China was called Huaxia in ancient times, and the earliest sources of the Han nationality were the Hua and Xia nationalities. According to research, Huashan originally referred to today's Songshan Mountain, named after the Chinese. Later, the Chinese moved westward. The easternmost mountain in today's Shaanxi is called Huashan. However, there are still many ancient cities named "Hua" around Songshan Mountain, and Huayang is one of them. It is known as the capital of Hua in history. Its name has not changed since ancient times and is still used today.
The Lu brothers and their entourage hurried along the highway for a day and arrived in Huayang at night. Huayang City is no more than a mile long, with horse-mounted walls on all four walls, and protective walls to protect the four gates. It is just a military fortress, with no civilians living there. Ordinary people do not enter the city, and only rows of buildings are built outside the city. Fangshe, either for residence or business. The surrounding fields are slightly undulating and have all been developed into farmland, with farmhouses of various sizes scattered sparsely among them.
Masan led everyone to turn down a trail and enter a small settlement with only a dozen households. A large group of people walked from the flat fields, naturally attracting attention, and the men in the settlement came out early to welcome them. Masan walked in the front and greeted him affectionately: "Uncle Zhong, uncle, Erhan..." Then everyone showed a smile and suddenly gathered around. The Lu family, the Tang family, the princes, the military soldiers, etc. also bowed and bowed one by one with the courtesy of common people. Masan didn't even bother to introduce them one by one, and everyone didn't care who they were. They just knew they were Masan's people, so they welcomed them in enthusiastically.
Everyone took straw mats from home, and everyone sat on the ground in a corner of the threshing floor in front of the farmhouse. Everyone also brought various clay pottery bowls from their respective homes to fill with water. Mrs. Lu and her entourage took off their grain bags and said politely: "I'll borrow your fire." At first, the farmers refused and insisted on treating the guests themselves. After Mrs. Lu and others became uneasy again and again, the farmers took the bags back to each house and asked them to The woman of the family set up the fire to cook, and asked her to take out the vegetables and cook them as well. The men were also sitting in the venue, listening to the elders talking to the guests, and occasionally making timid remarks for fear of making mistakes and making people laugh. The children were also let out to "gain knowledge" by the adults and played happily. The lively and harmonious atmosphere even attracted people from several surrounding villages to inquire, which naturally made Masan's people feel a little more proud.
It wasn't until the moon rose above the treetops that the food was served. The nearly thirty sets of dishes are almost all the dishes in the farmhouse here, including various shapes, materials, and colors. Each one has been aged for a long time and has a thick coating. , some are even broken. Lu and his party invited Masan's clan members to eat together, but they all excused themselves and said they had already eaten. So under the leadership of the Lu brothers, every man present was stuffed with two rice balls, saying they were for women and children, and then all the guests started to eat. The farmers lacked salt and sauce, only raw vegetables, and everyone didn't eat much. When everyone stopped eating, there was still a lot of corn left in the rice bowl. The Lu brothers suggested that the children take the food home to eat. The guests' generosity obviously added a lot of goodwill to them. The elder pointed at Ma San and said: "Thief San, you have been a thief when you were young, but you never expected to befriend such a hero." Ma San's eyes shone, hehehe said happily, "You don't know, we are still Lord Xinling." Officer!" Mrs. Lu was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she looked around anxiously. No one seemed to realize who Lord Xinling was, and the elder only responded carelessly: "Okay..." before feeling relieved a little.
Masan added: "When merchants arrive in Qifeng to transport goods, they will ride in an oxcart with dozens of dollars. There will be two meals on the way, and they will collect the value at the place. People must be safe."
The elder said: "There are hundreds of vehicles in the oxcart shop four doors away. We can go to Yong tomorrow, so it's okay to have some materials."
Lu said: "Your Majesty, I know that we are in a hurry. If we don't have enough carriages, we have to raise additional funds. How can we have a good relationship with Taigong? I would like to visit you at starry night and make an order."
The elder said: "It doesn't matter. Who of you are friends with the Four Elements and dare to go for it?"
A strong man stood up and said, "I often go with Si Xing to drive a chariot, so I dare to invite you."
The elder said to the guests: "Er Niu is quite strong and cannot be idle. He often travels with servants and has some knowledge."
Lu Bo stood up and bowed his head and said, "Thank you, brother Niu. The car is worth ten coins a day, and my husband eats twice a day. Is that okay?"
Erniu said: "You can eat until you are full and you will have no regrets."
Lu Bo said, "How can I be full after two and a half fights a day?"
Erniu nodded happily. Lu Bo said: "It's not too late. Brother Tang and Brother Zheng can go with Brother Niu, and my brother is willing to assist."
Uncle Tang and Zheng Anping both sat up and said, "How dare you disobey me!" Lu Zhong also got up from the table, bowed around him, and the four of them left the venue together and walked along the path to the main road.
Lu Zhong asked Erniu: "Whose family does the city have?"
Erniu said: "The closest to the north of the city is the Bai family; the farthest to the south is the Ba family; the east of the city is the Chen family, and the west of the city is the Lu family."
Lu Zhong was shocked and asked: "And the Lu family?"
Erniu said: "The Lu family has only been here for three years, so I will take over from the Wang family. What's wrong?"
Lu Zhongdao: "The Lu family is a humble family."
Erniu said: "It turns out it's Mr. Lu's family, so that's even better. Why don't we go to the Lu family first?"
Lu Zhongdao: "The Lu family is from our own clan. We will have a long talk when we get home. Wouldn't it be a waste of time? Let's go from near to far, and finally visit the Lu family. If we see you late, brother, you can go home first."
Seeing that no one else had any other opinions, Erniu said, "Just Mr. Yi."
Not long after walking along the avenue, we arrived outside the North Gate of Huayang. Zheng Anping saw that the Huayang City in front of him was about the same size as the small city where Guan lived, but its defense strength was obviously not at the same level. He felt a great fluctuation in his heart: Why are some cities of the same size impregnable, while others are vulnerable? If the little city lord can make up his mind and stick to it, how much trouble will it cause to Lord Xinling? Or is it just a sacrifice for Lord Xinling to establish his own prestige?
So he asked Er Niu a confused question: "How many soldiers are there in the city?"
This direct question made Lu Bo and Uncle Tang frown, and Er Niu replied as expected: "How can a commoner know about the affairs of the city's officials?"
Uncle Tang might have some sympathy for Zheng Anping, fearing that he was secretly tasked with investigating the military situation, but didn't know how to complete it, so he then asked: "Do you know Brother Niu, a soldier in the city?"
Erniu straightened his chest and replied: "After so many years, how can we not become familiar with the soldiers in the city. Si Xing met Dr. Huayang when he was a piece of furniture, and we and the rest of the gang knew each other well with the soldiers guarding the city. Sometimes we look for them. Even a doctor may not be able to do something, but a few brothers may be able to do it. I can do it too." When everyone heard this, they all burst into laughter. Erniu said: "The people in front of me are not from Bai's car shop!"
Following Er Niu's hand, there was a courtyard beside the road. There was a row of horse stakes in front of the door, and a wheel was placed on the side of the steps in front of the door. The lantern is not lit, but the word "白" can be faintly recognized. The smell of cattle is in the air, mixed with the smell of various animal excrements scattered around the fields, and you don't pay much attention unless you distinguish it carefully. Occasionally, a few cows brayed, indicating that cows were indeed raised here.
