Gou Shancai's room had no windows and was very cold.
Light came in from an air vent high on the wall, and dust could be seen floating in the beam.
After hearing the injured man's request, Gou Shancai did not speak immediately. Instead, he turned around and lit a candle, walked up to the injured man and took a look. He followed the blood dripping on the ground and shined a light on the bed.
The bed had been opened, revealing a secret passage underneath, and the blood stains extended from the secret passage.
Gou Shancai looked at the door of the house again and then asked, "No one is following you, right?"
I was careful not to cut the wound underneath. "Please bear with me." Gou Shancai opened the cabinet and took out a box. When he opened it, there were bottles and cans inside.
He took out a dagger and wiped it with a cloth moistened with medicine from a jar.
"Wound."
"It's useless, I can't live...the crossbow arrow hit my vital part...mother...I don't want to die."
Gou Shancai tore off the wounded man's clothes and took a look. Seeing that the vital part was indeed injured, he did not use the dagger to remove the arrow from him, but instead applied some medicine to him.
He held the injured man's wound and asked, "What news do you want to deliver?"
"Master Wang is coming. When I set out, the commander was ready to seize the Han River ship." Gou Shancai was stunned for a moment, and then his sinister eyes changed and became calmer and softer.
He sat down, leaned on the bed, smiled "ha", and seemed much more relaxed.
"This time, it's time for me to return to Sichuan."
"You can go back if you want...I won't go back."
The wounded man's eyes were filled with unwillingness and nostalgia. He carefully released the hand that was pressing on the wound, took out a token from his pocket, and handed it to Gou Shancai.
"To...the prison officer...to monitor Zemen..."
"Tuk, Tuk, Tuk."
In the evening, there was a knock on the door of Gou Shancai's house.
"Old dog, are you at home? Why don't you open the door for me, old dog?"
"Tuk, Tuk, Tuk..."
After a while, the door finally opened with a creak, and Gou Shancai stood there sleepily, wearing only his middle coat, and yawned.
"What's so urgent?"
"Old dog, you are at home, so I told you that this door is bolted from the inside. The city is searching for fugitives today, and we need the cooperation of the third team."
Gou Shancai asked: "Are there any people who escaped from the rebel rule?"
"I'm afraid it's really a trick this time. I heard that as soon as we entered the city, we contacted a guy who was being watched by the Taiwei Mansion. He was seriously injured and even escaped..."
"You work all day long, how can you do so much fine work. Let's go, I have to go to the south of the city. The magistrate has given me an errand."
"What errand?"
"It's none of your business." Gou Shancai cursed, but still said: "There was a family in Dingzi Bridge who was killed by the Mongols who lived in the Lu Family Courtyard. They said they wanted to appeal."
"I've heard about this too. It's said that his wife, who was pretty in appearance, was robbed by the Mongols and his mother was kicked to death. He wanted to make the matter bigger, and it's strange that the magistrate is shielding the Mongols. He has some extra money at home.
, saying that he is not afraid of going to Lin'an to file a complaint."
"Oh?" Gou Shancai's eyes lit up when he heard the word "surplus wealth" and he said with a smile, "Is it still a fat sheep?"
"Old dog, you have really lost your conscience. That person is miserable enough, and you still want to kill him. You have no mercy."
"Pity? I don't need that kind of thing."
While his companion was still shaking his head and sighing, Gou Shancai gave a cruel laugh, turned around and locked the door.
"Those Mongolians seem to be leaving today. The main street was being cleared just now, and there was such a big scene. No matter how much trouble the sufferer makes, the government cannot stand up for him. Can they really cure the Mongolians' crimes? Isn't it making things difficult for our county officials?
The man turned around the alley with his sword in his hand, and sure enough he saw that the main street was blocked. The soldiers of the Lu Mansion held high the "avoiding guard of honor" and surrounded the Mongolians riding tall horses.
Behind them are countless large mahogany boxes containing gifts.
What is surprising is that many people along the street admired and talked about the Great Yuan Dynasty in the north.
Fa, as well as the majesty of the Mongols, Lu Puman rode on horseback, all the way out of Ezhou City.
Occasionally, he would observe the reactions of the people along the way and weigh them secretly in his mind.
More than six years have passed since Kublai Khan attacked Ezhou, but before the Mongol army evacuated that year, the Jinlianchuan shogunate bribed many people to promote the legal principles of "Chinese way" and "Chinese sovereignty", subtly changing public opinion.
They hope that next time they conquer the Song Dynasty, Ezhou will be able to surrender.
This time, Talu Puman came not only to discuss mutual trade with the Lu family, but also to observe the Song Dynasty.
He watched with cold eyes as the Lu family army and the Song government were wary of Li Xia's details. In his heart, he felt that the Song court was ridiculous and pitiful. They really regarded the Great Yuan Dynasty as the Liao and Jin Dynasties that could not go south.
Ezhou City is adjacent to the river, and you can feel the strong wind from the river as soon as you step out of the city gate.
Dalu Puman turned his head and took a look and asked, "What are you doing at the city gate?"
"Today, some rebel agents sneaked into the city, and they are still being hunted."
"Li Xia's people? Why did he send people to Ezhou?"
"I don't know yet." Lu Wenfu said, "We'll know after we take it."
Da Lupu smiled and asked, "I heard that you surrounded Li Xia near Xiangyang?"
"My lord, I know. Yes, my brother will soon put down Li Ni's rebellion."
Lu Wenfu could already predict that once Li Xia died, the Lu family would become the first feudal town in the Song Dynasty in the next ten or twenty years.
Your Excellency is now going up the Han River. Li Ni may have been enthroned by the time he reaches Xiangyang. If the victory is not certain, we would not dare to let you return north now, in case we encounter rebels blocking the road on the way.
He laughed a few times and said, "I'm still looking forward to meeting Li Xia and taking off his head with my own hands." He smiled, but he also felt unreal in his heart.
After several battles over the years, Li Xia already gave people a feeling that it was difficult to defeat him. He did not expect that he would die at the hands of the incompetent Song army.
But thinking that Meng Gehan also died at the hands of the Song army, Dalu Puman still accepted the matter.
He looked up towards the Yangtze River, waiting for his ship to dock.
The Yangtze River is so wide that you can't see the other side at a glance, only the water and the sky meet.
Faintly, a black boat shadow appeared where the water and the sky met.
"What is that?" Talu Puman asked, "Is it your navy?"
Lu Wenfu also looked around and saw more and more ships appearing on the farthest river. Their masts were faintly visible, as if they were flying military flags.
"Is my brother back?" He murmured, "My eldest brother defeated Li Ni so quickly? Why didn't he take advantage of the situation and take Hanzhong?"
With some doubts and some expectations in his heart, Lu Wenfu waved his hand and immediately sent his soldiers up to the west mountain to have a look.
On the outskirts of Ezhou City, there is a mountain named Xishan. It is bordered by the Yangtze River in the north and Nanhu Lake in the south. It rises from the ground with the Huijiang River and the lake. On the mountain is the summer palace of King Wu, which was where Sun Quan lived during the Battle of Chibi. Is the so-called "hero true"?
To escape the summer heat? Looking at the Red Cliff from a distance is a good way to fight. "There is also a first floor on the top of the mountain, which is the watchtower of Soochow. Sun Quan named it "Wuchang Tower" after Wu and Chang.
The Wuchang Tower is five stories high and magnificent. From the distance, you can have a panoramic view of the vast Yangtze River and the Red Cliff battlefield.
On this day, Shen Huan, deputy transport envoy of Jinghu North Road, was climbing up the Wuchang Tower to look into the distance.
Since giving the coins to Meng Yuan, Shen Huan has suffered a lot of infamy. He also feels helpless and aggrieved, but it is nothing more than enduring for the sake of the country.
Otherwise, what should we do? The peace was negotiated by the imperial court, and the annual coins were approved by the imperial court. He was just a local official, and he was under Lu Wende, who controlled Jingnan and controlled Hubei. He could not make the decision and could only appease. I love Mongolia and Yuan to ensure the stability of my family and country.
At this time, standing on the Wuchang Tower, looking at the majestic Yangtze River, feeling depressed, Shen Huan put his hands on his hands and started chanting again.
"The sky is thousands of miles away and the autumn is clear; the water follows the sky and the autumn is boundless."
This is Xin Qiji's words.
From writing about the Yangtze River in autumn, to writing about the critical situation of the Song Dynasty, describing the ambition of killing the enemy on the empty battlefield, but it is a hero who has no use for it.
land.
Shen Huan groaned, immersed in the meaning of the words.
He knew that Lu Wenfu was seeing off the Mongols again today, and he really looked like a small country in front of the Hulu.
So he hid here and tried to show his anger, trying to show his helplessness that he had no way to serve the country.
It seems that after these officials of the Song Dynasty obliterated Xin Qiji, a returnee from the north, they used his lyrics to express his love for the country: "Who calls Qian, with red scarf and green sleeves, to raise the tears of a hero?"
After Shen Huan read the word, he sighed.
Several friends who were traveling with him were mostly scribes, and they all expressed their feelings.
"Lu Wende is determined to establish his own power, and rewards are based on his heart. Punishment is on the mouth. There are many things that Mr. Shen can't do anything about..."
While they were chatting, someone came up and whispered: "Alang, there was a murder in the city. The man whose wife was robbed and whose mother died committed suicide." Shen Huan took a few steps, avoided his friend, and whispered. : "Is the case closed? Remember, I did not take over his petition. Don't let anyone know that he stopped my sedan chair."
"Understood."
"Go." Shen Huan waved his hand and turned around to continue discussing state affairs with his friends. "Lu Wenfu wanted me to go with him to send the Mongols away, but I refused. Why don't you send someone to blame me?"
"Mr. Shen has done a good job. No matter how arrogant the Lu family is, they are just vulgar warriors and they can control Gong Shen."
"Some people are willing to submit to the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, while others are hiding their capabilities and biding their time in the hope of restoring the Central Plains in the future. They are not the same thing."
"Yes, the day will eventually come when the Central Plains will be restored..."
"what is that?!"
Everyone stared at the Yangtze River with wide eyes, blankly watching the ships crossing the river getting closer and closer.
"There are so many ships, are they navy?"
"Hang the flag...what is it?"
Shen Huan turned his head and suddenly saw a column of wolf smoke rising into the sky from a hilltop not far away.
He rubbed his eyes, tried hard to look at the largest flag on the river, and opened his mouth in disbelief.
"A rebel?"
"No way?"
"It's the rebels! Let's go! Return to the city quickly!"
Shen Huan turned around and fled down the west mountain, shouting for his followers to protect him.
Only at this moment, the restoration of the Central Plains that had just been discussed was once again forgotten.