However, he said that after Li Xianzhi passed the Shaanxi Township Examination, he moved to live in a rural manor, and stopped hunting, just reading and preparing for exams every day, and he didn't realize that it was winter.

Li Xianzhi returned to his home in the city, bid farewell to his father, rolled his luggage, and rushed to the capital to take the exam.

At this time, it was the first year of the Apocalypse, the Ming Dynasty had reached the end, thieves were everywhere, and the world was already in chaos. Li Mingshan was worried that his son would be in danger from a long distance, and he was entangled with a lot of silver, and he was afraid that he would be robbed by thieves, so he asked him to bring more people to escort him along the road.

Li Xianzhi didn't think so, he thought that there were too many followers, but they were too ostentatious and attracted attention. So he only took Li Xi'er and Li Ruyi, and each of them rode horses, brought bows, and prepared stone bullets, and Li Xianzhi also brought thirty feather arrows in case of emergency.

Before leaving, Li Mingshan was always not at ease, Li Xianzhi comforted: "Father rest assured, the three of us will speed up along the pipeline, and it won't take long to get to the capital, and I learned martial arts with Xiao Jiaotou, although a hard bow is not to say that it is a hundred shots and a hundred hits, it is difficult for thirty or twenty people to get close, Xi'er and Ruyi also have martial arts, and they can be safe." ”

Although Li Mingshan was still worried about his heart, he couldn't resist his son, so he had to follow him. Li Xianzhi bowed to his father three times, turned over and galloped out of the city towards the east, and Li Xi'er and Li Ruyi also followed closely behind on horseback.

Out of the city, Li Xianzhi did not walk along the official road as he said, but turned around to the border and walked slowly along the side wall. Li Xi'er and Li Ruyi were puzzled and asked, "Why did Gongzi take a detour to this dangerous place?" ”

It turned out that at this time, the momentum of Liaodong Houjin was flourishing, and the imperial court had to send the world's elite troops to Liaodong to defend it, and Yulin was no exception, most of the elite were transferred, which made the defense of this place empty, and only the important fortress had soldiers stationed, and many places became undefended places, and there were often small groups of Mongolian cavalry across the border wall to harass, and Li Xi'er and Li Ruyi were also worried about this.

Li Xianzhi said: "The world is seeing chaos, there are thieves in all directions, and there are Houjin and Tatar outside, and the Daming Society will fall." Yulin has been an important town with troops since ancient times, and there will be a big battle sooner or later, and this place is the land of our mulberry trees, so we have to defend each other with dead force, so we explore the terrain and prepare early. ”

Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er naturally didn't know that their son-in-law had the ability to predict the future, so they just played tricks and followed each other with fear all the way. Li Xian drew a map of what he saw and heard, and drew maps of various fortresses, fortresses, and roads by heart.

Fortunately, there were no police all the way, and the three of them stayed overnight, delaying in the wilderness for more than ten days before arriving at the crossing of the Yellow River. After finding a big ferry boat to cross the river, he went to Shanxi, and Li Xianzhi returned to the official road and lived in the official post station. Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er relieved their hearts at this time.

After entering the official road, the journey was fast, and he arrived at Beijing in less than 20 days. Li Xianzhi found an inn not far from the Gongyuan to live and study every day. In the past few years, in early spring and February, the ceremony was opened, Li Xianzhi took the entrance examination, took three exams, and still went back to the inn to stay, and traveled in the city every day, waiting for the list.

At the end of the month, the Ministry of Rites released the list, Li Xianzhi squeezed into the group to see the list, Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er were also on the side, and the six eyes looked up and down, left and right several times, and did not see Li Xianzhi's name on it.

Obviously, at this time, there were people in the crowd who jumped up with joy, some who cried secretly, some who were relieved after many years of testing, and some who still fell into despair after many years of testing.

Li Xian's heart was very lost, and he finally understood the feeling of the ancients that "ten years of cold and bitter windows, and once a dream came to nothing". However, he was not like the scholar at that time, seeking fame and pursuing it all his life, and after a while, his mood calmed down a lot. He squeezed out of the crowd and walked towards the inn, and Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er also followed behind him in frustration, not daring to speak.

Back at the inn, Li Xianzhi ordered the two scholars to pack their luggage and prepare to return home. Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er tiptoed and whispered.

Seeing this, Li Xianzhi knew that the two of them were in a bad mood because they failed to be in the Jinshi, and they didn't dare to disturb it, so he suddenly said: "Whether you are in the field or not, it is all providence, and it is also a normal thing. ”

Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er grew up with Li Xianzhi since childhood, although they are divided into masters and servants, but when no one is around, they are used to it casually, and replied: "The two of me always think that the son is not hit, and there is gas in the stomach, so I dare not touch the moldy head." ”

Li Xianzhi smiled and said, "When did I have a bad head for the two of you to touch?" ”

Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er also laughed when they heard this. After a while, I packed up and stopped, and left after meeting the house money.

The innkeeper sent him out and said, "Don't be discouraged, come back in three years, you will definitely be able to go to high school!" ”

Li Xianzhi replied with a smile: "Borrow the boss's auspicious words, I will still live in your inn in three years." The boss said with a smile on his face and thanked him back.

Li Xianzhi and the three of them got on their horses, did not stop, and went straight out of the city from the west gate. Fang crossed the moat, Li Xianzhi suddenly stopped his horse and said, "Isn't it a little embarrassing to return to your hometown like this?" The next time I try it, there are still three years to go, it's too early, it's better to travel around, appreciate the beauty of the mountains and rivers, and admire the feelings of the ancients, which is also an elegant thing! ”

Listening to Li Xianzhi's words, Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er couldn't help but shout in their hearts, "Bitter!" ”

It turned out that at this time, the Ming Dynasty was full of disasters, thieves swarmed, and it was not as peaceful as before. The two of them followed Li Xianzhi out, worrying about his safety all the time.

When he came, Li Xianzhi was wandering around inside and outside the side wall, so that the two scholars were already sweating tightly, and now he was wandering around again, why didn't he make him two worried? So, the two scholars said together: "Son, let's go home alive, if something goes wrong, even if the two of us die, it will be difficult to explain to the old lady." As he spoke, Qi Qi dismounted and knelt down and kowtowed.

Not long after Li Xianzhi came out of the house at this time, he relied on learning martial arts from Xiao Shiqian, and said to the two scholars who knelt down: "I'm not afraid, what do you want you two to worry about?" Saying that, he urged the horse to turn north, but the two scholars could not resist, so they had to get on the horse and follow north.

Li Xianzhi seemed to be a little bold at this time, he left the capital, went north through Changping, and went straight to Juyong Pass - he wanted to see the style of Gongwei Ming Dynasty Jingshi.

Unexpectedly, not far from Changping, when passing through a mountain pass, I saw a group of horse thieves about forty or fifty horses whistling, and the sound of hooves shook the ground. Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er panicked early and exclaimed, "The bandits are here, but how is this good?" ”

Although Li Xianzhi has always believed that he has martial arts, he has never seen such a battle, and he has already panicked in his heart, turning his horse and leaving, Li Ruyi and Li Xi also followed closely behind.

Seeing that the bandits were getting closer and closer, Li Xianzhi only used the last trace of courage to suppress the fear in his heart, busy with the bow and arrow in hand, and used the ability to hunt on weekdays, turned around and used the strength of his whole body, pulling the bowstring like a full moon, only to hear the sound of "whoosh" in the air, and the feather arrow flew towards the group of bandits, shooting at the neck of a horse. The horse was hit by an arrow, ran two feet away, and fell headlong, and the bandit on horseback was thrown a few feet high, fell, and disappeared when he landed.

When Li Xianzhi saw that an arrow was shot, he had enough courage, and then took the second arrow, and shot it out with a "whoosh", and this arrow was shot in the chest of a bandit, fell off his horse and died.

At this time, the bandits were less than 100 steps away from the three masters and servants, and Li Xianzhi wanted to bend his bow and shoot again, when he heard a whistle, and the bandits immediately dispersed and outflanked them like geese. He hurriedly let the arrows out, turned his horse's head and shouted, "Hurry up!" Beat the horse with a bow back and fled, Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er came back to their senses and were also busy beating the horse to escape.

Li Xianyi fled, turned around and released arrows, Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er didn't have arrows, so they just hit the stone bullets behind them. Running seven or eight miles away in one go, this group of thieves still chased after them, "whooping" and screaming after them.

Just when Li Xianzhi fled with two scholars in embarrassment, three or four hundred steps away suddenly another thirty or fifty horsemen rushed over, Li Xianzhi was extremely remorseful, and cursed in his heart in every way that he should not be reckless and bury his good life here. He cursed himself inwardly as he slammed his horse into the spur to break through the cage.

Li Xian's horse was fast, running ahead, leaving Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er behind, seeing that he was about to be caught up by the bandits, he was so shocked that the two scholars threw away the bow in their hands and fled desperately with whips.

Li Xianzhi saw that the two scholars were far away, so he turned the horse's head, wiped the side of the bandits, used his ability to hunt and shoot wolves, shot several arrows in a row, and shot the two thieves who were chasing the fastest off the horse, and the two scholars escaped and caught up.

Before the three of them could take a breath, the thirty or fifty horsemen in front of them also rushed over, and there was no way to escape. The master and servant immediately faced each other, and Li Xianzhi sighed: "I'm waiting to die here!" ”

Before the words fell, I saw Li Ruyi pointing in front of him and shouting: "Childe, it's an official army!" ”

Li Xianzhi turned around and looked in the direction pointed by Li Ruyi, and saw that all the people who came were wearing helmets and armor, and there was a person holding a tooth flag with a big "Ming" character written on it, and sure enough, the official army had arrived. As soon as the thieves "whistled", they turned their horses' heads and fled into the mountains.

The leading general in the official army waved the command flag and shouted: "Wu that bold bandit, where to flee!" ”

The officers and soldiers swarmed after them, and while chasing, they fired arrows in unison. The bandits suffered heavy casualties and fled in all directions. Chasing to the foot of the mountain, the leading general Ben waved the command flag again to stop the soldiers.

The soldiers dismounted one after another, and cut off the heads of the dead and wounded bandits one by one, and immediately blood flowed all over the ground, and the smell of fish reached the sky. The frightened Li Xianzhi, Ruyi and Xi'er invariably retched, and in a moment, they vomited so dark that they almost vomited out their intestines.

When the soldiers saw the embarrassed appearance of Li Xian's master and servant, they laughed insolently. The leading general turned to this side and asked in a loud voice, "Who are you who can escape from the bandits?" ”

Li Xianzhi was taken aback, the general Ben was actually speaking with a Yulin accent. He hurriedly rushed forward, but saw that this person was about thirty years old, six feet tall, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, and he was extremely majestic.

Li Xianzhi jumped off the horse and said with a deep salute: "It was only with the courage of the general and his subordinates that the three of us were able to escape, and I thank you for saving my life." ”

The general was stunned for a moment, but he also heard Li Xianzhi's accent, and asked, "Where is Your Excellency?" ”

Li Xianzhi replied: "No, Li Xin, the word Xianzhi, the people of Yulin, Shaanxi, live in the Acropolis. Because he failed to take the exam in Beijing, he returned to his hometown and passed through here, not wanting to meet a bandit and almost die. ”

After listening to this, he laughed and said: "But it's a coincidence, my surname is You, my name is Shilu, the word Dingyu, and he is also a Yulin Weiren, and he also lives in the Acropolis." Your Excellency is the son of the richest man in the city, Mrs. Li? ”

Li Xianzhi said: "The general has a good reputation. The general is far away in Beijing, but how does he know? ”

You Shilu said: "Your Excellency doesn't know, I also went to Beijing this year to take the martial arts examination, fortunately with the help of heaven, I won the martial arts, and I was awarded the command of the same knowledge, filled the garrison, and was ordered to patrol the border to this place." When I met Your Excellency, I was fated. But you only need to go out of the city and head west to return to your hometown, so why go around this dangerous place? ”

Li Xianzhi said: "I have been in the cage for a long time, I don't know the scenery of the world, I wanted to take advantage of this time to come out, and travel around before returning to my hometown, how did I know that as soon as I left the capital, I met a bandit, if it wasn't for the general to rescue, I am afraid that I would have been in a different place." With that, he thanked him again.

You Shilu said: "Where did your Excellency come from?" Protecting the territory and the people is our duty, how to use thanks? ”

Although this You Shilu is a martial artist, he is very good at literature and has some literary brilliance. Now that I meet Li Xianzhi, I am not only a fellow villager, but also a person, and it is very speculative. He ordered the soldiers to bring two Hu beds and put them down on the ground. Let Li Xianzhi sit.

Li Ruyi and Li Xi'er were stunned for a moment and stood behind Li Xianzhi.

The two sat on the bed and gossiped while waiting for the soldiers to clean up the battlefield.