The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 138 Half a day free

On that day, Deng Changxiong, Wang Erhu and Qi Jin led their troops and joined forces with the soldiers in the city to station at the four gates of Kaiyuan.

After leaving Yang Qing'er, General Liu immediately inspected the military camp. Due to the temporary closure of the Kaiyuan mines, the three hundred Jianzhou Zhenyi who had surrendered from the Bordered White Banner were stationed in the four gates of the Wengcheng. They were forbidden from entering the main city. Ping Liaohou was worried that this sudden appearance of the Tartars would be beaten to death by the Kaiyuan soldiers and civilians.

"From today on, you will stay by my side and work with them to protect my safety."

Ping Liaohou patted Du Du on the shoulder and handed him a goose-feather knife. Pei Dahu, Wu Xiao and others stared at the leader of the Bordered White Banner with eager eyes.

"General Liu, aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"

Eight guards immediately stepped forward and put several goose-feather knives on Du Du's neck.

Liu Zhaosun looked over Du Du's face and towards the north.

"I trust you. You'll start as my guard. If I like you, I'll send you back to Hetuala. Then, you'll be the king of Jianzhou, and I'll be the king of the world. You and Jianzhou will still be my guards. If you kill me now, all of this will be wiped out, including you, of course. So, do you have the heart to kill me?"

Du Du was stunned and speechless. He carefully pondered these words and it took him a long time to figure them out. He knelt on the ground and loudly expressed his loyalty to Ping Liaohou.

From then on, Ping Liaohou had another loyal guard by his side.

Ping Liaohou summoned the commanders of each camp, as well as Anle prefect Song Yingxing, his staff member Mao Yuanyi and others at the north gate tower.

The two captains who remained in Kaiyuan recounted Huang Taiji's attack on the north gate in detail. Ping Liaohou was astonished at the devastating effect of the red-coated cannon, which could kill so many people with a single volley. The two captains added that flintlock rifles were no match for the Jiannu bows and arrows.

The flintlock rifle hadn't had time to rifle, so the bullet started flying around, with poor accuracy. Song Yingxing and Master Lei looked at each other, and Song Yingxing explained:

"We need more manpower to add rifling to the gun barrels. All the able-bodied men in the city have been transferred north to fight for farmland."

"The officer knows."

Liu Zhaosun picked up a flintlock rifle and pointed the muzzle at Kang Yingqian with a calm expression. Kang Yingqian did not dare to breathe, for fear that the gun would suddenly go off.

Ping Liaohou lowered his flintlock rifle and looked at the weathered-looking Mao Yuanyi. The Red Cannon improvement project had been suspended, and the workshop was short of both manpower and money.

The temperament exuded by Mao Yuanyi is similar to that of Xu Xiake, but he is not as crazy as Xu Xiake.

Ping Liaohou believed that the red cannon was too heavy and too expensive to produce. It was barely suitable for siege but not for field battles.

The next stage of artillery research and development will focus on light field guns.

Ping Liaohou asked the workshop to design a lightweight falconet that only required two gunners to operate. This way, the artillery could advance with the infantry on the battlefield and provide fire support for infantry attacks.

Liu Zhaosun still feels a lingering fear when he recalls the day when he launched the Divine Fire Crow on the north bank of the Hun River and was almost killed by the rocket of the Prodigal Son.

He did not blame Song Yingxing. After all, a rocket without a stabilizer could only do the Brownian motion it wanted.

The time traveler drew a stabilizer-like figure on a piece of white paper and asked Lei Jiangtou and his team to develop and test it to see if they could improve the hit rate of the Divine Fire Flying Crow.

The Congreve rockets of this era were no less powerful than artillery in actual combat. The Divine Fire Crow would be the Kaiyuan Army's next research and development focus.

Ping Liaohou finished his rambling speech. Song Yingxing, Mao Yuanyi, and Lei Jiangtou all looked up at him, wanting to say something but stopping themselves.

Song Yingxing hesitated and said:

"Marquis Ping Liao, improvements aren't difficult, but adding rifling and making the falconet lighter will cost a lot of money and require a large number of manpower. Otherwise..."

Ping Liaohou waved his hand and said disapprovingly:

"I will provide the money and the people. First, make a sample and inform me before the test. I will go and take a look."

"Although the Jiannu have retreated, the battle is not over yet."

~~~~~~~~
On the same day, Liu Zhaosun listened to the work report of the civil affairs department and went to the wounded camp to provide relief to the wounded.

He had lunch with Zhan Bing in the camp and discussed the location of the new shop with Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Dudu hoped to locate it in Tieling. Compared with Kaiyuan, Tieling's business was more prosperous and the location was better.

Liu Zhaosun insisted on setting up the company in Kaiyuan. The trading company was bound to grow and prosper, and the huge cash flow and vast quantities of goods would inevitably give some people second thoughts. Keeping it in Kaiyuan should be a safe bet.

When all the work was done, it was already dark, and only then did I remember that I had to go back for the banquet.

Yang Qing'er and Jin Yuji were still waiting for him. Finally, he turned down the visits from the two wealthy families and asked them to send the maids over in a few days. He asked the guards to spend the night in the military camp outside the city, and hurried back to the city alone.

At dusk, he dragged his tired body and knocked on the door of the general's mansion. After a while, the fat maid Jin'er came out to greet him.

"My Lord, please come in quickly. My Lady can't wait any longer."

Liu Zhaosun blew on his fingers, feeling that his hands were about to be frozen off. The scales on his legs shone with cold light. He came from the military camp in such a hurry that he didn't change into a cloak. It was the middle of winter, a time when people could be frozen to death.

The sun had just set, and he felt as if his whole body was thrown into an ice cellar. Trembling, he followed the maid, walked past the screen wall and the front yard, turned a few corners, and arrived at the backyard of the general's mansion.

In the wing room in the southwest corner of the backyard, the lights were flickering and a faint aroma of wine wafted out from inside. Liu Zhaosun was attracted by the smell of wine and took a few steps forward. He heard Jin Yuji and Bumbutai playing drinking games in the distance.

"We had a great time."

Marquis Ping Liao shrank his neck and took the mink fur from the maid and wrapped himself in it.

It was already time for lighting. Someone was heard coming in from the courtyard gate. Yang Qing'er peeked out the window and saw Liu Zhaosun coming towards them. She quickly said to the two of them:

"My lord is almost freezing to death. Bring me another stove."

Bumbutai put down her crossed legs and immediately got busy.

There were some dishes on the table, with a wine jug in the middle. Jin Yuji and Yang Qing'er went out to greet them. Seeing her husband trembling, Yang Qing'er said:
"Why are you back so late, sir?"

Before Liu Zhaosun could answer, he lifted the door curtain and felt a warm sensation, as if it were March.

"Song Yingxing's younger brother opened a shop. He was delayed there this afternoon..."

Jin Yuji hurriedly called out, "Peony, pour some tea."

He then realized that the fat maid was called Shaoyao. He took a sip of tea and saw that the dishes on the table were still steaming.

"It's better to fight. It's not so busy. I don't have time to eat all day."

As he spoke, he grabbed two steamed buns and began to eat them with the mutton. Jin Yuji quickly closed the door, came in and said with a smile:
"Are you starving, sir? Let's play drinking games after we finish eating!"

Liu Zhaosun saw several wine bottles on the table, picked up one at random, and found it half empty.

Hold Jin Yuji.

"Your injury hasn't healed yet, drink less."

Jin Yuji laughed and said:
"It's rare that your Excellency is in such a good mood, so I'll spend some time with you. Old Song said a few drinks wouldn't hurt."

Bumbutai's face was slightly smoky, and it was unknown how much she had drunk. This Mongolian girl could drink a lot at such a young age.

"How's your study lately, little girl?"

"She just beat up her teacher. No teacher in Kaiyuan dares to teach her anymore."

Yang Qing'er and Jin Yuji set up a round rosewood table on the kang, and Shaoyao squatted outside on the brazier to filter wine.

Bumbutai brought a stove. She was unaware that others were saying bad things about her. She was drunk and stared at Liu Zhaosun.

"Brother, I won't marry a Tartar. How about marrying you?"

Liu Zhaosun knocked Bumbutai on the head with his chopsticks.

"Marry you, you big-headed ghost! Study hard! If you dare to hit your teacher again, I will send you to Hetuala to be Huang Taiji's wife!"

Bumbutai was half sober and didn't dare to talk nonsense anymore.

The room gradually warmed up. Jin Yuji said with a smile, "Why is it so hot? Let's take off our clothes."

Yang Qing'er glanced at her and said, "If you want to take it off, take it off. Have you been taking it off often these days when you went to Shenyang to fight?"

The two women were about to fight again.

At this time, Liu Zhaosun was holding a chicken leg in his mouth and quickly waved to Jin Yuji.

Jin Yuji glared at Yang Qing'er, took off her mink coat, casually tied her hair with her hair tied up, and wore a close-fitting short coat. Her figure was quite charming, and there was a crescent-shaped arrow mark on her waist.

"Just now, who said that you wanted to get the official drunk and take advantage of the opportunity to do that? Now you are pretending to be serious. You are so two-faced. Forget it. I'd better go play with my little sister."

Jin Yuji looked at Bumbutai and said, "Little sister, do you still dare to play?"

"Why not?"

Bumbutai acted like a little gangster, holding a bottle of wine, and sat down to continue playing finger-guessing games.

Liu Zhaosun finished his chicken leg, picked up a pig's foot, and said loudly, "Hey, little sister, you can't drink too much."

Jin Yuji and Bumbutai leaned against the kang and played finger-guessing games, turning back to glance at their husband from time to time.

Yang Qing'er hurriedly put some food into Liu Zhaosun's bowl.

He ate a few quick mouthfuls, then picked up the nearby wine jug and emptied it in one gulp. Seeing her husband in high spirits, Yang Qing'er ordered Shaoyao to pour another jug. Liu Zhaosun rarely drank, and after a tiring day, he felt a bit dazed after just three cups and two glasses.

The three of them looked over and saw that he was still wearing armor. Jin Yuji laughed and said, "Since we are at a banquet, why are you wearing armor? When you reach the boudoir of the Imperial Madam, you should also take off your armor and enter the red tent."

Liu Zhaosun had no choice but to take off his fish-scale armor, remove his iron arms, and wear the crane robe of a third-rank civil official.

The three of them giggled when they saw him like this.

"Brother, take it off again! Take it off again!"

Bumbutai's face flushed red, and she shouted loudly with passion.

Liu Zhaosun was frightened by her and rolled up the sleeves of his robe, as if he was going to go to the fields to catch fish.

"Why are you taking it off? Let's play a drinking game. Whoever loses drinks. Call the maid Shaoyao over too. It will be more lively with more people."

Liu Zhaosun was thinking about what kind of drinking game would be fun, with a solemn expression, as if he was back on the battlefield.

Shaoyao brought a bucket of charcoal and sat down by the kang.

The side room was filled with spring. Yang Qing'er took off her long coat and put on a three-color satin jacket with a dark green long skirt underneath. She looked up at her husband, appearing more charming and attractive, her eyes as clear as autumn water.

Liu Zhaosun said to Bumbutai: "Be more polite and don't shout. If Kang Yingqian hears you, he will shout tomorrow that he wants to give me King Kong..."

Liu Zhaosun spoke out of turn after drinking and quickly stopped talking.

Of the four women present, only Bumbutai did not understand the meaning of this sentence, while the other three covered their mouths and laughed softly.

Yang Qing'er curled her lips and glanced at Jin Yuji, then smiled at Liu Zhaosun and said, "My lord, you are still young, so don't eat those things carelessly."

Jin Yuji thought Yang Qing'er was blaming her and said with a smile:

"What do you need that medicine for? My lord, you are so calm. I was injured in the Hun River that day. I have many wounds all over my body. You helped me apply the medicine..."

"So what? I even entered the bridal chamber!"

Yang Qing'er responded tit for tat and showed no sign of weakness.

Seeing that the two girls were about to drive again, Liu Zhaosun hurriedly stopped and sighed in his heart that the openness of the customs in the Ming Dynasty was far beyond his imagination.

"Can you still play some drinking games? I've been listening to you two blabbering away all night. I finally got a little break, so don't waste it."

The two women glared at each other, and Daming's best friend immediately turned into a love rival again.

Jin Yuji said, "Take the dice and let's grab the red."

Yang Qing'er said, "It's boring and not good. How about a game of quizzical quizzes?"

Shefu is a drinking game played by scholars, and is said to be very high-end.

An object is covered under a container such as an Ou or Yu, and people are asked to guess what is inside. They are also required to use allusions to give the answer.

Only scholars like Yuan Chonghuan and Sun Chuanting who were Jinshi graduates could play this kind of drinking game.

Jin Yu Ji is not good enough, let alone Liu Zhaosun.

Liu Zhaosun knew that the Imperial Lady wanted to embarrass Jin Yuji. He looked at the arrowhead on the gong belt and said to everyone with a smile:

"Qiāng Hóng is too vulgar, Séfēi is too elegant, neither is good."

Jin Yuji and Yang Qing'er asked in unison: "What should we play?"

Liu Zhaosun grabbed the dozen or so light arrows from the arrow box.

"Tossing pots."

"We don't care about etiquette, we don't need those literati's elaborate formalities. No matter if it's Yi'er, Guan'er, Xiaojian, Sanjian, or Quanhu, (Note 1) we just play directly, and the loser drinks."

Jin Yuji smiled and said, "This is good, this drinking game is good, I haven't played it for a long time."

Yang Qing'er smiled and said, "It's been a while since I last played. I used to play often in my father's army, but he was never my match."

"Then let's compete?"

"Bibi, just Bibi!"

The two sides were on the verge of a fight and started immediately.

Shaoyao took out a bamboo-carved fortune stick holder, shook out all the fortune sticks inside, and used the holder as a simple quiver.

Liu Zhaosun casually took out one, turned his back to the crowd, and recited the hexagram under the candlelight.

"The dormant dragon has emerged, its horns have grown, clouds are rising and rain is falling..."

This was clearly the riddle given to me by the old Taoist priest of Taiqing Palace that day. Why did I meet it again here?

There are three thousand Daoist methods, all of which are beyond description. Could it be that the Daoist really has supernatural powers?
Liu Zhaosun was terrified and was about to look at the back of the book to determine whether it would be good or bad luck, but he heard Yang Qing'er laughing.

"General An Yuan, you are no match for me. Let's get someone else!"

Looking back, Jin Yuji looked bewildered and murmured:
"We actually lost."

After saying that, she stepped forward and counted the number of arrows that hit the pot.

"One, two, three, four, five"

In total, he made five fewer shots than Yang Qing'er.

Yang Qing'er said with a smile, "Alright, General Anyuan, five glasses of wine as punishment! Drink quickly!"

Jin Yuji did not deny it. She grabbed the wine bottle on the kang, poured five glasses of wine on the table, and drank them all in one gulp.

Bumbutai took over Jin Yuji's position, took ten light arrows, stood in front of the window five or six steps away from the fortune-telling box, stood on tiptoe, concentrated all her attention, shot two arrows, and both hit the target.

Yang Qing'er didn't look at her either, but turned back to look at her husband and the Korean girl, and saw that Jin Yuji was still whispering something to her husband.

She took the arrow and threw it at the bamboo sticks. The light arrows in her hands seemed to have wings and flew obediently into the stick tube. Bumbutai was dumbfounded and looked at the lady with admiration.

Seeing that his wife had defeated two people in a row and was invincible, Shaoyao surrendered voluntarily and drank three cups of penalty wine.

Liu Zhaosun was about to go up and play, but Jin Yuji got there first. Yang Qinger looked at Jin Yuji's graceful figure, frowned slightly and said:
"What? Still want to compete?"

Jin Yuji didn't say anything, grabbed the arrow, and stared at the lottery box.

As a result, he lost even more miserably this time, losing six arrows.

With a blushing face, Jin Yuji poured six glasses of wine, raised one glass, and her body swayed like a small boat.

Liu Zhaosun was heartbroken. He supported her, grabbed the wine glass, and drank it with a smile.

"Madam, they are no match for you. Let me play with you."

Liu Zhaosun used to follow his adoptive father Liu Jing in many battles, and he was an expert at throwing pots in the army!
"Since the sir is willing to drink for others, I will let you drink a few more glasses!"

As Yang Qing'er spoke, she moved closer. Liu Zhaosun was raising his hand to shoot an arrow, and a faint fragrance wafted into the air.

"Don't make trouble."

~~~~~~~
I had a deep sleep and didn’t know where I was going.

When dawn broke, Jin Yuji opened her eyes and saw the sky was already bright and clear in the east. She said hurriedly, "Oh no! It's too late! I still have to go inspect the garrison today."

He glanced at the bed and saw Bumbutai with her head resting on the edge of the kang, still asleep. He quickly got up and called her.

Liu Zhaosun had already turned over and woke up, and said comfortingly: "It's not too late, Yuan Chonghuan hasn't arrived yet."

Jin Yuji quickly pushed Bumbutai to her feet. The little girl sat up, still rubbing her eyes in a daze.

Yang Qing'er had already finished washing and dressing, and walked in gracefully. She said to Bumbutai and Jin Yuji with a smile, "You two are not shy. You are drunk and don't choose where to lie down. You all lie down with the master."

When they saw that they were on the same bed with Liu Zhaosun and that his clothes were neatly arranged, they hurriedly got up from the bed and said,
“We can’t remember how.”

Liu Zhaosun smiled and said, "It's okay, I can't remember it either."

After that, he put on his fish-scale armor and prepared to go out to find Yuan Chonghuan. Yang Qing'er and Jin Yuji hurried forward to help him wash and dress.

Jin Yuji helped him tidy up his hair and iron helmet, while Yang Qing'er put on the official robe and fish-scale armor for Liu Zhaosun.

The time traveler closed his eyes, surrounded by the faint body fragrance of the two girls. The noise in the street suddenly faded away. His tense nerves of the past few days gradually relaxed, and he felt a sense of relief that he had never felt before.

Note:
1. "Continuous Hits" (the second arrow hits the target in a row), "Piercing the Ear" (the arrow shot into the ear of the pot), "Scattered Arrows" (the first arrow misses the target, but the second arrow is shot in), "Entire Pot" (all arrows hit the target), "End" (the arrows that do not hit the pot), "Smart Arrow" (the arrow shot into the pot bounces out and then hits the pot again).

(End of this chapter)