April 25, 48th year of Kangxi, northern suburbs of Beijing, Changchun Garden, Qingxi Book House.

Cao Hao, dressed in a blue guard uniform, stood at the entrance of the hall with the hilt of his sword, and followed Shuming and the other two guards on duty here. Today is the first time he has been on duty since he recovered from his illness, but not in the Forbidden City, but in Changchun Garden.

By mid-April, the weather was getting hotter, and Kangxi's holy driver went to Changchun Garden to listen to the government.

Cao Hao's guard was on duty from Shenshi to Youshi (from three to seven o'clock in the afternoon), and it took more than half an hour to return to the city from Changchun Garden. The city gate is closed during the unitary period, so Cao Hao will stay in the garden today.

*

After finishing his shift, Cao Hao followed Shuming and the others to the place where the guards were resting, in the two rows of rooms behind Tai Puxuan. There were a few low-ranking eunuchs here who were doing miscellaneous work, and when they saw these guards coming back from their shifts, they brought water and went to fetch food.

Cao Hao, the eight of them, in addition to the first-class guard, there are two second-class guards, and the others are the same as Cao Hao, which are third-class. The place where everyone settled in the garden was a room on the left side of the house. Except for the side that opens the door, the other three sides are kang.

By the time everyone went outside to the vests and washed their hands and faces, the little eunuch had already set up the kang table and delivered everyone's dishes.

The meals are all placed on the kang in the north, although they are all guards, but due to different grades, the food provided in the courtyard is also different. stated that part, there are chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep, and the four dishes are all big dishes. In front of the three second-class guards, there was a red braised leg of lamb missing, and a stewed cabbage was added. Of the four third-class guards, there are only chickens and ducks, and the other two dishes are stewed cabbage and fried bean sprouts.

This is even a big pot of rice in ancient times, before Cao Hao came out of the house in the afternoon, although he ate something, he was still a little hungry.

Seeing that everyone else had moved their chopsticks, Cao Hao took a piece of duck meat and put it in his mouth. As a result, I bit it several times, but I didn't bite much, and it was indecent to spit out, so I had to swallow it directly. Looking at the few good-looking dishes in front of him, he didn't give up and put the bean sprouts in his mouth. The smell of choking beans makes it look so stiff, and it's not cooked at all.

"Haha!" Several other guards couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw Cao Hao's expression. Shu Ming pushed the leg of mutton that he had just sanded in front of him in front of Cao Hao and said, "This is not bad, it is quite a mess." As he spoke, he poured the half bowl of duck soup in front of him over the rice and ate it in a big gulp.

There was a third-class guard, who was under a white flag, named Heshan, and said: "Looking at the appearance of Xiao Cao's meal, I know that I have never stayed in the palace or in the garden, and the meals in these two places are just a mixture, and I was very uncomfortable when I first came, and I got used to it after a long time!" ”

Everyone is a martial artist, there is no such rule that you don't eat and sleep, and after listening to Heshan, everyone else will follow.

"Yes, I thought the food in the palace was so good, and I also boasted to the hair outside, but I know what it tastes like!" Another guard sighed.

"The duck and the chicken are thin, and the vegetables are raw and the rice is hard, and it is also a standard to be able to maintain such a level!" Another guard said.

Shu Ming listened to everyone's complaints, and scolded with a smile: "It's all bastard boys, ordinary people eat a chicken and duck, and weigh two taels of meat for the New Year, and you still pick big fish and meat!" ”

Cao Hao sandwiched a chopsticks of mutton shank, which was indeed worse than chickens and ducks, but the others did not move, learning from the appearance of everyone, soaking rice with duck soup and eating, and pushing the leg of mutton to the middle of the table. Everyone didn't need him to be polite, the chopsticks stretched out, and finally the mutton leg that had been stripped of meat was taken by Heshan and gnawed on the tendons.

After gnawing on the leg of mutton, Heshan wiped his mouth and said, "Long live Ming'er is going to go out of Beijing, let's all follow suit, if it is according to the itinerary of previous years, it will take three or four months to return to Beijing." If you compare it with the food on the road, it's pretty good at the moment! ”

After everyone had finished eating, the little eunuch came up and removed the table.

As for Ming'er's follow-up, he said a few more words, nothing more than the horses were ready, how much to bring for a change of clothes, and so on.

As he was talking, he heard footsteps, and someone opened the curtain and came in: "Old Shu, brothers are coming to play with you!" ”

The people who came were Dethehei and Naranfusen and others, and they were on duty at night, so they also stayed in the garden. Now that the sky is long, knowing that they are also here, I came over for a stroll.

At night, it was inconvenient to move the guy to practice martial arts, so Detehei proposed to break his wrist to compete.

The statement was not followed, and looked at Dete Hei with contempt: "No, just your lump, you can put me down, what else can be compared!" ”

Detehei scratched his head: "You and I can't compare, save you nagging, let the boys play, and win two out of three games." After leaving Beijing, the two of us put the tent in one place, and the losing one is responsible for giving everyone game and vegetables along the way! ”

This suggestion was echoed by everyone in the room. Cao Hao was beside him, secretly amused, it seemed that everyone was frightened by the food provided.

After Detehei finished speaking, he happened to see Cao Hao, pointed at him, and said, "I'm not comparable to Lao Shu, Xiao Cao is also forgotten, he is still a child!" ”

Shu Ming nodded here, but a few young third-class guards on Detehei's side didn't do it: "Detou, why are you turning your elbow out!" Xiao Cao is not ours now, this shouldn't be! ”

When the guard who explained this heard this, he laughed and said, "If you have the courage or not, you want to take advantage, and you are afraid of losing!" ”

Everyone in the room was gossiping, and Cao Hao smiled: "If a few seniors are not afraid of me pulling everyone back, then I will try to compete!" It's not that he likes to be in the limelight, but that Shu Ming gave him a few glances on the side.

Since Cao Hao is willing to compare, everyone naturally has nothing to say. Dete Hei Nash seemed to want to win this game, and he didn't care about any of the big bullying the small, and it was the second-class guard Azi who was directly sent to the game.

The appearance of Aji's five big and three thick looks contrasted with Cao Hao, who was slightly thin, and it was stated that among these people, some people had already shouted: "Brothers, I really admire, shameless enough!" ”

Detehei smiled, but didn't stop it.

Everyone carried a table next to the window to the middle of the room, and Cao Hao and Ah Ji stood still, rolled up the sleeves of their clothes, leaned down, and put their arms on the table.

Cao Hao has practiced martial arts for several years, and he still has some strength in his hands, but there is still a gap with Aji. Therefore, it is a bit more difficult to use wrist strength.

Everyone thought that there was no suspense, and Cao Hao would definitely be defeated immediately. The second group of guards on both sides had already begun to roll up their sleeves. The result was surprising, Cao Hao has been persevering.

Entering the palace as a guard, being in the company of these men, is completely different from Cao Hao's past life in Jiangning. However, speaking of which, he does not reject this atmosphere, because they are all adults, and they are more pleasant to talk about. Everyone is a martial artist, if you don't want to be underestimated by everyone, then you have to show some real skills. Because of this, Shu Ming urged Cao Hao to play.

Cao Hao is persevering, although the strength of his wrist is not as good as that of Aji, but he is always persistent. In the attention of everyone, Ah Ji gained an advantage little by little, and Cao Hao pulled back little by little. In everyone's eyes, Cao Hao is not so much a martial artist as a weak teenager, and he is more or less regarded as a child. Now, seeing him so tenacious, they are all applauding.

Two quarters of an hour later, Cao Hao and Ah Ji were still comparing, and their faces were sweaty. In the end, it was Azi who conceded defeat first. Cao Hao rubbed his wrist and glanced at the statement. Shu Ming nodded at him, a little more approval in his eyes.

Others didn't notice it, but Shu Ming did, Cao Hao's seemingly white palms were covered with calluses, which was the result of years of dancing with knives and guns. Therefore, he let Cao Hao show his hand, so as not to be looked down upon by Tongshi's guards. I didn't expect that the one they sent out was the most powerful Aji, and Shu Mingben also sighed that it was self-defeating at this moment, but he didn't expect Cao Hao to persist to the end despite the disadvantage.

In the next two games, both sides won one each, so it was Cao Hao who won. Detehei sighed and left, leaving everyone happy. Cao Hao is a little strange, but it's just that every game is not a big errand, why is everyone like this.

Seeing that Cao Hao was ignorant, Shu Ming said with a smile: "You haven't gone out of Beijing with Hu, so you don't know, you will march immediately throughout the day, and you don't want to get on the horse when you arrive at the camp, so it doesn't taste good!" ”

This commotion passed for more than an hour. When he saw that it was late at night, he opened his mouth for everyone to settle.

Shu Ming occupied the North Kang alone, the three second-class guards were on the east Kang, and Cao Hao was on the West Kang. The luggage was all prepared in the garden, and it looked clean, but there was a faint musty smell.

Cao Hao was lying on the bed, unable to sleep for a while, and his mother had only come to Beijing for a few days, and he was about to leave again. Fortunately, because her sister was pregnant, Li planned to stay in the capital and wait for her daughter to give birth in August before returning to Jiangning. If Cao Hao can come back before that, he can still reunite with his mother.

After thinking about his mother, Cao Hao thought of Xiao Man again, after Ming'er opened the city gate, Xiao Man would go to the garden with the little girl of the Ming family. The horses, luggage, change of clothes, etc., are all taken care of by Xiaoman.

Although there are servants in the guard battalion, they only set up a tent and prepare meals. Because they have to go out of Beijing for a few months, each person has to prepare two or three horses, as well as luggage, change of clothes, etc., so many guards bring small servants or long-term companions. Most of the guards in the guard battalion are from the House of Lord Shangsanqi, and they are all served by others. There are really few people who have done jobs like combing braids and washing clothes.

The two brothers, Wei Hei and Wei Bai, heard that Cao Hao could bring someone to be his entourage, so they all rushed to follow. But Cao Hao looked at the two brothers, and it really didn't look like they could comb their hair and wash clothes, so they decided on Xiaoman.

Xiaoman was very excited, but Amethyst didn't worry about him, and patiently taught him to braid his hair.

Xiaoman is young, although his hands are a little clumsy, but he is interested in learning things, and he is looking for people to braid his hair. In the midst of everyone's grinning, Xiao Man's work on his hands became smoother and smoother, and he looked good.

Xiaoman proudly showed off to Amethyst, but Amethyst gave him a head start and learned to braid people, what about his own? Xiao Man was annoyed, but he fiddled with his braids, and was so anxious that he almost shaved his head. The hair and skin of the body, the parents who received it, where it is said to be shaved, after being kicked twice by his father Cao Fang, Xiaoman was honest.