Chapter 276 Chapter 10 Chengdu Lantern Festival

It became a city in one year, and Chengdu in two years, because of the name of Chengdu. During the Warring States Period, in the autumn of the ninth year of Gengyuan, King Huiwen of Qin, the King of Qin sent officials Zhang Yi and Sima Cuo to lead an army to attack Shu, annexed it and established Shu County, with Chengdu as the county government. In the following year, King Qin accepted Zhang Yi's suggestion and built Chengdu County. Looking at the cities built in the past dynasties, they either relied on mountain dangers or took advantage of water conservancy. Only Chengdu has no dangers to rely on, let alone the benefits of ships.Moreover, the city is located in a low-lying plain, where it is humid and rainy, and there are more swamps nearby, which can only be improved by manpower.

In order to build the city, the Shu people excavated a lot of soil around them, and formed large pools from the land where the soil was taken. The famous ones are the Liu Pond in the west of the city, the Patio Pond in the northwest, the Ximo Pond in the north of the city, the Long Live Pond and the Qiansui Pond in the east of the city, which can be used for irrigation. The fertile land, where fish are raised for food, can also be used as a natural barrier to the east, west, and north during wartime.In addition to the Dujiangyan built by Li Bing, the governor of Shu during the reign of King Qin Zhao, a unique water conservancy system was formed, which solved the three major problems of flooding, irrigation and shipping in the Chengdu Plain in one fell swoop.

The city of Chengdu has a circumference of twelve miles and a wall height of seven feet. It is divided into two parts: Taicheng and Shaocheng.Taicheng is in the east, which is seven miles away; Shaocheng is in the west, less than five miles away. At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, Chengdu was the governor's office of Yizhou, which was later changed to Shu County. Dacheng is where the county government is located, and the place where people live together is the political center. Shaocheng is mainly a commercial area, and the most famous one is Nanshi. All kinds of craftsmen, rich merchants, and traffickers all operate and live here.

Before Xu Ziling set off, he asked Bai Wenyuan about the current situation in Chengdu. It turned out that the Sui government was disintegrated, and the leaders of the three major forces in Sichuan, Xie Hui of Duzunbao, Fan Zhuo, who was known as the "gun tyrant" and "gun king" of the Sichuan Gang, and Feng Zhen, the "monkey king" of Bameng, held a meeting. The meeting that decided the fate of the people of Shu decided to retain the officials and political system left over from the old Sui Dynasty, change Shu County to Yizhou, to show the difference between the old and the new, and to support the new policy with the support of three major forces. appear.

It is said that this matter was facilitated by Xie Hui, who is known as the "Wulin judge". It can be seen that this person is insightful, knowing that Sichuan is hindered by the dangers of mountains and rivers, and that the people are simple and love a self-sufficient life. Missed the hegemony. After Xu Ziling rushed for three days, he paid his taxes and entered the city before dusk. He wanted to rest for the night, and went to Huanglong to find Shi Qingxuan's secluded forest and small valley in the morning. In fact, his internal injuries have not yet healed, and he desperately needs a good night's rest to recharge his batteries to deal with any sudden danger.

Alas, when he entered the city gate, Xu Ziling felt that compared with the war-torn Central Plains, the people of Shu were peaceful, prosperous, and uncontested, wealthy and extravagant. First of all, there are countless lanterns, some of which are hung outside the houses of shops and residences, and some are held in the hands of passers-by. Children frolicking with lanterns in groups. The girls are all dressed up in gorgeous clothes, and the gorgeous clothes of the Qiang girls are more full of exotic customs. The sound of charming laughter and play fills the city gate avenue lined with shops.On the crowded streets, the sound of firecrackers is endless, and the smoke is everywhere, full of festive atmosphere.

Counting the days, Xu Ziling suddenly remembered that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. He couldn't help but look up at the bright moon that had been robbed of a little of its brilliance by the fireworks. He felt kindly in his heart, but compared with the lively atmosphere around him, he felt a little out of place. After leaving Yangzhou, both he and Kou Zhong lost the mood for the holidays. Perhaps this is the price of fighting for the world! In a peaceful and prosperous age, it should be like this, and I couldn't help but feel a burst of emotion in my heart. If Susu is still there, she will be very happy to join in the fun with him.

Suddenly, he was involved in this city full of lamps, shadows and candles of love for life, and moved slowly with the crowd of people.There are multiple floors and pavilions, standing on both sides, all decorated with lights and festoons, and the middle door is wide open for everyone to enjoy.Some wealthy families invited musicians and actresses to perform to add to the fun, exuberant joy, and an unreal feeling of poverty and intoxication. For a moment, Xu Ziling didn't know where to go. In the festive festive atmosphere, suddenly something was thrown from nowhere. Xu Ziling easily picked it up. It turned out to be an embroidery ball. Looking in astonishment, in the depths of the lights, he saw a woman standing on the opposite side of the street. Among the children with firecrackers, they were staring at him through their face veils.

Even though on this night when all the girls were dressed up like flowers and butterflies, she didn't show her pretty face, but her elegant and graceful figure still made her stand out from the crowd. It's so familiar again. At the first glance, he recognized Shi Qingxuan. More than a dozen Qiang girls walked between him and Yiren with coquettish smiles, holding hands. When they saw Xu Ziling's handsome appearance and Xuanwei's figure, they all had bright eyes and glanced frequently. When Xu Ziling was blocked, Shi Qingxuan raised her slender hands and slowly lifted the veil, revealing the part below the nose.All of a sudden, the laughter and laughter around him seemed to be quickly subsiding. Although there were thousands of festival-goers filling Quyi Lane nearby, he felt that there was no third person in the world except him and Shi Qingxuan.Although they were separated by hundreds of people and passing carriages at a distance of nearly forty feet, there was no barrier to him.

It was an indescribable feeling. Although he still couldn't see her whole picture, this slight reveal of her could make him feel more cordial and warm.She seems to be using actions to explain "Hey! Let me show you!" The moving gesture looks like.Compared with her deliberately putting on an ugly nose, or making her face dark and rough, the beautiful scenery in front of her is really an unexpected surprise. First of all, what impresses him the most is her slender, slender neck protruding from the plain yellow gown like a swan, and her neck is as smooth as satin brocade. It was because she hid the upper half of her pretty face under the veil that he paid special attention to this part that was neglected before.In fact, he has never tried Liu Zhen to look at her from a male perspective.

When his eyes moved from her delicate chin to her two fragrant lips that seemed to contain rich emotions but never refused to reveal them, her lips still made a movement of speaking, although There was no sound, but Xu Ziling opened his mouth and clearly read that she said "you are finally here". When Xu Ziling was about to squeeze past, Shi Qingxuan suddenly lowered her veil, and his sight was blocked by a man who was as tall as him. "Brother Xu, hello!" Xu Ziling was stunned to see that it was Zheng Shiru, the "Henan madman", and looking over his shoulder across the street, Shi Qingxuan had disappeared without a trace among the crowd, as suddenly as she appeared. Zheng Shiru turned his head to follow his eyes in astonishment, and asked in surprise, "Brother Xu, did you see someone you know?" At a loss, Xu Ziling almost beat Zheng Shiru, but of course he knew that he shouldn't know anything about Shi Qingxuan, so he frowned and said, "It's nothing! Just take a look!" Zheng Shiru took his arm affectionately, ignored his wishes, and said in an old friend's tone as he walked, "Brother Xu, why did you arrive so late, I sent someone to pick you up at the city gate this morning." Xu Ziling said angrily, "Brother Zheng was still in Shangyong when I started the journey, why did he arrive earlier than my younger brother?" Zheng Shiru let go of his hand, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu left in too much haste! I and Mr. Zheng wanted to invite you to come by water by boat, so as to save time on your feet and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Three Gorges. Qutang Gorge is majestic and steep. Wu Gorge is deep and beautiful, Xiling Gorge is full of rushing water, each has its own characteristics, rocks come out without doubt, and clouds open for a different reason, it can be called the best of the great rivers.” His words are forceful, concise and expressive, combined with his arrogance that comes from his bones, even though Xu Ziling believes that he is a demon of the Yingui sect, or at least has a great relationship with Zhu Yuyan, it is still difficult Evil words. Xu Ziling was planning how to get rid of him so that he could look for Shi Qingxuan, Zheng Shiru took out a jug from there, poured two gulps first, and then stuffed it into Xu Ziling's hands. At this moment, Xu Ziling suddenly recalled the incident of his concubine Xuan and Hou Xibai traveling together because of the Three Gorges. He smelled the aroma of wine, and thought to himself that Zheng Shiru shouldn't have used poisoned wine, even if it was poisoned wine. Can't hurt him.Then he took a deep gulp, and handed the jug back to Zheng Shiru. The fragrant and hot liquor went straight down his throat and rushed into his intestines, and he couldn't help but praise: "Good wine!" Zheng Shiru took another sip from the jug, furious, and put his hands on Xu Ziling's shoulder, singing: "I came back late at night and was drunk, and I still haven't woken up when I put it in the tassels. The smell of musk and orchid is mixed with drunken wine. I fell asleep in shock, laughing. How can a long life be?" The drunkenness is on the rise, Xu Ziling knows the nature of alcohol in this kind of chaos, and he can relieve his sorrows when he is drunk. Three points of ill feeling towards him. Zheng Shiru said generously: "I don't know why, but when I saw Brother Xu, I fell in love with him. Tonight we will be drunk and never return. Let us go to the most famous Sanhua Building in Sichuan and Sichuan, which is as famous as Shanglin Garden in Chang'an, Guanzhong. , with the company of beauties, enjoy the bright moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival.” Xu Ziling thought of his and Kou Zhong's destined fortune in the brothel, and said in surprise: "Brother Zheng! Please forgive me for not being able to accompany you." Zheng Shiru dragged him to the side of the road, avoided a group of children chasing with lanterns, and asked in surprise: "Brother Xu, is there something important?" Xu Ziling didn't want to lie to him, and said frankly: "I'm supposed to be busy tomorrow, but the journey is hard, so I want to go to the store to rest early, and I will have the opportunity to accompany Brother Zheng again in the future." Zheng Shiru smiled and said: "Brother Xu, if he wants to rest well, he should be received and greeted by me. I can guarantee that Brother Xu will travel all over the city, and he will not be able to find any inns and hotels to stay." As long as Xu Ziling looked at the people who kept bumping against them, he was 90% confident in his heart, so he could only say, "Brother Zheng, please don't worry, someone has pre-booked a house for me, so tonight's accommodation will not be a problem." Now he is all about leaving Zheng Shiru behind in order to find Lady Shi, so he can only make up nonsense. Zheng Shiru laughed and said, "Which inn is it?" Xu Ziling cursed inwardly, but had no choice but to mention Shi Feixuan's Yuelai Inn in Nanshi, because it was the only hotel in Chengdu that he could name. Zheng Shiru was slightly astonished, shrugged his shoulders and said: "Since that's the case, let me give Brother Xu a ride. If something goes wrong, Brother Yu can make other proper arrangements." Xu Ziling was both surprised and puzzled by his enthusiasm. Thinking of the embarrassment of being exposed after a while, he smiled bitterly: "Brother Zheng is really a friend." Zheng Shiru led him to squeeze towards Nanshi, pointed to a high-rise towering in the southwest under the bright moon, and said: "That is the Zhangyi Tower, which commemorates Zhang Yi's construction of the city. The view of the mountains and the inner and outer rivers flowing out of Dujiangyan and winding around the city is extremely beautiful." Xu Ziling said in surprise, "Brother Zheng is very familiar with Chengdu." Zheng Shiru suddenly sighed and said, "Brother Xu is very wary of me, Zheng Shiru?" Xu Ziling didn't expect that when he was introducing the scenic spots in Chengdu, he would suddenly diverge from such a sensitive issue, and said indifferently: "Brother Zheng, why did you say that?" Zheng Shiru said: "To be honest, Shi Rute came to find Brother Xu today because he wanted to have a good talk with Brother Xu and clarify some unnecessary misunderstandings. Will Brother Xu listen?" Xu Ziling sneered in his heart, when he was pretending to be Yue Shan, he had personally seen him having some kind of relationship with Zhu Yuyan, if he now slanders and denies that he is a member of the Yingui sect, then he will simply tear his face and blatantly denounce him, and drive him away to avoid He got in the way, he was already tired of being entangled with him like this, he just hated that it was hard to hit a smiling person with an angry fist! Responding coldly: "Little brother is listening attentively." Zheng Shiru bowed his head, showing a contemplative look as he walked, and shook his head with a wry smile after a long while, "I'm not well-known, and I don't seek profit, but I can't pass both wine and sex, so some people jokingly call me 'wine and sex. Madman', although it has a derogatory meaning, I am willing to accept it." The two turned into a side alley, and there were obviously far fewer pedestrians. A group of foreign girls came singing and dancing, wearing double-breasted collarless short jackets, and several pieces of clothing.The hem is semi-circular, and the waist ribbon is folded at the back of the waist, and a pair of triangular ribbon heads are folded to hang down. The silk embroidery pattern is beautiful and eye-catching. Graceful and plump, the pleats of the skirt flutter, like walking on clouds, the illusion and reality are intertwined, and it is very charming. With the dazzling headwear, earrings, and chest hangings, Xu Ziling is also dazzled and confused. Zheng Shiru said: "This is a girl of the Yi nationality. The skirts they wear are no longer wide. The skirts of the Naxi and Pumi women in the area around Lugu Lake in Bashu are so wide that you have never thought about it. You don't need several feet of cloth to tie them together It’s impossible to fold it.” Xu Ziling turned his eyes away from their dynamic and alluring backs, and wondered, "How do you wear such a wide skirt?" Zheng Shiru said with an expert attitude: "It's nothing to do around the body for a few weeks, and the excess part is tucked behind the waist, shaped like a negative object, very distinctive. Ha! Brother Xu is so handsome and tall, passing by the Yi people Be careful where you live together, Yi women are beautiful, and they are bold and enthusiastic, but once they get entangled with you, they will never let go, and it won't be resolved by leaving." Xu Ziling breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that fortunately the group of Yi girls winked at him just now and he didn't smile back, otherwise he might not be able to get away, just like Zheng Shiru's troubled situation now. Zheng Shiru silently led him through the busy street, crossed left and right, entered another relatively secluded side street, and said in a deep voice: "Please forgive me for asking, why did Brother Xu and Brother Kou insist that money is the only thing to do?" Is the concubine Bai Qing'er a member of the Yingui sect?" Xu Ziling thought it was time, stopped and said calmly, "Are we wrong?" I don’t know where the sound of drums and music came from the houses, and against the oncoming group of children parading the streets with lanterns, it was full of festive grand occasions.Zheng Shiru said unexpectedly: "She is not only a member of the Yin Gui Sect, but also a junior sister of Wanhou, with a very high status, and the relationship between concubine and concubine related to Qian Du is just a cover. This matter is very secret, but Xu Brother Kou and Brother Kou seem to see through it without any effort." Xu Ziling looked at him in astonishment, and said straight to the point: "Then where is brother Zheng in the Yingui sect?" His patience finally reached its limit, and he didn't want to be entangled any longer. Kou Zhong slashed three times in a row, causing his subordinates to stumble here and there.At this moment, Chen Changlin, Luo Qifei, Chen Laomou and Bu Tianzhi came to him together, and hurriedly shouted: "You guys continue to practice." He entered the hall and sat down with everyone, and said with a smile, "Would you like to invite me to enjoy the bright moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival?" Chen Laomou looked through the window at the ten guards who were trained by Kou Zhong specially selected from the Jiangnan disciples outside, and said: "Young commander is really good at training soldiers." Kou Zhong looked towards the square in the inner courtyard under the bright moon, and thought of the four subordinates who followed him to transport salt to the north, three of them died tragically at the hands of the Yin Gui Sect, and one of them didn't know where he was. Luo Qifei who had just rushed back said in a deep voice: "After Du Fuwei returned to Qingliu, he sent someone to call Shen Lun to see him. Shen Lun knew that he had suddenly withdrawn his large-scale attack on the city. He was suspicious and dared not go to see Du Fuwei in person. Send your men down to inquire. It is said that Du Fuwei chatted with Shen Lun's envoy for a few words and then drove him away." Kou Zhong patted the table and said: "Shen Lun is really helpful." Then he said in surprise: "Qifei, how can you even know what happened in the old Marshal Du's mansion so clearly?" Luo Qifei laughed and said: "Money makes ghosts grind. I have a fellow villager who works under Du Fuwei. If you exchange a few words for a bag of gold, who can refuse?" Chen Changlin said: "What should we do next?" Kou Zhong touched the back of the chair, and said without hesitation: "We don't need to pay attention to how Du Fuwei took the initiative to deal with Shen Lun. We only need to gather the whole army and guard Shen Lun's retreat. When he escapes to the south of the Yangtze River, we will ambush him and let him go. Brother Changlin will take revenge, and then he will retire and let Li Zitong clean up the mess. Tonight we don’t care about anything, we just watch the moon and drink, and we will set off immediately in the morning. I know Lao Du’s character best, and we will fight quickly quick decision." Everyone agreed in unison. Chen Changlin's eyes lit up, as if he had seen the tragic scene of Shen Lun's ambushes.