Tian Xiuyan said: "Maybe the friend who told us the news made a mistake."
In ancient times, distortions in the transmission of messages often occurred. For the Chifeng head people, they may not even know that there is a Xiaowuhe Village, so they confused the two.
Hong Yuan said: "Master Huyan, please repair your face. If you want to go to Shanchan, the nearest road is through Xiaowuhe Village."
I said: "Great wizard, we originally planned to go to Shanchan via a remote road. If we pass through Xiaowuhe Village, will there be any difficulties on the way?"
"Master, after crossing the Huangni River from us, there is only an official road in the south of Stone Forest leading to Shanchan Mansion. The rest are all small roads. Xiaowuhe Village is located to the north of Stone Forest and south of Nanpan River. It was originally just a rural village. However, if the rumors about Shariwei hiding near Xiaowuhe Village are true, then the Mongols will definitely set up defenses there." Hong Yuan continued. "If you want to know about Shariwei's situation, you can ask Xiaowuhe Village. The Kuntong wizard helps."
"Quintong Wizard."
"Well, Xiaowuhe Village is not big. There is only one wizard, Wizard Kuntong. I presided over Kuntong's god-making ceremony, so I should be able to help."
I thought for a while and said, "Let's go to Tianlong Temple first."
Hong Yuan did not ask us the purpose of going to Tianlong Temple. He just said: "Master, how about I write a letter. If you need it, take the letter to Xiaowuhe Village to find Kuntong."
"That's the best. Thank you so much, Great Wizard Hong Yuan."
"Young Master, you're welcome." After a moment, Hong Yuan said again, "Sir, I have something. I wonder if I can ask you."
"I don't want to be a great wizard. If you have anything to do, just say it. We will discuss it together."
"Okay, young master, you have come to Wuhe Village. Naturally, you know that there is a yellow mud river next to Wuhe Village. This river is named after the yellow mud that accumulates all year round. Our Wuhe Village has been passed down since ancient times. One question. Ask under what circumstances the river can become permanently clear."
Tian Xiuyan said blankly: "Great wizard, what kind of problem is this? Just remove the yellow mud, right?"
Hong Yuan did not answer Tian Xiuyan. He just looked at me with a smile.
"Great wizard, I think that in order to make the river water clear forever, one fundamental condition must be met. That is, the emperor is clear, the ministers are clear, and the officials at all levels are clear. This can keep the river water clear for a long time."
Tian Xiuyan didn't know why: "Sir, what does the color of the river have to do with officialdom?"
Yuan Ji and others already know me very well. They know that the words I say often have other meanings. Although it is the first time for Great Wizard Hongyuan to come into contact with me, he knows that I am the saint mentioned by Jiang Yang. Listen and think carefully. .
Fang Ling saw that the atmosphere in the room had become dull for a moment and said: "Brother, since you don't know how to fix your appearance, please explain it to me."
"Good. Xiuyan. The Huangni River is not a big river. The reason for the formation of muddy water is simply the sedimentation of silt. And I think the source of the silt is probably the source of the Huangni River or the long-term yellow mud fall where it flows. Enter. As long as you can find out the problem, you can clean up the river. At the same time, find a way to block the place where the yellow mud falls. The river will naturally become clearer. This kind of thing is easy to say, but it takes a long time to do. Affairs, such as cleaning up rivers, need to be carried out over a long period of time. Just because they are cleaned up once, they cannot be ignored forever. So I think that first of all, local officials should treat the Huangni River as a mother river to manage it. Suppose you, Tian Xiuyan Today I am a local official. When I see the muddy river water, I take care of it. Tomorrow I am an official in a Xiuyan field or something. I don’t care what color the river water is. I don’t care about it at all. Then all the work I have done is All the hard work is in vain. Therefore, we can only form certain measures and systems to restrain all officials from top to bottom. Keeping the Huangni River clean is a basic task of officials. No matter who is an official here, they must do it. This is how we can achieve long-term peace and stability. This is the so-called 'clear officials lead to clear water'."
"If a good official is clean, the water will be clear." After hearing this, the Great Wizard of Hongyuan put his hands on his hands and smiled and said: "Sir, I understand. The Wuhe River problem that has been passed down for thousands of years turns out to be the answer. The water color of the Huangni River is just a metaphor. .The purpose of my Wuhe ancestors leaving this question is to let the leaders of the Miao village always remember that only if they are honest, the river water, which can also be interpreted as the common people, will be clear."
"Well, I think that's probably the case."
The great wizard Hongyuan suddenly stood up. He saluted me respectfully and said: "Young Master is indeed the saint mentioned by the guardian. I believe in you now. Young Master Hu Yan. If you have any assignments in the future, I will definitely be from the Miao family in the Wuhe area." Follow.”
In the hearts of the great Miao wizards, the guardian is the pinnacle of wizards. Just like the status of Tathagata in the hearts of Buddhists. The Huyan master in front of him is the saint designated by the guardian to lead the way for the next generation successor Tian Xiuyan. Naturally, he has noble status. Before the guardian appeared, the saint could be said to be the leader of all wizards. Although there is no subordinate relationship between the wizards of the Miao nationality, the great wizards all know that the guardian or saint is the soul and leader of the wizards. .
Compared to the Chifeng people, the Bombay wizards, and even the Tian Jing people, the Great Wizard Hongyuan’s awareness of the guardians is unknown. Perhaps among the entire Miao people, only the Great Wizard Jiang Yang can compete with them. Compare it.
I smiled and said, "Okay. Great Wizard Hongyuan. I will definitely let the Miao brothers who follow me live a happy life."
Under the excitement, Hong Yuan's rosacea became more prominent. For more than three hundred years, the guardian of the Miao people had never been involved in the world. He finally waited for the arrival of a saint, and the saint made a promise. He was extremely happy in his heart. .
Suddenly, Hong Yuan stretched out his right hand and slapped me with his palm. At the same time, he said: "Master Huyan, high-five me."
I didn't react for a moment, but I couldn't help but reach out and strike out. I heard Tian Xiuyan on the side say: "Master, this is the highest sincerity of my Miao people. Master, just reach out and give me a high five."
There was a "pop" sound. My right palm and Hong Yuan's palm touched together.
Then I heard the great wizard Hong Yuan say seriously: "The covenant has been made. I, Hong Yuan, swear in the name of the guardian that I am willing to follow the saint, Mr. Huyan, for life."
"Okay. Great Wizard Hongyuan. I will definitely not disappoint you and the Miao brothers who follow me."
The ancient Miao people concluded agreements by high-fiving each other. During the Han Dynasty, the Han people also began to use high-fives to show that they meant what they said. This method became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In later generations, there were still a few The mafia gangs still use this method.
In the Miao village in western Hunan, I got Tian Jing's promise. Suddenly there were 2,000 more Miao warriors. In Wuhe village, I got the help of the great wizard Hongyuan. With the great wizard's appeal, the Miao people in the west can definitely become me. The strong support of the Guangnan Military Region can be used to make up for the lack of combat effectiveness of the Guangnan Military Region. Moreover, the geographical location of Wuhezhai is very important. If I want to attack the Mongolian army in Shanchan, this is an ideal military location. I think it can be completely It serves as a bridgehead to attack Mongolia. From this point of view, even if I can't convince Sheli Kong, my trip is considered worthwhile.
"Sage, you are going to Shanchan Mansion. I wonder if there is anything we can do to help."
"Great wizard. Are there any Mongolians here?"
"Sage, we are in a three-no-thing zone here. The Song Dynasty doesn't care, the Mongols don't care. The Duan family of the former Dali Kingdom doesn't care either."
"Well, Great Wizard. There are a total of 300 people coming with me this time. Two hundred of them came from Guangnan West Road. We are a large number. Once we cross the Huangni River, it is very likely to cause trouble. The attention of the Mongols. Therefore, I want to leave most of them here and take them with me when I return. I don’t know if it is convenient.”
"Saint, please rest assured. Our Wuhe Village is a large village of the Miao family. There are six or seven hundred guards in the village alone. There will be no problem with an extra two hundred people."
I nodded and said to Yuan Ji: "Okay, sir, please tell everyone to gather here."
"Yes, young master."
In order to make things easier after crossing the river, I decided to leave fifty guards in Wuhe Village to wait for the remaining one hundred guards and Longya members. Only the other fifty guards were allowed to go with me. However, Yuan Ji and others firmly refused. . It is said that the chance of meeting the Mongols greatly increases after crossing the river. A hundred guards are not too many, so we must enter together. But I think that if we really encounter the Mongolian army, fifty more people will not have any effect. In the end, it was Hong Yuan who suggested that Wuhe Village send thirty Miao people who were proficient in martial arts and familiar with the terrain to go to Shanchan with us. Yuan Ji finally agreed.
Since ancient times, except for military fortresses, there have been almost no troops stationed in remote mountainous areas, and the government rarely paid attention to it. After discussing with the Great Wizard of Hongyuan, we decided to go directly westward, passing through the Yi gathering place in the stone forest, and then heading northwest. Go to Tenryuji Temple.
In the early morning, when the light was dim, the great wizard Hongyuan mobilized several small boats and sent more than 80 of us and more than 20 horses across the Huangni River at once. Because after crossing the river, there is Mongolia. Therefore, according to the suggestion of the great wizard Hongyuan, we disguised ourselves as a Miao caravan and went to the Tuoyue Miao Village in the north of Shanchan Prefecture. It is also the largest Miao village in Dali.
During the Song Dynasty, Miao society officially entered a class society. Therefore, in the Miao caravan, naturally not everyone had a horse. Except for about ten of us who rode on horses, most of the people walked. The other ten The horses were all carrying some goods that Hongyuan prepared for us. Even so, our speed did not slow down much. On the deserted road, the imperial guards on foot performed Qinggong. The pace of thirty Miao warriors They are also quite nimble. Under the leadership of captain Hong Sheng, they have been following us closely.
Compared with the itinerary of the previous few days, there is another significant difference. That is that we traveled more miles at night than during the day.
In general, our journey was quite smooth. Although everyone was very nervous and very hard, we did not meet any Mongolian soldiers. Occasionally we met local government officials or village security guards. It turned out that we were from Wuhe. None of the Miao people in the village were in trouble.
At noon that day, the city wall of Shanchan Mansion finally appeared in our sight.