It is said that Han Shu led his family back from Yangzhou this time, originally thinking that he could show the attitude of their Plum Blossom Han family sharing the joys and sorrows with the country, so as to have a good start with Zhao, the official family who was not conspicuous in the past but is now extremely stable on the throne... In the end, Zhao, the official family, is the source of political power, and the two sages have been taken north. At present, Zhao, the official family, has no other close relatives of the same surname in the south of the Yellow River except for a great-grandmother in her seventies or eighties, so from the perspective of matrilineal kinship, it seems that this group of cousins are considered close relatives.

As for these cousins of different surnames, there is no doubt that the Plum Blossom Han family has the most righteous and decent origin.

However, such a sincere heart suffered such a blow because of a strange thing. It can only be said that the imperial family is truly indifferent. Fortunately, this official family habitually utters fierce words, but often raises it high and puts it down gently. After the other party kneels, he scolds him and drives him out... Looking at his appearance, it is not so much that he is really wary, but rather that he is using people as a raft to show grace and win over the generals.

Such actions are not unusual to the people around him.

But no matter what, Han Shu was summoned in a hurry, scolded, and then driven out in a hurry. Zhao, the official family, was as if nothing had happened and continued the banquet... Everyone sat down again, except for Zhao, the official family, who was the host. Only Yue Fei and Wan Qixie were considered guests, plus Lin Jingmo, Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, and Lan Gui were considered to accompany him. Only seven or eight people sat down casually in the pavilion, and there were only seven or eight dishes of meat and vegetables on the table. Among them, the three dishes of meat were all rabbit meat, which shows that what this official family said in the hall today may not be false.

Such a posture is actually far from being in accordance with etiquette, but the court has experienced the Jingkang Rebellion, and has fled from Nanjing to Huaishang, and then from Huaishang to Nanyang, and then back to the desolate Tokyo City, so there is no such thing as rules.

Those who should get used to it have long been used to it.

Everyone sat down, and Yue Fei was a little embarrassed at first... Although this person is a more mature person than anyone else, he is still a living person after all, and his inner sensitive habits have not changed... Afterwards, the four escorts, Academician Lin and Liu Yan, have always been silent people. Lan Gui didn't know if it was pretending or real, but he looked frightened and didn't look like an escort at all. And Yang Yizhong, who has always been good at flattering, couldn't help but feel a little sensitive to these commanders after he took control of the Imperial City Division and enjoyed the power to pass secret messages to the commander officers, so the atmosphere was difficult to enliven for a while.

However, fortunately, there was Wan Qixie, who entered the officialdom in middle age, and had mixed in the court and the Jianghu. Borrowing a word from the great Academician Su, he could accompany the Jade Emperor above, and the beggars of Suzhou below. He started from his experiences in the West and gradually drove the emotions of the table.

"Qu Duan has a precious horse?"

Zhao Jiu was slightly stunned. "Can it travel four hundred li a day?!"

"That's right," Wan Qixie smiled calmly. "I would like to tell the official family that this horse is famous throughout Guanzhong. I have seen it all the way. It is indeed a divine horse. Its head is twice as big as ordinary nags. When it is fully armored, it looks like a monster. No wonder it is called the Iron Elephant. Moreover, its endurance is extraordinary, and it sprints extremely fast. People say that this kind of divine horse is one in a million, and can only be obtained by luck... When Qu Da was held down by the Wu brothers in prison, thinking that he was about to die, he still didn't forget to entrust this horse to Wu Lin, but fortunately the official family was benevolent and allowed him to live because of his meritorious service in maintaining order. In the end, he rode it to Tokyo City."

Zhao Jiu was thoughtful, and Wan Qixie also smiled and said nothing, and the table was silent for a while.

"Does Pengju have good horses?" After a moment of silence, Zhao Jiu suddenly opened his mouth, but directly sought out Yue Fei.

Yue Pengju was in a dilemma, and quickly got up and cupped his hands: "Reporting to your Majesty, I have two good horses. Although they are not as magical as the Iron Elephant, they can already be called good steeds and are enough to use."

"Two?" Zhao Jiu raised his eyebrows. "Is there anything unusual about them?"

"Reporting to the official family," Yue Fei hesitated for a moment, obviously thought for a while, before answering solemnly. "One of these two horses was obtained by me in Hebei that day, and the other was found in this Jiangning rebellion according to the temperament of the previous one... The two have similar temperaments. They both look ordinary, but their food intake is amazing. They require several dou of bean feed and a hu of spring water a day... However, if the bean feed is not washed and the spring water is not clean living water, they would rather die than eat it."

None of the people present were fools. They mostly smiled when they heard this, and even Zhao, the official family, smiled: "In this way, a clean official does not accept food from the hungry, a man of lofty ideals does not drink the water from the Robber's Spring, and a good horse does not eat dirty things?"

"It is not that I am exaggerating or deceiving with false words, but my two horses are indeed like this," Yue Fei immediately said again.

"I believe it, Pengju, continue to speak," Zhao Jiu nodded slowly, and then motioned Yue Fei to sit down and talk, obviously not taking it to heart, and the others mostly nodded.

After all, it is certain that there are good horses that are picky eaters, but Yue Fei specially singled this out to describe his two good horses, undoubtedly to compare himself to horses because of what happened in the hall just now, and then declare his innocence.

"Yes... Actually, that's all," Yue Fei continued. "The key is that the abilities of these two horses cannot be shown all at once. That day, I was ordered by Zong Zhongwu to lead five hundred Tabai troops to run to Sishui Pass for reinforcements with one of the horses, and I felt it very deeply... When the army was marching at the beginning, I was armored and armed, and riding this horse, traveling thirty or forty li, it was not faster than the war horses of the other Tabai army knights on the left and right, just like ordinary war horses;

"But at noon, after marching nearly a hundred li in a hurry, the other war horses in the army were panting non-stop and had to stop to rest temporarily. This horse under my crotch was full of energy, even hissing and long whistling, and running faster and faster;

"In the afternoon, after marching again, and traveling another hundred li, we arrived at Sishui Pass at night. All the war horses in the army were already exhausted at this time, but this horse under my crotch didn't even sweat or pant... I think this is a first-class good horse, because it is big but doesn't take it improperly, and it has ample strength but doesn't seek to show off. It is the so-called talent for long-distance travel!"

"It is indeed a good horse!" Zhao Jiu listened quietly, and then clapped his hands and smiled, but looked at several close ministers. "Actually, I also have a horse... It is the Liaodong horse that Pingfu gave me, and it is still raised in this palace. You should all remember it, right?"

Liu Yan, Yang Yizhong, Lan Gui, and even Academician Lin, nodded one after another.

Among them, Liu Yan was even more embarrassed and said: "The horse I gave to the official family is not as good as these two horses of Grand Commandant Yue, let alone the Iron Elephant."

Zhao Jiu did not comment, but directly smiled and said: "My horse is big, but it doesn't eat as much as Pengju's two horses every day, and it is not too picky. It can eat weeds in the palace. It accelerates extremely fast when riding it, and its speed is far faster than other horses when traveling thirty or forty li, but after a hundred li, it is no different from ordinary war horses. It also sweats and breathes unevenly... Pengju, do you think this is a good horse or a bad horse?"

Yue Fei was slightly stunned, and then he was actually a little flustered... Is this different from what he thought?

However, the other people in the seat, who were obviously already familiar with the habits of this official family, did not think it was strange.

However, no matter what, Yue Fei was not a person who was used to lying, and he had to answer with a hard head: "I think it should not be considered a good steed."

"In theory, it is indeed not considered a good steed," Zhao Jiu said frankly. "Compared to Pengju's two long-distance horses, it is even worse, but I privately think it is still a good horse... Because what is difficult to find in the world is not only the Iron Elephant? Are the talents for long-distance travel common? This kind of Liaodong horse that runs faster than ordinary horses at the beginning is already considered a good horse!"

Everyone was moved, and Zhao, the official family, continued to talk non-stop:

"Besides, there is a shortage of horses in the Central Plains. From Nanjing to Huaishang to Nanyang, there are not many horses around me. At that time, it was already the best horse that Pingfu and the others could find for me. I rode this horse to deal with Fan Qiong, fled Nanyang at night, and rode it across the river directly to Pengju's formation under Changshe City that day... Pengju!"

"I am here."

"These days, as Tokyo City is becoming more and more lively, many people have been discussing me. Some say that I am too frugal and make it difficult for those below, some say that I handle things in a disorganized manner, and some say that I am unfair in rewards and punishments... But in fact, several prime ministers and close ministers have long understood my intentions. They know that what I do, what I raise, and what I say are all based on resisting the Jin, and that is indeed the case," Zhao, the official family, said slowly while sitting in the pavilion. "Because I think the world is in turmoil, the people are in dire straits, and the internal and external rights and wrongs are still the most important thing for the tens of millions of scholars and people in Hebei to be ravaged by the Jin people, so in the final analysis, the most important thing is still the war between the Song army."

"It's difficult for the official family," Wan Qixie couldn't help but interject before Yue Fei could speak.

Zhao Jiu smiled and continued slowly: "Therefore, in handling court affairs and personnel matters, I still have to see whether it is beneficial to resist the Jin and whether it is meritorious to resist the Jin. And judging from the current overall situation, the Jin is still strong and the Song is weak, and the Jin is attacking and the Song is defending. Therefore, whether it is the Iron Elephant, the long-distance good material, or my inferior horse, or even the market mules and donkeys, as long as it can be used to resist the Jin, then it is my privately favored steed! Otherwise, even if it is a golden elephant or a silver elephant, it deserves to be stewed and eaten!"

When Yue Fei heard this, he finally stood up seriously and cupped his hands again: "The official family's emperor's mind is far better than what I thought!"

Lin Jingmo and others did not dare to neglect, and each stood up seriously and followed suit.

"Sit down, it's boring at the banquet. Let's talk nonsense between the emperor and his ministers and express our feelings," Zhao, the official family, showed a rare look of得意after getting Yue Pengju's performance, but waved his hand and smiled. "However, if Academician Lin has time, after dinner, he might as well embellish this conversation between me and Pengju and write a short essay, and post it in front of the Xuande Tower and the gate of the Dousheng... Lest some people be uneasy after what happened in the hall today and cause any big news."

"As you wish!" Academician Lin responded immediately.

Everyone sat down again. At this time, the sun was becoming more and more westward, and there was gradually a sunset state. Everyone no longer talked about the Iron Elephant, but the atmosphere was much better.

However, just as the words of several people were gradually appropriate, and the wine was also used in moderation, and it was so-called gradually in the alley, Feng Yi, the Yaban who had escorted Han Shu out before and now holds the Yanfu Palace, suddenly arrived, and then seriously reported an unexpected event in front of the pavilion.

"Goryeo Envoy?"

Zhao Jiu, who was picking up a rabbit leg, looked back in surprise. "This is interesting... How did they come here? Could it be fake?"

"The envoy came in ordinary clothes and went straight to the Dousheng. It is indeed suspicious, but there are senior officials in the Dousheng who actually recognize the envoy who has been to Tokyo in the past, so it must not be fake," Feng Yi replied in an orderly and serious manner. "And the time has come to the evening, and all the princes and ministers are not here. Only Liu, the military counselor of the Privy Council, is staying behind, but he is notifying several princes on the one hand, and sending news to the palace on the other hand. I happened to come back from the Xuande Tower and ran into it... Liu, the military counselor, asks the official family for instructions on how to deal with it?"

"What is there to deal with?" Zhao Jiu continued to put the rabbit leg in front of him before calmly ordering. "Just tell Liu Ziyu to test the Goryeo envoy and ask if he can help us resist the Jin people. If he can help, even if it is just one soldier or one soldier, I can have another Maritime Alliance! If he can't, send him out directly. I won't see him!"

The sunset has appeared, the banquet is silent, Feng Yi was stunned for a moment, but could only nod and leave.