In the evening, before the sun set, in the afterglow of the setting sun, Yan Liqiang returned to the Deer Park in a rented four-wheeled carriage.
When he went out in the morning, Yan Liqiang had empty hands, but when he came back, Yan Liqiang did not have empty hands. Instead, he took a jar of good wine and a square bag from the car.
As the carriage drove towards the gate of Deer Garden, the soldiers guarding the gate were staring at it with serious faces, as if they were ready to come and chase people away at any time. The coachman was also a little trembling with fear, but when they saw Yan Liqiang getting off the carriage, the faces of the soldiers guarding the gate of Deer Garden instantly became as amiable as the spring breeze. They smiled, puffed out their chests, and welcomed Yan Liqiang back.
"Master Yan, you're back..." The officer with the small flag ran over with a big smile on his face. When he saw that Yan Liqiang was carrying a bulging package on his back, the officer's expression became even more excited.
"Give the wine to the brothers on duty. Drink some after your shift change to warm your body!" Yan Liqiang threw the wine to the flag officer, then winked at the officer and patted the package he was carrying, "When you change shifts later, come to my yard..."
The officer with the small flag immediately understood what he meant and nodded.
…
When it got dark, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard where Yan Liqiang lived. Yan Liqiang came to the gate of the courtyard and opened it. He saw six officers standing outside the door, three small flag officers, two Quchang officers, and a Feiyang captain. They were all familiar faces in Luyuan and not strangers. One of them was holding a long object in his hand, which was covered with a red cloth. It seemed to be a gift for Yan Liqiang.
"Greetings, Lord Yan..." Several officers were a little reserved. After all, seeing Yan Liqiang in the past was one thing, but actually visiting him to ask for help was another. Yan Liqiang's current status was much higher than theirs, so they couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Come on, come on in. I've been waiting for you!" Yan Liqiang smiled and let a few people into the yard without any airs. Then he closed the door. "My yard is a bit remote, and it's rare for people to visit on weekdays. I just asked the people in the Luyuan kitchen to bring some wine and food over. Let's have a few drinks tonight!"
Seeing that Yan Liqiang was so approachable and had even prepared food and wine and was just waiting for a few people to arrive, the officers looked at each other and were all a little flattered.
"It is really impolite to disturb you this time. Please forgive me!" The captain Feiyang bowed to Yan Liqiang and said.
"Hahaha, Captain Liu, why are you being so polite? Come in..."
"Sir, do you still remember my name?" The captain was stunned for a moment and said with some surprise. In the Deer Garden, Captain Feiyang had not had much contact with Yan Liqiang, and he also considered himself a small figure. He did not expect that Yan Liqiang actually knew him and could call out his name. He was just thinking about introducing himself and the people who came with him to Yan Liqiang.
"How could I not remember? Your name is Liu Xitong, his name is Guo Sida, his name is Xu Shu, his name is Zhang Leyan, his name is Qian Dazhu, and his name is Meng Hui!" Yan Liqiang smiled, pointed at the officers, and said the names of the low-ranking officers one by one, "This is not my first time in Luyuan, so I naturally know the names of the brothers. Have you forgotten that last time I was assassinated in Luyuan and was seriously injured, and you followed Eunuch Liu to the Imperial Capital to seek justice for me? Although it has been a few years, I still remember you. Let's go inside and talk..."
Hearing Yan Liqiang talking about what happened that year and the names of several people, the officers felt excited and their restrained feeling disappeared in an instant. They followed Yan Liqiang into the house and found that a banquet had been prepared in the house. The food was still hot and well prepared. They didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Master Yan, this is a little gift from us brothers to you. We hope you don't mind..." Captain Liu said as he handed over the long thing covered with a red cloth.
Yan Liqiang took the thing and as soon as it fell in his hand, he knew it was a spear. He tore off the cloth covering the spear in front of several people, and immediately, a spear nearly three meters long appeared in front of Yan Liqiang. The tip of the spear was flashing with cold light and was extremely sharp. The shaft of the spear was dark red, solid and heavy to the touch. The shaft seemed to be made of wood, but in the hand, it felt heavy, as heavy as steel, weighing about fifty or sixty kilograms.
"Good gun..." Yan Liqiang praised, his eyes sweeping over the spear inch by inch, "The tip of this spear is sharp and has a fine luster, which is slightly different from the ordinary fine steel tip. The advantage is that it seems to be made of meteorite iron. The gun barrel is dark in color and heavy in the hand. It is harder than fine iron, but also very elastic. It is made of iron vine wood that has grown for more than a hundred years. This is the best wood for making gun barrels. Good gun, good gun, I like it. I'm sorry to trouble you..."
This spear is certainly a good spear, but it is far inferior to Yan Liqiang's dragon-spine steel spear. Of course, materials like dragon-spine steel are already rare treasures, and there are not many people in the entire Han Empire who are qualified to use them. Yan Liqiang can have one because of his master. In addition to the dragon-spine steel, the spear in front of him is already quite good among wooden spears. The meteorite iron spear head and the spear shaft, as well as the fine workmanship, cannot be obtained without three or four thousand taels of silver...
When the officers heard Yan Liqiang's explanation of the advantages of the gun, they seemed very satisfied and they all breathed a sigh of relief. This gun was made by several people who pooled their money and bought materials and went through a lot of trouble. Before coming, several people were really afraid that Yan Liqiang would look down on their gifts. These people have been planning to ask Yan Liqiang for help for a long time. They just prepared the gun yesterday, and it just so happened that they had the opportunity to deliver it today.
"We have heard that Master Yan is not only an unparalleled archer, but also has a high level of attainment in spearmanship. We have seen that Master Yan does not have a suitable spear as a weapon these days, so we want to give you a spear. We hope that you will not dislike it..."
“Hahaha, how could I reject such a good gun? It’s just what I want. To be honest, if you didn’t send it to me, I was planning to go to the Imperial Capital to buy one in a couple of days. After all, I will accompany His Majesty to leave the Imperial Capital next month. I cannot do without a handy weapon to protect His Majesty. It’s like someone brings me a pillow just when I want to fall asleep!” Yan Liqiang laughed heartily. As he spoke, he shook the spear twice and nodded with satisfaction. “Come on, don’t stand. Let’s sit down and talk while eating…” Yan Liqiang put down the spear and asked a few people to sit down.
With such an opening, and after a few people sat down and had a few drinks, the atmosphere at the table suddenly became harmonious and warm.
After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the room had become heated. Several officers began to complain about Yan Liqiang.
"Damn it, we were raised by a stepmother. No matter what, we are considered to be eating official food. We are decent people outside. When our families ask us, we say that we work for His Majesty, which makes us look proud. But when this disaster comes, you will know who is close and who is distant in the eyes of His Majesty and the court. The Imperial Horse and Infantry Division and all the civil and military officials in the court can follow His Majesty to the south, saying that they are accompanying His Majesty and guarding us. We can only stay in this Deer Garden. If a heavenly calamity really comes, what should we do!" Captain Liu, who had drunk a lot of wine, had a blue cheek. He was no longer as cautious as before, but a little angry. "Master Yan, tell me, by doing this, isn't the court forcing us to be buried with the heavenly calamity?"
“That’s right. We are on the emperor’s payroll. If the court really orders us to die, we will accept it. But our family has done nothing wrong. All the dignitaries and wealthy families in the imperial capital have left, and the court doesn’t care. When our family members want to leave, the court will start to issue travel permits. If you really want to go to the government to apply, it will take a year to get it done. Our brothers and their families are all in the capital. If there is a natural disaster, won’t our family be completely wiped out...” Meng Hui, the officer of the small flag who was guarding the gate of Luyuan today, also said angrily.
"The court newspaper didn't mention the Ganzhou earthquake, but didn't Ganzhou also have an earthquake? And the news came from Ganzhou, exactly the same as what was said on the back of the stone turtle. Thinking about this these days, I don't even have the heart to do my job..."
“Sir Yan, we brothers are all rough people, but even so, we brothers know what is right and wrong. We all know that you are different from us, and even more different from those ministers in the court. You are a man of real ability and vision. There are not two people in the entire Han Empire who are as capable of both civil and martial arts as you. Everyone says that you can see gods in your dreams and learn skills from them. Sir Yan, tell me, will the heavenly calamity come? We brothers just want to hear you say for sure so that we can have peace of mind…” As soon as Captain Liu opened his mouth, the officers at the same table stopped talking at once, even though they were drunk, and perked up, looking at Yan Liqiang with burning eyes.
Yan Liqiang drank the wine in the glass, looked around, and then put the glass heavily on the table. He said in a solemn voice, "Since you asked, I will tell you the truth so that you can have a clear idea. The words on the back of the stone turtle in Ling'an River are all true. There is no doubt that in September, the heavenly calamity will come. The entire capital will be turned into ruins in the heavenly calamity. The entire Imperial Capital will be turned into dust in the heavenly calamity. Everyone who stays will die..."
(End of this chapter)