"Knock knock—" There was a loud knock on the bamboo door of the thatched hall.

I was stunned, and quickly got up and looked into the room. Wuxian walked out from behind the bamboo curtain with a bamboo hat in one hand and a cloak in the other: "Who is outside the door?" He asked in a loud voice.

"Master's house, passers-by want to beg for saliva to drink." A deep male voice came from outside the door.

There is a lake outside the cottage where you can get water, why did this man knock on the door and ask for water? I turned my head to look at Wuxian and whispered, "We're not going to meet robbers, are we?" ”

Wuxian laughed, leaned over and put the bamboo hat and robe in his hand on the ground: "The water of Luoxing Lake is white, this person must not dare to drink it, so he came to ask for clean water." Go open the door, I'll go to the well and get a bucket of water, and I'll be sent quickly. ”

"Okay." I put on my embroidered shoes and walked a few steps to the gate and removed the slash on the wooden strip on the door.

Outside the bamboo gate stood two men, one tall and one short. The tall man was a little older, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, broad shoulders and back, and a neat cyan robe without any ornamentation. The short man had a delicate face and a thin stature, and at first glance he thought he was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, but upon closer inspection, he found that there were several wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"Please come in and rest!" I opened the door and stood sideways.

Just now, when I was looking at them, they were also looking at me. Now that I generously invited them into the house, they looked at each other and hesitated.

"Does the girl live here alone? We seemed to have heard a man's voice just now......" The short man stared at my face with a hint of fear.

I was a little puzzled by his look, and then Wuxian walked up from behind me with a bucket of water: "Come in and sit down!" This is my wife. ”

"Uh, that's rude." The man blushed and turned to look at the tall man behind him.

The tall man smiled and clenched his fist at Wuxian: "Excuse me." ”

"Please, two of you!" Wuxian smiled and let the two of them in.

Before opening the door, Wuxian clearly said that he would send the two of them away quickly. But at this moment, after filling the water bladder for the two of them, he politely invited people into the house. After that, he found two jars of aged shoju out of nowhere, and said that he wanted to have a drink with them.

I thought I would spend a day with him quietly, even if it was just a day holding hands with him. But now, I'm sitting here pouring wine for two strangers, who clearly have no intention of leaving.

Wuxian had already sensed my impatience, but he smiled and did not say anything, and only frequently motioned for me to carry a spoon and pour wine for the guests.

At that time, people drink more in summer to sweet and refreshing sweet liquor, clear drain, and the roasted wine is a re-brewed wine, its taste is spicy, its nature is mellow, less drinking can drive away the cold and ward off evil spirits, drinking more but it is very easy to intoxicate. In the homes of the nobles, they like to use black lacquer ear cups with large mouths and deep bottoms to drink summer cold wine, and when they sip and burn wine, they will specially replace the ear cups with shallow bottoms and thick bottoms, so as to prevent guests from drinking too much drunkenness. At this moment, there is only a large bowl for drinking water in the cottage, and every time I pour wine, I must go to the edge of the bowl, so after three rounds, both of them are already a little drunk.

When a man is drunk, his mouth is not tight. After a few temptations, the identities of the tall and short two were revealed.

At the beginning of the summer of this year, the Xiang brothers of the Song State rebelled, and the Song Duke led his troops to fight against Xiang Wei and Xiang Chao in the old land of Cao State. After that, the Duke of Song won a great victory, Sima Xiangwei fled to the state of Qi, and his brother Xiangchao fled to the state of Lu. The tall man in front of him was one of the six secretaries of the Song State who fled to Ludi, the general of the Zuo Division, Xiang Chao, and the short man with a beautiful face next to him was his former strategist Luo.

The Xiang clan of the Song Kingdom, together with the Zhao clan of the Jin State, the Chen clan of the Qi State, and the Kong clan of the Wei State, are all Qing clans who are in charge of the military and political power of a country. The battle between the Marquis of Qi and the Chen clan ended in a crushing defeat, but the Duke of Song unexpectedly won the battle of the monarchs. The Xiang clan fled from the Song Kingdom after the defeat, and the brave and warlike Xiang brothers became the generals of the various countries.

Now, Sima Xiang Wei has been taken under Chen Heng's account, and the State of Qi, the State of Lu, the State of Wu, and the State of Yue are all striving to bring this general of the Left Division Xiang Chao under his command, and Wu Xi must have recognized Xiang Chao to entertain them so warmly. Thinking of this, my mood suddenly brightened. In the future he described, perhaps this is our calmest and most ordinary day!

Outside the window lattice, the drizzle was still there, and the three of them were talking about drinking a few days ago.

Wuxian clasped the edge of the bowl with three fingers, and asked Xiang Chao with a smile: "So, General Xiang left Lu Xixing this time, is he going back to the Song Kingdom to continue to serve the Song Dynasty?" ”

"Exactly." Xiang Chao smiled and picked up the wine bowl in his hand and drank it up, "Chao is a reckless man, who was instigated by his brother to commit a heinous crime. originally thought that he would not be allowed to set foot in his homeland for half a step in his life, hahaha, but he didn't expect that the day before yesterday, the king actually sent someone to send an amnesty order. Xiang Chao excitedly handed the empty bowl in his hand to me.

This man had drunk four large bowls of siu chu since he entered the house, and although his face was fine, his voice was noticeably higher than at the beginning. Wuxian invited him to drink because he wanted him to let go of his guard and recruit him to serve the Zhao family, but looking at his current happy appearance, he still had a hard time giving up on Song Guo.

"Then the little brother is going to congratulate General Xiang!" The shirtless long eyebrows raised and smiled and took the wine spoon from my hand, and personally filled the wine bowl for Xiang Chao, "I don't know what arrangements your monarch has for the general after the general returns?" ”

"The king of my country is the king of benevolence and trustworthiness. On the same day, when he sent an army to fight against his criminal brother Xiang Wei, he promised to exonerate me after the rebellion was quelled, and he would return to the post of Zuo Shi when he returned to the country! Xiang Chao took the wine bowl and replied with great ambition.

"Hahaha, Song Gong is such a kind person, it's really rare!" Shirtless clapped his hands and laughed, and an imperceptible light flashed in his eyes.

The rebellion of the Xiang clan of the Song Kingdom was caused by Sima Xiang Wei, although Xiang Chao was his elder brother, but he was loyal and brave, and the Duke of Song sent him to personally kill his brother Xiang Wei at the beginning of the civil strife. He was loyal to his duties, and led his troops all the way to the hometown of Cao State. But when the civil strife was about to subside, he was persuaded by Xiang Wei for some reason, and led the army into Caocheng to fight against Song Gong.

If Song Gong opened his face to the nest net and relieved him of his guilt, then he really deserved to be praised for his benevolence. However, if he wants to let Xiang Chao return to China and regain military power, then there may be another deep meaning behind this praise of shamelessness.

I was looking at it with great interest to see how Wuxian persuaded Xiang Chao to be used by the Zhao family, when the short strategist Luo on the side suddenly knelt down and took two steps back, and bowed down to Wuxian: "I despise it, and I hope Mr. Gao will agree!" ”

Wuxian glanced at the nest, and said to the strategist Luo with a smile: "I despise the people of the mountains and wilderness, if there is anything that can help, but I just say it." ”

Strategist Luo glanced up at Xiang Chao, then cleared his throat and said to Wu Xian: "The head of the family has a thousand gold and jade huang, and he is willing to exchange this woman with Mr. As he spoke, he turned his gaze to me.

Swap me? What does that mean?! I turned my head to look at the shirtless.

At this moment, Xiang Chao's surprise was no less than that of me and Wuxian, he put down the wine bowl suddenly, walked in front of Strategist Luo in a few steps and pulled him up: "Luo, what are you doing here?!" ”

"The head of the family, Gongsun De (1) loves beautiful jade, but he loves beauty even more. Mr. Gao's wife is a rare beauty in the world, and if Gongsun De accepts her, he will definitely not refuse your request again. Besides, jade can't speak, but people can talk skillfully, since the head of the family insists on returning to the country, he has to find a way out for himself. Strategist Luo said a lot in one breath, Xiang Chao seemed to be moved by him, and the hand holding Strategist Luo was released. Strategist Luo took the opportunity to lean over and take out a half-foot-long white and moist jade from his bag and handed it to Wuxian: "Mr. Gao is very talkative and knowledgeable, if you are interested in becoming an official, the head of the family can recommend the monarch of our country on your behalf." This is a piece of gold and jade, and I hope Mr. will accept it! ”

"The noble man is really drunk!" Wuxian looked at the red-faced strategist Luo and shook his head with a smile, "I'm sorry! My wife and daughter will not be changed. ”

"Just a woman, I hope Mr. will think twice!" It was common for nobles and commoners to snatch wives and buy wives, so although the strategist Luo was rejected without mercy, he still did not give up.

"Luo, don't say more!" Xiang Chao patted Shi Luo's shoulder, raised his hand and hugged his fist at Wu Xian and saluted: "Shi Luo is drunk and rude, so Mr. laughed!" ”

"It's okay, the general doesn't need to mind." Shirtless beckoned me to his side, smiling and waving his hand at the nest.

The atmosphere in the thatched hall suddenly became awkward and subtle, and Xiang Chao gave another salute and said goodbye to Wuxi.

I looked up at Shirtless, who raised the corners of his mouth and bowed his head slightly. After comprehending this, I bowed to Xiang Chao and said, "The slut is bold, dare to ask the general to listen to a few more gossip before leaving." ”

On this occasion, it was rude for the woman to speak, and there was a difference between the noble and the low, so Xiang Chao didn't know how to answer for a while, so he turned his head to look at Wuxian.

Wuxian said with a smile: "The general wants to give me a thousand gold Huang, and my woman also has a thousand gold words to give." General Xiang, you might as well listen to it. ”

As soon as Wuxi's words came out, Xiang Chao and Strategist Luo became more and more stunned.

I saluted again and said with a smile: "Does the general know that the Linggong of the Patriotic State once had a favorite minister?" ”

"I've heard of it." Xiang Chaohu nodded suspiciously.

"Does the general know that Miko had committed the 'Sin of Yu Peach' before he died?"

"This ......" looked at the strategist Luo beside him, and strategist Luo raised his hand and saluted: "I want to hear about it." ”

"When Mizi was favored by Linggong, he once shared a bitten peach with Linggong. The spirit said, 'Love me! Forget about it and read me. Then Miko fell out of favor, but Linggong punished him for the crime of insulting the king. Jun's heart has changed, and what was good in the past will also become bad. Once there is suspicion between the monarch and the minister, it is impossible to go back to the past. Song Gong recruited the general to return to the Song Dynasty, not because of Xiang's old achievements, but because he wanted to trap the general and end the troubles! ”

Remarks: (1) Gongsun De: The great-grandson of Song Yuangong, Song Jinggong had no children and raised Gongsun De in the palace as an heir.

sanjiangge