Early the next morning, Liang Tiehan went to King Zhou's mansion on an errand. After noon, Zhu Hu, the king of Zhou, sent someone to lead the horse to the house of the head of the Lu sect to invite the messenger of the king of Yan.

Shen Ruoliao had never received this kind of treatment, and entered the Zhou Palace, but this time it was the main gate; Liang Tiehan picked him up at the door and took him around the labyrinthine palace. The palace of the king of Zhou was originally rebuilt on the site of the imperial palace of the Northern Song Dynasty, which was grand and magnificent. They walked through the front yard, walked up the promenade, and bypassed most of the red and willow green palace gardens before they walked to the main hall of the palace.

Zhu Hu, the king of Zhou, was already sitting in the hall, talking with the people on the left and right, and when he saw Liang Tiehan walking up to the hall with the messenger of King Yan, he showed a smile of joy and anticipation, and immediately waved his hand and the two of them did not kneel.

"Since he is a person sent by the fourth brother, there is no need to be polite. Xiao Xiucai, what's your name and how old are you? ”

It took a long time for Shen Ruoyu to realize that King Zhou was asking himself. It was the first time he had heard someone call him "Xiucai".

He hurriedly reported his name and age, and he didn't dare to raise his head, so he reached into his arms and took out the letter from King Yan.

"His Royal Highness King Yan's letterhead is here, please take a look at it. If there is any reply, King Yan is still waiting for me to bring the letter back. ”

The attendants standing beside the king of Zhou came forward and wanted to take the letter; Shen Ruoyu instinctively withdrew his hand and held the letter to his chest. Everyone in the hall was slightly stunned.

Shen Ruoliao's face was full of fever and said:

"Lord Wang, I'm really sorry, it's not a small rudeness, it's just that His Royal Highness King Yan has repeatedly told him that the letter must be delivered to King Zhou by hand. Since Ruo Xiao promised King Yan, he should speak his mind and hand over the letter to the prince himself. ”

Zhu Hu laughed good-naturedly and said:

"That's right; The letter given to me by the fourth brother should have been welcomed by the younger brother in person. ”

He got up and left his seat, walked in front of Shen Ruoliao, and took the letter. Only then did Shen Ruoyu dare to raise his head and secretly glanced at King Zhou. The king of Zhou in front of him is about thirty years old, and there is a vague shadow of Yan King Zhu Di between his facial features and eyebrows, but it is very different; He was born with a good countenance, a white complexion, a fat body, a gentle and almost sickly demeanor, and a look of modesty and a slight weariness in his eyes. He also has the noble demeanor of the prince, but it is far less dazzling, majestic and inviolable than the heroic and dazzling spirit of King Yan. From head to toe, Zhu Hu, the king of Zhou, penetrated without a hair, and was full of the handsomeness and elegance of Confucianism.

After reading the letter in his hand, Zhu Hu couldn't help but smile, obviously very satisfied. He read it several times, put down the letter, and smiled happily:

"Yes, yes! The fourth brother had the eldest grandson in early February, which was a great joy; Gu Zhen should go to Beiping immediately, hug his little nephew, and congratulate his fourth brother. ”

A man who looked like a literati sitting next to him spoke at this time:

"The prince's words, of course, are moved by family affection, but you must not really move this idea; Even if it's just a whim, talk about it casually, you must be more cautious, and strictly prevent being taken advantage of by the villain to make a fuss and sue the court, only saying that the prince colluded with King Yan and deducted the hat of a conspiracy. The emperor's dragon body is declining day by day, and the court is now a soldier to the kings. ”

Zhou Wang Zhu Hu's face immediately turned gloomy, and he frowned a little impatiently, and he didn't look at the literati, but only said stupidly:

"The left one is cautious, the right one is cautious, do you have anything else to say? In your eyes, your father is a person who doesn't recognize his six relatives, and would rather believe in some rumors that catch wind and shadows than believe in his own flesh and blood? ”

The man of letters was not afraid, and replied calmly:

"Your Highness, do you still remember the matter of Concubine Tian seizing the heir in the past? Today, because of this matter, you are already very dissatisfied with the prince. His Royal Highness knows the temper of the present day well, but why does he still not think about careful restraint, cautious words and deeds, or so willful? ”

King Zhou's face changed greatly, and he pointed at the man and scolded:

"Wang Han! You don't want to get an inch! Lone still left you as the head of the palace, because I like your pen, not because I like your tongue! It's none of your business here; Go down! ”

Changshi Wang Han stood up with his waist straight, looked solemn, bowed upright, and then continued to retreat straight with his waist.

Zhu Hu watched him leave, his angry face quickly softened again, sighed, turned his head, looked at the rest of the people in the hall, shook his head, and smiled helplessly:

"This nerd; Lone also knew that he was for Lone's good, but he really couldn't stand his endless nagging. ”

He returned to the main seat, beckoned Shen Ruoliao to sit down on the side, ordered tea, and asked Shen Ruoliao what his position was in the Yan Wang's Mansion, hearing that he was just a street commoner, he was surprised and novel, and asked in detail how he was appreciated by the Yan King, and was selected by the latter to open the seal and deliver the letter, how he came directly to Lu Jiaotou, how Lord Yao was recently, how Master Daoyan was, and so on.

Shen Ruoyu grew up in the mountains since he was a child, and after escaping, he basically wandered on the streets of Beiping, and before he met King Yan, he had never been so cared for by a dignified prince; What's more, the way King Zhou takes care of him at this moment is very different from the hard, martial and unruly King Yan; He was sweating profusely, his mouth was open, and he didn't dare to touch the teacup as if he was on pins and needles.

Liang Tiehan noticed his nervousness and discomfort, and interjected on the side:

"Your Royal Highness, on the way home yesterday evening, I caught two soldiers beating a roadside beggar in the street, and I told the hundred and thousands of households in the lead, and they all laughed at it."

Zhu Hu frowned slightly, glared at Liang Tiehan, his expression was quite complaining, and then he shook his head helplessly and smiled, comforting him:

"Sect Leader Lu, didn't Lone tell you, this kind of messy matter is handled by their hundreds of households and commanders, and they have their own measure; Why do you have to make yourself tired? Besides, the lonely fourth brother has sent messengers all the way, when did you say that you couldn't say these trivial things, and you have to say it now? ”

Liang Tiehan looked at Shen Ruoyu with some embarrassment, and said in a low voice:

"But, Your Highness, the Messenger happened to be passing by at that time, and arrived at the scene before the lowly duty. When he saw that the road was uneven, he stepped forward to stop it, but he was attacked by the two soldiers, and he called many soldiers from his own battalion to besiege the messenger; If you are two steps late, the consequences will be unimaginable. The two soldiers who had caused the accident had in turn framed the Courier, who had almost been deceived by them, thanks to the witnesses on the side of the road. Your Highness, you must do justice to the Messenger. ”

Zhu Hu didn't move for a long time. Shen Ruoyu sat motionless, didn't dare to say a word, and didn't dare to turn his head to look at King Zhou's face.

Finally, Zhu Hu opened his mouth, but his voice was very soft:

"Messenger Shen, is there really such a thing?"

Shen Ruoyu nodded hurriedly and responded: "What Lu Jiaotou said is not false. If it weren't for the head of the Lu sect to rush to the scene and stop it in time, the villain would not be able to see you today, and he was even more afraid that he would lose the letter of His Royal Highness King Yan. ”

criticized Liang Tiehan in person before, but at this moment he didn't dare to say a word; The second brother said well, there are some things he can't do, and he can't manage them; After all, he was just a coach on the martial arts training ground.

He stole a glance at King Zhou; In Zhu Huan's expression, there was a vague mixture of grief and shame, but more of it was habit and indifference.

He looked at Shen Ruoliao, smiled apologetically, and said softly:

"Messenger Shen is upright, but it is really unfortunate to encounter such a thing in Kaifeng. The lone warriors were all loyal people, but they were born in the ranks, and their behavior was rough and reckless, and they did not know the general situation, but fortunately they were not injured under their feet, but this fright and collision should not be spared. Lone will definitely punish the culprit severely and will not tolerate it. ”

Shen Ruoyu heard King Zhou say this, and couldn't help but say:

"Lord Wang, in fact, they beat me and hurt me, it really doesn't matter; I'm not a big deal, let alone scared. If you are determined to punish severely, then please do not use my name, let alone just once. This matter will be very serious in Beiping, but the seriousness is not in me, but in the fact that they can be so unscrupulous and casually harm ordinary people on the streets for no reason. This kind of behavior is far from being rude and reckless, ignorant of the general situation, but a deliberate injury, bullying others, treating living beings like grass and the law as child's play. If an army can already be so domineering on its own territory, and behave so recklessly against the people it is supposed to protect, what justice and loyalty can they have in their hearts? When there is peace, they all have to cause trouble for no reason, and the bad thing is your reputation; Once the time comes, won't these people immediately become bandits? ”

Zhou Wang Zhu Hu's face was very ugly, and there was blue and black in the yellow. He barely laughed twice, and said mockingly:

"Look at it, look at it, the people who came out of the fourth brother's territory are just different; When I saw it today, I realized that even a street boy in Beiping knew that the road was uneven, and he acted bravely; It is not difficult to imagine what the style of King Yan's pro-army is. In contrast, the pro-army of my Zhou Wangfu is a group of rabble who bully the market and dominate the market, and they cannot be compared with the Yan army; I, the king of Zhou, are far from being able to compare to the king of Yan. Lone is just an eye-opener today. ”

Zhu Lu said, stood up, shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and smiled at Shen Ruoyu:

"When Your Excellency first came to Kaifeng, he was attacked by villains; This Kaifeng is not a place for righteous people to stay? Your Excellency must miss Beiping at this moment, and your heart is like an arrow. Xiao Wang will not force Your Excellency to stay; This is called for people to make a point for your return. With the reply to King Yan, I will take care of it, so I don't need to trouble Your Excellency. ”

After that, King Zhou flicked his sleeves and left his seat, walked behind the screen, and then walked out of the main hall, leaving Liang Tiehan and Shen Ruoxiao, looking at each other, so not embarrassed.

Shen Ruoyu left the Zhou Palace's mansion and returned to Liang Tiehan's house; Liang Tiehan continued to stay in the palace as an errand. It wasn't until dark that he took his shift and rushed home.

Auntie had already prepared a table of steaming dishes, and went to the street to get two catties of good wine. The brothers had dinner and sat comfortably on the bed. Liang Tiehan saw his wife pack up the dishes and chopsticks and leave the house, so he jumped out of bed and closed the door.

"Fourth brother, what do you think of King Zhou?" He sat down opposite Shen Ruoliao and looked at the fourth brother frankly.

Shen Ruoyu thought hard.

"King Zhou...... Casual ......"

He scratched at the back of his head, but couldn't think of a second word.

Liang Tiehan smiled.

"Casual? What is King Yan like? ”

"King Yan - actually very casual...... It's not the same though; Shen Ruoyu thought about the wording, "His Royal Highness King Yan is casual and generous, hearty, calm, and the city is very deep; His Royal Highness the King of Zhou's casual ...... Sometimes, it makes people feel that he is detached from the world and looks down on right and wrong; Sometimes I feel that it's more like a little kid who doesn't grow up to play a tantrum—"

Liang Tiehan shook his head with a smile and sighed:

"You know now, why can't I control this group of royal soldiers? If they still have a trace of awe for me, it is only because I can still establish a little prestige in the martial arts training field. It's just that this prestige is extremely limited, and, I fear, it's gradually being lost. ”

"Second brother," Shen Ruoyu couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you leave King Zhou's Mansion and make another living?" You're all capable, unlike me, no one wants me to wash the dishes. You're sure to find a better way to survive. ”

Liang Tiehan was silent for a moment, and replied softly: "After all, the prince is not a bad person, and he has always taken good care of me and Auntie. This house was given by the prince; If it weren't for him, Ah Rao and I would not be able to settle down today. It's better to know the grace and want to repay it. ”

Shen Ruoyu did not speak; The shadow of King Yan suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. The second brother's words made him suddenly feel a little uncomfortable.

Liang Tiehan stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile:

"Forget it, let's not talk about it; The second brother is at least living a comfortable life, you can definitely see this. I don't have any ambitions to settle the country and secure the country, as long as I can live a safe and comfortable life with your sister-in-law, I will be very satisfied. The second brother has been mixing outside for nine years, and I am satisfied with everything except one thing; Nine years ago, I promised my stepfather one thing; Nine years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the only wish I have not yet fulfilled is only one thing - fourth brother, I have one thing for you. ”

He stood up, glanced at Shen Ruoliao with a smile, turned around and walked to the wall, reached out and took off the autumn wind long sword on the sword stand, and put it in front of Shen Ruoliao.

"Now, he's yours."

"What?" Shen Ruoyu was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant.

Liang Tiehan sat down in front of him and said, "Fourth brother, there is one thing you don't know, except for my father-in-law and me, no one else in the world knows about it. Nine years ago, I left Yeyao Mountain, and when I was leaving, my father-in-law took me to Yunjun Valley, where my mother-in-law's ashes had been scattered, and gave me the autumn breeze. At that time, he also said something. ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at him quietly.

"He said, 'Tie Han, the autumn wind has followed me for twenty-four years. He is who I am, and I am who he is. In my life, there are only two things I cherish: one is the autumn wind; On the other hand, ten years ago, it had been scattered into dust and slept peacefully in this mountain. ’”

Liang Tiehan glanced at Shen Ruoliao hesitantly; The other party did not react, and his eyes were like night, and he could not see a trace of light.

He continued: "I was saying, 'Father, I understand; I'll cherish the autumn breeze. ’

"The Father said, 'Not only do you cherish him, but you must treat him as your own life.'" I want you to swear now, in front of me and your stepmother: you will take the autumn wind as your bottom line, the last fortress; People are in the sword, and the sword is inseparable.

"I swore as my father-in-law said. After hearing my oath, my father-in-law said, 'Tie Han, I believe you can do it. I have another thing to entrust to you, and you must keep it in mind. ’

"I said, 'What is the matter with my father-in-law, but if you give orders, Tie Han will be crushed to pieces, and he will not give up.'"

"The Father said, 'I don't want you to be crushed.' I want you to live well and take care of the autumn breeze for me. If one day, you meet Xiao'er outside the mountain, please pass on the autumn wind to him. ’”

Shen Ruoyu's eyes fell on the autumn wind, still silent, thoughtful.

Liang Tiehan said: "I couldn't understand it at all, so I asked: 'Father-in-law? What do you mean by that? ’

"The Father said, 'When that day comes, you will understand.' However, you must remember that you must not give the sword to anyone except Xiao'er; Thou shalt not give him his sword, unless thou shalt see him from outside the mountain. Do you remember my words? ’

"I said, 'I remember, I'll do it.'"

"Then the Father said, 'Do not tell him until that day, until you give him the autumn wind.' Don't tell anyone either. ’

"I said, 'I remember. I will cherish the autumn breeze as much as I cherish my own life, and I will always remember it silently in my heart, and one day I will meet the fourth brother outside the mountain and give him the autumn breeze. ’

"The father-in-law nodded, smiled, and said, 'I know you won't let me down. My father, can leave it to Xiao'er, and that's just such a good thing. ’”

After Liang Tiehan finished speaking, he looked at Shen Ruoxiao. Shen Ruoyu didn't say a word, just stared at the autumn wind quietly.

Liang Tiehan sighed and said, "Fourth brother, for nine years, I haven't really understood what my father-in-law meant. Until yesterday, I suddenly realized that you were standing in front of me, face to face with me. It was only then that I finally understood my father's good intentions. He has experienced the vicissitudes of this world, and thought that he might suffer an accident, even if it is a real water village, one day there will be this earth-shaking change, he will no longer be able to protect you by your side, and let you go to the end of the world alone. And then—at this time, at least, he has this sword of all kinds, to give you. This is not only a sword, but also the only sustenance left by him as a father. He hopes that from today onwards, with the autumn breeze by your side, you can become as strong and invincible as him, just like he is guarding you. ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a long time. Then, he said softly:

"Second brother, my father didn't expect that when this day really came, I would no longer be qualified to accept this sword."

"Not eligible?" Liang Tiehan repeated in surprise.

"My martial arts, now-" Shen Ruoyu paused, "If my father had a spirit, he would definitely regret entrusting this matter to you." Autumn Wind - Do you believe it, this sword has a spirit; He can't be so badly and tarnished by me. I'd rather him be broken into thousands of pieces and fall to the ground in mud than be in the hands of a philistine like me. ”

Liang Tiehan was extremely surprised:

"Fourth brother, this is simply ridiculous. How could you have such a stupid idea? Not to mention that your martial arts can return to the original level, and you can practice to the same level as your father-in-law-even if it is really as you said in your frustration, you can never recover, which does not prevent you from taking the autumn breeze with you. You and your father-in-law are connected by blood, and you are connected with each other, and the autumn breeze actually belongs to you from the moment you belong to your father-in-law. Do you know that when I went to the capital to rob the Dharma field, I once met a master to help; He told me, and he knew at a glance that Autumn Wind was not my sword. And, by looking at the sword, he could accurately describe the characteristics of his father-in-law. People are like their swords, and swords are like their people, and the true belonging of the sword can be seen from a sword. Even if the sword was acquired by someone he didn't belong to, he wouldn't be able to use it for long. The sword was ultimately to be by his master's side; The autumn wind is your sword, fourth brother. ”

Shen Ruoyu asked lightly: "Second brother, do you think that I am the same as my father?" ”

Liang Tiehan hesitated for a moment, thought for a while, and nodded: "Yes, fourth brother; Based on what I know about my Father-in-law and you, I think so. ”

"We haven't seen each other in nine years; I was ten years old when you left. Do you really think you know me today? What's more, give me the autumn wind, what will you do? You've been using him for nine years, aren't you also connected with him? Why doesn't he belong to you? ”

Liang Tiehan hesitated for a moment and said, "Qiu Feng and I, although we have the same heart, we can't say that we are one with one sword. Stepfathers are different; He said that the autumn wind is him, and he is the autumn wind. I learned my father's swordsmanship, but it was just a very superficial thing, and I didn't have the same soul as him. Fourth brother, you are father and son, and you are connected by blood. Now that my father-in-law is gone, you say, who else is eligible for the autumn breeze but you? ”

"Are you willing? Give him to me? ”

Liang Tiehan laughed plainly and said without hesitation: "Of course; I promised my father-in-law. For nine years, I've just kept Autumn Wind for him, and I've been waiting for you to show up. Now that I've finally completed this task, I can breathe a sigh of relief. ”

Shen Ruoyu took out his sword and placed it on the edge of the autumn wind.

"Second brother, I have an idea." He raised his face and looked at Liang Tiehan, a hint of naughtiness flashing in his big eyes. "This is my current sword, named Kaitian, which was rewarded to me by King Yan, and it is also a rare and good sword. You just said that a sword has a belonging, and no matter where a sword is now, it will eventually return to the person to whom it belongs. I want to be proven. Let's give it a try and see if it's possible for me to use the open sky in my hand to snatch the autumn wind in your hand. ”

Liang Tiehan shook his head again and again: "This is not good, you still have a wound on your shoulder, you must not use force." I'd better wait until you're healed. ”

Shen Ruoyu insisted: "Because of this, now is the best time. I have a shoulder injury, and my martial arts have not fully recovered, and at my current level, I am definitely far from your opponent; If in this case, I can still snatch back the autumn wind, I will believe your words, believe that I am the true belonging of the autumn wind, and deserve it. But if I can't, then I can't accept him now, no matter what. We can wait and see if your words will be fulfilled in the future, and whether he will come to me sooner or later. ”

Liang Tiehan hesitated. "Okay," he said.

"There is a condition," Shen Ruoyu looked at him solemnly, "Second brother, I want you to swear to my father first: you won't cheat, you won't let me, you will do your best to keep the autumn breeze in your hands, just like if I am an irrelevant outsider, you want to snatch him away." In this way, you are truly responsible for the autumn wind. ”

Liang Tiehan thought for a long time and nodded. "I swear. Fourth brother, I won't lie. I know what you're thinking. ”

"Come on." Shen Ruoyu picked up Kaitian and ran out.