Chapter 108 Spring Search

At Yefu Pass on the border of Dali, the city gate is wide open. The few light cavalry stationed in the city choose a rare night march. Although there are only a thousand cavalry, when the neat horses and iron hooves trample on the ground, the earth is still moving. The vibration, like the intensive and rapid sound of drums, makes people's blood boil.

Next to the post road, a cavalry general reined in his horse and stopped beside it, his face solemn.

A young lieutenant with a hideous scar on his face arrived on horseback. After slowing down his horse, he stood side by side with the general and asked softly: "General Han, what is the purpose of this northward attack? I, Da Li Ye, How can there be a large number of horse thieves in the vast territory north of Fuguan? And even if they appear, it won't be our cavalry's turn, right?"

The stocky general said in a low voice, "No. Don't ask if you should."

The young knight grinned and stopped asking.

The general of the Yefuguan Cavalry Army hesitated for a moment, probably because he was feeling a little uncomfortable. After thinking about it, he whispered: "Not only are we Yefuguan's troops and horses, but also the south Nearly half of the main field light cavalry from all the pass military towns on the border were dispatched tonight."

The young cavalry general was stunned for a moment, "It is a four-year cycle of spring search, summer seedlings, autumn and winter. Hunting? But the time is not right. We only participated in the Spring Search last year. Even if there is a large-scale martial arts performance this year, it should be held in the summer."

The general subconsciously touched his crotch mount. With his silky horse mane, he said: "After arriving at the temporary station, the imperial military department will issue the next order, so we don't have to think about it."

————

Go to Hongzhu Town More than two hundred miles to the west, in the vast upper reaches of the Xiuhua River, there is a small solitary mountain in the middle of the water, which is vulgarly called Mantou Mountain by the local people. There is a solitary earth temple on the mountain with endless incense. According to legend, it is extremely efficacious. If you ask for a child, you will get a child. The son, who seeks wealth and gets riches, is famous far and wide. It is a beautiful place that literati and poets must visit by boat. However, local people almost never come here to worship and burn incense.

The night in late spring is chilly and cold. The river is rolling away and the waves are splashing. You can vaguely see a three-foot-long green carp in the river. It swims quickly from the shore to Xiaogushan. The surprising thing is that it lies on the back of the river. Sitting on it was a boy in red clothes, no more than the height of a palm. He grasped the two tentacles of the green carp tightly with both hands, like a knight holding the reins. The boy followed the carp and the river water ups and downs. He was soaked all over, his face was pale, and he was cursing. , scolding heaven and earth and cursing mother.

The green carp swam to the shore, stopped suddenly, and threw the boy in Zhu Yi directly to the shore. The little guy rolled a series of times, looking disgraced, facing the big green fish that was swaying in the river back to the other side. The carp yelled, "The upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked. Your master is a slut..."

The carp suddenly turned around and stared at the boy in red clothes on the shore. The latter was so frightened that he urinated and dropped his head. A good man will not fight with a woman, and he will run quickly to the Tutu Temple.

The small temple was not closed, and the little guy finally climbed over the threshold. After turning over and landing, he looked up at the funny clay statue with badly painted paint, put his hands on his hips and shouted angrily: "The uncle almost drowned."In the river, why don't you kneel down and receive the order? ! Believe it or not, I will punish you with a crime of disrespect and give you a slap on the head? "

There was a bang.

The boy in Zhu Yi was kicked as a stone and kicked out of the Earth Temple.

A man with a short stature sat down on his butt. On the threshold, he cursed and said: "You, a boy born in this ruined temple, dare to call yourself uncle to me? ”

If you are not a family, you will not enter the same house.

The boy in red clothes ran back panting all the way, climbed up the threshold with difficulty and sat there, grinning and looking sad.

The man frowned and asked: "What's the matter? "

The little guy muttered: "A little hungry. "

The man raised his arm as if to strike. The boy in Zhu Yi hugged his head and shouted: "I just overheard the news from the Chenghuang Pavilion in the city, saying that it was the Ministry of Rites and Qintian. Two secret edicts were issued, requiring all the mountains and rivers gods thousands of miles around Hongzhu Town to be on standby. They were not allowed to leave their posts without authorization, were not allowed to retreat, and were required to be on call at all times. If they were unable to show up on time at the time of Mao lighting, Make the decision! Your uncle, if I hadn’t delivered the news to you, you would have borrowed a knife to kill someone with your lazy temper... Oh, I forgot that you are not a human being..."

The little guy was raped this time The man fell into the earth temple with his palm.

The man stood up and looked in the direction of Hongzhu Town with a solemn expression, not forgetting to remind you: "There is some food left for you in the incense burner, remember to eat sparingly. ”

“You have some conscience. I really don’t know how you managed to get away with it. You are the pathetic guy who has served in the Earth Temple for the longest time in this state, and you don’t have a good relationship with your colleagues. Even those shrimp soldiers and crab generals in the Xiuhua River dare not take you seriously. , you think I was so unlucky to be born in your furnace? Sigh, I should find a better stove to be reincarnated in my next life..." The boy in Zhu Yi kept complaining, but without delay, he climbed up the incense table and jumped into the yellow incense sticks with seven or eight scattered incense sticks. Copper incense burner

————

On the way back to Pillow Station, Yi Cheng Sheng noticed that the child beside him was gritting his teeth and sighing, as if he was doing something. It was a life-and-death decision.

Li Huai finally stopped and summoned up the courage to ask: "Lao Cheng, I have thirty coins, can I go to the previous bookstore to buy a book? How much is the cheapest book there? Can you leave some for me? "

The man called Lao Cheng was a little dumbfounded. After thinking about it, he answered seriously: "It's difficult. The books in that shop are recognized by our Red Candle Town to be unaffordable. Unless they are scholars who like to collect rare and unique books, generally no one goes there to buy books. If you really want to buy a book, I know there are two big bookstores in the east, which sell Confucian classics, anthologies of various scholars, and novels about ghosts and monsters. I can help you negotiate the price there. "

The stubborn child shook his head and said: "No, it has to be the bookstore just now! ”

These are all the remaining grains that Li Huai secretly saved, most of which were stolen from his uncle’s house.Yes, half of it is my sister Li Liu’s private money.

In the bookstore before, the poor guy who wore straw sandals all year round neither bought a shabby book that cost nearly ten taels of silver without saying anything, nor did he refuse on the spot. I am willing to spend so much money on him.

Instead, ask him if he can read the book.

This surprised Li Huai. Although he said he would read it at the time, in fact after buying it, of course he would read it and just flip through it to pass the time. Li Huai actually didn't have much interest in "Broken Water Cliff".

But when someone is willing to pay ten taels of silver for himself, Li Huai feels very happy.

Li Huai is not stupid. The child knows clearly whether others are good or bad to him.

Pairs of straw sandals, a bookcase that has not yet been built, and this book "Duoshui Cliff", he owed so much to others, so Li Huai felt that if he didn't do something for Chen Pingan, he would I couldn't let it go, and my heart was filled with panic.

In fact, Li Huai didn't like Zhu Lu, and even Lin Shouyi, who shared weal and woe, didn't like him very much. On the contrary, Li Baoping, who often bullied him in school, thought he was pretty good.

Li Huai likes the idle A-Liang the most.

As for the pauper from Mubo Alley, Li Huai was a little afraid of him.

At this time, Yi Cheng Sheng looked down at the child with a serious face, thinking that he was worthy of the so-called immortal qualifications of that guy. Some things are truly blessed to the soul. He held back his laughter, thinking that he was just going with the flow. If you can help this child, you might forge a great relationship. Being kind to others, being kind to a thousand ordinary people, is far inferior to forming a good relationship with one immortal. This is what he has seen with his own eyes and heard with his own ears, and it is absolutely true.

Cheng Sheng took the child to the alley between the two streets. The young shopkeeper was sitting on the threshold looking at them with a smile on his face, as if he was waiting for their arrival.

At this moment, at the other end of the alley, a rickety old man carrying a lantern walked in, walking towards Li Huai.

The young master stood up slowly and waved his hand to the postmaster Cheng Sheng, "The bookstore is closed today. I will bring this kid here to buy books later."

Cheng Sheng's second words Not to mention holding Li Huai, he turned around and left.

After confirming that the two of them had left the alley, the elegant young master no longer looked calm and leisurely as before. He looked a little respectful and awkward. He cupped his fists and whispered softly: "Chong Danjiang Li Jin, pay homage to the doctor." "

The white-haired old man put one hand behind his back and held a lantern in the other. He nodded and walked straight across the threshold of the bookstore. The young man who stepped out of the way followed him. The old man held the lantern handle casually. Insert the lower end of the book on the high wall of the book wall, turn to look at the young man with a beautiful face, and sigh: "Forty years ago when you and I first met, you looked like this. Now that we meet again, you still look like this, making others envious. Ah."

The young man held the folding fan tightly and said with a smile: "For us aliens, it is a great blessing to be born as a human being."

The old man nodded. ,Didn't refute.

The young man asked curiously: "Is it the adults' arrangement that those people can live in the Pillow Inn?"

The old man remained silent.

The young man wisely stopped asking.

He opened this small bookstore a hundred years ago. He looked at the world with a cold eye and saw a lot of worldly affairs and political turmoil. He was no stranger to the officialdom of Dali. He wanted to free up so many A and Yi Yi in Pillow Inn. She Lai is almost the skill of the six ministers, except of course the three ministers. In the Dali imperial court, under the Minister of the Six Ministries of Yamen, the Langzhong was the chief officer of each department, and the Yuanwailang was the adjutant, ranking from the fifth rank. The official positions of the doctor and the wailang are not obvious, but there are three doctors who have great power beyond imagination.

These are the Department of Merit Examination of the Ministry of Personnel, the Department of Martial Arts Selection of the Ministry of War, and the Department of Ceremony of the Qing Dynasty Officials. Big officials.

A promotion inspection for all local officials below the fourth rank in the dynasty.

One person is responsible for selecting and reviewing the promotion of military personnel for the dynasty's military, and especially has the power to recruit and install people in the Jianghu.

A person is specifically responsible for the sacrificial ceremony of a country. Many times the king will ask this person for advice. This civil servant of low rank is often from a Confucian school or academy.

The unspectacular old man in front of me is one of them.

Forty years ago, Li Jin, as the owner of this bookstore, once gave two classics to a poor scholar who came to Beijing to take the exam. He did not expect that the poor scholar would be promoted all the way and become a famous scholar. The Dali Temple of Rites honors the noble and powerful doctor of the Qing Dynasty. But for Li Jin, who is away from the temple and far away in the world, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the officials of the Qing Dynasty in the Temple of Rites has another meaning. It is this small yamen. It is said that many officials in the capital can't even find the door, but secretly control the world's landscape affairs. Although God’s selection and evaluation does not have the final right of determination, it does have the crucial right of recommendation.

Li Jin learned from the officials and merchants who passed by Hongzhu Town that after the old man took this position, he sent several letters, but all of them were lost in the sea and lost. Li Jin did not dare to make any mistakes, so he had to Regret to give up.

The "young man" whose pseudonym is Li Jin has been working hard for a hundred years to seek the position of the god of water in the Chongdan River. He has used many channels and incense, but all failed.

The old man suddenly said: "You should know the reason why there is no river god in Chongdan River, so I just pretended that you didn't see the letter you secretly sent to my house. I don't want to help, but I am really helpless."

The young man smiled bitterly and nodded: "Understood. As long as His Majesty the Emperor doesn't nod, I'm afraid the words of the Minister of Rites will be useless."

The old man smiled and stared at the young man in front of him. Every twenty or thirty years, this man would change his face and appearance. The old man squinted and said: "But now there is an opportunity in front of you. It depends on whether you dare. Dare to fight for it."

The young man did not show any excitement, but asked: "I heard that in Longquan County, which was once the Lizhu Cave, Emperor Dali conferred a title.Longxu River God, an Iron Talisman River God, Piyun Mountain, Lighting Mountain and Luolu Mountain each consecrated a mountain god, giving three mountains and two rivers at once, a total of five seats, which has used up many of His Majesty the Emperor's How could the family give up a valuable spot to Danjiang at this time when it was about to be stretched thin?

The old man smiled and said: "Don't worry, it's not a conspiracy against you. To put it bluntly, you won't let me take action personally." "

The young man became a little annoyed and angry, and then he looked helpless and stopped talking.

The old man restrained his smile and said: "With Hongzhu Town as the center, the area is thousands of miles away. Inside, all the gods of mountains and rivers enshrined by the Great Li court, as well as the candidates of land and river, all need to be on standby in the near future, ready to participate in an encirclement and suppression at any time. In addition, a large number of elite cavalry troops were dispatched to the southern border towns including Dali Yefu Pass, and countless scouts and reconnaissance cavalry were dispatched. As for you, Li Jin, if it weren't for the gift of the book, I would never have informed you of this news. With or without you, there is no difference. ”

Li Jin was shocked beyond measure, “Why are you setting up such a big battle in the territory of Dali?” What exactly are you encircling and suppressing? "

The old man said bluntly, "A person. "

Li Jin looked into the old man's eyes, and asked slowly: "Sir, what do you need me to do?"

The old man smiled and said: "It's a small thing that I can do. I just need to help keep an eye on a man who has just arrived in Hongzhu Town, because I know that more than two hundred years after you walked out of Chongdan River, you were in Hongzhu Town." The town is well run, and is more familiar with the waterways than the City God and the others, and more familiar with the town's ups and downs than the two River Gods. And if there are no errors in the records in the capital's archives, you raise a few rare blue underworld fish, which comes from ancient books. It is most suitable for small-scale reconnaissance and message delivery. "

Li Jin's face didn't look good.

The old man said sarcastically: "Relax, the blue underworld fish is indeed a once-in-a-hundred-year encounter, but I won't do it to the point of getting rich." situation. ”

Li Jin laughed at himself and said, “I judge the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.” "

He then asked: "Who is that person? "

The old man replied slowly: "A man wearing a bamboo hat, with a small silver gourd on his waist, followed by a group of children. Those children came from the former Lizhu Cave, now Longquan County. As for the man's true identity, Dali Intelligence has not yet learned.

Li Jin was dumbfounded, "That man has been to my shop before." "

The old man's eyes were like lightning.

Li Jin said carefully: "It's just a coincidence.

The old man waved his hand and warned: "It doesn't matter. From now on, remember not to show your flaws. Even if you have no success, it is better than having a fault." If you accidentally alert someone because of your mistakes, don't worry, because you will definitely be dead by then. If that person doesn't kill you, I will do it myself. ”

“But if this thing comes to pass, I can’t guarantee that you will become the God of the Chongdan River, but I canSo that His Majesty the Emperor can remember your name first. "

Li Jin laughed at himself: "Does this count as Jane being in the emperor's heart? "

The old man stopped flipping through the book, turned around and asked, "What, you don't want to?" ”

Li Jin laughed and said: “Wealth can be obtained through risk, not to mention that I don’t need to be involved in the battle myself. The business of making sure profit without loss is done!” ”

He snapped his fingers, and two small fish with extremely long and slender tails appeared near his shoulders. They had the same intention as him, and what Li Jin could see was what Li Jin could see.

They swayed their long tails and disappeared instantly

Before leaving, the old man smiled and sighed: "The books in your shop are still so expensive. ”

Only at this moment did Li Jin feel that the old man had a bit of the charm of the young humble scholar.

The old man took back the lantern and left the shop.

The old man said casually: "Actually, this hunting has closed the net to this extent. Even if Li Jin suddenly loses his mind and goes crazy, runs to the man named A Liang and reveals all the truth, it won't matter." . "

The man said angrily: "In the final analysis, we still have to repay him for the gift of the book?

The old man smiled and narrowed his eyes, showing a bit of arrogance, and said softly: "The favor I owe is worth some money." ”

————

Zhu Lu said he wanted to eat candied haws. Although Zhu He was a little curious as to why his daughter suddenly liked sweets, this request was nothing at all. I took the girl with me to find a stall.

In the end, the father and daughter found a vendor carrying a large bunch of candied haws, walking through the streets and shouting loudly. He didn't like this thing, so Zhu Lu bought three skewers in one go. Zhu He was a little confused. The girl smiled and said she would eat one skewer and give the other two skewers to the lady and Chen Pingan.

The girl also said, She wanted to apologize to the boy tonight and say sorry to him, so that she could feel at ease.

Zhu He was relieved and extremely happy.

The father and daughter returned to the inn. Knowing that Chen Pingan and Li Baoping had returned to Pillow Inn

Zhu Lu hadn't finished eating a bunch of candied haws, so he chose the yard behind the first-class post house and asked his father to send a message to Chen Pingan. He said he had an appointment with Chen Ping'an to meet here.

Zhu He strode away, feeling a little funny. This girl was too shameless. She just bowed her head and admitted her mistake. There was nothing embarrassing about it.

Not long after, the straw-shoe boy appeared at the other end of the painted corridor. After seeing Zhu Lu sitting on the bench at the other end, the boy quickened his pace slightly.

The girl stood beside him. Fifteen or six candied haws were scattered on the bench.

The girl stood up with a smile, her hands behind her back, and she walked towards the young man.