〖At the beginning, in the twenty-seventh year of Wuwei Ding Chou, Taizong succeeded the throne, Gaozu abdicated, and he was respected as the Taishanghuang. As the emperor was still alive, he issued an edict to continue to use the Wuwei era.
At the end of the year, Baiguan sent a letter to ask for the name of the menopause, in order to show the virtuousness, and Taizong promised it.
- "Yong Shi · Taizong Chronicle"〗
Wuyin, the first year of Longsheng, is the seventh day of the first lunar month. It is sunny after the snow, and it is very cold. Before the fifteenth year, all industries have ceased, and there are few pedestrians on the road. A small wild shop beside the official road was displaying a wine flag. The shopkeeper Hu San added a few more pieces of charcoal to the stove, and leaned listlessly beside the counter to take a nap. This new year has been very smooth. There is no obvious foreign aggression in Zezhou. There is an endless stream of travelers returning home from all over the country. His business is very good. He planned to wait until next spring to repair the dilapidated shophouse. The Bodhisattva refused to bless him and lost most of the silver taels. His wife returned to her parents’ house in a fit of anger. Hu San regretted it too much, but he couldn’t bring himself to pick up his wife. , or even earn a few taels of silver to please his wife.
He was drowsy by the fire when suddenly the loud sound of horse hooves came from his ears. Hu San was shocked. He didn't care about the cold wind coming through his bones. He opened the store door and looked out. Flying, twelve knights came running behind a carriage. Hu San looked desperately, not long after, those people were already close to several miles away, one of them came out of the crowd, fast horse and whip, and in a flash, the horse came to the door, and the knight on the horse pointed at Hu San with his whip and asked, "Is there any? Is it a good drink, are there any idlers in the store?"
Hu San said flatteringly, "Don't worry, the guest officer, the wine in the small shop is well-known far and wide, strong and fragrant, there are no customers in the shop, and even a young man has gone back to celebrate the New Year. Come in and have a few drinks and keep you comfortable."
The knight in the black cloak took off his hood, revealing a sturdy and sturdy face. He turned over and dismounted, ignoring Hu San, and walked into the store. Standing at the door, he saw that it was very spacious, although the tables and chairs were rudimentary. But it was quite clean, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "My lord is going to make a point here, and you have to serve me well."
Hu San's eyes are very sharp. As early as when the knight turned over and dismounted, he had already seen clearly that under the cloak was a fine black riding suit, the upper body was even more exquisitely dressed in black soft armor, and the horizontal knife was on his waist. He only looked at the scabbard. He knew that he was not an ordinary person, and with the boots on his feet, he knew that he was a general in the army without asking, and when he heard that he had an adult to serve him well, Hu San was overjoyed. As long as you are attentive, you will definitely not give less money. He said very neatly: "Master, the horse shed behind the shop is very wide, and the pastures are of the best quality. The villain will go to build the stove, so that the horses of the master will not catch the cold."
The knight waved his hand and said, "Come on, get the good wine and meat later."
At this time, other people have also arrived, the knight quickly walked to the front of the carriage, and reported: "Sir, you can hit the tip inside, please show me."
A clear voice came from inside the carriage: "The journey is hard. Let's rest for an hour, but we can't drink too much wine." The knights agreed loudly and got off their horses. One of the knights threw down the bloody game from the horse and said, "Master, we will cook the horses ourselves. You can carefully cook these pheasant rabbits and bring them to my family." Hu San repeatedly agreed.
At this time, the youth in Tsing Yi who was driving the carriage jumped out of the carriage, and then lifted the curtain of the car to help a scholar in Tsing Yi. The two entered the store under the attentive guidance of Hu San, and chose a leeward and warm table to sit down. And those knights quickly led the horses on the carriage and the knights' mounts to the stable, without Hu San intervening, and even the fodder was taken by themselves. Then, after leaving a knight to guard the stables, the other knights entered the store, greeted the scholar in blue, and then scattered and sat down.
Hu San moved very fast. At this moment, Kung Fu had already filled the table with the prepared bacon flatbread and soju. Hu San was so busy that he was sweating. Can not help but happy. After a while, Hu San made some small dishes with the game brought by the guests and brought them to the table of the scholar in Tsing Yi. Taking a peek, he saw that the scholar in Tsing Yi had a reddish face, as if he had drunk a few glasses of wine, but he The bacon served was barely touched. And the wine he drank was not the spirits in his own shop. I don't know when, there was a blue and white porcelain altar on the table, and a simple and unsophisticated wine that looked like jade but not jade, and it was filled with clear and blue wine. In addition, there is an additional food box, which contains some exquisite snacks. The outside of the food box is covered with thick fur, and the cakes seem to be steaming hot.
Hu San put the game on the table, and the youth in green clothes who was sitting on the side took out the silver bowls and chopsticks from another box beside him, put them in front of the scholar, tasted every dish before saying: " Sir, please use it."
The Tsing Yi scholar just started to eat, Hu San was stunned, although he was well-informed, but after all, he was just guarding an Ono store, and he had never seen such pomp.
After being busy for more than half an hour, Hu San finally calmed down. Those knights had long since swept away the wine and meat, and then slowly drank wine and chatted in a low voice. After dinner, the scholar in Tsing Yi picked up a volume of books and was fascinated by it. Hu San knew that these people would have to rest for half an hour. , said: "No need, if you are drunk, it will be difficult to travel, you can fill our wine bag." After saying that, he threw a wine bag on the table, and the other knights also took off the wine from their waists. Put the bag on the table. As Hu San poured wine, he calculated that each wine bag could hold at least two catties of wine. If only today's wine and meat were counted, it was already a big business. After finishing the installation, Hu Sanyi counted, but there were only eleven wine bags. He couldn't help but peeked out in surprise. It turned out that there was a knight who sat in the corner at the beginning, and did not sit with the other knights. Hu San He almost ignored him, and when he paid attention, he realized that the man was actually a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy. Hu San felt strange in his heart. It was cold in the north, and everyone loved spirits. How could this young knight not drink alcohol? He looked at him a few more times. The young knight seemed to have sensed his gaze and gave him a cold look. Hu San only felt a huge shock in his heart. The young man looked cold, and his eyes were even more murderous. Although Hu San was not a soldier, he had been struggling in the war for many years. He understood that kind of eyes very well. With piercing hatred and crazy murderous eyes.
I slowly drank the light and fine wine. I couldn't bear the too-mellow spirits, and I felt a little ashamed to say it. A few days ago, I was thinking of my father's death anniversary, and I thought of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, but who knows it hasn't When the trip was completed, the imperial court came to the envoy to reward the three armies, and I, the supervisor, could not escape. After the New Year's Eve, I only had time, and I took Xiao Shunzi and a few personal guards to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. His Royal Highness King Qi also wanted to accompany me to see it, but I declined. My eyes swept across the lonely figure in the dark corner, and my heart was bitter, but unfortunately, it was a simple sacrifice to my deceased father. .
After the drastic changes many days ago, after Li Hu was forcibly taken away by King Qi's subordinates, Ling Duan became like this, silent, indifferent and hated, but I have nothing to do with this matter, I can't deliberately let him see any document information, It's easy for an idiot to know that there are tricks involved, and this is the only way to let Ling Duan know the fact that Quartz's old division has all been silenced, so that when he returns to Beihan and cooperates with other things, he will think of the possibility of Quartz's "betrayal" , this is a very important move in my plan. If I want to eradicate quartz, this is an essential evidence.
Among Long Tingfei's generals, Su Dingluan and Tan Ji are dead, only Quartz and Duan Wudi are left. I decided to focus on Quartz because Duan Wudi is good at guarding and acting cautiously. He must be a shrewd person. The subordinates, the superiors can rely on, but it is difficult to trust, plus the information we have obtained, Quartz is indeed Long Tingfei's favorite general. In this way, dealing with Quartz will not only alienate Long Tingfei's confidants, but also his cronies. Betrayal will also hit Long Tingfei's confidence more seriously. For this reason, I can no longer care about Ling Duan's mood.
Looking at Ling Duan, I suddenly thought of Tan Ji. King Qi once copied me a song that Tan Ji sang when he was dying. I recited it again and again, thinking of Tan Ji's life, and I couldn't help but sigh deeply. Too sad and gloomy, but also written with painstaking efforts. After reciting it in my heart, I suddenly stood up and walked out of the store.
Hu Yanshou, who was in charge of guarding Jiang Zhe, stood up in surprise and was about to ask, but Xiao Shunzi who followed him waved his hand and said, "Young master just go out to breathe, you don't have to follow." Although he said this, Hu Yanshou still insisted Greeted another guard and followed him out. Ling Duan's heart moved, and he also got up and followed him out. He knew that although Jiang Zhe was kind to him, the guards were very wary of him, so he stood far away and watched Jiang Zhe stand in the snow with his hands behind his back. , I don't know what to think. Ling Duan touched the short Ge on his waist, and his hatred deepened, but he could only wait patiently.
At this time, Jiang Zhe suddenly burst out and sang:
"The sky is not benevolent, the chaos is brought down, and the earth is not benevolent, so I am at this time. The war is blinding the sun, the road is dangerous, the people are exiled, and they mourn together. Lili and yellow wormwood, branches and leaves are dry, and bones are covered with knives and arrow scars. The snow is all over the sky and the heart is cold, the strong men are blue blood and deep in the river. The sun is dark and the wind is sad and the sound is everywhere. Looking at the clouds and mountains, I can't see the mulberry. I can't help myself, day and night, and I don't think about my hometown. How much hatred. Although I live in peace, I often hear and sigh. It is because of the sages that I have done many injustices, and there are many people who complain about me. I don’t want to beg the wild goose in the south, and I should be buried next to the Chu River in my life.”
Ling Duan was fascinated by it. Although he didn't understand some sentences well, he could feel the sorrow and pain in the song. He heard, "It's because of the sage king, there are many injustices, and there are many people who blame me." At the time of these two sentences, Ling Duan couldn't help crying, thinking of the general and his former comrades, and thinking of Li Hu, who was so straightforward and confused, the hatred in his heart almost made him unable to tolerate the thin back standing in front of him, reaching out to touch him. Dang Ge, the killing intent in his eyes is soaring to the sky, or, just risk his life, it is better to die here than to suffer so much.
Just when Ling Duan's mind was about to be chaotic, suddenly there was a faint sound of the piano in the wilderness. If there was or not, the sound of the piano was clanging, and it was wonderful in the world. In the Qingyue excitement, there was faint sadness and deep hatred. , Although the sound of the piano is weak, it is continuous, and everyone can hear it clearly. I don’t know when, snowflakes are floating in the air, the sound of the piano is getting closer, and the more and more pathetic tune makes the whole world seem to be filled with A desolate and desolate atmosphere.
The sound of the piano seems to be full of seductive power, making people feel hatred and fanatical murder out of thin air. At this time, the other guards also stepped out of the wild shop and looked vigilantly in the direction of the sound of the piano, but everyone was heartbroken. The warriors who are like iron and stone are naturally not moved by the sound of the piano, but they all show a vigilant look in their eyes.
Xiao Shunzi frowned slightly, and he could hear it. The sound of the qin contained deep inner strength. This person who played the qin was not only proficient in rhythm, but also a master in the family. Naturally, he would not be moved by the sound of the qin. Looking at Jiang Zhe worriedly, Jiang Zhe didn't know martial arts, but after just one glance, Xiao Shunzi breathed a sigh of relief. Although Jiang Zhe did not understand martial arts, he listened to the piano purely with appreciation, and he would not be influenced by the music.
I listened attentively to the sound of the qin, and couldn't help but sigh. I can also play the qin, but it is rough and not precise. If I played this piece, it would be difficult to gather in several places. Going up, although I am not a master of rhythm, these four words can almost sum up my ability in rhythm, and I can also hear that this person who plays the piano is really a master in the world. However, the music of the qin is about being happy but not promiscuous, and sad without hurting. This person has too much sorrow in the qin, and demons are born because of it, which is not good.
There was no hindrance to everyone except Ling Duan, who had a miserable life. His closest brother and the most respected general died on the battlefield, and his new friend was killed again. Just now, he was provoked by the devil in his heart again. At this moment, he was confused by the sound of the piano. His mind was gradually confused, his eyes were red, and his face was hideous.
His trace had already fallen into Huyanshou's eyes, and he easily stopped him. Ling Duan was like a mad tiger. He didn't care and tried to kill him. If it wasn't for Ling Duan's life-threatening attack, he would have been defeated long ago.
When I heard the sound of the swords hitting, I no longer wanted to listen to the qin. I looked back and saw that Ling Duan's heart was taken away by the sound of the qin. This was not what I expected. I frowned slightly. He ordered: "Xiao Shunzi will stop Ling Duan, and let the two guards go to see who is playing the piano and bring him here."
Xiao Shunzi's figure is like an illusory figure, Zhang Xu Space seems to pass by in one step, taking Ling Duan's offensive for Huyan Shou, and pointing a finger in front of Ling Duan's forehead, the cold true qi turned into thousands of strands and disappeared into Ling Duan's body. Duan staggered back, fell to the ground, his eyes became clear, he looked at Dang Ge in horror and Hu Yanshou, who was coldly looking at him with a knife, he knew what was going on. , I had known that assassinating Jiang Zhe was an unrealistic fantasy, and I thought about it, just looking for an opportunity to escape. Seeing such a scene, I couldn't help but be shocked.
Ling Duan naturally knew about such a situation, and he was afraid that he would be executed on the spot. Although his stubbornness and arrogance made him reluctant to plead for life, Ling Duan felt miserable in his heart, knelt on the ground, and said in a low voice: "Sinners offend adults, please forgive me." After that, he didn't say a word.
I know Ling Duan's temperament, this sentence is already very difficult for him, not to mention that I have no intention of killing him, but I can't let him realize this, so I deliberately show hesitation.
Ling Duan could see the expression on Jiang Zhe's face, but if he begged again, it would not be something he could do, so he simply lowered his head and waited for the man to issue an order to kill him. At this time, he heard a long sigh, and then a gentle voice said: "Ling Duan, you have followed General Tan for many years, and your heart is too heavy. I know that you still have a lingering hatred for me in your heart, and you are confused by the sound of the piano. , Jiang does not blame you, but you can't do it again, if you do this again, I will kill you."
Ling Duan's heart widened, and he said, it is rare to have the opportunity to leave the Yong army camp this time. If it is possible, I must escape, and naturally I will not do it again. He respectfully said: "Ling Duan obeyed the order and dare not do it again." Then he stood up and looked up, only to see the eyes of the tiger guards looking at him even more cold, but he didn't take it to heart, just retreated. to the side. At this moment, a carriage came in the distance, and the sound of the qin that was still lingering abruptly stopped. On both sides of the carriage were the guards who just went to find the person who played the qin, pushing the carriage to the left and the right. Ling Duan was also curious in his heart. Looking carefully, he didn't know who could play such a piano sound.
It was an ordinary carriage, and it looked like it was only used by ordinary travelers. The driver was a half-hundred-year-old man with a thin appearance and eyes like electricity. At first sight, he knew that he had a strong martial arts. When the carriage approached, the old man got out of the carriage and stood on the side respectfully. The curtains of the carriage were lifted, and a girl dressed in purple clothes and a sword jumped out of the carriage. Dark black mink fur, with a precious sword hanging from his waist, his air is gentle and noble, his expression is calm, and he knows at first sight that he is not an ordinary traveler.
One guard led the three of them to walk slowly, while the other guard walked a few steps back and said, "Master Qi, the person who plays the piano has been brought here."
The young man stepped forward and said, "Caomin Gao Yan pays respects to the adults, I don't know what instructions to call Caomin?"
I looked at this young man with admiration for a long time, his handsome appearance, slender and tall figure, noble and elegant bearing, polite and thoughtful but slightly reserved behavior, this young man is definitely from a noble family, I do not want to neglect, smiled and said "In Xiajiang Zhe, I heard Gao Gongzi playing the qin in the wilderness, and I only felt that the sound of the qin was like the sound of heaven, which made my heart relaxed and happy, so I invited the son to come. I don't know why the son came to Zezhou, if there is something embarrassing, Zheyi may be able to serve as the supervisor of the Zezhou camp."
There was a glimmer of brilliance in the young man's eyes, and he said, "The Caomin is frightened, I don't know it is the princess of Ningguo Changle, the Marquis of Chu Xiang is here, the Marquis of Jiang is famous all over the world, Caomin is a citizen of Gaoli, and came to the Upper Central Plains by fate. , Caomin has seen Hou Ye's poems in China, which are magnificent and unparalleled, Caomin is deeply admired, and he never thought that they would meet today, and Gao is very fortunate."
I sighed: "So it turns out that although Goryeo was a foreign vassal, it never came from outside the Central Plains. Although the Central Plains have been chaotic and chaotic over the years, there are still messengers who have been sent to the Celestial Dynasty. When the Southern Chu became the Hanlin, he once sorted out the affairs of the Chongwen Temple. In the third year of Tongyuan, that is, in the tenth year of Zhenyuan, the envoy from Goryeo entered the dynasty, but unfortunately encountered a gust of wind and had to go to Hangzhou as a last resort, so he stayed for Zhao She, Emperor Wu of Southern Chu. The envoy went to Chang'an and Jin Ye, but unfortunately the Central Plains was in a melee at that time, and the envoy Jin Guimin was killed by the princes on the way back to the country. For this reason, the court sent troops to pacify the chaos and shed blood to repay the hatred. It is a pity that since then, your country has no envoys to visit the court. It's a pity."
The young man's eyes flashed with amazement, and said: "Master Hou really knows a lot about the affairs of our country. Jin Gonggong is the ancestor of the grass people, and his death in the line of duty is passed back to his country. Father, the king of our country will come to pay homage for this, and he will be extremely honored. Sorry. Since then, pirates in the East China Sea have been rampant, and the waterway between our country and the Central Plains has almost been cut off, and it is even impossible to enter the country. It was not until a few years ago that the seaway was unblocked, and our country began to trade with the Central Plains again. The ship arrived in Binzhou. I originally wanted to follow the footsteps of my grandfather and traverse the famous mountains and rivers in the Central Plains. However, I found it shallow on paper. Great victory, Qinzhou was defeated, eager to expand the army and refit, Caomin sneaked away from Qinzhou, climbed mountains and mountains, worked hard for many days, and finally entered Zezhou, so the land was still under military control, and Caomin came from Qinzhou, so as not to be suspicious , so I bought a carriage and was about to enter the inland of the Central Plains, but I never expected to meet the Lord Marquis here, although the matter is a bit difficult to explain, but the grass people dare not hide it, and I also ask the Lord Hou for a clear view."
I was surprised and couldn't help but look at this man carefully, and there is no Goryeo blood in his appearance, but Goryeo nobles are deeply sinicized, which is not unusual. His eyes fell on the old servants and maids behind him. If he really is Goryeo People, then his followers should be able to see the truth and the fake, and raised his hand to beckon the old maid to come forward. He asked the girl in Goryeo, "Is what your master said the truth?"
When I was in Binzhou, I used to cover up my real face and discussed business with Gaolifu, so I can still speak some Goryeo, and I can say it in a clear and eloquent manner. Surprise flashed in the eyes of the beautiful girl, and she blurted out: " It's the truth." It was really in Korean, and when the words came out, the girl came to her senses, and switched to Zhongyuan dialect and said, "Master slave and maid, I have to be detained in Qinzhou, this is a last resort, please forgive me." It's smooth, but her accent is a little weird. Fortunately, her voice is clear and pleasant, and it doesn't sound harsh.
I smiled slightly and said: "The girl speaks Chinese very well. I don't know what to call it?" The girl blushed and said, "My servant Jinzhi, because the son loves the ancient books and cultural relics of the Central Plains, the servant has been changed to speak Chinese. For many years, it's just that the slaves and servants are stupid, and the accent is hard to change.
My eyes fell on the old servant. Although the old servant is a servant, he has an extraordinary bearing. He just bowed and said, "Old slave Cui Jiucheng, you can only hear Chinese, but you can't speak Chinese, please forgive me." Answered in Goryeo, with a smooth and calm tone.
I thought to myself, although it is not difficult to find two followers who are proficient in the Korean language, but these two are obviously not from the Central Plains, so it seems that the identity of this Gao Yan should not be doubtful, but even so, it is impossible to let If they leave Zezhou like this, it is better to keep them in Zezhou for a while and wait until it is confirmed that they have no problems. Moreover, this Gao Yan has an extraordinary bearing, so it would be a pity if such a character missed it and couldn't make friends. Thinking of this, I said apologetically, "Mr. Jiang assists His Royal Highness King Qi in guarding Zezhou, and everything must be done carelessly. Mr. Gao is a distinguished guest of Korea. Zezhou is now in chaos. It is inconvenient for Mr. Jiang to let the prince come and go freely. It hurts King Qi's face. If you don't give up, you might as well stay in Zezhou for a while. When the flowers bloom in the spring, the road will be smooth, and it will not be too late to go to the Central Plains. I see that your character is outstanding. You can come and go freely within Dayong, so it’s better to be in such a difficult situation.”
A strange look flashed in Gao Yan's eyes, but he bowed his head vigilantly to avoid Jiang Zhe's gaze, and after a while, he said, "Master Hou is kind, and Gao Yan dares not to obey."
I happily said: "I should have asked Mr. Gao to rest in the army immediately, but Jiang intends to go to the Wanfo Temple to pay homage to his late father. If Mr. Gao is willing, can he accompany him? If he wants to rest in a hurry, I will send The subordinates will send the son to the military camp."
Gao Yan said: "Caomin is also a person who has nothing to do. Since Wanfo Temple has this name, there must be many Buddha statues, and there must be places to hang around. Caomin loves scenery and cultural relics by nature. If Lord Hou does not find it troublesome, Gao Yan would like to go with Lord Hou. Wanfo Temple."
I smiled and said, "That's very good. Zhe sees that the young master's carriage is simple, and the carriage that Zhe rides is wide and comfortable, so please ask the young master to ride with me."
Gao Yan seemed a little surprised, and after a while, he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Marquis, and Gao Yan obeys."
At this time, the tiger guards had already prepared the carriage. I asked Gao Yan to get on my carriage. Gao Yan was very knowledgeable. I also sat up, but this time Xiao Shunzi didn't drive, so he also came in. A stranger was riding with me, so he naturally wouldn't be relieved, and Huyanshou held the whip himself. The maid Jin Zhi took the piano bag from their carriage, and got into the carriage at my suggestion.
The carriage I originally brought from Binzhou has long since been destroyed by the war. This carriage was delivered recently. It is more spacious than that one. Four people still feel very comfortable and spacious in the carriage. The inside of the carriage is divided into two rooms, the front and the back, the back is a soft couch, there is a cabinet under the couch to place items, the front room has brocade stools fixed on both sides, and a table in the middle is cast iron and covered with snow-white brocade , The bottoms of the cups and plates on the table are made of magnets, which will not slide on the table. In addition to the tea set, there are only some scrolls on the table at this moment.
In order to resist the severe cold, the carriage was covered with cashmere blankets everywhere, and the sides were tightly sealed with fur. Except for the windows on both sides, which were not blocked for light, there were soft furs everywhere. The windows are made of translucent colored glass, which will not let the cold wind intrude. Coupled with the brass stove under the table, the inside of the carriage is warm and there is no chill at all. However, Gao Yan didn't seem to be surprised because it seemed that his identity was not simple.