As if in a dream, in just two days, Zheng Anping traveled from Guanyi outside the Great Wall of Wei to the city of Chen Guocheng, the new capital of Chu. The city in front of me is naturally not Chencheng, it is just an inconspicuous earthen town, but it still has a travel shop, a car shop and a boat shop. There are still some small towns like this around. There are many shops along both sides of the river outside the city, and there are one or two large warehouses behind the shops. Chen Si took Zheng Anping on a reverse journey without making any detours, and found the person he was looking for - a Chu businessman.
Chen Si stepped forward very respectfully and saluted: "I would like to apply for the order of the right gentleman of the public family to pay an audience to Mr. Hu."
Mr. Hu looked at Chen Si and said with some doubts: "Mr. You said that Mr. Zheng wants to enter the Qin Dynasty. Do you dare to ask if he can do it?"
Chen Si invited Zheng Anping out from behind and said, "This is Father Zheng!"
Mr. Hu glanced at Zheng Anping. Although he looked haggard at the moment, his eyes were bright, his back was straight, and he was holding a wooden stick in his hand. He could tell at a glance that he was from the military. Mr. Hu quickly stepped forward to salute and said: "Hu Meng, a humble concubine, would like to meet Mr. Zheng!"
Zheng Anping said: "When Zheng first came to Guiyi, I met Mr. What a blessing!"
Mr. Hu said: "Mr. You, Mr. Shen Gongfu, pays homage to Mr. Zheng again and again. We need to rely more on our Fu Fu store!"
Zheng Anping didn't know who Mr. Shen was, nor who Mr. You was, and he didn't know how these shops could rely on him. He could only respond vaguely: "But I have to work hard, don't dare to say anything!"
Hu Meng had already booked a destination for Zheng Anping and his party, and now immediately asked the host of the reverse journey to take Zheng Anping and his party to the destination. The host of the counter-tourist was very surprised to see that there were only family members in the group but no luggage. He asked, "Your carriage and luggage are still somewhere else. Please allow me to fetch them."
Hu Meng said: "Mr. Zheng is a noble man, and his car and luggage are behind him."
The host of the counter-tourist saw that Zheng Anping and his party were dressed in a way that was incompatible with the nobles. He knew something was wrong. He regretted talking too much and did not dare to ask any more questions. He quickly took the party to a connected three-room house. The host and Hu Meng resigned temporarily and let everyone rest. Zheng Anping and Xiao Nu lived in one room, Chen Si and Gai Nie lived in one room, and Wu Wang lived alone.
Seeing his master and Hu Meng retreating, Zheng Anping quickly called Chen Si to the main room and asked, "Who is the right gentleman of Duke Shen's residence that you mentioned?"
Chen Si was a little surprised and said, "Father Zheng, you don't know?" Zheng Anping shook his head innocently. Chen Sidao: "Brother Shen said that he would visit Mr. Hu in Chen, but Mr. Shen Gongjia, Mr. You, will definitely get his help."
Zheng Anping said: "How come you can see Zosan?"
Chen Sidao: "Brother Shen and I have never heard of each other. A month ago, Brother Shen visited the Hou's father. The Hou's father told me that the King of Wei may withdraw his soldiers. Although there are many soldiers in short supply, do not recruit them again. But I would like to follow Zheng Zheng. Will my father enter the Qin Dynasty? I am a beggar, staying with my father, but it is not a long-term strategy. I would like to follow Father Zheng and go to Qin with me! Yesterday, the three brothers came to Daliang and took me to their house to tell Father Zheng that he would return to Qin. . Instruct me to go with you. I said that Father Zheng is not familiar with the geography and dialect of Chen Dynasty, so he may be misunderstood by others. After he was ordered to enter Chen Dynasty, I will take the lead in all matters. So I told him to go on this reverse journey, visit Mr. Hu, and make a statement. Mr. Right, Mr. Zheng has something to do. Don’t you know, Father Zheng?”
Zheng Anping was like a thunderbolt, and after being half-paid, he knew that he had been plotted; and this plot was a big conspiracy, and it might even have started when Zhang Lu entered Qin. He didn't have time to think about it, and said: "I met Brother Shei in Guanyi a month ago, but I haven't seen him since. I don't know what Brother Shei's plan is. But I know that when I enter Brother Shen's house, there will be someone accompanying me. Unexpectedly, the person is Brother Chen. What will happen after meeting Mr. Hu?"
Chen Sidao: "Brother Xi said that when he met Mr. Hu, he did everything according to Mr. Hu's plan. All the needs of the trip will be handled by Mr. Hu. We can only follow it." Only then did Zheng Anping feel at ease. : It turns out that Mr. Hu does not need to rely on himself. On the contrary, he has to rely on Mr. Hu.
Someone knocked on the door outdoors and opened it. A child was carrying an earthen jar with several pottery bowls on it. He placed it respectfully in front of the door and said, "Master, please give me some tea!"
Zheng Anping had never heard of "ming" and looked at Chen Si. Chen Si stepped forward and returned the greeting: "Thank you, guest!"
The boy asked again: "How dare you not start a fire?"
Chen Sidao said: "We have exhausted the water route and cannot reach it."
The little boy said, "May I ask what you can eat?"
Chen Sidao: "But one porridge and one vegetable are enough." The child bowed and left.
Chen Si took off the bowl and poured water from the jar. It was slightly reddish and had a fragrant smell. Chen Sidao: "This is peony tea. Father Zheng tastes it first."
Zheng Anping picked it up and took a sip. As expected, it tasted clear and slightly bitter, but the fragrance filled his cheeks. Although it was bitter but smooth, he drank it all in one breath and said, "It's very good. What is it?"
Chen Si poured another bowl and handed it to the slave, and replied to Zheng Anping: "Pick peony in spring, dry it in the shade, soak it in boiling water in summer, wait for it to cool and drink it, it can relieve the heat. Other families may use wild chrysanthemum, or It is also better to soak it with peach blossoms, or with orchids, bamboo leaves, etc. This was obtained in Wuyue, and is commonly known as Ming."
The little slave took a sip and said, "I love its color and aroma, but the taste is slightly bitter."
Chen Sidao: "If Mother Zheng wants to drink sweet tea, she can take sweet tea."
Zheng Anping asked: "What is this?"
Chen Sidao: "There is a thing called licorice. The juice obtained from it is sweet in taste, slightly yellow in color, and has a unique taste." As he said this, he poured a bowl for Gai Nie and Wu Wang. They didn't care about the color, aroma, and taste. The taste makes me thirsty, so I drink it in one gulp. Chen Si also drank a bowl himself. The jar was already empty, so he took the jar to the front and asked the host to add water. By the way, he asked if there was any licorice water. The host immediately said: "I'm going to soak it right away and follow the porridge."
Last night everyone slept in the open for an extra night. Although Zheng Anping and the other three slept in a thatched hut, the land was bare. Now the three rooms are all rolled up with straw mats. Everyone wipes them and lies down in their clothes. Zheng Anping endured his sleepiness and recalled what happened, trying to sort out some clues. Obviously, Chen Si left Daliang and arrived at Shansan's house at the right time. But his decision to enter Qin was almost a temporary decision, and he didn't even know that he had to make such a decision. Even if he was the undercover, he would never be able to notify Daliang's Chen Si in such a short time. How could Zhan San bring Chen Si to his home in advance? Why was Zhan San so sure that he would make this decision that night?
Continuing to look back, why did I decide to join Qin that day? Because Zhang Ye came to report the news! And Zhang Zou set out from Daliang... Thinking of this, Zheng Anping broke into a cold sweat: Could it be that your Majesty...? He didn't dare to think about it anymore and tried his best to calm down.
There was another knock on the door. Zheng Anping opened the door, and a child walked in front carrying a water jug; behind him, two young men carried a tripod on a big pole. Inside was half a tripod of rice porridge, with an alluring aroma; and finally, The host of the reverse journey was carrying a large basket full of vegetables, with a plate of salt and plums on top.
The boy placed the water jug on the ground in front of the door and said, "I have received the licorice water that your distinguished guest ordered. Please give me some."
The two retainers placed the cauldron outside the door. The master placed the basket next to the cauldron and said, "The porridge and vegetables are ready. Please use it, my distinguished guest."
There was so much noise at the door that it woke up everyone who was napping. Everyone gathered around. Zheng Anping expressed his gratitude and everyone saluted and sent the host off. Xiaonu sat inside the threshold, Gai Nie sat on the threshold, and the other three sat around the tripod. The little slave took the spoon and served the porridge to everyone in the bowl from which they drank water just now. Everyone took their own salt, plums and vegetables and drank it hot.
The next day, Hu Meng introduced Zheng Anping and his party to a caravan and asked them to take them to Nanyang. When the caravan saw that there were women and children among them, they did not refuse and agreed on the price. The leader of the caravan hired a passenger ship for them, and Hu Meng bought food for them. Zheng Anping noticed that when Hu Meng spent money, he could still save money, unlike some people with backgrounds who spent money like water. He became curious about Hu Meng's identity.
After the caravan set sail, it turned into Yinshui and its first stop was Yinyang. Yinyang is a large commercial port, and the caravans have to stay here for a day to prepare the merchants for the import and export of goods. In the early morning of the next day, a local asked the caravan: "Where does Mr. Zheng live?" A businessman pointed to the small boat where Zheng Anping and his party were. The man came over and asked, "Do you dare to ask Mr. Zheng?"
When Zheng Anping came out, he didn't recognize this person, so he saluted on the boat and said, "I am Zheng. May I ask if you, noble lady, would like to inquire with me?"
The man said: "Mr. Shen Gongfu's right-hand man heard that Mr. Shen was here and prepared a banquet. I hope you will come with me."
Zheng Anping wondered: "I dare not disobey Mr. Right's call, but my family is in the boat and I dare not go far away."
The man said: "Actually, it's not far. If you don't give up, your family can come and sit down."
Zheng Anping said: "How dare you disturb me!"
The man said: "Mr. You is hospitable. I can't help but be overjoyed when a distinguished guest comes to my door!"
Zheng Anping then left Wu Wang alone to look after the house, and took the other three people to follow the man to Yinyang City. When they arrived at the edge of the city, they didn't enter the city. They turned into a wine shop on the side of the road. The wine shop was very lively. There were several tables arranged around, with three or five people, or two or three people, sitting across from each other and drinking, all separated by screens. When the owner of the wine shop saw the man coming, he cupped his hands and said, "Sir, you are waiting inside." He took several people to a separate compartment inside. Sitting in the compartment were two men, an old man, a young man, and a middle-aged woman. Seeing everyone coming in, they all knelt down together. When Zheng Anping saw the old man, he immediately stood stunned - it was Mang Mao! He had met him several times in Lord Xinling's tent. After a few years, although Mang Mao had become a little older, his appearance had not changed much, so he recognized him. Zheng Anping naturally knew that Mang Mao had been defeated in the Wei Kingdom and that his fiefdom and mansion had been confiscated. Now, like himself, he was considered a fugitive. He did not dare to be presumptuous and asked tentatively: "Mr. You?"
Mang Mao laughed and said: "The person who comes here must be Mr. Zheng! His heroic appearance is still the same!" He turned to the woman and said: "Introduce the children to the partition wall for a drink." The woman stood up, went to the little slave and said: "We Women, don’t sit with men at the same table. Prepare a seat for yourself!" He led Gai Nie to the next room. Both Xiao Nu and Gai Nie had also seen Mang Mao. They didn’t know who he was, but they also knew he was a big shot. Not daring to disturb him, he followed him to the alcove.
