned around and rushed back to Changshan County Sheriff's Mansion.

Before he arrived, the drums in the government office had already sounded, calling for officials at all levels in a hurry.

"Dong dong dong dong..."

Xue Bai's face was still calm, but his steps speeded up unconsciously.

"The governor is there!"

"Close the city gate! Go quickly and close the city gate!"

"Prefect!"

Ahead, a group of people rushed toward Xue Bai in a panic.

Yuan Luqian walked in the front, the expression on his face had completely lost control, and he was panicked in a way that a well-educated county magistrate Shi shouldn't be.

"Prefect, this is Wei Jia Shen of Tumen County. We have an extremely urgent matter."

Xue Bai turned around and recognized Jia Shen as the knight who had just galloped on his horse.

But he was not in a hurry to hear the information, but said: "Don't panic, we'll talk about it in the hall."

After saying that, Xue Bai glanced back and saw that Li Tengkong and Li Jilan had consciously turned back to the back house, and he just walked towards the lobby. The movement seemed a bit slow in the eyes of the officials, but this slowness relieved their anxiety just now.

Tumen County is located to the west of Zhending County, just at the exit of Jingxing in the Taihang Mountains. It is an important transportation place between Hebei and Shanxi. To the west of the county seat, there is a Tumen Pass guarding the dangerous road to Jingxing.

In Xue Bai's opinion, the worst result of Jia Shen's hurried arrival is that Taiyuan has been lost.

He slowly sat down and said, "Tell me, what happened?"

"The army has arrived!" Jia Shen had already been extremely anxious. "The sentry saw in the Taihang Mountains that soldiers and horses have arrived!"

"Prefect," Yuan Luqian said, "I have ordered the city gate to be closed. An Lushan must have raised his troops to rebel..."

~~
"Oh!"

Amidst the heavy noise, the dust was shaken off, the suspension bridge was pulled up, and the Yong'an Gate in the north of the outer city was slowly closed.

Then came Yingxu Gate, Zhenyuan Gate, Changle Gate, and the four cities of Zhending City were closed.

Zhending City has two walls. The inner city is a stone wall built in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and the outer city is a rammed earth wall expanded in the early Tang Dynasty.

Xue Bai climbed up the earthen wall and looked around. He could see the people who had not yet had time to enter the city were helping the old and the young to disperse elsewhere. There were business travelers on the official road turning their carriages and horses in a panic.

He raised the telescope and first saw the green seedlings in the field, and then he raised it and saw the loess farther away.

After only waiting for a moment, an armored knight broke into his field of vision. Quickly, another knight followed...and then, it was so dense that he didn't know how many people there were.

After watching for a long time, Xue Bai put down the telescope. As far as the naked eye could see, the junction between heaven and earth had been obscured by smoke and dust.

There are countless soldiers and horses.

This situation stunned everyone, including Xue Bai, who felt that maybe this was a dream. Otherwise, why did so many soldiers and horses move from the north to the south during the prosperous Tang Dynasty?
"The King of Dongping County obeyed the imperial decree and led his army to attack the rebellious minister Yang Guozhong!"

Some knights rushed to the city and shouted loudly.

After shouting several times, the knight rode closer to the city wall and shouted with a louder voice: "Did the officials in the city hear this?! Prince Dongping came to the capital with an order, but he still didn't open the city gate?!"

"Yang Guozhong...what's wrong with the Right Prime Minister?"

An official at the city gate asked subconsciously.

Yuan Luqian took a deep breath and shouted: "What is the saint's will?! We have not received the holy decree!"

"It's a secret edict!"

The knights under the city rode in a circle impatiently and shouted: "The King of Dongping County has issued a secret edict to fight against the rebels. Anyone who obstructs the city is guilty of the same crime as the rebels. Why don't you open the city gate?!"

"Reverse, reverse." Yuan Luqian murmured.

Although he had heard countless times that An Lushan was going to rebel, he was still extremely shocked at this moment. He pinched his palm hard and felt a stinging pain.

"Prefect, what should we do? There are too many troops."

Xue Bai looked up at the weather and remembered this sunny afternoon.

Since he came to the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty, he has always been thinking about stopping the Anshi Rebellion and has done many things to this end.

As a result, it actually broke out on this ordinary day. Although he didn't fully expect it, he wasn't too frightened either. Because I had been looking forward to it for so long and had so many assumptions, I felt that its arrival was a bit ordinary.

This is only Tianbao's twelve years. It's ridiculous that all his efforts have brought it ahead of schedule.

No matter what, he had to start facing this incident.

"Shoot him." Xue Bai raised his hand and pointed at the knight below the city.

"The King of Dongping County has received a secret edict to fight against rebellion!" The knight was still shouting arrogantly, relying on the countless soldiers and horses behind him, not paying any attention to the Changshan officials on the top of the city.

The Changshan garrison was afraid of King Dongping's military strength, and no one obeyed Xue Bai, the new governor's order, to fire arrows...perhaps they were petrified.

"What are you doing in a daze? Are you planning to conspire with Yang Guozhong?!"

"Whoosh!"

Xue Bai personally snatched the bow and arrow from the defenders at the top of the city and shot the arrow into the knight's face.

The body fell to the ground and the horse left alone.

There was sudden silence between heaven and earth.

There was only one city left and a large army still facing each other in silence.

(End of this chapter)