Tick-tick-tick~~~
The sound of rain was clear, weaving a beaded curtain along the eaves. The damp and cold wind blew in through the open window frames. A just-used brush was placed beside the inkstone, dripping with ink drop by drop.
On the rosewood desk, the tea was steaming and there was a lacquered letter next to it. The old man hung up the two big words he had just written, reached out to take the tea and took a sip.
He opened the letter, read its contents, chuckled a few times, folded it, leaned back in his chair, and watched the steam rising from the tea. The letter in his hand was a family letter, sent by his eldest son Zhou Jue, who was a leader in another place, via the post station.
The letter was no different from any other letter, mostly words of concern and greetings, but it also included something that made Zhou Zhen happy at the end.
"My father mentioned the student Lu Liangsheng that day. I heard that there is a person with the same name and surname in Chang'an. His Majesty personally appointed him as the Imperial Master of the Great Sui Dynasty..."
The old man didn't finish reading the rest of the words, but he had already guessed that the Lu Liangsheng mentioned by his son was the one he was familiar with.
"Okay...Okay."
The old man looked up, called the servant who was waiting outside the door, asked for a fire starter, lit the letter and burned it at the door of the study. Looking at the rain curtains interweaving under the eaves, he clasped his hands and bowed outside.
"Mr. Shuhua, you have a good student. Unlike you, he finally has a chance to show his talents."
In the past few years, the old man's hair and beard turned completely white. After his last illness, his body was not as strong as before. He slowly stood up with the help of his servant, looked at the burnt letter paper at his feet, which was blown away by the wind and drifted away by the rain, and pushed the servant away with a flushed face.
"I can walk on my own. Go get me a pot of wine."
"But sir, your body..."
Seeing the old servant standing there motionless, Zhou Zhen's face didn't look very good. He turned around and waved his hand. He simply pointed a finger and quickly stretched out another one.
"Go if I tell you to. I know my own body condition. Just drink one... two cups!"
The servant had followed the old man when he was young, and also married a maid that came with the lady's dowry. He was considered to be a family member in this mansion. The old servant sighed and had to go to the front hall to see if there was anyone else. Turning the corner of the corridor, a young servant came running in in a panic, and the two almost bumped into each other.
"What's the matter?" The old servant was naturally the manager of the mansion. The servant quickly approached and whispered:
"There's a weird guy in the front yard, he wants to see the master."
The old servant frowned and looked towards the front yard. He asked the servant to go over and greet them first. He turned back to the study and told Zhou Zhen about it. The latter put down his teacup, frowned and coughed twice.
"Weird?"
Could it be the monk sent by Liangsheng to report the news
The old man was just guessing in his mind. He straightened his robe and asked the old servant to help him out of the study. In the sound of the rain, he walked through the corridor entrance, around the side eaves of the front yard, and turned to the two open doors of the front hall. He saw a man wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat standing in the hall, looking at a painting with the word "wen" written on it hanging behind the first seat.
Hearing the footsteps, the man turned around and stretched out his hand. Seeing the old man come in, he quickly raised his hand.
"But is Master Zhou in person?"
"It's the old man!"
Hearing the reply, the man bowed with his raised hand towards the old man who was slowly walking towards the first person sitting on a large hollow nanmu chair beside the tribute table.
"I am a scout under General Cao, and I have come to deliver a letter to the scholar."
A letter was taken out from his arms and handed to the old servant who came over. Zhou Zhen was a little confused and did not reach out to take the letter from the old servant, but looked at the man.
"Which General Cao?"
"The great general of the State of Chen, Cao Shouren!" The Chen army scout took off his dripping hat and said with his chin raised.
There was a sudden loud bang outside in the rain, and a bolt of thunder exploded.
Zhou Zhen closed his eyes expressionlessly. When he heard the word "Chen State", he guessed what was going on. Then he opened his eyes and looked at the scout. He took the envelope from the old servant and handed it back intact.
"You don't believe it, and you pretend you haven't seen it. Why don't you go back? Come on, show me around!"
The man held the envelope in his hand, and seeing the old man was about to leave, he hurriedly caught up with him and said, "Grandmaster, this is the State of Chen, our homeland. Now the army has set up camp outside the city. My general does not want to see the people of Chen killing each other, so he wants you to persuade the governor and generals of this city!"
Zhou Zhen, who was supported by the old servant, stopped, turned his head and pursed his lips.
"You also know that you are from Chen, so what's going on with Wantong County? I heard that the city walls are almost dyed red. What's the point of not killing each other? Bullshit!"
The old man has always attached great importance to self-cultivation. He was so angry that he could utter foul language. The old servant beside him quickly patted his chest a few times, and Zhou Zhen finally softened his tone.
"I am an old scholar, and I am about to die. I will not get involved any more. Please go away."
He waved his hand and turned to leave. The man also became anxious and shouted loudly: "Zhou Zhen, you are also a Chen person. Are you going to watch your homeland fall into the hands of the Sui people?!"
Over there, Zhou Zhen raised his face, his hair and beard standing up, turned around, stared at the man, and spoke with anger.
"If you said this when the Chen Dynasty had just fallen, I would have wanted to take up arms and fight the Sui people to the death, but how many years has the world been unified? You are still making sarcastic remarks here. My two sons are already serving as officials and generals in the north, and my students are also showing their talents in Chang'an. How can you come here and bury their future with my own hands!!"
His words were somewhat excited and the old man's body was shaking.
"In addition, I will give you another gift, and here is a message from your General Cao: 'I am a Han Chinese! Both the north and the south are Chinese!' Get out of here—"
Soon, the gate of Zhou's mansion opened, and the man came out with gritted teeth and a flushed face. He walked down the stone steps, spat when he saw the closed gate, put on his straw raincoat, and quickly went to the street. He went out of the city gate before it got dark, and brought the news back to the military camp stationed more than a hundred miles away.
BANG!!
The pottery bowl smashed to the ground, and the fragments staggered to the feet of the scout at the entrance of the tent. In the flickering light, Chen Fu brushed his robe sleeves, clenched his teeth, and stared at the circled "River Valley County" on the hanging map with puffy cheeks.
According to the scouts' reports, Lu Liangsheng actually went to Chang'an and became the imperial teacher of the Sui people. The Chen people are turning their backs on him. They are not human beings! !
Reading the books of saints in vain—
After a long while, his long beard trembled slightly and a sound came out of his lips.
"General Cao, prepare to attack the city!"
As for Lu Liangsheng... I'll do some calculations to see where you are, and I'll make sure you don't have an easy time.
As the words fell, the big tent became quiet, leaving only the gray sky and earth outside and the sound of falling rain.
…
As time passed in the rainy night, the heavy rain continued for two days before it finally stopped. The golden morning sun broke through the dark clouds and shone down on the distant river. Three huge boats broke through the surging river water and went downstream, and had already reached Yuhang Daduan.
The Lu Liangsheng mentioned was standing on the top of a ship at this time, his robe fluttering in the wind. He was looking at the vaporous surface of the river, and his hometown was already in sight.
The mist became thicker and thicker.