I'm watching the gate in the jail

Three days later, a magnificent team set off from the east gate of Liaoyang City and headed towards Shanhaiguan.

Wang Zhizhi got rid of Mei Qianzhang and took away half of the cavalry personnel for pomp.

When Chen Yue saw these able-bodied Lianjiazi, he knew that they were not from Xichang, or Jinyiwei sent by His Majesty to this confidant eunuch, and his attitude towards Wang Zhi became more respectful.

In order to show the prestige of the Governor of Xichang in person, Chen Yue decided to use half of the Liaoyang City barracks as a guard of honor. All the officers and soldiers wore military uniforms, and the see-off tent spread for hundreds of miles from the gate of the city to the grassland.

"Eunuch Wang, I don't know if you are satisfied with all the little arrangements?"

Chen Yue actually waved his whip in front of the shaft of the luxurious carriage that Wang Zhi was riding in, pretending to be the driver.

Humbled and personally drove for him, escorting him along the way.

Wang Zhi opened the curtain of the carriage, looked at the continuous line outside, and nodded inadvertently.

"Not bad, it's interesting."

In order to see him off, half of Liaoyang City's troops were mobilized.If someone suddenly attacked at this time, wouldn't it be possible to take down the entire city easily?

This Chen Yue is really amazing...

Wang Zhi squinted his eyes, and secretly scolded this person for being ridiculous.

"It's a pity that no matter how good this ceremonial car is, it can only reach Shanhaiguan as far as it goes. If you can accompany the Zajia all the way back to the capital, then it's called 'returning home in splendid clothes'... Sigh, Zajia thinks too much, how can I have such a thing?" Blessing?"

Wang Zhi imitated the tone of those snobbish old eunuchs in the palace, and performed a flamboyant and overjoyed factory performance vividly.

He looked at his upturned orchid fingers, and frowned in disgust.

It's kind of gross...

However, this expression fell into Chen Yue's eyes, and he immediately understood that Wang Zhi was not greedy enough, and expressed his dissatisfaction with his arrangement.

"Father-in-law, due to my duty and military affairs, I can't leave the Liaoyang camp too far. Sending my father-in-law to Shanhaiguan is already the limit. But although I can't accompany my father-in-law to Beijing, the brothers in the army sent those A 'mind', you can still follow it all the way."

Wang Zhi turned his head, looked at the "filial piety" behind the carriage, which was filled with seven or eight trucks, and smiled slightly, "Master Chen is the one who is sensible. When I return to Beijing today, Mr. Ma didn't even come to see him off." Send, this person is really beyond words..."

"Yes, it's too ignorant."

Chen Yue added fuel to the fire.

On the other side, an hour before Wang Zhi and his convoy left the customs, Wanda and the others, who were wearing fur hats and sweaters and dressed as Jurchens, and Ah, who was also dressed in plush and looked like a little wolf cub, Lan, starting from the northern city gate, embarked on the journey to Tielingwei.

The one leading the way for them was naturally Ajiga's younger brother Tuojin.

For this day, he had been preparing for a long time.

Shopkeeper Wan told him personally that although the goods they brought this time were almost traded with Ajiga.

But they have a shop in Quang Ninh, and there are still many good things in stock there.

Tuojin had some friendship with a soldier guarding the gate of the city. It is said that when treasurer Wan first entered the city, he revealed during interrogation that he was on the Guangning trade route before, which is indeed true.

Shopkeeper Wan assured him that he would come back with the caravan when the weather completely warmed up and the ice and snow melted.

At that time, spring tea from the south will also come up, and all kinds of specialties will go north along the Grand Canal.The good things brought are only a lot more than now.

He even had a way to get some of the tributes that came to Beijing from various places from the palace, and they would be brought to Liaoyang to continue trading.

At that time, even with Ajiga's appetite, he would not be able to eat so many good products.

Wanda's "hint" couldn't be more obvious—if this trip to Tieling satisfies him, he can make a fortune with Tuojin.

As long as you have money and get on the business route of the Ming Dynasty, even if Ajiga is the patriarch, so what?Those old things in the clan took advantage of him, wouldn't they still speak up for him?

You know, he and Ajiga's father are the same person, and he is also qualified to compete for the position of patriarch...as long as Ajiga's cubs are all dead.

Thinking of this, Takumi's blood boiled with excitement.

"Shopkeeper Wan, the weather is fine today. Look at the blue sky."

Tuojin pointed forward with his whip and said, "If we hit the horses and walk faster, maybe we can reach Tieling before dark."

"Then let's go on horseback! Anyway, we are all dressed as barbarians now, and we travel lightly. If we are slow, we will be suspected."

As Wanda said, he slapped the horse's back hard, let out a strange cry, and rushed out like a cluster of arrows.

Seeing this, the people behind him also followed suit, speeding up their horses.

Jin Yiwei's riders are all first-class equestrians, and they can completely let go of their hands and feet on this grassland to show off their riding skills.

Even Qiu Zijin was not to be outdone, he had often followed Wanda and others to handle cases for more than ten years, and now he was no longer the frail boy he was back then.

He lowered his body and followed closely behind A Lan's mount, without any hindrance.

More than a dozen people roared across the pasture under the bright sun in early spring and the snow and ice gradually melting.

Where the horseshoes passed, the spring mud on the black ground was splashed, leaving waves of melodious bells.

Tieling Guard, in the Yuan Dynasty, was originally located in the hinterland of the Korean Peninsula.Hongwu moved to Yinzhou in 26 years, which is the area where Fengji Fort is located today.And the ancient Yinzhou was renamed Tieling, and a guard was established here to control northern Xinjiang. (note 1)

When Wanda and his party arrived at the "end of the universe" in his mind, it was already sunset.

The shadow of the goshawk brought by Wan Lan is projected on the city wall. This military fortress, which has just experienced the baptism of brutal war, looks very dilapidated under the setting sun, which has something to do with the prosperity of the "big northern city" in Wanda's heart. Obvious gap.

"Treasurer Wan, it's already late today. If we continue to walk towards the prairie, we may encounter wolves. Besides, since spring is here, Xiong Xiazi may also come and go looking for food. There is a wild shop a little further to the east. Let's go and stay there first. Bar…"

Takumi said politely.

"Sumino store? Why don't you just enter the city? It's not time to close the city gate yet."

Wanda asked.

"The shopkeeper doesn't know something..."

Tuojin felt that his Chinese level was not enough to explain such a complicated matter, so he had no choice but to invite Uncle Liu who came with their horse team.

After all, Uncle Liu was old and had a lame leg. He was so tired that he almost fell apart after following the horse team all the way.

When he was pulled out by Tuojin, he kept cursing and saying that he would never take his job in the future.

From Uncle Liu, Wanda learned that since Fengji Castle was invaded by the Jurchens last time, it has stopped opening to the Jurchens and Tatars, and along with it, several nearby horse markets and markets have also been closed.

They are all dressed as Jurchens now, so they cannot enter the city and can only spend the night outside the city.

Uncle Liu also said that spring plowing was about to begin, and the nearby Haixi and Jianzhou Jurchen clansmen couldn't even buy a pot and shovel, not to mention farm tools, and they were going crazy.

And the Ming people inside did not dare to leave the city easily, for fear of another accident.But isn't the farmland all in the outskirts of the city?

As a result, the farming of both sides will be delayed, and the harvest of this year can be counted on the spring.

When Wanda heard this, she couldn't help but sigh and shook her head.

In the final analysis, the most seriously injured by the war are the innocent people.It just so happens that someone wants to start a war, making the border unrest and the people unsafe.

Wanda and Yang Xiuxian walked to the gate of the city side by side before the team set off, and looked at the marks of the city gate being burned by knives and fire.

If it is barely a "city gate".

In the battle not long ago, half of the city wall rammed with earth collapsed under the attack. Although the hole in the landslide has been blocked, it is by no means very strong.

If there is another invasion of foreign enemies in the short term, I am afraid it will really be unbearable.

"What are you looking at? Go away!"

The shouts of soldiers came from the tower, driving them away from here quickly.

He was afraid that they would not understand Chinese, so he deliberately cursed them in Jurchen and Tatar.

Before the words were heard from above, the soldiers guarding the city gate below came over with red-tasseled guns, pointed at the two people sitting on horseback and shouted, "Go, no foreigners are allowed here, go quickly, or don't blame the sword!" Eyeless!"

Wanda and Yang Xiuxian smiled politely and turned around the horse knowingly.

"The soldier just now..."

The horses took small steps to keep up with the horse team that had already set off, Wanda glanced at Yang Xiuxian and said with a smile.

"Master Ma..."

Yang Xiuxian lowered his head and spread out the small note in his hand.

When the "soldier" pointed at them and scolded them just now, he secretly stuffed this note under the saddle.

——Hui Long Thirteen

With the last rays of the setting sun, Yang Xiuxian could see the words on the paper clearly.

"What do you mean?"

Wanda looked at Yang Xiuxian who was also in a daze.

"Master Ma playing charades for us?"

Yang Xiuxian shook his head, and the hand holding the paper slightly squeezed, the white paper suddenly turned into powder, and fell on the grass like snowflakes.

The horse team continued eastward for about three to five miles, along the vast Chai River, before the setting sun completely sank on the horizon, they finally saw a two-story building standing on a grassland that was about to turn completely black among.

The strong wind blew up the mast at the entrance of the small building, and the four white lanterns were shaken by the wind, as if they were about to go completely with the wind in the next moment.

——Huilong Inn

There is a Chinese character written on each lantern, which just forms the name of the inn from top to bottom.

The setting sun had completely set at this time, and the four lanterns were like a lighthouse in the grassland, emitting a faint light that represented hope and direction.

So this is the "Huilong" written on the note?

Wanda rubbed her chin with mixed feelings.

This night wind, this wilderness inn, and this lantern—the combination of overly familiar images reminded Wanda of a very classic movie about the dark rule of the Ming Dynasty that he had seen in his "last life"—— "New Dragon Inn".

"I just don't know. Is there a lady proprietress in the Dragon Inn this time?"

he said in a low voice.

Wanda looked at Yang Xiuxian's questioning eyes and raised his eyebrows.

Everyone got off their horses and walked towards the inn.

A Lan has been riding a horse for a whole day, even if he likes to ride a horse, after all, it is different from the children who grew up on horseback in the grassland, and he is already exhausted by now.

He jumped off the horse and rushed directly at Wanda, saying that his ass was going to be turned into [-] pieces, and he couldn't walk now, so he must be hugged by his father.

Wanda helplessly supported his buttocks with one hand and his waist with the other, allowing his big son to hook her neck and act coquettishly desperately.

The child was very heavy, and Wanda took two steps back with difficulty.

Seeing A Lan twisting and twisting in his arms, Wanda patted his little butt and joked, "You're still married like this? Who are you going to laugh at?"

Alan chirping.

"Father, what is this?"

Watching his subordinates pull the horses back to tie them one by one, Wanda was about to walk into the inn, and A Lan pointed to a large circle drawn with lime on the dirt wall outside the door and asked.

"Forehead……"

If there is a word "demolition" in this circle, then your father will understand what it is, and it means that someone will get rid of poverty and become rich, and reach the pinnacle of life.

But is it just a white circle...

Wanda was also stopped by the question, he turned to look at Qiu Zijin, Qiu Zijin shook his head, expressing that he didn't know either.

"This is a sign used to guard against wolves on the grassland."

Just when everyone was about to be questioned by this child, a crisp female voice came from behind the door.

Wanda looked in with the child in her arms, and saw a 20-year-old girl leaning against the doorway with her hands folded in front of the dim lights, looking at them.

The woman was dressed in coarse cloth, her head was only covered with blue cloth casually, and a silver hairpin was inserted horizontally in the bun.There is no messy color on the face, it is naturally fair.

But just a pair of red lips curled up slightly at the corners of the mouth, coupled with the eyes rippling like mercury balls, is enough to captivate the soul.

The woman wears a fur vest with a white fur peak at the neckline.Even wearing a thick cotton coat, you can see that his figure is slim.

Unexpectedly, there was such a beautiful woman on this vast grassland, and everyone was stunned.

Wanda murmured to himself in disbelief: Gold inlaid with jade?

"Who is Jin Xiangyu?"

The woman's ears were rather sharp. She walked over from the gate holding a strand of hair, and touched Wanda's shoulder with her round and small shoulder.

"Am I more beautiful?"

Wanda Xin said that Maggie Cheung's sister is better than her style, but the proprietress, your style is not bad.

"My father has me, you stay away from him!"

Alan, who was leaning on Wanda, stretched out his hand, and pushed towards the proprietress's body who was getting closer and closer.

He grew up in the capital, and when he went to and from the court, the women he saw, whether they were concubines or court ladies, were not upright and dignified beauties.

Even in "Xinghaihui", there are quite a few girls from all walks of life who run the wharf to perform arts, but they are all respectful to him, the little shopkeeper.

So it was the first time he saw the grace of a woman on the grassland when he grew up.

Seeing that the woman had just met his old Wan for the first time, Wan Lan was so ostentatious, but his father seemed to be quite useful, so she couldn't help being surprised, and subconsciously wanted to separate the two of them.

He didn't want Lao Wan to find him a stepmother!

"Hey, this little brother looks young, his son is already that old."

As the proprietress said, she reached out to pinch Alan's face, but he avoided it with a strange cry.

Yang Xiuxian tied Ma Gang and Gao Hui to the back and they walked back to the main entrance, and saw Wan Lan screaming and running around in other people's living rooms, a woman followed behind like a chicken Two or three steps behind him followed him.

"what happened?"

He looked at Qiu Zijin who was eating candied fruit sitting on a stool by the door and asked.

"You're done."

Qiu Zijin stuffed the whole plum into his mouth, stood up, painfully rubbed his old waist that had been bumped all day, and muttered, "This woman has taken a fancy to your Xiaowan, and she wants to be Alan's stepmother. I think your Xiao Wan also has the same meaning, just now he praised his style."

what?

Yang Xiuxian looked surprised.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. This girl is just teasing Ah Lan. It just so happens that he has been riding a horse all day, so it's good to come down for some activities."

Wanda hurriedly jumped out to prove her innocence, then turned around and gave Qiu Zijin a blank look.

"Haha, Thirteen Niang, stop joking with my guests. Ask your buddy to bring you all the good wine and good food."

Tuojin followed Yang Xiuxian's footsteps into the gate of the inn. It seemed that he was quite familiar with the proprietress, and greeted the proprietress with a big smile as soon as he came in.

The proprietress stopped her steps like chasing ducks, raised her head and said something to Tuojin, Tuojin replied a few more words, and then the two looked at each other and laughed.

What they said between them was Jurchen, and Wanda couldn't understand a word. He looked at Lao Liu curiously.

Lao Liu didn't even raise his eyelids, and replied weakly, "They are flirting, I don't want to translate, lest the young master hear it and teach the children badly."

Wanda hurriedly pulled his son over and covered his ears with both hands to prevent him from continuing to listen to such "restricted" foul language.

It is said that children learn languages ​​the fastest, and this child is so smart. He spent so long with that girl Duoer before, maybe he can already understand the general idea.

He also taught himself two lines of Jurchen last night, so what... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

After a long time, Tuojin brought them to meet his "old friend".

But the proprietress is so gorgeous, not only in this grassland, even in the capital city, she is also a great beauty, so why did she mix with a villain like Tuojin.

It really feels like "a flower stuck in cow dung".

"Shopkeeper Wan, this is my friend, Thirteen Niang. She is the proprietress of this 'Huilong Inn'."

Tuojin finally thought of introducing them, and then said in Chinese.

"Thirteen Niangs, this is a big businessman from the capital. No, it's a big businessman, Boss Wan."

Takuzu's face was filled with pride.

Wanda greeted him with a salute, "My surname is Wan, from Beizhili. The one who played with the proprietress just now is my only son. I just don't know who is the boss here?"

After finishing speaking, he glanced at Takumi pointedly.

"Huilong Inn only has the proprietress, not the boss."

Thirteen Niang put the back of her hand to her mouth and giggled, "My slave's surname is Chen, and my name is Chen Shisandao. But people here call me Thirteen Niang, or Thirteen Lady. Shopkeeper Wan can do whatever you want..."

"Chen Shisan Dao?"

Hearing this name, Wanda, Yang Xiuxian, Qiu Zijin and Gao Hui shouted in unison, which startled Tuojin and Shisanniang.

"Why? Is there something weird about the name of the slave family? Why are you so surprised?"

Chen Shisanniang smiled.

"Excuse me...is Ling Tang the head of the official family cuisine of the Chen family, 'Chen Twelve Knives'?"

Wanda swallowed, and asked with wide eyes.

It's amazing, it turns out that the "Huilong Shisan" written in the note given by Master Ma refers to Chen Shisan, the proprietress of Huilong Inn.

Presumably, this thirteenth lady is considered to be half a member of the Gong family, at least obeying the orders of Liaodong Daying, otherwise Mrs. Ma would not have made such a move.

The point is, this thirteen mothers seem to be "half old friends" with them.

"Everyone... know my mother?"

Thirteen Niang never expected to encounter such a thing, but now she was really stunned.

"Come in, it's going to snow again outside, what are you doing?"

Takujin turned his head to look at the strong wind that started to blow again outside, and quickly greeted everyone into the inn.

After the doors and windows were closed, the candles and lanterns in the hall were lit one after another. It may be because there were too many people in the room and the stove was burning in the room, so it was too stuffy, and Wanda felt a little suffocated.

"Shopkeeper, do you know my mother?"

Greeting Xiao Er to serve tea to the guests, Chen Shisanniang personally took the teacup and walked to the Eight Immortals table where Wanda was sitting.

This time, her attitude was no longer frivolous, but holding the teacup in both hands, she blessed Wanda and the others, "I neglected you all before, Thirteen Niang is here to apologize to you all."

"We haven't seen Lingtang."

Wanda took the teacup.

"But we know another 'Chen Shisandao'. She is in the capital."

That person is Chen Sishan, Xiaohui's mother.

Oh, strictly speaking, she has already been promoted to a second-rank female food official, one rank higher than Wanda.

As for her daughter Xiaohui, named Chen Shishidao, she is now a young woman in her twenties and a high-ranking female official.

It is said that their mother and daughter are looking for cooking seedlings among the newly selected young ladies, and they are about to discover a "Chen Shiwudao".

I heard from Chen Sishan before that since she married and gave birth to a daughter, she violated her mother's wishes.The previous head of the Chen family's official family cuisine was discouraged by her and left them to find a new inheritor.

No one expected that this other "kitchen knife" would appear in the white mountains and black waters, and even become the proprietress of the inn on the grassland.

"You guys, so you know my sister."

Chen Shisan blinked his big eyes, "Is she okay?"

"Have a good time."

"How is your friendship?"

"It's ok."

"Then shopkeeper Wan, please go back to the capital and tell her when you see that woman..."

Chen Shisan pulled a stool, stepped on it, supported his knee with his left hand, compared himself with his right hand, and said savagely, "Let her never use the name 'Chen Shisan Dao' from now on." I am the only descendant of my mother, the only 'Thirteen Swords' in the world."

"As for her... she has been expelled from the division long ago. She is not qualified to be called this name."

After Chen Shisanniang finished speaking, she raised her foot and kicked the stool far away.

"You guys, is there some misunderstanding?"

Wanda looked at the stool whose leg had been kicked off, with a wry smile on his face.

"I was adopted by my mother when I was begging on the street when I was six years old. Since then, I have been thirteen dollars."

Chen Shisanniang put her hands on her hips, raised her chin and said coldly, "Before my mother died, she passed on the headship to me. I am the heir of Chen Jiacai. The one in the capital is a counterfeit."

In fact, I'm not very interested in the inheritance of your Chen family, can you let us go up and open a room, sleep for a while, and we will leave tomorrow morning...

Wanda screamed inwardly.

"If you don't agree."

Chen Shisan walked to the window and opened it with one hand.

The north wind mixed with snowflakes roared in, and everyone in the hall shivered from the cold.

"You go now. You are not welcome in my inn."

"No, Thirteen Niang...these are all my friends."

In any case, Tuojin couldn't figure out how he would be driven away while talking, so he hurried forward to dissuade him.

"It's none of your business, it's my Chen family's housework."

Thirteen Niang pushed Tuojin away and said to Wanda, "Do you agree or not?"

"Well, it's none of my business. You said it too, this is your Chen family's housework."

Wanda said helplessly.

Speaking of which, Chen Sishan has been an old friend for so many years, and they have known each other since the case of the White Lotus Sect.

Chen Sishan is also a hard-working woman. She was cheated by a man, not to mention her body, and all her property. She almost fell into prostitution with her daughter.

Now she is finally living a good life, her daughter is promising, and she is loved by almost all the ladies and officials in the palace.

And for so many years, he has worked hard to serve his sister Wan Zhen'er with dignity and dedication. If there is no credit, there is hard work. How can I say that if I want to change my name, I have to change it.

"If you don't agree, get out!"

Chen Shisanniang said arrogantly.

"My mother was seriously ill five years ago. Before she died, she wanted to see my heartless sister. Who knew we would find her in the capital, but we could never find her again. My mother just left with regrets. , I went to the outside of the customs alone. What qualifications does a person like her have to be the successor of our Chen family cuisine."

It turned out that this kind of thing happened before... Five years ago, he should have gone out to handle the case at that time, otherwise, if someone in Beijing asked about Chen Sishan, Jin Yiwei would not have not informed him.

Besides, Chen Sishan is far away in the deep palace, how can an ordinary person see it.

Hey, I can only say that all of this was a coincidence.

However, he never expected that fate is so wonderful, that they, who are inextricably linked but never met before, would meet in this remote inn.

"You said that you are the heir of the Chen family cuisine, are you?"

Just when everyone was at a stalemate, little Alan spoke.

"Chen Si... Aunt Chen's best dishes are steamed lamb with milk, oranges stuffed with crab, and abalone with bones."

Wan Lan rolled her eyes, "You don't need to do all of them, just make one and let me try it. If you do it well, you can claim the title of 'thirteen knives'. If you don't do it well Well... you are not even as good as my father?"

Ok?

Why me?

Looking at Chen Shisanniang's challenging gaze, Wanda wished he could give a "cheat" a couple of hits on the spot.

The author has something to say: Note 1: "History and Culture of Tieling"