On the wide street, pedestrians come and go in a hurry.
The rickshaws with bells were driving along, and passers-by who heard the bells instinctively moved out of the way to a wide lane.
The shops on both sides display a dazzling array of products, and the various familiar and unfamiliar objects are dizzying.
The truck driver who stopped occasionally would unload the packages of goods, take the bill of lading from the shopkeeper, sign and pledge it, and then run to the next store to deliver the goods. Everything was so orderly.
The woman sitting in the rickshaw was holding a boy of about six or seven years old in her arms. The boy had a pair of upturned buns that were very conspicuous, and a pair of big eyes rolling around on both sides, looking very strange at the bustling city.
"Xun'er, look at those children. They are only about the same size as you, but they are already making a living by hawking."
The woman pointed at a few children selling the "Dragon and Tiger List of the Great Han Dynasty" and preached to the boy in her arms.
The boy looked at those children, the curiosity in his eyes was replaced by longing. He listened to his aunt's teachings, but in fact he cursed in his heart. He also wanted to be as free and carefree as these children, but his aunt wouldn't let him go and could only talk. Preaching, hum!
After the woman lectured, she looked towards the shop on one side and saw a few men from the city guard on duty. Wherever they went, they attracted eager greetings from the vendors.
Some fruit sellers presented white pears to quench their thirst, and some cake sellers presented freshly baked pancakes. The boy who greeted the customers outside the shop also bowed and saluted. There was no fear or panic in his words, but it was like meeting close friends. Familiarity is casual.
The man from the city guard did not reach out to pick it up. He only said that he was not allowed to eat while on duty. After thanking him, he continued patrolling. When he encountered a driver carrying goods, he was frustrated. Some people left the team to help. They saw urchins playing on the roadside. Warmly remind the family members to take good care of...
Lu Ying watched all this with interest, becoming more and more curious about her husband's family, and even more surprised about her nephew who had been frail and sick since childhood.
She knew that all these changes must have been brought about by her nephew. He was already the shepherd of a state at a young age. He also had the Longshan Army under his command, which was recognized as the strongest in the world. He was a hero like Sun Polu. A good man must be willing to be inferior.
Lu Ying looked at the boy in her arms and thought of her dead brother Lu Jun. She felt very sad in her heart. After her brother died of illness, only her nephew Lu Xun was the only one left in their lineage. Now that the world is in chaos, Lu Ying never wants to let her nephew The son is in danger.
The safest place in the world is none other than Hedong County where the Wei family is located.
Therefore, after some tangles, Lu Ying finally took her nephew Lu Xun northward. No matter how much she was at odds with Wei Min, she would still have the nerve to plead for mercy and secure a future for her brother's only heir.
Of course, Lu Jun also had a son and two daughters, but they were both born from concubines. This can be known from the surname of Lu Xun's younger brother Lu Mao, not Uncle Ji. Lu Mao is not his legitimate son, and Lu Jun's only legitimate son is Lu Xun.
Originally, Lu Ying followed her father, Lu Kang, the current governor of Lujiang, and wanted to take her family to Wu County for refuge. This is indeed the case in history.
But now that Wei Cheng is a variable, and Lu Ying is Wei Cheng's second aunt, Lu Kang asked Lu Ying to go north to explore the way. If everything goes well, the Lu family will not go to Wu County, but go north to seek refuge. Wei, after all, Hedong County is safer.
"Aunt, look, it's my cousin!"
The boy in her arms suddenly stood up and shouted. Lu Ying looked up, with tears in her eyes, "Xun'er!"
"God's Coming"
Wei Xun also looked excited. He had been with his mother for a long time. He spent much longer time in Lu family than in Wei family. This time, mother and son were separated for only a few months. He thought about it day and night, and finally met her.
Also arriving with Wei Xun was his fifth uncle Wei Zhao, as well as Wei Min's two concubines and their children.
Even though Lu Ying and Wei Min lived in two different places, they did not publicly divorce. Lu Ying was always a member of the Wei family, and she was also the eldest daughter of Wei Min's lineage. Wei Min could not come, but they did not dare to neglect.
"Second sister-in-law."
Wei Yan was very enthusiastic. This time Lu Ying brought several aristocratic families from Jiujiang County to surrender. The more aristocratic families that attached themselves to the Wei family, the stronger the Wei family was. Naturally, his starting point was to focus on the overall situation.
After Lu Ying got out of the car, she saluted Wei Zhuo Yingying and said, "Uncle, please worry."
Wei Wei waved his hand carelessly and said with a smile: "Second sister-in-law, you're welcome. It's a long way from here. I'll let Xun'er take second sister-in-law to rest first. Later, the couple will come in person. Came to visit."
When Lu Ying heard that Wei Cheng was coming to see her, she was extremely excited and hurriedly bowed her hands again, "Uncle, thank you for your trouble."
Wei Yan laughed and said that it should be done.
Next to them, Wei Xun and Lu Xun reunited after a long absence. Lu Xun happily held Wei Xun's hand and seemed to have endless words in his mouth.
He and Wei Xun grew up together since childhood. The two were not brothers but better than brothers. Wei Xun was nine years older than Lu Xun. Because of his mother's relationship, he treated Lu Xun as his own brother since he was a child.
"Little brother, when you come to Hedong this time, you can settle down with peace of mind. I will beg my second brother tonight to give you a place for admission, so that we can go to school together again in the future." Wei Xun said with a smile.
When Lu Xun heard this, he became even more curious about what he had seen along the way, and asked hurriedly: "Cousin, I heard from the steward of the caravan that there are many fun and delicious places in Anyi City. When will you take me to take a look around... And Don’t let your aunt know, otherwise she will definitely not allow it.”
Wei Xun glanced at his mother who was talking to his fifth uncle Wei Yan, and whispered: "Don't worry, the best food and fun in the city are all at the gate of Heluo College. When the time comes to go to school, I will take you with me. Have a nice walk around.”
Lu Xun's eyes were bright and he was very playful.
A group of people entered through the main entrance, and the maids and stewards lined up on both sides to greet them.
Wei Yan took Lu Ying to see the clan leader Wei Hao first. Wei Hao also knew about the temperament of his second brother Wei Min's wife.
The two briefly exchanged greetings, and Wei Hao asked Wei Yao to take the people to rest.
Lu Ying also didn't have much words for this eldest brother.
When she ran away from home, a large part of the reason was that Wei Min shared many responsibilities that should belong to Wei Hao. Since he was not the patriarch, he did too many thankless things, which naturally caused many people in the family to resent Wei Hao. At the same time, Lu Ying was also implicated.
Lu Ying was originally a hot-tempered person and couldn't bear to hear others scold her without retaliate. Once she got angry when someone scolded her, so she directly taught a few mother-in-laws a lesson. After returning home, she had a big quarrel with Wei Ming because of this matter, and Wei Ming was even He cursed a few unpleasant words.
Feeling aggrieved, Lu Ying took her son back to her parents' home, where they stayed for more than ten years.
Of course, it cannot be said that the two separated because Wei Hao did not care about things. The reason for this situation was probably due to personality incompatibility, and the two had their own opinions and could not work together as a couple.
According to the eyes of later generations, Lu Ying is a brother-supporting demon, and she is not able to follow her husband when she marries. Because Wei Min only wants to make the Wei family stronger, all uneasy factors that affect the stability of the Wei family are sins, so The two of them were incompatible.
That night.
Wei Cheng took Cai Yan to visit.
After all, she is his second aunt. Even if Wei Yan doesn't tell her, Wei Cheng and Cai Yan should come.
After entering the small courtyard, they saw the second uncle Wei Min and the eldest brother Wei Jian sitting on the stone table in the courtyard making tea and playing chess.
In the hall, Wei Jian's wife and daughter were talking to a plump woman with a smiling face. The woman had a pair of red-phoenix triangular eyes and two willow-leaf eyebrows, which gave people the impression of being smart and capable.
Wei Cheng recalled watching "A Dream of Red Mansions" in her previous life, and found that the second aunt in front of her was seventy-eight times as powerful and beautiful as Wang Xifeng.
Seeing Wei Cheng and his wife arriving, the second aunt, who was chatting and laughing with her sister-in-law, came out directly to welcome them.
"This is Qing'er. I haven't seen her for many years, but she looks so upright and majestic. It's no wonder that she can marry such a beautiful and talented woman."
What a great guy, I can praise both Wei Cheng and his wife in one sentence. Their human nature and sophistication are perfect.
Wei Cheng and Cai Yan looked at each other and smiled. Although the second aunt was a bit snobbish and immediately left the elder sister-in-law and others in the main room when they saw them coming over, she was still the second aunt after all, so the etiquette should be indispensable.
After some pleasantries.
Wei Cheng motioned to Cai Yan to go in and stay with Nujuan, while he went to talk to his second uncle and eldest brother.
Cai Yan had a big belly and it was difficult to move. Lu Ying saw this and hurriedly came forward to help her. She also smiled and asked Wei Cheng to go in and talk. It was freezing outside and not as warm as inside.
Wei Cheng chuckled and declined. There was a room full of women, so what's the point of going in alone.
Of course, he didn't say this.
Lu Ying treated her nephew so kindly, which made Wei Min, who was sitting far away, look even more angry.
Fortunately, Wei Jian was there to hold him, otherwise there would have been a quarrel.
When Wei Cheng walked to the stone table, he happened to see his second uncle looking at his second aunt who walked into the main room with a gloomy face.
Wei Cheng and his eldest brother Wei Zhi looked at each other, and when he saw his eldest brother spreading his hands, he sat down funny.
Wei Min turned around and sighed helplessly, "It's a joke for you. That's what you, the second aunt, are like."
Wei Jian picked up the teapot, added water to Wei Qing, and said with a smile: "What did the second uncle say? The second aunt was just a little more polite when she saw Zhongdao. This is human nature, and it's nothing."
Wei Cheng also nodded slightly. He had seen snobbish women before. His ex-girlfriend was such a person, and he had long been immune to it.
The uncle and nephew chatted for a while.
Lu Ying suddenly walked out again, carrying a plate of pastries.
When Wei Min saw this, he snorted coldly and looked away.
Lu Ying didn't bother to pay attention to him. She smiled slightly with the Wei Cheng brothers, then put down the cakes and sat directly on the empty chair next to Wei Ming. She also took the teapot herself and refilled the water for Wei Cheng and the other three, but there was only a small amount of water. After seeing Wei Min, it can be seen that she still has complaints about her husband in her heart.
After adding water, Lu Ying looked at Wei Cheng and revealed an astonishing piece of information.
"Cheng'er, do you know about Sun Polu?"
Wei Cheng's expression changed, he glanced at Wei Min and Wei Qi, frowned and said, "Second Aunt has something to say, but it's okay to say it. This Sun Polu has been in Jingzhou, so I pay little attention to him."
Even Wei Min and Wei Ji frowned and looked at Lu Ying. They knew a lot about Sun Jian and knew that he was a man and an ambitious person. But didn't Sun Jian compete with Liu Biao and Liu Bei in Jingzhou?
Unexpectedly, Lu Ying suddenly said: "Yes, that boy Sun Bofu immediately blocked this matter. It makes sense that you don't know..." As she said that, she glanced at Wei Min and said quite complacently. : "Fortunately, I have someone from the Lu family working under Sun Jian."
Wei Min was too lazy to talk to her, but he was very curious about Sun Jian's affairs, so he frowned and shouted: "Just tell me what you want to say, mother-in-law, what do you want from me, Mrs. Wei?"
Lu Ying's cheeks were stained with blood, and she said coldly with a raised eyebrow: "Wei Min, why do you always judge a gentleman with a villain's heart? Even if I want to ask for something from the Wei family, it has nothing to do with you. Do you care?"
Wei Min wanted to fight back, but was stopped by Wei Cheng's eyes.
Wei Cheng said with a smile: "Second aunt, business is important. Second uncle is also a little impatient. There is no harm in this."
Lu Ying looked aggrieved, wiped away the tears she had squeezed out, looked at Wei Cheng, and said in a choked voice: "Qing'er is still sensible, much better than your inhumane second uncle..."
"Second Aunt, if you don't say anything, I will leave." Wei Cheng couldn't stand it anymore, why was it so stained.
Lu Ying saw that she was done with her favors, so she stopped crying and said sternly: "In fact, we can't keep this matter secret for long. I guess the news will come from Cheng'er's people soon, that is... Sun Jian Dead."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Min sneered: "Ignorant woman, if Sun Jian is really dead, I, the Wei family, will definitely get the news immediately. Do you still need to show off your favor?"
Lu Ying raised her embroidered eyebrows and wanted to refute, but she saw Wei Cheng frowning across from her and seemed to have an abnormal reaction.
Not only did she notice, but Wei Min and Wei Ji also looked at Wei Cheng in confusion.
Wei Teng was silent for a while, then raised his eyes and asked Lu Ying: "Second Aunt, this matter is not trivial. Is Sun Jian dead? How did he die? Can you explain in detail?"
When Lu Ying heard this and saw Wei Cheng's solemn expression, she no longer delayed her feelings, but instead told her what she knew.
"..."
The stars are flowing across the river, and the flowing clouds cover the moon.
That night, almost all the secret guards were dispatched, and Wei Gong even went out personally to rush to Jingzhou at night and under the stars.
Wei Cheng called Tian Feng, Xu Ding and others overnight.
The lights in the guardhouse in the north of the city were brightly lit, and everyone stayed up all night discussing.
In the early morning, Wei Cheng returned to the East Garden of Wei Mansion under the escort of Xu Zhu.
On the road, Wei Cheng sat on a rickshaw, frowning slightly, looking at the lone lanterns on both sides of the street.
"No, no, everything is in chaos. Everything happened too suddenly. Sun Jian's death a few years ago is nothing, but the person who killed him turned out to be Guan Yu. In just over half a month, what exactly happened in Jingzhou ?”
Xu Zhu, who was following him, had an incomprehensible expression on his face. Of course he knew Guan Yu, and the relationship between them was pretty good at the beginning.
But at the beginning, Guan Yu gave him the impression that he was just a martial artist. Even after he returned from Jingzhou, he didn't seem to have changed much, except that there was a hint of sharpness between his eyebrows.
It had only been a short time since Guan Yu quietly went south this time, but he actually did such an earth-shattering thing. He led his troops to attack and kill Sun Jian, captured Hengyang County, and drove Sun Ce and others back to Changsha. In just a few days, how did he do it?
"Is there any expert advice?"
Wei Cheng immediately thought of Zhuge Liang. He had no choice but to think of it instinctively.
This is not the right time. Zhuge Liang was still a young boy at this time and could not have such a cunning plan.
Who else?
