Spring swallows fluttered across the fields. Barefoot children sat on the edge of the fields holding mud and making clay figures. Occasionally, they ran a little too far and were scolded by their parents who stood up to drink some water. They came back obediently, wiping the sweat from their foreheads. As they watched, a group of more than 20 people came up the muddy road from the foot of the mountain into the village.
"Who are these people? They don't look like fish vendors." "Oh, look, they have weapons on them!"
"It seems like the same group of people as last time."
"Erniu, go tell Lu Pan and the others that outsiders have come to the village."
In the surrounding fields, people from Lujia Village and Beicun looked around vigilantly. Someone came out of the fields, ran barefoot along the ridge, onto the dirt road, and quickly entered the village.
"Uncle Pan, someone has come to our Lujia Village with weapons again."
The eight men who were training themselves in the sun-drying dam put down their stone locks and millstones and slowly turned around. The muscles in their arms and chests were tense and swollen. Lu Pan twisted his neck and looked at the other seven brothers.
"Go out and take a look."
He also told Erniu to tell Liangsheng, and then he threw the millstone in his hand to the ground with a bang. After brushing the dust off his hands, the eight of them formed a row and walked to the village entrance with the gait of dragons and tigers.
In the distance, a long cloud of dust and smoke was flying towards them from the muddy road at the entrance of the village.
"Dismount if you come here!!"
Lu Pan stood in the middle of the seven people and shouted loudly. His voice was so powerful and loud that it startled the oncoming team and made their horses neigh loudly. The horses under the people slowed down one after another.
"Whoa!"
Yang Su pulled the reins tight, stopped the horse, and saw the eight people lined up at the entrance of the village. He raised his hands and said, "I am Yang Su, invited by Lu Liangsheng from Qixia Mountain, and I came here specially."
"Whether it is or not, wait until my Liangsheng confirms it."
Ever since the last time three centipede monsters came and almost rushed into the village, no outsiders were allowed to enter Lujia Village without the guidance of the villagers, so all dangers were ensured to be outside the village.
Among the group of more than 20 people, Yu Juluo was the most irritable. He dismounted and walked to the front, his eyes wide open: "How dare you! Do you know who we are?!"
"No matter who you are, wait here!" The seven people behind Lu Pan also shouted.
"you!"
Yu Juluo roared anxiously. He still remembered the old donkey clearly. If he couldn't afford to offend that donkey, how could he afford to offend a group of mountain people
He didn't dare to act rashly, but still took a half step forward and grasped the hilt of the knife. Lu Pan and others on the opposite side were not timid either. They took a step forward and let out a "Ha!". Their muscles bulged, their copper-yellow skin taut, and they trembled.
"Don't be rude!"
Seeing that the situation was urgent, Yang Guang hurriedly spoke on horseback, and at the same time, a voice rang out from the village: "Uncle Pan, let them in."
Hearing this, the eight people at the entrance of the village did not even look behind them, but stepped aside to make way. They saw a scholar in blue and white robe walking towards them, and next to him was an old man with gray hair and beard who was leaning on a cane. His pair of pale eyes were dull and half-closed, like a deep and secluded ancient well.
A smile appeared on the unfathomable face.
"Master, there's no need for you to come out for such a small matter. Cheng En will send them away."
"I was invited by the master, so I can't be impolite."
Lu Liangsheng replied with a smile, and slowly approached the village entrance with Wang Chengen. When he saw the newcomers, a smile appeared on his face, and he shook out his wide sleeves and cupped his hands. The eldest disciple at the side had sharp hearing, and when he heard the sound of the wide sleeves, he also cupped his hands, no slower than his master.
Yu Juro's gaze swept across the gentle and refined young scholar and fell on the old man in a gray robe standing aside with his pale eyes slanting upwards.
"Is this guy Lu Liangsheng? He looks like a Taoist priest."
Behind him was Prince of Jin Yang Guang, whom he had seen from afar on the long street that day. He could recognize the familiar figure and quickly jumped off the horse and bowed in return without Yang Su's introduction.
"Guang, meet Mr. Lu."
The guards all dismounted and bowed towards the village entrance. Yu Juluo did not dare to be negligent and did not notice the attitude of the people behind him. He bowed his head and went out to pay his respects to the old man.
"The young ones are the good ones in my family." Lu Pan, who was standing by, moved his mouth towards him and reminded him in a low voice. Over there, Yu Juro raised his face slightly, was stunned for a moment, glanced back with the corner of his eyes, and quickly turned the direction of his bow to face the scholar.
"Your Highness Prince Jin, Duke Qinghe, there is no need to be so polite."
Lu Liangsheng smiled and stretched out his hand to invite the two men into the village. As for the guards and Yu Juluo, they stayed at the entrance of the village to dry the sun on the dam.
The current King of Jin came to their house. Li Jinhua and Lu Laoshi stood in the kitchen, secretly looking out through the crack in the door. Although their son was a monk, he had been an ordinary citizen all his life. Seeing such a person, they were a little nervous after all.
Chuck…
The woman kicked away the white hen that was peeking out from the crack in the door, grasped the corner of her husband's clothes, looked outside and whispered:
"This King Jin is really young, even younger than our Liangsheng. What do you think they are doing here?"
Lu Laoshi couldn't hold back a fart for a long time, but Lu Xiaoxian, who was squatting below and peeking, pulled his mother's trouser leg.
"Will you ask me to be an official? Otherwise, why would you come here in person?"
"Xiao Xian has some truth in what he said..."
The woman nodded and stole a glance through the crack in the door. In the small courtyard, a spot of light fell on people's shoulders, and the dense treetops rustled softly. Lu Liangsheng used a pen to draw a wine jug that appeared out of thin air on the stone table.
Yuye, who exuded the aroma of wine, filled three wine glasses and pushed them in front of the other party. Lu Liangsheng put down the wine pot and raised his glass to clink with Yang Guang and Yang Su.
"I wonder why Your Highness and Lord Qinghe came to Mount Qixia?"
Yang Guang put the wine glass to his lips, looked at Mr. Lu opposite him, and a smile broke out on his face.
"Guang is the commander of the southern expedition this time. He has disciplined his soldiers and treated the prisoners well and refrained from disturbing the people. Now the capital of the Chen Dynasty has been conquered, but it will take some time to conquer the territory of the Chen Dynasty. Guang came here this time to ask you for help. If you stand up, there will surely be others who will follow suit. This makes it the best way to pacify the Southern Chen Dynasty as soon as possible."
On the other side, Yang Su stroked his beard and nodded slightly, but did not speak. Instead, he looked at Lu Liangsheng opposite him.
Over there, Lu Liangsheng chuckled and put down his cup: "Your Highness is too kind. Lu Liangsheng's reputation is not high enough for others to follow suit and surrender. However, I have someone to recommend. Your Highness may try him. This person was the Minister of Personnel of the former Chen Dynasty. He has the prestige of supporting the young lord to ascend the throne. Once Your Highness lets him surrender to the Great Sui, he will be more effective than me."
Yang Guang was stunned for a moment, leaned forward slightly, and opened his lips to say something else: "Mr. Lu..."
Beside him, Yang Su put down his wine glass, laughed, and interrupted to cover up his words.
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Lu, I wonder if you have anything important to say to me after hearing the Dharma sound yesterday."
"It is inconvenient to talk here. Lord Qinghe, please follow me."
Lu Liangsheng stood up and bowed to Yang Guang: "Your Highness, please wait here for a while."
"Please, sir."
Originally, Yang Guang had much more to say, but was suddenly interrupted by his uncle. He had to give up, stood up and watched the two men walk out of the courtyard. He sat back on the stone bench with some distress, and looked up at the old tree above his head, seeing its branches gently swaying.
"How can we get Mr. Lu to come out of retirement... Is it because my sincerity is not enough?"
While thinking, Lu Liangsheng invited Yang Su to use the magic of shrinking the earth to come to Qixia Mountain in the west of the village. The two walked side by side, passing by the trees that were once tied with red ropes. Seeing that he looked doubtful, Lu Liangsheng smiled and did not hide his original identity.
"I tied these faded ropes on it to prevent it from getting lost. At that time, Lu Liangsheng was just an ordinary young man in the village. If he hadn't met my master, he wouldn't be like this now..."
Seeing the thatched cottage in front of him and three young men studying hard in the courtyard, he continued, "Inviting Lord Qinghe to come here is actually one thing. I wonder if Lord Qinghe knows how to remove evil spirits?"
The sound of reading aloud could be heard from far and near. Yang Su was about to answer, but when he looked towards the small courtyard, he saw the profile of a young man and his eyes fixed on him.
'Yuwen Tuo... why are you here?! '