Chapter 5: Deer Hunting (5 I)

Time always flies too quickly for people who are in love. When Li Xu and Tao Kuotuosi returned to the camp of Susibu from the shore of Crescent Lake, it was already dark. Numerous fires were lit in the middle of the camp, and from a distance they looked like stars rolling on the tips of the grass. Beside the fire, the shepherd's singing voice was heard in the distance, there was a song of immortality, and more of a direct confession of the feelings of men and women. Li Xu and Tao Kuo glanced at each other, and quickly avoided their gazes. The sweet feeling rippled in their hearts, as if the wind they breathed was filled with the smell of nectar.

"You're back!" Asilan, who was leading the clansmen to patrol the periphery of the camp, saw Li Xu and ran over to complain in a low voice. According to the convention, Tao Kuotuosi must have jumped up and saluted back: "Who wants you to care!" ”。 But today, everyone waited for a long time but didn't hear the little barbarian girl's movements. Everyone stared at each other strangely, and found that Tao Kuo's face was red, and there was a different kind of tenderness in his eyes.

"It turns out that the flowers on the prairie have bloomed!" Someone said something in a hurry, which immediately caused a long burst of laughter. Tao Kuo's face turned even redder, and he slammed the horse's belly, rushed away from everyone, and fled in the direction of his home.

"It seems that the attached master is not only good at swordsmanship, but also good at riding and shooting!" Ah Silan laughed and rode his horse to block Li Xu's way. He and his wife are usually "bullied" by Tao Kuotuosi, a little villain, and when they get the opportunity at this moment, how can they not seize the time to get a revenge?

Li Xu was so laughed by everyone that his ears were hot, but he couldn't walk away like Tao Kuodesi. had no choice but to widen his eyes, pretending to understand the Turkic language of Ah Silan and the others. After everyone had enough laughter, he arched his hand and asked in a low voice, "Is there something wrong with Brother Ah Silan?" Why are there so many fires lit in the tribe today? ”

"Your people are here, and the chief of Sil is giving them a feast. The warriors of the Shetobu, the Must-Know and the Daxi have not left yet, so everyone happens to get together to eat roast sheep. The spring sheep has just grabbed the fat, and it is the time of freshness! A Silan smiled and introduced to Li Xu. Last year, it was the arrival of the caravan that provided the Su Si Department with an opportunity to meet the other Fei Ren tribes of the Alliance, and this time everyone came again, and the Su Si Bu naturally had to do their best to entertain them. Moreover, these people are all members of the clan of the Attached and Xu Sages, and the Zhuxia Shepherd Jingwu and Wu will also show the greatest kindness to the caravan.

"Uncle Nine? That's great! Li Xu shouted in ecstasy. Today is really all the best, and I have a lifelong appointment with Tao Kuotuosi, and Uncle Nine came with someone. I wrote a letter to him in the felt bag and asked him to bring it back, and it was estimated that it would not take long.......

"Your people all look the same, I can't tell who's who!" Ah Silan admitted with a wry smile. In their eyes, almost all Han Chinese look similar. is as familiar as Li Xu and Xu Dayan together, and Ah Silan can naturally distinguish the difference between the two. Like Uncle Jiu, Zhang San and others, who only have a few faces, they are almost the same face without difference in the memory of the men of the Xia tribe.

"You go quickly, Xu Xian and the patriarch's younger brother Su Si have taken people to sign a contract with the Khitans in the east, and it won't be back until half a month younger. Are your people still asking about your dwellings? Hou Quli stepped forward and pushed Li Xu and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Brother Asilan, thank you, Brother Hou Quli, let's drink another day!" Li Xu bowed his hand and said goodbye to everyone. The title of clansman made him feel very warm, although he had left a lot of unpleasant memories during the last trip, but after a long time, these unpleasant memories were slowly forgotten, and all that remained in his heart was the kindness of the local sound and the nostalgia for his hometown.

A wisp of nostalgia enveloped Li Xu, and he kept urging his mount, hoping to meet those familiar faces in the shortest possible time. However, the face next to the fire made him a little disappointed, Uncle Nine was not there, Hao Laodao was not there, and even the annoying Du Scar did not appear. After walking past three or four fires in quick succession filled with unfamiliar faces, he finally saw a few old acquaintances.

"..... Xu, Master Li, you can come back. The patriarch is talking to us about your deeds! Uncle Zhang laughed and stood up from the largest fire in the center of the camp, and shouted to Li Xu with ten times more enthusiasm than the bonfire.

"I've seen Master Li!" Several familiar and unfamiliar vendors stood up at the same time and solemnly saluted Li Xu, who was less than half their age.

"Master Li?" Li Xu is so old, he has no experience of elders giving gifts to him. So the expression was very unnatural in a moment, and the whole person felt dizzy, as if he had just been poured more than a dozen bags of horse ** wine.

After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Master Li was referring to himself, so he quickly jumped off the horse, and shouted while saluting everyone: "Uncle Zhang, Uncle Mazi, you, what are you doing here?" Kill the juniors, kill the juniors! ”

"It should be, it should be, the deeds that Master Li has established in the Su Si Department, we all feel glorious when we hear it!" Wang Mazi took a few steps forward, hugged Li Xu's shoulders and said.

"There's something wrong with it! Uncle Mazi, don't say that. Uncle Jiu, why didn't you see him! Li Xu gently broke free of his body and asked everyone. The excessive enthusiasm of Zhang San, Wang Mazi and others made him feel very unaccustomed, and such hypocritical politeness was not as real for him as the scolding of the "unlucky boy" on the road back then.

A sentence of Uncle Nine alleviated all the embarrassment. When everyone heard Li Xu's question, they immediately closed their mouths tightly. It wasn't until he was questioned by Li Xu that Third Uncle Zhang lowered his head and said in a very low voice: "Brother Jiu encountered some trouble, so he couldn't come this time." Let's go to your felt bag later. Ling Zun entrusted me to bring you a letter from home, and after socializing with the patriarch, I will personally send it to your mansion! ”

Ling Zun, the patriarch, the mansion, Li Xu listened to these more awkward words, and the only little joy left in his heart was also washed away. Uncle Nine didn't come, who will hand over the matter of himself and Tao Kuo's detachment? Who will piggyback on the silverware that is going to be brought back to the Central Plains? Uncle Zhang is not a reliable person, and his character can be inferred from his deferential behavior. What about the others? Can the old pervert Wang Mazi be trusted?

Li Xu was in a bad mood, so this wine was naturally bland. Without the generous and generous leader of Uncle Jiu, the merchants seemed to have lost a lot of spirits, and after eating half of the roast sheep, they put down the cleavers one after another. Seeing that the vendors were not as happy as last time, the Sil patriarch thought that they were too tired from the journey, so he also sped up the feast. After everyone made an appointment for the opening time and said some irrelevant polite words, they announced the dismissal.

The scale of the caravan that arrived this time far exceeded the one brought by Uncle Nine last time, and Uncle Zhang's restraint ability was far less than that of Uncle Nine. The vendors were crowded one after another, arguing over where to store the goods and the quality of the felt bags. Li Xu accompanied the shepherds of the Su Si Department for a busy half of the night before everyone settled down. When helping the vendors to set up their bags, he was surprised to find that except for a few guys from the Xu family who were carrying paper, almost everyone's goods were mainly Shu brocade. However, the suppliers of tea, linen and other cloth, which are indispensable in the lives of herdsmen, are chatting.

"Alas!" Li Xu sighed secretly in his heart. He knew that it was himself and Xu Dayan, the two precedents of selling Shu brocade last year to make a fortune, that led to the concerted action of the traders this time. It's just that in this way, everyone will inevitably be disappointed. Based on his understanding of the tribe in the past six months, not every shepherd's family can afford Shu brocade for women. Ah Silan, Duer, Tao Kuodesi and the others naturally didn't care about a few strings of silver bells, but they were all relatives of the junjie or elders in the younger generation, and the wealthy families in the tribe could count. For most ordinary herdsmen, the brass bells on the outside of men's leather armor and the silver chains on women's hands are almost passed down from generation to generation, which are the dowry of their sons or the dowry of their daughters.

"Is Lord Attachment worried about Brother Jiu? I know that you are a gentleman with affection and righteousness. Lao Sun can make such a friend as you, even if he hasn't walked on this road for so many years in vain! Wang Mazi, who had been busy following Li Xu like a tail, heard Li Xu's long breathing and asked with a grin.

"Yes, what happened to Uncle Nine, why can't he even be separated from the merchants?" Li Xu nodded and asked worriedly. In the entire caravan, Sun Jiu was almost the only elder who was friendly to him and Xu Dayan. In Li Xu's heart, he has long regarded this bold, atmospheric and wise old man as his own relative.

"Alas, Lord Attached, you are a visionary and know what is going to happen in the future, so you stay in Sulu for the winter, and the horses you bought for your own family are also worthy of the horses. Those of us who don't have the eyesight to fight were still laughing at you at the time! Wang Mazi sighed and said indiscriminately.

"What's the matter, is it because you lost money by selling horses? What about Uncle Nine? It seems that he only bought two horses, and he didn't pay much at the time? Li Xu stopped and asked anxiously. It's too hard to talk to Wang Mazi, this person never seems to know where the focus is, and he always talks about miscellaneous things. Either take the opportunity to squeeze people, or desperately slap the sycophants. As if if he didn't do this, it would not be enough to prove that he was the real Wang Mazi.

"If you lose it, it's okay to say. It's for people to rob it, let the government rob it! Attached, you are still smart, the entire caravan, the government did not take a fancy to your two horses. The rest was collected by civil officials at a price of 700, but what was given was not money, but was converted into Chen Guzi, and let us go back to our hometown to receive it. Attaching your lord, you say, isn't this a clear robbery? Wang Mazi rubbed his eyes, his voice was already a little choked.

"Old pockmark, you're drinking high again, and you're talking nonsense!" A cold voice came from behind, interrupting Wang Mazi's crying. Li Xu frowned and turned around, and saw Third Uncle Zhang walking towards him with two fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys.

Wang Mazi heard Zhang San's scolding, and immediately stopped his grief, and while gently pumping his two mouths, he blamed himself: "Look at Xiao Lao'er's stinky mouth, look at Xiao Lao'er's stinky mouth, as soon as you drink wine, you don't have a door, and when you drink wine, your mouth is full of tongues!" ”

"Okay, okay, Uncle Mazi, say whatever you like. Out of the Su Si Ministry, no one remembers what you said! Li Xu grabbed Wang Mazi's wrist with some anger and ordered loudly.

How shrewd Uncle Zhang was, seeing that Li Xu was unhappy, he hurriedly took a few steps forward, sang a fat promise first, and then said in a low voice: "Ling Zun Tuo Xiaoke brought a letter to the attached adult, and Brother Sun Jiu also sent a message to the adult, the adult has a prominent position in the Su Si Department, but he is busy with me, it is really killing me and waiting!" ”

The polite words make people's scalp tingle, but their eyes sweep around like a weasel. When Li Xu saw Zhang San behaving like this, he also understood that he stopped Wang Mazi from talking, because he was afraid that there would be many people here and cause trouble in the future. Shaking his head helplessly, he sent an invitation to Zhang and Wang: "Third Uncle and Uncle Mazi, don't be polite, I'm not an adult." My felt bag is not far from here, can the second elder enjoy the light and sit in the felt bag! ”

"It's an honor, it's an honor!" Zhang San looked around triumphantly, and deliberately raised his voice high: "It is an honor for the little old man to be invited by the adult." The friendship we had together back then was engraved in my heart when the little old man was there! ”

When the merchants were drinking with the herdsmen, they already knew that Li Xu was a noble guest in the tribe and the future son-in-law of the patriarch Sir. At this moment, when he heard that Zhang San and Wang Mazi were invited to drink tea in the felt tent attached to the adult, they immediately cast their envious eyes. Li Xu was stunned by the envy in everyone's eyes, arched his hand in all directions, and then walked quickly to his mount. Zhang San, Wang Mazi and two strange teenagers hurriedly followed, and walked towards the core of the tribe under the complicated eyes of everyone.

The slave girl Ah Yun didn't dare to rest, and when she saw a guest in the felt bag, she hurriedly stepped forward to pour tea. Zhang San and Wang Mazi were even more envious when they saw that Li Xu could already summon slaves and maids. One admired the knowledge and luck of the adult, and the other boasted that he had a good relationship with Li Xu's father. After half a column of incense, he finally took out a thick paper envelope that he had carefully collected from his arms.

"This is what Ling Zun entrusted to the little old man to hand over to the attached adult, my lord, please check the fire paint on it!" Third Uncle Zhang held the envelope with both hands and respectfully held it up in front of Li Xu.

"Third uncle, there are no outsiders here, you better call me Xuzi!" Attached to the four words of the adult, Li Xu heard it really awkwardly, and put forward his own request while receiving the envelope.

"How can that be done, how can that be done! At the beginning, it was the little old man who had a short knowledge and dared to call himself an elder. You are now a senior official of the Su Si Department, we can enter your felt bag to drink tea, we are already Gao Pan, how dare you pretend to be an elder again! Zhang Laosan waved his hand again and again and said politely.

Wang Mazi and the two teenagers also echoed, Li Xu had no choice but to let them scream. Anyway, the attachment is just his own Turkic name, not an official position. As for the word "adult", it should not have been heard.

Everyone was there, and it was not convenient for him to read the letter. He used the excuse of fetching water to break Ah Yun away, and then asked in a low voice: "Third uncle, Uncle Mazi, there are no outsiders here." What trouble is Uncle Nine running into, can I help him a little? ”

"Attached, you have a heart. Brother Jiu, if he saw it, he would also feel grateful. I'm afraid no one can help with this favor! Zhang San sighed and said. Last time, thanks to you, everyone made some money. I don't know if it was fate or carried away, everyone bought a high-headed horse. I wanted to go back to my hometown to be majestic, cough, how do you know that there is no ...... in life! ”

"Yes, our lives are cheap, and we shouldn't be so arrogant!" Wang Mazi shook his head and interjected.

The two old traders finally told me a rough story about what happened to Uncle Nine. It turned out that everyone had received the help of good mounts, and the road back to the Central Plains was very smooth, and they had arrived in Yuyang County in less than 20 days. Just as everyone was riding horses, the official suddenly stopped the entire caravan.

Sun Jiu and the others thought that they were not thoughtful, so they hurriedly stepped forward to give filial piety. Who would have expected that the officials would not take bribes, but took the warrant of the county guard and told all the merchants that according to the latest decree of the imperial court, all horses were bought by officials. He sent a note of 700 to each horse, ordered the merchants to go back to their hometowns to get the money from the magistrate, and then forcibly pulled the horses away. The merchants begged and begged, and finally moved out the foot captain of the tiger and iron cavalry to come forward to say that the item, the officials and the old men raised the price of the horse to a penny, and promised to give the merchants three days to buy the foot power again, and after three days, all the mounts that were favored by the government must be led by the master to the yamen to deliver.

Since ancient times, the people have not been able to fight officials, and everyone has no choice but to accept their fate. While trying to buy donkeys, mules and other animals to carry goods for horses, most of the leather goods were sold on the spot. As a result, earnings were cut in half from projections. Fortunately, the dividends of everyone's trip were enough, so they barely kept the capital.

Then everyone went back to their hometowns, and Sun Jiu went to Yi County to carry goods for Li Xu, and the time to return to his hometown was delayed for three or five days. After arriving in his hometown, the county magistrate refused to pay his horse money according to the price on the government's white slip, but only paid 100 buckets of Chen Guzi's top account. Sun Jiu was annoyed that the government was untrustworthy, refused to harvest the grain, and took the white strips to the county to ask for an explanation. As a result, before he could get out of the county border, he was locked back by the officers on charges of stealing sheep.

"This, isn't this a frame-up?" Li Xu had never heard such a bizarre story, and said angrily.

"It's not just a planting, Sun Jiu has been walking for so many years, who has ever seen him greedy for others. They obviously want Brother Jiu's life! Brother Jiu's family also had a few sheep money, and his two sons-in-law pooled the money to go to the county yamen to ransom people, but the county lord said that he sued the officials with the people, which was immoral. Not only did he refuse to release him, but he also wanted to treat Sun Jiu for the crime of confiscating the army! Zhang Laosan shook his head and sighed.

"dog officer!" Li Xu sat up angrily and reached out to touch the knife. The palm of his hand touched the leather belt around his waist, and he suddenly remembered that he was outside the plug. If you go back to the Central Plains, I'm afraid you won't even have the qualifications to get close to the yamen. That dog county order was obviously preparing to put Sun Jiu to death, and the method of paying for the purchase was no longer feasible. And in the officialdom of the Central Plains, I don't seem to have a familiar person? Xu Dayan has some ways to go home, but Xu Dayan went to negotiate with the Khitans, and he was thousands of miles away. When he comes back to find a way, I'm afraid that Uncle Nine has already encountered an accident.

It turns out that I still don't have any strength at all! Sun Jiu only occasionally offended the government, and he ended up like this. His father let himself go out of trouble in the name of business, and once he was held accountable by the government, he ....... Li Xu's hands trembled, and his face slowly turned pale.

"P.H., Attached, Sir, you have some friendship with Captain Bu. So let's get out of the jam this time, just want to ask you to send a letter to Captain Bu, and ask him to find a way to save the old man and save the ninth brother. Official-to-official affairs, how, how can it be better fooled than the people to officials! Wang Mazi, who had been unable to speak all night, finally spoke neatly and stammered.

Alcoholic note: 1. I had an annual meeting last week, and I really didn't have time to write a book, sorry. I can tell you the good news that the homeland is ready for publication. The guide book will go on sale in October. It seems, as if, the third volume of Ming is about to be published, and the specific time is being finalized with the editor of the publishing house.

2. The publisher suggested changing the name of the home, which reader can help think of a more popular and popular, thank you.