Under the tea shed, Ah Xing and Ah Zhu had ordered tea, sat down facing Cui Yingying, and started drinking.
Bai Yutian led his horse and walked over, only to find a man sitting next to the intersection. He was the Wushan Taoist he had met not far from Huangshan Mountain. Just as he was about to come forward and say hello, unexpectedly, Wushan Road personnel were busy and left two young men coming from the northwest to draw lots and tell fortunes.
The two people stopped. The younger man, in his twenties, dressed as a Confucian scholar, sat on a stool in front of Taoist Wushan's table. Under the instruction of Taoist Wushan, he picked up the lottery tube and shook it. He picked it up and shook it out of the tube. He picked up a lottery ticket and said to Wushan Taoist: "Taoist Master, this lottery of mine has some origins. Please help me figure it out."
Wushan Taoist stretched out his hand to take the signature, but the man held the signature and refused to give it to him. He could only smile and said: "The guest officer wants me to interpret the signature, how can I know what is said on the signature?"
The man smiled and replied: "That's natural. How about I read it to you?"
Wushan Taoist smiled and replied: "Please tell me."
The man read aloud: "It is good to turn bad things into good fortune, and you will be sent to have your behavior scrutinized. It is a coincidence that you applaud the case. Don't quibble when a horse stumbles! I don't know what the interpretation of this lot is?"
This and that are signatures, and they are obviously sarcastic. If he could really understand his destiny, he would have been successful long ago, why would he sit in the scorching heat and wait for others to bring him two small coins to make ends meet. It goes without saying that fortune telling is nothing more than being good at observing people's words, flattering them when necessary, being eloquent when not necessary, and then talking nonsense. Whatever they are tabooed in, what they are afraid of, and what they need urgently, they try their best to stuff it into their hearts. Even if it is viciousness and threats, as long as they can ask for money, they can't control that much.
Wushan Taoist heard this, smiled happily and said: "I wonder where the young master is coming and going? What do you mean?"
The older man standing aside answered on his behalf: "I came from Hengqu, Mei County, to the capital, just to show off what I have learned in my heart. Sir, do you know where the noble man who can help us realize our ambitions lives now?"
Taoist Wushan hesitated for a moment and then replied with a smile: "You want to see what the guest has in mind?"
The man sitting on the board said: "Oh! Sir, please tell me in detail."
When Taoist Wushan saw Bai Yutian coming, he knew that his lunch had been taken care of, so he no longer tabooed anything. I thought to myself, if I'm right, I'll be blind, and if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter. It's just that people make mistakes and horses make mistakes. So he smiled at the two men at the table and said: "If you two want to contribute to quelling the war in the northwest and go to the capital to seek the nobleman, you are going in the wrong direction, because the nobleman is already in the northwest frontier. If it is just for whitewashing, In Taiping, after the 'Chun Wei' period, the nobles were admitted to the capital. Although the nobles lived in the capital, they came at the wrong time. This spring has passed, and they have to pay for the next year."
The man sitting there was surprised and asked quickly: "Sir, how can you say that the noble man is already at the northwest frontier?"
Wushan Taoist had already guessed something from the man's expression, and said calmly: "My guest has bright eyes. If you want to make a contribution to quell the war in the northwest, you will definitely want to find a noble person who has a discerning eye and recognizes talents. And this kind of noble person must be a scholar with high integrity and good knowledge of classics and history. If not, even if the guest officer is full of talents and recommends himself, it will be difficult to do as usual. After all, horses with thousands of miles of horses often exist, but bole does not always exist. "
Upon hearing this, the man's worries were all revealed, and he quickly said: "Young man Zhang Zai, may I ask you your name?"
Wushan Taoist smiled and replied: "I call myself Wushan Taoist."
Zhang Zai smiled and said: "Taoist Master, why do you say that the noble person I want to find should be a scholar who is familiar with classics and history? Can't a martial artist be good at it?"
Taoist Wushan smiled and replied: "May I ask, sir, how do you feel about dancing with a gun and playing with a stick? How about riding a horse and archery? How about arranging troops?"
Zhang Zai forced a smile and said: "I am an amateur at dancing with spears and sticks, but I am not an expert at riding horses and archery. As for arranging troops, I have only talked about them on paper, and I have seen and captured small groups of bandits in the countryside."
Wushan Taoist replied: "Although the guest officer is young and promising, and is willing to contribute to the defense of the country, he is a layman in every aspect. I wonder how those generals who have experienced hundreds of battles can accommodate an idle person who can only talk but not do anything. People around me are gesticulating and talking nonsense. It is said that when facing the enemy in front of the enemy, he is useless and is a scholar. Most people think that they are too slow to get promoted and make money, so why do they have the thought to let others slowly show their talents. If you want others to accept them You learn your knowledge slowly, and you should think that the knowledge is similar and you can share the same goals."
Zhang Zaixiao asked: "Listening to the Taoist Priest's words, could it be that you have encountered similar people or things?"
Wushan Taoist replied: "There once was a scholar in Huayin County. When he was young, he was a chivalrous man. He was ambitious and suave, and thought he had great talents. He was unwilling to live a mediocre life, but things did not go as he wished. He failed in the imperial examinations many times. , and went to the frontier to seek development, but was ruthlessly driven out by the frontier generals. Later, when he heard that Li Yuanhao had the ambition to establish a country and become emperor, he changed his name to Zhang Yuan and went to Xixia. Book order.”
Zhang Zai accidentally sighed: "Hey! It will definitely be a border trouble for the Song Dynasty in the future."
Bai Yutian answered from the side: "Why do you say this, little brother?"
Zhang Zai glanced at Bai Yutian and saw that he was full of heroic spirit and close to his heart. He smiled and replied: "Brother, you don't know something. This east reaches Linzhou (today's north of Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province), Fuzhou (today's Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province) Fugu County, Shaanxi Province), to Yuanzhou (now Zhenyuan County, Gansu Province) and Weizhou (now Pingliang, Gansu Province) in the west. The Hengshan Mountains extend for more than 2,000 miles from east to southwest, forming a dividing line between Song and Xia, known as In the "Mountain Boundary", both the Song and Xia countries actively deployed defenses along the Hengshan line. In order to break through the Song army's defense line, Yuan Hao used Hengshan as a springboard from the first year of the Xixia Kaiyun (1034) to the second year of Yanzuo (1039). ), after many tentative attacks on Linzhou, Fuzhou, Huanzhou, Qingzhou, Jingzhou, Yuanzhou, and sending people for reconnaissance, we finally figured out the entire northwest border defense situation of the Song Dynasty."
Bai Yutian said: "How can you see it?"
Zhang Zai said sadly: "In the Battle of Sanchuankou, although the Song Dynasty successfully resisted the invasion of the Xixia army, it suffered heavy losses. The defense of the Gansu, Shaanxi, Qingning and Ningxia borders of the Song Dynasty was passive from here on, which laid a military foundation for the survival and development of Xixia. If Unless the Xia Kingdom knew the Song Dynasty’s military and horse camps very well, how could the Xixia soldiers and horses invade the Song Dynasty as if they were in an uninhabited territory, and how could the Song Dynasty’s troops and horses be easily defeated on their own territory.”
When Bai Yutian heard this, he saw that Zhang Zai had extraordinary knowledge and was beyond his own knowledge. He admired him very much and wanted to get to know him. He said to Taoist Wushan: "Taoist Master, why don't we have a drink together first to moisten our throats?" , it’s not too late to have a long talk.”
Wushan Taoist had not had a drink for a long time, and he agreed with Bai Yutian's idea. He stood up and put away his belongings, gathered around a table with Bai Yutian and others, and waited for Bai Yutian to order tea and wine. Before Bai Yutian greeted him, he said happily Enjoy the drink.
Bai Yutian toasted Zhang Zai and the man who was traveling with him, and said his name: "My dear, Bai Yutian, what do you call this eldest brother?"
The man said: "Jiao Yin." He drank the wine in the glass.
When Bai Yutian and Cui Yingying toasted a glass of wine, Zhang Zai and Jiao Yin returned the toast and asked Wushan Taoist: "The Taoist has a worldly view. Dare you ask me, Zhang Zai, whose name is not well-known, who can get what he deserves by surrendering to him?" Are you willing to fight on the battlefield to protect your homeland?"
Taoist Wushan smiled and said: "When you defect to others, be sure to be sincere and don't force yourself. For whom the young master came to the capital, you will naturally defect to him."
Jiao Yin replied: "We heard that Lord Fan Zhongyan was bent on pursuing the country and was recalled to the court, so we came here to join him."
Wushan Taoist said: "The mountain people heard that in order to force the Song Dynasty to recognize the status of Daxia (historically known as Xixia), Li Yuanhao led his troops to invade the Song Dynasty and defeated the Song army at the Battle of Sanchuankou. He gathered his troops under Yanzhou City and prepared Attack the city. The news reached the capital, and the government and the public were shocked. Due to tight border affairs, the Holy Emperor recalled Fan Zhongyan to the capital as a popular figure, and served as the waiter of Tianzhang Pavilion and Zhi Yongxing Army. He was promoted to the direct bachelor of Longtuge and served with Han Qi. The deputy envoy of Shaanxi Economic Strategy and Appeasement, serves as the deputy of Xia Song, the appeasement envoy, and also knows Yanzhou."
Jiao Yin glanced at Zhang Zai and said, "Brother Xian, if you put it this way, didn't the county magistrate deliberately deceive us?"
Zhang Zai smiled and said: "If you lie, just lie. It's only ten days and a half's journey from Yanzhou. It's just a walk away. It's no big deal."
Jiao Yin said: "But when we join the army, we do it to serve our family and the country. From a small perspective, it is just to realize our ambitions. We are loyal and loyal, not to fight for fame or gain. Even if he doesn't think favorably of us, Nor should we use words to deceive each other and trick us into taking this unjust path."
Zhang Zai said with relief: "Brother Jiao, no matter how much he deceives you, he can only deceive you for a while, and he can't deceive you for the rest of his life. There's nothing to care about. Maybe it's better this way. After suffering, you can learn the truth, so as not to run into trouble in the future." Just an inch."
Jiao Yin had always been full of admiration for Zhang Zai. Seeing that he was too lazy to pay attention to this matter, he acted a little more generously and drank the wine Bai Yutian poured for him. He smiled and ignored it.
Bai Yutian filled the wine glasses on the table, toasted to Zhang Zai and Jiao Yin, and said: "I wish you two can rush to Yanzhou Mansion, meet Master Fan easily, show your talents, quell the border troubles, and make contributions to the country." .”
Zhang Zai and Jiao Yin raised their glasses and said, "Thank you very much!" They drank the wine and stood up to leave.
Bai Yutian stood up and sent the two of them out of the tea shed.
Taoist Wushan saw that Cui Yingying and the other three were wearing white clothes and white cloaks. He became suspicious and asked, "I wonder if these three girls are followers of the White Lotus Sect?"
Bai Yutian sat back and introduced calmly: "Taoist Master, this is my wife Cui Yingying, the daughter of the leader of the White Lotus Sect. Those two are Yingying's two junior sisters, A Xing and A Zhu." Then he said to Cui Yingying: " I haven’t met Taoist Master Wushan yet.”
Cui Yingying and her two junior sisters toasted Taoist Wushan with a toast and said, "My little lady has met the Taoist Master."
Because of Bai Yutian's kindness, Wushan Taoist drank the wine in the glass and his expression was not very good.
When Bai Yutian asked why, Wushan Taoist laughed and laughed.
