Arriving at the military room early in the morning, Wu Gen was thinking about how to spend this boring day. Cao Jinren hurried in and asked, "Did the letter yesterday arrive at the governor's house?"
Wu Gen raised his head and was stunned, "I sent it over, why do you ask?"
"If you look again, have you not put the documents in the envelope?" Cao Jinren said angrily with a somewhat unkind tone.
Narrowing his eyes and thinking for a moment, Wu Gen looked at the table again and said with certainty: "It must have been put in, and I even signed it."
"Hey, then why did the message come over there this morning and it was an empty envelope. This is the document for allocating money and food to the army this month, and yesterday was the last day to submit the report.
In this way, what will Xiangjun eat and drink this month? "Cao Jinren almost roared, his face turned red, and the veins on his neck bulged.
Wu Gen said coldly: "Yesterday you were also there, and you could see clearly that the official document was indeed put in. Why did it rest on my head?"
"It's hard to accomplish anything big by being stupid." Cao Jinren was furious and slapped the table hard.
Hearing the argument between the two, Bi Hua, who was outside the house, hurried in and said, "You two, you two, calm down. Why are you doing this so early in the morning? But what happened?"
Cao Jinren shut his mouth at this time, hurriedly re-drafted an official document, and hurried out.
Bi Hua sighed, "Wu Gen, you don't have to worry about it. Lao Cao has such a temper. Otherwise, he would have been devolved to a real job a few years ago. But why is it so noisy?"
Thinking that he couldn't hide the matter of this document, Wu Gen recounted the origin of the matter. After hearing this, Bi Hua frowned, stroking his beard and thinking for a while, "There is no room for change in this matter. All we need to do is find a familiar county official and fill in a document.
But where did the original documents go? This is the most important thing. After all, the matter of money and food may not seem important, but if someone is aware of it, they can use it to figure out the number and location of our Xiang army around Dingyuan City. This matter must be reported to the superior officer and investigated quickly to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy. "
Wu Gen was also confused. He carefully recalled yesterday's itinerary and found that he didn't encounter anything special or anyone. Suddenly, Wu Gen remembered that he was summoned to discuss matters yesterday when the documents were placed on the table. Only then could the envelope have been tampered with.
After recounting his speculation, Bi Hua sighed: "It is possible, but who would do such a thing? Forget it, I'd better report it first. It would be nice if I can get it back. You can rest assured for now. , I will look for an opportunity and meet the captain, and I will defend you. After all, if something happens, I, the person in charge, cannot run away."
Seeing Bi Hua say this, Wu Gen was helpless. After being here for such a long time, Captain Yuwen has not been seen once. He has long forgotten that he is a role model in the military.
In the afternoon, Cao Jinren came back with a dark face and ignored Wu Gen. Bi Hua opened the door and came in at this moment, "Old Cao, where have you been this morning? I can't find you anywhere. How are you doing with the paperwork?"
Cao Jinren was stunned for a moment, and looked up at Wu Gen. His eyes seemed to burst into flames, but when he turned around, his tone was calm, "It's okay. I have a fellow countryman who happened to be at the county governor's house, and I asked him to fill out a document. , has been handed over."
"That's very good." Bi Hua also breathed a sigh of relief, "No matter what, just don't miss the payment of food and salary, otherwise it would be strange if the killer talents in the major camps don't swallow us up."
Seeing that the matter was revealed, calm returned to the counselor's room again, but Wu Gen always felt that Cao Jinren was secretly looking at him from time to time.
On the third day, Bi Hua brought bad news.
Because of the loss of the documents, Wu Gen was transferred to the Facao. To put it bluntly, he was a messenger. He could no longer stay in the counselor's room and was transferred to a small room in the first courtyard, adjacent to the stable. But it was quieter, he was the only one in the room.
Wu Gen was a little confused. After such a big incident, shouldn't he be driven back to Xiangjun? Why should he stay in the mansion?
Every morning, I saw Wu Gen washing the horses there. People passed by from time to time, and they all whispered to each other.
"I heard that this is the role model in the army, but he was demoted to this place and became a messenger and errand boy."
"What a bullshit role model in the army. He must be a role model for washing horses. A libertine with a background of bandits. He occasionally defeats a loser from the Great Xia Kingdom. He doesn't know what the world is. The brothers kindly invited him to drink and made a bad face. He deserves to be unlucky."
"Haha, being a role model for washing horses is quite appropriate. Then can I be a role model for drinking?"
"Haha, that's natural. Brother is famous in Dingyuan City for his drinking capacity."
Wu Gen'an ignored all these taunts and delivered letters diligently every day, almost visiting the entire Dingyuan City. Sometimes, they have to travel to other counties to deliver official documents from the government. There's just one place in the city that you can't go to.
That is the area surrounding Gushan in the south of the city, where the residences of the nobles in the city are located. Because of the beautiful scenery and close proximity to mountains and rivers, nobles built private residences here.
On weekdays, unless summoned by a noble person, if a person below the rank breaks into this place without permission, he will be punished with a rod at the least and thrown into jail at the most serious. If something bad happens, he will lose his head.
On weekdays when he had nothing to do or was taking a break, Wu Gen would often go to a secluded tavern in the south of the city and drink some in silence. The window of this tavern faces Gushan Mountain, making it an excellent place to view the mountain scenery from a distance.
At this time of the year, Gushan Mountain is the most beautiful time of the year with its rugged mountains and dark green mountains and rushing waterfalls.
From time to time, there are noble people, bringing friends to call, or walking with sticks to enjoy the scenery, or washing their feet and singing loudly, wandering in the lush shades, shuttling through the misty clouds and mist.
There are also female relatives traveling together, dressed in gorgeous clothes, like flowers dotting the green. Here, these nobles finally don't need servants to follow them closely, and they seem to be doing something arbitrary.
He came to the tavern many times, and even the shopkeeper knew his habits. In addition, Wu Gen was generous every time and would leave a seat by the window for him whenever possible.
On this day, it rarely rained in the city. Wu Gen finished his official business and came to the tavern again in the dusk, sitting on his usual seat.
The drizzle outside the window was pattering on the bamboo leaves. When half a bottle of apricot blossom wine was about to be consumed, Wu Gen gradually became confused. Suddenly, the sound of wind and rain became louder, the door of the tavern was pushed open, and Wu Gen suddenly woke up.
"Shopkeeper, please warm up a pot of wine and serve a plate of peanuts." A gentle middle-aged man's voice came.
Wu Gen rubbed his brows and drank the remaining wine in the cup. Wu Gen ignored the movement behind him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhu, you haven't been here for a while. Unfortunately, today we have peanuts but the wine has been sold out." The shopkeeper greeted him warmly.
"It's a pity that there's no apricot flower wine in such a soul-destroying rain. I'm so depressed that I just need wine to pour it out." The man was not angry, but instead joked with the shopkeeper.
Wu Gen turned around and saw an elegant middle-aged man in a green shirt with a gentle face chatting with the shopkeeper. The man was holding a tung oil umbrella, and the hem of his clothes was already wet. He seemed to be a good drinker and had taken a short distance.
There is an aura of uprightness about this person, but also a warmth that makes people feel close to him at a glance. Seeing that there was no wine, the man said a few words and prepared to go out and leave.
"Sir, there is half a bottle of wine left here. If you don't mind, why don't you come over and have a drink." Wu Gen suddenly felt something in his heart and said hello.
The man was stunned for a moment, then smiled warmly and walked to Wu Gen, "Thank you for the invitation, little brother. The rain this night has really aroused my drinking bug. In that case, I shyly asked for a drink. , of course you have to pay for the drinks."
"It doesn't matter, it's Wu Gen who invites you today, and he'll make up for it next time. In this way, it's easier for me." Wu Gen smiled and asked the waiter to put on the bowls, chopsticks and wine glasses, and filled the man's glass with wine. One cup.
The two of them drank a glass together, and the man paused for a moment, seeming to recollect the taste of the wine, "Intoxicating is nothing more than drinking together in the rain. The rain is Tianyin wine and sorrow. Sure enough, the apricot blossoms on a rainy night have endless charm, mellow and deep, just like drinking Manna. This little brother, I am the teacher here. My surname is Zhu Buzhan. I would like to thank you for your kind invitation today."
It turns out he is a teacher. Wu Gen's heart moved. He raised his glass and said, "Although Wu Gen doesn't know a few Chinese characters, he respects you the most in his life. I will drink this glass of wine first." As he spoke, he raised his head and drank it all. .
Wu Gen's lack of literacy has always been a pain in his heart. In the past, when he was in the Xiangjun camp, he was surrounded by a group of fighting men, but he didn't notice anything. Since entering the school captain's house, I can't even draw up a document, so I can only be a role model for washing horses. Although he didn't care on the surface, he was still worried about it in his heart.
"Haha, little brother, you are being cunning. This drink is a reward. If you drink one more glass, I will suffer more losses." Looking at the proud Wu Gen, the man joked with a smile.
The sound of rain outside the window gradually became smaller.
In the dimly lit tavern, Wu Gen and Zhu Buzhan sat opposite each other, toasting to each other and drinking, talking and laughing.
After drinking three cups, Zhu Buzhan picked up a peanut with both hands, put it into his mouth and chewed it, "Little brother, why are you drinking alone? I see you look gloomy, but what's the problem?"
"Sir, just call me Wu Gen." The other person was as gentle as jade. Wu Gen was somewhat cautious when dealing with such a person. "Sir, I don't know where I have a private school."
Zhu Buzhan smiled slightly and pointed to the edge of the guide, "I have no other talents in my life. I can only make a living by teaching, and I will teach here."
Wu Gen was stunned. The south was where the nobles lived. Could it be...
Just as he was about to get up, Zhu Buzhan stopped him. He had to sit down carefully and asked tentatively, "Sir, you are a noble man."
"What a nobleman or commoner? He is just a teacher. He just has some honor from his ancestors. Don't let this ruin your drinking mood. Come on, come on, have another drink." Zhu Buzhan didn't care and even helped Wu Gen pour it. A cup, and he gestured to drink it first.
Wu Gen was confused at this time. What a noble man. It was the first time in his life that a noble man poured wine for him. He hurriedly went to get the wine glass. By accident, the wine glass fell on the table. He hurriedly went to wipe it with his sleeve.
Zhu Buzhan laughed and said: "It doesn't have to be like this, but don't tell anyone about my identity, otherwise I won't be able to come here to drink."
Wu Gen nodded repeatedly, suddenly feeling blessed, and said: "Sir, I don't want you to invite me to drink next time. Can I study with you, so that I can always hold the pot for you?"
Zhu Buzhan smiled but didn't answer. Wu Gen's heart went crazy when he saw it. He waited for a moment before speaking: "Wu Gen, but what kind of Wu Gen is a role model in the military?"
"Ah." Wu Gen was extremely disgusted with the word "model" now. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment. He didn't know what the other party meant, so he could only say in confusion: "That's the boy."
"Hahaha, I am so lucky to be able to drink with my role model. You became famous in one battle and protected the majesty of the Zhao Kingdom. You are really worthy of the admiration of the people of the country. But I never thought that you would be formidable in the future at such a young age."
"Sir, you are joking. He is just a rough guy. He can fight and kill. He really doesn't dare to claim to be a role model. Don't laugh at me again."
"You can enroll tomorrow."
"Hmm! Huh? Tomorrow?"
Wu Gen raised his head with a look of disbelief.
