Zhurou

Chapter 260

Zhao Mingzhi slowly recounted the story of how the group passed through Dengzhou and Junzhou that day and encountered a team of Jin troops on the way.

He learned that the Jin army was escorting the Shenbi bow and other blueprints of magical weapons, but was known to the Di bandits, who were blocking the way to rob them. The leader of the Di bandits, who was extremely strong and had killed many people, had already forced his way in front of Zhao Mingzhi and was about to strike with a heavy weapon. Zhao Hong no longer cared about the marriage of his son-in-law.

He was so anxious that he cried out "Ah!" and couldn't help but grab his elder sister's wrist and asked, "Sister, where is the injury? Why haven't you told me the details in such a long time since you came back?"

Zhao Mingzhi did not mention that his shoulder was seriously injured, and shook his head and said: "It's not serious, someone is coming to help me now..."

She first talked about the axe thrown by the shirtless man, and then the arrow shot by the man who came later.

Even though it happened half a year ago, at such a critical moment of life and death, how could the memory not be vivid?

She spoke slowly and leisurely, and although she only said a few words, without any exaggeration or embellishment, Zhao Hong's heart was already tense after hearing her.

"The shirtless man called the newcomer 'Second Brother'. The Second Brother introduced himself only as Li, and his name was Li Xun. The shirtless man's surname was Wei, and his name was Wei Chengyan. The two were like brothers."

"Li Xun has opened several escort agencies in the northwest, and he and Wei Chengyan are heading to Jingzhao Prefecture right now."

"All the guards around me were killed or wounded, and even Yu Shuang was seriously injured and could not continue the journey. So I asked them to escort me to Jingzhao Prefecture."

Zhao Hong clenched his fists and didn't speak for a long time.

He had been on the run for the past one or two years, so he naturally knew that he could only take those few guards with him. If the guards were killed or seriously injured, how could his sister be safe and sound?

But he didn't want to ask, for he was afraid that if he did, he would have to ask his sister to comfort him.

When Zhao Mingzhi mentioned that the brothers Li and Wei responded, he also told them what the three of them saw and heard along the way.

On the way, they stopped at the county where Li Xun's elder, Madam Xu, wanted to recruit him as her son-in-law. Fu Da designed to put Li Xun into prison. After learning about it, he hurriedly tried to rescue the second brother Li, but in the end, many troubles were caused. The three of them also encountered robbers several times in the post station on the way, and so on.

But all these problems were solved one by one by Li and Wei.

Zhao Mingzhi's narration clearly portrayed the two men as being highly skilled, courageous, and righteous.

Although Zhao Hong was still thinking of Pei Yong, he could not help but say after hearing this: "Sister, this second brother Li is very capable, not only is he good at both civil and military affairs, but he also has a wide circle of friends and a broad mind. The most rare thing is that he is such a kind person. I wonder if he will have any plans for the future?"

He sighed again: "If we only run a few escort agencies, it would be a waste of talent!"

Zhao Mingzhi smiled slightly and said, "I had the same idea back then. I also felt that Pei Yong was very powerful in the northwest. I thought that Second Brother Li was a very capable person and wanted to use him. I thought that even if it was not easy to bring him back to you, if he could be placed in the Western Army, with his ability, he would be able to make a name for himself in less than two years. He would be just right for you and me to see and control the Western Army."

Zhao Hong was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands. He couldn't help but move his butt towards Zhao Mingzhi, almost sticking to his sister, and then asked: "What did he say? Did he agree?"

Zhao Mingzhi shook his head and said, "At that time, I was going to Jingzhao Prefecture to live with my relatives, so it was not appropriate for me to ask such a question. Besides, I had the matter of recruiting soldiers on my mind, so I had to put it aside."

Zhao Hong was disappointed, but tried not to show it on his face.

Zhao Mingzhi continued to talk about the time when the two of them left Junzhou City. On the way, they stopped at a tavern and Li Xun returned the sachet and gold and silver that she had taken from the escort agency.

From what Zhao Hong knew, although he couldn't tell that the two had already had a heart-to-heart talk at that time, he couldn't help but frown, grin, feel nervous, or look forward to it as Zhao Mingzhi narrated.

When he learned that Li Xun was from the Western Army, had connections there, and could even manage to introduce his sister to the Western Army generals, he was both enlightened and overjoyed.

When he heard that Zhao Mingzhi proposed to use the other party's family's pill recipe to sell in business, Li Xun agreed immediately and was willing to take out all his family assets without reservation, hand them over to his elder sister to manage, and do military business. Zhao Hong was so excited that his face turned red.

Although he did not throw Pei Yong aside, he was also impressed by this second brother Li, and could not help but say: "A gentleman will die for his confidant. He is so kind-hearted, we must not let him down! Sister, why haven't I heard you mention this man or this matter since you returned to Beijing?"

Zhao Mingzhi paused before telling the truth about what happened on the snowy field.

Although she had omitted the words "sacrifice yourself" and "use yourself as a chess piece", Zhao Hong was so sensitive that he would definitely understand. He immediately put away the smile on his face and whispered, "Sister and Brother Li have similar personalities and have supported each other along the way. If it weren't for me..."

She then said with regret, "Although he is a commoner, one should not judge a hero by his official position. He is so sincere, why should I reject him outright? Just let it go for now, maybe he will change his mind!"

Zhao Mingzhi shook his head and said, "Can all heroes in the world be summoned by you and me and sent away at will? If you can't settle them, how can you hold them back?"

Zhao Hong refused to give up and continued, "Sister didn't know what would happen next. Now that we are no longer worried, can't we contact Brother Li? It won't take two or three years to get him back to the camp. As long as he can have a birth, why not wait for him?"

When he said this, he was already ready to go and had already helped Li Xun think about the future.

"Given his ability, he must have been more than an ordinary soldier in the West Camp before. I think he must have had some good things. If he can return to the camp, will all his previous merits be wiped out? Of course, he can continue to accumulate merits. Maybe in just one or two years, instead of two or three years, he will have a chance to test the palace!"

"He can shoot and kill the leader of the Di bandits with his divine arm bow from hundreds of steps away. His archery skills are simply superb. As long as he enters the capital, he will have a chance to test his archery skills in the palace. If he cannot get the first rank, he will get the second rank. I will give him an official position - this is what he should get, without any bias. No one can accuse me of partiality! He will have a status by then, although it is lower. You and I don't value this. Good character is the most important thing! Besides, it is also my sister's fate!"

But at this point, he only listened to Zhao Mingzhi's words. Although Zhao Hong was convinced by Li Xun, he was still a little worried, so he said: "I will see for myself what kind of talent he is when the time comes. It's a pity that he has been unknown before. After the palace test is completed, the Ministry of Personnel will check his resume and conduct one by one. Once he passes my test, we can discuss the rest!"

But when he got to this point, he sighed and said, "Although this Second Brother Li has good character, it's a pity that he is indifferent. If he could have achieved fame earlier..."

Thinking about the two lists of candidates for imperial consort today, the rest were fine, but when comparing them with Lu and Pei, especially Pei Yong, Zhao Hong couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable in his heart.

Li Xun's character and personality are impeccable, but unfortunately in the eyes of the world, his achievements and reputation are far inferior to Pei Yong's. To put it bluntly, they can't even be compared. How can we compare?

One was a mighty general who defeated the Northern Dynasty, protected the country and borders, and saved millions of people from having to wander and be away from their homeland. The other... no matter how good he was,...

Although Zhao Hong said that character and temperament were the most important, he was impressed after learning about Li Xun's experience with his elder sister. But after all, he was brought up with worldly ideas, so how could he not want to find a son-in-law for his elder sister who was the best in everything.

But he had secretly made up his mind. It was difficult for his sister to say it, but it was easy for him, as a younger brother. When he met Li Xun, he would encourage him privately, not only to thank him but also to urge him to work hard to achieve success.

As a princess of the royal family, she naturally does not need her husband to win an imperial decree for her, but if her husband is outstanding, it will always make her look more glorious.

  Second Brother Li is smart, considerate, and knowledgeable. When he knows the reason why elder sister refused, he will definitely not be confused. It is very likely that he will know how to do his best without any urging from me!

Zhao Hong wanted to know more about Li Xun, so he asked again, "Sister was able to convince Pei Yong to lead the troops north and agree to so many conditions. Did Brother Li also play a big role in this?"

Recalling the scene of that day, Zhao Mingzhi smiled and first talked about how Li Xun made arrangements after taking Jingzhao Prefecture, and how he asked Wei Chengyan to mediate and introduce her to the Western Army general Liao Mian in just a few days. Then she said that she had a very pleasant conversation with Liao Mian and brought out minerals, grains, medicinal materials, cloth and other things as bait. Who would have thought that the latter took a fancy to cotton-padded winter clothes and wanted to purchase a large number of them.

Because she said that all the cotton robes were hidden in several warehouses in Xuzhou and Xuzhou, Liao Mian did not dare to make the decision. He introduced another person and took her to another private room.

Zhao Hong had been holding his breath for a long time, and now he could no longer hold back and asked hastily, "Is the person sitting there an important general from the Western Army Camp?"

Zhao Mingzhi said: "Lieutenant General Liao pushed the door for me, but he didn't introduce me to who was inside. After I went in, I saw a mess of cups and plates inside, with only a large table in the middle..."

At this point, she smiled and said, "But I see there is no one else behind the table, only Brother Li."

Zhao Hong opened his mouth in bewilderment, and suddenly asked, "Sister, does Brother Li have another identity in the Western Army?"

Zhao Mingzhi said: "I guessed that he was Li Yan at the time. He thought I was a descendant of Xuzhou's heir Xiu Wang and was seeking the help of the Western Army to save Xuzhou."

Zhao Hong naturally remembered Li Yan, and he recalled that Zhao Mingzhi had hosted a banquet for Pei Yong and Li Yan a few days ago. He thought about the atmosphere at the banquet and Pei Yong's attitude then, later, and now, as well as the sentence "summoned and dismissed" in the morning. He didn't think much of it before, but now when he thought about it again, it was like a revelation, and he was completely dumbfounded.

He grabbed Zhao Mingzhi's hand and clenched it tightly. It took a long time before he let go. He stood up again and then sat back down. He seemed hesitant, expectant, but also unbelievable. He asked in a low voice, "Sister, what about Second Brother Li? Could it be, could it be... Pei Yong?"

He can't even speak complete sentences.

Zhao Mingzhi nodded slowly.

In a few words, she recounted what the two had said frankly that day.

Zhao Hong learned that Pei Yong's trip was to arrange military forces in several states. He was obviously feared by the court. He also knew that this trip was more dangerous than successful. Most likely, no matter what he accomplished, it would be in vain. He was going to be the first to stand out and a thorn in the eyes, but he still insisted on doing it. How could he not be excited?

He stood up, walked a few steps, then walked back, paced back and forth several times, but still could not suppress the excitement in his heart. He already knew Pei Yong's background, and just heard Zhao Mingzhi talk about Li Xun's rough experience, so he knew that what he was doing at this time was to put himself in other people's shoes, just like what the ministers said during the imperial lecture - "If you are successful, you should help the world."

Zhao Hong was happy, convinced, excited, and hesitant.

Hearing that Pei Yong admitted that he had violated the law by leaving the territory without permission, which would be a serious crime if it got out, he couldn't tell Zhao Mingzhi directly. He had already gotten rid of the last bit of grudge in his heart and relaxed all of a sudden. He leaned back against the back of the chair and took a long breath. His face was smiling and annoyed. Finally, he snorted and said, "We have been on the road for so long, how could he hide this from my sister? I can't forgive him easily!"

After Zhao Hong finished cursing, he suddenly thought of something and asked again, "Sister, since you know about Second Brother Li... why don't you agree?"

Zhao Mingzhi said: "The northwest is powerful and is already a hidden danger. If... in the future, even if the relatives of the emperor take control of the military, how can the court control it?"

Although it was just one sentence, Zhao Hong had already understood many unspoken meanings in it.

The smile on his face gradually faded, and after a long silence, he asked again: "Sister, are you worried about me?"

He added: "My brother is dull and cannot learn to be as smart as others. But if he can only learn to be broad-minded like the wise rulers of the past, won't he be able to learn it? Although I am not the most capable, I will never be a mean and ungrateful person."

He paused, looked at Zhao Mingzhi's expression, and then asked, "Is it because my sister is worried about Pei Yong?"

"When we were still in Caizhou, I told my elder sister that when the world was created, there were no surnames in this country. Although we are surnamed Zhao for a while now, how can we keep the surname Zhao forever in the future? My husbands also taught me that the country belongs to those with virtue. If I am not virtuous, then I have no virtue. What does it have to do with others? There is no Pei Yong today, but there will be Zhang Yong and Li Yong in the future. How can my elder sister only think about the word 'maybe' and worry about nothing and put herself aside!"

"I feel sad for myself and my elder sister when you do this. Even when I think of that Second Brother Li, I feel bad!"

Seeing his brother looking indignant, Zhao Mingzhi lowered his eyes and couldn't help but look at him more closely.

We see familiar faces every day, but because we see them every day, we always ignore some subtle changes in each other.

The younger brother is still the same younger brother, still young and short in stature, but without knowing when, all the childishness in his body has been gone, his eyes are focused, his expression is firm, his words are well-reasoned and well-founded, and the most rare thing is that he has learned to take the initiative without being taught, and always maintains the heart of a child.

I don't know if he had just received a hasty notification, but he came hurriedly. Although he still had a crown on his head, his hair was a little loose.

Zhao Mingzhi reached out his hand and gently adjusted Zhao Hong's hair bun and hair crown, whispering: "It has nothing to do with you, and it has nothing to do with Pei Yong. It's just that I always have my own selfish desires and don't want to be caught in a dilemma in the future. Besides, at that time, the hatred was endless and Di Kou was right in front of me. I really didn't have the heart to take care of other things..."

Zhao Hong held his neck obediently, letting Zhao Mingzhi take care of him. However, when he heard this, he couldn't help but hum twice and asked, "So am I on the left or the right?"

Zhao Mingzhi smiled slightly, said nothing, and just brushed the dust off his brother's shoulders.

  There is not much content left in the main text, you can click on the extra chapter~

The extra chapter will be longer but will be updated more slowly. The schedule is already quite full. If you have anything you want to see, you can leave me a message.