Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 131 Lu Bode

Although Yuan Ling tried to persuade him to stay, and the prefect and commander of Zhangye County who had received the news came to pay him a visit, Huo Shan still set off again, this time heading north.

Although many sections of the river have frozen, fortunately the ice is not too thick now, so Huo Xian should be able to reach Guyan Pass.

In the fourth year of Yuanshou, Lu Bode, the governor of Youbeiping, followed Huo Qubing in the northern expedition against the Xiongnu, and made great military achievements, and was named Marquis of Fuli. After that, he also pacified Nanyue as the first Fubo General in history, and divided its territories of Lingnan, Jiaozhi and Hainan into nine counties.

However, four years ago, because his son committed a crime, Lu Bode was stripped of his title for dereliction of duty. This former marquis and general could only serve as a strong crossbow commander to build the Juyan Pass.

This gap is naturally very big, but Lu Bode can only accept it. The son is unfilial, so he can only implicate the father.

Lu Bode, who was drinking in a depressed mood, suddenly received a message, "Captain, the troops of the Grand Marshal Hussar General have reported that the Grand Marshal will arrive in Juyan City in two days!"

The Juyan Pass was under the management of Zhangye County, and the Juyan Commandery and Jianshui Commandery were stationed along the route.

The Juyan Duwei was stationed in Juyan City, and his subordinates included the Jianbei Houguan, Juyan Houguan, Jiaqu Houguan, and Sanjing Houguan.

The Jianshui Duwei was stationed in Jianshui City, and his subordinates included Guangdi Houguan, Tuota Houguan, Jianshui Houguan, Cangshi Houguan, and Yu Houguan.

They not only need to garrison the border, but also need to cultivate land here.

Lu Bode stood up suddenly, "Grand Marshal, General of the Cavalry?"

It's no wonder that Lu Bode lost his composure. If the Grand Marshal had come in other seasons, he wouldn't have found it strange. After all, this is a fortress, an outer city, and one of the important lines of defense against the invasion of the Huns.

But now the road is blocked by heavy snow. Who could have thought that the Grand Marshal and General Huoqi would come here in the snow at this time?
But no matter how unexpected it is, we need to seize the time and rush to meet it.

If something happened to the Champion Marquis on the road, Lu Bode felt that given his current criminal status, his fate would be even more miserable.

What's more, Lu Bode has some relationship with the former champion marquis. Just thinking of his good-for-nothing son makes him even more angry!
That bastard ate, drank and had fun in Chang'an City, and never went to pay homage to the former Champion Marquis. As a result, the originally good relationship was broken, and he was even despised by many people in the Champion Marquis' family, who thought that Lu Bode was ungrateful!
Think about Zhao Po Nu again, that man is smart. Not only is he smart, his son is also smart, both father and son are from the rank of Marquis of Piao!
After calling Huo Xian's troops and questioning them carefully, Lu Bode set out immediately.

The heavy snow was still falling, and Huo Xian felt that he could not see the road ahead clearly. He did not want to ride a horse at this time, but led the horse and continued to move forward.

Now there is no village in front and no shop behind, and it would be a bad thing to stop in the wilderness.

It's okay to wait until the snow stops before setting off. A few days ago, Huo Xian and his friends waited for the snow to stop before setting off, but it snowed again halfway along the way.

This is the inconvenience of traveling in rainy and snowy days, but time is of the essence. Huo Xian needs to return to Chang'an after the spring, otherwise he can really stay in Zhangye, and even want to go to Dunhuang and other places.

"My Lord!" Liu Mo pulled the horse and said, "I don't know if Lu Bode will come. He is unreliable!"

The four great generals all disliked Lu Bode, naturally because Lu Bode's son had never gone to pay homage to Huo Qubing and had never visited the Marquis of Guanjun's mansion.

They all felt that it was Lu Bode's fault, that the former Marquis of Fuli became complacent and ungrateful after he was granted the title of marquis and appointed a general.

Huo Xian smiled and said, "If that's the case, he should come now. He is only a captain now, and I am the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry. With his guilty conscience, he should please me!"

Liu Mo thought about it and felt that it made sense. "This person is just like that. He must be a flatterer!"

Huo Xian found it funny to see Liu Mo, who was full of resentment. But it was also completely understandable. In the eyes of the four great generals, their lord was the most perfect and sacred, and no one could be disrespectful.

Therefore, the attitude of Liu Mo and others is completely understandable. After all, Lu Bode occasionally paid homage to Huo Qubing when he was in Chang'an, but he did not explain some things.

If a son is not well educated, it is the fault of his father, so Lu Bode should not feel wronged.

Huo Xian and others continued on their journey. This was a choice they made themselves, so naturally they had to bear the consequences. There was nothing to say.

Huo Xian could only grit his teeth and hold on as he braved the snow. He still needed to find Lu Bode, and all of this was naturally to lay some foundation for the war against the Huns that could break out at any time.

Suddenly, there was a shouting sound from a distance, and some people and horses were vaguely seen. There was no doubt that Lu Bode had arrived.

When Lu Bode saw Huo Xian, he saluted neatly and said, "I am Lu Bode, the commander of the strong crossbows, and I pay my respects to the Grand Marshal, the General of the Cavalry."

"We are old friends, there is no need to be so harsh." Huo Xian joked with a smile, "Come to think of it, you have seen me when I was a child, right?"

There was a difference in the way they addressed each other. Huo Xian basically called all of Huo Qubing's real old friends "uncle". Not to mention Zhao Po Nu, he also treated the four generals with great respect.

However, Huo Xian still had no idea what Lu Bode's situation was. So it was better not to talk about the relationship at the beginning. The relationship and mode of getting along could be determined based on the subsequent situation. Lu Bode could naturally feel some of Huo Xian's unfamiliarity. Seeing the disgusted expressions of Liu Mo and Zhao Hexi, he felt even more bitter.

Lu Bode smiled and said, "When the army returned victorious, the general held a banquet and carried the prince to the banquet."

This is what Huo Qubing could do. When Huo Qubing died, Huo Shan was already three years old. If you calculate this way, Huo Shan might not only be urged to get married after returning to Chang'an, but also to have a child.

Isn't this obvious? Judging from the time and age, she should have children. But you don't have to learn everything. Having children also depends on luck.

Liu Mo suddenly said, "You are not worthy of being called a general!"

"General", Huo Qubing's true old subordinates only called him "General", and never mentioned "Lord". This was not because of Huo Xian, but because those confidants only recognized Huo Qubing.

Lu Bode quickly explained, "Old Liu, Old Zhao, you should know what kind of person I am. We are comrades in arms, and I also served the general well."

Zhao Hexi laughed and said, "We are not worthy! When you followed the general, you were already the governor of Youbeiping. You followed the general to fight only because of the order of your majesty. The general is gone, and you are still young. You are not worthy of your great honor as Marquis of Fuli!"

Lu Bode was a little angry and asked loudly, "When the general left, did I ride a horse to see him off? When I was in Chang'an, when did you go to pay tribute to the general without me? Or was I not polite when I paid tribute to the general? Was my intention not sincere?"

Zhao Hexi's voice became louder. "Your Majesty is still young and in the palace. I want to ask you, when did you, the Weiwei, go to ask? When you were not in Chang'an, how dare your son not go to pay homage to the general?"

"If that rebellious son knew the rules of propriety, I wouldn't have been exiled to Juyan Lake!" Lu Bode was even more angry. "It is my fate to have an unfilial son! How could I ask about the years when the prince was in the palace! The prince has always been by His Majesty's side, how could he recognize me?"

This means that Huo Xian seems to have to take the blame.

In my impression, the 'predecessor' liked to run around in the palace, or follow the emperor, or be kept in the Pepper Room by the empress. I have never seen or known a guard like Lu Bode.

Huo Xian immediately tried to smooth things over, "Alright, alright, if we really want to argue, we can do it later. It's freezing out here, if I get frozen to death, that would be terrible!"

Hearing what Huo Xian said, Lu Bode, Liu Mo and others snorted at each other. Now is not the time to quarrel, let's go back to the city first.

Although Juyan City is not as good as Chang'an, or even many inland towns, it is still a small city after all, and it is much better than the wilderness. In this winter, it can also keep out the cold.

Huo Xian dragged his horse forward and said sarcastically, "Uncle Liu and Uncle Zhao, you all say that I have a bad temper, but I think you have a worse temper than me. Although he was stripped of his title, he is still a strong crossbow commander."

"So what if he's a strong crossbow captain?" Liu Mo said with his eyes wide open, "I don't like what he does, so I scold him. What can he do to me?"

Zhao Hexi also said, "If he dares to kill me, I will still respect him as a man!"

Okay, the tempers of the four generals were actually spoiled by Huo Qubing and Huo Xian, father and son. But I don't think there is a problem, they are a real family.

Lu Bode's arrival naturally meant that Huo Xian and his team could avoid taking detours. Even with a guide, they were no match for Lu Bode, a 'native'.

After entering the Juyan City, Huo Xian looked around carefully. After all, Lu Bode was a great general who had fought in many battles and was once a county governor. The city built by Lu Bode was indeed very good.

After entering the house, Lu Bode immediately said, "My lord, please warm yourself up by the fire first."

It's a pity that Huo Xian doesn't know how to make a kang, otherwise he could really study it. Nowadays, in these bitter and cold places on the frontier, people basically use fire and charcoal to keep warm.

Huo Xian took the wine, drank a sip and passed it to Zhao Hexi, "Is Juyan City short of food now?"

"Juyan Lake is such a large body of water, with many water birds and wild animals. We are also cultivating the land, so we are not short of food." Lu Bode said with a smile, "In the winter, the soldiers can also get more wine."

This can be considered a reward for the border troops. After all, it is bitterly cold at the border.

This kind of treatment is not only in Juyanze, but also in Dunhuang, Guanglushai and other places. Even if people make wine privately here, the court will turn a blind eye.

Huo Xian smiled and nodded, "This is the best. The Xiongnu will not go south in the bitter cold winter. If they starve, it will be hard to endure the winter."

Lu Bode was silent for a moment before he said, "Sir, I don't want to defend myself. It's just that I have never forgotten serving and worshipping the general over the years. I have brought this upon myself by being a rebellious son."

Huo Xian smiled and said, "I understand this matter, let's see how we proceed later."

Let it go for now, but don't ignore it. Listen to what he says and watch what he does, this is more convincing!
(End of this chapter)