The next morning, the wind and snow were still there.
Zhu Pingan got up early and practiced calligraphy on the table near the window with a black wooden board hanging from his wrist. After everyone else in the inn gradually got up, Zhu Pingan put away the black wooden board, put the brushes and other items into his schoolbag in sequence, and put the bed
I packed up my things and went downstairs with two pieces of fried rice cakes made by Chen.
In the hotel lobby, Zhu Ping'an ordered a bowl of mutton soup like last night and finished it with fried pancakes.
"Thank you, shopkeeper, which direction is the official road to the north?"
Zhu Pingan had breakfast, and when paying the bill, he asked the shopkeeper for directions.
"Don't dare, don't dare. There are two official roads heading north in this town. Where are you going, sir?" the shopkeeper said in a friendly tone.
"Go to the capital." Zhu Pingan replied.
"If you want to go to the capital, then go in this direction. After passing the Peacock Terrace, there is an official road leading directly to Luzhou Mansion. There are more roads to the capital over there." The shopkeeper led Zhu Ping'an to the door and pointed in one direction.
Tell Zhu Ping'an the "No>Wrong" route.
Luzhou Prefecture is the modern Hefei. Since ancient times, Hefei has been a battleground for military strategists. During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Wei and Soochow Wu fought in Hefei for decades. It was Luzhou in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Hefei was the frontier of the anti-golden war.
It’s not a bad idea to pass through Hefei and then go to the capital, just in time to see what this battleground for military strategists was like in ancient times.
"Thank you so much, shopkeeper." Zhu Ping'an cupped his hands and thanked the shopkeeper.
After asking for directions, Zhu Pingan notified the store clerk to check out and packed his things. The store clerk helped him take the things to the backyard and put them on the back of the well-fed Shamat black horse. Zhu Pingan picked up the baggage before getting on the horse.
He took out a rabbit fur cloak with a long collar and put it on.
This cloak was specially made for me by my mother, Chen, to keep out the cold and wind on the road. The rabbit fur was made from rabbit skins that my eldest brother, Zhu Pingchuan, made on the mountain.
"It's snowing today. You might as well stay a while. Wait until the snow stops before leaving." At the door, a kind-hearted shopkeeper advised me.
"Thank you, shopkeeper. It's snowing and not cold, so it's a good time to go on the road." Zhu Pingan got on his horse, slightly cupped his hands to thank the shopkeeper, and then drove his horse along the route pointed by the shopkeeper just now.
The town is not big, so after riding on horseback for about ten minutes, we saw what the shopkeeper called the Peacock Terrace.
I originally thought that the Peacock Terrace where the shop owner belongs is just the name of a mound, but I didn't expect that the Peacock Terrace is so majestic and majestic. The Peacock Terrace is in the shape of a "convex" and covers an area of about 100 square meters. It is a two-story structure with the upper and lower floors.
A wide empty platform with a gallery-style roof, cornices and arches, brackets on each floor, carved beams and painted pillars, making it majestic.
How could a small town have such a building? Zhu Pingan was curious and drove his horse closer.
"The peacock flies southeast and lingers for five miles."
Engraved on the stone wall window in the corridor in front of the Peacock Stage is the poem "The Peacock Flies Southeast". It is written in good handwriting and full of sadness.
Uh, I remembered it.
In the small town of Huaining County, the peacock flies southeast, that's right. This is the birthplace of "The Peacock Flying Southeast", which is collectively known as the "Yuefu Double Bibi" together with the Northern Dynasty's "Mulan Poetry". It is also the place where Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi are buried together.
.
I have been in Huaining County for so long that I have forgotten such a place. Fortunately, I passed by here on my way to take the exam. Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles.
During the Jian'an period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Lanzhi, who was both talented and beautiful, and Jiao Zhongqing, a small official in Lujiang, loved each other sincerely. However, her mother-in-law Jiao's mother made things difficult for Liu Lanzhi for various reasons, so Lanzhi resolutely asked to return. Zhongqing's plea to her mother was ineffective, so the couple had to say goodbye, and they both "swore an oath".
God will not harm you."
When Lanzhi returned to her parents' home, many suitors came one after another. First, the county magistrate proposed on behalf of her son, and then the prefect Cheng Cheng acted as matchmaker. Lanzhi flatly refused because she had an appointment with Zhongqing. However, her brother made bad remarks, so Lanzhi had no choice but to agree to the prefect's house.
The wedding was about to take place. Zhongqing came over after hearing about the incident, and the couple made an agreement that "in heaven they would like to be a winged bird, and in the earth they would like to be a branch." On the happy day of Lanzhi's wedding, Liu and Jiao both destined to go to hell, which was an eternal song.
If I had done it myself, I would never have let this tragedy happen.
After paying homage at the Peacock Terrace for a long time, Zhu Ping'an sighed, then drove his horse away from the Peacock Terrace and headed north along the official road.
The official road that has snowed is much easier to walk than the official road that has rained. Black Horse Shama seems to ignore the wind and cold, holding its head high in the wind and snow and moving forward happily. Maybe this guy feels that the official road is better than the mountain road.
That's why I left.
Walking north along the official road, you can see the shadows of villages from time to time on both sides of the official road. Unlike yesterday, you couldn't see a single house after walking for a long time.
It was almost noon when Zhu Ping'an got off the official road and went to a small village near the official road.
The north wind is very strong, blowing the floating snow on the ground from the wild into the village, and then blowing it out from the village path, and then piles up calf-high piles under the roots of the wall, under the firewood stacks outside the wall, and in all places leeward.
of snow.
The ravines on both sides of the road were filled with snow and were as flat as the road. If it weren't for the burnt yellow wormwood tips exposed in the snow on the roadside, making a hissing trembling sound in the wind, Zhu Ping'an would not be able to tell which one was which.
The road is a ditch.
A group of chickens in the village, led by a few roosters, gathered around a firewood pile and looked for food slowly. A few bored roosters flapped their wings and pecked each other for the ownership of a certain hen.
It caused the snow to fly everywhere.
On a flat ground at the entrance of the village, there were a few urchins who set up a basket on the snow, scattered some grains under it, and lay on the side with their buttocks stuck out, waiting to catch the sparrows.
Seeing Zhu Pingan coming on horseback, the sparrows flew away in fright, causing several urchins to sniffle and look at Zhu Pingan with unkind expressions.
"I opened this mountain and planted this tree. If you want to cross this road, leave money to buy it."
A little kid with a snot-filled nose stood in front of Zhu Ping'an's horse, raising his head and coaxing him. Then several other little kids stood behind the little kid who stood out as backup.
They all looked at Zhu Pingan with unkind expressions.
Looking at the naughty children with snot bubbles hanging from their noses, Zhu Pingan raised the corners of his lips slightly.
"I am a bird demon under the Snow Demon. I heard that you were plotting to kill my men here, so I turned into a human and came here to find out. I didn't expect that I was watching you. Tsk tsk. I heard that children's meat is the best.
"
Zhu Pingan was riding on horseback, taking a deep breath in the direction of the children, and then licked his tongue as if he was intoxicated.
"Monster."
When the naughty kids heard this, they looked at Zhu Ping'an and looked like he wanted to eat meat. They squealed and ran away.
"Uh, I'm just kidding you."
Seeing these naughty children running away, Zhu Ping'an felt a little dumbfounded. These naughty children were too innocent.
"I won't be fooled by you!"
"Don't come after us, we have child urine."
After hearing this, several naughty kids made faces at Zhu Pingan, ran more happily, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. (To be continued...)