Jufeng Town, a hub of the longitudinal canal, was originally a remote village that no one cared about, but in just 20 years, it has become a large-scale and prosperous town, with everything you need, and it is not inferior to the famous town in the south of the Yangtze River.

There was a green-shirted Confucian who entered Jufeng Town with a small bag on his back, which was inconspicuous in the mixed town. Now there is a saying in Jufeng Town: the people who return to the north are all bad people, and the people who go south are Jin Guihan. Because recently near the town of Jufeng often heard the horses' hooves, there are constantly a large number of cavalry southward gallop to help Guangling Road, it is said that the overall situation will be decided, the big people in the court, especially the bigwigs in the army, have used the strength to eat milk to send their children and grandchildren into the ranks of the southbound army, the most exaggerated is that as one of the veterans of the two Liaodong border Guanding Haishen needle, only to let the eldest grandson in the Liaodong border from the fishing to a real lieutenant's excellent official body, soon in a hurry to drive the grandson out of the border army, thrown to the Guangling Road battlefield side, it is said that as soon as he changed, he became the military aircraft staff of Lu Shengxiang, the commander of the Southern Expedition, and naturally had a bright future。

This Confucian did not look for a resting inn, but went straight to the famous book market in Jufeng Town, a 300-step street is flanked by large and small bookstores, although the history of Jufeng Town is full of more than 20 years, but many shops also dare to play a century-old signboard, but most of the book buyers laugh at it, too lazy to care about anything. The Confucian scholars did not choose those bookshops that provoked gold-lettered signboards, but stepped into a slightly narrow and gloomy small bookstore in the back half of the street.

Seeing this Confucian cross the threshold, the middle-aged shopkeeper who was entertaining a group of young guests smiled, hurriedly put down the business at hand, and quickly stepped forward to greet him, the Confucian in front of him was the old customer of their store, not many times, and did not buy many books, but for more than ten years, he would visit almost every two years, and the most important thing was to talk with his father very happily, so that his father, who rarely drank alcohol, would always make an exception before his death, and he had to pull the Confucian to sit down and drink together, saying that it was a drink, and he could drink a small two catties of wine while drinking.

Confucius smiled and asked Brother Chu, last time he couldn't find the flower-faced version of "Grass and Insects Under the Lamp", I brought it to him. The middle-aged shopkeeper said calmly, Mr. Cao, my father left last year. The Confucian was stunned for a moment, a little sentimental, but still took out the book from his bag, the middle-aged man smiled and said that he would leave, my father left when he was seventy, and the old man often smiled and said that life is rare for seventy years, and it is earned in this life. Mr. Cao, my father is free of illness and disaster, he will leave after a sleep, and we can't worry too much about our sons. However, before my father left, he often talked to my husband, saying that if he could have a drink with him before he died, then his life would be really complete. The Confucian surnamed Cao apologized and said that he had the opportunity to come here last year, but he was in a hurry at the time, and he didn't think it was very convenient. You take this book, and when you turn around and toast Brother Chu to the grave, you will burn it.

The middle-aged shopkeeper joked with a smile, Mr. Cao, then I won't give you the silver.

The Confucian hurriedly smiled and waved his hand, I have drunk so many meals in vain for so many years, where is I embarrassed to collect money from you. By the way, if I'm not mistaken, your fisherman's boy should also do the crown ceremony, right?

The middle-aged man seemed to get angry when he talked about the rabbit cub, and he had no choice but to say goodbye to that bastard thing, Mr. Cao, you don't know, our family is not a poetry and book heirloom, nor can it be called a scholarly family, but it is a character who deals with sages every day, isn't it? Where did I think that the boy grew up more and more disobedient, on his thin bamboo pole figure, life or death to join the army, this not long ago with a few good peers in the town, together with a few good peers in the town, together to run to the county town said that there is a back door to dredge, lucky to go directly to the south to fight, as a result of him sullen back, I asked and didn't say anything, just every day the rooster crows and gets up and runs to the canal, want me to say, this kid is young, I don't know what in the world is more comfortable than living a peaceful life. Mr. Cao, that kid is old, it doesn't work for me to be a father, but he has listened to you since he was a child, if Mr. is not in a hurry to leave, I will find him, Mr. must help talk about him, if I can twist his tendon back, I will give Mr. a set of Xichu Chongwenguan version of "Winter Snow Falling Collection", which is a good thing that my father is reluctant to take away, and told me to keep it as an heirloom and pass it on from generation to generation.

Without waiting for the Confucian surnamed Cao to say anything, the middle-aged shopkeeper didn't even care about business, and ran out into the street to find his son, who was getting bigger and more worrying.

Five or six young male and female customers in the small shop chatted boredly, and there was a heated discussion at the moment, and naturally the first to recommend the one-sided Guangling War, and they all thought that it was time to close the coffin. These rich and noble children with a Beijing accent are worthy of being characters living at the feet of the Son of Heaven, and their words are vertical and horizontal, although the voice is not loud, but others listen to it very loudly. With the evaluation of the military exploits and abilities of the leading generals of the imperial court, and the number of civil and military ministers in Western Chu, it soon came to Cao Changqing, the real backbone of the restoration of Western Chu. The other party retorted that Cao Changqing was a clever woman who could not cook without rice, and that it was not the right time and place to lose in Xichu, and it was by no means that the big official was weak. The dispute continued, both sides were close friends, and they couldn't fight, so in the end, they inexplicably shifted the topic to the queen of the former dynasty of Western Chu, and the two young women talked about her with some pity, and there was a brocade boy who sneered and said that it was just a disaster for the country and the people, after the fall of Western Chu, it was rumored that it was that woman who had bad luck in Da Chu, otherwise with the original life of Western Chu, there should be one hundred and sixty years of national glory to exist. Soon, another young man smiled and said, why is the saying "ten sheep and nine incomplete" popular today, not because the queen of Xichu is a sheep?

Not far away, the Confucian man in green clothes with frosty temples was silent.

A young boy who kept playing with a small bronze seal laughed softly: " Not to mention that Cao Changqing's fame is actually difficult to deputy, then the king of Beiliang is really a big trick, the court has clearly relaxed the Guangling Caoyun, and actually led 10,000 cavalry troops south to Guangling Road, under the banner of Jingnan to quell the rebellion, but who doesn't know that it is actually for some of the remnants of Western Chu to relieve the siege, but Beiliang is in charge, and our court is indeed right, after all, people control the northwest portal in their hands, known as 300,000 iron cavalry, my father has a total of people in the military department, and it is estimated that the cavalry should have about 1230,000. Alas, we are really aggrieved, if it weren't for a Beimang, their Beiliang Xu family would have handed over their military power a long time ago. ”

The Confucian scholar put down a yellowed ancient book and said with a smile: "Otherwise, I will be afraid of the word 'if' no matter how I talk about the world." ”

Those people have actually seen this green-shirted literati for a long time, and his temperament is not good, although he does not look like an official, but most of the people in Liyang are more polite to scholars, and most of the hermits in the world are such high-standard and outstanding, these famous young people are from the official family of the capital, and they will naturally not face each other evilly.

Confucius smiled and asked, "I've always been curious, why did the young king of the Northwest Domain fight to the death at the border pass, can you solve my doubts?"

A young man with a crooked melon and cracked jujube said in a loud voice: "He, Xu Fengnian, is not a martial arts master, since no one will die if he dies, he Xu Fengnian, why don't you take the Beiliang cavalry to fight? If you lose, it is nothing more than running away, and if you win, it will go down in history for eternity." If it were me, I would fight Beimang the same, and I would fight Beimang to the death!"

The Confucian scholar asked again: "Then why didn't he join forces with Beimang, the 300,000 Beiliangbian army, plus the Beimang's million-strong army, to go south to the Central Plains together, is it better than winning against Beimang?"

The young man was stunned for a moment, and said confidently: "It must be that the surname Xu does not dare to seek skin with the tiger, the barbarians of Beimang are naturally murderous, and they must take the Beiliang cavalry as the vanguard, and when they finally defeat the Central Plains, there will be no tens of thousands of horses left in Beiliang, will the old woman of Beimang come to cross the river and tear down the bridge with one hand?"

In the end, instead of taking advantage of the advantages and reaping the benefits, the person surnamed Xu cut off his head, and the person surnamed Xu is not a fool, how can he do such a loss-making deal? What does the gentleman think?"

The Confucian nodded and smiled: "This makes sense. ”

Then as if he remembered something, the Confucian waved his hand and said: "I can't afford to be a gentleman, and I haven't been a official in Liyang, my surname is Cao, you might as well call me Lao Cao." ”

The handsome young man who was playing with the bronze seal asked tentatively, "Listen to the accent, Mr. Cao...... Oh no, Lao Cao, are you from the other side of Guangling Road?"

The Confucian nodded and laughed at himself: "That's why I'm not an official." ”

Everyone was relieved, and naturally felt that this person was unable to be a big official in the Liyang Imperial Court because of his Guangling Taoist background, and probably had some knowledge and literati backbone, and he was unwilling to be a petty official in the Liyang Imperial Court.

The Confucian priest, who was covered in dust, first suddenly glanced south, and then seemed to have the intention of leaving, turned his head and said gently to the young men and women: "Originally, I also had a 'if' to say to you, but there is something that needs to be taken first, I am afraid that I will not be able to wait for the owner of this shop, so I am sorry for you to help me speak." ”

A woman said delicately: "It's not too late to leave after saying 'if'." ”

The Confucian who had frost-white temples but a unique style shook his head with a smile and said, "There is one thing that cannot be delayed." ”

After saying that, the Confucian scholar walked out of the bookstore and walked down the side street out of town.

He went north all the way and deliberately restrained his breath, so he didn't go fast, because there were some old friends like the bookstore in Jufeng Town who wanted to see him, and he was afraid that they would be affected by the pond fish after his death.

The world is afraid of ifs, and the world is afraid of what ifs.

Therefore, his "if" is destined to be unknown to the world.

If in his official stage, he personally led the army to the north to lead the Western Chu to restore the country, and at the same time Gu Jiantang's Liyang and Liao border armies went south to Tai'an City, and Wang Sui resisted the opportunity of the Northern Mang's horseshoe to go south, Xu Fengnian's 300,000 Beiliang Iron Cavalry chose not to move because of a woman surnamed Jiang. And with Chen Zhibao leading the Shu army to sit in Guangling Road, he only needs to involve the two armies of Wu Chongxuan and Xu Gong, and he doesn't even need to deliberately intercept the southern Xinjiang army under the command of Zhao Bing, the king of Yan, to aid Tai'an City, because it is too late.

So is the world still surnamed Zhao?

He doesn't think so.

He Cao Changqing doesn't think so!

After the man slowly walked out of Jufeng Town, he took off his pouch and took out two chess boxes.

Let me Cao Changqing play the last game of chess for you.