In December of the twelfth year of Jianxing, Liangzhou ushered in its third or fifth heavy snowfall.
Streets, walls, yards, as far as the eye can see, everything on the earth seems to be covered tightly by an endless and fluffy white goose feather quilt.
However, these heavy snowfalls will no longer cause much harm to Liangzhou this year.
As soon as the snow stopped, the officials came out, knocked on the door of each house, asked about each house's situation, and then shouted at each house to order them to sweep the snow in front of their doors.
Most of these officials have missing limbs.
It ranges from a few fingers missing to half an arm missing at worst. Many people have evil looks and don't look like good people at first glance.
In fact, they are all veterans who have retired from the army.
I've seen too much blood, so after I stepped back, my temperament didn't catch up for a while.
However, being fierce also has its advantages. At least on weekdays, no one dares to challenge the work they have arranged. Even Qingpi doesn't dare to cause trouble in front of them.
Because as long as they blow the whistle, a patrol team with black hats and black clothes will come over.
Nanxiang’s experience is already very mature, so it shouldn’t be too simple to promote.
After the winter solstice, counting to the third Xu day is the twelfth lunar month.
The so-called twelfth lunar month is the day of worship in winter.
In the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, General Guan, the eldest wife of the Feng family, was instructing two concubines to carefully place various sacrifices such as cow heads, sheep heads, pig heads, deer heads, etc. on the sacred table.
For so many years, Feng Junhou has been away fighting for his country and has no chance to return to Jincheng to worship.
So I could only ask for the ancestral tablet to be carried with me.
Every time he settled down somewhere, he would build a temporary ancestral hall.
No outsiders are allowed in the ancestral hall, and the servants can only deliver things to the door, and then ask Amei and Li Mu to move them in and put them away.
The only exception is Zhang Xiaosi.
She was holding Ah Shun in her arms and standing in the corner of the ancestral hall watching the excitement.
As Feng Junhou's status became higher and higher, the family in the house became more and more prosperous, and the annual sacrifices became more and more grand.
Not only were there abundant offerings in the ancestral hall, but there were also several Boshan furnaces of different sizes placed around it, with green smoke rising out.
Even during the day, the nine-branched lantern was already lit.
Even the candles that were reluctant to light at home were burned on the sacred table as if they were free of charge.
After placing them, Feng Guan walked around the ancestral hall again.
Check to see if the spices in the Boshan stove have been burned out, and then start to put the wine, bowls, and chopsticks on the magic table in the right direction. No mistakes are allowed.
Then he nodded with satisfaction, then took Ashun from Zhang Xiaosi, waved his hand, and drove Zhang Xiaosi out of the ancestral hall.
Zhang Xiaosi pouted and walked out dissatisfied.
He stood there motionless, with a straight face, pretending to be the head of the family, but in fact he was standing next to Mr. Feng, who was a puppet man.
She glared at the other person, and when she saw that Master Feng didn't respond, Zhang Xiaosi gritted his teeth and kicked the other person hard.
Master Feng grinned and did not dare to cry out in pain.
General Guan Da in front coughed, and Master Feng quickly moved forward and took out the prayer he had prepared long ago.
Master Feng moved, and the remaining people quickly followed suit.
Master Feng stood at the front, General Guan held Ah Shun in his arms, and Ah Chong and Shuang Shuang stood on each side and followed behind.
Amei and Li Mu stood behind General Guan.
Logically speaking, the prayer was written by the head of the family, but unfortunately the head of the family, Feng Da, was illiterate.
Although General Guan Da has a literary heart and writes well, it is a pity that his literary talent is not good.
Therefore, this prayer was completed by Zhang Xiaosi and Li Xiaosan together.
After all, Zhang Jiawen and Guan Jiawu.
And Li Xiaosan is a daughter of an aristocratic family.
Therefore, the two of them wrote a prayer together, which still had a certain style.
Most of the content of the sacrificial text is actually a report to the ancestors on the work of the past year.
As far as Feng Junhou, what territories did he regain for the Han Empire, and what rewards did the court give him?
I also wrote a few articles that are widely read.
The youngest and eldest son, Ah Chong, has recognized so many words and has already begun to learn from his elders.
As for how many martial arts the eldest daughters have learned, and how often they beat Ah Chong violently and cry, let's not mention it for now, lest the ancestors be angry.
However, Feng Guanshi has asked her to work hard to learn female beauty, but she has not learned it yet, and she will report to her ancestors when she has learned it.
Zhang Xiaosi, who was holding the door frame and looking inside, saw that everyone inside lowered their heads and held hands solemnly, and no one looked back at her.
She bit her lower lip, quietly stretched out her toes, crossed the threshold of the ancestral hall, and explored the ground of the ancestral hall.
Feng Junhou in front had already finished reciting the prayer and started to burn it.
Then he led the whole family to prostrate and worship, asking the ancestors to bless the Feng family to continue to prosper, and finally toasted to the ancestors...
After worshiping the ancestors, one must also worship the five family gods.
The so-called five household gods refer to the door, household, skylight, stove, and row (the land inside the door).
Guan Ji turned around and met Zhang Xiaosi's innocent eyes:
"What are you still doing? Come here and hold the baby."
"oh."
Zhang Xiaosi ran over and took Ah Shun from Guan Ji's arms again.
When worshiping the Five Gods, Zhang Xiaosi does not need to follow behind secretly and worships. He can stand openly and openly beside General Guan Da.
Even Amei and Li Xiaosan had to stand behind her.
On the other hand, both of them took Governor Feng's hand, pointed at the deer's head and kept shouting: "Deer, deer, deer..."
Seeing General Guan Da's phoenix eyes, Feng Jishi coughed quickly and hurriedly found a topic to divert General Guan Da's attention:
"Xijun, this deer head is so strange. Who sent it here?"
It was a big festival for sacrifices, and it was natural that Guan Ji would not scold her eldest daughter. When Feng Jishi asked this question, she replied casually:
"Oh, Bald-faced Kheli personally delivered it yesterday. The way I look at the deer is indeed different from the past."
Zhang Xiaosi leaned over and agreed:
"It's really different. Can't my brother-in-law eat these antlers for a long time?"
Damn it!
What do you mean?
Is it time for me to use deer antlers to replenish my body?
Besides, can the antlers in front of me and the antlers used for body repair be the same thing?
The land of China in the Han Dynasty was full of wild animals.
Especially deer.
In the south, the most numerous animals are elk, which are known as the "four different animals" in later generations.
Not to mention everywhere, at least they can be seen everywhere in sparsely populated places.
Think about it, with a population of no more than 30 million people spread across the entire land of China, how many places are sparsely populated?
Anyway, Feng Yong was not uncommon when he was in Shu.
As for after arriving in Hexi, red deer are more common.
Antlers are the antlers of red deer and sika deer.
In later generations, in the Northwest, people still poached from time to time and took the antlers of wild red deer and sold them in the mainland.
Feng Yong naturally recognized it.
There is also a kind of deer in Hexi, which is very large. It is the largest deer Feng Yong has ever seen.
The horns are flat and spade-shaped, with the middle resembling a broad cactus, and sharp branches sprouting from the periphery.
It is very different from other deer species. I don’t know what it will be called in future generations.
Anyway, in this era, regardless of size, they are basically called deer. At most, they are called elk, or collectively called elk.
It has been more than ten years since I came to the Three Kingdoms era. I have eaten a lot of venison, and Governor Feng is familiar with several common types of deer.
So he could guarantee that the deer head in front of him was indeed not something he had seen before.
Although it looks a bit like an elk, an elk's antlers basically grow toward the back, unlike this deer's head, where part of the antlers grow toward the front.
Besides, most elk are found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and there are some in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, but there are definitely none in Hexi.
"What's there to see? Aren't they all deer? They're for eating!"
General Guan Da was very unfazed by Feng Junhou's fuss.
Anyway, to her, what does it matter if the deer are different in size?
Isn't it going to fall into the stomach in the end?
Unexpectedly, Shuangshuang, who was protected by Governor Feng, was unwilling to be left alone. He jumped out and retorted loudly:
"Deer, pull the sled!"
It means more than just eating.
Governor Feng held up his forehead.
My daughter, you are seeking your own death, don’t say that I, an adult, don’t save you.
Guo Jian saw that General Guan finally couldn't contain his anger:
"I just know how to play! Have you finished writing the calligraphy? Have you learned how to do it? If you do this again next year, you will not be allowed to enter the ancestral hall!"
This daughter has embarrassed herself in front of the Feng family ancestors. She is really angry!
"And you, please don't do those messy things in the future, so that your children won't be interested in learning!"
Governor Feng was also shot while lying down and was glared at by General Guan.
Two people with the surname Feng couldn't beat one with a foreign surname. They were as silent as a cicada and did not dare to say anything.
Zhang Xiaosi, who was watching the excitement, waited for Mrs. Guan to direct the servants to pack up the sacrifices and leave, then he came over with gloating and encouraged:
"Shuangshuang, look, it's snowing heavily outside. It's time to go sledding..."
"Go, go! It's not chaotic enough..."
Governor Feng quickly stopped him.
But it's too late!
Without General Guan's bloodline suppression, the young lady of the Feng family hugged Governor Feng's thigh tightly, like a pendant on Governor Feng's thigh, and raised her head:
"Sir, I want to play sledding!"
"Don't make trouble. You can't leave the city today. I will take you there tomorrow."
"No, I'm going today!"
"Okay, but you have to go and tell your mother."
"Then... let's go tomorrow."
The climate in Liangzhou during the Little Ice Age was far colder than that of later generations.
In winter, heavy snow blocks roads, making it difficult to exchange news with Hanzhong, let alone transport supplies.
Therefore, Governor Feng wondered whether he could learn from the Ewenki people of later generations, who used deer as transportation livestock and could pull carts around in the snow.
After all, red deer and the like that live in the wilds of the northwest are huge and come out to forage in winter. They are cold-resistant at first glance and seem to be good draft animals for pulling sleds.
Governor Feng even asked Zhou Lu to tame the wild deer, and also tried to castrate some of the male deer to make them more docile.
Who would have expected that it is easy to use, but it can only be used for short distances. For longer distances, these deer will not be able to use it.
It's not that I don't have enough physical strength, it's that I don't have enough eyesight.
Because the eyesight of these two types of deer is extremely poor, especially the unknown large deer.
The road is a little longer, and as you walk, you will involuntarily run up the roadside.
Sometimes you don't know how to turn around until you are about to hit a tree. When a sled vehicle encounters this situation, it can only roll over in most cases.
In this case, the person must get out of the car and lead the deer away in order to pull the cart properly.
But was the sled just for people to walk in the snow?
In addition, these two types of deer are not gregarious and difficult to manage.
In the end, the deer pull sled became one of Miss Feng’s favorite toys in winter.
As for the sled dog Erha...
Don't say you can't find it now, even if you find it, you don't need it. Having one in your house is already annoying enough.
I don’t know if it’s a local evil in Liangzhou. As soon as I mentioned Erha, Erha arrived.
"Brother!"
Zhao Guang led Zhao Huang to the house early to prepare for dinner.
When he saw his brother taking his eldest niece, he rushed over quickly, shaking his head like an Erha.
Huang Wudie didn't even say hello to Feng Yong, she just took both of them away and kissed her on her face.
"My sweet niece misses me so much!"
They danced with their hands and screamed, not knowing whether they were happy or disgusted.
However, she had a very good relationship with her Aunt Huang, and Governor Feng didn't bother to care about their mischief.
After Zhang Xingyi left with Ah Shun in his arms, Feng Yong saw Zhao Guang still looking around, and immediately said angrily:
"What are you looking for?"
"Where is Zhong Rong? Didn't you say they have returned from Juyan County?"
Zhongrong, also known as Shi Bao.
This year, the Liangzhou governor's office sent a large army to the fortress for training, and Shi Bao was one of the leading generals.
In late November, they had returned to the pass in Juyan County to rest.
This is one of the reasons why Feng Yong must rebuild Guansai.
You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat. When you go out of the fortress, you can also rely on the pass to ensure logistics.
As for those unpromising descendants in later generations, taking Guansai as an example, our ancestors were just enclosing land for their own pleasure, proving that their nation was too closed-minded and did not want to make progress...
The fortresses of the former Han Dynasty even reached Outer Mongolia!
Our ancestors didn’t jump out of the coffin and scold you for not being able to keep the family business. That’s just magnanimity!
Governor Feng glanced worriedly at the direction in which Huang Wudie, who was holding both of his arms, disappeared.
Since Zhao Guang and Shi Bao went to the Hetao together for more than half a year two years ago, their relationship has become better and better.
It's just that Shi Bao has some talent, but he is too greedy for money and lust.
Good wealth is not bad, after all, Zhao Guang can be regarded as the second brother of Xinghan Hui, and he has seen countless amounts of money.
But you have to talk about lust.
Huang Wudie was someone who had many fights with General Guan. What if one day she found out that Zhao Erlang had been dragged into the trap by Shi Hao Lun?
Governor Feng doubted that he would lose two generals at the same time.
There was no way, Shi Bao's bad luck really impressed Governor Feng too deeply.
Although I haven't seen him have any bad luck in the past two or three years, what if it happens?
If bad luck turns back to him, who can stop him?
"What are you looking for him for?"
"Ask him what he gained from going outside the Great Wall this time!" Zhao Guang said confidently, "Last time, my sister was very dissatisfied with my younger brother for rebuilding the cavalry camp, but it made me suffer a lot."
"My little brother told him before, go out and help me keep an eye on him. If there is a suitable war horse, be sure to keep it for me."
Heavy cavalry horses are really hard to find.
If you want to produce 3,000 qualified heavy cavalry on the battlefield, you need to use at least over 10,000 horses in daily training.
Otherwise, this thing is just a waste of money?
"Isn't the war horse you have almost enough?"
Feng Yong asked with some confusion.
Zhao Guang looked a little embarrassed: "This is exactly what I want to tell my brother. The armored cavalry is so useful, how can three thousand be enough?"
"Brother, if we expand to five thousand..."
When Governor Feng heard this, he immediately cursed:
"I'm throwing it away! Five thousand? You idiot! Do you know how much food five thousand heavy cavalry requires? You really don't know how expensive food, rice, oil and salt are for a man who doesn't know how much it costs!"
"Let me tell you, in this Guanzhong battle, you armored cavalry don't expect to be in the limelight! Give up this idea as soon as possible!"
As he said that, he flew up with a kick.
Zhao Guang didn't hear anything else. He just heard the four words "Guanzhong Battle" and his eyes lit up:
"Brother, are we going to Guanzhong?"
