Early in the morning, more than 200 soldiers came to Siguogu, neatly arranged, without wearing thick armor and holding weapons in their hands, replaced by sickles and hoes.

They were ordered to weed in the valley, and the weeds fell in front of him, and when they were resting for a while, one of the soldiers said to everyone, "It's nothing strange, it's just ordinary weeds." ”

Ten other soldiers came to Fan's tomb, brought wood and hay, and built the house with all their hands.

Yu Zhan, who was guarding the house here, was taken aback, and when he heard that these people were all sent by the king of Jibei, he stood aside, nodded again and again, and saluted in the direction of Yecheng, thinking that his righteous deeds had finally won the support of the imperial court.

The sun was rising, the valley was getting hotter, and it was not suitable for work, and the soldiers had opened up a large open space, and the results were remarkable, so they stopped to rest, and Chang Yanzhi and others sent water, wine and meat, and thanked them for their help.

The soldiers were very polite, left clear water, refused wine and meat, and only refused to eat the food they brought, but made a small request, hoping to see Xu Gongzi.

Xu Ji inherited the tradition of Fan Shu and never refused to see anyone.

The soldiers introduced a representative, neither a lieutenant nor an old man, but a young man who was not yet twenty years old, and the only reason given was that he was about the same age as Xu Gongzi.

Shouldering the heavy trust, the young soldier was quite nervous, his face was flushed, and he was about to kneel down before he saw anyone after entering the house, Chang Yanzhi stretched out his hand to hold him, and said with a smile: "You are a guest, you don't have to do this great gift." ”

The young soldier's face turned even redder, and when he saw Xu Ji sitting at the desk, he hurriedly looked away.

Chang Yan retired, and Xu Ji said: "Your Excellency's surname? ”

The soldier squirmed, "That...... Can I not say my name? Meet ...... It's our private mind, we don't want to ...... I don't want my boss to know. ”

"Okay, you have to have a name, right?"

"Ordinary pawn, if Xu Gongzi is willing, just call me 'Little Ten' ...... 'Little Eight'." The soldier changed his words temporarily.

"Hachi, please take a seat." Xu Ji said with a smile.

The soldier shook his head, "I'll stand, I'm more used to standing." ”

"Feel free."

The soldier let out a sigh of relief, and then he was speechless, standing dumbfounded, not daring to look at Xu Ji for a long time, so he had to look down at his toes.

After waiting for a while, Xu Ji said, "Xiaoba, do you have something to say?" If it's to borrow money, I've got some ...... here."

"No, no, not for borrowing." The soldier hurriedly waved his hand, "That...... We hope that Xu Gongzi can show the way. ”

"Huh?"

"Xu Gongzi is a living immortal, pointing out a clear way, we don't have to die outside, we can come back to support our parents."

"Yecheng is going to send troops again?"

"Yes, I don't know how many people, anyway, we were all recruited, and we set off in three days, saying that we were going south, and there is no news on where we are going."

"I don't even know anything you don't know."

"We don't care where we go, we just want to ...... Just want to save his life, Xu Gongzi has shown many people the way, so let's show us one. ”

"I show many people?"

"That's right, the Jizhou army marched west to Qinzhou, and Xu Gongzi told some people to prepare more horses, some people to bring medicinal herbs, and some people to wear something...... Everything works wonders. ”

Xu Ji couldn't help laughing, he did suggest that the officer Zhao Youyou prepare an extra horse, but in addition, he didn't give any sergeant "directions", but he didn't expect the rumors to be exaggerated to such an extent.

The soldier misunderstood the laughter, thinking that it was the style of the living immortals, and his face became more and more awe-inspiring, and when the laughter stopped, he said, "We are all poor, and we have gathered some gifts......

The soldier stretched out his hand into his arms, and Xu Ji stopped: "Don't take it out, I'll ask you a few words, and then I'll send you a word." ”

The soldier was overjoyed, and he wanted to kneel down and kowtow again, remembering Chang Yanzhi's reminder, he stopped in time and bent his knees several times.

"This time to the south, on foot or on horseback?"

"On foot, it is estimated that it will not be too far to the south, it may be to pacify the bandits, and recently there are rumors that there are many robbers in the place where the two states of Hebei and Huai meet."

"Which general is the boss?"

"Fenwu Zhonglang will Wang Tie point to General Wang."

"He is the brother of General Wang Tiemei?"

"Distant cousin, I didn't have this name before, it seems that he changed his name to Iron Finger after General Tie Mei was unfortunately killed."

"Hmm." Xu Ji nodded.

The soldier waited hopefully, and when he saw that Xu Gongzi had been silent for a long time, he asked cautiously, "Is our trip dangerous?" What should I bring? ”

"You just said that my previous advice has worked wonders, please elaborate on it."

"Uh...... Some people have come back from Qinzhou, and I have heard from them, such as ...... For example, horses, just entered the border of Qinzhou, caught up with horse plague, nearly half of them died, obedient people with more horses are fine, disobedient people are unlucky, no mounts, can not fall behind, and even some people are tired on the road. Outside Xijing City, the horse plague just went, and the human epidemic came again, and the medicinal materials that Xu Gongzi asked everyone to bring were just ......"

The soldier said a lot, one was more magical than the other, and someone brought a bronze mirror with him because of Xu Ji's "guidance", and he was often ridiculed by his companions on the march, and the result was that this bronze mirror blocked a fatal arrow for him.

Xu Ji smiled dumbly, he retreated to the valley, and his reputation did not disappear, but became louder and louder, but this reputation was completely beyond his expectations.

"This time ...... going south," Xu Ji kept his promise and was going to point out a "clear road", and the soldiers listened attentively, for fear of missing a word.

"On this trip south, you should bring more light valuables, which should be easy to carry and not exposed."

The soldier kept nodding, still expectant, "And then?" When will it be taken out? What is it used for? ”

"Don't ask, don't think, just bring it, you will naturally understand when you should use it."

The soldier was in awe, and finally couldn't hold back, knelt down and kowtowed, and then got up to take his leave.

"It is enough for you people to know, and do not proclaim it."

"Yes, yes, I understand, the secret of heaven cannot be leaked, and we will not say a word."

The soldier departed happily, and Xu Ji believed that his words would soon spread.

The soldiers were grateful to Xu Gongzi for his guidance, and after a while, they removed the grass again, and the open space opened up was far greater than what the polo needed.

In the afternoon of the same day, when Feng Juniang arrived, she was already able to go straight into the valley without getting out of the car and walking.

Looking at the empty valley, Feng Juniang breathed a sigh of relief, "I should have found someone to cut the grass clean, so that it wouldn't become more and more evil." ”

Feng Juniang first distributed gifts to everyone, looked at it here, talked about it there, and arranged the chores in the valley before going to see Gongzi.

Xu Ji has been waiting for her for the past few days.

"Why didn't Childe go to fetch water and chop wood? Is it the end of the practice? Feng Juniang asked with a smile.

"It's like delicious, if you are tired of eating, you naturally don't want to eat anymore, and what you can eat all the time is commonplace after all."

"Hey, Childe's 'commonplace' is a conspiracy, right?"

"It's about figuring out people's hearts."

"The ministers and servants want to figure out people's hearts and use them to peek at their intentions, what is the son used to do?"

"As the saying goes, 'Those who win the hearts of the people win the world', this is the heart of the people I figured out, not the heart of a person at a time."

Feng Juniang said with a smile: "The prince hasn't given up the 'world' yet, and plans to be king again?" ”

"'Winning the world' is not 'leveling the world', let alone 'ruling the world' - the Master teaches that disciples often have 'gains', and when they occasionally see a scene or an event, the viewer's heart has 'gains', which is what I call 'gains'."

"Childe is about to become a saint, what is the difference between these 'gains' and ordinary 'gains'?"

"The disciple has 'gain', the Master has not lost, the viewer has 'gain', the scenery has not been lost, and the ordinary 'gain' will be accompanied by a loss, and the difference is great."

Feng Juniang sighed, "I understand, but what's the use?" Childe has gained, and there are always people who think that they have lost because of this, can you explain it one by one? I believe in you, and others believe in you? ”

"Explain slowly." Xu Ji smiled.

Feng Juniang sat down, "Why did Childe say such a thing to Sun Yalu?" ”

"What kind of words?"

"What do you say, 'If the Jizhou army comes back earlier, it can still join forces with He Rongbu, and if it is later, there will be a grudge'."

"That's exactly what I said." Xu Ji nodded.

"What's the point?"

"It's very clear, and there is no other purpose."

"Hey, I don't understand what Childe said at all, Mr. Sun is confused, and the big county lord can't even think about it for a few days, so I volunteered to come over and ask for clarification."

"How many days does she think about it?"

"Who told you not to make it clear?"

Xu Ji smiled: "On the contrary, it's not that I didn't make it clear, but I understand it too well, please go back to the city and tell the county lord of Huanyan, these days, except for the county lord of Fangde, I don't have any guests here who don't take the main road." ”

Feng Juniang was stunned for a moment and muttered, "Why let me come?" The two of you understand each other, but I don't understand a word, so it's better for you to talk directly. ”

"There are often unspeakable things in the world, so people's hearts need to be figured out."

Feng Juniang shook her head, she preferred everything to be clear—at least as clearly as she could understand, "Okay, I'll take the words back." After the business is done, I have a private matter to say to my son. ”

"Hmm."

"It was the idea of me and Tian Jiang to send the little county lord back, and the two of us are willing to take risks, so don't you thank the son at all?"

"It turned out to be the two of you."

"Childe didn't even ask?" Feng Juniang was extremely surprised, "Forget it, it doesn't matter if you don't thank the two of us, the son always has to thank the little county lord." ”

"Why?"

"She is a little girl, and the first person she thinks of when she is desperate is Childe......"

"I'm trying to find a way to help her get married."

"Do you still need to think about it? The solution is ready-made. ”

"I've been meditating for a few days, but I haven't had a plan yet, and you say that the solution is ready-made—now I don't understand you." Xu Ji said with a smile.

"Hey, Childe only thinks about other people's hearts, but doesn't look at his own hearts? The little princess can only marry one person, and the son refuses to be a real husband and wife with her, so he has the trouble now......"

Xu Ji shook his head, "This is not a good idea. ”

"What more clever plan? Childe thought about it. Feng Juniang got up and was about to say goodbye, when she saw the scattered military newspapers on the table, she suddenly woke up, "And the state!" Childe and the big county lord are talking about merging states, right? ”