Compared to Liu Acheng's childish management style, Huan Wen's house is much stricter.
Countless maids, Slave Retainers, perform their duties under the command of various stewards. Almost every level of Slave Retainers has differences in clothing, from those who manage carriages and horses in front of the door to those who patrol with swords and axes. The sight and the person who guided them to the entrance were all different. In fact, it was just this guide that changed three times while passing through different places along the way. There was one group of people entering the front yard, another group of people waiting for the young female historian on the corridor, and finally two older female historians.
There is nothing cynical about Liu Acheng's routine, and he even feels a little casual about Huan Wen, who has already mastered half of Great Jin.
After all, for Huan Wen's sake, his family and home are no longer his personal matters. In other words, according to what Emperor Wen of Han said back then, his personal matters are no longer private matters. From the perspective of maintaining the safety of himself and his family and maintaining relationships with relatives, officials, and subordinates, Huan Wen is even obviously backward here.
Following the guidance of the two elder female historians and accompanied by Huan Xin, Xi, Liu and Fu met the two legitimate sons of Huan Wen for the first time, namely the eldest son Huan Xi and the second son Huan Ji. However, these two brothers did not come to greet them, but to drive them away.
"Aniang said that after not seeing her old friend South of the Yangtze for a long time, not to mention it was the New Year, she felt sad when she saw her, so she asked the three of us brothers to accompany the three of us to drink fragrant tea." Huan Xi put his hands behind his hands and said with a smile. "Please take a rest for the three of you until the dinner, she disappeared."
Xi Chao took the lead, and the three of them saluted and said yes. Then they were polite enough to Huan Xi, and after a brief introduction, Huan Xi and Xi Chao were in the front, and the remaining four people lined up separately and folded out.
It was all in vain.
However, from the inside out, the three of them felt no dissatisfaction throughout the whole process, and were even just grateful.
This is mainly because Huan Xi's mother-in-law Sima Xingnan's status is too high... She is not only Huan Wen's first wife, but also Emperor Ming's eldest daughter, and her age and seniority are also there.
In this case, Huan Wen asked Huan Xin to lead people here as soon as they entered, highlighting the meaning of Liu Acheng's previous New Year's gift to Slave Retainers, which was to condescend to others, to win over people, to influence people, and to express closeness in the same way as a wife comes to meet her children.
I, Huan Wen, not only regard the three of you as my subordinates, but also as my juniors. We, Family and State as One, are a public-private partnership.
So they went all the way to the innermost floor of Sima Xingnan's residence.
It's just the same sentence. Princess's status and age are there, so it's enough to give you symbolic permission to come to this place. It's normal to be impatient to personally meet several strangers, not to mention letting your eldest son take the lead to continue completing this family-friendly ceremony, which already gives you enough face.
The six people walked around and arrived at a side hall, where as expected, they were served fragrant tea.
Liu Cheng and Fu Hong made a tacit agreement to keep their mouths shut, and Huan Ji and Huan Xin over there also kept quiet and allowed Xi Chao to deal with Huan Xi.
To be honest, it's really not bad. Liu Cheng listened and looked at it, and found that although Huan Xi was impatient in his bones, he could still maintain it on the surface. This was really good... The eldest son from such a family background, considering that the emperor was still so young, the North is completely broken again. The man in front of him who is about to become an adult can almost be regarded as the most wealthy husband in the world, Zhen Donggong Crown Prince without a hat. This kind of person abandons all kinds of relatives and family members during the Chinese New Year and is willing to accompany you to perfunctory and pretend to be a polite and virtuous corporal. What else can he care about?
That is to say, with the identity of Xi Chao, it is the first time to come to the Huan family to celebrate the New Year, which is of great significance. Otherwise, there are two Northern Migrant Shan Familys, Liu Acheng and Fu Hong. Even if they have the position of shogunate, it is estimated that Huan Xin, the third child, will not come to pick him up.
I had to sit at the door for a while, waiting for Huan Wen to wake up in the afternoon, see Name Card, and nod before I could come in.
The so-called dealings actually meant gossiping, mainly Huan Xi talking about some of Jing and Xiang's scenery, and Xi Chao talking about some of South of the Yangtze's characters. About a quarter of an hour later, the eldest son Huan got up, as if to go to his convenience, threw the topic to his second brother Huan Ji, and left the table in silence.
Liu Cheng also had something to do. After waiting for a while, he simply took the opportunity to leave the table. After he came out, he asked about the toilet.
Huan Wen The toilet here is very simple. Not to mention the maid waiting inside, there is not even a red date to block the nose. Liu Acheng washed his hands, but did not go back. Instead, he looked at the smoke and walked directly there.
And he said it bluntly, saying that he saw White Sheep on the post he sent before, and he was curious about the difference between it and ordinary sheep. Should he eat it tomorrow or both days?
The maid waiting at the door was at a loss, but she didn't dare to stop her. She could only follow behind with a sad face, giving directions along the way. Liu Cheng also had a clear purpose. She went to the kitchen of the side courtyard and found the cook. As expected, she asked White Sheep and found out that she would only eat it tomorrow. Then she felt relieved and turned back to the original side hall, which made the maid puzzled.
After coming back, Liu Cheng, who was already very rude, suddenly discovered something, that is, he had gone to the kitchen for a walk, but Mr. Huan hadn't come back yet?
Could it be constipation?
After chatting for a while, everyone finally determined that the eldest young master must have been entangled in something, or that he was impatient to continue talking and just left... But if you leave, at least let someone come over and give you a perfunctory explanation through your two brothers, right?
Just because your identity is here, it doesn't mean that you are not allowed to slip away.
But no, after a long time, someone finally came, but it was Huan Wen calling them to the dinner.
This matter ends here, and it is completely confirmed that Huan Xi left without saying goodbye.
And Xi Chao was a little angry.
It's understandable, it was obviously contempt, but Liu Acheng still found it acceptable, and even pulled Xi Jiabin's belt to persuade him not to show his emotions.
Of course, this acceptance only makes sense from the perspective of Huan Xi. Maybe he has his own team, and Xi Chao, Liu Cheng, Fu Hong, although they are young but have already entered the officialdom, will be his father's heart in the next twenty years. People don't want to have more contact with someone who is a good person; or maybe it's because Huan Wen's house lacks that kind of institutional thing. Someone should have smoothed things over for Mr. Crown Prince, but because there is no east palace system and the busy schedule during the New Year, there may be some problem in some link.
Just like that, when we arrived at the main banquet hall, the three brothers Huan Wen, Huan Mi, and Huan Chong were all there, Huan Wen was in the middle, and the two brothers were on the left and right, On the right side of where Huan Chong was sitting, there were several teenagers and young people who were obviously nephews and nephews of the Huan family. Seeing the five of them coming together, Huan Wen directly waved to the five of them to sit down on the left side according to their age. Don't be too polite.
This is the etiquette of treating three people as sons and nephews.
Of course, the three of them knew themselves and decisively sat at the end, even letting Xi Chao sit in front of them.
After sitting down, there was still no time to talk or have a banquet, because the three big men above talked about something serious, saying that the imperial court had just rejected Huan Wen Northern Expedition's petition, which had just been delivered by official ship yesterday. Xi, Liu, and Fu, along with several other Huan Clan disciples, were all there to listen.
It can be seen that Huan Wen is obviously really angry.
"Zhen'e, what do you think we should do?" After talking, Huan Wen suddenly turned his head, looked past his two younger brothers, and looked at a person in the seat who was about the same age as Huan Chong... This was not because this person looked older, but because Huan Chong had specially taken care of his image today to look particularly young.
Liu Acheng knew this person. When he went to Jingbei, he met Huan Huo once. He was the eldest son of Huan Huo's concubine. He was only seventeen during the Chinese New Year, but he personally led the army and became "Elite Soldier" Huan Qian.
Huan Qian said simply, "Reply to uncle, just ignore them, just like Conquest of Shu, just go up to the table and send troops at the same time!"
"Zhen'e is indeed my Qianli Ju. You must be so energetic! Have another drink later..." Huan Wen, who was obviously angry at first, smiled when he heard this, but turned around and saw his fourth brother The seat behind Huan Mi has always been empty, which is strange. "Where is Shitou (the eldest son Huan Xi)? Why is he the only one missing? Didn't you say that it was the first time we met and asked him to entertain Jiabin? Why is he the only one missing when they all arrived?"
Oh haha.
Liu Acheng looked at Fu Hong from behind almost instinctively. If Huan Xi's behavior before was considered rude no matter how serious it was, now it seems excessive - after all, the Huan family is now the master of half of the country. Since you Huan Xi have accepted your father's orders, this is serious official business, how can you still slip away?
Even if the Huan family is not the master of half of the country, and there is no such thing as a king being selfless, according to the clan system these days, it is still considered a serious mission of your father, how can he run away midway?
It can't be that it really fell into a manure pit? It should be cleaned after it fell, right?
"Reply Father." Huan Ji quickly stood up and excused himself. "Just before Father sent someone to call, Elder Brother just went to the toilet... I'll call him."
What the hell! He must be impatient with the social and military affairs here, especially because he is worried about being summoned, so he has long been hiding from his mother to "fulfill his filial piety". What does it mean to be better than a boudoir woman?!
Huan Wen didn't know his son, so his face collapsed on the spot, and his teeth were itching with hatred. He only glanced at the nephews and Xi Chao in the audience, and then forcefully suppressed it. "Go and call him quickly!"
With that said, he passed over Huan Xin, the third child who was eager to try, and landed on Xi Chao: "Jiabin, what do you think the court should do?"
Xi Chao hesitated to speak, but first looked back at Fu Hong and Liu Cheng: "What do brother and Ah Cheng think?"
"Hong dare not speak lightly about military affairs and court disputes." Fu Hong quickly stood up and confessed.
"Brother Zhen'e and I have the same opinion. Please ask for orders from behind and send troops to the front quickly. The best way is to take advantage of Di people's unsteady footing. As long as Di people is defeated, Guanzhong, although it is troublesome, can slowly take care of it." Liu Cheng stood up and raised his hands slightly upward. "Ming Gong, my intention has always been this, and it has never changed."
After saying that, I sat down and didn't forget to hold hands with Huan Qian.
Huan Wen nodded, still looking at Xi Chao.
Xi Chao thought for a moment, stood up and saluted. "Duke Huan, I actually thought the same thing as Ah Cheng, and there is something Ah Cheng didn't say, which I also think is very reasonable, that is, although the imperial court gathered troops, horses, food and grass along the Huai River region, it is actually impossible to get there. The next one, so much so that he took the initiative to come to Upper Reaches while we were attacking Guanzhong. However, as the saying goes, guarding against others is indispensable. If Duke Huan is determined to calculate clearly with Jiankang before sending troops, then why not use offense as defense?"
"How to use offense as defense?" Huan Wen asked seriously.
"I went to the imperial court and asked to replace Yin Hao in running Central Plains. At the same time, the whole army gathered Wuchang and prepared to go down the river from Wuchang, first to Jiankang and then to Huainan." Xi Chao responded seriously.
There was an obvious pause in the hall, and then Huan Mi frowned and asked, "Aren't you afraid of making things worse?"
"Yes, so what if the imperial court is not afraid of us?" Huan Chong also asked seriously.
"You two." Liu Cheng interjected from behind. "Now the imperial court has firmly refused to allow it, and everyone is afraid of the Huai River region armed forces and dare not send troops directly Guanzhong, so we have no choice but to do this. Besides, we don't really want to break up. If the court is frightened, it would be a good thing to directly promise us to go to Guanzhong. But if not, in order to maintain unity, this They should also compromise with each other and establish contact, such as taking the opportunity to ask Kuaiji celebrities to come out to guarantee and conclude key marriages, including inviting some Duke Huan trustworthy people to serve in the court, and letting some South of the Yangtze people come over Jing and Xiang... In this way, everyone trusts each other, and naturally they can relax and attack Guanzhong.
"And this is Jiabin's original intention to attack Shouzhi."
In fact, there is no need for Liu Cheng to explain. Huan Wen is in the main position and is already very satisfied with Xi Chao's answer.
To put it bluntly, it's not just that Xi Chao can see where his real worries are at a glance - he's afraid to directly go to Guanzhong, Yin Hao to bring someone to stab him in the back; it's not just that Xi Chao is willing to let go of his worries after understanding them His personal opinion turned into a feasible strategy that coincided with his own; more importantly, through this strategy Xi Chao clarified his own attitude. Since I voted for you, my attitude is clear, and I will help you Duke Huan deal with Lower Reaches.
You don't have to test it! It was my idea to go to Wuchang to intimidate Jiankang!
"Yes, this is the original intention of Jiabin to use offense as defense!" Huan Wen repeatedly slapped the case. "The court doesn't allow it, so what if we don't do it? After doing it, if they are frightened, it's okay. If they are not frightened, they take the opportunity to take a step back and establish mutual trust and close relationship. Only in this way can we continue Northern Expedition! Recover Central Plains!"
Everyone saw that Huan Wen had already had an idea, so of course they stopped arguing.
Liu Cheng guessed from below that Huan Wen really wanted to take the opportunity to weigh Lower Reaches and himself.
In addition, after half a year of activities in Jingzhou, he also realized that even for a military parade, there would probably be a lot of preparations. At the very least, the soldiers and horses of people like Champion General who surrendered in the north would have to be annexed first, and the army would have to be fully organized. In this case, most of next year will be wasted here.
And if you add in the political shock and peace talks with Lower Reaches, I'm afraid it will take a year.
But this is the correct strategic choice under Huan Wen Jiankang's standard thinking. Even Liu Acheng has already reacted. When he asked himself to go to Wuchang before, Huan Wen may have already made a decision in his heart. What about himself? What can he gain from this?
At this point, with the intention of being worthy of the family banquet seat given to him this time, he stood up again on his own initiative. "Duke Huan, I know that you have made up your mind, but as a subordinate, you must always be loyal and give advice... If you are determined to do so, you will naturally be willing to do so. I'm running for Duke Huan, but I still think there's no need to take Jiankang so seriously, and I should take Guanzhong first, because once the Wuchang direction is started, it will take years and months."
"Ah Cheng." Huan Wen was in a very good mood at this time. Instead of being angry, he was just as smiling as he was towards Huan Qian before. "I know your loyalty and ambition, but we have something to talk about first. I have already taken care of Guanzhong's matter. You don't need to say it anymore. You don't need to say it anymore. In the past few days, you can just have fun, eat and drink at my house."
Liu Acheng nodded and sat down with peace of mind. In other words, he had long understood that he had neither the ability nor the position to advise on this matter, just for peace of mind.
Everyone sat down, and after a while, the food and drinks began to be served. Liu Cheng all chatted with Huan Qian opposite Deng Xia about killing the dragon. Huan Xi finally arrived belatedly accompanied by Huan Ji.
Huan Wen, perhaps simply out of anger, or perhaps still holding on to his eldest son who was almost an adult, actually stopped the banquet and asked the other party the previous question, "Shitou, what do you think we should do?"
Huan Xi was obviously confused for a moment, and then said solemnly, "Do you want me to join the court as a hostage? Then the court may believe that Father is loyal."
There was silence for a moment.
To be fair, Liu Acheng still thinks Huan Crown Prince has no big problem. At least he has an idea to solve the problem and has the courage to sacrifice... The only problem is that he can't keep up with his father's idea. When others think you are half Crown Prince, why do you still think you are a rich and famous person? How long has it been since you two communicated? Of course, considering that his mother-in-law is Princess, it is impossible to say that he is loyal to the emperor and patriotic.
------I am the dividing line between three brothers------
Emperor Taizu Seeing Huan Xi brothers, Duke Huan asked privately, "How is my son?" Emperor Taizu said to him, "Like Wang Clan brothers, each has his own preferences for vanilla and fairy trees." Duke Huan Big sigh. When I see Right General Wang again next year, General of the Right also asks, "Huan Clan How are you guys doing?" Emperor Taizu also replies, "Just like the gentlemen in the public family and the vanilla and fairy trees, each has its own preferences." General of the Right was silent for a long time.
-- "New Account of Tales of the World".Words and Speech, Second.