"There's nothing going on on the way!"
Ruan Xiaoqi said with a smile that they encountered nothing along the way, which finally made him feel relieved after being nervous for a long time.
"Xiao Qi, what's so scary about this? This sea arrest document is just that. I remember when I beat Zheng Tu to death with three punches, ran all the way to Yanmen County in Daizhou, and looked at my wanted warrant at the gate of the city. No one recognized me!"
Lu Zhishen watched Ruan Xiaoqi show off his past experiences. Ruan Xiaoqi had been fishing in Shijie Village since he was a child. He had never traveled far and had no extraordinary experiences. Hearing Lu Zhishen's boast, he had a look of admiration.
"Don't listen to his bragging. He didn't know a single word at the time and was just joining in the fun. If he had known it was his wanted warrant, he would have run away long ago. Old Man Jin recognized him before he even read half of it."
Sun Lei always despised the boastful Lu Zhishen. When he fled, Lu Zhishen was not as cool as he said. On the contrary, he was very embarrassed. The eight words "running away and hiding in Tibet" can perfectly describe him.
"How can there be so many acquaintances in this world? No one in Shandong knows us!"
Lu Zhishen didn't care if Sun Lei exposed his boast, Sun Lei was always like this anyway.
After walking for several days, the journey was finally over halfway.
"Brother, Gaotang Prefecture is ahead of us. Zhu Gui told us not to enter the city. It's best to go far away!"
Ruan Xiaoqi looked at the state capital in the distance and said to Sun Lei.
"Why?"
Lu Zhishen was the first to speak. Although the weather was cool, he was still tired from the days of traveling. He was about to go to the city to find a restaurant to have a good drink to relieve his fatigue.
"My brother doesn't know. The magistrate of Gaotang Prefecture is Gao Qiu, Gao Qiu's brother. My brother killed Gao Yanei. Gao Qiu hated his brother so much that he even offered a large reward. The state governments may be just pretending to have wanted orders. But Gaotangzhou must be serious, and it’s best to avoid it for safety’s sake.”
Ruan Xiaoqi said, this is what Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu and Zhu Gui have warned before setting off. The most dangerous part of the road is the Gaotangzhou section.
"So that's it, then let's go around it!"
Sun Lei nodded. Ever since he entered the Gaotang Prefecture, he felt a sense of desolation and dilapidation. Different from the previous state capitals he passed, the official roads outside the Gaotang Prefecture were extremely desolate. There was not even a wine shop or teahouse in sight. , this is an excellent place to do business. If it were other state capitals, there wouldn't be many towns along the road. This shows that the prefect Gao Lian is not a good thing, and Gaotang Prefecture has been tortured to the point of depression.
"It's deserted outside the city. There are no restaurants or teahouses. It's hard to find even a village. If you go around here, you'll have to sleep in the open air!"
Lu Zhishen looked around and couldn't find a place to stay. If he didn't go into the city, he would have to sleep in the wilderness.
"Brother, safety is important. I have already bought some dry food and beef. We will have to wait two days to cross Gaotangzhou. Lingzhou is to the north. We can rest wherever we go."
Ruan Xiaoqi said, he is the youngest here, and he is the only one who can say these depressing words.
"drive!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of hoofbeats, and more than twenty or thirty riders appeared on the official road. The leader was a young man in brocade clothes, about twenty years old, with a pale face of excessive indulgence but with arrogant and domineering arrogance. The twenty or thirty riders behind him were all rough-and-tumble idlers, holding slingshots, crossbows, blowpipes, balloons, poles, and musical instruments in their hands. They were laughing and laughing all the way.
They were riding horses shouting all the way, and they seemed to be heading back to Gaotang Prefecture.
"Look, this is the day! After I return to Liangshan, I will gather thirty or fifty people, and I will also have such a pomp! It's so cool to go out!"
Sun Lei pointed at the dandy kid who left and said to Lu Zhishen and Ruan Xiaoqi.
"This is the behavior of a playboy. It seems that the Sa family will still arrest you and make you a monk. If you continue like this, you will become a disaster sooner or later! The Sa family will help you become a Buddha first!"
Lu Zhishen became very angry when he heard this. He hated this kind of dandy boy who specialized in bullying good people and committed adultery and robbery. All bad things were done by such people. If Sun Lei became like this, he would never forgive himself. Instead of Seeing Sun Lei's depravity, he might as well take Sun Lei up the mountain to become a monk.
"Bah! You, a fair-weather monk, have the nerve to say this? When will you come to persuade me after you have kept the rules and regulations! Besides, when Liangshan becomes stronger in the future, should I still go out like this? Bringing a monk and a companion? Xiao Qiqiu, do you think it's appropriate or not? ?”
Sun Lei didn't care about Lu Zhishen. As a talker in Liangshan, how could he go out without some pomp?
"Of course it's inappropriate! The emperor needs to have a guard of honor when he goes out! My brother is our emperor of Liangshan, so the pomp and ceremony must be indispensable! This is not only for my brother's reputation, but also for our Liangshan's reputation!"
Ruan Xiaoqi immediately replied that he didn't know much about it, but he had seen magistrates traveling around, and it was very ostentatious. When he saw it before, he was so envious that he drooled with envy. He even dreamed that he could be so ostentatious. Once, they followed Sun Lei to Liangshan. Sun Lei was the lord of Liangshan, so this kind of pomp and circumstance was what it should be.
"Xiao Qi, I didn't expect that you are my confidant! You understand me!"
Sun Lei patted Ruan Xiaoqi's shoulder and looked touched. Ruan Xiaoqi's words spoke to his heart. He is a close and good brother!
"What the hell! It's getting late, let's hurry up!"
Lu Zhishen couldn't say anything to Sun Lei and Ruan Xiaoqi, and when he saw the two singing harmoniously, he could only say something angrily.
"What kind of ostentation does brother want, Xiaoqi will help you prepare it!"
Ruan Xiaoqi asked Sun Lei while walking, he was very concerned about this matter.
"We don't need those slingshots, Sichuan crossbows, blowpipes, or poles. We're looking for someone who can play musical instruments, such as horns, suolas, erhus, pipas, and brass plectrums..."
Sun Lei carefully introduced the ceremony he wanted to Ruan Xiaoqi.
"Brother, this isn't a singing opera. Why are they all musical instruments?"
Ruan Xiaoqi didn't understand. This pomp should not only be about musical instruments. When county magistrates go out, they are always held up by flags, signs, sedans, horses, and escorts. Why did Sun Lei only choose musicians?
"Don't you understand? Those are all fake pomp and showmanship. Brother, this is real pomp and circumstance. Think about it, as soon as my brother appears, the BGM will sound, shaking the heaven and earth. This momentum makes him a winner! "
Sun Lei said with a smile, since ancient times, winning on the right side of the wave, fighting has relied on BGM since ancient times, whoever's BGM is louder and lasts longer must be invincible.
"BGM?"
Ruan Xiaoqi scratched his head. He didn't understand this thing and had never even heard of it.
"You just need to find musicians. They must be good ones. I also want them to compose the music!"
Sun Lei didn't explain what BGM was, and he couldn't explain it clearly.
"Brother, don't worry. There are many opera singers and musicians in this town and county. I will recruit some when I get back."
Ruan Xiaoqi nodded with a smile and said, musicians and other people do not have a high status, and many of them are still running around to earn a living by performing arts.
"I'll leave this matter to you, take care of it!"
Sun Lei smiled and patted Ruan Xiaoqi on the shoulder.
"Stop being so nagging, there's a wine shop in front of you!"
Lu Zhishen was unhappy because he had been excluded from the topic.
