In early spring and March, the weather was fine, and Handan City began another busy day.

With the shouting of the city gatekeeper, the gate of the Great Northern City slowly opened, and the people waiting outside the city began to enter the city in an orderly manner. They were either carrying firewood, some carrying seasonal vegetables, and one or two Hu people, who were groped seven or eight times by the soldiers defending the city, and finally let them into the city at the moment when they were about to break out, but the boxes stacked with animal skins were completely messed up by them.

In fact, the state of Zhao and the nomadic tribes in the north fought and made peace, and they can be regarded as old enemies. The people of Zhao have long been accustomed to getting along with them, and the court of Zhao State, like the heavy minister Feiyi, its ancestors are also regarded as the northern Di people, and it is the entire Zhao State, although it cannot be said that there is no ethnic barrier at all, but normal exchanges are still very common among the people.

The two Hu people held their breath in their hearts for a while, but they thought that they were here to do business, and this kind of thing was commonplace, so they secretly scolded twice with hatred, packed up their things, and began to walk towards the city in the city.

Just as the two were about to leave, a voice stopped the two, and the two looked back to see a sturdy middle-aged man, riding a black horse, sitting on the horse and watching the two. Behind him, he was also followed by several people, also on horses, and looked like a powerful man.

The eyes of the two lit up, but it was not because of this person, but because of the horse he sat on. According to their experience, this horse has a thick body and strong limbs, this kind of horse is a good seedling of a military horse at a glance, and the horse's coat color is pure, without variegation, it is by no means similar to the horses in the Zhao region, to the horse of the Beidi tribe. In any case, it is a first-class horse.

The man saw the two Hu men staring at his horse, but he didn't care about himself, frowned slightly, and said, "Do you want to sell this load of fur?" ”

The two looked at each other, and then one of them nodded at him, "Of course we're going to sell these furs, I don't know how much you're going to buy?" ”

The man smiled slightly and said, "Just buy a few and give them away." So saying, he jumped off his horse, walked over to the leather, and checked it, and it was indeed a fine leather, and it was definitely worth buying. He patted the dust on his hands and said to the two, "The thing is a good thing, but I don't know what the price is?" ”

"Our rule is that one piece of high-quality leather has ten buckets of high-grade millet, and one of the inferior skins has ten buckets of inferior millet (here is the data of the "General History of China's Economy_ Economic History of the Qin and Han Dynasties (I)" edited by Professor Lin Ganquan, that is, 1 bucket of grain weighed 2.7 catties in the Qin and Han dynasties)."

"In this case, wrap me in two fine skins and two inferior skins, and follow me to get them." The man said with a big grin.

"Okay, I'll pick a few for you." Saying that, he was really enthusiastic to help him choose. Looking at the smile on Hu Ren's face, he also muttered in his heart: It is said that Hu people are fierce and cruel, why do these two Hu people look like ordinary people? was about to inquire about the life history of the two, but he heard someone in front of him call him: "But Brother Lian Wu." ”

Lian Wu frowned, thinking that it was so familiar, but who was it? When I looked up, I saw a military general wearing a deep coat, followed by a teenager next to him, smiling and waving to him, not Li Yan, who is it?

"The last time we met in a hurry, three years have passed, I didn't expect to meet Brother Shi here, I am really overjoyed!" Li Yan stepped forward enthusiastically and gave Lian Wu a bear hug when he came up.

"No one expected that the last time we said goodbye, we would see each other again in three years. If it weren't for the order to return to the capital this time, I wouldn't have met you, brother. Lian Wu was also very happy. The last time the two met, it was when Zhao Guo changed the Yuan, and then he and Li Yantian went on their own side, one went north and the other went south. Never heard of it again. Unexpectedly, this time, I met again in Handan City.

"Brother Shi was also ordered to return to the capital?" Li Yan asked in surprise.

"Are you too?" Lian Wu was also a little surprised, but he didn't expect that Li Yan and himself were ordered to return to the capital, instead of meeting each other by chance. Could it be? He was about to inquire about it, but he saw that the family was coming and said that his things had been wrapped and he could go home. So he invited Li Yan and walked towards his house with the two Hu people.

Lian Wu's home is in Sweet Water Lane, usually in and out of some ordinary people, Lian Wu is an official, usually only his wife and son, and some slaves live here permanently, there are not many rooms, mainly to be lively.

Before they could enter the door, they heard the sound of clubs dancing, mixed with a few childish shouts, and when they stepped up the steps, they saw a child of five or six years old, dressed in a single coat, wielding a stick, in the face of a straw man much taller than him.

However, the straw man was much taller than him, and the stick was longer than him, because even if he used all his strength, he could not grasp the trajectory of the stick at all, but was always carried by the stick, like a drunken boy, playing a funny burlesque. However, the child didn't pay attention to it at all, although his body was completely confused, he was still struggling to complete various movements over there, with stubborn eyes and a desire to conquer.

Not far from the child, a woman stood at the door of the house, she looked at the child with a smile on her face, and did not feel that the child was asking for trouble at all, but looked at him with doting. As if standing in a position with a wide perspective, she first saw Lian Wu and the people behind Lian Wu. hurriedly cleaned up his appearance, came to a few people, and said to Lian Wu with a smile: "Lang Jun is back, why don't you make a bow first, just ready to prepare?" ”

"Time is in a hurry, and I haven't been free yet, madam." After Li Yan and Zhou saluted each other, they saw a young man followed by Li Yan, who was very elegant, so he smiled and asked, "I don't know what to call this little boy?" ”

Lian Wu just thought about going home just now, but he forgot to ask the name of this young man, because he was very embarrassed, and he was about to ask, but he saw that the young man raised his hands, arched his body, bowed his head and saluted the Zhou family, and said with an elegant face, "In Xia Xun situation, the people of the north have always had a relationship with Li Duwei. This time, when I heard that he came to Handan, I was itchy and unbearable, so I followed the captain to Handan. We apologize for the inconvenience. ”

Lian Wu and Zhou hurriedly waved their hands, signaling that it didn't matter. Lian Wu handed over the skins he bought to the Zhou family, and then asked the family general behind him to take two Hu people to fetch millet, and he took the two of them to the main hall.

"Father!" Just as the three of them were about to quietly go to the main hall, the children who were seriously dancing sticks just now saw a few people, so they threw down the sticks and ran to Lian Wu's side, calling "father" as they ran. Lian Wu looked kind, smiled and watched his son pounce on him, and quickly hugged him and hugged him to his chest.

"I haven't seen you for a long time, I wonder if Po'er misses being a father?" It turned out that this was Lian Wu's son, Lian Po.

"The child naturally misses his father, and he can't wait to grow up early to help his father guard Handan." Saying that, he still straightened his chest, lest Lian Wu would not see the results of his day and night martial arts practice, so he made Lian Wu feel relieved, and walked to the main hall with Lian Po in his arms.

After several people sat down separately, Lian Wu said to Li Yan and Xun Jing, "My brother and others came from the north, do you know what is the most popular drink in Handan today?" ”

Li Yan and Xun Jing glanced at each other and shook their heads at the same time. Lian Wu laughed and said to the servant behind him, "Serve tea to the two guests." The servant listened to the order, nodded in agreement, and after a while, Li Yan and Xun Jing each put a ceramic cup in front of the case, and a lid was placed on it, and when the two of them opened the lid, it was a bowl of brown liquid, and a few leaves were floating underneath. Two people, you look at me, I look at you, and think, is this the popular drink in Handan? But it's not beautiful, only a burst of fragrance, smelling into the heart, unforgettable. What's this thing called, it seems to be called "tea"?

"Brother Shi, this is what you said about the most popular drink in Handan, tea? How did it sound so familiar. Li Yan couldn't help but say.

"Haha, of course it's familiar, I still remember seeing you in Li Sanshuilu, didn't the old man Li San mention this? Don't blame me for not reminding you, this thing is worth 100 gold, and if it weren't for the general's love, I wouldn't have been able to get it out. Usually people come and are reluctant to use it. You're in good luck this time. ”

Seeing that Lian Wu cherished it so much, Li Yan and Xun Jing took a sip curiously, and then complained bitterly, thinking to themselves what kind of trouble Lian Wu was making?

"Haha, brother, don't blame, it's not that I'm playing tricks on my brother, but this is indeed a popular thing in Handan. It's just that it's quite bitter, and few people like it, but I heard that Shaojun likes it quite a lot, and often hypes it personally, so there are people who do good things, in order to cater to the king, often drink, but how it tastes, I'm afraid only I know. ”

Li Yan and Xun Kuang smiled bitterly, and Xun Kuang said: "If there is something good at the top, it will be very bad at the bottom." At that time, King Chu Ling preferred a thin waist, and the ministers of Chu ate only one meal for three meals, and then tucked their stomachs to tie their waists, and finally the entire ministers of Chu were hungry and black, thin and thin. The state of Chu was still on an equal footing with the state of Jin, but the king of Chu Ling was extremely poor and extravagant, and he ransomed his troops with his army, and finally ended up on the throne and hanged himself. It can be seen that since ancient times, the tyrant has lost the country, and his subordinates have voted for him, which may not be unrelated. ”

Lian Wu was slightly stunned, thinking that I just wanted to give you a treasure, but as a result, you also got the image of the dead country, you are really not a son of man, and you are extremely disappointed. What's more, what Zhao Yong did, although he has not seen it yet, but in Handan City, the people all praise it, at least it shows that Zhao Yong is not a tyrant and a faint king. It was he who said, "I disagree. The king is good, and the courtiers vote for it, not because they are all clever words. From the perspective of Zhao Guo, the king thinks of the people, and it is also a portrait of a bright monarch. ”

"Brother's words, I dare not agree." Although Xun is only a little over ten years old, his words are quite sharp: "Since King Ping moved eastward, the princes have risen up, and the etiquette has collapsed. The people lived with a thin veil, and they survived. It is because if Mingjun thinks of the people and does benevolence, it can also be. However, in the troubled times, seeking peace between the soldiers, the non-benevolent government can protect the people, when the heart of the king's road, the battle and dominate the world, mixed in the unified Central Plains, and end the dispute, it should be done by the Ming monarch. ”

Lian Po's heart was greatly lifted after hearing this, he heard such remarks for the first time, Confucius has descended, and the sons have risen to the peak, and they have to seek benevolence and government, and serve Zhou Li as a guideline. However, at a young age, Xun Guo started from the royal road, concluded with domineering, and did the ability to merge and conquer, which is really incredible. It was a little surprised, as if looking at an alien, of course, if Lian Wu knew what an alien was.

"Moreover, the kings are all the same people, and all the mortals are together. Hungry and hungry, cold and warm, hard and resting, good and evil, is the same as Yuji. Over time, good people become bad people for their own selfish purposes. If it is a people, it is a villain, and if it is a minister, it is a minister. The king naturally has likes and dislikes, and his loyalty is against his ears, how can the king be exempt. As a result, those who do not vote for their favorites are all clever words, but human nature is inherently evil, and we have to guard against it. After Xun Guo finished speaking, he looked at Lian Wu with a serious face.