Chapter 2 Chapter two

Jin He has been walking in front, but seems to feel what his son is thinking.He took the reins and walked slowly, until Jin Hui's rouge-maned horse and his own horse walked side by side. "Hui, are you resenting father?" Jin He pondered for a while, and finally spoke. Jin Hui was at a loss for a moment: "No...my child dare not..." "Just now I was disrespectful to Mr. Zheng, but I am very relieved to see that you know how to respect your teacher. It seems that you have not learned in vain all these years." Jin Hui felt a little ashamed when he heard the words, and he felt alienated from his father just now. Also went most of the time.Jin He changed the subject, and said again: "But Mr. Zheng is very sophisticated and imbued with the flattery of the court. This is exactly what I don't want you to learn. With Mr. Zheng's recommendation, you could have lived in Chang'an as an official, but the court is chaotic. , I can’t help myself, I am worried that if things go on like this, what you have learned in the past seven years will be in vain.”

"Father, your hard-working child understands." "I thought about it all the way just now. You followed me back to the old house to go back to farming. It's really a little wronged. It's time for me to retire and return to my hometown, and you are in your prime, and you should start a career. After I thought about it, I will take you Recommended to the Zhongwu Army. The martial arts you have learned can be used in the army, and if you want to lead troops to fight in the future, you will also need these experiences. Fortunately, there are many old people in the Zhongwu Army, so I can rest assured that you will be entrusted to them."

"Father, my son doesn't want to do that. Back then you gained your fame through several fierce battles and military exploits. My son wants to join the army like you and start from scratch." "Good!" Jin He showed approval, "That's what my son said! Zhongwu Jiedu made Dugong very suspicious and difficult to get along with. If you really entrusted you to an old friend, I'm afraid he will make things difficult for you. How about I will write an autographed letter to Yang Jianjun, and you will bring it with you. If you are in a hurry, you can go to him. Yang Jianjun cherishes talents and is generous. Don't worry." Looking at the desolate and barren hillside in the distance, Jin He sighed, "Ah! In fact, I have long wanted to retire and return to my hometown. It is estimated that there will be another fierce battle in the Central Plains in a short time. As a great Tang generals are supposed to protect the country against rebellion. But those who plot rebellion are poor people! The government forces the people to rebel, and the people have to rebel!"

"Yeah, I have heard about it these years. Local officials oppressed the people. People in the Central Plains were struggling to make a living. The farmers were overwhelmed by heavy taxes. In good times, they could barely make ends meet. But in recent years, natural disasters have continued. , most of the common people can’t afford to eat. Those with some crafts often go to the south of the Yangtze River to make a living; those without a small family occupy the mountains and become thieves; , that's all." "That's right, reselling private salt is not because of being cornered by unscrupulous officials. I really appreciate those young people who dare to take this road. Most of them are courageous, and there are even some people with unique skills and resourcefulness. These days, Don't kill people and set fires, don't rape and plunder, but if you can find a bowl of food for yourself, that's quite respectable! I remember, you used to have a friend who lived in Wuyang, and in the past two years, he also made a living by pouring salt in private. Then I have seen the young man before, he is a man."

"Oh...Dad was talking about Wang Guangtu? You mentioned him. I have a plan. I haven't seen you for seven years. I miss you very much. I want to send you back to the old house and go to Wuyang to meet Guangtu." Jin He didn't say a word, which was a tacit consent. A group of people walked and stopped all the way, and after four days, they arrived in Xuzhou.Thinking of joining the army here in the future, Jin Hui simply settled his wife and children in an inn, and sent his father back to his hometown in the village. Then he went south to Wuyang alone to find his childhood friend.

It has been seven years since he left his homeland, and all the changes here made him feel astonished, but also felt desolate.In the past, from Xuzhou to Wuyang, there were many villages and market towns within a short distance of more than ten miles.Because the local craftsmen are well-known in this area, often on big market days, businessmen from Xuzhou, Changge and even Luoyang will come here admiringly.In Jin Hui's memory, this bustling road has always been dazzling. When he was a child, his father went on expeditions to other places, and every time he was in the off-season, his mother, who was hard-hearted and soft-hearted, would always allow him to come here to join in the fun.If you have a few copper coins in your pocket, there are various local foods to satisfy your hunger.If you are lucky, you can find a slope with good terrain, and you can dance a few Shaolin sticks to perfection.Since he was a child, Jin Hui had a certain pride in killing the rich and helping the poor.Since he came from a family of military generals, ordinary children were not his opponents. After a long time, these people became a little afraid when they mentioned Xuzhou Jinhui's name.However, Jin Hui was not an "ever-victorious general". He once went to the market with a few fellow villagers to challenge him and met his opponent.After being punched and kicked, instead of being annoyed, Jin Hui admired Sheng, a young man who is not tall but handsome.The two drank a lot of wine hand in hand, and after a long time, they became even more intimate. Since then, the two have had a life-threatening friendship.In retrospect, these were all fifteen or sixteen years ago.Since the two of them got drunk and bid farewell outside Xuzhou City, several years have passed.

But now, along the way, not only can't find the old market, but also several towns are dilapidated and empty.Jin Hui couldn't help thinking of the miserable life of the people in Henan that he had heard about in Chang'an. Only when he saw it before his eyes did he realize that those rumors were so terrifyingly true!The best childhood memories were ruthlessly shredded and discarded, leaving no trace... Cold Dew October is deep in autumn, and when I look around, I can't find even a shred of farmland.On both sides of the field ridges, there are often clusters of weeds, and the dry fish pond in the distance emits a stench from time to time, making it desolate.The rouge-maned horse carried the new owner all the way through Yancheng, and only then did he find some lively traces.

After noon, Jin Hui saw a small shop in front of him, so he tied up his horse and walked straight into the shop door.The shop is not big, but it is fairly clean.Probably this place is really depressed, and there are only two tables of guests sitting scattered in the shop. A waiter came over and said, "Master Ke, what do you want? The specialty roast chicken of this small shop is well-known in ten miles and eight villages." "In this case, the last one!" "The shop also has self-brewed shochu, Master Ke, try it?" "No need for wine, cut a catty of cake."

"Okay." Xiao Er yelled into the room, "A roast chicken and a pound of pancake—" After a short time, the hot grilled chicken was brought to the table with aroma.After driving for half a day, Jin Hui was really hungry, so he buried his head in eating. After eating about half full, Jin Hui only felt that there was a person beside him who had been looking in his direction.He looked at it calmly, and saw that it was a guest at the next table, and he was also alone.The man didn't seem to notice that Jin Hui was also paying attention to him, instead he stood up generously and walked closer.With the chopsticks in Jin Hui's hand hanging in the air, he raised his head and looked at the person carefully: he was about forty years old, with a big square face, full forehead, shrewd eyes; he was wearing a gray cloth coat with sleeves There were a few patches of mud and oil stains on the ground, which had obviously not been washed, and the riding boots under his feet were covered with dust, so it was obvious at a glance that this person had traveled a long distance to come here.Jin Hui's eyes moved, and he could tell from the corner of the collar that the man was wearing a dark blue brocade jacket.Even in the affluent Chang'an, this is a luxury for ordinary people.Jin Hui guessed, if this person is not a hereditary official, he is a wealthy businessman with a lot of money.

It's strange to say that this person was looked up and down by Jin Hui, but he didn't care at all.His gaze did not meet Jin Hui's gaze from the beginning to the end, but he kept staring at the sword on the bench beside him. "This strong man, can I have a look with your sword?" the man finally asked.Seeing Jin Hui nodding his head in acquiescence, the man held up his sword carefully.Unlike ordinary Lian Jiazi who first drew his sword out of its sheath to observe the sharpness of the sword carefully, he used his hands to grope for the carved patterns on the scabbard, and then turned the whole sword over and over to look at it for half a stick of incense. Can't put it down.After a long time, the man put the sword on the table, smacked his lips like a drunkard, let out a long breath, raised his eyes and asked respectfully, "May I ask where the strong man came from? "

"From Chang'an." "Listen to the accent, the strong man doesn't speak official Chinese, what kind of livelihood does he do in Chang'an?" "I am a local, and I have been studying in Chang'an these years." "Oh..." The man rolled his eyes and said again, "I'm sorry to ask, how could this sword hidden by the late Emperor Yizong be in the hands of a strong man?"