The snowflakes are falling from north to south.
Of course, although the snowflakes in Yanshan are as big as a mat, when they reach Zhending Prefecture, they are only the size of goose feathers. When they reach the Yellow River, they just fall to the ground and melt.
Also in early November, in the capital city of the Song Dynasty, a light snowfall that was almost like fog came unexpectedly, attracting the attention of many people.
In fact, according to common sense, or according to the chaotic situation before the army set out, this snow should have attracted greater attention and even caused riots... On that day, Emperor Zhao suddenly launched the Northern Expedition . The reason why it caused the riot in the Yuetai camp outside the city was, of course, that the incident happened suddenly and the army acted too hastily, and on the other hand, it was also because the Song Dynasty did not follow the weather and sent troops in winter.
There was no way around it. Since ancient times, the people in the feudal era feared nothing more than freezing and starving. Emperor Zhao's act of going against heaven would naturally cause the soldiers in the imperial camp to rush to buy cold-proof clothing and food.
However, at this moment, with the successive victories in the front-line areas, especially in the Hedong direction, a large number of prefectures and cities have been recaptured, and the fact that Emperor Zhao personally led the army to fight has somewhat reduced the panic of the people in the early stages of the war.
Just as ordinary people used to care more about hunger and cold, the current judgment of the war situation in the market is mostly based on the official bulletins that say a city will be recovered today and a state will be recovered tomorrow... For ordinary people, this is something visible and tangible, and it is more useful than anything else.
What's more, these recovered places are not unclear or unknown places.
When talking about Anyi, countless people will recall the days when Hedong salt and Jingdong salt were sold in parallel in the capital; when talking about Hedong City, there will be merchants talking about how they used to sell sheep and had seen the Stork Tower from afar, which then led some people to talk about how high the tower was, and some people even sighed how many poems there were about the tower.
Not to mention, there are already countless exiled people from Hedong in the city of Tokyo, who know the local terrain better than anyone else.
This made the city of Tokyo, after adapting to the initial chaos, fall into a strange dynamic and busy stability.
"Make way, make way! We are also doing our part for the country!"
Outside Donghua Gate, several scholars were standing at the corner of the road, talking with their hands behind their backs. They saw the palace in front of them, the Ma Xing Street behind them, the wars and battles thousands of miles away, and the rain and snow above their heads. They were really worried about their country. But just as these people surrounded one of the leading young men and said a few words, suddenly, more than a dozen wheelbarrows with flags of the Imperial Guard came speeding from south to north, with amazing momentum, and they were shouting as they came, which frightened these young men so much that they ran away in panic.
Whatever concerns about the country and family that he was about to express were instantly swallowed back.
You know, according to the wartime instructions issued by the provincial government some time ago, the original suggestion of 'pedestrians and vehicles in the capital keep to the right' has now become a wartime rule. And these delivery men, because they supply the palace and the government, have actually been given the name 'military supplies'.
In this case, if they were hit by the unicycle teams coming from the direction of the Imperial Street and walking on the right, and they made a scene in Kaifeng Prefecture, they would only be hung up and scolded by Yan Xiaozhong, the dark, thin and short King of Hell. It was also possible that a record would be left in the Imperial Academy, which would affect their further studies and the imperial examinations.
Of course, after this rush, these people wanted to gather together again. However, starting from this convoy, the delivery trucks in the direction of Yujie were intermittent and kept coming and going, just like the tiny snowflakes above their heads, as if the large group of delivery trucks that had previously delivered food to the vicinity of Yujie were turning back.
During wartime, there were far more central and local officials working in the Imperial Street than usual, and the scale of meal delivery was also much larger than usual.
Helplessly, these students could only give up their thoughts of being classmates and bowed goodbye to the young man they bumped into by chance. Most of them walked south along the palace wall back to the vicinity of the Imperial College, while the young man walked along the outside of the delivery trucks and went to Ma Xing Street.
In fact, the young man had come here specially because he was expecting the lunch delivery truck to return so that the shops on Ma Xing Street could prepare for evening delivery. However, he happened to meet a group of junior students from the Imperial Academy and was entangled because of his special status.
So, when this person arrived at Ma Xing Street, he started with Song Sao's fish soup and went to three or four shops in a row, but he only ordered a dozen vegetable soups, with some usual ginger and fermented black beans in winter, which together barely filled two tables, one large and one small.
However, even so, these big brands with extremely high consumption in the regular stores were all very respectful and serious, and in the end it was often the store owner who personally sent the young man out, and even promised that he would personally deliver the takeaway to the man's house in the evening without any mistakes... The reason was very simple, this young man was none other than the eldest son of the prime minister of the current dynasty, who was called Zhao Fen.
Master Zhao came out this time for no other reason than because the battle report from the front was sent back, indicating that the Chenguan Pass had been locked and Linfen was advancing like a tide. After the Jin army lost the Hezhong Basin in a hasty battle, they simply abandoned the Linfen Basin.
The hometown of Mr. Zhao Ding is none other than Wenxi, where Mr. Lu Yihao is recuperating now. How could he not know the topography of his hometown? Therefore, after this experience, Mr. Zhao was completely relieved, knowing that he had returned to Wenxi safely anyway.
From now on, I will no longer be considered a displaced person.
Therefore, it was inevitable that some of them, like the exiled people in Hedong, would indulge in singing and drinking at night. However, he remained calm in the capital, the secret cabinet, and the public cabinet, acting like a prime minister, but secretly he could not help but make an exception and pass a note to his son, asking him to prepare a banquet.
Master Zhao Fen was of course very happy about this. However, although his name contained the character "Fen", he had lived in Beijing with his parents a long time ago and had only a few vague impressions of his hometown. He might not be that excited.
But in the evening of that day, after Zhao Fen had arranged everything at home, he waited for his father to return and saw the guests for the evening. Only then did he realize that he had underestimated his father's excitement at the moment.
There were only two guests, one was the prime minister Zhang Jun and Zhang Deyuan, the other was the Minister of Works Hu Yin and Hu Mingzhong... Together with their own father, the prime minister Zhao Ding and Zhao Yuanzhen, who was sitting in the host seat, they were the so-called Three Ministers of the Jing Kang Imperial Academy.
This was a typical private banquet. Although Zhang Jun's son was still young, his clan was very large and he brought three or five adult nephews and nephews to help with the household. Hu Yin was similar, as he had his half-brother Hu Hong and a distant cousin who came to study with him... For a moment, coupled with the Zhao family, which already had many descendants, it was quite lively.
When the banquet was set up, there were only two tables. One was outside, where Zhao Fen let Hu Hong, who had passed the imperial examination and was already working as an official, sit at the first seat, and then he sat with his brother and a few others. At the other table inside, there were only three main characters, and there was no one to pour wine and serve them.
It also made the people outside secretly amazed.
“There’s ginger and fermented black beans.”
The three of them sat down, and Zhang Jun glanced at the food and wine on the table and laughed. "Brother Yuan Zhen really doesn't forget his roots."
"Ben means the beginning. Everything has a beginning." Zhao Ding smiled as he heard this. "When the emperor was in Hangzhou, he would always say this when he came here...Everything must have its beginning. How can a person forget his roots? How can he forget the contribution of 'Minister Jiang' and the emperor's kindness in recognizing him?"
After saying this, the two of them laughed together, and the tension they had when they first arrived also relaxed a little.
Hu Yin, on the other hand, remained the same as he had been ten years ago. He stood up without saying a word, took the initiative to pour wine for the two men who could almost be called sworn brothers, and then sat back calmly with his usual expression.
"Although this is a family dinner, we must first toast with a glass of wine." Zhang Jun's smile calmed down a little, and he raised his glass to the other party. "The great progress of the Hedong royal army was expected, but for Brother Yuan Zhen, he has finally found his roots and is no longer a drifter... We should congratulate him."
Upon seeing this, Hu Yin immediately stood up and offered the wine. Zhao Ding nodded, and rarely showed any sign of humility. He just picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Immediately, Hu Mingzhong poured wine for the three people in turn again. After pouring the wine, he sat back in his seat, but directly tapped his chopsticks and started eating the steaming fish soup in front of him.
As for Zhao and Zhang, they each drank a glass of wine, but remained silent, just sighing, as if they were recalling the past and thinking about the relationship between them, with a lot of emotion.
"It's not snowing heavily, is it?" For some reason, although they have been friends for more than ten years, after a while, the two of them had almost nothing to say to each other, so Zhang Deyuan had to talk about the weather for the sake of conversation.
"It's not raining heavily." Zhao Yuanzhen also seemed to have come to his senses and continued. "I have asked many old people, and they all said that there is no abnormality in the climate this year. According to experience, at most the small rivers and wells will freeze this month. Even if there is a severe cold, so that the big rivers freeze, it will have to wait until the first few days of the twelfth lunar month... However, we are here to take responsibility, no matter what the weather is like, we must prepare for the worst... Chen Shuxiang (Chen Gui) should also be given more attention, and the ice-breaking work on the Yellow River should be organized in advance."
"That's right." Zhang Jun nodded repeatedly, but sighed again. "In fact, the key is still Daming Mansion. If Yue Pengju can capture Daming Mansion in one fell swoop, everything will be easy."
"Yue Pengju is not a god." Zhao Ding could only smile bitterly. "There are five thousand households behind Daming Prefecture, plus the four or five thousand households in Longde Prefecture, which can be reached in a few days. Their military strength is much weaker than that of the opposite side. Moreover, Daming Prefecture itself is a strong city, surrounded by rivers on three sides, which is a natural obstacle... How can the city be broken? He is a detachment, as long as he can attract the East Route Army firmly, it will be fine. If he can attract the West Route Army, that would be the best situation, but then it will be Yue Fei's turn to defend the city. Snow may be a good thing again."
"Yue Pengju is a famous general." Zhang Jun sighed immediately. "I think if we can give him more soldiers, maybe we can directly open a gap in Hebei during this northern expedition... If we can directly break through Damingfu before the New Year... The Jin army will be at a loss and can only gather troops in the fields. Then, when the two wings of the royal army have rested, we can join forces on the banks of the mountains and rivers and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop."
Zhao Ding wanted to say something but stopped himself. In the end, he had to look at Hu Yin who had already lowered his head and eaten half of the fish.
"The government has its own considerations for the military and the country. It has already decided to focus on the east of the river. How can it be changed?" Hu Yin answered without raising his head. "Besides, the weather is not favorable... If we want to break the city, there are ways. For example, we can send the fleet to both sides of Damingfu and then use heavy troops to cut off the rear, so that the Jin army's reinforcements cannot get close to the city, and the royal army will have a local advantage in strength, so that it will be easier to carry out... This strategy was previously drafted by the military academy and the Privy Council, but that was after the spring when the water was strong. Now it is winter. Not only is the water shallow, but it may also freeze. Unless there is a way to break the city immediately, the situation will be very bad. Who dares to give it up lightly?"
Zhang Jun was embarrassed for a moment.
Hu Yin did not save face for his elder brother at all, and just continued to persuade him earnestly: "Brother Deyuan, now it has been almost fifty days since the sudden death of the Third Prince of the Jin Kingdom, and more than forty days since the emperor ordered the troops to be dispatched. Three states have been recovered in Hebei, and six or seven states have been recovered in Hedong. Are you still thinking about your own gains and losses and can't calm down to serve the country? If so, why not take the initiative to resign and rest for a few days, and just hand over the matter to Brother Yuanzhen, and then I, Liu Ziyu, and Lin Jingmo will assist and do it for Brother Deyuan?"
Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, then panicked, and Zhao Ding was also a little at a loss for a moment.
There was no other reason. Both of them knew that Hu Mingzhong was not a person who would fight for power, nor was he a timid person. On the contrary, he was a serious person who regarded the Northern Expedition as everything. If he said so, then nine out of ten times he really thought so, and he might even really try to do so.
Zhang Jun was flustered for a moment, but he didn't know how to explain. Zhao Ding, on the other hand, slowed down a little and then tried to persuade him seriously: "Mingzhong... things are not calculated that way. Deyuan has been in the key position for a long time. If he makes a rash move, it will cause suspicion inside and outside. By then, this matter alone will shake the court and affect the front line."
"That's right, Brother Deyuan is in a high position and has established his own rules. If he falters, it will be detrimental to the country." Hu Yin continued to answer seriously. "But if that's the case, Brother Deyuan should respect himself. Why do you keep saying if it's this way, then it's fine, if it's that way, then it's fine?"
"Mingzhong." Zhao Ding already regretted interrupting Hu Yin from eating fish. "Isn't this a private banquet today? The three of us are having a private conversation. I have some private thoughts to share here so that I can act like a prime minister in Chongwenyuan."
Zhang Jun nodded quickly.
"If that's the case, why did I hear from the clerks below, before the official manifesto came and was published in the official gazette, that Brother Deyuan publicly lamented in Chongwenyuan that it was a pity that the manifesto he wrote was not used, which allowed Fan Sanzhao to become famous... Is this what a prime minister should do?" Hu Mingzhong continued to ask questions seriously.
Zhao Ding finally fell silent, but Zhang Jun was already sweating profusely.
To be honest, if it were someone else, even if Zhao Ding said these words himself, Zhang Deyuan would immediately flip the table and leave. But no one else would question him like this, right?
It was this little brother who he had known for more than ten years who could make such a sarcastic remonstrance to him at a rare private dinner today where only three people were reminiscing about the past!
That's right, Zhang Deyuan was certain that Hu Mingzhong was doing it on purpose. He was just taking the opportunity to express his dissatisfaction. The little brother who could only lower his head to eat the ginger and fermented black beans that day now got the chance, and his mouth was full of fangs when he opened it.
But the problem is, even if that's the case, so what? Hu Yin is a person who usually acts low-key and has no omissions at all... You can't break off your friendship with him just because he gave you a few words of advice at a private banquet, and then let people impeach him for being unfilial, right?
It is not possible to impeach Hu Mingzhong for being unfilial. The last person who impeached him for being unfilial secretly, now there is only one left, "Everything has a beginning".
And doesn't this prove that you are a selfish person who doesn't care about the overall situation and is unfit to be a prime minister?
Even Zhang Jun didn't dare to walk away in anger... because he was truly afraid that if he left today, Hu Mingzhong would actually send a memorial directly to the emperor tomorrow!
Who is afraid of whom?
Or who has Minister Hu ever been afraid of? Do you really think he is a vegetarian?
In the blink of an eye, most of the fish is gone, and you are still a vegetarian?
Zhang Jun had no choice but to stand up after a long time of catching his breath. He bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Mingzhong. I did lose my dignity as a prime minister."
After saying this, they raised their glasses to each other again to cover up the mistake.
Hu Yin nodded and stood up to drink with him without any hesitation, which was considered as accepting the glass of wine. But before sitting down, he took the initiative to pick up the wine pot and filled the other party with a glass of Lanqiao Fengyue. His posture was impeccable.
So the three of them put the matter aside and started feasting and chatting again.
However, although the three of them were reminiscing about the past, Hu Yin just lowered his head to eat. He ate most of the fish and threw it away, and then dealt with a whole bowl of ginger and fermented black beans... At the same time, Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun were the ministers of the East and West Palaces. No matter what they talked about, they could not help but turn the topic to military and national affairs. Once they talked about military and national affairs, they had to consider their own factions and try to make some faction arguments.
Especially Zhang Jun, because he was very passive in front of the emperor regarding the memorial before, and this time he was a guest at Zhao Ding's house, and was hit hard by Hu Mingzhong, so he was inevitably much more vigilant.
For example, when Zhao Ding mentioned that the transportation of military supplies in Jingdong East Route was not good, it would be better to hand over the transportation of military supplies for both Jingdong and Jingdong Route to Wanqi Yuanzhong in Jingdong East Route. Zhang Jun became alert instinctively, and then immediately suggested that in the face of war, severe punishment should be imposed to serve as a warning to others. He wanted to remove Xiao Han Jinglüe from Jingdong East Route and let Zhao Yuanxian, the Minister of Rites, go to Jingdong East Route.
This was because it was Zhang Deyuan who recommended Xiao Hanjinglüe to take office that day. If there was a war on the front line, and this guy continued to do some unnecessary things in Jingdong unwillingly, it would inevitably make the emperor angry.
Zhao Yuanxian was an old subordinate of Zhao Ding when he was in Lianghuai.
This is a typical defensive strategy.
It can only be said that fortunately Zhang Jun did not go any further and discuss who would fill the position of Minister of Rites, otherwise it would have been too obvious.
Of course, Zhao Ding did not agree to this plan in the end. He still felt that replacing local officials at this time would cause a stir. In addition, he also saw that Zhang Jun was overreacting, so he wanted to shelve it.
After this incident, the matter of Eastern Mongolia was also discussed... Shaanxi and Ningxia recently jointly reported that they had received news from the grassland. There were constant stream of Jurchen envoys from Eastern Mongolia. In addition, Hebula Borjigin had never given a reply before. It was not known whether he was really bribed, or was raising the price, or was just waiting and watching. Therefore, the court had to quickly appoint a heavyweight envoy to go there.
Zhao and Zhang couldn't help but have some arguments about the selection of the envoy.
To be fair, the dispute between these two people may not be a party dispute, or even a situation where personal interests outweigh public interests... because they can all consider national affairs, and Emperor Zhao's decisions have never failed.
However, Emperor Zhao was not a superman who could make decisions on everything, especially since he was often away from the capital. Lu Haowen was a man who was increasingly careful about his reputation and usually did not get involved in these matters. This led to the fact that the power in the hands of Zhao and Zhang was unprecedentedly concentrated and powerful, but there was no suppression from a higher level.
To put it bluntly, these two people, in a sense, are already the holders of a relative "supreme power", and the opposition of the supreme power will inevitably cause disputes, and then form opposition and division.
Especially under the secret cabinet decision-making system, if you want to get things done, you have to recruit people, which further intensifies the confrontation.
It can only be said that this situation has existed since the two men took office five years ago, and would intensify whenever Emperor Zhao went out. However, the two of them were Emperor Zhao's confidants and had no problem obeying him, so the situation would gradually calm down once Emperor Zhao came back.
But wasn't it that Emperor Zhao was away for a particularly long time this time? Wasn't it that an emergency occurred within two days of Emperor Zhao's return, and the Northern Expedition was launched ahead of schedule?
The result was that the so-called party struggles between the Shuimu Party had no time to be resolved and were overwhelmed by many military and national affairs. Then, as more things happened, the confrontation between the two parties became even more serious.
In a sense, Zhao Ding held a banquet today because he was really happy about the recovery of his hometown, so he invited two good friends to reminisce about the past, but it also had some meaning that he was in a mess with Zhang Jun and wanted to make a gentleman's agreement to stop fighting privately and work together for state affairs.
However, looking at Zhang Deyuan's cautious look, it seems difficult to fulfill this gentleman's agreement.
"Three hundred Japanese samurai have arrived in Jinan..."
"Three hundred men are useless on the battlefield. Their use lies in calming people's hearts and diplomacy. Let them come to the capital and show their faces in front of the Goryeo envoys, and then quickly go to Hedong to serve as ceremonial guards."
"There's nothing much to say about this."
"The river transportation in Shanzhou is inconvenient, so some people suggested that the supplies should be transported to Guanzhong by land and transferred from Puzhou."
"You can try, but if so, should we appoint an additional deputy transport envoy? Or should we let Minister Liu take on the role?"
"Isn't this... the Ministry of Industry's responsibility? Mingzhong..."
"Brother Yuan Zhen called me?" Hu Yin, who was chewing a duck leg of 'Jianyan Royal Duck', looked up in surprise and asked seriously. "I thought the two brothers had forgotten about me..."
Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun were both embarrassed, but they quickly put their hands together and sat up straight.
While Zhao Ding felt ashamed, he looked at the half-eaten dishes on the table, gritted his teeth, and acted like a hero:
"Deyuan, Mingzhong, today I am really happy that I can finally die and be buried in my hometown, and I remembered what we said when we were hiding in the Imperial College during the Jingkang period, so I called you here to drink a glass of wine and talk about the past... How about this, from now on, don't talk about state affairs or political strategies, just talk about old friendships, talk about romance and literature, and leave all official business to tomorrow, how about that?"
Zhang Jun immediately agreed with a smile, and even rolled up his sleeves and recited a poem on the spot to cover up the atmosphere. It is said that he did this when he visited Lu Haowen to ask about Prime Minister Lu a few days ago and took the opportunity to pay a visit to the newly built ancestral hall in Prime Minister Lu's home, and then he wrote this poem in response to the situation.
So-called:
" The three ministers have been in power for many years, and the mountains and rivers and trees have also gained glory.
"The ruler of a time has great power and influence, and his name will be remembered for eternity."
These three prime ministers, of course, refer to the three unprecedented ministers of the Lu family who were in charge of important military and national affairs, but the term is also used here in a joking sense, because among the three present, only Hu Yin has not yet become prime minister.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Hu Yin just shook his head and said, "Brother Deyuan is good at Confucianism, and is not bad at Buddhism. He has also studied the original literature quite well recently, but he is really lacking in poetry and romance. Like me, he is too vulgar and cannot be accepted by the upper class."
Zhang Jun was bored for the moment, but Hu Mingzhong had also said "the same as my foolish brother", so it was not easy to scold him.
"What do you think of my brother's poetry and romantic works?" Zhao Ding asked quickly.
"As far as romance is concerned, among the three of us, Brother Yuan Zhen has achieved the most." Hu Yin looked at him proudly and spoke calmly. "However, this is not because Brother Yuan Zhen is talented, but because Brother Yuan Zhen has never been a writer. His literary works are all sincere and heartfelt...and romance, once they are sincere and heartfelt, are better than countless other things in the world."
Besides, how could Zhao and Zhang not know that Hu Mingzhong was a serious character? When he said this, he really believed it, so Zhao Ding immediately smiled slightly, twirled his beard complacently, and felt satisfied in his heart , but Zhang Jun was very anxious for a moment and wanted to say something... He still wanted to prove that his "Manifesto" was not bad.
But at this moment, Hu Yin ignored Zhao and Zhang's attitudes and imitated Zhang Jun. He directly picked up the duck leg, knocked on the wine glass, and chanted a poem with his mouth that was particularly shiny under the candlelight:
"The withered toad and the withered willows accompany my sorrow, I drink and sing sad songs by the Bian River in autumn.
I shed tears for both life and death, and I have no desire for fame, wealth or honor.
Killing chickens for millet reminds me of the previous agreement, asking for a house and land makes me feel ashamed of my original plan.
I bid farewell to the spring breeze, and live a long and leisurely life. "
After reciting the poem, Hu Yin held the duck leg and shook his head at the two people who had already changed color:
"Brother Yuanzhen, you said that today we are only talking about old friendship and romance, but if we are talking about our old friendship and romance, is there anything more appropriate than this poem? Ten years ago, the three of us hid together in the Imperial College and escaped together. We agreed by the Bian River outside the city that Brother Yuanzhen would go south because he had many children, Brother Deyuan would go north, and I would go east along the Bian River alone. We split into three groups to gather information and find the emperor, in case we ran into any accidents and were caught by others... But why didn't you feel like writing poetry before I left first, but you wrote this poem when I left and said goodbye to the north and south? Why is this poem "Farewell to Zhang Deyuan" instead of "Presented to Hu Mingzhong"?"
Zhang Jun stood there in a daze for a moment. Zhao Ding forced a smile and was about to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he didn't know how to respond for a moment, and instead seemed a little stupid.
As for Hu Mingzhong, who had eaten all night, he continued to knock the duck leg on the table: "Brother Yuanzhen, Brother Deyuan, if we talk about the old friendship between the three of us, everything else is fine, but this matter has always bothered me! You said, a hundred years later, the old poems will be replaced by the new, and the three of us are not masters, and those vulgar works such as "Three Prime Ministers Guarding the Temple" will probably be covered up. By then, only this poem will be passed down. Wouldn't it make the world think that only the two of you have been together in life and death, and I, Hu Mingzhong, am just a passerby? On that day, weren't the ones who made the bond of life and death Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun and Hu Yin, the three people sitting here today?!"
By the end of his conversation, he was almost getting so heated that even in the outer hall, two doors away, there were some panicked noises, but no one dared to come in and spy.
As for Zhao and Zhang, when Hu Yin recited the poem, they gradually became depressed. When Hu Yin made a gesture to criticize and question them, they actually wanted to respond verbally, but as soon as they opened their mouths, they could not help feeling three parts ashamed, three parts bitter, and three parts of repetitive regret, so that they were speechless...
After all, not long ago, when the country was destroyed and the family was ruined, the three of them had supported each other through life and death, and had shared life and death together. What kind of friendship was that? But now, the situation has reversed, and each of them has grown wings and is opposed to each other, so that when they get together like this, they have to hesitate and test each other .
In this embarrassing situation, Hu Mingzhong's ridicule was both ironic and sincere, expressing his closeness, which was really difficult to deal with.
Let's not talk about the mixed feelings of the other two people. Let's just talk about Hu Mingzhong. After reciting a poem and speaking a few words, he continued to deal with the duck leg. After a while, when he had almost finished dealing with the duck leg, the Minister of Works simply stood up and bowed to the two of them:
"My two brothers, I only have a few words to say about our old friendship, and I have finished. If I have offended you, it is because you have forgotten our old friendship of life and death, not because I am not saying anything nice... Now that the 300 Japanese warriors have arrived in Jinan, I will go back and arrange the transfer documents. I will also arrange the transportation through Puzhen, so I won't delay you two brothers... You two can talk about love for now."
After saying that, he left angrily without even looking back.
Zhao and Zhang looked at each other in despair and felt ashamed, so they hurried out to chase after him. However, Hu Mingzhong was young and agile, and he chased him all the way into the courtyard, but Minister Hu did not turn back. In addition, a bunch of nephews and nephews who were sitting in the outer hall followed him out, and it was not appropriate to shout in public, so they were ashamed for a while.
However, in the courtyard where the snow had stopped, Hu Yin, ignoring his brother and nephew who had hurriedly chased after him, suddenly stopped and looked back:
"Yes."
"What's up?"
Zhang Jun saw the other party stop, and hurried forward, ready to drag him back. "Mingzhong, it's a bit cold outside now that the snow has stopped. Come back with me and have some wine."
Zhao Ding also hurried forward to speak.
"No need." Hu Yin raised his hand to block the other party, and then respectfully bowed to the two men in front of the nephews of the three families. "Just now, the two brothers each wrote a poem... I also got a vulgar poem, and I can respond to it, just in line with the old friendship of snow, moon, wind and flowers."
Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun were both overwhelmed, but they could only stand solemnly in front of their respective sons and nephews.
At this time, the snow had stopped, and a crescent moon appeared, casting a slightly glittering shadow on the ground and the eaves. Hu Mingzhong stepped on the snow in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, writing a couplet with each step, and composed a poem in public:
"The river comes out of Kunlun Ruins, and the river comes out of the bottom of Min Mountain.
It receives hundreds of insults and rolls through thousands of miles.
Water is the standard for levelness, and virtue is the mirror for comparison.
Li Dui and Di Zhu, why do they arise in the middle of the stream?
Make the flat one tilt, and make the bright one become muddy.
Although my door is like a market, my heart is like water.
Don't be a pillar of encouragement, but create the rules of heaven and earth.
If there is resentment at home, only Shun treats his father and son well.
If there is resentment in the state, I will worry about the collapse of my family every morning.
It is not just anger and desire; it is against the principles of nature.
Xiao and Cao were friends when they were poor and humble, and the rift arose when they were generals and prime ministers.
Until they were able to remove the mustard seeds, they pushed each other forward until death.
What is there for him to monitor? He has made many mistakes.
At the same time, the people of Qin and Han dynasties have different interests in history. "
After the poem was recited, the words were simple and easy to understand, and everyone knew that this was Hu Mingzhong's earnest attempt to persuade the two to unite and work together on state affairs.
The nephews and nieces of the Zhao and Zhang families nearby also went to see their elders, making Zhao and Zhang feel even more embarrassed.
On the other side, Hu Mingzhong composed a vulgar poem and had a full meal, so he strode away on the light snow. His brother Hu Hong followed him and chased after him without even a thought.
Zhao and Zhang watched each other go out, but saw the moon shining from above their heads and the snow reflecting from the ground, illuminating Hu Mingzhong's whole body, until he suddenly disappeared outside the door.
"With Hu Mingzhong's appetite, he will become a husband sooner or later." After standing there for a long time, Zhang Jun insisted, then turned around and dragged Zhao Ding to drink in public as if nothing had happened.