Chapter 24 Section IX

On the way back, Zhu Bao was in a state of turmoil. When he heard the sound of the wheels behind him, he hurriedly turned his head to look, fearing that Zhuge Liang would send pursuers to drag him out of the carriage and put him in prison. "There are still disobedient officials in the county..." Fucheng Zhang Yue reminded.He stared: "How can there be no death in rebellion?" In just three days, Zhu Bao killed eight subordinate officials and thirteen minor officials!Mi Yuan was the son of Mi Zhu, the late general of Xiangyang County, who was very good at arching horses. When Liu Bei's concubine Mrs. Mi was alive, she often praised his little nephew "with the strength of a bear and tiger, and the agile arms of an ape", saying that he would definitely be able to make a big horse. The county general, light up the gate.However, the Mi family, which was originally favored by Liu Bei, declined rapidly because of Mrs. Mi's early death, and his uncle Mi Fang took refuge in Sun Quan when Jingzhou fell.The father was so ashamed and angry that he died in a panic. Before he died, he took the hand of his fifteen-year-old son and said, "Don't rely on others, but on yourself. Go to the west...and come back after earning fame!" "Yes!" After observing the filial piety, Mi Yuan put the 400 stone black bow handed down from his ancestors on his shoulder, tied it tightly, and hung a bag of nineteen flying mallard arrows on his waist, and flew away from the barracks. "Zizheng (the character of Mi Yuan), what is the army Sima? The county general! Do you want the county general?" Zhu Bao walked too close to Mi Yuan.Later, Zhu Bao thought: If he didn't come so close, how could Mi Yuan escape? "Zizheng..." Zhu Bao opened his mouth again, and suddenly Mi Yuan strangled his neck with a bowstring! "Go away! Go away!"

The young man shouted loudly at the surrounding soldiers.When they hesitated for a moment, he put more strength on his hands!Zhu Bao desperately pulled on the string, exhaled "hehe" in his mouth, puffed up his eyes and ordered the soldiers to disperse: "Do it, hurry up...my nephew! Zizheng, son..." Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Mi Yuan hijacked The county general quickly walked into the stable, took a good horse, and pulled it out of the door. When he got on the horse, he suddenly threw off Zhu Bao, turned his wrist, and put three arrows on the bow, before everyone turned back. God, three golden lights flashed, like a thunderbolt from the clear sky, with only a sound of "Dao"!The three arrows all missed the iron tree in front of the entrance, more than five inches away!The soldiers looked stunned, and those who stood closer stepped forward to pull it out. After pulling it out, the feather arrow did not move at all. "Up, up—! Catch him!" Zhu Bao roared angrily.

Turn around and look again, where is the shadow of Mi Yuan?There was only dust and smoke flying around the horse's hooves, and more than a dozen red coral-like blood spots on Zhu Bao's neck. "Bastard! Kill, kill as soon as you see it...don't care about it!" Zhu Bao rubbed his neck, blood stained his hands.Mi Yuan stumbled and escaped, and when he arrived in Dazhong, he told Zhuge Liang about "Zhu Bao's rebellion". At that time, Zhuge Liang was sitting on a white stone shaped like an inkstone in the outskirts, crossing one leg over the other, quietly looking at a group of girls wearing gauze not far away.In his hand, he pinched a silk capsule containing a letter. The capsule was sealed with two layers of sealing wax. It was obvious that someone had opened it and looked at it, and then sealed it again; When he led Mi Yuan to see Zhuge Liang, he stopped when he saw this smile, not wanting to disturb him immediately.

What Zhuge Liang is staring at is the scene he likes so much. Sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls happily gathered outside Jinguan City, by the clear river, each holding a basin filled with five-color brocade.The girl's temples are covered with the wet mist of early spring, with white and soft catkins and light red peach blossoms.They happily lifted a corner of the silk and satin, and threw it away with a "wow". The sun shone directly, and the splashed water beads turned into shining five baht coins, and the whole river became a silk that couldn't be brighter. A pair of slender hands caress it, cherish it, tease it, nourish it with chirping laughter, making it flow and laugh like a child.Occasionally, a young man on a white horse passed by. Seeing these girls was like seeing the freshest briar.The brave ones patted the horse's buttocks with a whip, approached them, and asked with a smile:

"Is the silk sold?" "Sell!" The girls answered in unison. "How much money?" "Three hundred and one horses." "It's so expensive!" The boy deliberately joked. "Stingy!" The girl rolled her eyes. "Are you earning money for a dowry?" the young man asked with a smile. As soon as he finished speaking, half a basin of water was poured on his face, and the sound of the water was mixed with a chuckle like a bell.The girls laughed and sang: "If you don't marry a daughter, don't be a boudoir. Don't be frivolous, and fall in love with the spring pond..." The singing and laughter lingering in Zhuge Liang's ears made him think: the so-called country , this is fine.That's great... He turned to look at Jiang Wan, Jiang Wan hurriedly helped Mi Wei forward.

"Prime Minister..." As soon as Mi Wei bent over, he felt a pain in his waist, the wound was opened again. "Thanks for your hard work." Zhuge Liang said, "Zizheng will live in my residence for now." "Zhu praised him..." "This is expected. It's self-inflicted, so you can't live." Zhuge Liang said lightly. "If the prime minister wants to raise an army, Wei Wei is willing to be the vanguard!" Mi Wei said loudly. Zhuge Liang looked up at the young man who had escaped from the dust and scars, and smiled approvingly, his voice still very flat: "No hurry. Let's see how high those people want to climb." He handed the letter to him To Jiang Wan, he ordered, "This matter is the top priority, the most important thing."

Jiang Wan took a look at it, and there was a seal of "Wu Wang" printed under one sealant, and "Jianglinghou——Lu" was printed under another sealant. When he opened the silk bag, it was written by Sun Quan himself, roughly as follows: "In March, Zhang Wen will be sent to Sichuan to make a good relationship. Although he is a sour man, he acts with restraint. I hope that Kong Ming will treat him well, and it will comfort the longing heart that is alone in the distance." There are two more sentences in the back, but they were smeared out. Looking at the ink marks, there was at least a month between writing and revising.Jiang Wan frowned, and looked at Zhuge Liang suspiciously.

"It's Lu Xun." Zhuge Liang said with a smile, "Sun Zhongmou put the small seal in Lu Boyan's place in Xiling Camp, and he would delete any inappropriate words in the letters and papers. This shows the favor of the Marquis of Jiangling. " Just as it was because of Zhuge Liang that Cao Wei and Sun Wu paid more attention to the Shu Han, the rock-solid man in white also made Zhuge Liang respect and cautious towards Jiangdong.If the years are compared to a river bed, heroes are flowing water, no one can occupy the entire era, and no one can last forever.The previous generation's passionate dances and iron horses have now settled down to talking and laughing, calm and unwavering. "I will start another life..." Suddenly Zhuge Liang thought, and when he thought of this, smile lines appeared on his lips again, and this smile was seen in the eyes of Mi Wei who had just escaped from Nanzhong, as if it had been a lifetime ago.

"Prime Minister," Jiang Wan asked, "Who are you going to arrange for us?" "Zhang Wen is a scholar, let the scholars come to receive him." Zhuge Liang said with a smile, "Please Meng Guang, Xu Ci, and Du Qiong." "Where's Du Wei?" "Don't embarrass the old man." Zhuge Liang waved his hand and added, "Ask Zichi to go too." "Qin Mi?" Jiang Wan frowned, "I'm afraid he won't." "He still owes me 50,000 yuan." Zhuge Liang said with a smile.When Qin Mi was imprisoned and sentenced to palace punishment, it was Zhuge Liang who used the money to atone for his crimes, so that he was safe.

"Really?" Jiang Wan asked with a bitter face.Qin Mi is such an arrogant person, it's fine if he doesn't mention "fifty thousand yuan", but if he mentions it, he might be tied up. Zhuge Liang didn't answer, but just glanced at Jiang Wan with a smile, meaning that whatever you say, just persuade him to come. "It's really tricky..." Jiang Wan was muttering, Zhuge Liang stretched his waist, stood up straight, raised his eyes to look at the quiet river, looked at the long and thin shadows of the girls dragged by the setting sun, whispered Said: "It's good to be like this all the time." He took Mi Wei's arm and said: "Come, accompany me to 'Ke Lai Tang' to have a meal. You are injured, so you can't drink today. Let's talk while eating. I have a very good relationship with your father, and you are like my nephew."

"No, no, the prestige has not been completed..." Mi Wei did not expect Zhuge Liang to be so casual. "Why do you have to make meritorious deeds to eat?" Jiang Wan smiled. "Zizheng's safe return is a great achievement." Zhuge Liang stroked Mi Wei's shoulder and said, "Seeing you is the first good news I got from Nanzhong." Ten days later, Mi Wei was awarded the post of Army Sima in front of the emperor. Wu envoy Zhang Wen also came. Everything is going on in an orderly manner, just as Zhuge Liang expected: Zhang Wen saw the blossoming Chengdu, and saw a handsome young man sitting on the throne: Liu Chan, who had a gentle conversation and the majesty of a king; Next, the first one on the left stands Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the country, in black and red official uniform. Zhang Wen thought that even in the court, he was dressed in a feather fan and scarf. The emperor still maintained extreme humility in front of him, and the lie that Zhuge Liang despised the imperial power spread in Jiangdong was self-defeating.Zhang Wen presented Sun Quan with a list of gifts: one hundred luminous pearls, five elephants, three boxes each of coral, and emerald jade. He also received expensive gifts from the Shu Han: two hundred horses and seven hundred pieces of Shu brocade. Walking in the market in the afternoon, Zhang Wen's eyes were dazzled by silk and satin. When he asked if he could buy some silk brocades to go back to Jiangdong—because of the Battle of Yiling, the trade between Wu and Shu was also affected. Lu Fan pointed at the brocades on both sides and smiled: "Naturally. Liang would also like to thank Huishu (in the words of Zhang Wen). After the war, the country must quickly recover its national power, relying only on Shu brocade. What Liang is worried about is that it is still not enough to afford the imperial court. necessary." "The prime minister is too worried." Zhang Wen said with a smile, cupping his hands, "I see, it won't be long before all the wealthy families in Jiangdong will fall in love with your country's silk. If you increase the tax rate..." "Just don't worry." Zhuge Liang smiled and pressed Zhang Wen's hand, "It will only reduce the tax rate for allies. If it is really necessary, I will ask for more from Cao Wei, haha!" "Hasn't the prime minister banned business with the state of Wei?" Zhang Wen was taken aback. "'Your Majesty' didn't prohibit it," Zhuge Liang corrected his statement, "not only can't help it, but also advocate it, as long as you buy less and sell more." "A master..." Zhang Wen sighed.Before he came to Shu, he always wondered why Sun Quan could never forget Zhuge Liang just because he saw him once fourteen years ago; now, Zhang Wen happily thought: This figure of feather fan scarf will also remain in my memory.Being an envoy to Shu Han is something to be proud of. It is a good fortune to see Zhuge Liang's gentle eyes and hear his gentle voice.It turns out that there is really a kind of person who is enough to gather the eyes of the world, and he can calmly bear these eyes without making people feel the slightest disappointment.It's a pity that he couldn't stay longer... Thinking of this, Zhang Wen couldn't help feeling nostalgic. The feeling of nostalgia lasted for thirteen days. In the early morning of the fourteenth day, Zhuge Liang had a farewell party for Zhang Wen at Wanli Bridge outside the city.At the turn of spring and summer, the warm sunlight is the gentle hand of the lover, stroking the green mountains and green waters, making them look extra airy.The water is blue, and when you look down, you can see whitebait swimming back and forth around the white stones. Suddenly, two of them collide with each other, wagging their tails, and then they scatter; The decoration is lively, and from a distance, it looks like a group of children wearing flower crowns are lying on the mountain, looking forward to this farewell. The aroma of wine is wafting, pedestrians want to get drunk. Drunk eyes whirling, should play stringed songs. Zhang Wen only drank three cups and felt light. "Qin come!" he said suddenly.People watched Zhang Wen take the Jiaoweiqin, hugged it in his arms, stepped forward a few steps, bowed to Zhuge Liang and touched the ground, and said with a smile: "I have heard for a long time that the prime minister is proficient in rhythm. Before leaving, can I give you a piece of music?" Zhuge Liang gently put down the wine bottle in his hand. "Zhang Huishu!" As soon as Zhang Yi opened his mouth, Wang Lian held him tightly. Zhuge Liang looked at the stringed qin, suddenly smiled and asked, "Zi Chi hasn't come yet?" Jiang Wan shook his head helplessly, and urged him three times, but Qin Mi still didn't arrive. "Go again." Zhuge Liang put his finger on the string, pressed it slowly, and said with a smile, "If you come a step late, you won't be able to hear Liang's piano sound." As soon as the voice fell, he had already raised his middle finger!A clear, high-pitched palace voice flew up, like a dancing girl throwing out her long sleeves in an instant.The sound of the piano pierces the clouds and tears the silk, bringing Zhuge Liang back to a long time ago.Flying his fingers, he traveled through the sound and dust. In a trance, he saw a man in a handsome robe dancing with a sword, facing the vast waters of the Yangtze River, and facing thousands of lights and buildings.Zhuge Liang raised his face slightly, and saw Mo Xie sword trembling in the man's hand, with pure black galloping tassels tied to the handle.Sword flowers dance as frequently as water waves, dancing scenes of the past: Chibi, Jingzhou, Zhou Lang, Pang Tong, the first emperor... Alas, the strong wine poured on the face, the broth hanging on the beard, the blood coming from all directions The sound of the pipa slaps the river, and thousands of horses gallop like lightning! What has passed cannot come back. Just like Zhou Lang's dance, never coming back. Zhuge Liang couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, so there was some sadness in his singing: "The cypresses on the Qingling Mausoleum, the stones in the Leilei stream. Life in the world is like a traveler suddenly. Fighting wine and entertainment, chatting thickly is not trivial. Driving and driving rough horses, playing Wan and Luo..." When Qin Mi arrived in a hurry, the Qin song had come to an end. "... Luozhong is so gloomy, the crown belt is tied to each other. Changqu Luojia Lane, the residence of princes and marquises. The two palaces face each other from a distance, and the double palace is more than a hundred feet away. It's a great feast to entertain your heart. Why are you forced?" Zhuge Liang suddenly pushed the piano! "Prime Minister." Qin Mi bowed his hands and saluted, seeing the lonely smile disappearing from the Prime Minister's face. "Zi Chi is here?" Zhuge Liang waved his hand without any reproach, turned to Zhang Wen and introduced, "Mr. Qin is a Yizhou scholar." "Bachelor? What have you learned?" Zhang Wen asked drunk. Qin Mi proudly replied: "A five-foot child can learn as well, let alone me?" "Then Wen wants to ask for advice." "Speaking." "Does the sky have a head?" Zhang Wen pointed to the blue sky. "Yes." Qin Mi said casually. "Where?" "It's on the west side." Qin Mi responded, "The "Poetry" says, 'Naijuan Xigu', so it can be deduced that the head is on the west side." "Does the sky have ears?" Zhang Wen asked again. "Of course!" Qin Mi laughed and said, "The Poetry says: 'The crane crows in Jiugao, and the sound is heard in the sky.' Without ears, how can you hear it?" Zhuge Liang smiled. Hearing Zhang Wen and Qin Mi say "Does the sky have eyes" and "Does the sky have feet" and other vague and empty words back and forth, he couldn't help but think again: I can't come back.During the Longzhong period, drinking pear blossom wine with friends, criticizing people and pointing out mountains and rivers, it was like rivers and rivers gone and never looking back.He no longer has the elegance of Qin Mi, and he no longer cares about these "heaven" and "poetry" issues.What is right in front of you are the raging beacon fires in the south, the powerful enemy country in the north, and dense volumes of documents, weighing the pros and cons, and coordinating yin and yang... Zhuge Liang rubbed his forehead, turned his face, and saw Jiang Wan beside him writing down the words on his sleeve. something. "Gong Yan?" "Oh..." Jiang Wan blushed and explained, "I don't have a good memory like Wen Wei." "how?" "After an hour, the prime minister arranged to see the prefect Yan; an hour and a half later, it was General Zhao; I missed someone, so I have to make up..." Before Jiang Wan could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang waved his hand to dissuade him. "Let's say goodbye to Zhang Wen" - he tapped the strings with his fingers, expressing this meaning. "Does heaven have a surname?" At this moment Zhang Wen almost stared at Qin Mi and asked. "Yes!" Qin Mi took a big sip of wine. "Last name?" "Liu!" "How?" "The emperor's surname is Liu, and Tian's surname is Liu! Hahahaha..." I don't know if it's from shame, impatience, or the smell of alcohol, Zhang Wen's face was as red as a ripe shrimp, when Qin Mi laughed on his back, Zhuge Liang stood up, he walked around Qin Mi with his hands in his hands, and said in a low voice: " Don't get drunk, Zichi." Then, he walked up to Zhang Wen, returned the Qin to him, and said with a gentle smile, "What's the point of playing games with lips and tongue? Huishu can come to Shu as an envoy, but Zichi can't do it." Wu, this is exactly what each has its own strengths." "Oh? Since you said that Mi can't be an envoy, may I ask who is the person who will go to Wu to answer the ceremony?" Qin Mi was not convinced and asked directly.The seat was silent for a moment, everyone knew that Qin Mi was arrogant, unyielding, knowledgeable and cheerful; at this moment, he was going to fight face to face, fearing that he would compete with the envoys.If internal strife started in front of Zhang Wen, it would really be a disgrace to the country. "It's me," said a grinning voice. Qin Mi followed the prestige and was dumbfounded: "It's you?" "It's me." Fei Yi held three spinning dice in his hand, blinked and said, "I can't help it, I was ordered to envoy Wu. When I come back, I will teach you how to throw the three dice... He threw the dice casually, caught it casually, and held it in front of Qin Mi with his flat palm, "Here, three sixes in one throw! Haha!" The palm of my hand is really 3618 o'clock! "I'm afraid of you, I'm afraid of you...cough!" Qin Mi cleared her throat and said nothing more. "He owes me a gambling debt." Fei Yi made a face at the bewildered Dong Yun, walked up to Zhuge Liang, and before he could salute, he was firmly supported by his elbow. Looking up, Zhuge Liang With serious eyes, he looked down at the flowing water under the bridge and said, "Restrain your temper, Wen Wei." "yes." "Let Jiangdong no longer interfere with Nanzhong." "yes." "It's thousands of miles away from this water to Jiangdong." Zhuge Liang sighed. Fei Yi smiled and said, "Yes." "What is it?" Zhuge Liang asked. "A journey of ten thousand miles begins with a single step." Fei Yi said slowly, staring into the distance.His serious and handsome appearance was caught by a red-clothed girl, who made her face brighten.