All your life is gentle

In the early morning, Chang Sheng went back to the house after the morning class with the disciples of the Hua family. Zi Shi was tightly wrapped up, only half of his face was exposed outside the quilt, and he was sleeping soundly.

After the twins left last night, the two went to sleep separately.Although Li Zishi didn't move, Changsheng knew that he fell asleep only in the middle of the night, and he didn't know what he was thinking.He folded the quilt and tidied it up again. Seeing that it was time for breakfast, it would be rude not to get up again, so he walked over to call him.

Her snow-white cheeks turned out pink, and it seemed that adding a quilt was a big contribution.Suddenly he was puzzled again, couldn't it be an illusion reflected by Dahong's face?Subconsciously wanting to make sure, he saw his eyelashes move.With a jump in my heart, I realized that my hand had already been stretched out.In fact, I haven't figured it out yet, but my flexible arm turned a corner naturally, and patted him on the shoulder: "Slacker, get up."

"Hmm..." Turned over, without opening eyes.

"Don't linger."

"I'm lazy..." hummed from the nose.

Changsheng laughed.Thinking about it carefully, at least during the nearly half a year of getting along, Li Zishi's sloppy and broken appearance was only seen by himself.It was only at this time that Chang Sheng really felt that he was just a boy younger than himself.Very smoothly, he spoke in an elder tone: "Both Zizhou and Zigui have already gone to the dining room to wait for you. You should not be too disrespectful as a big brother."

The morning class of the disciples of the Hua family was unshakeable.Mainly to practice some basic skills, and the moves of Wuxingquan are not a secret, so outsiders are not taboo to see it.Changsheng gets up on time every day, and Zizhou Zigui, who lives in the inner courtyard, also attends the morning class with Hua Ziluo, the son of Hua Daxia, and they practice in full swing.

"I'm going to fetch water, if I come back and you haven't cleaned up, hum!" Turn around and prepare to go out.Huafu's family style is simple, so the old man and his wife are surrounded by servants.

Zi Shi sat up, rubbed his eyes, and muttered and complained: "Gu Shaoxia, although we met by chance, we share weal and woe along the way, why are you so unfeeling..."

Changsheng was stunned: "What are you talking about?" He walked back and handed him the clothes on the low stool, "Your brother and sister are much more energetic than you, so I don't think it's embarrassing..."

"I'm congenitally deficient, I'm out of balance..." The person on the bed was slowly getting dressed while talking lazily.

"The same father and mother gave birth, they are still several years younger, as for?"

"My mother's health is not very good - I'm not afraid of you knowing, the same father is true, but not the same mother."

Changsheng was really stunned this time.The three of them turned out to be half brothers and sisters.

Zi Shi smiled: "My old-fashioned and decent father used to be a romantic man and raised an outhouse. It was probably a bit embarrassing because of his identity, and he couldn't recognize his ancestors. Later, the woman died of illness, and the two children returned home. This house was raised by my mother alone."

"Your mother... isn't angry?"

"She is a virtuous wife and mother, and she has to swallow her tears behind her back. She even said to her face why she didn't take that girl home earlier to take care of her." Sighing, "Besides, these two are really pitiful. They just know how to talk. The mother is gone. After all these years, she is no different from a compatriot with one mother."

The second child's life experience that Zi Shi told Chang Sheng was a version that everyone in Tongcheng knew, and it was a sensation at the time.Fortunately, literati in the south of the Yangtze River are romantic by nature, and this kind of thing is just a joke among the people.Li Yancheng was afraid that his wife would lose her temper, so he hid the truth for half a year before telling the truth, and he was really terrified of letting his wife down.

"So, the two of them are actually... concubines?"

"That's the way it is said."

Changsheng thought of the etiquette of ethics that he had read in the book—very peculiar ideas and practices, such as Li Zishi's mother, or his own mother.However, it is really rare for the children of the concubine and the concubine to get along like this.

"Actually... I'm also considered a concubine." Chang Sheng said indifferently, "Unfortunately, I didn't meet an aunt who treats me as my own, nor an elder brother who treats me as a fellow."

Um?Zi Shi was a little surprised.He got out of bed and patted him: "What does it matter if you are a concubine or not? A man doesn't care about his background, a good man has his ambition everywhere. Besides, these days, living is God's care - God doesn't care if you are a concubine or a concubine."

Hearing what he said, Chang Sheng thought of something serious: "Should we leave? Today is September [-]th."

"September 20th... There are still [-] days of Lidong, and it's time to go. It's better to hit the sun than to choose a date. Let's say goodbye to Hua Daxia today."

"That's good. You wait a moment, I'll bring hot water."

Zi Shi sat on the edge of the bed and watched him go out.

Gu Changsheng... is really a good boy.Before I knew it, I got used to his meticulous care.He doesn't like to talk casually with outsiders, and Zi Shi mostly appears on social occasions.When introducing someone, I always say: "This is the cousin of the Gu family." Many times, it's like a family.

"It's a concubine..." Zi Shi pondered in his heart: since the Taizu deleted the words of the saints, the imperial court destroyed the entire "Zheng Ya" on a large scale, and very few people dared to keep it privately.In the past two hundred years, due to the fact that the scientific research is based on the clean version, and people are snobbish, even those who had the complete version did not pay much attention to it, and it was almost lost.The most likely place to collect this book is the "Jixian Pavilion" in the palace.According to my father, there are still about ten volumes of the complete "Zheng Ya" in the pavilion. Originally, only the disciples of the royal family could borrow it. Later, the ban was loosened, and even princes and ministers can read it...

What kind of lady is there to have this book in her dowry?What kind of businessman can marry a woman of such status as a concubine?The origin of this Gu Changsheng is not simple.

Zi Shi lost his mind.He didn't know that the conclusion of this speculation was close to the truth, but the direction was really wrong.

After breakfast, Zi Shi and Hua sometimes mentioned that they wanted to leave.

Hua Daxia immediately showed a look of reluctance: "Don't you want to stay longer? Thanks to Zizhou and Zigui as role models, Luo'er is finally willing to study."

"We came here to visit relatives. Seeing that winter is coming, we really should go." Except for the work of Zi Shi and others, there will be no replacement for the portraits for a while, and other things, after a few days of training, others will can do.

"You have worked hard these days. When are you going to leave?"

"tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? So urgent..." Hua sometimes pondered for a moment, then solemnly said, "Changsheng, Zishi, may I ask you to leave in two days."

"Hua Xia...?"

Hua hesitated sometimes, as if she was considering her words: "Recently, it will be a day or two. There may be some changes in Chuzhou. I think...you should wait for two days, and then we will talk about it when the situation is clear."

What does it mean?

"Can Daxia Hua please explain more clearly?"

"This... There are some things that I can't talk about right now. To be honest, I don't know the more specific situation. But, if you go on the road tomorrow, maybe... Just in time. Listen to me, wait for two days .”

Zi Shi and Chang Sheng looked at each other, wondering and uncertain.In the end, he followed Hua's suggestion and stayed temporarily.

After September [-], there was a sudden increase in refugees.Coming in like a tide, and leaving like a torrent, they fled south in panic.Numerous men, women and children staggered and swarmed in, calling for their children and daughters, crying for their fathers and mothers, crowding and rubbing against each other, fighting, and the temporary camp in Huajia Cemetery almost lost control several times.There are more and more local people in Chuzhou in the team, and it is not limited to residents along the river like it was at the beginning.

It turns out that the three states in the southeast have basically been settled, and the Xirong army finally launched an attack on the southern part of Chuzhou.The troops were divided into two groups, one group went upstream by boat, landed on the south bank of the Lianjiang River, and went straight to the hinterland of Chuzhou.The other branch, led by the eldest prince Fu Ding, came from the east, had captured Linxiang, and was heading west.

On September 22, Changning, Huancheng, and Louxi, three important towns in southern Chu, suddenly opened their doors on the same day to accept refugees again.Due to the tight wind, the refugees hardly stopped and passed through the city mightily.The residents in the city saw this momentum and heard that the black savages were coming soon, so they packed up their belongings and joined the team fleeing south.

On the same day, two banners were erected on the head of Louxi city.One side is embroidered with clouds and water and two silver dragons on a lake blue background. Everyone in Chuzhou recognizes it as the banner of the Baisha Gang.On the other side, there is no pattern, but a large gold letter on a black background: "Feng".

From this day onwards, the disciples of the Baisha Gang, together with some of the original guard Tang He, set up offices in various places in the city, recruited soldiers on the spot, and recruited refugees into the army.

On September 23, the number of refugees passing through Yonghuai County dropped sharply due to the opening of Louxi City Gate.Most of the people in Chuzhou have just started their escape career, they have a fairly complete set of clothes, and they have a lot of dry food and money around them, so they don't need porridge sheds to help them.However, many people made a detour to the Hua Family Cemetery because of the map of fleeing south.The dozens of pictures that the women's relatives rushed out overnight were sold out in the morning. Under the big cypress tree, there were three layers of people listening to Zi Shi explaining the escape route.

In fact, as early as early September, when the map was first drawn, Zi Shi had already suggested that Hua sometimes send replicas to various refugee relief sites through the Baisha gang's network in order to provide the same service.Among the people who had no choice but to participate in the relief, there were not many who were proficient in literary and ink, and even fewer were proficient in literary and ink and knew geography.As a result, there is almost no place that can persist and form a climate like the Huajia Cemetery.

The work was over at dusk, and the refugees who could leave all left, and those who couldn't, made do with the night in the cemetery.Most of them brought their own bedding, and a few poor, sick, old and weak borrowed items provided by Huajia to keep out the cold.

Zizhou looked at the sky: "Fortunately, it hasn't rained much, otherwise it would be terrible."

Zigui said: "The weather is getting colder and colder, and it's sad if it doesn't rain." His voice was full of worry.The four brothers and sisters were all wearing jackets that Mrs. Hua found out.

Zi Shi walked in front, he was shocked when he heard the words, and stopped.

"What's wrong?" Chang Sheng also stopped.

"Do you remember how many days it hasn't rained?"

Changsheng is away all year round, and has always been very sensitive to the weather. These days, he is busy with other things and neglects it.Hearing his question, he immediately became alert, thought carefully, and said, "There have been two sporadic light rains in the middle, and if you say heavy rain, I haven't seen it for almost a month and a half."

Zi Shi's heart suddenly sank.

"Is it serious?" In Gu Changsheng's experience, it doesn't matter if there is no heavy rain for a month and a half in autumn.

The two younger ones also came together: "Brother, is it serious?"

"Hmm. The little raindrop in the middle is useless to the rice. Autumn drought...autumn drought and spring hunger." The mood immediately became confused and heavy.

If there is no rain for two months, the output of late rice will be reduced by at least [-]%.In some places, there may even be no harvest.

The land in the south of the Yangtze River is rich, and the food is abundant. The public and private warehouses are not empty all year round. The occasional flood, drought and famine can usually be dealt with.The problem is that, except for the current season's rations, almost all the rest of ordinary farmers are used as tribute, and there is no surplus food in their hands.In the event of disasters and famines, we can only count on the government to open warehouses to release grain.

Early rice was harvested in July, and although most of the government government existed in name only, the landlords and officials did not forget to collect rent and pay taxes.As for the release of grain for disaster relief in winter and spring, I'm afraid we can't count on it.What's more, after Xi Rong enters the country, they will surely rob the granary. By then... I don't know what kind of chaos will be.

With a wry smile: "Natural disasters and man-made disasters, the people are in dire straits. I guess it won't be long before we can see even more severe scenes."

"We'll leave early tomorrow morning." Chang Sheng said decisively.

Zi Shi nodded: "That's the only way to go."

"We'll tell Uncle Hua about the fact that it's not raining." Before Zi Zhou finished speaking, he had already pulled Zi Gui and ran away.

These two silly kids.Zi Shi shook his head.They are local snakes, with deep roots and luxuriant leaves, and there are plenty of ways, so it's your turn to worry about it.

Chang Sheng looked around and said, "Are you really sure about the place you mentioned last time?"

"Unless a few ancients conspired to deceive people—do you know that I spent more than half a year researching to find out the exact location of this place? If it weren't for my son's knowledge and memorization, he is good at identifying..." Suddenly remembered At the beginning, Li Fang did not hesitate to sell his appearance in order to borrow an isolated volume of evidence, and he really took advantage of the richest man in Tongcheng, the second young master of Ding's family.

Changsheng looked up to the sky and rolled his eyes.Seeing that his boring research fetish finally came in handy, I will not comment.

The two walked side by side.

After a while, Changsheng asked again: "According to you, you can only enter after the winter solstice, and you must come out before the grain rain. Isn't it just in time for the green and yellow to catch up?"

"Yeah..." Zi Shi sighed slightly, "Who will pay for the osmanthus and rice beads?"Poor Li has no plan for years of famine.Poor fifteen and daughter-in-law, who are not worth half a bucket of food. "The poems of the predecessors, this time I am afraid that they will become the real scene in front of me."

Changsheng listened to his sad voice, and the strange feeling he had more than once came to his mind again: If Zizhou and Zigui recited these lines of poetry, they would surely be filled with grief and indignation.But being read by Li Zi always makes people feel that there is an inexplicable alienation in his infinitely compassionate tone, as if sympathizing but also as if ruthless, as if mourning and as if mocking... The more this is the case, the more sad it is for the listeners, My heart was blocked as hell.

So he interrupted him: "If it is really like what you said, Zizhou and Zigui don't know how they will cry."

"I should see it, but I can't hide it, and I can't hide it. At that time, I might be starving to death, so I don't have the mood to cry for others."

"If I knew it earlier, I might as well go directly to the south."

Zi Shi snorted, "Gu Changsheng, you forgot, we have carefully discussed this road. If you go south, you can see the future, but you can't see the end. You can't really settle down until the battle is over. , who knew that he would be in exile until the year of the monkey? What if there was another separatist struggle for supremacy..."

"Okay, what are you in a hurry for? My voice is so hoarse, I still have the strength to shout..." Chang Sheng said in his mouth, but he thought in his heart: This person is really good at doing things, and he refuses to take a path that he will die with enthusiasm. Full of talking to others all day long.Do you think he is hypocritical and cunning or kind-hearted... Thinking about it, I turned my head to look at him.

Zi Shi realized that his emotions were a little out of control, so he simply didn't leave.Turning to Chang Sheng, he said softly in a slightly hoarse voice: "Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. As long as you can enter Shuzhou, you don't have to worry about it. When we discussed it at the beginning, we made an appointment, so take a gamble. You forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten...I'm just worried..."——Famine, but a new big variable.

"There's nothing to worry about. It's just doing your best and following God's will." Although Zi Shi's voice was soft, his tone was extremely firm.

After a pause, he said slowly: "The reason why I recommend the straight southward road to the refugees is because - taking this road, the possibility of freezing to death in winter and starving to death is much less. As for the future life, Doesn’t it depend on everyone’s luck? Do we have to tell them the truth that long-term pain is worse than short-term pain? Many people have retreated from the road to Shu. Besides, there is a natural moat in the middle of Lianjiang. We have to bet on ourselves , you can’t ask others to bet with you..."

As he talked, his eyes became farther and farther away, and his voice became lower and lower: "Now I want to change my mind and go south, but it's really too late. Who knows when the Xibing soldiers will catch up? I heard that because of the large number of refugees recently Carrying gold and silver belongings, the bandits along the way are also very active... Anyway, let's talk about it after escaping this winter. Speaking of it, I’m afraid that the two of them will not be able to help leaking it out when they know where they spend the winter—it’s easy to help others, but it’s hard to sacrifice yourself for others. They can only do whatever they want afterward..."

Changsheng quietly listened to his confession, feeling that the person in front of him was extremely thin and extremely lonely.

Suddenly, through his calm eyes, he saw the boundless sea of ​​suffering.My heart seemed to be submerged all of a sudden, and I was suffocated for a moment.Over the years, hundreds of battles have been fought, big and small, countless Xia people have been killed, and bloody and cruel scenes have been experienced one after another... There has never been a time when the soul is so weak as it is now.

I really want to...but, what do I want?

By the time the two of them resumed their steps, the others had long since disappeared.There was still some time before dinner, so I just walked back slowly.The setting sun made the shadow thin and long, until it reached the rolling rice waves in the field beside the road.When the wind blows, He Miao bows and nods, and the shadows seem to dance in response to the festival.

Zi Shi knelt down and greeted Chang Sheng: "Look."

——The leaf tips of the seedlings have begun to turn yellow, and the aquifer that was more than an inch deep in the field has disappeared.

Standing up, as far as the eye can see, there is faint smoke from a house, and even the piccolo of a shepherd boy returning late.

Can't help but blurt out: "The cypresses on the Qingling Mausoleum, the seedlings in the gloomy soil. Living in the world, the world is suffering..."

Just after reading a few sentences, he laughed at himself: Didn't I know today?No matter how bad it is, it's death, no big deal.As for living and suffering, what is there to be afraid of?It's more fun to be alone than to be happy together. It's even more lively when everyone suffers together.

"Let's go, it's time for us to have dinner." Chang Sheng urged.

Sure enough, Hua Youxin was seen standing outside the gate from a distance.Seeing the two of them, he walked up to them in a few steps: "Young masters, you are still strolling in the courtyard. A few guests have arrived and are waiting to see you in the main room. Come in quickly."

What's the situation?

"Second Hero, we have no relatives or reasons, who wants to see us?"

"Hey, Zi Shi, that map of yours has attracted a big shot!"

Step down.Anyway, I knew it in a while, and I still walked in without rushing.While still outside the door, I heard the lively conversation inside.

"How can such an important thing be sold to refugees casually? If it falls into the hands of the black barbarians, all the land and land will be lost, so how can we do it?" A high-spirited and excited voice said.

"But..." Hua Shi was the one who answered.

"Hero Hua," the man interrupted him, "now that life and death are at stake, with this map, people's hearts will be scattered. The people are only busy running for their lives, but not many people are willing to join the rebel army, staying to fight to the death with the black barbarians. When did my disciples from Chuzhou become soft bones?..."

Zi Shi and Chang Sheng stepped in side by side, and saw three guests sitting on the right.Hua sometimes accompanied her on the left side, and Zizhou and Zigui also stood aside.

The man who is talking is at the top, about 35 or [-] years old, imposing and angry.Seeing the two of them coming in, he immediately stopped talking and changed his calm face.In the middle is a young woman with clear and beautiful eyebrows, dressed in strong clothes, and looks heroic.The last one was dressed in a blue shirt with a long sword on his waist, his expression was calm, but his appearance did not reveal his age.

The two first greeted Hua sometimes.Hua Daxia stood up: "Changsheng, Zishi, let me introduce you. This is General Feng Zuoyan Feng, the inspector of the Lifang Division of the Ministry of War. This is the leader of the Baisha Gang, Xu Lingruoxu." It turned out that the famous leader of the Baisha Gang in Chuzhou actually It's a woman.It was the turn of the last guest in green shirt, but he had no identity, he just said: "This is the hero Qu Buyan Qu."