On the outskirts of Luoyang City, there is a ten-mile long pavilion.
From time to time, a few thin clouds would block the sun, but would be pierced by the sun for a moment, and then blown apart by the still biting cold wind.
In the long pavilion, a person was sitting across from Xia Houshang. He saw that person, wearing a moon-white straight-hemmed deep garment. His whole person was a bit more scholarly, but his voice could not be heard at all. Weak. There was always a warm smile on his lips, but there was always a shallow mark between his brows, like frost.
"Brother Xiahou, I am going to Jingzhou this time. Can you help me?" He frowned and looked worried. Although the Xiahou Shang in front of him was the governor of Jingzhou and the commander of the military in the south. He had a high position and was able to help him with this small favor. However, if he was not helpless, he really did not want to trouble his old friend.
"You and I are family friends. If you can help Brother Yu, I will never refuse." My heart feels warm.
"Bo Ren is going to Xiangyang. Can you help Yu Gui and find out some information?"
"It's related to Uncle Jin." Xia Houshang added a bottle of wine for the other party. He understood that the person in front of him still couldn't let go of that knot in his heart.
Two years ago, in the 24th year of Jian'an, Guan Yu made a northern expedition to Xiangyang and invaded Fancheng. His momentum was overwhelming and shocked China.
Yu Jin was one of the most relied-upon generals of the late king Cao Cao. Fancheng was in danger and the door to the Central Plains was about to be opened. The late king ordered him to lead the seven elite northern armies to assist the front line with the pioneer Pang De.
When Yu Jin arrived in Jingzhou, it was mid-autumn. The Han River surged and drowned the soldiers. The Seventh Army was quite damaged, but the main force was still there and could still fight.
However, what no one expected was that a famous general with the reputation of "Yizhong" who had been on the battlefield for decades would surrender to the enemy overnight and risk his life. Pang De, the pioneer, would rather die than surrender and serve as a feather. Killed.
Later, Sun Quan attacked and killed Guan Yu, and Yu Jin was captured by Soochow again, and his whereabouts are unknown.
But Yu Gui would never believe that his father would be a man who was greedy for life and ruined integrity.
"Brother Yu, don't worry, I will definitely live up to your trust." Xiahou Shang held up the bottle and said with a smile, "By the way, I have to trouble brother Yu to take care of several children for me."
"Don't worry, Boren." Yu Gui raised the wine bottle, his eyes serious and firm.
"Let's just say goodbye."
"treasure."
The wine vessels touched each other and the two drank it all in one gulp.
Not far away, the guards began to walk slowly. Yu Gui watched from afar as the Xiahou couple's chariot went further and further away, until the dust cleared and the sound of hoofbeats gradually faded away.
The clouds in the sky continued to gather and disperse, and the sun turned westward and gradually lowered to the other side of the mountain, reflecting the mountains and rivers in bright red.
————
Xuanyangmen Street is the most prosperous avenue among the 24 streets in Luoyang City.
From Changhe Gate to Xuanyang Gate, this five-mile-long imperial road is the axis of the entire Luoyang City.
It is connected to the palace to the north and the big market to the south, where merchants gather and every inch of land is valuable.
Less than a mile to the west of the imperial road, at the intersection of three streets, is the residence of Dongxiang Hou and General Zhengxi. [Note 1: The descriptions of Luoyang streets and Dongxiang Houfu are based on the map of Luoyang City in the Han and Wei dynasties. 】
In the back garden of the mansion, a boy in his teens, wearing a black honeysuckle pattern and narrow-sleeved Hufu, stood holding a bow. Looking at his expression, he looked a little bored.
This child is the third son of this mansion, Cao Xi.
His father is the owner of this mansion, the adopted son of the late King Cao Cao, the current brother of His Majesty, the General of the Conquest of the West, and the Marquis of Dongxiang Cao Zhen.
Since the new king succeeded to the throne a year ago and was immediately proclaimed emperor by Zen, Cao Zhen was promoted to the general of Zhengxi and went west to Chang'an to take charge.
He has seven brothers in total. The eldest brother Cao Shuang followed his father to Chang'an. The second brother died early in life not long after he was born. The seventh brother Cao Ai was sent to Longhu Mountain in the south of the Yangtze River by his father to rest at an early age due to his weak health.
Therefore, in this huge mansion, he naturally became the "head of the family".
However, Cao Xi knew in his heart that he would not be the owner of this mansion now or in the future.
Because the future owner of this place is destined to be his eldest brother, his father's eldest son, Cao Shuang.
In his heart, he has always envied his elder brother. However, it is not because of the position of the head of the family. What he envied was that his eldest brother had been able to get everyone's attention and expectations since he was a child, and was valued by his father, instead of being ignored like himself.
Cao Xi closed his sore eyes and raised his bow, trying to divert his attention.
In ancient times, "stringed wood is used as an arc, and broken wood is used as an arrow." What Cao Xi had in his hand was an exquisitely carved bow. According to the etiquette system, only the emperor could use the carved bow, but Cao Zhen, as the emperor's clan brother, could still enjoy this honor. Cao Xi was still young and lacked arm strength to draw the army's standard road bow and horn-end bow, so he secretly overran it. [Note 2: "Yi Xici Xia": The string wood is the arc, and the straight wood is the arrow. The power of the arc arrow is to command the world and cover up all the enemies. The description of the types of bows and arrows here refers to the Han Dynasty. Han bows are divided into: tiger bow, carved bow, horn end bow, road bow, frontier bow and strong bow. 】
Cao Xi stood upright, walking at shoulder level, slowly aimed the center of the bow at the bull's-eye dozens of steps away, fastened the bowstring with his right hand, and drew the bow steadily. As the son of a general, his movements are impeccable.
"Wha-", the arrow was like a white-tailed raptor, pouncing towards the bullseye.
In the corridor not far away, a slightly smaller child cheered and ran towards the target. The arrow penetrated the target and turned white. It was the "white arrow" of the Junzi's Six Arts.
"Third brother is so awesome!" The child took a lot of effort to pull out the arrow, and then ran to Cao Xi like a gust of wind, looking at his third brother with admiring eyes.
"Ayan, you are lazy again and don't study hard!" Cao Xi took the arrow and gently tapped the younger brother on the forehead as a punishment.
"Where!" Cao Yan rubbed his forehead and shouted unconvinced, "I'm just tired from studying and come here to take a rest."
Cao Xi sighed helplessly but lovingly, and shook his head, thinking that this kid had rested several times in just an hour. It seemed that he couldn't do anything without giving him a lesson. Just as he was thinking this, he saw a servant hurriedly coming to the back garden.
"Third Young Master, Young Master Xiahou of the Hou Mansion in Pingling Township is waiting for you in the east hall." Although the servant came running all the way, his tone was unhurried and very orderly.
"Cousin Xuan is here!" Cao Xi suddenly became excited and hurriedly handed the bow and arrow to the servant: "Call A Xun, A Yan and the others. Recite a few chapters of "The Book of Songs Qin Feng" by heart. I will take the test when I get back."
The young man sped away before he finished speaking, leaving only the servant holding a bow and arrow, and a reluctant and frustrated Cao Yan.
The Yu family's mansion is located in a less prosperous area in the outer city of Luoyang.
However, it is a rare treat for a minister with a foreign surname to have a mansion in Luoyang City.
Not only that, the late king also granted him the title of Marquis Jin Yishou Ting, and the estate of 1,200 households was enough to make him rich and noble.
However, a few years ago, since Yu Jin surrendered and was imprisoned in Soochow, as well as the death of the late king, Yu's family began to decline. First, the food and town rents and taxes were no longer guaranteed, and later even all the servants dispersed. The dignified Tinghou Mansion became deserted and dilapidated.
Just like an ancient temple that has been in disrepair for many years.
Passers-by can only vaguely make out the word "Yu" with the paint peeled off on the dilapidated door plaque.
"Squeak-" The study door was slowly pushed open.
Without looking up, Yu Gui knew that the person coming must be one of the two remaining old servants in the house.
"Master," the old servant said slowly with a hoarse voice: "We have guests visiting. One of the children seems to be the young master of Xiahou Mansion."
Yu Gui gently put down the letter.
I originally wanted to find a time to meet the child in person, but I didn't expect that the other party actually came to visit.
"Watch the tea."
This was not the first time that Yu Gui met the child in front of him.
However, he remembered that the last time they met, Young Master Xiahou was just a milk baby who had just celebrated his fifth birthday.
At this moment, the child was looking at the elegant uncle in front of him with clear and sharp eyes. He always felt that the uncle's warm smile seemed to contain indescribable sadness and coldness.
Yu Gui was a little uncomfortable being stared at by those clear eyes, and couldn't help but look elsewhere. However, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of two children waiting at the door. They were looking at him timidly. Yu Gui nodded with a smile and signaled to the two children. Children can come in.
"You are Uncle Yu Shi, right?" Xia Houxuan didn't mean to be afraid of life at all: "My father said that I want you to teach us, Uncle Shi."
"Teach you..." Yu Gui smiled: "Then, why don't you call me master?"
"I've met Master." The children were very obedient and actually bent down and saluted seriously. Yu Gui was just joking at first, but he didn't expect the children to be so sincere. He felt inexplicably touched in his heart.
It turns out that in this prosperous Luoyang, besides old friends, there are still people who respect and value themselves like this...
The frozen brows seemed to melt a little, flowing into his eyes, and then swallowed into his heart.
In this huge mansion, only this small courtyard is full of long-lost vitality.
Yu Gui's thoughts were a little vague.
Since his father was captured three years ago, apart from himself, there are only two old servants left in the Yishouting Hou Mansion. The same goes for the three children. Their parents are also thousands of miles away at this moment. Looking at the nimble figure in front of him, Yu Gui couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for him.
In my early years, I heard that the Cao family of Xiahou was the best in the capital in terms of swordsmanship. Yu Gui had been in Luoyang for many years and had family friends with the two families, so naturally he had seen it with his own eyes. However, he did not expect that although the two children in front of him were only ten years old, their swordsmanship was already remarkable.
Although Xia Houxuan's swordsmanship is a little gentle, his light and bird-like footwork has already made up for this less obvious flaw almost perfectly. Cao Xi, on the other hand, was extremely proficient in every move. It was obvious from a glance that he had put in a lot of effort on a daily basis. The two of them were quite evenly matched for a while.
What's even more interesting is that Xiahou Cao's swordsmanship is closely related to Cao's poems of all dynasties. For example, the swordsmanship of Taizu Cao Cao, the drunken swordsmanship created by the young master Cao Zhi, and the swordsmanship of the current majesty Cao Pi, who was taught by Shi A, a disciple of Wang Yue, the first swordsman in the Central Plains, plus the general Xiahou of the Cao family. Their military martial arts were then compiled by private experts hired by the palace, and combined with Cao's poetry and prose, they became the Xiahou Cao's swordsmanship that is now famous in the Central Plains.
And what the two children are currently using are the "Breaking Willow Line" and "Mo Shang Sang" among the sword techniques created by His Majesty.
Xia Houxuan's footwork is like "riding on the floating clouds with a light hand, traveling thousands of millions in a flash" in "The Willow Walk". His figure is so erratic that it is difficult to find his trace due to the light of his sword.
And what Cao Xi used was the movement and wrist technique of "The tiger and the leopard roar, the chicken is frightened and the bird is missing" in "Mo Shang Sang", which is as fierce as the tiger and leopard, and as powerful as the frightened bird.
Yu Gui recalled that in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the friends of the Xiahou Cao family competed with each other. The continuous arm and wrist footwork, the strange sword lights and shadows were still breathtaking in retrospect.
However, the two children in front of them obviously didn't understand how to control themselves freely.
It was the first time for Xia Houxuan to use such a sharp blade. Naturally, it was difficult for him to control his propriety. He slashed at it with a "frost and dew" sword, and actually cut the long sword in Cao Xi's hand into two pieces!
Yu Gui's heart trembled. This quality was indeed extraordinary.
Xia Houxuan's heart sank. The sword that was cut off was an eighth birthday gift from his uncle Cao Zhen to his cousin. It was of great significance to his cousin, but he...
Xia Houhui had been sitting on the stone steps shouting and cheering randomly. At this moment, seeing Cao Xi with a face filled with regret, he also ran over: "Cousin Xi, isn't it just a sword? I'll ask my brother to pay you one back." Yes, brother."
Xia Houxuan looked guilty, and he didn't even dare to apologize.
"It's okay, Ah Xuan..." Cao Xi stared at the broken sword for a while, then said.
I don’t know when it started, but the stone steps were filled with swarms of ants. Cao Xi looked at the ant army in a daze. I seem to vaguely remember that my father once said that when ants move to their burrows, it indicates that heavy rain is coming. As the adopted son of the late king, his father was deeply influenced by the late king's rule of law and was extremely strict in governing the family. He remembers that since he was a child, he would shudder when he saw his father's back.
But now...he actually misses his father and eldest brother very much.
"Brother Xi." Seeing that Cao Xi was worried, Xia Houxuan squatted beside him and asked softly: "Do you miss your uncle?"
Cao Xi nodded gently.
There are more and more ants. From a distance, they look like a black snake, meandering. Yu Gui raised his head and looked at the thick gray clouds in the sky. There were a few muffled thunders in the clouds, just like the God of Heaven coughing softly.
"It's going to rain." Yu Gui murmured.
The rain just flew to the ground like a thousand arrows in an instant. It's March, thunderstorms are already common, but today's rain turned out to be rare and intense. After a while, there was a thick layer of water in the courtyard. The three children looked at the ripples of the raindrops falling into the water, just like watching the flowers that bloomed and withered in an instant, they seemed a little lost.
This feeling of quietly observing seems to be very good.
The children were too lazy to go back home, and at this moment, "God was taking care of themselves", so naturally they didn't want to leave at all. It rained so heavily that Yu Gui certainly didn't feel comfortable letting his children go home in the rain, so he sent two old servants to go to the two houses to announce that the children could stay in his house overnight.
Although the dinner was much simpler than usual, the children enjoyed it extremely happily. I haven't heard such laughter for a long time. Yu Gui's face also showed a long-lost relaxed smile.
He even felt that for the first time in three years, this mansion felt like home.
The sound of rain outside the window became clearer. The rain in Luoyang may not have fallen like this for a long time.
I don't know how long it took before Cao Xi woke up from his dream. I just felt that even though it was late at night, there was a little more light outside the window.
He put on his clothes and opened the door. The rain was still falling.
The light seemed to come from the house.
He walked along the corridor, and in the sound of dripping water, he seemed to hear a familiar voice telling something.
