Chapter 142: Before the Smoke of Wolves Rises
In Rouge County on the border of Youzhou, the Tao family is a famous family that can be called the county’s prestige, the clan’s sons and daughters in the officialdom of Youzhou, both military and civil, and the Tao family style is simple and thick, the Tao family head, Tao Jinzao, is extremely rich in goodwill, builds a charity warehouse to store grain, and has opened the warehouse many times to provide relief for the disaster in Youzhou. At the moment of the Northern Mang millions of troops pressed the Northern Liang, rouge county many big families follow the cunning rabbit three holes of the family philosophy, let young children with property secretly transferred out of the Northern Liang, only the Tao family did not have any movement.
A group of ten or so riders rushed to the Tao family’s mansion in the late night of the beginning of spring, and in the night, the horse’s hooves stepped densely on the verdant stone road with six imperial plaques erected on it, appearing particularly crisp and melodious. Over fifty years old Tao Jinzao previously received a surprise secret report, panicked and got up, the family went out, opened the door, a family of more than a hundred people kneeling respectfully outside the door at the bottom of the stone steps. The first rider is a full body covered in heavy fur robes young man, behind is a one-armed old man two wisps of snow-white eyebrows, a body is better than the Northland fitness of the woman in white, followed by more than ten riders are negative crossbow wearing a cold knife, a clear color white horse.
Tao Jin Zao two to be in the granddaughter kneeling side by side, can not help but dare to steal a glance at that is smiling to help up the grandfather of the son, really handsome, good skin, temperament is even better, they guessed that it is a certain scholar into the cool and rise in power of the Central Plains family son? In the past, I always heard that the Jiangnan side of the scholar, handsome and elegant, raise their hands and feet will have a book aroma, and the local men of the Northern Liang that is a day and a land. But of course they guessed wrong, foreign scholar in Beiliang officialdom have to see a needle to occupy the seat is not true, but in addition to Yu Luan knife within a few people, there is really no one who has the qualifications to let Tao’s family head so much publicity, so that they fell in love with this at first sight, it is leading ten riders of white horses from a righteousness of the night in micro costume rouge county of the king of Beiliang.
Xu Fengyen and Tao Jinzao quickly walked into the gate, saw a child in the arms of a woman was born with a beautiful spirit, so he took off a jade pendant from his waist, smiling warmly gave it to the child as a gift. Then Xu Fengyen first let the Tao family old and young women and children are dispersed to rest, leaving only Tao Jinzao Tao Wenhai father and son followed, without any polite pleasantries, Xu Fengyen lowered his voice and asked bluntly: “The last set of whisking water room spies who rushed from the Lingzhou have been placed properly?”
The agitated Tao Jinzao calmed down his emotions and reported, “This group of twenty-six people have been placed everywhere, three groups of people totaling eighty-one people, plus the four second-grade minor masters and fifteen third-grade masters who were secretly dispatched from the royal residence to Rouge County earlier, in the shadows they can coordinate with each other, and all preparations have been made, just waiting for the North Mang dead soldiers who have infiltrated into the territory to throw themselves into the net. Now that the various passes along the border have closed their portals, and with the border army’s elite traveling crossbowmen and Youzhou’s local scouts roaming around in large numbers, even if there are some leaky fish crossing the defense line, it will be difficult to penetrate deep into the hinterland of Youzhou to assassinate officials.”
Xu Fengnian nodded.
Tantai Calm, Sui Slanting Valley and White Horse Boxer would naturally not participate in the secret talks, leaving only Xu Fengyen and the Tao family father and son to take their seats in an elegant room, with clumps of lush green bamboos visible outside the window. At the end of last year, the snowfall everywhere in Liyang are heavy, the northern Liang is even more so, this year’s inverted spring cold is not as cold as in the past so cold and difficult, just Xu Fenian sat down and did not take off that fur, Tao Jin Zao Tao Wen Hai, father and son were also given a seat to sit down, but it is clear that in the face of this powerful and renowned young feudal lord, even in their own territory, is still very restrained, but rather like the chilly guests, on the age of the Tao family head is reverence, as a Tao Wenhai, who was a lieutenant of a middle county in Rouge County, was in admiration taking over fear.
Soon there is a graceful woman to bring hot ginger tea, put down and go to the corner of the room to sit down on bended knees, bending down skillfully and cleverly open the drawer box, will be more than ten kinds of precious spices in front of her on a side of the sandalwood texture of the small several cases. The sandalwood case was previously furnished with the typical “master and maid three pieces”, a bottle, a stove and a box, the stove for the main bottle box for the maid.
Xu Fengyen hands holding ginger tea and drank a mouthful, suddenly the cold drive away a few points, moistened with the warmth of the heart and spleen, in this rare leisure interval, subconsciously looked to the woman who gave a quiet and peaceful feeling, probably she is the so-called weak bones and rich muscles of the moving woman, dressed in a lightweight and appropriate, but the breasts, waist and hip at the articulation and the kneeling legs, all kinds of rounded curves do not disappear because of the winter clothes. Xu Fengyen of course, not to the heart of the charming, more not half a point to have something with her thoughts, but this kind of colorful women, really pleasing to the eye. Xu Fengyen is elegant play appreciation expert, said the master is not too much, otherwise Tai’an City will not be those early years by the Prince of Northern Liang with the seal spoiled for the “fake” of the calligraphy and painting rush, Xu Fengyen a glance, I know that the brass incense burner from the “South casting “South Casting” master Huang congong’s hand, the stove is very rich in ancient meaning, light and robust, after years of maintenance, exudes a bright red color, like a famous sword’s light shining brightly. If there is no accident, the ash in the furnace, will be the residue of many years of incense burning, accumulated, “ten years of burning incense and half a furnace ash”.
Xu Fengnian some distracted traveling, sight has been stuck in the young woman near, Tao Jinzao will smile, his oldest granddaughter has been unwilling to marry for so many years, causing him to be some marriage failed old friends ridiculed as “Tao family has a daughter, strange goods can live”. Unlike his father, Tao Wenhai has always been secretly observing this “prodigal son’s return to the King of Northern Liang”, due to the Tao family has a hidden identity in the waterworks, Tao Wenhai has been involved in the transmission of military intelligence in Northern Liang, especially in Youzhou, compared to the ordinary descendants of the big families in Northern Liang, Tao Wenhai’s curiosity about Xu Fengyen is much richer and more profound. more profound.
Xu Fenian retrieved his thoughts and said frankly, “I’m sorry for my rudeness.”
The woman smiled sweetly.
Xu Fengnian took a heavy sip of ginger tea, put down the teacup, and said in a deep voice: “According to the information that Chu Lushan dug up from the Southern Dynasty, the female Emperor of Northern Mang let Li Mibi lay out a plan of assassins before the troops move, and the forces of Northern Mang’s rivers and lakes were divided into two pieces, with most of the top experts and all the end-ranking martial arts people going into the military to work for the army, and the mid-level experts being divided among the top experts and the head of the Northern Mang’s spies, Li Mibi, for precise assassination of us. leader, to accurately assassinate our Beiliang’s border generals and civil officials within the country, they won’t go to the Beiliang Capital Palace where Chu Lushan is located to seek their own deaths, but middle officials like Tao Wenhai you who are indispensable to Beiliang and at the same time relatively lacking in personal protection are the best assassination targets for the North Mang’s dead soldiers.”
Xu Fengyen stretched out his fingers and gently turned the teacup, “The border passes north of Liangzhou are all cities and military towns, with great depth, it is difficult for the other side to find an opportunity, Youzhou is a lot more complicated, although there is a dense network of large and small fortresses and flints around the Hulukou area, the original purpose is still mainly used to stall the rapid advance of the North Mang army, to deal with the secret sneaking spiderweb of the dead soldiers and jianghu masters, the strength is not enough, even if Yan Wenluan has to be killed, he can’t do it. Even if General Yan Wenluan and General Huangfu Scale of Youzhou had sent sixteen elite rangers of about 500 men to catch and kill the fish that escaped the net along the border, I believe it would still be difficult to be effective. The real battlefield in the direction of Youzhou would still take place within its borders, so the peregrine falcon eagles from the Wutong Academy and the Water Flickers Room would mainly keep an eye on border counties like Rouge County. But don’t look at the peregrine falcon eagle warriors who have all poured out their nests, when it comes to real calculations, they are destined to have their hands full when the time comes.”
Tao Wen Hai gently looked at his father Tao Jin Zao, the latter nodded, Tao Wen Hai then said, “Your Highness, what my humble servant is most worried about right now is that after entering the country, North Mang breaks up the teams, and each team is led by one or several top experts each, and even if there are Peregrine Falcon Eagle soldiers from our side who are secretly protected, and who use their lives as a price to pass out a message before they die, the dead soldiers from our side nearby will, in the first place, be the first to heard the news rushed to the battlefield around the siege, afraid of the other side in the previous attack to hide the strength, in fact, there is no intention to have a successful blow will withdraw, by then we may instead appear the second round of heavy casualties, wait until we come back to God, had to focus on a few major forces to go to the blockade, perhaps the rest of the enemy’s cutting-edge forces began to quietly do it, we naturally lose sight of the other side. ”
Saying this, Tao Wenhai was about to speak, obviously somewhat hesitant. Xu Fenian smiled, “There is no harm in speaking straight.”
Tao Wenhai opened the door and said, “After all, our Bei Liang is just a thinly populated corner of the country, this kind of war that competes with each other to consume the power of experts is not advantageous. Especially since the four major forces of North Mang Daode Sect, Chess Sword Lefu, Princess Tomb and Tibing Mountain have all sent their elites to join them, and there are even many long-famous North Mang Devil Dao lords who are also driven by Li Mi Pi, our side is definitely at an absolute disadvantage in terms of the number of second and third grade martial arts masters, but it is precisely these types of characters that can have the most one-two punch in the battle of assassination and counter-assassination, whereas it is difficult to bring into play our large number of light cavalry rangers. play, to put it bluntly, perhaps they will be led by the nose from beginning to end, and may not even be able to grab their corners.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, “In fact, there are five first grade masters with clear identities on the North Mang side, they are Elder Palm Rhythm of the Daode Sect, Great Rhythm of the Chess and Sword Music House, Little Nian Tou of the Princess Tomb, and two more devils on the list, so it is said that this time around, the entire bottom of the jianghu of North Mang has been plowed out for Their Majesties, and we, Youzhou, are the first touchstone for the old woman’s efforts to straighten out the jianghu. touchstone.”
The father-son pair of Tao Wenhai and Tao Jinzao looked at each other in dismay, both seeing the deep concern in the other’s eyes.
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Of course, the good news is that apart from that ‘Half-Face Makeup’ Little Nian Tou, the rest are only in the Vajra Realm and Finger Xuan Realm. Furthermore the second rank minor sect masters are dominated by Chess Sword and Lefu, this type of expert realm is not low, but to say life and death combat, they may not be as good as the third rank martial artists of Northern Liang.”
Tao Wen Hai smiled bitterly and was speechless, the enemy is so strong and hard to defeat anyway, this doesn’t seem to be any good news to celebrate ah.
In the corner, the woman sitting on bended knees slowly stirred and evened out the incense ash, cutting the incense into small pieces, lighting the charcoal and heating the incense both filled with just the right amount of euphonious beauty. Because tonight’s conversation will definitely not be short, her movements are not hurried or slow.
Tao Wenhai carefully said, “Your Majesty, my humble servant has the audacity to propose ……”
Xu Fenian quickly said, “You want that Wu family’s 100 horsemen and 100 swords to come to Youzhou to put out the fire?”
The somewhat embarrassed Tao Wenhai nodded.
Xu Fenian shook his head and said, “The Wu family swordsmen have to stay on Chu Lushan’s side in case of any mishaps, they can’t be moved yet.”
Tao Jinzao Tao Wenhai knew that the long-browed one-armed old man beside the Beiliang King was a sword immortal figure who had become famous in Liangzhou City in a previous battle, but of course, they did not think that this kind of expert would leave the Beiliang King’s side, but the key point was that their father and son could see that the Beiliang King was very “odd” even if they had poor eyesight, as if he had only won a tragic victory after a great battle with a great loss of vitality. If their guesses were correct, then that old Sword Immortal would not be able to leave without authorization. In fact, Xu Fengyen had hoped that Sui Shiaogu would be able to contribute when he had Tantai Calm by his side, but the old man didn’t take the situation in Youzhou seriously at all, and was so disrespectful of old age that he said that he would be wherever Tantai Calm was, and that the two of them together were more than 200 years old, and that in Sui Shiaogu’s words, he was saying that “nowadays I can still look at each other a few times with her? Of course, it is possible to see more than a glance is a glance well”.
But of course Xu Fengyen will not wait for death, let the North Mang forces in Youzhou flaunt, in addition to the mobilization of the Wutong courtyard whisking water room, as well as listening to the tide of the Pavilion masters, he also let the finger Xuan realm of the Sinking Sword Cave Lord Mifengjie came to the state of Youzhou, with that was the old Northern Han Zhenguo general Fan Baoshan granddaughter of the fan Xiaochai with the former finger Xuan realm, is not a real man of the Taoism Sect’s finger Xuan can not be compared to the strength of the fan Xiaochai today. Strength, facing what Chess Sword Music House’s second grade minor sect masters, even one on two, can be a sure victory, with her kind of monstrous obstinate character, maybe against three, all can be jade and stone. Plus the Guanyin Sect Qi Practitioners have quietly rushed to Youzhou, not directly involved in this mess, but will try to keep an eye on those big battle “flash in the pan” of the first grade masters, will pass the military information to the nearest Peregrine Falcon Eagle, so that Youzhou have a target.
This war is certainly a bloody battle by many small-scale contact war string line composition, once the two sides meet, destined to non-death or injury, there is nothing to say that the whole body to retreat, than the competition is which side of the transfer of more rapid and more covert.
Tao Jin Zao Tao Wen Hai just guessed that the king of Beiliang is seriously injured, but the North Mang Li Mibi is unmistakably aware of the existence of the Sui oblique valley, will be the North Mang need to focus on targeting a point of Xu Fengyen seems to think that in addition to the princess grave small idea will be the Sui oblique valley as an imaginary enemy of the backhand, there should also be a deeper hidden top masters. Of course, Xu Fenian eyes “top”, naturally will not be with Tao Jinzao Tao Wenhai these literati in the same line.
Xu Fengnian asked, “Is there a more detailed map of the situation in Youzhou?”
Tao Wenhai hurriedly got up and went to the study to fetch the maps, and brought back a large pile of them, both the map of the territory of Youzhou and the county maps, and placed the largest map of the situation of the whole state of Youzhou on the table, and then placed the smaller four or five maps separately. These things are not anyone who dares to folk private storage, once the government found, that is absolutely to be caught in to eat a full meal. Xu Fenian stood up, Tao Jin Zao and Tao Wen Hai also hurriedly got up, Xu Fenian asked in detail about the distribution of dead soldiers in various counties of Youzhou, thinking of checking the gaps. The three will naturally talk about the topography of the counties by chance, Tao Wen Hai surprised to find that the feudal lord even many rouge county locals are not clear geography also know it well, for the local garrison and the leading lieutenant is even casually said, even those rank but six or seven military generals curriculum vitae and military personality are clear, Tao Wen Hai inevitably suspected that his own small county lieutenant is also difficult to escape from the eyes of the law, for a time, it was not easy to put back to the stomach of the heart! Lifted again, afraid to leave a bad impression on the young king.
Three people this chat is a whole two hours, that young woman in addition to add incense and tea and candles, has been contentedly sitting in the corner on bended knee.
Her name is Tao Tanxiang, she is not for the king of Beiliang and so decent to offer attentiveness, in fact, she began to pay attention to Xu Fengyin very early very early, at that time, he was still only the infamous straw man to the extreme of the son of his highness. Tao Tangxiang’s father, Tao Xuanlong, had bought a famous painting from the Beiliang King’s residence, which was the Dragon Palace Ladies’ Painting from Western Shu in the previous dynasty, when she saw the two big seals in seal script, “Fake”, she was dumbfounded, there are still such wasteful assholes in the world? These celebrities will hold a pilgrimage to observe the famous paintings every time they open the scrolls for appreciation, and they will surely be passed down from generation to generation, as long as they are well preserved, they may be put on people’s desk to watch and appreciate in 500 or even 1,000 years, is this guy not afraid of being stigmatized for thousands of years because of those two words? Later, she was a bit angry, as long as it is stamped by the son of His Highness, the calligraphy and painting are asked to father at all costs to buy back, it is funny, at that time, the official but from the seventh grade of the Tao Xuanlong threw a lot of money to buy “fakes”, and therefore was “for the official have the way” of the rouge county magistrate! Hong Shandong, think this person is the talent, especially when His Highness became the king of Beilang, Tao Xuanlong is another promotion. Tao Tanxiang over time, on and off, collected no less than thirty stamped Xu Fengyen stamped calligraphy and painting, which may not be a fake word, like Xu Fengyen that side of the Beijing collection of today’s privately praised as a wonderful “rush to the seal”, there is also a concise and vivid word coarse phoenix Xiao-shaped seal, and the loquat on the son of the seal, but also a very memorable. The child and mother seal on the loquat is even more memorable.
So Tao Tanxiang slowly felt that she had known this man for a long time.
She knew every piece of news he had received from the Liyang jianghu, from the imperial court in the capital, and from the officialdom in Northern Liang over the years.
She gently placed her hands on her knees and raised her head to look at the man who was never half as imposing, every time he frowned and stared, every time he smiled warmly, she carefully incorporated it into her eyes, as if she was collecting a treasure.
After another hour, Xu Fengyen smiled and let the elderly Tao Jinzao go to bed first, and Tao Wenhai continued to pick the lamp and chat, the topic was also a bit broader, no longer limited to Youzhou or even Northern Liang, but encompassed the dynastic and military affairs of Liyang and Northern Mang, the local customs of the two dynasties. The Tao family head had earlier walked over to his granddaughter Tao Tanxiang’s side when he left, asking her to cook tea and prepare some pastries and food. So afterward, when she moved to the small couch by the window for a casual chat, she sat on the seat between the Bei Liang King and her uncle Tao Wen Hai, with a bit of a three-legged harmonic meaning.
When the sky was white, Tao Wenhai who was radiant and not at all sleepy still got up to leave, he requested the Beiliang King to allow Tao Tangxiang to stroll casually with him within the Tao family mansion, Xu Fengyen nodded his head in agreement with a smile.
The two of them strolled towards the Tao family’s book building, the two of them were separated by a distance of two shoulders from the beginning to the end of the day, there was no sense of being as if they were separated from each other.
Xu Fenian apologized, “Miss Tao has worked hard.”
She shook her head and laughed, “It’s not hard, it’s just that grandfather might be a bit disappointed, but I’m not disappointed, I’m very content.”
Xu Fengnian smiled heartily and said bluntly, “You are not worried about getting married, nowadays there are a lot of handsome scholars who go to Liang to serve as officials, and there are many who have good character and talent.”
Tao Tanxiang hmmm, approached the attic, said: “the world collects books value version and full rank, for example, edition engraved fine Feng version of the books, there is a page of 100 taels of silver a set of value of a thousand words, but our family bookstore does not pick this, grandfather felt that nothing is not as important as the book of the words of the sages, rather than spend a thousand taels of silver to buy a set of Feng version, it would be better to buy a hundred sets of ordinary books, so this bookstore collection is not a number of books, but the number of books is not a lot, so this bookstore collection is not a lot. So the number of books in this bookstore is not less than those big bookstores in the Central Plains, and if there are readers who come to borrow books to read, they all go through unhindered.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, “I heard that your Tao family will also be fully responsible for the food and lodging of those who are studying, very rare. Northern Liang scholars’ style of traveling with books is far inferior to that of the Central Plains, but Rouge County is not inferior to Jiangnan because of your Tao Family.”
Tao Tanxiang softly said, “My father said, a flourishing rich family is like a person with full skin, but if the yang energy is too much and not to be adjusted, it is bound to hurt the internal organs one day, so our Tao family’s year after year of providing disaster relief, lending books and treating our neighbors well are all a kind of necessary cure for the disease, and the cure can’t wait until the disease is very sick to mend it. ”
Xu Fengyen joked, “With these words, your father can go on to become a more than adequate county governor lord.”
Xu Fengyen walked towards the gate of the Tao family mansion and said to Tao Tangxiang as he crossed the threshold, “You go back first, it hurts for women to stay up all night, I still have to go over to the pagoda to wait for someone.”
She narrowed her eyes and smiled brightly, playfully saying, “It’s fine, I’m curious to know who under the sky can make the King of Northern Liang wait.”
Xu Fengnian laughed it off.
The two stood under a pagoda.
I don’t know how long they waited, but in the distance at the end of their vision, a carriage and a group of more than a hundred white horsemen finally appeared.
Tao Tanxiang turned her head just in time to see him smile.
She saw him walk quickly to meet him, she did not follow him and stood still to watch his back as he traveled farther and farther away.
The carriage and cavalcade stopped neatly, and Tao Tangxiang saw a young woman whose face could not be seen walking down from the carriage.
Xu Fengyen looked at the woman who had traveled all the way from the Liangzhou King’s Mansion and softly asked, “Is it cold?”
She shook her head.
A certain rider who came along with the White Horse Boxers did not dismount, but only nodded after exchanging glances with Xu Fengnian, then turned his horse around and spurred his horse away.
This rider did not wear a sword or a crossbow.
There was only a heavy iron spear.
But with this one horse and one gun.
The entire Youzhou would not be in chaos.
Xu Fengnian asked the White Horse Boxer for a horse, first carrying her onto the horse, then he himself rolled onto the horse, holding her as the two shared a ride.
Xu Fengyen apologized, “I promised you before that I would see all the scenery of Northern Liang.”
She leaned into his warm embrace and did not speak.
Xu Fengyen clipped his horse’s belly and galloped furiously along the path that White Horse Yi had come from.
Except for two people and one rider, there was no one else around, and her glowing face raised her hands to her mouth and laughed childishly, “Xu Fengyen brought Lu Chengyan to take the white horse to walk the Northern Liang!”
White Horse Goes North Liang.
Thousands of miles of fast wind!