All your life is gentle

The four of them headed east first, then turned south, and circled Yonghuai County in a moderate circle. Finally, they crossed the bridge on the stone slab and walked westward along the south bank of Xishui.

These days, Louxi reopened the city gate, and the refugees did not have to detour, so the journey was quite quiet.It is the end of autumn and winter, the blue sky is high and the mountains are clear.Along the way, the flowers and leaves are all gone, and the truth is revealed.In this season, the gentle and charming scenery of the south of the Yangtze River has revealed an upright and proud character, which makes people's hearts tremble.

There are many good fields and villages on both sides of Xishui.The paddy fields near the river had a favorable location, and it was supposed to be the time when the ears were coming out and fruiting, but because no one took care of them, they fell to the ground one after another.Two hundred miles to the south, there is a large hill. After passing this hill, it is close to the boundary of Baiyue.However, the mountains are undulating and continuous. Although they are not very steep, they are numerous and dense. In addition, the soil is red and red, which is not suitable for growing food, and the population is gradually becoming scarce.Further south, the climate is humid, there are poisonous insects and miasma from time to time, and almost no one comes and goes.

After winding for hundreds of miles from east to west, Xishui went south into the mountain stream and disappeared.It is said that the deep forest is its source, but no one has ever been there.

The refugees who had made a detour before had to cross the river after walking along the south bank for a while, go west along the north bank, pass Heling, turn off the north-south official road, and go south via Hong'an County before entering Baiyue.Of course, this mainly refers to those who have maps or have been trained in the Huajia Cemetery refugee camp.Most of the others didn't know the way, and plunged into the mountains. Only God knows whether they can get out.But even in Hong'an County, the official road was only five hundred miles to the south, and the next step was to climb mountains and mountains.Fortunately, it is closer to Baiyue, and the mountains are already infested with local aborigines, so the danger is much lower than the no-man's land in the middle.

The four walked forward for two days, but there was no bridge on the river.Although there has been no rain for many days, the water level has dropped, but the river has not narrowed much, so we can only look for a ferry.Several villages along the way have long been empty and deserted.Zi Shi said: "Don't be afraid. If we can't find a boat, let's cut bamboo to make a raft. Otherwise... it's not impossible to swim there." He said bold words, thinking of the water temperature in this season, he couldn't help but take a nap first. trembling.

In the evening, another small village appeared ahead.Zigui suddenly exclaimed: "Brother, look!" Looking in the direction of her finger, a wisp of white smoke is rising in the village, which is clearly cooking smoke!The four were so excited that they quickened their pace and ran towards the place where the smoke was coming out.

As we approached, we first saw a narrow ancestral hall.There is an old plaque on the door: "Xiangxin will last forever".There are faded red paper pairs on both sides: "The first class is a loyal minister and filial son, and the second class is studying and farming." Smoke from the cooking smoke came from the thatched roof next to it.There is no wall in the yard, only bamboo fences are used to surround it. It should be that the guards of the ancestral hall live inside.

"Oh, loyalty and filial duty, the best good people." Zi Shi looked at the gate of the ancestral hall and snickered.Fully clothed and turbaned, suppressing his smile, he stepped forward according to the etiquette: "Those who pass by, I'm sorry to disturb you." An old man responded.

As a result, the four of them received warm and thoughtful hospitality from this old man surnamed Qi that night.After eating a hot dinner, I took a comfortable hot bath.When I went to sleep at night, the soft new straw on the bed exuded a fragrance, and the big and thick cloth quilt covered the upper body, and it was warm in a while.

Early the next morning, old man Qi called a few people to carry the boat hanging out behind the ancestral hall to the river.

"This boat of mine is reserved for people to cross the river. Thieves can't steal it. That's why I didn't dare to tie it to the shore. Every time I finish delivering people, I have to drag it back."

After crossing the river, the old man picked up the small bamboo basket at the stern and handed it to Zi Shi: "Babies, take it and eat on the road." It actually contained a bag of rice.

Several people wanted to give him money in the morning, but they have already been sternly rejected, how can they accept more things?Zi Shi repeatedly declined.But the old man turned around and handed the bamboo basket to Chang Sheng: "Young man, I think you are very straightforward. Unlike him who studies too much and is very circuitous."

Zi Shi couldn't laugh or cry, it was the first time in his life that he heard such a high evaluation.

Chang Sheng was really straightforward, he reached out to take it, and bowed to salute: "Thank you, Uncle Qi."

"Old man, are you really not going to go with us?" Zi Zhou asked again and again, pulling the old man's clothes.

Zigui expressed concern: "What should we do when the soldiers from the West come? You are alone, what if you are sick?"

The old man laughed: "The old man is seventy and three years old, and his body has always been strong. When he is busy, he will plant two acres of paddy fields, and when he is free, he will catch a little fish and shrimp. One person is full, and the whole family is not hungry. After half a lifetime, it is not a loss. Besides This poor country, what if the soldiers from the West come? Everyone has run away, there is no gold, silver or treasure, and there are no beauties and strong men, and the old man is down to earth."

The four of them bid farewell to the old man.This old man Qi couldn't help being respectful.

Walking on the road, Zigui suddenly said: "Brother, we might as well stay here and farm and fish together with the old man, there is nothing wrong with that."

"I'm afraid it won't work." Zi Shi said solemnly, "We have beautiful women and strong men here, and we still have money in our pockets, which will cause trouble for old man Qi."

"Ah, brother, you're making fun of him..." Zi Gui stomped his feet.Zizhou laughed.Changsheng also grinned when he saw the girl acting like a baby with her elder brother.Laughed a few times, then recalled: the beauty is in front of my eyes, but where is the young man... This damned Li Zishi.

Zi Shi looked at his sister, but felt worried.Zigui will soon be 13 years old... his appearance is getting more and more youthful, but what should he do?Now that she is wandering, she only asks God to bless her and tell her to grow up slowly.

In the middle of the night, Zi Shi woke up startled.When I opened my eyes, a few stars leaked from the cracks on the roof of the hut.

All of a sudden, I became interested, so I stopped sleeping and got up to watch the stars.Looking around, the younger siblings are fast asleep, but Gu Changsheng's bunk is empty.Ever since Qu Buyan said that his master was a great master, Zizhou and Zigui's enthusiasm was unprecedentedly high, and they practiced from dusk to late night every day.As for Gu Changsheng himself, he often hides and works hard in the middle of the night, coming and going without a trace.Zi Shi didn't care about seeing anyone now.

Walking out of the hut, there is a large barren melon field.This shed was originally used by melon watchers to spend the night.Standing in the middle of the ridge, looking up, the blue sea is sinking, the sky is full of stars, flickering and flickering, as if trying to suck the soul into it.I don't know how long I raised my head to look at it, but suddenly felt my body sink.Looking away, the brilliant sea of ​​stars was still rippling in front of his eyes. After finally calming down, he found that there was an extra piece of clothing.Grab it, and then look at the stars.

Changsheng put his coat on him, and went to the side to do other things.He muttered to himself: What's there to see here? You have to see the stars at night in Meili Oasis... until the work in hand was finished, when I looked up, I saw him still standing there precariously in a trance, and suddenly became inexplicably nervous.These days, I have been pressing my mind, but seeing him like this, I suddenly panicked.Staring at him blankly, a voice in his heart said: I have to go... Li Zishi, do you know that I have to go...

The night he came out of Huafu, Changsheng suddenly realized that he had to leave the place of right and wrong as soon as possible.After all, I don't belong here, who knows what more embarrassing situation will be encountered?Since he did not die in Tongcheng back then, Fu Sheng, the second prince of Xirong, would have to go back and face everything he had to bear sooner or later.Doesn't Li Zishi like to say "short-term pain is worse than long-term pain"?Really can't put it off any longer.

But... the feeling of emptiness in my heart doesn't seem to be for the coming return, but... because of the parting I am facing right now.Sure enough, long-term pain is not as good as short-term pain.After a delay of half a year, old problems have not been resolved, and new problems have emerged.Changsheng felt that he had never felt so sad in the first half of his life.But I still don't quite understand what it is that makes me so embarrassed.

The sky is getting brighter and the stars are dimming.Zi Shi finally turned his head and was stunned: What happened to Gu Changsheng?Such a deep expression.Looking down at the clothes on his body, and then looking at the bottomless eyes of the person opposite, a coolness slowly emerged from the bottom of his heart.

"Could it be... Could it be... No... I hope it's not..."

This matter must be confirmed clearly.Gritting his teeth, he walked over to him.

"do not come!"

"why?"

Changsheng smiled: "I grabbed some good things and gave Zizhou and Zigui extra meals. Hehe, you better not come over and see."

Zi Shi felt relieved for a while.Great, everything works fine.

"Caught what?"

"you guess."

"It's nothing more than toads, rats and worms. It's hard to guess."

"Mr. Li said it so easily. I don't want you to catch it. Thank God if you are willing to take a bite."

Zi Shi didn't blush, he thought about it seriously, and solemnly promised: "I will try my best."

Changsheng laughed.People in Xia said that it is difficult to raise a person who loves meat, but it is even more difficult to raise a person who refuses to eat meat at the stall.Thinking: I have to bring Zizhou with me next time, and I will teach him well in the next few days, otherwise the three of them will starve to death at some point...

Chop up a few voles that have been packed and throw them into the pot, and carry them to fetch water.There is a canal next to the melon field, but it has bottomed out since it hasn't rained for a long time.Half a mile away, the junction of the two canals was relatively deep, and it was not completely dry, leaving a small puddle, which was barely usable.

Zi Shi went into the hut, took a pottery bowl left by a melon watcher, and followed.The water is too shallow, so I can only use a bowl to scoop up the clean part of the surface and pour it into the pot.When it was full, Chang Sheng handed him the pot, and took out a few smoky sweet potatoes from his pocket.

"This is for you to snatch food from the mouse's mouth." Changsheng said while washing.

"You don't sleep in the middle of the night just to dig a hole in the ground to catch mice? Think you are a wild cat? This is too professional."

"You really should starve to death, you don't know what to do..."

The two of them were talking nonsense while working, lit the dried melon vines and started cooking soup.Zi Shi grabbed another handful of rice and sprinkled it into the soup, and threw the sweet potatoes into the fire to roast.After a while, the aroma of meaty rice burst out, and the tempting smell of roasted sweet potatoes wafted around, and the two sleeping in the hut were finally hooked out.

The four of them drank porridge, ate meat and gnawed sweet potatoes around the fire, feeling refreshed and happy.

The sweet potato was too hot, so Zi Shi threw his hands upside down while blowing.The three people over there filled the meat porridge and drank it sizzlingly, enjoying themselves.

Chang Sheng tapped the edge of the pot with a branch, and said, "It has followed us since we came down from Jicui Mountain. It has really worked hard."

Zigui filled another bowl of porridge and handed it to Changsheng, but turned his face to Zishi: "Brother, in the past Wang Yunzhe wrote "Tuan Fan Fu", and Chen Huaisong wrote "Clog Fu" to commemorate Wu's kindness. How about us Let's write an "Iron Pot Fu"."

"Iron Pot Fu"?Zi Shi Dale, the sweet potato almost fell to the ground.

Just as Chang Sheng swallowed a mouthful of porridge, he choked and coughed again and again: "Cough! Zigui, say hello before telling a joke...cough..."

Zi Shi suppressed his laughter and said to his sister, "It's too troublesome to compose a fu. How about the four of us combine a sentence and write the first inscription for it, which will not be in vain for your kindness."

Zizhou had just eaten a roasted sweet potato, opened his mouth and said, "Yes, the first sentence is "Melting copper to cast a tripod, turning iron into a pot. ""

Changsheng sat on his left.Seeing that it was his turn, he straightened his face and chanted slowly: "If you have ears, you call it a cauldron, but if you don't have feet, you call it a wok."

His voice here fell silent, and Zi Shi was already lying on the ground laughing.While beating his legs, he pointed at him: "Gu Changsheng... haha... ouch..." It took a long time to let out a breath, and finally he was able to speak: "It's my turn? Well, my sentence is: "It's better to shovel than spoon , can be fried or baked. ""

"Hahaha..." This time the two little ones plus Changsheng, no one could hold back their laughter.

Zigui finally said angrily: "Brother, you really..." stomped his feet, "Listen, my conclusion is: "Don't be afraid of water and fire, why bother to make mistakes! ""

After hearing this sentence, the other three stopped laughing.Zi Shi nodded: "Zi Zhou started with grace and generosity, and Zi Gui received sonorously and forcefully. It's remarkable."

The girl put on an expression of hating iron but not steel: "Brother, brother Changsheng, you two are too outrageous."

"It's up to him. He said it first and set the tone, so I had no choice but to follow up." Mumbling the phrase "If you have ears, it's a cauldron, but if you don't have feet, it's a wok." bowl.Seeing his strange smile, Changsheng glared.

Zi Shi thought to himself: "There is a word called "Mensao", you must not know it, but it's a pity that you can't say it, you can't say it..." In a good mood, he unconsciously drank the whole bowl of rat meat porridge.

After passing Heling, approaching the north-south official road, the number of refugees on the road increased a lot.The four of them merged into the surging crowd of fleeing people, and followed them to Maye Town ahead.

Before Zi Shi and others arrived, the news spread among the crowd was that the black barbarians were not used to the southern winter because of the colder weather, and the officers and soldiers had just finished fighting the three southeastern states.Many refugees then slowed down. Some felt that the future was too difficult, so they simply stopped and tried to find a way to make a living on the spot.

Unexpectedly, within two days, the people behind ran forward frantically, and the bad news spread like a plague: a general of the black barbarian was assassinated by the rebels, and under the rage, he no longer had any worries, and slaughtered and looted wantonly.The leading vanguard, and the group of people who slaughtered the city in Tongcheng, have already approached Louxi, and they came very fast...

Zi Shi sat on the side of the road, listening to the discussions of the people next to him.Some people complained that the rebel army was doing too much, and some people stood up and said something fair. When you come and go, the tone becomes higher, and finally a quarrel breaks out.

Sighing, he greeted the other three and set off on the road.

"Hmph, I think, if you want to assassinate, you should assassinate the king of Xirong. What's the use of killing the generals below, just change it." Zi Zhou said.

Chang Sheng was wondering who might be the one leading the vanguard, but when he heard Zi Zhou's words, his heart beat wildly.

"Zi Zhou, if King Xirong is really killed now, what do you think the situation might be like?"

The boy was speaking indignantly, but when asked by the elder brother, he began to think deeply.

Zi Shi didn't wait for him to speak, and said: "If you die, you can change a general, and you can also change a dead king. There are many good fighters in Xirong. I heard that the king of Xirong has more than one son, and they are all in the army... unless you can Kill it cleanly, or—”

"Otherwise, it will intensify the situation like it is now. The rebel army has just started, and angering the opponent is tantamount to ruining the opportunity to accumulate strength." Zizhou took the elder brother's words.

"Well said." Zi Shi nodded.Shaking his head again, "Generally speaking, General Feng is not such a reckless person. Could it be... there are some heroes in the world who don't listen to orders and act without permission?"But hearsay may not be true.

"What you said is only a possibility. Countless soldiers of Xirong are now rampant in the middle land. If the king of Xirong dies suddenly and the successor is unable to restrain them, these troops will immediately become wild horses. By then, the entire Great Xia Kingdom, I really don't know what kind of disaster it will be. After the "Change of King Youyanqin" in the previous dynasty, the world has been in chaos for nearly a hundred years..."

Thinking of the rest of his life, he might have to spend the rest of his life in the chaos of war, and remembering the 20 years of homelessness recorded in Wu Zongqiao's "Journey to the South of the Nine Deaths", Zi Shi suddenly felt that it was too difficult to survive.He couldn't help muttering: "Who cares who will be the emperor... just end this troubled world..."

The four of them walked silently, passing Maye Town without stopping.After leaving the town, unlike other refugees who went straight to the south, they turned west.

At dusk, resting in a cave formed by a concave rock wall at the foot of the mountain, Zi Shi explained the location of the destination to the other three in detail.

"We are now in the "Xianshuling". The highest mountain is "Yupan Peak". There is a large stone basin on the peak. It is said that it inherits the fairy dew from Yaotai and is the place where Baihua Fairy washes up, so it gets this name. "

As soon as Zi Shi opened his mouth, it was a storytelling routine.This made Zi Gui's heart itch: "Brother, the Hundred Flowers Fairy you are talking about is the one who refused to let a Hundred Flowers Bloom for the Queen Mother's violation of the season?"

"Don't interrupt." Zi Zhou stopped his sister's romance regardless of the occasion.

"We're not going to tell the story of Baihua Fairy today, but another story." Zi Shi smiled slightly, and continued leisurely, "Wu Zongqiao mentioned in "Nine Deaths of a Journey to the South" that he once fled into the He arrived at Xianshu Ridge. Those people chased after him, and followed closely. In a panic, he got into a cave, and found that the inside was rugged and deep, and there was no world. Unexpectedly, the chasing soldiers also followed the cave, and set fire to the cave. The torches were getting closer and closer. Wu Zongqiao was anxious and helpless, seeing that the water was quite deep on one side of the cave, so he dived into the water, hoping to get away with it." Between the ups and downs of his tone, the plot has gradually become tense.

"And then?" The two children asked in unison.

"After entering the water, he noticed that there seemed to be a faint light coming from the bottom of the water in front of him. When he dived there, there was a gap of about two feet between the stone wall and the bottom of the water, which was just enough for one person to enter and exit. Curious, he immediately went through. When he surfaced When the water climbed up to the shore, I was stunned. It turned out that this was a natural deep well. The cliffs stood upright on all sides, forming a circle. The sunlight on the top slanted on the smooth mountain wall, and was reflected back into the water. The most amazing Yes, one side of the pool is icy cold and clear, but the other side is bubbling hot springs. The two streams of hot and cold water are clearly separated and never confused. It is amazing. It was early winter, and the hillside above the hot spring was green like Yin, dotted with wild flowers, full of spring..."

"Huh?" It was just a description, which already fascinated several listeners.

"Brother, are we going to spend the winter in this place?" The girl's eyes were full of stars.

"However, this mountain looks very deep. Where can I find the cave that Wu Zongqiao mentioned?" The boy questioned reality.

"Actually—in Wu Zongqiao's book, it didn't say that this cave is in Xianshu Ridge. I guessed it."

"Ah?!" Zi Zhou and Zi Gui were startled.Changsheng had heard Zishi talk about some research process, and he already had an idea in his mind.Seeing him startling the two children now, he sat beside him smiling quietly.

"At that time, after reading Wu Zongqiao's description of the surrounding area, I remembered the records in "Yue Chu Fengwu Yao Lan", and thought it was like Xianshuling. But "Yao Lan" is too brief, so I can't be sure. So... I checked again Checking "Famous Mountains and Shengshui Lu", I found that the scenery described by Wu is indeed the highest peak of Xianshuling "Yupanfeng".

"I remember!" Zigui clapped his hands, "Brother, you borrowed this book from Ding's house, and you are in a hurry to return it, so you asked Zizhou and I to copy it for you for two days..."

Zizhou also recalled this past event: "Brother, why were you so anxious at that time? Didn't Ding Ershao come to the house specially to say that there is no need to rush to pay back? He also sent several other books of landscape travel..."

"Cough..." Zi Shi cleared his throat, and changed the subject calmly, "Although it is confirmed that the cave that Wu Zongqiao said is under the Yupan Peak, it is an isolated evidence. "Dream", there is an anecdote in it..."

The attention of the audience was indeed attracted.

"Everyone says that Xianshuling Yupan Xianlu can cure all diseases. However, the peak is steep and slippery, and the stone basin stands on a stone pillar several feet high. No one has ever climbed it. During the Yanxi period, there was a hunter Wanting to get water to cure my mother, it took a lot of effort, and finally climbed up the stone basin, but accidentally slipped and fell into the cliff."

Knowing that the next article will surely save the day, the two children still took a breath of nervousness.

"The hunter thought he was going to die, but he found himself falling into the water. The most incredible thing is that the water is so hot that people can float on it, and they can't sink no matter what. Moreover, the water level is constantly rising, reaching halfway up the mountain. He saw a crack on the mountain wall above his head, so he filled his gourd with hot springs and climbed over the grass roots and vines. He crawled along the crack, and he didn't know how long it took to see the sun again. He went down the mountain to inquire about the path, and he was already a hundred miles away. The neighboring county outside. After returning home, I drank the hot spring water for my mother, and the disease was cured. Later, I went to the neighboring county to find the place where I came out, but I couldn’t find it..."

"Ah..." This story is even more legendary, making people dubious.

Zi Shi stopped to take a breath, and said: "Scholars have always regarded "A Dream in the Window" as a leisure reading after dinner, and the anecdotes and anecdotes in it are true or false, and most of them are regarded as nonsense. But this matter is Dai Xuelin I heard it from Xia Yonghe. Do you know that Xia Yonghe's grandfather's family is a local. He lived with his uncle in Maye Town 20 years before he became an official in Beijing. This person is famous The Fangzheng never speaks nonsense casually, and it is true in all likelihood. The Orion fell into the cliff just as it was raining in the valley, and the signs of flooding are exactly the same as Wu Zongqiao's description..."

As he said that, he picked up a dead branch, drew some pictures on the ground, and began to argue that Wu and Dai mentioned the same place, but because of the different times and seasons, there were some discrepancies in details.

Zigui suddenly asked, "Brother, did you know that we were going to hide here one day?"

"Eh?" Zi Shi smiled, "How is that possible? You're such a silly girl. At that time... At that time, cough, it was purely excess energy."