Chapter 40: The King is the people's favorite! The King wants...
The place is a good piece of land close to a water source. If it were normal times, Hu Youan would definitely let Wen Tao take it back after getting such a good place. She is with a group of soldiers and has to train on weekdays. Wouldn't it be a waste to use such a good place?
Now when she heard Tao say that this area still nominally belonged to Sheng Jiang, she immediately nodded.
Only where the soldiers are present will Sheng Jiang not send people to cause trouble. If ordinary common people or slaves were to cultivate the land in this generation, they would not be able to defend this piece of land at all.
Who knows what means Sheng Jiang and others might use to take the land back.
When Wen Tao saw that Hu Youan understood what she meant, she immediately smiled with relief. During her time at Taisheng, the person she liked working with the most was Hu Youan.
The other party could solve her problems and accept any request without saying a word.
The key is that Hu Youan can handle everything perfectly, except for sometimes having some peculiar ideas, like digging up graves and stealing burial objects...
Wen Tao put aside the images that appeared in her mind. No matter what, Hu Youan was a reliable person, much better than her senior sister.
Wen Tao got a headache whenever she thought of her senior sister.
"I wonder if Doctor Hu could deliver this document to the county magistrate on his way?"
Wen Tao thought that Bian Xiao seemed to like Hu Youan very much. Since Hu Youan went to send her off, the other party should pay more attention to her.
Hu Youan took the bamboo slips, glanced at the rolled-up bamboo slips and asked, "Is it about the spring plowing?"
"That's right. Senior Sister is now the county magistrate, in charge of dozens of villages. She has to oversee the spring plowing in those villages. She has always disliked these trivial matters. I hope Doctor Hu can help persuade her."
This is not a trivial matter.
Hu Youan frowned slightly and said softly, "For farmers, spring plowing is the most important time of the year. For Taisheng, this year's spring plowing is particularly important. This is the first year that the county governor has been managing Taisheng. If the county's grain production decreases, I'm afraid the king will be dissatisfied with the county governor."
Hu Youan was reminding Wen Tao that if she really didn't trust Bian Xiao, then she should send someone else to keep an eye on him and not put all her hopes on Bian Xiao.
How could Wen Tao not have a backup plan? However, on the surface, Bian Xiao was the county magistrate, and she couldn't act around Bian Xiao.
"Don't worry, Doctor Hu. Tai Sheng won't do anything to disappoint the king this year."
Hu Youan finally felt relieved. She didn't care about the delicate relationship between Wen Tao and Bian Xiao. She only cared about the king.
Hu Youan finally helped out and delivered the bamboo slips to the county magistrate's mansion. Bianxiao was drawing a new map at home at the time. When he saw Hu Youan, he didn't ask what he was doing there, but directly grabbed him and brought him into the house.
"You'an, you came at the right time. I have a treasure to give you!"
Hu Youan was not used to being so close to others. She wanted to break free from Bian Xiao's hand, but after hearing what Bian Xiao said, she gave up struggling and walked into the house obediently.
Bian Xiao took her to the study.
Hu Youan had also been to the study of several people. The king's study was full of various bamboo slips, some of which were government affairs and some of which were the palace's collection of books.
That study was the largest and most luxurious study Hu Youan had ever been to. It was full of royal atmosphere at first glance.
The second is Gui Yang's study. Although Gui Yang has a bad relationship with his family, he does come from a high family background. There are many bamboo slips in his study. Gui Yang even burns incense, and there is an elegant lotus fragrance in the study, which is similar to the feeling Gui Yang gives people.
Next is Wen Tao's study, which is plain and simple, without any special decorations or flavor. There is only a whole wall of stacked bamboo slips, and a stacked box on the desk, which is full of Wen Tao's worn-out pens.
Hu Youan's study is filled with agricultural books and military books, with most of them being military books. There are only a few books on the bookshelf, and most of them are placed in boxes so that Hu Youan can take a few books with him when he goes to war.
Anyway, everyone's study has its own style.
Bianxiao's study also has her style.
It was a mess, with scattered bamboo slips thrown on the ground by the owner everywhere. Large pieces of colored dyes were scattered on some places on the ground. Various paintings were hung on the walls, including landscapes and terrain maps. At first glance, it looked a mess.
The tidiest place in the whole room is a desk that is two or three times larger than an ordinary desk. The reason it looks tidy is that there is nothing on it except a huge piece of brocade cloth.
Bian Xiao picked up a pen from the small table where tea should have been placed, put the tip of the pen directly into his mouth to moisten it, and then dipped it in the slightly dried ink.
Hu Youan felt a little helpless about Bian Xiao's actions.
She finally understood why Wen Tao had a strange attitude when she talked about Bian Xiao. Wen Tao was a little gentleman. She had been educated as a lady from an aristocratic family since she was a child. Her every move was within the norms of etiquette. She was completely different from Bian Xiao.
Now Hu Youan suddenly became a little curious about their teacher Changzi. What kind of person could accept two students with such different personalities?
Wouldn't Changzi go crazy facing these two people every day?
"What are you standing there for? Come here quickly and look at this picture."
When Hu Youan was secretly admiring Changzi in her heart, Bian Xiao called her forward. Hu Youan took a deep breath in her heart and walked forward.
Then she was deeply shocked by the picture before her. How great was the impact of this picture on her? Anyway, when she looked up, no matter what Bian Xiao did in front of her, she would always praise him for his noble demeanor.
Even if Bian Xiao took off his clothes and ran wildly in front of her, she would still praise him for being a man of character!
"Is this a map of Bian State? And also a map of Yongming City's defense layout..."
If the monarchs of Anguo or Beiguo obtained any one of the two maps, they could use that map to swallow up the entire Bianguo!
The king has too few soldiers, and with these two maps, he cannot swallow up the entire Bian Kingdom in one go. It's a pity.
After Hu Youan realized what was happening, he felt extremely sad.
She didn't show any sadness on the surface, only her clenched fists showed that her heart was far from as calm as she appeared.
"Exactly. After all, I've lived in Bian State for more than ten years. It's not good to leave without taking anything with me."
Bian Xiao looked at the two pictures with a smile. She had hardly looked at anything else throughout the whole winter. She would draw pictures every day when she opened her eyes.
She recalled her past life and left behind these two pictures.
Bian Xiao added one or two strokes to some of the blurred paths with his pen, making the streets clearer.
I wonder how those two people would react after seeing these two pictures?
Bian Xiao hardly ever left her house during the winter, so she had no idea what the internal situation of Bian State was like now.
If she knew, she might not be so looking forward to it.
Hu Youan had inquired a bit and had a general understanding of Bianxiao's past. As for the affairs of Bian Kingdom, she could only say that everything was destined by heaven.
If the king of Bian State had not been so foolish, how could Bian Xiao enter Jingchang? This shows that God favors the emperor, and sooner or later the world will return to the king's hands.
"It's a pity that the An-Bian-North Alliance will go to war with the Yun-Ning countries after the spring plowing. After all, we are following the king's orders to suppress the rebels, so it's not easy to break the alliance with them. This thing is of no use for the time being."
It's such a pity for Hu Youan. Pictures like this are actually time-limited.
Who knows if construction will resume somewhere in the future, or if the city defenses will be redeployed? Although the current situation in Bian State suggests that there will not be major changes in the short term, no one can be sure.
How could Hu Youan not feel regretful when he had the map in hand but could not use it immediately?
Bian Xiao couldn't care less about those things. She was just a small county magistrate, in charge of the affairs of a few villages. She only needed to do what she could do well. As for the rest, it was all decided by the king.
Judging from the current situation, even without these two maps, it is only a matter of time before the king goes on an expedition to conquer the world. His ambition is not limited to the small Taisheng.
After the king's order to suppress the rebels, Bian Xiao believed that he had seen through the young emperor, who had unparalleled ambitions in his heart.
Bian Xiao was very glad that she chose to stay, otherwise she might not be able to find a wise leader even if she traveled all over the world.
If a pearl is thrown into obscurity, a talent as shining as a star will also dim and become completely useless waste.
Hu Youan threw herself completely on the two pictures. If it wasn't late, she would have wanted to sleep in Bianxiao.
Actually, it is possible to sleep there, but Bianxiao is very small and the guest rooms have not been occupied for a long time. It is still a bit cold on spring nights, and Hu Youan might catch a cold if he stays there.
Therefore, before it got completely dark, Hu Youan took the two maps and rushed to the military camp. After rushing, he finally arrived.
As a result, just as she took out the map and wanted to take a closer look at it, she heard Qiu say that a wild man came to see her.
"Savage" was the nickname Qiu gave to the visitor.
"What kind of savage could come to the military camp and ask you to come and deliver the message?"
Hu Youan was in a bad mood as he was interrupted from continuing to appreciate the map. He stared at Qiu and waited for his reply.
When Qiu saw that he had hit a thorn in his side, he quickly dropped his playful smile and answered truthfully, "Doctor, calm down. The person who came is actually Dazai Yang."
Gui Yang was called a savage? Hu Youan was curious. In her impression, Gui Yang had always been like a human being, always dressing herself up neatly and beautifully, and she smelled particularly good. So, what kind of dress would he wear if he became a savage?
"Hurry up and bring the person in. Dazai's visit must be an order from the king."
Hu Youan stood up and went out to greet them, muttering Qiu as he walked.
Qiu realized that he seemed to have made a big mistake, so he lowered his head and listened attentively, not daring to say much.
In fact, he had never seen any important figures in Jingchang. The few nobles he occasionally met were all dressed neatly and appropriately. It was the first time he saw a noble in such a disheveled state, and he was somewhat excited to watch the fun.
It was not until he met Gui Yang that Hu Youan understood what a correct nickname meant.
This man, with disheveled hair and dirty body, looks like he has rolled around in the mud. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a savage.
"T-Dazai?"
"Doctor Hu, please forgive me for being rude. Is there a place to change clothes?"
Gui Yang didn't have a mirror to see what he looked like along the way, but from the surprised expressions on people's faces when they saw him and the mud on his body, he could probably guess something.
Of course, it was impossible for him to be so embarrassed just by rushing on the road. The main reason was that there was a puddle where he was passing by, and he accidentally fell into it. Not only was he covered in mud, but the horse was also covered in mud.
It wouldn't be surprising if the horse was a little dirty, but it would be more surprising if a noble was covered in mud.
"Yes, yes, yes. Hurry up and go in and wash up. Qiu, go find some casual clothes that Dazai can wear."
Hu Youan was mindful that the nobles were very concerned about their reputation, so he quickly brought the person in. What if Gui Yang felt that he had lost face today and in anger took note of everyone present, and found an excuse to kill them in the future, that would be disastrous.
Many nobles have violent temperaments. They appear to be fine on the surface, but they are extremely cruel and ruthless in private, and their hearts are as small as a needle tip. Hu Youan does not want to experience the pettiness of the nobles.
Fortunately, Gui Yang didn't have so many problems. As long as the king didn't see his miserable appearance, it would be fine. If the king saw him like this, he would not only want to kill the onlookers, but also want to end his life!
That would be unbearable. Every time the king sees him in the future, he will think of his miserable appearance all day long!
Soon after Gui Yang entered, hot water and new clothes were prepared. There was no shortage of hot water in the military camp. The fire here was burning all year round to boil water for the soldiers on night watch to keep warm.
There was no mirror in the place where Gui Yang changed clothes, but when he looked at the bath water that had turned into muddy soup and the clothes that were stiff after being taken off, he had an accurate assessment of his own miserable appearance.
As I said, it’s really great that the king is not here!
When Hu Youan saw Gui Yang again, she had returned to her usual self.
"I didn't expect Dazai to come so late at night. Why is he alone? It's dangerous outside. Dazai really shouldn't be out alone."
Hu Youan did not mention Gui Yang's appearance just now, just thinking that the matter was over.
She only blamed Gui Yang for going on the journey alone. Hui'an Jun was killed even though he went with the delegation. Gui Yang was traveling alone on the road, so she was not afraid that a bandit would jump out from somewhere and rob her of her money and kill her.
"Yang is not traveling alone. His companions are still following. Doctor Hu, don't worry. Yang will not take such a risk."
Gui Yang was also afraid of death, more than anyone else. How could he go out without making any preparations? Even if his horse was faster than others, those people would probably not arrive until late at night.
Having said this, he asked Hu Youan to send a team of people to wait outside to meet his troops.
Hu Youan said it was no problem. The two exchanged a few words of greeting and learned about each other's situation with Taisheng and Jingchang. Then Hu Youan asked Gui Yang if she was so exhausted because the king had an important order.
Gui Yang said that there was no order, but there was something special.
He expressed his guess. He believed that the king intended to take advantage of this melee to swallow up the State of Bian, but he had not taken action yet because the alliance could not be easily torn up and the State of Bian was too powerful and its territory was too vast to govern.
Then, he said that he could help to cancel the alliance. Not only would it prevent the king from being blamed, but it would also allow Anguo to become Jingchang's new ally. Since Bianguo was powerful, why not divide it up and each take a little? Wouldn't that make them less powerful?
Hu Youan got the map of Bian State today. He was worried that he could not send troops because the map had expired and was invalid. When he heard the good news, he immediately slammed the table and expressed his willingness to lead troops to Bian State.
But after the excitement, Hu Youan realized that some problems needed to be solved.
First of all, Bian State is now in serious internal turmoil. What method should Gui Yang use to make Bian State tear up the alliance on its own initiative?
No matter who the next king of Bian State is, Bian State will probably worry about its own declining strength. At this time, the best way is to strengthen the alliance and use the power of the allies to deter the surrounding areas.
Tearing up the alliance would do no good to the Bian State. Unless all the people in the Bian State were stupid, they would never tear up the alliance easily.
This is the first one, and the second one is An Guo.
"If King Guangda divides Bian with Anguo, then Anguo will get half, or even more, of Bianguo's territory. Wouldn't it instantly become the most powerful vassal state? How could the other states possibly contend with Anguo then? If Anguo becomes the strongest, how can we prevent its ruler from becoming greedy and emulating the ruler of Yunguo, proclaiming himself king and threatening Jingchang?"
This is what Hu Youan is most worried about.
"The alliance requires the consent of both parties. If Bian State wants to maintain the alliance, it depends on the willingness of other countries. This is not difficult. As for the division of Bian State, we can discuss it later. Besides An State, there is also Bei State that can attack Bian State. Once Bian State falls, the vassal states around it, even Yun Ning State, which is still at war with Bian State, will want a piece of the pie. It is impossible for An State to swallow the lion's share."
Gui Yang had already made up his mind. He could use the power of An Guo, but he would not let An Guo become Jing Chang's only ally, and it was even more impossible for him to let An Guo take over most of Bian Guo's inheritance.
Thinking about the princes surrounding the Bian State, Hu Youan was convinced by Gui Yang that none of those princes were easy to deal with.
"That's great. You'an will then wait patiently for good news from the Grand Master. After the spring plowing, we can dispatch troops at any time."
When Gui Yang saw Hu Youan agreed, he felt relieved instantly. After all, he had been in Jingchang for many years and did not understand the situation on the front line. Whether Bian State could fight or not depended on the opinion of Hu Youan, the general who led the troops.
Now that Hu Youan has nodded, it means that Bian State is capable of fighting.
Gui Yang thought again and realized that this matter had been planned by the king a long time ago. If Bian State could not be conquered, the king would not have flatly rejected Prince Rong's proposal at the beginning.
Every step he takes now is just what the king wants him to take. Compared with the king, he is still far behind.
Hu Youan was curious about why Gui Yang suddenly came to tell her the news of the war. Normally, such news could be delivered by a minor official.
Gui Yang explained what happened from his perspective one by one. He rushed here without stopping after discovering the king's plan.
"You're quite stupid, Yang. It was almost time for the spring plowing to begin before he figured out the king's plan. I was afraid of delaying your business, so I rushed here. However, there's still some time before the spring plowing is over, so I don't think your king is in a hurry."
After listening to Gui Yang's narration, Hu Youan was silent for a long time. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said, "Your Majesty is only sixteen years old now. I have long heard that there are geniuses born with knowledge in the world. Perhaps Your Majesty is one of them. Meeting Your Majesty is truly the luckiest thing in Your Majesty's life."
"It is also Yang's good fortune. Without the king, there would be no Yang today. For the king's great cause, Doctor Hu, you must conquer the capital of Bian State! You and I have agreed to bring the brightest night-shining pearl in Yongming City to Jingchang and present it to the king."
"good!"
The reason why Yongming City is called Yongming City is because there was a monarch in the Bian Kingdom who, in order to allow the powerful people in the city to still be able to sit and discuss at night, found the world's rare treasure, the night-shining pearl, and inlaid it on a high tower.
There are a total of one hundred night-shining pearls in that tall tower, and the brightest one is the one at the top of the tower.
It is not known whether it can be used as a street lamp, but it is famous enough. After hearing about the intentions of the monarch of Bian State, Yongming City gradually gathered talented people from all over the world, and the Yongming Academy of Bian State became a place of yearning for students from all over the world.
That night pearl not only represents the king of Bian State's love and appreciation for talents, but also represents the center of world literature.
The world belongs to the king, and the real center should be in Jingchang City!
After Gui Yang arrived in Taisheng, he stayed there for seven or eight days. When he returned to Jingchang, the spring plowing in Jingchang was almost over.
When Gui Yang came back, she took a horse carriage and drove slowly along the way. Not only could she look at the neat fields outside, but she could also get off the carriage from time to time and chat with the local people.
The closer you get to Jingchang, the more common people there are who can speak elegant language.
Gui Yang was not a native of Jingchang, so he didn't speak the local dialect very well. When he didn't understand something, he would gesture to others, and by guessing, both sides could actually communicate with each other.
Gui Yang felt the changes deeply along the way.
When he came to Jingchang from Anguo, the previous king was in power. The previous king was not in good health and did not care much about the common people near Jingchang.
When he got off the car to ask questions, the common people kept their distance from him, fearing that he would find fault with them and then beat them up.
Now when he gets off the car to ask questions, the common people will answer proactively, and from time to time they will mention the bumper harvest near Jingchang last year.
They said that the emperor loved his people and made sturdy farm tools with iron, making this year's spring plowing much easier.
They also said that the emperor had exempted many taxes. Whenever they talked about the emperor, there was a gleam in their eyes.
It was completely different from the numbness when mentioning the previous king.
Now these common people are living people, not a bunch of walking corpses, nor a microcosm written in a sentence. Gui Yang can feel that they want the king to always be the king and want the king to always rule the world.
The word "people's heart" truly appeared before Gui Yang for the first time.
Gui Yang asked several common people what they would think if the emperor attacked the State of Bian.
Generally speaking, war is something that common people avoid as much as possible, because their families have to go to the battlefield as pioneers with bare hands, without even a set of rattan armor. Those who survive have to fight again and again, and those who die will not even have a corpse.
But this time, the answer was different.
It's not fear or panic, but anticipation.
Looking forward to fighting?
Gui Yang heard the young and strong commoners say that there were wars everywhere in the world anyway, and if there was no war today, there would be wars in the future. While he could still go to the battlefield, he was willing to fight, win military merits, and earn good land and money for his family.
He heard the old commoners say that if the children at home were strong, they should send them to the battlefield. It was said that if they killed one enemy, they would get several acres of good farmland. If they killed ten or a hundred people, they could even become nobles and have a title.
They also want to be nobles.
There were also young girls who were born strong. They bravely asked Gui Yang if they could go to the battlefield. If they were given iron weapons, they could also kill the enemy!
Killing a person is like chopping a pig. People are not as strong as pigs. When they were at home, they not only saw people killing pigs, but the brave ones also killed them with their own hands. It was not difficult.
Gui Yang told the other side that there was a female general in the army who was very strong and they could go to Tai Sheng to try.
Then he thought of the pigs he raised, which seemed to have become very fat.
So he came up with the idea of returning to Jingchang quickly and killing a pig for the king to eat.
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