General Zhenyuan sighed, got up and paced a few steps in the tent, then turned around and said, "Miss Xia doesn't know anything. Although the country of Qi is vast and rich, for a long time, there are barbarians in the south and grassland tribes in the north, and they have always coveted our Great Qi, and they have been fighting endlessly for many years, and the treasury has long been empty. ”

He paused, as if he was thinking about something, and said after a while: "Besides, the current emperor is old and frail, and he doesn't have too much energy to deal with political affairs. The princes and ministers form private parties, only care about fighting for power and profit, how can anyone attach importance to border defense. ”

Xia Qingyun felt something.

If the rulers are weak and incompetent, and the government is disordered, how can the whole country not be in danger.

General Zhenyuan walked up to her, pointed to the coastline on the map, and said: "I also wrote to the imperial court, hoping to allocate funds to build a military port, but those ministers admonished that the country was sparsely populated and separated by the vast sea, which was not enough to cause trouble, so the imperial court did not support it. ”

"That's not right!" Xia Qingyun shook his head and said: "The products of the Japanese country are scarce, but the Japanese people have collected huge sums of money to build big ships, and the heart of the thief is obvious!" If they occupy the coast, relying on the advantage of the sea, the advance and retreat will be fast, which is really a big trouble, and the general has to guard against it! ”

"What Miss Xia said is extremely true!" A bright light flashed in his eyes under the silver mask, "If there are enough silver taels, a powerful navy will be formed within two years, which is enough to deter the Japanese kingdom, and they dare not act rashly!" ”

He looked at Xia Qingyun, "However, for now, only the plan of reclamation and garrisoning the border is feasible. In this way, we can not rely on the military salaries of the imperial court and temporarily stabilize the border defense of the East China Sea. ”

The night was getting darker.

In the military tent, the two of them talked very speculatively, completely forgetting the time.

"General, there's an urgency!" Outside the tent came the voice of a soldier.

Two men in black in brass masks hurried into the tent.

Xia Qingyun hurriedly got up and retreated, passing by the man in black, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bamboo tube in his hand.

Out of the tent, she found out that it had been nearly three watches.

When the autumn moon is in the sky, it sprinkles the silver glow of the ground.

Xia Qingyun pondered all the way, and always felt that he had seen the appearance of the bamboo tube somewhere, but he couldn't remember anything.

My father and mother were guarding the door of the house, and when they saw her coming back, they hurriedly greeted her.

"Why is it so late, the general is embarrassed for you?" Dad put away the cigarette pouch and asked worriedly.

"Nope. Dad, why haven't you slept yet? ”

"If you don't come back, how can we sleep? You haven't eaten dinner yet, so it's going to be hot for you. ”

Xia Qingyun shook his head, "Mother, I'm not hungry." What about them? ”

The mother held her father with one hand and pulled Xia Qingyun with the other and said, "I'm waiting for you in the room." It's just a big disaster, and as soon as you go out, everyone is worried to death. ”

She was apologetic in her heart, and whispered in her mother's ear: "Mother, then I'll take you to the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion later, and I have good things to show you." ”

With her mother, she helped her father into the hall, she found Hua Yun and Qiu Yun, and the family entered the treasure pavilion together.

"Oh my God! Here"

The family looked at the endless and meteorological new world in the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, and they were speechless in surprise.

Blue sky and white clouds, mountains, lakes, meadows full of all kinds of wild flowers, green tea plantations in the distance, rows of neat houses, it is like a small world.

"We have a new friend in our family. I went into the mountains this time and picked up a snow leopard on the mountain. Don't be afraid, it's very human. ”

She whistled, and a white dot came from far and near, and Cher ran towards them with joy.

It pounced straight at Xia Qingyun and threw her to the grass at once, its round head arching her, like a child.

"Alright, alright!" Xia Qingyun sat up with a smile, "This is Dad, Mother, Huayun, Qiuyun, you have to protect our family in the future, remember?" ”

Cher rolled on the grass, revealing her white belly, and raised her furry paws as if to greet her family.

Qiuyun dared to touch it, and Xue'er obediently stretched out her pink tongue and licked her hand.

"This big cat is so cute!" Qiuyun shouted excitedly.

Xue'er seemed to be very dissatisfied with the title of "big cat", and she purred a few times in her throat, which frightened her mother and hurriedly grabbed Qiuyun.

Xia Qingyun said with a smile: "It's called Xue'er, but it's a snow-capped beast, probably protesting that you call it a big cat, I'm afraid that you will underestimate it." ”

Cher shook her head, as if affirming her words.

The mother snorted, "It understands!" Xue'er come, mother take a look. ”

Xue'er tilted her head, her gray-blue eyes looked at each other, and her thick tail swayed back and forth, circling around everyone before finally stopping in front of her mother.

"Yo, there's a little temper tantrum." The mother smiled and touched its head and said.

"Cher, come here, let me touch it too!" Hua Yun bent down and hooked his fingers at it.

Cher glanced at him a few times, then turned her head arrogantly and ignored him.

Niang and Qiuyun stroked their palms and laughed.

Hua Yun scratched the back of his head, "Sister, why does it ignore me?" ”

"I know! I know! Qiuyun hurriedly said, "Its name is Xue'er, it must be a mother-daughter leopard!" That's why I won't let you touch her! Sister, am I right? ”

Xia Qingyun couldn't help but smile and nodded again and again, the female leopard is also a loss to Qiu Yun to think of.

"Thanks to Xue'er this time, if it hadn't carried me to the top, I wouldn't have been able to find a new tea tree."

"There's a new tea tree?" Dad suddenly came to his senses, "Let's go, take us to see!" ”

"Dad, don't worry," Xia Qingyun persuaded with a smile: "Let Hua Yun accompany you to soak your legs in the lake first, this lake is the pond under the Seven Star Spring in the past." Soak it a few times and your legs will be fine. ”

"That's, that's." Dad nodded busily.

"It's better to go up the mountain early. By the way, this seedling must also be hurried, or we will come in and work at night as before, and prepare the tea seedlings before the spring, don't delay the season. ”

The mother smiled and said: "Look at your father, it's just a hard life, and it's uncomfortable for him to be idle!" ”

Xia Qingyun said: "Huayun, you take your father to the lake, and my mother and Qiuyun will go to the tea garden first." ”

The family was divided into two ways, and Xue'er followed behind Xia Qingyun, inseparable.

Qiuyun walked briskly in front, but as soon as she came to the new tea tree, she exclaimed.

"Mother, sister, come on! Qing'er, they seem to be sick! ”

Qing'er is her name for the nine bamboo leaf green snakes, Qiuyun often raises seedlings and picks tea in the tea garden, and has long become good friends with the nine green snakes.

But the green snakes in front of them were coiled motionless under the tea trees, and the beautiful golden eyes of the past were covered with a layer of white mist, and the snake's body also changed from turquoise to dark green, which looked much darker.

Qiu Yun squatted down in distress and reached out to touch it.

"Qiuyun, don't touch them!" Xia Qingyun hurriedly stopped her, "They should be molting, don't be alarmed at this time, they will come out of the snake molt on their own in a few days." ”

In the past, the green snakes were looking for a hidden place to fade away, but this time they all gathered near the newly planted tea trees.

"Oh." Qiuyun whispered yes, for fear of disturbing the sleeping green snake.

"Sister, what are these varieties of tea trees? Is the tea made as delicious as white peony? ”

Qiu Yun carefully stepped over the tail of the green snake and approached a tea tree to take a closer look.

Xia Qingyun accompanied her mother to the tree, pinched the petioles of the two buds and leaves, twisted them slightly, lifted them again, and put them in the palm of her hand.

"This tea tree has oval leaves, pointed leaf heads, yellow-green buds, and many fewer leaves than large white tea. Its name is Huang Dan, also called Huang Suo. The tea made from it, after brewing, the soup color is golden, and there is a strange fragrance like osmanthus, so it is called golden osmanthus. ”

"That's a great name, it's expensive to listen to!" The mother was like stroking a child, gently touching the branches of the Huangdan tea tree.

"That's the same one, but the buds and leaves are redder than it." Qiuyun asked, pointing to a tea tree next to him.

"This is not Huang Dan, it's called Red Heart Tieguanyin. The tips of its leaves are slightly crooked to the side and droop slightly, so it is also nicknamed 'red bud crooked tail peach'. You see, its buds and leaves are purplish-red. ”

Xia Qingyun picked a tender shoot and put it in the palm of his hand to compare it with Huang Dan.

The mother said on the side: "I see that its mesophyll is thick, thick green and smooth, it seems to be more solid than the yellow dan, and it is designated to be a good servant." However, I guess the tea leaves must not be as fragrant as you said the golden cinnamon. ”

"Mother, you guessed wrong." Xia Qingyun said with a smile.

"Red Heart Tieguanyin is delicate by nature, and it is not easy to drink and plant. What's even more peculiar is that the tea leaves are different when planted in different places, or picked at different times, or the tea-making techniques are slightly different. ”

Qiuyun asked, "Then what is its aroma like?" ”

Xia Qingyun said: "There are many kinds of aromas of Tieguanyin, but if you talk about the best quality, it should be as quiet as an orchid, and it is rich and long-lasting, and the charm is long. ”

"Sister, listen to what you said, I really want to taste it now!" Qiu Yun sighed wistfully.

Xia Qingyun said with a smile: "Not only these two, but there are also green snow buds, narcissus, yellow buds, Zhengshan small species, etc., all of which are extremely rare tea tree varieties." It can make Yunding nectar, snow bud silver needle, Jin Jun Mei and other excellent tea. ”

Xia Qingyun led her mother and sister to carefully inspect, distinguish, and explain one by one.

The mother and daughter walked among the verdant tea trees, swept away the shadows of yesterday in their hearts, and their eyes were full of beautiful visions for the future.

At this moment, in the military tent, the candlelight was beating, and occasionally a candle flower burst out.

General Zhenyuan sat alone at the table, rubbing a black arrow in his hand.

The arrow is edged on all sides, and the handle of the arrow is densely covered with countless barbs, which alone makes people's scalp tingle, and if it is shot by the vital point, you will lose half your life if you don't die.

However, it was from his body that the arrow was pulled out.

The last time he was plotted, an arrow pierced his chest, and it was only half an inch away from his heart.

With the last of his strength, he climbed into the cave. If I hadn't met her, I'm afraid I would have returned to the West by now.

General Zhenyuan stroked the hilt of the arrow, this was the place where her hand had once held.

He whispered, "Qingyun, I'm back, I miss you so much." But what I wanted to say to you most now, I can't say, I dare not say. ”

After taking the pen and paper, he took advantage of the flickering candlelight to write quickly, and his handwriting was delicate and exquisite.