Qin Gong

Chapter 719: Gui's Strangeness

Chapter 719: Gui's Strangeness

"Old Yu!"

Bai Yan looked at Old Yu in some surprise. He was the old general who taught him in Lantian when he first joined the army.

Outside the pavilion.

The small trees swayed in the wind. Under the gaze of many soldiers, Bai Yan stepped forward and was the first to bow his hands and lower his head.

"Bai Yan, meet Elder Yu!"

Bai Yan said.

As Bai Yan spoke, not only did the pupils of many cavalry soldiers widen, even Niu's burly and strong face showed a look of surprise. The people around in the distance also exclaimed, talking while looking at the old man in cloth clothes and with dishevelled hair.

Just looking at the soldiers around, you can tell that they are elite cavalrymen, subordinates of Bai Yan. And people all know who Bai Yan is. He is the Wulie King of Qin, the Great Liangzao of Qin, and a close and trusted minister of Ying Zheng.

But what is the origin of this dishevelled old man who looks even shabbier than them that Bai Yan could be so respectful to him? Judging from his appearance, the degree of respect he shows to him is probably not that of an ordinary person.

"You have already been conferred the title of Lord, how can you still bow to me?"

Old Yu looked at Bai Yan, and the astonishment in his eyes was no less than that of the people around him.

Looking at the boy from earlier years, who is now a king and a general, and has become the Great Liangzao of Qin State, it can be said that Bai Yan is a past event that is worth savoring carefully for Yu Laozu over the years... or for the rest of his life. It is like the sweetness of fine wine, which is not enough after tasting it carefully. I really want to do it again and return to the beginning.

Yu Laozu, who had wanted to pay his respects first according to etiquette, could only step forward with a smile on his face after seeing Bai Yan's actions and gently help Bai Yan stand up.

Yu Laozu had spent most of his life in the military camp. He had led countless soldiers and taught countless new soldiers. Most of them died in battle, and most of those who survived, except for a few who did nothing, made great contributions. But after Yu Laozu retired, there were only a few people who would come to see him. Even if he occasionally ran into some acquaintances who had become junior generals, they would just ride past him on horseback, and their eyes would only linger for a moment before they passed by...

Apart from sighing and lamenting, recalling that they seemed to have gotten along well before, Yu Laozu didn't think much about it.

However, looking at Bai Yan, Yu Laozu, who has lived for most of his life, couldn't help but redden his eyes. When Bai Yan first arrived at the camp, he was wearing armor and gave people the impression that he was the most afraid of death. But who would have thought that this kid was the most promising, the most capable, and the one who cared about him the most.

"Jun is a title for outsiders, and Jue is a position in the court. In front of Elder Yu, a boy is still a boy!"

Bai Yan felt Yu Laozu's hands gently supporting him, and seeing that Yu Laozu's hair seemed to have turned a little whiter, his eyes felt sore but it disappeared in a flash, and then he smiled and said.

"Why is Mr. Yu here?"

Bai Yan gradually put away his smile and couldn't help but ask Mr. Yu, with some worry in his words.

Nowadays, Li Ting at the foot of Mount Qishan is the place where many Confucian scholars make trouble. Behind it is the dispute over fiefdom between the Ying clan and Ying Zheng. Anyone involved will hardly have a good ending. Therefore, when they saw Old Yu appear here, they couldn't help but worry.

"It's still that kid Gui!"

When Yu Laozu heard Bai Yan's words, his slightly red eyes gradually recovered. When Bai Yan mentioned the reason for coming here, Yu Laozu became furious.

"Gui?"

When Bai Yan heard what Yu Laozu said, his face was full of confusion.

Upon seeing this, Yu Laozu immediately told Bai Yan what had happened in the past. It turned out that some time ago, Yu Laozu was drinking wine under the shade of a tree in front of the door. He wanted to take a nap and go fishing by the stream when he woke up, but he was woken up by a shout. When he got up, he saw it was that kid Gui.

"That kid has made meritorious service. Now he has finally made it. He will be directly appointed as the magistrate of Nanzheng County. That's a county magistrate! After serving as a county magistrate for many years, he can only be promoted to county magistrate if he has made meritorious service. If a county magistrate has made meritorious service, he can directly serve as an official in the county, which is equivalent to a candidate for the county governor or county lieutenant. How old is that kid Gui? He has finally made it through ten years..."

When Yu Laozu said this, his eyes couldn't help but glance at Bai Yan. Gui was also brought out by Yu Laozu. It is no exaggeration to say that Gui is a very capable person and he could not be hidden from Yu Laozu's eyes, not to mention Gui's character. It was Yu Laozu who asked Gui to take Bai Yan, who had just arrived at the camp, to the tent.

Therefore, Yu Laozu could easily imagine how much support and opportunities Bai Yan gave Gui to get to where he is today!

"hey-hey!"

When Bai Yan saw the look in Yu Laozu's eyes, he chuckled. While he was happy for Gui, he also admitted that he had indeed taken good care of Gui in the past. Even when Gui wrote to him informing him that he was ordered to go to Nanzheng to serve as a county magistrate, Bai Yan had specially sent a letter to Shu. Since Gui was still young and lacked experience, he asked the Tai family, the Zhuo family and some old clans in Shu to lend a helping hand in private so that Gui would have less trouble when he first arrived in Nanzheng.

Bai Yan also agreed with Gui's resignation as a general and taking up an official position. If it were before the unification of the six kingdoms, Bai Yan might still have hesitated. After all, exchanging a title for an official position was not equal. For example, if an official gave up his title after making meritorious service, he could only get a position with a salary of 400 dan. If a public official gave up his official position, he could only get 600 dan. In the counties, the county chief had a salary of 600 dan, and the county magistrate had a salary of 1,000 dan.

Now that the world is unified and there are no more wars, Bai Yan is happy that Gui is serving as the county magistrate. After all, in an era without war, a county magistrate is much better than a general and will have more opportunities for development.

"That day, Gui brought a few jars of fine wine and stayed at my house for a night. Who would have thought that when he left the next day, the seal would be left with me..."

When Yu Laozu said this, he immediately frowned and looked at Bai Yan. He saw that Bai Yan couldn't help but frown when he heard what he said.

"I don't know if I'm overthinking, but I always feel that the boy is a little absent-minded, especially when he talks about you. There's something wrong with that boy, but I can't tell! I don't know if I'm being too suspicious..."

Old Soldier Yu looked thoughtful and shook his head in confusion.

Logically, Gui would never do anything to let Bai Yan down. Gui and Bai Yan have a life-and-death friendship, and Yu Laozu could also see that if Bai Yan opened his mouth, Gui would not even frown even if he died. That night, when he occasionally mentioned that Bai Yan was hated by many people, Gui's eyes turned red and he said that whoever dared to touch Bai Yan, Gui would kill that person's entire family.

Yu Laozu knew that Gui was not joking, but he also vaguely realized that Gui was still a little weird, as if he was always worried and uneasy.

This is most likely the reason why the seal was left.

"The guard seals have all fallen?"

Bai Yan watched Old Yu take out the seal and couldn't help but become curious. No matter how careless Gui was, he couldn't be so careless.

Although he had his own letters, even without the seal, it would not delay Gui's appointment to Nanzheng, but in other aspects, the seal was of vital importance. Even ordinary news and notices required the seal.

"I am old and can't walk anymore. I didn't think about it. I heard that Gui's family was in Qishan, so I came here to see if Gui was still at home. If not, I will ask his family to send him to Nanzheng immediately!"

Yu Laozu said that this also explained why he was here.

"Mr. Yu, Bai Yan has been to Gui's home and knows where his family is!"

Bai Yan came back to his senses and told Yu Lao that the matter was left to him. Then he turned around and instructed a confidant to tell Gui's family the specific location in Qishan. If Gui was not there, he would arrange for the confidant to ride a horse and personally send Shouyin to Nanzheng.

Outside the pavilion.

After Bai Yan gave the instructions, he started reminiscing about the past with Old Yu. However, not long after, he saw a man hurrying over.

"Greetings to Lord Wu Lie! I am an attendant of Lord Ying Xi's palace. I have been ordered to come here to invite Lord Wu Lie to Yongcheng for a chat!"

The man was wearing a silk robe. After he dismounted his horse, he was unable to get close to Bai Yan and was stopped by the soldiers. Seeing this, the man had no choice but to show his identity and then explained his purpose to Bai Yan.

"Ying Xi!"

When Yu Laozu was in his prime, he had served as the Minister of the Left. Although he was demoted again and again later, he is now old, his hair has turned gray, and his body has become increasingly thin. He looks nothing like he did before, but Yu Laozu has still heard of some of these people.

And this Ying Xi was a well-known figure in those days. Even among all the princes in the world, everyone knew him.

"Mr. Yu, let's go together. We'll have a good chat tonight in Yongcheng!"

Bai Yan nodded to the man, then looked at Mr. Yu.

Looking at Old Yu's increasingly gray hair, Bai Yan, who had experienced many separations and deaths, knew that if he had time, he would see him more often and talk with him more often. He didn't expect that one day in the future, when he looked back on the years they had not seen each other, he would suddenly realize that there was no chance to see him again.

"Okay, I also want to taste the fine wine of Yongcheng and take a look at the well-known Ying Xi back then!"

Naturally, Yu Laozu would not refuse Bai Yan's invitation. He smiled and was even more expectant than Bai Yan.

........................

More than an hour later.

In Yongcheng, Bai Yan, Niu, Yu Laozu, and a few trusted men saw many members of the Ying clan waiting outside the city gate before they even entered the city gate.

As for why Bai Yan knew that those people were members of the Ying clan, the reason was that next to the two middle-aged men in the lead, there was a person whom Bai Yan had seen before, or rather, saved.

Win Xi.

"Yingguang, Yingxue, meet Lord Wulie!"

The two middle-aged men in the lead saw Bai Yan arriving on horseback and were the first to bow and salute.

Upon seeing this, Bai Yan quickly dismounted and returned the greetings to the two of them. He then looked at the people behind him who were also returning the greetings and nodded. When everyone was satisfied, Ying Xi, who was standing behind Ying Guang, stepped forward and saluted Bai Yan alone.

"Ying Xi, greetings to Lord Wu Lie!"

Because Bai Yan saved Ying Xi's life, when he saw Bai Yan, in order to show respect, he did not salute with others, but walked forward alone and bowed to Bai Yan.

"Meet General Ying Xi!"

Bai Yan returned the greeting to Ying Xi. The two had not seen each other for a long time since they parted ways.

Now that they have arrived in Yongcheng, it is equivalent to arriving in Ying Xi's territory. Therefore, after Ying Xi finished the ceremony, he hurriedly and enthusiastically signaled Bai Yan to enter the city. The carriages, fine wine and food, and female musicians have been prepared.

"Who is this?"

Ying Guang and Ying Xue couldn't help but look at Yu Laozu who was beside Bai Yan, especially seeing that Yu Laozu looked a bit sloppy and disheveled, and was wearing rags, they were both very curious, how could there be such a person around Bai Yan.

The information we just received clearly showed that Bai Yan came with only his guards.

"This is Mr. Yu!"

Bai Yan could see the doubts in Ying Guang and Ying Xue’s minds, so he introduced them.

"In the past, Elder Yu was the left minister. The king had specially summoned Elder Yu. General Wang Jian and Elder Yu were also old acquaintances..."

Bai Yan did not mention the fact that all the sons of Yu Lao were killed in the war for Qin. Perhaps those things would be eye-catching if told to Wang Jian, Yang Duanhe, and Ying Zheng, but at this moment, if those things were said, it would only make Yu Lao more sad and would not have any effect.

Because the people in front of me are all relatives, relatives of the Ying family!

"hiss!"

Bai Yan's words surprised Ying Guang and Ying Xue. They looked at each other in surprise. These two simple sentences made Ying Guang and Ying Xue, as well as several other young members of the Ying family behind Ying Guang, stop looking down on them and greet Old Yu together with Ying Guang and Ying Xue.

Yu Laozu simply returned the greeting. After the ceremony, he couldn't help but glance at Bai Yan, shook his head in a helpless manner, and then got on the carriage with Bai Yan and entered Yongcheng.

Over the past hundred years, if you were to ask where most of the powerful people in Guanzhong were, the answers would definitely be three places: Xianyang, Yongcheng, and Liyang.

As the ancestral temple of the Ying family of the Qin State, the city is home to not only a large number of powerful and noble families, but also countless people from the third to fifth generations of the Ying family. After all, people all over the world are proud to worship the ancestral temple and regard the ancestral temple as their roots.

In the eyes of the world, the destruction of a country may not necessarily mean the end of the country, but the destruction of its ancestral temples will definitely mean the severing of its roots. This is why the royal family of Chu hated Bai Qi of the Bai clan so much.

Listening to the lively conversations of the people outside the carriage and along the streets, with Ying Xi's introduction, Bai Yan also had a general understanding of Yongcheng, including the approximate number of Confucian scholars in the city at the moment.

Ying Xi did not hide this from Bai Yan at all. As long as Bai Yan opened his mouth, Ying Xi answered any question without hesitation.

Soon the carriage stopped in front of a mansion.

Under Niu's escort, Bai Yan got off the carriage with Yu Lao and Ying Xi. After Ying Guang and others in the carriage in front got off, Bai Yan entered the mansion at the invitation of Ying Guang and others.

Bai Yan walked with Old Yu in the spacious mansion. Looking around, they were all impressed. Whether it was the rockery and water pond in the mansion, or the green trees and beams, they all revealed a sense of antiquity. Occasionally, they saw unique carvings. Although they were far less exquisite than those in the homes of wealthy people in Xianyang, Bai Yan couldn't help but sigh in those seemingly simple carvings. Walking in them, he could really feel a sense of heritage.

"here!"

Although Ying Guang walked in front to lead the way, Ying Xi still stayed beside Bai Yan enthusiastically. When they walked through the yard and saw the wooden boxes full of gold, silver and jewelry, the smile on Ying Xi's face told Bai Yan that those were all prepared for Bai Yan.

As Bai Yan arrived at the main hall, he walked in and was shocked to see that the light was excellent in the spacious main hall. There were about 10 to 20 wooden tables on each side, all of which were already full of people. There were even many young men or men in scholar's clothes standing behind them. There were also many beautiful women in silk clothes, who were obviously women from the clan.

Bai Yan had just taken two steps into the main hall when he saw the man at the top of the hall stand up from behind the wooden table. Then all the men behind the wooden tables on both sides of the main hall also stood up, looked at Bai Yan, and raised their hands to salute.

"I've met Mr. Wu Lie!"

Ying Xi, who was already in his twilight years, stood behind the wooden table and raised his hand to salute Bai Yan. Looking at Bai Yan's young appearance, even though Ying Xi had heard it countless times and heard it many times from Ying Kan and Ying Xi, he still couldn't help but be surprised by Bai Yan.

Ying Xi had long heard that the Bai family had a son named Bai Yan, who was ordered to take charge of the war in the battle to destroy Han and made great contributions. He was later appreciated by Ying Zheng. Ying Xi had been curious about him a few years ago. As news of his military exploits came one after another, Ying Xi had long wanted to meet Bai Yan, especially when he learned that Bai Yan was actually a Qi person who was driven out of Qi and came to Qin.

Seeing him now, Ying Xi couldn't help but be amazed! At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. After all, he was old. Among the young generation of Qin officials, there was such a rising star.

"Greetings to Lord Wu Lie!!"

"Greetings to Lord Wu Lie!!!"

Following Ying Xi's salute, dozens of men in the main hall all saluted Bai Yan. Their voices were particularly loud in this spacious main hall.

And just above the many men on the right, there was an empty seat, which was one of the few seats in the main hall that was not occupied. However, the seats were filled with wine and food, and there was a beautiful girl waiting by the side with a wine jug.

Obviously prepared for Bai Yan!

　On the morning of the 3rd, the confinement center called Daidao, saying that the child was not feeling well and the confinement nanny who had taken care of the child had a fever and was vomiting. Daidao hurried to see his wife and child and sent the child to the hospital. It was confirmed that the child had pneumonia. Now the child is in the hospital again. Yesterday, he was busy with the hospitalization matters, buying the supplies the child needed, sending them to the nurses in the hospital, and arguing with the confinement center. After all, it was the confinement nanny who had the fever.

　　The child has had blood drawn to confirm pneumonia, and has been checking for viruses, liver and other issues over the past two days, so the updates have been a bit irregular. The editor also asked Daidao, and Daidao showed the editor the list. Even the editor said that Daidao was a bit unlucky.

　　Now Daidao has taken his wife home and asked his mother-in-law to come and take care of her. I will continue to update for a while, but the updates may be irregular. Sorry! The editor asked Daidao to say something to everyone.

(End of this chapter)