The river wind blows strongly.
Zhang Yue does have a slight blush on his old face. Although he has been born in two generations, he doesn't have many opportunities to interact with girls except for blind dates.
Zhang Yue pretended to be calm and glanced over, then turned around and saw that the woman had already looked elsewhere.
Only then did Zhang Yue resolve the embarrassment.
At this time Tang Jiu said: "I would like to inform Mr. Dalang, although the river robbers have retreated, we are not out of danger yet. These river robbers killed people and robbed money. To prevent the news from leaking, they all sank and destroyed their traces, not even the babies were left behind. "
Wu Anshi said seriously: "In Jiulang's opinion, what should we do?"
Tang Jiudao: "For the current plan, we still need to leave this place quickly."
Wu Anshi smiled and said: "Don't worry, Jiulang, I have sent someone to find the Military Supervisor of our department and we will get back to you soon."
Tang Jiu was about to speak but stopped, Zhang Yue saw this and asked: "But what are your doubts?"
Tang Jiudao: "Many of the thieves who robbed the Jianghuai River are local right-wingers who sell private tea and salt. They collude with the government on weekdays, and there are even some officers and soldiers who are blatant thieves."
Someone on the side sneered: "Why, do these officers and soldiers still dare to rob and kill our Mr. Wu Dalang?"
Tang Jiudao: "Not necessarily, as long as someone leaks the news in advance, deliberately delaying it for a day. Let's go back again, at least we have to wait another night. There is no guarantee that these thieves who robbed the river will not come back again."
At this point, Tang Jiu picked up an arrow and said, "This is the arrow I picked up from the river thief last night. This arrow is so well made that it is not as good as any other in the army. If the river robbers gather people to attack, then we will guard the river beach. No doubt waiting for death."
Several of the guard leaders around Wu Anshi also said: "Yes, I think these people are not easy to get along with. Not only are they skilled in water skills, but they are also very good at fighting. I am afraid they are thieves who are used to committing crimes."
Wu Anshi said angrily: "If I go back to Bianjing, I will definitely report it to my father and let the imperial court send soldiers to encircle and suppress him. I will let out a bad breath."
"So Kuro, what should we do?"
Tang Jiudao: "To be on the safe side, we cannot wait for news here, we must go down the river. Yesterday we passed a grass market, and there were officers and soldiers maintaining the grass market."
Wu Anshi clapped her hands and said, "Wonderful! The bandits who robbed the river yesterday must have thought that we would continue going west and intercept us on the road ahead, but we didn't expect that we dared to turn back. We will contact the local officers and soldiers when we reach Caoshi."
But he said to the left and right: "Da Langjun, there are so many of us running along the road, what should we do if we get separated?"
Wu Anshi hesitated.
At this time, Tang Jiu said: "Dalangjun, if it's time to cut it off, it's time to cut it off."
One person said: "You are a thief who serves in the army. How can you be our master if Dalangjun gives you three respects?"
Tang Jiu stepped back and said nothing.
Wu Anshi looked at Zhang Yue and asked, "Sanlang, what do you think?"
Zhang Yue thought for a while and asked, "I dare to ask Da Langjun, what are the pros and cons of staying here or going east?"
Wu Anshi said: "It is indeed good to stay here and wait for the government reinforcements, but if we wait for a day and the government reinforcements do not arrive, we will be in danger at night."
"If we go east towards Caoshi, everyone is likely to get separated, but we will reach Caoshi within a day of walking along the river."
Zhang Yue said: "Dalangjun, do you still remember what we said before at Xianxia Ridge?"
Wu Anshi clapped his legs and said: "Sit back and watch the changes, and if you don't do something about it, you may be unable to save it; if you get up and do it forcefully, the world will lose its peace and stability and I won't believe it."
"Go east, at least life or death depends on me!"
Wu Anshi turned around and discussed a few words with the two women wearing curtain hats, and then decided to return south together.
Everyone set off and walked along the river through the reeds.
The river wind is blowing quickly, and if it is a good time, the reeds in this patch of reeds are all over the sky, falling on people's clothes. At this time, this scene can be used to write a poem with the line "you are still full after being brushed" .
But now Jiang Pirates are appearing somewhere, and everyone is worried.
The shadowy reeds and the cold wind of early spring give people a slightly rustling feeling.
Many guards supported Wu Anshi in front of them to clear the way. The remaining female servants and old ladies who were weak were constantly being pulled down, and the team was loose.
Zhang Yue knew in his heart that Wu Anshi and Fan were being held in front by the guards as they walked forward quickly. As for the others, they didn't care.
Tang Jiu followed Zhang Yue closely, but Huang Haoyi and Ma Wu both got separated on their way.
Zhang Yue walked in a hurry, and people kept falling behind on the road. After everyone ran for more than ten miles, it only took them a morning.
There are only seven or eight guards around Mr. Wu Dalang, and there are only two or three female envoys left to serve the two female members of the Wu family.
Everyone was very tired from walking, so they came to a reed marsh to rest.
Everyone was huddled together, hungry and thirsty, and each went to the river to grab water with both hands to drink. Zhang Yue saw several female envoys using towels and handkerchiefs to wet themselves with the river. No matter how tired they were on the road, these female envoys were still calm and elegant in their behavior. They took the wet towels and handkerchiefs. For use by two female members of the Wu family.
At this time, Zhang Yue heard two guards complaining in the distance.
It seems strange why Zhang Yue dragged them all the way. If he had stayed where he was, he might have waited until the officers and soldiers rescued them and got out of danger, and he wouldn't have run so hard that he almost died.
Even Mr. Wu Dalang sprained his foot while running just now.
At this moment, everyone is extremely tired, and there is no guarantee that everyone will not blame Zhang Yue for this.
Zhang Yue and Tang Jiu sat aside silently.
At this time, a female envoy walked up to Zhang Yue, holding a piece of cake wrapped in a kerchief and saying, "Mr. Lang, this is what my girl gave you."
Zhang Yue was stunned when he saw it. He looked up and saw that the woman seemed to have deliberately walked to the side to talk carefully with another female member of the Wu family without looking at him.
The female envoy said: "My girl said, thank you for the advice just now. The girl said that she doesn't like people who are blameless and honorless. Since the husband takes matters into his own hands, don't worry about others gossiping or being defensive. Just for that.”
Zhang Yue nodded, stood up and cupped his hands and said, "Please tell the girl how much I want to thank her for her words."
The female envoy smiled sweetly and said: "Then accept it!"
Zhang Yue felt a little embarrassed, so he took the cake and shared it with Tang Jiu and others.
Everyone rested for a while and continued eastward. Then they saw the outline of the grass market within two or three miles. Wu Anshi was overjoyed, so he stopped to gather people, and when two-thirds of the people were there, he went to Cao Shi.
The Jianghuai grass market has flourished since the late Tang Dynasty.
Du Mu's "Jiang Thief Shu" once said, "Wherever the Jianghuai grass market is, it is close to the water, and many wealthy families live there." Since the past fifteen years, all the grass markets in the south and north of the Yangtze River have been robbed and killed. Only those who were robbed again in three years and no one was safe in five years. '
However, the Tang Dynasty strictly prohibited grass markets and believed that all transactions must be conducted in the city.
But after the Anshi Rebellion, various grass markets still sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.
For example, in the Jianghuai Grass Market, although it is robbed by Jiang thieves every three years, the people still enjoy trading here. By the Song Dynasty, the existence of private grass markets was recognized, as long as the government was allowed to send people to collect taxes.
In this way, there are still many grass markets along the Jianghuai River.
Wu Anshi, Zhang Yue and the others immediately entered the grass market, but saw that most of them were thatched houses. There is certainly a lot of prosperity as people come and go. Although the houses and streets are extremely dilapidated, this is all due to lack of management, and there is vitality everywhere.
There are many cargo ships docked along the river, buying food or some rice and beans from the people here.
At the same time, there are also some private tea sellers, private salt dealers, and private wine dealers who are arrogantly entering and exiting the grass market. They are all very tough. They only wear shorts in the cold spring, and they all have dicks on their waists and push chicken buses. Public access.
As for the few clerks who were leaning near Changqiang, they seemed not to have seen this scene. They were counting copper coins on a small table while keeping accounts.
However, looking at the chaotic scene of public security, Zhang Yue and the others felt relieved. No matter how courageous the river robbers were, they would not dare to go to the grass market to kill people and plunder openly.
After all, this is no longer the time of the late Tang Dynasty.
Wu Anshi winked at the guard beside her, but saw the other person stepped forward and kicked over the table in front of the clerk.
In the face of the other party's extremely surprised look, this person said: "Call you in charge!"
Sure enough, Cao Shiwei, who was in charge of the Cao Market in the imperial court, was immediately horrified when he learned that the other party was the nephew of the current deputy prime minister. After welcoming him out, he bowed down in front of him. He also said that his command post would be given to Wu Anshi and his family to live in, and at the same time, he immediately asked officers and soldiers to come here to protect him.
When Zhang Yue and others heard this, someone started to speak in a low voice. In any case, the jittery scene when they were fleeing on the road was no longer there.
Immediately, a group of villagers with guns came here and stationed themselves at the entrance of the grass market.
Wu Anshi nodded and immediately entered with his family members. The others finally settled down under the arrangements of the officials.
Gradually, everyone in the Wu family returned to the grass market. No one escaped, but several people twisted their feet.
Huang Haoyi and Ma Wu followed each other. Zhang Yue and them were arranged in a shack. A bonfire was lit outside to keep away the cold and they borrowed a pot to cook porridge.
I saw rural soldiers patrolling outside.
The people arranged in the shack were already laughing happily, and some even bought wine and meat to come back to eat and drink.
When the porridge was cooked, Zhang Yue, Ma Wu, and Huang Haoyi all shared the food with wooden bowls. There were no spoons at hand, so they held the rim of the bowl and sipped the hot porridge in small mouths. No one complained about it.
Huang Haoyi suddenly cried while drinking. The look on his face probably reminded him of his entourage who died on the boat last night.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but think of the people who were chatting and laughing with him yesterday.
Zhang Yue and Tang Jiu were sitting aside. Although no one came to thank them, they no longer cared about it at this moment.
Thinking of the journey during the day, I was frightened all day and night. At this moment, I could only feel the joy of surviving the disaster.
After Zhang Yue drank the porridge, he put on his clothes and went to sleep. His mind couldn't help but think of the day when he and the woman from the Wu family were afraid and panicked, and spent a whole day running around.
She also sent a female envoy to comfort her.
In the end, Zhang Yue watched her and her brother enter the grass market together, without even saying goodbye in a hurry. At this moment, he felt a little empty in his heart.
Zhang Yue thought that it would be nice if he could say goodbye at that time. After all, it would not be easy for the two of them to meet again in the future.
Ps: Thanks to book friend Propheta for becoming the tenth leader of this book. She provided many of the information for the other book and Wen Kui, and she is a top scholar.
