starling is not a bird

After a day's journey, everyone was very tired, and they played around and packed up all the vegetables they bought on the way for dinner. Because the masters were very strict, no one dared to use wine secretly, but the fish soup After drinking a few bowls, I began to arrange the night watch and tomorrow's route.

In the north in early summer, as soon as the sun set, the cold air began to surge up. The two elder brothers who were still interested in counting the stars and looking at the moon felt that they couldn't hold on anymore. After a few words, the fourth elder brother urged the eighth elder brother to go asleep.

The eighth elder brother still insisted on sending his elder brother back first, and accompanied him with a few words of warmth and coldness, before returning to his tent. When he entered, the bed had already been made and the bedding was spread out, and Ma Qiyun was leading a servant to the tent. The dead corner of the tent was sprinkled with realgar powder to repel insects. The eighth elder brother didn't like the smell, so he walked to the bedside and sat down. He asked someone to light up the torch in the tent, and then dragged Zhang Gaoji to the bedside to raise the tent. Lamp Wick took this chess book and pondered it slowly.

After watching one or two rounds of the endgame, Ma Qiyun gestured a few times with his fingers on his knees. Ma Qiyun had already tidied up, walked over and bowed softly: "Master, it's late at night, and we have to go on the road tomorrow, let's rest early!"

The eighth elder brother smiled and nodded: "It's all settled, you take turns to take a nap at night, you have worked hard during the day."

Ma Qiyun went forward to help Eighth Brother take off his coat, loosened his braids, and straightened his boots. The little servant knelt and lifted the copper basin over his head. Eighth Brother took the towel and washed his face, and carried it in A hot wooden barrel.Eighth Prince frowned: "Those who are away from home, keep everything simple, and don't make any preparations in the future."

Ma Qiyun said with a contorted smile: "Master, come out of the front yard and give an explanation. The humidity in the south is heavy, so the medicine must not be weaned off, otherwise I'm afraid we won't be able to heal the roots!"

The eighth elder brother glanced at the potion, dipped his legs into it, and a stream of heat rushed up his calves: "Not good!"

Ma Qiyun refused to give up: "Master, the medicinal materials are all ready-made, but it only takes a little hot water, I don't have to worry about this at all on this journey, the master is here to run an errand for the emperor, wouldn't it be better if you have flexible legs and feet? "

The eighth brother thought for a while: "Forget it, it's up to you, don't be ostentatious!"

Ma Qiyun answered loudly, knelt down to scoop up the medicine juice with a wooden spoon and poured it on Brother Ba's knees, a little servant came forward and helped Brother Ba to lie down, Ma Qiyun looked at Ba Ge Brother looked tired, and said softly: "Put the quilt on the master!"

The little house attendant covered the eighth elder brother with a quilt according to his words, and turned back to turn off the oil lamp, leaving only a pair of torches at the entrance of the tent for light, and the eighth elder brother fell asleep in a drowsy state.

On the other side of the long river stood Empress Jia, holding her newborn elder brother, her dress was wet by the big waves. Empress Jia looked at the eighth elder brother and shouted anxiously: "Help me, save me!" Shocked, he didn't care about anything, and rushed straight towards the center of the river. The silt and water plants were entangled and entangled under his feet. Every step was extremely difficult. Eighth Brother gritted his teeth and walked hard, but the river was getting colder and colder , the eighth elder brother's legs and feet were stuck in the mud and water plants, unable to get out, the stiff joints did not obey the command for a moment, but the concubine Jia was getting farther and farther away from him.

The eighth elder brother was full of fear, but there was nothing he could do. He shouted loudly: "Er Niang, stand still, I'm coming!" When he was in a hurry, a big wave suddenly hit his head, and the eighth elder brother couldn't stand up all of a sudden fell down.

While he was struggling, his eyes lit up, but it was Ma Qiyun's familiar face. The eighth elder brother was in a daze, but Ma Qiyun moved the oil lamp away: "Master, you are sick, you want to drink Some hot tea?"

The eighth elder brother gathered his mind and sat up straight away. The servants rushed to serve him, and threw a hot towel to wipe off the cold sweat on the eighth elder brother's forehead. Ma Qiyun came up to give the eighth elder brother a clean coat After changing, the eighth brother sat for a while, drank half a cup of hot tea, and moved his feet, only to find that his legs were cold.

Ma Qiyun also noticed the strangeness of the eighth elder brother: "Master, this is a wild place, so it can't compare to the house, why don't I prepare a soup lady to cover your feet?"

The eighth elder brother looked up at him and smiled and said, "It's five yellow and six months, who brought that thing out? Don't embarrass me, pack up and go to sleep!"

He laid his head down and fell asleep, but the eighth elder brother noticed some movement. After a while, the quilt was lifted from his feet, and his feet were pressed into a warm embrace.

"Master, you can sleep peacefully, and the slave will cover your feet to keep you warm." Ma Qiyun sat on the bed with half of his body tilted, leaning against the bedpost, covering the eighth prince's feet tightly, and said in a low voice.

The eighth elder brother only felt very comfortable. He raised his head and looked at Ma Qiyun and said, "Don't guard it, just sleep at the feet of the grandfather." Refusing to lie down: "Thank you master, the slave is not sleepy, master hurry up and sleep, but it will be dawn in a few hours!"

The eighth elder brother was already sleepy, turned over and fell asleep again, Ma Qiyun couldn't help rubbing the eighth elder brother's calf, rubbing it, and fell asleep on the bed, but his feet were still hugged in his arms.

When he woke up the next day, the eighth elder brother woke up first, and saw Ma Qiyun curling up into a big cocoon at his feet. Soundly, the eighth elder brother called the little servants to come up to serve in a low voice, and only woke up Ma Qiyun when it was time to set off.

But he said that the fourth elder brother was busy alone until late at night along the way. When he was about to leave Beijing, Kangxi gave him a secret order to spy on the people along the way, and secretly assessed the officials from all over the place.The fourth elder brother felt that the task was not light, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that thanks to the people who traveled this time, and under the banner of the prince's entourage, it happened to blur the sight of some people, so that he could do things cheaply.

After traveling for several days in the wilderness, they finally arrived at Jinan City. They had already rushed to report to the city to arrange other matters. The two elder brothers also abandoned the carriage and mounted their horses again. I received the news in a few days, I put on a full set of auspicious clothes early, took the chief envoys, large and small, to inspect and envoy Taoists from all over the country, and opened the north gate to welcome them.

The two elder brothers are not people who like to socialize, and after two or three sentences, they have nothing to say. The eighth elder brother carefully looked at the cleared roads. There were no hawkers and passers-by.I understand all kinds of mysteries in my heart, but this time I was just passing by, and the Fujian matter is the most important thing. No matter how bad the government is, it will not be my turn to meddle with a prince who is not on duty. The prince is double taboo.

The governor of Shandong Province was also born in the imperial examination. After getting such a blessed place, he naturally has his own backer. The fourth elder brother has a high status, and the eighth elder brother's birth mother and adoptive mother are all highly favored. This time the welcome was not without grandeur.

A large group of people was placed in the station, and the princes also took the opportunity to undress and wash, and only had the opportunity to talk to each other when they came out to drink tea.The governor of Shandong also prepared a dust-cleaning banquet, but he didn't know the temperament of the two princes, so he didn't dare to invite each other rashly, but the inspector received the letter from the eldest brother, and smiled and asked the two nobles to come down.

The fourth elder brother frowned: "It's just passing by, why bother the people and waste money? Now there are embarrassments everywhere, don't you disturb the people like this to add trouble? It's all avoided."

The eighth elder brother smiled and said: "The fourth brother has always cherished the power of the people. You don't know that you really didn't do good things, so why don't you change everything? It's better to do some practical things to win good things!"

Everyone below was busy expressing their confession and cleansing themselves, and there was a lot of back and forth. The fourth elder brother was already impatient, and he brought a cup to see off the guests, and didn't give them any good looks.

The eighth elder brother knew that he had no rank or nobility, so he was worthless, so he stood up and gave a few steps away.

When the eighth elder brother came back, the fourth elder brother's face hadn't recovered yet: "Eighth brother, how can such a person deserve your entertainment?"

The eighth brother smiled and didn't answer: "fourth brother, there was a lot of wind and sand along the way, and I didn't even eat some fresh vegetables. I can't deal with it tonight. I have to set seven plates and eight plates for me. Only satisfied!"

The fourth elder brother rolled his eyelids: "I just remember to eat it, I know, are you afraid that no one will take care of it? Wait, don't you want to rest?"

The eighth elder brother responded with a smile, the station has been vacated completely, and the courtyards on the inner and outer five floors have been occupied by them. The fourth elder brother chose the north courtyard, and the eighth elder brother is next to him, and the west and east are given to the guards they lived.

As soon as the eighth elder brother's butt was touching the grand teacher's chair in the middle of the hall, the little servant came in and said that the ninth elder brother was in charge and asked to see him.The eighth elder brother was very surprised, but he didn't care about anything, so he hurriedly asked someone to bring it in.

The manager was dressed in a blue shirt, half new and not old, but very neat and tidy. As soon as he came in, he saluted respectfully, greeted him politely, then handed Brother Jiu's private letter box to the little servant, and specially sent it to the waiter. The wax marks on it are brightened.

The little servant picked up the wax, took out the letter from the box and handed it up, Eighth Brother was not in a hurry to read the letter, and asked the steward to stand up and talk: "When did your master's letter arrive?"

The officer bowed his body slightly and said: "If you want to return to the master, our master has sent people to travel day and night, changing people and riding along the road to inform the managers of the caravan shops in various places, and we must wait for orders."

The eighth elder brother smiled and said while reading the letter: "It's because he misses me, and I don't have anything to tell you here. If there is anything, I will definitely come to you."

Looking back at the little waiter, he said, "Take this steward and get your meal before leaving!"

The steward hurriedly bowed and said, "Don't dare, the master even ordered us to bring something over. The list has already been handed over to Eunuch Ma, and there is still some kindness from the master."

After finishing speaking, he took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the little servant respectfully. The little waiter looked at the eighth elder brother and opened it after he nodded. Inside was a stack of bank notes, and the eighth elder brother looked at it. One glance: "Your master is so careful. The road is exhausted. What is the important thing? You should take it back. There is nothing missing here. Write to your master and thank him!"

The person in charge smiled slightly: "How can a slave dare to be the master? It's just that they are all daily necessities. It will be more convenient for you, Your Highness, to take everything on the road. It's out of Jinan City, and it's not easy to buy on the mountain road. It's better to prepare in advance." good."

Eighth Brother thought for a while, and asked the guards at the door to order some boxes and cages, and kept the ones that could be used. The steward then said: "Master has instructed you along the way, if His Highness Eighth Highness has any letters or items to be transported, please don't hesitate to leave them behind." The servants must not delay in finding shops in various places.”

Brother Eight raised his eyebrows and smiled: "I never thought that your master is already so capable? You have to serve with all your heart, you know?"

The boss hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying yes again and again. The eighth elder brother looked at the letter written by the ninth elder brother with a smile. hot.

At the end, he said in a bully manner, myna, brother, I have made a lot of money, you are such a good guy, I will send someone to pick it up for you at the next stop!Also, don't worry about the children at home, I have a lot of caravans, and I often send you messages, and you can send back whatever you have!

The humidity in the south is heavy, so take care of your body. My brother, I have a lot of medicines. I have told you all about it. I will prepare it for you along the way. Remember to use it, don’t be annoyed.I heard that the common people over there make trouble because they can’t afford to eat. I asked several shopkeepers of the Kang family to follow and deliver food to you. In case Huang Ama doesn’t have enough money, you can buy food for peace of mind!

The eighth elder brother was moved when he saw this sentence. Yes, the treasury is empty, and the money on hand may not be transferred so quickly, but the food can be distributed to the people at that time. Yes, Xiao Jiu is really more careful.

Looking up at the officer in charge: "Thank you for your hard work, when will the Kang's food team come over?"

The manager said with a smile: "They have already rushed to the front of the master, and they want to draw food from the supply, and they are waiting for the master in Fujian!"

The eighth elder brother nodded in satisfaction, and the person in charge said: "I know that the master is coming today, the servants made a mistake, and prepared some rough mats for the master to welcome. Could the master show you his favor?"

The eighth elder brother was stunned: "It's hard for you to think about it. I just ran all the way and I don't have much appetite, but you can take it! I've been talking for a long time, what do you call it?"

The manager said with a smile: "My slave's humble name is Yang Tianyi, thank you for remembering me, but I also thought about some light dishes for my master, and I didn't do any big fish or meat, just some new dishes to appease my master's appetite!"

Eighth Brother thought for a while: "Bring the rice noodles to my fourth brother's yard, he didn't even think about eating it, let's use it together!" .

The fourth elder brother was worrying about how to check the accounts of the Jinan government in a legitimate way, and was worried that he would not be able to keep up with the Fujian side.

When I was in trouble, the eighth elder brother came in with someone, and the fourth elder brother also forgot what he was doing at the moment. When the table noodles were brought up, his spleen and stomach were really wide open. They were all seasonal vegetables, tender and juicy, mixed with ginger vinegar , sprinkled with diced green onion, just looking at it makes you saliva. The side dish is not rice, but corn and buckwheat.

At the end, I served a dish of clam and frog soup, which was delicious to the bone. The fourth elder brother liked it very much. He drank three bowls in one go. The eighth elder brother had never seen him eat so deliciously. He stopped his chopsticks and just looked at the fourth elder brother and smiled.

: "I've never eaten such a delicious meal all this way, why, are you making fun of your fourth brother?" After finishing eating, the fourth brother rinsed his mouth with tea, feeling a little embarrassed himself.

How could Eighth Brother answer this question: "This is Xiaojiu who respects us, he is so rich, we can't let him go when we go back!"

The fourth elder brother glanced at the eighth elder brother with a half-smile and said, "Respect us? Old eighth, you have also learned to speak bureaucratly! It seems that this official is really dying!"

The eighth elder brother blushed, and quickly changed the subject. The fourth elder brother did not chase after him fiercely.Besides, it doesn't matter who he is filial to, as long as he accepts the old eight's love, it's over.

In the evening, news came from Fujian that the rebels had already started robbing rich households, and the fourth elder brother became impatient, wishing he could get up overnight and rush over.After running around in the wilderness for several days, the people and horses couldn't bear it anymore, and if they didn't rest for a while, it would be even more difficult.The fourth elder brother frowned and said that he would leave early tomorrow, so the eighth elder brother had no choice but to agree.

Hurry up and finally reach the Yellow River. The eighth elder brother wanted to sit on the famous sheepskin raft, but seeing the ashen face of the fourth elder brother, he did not dare to insist. The group divided the three big boats to cross the river. The fourth elder brother thought for a long time Or let the eighth elder brother sit on the same boat as himself.

Originally, it was convenient to go directly to the opposite bank, but the fourth elder brother was in a hurry and asked the boatmen to go upstream to save some land. The boat faced the wind and waves, and it was extremely difficult.

The eighth elder brother stood at the bow of the boat and wanted to see the Yellow River. Everyone said that the flood was harmful to people. Now it has passed. The bottom swayed.

The fourth elder brother was a little seasick and went to rest at the bottom of the cabin early. The eighth elder brother was also a little disgusted, but he preferred to look at the scenery, but it was hard for the internal guards around him. The wind blows away, is swept away by the waves, stumbles and falls.

In a trance, I saw something floating in the waves in front of me. The eighth elder brother hurriedly raised the western binoculars to look at it. It was clearly a person who must have fallen into the water. The eighth elder brother hurriedly turned around and asked someone to rescue him. Knowing that the river worker refused, he called the boat owner, who knelt down and said, "It's not that the grassroots are cruel and refuse to save people. It's just that if they fall into the Yellow River, they are the sacrifices of the river god. They can't be salvaged. If they are picked up, they will be sacrificed." Offending the gods! Besides, the wind and waves are raging here, how can we save them? It's just an extra life!"

The eighth elder brother was silent for a while: "Should we just leave it like this?"

The captain kowtowed a few times: "Who doesn't know that saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda! It's just that those who beg for food on the water always go in the water! I dare to say a word, but it's just unlucky!"

Eighth Brother waved his hand and asked people to lead the captain down. He also lost the mood to watch the scenery, and led the people back to the bilge to rest, but the people floating on the bottom of the waves always appeared in front of his eyes.

It was already late at night when the three boats arrived, and everyone was exhausted, so they hurriedly set up camp and prepared to rest.

Half asleep and half awake, the fourth elder brother was suddenly woken up: "Master, it's not good, something happened!"