Chapter 0004: First Entry into Luoyang
At the moment of turning a mountain bend, Zhang Xuan stabbed the horse's buttocks with a military thorn, he jumped off the war horse, the war horse was in pain, and continued to gallop east along the official road, but Zhang Xuan quickly burrowed into a bush on the side of the road.
In just a moment, the sound of horses' hooves sounded again, and dozens of pursuers galloped towards them, whipping their horses and chasing after the horses in front.
When the pursuers walked away, Zhang Xuan got out of the invisible bushes and ran wildly towards the woods behind him, disappearing into the lush forest in a moment.
Zhang Xuan ran north for more than fifty miles before he slowly stopped, there was a stream in front of him, he squatted by the stream and washed his face, drank a few sips of water happily, and then came to a flat boulder and lay down tiredly.
It was only at this time that Zhang Xuan had time to think about what happened in the morning, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly, he had just changed history at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he actually killed Li Mi, what would Wagangzhai look like without Li Mi?
At this point, he has no way to make up for history, history has its own cause and effect trajectory, and he doesn't have to do anything deliberately, Zhang Xuan has to let go of this regret.
At this time, he remembered Yuwen Chengdu again, Zhang Xuan never forgot Yuwen Chengdu's brave and invincible, one horse and one hammer, fighting all over the world invincible, I don't know if another fierce general Li Yuanba will exist, it should be called Li Xuanba, Li Yuan seems to have such a son.
Zhang Xuan was also impressed by Yang Xuangan's courage and good fighting, but he was also very strange, why would Yuwenshu let Yang Xuangan go?
Although Zhang Xuan had learned a little about the history of the Sui Dynasty through military strategy, it was only a rough overview, and he was at a loss in terms of the details of history.
He also knew that he couldn't figure it out, so he simply didn't think about it anymore, sat up and took out the pistol from his arms, withdrew the remaining two bullets and carefully put them away, and at a critical moment in the future, maybe these two bullets would save his life at a critical time.
Zhang Xuan took out Li Mi's leather bag again, this leather bag was about the same size as the wallet of later generations, and he poured the contents on the boulder, there were a few small pieces of gold, a total of about three taels. There is also a bronze medal, a sealed wax pill and a scroll.
Zhang Xuan picked up the bronze medal, only to see three words engraved with a small seal on it, he vaguely recognized it as 'Wuchuan Mansion', and on the back was Li Mi's name.
Zhang Xuan didn't understand the meaning of the bronze medal, he put the bronze medal aside, and picked up the wax pill to look at it carefully, the wax pill was the size of a walnut, and it was inferred from common sense that it should be a very important letter inside.
But Zhang Xuan finally restrained his curiosity, he put down the wax pill again, picked up the scroll, and tied the scroll tightly with silk, only to see the side of the scroll written: 'Wang Bodangqi, Sanchun Lane, Huairenfang, Luoyang'.
At the bottom left is written, 'Li Mi respectfully. ’
It turned out that this was a letter, and it was addressed to Wang Bodang, one of the five tiger generals in Wagangzhai and the seventeenth hero in the world, Zhang Xuan suddenly became a little interested.
Or, since he had no choice but to kill Li Mi, then send this letter for Li Mi, and let him give an explanation to this late Sui hero who died before he left the school!
........
Without the war horses, Zhang Xuan's eastward journey was much slower, but by this time the war had subsided, and he encountered no obstacles along the way, and he also encountered markets and towns, and he exchanged the broken gold left by Li Mi for some five baht coins of the Great Sui, ensuring his food and lodging supplies along the way.
After five days of travel, he finally arrived at Luoyang, the capital of the Great Sui Dynasty.
Luoyang, the capital of the Great Sui Dynasty, after nine years of Emperor Yang Guang's accession to the throne, although it is still prosperous, it has a little more vicissitudes.
Outside the city, the wounds of the war can be seen everywhere, large areas of razed and burned houses, charcoal-burned beams, shockingly lying on the blackened half of the wall, not far away, two old people kneeling in front of the new grave and weeping.....
Zhang Xuan frowned, he couldn't believe that this was Luoyang, he sighed secretly in his heart, this is the war, two months of war, and the outside of Luoyang has become a scorched earth.
The front gate of the south city was crowded with people entering the city, noisy and lively, there were peasants picking vegetables into the city, there were merchants leading mules and horses, and there were many scholars.
Zhang Xuan stopped in front of a three-meter-high stone stele, on which a reward notice was pasted, on both sides stood several spear-wielding soldiers, a group of people stood in front of the stele whispering, only to hear a scholar shake his head and read: "Capture the bandit leader Yang Xuangan, the person who gets his head is promoted to three levels, and the reward is five thousand taels, and the one who knows his whereabouts is promoted to one level and the bounty is ...... thousand."
"Phew!" Someone whispered, "Who would dare to receive such a reward?" ”
"What do you mean by this?"
"Yang Xuangan is Yang Su's son! Yang Su's henchmen are all over the government and the opposition, and they still want to be officials after taking Yang Xuangan's head, let's find death! In my opinion, you can run as far as you can get the gold, and it's not bad to be a rich man incognito. ”
Jang Hyun was not very interested in this, he shook his head and walked towards the city gate, the city gate drawbridge was full of soldiers, but they only strictly checked the caravan or those who entered the city with more than two people, and did not pay much attention to the single entrants.
After charging a foreigner ten cents to enter the city, a soldier waved Zhang Xuan into the city, and shouted to the back: "Next!" ”
But Zhang Xuan was attracted by the things above his head, it was dozens of wooden cages with human heads, hanging high on the city gate, they were all majestic figures, but now they were hanging at the head of the city with hideous faces, Zhang Xuan vaguely recognized the human head on the very edge, it seemed to be Li Mi.
But Zhang Xuan was stunned, there should be a bullet hole in the center of Li Mi's eyebrows, but the center of this person's head and eyebrows is very smooth, and there are no bullet holes at all, what's going on?
Zhang Xuan's mind was in chaos, isn't this Li Mi's head? Or was the person he killed not Li Mi at all?
"Don't block the road in front of you, go quickly!" A dozen or so vegetable pickers shouted impatiently.
Zhang Xuan glanced at Li Mi's head again in confusion, and then walked into Luoyang City full of doubts.
Luoyang city is a different scene, and outside the city is a completely other world, just enter the city gate, the noisy and lively atmosphere will come to the face, pedestrians are like weaving, the river is endless, the cries of the small stalls on both sides of the city gate are one after another, a caravan composed of hundreds of camels is slowly moving.
On both sides are lush and dense trees and tall and sturdy red walls, and in the middle is a straight and spacious avenue, leading into the distance, at the end of which is the majestic Imperial City and Daye Palace, with the golden pagoda domes and cornices reflected in the early morning glow.
Zhang Xuan's mind has also become broadened with the magnificent capital of the Great Sui, temporarily forgetting the truth of Li Mi, this will be the starting point of his new life, no matter whether the future is stormy or sunny, he will go on without hesitation.
.......
Asking all the way, Zhang Xuan found Huairenfang near Jianchun Gate, walked into the workshop, and asked an old man for the specific location, and the old man pointed to a big locust tree in front, "See, under the locust tree is Sanchun Lane, there is only one family surnamed Wang in it, go to the end!" ”
"Thank you!"
Zhang Xuan hugged his fist to the old man and saluted, and walked quickly to the big locust tree, this is a deep alley, there are about a dozen families in the alley, Zhang Xuan has been walking to the end, in front of him is a house covering an area of about two or three acres, the courtyard wall is not high, rammed with yellow mud, there is no eaves on the mottled and dilapidated courtyard gate, it is said that this is the sign of the common people.
Jang Hyun stepped forward and knocked on the door, and after a while, the door opened a crack, and Jang Hyun saw the face of a young man, a few years older than himself, a little shorter than him, but also quite tall and burly.
"Who are you looking for?" The man's voice was majestic, and he glanced at Jang Hyun suspiciously.
"May I ask if this is Uncle Wang's house?"
"I am, may I ask you are—"
It turned out that this person was the famous Wang Bodang, Zhang Xuan hurriedly took out the letter shaft from his arms, "In the next Zhang Xuan, I was entrusted to deliver a volume of letters." ”
He handed the letter to Wang Bodang, and Wang Bodang was shocked when he took the letter, it turned out to be a letter written by Li Mi to himself, wasn't he already dead?
Wang Bodang hurriedly opened the door and invited Zhang Xuan into the courtyard, he closed the courtyard door and asked, "Where did you get this letter from?" ”
"I rescued a seriously injured man in Hongnong County, but unfortunately he died of his injuries, and there were chasing soldiers behind him at that time, he asked me to send this letter before he died, his name is Li Mi, right!"
Zhang Xuan took out the skin bag again, "There are also some of his belongings, can I give them to Brother Wang?" ”
"Husband, who is it!"
A young woman led a boy of five or six years old out of the room, the young woman was very delicate, wearing a green narrow sleeved fine silk dress, wearing a red silk on her shoulders, her face was covered with a thin layer of fat powder, her black hair was like a cloud, she was wearing a golden hairpin, and she was wearing a few strings of bright gold bracelets on her hands.
The little boy looks like a tiger, his eyebrows and eyes are quite similar to Wang Bodang, his arms and legs are very thick, and he looks like a material for martial arts.
"It's a friend of mine!"
Wang Bodang hurriedly put away the letter and said with a smile: "Lady go and get busy first!" ”
The young woman looked at Zhang Xuan and walked to the inner courtyard with the child.
Wang Bodang said to Zhang Xuan: "Let's go to the room to talk!" ”
Zhang Xuan followed Wang Bodang into the guest hall and sat down, Zhang Xuan was the first time to walk into the ordinary family of Dasui, and he looked around curiously.
The room is very spacious, the sunlight shines through the bright tiles, making the room extraordinarily bright, the furnishings are relatively simple, the three double couches are placed in a zigzag shape, and there are small tables on the couches.
There are no calligraphy and paintings on the wall, and there is a sword with a sharkskin scabbard hanging on the east side, and a large vermilion bow hangs on the west side, which is finely wound with gold thread, and the workmanship is very exquisite, and below is a pot of goose feather long arrows.
However, Zhang Xuan's eyes were fixed for a long time at the front wall hanging an iron-core bright silver gun, one zhang long, the lines are very smooth, and at first glance it is made by a famous artist.
Zhang Xuan estimated in his heart that this gun weighed at least forty or fifty catties, and a thought suddenly rose in his heart, could he ask Wang Bodang about martial arts, Yuwen Chengdu's bravery really made him unforgettable.
But after thinking about it, it seems unlikely, he just came to deliver the letter, and the two did not have a deep friendship, how could Wang Bodang exchange martial arts with outsiders at will?