Pihanjin

In mid-March, the vast expanses of fields in Hexi are green, and the weather starts to get really warm.

The steward of Jiedu's envoy got up early this morning and got busy.

The day after the hostess left, the fire dragon in the house stopped burning. According to the usual practice, after the fire is stopped every year, people should be called to pass the tunnel and the muzzle, so as to avoid too much dust accumulation and blockage, which will affect the heating in the following year.

This should have been done a long time ago, but because there were so many things in charge a few days ago, coupled with the bad weather, the problem of low back pain occurred again, and I couldn't walk while lying on the bed. God, the talent is refreshing. Things were dragged on and off for a month or two. Seeing that the weather was good these few days, they called people over to work.

Yesterday, taking advantage of Jiedushi's absence, I finished the whole back room. I've done the work at the hearth today, and things will be fine.

"Quicker hands and feet! Pour the dirt over here!"

"Keep your voice down! The adults are back today, and people are still behind, so don't disturb the adults!"

The steward was busy instructing the craftsmen to do things, when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, as if someone was rushing towards him, he turned his head and saw that it was Cao Guo who joined the army. I don't know what happened, but he lost his temper to this point. I saw that he looked anxious and rushed up to meet him.

"Cao Canjun, what happened?"

Cao Guo grabbed the steward's sleeve and asked out of breath, "Where is Xie Jiedu, has he come back from outside?"

Xie Changgeng had been away from the city a few days ago and went to the borderlands.

The steward said, "My lord came back in the middle of the night last night. What's up with Cao's army?"

"Something has happened! It's extremely urgent! The natives gathered in a crowd to make trouble, surrounded Jiaocheng, and threatened to set fire to the city!"

Jiaocheng is only 50 miles away from Guzang. It is not a big place. It is a subsidiary land of Guzang, but it is very important. There is a large warehouse for grain storage in the city. Really burn up, not a trivial matter. The name of the Jiaocheng Order was Xu Ke. He was very reliable in his work on weekdays, and was also loyal to Xie Changgeng.

The steward sucked in a breath of cold air and told him to wait a moment. He turned around immediately, ran into the main courtyard at the back, reached the door, looked in, and saw that the doors and windows of the bedroom were still closed, and asked a maid who was sweeping the floor outside the courtyard.

The servant girl whispered: "The room where the adults only returned from the study at the fifth watch, it didn't take long to fall asleep."

The matter was of great importance, and the steward did not dare to delay. He walked in quickly, stopped outside the door, knocked on the door a few times, and shouted, "Sir, Cao Guo and Cao Cao's army are here, something has happened!"

It was quiet in the inner room, the bed curtain was low, and the light was dim in the heavy curtain.

When the sound came in, Xie Changgeng was awakened from his sleep, and his drooping eyelashes moved slightly, but he did not open his eyes immediately, nor did he move, and continued to lie down with his eyes closed for a while, waiting for the burst of sleep to come. The feeling that the body was tense until the pain eased a little, Fang opened his eyes, turned over and sat up.

He glanced at the abnormality of the clothes on his lower abdomen, opened the curtain and went to the ground, entered the bathroom, came out after a while, put on a coat, and went to open the door.

When the steward saw him appearing behind the door, his brows were light and unhappy, and he hurriedly bowed: "I know that the adults are working hard, and it hasn't been a while since I fell asleep, but Cao Guo just came and said something, the villain did not dare to delay, and dared to call. grown ups."

"What's the matter?"

Xie Changgeng turned around and asked while continuing to get dressed.

"The natives gathered in a crowd to make trouble and set fire to Jiaocheng!"

Xie Changgeng stopped abruptly and turned his head.

"Tell him to go to the front hall, and I'll go there right away."

The steward responded and hurriedly went back to spread the word.

Cao Guo was waiting in the front hall of Jiedu's envoy's residence. He kept looking around. He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. When he saw Xie Changgeng's figure appear, he rushed up with a stride.

"My lord, something has happened! I just received the news that many natives were dispatched and rushed to Jiaocheng. I'm afraid something will happen, sir, go and see!"

"It's so good, why did the natives suddenly attack Jiaocheng?"

Xie Changgeng hurried out and asked.

As Cao Guo chased him, he explained the whole story to him.

Jiaocheng ordered Xu Ke's son to have an affair with a native woman. They eloped a few days ago and did not know where to go. Yesterday, the woman's family came to ask for someone. There were few people on the other side, and they were beaten out at that time. Unexpectedly, after the night passed, the natives came from all directions this morning, and all went to Jiaocheng.

Xie Changgeng frowned and stepped out of the door.

There was a team of cavalry waiting outside the door. Xie Changgeng took the reins handed by his entourage, mounted the horse and left the city, galloping towards Jiaocheng.

Fifty miles away, he arrived in a quarter of an hour, and saw from a distance outside the city gate, at least a thousand native men were densely gathered, either armed with swords and axes, or with sticks, and some with torches in their hands. All of them were full of anger and righteous indignation.

Xie Changgeng stopped his horse, looked into the distance, and saw that there were still natives coming from all directions to join the siege queue. More and more people.

The gates of Jiaocheng were closed, and above the city head, soldiers with bows and arrows were waiting in an array.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, and it was about to explode.

"Xie Jiedu has arrived! You guys are not going away! Are you going to openly rebel?"

Cao Guo could speak the local dialect and shouted loudly towards the front.

When the natives gathered in front of the city gate heard the voice, they turned around and saw a group of people coming by the road. There was a man in front, sitting on horseback and wearing an official uniform. Although he looked very young in his twenties, his eyes were like electricity, and he was majestic.

The noise gradually ceased, and the surroundings became quiet.

Xie Changgeng rolled over and dismounted from the countless pairs of glaring eyes cast on him.

With swords and axes facing each other, he looked straight ahead with a calm expression, strode through the crowd, and under the city gate, stood still, without turning his head, and shouted: "Jiaocheng order Xu Ke, come out!"

Yesterday, when the natives came to have a dispute, Jiaocheng ordered Xu Keren not to be at home, knowing that this time a big disaster had happened, and the son and the native girl were missing again. The city gate was besieged early in the morning. Dare to act rashly. Just now when he saw Jiedushi coming, he was relieved, but also more frightened. The man was at the city gate. Hearing him shout his name, he hurriedly opened the city gate, ran out, and knelt on Xie Changgeng's place. Beside him, weeping bitterly, he kowtowed and pleaded guilty: "Xiaguan, **** it! First, he was not strict with his son, and then he was ineffective in controlling his family, which led to such a catastrophe! Even if the adults cut off Xiaguan's head, Xiaguan dared not say a word. Complaints. I just ask the adults to see that Xiaguan is still attentive in his work on weekdays and has no faults, and forgive me!"

Xie Changgeng looked gloomy, stared at him, and turned to look at a strong native of the lead opposite.

After he came here as Jiedushi, he always wanted to subdue the natives in order to facilitate the war against the North. Although the plan has not been achieved so far, he already knows the situation of the dozens of native villages in the territory. Knowing that this man's name is Bai Long, he is quite prestigious among the natives.

Xie Changgeng looked at each other for a while, and said a few words to Cao Guo.

Cao Guo stepped forward and said: "Bai Long, Jiedushi said that if the person is not here, he will send someone to find him. After he finds it, he will let the Xu family marry your daughter. As for yesterday's quarrel, the adults also asked It's over, both sides are at fault. Of course some of you were injured, so did the Xu family. Considering that you were few at the time, you really suffered first, the adults would like to be a middleman and ask the Xu family to accompany you. What compensation do you want? Even if you open your mouth, the matter is revealed."

Bai Long said: "It's not that I don't give respect to Jiedushi, but even if I agree, I have to ask my brother if he agrees or not!"

He looked at a man beside him.

This man was the elder brother of the woman who eloped, with a cloth wrapped around his head, and the cloth was stained with overnight blood, and said angrily: "Your people seduced my sister and hid her, yesterday I brought someone to ask for it, and you not only didn’t pay it back, you also injured a few of my brothers, how can I just let it go? Let me marry my sister? Dreaming! If you don’t hand them over today, I’ll set the place on fire!”

His voice fell, and the people behind him made a loud noise. The crowd was excited and rushed towards the city gate.

Cao Guo was furious and was about to scold when Xie Changgeng took a step forward, opened his mouth, and said in a native language: "I have already said that people are not in the city! Even if you burn the city, it is useless, but it's just a foolish act to vent your anger. !"

His eyes glanced at the people on the opposite side, and his expression turned serious.

"What's more, you really think that there is no royal law here, so do what you want? I might as well ask someone to open the city gate, and you can go in and look for it. But I tell you, if you dare to set a fire, burn a house, and hurt an innocent person I will repay you tenfold. From now on, you will never have a place of peace in your eighteen villages and thirty-six lands!”

"Open the door! Withdraw the bow and arrow!"

When he finished, he shouted sharply.

Cao Guo and the others were surprised. They glanced at the dense crowd outside the city gate, hesitated for a while, but finally did not dare to disobey the order. They ordered the soldiers to open the city gate and withdraw the arrow array as instructed.

Xie Changgeng took a step back to the side. "Come in!"

Under the city gate, which was still noisy just now, it became quiet again.

The natives looked at each other, and finally looked at Bai Long.

Bai Long was in disbelief, glanced at the wide-open city gate, then looked up and down at Xie Changgeng, saw him standing aside calmly, raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, and said, "Do you think I don't know? You must be in the city. There is an ambush, so that we can be wiped out! You want me to be fooled, but I will not be fooled!"

Xie Changgeng smiled slightly: "Bai Long, you are very smart, but have you ever thought about it? Is it the responsibility of one side to run away between men and women? Of course the man is at fault, is your brother's sister not at fault? The Xu family hurt others. Of course it's not right, I'll ask them to prepare and make amends. For those of you who are injured, I will send military doctors to treat the wounded. If you run away, I will also look for them and find them. So, what are you dissatisfied with?"

Bai Long froze for a moment, then said, "Why should I believe your words?"

Xie Changgeng said: "I am the dignified ambassador of the Jingluejiedu in Hexi, the governor of Liangzhou, and the second-rank official of the imperial court. Once I open my mouth, I will not break my word."

His words fell, but Bai Long sneered: "Forget it, none of you officials in the court are good! If we believe it, we will be fooled! We are all here today, so it's not good to go for nothing. If people are not in the city, then hand over all the people who beat us yesterday! We don't bully the less, we will have the same number of them. Just as they broke our arm yesterday, we will break the same. go back!"

His voice fell, and the natives behind him echoed one after another, roaring one after another.

Xu Ke was trembling, angry and afraid, and fell on his face, not daring to raise his head.

When things got to this point, not to mention handing over the people who did it yesterday, even if he wanted to kill those people, he didn't dare to respond.

He was afraid that Xie Jiedushi would not be able to step down.

Having said that, these natives even made such a request.

It sounds like fairness, but in fact it doesn't give him any face at all.

Cao Guo was furious: "Bai Long, don't shame you! Your lord is already kind enough to you, so you really can't do anything about it?"

Bai Long snorted: "It's just a tat! We'll leave when we're done!"

"Come on! Protect the adults!"

Cao Guo gave the order loudly.

The soldiers of the brigade rushed up immediately.

"Sir, arrest these people and see if they dare to make trouble!"

Cao Guo advised and waited for Xie Changgeng's final order.

The natives also raised their weapons.

Xie Changgeng did not speak immediately.

Countless pairs of eyes stared at him.

The scene that had just eased off became tense again.

At this moment, a native pushed aside his companion, squeezed hard to the front, put his mouth close to Bai Long's ear, and said a few words in a low voice.

After hearing this, Bai Long showed a reluctant look on his face, but the person who sent the message seemed to have a high status. He hesitated for a while, and finally withdrew his sword and motioned everyone to back up. Madam has been kind to us, and I will trust you today! We will eat this loss!"

After he finished speaking, he sent a voice order. One pass ten, ten pass a hundred, the natives knew the order, whispered to each other, and turned their heads and left in the sound of discussion.

Soon, outside the city gate where the swords were drawn, people walked empty.

Cao Guo let out a long sigh of relief and ordered the soldiers to withdraw. Seeing that Xie Changgeng was still standing there, his eyes were in the direction where the natives were leaving, he went up and flattered: "Thanks to the adults today, the decision is the same! They don't dare to enter the city! The last commander will be convinced!"

After he finished flattering, seeing Xie Changgeng's gloomy face, he hurriedly shut up.

Xie Changgeng turned to Xu Ke and stared at him coldly.

"Take care of your son and people! If there is another time, I will never forgive you lightly!"

After he finished speaking, he mounted his horse and galloped towards Gu Zang, and his back disappeared on the gallop in a blink of an eye.

When Xu Ke was in a pardon, he fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

Cao Guo had a good relationship with him on weekdays. Seeing that he was so frightened today, he went up to help him up, and said in a low voice, "Brother Xu, you are lucky. Finally, these natives still have some conscience. I still remember the day of Lord Weng. Kindness to them, or else today, the adults can't get off the stage and don't talk about it, the matter is really big, and you just say something like this?"

Xu Ke was still in shock, wiped his sweat and said, "You don't need to tell me, I know it. When Lord Weng comes back, I will ask my wife to prepare a gift and thank you!"

Xie Changgeng galloped back to Guzang. It was not past noon. When he arrived at the door, he dismounted his horse and entered. The steward hurriedly greeted him and said, "Sir, there is a message from Nancheng Wei, saying that Changsha has sent someone, and they have arrived, please see your lord. !"

Xie Changgeng was full of anger, and without turning his head, he said coldly: "Tell them, their master Weng has returned early! Let them turn around and go back! No!"

The steward sighed, and was about to send a message when Xie Changgeng suddenly stopped, turned his head and asked, "Who is here?"

"The name of the leader is Yuan Handing."

Xie Changgeng saw the young man he saw outside the ancestral temple when he went to Changsha that day. He pondered for a moment, and then changed his mind: "Go and welcome them into the post house. Don't tell them anything, just say that I am free. , will go see them!"