I don't know when my body started to heat up, and my cheeks even felt a little hot. The snowflakes hitting my face felt cool and comfortable. My whole body felt unusually active, and my hands couldn't help waving the Tianlang on the empty but not lonely and silent street. The whistling sound of the wolf's teeth breaking through the air was very pleasant in the monotonous sound of bamboo cracking in the middle of the night. From time to time, someone opened the window to look, and I kept wishing them a happy new year, so that they could sleep well tonight, claiming that with me and Tianlang around, no demons and ghosts would dare to come out. However, in the light of the snow, the Tianlang was surrounded by a halo of light as I exhaled the hot air, and finally I seemed to have become one of the amazed onlookers who kept appearing in the windows around me.
Of course, everything has its positive and negative sides, but because of the negative side, I know the cause of these symptoms: it must be that the Korean ginseng is too strong. The negative side is that the thing is very uncomfortable on the saddle, so I tried many ways but failed, so I had to urge the horse to move forward, hoping to reach the destination soon.
When I arrived at the garrison, I suddenly felt very unfamiliar. It seemed that I had been here very few times. Then I remembered that I had only been a real city guard for one day. However, many people knew me, and the teacher's order had arrived early. Fortunately, they all seemed very excited about my arrival.
They are eating. We will have to wait for half an hour until the New Year comes. We will need to go out. Now, there are only the usual patrol personnel outside doing their routine work.
Most of them had their mouths full of food, mumbling that with me, there would be absolutely no problem tonight. Many of them even rubbed their hands, asking to leave quickly to replace those people.
However, when it came to the question of leading the team, they had a disagreement and could not come to a consensus. Finally, they decided to hand over the difficult question: "Which team will you lead?"
This is a difficult question, it must be fair and impartial, although I can't think of any *. They all think that following the strange halo of Tianlang, which is becoming clearer and clearer under the onlookers, is a good choice.
Finally, I decided that I would go alone and circle the city once every hour, meeting with each of the eight patrol teams once. Every time we met, they would report the current situation to me, and if there was an emergency, they would notify me immediately.
Night patrol is similar to walking, but the time is not the same. In view of my current physical condition, I did not plan to ride a horse. I just pulled it, hung the Tianlang, and strolled on the streets of Xiangyang, and did nothing more than greet the neighbors who stayed up to see the New Year.
The biggest advantage of traveling alone is that you can use the opportunity to do good things for others. While on night patrol, you can visit acquaintances to wish them a happy new year and say goodbye. Then you have to report the new year to your father, who was appointed by the emperor.
When the big bell of Xiangyang Drum Tower rang again after twelve months, I knew I was really eighteen years old. But to be honest, there was nothing to be excited about. Of course, it would be different if my wife was around, but now she was hundreds of miles away.
After the New Year, it's time to pay New Year's greetings. Obviously, the benefits of traveling alone immediately became apparent. While there was no one around, I sneaked into the governor's mansion. I heard that the thatched cottage next to the thatched cottage had collapsed due to the heavy snow. Fortunately, the teacher was in the office and the two young masters were playing snowball fights outside, so nothing happened. Later, the teacher moved into the governor's mansion.
The guard at the door was drinking around the fire in the inner corridor. He greeted me and continued drinking.
The teacher just laughed when she saw me, but she stopped talking in the end and wished me to get married next year and have a baby soon.
My face suddenly turned red with embarrassment. I discussed with the teacher about the departure for tomorrow. I thought it would be better to go alone. After all, my purpose was not to attend the court meeting, but to find my wife. Then the appearance of the teacher's wife surprised me for a while. She told me that she had just rushed back and asked me about my current physical condition in detail. I also asked about some of the situation over there. As a result, it took a long time, which reminded the teacher that I should patrol at night. Before the teacher could find words to scold me, I quickly pulled the horse and ran away.
Master was much better. He came out in a short dress and smiled at me. I thought he was trying to show that he was still young, but in fact, among the three brothers, Master looked the oldest. But just when I was distracted and laughed at Master, Master suddenly hugged my waist and threw me down on the snow. Later I learned that Master had nothing to do during the New Year's Eve and talked with his son-in-law, and they ended up fighting. The two belligerents were not ambiguous, and they really started fighting because they were not convinced by each other. As a result, Master first gave Qing a "back pocket"; and Qing also hugged his waist and threw Master down from the front to the back. Master thought this move was interesting, so he tried it on me who was unprepared; Qing also came out to greet me, and saw me being thrown in the snow, and felt very strange, and had some thoughts of blaming his father-in-law for being unreasonable. It was New Year's Day, and the fall was not serious, so of course I was fine, it was as it should be. After all, he was my master, and Master let me practice new moves, there was nothing to blame, and I felt that I had learned a trick. But I didn't expect that Qing might have heard the word "should". Without thinking or hesitation, he came to help me with my hand, but suddenly grabbed my hand and threw me in a very standard big back-carrying manner, leaving me like a rice bag in the snow. The master still knew the right measure at that time. This Spartan really hit me hard and excitedly told the master that this kind of throw was more powerful. The master was anxious now, and gave his Spartan son-in-law a big hit on the back of his head, and then hurried to help me. I am still thick-skinned, and these two hits really didn't hurt me, but I didn't plan to let them hit me again. So, in order to avoid the cunning teacher and the silly Qing who always felt that I was a little cunning and hit me a few more times, I rolled and crawled on the ground, trying my best to avoid their hands that I didn't know what they meant. As they were stepping on me, I said a few auspicious words and quickly slipped away. During the process, I slipped, but at least they didn't touch me again. It was a pity that I didn’t meet my uncle and the others in the end, but I couldn’t muster up the courage to go back.
The homes of Zishi, Ziyu and others were also visited during this night patrol. Throughout the year, only at night can we hear human words. It is really hard to hear what we hear at other times.
During the first round of the city, I encountered three patrols, and the situation reports were all normal. It was just that the number of encounters was somewhat inconsistent with my initial thoughts. It made sense, how could the encounters be as ideal as I thought? Because the possibility of going astray was very high, especially when I was wandering around, which greatly increased the chance of going astray. At this time, the eight gates were locked, and I was probably the most dangerous person in Xiangyang City. Since I had no motive or intention to do evil, it was safe tonight.
Walking into the old house, I heard a very strange sound of the xiao coming from inside, intermittent, high and low. I had originally planned to go in to wish everyone a happy new year, but now I suddenly felt that I had found a very legitimate and necessary reason to go in, so I knocked on the door loudly as if I had found a security target, but I didn't expect that I would open the door all of a sudden.
The people inside heard the noise outside and came out. The first one was Ye Jian. As soon as I saw him, I said, "Jian, you did a good job. It seems that you are quite successful as a city defender. You can even leave the doors open at night." Ye Jian was just thinking about something, but when he heard what I said, he laughed.
"I asked you to keep it because I knew you would come." Uncle Zhang came over with a smile. I bowed to him quickly, and then we exchanged New Year greetings.
I saw Guan Hai. I didn't say anything about New Year's greetings to him, and neither did he. Instead, we hugged each other like brothers reuniting. I just asked him a question in his ear, and he answered a few questions in my ear. After we loosened our arms, I smiled and asked again. He looked at the xiao in his hand and said a few words calmly, which made my expression solemn again.
Finally, I said a few solemn and auspicious words to him, then said goodbye to Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang and went home. In fact, I continued to patrol at night, but I couldn't do it in real time because I was afraid that the two elders would worry and not be able to sleep well.
When I reached the first watch, I felt tired, so I got on the horse. Besides listening to all kinds of noises, I was thinking about Yinling. I had no opinion on the forks, and it was up to the horse to go wherever it wanted. This was my first time patrolling, but it was not the first time I thought about Yinling, so after being interrupted by the patrol team, my mind was full of future scenes soon, and Yinling always came alive in them. So I think all my actions this night fully showed my amateur patrolling and my professional distraction.
At three o'clock in the morning, the whole of Xiangyang was silent. I encountered patrol teams seventeen times, most of which were in residential areas, and only once in government residences and government offices. I had nothing to do and thought about the possibility. I suspected that most of them were like me, using their power to benefit others.
At four o'clock in the morning, it was still dark. I remember that when I woke up from the heat in summer, the sky in the east had already begun to turn blue. But it was still dark now, and I was beginning to feel a little tired. The only scene I expected at this time was that Yinling would come over and lead my horse, and I would carry her on the horse and hold her in my arms and go home together. I had no intention of writing down what I would do after returning home or communicating with anyone. And thinking of this, I looked around with a guilty conscience. I felt relieved when I realized that there was no one around, and I found that thinking about this matter could refresh my mind.
It was another three quarters of an hour before I saw the sky begin to lighten. The fish belly white on the southeastern city wall was gradually swallowed up by the heavy blue-black color in the middle of the sky. The wind suddenly grew stronger from time to time. I felt empty in my stomach, a little cold, and still sleepy. I felt really uncomfortable at the moment. Since then, I have seen patrol teams 24 times in total. The last eight times were mostly in government residences and government offices. I guess they were just using their power to help others. After they finished, they felt guilty and quickly made up for the places they should have patrolled in their respective patrol areas.
At the time of Yin, the sky finally turned white. Some people started to make noises in their houses, but they hadn't opened their doors yet. The horse was very tired after running all night, so I got off the horse, put on the wolf, patted it, and felt its butt was very warm, so I put my hand on it to warm it. Watching it gasping for air, the white mist occasionally rushed to the ground or hit the wall, and I also said hello to it, saying that it had worked hard. In fact, I was not much better, so the horse also gave me face and flicked my face with its tail, letting me spit a few times into the snow, and only stopped when I was sure that there was nothing in my mouth. Without hesitation, I got on the horse again and urged it forward.
The garrison was already filled with yawns and occasional farts. All the teams outside had returned, and the people who were preparing to open the city gates and patrol in the morning were eating breakfast with them. I thanked everyone for their hard work and went back to rest early, then said a few words to the captain in charge of the city gate, and then I bowed and left with my brothers.
On the way, I wanted to summarize my work that night, but after thinking about it, I could only think of one sentence: Nothing happened tonight.
When I returned to the mansion, the door was already open. I suddenly felt that these servants were very hard-working. They had to get up and clean at this time every day. They should be given more New Year's silver. This morning, for the first time, I greeted these servants one by one and wished them a happy new year.
I quickly washed up and wanted to find my bed and get in to sleep for a while, otherwise I would not have the energy to go on the road, and those servants must wake me up at 9:00. This way I can prepare in half an hour and ride out of the city at noon. Anyway, I said goodbye to everyone last night, so I can go north directly, change horses at Xinye in the evening, and arrive in Wancheng at midnight, and I can be in Shanghe County tomorrow. Thinking of this perfect and ideal result, I took off my clothes and went to bed in my room with a smile.
Unexpectedly, I was woken up very soon. At first, I thought my sister was back, and my anger disappeared immediately. The joy of my body and mind completely turned into impulse. But when I was about to hug the woman who came into the room with the sunlight, I suddenly realized that it was Sister Sima. I quickly stopped the improper action and asked Sister Sima why she came.
"If you go to bed without eating anything in the morning, your stomach will be damaged. Just eat whatever you want." Sister Sima looked at me with a smile and handed me a tray with several small beans on it. The shape of the pot was very delicate. Although I had no appetite, it was okay to eat a little.
I couldn't refuse the kindness, so I started eating on the couch. The steam coming out of the food was warm, and Sister Sima's cooking skills were excellent. The disgust I felt when I was woken up soon disappeared in the aroma of the food. Soon, a group of boys came in, calling me brother, and then a few brothers came to ask me if I had met any beautiful female thieves last night, which made me laugh and choke several times. Finally, under Sister Sima's order, they finally decided not to make fun of me for the time being and let me finish my meal first. But just after I finished eating, Sister Sima stuffed a red silk bag into my hand and wished me a happy new year. This made me feel very embarrassed in front of everyone. I was a man of peace and prosperity, but I had to take New Year's money. Especially when Sister Sima gave another blessing, those hateful boys took out their red silk bags and compared them with mine to see which one was prettier and bigger. When I was about to say something, she started to act like a sister, and asked me if I had given silver bells every year before. I just nodded, and then Sister Sima naturally thought she had done nothing wrong, and I had nothing to refute. In fact, at this time last year, I was not the Marquis of Ping An Fengyun, and it was understandable to take the red envelope, but now it is very different from before, but this is the reason I remembered later when I was on the road.
In the end, I asked everyone to leave quickly even though I no longer felt sleepy. I said I was too sleepy and it actually hurt my self-esteem.
But I was still sleepy, and I didn't get angry for long before I fell asleep. I dreamed that I went back to a very old time, but I was clamoring to get married, but my sister didn't change, she smiled at me and said she would marry me when I grew up, but when I suddenly grew up and wanted to marry her, my sister was old.
Luckily, it was just a nightmare, but when I woke up, I kept repeating to myself, "It's okay, it's okay."
It was already bright outside, and I suddenly remembered the scene in the sky this morning. It was a sunny day today, and it was clear! God told me to go find Yinling, so who can say anything? I threw off the quilt and jumped up suddenly, but suddenly I remembered that I couldn't get up so quickly, and I felt stars in my eyes. I held on to the wall with my hands and tried to keep myself from falling down. After a while, I finally felt much better. There was no light in the house, so I quickly put on my clothes, kept muttering that I was going to eat, and then I packed up and set off.
I pushed the door open and found that the sun was not right, as if it was past noon. I called the maid I had asked in the morning and asked her in a stern voice why she didn't call me.
The girl, who seemed a little aggrieved, lowered her head and came in in a low voice. Seeing that I was sleeping soundly, she couldn't bear to wake me up, but was afraid that I would blame her. When she was in a dilemma, Sister Sima came to deliver some things. After knowing it, she let me continue to sleep.
"Forget it, forget it." I waved my hands. It was indeed not her fault. Her kindness should not be hurt like this. Suddenly, I wondered if I had kissed her yesterday, and I suddenly felt guilty.
I ate something quickly, and when Sister Sima saw me eating, she helped me pack my luggage. I snorted, but couldn't find the mouth to talk to her.
After we finished eating, Sister Sima started asking me whether I wanted to take a carriage or a horse. I thought it was more convenient to ride a horse, at least it would not be bumpy. Then she instructed me how to tie my luggage to the horse.
"Thank you for your help, Sister Sima. I'll be in charge of this household. And please don't spoil Kong Ming." These were my last words to Sister Sima. Of course, we still exchanged some New Year courtesies with a smile. To be honest, I felt very sorry for her. I kept laughing at everything she told me. In fact, I didn't remember anything in my head. I was distracted most of the time.
However, I had to bring two horses because I felt that Sister Sima brought me too many things. But I didn't have time to see what she brought me for the time being. Since she was kind enough to help me pack things, I had nothing to complain about. Sister had praised me before, saying that I was a kind person, never forced others to do anything, and was easy to get along with. I should have good relationships with women in the future. As soon as I recalled these warm scenes, I immediately cursed myself in my heart. I was going to get married when I came back, but I was still sister, sister. I had to call her Madam from now on, and I felt happy when I thought about it.
I drove all the way out of the city. There were not many people on the streets of Xiangyang at this time, which was just right for me to leave the city quickly. Fortunately, I was on leave last night, so at least I didn't have to say goodbye to every family today. They all knew that I was going to Shanghe to wish my father a happy new year, but looking at my appearance, I didn't look like I was going to wish my father a happy new year. I was empty-handed and brought nothing. I would be considered a beggar. In fact, I was going to look for my wife.
I wanted to conceal my identity, so I came out alone. I didn't bring the Tianlang, but only the flute, so I could pretend to be a scholar. In fact, I did this to avoid being too conspicuous on the road. Although it was New Year's Day, He Jin would not want to bring bad luck to himself, but he still had a good heart. Suddenly I felt that I was taking risks again, but since the teacher was not worried, he must have known it; and I always took the official road, so nothing would happen. The safest place is that it is usually recognized. Ping An Fengyun Hou Xie Zhi first recognized the silver long-pole hedgehog, because my appearance in the legend has long been out of human form. From the rumors I heard in the past, I know that people who have never seen me don't know my fat, thin, tall, beard length, hair color, number of eyes, or even the number and length of my hair. Thinking of this, I wanted to scold the teacher behind his back. Could this rumor also be made? But I looked around and looked at the sky again, and thought about forgetting those vicious words quickly to avoid being struck by lightning.
When I left the city, I looked back at Xiangyang and wanted to say, "Goodbye, Xiangyang." But then I thought that I would be back soon, so I gave up this somewhat tragic farewell plan.
However, when I reached that familiar mountain road, I had another thing to do. By walking through a path in the snow that had been trampled back and forth, I could walk directly into the cemetery in the mountains, because here I had to say goodbye to someone.
"Brother Pei, this is the work of Sister Sima Pei. It's very good. You can try it." I placed the offerings in front of a new grave with a smile: "I was afraid that they were not careful when making it for you, so I kept yours first and then ate it myself."
"I'm going to the north to look for Yinling. You know what? She and I are not siblings. She was engaged to me when I was born... I'll ask my brother and sister-in-law to come and see you later."
"Are you living well over there? The old ghosts didn't bully you, did they? You are friendly and loyal, they should get along well with you, and you are so brave, there should be no problem for them to select talented people to make you a captain." I sighed: "I always remind myself to smile at you and let you rest assured; but I still sighed, we were together for too short a time and you left us. It's not easy to find someone who can get along with me like this again. I think it's more comfortable to be a rough man. Ah, Brother Pei, don't be angry, you know that you can't be called a delicate person. You also know that I won't lie to my own people." At this point I sighed again, because I did lie to him.
"If you see my father, Lord Fan Mengbo, please tell him that I will go to his grave to pay my respects and fulfill my filial duty as a son, so that I will not bring disgrace to his old glory."
After a conversation with Brother Pei, the joy and ease that I had been trying to maintain in my heart was gradually overwhelmed by the sadness of parting and an inexplicable sense of guilt. As the sun was setting, I mounted my horse and headed north on the snow.
We stayed overnight in Xinye because the road to the north was muddy and difficult to travel at night. Also, this would not make Yunshu unhappy, as my fame had alienated me from my brothers.
At night, I lay on the same bed with Yunshu, and it was a special kind of joy to reunite with my brother.
Yunshu's surname is Fang, and his given name is Han. When we introduced him, we often said "Han" to him, which made him want to chop us. I remember that he at least warned Zishe not to let him see Zishe with the kitchen knife, otherwise either the knife would chop Zishe, or Zishe would chop the knife.
Yunshu is the same age as Binbin, just a few months older, and is also a younger brother. But he is not as honest as Binbin, always rushing to the forefront of attacking others, and likes to act like a boss, which seems to be my style.
But that evening, there was really nothing else to talk about, so we still talked a little about business.
As I expected, he was obviously incredulous about my strategic planning, but he continued to praise me in a disgusting way in the northern Jingzhou dialect.
The next day, when we were on the road again, Fang Han looked at all my clothes and felt something was wrong. He pulled my sleeve and asked me loudly, "What are you doing, you big guy? You don't look like you're going to pay New Year's greetings to your father."
"I have to go to the north to get some information first. The teacher doesn't know if it's dangerous to go to Luoyang this time, so he asked me to use this as an excuse to get information. It's too conspicuous, so I won't ask."
"You idiot, do you think I don't know that you are quick-witted? You are second to none in Jingzhou. I can see that you speak without thinking, so it must be fake. If it were real, you would think about the words carefully without any mistakes, so it would be slower."
"Brothers are brothers. They know me so well." Fang Han laughed and came over to hear the actual result, but he didn't expect me to continue to insist: "But to be honest, it's because of this."
"Someone come and catch this deceiving thief." He seemed to be serious and actually waved to the soldiers to come and catch me. As a result, the soldiers around him all laughed and no one moved. Finally, he couldn't help laughing and waved his hand to tell me to get out.
Finally, I bowed and told him to take care of himself, remember to be careful of the north wind, he was thin, and to close the window when having sex. When he was about to draw his sword and chase me to kill me, I hurriedly urged my horse to run away, and even after running a hundred feet, I really felt something in my heart.
"Yinling, here I come!"
This is what I shouted to the sky when there was no one around me in the Nanyang Basin.
Nanyang County was divided into two parts after the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Wancheng, Guanjun, and Yecheng were important towns before Wuguan Pass and were directly controlled by the Luoyang court. General Zhu Jun became famous for blocking nearly 500,000 Yellow Turban troops here. After the war, this place has never been returned to Jingzhou, which made us feel very resentful. How can we sleep peacefully with this thing at our throat
After the snow, the Nanyang Basin can fully show its outline in front of me, without having to consider many other branches and ridges. The mountain ridge line is slightly higher but very gentle on all sides, with only two gaps in the southeast and northeast. I remember that the two gaps on the map are Guanjun and Yecheng, and Wancheng is 120 miles east of Wuguan. At this moment, in the snow, I can see the 18-zhang city wall of this indestructible city, which has been known as the best in the world since the Yellow Turbans, although it looks very low at the moment.
The three cities of Wan and Deng form a triangle in a basin. Looking at the large forts that can be seen from time to time, it reminds me of the tragic and grand fighting scene here two years ago, but now there is only white covering everything, as if all the blood was not shed or was shed in vain.
Are some of us born to end our helpless and ignorant lives in the despair of fighting? I suddenly felt that my thoughts were very profound, so profound that I couldn't understand myself, so I began to think about simpler things: many young soldiers had their own parents at home, and even had a wife who I thought was the best, but were recruited by an imperial edict, and thousands of them gathered together on a battlefield where it was hard to predict the outcome. In contrast, the Yellow Turban soldiers at least knew why they were fighting, and they might be happier.
No more fighting, I thought, shaking my head. But is this possible? I kept asking myself different questions, but the result was always the same: I don't know.
The barbarians are fighting for their own place to live. Although this purpose is a bit blatant, it is very simple. But what about us? The rich and abundant land in the world is all in our Han Dynasty. (A typical arrogance under the education of the Han Dynasty, the author's smile) Why do we fight among ourselves? If the emperor allows the people to enjoy themselves and not worry about food and clothing, who would have the intention to rebel
Some people spend all day thinking about where to have fun, while most people are worried about their next meal. Jingzhou is fine, so what? As long as this kind of thing happens everywhere in the world, this chaos is inevitable.
A cold wind blew, and the clouds in the sky became heavier, and the weather seemed to be changing again. I had no choice but to put aside my heavy thoughts and change horses to carry me. The horse I had ridden for half a day was used to carry my luggage.
As expected, I felt a lot lighter riding a horse, and I ran quickly all the way. I didn't run into any passers-by, but I did run into some patrolmen, who looked at me suspiciously, but seemed to look at my clothes and boots and didn't dare to come forward to question me.
My rhinoceros leather boots are probably only owned by generals of a certain rank, and I am so heroic, tall and handsome, they must think I am a person of unknown origin. Just after this, I criticized myself severely, thinking that I am so old but I always brag about myself.
Along the official road in the snow, the closest point to the fort is only a hundred feet. This guy is almost ten feet high. The surrounding two miles from the ground to the top three feet are all built with rammed stones, eight layers of crenels, and a deep ditch in front of the door. At this time, its suspension bridge is hanging high, which immediately gave up my original intention of going in and taking a look. I need to keep a low profile this time.
If we really have to use force to take Wancheng, the casualties may be too great for us to accept. If the enemy hides in these places and just takes the beating, that's fine, but we are afraid that when we divide and surround them, they will have a guerrilla army to harass us, which will be very embarrassing for us.
What am I thinking? I asked myself, am I still the Marquis of Ping An Feng Yun of the Han Dynasty? I quickly dispel the evil thoughts in my heart. Although the government is a bit dirty now, it is still the emperor of the Han Dynasty after all... His brother-in-law is in power, what the hell is this? I thought about it and cursed again.
I didn't stop in Wancheng, and I broke through Wuguan all the way. At noon on the second day, I arrived in Shanghe, Jingzhao Yin's territory. This place used to belong to Hongnong. After the restoration, it was changed to Chang'an. Brother Mengde's Gaoling is still in the east, between Hangu Pass and Tongguan, between the mountains of Zuofengxu not far southeast of Chang'an, and the image of a intestine between two waters is it. Thinking of this, I suddenly thought of letting Brother Mengde commit suicide to avoid the humiliation of those traitors. It feels like being locked in a birdcage. I can't stand up straight, I can't sit down, and I curl up my heroic body to be driven and amused by those people. It's really not worth it.
When I slowed down and started looking for a place to rest, I noticed the whispers of people around me. I was probably thinking of my height and hair as the reason for them thinking of me as a unicorn that was said to be omnipotent and used its horn to harm villains - Xiezhi (ie, zhi, fourth tone).
This is a small market town not far from Shanghe City. I plan to have a good meal and then go into the city to see my father, whom I have never met and have no relationship with, and maybe my mother and my brothers and sisters. Then, most importantly, I want to see my wife, tell her everything, and take her home.
This place is close to Chang'an, which is the base of our Han Dynasty. Although this is an ordinary market town, it is already quite prosperous. At least there are many customers in so many restaurants. I don't know what my crooked reason is. But the natural and honest smiles on the faces of the people make me feel the virtue of the Prince of Ping'an in addition to the joy of the New Year.
The snow had not yet begun to melt, but the streets had already been cleared, and the deep ruts on the brick road showed the density of passing vehicles.
This is probably the happiest time of the year for those children. The open vegetable garden by the roadside is their world at this moment. They are playing snowball fights, building snowmen, or simply rolling around in the snow. The old man in charge of the vegetable garden just squats by the wooden fence with his hands in his sleeves, watching the children and laughing. Maybe he is also recalling the happiness of his own childhood
Of course, there were also some quieter children. For their games of jumping, spinning and singing, I even stopped my horse and waited for them to make way in front of me before I passed by and smiled at them.
I don't like crowds here, so I found a relatively quiet restaurant to stop, asked the waiter to drag the horse to feed, ordered two catties of steamed buns and three catties of beef, and walked in directly to find a seat facing the street to sit down, regardless of the waiter's surprise. It was still a bit noisy outside the window at this moment, and many people seemed to be rushing home to reunite.
"Sir, we're out of steamed buns. How about pot cakes?" It felt like their voices were muted, which was quite interesting.
"Zhong." I imitated their accent. I saw people saying the same thing every time, so I learned it and used it right away. However, I don't know what Guokui is. I guess it's similar to steamed bun.
I checked my purse again, and Sister Sima gave me another bag of money. It should be the one she put in my clothes last time. Sister Sima is really nice and careful. If I were to clean it up by myself... I suddenly had a bad feeling, and quickly checked my waist. Fortunately, the seal was still hanging there. I thought about it and blamed myself for being too careless. But soon I shamelessly pushed the responsibility to Yinling. A diligent and careful wife will inevitably cultivate a lazy and careless husband, and this trip was all for her. So, my mood improved again, and I waited happily for lunch.
A person came in from outside the door. He was quite young, but had a long beard. He was less than seven feet tall, with a sallow face, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. His bones and eyebrows were quite elegant, as if he was a man of meticulous planning. He was thin, and his long robe and wide belt fluttered in the air when he moved. He even looked a bit Taoist. But when he opened his mouth, it was a bit of a letdown, his voice was unusually hoarse, maybe he had just recovered from a cold. However, judging from his clothes, he didn't look like someone who had been away for a long time. He looked like a local official who hadn't started lunch yet, so he came here to have a casual meal. But it seemed that he was not just making do.
"Oh, Mr. Huo, you are here again. How is your wife?"
"She's taking care of the pregnancy in her hometown. It's not convenient for her to serve me at this time. Instead, I have to serve her. I have so much work to do that I don't have time to accompany her and talk to other people. So I let her go back to her hometown to give birth." It sounded very tough, but I felt something was wrong. There was worry and an indescribable feeling hidden in it. It might be the delicate mind that is unique to fatherhood. I can draw this conclusion from the disgusting look on my brother's face during this period.
"Can't you hire a few more people? You are an official, but you only have servants from your own family at home. During this period of time, those servants have gone to accompany your wife. Do you think you have no place to eat?"
"My wife is afraid of meeting strangers, so she has to do this. Besides, wouldn't I be more free and easy living alone?" He disagreed.
"Not necessarily." This sentence was mine, but the sound was very loud. I might have just opened my mouth, and I am not sure whether the sound came out. I am already eighteen years old and know that I need to know my limits. At this time, I must be extra careful in everything.
He still noticed me, and in response, I smiled at him. He smiled back at me, but it was very unnatural, maybe he also noticed that I noticed that his mind was not right. I suddenly asked myself why I was thinking so convolutedly.
It seemed that Mr. Huo was a celebrity here. When the diners saw him coming, they all greeted him. Many of them even invited him to sit with them. Finally, he could not refuse the kindness, so he sat down at a table between the crowd and ordered some food.
Some vulgar guests among the guests teased him, saying that he was not worthy of his ancestors' glory because of his weak health, and that it would be difficult for his wife to be satisfied on the bed. I listened quietly and guessed that he might be the descendant of Huo Qubing.
Listening further, it turned out to be true. Many familiar customers only found out about this today. It might be because the New Year had just passed and they were not afraid of anything. At that moment, the restaurant was filled with admiration and respect, and I couldn't help but look at this person in a different light. It seems that the Huo family has this kind of sickness from their ancestors. Mr. Huo died young. How come he hasn't recovered after so many years and generations
Then, the topic suddenly turned to me, because Duke Qubing was in charge at the age of 19, and I was made a marquis at the age of 17. Some of them called us two rare young heroes in the Han Dynasty. I listened to them happily, feeling a little flattered.
Although the descendant of the Huo family also said a few good words to me, he was still somewhat disdainful. However, he also pointed out the difference between me and Mr. Huo: "My ancestor resisted foreign aggression and was able to seal the Wolf's Lair, while Tianlang took advantage of internal chaos and was able to conquer Jingzhou."
But then someone spoke up for me, "Although Lord Huo is a talented general, if his uncle was not General Wei Qing, he would not have been able to influence the world; Lord Xie, the Marquis of Ping An Feng Yun, was originally a commoner, raised from a thatched cottage. Only a person with real talent can dominate the world. In fact, there is no high or low. The timing, luck and other factors are impermanent and cannot be sought or pursued. Only a person with real talent is constant. Don't be biased and make mistakes."
I immediately guessed that this person was a spy sent by Teacher Jingzhou to investigate everywhere, but I had my back to them, so I couldn't react too obviously to this sentence, so I had to continue sitting and waiting for my lunch. And I thought it would be better not to meet him, so as not to reveal his secrets.
A large pot of hot beef was slammed heavily on the table, but my steamed bun substitute had not yet arrived. However, this had already stopped the group of people from discussing my shortcomings, leaving only some nagging gossip.
"Are you waiting for someone?" a hoarse voice sounded. He might have been looking at the mountain of beef in front of me, but he didn't pick up his chopsticks.
"No, I'm waiting for my pot cake." Everyone laughed. Maybe it was because my accent was not good enough, so I laughed too and turned around to greet everyone.
"Are you from another place?" I nodded and they laughed for a while, but they still pointed out the real reason to me. It turned out that the pot cake was the thing that served me beef!
I immediately sat down again and looked at this staple food that was used as a substitute for steamed buns. It was two feet in diameter and a finger thick. It smelled like a flatbread, but I could still remember the sound of a gun hitting the table. I pressed it hard with my hand and asked them jokingly, "Why do your pot cakes look like rocks?"
Unexpectedly, the waiter felt relieved: "That's it, I thought the dough of my Guokui had gone bad and it had become the same as steamed buns. Our steamed buns are like wooden boards, and this Guokui is like stone."
I thought to myself: Can I still eat this? I tried to break the "stone" apart. It was a fake one after all. With my strength, I was able to break off a piece and almost overturned my beef.
"This old man has great strength." The man's voice came from behind again.
I turned my head when I heard this, trying to think of something to bring us closer, "How do you break it off and eat it when it's so hard?"
"Hey, man, we..." He pointed at the pot cakes on other people's tables. Actually, he didn't need to explain at first glance, but he still said the reason: "We usually only eat three or two, just grab them with our hands and eat them. And, you want so much, man, oh, brother, you can turn around now."
I turned around and saw a waiter holding a knife and a large plate in front of me, looking at the pot cake in my hand with a stunned look.
Just like that, I started the biggest battle of my life against this pot cake. I must admit that this reminded me of the damn beef tuǐ, but at least last time it was a poor skinny cow with skin and bones. What was worse this time was that I actually ordered two kilograms of bulging noodles.
"Why is it called a pot-kui? Can it be used as a helmet during war?" I tore off a piece with all my strength, chewed it bravely with all my strength, and turned back to ask the man.
"When Qin conquered the six states, wars were frequent and the firemen often couldn't keep up with the troops, so they often used helmets to cook, hence the name."
"How can it be a staple food if it is so hard and difficult to chew?" While asking, he asked for some soup and put a piece of beef in his mouth. I immediately felt that the beef was as soft as a ball and melted in my mouth. I was mentally prepared for this and I would not cry out in surprise because I knew that my teeth had begun to adapt to these "stones".
"It feels good to chew and is very chewy. You will never get tired of eating it. Besides, I tell you that eating this often is good for your teeth. Your teeth won't become loose when you get old. That's what my father did." This was from a guy. He seemed to have a lot of experience in answering this question. I guess other people from other places have the same question as me.
"Don't drink the soup. This Guokui will swell badly when it comes into contact with water. If you eat two kilograms of Guokui, it will swell to three times the size if you drink water. It doesn't matter if we only eat a few ounces, but if you drink the water, it might be fatal." Mr. Huo behind me said very seriously. Looking at his serious eyes, I believed that he was not exaggerating, so I didn't dare to touch the soup.
Mr. Huo's lunch was also served. I looked carefully and saw that there were pot cakes, beef, hot soup, and something red with the aroma of chili and oil. Someone next to me smiled when he saw it. It was the same four dishes again.
I changed my seat and sat across from them, to avoid having to turn my head to talk to them all the time, which would appear disrespectful and impolite.
I paid special attention to the descendant of Huo Qubing. He picked up a piece of beef and put it into his mouth politely. Then, he smeared what seemed to be chili oil with his hand-held pot cake in a rather uncoordinated and even rude manner. He took a bite. It seemed that his teeth must have been tested for a long time. It seemed that he did not take much effort. Then, after savoring it carefully, he swallowed another mouthful of hot soup. He seemed to be quite happy. But when I looked at his trembling mustache and slightly wrinkled eyebrows, I had a strange feeling that this person was pretending to be a hero. In fact, he was very spicy.
The people next to them were even cheering, but they didn't know that eating could be called good, but they got a general idea during their conversation.
The chili oil is called oil-splashed chili oil. It is made by grinding red pointed chilies into powder and pouring them with boiling oil. It is extremely spicy. Taking a bite and then drinking a sip of hot water is like adding fuel to the fire. It is even spicier and most people cannot stand it.
This man is interesting. I have been wondering if he is burdened by the reputation of his ancestors and wants to be able to do things that ordinary people cannot do. However, he has already tormented his voice to such an extent. It is a bit ridiculous for such a hero to act like a hero. Why bother? However, looking at his physique, I am afraid it is impossible for him to fight on the battlefield like his ancestors, but I feel that this man is quite pitiful.
As my thoughts turned, half an hour passed. They chatted and laughed, and ate slowly. Although I often made random guesses, I kept eating. I saw that the beef in front of me was much less. But I finished the pot cakes more slowly, mainly because my mouth always felt sore and I needed to rest from time to time. The beef tendon, which was originally difficult to deal with, was like a dough in my mouth, melting with my teeth, and was not a problem at all.
There were few pedestrians on the road at that time, and it might be time for them to go home for lunch and rest. At this time, the voices of those children who were not taking naps became particularly clear. They were a few girls, about six or seven years old, surrounding an empty car on the side of the road and happily singing the local nursery rhyme: "On the bank of Sishui River, cars come and go, at the head of Sishui River, bamboo leaves are green; Houyi ascended the altar, strings sounded and fell, Houyi got on the car, and crows were left alone."
I felt vaguely that there was something wrong with this nursery rhyme, but I couldn't accurately grasp what I was thinking in my heart. However, when I looked at Mr. Huo, his expression had obviously changed.
Suddenly he stood up, and in full view of everyone, he quickly walked out with his collar lifted. When he passed by me, I could hear him muttering, "Xie Zhi, Xie Zhi!"
I immediately understood the meaning here: the bank of the Si River means the water without the character Si, which is Si. The car comes and stops, so it is the character Si with a car added to it; and the head of the Si River, the green bamboo leaves, is the head of the character Bamboo. Doesn’t that make the character Fan (Model)
The following two sentences are even more obvious: What is the meaning of Hou Yi's ascending the altar? He said he would shoot the sun! Together, they are a token of his gratitude; Why did Hou Yi ascend the chariot? He said goodbye to the crowd and explained his intention to go east and shoot the sun. And what is my wisdom: opening a mouth, an arrow, and a sun.
The last sentence is even more frightening: A lone crow. What does the crow refer to? The sun; what does the sun refer to? You.
I remembered the line again: If you call out from a high place, you will surely offend your superiors; if you thank the whole world, Liu Han will be isolated.
Am I really the evil star of the Han Dynasty
That day was the third day of the first lunar month in the third year of Zhongping. The peace after the New Year still enveloped all the territories of the Han Dynasty. No one expected that a major event would occur in Luoyang seven days later, dragging the entire Han Dynasty into a deep crisis again.
That year, I was eighteen years old, Yinling was twenty-two years old, and the descendant of Huo Qubing was twenty-four years old.