Yunyue past events

As night fell, the military camp not far away was lit with fire. On the dark dirt road, several slaves dragged their tired bodies out of the camp, among them was Chang Fu.

The slaves were covered in filth, and a strong stench could be smelled from them from a distance. Each of them carried something in their hands, which was fish wrapped in leaves.

After working for a whole day, from dawn to dark, Chang's father was tired and hungry, so he stuffed the big bag of things he brought back into Yueqian, and without a word, he turned around and burrowed into the reeds by the river.

Yue Qian opened the leaf, and inside were the tails of two big fish. Although they were fish tails, there was a lot of meat on them.

This is the scraps left over from making dried fish. The soldiers don't want it, but Chang's father picked it up.

Father Chang took a bath in the river, took off his dirty clothes and rubbed them in the water, even though he was hungry and tired, he still couldn't ignore the stench on his body.

Not long after, Father Chang got out from the reeds, put on wet clothes and went back to the hut, and sat in front of the firepit to warm himself up. He was very hungry, so he scooped up a bowl of fish soup and drank it.

Yue Qian was cooking the fish tail, removed the tail fin with a small stone knife, and then cut the fish into pieces, two fish tails, cut a large plate of meat.

Chang's father didn't care about the heat, so he fished out a miscellaneous fish from the soup, made chopsticks with both hands, and stuffed food into his mouth.

He ate a piece of fish and drank a bowl of soup, and his hungry stomach was relieved. He raised his head and smiled at Yue Qian: "There must be a lot of meat. I will pick the ones and bring them back. Let's eat with our stomachs open today!"

The pottery cauldron was put on the firepit again, and Chang's father added firewood under the cauldron. Yue Qian poured a large plate of fish into the cauldron, added water to the cauldron, and sprinkled a large handful of wild vegetables.

Chang's father was full after this meal, and it felt so good to be full.

Chang's father was sleepy after eating, and fell asleep next to the mat, and soon began to snore.Father Chang didn't realize that something was wrong with Yueqian tonight, he spoke very little and was very silent.

Chang's father treats Yue subconsciously as his own, but he doesn't have the spare energy to pay attention to whether he is happy or sad.

As a slave, living is the most important thing, and I don't care about the rest.

After the firewood in the fire pond was burned out, the fire went out by itself, and Yue Fu lay on the bed with his eyes open, only darkness in front of him.After an unknown amount of time, drowsiness gradually hit him, and he fell asleep.

In his sleep, Yue Qian turned into a green snake again, coiled around the branches, watching the prey in the forest.

The green snake has a pair of extremely sensitive golden pupils, even if it is a living creature hiding in the dark, it can also distinguish them from many occluded objects.

At this time, under the tree, there was a wild mouse sneaking out to look for food; beside the pool not far away, dozens of frogs gathered; above the head of the green snake, there was a tree hole, and five mandarin ducks and young birds crowded in the tree hole. middle.

The green snake is not hungry tonight, unlike the usual hunger and hunting around, it just lazily bathes in the moonlight and observes its surroundings habitually.

In the vision of the green snake, the mountains and forests are its territory where it can come and go freely. It is not afraid of wolves, tigers and leopards, or any creature in the forest. It is like the king of the forest.

The young birds in the tree hole sensed the danger, and one by one opened their throats and screamed, calling for the mother bird.

The green snake thought: If I don't eat you, I will feel like an enemy.

Irritated by the noise, the green snake finally moved its body, slid among the crisscross branches, and climbed to another tree.The forest is densely wooded, and even without the ability to fly, the green snake can move in mid-air.

It wandered around for a while, and returned to the big tree where the mandarin ducks made their nests, but just changed branches to stay.Yueqian likes this tree. It has a wide view of the surrounding area and is close to the pool, so it is comfortable to stay in.

Sensing that the natural enemy was coming again, the nest of mandarin ducks continued to make noisy calls.

The forest wind blew the mane on the green snake's back, and the tip of its tongue tasted the morning dew, and it knew it was dawn.

Yueqian in his sleep still refuses to wake up, he really wants to stay in the mountains and forests, become a green snake, unfettered by everything in the world, and be free at will; when the day comes, he will be a slave in the garden again, subject to People are enslaved and have no freedom.

The sky lightened slightly, and the returning female mandarin duck noticed a green snake lying on top of the nest. It hurriedly jumped into the nest and drove the chicks out of the cave.

The young birds are driven out of the cave by the mother bird. The tree hole is located very high. The young birds have not tried to fly before, but they have reached the age of leaving the tree hole and living in the pool.

The process of jumping from the tree hole to the ground is quite thrilling. They either successfully fly before falling to the ground, or fall heavily to the ground, causing injuries and disabilities.

This is the test of nature for them, and such a test their parents have also experienced.

Yue Qian suddenly recalled that before Yunshui City was about to be captured by the Rong army, his father led the troops to break through, and before leaving, he pulled out a bronze dagger with an ivory handle from his waist and handed it to him.His father said to him: Once the city falls, no one can take care of others. If you want to survive, you can only rely on yourself.

"Aqian!"

Chang's father's shouts were heard next to his ears, and the scolding of soldiers urging the slaves to get up came from outside the door.

Yue Qian immediately woke up from his sleep, he rolled over and got out of bed, and went out with Chang's father.

Before dawn, the slaves responsible for fishing had already gathered by the river, waiting for the soldiers to distribute boats, oars, fishing nets and other production tools.Under the supervision of soldiers, the slaves rowed the boats to the fishing spots.

On the boat that Yueqian was riding on, a slave who paddled was sick and unable to work. The soldiers on the boat were very dissatisfied. They took out a whip from their waists and whipped the sick slave to vent their anger.

The slave was beaten to the ground, covering his head with his hands, begging for mercy.

Seeing that the soldier raised his arms and the whip was about to fall again, Yue Qian suddenly stood up and stood in front of the soldier.

Seeing his actions, Chang's father was terrified.

Yue Qian raised his head and said loudly: "He is seriously ill and can't paddle, but I can paddle!"

The soldier was suddenly disturbed, his hand holding the whip did not fall, and he froze in mid-air. He glared fiercely at Yue Qian, and was about to yell at Yue Qian. Chang's father quickly handed a wooden paddle to Yue Qian, and said kindly to the soldier, "I taught him , let him try."

I'm afraid that if you become younger and more energetic, you will suffer if you conflict with the soldiers.

Their small boat lagged far behind other boats, and if the delay continued, the soldiers would be held accountable by their superiors. The soldiers pointed at the submerged boat with the handle of their whips and shouted, "Hurry up!"

Yue Qian held the wooden paddle and sat in the rower's position. He swung his arms quickly, and the wooden paddle raised water, and the boat moved forward quickly with the cooperation of the two paddlers.

Yue Qian's paddling movements are very skilled, and he cooperates well with Chang Fu, who is also a paddler.

The soldier looked angry, holding a whip, and stood beside Yueqian to supervise. Yueqian's back was straight, and he looked forward, with a calm face and firm eyes.

A round of sun rose from the water, shining golden light, Chang's father slowed down his paddling a little, looked at Yue Qian beside him, and found that he had grown up a lot without knowing it, and seemed to be a bit of an adult.

Even though he was disheveled and his hair was disheveled like grass, even though he was a slave with a humble status and a life like nothing, but in the early morning when the sun rose from the river, Chang Fu vaguely saw the figure of the late monarch from him. .

**

In the end, Jing Zhongyan went to the South Gate Tower to dance again.

It was dark at that time, and the soldiers guarding on the tower were about to change shifts, so they were surrounded by a large group of soldiers.

It has to be said that Dr. Jing is quite talented in everything he does. He wears a witch's robe and a feather crown, holds a sycamore branch in his hand, and dances the witch dance with dignity.

Jing Zhongyan finished a round of dancing, stopped to rest, and was sighing, thinking that Mr. Ling didn't know when he would wake up. Could it be that he wanted to dance until dawn?

Suddenly, an eunuch (eunuch) in the palace shouted loudly under the tower: "Doctor Jing, don't jump! Don't jump! Master Ling wake up!"

Jing Zhongyan threw the sycamore branch on the ground and complained: "I said a long time ago that people can wake up, but I didn't listen. The lord just wants me to summon the soul!"

At any rate, he is an official who keeps the history of Tibet and is in charge of the country's books. An upright official historian is forced to become a master.

Besides, if witches really have the power to penetrate the heaven and earth, why would they need them, the officials in charge of history books and household registers, to assist the monarch in governing the country.

Jing Zhongyan didn't even bother to take off his witch robe, he hurried back to visit Young Master Ling.

No, he couldn't even get into Young Master Ling's room, he waited outside, listening to the commotion in the room, not only the crying of Madam Xu Ji, but also the voice of the monarch abusing others.

The pharmacist, the cook, the monarch's attendant, and Mrs. Xu Ji's maid came in and out, their footsteps were rough and chaotic.

When the room gradually calmed down, Jing Zhongyan was called into the room by the monarch.

When Jing Zhongyan entered the room, the room was filled with the smell of bitter medicine and broth. The two mixed together, and he wrinkled his nose uncomfortably.

There are delicacies on the wooden table, the bowls and spoons have been used, the maid is clearing the tableware, and saw a pharmacist kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, sweating profusely.

The monarch obviously had a quarrel with Mrs. Xu Ji, so he took Jing Zhongyan's arm and said, "Jing Qing, it's just in time, you can ask him what's going on!"

Pointing at Young Master Ling.

Mr. Ling looked haggard, with tears in his eyes, and his eyes were red from crying, like the eyes of a rabbit.Mrs. Xu Ji was heartbroken, she hugged Mr. Ling in her arms, and patted his back to comfort him.Mrs. Xu Ji looked at the monarch with small eyes, and there was obviously a complaint against the monarch.Presumably the monarch has a bad temper, he should be more fierce than Young Master Ling.

Jing Zhongyan said helplessly: "Young Master Ling has just woken up, so please don't be anxious, wait for me to ask him."

He said he wanted to ask questions, but Mrs. Xu Ji hugged her tightly, and the young man just cried because he was wronged, fearing that he would not be able to ask why.

"Jingqing, after my child woke up, he refused to say anything, and cried when he was asked. What should I do?" Mrs. Xu Ji wept, anxious in her heart, not knowing what happened to the child who fell asleep all night and day.

Mrs. Xu Ji wiped away her tears, and said again: "The last time he found his lost soul, he said a lot to Jing Qing, and Jing Qing has to ask him."

Turning into a bird in a dream and being unconscious, the pharmacist doesn't know about pathology, and Wu Zhu's words are too scary, only Jing Zhongyan can be reliable.

Without hesitation, Jing Zhongyan walked to the bed and knelt down. He carefully looked at Mr. Ling, and saw that there was no missing piece of flesh on his body, but he seemed very wronged, like a child who was bullied by the older neighbors when he went out to play.

Jing Zhongyan said to Mrs. Xu Ji: "If Ma'am doesn't mind, I would like to talk to you alone."

Soon, only Jing Zhongyan and Zhao Ling were left in the room, and there was no one else. Jing Zhongyan leaned into Zhao Ling's ear and asked softly, "Young master, have you become a bird again?"

Zhao Ling nodded guiltily.

He didn't dare to tell his parents the truth. His father was very fierce, and he was a little afraid of him on weekdays. After his mother found out, she would definitely panic like last time.

It would be great if the elder brother Zhaoyu was here, he could tell his elder brother about anything, but his elder brother has been supervising the fortification in Yincheng these two days.

"Where did the young master go after he became a bird? Can you tell me?" Jing Zhongyan's voice was gentle and kind.

There is a boy in his family who is the same age as Zhao Ling, and he is very good at coaxing children.

Zhao Ling hesitated to speak, but before she could say anything, tears began to fall.

Jing Zhongyan comforted him patiently, and finally Zhao Ling told him the truth.

After listening to Mr. Ling's intermittent statement, Jing Zhongyan was surprised, because the things he described were far beyond a child's ability to make up stories.

Regarding the matter of Mr. Ling turning into a bird in his dream and traveling in the mountains and forests earlier, Jing Zhongyan thought that it was a child with a rich imagination, dreaming in a dream, and now he couldn't help thinking: His dream might be somewhat real.

Jing Zhongyan whispered: "The boy let you out of the cage, and then you flew back?"

"Ah."

Zhao Ling responded, with a troubled look on his face, and murmured: "Doctor Jing, why did he lock me up, and why did he let me go?"

Jing Zhongyan was stumped, the boy in Master Ling's dream behaved erratically, how could he know what the boy was thinking.But Jing Zhongyan always has the answer, he said: "People like birds, so they keep them in cages, and want to be with them every day."

"But some birds cannot be kept in a cage. They belong to the forest and the mountains. If such a bird really loves it, it should be let out and let it fly to the mountains."

Hearing such an answer, Zhao Ling, who was originally depressed, seemed to be relieved, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

After talking with Jing Zhongyan, Zhao Ling felt tired, so he rested on the mat with his head resting on the pillow, and Jing Zhongyan helped him pull up the quilt.Jing Zhongyan turned around to leave when he heard Mr. Ling speaking in a small voice, as if he was talking to himself: "No wonder, he told me not to go back..."

Two days later, Zhaoling, who had recovered, was taken to the ancestral temple by his father.

The monarch, who has never believed in ghosts and gods, was annoyed by his youngest son falling asleep several times, and finally turned to ghosts and gods for help.

In the grand but dim ancestral temple, countless wormwood is burning, and the smoke and smell fill the mouth and nose.

Zhao Ling widened her eyes uneasily, watching Wu Zhu walk around him. These people wore strange buns, held sycamore leaves, barely wore clothes, and only wore strips around their waists to cover their knees. The costumes of the ancestors of Shangrong Kingdom are the same.

Zhao Ling felt inexplicably panicked, the smoke was choking, and Wu Zhu surrounded her with mysterious expressions.He really wanted to escape, but he didn't dare, his father was standing aside and watching him.

The King of Rong Kingdom came to Zhaoling's side. He shook his son's hand and whispered: "Don't be afraid, it's just a ceremony and it will end soon."

Zhao Ling asked in a low voice: "Father, what kind of ceremony is it?"

Rong Guojun said: "The ritual so that you will never turn into a bird again."

In the courtyard, there was a group of dancing feathered men, they flapped their witch robes covered with bells, sang and danced, and kept beating drums.

In the main hall of the ancestral temple, there is a corpse man pretending to be the ancestor Qin Gong (the person who pretends to be the dead to be sacrificed when offering sacrifices to the ancestors), lying on his side on the lacquer bed, wearing a phoenix crown on his head, holding a king's ax on his right, and holding a flag in his hand , with a pair of lifelike wings tied on its back.

His eyes are closed, his arms are folded, he looks like a man of god who is transforming from a human into a bird.

Such a strange appearance is exactly the image of Qin Gong in Rongguo legend.

According to the legend, Qin Gong is a man who is also a bird, possesses divinity, and is extraordinary.

Sacrificial offerings were placed in front of the corpse, and Zong Bo, who was in charge of the ancestral temple ritual, presided over the sacrifice and poured a jar of bright red wine with Monascus fungus into two lacquer goblets.

Zong Bo held on to the two lacquer goblets, muttering something in his mouth.

The wine in one lacquer goblet was fed to the corpse, while the wine in the other lacquer goblet was drunk by others.

The surrounding atmosphere was extremely eerie and weird, Zhao Ling coughed again and again and became dizzy.

Finally, the sound of Yuren's dance stopped, the sound of drums gradually faded away, and the group of naked people holding sycamore leaves surrounding Zhaoling dispersed, and Zong Bo grabbed the other lacquer goblet and poured wine into Zhaoling's throat.

Really poured, Zhaoling was opened mouth, and the strange taste of sacrificial wine was poured into the throat, he coughed again, and physiological tears came from the corners of his eyes.

He thought he would never be a bird again.

This was done because he would turn into a bird in his dream.

At the end of the ceremony, the King of Rongguo and Zongbo were talking on the sidelines, and Zhaoling hurried to the outside of the ancestral temple.

Zhao Ling wanted to spit out the sacrificial wine that he drank, but the blood-red sacrificial wine made him uncomfortable, and the strong scent of wormwood made him feel nauseous.

He bent over but couldn't spit it out, just retched.

The ancestral temple behind is smoky, dark and solemn, giving people a heavy sense of oppression. Zhaoling stays outside the ancestral temple, looking up into the air, while birds fly low, looking for insects.

They spread their wings and fly, supporting the wind up and down, light and willful.

I will never be a bird again, Zhao Ling thought sadly.

I don't know if the ritual played a role, or because of other reasons, until a year later, Zhao Ling did not change into a bird in his sleep again.

Another year passed, and Zhao Ling almost forgot that he could once become a bird in his dream, dance with the wind, and travel around.

Five years later, Zhao Ling was 15 years old.