Qin Bingzhong sat in the lotus garden, holding a book in his hand and reading it with great interest.
His granddaughter Qin Ruoxue sat beside him and made tea for him. The little girl was wearing a light green dress with a pale pink lotus embroidered on the hem. Her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders. The morning sun fell on her face, and her fair face looked as delicate as a lotus.
Her long eyelashes slightly opened as she looked at her grandfather with a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes, and her little mouth pouted.
This was a book she had just received. It was sent to her by Sister Shulan. Before she had time to read the latest chapter, her grandfather took it away.
She'd read the eighth chapter, "More Than the Spiritual Oriole, a Touch of Love, Visits Baochai, Daiyu Sour." It was about Jia Baoyu sneaking off to see Xue Baochai, only to be caught by Lin Daiyu, who then taunted him. He was good-tempered, but what a piece of shit! How could he be so philandering? She just didn't know what to make of it. And this little official, Fu, was a piece of shit, too. Could you finish it all in one go? He had to keep people on suspense, and this update was ridiculous. It had made people wait so long!
Just when Qin Ruoxue was complaining in her heart, a doorman came to report that Fu Xiaoguan wanted to see her.
Hey, that person is here!
The last time we met, this book had not yet been published, or perhaps I was on my way to Beijing to sell it. A few days after arriving in Linjiang, I received the first part sent by Sister Shulan, which is the first eight chapters. If I had known at that time that he was the author of this book, I would have asked him to borrow it first.
It doesn’t seem too late now.
Fu Xiaoguan walked in and bowed to Qin Bingzhong from a distance. "I just returned to Linjiang yesterday, and tomorrow I have to go to the next village. Look, brother, I used to say that I just wanted to be a carefree landlord, but now I have no choice. This is the life of a busy man!"
Qin Bingzhong had already put down the book in his hand and said with a smile, "This is also fulfilling. Unlike me, who is mediocre and idle all day long... Ruoxue, make tea. Brother, please sit down."
Qin Ruoxue looked at Fu Xiaoguan with stars in her eyes. Oh, the living person in front of her was the author of A Dream of Red Mansions. She stood up and ran to the study. Old Qin was stunned, and Fu Xiaoguan was also stunned.
After a while, Qin Ruoxue ran out again, holding a pen and ink in her hand. She placed it in front of Fu Xiaoguan and said shyly, "Can you sign this book?"
Only then did Fu Xiaoguan see the words "A Dream of the Red Chamber" and he immediately laughed. He had not expected that women in ancient times also had the habit of chasing stars.
Then he opened the title page and saw the three huge characters "Fu Xiaoguan". He was startled and felt that such large characters were really an eyesore. He didn't know what Shulan was thinking.
"I'm afraid my handwriting will scare you." Fu Xiaoguan said truthfully.
"They won't eat people, so what are you afraid of? The question is right here." Qin Ruoxue pointed to the back of the third page.
"Then I really wrote it, don't regret it."
"Yeah!" Qin Ruoxue was very happy. This was the first book signed by a real person. If she took it to the academy, her classmates would probably be envious to death.
This person is so handsome and writes so well, this handwriting must also be...
Then the smile on Qin Ruoxue's face gradually froze, and she felt regretful in her heart. Such a good book was ruined like this.
…
"I'm afraid I'll have to go to Beijing in a few days."
"It's important to walk around. Firstly, it's good for your health, and secondly, seeing all kinds of scenery can also make you happy."
Qin Bingzhong laughed bitterly, "You probably don't know, but the world is a little bit unstable."
Fu Xiaoguan frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
"More than forty-seven years have passed since the thirteenth year of Taihe, when General Peng Tu, the Great Zhenbei, defeated the barbarians in one fell swoop. The previous emperor reigned for fifty-two years, and with the virtuous minister Yan Yunchuan and the renowned general Peng, the Yu Dynasty was unrivaled in national strength. And it has only been eight years since the new emperor ascended the throne, and the barbarians have already stopped paying tribute for two years. A while ago, the current barbarian leader, Tuoba Feng, requested Your Majesty's permission, saying he admired the talent of our Third Princess and, in order to educate the barbarians to Chinese learning, requested Your Majesty to grant her marriage, marrying Tuoba Feng, saying that the Yu-Huang marriage would usher in eternal peace and friendship."
"wild ambition!"
"That's absolutely impossible. Your Majesty will definitely not agree to it."
"Of course, that's why His Majesty issued an edict to reprimand Tuoba Feng. According to the latest intelligence, the four armies of the barbarians are gathering. I'm afraid this battle will break out soon."
Fu Xiaoguan was very interested in war; it was his specialty. However, he had no idea about the Yu Kingdom's military deployment and combat effectiveness, so he simply asked, "I think our Yu Kingdom is strong and powerful, and those barbarians are just chickens and dogs. There's nothing to worry about. What are you doing going to the capital?"
"Don't underestimate the barbarians. They grew up on horseback and are exceptional cavalrymen. I'm not trying to boost their morale at the expense of my own. The Yu Kingdom hasn't seen a major war in forty-seven years, while the barbarians have been engaged in constant warfare. In those forty-seven years, they've conquered the entire grasslands, most notably wiping out the largest barbarian tribe on the grasslands. In my opinion, the barbarians are now far more powerful than they once were, while our dynasty hasn't had any outstanding generals since Peng Tu."
"Perhaps this isn't the most crucial point. After all, we have the mighty Yanshan Pass, and behind us lies the mighty city of Xinzhou in the north. Yanshan Pass is garrisoned by 30,000 troops, and Xinzhou City has a further 300,000 troops stationed on the northern border. I'm not worried about the barbarians breaking through Yanshan Pass and advancing southward; I'm worried about the Yi Kingdom."
"Is there a war trend in the Yi Kingdom?"
"The Yi Kingdom and the barbarians have formed an alliance."
"When?" Fu Xiaoguan frowned.
"The first day of July!" Qin Bingzhong stood up, looked into the distance, and said, "I'm not going to the capital to save the country or the people, I'm going to see Yan Beixi."
"who is he?"
"You don't know?" Qin Bingzhong turned his head and looked at Fu Xiaoguan in surprise. Fu Xiaoguan spread his hands.
"The Yan family of Jinling has three prime ministers. The aforementioned Prime Minister Yan Yunchuan, who assisted the late emperor, had a son who is now the current Prime Minister Yan Beixi. Yan Beixi's son, Yan Shidao, is now serving as Privy Councilor of the Privy Council. The next Prime Minister must be Yan Shidao. This is the most prestigious family in the Yu Dynasty. Oh, and by the way, I want to remind you that Yan Shidao's eldest son, Yan Xiwen, was the top scorer in the imperial examination last year. He is very fond of Dong Shulan."
Damn, the opponent is very strong!
Fu Xiaoguan didn't dwell on this question, but instead asked, "According to your estimate, when will the war break out?"
Qin Bingzhong shook his head. "It could be right now, or it could be three to five years from now. I don't have any other information, so I can't tell. I just need to prepare for it."
"There's another thing. Imperial Concubine Shang is returning to Qizhou to visit her relatives. The fleet will pass by Linjiang tomorrow and will make a brief stop here. I don't think you can leave tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because of your book A Dream of Red Mansions, and also because Concubine Shang is the mother of the Ninth Princess Yu Wenyun."
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