In autumn, the evening sunset on the northwest border of the Western Ming Kingdom is red and big.

The ancient mountains were drawn by the setting sun at the tops of an undulating golden line, and most of the remaining sun shone fiery red from above the mountains.

The autumn wind blows up the grass roots and dust scattered in the field and hits the stone wall of the beacon tower. The sunset for decades reflected the ancient and mottled wall like the red flames of war.

The beacon tower seems to be more and more solemn and depressed.

On the watchtower of the beacon tower, there was a thin old man. The old man has gray temples, a sparse white beard on his chin, and a scribe's hat on his head, which is very popular in the southern countries, which has a bit of a tough feeling.

There is a large open space in front of the beacon tower, overgrown with wild grass. Further ahead is the vast farmland, and at the edge of the ridges where the crops have been harvested, a few children are burning straw. The freshly cut straw was damp, and the smoke billowed immediately with a little hay, and the columns of smoke rushed towards the sky.

"At the head of the sunset, in the sound of the broken hong, the Jiangnan wanderer ......" The old scribe was talking about "the railing is all over, and no one will come to it", and coughed out because of excitement.

"I said Yuan Linyuan, you don't stay in Chu Jing Country to enjoy happiness, why bother if you don't get this bitter cold place to suffer?"

The voice came abruptly, but the old scribe called "Yuan Linyuan" didn't even look back. On the ground not far behind him lay a young man dressed casually, with a sloppy and lazy image, dressed as a scholar.

The elderly scribe used to be a member of the court of Chu Jingguo, in charge of all military affairs in the north, but he retired last winter because of old age and infirmity.

Saying that he is "Yuan Linyuan" is not right or wrong. In the early years, he was indeed called "Yuan Linyuan", but later he read a sentence of the sages "Linyuan envy the fish should not retreat and weave the net", and he didn't know what crazy he changed his name to "Yuan Weaving Net".

However, there are always people who call him "Yuan Linyuan", such as the young man who is now lying on the ground like a flower child.

The old scribe pretended not to hear the young man's ridicule: "Xiwen, let's take a look at this straw fire, this remnant sun, and this boundless autumn color, is it like the war of the year, like the heads and blood of 200,000 soldiers!"

The young scribe took an unknown piece of hay blown by the wind in his mouth and lay down on the ground. I thought that this old man would say some novel arguments, but I didn't expect these old-fashioned words.

Five years ago, when the old man was still called "Yuan Linyuan", they met in Chu Jingguo, and they didn't expect that five years later, the old man was not much older, but his knowledge was still "immovable as a mountain".

The young scribe was impatient when he heard this, and spit out the hay in his mouth: "Yuan Linyuan, you are a old rotten wood, and you still study the way of the king, you can't see the general trend of the world clearly?"

The young scribe got up and patted the dust on his buttocks: "Lao Tzu has his own affairs to do, so I don't have time to talk to you." If you're really idle, you might as well go to the brothel and have fun, and don't bother me all day long. ”

The old scribe named Yuan Weaving Net was not annoyed, and seemed to have long been accustomed to the way young people spoke.

"Look at you, look at you, I'll just complain a few words, why are you still in a hurry with me! I know that you came to this Ximing Kingdom alone, and you can't live well or eat well. Didn't I come all the way to pick you up and go back to Chujing with me, don't you want those treasures you like in the Prime Minister's Mansion? ”

The young scribe sighed: "Yuan Linyuan, why did you come here! Lao Tzu has traveled all over 13 countries in Zhongzhou, and the most unlucky thing is to know you." You didn't give it when I wanted it, and now you're painting a flatbread again, you old turtle, do you think I'll believe you?"

The old scribe saw a carriage approaching the foot of the hill as night fell, and knew that time was running out. He said solemnly to the young man lying on the ground: "It seems that it is impossible to persuade you to go back, but I want you to promise me one thing - for three years, you will not challenge the fire." ”

"I don't even know where the Ximing Temple is now, so it's too early for you to tell me this?"

"Besides, the general trend is like this, Yuan Linyuan, you have to go against the trend, why bother?"

The old scribe was angry, his eyes were red, and his fingers pointing to the field in front of the building trembled slightly: "You Du Xiwen want to help You Rong deal with the Zhongzhou countries, you want to make meritorious contributions, I can't persuade you, but these 200,000 soldiers who died in battle can't even exchange for three years of stability?"

"Yes, you want to promote your doctrine, don't you just want to find a way out for the world! But no matter how big you plan, don't forget that you are from Zhongzhou. ”

The young scribe seemed to be a little stunned by the red-eyed old man, "I'm afraid of you, I promise you that you can't do it, it's like you want to eat people, why bother!"

The carriage stopped in front of the beacon tower, and there were two people sitting in the car, a driver and a middle-aged man dressed in black. The two of them moved quickly and steadily, without dragging their feet, and they looked like they were born in the military.

The old scribe got into the chariot, and the coachman turned his horse's head and left. The three people in the carriage were speechless, because they were all listening to the scolding of the young man on the beacon tower, "Yuan Linyuan, you old turtle, the most unlucky thing in Lao Tzu's life is to know you, why do you say I came!"

The young scribe shouted insults at the wall, while the old scribe rejoiced in the car. Looking at the old man with a slight smile on his face, the man in black was confused, how could he be so happy to be scolded?

"Uncle Yuan, you have been traveling around for more than half a year, just to find this person?"

"Who is this person?"

The old man touched his chin and was slightly proud: "Nephew Yi Xian, do you still remember "The Theory of the War North"?

At this moment, Yuan Lao was very happy, because he was called "Chuanyi Boy" on weekdays, and every time he called out "Virtuous Nephew", it showed that he was really happy.

In this regard, Liu Chuanyi is not as good as his sister Liu Hongyao, although this sister is only two years younger than him, but the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting and poetry surpass him too much, so he can only get the title of "boy", but Liu Hongyao is a "good niece".

"Could it be that "The Theory of the North of War" came from this person's hand?"

"If it is fake, this person is Du Xiwen. Before he could finish speaking, he laughed heartily.

"But wasn't "The Theory of the War of the North" written by Mu Shiyi?"

Yuan Lao glared at him: "Isn't this Mu Eleven just a 'Du' character when combined?" Pus, you have to be half smart with red medicine, and your mother won't worry about your future every day. ”

Liu Chuanyi could only open his mouth wide and was speechless, because he really didn't know what to refute.

The waste mound is not big, and it is not small to say small. If you look at the vertical and horizontal area alone, it is only twenty or thirty miles, but there are all kinds of places to eat, drink and have fun.

The main street, which runs east and west, is the most prosperous, and then the side roads that stretch out in all directions. There are many large and small shops here, and there are a variety of commodities, including those from various countries in Zhongzhou, from various tribes and ethnic groups in the northwest, and even the northern snow tribe occasionally has goods flowing into this place.

Next to an inconspicuous street in the northwest of the waste hill, there is a restaurant that specializes in the flavor of the northwest - "Lang Lang Restaurant".

In fact, it is a small noodle restaurant, the name sounds very "magnificent", but the business has not been very good, but there are always old customers who come to take care of the business, so most of them are repeat customers for a long time, and they are familiar with the store after coming and going.

The shopkeeper is an old man surnamed Zhang, who said that his hometown is outside the Guan. I don't have a wife, but I have a well-behaved daughter.

There are many kinds of old customers, some of them are affordable, and the beef noodles for five cents can support a middle-aged man, but you are honestly not affordable. There is also a picture to match the taste, Lao Zhangtou's pickled sauce mutton is indeed a must, what is said to be the ancestral pickling technique, never passed on. There is also a kind of merchant in the past, who is hungry and fills his stomach, but the requirements are not high.

If you want to say what kind of customer Lao Zhangtou likes the most, of course, it is the kind that doesn't pay for eating.

Is there such a guest? Yes, of course, there are all kinds of birds when the forest is big. You see, the young man at the door, wearing a pair of broken shoes and his big toe still exposed, he is a regular here, the kind who doesn't pay for dinner.

When Lao Zhangtou saw this young man named Nie Xiao, it was like seeing a plague god, and his old face instantly became stiff.

When the young people came for the first time, they were greeted with a smile on their faces. After eating, the young man said that there was no money, and that it was nothing, and who would not have a problem when going out.

The next day he came again, this time he didn't have any money!

On the third day, he still came back, still without money for food. Lao Zhangtou finally couldn't help it, so under the anger of Lao Zhangtou, the young man offered to wash the dishes to pay off.

Lao Zhangtou really can't understand that this person looks like a person of five or six, why does he look like a scoundrel.

The more scoundrel thing was still to come, and a few days later he brought another person, still eating without money, washing dishes to settle the bill. One person can't enjoy it for nothing, and now they are all coming in groups.

But this young man named Dugu Yuanchen is different from Nie Xiao, first of all, he is dressed cleaner and neater than Nie Xiao, and he also carries a handsome long sword on his waist. And he doesn't give money every time, sometimes he still gives, and he will give as much as he has on him.

A few days later, when they came, there was another person, in addition to Nie Xiao and Dugu Yuanchen, there was also a young man who was more like a beggar than Nie Xiao, and they called him "Xiaoxi".

After eating, Nie Xiao went to wash the dishes, Xiaoxi wiped the table and swept the floor to help greet the guests, and the man with the sword occasionally washed the dishes and swept the floor. Anyway, there were three more miscellaneous ones in the store all of a sudden, and Lao Zhangtou was very unhappy at first, but then he thought about it as if there were three more shopkeepers, or the kind that didn't pay the salary, so he wanted to open it.

But he was still unhappy that Nie Xiao, the culprit who caused this situation.

"Lao Zhangtou, let's have two bowls of beef noodles and three catties of mutton in sauce. Nie Xiao finished speaking and sat down with a big grin. With one foot on the bench, he picked up a toothpick on the table and put it in his mouth.

Lao Zhangtou made a straight face: "What's the matter, you still want to eat sauce mutton after washing a few dishes?"

Nie Xiao waved his hand: "Old Zhangtou, don't worry this time, that kid from Yuanchen has recently had an errand and is going to go far away." Xiaoxi and I practiced it for him today, and Xiaoxi said that he would pay. ”

"Just that kid, poorer than you, can he be rich? "After all, people have given money for food, and these two people have always eaten white food.

The two were talking, only to hear Cui'er beckoning outside: "Brother Yuanchen, you are here!"

Lao Zhangtou didn't like the three of them, but his daughter Xiaocui has always been good to the three. Because she didn't think that the three of them were eating for nothing, at least they helped with the work, and when there were many people in the store, they wouldn't let the father and daughter be in a hurry.

"Old Zhangtou, what did this kid order today?"

Nie Xiao repeated what he had just ordered, and Dugu Yuanchen immediately doubled it on the basis of Nie Xiao, and asked for a plate of fried peanuts.

He never loses to anyone, and the same goes for eating.

Old Zhang leaned over towards Dugu Yuanchen: "So it seems that what Nie Xiao said this kid is true?"

Dugu Yuanchen poured himself a cup of tea: "That's right, I'll leave early tomorrow morning." ”

Not long after, Cui'er served two bowls of beef noodles. Because she knew that if only one bowl was served, then these two people would definitely have to fight for priority.

Cui'er handed Dugu Yuanchen a pair of chopsticks: "Brother Yuanchen, when will you come back from this trip?"

"Yo, that's not for sure!"

Nie Xiao knocked on the bowl dissatisfiedly next to him: "Cui'er, why are you so eccentric, he has three more pieces of beef in his bowl than me!"

When Cui'er saw that she was discovered, she didn't speak. Just covered his mouth and chuckled and ran away.

While he was talking, another person came on the street.

"Oh, I said that you two are not particular, I invited you to dinner, you two came just after noon, and the first time I saw the guests arrived before the host. He looks like a starving ghost, why bother?"

Du Xi saw these two hooligans from afar, and rushed towards the store with three pots of wine.

Nie Xiao and Dugu Yuanchen didn't have the time to pay attention to him, they were busy fighting with the beef noodles in the bowl. Besides, in the world of these two people, what they eat from noon to late at night is called dinner.

The three of them had already eaten enough, but the few catties of mutton on the table had not moved much, and the wine had not been opened, so the three of them just bragged about the cow and waited for dark.

As soon as it gets dark, when there are fewer people eating, call Lao Zhangtou and Cui'er over to a table to drink some wine, which can be regarded as a farewell banquet.

After a long time, the guests were finally gone. Only then did a few people sit down again, and Du Xiwen slapped open the mud, and the aroma of wine spread.

At first, Lao Zhangtou and these young babies didn't have any common language, but after a few glasses of wine, the conversation box naturally opened. No matter how old you are, but after all, you are all men, and if you are a man, you will have a common topic.

Of course, the topic of conversation between men is inevitably about women. At the beginning, Lao Zhangtou was still worried about the daughter next to him, and after three rounds of drinking, a few meat jokes made Cui'er red-faced.

Dugu Yuanchen drank a glass of wine: "Cui'er, I'll leave tomorrow, and whoever is bullied in the future will look for them." After speaking, he pointed his finger at Nie Xiao and Du Xiwen, who were drunk and staggering.

"Don't look at Nie Xiao, that kid is giggling all day long, not in shape, I tell you that he has two brushes when he fights, and Huang San's gang was subdued by him. ”

Cui'er squinted, her eyes smiling like moonlight, looking at Nie Xiaozheng, who was also drunk next to her, "That's, that's" put gold on her face.

Then he pointed to Du Xiwen: "Don't look at this kid like a flower child, he is really knowledgeable in his stomach, just take the name he took 'Lang Lang Restaurant', ordinary people can't see the wonders." ”

After getting along for more than two months, several people are also familiar with each other, and Nie Xiao and the others themselves have a "similar smell", so there is naturally a lot of wine and talk during the banquet.

Old Zhang occasionally took a sip of the wine in the bowl, squinted at the three young people, and couldn't help but smile on his face.

This person, it's nothing to be poor, what I'm afraid of is idleness, not doing business, and doing some stealing and bullying the township.

In fact, Lao Zhangtou still likes this boy in his heart.

A month ago, Huang San brought a few gangsters to eat white food, and on weekdays, these things were managed by the garrison of the waste hill of Ximing Kingdom, and this was the side stopper, and the implementation was still the integration of military and government, so I thought that it was impossible for a military master to run for a small noodle restaurant every time, so I planned to endure it.

Who knew that he bumped into Nie Xiao, who was washing dishes, and grabbed Huang San, who had to ask him to give money, and if he didn't give it, he would wash it like him. How can Huang San, who is used to eating white food, wash the dishes, and the money will never be given.

So Nie Xiao surrounded five or six of them alone, and without saying a word, he rushed up with a punch and kick, and as a result, he had a blue nose and swollen face.

But Huang San is not much better, Nie Xiao is experienced in fighting, no matter how many people on the other side beat me, anyway, I will only beat you Huang San. So the two of them got up and saw that there was nothing wrong with the others, so they were bruised and purple on their faces, and you gave me a black eye and I punched you on the top of the nose.

Huang San is also strange, it is said that he suffered a loss on the first day, so he should rest for a few days and come back. He didn't, he came the next day, and it was the same five or six people from yesterday.

This time, Nie Xiao was smart and called two helpers, Dugu Yuanchen and Du Xiwen.

didn't say anything, the two gangs fought as soon as they met. In the Ximing Kingdom, this is good, people on both sides fight with hard fists, and never use weapons.

Nie Xiao and Dugu Yuanchen saw that they were the masters who often fought, and they greeted Huang San when they went up. One person threw himself at Huang San's feet and threw him to the ground, and one person rode to the neck and slapped him in the face. Du Xiwen can't fight, but he will be beaten, so he will lie on Huang San when he goes up, and resist a lot of damage with his buttocks.

Anyway, after a fight, the worst was Huang San.

On the third day, Huang San returned. Then, as in the previous two days, I was beaten and grinned, and I limped when I left.

However, Nie Xiao and the three of them were not easy, but fortunately, the cooperation of the three of them became more and more tacit, so Huang San's injuries were naturally more serious than them.

On the fourth day, they waited for a day and didn't wait for Huang San, it seems that Huang San is not iron-beaten, and he is also afraid of pain. In the final analysis, what didn't come was two words - "cowardly".

So on the fifth day, they began to take the initiative to find Huang San. Du Xiwen said that this is what the military book says: "When the enemy retreats, I advance." In the next few days, people often saw Huang San on the street being attacked by three people under the protection of a group of people.

As the days went by, the three of them became more and more tacit about fighting Huang San, Du Xiwen chose the location and time of the ambush, Dugu Yuanchen was responsible for taking Huang San by surprise, and Nie Xiao of course mainly took care of Huang San's face.

Huang San's injuries are getting worse and worse, and he has been beaten so much that he doesn't dare to go out. But Nie Xiao's injuries are also getting more and more serious, after all, three fights seven, and the self-damage of killing a thousand enemies is almost two thousand, but fortunately, it is shared by three people, and Huang San is the only one who bears the damage.

In the past few days, Nie Xiao and the three of them have been like wounded soldiers who have just come down from the battlefield, and Lao Zhangtou really can't stand it, so he persuaded them not to toss. But Nie smiled and said that this was not a toss, it was called to eliminate harm for the people.

The other two obviously agreed with Nie Xiao's point of view, and agreed that now the battle situation has become white-hot, and it is the critical moment to achieve victory, and it is the cohesion of the team and the willpower of the individual that fight, so they must not be chaotic and must unite against the enemy.

When the war finally came to an end, when one day Nie Xiao and the three of them blocked the door of Huang San's house and knocked out two front teeth, Huang San finally couldn't stand their cruelty and begged for mercy.

"Tell me about you, wouldn't it be okay to surrender early, you have to wait until your front teeth are knocked out before begging for mercy, why are you bothered!" Now it was up to Du Xiwen to accept the enemy's surrender on behalf of the trio and speak. Because Nie Xiao and Dugu Yuanchen had one lip so swollen that they couldn't speak, the corner of the other mouth was cracked, and they bled when they opened their mouths. And he's just that his ass is kicking people and falling apart, and he can't sit on the bench because of the pain, at least his mouth is good.