Song Gexing

Chapter 272 Yao Lin asks for a fight and Yan Jidao hides

Cotton has become popular in the Song Dynasty in recent years. Even Xinjiang, which has grown cotton for a long time, has now begun to grow new varieties.

Cotton types are divided into two categories. One is herbal cotton imported from the Silk Road. It has small flowers and low yield. This type has been grown in Xinjiang.

Two types came from the south. The shrub type cotton transplanted from Burma was popularized in later generations. After improvement, the yield was higher.

Khotan was planted on a large scale last year, and the Gaochang Uighurs are also preparing to change varieties this year. As for the Hexi Corridor and the Guanzhong Plain, it has been popularized for a long time.

Therefore, cotton-padded clothes are also popular in the army. With the camouflage of sheepskin felt, Zhao Fang also customized a white cloak for the northern army.

Di Qing used these supplies to effectively approach the city and lie in ambush in the snow, deceiving the Datong defenders and launching a sudden attack at midnight.

After seizing control of the city gate, the subsequent cavalry rushed into Datong City. The Liao army was caught off guard and was unable to resist. Datong, known as the golden soup, changed its owner overnight.

By the time the news of the escaped defeated army reached Xijin Prefecture, the entire county and forts under Datong had fallen into the hands of the Song army, and they were connected with Yunnei Prefecture.

All the sixteen states of Yanyun and the west were taken back. Although this was only the loss of one city and one place, the Liao Kingdom should not care.

But this is the first domino. Once pushed, reactions will happen continuously.

First of all, the Bai Dadan tribe on the border with Yunnei Prefecture announced its surrender to the Song Dynasty as soon as it learned about the incident, and organized troops to join the Song army camp.

Immediately further to the northwest, the Nianbage tribe and the Xigasi tribe announced their separation from the Liao Kingdom and became subordinates of the Song Dynasty. They also joined forces and entered the Western Regions to kill the Alataw Pass in the eastern part of the Black Khanate.

The beginning of the seventh year of Xining is a good omen. Before the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, successive good news came back to Bianjing, and the whole Bianjing immediately became a sensation.

Originally these days, the people were worried about being attacked from both sides and whether the Song Dynasty could withstand it, but now they were relieved.

The festive atmosphere in the streets was no longer as tense as it was a few years ago. Only Zhao Fang had a headache.

Early this morning, Yao Lin entered the palace and stayed there, saying that he would also go to Hebei to participate in the war this time, and he also held several pages of petitions with bloody handprints.

He originally asked for a battle as soon as the war began, but Zhao Fang said that the artillery army would stay to guard Bianjing and stabilize the uneasy mood of the people.

But now there was no reason. They had already won a big victory in front of them and they still stayed behind. He couldn't persuade him anymore, and he wouldn't go home even if he didn't let him go.

Zhao Fang was wondering whether he should hand over the artillery army to someone else to lead it. This guy was a bellicose, but the artillery army was the trump card of the Song Dynasty at the moment, and it was indeed the ministers who asked to stay in Bianjing to guard it.

"Just go ahead and make trouble. I won't be happy if those ministers scold you, right? Sooner or later you will make me mad to death."

As soon as Zhao Fang finished speaking, Yao Lin stiffened his neck and retorted: "What are you afraid of! Those literati know how to talk, and officials are afraid of them, so who are they lying to!"

Hearing this answer, Zhao Fang kicked him angrily: "Get out! You are awesome, then go and yell at Han Shoufu!"

"Don't go!"

Yao Lin simply refused and looked at him like he was a fool: "There's no way you can fool me. That's Madam Han's father. I don't dare to talk back to him. I'm going to leave you alone."

"Asshole! If you don't dare, I won't. That's my father-in-law."

"Then I don't care. Anyway, I don't dare. If Lady Han finds out, I won't have the shame to see her."

Zhao Fang laughed angrily. The older this guy got, the more generous he became. He no longer had the naive look he had when he was a child. Sometimes he would even smile playfully.No, after he laughed angrily, Zhao Fang rolled his eyes and said, "Why are you just yelling blindly? Where is Xiao Yan? He is your instructor, he is so sensible."

With a "bang" sound, Yao Lin looked at him sideways and said, "The officials are getting more and more confused. They didn't even understand the blood book. He was the first person to sign on the first page."

"Oh!"

Zhao Fang really didn't pay attention. He just took the blood book and glanced at it. It was full of signatures. Who cares who was on it. He didn't want to see who was loyal to him.

The two leaders of the artillery army were his cronies. If their subordinates were disloyal, he might not need to check them. Yao Lin and Yan Jidao immediately sent them on their way.

Now he picked it up and took a closer look. Yan Jidao was indeed the first to sign, and his name was ranked ahead of Yao Lin. Now he was curious.

"What's the matter with Xiao Yan? Isn't he very stable? Also, since he invited me to fight, why didn't he come and let you, a fool, bother me?"

Yao Lin laughed loudly when he heard this and said: "Xiao Yan, I'm sorry to come. I was scratched by my brother-in-law last night and I don't dare to see anyone."

Zhao Fang didn't believe this. Yan Jidao's wife was well-educated, gentle and virtuous. How could she scratch her husband's face?

He squinted at Yao Lin and said with distrust in his eyes: "Just talk nonsense. If Xiao Yan hears this, let's see if he can scratch you."

"I'm not talking nonsense. The officials don't know, right? That guy Xiaoyan talked back to his second sister-in-law yesterday. I heard that he made her second sister-in-law angry and cried. My brother-in-law got angry and scratched him."

Yao Lin looked like he was gloating about his misfortune, and he was beaming when he talked about this gossip. Now Zhao Fang started to believe it.

If it comes to other things, Yan Jidao's wife Cui will never take action, but if she makes his second sister-in-law cry in anger, it is really possible.

You must know that when Yan Shu died, Yan Jidao was only 17 years old. Although he had become an official long ago, due to his stubborn character, he could only become a minor official.

But he had been accustomed to living well since he was a child, and he was too embarrassed to tell Zhao Fang about his difficulties, so he, his sixth brother Yan Zude, eighth brother Yan Chuanzheng, and four sisters were raised by his second sister-in-law.

Moreover, it was his second sister-in-law Zhang who even married and had children. Zhang, the second sister-in-law, was a true example of a elder sister-in-law who was like a mother.

As for why he is not the eldest sister-in-law, it is because Yan Shu's eldest son was born as a concubine, and his second son is his legitimate heir.

Besides, Yan Jidao has been working as an official outside, and his second sister-in-law helps Cui with all matters at home, so Cui has great respect for her second sister-in-law.

If the unlucky Yan Jidao dared to talk back to his second sister-in-law, it would be a minor offense to be scratched by Mrs. Cui. Maybe she would go to the palace to complain to Han Xue, Zhao Pan'er and others.

"Xiao Yan really did such an outrageous thing?"

Zhao Fang asked hesitantly, unable to think of what type of style Yan Jidao had.

Yao Lin said happily: "It's absolutely true. I went to his house to call him this morning. This kid covered half of his face, but I could see the scratches on his neck were real."

"What's going on, tell me."

Now Zhao Fang had no choice but to believe it, and curiously asked.

Yao Lin heard this but didn't want to say anything anymore. He hesitated and wanted to change the topic. His big eyes were rolling around, as if he wanted to avoid him.

(End of this chapter)