There is a mountain in the north of Dongxu City.
A hill.
The name of the mountain is Jimo.
Although there are ink characters, this hill is not black. In this early winter, what it appears to people is a patch of mottled red!
There are many maple trees on the mountain.
Maple leaves turn red in September and October. At this time, many red leaves have fallen to the ground, and some remain on the trees. Under the sunlight of the winter sunset, the colors appear deeper.
Not as gorgeous as September or October.
It has a bit more bleak flavor.
There is a bamboo forest on the south side of the mountain.
The bamboo forest is still green.
In the bamboo forest, there was a small hut that looked very lonely.
There is a small plaque hanging on the lintel of the small thatched house, with two small words written on the plaque: Thatched Cottage!
This is where Xian Youzhi, a great scholar from the state of Wu, lived.
There are two points of land outside the bamboo forest.
The ground is full of carrots.
When Prince An, the second prince, came here, he happened to see the maple mountain, the bamboo forest, the carrot field, and a sheep beside the carrot field under the setting sun.
Of course there is also a gray-haired old man squatting in the field.
He is the famous Xian Youzhi who has students all over the world!
Wu Huan came to the edge of the field. Xian Youzhi was pulling carrots and did not notice his arrival.
There was already a pile of carrots at Xian Youzhi's feet. He picked up a sickle and cut off the leaves of the carrots.
The sheep on the ground looked at the carrot leaves and made a bleating sound.
Xian Youzhi picked up a handful of carrot leaves and walked towards the sheep:
"All the leaves have been eaten here, and it's time for winter."
"Eat more, it's not fat enough."
"Grow a little more fat... mutton stewed with carrots..."
He turned around and saw Wu Huan, and was not surprised, "Come here!"
In the sight of the four guards, Wu Huan walked into the ground and came to Xian Youzhi's side with a bright smile on his fat face.
"gentlemen!"
"Feed these leaves to the sheep."
"Okay, students, let's go now!"
Wu Huan seriously took the carrot leaves from Xian Youzhi's hand, without any image of a prince. He seriously ran to the ground and placed the leaves in front of the sheep.
The sheep also bleated happily twice, buried its head, and ate happily.
Wu Huan watched the sheep eating grass and thought that the more you eat, the fatter you will grow and the faster you will die!
He turned around and walked into the ground again, squatting next to Xian Youzhi.
He took the sickle from Xian Youzhi's hand and cut the remaining carrot leaves with his own hands.
"It has been more than two months since I came to Kyoto, but I still haven't had time to come see you. Please forgive me."
Xian Youzhixu was tired from squatting, so he hammered his waist and sat down on the ground.
"I heard that you often go to the palace these days. Is the emperor's health okay?"
"My father is doing well. I have had dinner with him twice. Although my appetite is far less than before, I can still eat two bowls."
"Oh, the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month is your father's sixtieth birthday. It's almost here. Why is there still no movement in the palace?"
"This... my father changed his mind and said he won't do it."
Xian Youzhi was slightly startled, "No way?"
"Well, originally, my father wanted to have a big event. The prince suggested to him that we brothers haven't seen each other again for more than ten years, so why not take advantage of my father's sixtieth birthday to bring the eldest brother, the third brother, and those... All the uncles and princes have recalled to Kyoto."
"The prince also suggested that we should also invite those old ministers, such as Duke Xia, General Gou Zhong, and great scholars like you."
"This way my father can see his relatives and reminisce with the old people from back then... But my father hesitated for two months and told the prince yesterday to forget it."
"Father said that their vassal territory is too far away from Kyoto, and it would be very troublesome for them to bring their family to Kyoto."
"Father also said that he has been the emperor for thirty years. As long as he is still sitting on that dragon throne, those old friends from the past will not say the heartfelt words they said when they see him."
"He doesn't want to listen to those flattering words. He still prefers to be like you, sir, as an old farmer or an old cook."
"So he decided not to invite anyone. For his sixtieth birthday, he just asked the palace cooks to cook a few side dishes, and the prince, his disciples, and his fifth sister would accompany him to drink a few glasses of wine."
"He said next autumn... the date of Qin Tianjian has been decided. On August 19th next year, he will abdicate the throne to the prince, and he will leave the palace and walk around."
"He's going to visit various vassals and chat with his relatives. He's also going to sit in the homes of his old friends, drink and talk about the past..."
Wu Huan turned to look at Xian Youzhi, "My father's intention...is it that he can't bear to cut down the vassal clan?"
Xian Youzhi pondered for a moment, then looked back at the sheep, which was still happily eating carrot leaves.
He pointed at the sheep, "Actually, it is already quite fat. If you want to kill it, I can kill it at any time."
"But I decided to keep it for another month or two...firstly, I won't waste the carrot leaves in these two points of the field, and secondly...after two months, I can still kill a few more kilograms of meat."
Wu Huan was startled, "Sir, do you mean that the time has not yet come to cut down the vassalage?"
Xian Youzhi stood up from the ground, "Cutting down the vassal state is not wrong in itself. The emperor gave up on this birthday banquet..."
"I think it's nothing more than two points."
"After all, it's his sixtieth birthday. This is a huge happy event. To cause so much bloodshed is not a good thing for the emperor's evening party."
"Secondly, since he is going to visit various vassals, he probably wants to handle this matter without bloodshed."
"If the lords of various vassals, like you, voluntarily give up all the interests of your vassal and become an idle prince, I don't think he will attack you."
"If you don't want to...that's another matter."
Wu Huan also straightened up and thought for a moment, "There is an old man who has similar views to yours, sir, but he said a little more."
"What did he say?"
"He said...even if we give up everything and become idle princes, this will only be temporary."
"If my father is still alive, we will all be fine."
"If my father dies, my brother... we won't even have such a sickle in our hands at that time, and we will really become the sheep that can be slaughtered at any time!"
Xian Youzhi stroked his long beard and looked at the sunset on the horizon. After half a cup of tea, he asked: "Who is that old man?"
Wu Huan whispered two words: "Xi Wei!"
Xian Youzhi was immediately surprised: "My junior brother Xi Wei? Is he still alive? Has he come to Wu State? Where is he?"
"Mr. Hui, he has left Wu State, but he asked the student to bring you a pen and a letter."
Wu Huan took out a pen and a letter from his arms and handed them to Xian Youzhi.
Xian Youzhi didn't read the letter. He held the pen and read it carefully.
His hands were shaking slightly.
His face was full of excitement!
He stroked the pen gently, and even his voice trembled:
"Snow Wolf Silver Needle...junior brother, he is still alive...Decades passed in the blink of an eye after the great annihilation of the country. Master and he went their separate ways. Since he came to the Kingdom of Wu, why didn't he meet his master?"
Wu Huan whispered: "He said it was not time to meet. He also said that Huamantinghua Lao Daru was his confidant."
"Hua Lao Daru has also come to Wu Kingdom. If you have anything, sir... please tell Hua Lao Daru."
