This sleeve is broken secretly

Shen Bing froze in place.

He lived in seclusion here for more than a year, never met his old friend, and never mentioned his name to others, so suddenly someone addressed him as "Master Shen" which shocked him for a moment.And then look at the man under the bamboo shade, tall and steady, although there is a bit of vicissitudes between his brows and eyes, it is still the same as when we first met.

After being surprised, he was immediately overjoyed, and hurriedly put down the basket and opened the door to welcome him out: "General Lou, why did you find this place?"

It was the eldest son of the Lou family, Lou Changfeng, the general of Yulin Gate, who came.

Lou Changfeng laughed loudly, bowed his hands to Shen Yi, and said with emotion: "Mr. Shen has chosen a good place to live. Seeing the beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, I can't help thinking of going back to the mountains and forests."

Shen Yan smiled, but when he lowered his eyes, he saw the little girl leading the way blinking and looking at them curiously, so he reached out and touched the top of her furry head, and asked softly, "You brought this uncle here?"

The little girl couldn't speak official Chinese, but she could understand it, and immediately responded softly in Wu dialect.Shen Yan shook his head with a smile, and said: "It's okay for this uncle, he's an old acquaintance of mine. It's getting late, so you should go back early so that your mother won't worry."

The little girl nodded, and then looked at Lou Changfeng shyly. Lou Changfeng smiled and gave her another handful of malt candy, and then she jumped down the mountain happily.

Shen Wei led Lou Changfeng into the courtyard.Lou Changfeng raised his eyes and saw that the small courtyards in all directions were neatly tidied up. There were silkworm rooms and chicken coops in the corners, and a few round and fat hens were strolling around and pecking at the ground.The indoor scene can be vaguely seen from the propped up small window. It is a very simple one-bedroom, one-bedroom house. In addition to the necessary beds, tables and chairs, there are only bamboo slips and scrolls piled up in the corners of the house.

Lou Changfeng sat on the stone chair under the tree in the courtyard, and smiled apologetically: "I guess you may have told the villagers in the village not to reveal your whereabouts, so you asked a few children about you. Sorry to bother you."

"It's okay, I just told them not to tell people who wear official uniforms where I live." Shen Yan came out from the house with an earthen pot and sat down opposite Lou Changfeng, "Although the general and I only met once, But he has the audacity to invite the general as a friend. I am very happy to see you here."

While talking, he lit a small clay stove next to the stone chair with a torch, and said with a smile: "I have the green olive wine that I dug out a few days ago. This wine has a slightly bitter taste and a sweet aftertaste. Drinking alone will inevitably lead to some loss of taste. It is just right to take it out and drink with the general at this time." He paused, and then said, "But if it is not convenient to drink, I will make tea and drink with the general, and it is the same."

Lou Changfeng said with a smile: "If you don't drink alcohol, it's against the Lou family's family precepts. My arm is an old injury, so it doesn't matter. My lord is just used to it. Today I will get drunk with your lord."

Shen Yi poured the green olive wine into the jug and put it on a tandoor to warm it, then picked out a few green olives soaked in the wine and put them in front of Lou Changfeng, and said in a low voice: "These years, the general guarded Frontier passes, it's really hard work."

Lou Changfeng shook his head: "In recent years, there have been civil strife in the grasslands, and the frontiers have not been invaded. The worst days in our area have long passed. My arm is an old injury from the past few years, and it hasn't healed completely. A few years ago, the doctor took a look and said that if you insist on keeping this stump, it may gradually poison your heart and damage your lifespan."

He was silent for a while, and smiled slightly: "I thought that this body has already been martyred, and I can kill two more barbarians with one right hand. If I live a few years, I will live a few years less. But His Royal Highness heard Afterwards, he personally wrote a letter to order me to cut off the poison immediately, and sent the best doctor to treat me. Your Highness said that the Central Plains does not lack a body that can kill the enemy, but what is lacking is the prestige and commander who can deter the barbarians. The strategy of the army. I really didn't expect that His Highness would personally care for such a mere life, and there is really nothing in return."

Shen Bing listened quietly, and a faint smile gradually appeared in his eyes: "The prince has always cared for the people, even if a servant in the palace has difficulties at home, he will definitely take care of him personally, let alone the leader of the party. General of the army?"

"Being compassionate and loving the people is easier said than done." Lou Changfeng sighed, "In short, I have to rest for a while after losing my right arm, so I impudently begged me to return to my hometown to pay homage to my ancestors. If you want to repay Your Highness Thank you, I will guard Yulin Pass for the rest of my life, and this may be the last time I return to my homeland."

Shen Wei slightly hesitated and said, "I thought the general was from the capital?"

"The Lou family is indeed from the capital, but my mother's Yang family is from Jingzhou, and I am from the same hometown as your lord." Lou Changfeng laughed.

Shen Bing understood.Lou's family came from a prominent family, and they belonged to the army of the Three Dynasties. The daughter of the Yang family that Lou's father married was also a big family in the south of the Yangtze River.Counting up to several dynasties before the vassal was abolished, the ancestor of the Yang family was once one of the vassal kings with different surnames, and his status was extremely valuable.Now that Lou Changfeng wanted to ask for his order to go back to his hometown to worship his mother clan, the prince of Jian Guo had no choice but to agree because of Yang's face.

Lou Changfeng saw what Shen Yan was thinking, and added: "But the crown prince allowed me to return to my hometown, and it may not be all for the face of the Yang family. I guess, the crown prince may miss you, and he also wants to know through me. recent situation."

Shen Bing was silent for a while.It just so happened that the warm wine in the clay oven started to bubble. He took off the jug and slowly poured the wine for Lou Changfeng, and said lightly: "I am already in white clothes, and I have been away from the court for a long time. Miss. The general no longer needs to be called an adult, just call me Liangqing."

"My lord's words are wrong." Lou Changfeng said, "The crown prince has always respected you. When I asked for my life to go back to my hometown, His Highness once said with emotion, 'Jingzhou is also the hometown of Mr. Shen. If it is possible, I would like to visit with the general. Take a look at this world-famous holy place'. In the end, he told me that after paying homage to the mother clan, there is no need to rush back to the dynasty, and take a good tour of the place. Isn’t this caring about Mr., what is it?”

Shen Bing sighed, raised his bowl and took a sip of his wine.The sweetness and bitterness of the green olive wine seeped into his lips and tongue, and then all the way to his heart.He thought for a moment in a daze, and then slowly asked: "Your Highness, how is he...?"

"The prince was taught by his master in the early years, and these days he is also supervising the administration of the country. Everything is handled very properly, and all the officials praise him." Lou Changfeng paused, and said in a low voice, "It's just that the sage..."

Shen Yan was slightly startled, frowned and said: "...is it a recent incident?"

"At this time last year, there was a sign." Lou Changfeng shook his head, and said in a low voice, "The court of the Supreme Hospital has worked hard and dragged on for nearly a year. But when I left Beijing... it was already at the end of my strength, It may be within a day or two."

Shen Bing was horrified, frowning and rubbing the edge of the wine bowl, muttering silently.

Lou Changfeng looked at his face, raised his hand to take a sip of wine, and asked directly: "Do you intend to return to the court again to be an official?"

Shen Yi seemed to have expected this question from him.At this time, Wen Yan only raised his eyebrows slightly, and said calmly: "Ji Nai is wearing a sinful body. Wuyan dares to return to court again."

"Sir, why do you want to be so sloppy with me?" Lou Changfeng said with a smile, "You and I both know that the 'Dari Achi Change' was not your fault. Although there are three judges in front, the Holy Majesty has not yet decided. Your crime, instead, is to let your husband return home to Ding You. Now that more than a year has passed, and the crown prince is about to take the throne, is there any better time than returning to the court?"

Shen Bing drank his wine and shook his head.

Lou Changfeng looked at him, and suddenly smiled: "I see. Is it because of Mr. Xie?"

Shen Bing's hand trembled, and a little of the wine in the bowl spilled out.He suddenly raised his eyes to look at Lou Changfeng, and his beautiful eyes instantly showed a little coldness.

Lou Changfeng looked back at him calmly and said: "Sir, don't panic, this is just my guess. I have no intention of prying into Mr.'s private affairs. It's just that the government is about to change, and everything is about to change drastically. Mr. has this talent but is unwilling to take on this important responsibility. To put it bluntly, I would like to ask the countless soldiers guarding the pass and protecting the country, but what happened to the court that chilled your heart, sir?"

Shen Bing frowned slightly, and looked at Lou Changfeng calmly, as if thinking about something.Lou Changfeng didn't hesitate to let him watch, and even took a sip of wine leisurely.

After a long while, the corners of Shen Yan's lips curled lightly, and he slightly sneered and shook his head and said, "Forget it, the general and I have nothing to hide...but you guessed wrong, I don't want to return to court, and thank you sir It doesn't matter."

"Then may I ask a question, what exactly is embarrassing Mr.?"

Shen Bing lowered his eyes lightly, and after thinking for a while, he suddenly asked: "I'm curious about something. The soldiers of Yulin Pass and Zhagan have a bloody feud, but if one day the imperial court wants to truce or even negotiate peace with Zhagan due to strategic layout or long-term considerations , how does the general feel?"

Hearing the word "Zhagan", the muscles at the corners of Lou Changfeng's mouth suddenly twitched.Although his face was still calm, the hands on the table tightened silently, as if subconsciously grasping an invisible sword, which could be drawn out of its sheath at any time.

But he still didn't have any overreaction after all.He even thought about Shen Bing's question seriously, and finally asked: "May I ask what the 'strategic layout and long-term consideration' that Mr. said specifically refers to?"

"Not necessarily." Shen Yan said lightly, "Maybe it's because of the situation, maybe it's just because... I have to do this."

Lou Changfeng thought quietly for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "I can't answer this question, sir. But I know what you are worried about... It is easy to serve the country and the people, but it is too difficult to be involuntary. Sir, I am afraid of returning home. After the ruling, have you fallen into endless party politics and unnecessary open guns and dark arrows again, and lost your original intention of worrying about the country and the people?"

Shen Yan sighed, "General Huiji."

"If you think about it in your own shoes, it's not hard to understand Mr.'s suffering." Lou Changfeng said with a smile, "I didn't come here today to persuade Mr. or something. I just asked because I was curious."

Shen Bing sighed, was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice apologetically: "My assumption just now was not appropriate... I'm really sorry for hurting the general's heart."

Lou Changfeng smiled calmly and said, "It's nothing. But in fact, my father once said something to me. Although I can't accept it from the bottom of my heart, I think it is quite suitable to answer my husband's question just now."

Shen Yan was taken aback: "Dare to listen to advice."

"What can I teach you, my father has been a rough man all his life, and he can't say anything beautiful, but the reason is still the same." Lou Changfeng said with a smile, "There was no one in the frontier back then, but the brothers in our family didn't want to let the old father wear the old man again. Going to battle - there are always other young people doing this. But Dad taught us, 'You guys, always think about this dirty work, tricky and unappealing thing, even if you don't do it yourself, there will always be someone else Do it. But this kind of small family idea is not good. If you can do it, you can do it. If you can do it, you will rush to do it. Everyone pushes and shoves, shrinks back, scruples about this and that, this world may even grow a grain of rice I can't come out."

Shen Bing listened in a daze, but didn't speak.

Lou Changfeng took a sip of wine with a smile, and said reminiscently: "When we brothers heard this, what we said made sense. Our Lou family has been in the army for generations, and everyone has practiced martial arts since childhood. Who do you expect to go to the front line?... To tell you the truth, although I lost my father and younger brother forever in Beijiang, as long as I think of the time when I went to battle with them and galloped on the battlefield, I have never regretted a single day."

Husband Quartet Chronicles, Anke Ci solid poverty. ("Nine Poems Before Leaving the Fortress" by Du Fu)

Some bone-chilling pain and memories are always accompanied by unrepentant regrets.

Seeing that Shen Yan's eyebrows trembled slightly and he didn't speak, Lou Changfeng said slowly again: "It's still the same sentence, I'm not here today to persuade Mr. to go out of the mountain on behalf of His Royal Highness. I just want to say something in private... I don't know how many people are there every year. Students, trekking across mountains and rivers, wearing stars and wearing moons to the capital to rush for the exam, is to dedicate their life's learning to the monarch and the people when they are named on the gold list. There are also countless people who are stuck in the quagmire, but they are still moving forward. How many years later, Mr. Accidentally dreaming back in this deep mountain and countryside, thinking that I have never walked shoulder to shoulder with these people, will I really not have the slightest regret?"