The biting cold wind tore apart the white clouds and threw them into the air, scattering snowflakes. Mixed with snow particles, it hit pedestrians' faces, causing bursts of stinging pain. In a small village with a few scattered houses, outsiders suddenly came to visit.
Zhang Qingmeng was wearing simple cotton clothes. Every time he breathed, he released white mist, which turned into crystal water droplets and stuck to the fluff of his clothes. This cold winter reminded him of the time when he visited the military advisor and came out of the mountain. Zhao Hongyan had a sword on his waist and rubbed his hands carelessly.
"Sir, the Yubazi I took out from home was frozen!"
Zhang Qingmeng said: "Be patient, the deepest part of the west of the village is the home of General Zuo."
"You really respect General Zuo. You don't want to ride in a good carriage, but you want to visit on foot..."
Zhang Qingmeng understood the meaning of his words and said with a smile: "Old General Zuo is arrogant by nature. If he wants to make a big scene, he will definitely not come to help. At this moment, the only way to lower his head is to avoid being bored."
Zhao Hongyan sniffed: "Okay, okay, we can do whatever you say, but I want to eat a chicken when I go back -"
"You are so brave, you dare to bargain with me!" Zhang Qingmeng laughed and scolded: "That's all you have, don't ruin my business today!"
"Got it!" Zhao Hongyan just smiled naively, never thinking that he would accidentally step on the ice covered by snow, his right foot suddenly slipped up to the sky, and he fell heavily into the snow, making a sound like killing a pig. Howling: "Who has no quality and then buries it with snow after pouring water on it! It hurts me to death!"
Zhang Qingmeng suppressed his laughter and quickly went to help this big guy like a grizzly bear: "No wonder, it snowed heavily today, so it's normal for him to be buried."
"It hurts, it hurts..." Zhao Hongyan had just stood up halfway, and when he pushed his left foot backward, it slipped again, directly hugging the white earth, and the hard and cold touch kept pouring in from underneath him. , he couldn't help but howl: "Sir! I don't want to go! I want to go home! Ahhhhhhhh..."
Zhang Qingmeng comforted him: "Does being a guard only have this kind of backbone? Okay, okay, on the day when General Zuo comes out of the mountain, how about I hold a big banquet for you and pour the wine for you myself?"
Zhao Hongyan swallowed his saliva and stood up regardless of the situation: "You must be an adult. Let's leave quickly. I will carry you on my back!"
"Stop making fun of me, I won't fall down dozens of times while riding on your back. Let's go!" Zhang Qingmeng patted the snow on his body and walked straight to Zuozhai without waiting for him to take a breath. Zhao Hongyan hurriedly chased after him, but slipped and staggered again, which frightened him so much that he slowed down and followed Zhang Qingmeng's sleeves as if walking on thin ice.
The two stopped at a thatched house and saw a man in his thirties sweeping snow in front of the door. Seeing them standing in front of him, he stopped his broom, stood by the snowdrift and asked, "What do you two have to visit?"
Zhang Qingmeng quickly bowed and saluted: "We are from the capital and would like to visit Mr. Zuo."
"My grandfather is drinking tea in the house, please let me go and report." After the man returned the courtesy and thanked him, he turned around and went into the house.
At this moment, the straw mat curtain suddenly opened from the inside. But seeing an old man walking out, Zhang Qingmeng raised his eyes and saw that this old man had a tough expression, walked like wind, and was energetic. His hair and long beard were like silver threads, stained with a few snowflakes. This man was the veteran Zuo Wen.
"Why are you two here?" Zuo Wen went straight to the topic without any politeness.
"How are you, General Zuo?" Zhang Qingmeng respectfully asked.
Zuo Wen looked at the two men in front of him and asked his grandson beside him: "Who are they? I never remember these disciples."
The grandson quickly replied: "Back to my grandfather, they said they are from the capital. I guess it must be an adult sending condolences. It would be better not to wait patiently..."
Upon hearing these words, Zhang Qingmeng suddenly had an idea in his mind. He thought that Zuo Wen knew his appearance, but he never thought that this was the case. In this case, why not lie and claim to be the messenger to prevent Zuo Wen from recalling old grudges.
"I am in Xiaguwen, and I have been asked by King Zheng to express condolences to Mr. Zuo..." Zhang Qingmeng bent even lower, very respectfully.
Zhao Hongyan picked his nose and asked inexplicably: "Sir, when will you..."
In an instant, Zhao Hongyan received a heavy blow on his butt, causing him to scream in pain. Zhang Qingmeng retracted his left leg in embarrassment and said with a smile: "This person is my guard, which made the old gentleman laugh."
Unexpectedly, Zuo Wen's eyes were very contemptuous, and he spat out of thin air: "Since you are Zhang Qingmeng's man, then go back quickly, I don't want to see you for a moment!"
Zhang Qingmeng felt hot all over his body, even though the cold wind beside him blew even harder:
"Mr. Zuo is a straightforward man, and I will not beat around the bush... Nowadays, Wei Hua in Bingzhou is eyeing the imperial court. Mr. Zuo's achievements in going deep into Mobei and driving away the Hu people from the north are well known to the world. King Zheng was thirsty for talents. Naturally, I admire him very much. I heard that Mr. Zuo is as healthy as ever, so I have the courage to come here to ask Mr. Zuo to help me."
Zuo Wen glanced at him sideways, ignored him, and was about to turn around and go back to the house. Zhang Qingmeng hurriedly stopped him, and then slowly bent his knees, as if he was worried, but still knelt firmly on the snow: "I hope Mr. Zuo will come out to help!"
The man kneeling in front of him had an extraordinary temperament lingering around him. Zuo Wen was touched, and then he softened his tone: "There is still snow on the ground. Is it worth kneeling down for your master who is well-dressed and well-fed?"
"I not only represent King Zheng, but also kneel down for the sake of the court and the common people of Li. I also hope that General Zuo, out of consideration for the common people, will come out to help."
Zuo Wen sneered: "Open your mouth to the court, but shut your mouth to the common people. A bunch of scholars think that they can earn me a fortune by just kneeling down. That's really cheap for me!" Then he added: "Get out of here!"
However, Zhang Qingmeng, who was stubborn by nature, did not compromise at all. His eyes were bright and clear, as if they were exuding a cold glow.
Seeing him like this, Zuo Wen just thought it was the other party's passion, and said nonchalantly: "Then you keep kneeling down. I want to see how long King Zheng's sincerity is worth." He didn't take it seriously, thinking The man kneeling on the snow was just acting on impulse, and he would retreat in danger soon. His grandson had no choice but to follow his grandfather into the house.
The blizzard became more and more fierce, and the cold wind was like a bone-scraping knife, which was unbearable. Large chunks of snowflakes pressed on Zhang Qingmeng's body, almost burying him.
Zhao Hongyan couldn't bear to see him suffer alone, so he knelt down next to him with runny nose and tears and brushed the snowflakes off his body. Zhang Qingmeng looked at him doubtfully: "Why are you crying?"
"This old guy bullies people too much. If someone in our family has any problem with the cold, I will kill him with one fist! Wuwuwu..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Wipe your tears quickly. They'll freeze."
Zhang Qingmeng knew that Zhao Hongyan was fat and could not stand kneeling on the cold hard surface for a long time, so he ordered him: "The road from the capital to here is very short. You should be familiar with the road just now. Now I order you to return to the palace to Let me add some clothes..."
"That's not possible, sir. Come back with me quickly. Do you really want to kneel to the end?"
"It's a joke. It's just kneeling. What's the problem?" Zhang Qingmeng pretended to be relaxed: "It's just that it's a bit cold. Come back to the palace quickly to get some clothes."
Zhao Hongyan wiped his tears, stood up awkwardly, and responded with a cry: "Don't worry, sir, I will bring it back to you soon!"
Time passed quickly, the north wind roared through the village, and the overwhelming snow particles were like pebbles, hitting Zhang Qingmeng's trembling face. His hands and feet were cold and numb from the cold, and his knees were painful and numb as if they were broken. This stubborn man My body has endured countless cold winds. Even so, Zhang Qingmeng just closed his eyes slightly, gritted his teeth, and never compromised.
After a long time, he finally couldn't hold it any longer. The stiff body swayed feebly, like a green pine about to be bent by heavy snow. Suddenly there was a sound from the curtain, and it was Zuo Wen's grandson walking out with a broom. When he saw the man still kneeling on the spot, he was shocked and ran over to persuade him: "Sir, why are you doing this? My grandfather has always been dissatisfied with King Zheng. What's the use of freezing to death in this cold weather?" Woolen cloth?"
Zhang Qingmeng did not respond.
"Let me tell you the truth, my grandfather has been asleep for a long time. When will you be able to kneel down like this?"
Zhang Qingmeng twitched her dry purple lips and said slowly: "For the sake of the world, I deserve to die..."
Zuo Wen's grandson sighed helplessly, walked into the house, took out a shabby coat and covered it with him. However, Zhang Qingmeng did not feel any warmer except for feeling a chill on his back.
"What a weirdo."
The already overcast sky suddenly turned gray.
"drive!"
The rumble of carriages and the sound of horse hooves shattered the tranquility. It was Zhao Hongyan who came in a hurry. At the same time, he also brought several servants and imperial doctors - somehow, he, who had always been kind-hearted, had an ominous premonition this time.
indeed so! Just as the carriage and horses stopped in front of the left house and Zhao Hongyan was about to change his clothes, he saw the snowman under the night fell to the ground with a bang, as if it collapsed.
"Quick! Get the master onto the carriage!"
This shout woke up Zuo Wen, who was sleeping soundly. He opened his eyes impatiently and asked his grandson who was warming himself by the fire: "Who is making noise outside?"
The grandson hurriedly ran out to check, but ran back in an instant, with uncontrollable shock on his face: "Grandpa, that guy actually knelt for a whole day and just fainted!"
"What?" Zuo Wen suddenly woke up: "Then what was the noise just now?"
"Prince Zheng's Mansion sent someone to pick him up."
With the help of weak candlelight, Zuo Wen opened the straw curtain and looked out. Apart from the constant wind and snow and the empty night, what he saw were the marks of two wheels rolling over.
