All your life is gentle

I don't know the years in the mountains.Zigui drew a picture of "Nine Nine Plum Blossoms for Dispelling the Cold" and pasted it in his room, and used light ink to decorate a plum branch with a petal every day to count the days.

One day in the twelfth lunar month, it finally rained.

Yusi pulled out a crystal curtain in front of the cave, and flowed into the lower ground along the shallow water channel dug by Changsheng.Zi Shi set up several small bamboo tubes on the sink.When the raindrops hit it, it was like a naughty child fiddled with the strings, and the "ding dong ding dong" sounded non-stop, with a natural interest and a rhythm of its own.

The four sat at the entrance of the cave and peeled bamboo shoots.

Zizhou looked outside, and there was a white mist filled with rain and mist, connected with the heat wafting above the hot spring, completely without the coldness and loneliness of a rainy winter day.Suddenly said: "I don't know how the situation outside the mountain is."

The sentence was more of an exclamation than a question.Therefore, no one answered, and they all continued to work with their heads down.

Another half hour passed.

Zigui sighed quietly: "It's the Chinese New Year."

This sentence is even more sad.

Zi Shi stood up suddenly: "Come on, let's play hide-and-seek!"

This stretch of hot spring caves is interlocking, and there are very few real dead ends.Turning over rocks, drilling crevices, and diving to the bottom, there is always a way to get from one hole to another, which is a good place for hide-and-seek.It's just that the depths are too dark, and several people have always only been active in the outer area.

After delineating the hiding area, Zi Shi took out a copper coin, flicked it into the air, slapped it into the palm of his hand to cover it, and asked everyone to guess the front and back.After two rounds, Changsheng lost.

"Let's say it first, you are not allowed to use martial arts." Zi Shi held out his little finger with a serious face.Last time, because I forgot to stipulate this prohibition, I lost miserably.He knew where he was, but couldn't catch him, and was bullied by the three masters and apprentices—in fact, the parents didn't even bother to participate in this kind of childish game, and basically watched the three brothers and sisters play from the sidelines.But Zi Shi was so embarrassing by his younger siblings, he must be blamed for this.

The two children and the elder brother solemnly pulled the hook.Changsheng has never done such a foolish thing since he was about ten years old.Being stared at by six eyes in front of me, I had no choice but to put my little finger on it, feeling extremely awkward.

Zi Shi raised his eyebrows: "Just have fun, don't be perfunctory."

This look of making a fuss out of a molehill, with mild anger and little anger, unconsciously brought out a little coquettish taste.Seeing the caring eyes on the opposite side, the hooked fingertips sparked with a "bass".

The four of them really played seriously, meticulously and carefully.The three brothers and sisters moved lightly and hid themselves secretly.Changsheng abides by the agreement, and abandons both internal and external strength.After searching for a while, I couldn't find it, and was about to change places to look, when a head popped up not far away, panting for breath.

"Hey, brother Changsheng, why haven't you moved the ground for a long time? You're suffocating me..." It turned out to be Zizhou.He hid under a rock that was half out of the water, thinking that the other party would move his position soon if he couldn't find anyone, so he naturally had the opportunity to breathe quietly.The result was not as expected, and he was dejected and resigned.

When it was Zizhou's turn, he dug Zigui out of the crack in the blink of an eye.There is really no suspense about the twins playing hide-and-seek.The two chattered a few words and reached an offensive and defensive alliance.Not long after, Zi Shi was betrayed by his younger brother to his younger sister.

The two little ones were flexible and worked together, but they didn't know where they were hiding.Zi Shi vaguely remembered seeing Chang Sheng go inside, took off his shoes, rolled up his trousers, held his breath, and touched it lightly.

After going through several caves, but no trace was found, just as he was thinking about going back, a hand stretched out obliquely, pulling him backwards, and an instinctive soft cry was firmly blocked back.Cursing this idiot who doesn't care about the occasion is harmful.Wanting to break free from the clutches of the devil, he had no choice but to hang himself in the air, unable to exert any strength at all.To tear it down and make noise would only be counterproductive, so I simply gave up resisting and let him go.

Changsheng's movements were extremely slow and light, and he was put down in the water without making a sound.This piece of boulders is quite high, and the water level is no more than a chi, barely above the overlapping waists of two people.The surroundings are hazy and dark, and the body becomes extremely sensitive instead.They have to cover up deliberately, and both feel excited and exciting.Enduring the suffering and dawdling, it is the most gentle touch that brings the strongest happiness, making people intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves.

In fact, these days, at night, soon after the two younger ones fell asleep, the two older ones got entangled.To be on the safe side, Changsheng will apply a little on their acupuncture points that promote sleep quality.

The young man is hot and full of vigor, isn't that a tossing about changing the way?Of these two people, one is persuasive and persuasive, teaching by precepts and deeds, the other is diligent in learning and asking questions, and draws inferences from one instance.True teaching and learning, and common progress.

When they embraced each other, there was almost a crackle and a splash of sparks.The tide of youth flows and rushes, converging into a surging ocean.It's just that no one has ever confessed or promised anything.Changsheng didn't dare to speak, and Zishi didn't want to ask.So on the surface, the posture of the two people is strikingly consistent: devote themselves to the moment with all their strength, and recklessly indulge in extravagance.

The twins were utterly forgotten in well-hidden corners.While waiting impatiently, but also a sense of accomplishment.At the same time, I regretted it secretly, and next time I must remember to add a rule: if I haven't been found for a long time, I will win.

Wait, wait, wait... wait, wait...

Finally, I heard the elder brother's voice: "Zi Zhou, Zi Gui, come quickly, good stuff!"

Suspicion is a tactic to lure the enemy in, the boy and the girl looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

After not seeing anyone for a long time, Zi Shi couldn't help but laugh.I had no choice but to say loudly: "I lost. Come out."

The two children cheered and high-fived each other.Xun Sheng ran over: "Brother, what is it? Where is it?"

"Ah! So beautiful!"

With the weak light, it can be seen that the elder brother is holding a large handful of colorful, round and shiny stones in his hand.

Zi Shi let go, and the stone fell into the water with a clatter: "This water is full of water."

Changsheng picked up one: "What's the fuss...it's just an ordinary pebble, a little more beautiful, what's the use?"

"Guess." Turning to look at his younger brother, "Zi Zhou, didn't you say that rainy days are boring in the morning?" Stretching out his feet to fiddle with the stones at the bottom of the water, "No, here comes the entertainment. Bring the pot and fish out more, it's easy to choose color."

"Ah! Yes, they can be used as chess pieces! That's great!" The boy jumped up and down to get his belongings.

Pick out two pots of pebbles of uniform size, one pot is black and the other pot is white.Counting, there are one hundred and seventy eighty grains each.

"It's almost there. Let's see if Zigui has finished the work."

Zigui's task is to draw a chessboard.Ink fell on the big stone table in Zizhou cave, criss-crossing nineteen roads.There is no ruler, but it is square.

"You two go play." Zi Shi dried the chess pieces and put them on the table for his younger siblings.Then he asked Chang Sheng who had been on the sidelines: "Can you do it?" Seeing him shaking his head, he said, "It will be enough after watching two rounds. Let Zizhou tell you about the complicated parts."

Changsheng was surprised: "Aren't you coming?"

"It's a waste of brains. Too tired." Stretched and went back to sleep.

Zi Zhou said: "Brother used to like to play chess very much. But at that time, the spring test was about to come, and my father said "playing with things and losing one's ambition" and forced him to quit. It made me have to go back with Zi. It's really boring..."

"That's not true." The girl retorted, "Dad doesn't say "playing things and losing one's mind" about the things that big brother likes? "Fairy Chance", invited a lot of famous national players to play chess. My eldest brother sneaked in and watched it for two days, but he came back seriously ill. From then on, I didn't play chess very much."

I couldn't help laughing: "Later, that so-called "chess master" chased him home to inquire about it. My aunt threw him out with a broom and said: It's okay for those who play chess, but those who watch chess will be hurt first." Our child is going to be the prime minister in the imperial examination, how can he fool around with you, a charlatan..."

"It's such a fun thing, how come I don't know?"

"You happened to go out with daddy as a guest. Mother is afraid that daddy will punish elder brother again if he finds out, so she won't tell you." He concluded, "So, elder brother didn't play chess because he watched too hard that time and hurt him."

Changsheng remembered that Zishi almost fainted when he watched himself shoot an arrow, and he agreed with Zigui's words very much.This person looks very weak. After a long time of contact, I know that he is far stronger than most people.However, if you learn more, you will find that his strength is probably all an illusion, leaving countless invisible internal injuries, which makes people worry, fearing that he may not be able to bear it at any time.

Suddenly sad beyond measure.

——Perhaps, he was born the most delicate golden thread fire lotus, and should only be kept in the Four Seasons Ruchun White Jade Immortal Palace.Perhaps, he was born as the clearest mirror of autumn water, which should only reflect the beauty of the world with the full moon and the full moon.How much mud, dust and gravel are grinding out such a soft exterior and firm but indomitable temperament now?How many hidden arrows and bright guns were used to force them out?When...is it the end?

The clearer this cognition is, the more afraid I feel.Changsheng clenched his fists and made up his mind: I can't say anything.At least for now, nothing can be said...

While playing chess, the two children explained to Changsheng with dignity.There are not many dead rules in Go, but the beauty is that there are countless lives and ever-changing.After two games, you can roughly understand it, and gradually become fascinated by it.

The twins played chess very much.You come and I go neatly, and we are too familiar with each other, so we are really evenly matched.Both of them felt that it was embarrassing to lose each other, so they took turns to give birth to Changsheng.The one who didn't end up standing behind Changsheng as a consultant.

At first, considering that the opponent was a complete novice, Zi Zhou gave up thirteen sons savagely.He also smiled and said: "Brother Changsheng, don't mind. It is said that a disciple does not have to be inferior to a teacher, and a teacher does not have to be better than a disciple...".

Changsheng knocked him on the head: "Don't be so hypocritical like your big brother." Zhihei went first.

He moved slowly, sometimes pausing to ask his advisors about the rules.However, every drop has a plan, and there is very little waste.Half a day passed, and it seemed to be going down.

Zi Zhou soon became overwhelmed, causing the number of Zi Zhou to drop sharply.He said sullenly, "Brother Changsheng, have you ever studied the art of war?"

The person who was thinking about the next step was shocked in his heart, and his expression remained unchanged: "Why do you ask this question?"

"When my elder brother taught me how to play chess, he said: The chessboard is like a battlefield, and the game is about killing and fighting. Most people who love to play chess like to read military books, and those who understand the art of war are often easy to master. I think..." It seems that I don't know how to express it. After thinking about it, he said, "You've learned so quickly, and you still don't know how to use many techniques, but it makes people feel... yes, murderous!" The boy nodded, "Murderous."

"You forgot, I am a master of martial arts. Learning this kind of fighting and killing games is naturally easy to get started."

"That's right. You fight each other, you fight each other. It's the same thing."

Chang Sheng's heart moved, and he asked, "Does your elder brother also like to read military books?" I remembered that a long time ago, I heard his two brothers discuss the topic of the Xirong bow, horse and Xia people's battle formation.Thinking back now, Li Zishi obviously meant to avoid the important and take the light.

"Brother, what book doesn't he like to read? Even the picture album of my sketches has to be snatched for two days." It was Zigui who answered.

"I watched a lot during the period when I often played chess, and I was the one who watched it afterwards, and I didn't see him move." Zi Zhou was a little depressed, "At that time, I read the chess manual and military book that my brother got back. , I can’t beat him no matter what. I just want to wait until I grow up to be as old as him, and I will definitely win...Fortunately, he doesn’t like to play chess anymore.

"Zi Zhou, it's rare that you are so self-aware." Zi Gui smiled.

Changsheng sincerely sympathized with Li Zizhou.As a boy, living under the shadow of a genius brother, the pressure can be imagined.

Continue to insinuate: "There are very few military books in the market, and he can get it?"

Soldiers are the major events of the country, the place of death and life, and the way of survival.The imperial courts of the Great Xia Kingdom have corresponding control policies on military books.The irony is that in times of peace and prosperity, there is no room for military tactics, no market, and almost no need to worry about it.In the turbulent period, the imperial court was unable to control it, and the ban was useless.What's more, when the enemy comes over, it usually has nothing to do with whether you have military books in your hand. In the end, it often turns into guarding a warehouse of military books and being robbed, burned and killed.

However, for Xirong who had other plans, this control made it very difficult for them to obtain books on military theory.Mo Siyu himself is considered a living library, but he is better at government affairs planning.Moreover, according to Lao Mo's point of view, Jinxia had already rotted from the inside, and the cowardly and loose Xia army faced the brave and fast Xirong cavalry, and the formation and formation were all nonsense.

As it turns out, he was completely right.However, Fu Yang is a visionary and capable leader who has been considering the reform of the military system, so he really hopes to get some military books for reference.At that time, Fu Yi pulled back a few carts of Xiawen classics, and the Hanlin scholar in charge of managing the "Jixian Pavilion" was too conscientious. He chose epic poems, proses, and almanacs, but he didn't have a book on war.

Changsheng once heard Mr. Mo mention the Xia people's art of war.Although there are only a few words and a glimpse of the leopard, I am deeply shocked by the unpredictable and treacherous scheming in it.Among the men of Xirong, he was already considered a rare man with a city mansion in his chest.Compared with those unimaginable power schemes mentioned by Mr. Mo, they are simply children.Because of this, he respected Lao Mo a little bit.

——At that time, he was quite confident in his own intelligence and ability, and he didn't think that one day he would use such an advanced conspiracy.

After listening to Chang Sheng's words, Zigui shook his head and sighed, heartbroken: "Speaking of which, in order to get books, big brother really..."

"It's a scam! It's okay to speak up." Zi Shi came out from inside, yawning as he spoke.His eyes were sleepy, his posture was lazy, and he slept contentedly.By the time we got to the cave, the rain had already stopped.Probe to look at the sky: "Hey! You really forget to sleep and eat, don't you need to eat when you play chess?"

It was already dusk.The three of them felt their stomachs rumbling.Work together, simmer bamboo shoots here, and cook soup there.

"Although the government has some regulations on military books, they are not banned after all, and they can always be obtained. Does hard work pay off?" Zi Shi answered the question before Changsheng, but the opening chapter went a long way: ""Jixian Pavilion General Catalog "There are [-] kinds of military books handed down from generation to generation, and there are no less than a hundred kinds that have been published by the people. Whenever wars are frequent and famous generals emerge in large numbers, the art of war naturally flourishes. The last time the military books became popular was just at the beginning of the founding of the Taizu... ..."

Changsheng stared intently, smiling inwardly.As long as he talks about these topics, the genius problem will occur, and he can't help but talk about the origin, talk about the source, analyze the source... It's cute that such a spirit penetrates a person, occasionally a little pedantic.

"It's just that in recent years, our Great Xia Kingdom has become extravagant from top to bottom. We have neglected military equipment, and military books are not valued very much, and they are often lost. Jiangnan Shilin loves to talk about literary talent and elegance. No one collects these, so it is difficult to find. If it’s not for playing chess, who would go to see it?”

Changsheng couldn't laugh anymore.

Li Zishi likes to use spring and autumn brushwork when speaking.He always casually brings out small words and great righteousness, often making the listeners tremble unpreparedly, but he himself is unaware that his face is innocent.

The twins also felt heavy.Zizhou chanted softly: ""A pair of jades was knocked into pieces by the clouds, and my dreams were crippled several times at the noon window.Slowly you should know that your heart is far away, and you should not forget your ears when you are in a hurry. "In Tongcheng, there are quite a lot of famous people who are good at playing chess. Patronizing "the heart is far away", "the ears are idle", the day when the soldiers from the west came to the city, but I didn't see any tricks from them."

"Zi Zhou, you're being too demanding again." Zi Shi enlightened his younger brother, "It's our Jin Xia who didn't play well in the whole chess game. Tong Cheng only ended up with one piece. Although he fought hard, the situation was over, and he was alone and helpless. It's a dead move."

"It turns out that all consequences have antecedents." Zigui looked at Zishi with a blank expression, "Brother, tell me, why... did you become like this?"

"Didn't you already say that?" Zi Shi was still in a chatty tone, "All consequences have antecedents. Today's events have a long history. It's just that some are far away, some are near; some are obvious, some are secretly; some are from above. Come, some of them start from the bottom... Finally, when they gather together, they become an unstoppable flood, enough to crack ten thousand stones and break thousands of miles of dikes."

"Brother, are you saying—" Zizhou was deeply hurt, but he didn't want to avoid it, "Even if there is no Xirong invasion, our Jinxia..."

Zi Shi nodded silently.

"But, big brother, I still don't understand. How did it...become like this?" Zigui was still not reconciled.

"You have to go deeper, but I really can't answer it." Zi Shi fiddled with the fire, thinking that he couldn't tell you "the relationship between historical inevitability and contingency and historical events", and finally sighed, " Or, you can only ask God."

Remembering that he still didn't answer Gu Changsheng's question, he turned his head and said, "I searched all over Tongcheng, and only a few military books were hidden in the garrison mansion. A servant next to General Lin fell in love with our sister Cuiqiao, and I will help him After delivering things twice, he stole the book and let me copy it for three months."

With a smile: "I haven't been found out for so long, so it can be seen that General Lin didn't read military books. Later, General Lin defended the city very well, so it can be seen that whether he read military books has nothing to do with fighting... So, a chess game is like a battlefield. After all, it is not a battlefield; the world is like a chess game, and it is not a chess game after all..."

I really shouldn't have asked... Changsheng was heartbroken and regretted it too late.

If you regret it, you regret it. If you have made up your mind, you must always work hard to implement it.

From this day on, the master and the apprentice had to kill a few games every afternoon.Zizhou also caught the habit of his elder brother being a good teacher, and enjoyed the feeling of guiding Changsheng brother to play chess very much.It is a pity that the instructee is both talented and diligent in practice, and his chess ability continues to improve.A month later, there is no need to handicap, and occasionally there are wins and losses.

Lost the sense of superiority of being a teacher, but in exchange for an opponent not to be underestimated.Li Zizhou was so excited that he tried his best to display all kinds of martial arts in an attempt to maintain the leading edge.Both sides are serious masters, gradually tense on the board, all kinds of killing traps, conspiracies and schemes appear one after another.Zigui saw that he had nothing to do with it, so he turned around and went to shoot the arrow.

It's hard for these two people to kill each other to death, and at the same time speak with sincerity.At the end of a game, it is always necessary to review the game and discuss it together, exchange experience, and review gains and losses.Li Zizhou mastered advanced theories and was well-informed, and he explained all kinds of layout tricks clearly and logically; Gu Changsheng had keen eyesight, clear thinking, and was decisive and brave when advancing and retreating.The two happened to communicate with each other, and learn from each other's strengths to make up for their weaknesses.Sometimes the chat is in-depth, and the time for review and discussion is longer than the time for playing chess.

Zi Shi just used this time to catch up on sleep.

Before the development of the chess game project, because the three people were too studious and motivated, they lived a leisurely life in the valley, and their schedules were quite tight.Economics and history studies, games and entertainment, daily diet... No matter which link, as long as Zi Shi joins in, it will immediately add color and brilliance.No matter what the two children do, it is only interesting to have the eldest brother involved.At night, you have to deal with someone who is demanding.Therefore, within a few days, I felt that my energy was exhausted and gradually weakened.

One day, after preaching a passage of scriptures, he asked his younger brothers and sisters to copy and memorize them, and then he fell asleep lying on the desk.Zigui picked up a brush and drew a cat face for his elder brother.Zi Shi murmured: "Changsheng, don't make trouble." After rubbing against each other, he went back to sleep.The girl was taken aback, and looked at the pen in her hand: How could Brother Changsheng do such a boring thing?

Just when Changsheng came in, he frowned, "Just fell asleep like this? Turning around, he complained that his shoulder hurts..." Seeing three beards on the left and right cheeks, he laughed muffledly, and couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear.He reached for the brush, dipped it in the ink, and added a small pointed ear to the forehead on both sides.After appreciating for a moment, he picked up the person horizontally and sent him in.

Zizhou endured the hard work with a smile.After Changsheng walked away, he finally rubbed his belly and said, "Haha... When the eldest brother wakes up, let's pretend we didn't see anything, don't tell him..."

Zigui looked in the direction of his elder brother's residence, thoughtfully: "Do you feel that..."

"What do you think?" Zi Zhou asked his sister.

"It's nothing."

…………

After a few days, Chang Sheng began to teach the twins how to shoot together.Zi Shi was very interested, and sat on a rock by the water to watch.

Suddenly hearing a "plop", the three people who were in class were shocked.When I turned my head to look, there was no one on the stone.As soon as Zi Zhou Zigui realized it, Chang Sheng had already jumped into the water.

"Cough...cough!..." Even if the hot spring is buoyant enough, he still choked on several mouthfuls when he fell suddenly.Zi Shi coughed until his face was covered with tears and snot.Changsheng asked him to lie on his shoulders, hugged him tightly with one hand, and patted the back with the other, feeling guilty, distressed, and funny: "I'm so sleepy, what are you trying to do here... Is there any trouble? It’s not the water, why don’t you just smash it into meatloaf?” He taught him a lesson and went into the cave.

Zizhou hadn't laughed enough, and suddenly he heard Zigui say, "Brother Changsheng ever smiled at you like that?"

The boy was puzzled: "What does that look like?"

"Just like that."

"What did it look like just now?"

"Alas..." The girl sighed and said nothing.

Zi Zhou glared at his sister: "I don't know why."