231-240

Chapter 231

Lu Jiuan rested in the mansion for more than half a month. Apart from some inconveniences in his legs and feet, he soon became lively again.

One day Han Zhi came to his house and said, "The execution day of Han Zhao and others is at the end of the month. Do you want to go and see it?"

Lu Jiu'an thought about it for a while, but still refused. Although he had stayed in Dazhou for decades, But the soul comes from the 21st century after all, and he still can't accept this kind of bloody scene.

Although Lu Jiu'an didn't go, Fu Wenxin and the others couldn't help but go watch the fun. It is said that there was a river of blood in the execution ground that day, and two of the executioner's knives were cut off, which shows how many people were tortured.

The next step was to confiscate their property and distribute them to the army. The huge Jin'an Prince's Mansion was deserted overnight.

In this catastrophe, the only survivor was King Jin'an's young son who was still hobbling.

The child was so ignorant that he had no idea what was going on around him. He was held in His Majesty's arms and just had fun holding the candy in his mouth.

"What a shame for a child." Emperor Yongxi sighed and asked if any of the concubines in the palace were willing to raise him.

But whoever dared to pretend to be the son of a sinner, Emperor Yongxi asked around in the court. The ministers either used the excuse that the wives and concubines at home were fierce, or excused themselves by saying that they had no way to teach the son. Anyway, no one was willing to take over.

The young prince was kicked around like a ball.

In the end, Han Zhi took him back to his house.

As soon as the young prince saw Lu Jiu'an, he hugged his calf and kept calling him "daddy" babblingly.

Han Zhi's face darkened, and he doubted whether the decision he made in the court was too impulsive.

Lu Jiu'an picked him up, bumped his buttocks, and said in surprise: "Isn't this the young prince? How did you bring this boy back?"

Donglan Gong on the side directed the young eunuch to take the child He moved the child's personal clothes and clothes into the house. Hearing this, he covered his mouth and smiled: "Your Majesty is wise and kind, and cannot bear to harm such a young life, so he issued a decree to pardon his crime."

The child's things were limited, and the little eunuch soon After the move was completed, Donglan bowed and left the Royal Palace.

Lu Jiuan also took this time to understand the whole story.

Lu Jiu'an quickly accepted this fact. He pinched the child's chubby face and said, "You and Han Zhao are incompatible. His mother once poisoned you, and now you actually bring him back. "

Han Zhixin said, not only you, the civil and military officials of the whole dynasty did not expect it, but looking at the expression on the emperor's brother's face, it seemed that he had expected it.

"His father is indeed annoying." Han Zhi glanced at the child lightly, put him on the bed by his collar, and threatened, "I will be unhappy in the future, so I will take it out on you.

" Feeling something in his heart, he muttered "Wow wow" twice and hid in Lu Jiu'an's arms. Lu Jiu'an didn't expect that Han Zhi had such a childish side, and he couldn't laugh or cry.

"That's fine. Anyway, after we get together, we are destined to have no heirs in the future. This child is destined to me. He calls me dad every time we meet. It's God's will. It's okay to raise him as a son."

Jiang Yu said cautiously: "Be sure to Think twice before you act, sir. In the final analysis, King Jin'an's death is closely related to you. If you raise this child, there will be endless troubles."

Jiang Yu stared at Lu Jiu'an closely, almost thinking of "revenge of patricide." The words "Raising tigers will bring disaster" are written on his face.

Lu Jiu'an smiled: "This kid is not old enough to remember yet. He doesn't understand anything, so there is no need to be afraid. Besides, people are kind-hearted at first. If you educate and guide him well, I believe he will grow into a sensible man. Nothing will go wrong, young man."

So the young prince settled in the Royal Palace. Lu Jiu'an felt that since the child was following them, it would be better to change his name and start over.

Han Zhi didn't care about this and directly handed over the right to change his name to Lu Jiu'an.

Lu Jiu'an blinked: "Should I follow your surname or follow mine?"

Han Zhi turned his head and looked at him without saying a word, making Lu Jiu'an feel hairy all over.

"The son takes his father's surname, what do you think?"

"But if the child calls me daddy, then you are his mother." Lu Jiu'an encouraged the child and shouted.

The child obeyed the advice and cried softly, "Mother!"

Han Zhi almost caught the child and beat him up.

Lu Jiu'an was happy for a long time: "Okay, I'm just kidding. There are quite a few people with their mother's surname. Who says that the husband is the eldest in the family."

Han Zhi said: "You know who is eldest."

Lu Jiu'an moved his mouth and was about to retort when something suddenly occurred to him. His thin face instantly turned red. He pointed at Han Zhi's nose and cursed with some sternness: "It's insulting to gentlemen, how can you... ...Why do you always worry about such trivial things?"

Han Zhi nodded very seriously.

Lu Jiuan's nose almost turned crooked with anger, so he turned around and left. He was too lazy to argue with Han Zhi on this issue, and continuing to talk would just be humiliating himself.

Unexpectedly, the child stood there and looked at Han Zhi, then at Lu Jiu'an, stepped up his legs, followed Lu Jiu'an's butt, and left.

As for the name of the child, Lu Jiu'an thought about it for a long time, and finally decided on it: "Han Wangqing."

I hope you will be like the jade in the autumn frost, and your ambition will be noble; I hope you will be green and moist, and you will be successful in your life.

In early September, it rained, and the temperature dropped suddenly. Sometimes Lu Jiuan would shiver from the cold when walking on the street without any clothes on.

Such erratic weather seemed to indicate that something unusual was about to happen. Lu Jiu'an thought of the animal carcasses that froze to death in the cold winter, and went to the court to advise him, hoping that the court would prepare for the cold as soon as possible.

Emperor Yongxi did not dare to be careless. Southern Shanxi was located in the north, and it would snow heavily in winter. The extremely severe snowstorm weather had also appeared several times in history books.

It's not a bad thing to plan ahead.

While he called on all households to collect reed catkins, straw, firewood and other cold-proof items in advance for filling, he also ordered the Ministry of Industry to strengthen the houses and pavilions in the city to prevent building damage and civilian casualties caused by walking in the snow.

As the main functional department for observing celestial phenomena, compiling solar terms, and calculating calendars, the Qintian Supervisor also always pays attention to changes in the stars and weather, and is ready to prepare.

Fueled by the extremely cold weather, conflict finally broke out on the Yunluo border thousands of miles away.

The reason was that a herdsman family went out of the city to herd sheep. They drove more than ten sheep to Louta Grassland to eat. That area was very close to Yunluo City and was patrolled by border guards all the time, so it was relatively safe.

However, there are too many monks and too little rice. The supply of plants in the Louta Grassland gradually exceeds the demand. In addition, in autumn and winter, the vegetation gradually withers. The sheep cannot get enough food, and each one is so hungry that they are emaciated.

Thinking that the border guards were nearby anyway, the herdsmen emboldened themselves and drove the sheep a little further away. Little did they think that just because they were lucky, something unexpected happened.

A small group of Tarman Rangers brutally slaughtered the herdsmen, and Shi Shiran took away all the more than ten sheep.

Being so blatant and so grand, he was clearly taking this opportunity to deliberately provoke a war.

Perhaps even they know that this winter will be very cold, and they must find a place to stay in order to spend it safely.

The herdsman's daughter was lucky enough to escape because she was lazy and slept on a tree trunk. After Tarman left, the girl ran back to Yunluo and asked for help from the guards guarding the city.

At the same time, the scouts sent out by Yunluo also received an important piece of information: Taman's elite cavalry was thirty miles away and was heading towards Yunluo.

The war is about to break out!

The Twelve Horsemen of Snow Embrace have never slackened their war preparations. Even if Han Zhi is not here to take charge, the army still makes decisions in an orderly manner.

The Twelve Snowy Cavalry were divided into three groups. Some went out to meet the enemy, while others headed to Wuhui Mountain with supplies and armaments.

It is a mountain range that is more than 60 kilometers long. The zenith is covered with snow all year round and the road is difficult to travel. As early as a few years ago, Han Zhi sent troops to Wuhui Mountain to build a military garrison, which could effectively form a two-sided attack on the enemy. If the barbarians were attacked, they would be caught off guard.

The remaining people guard Yunluo and provide support at any time depending on the battle situation.

Yang Gengqing wrote a letter and quickly sent it back to southern Shanxi.

Han Zhi had been waiting for this day for a long time. The next day after receiving the secret message, he mobilized his troops, loaded dozens of carts full of fine weapons and gunpowder, and prepared to set off for Yunluo.

I don't know how long the war will last and how dangerous it will be. Han Zhi puts on his armor, puts his Yunying gun on the horse's back, and goes to the study to find Lu Jiu'an.

Lu Jiu'an was packing things, and Han Zhi pressed his cheek against his and rubbed his nose nostalgically.

"Well..." Lu Jiu'an pushed him gently with his hand. Han Zhi's armor was cold and hard, making his chest uncomfortable.

"I'm leaving. Take good care of Han Wangqing at home and wait for my return with peace of mind."

Lu Jiu'an lowered his eyes slightly, and his beautiful face was shrouded in a beam of light from the window, as if it was glowing slightly. . He looked indescribably handsome and attractive. Han Zhi rubbed the back of his neck and suddenly had an urge not to leave.

But he was a general, and he couldn't act on his emotions, so he just pressed his neck and kissed him against the corner of his mouth.

However, Lu Jiu'an looked at him carefully and muttered: "You don't have to look so inseparable. It's not like we want to separate immediately..."

Han Zhi didn't know what was going on and narrowed his eyes slightly: "What do you mean by this?"

Lu Jiu'an took two steps back humbly and took out an imperial edict from the box: "Don't we need an accompanying supervisor in the team going to southern Shanxi? I ​​went to the palace last night and asked His Majesty for this position, so , please take good care of me in the future. "

As the name suggests, the accompanying supervisors are the court personnel appointed by the emperor to supervise the army.

However, Prince Yu and Emperor Yongxi were from the same generation, and the two brothers had a deep relationship, so the position of military supervisor was useless.

Emperor Yongxi appointed Lu Jiu'an as Changjishi and military envoy, and set off with the army.

Han Zhi is very angry!

The border environment was already very harsh, and now that the barbarian army was pressing on the border, Yun Luo, as the first line of defense in the Great Zhou Dynasty, was extremely dangerous. Others could not avoid it, but he had better hurry up and run there.

It's a pity that now that the imperial edict has been issued, even if Han Zhi is angry, he can't change it.

Before leaving, Lu Jiu'an found Qin Jizhi and thanked him for saving his life: "If it weren't for you, I might still be lying in bed now."

Qin Jizhi didn't dare to take credit: "I feel ashamed to say it. To this day, I have not been able to find out the real reason for your sleepiness, Jiu'an. It has nothing to do with you if you wake up, and it has nothing to do with me."

Qin Jizhi grew a beard and looked much more mature and steady, Lu Jiu'an said. Somewhat sighing: "What are your plans next? Should you stay in southern Shanxi, or should you respond to peace?"

"Response to peace." Qin Jizhi answered without hesitation.

Jinnan was a sad place for him. If Lu Jiu'an's life hadn't been hanging by a thread, he probably would never have set foot there in his life.

Lu Jiu'an patted Qin Jizhi on the shoulder with deep sympathy. He also had deep feelings for that land and would go back again if there was a chance in the future.

This trip was an impromptu trip and was done in a hurry. Lu Jiuan couldn't say goodbye to everyone.

He called A Duo and Yang Miaomiao to give him a few brief words, and left the two brothers Fu Wenxin at home to look after them. He picked up Han Wangqing and set foot on the road to Yunluo.

Chapter 232

The army moved forward in an orderly manner.

The route they were traveling on was the official road used to transport grain and grass. This section had been paved with cement and was flat and open.

The benefits of the cement road were highlighted at this time. War logistics was all about speed. Now the two-day journey was reduced to one day, which greatly improved the efficiency. It would be better if the transportation tools could be improved together.

Lu Jiu'an thought of those electric trains speeding on the railway tracks...

Replacing manpower with machinery can not only improve efficiency, but also greatly liberate the labor force. He doesn't know what Feng Jing's research results have become. Ying Ping at least had a bullcar for transportation before, so After many years, it's time to develop something new.

Lu Jiuan was a little unsure and planned to go back to Jinnan next time to check the progress.

The further we walked towards Yunluo, the colder the weather became. The biting wind blew on our face, causing pain like a knife. The surrounding environment gradually changed from high mountains to endless prairie.

In order not to delay the march, Lu Jiuan rode forward with the army. The team traveled day and night, occasionally stopping to set up camp and take a break.

Often at this time, the soldiers would pile up military supplies together for easy guarding, while the rest would quietly light torches and set up boilers.

Marching and fighting is a very arduous thing, not to mention the long journey day and night. The food that soldiers use to satisfy their hunger has accordingly become very simple. Dry food is mixed with various leaves and boiled in soup. It's just a dinner, and occasionally, if you're lucky, you'll encounter one or two wild game.

This was the case today. Han Zhi and his soldiers caught three deer roe and killed them on the spot for everyone to eat.

The campground soon became filled with the aroma of meat.

The soldiers sat around and ate voraciously. Han Zhi took a deer leg and found Lu Jiu'an in the tent. He was leaning against a low couch and concentrating on the work at hand. Han Wangqing was crawling around on the animal skin. People are having a great time.

"What are you doing, not coming out to eat?"

Lu Jiu'an looked up at him and raised the things in his hands: "A few days ago, I saw that many soldiers transporting weapons and equipment had frostbite on their hands, so I was thinking of doing something. The gloves are for them, although they are a little shoddy, but they are better than nothing."

Han Zhi took them and found that the fabric of these gloves looked familiar: "Have you taken off your own clothes?"

"Yes," Lu Jiu'an said proudly, "Those clothes are a bit old. It's ready for recycling. I stuffed some cotton inside and you can try it out."

Han Zhi had just taken the deer leg and his hands were stained with oil. He put his gloves aside and said, "We'll talk about this later. , you eat first."

Due to the crude cooking techniques and insufficient seasonings, the venison tasted fishy. Lu Jiuan endured the discomfort in his stomach and ate half full, leaving the rest for Han Zhi.

Han Zhi didn't care. He gnawed the deer leg down to the bones in a few clicks, and then took out a green fruit from his arms.

"Try it." Han Zhi had no expression on his face, but his eyes were full of expectation.

Lu Jiu'an took a bite. The fruit was sour and sweet, and had a unique fragrance that grew wild in the mountains. His eyes lit up: "Where did it come from?"

Han Zhi smiled fondly: "I used to pass through this area when traveling between Yunluo and Shannan. , I discovered it by accident."

This palm-sized fruit just offset the discomfort of eating venison just now, and Han Zhi watched him finish it intently.

The soldiers outside the tent were chatting around the boiler. They didn't know what they said, but suddenly there was a burst of laughter.

"What are you talking about outside? You are so happy." Lu Jiuan could hardly feel the tension and anxiety of the upcoming war from them.

Han Zhi came back to his senses, listened attentively, raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm praising the handsome supervisor in our army."

Lu Jiu'an just thought he was talking nonsense and didn't believe it at all: "What can I talk about?"

Han Zhi said : "There are very few civilian officials in the army. In their hearts, civilian officials are a group of helpless people who complain about fatigue at every turn. They are useless except for being a hindrance."

Lu Jiu'an was dumbfounded: "It's not that exaggerated. "

Not only that, the military supervisors in history were many people who were greedy for luxury and leisure. They thought they would serve you like they served their ancestors, but you followed the army for dozens of miles without saying a word. Naturally, they admire you very much. ."

In addition to these, there are other complimentary words, such as "Civilian officials have looked down on military attachés since ancient times, thinking that their behavior was vulgar. However, Lu Jiu'an was so handsome and handsome. Instead of despising them, he respected them. Such an attitude. "It made them frightened, but also very moved." However, Han Zhi did not need to say these words to him one by one.

Lu Jiu'an didn't take it seriously, threw the core out, purified the water with water, and asked, "Why did you look at me like that just now?"

Han Zhi said, "I just felt a little lucky suddenly. If I hadn't gone to Yingping, I would have been there." I won't meet you."

"Even if you don't go to Yingping, we will meet in the future."

"It's different." Han Zhi shook his head, thinking of Qin Jizhi and the various people surrounding Lu Jiu'an, with a serious expression. , "The ending may be different if we meet early or late."

"Don't worry too much." Lu Jiu'an smiled, "Speaking of which, the first time I met you was not in Yingping."

"Huh?"

So? Lu Jiu'an told the story of how he accidentally met him when he first came to Shannan to take the exam: "At that time, I just saw your back and felt that General Zhenyuan was indeed well-deserved."

But when Luo Xueshi said that, , I definitely didn't expect that not only would I meet Han Zhi, but they would also become a couple. Maybe this was fate destined by God.

After dinner, the soldiers returned to the camp one after another. Except for a few dozen who had to take turns to watch the night, the rest took the time to catch up on their sleep.

Han Wangqing drank a bowl of rice porridge, then obediently climbed into Lu Jiu'an's arms and lay down. Han Zhi pulled him away with a dark face: "Aren't you weaned yet?"

Lu Jiu'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What do you care about with him?"

Han Zhi said . Han Wangqing threw him in the corner, put his arms around Lu Jiu'an's waist and hugged him tightly. He couldn't help but said: "Go to bed quickly. We have to rush early tomorrow morning."

However, in the middle of the night, everyone was woken up by a howling wolf. The sounds came and went, as if Just hanging around.

Lu Jiu'an was so frightened that he realized that the grassland was full of dangers. In addition to vegetarian deer, there were also groups of carnivorous wolves.

Wolves are different from other wild beasts in that they are not only cunning and ferocious, but also good at hunting down prey. Although this is not the first time Lu Jiuan has encountered it, it is different from the past. At that time, there were trees for them to take shelter, but now it is flat and smooth, so there is no guarantee that nothing will happen.

He calmed down and picked up Han Wangqing, who was crying with fear.

Han Zhi comforted him in a low voice: "I'm afraid the smell of venison tonight attracted these wolves, otherwise they wouldn't have taken the risk and attacked us. There's no need to worry, we have a large number of people, so there will be no problem."

After saying that, he turned to Han Wangqing and said, "Shut up, don't cry."

Han Wangqing pursed his lips and put back his tears in grievance.

The soldiers outside heard the noise and quickly picked up their weapons. Han Zhi opened the curtain and strode out. Lu Jiu'an didn't dare to be careless, so he picked up the wooden stick on the side and held it tightly in his hand.

Soon there was the sound of chaotic footsteps outside, and torches were lit one by one. The bright flames shone on the tent, casting a huge shadow.

Then came the demonstrative roars of soldiers and the howls of wolves. Lu Jiuan didn't know what was going on outside, and he didn't dare to stick his head out to check. He licked his mouth and waited nervously.

As time passed, the howls of the wolves turned into shrill wails. Those sounds reached the ears and turned into pictures of wolves running away with their tails between their legs.

Han Zhi quickly returned to the tent. The tip of the Hongying gun in his hand was already covered in blood.

Lu Jiu'an hurried forward and asked worriedly: "Are there any casualties?"

"Fortunately, a few soldiers were injured, and the accompanying military doctors have bandaged them." Han Zhi wiped the red tassel gun clean and said calmly: "But they are dead. A few strong wolves have been handed over to the soldiers in charge. It's better for these evil beasts to come again, just because I don't think the venison today is enough to fill my teeth."

There was no hint of flinching in his words.

Lu Jiuan was helpless.

The battle just now, he knew how dangerous it was just by listening to the sound in the tent. For a moment, Lu Jiuan didn't know whether to praise him for being brave or saying that he was brave.

"The wolf is not a vegetarian. You are not afraid of flashing your tongue when you say this."

A smile slipped through Han Zhi's eyes: "I'm not just talking nonsense. We often run on the grassland and have many ways to deal with wolves. Yes, besides, now that we have weapons in our hands, we can easily deal with these beasts. Do you still remember that I once told you about the wolf named Fengdeng that I raised in Yunluo? He was the cub snatched from the wolf pile. "

Having said that, in order to prevent long nights and long dreams, the team still did not dare to stay any longer. After dozens of days of traveling under the stars and the moon, they finally arrived at Yunluo.

This border city is exactly what Lu Jiuan imagined. In the sky full of yellow sand, the strong city walls stand tall, like copper and iron walls, firmly protecting the people in the city. The buildings within the city walls are weather-beaten because of the dry climate and lack of moisture. , even the flag hanging outside the store looked stiff.

Soldiers and local officials who had received the news were waiting at the city gate to greet him, and Yang Gengqing was among them. He was obviously taken aback when he saw Lu Jiu'an, obviously he did not expect to see him in this place.

Lu Jiu'an waved to him familiarly and greeted him with a smile: "Commander Yang, long time no see."

"Master Lu..."

The official next to him couldn't help but glanced sideways at Lu Jiu'an, wondering who was in front of him, Commander Yang. Such a steady person could lose his temper one day.

But he didn't wonder for long, and soon Lu Jiu'an gave an explanation: "This time I came as an accompanying supervisor."

After meeting old friends again, Yang Gengqing had many questions to ask, but the matter was urgent, and he suppressed his inner excitement. , after briefly saluting Lu Jiu'an, he said to Han Zhi: "General, before you arrived, we had fought several waves with the Taman. Please let me know the specific situation one by one."

So not long after Han Zhi arrived, Before he could rest for a while, he had to head to the military camp non-stop. Before leaving, he asked Lu Jiu'an: "I have a mansion in Yunluo. The journey is tiring, so why don't you go and sleep for a while first."

Lu Jiu'an waved his hand: "Military affairs It's urgent. You go and do your work. Don't worry about me. I want to walk around and get to know Yun Luo. Aren't there a few other adults here?"

The middle-aged officials next to him are under the prefect Yun Luo and are responsible for receiving Shangguan. I originally thought that this time was just a formality, and they looked at each other calmly and calmly. When this was suddenly mentioned, I quickly straightened my sleeves: "General, don't worry, I will do my best to serve as a landlord."

"Yes. Okay." Han Zhi nodded, his face returned to his usual coldness, and he ordered: "This is the supervisor appointed by His Majesty. Please serve him carefully. If Mr. Lu makes any mistakes, you will not be spared."

Chapter 233

Because Han Zhi had a completely different attitude towards Lu Jiu'an before leaving, several officials did not dare to be careless. After receiving the news, the prefect sent two more officials, one of whom was Yun Luo's fellow prefect.

Tongzhi is the assistant official of the prefecture, and can be regarded as a high-ranking official in terms of power level. All matters related to people's livelihood in the whole government are under his jurisdiction. For someone with his title to personally receive Lu Jiu'an, it is enough to show that the prefect attaches great importance to him.

Lu Jiu'an led Han Wangqing as he walked on the street. Although the people on the street didn't recognize him, they all recognized the officials on his left and right, and they all moved to one side.

Lu Jiu'an took a curious look. This group of people had clear outlines, high noses and deep eyes. Even the women had inherited the cold wilderness unique to the prairie people. It was probably because they lived on the border and the long history made them more or less mixed. of foreign ancestry.

Han Wangqing took two steps and stopped moving, stretching out his hands for a hug.

One of the governors, Yang, who had a beard, showed a smile that he thought was amiable: "The little girl is really Yuxue's cute."

Lu Jiu'an's mouth twitched and he corrected: "This is the young master."

I'm afraid this governor Yang is not. He has an eye disease, Lu Jiuan said secretly.

Although Han Wangqing is indeed too delicate in appearance, her clothes are actually a double-breasted tiger-head coat and trousers. These are patterns and styles worn only by boys. Why can't she tell the difference between men and women.

Governor Yang stroked his beard in embarrassment and quickly added, "I think this must be Mr. Lu's son."

Lu Jiu'an said, "This is General Han's son. I'll take care of him."

"What?"

It's not just Governor Yang, Others were also shocked when they heard this.

"The general already has a son? Is the prince so old?"

Seeing everyone's disbelief, Lu Jiu'an felt a sense of joy as if his prank had succeeded, and he didn't feel tired even while holding Han Wangqing.

Several officials looked at each other with different thoughts, and their attitude towards Lu Jiu'an became more and more respectful.

Han Zhi stayed in the military camp for two or three days.

During this period, those Yunluo officials had been following Lu Jiu'an without complaint, watching him looking here and there, as if they were curious about everything, and as if they didn't care about anything, with such a casual attitude. He really looks like a young man who doesn't know much about the world.

Isn't he a young master? He has thin skin and tender flesh, and it seems that his fingers are not wet with spring water. Maybe he can't tell the difference between beans and wheat.

Even if he didn't know his identity, even General Han, who cherished his words like gold, became rare and gentle in front of him, and even left the young prince to take care of him.

Several people made up their minds to entertain him satisfactorily. Taking advantage of Lu Jiu'an not carrying Han Wangqing out today, they led him to a courtyard with red bricks and green tiles.

The buildings in Yunluo are basically all open and closed, wild and mottled. This exquisite house is like a butterfly growing among flying flowers and flowing grass that strayed into the strong wind and waves. It seems a bit out of place in this city. .

Lu Jiu'an was about to ask where this place was when the small door in front of him suddenly opened. Then his eyes blurred. Before Lu Jiu'an had time to dodge, a disheveled woman bumped into his arms.

The woman raised her head, grabbed the clothes on Lu Jiu'an's chest tightly, and said something quickly and briefly. However, the accent was too strong, and Lu Jiu'an could not distinguish the meaning for a while.

Seeing that Lu Jiu'an didn't respond, the woman's eyes showed despair. Two eight-foot-old men chased after her. One of them grabbed her wrists, the other held her head down, and dragged her away.

Yu Tongzhi took a step back and cursed: "What do these people do?"

The whole process only took a breath, and the woman's wailing and sobbing seemed to still echo in Lu Jiu'an's ears.

Lu Jiu'an grimaced and said coldly: "What's going on?"

Yu Tongzhi handed over his hands and apologized: "It's just a woman who refuses to obey discipline. It's the subordinate's dereliction of duty that she allowed her to bump into an adult."

"Disobedient to discipline? Just now she said to me What did the officer say?"

Yu Tongzhi didn't take it seriously: "I probably want to go home or something. Women, after all, they are like that. Sir, don't mention those disappointing things. Please leave the officer. Come, let me show you around our paradise in Yunluocheng."

Is it so easy to fool a three-year-old? Lu Jiu'an sneered in his heart and followed them into the other courtyard, intending to find out. .

The courtyard doesn't look big from the outside, but there is a cave inside. As soon as Lu Jiuan and his party entered, a woman with heavy makeup came over and ambiguously patted Yu Tongzhi's hand: "Sir, how long has it been since you came here? What do you think of the slave family?" Damn you."

The man rolled his eyes and immediately noticed Lu Jiu'an in the crowd, and his eyes lit up: "Oh, this is a distinguished guest. The girls in our building are very lucky today."

Wearing pink. The green women came around me warmly and softly, each one exhaling like a blue, trying their best to please.

Lu Jiu'an was surrounded by them, and he finally understood that the so-called paradise was just a brothel.

Yu Tong didn't know what he was thinking, but he still spared no effort to introduce: "Sir, you often live in southern Shanxi, and you are used to eating delicacies from the mountains and seas. Occasionally, you try the porridge and side dishes, which also have a unique flavor."

Lu Jiu'an raised his eyebrows and reminded: " Yu Tongzhi, I am here to supervise the army."

"I know you are here to supervise the army." Yu Tongzhi laughed, glanced at the area three inches below Lu Jiuan's navel, and said with a wink, "Mr. Lu. I don't know, Yunluo is not as good as the capital city. There are smokey streets and willow alleys everywhere. You should also understand that most of the women in Yunluo are very good-looking. A girl like Ruyilou, who is so desirable, can only be seen in Yunluo. I can't find any more. In the future, my little brother will be counting on them. Mr. Lu, it's fun to be here."

Then he shouted to the girls: "Why are you standing still? Why don't we Lu? Sir, I feel comfortable serving you. "

These girls were born and raised in Yunluo. They have never seen such a handsome person like Lu Jiu'an. Now I heard from Yu Tongzhi that he was a high-ranking official from southern Shanxi. They all tried their best to go to Lu. Dive into Jiu'an's arms.

With the warm and fragrant soft jade in his arms, any man who meets him cannot help but feel distraught. Unfortunately, Lu Jiuan calmly withdrew from the crowd of women, cupped his hands apologetically, and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, sir. But I'm feeling a little unwell today, so I won't stay any longer. I'll say goodbye."

After saying this, Lu Jiu'an turned and left without showing any regret, leaving a group of officials standing there looking at each other.

"This..." Governor Yang was confused, "I'm afraid this Lord Supervisor of the Army is not Liu Xiahui."

Another Governor Mei, Monk Zhanger, was also confused: "It's strange, these people from the capital are really ungrateful. It's cloudy and sunny. Yesterday I went to the cowshed with great interest to watch the cows giving birth, but today I avoided the Ruyi Tower. It's possible that we, a group of charming girls, can't compare to those smelly livestock. "

"Who knows what he was thinking? He doesn't know good from evil." Yang Tongzhi, whose good intentions were rejected, also cursed secretly and turned to Wenxiang Nephrite's arms.

Lu Jiu'an didn't know what they were talking about him in private. Maybe he knew it, but he couldn't bear to think about it. After coming out of the back door of Ruyi Building, Lu Jiu'an finally came to his senses.

The woman who accidentally bumped into him before might have wanted to escape from Ruyi Building. As for the words she said, Lu Jiuan could easily guess what they meant after a little contact.

You must be asking him for help.

"Help me, I want to go home."

Is this forcing girls into prostitution? Or kidnapping women?

The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty were quite strict in this regard. As officials of the common people, Yang Tongzhi and the others should not be able to do such a thing knowingly and intentionally.

Lu Jiu'an frowned, looked back at Ruyilou, and slowly walked back towards the mansion.

Han Zhi's mansion was as heavily guarded as a military camp. As soon as he arrived in front of the door, a soldier trotted forward and told him that the general had returned to the mansion today and was in the hall at the moment.

Lu Jiuan's face was filled with joy: "You let the general wait first, I will go back to the house and change clothes."

The temperature here is very low. Lu Jiuan always wears the locals' jackets when going out. Although they keep warm, they are also bulky and bulky. , it is very inconvenient to move.

It was close to 7 o'clock when Lu Jiuan changed his clothes. The sky was dark now, but the starry sky was extremely bright.

Lu Jiu'an came to the hall, and Han Zhi was studying the military situation with his head down. When the two met, they hugged each other tenderly.

"Sorry, I'm busy with military affairs and I didn't have time to accompany you." Han Zhi rested his chin on Lu Jiu'an's shoulder and said very guiltily.

Lu Jiu'an pointed to the bright sky above his head: "It would be good to accompany me to look at the stars. When you are marching and fighting, do you also need to know how to observe the sky at night?"

"I only know some simple things." Han Zhi said, " No matter how complicated it is, you have to ask Qin Tianjian."

The two were sitting side by side under the eaves of the corridor. Han Zhi was wearing a finger cot sewn by Lu Jiu'an. He moved a little and picked up a fishhook-shaped copper from nowhere. Pot: "Mare's kumiss, the fine wine on the grassland, do you want to try it?"

Yunluo is where Han Zhi showed off his talents and made great achievements. When Lu Jiu'an arrived in this land, Han Zhi was like a big boy who had just begun to have a love affair, out of showing off. And sharing, he can't wait to present all the good things in front of his sweetheart.

Lu Jiu'an took a sip and said admiringly, "It tastes like the grassland."

Han Zhi smiled and said, "You should come to the military camp to show you what it means to be a warrior and an iron horse."

"Are you going to cause trouble for you?" Jiu'an was very self-aware, "Although I am the military supervisor in name, I know nothing about military matters. I still leave professional matters such as issuing orders to professionals. Now that the enemy situation is tense, I dare not interfere."

Han Zhi said: "It is not nervous . , The first few times were just tests, but now Taman is cowering thirty miles away. I plan to wear them down first if I can't resist them."

Lu Jiu'an was somewhat moved: "Well, then I can go to the military camp. Let's take a look."

He is not good at strategic deployment, but he knows a little bit about logistics and military affairs. He may be able to give some appropriate suggestions based on the current situation.

Han Zhi's eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't help but lean towards Lu Jiu'an. The heat from his words was sprayed on Lu Jiu'an's neck, making him shrink back uncomfortably.

"What do you think after seeing Yun Luo?"

This question hit the spot. Lu Jiu'an originally planned to share it with him, so he told him what he had seen and heard in the past few days while drinking kumiss.

"The people are simple, but they speak with accents. I don't understand many of them, so I rely on the adults to translate them."

Han Zhi laughed dumbly: "After this battle is over, I will ask the prefect to teach them Mandarin."

"Scenery. It's majestic and beautiful, but there are too few trees. Especially in winter, it will feel depressed if you stay there for a long time."

As a Langdong native who grew up in the water town Zeguo, Lu Jiu'an is used to the lush and lush towering trees, and the clouds are falling. Because the land is barren, only a few of them have survived to this day, leaving only those vegetation that can withstand the cold, lack of water, and perseverance.

Han Zhi frowned and thought for a moment: "I remember that there were still a lot of trees in Yunluo City in the past few years, but they have indeed become sparse in the past two years. But it is not the same here. There is a pasture going west, and there are many trees there. "Tree."

Lu Jiu'an continued: "Yesterday, a cow gave birth to a calf at a herdsman's house. Due to the failure of the birth, a calf got stuck in the cow's belly and suffocated to death. I heard from the local Baixin that this is a common occurrence. "Don't you know how to deliver babies to cows and sheep?"

"Can cows and sheep deliver babies?"

"People can deliver babies, so why can't cows and sheep?" Lu Jiu'an couldn't help but raise his voice.

He didn't expect that the people here were so backward. Didn't Yun Luo mainly make a living by herding? If improving the productivity of cattle and sheep can greatly improve the lives of ordinary people, it seems necessary to popularize this knowledge among them.

Chapter 234

Although Lu Jiuan only went out for three days, he walked around the streets and learned a lot.

Han Zhi took the trouble to listen to him talk about trivial things. There were some things that he had never even heard of, and he only learned about them when Lu Jiuan talked about them today.

But when he heard the last word, Han Zhi's eyebrows gradually raised: "Ruyi Tower?"

"That's right."

Han Zhi moved his fingers on the side of his thigh: "Do you know where that place is?"

Lu Jiu'an nodded very naturally. : "I didn't know it before I went in, but I knew it after I went in."

Han Zhi's face was stern, and he lowered his voice and asked sharply: "What did you do there? Did that old man Yang Lian take you there?"

"No. Consider him old." Lu Jiu'an said, "Yang Tongzhi has just passed his forties."

Han Zhi narrowed his eyes dangerously and said in a very bad tone, "I think he is tired of living."

Why do you say that? Others have good intentions. Men are good at food and sex. He doesn't know that I am a good man. If he wants to entertain me, of course he will take me to that kind of place. Haven't you ever done that before? Have you been there?"

Han Zhi said, "I'm busy with military affairs every day, so I do

n't have time to go to a place like this." Lu Jiu'an looked at him suspiciously, "Then how do you know this place?" The gate of Ruyi Tower is so deep and remote that ordinary people can't get in without the help of an acquaintance."

According to Lu Jiu'an's understanding, this place is a high-end club, and VIPs are required to enter and exit.

"I never told you a lie." General Han, who was beaten down, could only swear to heaven.

As for how he knew, he had stayed in Yunluo for so long and had a great reputation, and there were some people with secret intentions who were trying to flatter him.

At that time, it was not like the past two years. It could be said that there were two days of fighting. The soldiers were throwing their lives and blood, but this group of people were talking about having twelve knights in front of him. Han Zhi was so angry that he raised his sword and directly Behead the opponent.

Blood spurted all over the ground, scaring all the officials to the point of fainting. No one dared to mention these affairs in front of him anymore.

Han Zhi suddenly noticed a sly smile on the corner of Lu Jiu'an's mouth and reacted suddenly, "Is there a problem in Ruyi Building? Do you want to deal with Yang Tongzhi and the others?"

"We can't deal with them." Lu Jiu'an said, "Although Yang Tongzhi and others like to look for flowers and willows, But he is an honest official, but when I went to Ruyi Tower today, I met a woman."

Lu Jiu'an told him his doubts.

"If the water is clear, there will be no fish, and if the people are careful, there will be no disciples. If I openly intervene in this matter as soon as I arrive at Yunluo, it will be easy to make enemies, and it will be inconvenient to do other things in the future."

"What are you going to do? "

Lu Jiu'an said: "Send a few people to investigate inside as romantics."

Lu Jiu'an's idea is very simple. If there is really some shady trick, then he will find some other excuse to demolish the Ruyi Building. , to save more women from being harmed.

If everything is business as usual, then that's a different matter.

This was not surprising to Han Zhi. When Lu Jiu'an was in Yingping, he closed down brothels of all sizes because he couldn't stand the prostitution activities involving money and sex. This caused complaints from the men there.

What really made Han Zhi sigh was that Lu Jiuan's words and deeds were as flawless as ever.

Han Zhi had a man named Hu Chong who was responsible for handling matters other than military affairs and had outstanding abilities. Han Zhi left the matter to him and asked Lu Jiuan to just wait for the results.

The next day, when the sky was clear, Lu Jiuan followed Han Zhi to the military camp.

The camp is located in the east of the city, facing the Taman direction. The terrain is open and close to the water source. The overall shape is square, with a high fence surrounding it and watchtowers set up every few meters, which are heavily guarded.

As soon as the two of them entered the door, a majestic and majestic wolf approached from far away, but it was in front of them in an instant.

The gray wolf's sharp and cold eyes circled Lu Jiu'an.

"This is Fengdeng." Lu Jiuan exclaimed.

Fengdeng was huge, standing as high as Han Zhi's waist, with thick and powerful limbs. Although it has been tamed, it is still a wolf after all. In addition to being more restrained when facing Han Zhi, its body is still full of innate aggression and aggression.

Lu Jiu'an looked ready to move, and Han Zhi gave a short laugh: "Do you want to touch it?"

Lu Jiu'an naturally wanted to, but the sharp fangs also put him off.

"Don't be afraid." Han Zhi led his hand and slowly caressed Fengdeng's back.

Feng Deng let out an uncomfortable growl and sharpened his paws anxiously. Han Zhi ordered him to stop moving.

The touch under his hands was a bit strange. Its hair was completely different from that of grains. It was thick and hard. Lu Jiu'an felt it and pricked his hand.

"In addition to Fengdeng, the military camp has tamed more than 20 wolves in recent years." The wolves are assigned according to their military merits. This is what Han Zhi learned from Lu Jiu'an in Yingping. "When there is a war, they will follow us to the battlefield." "

Taman is good at fighting on horseback, but the presence of wolves can disturb horses, which can play a big role on the battlefield.

The two of them went deeper inside, and Lu Jiuan saw many tents and wooden houses. The camp here was not set up temporarily, so it was well-equipped. In addition to places for training, eating, and sleeping, there were also special bathing rooms and toilets. Many things were there. Everything is available.

The twelve snow-clad knights were practicing in the open space, the horses' hooves made a heavy rumble, and the sound of the horns filled the sky.

This was the first time that Lu Jiuan had seen the full picture of the Twelve Cavalry. This group of warriors was worthy of being the elite under Han Zhi. The swords clashed with each other with a fierce momentum, which was intimidating.

Lu Jiu'an was amazed when he saw it, and he thought of Mr. Jiaxuan's popular frontier fortress poem -

eight hundred miles away, the soldiers under his command were burned, fifty strings were turned over the fortress, and the troops were ordered in autumn on the battlefield.

I finally got a taste of real frontier life.

Han Zhi didn't know what he thought of: "I'll take you to a place."

Lu Jiu'an followed him into an ordinary wooden house. As soon as Lu Jiu'an stepped in, he knew where this place was.

The air was filled with the strong smell of herbs, and doctors shuttled among them, dressing the wounds of injured soldiers.

A young female doctor with a bad temper was impatiently reprimanding the injured person under her hands: "I have told you so many times that you can't do strenuous exercise until the injury is healed. If you don't listen again, I won't treat you. Just wait until your hands rot." "

The tall and tall soldier was trained to the point where he could only nod his head to apologize.

Lu Jiu'an couldn't help laughing and looked around: "The environment of the medical center looks much more comfortable than the place where the general lives."

Han Zhi smiled slightly: "I dare not disobey Jiu'an's words."

He was referring to the group of students who were reading When the medical students decided to go to the battlefield as accompanying doctors, Lu Jiuan told them to be kind to their words.

After the female doctor finished bandaging and got up to collect bandages, herbs and other medical supplies, Lu Jiuan and the others came to her.

The first thing the female doctor saw was Han Zhi in front of her, and she was startled: "General, are you injured?"

Then he saw Lu Jiu'an behind Han Zhi and said in disbelief: "Lu... Mr. Lu!"

"Which Mr. Lu?" Several other doctors in the back room were extremely sensitive to this name and came out one after another.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" But the female doctor could no longer control herself, covering her mouth and sobbing softly.

After several other people saw Lu Jiu'an's appearance, they were also surprised, and then their eyes turned red. It took a long time to calm down.

"Master Lu, I never thought we would see you again one day." A mature and steady doctor said.

"You seem to have suffered a lot." Lu Jiuan sighed. These doctors were still young when they left. They arrived in this bitter cold place and suffered from the wind and sand. The skin on their faces was dark and rough, and they looked much older than him.

The doctor shook his head: "As doctors, we are happy to be able to save lives and heal the wounded."

When old friends reunited, the young doctors couldn't help but want to share their experiences with him over the years. Han Zhi left first because he had something else to do. , leaving Lu Jiuan alone with them.

Lu Jiu'an learned a lot from their mouths. This group of doctors had never returned to their hometown after coming to this place. When they missed their relatives, they could only send letters to comfort them. Fortunately, they had gotten married and had children one after another, and formed a A new family.

"He Yan married Commander Yang last year. The two of them were inseparable. They just gave birth to a fat boy in the middle of the year."

He Yan was the grumpy female doctor I first saw. Unexpectedly, she was married to Yang Gengqing. of joy.

Lu Jiu'an recalled the scene when he first met Yang Gengqing. Years later, that taciturn man was now a father.

The two parties were chatting happily. At this moment, a sneaky figure poked his head outside the hospital.

He Yan glanced at it and said loudly: "Zhou Yingong, what are you doing secretly outside? If you have anything to do, just come in and don't hang around like a thief."

Zhou Yingong smiled: "Doctor He has a bad temper . You're still so big, I don't know how Yang Gengqing can stand you."

"Huh!" He Yan snorted heavily from his nostrils and turned his head to ignore him. The steady doctor asked, "I don't know if Zhou Tong is here. What's the matter?"

Lu Jiu'an noticed that although Zhou Yingong was facing He Yan, his eyes fell on him from time to time.

"You came to see me?" Lu Jiu'an said sharply.

Zhou Yingong was exposed, but he was not embarrassed. He came up to him carelessly: "Are you Mr. Lu?"

Lu Jiu'an smiled and nodded.

Zhou Yingong's eyes lit up: "I heard that a supervisor came to the military camp, and it was Mr. Lu that Yang Gengqing mentioned, so I wanted to come and see with my own eyes."

In fact, besides him, other brothers in the camp were also very curious. , it is said that Qianlimu, the field doctor, and those weird training methods are all related to this rumored Master Lu!

Lu Jiu'an glanced at him suspiciously: "Are you a subordinate of General Han?"

"That's right, I am Zhou Yingong, the commander of nine of the twelve knights of Xue Yong."

It's strange that Han Zhi's subordinates have such a playful smile and not a serious person. This is rarer than finding gold in the sand.

Lu Jiu'an was amused: "I'm not some exotic beast. Just tell the general to come and see it openly."

Zhou Yingong shuddered imperceptibly. It seemed that Han Zhi usually had a lot of power, and even He did not dare to challenge the general's majesty easily.

Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Lu Jiu'an obviously didn't just come to see him: "Commander Zhou, tell me directly if you have something to say."

"Master Supervisor." Zhou Yingong rubbed his hands and said embarrassedly: "I don't know what you have in your hands. How many clairvoyances are there?"

He was lucky enough to use it once, and he could see everything moving a hundred feet away. Zhou Yingong was shocked by the magical function of this small instrument. Unfortunately, the number is very small. Apart from the general, only Yang Gengqing has one.

Zhou Yingong had been coveting it for a long time, so he rushed over, thinking that he could get there first!

His abacus was good, but unfortunately Lu Jiuan shook his head: "There are not many."

Hearing this, Zhou Yingong lowered his eyes in disappointment: "No."

"But there is no clairvoyance, and there are other magic weapons, and the number is enough , even Commander Zhou can use it." Lu Jiuan asked, "Didn't Commander Zhou get the news?"

Zhou Yingong raised his head and said, "What?" " They brought a lot of fine

gunpowder from southern Shanxi.

Equipment, in addition to armor and weapons, also includes gunpowder. I was just worried about causing an explosion due to improper operation during transportation, so I carried raw materials and waited until Yunluo arrived, then mixed them according to the ratio provided by Feng Jing.

"This is what the general went out for just now. After so long, maybe one will be made soon." Lu Jiu'an pointed to the back and invited, "Commander Zhou, do you want to take a look? Maybe we can make it in time." Put on the gunpowder and test it."

Chapter 235

Lu Jiuan had seen the scene of gunpowder explosions countless times, so he walked slowly and leisurely. Zhou Yingong was different. He was really afraid that he would miss this great opportunity if he was too late. He turned around to urge Lu Jiuan from time to time. He was very anxious.

The two of them finally reached the place where many soldiers were gathered. Judging by their armor and clothing, they should all be the commanders of the Twelve Cavalry. The group of people were arming themselves and excitedly discussing the possible power of gunpowder.

"Master Lu." Yang Gengqing immediately noticed Lu Jiuan's arrival.

After hearing this, the other commanders couldn't help but stop their discussions, turned their heads one by one, and looked at Lu Jiu'an respectfully and curiously.

"This is the military supervisor from southern Shanxi. He is so handsome."

"Keep your voice down. I heard that the military supervisor has a close relationship with our general."

"What a close relationship, they are obviously a couple."

Lu Jiuan stood opposite and listened.

I didn't expect that the commanders, who seemed to keep strangers away from them, would be so nosy in private. Moreover, they were used to giving orders. Now even if they deliberately lowered their voices, their voices were really loud. It was almost the same as having a public discussion in front of him.

The generals continued talking as if no one was watching. At this time, Han Zhi came out of the weapons camp. The generals were so frightened that they shut their mouths and straightened their backs immediately.

Han Zhi walked up to Lu Jiu'an and said displeasedly: "Didn't I tell you not to come here?"

Lu Jiu'an tightened his neck in vain: "I'll stand farther away, there won't be any danger. How is the gunpowder arrangement?"

"Just now Take out one and prepare to test it."

Since this was the first time for the craftsmen to make gunpowder, they didn't know how effective it would be, so they chose a very open flat land with a very long gunpowder fuse. The onlookers were ordered to stand fifty meters away with shields held high in their hands.

The soldiers didn't take it seriously at first, but when the gunpowder was ignited and made a shocking explosion, everyone swallowed their throats in fear.

When the incense was added after the explosion, Han Zhicai took people to inspect the scene. The originally flat grassland was blown beyond recognition, leaving only a huge hole. This shows that the gunpowder was very successful this time.

"It's really a magic weapon!" After seeing the power of gunpowder, Zhou Yingong quickly put Qianli Mu behind him. Hot weapons have an inherent attraction to men, and Zhou Yingong is no exception.

Originally, Han Zhi's twelve snow knights were brave and good at fighting, but now with the blessing of gunpowder, this war can be said to be a sure thing.

The soldiers' confidence doubled, and they laughed and said that they would chop off Tarman's head and use it as a cup to hold wine.

Han Zhi had his own considerations. Although gunpowder was powerful, its shortcomings were also obvious - it was difficult to operate. Han Zhi was prepared to use it at a critical moment to catch them by surprise, preferably to annihilate all the Tatars in one fell swoop.

When it was time to eat in the evening, a bonfire was lit in the camp. The soldiers took out their food, sat on the ground and feasted.

They also drank alcohol, but it was not kumiss, but a stronger alcohol from the grasslands. After one glass of this alcohol, it burned like a knife from the throat to the stomach.

He Yan hugged a full-year-old baby and chatted softly and sweetly with Yang Gengqing.

Lu Jiuan touched his body and finally took out a crystal clear stone the size of his thumb from his arms.

This was something he bought from a vendor when he was visiting Yunluo City a few days ago. It was said that he accidentally picked it up in the grassland where he was grazing.

When he had nothing to do at night, he polished the stone into the shape of a water drop. He just pierced a hole and didn't have time to find a suitable thread to string it on. He just took it out as a gift today.

He handed the thing to He Yan: "I left in a hurry today, but fortunately I have this beautiful stone with me as a meeting gift for the little guy."

He Yan took it in his hand with great surprise and thanked him.

Zhou Yingong took the lead in making noise, but He Yan scolded him back.

The commander of the three cavalry came to Lu Jiu'an carrying a wine gourd. He had the head of a leopard and eyes like a tiger, and the back and waist of a tiger. In Lu Jiu'an's opinion, he looked like Zhang Yide.

When the commander spoke, his voice was like a bell, more like Zhang Yide: "Master Supervisor, when are you going to send some doctors to the military camp? The few manpower in our camp will be used during the fierce battle between the two armies. I'm not busy at all."

"Doctor, I think you are looking for your mother-in-law." Zhou Yingong exposed him unceremoniously: "None of us know anything about you, but it's a pity that He Yan doesn't like you."

Everyone cheered. Laughing, even Yang Gengqing couldn't help but grin.

The commander of the three cavalry did not take it seriously. After saying this, he filled the bowl with wine and handed it to Lu Jiu'an respectfully.

Lu Jiu'an said with a smile: "Are you looking for a wife? It's a simple matter. Let your general relax and hold a marriage conference in the camp. Many women will come."

Lu Jiu'an's words were not nonsense. After years of unremitting propaganda, the image of tall and brave soldiers has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In addition, the imperial court issued a decree on martyrs' pensions. People no longer talk about the soldiers and their attitudes change. The original avoidance has turned into a rush.

Almost half of the soldiers present had no families. Their life and death on the battlefield were uncertain, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to leave a son and a half of a daughter behind. The premise was that both parties were willing to do so.

Lu Jiuan's words were exactly what he wanted. The single soldiers looked at their general with fiery eyes, full of expectation.

Han Zhiduan was sitting at the head, with no expression on his face: "Wait until this battle is over."

He agreed, and the soldiers burst into loud cheers.

The way for men to show their happiness is very simple, that is to drink. The commander of the three cavalry saluted boldly and said in a rough voice: "Thank you, General." Then he handed the bowl to Lu Jiu'an again.

The bowl was as big as his head. Lu Jiuan estimated that if he drank all the wine, he would have to sleep for three days and three nights before waking up from bed.

At this time, Han Zhi's voice came faintly and helped him out: "The military supervisor can't drink, so get two bowls of goat's milk." He glanced in the direction of several women in the military camp and changed his words, "Get two buckets. "

Soon someone brought two buckets of goat's milk. The milky white liquid had just been squeezed from the sheep's body. It had not been processed in any way and gave off a faint fishy smell.

Lu Jiu'an took a look and wrinkled his nose: "Is there any tea?"

Han Zhi was stunned, but he immediately realized what he was going to do: "Yes, there is a can in the tent, I will get it for you."

Han Zhi stood up He left, but came back after a while. In addition to tea leaves, he also had a jar of sugar in his hand. These two things were very precious things even in Yunluo. Everyone gathered around him curiously, staring intently at the cup in Lu Jiuan's hand. action.

What Lu Jiuan wanted to make was naturally milk tea. He poured the tea leaves into a boiling pot, boiled it until the tea was thick, skimmed off the tea leaves, and finally added fresh milk and sugar, and a simple milk tea was done.

The aroma gradually spread, and Zhou Yin Gong asked for a bowl of it with a shy face. The warm milk tea not only dispelled the coldness of the night, but also seemed to take away the greasiness accumulated in his stomach over the years.

"This milk tea tastes so good." Zhou Yingong licked his mouth, still not satisfied.

The others all looked fascinated after hearing this, but the milk tea was only so much, and after being distributed to several women present, there was not much left. They were not as shameless as Zhou Yingong, and would not do anything to share food from women. .

Lu Jiu'an took in all their reactions, slowly turned his head and whispered to Han Zhi: "Milk tea does not necessarily require high-quality tea leaves. I accidentally heard that there is a tea merchant named Lin in the city. He has a batch of goods that were caught in the rain. You can't sell it when it's wet, so you can buy it at a low price. You usually eat too much meat and your stomach is upset. Milk tea can help your body digest it."

Han Zhi lowered his head and stared at him for a while. He said lowly: "Okay."

After tasting the milk tea, Zhou Yingong always felt that something was missing when he drank the strong wine in his hand. He couldn't help but muttered: "Speaking of which, the wine the general once brought from Yingping was also very delicious. , I heard that Mr. Lu led the local people to grow and brew it when he was the county magistrate."

He smacked his mouth loudly twice deliberately, showing an expression of endless aftertaste, but his eyes fell on Lu like searchlights. Jiu An seemed to be trying to find something out of thin air from him.

Lu Jiu'an had a clear conscience and Zhou Yin Gong had benefited from it. This was to beat the snake with a stick, and he wanted to take the opportunity to mop up some other things.

Lu Jiu'an couldn't laugh or cry: "There is no wine."

In normal times, he might have brought one or two barrels to satisfy the soldiers at the border, but at this critical moment, when they set off, they only thought about war preparation supplies, so how could they have the thought to do so? Think about other things that don't matter.

However, Zhou Yingong's mention of wine reminded him of something else. During his tour a few days ago, he found that Yunluo's geographical environment and climate were very suitable for growing grapes.

And he also learned from Yang Tongzhi that although Yunluo is very cold in winter, in summer, the sun is scorching, the sun is hot, the day is hot and the night is cold, and the temperature varies. It is a natural grape growing base, very suitable for melons and fruits. Accumulate sugar.

Presumably the grapes grown in Yunluo are more delicious than those in Yingping.

Lu Jiuan was thinking in his mind and had already made a plan to transplant the grapes to Yunluo in advance.

Because the situation was unstable and they might be challenged at any time, the soldiers did not dare to drink more. Once their bodies warmed up a little, they put down the wine gourds and went back to the camp to rest in twos and threes.

A few days later, Han Zhi completed the tasks assigned to Hu Chong and came back to resume his duties.

"There has never been anything inappropriate in Ruyilou. As for the woman, she originally came from a remote town in Yunluo. Later she married to Yunluo and her life was not going well. Her lazy husband's family was abusive at first, and at worst. After beating and kicking her, she was finally sold to Ruyilou. Fortunately, Xiaguan left in time, otherwise she would have committed suicide. "

There is a law in the Zhou Dynasty that if a woman betrays her husband and has an affair with another man. , in this case, the man has the right to sell the woman.

According to Hu Chong, this woman's affair with another person was obviously based on rumors, but Ruyilou did not violate the government order by spending money to buy someone.

Lu Jiuan was slightly disappointed after hearing this.

Hu Chong worked carefully and not only found out the situation clearly, but also brought back the woman and several other girls who did not want to stay in Ruyi Building. Lu Jiu'an had this idea in the first place, but now Hu Chong's actions were against his will. As for Hehe, this made Lu Jiuan look at him differently.

The woman who bumped into him before had tidied up her hair, her hair neatly tied back and pinned with a plain wooden hairpin.

As soon as the other party saw Lu Jiu'an, he looked excited, slammed his knees to the ground, kowtowed repeatedly, and babbled a lot of words.

Lu Jiu'an was confused, and Han Zhi explained in time: "She thanks you for saving her."

Lu Jiu'an stared at him with big eyes and small eyes: "No more." Is

n't that right? The other party said a long paragraph, often Han Zhi only has seven words after translation?

Hu Chong looked at the general, then at Lu Jiu'an, and finally buried his head, choosing wisely to keep his mouth shut.

Chapter 236

Lu Jiu Anxin knew that Han Zhi was hiding something from him, and said unhappily: "What can't be said? If you don't tell me now, I will find out sooner or later."

Han Zhi then reluctantly He continued: "This woman wants to go home. Before she goes home, she will find a way to work and pay back the ransom money."

"Want to go home?" Lu Jiu'an hated iron, "That man has treated him like this, and she still wants to go home. " Thinking of going back? "

Go back and wait to be betrayed again?"

Han Zhi's expression was calm and noncommittal.

Lu Jiuan ground his back molars. It is said that it is difficult for an upright official to deal with household affairs. If this woman comes to him and complains about her grievances, that's all. He can also take charge of the matter for the reason that the people are the masters. Now Zhou Yu is beating Huang Gai. One is willing to beat and the other is willing to suffer. He If he interferes, he will end up being turned into a human being.

Several women were agitated by Lu Jiu'an's reaction and kept looking up at him. Lu Jiu'an said again: "What about them?"

"They want to follow you."

Lu Jiu'an was stunned, clasped his hands and laughed, he Dao Hanzhi hesitated and refused to say it. It turned out that he was jealous because of this. But it was just in line with his wishes that these women should stay, so that he wouldn't have to waste time talking.

Lu Jiu'an pointed at Hu Chong and said, "Come and translate for me and tell them that if they want to stay here, they must learn the Mandarin of the Zhou Dynasty. In addition, they must teach me the local language of Yunluo."

Those women Hearing this, he was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

In order to avoid suspicion, Lu Jiu'an ordered people to clean out several redundant miscellaneous rooms and temporarily accommodate them in them. The woman who originally wanted to go home, named Duan Yunyun, also stayed and waited until she had earned enough money to redeem herself.

Han Zhi thought the matter was over, but when he went to bed at night, Lu Jiuan suddenly rolled next to him and asked, "Are there any military prostitutes in your camp?" "

No." Han Zhi said The answer was crisp and clear.

"Really?" Lu Jiuan didn't believe it.

There are two types of military prostitutes. One is voluntary. Most of these people are unhappy in life and fall into prostitution. They go to the military camp to earn a little money by selling their sex. The other type is forced. These are often the wives and daughters of guilty officials, with low status. They need to do laundry and cooking during the day, and provide sex, sex, and pleasure at night.

Han Zhi paused and said, "The Xueyong Army has strict military discipline. It's true that they don't have strict military discipline, but there are some in the local garrison camp in Yunluo."

Lu Jiu'an's eyes lit up and he grabbed his wrist: "Can you help me find thirty people."

" What do you want to do?"

"It's not a bad thing after all."

Han Zhi stared at him silently for a long time, and finally agreed to him, and found thirty prostitutes for him the next day.

This group of women had been tortured to the point of being transformed into human beings, with expressions as numb as soulless walking corpses.

Hu Chong read the rules of the house loudly: "Since you have come here from the military camp, forget everything about the past. From now on, you don't have to live the same fearful life as before."

"Really? ?" The military prostitute raised her head and asked dubiously.

"Of course." Hu Chong promised, "As long as you behave well and listen to Mr. Lu."

Hu Chong placed them together with the previous women from Ruyi Building, and found a doctor to treat their old wounds. hurt.

Next, Han Zhi could no longer accompany Lu Jiu'an. As snow fell in the sky, Taman finally couldn't help it and launched an attack on Yun Luo.

The clouds are falling, covering the foggy mountains, lingering with the auspicious water. To the east is the hinterland of the west of the county. You can advance, attack, retreat or defend. This is the throat of the Great Zhou Dynasty. General Zhenyuan was ordered to garrison here, and he will not give in an inch. .

Han Zhi climbed up the city wall and saw the enemy troops reining in their horses and stopping five hundred meters away. They were beating each other with weapons and shouting, looking very arrogant.

Han Zhi snorted coldly: "Bring me the bow."

Immediately, a soldier trotted over and fetched a heavy hard bow and handed it to him. Han Zhi took it in his hand, held the bow in his left hand, and held an arrow in his right hand, stretching the string like a full moon.

The next second, a sharp arrow shot out like a white rainbow, accurately piercing the throat of an enemy soldier in front of the formation. The man fell to the ground with wide eyes.

"Open the city gate!"

More than twenty wolves roared and rushed out, followed closely by twelve horsemen covered in black snow. Lu Jiu'an stood on the city wall and watched the two groups of armies gradually meet like a tide, and the sound of fighting resounded from the battlefield.

"Master Lu, let's go down. The general gave a death order before setting off, telling you to stay in the city and not go anywhere." Hu Chong advised in a low voice.

Lu Jiu'an looked back at him and said, "Let's go."

Outside the city, people were in panic. There were almost no people on the streets. People closed their doors one by one. Even the crowing of cocks and the barking of dogs were much less common. Only the howling cold wind remained.

The barbarians came with such ferocity that the first confrontation between the two armies lasted for five full days. During this period, injured soldiers were constantly being carried back to the camp. The doctors were busy not touching the ground, and they did not sleep a wink for several nights.

After the first battle, Han Zhi returned to the military tent in heavy armor. His shirt was soaked in blood and the original color could not be seen clearly. Lu Jiuan helped him take off his armor and brought a basin of hot water: "How is the battle going? ?"

Han Zhi washed the dirt and blood on his hands: "The Tartars have grown a lot. This time, only a small group of people came to fight, and the one who fought was Udomeng."

The implication is that this is a protracted battle. .

"Jiu'an." Han Zhi grabbed his wrists, "Listen to my words, return to the house, and don't come to the military camp."

Lu Jiu'an trembled in his heart: "Han Chaoru..."

"Don't be afraid." Han Zhi gently rubbed him on the back of his neck, "I am sure of victory in this war, but the only difficulty is how can I catch them all so that they can never come back again."

The next day, Han Zhi led his troops out of the city again, this time he no longer took the lead. Instead of charging into the battle, his general Zhou Yin Gong faced the enemy. Zhou Yin Gong was resourceful and cunning, and was good at responding to barbaric battles with cunning tactics, making him a perfect match for Wudomeng.

And Lu Jiu'an also returned to the mansion as promised. He couldn't help much in the military camp, but he didn't want to be idle like this. He might as well do what he could in the rear area.

It was cold and windy outside, and there was heavy snow in the sky. Lu Jiuan was afraid of the cold, so he took out the big cloak made of firefox fur and put it on himself. Hu Chong pushed the door in from the outside with a pile of firewood, and saw that his whole body was soft and soft. In the "soft chair", he was reading by the light of a weak oil lamp.

It is said that the "soft chair" was made by Mr. Lu himself and stuffed with straw, wool and other materials. It is called a lazy sofa.

Hu Chong threw two pieces of firewood into the stove and asked, "Sir, would you like to take a bath? It will keep you warm."

"What is a bath?"

After these days, Lu Jiu'an has gradually become familiar with some of the local people's customs. Daily utensils and some common sayings, but I am still confused when hearing these unfamiliar words.

What Hu Chong calls a bath is actually a bathtub on top and firewood on the bottom. As long as a maid is left nearby to add water and hand over firewood at any time, the bather can lie in it with his eyes closed and enjoy it comfortably. Artificial hot springs.

Yunluo is very cold in winter, and many wealthy people like to do this. It takes half an hour to wash.

"Isn't this just a simple bathhouse?" Lu Jiu'an's eyes lit up. Speaking of which, in his time, the bathhouse culture in the north was more popular, and perhaps it developed in this way. "But washing like this will not hurt people." Is it cooked?"

Hu Chong let out a dull laugh: "When we first arrived in Yunluo, we were thinking the same thing as adults. In fact, the people in Yunluo have already learned when to add water. There is something special about delivering firewood."

Lu Jiu'an was a little moved. After thinking for a moment, he still waved his hand and refused: "I remember that there is not much firewood in the house."

Hu Chong said, "It doesn't matter if you use it up. Every other person in the city. There will be a charcoal seller in a few days. "

"No need, since firewood is limited, we can save it if we can." Lu Jiu'an rubbed his eyes, stretched and stood up: "How are Duan Yunyun and the others learning Mandarin? "

Hu Chong said: "I can already speak some simple words."

Lu Jiu'an nodded: "Find a time to go to the herdsman's house and buy ten cows and sheep to go home."

Hu Chong didn't know why, but he didn't know anything. No need to ask, he is a sharp blade given to Mr. Lu by the general, and he only needs to carry out the order silently.

Hu Chong took advantage of a sunny day to complete the task assigned by Lu Jiu'an.

The excess food in the house was turned into a pen to house the cattle and sheep. Lu Jiuan stood under the eaves of the corridor with his hands folded: "Call the women in the woodshed."

Duan Yunyun and others followed the young men and arrived with anxiety and anticipation. Weirdly, Lu Jiuan asked them to divide themselves into ten groups, and emphasized that each group should choose a literate captain.

The women looked at each other, seeing confusion in each other's eyes. However, after only a moment of hesitation, they took action and soon separated into ten distinct teams, each with four people in each group.

Lu Jiuan nodded with satisfaction: "In the pen on your left, there are ten cows and sheep that are about to give birth. Each of your groups will adopt one. After that, you will need to take good care of them, including cleaning the pen, feeding and delivering babies, until they are born." Give birth to calves and lambs safely."

There were vague whispers and hesitations in the team. Hu Chong's eyes narrowed and he said coldly: "Do you think it's easier to accept being insulted than raising livestock? ?"

The women's faces were a little embarrassed. Duan Yunyun stepped out of the team bravely: "It's not that we don't want to, but we don't understand the things the adults mentioned."

Lu Jiu'an raised his hand. The book "Cattle and Sheep Breeding Manual" said: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, I will accompany you. Whichever group successfully completes the delivery, I will be rewarded heavily."

Raising cattle and sheep is more difficult than Lu Jiu'an imagined. Fortunately, the manual is written in great detail, including the causes and response methods for various emergencies that may occur when the female animal is about to give birth. They only need to follow the manual and gain experience from it.

According to the book, cattle and sheep with babies attach great importance to the cleanliness and warmth of the environment. Therefore, Lu Jiuan ordered people to re-strengthen the pens and cover the ground with thick hay. Once the bedding was wet or dirty, If it is damaged, it must be replaced in time.

In addition, the diet of female animals is also very important. In addition to basic forage, protein, vitamins and other substances must also be supplemented. In modern times, of course there are nutritionally balanced feeds. Now that conditions are limited, Lu Jiuan can only use other things to replace them.

Han Zhi returned to the city once during the trip. He hurriedly met Lu Jiu'an and left. According to Hu Chong, Zhou Yingong only used 800 soldiers and horses to defeat more than 2,000 Wudomeng men. Wu Domeng was beheaded, and Taman was forced to retreat ten miles. The next day, a general was replaced to call the formation.

If Taman wants to survive this cold winter, he will definitely cling to Yunluo. If Han Zhi wants to catch them all, he will either invite you to the trap or take advantage of the victory to pursue them.

Lu Jiu'an thought that Han Zhi had mentioned to him that a group of his troops were ambushing Wuhui Mountain, and perhaps Han Zhi would make a plan to encircle them.

The ten cows and sheep have different pregnancies. The earliest one showed obvious symptoms at the end of the year. On the day of delivery, the four women who raised the ewe stayed up all night and Lu Jiuan also lit a lantern. Hou is next to him.

The ewe screamed in pain all night, and it was not until the fourth watch that the ewe began to give birth. The four women stared at the opening and closing, praying quietly.

However, contrary to expectations, the first thing to poke out from the ewe's body was a pair of hind hooves. According to the book, this situation can easily lead to dystocia, and a little carelessness can lead to one death and two lives.

This means that they have to manually help the ewes give birth.

The women who saw this scene almost fainted: "What should I do..."

The women were confused and turned to look at Lu Jiu'an.

Chapter 237

Lu Jiu'an raised his eyebrows while holding a lantern, and said inhumanely: "Didn't I give you the manual? Are you watching what I do?"

The captain gritted his teeth and flipped through the books in his hands. When she saw the solution, all the color drained from her face.

Helping sheep give birth is a dirty and tiring job. You need to reach into the body of the ewe and help pull it out according to the strength of the ewe.

These women had never done this kind of work before. Their heads were spinning. They could only keep telling themselves in their hearts: Life is hard to come by now. It is a good thing to help sheep deliver babies. There is no need to resist.

After so many times of psychological preparation, one of the women rolled up her sleeves and used soap to cleanse her hands according to the method in the book. She endured the discomfort and fear and slowly put her hand in.

The liquid in the ewe's body was sticky and slippery, and the woman still couldn't help crying. She pulled the lamb out while crying. At this time, the ewe had no strength to scream, and only its belly was still heaving.

Lu Jiu'an was a little worried that the ewe might not be able to save her life if things continued like this. Fortunately, after many efforts, a lamb covered in blood and amniotic fluid was finally pulled out.

The woman fell to the ground completely exhausted, feeling relieved. The others cheered, their eyes sparkling with tears and joy. For them, this was not only completing the task assigned by their master, but also personally delivering a little life, which was of great significance.

The woman gently took the lamb into her arms, and then she realized something was wrong. The lamb had been out for so long, but it didn't move and its eyes were tightly closed.

Seeing this, Lu Jiu'an took a closer look at the lantern. It was clear that the little lamb had no signs of life.

The women gradually understood something, and the joy on their faces had long since disappeared, replaced by fear.

They suddenly remembered the words Hu Chong had told them when they first entered the house, and trembled while holding the lamb.

Lu Jiu'an looked ugly and had a bad start. His first child died, which would inevitably make people feel discouraged. But he said nothing, but told the women to put the ewes in place.

The ewe has just finished giving birth and is very weak. It needs to be kept warm and hydrated. Do not feed cold water directly to the ewe, otherwise it will cause great irritation to the ewe's body.

The women replaced the bedding in the sheepfold again. When they looked up again, there was only one lantern left under the verandah, swaying in the wind, and the tall figure had already left.

The women became more and more uneasy, fearing that Lu Jiu'an would blame them, so they returned to the resting room in a daze.

Duan Yunyun knew that a ewe was giving birth tonight, and he kept this in mind, so he slept lightly and woke up as soon as he heard the sound. Seeing that their faces were as pale as vegetables, he hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

The woman briefly told the story, covering her face and sobbing softly: "Butler Hu said that as long as we work hard, we can be safe. But now that something like this has happened, do you think Mr. Lu will put us in harm's way?" "Send her back to the military camp?"

Duan Yunyun held her shoulders and consoled her: "Don't worry, I have found out clearly these days, Mr. Lu is kind-hearted, and as long as you do your best, he will not make things difficult for you, let alone Send you back to the military camp."

Despite Duan Yunyun's words, the woman was still worried: "Master Lu looked ugly when he left, completely different from his usual appearance..."

"Master Lu did that deliberately to show you." Yunyun interrupted her, "Think about it, if we fail and he still maintains a pleasant attitude, what will other people think? Will they feel that good luck is the same result anyway, and they will subconsciously relax Take it easy. Don't think too much, go to bed."

When the women woke up one after another the next morning, they heard about this, and those who were originally confident lost their confidence, so they took care of themselves more carefully. I'm afraid something will happen to the cattle and sheep.

As Duan Yunyun said, Lu Jiu'an did not punish them, but started from the second wave of cattle and sheep production, allowing everyone to watch on the spot.

Because enough experience and lessons had been learned, the next birth went very smoothly. The newborn lambs and calves stumbled up from the ground, were caught by the women, and put into the grass nests that had been prepared to keep warm.

The weather was getting colder and colder. Seeing that the New Year was approaching, Taman couldn't sit still anymore. He mobilized 60,000 soldiers and horses to stand outside Yunluo City. The dark enemy army was likely to be stung by thunder.

Lu Jiu'an was sitting in his mansion when he heard an earth-shattering sound outside the city and knew that Han Zhi had used a large dose of gunpowder.

The noise of the gunpowder explosion was so loud that even the porcelain cups on the table were shaken. The servants and maids in the mansion were panicked, thinking that there was an earthquake. Lu Jiuan was busy comforting people, and asked Hu Chong to go to the mansion to explain. situation, so that the people in the city do not need to panic.

This battle was extremely fierce, with numerous casualties on both sides. Han Zhi led his troops to fight for more than a month, and did not even come back during the New Year.

Yunluo was deserted because of the war. Lu Jiuan asked his servant to change the window grilles and put up a few couplets, and then had a simple New Year's Eve dinner to celebrate the New Year.

Before the Lantern Festival arrived, there was another blizzard in Yunluo. The flying snowflakes pressed several feet on the ground. Everything in the world seemed to be covered in white, making it difficult for people to walk, let alone fight.

Taman originally decided to raise his troops to attack Yunluo to escape the severe cold. Now he was unable to attack for a long time and was caught off guard by the gunpowder that appeared out of nowhere. He suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to the camp to prepare to find a way to survive this cold winter until spring. Just leave.

Now Yun Luo is no longer something they can covet.

Han Zhi withdrew his troops and returned to the city. Even the soldiers who were accustomed to sleeping in the open air could not bear this bad weather. In addition to those who died on the battlefield, some were frozen to death.

The door of the mansion was blocked by thick snow. Han Zhi cleared the snow from the door before he was able to enter.

As soon as he entered, Han Zhi was shocked by the bleating cattle and sheep that filled the house. He was busy facing the enemy and didn't pay attention to the situation in the house. For a moment, he thought he had arrived at a farm.

He passed through the herds of cattle and sheep and came to the main hall. Lu Jiu'an didn't receive the news. When he saw him suddenly, his face lit up: "Have you finished the battle?"

Han Zhi took off his wristband and said, "Why do you keep it in the house?" There are so many sheep."

He originally wanted to ask if it was for convenience in winter, but then he thought about it. These cows and sheep are so small that they are not big enough for a person's teeth.

Lu Jiu'an said: "Those people you found for me before, I asked them to learn how to raise and deliver cattle and sheep. Once they learn how to do it, they can teach the local herdsmen."

Lu Jiu'an asked the baker to make a table Good wine and good food. Han Zhi had not eaten hot food for a long time. He wolfed down the food with the bowl in hand. He had to refill the meal four times before putting down the bowl and chopsticks.

A bucket of hot water had been prepared in the room. Lu Jiu'an helped him take off his clothes and saw that his body was covered in scars, some of which were rolled up and looked hideous.

"The wound should not be exposed to water. Let me wipe it with a hot handkerchief for you."

Lu Jiuan carefully avoided the wound and wiped the dirt and blood on his body. As he rubbed it, Lu Jiuan felt that the body under his hands became hot. , subconsciously raised his head, Han Zhizheng lowered his head, his eyes filled with lust.

Next, the bathing incident turned into a love affair, and it became a natural situation.

Han Zhi had a full meal, and all the fatigue on his body seemed to have left him. Lu Jiu'an asked: "When I come back this time, I shouldn't have to go to the battlefield again."

Han Zhi shook his head: "Not enough."

Lu Jiu'an was surprised: "I'm not talking about tarts. Man was beaten to pieces, is he already a loser?"

"What I want is to be settled once and for all." Han Zhi said, "As soon as the snow melts, I will lead my troops and pursue the pursuit. Either surrender to me, the Zhou Dynasty, or leave completely and never set foot on our territory."

Han Zhi was in the house for a short time . After resting for a few days, he returned to the military camp. The war was over, and many military affairs were waiting to be dealt with. Moreover, the war was far from over, and he had to plan the next action immediately.

The ten cows and sheep he bought gave birth to more than 20 calves, so there were a lot of dairy products in the house. Han Wangqing was ordered to drink a cup every morning and evening, and he was growing taller.

During this period, Lu Jiu'an went to the military camp. This war brought a lot of gains to the Snowy Army. Not only did they seize a number of arrows and swords, thousands of horses, but they also brought back more than 200 prisoners of war.

Lu Jiu'an did not find Han Zhi in the military tent. He turned around and saw Zhou Yin Gong, who was injured in the thigh and limping. Lu Jiu'an asked him where the general was now. Zhou Yin Gong turned around with a grin on his face and turned to the right. He pointed out: "The prisoners are being interrogated in the prison."

Lu Jiu'an had no choice but to turn around. Before he could get closer, he heard the sound of ghosts crying and wolves howling in the distance, and he had no idea what kind of punishment was being used inside.

The prison was built underground, with only one stone step for people to pass through. The door was heavily guarded and heavily guarded. There was only one wall lamp on the stone steps, swaying in the wind, and the smell of blood slowly floated up from the entrance of the cave.

As the room went deeper, the screams became more obvious. Various torture instruments were hung on the walls. The blood on the surface of the torture instruments had dried up and looked very permeable.

Then the light flickered and dimmed, and Lu Jiuan saw clearly the scene in front of him.

Han Zhi sat on the chair expressionlessly. There was a person hanging in front of him. It was more like a strip of meat than a person. His chest and abdomen were whipped so hard that the bones were visible, and blood dripped down his thighs like running water. Falling, hanging his head, not knowing whether he is dead or alive.

When Han Zhi saw him, his expression changed, and he stood up suddenly. Because of excessive force, he knocked the chair behind him to the ground: "Why are you here? Get out quickly."

Lu Jiu'an said blankly: "I didn't mean it. "

Do you think I'm blaming you?" Han Zhi held his waist and took him to the next door: "The prison is always bloody and cold. This kind of place is not suitable for you to come in."

Lu Jiu'an tried his best to think about it. He waved away the scene he had just seen: "I'm just curious about what Tarman looks like."

"If you want to see it, I'll take you there." Han Zhi took him around a corner and changed to a cell. The people inside listened. When he hears a noise, he raises his head warily, his eyes showing a fierce look.

The tall man is as tall as a black bear and has a standard prairie man's appearance - a beard, a high nose, and deep eye sockets.

"I generally don't use punishment." Han Zhi explained: "The man just now is called Zarvana. He has cruel methods. He tortured and killed the people of Yunluo several times. After he was captured, he was still uneasy. He escaped from the prison with a few people last night. The soldiers on duty were brutally killed, so I killed the chicken to scare the monkeys."

After that, he took him to another cell, where the Taman were much more honest. They were lying on the hay in twos and threes, and they were indifferent when they saw Han Zhi.

"Cuomudan." Han Zhi called out.

Tsomudan opened his eyes impatiently. As soon as he stood up, his body was as big as a mountain. The cramped cell forced him to bend down: "Is it time for dinner?"

"I know how to eat."

"You still have the nerve to say that. "Tso Mudan said in a rough voice, "What do you bring every day? It's so sticky and unpalatable, and the portion is so small that I haven't even had enough to eat."

"You are a prisoner, you have something to eat. That's good."

Han Zhi told Lu Jiu'an that this man was captured by Yang Gengqing. He was extremely powerful and was good at using a heavy hammer. The soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty suffered a lot of damage in his hands. After he was captured and brought back to the military camp, they found that This person loves food as much as his life. As long as he is given food, he will answer all questions.

If Han Zhi wanted to continue the attack, he had to find out the remaining Taman troops and members of the royal family. Tsomudan was not as stubborn as Zarwana, so he became the main entry point.

Lu Jiu'an asked in a low voice: "What was the result of the interrogation?"

"We have almost given an explanation."

Lu Jiu'an said thoughtfully: "According to your opinion, this person may not be loyal to their king, so what are you going to do? "Definitely not letting him go, "

Han Zhi said. "Let him pick up horse manure."

"In that case, can you give this prisoner to me?"

Chapter 238

In addition to Cuo Mudan, there were several other prisoners of war who were taken away by Lu Jiuan. Although these barbarians behaved harmlessly, they were not the people of the Zhou Dynasty after all. In order to prevent them from having second thoughts. , Han Zhi asked Yang Gengqing to put handcuffs and shackles on them to ensure that they could not cause trouble randomly.

After getting in touch, Lu Jiu'an discovered that Cuomudan was indeed as Han Zhi said, with more than enough brute force but insufficient wisdom. Lu Jiu'an found out through indirections that he actually had a wife and children, but he did not come to Yunluo with the Tarman army. I chose another secluded cave to spend the winter.

"You just told me directly, aren't you afraid that I will take people to arrest them?"

Tsomudan patted his belly carelessly: "You all say that I am stupid, but in fact I am not stupid. This is called cutting off my tail to survive."

Lu Jiu'an flicked away the debris in his hand and thought, maybe this is a wise man.

After the weather finally cleared up, Lu Jiu'an took Cuo Mu Dan and several Taman to shovel the snow on the street. The others shoveled five or six meters after exhausting work. Cuo Mu Dan had already shoveled a whole street.

"Your Majesty, if you bring this barbarian here, it will be of some use." Hu Chong was amazed.

Lu Jiu'an smiled and said nothing, and shouted at the street corner: "Cuo Mu Dan, it's time to eat."

Hearing this, Cuo Mu Dan threw the shovel on the ground, ran over eagerly, eyes shining, and asked: "I want to eat today too ." Roasted sweet potatoes?"

"Yes!"

The sweet potatoes were roasted until they were golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and sweet on the inside. Lu Jiuan ate them gracefully, peeling them off first and eating them in small bites. It was getting warm outside.

In this short time, the tarman next to me had already eaten four or five of them.

"Is it delicious?" Lu Jiuan licked the remaining potato puree on his index finger and asked with a smile.

"It's delicious!" Tsomutan took the time to answer him.

This group of tarts came to Dazhou for the first time. They had never seen sweet and delicious food like sweet potatoes. They all ate it with relish. They were not so elegant when eating sweet potatoes. They broke the sweet potatoes in half and just put them into their mouths. When Lu Jiu'an asked Tuzao Disai, it was Tsomutan who took the time to answer him in vain.

"It's delicious."

Sweet potatoes are of course delicious. Not only are they delicious, they are also filling. Just a few can last for three or four hours. There is no food more suitable for filling your stomach than this.

"Where did you dig this? We have never eaten it before." Cuomudan asked angrily.

"This is planted by the people here." Lu Jiu'an asked knowingly, "Don't you farm?"

"We graze."

"Oh, we graze too. But we graze and farm at the same time, so in winter, we are still There is a lot of delicious food." Lu Jiu'an said pitifully, "What kind of life did you live before? It's so pitiful."

After hearing this, Taman stopped eating, his heart was spinning, and he didn't know. What a taste.

Next, Lu Jiuan took them to the market in Yunluo Xicheng to buy goods.

Due to the severe cold weather and the fierce war a year ago, the market was not as lively as usual. Only a few shops were open for business, and occasionally traders and footmen passed by to sell goods.

Despite this, the Tarmans were still dazzled by what they saw. Even small objects such as dustpans commonly used in ordinary people's homes can make them feel extremely novel. Tsomudan looked left and right, smacking his lips in envy: "And Our lives are completely different. What are they doing together?"

Lu Jiu'an glanced over there, and it turned out that a few young people were resting under a poplar tree with bare leaves, fighting cocks. .

It's hard for their chickens to come out of the grass nest on such a cold day.

"Fighting cock, this is the fighting cock they raised themselves. Whoever wins the cock fighting, according to the agreement, the others will give him money."

Tsomudan looked around blankly, then turned around to touch another item for sale on the stall. The soap is mixed with Sophora japonica and has a light fragrance.

Seeing him acting like this, the servants in the mansion couldn't help but murmured: "You look like you have never seen the world. Yunluo is just a border town of Da Zhou. If you go to Shannan and see the dazzling array of goods, your jaw will drop." ."

A group of big men blushed with shame, but Cuo Mudan frowned and said confidently: "We don't have a market there. If you want something, you can go directly to someone else's house to exchange it."

The servant sneered: "Sure enough. It's a barbarian."

After the snow on the road was basically cleared, Lu Jiu'an had people post notices everywhere in the city: If anyone at home is about to give birth to cattle or sheep, please report to the General's Mansion, and the General's Mansion will send someone to midwife the baby.

Most of the people in Yunluo City didn't take it seriously, and even the officials in the prefecture's yamen laughed it off when they found out. However, there was a family of herdsmen named Zhu who had a cow at home that was pregnant with four babies. , the calf is stuck inside and cannot get out, and the cow has lost strength. If this continues, not only will the calf be saved, but the mother will also die.

If the cow dies, it will be a huge loss to the family. When the herdsmen were so anxious that they were at a loss what to do, they suddenly thought of the notice and reported to the General's Mansion with the idea of ​​treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor.

Without further ado, Lu Jiuan immediately ordered a few women to go with him.

After several midwifery deliveries in the past, the women are now able to practice and make perfect, and they can easily solve the problems that the herdsmen find difficult.

The herdsman could not be confident, and he knelt down excitedly on the ground and said words of thanks. Before Lu Jiuan left, he gave him a bag full of fruits: "We grew it at home. I hope you don't dislike it."

Lu Jiuan opened the bag and took a look. What is inside is Pinpo fruit. The fruit is large, red, plump and juicy. It can be seen that it has been carefully selected.

Taman was among them during this trip. They witnessed women dragging a dystocia calf out of their stomachs. They were deeply shocked and could not recover for a long time until they left the house.

After a long time, Cuomu Dan suddenly walked quickly to Lu Jiu'an: "Sir, can I bring my wife and children to live in Yunluo?"

Lu Jiu'an stopped and looked at Cuo Mu Dan and smiled with unknown meaning. Of course he knew that Taman would do this. In fact, these days, he took this group of Taman around to let them understand the life of Da Zhou, which was his intention.

The Chinese civilization has been tracing back to its origins for thousands of years, and has experienced divisions and mergers along the way. However, without exception, due to the intersection and collision of the two civilizations, other civilizations have been irresistibly integrated into the torrent of Chinese civilization and become part of it. .

He believed that Taman would also be deeply impressed by this civilization after seeing the daily life of Yunluo people.

Although he thought so in his heart, Lu Jiu'an refused calmly on the surface: "You are just a defeated prisoner now. It's good that I didn't take your life. You still want to come to Yunluo. What are you talking about with me?" Conditions?"

Cuomudan didn't say anything, presumably he understood this.

"But it's not that there is no room for maneuver. You were not a general before, right? What did you originally do?"

Tsomutan answered truthfully: "I am just an ordinary hunter. Because of my great natural strength, I was chosen by Nugan and made an exception. Promoted to a powerful general."

Lu Jiu'an nodded: "If you can submit a letter of nomination, I will not only take your wife, children, and children to Yunluo, but also help you settle down."

"Submit a certificate?" Tsomudan hesitated again and again, and finally said decisively, "There is one thing I did not tell General Han. There is a holy land in our clan, and Nu Gan may go there to take refuge." After

hearing this, several other Tarmans became emotional . They excitedly surrounded Tsomutan and asked loudly: "Do you know what you are doing? That is the holy land, and you want to betray the grassland?"

Tsomutan staggered after being pushed, and his temper got worse, and he raised his fist and waved it.

"What kind of holy place? I only know that people need to eat, and I am very full here."

"You have soiled the will of the eagle!"

"Bullshit." Tsomudan yelled, "It's so high-sounding. If Yunluo hadn't come, , we don't even know that there are things like sweet potatoes and cotton in this world. If you had known earlier that cattle and sheep could deliver babies, would your son who was just born last year have starved to death?"

Several people were criticized by Tsomudan. He was speechless and remained silent for a long time.

After more than a month, the sky cleared completely and the snow began to melt. Han Zhi reorganized his army. Cuo Mudan and several other prisoners were among them. They would officially serve as members of the Zhou army.

The flags were blazing, and the twelve knights and soldiers were surrounded by snow and armor, ready to go, ready to pursue the Taman.

Lu Jiu'an saw him off, and the two looked at each other in silence.

"Everything is about your own safety."

Han Zhi leaned over and hugged him: "Wait until I come back."

The general's mansion became quiet again.

Since the last time he successfully delivered a cow for a herdsman's family, people who were originally hesitant came one after another. Lu Jiu'an took the women in the house and ran around. The closest ones were in the city and the most remote villages. It took a long time to get back and forth. It takes three days.

In addition to midwifery, Lu Jiuan began to ask women to teach herdsmen their experience. This group of people had been with cattle and sheep for a long time, and they only needed to demonstrate it once in person to understand the key points.

The effects of human intervention were immediate. The mortality rate of Yunluo cattle and sheep was greatly reduced. Lu Jiuan's name seemed to spread among the people overnight.

"The people in Yunluo are all talking privately, saying that you are the beast-controlling star king from heaven and earth. Many people also want to build a beast god temple for you." Hu Chong told him the news.

Cattle and sheep are to herdsmen just like food to farmers. Their importance is self-evident. Lu Jiuan broke their traditional understanding. This made them feel incredible and admired them very much. People in ancient times often expressed their admiration. The way is to serve it as a god.

Lu Jiuan couldn't laugh or cry.

It seems that biological research is also imperative.

The news of midwifery spread widely in Yunluo, so the prefect Yunluo couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb. He sent someone over the next day. The same magistrates and magistrates from before bowed their heads when they saw Lu Jiu'an.

"I wonder what your lords are doing by coming to the General's Mansion?"

"Before, we were ignorant and didn't know your lord's good intentions." Yang Tong knew, "Now the magistrate is deeply aware that this matter will benefit the people, so he specially sent his subordinates here. Ask for advice and let the colleagues in Yuanma Temple learn a thing or two to facilitate the management of horse administration."

Lu Jiu'an was happy to see the success and agreed: "It's easy to say."

Lu Jiu'an did what he said . A group of people went to the herdsmen's homes together, and they tried their best to teach and taught each other.

As Yunluo moved around, Lu Jiuan also saw the pasture to the west that Han Zhi had mentioned. Compared with the surrounding areas of Yunluo City, the trees were indeed much more lush. At this moment, the snow had just melted, revealing the branches that had been washed away by frost. It's dry, the sun shines down and falls on the tops of the trees, it's so beautiful.

You can imagine how beautiful this place will be when spring comes, everything comes back to life, and the vegetation stretches.

Lu Jiu'an took a deep breath and ordered: "Dismount here and rest."

Chapter 239

The women sat on the ground and took out the prepared dry food from their arms to satisfy their hunger. Hu Chong handed Lu Jiu'an a piece of cake. Lu Jiu'an had just eaten two bites when a dozen strong men suddenly appeared on the other side of the jungle, carrying axes. Entered the forest.

Lu Jiu'an saw the costumes of those people from a distance and had a suspicion in his mind. He put down the naan cake and asked sideways: "What are these people doing here?"

Before Hu Chong could reply, Yang Tongzhi replied with a smile: "This is firewood." The woodcutter hired by the Heshi was ordered to cut down wood for the people in the city to use as charcoal. "

" Cutting down wood and firewood?" Lu Jiu'an said word by word, anger rising in his heart. He stood up slowly and went to the city. Go in the direction where the group of people disappeared.

Yang Tongzhi was glanced at by Lu Jiu'an coldly. He didn't know why, but seeing that he didn't look worried, he didn't dare to eat anymore. He quickly put the dry food into the bag on the horse's back and motioned for others to follow.

Lu Jiu'an entered the forest, and the sound of an ax chopping could be heard not far away. The dull and rhythmic blows seemed to be the reminder of the forest.

As he went deeper, Lu Jiuan's face became more and more gloomy. Along the way, he had seen many bare tree stumps. Obviously, this was not the first time that the woodcutter visited this place.

"Crash."

A big tree about two feet wide fell in front of Lu Jiu'an, and the birds in the forest flew away in fright.

The exposed tree stumps on the ground were like scars, and the number was shocking. Lu Jiuan touched the broken mark of a tree stump and asked: "There must have been a lot of woods like this before Yunluo, and you guys chopped them all down like this." "

Yang Tongzhi explained: "There is no way, Mr. Lu, as you know, Yunluo is too cold, and the people can't survive without firewood."

Lu Jiuan sneered.

No wonder in Han Zhi's impression, there used to be several woods like this in Yunluo City, but after years of excessive woodcutting, they have all disappeared.

Yunluo's population was small, and even if they wanted to survive the winter, ordinary people's homes would only need broken branches and some crop straws, which would consume vast tracts of jungle.

The so-called "can't stand it" probably means that without these firewood, those rich and powerful people would not be able to take a bath.

A single bath takes half an hour, and half an hour consumes dozens of kilograms of firewood. Yunluo, a junior official with a low salary and a low salary, seized the opportunity to sell charcoal to wealthy businessmen, hoarding money and private money.

If things continue like this, water and soil will be lost, and even forests will become deserts.

Even if you say it so grandly, it's just for your own selfish desires.

One of the woodcutters had already recognized their identities, saluted, and stood there timidly, looking uneasy.

Yang Tongzhi hunched over and asked cautiously: "Master Lu, is there anything wrong?"

Lu Jiu'an said calmly: "We can't cut wood like this in the future."

"This..." Yang Tongzhi was embarrassed: "The firewood has been cut off. , The fireworks will be cut off."

Still quibbling!

Lu Jiu'an got angry, pointed at his nose and cursed: "You are still trying to deceive me. The Zhou court has an express prohibition. Do you need me to read it to you personally?"

Yang Tongzhi also changed. His face straightened up and he sneered again and again: "Master Lu, I call myself a lower official just for the sake of General Zhenyuan. Let me remind you that you are just a military supervisor. We all perform our duties and pursue our own goals. "Well water does not interfere with river water. If you want to control Yunluo's woodworking, you are stretching your hand too far.

" "Didn't Yang Tongzhi ask about it?"

"What are you asking about?"

Lu Jiu'an said sarcastically. Your Majesty personally appointed Chang Jishi as the military envoy to Yunluo. Do you think I am qualified to take charge of it?"

"Chang Jishi!" Yang Tongzhi was shocked. He had indeed heard that the imperial court had reinstated Chang Jishi as his post two years ago. He even mentioned it to the prefect, but he didn't expect that it was the person in front of him who he thought was just an ordinary person.

The ability and means to make His Majesty return to normalcy are evident.

Yang Tongzhi felt cold sweat break out on his forehead. He had been dealing with such a person for so long.

What about the prefect? ​​How much does he know?

"That's right." Lu Jiu'an suddenly said, "I forgot to ask, a few years ago, the prefect was satisfied with the sweet potatoes I asked the general to bring to Yunluo?"

"It's you!"

That Yingping County Magistrate!

Yang Tongzhi's heart went back and forth a thousand times, and finally he lowered his head and lost his previous expression.

Lu Jiu'an returned to the general's mansion and had just taken off his cloak when Hu Chong brought him a puppy.

"Where did it come from?" Lu Jiuan asked.

Hu Chong said: "My master took the girls to deliver a lamb in a common people's home. After their dog gave birth, he specially sent one as a thank you."

Lu Jiu'an felt soft in his heart, and this little one with wet eyes The milk dog reminded him of the grains far away in southern Shanxi. He stretched out his hands to hold the puppy in his arms.

"Where's Han Wangqing?"

Usually at this time, as soon as he heard his footsteps, Han Wangqing would come looking for him.

"Walk in the backyard," Hu Chong said.

"Zha Ma Bu?" Lu Jiu'an was in disbelief and reminded, "He has just turned three years old!"

Hu Chong nodded: "The general gave instructions before leaving that when the young prince reaches an age, he must slowly start practicing." She glanced at him and hesitated to speak.

Lu Jiu'an said: "If you have anything to say, just say it."

Hu Chong then said: "The general also ordered you to leave it alone, saying that... a loving mother often loses her son."

Lu Jiu'an grinded his molar teeth, feeling sad. He said, "Even if you want to practice, you have to wait a few years."

When Lu Jiu'an arrived in the backyard, Han Wangqing had already finished tying him. He was crying until his face was red and feeling aggrieved. When he saw him, he stretched out his hands and shouted for a hug.

Lu Jiuan patiently coaxed him for a while, until Han Wangqing touched the soft puppy, and then he stopped crying.

The child's emotions came and went quickly, and soon one person and one dog were having a lot of fun. Lu Jiuan looked at Han Wangqing's careless look and sighed: The little prince who used to be pampered and pampered is now with Han Zhi, so good I'm afraid the days are coming to an end.

Suddenly, Lu Jiu'an felt something in his heart. Why did the breed of this puppy look so familiar? Why does it look like a sheepdog?

Lu Jiuan was not sure, so he called Hu Chong and asked him if he knew what a female dog looked like.

Of course Hu Chong didn't know, but seeing how concerned Lu Jiu'an was, he went to the house of the herdsman who donated the dog that afternoon. When he came back, he described the appearance and characteristics of the big dog in detail. Lu Jiu'an was sure that this was the person responsible for the IQ of the dog - —Bian Mu.

It's unbelievable that border shepherds actually appeared in the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Because of their predatory nature, border collies are good at tracking and driving away moving objects, and because they are smart, they can easily understand human instructions. With a little training, they can become effective helpers for herdsmen.

However, so far, the people of Yunluo have not developed the ability of sheepdogs, which is really a waste of resources.

Lu Jiu'an was overjoyed. It happened that Han Zhi's well-trained capable stranger was ordered to station in Yunluo. Lu Jiu'an handed the puppy to him and asked him to train it in the way of a shepherd dog. If he succeeded, there would be many benefits. reward.

News came from the front line that the twelve horsemen of Xuezhu had reached Pantuo Valley and killed 10,000 Taman. Cuo Mudan persuaded 3,000 to surrender, and the rest fled in panic. Han Zhi directly threw away the baggage and supported the war with war, leading the light cavalry. Chasing all night.

In April, all things came together, and Lu Jiuan issued a notice calling on the people of Yunluo City to join him in planting trees.

The people carried shovels and buckets and worked enthusiastically in the city.

"Why plant trees?" A group of children gathered around Lu Jiu'an and asked, chattering.

Lu Jiu'an pointed to a waist-thick tree on the edge of the city and asked, "Do you know how many years it will take for this tree to grow so tall?"

The childish people talked a lot, some said ten years, some said twenty years. of.

Lu Jiu'an shook his head: "This tree is older than your grandfather and great-grandfather. Do you want to know how old it is? Come here."

A group of children followed Lu Jiu'an to a piece of broken wood. Lu Jiu'an said: " Do you see the lines on it? These are called growth rings. How many rings are there, how many years it has lived. Count them."

The children hesitated and said nothing. Lu Jiuan slapped his forehead and said yes. Well, education has not yet been popularized in Yingping, so these children can only count to ten on their fingers.

"This is really interesting, sir." Hu Chong volunteered, rolled up his sleeves, and slowly finished counting the lines under the gaze of many children.

"One hundred and eighty-seven, it's one hundred and eighty-seven years old!"

"Yes." Lu Jiu'an said softly, "Look, this big tree has been rooted here for more than one hundred and eighty years before we got here. Today, so many people are enjoying the coolness under its branches."

The children seemed to understand, but the scholars who had read the classics and histories listened thoughtfully.

"History is like rings of growth. Today it is just a small sapling. A few hundred years later, it will grow into a towering tree. The people who will be able to shelter from wind and rain under these trees in the future are all yours." Credit. We plant trees to benefit future generations."

...

News came from the front line every now and then. The battle report showed that Han Zhi had led his troops to pursue the victory to the Taman Holy Land. Although there were clear reports of success, Lu Jiuan frowned and felt uneasy. I always feel like something bad is going to happen.

Hu Chong didn't know why: "My lord, are you feeling unwell? Why are you looking so pale?"

"They say you should not chase poor enemies." Lu Jiu'an said, "What if this is a barbarian trick to lure the enemy? Han Zhi is so deep in pursuit. I'm afraid they were ambushed by the other side."

Hu Chong smiled nonchalantly: "The general uses his troops like a god and wins battles repeatedly. Don't worry, sir."

Lu Jiu'an comforted himself: Maybe it was because of Mu Lin and Lu Qi's death. I feel a little nervous. Ancient history is not without this technique of pursuing and attacking enemies fiercely. Huo Qubing once led his troops on an expedition to Mobei and created the great feat of drinking horses from the vast sea and sealing wolves to live in Xu.

However, one morning, while Lu Jiu'an was still huddled in bed, there was a loud knock on the door. As soon as Lu Jiu'an opened it, Hu Chong fell in with a "plop", looking panicked. Lu Jiu'an suddenly had a bad premonition. .

For some reason, Lu Jiu'an subconsciously resisted what he was going to say next, and pulled away and walked back: "Don't say..."

Hu Chong had already stumbled in and blurted out: "Sir."

"General... the general was killed in battle."

As if A sudden bolt from the blue made Lu Jiuan feel dizzy. His body seemed to have been drained of all strength in an instant. He staggered and almost fell to the ground. He pressed his arms limply against the pillar before he barely stabilized his body.

Lu Jiu'an was surrounded by sharp tinnitus. Amidst the repeated tugging of huge shock and dying grief, Lu Jiu'an almost wanted to vomit. After a long time, Lu Jiu'an gradually regained his composure, closed his eyes, and asked in a deep voice: "The military information is correct?"

Chapter 240

Hu Chong's eyes were bloodshot, and he knelt on the cold floor, holding up the information in his hand in pain.

The military information was written in a very messy manner, with a drop of dark red blood remaining on the paper. Lu Jiuan looked at it and slowly pulled the paper into a ball.

"I don't believe it."

"Sir?"

"I don't believe it." Lu Jiuan repeated word for word.

The letter only said that Han Zhi was injured by an arrow and fell into the Yesha River. The river was adjacent to a glacier. The water was fast and freezing. If a person fell, he would almost die.

After Han Zhi fell into the water, the first one to jump down was Hui Lang, followed by Yang Gengqing, Zhou Yingong... However, until the end, everyone was exhausted and no one was found.

But, but...

Lu Jiu'an thought almost desperately, they all say that if you are alive, you must see the person, and if you are dead, you must see the body. This military situation came in a hurry, and it is unknown what will happen next. As long as the person is not found, there is still a glimmer of hope.

What's more, Han Zhi has never experienced any situation before and after, hasn't he always turned danger into safety in the end? I believe he should be able to turn danger into disaster this time.

After soothing himself, Lu Jiuan stood up as if nothing had happened and began to arrange the next deployment in an orderly manner.

The general's death in battle is a major issue at the border, and now is not the time to mess up the situation.

"Seal the news of the general's distress and do not leak any information to the outside world, so as not to cause panic among the people in the city, until the Snowy Twelve Cavalry withdraw their troops and return to the city."

"In addition, increase the number of troops stationed in Yunluo and increase patrols to avoid a barbarian counterattack."

During the day, As always, Lu Jiu'an took people to the countryside to teach cattle and sheep breeding knowledge to herders' homes. He was so busy that he fell asleep at night.

It is worth mentioning that after these days, Duan Yunyun, who came out of Ruyi Building, had already earned enough money to redeem her life. She should have gone home to guard her man, but Duan Yunyun changed her mind.

According to Hu Chong, it was Duan Yunyun who suddenly figured it out.

"Why bother working so hard for someone who is not upright? I can live a good life on my own. I only live a few decades in this life. I'd better live for myself."

Lu Jiu'an just laughed it off.

April is about to pass and May is approaching, which is the busiest day for people.

On this day, Lu Jiu'an took the people in the house to survey the sandy landforms outside Yunluo City. At noon, everyone took a break and sat on the rocks to rest. Others chatted and laughed, while Lu Jiu'an sat alone and held his chin. Listening quietly, suddenly, Lu Jiuan saw a flash of bright blue from the corner of his eye.

Lu Jiuan took a casual look and took a breath.

In the swaying breeze, the blue flowers bloomed with layers of petals, and stubbornly emerged from the cracks in the stones to face the sun above their heads.

Lu Jiu'an's tense heartstrings miraculously relaxed, and a smile slipped across his lips that he hadn't seen for a long time.

Hu Chong followed his gaze and looked over: "Ah, it's the Waji flower!"

Lu Jiuan's index finger gently brushed the petals, as if caressing his lover's cheek.

"Well, it's the Waji flower."

"My lord, you seem to like it very much." Hu Chong grinned: "Speaking of which, the general is also very rare. He said that it is not easy for this flower to bloom so well in the long yellow sand. The vitality is too strong."

Hu Chong suddenly felt uncomfortable when he mentioned the general. He looked at Lu Jiu'an and found that his expression was as usual, as if in his heart, he truly believed that the general was still alive.

However, if you look closely, you can see that his whole figure is like a taut string. Once the news of the general's death is confirmed, he will break.

General, are you really still alive?

It's been so long, even if you are alive, it's time to come back.

In mid-June, the sand in the Gobi Desert was scorching hot under the scorching sun, and there was no other sound in the air except the intermittent chirping of cicadas. A spy came from far and near, rolling and falling in front of Lu Jiu'an: "Urgent report..."

Lu Jiu'an was shaking and could hardly hold the tea bowl in his hand: "Say."

"General... the general is still alive!

" The twelve horses returned from a bloody bath, the sound of horse hoofbeats resounded in the sky, the clouds fell and the city gates were opened, and the people lined the streets to welcome them.

"General Han has won!"

"The Twelve Riders of Snow's Arms have won!"

"Yun Luo has won!"

The people cheered and rushed to tell each other.

Among the bustling crowd, Lu Jiuan's eyes fell directly on the tall figure in front of the team, tears streaming down his face.

Han Zhi stopped in front of Lu Jiu'an, got off his horse, and hugged Lu Jiu'an into his arms.

"Jiu'an, I'm back."

...

According to historical records, Han Zhi led his troops to pursue Taman. Under the powerful offensive of the twelve knights of Xuehu, Taman was defeated and fled in a panic. Finally, he arrived at the land of Fangshan. The terrain was complicated, and the barbarians cowered to avoid fighting. The twelve horsemen were surrounded by snow and couldn't find their way.

During an attack on the enemy, Han Zhi accidentally hit an arrow and fell into the water, so he used a trick and pretended to be dead.

The Taman came out in full force, but when they were discovered it was too late. The twelve horsemen captured by the Snow Guards captured King Nugan and several other royal family members, and beheaded them. A total of more than 50,000 Taman were killed, and 10,000 were surrendered.

The territory from Yunluo North to Fangshan Land belonged to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

At this point, the Tarman clan that had been invading the Central Plains for hundreds of years finally came to an end.

"I'm just curious, how did you survive after you fell into the water?" Lu Jiu'an asked.

"I grabbed a broken log downstream and climbed up. The river was freezing cold. There was no dry part of my body and I was shivering from the cold." Han Zhi recalled the scene at that time and touched Lu Jiuan's neck. , suddenly opened a shallow smile, "Jiu'an, it was the Zippo you gave me that saved me."

Now everything is over in the border area, and after settling all Yunluo's affairs, in early August this year, Lu Jiu'an returned with Han Zhi's class teacher towards.

Lu Jiuan was given a hundred pieces of cloth, a hundred taels of silver, and was promoted to one rank.

Han Zhi gave him a thousand bolts of cloth, a thousand taels of silver, and a copy of Shang'en's royal letter. With Shang'en's royal letter in his hand, he enjoyed the supreme honor, and his status was almost equal to that of Emperor Yongxi. Because of the scourge of Taman, he was permanently eliminated from future troubles. The imperial court only made a few symbolic rebuttals, but actually accepted it happily.

The Central Plains ushered in the long-lost peace and purity. Han Zhi divided the Xuehuqi into two parts, named them Nanyu Navy, and transferred them to Hengze.

In the spring of the following year, the research institute led by Feng Jing developed a bicycle. The first bicycle was displayed in the palace, attracting crowds of spectators. Lu Jiu'an naturally went to look at it and found that except for some differences in appearance, the method of use was the same as that of modern bicycles.

All the officials, big and small, looked at it with great admiration, especially the minister of the Ministry of Industry, who couldn't put it down. Emperor Yongxi ordered him to build twenty more vehicles as gifts for future rewards based on merit.

The convenience and speed brought by the items produced by the institute are obvious to all. Physical chemistry is no longer classified as a strange skill. The imperial court not only issued decrees to recruit relevant talents from all over the country, but also encouraged people to innovate. Once someone among the people invented something that could be used, the imperial court Generous silver rewards will be given as rewards.

Under such vigorous promotion, some buried folk strangers sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain, and a new field of knowledge developed rapidly. Within a few years, some simple and basic knowledge of physics was compiled into a book and incorporated into prefectures, prefectures, and counties. Learning tutorial.

In the thirty-second year of the New Year, the Zhou Dynasty was strong, well-equipped with weapons, and the people were healthy. Emperor Yongxi, with Lu Jiuan's advice, built a nine-masted and twelve-sail ship, appointed Gao Chu as the envoy, and went to sea to find The civilizations of other countries officially opened the Age of Discovery belonging to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the same year, the Qin family's father and son, who were far away in Yingping, successfully developed anesthesia powder, marking another major progress in medicine.

At this time, Lu Jiu'an had reached the rank of bachelor of the cabinet, and was only one step away from becoming a prince and becoming a prime minister. Thinking of his parents' advanced age, he specifically asked Emperor Yongxi to resign and return to his hometown. Emperor Yongxi refused and was moved by his filial piety. In order to fulfill his righteousness, he was allowed to go home and serve his parents for three years before returning to the court and reinstating his post.

Lu Jiu'an thought for a while and realized that he was not yet old enough to resign and retire, so he took the documents and went back to his house to pack his luggage.

Han Linshen didn't know the key. Seeing that the Lu family was busy with other things, he thought that his teacher would be gone forever, so he eagerly approached him and asked him about his way of governing the world so that he could become emperor later. Be alert to this.

"Teacher, I don't know when we will see each other again. Before I leave, do you have anything else to tell me?"

Lu Jiu'an laughed secretly: "I have taught you everything I need to teach you. Is there really a saying? "

Han Linshen said quickly: "Teacher, please take this as a motto and keep it in mind."

"If you encounter poppies or other addictive things in the future, you must destroy them on the spot and leave no one behind." Anyone who dares to touch poppies will be killed without mercy!"

Han Linshen reluctantly said goodbye to Lu Jiu'an. After leaving, Han Zhi walked in from the outside and threw a packed bag on his back on the desk. Ma Jindao sat down and looked at Lu Jiu'an expressionlessly.

Lu Jiu'an secretly felt sorry for himself and looked away with a guilty conscience: "Will you follow me to Langdong?"

"Otherwise, leave me alone in southern Shanxi?"

Lu Jiu'an touched his nose and retorted in a low voice: "Why am I alone? Aren't there Emperor Yongxi and Han Wangqing..."

Han Wangqing looks like King Jin'an, with beautiful appearance and delicate facial features, and a sharp and eye-catching armor. Because Han Zhishu had been trained in the military camp since he was a child, his skin had been tanned by the scorching sun over many years, and his temper had also become extremely irritable and flammable.

What is gratifying is that under Lu Jiu'an's words and deeds, Han Wangqing was filial and sensible. Apart from that, the only shortcoming was that he was too dependent on Lu Jiu'an. This made Han Zhi very angry. For this reason, the father and son argued more than once Di Da fights...

Now that he has decided to return home, Lu Jiu'an no longer delays. Thinking of seeing his brother and parents after a long absence, Lu Jiu'an feels light and whistles happily.

Before leaving, Lu Jiuan went to my hometown to check the energy value for the last time, and unexpectedly found that the energy value had reached 600,000 at some point.

With these 600,000, he can unlock the package sent by his second sister from New York.

This is the most expensive item in the office.

Lu Jiu'an rubbed his hands back and forth excitedly and pulled Han Zhi into the office to witness this great moment together.

"According to my experience, the more expensive the things in the office, the more profound the impact on this time and space." Lu Jiu'an swallowed, "I'm going to open it."

Han Zhi was infected by him and subconsciously held his breath and concentrated. Staring intently.

The light blue energy shield wrapped around the box turned into fragments in the air as Lu Jiuan unlocked it. Lu Jiuan, with the tension and anticipation of opening a blind box, tore off the dense tape wrapped around the outside and slowly opened it.

Although he was mentally prepared, Lu Jiuan's eyes widened in shock when he really saw the items inside.

"This is..."

"What is it?" Han Zhi came forward eagerly.

The bright light overhead casts down the items in the box, which are clearly reflected. The smooth surface of the object reflects dazzling brilliance as the angle changes.

Lu Jiuan burst into tears.

My good sister, you have really given this era a great gift.

"This is..."

"Astronomical telescope."