In the dim tropical rain forest, a few clusters of firelight flickered.
More than twenty natives worked together to carry a huge log and walked out with bright smiles on their faces.
"Everyone, please be careful. Wild beasts come out to look for food at night, so we can't be careless."
"Haha, brother Amu, don't worry, the ferocious beast is here, it's just a meat dish for us."
The two leading men were talking and laughing, all because they found a piece of treasure wood.
Using this wood called fragrant tree, you can not only exchange for a large amount of salt, but also for cloth and weapons.
After walking for about half an hour, everyone finally returned to the camp.
When I met patrolling soldiers on the road and saw that the logs they were carrying were so complete, they all smiled kindly at them.
We may not understand each other in a short period of time, but smile is always the best language for human beings.
As soon as we entered the camp, we were immediately greeted by people dressed as stewards.
He said in broken Aboriginal language: "Amu, you guys have a good harvest today."
The indigenous man named Amu bowed respectfully to the steward and said solemnly: "We found a fragrant forest. There are hundreds of fragrant trees there. This one is the thickest. We brought it back to the general as a tribute. "
The steward was overjoyed when he heard this and said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, don't worry, I will go to the general to ask for credit for you soon. If you can get a boatload of agarwood together, you will be a great hero. No matter what you want, general It will satisfy you."
At this time, several middle-aged men dressed as businessmen came trotting over, talking happily about the log.
"If you send the finest agarwood to Luoyang, you can get at least five hundred bottles of rose bath liquid."
"Quickly, use a scale to test how heavy it is."
"That's it. We've just got enough for twenty ships."
Seeing this, the steward smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. It is said that there is a whole forest of agarwood like this."
After the indigenous Amu handed the logs to the steward, he took his brothers back to the camp where the tribe was located.
It was already dark at this time, and it was just time for dinner.
A bonfire was lit in the center of the camp, and the women were processing various ingredients to make dinner.
When they saw their man coming back, not only the women, but also the children came jumping up and down.
"Abba, you eat, it's delicious."
There are two children in Amu's family, one boy is about seven years old, and the other girl is just over three years old.
The two of them were holding meat buns made of white flour. The white flour used to make the buns was provided by Wei Cheng, and was purchased by later generations. It is pure wheat flour.
"Oh, there are some meat buns to eat again. You are so good. Eat it by yourselves. Dad is not hungry."
The little boy shook his head, put the bun to Amu's mouth, and said, "Abba, eat it. I earned it by chopping bamboo."
】
The little girl was a little confused. When she saw this, she followed her brother's example and brought the delicious meat buns to her father's mouth.
Amu felt warm in his heart, while the brothers next to him looked envious.
"Brother Amu, these two children of yours are so sensible. They are much better than that brat of mine. They have delicious food and know how to use it to honor you." A dark-skinned man said.
Amu picked up his little daughter, held his son's hand, and said, "Okay, let's go back to eat. We will go into the mountains again tomorrow morning. We don't need to bring tools this time. We will be responsible for leading the way."
The men smiled at each other and walked towards the area where their homes were located.
Amu took her children back to her home, an independent bamboo house surrounded by a bamboo fence.
A woman was serving her parents-in-law in the yard. When her husband came back, she stood up with a smile.
Amu walked closer and saw that today there were not only meat buns but also many dishes. He asked curiously: "What is going on? Why is the meal today so rich?"
The woman and her parents-in-law looked at each other and smiled, and the old man said: "It's all thanks to you. Before the sun went down, someone sent food specially, saying it was a reward for you. Come on, sit down and eat, I'll be waiting for you."
Amu asked curiously: "We just found the fragrant tree today, and the reward came so soon?"
The woman took her daughter from his arms and explained with a smile: "It's not because of the fragrant trees, but because of those stones. I heard that the Lord of the Kingdom likes those transparent and luminous stones very much. The stones you gave to the general are very precious." tribute."
"The Lord of the Kingdom?!" Amu exclaimed.
At this time, outside the small courtyard of the fence, several men came from a distance, attracting many natives to stand up and salute along the way.
"Amu, is Amu back?" someone shouted.
Amu was stunned for a moment, and recognized the owner of the voice. He hurriedly handed the child to his wife to take care of, and ran outside the courtyard gate to greet him.
Not long after, several men entered the courtyard.
"Amu, this is the general. He has something very important to ask you. You must answer the general's questions honestly."
Amu knelt on the ground respectfully and saluted Sun Ce.
The white-haired old man who led the way said to Sun Ce: "General Sun, those jadeite stones are presented to you by Amu Jin."
Sun Ce nodded slightly and looked at Zhang Fei and Huang Xu beside him.
Zhang Fei said: "Old Baitou, ask him where he found those stones. As long as he takes me there, his family can settle in Dahan, and they will become my Dahan people from now on."
The white-haired old man was the great Han shaman from before. Hearing this, he looked at Amu with envy.
After hearing this, Amu kowtowed to Zhang Fei respectfully and said excitedly: "I am willing to take the general to that valley."
···
Luoyang.
The year 191 finally arrived.
On the first day of the New Year, Luoyang City is bustling with activity, with red lanterns hanging high everywhere and firecrackers ringing from time to time in the streets.
In several prosperous places in the city, various shops are still open for business. There is no concept of annual vacation at this time.
On the contrary, it is more important for the vendors to take advantage of the crowds during the New Year and make more money.
Not only are the vendors busy, but also some entertainers can be seen on the street from time to time.
Those who lift jars, those who crush boulders on their chests, those who tame animals and juggle, anyone with a little bit of skill can win waves of applause and rewards.
Someone set up an archery stall, with arrow targets at various angles. An arrow cost five cents, but if it hit the target, the profit would be ten times.
Some people are fighting chickens in a cage. Two chickens are fighting fiercely in the cage. The spectators nearby are enjoying themselves by gambling, which is also a good pastime.
Yuan Xi, courtesy name Xianyi, was the second son of Yuan Shao.
"Princess Aruna, this is the cake of Daoxiang Village. Please try it."
Aruna took the cake and looked at it curiously, and was instantly impressed by the exquisite shape of the cake.
Yuan Xi said: "Don't underestimate this cake. Such a small piece is worth a lot, and you can't buy it if you have money."
Aruna nodded, swallowed, and asked with bright eyes: "How do you eat this?"
Yuan Xi handed her a small spoon made of wood and said, "Just use this to scoop out the food. Of course, you can also eat it in big mouthfuls."
Aruna took the spoon and gave Yuan Xi a sweet smile.
Yuan Xi's mind wandered. She had to say that this Hun princess was quite beautiful, especially her exotic eyes.
Originally, Yuan Xi was not very enthusiastic about his father's order to get close to this woman, but now his mentality changed.
After all, this woman is also the daughter of the Xiongnu Chanyu, so marrying her doesn't seem to be a disgrace.
Yuan Xi comforted himself in this way.
This matter has to start with Aruna being 'driven' out of Honglu Temple by Emiya.
The lost Aruna met Yuan Xi who came to the city hunting by chance, and was rescued by Yuan Xi's Kang.
And all of this was just a game designed by Wei Cheng. First, Wei Gong was asked to play the bad side, and then the Yuan family sent someone to play the bad side.
Wei Cheng asked Wei Gong to win over Ji Ri Batu, which did not mean that he had turned against the Xiongnu royal family.
The best outcome is to control the entire Northern Huns for their own use, and only the children make the choice, and of course the adults will not let go of either.
In this way, Wei Gong is responsible for the auspicious day, and the Yuan family takes the opportunity to win over the Xiongnu royal family, which not only allows them to continue fighting among themselves, but also creates a delicate balance.
And this scene is also happening in Anyi.
Tian Feng has secretly reached a tacit agreement with Jiri Batu, and will form a strong army consisting mainly of light cavalry in the spring, called the Wolf Guard.
The Yuan family also took the opportunity to find the furious Zuoxian King An Luo, and gained An Luo's initial trust.
"Hey, what are you selling? There are so many people?"
Yuan Xi looked in the direction of Aruna's finger and frowned when he saw the signboard with the word "Sun" hanging on the eaves of the shop.
"That's a shop that specializes in selling fruits from southern islands. There's nothing new about it." Yuan Xi said disdainfully.
"Dried mango is on sale, only fifteen cents per pound, limited to 500 pounds, first come, first served."
"Freshly squeezed sugarcane juice, sweet and delicious sugarcane juice, only costs five cents a cup. Come and try the specialties of the southern islands."
"Our store specializes in selling tropical fruits thousands of miles away in the south. It is a perfect choice for door-to-door gifts and to honor your elders. You deserve it!"
At the door of the shop, several waiters were shouting hard.
More and more people were attracted there, crowding the three connected fruit shops.
Especially the names of unheard-of fruits and vegetables, as well as the strange fruity aroma faintly wafting in the air, are typical living signs.
In the shop, young Sun Quan was sitting at the counter, smiling from ear to ear, skillfully tapping the chips, his eyes sparkling with gold.
"Second brother, Xiang'er wants to eat pineapple."
Xiaoxiang Xiangxiang ran into the counter, hugged Sun Quan's thigh and swayed for a while.
Sun Quan put down the account book, picked up his sister, and said with a frown: "Xiangxiang, dear, it's time for lunch. If you eat pineapple again, you won't be able to eat anymore. What will you do if your mother scolds you again?"
When Sun Shangxiang heard this, he opened his big eyes with aggrieved expression and looked at Sun Quan eagerly.
Sun Quan couldn't bear her stare and sighed helplessly, "Okay, okay, eat pineapple, eat pineapple, my second brother is really afraid of you."
The shopkeeper next to him saw the brother and sister being so close, and reminded him with a smile: "Second Master, I don't dare to let the young lady eat it again. This pineapple will make your teeth sore after eating too much, and you have to go to the palace to attend the banquet tonight, so what's going on in the palace?" The delicious food is the best in the world, it would be a shame not to be able to eat it when the time comes."
Hearing this, Sun Shangxiang tilted his head and asked, "Uncle Han, is the food in the palace better than pineapples?"
The shopkeeper knelt down, rubbed Sun Shangxiang's head, and said with a smile: "That's for sure, and the royal chef in the palace also uses pineapples to cook dishes. The pineapples in the dishes will not become sour no matter how you eat them. If Miss has tasted it, Will definitely like it.”
Sun Shangxiang stuck out his little tongue and licked his lips. Apparently he was so greedy that he hurriedly pulled Sun Quan's sleeve and said, "Second brother, Xiang'er wants to eat the delicacies of the palace, and she wants to eat dishes made from pineapples."
Sun Quan laughed, hugged his sister and said, "Yeah, Xiangxiang, be obedient. My second brother will take you to the palace to eat delicious food tonight."
"Oh yeah!" Sun Shangxiang waved his little hands happily.
In front of the store, several teenagers came together.
Seeing Sun Quan at the counter, the leading young man shouted: "Junior brother, okay, we are looking for you everywhere, but we don't want you to be lazy here."
Sun Quan looked up and couldn't help but said with great joy: "Why are these senior brothers here? Come on, please come to the tea room behind."
A handsome young man waved his hand and said: "I won't sit down, I won't sit down anymore. Junior brother, please ask someone to pack some dried mangoes for me, and five papayas. If I had known you were the owner of this shop, I wouldn't have done it myself." Just took a trip."
Sun Quan heard this and said with a smile: "It's easy to say. From now on, senior brother, you just need to inform me, and I will have someone send it directly to your house."
Several other teenagers also placed orders one after another. They were all students of Heluo College, and they were also supporting Sun Quan.
The young man in charge walked up to the counter and said sincerely: "It seems that my brother is very powerful in the south. Transporting so many strange fruits all the way to Luoyang is impossible without some skills."
"Isn't that right? It is estimated that in the near future, I will have another king with a different surname. Junior Brother Sun, congratulations."
The few young men looked at each other, and the eyes they looked at Sun Quan had subtle changes.
Several people present were from aristocratic families, and they naturally knew what a king with a different surname meant to the family.
Let's not talk about the distant ones, let's talk about Gongsun Zan's title of queen. It can be said that one person has achieved enlightenment, chickens and dogs have ascended to heaven. The Gongsun family has become the top family of the Han Dynasty, and it has been unparalleled in the limelight for a while.
If there is a king with a different surname in the Sun family, then Sun Quan will be the heir apparent. They and their classmates will all bow down and salute when they see him. They cannot regard themselves as seniors like they do now.
Sun Quan was young and mature. When he saw the changes in several senior students, he smiled with them on the surface, but said nothing.
If he becomes complacent because of the fact that he has not yet written about his horoscope, he will definitely be isolated when the academy starts again.
It's better to wait until the dust settles.
Regardless of whether the eldest brother can be crowned king, at least with the eldest brother's current military exploits, Sun's future height will not be too low.
However, Sun Quan wanted to keep a low profile, but someone didn't allow him.
When Sun Shangxiang saw that his second brother had neglected him, he held Sun Quan's hand unhappily and said, "Second brother, when are we going to the palace? Xiang'er is hungry, and Xiang'er wants to eat the food cooked by the imperial chef."
The teenagers were startled at first, and then exclaimed: "Junior Brother Sun, you are not invited to the banquet tonight, are you?"
Sun Quan gave a wry smile, nodded and said, "Bucai, because of my brother's meritorious service, I was lucky enough to get an invitation letter."
"Oh my god, you actually... I heard from my father that Wei Jun only sent out thirty-six invitations. I didn't expect you to get one."
The teenagers looked at each other with envy and admiration.
