Chapter 5 chapter Five

Jin Hui felt relieved, walked more than ten steps into the cave, and couldn't feel the cold wind outside, so Wang Jian also sat down with him.The two fought fiercely with more than forty people for a long time, and ran for dozens of miles. They were already exhausted from hunger and cold.As soon as Wang Jian's butt touched the ground, he couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, feeling lucky to have escaped from death. "Fortunately, Zhang Jie is fine, so I'm relieved. Guangyuan, do you know the person who was locked in the same prison car as Zhang Jie?" "Yeah, I didn't expect to meet him again so soon. That man is a businessman who likes to collect. I met him when I stopped in a small shop on Wuyang Road. He was willing to offer 20 gold bars and two emeralds. Pull your fingers for my sword!" Jin Hui couldn't help but smile, feeling that Meng Yanfan and himself are really destined.He also didn't expect that he saved the life of this rich businessman in a daze.

"Oh? Is your sword so valuable?" "This is the sword given to my mentor by the emperor." "Oh..." After a moment's rest, the breathing of the two changed from shortness of breath to gentleness. Wang Jian remembered that from last night to tonight, he and Jin Hui hadn't talked about their respective experiences for seven years apart, so he asked Jin Hui these things. What did you do in Chang'an last year. Jin Hui smiled again, he never expected that he and his old friend would be reminiscing about the old days in such a cave on such a night: "Oh, it's a long story... At that time, my father was promoted to an official position, and he was busy with military and political affairs every day. He couldn’t even sleep well. His old man had high hopes for me, and seeing that I was idle every day, he was afraid that I would delay my future, so he sent me to Chang’an and entrusted me to Mr. Zheng, a member of Zhongshushe.”

"Which Lord Zheng?" "It is Zheng Taiwen Gong, the Minister of the Ministry of War, the Prime Minister of the current dynasty." "I've heard about this man. He's from Xingyang. It's said that he's a clean official." "Dr. Zheng and my father are family friends and treat me like their own. When I was in Chang'an, no matter how busy he was with his official duties, he would teach me every day, and also taught me how to deal with state affairs. A year later, Pang Xun conspired against him. The two generals Wang and Meng under Zheng Gong's family followed the forbidden army of the imperial court and cooperated with the Li governor of Weizhou to suppress the rebellion. The prince was brave and good at fighting, injured his right eye, and has been disabled since then. The late emperor was grateful for his achievements, and specially bestowed this Panlong saber to reward the prince The two of them could have been promoted to rank, but they still wanted to listen to the affairs of Zheng Gong. Soon, Zheng Gong was promoted to be the servant of the household department, and the family gradually became rich. But he still treats me as before, and invites Wang and Meng Ergong to teach me. I practice martial arts. This time, my father went to Chang'an to face the saint, but because he refused to curry favor with Lieutenant Tian of the Shence Army, he was dismissed miserably. I came back on the same journey with my father. When we parted, my mentor, the prince, gave me this sword as a souvenir .”

"No wonder I saw your amazing swordsmanship today. It turned out that you were taught by two famous generals." "Myna was joking. I thought that after seven years of training, I would definitely beat myna. Unexpectedly, I fought against you yesterday by a few points, but I was still invincible. I saw your sword skills are superb today. I don't know which sect or sect you have learned from?" Wang Jian smiled and said, "You really hit the mark. My little skill was taught by an old god." Seeing that Jin Hui was puzzled, he explained in detail: "After you went to Chang'an, I still took Zhang Jie with me. Brothers like Tian Wei and Tian Wei lived in Wuyang and Xuzhou to eat and drink. In the Central Plains, the government especially squeezed farmers hard. Once Zhang Jie and I sneaked into a house and wanted to bring a cow home for slaughter. Who would want to be discovered by the owner. There was only one old man crying and kneeling begging me to keep the cow. The old man said that his son could not survive and became a thief, and the old woman died of illness. , he was left alone to guard the old cow waiting to die. Alas! I softened my heart at that time and gave him all the copper coins I had on me. On the way back, I felt more and more unhappy. The dignified seven-foot man, What kind of world is it to rely on stealing for a living with all the strength and means!" Wang Jian sighed, as if recalling the wandering years in the past, he felt a little regretful in his heart.He swallowed, and continued: "When I came out of the old man's house at night, Zhang Jie gave me an idea, saying that Li Shitai in Xuzhou had a close relationship with a man named Li Dalang recently. Later, I found out that Li Dalang's name was Li Jian, and what he did was Lucky for the sale of smuggled salt. Zhang Jie also said that the last time he had a drink with Li Shitai, Shitai asked us if we would like to work together. When I heard that, I became energetic at that time! Think about it, stealing chickens and dogs is a crime, and so is smuggling salt. Breaking the law, but taking salt does not harm the folks, it is to snatch some food from the court, there is nothing you dare not do! Li Shitai and I also had friendship in the past, so we kowtowed to him and joined the gang. The source of the business It was Li Jian who came up with the idea, I have never met Li Jian, Li Shitai joined him, and my brothers Wuyang and others would pick up the goods from Shitai and hand them over to reliable businessmen. Everyone is equally shared. The situation in Wuyang is that Chen Deguang can cover the sky with one hand. He has a backer, and he has enough money to do our business. Naturally, no one will make life difficult for us. Unexpectedly, he was stabbed this time Humph, I am ruining my fortune or killing harm for the people... If I want to talk about the experience of the past few years, I can't finish talking about those three days and three nights. Those who do our business hang their lives on their belts I don’t know when I will report to Hades. Three years ago, I took a few brothers and took a trip to Junzhou. Who would have thought that when the delivery time was approaching, I encountered bandits. The two leaders This thief is one of the rarest ones I have ever seen! They not only snatched salt, but also our lives. My brothers were all wiped on the neck, and my life was fatal, and my legs and back were chopped off. I was stabbed twice and passed out. Probably the group of people thought I was dead, so I took my life. When I woke up, I was already lying on the bed. It was only later that I found out that there were two small Taoist boys who went down to fetch water from the nearby Wudang Mountain. , found that I was still angry, so I carried it back to the Taoist temple. The Taoist priest seemed to be a god, and sprinkled some powder on my wound, and the wound was completely healed in two or three days. Later, I told the fairy that I He sympathized with me very much, so he left me to live on the mountain for more than half a year, and passed on some kung fu to me. Think about it, I have no relatives or reasons with him, and he treated me like this, so I begged him to accept it. I am a disciple, and I am willing to serve the old god on the mountain for the rest of my life. Unexpectedly, he said that I am too attached to the world, so I should go back to Wuyang. After I go back, I can continue to sell salt, but I can’t do things like stealing the poor. And before leaving, he gave me this precious sword. Later, when I went down the mountain, I still practiced my old business. I often encountered bandits, but the kung fu taught by the old god was very useful..."

Jin Hui listened intently, as if he was listening to a legendary story.If you don't believe it, but Wang Jian's kung fu has improved rapidly in the past few years, and he can't help but not believe it. At this moment, a strong wind suddenly blew up outside the cave, and the whistling turbulence made the leaves rustle, and the whistling wind drowned out the gurgling stream.Suddenly, a whirlwind that seemed to be torn apart rolled and floated gently across the cave. This wind was vaguely mixed with the voice of speaking. ... Tonight there will be an open meeting in Yingchuan, no distinction between high and low, you can go there..." Jin Hui was startled, and wanted to listen carefully, but unexpectedly, a deep voice came from the depths of the cave: "The king of Shu is here, I can't accompany you, don't blame me..."

Jin Hui suddenly pulled out the sword from his waist, and shouted towards the cave: "Who? Who's in there?" For a long time, echoes came from the deep cave, lingering endlessly, but no one answered.When he came back to his senses, the wind outside the cave had dissipated, the sound of the stream jingling against the pebbles was still there, and he could faintly feel the habitual rustling of the leaves when the woods gradually calmed down. "Brother, did you hear that just now?" Wang Jian nodded: "I heard it, it sounds like little ghosts from the underworld talking."

"Ghost? Have you ever seen a ghost?" "No, but the old god once told me that he can communicate with ghosts, so I believe that there are indeed ghosts in this world." "Oh, so that's the case, then I'm afraid I disturbed these gods just now, it's a sin." "It shouldn't be a problem. As the saying goes, there are gods three feet above the ground. There may be more than the two of us in this cave. We have no malice towards them, and they will naturally not hurt us." Jin Hui nodded, seeing Wang Jian's calmness, he admired this old friend even more.

The night was deep, and the tiredness accumulated throughout the day reached its limit at this moment. In the dark cave, when I closed my eyes, I felt groggy.The two were sitting side by side on a big rock. Not long after, Wang Jian beside him was already snoring evenly, and Jin Hui fell asleep in a daze, accompanied by rhythmic breathing. I don't know how long I slept, but the sound of the wind outside the cave started again. Jin Hui still fell into a deep sleep, but he seemed to be able to feel a gust of cool wind blowing into the cave. The sharp voice just now said: "Giving alms tonight, especially bringing a vegetarian meal..." Then, the deep voice came from the cave: "I live alone, what do you do with three copies?" The sharp voice said: "One part is for you, and two parts are for the king of Shu..." Soon, two voices They all disappeared without a trace, and Jin Hui felt that he was dreaming non-stop, but he couldn't fall asleep completely.A day's fatigue made his legs sore, and half a day without food made him even more hungry.At this time, a hint of the fragrance of brown rice entered his nostrils, which made him swallow a mouthful of saliva.He seemed to feel that there was a steaming vegetarian meal in front of him.With this sustenance, Jin Hui didn't seem to be very hungry anymore. He always felt that if he was very hungry, he could reach out to get food to satisfy his hunger; so, under this sustenance, he continued to fall asleep sweetly.

... The warmth of the morning gradually spread through the body through the soil under the body, and the early orioles on the treetops outside the cave sang melodiously.Jin Hui woke up from his sleep, feeling much refreshed after sleeping.Just when he opened his eyes, he suddenly saw two bowls of brown rice side by side in front of him.Jin Hui immediately remembered the dream of last night, and shivered involuntarily.He reached out his hand to touch the clay bowl that served the rice, and there was still some residual heat.He took a bowl to his nose and smelled it, and it was no different from the fragrance in his dream.He hurriedly woke up Wang Jian who was still sound asleep, and told about his dream last night and the two bowls of miraculous rice in front of him.Wang Jian also found it miraculous. He thought that even if there were ghosts, they would be separated from him by Yin and Yang, but how could he explain the two real bowls of vegetarian food in front of him?

However, the two of them were really hungry, so they filled their stomachs first without caring much. Jin Hui said: "Last night, the two ghosts kept offering food to the King of Shu. I think mynah looks extraordinary. Is it the reincarnation of the King of Shu?" Wang Jianyile: "My ancestors lived in the land of Yan, born in Xiangcheng, and grew up in Wuyang. The king of Shu is in charge of Xichuan, so how could he have anything to do with me? It must be the little ghost who misunderstood and sent the wrong meal, which made our meal perfect." I'm full." Saying this made Jin Hui laugh out loud.The two stood up, patted the dust off their bodies, and walked around the cave, only to realize that the cave turned out to be an ancient tomb.There are two coffins parked in the depths of the cave, but other than that, the age of the tomb cannot be discerned.Thinking that they had disturbed the owner of the tomb that night, the two hurriedly cupped their fists at the coffin to apologize, and then walked out of the cave.When I came out and looked back, I saw that the tiny hole was covered by trees.If it was in the daytime, I would never have thought that this place would be an ancient tomb, and I don't know why I stayed here last night.

The morning sun shines on the crystal-clear stream, sparkling with sparkling light.Looking at the upper reaches of the stream from a distance, there is a small waterfall about two feet high. The clear mirror-like stream flows through this waterfall, scattered like emerald crystals, coupled with the green trees on both banks and the singing of orioles, it is like stepping into the waterfall like an idiot. Drunk picture scroll.In the distance, the bell rang leisurely, and the lingering sound echoed.Looking for the sound, a somewhat dilapidated ancient temple stands on the hill on the opposite bank.Wang Jian had never been here before, so he didn't know how to get to Xuzhou from here, so he simply dragged Jin Hui to the ancient temple on the top of the mountain, hoping to find someone to inquire about the way. When I came to the top of the mountain, I found that it was a very small temple with only one main hall and a few dilapidated thatched cottages on both sides.In the hall, an old monk sat silently reciting the Buddha's name with a Buddhist bead in his hand; beside him was a young monk, who was about fourteen or fifteen years old, busy cleaning the altar in front of the Buddha statue.Seeing the two of Wang Jian entering, the young monk politely asked the two benefactors if they could offer incense. Wang Jian clasped his hands together and said no need, he just wanted to know how to get to Xuzhou from here.The young monk shook his head, turned to the old monk and said, "Teacher, these two benefactors asked about the way to Xuzhou." The old monk slightly opened his eyes and asked, "Aren't the two benefactors local?" Jin Hui said: "I'm from Xuzhou. I was chased and fled here yesterday and lost my way. I want to go back to Xuzhou but I can't tell the way." The old monk nodded: "The poor monk also passed by here, but he came from Xuzhou. After passing this mountain and heading west, you will come out of the Wuyang County boundary. There is a small path in the north of this temple that can go down the mountain. After going down the mountain, go east You can go to the official road in Shilidi, and you can inquire about it when you get there." Wang Jian quickly thanked him.As soon as he turned around, he heard the old monk persuade him to stay: "The almsgiver stay." "Teacher, what's the matter?" The monk looked Wang Jian up and down for a long time, and asked in amazement: "May I ask what the benefactor does for a living?" "This..." Wang Jian hesitated. The old monk said again: "I think the bones of the benefactor are different, and there is a dragon and tiger spirit between the brows. The benefactor has a dignified appearance and good manners. It should be the face of the extremely wealthy, so I asked." Wang Jian blushed, and replied with some shame: "I'm just a countryman. I used to kill cattle and steal for a living, but now I'm living a hard life and doing some salt business." "Oh, so that's the case. However, most of the people who want to do this kind of business these days have extraordinary skills." Wang Jian was also not humble, and replied: "It's hard to say that I am very skilled. I have liked guns and sticks since I was a child, and I have strength all over my body. I have nothing to do with three or five ordinary punks." The old monk sighed: "What a pity!" "Oh? What a pity?" "It's a pity that the benefactor has all his strength and ability, but he lives in this poor and remote county, doing this kind of business that hides great talents." Wang Jian lowered his head, pondered for a while, and said: "Buddhas and Bodhisattvas must not tell lies. To be honest, I was involved in a life lawsuit yesterday, and I am afraid that I will not be able to eat this bowl of rice in the future." Jie, killed Chen Deguang, and how he escaped here and told them one by one. After listening to Wang Jian's narration, the old monk turned his back and said loudly as if talking to himself, "Right now, the world is in turmoil and the people are displaced. There are many rebels in the land of China. Not long ago, Wang Xianzhi, Shang Junchang and others rose up in Changyuan, and within a few months, heroes from all over the world gathered to respond. I am afraid that half of the country will be swept away in less than half a year, and the government and the public will also be shocked! I think you two are talents in troubled times, forgive the poor Seng take the liberty, right now is the way for the two of you to showcase your talents and seek glory and wealth!" Wang Jian and Jin Hui looked at each other, feeling their hearts throbbing.Jin Hui asked: "Master wants me to join Wang Xianzhi and rebel against the imperial court?" "It's so good! The court is corrupt, the young master is weak, and the eunuchs are in power. It is God's will and the people's will for Wang Xianzhi and Shangjun to rebel. However, although the Tang Dynasty's fortunes are declining, its strength is not exhausted! Today, there are feudal towns all over the world. In power, from Lingbiao in the south, outside the Great Wall in the north, Longban in the west, and Yuhai in the east, there are all feudal towns in the Tang Dynasty. The imperial court is weak, but the feudal towns have enough soldiers and food. Even though rebels are everywhere, they can deter Chang'an for a while, but You can't live in the town for a long time! If the two of you have great ambitions, you should join the army and make achievements. If God loves you in the future, you will be able to enjoy the wealth that you can't imagine today! If you can appease the people of a state, it is also a blessing for the common people .” What the old monk said made Wang Jian's blood boil.After killing and escaping yesterday, he has been at a loss as to how to proceed in the future.It is true that he thought about defecting to the rebel army and rebelling against the innocent court, but he was worried that the seemingly vigorous uprising at the moment would be suppressed in the end just like the Pang Xun uprising before.After all, the Tang Dynasty is too powerful!Hundreds of years of foundation and prosperity make people dare not dream that the Chinese Empire will be destroyed one day.Starting from the "Anshi Rebellion" in the Xuanzong Dynasty, the solid foundation of the Tang Empire began to shake.But later, the emperors of Dezong, Xianzong, and Xuanzong dynasties did something, and allowed this huge empire to exist and develop as before.Sometimes, the superficial prosperity can also cover up the corruption of the court.Wang Jian could personally feel that the empire was declining day by day, and he could also foresee that one day it would eventually collapse.However, he couldn't predict how far away this day would be.What the old monk said gave him a feeling of seeing the sun through the clouds. Wang Jian and Jin Hui bid farewell to the old monk and embarked on the path to Xuzhou.On the way down the mountain, Wang Jian's brows that had been locked for a whole day finally relaxed. He smiled and asked Jin Hui: "Your father used to be a high-ranking official in the Zhongwu Army. Why don't we join the Zhongwu Army?" Jin Hui laughed out loud after hearing this. "why are you laughing?" "Brother, come and see..." As he said, Jin Hui took out a squarely folded book from his sleeve.Wang Jianyi frowned: "Aren't you kidding me? I can't read a few of Douda's characters. What is written on this paper?" "This is a letter from my father to Mr. Yang Fuguang, the supervisor of the Zhongwu Army. I forgot to tell you yesterday. After my father returned home, he allowed me to join the Zhongwu Army and said that if there was an emergency, he would hand over this letter to Mr. Yang. , he will take extra care of you. Although we don’t need to be friends with each other, I have some concerns. If you knew that I was about to join the army, you would definitely not let me go with you to hijack the prison car, so I didn’t say anything about it. Who I used to think that after all the disasters, you and I can finally join the army together, isn't this God's will?" Hearing this, Wang Jianwen couldn't help but slapped Jin Hui on the back a few times, and said with a smile, "God's will, it's God's will! But... I'm not afraid that you won't listen to me when I say this—we are all men who stand up to the sky. Join the army, fight him as a general from scratch. I don’t want to take care of your father just because he got acquainted with the supervisor of the Zhongwu Army..." "What the starling said is exactly what I want!" Jin Hui said, tearing up the letter in his hand without hesitation, and then waved his hand, the shreds of paper fell into the air like falling pear blossoms, and floated in the wind with the wind. Valley…… Looking at the torn letter paper, the two couldn't help but smile knowingly, and then walked side by side, gradually disappearing at the end of the distant mountain road...