"I'm doing this for Lang Jun's good! Mention what I do! He shouted with a red face, "I have followed the lord in the past few years, running around, how can I have the heart to settle the family!" ”

She pointed calmly, "You're blushing." ”

So Tian Yu's face turned even redder, and he was so ashamed that he almost left the table, but Tai Shici dragged him back, of course, he didn't forget to laugh after dragging it back.

"You," she said, "reminds me of a friend." ”

"Which one?"

"You don't recognize it." She cut the mutton with a chopstick, dipped it in the sesame sauce, stuffed it in her mouth and chewed it, and was about to drink a little more wine, when she found that only half a glass of residual wine was left in the cup.

So she sighed for no reason.

"It's been a long time since I've seen him, and I don't know how he's doing."

This year, there is abundant rain in the Jianghuai region, but this does not mean that the same is true in the north.

Maybe Han Zuo is really going to end, many people whisper like this. For in the northern land, where wars have been fought for many years, this year has added drought and locust plagues in addition to wars and pestilences.

The overwhelming messengers of death covered the sky and swept in, devouring every inch of grass and every leaf above the surface of the earth, leaving nothing behind, and devouring all the fields. The people might catch a little locust, roast it, and eat it in a hurry. But locusts come and go quickly, and who has the ability to catch them in large numbers and keep them as reserves? Therefore, the people are still left with boundless desolation and death.

Fortunately, the locusts have eaten up the grass and trees on the ground, and the grass roots and grass seeds can still be dug up underground, so on such a cold and dry night, it is an extremely rare enjoyment to be able to drink a bowl of porridge made from chopped grass roots.

The soldier put the spoon into the clay pot and turned it, especially the bottom, scooped up as many grass roots as possible, and poured them into the bowl to make the first two bowls of porridge as thick as possible. This behavior was slightly unfair, but the rest of the soldiers did not protest.

Because the two bowls of grassroots porridge were placed on the dinner plate and carefully brought to the front of the tent.

Gao Shun picked up one of the bowls, and when he was just about to eat, he found that his comrades were in a daze.

"Wenyuan?"

It has been two years since he left Chang'an, and the time of these two years is too fierce, leaving different traces on everyone's body, especially in Zhang Liao.

When they were still in Chang'an, Zhang Liao in Gao Shun's eyes was a calm and resolute, but sharp teenager, and now Zhang Liao seems to have grown a little taller, but it may also be because he has lost a lot of weight.

There is always a coldness in his eyebrows, and there is always a little scrutiny in the eyes of others. His whole person became silent and cold, and he was no longer the young man who loved to talk and laugh at the beginning.

But Zhang Liao was staring at the moon in the distance in a daze at this time, and there was something familiar to Gao Shun in his expression, he guessed that he was thinking of someone, something, or place, so he missed it like that.

But when he called for the second time, Zhang Liao had quickly come back to his senses, and the young military general in a shabby armor smiled rarely, and picked up the bowl of porridge.

"I just remembered someone."

Gao Shun was not surprised, "Huh? ”

"Do you remember, Lu Hangyu?" Zhang Liao said, "It's been almost two years. ”

The unsmiling general was a little surprised, but nodded.

"I remember, I heard that the general originally wanted to take him, but he refused."

"I think he was right to refuse." Zhang Liao said suddenly.

Gao Shun didn't understand this for a while, and frowned, "Why?" ”

"I saw that he was a skilled swordsman and an outstanding character, so I tried my best to pull him under the command of the general." Zhang Liao stirred the bowl of porridge with a spoon, scooped up a full spoonful, and swallowed it.

The taste is both fishy and bitter, with a mouthy astringency, and it can't be chewed, because the grass roots are too tough to chew no matter how they chew, it is better to hand over this process to the soldiers, let them try to chop and mash these grass roots, and then swallow them without tasting or chewing.

"Do you remember," he said, "that year, the general said that everyone should throw pots for fun, and if you can throw more than a hundred, you can ask for whatever reward you want?" ”

So Gao Shun also showed a smile, "I remember, he begged for a leg of mutton." ”

"He then carried a sheep!" Zhang Liao immediately corrected, "I saw it with my own eyes!" ”

When the two of them said this, they suddenly felt that the grassroots porridge in their hands that had never been delicious was even more unpalatable, so they thought in their hearts: Lu Hangyu is still a little smarter than them.

What treasure can compare to a sheep?

"He did a good job." Gao Shun finally said.

"So I think it's good that he doesn't want to be from Rong, with his ability, he is a hunter, and he can hunt some wild beasts every day, and exchange his fur for some grain, rice, oil, and salt." Zhang Liao thought for a while, "If he follows us here, he will also starve together, isn't it my fault?" ”

That kind of abruptness is a little strange, Gao Shun thought, although the truth is good, but the eldest husband wants to gain fame, what is the point of starving these few meals? Where is it that makes Zhang Wenyuan feel distressed like that?

Although he felt that Zhang Liao's expression was very strange, Gao Shun decided to treat it as a worry about the battle situation.

"We are starving, and Cao Cao will also be hungry." Gao Shun said in a firm tone, "Just wait a little longer." ”

…… Cao Cao wasn't actually starving, but he didn't eat very well.

In front of him was a bowl of millet porridge, two plates of dried vegetables, and nothing else.

For this son of the third prince, who has never been hungry since he was a child, it is difficult to eat such a meal. But the face of the lord of Yanzhou under the lamplight was calm, he picked up the millet porridge, scooped a spoonful with a spoon and tasted it, felt that the heat and cold were just right, so he drank it slowly, and from time to time picked up a piece of dried vegetables and stuffed it into his mouth.

When he ate the meat without a trace of the fishy food, a trace of steaming meat wafted from outside the tent.

The soldiers were busy scooping up meat to eat, and the steaming broth smelled very fragrant with oil splashes floating on it. Of course, they had to fight and toil for a long time, and they had no food for several days, so they had no problem feasting.

The camp was full of such a happy and relaxing scene, as long as a small piece of wheat cake, a large bowl of broth, and a piece of meat in it, preferably fat and thin, you can get a night's fullness, who is not grateful for the kindness of Ming Gong?

Behind the torches, two scribes stood in the shadows, silently watching it all.

"Ming Gong hasn't touched meat for more than ten days." The older scribe spoke suddenly.

The younger scribe was silent for a moment, "He must not be able to eat at this time." ”

This sentence plunged the corner into a terrible silence once again.

"They are all my fathers, and many of them have known me well," said the old scribe, "and the people of Dong'a are loyal to the Ming Duke every day. ”

This somewhat abrupt remark had a strange effect between the young scribe's brows, and his eyes widened slightly, as if he was enduring something, and suddenly lowered his eyes.

"So, why feel guilty?" Cheng Yu said gently, "They will definitely not resent Cao Gong." ”

Chapter 136

When the first snow fell in Tancheng, Cao Hong received this letter.

He is from a Danyang decline and strong background, and he doesn't know much words, but the wording of the letter is simple and straightforward, and he doesn't need to have much advanced writing attainments. What's more, in addition to the letter, there is also such a bright and shining golden horseshoe gold placed there.

Even if he didn't recognize a word, he completely understood the meaning of this Guangling Xu Gong.

"You've come just in time," he said to Xu Tan, "Tao Envoy Jun and people close to me have mentioned the aftermath several times. ”

Xu Tan was still young after all, and his back tensed up in an instant, "What did Tao Xuzhou say?" ”

Cao Hong wanted to sell it, but he glanced at the box of horseshoe gold and the brilliant brocade next to it, and decided to be a person with a good reputation.

After all, such an important matter, the Guangling clan could think of him for the first time, and Cao Hong was very complacent in his heart, so he also had to show off his means and intelligence.

Tao Envoy Jun said......" he paused, "This Xuzhou is indeed to be handed over to Liu Bei." ”

Xu Tan's pupils constricted in an instant.

"What is the ability of the mat weaver and the shoe seller?"

"He can resist Cao Bing, how can he not be considered capable?" Cao Hong said, "Don't hide it from Langjun, except for the Xiapi Chen family, even the Mi family has a faint intention to recommend Liu Bei." ”

The Mi family is not as good as the family of the minister, but it is also a family of tens of thousands of servants and a huge amount of money, so the head of the family, Mi Zhu, was recruited by Tao Qian as a special driver in Xuzhou, and he is an extremely important figure.

When he said this, Xu Tan understood.

Although this young man was not as scheming as his father, his mind was lively, and he laughed when he looked at his expression.

"In the past six months, Liu Bei has recuperated in Xiaopei, recruited troops, and his infantry should be over 10,000." Xu Tan said leisurely, "If the young Lang Jun of the Tao family can't succeed his father and be a general, then it's just that, where should those Danyang veterans go?" ”

This was said unhurriedly, but Cao Hong couldn't help frowning when he heard it, and he was very uncomfortable.

He and Cao Bao were able to set up a family business in Xuzhou, not because of bravery, but because Tao Qian was a Danyang person, so he naturally trusted Danyang Bing, and also trusted them as Danyang Haoqiang.

But Liu Bei is a martial artist from the Northland, and he was born in a secluded world, so why does he trust the Danyang people? Liu Bei's subordinates are related to Zhang Lu and other fierce generals, why should he reuse Danyang people?

Dan Yang Bing had long been taken under Liu Bei's command and handed over to Guan Zhang for training, and Cao Bao had nothing to do every day except for ordering Mao and talking with Liu Beiqing. This is still a love affair with Liu Bei, in exchange for him Cao Hong, can Liu Bei take a higher look?

Xu Tan glanced at the dark-skinned fat man again, and couldn't help but show a smile on his face.

"If those Danyang veterans go to Tao Envoy," he said, "maybe the Envoy will listen to it, right?" ”

Tao Qian in the bed tent was woken up by crying in this way.

He has been bedridden for several months, and recently he has been using less and less water and rice, only using some soup carefully prepared by his concubines, and the rest of his spare energy is used to take medicine. But now he is struggling to even take the medicinal soup, so the prince who is majestic in Xuzhou soon becomes a skinny old man.

Therefore, when he heard the cry in his sleep, he was in a trance for a moment, thinking that he had finished the last part of his tired journey, and could return to the ancient and dark realm after enjoying the blood food and sacrifices in peace and comfort.

But he slowly discerned that the cries did not come from his son and concubine, but from a group of veterans with Danyang accents, who were whimpering in the courtyard, weeping like women, crying so loudly that they broke their livers and intestines.

It turned out that he was not free, but was still trapped in this old and frail shell. Tao Qian's mood became irritable and chaotic at that moment, and he almost wanted to pick up something at hand and throw it out.

But the old man only sighed deeply at the end.

The maidservant outside the bed tent heard this sigh and immediately lifted the tent through a crack, "The lord is awake?" ”

The weather is cold, the patient is very weak, how hot the charcoal basin is, it is difficult for him to absorb much heat, now the tent is opened, Tao Qian suddenly felt the cold wind blowing on his face, and he couldn't help coughing.

"Who's out there?"

The two maidservants rolled up the curtain lightly, and brought him the chicken soup that was always warm on the stove, "It's General Cao." ”

This answer did not surprise Tao Qian, except for those Danyang generals, no one else would have brought this group of veterans to behave outside. But this still made Tao Qian frown, "Let him in." ”

"I don't cry for myself, or for the king," Cao Hong said, "I'm crying for Gongzi and Xuzhou!" ”

Tao Qian watched the maidservant gently scoop up a spoonful of chicken soup with a spoon, and asked casually, "Why do you cry for Gongzi?" ”

"The son is talented, kind-hearted, and expected, why can't he rule Xuzhou?" Cao Hong said, "Childe is your son!" ”

"Just because he is my son," Tao Qian slowly drank half a spoonful of chicken soup, "so I won't hand Xuzhou over to him." ”

Although Tao Qian's tendency became more and more obvious, when such words really fell on Cao Hong's ears, he still lost his temper.

"Why did you do this?" He shouted, "With the popularity of the son, if the king hands over Xuzhou to Liu Bei, can Liu Bei tolerate the son?!" ”

Tao Qian wanted to laugh when he heard this, and he knew why he wanted to laugh. If someone else said such a thing, with Tao Qian's arrogance, he would be stingy to glance at it, but Cao Hong was different.

This is the person who led many village brave private soldiers, regardless of the long distance to come to him, although greedy and stupid, but this is his fellow villager, is his own person, not to mention hearing the cries of many veterans in the courtyard, Tao Qian's heart also softened.

Even though he was exhausted after only waking up for a moment, he was still ready to say something useful to this stunned man.

"Liu Bei won't treat Da Lang like this, I have a father-son righteousness with him, and my son is his brother," Tao Qian said patiently, "How can he be unfavorable to his own brother?" ”

Seeing that Cao Hong was indignant and his face was uneven, Tao Qian said more clearly.