From Luoyang to Chang'an, it is a total of 800 miles.
In the blink of an eye, it was past noon. The chariot of Xia Houxuan and his wife, and the staff of Zhengxi Mansion, surrounded by the honor guard cavalry of General Zhengxi, arrived at the first posthouse pavilion after leaving Luoyang in the west. Biography - Xin'anyi.
At the end of the Han Dynasty, there were disputes among the princes. Many post stations, embassy buildings, postal kiosks, pavilions, and even official roads were burned or abolished by the rebels in various places. As a result, information in various places was always blocked and transportation was very inconvenient.
[Note 1: Tingzhuan refers to a temporary residence set up along the road for messengers and travelers in ancient times. 】
After the Han dynasty, when the wars in various parts of the Central Plains gradually subsided, Emperor Wen finally freed up his hands to reconnect the five capitals of the empire, Chang'an, Qiao, Xuchang, Luoyang, and Yecheng, with the capital Luoyang as the center. Postal station.
The post stations of this dynasty followed the Han Dynasty. Basically, a post or a postal pavilion was set up every thirty miles. Each post station was always prepared with food, water and strong horses. Therefore, Xia Houxuan and his party could not afford food or drink along the way. Worry about living and traveling.
After simply eating some food at the post station and feeding the horses with grass and water, it was still early and Mianchi County was not far away. Therefore, Zhengxifu and his party did not plan to settle in the simple and small post station. Instead, they rushed all the way to the main town of Mianchi County. City - Licheng.
Xia Houxuan had long been worried that county magistrates would spend money on entertainment, so he did not reveal the specific itinerary in a big way. After Xia Houxuan and his party entered the city, Mianchi Ling heard the news and hurriedly led people to splash water on the streets and hold brooms. We came to the main road to greet him.
Mianchi Ling was a newly appointed young man. Although he showed enough respect for the arrival of Xia Houxuan, a second-grade official, it was obvious that he was not tactful enough and did not act too flattering.
Xia Houxuan naturally did not feel dissatisfied with this. He even felt that the officials of the Wei Dynasty should be neither humble nor arrogant. Mianchi Ling was in a hurry and did not have time to prepare a banquet. He could only temporarily arrange for people to go to Huiyan Tower, the most delicious and relatively affordable restaurant in the county, and urgently prepared two or three tables of dishes to entertain the important officials of Zhengxi Mansion.
Xia Houxuan had already eaten enough at Xin'an Yi in the afternoon and did not want to go to the banquet at the moment. However, the hospitality was hard to refuse, and the group finally came to Huiyan Tower.
The county magistrate was an enthusiastic man. After only three drinks and two cups, he rolled up his sleeves and talked about his ideals to Xiahou Xuanchang.
The slightly drunk young man said that many years ago, in Mianchi, King Qin Yingji and King Zhao He met here. Lin Xiangru fought with the King of Qin in a battle of wits and courage. Not only did he not succumb to the pressure of the King of Qin, but he also preserved the prestige of the Zhao State and left a lasting impression. Following the eternal legend of "returning the perfect jade to Zhao", my lifelong ideal is to become an eternally famous official like Lin Xiangru and make profits for the country!
Xia Houxuan did not deal with the young man. He patted him on the shoulder and replied seriously that such a day would definitely come to pass.
Although the county magistrate was very passionate and had lofty ideals, his drinking capacity was very limited. Xia Houfeng, Li Sheng, He Kui, Yu Huan, Qian Jia, Qian Hong and others were also full, so the banquet dispersed naturally.
The Zhengxi Mansion and his party did not need to continue their journey until the next day. Xia Houxuan was not sleepy at this time, so he took a few followers and Hui Gu to the Qiyao Mountain four miles north of Mianchi County.
This mountain is only about twenty feet high. Although it is not majestic, it is more agile and beautiful. Xia Houxuan and Huigu climbed to the top of the mountain in a short time.
There is a stream of water in Mianchi that crosses the main city, and its name is Qiao Jianshui. At this moment, Xia Houxuan and Hui Gu looked at the Geyao River in the distance, which was reflected red by the lights of thousands of houses, and they all thought of the five-year-old little bright moon who was guarding Luoyang alone.
I don’t know when this troubled world of divided nations will come to an end. I don’t know when the many travelers who have left their homes will be able to be reunited with their families...
——————
Five days later, just as Xia Houxuan and his party were about to enter the Guanzhong Plain, Cao Shuang finally settled the affairs of Luoyang. His third brother Cao Xi and brothers Cao Xun, Cao Ze, and Cao Yan were in charge of the imperial army, plus He Yan was in charge of Shangshu. Taiwan, and this time to prove Shu, Sima Zhao was also in the army. He believed that Sima Yi would never dare to do anything illegal.
After Cao Shuang set out from Luoyang, he personally led an army of 20,000 people and marched for three full days before finally arriving east of Mount Laoshan.
Since ancient times, the reason why the Qin Dynasty in Yongzhou Guanzhong has been so impregnable is because the Yongzhou Guanzhong Plain is surrounded by passes. There are Xiaoguan in the north, Dashanguan in the west, Wuguan in the south, and the barrier in the east is Weiguan. The mountain serves as the base of Hangu Pass.
The dangerous mountains and passes to the east were collectively called "夤汉". When the Qin army that swept across the six kingdoms had not yet left east, it relied on the natural dangers here to thwart the attempts of the six Shandong kingdoms to unite again and again. alliance.
At this time, Cao Shuang was both excited and nervous. Although he had been commanding the Imperial Guards Battalion for the past ten years since he was crowned weak and until he was established, that was only the central Imperial Guard after all, and he had not experienced the experience of commanding an army alone to go to the battlefield.
At this moment, he was leading a huge army, galloping over this strange and majestic wilderness, and was about to rush to the battlefield thousands of miles away.
He reminded himself more than once that he was the commander of this army, the manipulator of this war, and the god of command for millions of men!
"How far is it from here to the next garrison location?" Cao Shuang asked the subordinates beside him.
"Report to the general." Deng Yang, the marching staff officer, immediately replied: "We are now east of Mount Xiao, less than a hundred miles away from the main city of Hongnong County."
"Send orders to the three armies!" Cao Shuang dismounted and whipped him twice: "Speed up and set up camp at the southern outskirts of Hongnong County within three hours. Continue marching at around 9:00 in the morning. Before dark tomorrow, you must enter Tongguan to camp and rest!"
For a moment, dust flew into the air, and the army advanced eastward a little faster.
The red sun sets in the west, and the clouds on the mountainside are reflected in bright red, which looks very magnificent.
Tongguan is one of the most famous dangerous passes in the entire empire. It was named because it is close to Tongshui. In ancient times, people gave it a poetic name - Taolinsai.
This dangerous pass is surrounded by the Qinling Mountains in the south, with dangers of deep valleys; in the north are the Wei River and the Luoshui River, embracing the city; and in the east flows into the great river; in the west is the natural barrier of Huashan Mountain; in the east is also full of connected peaks and deep valleys. There is only a narrow path in the middle of the cliff. If someone is stationed at this pass, they can overlook the mountains and rivers of the Yellow River. One man can guard the pass but ten thousand people cannot open it. Therefore, Tongguan can be said to be extremely dangerous.
Emperor Taizu Wu Emperor Cao Cao defeated Ma's Xiliang cavalry here, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of the Wei Dynasty became famous all over the world.
In this way, Cao Shuang led the army, and after resting in Hongnong for a while, he marched for a whole day, and finally arrived at Tongguan before sunset and began to rest and recuperate before the war.
——————
Mount Huashan in Xiyue is the most dangerous place in the world.
After a group of people from Zhengxi Mansion passed Mianchi, they traveled very quickly and saved at least two days of travel. Therefore, when passing by Huashan Mountain in Xiyue, everyone suggested a one-day tour. Xiahou Xuan saw that he was not in trouble, so he agreed. .
Several people followed a trail at the northern foot of Huashan Mountain and slowly climbed to the north peak of Huashan Mountain. Compared with other mountain roads, this road is a little gentler when you first go up the mountain, but Huashan Mountain is famous for its steepness. When everyone slowly walked to the middle of the mountain, they felt that the path half hidden among the clouds and mist was getting steeper and steeper. risk.
Seeing that the road in front of him was so difficult, Xia Houxuan immediately regretted going up the mountain. He was not afraid that he would not be able to reach the top because of his extraordinary martial arts skills. He was worried about Huigu who was pregnant.
"Huigu, I think this road is difficult, why don't I help you go down the mountain."
Li Huigu didn't feel any discomfort at this time, but she really liked the fairyland-like Huashan in front of her:
"We've already reached the halfway point. Wouldn't it be a pity to just go down the mountain?"
Xia Houxuan still looked worried, he frowned slightly and said:
"But……"
Of course Hui Gu understood her husband's thoughts, so she smiled and comforted him and said:
"Don't worry, I won't be in the way. We will walk to the first mountainside later, rest for a while and then return."
Xia Houxuan had no choice but to nod when he heard what Hui Gu said.
In this way, the group of people walked for another half an hour before they saw a cave hidden in the clouds and mist, embedded in the mountainside.
Qianjia, who was familiar with geography, carefully looked at the nearby mountains and said:
"This place is Xionglao Ridge. I heard that immortals once lived there!"
When the group saw the legendary Immortal Cave, they couldn't help but feel a little more hopeful.
At this moment, Huigu, who was already very tired, suddenly felt a burst of abdominal pain. Xiahou Xuan was shocked, but the place was already halfway up the mountain, and it was not easy to go down the mountain. Therefore, he could only pick up Huigu and climb to the bear On the top of Laoling Mountain.
Xia Houxuan looked at Huigu in pain and blamed himself, but he was unable to do anything.
Just when the group was anxious, an old man with white hair, white beard, and fluttering white clothes slowly walked out of the cave. Xia Houxuan was so anxious at the moment that his heart was focused on Hui Gu, so he did not notice this man coming from the cave. The old man came floating in the air.
The old man just glanced at Huigu and said:
"Mrs. Your Majesty, it's because you have fetal motility, and you've inhaled a lot of cold mist and flower fragrance in the mountains, so you have abdominal pain."
Xia Houxuan suddenly heard someone speaking. He was startled at first, then immediately came back to his senses, turned around and half-knelt on the ground and begged sincerely:
"This father-in-law, a few of us visited Fairy Mountain by chance and went hiking on a whim. However, Zhuo Jing was more than a month pregnant and accidentally triggered the fetal gas. I hope I can save her!"
Xia Houxuan understood that the old man could tell at a glance that Huigu, who was not yet pregnant, was pregnant, so he must not be an ordinary person, so he was willing to kneel down and beg for mercy.
The old man had long seen the official clothes Xia Houxuan wore under his regular uniform, and knew that Xia Houxuan had a noble status. However, in order to save his wife, Xia Houxuan did not hesitate to kneel down to himself in white clothes. This also made the old man very moved. The old man nodded and said:
"I am not good at treating your lady's illness, but there are two of my friends in the cave. They are proficient in medical skills and will be able to stabilize your lady's fetal energy."
Xia Houxuan urged:
"In that case, I would like to ask my father-in-law to summon the two masters quickly!"
The old man nodded, turned towards the cave and shouted:
"Li Dangzhi, a guest from Juli, is here. Why don't you two welcome him quickly?"
Li Huigu couldn't help being surprised when the old man called out the name "Li Dangzhi".
As soon as the old man finished speaking, two middle-aged men with an immortal spirit, one Han and the other Hu, came out of the cave. When Huigu endured the severe pain and looked up, she realized that the person coming was none other than Li Dangzhi whom she knew. Huigu was delighted to meet her old friend and couldn't help cheering:
"Uncle Fourth Master!"
When Li Dangzhi heard Huigu's call, he was stunned, and then he laughed and said:
"Who do I think you are? It turns out to be my good nephew! Are you having fetal contractions? My uncle will give you an acupuncture right now!"
As he spoke, Li Dangzhi opened the medicine bag and took out several silver needles. The other doctor named Gouli Ke didn't even answer. He also took out the silver needle as thin as an ox hair from his needle bag and cooperated with Li Dangzhi.
Xia Houxuan observed the two of them, and then he realized that the person who called Hui Gu his nephew was none other than Li Dangzhi, the fourth disciple of the miracle doctor Hua Tuo. Another doctor named Julike had a high nose and deep eyes. He was obviously from the Hu ethnic group in the north. Moreover, his name Julike concealed the name of the country of Gaogouli. Most of this person came from Gaoguli on the border of Youzhou. People from Juli.
Within half a quarter of an hour, Huigu felt no pain in her abdomen at all.
Xia Houxuan bowed his head deeply to Li Dangzhi, Goulike and the old man and expressed his deep gratitude:
"Thank you for your generous help, Xuan is very grateful!"
Li Dangzhi twirled his beard, looked at Xia Houxuan and nodded:
"So you are my nephew's husband, Xiahou Taichu. No wonder you are so handsome. I have heard of you a long time ago!"
Xia Houxuan smiled and said:
"Uncle Li, thank you very much."
The old man in white smiled and nodded:
"Li Dangzhi, Julike, you two have lived in seclusion in the mountains with me for several years, but after all, the mortal relationship has not ended. Now that the noble man is here, this is the fate of you two."
Xia Houxuan saw that the old man called the two doctors by their first names, but they obviously did not feel dissatisfied, and instead behaved extremely respectfully. This made Xia Houxuan feel very curious.
After hearing what the old man said, Li Dangzhi and Gouli Ke understood each other's words, bowed to the ground towards the old man, and responded in unison:
"Disciple understands."
Xia Houxuan could no longer hold back at this moment and asked:
"May I ask my father-in-law, who is this master?"
The old man laughed loudly, stroked his long beard, and replied with a smile:
"My surname is Wang Minghui. I have a chance meeting with you today and I have something to say to you. I hope you will remember it."
Xia Houxuan was confused, but he still nodded solemnly, and the old man said:
"Your destiny is beyond words, but what you have done in your life is extremely dangerous. If you completely let go of your obsessions, you can live the rest of your life with ease. But if you insist on persisting to the end,... you can't. It is said to be a bad thing. I hope you will take care of yourself and die..."
After hearing this, Xia Houxuan seemed to understand everything for a moment, but for a moment he felt confused. When Xia Houxuan was about to continue questioning, he found that the old man had disappeared among the clouds and mist.
Li Dangzhi and Goulike couldn't help but sigh as they looked at the old man's disappearing back. The two then turned to Xia Houxuan and saluted, and Li Dangzhi said:
"Since Master Wang asked us to assist you, from now on, we will be your accompanying military doctors."
The two of them had superb medical skills. Xia Houxuan naturally felt an unexpected joy after hearing this.
Li Sheng was quite surprised at this time, and he murmured:
"Wang Hui, is he the legendary eldest disciple of Mr. Aries, the old god who can be plowed by tigers and plowed by leopards?"
