Mr. Yang's house is very close to the small house where He Qizhou lives. It has one courtyard and five entrances. It is one of the earliest courtyards built here. A small stone canal introduces spring water from the mountain and runs through the house. There is a small courtyard between each entrance.
In the small patio, there are osmanthus, ginkgo, cypress, bamboo and other flowers and trees planted in every corner of the patio. Due to its age, giant trees and dense bamboos, the stone slabs next to the water channel are covered with thick clumps of moss.
It was midsummer, but there was no summer feeling in the courtyard. The water was gurgling and the breeze was blowing. In the past few years, the old man gradually handed over the management of the family affairs to Yang Zhi. He drank tea, practiced calligraphy, and planted flowers and grass all day long. Apart from the old man, there were no other people in the courtyard.
Outside, there lived an old housekeeper and several servants, and there was no hustle and bustle in the past. Early that morning, He Qizhou, led by the old housekeeper, walked through the courtyards from the side corridor to the old man's residence. He Qizhou saw
Everyone looked playful and smiling, but they were still in awe of the old man. When he saw Mr. Yang who was watering the flowers, he said respectfully: "Grandpa, are you looking for me?"
"Well, let's go into the house and talk. Lao Wang, let's make a pot of tea." Old Mrs. Yang put down the kettle and after giving instructions to the old housekeeper, he also turned and walked towards the living room. Old Mrs. Yang was over eighty years old, hobbling and slightly stooped.
The tall figure is now nearly a head shorter than Qi Zhou. He Qizhou stepped forward quickly and helped the old man into the house.
"Alas, our Yang family is the most useless of my generation. I am a general and a marquis, and my son is a general and I am the only one who is neither good at literature nor at martial arts." The old man sighed.
"Grandpa, please don't say that. Even the emperor can't give birth to three generals, don't you think so?" Qi Zhou said.
"Haha, they are all good, especially your father, he is really the best person in the world! What a pity..." When the old man talked about Yang Zheng, his cloudy eyes suddenly became clear, but when he thought of his three sons,
The tragic situation made him choke immediately.
"Grandpa, can you tell me more about my adoptive father?"
"You have grown up too. When you were a child, you wanted to come over and ask me about your father every three days. Now do you think you don't care about me as an old man?"
"Where? I was here the day before yesterday. Didn't you secretly give me five coins?"
"Is there any? Oh, it seems so. No wonder the jar is never full of broken silver. Oh, I'm so confused. When do you want to hear what happened to me?"
"What happened before and after he brought my mother and me here? I always felt that my mother seemed to be hiding something from me. I didn't want to bother her all the time and make her sad. Grandpa, you see I have grown up too.
Now, you should tell me some things."
"Your mother is the best woman in the world, and only she is worthy of your father. That year seemed to be the thirty-fifth year of Tianxi, and you were just two years old. Two years after your father disappeared, he took you mother and son to return home.
I was really happy this year when Zhan'er returned to my hometown. Originally, I gave up any hope and thought all three sons had died on the battlefield, but two sons came back and got an additional daughter-in-law.
Grandson." The old man secretly wiped the corners of his eyes and continued: "I heard from your father that the last battle with the Northern Zhou Dynasty in the 33rd year of Tianxi was when he led 10,000 elite Yang family troops to the border of Youzhou to lure the enemy.
Defeated, they retreated to Xifengkou and were ambushed by 30,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry to encircle and annihilate the opponent's main force of 30,000 cavalry. However, when they arrived at the ambush site, there was no one there. The entire 10,000 elite Yang family army was wiped out.
The army was timid and the commander was incompetent. When the two men were questioned and sentenced to death, they reported that it was mainly due to a mistake in reconnaissance and cavalry. They mistakenly reported that the enemy had 60,000 cavalry. According to the comparison of combat strength at that time, the Qi army was definitely defeated, so the supervisor army
The orders of the commander and the commander were correct. In the end, only a few scouts were killed. The supervisor and the commander were demoted by two levels and the case was hastily settled. However, your adoptive father and the few people who luckily escaped afterwards said that Zhou Jun would never
There will be more than 35,000 cavalry, which has become a huge mystery. Your master Lu Baogen has been investigating this matter. Your adoptive father's kung fu is unrivaled in the world. He brought hundreds of cavalry to break through the encirclement, but he couldn't bear to leave them behind.
Your third uncle, who was seriously injured, ordered everyone to break out of the encirclement in separate ways, leaving only a few people around him. He finally fought hard and fell into coma. When he woke up, he found that he was already in the marching tent of the Princess of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It turned out that it was his sworn brother He Qingshan who was leading them.
The two brothers surrendered the princess of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, but several others were killed in the battle. You must have heard of He Qingshan. He is your father's sworn brother and one of the helpers who fought in the world. It is said that his kung fu is not inferior to your father's. He
Qingshan eventually became the Prince Consort of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Your father lived in the Northern Zhou Dynasty for nearly two years. After recovering from his injuries, he took the opportunity to escape back to Jinyang City with the disabled Zhan'er. However, when he came back, the news that He Qingshan was the Prince Consort of the Northern Zhou Dynasty had already spread throughout the world.
The blame for the defeat of that battle was also placed on He Qingshan. The battle reports said that He Qingshan deceived the scouts and colluded with the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Although your father came back, he was suspended from his post because of his closeness to He Qingshan and returned to Jiangjun Village.
.Your mother was a slave captured in the Yan Kingdom in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. When Zhan'er was captured, it was thanks to her care that he was able to come back to life. Before returning, your father married her in Jinyang City. At that time, a large number of soldiers died in the battle, and Jinyang City
There were many orphans left behind, and you should have been adopted at that time."
"Then why did father go to the border again after he came back?"
"I don't know about this either. I heard from Daozhang Lu that at the request of the border general, the emperor appointed him as the vanguard deputy commander again. However, after he took office, for some reason, he led a lone army of 500 cavalry deep into the surrounding area. When he came back, he was ambushed.
He died of serious injuries, and was eventually involved in the incident. All the rewards that were due to him were taken back by the Jiang family, and he was even criticized as a fallen general." The old man became more and more sad as he spoke.
"Grandpa, do you think he went to seek revenge on that traitor? Is there any news about He Qingshan later? I swear I will never fight with this person!" He Qizhou gritted his teeth.
The old man straightened up and said seriously: "Back then, my great-grandfather helped the Jiang family to conquer the world. The three grandsons: Expedition, Conquest, and Zhan were all named by him because they wanted to make contributions to the country. After the tripod was established in the Central Plains, my great-grandfather did not fall in love with Zhan.
, not greedy for power, returned home and became a rich man. I never thought that Jiang Taizu would kill heroes more ruthlessly than his enemies. Although he was lucky enough to reach your great grandfather, it really chilled his heart and refused to let me join the army.
, this also made me always grudge. Later, Fa'er served in accordance with the law, and Zheng'er and Zhan'er also wanted to join the army, but I firmly refused. The current emperor Jiang Cong was greedy for merit and did not overestimate his own capabilities, which led to the oppression of Zhou's troops and the devastation of the people.
Daqi is in danger, and I can no longer stop the two brothers. Alas, the three brothers left home, and only half of them came back. And now you want to take this road again. I am old, and I can neither stop you nor do I want to.
Well, it’s not because you are not Zheng’er’s biological child. Young people should have high aspirations. I don’t want to impose my regrets on you. Let me ask you, why do you want to join the army?”
"He helped the Jiang family, drove away the barbarians, cleared his father's name, and also found out the truth and avenged his father and his third uncle." Qi Zhou answered honestly.
"Confused, confused!" Mr. Yang suddenly raised his voice: "Do you know why my Yang family is fighting? Who are we fighting for? Your great-grandfather once said that we should help the country and save the people; your father persuaded me to join the army.
The reason is that Zhou Lu is unkind and wants to save millions of Hebei people from water and fire. Humph, my Yang family has been raising seeds for generations and sacrificing only for the people of our country and country, how can we become private soldiers of the same family! In fact, your master and I
I have always suspected that Zheng'er's death had something to do with the Jiang family. The Hou Liang Dynasty was in chaos for more than 200 years, and there were more than 200 emperors from more than 30 countries before and after. Do you know how many countries were destroyed by other countries except for the unification war of Daqi?
?And how many countries were usurped by powerful ministers, relatives, and generals? Let me tell you, only three were actually destroyed by enemy countries. Twenty-seven countries were usurped, of which 22 were usurped by generals with real power. Almost
All countries have been usurped, not including the dynasties controlled by powerful officials behind the scenes. Once the throne is usurped, the fate that awaits the emperor is basically annihilation. Do you think the emperor is the most dangerous profession in troubled times? Therefore, the emperor is also the most dangerous profession.
He is a ruthless person. His ancestors of the Jiang family also usurped Hou Zheng's world from the post of General Zhengdong, and only then established the current Qi State. Therefore, what the Jiang family's descendants fear most is not the Zhou State, but the generals with military power!"
Mr. Yang was excited for a moment, coughed a few times, took a sip of tea, and continued: "Zheng'er has done a great job in rescuing the enemy, has outstanding martial arts skills, and has a good strategy. After reorganizing the Jianghu, he formed a new army, and even fought in the third Qizhou War.
At that time, he turned the tide, made extraordinary achievements repeatedly, and regained most of the lost territory in Hebei. At that time, he controlled almost half of the elites of Qi, and his reputation in the army was at its peak. The Zhou army was also afraid of him, and the emperor had reached the point where he could not be sealed.
, there was no reward. Just when Zheng'er wanted to gather his strength and gather his troops for a decisive battle against the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Jiang family's constraints began to appear one after another: sending out groups of supervisors and royal guards, splitting up the troops, and ascending and descending covertly.
He reduced his military power and even bribed your father's personal followers. Alas, I persuaded him several times to retreat. At that time, your father's troops under direct control only had more than 10,000 cavalry, but he still refused to listen to my advice and wanted to fight with the Zhou army.
In a desperate battle, the grand marshal of the Qi army only brought 10,000 soldiers and horses to serve as bait. In the end, the Jiang family refused to save them and resorted to borrowing knives to kill people. That year, your father once said to me after escaping from the Northern Zhou Dynasty, how could he not know
The Jiang family only wanted to see the people in Hebei starved to death for thousands of miles and Yi Zi cannibalized each other, so he made up his mind: if Hebei is not recovered, he will not retire. Unexpectedly, when he goes to the border again, he will not be able to come back."
The old man suddenly became a little absent-minded, and after a moment of silence he said: "Xiao Qizhou, what follows is what I really want to say to you today. You must remember it carefully - your life is the most precious thing, and you must never forget it.
Don't give it to the emperor easily. The most ruthless emperor's family is. If you can enter the capital this time, be careful about the Jiang family. Don't say anything you shouldn't say after leaving this door. The weapons your father originally used to strengthen the country
Cha Si has now become the eyes and ears of the Jiang family. One more thing, Yang Zhi is a good boy. I deliberately kept him away from your family. In fact, the one he admires the most is your father. Apart from Xiao Yangshan in the big house
You're a bit promising, but the other little bastards look down on you, so don't feel too aggrieved."
"I know, my mother told me that this is good for everyone. Maybe one day we will be a drag on everyone."
The old man touched Qi Zhou's head and said: "Good boy, we are all a family. You have done a good job with Lin Yan's family this time. It's enough for Liu Xizhou. It doesn't matter whether Liu Jin'an is a thing or not.
The old lady in his family is quite a gentleman. If she knew the truth, she would not condone her children and grandchildren. Secondly, you are still a fledgling, so you must know how to protect yourself, do you understand?"
Qi Zhou said: "I understand."
Mr. Yang continued: "Also, a good man should have the world in mind. Don't think about revenge. Don't be blinded by personal hatred. If the result of revenge is to eliminate harm for the people, that's it. If it is just to relieve your heart, that's it.
If your hatred puts more people into trouble, makes your relatives, friends, and even yourself pay for your life, then it’s okay not to avenge it.”
"Grandpa, I know, I will do my best." He Qizhou replied.
"You little naughty boy, I know you won't listen to me, an old man. Just think about the living people in everything from now on, okay?" After saying that, he took out a bag of silver and three banknotes from the box behind him and handed them over.
When Qi Zhou got it, he said, "This is two hundred taels of silver. I'll lend it to you. Remember to pay it back when you come back."
"I will definitely return it when I come back. You must wait." Qi Zhou replied.
"If you don't get out of here after taking the money, don't embarrass the Yang family when you go out." The old man stood up and saw off the guests.
He Qizhou's eyes filled with tears and he bowed to bid farewell to the old man.
The green mountains cannot cover it, and it flows eastward after all. Watching this adopted grandson who has been around for more than ten years and has been looked down upon but who is the most valued by him, walks out of the living room, walks out of the patio, and walks out of the courtyard... The old man seems to remember that he once watched him see him off.
When my sons went to war, I remembered how my wife put on the military uniforms for my sons time and time again, and how she looked forward to it when she was dying, and her sad eyes made me burst into tears...
In the early morning of July 20th, continuous rain delayed the departure date of He Qizhou and Lin Chuan for several days. It was still drizzling today, but He Qizhou was no longer willing to wait. The provincial examination on the first day of August was approaching.
As it turned out, it would take at least six days to travel to Jinling in Nanzhili Prefecture, so despite the muddy road and drizzle, we insisted on setting off. In the past ten days, Xiao Qizhou pestered Yang Zhan and Huang Quan every day, asking them to
He told anecdotes about the rivers and lakes, what he saw in the army, palaces and gardens, official rules, casinos, brothels, restaurants and teahouses, local customs and local ruffians. The listeners were very happy, and the speaker was also very happy. It turned out that He Qizhou secretly drank three days a day.
The rule was changed to one small drink every day and one medium drink every seven days. Naturally, Yang Zhan was happy to brag while drinking. Together with Lin Chuan, the four of them also secretly gambled for a few times, only to find out later in anger.
He Lian roared like a lion.
On this day, Yang Zhan personally handed over the old yellow horse that had been with him for more than 20 years to Qi Zhou's hands. His livid face looked like he was giving away a lot of family wealth. Also given away was a two-stone old bow and a
The pebbles beside the bag pond are Qi Zhou's best hidden weapon for hunting birds. Of course, what Huang Quan gave was medicine, wound medicine, antidote, tonic and a little bit of poison was secretly stuffed into it. He Lian gave Qi Zhou a
The close-fitting thin-scale armor is a relic of Yang Zheng. It is a fine product that Yang Zheng captured from the Northern Zhou royal family. There are already several arrow holes on it, and there are countless knife wounds and arrow marks, but the armor is still roughly the same.
It was intact and gave him a dagger. This was the first time Qi Zhou saw this dagger. It was different from ordinary daggers. It was more like a small knife with an upturned blade tip and a phoenix engraved on the silver scabbard.
The long phoenix tail wraps around the scabbard, lifelike. The handle is about two inches, and the blade is three inches long. There are spots of silver patterns on the dull blade, which turns out to be a sharp tool that can cut iron like mud. Finally, there is a jade pendant.
Said to be a family heirloom, it came from the royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty five hundred years ago. The jade pendant is carved with dragons and phoenixes. The jade is white and warm. Qi Zhou was repeatedly told to carry it with him and never lose it.
Lin Yan's family refused the Liu family's apology, and only accepted the one hundred silver that Liu Lin compensated. The fifty silver was returned to He Lian, fifteen taels of silver was used to buy a horse, and the rest was given to Lin.
Lin Chuan came to Chuan as a means of transportation, and Lin Chuan also carried a blue steel sword inherited from his family. Since He Qizhou had not yet practiced swordsmanship, he insisted on wearing a sword even though he argued, but Yang Zhan refused. The two led their horses to the entrance of the village, and He Qizhou
Tsing Yi with narrow sleeves, soap trousers and soap boots, a long bow on the left saddle, an arrow hanging on the right saddle, a silver knife inserted in the boots, money tied around the waist, thick eyebrows and starry eyes, white teeth and a raised nose, wearing a straw hat like a general wearing armor
, even the drizzle could not hide his heroic spirit, and his heart was full of pride. And Lin Chuan also wore the same narrow clothes and narrow trousers. Lin Chuan, who was slightly shorter, looked stronger than Qi Zhou, carrying a sword and riding a horse.
The maroon horse, which was as tall as the rhubarb, appeared to be full of energy. After saying goodbye to their family members one by one, they stepped into the arena like knights. The original strong feeling of separation and farewell was suddenly filled with the feeling of joy in their chests as soon as they turned around.
All the pride was gone.
The mountains outside Jiangjun Village are undulating like thick ink, and the mountains are surrounded by smoke and clouds, which are like light ink. The Bailian River flows through thousands of acres of thick green rice fields like Bailian. Three or two egrets are frightened and fly into the air.
The two people walking farther and farther away, like two ink spots, slowly walked out of this poetic landscape painting...