[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 220 [English]

Chapter 212 Pulling

Lang Tao Xue ran away from the camp and did not run far. It stopped on the snow slope at the northern end of Chashi Tiankeng.The snow and fog were humid, and Shen Zechuan seemed to be on a vast lake, with everything in sight white.

Xiao Chiye dismounted and took off his helmet.There was sweat on his temples, he was panting slightly, and his brows were filled with anger, and he said, “Can you see Duanzhou?”

Shen Zechuan held the reins of Lang Tao Xuejin and handed the blue handkerchief in his sleeve to Xiao Chiye. In the white air he breathed, he could only glimpse the watchtower of the abandoned inn in the distance.But he understood Xiao Chiye’s joy and said, “I look at Duanzhou now as if I were looking at my own pocket.”

Xiao Chiye raised his chin slightly, beads of sweat flowed, and he smiled.Shen Zechuan looked at him and found that he still retained the unruly and unruly spirit he had in Qudu. This was the look that Shen Zechuan wanted to possess.

Shen Zechuan leaned over, his breath sprayed on Xiao Chiye’s cheek, the tip of his nose was close, along Xiao Chiye’s temples, and he licked Xiao Chiye’s sweat as he wished.The bitter salty sweat melted between Shen Zechuan’s teeth, and when his Adam’s apple slipped, he said: “This will be your racecourse, Xiao Ce’an, from now on.”

Xiao Chiye raised his hand to cover the back of Shen Zechuan’s neck. The iron fingers that had not yet been removed were cold and hard, covering the soft and white neck, leaving a blade-like touch.

“I don’t want the racecourse,” Xiao Chiye rubbed his straight nose along the spot where Shen Zechuan had just slid, staring at Shen Zechuan’s narrowed loving eyes, and said dangerously, “I want Shen Lanzhou.”

Shen Zechuan breathed hot air towards Xiao Chiye through the air. Xiao Chiye thought he was going to kiss him, but Lan Zhou took advantage of the gap to pull the blue handkerchief back from Xiao Chiye’s hand, sat up straight again, and wrapped the cloak tightly around him.Fu Jun, who was afraid of the cold, only showed his eyes, and the tips of his ears were red, and said in a muffled voice, “Shen Lanzhou froze to death.”

Xiao Chiye’s arms were empty and he had not yet reacted.

When Shen Zechuan saw Xiao Chiye’s expression change, he immediately shook the reins and urged Lang Taoxuejin to return.Xiao Chiye hugged his helmet, with the wetness and heat still licked on his temples. He touched it, and gradually became annoyed as if he was a good man who was being treated frivolously by his disciples.

“Shen Lanzhou…” Xiao Chiye watched Shen Zechuan running, stretched out his long legs, slid down the snow slope, and shouted, “Baoqinglang!”

* * *

Ah Chi, who was sure of victory, defeated Chashi Tiankeng. The Biansha people, who had been victorious for half a year in the north, did not expect that Ah Chi would lose to Xiao Chiye.The remnant troops of Duanzhou were defeated by Wu Ziyu’s surprise attack, and all six states in Zhongbo fell under Shen Zechuan’s command.Seven days later, Qudu received the news. At the same time, the military report of Qi Zhuyin’s dispatch of the Qing Mouse Division was also sent to the palace.

The Queen Mother sat behind the curtain in the Mingli Hall, with the pearl across the table, and threw the zhezi on the table.With Dongzhu dangling in her ear, she suppressed her anger and said to the courtiers in the hall: “Did the Ministry of War reject Qidong’s proposal to send troops? Chen Zhen, you accept military affairs, can’t you even explain clearly!”

Chen Zhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, immediately knelt down and knew that the Queen Mother was expressing her anger.Qi Zhuyin now has a strong army and strong horses, and Qi Du is unwilling to offend easily, so he can only pinch the soft persimmon in front of him.He listened expressionlessly and said: “In January, the commander-in-chief Chen Shu wanted to send troops to the Qing Mouse Division. We rejected her petition because of insufficient military rations. This matter was kept secret by the cabinet, and Yuan Fu and all of you are aware of it.”

The Queen Mother understood that this was definitely not the order of the Ministry of War, but she felt angry. After a long pause, she said, “Why did she do this this time?”

“Seven days ago, the border county was on night patrol and was attacked by the Qing Mouse tribe,” Chen Zhen said, raising her head slightly, “The commander was forced to send troops because of this.”

“Amul is fighting with Libei in the north. Why did the Qingshu tribe provoke Qidong?” Han Cheng had received the cold face from Qi Zhuyin when he was getting married. Now he was sitting in the hall and suddenly smiled. “Besides, it was a coincidence. The Qingshu tribe made a surprise attack and the commander happened to be in the border county. The battle was fought quickly and fiercely. The victory report and the memorial were presented together. They were all successful.”

Kong Qiu fell ill later in the year, and his face turned dark. He sat in the hall and covered his lips, coughed a few times, and said: “You can’t listen to one side in everything. If the Qing Mouse tribe really invades, the commander-in-chief will send troops urgently. In recent years, the border has been unstable, and Lu Guangbai is still stationed in the border county.At that time, the Qing Mouse Tribe often invaded, and the commander still needs to report the details.The most important thing now is, how long will this battle last?Spring plowing is approaching, and all the prefectures in the thirteen cities in Juexi are waiting for arrangements. The supply of military supplies is a big problem.”

Pan Xiangjie timidly held his hands in his sleeves.

The Queen Mother did not agree to send troops, firstly because sending troops from Qidong at this moment was equivalent to supporting Libei, and secondly because Xue Xiuzhuo was too eager to pursue the debt now.The Eight Families mobilized their whole bodies, the fields were their roots, and the dandies in the Eight Cities had to rely on these fields to survive.If this is investigated, the family’s vitality will be damaged just by returning the land and making up for the tax money, not to mention the risk of dismissal, investigation, and imprisonment.Qi Zhuyin attacked the Qing Mouse Department, and the military expenditures of the five counties of Qidong had to be transferred to the accounts of the Household Department. When the national treasury was empty, old things from the Yongyi period had to be dragged back.The Queen Mother exercises the power of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince sits next to her with eager eyes, so she does not dare to act rashly.

The family doesn’t know whether Amul is a wolf or a tiger, but they know that the current situation should not be delayed any longer. Zhongbo has already developed a serious problem, and it will not do the family any good to continue to stalemate with the prince and the cabinet.

“Since it is the Qing Mouse tribe that is invading, Qi Zhuyin can just repel them. There is no need to send troops to go deep.” The Queen Mother’s anger has calmed down, sheAfter thinking about it, he said, “The Ai family knows that the border is bitterly cold, and the war with the Biansha people must be fought, but not now. As Yuan Fu said, spring plowing is about to begin, and the people of the world should be the most important. Last year, the harvest in Juexi was not good, and the granaries in Qudu were not filled up. How could the imperial court have spare food to fight in Qidong? We should talk to Qi Zhuyin about this matter. She is assisting the five counties in government affairs, and the imperial court’s difficulties, sheShould have known.”

Mingli Hall was quiet for a moment, and the curtains at the door were tightly closed so that no air could escape.Because of Qi Zhuyin’s dispatch of troops, the atmosphere in the hall was solemn.

In fact, Qi Zhuyin wanted to fight the Qing Mouse Division, and Kong Qiu and Cen Yu agreed, but they were currently fighting against the aristocratic family, and the one holding the household division was Pan Lin. Pan Lin was being bitten tightly by Xue Xiuzhuo. How could they discuss the Qidong Army’s pay when they were too busy to take care of themselves?Moreover, because Pan was the first to bear the brunt, Pan Xiangjie did not dare to let his son get too close to the cabinet at this juncture.

Pan Xiangjie is used to being a wallflower, and it is because of his ability to sway with the wind that he survives today.He doesn’t want to offend Xue Xiuzhuo, nor does he want to offend the Queen Mother.The outcome of Qudu has not been decided for a day, and he will not let Pan follow anyone easily.In the past, he followed Hua Siqian and Wei Huaigu, but these two people used him as a scapegoat. He was wary and did not trust any of the three parties.

Cen Yu sighed softly, “He rarely speaks in Mingli Hall now.”When Yu Xiao left the capital again, he took a letter from he to Shen Zechuan, but Shen Zechuan didn’t reply, so he understood what Shen Zechuan meant.A year ago, everyone was having a drink at his home, and he still remembered the demeanor of Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye, but now he feels that it is a pity.

Cen Yu moved his eyes to Li Jianting. Li Jianting was sitting beside him, staring at the tea in front of him, as if he had not heard the discussion in the hall.After the meeting ended, Cen Yu and Kong Qiu walked on the long road that had been cleared of snow.

The eaves of the palaces on both sides hang low, making the road dark.The eunuch in front was holding a lantern. As Cen Yu walked, his clothes were fluttering. The wind blew away his newly grown short beard, and he raised his hand to smooth it.

Kong Qiu said: “Why did you say nothing about such a big thing today?”

Cen Yu raised his eyes and said, “The Queen Mother has made up her mind, whether she says it or not, it will be the result.”

By the time the two people walked out of the palace gate, it was already dark.Cen Yu did not get on the carriage, but carried a lantern himself, and he and Kong Qiu walked on the flat road through the snow.

“Xunyi has a lot on his mind today,” Kong Qiu looked at he, “What are you thinking about?”

“Think about this day last year,” Cen Yu said, “at that time Tongzhi and the Marquis were still in the capital…”

If Emperor Tianchen had not been assassinated, perhaps Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye would still be in the capital today.Cen Yu has always cherished talents and once thought about Shen Zechuan becoming an official, but in the end his wish was not fulfilled and Shen Wei’s crime was too serious.

Kong Qiu also sighed and thought of Hai Liangyi again.

“If Emperor Tianchen had the half-hearted intention of being a prince, how could you and I have fallen to this point? I feel more and more powerless recently, and there are many things that I really can’t do anything about. Now the commander is fighting the green mouse department, heThey don’t want to, because they are afraid that the military supplies will involve the fields of Bacheng, but I see that the war in Libei is serious, and even Libei King Xiao Fangxu has been defeated, and Biansha’s strength can no longer be underestimated.”Cen Yu can see clearly, but it is useless. His words alone cannot solve the current conflicts in the capital, and it is difficult for a family to give up its existing interests.

he The two of them had not walked far when they saw a separate bamboo umbrella in front of them, with a person waiting for them.Cen Yu and Kong Qiu exchanged glances and looked at Xue Xiuzhuo in front of them.

Xue Xiuzhuo’s official robe was new and he didn’t wear a coat. He stood here alone like a floating leaf in the torrent, his sleeves swaying in the wind.he closed his umbrella and saluted Cen Yu and Kong Qiu.

Kong Qiu said: “You are standing here, but what happened?”

Xue Xiuzhuo raised his body and saw the floating snow floating by sporadically. He said: “I am waiting for the two teachers here to discuss the Dancheng fields and taxation in detail.”

Cen Yu frowned slightly and said, “It’s a court matter. It’s in court. There’s no reason to discuss it in private. This case, in particular, needs to be avoided. If others see it, there will inevitably be some gossip. Go back and we’ll talk about it in the Cabinet Office after tomorrow morning.”

“If the matter were not urgent, I would naturally not dare to disturb the two teachers.” Xue Xiuzhuo’s expression remained unchanged. “At the beginning of the month, the Queen Mother issued a decree and asked important officials from the Ministry of Revenue to accompany them to investigate the case. Pan Lin appointed Liang Miaoshan, who is in charge of the salt tax in Hezhou and Juexi.”

Both Kong Qiu and Cen Yu knew that Liang Miaoshan was recommended by Xiao Chiye when Guangou collapsed, and was appointed by Emperor Tianchen as an official in the Ministry of Household Affairs to investigate Wei Huaigu’s military grain case. He was very talented in managing finance and taxes. Last year, he and Jiang Qingshan settled the old accounts of the Thirteen Cities in Juexi, and he also managed water transportation for a while in Hezhou.

Yan Heru told Shen Zechuan that the current waterway business is not good, and the Yan family’s goods running to Juexi are strictly inspected, which is because of Liang Miaoshan.This person is smooth but not slick. In his position, he handles tens of thousands of tax dollars every day. Yan Heru tried to go through the back door of he, but he bounced him back like cotton.

“Liang Miaoshan has returned to the capital now and will go to the palace to see him tomorrow morning,” Xue Xiuzhuo hugged the umbrella, “but he has a narrow escape from death and must meet the two teachers tonight.”