Chapter 228 Defense Map of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun

An hour later, the banquet began.

It is said that more women means more trouble.

But no woman, including the wife of Duke Qi, would be stupid enough to come to the ‘Loyal and Brave Marquis’ Mansion to make trouble.

So the backyard seemed to be full of joy.

As for the front yard, a small incident occurred during the banquet.

The reason was that Chen Daniu, under the instruction of Wei Yuan, pretended to have drunk too much and wanted to challenge the envoys of Liao and Xia, saying that he wanted to ‘make friends with martial arts’.

When this happened, many people were a little surprised.

After all, at the official banquets of the Great Zhou, it was basically the envoys of Liao and Xia who made such troubles.

They wanted to mock the lack of martial virtue in the Great Zhou by taking advantage of drunkenness.

Until now, how come the generals of the Great Zhou deliberately provoked, and the envoys of Liao and Xia were unwilling to fight?

Wei Yuan even fanned the flames, hoping that the world would not be in chaos.

"I heard that no matter what kind of banquet our Great Zhou held in the past, as long as the envoys of the two countries were present, they would make friends with force. Why are they cowardly now?"

He used the word "cowardly".

The faces of the envoys from Liao and Xia immediately became ugly.

Respond to the challenge? With Wei Yuan here, the Great Zhou can be guaranteed to be invincible.

If they don't respond to the challenge, they will lose face for their country.

The Liao envoy slowly stood up and bowed to Wei Yuan solemnly:

"Lord Wei, today is your family's banquet, it is not appropriate to use force, how about another day?"

Basically, the envoys sent to the Great Zhou by the two countries are very proficient in the culture and language of the Great Zhou.

Wei Yuan shook his head and said, "Ten years ago, when our emperor celebrated his 40th birthday, your Liao Kingdom proposed to make friends with martial arts at the emperor's birthday banquet."

"At that time, your Liao Kingdom was full of style, winning three battles and three victories. Our emperor said that it was not appropriate to use force at the birthday banquet, but you said that you were still not satisfied and should continue the competition."

"Why don't you dare now?"

He emphasized the words "dare not" very much.

Then, he looked deeply at Chen Daniu.

The latter immediately understood, and immediately stretched out his hand, and lifted up the Liao envoy with brute force, laughing:

"No wonder you don't dare to fight, you are so weak, I'm afraid you will be beaten by my punch."

Another Liao envoy immediately slammed the table and said angrily:

"How dare you! We are envoys of the Liao Dynasty, how dare you!"

Chen Daniu threw the Liao envoy aside with a little force, and said angrily: "You are just a country chicken and a clay dog, you can't stand a blow!"

The other Liao envoys were all unable to Tolerance,

"Lord Wei, what do you mean? We came to this banquet only after your invitation!"

"You Zhou country is bullying too much!"

"."

Wei Yuan laughed disapprovingly: "Bullying too much? How is my Zhou envoy in your Liao country? I don't need to say more, right?"

"In our Great Zhou, this is called giving someone a taste of their own medicine. If you don't accept it, fight with our soldiers. Do you dare?"

When has the Great Zhou been so tough?

The sentence "I don't know if I dare" directly aroused the strong fighting spirit of the surrounding generals, and they all laughed:

"I don't know if I dare?!"

"Why did you dare before, but not now?"

"Didn't you Liao and Xia countries say that my Great Zhou has no martial virtue? Don't you dare to fight with us?"

"General Chen is mighty! I've been displeased with them for a long time!"

"."

Faced with these noisy voices, the Liao envoy finally chose not to make a public statement and swallowed the matter.

If a fight really breaks out, Chen Daniu alone will be enough to make them suffer.

They really don't dare.

They can't stay here any longer, so they simply leave with the Xia envoy.

The envoys of the two countries have been wondering about one thing on their way back to the official post.

In the past, even when the so-called Wu Xianggong was alive, few people dared to provoke the two countries.

Why do they dare now?

Why did so many young generals with amazing military power suddenly appear?

Little did they know that most of the young generals they saw were the team brought by Wei Yuan from Daizhou.

After thinking for a while, they could only get one message.

That is, the Great Zhou today is not afraid of provoking a war.

As soon as the envoys of the two countries left, Han Zhang and others discussed the matter.

"Is it too risky to use this method to inform the two countries that our Great Zhou is not afraid of actively provoking a war? What if the Liao envoy cannot bear the humiliation and the Liao Kingdom really wants to cross the Great Wall on horseback? What should we do?"

"Wei Hou has been fighting against the Liao Kingdom for many years. How could he not know what kind of character the Liao Kingdom is? We don't want to provoke a war, but the Liao Kingdom dares to do it?"

"If Liao and Xia are of one mind, the Xia envoy should stand up when the Liao envoy is humiliated. It can be seen that the alliance between Liao and Xia is not airtight."

"After Chen Yuanzhi's commotion, I remember what Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once said, if the enemy can go, I can go too."

"That's right. When did our Great Zhou dare to take the initiative to provoke or challenge them to a duel at any banquet with envoys from the two countries? Chen Yuanzhi, or Wei Hou, has set a good example."

"Today's banquet is a success."

"."

Backyard

The news that Chen Daniu humiliated the Liao envoy soon reached Zhang Guifen and others.

For a time, many people started to discuss it,

"Taking the initiative to provoke the Liao envoy? This General Chen is really brave!"

"It is said that this General Chen came from Daizhou with Lord Wei and killed Liao soldiers with real swords and guns."

"It really boosts the ambition of our Celestial Empire!"

"."

Mentioning Chen Daniu, Zhang Guifen suddenly thought of her other mission today.

After searching for a long time, I finally found Qin Jianjia, the young daughter of the Duke of Fuguo.

This girl is only fourteen years old now, not yet old enough to discuss marriage seriously.

However, there is no girl who is not pregnant, so it is good to ask others what they mean first.

After the banquet, many people were not in a hurry to leave. They finally got together. Of course, they wanted to use the treasure of Zhongyong Hou Mansion to connect and bond.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang Guifen called Qin Jianjia to an uninhabited area and asked, "Do you know the General Chen they were talking about just now?"

Qin Jianjia was a little confused at first. The Zhang family sister was so good, so what did she do to her?

When asked about General Chen, he immediately said: "On the day of my sister's wedding, my sister met General Chen. That general was quite interesting."

interesting?

Zhang Guifen's brows were filled with joy, "You mean, you like him?"

Like it?

Qin Jianjia frowned slightly and instantly understood Zhang Guifen's intention. She blushed and said:

"I only have a one-time relationship with General Chen, so how can we say we like each other?"

Zhang Guifen looked at her expression and thought it was funny, and said:

"Just tell the truth to my sister. General Chen likes you. If you feel that you have some affection for him, come to the Marquis Mansion another day so that you can meet again."

like me?

Qin Jianjia said: "Since ancient times, marriage matters have been dictated by matchmakers, parents, me, me."

Zhang Guifen said: "If you have a good impression, I will come to propose marriage on General Chen's behalf. How about that?"

Qin Jianjia thought for a while, then suddenly shook her head and said, "My brother said that he would not let me negotiate with General Chen any more."

Zhang Guifen said seriously: "This matter has little to do with your brother. The main thing is how you think about it."

Qin Jianjia's voice became softer and softer, "I don't know. But if my parents knew about it, they might break my legs when I meet my husband."

Zhang Guifen smiled and said, "If you are worried about this, don't worry. It's all my fault. Do your parents still want to punish me?"

Qin Jianjia stamped her foot, "Oh, sister, that's not what I meant. It's just..."

"That's all, let's not talk about it for now. Forgive me, sister. It's late and it's time for sister to go back."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Zhang Guifen looked at her leaving figure and murmured: "Does Duke Fu control this girl so strictly?"

"No wonder this girl is always missing when I get together with Rong Feiyan and the others."

"That's all, let's choose a good day and go to the Duke Fuguo's mansion in person to find out what my uncle and aunt have to say."

Another place.

Minglan is chatting with Hualan.

After Hualan married into Uncle Zhongqin's residence, she realized that this seemingly magnificent residence was actually rotten to the core.

The government's expenses can be said to be beyond its means.

When Hualan got married, she took away a lot of generous dowry.

But now, those dowries are about to be wiped out by her mother-in-law.

Hearing this, Minglan became very angry.

"I'm using your dowry to supplement my family's income, and yet I'm trying to make things difficult for you everywhere. What's the point of this?"

Hua Lan sighed and said, "Sixth sister doesn't know something. No matter how poor the uncle's house is, it is still the uncle's house after all, and the family status is there."

"No matter how rich our Sheng family is, in the eyes of others, we are just a small family."

"Your sister has always been gentle in temperament and never fought or grabbed anything. That's good for me."

"I heard that there are some vicious mothers-in-law in noble families who beat and scold their daughters-in-law at every turn."

Minglan said: "When the eldest sister got married, my uncle also went."

"Could it be that Uncle Zhongqin's house wants to punish you too, just for my uncle's sake?"

Hua Lan said bluntly: "When I first got married, my father-in-law and mother-in-law hoped to get acquainted with Uncle Wei through me, but as you know what happened later, Uncle Wei didn't give any face to Uncle Zhongqin's house."

"I can't blame your uncle for this. After all, I am grateful that my uncle from the Wei family can come to my wedding."

"Later, it was also my fault that my eldest sister was so unlucky that she was unable to continue the Yuan family's heirs."

Minglan frowned and said, "Sister, I've wronged you."

Hua Lan shook his head, "Speaking of which, I do envy your aunt. As women, I'm afraid that no matter how many lives we have, we still won't be able to compare to your aunt."

Minglan was thinking at this time, what would the family she would marry be like in the future?

After the banquet, Minglan informed Zhang Guifen about her eldest sister. After hearing this, she said:

"Not only are others envious, but sometimes I also envy myself. To be able to meet a man like your uncle means I have nothing else to ask for in this life."

"but."

When she said this, she held Minglan's jade hand and said sincerely:

"I can't control other people's affairs, and I don't want to, but if you get married in the future and encounter this kind of thing, I will definitely support you."

"Or, if you wait two years later, I will personally find a good family for you and marry you off in a glorious way."

Minglan smiled and said, "Auntie, you are talking as if I am your daughter."

"Also, isn't my aunt used to being a matchmaker?"

Zhang Guifen did not joke with her, but said seriously: "Niece, daughter, they are all the same."

"You call me aunt, and I will do my best to protect you and ensure that you have a good marriage."

Minglan was moved in her heart.

My uncle and aunt treated me so well that I may never be able to repay it in my lifetime.

——

After the banquet, Zhang Guifen started preparing for Lin Zhaoyuan's marriage.

The day after tomorrow, Wei Yuan went to Ningyuan Hou Mansion.

At this time, Gu Yankai was already extremely weak.

The last time he came here, when he saw the other party, he could still barely walk on his own, but now, even with the help of others, he could hardly get out of the bed.

Seeing this, Wei Yuan couldn't help but ask: "What kind of disease does Uncle Gu have? Is it really difficult to cure it with medicine and stone?"

When he came to Gu Yankai's bed, Gu Yankai deliberately dismissed everyone.

Hearing this, Gu Yankai shook his head.

"I have a loss of energy and blood. In the past, I seemed to be no different from ordinary people, but I just relied on one breath."

"But if I vent that tone, I will naturally die soon."

Wei Yuan sighed, "Uncle Gu called my nephew to come here, but what else do I need to explain?"

Gu Yankai struggled to hand a picture under his pillow to Wei Yuan.

The latter was shocked when he saw it, "The defense map of Yanyun's Sixteenth Prefecture? How did Uncle Gu get this map?"

Even though the Imperial City Department had spent many manpower and material resources, they still couldn't find out anything about this map.

But does Gu Yankai actually have this picture?

How could he not be shocked by this?

Gu Yankai spoke slowly: "With you here, I can rest assured about Ting Ye's future affairs."

"The only one who feels unwilling to do so now is Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures."

"When I was young, like you, I also threatened to recover the Sixteenth State of Yanyun, but you and I both know that it is too difficult. It is so difficult that it cannot be accomplished in one generation."

"This defense map is from 20 years ago. I seized it. I have one copy for the officials and one copy for me."

"Later, there was a fire in the palace, and the official defense plan was destroyed. Now, this is the only one in the entire Zhou Dynasty."

"If you have the opportunity to lead an army out of the border in the future, this defense map may be useful to you."

Others don't know the meaning of this defense map.

But Wei Yuan knew.

Why is Zhang Fu called a general who is good at guarding?

Among the famous generals from ancient times, who would want to be known as a good guard?

There is no exact defense plan, and all the situations in Yanyun's sixteen states are a mystery to Dazhou.

Although the Imperial City Division often sends people to Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, the information that can be obtained is only some basic information, which is far less meaningful than this defense map.

"Does the official know about this picture?" Wei Yuan asked.

Gu Yankai shook his head and said: "I had selfish motives at the time, thinking that with this map, the Sixteenth State of Yanyun would be within easy reach. However, it was only because I was too young and energetic at the time."

"The defense map presented to the officials was the original version that was captured. I drew this map myself one stroke at a time, thinking that it would be useful when I go out to fight one day."

"I am handing this map to you today. I hope it will be useful to you. However, times have changed and the defense map from twenty years ago will be difficult to use today."

Wei Yuan took a deep breath, took the picture, and bowed solemnly to Gu Yankai:

"Uncle Gu, please rest assured that throughout his life, my nephew will make it his mission to recover the Sixteenth State of Yanyun."

Gu Yankai nodded and said feebly: "I can only help you so far."

When Wei Yuan left, Gu Yankai tried his best to say his last words to Wei Yuan,

"Gu family, Tingye, please leave it to your nephew."

Why does Gu Yankai value Gu Tingye?

The reason is simple, because in the entire Gu family, Gu Tingye is the most suitable successor.

Gu Tingyu is in poor health and may leave someday.

Xiao Qin's son is incompetent and embarrassed.

Gu Yankai thought about it and thought that only Gu Tingye could support the Ningyuan Hou Mansion.

Wei Yuan believes that in noble families such as Bo's Mansion and Hou's Mansion, the relationship between father and son is actually very weak.

Everything is based on family priority. Therefore, it is hard to say how much the father-son affection accounts for Gu Yankai's emphasis on Gu Tingye.

After leaving Gu Mansion and getting on the chariot, Wei Yuan took a serious look at Yanyun's Sixteen Prefecture Defense Map.

He was also thinking, when there was a fire in the palace and the Yanyun defense map in the hands of the officials was burned, why didn't the officials order someone to draw more copies of the map?

After thinking about it, there is only one reason that can be explained clearly.

The official family has never thought of regaining the sixteen states of Yanyun.

"The defense map from twenty years ago. What kind of changes will there be in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun twenty years later?"

Wei Yuan murmured.

He is now extremely sure that one day in the future, sooner or later, he will go to the land of Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures to take a look, or not just take a look.

After all, no one can take an inch of the ancestral land from others.