The strong man in coarse linen clothes carried a bundle of firewood on his back, with a firewood knife hanging from his waist, walking in the mountainous area on the bank of the Shuishui River in the south of Wancheng, the mountains in the south were beautiful and steep, the strong man meandered through the winding and slender mountain road, wiped the sweat on his face, and at the end of his eyes, the 'jade belt' across the distance flowed slowly.

Occasionally, when I saw smoke rising from the village on the riverbank, I smiled unconsciously, wiped my sweat, and quickened my pace towards the smoke-filled thatched hut.

The wind on the river bank was stronger, the sound of the waves crashing on the river bank became clearer and clearer, the direction in which the strong man walked, the low thatched house, the fence in front of the door was enclosed in the shape of a small courtyard, in which several hens were digging the soil, a petite and well-proportioned girl, squatting on the other side of the fence, with a short hoe to reclaim a small field.

When wiping the sweat on the forehead, outside the fence, the strong man had been returned by Chai He, the girl put down the hoe, got up and trotted over to help her brother take off the Chai He, but before she could hold it steady, she fell to the ground with a bang, her slender arms were trembling slightly, she was a little embarrassed, "It's a little sour, I didn't hold it steady." ”

"You're busy working alone, what about him?" The strong man threw the firewood knife onto the pyre, and the girl over there hurriedly took out a dry thing from his pocket and handed it over, and the former also unceremoniously stuffed it into his mouth, accompanied by a bowl of cold water to wash down his stomach.

"Fishing by the river......

The girl's appearance is very ordinary, but when she laughs, she looks very good, stretches out her hand and points to the direction of the boat on the riverbank, and then looks at the sky, "Brother go find him, Yun Niang went into the house to make a fire." ”

As he spoke, he picked up a few scattered firewood from the ground and ran into the house, and sat down in front of the earthen stove, and soon the smoke drifted out of the roof. The strong man with a broken wrist looked at the riverbank, where the water was sparkling, undulating and flowing southward, converging to the Yangtze River, and the rolling waves of the water slammed into the wooden stakes nailed to the water, the wooden planks covered with them, and the footsteps were floating around, and the man who mustered up all his strength to pull the fishing net out of the water, panting to check the fish and shrimp in the net.

However, nothing came of it.

Breathing a sigh, he sat down suddenly, looking at the sparkling river, in this peasant environment, he is adapting to it little by little, at the beginning of the excitement to go to the northland grassland to kill Hulu, he Cao Ang also came over like this, but since the change of Wancheng, a scarred body made him fall into a long period of confusion, after the injury is a little better, he often sits on the river stone, a whole day of sitting, watching the sunrise, watching the sunset, the days become peaceful and peaceful, just like all the Jin Ge iron horses that have appeared, People and things are just a dream.

Only the mother who raised him single-handedly in the family is worried about it, and maybe there is ...... In the terrible battle in Liaodong, countless shouts continued.

He looked at the undulating and rolling river, and he was fascinated, and even a figure came behind him, standing behind him and not noticing, until the other party's voice sounded, Cao Ang suddenly turned around, it was a big man named Wu'an.

The other person walked over and sat down next to him.

"Your letter has been sent, but a few days ago, the caravan turned back halfway and returned the letter, I heard that Taihang is not very peaceful, Jizhou Yuan Shao is attacking Shangdang County, and the trade road is no longer passable."

In the red glow of the sunset, Wu An took out the plain silk from his arms, handed it to Cao Ang next to him, stretched out his hand and patted the other party's back, but laughed again: "But I heard that your father and that Gongsun Zhi won a battle in Xuzhou and destroyed Lu Bu, you must know that it is Lu Bu among people, a very powerful person." ”

Cao Ang pinched Su Silk and smiled: "The leader of Gongsun is also very powerful, he can easily grasp the opponent's weakness with his soldiers, whether it is against the Xiongnu and Xianbei on the grassland, or against Yuan Shao in Jizhou, he can see the opponent's weak point and kill with one blow." ”

"It's time to call the governor." Wu An said: "....... Now the whole world knows about it, that is, you are still nesting here, Zixuan, don't you want to go back? It just so happened that the Gongsun Governor was also in Xudu, and he really didn't want to go back to Cao's house, so he simply went back to the north with the Gongsun Governor. ”

"I really don't want to go back at home, I'm also a person who has died once, some things can be seen clearly, I don't want to shed more blood at home, it's just my mother's ......"

After a pause, Cao Ang took a deep breath, picked up a stone and threw it into the water, splashing, "...... It's just that some of them miss my mother, and she would be heartbroken if she knew that I was dead...... I want to go back and see her. ”

"Then you should go back!"

Wu An patted him on the shoulder, then got up and looked at the sunset, "You are not like me and Yun Niang who have no relatives and no relatives, if my old mother was still here, I would have gone back to serve and guard her old man's home." ”

Next to him, Cao Ang also stood up, his expression a little hesitant: "If I leave, what will you do with Yun Niang?" ”

"Me? I'm a big old man, and I still need you to worry about it? I'm afraid I'm reluctant to give up Yun Niang! ”

Looking at the young man with a slightly red face, Wu An turned around with a sudden laugh, and a beautiful shadow stood there there, his face was also covered with red glow, as if he had blended with this red afterglow, and the girl shyly lowered her head and pinched the corner of her clothes, "....... I'm here to call you back to dinner...... Not...... Didn't think to eavesdrop on ......"

The words were weak, and after speaking, he covered his face and turned around and ran back.

The sky was dark, the stars were dense in the night sky, in this thatched hut on the riverbank, the three of them were eating silently and awkwardly, and the words at dusk made the girl's head still hang...... You're leaving. ”

After a while, Cao Ang on the other side stopped his chopsticks, and after a hum, the room fell silent again. Wu An, who was sandwiched in the middle, looked at the man and woman left and right, and simply stopped his movements, "It's really a long time since I was bored, and I was anxious for you when I saw it!" ”

"Let's go together. Even if you let Ziyu go back to see her mother, you girl don't have to look depressed. The rough man patted the table and looked left and right, "How?!" That's a good idea, right? ”

The girl was thin-skinned, glanced at the man opposite, bit her lower lip, and did not speak. Cao Ang arched his hand: "But it's up to my brother to decide." ”

"Hahaha, then do it, in two days, let's pack up and go north to Yuzhou."

"Hmm."

Yun Niang blushed and nodded in a whisper, the stars blinking outside the window, she looked out through the open window, the night became so moving and warm, and this night, there were also people looking at the stars in the sky, Jia Xu stood in the attic, and finally someone couldn't help but speak: "Strategist, what should we do next?" Ally with Liu Biao against Cao Cao, or with Yuan Shu? ”

The figure behind the fence was still motionless, and only after half a sound did a voice sound lightly: "Is the lord satisfied with such a life?" ”

Jia Xu turned around and looked at Zhang Xiu behind him, as if he could see through other people's thoughts.

Zhang Xiu turned his gaze, turned his head, and then shook it again: "Naturally dissatisfied, in conjunction with Liu Biao, I made a watchdog for others instead." ”

"The lord is not a person who achieves hegemony." The scribe smiled pleasantly, "Cao Cao and Gongsun Zhi have now swept Xuzhou, and they will soon go south to avenge the loss of their son in Wancheng, combined with Liu Biao and Yuan Shu is actually the next policy, they are not the opponents of these two, and the current plan is to break the wood and go, and the good ministers choose the lord and surrender to Prime Minister Cao." ”

“.…… What the?! Zhang Xiu stood up straight in surprise.

"It's a good way out."

Jia Xu turned around and looked at the sky outside, "Originally, I was waiting for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to face off, this is an excellent opportunity, with Nanyang County sending charcoal in the snow, one less enemy who is suffering from the enemy, he must be very happy and grateful, and the two of us will naturally be as stable as Mount Tai in Cao Ying, but unfortunately Xuzhou was swept away so quickly, which was beyond my expectations, and now I can't wait for the time of Yuan Cao's war, I can only do one thing, and then I will send charcoal in the snow." ”

"What?"

"It's summer, and mosquitoes breed...... What a good time. Jia Xu seemed to remember the chaotic years in Chang'an, and muttered something in a low voice.

It made Zhang Xiu feel numb on the scalp.

************

After dawn, Yuzhou, Xudu.

The city is restless in the morning light, the mighty soldiers and horses meander out of the city, today the emperor and the prime minister Cao Cao, the governor of the north of the city, Sun Zhi, out of the city to hunt Xu Tian day, a large number of officials, soldiers and horses are accompanied, the banner hunting in the gentle wind caress several miles away.

It is also a dark cloud pressing over Xuchang....... of the beginning.