Beiyuan Camp.

Song Xinghe jumped off his horse and threw the firecracker he had just tried from the military craftsman to the lieutenant general.

Song Xinghe's appearance is more like the old prince Song Qing, he has five parts like Song Yuexiao, and only three parts like Song Beiming.

When he was a child, he studied with great writers in Beijing for a few years, and he behaved gracefully, quite like a Confucian general.

His speech is not rough, but he has the boldness of a general and the elegance of a literati.

At this time, the rain was coming and the wind filled his sleeves. He frowned slightly, stared at the firecracker and said, "The firecracker Ah Ming got from Jiang Xijun is a good thing.If it’s not enough, the soldiers dare not shoot when they hold it in their hands, and the military craftsmen have to hurry up and change it.”

Jiao Wu patted his thigh, and said angrily, "This firecracker is too damn difficult to handle! It injured several of our military craftsmen. The military craftsman said that the composition of the iron is wrong, the structure of the gun is not good, and the formula of gunpowderIt's not pure enough either, the tubes of different gunpowder guns are not the same size, and the gunpowder is not the same size. I heard that this stuff is made by the Qin family, but the people of the Qin family are already dead, what's the matter?manage!"

Song Xinghe heard from Song Beiming that Qin Ji was robbed, but Qin Ji is too important. Although Qin Ji is not under the control of the Song family, but this person is the target of all parties fighting for his life. This matter must not be made public, and Song Xinghe did notToo much explanation.He only said: "Ah Ming said that someone must be able to make a useful firecracker. I believe his judgment. The magic cannon he sent a while ago is useful, which means that there must be someone who can make good things."

"Those ten cannons are really precious treasures! They are much more useful than the ones we borrowed from Jiang's family every year! One shot is accurate, and the range is still far.Returning the cannon, I repelled Mang Rong's temptation again, and these days, Mang Rong dare not come to Langfeng Pass." Jiao Wu's face flushed when he mentioned this treasure, "It's really a good thing for the little prince to get such a good thing.It's so fucking easy to use!"

"Speaking of the Jiang family..." Song Xinghe rushed into the house, and when he reached the gate, his heart trembled. A sense of crisis gripped him.In a group, Governor Xuan has not yet arrived, and the Jiangxi Army... is not easy to manage, and there is a bit of chaos at the border of the Western Region."

Jiao Wu got a headache when he heard Jiang Xijun, he shook his head and said: "I heard that Governor Xuan is only nineteen years old, such a brat, can he control Jiang Xijun's wolves like tigers? Will he be bullied to tears by the soldiers?"Nose!"

"Presumptuous! Don't criticize Governor Xuan." Song Xinghe reprimanded.

He received a letter from Song Yuexiao, and knew that Xuan Yin was the crown prince, and that Xuan Yin was...cough...the youngest girl in his family, and his younger brother asked the Song family to take care of Xuan Yin.point.Let's see that Governor Xuan has not yet arrived, so Brother Yao asked his eldest sister to go to the Western Region for a while in a letter.

Song Xinghe, who was worried about finding a partner for his younger brother, made Jiao Wuxun shrink his neck and dare not speak. He cleared his throat and continued, "If there is a war in Beiyuan, because of the chaos in the Western Region, we will not be able to support Beiyuan;In the season, Mang Rong must want to destroy our military field; Mo Di in the west will also take advantage of the chaos to rob, and the elder sister is not in the camp. At this time, Mang Rong cannot not take advantage of the loopholes, and must use some tricks."

Jiao Wu's expression was also terrified when he heard it: "But the Langfeng Pass is watching every day, and they say nothing is wrong. I guess they are afraid of the magic machine gun?"

Song Xinghe pondered and said: "Ten cannons are not enough to guard one pass, let alone take care of other places. If there is no access here, Mang Rong will definitely change to other passes. The 500-mile border of Beiyuan is complicated in terrain, and it is difficult to achieve the iron pass."They will always pick out the weak points. If Mang Rong chooses one that is surprisingly difficult this time, Bei Yuan will be caught off guard."

Jiao Wu wiped off his sweat: "The commander will return to Beiyuan in less than two days. Even if the mangrong attack us aggressively at this time, when the commander's reinforcements arrive, we will attack from both sides. If they want to fight hard, they will not be able to winit is good."

Song Xinghe saw the dark clouds pressing down on the city outside, and the furrow between his brows could not be loosened: "I see that the sky will not clear up for a few days. If Mangrong wants to seize the opportunity, he cannot wait for the good weather for a long time. If he takes action,No matter what, there should be some movement in the past two days. Eldest sister may be able to come back tomorrow night, today..."

"Today? There is something that doesn't make sense." Jiao Wudao, "Unless Mangrong is sure to eat us in one bite, if he comes at this time, when the commander's troops arrive, they will be the ones who will suffer."

Song Xinghe's thoughts drifted to a wider area. He couldn't find peace in these superficial signs. After a long time, he suddenly thought of one place, and asked with a serious face: "Xiao Chen should come back after going to the western region, but there are soldiersreport?"

"Deputy General Xiao said that he would be here today." Jiao Wu also felt some meaning, his heart skipped a beat, his throat tightened, "It's still early—"

"No, if Xiao Chen is coming soon, there must be a fast horse to report first. There will be no news, and I'm afraid he won't come back tonight. If he comes back a day late for no reason, I'm afraid things will change..." Song XingheHis complexion changed suddenly, "There must be something wrong, you go and preach to the generals to discuss matters in the hall."

Jiao Wu's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly took orders.

Song Xinghe was only a few steps away from the inner house, and he had already turned around to go to the outer hall, but a certain string in his heart was pulled, and some kind of regretful emotion in the dark involved him.

He turned back his pace, took advantage of the gap, and quickly pushed the door open.

There is warm tea prepared on Linmen's table, which was prepared by Han Linyan when he calculated the time for his return.

Song Xinghe didn't bother to drink, and walked towards his wife who was sitting at the table doing needlework, and stopped suddenly.

Han Linyan saw that he was wearing a suit of armor, and her face was very serious. She immediately put down her work, got up and greeted him, "What happened outside? Are you in such a hurry?"

Song Xinghe squeezed out a smile and said, "The kid has a lot of clothes, why are you still making them?"

"Children change clothes frequently, and the servants in the house are very busy. I am too heavy to help with other things. Why don't I do more sewing." Han Linyan is the lady of Jiangmen, and she has never given a daughter when she came to BeiyuanThe airs of the eldest lady, she managed the inner house very neatly, and said gently, "You didn't even drink water. You are not in such a hurry on weekdays. Isn't the situation very bad?"

"Don't worry," Song Xinghe was comforted by his wife's worried eyes. "The elder sister is coming back soon, and Ah Ming is mediating between Beijing and China. The situation in Beiyuan is better than it was back then, so it won't be too difficult."

They were childhood sweethearts, they respected each other like guests after marriage, and rarely showed their deep affection in front of outsiders, at this time the door of the house was not closed, Song Xinghe couldn't explain why, but with all kinds of attachments in his heart, he actually raised his hand and embraced his wife.

He smelled the fragrance of his wife's quiet hair, and said reluctantly: "Yan'er, go to Jingdu to wait for delivery, I'm afraid Beiyuan is not stable recently."

"So it's because of my troubles?" Han Linyan leaned into her husband's arms and blushed slightly. She felt Song Xinghe's sad and tense body, and gently wrapped her arms around the couple's waist and said, "A few days agoMy mother wrote to say that the family has arranged a midwife and nurse for me, and I originally planned to ask you for advice in the next few days. Muzhi, don't make things difficult, I understand."

Song Xinghe felt guilty, and hugged his wife even tighter: "Actually, it's not just that you want to exchange Ah Ming, it's true that the situation in Beiyuan has been tense recently, Jingdu is peaceful, and you and your children can be more secure there."

"You, you're just thinking about it." Han Linyan comforted in a soft voice, "I know you don't want to part with me and the child, otherwise you wouldn't hesitate to mention it until you're about to give birth. Muzhi, Yan'er is also a member of the Song family, know what to do."

Song Xinghe looked at his wife in his arms, and gently lifted his wife's chin.

Since Beiyuan went to the old prince and the old princess, Song Yuexiao and Song Xinghe's foreign affairs suddenly became more serious, and the internal affairs all fell on Han Linyan, and everyone was very busy.

In fact, their husband and wife can't speak a few words in a day, so the sudden intimacy during the day is extraordinarily precious.

Just when Song Xinghe lowered his head slowly, an urgent report came from outside: "Second Commander! Reckless troops are attacking!"

That kiss, which was a bit out of the ordinary for their husband and wife, failed to fall after all.

Jingdu.

The day after the inscription ceremony, Emperor Tianxi decreed that the governor of the Western Region, Xuan Yin, would take office immediately.

The ministers were anxious when they heard this, and went to Emperor Tianxi to cry one by one, saying that the prince should not put himself in danger.

Emperor Tianxi read the scriptures and listened to the ministers crying, and when the crying was over, he asked Ming Zhong to politely send the ministers away.

The emperor's decision on Xuan Yin's appointment to the post has been decided, and there is no room for change.

Tomorrow is about to leave, Yan Xi asked someone to invite Shang Baiheng during dinner.

Now Shang Baiheng, as the prince's young master and young fu, is the first assistant minister of the East Palace, and Yan Xi justifiably reserved a courtyard for Shang Baiheng in the East Palace.

When Shang Baiheng came, Yan Xi got up from the chair.

He was about to greet the teacher for dinner, but Shang Baiheng had already knelt down in front of the palace people, saluted and said: "I greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Yan Xi was slightly stunned, but immediately understood the teacher's intention.

Now they are in the relationship of monarch and minister, and they can no longer sit at the same table as peers.

In fact, Yan Xi didn't have a strict concept of hierarchy, but he knew that Shang Baiheng strictly abided by etiquette, so he didn't insist on it, and ate the food alone without taste.

After the meal, the palace people all retreated.

In this teacher-student solitude, Shang Baiheng brought out a jug of wine and said: "There is no one left and right now, you and I are still teachers and students, and you are leaving tomorrow, the teacher is here to treat you to a farewell wine."

Yan Xi was stunned this time.

He didn't expect Shang Baiheng to have such a flexible approach, until Shang Baiheng poured a glass of wine and handed it to him, he was still a little dazed.

Under Shang Baiheng's loving eyes, Yan Xi loosened a little from the tight strings he had been holding tight for several days, and then drank it like he used to drink medicine in one gulp.

Shang Baiheng seemed to have expected him to drink like this, he laughed and said: "Wei Yu, you can't drink like this."

Yan Xi had never drank wine before, so he smacked his lips, unable to taste the difference between this wine and water, and asked in amazement: "Is this wine?"

"Use a small spoonful of Nurhong and mix it with a pot of cold water. It's considered a bar." Shang Baiheng said, pouring himself a glass, "Wine makes you hot. Your 'Rong' is afraid of heat, so it's better not to drink it. YouI haven't drunk wine since I was a child, so don't say this, so as not to worry about the taste of wine."

Yan Xi saw that Shang Baiheng's drinking posture looked like a veteran, so he handed over the wine glass, asked Shang Baiheng for another drink, and asked, "Do you drink, teacher?"

Shang Baiheng slightly tightened his hand holding the wine glass, and said, "Don't drink."

Yan Xi felt that Shang Baiheng was hiding something.

Yan Xi's mind is sensitive, in fact, he vaguely noticed that Shang Baiheng was a little abnormal a while ago, he seemed to have been trying to stay away from him, and then suddenly became normal again.

At this moment, he looked at Shang Baiheng's half-grey hair, and thinking of the separation tomorrow, he couldn't help but feel affection, and asked with concern: "Teacher, can your hair go back to black?"

Shang Baiheng was slightly stunned, and drank the wine in his hand, thus breaking the eye contact with Yan Xi, and said: "It probably won't go back to black. People's hair will turn white, it doesn't matter."

Seeing Shang Baiheng's evasive attitude, Yan Xi couldn't ask further questions, but he was still sad, Shang Baiheng was only twenty-nine years old, he shouldn't have grayed his hair so early.

He was worried that the teacher might have a hidden disease, or that he had an extremely difficult depression in his heart, but Shang Baiheng never told him these things, and he knew that he couldn't find out.

In front of Shang Baiheng, he was a little more frank than others, expressing his worry in this way.

Shang Baiheng sighed.Rejecting the student's concern, he put down his glass and said, "Today, I have two things for you as a teacher."

Yan Xi sighed inwardly, and sat upright.

Shang Baiheng handed over a scroll.

Yan Xi recognized that this was the "Da Jing Huangyu Quanpan Map" drawn by Shang Baiheng before he was ill. He unfolded the scroll and saw that the mountains, rivers and rivers inside were more detailed than last time, and he couldn't help but admire: "The teacher drewGreat, better than official ones. Have you been to these places?"

Shang Baiheng said: "I have only been to a few places, and most of them are calculated by reading travel notes. I asked Han Shaobao to look at it, and he said that this painting is more accurate than the map used for marching. It should be helpful for you to supervise the Western Region.”

I don't know how much painstaking efforts and days and nights were spent on this imperial map, Yan Xi solemnly put it away.

"There is one more thing." Shang Baiheng took out a painting from the bookcase, and spread it out in front of Yan Xi.

There is a peach tree in the painting, there is a field under the tree, there are cattle on the field, and a poem next to it.

"The shape of this paper seems to be used to make lanterns." Yan Xi tilted his head and looked at it carefully. He admired the ingenuity of the painter, his eyes slowly came to the poem, and suddenly felt a touch, and he read slowly, "'WeiWhat does this poem have to do with my Biaozi?"

Shang Baiheng looked at Yan Xi in a complicated manner, with a hint of unbearable expression on his face.But after today's farewell, the future is dangerous, Shang Baiheng should give Yan Xi an explanation.

He said: "The characters that Empress Roujia gave you are based on the meaning in this poem."

"This poem talks about the warming of the solar term of Awakening of Insects, the sudden thunder of spring, the increase of rain, the recovery of all things, and the beginning of a year of spring plowing." Yan Xi has studied modern geography and knows that Awakening of Insects is a very important solar term for busy farming.Want me to take care of Nongshi?"

"The meaning you understand is correct. It's just that there are other meanings. One of them is that the characters for 'Slight Rain' and 'Swallow' can coincide with the words 'Luohuaren is independent, and Swallows and Swallows fly together'. In this way, His Majesty can be calledYour letter, remembering the relationship with the empress, treating you kindly, this is the good intention of the empress." Shang Baiheng said, "At the same time, it can also prevent your majesty from thinking about other things, and smoothly agree with you to use this form.Character."

Yan Xi sensed something strange, and asked suspiciously: "Why are you afraid that your father will think elsewhere?"

No matter how difficult it is to say, when it comes to this matter, Shang Baiheng also knows that he cannot avoid it.He said slowly: "Xiao Yu, do you still remember the "Lamp Zhi Zhi" I gave you?"

Yan Xi nodded, he remembered that Wen Lan liked this book very much.

Shang Baiheng said: "In that book, some contents were written by the empress."

Yan Xi stood up abruptly: "But that's a forbidden book..."

Shang Baiheng looked up at him: "Do you think that book should be banned?"

It shouldn't be banned, Yan Xi thought.

On the contrary, that book discusses the spiritual pursuit at the philosophical level, which is a more profound thinking logic than the Four Books and Five Classics.

It was difficult for Yan Xi to describe the content of that book. He lowered his eyes to think, and suddenly thought that if he wanted to describe this book, there were two words that could perfectly fit - Wen Lan.

Thinking of this, he followed the clues to understand why it was a banned book.

Because for a gentleman like Wen Lan, money, beauties, emotions, and power cannot control him. What he pursues is the Tao in his heart.If the Tao falls on the Li people, it is pleading for the people; if the Tao falls on the world, it will bring peace to all generations;

It is difficult to control such a person with worldly means.

Yan Xi did not dare to say that he understood everything, he said carefully: "If the monarch is dedicated to the people, "Zhi Deng Zhi" is a powerful tool for governing the country; if the monarch is for the powerful, then he will be afraid of "Zhi Deng Zhi".In my opinion, there is no need to ban it."

"It's so good." Shang Baiheng breathed a sigh of relief, "If you encounter difficulties in the western region, you only need to hang this lamp in front of the mansion, and someone will come to help you."

Yan Xi was taken aback suddenly.

He realized that what Shang Baiheng wanted to say to him tonight might be extremely important, and he touched the truth of the problem he had been thinking about recently during this drink without alcohol.

He asked softly, "Who is it that came to help me?"

Shang Baiheng said: "A person like Wen Gong."

Heartfelt respect rose in Yan Xi's heart: "Teacher... Are you that kind of person too?"

"I am." Shang Baiheng looked directly into Yan Xi's eyes and said frankly, "So is Zhou Ci, and so is your queen mother."

"That's why you came to the Imperial Mausoleum to teach me back then?" Yan Xi found a clue to unravel the mystery, and then he pulled out the truth, "Why, I was studying in the Wenhua Palace, but the teacher didn't come to teach me?"

Shang Baiheng said: "Because this is what the empress decided when she was dying."

"On the day my mother died, the teacher was not there. She left suddenly, and the funeral was ordered on the spur of the moment." Yan Xi was puzzled, and asked, "When and where did my mother explain to the teacher?"

Shang Baiheng was very satisfied with the student's keenness, he let the student scrutinize him, and said, "Your Majesty has never told me, and I have never met your Majesty, and we have no old acquaintances."

This is consistent with Yan Xi's judgment.

Based on Shang Baiheng's place of birth, experience, and age at which he became an official, it is impossible for him to overlap with Tang Yaoxue.

Yan Xi exchanged glances with the teacher, from Shang Baiheng's encouraging gaze, he slowly looked at the painting on the table, and said for a long time: "Then, is it related to my calligraphy?"

"Yes." Shang Baiheng said solemnly, "Your Majesty only left the word 'light rain' in her last words. Your Majesty can't understand these words, and neither can others, but 'we' understand them all, so, 'we'It's all here."