Chapter 40 Prologue to War
Just after dawn on the second day, Ouyang Ming leisurely woke up. He looked at the familiar bed and room arrangement with a bewildered face. After slowing down for a while, he looked again at Mrs. Xie standing beside him and asked: ''I came up to sleep in your room last night? How come I have no memory of anything."
Mrs. Xie returned, "Your lordship is probably overworked these days, so it's fine if you don't remember these little things. The concubine will serve the Master to change and prepare for the court."
Master Ouyang had never had much to say to this proper wife, so he nodded in agreement. He felt like he had slept long and couldn't remember many things. He remembered what he ran to Beiwang City because of, but what things came to mind? He couldn't remember for the life of him. By the time he had packed up, his eldest son, Ouyang Zhong, had been waiting for a long time outside the house.
He looked at Ouyang Zhong with a surprised face: ''You, when did you come back? You weren't in Beiwang City preparing for the enemy. Did you sneak back?"
Ouyang Zhong didn't expect Linghu Xian's Spirit Bead to have such a side effect, so he had to figure out how to deal with his father.
"Father, how could you forget? You went to Beiwang City to visit the soldiers guarding the border; how could you expect to encounter the enemy's hidden scouts penetrating the city ambush accidentally injured? Later, we executed the spy. You were injured, so General Wei Kongji ordered me to escort you back. I'm now holding the folders of Hussar General Wei Kongji's report to His Majesty, and I'm preparing to go up to the temple to meet the saint. While it's still early, I came to see if Father is feeling better?"
"Ah? Surprisingly, there is such a thing? How do I ... how do I not remember it all?" Ouyang Ming was a little frightened, nearly falling over from such news.
Ouyang Zhong hurriedly stepped forward to support his father, comforting him: "Father, you can rest assured, your body several of the best doctors in the city, as well as the Imperial Hospital's Imperial Doctor, have come to see. There is no major problem. It is about the journey and some shock. Recuperate for a while, and you will be fine. Father, are you going to the court with me, or I will tell the emperor for you to take a leave of absence and rest at home for a while?"
"No, no, I'd rather go to court with you! At this time, it's even more important to show that our Ouyang family is loyal to the emperor and serves the country, so we need to be tougher. On the contrary, we can win the court's confidence and the favor of His Majesty. Go, go, hurry up, and prepare the car."
Ouyang Zhong gave his mother a good morning salute and then, with a wink, went to the court with his father.
Above the courtroom, Zhongming Guojun Xiao Zhan saw Ouyang's father and son come to the hall together. Although he wasn't so surprised, he also wanted to see what explanation these two would give. When the eldest Princess sued Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong, he was clear that it was nothing more than some empty rumors. However, to check and balance the various forces in the dynasty, he was still occasionally willing to go along with the flow so that the several parties would hate each other and fight with each other, and only then would he, as the king of the country, be able to sit comfortably.
Ouyang Ming cited physical discomfort as the reason and did not say a word in the morning court. Ouyang Zhong first reported the situation of the border war and said the enemy's spider army was horrible and abnormal; he and the great general Wei Kongji were unfortunate to fall into the way of the demon and almost die. Finally, in the army, the available worked together, only to subdue and expel, a great victory.
Then the words turned, and Ouyang Zhong gave the Hussar General's report, explaining in detail how to find the army spies' infiltration, the father's unfortunate injury, and so on. However, neither in Wei Kongji's report nor in Ouyang Zhong's statement was Linghu Xian's name ever mentioned. It only said that the spies were so cunning that they used Yu Sun's magic to disguise themselves as army generals, and the original general was found to have been killed after searching.
Ouyang Zhong to the king of the Central Ming Dynasty kneeling to redress the grievances: "Your Majesty, my border generals to protect the family and the country, the liver and brain, but heard that there are ill-intentioned and malicious people in the imperial court, maliciously vilifying and falsely accusing the Wei generals and ministers of plotting against the country. Your Majesty! We are wrong! If we don't find out who is stirring up trouble, we will be at the border to defend the city, our minds will be restless, and our morale will be greatly reduced. With winter and spring approaching and the enemy army moving, how can we soldiers focus on killing the enemy? How can we dare to entrust our families and children to the care of the rear? Please be clear about this, Your Majesty!" He then rolled up his sleeves, revealing his hideous scars, which were the best proof of his dedication to protecting his family and defending his country.
Ouyang Zhong's spider army described Xiao Zhan as scared and straight-shivering. The thought of a whole valley, an entire grassland densely crawling all the spiders, and the most enormous spider spirit, Yu Sun, surprisingly more than two meters high, Xiao Zhan only feels uncomfortable all over the body and can no longer care about the so-called weighing of the art. Now, he only wants to let Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong beat away the enemy and not let the demon run into his capital city.
Xiao Zhan was most afraid of spiders, followed by rats. Therefore, these two things were prohibited from appearing in his palace garden. To prevent the rodent problem, Zhongming Kingdom's palace hall kept a lot of civet cats; it is with these cats not only the palace's inner courtyard the rodent problem control, but even the whole vertical city has perfect prevention and control. However, sometimes, in the two seasons of the year, during the cat season, the palace can be heard in the cats in heat howling again and again in the middle of the night to listen to the hairs of the people standing up. Sometimes, the high monarch is called by the cat, screaming upset will also be ordered to kill several former "merit" so many royal cats inside the palace. Later, there are many to survive to escape, scattered in the homes of ordinary people instead of getting a seat to stay. Let's leave this matter aside for now and leave it for the next time.
In the past, Xiao Zhan and many courtiers should have paid more attention to the small Ding Zu Clan. According to the envoy's report, the Dingzuo tribe is only a tiny branch of the ancient northern tribes, except for being very savage and ferocious, good at plundering and riding and shooting, no matter whether it is the agriculture in the Central Plains or other grassland tribes are good at herding and raising horses, they are not proficient in it, and all of the wealth and necessities of life and the military are plundered from all over the world. In such a form of survival, the Dingzuo tribe is really like their name as the population of Dingzuo, the people can only hide in the East to survive in the cracks, encountered strong ethnic groups will be scattered, encountered the weak will be vigorously plundering and bullying. Therefore, regardless of their internal development or external reputation, the Dingzuo people could be better.
The Ming is a great country located in the Central Plains. Vast etiquette Xingbang, cultural knowledge of deep talent, agricultural and industrial technology, perfect, the people of the people are intelligent and hardworking, not only rich in produce. There is black gold, the most significant treasure, whether financial or material resources, workforce or technology, and all aspects of the Dingzuo tribes are not on a level. The so-called great sorcerer Yu Sun is just a bluff and a scam, and it doesn't count. Sending Wei Kongji and Ouyang Zhong to the battlefield, in almost a few months, they should be able to triumph.
After listening to Ouyang Zhong's tearful speech, none of the officials dared to take the enemy lightly anymore. The courtroom was a riot, with many old ministers listening to shock under the direct fainting. Some of the civil ministers were so scared that their legs trembled and softened, and when they couldn't hold on any longer, they fell to their knees in a paralyzed state, sniveling.
After all, as the king of the country in this chaotic scene, I still have to put on some composure. Xiao Zhan shouted: "Silence! Look at you one by one. What do you all look like? That one who, get up! And whoever, since he fainted, send him back to his house to rest~" He fixed his mind. He comforted Ouyang Zhong with a relatively cordial tone: ''Aiqing Pingbian, there must be some misunderstanding in this; how could I let the border generals be chilled? The heavy reward is too late!"
"Dare I ask, Your Majesty, why is General Wei's residence heavily guarded outside now? Why are General Wei's relatives inside not allowed to come and go as they please?" Ouyang Zhong intentionally tested the king of the country, looked at the king of the country, showed a problematic face, and then continued, "I heard that recently there seem to be some thieves in the city. Is it that His Majesty sympathizes with guarding the border generals, especially sending additional workforce, to help General Wei guard the peace of the homeland?"
Xiao Zhan heard this was obviously to give himself a step-down, this time not to wait for more time. Hurry to take a stand, he said. He said this was true and that the thief was said to have been captured. General Wei's residence can naturally restore the past.
Xiao Zhan cleared his throat and solemnly announced: "To commend the border generals for the country for the people for many days since the hard work of guarding the city and to sympathize with the martyrs for the country in heaven, lone especially per the military position of the military merit reward. Another, and then someone dares to rumor spreading false statements, vilification damage to the reputation of the front-line generals, shaking the morale of the army to mislead the war situation, on the law when the beheading by no means tolerate!
The whole court—you look at me, I look at you—hurriedly kneeled together and shouted, "Your majesty is wise."
After the court, Ouyang Zhong assisted Ouyang Ming, who was slowly walking behind the crowd. Unexpectedly, they walk even slower. The eldest Princess of Nanling, extra horse harnessed by the side of a team of horse harnessed by the side of a couple of the Marquis Ping'an, smiled smilingly to Ouyang Ming in-laws of the father-in-law to give a salute, Ouyang Zhong natural etiquette also have to get by, as usual, to pay respects to the father-in-law.
Marquis Ping'an looked at this low-eyed twenty-four filial piety Ouyang Zhong, still wearing his usual smiling mask, and said nothing. Still, the more this kind of smile is like a tiger, the more its mind is unfathomable; I do not know what flowery intestines or bad intentions are hidden inside the belly!
Marquis Ping'an is to let his son-in-law go home earlier to accompany the proud sun county princess; after all, marriage is a family, and Ouyang Zhong has also set up their households. The current County Lord's residence is now Ouyang Zhong's own home. Ouyang Zhong nodded his head and respectfully sent off Marquis Ping An.
Ouyang Zhong accompanied his father back to Ouyang Mansion on the carriage. The two fathers and sons were almost speechless on the way, each with their thoughts. When they arrived at the mansion, Ouyang Zhong told his father, "Father, recently, your body has not been too healthy. My son thinks I should do more filial piety to serve you and my mother. As for County Princess Jiao Yang's place, I'll return now to let her know."
Ouyang Ming recalled that day Nanling Princess a scolding. However, scolding what exactly can not be remembered, that arrogant and domineering flames, as well as JiaoYang County Lord that side of a cry, three hanged savage appearance, where there is the royal noblewoman's dignity and elegance, the original previously seen are pretending to be. These two families have become relatives; is it good to pretend to be lazy to pretend it? Ouyang Ming thought of it and felt a big head wretched. He nodded and agreed, mentioning: "I still need to be careful. That mother and daughter are very upsetting if I knew I should not let you marry her."
Ouyang Ming rushed to make his son to please the royal family and nobles for promotion and wealth. Now, as desired, he was annoyed and regretful because of the spread of such an annoying in-law and daughter-in-law. He is picking and choosing only profit-oriented appearance. Ouyang Zhong is not very unfamiliar. He is clear about his father's nature and naturally does not say anything after all; the most important thing now is for General Wei to complete the task successfully.
Ouyang Zhong responded to his father's words and nodded yes. His heart was secretly calculating, and his war with the Princess's family was the official opening of the prelude.
Returning to the Princess's Mansion, Marquis Ping'an, as always, greeted her parents, the Princess. Princess Xiao Wushuang has no interest in politics and military affairs, so the Peaceful Marquis will come over on time and spot-check a post occasionally, which is enough. The rest of the time, she cares more about how to stay young forever.
Marquis Ping'an did not tell the Princess about the uproar caused by his son-in-law, Ouyang Zhong, at the morning court today. Anyway, in his opinion, his wife, who is high up in the world, has so many eyes around her to do the report and does not need him to say more. Of course, there is another layer of mind to let these people bite each other, bite who counts who. He needs to do an excellent job in the camp of mantis. Catching cicadas and yellow sparrows at the back is enough. As for who the mantis and the cicada were in the Ouyang family and the Xiao family, what mattered to him?
After he came out of the eldest Princess's room, he felt like he was regaining his freedom every time. It had been so many years, and it had been almost 20 years since the two of them had gotten married, and it was still like this every day. When he wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was around to remove the disguise on his body, he didn't realize that not far away, his daughter, Princess Jiao Yang Xiao Feifei, was walking towards him. "She even went back to the Princess' Mansion today?" Marquis Ping'an muttered to himself with a bit of displeasure.
When his daughter approached him to greet his luggage, Marquis Ping'an again put on that naive mask full of smiles.
"Greetings to Father!" Xiao Feifei smiled like a peach blossom as she saluted and greeted Marquis Ping An.
Marquis Ping'an smiled as he symbolically supported his daughter with a gesture in the air, "Good, good, good, good daughter! Are you tired? Hurry up and go see your mother~"
No matter how arrogant and domineering County Princess Jiao Yang was outside, she still acted like a very naive young girl in front of her parents. She grew up thinking that her father seemed to have a layer of separation between himself, but he acted warmly and politely. If she wanted to get closer, her father would avoid her. She always thought it was because of the difference between men and women and that her father and mother treated her differently. In addition, she was free to know that her father was more fond of his brother Xiao Tai; father and son are closer to each other. After all, patriarchal things in the royal family are the same is there.
After a few words of pleasantries with his daughter, the Marquis Ping'an borrowed that he still had business to attend to as a reason to hurry and leave, Xiao Feifei, draped in a fiery red fox skin, looked at her father, who hurriedly walked away, in her heart there was some bad taste. Still, it was not good to attack out. Xiao Fayi lowered her head to calm her emotions, then raised her head and changed to a dignified and elegant lady model. With a smile, she paid her respects to her mother, the eldest Princess of Nanling.