Jicheng Palace of Yan Kingdom.

It was late at night, and it was almost hour.

In this cold night, most of the people in Jicheng have fallen asleep at this time. The palace is still brightly lit, the palace is burning with coals, and there are attendants and maids on duty in the palace.

King Yan Zhao Ji Ji was diligent and busy for another day, just finished dealing with state affairs, returned to the inner hall, served the soup, and invited King Yan to use.

King Yan Zhao picked up this bowl of soup and was about to drink it, when he saw angelica in the soup, he turned his head and said to the attendant behind him: "Is Zhu Duwei still there?" ”

Zhu Shen has been appointed as the commander of the personal soldiers of King Yanzhao, and the official worships the captain, leading the personal soldiers in the palace of King Zhao to guard more than 100 people. At this time, he was not on duty, and he was inspecting in the palace, and when he heard that King Zhao was calling, he trotted all the way to meet him.

When King Zhao saw Zhu Shenlai, he asked, "Have any scholars from other countries come to the palace today?" ”

Zhu Shen said: "No." The national teacher was responsible for this matter, and the national teacher did not send anyone to report it. ”

King Zhao said: "The widow's dream last night, can't it be fulfilled today?" ”

Zhu Shen said: "The dream is from the heart, and the king misses the wise man day and night, so he has this dream." It was already late at night, so the king was invited to drink the soup and enter the palace to rest, so as to protect the body of the daughter. ”

King Zhao said: "The widow has a premonition that an old man is coming today, and he is still in good spirits at this time, so he will wait for a while." Zhu Duwei can go to the city gate to inquire, but people from other countries will come. ”

Zhu Shen took the order to go, went out of the palace and stepped on the horse, first went to the West Gate, the doorman said that no one came today, and Zhu Shen pulled the horse and looked at the south gate.

The gates of Jicheng are open on all sides during the day, and after sunset, the north gate and the east gate are closed, and only the west gate and the south gate are closed after the sunset.

In recent nights, because of the order of King Zhao, for fear of slacking off the Magi to enter the city, the west and south gates will be closed when they are opened, although the weather is very cold at this time.

Zhu Shen rode a horse to look at the south gate, the road was frozen, and the horse's hooves slipped from time to time. Zhu Shen felt a chill hit people, he couldn't help but wrap his coat and hat tightly, and walked halfway, just when he saw the people in the palace, he rushed to run, Zhu Shen stopped the man and asked, "Is there a wise man coming?" ”

The person in the palace said to Zhu Shen: "There are two heroic and wise men from Liangzhou, who said that they had an old relationship with the king. When the villain heard this, he didn't dare to report to the king. ”

Zhu Shen said: "Do you know who your surname is?" ”

The man said: "The young man's name is Xu Yue, he hangs a sword, and he says that he is a popular man on the rivers and lakes, and an old man is named Ding Hu, who carries an iron axe. ”

When Zhu Shen heard this, he was greatly surprised, and he was not surprised, and the man hurriedly asked Zhu Shen why he was surprised, and Zhu Shen said: "The king has not yet gone to bed, so you should go and report to the king quickly." I'll take a look. After that, he galloped and looked at the south gate.

When Zhu Shen heard that Xiaofeng and Ding Hu had arrived in Jicheng tonight, he was very surprised, and his heart was very excited, and he didn't believe that it was true.

Zhu Shen ran to the south gate, turned over and dismounted, Xiaofeng and Ding Hu were warming up in the lower gatehouse of the south gate, Zhu Shen walked forward, and before he entered the door, he asked urgently and loudly: "Are the people who are Xiaofeng's brother and Ding Zhuangshi?" ”

Xiao Feng and Ding Hu heard someone outside the door asking loudly, and Xiao Feng said in his heart: "This person's voice is so familiar, could it be Zhu Haoxia?" Then he and Ding Hu got up, and the doorman opened the door, and saw a majestic man, with tiger eyes and beard, wearing a thick coat, standing at the head of the door.

Xiaofeng recognized this as Zhu Shen at a glance, and immediately became very excited, stepped forward, held Zhu Shen's hand with both hands, and said in surprise: "It turns out that it is really Brother Zhu!" I haven't seen him for a few years, and Brother Zhu has become more and more powerful! and was worshiped by the younger brother. ”

After finishing speaking, he was about to bow down, but Zhu Shen hurriedly stopped: "Brother Xiaofeng, I came from afar today, and I didn't inform Brother Yu in advance. If you are not welcome, you should let your brother make amends. ”

Ding Hu also came over and met Zhu Shen, the two shook hands and said goodbye, Zhu Shen sighed: "After a few years, I never wanted to meet tonight!" ”

After the greetings, Zhu Shen asked Xiaofeng and said: "King Yan has not rested yet, and is waiting for the virtuous brother to come in the palace!" Virtuous brother, hurry up and enter the palace with your brother! ”

Xiao Feng was shocked: "Yan Wang Anzhi foolish brother is coming?" ”

Zhu Shen said with a smile: "Since King Yan returned to China, he has always remembered the virtuous brother, and heard that the hometown of the virtuous brother was occupied by the Qin State. As a brother, he told the king of Yan, saying that since the virtuous brother has traveled around the world, he will come to the country of Yan sooner or later. The morning before yesterday, King Yan saw two birds in the garden to announce the good news, and last night he dreamed that a distant guest came, so that people divined and interpreted the dream, saying that there should be an old man coming. That's why King Yan sent people to wait at the city gate. This city gate should have been closed at the end of the day, but this time has passed the end of the day, and it has not been closed, just waiting for the virtuous brother to come! ”

When Xiaofeng heard this, he was very moved in his heart, and said to Zhu Shen: "King Yan is already the king of a country, and he still remembers my cloth clothes, and now he is waiting so diligently, how can I not be moved in my heart?" ”

After that, he got on the horse with Ding Hu, followed Zhu Shen, and galloped to the palace of King Yan.

King Zhao was in the palace, eating the bowl of soup, and before he finished using it, he suddenly came to report in a hurry, saying that Fengxingzi had arrived at the south gate of Jicheng. King Zhao stood up and asked, "What kind of person is Feng Xingzi?" ”

The servant said: "A native of the Han Dynasty of Chu State, surnamed Xu Mingyue, more than Chinese New Year's Eve years old, dressed as a ranger, and the other person surnamed Ding Minghu, Yan once had an old relationship with the king. The villain does not dare to delay, and hereby report. ”

When King Zhao heard this, he suddenly woke up to the things in the dream, and it turned out that his righteous brother Xiaofeng had come. I was very excited in my heart, and said to the left and right: "As the so-called stepping on iron shoes has nowhere to find, it takes no effort to get it." The widow has sent people to listen to the news of his brother Xiaofeng several times, but there has been no news for several years, and now Xiaofeng himself came to the widow country, and the widow is infinitely happy! Then he passed the king's order, drove Luan, and prepared to go out of the palace to greet his brother Xiaofeng.

The servant said: "Zhu Duwei has already gone to answer, it is very cold tonight, the king should not go out of the palace, I am afraid that the cold will hurt the king's body!" And the king waited in the palace for him to come. ”

King Zhao said: "What are these words! Xiaofeng is a widow's righteous brother, not compared to others, although today's widow is the king, he can't neglect the righteousness of Jinlan in the past. At this time, most of the people on duty in the palace were almost resting, and the Luan driver was not even, and King Zhao thought again, he was already the king of Yan today. After thinking about it, it was better to walk by yourself, so I dressed in civilian clothes, brought a few attendants, and walked out of the palace to meet him at the gate of the palace.

The cold wind is cold, the red flags are all frozen and cracked, and the cold winter in Jicheng is really dripping into ice, invading people's bone marrow.

Leaning less, I saw that on the avenue in front of the palace, there were lights moving, and the sound of horses' hooves came, and the attendant said to King Zhao: "It should be Zhu Duwei who is leading the shadow." ”

King Zhao was happy, so he ordered to raise the torch in the court, shine in front of the palace, see the three horses gallop to the palace gate, about 50 steps away from King Zhao, the three turned over and dismounted, and tended to come to themselves.

It turned out that Zhu Shen led Xiaofeng and Ding Hu to the front of the Yan Palace, and saw the lights in front of the palace gate from a distance, and several people gathered in one person, Zhu Shen said to Xiao Feng: "The Yan King has personally gone out of the palace to greet the virtuous brother." ”

Xiaofeng was surprised and excited in his heart, and when he saw Zhu Shen stop the horse, he and Ding Hu also stopped, and the three of them turned over and dismounted, and after Xiaofeng and Ding Hu followed Zhu Shen, they came to meet King Zhao.

Recently, Xiao Feng saw a person in the center, more than 20 years old, dressed in civilian clothes and wearing a brocade hat, although the dress was different, but Xiao Feng recognized at a glance that it was the son-in-law in South Korea that year, and he was overjoyed, so he pulled Ding Hu and prepared to meet King Yan.

Before Zhu Shen went to King Zhao, he reported: "The minister has already led Xiaofeng and Ding Hu to meet the king!" ”

King Zhao was overjoyed, looking at Xiaofeng and Ding Hu, there was no difference in appearance from back then, but Xiaofeng's face was more frosty, and Ding Hu's temples also had a few more strands of white hair, King Zhao couldn't help but feel a little sour in his heart, so he stepped forward and wanted to greet Xiaofeng's hand.

Xiaofeng saw King Zhao coming, and wanted to join hands, so he hurriedly dodged, and then bowed down, Ding Hu also bowed, King Zhao couldn't stop him for a while, Xiaofeng said: "Xu Yue, a contemptible person in Hanzhong, see King Yan." Ding Hu is also in harmony.

King Zhao pulled the two of them up, pretending to be displeased: "Xiaofeng, why is this? Don't remember the love of South Korea's Xinzheng back then? You and I are brothers, so why be so polite? ”

Xiaofeng saluted again: "How dare you forget!" It's just that the king is already the king of a country today, and he is reckless in the rivers and lakes below, how can he still be called a brother like he did back then? In this way, it will hinder the courtesy of the monarch and the courtiers, and the courtesy of the kings and ministers will not work, so how can the king govern the country? ”

Although King Zhao blamed in his mouth, he was still very happy in his heart that Xiaofeng said this. At that moment, he pulled up Xiaofeng, clasped his hands and said: "Since the younger brother returned to China, there have been many things, although he misses his brother, but the clouds and mountains are blocked, and the letters cannot be conveyed for a while, so it is difficult to get together with his brother." Although the younger brother is now the king, my brother Xiaofeng's heroic spirit is still very admired. Today's coming from afar makes the little brother feel a lot of joy in his heart. ”

He said to Ding Hu again: "Ding Zhuangshi, don't come unharmed? This time I came from afar to our country, all the way to the wind and frost, like such a cold weather, Ding Zhuangshi is a member of the south, I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with! ”

Ding Hu couldn't bear the cold, and just came out of the south gate gatehouse, his hands and feet were frozen again, and he was shivering at this time. Seeing King Zhao asking, he replied: "Don't dare to hide King Yan, the Chu people in the south of Xia Nai, who are not suitable for the severe cold in the north. I'm afraid that my hands and feet will freeze, and I can't be a courtesy when I see the king! ”

King Zhao laughed when he heard this, and immediately issued an order to let people burn charcoal fire in the palace and warm the wine, thinking that Ding Zhuangshi would drive away the cold.

King Zhao invited Xiaofeng into the palace and spoke in the palace.

Xiaofeng said: "Thanks to the king's good intentions, but tonight, the king's palace is the place of the temple." The foolish brother is just a cloth in the rivers and lakes, how can he enter the palace of the king without permission? ”

King Zhao said: "In the past, when I was in Korea, you and my brother used to discuss the righteousness of the ancients with each other, saying that the ancients once said: Jun rides the car, I wear a hat, and he gets off the car when he meets." Jun Danyu, I straddle the horse, and he will meet as the king one day. Don't you remember this? When you arrive in Yan Kingdom today, if you don't enter the court, isn't it trapped in the unkind and unrighteous situation of your younger brother? ”

When Xiaofeng heard this, he remembered that there was such a thing, and seeing that King Zhao was sincere, he followed King Zhao's order and entered the palace of Yan Kingdom with Ding Hu.