The next day, I called Li Si, Yu He and Taiyue.
"Tai Shi Ling, are all the things for the sacrifices to Mount Jiuyi ready?" Mount Jiuyi has Shun Mausoleum and Shun Temple. Emperor Shun has been worshiped there since the Xia Dynasty. When Yingzheng inspected Changsha County, he asked Meng Yi to Instead of going to offer sacrifices, many emperors of later generations also held sacrifices, but they were basically remote sacrifices. This time Taiyue chose the remote sacrifice place at Hengshan Mountain.
Taiyue cupped her hands and said, "Your Majesty, the preparations are complete and we can set off tomorrow."
I nodded, thought for a while and said: "Don't accompany the sacrificial convoy this time. Except for me and you, everyone else is waiting in Xiangxian County. Although there is Wuguan Road to the south, the road condition is not very good and the people are Less is easier to do.”
Li Si frowned slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, if no one follows you, I am worried about your Majesty's safety."
Yu He was also a little worried. Only twenty people were too few, so he advised: "Your Majesty, it is better for everyone to go together. It will take half a month to go back and forth, which is about the same time as it would take for Your Majesty to go alone."
The road conditions to the south were complicated. There were barbarians around, and there was also Chu Mo whom He Xian said. I couldn't help but become a little worried. I thought for a long time and said, "That's it. Tai Shiling will go with the sacrificial team, and I will pretend to be a merchant behind. Twenty musketeers disguised as porters will keep me safe."
Along the way, I didn't find a chance to go out alone to see how the real people of Qin lived. This was a rare opportunity.
————
Three days later, near the stage.
A group of merchants were setting up camp. A porter approached the leader and said, "My boss, we will arrive at Hengshan tomorrow."
It was me and twenty other people in the clean room. When I heard Meng He's words, I looked up, pointed not far away and said, "That's the Xiangjiang River over there, right? Come with me and have a look."
The others were setting up tents, and I took Meng He and four or five others away slowly. We arrived at the riverside in just half a quarter of an hour.
The surging river flows southward, with patches of golden light rippling on the waves. Although it is almost sunset, there are still fishermen fishing on the river, and there are still women washing their clothes by the river.
Thinking of Qu Yuan, I couldn't help but say: "Qu Yuan once said that the whole world is turbid and I am alone pure, and everyone is drunk and I am alone awake. But the fisherman said that the water in Canglang is clear, I can use it to carry my tassel; the water in Canglang is turbid, I can use it. Wash my feet. It’s been more than seventy years now, which one is right and which one is wrong?”
Before Meng He could answer, a voice came from the grass nearby: "How can a Quzi seek a country and a fisherman make a living?"
Meng He and others were so shocked that they didn't even notice that there was someone next to them. They immediately surrounded me in the center, and their hands were already touching the short guns behind them.
Under the vigilant eyes of several people, a man stood up from the grass. He was about thirty years old, dressed as a fisherman, and slowly lifted a fishing rod from the water. The man did not squint, only staring at the palm-long grass carp, calmly After taking it off, the bait was put again and thrown into the river.
I waved my hand to indicate to the others that they should not be nervous.
He took a step forward and said with a smile: "You haven't asked me about your name yet?"
The fisherman had the temperament of an outsider, and said calmly: "People have no identity, so why should they give names? They are just fishermen, and there is no respect for them. Don't you sound like a person from Chu?"
Meng He frowned slightly, this man spoke so rudely. I didn't care. Fishermen seemed to have a special meaning during the Qin and Han Dynasties. For example, talking to Qu Yuan or persuading Xiang Yu to cross the river were all fishermen.
"I came from Nanyang to sell some goods here. I don't agree with what I just said. How about seeking a country? What about making a living? Fishermen make a living by fishing, and officials make a living by benefiting the country. Why can't we compare them? "
The fisherman snorted coldly, glanced sideways, and said sarcastically: "Profit comes first, you sound like a Qin man!"
I raised my eyebrows and felt a little unhappy. I was kind enough to chat with you, but you also resorted to personal attacks and regional discrimination, right?
Then he said tit for tat: "Now that everyone in the world is from Qin, I see that you are not like an old man in the mountains, but you open your mouth to tell people, and keep your mouth shut. Qin people are extremely rude! A rat has skin, but a human has no manners! If a man has no manners, what is the point of not dying? ?! Guan Zi said: A man with a solid storehouse knows etiquette, and a man with enough food and clothing knows honor and disgrace. How is Guan Zhong better than you? If you had not taken advantage of profit first, are you fishing by the river now to imitate Jiang Taigong instead of filling your own belly? Are you more talented than Guan Zhong and Jiang Shang? This is simply hilarious!"
The fisherman was so scolded by me that his lips trembled with anger and his face turned blue. He pointed at me and stammered: "You... sophistry! Qin people are tigers and wolves, and they don't know etiquette and justice! I have nothing to say to you!"
I sneered and returned the personal attack, right?
"Tiger and wolf? I am quite satisfied with this body. I see that you have a big head, a thick neck, and a dwarf shape. Compared with you, I can be said to be handsome and majestic. Etiquette and justice? King Wen of Chu defeated Shen and passed Deng, so he turned around easily. Then the Deng State was destroyed; King Huai of Chu, seeing profit and forgetting his righteousness, betrayed the State of Qi and attached himself to the State of Qin for a mere six miles of merchant land. You talk to me about etiquette and justice? You are so shameless!"
Although King Huai of Chu was the first to betray Qi, in the end it was Zhang Yi who was not particular about it and insisted on saying six hundred miles as six miles. The Qin State was also unethical, but I expected that the black people in this area had little culture, so it would be right to criticize him. .
Sure enough, after he finished speaking, the fisherman rolled his eyes, swung the fishing rod in his hand, and said angrily: "What a sharp-toothed boy! Do you dare to come back to the village with me? My elder brother will definitely be able to Refute your sophistry!”
I sneered. The regional black man has no logic and no brains. Although there are many nearby villages, many of them live together with the same clan. If he wants to convince people not with reason but with strength, I will not give him in vain. Looking for trouble yourself? No normal person would follow him.
I looked at him like a fool and sneered: "Why, if your elder brother can't defeat me, are you going to call your father and grandfather out? I don't bother to argue with you anymore. Meng He, let's go."
After saying this, I took Meng He and went straight back to the camp, ignoring the fisherman's smoke.
While eating, Meng He's eyes were a little sharp, and he cupped his hands and said, "Master, I think something is wrong with the fisherman. Do you want someone to go check it out?"
I was stunned and wondered: "He's just a country man, what's wrong with him?"
Meng He shook his head slightly, as if he was also struggling, and said hesitantly: "I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child, and I have an intuition for danger. The fisherman was hiding in the grass at our feet, and I didn't even notice it. But after he came out, I noticed that there seemed to be some dodge between his brows and eyes, and this place should be Chu Mo's range of activities, and the clean room didn't detect anything wrong, so this person seems quite strange."
I laughed softly and didn't take it to heart. As my guards, it was normal for them to be suspicious. They said nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter, I'm sorry he can't make too much trouble. If Chu Mo's people discover my identity, then Jiang Bian is a good opportunity to take action, and they won’t miss it. Let’s eat in peace.”
