Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 308 Wei Yuan’s first Northern Expedition!
The reasons Zhao Xi gave were very legitimate and could not be refuted by the literati.

They tried their best to dissuade Zhao Xi from destroying the stele, because they were actually worried that the interests of the literati would be damaged.

Wang Anshi also thought so.

Wang Anshi wanted to reform, to sweep away the accumulated bad policies, and to ensure that everyone could afford food and housing.

However, he still did not want the interests of the literati to be harmed.

Zhao Xi's purpose of smashing the stone tablet was also very simple.

First, he didn't want the scholars to have a golden ticket to immunity from death and do whatever they wanted.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, success has largely relied on scholars, but failure has also been caused by scholars.

Second, he did not want future Zhou emperors to be controlled by scholars.

If there must be an evil person who opposes the laws of our ancestors, then this evil person can do it.

In the future, the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty will have absolute say in the court.

The power of the prime minister must not have any influence on the imperial power.

While Zhao Xi was smashing the stele outside the court hall, Wei Yuan had already arrived at the Duke of Ying's mansion.

At the moment, Zhang Guifen, his two sisters, Minglan, Muger, Changger and others are all here.

Until now, even when he returned home, Wei Yuan was still wearing armor.

Because the war is far from over.

Yelu Ren first retreated to Xiangzhou and planned to support the battle of Damingfu. He wanted to decide the outcome of the battle in one go. It would be best if he could use Tangshui as the boundary and occupy half of the territory outside the city of Bianjing.

Wei Yuan certainly couldn't let Yelu Renxian's plan come true, so he had to go to war at any time.

At this moment, in the British government palace.

Upon learning that Wei Yuan had returned from the palace, everyone went to greet him.

Among them was Zhang Fu, who was still in weak health.

"uncle!"

"Little brother!"

"."

In the front yard of the Duke's Mansion, Wei Shuyi, Minglan and others greeted Wei Yuan excitedly.

At present, the power of the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis' Mansion has reached its peak.

Even the siege of Bianjing was resolved by Wei Yuan.

With this achievement, it is enough to make all the military families afraid of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery’s Mansion.

Wei Yuan nodded to them one by one, then stood in front of Zhang Fu, bowed deeply and said:

"Teacher, the students are back."

Zhang Fu nodded heavily, patted his shoulder, coughed twice, and said "OK" with a smile.

At this time, Wei Yuan's gaze was focused on Zhang Guifen who was standing behind the crowd.

Wei Yuan had been away from Beijing for nearly a year.

During this year, Zhang Guifen has endured a lot of rumors and malicious attacks from many military families.

Of course, this means nothing to Zhang Guifen.

But in Wei Yuan's opinion, she was indeed wronged.

As the only daughter of a Duke, she should be admired by everyone, but because of herself, she has to be cautious and careful in her words and actions in the capital.

How could Wei Yuan feel without guilt?

Zhang Fu and his wife noticed that Wei Yuan's eyes were always on Zhang Guifen, so they subconsciously glanced at everyone.

Afterwards, everyone found various excuses to leave.

"Uncle, your niece will cook for you today. What would you like to eat? I will make it right away."

"I'll go help Ming girl."

"I am a little tired, so I will go and rest for a while."

"."

After everyone left.

Wei Yuan and Zhang Guifen could no longer suppress their longing for each other, and they walked towards each other firmly, face to face, and finally, they hugged each other.

"Sister, you have been wronged this year."

"How can I be wronged? After you left, Brother Changzhi and his men often ordered the soldiers of the Danglu Army to guard our mansion. How could I be bullied or wronged?"

"Girl, you always tell me good news but not bad news."

"Brother Wei"

When Zhang Guifen said this, she suddenly looked up at Wei Yuan.

The latter subconsciously asked: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Guifen suddenly shed two lines of tears. At this moment, she had thousands of words to say, wanting to explain her lovesickness, but when the words came to her lips, they turned into only a few words.
"Brother Wei, Guifen misses you, misses you..."

She hugged Wei Yuan tighter, fearing that all this was just a dream, and when she woke up, Wei Yuan would be gone.

Wei Yuan didn't respond, just held her quietly.

Enjoying the soft body and refreshing body fragrance of the beauty in my arms.

later.

The Duke of Ying held a banquet at his mansion and even invited Zhang Yi, the father of Sheng Hong and Chang Ge'er.

The whole family is happy.

While eating and drinking, no one talked about the current war.

Because they all knew that the war was not over.

From now on, the person responsible for leading this war is Wei Yuan.

They had already realized the danger the moment Wei Yuan, covered in blood, stepped into the imperial city.

Wei Yuan and Zhang Guifen sat next to each other, and the former would occasionally talk about what he had seen and heard in Jiangnan.

It caused the latter to imagine a lot.

On this day of family reunion, Zhang Guifen tactfully did not mention anything about Xie Yuying.

After the meal, Wei Yuan first sent Zhang Fu back to his room. On the way, the latter asked earnestly:
"Yuan'er, how far are you going to fight this battle?"

The former made no secret, "I want to fight a few big battles in the Central Plains, destroy the main force of the Liao army as much as possible, let General Qin Lie hold back Yelu Yixian, create an opportunity for our army to go north, and take the opportunity to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

The Liao army's march southwards was also an opportunity for the Great Zhou.

Zhang Fu asked again: "Where is the main battlefield?"

For a commander of his level, just knowing where the main battlefield is will give him a clear understanding of the entire battle plan.

Wei Yuan said truthfully: "Daming Prefecture, Xiangzhou, Mingzhou, Baozhou, Dingzhou."

"Among them, Daming Prefecture, Xiangzhou, and Mingzhou deployed large forces at the same time, fighting on three fronts at the same time, making it difficult for Yelu Renxian and Yelu Xinxian to take care of both ends."

Zhang Fu was startled and stood there in a daze. After a moment, he came to his senses and looked at Wei Yuan with a look of surprise and relief.
"Even when I was at my prime, I wouldn't dare to fight like this. You are a modern military saint."

Wei Yuan immediately bowed and said, "Teacher, you are too kind."

Zhang Fu asked: "When do we set off?"

Wei Yuan said: "Tomorrow."

tomorrow?

Zhang Fu sighed, "Let's keep Guifen company."

Wei Yuan nodded.

Ever since Zhang Guifen married Wei Yuan, everyone has noticed some changes.

The most obvious thing is that Zhang Guifen has lost her former agility and playfulness.

After seeing Zhang Fu off, Wei Yuan returned to the backyard and saw Minglan who was sitting in the pavilion admiring the moon.

Wei Yuan walked forward slowly with light footsteps, came silently behind her, and patted her right shoulder.

She subconsciously turned and looked to the right. Wei Yuan was standing on her left, which scared her.

"uncle!"

Minglan screamed and puffed her lips. She was really scared just now.

Danju, who was guarding her, hid aside and laughed secretly with her hands covering her mouth.

Wei Yuan touched the back of her head and said with a smile: "In the blink of an eye, our little Ming has grown up so big."

Minglan sat in the chair blankly, "So many years have passed in a flash."

Wei Yuan asked curiously, "Why are you sitting here so late instead of going to rest?"

Minglan turned around and looked up at Wei Yuan, "Uncle is going to the war soon?"

The latter nodded.

Minglan worriedly said, "The Liao bandits are as fierce as wolves and tigers. Can my uncle defeat them?"

In her heart, her uncle has always been an invincible hero.

She has a mysterious confidence in Wei Yuan.

But at this moment, her confidence in Wei Yuan was somewhat shaken.

Sister Jing and Brother Zhuang are still young.

The Liao army marched southward with unstoppable force, shaking the Central Plains
If anything happens to my uncle
She didn't dare think about it anymore.

Wei Yuan flicked Minglan's head very smoothly and said with a smile: "Little girl, why are you asking so many questions?"

Minglan covered her head as usual, "How old is my niece? She's not little anymore!"

Wei Yuan looked at Minglan seriously, with a kind smile on his face, and said earnestly:

"You have to attend your coming-of-age ceremony. Your uncle probably won't be able to make it in time."

A flash of disappointment flashed across Minglan's eyes. In fact, she had already prepared for this matter. She forced a smile.

"Uncle doesn't have to come, but he has to give his niece a big gift, hehe."

Wei Yuan flicked her head again.

"You know how to trick your uncle. Ask your aunt about the gift."

Minglan pouted.

She didn't really want a gift.

Because for her, the best gift she had ever received in her life was the hairpin given to her by Wei Yuan.

"When we were having dinner today, I noticed your mother coughing lightly from time to time. Has her body not recovered yet?" Wei Yuan asked.

Minglan shook her head. "My aunt often asks the imperial physician in the palace to check my mother's pulse. Every time, she prescribes a lot of medicine, but it depletes her vitality after all."

Wei Yuan sighed and said, "When I was a child, among your mother, me, and your aunt, your mother had the best health."

After chatting for a while, Wei Yuan was about to leave.

Minglan suddenly stood up and stared at Wei Yuan's back. For some reason, she suddenly shed two lines of tears and said with a smile in her tears:
"Uncle! You must win!"

Wei Yuan didn't turn around and left, "Okay."

Minglan wiped the tears from her face.

Danju stepped forward, "Miss, what's wrong with you?" Minglan held Danju's hand and murmured, "I don't know what's wrong, my heart is in turmoil, I always feel that my uncle is going to the battle this time..."

She didn't dare to say any more.

She is like Wei Yuan's daughter.

How could a child not be worried when his father goes to war?

Danju said: "My uncle has made great contributions to the entire army. He is a hero of the time and will definitely return safely."

Minglan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Maybe her hunch was right.

In this battle, Wei Yuan will meet the strongest opponent since he joined the army. It is no exaggeration to say that he has a life-and-death situation.

Wei Yuan came to Zhang Guifen's boudoir.

Sister Jing and Brother Zhuang are both here.

He saw that Zhang Guifen was coaxing her two children to sleep, so he didn't dare to move too much and quietly walked behind her.

Zhang Guifen noticed something and said with a smile, "In the past, they would have gone to bed at this time. I don't know why they are not sleepy at all today."

Wei Yuan sat in front of her, looked at the child lying on the bed, and said with a smile: "Maybe they are waiting for me."

After saying this, he took over Zhang Guifen's action of rocking the bed and coaxed the two children to sleep himself.

This was the first time for him, as a father, to coax his two children to rest.

Zhang Guifen said, "You came to the Imperial City covered in blood that day, and scared a lot of children. Even those who were seven or eight years old cried when they saw you. Only Sister Jing and Brother Zhuang smiled when they looked at you."

When Wei Yuan walked past them, she and Minglan each held a child and lifted them high, wanting Zhuangge'er and Jingjie'er to see their father with their own eyes.

"How can a child be afraid of his father?"

Wei Yuan said.

Zhang Guifen said: "I have been afraid of my father since I was a child."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "To be honest, I am also afraid of your father."

Zhang Guifen chuckled, causing the two children to laugh as well.

Wei Yuan pretended to be evil and gave them a fierce look, "Don't laugh."

The two children really stopped laughing.

Zhuangge just didn't laugh, but Jingjie was about to cry.

Wei Yuan's heart melted when he looked at his precious daughter. He quickly picked up Jing Jie and started to coax her.

Zhang Guifen held Zhuang Ge'er in her arms.

Sister Jing was very strong. When Wei Yuan held her in his arms, she subconsciously grabbed Wei Yuan's beard and pulled it.

Wei Yuan felt a little pain.

Zhang Guifen shouted, "Let go!"

Sister Jing was very afraid of her and gradually she didn't dare to pull Wei Yuan's beard anymore.

Wei Yuan said protectively, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt. If Sister Jing wants to pinch it, just let her."

Zhang Guifen rolled her eyes at him and said, "If Sister Jing becomes as arrogant and domineering as Rong Feiyan and the others were when they were little, it's your fault."

Wei Yuan laughed loudly and said, "My daughter, Wei Yuan, should be arrogant and domineering."

Zhang Guifen asked, "Where's the son?"

Wei Yuan's face suddenly froze, and he said in a very serious tone: "If my son dares to act like a dandy, break his legs!"

At this time, Zhuang Ge'er, who was held in Zhang Guifen's arms, seemed to understand what he said and burst into tears.

Zhang Guifen hurriedly coaxed him, "Don't cry, don't cry, your father is just joking with you. If he dares to break your legs, you can let grandpa break his legs."

After hearing this, Zhuangge'er seemed to have found someone who could support him. He gradually calmed down and stopped crying.

Zhang Fu loved his grandchildren very much.

When Zhang Guifen was a child, Zhang Fu was very strict with her.

As the saying goes, generations apart are close. As strict as Zhang Fu was with Zhang Guifen, he doted on Jing Jie'er and Zhuang Ge'er.

After putting the two children to sleep.

Zhang Guifen helped Wei Yuan undress and take a bath.

During this period, Wei Yuan said nothing, and Zhang Guifen said nothing either.

When Wei Yuan sat in the bathtub, Zhang Guifen wiped his body carefully herself, her eyes always fixed on his skin.

Wei Yuan asked curiously, “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before, but have you thought about it?”

Zhang Guifen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Let me see if you have any new wounds."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, the armor that His Majesty gave me is invulnerable to swords and spears, so it's hard to get any skin injuries."

Zhang Guifen was startled and asked subconsciously: "There are no external injuries, but are there any internal injuries?"

Wei Yuan held her hand and said, "If I really have any internal injuries, how can I return home today?"

Only then did Zhang Guifen feel relieved.

After a while.

Wei Yuan couldn't help it and asked, "Don't you want to ask about Xie Yuying?"

Zhang Guifen asked back: "Do you want to say it?"

Wei Yuan said: "If you ask, I will tell you."

Zhang Guifen said, "If you don't tell me, I won't ask."

Wei Yuan was amused by her and said seriously, "After all, she is pregnant with our Wei family's child. I want to take her to Bianjing in the next few days."

Zhang Guifen nodded without saying anything.

Wei Yuan said: "Find a house in the capital and let her live there."

Zhang Guifen frowned and asked, "You won't let her marry?"

Wei Yuan shook his head. "The timing is not right. Besides, whether she is allowed to marry or not depends on your decision as the head lady of the family."

Hearing this, Zhang Guifen smiled and said, "It's fine to let her marry into the family. I'll wait until she arrives in Bianjing and see what happens. Besides, now is a period of national mourning. You have a special status, so it's not appropriate for you to take a concubine at this time."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "Madam is right. According to the rules, should the child she gave birth to be adopted by you?"

Zhang Guifen shook her head and said, "It still depends on her wishes. With Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie'er, it's enough to give me a headache."

This was considered a polite refusal of what Wei Yuan said.

If the child born to Xie Yuying was raised under Zhang Guifen's name, then that would be a legitimate son or daughter.

She didn't want to cause any trouble in the future because of a child born to a concubine.

Besides, everyone has selfish desires.

Not only do Sister Jing and Brother Zhuang enjoy the privileges and life granted to them by the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery Mansion, they also have the support of the Duke of Yingguo Mansion.

Why should a child who is not her own enjoy the resources of the Duke of England's mansion?

This is something Zhang Guifen doesn't want to see.

Wei Yuan didn't say anything either.

When the two of them got on the bed, they were like dry wood and the fire was raging and couldn't be controlled.

Zhang Guifen was tormented by Wei Yuan for the whole night.

I didn't even have the energy to get out of bed.

Moreover, after a sleepless night, Zhang Guifen was tired and sleepy. She gradually fell into a deep sleep when it was almost dawn.

At this time, Baozhu came to help Wei Yuan and Zhang Guifen wash up.

But she saw that Wei Yuan had already put on armor and made a gesture to her to keep quiet.

Baozhu immediately understood, stood aside, lowered her head and said nothing.

Wei Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, kissed Zhang Guifen's cheek affectionately, stroked the hair and fair skin scattered on her cheek, and smiled unconsciously.

Suddenly, a guard stood in the courtyard and bowed loudly, saying, "General Wei, General Chen has assembled the enemy troops and is ready to go at any time. Your Majesty and all the officials are already waiting in the court."

Wei Yuan quickly winked at Baozhu.

Baozhu walked out of the house and said to the guard, "Please wait for a moment, brother Bing."

The guard clasped his fists.

In the room, Wei Yuan held Zhang Guifen's delicate hand tightly, looked at her peaceful face, and murmured with thoughts in his mind:

"Sister, we have to recover our homeland and fight the war. I'll have to trouble you to take care of the family affairs."

After saying that, Wei Yuan suddenly stood up, turned around and walked out of the house.

However, after taking two steps, he stopped again. He wanted to turn around and look at Zhang Guifen, but he was worried that he would be worried about something and could not devote himself to the war and fight against Yelu Renxian, who was at the peak of his strategy.

So, after hesitating for just a moment, he left.

When the guard saw Wei Yuan coming, he immediately clasped his fists.

Wei Yuan stood in the yard, turned his head to look inside the house, then sighed and left without looking back.

When Baozhu returned to the room, she saw that Zhang Guifen had 'woken up'. She was wearing only a thin piece of clothing, standing in front of the door and window, quietly watching Wei Yuan leave.

Seeing this, Baozhu said, "Madam, are you awake?"

Zhang Guifen shook his head.

Baozhu said, "Today the imperial court posted a notice appointing you as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition. You will lead the troops to fight against the Liao army today. Madam, will you not go and see me off?"

Zhang Guifen covered her mouth and tears kept falling from the corners of her eyes.

She didn't dare let her crying be heard.

She was worried that Wei Yuan had not gone far and might have heard her.

Zhang Guifen took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and murmured:
"The opponent you are facing this time is different. You must go without any distractions or worries."

She was the daughter of a general, and a few days ago she heard her father talking about the terrible things about Yelu Renxian.

So, she understands the matter very well.

Baozhu didn't understand, frowned, and thought to herself, "Different? Aren't they all Liao troops? What's the difference?"

That day, Zhang Guifen listened to Zhang Fu talking about it.

It can be said that Yelu Renxian at this time was a man whose mind and layout were at their peak and impeccable.

Even if he and Wei Yuan work together, it is difficult to achieve a good result.

But now, Wei Yuan is leading the troops alone, and no one can fight alongside him.

He needed someone to face the Liao army commander Yelu Renxian.

As the daughter of a general, Zhang Guifen knew that when facing such a powerful opponent, she must focus on her task and respond at her best.

She was very worried that because of herself, because of Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie'er, and because of this family, Wei Yuan's mind would become confused.

When commanders of their level face off against each other, if there is a slight difference in their character, the reflection on the global battlefield will lead to earth-shaking changes.

Therefore, Zhang Guifen did not fall asleep. Last night, she temporarily arranged Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie'er to live in Minglan's room.

She would not let family matters affect Wei Yuan now.

According to later historical records, on April 2, the eighth year of Jiayou, Wei Yuan led his army on the first Northern Expedition.

This marked the beginning of the long-standing shift in the Great Zhou's foreign policy from defense to offense.

(End of this chapter)