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Chapter 181: Coming out of the cage
Winter has come, and the streets of Chang'an City are no longer filled with gauze skirts. After entering the twelfth lunar month, the first snow fell before it was too late, covering the majestic Chang'an with a layer of silver armor. The snow scenery of Tai Chi Palace has always been extremely beautiful, but unfortunately, few people are qualified to stand on this high place and recite poems and write lyrics.
The bachelors of Wenyuan Pavilion or Shuhua Pavilion do have this qualification. However, poetry recitation is not suitable for the occasion now, and the war in the northwest has begun. There was a battle first, after the soldiers left the Langru Mountain Canyon. The letter of challenge jointly written by several bachelors was finally sent out, and it is estimated that it will be handed over to the Mongolian people in another half month.
His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s edict against Mongolia had been issued a month ago and was notified to the whole country. As expected, the people did not resist the imperial court's dispatch of troops. Especially, when they learned that nearly 3,000 people in Fangu City were brutally killed by the Mongolian people, their anger was difficult to eliminate.
There are even ignorant and reckless people who privately blame Your Majesty for why this battle has been delayed for a year. In their view, it's like having a conflict with the next door. If you punch me, I will naturally punch you back. They don't waste their brains thinking about how much preparation they need to make for this war.
In the eyes of the common people, this battle was fought as a matter of course. Not only must they be beaten, but they must be beaten hard. The Meng Yuan barbarians killed my three thousand people in the Sui Dynasty, so at least thirty thousand people must be killed to come back.
Of course, no one doubts that this battle will be lost.
On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, people who had eaten Laba porridge the day before got up early and put on thick cotton clothes to clear the snow. It snowed intermittently all day and all night. When I went out, I realized that it was already nearly a foot deep. According to the rules of Chang'an Mansion, after snowfall, each household is responsible for cleaning in front of their own door, and then there will be a dedicated person from the Yamen to haul away the snow in a carriage.
Not long after the city gate was opened, people were already pouring into the streets and starting to clear the snow. They would rather sweep the street first than sweep their own yard first, because if other people's doors have been cleaned and there is still snow in front of their own house, they will definitely be laughed at as a lazy family.
The excitement on the street was shattered by the rapid sound of horse hooves. A dusty soldier rushed into the city gate on horseback. While beating the horse, he shouted loudly, signaling for the people to get out of the way.
"Urgent military information!"
This soldier obviously traveled all night, and the remaining fallen snow could still be seen on his body. A white horse has been smeared gray-black with mud and water, and the white breath coming out of the horse's nose is full of fatigue. These soldiers came from the northwest of the Sui Dynasty to report the news. They suffered a lot along the way.
The people immediately got out of the way and watched the soldier leave.
"It seems that the military situation is very urgent, right?"
?Some people speculated.
"It's not like a good news. If you win, you should just shout a good news from the border, right?"
"You fucking fart, how can we lose the Sui Dynasty's frontier army? Besides, General Li Yuanshan of the Right Xiaowei is stationed in the northwest. When have you ever heard that our soldiers suffered losses?"
"Right!"
Amid the discussion of the people, the dirty man and the dirty horse disappeared from sight.
His Majesty the Emperor has moved back to Taiji Palace from Changchun Garden and moved into Dongnuan Pavilion behind Taiji Palace. It can be said that God Bless Emperor Yang Yi was the most diligent and most womanizing emperor in the Sui Dynasty. He rarely returned to the harem, and rarely even summoned his concubines to sleep in Dongnuang Pavilion. The censors, who were so tough-mouthed, could never find an excuse to comment on the emperor's private life.
After the morning dynasty, the emperor walked quickly back to Dongnuan Pavilion. The soldiers sent from the northwest to report the news were waiting outside the door without having time to change their clothes. This soldier was carrying a package on his back. Like the clothes he was wearing, they were so dirty that the original color could not be seen.
In the cold morning air, he held an oil paper bag in his hands and swallowed the steaming bun. This was what the eunuch Su Buwei had specially brought to him after he entered the palace. It looked like he hadn't eaten anything last night, and he didn't care about the burning of the buns as he devoured them.
"Come in with me"
The emperor paused as he walked over, waiting for the soldier to swallow the last bite of the bun before walking over. He stopped the soldiers from saluting him and quickly entered Dongnuan Pavilion.
"Give him a glass of hot water!"
The emperor took off his boots, sat down on the earthen bed, and ordered the eunuch waiting to pour a glass of water for the soldier. The soldier kowtowed first and then poured water into his mouth. There was something in his stomach, and the warm feeling made him feel very comfortable. He galloped all the way from the northwest, barely stopping except for changing horses at the inn.Come and have a rest.
"How is the situation in the northwest?"
The emperor asked.
The soldier untied the package from behind and opened the layers, revealing a very clean wooden box with fire paint sealed on it. He handed the wooden box over with both hands. Su Buwei stepped forward to take it, used a knife to open the paint, pulled out the military intelligence inside and handed it to the emperor.
"Back to Your Majesty, a month and a half ago, General Li Xiaozong was ordered to lead 5,000 troops out of the Langru Mountain Canyon to explore the way for the army, and fought a fierce battle with the enemy general Mandu Wolf from Nirvana City in Mandu Banner. Mandu Wolf actually ordered all the herdsmen to go to the battlefield. , besieging Li Xiaozong. General Li fought a bloody battle and killed more than ten thousand enemies, but the five thousand troops were almost wiped out However, the canyon was defended, and when he set off, General Li Yuanshan had already led his troops through Langru Mountain. "
The emperor listened to the soldier's words while looking at the military situation. When he heard that the five thousand elite soldiers under Li Xiaozong's command were lost in battle, his face couldn't help but change.
"Fighting Dong Chu five thousand elite soldiers can march thousands of miles into Dong Chu's country in one go!"
He sighed slightly: "In the battle against Meng Yuan, five thousand people came out of the canyon and were killed You continue to ask, has Li Yuanshan captured Nirvana City? Have Mandu Latu's troops arrived?"
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Early in the morning, the people at the Ouchi Guards Office started cleaning the courtyard by themselves. There are many servants in the palace, but they are not allowed to move around freely in the palace guard office. Luo Weiran, wearing a mink velvet cloak, walked quickly through the snow into the back yard. At the door, Hou Wenji, the envoy of Qingya Town, was already standing there waiting.
"Is His Majesty's decree issued?"
Hou Wenji asked.
Luo Weiran nodded and said: "Early this morning, His Majesty sent someone to look for me and carefully inquired about the things that have been traced in the past six months. Because there is really no one or anything to prove that Fang Jie is related to the Buddha Sect, His Majesty ordered Let him out for now, and this matter is finally over."
"Your Majesty is not in the mood to pay attention to this matter now, but if there was no war with Meng Yuan, maybe Fang Jie would have been released long ago."
Hou Wenji smiled and said: "Your Majesty has been paying attention to the war in the northwest all day long. How could he have thought of keeping a little guy in his arms? I don't know who blew the wind in your Majesty's ear, and then your Majesty remembered that there was another trouble. closed."
"It should be Dean Zhou."
Luo Weiran entered the room, took off his coat and stood by the stove rubbing his hands: "I heard that Dean Zhou entered the palace yesterday, or because the delay was long enough, so long that if Fang Jie didn't show up at the Yanwu Academy, No amount of lies can stop others from guessing. The Chinese New Year will be celebrated in twenty days. According to the rules, Fang Jie, the head of the Performing Martial Arts Academy, will represent the students of the Performing Martial Arts Academy to attend the ceremony and appear in front of His Majesty. It is obviously inappropriate to mention practicing in the back mountain during a banquet with ministers.¡±
"Just let it out like this?"
Hou Wenji poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Luo Weiran: "Although it was something I had expected, why am I unwilling to do so."
"Why?"
Luo Weiran asked.
Hou Wenji smiled and said: "Nothing was found. There is no proof that he has no connection with the Buddha Sect. There is no proof that he is connected with the Buddha Sect. Let him be released like this I always feel that something is wrong. "
Luo Weiran rolled her eyes at him and said, "Then you won't let me go."
Hou Wenji said: "What you said is a bit mixed with personal feelings, but it is right. After all, he is also your nephew."
"Just let it go."
He rubbed his brows and said: "Because of the war in the northwest, University scholar Niu Huilun suggested to Your Majesty that on the first day of the new year, students from the Yanwu Academy should parade in red and colorful colors to boost the morale of the people. This idea is very bad, but I guess It will have some effect, at least let the common people see that there are so many available talents in the martial arts academy."
Luo Weiran nodded. For some reason, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.
"I heard there is an urgent report from the northwest."
He muttered softly.
"yes¡¡"
Hou Wenji was silent for a while, then patted Luo Weiran on the shoulder and said: "After the New Year, I will go to the northwest. Leave everything in the capital to yourself, and the burden on your shoulders will be much heavier."
He looked at the steam rising from the cup, with no sadness or joy in his eyes.
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This was the first time that Fang Jie had seen a mirror in the secret cell of Ouchi Guards for a long time, so the boss was shocked when he saw the person in the bronze mirror.
"this is me?"
He raised his hand and stroked the beard on his chin.He turned around again and looked at the long hair behind him that had reached his waist. The figure in the mirror is a bit unfamiliar, and it is very different from the self in memory. Fang Jie took a while to adapt, and then he couldn't help but sigh and said, "Time is indeed a butcher's knife."
Zhuo Buyi, who was looking at him with a smile, picked up the scissors and handed them to Fang Jie: "My hair is too long, let's cut it."
Fang Jie did not pick it up, but smiled and said: "Keep it, it looks pleasing to the eye. But you can't keep your beard, otherwise you will be sorry for my title of handsome man."
He picked up the razor, dipped it in some water and started shaving in front of the bronze mirror. This was Xie's first time shaving after entering this world, so the movements were a bit awkward. I couldn't control the angle and strength well, so it was a bit hard to shave. Qiu Yu, who was sitting on the side, stood up, walked to him and took the razor. With one hand, he held Fang Jie's chin and raised it, and with the other hand, he gently scraped his cheek with the knife.
"This posture"
Fang Jie turned around and looked at himself in the bronze mirror, and couldn't help but sigh: "It feels like I've been molested."
Qiu Yu ignored his teasing and asked, "Have you thought about it? How can I explain that I have been missing for more than half a year when I appear in front of the students of the Yanwu Academy again?"
"What a nonsense explanation."
Fang Jie raised his chin and spoke carefully, fearing that Qiu Yu's knife would scratch his face: "I am the number one in the martial arts academy. Can I explain it to them? Besides the old guy you smashed the table with, he I will think of what to say.¡±
"That old guy is right here."
A voice floated over from the door, startling Fang Jie.
He looked back and immediately saw Luo Weiran and Dean Zhou, whom he had hated for a long time.
"Although I'm a little angry when you call me old guy."
Dean Zhou walked over slowly, looked at Fang Jie and said, "But there is a sentence I like very much You are the number one in the martial arts academy, and you have been missing for half a year. Do you need to explain to them?"
"You mean, the thing that has kept me locked up for so long is like a fart, I can let it out whenever I want?"
Fang Jie still asked with his chin raised, his eyes provocative.
Dean Zhou was not angry, but after being silent for a while, he said seriously: "What happened to the fart? You can let it out freely, but can you also take it back freely?"
Fang Jie was startled, then nodded: "It seems to make sense."
Dean Zhou hummed and said, "It makes perfect sense."
He threw the package in his hand on the stone bed, pointed at it and said, "A new suit of clothes."
"You want me to not care about a new outfit?"
Fang explained the question.
"What else do you want?"
Dean Zhou asked.
Fang Jie thought for a while, and then said seriously: "At least you have to treat me to a meal at Keshengju, and then go to Hongxiu to invite everyone to dance Liuhuashuixiu."