Red Candle Town is surrounded by a high wall, Chen Ping'an and his party need to enter the town from the north gate, but soon an accident happened, there are guards in armor at the wall gate, and they need to submit the household gate before they can enter, which makes Chen Ping'an stunned on the spot, he doesn't even know what the household is on the spot.

Ah Liang, who got a gold ingot early, took out a crumpled official document from his arms with a smile, and after passing the inquest, this guy didn't even want a donkey, swaggered into the city alone, and when he arrived at the wall door, he didn't forget to wave goodbye to everyone who were looking at each other, which caused Li Huai's scolding and threatened to slaughter the white donkey, Ah Liang laughed and left.

Zhu He was also helpless, before leaving the town, the ancestor did not specifically explain the matter, in fact, except for the age, Zhu He did not know anything about the world outside, not much better than Chen Ping'an, as for the matter of trekking through mountains and rivers, eating and sleeping, it was far inferior to the poor young man who was born as a potter. Zhu He had an idea, thinking that money can make ghosts grind, it must be a universal truth, and he wanted to secretly stuff silver to a guard soldier, but he was directly put a spearhead against his chest by the young soldier, and reprimanded him sharply, Zhu He, who is good-natured, is also a little angry, the martial artist of the Five Realms, if he joins the army, he can't even do it with thousands of elite middle-level generals, but when Zhu He was about to reason with that person, Zhu Lu gently grabbed his arm and reminded softly: " Dad, our Dali military law has clear rewards and punishments, and there is a characteristic, either extremely light or extremely heavy, so don't conflict with these guys who are soldiers, we ordinary people can't take advantage. ”

Zhu He frowned, snorted coldly, and finally chose - the people do not fight with the officials.

Zhu Lu comforted in a low voice: "Dad, in the future, let the ancestor help you find an official identity, after you have a talisman, plus your skills, I believe you will be able to emerge soon, where do you still need to suffer from this." ”

Zhu He strode away, nodded, glanced back at the gatekeeper, and sneered: "It's really in response to that old saying, the king of Hades is good, but the little ghost is difficult." ”

Everyone subconsciously looked at Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an thought for a while, and said slowly: "There is really no way, we can only bypass Red Candle Town, we can hire someone to help us buy all the necessary items tonight, the real big trouble is that we can't go to the water transport dock in the town, the established itinerary will be modified, the original more than 200 miles of waterway, along the embroidery river to the south, it will be much easier than us walking, and there is no need to detour." ”

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a cyan official uniform walked out of the city gate quickly, carefully looked at Chen Ping'an and his party, and finally looked at Zhu He, hugged his fists and asked: "In the next Cheng Sheng, now I am the post of the pillow post in Red Candle Town, dare to ask Mr. Zhu He Zhu from Longquan County?"

Zhu He was silent, looking wary.

The man who called himself Yicheng smiled heartily: " Your lord once had a letter, sent directly to our county commanders, roughly said your itinerary, let our county magistrates do the friendship of the landlord, in addition, you each have letters, has arrived at our pillow station, I made a special trip for you ten years ago to vacate the house, can only say that it is still clean and clean, never dare to say how good, and hope that you will bear with you, do not complain to the county magistrate, otherwise the county lord is unhappy, I am afraid that tomorrow will lose my job. ”

The pillow post chair suddenly remembered something, "If Mr. Zhu doesn't believe it, I can immediately go to the post house and call a person, this person is from Fulu Street in Longquan County, saying that he is still the old official of the Governor's Office, and there is a letter from Dali Beijing, which he personally brought to the boss of the Bureau, saying that he would hand it over to a son named Lin Shouyi." ”

Lin Shouyi took a few steps forward, his face was full of the conceit and arrogance of a child of the family, and asked, "I am Lin Shouyi of Longquan County, dare to ask Cheng Yicheng, what is that person's name?"

The maid Zhu Lu was a little stunned, Lin Shouyi at this time was not the same as the taciturn and cold young man in his impression.

Li Baohua and Li Huai met their eyes for a moment, and each nodded slightly.

Yi Cheng Sheng's words did not stagnate in the slightest, "If I am not mistaken, it should be named Tang Shutou, in his forties, our Da Li official does not speak very smoothly, well, this person especially likes to drink, that is, wine......"

Lin Shou nodded and asked casually, "Yicheng has been waiting for us at this north gate these days?"

The man smiled: "Although I want to nod, but I really don't have this cheek, in fact, the pillow post is in the north of Red Candle Town, not far from here, and secondly, there is a beacon on the hill near the town, and I have a good relationship with the chief, so I asked him to help keep an eye on the downhill post road in the north, as soon as I see the figure of Mr. Zhu, the son of Lin Gongzi, let him let the beacon under his hand enter the city to inform me." ”

Lin Shouyi was stunned, stopped talking, and turned his head to look at Chen Ping'an, who nodded.

Zhu He smiled and thanked: "Master Cheng has bothered. ”

The Yicheng hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I can't afford to be called an adult, but I am just a villain in front of a donkey and a horse behind, doing the work of serving nobles all day long, it is really difficult to get into the hall of elegance." Let's not talk about it for now, I'll go and inform the guards, I believe that we will be able to enter our town soon. ”

Yicheng belongs to the Dali court, but it is not called the official of the court, this kind of Xu official does not enter the stream, does not belong to the quality of the official, and the distinction between the clear stream and the turbid officials is a huge gap.

Soon the post man led them to the doorway of the city wall, and although the guards of the city let them go, their faces were still not good-looking.

Yi Cheng took the lead in walking through the door hole of the extraordinarily shady city wall, turned his head and explained to Zhu He in a low voice: "They are all veterans who have retired from the border battlefield, they are not very capable, but their temper is dead, and sometimes even our county lords have nothing to do with them, Mr. Zhu should not be like them." ”

Zhu He no longer has experience in rivers and lakes, but he still understands the truth in a simple way, so he didn't answer.

They passed by a cold shop, where young men kept coming and going, and a white light lit up from time to time.

Li Huai couldn't move his footsteps, Zhu He couldn't help but look at it twice, and soon lost interest.

Yi Cheng said: "It is a sword shop, and the rest of the weapons are occasionally peddled. ”

Lin Shouyi asked curiously: "Doesn't the government care, aren't you afraid of the people in the market fighting with weapons?"

Yi Cheng said with a smile: "The government doesn't care much about this, but as long as something happens, it will be very strict, if the county government is not manpowered, the county lord can mobilize all the rivers and lakes in the jurisdiction to help resolve disputes." ”

Da Li is still martial arts, there are a lot of sword and saber travelers who travel all over the world, both the market scoundrels with low eyes and masters, and the children of the family who are angry and chivalrous, although the Dali court prohibits the sale of all weapons, but for the ordinary swords with mediocre casting process, most of them turn a blind eye, mainly depending on the attitude of the magistrate, if it is a pure reading seed origin, most of them must be strictly prohibited, if it is a battlefield warrior origin, eight or nine times out of ten will open the net, of course, strong bows and crossbows, excellent armor and other heavy weapons of the country, it is definitely not allowed to be sold anywhere.

Fengsui, post station, bazaar, wine shop, green building hook column, etc., Red Candle Town has everything, lively, pedestrians on the street, compared to Chen Ping'an's hometown town, it is too prosperous and noisy, all kinds of shops on both sides of the street, dazzling, shouting one after another.

Chatting all the way, after a stick of incense, he came to the pillow station, and soon there were post house handymen who took away the white donkey and horses, and Cheng Sheng really arranged a post house for them, both A and B, he did not make a claim, but threw the five post houses to Zhu He, and let them arrange them themselves.

Under Chen Ping'an's arrangement, Li Baohua and Zhu Lu live in a first-class post house, Zhu He lives in a first-class post house, and he and Li Huai Lin Shouyi each live in a first-class post house.

In the twilight, after everyone put their bags and packages, they gathered in the spacious first-class post house in Zhuhe, and Cheng Sheng quickly sent a stack of letters and letters, and after sending them, he said goodbye with a smile, saying that if there is something to do, just shout, and said that the night market in Red Candle Town is famous in the south of Dali, and you must see and know if you have the opportunity.

Lin Shouyi has one, Li Baohua has the most, there are three, even Chen Ping'an has one, Li Huai is empty-handed, and finally found Zhu Lu who is almost in a situation, and the child smiled: "Fortunately, we are both sick and sympathetic." ”

Zhu Lu turned a deaf ear, walked to the window, the small pillow post house, the winding path is deep, it actually creates a bit of the courtyard deep family garden meaning, from this side, it is a small lake that feels the size of a palm, raising a bloated and fat red and yellow koi.

Lin Shouyi's family letter was only a piece of letterhead, without a few words, the young man took a deep breath, put the so-called family letter back into the envelope, and left the post house with a gloomy face, five fingers clenched the envelope, in addition to more than 30 scribbled perfunctory letters, there was also a silver ticket of 300 taels of silver in the largest money bank.

The boy strode back to the inn, closed the door gently, and placed the envelope on the table, his face pale and his chest heaving.

Chen Ping'an picked a secluded position and sat down, Li Baohua ran over, and he smiled and said, "If I have a word I don't know, I will ask you." ”

Only then did Li Baohua return to the table and began to open the letter, three letters from his father, eldest brother and second brother.

Li Baovase opened the envelope one by one, and his father Li Hong said in the letter that he was cold and warm, as always, there was no strict father's shelf, and he told some trivial things, such as dressing more in the cold, don't be afraid to spend money when you go out, and then every time you pass by the post station, you must send a letter to your father and mother, chattering, and five or six pieces of letter paper are gone. Li Baohua sighed, looked at Zhu He, who was sitting across the table drinking tea, and said sadly: "When will my father and mother stop treating me as a child." ”

Zhu He couldn't help but laugh and drank tea.

Li Baohua browsed the second letter, which was written by the eldest grandson of their Li family, her eldest brother, who is now studying the scriptures at home and preparing to participate in the imperial examination next year. The content of the letter is concise and to the point, the upright italics, as if full of the charm of Mr. and the master sitting in danger, each stroke reveals a strong cautiousness, and the whole article is full of sages and sages, and she should not neglect the father and daughter of Zhuhe and Zhulu, and she should not be regarded as a child, and she should listen to Chen Ping'an's words in Mud Bottle Lane, and be able to bear hardships and stand hard work, and cause less trouble to others, but at the end of the letter, the eldest brother, who has adhered to the rules of etiquette since childhood, told her that she was a crab that was caught home from the stream when she was a child, and now he has raised his experience, and she should rest assured。

Li Baohua raised the letter paper in his hand and complained to Zhu He: "Big brother doesn't feel sorry for me the most. ”

Zhu He couldn't hold back a smile, thinking to himself, Miss, you have it, who doesn't know that the Li family is up and down, and the eldest prince feels the most sorry for you. So a nerd who even had a headache for his ancestors, the first time he drank, it turned out that the tea was secretly replaced by his sister with home-brewed peach blossom spring burning, which made the eldest son so angry that he almost collapsed.

I never thought that when he saw the girl, standing outside the courtyard gate, with his hands on his waist, looking at death as home, he scolded her for his reluctance, and he was so angry that he turned his head and left, sulking for several days. Later, in his yard, a pot of peach blossoms was buried that year, and when his sister asked, he said that he wanted to marry her, which scared the little girl to run away from home secretly, and wandered around Longxu Creek all day, and she almost hid in the mountains.

When the Li family noticed that Li Baohua was gone, the ancestor was furious and dispatched everyone to find this stupid girl, and in the end, it was the eldest prince who made up for it, and found the poor child sleeping on a wooden bench in a small temple on the other side of the stream, and carried her home.

The little girl in the red cotton jacket suddenly smiled: "But I still like the big brother the most." ”

The last letter, a thick stack, was sent by the second son of the Li family to his sister, telling his experience of going to the capital of Dali, all of which were anecdotes that he had seen with his own eyes or hearsay, and the wording was as beautiful as prose, very skilled, like a poet who was gifted by heaven. This second son in the Li family on Fulu Street, far more popular than the eldest brother, handsome and elegant, but funny, like to read military books, since childhood like to let the maid servants in the house, form a formation of "fighting", compared to the old-fashioned and dull eldest son, the people of the house prefer to deal with the cheerful second son, every New Year's holiday, the second son will throw out a small embroidered bag of reward money, heavy, if whose auspicious words are good, he will give an embroidered bag more.

Li Baohua turned over quickly, and when he saw the penultimate piece of letter, he looked up at Zhu Lu: "My second brother talked about you, and said that he told you before about the Taiping Fire of Dali Fengsui, he once stayed on the top of the mountain at night, and saw with his own eyes this kind of beacon signal of the border to report peace to the capital, and he looked into the distance, like a flame dragon, very spectacular." ”

Zhu Lu walked back to the table and sat down, and asked, "Miss, what else did you say?"

Li Baohua simply handed all the stacks of letter paper to Zhu Lu, but the second brother was talking about customs and customs, mountain ghosts and monsters, and there was nothing unspeakable.

Zhu Lu took the letter and asked, "Can you take it back and read it slowly?"

Li Baohua nodded and said, "Just don't lose it." ”

Zhu Lu's face was full of joy and left with a smile.

Yicheng Cheng Sheng knocked on the door and entered, bringing a pot of fresh melons and fruits.

Behind him was a man with a hat.

Li Huai was furious, ran over, and was about to push this conscienceless bastard out of the house.

Ah Liang sat on the stool by the table while competing with Li Huai, and asked with a wicked smile: "What's the matter with Zhu Lu, the delicate appearance of the spring breeze on his face seems to be a little more beautiful than usual." ”

Zhu He blackened his face and did not speak.

Lin Shouyi returned and sat near Chen Ping'an, Ah Liang threw the small silver gourd to Lin Shouyi, and the young man pulled out the wine stopper and took a sip of wine.

Ah Liang turned to Yi Cheng and asked, "Is there a water bay in Red Candle Town, which is not too far from the water transportation wharf?"

Yi Cheng's face was strange, and he nodded: "Yes." ”

Ah Liang sighed: "Sell the gold cave, sell the gold cave." ”

There is a crescent-shaped river bay in Red Candle Town, floating a kind of exquisite painting boat unique to Red Candle Town, no more than two or three zhang long, hanging precious purple bamboo or ordinary green bamboo all around, the luxury of the decoration inside, depending on the financial resources of the owner of the painting boat, each painting boat generally has two to three women, how beautiful women, young girls, piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea and wine, at least one or two will be proficient, in addition to the viewing seat, there is also a bedroom, its function is self-evident.

Those boat girls, is generations of Dali lowly households, according to legend was the former dynasty of the Shenshui country of the remnants of the country, the emperor of Dali issued a holy decree, they will never be allowed to go ashore, to their children and grandchildren to be the rootless duckweed.

The people of Red Candle Town have been passed down from generation to generation, and the land lord of Qidun Mountain not far away, who is loyal and righteous, secretly sheltered the escape of the ancestors of these surnames, so he provoked the anger of Emperor Long Yan of Da Li, and demoted him from the mountain god to the land, and ordered the descendants of those surnames to break the golden body with his own hands and sink to the bottom of the river.

Yi Cheng carefully brewed the wording, selected some innocuous town allusions, and told them to these distinguished guests.

Red Candle Town is not the north-south hub of Dali, but it is also a busy water transportation wharf full of boats, and products from all over the world are gathered. It is the confluence of three rivers, namely the Chongyu River, the Embroidery River and the Yuye River, but there are only two river gods, there are river shrines built on the riverside, clay statues of golden gods, all of them are the commanders of the Dali meritorious naval army who died in the water battle.

Only Chong Jiang does not set up a temple for the god of the river, and then there was a temple of Niang Niang who was prosperous with incense, dedicated to a small town martyr who committed suicide by throwing herself into the river to prove her innocence, and the result was soon set as an obscene shrine by the Dali court, and now there is only a pile of ruins, broken bricks and tiles, only snakes and rats are running around.

When he heard the deeds of the land lord of Qidun Mountain, Li Huai sighed in a low voice: "I didn't expect such a big bad guy to have such a good reputation in Red Candle Town." ”

Lin Shouyi's face was indifferent, "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read. ”

Chen Ping'an put away the letter sent by Ruan Xiu.

The letter said that the Luoluo Mountain he bought was successfully awarded the title of a new mountain god of Da Li, helping to gather aura on the mountain, second only to Phiyun Mountain, which did not participate in the sale, and the Lamp Mountain held by her father.