Chapter 2 The second round of sneaking and secret trails

Yushuai Mansion is located in the east of Wusu City, and the walls are made of random stones.The mansion is built to resemble a local temple, although it is not gorgeous, it is also majestic.The front hall is where Yushuai discusses affairs, and no one usually enters; the back hall is a place for receiving guests; the west chamber is Yushuai's study room, where he usually reviews official documents, and now it is also where Miss Yu listens to lectures and reads every day; the east chamber For the office of scribes.There is a stone screen in the door of the back hall. Turning around the stone screen is the inner courtyard.Behind the inner courtyard is a garden.It is called a garden, but in fact there are very few flowers, only some flowers and plants such as goose tube grass, clover and wild orchids that grow locally.The trees in the garden are very dense, most of which are originally grown broad-leaved pine, bitter poplar, and white poplar.Outside the wall is a pile of rocks and overgrown bushes.In contrast, the outside of the wall looks like a wilderness, but the inside of the garden gives people a mysterious and deep feeling. The Shuai Mansion, which is usually solemn everywhere, these days, due to the presence of clouds in Xinjiang for a long time; Yu Shuai led his troops to leave the mansion. Suddenly, patrolling guards around the mansion were added, servants and maids in the mansion were whispering in secret, adding an uneasy atmosphere to the ground.

Miss Yu has also kept her brows locked all day these days, thinking more than talking.The childhood coquettishness of the past has gradually disappeared without knowing it, and it seems to have grown a lot suddenly.Going to listen to lectures and read books every morning also seems listless. Indeed, these days, she has been thinking about a question: when she was being humiliated on the grassland that day, who was that man who came suddenly, as if he had fallen from the sky?Why would he dare to offend such a powerful Bagg on the grassland? Bagh looked so embarrassed in front of him, why should he?As soon as she closes her eyes, the scene of that day will appear in front of her again: that vigorous horse soaring into the air, that strong and strong body, that slightly reproachful and playful eyes... After much deliberation, Miss Yu finally came up with one Answer: The reason why the man was able to subdue Bagh all depended on his strength.She thought again, if only she had his strength!Wouldn't it be possible to teach that Bug a severe lesson, at least to beat him half to death, to see if he dares to bully others in the future!

One day, Ms. Yu was sitting in front of her desk, lost in thought, when Mr. Gao walked up to her.She woke up suddenly, hurriedly got up and stood respectfully.For some reason, her face turned red.Mr. Gao asked in a friendly tone like an elder: "Are you feeling unwell, or is there something on your mind?" Wang Jiaolong blushed even more.She buried her head in silence for a while, then raised her face and asked with a confused expression: "Can you subdue everyone if you have strength?" Mr. Gao looked at her and said, "Didn't you already read it? The sage said:" Convincing people with strength is not convincing with the heart; 'Convincing people mainly depends on virtue, not strength! "Yu Jiaolong hurriedly asked again: "How about meeting that kind of person who doesn't obey virtue? "Mr. Gao didn't answer immediately, he just stared at Yu Jiaolong, he felt that she was a little out of character.

After a while, he said again: "Sometimes, strength really plays a role!" Yu Jiaolong hurriedly asked again: "Is strength innate or can it be trained?" Mr. Gao was a little surprised, and said, "If you are born with it, you can also develop it." "Can I practice it too?" "Practice it." Mr. Gao answered sharply.After a pause, he continued, "Strength alone is not enough!" "what else?" "Wu Yi." When Mr. Gao said these two words, his eyes shone brightly, and he stared at Yu Jiaolong intently.Yu Jiaolong sighed and said, "It would be great if I could develop strength and learn martial arts!"

Mr. Gao looked Yu Jiaolong excitedly, looked out of the window, and said to Yu Jiaolong with a very serious expression and tone: "Do you really want to learn martial arts? Do you really have this determination?" Yu Jiaolong didn't say anything, just nodded, her attitude was so firm.Only then did Mr. Gao whisper to her: "I can teach you martial arts. But you must swear to God, you must never leak this matter, let alone that I taught you." Yu Jiaolong was a little confused: "Could it be that even parents have to hide it?!" "No one should know except yourself." After Mr. Gao finished speaking, he seemed to feel that these words violated his usual teachings to her, so he hurriedly explained, "According to the rules and regulations, a person should not have any respect for Junfu." Concealed. Just... alas!

I do have a last resort!You have the right to keep a secret for me! "Yu Jiaolong heard what Mr. Gao said, no longer asked any more questions, and no longer hesitated. Seeing that there was no one outside the room at this time, she turned over and bowed to Mr. Gao a few times, knelt on the ground, and yelled softly. He said: "Master! "She worshiped so piously and called so cordially. Mr. Gao aroused bursts of joy and relief from his heart, and hurriedly leaned over to help her up. At this moment, Yujiaolong's eyes were shining, and Mr. Gao Tears welled up in my eyes. Therefore, Mr. Gao made an agreement with Yu Jiaolong: Every morning, when Yu Shuai is out on a horse tour and Mrs. Yu worships Buddha and chant scriptures, he will teach martial arts in the open field among the woods in the back garden.

Mr. Gao Yunhe Gao, an outstanding scholar in the pass, and now a clerk in the Shuai's mansion, how could he have hidden martial arts?And why did Yu Jiaolong swear to keep the secret for him?Here I have to briefly talk about his past life experience. It turned out that Gao Yunhe's real name was Gao Yuanju, his courtesy name was Zhanfei, and he was from Jiaohe, Hebei Province. He lived in Gaojia Village, ten miles away from the city. When he was young, he loved reading and occasionally learned fencing.The family has a meager amount of land, and is usually able to deal with emergencies and manage injustices, which is highly respected by the villagers.Two years ago, a Jianghu rope prostitute Geng Liuniang came to perform in the village. Although this Geng Liuniang was over 30 or 50 years old, she was still handsome and quite handsome. Paying attention to catering, he is used to flirting. Seeing that Gao Zhanfei has some prestige in the village, he often goes to his house in the name of asking for asylum.At that time, it happened that Gao Zhanfei had lost his wife not long ago, and he couldn't stand Geng Liuniang's teasing, so the two became friends.Because Geng Liuniang was born as a rope prostitute, Gao Zhanfei couldn't openly marry her, so he had to build a house in a secluded place outside the village, and put her there as an outsider.After a year of dating, Gao Zhanfei gradually realized that there were many suspicious things about Geng Liuniang's whereabouts. After a little questioning, her answers were vague, confused and melancholy, making it unpredictable.This aroused Gao Zhanfei's suspicion, and his relationship with her gradually became estranged.One day, he was taking a walk in front of the court when the township appointment came suddenly.

Said to him: "An unnamed mute passer-by died outside Geng Liuniang's door. Everyone has examined the body in Tonglizheng. Although no obvious traces of murder were found, the death is indeed strange. It has been temporarily buried. And I have sent a written report to the county government. Knowing that Geng Liuniang had a good relationship with Uncle Gao, I came here to take care of her." Gao Zhanfei knew that the township had made an appointment to report this matter, but there were overtones. First, he sent a message out of his usual affection, and second, he hinted that he should be careful.Gao Zhanfei chatted with Xiangyue, hurriedly went in and took out ten taels of silver, thanked Xiangyue, and sent him out of the house. Seeing that Xiangyue had gone far, he returned to the house. Gao Zhanfei always felt restless because of this, and stayed for two nights None of them closed their eyes.

Early in the morning of the third day, Gao Zhanfei finally went to Geng Liuniang's place, and saw Geng Liuniang packing clothes, as if he was about to go out. When she saw Gao Zhanfei coming, she just smiled coldly and said, "You came just in time. Although you and I are not husband and wife, we still have some affection as husband and wife after all. Take this opportunity to make it clear that if I am leaving, I will not Tired of you." Gao Zhanfei said, "Is this dead man related to you?" Geng Liuniang said coldly, "Yes, and no." Gao Zhanfei asked seriously: "How do you say?"

"He came to stay overnight, but I didn't let him in. I told him to live under the eaves. If I didn't want him to die under the eaves." Geng Liuniang said very flatly, without any sign of panic, Gao Zhanfei couldn't help shivering.He looked around the room, and suddenly saw a wooden book corner protruding from the pillow on the bed. He took it out and saw that it was a handwritten copy with excellent binding.Open the front page, there is a line in regular script: "Secret Quanshu of Fist and Sword".After a brief reading, the first part is the essence of qigong, the middle part is the teaching of martial arts, and the latter part is the secret knowledge of swordsmanship, and the outline of meridians and acupoints is attached at the end.In addition to the text, the book also has detailed drawings.Gao Zhanfei is proficient in some boxing and sword skills. Looking at the records and drawings in the book, it is really strange and varied, which he has never heard or seen in his life.He couldn't help being secretly surprised, and decided that this book must be a treasure handed down from generation to generation, so he hurriedly asked, "Where did this book come from?"

Geng Liuniang replied nonchalantly: "It's on the dead dumb man." Gao Zhanfei asked again: "Since it's the book on the dead man's body, why did it get into your hands?" Geng Liuniang knew she had made a slip of the tongue, and said bluntly: "What's so great about a broken book! He died in front of my door, so I can't pick it up! If you like it, you can take it." Gao Zhanfei didn't want to talk to her too much, so he hurriedly put the book into his pocket.He asked again, "Where are you going?" Geng Liuniang had already tidied up at this time, straightened her hair and said, "We've finally had a good time, and I'll explain it to you. In the past year, I have borrowed your light and been taken care of by you. I am a wanderer, and I have my own business.Now I have to go, and I have to go.If there is any trouble in the future, don't worry, I won't climb up on you. "After finishing speaking, he raised his burden, gave Gao Zhanfei a deep blessing, and gave him an affectionate glance, then turned around and went out. One month later, Gao Zhanfei heard about the case of Geng Liuniang, and the Pu County Yamen in Shaanxi issued a warrant to arrest her everywhere. He inquired again, only to find out that Geng Liuniang was originally a well-known underworld figure in the Jianghu, nicknamed Biyanhu, who had committed crimes in Shaanxi many times, and fled to Jiaohe to avoid arrest.Only then did Gao Zhanfei break out in a cold sweat, deeply regretting his frivolous Meng Lang.Not long after, it was rumored that the dumb person who died was originally a person with a lot of history, with a lot of gold and silver on his body, and his death was caused by the blue-eyed fox.I also heard that Li Mubai, who was famous in the capital for his swordsmanship ten years ago, was also looking for Bi-eyed Fox everywhere, in order to recover a book that he stole from the mute.Now, Gao Zhanfei really felt restless.The rumors became more and more serious, and the news spread more and more true in the rivers and lakes and in the yamen. He was afraid of being wronged and sued, and even more afraid of revenge and murder in the rivers and lakes.He had indeed protected Geng Liuniang, and the dumb book was in his hands. He felt that a disaster was waiting for him. Finally, he made up his mind, changed his name to Gao Yunhe, ran away from home, and fled to Wusu.It wasn't until the end of the road that he took refuge in Yushuai, who was taken in by Yushuai and became a scribe, that he had to settle down temporarily.In order to avoid revealing this secret, he always keeps secrets about his possession of such a wooden book and his knowledge of martial arts, for fear that it will be harmful to him if others find out. In reply to the letter, Mr. Gao secretly read the "Secret Biography" in his spare time since he settled down in the commander's mansion, and secretly studied from the recordings in the book.Every time he practiced a method, he was amazed all the way, thinking that the records and paintings in this book can be called the essence of thousands of years of boxing and swords in one book, and it can be called a treasure of martial arts.The more he admired this book, the more he felt that he was getting older, and many subtleties were limited by age, memory and skill of hands and feet, and it was impossible to deeply explore its mysteries.Therefore, he wanted to find someone who could teach him the secrets of the skills in the book.On weekdays, he also paid attention to Yu Jiaolong, seeing her elegant and intelligent demeanor, dignified and alert expression, slim and light figure: he secretly thought that she was indeed a piece of beautiful jade that could be polished into tools, and added Yujiaolong was usually in front of him; she always looked respectful, polite, docile and considerate, which moved him to caress him even more.It's just that due to an accident, Jiaolong's aspirations are afraid of revealing his past life, so he dare not speak.Now it happened that Jiaolong expressed his desire to learn martial arts, and it fell into the arms of Mr. Gao, and immediately changed from teacher and student to master and apprentice, and the friendship between the two of them was further deepened. Yujiao Longtian capital is very intelligent at first, she loves to ride horses on the grassland since she was a child, and she has practiced agilely. In addition, she has studied very hard and diligently, and she quickly comprehends every move and style taught by Mr. Gao, so , The progress was very rapid, which made Mr. Gao secretly amazed and felt extremely relieved. One month later, Yu Shuai returned to Wusu with a battalion of cavalry.As soon as he got off his horse and went back to his residence to sit down, Miss Yu hurriedly came forward to pay his respects. Seeing that her father was in the dust and dust, and he was much thinner, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.After Yushuai only inquired about the situation at home, he ordered someone to invite Mr. Gao.Seeing no outsiders, Miss Yu didn't avoid it, she just stood behind her father and listened to their conversation.Yu Shuai told Mr. Gao that he personally led the elite cavalry to inspect and inspect the battalions this time, and received reports from the outposts many times. The camel caravan was robbed many times after entering the desert. It's all done by the cloud.What made Yushuai even more furious was: Zhao Bichen, the general manager of the Changji Banner Battalion, heard the report and led a hundred horses to pursue him. On the way to the camp, he was suddenly attacked by a cloud. The officers and soldiers killed and wounded more than 30 people. dead.Fortunately, there was a centurion commander named Xiao Zhun in the cavalry led by Zhao.Yushuai said: "Although Ban Tianyun is only a desperate husband, but because of his fierceness and won the hearts of the herdsmen, he is like a spark. It is really a hidden danger in Western Xinjiang. I have thought about it repeatedly. Once the horse thief came It is so rampant, and the hearts of the people in Xijiang are shaken. Second, Mr. Zhao Qian is also appointed by the imperial court, and he should apply for a yin seal. This matter has to be reported to the imperial court. Please write a memorial, and I will pay homage to it immediately. As for How to word, please Mr. Mr. Gao pondered for a moment, and then said to Yushuai: "Based on my humble opinion, it is not appropriate to exaggerate the power of horse thieves, so as not to arouse the sage's uneasiness; the matter of Zhao Qianzong's death should also be carefully written. "Hundred riders are invincible", which amplifies the power of horse thieves, defeats the prestige of officers and soldiers, and it is not good for Mr. Zhao Qian to ask for a title." Yushuai stroked his beard and stroked his forehead, and nodded frequently. His face was originally full of frost, but now he was smiling slightly; he slightly arched his hands and said, "Mr. High opinion: I will trouble you with this matter." After saying that, he retreated into the back house went. Yu Jiaolong listened to the conversation between Yushuai and Mr. Gao, which surprised her: Didn't Mr. Gao often teach himself, "Follow your father's order" and "Don't deceive your father"?Isn't it deceiving the emperor if you don't tell the truth about the court? !But when she thought about it carefully, she felt that what Mr. Gao said was true, especially when she thought about her father's situation and status, she couldn't help it!She suddenly felt as if she had learned a lot. In the afternoon, Mr. Gao went to draft the memorial. Wang Jiaolong remembered that he hadn't left the city to ride a horse for many days, so he ordered the school to bring the horse back to the gate to wait.After she changed her clothes, she just walked to the front hall when she saw a person standing on the steps, also dressed as a military school, about eighteen or nine years old, of medium build, with high cheekbones and a square face, with piercing eyes and good appearance .Miss Yu felt unfamiliar.When the military academy saw Miss Yu, it looked at her head-on, without any respect.Miss Yu was a little unhappy, so she asked, "Who are you?" "Changji Banner Camp Centurion Xiao Zhun." She remembered that it was the man her father had praised just now, looked him up again, and asked, "Are you from the pass, or did you join the army in the western border?" The military academy said: "I was originally the son of Xiao Dai, the leader of the Ministry. Because my father was a traitor, he has now surrendered to the court. My father sent me to join the army to win the trust of the court." Yu Jiaolong thought: "Ah, so it's a hostage." Then he asked, "Why are you here?" "It was Yushuai who brought me here. He has sent me to the cavalry camp and ordered me to guard the commander's residence." "Have you ever seen a cloud for a long time?" "I've fought him before." "How is his martial arts?" "Extremely powerful and extremely brave." Miss Yu paused, and then asked, "What does that horse thief look like?" "He looks very majestic, with full beards and beards, and his face is unrecognizable." "Ah! It's a beard!" Miss Yu said in a low voice. "Yes, that's what I met. Some people also said that he has no beard and is still very handsome." Miss Yu was in the middle of questioning and answering with Xiao Zhun, when she suddenly heard the coughing of soldiers and the crying of women outside the door.Miss Yu asked what was the matter?The small school came in and reported: "There are first-class people (exiled from the mainland) selling girls outside, and the guards can't go away." Miss Yu stepped out of the mansion and saw a little girl kneeling on the ground beside the stone steps. Although she looked very poor, she was cleanly dressed. She was about twelve or thirteen years old, with a thin body and a well-proportioned figure. , with a pair of tearful eyes embedded in the round face.Seeing Miss Yu coming out, the little girl stopped crying, opened her eyes wide, and stared at Miss Yu intently, with envious and pleading expressions in her eyes.That's pathetic too.Miss Yu went up and looked the little girl up and down, and saw that she was wearing an emerald blue slanted top, with colorful embroidery threads rolled on the hem, dotted with some small flowers, embroidered very delicately .Miss Yu helped her up, touched the embroidered flowers with her hand, and asked, "Did your mother embroider it for you?" "My mother died, I embroidered it myself." What a coincidence. "Miss Yu complimented her and then asked," where are you from? "An old man standing next to her said:" Her ancestral home is from Baoding, Hebei, her father is an exile, and her mother is also the daughter of an exile.This little girl Ming Zhenyin, her father died last year, and her mother died this year: she has no one to depend on, and she has to be raised by some old buddies.Look at this little girl is also a good embryo, she will grow up day by day, we wanderers are all trees without leaves, they can't cover the shade!Sooner or later, it will fall into the mouth of those jackals, and it will destroy a flower. "After speaking, he let out a long sigh and couldn't help shedding a few tears. After listening to the old man's words, Miss Yu seemed to understand half-understood, and while she was thinking about it, for some reason, she suddenly remembered the Bagg that she met on the grassland that day.She looked at the little girl again, and unconsciously shivered for her.At this time, the little girl was crying, but she didn't cry out.Her tear-filled eyes revealed a look of despair and terror. Miss Yu felt sad, so she said to the little girl, "Okay, you can stay!" As soon as the words fell, the little girl knelt on the ground, called "Miss", and then burst into tears. Miss Yu helped her up, wiped away the tears from her face, and comforted her, but she smelled a breath of grassland from her body. This breath, she has to breathe freely almost every day for several years, and it has penetrated into her life.She couldn't help feeling a burst of inexplicable joy, as if she was already familiar with this little girl.She asked again, "What's your name?" The little girl said: "My parents call me Xianggu, which is a nickname." Miss Yu said, "Okay, I'll be Xianggu." She turned around and asked the old man how much he wanted. The old man said: "As long as Xianggu has a shade, her parents will rest in peace, and I am relieved. How can I sell my brother's daughter for money!" After speaking, he stroked Xianggu affectionately at last, with his mouth in his mouth. Tears left. Miss Yu told her mother about taking in Xianggu.Madam Yu was about to buy a little girl to serve her as a companion, so she happily agreed. Although Xianggu is more than a year younger than Miss Yu, she is very smart and sensible, and is very considerate and obedient to Miss Yu. Therefore, she soon became a caring maid by Miss Yu's side. Except for going to the garden to practice martial arts every day, Miss Yu is always inseparable from her. About half a month later, one day, a flying horse came from a nearby barracks.The newspaper said that in the vicinity of Wusu, horse thieves from Ban Tianyun had been found.Yu Shuai immediately led two battalions of fine cavalry out of the city.Yu Jiaolong felt bored and thought of riding a horse on the grassland.She had just ordered the school to get the horse ready, and when she was about to get on the saddle, Xiao Zhun rushed forward, grabbed the rein and said, "The commander-in-chief is not at the house, so please don't go out, miss." Miss Yu was annoyed and said, "How dare you stop me?!" "The commander ordered me to guard the commander's mansion, and I have to take responsibility." "I want to go out, how dare you!" "Although I dare not stop Miss, I can order the little principal to take off the saddle." After Xiao Zhun finished speaking, he turned around and ordered the little principal to take the horse away. Miss Yu stomped her feet angrily. Only then did Xiao Zhun explain respectfully and stubbornly: "Miss, please don't blame me. For a long time, the clouds have been haunting the western borders. Recently, it has been reported that they are wandering around the area. The commander just sent troops to encircle him. If miss goes out, if we run into each other, It's not a child's play, and the villain really can't bear it." Only then did Miss Yu turn from anger to shock, and from shock to anger, and finally, she lazily walked into the back hall. When Miss Yu returned to her room, while Xianggu was helping her change clothes, she asked Xianggu, "Have you heard of Ban Tianyun?" "I've heard of it. He even sent someone to deliver silver taels to my house..." Xianggu had just said this, and seeing a surprised expression on Miss Yu's face, she stopped talking suddenly and buried her head down. , seems to regret his inadvertent slip of the tongue. Miss Yu didn't rush to ask her.Yi waited until she continued to serve her and changed her clothes, then put her hands on her shoulders, and asked softly: "Don't lie to me, tell me, why did he send someone to deliver money to your house?" "My mother was ill, and she had no money to take medicine or chant scriptures, and the family's food was also gone. One day, Uncle Ren, who used to come to my house when my father was alive, brought a younger brother to the house. The younger brother sent a few taels of silver, saying it was Luo. Big brother asked him to send it." "Who is Brother Luo?" "It's Banyaoyun, I only found out later." Miss Yu really didn't expect that even her father hadn't found out what Yun's surname was for a long time, but she knew it all of a sudden. She hurriedly asked again: "Do you know what his name is?" "I don't know. I really don't know... They didn't say." "What about the little brother, what's his name?" "Uncle Ren called him Harimu, and he is from the Ministry of Hui. I heard that he has no father or mother, only a tall and big fiery red horse." Miss Wang's eyes lit up suddenly, and she said, "Ah, the fiery red horse! Isn't that Harim very stout?" "It's not too stout, and it's a bit babyish!" Miss Yu was silent for a while, and then said again: "Xianggu, for a long time, it would be great if you could know his name and tell him what he looks like." Xianggu stared at Miss with wide eyes, her face turned pale. Three days later, Yu Shuai came back.Miss Yu was sitting contemplatively in the room, when she heard that her father was returning home, she hurriedly asked Xianggu to fetch the mirror, and was going to straighten her temples so that she could see her father.Unexpectedly, what Xianggu brought over was an inkstone.Miss Yu didn't offend, she only looked at Xianggu, but saw that her face was pale, and her expression seemed a little flustered.Miss Yu only stroked her face lightly with her hands, and then each of them went to the front of the mirror. When Ms. Yu brought Xianggu to the back hall, her father and Mr. Gao had already sat in the hall and talked for a while.She heard from her father: This time, she personally led a fine cavalry to encircle the horse thief. She didn't want to gallop for more than two hundred miles, but the horse thief disappeared without a trace, so the teacher returned empty-handed. It is depressing, Mr. Gao said: "'Capture the thief first, capture the king', as long as you can catch Ban Tianyun, there will be peace in Western Xinjiang." Yushuai said, "It's really not easy to capture Ban Tianyun. The officers and soldiers haven't even found out his name yet." Although Yu Jiaolong turned back to look at Xianggu at this time, she had already concluded in her heart that Xianggu's face had turned paler. Mr. Gao added: "The commander-in-chief, why don't you offer a big reward and tell Ban Tianyun's real name." Yu Shuai sighed and said, "This is nothing more than a waste of effort, but it makes the officers and soldiers laugh at the incompetence of the ministries!" Both Yushuai and Mr. Gao stopped answering, and the hall was surprisingly quiet.Yu Jiaolong lowered her head slightly, playing with her skirt with her hands. After another long silence, her father got up and walked towards the inner room behind the hall.At this time, she turned around and smiled at Xianggu knowingly.There was something mysterious about her reassuring smile.Xianggu looked at her, with a puzzled look in her eyes, but more of a deep gratitude, her pale face slowly turned red again, and a smile appeared.