The secretary who was in charge of clerical affairs for Cui Jing replied, "Replying to the Grand Commander, during the time you were away, letters came from all over. There were seven or eight letters from the south alone."
Seven or eight?
Cui Jing walked faster.
The soldier in the office had to jog to catch up.
After entering the study, Cui Jing took off his cloak and sword, handed them to his attendants, and went to read the letter immediately.
The secretary had quickly brought over the pile of letters.
Some were sent from the south, and some were sent from various places in the capital. The secretary was very careful in his work. He distinguished the letters according to where they came from and the time they were sent, and placed them on the desk separately so that Cui Jing could see them clearly when he checked them.
There were so many letters that they were laid out in rows, taking up most of the desk.
Cui Jing saw the letter from Chang Suining at a glance.
Her handwriting was easy to recognize, or rather, he was too familiar with it - especially the handwriting on the envelope this time, which was almost exactly the same as the handwriting on the notes on military strategy that he had read repeatedly over the years.
The young man stood by the desk and opened the letter before he had time to sit down.
Although he had been away for half a month, he already knew the outcome of the matter between Hezhou and Li Yi, so he had already felt at ease. The reason why he was so eager to have faith at this time was entirely from his heart.
The first thing he saw was the lifelike chestnut painted on the letter paper.
When Cui Jing saw Li, a hint of smile flashed across his brows. In an instant, the chill brought back from outside seemed to have completely dissipated.
The secretary plucked up the courage to take a quick look and found it very strange.
Is this... the benefit of celebrating the New Year? The Grand Commander's face was filled with festive New Year atmosphere.
Cui Jing had read the letter from the beginning, word by word, without missing a single word, and was extremely careful.
It was already the end of the afternoon when he returned. The study was a little dim, so the secretary asked someone to light the lamps, and red lanterns were hung in the corridor.
Cui Jing has read to the end for the second time.
Everyone works hard on the path, and the same wind blows through the distance...
The light cast a rare warmth on the young man's deep and clear eyebrows and eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved up.
His eyes were reading the letter, and it seemed as if he was looking through the letter paper and seeing the people and things that only he could see.
"...Grand Commander, you..." The voice of the clerk sounded, and it sounded vague and distant in Cui Jing's ears.
Cui Jing half came back to his senses and looked at him: "I'm reading the letter."
This strange answer made the secretary open his mouth. After a moment's reaction, he said, "I know... I just want to remind the commander-in-chief that you must be tired after your first trip. You might as well sit down and read it carefully."
He had said it once, but the Grand Commander didn't hear it at all. It seemed that the Grand Commander was really tired.
Cui Jing said "hmm" and suddenly asked him, "Have you ever heard of Zhou Xingji's poem "Farewell to a Friend Returning East"?"
The reporter was stunned and nodded: "I've heard of it..."
So, the Grand Admiral was chatting with him?
The secretary was flattered by this guess, and boldly continued the topic: "Does the Grand Commander like this poem?"
Cui Jing lowered his eyes to read the letter and nodded with a smile.
I like it because I like it.
He planned to write down this poem.
Thinking of this, Cui Jing looked around the study, as if considering where to hang it most appropriately, preferably so that he could see it at a glance when handling official business.
The secretary noticed his good mood and said with a smile: "It seems that this letter is from your friend, the Grand Commander... I think he is a very important friend!"
Cui Jing remained silent.
more than.
She is more than important to him.
Considering that there might be matters in other letters that he needed to deal with promptly, he temporarily put away Chang Suining's letter.
But he did not put it aside, but put it into the lapel of his robe.
The reporter was more and more surprised. What kind of friend was this? He wanted to find out, but he was not so arrogant. Besides, his superior had already adopted the demeanor he should have when handling official business.
Cui Jing and the secretary first dealt with some official letters, including letters from the Xuan Ce Mansion in the capital and letters from the imperial court.
After finishing these things, Cui Jing opened and read Chang Kuo's letter.
Chang Kuo's handwriting was larger than that of ordinary people, and the content of the letter was simple. He told him not to worry about things in Jiangnan, and also gave him simple New Year greetings.
Then came two letters from Yuan Xiang. When Cui Jing felt the thickness of the envelope, he hesitated slightly, but still opened it to read.
The letter contained mostly nonsense, and he could only read ten lines at a time and pick out the people and things he wanted to see.
Yuanxiang detailed the process of working with Wei Shuyi in the letter. At the end, he whispered that during an argument with Changji, Changji accidentally let slip that Wei Shilang's trip to Jiangnan was to recommend himself to the saint...
When writing to this point, Yuanxiang's handwriting gradually became smaller, as if the handwriting itself had a sound, and there was an air of secretly telling on someone, quite sneaky.
He also wrote: 'According to my secret observation, Minister Wei treated Madam Chang very attentively and he could not mention Madam Chang in three sentences. Combined with her self-recommendation, I have a bold guess that Minister Wei might have some bad intentions towards Madam Chang.'
Cui Jing looked at the crossed-out word "δΉ": "..."
Yuan Xiang finally swore an oath that he would keep a close eye on Minister Wei and would never give him any chance to take advantage of him.
At this point, the handwriting is so vivid that it shows determination, like a wolfhound with bared teeth and standing fur.
Cui Jing opened the second letter from the wolfhound.
The second letter was delivered a few days late. The letter mainly stated one thing - Minister Wei has already returned to the capital, so please rest assured, Grand Commander!
This time the handwriting was cheerful, like a wolfhound proudly wagging its tail.
Finally, Cui Jing opened the letter from home.
From my grandfather, from several uncles in the clan, and from three people, Lu, Cui Tang and Cui Lang.
The letters from the latter three groups are all very weighty. Compared with Yuanxiang, they are similar in nature, but even better.
If he doesn't have enough time to read the letter, he won't dare to open it easily.
This letter, perhaps because it was the last one before the New Year, was written with more weight. Judging from the handwriting on each piece of letter paper, three people participated in it. Perhaps one person wrote until his hands were sore and exhausted, and then another person took over...
The order is arranged according to family status, for example, the handwriting at the front is Cui Lang's.
Cui Lang explained the recent situation of his family, all the big and small matters in the clan, and briefly mentioned the affairs of the court. He repeatedly mentioned the word "Master", and talked about how Chang Suining is now famous in the capital and is hailed as the reincarnation of a star general. He was proud of this in every word.
Reincarnation of a Star...
Cui Jing looked at these four words and smiled silently.
It took half an hour to finish reading all the letters.
Along with the letters from Lu and her two children, there was also a box delivered.
Cui Jing asked someone to open the box, and saw that it was full of neatly stacked new clothes and shoes.
In the letter, Lu said that due to time constraints, she wanted to deliver the clothes before the New Year, so she asked a tailor to do it. When she has more time next year, she will make spring and summer clothes for him herself. She also said, "My mother's craftsmanship is ordinary, I hope you won't despise it."
Hot water was prepared, and after Cui Jing took a bath, he changed into a clean, well-fitting new robe and new boots.
After changing clothes, he did not forget to put the letter back into his arms.
At this time, a guard came and said, "The banquet has been set up. Protector Qin invites the Grand Commander to come."
This banquet was both a welcome party for Cui Jing and a New Year's Eve banquet.
All the officials from the Anbei Protectorate were present, as well as other military commanders guarding the border. When they saw the young man coming, they all stood up and saluted.
The young man was wearing a round-collared, wide-sleeved dark blue robe, with a jade crown to tie his hair. His eyebrows and eyes were dark and deep, and he was very handsome. He had the nobleness of a descendant of the Cui family, and the sharp edge honed on the battlefield. The two completely different temperaments were mixed in him, making him even more special and eye-catching.
The people in the north are rough and open-minded. The women from the Protectorate were also there, but they ate at separate tables.
Several young ladies watched the young man enter. As they stood up to greet him, their eyes were fixed on Cui Jing and they couldn't move their eyes away.
After Cui Jing sat down, everyone else followed suit.
During the banquet, Cui Jing seldom spoke. He had always been a man of few words, and most of the officials present were used to it.
"Guess...can General Cui say ten sentences before he leaves?" Several girls at the ladies' table were talking in low voices.
Qin Duhu also felt that the situation was quite precarious. He even felt that General Cui was not listening to their nonsense at all.
After three rounds of drinking, Cui Jing still didn't say much. Instead, the generals spoke more casually because of the wine.
Someone mentioned Hezhou: "...I heard that the court has issued an order to let the son of the Hezhou governor who died defending the city take over his father's position! That kid seems to be only sixteen or seventeen years old!"
"The whole family is full of loyal warriors. The people of Hezhou have returned to the country because of this battle. The court's move is both a reward and a way to reassure people..."
"It doesn't matter if you're young, what matters most is the ability! When we first joined the army, we were just kids too!"
An old general with gray hair said, "Speaking of youth... Have you heard about the deeds of General Chang's daughter? What was the girl's name? Chang..."
"Chang Sui Ning."
The one who answered was Cui Jing, who had been silent the whole time.
"?" Everyone looked over, feeling very surprised.
The old general surnamed Lu asked with a smile: "General Cui also knows about this girl?"
Cui Jing nodded: "I know."
"Of course Commander Cui knows!" A middle-aged general who was half drunk laughed, "Don't you know that this girl is Commander Cui's favorite..."
As he said this, he sensed a look in Qin Duhu's eyes that said, "Tell me everything, you're going to die." He quickly shut up.
Qin Duhu broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead and hurriedly raised his wine glass to Cui Jing and smiled apologetically.
Not to mention that we don't know whether the rumor is true or not, even if it is true, the girl rejected General Cui. Isn't this just bringing up something that is not relevant?
What if I can't get the love I want, and then I turn to hate because of love...right? But the young man didn't show any strange expression, but smiled: "It's okay."
Qin Duhu: β!β
This was the first time he saw this person smile!
No problem?
Then he understood!
It means to speak openly!
It seems that although I can't get the love I want, I don't hate her at all.
Qin Duhu smiled knowingly: "I heard that this girl is as brave as General Chang! I heard that the reason why Hezhou City was saved was half due to this girl from the Chang family. I wonder if it is true or not?"
After hearing this, Cui Jing, who was about to leave, stayed where he was: "The rumors are true."
The degree of his seriousness and importance even gave Qin Duhu a strong illusion - for example, if someone was about to become the soul killed by General Cui, as long as he shouted in time "Wait, I've heard of Madam Chang", then the general would definitely put down his knife, ask the other person to sit on the ground, and then have someone serve tea and talk to him about Madam Chang.
He finally understood that the three words "Mrs. Chang" were not just a name, but a spell to defeat Grand Commander Cui! Protector Qin sighed in his heart. After getting along with him for so long, he finally found out what Grand Commander Cui liked... In the future, there was hope of catering to his preferences! Others also understood this one after another, and the hall was full of excitement on this topic.
The girls from the Qin family looked at the young man's smiling eyes, and their initial surprise and confusion gradually turned into helplessness and emotion after they understood the situation.
A girl who had been coveting Cui Jing for some time sighed and held her chin in her hand.
She could see that General Cui was really deeply trapped.
Although there is no mention of love in every word and sentence, and there is no words that cross the line, it seems that love is everywhere in every word and sentence.
Moreover, when an ordinary man likes a girl and mentions her to outsiders, the secret code conveyed by his words and expressions is often "she is mine".
But General Cui was different. He seemed to have engraved the words "She is not mine, but I am hers" on his body, and it became a secret known to everyone.
The girl looked at him unwillingly again, but finally gave up. Forget it. She didn't have the courage like General Cui to be wishful thinking forever and risk everything for one person. She might as well find someone else to covet.
This New Year's Eve banquet at Anbei Protectorate became particularly long because of the three words "Chang Sui Ning".
Cui Jing could still sit still, but everyone else had already talked themselves to the point of being dry-mouthed and couldn't praise anymore, really couldn't praise anymore.
When the banquet ended, it was almost time for Jiaozi.
When Cui Jing returned to his residence, a close attendant came forward, holding a long box and said, "Grand Commander, it has been cast according to your instructions. Please take a look."
Cui Jing opened the long box and took out the things inside. The long sword was unsheathed in the young man's slender hand, and the sword light was snow-white.
"Seven points of similarity is enough." Cui Jing finished speaking, sheathed the sword, put it into the sword box, and said: "Send it back to the Xuan Ce Mansion in the capital secretly, and act with caution."
"Yes!" The attendant responded and retreated.
Cui Jing stood in the corridor, looking into the distance at the night sky in the south.
After standing quietly for a long time, suddenly the sound of firecrackers was heard.
The sound of firecrackers means the New Year has arrived.
The young man was still looking towards the south, his voice as light as the wind: "The new year has begun, may you be blessed with good fortune and peace... Your Highness should live in peace with the mountains and rivers, and look forward to meeting again in the future."
The sound of firecrackers continues, the noise and bustle seem to be able to dispel all ominous incarnations, such as the ancient Nian monster and the wars that are breaking out one after another.
The sound of firecrackers continued and spread from the Anbei Protectorate to the entire northern border, and from the northern border across the Hedong Road, through the eastern capital Luoyang City, and across the Huai River to the south of the Yangtze River.
Amid the sound of firecrackers, Adian covered his ears and ran to Chang Suining.
New Year's Eve is also celebrated in the military camp, with soldiers drinking and chatting around the bonfire.
But as Chang Kuo returned to the tent, amid the laughter and conversation, some strange sounds gradually emerged, driven by the alcohol.
This strange sound came from dissatisfaction, and this dissatisfaction was directed at Chang Suining.
Good night!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
