Sword comes

Hongzhu Town is surrounded by a high wall. Chen Pingan and his party need to enter the town from the north gate, but an accident happened soon. There are guards in armor at the wall gate. This made Chen Pingan sluggish on the spot. He didn't even know anything about Guan Wen, the household certificate.

Ah Liang, who got a gold ingot early, took out a crumpled official document from his arms with a smile. After passing the inspection, this guy didn't even want a donkey, and swaggered into the city alone. Forgetting to wave goodbye to the people who were looking at each other, Li Huai cursed and threatened to kill the white donkey, Ah Liang laughed and left.

Zhu He was also at a loss. Before leaving the town, his ancestors did not specifically explain this matter. In fact, except for his age, Zhu He knew nothing about the outside world. He was no better than Chen Pingan. A poor boy from a kiln worker background.Zhu He had an idea, thinking that money can turn ghosts, and it must be a universal truth, so he wanted to secretly stuff money into a guard soldier, but the strong young soldier directly held the spearhead to his chest, Sternly reprimanded, even the good-tempered Zhu He was also a little angry. If a warrior of the fifth realm enlisted in the army, he would not even be a middle-level general with thousands of elites in his hands. But when Zhu He was about to reason with that person, Zhu Lu gently He took his arm and reminded softly: "Father, our Dali military law has clear rewards and punishments, and there is a characteristic, either extremely light or extremely heavy, so don't conflict with these soldiers, we ordinary people can't take advantage of it." of."

Zhu He frowned, and snorted coldly, after all, he still chose - people don't fight with officials.

Zhu Lu comforted in a low voice: "Father, let the ancestor help you find an official status in the future. After you have the amulet and your skills, I believe you will be able to emerge soon. There is no need to be angry."

Zhu He strode away, nodded, glanced back at the gatekeeper, and said with a sneer: "It really echoes the old saying, the King of Hades is easy to see, but the little ghost is hard to deal with."

Everyone subconsciously looked at Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan thought for a while, and slowly said: "There is really no other way, we can only bypass Hongzhu Town, and sleep outside tonight, we can hire someone to help us buy all the things we need, the real big trouble is that we can't go For the water terminal in the town, the planned itinerary will need to be revised, and the original 200-mile waterway, going south by boat along the Xiuhua River will be much easier than walking, and there is no need to detour."

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a blue official uniform walked out of the city gate quickly, looked carefully at Chen Pingan and his party, and finally looked at Zhu He, cupped his fists and asked, "Cheng Sheng is now a red candle?" The Yi Cheng of the town pillow post, dare I ask, but Mr. Zhu Hezhu from Longquan County?"

Zhu He remained silent, with a guarded look on his face.

The man who claimed to be Yicheng smiled heartily: "Your patriarch once sent a letter directly to our county magistrate, roughly stating your itinerary, and let our county magistrate do his best as a landlord. , you all have letters and family letters, and you have already arrived at our pillow station. I made a special trip to vacate the room for you ten days ago. I can only say that it is clean and clean. I dare not say how good it is. I have to file a complaint with the county magistrate, or else the county magistrate will be unhappy, and I'm afraid I will lose my job tomorrow."

The head of the pillow station suddenly remembered something, "If Mr. Zhu doesn't believe it, I can go to the post station and call a person. This person is from Fulu Street in Longquan County. He said that he is still an old government servant who supervised the construction of the government office. Among them was a family letter from Dali Capital, which he brought personally for the superior of the government office, saying that he would hand it over to a young master named Lin Shouyi."

Lin Shouyi took a few steps forward, his face full of arrogance and arrogance from a family member, and asked: "I am Lin Shouyi from Longquan County. Dare I ask Cheng Yicheng, what is that man's name?"

The maidservant Zhu Lu was a little dazed. Lin Shouyi at this moment was not the same as the taciturn and stern young man in his impression.

Li Baoping and Li Huai's eyes met for a moment, and they nodded slightly.

Cheng Sheng, the postman, did not froze in the slightest, "If I remember correctly, his name should be Tang Shutou. He is in his forties. We Dali officials don't speak very smoothly. Well, this person especially likes to drink. ..."

Lin Shou nodded, and asked casually, "Yi Cheng has been waiting for us at the north gate these days?"

The man smiled and said: "Although I really want to nod, but I really don't have the guts. In fact, the pillow station is located in the north of Hongzhu Town, not far from here. Second, there is a beacon tower on the top of the hill near the town. I and Sui The boss has a good relationship, so I asked him to help keep an eye on the Xiashan Post Road in the north, and whenever he sees Mr. Lin Gongzi, Mr. Zhu, he will let his Fengzi enter the city and notify me."

Lin Shouyi was stunned, stopped talking, and turned to look at Chen Pingan, who nodded.

Zhu He thanked with a smile: "Master Cheng is taking care of you."

The postman hurriedly waved his hand and said: "But I can't be called an adult, but I'm just a villain with a donkey in front of a donkey and a horse behind a horse. It's really hard to be elegant. I don't want to talk, I'll go talk to you." The guards will let you know, and I believe they will be able to enter our town soon."

Yicheng is affiliated to the Dali court, but it cannot be called an imperial court official. This kind of subordinate staff is not in the ranks, and is not a rank official. There is a huge gap in the distinction between clean and dirty officials.

Soon the postman led them to the doorway of the city wall. Although the city guards let them go, their faces were still not very good-looking.

Yi Cheng took the lead through the particularly shady city wall doorway, turned his head and explained in a low voice to Zhu He: "They are all veterans who retired from the frontier battlefield. They are not very capable, but they have a stubborn temper. There is nothing wrong with them, Mr. Zhu should not be as knowledgeable as them."

Zhu He had no experience in Jianghu, but he still understood the truth of simple words and profound truths, so he didn't answer.

They passed by a cold shop, young and strong men kept coming in and out, and a white light lit up inside the shop from time to time.

Li Huai couldn't move his feet, Zhu He couldn't help but take a second look, and soon lost interest.

Yicheng said: "It's a sword shop, and other weapons are occasionally sold."

Lin Shouyi asked curiously: "Does the government not care about it? Are you not afraid of people fighting with weapons in the market?"

Yicheng smiled and said: "The government doesn't care about these things, but if something happens, it will be very strict. If the county government is not manned enough, the county lord can mobilize all the sects in the territory under its jurisdiction to help resolve disputes."

There are many knight-errants who travel all over the world with their swords and knives. There are not only high-sighted city rogues, but also the children of aristocratic families. Although the Dali court prohibits the sale of all weapons, most ordinary swords with mediocre craftsmanship Turn one eye and close one eye, it mainly depends on the attitude of the magistrates, if they come from a pure education background, they will probably be strictly prohibited, if they come from a warrior in the battlefield, nine out of ten they will be lenient, of course strong bows and crossbows, excellent armor Such a country's most important weapon must not be sold anywhere.

Beacon towers, post stations, bazaars, wine shops, brothels, Goulan, etc., Hongzhu Town has everything you expect, and it is very lively. There are many people on the street. Compared with Chen Pingan and his hometown town, it is much more bustling and noisy. There are various shops on both sides of the street, dazzling , shouting one after another.

Chatting along the way, after a stick of incense, they came to the pillow station, and soon there were station servants taking away the white donkey and horses, and the postman Cheng Sheng really arranged a posthouse for them, with both first class and second class, he did not presume Instead, he threw the five post houses to Zhu He and let them arrange it themselves.

Under Chen Ping's arrangement, Li Baoping and Zhu Lu lived in a first-class post house, Zhu He lived in a first-class post house, and he and Li Huailin Shouyi each lived in a second-class post house. Randomly choose a post house to live in. Of course, with Ah Liang's temper, he will definitely ask if he can choose Zhu Lu's room.

In the twilight, after everyone put away their bags and packages, they gathered in the spacious first-class posthouse in Zhuhe. The postman Cheng Sheng quickly delivered a stack of letters and family letters. Just a word is enough, and he also said that the night market in Hongzhu Town is well-known in the south of Dali, and you must see it if you have the opportunity.

Lin Shouyi had one, Li Baoping had the most with three, and even Chen Pingan had one.

Deer, the child said with a smile, "Fortunately, we both share the same disease."

Zhu Lu turned a deaf ear, walked to the window, a small pillow post house, with deep and winding paths, unexpectedly created a sense of aristocratic gardens with a deep courtyard. Looking from here, it is a small lake that is no more than the size of a palm. There are bloated and fat red and yellow koi.

Lin Shouyi's family letter was only a piece of letter paper with few words. The young man took a deep breath, put the so-called family letter back in the envelope, and left the posthouse with a gloomy face. Scribbled and perfunctory running script, and inside the envelope is a 300 taels bank note from the largest bank in Dali.

The young man strode back to the post house, closed the door gently, put the envelope on the table, his face was livid, and his chest heaved unsteadily.

Chen Pingan chose a secluded place to sit down, Li Baoping ran over, hesitant to speak, he smiled and said: "If I have a word I don't know, I will ask you."

Li Baoping then returned to the table and began to open the letters. The three letters from home were from his father, eldest brother and second brother.

A letter from Li Baoping was opened, and his father, Li Hong, said in the letter that he was asking for warmth. As always, there was no airs of a strict father, and he was only telling some trivial things, such as dressing more in cold weather, and not going out when going out. I'm afraid of spending money, and every time I pass by the post station, I must send family letters to my parents, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.Li Baoping sighed, looked at Zhu He who was sitting across the table drinking tea, and said sadly, "When will my parents stop treating me like a child?"

Zhu He couldn't help but drink tea.

Li Baoping browsed the second letter, it was written by the eldest grandson of their Li family, and her eldest brother is currently studying scriptures at home, preparing to take the imperial examination next year.The content of the letter is concise and to the point, and the correct italic characters seem to be full of the charm of Mr. and Mrs. sitting in danger. Every stroke reveals a strong cautiousness. Deer, father and daughter, should not be regarded as a family. They should listen to Chen Ping'an's words in Nipingxiang more, be able to endure hardships and stand hard work, and cause less trouble to others. But at the end of the letter, the eldest brother who has abided by etiquette since childhood, Tell her that the crab she caught home from the stream when she was a child, now he has cultivated his experience, and asks her to just rest assured.

Li Baoping raised the letter paper in his hand, and complained to Zhu He: "Brother doesn't love me the most."

Zhu He held back his smile, and thought to himself, miss, you're fine. Who doesn't know who is up and down in the Li family, but the eldest son loves you the most.Such a nerd who made sense even to his ancestors, the first time he drank, the tea was secretly replaced by his sister's homemade Peach Blossom Spring Roast, and the eldest son was so angry that he almost collapsed. Fearful, he didn't dare to persuade him at all, he only dared to follow behind his son who ran to find his younger sister Xingshi to inquire about his crimes, for fear that this slightly pedantic son would be angry and teach Xiaobao Ping a lesson.

He never thought that when he saw that girl, standing outside the courtyard gate with his hands on his hips, looking at death like home, he would scold her again for his reluctance. God's sulking.Later, in his yard, he buried an altar of peach blossoms in spring that year, and when his younger sister asked about it, he said that he wanted to marry her off. The little girl was so frightened that she ran away from home secretly, and wandered around Longxu Creek alone. Throughout the day, she almost hid in the mountains.

When the Li family realized that Li Baoping was missing, the old ancestor was furious and sent everyone to look for this silly girl. In the end, it was this eldest son who made up for his mistakes and found her lying on a long wooden bench in a small temple on the other side of the stream. The poor child, carrying her back home.

The little girl in the red padded jacket suddenly smiled and said, "But I still like Big Brother the most."

The last letter, a thick stack, was sent by the second son of the Li family to his younger sister. It told about his experience of going to the capital of Dali. It was all anecdotes that he saw with his own eyes or heard from hearsay. The wording was as elegant as prose. Very rich in skills, like a master of poetry and poetry bestowed by heaven.This second son is far more popular than his eldest brother in the Li family on Fulu Street. He is handsome and elegant, but he talks funny and likes to read military books. Eldest son, people in the family prefer to deal with the cheerful second son. During the festivals, the second son will casually throw out a small embroidered bag of rewards when he sees people. I will give you an extra embroidery bag.

Li Baoping turned quickly, and when he saw the penultimate letter paper, he looked up at Zhu Lu: "My second brother talked about you, and he told you about the Taiping Fire in Dali Fengsui that he told you about once. Staying on the top of the mountain at night, I saw this kind of beacon signal on the border to report the safety of the capital, and it looks like a long flame dragon, which is very spectacular."

Zhu Lu quickly walked back to the table and sat down, and asked: "Miss, what else did you say?"

Li Baoping simply handed the stack of letter papers to Zhu Lu, but the second elder brother was talking about customs, mountain ghosts and ghosts, and there was nothing ulterior.

Zhu Lu took the letter and asked, "Can you take it back and read it slowly?"

Li Baoping nodded and said, "Just don't throw it away."

Zhu Lu was full of joy, and left with a smile.

Cheng Sheng, the postman, knocked on the door and came in, bringing a pot of fresh melons and fruits.

A man in a bamboo hat followed behind him.

Li Huai was furious and ran over to push this heartless bastard out of the house.

While competing with Li Huai, Ah Liang sat down on the stool by the table and asked with a smirk on his face, "What's the matter with Zhu Lu, she looks a little more beautiful than usual with her spring-like pretty face."

Zhu He's face was dark and he didn't speak.

Lin Shouyi returned and sat near Chen Pingan. A Liang threw the small silver gourd to Lin Shouyi. The young man took out the cork and took a sip of the wine.

A Liang turned to Yicheng and asked, "Is there a Fushui Bay in Hongzhu Town? It's not too far from the water terminal?"

Yi Cheng had a strange expression on his face, nodded and said, "Yes."

Ah Liang tutted, "Sell the gold cave, sell the gold cave."

There is a crescent-shaped river bend in Hongzhu Town, and there is a kind of exquisite painting boat unique to Hongzhu Town, which is only two or three feet long, and there are precious purple bamboos or ordinary green bamboos hanging all around. It is determined that there are usually two to three women in each painting boat, many beautiful women, young girls, at least proficient in one or two kinds of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea and wine, in addition to the viewing seats, there is also a bedroom, its function is self-evident Metaphor.

Those boat girls are from generations of lowly households in Dali. According to legend, they were the subjugated survivors of the Shenshui Kingdom in the previous dynasty. Ping.

The people in Hongzhu Town passed it down from generation to generation. The land lord of Qidun Mountain not far away was unparalleled in loyalty. He secretly protected the escape route of the ancestors with these surnames. Degraded to the land, ordered the descendants of those surnames to smash the golden body with their own hands and sink into the bottom of the river.

Yi Cheng carefully prepared his words, and selected some innocuous allusions to the small town, and told them to these distinguished guests.

Hongzhu Town is not the north-south hub of Dali, but it is also a busy water terminal where boats and ships gather, and products from various places gather.It is the place where three rivers converge, namely the Okinawa River, the Xiuhua River and the Yuye River, but there are only two river gods, and there are river shrines and clay statues of golden statues on both sides of the river, all of whom died in the water battle Commander of the Dali Meritorious Navy.

Only the Okinawa River did not set up a temple for the God of the River. Later, there was a temple of the empress with a lot of incense, dedicated to a small town martyr who committed suicide by throwing herself into the river to prove her innocence. As a result, it was soon designated as a prostitute temple by the Dali court. , and now there are only a pile of ruins, broken bricks and tiles, only snakes and rats running around.

When he heard the deeds of the land master of Qidun Mountain, Li Huai sighed softly: "I never thought that such a big villain would have such a good reputation in Hongzhu Town."

Lin Shouyi looked indifferent, "Every family has scriptures that are difficult to recite."

Chen Ping put away the letter from Ruan Xiu.

The letter said that the Luopo Mountain he bought had successfully won the title of a Dali New Mountain God, helping to gather spiritual energy sitting on the top of the mountain, second only to Piyun Mountain, which was not involved in the sale, and Diandeng Mountain held by her father.