Deep in the courtyard, Sima Lang sat alone under the flower tree and fed the pigeons.

These pigeons were not raised by Sima's family, but they always gathered under the eaves in the early morning to wait for something. Sima Lang got up early every day and washed up, so he hurried to the courtyard to feed them. He fed them so that their feathers were soft and smooth, and their eyes shone like jade, and even their cries were louder than the others.

Sima Lang sprinkled a handful of corn kernels on the ground, propping up his head to look at the pear blossoms blooming wildly overhead. A ray of heavenly light refracted through the thin petals of snow, wiping the dust that floated on the broad back. There are petals that indulge prematurely in spring, falling from the branches in full bloom, brushing Sima Lang's tough jaws, and stopping in the dark fragrance floating teacup.

"It's April."

He looked at the pear blossoms as fine and elegant as snow, but there was no relaxed look on his face.

He was nineteen years old, less than the age of a weak crown, but he had already borne the fate of Sima's family early.

It has only been two months since Dong Zhuo coerced the Son of Heaven to move west, and the memory of him leading his family out of danger from the tiger's mouth is like a world away. When Dong Zhuo's army stormed into the house that day, Sima Lang was unhurriedly packing up his father's beloved books.

"How rude." He said in a deep voice without looking back, and the movement of collecting the scroll in his hand did not stop for a moment.

"Taishi heard that someone wanted to defect with his family, so he ordered me to come and arrest him. Sima Lang, if you know each other, go with Lao Tzu, don't tell me to wait for the knife to see blood! The leader stepped forward, and the saber at his waist came out, and the cold light of the blade flashed between the bamboo pieces, and it landed steadily and quickly on Sima Lang's shoulder.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment. After a moment of delay in tying the scroll with the rope, he raised his head and let out a chuckle from the bottom of his throat.

"The master is wise, so naturally he won't listen to one side of the story, so he sent someone to take me to see him. But you, as soon as you enter the door, you insist that I am a defector, what is the evidence? When I look back and see the master and explain the reason, you all have to walk around without eating! ”

"You ......"

The soldier at the head gritted his teeth in annoyance, and the blades under his hands had already lost some strength. He took a sip, then clenched the hilt of the knife and leaned the snow-white blade against Sima Lang's neck.

At that moment, there was a muffled sound of blunt objects striking in the air, as if something disturbed the air flow in the ear, piercing the barrier of sound at an undetectable speed, and then striking the clenched handle of the knife hard. The man felt a tingling in the tiger's mouth, and the instinct that preceded thinking prompted his fingers to relax first, and the knife on Sima Lang's neck slammed into the ground with a "clang", causing everyone to panic for a while, and they all grabbed the sword they were wearing at their waists.

Not far behind them, a clear but quiet voice rang out.

"I thought that the Taishi was wise and martial, but the people under him were so ignorant of the rules."

Everyone looked behind them, but saw a young girl standing at the door with a bow and arrow, her body still maintaining the posture of pulling the bow and releasing the string, and a childish face loomed between the light and shadow of the longbow.

"Did the master call you so that you would take your brother to him with a knife without any evidence? Thinking about it, Taishi Dong is a well-informed person, and he will never give such a ridiculous order. Could it be that you are waiting for the fox to fake the tiger, and want to trap the Taishi in an unkind and unrighteous place? ”

Sima Lang looked at the flat arrow with the sharpened arrow on the ground out of the corner of his eye, turned to face the fierce and vicious soldiers, and slowly said with a mocking smile on the corner of his lips: "The sister is young and ignorant, so you can laugh." If there is any inconsiderate hospitality, please forgive me. Without further ado, please lead the way, and I will explain it to the Grand Master. ”

The soldier was speechless for a while, so he had to put his knife into the sheath and reluctantly make a gesture at Sima Lang.

“…… Suitability is rude to subordinates. Sima Gongzi, please. ”

Walking to the door, Sima Lang raised his hand to cover the top of the girl's head, and his eyes were rare and gentle.

"Big brother." She was a little worried, one hand clutching his sleeve slightly nervously.

"It's fine." Sima Lang leaned down slightly, his length of eight feet and three inches made him much taller than his peers, and the top of his sister's head was only up to his chest. Sima Lang's broad palm touched her cheek, and his fingertips rubbed gently on her sideburns: "Ah Xian is taking care of his younger brothers at home, and the eldest brother will go back when he goes." ”

Sima Xian nodded and blinked his left eye slightly. It's a unique way of communication between siblings, as if to say, "I believe in you."

——————

When the young and old Sima Lang went to Dong Zhuo, it was not too late.

Dong Zhuo was mediocre and lazy, and even when he saw people, he just lay on his couch. The sunset slanted into the dormitory, and Dong Zhuo squinted at Sima Lang like this, like a listless dog lying in front of the door on the eve of sunset. Since ancient times, the royal family has not lacked people who are in charge of power independently, whether it is eunuchs or relatives, they are arrogant and abnormal, but they have never seen such a violent and perverse person as Dong Zhuo, who does not restrain his words and deeds at all. Sima Lang has never known that Dong Zhuo is a national thief and demon king in everyone's mouth, but now that he has seen it with his own eyes, he is really a little disappointed.

He was not disappointed in Dong Zhuo's arrogance and laziness, but only secretly sighed that this person's methods and mind were too dirty and narrow-minded.

Knowing the virtuous, not knowing people, treating people insincerely, but daily life is extremely extravagant and prosperous, and his skills are ruthless and perverse. How can such a person grasp the power of the country without being opposed by the princes?

Let's just watch him kill himself. But right now, I have more important things to do, more tedious tasks to complete.

Sima Lang stood in front of Dong Zhuo without humility or arrogance, and saluted respectfully. Dong Zhuo glanced at his young figure out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't help but have the illusion of being familiar at first sight.

"You are the same age as my dead son, why did you commit such a betrayal!"

Although it is a sharp question, if his son is still alive, he should probably be as old as him. Even Dong Zhuo couldn't help but feel a feeling of licking calves for a handsome young man.

And Sima Lang, who was intelligent and keen, naturally grabbed the key information from this inconsequential sentence. Even though Dong Zhuo is fierce and vicious, he still has a soft side. Then the next thing for him may be much easier.

"Ming Gong Mingjian, Sima Lang did not have the heart of betrayal." He replied again, "With the merits of the high world, the Ming Duke assisted the Son of Heaven to ascend the throne in the troubled times, except for the eunuchs to quell the rebellion, and selected the virtuous and powerful, which has a great ability to sweep away the filth of the world." If time passes, why worry that the society will not be revived and the world will not be leveled? With Ming Gong sitting here, Lang and his family only felt at ease, but they never had a reason to defect. ”

Dong Zhuo got up slightly and listened to Sima Lang sing praises of his great achievements. He didn't care how much of it was true or how much it was false. As a courtier, the position is so high and powerful, why bother whether the flattery of a cloth cloth in front of the steps is sincere? As long as Dong Zhuo knows that when everyone sees him today, they can only speak according to his intentions, and no one dares to rebel, which is quite enough for him.

After all, even the Son of Heaven was abandoned and newly established by him. In Dong Zhuo's eyes, the world is just a blue bird leaping between the palms, and those who disobey his good deeds are not even bird poop.

Sima Lang quietly raised his eyes and glanced at Dong Zhuo, and when he saw that this person was listening with his eyes closed in satisfaction, he knew that the wind of compliment had blown into his ears.

"It's just that Lang still has something to say, I don't know if I can say it."

"It doesn't hurt to say anything." Dong Zhuo gave permission almost without thinking.

"Ming Gong is wise and martial, virtuous and grand, and his achievements are great, which is the joy of the country. However, the sword is divided into two blades, and Ming Gong can know that at this time, the soldiers are all over the place, and the people of the local state and county are not happy? Sima Lang straightened his back, his eyes resolute and sincere.

"It's all about Lao Tzu." Dong Zhuo didn't seem to care at all, yawning and stretching.

Sima Lang lowered his eyelashes and frowned slightly: "The people are the foundation of the country, and if the people's livelihood withers, the country will die." Benevolence and righteousness are as good as Ming Gong, and there is no need to talk too much about such Taoist ideals. Nowadays, even the people in the suburbs of the capital are unable to settle down and work, and they all abandon their fields and flee, and they are in exile with their wives and children, which is very miserable. Even though the Ming Duke had set up a ban at the Sifang Pass and increased the punishment for killing, it was difficult to stop the trend of fleeing. ”

"Today, there is still no peace, and the party is in turmoil, and this situation is really not the fault of the public, but the disaster of the rebel ministers and thieves. Lang wants to return to his hometown with his family, one is to sincerely persuade his parents and fellow villagers, and the other is also for the consideration of Ming Gong. ”

"I hope that Ming Gong has something to learn from, and after a little reflection, Ming Gong's prestige can compete with the sun and the moon, even if Yi Yin and Zhou Gong can't compare."

The air was silent for a long time. Under the light of the setting sun, the dust floating in the air was unusually clear. Dong Zhuo reversed his previous lazy attitude and sat up straight and stared at Sima Lang. He probably didn't expect that a young man who was not yet weak would be able to gain insight into current affairs, weigh the pros and cons, and say such gentle and sharp words. Every word is to the point, but it avoids all of Dong Zhuo's edges, and he is young but easy to do so far, which is really terrifying.

If you keep this person by your side, you may ......

Sima Lang maintained a respectful attitude, but his heart was hanging in his throat. Having said that, Dong Zhuo must have no reason to embarrass him anymore. If everything goes well, he can move back to Wenxian with his family, and his father should also give an explanation.

But if Dong Zhuo wants to keep himself in Beijing as an official, it will be a sheep in the mouth of a tiger. What's more, the younger siblings in the family are still young, and if they lose his protection, it may be difficult to move back to Hanoi Van County.

For the first time, Sima Lang felt that the lives of himself and his whole family were so fragile. It seems that the fine sand and dust gathered between the fingers can be dispersed with the wind in a moment. In this overly quiet hall, he could even breathe carefully, but he could accurately hear his own rapid and hurried heartbeat.

"Well, that makes sense." Dong Zhuo cleared his throat, "You stand down." ”

Sima Lang breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Fortunately, things went more smoothly than I thought. In this way, not only was his father, who had always been an official in Beijing, feel at ease, but the Sima family was also able to temporarily save their lives from the suffering of war and tyranny.

He stooped down and saluted, and retreated without haste. In his heart, he only hated himself for having two legs in vain, and he couldn't hurry home.

Retreating to the door, Sima Lang turned around and wanted to leave, but was stopped by Dong Zhuo behind him.

"Wait."

The figure froze for a moment. He didn't dare to turn back, for fear of something happening.

"I heard that you also have a sister who is in the flowering season, right?"

Facing the sunset that was about to fall, Sima Lang's pupils tightened in an instant.

——————

Closing the letter, Sima Xian sighed faintly.

"In order to protect me that day, my eldest brother bribed the officials around Dong Zhuo with a lot of money, so that he was able to send me out of the capital overnight." She looked at the peach blossoms blooming enthusiastically in the courtyard, and her eyes seemed to reflect her hometown.

"It turns out that you came to Lujiang because of this." Sun Ce held his chin, remembering that he had also moved here because of Dong Zhuo's affairs. His father, Sun Jian, was the famous Tiger of Jiangdong, who was the Taishou of Changsha at the time, but he had already gone to crusade against Dong Zhuo a few years ago.

Sun Ce wanted to go with him, but he was left in his hometown Shouchun by his father.

"You kid better practice more, don't follow him over and get in the way."

Father said this, but he was worried about Sun Ce in his heart. Although he was intelligent, he was still too young. What's more, Sun Jian still has a wife and children at home, and Sun Ce, as the eldest son, should naturally stay behind to take care of his mother and younger siblings.

At that time, Sun Ce was still in Shouchun, and he knew people and liked to laugh on weekdays, and he had gained his father's prestige, and he had already made friends with many celebrities in the surrounding counties. Sometimes he would invite his friends to a banquet in a restaurant and teahouse, but he would talk about things that ordinary people could not talk about. At that time, Sun Ce was still more childish than now, but his eyebrows were already full of grace and appreciation. He also likes to tell jokes when talking to people, often holding a teacup to his lips, telling interesting stories and laughing with the guests, a naughty tiger tooth looming in the mist. There was a girl of a similar age who also leaned in with a fan, and quietly leaned out from between the pavilions to peek at his appearance, and Sun Ce saw it as soon as he raised his eyes. He wasn't too reserved, he just smiled at them again, and two shallow pear vortices opened on his cheeks. The girls were shy and fond of it, and they were so shy that they covered their faces with a fan, but they couldn't help but secretly take a few more looks. At that time, Sun Ce's reputation was spread by word of mouth, and he was in the limelight for a while.

It was at that time that Zhou Yu heard about Sun Ce's reputation and came to visit. Two teenagers of the same age talked about the past from the family to the court, and talked about the sun, moon and stars from the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas.

Around last year, Sun Ce listened to Zhou Yu's persuasion about living in troubled times, and persuaded his mother to move her family to Lujiang. Zhou Yu is naturally hospitable and friends, and let Sun Ce live in a big mansion on the side of the road, so that he can have a friend who is a righteous brother today.

"Hey, I shouldn't have been blinded by lard for a while, so that I am being bullied every day now." Sun Ce shook his head with remorse: "I thought he was an elegant son, who would have thought that he would always love to bully his brother, how should I live this day......"

Zhou Yu naturally knew about Sun Ce, and even more understood that it was just his joke. On weekdays, the two fight and fight, but this friendship that is stronger than that of brothers is difficult to eliminate.

It's just that there used to be two people, but now it may be three people.

Zhou Yu stretched out his slender hand and interlocked his fingers with Sima Xian, who was looking at the peach blossoms. He wanted to comfort her. This girl who had just recovered from a serious illness was pale, and now her face was full of sorrow, as bleak as the thick clouds on a rainy night.

Sima Xian tightened his fingers, and the cold fingertips had a warm touch the moment they touched the back of Zhou Yu's hand. Zhou Yu didn't know that what she was worried about was not her hometown, which was thousands of miles away.

But the content of the letter was too heavy for them.

"Gongjin, what should I do?" She asked.

Sun Ce didn't understand for a while, but Zhou Yu clearly understood it at that moment.

Sima Xian pinched the letter that had not yet been folded and folded in one hand, and the white rice paper revealed a corner of the thick pen and ink.

Sima Lang wrote in the letter that when Dong Zhuo's scourge was eradicated, he would go to Jiangzuo to pick her up and return to her hometown.

And this point, presumably Sima Xian has always known, but he has never thought about it, and he doesn't dare to imagine what the parting will be like at that time.

If it really came to that moment of dilemma, what would she do?