Chapter 206 Sword and Flower

Border cities are mostly used for garrisoning troops.

The General's Mansion is located in the center of the city, and is the residence of the generals stationed in Xinzhou and Yanmen Pass throughout the dynasties. It is equipped with a confidential printing room, a registration room, and a food and supplies department. It can be said that although it is small, it has all five internal organs. It covers an extremely wide area in a small city like Xinzhou.

Yan Lin took them all the way and arrived at the door.

"The news of Mr. Xie's arrival to oversee the army has long been received in the city, and there are generals of various ranks and sizes in the army waiting inside."

He dismounted at the door, handed the reins to the sergeant beside him, and also handed Jiang Xuening, who was about to dismount, a hand. He said this to Xie Wei, who came out of the car, and then waved his hand.

"Sir, please."

Xie Wei was not wearing official clothes, only wearing plain clothes.

Others only heard that a high-ranking official from the capital had come to the border city these days, and had been pondering in their hearts what kind of person he was. Now that they saw him, they couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and then they were amazed.

How could such a person be an official?

Xie Wei didn't look at anyone else. After getting off the car, he followed Yan Lin up the stairs and walked into the General's Mansion. He only asked, "Do we want to hear the meeting together?"

Jiang Xuening hesitated for a moment before realizing, "Sir, ask me?"

Xie Wei glanced at her but didn't speak.

Jiang Xuening shuddered inexplicably, feeling that Xie Ju'an's gaze was chilling. Her spine straightened a bit, but she instinctively glanced at Yan Lin. After thinking about their relationship, she decided not to interfere with the matter and said, "No, where can I understand? Let Yan Lin find someone to take me to rest first."

This mouthful of "Yan Lin" can make the people next to them break out in cold sweat.

She didn't realize it herself.

Yan Lin had no objections at all, so he summoned the old butler of the General's Mansion and asked him to take Jiang Xuening to the guest room.

Xie Wei waved his hand to Jianshu and said, "You also go with me."

Jianshu lowered his head and said, "Yes."

He retreated from Xie Wei's side and automatically followed Jiang Xuening's side.

This left Jiang Xuening somewhat puzzled.

However, on second thought, it was said that Yan Lin had already taken control of the military power, but after all, the time was still short. At such times, no one knew that there would be no accidents. Be careful not to sail the ship for thousands of years, and send someone to follow her.

She didn't say anything and turned around to follow the butler.

Yan Lin looked at the sword book following behind her, but for some reason, she suddenly frowned and felt that faint anomaly.

He turned his gaze to look at Xie Wei.

Xie Wei didn't react much, just said "Let's go too", then passed through the hall and headed towards the conference hall.

There were 100000 troops stationed at the border, and there were also dozens of generals with names and surnames, including local government officials in Xinzhou. Therefore, when Xie Wei went to meet, it was quite lively.

He remained calm and composed, but these people were somewhat uneasy.

After all, as winter approaches, there has never been a precedent for anyone to initiate a campaign in winter. They each have their own concerns.

Yanlin arrived in Xinzhou a month ago.

Single handedly.

At that time, he had no orders, no imperial edicts, and was even a "criminal minister" who left the place of exile without authorization. Fortunately, not many people knew him at the border, so he took this opportunity to understand the situation at the border.

The Yongyi Marquis's Mansion originally led troops in battle.

Many of the border generals were former followers of his father Yan Mu.

This was originally a good thing.

Unfortunately, after the incident at the Marquis's Mansion, many people were also implicated as a result, either unable to advance further in the military, or being dismissed and demoted. The person in charge of the 100000 stationed troops in Xinzhou naturally belonged to the Xiao faction.

So on the day when he first came to power, Yan Lin did something to make the transfer work.

"Slash it?"

Jiang Xuening followed the butler towards the direction of the guest room, and on the way, she couldn't help but inquire about some things about the border city. However, she was shocked when she heard something that Yan Lin had not talked about when she was just on the street.

"Cutting off generals on the battlefield..."

The old butler, who was getting old and had a hunched back, was not at all sorry for the unlucky guy who had lost his head. He said in a muffled voice, "General Yan has only just arrived in Xinzhou. Isn't this a great thing for the people? There have been no wars at the border in these years, but I don't know how many useless people have been raised to lie on us flat headed people and suck blood. That's a great killing, deserved it!"

Jiang Xuening suddenly fell silent.

The old butler continued, "Seeing that the Tartars are about to come over, a group of beggars still want to avoid war. Yesterday, the eldest princess went to make a wedding, and tomorrow those dog like creatures can come and kidnap the daughters of the city! Generals who don't want to fight are good generals, but generals who dare not fight will be dragged out and beheaded like this. When you arrived late, it will be a few days in the morning, and the outside of the city will nod that the blood on the stage has not dried up yet. It's so beautiful."

Jianshu quietly glanced at Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening seemed lost in thought.

The old butler had already arrived at the front of the guest room, and after talking for a while, he finally realized. He quickly bowed and said, "Look at me. As I get older, I have a lot to say. I don't even know if these words should be said in front of the nobleman. Don't blame me."

Jiang Xuening was just a little surprised.

But actually there's nothing surprising.

To stand firm in such a place and truly wield military power, decisive means of killing and attacking are indispensable. Only by killing the rooster and warning the monkeys can we make the remaining people feel uneasy, and truly convince the old feudal lords in the army.

She just has some pity for the old youth——

Alone in such a place, when feeling isolated and helpless, I had to make various decisions. I didn't know how many difficulties I encountered, but when I met her, I didn't mention a word, as if everything was going smoothly.

Jiang Xuening thanked the old butler and entered the room, only to find that it had already been carefully decorated and was not as rough as what was seen outside. The dowry even had newly purchased rouge on it.

She couldn't help but smile.

Turning his head, he said to Jianshu, "I won't go out even if I stay indoors. You can go back and follow your master first. If you have any orders, it's easy to take care of them."

Jianshu hesitated for a moment, probably feeling worried about the unfamiliar environment in Xinzhou. He bowed to her and didn't say much before resigning and turning towards the direction of the conference hall.

Xie Wei naturally came to understand the situation in the city first.

These generals are most concerned about the food and forage situation.

===Kunning Section 256===

The court appointed Xie Wei as a military supervisor, but in fact, it was to prevent border mutiny. Naturally, he did not prepare any food or supplies, and it can be said that there was not even any news. Xie Wei, Yan Lindu has other plans. The Tatars must fight, and Shen Zhiyi must also save. In response to questions about food and supplies, there was no panic at all, only that the food and supplies were already on the way. Please don't worry.

He said so to the high-ranking officials from the capital, and everyone felt a little relieved.

After the meeting, he only said that he would hold a banquet at night to welcome Xie Wei and clean up the dust, so he all left.

Only Xie Wei and Yan Lin remained in the hall.

The tea in the cup has only a little temperature left.

Xie Wei picked up and took a sip.

Yan Lin, however, stared at him with a rare hesitation in his eyes, even containing a different kind of scrutiny. He tried to distinguish something from his eyebrows and eyes, trying to have a slight contrast with his father's hopes and expectations over the past two years.

At that time, the brave and resolute Marquis's Mansion was faced with the disaster of plagiarism and extermination of the family, but fortunately, someone came to help behind the scenes.

This person is Xie Wei.

But what is his relationship with the Marquis's Mansion? There is nothing on the surface, it's just his teacher when he entered the palace to study.

When his father was sick, Yan Lin had his own guess and asked him, "Who is Mr. Xie?"

Father coughed heavily, but refused to confide more.

With tears in his eyes, he said to him, "It's someone you have to completely trust."

At that time, he had a mysterious answer in his heart.

After a moment of silence, Yan Lin said, "Thank you very much for taking care of me, sir."

Xie Wei raised his eyes and said, "Is Marquis okay?"

Yan Lindao said, "In the past, there were always some things that weighed on me in the capital. The root of my illness had fallen long ago, and on the way to Huangzhou, it became more serious. However, after arriving there, life became more difficult, and later it became more leisurely. It seemed like I had opened up some kind of knot, but I recovered. When I left Huangzhou, Mr. Lv came to take care of me, and I was already settled down."

Xie Wei nodded and remained silent.

He has never been an easy person to get close to.

Yan Lin also found it difficult to imagine that the old gentleman was actually his elder brother. After blinking, he couldn't change his title and asked, "Sir, what will the court do if he comes here?"

Xie Weidao said, "The border is still some time away from the capital, and even if Xinzhou is under control, it is impossible to cut off the flow of information. Therefore, the war must be fought quickly, otherwise when the court reacts, they may face both sides of the enemy. But if they can take the Tatars and rescue the princess before the court reacts, they will be considered as winning a move. By then, I can only say that by the time I obtain Xinzhou, the border garrison has already fallen into your control, which is beyond our power to change, so we have to follow the trend. You have both military power and the hearts of the people, and the court dare not tear their face with you. They will try their best to find ways." Admit peace to you and bestow upon you the title of Marquis and Count

Yan Lin frowned and said, "Duke and Count?"

Xie Wei looked at him with a smile on his face and said, "Don't want it?"

Yan Lin said calmly, "I don't want to."

Xie Wei gently put down the tea cup, and the slight curve on his lips became a bit more mysterious. He only said, "It's easy not to want it."

The two didn't talk for long.

Xie Wei also came tirelessly all the way, and there was still a banquet in the evening. After talking to Yan Lin for a few words, he came out of the conference hall and arrived at his own guest room. After asking about the situation with Jiang Xuening, he briefly washed up and rested for two hours.

Stay until it's getting late, invite someone outside, and then go out again.

The banquet to welcome the wind and wash away the dust is set up in the General's Mansion.

Everyone knows that a noble person has arrived in the capital.

Apart from the immortal Mr. Xie, the most eye-catching one is none other than the "Ning Er Miss". Everyone didn't know her identity, name, or surname, but they heard the people who came with her call her this way, so they followed suit and thought that her surname was "Ning" and she was a good second in the family.

General Yan's treatment of her was so special that it had already spread throughout Xinzhou City in just one afternoon.

No one in the mansion dares to wait patiently.

In addition, Yan Linben had orders to receive the breeze at night, so she naturally invited her to attend as a guest.

The courtyard outside has undergone some changes in decoration, and the tables and tables in the original conference hall have been renovated, bringing out rare good wine and dishes.

When Jiang Xuening arrived, everyone had almost arrived.

Xie Wei took his seat and turned his head.

Yan Lin is across from him.

She thought that she was only here to eat, drink, and not to join the fun. She only sat closer to the female relatives brought by other officials and generals, listening to them tell some interesting stories about the border.

Without a doubt, Jiang Xuening is definitely the center of attention among these ladies and ladies.

People are inevitably curious about her identity.

She didn't report her own family background, only stating that she was Xie Wei's student and Yan Lin's friend. Everyone exclaimed and even offered her a drink.

Jiang Xuening really doesn't have much alcohol tolerance.

But the journey was difficult, and finally we arrived at the border. After You Fangyin and Lv Xian arranged the food and supplies, we could attack the Tatars and rescue the princess. She had some expectations and some joy in her heart, and after half pushing, she drank two cups, feeling a bit dizzy.

The woman at the border is truly generous.

Even the woman who had already entered the inner house was not as conventional as in the military, and was quite open-minded. Seeing that she did not really refuse, she became more and more eager to persuade her to drink.

After drinking two more cups, Jiang Xuening suddenly sounded an alarm.

She didn't dare to be too presumptuous in such an occasion, and after all, she wasn't a girl who grew up in the North. She couldn't resist it and quickly found an excuse to sober up, so she slipped out first.

On the side of the generals, they also went on three rounds of drinking.

Yan Lin saw Jiang Xuening leaving from a distance and couldn't help but feel worried. He said "Excuse me" to the people beside him and Xie Wei from the opposite side, and then put down the wine cup and left the hall.

A burst of friendly laughter erupted from behind.

Who hasn't heard of the rumors in the city today?

Although I don't know the identity of Miss Ning Er, I guess I know she should be Yan Lin's beloved.

Watching people walk out, can you still not know what they are doing?

During the banquet, someone joked, "Heroes feel sad about beauty."

Others naturally agree.

Only Xie Wei looked coldly and picked up a glass of wine.

Everyone present knows that this is the imperial teacher of the current dynasty, and he dare not neglect him at all. He has a strong eye. As soon as he picked up the wine cup, he immediately approached with a smile to offer a toast.

Xie Wei persisted in drinking and did not refuse.

He has slender fingers like jade bamboo, and his drinking posture is also very elegant, but his expression on the face is slightly dull and not friendly to people. The generals did not dare to be reckless, but instead became more cautious and wary of him.

Lanterns hung one after another in the corridor, and servants who served wine and vegetables were waiting for orders to come and go inside and outside.

Jiang Xuening came out of the hall and sat on the beautiful woman at the corner, leaning against her to blow some air.

The wind in the north is cold, and a quick blow makes people wake up.

Yan Lin walked out of the hall and immediately recognized her indistinct figure in the dimly lit area. As she was about to walk forward, she turned her eyes and saw the small cluster of stone and bamboo blooming by the corridor.

There is a circle of white on the outside and a cluster of purple inside.

Although flowers are only slightly larger than copper coins, they can still be considered delicate and lovely in the cold weather of the North, especially rare.

He paused for a moment, then remembered something and couldn't help but smile. He bent down to pick one, which was a slender stem about the length of a finger, with a small leaf growing.

Turning in a circle between his fingers, he turned his hand towards Jiang Xuening.

Stay closer before coughing.

Jiang Xuening turned around to see him and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. She stood up and smiled, "Why did you come out too?"

Yan Lin said, "I see you come out."

Jiang Xuening raised her eyes and looked up at him slightly, muttering, "This is Xinzhou. You are the commander of the three armies, and there is no reason to leave the seat casually. You are so stubborn. Be careful, sir, to scold you later."

Yan Lin thought, what's there to worry about?

Although it has been almost a day since we arrived, there have been discussions and arrangements at the moment. Apart from some rambling remarks on the way, there is actually no opportunity for further discussion.

He looked at her and said, "How have you been in the past two years?"

The sound of toasting and toasting came from the distant hall.

Nearby, it was extremely quiet.

The lantern swayed gently in the slightly cold wind, as well as in Jiang Xuening's sight.

She curved her lips and smiled, "How could I be bad?"

After a moment of silence, he asked again, "And you?"

Yan Lin's deep black eyes were illuminated by a faint halo of light, with a warm and cozy taste. He slowly said, "It's not as bad as he thought."

For a moment, they were speechless.

In the deep blue night sky, the bright moon hangs high.

That simple and refined light, as pure as frost.

Yan Lin took another step closer before asking, "How could you come with Mr. Xie?"

Jiang Xuening thought of Xie Wei and remained silent.

Yan Lin looked at her for a long time and asked, "Where is Zhang Zhe?"

At this moment, Jiang Xuening seemed to have been hit by something.

She hasn't remembered this person for a while.

At first hearing the name, a dull pain that was already unfamiliar surged up, moistening her eyes a bit, but she didn't know what to say, and her eyes dimmed slightly.

Actually, there is no need for words.

Yan Lin accompanied her through those mischievous days on the streets and alleys, not knowing her as well as her emotions, and guessed that there might not be any good results.

After hesitating for a moment, I flipped out the stone bamboo and handed it to her.

He just smiled and said, "What a big deal. Look, I saw what I picked for you just now. Don't be unhappy."

In the quiet night, small petals tremble and tremble.

Jiang Xuening's gaze fell from his face to the flowers, and she remembered the rainy night a long time ago, when a string of winter jasmine dripped down her eyelashes, but she only looked at him without reaching out to pick it up.

Yan Lin suddenly became very angry.

Anger at her like this.

For a moment, he wanted to hold her tightly and rub her into his arms, but it wasn't when he was young and reckless, he just said, "Even without Zhang Zhe, it's not me, is it?"

===Kunning Section 257===

Jiang Xuening dared not answer.

Yan Lin gave a sharp smile.

He looked at the stone bamboo for a moment, and finally raised his hand to pinch the flower at the top. He only handed out the delicate branches connected by leaves, indulging, helpless, and with a shallow sadness: "After all, it's all my heart. Don't let it down."

Jiang Xuening just picked it up.

Her nose was sore, her eyes were sore, and she almost choked up in response, saying, "Hmm."

Yan Lin smiled and rubbed her head, "I haven't seen you for two years, why is it still like this? No wonder they don't want you."

Jiang Xuening thought, is it necessary for me and Zhang Zhe to do that?

Although he was full of sadness, he was also stirred up by the random rubbing he had placed on his head. He burst into tears and laughed at him, angrily saying, "If Mr. Zhang had heard you speak so fluently, even with such a good temper, he would have beaten you."

Yan Lin looked at her without refuting, only saying, "It's cold outside, let's go back."

Jiang Xuening was tired after pondering and didn't want to return to the banquet. She nodded and wanted to go back to the guest room to sleep.

She just took two steps forward and then stopped.

Turning around, holding the slender flower branch in his hand, he took a few steps and looked at Yan Lin, who had become increasingly mature. He said seriously, "Yan Lin, I'm not unhappy. I'm really happy."

I'm glad that you're still the boy willing to pick flowers for me.

Although

I am no longer the girl who can accept your flowers with peace of mind.

She walked far away.

The lights on the corridor are as old as ever.

Yan Lin stood tall, his figure stretched out on the ground. His fingers had grown a thin layer of cocoon from holding swords all year round, and the small purple and white stone bamboo hung low in his fingers, silent.

After a long time, I slowly smiled.