The weather is cold and the ground is freezing, and the night wind is bleak.
Since Xishan was designated as a hunting ground for the royal family by Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty, all the hunters from nearby villages moved away. The mountain temple, which has been used for more than two hundred years, was abandoned and rarely visited.
Jiang Li and the others rode their horses closer, but saw several large horses with extraordinary steeds behind the broken walls of the mountain temple.
Although not as good as Heisha and Zhui Feng, they are similar.
The saddle draped over the horse's body is exquisitely crafted and covered with intricate hollow patterns, making it look like a rare treasure.
Two of the big horses were covered in light armor with the Nine Nether Flame Birds engraved on them.
The Nine Nether Flame Bird is the emblem of the Great Zhou royal family. If you are not a member of the Great Zhou royal family, you can only wear an armor with such an emblem on your mount.
"Meritorious achievement!"
Jiang Li's eyes flashed slightly. He had seen such armor in Heisha's stable when he was practicing equestrian skills at the Marquis Mansion Racecourse.
But we have already arrived at the mountain temple, so there is no need to retreat.
The four of them got off their horses, tied them up, pushed open the shaking temple door, and walked in.
In the mountain temple, a dusty and dilapidated statue of the god stands deep in the temple.
The statue is tall and burly, carved from mountain rocks. It looks like a general wearing golden armor, with a majestic black tiger beast crawling at its feet.
However, after being eroded by wind and rain for a long time, the colors of the gods and beasts have fallen off and become mottled, making it difficult to distinguish their true appearance.
There was a bonfire in the open space in the middle of the temple. The dry wood was burning and making a crackling sound. A large iron pot was placed on the fire. It was steaming and filled with the alluring aroma of meat.
The four old men were sitting around the campfire, drunk, and looked back when they heard someone approaching.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and both sides were startled.
"Old-timer!"
"Brother Jiang!"
The four old men were very surprised. They were surprised that the young man they had not seen for a long time would appear in the Xishan Paddock hundreds of miles away from Shengjing City.
One of the burly red-haired old men's eyes flashed slightly, and he asked curiously: "Little brother, the Holy Lord is driving the Xishan Paddock to hunt. Ordinary people are not allowed to go near the paddock for thirty miles. How did you come to the foot of the West Mountain?"
"Senior Zhu, this junior is here to meet Princess Yunle!"
Jiang Li saluted respectfully. The old men in front of him were all familiar to him. They were the same old soldiers he met at Yumen Restaurant, and the owner of the restaurant, Old Man Luo, was among them.
These old men taught him Taizu Changquan and gave him a dagger forged from cold iron, arm guards, chain armor, treasure pills, and medicinal wine.
More than a month ago, he was able to survive from the bandits hired by Jiang Xuanyao, and the Minghan dagger and chain armor were indispensable.
"Little brother actually knows Princess Yunle?"
The fat old soldier wearing brocade clothes and his hands full of jewelry and rings suddenly thought of something. He looked Jiang Li up and down and said in surprise: "It is rumored that a descendant of Zhenwu Marquis has great advice on Princess Yunle's three strategies to control the recklessness." Duo, it couldn't be you!"
As soon as these words came out, several other veterans also cast solemn looks.
"To be honest, Senior Zhao, the three strategies to control recklessness are indeed related to me!"
Jiang Li nodded and did not hide anything. These old soldiers were kind to him and should be treated with sincerity.
"We have all heard about the three strategies to control Mang, and we are advancing them step by step and planning for the long term. If they can be successfully tried, not only will the trouble in Beimang be solved, but we will also be able to ensure the stability of our Great Zhou border for decades!"
"The weak-headed young man strategizes and wins the long-term victory. If all the disciples of the Hou family are like this, why worry about the lack of prosperity in the Zhou Dynasty and the uncertainty of the world!"
"A hero comes from a young age. Marquis Zhenwu is so lucky to have an heir like you. If you are the son of my family, you must be trained by the next patriarch!"
The old soldiers nodded in approval, but they did not expect that the unhappy concubine whom they met by chance in the restaurant that day turned out to be the person behind the three strategies to control the recklessness.
Looking at Jiang Xuanxin, Mo Yunliang, and Old Man Tu who walked into the mountain temple with Jiang Li, the old soldiers felt happy, thinking that the three of them were the subordinates arranged for Jiang Li after he regained the favor of Marquis Zhenwu.
"Guys, Xishan is not as good as our Shengjing City. The temperature is freezing at night and strong winds are raging. Please sit down and drink and eat meat!"
The one-armed old soldier took the wine bag, filled several people with strong liquor, and invited everyone to sit down.
Old Man Tu was bohemian and had no taboos. Mo Yunliang had a rough life and was open-minded.
Although the two of them had already seen the extraordinary status of the old soldiers, they did not feel restrained. They sat cross-legged by the bonfire, took the wine bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.
The hot, fragrant and mellow liquor enters the stomach, it is scalding and strong, all the coldness in the body is driven away, and the blood runs faster.
Although this wine is not the rare medicinal wine that was given to Jiang Li before, it still contains medicinal properties, activating blood, dispelling cold, and warming muscles and bones.
Jiang Xuanxin also sat down with Jiang Li and took the wine bowl.
However, he was too drunk, so he imitated everyone else and took a big sip of strong liquor. He immediately choked and became red-faced and coughed loudly, causing the old soldiers around him to laugh.
"Brother Jiang, I see that the strength of your whole body is coherent, your steps are vigorous, and your movements are full of strength. It is very different from more than a month ago. I must have made rapid progress on the road of martial arts and gained some momentum!"
The red-haired old soldier's eyes were astonishing and he was quite surprised.
If you want to achieve success in martial arts, you must soak in various medicinal liquids from an early age to nourish your muscles, bones, flesh and blood.
The earlier you start practicing martial arts, the stronger your foundation and the greater your potential.
Jiang Li only started practicing martial arts when he was sixteen years old. It is really unimaginable that he could make such progress in such a short period of time.
"For this junior to be able to achieve today's achievements, I would like to thank all the seniors for their generous gifts and generous teachings. I had to say goodbye in a hurry at Yumen Restaurant that day, and I never had the opportunity to say thank you in person!"
Jiang Li stood up and saluted the four veterans three times.
The veterans taught him how to practice Taizu Changquan at the Yumen Restaurant, and they can be regarded as half of Jiang Li's enlightenment teachers.
"You're welcome, little brother. It's rare that you have the same temperament as us old guys, and we have the right temperament. Even if you share everything with us, it's nothing!"
The fat old soldier waved his hands cheerfully: "If it were those naughty younger generations who are bossy and high-minded, no matter whether they are the direct sons of the Hou family or the descendants of the royal family, even though they are old and weak and useless, they will never look at them seriously. Get on it!"
"Little brother, the three strategies to control the recklessness are yours. You should know that this year's martial arts examination will be held in advance. A good man should abandon his pen and join the army, ride his horse across the northern wilderness, and kill enemy chiefs with his spear!"
The one-armed old man picked up the wine bag and drank heavily. The strong liquor filled his mouth and dripped continuously along his beard. He had no idea, "In recent years, the imperial court has emphasized culture over military affairs. Everyone in the imperial court is eloquent, citing classics, and Although this great principle is explained clearly, there are only a few people who can mount a horse and kill the enemy.
"The barbarians from Beimang are here. We warriors have shed blood and sweat. I am useless. I can no longer fight the enemy with blood and guard the border for the Great Zhou. I only hope that the imperial court can revive the style of martial arts and cultivate more hot-blooded men to fight all the way." Go to the Hannan Lake and pick up the sweat tent of King Mang, a literati? Just like a bird!"
"Mr. Qian Qi, I have a young man like Little Brother Jiang in Zhou Dynasty, so why worry about the uncertainty in the north!"
The red-haired old soldier patted the one-armed old soldier and comforted him softly, then turned to Jiang Li and others and said apologetically: "General Qian Qi lost his temper when he was drunk. Don't blame me. When he was at the peak of his prime, he encountered a powerful enemy in Beimang and his arm was chopped off." , martial arts is half-finished, and I have become depressed and ill since then, and I can’t let go!”
"Yangan'er, Tuozi, Jiukui, Ansai, Laoqian... I miss you, I really do. It's only my fault that I was timid and failed to bring your bones back to Dazhou. I'm afraid I won't have a chance in this life. Already..."
Beside the bonfire, the one-armed old soldier lay drunk on the ground. The dry corners of his eyes became moist at some point. He sighed longly, as if he was regretting the passage of time and the loss of strength. He felt like a strong man growing old and a hero short of breath.
"Old seniors, old men and women, have great ambitions, so why should you belittle yourself? I have a poem to sing about my ambitions!"
Jiang Li looked at the old man in front of him, and suddenly thought of the veterans of the founding of the People's Republic of China who he had visited with the army in his previous life. Listening to them talk about the years and deeds of their youthful expeditions to the east and west, he could not help but feel sympathy and resonance in his heart. .
With piercing eyes and a loud voice, he blurted out the song "The Turtle Lives Longevity".
