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

Chapter 344 Give it to my brothers and sisters
In early September of the second year of Kaiwu, the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion proposed marriage to the Sheng family, and the two families thus made an engagement and the wedding was to be completed in mid-June of the following year.

More than half a year of preparation time is enough for Wei Yuan to hold his niece's wedding in a grand manner.

Before Gu Tingye expressed his love for Minglan, most of the noble women in the capital wanted to marry him.

After all, among the descendants of the founding heroes, only Gu Tingye was good at fighting. The rest had either already married or were doing nothing.

For example, if there is a title in the family, who would be willing to marry the heir of the Earl of Yongchang?

As for the new nobles in Daizhou, they were basically selected by families with outstanding achievements, such as Xu Changzhi, Chen Yuanzhi and others.

After resolving Minglan's issue, Wei Yuan finally put his mind at ease. However, on the day when the Gu family proposed marriage, Wei Yuan felt a little empty in his heart.

Zhang Guifen seemed to have noticed something and said with a smile, "Why? Are you reluctant to see your precious niece be taken?"

Wei Yuan said: "It just feels like, in a blink of an eye, Ming girl has grown up, and is about to become a wife and a mother."

Zhang Guifen smiled and covered her mouth, "There's still more than half a year left. Why are you so sad now? When Sister Jing gets married in the future, I'm afraid you'll feel even more upset."

Wei Yuan smiled and shook his head, and suddenly remembered something, "Since father stepped down, he must be bored staying at home all day. I heard that father wants to visit Ying, Shuo, and Huan, three states?"

Zhang Guifen massaged Wei Yuan's shoulders and said, "It is true, but my mother has rejected it. My father is old and not as strong as he used to be. Traveling long distances is not good for his health."

Wei Yuan held her hand and pulled her to him. "Back then, Duke Wuxiang was stationed in Yanbian, and my father was stationed in Daizhou. People said that these two were the two pillars of our Great Zhou."

"My father spent his entire life in the military, and he always dreamed of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. The closest my father was to Shuozhou was during the Battle of Yanmen."

"If I don't fulfill my father's wish now, when he gets really old and can't walk anymore, he won't be able to go there anymore."

Zhang Guifen felt that what he said made sense, and said, "I'll persuade mother later."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "I will report to the emperor and ask him to take my father to the three states of Yanyun on the imperial sedan chair. You don't need to worry about my father's safety. I will select three thousand good soldiers from the Danglu Army to escort my father north."

Zhang Guifen frowned and said, "Brother Wei, there are some things I have always wanted to say, but I am afraid that if I say it, it will make you unhappy."

Wei Yuan held her in his arms and said lovingly, "We are husband and wife, is there anything we can't talk about?"

Zhang Guifen said sternly, "Since the end of the national war, Brother Wei has been in a high position, second only to the emperor and above everyone else. What he does is often considered outrageous by others. It's okay occasionally, but if it's always like this, for example, if father goes north and you let him ride in the imperial chariot, will it displease the emperor?"

Wei Yuan laughed and said, "Silly sister, you worry too much. It is against common sense for a person in a high position not to act recklessly. However, you should not go beyond the rules and should not use your power to look down on others."

The arrogant person he mentioned is not an ordinary person.

At the end of September in the second year of Kaiwu, Zhang Fu left Beijing and headed north.

Wei Yuan and his family went to see him off.

Everyone sat in the imperial carriage.

On the way out of the city, Zhang Fu was in high spirits and seemed very excited.

Mrs. Zhang saw this and said in dissatisfaction, "You are so old, and you still have to make trouble. Why not just stay at home and live a good life?"

Zhang Fu stroked his beard and said, "Humph, what do you know about women's opinions? I have spent most of my life dealing with Liao bandits. I have exhausted all my efforts, but I have never taken one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Now the three prefectures belong to my Great Zhou. If I don't go and see the Sixteen Prefectures, I will not rest in peace even if I die."

Madam Zhang said "Pooh" three times in a hurry, "You are just going on a trip to enjoy the mountains and rivers. Why are you saying such depressing words?"

Zhang Fu laughed twice, then looked at Wei Yuan and said seriously:
"This time when we go to the Three States, I will help you survey the terrain of Yanyun and the roads outside Yanmen Pass. After all, I have more experience than you. Perhaps, I can lend you a helping hand when you go on the Northern Expedition in the future."

Northern Expedition?

After hearing this, both Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Guifen frowned.

Wei Yuan immediately coughed lightly.

Zhang Fu just realized that he had said too much, and said with a smile: "I'm talking about the possibility of that happening."

Madam Zhang rolled her eyes at him and turned to Wei Yuan and said:

"Yuan'er is going to march north?"

Wei Yuan said: "It has not been confirmed yet. The country is now recuperating. Even if there is a northern expedition, it will be in the future."

Zhang Guifen lowered his head and said nothing.

She knew very well that no one could change Wei Yuan's decision.

Madam Zhang sighed, "Now that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, why bother to launch a northern expedition again?"

Zhang Fu snorted, "Women's opinions."

Wei Yuan said bluntly: "Mother, when the foreigners came south, the north became a sea of ​​suffering, the Central Plains sank, and countless people died and were injured. I don't want to see such a thing happen again. If, tonight or in the future, such a thing happens again, I will blame myself."

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhang sighed again, held Zhang Guifen's hand, and said sadly:
"My mother and I really owe you in our past life."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Mother, when I have fought all the battles I need to fight in my lifetime, your grandchildren won't have to fight anymore."

Zhang Fu nodded subconsciously and said, "Yuan Er is right."

After he left, Zhang Guifen and Mrs. Zhang decided to go to Daxiangguo Temple to worship Buddha, while Wei Yuan returned home to deal with many affairs of the Five Camps.

Now that the military reform has just ended, some things are still complicated, but overall, the military strength of the Great Zhou is getting stronger day by day.

The problem of redundant soldiers has almost been solved. Wei Yuan and Zhao Xi have both, to a greater or lesser extent, been burdened with some infamy.

However, if we don't offend some people, there will be no new developments in the entire country.

With the five major camps as a foundation, Wei Yuan firmly believed that in time, the Great Zhou would have enough strength to deal with all invading enemy forces.

Just when he was feeling a little tired from handling affairs, Xie Yuying brought a bowl of nourishing soup and walked gently to him.

After serving the soup and preparing to leave, Wei Yuan grabbed her and asked her to sit on his lap, while he inhaled the faint fragrance coming from her neck.

When the servants in the study saw this, they tactfully lowered their heads and left, closing the door for the two of them.

Xie Yuying no longer felt shy and hugged Wei Yuan's arms, "Master"

Wei Yuan stroked her cheek and asked her about her well-being, "It's been a while since you moved to the Marquis' Mansion. Are you having trouble adapting?"

Xie Yuying shook her head and said, "The mistress treats me very well, and the maids in the mansion are also very respectful to me. There is nothing I can't get used to."

As the saying goes, the prime minister’s door is of the highest rank.

Although Xie Yuying was a concubine in the Marquis's mansion, no matter where she went, not only the maids and servants, but even the dignitaries in the capital all respected her.

Otherwise, with her previous status, she would be nothing more than a low-rate plaything in the eyes of the powerful. How could she have achieved the honor she has today?
She knew that all this was just because she entered the Guanjun Marquis's Mansion.

Wei Yuan asked, "I heard that you met with Wei Xingtou of Guangyuntai two days ago?"

As soon as these words came out, Xie Yuying's heart trembled, thinking that he felt that as a woman of the Guanjun Marquis's mansion, it was inappropriate for her to meet with a prostitute in a brothel. She quickly broke away from Wei Yuan's arms, knelt in front of him, and said:
"Please forgive me, my Lord. I have known Miss Wei for many years. I just feel that I have not met Miss Wei since I came to the capital."

"But I swear, I am in disguise to meet Wei Xingtou, others will not know my identity and will not bring disgrace to the Marquis's family." Wei Yuan smiled and stroked her cheek, "Why are you so nervous? I am just talking, even if you go to meet him openly, it's fine, the Marquis's family has never been afraid of rumors from the outside world, and you are also one of the mistresses of this mansion, you can do whatever you want, no need to consider other people's faces."

Xie Yuying enjoyed his touch, her cheek resting tightly on his big, calloused hand, "Please rest assured, my lord. From now on, I will never see Wei Xing Shou again."

Wei Yuan shook his head, "Silly girl."

Then, he pinched Xie Yuying's chin and looked her up and down. Suddenly, he found that Xie Yuying had a different style since she gave birth to a child.

"How is that kid Zhixing doing lately?"

Xie Yuying said: "He is very well behaved. Does the Marquis want to see him?"

Wei Yuan said: "Don't worry, come closer."

After a while, Wei Yuan closed his eyes.

Xie Yuying knelt before him——
The second year of Kaiwu, mid-November.

According to the investigation of the Imperial City Bureau, Li Liangzuo, the ruler of Western Xia, had met with Yelu Xinxian at Muna Mountain in the middle of last month.

Once this matter was reported, it immediately attracted the attention of the top leaders of the Great Zhou.

After all, when the foreign tribes moved south, it was Li Liangzuo and Yelu Xin who met first.

Now, in Xuanzheng Hall, the ministers were discussing this matter endlessly.
"The Liao army recruited 300,000 soldiers, and it is clear that they are heading towards our Great Zhou. Do they still want to go south?"

"Last time they came south, we were beaten everywhere because we were not well prepared. But this time, we will never let them succeed!"

"That's right. We should send more troops to Yanbian and Beidi at this time. Let all the soldiers from the East and West camps go there. If they dare to come, we will make sure they never come back!"

"."

Suddenly, a eunuch's voice sounded outside the palace.

"The champion has arrived!"

"The champion has arrived!"

"."

The voices continued one after another until Wei Yuan appeared in the hall and the eunuch's announcement ended.

For a moment, all the ministers' eyes were focused on him, and at the same time, they spoke one after another:

"Marquis Wei, you are here. What do you think we should do now?"

"Grandmaster, we all agree that Liao and Xia are still harboring evil intentions!"

"."

Wei Yuan came to the front of the ministers' team, looked at Zhao Xi, bowed deeply and said: "Your Majesty, I am Wei Yuan, here to see you!"

Originally, Zhao Xi's face was somewhat gloomy and he was a little unhappy. After all, he heard these ministers in front of him arguing but they couldn't even come up with any actual rules.

Now, seeing Wei Yuan coming, he immediately felt much more relaxed and said with a smile: "Master Wei, you are here. Tell me, is the enemy country going to move south again?"

As soon as he finished speaking, an unexpected scene happened. Everyone saw Wei Yuan shaking his head and said:

"Li Liangzuo and Yelu Xinxian were plotting against each other, but they were not necessarily targeting our Great Zhou."

Zhao Xi was puzzled, "What does Master Wei mean by this?"

Wei Yuan explained: "Li Liangzuo became the ruler of Xixia, but more than half of Xixia's military forces were controlled by Yeli Yuqi. Now, Yeli Yuqi is the national teacher. Li Liangzuo is the ruler for the first time. He did this to stabilize Xixia."

"However, as the ruler of a country, it is impossible for him to always share the world with others. Therefore, Li Liangzuo needs political allies. However, there is no one in Xixia who can help him. He can only seek help from Yelu Xinxian."

"Although Yelu Xinxian is the minister entrusted by the former emperor of Liao, it is impossible for Liao to show its strength in a short period of time. After all, the court of Liao is full of conflicts among various factions, and Yelu Xinxian also needs allies."

"The two of them are meeting now, I'm afraid they want to help each other, not to start a war again."

In fact, Wang Anshi and others also had this idea.

They didn't say it because, when it came to foreign affairs, Zhao Xi only blindly followed Wei Yuan's advice.

Even if they told him how to deal with the matter, Zhao Xi would only listen to Wei Yuan.

After hearing Wei Yuan's explanation, Zhao Xi looked thoughtful and said:

"Now that things have come to this, what should we do?"

Wei Yuan said: "Your Majesty, what we have to deal with now is not just one or two people, but the two countries of Xixia and Liao."

"Su Che has gone to the Jurchens. Once he has some news, we will make our next plan for the Liao Kingdom."

"As for Xixia, I have thought about it and I think we can do business with Yelu Yuqi."

Business? How to do it?
Everyone was curious.

Wei Yuan explained: "It's still the same old business. We sell ironware to Xixia, and Xixia sells us war horses. However, who to do business with is a science."

Wang Anshi suddenly understood. "Grandmaster, do you mean that we can specifically do business with Yeli Yuqi? Give him a lot of money, not to bribe him? Just to increase the disunity between Yeli Yuqi and the ruler of Xixia?"

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "Li Liangzuo is the ruler of Xixia after all. If Yeli Yuqi wants to usurp power, it would be treason. The whole country should fight against him. Yeli Yuqi will not go this far unless he has no other choice."

"But if he wants to stay alive, he has to make plans early. We can use this to forcibly interfere in the internal affairs of Western Xia and make Yeli Yuqi and Li Liangzuo divide the territory of Western Xia equally. As long as Western Xia collapses, we can gradually defeat it and completely take over the territory of Western Xia."

Before this, Xixia and Liao had joined forces to interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Zhou and curb its development.

But now, times have changed. If the enemy can go, I can go too!

"Nowadays, the situation in various countries is changing rapidly. Generally speaking, the initiative is still in our hands."

"Let Yeli Yuqi fight with Li Liangzuo, and let Wanyan Wugunai fight with the Liao Kingdom. We just need to help secretly."

"But there is a prerequisite, that is, if one side becomes stronger and the other side becomes weaker, we will help the weaker side and make them fall into the quagmire of civil war and unable to extricate themselves."

"When the time is right, my Great Zhou will be able to conquer both countries in one fell swoop."

Wei Yuan’s plan cannot be said to be an open conspiracy, but as it stands now, it is unsolvable for the Xia and Liao countries.

Zhao Xi listened to Wei Yuan's words, and the more he listened, the more he admired him. He said:

"Master Wei, from today on, you will be in charge of all foreign affairs such as those concerning Xixia and Liao. I feel relieved when Master Wei is here!"

"I heard that Jingshu and Qiji are studying. Jiangnan has just presented a batch of top-quality imperial pens to me. Master Wei will take them back for my brothers and sisters to use."

(End of this chapter)