Changes in the sky
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 173: Homeward Journey
Finally, we returned. The heroes would not let me ride with them. My wounds were hard to heal, so I couldn't ride on the horse. Most of the people knew that I was a good person and had been through a lot, so they didn't hesitate to push me onto the cart.
I was lying in the car, feeling a little tired, but it was mostly due to the struggle with them just now. Yinling was sitting next to me, looking at me with a faint smile. I pulled her, wanting her to lie down with me for a while, but she asked me to rest for a while and wanted to help me clean up. I asked if there was anything I could clean up. She went to each household to list the names of the soldiers who died in this battle, and she helped me register them. There was also a report on the loss of war horses. She had been working hard for the past two days and it was almost done, and it was also my father's special instruction.
I felt a little embarrassed, knowing that I had been lazy these days, using the excuse of recuperating from my injuries. I entrusted Yinling with tasks including adopting a child and taking away the prisoner's mother, as well as arranging some errands for the family of three I saw that day and the people of Chencang with similar family conditions, and even checking the situation of the wealthy man here. Yinling never refused, and helped me to do everything properly. This is why I have always relied on her; it is also the source of my laziness, or extreme laziness. But to be honest, if I really had to do it, I don't know how to do it well.
I admit that the last so-called truth is an excuse. Because in fact, I have been drinking and having fun with others these days, chatting about the past, and at most explaining how to capture that kingdom. Thinking about it, I am really not a good husband. The more I think about it, the more discouraged I am.
So I quickly decided not to think about it anymore.
Of course, I am not so heartless. I pulled Yinling to my side, feeling apologetic, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Ling'er. I am so sorry, husband."
"Then you do it?" Yiren raised her eyebrows deliberately, with a faint smile on her lips.
Knowing that I couldn't do these things well, and wanting to make her happy, I immediately pretended to fall asleep in an exaggerated manner. Yiren laughed: "Lazy."
After a while, when I felt the storm had passed, I got up and saw the result.
Ling'er was fiddling with a pile of abacus sticks, calculating the various expenses. She felt me sneaking up behind her and told me, intentionally or unintentionally, "This is the time you wasted the least."
After hearing this, I immediately fell down and continued to pretend to sleep.
Yiren smiled again, and her smile was very bright.
I didn't really fall asleep until I found my beloved lying in my arms.
When I woke up, I realized that the car had stopped at some point. To the south, I could see the still frozen Wei River and the snow-covered Nanshan Mountain. To the north, there were no trees, so I could only see a vast open field covered with snow, with the sun hanging low over the Nanshan Mountain. The only thing I could see was the lonely snow piles in the north, and I wondered what was underneath. Yinling and the others stopped to eat, and I was hungry when I heard that, and then I saw the wine and food that had been set on the table.
While I was filling my stomach, Yiren was looking at a wooden sign and asked me where it came from. Seeing that I was still confused and didn't understand, she always felt that there was something in my sleeve that was poking her when she was sleeping. I couldn't see it when the car was moving just now, but now I can recognize a lot of words, as if it was a military book.
I could only vaguely say "The Art of War".
She is not. Note 1
I told her what happened that day one by one, and she suddenly realized that it was "Sun Bin's Art of War". She said excitedly, "Father has always been looking for this book, and now it's finally available."
Then she suddenly asked me in surprise: "Is this really given to you by Mr. Shi Yi Guan?"
My mouth is full of food and I can't stop talking.
Yiren actually frowned, her eyes were quite erratic, and she didn't even stay on me. Suddenly I calmed down, and immediately found a blank bamboo slip, and told me to finish grinding ink quickly, and then started copying.
So she didn't even have time to eat that day, and the car was not allowed to pass. The windows and doors were rolled up wide, and she was copying at the desk next to the car door. I helped her grind the ink and identify the handwriting. Fortunately, although the teacher's handwriting was as thin as a hair, most of it could be recognized. Thanks to the light of the lamp and the snow, and the windless night, Yinling finally finished copying.
In fact, I didn't quite agree with it. I thought she had plenty of time to copy after arriving at Shanglin Garden. Until late at night, I saw that Yiren was getting more and more tired. Her eyes were sore from looking at flowers that she had to close her eyes to rest. Of course, I can't hold back my words, so I advised her to take a break and not rush tonight. But Yiren was a little stubborn. She smiled but didn't say anything. She just copied without saying much to me. At most, she asked me what the word was. I offered to help copy, but Yiren thought my handwriting was too big and too flamboyant to be recognized. I think she should respect her husband's calligraphy a little when appropriate. Yiren just said it casually, but it's not appropriate now.
Finally I finished copying it. I picked it up and weighed it. It weighed at least 10 kilograms.
I looked through the wooden plaque and the dozen kilograms of bamboo slips. Yin Ling's words were enough, but it still took more than a dozen kilograms of bamboo slips.
It seems that the teacher is indeed a genius. It seems that perhaps because I don’t like his arrogance, I underestimated him.
Yiren fell into my arms with her eyes closed and whispered to me apologetically: Zirui is so tired that he has to accompany me until now.
Yiren fell asleep just like that. That night, the heroes ahead saw that we were taking a long time to come, so they came to look for us on horseback in the middle of the night, and I apologized a lot. They said that I was too harsh, but I didn't know how to explain it. But seeing my wife sleeping so soundly in the car, I let go of all the confusion and complaints in my heart. If Yinling wants to do so, let her do so. So, I deliberately coughed twice from time to time, and also suggested that I would ask the coachman to speed up and catch up tomorrow. This time it was the heroes who disagreed, and a group of people reminded and even threatened the coachman not to go fast, to drive the horse steadily, and not to let the car shake, otherwise he would be torn off more than thirty legs, more than forty arms, and more than a dozen heads.
That night we stayed in the car and rested in the courtyard of the nearby post house. Compared to me who was sometimes quite cunning, Mei County Magistrate should be an honest man. He was so nervous that he couldn't help himself. He thought that his arrangements had neglected me in some way. He kept coming to explain and almost gave his mansion to me to rest and came to the post house with his whole family. I could only whisper to him to lower his voice. My wife was asleep, and I was afraid that if I woke her up, she would not be able to fall asleep again.
It seems that my answer is unlikely to satisfy him, and Master Meiling is still very nervous. He began to worry again whether he had offended Yinling at some point, which was why Yinling made him so difficult to serve. This really took me a while to explain, and this master had to keep saying "no, no".
It's not that Yinling is difficult to please. In fact, it's mainly about me, and not the good kind. Since I can't remember, I often have nightmares. When Yinling heard unusual noises or crying at night, she would come to my bed to comfort me, tell me stories, and coax me to sleep. As a result, I developed the habit of waking up and having trouble falling asleep again. And Yinling's favorite nap at noon is often difficult to take because I am energetic and want to make trouble. I am really not a very qualified husband.
Yinling has a habit of being a sleepyhead, which is mostly caused by me. She just can't sleep when she should.
It’s a pity that apart from the nap which I remember very clearly, the nightmare doesn’t seem to be something I remember. Since I can remember, it seems that I have been sleeping well.
I don't remember the name of Mei County Magistrate, I just know that he was not Magistrate very soon. Because he had an unusual relationship with Shanglinyuan Magistrate, and Shanglinyuan Magistrate's incident implicated him, he was demoted to a commoner within a month.
But afterwards, I was always a little worried that he would blame Yinling for this.
The next day, I woke up early in the morning and heard someone outside the inn wanting to see me. It was a boy who had come early, but the guards had been blocking him outside. I thought it was strange, so I asked someone to bring him in. Then I saw a boy with a red face from the cold coming to see me. I recognized him. His name was Liang Hu, a student of the Normal University.
The boy seemed a little embarrassed, carrying a burden, leaving out all the flattery and etiquette. The important thing was the last few words he said: "Teacher, that one is too big, and there are some typos on it, which is somewhat disrespectful. The teacher then wrote a big one for you, hoping that you can return that one for revision."
The child left happily, feeling relieved.
I took the bundle but was too lazy to open it. I knew what was inside by looking at the color of the silk that came out - a word "飞" (fly).
I looked at Yinling who was still sleeping, and suddenly I felt that she was so divine, as if a strange light was emanating from her body.
In addition to being a sleepyhead, Yiren has another shortcoming: she can't stand my praise. Once I praise her, she feels a little too conceited in front of me.
Seeing my face full of doubt and admiration along the way, Yiren felt a little flattered. She had heard about Master Shi a long time ago. Master Shi was arrogant because of his talent, and he loved drinking. He often went to the wine shop empty-handed and wrote on the wall. But if someone wanted to leave the words, he had to pay for the wine. If no one paid for him, he would scrape off the words on the wall and curse that no one could read. (Different books have different versions of descriptions) But those who are interested often whitewash the walls and invite them with good wine, so that they can get the original works. But don't think that this person is casual based on this. When he was a student of Hongdu, he hid all his writings by himself, and no one except the emperor could easily see them. Liang Hu was able to become his student, and he was praised as a child prodigy because of his good calligraphy. After someone said that only Master Shi could teach this child, Master Shi was willing to accept him as his apprentice. (According to official history, Liang Hu only learned calligraphy from Shi Yi Guan. The relationship between the master and the apprentice is unknown, and it seems that he never became his apprentice.)
My head, this teacher is a little narrow-minded, and it only makes the child suffer. Silver Bell, she said that she had done all these things for this person, and she always thought that the person would come to ask for it, but she didn't expect that it would be a child who came to ask for it. Yiren also said that most people who are arrogant because of their talents are like this. Because they rely on their talents and are arrogant to others, they will not be able to tolerate the strengths and weaknesses of others, and their hearts will naturally not be broad.
Yinling even "praised" me, and I felt relieved, mainly because I don't have any talent.
Apart from deliberately complaining a few words to attack my husband's crime, I could only smile foolishly. After thinking about it, I realized that apart from being able to eat hard, I really don't have any talent, and being able to eat seems to have never been considered a talent.
When talking about the Normal University, Yinling mentioned a place called Hongdumen. I seemed to have heard of it before, or even seen it, but it seemed that I just went there casually and didn't pay much attention to it. When it was mentioned this time, I asked about this place.
"Zirui should have been there..." Yinling seemed to be hesitating about something. She was a little hesitant, as if there were many concerns.
"Zirui, what do you think of the world?" Yiren looked around and talked about something else, but she lowered her voice and whispered in my ear, as if there was another deeper meaning.
"This time the imperial court divided the land and granted many titles to the princes in order to eliminate the powerful and wealthy and protect the Han Dynasty. However, it eliminated evil and left a great trouble, making the princes powerful. If they are not eliminated soon, they will become a great trouble for the Han Dynasty. If the imperial court does not take appropriate measures in the future, it will cause the people to suffer. This is not wise. I am afraid that I will have to worry about this matter for the rest of my life. Fortunately, there are still many wise and capable people who will slowly plan to reduce the power of the princes and seize the land. They will openly promote their titles and secretly suppress their power. I think it will be settled one day!"
Yinling laughed, sighed, and then laughed again.
"Why are you pretending to be so old?" She scolded, and suddenly she whispered to herself in a self-blaming voice: "Maybe I'm wrong!"
Then she stopped talking, but suddenly hugged me tightly and began to sob softly.
This was something I had never expected, and everything came out of nowhere. When Yinling started crying, all my thoughts went blank, and even if I had a quick mind, I had no idea what to do in the face of Yinling at this moment.
No matter how I asked, she just kept shaking her head in my arms and didn't answer.
I took out the bedding and covered her with it so that she could rest for a while.
Yiren fell asleep, and that day, she actually talked in her sleep.
I was with him, so I heard it.
Feeling warm in his heart, he fell asleep beside her.
I want to enter her dream and tell her what is in my heart.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in. Maybe it’s because I’m too big.
I was woken up by the sound of a silver bell. Someone was looking for me.
The few riders behind were sent by Lord Zhong to escort a Qiang messenger. He said he was a Qiang tribe and claimed that his tribe was weak and would inevitably be bullied by other tribes if he returned. He knew that I had said "this and that" - I had heard such flattering words many times, but I didn't expect that a straightforward Qiang would also say it - he was willing to surrender to the Yue Kingdom and hoped that I would take him in.
The clever Qiang envoy performed all the formalities, and then spoke in a very sincere Chinese with a heavy accent. They belonged to the Shaoge tribe, which was weak and could not support itself, so they were forced to come here by other tribes. Now several big tribes suffered heavy losses, and they might be plotted against by these big tribes after they return to pay for the losses. The elders of their tribe thought that I, "this Han gentleman", was faithful and kind, and they had heard the stories of Mr. Deng and his tribe before, so they thought I was a person they could rely on, so they wanted to join me.
When I was making the decision, I suddenly had an idea, not about this tribe, but about the problem that Yinling brought to me from Shanglin Garden: How to deal with the harm of the northern nomadic tribes? And in just a few moments, the whole set of words and measures to deal with it all appeared in my mind.
But I had to deal with the matter, so I didn't refuse. I knew a little about the Qiang people, and they left their hometown and came to me, so they shouldn't have any bad intentions. If I refused without reason, their tribe might rebel when they returned, so I couldn't do that.
But on the scene, some things still need to be said first, such as being able to surrender to the Marquis of Qin as a personal follower, which only requires a letter. The Yue Kingdom is located in the south of the sky, and the weather is hot and humid. They are Qiang people, and it is said that they can tolerate cold but not heat. I am afraid that if they follow me, something unexpected will happen.
The envoy was very honest. Many of his tribesmen were Han Chinese, and it was very hot in the summer where they lived, so it shouldn't be a problem.
I had no choice but to accept this. It would be a good thing to help the second son to ease the crisis. I would let them settle down first, and I would ask His Majesty for instructions and give them an explanation.
Just as I was about to send him away, the person in the car suddenly called me and asked me to ask, "Why are there so many Han people in your tribe?"
I think this is unnecessary. There are many Han people in Lieya's tribe, most of whom escaped from the Party Imprisonment. I guess the same is true for the Qiang people. I can't let Yinling ask any more questions, for I'm afraid someone nearby will hear some inconvenient news and spread it, which will cause trouble.
"Originally there weren't that many of them. It was only because a tribe called Ehe, which has a large number of Han people, temporarily joined us. Since you can help them, they all belonged to our Shaoge tribe. Many of them escaped from the rebellion back then. It's inconvenient for them to meet people as Han people, so they came to us and presented themselves to people as the Shaoge tribe."
I thought that he was indeed a person who escaped from the Party Imprisonment and fled to the Qiang tribe. I even thought that there might be some famous party members among them. Most of them were talented people. This is a good thing. But this matter needs to be stopped quickly. You, the envoy, should be more honest. Why don't you cover up and pass it off? I am not the only one around here.
I nodded repeatedly and added: I will take good care of your tribe. Please go back quickly and I will find a way to take care of your tribe.
Back in the car, Yinling was still lost in thought. I smiled and said, "What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about those former party members? I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about asking them what bad things the kingdom has said to them and what bad ideas they have come up with after they come."
Yin Ling turned around, looked at me, and suddenly said, "I will definitely find a way to protect them. I will also go and ask where the kingdom is."
I laughed. Actually, I always felt that Yinling's words were a little strange, but I believed that Yinling was just worried about something, and it was probably a sad thing. I didn't want to make my wife cry again, so I stopped asking.
I just couldn't wait to approach him in a mysterious manner. I had an idea - an idea to deal with the nomadic tribes in the north, an idea that I would never have thought of if I hadn't experienced so many special things, but this idea is actually very simple.
Yin Ling opened her mouth wide, thought for a long time, and suddenly nodded: "Only you can come up with such an idea."
Yiren praised me solemnly again: You are really kind-hearted and have many talents.
Yiren has been acting strangely these past two days. She often suddenly falls into deep thought, and when I talk to her, she often has to be called several times before she comes back to her senses.
She even suddenly asked us to slow down. I'm afraid the local officials who were responsible for supplying us also felt that it was a bit strange. Whenever someone came to deliver food, they would always remind us to hurry up so that we could get to a certain post station before dark. Yinling needed to deliver some drugs to clear poison and regenerate muscles. She brought the prescription with her from Chencang and reported it. Even if there were stubborn people over there, after reading the prescription, they probably knew that I was seriously injured. After that, no one vaguely expressed the intention to urge the horses.
Seeing that the carriage carrying me was moving more and more slowly, the heroes sent people to visit me from time to time. They were honest and always worried that my arrow wound had broken. I didn't think it was Yinling's idea, because I didn't understand why. I just knew that Yinling must have a reason for doing so. I asked her, but she didn't tell me. She must have some concerns, so I didn't ask. As for the heroes, I just said that I felt sleepy and my wound was still a little numb from the journey, so I needed to rest more.
Actually, my wounds have almost healed. In winter, wounds heal better than in summer, and there are no problems. In addition, my wounds seem to heal faster than normal people. This should be caused by frequent fights, tree climbing, and playing around.
Without waiting for me, the heroes were unwilling or inconvenient to return to Shanglin Garden early. So I asked Yinling to pay for the heroes to drink while they stayed in Wugong. I think this will make the heroes happier, especially Brother Yide. Following me seems to be more free. Compared with being ordered around by their respective masters for many years, being able to drink without any restrictions is obviously much better.
However, I still need to warn you that if anyone dares to violate my Han laws and military discipline, he will be considered dead on the battlefield.
I think everyone understands what I mean.
Only ** was left, and a few of his assistants kept asking to follow me as guards, but I sent them away without question. As compensation, I suggested giving ** a name. That day, I stood at the rear of the car, looking at the snow-covered pine forests in the south of the water extending all the way to the foot of the Zhongnan Mountains, connecting with the clouds and mist above. When the wind blew, the clouds and mist of the southern mountains and the snow-covered pine forests were like surging waves, so I decided on the name "Songtao".
After seeing off the jumping and jumping girls and Yuan, I finally felt at ease. The driver was about to urge the horse, but I stopped him. I took Yinling with me and stood on the steps at the rear of the carriage, quietly watching the pine forest and clouds rising in the wind in the south, or the vast mountains in the snow in the north. Life is so busy, and perhaps many times, what we need is to look at the scenery on the roadside. These beautiful scenery originally existed, but we never noticed them. There seemed to be some unknown birds calling faintly in my ears, but I couldn't see their traces in the sky. The wind blew along the river valley from time to time, and the surrounding scenery became clearer and clearer. Yinling was inspired to write a few lines of poetry again, but she might need to consider some sentences.
The driver and the guards had a hard time these days. Their tents were not very thick and were not as thick and warm as the car we lived in. They probably didn't expect to stay outside for long, so they had to chop a lot of firewood and branches every day to make a fire to keep warm. So I tried my best to accompany them to endure the cold, and gave them some money to compensate them.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of urgent horse hooves. Brother Zilong led a cavalry messenger to come. The messenger bowed and handed over a letter. I opened it and read it. It was written by my father: My son Zirui, since you said you were fine, why didn’t you come back? My mother was very anxious and urged me every day, even going to find my son first, hoping he would come back soon.
I handed the silver bell, smiled, and said directly to the coachman: Let's go.
After sending Zilong away and disappearing, Yinling suddenly changed the order: Turn around.
Yiren looked at me apologetically and said only: I can't wait any longer, so I have to go to meet you. If Zirui is not feeling well, my wife will go alone.
I smiled and shook my head.
Yiren suddenly had some doubts: Zirui, do you know who I am waiting for
I smiled and nodded.
In fact, I don’t know it very clearly, but there is a vague shadow lingering in my mind.
But finally one day, I knew for sure who Yinling was waiting for.
That day, the entire Shao Ge tribe caught up with us together, accompanied or monitored by several hundred soldiers led by the Mei County Lieutenant.
In fact, we can't chase them, we just go towards them on our own.
Our arrival was beyond everyone's expectations. The Qiang leaders were even very moved. They came to me together, knelt on one knee, and stroked their foreheads with one hand to show their respect.
Yinling handed me a bamboo slip:
There are seven questions she wrote, plus a sentence at the beginning: No need to ask them all, but you can ask them one by one occasionally.
Then I immediately understood that I had intentionally or unintentionally included these questions, as well as the questions I wanted to ask, in my conversations and answers with the elders of the Shaoge tribe.
How many casualties did your army and our army suffer in this incident? Not many casualties, they have been gathering in the northwest corner of the camp.
How many people are there in total? More than 800 people in total.
How much are the two? More than 400 each.
Is there anyone from the Russian army here? No one, it is inconvenient for the Russian army.
What was the loss of livestock? Some were robbed by the Qiang tribe before they left.
Are there any rations left? We are almost out of food, but fortunately, Lord Zhong from Chencang has provided some.
What do you want to do in the future? As long as they are useful, you can send them away, as long as we don't let those people bully us when we go back.
All seven are my own problems.
Then I joined Yinling's first question: There was no hatred between the Shaoge tribe and the Ehe tribe before, right
The answer is: Both tribes are tribes, and are often bullied by Han officials and Qiang tribes. There is no hatred between the two tribes.
My Lord, have you ever seen the Kingdom
The answer was: No, I had only heard of it. It was said that he had only traveled between a few large tribes in the past and had never seen it.
How did the Russian He tribe decide to join the Shao Ge tribe
The answer was: There are many guilty Han people living in Russia. If any guilty Han people come to us, we will take them in. This may be inconvenient.
Which Russian tribe could have been investigated by Han officials for harboring criminals
The answer is: I don’t know.
Could we invite someone from any Russian department to come here
The answer is: Just as you said.
I am not a stupid person. I have gradually realized that the problem that Yinling is worried about is becoming clearer and clearer, and I can't help but feel excited.
Before the people from the Ehe tribe came, the curtain moved and Yinling only said one name.
I ordered the Mei County Lieutenant to arrest the person who came. I told them not to worry and only sent out orders to inform everyone in the Shaoge and Ehe tribes that this person was Wang Guo.
I asked Yinling how she knew that. Actually, I wasn't sure either. I didn't know why Yinling was so sure.
She was not sure at first, but when she found out that there was no one from the Ehe tribe among the people who came, and when she saw that the beard of the person who came seemed to have just been cut short, she was sure: because the road to the west was blocked, the mountains in the north and south were blocked by heavy snow, and the surrounding towns were wanted everywhere. Wang Guo then committed himself to the Ehe tribe, where many Han people who had escaped from crimes lived together, but he himself was a Han criminal, and he also urged the Ehe tribe to return home, as they would be targeted by the big tribes, so it would be better to find the Qiang people as a tribe of the majority, and surrender to me in the name of the Qiang people, so that he would be safe. After surrendering to me, I would accept him, and then no one would think of or dare to search for Wang Guo among them. After passing the counties that wanted him, he could escape freely, and no one would know where he went. Because no one would pay attention to a newcomer, and might not even know his name, and we would not know it even more. But his mistake was that he did not expect that we would not rush to go back after receiving the emperor's order, and would directly welcome him back. At the critical moment, there was no time to prepare. His original plan was to prevent the people of E'he from appearing in front of me from beginning to end. There was no guarantee that the people of E'he who came to see me would cover up their own affairs. Therefore, when the people of E'he were really called to come, considering their courage and determination to instigate the Qiang people to rebel, he would definitely dare to recommend himself and take the risk to come and justify himself.
What is rare is that he can actually persuade the two tribes to act according to his plan. To be honest, this person is extremely evil, but he is a rare talent. If this disaster was not so great that it caused great suffering to the people, perhaps he could really be kept.
Suddenly I felt sad. I had caused so much suffering to the people of Yizhou. Perhaps I should not stay here.
Yinling seemed to see through my thoughts and quickly interrupted my sorrow. She personally led the horse and instructed me: Husband, take everyone else to Shanglin Garden as soon as possible.
I just said one sentence: take care.
Yiren Tou gave me a few more instructions, such as telling me to be prepared to be scolded and then talk about the kingdom's affairs after I was done being scolded.
Then I exchanged a few words with the Qiang people who were still somewhat stunned, and rode away.
Before I had gone far, I heard Yinling and the Qiang leader blaming me for the plan to capture Wang Guo.
Actually, I don’t quite understand. She should know that I don’t care about these things, and even hate taking credit for other people’s achievements. So why does she always attribute her own achievements to me
After thinking for a while, I couldn't figure it out, so I could only shake my head and sigh, and give up the idea.
Most of the heroes were shocked when they saw me galloping towards them on horseback. I did not go in, but shouted from the outer wall: Come on, follow me back to report to the emperor.
We hurried to change horses along the way. The weather has been warming up quickly these days, and the ice and snow have melted quickly, making the road very muddy. The horse under us is very tired, so we have to change horses whenever we meet a post station. I was distracted for a while, thinking about how Yinling was doing at the moment, and the heroes gradually caught up with us. Finally, when we were about to reach Shanglin, almost everyone had gathered.
After one day of martial arts, we arrived at the gate of Shanglin Garden where we started. I heard that there was another gate to the west, but I didn't know the way and was too lazy to find it. There were no signs on the road, such as a blue sign or a frame, telling me which direction to go to and then turn to Pingxi Gate in two miles. From a distance, I saw the gate wrapped in red silk, and I couldn't help but slow down my mount. The heroes were overjoyed and talked about how it must be for our achievements. Someone had reported the news and entered the house. Before I entered the gate, I heard the sound of carriages and bells. I was so panicked that I quickly dismounted before I reached the gate, straightened my clothes, smoothed my clothes, and tied my hair before entering.
When I heard the sound of bells and drums, I knew who was coming. When I turned into the door and saw the scene, everyone followed me in bowing.
I don't know why, but I was inexplicably excited and replied loudly: "I, a sinner, disobeyed the order of my father and emperor, and led the personal guards of the loyal and brave princes to fight against the invaders. Fortunately, we have won the victory and driven the invaders back. I have not disgraced your majesty. I dare not ask for forgiveness for my sins, but I hope your majesty will reward the loyal and brave soldiers of the Han Dynasty."
"My son, get up!" The emperor seemed a little moved: "After reading the report, I really thought I would never see my son again."
There was a hint of sobbing in his words, and then he added: "I also ask my loyal and brave soldiers to stand up. How can a real man be confined to the dust and mud?"
Everyone stood up to express their gratitude, and some were so excited that they sighed.
"I have another important thing to do today!"
Although that event was indeed a major event for the people involved, they always felt it was a bit abrupt: my coming-of-age ceremony.
My father handed the crown to His Majesty, and His Majesty put it on me and told me very carefully that from now on, after the ceremony of capping, I should never let anyone else cut my hair or shave my beard except my parents.
It’s a rare occasion that the emperor joked with me: My son can marry and have children from now on.
From then on, I became an adult in principle and officially possessed a character that I had possessed for many years, as well as the right to marry and have children, although I had basically done all these things before.
I don't know when Brother Zhongdao returned. He was the master of ceremonies in this event and he shouted a few words. He later told me: "Zi" means having a son under the house. Only a person with a Zi can marry and have children.
This is an important reason why I find the doctor annoying sometimes, although I also find the situation he described very interesting.
In addition to a bamboo crown on his head, the emperor also gave me a gift - a wolf tooth bāng. The best iron was made into a shiny black "hedgehog stick ball" - this is how ** described it. Some people also said that the emperor ordered people to kill a tiger specifically for this purpose and use tiger blood to temper it. The evidence is that the tiger's tail finally hung under the hedgehog.
His Majesty asked me where Yinling was, and I was coming back with Wang Guozheng. His Majesty was surprised for a while, then overjoyed, and then spoke a few words. The people around him generally expressed the same emotions as the emperor, and then echoed the emperor, looking like the emperor's loyal subjects.
I always felt like the words in my head were damaged, so they didn't come out.
Then His Majesty gave me a task, and he planned to wait for me to come back: to meet the Xianbei people.
This is not a good thing, at least I don't think so. But it seems that at most it is just me who thinks it is not. The elders all think it is best for me to go, and the loyal ministers and generals also agree with Your Majesty's opinion.
If we change it to beating up the Xianbei people... well, that doesn't seem good either. Anyway, I don't think it's good.
The Xianbei people are a troublesome problem. My plan is not yet convenient. I may have to deal with these people to know the details. I decided to discuss it with my father and teacher Meng De first, and then make a decision.
In fact, Yinling also encountered a troublesome problem.
Regarding this question, Yiren once asked: She won’t kill me, right
Women usually have a lot to talk about, although the only relationship between these two women is actually me. However, this relationship is really not a very warm one, but when Yinling and the others started chatting, they didn't mention me at all. Yinling saw her, and she also saw Yinling. Yinling asked the others to stop the horse and let others continue to move forward, but got off the car to meet the woman. Yinling asked her: How did you get here? She came with the Lord of the Ministry of Rites, and she was delayed by the beautiful scenery. The Lord of the Ministry of Rites originally asked for leave to go to Huaili, but the person he was looking for was not there. He should be in Chencang now, so he asked her to relax here.
The two women walked hand in hand up to the highlands in the north. The beautiful scenery they had seen on the Yinling Road disappeared. She saw only earthen hills and gullies. The other woman was in the northwest of Qishan, the place where Zhou Dynasty rose. The original name of this place was Daqiu. Many of these earthen hills were tombs left by the nobles of Zhou Dynasty.
That day, my mother was so happy to see me that she cried, and my father was frightened when he saw that person coming in. He didn't dare to tell my mother, but my sister learned about the incident from Meng De, and when she came back, she loudly asked my father about my situation, which frightened my mother to faint.
So our whole family had a common idea, of course it was just a joke, that is, to find the document and pierce him with an arrow, so that he would deeply feel the meaning of "贯iōng以入".
I talked about the wealthy family in Chencang, and my father wanted to check it out. My mother was actually like this everywhere. My father and mother were nonsense, and my mother was not convinced. My father used to be a "dandy boy" so of course he didn't know, but how could he not know? But the matter was not that serious. My parents were joking at first, but later my father got serious and my mother was stubborn, so the situation started to get worse. As a result, I was mainly involved in mediating the fight, and it was hard to change the topic. In the end, I dragged my father to ask for leave from my mother to find my teacher, Brother Mengde, to discuss things, and then the matter was settled.
From then on, I didn't dare to mention business when my father and mother were together.
Naturally, Yinling and the others would not talk about any official business, and the woman did not ask about any official business.
Yinling and the others composed poems together, then pulled out two scrolls of handwritten notes from their sleeves and asked me if I could tell which one was written by the woman.
I read one and the other one was written by that sister.
She asked me how I knew that, and I asked her, somewhat amusedly, who taught me how to write poetry.
Yinling smiled, but sighed.
I read the other one and suddenly changed my mind. I asked Yinling if she wrote both poems. Yinling shook her head. One of them was indeed written by that person. I read the two poems over and over again, and then I picked up the back volume. It was still this one.
Yin Lingtou sighed again, "That's why I want you to see which one she wrote. Actually, I had some thoughts along the way and wanted to record them in a poem, so I kept thinking about it. After Zirui left, I had nothing to do, so I finished writing it. To please her, I wrote it for her. But after I finished, she was able to follow the structure of my poem and speak it casually, as if she could directly connect with Ling's words, and it was completely different from her usual rhythm, but she was like another Sima Yinling."
"Zi Rui, you are truly a national treasure." Brother Meng De praised me highly. "You were able to defeat the enemy with a thousand cavalrymen, which is truly a remarkable achievement."
I couldn't bear it, so I quickly described the whole process in detail, and praised Master Zhong Fufeng a lot, saying that many of the credits should be attributed to Master Zhong and his people. The elders nodded frequently, saying that they had noticed this person during the performance evaluation. According to me, they all agreed that this person could be promoted to an important official. However, when it came to the incident of being shot by an arrow, I still couldn't hide my dissatisfaction with the clerk who made a fuss, and complained a few words, and the whole family was frightened by my words.
Unexpectedly, the teacher and Brother Meng De looked at each other and burst into laughter, which made my father and I a little confused.
Brother Meng De smiled and said to me, "Do you know why this document is written like this?"
My father seemed to be somewhat confused: "Did you ever give such instructions? I remember that my brother Dingguo sent a letter to Chencang."
The teacher smiled but did not answer. Brother Meng De continued to talk: "It was Lord Dingguo's letter that made this happen. When the victory letter arrived that day, Lord Yu-ling and I read the victory letter together, and then Lord Yu-ling went to see His Majesty. Lord Dingguo thought of something, and there was no mention of whether Zirui was injured or not. He told me that I needed to write a letter to Chencang and let them report the follow-up matters, and I needed to mention Zirui's injury. If Zirui was not injured, then report that he was injured, but don't say how serious it was; if Zirui was slightly injured, then report that he was seriously injured; if he was seriously injured, then report that he was in a critical condition."
"Why is that?" I was confused. The teacher just looked at me, smiling slightly, but did not explain.
"Zi Rui, why do you ask when you already know the answer? My dear brother went to fight the enemy without an imperial edict, and he led the personal guards of the princes. Many people know about this, and it is impossible to hide it. In the end, everyone in the world will know about it. Even if you win a great victory, your majesty's virtue will not be revealed. Once your majesty knows about this, if Zi Rui does not get hurt again, which shows his loyalty to the enemy, your majesty will probably still have some grudges in his heart. And if Zi Rui is seriously injured, your majesty will think of the father-son relationship and no longer care about those superficial things." Brother Meng De smiled even more happily, "Cao, I really admire Lord Chu's foresight, and I also admire Zi Rui's understanding. You really dragged on the road for so many days. Some visitors sent by your majesty reported that you kept coughing, looked tired, and were anxious to come back."
My father then suddenly realized what was going on, and the elders all agreed that I was both an idol-like celebrity and a talented actor.
I thought, some things are just coincidences, they just happen at the same time.
But I believe it is not a coincidence that Yinling met her, and it is not inevitable that they talked about me in the end. She will not marry into the Marquis's Mansion. But if I am tired of the various things in the court, I can go to the martial arts world and find her, and she will wait for me. She does not want to break up our family, so just treat her as a friend to confide in. She is even very confident that Zirui has never forgotten me and will never forget me. When Yiren left, she was smiling, and when Yinling could still see her face, she had not shed tears. In the end, she just disappeared alone in the snowy field that was gradually fading away. From a distance, I could still hear her shouting loudly but tremblingly: What a beautiful spring.
When Yinling came back, she calmly told me the whole story.
He also asked me: Are you tired of all the things in the court
I've been fed up with it for a long time.
You will go...
I won't leave. I hate it, even detest it. But that's why I want to stay. If such a nasty thing is done by those people I hate, it will be very detrimental to the Han Dynasty and the people. I can't leave. In this game, I haven't died yet, so I have to play it. Besides, I can still benefit the people of one side without being constrained.
Yin Ling fell into my arms, and suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face, but she was smiling: "This is my Zirui. Everything I have."
I hugged my wife tightly, trying to keep her in my arms, thinking of not letting her get hurt again... until Yinling gasped and begged for mercy and asked me to let her go, she was almost dying.
I seem to have always lacked the talent to grasp a certain degree, so I usually fall into a certain extreme. Before going to meet the Xianbei people, I proposed to kill Wang Guo first to establish my authority, and the elders all readily agreed.
When the head was presented to me in front of the Xianbei envoys, I actually cried out in front of the emperor and all the ministers present: Ah!
Fortunately, I was able to control my emotions. After a quick calculation in my head, I covered my mouth, feeling happy in my heart. When I wanted to laugh, I didn't expect that my arrow wound would burst. Please forgive me for my rudeness and disturbing you.
Unfortunately, I did not prepare to negotiate with the Xianbei envoys that day, but asked people to keep all the regents. In front of His Majesty, I still remember that I was panting, looking around, and asked angrily: "This person is not the kingdom! Where is this thief in the kingdom?"
Note 1: "Sun Bin's Art of War" was recorded in the Book of Han, and the places where this military book was mentioned gradually became fewer and fewer, until it was completely lost after the Sui Dynasty. After the founding of New China, bamboo slips were unearthed through archaeological discoveries, and they were incomplete.