Chapter 167 Chapter 8 Walking Together

Waking up the next morning, the two girls got up early to leave the tent. Xiang Shaolong worked hard for half a night because of killing wolves and repelling wolves last night, and he didn't get up until the sun rose for half a day. While I was still grooming, a guest came. That man has big ears and a mighty appearance. He is dressed in a samurai uniform, obviously a man of high skill, and his left arm is bandaged. It should be the remnants of last night's resistance to wolves. Knowing that Xiang Shaolong is the leader, the man stepped forward and said, "My humble Zhuang Kong, I don't know the name of the strong man Gao, and I didn't ask my benefactor last night about his name. Later, I was severely reprimanded by my wife, so I came here this morning to plead guilty."

Xiang Shaolong saw that he still did not reveal his identity, and knew that the other party was accompanied by a female family member, he was very surprised and said: "Since brother is not willing to reveal his identity to go hiding, why did he come up to find out our origins, why don't we all meet each other by chance, and break up like this gone." Zhuang Kong didn't expect Xiang Shaolong to be so straightforward, and he pointed out that he deliberately concealed his history, and he was very embarrassed, but he was also a very person, and he said with shame: "Benefactor blamed it well, I only wish that my wife has ordered you not to do it casually." Reveal your identity. But when I saw my benefactor, I was very happy, can I ask my wife for instructions first, and then see you benefactor again later."

At this time, Ji Yanran and Zhao Zhi came back to the camp from the forest holding hands, seeing Zhuang Kong's eyes in a daze, obviously he never expected to meet such a peerless beauty in such a place. Xiang Shaolong said with a smile at this time: "This matter can be avoided, we also have urgent matters, we must leave immediately, so let's forget it! I wish Brother Zhuang and Your Madam a smooth journey." Zhuang Kong was so frightened that he looked away, and asked earnestly, "Does Mr. En want to enter the state of Chu?" Seeing Xiang Shaolong talking to someone, Ji Yanran and her two daughters knew what was going on, so they stood aside and listened quietly.

Xiang Shaolong was stunned and said: "Isn't this place Hanzhong County? It should still belong to the land of Qin State." Zhuang Kong said in astonishment: "Grandpa may have lost his way. This is the offshoot of the Qinling Mountains. It crosses the two counties of Hanzhong and Nanyang and reaches the territory of Chu. If the direction is correct, there are still five days' journey. I have walked twice before, so I am sure I am wrong." No." Xiang Shaolong couldn't help scolding Du Bi in his heart, if his people hadn't forced him to leave the route, he should have caught up with Teng Yi ten days ago, but now he came to this ghost place.When I think of the hardships, I don't have the courage to look back.Now the only way is to advance to the Chu state and try to reunite with Teng Yi.

He sighed and said, "Are you also going to Chu State?" Zhuang Kong said: "That's exactly the case. If a strong man doesn't dislike it, he can go with him, and he will take care of him on the way." Xiang Shaolong secretly thought that the other party must have been frightened by the wolves last night, and after pondering for a while, he said, "How many of you are there?" Zhuang Kong said: "Besides Madam, there are five female family members, a child and fifteen attendants including my servant." Xiang Shaolong thought to himself that if Zhuang Kong didn't lead the way, he didn't know how many wrong roads he would have walked.As long as you get out of the Qinling Mountains and see you again on the road, there shouldn't be any problems.Then he nodded in agreement.

Zhuang Kong was so overjoyed that he even forgot to ask everyone about Xiang Shaolong's surname, agreed to meet up at the bottom of the slope after a while, and left in a hurry. Ji Yanran came over with a smile and said, "Looking at the style of this person's clothes and accent, you can tell that this person is a nobleman of the Chu Kingdom, so please be careful, my lord." Xiang Shaolong said with a smile: "I will be called Xiang Ran for the time being. You are the first lady, and Zhizhi is the second lady. This time I came to Chu State to do business. If they don't believe it, there is nothing they can do."

When Xiang Shaolong and others pulled out their camp and led their horses downhill, Zhuang Kong and other fifteen men, five women and a child were already waiting for them. Half of these fifteen "attendants" were injured, and two of them had wolf scratches on their necks, which is shocking to see. If only based on observation, there are only two people who can be called good players except Zhuang Kong. Most of the girls put on cloaks and covered their faces with veils. Although the outlines can be vaguely seen, they are not real.The two women who didn't cover their faces were as thick as cows, and their appearance was not ugly, but they were inconspicuous.The other three women all had graceful postures, and one could tell at a glance that they were ladies of noble birth. Under the half-covered veil, there was a kind of vague mysterious beauty.

One of the women is very tall, and she is the oldest, she should be in her early thirties, it seems that she is the wife Zhuang Kong said. The child was born with delicate features and sharp eyes, about eleven to twelve years old, when he saw Xiang Shaolong and the others, he opened his curious eyes and looked at them. When the five girls saw them coming, they all bowed and saluted, but their eyes fell on Ji Yanran's second daughter. The lady spoke first: "My husband's surname is Zhuang. The kindness of the strong man who helped me last night, I will never forget it. Mr. Unknown's name is Gao, so that I can remember it in my heart."

Xiang Shaolong came to her, returned the gift according to the courtesy, and then said with a smile: "Xiang Ran, these two are my wives, and I am going to try my luck in Chu State today, to see if I can buy them. High-quality gold, unexpectedly lost the way, but if it is not lost, you will not meet your wife and nobles, is this little brother your son?" Mrs. Zhuang stared at Xiang Shaolong behind the light veil and said: "It is the little son Zhuang Baoyi, she is the third and fourth sister You Cuizhi and You Ningzhi who were concubines, and the others are servants from our house. "

The two girls smiled shyly. Mrs. Zhuang's eyes fell on Ji Yanran's face, she seemed to be thinking, but she didn't say anything, she just said: "I didn't expect the wild wolves in the mountains to be so fierce and fearless. We were prepared, but we were almost kissed by wolves. Fortunately, there are strong men out of trouble. Now that there are strong men walking together, I feel more at ease." Xiang Shaolong looked at the sky, smiled and said, "I got up late today, why don't we start now!" After Mrs. Zhuang nodded, Zhuang Kong hurriedly ordered someone to bring the horse, and put Mrs. Zhuang's three sisters and children on the horse's back. Although Zhuang Baoyi was young, he sat on the horse as firmly as Mount Tai, without any fear.

The crowd then began to fall. Zhuang Kong was indeed not bragging, because he knew the way, which saved Xiang Shaolong and others a lot of time and effort. But because the three girls and one child all had to be led by horses, the speed was very slow, and there was no way to do it. There was no conversation between the two groups along the way, only that Zhuang Kong pointed out the scenery on the road from time to time, which made Xiang Shaolong feel like joining a tour group. When camping at night, Mrs. Zhuang and others hid in the tent to eat, and there was no chance to speak. ◇◇◇◇◇◇ After walking for five days like this, Chu Jing was finally in sight. That night, they camped and rested as usual, while Xiang Shaolong, Ji Yanran's two daughters, and a group of iron guards gathered around the campfire, grilling game and talking and laughing casually. Zhuang Kong and others ate their dry food at the other end of the camp, and declined Xiang Shaolong's polite invitation. The full moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating the nearby mountains and plains in golden yellow, and the snow peaks in the distance are shining with mysterious and strange lights. There are wolves howling from time to time, which makes people feel that this quiet and peaceful mountain is still full of dangers. Zhao Zhiru said with relief: "After two more hills, we will be able to set foot on the flat ground. It's really great. I wish it would be dawn right now." Ji Yanran approached Xiang Shaolong and said softly, "They are all very nervous." Xiang Shaolong looked at Zhuang Kong and the others, and sure enough, he found that they were silent enough, but also a little fidgety. After nodding in agreement, they couldn't find anything to say.People won't tell you, and it's useless to ask.What's more, after arriving in the Chu state, I don't have time to take care of myself, so I don't have the ability to take care of other people's affairs. At this time, there was a wolf howling nearby, Wu Guang smiled at Jing Shan and said, "Your old friend is here again, telling you not to show mercy when you do it, otherwise I will use my teeth to make out with you." Jing Qi said solemnly, "I think the wolves are here for revenge." Jing Shan also frowned and remained silent. Wu Yan wondered: "Are you a wolf or a human? You know how to hold grudges." Jing Qi said: "It's true, horses have horse nature, so they know who is the master; wolves also have wolf nature, so it's so strange to know who is the enemy." Zhao Zhi is the least courageous.Feeling chilled, he said, "Then you guys should hurry up and think of a way to deal with it." Xiang Shaolong was also terrified, because although the location was on a cliff platform, there were slopes on three sides and lush trees, if dozens or hundreds of wolves came out, it was really not a joke, there was a serious problem Machine guns are just fine. Wu Shu was the most calm and wise among all the iron guards, and said with a smile: "Second Madam's orders, I dare not obey, but can we wait until we have enough food and strength before going to work." Zhao Zhijiao complained to Xiang Shaolong angrily: "Wu Shu is playing tricks on others, and Zhizhi didn't tell him not to eat." Xiang Shaolong laughed and said: "The leg of lamb is almost burnt, if you don't take it off and serve it on a plate, my second wife has something to eat, so forget everything." Ji Yanran coquettishly said: "Is Zhizhi a glutton? She is so unbearable, I want to seek justice for her." ◇◇◇◇◇◇ Time passed like this. After the meal, Jing Shan and others happily went to set up traps, as if they were afraid that the wolf would not come, which made people angry and funny. Ji Yanran's two daughters also went to join in the fun, but Xiang Shaolong stole some free time and sat alone in front of the campfire in a daze, thinking about it, joy, anger, sorrow and joy passing through his heart one by one. At this moment, Mrs. Zhuang came out from the tent and came towards Xiang Shaolong. She was wearing a plain white long jacket, a long white cape, a hat decorated with pearls, and a veil hanging down. Like a beautiful elf from the nether world. Xiang Shaolong looked at her in astonishment, until she came to sit beside her and saluted him, then said: "Madam Zhuang can't sleep?" In audible close quarters, by firelight, the slander has no veiling effect.I saw that the lines and outlines on her face had a kind of classical elegance and beauty, although it was not as thrilling as Qin Qing's, but she was already a rare beauty. Her watery eyes reflected the light of the bonfire, flickering and changing, staring at Xiang Shaolong intently, and suddenly sighed quietly: "I have something on my mind, how can I sleep well?" It was the first time in so many days that Xiang Shaolong had such a close conversation with her, and he couldn't help feeling strange.He nodded and said, "I really don't need to tell you about Madam." Seeing him staring at her face, Mrs. Zhuang asked in a low voice, "Can a strong man see the appearance of my concubine?" Xiang Shaolong was a little embarrassed and said: "Under this angle and the reflection of the firelight, I can indeed see a little bit." But she was muttering in her heart, these words were quite flirtatious, did she want to seduce herself so that he would do a certain thing for her? This Mrs. Zhuang reminded him of Mrs. Pingyuan and Queen Jing. Mature and older beautiful women like them are no longer as pure as they were when they were girls. achieve a certain purpose. Mrs. Zhuang lowered her head and said quietly: "The strong man is going to Chu this time, is he really going to buy gold?" Xiang Shaolong didn't expect her to be so straightforward, so he didn't dare to hesitate to answer: "Man dies for money, and birds die for food, not for gold. Who wants to travel long distances and be in the dust?" Mrs. Zhuang remained silent, as if she was chewing on his two brilliant sentences "man dies for money, bird dies for food", she raised her head after a while and said: "Xiang Zhuangshi's words are written, and he has something to say, it is very important Besides, the two wives are both stunning in the world, with elegant temperament, and both of the nobles are masters, if you say that you will go around for mere wealth, should you believe me?" Xiang Shaolong denied it, and said: "Is gold a mere commodity, madam is wrong." Mrs. Zhuang's beautiful eyes behind the light veil stared at him for a moment, and said slowly: "In that case, as long as the strong man Xiang escorts us to the Dian Kingdom, I will reward the strong man with a thousand taels of gold. I can swear a poisonous oath, Never break your word." Xiang Shaolong was shocked, remembering that Ji Yanran said that because the Chu people were frustrated in the eastward invasion, they turned to the southwest to develop, and the person in charge was the general Zhuang Jiao, who had the same surname as Mrs. Zhuang's husband.Later, when the power of Chu weakened, Zhuang Jiao sat down with other princes and became the king. Isn't Zhuang Jiao the king of Dian? After being stunned for a while, he said lightly, "I don't know what is the relationship between madam and King Dian Zhuangjiao?" Mrs. Zhuang said in a low voice: "The late king is a concubine and a family member." Xiang Shaolong thought to himself that it seemed to be another tragedy of the royal family vying for the throne, how could he be in the mood to listen to it, and sighed: "Madam's proposal is indeed touching, but this thousand taels of gold is not easy to earn. May the two beautiful wives who came down to visit the mountains and rivers with me risk their lives, and forgive me for being powerless." Mrs. Zhuang also sighed, and said softly: "I'm just trying you! Xiang Shaolong has the Wu family as his backing, how could he put a thousand taels of gold in his eyes?" Xiang Shaolong smiled wryly: "So you already knew who I am, but you came here to play me on purpose." Mrs. Zhuang said with a "puchi" smile: "There is no one in a million people with looks and body like you, and even a talented woman can't hide it from others. You are all so famous. It's strange that Mr. Xiang thinks that you are a concubine. You can fool us." He smiled again and said: "If it were an ordinary man, the concubine might exchange her body for your help, but she knows that this move will not work for you. Therefore, instead of selling and buying, let's make a match. Is it a good deal?" Xiang Shaolong suddenly had a strange feeling that this Mrs. Zhuang not only had the qualities of Mrs. Pingyuan and Queen Jing, but also a mixture including Zhao Ya.A pretty face that is not afraid of your uncooperation makes people both exciting and provocative. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down and said, "Frankly speaking, I don't see what you can use to trade with me." Mrs. Zhuang said confidently: "Mr. Xiang is coming to Chu this time, is the target Li Yuan or Tian Dan? If it is the latter, I will not worry about you not agreeing to this deal." Xiang Shaolong was dumbfounded immediately, he must know that he had to deal with Tian Dan, although it was a secret known by many people, it was only limited to a small circle of Xianyang military and royal family, how could Mrs. Zhuang know this secret? Mrs. Zhuang said softly: "If Mr. Xiang knew that Mrs. Huayang is my real aunt, he wouldn't be so surprised." Xiang Shaolong took a deep breath and said, "Madam is from Xianyang?" Mrs. Zhuang evaded and replied: "Sir, please tell me whether this trip is for Tian Dan. If the answer is 'no', I no longer have the conditions to trade with Mr., so let's let this matter go." Xiang Shaolong was thinking about the telegram, and hearing her tone, it seemed that there was a lot behind Tian Dan's incident, so he couldn't help being a little moved, and sighed: "Madam is really amazing, why don't you tell me about it." Mrs. Zhuang said happily: "My concubine believes that Mr. is an upright gentleman. Even if I know my secret, even if I don't make a deal, I won't let it out. Is it like this?" Xiang Shaolong smiled wryly: "Could it be that I, Xiang Shaolong, will harm you women and children?" Mrs. Zhuang cheered up and said: "The reason why I know so many secrets is because Li Yuan has my people in his confidantes. Sir, you understand now!" Xiang Shaolong suddenly realized that Mrs. Zhuang is from Chu, Zhuang Jiao's daughter-in-law, and a close relative of Mrs. Huayang. It is not unreasonable for Li Yuan to have people from her system in his confidants. No wonder she would He knew that he was going to deal with Tian Dan. Mrs. Zhuang smiled slightly: "Mr. Xiang, can you pull up the veil on my body, I want to tell you a secret that you can't dream of face to face." Xiang Shaolong frowned and said, "Ma'am is a person who belongs to her. If I do this, I'm afraid it's against the etiquette?" Mrs. Zhuang said sadly: "my husband was beheaded by the rebels in the downtown area five years ago, and my concubine does not belong to anyone now. Otherwise, why would I leave my hometown and escape to Qin? If it weren't for Mrs. Huayang's protection I, my concubine, was captured by the Chu people long ago." Xiang Shaolong sighed, and lifted her veil, a pretty face full of both joy and anger, full of the charm of a mature beauty, appeared in front of her eyes. Her jade face is a little too long, but because her pink neck is as graceful and slender as a swan, it fits just right, forming a unique charm.Coupled with a small beauty mole like a lacquer on the upper and lower jaw, everything is perfectly balanced.Her eyes are really watery, which can make any man's heart beat when he sees them. Although the classic beauty is not as good as Qin Qing's, it has more boldness and wildness that Qin Qing doesn't have, which makes people want to sleep with her at the first sight. No wonder she was covering her face with a veil. Mrs. Zhuang felt satisfied when she saw him looking at her intently, and shyly said: "Mr. thinks my concubine's complexion is still attractive!" Xiang Shaolong was secretly vigilant. Although she stated clearly that she would not seduce herself, she has been doing so all the time, but it is no wonder that she, with such a weak girl, in order to restore the country and let her son regain the throne, in addition to the capital of talent Besides, what else can we rely on? It is conceivable that from the subjugation of the country to the present moment, she must have used her beautiful body many times in exchange for the help of men. Can't help sighing: "Madam, why don't you underestimate yourself, you haven't revealed the big secret that day!" Madam Zhuang's eyes flashed with astonishment, and she said softly: "It's only now that I understand why even the widow Qing can't help herself to Mr. Her words represent a person's self-cultivation. Just listen to what Mr. says and don't speak out of the cardinal. Mr. Zhi is very human." Xiang Shaolong secretly felt ashamed, and said with a wry smile: "The restoration of the country is the most important thing, madam, please don't look down on others, or you will cause yourself trouble." Mrs. Zhuang covered her mouth and smiled coquettishly: "You have a lot of confidence in yourself, but do you still feel frightened when people admire you? And even warned, alas! There are men like you who are afraid of making women fall in love with you, saying If you go out, no one will believe it." The more Xiang Shaolong got in touch with this Mrs. Zhuang, the more he felt her allure. At this moment, he suddenly realized that Zhuang Kong and others had all gone to help on the slope, and they were the only couple left in the open space outside the camp. He was secretly startled. Zhengrong said: "I am listening carefully." Lord Zhuang suppressed his smile, and said softly, "Tian Dan should have arrived in Shouchun, the capital of Chu." Xiang Shaolong was shocked and said, "What?" Mrs. Zhuang calmly said: "Because Tian Dan has enemies all over the country and abroad, he often has a double who looks exactly like him with him. After knowing that you won't let him go, he went out with Li Yuan's team that day. What you saw was just his double!" Xiang Shaolong broke out in a cold sweat immediately, no wonder Tian Dan was so low-key during the field hunting and tried not to attend public occasions as much as possible, it turned out that there was such a reason. In the end, I was short of chess, and I couldn't beat this old fox.It is also necessary to notify Teng Yi and Xu Yiran immediately, so as not to be wiped out by the Chu people's counterattack.Thinking of this, I lost my mood.In the future, I will write my own name upside down, but this time it is indeed a complete failure. Suddenly felt Mrs. Zhuang's face enlarged before his eyes, and when he was still in a daze, Mrs. Zhuang's plump lips kissed him lightly, and then sat back and said: "As long as you help me restore the country, I will help you assassinate Tian Dan." Xiang Shaolong was stunned and said, "You can't protect yourself, how can you help me?" Mrs. Zhuang said solemnly: "The reason why this traitor Li Ling was able to kill the master and betray the country is because of the support of King Xiaolie. Now that King Xiaolie is dead, there are many people who support us in Shouchun and Dian Kingdom. The whole situation It’s all different, otherwise how dare I go back to Chu.” Xiang Shaolong said in astonishment: "Didn't you also hear the news of King Xiaolie's death from Li Yuan?" Mrs. Zhuang said: "Of course not. Our family has deep roots in Chudi, and Zhuang Kong was informed by Chu Yuandao and took us back." Xiang Shaolong lost his voice: "What? Is King Xiaolie really dead?" Mrs. Zhuang looked at him puzzled. Xiang Shaolong's turmoil has not passed yet, he never expected that the accidental hit would actually make Li Yuan rush back to seize power in time, otherwise Li Yuan might still be in Xianyang. The strangeness of the world is indeed unexpected. After taking a deep breath, he said decisively: "Okay, if I can kill Tian Dan, I will do my best to help your son regain the throne."