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Jinggang Mountain is under the jurisdiction of Ji'an Prefecture, located at the border of Hunan and Jiangxi, in the middle section of Luoxiao Mountain Range, with majestic mountains and complex terrain, especially in the Huangyangjie area, where there are ten miles of mountains, majestic and steep, stretching as far as the eye can see.
At this moment, there was no red flag flying on Jinggang Mountain, but there was a large flag with the word "Qin" on a black background. Qin Mu led two hundred guards along the mountain trail, through the forest and wading through the water, and the flag appeared and disappeared in the mountains and forests;
Qin Mu's original intention was to let Dong Xiaowan follow the two thousand cavalrymen along the main road, but she insisted on not doing so.
Dong Xiaowan said that they were not marching to fight, and Yang Zhi was worried that no one would take care of him along the way, so she repeatedly told her to take good care of Qin Mu's daily life. How could she give up her "duty" just because the road was a little difficult to travel
Qin Mu hired several local strong men, one to act as guides, the other to take turns carrying Dong Xiaowan forward on a bamboo sedan chair. These mountain people were barefoot, and two of them carried Dong Xiaowan through the mountains at a brisk pace, even faster than Qin Mu and his men riding horses, which was breathtaking.
Sitting in the comfortable bamboo sedan chair, even though they had to cross mountains and rivers, Dong Xiaowan could still endure it. She was in a good mental state. When they stopped to rest, she could even serve Qin Mu tea and water and massage his muscles.
The forests on the mountain are extremely luxuriant and verdant, including yew, white yew, oak, ginkgo, fragrant fruit tree, half maple, nan bamboo, square bamboo, light bamboo, Guanyin bamboo, cold bamboo, bitter bamboo, phoenix tail bamboo, solid bamboo and so on. Most of the trees do not wither because the cold winter has not yet passed. They stand like tenacious lives in the mountains, giving people a feeling of vitality.
"Governor, we are still twenty miles away from the ocean." A mountain villager who served as a guide reported to Qin Mu.
"Wangyang Realm?"
"Yes, sir. Some people also call it Huangyangjie. This is the most dangerous place in Jinggang Mountain. The mountains are high and the forests are dense. It is often filled with vast clouds and mist. It looks like a vast ocean, so we all call it Wangyangjie. Sir, Wangyangjie is the most difficult section of the road in Jinggang Mountain."
"Difficult to walk? Haha, the wind and thunder are roaring, and the flags are flying. You can reach the moon in the sky and catch turtles in the five oceans, and return home with a triumphant song. Nothing is difficult in the world. As long as you are willing to climb."
Sima Kai and the others all cheered in unison. Xu Yongshun took the opportunity to flatter him: "Nothing is difficult in the world, as long as you are willing to climb. Good poems, wonderful poems! I have heard that Brother Qin wrote hundreds of poems after drinking. He slept in Jinling City. He refused to sleep with the girls. He said that I am a wine fairy. But since I followed you, you have always been very frugal with words. Today I finally saw it. You are really eloquent..."
"What the hell, what nonsense are you talking about, Xiao Shunzi? If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten that when we were in Nanjing, you rode past with a bunch of servants, looking arrogant and proud, and choked me with dust. Today, I want to settle accounts with you."
"No way, big brother, I didn't know you at that time..."
"But I recognize you, the young master of the Dingguo family. You are so arrogant in Jinling. Who wouldn't recognize you?"
"But when I arrived in Changsha, you clearly didn't recognize me."
"That's why I just said, 'If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten.' That's why I'm only coming to you now to settle the score."
"Brother, you are clearly trying to accuse me. I have no excuse." Xu Yongshun had a sad face. To be honest, he was really so arrogant when he was in Jinling, but this...
"Stop talking nonsense. I'll settle the score with you later." Qin Mu realized that the mountain villager who led the way seemed to have something else to say, so he asked, "What's wrong? Is there anything else?"
The mountain man said quickly, "Governor, I think Wangyangjie is the most difficult to travel. In addition to the high mountains and dangerous roads, there are also bandits who often appear here and rob passers-by."
"Oh?" When Qin Mu heard this, the first thought that flashed through his mind was: Did Taizu take those dozens of people to the mountain to start a business? What a sin, what a sin. Although Chiang Kai-shek always called Taizu a bandit, Taizu should not have robbed people on the road.
The reason why Qin Mu had the leisure to think about it when he heard that there were bandits in Wangyang Realm was because the two hundred guards around him were not only well-equipped and in high spirits, but also carefully selected and brave soldiers. So when he heard that there were bandits on the mountain, he didn't take it too seriously, but still asked: "How many people are there in this group of bandits, and what is the name of the leader? Do you know?"
"Your Excellency the Governor, I don't know exactly how many people there are, but it should be no less than a hundred, maybe even two or three hundred. I don't know the leader's name either."
"Well, thank you very much, Sima Kai, I will give you one or two taels of silver." After Qin Mu finished giving his instructions, he immediately ordered Niu Wanshan: "Brother Niu, pick some people to go ahead and scout. Don't be careless."
"Don't worry, sir. I'll go find out right away." Although Niu Wanshan was over 40 years old, he was very skilled in martial arts and full of energy. He walked with great vigor. However, since he followed Qin Mu, he had only taught Qin Mu and taught him some moves. He had never had a chance to show off, so this was a good opportunity. He thought to himself that if he had the chance, he would wipe out the bandit's nest first. He took 20 or 30 people with him and quickly disappeared on the mountain road ahead.
Qin Mu looked at the sky and it was almost noon, so he ordered to rest temporarily in a valley and wait for Niu Wanshan to find out the situation. It was still what Taizu said, you can despise the enemy strategically, but you must take the enemy seriously tactically to avoid capsizing in the ditch.
As soon as they stopped, the soldiers immediately divided the work and cooperated with each other. Some stood guard, some made fires, some set up pots, and began to prepare lunch busily.
Dong Xiaowan had a white jade hairpin with a cluster of pearls in her hair, a purple fur coat, and a moon-white skirt embroidered with peach blossoms. She was as graceful as a cloud emerging from a mountain, and her waist was as slender as a willow.
She covered her face with a white veil, which made her look even more hazy, and her beauty was as delicate and elegant as an immortal.
Qin Mu took off the saddle and placed it under a fragrant fruit tree. He casually hung the Juque sword on the branch, turned his head and looked at Dong Xiaowan quietly for a few times, then smiled and said, "Xiaowan, are you tired? I guess you have never suffered such hardship before. Come, sit down and rest for a while."
Qin Mu's smile was like warm sunshine. Dong Xiaowan felt warm in her heart. She lifted her veil and answered softly, "I rode the bamboo sedan all the way. I was not tired at all. The mountain road is rugged and it is hard for the master to ride a horse. Please sit down and I will help you."
In the past, Dong Xiaowan had never treated Qin Mu well because of some grudges in her heart. Although she accepted him from the bottom of her heart now, she was still a little unnatural in front of Qin Mu because of what happened in the past, and she rarely spoke so much at once.
But the more embarrassed she was. Qin Mu liked to tease her more when he was free: "There are bandits in the ocean ahead. If they see a beauty like you, I'm afraid the bandit leader will do everything he can to take you back as his wife. Alas, it seems that a hard battle is inevitable. Beauty is a disaster. Beauty is a disaster."
"Master!" Dong Xiaowan naturally knew that Qin Mu was teasing her on purpose. She couldn't help but let out a coquettish cry.
"Hahaha..." Qin Mu sat on the saddle. After entertaining the beauty, the fatigue from crossing the mountains and hills could be relieved a lot.
Dong Xiaowan skillfully opened the bag and selected two exquisite snacks and handed them to Qin Mu: "Master, please eat some snacks to fill your stomach first."
Qin Mu took her hand and bit a small piece of sweet potato wedge. The method of making this snack is to first cook the sweet potato, then mash it and mix it with flour to make dough, then fill it with minced meat, mushrooms, green onions, shrimps and other ingredients, and make it into a triangle shape the size of a dumpling. Finally, fry it in a frying pan, and it will become a sweet potato wedge that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and delicious.
When Qin Mu left Gannan, Yang Zhi not only gave him many instructions, but also prepared a lot of food for him on the road. For example, these fried sweet potato wedges would still be delicious even if they were kept for ten days in winter. Qin Mu ate one himself and fed another to Dong Xiaowan.
"You should eat quickly too."
"Master, I am not worthy of this. Let me do it myself."
"It's okay, you can return it to me next time."
"Return it to you?"
"That's right. It is said that when drinking, people don't use cups, but use their lips to drink... ... ... Well, I just heard that it is very enjoyable, but I haven't had the chance to experience it. Well, it's too tiring to always live a serious life. I have to experience it, at least a few times. That's what life is all about, don't you think?"
Dong Xiaowan's pretty face turned red instantly. She pursed her lips and dared not answer, just like a delicate spring peony with rain on its face.
As for Qin Mu, she had figured out his temperament. He was diligent and busy in military affairs. But in his spare time, he was never a hypocritical gentleman. He was even a little mean, but he would never lose his ambition by playing around.
"Master, those lines you chanted just now seemed to be from the tune of 'Shui Tiao Ge Tou', but they were discontinuous. Why don't you complete it, Master?" Dong Xiaowan was obviously deliberately changing the subject.
Qin Mu smiled and shook his head, saying, "You should know that I am not interested in this, and I no longer have the poetic talent. Even if I try to complete it, it won't be a masterpiece. Come, come to the master."
Dong Xiaowan moved to his side, squatted down and helped him massage his thighs, her expression was gentle and natural, her slender fingers were as beautiful as spring onions. Her head was slightly lowered, her eyebrows were like spring mountains, and her eyes were as calm as water.
"Xiao Wan, tell me, what is your dream?"
Dong Xiaowan raised her eyelids, and her watery eyes flowed towards him.
Qin Mu's question made her at a loss for words. She had never thought about her dreams. What kind of dreams could a brothel girl have? If she really had one, it would only be the dream of marrying a talented man as a concubine and living a harmonious life with him.
Now this dream has come true. Qin Mu is a famous talent in Jiangnan, and he treats me very well. Yang Zhi, the mistress, treats me like a sister and never puts on airs. Isn't this the fate I wanted before
What was her dream now? To have a child... Thinking of this, Dong Xiaowan's pretty face turned red again.
"Nu Nu... I don't have any dreams."
"Haha, tell me when you are pregnant. I promise to help you realize your dream. Of course, your dream has to be more reliable."
"Yes." Dong Xiaowan looked at him tenderly and lowered her head again, "Thank you, sir." She knew that Qin Mu would not easily make promises to others. Today he suddenly made such a promise, which meant that he really had her in his heart. Just for this reason, Dong Xiaowan was very satisfied.
After lunch was ready, everyone squatted under a tree to eat and rested for a while, then they saw Niu Wanshan hurried back.
"Sir, something has happened. We have captured a bandit. He said that the bandits on Jinggang Mountain used an insider to attack Ling County last night. The bandit leader is Gu Xiancheng..."
"What, Gu Xiancheng?"
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ps: Please give me a monthly ticket, please give me a monthly ticket!
..(To be continued..)
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