Chinese New Year

Chapter 1427 Minions
Several days later, Shao Xun arrived at the western border of Jiangyi and headed north by boat.

In late February, the Fen River was not flowing much, but the scenery on both banks was very beautiful.

Spring planting has ended, but the farmers seem to have endless things to do and can't seem to find a moment to relax.

Some people can't stand the weeds growing in the fields, so they go down to the fields from time to time to weed them and prevent them from competing for nutrients.

Someone was sitting in the courtyard, carefully repairing farm tools such as sickles, hoes, and flails.

A crowd had gathered around the overturned vehicle. Something seemed wrong; it was malfunctioning and needed immediate repair.

The woman carefully examined the mulberry tree to see if any buds had sprouted.

The trees are scattered everywhere, one on the left and one on the right. Few people are willing to plant them in farmland, and it would be quite a chore to see them all.

The elderly and children drove the sheep out of the house to graze on the green pasture.

After the children finished playing and laughing, they picked up the withered branches and leaves. The elderly gathered together to discuss when to plant hemp.

Mulberry and hemp, besides mulberry, there is also hemp, but the latter needs to be planted in the field, so choosing a good time for farming is very important.

“Heave-ho, heave-ho…” The deep, powerful voices of the boatmen echoed along the banks of the Fen River, attracting everyone’s attention.

On the calm surface of the Fen River, more than ten boats sailed upstream.

The first few ships were filled with warriors carrying swords and bows, while on the deck of the central ship stood a large group of officials, surrounding a burly man in a blue brocade robe.

The burly man, with slightly dark skin and a long reach, pointed towards the villages and farmlands on both sides of the river, talking incessantly.

The officials, some in red and some in purple, sometimes echoed the sentiments, sometimes laughed loudly, looking quite pleased with themselves.

Not long after, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar again.

Squads of light cavalry followed the fleet from a distance through villages and towns, searching for any suspicious persons.

The farmers all looked away.

In other places, many people might not understand what happened, but in Pingyang, they know it all too well.

Those who are a bit older know that there was a man named Liu Cong who would often go to the Fen River to watch the fishing, staying there for days at a time, sometimes even more than a month. He would move on to the next spot after catching fish in one place. As long as the fish were good, he would happily run over there, not even going home in the pouring rain.

The person on the middle ship must undoubtedly be the Emperor of Liang. If you don't believe me, look at the entourage; it's similar to that of Liu Cong back then.

Don't get involved in this kind of thing, lest you get arrested by the patrol as an assassin and have no recourse.

However, not watching the spectacle doesn't mean not saying a few words of gossip, especially at home.

An elderly man with white hair recounted the old days of Liu Yuan and Liu Cong, his words filled with nostalgia. He even pointed to some old furnishings in his home, saying that if he hadn't taken them back, the house would still be empty.

This statement was met with considerable agreement.

Although Liu Han's army was called Xiongnu, it was actually mostly composed of Han soldiers who were simply serving the Xiongnu. They ventured deep into Bingzhou and Henan several times, and indeed plundered a lot of things, improving their lives.

But the younger generation doesn't have as much nostalgia.

When they were born, Liu Cong was almost dead, or even already dead. Liu Can later quickly went to Chang'an to establish his own kingdom. What did that have to do with them?
Instead of that, I'd rather think about how to serve the emperor and gain wealth and power. Farming all day is exhausting!

Lost in thought, his gaze involuntarily followed the fleet's movements. In the end, he could only sigh inwardly, realizing that the world was unlikely to be at peace.

******
On the last day of February, the sound of horses' hooves echoed outside Pingyang City, and cheers resounded like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.

Zeng Yi, accompanied by officers of the rank of squad leader and above, followed closely behind Shao Xun to the village where he lived.

The emperor is truly benevolent. Upon arriving in Pingyang, the first people he met were not officials or powerful clans, but the soldiers of the First Battalion of the Yellow-Headed Army.

Two bolts of silk were distributed to each person, according to a register, and those summoned by him might receive additional rewards. Such a good thing was a bonus even once, let alone more than once!
"Is this your home?" Shao Xun asked with a smile as he stood in front of a newly built three-courtyard house.

“Indeed, this is my family. Your Majesty, please come inside.” Zeng Yi stepped forward and said respectfully.

"No rush." ​​Shao Xun waved his hand and started walking around the courtyard wall.

This is a low, square wall made of adobe bricks, which encloses the entire courtyard.

There were some plants planted outside the wall. Shao Xun squatted down, looked at them carefully, and said, "Perilla?"

"Your Majesty has a good eye," Zeng Yi said admiringly. "We planted some around the wall and used them to extract oil."

"Didn't you plant it before?" Shao Xun asked.

“In the past, we would press some sesame oil after harvesting the hemp.”

Shao Xun walked east again, and after turning the corner, he saw a row of mulberry trees. He roughly counted about seven or eight trees. If they were planted in the fields, it would take almost an entire acre of good farmland to plant them, but now they were just using fragmented land.

Beans, scallions, and leeks were also planted under the tree, making quite a high utilization rate.

There were piles of firewood, dry branches, and even a small pile of dark coal against the wall.

Shao Xun walked over with great interest and asked, "Where did the coal come from?"

“It came by water transport from Jinyang.”

"Is the Fen River fully open?"

"I heard that there is a land transfer along the way, so the price of charcoal is not low, and no one is willing to buy it. After I bought a lot last time, I have not seen that charcoal merchant again."

"What a pity," Shao Xun sighed.

He sighed as he walked backward.

Behind the Zeng family residence was another grove of trees, filled with tall, straight paulownia trees.

Shao Xun looked on with curiosity and asked, "Where did this tree come from?"

“I was here when I bought this land,” Zeng Yi replied.

"Oh? This place was actually bought." Shao Xun said in surprise, "When I gathered you all here, I must have given you all land and houses, right?"

“The old house was given to my eldest daughter,” Zeng Yi said.

At that moment, someone whispered a few words in Shao Xun's ear. Shao Xun was somewhat surprised.

Even though she wasn't his biological daughter, he returned the old house to her after the marriage. Zeng Yi is quite principled; he doesn't take advantage of others at all.

"Did you go during the campaign against Liao?" Shao Xun walked to Zeng Yi's side, looked him over, and asked.

“He’s gone,” Zeng Yi replied. “He was stationed at Lushun, Xiangping, and Mudicheng, but unfortunately he was unable to achieve any significant results.”

"Is it forty yet?"

"There is."

"Now that you've retired from military service and returned to your rural home, are you getting used to it?"

Zeng Yi raised his head, looked boldly at Shao Xun, and said, "Your subject requests to fight on the battlefield for Your Majesty."

Shao Xun smiled, patted his shoulder, and said, "That's enough. You've fought for me for so many years. That's enough. It's time to enjoy your retirement."

After saying that, he asked again, "Are you the commander of the First Battalion?"

"Exactly."

After a moment's thought, Shao Xun said, "Having fought for years and made contributions in the conquest of Liaodong, you deserve a promotion and reward. I will grant you fifty bolts of silk. The position of Pingyang Revenue Commandant has been vacant for over a month, so you can fill it. Who wouldn't envy an official serving right at their doorstep?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yi immediately knelt down.

Shao Xun pulled him up and said, "The Yellow-Headed Army was recruited by me in Hebei. I feel a sense of familiarity with them. If I don't reward you, who else should I reward?"

At this point, he blinked, leaned close to Zeng Yi's ear, and whispered, "Seeing that you are doing well in Pingyang, Hedong, and Hongnong, I am relieved. Keep a close eye on things; if there are any treacherous individuals in these three prefectures, you must not hold back."

Zeng Yi was thrilled and was about to express his opinion when he heard Shao Xun laugh loudly: "I was just joking with you."

After laughing, his expression turned serious, and he said, "With the Yellow-Headed Army here, Pingyang is safe. The descendants of the Shao family have relied on you for generations, and you should also protect the Shao family's empire."

Zeng Yi immediately knelt down and said loudly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, if the villains of Pingyang want to gain power, they must first step over my dead body. After I am gone, my children and grandchildren will take my place."

Shao Xun helped him up with satisfaction.

The stability of Pingyang, Hedong, and Hongnong prefectures owes much to the tens of thousands of Huangtou soldiers.

They were disaster victims gathered by Shao Xun. They originally had nothing, but were given land, houses, and even wives. Their loyalty was beyond doubt.

With them around, the remnants of the Xiongnu in the region could not cause any major trouble, and the powerful clans and gentry were suppressed, allowing the ruling will of the Liang Dynasty to extend.

Ultimately, governance depends on people.

Shao Xun stayed in Pingyang for seven or eight days, bestowing silk upon the 20,000 soldiers of the First and Second Battalions of the Yellow Head Army, and promoting more than ten people, including Zeng Yi, to local official positions as much as possible—those who did not have a position for the time being were immediately reassigned by the Commandant of the Capital Region and the Prefect of Pingyang.

The soldiers who died in battle or from illness during the campaign against Liaodong had dozens of their sons and grandsons enlisted in the "Adopted Sons Army".

In addition, 400 people aged 17 and above were recruited into the Imperial Guard from the families of the Huangtou Army in the four camps of the three prefectures of Hedong, Pingyang, and Hongnong.

The boys were overjoyed, saying that the emperor still remembered them.

The powerful people and chieftains of the three counties had extremely mixed feelings upon seeing this.

These outsiders who speak Hebei dialect are truly the emperor's lackeys and henchmen, specifically targeting them—what bad luck!

******
On the second day of the third lunar month, the night was cool as water.

After many years, Pingyang Palace has once again welcomed its former owner.

The palace gates were tightly closed one after another, and soldiers were stationed every three steps and sentries every five steps, with strict security.

Just as Shao Zhengang, the commander of the Imperial Guards, finished his inspection tour, a junior officer reported that a messenger had brought urgent military intelligence.

He dared not delay and immediately ordered his men to lower the basket and hoist the messenger into the city.

After verifying his identity and carefully inspecting the seal of the wooden box, he questioned him: "Where did you come from?"

“From Xiping County,” the messenger replied.

Shao Zhen studied the expression on his face and asked, "What is it?"

"On the night of February 25th, General Yang selected 5,000 soldiers from Sangcheng and Hehui garrisons, along with 5,000 elite troops from the Manliao and Diqiang tribes, to launch a surprise attack on the Tufa Xianbei and inflict a great defeat on them. Tufa Tuijin led several hundred cavalrymen to flee at night, and General Yang was in pursuit."

After listening, Shao Zhen said, "Go and rest for a while, have some food and drink. Don't rush to leave, the emperor may summon you to court."

"Yes," the messenger replied.

Shao Zhen carried the wooden box and headed north, soon arriving outside the Huiguang Hall.

"Your Majesty, I am dying, please spare me..." A woman's seductive plea for mercy echoed from inside the palace.

"The death penalty can be avoided, but punishment is inescapable; the beauty lies in the balance between life and death." The emperor's familiar voice rang out, though he was slightly out of breath.

Shao Zhen stood expressionless outside the palace gates, making no sound.

Being a close attendant is the most helpless thing.

The Emperor always says that if there is any urgent military situation, we should come directly to him no matter when, but what is the reality? In the current situation, the Emperor is having a good time with the Jin sisters, and he is not stupid enough to just barge in.

It seemed like not long afterward, the sounds inside gradually stopped.

The Jin sisters, who had just seemed about to die and repeatedly begged for mercy, were now full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue, except that their faces were a little flushed.

On the contrary, Shao Xun lay on the couch like a dead pig, panting heavily.

Jin Yuehui got up and smoothed her hair. After hearing the palace servant's report, she returned to the couch and, along with her sister, leaned against Shao Xun's chest, speaking softly.

Shao Xun hummed in agreement. A moment later, he put on a light robe, came to the entrance of Huiguang Hall, took the military report, looked at it, and said, "Have Yuan Nuzheng draft the edict, just four words: 'Eliminate evil completely'."

Shao Zhen immediately accepted the order and left.

As he walked, he thought to himself: Is His Majesty perhaps enjoying himself in Pingyang Palace and forgetting all about Shu? It seems he has brought all those Liu Han palace women with him.

(End of this chapter)