Chapter 33: Entering the Kingdom of Wei
Yang Liang complained silently in his heart, and then followed the team out of the gate of King Zhao's palace, of course, not the gate in the middle that looked very gorgeous and magnificent, but the small door that opened next to it, and the team that delivered food like this was not qualified to go through the gate.
After leaving the palace of King Zhao, it was the prosperous Handan City, Yang Liang was shocked by the vitality that came to his face, he originally thought that such a backward ancient period should be a gray scene, but Handan City looks very prosperous, there are many small vendors shouting and selling on the streets, and there are many shops with very exquisite door numbers.
It looks no different from a modern commercial street, but it is more colorful and varied.
Yang Liang complained silently in his heart, he was just secretly looking at everything around him now, after all, they were still very close to the Zhao Palace, and it was difficult to guarantee that there would be no guards patrolling here, in case something abnormal was found, it would be over if he caught them back.
After walking around the street several times, I finally came to a very plain-looking gate, and the people who looked like leaders in the food delivery team finally told Yang Liang and Yuan Heng that they could leave.
Yang Liang looked at the slightly simple door number in front of him a little strangely, and felt a little strange, it stands to reason that the people who can deliver food to the palace should be some relatively large businessmen, such a job that can make oil and water, no matter how you look at it, it is not something that such a small family can contract.
However, this is not what Yang Liang should consider now, what he should consider now is how to follow Yuan Heng out of Handan City smoothly, although the review of Zhao State is not as strict as that of Wei State, but if you want to go out of the city, you still have to go through the city gate, and you will definitely have to be asked by the guards when the time comes.
Zhao Yiren's advice was to let Yuan Heng pretend to be Yang Liang's father, and then said that they were going to Handan City to see a doctor, anyway, Yang Liang just looked unhealthy now, and when the time came, when the guards heard that they were sick people, they would definitely not do any more entanglement, so that they could get out quickly.
Yuan Heng was obviously very familiar with Handan City, and he took Yang Liang around the city, but let Yang Liang take a good look at the appearance of Handan City.
As a northern city, the architectural style of Handan City is more rough, not as delicate and beautiful as the southern buildings, but the combination also has a unique flavor, forming a special style.
Yang Liang still likes this unfamiliar city style, and following Yuan Heng through Handan City, it is the first time that he has developed a sense of belonging and participation similar to a sense of belonging and participation since he has been in ancient times for so long, as if he has become a member of the city after walking around like this.
But before Yang Liang finished lyricalism, Yuan Heng took him to the gate of the city, where there was a long queue, all of whom were going out of the city and were queuing up to be checked.
Yuan Heng took Yang Liang to stand in front of the last of the team, their clothes and appearances were disguised, so they didn't look any different from these ordinary people, but because of their ugly faces, they looked a little embarrassed.
The team is not moving slowly, it seems that the inspection efficiency of the guards of Handan City is quite high, and after approaching, they found that they only simply checked the package, and then asked, and let it go, so Yang Liang's heart was a lot more relieved.
Finally it was their turn, facing the guards who were fully armored and armed with weapons in their hands, Yang Liang became a little nervous for a while, so he had to bow his head deeply, not daring to raise his head to look at them.
However, Yuan Heng's reaction was quite unexpected by Yang Liang, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Yang Liang almost didn't recognize that this was the usual old-fashioned and serious Yuan Heng, because he was too good at making things up.
And Yuan Heng's blind words are very level, starting from their father and son coming to Handan to find a doctor because of their son's illness, they made up all the hardships they suffered in Handan City, and finally even brought a crying voice, and the guards were obviously a little impatient by him, so they waved their hands and didn't even check the packages of the two of them, let alone pay attention to Yang Liang.
So the two of them left Handan City so smoothly, after walking out of a while, Yang Liang still couldn't believe it, he looked back at the city gate of Handan City, tall and oppressive, and suddenly a nervous feeling was born in his heart, so he quickly turned around and kept up with Yuan Heng's pace.
After Yuan Heng took Yang Liang to walk a long way, he stopped next to a forest, looked left and right, and found that there was no one around, so he walked from the road to the woods, Yang Liang also wondered why he didn't take the big road with a good road, he had to walk this small forest, but when he saw the carriage parked in front of him, he knew that Yuan Heng had already stepped on it.
Yuan Heng lifted Yang Liang and sent him to the carriage, Yang Liang, who took the carriage for the first time, was a little curious, he looked left and touched, and found that the carriage was really like Zhao Yiren said, there were all kinds of messy things, and Zhao Yiren even prepared a plate of fresh fruit on the low table in the middle.
After Yang Liang sat down, he felt that the carriage began to move, and the sound of the horse's heavy breathing and Yuan Heng's "Drive!" The two of them began to set off for the Wei State.
Even if he had never sat in a carriage, Yang Liang could feel that Yuan Heng's technique in driving a carriage should be very good, because even in ancient times when the road conditions were so poor, he didn't feel a great sense of jolting when he sat in the carriage.
While the carriage was moving, Yang Liang curiously checked the things on the carriage, wanting to see what Yuan Hengdu had prepared for him.
First of all, some of the pastries eaten were neatly stacked in a corner, and the date and variety were also marked on them, which were arranged by Zhao Yiren at a glance.
There are also some clothes and daily necessities, which are quite a bit of them, all of which are essential for survival in the wild, so you don't have to worry about having trouble surviving in the wild.
At the end, Yang Liang actually found a book under the table, and a note was attached to the book, which said that he should not forget to study......
Yang Liang suddenly felt very speechless, from the love of his old father...... It's heavy!
Yang Liang and Yuan Heng drove the carriage like this, driving on the road to Wei, although the road surface was not as flat and wide as modern at this time, but the carriage at this time seemed to have passed through some kind of special device, so it was still relatively firm to drive, and there was no very bumpy feeling, of course, this is also related to Yuan Heng's driving skills.
When he first came out of Handan City, because he was afraid of being discovered by the nearby guards, Yuan Heng kept walking on a remote road, and it was not until he walked out of the road that Yuan Heng drove the carriage back to the main road.
As the carriage continued to drive, Yang Liang also curiously pushed open the window and looked at the scene outside.
To his surprise, he thought that the ancient population was so sparse, so there should be no one on the road, but he didn't expect that the road out of the city was very lively, although it was not comparable to one after another, but it could also be said to be bustling.
There are not many pedestrians on the road, but they are walking in groups of twos and threes, and there are more caravans in groups, most of them are nearly a hundred people together, carrying many carriages and goods, which look mighty.
On the contrary, it is not very common for them to have a single carriage like Yuanheng, only occasionally see two or three sporadic carriages, and most of them have several slaves on both sides, and at a glance they know that they are nobles or wealthy merchants.
Handan City is in the south of Zhao State, and it is almost the most difficult city in Zhao State, and it is almost bordering Wei State, so Yang Liang and they set off from Handan City, and it only takes about two or three days to drive a carriage to the border of Zhao and Wei.
Now the productivity of the society is still at a relatively low level, the demand for energy is not high, so the ecological environment is not known how many times higher than the modern society, Yang Liang observed all the way, found that the level of greening in Zhao is very high, both sides of the road are almost dense woods, but also dotted with brightly colored flowers and plants, such a beautiful scenery even makes Yang Liang have an illusion that he is traveling.
Although the carriage is not bumpy, but after all, it is not as good as being on flat ground, and after the two of them have been driving for most of the day, Yang Liang gradually feels a little uncomfortable, and his body has not touched the solid ground for a long time, resulting in an unnatural sense of emptiness.
Fortunately, it was already dark, and some caravans and travelers on the road had already settled down to prepare for the night.
Yuan Heng found a remote corner, neither too close to those caravan travelers, nor alone, after all, in ancient times with such a good ecological environment, who could guarantee that a wild beast would not suddenly pop out of the wild.
Although those caravans were all merchants' families, and there were no nobles among them, they were very good at pleasure.
They set out with more than 100 people at every turn, except for some necessary attendants and miscellaneous personnel, the rest were mostly handsome young men and girls, most of whom were sold to the caravan voluntarily or forcedly, and in a sense it was also a commodity, and they followed the caravan to other countries, hoping to be bought by the nobles. And in this era of scarcity, this kind of identity is not only not looked down upon or sympathetic, but can be selected and regarded as a kind of honor.
Seeing a pile of bonfires set up over there, the chef set up a few cauldrons and began to cook dinner, and the musicians began to play music, although the rhythm was slow, but it sounded a different retro flavor.
The boys and girls dressed in gorgeous clothes, gathered together to talk and laugh, their voices as crisp as silver bells, and they looked particularly ethereal in this wild night.
Yuan Heng also set up a bonfire near the carriage, and took out a black-looking pot from the carriage, as well as some dried meat and pasta.
He lit another torch, looked around, and pulled some strange-looking weeds in a corner.
The place where they had gathered was beside a river, and Yuan Heng went to fetch some water, washed the wild vegetables, and put some in the pot, and then set them on the campfire, and when the water was boiling, he threw the dried meat and wild vegetables into it with the pasta, added some salt, covered it, and sat down on the side, and waited quietly.
Yang Liang's mouth was wide open by this operation, as a kitchen novice, he didn't expect Yuan Heng to look like a rough man, but he was decent when he cooked things.
After eating and cooking, Yuan Heng first served a bowl to Yang Liang, although it looked a little unbearable to look at, but because there was jerky, the taste was very strong, and those strange-looking wild vegetables had a very fresh aroma, which just neutralized the greasy of the jerky.
Yang Liang ate two bowls in a row, and then touched his round belly, leaned on the side of the carriage and refused to move.
The campfires on the caravan side were still bright, and the food they carried was more varied, so the aroma was even more gluttonous, but Yang Liang was now full, so there was no temptation for him.
The solitary travelers were different, and most of the people who chose to walk were ordinary people who could not even afford to buy horses, and the food they carried was already very scarce and tasteless, and they were even more hungry after a day of traveling, and when they smelled such an attractive aroma, some of them came forward to ask for it.
The owner of the caravan was not a stingy man, and as long as he came up to ask for it, he could get a bowl of meat soup, so that the aroma of the food spread farther in the night.
Yuan Heng was not interested in the food and performances of these caravans, and after he finished eating, he silently put away the dishes and chopsticks, and the rest of the food was directly put in the pot, and he could eat another meal when he got up the next morning.
After cleaning up, he urged Yang Liang, who had never seen the world and was looking towards the caravan to watch those young boys and girls perform, and asked him to quickly pack up and go to sleep in the carriage.
Yang Liang reluctantly washed up simply, climbed into the carriage, Yuan Heng also intimately laid out the quilt for him, Yang Liang thought, this is no different from when he was in the palace of King Zhao, and then got into the quilt, and fell asleep with the faint sound of dance music outside.
After waking up the next day, Yang Liang rinsed his mouth with salt, and after cleaning up, Yuan Heng took him back on the road.
Those caravans were slow to pack up because of their large numbers and complicated equipment, and Yuan Heng drove the carriage to leave them far behind.
However, although these caravans were numerous, they were moving very fast, and when it was almost evening, Yang Liang was drowsy in the carriage, and suddenly heard the noisy sound of a large group of people and horses from behind, and opened the window to see that those caravans had caught up again.
It was still the same stationing to light a fire, and it was another night of singing and dancing, and so three days passed, and on the afternoon of the fourth day, Yuan Heng stopped the carriage and woke up Yang Liang, who was asleep, and told him that they were about to reach the border of Zhao.
Yang Liang rubbed his eyes, got up sleepily, looked around, and found that Yuan Heng parked the carriage in a hidden corner, and went a little further, which was the border of Zhao State, and after going out of the city gate, he crossed a hill and arrived at the border of Wei State.
At this time, most of the national boundaries were divided according to natural landforms such as mountains and rivers, and there was no clear national boundary division, so in the area where the boundaries of the two countries were blurred, the people of the two countries often traded privately, and over time, a mixed and prosperous commercial belt was formed here.
Because Zhao Guo has always maintained the demeanor of a great country, the management of the entry and exit of some foreign people has always been not very strict, especially when leaving the country, the inspection is even more lax.
Yuan Heng drove the carriage forward, and soon arrived at the gate of the exit, took out the pass that Lu Buwei had prepared for him in advance, probably because there was a special sign for the pass, the soldiers guarding the city looked Yuan Heng up and down, walked through the motions, opened the door of the carriage to check the inside, and waved their hands to let them pass.
During this process, Yang Liang had been sitting in the carriage, without even showing his face, he was still in a daze, and Yuan Heng had already driven the carriage away from the territory of Zhao State.
When Yang Liang reacted, they had already left the border gate far behind, Yang Liang looked back at the smaller and smaller black city gate, and his heart was excited and apprehensive, and he didn't forget to complain that it was really easy to have money and relationships.
Smoothly entering the territory of Wei, the carriage swayed on the road, and Yuan Heng and Yang Liang were getting closer and closer to Wei.
On the way out of the Zhao Kingdom, the surroundings are quite prosperous, but the architecture and clothing styles are nondescript, probably because the people of the Zhao and Wei Kingdoms traded here and gradually mixed.
Zhao is a typical northern country, but because the country is relatively deep, so the house construction pays more attention to warmth and wind resistance, mostly stone-based, and the specifications are also boxy, which looks very solemn and classical......
The Wei State is located in the Yellow River region, mainly on the Loess Plateau, so the buildings are mostly made of soil, and the caves that can prevent wind and sand are the mainstay, so the whole city looks like a rough yellow sand temperament.
Yuan Heng led Yang Liang through these bustling business districts, turning around again, and finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous house.
He instructed Yang Liang to sit in the carriage and not move, while he walked to the door of the house and knocked lightly three times...... The interval was very short, followed by three more knocks......
This time the interval is longer.
After knocking on the door, Yuan Heng dodged to the side of the door, listened to the sound inside close to the door panel, waited for about a minute, the door opened a small crack, and a thin hand stretched out from the gap, holding a bunch of keys in his hand, Yuan Heng hurriedly reached out to pick it up, and then whispered thank you, did not stay for a moment, and drove the carriage to take Yang Liang away.
Yang Liang was confused by his operation, mysterious, as if he was performing some special task, and couldn't suppress his curiosity, so Yang Liang opened his mouth and asked, "Uncle Yuan, who was that person just now?" ”
Yuan Heng has become accustomed to Yang Liang's name for him, from Brother Yuan to Brother Yuan to Uncle Yuan and now Uncle Yuan, although every time he thinks that he is actually in his early twenties, he is very unhappy to be called uncle by a child, but it is not easy to protest.
So he cleared his throat and opened his mouth to explain why he had just done that. It turned out that the family just now was arranged by Lü Buwei on the border of Zhao and Wei, and the head of the household was an old couple on the surface, but in fact, a lot of the information collected by Lü Buwei at the border had to be exchanged and summarized here, which was equivalent to Lü Buwei's intelligence transfer station, so there was a special way to knock on the door.
And the reason why he didn't open the door and hand over the key to Yuan Heng in person was mainly because Lu Buwei didn't trust Yuan Heng very much and didn't want the old couple's face to be easily seen.
After hearing this, Yang Liang suddenly realized, no wonder it was so mysterious, it turned out to be a border intelligence agency, but he didn't expect that this Lu Buwei was quite advanced, and this would set up such an information collection center, which was quite a bit of a spy temperament during the war.
After finishing speaking, Yuan Heng concentrated on driving the carriage again, and took Yang Liang around in a big circle, and finally came to a courtyard that looked deserted for a long time and was very dilapidated, took out the key he had just gotten, and unlocked the door.
As soon as he pushed open the door, Yang Liang found that there was a hole inside, and the interior decoration was not as shabby as it looked on the outside, but very warm. Yuan Heng walked straight to the pile of firewood piled up in the corner of the courtyard, and after picking up the outer layer of firewood, there was a carriage inside.
After cleaning up the remaining firewood branches, Yuan Heng pushed the carriage out, and Yang Liang realized that the carriage looked relatively old, and the decoration was not as ornate as the carriage they had been riding in before......
After roughly cleaning up the dust accumulated inside and outside the carriage, Yuan Heng beckoned Yang Liang and asked him to help move the contents of the original carriage into the old carriage.
Yang Liang was reluctant in his heart, this carriage looked old and small, and it was definitely not as comfortable as before, but he still resigned himself to carrying things, after all, their first principle after arriving in Wei was to be low-key, and the carriage they had taken before was indeed too high-profile, and it was Zhao Guo's style at a glance, which made it even easier to make people suspicious......
Some daily necessities, such as food and clothes, were carried to the old carriage, and some of the remaining richly decorated utensils were left in the original carriage, Yuan Heng pushed the carriage to the pile of firewood, covered the carriage according to its original appearance, and cleaned up the surroundings, seeing that there was no trace, so he took Yang Liang and drove the broken carriage in the direction of Wei.
The newly replaced old carriage was a hundred times more uncomfortable to sit in than the original one, and Yang Liang finally understood why he didn't feel bumpy at all when he sat in the carriage before, it turned out that it had nothing to do with whether the road was flat or not and Yuan Heng's driving skills, purely because of the carriage.
This carriage is relatively dilapidated, the chassis is naturally not as firm as before, when Yuan Heng drove the horse-drawn carriage, Yang Liang could even feel the wheels below vibrating, which was a world of difference from the previous stable carriage, Yang Liang wanted to cry and sat in it without tears, shaking his body with the bumps of the carriage, while feeling sorry for himself, why is his life so bitter.
The sky gradually darkened, and at the moment before the sunset was about to disappear, Yuan Heng finally drove the carriage to the inspection office on the border of Wei, although there was a long queue in front, Yang Liang could not see the soldiers in charge of the inspection, but he could obviously feel that the speed of the inspection team was very slow.
Almost all of the people in the team are wearing the characteristic costumes of the Wei State, and occasionally there are more luxurious clothes, but there are only a few people, most of them are wearing coarse linen clothes, and the design of the hands and feet is different from the elegant and wide feeling of Zhao Guo, which is tightly tied, and looks very neat, but it also lacks a bit of beauty.
The people of Wei, whether men or women, were all dressed up like this, which made Yang Liang, who was accustomed to seeing the wide and elegant costumes of the Zhao Kingdom, feel bright......