The cold wind howled and the snow fell heavily.
Kangjing's six years have come to an end.
In the howling cold wind, snowflakes the size of goose feathers fell down one after another, and the sky and earth were pure white.
And in this unbearable cold, there were actually two people riding horses, running forward.
The bone-chilling cold wind blew through the body along the gaps in the clothes, taking away the little warmth. Ice-cold snowflakes fell on the person's body, adding half a ray of coldness.
Xunke tightened his clothes and looked into the distance into the wind.
That is the border of Daqi.
Together with Mr. Gu, he was about to step out of the country of Dayue and head towards a country that he had only heard about but never witnessed with his own eyes.
As a winner.
"Mr. Gu"
Xun Ke's hands, which were red from the cold, grasped the reins of the horse tightly, and he asked hesitantly: "Have we really won?"
When he opened his mouth to speak, large sheets of white breath came out together, covering people's eyes and blurring the scene in front of them. Between the blurred water vapor, everything seemed dreamlike, like a dream from which they had never woken up.
For Xun Ke, everything changed too fast.
Even before he got over the sadness of Master Mo's death, he knew that the Four Nations Allied Forces were no longer a powerful enemy to be wary of, and they even had to atone for the evil deeds they had committed in the past - the changes in this process were really too big. It’s also too fast and it always feels unreal.
“What counts as winning?”
Gu Dan stared at the vast white world covered with snowflakes, feeling neither joy nor anger. Everything in this world seemed extremely quiet and vast, except for the rustling sound of horse hooves falling on the snow.
Xun Ke thought for a while, "I used to think that the best result would be for the four countries to withdraw their troops."
Yes, many people think that if the four-nation coalition can withdraw from the territory of Otsuki, it is already an incredible victory. How can they dare to ask for more?
So when he heard that Mr. Gu was going to take him to Daqi as a winner, Xun Ke still hadn't recovered yet.
"Xunke, you must understand one thing."
Gu Dan said seriously: "In a world like this, the power of an individual can determine many things. When you have the power to control everything, even if you are alone, you can make thousands of troops retreat. There is no need to conquer. Everyone just needs to subdue the person giving the orders.
When they dare not disobey, or even cannot disobey, then whatever you say will prevail. "
"Mr. Gu, have you really surpassed the Grandmaster?"
Xun Ke seemed to be aware of it and asked curiously.
The pinnacle of the world, the master is the limit of personal power.
But the Grandmaster is still not enough to dominate the world, and it is not easy to influence the direction of a country.
If there is no strength beyond the master, it will never be possible for the four countries to retreat together.
"Um."
Gu Dan nodded slightly and admitted.
This is somewhat contrary to the concept of keeping a low profile and biding time that he has always adhered to.
But the giant who held up the backbone fell, and someone else had to step forward and take over the torch.
He has no intention of becoming famous in the world, nor does he want to be regarded as a sage.
But in life, sometimes you have to do something. You can't stay in the small courtyard all the time and just watch the flowers bloom and fall and the clouds roll and relax.
Therefore, I promise that this world will be stable for the rest of my life.
"so good"
Xun Ke was very happy, with a smile on his face, but then he seemed to think of something, and the smile gradually faded away, and a look of sadness appeared in his eyes.
If Master Mo was still here, how wonderful it would be to see the end of this troubled world with his own eyes and realize his ideals and ambitions!
The man who held the torch high in the dark still fell on the eve of dawn.
What comes in exchange is the transformation of another person.
The two of them stopped talking, and only the sound of galloping horses echoed through the silent land.
The horse finally set foot on the land of Daqi, and the wind and snow were still rolling down across the two countries.
You shouldn't see anyone in this kind of weather.
But before he had been running around the territory of Daqi for too long, he saw a farmer wearing thin coarse linen clothes digging something in the snow.
After hearing the sound of the horse, the farmer panicked and started running madly in one direction.
"Um?"
Xun Ke heard the noise and turned to Gu Dan.
"Want to take a look?"
Gu Dan asked.
"Um."
Xun Ke nodded.
"Then go."
Gu Dan said with certainty.
He specially brought Xun Ke with him, hoping that Xun Ke could learn enough to grow from this trip.
What's more, now that Dayue's crisis has been resolved, Dayong's supplies will be sent to Yuzhou as soon as possible. In a short period of time, Dayue needs enough time to manage and recover. Time is no longer their enemy. But a helpful friend.
So Xun Ke rode his horse and chased the farmer who was escaping in a hurry, calling out: "Old man, don't be afraid, we are not bad people!"
Although they were in the territory of Daqi at this time, the people they met were all the people of Daqi, but neither Gu Dan nor Xun Ke were far enough away from seeking a sense of existence and superiority from the people at the bottom.
Let alone just because there is a gap between the two countries, they will take pleasure in massacring people.
Xun Ke was just a little confused. Why did he go out wearing such thin clothes in such weather?
You know, once you get frostbite or get sick, you almost have to deal with it in this era - looking at the other person's appearance, it is obvious that he is not someone who can find a doctor.
Xun Ke's voice spread far away, but the old farmer did not stop. Instead, his speed became faster and faster, but his legs obviously could not outrun the horse.
Not long after running forward, the old farmer missed his step and fell hard to the ground. His tumbling body left a series of marks in the snow.
"Hush!"
When the horse was still ten feet away from the man, in order to avoid frightening him again, Xunke tightened the reins, turned over and dismounted with the package in hand.
Before he could get close to the old farmer, the old farmer who fell to the ground had already stood up. Ignoring the blood stains on his face that was scratched by something unknown, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed crazily.
"The little one doesn't know the current affairs and rushes into the grown-up. Please forgive me, sir! Please spare your life!"
The old farmer grabbed the ground with his head, and there was a sound when it hit the ground. His forehead turned red after just three or two strokes, obviously he was exerting great force.
"Why!"
Xunke hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, "What are you doing?"
"The villain is wrong, the villain is wrong, please forgive me, the villain didn't pick up anything!"
The old farmer who was pulled by Xun Ke still refused to get up, but although Xun Ke was not that old, he had been practicing martial arts in the Gu family courtyard for a long time, and he had already begun to practice his internal organs. Naturally, it was not something that the old farmer could resist, so he directly Being pulled up from the ground.
"What did you pick up but didn't pick up?"
Xun Ke was a little confused. He opened the package, took out a cotton coat, and put it on the old farmer. "It's such a cold day and the clothes are so thin. Are you not afraid of death? Put it on quickly!"
The warm clothes fell on his body, and the old farmer's whole body froze.
Only then did his hazy and turbid eyes dare to really look at Xun Ke. When he saw the other person's fair face and extraordinary clothes, he quickly looked away, as if it would be a sin to look at him for a moment longer.
"Put it on! What are you doing standing still? I've given you these clothes."
Xun Ke frowned slightly, why could this man not understand the words?
"You can't do this."
Gu Dan shook his head, walked forward and said, "Don't be afraid, old man, we are businessmen coming to Daqi to do business. We passed by this place and haven't seen any people for a long time. When I saw you, I wanted to come over and ask for directions and have a few words." ,no offence."
"Businessman?"
Benna didn't dare to say anything. The old farmer who was standing there in a daze finally came to his senses at this time, with a smile on his face as if he had survived the disaster.
"Asking for directions, I know. I traveled to many places when I was young. Where are you going?"
The panic on the old farmer's face faded and he showed a proud expression. He took off the cotton coat that Xun Ke put on him and said, "If you ask for directions, you don't need these things. We never lie to others and we will never give random directions."
"We are going to go to the imperial capital of Daqi."
Gu Dan said.
"Imperial capital?"
The old farmer did not hesitate and pointed in one direction, "Just keep walking over there. The further you go, the more people there will be. If you are still unclear about anything, you can ask on the way. But the imperial capital is far away from here. , why are you traveling in the winter?"
In winter, everything is quiet. Whether it is business travel, war or farming, they usually cease their activities and wait for the coming year.
Those who can lament the beauty of winter are those who have a burning stove and rich food and clothing. What ordinary people fear most is winter.
It's hard to live without leisure.
"Hey, isn't it just for a living? As you know, we have been at war in the past few years, and the family is almost in trouble. If we don't take advantage of winter to find some livelihood, how will we live in the future!"
Gu Dan sighed and said.
"Yeah!"
Upon hearing this, the old farmer seemed to feel the same way, "When will this battle be over?"
"Aren't you happy too? I remember that Daqi is the strongest one and should always win. How can you expect it to end soon?" Gu Dan said quickly as if he had found a close friend.
"win"
The old farmer's lips quivered and he hesitated for a moment.
"It's too cold outside, so it's not a good place to talk. We just happen to be getting ready to fix things, so why don't we come to your house and have a chat?"
Gu Dan said directly.
"this"
After hesitating for a moment, the old farmer said with some embarrassment: "The house is a bit dirty, so don't dislike it, the two guests."
"It's easy to say. In this kind of weather, I would be grateful to have a place to hide from the snow."
Gu Dan brought the horse over and said, "It's too slow to walk. Come up and ride a horse."
The old farmer looked at the horse brought by Gu Dan carefully with his groggy eyes, and said in surprise: "Ah, your horse is amazing! It is a first-class horse!"
"Do you know anything about horses?"
"Of course I understand. When I was young, I worked in a horse farm for big shots for several years!"
The old farmer said with some pride, and then realized, "That was all many years ago."
"Then let's see how your riding skills are."
Gu Dan smiled and nodded.
He and Xun Ke shared a horse and asked the old farmer to ride the horse by himself. Although he was a little unfamiliar at first, he soon became proficient. It was really impressive and quite exquisite. He had not ridden it for a long time. Horses will be a little strange at first.
The wind was blowing hard and the snow was flying all over the sky.
The old farmer seemed quite excited, driving his horse galloping in front of the two of them to lead the way.
The horse galloped for about a quarter of an hour, and several small thatched houses appeared in front of him. The old farmer got off his horse and pointed to the house, "That's my house."
"Excuse me."
"Little things, little things."
The old farmer walked quickly to the house and shouted: "Old lady, two guests are here. Let's have something hot to eat."
A woman's muffled voice came from inside the house.
"guest?"
"Yes, hurry up and boil some hot water. In this snowy day, you will freeze to death."
As he said that, he smiled sheepishly at Gu Dan and Xun Ke and said, "Wait a moment, you two. I'll get firewood and make a fire to keep it warm."
Although this house can barely shelter from wind and rain, it is still a bit cold and damp inside, and it is extremely "clean".
Gu Dan looked around and saw only a table and four stools, but not a single other object.
On the contrary, it makes the already small house seem a bit empty and spacious.
"go together."
Gu Dan followed.
Walking to the warehouse of the old farmer's house, winter has just arrived, but there is very little firewood stored in it, only more than two bundles.
When Gu Dan passed by, the old farmer was preparing to move the less firewood. After seeing Gu Dan come in, he gritted his teeth and picked up a bundle directly.
"You are a guest, how can I let you move? We still have the strength!"
said the old farmer.
Back in the empty main house, the old farmer started a fire with flint, carefully added firewood, and urged: "Old lady, hurry up! The fire is already burning!"
"I know, I know!"
From the back room came the rustling sounds of getting dressed, as well as the obviously muffled sounds of angry complaints.
"I can't live my life anymore, and I still entertain two guests."
The sound was very low, but Gu Dan's hearing was extraordinary. Xun Ke couldn't hear it, but it fell clearly in his ears.
Not long after, an old woman came out of the back room.
I saw that she was thin and frail, her face was rough and stiff, and her complexion was sallow and saggy. But what attracted the most attention was the thin linen clothes she wore, which were obviously much smaller and tightly wrapped around her body, which was not plump in the first place. His skinny body made even his breathing seem laborious.
The old woman's eyes fell on Gu Dan and Xun Ke, and she was also surprised.
You can tell at a glance that such a handsome man is no ordinary commoner. Looking at Xun Ke's clothes, he must be either rich or noble.
Feeling panicked at the moment, he forced a smile to the two of them and said hastily and uneasily: "I'm going to prepare food."
"We still have some here, let's heat it up and eat together."
Gu Dan took out Xun Ke's package and took out all the food in it.
Large pieces of air-dried bacon, steamed buns made of white flour, and some particularly durable pastries that Xiaoying found.
"Let's do everything. Someone will pick us up after today. These things will be wasted if we don't eat them now."
Gu Dan said.
"Why is this so embarrassing?"
The old woman looked straight, swallowed involuntarily, her eyes fell on the large piece of bacon, and said with difficulty.
Xun Ke had already reacted at this time and assumed the role of a businessman. However, his experience was not as good as that of Gu Dan, so he pretended to be a playboy and said with some disgust: "This thing is hard and dry. , It’s really not delicious. I usually eat big and delicious roast chicken. If I wasn’t rushing to hurry up, who would eat these things? It’s just to satisfy my hunger!”
Sure enough, as soon as this was said, the old woman no longer refused, took the food and went to the kitchen to start preparing it.
Gu Dan sat on a stool and talked to the old farmer, "Don't you have any extra clothes at home?"
"Originally there is."
The old farmer's lips moved a few times and he sighed, "But there was an increase in taxes a while ago and I couldn't raise the money, so I had to use clothes to pay it off. Now I only have two pieces of clothes left at home."
He pulled off the linen clothes on his body, and together with the old woman's obviously much smaller clothes, these were the only clothes the family had.
"It's the twelfth lunar month of winter. It's such a cold day. Just two pieces of linen clothes?!"
Xun Ke was furious.
If it were in Dayue, he would still be able to understand it - this is not because he is more tolerant of Daqi, but because Dayue has been plagued by Emperor Zongming for more than 20 years, and the people have not lived a good life due to the deep evils. , of course.
But since Daqi’s country is so powerful, even sending troops to conquer Da Yue is not a particularly heavy burden, and I have never heard of an emperor like Emperor Zongming appearing in Daqi. How could the people at the bottom be like this!
"It's good to be alive. The old Li family next door can't pay taxes, so they are directly dragged into hard labor transporting grain. I'm afraid it will be difficult to live."
The old farmer said with lingering fear.
"Daqi has strong soldiers and strong horses, and the country is rich. How could he be so difficult?"
Xun Ke was full of confusion. He did not have a deep understanding of Daqi, and it was difficult to understand how the people at the bottom of such a powerful country could be as miserable as the people of Da Yue.
No matter how strict you are, you should always leave a way for those below to survive!
The old farmer stopped talking. Daqi's prosperity obviously had nothing to do with him.
"If I remember correctly, the people of Daqi are divided into three classes."
Gu Dan was thoughtful.
"I am a third-class citizen."
The old farmer lowered his head and tried his best to smile.
The first-class citizens are naturally the group of people who were originally killed from the white mountains and black waters. They are the smallest in number, but they are absolutely superior. Even if they kill the lower-class people, they only need to pay some money.
As for second-class citizens, they need to perform meritorious service for the Great Prayer. The conditions for meritorious service are various, such as paying a lot of taxes, marrying into a first-class citizen's family, or even being appreciated by others, they may be promoted to second-class citizens. They are much better than ordinary people, and they are also qualified to study and be officials. There is no chance of getting ahead. One person can achieve enlightenment, chickens, dogs, and ascension to heaven.
As for the third-class people, they are the remaining people who were defeated by Daqi before.
Third-class citizens are not counted as human beings.
There is no preferential treatment to speak of, but the hard work is definitely indispensable for them.
Of course, there is not the easiest path to promotion.
After surviving for five generations, you can wash away your sins and become a noble second-class citizen.
As for first-class citizens? That is something I never dare to think about.
Generally speaking, more than 20 years are regarded as a generation, and considering that the lifespan of ordinary people at this time is around 30 or 40 years old, if 30 years is used as a generation, it will take 150 years!
This is a time that even a grandmaster cannot survive, and is more like a carrot hanging in front of a donkey's eyes.
It is through this method that Daqi gathers strength, nourishes wealth, and creates such a "prosperous and powerful country."
Don't ask why third-class citizens don't run to other countries. The difficulty is beyond the imagination of people who may never travel a hundred miles in their lifetime. No one would want to risk their lives unless they were pushed to the limit.
As long as they have food to eat, they will work hard to survive like weeds in the grass.
Both rise and fall are miserable, and the people cannot help themselves.
"Daqi Royal Family, damn it!"
Xun Ke was very angry. He read a lot, but the problem of the Big Moon had not yet been solved. He had no time to open his eyes to see the world. His impressions of Daqi were mostly hearsay, and he could not imagine it without having witnessed it with his own eyes.
Now that he came to Daqi, he was shocked by the first person he saw.
Naturally, he was extremely disgusted with this method of classifying people into three, six or nine grades, and a rare and uncontrollable murderous intention and hatred emerged in his heart.
"You can't say this!"
The old farmer was so frightened that he fell off his stool and looked at Xun Ke in horror.
Is this still a businessman? !
"Don't be afraid. This kid has read too many words. His mind is full of chivalry and righteousness. He is just confused for a moment. You will understand when he calms down."
Gu Dan smiled and said calmly.
"I'll help the old lady cook."
The old farmer was so frightened that he did not dare to be in the same room with the two men again, so he hurried away quickly.
Xun Ke, who was left alone and clenching his fists in anger, was still indignant and said, "How can people be divided into three, six, and nine grades?!"
"You think Emperor Zongming is hateful, but the Emperor of Daqi is hateful?"
Gu Dan did not explain, but asked.
"this"
Xun Ke was startled and said after a moment: "I actually think Emperor Daqi is more hateful!"
Emperor Zongming spent more than 20 years seeking immortality and seeking immortality without asking the court officials, which led to the collapse of order. Moreover, due to his selfish extravagance and lust, the people's livelihood was in poverty. He originally thought that this was the limit of evil.
It wasn't until I came into contact with Daqi that I realized that there is far no limit to human evil.
Divide people into several grades and shepherd the people in the name of imperial power - just like treating animals!
Xunke could not think of a more vicious method than this. Even though he had never met Emperor Daqi, he hated him more than he hated Emperor Zongming.
Once this kind of division is implemented consistently, will it become a rule that "should be so" and "it should be taken for granted" within a hundred or a thousand years?
Born with a seed, the common people are not human beings!
Not only is the etiquette broken, but the music is ruined, this is a naked trampling on people's hearts!
"Imperial Power - Underworld. With the power to send people to underworld, you can take away everything you want in a variety of jaw-dropping ways."
Gu Dan said: "The evil of Emperor Zongming lies in his personal greed, and the evil of Emperor Daqi lies in plundering the people of the world to support the extravagant desires of a small number of people, so as to ensure the rule of the country.
Remember when we met him? He ran away in fear, because third-class citizens could not even go to the woods to collect firewood. Those things had owners, and those without owners also belonged to the state.
Nothing belongs to them except the space temporarily rented to them. The difference is whether they want to take it away, not whether they can take it away. "
Xun Ke was really dumbfounded, "You're not even allowed to collect firewood? How are you going to survive the winter!"
"I have gone to find out that when winter is approaching, they need to work as helpers. They collect a lot of firewood, and then the kind-hearted masters will give them a little bit of charity, and they must be grateful to get it. If they collect less, Not only do I not have any, I will also be beaten severely."
Gu Dan said.
"How come such a country hasn't perished yet?!"
Xun Ke couldn't figure it out.
"Power. They have enough power. Before this power is completely corroded, these third-class people have no chance to resist. It is not easy to rise up. At least there must be a master to take the lead. It’s only possible. Do you think the Grand Master will be a third-class citizen?”
Gu Dan said quietly.
of course not.
A grandmaster must be one level higher than first-class citizens and a truly special class.
In a world with personal power, it is more of a joke for the people at the bottom to want to rebel.
If so, then someone stronger must have stood up.
Like Chen Guang and Wu Sheng, they have made great achievements, but when they meet the leader of White Lotus, they are dead.
Once the leader died, all the rest were a ragtag group of people.
Such is the power of individuals.
If an individual is good, the whole world will be good.
The evil of an individual is evil, and the whole world is evil.
There is no need to reason, the fist is the reason.
That's why he never came out.
It is not until you become a great master that you can achieve something.
Even being a Grandmaster before was of no avail. It was enough to inspire people, but changing the world was not enough.
It seems that the gap between realms is directly related to whether things can be accomplished.
Xunke looked at Gu Dan silently. For a long time, he clenched his fists.
"I will learn martial arts well and then talk about morality."
Xun Ke seemed to be talking to Gu Dan, and also seemed to be admonishing himself. There was a firm look on the young man's face.
Gu Dan nodded with satisfaction.
He indeed had his own purpose in bringing Xun Ke here.
Immortals also need to assess the situation, and the peak of the moment did not blind Gu Dan's eyes.
He couldn't do everything by himself, let alone sit on the throne all day reviewing documents and memorials. He wouldn't even preach moral principles - but someone had to do it.
He can help resolve external hardships, but internal construction still depends on Xun Ke's generation.
"The meal is ready."
Without waiting for too long, the old woman came out with a bowl and basin. The fragrant bacon exuded a smooth and oily luster, and the aroma was fragrant, making people appetite.
The old farmer followed the woman, his eyes evasive, not daring to look at the two of them again.
Gu Dan picked up Xun Ke and said with a smile: "Suddenly I remembered that there is something urgent that needs to be done, and I really can't delay. I don't have time to eat this meal. You can eat, and we will leave first."
"ah?"
The old woman looked confused, "This, this is all done!"
How can a customer bring out ingredients, only to leave without taking a bite?
"I really can't delay. See you again when we are destined."
Gu Dan didn't give them a chance to stay, so he took Xun Ke and rode away against the heavy snow.
"what happened?"
The old woman couldn't figure it out.
She looked at the old farmer and said, "It's only been a while, how come the guest doesn't even eat?"
The old farmer recalled what Xun Ke had said before, shrank his neck in fear, and just shook his head.
A shout came from the back room.
"Mom, has the guest left?"
"It's such a pity that the fire has started when we leave! The food is also ready. I will give you the clothes later. You come and eat first." The old woman said.
"I can smell the smell of meat."
The words came from far away, and a dark-skinned child who looked thin and short walked out of the back room. He was naked and shivering from the cold.
But when he saw the bacon in the food bowl, his eyes were shining.
"Hey, you dare to come out? You're not afraid of freezing to death! Go inside quickly and I'll take off your clothes for you."
The old woman scolded loudly.
"No need to go inside."
The old farmer, who had been silent all this time, pointed to the stool where Gu Dan was sitting, where a package lay quietly.
Inside are two cotton coats.
(End of chapter)
