The grandfather and grandson briefly stayed in Fancheng for one night, and the next day they prepared to cross the river to Xiangyang.

But by the time they arrived at Fancheng, it was almost dark, there were no Qianshou people on the road, and the surrounding countryside was empty, only a few guards at the city gate were ready to close the gate.

Deng Hong saw that the city gate was about to be closed, and hurriedly shouted: "Don't close the city gate, I am an assistant under Liu Yuanjun's account, and I am about to go to Xiangyang." ”

At this time, on the castle tower, there was a sturdy man with a dog's tail grass in his mouth, lying bored on the female wall, hearing the shout, he glanced over.

At seven o'clock in the evening, when it was not completely dark in the middle of summer, he saw that the other party was dressed as a Confucian scholar and had a child by his side, so he held up his head and said sideways: "There is an order from above, and the door must be closed when the time comes." ”

Deng Hong put on a smile and said: "Please also ask the general to be accommodating, if you can't enter the city, our ancestors and grandchildren will have to sleep outside the city, I don't have to do anything, I'm afraid that my grandson will be exposed to the wild at night, and it will be bad if he gets sick." ”

"That's right."

The man smiled and said, "It's true, I see you dressed as a Confucian student, how can you memorize the scriptures?" ”

"Forehead ......"

Deng Hong raised his head and hesitated: "Does this have anything to do with my going into the city?" ”

The man said: "I admire talented people the most, if you have no talent, but you wear Confucian clothes to swagger through the market, wouldn't it tarnish the reputation of scholars?" So I have to test you, or I won't let you into the city. ”

Deng Hong was speechless.

But under the eaves, people had to bow their heads, so they had to say: "I rule the Analects ......."

I was a little embarrassed to say this.

The man thought for a while, tilted his head and smiled: "Then you can tell me, what does it mean to "the scholars of the past are themselves, and the scholars of today are people"? ”

Deng Hong looked at Shen Chen.

Shen Chen whispered a few words in his ear.

Deng Hong said loudly: "The ancient scholars are their own, and they will eventually become things." Today's scholars are human beings, and they will eventually lose themselves. When the sages and scholars gain and lose their intentions, they have said a lot, but there is no such thing as a serious matter. If you discern it and save it every day, you will not be able to follow it. ”

The man originally just thought that Deng Hong could translate it a little, and it would be good to talk about some knowledge, but he didn't expect the explanation to be quite clever, and immediately realized that the other party was not an idle person, so he sat up and looked up and down at the grandparents and grandchildren in the city.

It was only at this time that Deng Hong and Shen Chen saw the man's appearance clearly, and saw that he was about twenty-seven or eighteen years old, with a burly physique, a particularly resolute face, wearing a luxurious silk brocade robe, and a strange bird feather on his head, just sitting cross-legged on the female wall and looking down.

Gan Ning!

Before the man could introduce himself, Shen Chen almost called out the name.

It's really the bird feathers on his head and the brocade clothes that are too famous.

Not only became famous in later generations, but also in the late Eastern Han Dynasty today, because this guy doesn't do personnel.

Before Gan Ning, he organized a criminal gang and was known as the "Jinfan Thief", who did evil in Ba County, and his reputation had already spread to Jingzhou.

Last year, Jingzhou didn't drive Liu Ting against them, but Liu Biao's army was defeated by Liu Zhang, and Gan Ning ran to Nanyang to mix, but he didn't expect him to be in Fancheng.

At this time, Gan Ning was also looking at the grandfather and grandson.

In fact, the Fancheng area of Caiyang is the ancestral land of Gan Ning, Liu Biao placed him under Zhang Yun, and now he is stationed in Fancheng, looking at the city gate all day long.

I was idle today, and I wanted to tease the scholars in the city, but I didn't expect the other party's knowledge to be good.

You must know that Gan Ning did evil in his early years, but later he changed his mind, read and practiced calligraphy, studied Confucian articles, and later was selected by the state government because of his talent, and even slowly promoted to Shu County.

It can be seen that his level will not be too bad.

Because of this, he was able to discover the extraordinaryness of the other party.

Since Gan Ning was studying, he still admired those truly learned people, and saw that their ancestors and grandchildren really couldn't spend the night outside the city, so he shouted: "Open the city gate and let them in." ”

"Thank you, General!"

Deng Hong was overjoyed, and after bowing his hand, he asked the coachman to drive the donkey cart into the city.

When the ancestors and grandchildren came in, Gan Ning was still watching them from the city tower, Deng Hong once again thanked them, and the donkey cart slowly drove towards the post house.

When Shen Chen saw Gan Ning, he also wanted to talk a few words, but unfortunately there was no reason to talk to others, and they still had to guard the city gate, and they had to be duty-bound, so it was inconvenient to disturb, so they had to give up and leave.

But they didn't expect that after the two took the donkey cart to the post house, they were not accepted.

Because Deng Hong went to work, he didn't go to the place, and he didn't get the identity of the waist card, and the post house stable was for the Jingzhou officials who came and went, and he didn't have an identity, so he naturally couldn't move in.

In fact, there was an inn in the Han Dynasty, the problem is that there was a big chaos in Guanzhong recently, and a large number of displaced people poured into the direction of Wuguan, among which the Guanzhong family with a certain economic strength would basically run around Xiangyang, so the Fancheng inn was full in recent times, and there was no room for a few of them.

In desperation, the grandfather and grandson had to look around the street for a building that could accept them.

When it gets dark, you can't find it anywhere.

At this time, Gan Ning got off work, handed over the city defense military affairs with other generals, and rode a horse to return to his mansion, when he happened to see them, he urged the war horse to come closer, and asked, "Why are you still on the street?" ”

Deng Hong saw that it was Gan Ning, and said with a wry smile: "Because I am going to Xiangyang to take up my post, I have not yet received the seal of the official's waist plate, so the stable of the pavilion does not accept our ancestors and grandchildren." ”

Gan Ning thought for a while and said, "Then come and stay at my house for one night, anyway, I live alone, and my house is quite big." ”

"Thank you, General!"

Deng Hong was overjoyed and thanked again and again: "It's really lucky to go out and meet the general." ”

"Come with me."

Gan Ning led the way in front and led them to the south of the city.

Fancheng was very large, and with the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, people migrated to Jingzhou everywhere, and Xiangyang slowly formed a metropolitan area.

Zhonglu County, Linfu County, Ye County, and Yicheng in the south, Shandu County, Deng County, Fancheng, and Caiyang in the north, and within 30 or 40 square kilometers of the surrounding area, there are more than 10 county seats, with a population of more than 1 million.

The grandfather and grandson followed Gan Ning for about two kilometers in the city, and finally arrived at his house.

It is a very large mansion, Gan Ning is more luxurious, and his family is very rich, so he must pay attention to luxury in life, he said that he lives alone, but in fact there are twenty or thirty slaves.

After arriving at the door, his own slave led his horse and the donkey of his grandfather and grandson to the stable in the backyard, and the two followed Gan Ning into the courtyard and went in the direction of the central hall.

At this time, it was completely dark, and it was almost nine o'clock in the evening, and Gan Ning instructed the guests at home to prepare some wine and food to entertain.

Although Deng Hong was polite, he couldn't resist Gan Ning's enthusiasm, and soon the central hall was lit with candles, and the hall became bright.

Waiting for the work on the dish, Gan Ning turned his head sideways and asked Deng Hongdao: "Mr. has good knowledge, I don't know what official position he plans to go to Xiangyang this time?" ”

Deng Hong said with a little embarrassment: "It's the history of the state pastoral pavilion order." ”

Gan Ning frowned and said, "Mr. is so knowledgeable, is he just giving a room order history?" ”

"Actually, I ......"

Deng Hong wanted to say that his talent was just like that.

But Shen Chen suddenly said: "Now that the world is in chaos, talented and learned people may not be able to be reused, I think the general is extraordinary, can't he only guard the city gate in Fancheng?" ”

Gan Ning's face changed, and he sighed and didn't speak.

Deng Hong hurriedly said: "Ah Chen." ”

Shen Chen didn't pay attention to him, but continued: "By the way, I haven't asked the general's name yet. ”

"I'm Ganning of Ba County, and the word Xingba."

Gan Ning replied.

Deng Hong hurriedly said: "In Xia Xinye Deng's family, his name is Deng Hong, and his name is young. This is my grandson, his name is Shen Chen, he is eight years old, he speaks a little unscrupulously, and I ask the general to forgive me. ”

Gan Ning waved his hand and said, "It's okay, this kid is right." Originally, I couldn't get used to Liu Zhang, Liu Yan's father and son, and turned against them, but after defecting to Liu Biao, I was placed under Zhang Yun by him, guarding the city gate all day long, which was annoying. ”

Shen Chen said: "I have heard of the reputation of the general, and Zongheng Bashu is quite chivalrous, but Liu Biao is not reused, this is because he does not practice martial arts, in my opinion, his foundation will be taken away one day." ”

"Ah Chen, you ......"

Deng Hong's eyes were about to fall, and he hurriedly wanted to cover his mouth.

How do you know that Gan Ning was not angry at all, and suddenly seemed to have met a bosom friend, and began to look Shen Chen up and down, and said in surprise: "You kid...... Wait a minute, when I asked me just now, I saw you talking to your uncle, isn't it? ”

Deng Hong said helplessly: "The general guessed right, it was Ah Chen who said, he has been smart since he was a child, and we went to see Liu Jingzhou last year, and it was because of Ah Chen that I was awarded the history of the room order." ”

"I didn't expect you to be so talented and learned, and I thought the same way."

Gan Ning said: "After I turned against Liu Zhang and defected to Liu Biao the year before last, I found that his armament was lax, and the generals were all wine bags and rice bags. ”

Deng Hong was surprised: "In that case, why doesn't the general leave?" ”

Gan Ning laughed at himself: "I grew up on the river since I was a child, and I only want to stay in the south and follow the Ming Lord." But now Liu Zhang in Yizhou in the south has turned against him, Jiangdong is in chaos again, and no one has the main master, so he has to commit himself to Liu Biao and get by all day long. ”

Shen Chen laughed: "Don't be discouraged general, "Zhou Yi" cloud: "The gentleman hides the weapon in his body, and he will move when the time comes." "What the general lacks now is not the master, but an opportunity, before that, the general must be ready."

"Oh?"

Gan Ning was curious: "What insight do you have?" ”

Shen Chen said: "Nanyang is a good place, I expect that in another two years, Nanyang will inevitably be in chaos, the general should take this opportunity to join forces with us to expand the army, occupy some cities, recuperate, and when the time comes, it is the time for the general to show his skills." ”

Gan Ning said with a smile: "Although Liu Biao does not practice martial arts, he especially has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, reaching Bashu in the west, rejecting Henan in the north, attacking Wuyue in the east, and Jiaozhi in the south. Now there is no one in the world who is much stronger than him, who will attack Nanyang? ”

Shen Chen smiled confidently and said, "If the general doesn't believe it, he will know next year or the year after next." At that time, someone will inevitably attack Wancheng, why don't we wait and see? ”

"Well, I'd like to see if it's true as you say."

Gan would rather not be able to move a child just by saying a few words, or even if he is not a child, he cannot be moved immediately.

Before the prophecy came true, everyone had their own ideas except for those who had no opinions.

Shen Chen said: "If Chen is lucky, what should the general be?" ”

Gan Ning said without hesitation: "That means that you are a person who can really understand the situation in the world, and I will listen to whatever you say when the time comes." ”

"It's a deal."

"It's a deal."

"When the time comes, the general will remember to come to me."

Shen Chen showed fox-like cunning eyes.

Since the Huangmenting incident, he has begun to reflect on many things.

The biggest mistake at that time was that he did not expect Cao Cao to hear his name, which led to the killing of hundreds of relatives in Jinyang.

Since then, he has been summarizing and thinking every day, and his intelligence and strategy have gradually grown a lot.

Perhaps this is the best interpretation of the phrase "I am three times a day, and I am self-conscious".