In Yuyang County, the news that the prefect Shen Huaimin was getting married quickly spread, and was talked about in the streets and alleys by the people in the city.
Shen Huaimin was an upright official and had been sent to Youzhou by the imperial court for five years.
Over the years, he recruited refugees, reclaimed wasteland, restrained powerful officials in the county, and rectified government officials, making the people's lives barely manageable. Therefore, he was respected by everyone and had a good reputation among the people.
In the wine shops in the city, many people were talking about the mysterious groom.
"It is said that Mr. Shen's daughter was born with a beautiful and beautiful appearance. I don't know who is so lucky to be able to hold such a beautiful girl."
"Good luck? Haha, I can't see it."
"Brother, why did you say this?"
"I heard that Sun Xiangwen of the Sun family has been rejected several times before when he proposed marriage to the Shen family. This time, I'm afraid there will be a good show."
Ye Qingzhou was quietly eating fried broad beans, drinking wine, and listening to the gossip related to him. He successfully collected a lot of useful information: "The Sun family is a powerful local in Yuyang, and they have tried to marry the Shen family before. , to win over Shen Huaimin, but failed.”
In the past two days, Ye Qingzhou only came to the wine shop and sat for half a day every day, relying on various hearsays to get a clear picture of the situation in Yuyang County and even the entire Youzhou.
The country he is currently in, its name is "Liang", has been in the country for 223 years, and has reached the end of the dynasty.
In the court of Daliang Kingdom, the positions of hundreds of officials were almost monopolized by wealthy families, so that there were no poor families in the upper ranks and no noble families in the lower ranks, and the path to upward class was completely blocked.
At the local level, the various prefectures and counties in Daliang are also riddled with conflicts. Powerful forces are separatist and engage in land annexation, leaving the rich with vast land and the poor with no place to stand.
A large number of farmers who have lost their land have become refugees. They have no food and clothing, which continues to aggravate the emergence of social unrest.
The entire Daliang Kingdom is now like a huge powder keg. The people at the bottom of society have long been unable to bear the exploitation. They are complaining, dissatisfaction and resentment are constantly accumulating. It only takes a spark to start a prairie fire and set the entire Daliang country on fire. One detonation.
In fact, the Xuantian Rebellion three years ago had already detonated once.
The Xuantian Sect, which mobilized millions of refugees, launched rebellions in 11 of the 14 states in Daliang at the same time, and even once occupied half of the Central Plains. It dealt a heavy blow to the Daliang court and wiped out the authority of the government. .
Even the Xuantian Sect's rapid sweep forced the imperial court to relax military controls and allow local governments to recruit their own brave men to assist the government and army in quelling the religious rebellion.
Although this move solved the religious rebellion, it also allowed the local tyrants who were already difficult to suppress to become stronger and continue to erode the foundation of the imperial court.
You must know that once the balance of military power between the central and local governments is broken, power turbulence is bound to be inevitable.
The earth sends murderous intent, dragons and snakes rise from the ground!
Today's Daliang has some signs of the rise of heroes.
Ye Qingzhou thought to himself, but his thoughts were racing in his heart: "The Sun family is a powerful force that grew up in the religious chaos, and the two Sun brothers are very ambitious. In the past few years, they have been hoarding food and privately accumulating armor and soldiers. What do they want to do? It’s so obvious.”
Although Daliang calmed down the religious chaos caused by Xuantian Sect, he could not calm the already restless people.
Seeing that troubled times are coming, it is inevitable that some people will want to take risks, either to support their own troops or to separate themselves as kings, and the Sun brothers obviously have such plans.
And not only did they think so themselves, they also planned to rope in Shen Huaimin to do it together.
But Shen Huaimin was obviously not happy, not because he was loyal to the royal family of Daliang, but mainly because he didn't think the Sun brothers could succeed.
"So, are you using me as a shield?"
As soon as Ye Qingzhou's thoughts changed, he immediately understood Shen Huaimin's thoughts and plans: "I come from a humble background, and there is no intricate power or background behind me, so it is easy to be controlled. At the same time, I am also good at fighting, so I can become the master of the Shen family. A sharp knife, cutting through thorns and thorns for the Shen family, and killing them with blood..."
I have to say that Shen Huaimin's calculation of marrying off his daughter was really shrewd.
Ye Qingzhou didn't mind much about this.
In the adult world, it is completely normal for people to use each other.
Anyway, he also needs to rely on the "power" of the Shen family. As long as Shen Huaimin doesn't block his way, other things actually don't matter at all.
Ye Qingzhou was about to get up and leave, but suddenly heard someone mention the words "Xuanyuan Sword". He immediately sat back, pricked up his ears, and listened carefully.
"Hey, have you heard? Lu Gongming, the divine fortune teller of Louguan Taoism, said that we in Youzhou have the aura of the emperor. It is said that when he was observing the stars two nights ago, he saw a ten thousand-foot-high ray of light shining out of the sky, and his aura turned into the image of a dragon and a tiger. Supreme and noble, is it possible that Xuanyuan Sword will appear again?”
Ye Qingzhou was stunned when he heard this. Wasn't that the time when he came to this world two days ago?
The endless rays of light must be the ripples in time and space caused by his soul when it left the spiritual world. Unexpectedly, it was actually observed by others.
Afterwards, Ye Qingzhou continued to listen.
"That's not possible. Doesn't this mean that Daliang is going to change its dynasty?"
"Hey, you can't say for sure. The divine weapon appears once every three hundred years. Every time it comes to the world, a hero will stand out and sweep the world with the Xuanyuan Sword in hand, unify the Central Plains, and usher in a peaceful and prosperous age."
"This is a great love. I have had enough of this hard life."
"Stop it, it's not fun to talk about this!"
"That's it, drink, drink, don't discuss state affairs."
Then the wine shop recalled the laughter and laughter, and they began to talk about women, especially the erotic stories related to big shots, which made people’s blood boil and their faces turn red.
Ye Qingzhou listened critically for a while, then stood up and left the wine shop: "It seems that Xuanyuan Sword is an artifact that leads the change of dynasties in this world... Wait, doesn't this mean that I want to obtain this sword? Do you have to be emperor first?”
Trouble.
Ye Qingzhou felt a headache just thinking about it.
He is not good at military and political strategy, let alone the way to govern the country. The only thing he is good at is killing people. He can't single-handedly kill all the princes with a sword and dominate the world, right?
…………
At this time, the Shen family mansion.
Nephew Shen Peng came to the study: "Uncle, I have found out what you asked me to check."
A few days before the case, Shen Huaimin put down the bamboo slip in his hand: "Speak."
"At the Northern Territory Protector's Mansion, I asked someone to check the records in the archives. There is no such person as Ye Qingzhou."
"Oh."
Shen Huaimin's reaction was very cold.
This made Shen Peng a little confused, and he hurriedly reminded: "Uncle, I suspect there is something wrong with this person's identity."
"So?"
Shen Huaimin still had a disapproving expression. Seeing that his nephew still didn't understand, he sighed and asked him: "Is Uwe's head fake?"
Shen Peng shook his head: "This is true. Over at Donghu, the Owl Feathers have confirmed the news of Uwei's death."
"Isn't this the end? Ye Qingzhou may have a fake name and a fake identity, but as long as his ability is real, it will be fine."
Shen Huaimin's words awakened Shen Peng.
Only then did the latter understand: "My uncle taught me that for the Shen family, it doesn't matter whether the identity is true or false, as long as the person is useful."
"Children can be taught."
"Uncle, if there is nothing else, my nephew will leave first."
"Wait a minute, take 200,000 yuan from the government, then go to Jicheng and ask Deputy Governor Liu to help write Ye Qingzhou's name on the roster."
"It costs two hundred thousand to write a name?"
"I want this identity to withstand the inspection of the court, do you understand?"
Shen Peng was shocked: "Uncle is planning to recommend Ye Qingzhou?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't this... too flattering to him?"
Shen Peng couldn't help but be surprised.
There was no imperial examination in Daliang, and the official way to promote officials was through the promotion of filial piety and integrity. Local officials in each county recommended talents to the court.
Therefore, many famous officials and ministers in the court were basically from filial and honest backgrounds and had great political influence.
In the Daliang Kingdom, Xiaolian was held annually, that is, local counties could recommend talents to the court every year, but there was a limit on the number of people, and they basically had to break their heads to grab them. If you are not from a wealthy family, don’t even think about it.
Even though Shen Huaimin is the governor of Yuyang County, there are many children of aristocratic families and wealthy families in the county who need his "care", and there are only so many places every year.
This time, the Xiaolian status given to Ye Qingzhou was forced by Shen Huaimin from elsewhere.
Shen Huaimin does this even if he doesn't hesitate to offend others, which shows how much he values Ye Qingzhou.
As Shen Huaimin's nephew, Shen Peng himself does not have the status of Xiaolian, and Ye Qingzhou is just the son-in-law of the Shen family. Why?
At this moment, Shen Peng felt extremely sad, but he couldn't express it.
Shen Huaimin naturally saw through his nephew's little thoughts at a glance, and scolded him with his eyes wide open: "Look at your potential... The government is in turmoil right now. Even if you get the status of Xiaolian, what can you do? Why don't you The chips are on Ye Qingzhou. I think this son is definitely not a thing in the pool. He may be able to lead our Shen family through the difficulties and even soar into the sky."
"Is he really that powerful?"
"One is worth a hundred, what do you think?"
Shen Huaimin is obviously much more knowledgeable than Shen Peng. He is familiar with history books and knows how terrifying a fierce man like Ye Qingzhou can be on the battlefield. He is destined to make great achievements in the future.
Today, although the Shen family still retains its name as an aristocratic family, its family status is already declining.
The reason is also very simple. A family like the Shen family has always followed the civil service route. In times of peace and prosperity, they can naturally rely on the imperial power and rely on political struggles to form cliques in the court. .
But now the national power of Liang Dynasty is declining and the situation is precarious. The Xuantian Sect's rebellion three years ago has pulled out the last fig leaf of the imperial court, revealing its own weakness to the world, destroying its majesty, and can no longer suppress the rebellious public opinion.
Troubled times are coming, and heroes will surely rise in the world. When the time comes, you will fight with others, and they will directly fight with you. Even if your tongue is like a lotus flower, and you can turn black into white, what's the use?
The other party can turn you from living to dead by simply flipping the table, shutting you up immediately.
On that night three years ago, if the Northern Territory Protectorate had not sent out troops in time, Yuyang County would have almost fallen into the hands of the Xuantian Sect's rebels.
Anle City, just across the river from Yuyang, was not so lucky. Not only did the county town fall, but even the county magistrate's family suffered. The whole family, including the three-year-old child, all died neatly.
It was after walking through the gate of hell that Shen Huaimin woke up from the past glory of the Shen family and realized that times had changed. If the Shen family did not change, they might not be able to escape the end of their genocide.
Just when Shen Huaimin was telling Shen Peng'er about his life, a servant from the mansion came to announce: "Master, my uncle is back."
"Invite him over quickly."
"Yes."
Soon, Ye Qingzhou walked into the study: "Father-in-law wants to see me?"
"Haha, dear son-in-law, please take a seat quickly. I came to you today because I have something to discuss with you."
Then Shen Huaimin said that he would recommend Ye Qingzhou as Xiaolian. For the people of Daliang Kingdom, this was a ticket to officialdom, something that no one could ask for.
But for Ye Qingzhou, what's the use of this thing?
To promote filial piety and honesty, one does not need to improve one's martial arts skills, and oneself have no intention of entering the officialdom and living like a dog with a group of people who have nothing to do with their bodies.
Therefore, his reaction was very cold. It was only because of Shen Huaimin's good intentions that he thanked him: "Thank you, father-in-law, for your cultivation."
"Good, good, good, not frightened by favors or humiliations, calm and composed, a good son-in-law is indeed of extraordinary magnanimity."
Shen Huaimin was quite satisfied with Ye Qingzhou's reaction and said to Shen Peng: "See, this is the person who really does great things. Watch carefully and study hard."
Shen Peng originally had some opinions about Ye Qingzhou, but at this moment he was really convinced: "My uncle has taught me many times that I need to be calm during major events. I have never understood why, but I finally understand today."
Ye Qingzhou didn't know why, so he could only continue to maintain a cold expression.
Ten days later, Ye Qingzhou's Xiaolian status was finally approved.
At the same time, the Shen family was also building momentum for Ye Qingzhou. The story of him fighting hundreds of Donghu Rangers alone in the wilderness spread throughout the county.
Countless people on the streets were discussing Ye Qingzhou's bravery enthusiastically, which made him famous.
Yuyang County is on the border of Youzhou and has long faced military threats from the Donghu people. Almost every household has a blood feud with the Donghu people.
Therefore, after the heroic deeds of Ye Qingzhou shooting Uwei spread, it was very inspiring.
Shen family mansion, guest room in the west wing.
The moment Ye Qingzhou took over Xiaolian's identity, he immediately noticed his own changes.
I saw the power of thinking turned into invisible threads, gathering from all directions, and finally hanging on his body, nourishing his soul and body.
"My body is getting stronger... Fame and fame are actually of such use?"
Ye Qingzhou's eyes lit up. He was surprised to find that the power of Si Neng could be used to refine muscles and bones and strengthen the body, although the effect was far inferior to vitality.
But in the Cang Yuan Great Realm, a world without vitality, being able to become stronger is great, so why do you need a bicycle?
Ye Qingzhou, who had found the path to martial arts practice, was so excited that he stayed up all night, training his body crazily in the yard, immersed in the joy of becoming stronger.
After Shen Huaimin learned about this, he became even more optimistic about Ye Qingzhou's future: "After gaining the reputation of Xiaolian, I can still calm down and practice martial arts hard. Such a character is really a talent."
In the blink of an eye, dozens of days passed, winter turned to spring, the ice and snow melted, and Ye Qingzhou's wedding was approaching.
On the day of the big day, the imperial court's appointment letter for Ye Qingzhou also happened to be delivered, appointing him as the general commander Shi, who could lead troops in battle and be controlled by the Northern Territory Protectorate.
In fact, this is a false position, because only official positions are given, but no food, salary or soldiers are given.
The meaning is also obvious, the court has no money, you have to find a way to recruit soldiers yourself, and you are responsible for your own profits and losses.
But this is exactly what Shen Huaimin meant. Today, the Shen family is not short of money or food, they just lack such a status.
Now that they have the status given by the imperial court, the Shen family can recruit brave men and raise private soldiers without any scruples.
The beginning of spring, a day of joy.
The prefect's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and there was a grand banquet for guests. Almost all the famous and famous families in the city came, except for the people from the Sun family.
Soon, the groom's official Ye Qingzhou appeared in everyone's sight.
He was tall and straight, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, and a calm manner. The guests around him were all amazed when they saw him. They thought Ye Qingzhou was a strong man with a big waist, a round waist and a beard.
After all, he is a warrior who can fight one against a hundred on the battlefield. But now, looking at him, this good guy seems a little too "delicate" in appearance.
He is polite and gentle, and people believe that he comes from a noble family.
When he came to the church, Ye Qingzhou saw clearly the appearance of the bride. She was indeed a beautiful woman, with a look that would overwhelm the country.
Due to etiquette, although the two were engaged before, they had never met.
Later, Ye Qingzhou discovered that Shen Jingyi was also peeking at him. The attitude of a little girl who wanted to see but didn't dare to look more was really laughable.
Shen Jingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ye Qingzhou's handsome appearance and gentle temperament.
Although a woman like her was born into a wealthy family, she often had no control over her marriage and relied entirely on her parents' orders and the words of a matchmaker, leading to blind marriages.
If you marry the wrong man, you have no choice but to admit defeat.
"Worship the heaven and the earth."
"Second worship to the high hall."
"Husband and wife bow to each other."
"The ceremony is completed..."
The emcee was all smiles, and the surrounding guests were also laughing and joking. However, just when everyone was happy, the spoiler came.
The door of Shen's house was kicked open by someone, and Sun Xiang Wenming led the people in. His eyes immediately fell on Shen Jingyi's plain and delicate face, revealing an undisguised look of greed.
"Sun Xiangwen, what do you mean!?"
Shen Huaimin's face was livid with anger, and his eyes were so angry that he almost burst into flames.
Although Sun Xiangwen's name is "Xiang Wen", his whole person has developed horizontally. He is tall and thick, and his face is full of flesh. His mouth is split open to reveal two rows of big yellow teeth, and he smiles ferociously: "Master Shen, don't call me on the big day. I, you don’t take my Sun family seriously, right?”
"This is the prefect's mansion. Do you want to rebel?"
Shen Huaimin's chest was filled with anger and his whole body was trembling slightly. He had already realized that something was wrong.
As expected, Sun Xiangwen laughed wildly and said: "Three days ago, four thousand Heavenly Wolf cavalry suddenly attacked Jicheng. Liu Qi, the Northern Territory Protector, was killed in the battle, and the rest of his army was defeated. Now my brother has occupied Jicheng, with more than ten thousand troops, and the Heavenly Wolf With the support of the clan, great things can be expected. Shen Huaimin, your Shen family rejected my marriage proposal, so you deserve this fate today." (End of Chapter)