It was late May, the weather was extremely hot, and the scorching sun was scorching the land of Guanzhong. Although the official road along the Wei River is relatively cool due to the river breeze, it still feels unbearably hot due to the large amount of water vapor mixed in the hot air.
In the afternoon of this day, the ground seemed to be on fire. Even the delivery coolies tried their best to deliver goods in the early morning and dusk. They also looked for shade to enjoy the coolness during the hot period. And on the official road east of Daxing came a group of cavalry, led by Yang Ji, who had just returned from Liangzhou.
According to normal plans and arrangements, he had three months of marriage leave, but the weather in Guanzhong was really too hot. He planned to take his wife to the cool Ganzhou after completing the return process. There was nothing to worry about.
This is simply because the Sui Dynasty currently has neither a system of supervisory troops nor the idea of leaving family members in Beijing as hostage; the former is because Yang Jian was also a general, and he knew that the battlefield situation was changing rapidly. If supervisory troops who did not understand military affairs were sent to restrain them, Therefore, all affairs in the army, no matter how big or small, must be submitted to the supervision of the army. This is actually a bad policy of defeating the army. Therefore, Yang Jian sent troops and generals and never set up a supervision of the army.
As for the theory that the generals and their families were in Beijing, it was actually done by the generals at the border of the Sui Dynasty out of security considerations. After all, the border was different from the mainland, and it was hard to say when the enemy troops would invade the city. In the event of a war, wouldn't it mean to give away your family members? Therefore, if the general took his wife and children to his post, Yang Jian and the court would not say a word. It's just that some generals are good at flattering and like to say in some public places that they keep their wives and children in Beijing to show their loyalty, which makes people mistakenly think that keeping their wives and children as hostages is customary and customary.
Yang Ji brought more than a hundred carts of books and papers from Ganzhou this time, so more than a thousand private troops escorted him throughout the journey. However, he had too many troops and could not enter the capital. He could only let Li Dabian take the troops to the palace on the outskirts of the city. Stationed at the farm.
Behind them there was a large group of war horses, each of which was strong and smooth-coated. These were good horses from the Great Lakes region and Eastern Turkestan. Such good horses would be worth at least five times the profit when sold to the capital, so the eager Yu Shinan took them. Four thousand horses were sold to them to supplement Liangzhou's fiscal revenue. They sold one hundred horses to the Li family in Longxi in Weizhou, and sold three hundred horses each to Weizhou, Qinzhou, and Qizhou Sima on the road. Now they still have three thousand horses.
About an hour later, a small village developed into a wine shop and inn appeared in the distance for pedestrians to rest. Although the majestic capital city could be seen from here, the food and accommodation here were far cheaper than in the city, so those who came to the capital city If business travelers see that it is getting late, they are willing to stay here for one night before entering the capital the next day.
"Sir, I have sold horses before, and I am familiar with the market." Xue Juce, who was responsible for watching the horses, immediately stepped forward, bowed his hand to Yang Ji, and suggested: "Our horses are all good horses, and we don't have to worry about buyers at all. As long as we enter The West Market Horse Racing Store must have been snapped up by all the servants who were guarding the place. However, after we had traveled a long distance and been exposed to the sun for a whole morning, these horses seemed rather sluggish and easy to be bargained for. I suggest that the young master go back home first. , Hao Canjun and I rest here for two hours, and then rush to buy and sell in the West Market."
"That's fine!" Yang Ji knew that there were many military and military families in the capital, and these powerful families loved good horses very much. They really didn't have to worry about selling their tall and elegant horses, but if it was just Xue Ju and Hao Yuan, it was hard to guarantee that they would sell them. Some people bully others and try their best to bargain. To avoid these troubles, he took out a token and handed it to Xue Ju, saying: "This is the token from the palace. It can help you solve many problems. If you can't solve it, come to me in the palace."
"Here." Xue Ju took the token and went back to arrange for the guards and grooms to feed the horses.
Yang Ji and others escorted the convoy filled with books and papers and continued forward. After about ten miles, they arrived at the small village. There was a wine shop built of bamboo and oilcloth on the roadside. It covered a very large area. Yang Ji also said at this time Extremely thirsty, he asked the team to stop and rest.
He and Liu Rumei walked into the wine shop. Li Daliang, Dugu Pingyun, Zhang Chuchen and others did not follow suit, but went to rest under the shade of the trees on the roadside. But when the two of them arrived inside, they found that the restaurant was full of people. Just as they were about to turn around and go back, the waiter had already warmly greeted them and saluted: "Guest, there are two seats inside. Come in and have a bowl of cold water and some fruit before you leave." Bar."
"Rumei, let's have a rest!" Yang Ji dismounted and handed the reins to him, "Feed the horse with fines."
"Don't worry, guest." After Liu Rumei also handed over the reins, the waiter led the two horses away.
Yang Ji walked in with a black golden sword in one hand and a unicorn sword in the other. Liu Rumei followed closely with the sword and horse bag. The two of them took a look and found that there were indeed two empty seats in the northwest corner. A group of old and young people Men and women sat on two couches respectively. They seemed to be servants and guards of a certain family. There was a carriage next to them. Apparently the owner of the carriage saw the noisy life and mixed crowds in the wine shed and refused to get down and sit with them.
"Young gentleman and madam, please sit down here!" An old man in green clothes saw Yang Ji and Liu Rumei looking towards him and stood up to greet them. Several attendants squeezed aside to make room.
"Then I'll disturb you all." When Yang Ji saw this old man with a kind face, who must be a housekeeper, he walked over, put down the horse bag, and smiled and bowed his hands to the old man and his entourage.
"You're welcome, Xiaolang. Everyone who is away from home, who doesn't have difficulties?" The old man in Tsing Yi smiled.
In fact, he also listened to what people said. The Sui Dynasty still maintained the habit of having different seats for scholars and common people. The old man was just the housekeeper, and the few people around him were also low-status attendants and maids. If Yang Ji and Liu Rumei were wearing brocade robes and pearls, the old man would never invite them to sit at the same table with them, because it would be rude to their noble status. Even if they don't care, it would be detrimental to themselves. Tutoring and family tradition.
But Yang Ji and Liu Rumei saw that the weather was hot and it was uncomfortable to wear non-sweat-absorbent silk clothes, and it was inconvenient to move, so they both put on breathable and sweat-absorbent white cloth clothes. When the old man saw that the two of them were wearing commoners and there was no identification hanging on their belts, he instinctively thought that the two of them were just civilians and there was no problem in sitting with them.
Yang Ji and Liu Rumei sat down. It was already afternoon, and he was a little hungry, so he ordered the waiter: "The caravan you saw just now belongs to me. Send them three hundred yuan." We only need ten kilograms of mutton stew, two hundred biscuits, two hundred bowls of mung bean juice, and one hundred jugs of fruit wine. We only need ten kilograms of mutton stew, four biscuits, two bowls of bean sweat, and one jug of fruit wine. If there are melons and fruits, we can also Come on."
Everyone was shocked when they heard what was said next. How could there be such a delicious person in this world? And it’s such a hot day, how can these beautiful people still have such a good appetite?
"We still have to hurry, so hurry up, you know?" Yang Ji ordered the waiter again.
"Okay, guest, sit down for a moment!" The waiter left happily.
The old man picked up the flask and poured a glass of wine for the two of them, and asked with a smile: "Xiao Langjun's accent seems to be from the capital! What's your surname?"
"I am from the capital, so my surname is Yang." Yang Ji quickly handed over his hands and thanked him. He also asked with a smile: "Listening to my father-in-law's accent, he should be from Bingzhou, right?"
"Exactly!" The old man also smiled: "Our ancestral home is Wenxi, Jiangzhou, and now we live in the capital. The day before yesterday, we escorted my young lady to Kuzhu Temple to offer incense. We just returned today."
After hearing this, Yang Ji's first reaction was that he liked the Pei family and Pei Ju. Maybe these people were Pei Ju's family members, but it was not easy to inquire about their privacy, so he said tactfully: "Although I have never been there Wenxi, but we also know that the Pei family, a thousand-year-old noble family, is in Wenxi. Many great figures have appeared in the Wenxi Pei family, and they have made outstanding contributions in politics, culture, law, diplomacy, etc., not to mention the distant ones. For example, Pei Zheng, our former governor of Xiangzhou during the Sui Dynasty, participated in the compilation of the "Kaihuang Code" during his lifetime. In the process of improving the "Kaihuang Code", he learned from the criminal codes of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and took advantage of them. , made great contributions to the perfection of our laws in the Sui Dynasty; and Pei Ju, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is an even more remarkable person."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a "shushing" sound from the carriage next to him. The window had been opened. A girl looked over curiously. When he saw Yang Ji, a pair of big black and white eyes suddenly lit up. She showed a strong look of surprise, and the small dimples on her cheeks made her jade-like face look more pretty and cute.
Yang Ji's eyes happened to be facing the carriage. The movement of the window made his eyes look over naturally. When he saw the face of the girl in the carriage, he couldn't help but laugh. It turned out to be Pei Ju's daughter Pei Shuying. She had been raped by a bearded guest in Furong Garden. After the assassination, I never saw her again. Unexpectedly, what a coincidence. I smiled and called, "What a coincidence, Madam Shuying."
"What a coincidence, I thought the footman had failed!" Pei Shuying walked out of the carriage in surprise. Her slim body was a little taller, and she was as beautiful as a budding water lotus.
She walked toward Yang Ji in a hurry, glanced at the strange-looking butler, a blush flashed across her pretty face, and she quickly explained in a low voice: "This is King Wei, he saved my life in Furong Garden."
When the housekeeper and others heard what she said, their expressions all changed. They never expected that King Wei would be dressed like this, but they were relieved when they thought that Yang Ji used to be a well-known dandy king in the capital. But they didn't dare to sit with him. Everyone stood up, bowed deeply, and walked to the carriage one after another.
Yang Jijiu felt a little sorry for occupying the magpie nest, but with the way the world was, he couldn't say anything. If he retained these servants of the Pei family, he would be rude to Pei Shuying, and even rude to Pei Ju.
"King Wei, I heard that there is going to be a war in Liangzhou. Why are you here?" Pei Shuying asked excitedly after sitting down. When Furong Yuan was assassinated, if Yang Ji hadn't thrown her to the ground and risked diverting the arrow away, she would have died long ago. Since then, she has been thinking about this savior; as for being dragged down by Yang Ji , but it was not considered.
"I need to come back to take care of some housework. I didn't expect to meet you here." Yang Ji found a clean cup and poured her a glass of fruit wine. He smiled and joked: "There are many temples in Daxing City, but you are far away." Why go to Kuzhu Temple to offer incense? Could it be that the Buddha at Kuzhu Temple is very good at marriage?"
"King Wei misunderstood." Pei Shuying's face turned red with embarrassment, and her heart was pounding. Although Yang Ji didn't explicitly say that she went to seek marriage, the meaning was already clear. What's terrible is that she not only asked for marriage by the way, but also invited Bodhisattva Bless her as a savior.
She bit her lip and denied it: "I went to make a wish for my father."
Yang Ji glanced at her and knew he was right. He suppressed a smile and followed her topic and asked, "Is your father okay?"
"Thank you, King Wei, for your concern." Seeing that Yang Ji did not ask the embarrassing question again, Pei Shuying became a little calmer and sighed: "My father was injured when he was fighting in the south. Recently, the weather has been hot and cold, and he has suffered some wind and cold. And it caused old wounds; everyone is very worried. This morning, a family member sent me news, saying that my father went to court as usual yesterday and is obviously fine."
"That's good!" Yang Ji nodded. Pei Ju was actually a handsome man who could fight well. He was ordered to pacify Lingnan in the 10th year of Emperor Kaihuang's founding. He happened to encounter Gao Zhizhi and Wang Wenjin rebelling against the Sui Dynasty in the south. Pei Ju only relied on his hands. Thousands of miscellaneous soldiers were stunned to pursue them from Hengzhou to Guangzhou, and drove the remaining rebels into the sea. In order to boost the morale of the miscellaneous soldiers, Pei Ju personally led the troops to fight from beginning to end. If it was in that difficult environment where the enemy was strong and we were weak, He didn't even get hurt at all, then there was a ghost.
Pei Shuying said with a smile: "I have read King Wei's "Three Character Classic". This enlightening article is catchy and easy to remember. The whole article is full of positive and inspirational spirit. It is indeed very suitable for young children to learn. Anyone who can read knows about the church, and children can recite the entire article just by listening to it a few times. Moreover, the contents are arranged in an organized and easy-to-understand order. Even adults who cannot read can read it as long as they have life experience. I can interpret it. Not long ago, my father said that this "Three Character Classic" is thousands of times more useful than "Congong March" and "Song of the Sea" written by King Wei. It has been spread in Daxing and Guanzhong, and has spread rapidly to the Central Plains. This enlightening essay alone can classify King Wei as a 'Great Confucian', and it is not an exaggeration to say that he can be immortalized forever!"
Yang Ji smiled shamefully and said, "I'm really sorry for putting more burden on the children."
He saw that there was only one "Thousand Character Classic" in the children's book, so he took out the "Three Character Classic". In terms of historical facts, he deleted the stories of the Sui Dynasty and the characters after the Sui Dynasty and replaced them with similar predecessors. These two enlightenment readings contain the profound cultural heritage of the nation and have extremely high moral standards for educating people and doing things. There is no doubt about their value and influence; the only shortcoming may be that they increase the amount of recitation for students.
Pei Shuying was stunned for a moment, then realized it, couldn't help laughing, and said: "This is true, but it is easy to remember, and I think most children will like it."
"I hope so!" Yang Ji smiled bitterly. In this era, perhaps no one would scold their mother, but it would be hard to say so in the future.
"What a horse!" At this time, a voice of admiration came from behind, interrupting the conversation between Yang Ji and Pei Shuying. Yang Ji looked at the sound, but three powerful men walked in and sat down. On the newly vacated seat, and everyone brought long weapons.
Although Yang Jian issued a ban on martial arts and prohibited the people from making and preserving long weapons, martial arts in the Sui Dynasty was very strong. The martial arts families and powerful noble families in the north had their children practicing martial arts everywhere, even in the shops in Daxing City. I dare not sell them openly, but there are also long weapons inside. As long as you can afford it, you can easily buy them in Daxing City. This also made the ban on martial arts exist in name only when it was promulgated.
The man who spoke was a young man with a dark face. He was very strong, with two bright eyes. He held a horse spear in one hand. His eyes were fixed on Yang Ji's armor-piercing black gold spear, showing a look of wonder. .
Yang Ji's armor-piercing black-gold spear was covered with a leather bag, leaving only the shaft exposed. Most people couldn't really see it. This man could tell at a glance that it was a horse spear, not a similar blade, which shows his extraordinary eyesight.
When he saw Yang Ji looking at him, he held the horse in his hand and saluted: "I am Wei Chigong, a native of Shanyang County, Shuozhou. He has been fond of riding, archery, and horse dancing since he was a child. May I ask what I call this brother?"
"My Excellency Yang Wenhui, a person from the capital..." Yang Ji also stood up and returned the salute. He couldn't help but take a closer look at him. This big man who called himself Yu Chigong was wearing a short black cloth shirt and a single whip on his back. As expected, he was handsome and tall, with a handsome face that was a little darker, but it didn't match the charcoal head, and it was very different from the skin color of his throat. It was obvious that he was not naturally dark, but acquired it from the sun.
"Brother Yang, I have a merciless request." Yu Chigong said with some scorn: "I have always been in love with you, can you get a glimpse of the whole thing?"
"What's so difficult about this?" Yang Ji smiled and took off the leather sheath on the blade, revealing the tip of the armor-piercing black-gold blade.
Yuchi Gong looked at it carefully, then glanced at Yang Ji, and asked hesitantly: "Brother Yang, are you the Toujia Wujinshan?"
Yang Ji was startled for a moment. The Penetrating Armor Wu Jinyan was an "epic-level" weapon inherited from his father. It had been in the dust for nearly ten years. Yuchi Gong, who was about the same age as him, could actually call out the correct name based on the style. It was true. It was extremely weird, but he still said: "This is indeed the Toujia Wujinshan passed down by my late father. Could it be that Brother Yuchi also knows it?"
"Young master, Wei Chi, respectfully greets you, young master." Yu Chi respectfully saluted again and said, "My late father's name is Yu Chi Jia, and he joined the army under the record of my old master."
"..." Yang Ji was stunned for a moment. Yuchi Gong's father, Yuchi Jia, was a soldier of the Great Sui Dynasty who joined the army with the Third Division and the Palace Record Office of Prince Wei of the Sui Dynasty. He died in the Battle of Baidaochuan led by Yang Shuang. The imperial court posthumously awarded him the title of Fen. The governor of the state, the governor of Youzhou, and the Duke of Changning, with the posthumous title "An".
According to this calculation, Yuchi Gong is indeed the second generation of the Wei Wang family.
When he came to his senses, he quickly said: "It turns out that he is the son of Chang Ning'an Gong, please sit down!"
"This..." Yuchi Gong looked a little embarrassed when he saw that there were female relatives here.
"Guest!" The receptionist rushed up with a bruised nose and face, shouting at Yang Ji: "There is someone outside who wants to steal your and my wife's horse. I can't stop him."
7017k
