Mu Weizhou left the palace and headed straight for the Ban family. Ban Gu had not returned yet, and only Ban Chao was at home. Mu Weizhou chatted with Ban Chao for a while. Just as he was about to tell him about the banquet and ask him for advice, he heard a sound from the courtyard door. Ban Chao's son, Ban Xiong, walked in with a child in mourning. Behind them was a woman in her thirties. She was dressed in plain clothes and had a hundred flowers on her head.
The man walked into the room and said to Ban Chao,""Big brother, I'm back." Then, he glanced at Mu Weizhou and stood there silently. Mu Weizhou had come to the Ban family twice, but he had never seen this person before. Seeing that she and the child were both filial and called Ban Chao's elder brother, he could not understand what was going on.
Ban Chao agreed, then looked at Mu Weizhou and introduced him,""Wei Zhou, this is my younger sister Banji. She came back to stay for two days because of her husband's family.”Then, he looked at Banji and said,"Hui Ban, this is my good friend, the son of the Crown Prince's concubine, Mu Weizhou, Lord Mu." Lord Mu is talented in both literature and martial arts. He has also helped me and my brother a lot.”
Mu Weizhou heard that this person was Ban Chao's younger sister and that Ban Chao called him Lord Mu. He quickly bowed and said,""Hello, Sister Ban. Second Brother is too polite. Little Brother Mu Weizhou, you can just call me Weizhou.”
Ban Zhao said to Mu Wei and Zhou Yifu with an indifferent expression,""Hello, Lord Mu.”"Brother, if there's nothing else, we'll go back to the backyard."”
Ban Chao didn't say anything and nodded at her. When Ban Chao said that the woman in mourning was his sister, Mu Weizhou felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't remember. When Ban Ji bowed to Mu Weizhou and called herself Ban Zhao, Mu Weizhou suddenly realized that Ban Chao had a sister, Ban Zhao, who was a famous female historian in the history of the Chinese Dynasty. He vaguely remembered that Ban Zhao seemed to have contributed to the completion of Han Shu. At first, Ban Chao called her sister Ban Ji, but he didn't remember. However, this woman in front of him had a low brow and a smooth gaze, and her sharpness was not obvious. It was very difficult for him to associate her with the famous Ban Zhao.
Ban Chao saw Mu Weizhou staring blankly at Ban Zhao, who had left, and thought that he was wondering why Ban Zhao was dressed in mourning clothes. He sighed and said,""My younger sister's husband had just died, and she didn't get along with my younger aunt. We were afraid that she would be too upset, so we brought her and my nephew back to stay for two days. Sigh, life is unpredictable.”
Mu Weizhou didn't know how to comfort him when he heard him sigh. He had planned to ask Advisor Ban Chao to treat him to a meal, but he didn't expect to encounter such a situation. He couldn't say what he wanted to say. " Second Brother Ban, I've been focusing on my cultivation recently. I haven't sat down with you for a long time. I remember that you said you were appointed as the fake Sima. I wonder how you're doing now?"”
Ban Chao poured a glass of water for Mu Weizhou and gestured for him to sit down before saying,""All aspects of the work are being prepared. Lord Dou will report to me about the situation every ten days and give me some tasks. At the beginning of October, a few of us will leave Luoyang first and go to Jiuquan to do the preliminary work. Recently, I've been searching and sorting out relevant information. I'm really busy.”
"Oh?" Mu Weizhou was surprised. How could he leave just like that? Then how long will Second Brother be gone?"
Ban Chao moved the teacup on the table and said slowly,""This time the emperor is very determined. If this foolish brother's estimations are correct, it will take at least half a year. Presumably, after May of next year, the war will have a result.”
Mu Weizhou counted the days in his heart and said,""If that's the case, we probably won't be able to meet him for half a year. Yes, but I might be very busy in the coming days. The Crown Prince and I have also received two missions. By the time you come back, we will probably be done.”
"You and the Crown Prince also have a mission. What mission do you have?" Ban Chao asked.”
Mu Weizhou then told Ban Chao about obtaining the Book of Victory and raising cattle. He also told Ban Chao about the worry that taking on the energy-consuming task of raising cattle would make him unable to split his attention during cultivation. He didn't expect Ban Chao to laugh at him and tell him what would happen even if the Crown Prince raised the cattle himself. Mu Weizhou was suddenly enlightened after hearing this, thinking that he was really narrow-minded.
After hearing Mu Weizhou's words, Ban Chao muttered,""After listening to your words and combining it with my observations, our emperor really has great talent and strategy. I wonder what his plans are for the Western Regions?”
Mu Weizhou guessed that Ban Chao remembered what Hu Zhen told him about being conferred the title of marquis for ten thousand miles. He knew that Ban Chao did it in the end, but he had no impression of how he did it. "Second Brother, didn't the Emperor make any arrangements for the Western Regions when he used troops against the Xiongnu?" Mu Weizhou asked casually.”
Ban Chao took a sip of water. However, if they could win this time, they would definitely put the recovery of the Western Regions on the agenda. The Western Regions spanned thousands of miles. The countries had suffered from the oppression of the Xiongnu for a long time. They all hoped that the imperial army could arrive and drive out the violent Xiongnu. Now was definitely a great opportunity. Hey, Weizhou, I suddenly have an idea, but it might not be mature. Can you give me some advice?”
"What idea?" Mu Weizhou asked curiously.
Ban Chao pondered and said,"According to my estimation, if the Emperor is going to use troops in the Western Regions, he needs to find out the truth first." There were more than fifty countries in the Western Regions, big and small. They were scattered in the north and south of Tianshan Mountain. Their customs, climate, and military strength were very different. If he didn't figure out the situation in advance and used troops hastily, he might not achieve his goal.”
Ban Chao stopped and looked at Mu Weizhou without saying anything. Mu Weizheng listened and saw that Ban Chao didn't want to talk anymore, so he asked,""Second Brother means…"
"If we can go to the Western Regions to investigate and understand the situation in advance before we use the army, I believe that when we really use the army, we will definitely be invincible!”Ban Chao stared at Mu Weizhou.
Mu Weizhou nodded at Ban Chao's words. In the past, when he had nothing to do, he would often browse the military forums on the Internet. He was quite interested in how to march and fight, some ancient and modern battles, or war theories. One reason might be that, like many boys, she liked it naturally. Another reason might be that it was to serve the needs of playing games. Ban Chao's idea was absolutely in line with the theory of " intelligence before war ". Before Japan invaded China, they had investigated China thoroughly. In many aspects, they knew China better than the Chinese themselves. The supporter said,"That makes sense. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. If they could communicate with the countries of the Western Regions in advance, they could unite their forces. This is a good thing."
When Ban Chao heard Mu Weizhou talk about Sun Tzu's Art of War, he didn't expect Brother Mu to have studied the art of war. He said,""Brother, how about we go and do such a good thing?”
"Of course," Mu Weizhou immediately replied. Second Brother, what do you think we should do?”
Ban Chao looked out of the window and thought for a moment,""I think the Xiongnu have already invaded the Western Regions. When the time comes, the countries in the Western Regions will definitely react. If the Great Han can send a diplomatic mission over after defeating the Xiongnu, I believe that things will progress even more smoothly.”
Mu Weizhou heard that he was going to investigate the Western Regions immediately after the crusade against the Xiongnu, so he said,"Hmm, that makes sense. This way, it wouldn't take up too much time. Sigh, Second Brother, shouldn't you tell Lord Dou Gu about this idea?”
Ban Chao couldn't help but laugh when he heard that.""My Brother Weizhou, this is a matter of national importance. How could I, a mere fake military commander, have the chance to speak? Even if I am lucky enough to submit our thoughts to Lord Dou, in the end, it will only become a few wooden slips that he may not open. You really think highly of big brother Xu."
Mu Weizhou finally understood what he meant. Ban Chao must have wanted him to let the Emperor know about this through the Crown Prince's channel. Then, it would be easier to achieve the goal of being an envoy. If this was half a year ago, Mu Weizhou would not have been able to guess Ban Chao's intentions. However, in the past half a year, Mu Weizhou had been influenced and personally experienced countless people. He wasn't stupid, but he had never been in such an environment since he was young. Now, he was almost certain that Ban Chao's thoughts were similar. However, based on his understanding of Liu He, Liu He would definitely support the idea if he were to propose it. It was not only because he was the one who proposed it, but also because Liu He would sometimes treat himself as a substitute. Many things that Liu He could not do himself would be done through Mu Weizhou, but Liu He would think that he could do it himself. It was just that the method he used might be different. Therefore, Liu Meng was eager for the emperor to agree to this idea. According to Ban Chao's analysis, the emperor would probably agree to this idea. At that time, he would be in trouble. Who knows, Liu He might even encourage the emperor to send him and Ban Chao as envoys. Mu Weizhou wasn't afraid of the hard work. Deep down, he was quite willing to go. Not only did he want to help his two good friends, but he also wanted to help the Western Regions return to its territory. In his eyes, that was definitely a great honor. However, the fundamental problem was that he would be going back next year for the new year. In his opinion, the safest arrangement should be to return to the Qiantang River during the two days when he could go back.
Ban Chao saw Mu Weizhou's hesitation and asked for some reason,""Weizhou, what are you thinking about?"
Mu Weizhou looked at Ban Chao and asked,""Second brother, you said that you were investigating the situation in the Western Regions. How long will it take?”
Ban Chao thought that he was thinking about something, but it turned out to be this matter. He smiled and replied,"It's hard to determine the time. There were more than 50 countries in the Western Regions. If he really wanted to go there, he would need a few years. In the past, Zhang Qian, Marquis of Bowang, had spent four years to merge the Western Regions. I think that the Western Regions and Luoyang have been cut off for a long time because of the Xiongnu. If we really want to complete the achievements of Marquis of Bowang, it will take a long time, not a short time.”
Mu Weizhou took a deep breath when he heard this. He felt that the two days he had spent in the Eastern Han was too short. If he had known that it would only take four to five years for the Western Regions to be reunified, he would have set a time limit of eight to ten days, but now was definitely not the right time.
Just as he was about to find an excuse, he heard Ban Chao continue,"However, the reason why the Marquis of Bowang was able to merge the Western Regions within four years was because he had been in the Western Regions for more than twenty years. Therefore, it wasn't that simple to achieve the great cause of Bo Wang. I think that if we only go to contact and investigate, at least two months, at most half a year will be enough.”
Hearing Ban Chao's words, Mu Weizhou was excited. He thought to himself,'That's right. I can totally arrange my schedule according to my own time. I can definitely rush back to Qiantang City a period of time earlier.' If it could really be settled in two months, when he returned to the future and someone mentioned Ban Chao's protectorate of the Western Regions, he would be able to remain silent and secretly look down on him. So he immediately continued,""That's why I was thinking that if I could tell the Crown Prince about Second Brother's thoughts, the Crown Prince would most likely support it. Then, through the Crown Prince, I would report to the Emperor. Second Brother, what do you think of my idea?”
Ban Chao slapped his thigh and said to Mu Weizhou with a laugh,""Aiya, brother, that's exactly what I'm thinking. It's just that when you tell the Crown Prince, if he can recommend me to do this, big brother will be deeply grateful!”
Mu Weizhou looked at Ban Chao's overjoyed expression and thought to himself," I don't even need his recommendation. I'm definitely the first person he'll think of. If I go, it'll be strange if I don't drag you along." "Second Brother, this is a good thing. In my opinion, it's definitely you." Mu Weizhou sighed. But you have to let me think about how to tell the Crown Prince. If he agrees, you will definitely be involved. Don't worry."
When Ban Chao heard Mu Weizhou's words, he grinned and laughed foolishly, not knowing what to say. Mu Weizhou looked at him and sighed in his heart."It seems that this divination is not completely useless. Such a sensible man actually spent his entire life being tormented by a few words from Liar Hu. Thought control was too terrifying.”Mu Weizhou suddenly remembered his purpose for coming here. Seeing that Ban Chao was happy, he said,""Second Brother, to be honest with you, I also have a small matter to discuss with you. I don't know if it's convenient for you.”
Ban Chao didn't even think about it when he heard that." It's convenient. How can it be inconvenient?" What is it?"
Mu Weizhou then told him about his intention to treat him. He mainly wanted him to advise him on how to treat him, where to treat him, and who to invite. Finally, he specially said,"I didn't expect Second Brother to leave in the near future, so I might as well treat you this time as a way to fulfill Second Brother's wishes, so it's best to consider this matter now.”
After hearing his last words, Ban Chao felt that this Brother Weizhou in front of him was really affectionate. Following the method that Mu Weizhou and the Crown Prince had discussed, he put forward his own opinion. By the time Mu Weizhou had decided on his final idea, it was already evening. After a while, Ban Gu returned and the three of them discussed again. After Mu Weizhou had dinner at the Ban family's residence, he returned to the Sunset Smoke Hall.
When he returned to the Sunset Smoke Hall, it was already the time to light the lamp. Wang Chong was waiting to review the "Invasion Chapter" that he had written today. Mu Weizhou was now familiar with Wang Chong and Ban Gu. He no longer had the feeling of being too proud when he first met them. In addition, he also wanted to talk to Wang Chong about treating them, so he didn't pay much attention to Wang Chong's " Incursion ". It is a pity that Mu Weizhou did not read it carefully. Among the 85 chapters of Lun Heng that had been passed down to this day, only the one with a title and no content could make up for the loss of Chinese culture.
Mu Weizhou and Wang Chong chatted for a while about the dinner. Wang Chong also gave him a few suggestions. Later on, for some reason, Mu Weizhou was brought to the topic of 'scholar'. Wang Chong still relied on his knowledge to spread his ideas. Mu Weizhou had already understood Wang Chong's debating nature and believed that he often argued for the sake of arguing. Because his knowledge was indeed vast, Mu Weizhou sometimes thought that Wang Chong was not debating with an opponent, but with a mirror. Although he saw a person in his eyes, he was thinking of himself, who was even more brilliant than the person in front of him. He seemed to have the thoughts that the other party had expressed before, or perhaps with his rich knowledge reserves, he could immediately have them. In his heart, he wanted to surpass this possession again! Moreover, Mu Weizhou believed that he had basically determined the definition of a scholar. Once a person's thoughts were formed, it was really not easy to change them. Mu Weizhou appeared to be easy-going and let nature take its course, but when it came to the situation, he was also a diehard person who would not hit the south wall. He looked at Wang Chong in front of him and listened to his reasonable words. He suddenly felt that Wang Chong was the " Dugu Qiubai " of the debate world. When he thought of Dugu Qiubai, he thought of the Hongjun Sword Technique and the Taole Sword Technique.
Mu Weizhou and Wang Chong continued to chat, their minds wandering aimlessly. Then he suddenly thought of Dou Tao and thought that it had been a few months since they last met. He wondered how she was doing recently. At the thought of this, he was determined to make this treat a success. He then thought of Liu Qingping. Although he was sad that she was reprimanded by the Emperor, he thought about how she had played smart with him a month ago and felt that she deserved to be taught a lesson. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile.
Around midnight, the two of them were tired after a long day. They returned to their rooms and fell asleep. Not long after, the busy Luoyang City also put away his hustle and bustle and entered dreamland.
In the next few days, besides making sure that he had a certain amount of time to study his swordsmanship, Mu Weizhou spent almost all his time preparing for the banquet.
At first, according to his calculations, there would not be more than forty people. This way, he would set up a table in the Sunset Smoke Hall and three tables in the courtyard. He would be able to succeed in one go. However, what he did not expect was that such a large round table did not exist in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Only then did he remember that whether it was in the relay station restaurant or in other people's homes, the tables were all low. Mu Weizhou usually did not care about these things, so he did not notice them at all. Later, he planned to find some large boards and temporarily set up four large tables according to the eight square tables, but he was strongly opposed by Wang Chong. Even Ban Chao, who was usually not bothered by trifles, thought that it was not good to do so, because it would lose etiquette and make people feel disrespected. It would instead be counterproductive to the original intention of the banquet. Finally, under the coordination of various parties, twenty tables were gathered. The number of people invited to the banquet was also forced to be reduced. The entire Wei family class, which was originally intended to be a guest, had instead become a chef. This made Mu Weizhou feel embarrassed. On the eighth day of the ninth month, everything was finally settled. The people who wanted to be informed had also been informed. Wine, meat, vegetables, and fruits were also prepared. Mu Weizhou calculated that he had spent two months of his salary. That night, he sat in front of the lamp and complained to Wang Chong. Inviting guests was more tiring than practicing martial arts. He would never do such things again. Wang Chong told him bluntly that this kind of thing would definitely happen in the future.
The Double Ninth Festival was finally here. It was called the Double Ninth Festival, but at that time, it was basically a spontaneous event among the people. The country did not set it as a fixed festival. On that day, people would go out and climb mountains to pick some Zhu Yu back in order to live longer. Early in the morning, Mu Weizhou and Wang Chong got up and led the two children to climb Mount Shouyang. On the road, there were many groups of people climbing Mount Mang and Mount Song. Along the way, Mu Weizhou also found a few flags of " peace " fluttering by the roadside. After asking, he found out that it was the Road of Peace giving chrysanthemum tea to prolong their lives. Looking at the good men and women coming and going beside the flags, Mu Weizhou felt that the Road of Peace might not be doing nothing good. When they reached the top of Shouyang Mountain and met up with the Wei Family Class, everyone returned to the Sunset Smoke Hall. After breakfast, they began to prepare for the banquet.
When it was noon, guests began to come in twos and threes. Ma Yan and his son, the five Dou brothers, the second brother Geng Kui with Ren Shang, Deng Zhi and the other Crown Prince Scheeren, the Ban brothers with Ban Chao's good friend Xu Gan, and so on. When it was almost noon, wine and dishes were served on the table one after another. However, everyone was sitting there chatting and no one moved because everyone had heard that the Crown Prince was also coming. Just as it was noon, Wei Feng, who was in charge of receiving guests outside the courtyard, shouted,"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. King Xiapi has arrived."
Hearing this, Mu Weizhou hurriedly went out to welcome them. The guests who were originally seated also stood up and went out to welcome them.
Liu Cong entered the Sunset Smoke Hall. As soon as he sat down, Wei Feng shouted from outside the courtyard,""The Great Minister of Agriculture and West River King Liu Min have sent people to congratulate Mu Shu's son on his promotion.”"Young Fu Huanyu sent someone to congratulate Mu Shu's son on his promotion.”"Huben Zhonglang Ma Liao sent someone to congratulate Mu Shu's son on his promotion.”"Wei Ying congratulates Mu Shu's son on his promotion.”……
Mu Weizhou was puzzled. He wasn't familiar with them, and some of them didn't even know him. He didn't even invite them, so why would they send someone to congratulate him? At this moment, Liu Meng whispered into his ear,""Big brother, I have discussed this with my father and specially let them know that they are here to support you.”
Hearing this, Mu Weizhou hurriedly ran out of the courtyard and answered the questions one by one with everyone. Those who had sent people over had generally delivered their master's message, then put down their gifts and left. Mu Weizhou hurriedly made way for those who had come by themselves. When he had just finished making the arrangements, he heard Wei Feng shout again,"Guangling Marquis Liu Yuanshou sent someone to congratulate Mu Shu's son on his promotion."”Mu Weizhou was stunned when he heard that. He thought to himself, Why is the Marquis of Guangling in Luoyang? When he reached the door, he realized that Liu Qingping had come.
When Mu Weizhou saw Liu Qingping, he couldn't help but smile and say in a half-angry and half-resentful manner,"So it's Qingping. Why are you only here now? I've been so busy these past few days. Hurry up and help me out. You know better than me that I don't even know what to do.”
Liu Qingping curled the corners of her lips and walked into the courtyard without saying anything. Mu Weizhou turned his head to look at Liu Qingping's back. He felt that something was wrong with her. He was about to chase after her and ask her, but he was stopped by Wei Luan. She said that she was afraid that the dishes and meat prepared were not enough and asked him what to do. After Mu Weizhou had made the arrangements, he saw that Liu Qingping was already busy arranging the seats in the courtyard with a smile. For a moment, he felt that he might have sensed wrongly just now. He did not think too much about it and went to busy himself with other things.
After Mu Weizhou busied himself for a while and finally dealt with the incoming wave of people, most of the people in the courtyard hall sat down. In the end, Deng Zhi and Ma Rong were squeezed out and sat beside the stone table in the courtyard. Liu Qingping didn't even have a place to sit, so she could only squeeze with Dou Tao and whisper with a smile. Strangely enough, Liu Qingping was the kind of girl who would make others feel that she was slightly beautiful when she was with any girl, but not by much. Dou Tao, on the other hand, would feel that her appearance, demeanor, clothing, temperament, and other aspects were much better than others when she was with any girl. However, when the two of them sat together, no one would think that Liu Qingping would be at a disadvantage. In fact, they would more or less think that Liu Qingping was more pleasing to the eye. Mu Weizhou could not figure out what was going on, and Liu He did not want to figure it out at all. The others only felt that it was an imposing manner, and they might not have thought of it at all.
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