All your life is gentle

In February of the fourth year of Tianyou, Fu Ding, the eldest prince of Xirong, and Bai Qi, the commander of the navy, escorted ten large ships, loaded with nearly ten thousand dendrobium grains collected from various places in southern Chu, and sent them to Chengyang by water.

Jingchu is the granary of the world.Although there was a severe drought last autumn, the people had no food to eat, and the warehouses of the government and landlords were full.After the Xibing soldiers entered the southern part of Chuzhou, they first occupied the official warehouses in various places.Before the rebel army retreated into the Lishang Mountains, they tried their best to buy food from the people.There are also some righteous people who take the initiative to donate food to the soldiers of the rebel army.

The rest are almost all in the hands of speculators and profiteers, holding on to them, waiting for a high price.

With the rising price of rice, Jiangbei is far higher than Jiangnan.Naturally, the food reselling business of military-civilian cooperation is booming.Fu Ding received an order from his father to send grain to Beijing for emergency relief, and immediately plundered private warehouses on a large scale.Within two days, the huge bribes from the local rice merchants were delivered directly to the eldest prince's desk.

People say that under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. In fact, under heavy profits, there must be wise men.Fu Ding's eyes were dazzled by the yellow gold, and his brain suddenly changed: instead of buying the road money, why not enjoy this cup for himself?The gold is in the bag, so you can grab it.The food in hand, March 31, one part was kept as military rations, one part was sent to the capital, and the other part was smuggled across the river and turned into real gold and silver.

The people in the army who are responsible for carrying out this task are quite savvy.It didn't take long to learn all kinds of popular tricks among rice merchants, such as making old rice first, soaking it in water to make it swell, mixing sand and stones, making big and small things.Originally, after winter, the weather was wet and cold, and the soldiers were stationed in several big towns and waited for the spring to go to the mountains to suppress the bandits, so there was no entertainment.This is a good time, grabbing grain, transporting grain and selling grain, making money up and down, everyone is working hard.

Fu Ding looked at the gold and silver piled up like a hill in the tent, and finally felt a lot more balanced in his heart.

After finishing the work in the southeast, some meritorious generals stayed there to garrison (this trip to the east, everyone saw the bright future of the three states in the southeast, and it would be a first-class fat job to stay), while others returned to Beijing to discuss Reward for meritorious deeds.When it was my turn, my father said, "Ding'er, you are not young anymore, why are you still acting so edgy? You are called a child... Alas, although swords and arrows have no eyes on the battlefield, it is because you have not thought carefully. You don't have to go back to Beijing with me, go to Chuzhou to practice hard..."

Sending food to Beijing is a good opportunity to show merit.But at the beginning, Fu Ding didn't intend to go through this experience himself.Business is in full swing, unwilling to withdraw, of course, is one reason.Another unspeakable reason is that if food is to enter Beijing safely and quickly, it must go by water.Fu Ding was always a little apprehensive about taking a boat.What's more, when I think of going with Bai Qi who surrendered and didn't know the details, I always feel uncomfortable.

The person who came to convey the father's order was Si Benmiao, the deputy capital of the Forbidden Battalion.The [-] Xuantie personal guards were under the direct command of Xirong King Fu Yang.Among them, five hundred of the bravest and most loyal guards were selected to form the Forbidden Battalion.These people are not only Fu Yang's personal bodyguards, but also often convey important orders and carry out some urgent tasks for him.

One more point needs to be explained: the Ben family is the second largest family in the Xirong tribe after Fu's surname; Fu Ding's mother, Fu Yang's concubine, is the daughter of the former head of the Ben family.

After the scene was finished and all the irrelevant people were dismissed, Ben Miao met the eldest prince again, and another secret report: "Master Neifu Ling said that Secretary Ling is trying to persuade the king to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor." —— Neifu Ling Your lord is Fu Ding's uncle, Benying, but your secretary Ling is Mo Siyu's old Mo—"So, at this critical juncture, it's better for the eldest prince to go back to Jingduo to get close to the king. And—the king seems to have The meaning of bringing the third prince to the capital..."

The third prince, Fuliu, had bad legs due to an accident in his early years. He has been in charge of guarding the Meili Oasis and guarding the backyard for his father.

After hearing what Ben Miao conveyed to his uncle, Fu Ding understood: even father and son have to keep in touch with each other frequently.Although the third child had always been on his side, but now that the second child was dead and without a common enemy, the alliance seemed much looser.The father is in the prime of life, and it may not be a problem to be the emperor for ten or twenty years after he ascends the throne. It may be possible to add the fourth, fifth, and sixth... In addition, it may be possible to train successors.What's more, to found a country and ascend the throne, there must be big moves in personnel affairs.If you stay too far away, you will miss many good opportunities.

It's time to be active.

When we arrived at the riverside, Mr. Bai was already waiting on the pier.Seeing it from a distance, he immediately came up to him and knelt down: "Bai Qi sees Your Highness."

What Lord Bai did was a big gift for Jinxia courtiers to visit the prince on a formal occasion.Fu Ding didn't quite understand the meaning of this etiquette, but felt that the other party was humble and sincere, respectful and very useful.The people of Xirong would never call themselves "His Royal Highness" - "Your Highness, Your Highness". Why does it sound so flavorful and grand?Originally, he looked down on this general of the Xia people's navy who surrendered for the sake of women and children, but his impression improved a lot invisibly.

Although the business of reselling grain has been operating at the bottom, Lord Commander of the Navy must know about it.Of course the eldest prince doesn't care, forgive him for not having any opinion even if he surrendered.But when they were having dinner together, suddenly thinking of this trip together, looking down and not seeing each other, seeing the other party flattering and pretending to be nonchalant, Fu Ding felt awkward instead.I don't know why, the more Bai Qi pretends to be, the more awkward he feels.

Near the western border of Chuzhou, there are undulating mountains and ravines.Looking from a distance, you can see a strange peak towering into the clouds, as if cutting off the sky.Zi Shi told the other three that there was the famous Fuliu Mountain.

The four of them headed north along the stream path and headed for the river.Sometimes we climb mountains and sometimes wed water, and sometimes we have no way at all, and we have to climb rocks and drill holes through thorns and thorns, and the journey is very slow.After walking for more than half a month, I was still wandering in the mountains.If you go directly west along the river, you can reach Huimengjin in about ten days.However, the soldiers from the West had already sealed off the two sides of the strait, and the four of them dared not take the risk anyway, preferring to walk slowly in the mountains.

Occasionally, I come across a small mountain village hidden in the high hills and low valleys, where Yi and Xia live together, dogs barking and chickens crowing, and it is peaceful and peaceful.The terrain here is complicated, the climate is humid, and there is not much oil and water, so it has not been poisoned by military disasters for the time being.Although it also encountered a severe drought, the groundwater source is very rich, the mountain streams are easy to flow, and the wells and springs are not dry all year round.Only limited by the terrain, people can only open a small piece of narrow paddy field at the foot of the mountain and work harder.

The mountain people are simple and honest.Food and lodging, almost all refused to accept money.Because he has dealt with Xia people for many years, he can almost speak fluent Xia language.When I met a brave Yi girl, I not only stuffed food into the hands of two handsome boys, but also sent them off with folk songs all the way, and the sound spread for miles.Zi Shi was in a good mood, holding the gifts in his arms, smiling brightly at the girls, he even recited a poem recklessly: "Open the door to the white water, and approach the bridge. Aunt Qingxi, living alone without a man..."

Chang Sheng gritted his teeth in secret: "Hmph! "Lonely without a man", right—see how I deal with you at night..."

At noon that day, I turned over a small hill and saw gray walls and blue tiles, wooden sills and bamboo railings beside the stream and pond in front of me. It was a stilted building in a Miao village.There are not many houses in the small village, only a dozen or so families.However, the sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers were heard, which was very lively.

"Brother, what are they doing? Why does it look like a festival?" Zigui asked, opening his eyes wide and stretching his neck, trying to see more clearly.

Zi Shi pinched his fingers and smiled: "Isn't it just a holiday, today is April [-]th."

"Hey, today is the eldest brother's birthday!" The twins said, smiling and coming over, pretending to pay respects to Zi Shi.

"Go! Let's cool down! When is it not my birthday, you two get a red envelope?" Zi Shi raised his hand suddenly, and was about to knock on the chestnut shells of the two of them.

"Mother said, be friendly to younger brothers and sisters..." Zi Zhou Zigui both jumped away and criticized the elder brother.

The mountain road is rugged, with a deep ditch on one side.Changsheng stretched out his arms: "You three, don't make trouble here. Let's talk about it later." Then he scolded his elder brother: "I don't know the severity, it doesn't matter whether it's big or small, it's just a year old!"

When Li Zishi is in a good mood, he is really not too big or too small.Changsheng can't help but become more and more like a parent, scolding at least, and corporal punishment at worst.

The four then walked down the mountain.

"Brother, let's go to the stockade to have a look, shall we?" The girl's eyes flickered, full of anticipation.

"not good."

"why?"

"April [-]th in Miao Village is a big day for worshiping gods and ancestors. It is almost as grand as the New Year. The Miao people are also famous for their hospitality. Let alone entering the village, even if they pass by the village, they will be dragged in to drink. We are going in, and we will definitely not be able to get out today, so let’s take a detour.”

"Brother Changsheng—" the twins turned their faces together.

"It's a rare opportunity, so it's okay to have a look. It's not a day or two." The head of the family spoke.

"Oh—" the two little ones ran down the hill and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

The two big ones walked slowly one after the other.

Zi Shi smiled and said: "It's fine for a boy, you said the son will belong to a girl, if he is like this, how can he find a husband's family in the future?" He thought: I always forget to use the rules of this world for girls to ask her, In a few years, I'm afraid it's inevitable to have a headache.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with her being like this. You're too concerned about what you see." After Chang Sheng finished speaking, he didn't see him answering for a long time, so he stopped and turned around.

It turned out that Zi Shi suddenly felt that the conversation between the two was paradoxical—it was too much like a couple discussing their children's future, so he couldn't help but start to be in a daze.Since when has it reached such a natural and harmonious harmony?This is certainly not a bad thing.The worst thing... is that it has reached this point, and the road ahead is still dark and unclear.For a long time, I deliberately ignored the problem that I didn't want to pursue. At this moment when I was defenseless, I jumped out and bumped my waist.

Changsheng looked at him.That pair of dark black pupils seemed to contain a thousand words, staring fixedly at himself; and seemed to be empty with nothing, staring blankly into the infinite distance.He knew what he was waiting for and what he was avoiding.He saw him walking towards him, and seemed to be about to turn around and leave.He is too smart, too smart... It makes people's teeth itch with hatred, and the heart hurts.

If you can't say it, then do it.Changsheng stepped forward to hold his face, bowed his head and kissed him deeply.

Zi Shi opened his eyes, and the green mountains, green waters, blue sky and white clouds swirled together.Had to close.I thought to myself, who cares about him, who is afraid of whom... I will talk about the future things later.In this life, whether it is suffering or happiness, it is all extra money.No one is sure about the future, so why pursue it?

When the two of them followed the drumbeat of "Dong Dong" to the only sun valley flat in the village, the twins were already huddled among the Miao people in costumes, screaming and jumping, looking excited.It turned out that a three-foot-high wooden stake was erected on the field, and 36 sharp knives were inserted horizontally, with colorful ribbons fluttering on the handles.A young man with bare feet is about to perform "up the knife ladder".

"Woo--" the horn sounded, and the young man stepped on the sharp blade with his bare feet, and went up step by step until he reached the top of the ladder.He tore off the hairband on his head, placed it on the top blade, and immediately broke it in two.There was a gasp in the crowd, followed by thunderous applause.But he didn't come down in a hurry, and hung upside down on the top of the golden hook, and the roc spread its wings, and Guanyin sat on the lotus...showing various shapes, it was extremely thrilling.

Changsheng thought to himself: "I never thought that there would be such a brave tribe among the southerners."

It happened that Zi Shi explained: "It is said that this ceremony is to commemorate the heroes who saved the tribe thousands of years ago. Everyone who can climb the knife ladder is a warrior in the tribe."

An old man next to him continued: "This little brother is very knowledgeable. Gebo is a great hero who helped our Miao people get rid of wild boars and dragon monsters..." He enthusiastically told several young guests about the ancient legends of his tribe.

In the afternoon, young men and women dance flower dances and sing folk songs to each other; men kill pigs and chickens;

The four guests were left to have dinner and watch the bonfire.

The table was full of chicken, duck and fish meat, as well as pork cheeks stewed in blood sausage sauce with roasted spicy peppers... Zi Shi looked at him, ate a piece of glutinous rice cake, and drank a bowl of tofu soup.The patriarch didn't like to give face.The second child of his family, the young man who was on the knife ladder before, poured a large bowl full of wine for him with the big horn of the wine.Zi Shi was also unambiguous, picked up the wine bowl and did it, winning a lot of applause.Unexpectedly, this young man who looked like a big girl was so imposing. The men became competitive and stood up one by one to toast.Chang Sheng poked him, and Zi Shi gave him a "well" look in his eyes.The corners of the eyes are stained with a thin layer of rose color, and the end is boundless.

I'm not afraid that he's drunk, I'm afraid that his appearance will be noticed by others.Changsheng stood up: "Let us brothers thank you all uncles and brothers together." Most of them were stopped.

As a result, during this meal, the seven or eight men at the same table were all overwhelmed by the two foreign boys.Zi Shi laughed: "You guys are good at climbing the knife ladder. In terms of volume, you are not as good as me."

In the evening, Zigui spent the night in another family with a daughter, and the three brothers lived in the patriarch's house.The ground floor around the firepit was polished with tung oil, covered with straw mats, spotless.After washing up, Zi Shi led Zi Zhou to sit cross-legged respectfully.Changsheng had already been literate by him, and he knew that it is most important to do as the Romans do, so he carefully sat down next to him.

The three of them are guests, and they are on the left side.On the right are the two sons of the patriarch.The inner room behind the main room where the old couple slept.Tired all day and drank too much, soon everyone else fell asleep.During the day, the hustle and bustle of the Miao village fell silent, only the low singing of insects could be heard in the grass and bushes.

It is no longer necessary to burn the fire overnight in April, but today is a special day for the festival. A whole ignited Qinggang wood is placed in the fire pond, which is said to be able to burn from the first night to the next morning, to show the meaning of endless generations.

"It's a bit hot." Zi Shi turned over.After drinking the wine, she was roasted by the fire again, her cheeks were red, her eyebrows were really spring water, and her face was pink and her lips were vermilion.

"Let's go to enjoy the cool." Chang Sheng said, pulled him up, and put his arms around the thin quilt in the corner.

The two walked out the door lightly and walked upstairs.In this village, only the patriarch's stilted building has three floors.The first floor is for raising poultry, the second floor is for food and living, and the third floor is a small attic, which is used as a warehouse.Even so, the railings of the curved corridor on the third floor are complete, not sloppy at all.

"I can't tell, you can't eat, but you're good at drinking." Chang Sheng spread his coat on the most spacious part of the corridor, shook off the quilt to wrap him, held him in his arms, and sat down.

"Hot." Zi Shi didn't want to sit still, he arched and arched outwards.

"It'll be fine in a while—you're here to enjoy the cool, not to catch cold." As he said, he rubbed lightly and hard behind the ears and on the neck.Sure enough, he didn't have the strength to arch anymore, so he leaned obediently and panted quietly with his eyes slightly closed.

Flying fireflies and flowing fire, the night is like water.

The stars across the dark blue sky were instantly annihilated in the darkness.

Zi Shi chuckled, and spoke: "When I was a child, I was studying, and I saw people say that the poet "drinks a hundred poems on wine", "you have to drink three hundred cups at a time", "a thousand cups of wine is less than a bosom friend", etc., I yearn for it very much. Just thought, would it be a great pity in life to learn how to compose poetry and not know how to drink?"

His voice was extremely low, like bone china and warm jade clanging together, and then disappeared with a wisp of mountain wind that bypassed the corridor.

"So I practiced secretly. I dare not compare a thousand cups to a hundred cups, but I can always win ten cups and eight cups. My father stayed in the north in the early years, and he liked to drink Xifengbai. There are several large jars hidden in the cabinet. This wine Compared with the local flower-diao green plums in Yuezhou, the strength is more than double or twice. It happened that he was very busy at that time and had no time to inspect it. After I drank a few altars of Xifengbai secretly, the Mid-Autumn Festival "Moon Shadow Studio" "At the poetry meeting, none of the gangsters are my opponents...hehe..."

Whenever Zi Shi talked about the past, Chang Sheng wanted to hear it but was afraid to hear it.I feel itchy when I think about it, and I am terrified with fear.There are endless contradictions, and all internal organs are burned.I can't help but imagine: without this war, what kind of life would he be living now...?

Playing brocade, walking on Zhangtai; adjusting silk and bamboo, playing Danqing;

In the shadow of apricot blossoms, playing the flute till dawn.

"Zi Shi..."

The person in the arms is still interested: "Later I found out that the ancients drank rice wine, which was similar to fermented glutinous glutinous rice. Home-brewed grain wine, at most Huadiao level, enters the mouth of my Xifengbai trained, isn't it like drinking fermented glutinous rice?...Also, just talking about me, aren't you stronger than me?"

"I learned it from my master when I was practicing martial arts. Afterwards, there were a lot of social gatherings at home..." Re-phrase, "After all, it hurts your health, don't drink like this." In the haze, he couldn't see his face clearly, so he stretched out his hand to check, and it was no longer hot.Lifting the thin quilt and getting in, turned over and put him under it: "Just drink it, the winking eyes are flying around, do you know that alcohol can mess with sex?"

"You are slandering! If you want to commit a crime, there is nothing to worry about... Well... Only the state officials are allowed to set fire, and the people are not allowed to light lamps... Mmm..." Yu Yu failed in his stubborn resistance and completely surrendered.

"We don't light the lamps, we blow the wax..."

"The prostitute..."

The fireflies seemed to be embarrassed, so they hid in the grass with a small lantern and quietly sucked the dew.

When the fireflies couldn't hold on and were about to doze off, there was a sound in the wind that was more subtle than the sound of insects.

"What are you putting on my neck? - Could it be that after the robbery is over, you still want to kill yourself... Ouch!"

Changsheng freed his hand and squeezed the most fatal part of him: "Let you never change after repeated admonition! Just love to talk nonsense..."

Putting the thing in his hand around his neck, he straightened his hair carefully: "This is a birthday gift."

"What is it?"

"Go in and have a look."

Zi Shi was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: "There is a birthday gift, is there any birthday speech?"

After waiting for a while, I heard Chang Sheng say: "Yes."

The soft lips came together again.At the end of a delicate and long kiss, he said: "Every year has today, and every year has today."

"...I didn't give you anything for your birthday."

"Why not? You forgot, that night..."

"To shut up!"

Chang Sheng hugged Zi Shi and walked back to the second floor, his movements were lighter than the two who came out before.Zi Shi took off his birthday gift and looked at it by the light of the fire.A small round, shiny white stone hangs from the rope ring, with two words on the back: "Longevity." The iron hook is drawn with a silver hook, steep and steady.

laugh.Whispered: "Isn't this the Go piece from Juegu? Such a hard stone, it's hard for you to carve words, but drill a hole—oh, calligraphy has improved a lot."

Chang Sheng put it on for him again: "Don't take it off casually."

"Ah."

"No 'hmm'."

"Okay." Feeling the rope loop, curious, "What did you use to make it? It seems very strong."

"Mountain vine."

Changsheng thought to himself, it is the best sacred object to ward off evil spirits and cure diseases.It was made of snakeskin noose, soaked in snake blood—it took a long time to dry the blood away.I won't tell you.

Worried that he would continue to ask questions, he looked down, and with a smile on his lips, he was already asleep.