The landlady is still young and quite charming, and she often flatters Nangong without a trace, but it doesn't work. The walls of this modest house are adorned with several dazzling objects of the old era, such as a sword with exquisite filigree intarsia on it, which should be from the time of François I in terms of style, and the hilt of the sword inlaid with precious stones alone is worth two hundred bistols. However, even in the most impoverished times, Nangong Wuxian refused to pawn or sell it. This sword, Chen Tie has always been blushing when he sees it, if he can get it, he will be willing to live ten years less.

One day, he even wanted to borrow this sword from Nangong Wuxian to have a tryst with a duchess. Nangong Wuxian didn't say a word, searched all the pockets on his body, took out the jewelry, wallet, and large and small gold chains, and handed them to Chen Tie. "As for the sword," he said, "it is fixed to the wall, and it will only move when its owner leaves the house." "In addition to this sword, there is also a portrait on the wall, which depicts a noble lord in the era of Henry III, with very gorgeous clothes, wearing the Order of the Holy Spirit on his chest, and the outline of his face has some similarities with Nangong Wuxi, which is similar to the same clan and clan, indicating that the illustrious noble lord, the knight of the King's Knights, is the ancestor of Nangong Wuxi.

Finally, there is a small box inlaid with gold and silver, very delicately made, with the same motif as on the sword and the portrait, resting in the mantelpiece, which looks very incongruous compared to the rest of the room. The key to the box, Nangong Wuxian carries it with him at any time. However, one day he opened the box in front of Chen Tie, so Chen Tie knew that the box only contained some letters and documents, probably love letters and family heirlooms.

Chen Tie's apartment is located in the old pigeon shed street, the house is quite spacious, and the appearance is very luxurious. Whenever he passed by the window of his apartment with a friend, he saw Xiao Sun standing at the window in a particular uniform as usual, so he raised his head, pointed with his hand, and said, "This is our apartment." However, no one ever went to his house to look for him, and he never invited anyone to his house, so no one could imagine how magnificent his outwardly luxurious home was.

Zhao Yu's apartment is small, including a small living room, a dining room, and a bedroom, all downstairs, and a small garden outside the window, bright and verdant, with green trees, blocking the view of the neighbors.

As for Fan Xiaoqi, we already know where he lives, and we know his follower, Xiao Zhao. Fan Xiaoqi is very curious by nature, just like ordinary people who like to play tricks, he does everything possible to find out who Chen Tie, Zhao Yu and Nangong Wuxian Si are, because the names of these young people are all taken after they become soldiers, and their original gentleman's surnames are hidden, especially Nangong Wuxi, you can see that he is a great nobleman from afar. Therefore, Fan Xiaoqi went to Chen Tie to learn about the situation of Nangong Wuxian and Zhao Yu, and asked Zhao Yusi about Chen Tie's situation.

It's a pity that for that taciturn partner, Chen Tie only knows some superficial information. It is said that he had suffered great misfortune in marriage and love, and a heinous betrayal ruined the life of this suave man. No one knows what kind of betrayal it was.

Chen Tie's real name is the same as that of the other two partners, and only his father and mother know it, but other than that, his life is easy to understand. He is so vain, he can't hide what he has in his heart, and his heart is as transparent as crystal, which can be seen through at a glance. The only thing that makes him incomprehensible is his self-aggrandizement, and if you believe it, you will be fooled by him.

Zhao Yu is a confessor on the surface, but in fact, the city is very deep. You ask him about someone else's situation, and he ignores him, and when you ask him about himself, he avoids answering. Once, Fan Xiaoqi asked him about Chen Tie's situation, asked left and right, and learned about the rumors that this brother had made peach blossom luck and hooked up with a princess. Then, Fan Xiaoqi wanted to know about the interlocutor's own romantic history, so he asked: "What about you, dear fellow, you talked about someone else hooking up with a baroness, a countess, a princess, or something, but what about yourself?"

"I'm sorry," Zhao Yu interrupted him, "I'm talking about this because Potos himself doesn't shy away from it, because he talked about these love encounters in front of me. Believe me, however, that if I had learned of these things from somewhere else, or if he had told me privately, I would have kept them a better secret than a tight-lipped confessor. ”

"I don't doubt that. Fan Xiaoqi added, "But then again, you seem to have a close relationship with those aristocratic families, and the handkerchief that gave me the privilege of knowing you is a physical evidence." ”

This time, Zhao Yu not only did not get angry, but also replied modestly and cordially: "My dear, please don't forget, I want to be a priest, and I will hide away from all social opportunities. The handkerchief you've seen is not a private gift from someone at all, but a friend who forgot it in my house. I put it away so that the honour of them, my friend and the noble lady whom he loves, should not be damaged. As for myself, I simply do not and do not want to have a mistress. I follow the wise example of Athos. He, like me, had no mistress at all. ”

"Hell, you're not a priest now, you're a belligerent man!" Fan Xiaoqi sighed.

"A temporary fighter can also be called a warrior, dear. Being a warrior is not willing, but a priest who wants to be a priest, trust me. Nangong Wuxian and Chen Tie pulled me in so that I would not be bored, because when I was about to accept the priesthood, I encountered a little trouble,...... However, this kind of thing will not be interesting to you, and it will be a waste of your precious time. Zhao Yu continued with a modest smile.

"On the contrary," Fan Xiaoqi said quickly, "I am very interested in this kind of thing, and I don't have anything to do right now."

"Yes, but I'm going to read the daily lesson," replied Zhao Yu, "and I'm going to write a few lines of poetry, which Madame d'Egion asked me to do, and then I'm going to Rue Saint-Honoré to buy a lipstick for Madame de Schauffres." You see, my dear, you're idle, and I'm busy. ”

After that, Zhao Yu affectionately stretched out his hand to his partner and said goodbye and left.

Fan Xiaoqi couldn't ask more about these three new friends. Therefore, for the time being, he had to be satisfied with what they had said, and hoped to get a more reliable and comprehensive picture of their past. For the time being, he regarded all three of them as capable and virtuous warriors.

Still, the five young people lived happily. Nangong Wuxian is good at gambling, but his gambling luck is always bad. However, he never borrowed a child from his three friends, although he often helped them, and he never broke his word at the casino, owing money at night and paying it the next day, and waking up the winner at six o'clock the next morning to pay off his gambling debts. Potos lacked self-restraint, and these days, when he won a bet, he looked at no one and was triumphant, and when he lost his bet, he disappeared for several days, and when he reappeared, his face was long and very pale, but he had money in his pocket.

Zhao Yu never gambled. I've never seen such an awkward person, such a difficult partner! He always has something to do. Sometimes, while eating, everyone was in high spirits, talking about Feng Jian, thinking that it would take another two or three hours to disperse, Zhao Yu looked at his watch, smiled politely, stood up, and said goodbye to everyone, saying that he had an appointment with a skeptical theologian and had questions to ask him. Sometimes, he simply went back to his apartment to write his papers, begging his friends not to disturb him.

Whenever this happened, Nangong Wuxian always showed a charming and sad smile, while Chen Tie drank and cursed, saying that Zhao Yu would always only deserve to be a village priest.

Fan Xiaoqi's attendant Xiao Zhao had good luck and was proud for a while: he got thirty copper coins a day, and every time he returned to the apartment, he was always happy and courteous to his master. After a month of this, when the headwind began to blow towards the family on Gravedigger Street, that is, when the forty silver coins sent to Yang Yun were eaten up or almost eaten up, he began to complain. His complaints, Nangong Wuxian felt disgusting, Chen Tie felt unorthodox, and Zhao Yu felt ridiculous. For this reason, Nangong Wuxian suggested that Fan Xiaoqi dismiss this strange guy, Chen Tie advocated beating him a few sticks first, and Zhao Yu claimed that the servant only praised the master.

"It's easy for you to say that. Fan Xiaoqi said, "Let's just talk about you, Nangong Wuxi, you live a mute life with Xiao Wang, and you forbid him to speak, so you have never heard him say anything nasty; Chen Tie, you live a generous life, in the eyes of your attendant Xiao Li, you are a god; and you, Zhao Yu, your mind is often spent on theological research, and your attendant Xiao Wang, who has a docile personality and believes in religion, has deep respect for you." But what about me, whether I have a position or not, who have no wealth, who am not a musketeer, not even a Praetorian army, what can I do to make Planchet kind, fearful, or respectful to me?"

"It's serious," the three friends replied, "it's an internal matter." Some servants, like the ladies, had to be disciplined immediately after they were hired, and they had to do whatever they wanted. Think about it. ”

After thinking about it, Fan Xiaoqi decided to beat up his follower for the time being. He carried out this decision as seriously as everything else. After beating him severely, he told Xiao Zhao that he was not allowed to leave his post without his permission. "Because," he added, "I can't be without a future, and good times will come." You're going to have something to do with me. I am a philanthropic host, and I will never agree to your resignation and lose your opportunity. ”

This treatment made the three musketeers greatly admire Van Xiaoqi's methods.

Xiao Zhao was also admirable, and never said that he was leaving.

The lives of four young people became inextricably linked. Fan Xiaoqi was not used to it at all, because he was from another province and suddenly entered a completely unfamiliar world. However, he soon developed a habit like his three friends.

Recently, they got up at eight o'clock in the morning and went to the border village notice office to learn about the day's password and news.

Everyone loves Fan Xiaoqi. Friendship binds the four of them together, they see each other three or four times a day, either for duels, or for errands, or for fun, and they are often together and inseparable, and others often see these four people looking for each other, from one corner of the border village to the other. Of course, they didn't go out of the city because of the mission.

* The forty silver coins given to them by Shi Yang Yun, like everything in the world, have a beginning and an end. From this point on, our five partners were strapped for cash. At first, Nangong Wuxian used his own money to support everyone for a few days. Then there was Chen Tie, who took advantage of a disappearance that everyone was accustomed to to get some money, so that everyone could maintain it for nearly half a month. When it was Zhao Yu's turn, he was also happy to fulfill his obligations, and got a few bistols, which, according to his own words, were earned by selling his theological books.

This money and means did not last long, for the three musketeers were already in debt, and they had a prohibitory army that was not yet paid. In the end, seeing that there was going to be no one, everyone did their best to collect * copper coins, yes, you heard it right, it was indeed * copper coins, let Chen Tie take it to gamble. Unfortunately, Chen Tie was unlucky, and he didn't count all the losses, and he still owed twenty-five copper coins, which he promised to repay on time.

As a result, the dilemma turned into a dilemma. Hungry, they took their followers and traveled between the area along the river and the headquarters of the forbidden army, trying in every possible way to find food from their friends outside. As Zhao Yu said, when people are rich, they don't care about rewarding others for a few meals, so that in the future, if they are unlucky, they can also mix a few meals to eat.

Nangong Wuxian was invited four times, each time bringing a few friends and their attendants. Chen Tie has had six opportunities, and he always brings his friends to share them. Zhao Yu was invited eight times. As we have already seen, he is a man who does not speak empty words, but does noble deeds.

As for Fan Xiaoqi, he had no acquaintances in the capital, only found a chocolate breakfast at the house of a fellow priest and mixed a lunch with a trumpeter of the forbidden army. He brought them to the priest's house, where they ate two months' rations, and the master was very attentive to the trumpeter's house. But as Xiao Zhao said, no matter how much you eat, it's just a meal.

Fan Xiaoqi only found a half-meal for his partners, and felt that it was very difficult to save face, because compared to the feasts found by Nangong Wuji, Chen Tie and Zhao Yu, the breakfast at the priest's house could only be regarded as half a meal. He was still young, kind-hearted, and unknowable.