Relief

After feeding the horses, the postman passed by with a lantern, and was silent with the sleepless travelers on the porch.

The postman: "Aren't you up so late?"

Xie Zhixu: "Can't sleep, did you boil the bath water?"

The postman looked him up and down: "There is no hot water, only cold water."

Xie Zhixu couldn't ask for it, and said quickly: "Cold water is just right."

The postman led him to draw water from the well.The firewood room has been locked, so there is really no need to burn it, the well water is cold and refreshing, Xie Zhixu worked with the postman to add water to the tub, wishing he could take off his clothes and jump in immediately.

Postman: "Where are you going?"

Xie Zhixu kept his eyes open: "Where else can this road lead to?"

The postman nodded: "It's either Yingzhou or Suizhou. After crossing the river, you will arrive at Gyeonggi, and further north is Kaifeng City."

Xie Zhixu also looked at the map.

The postman said: "It is difficult for our people to do business in the north. Since the new appeasement envoy took office, the number of people who come to my station to rest has decreased by ten percent."

oh?There is such a thing?Xie Zhixuan's heart moved, and he thought that this might be the reason why Yu Guanchong asked them to go north.

The postman said: "Hey, the people above don't like each other, and it's all us little people who are in trouble."

Xie Zhixu: "Is there someone who doesn't like our new comforter?"

The postman: "Who knows, since Mr. Hou took office, how many new orders have been promulgated, and how many people have opposed him. The good horse was brought to me to run errands just the day before yesterday, and someone took it back this morning. The city guard in the north heard it. It’s someone from Jiangling, so I’ll take a layer of the toll for you first.”

Thanks to Zhixu, I can't help but sigh.

"Okay," the postman threw away the bucket, "Where is your room, help you move there."

I don't know if Chang is fast asleep, Xie Zhixu quietly pushed the door open, only the half-open window in front of his bed let in faint moonlight.The postman and he carried the tub in, and the moonlight swirled in the cool water.

'Thank you. 'Xie Zhixu was afraid of waking people up, so he made a mouth shape.

The postman waved his hand and closed the door for him.

The bathtub is like a piece of cold ice, luring sleepless people who drank fake wine in summer nights, Xie Zhixu hurriedly took off his clothes, stepped into the cold water, half of the tide-like heat wave on his body was instantly extinguished.

He leaned against the edge of the barrel and let out a sigh of relief, fake wine is harmful.But listening to the sound of sleeping next door, and Feng Zhi's motionless figure often lying on the couch, is there something mixed in the drink, or is it because of his own youthful vigor?

God, the fire went back and forth, Xie Zhixu submerged his whole head into the water, feeling that the cold water could no longer relieve him.He needs something else, such as the fragrance of the bottom of his sleeve with a smile, or the cool skin that smells of wine.

He used to hang out with Xu Tao in Huajie, but he was young at that time, and he regarded the female hostess as a sister rather than a woman.

He recalled those women's exquisite makeup in his mind, but after tossing for a long time, the evil fire still suffocated in his heart.

hateful.Xie Zhixu became irritable because of the fever, he hadn't passed it for a long time, he was just at the age of youth, so he shouldn't be so entangled.Strange, he glanced at Feng Zhichang's bed, everyone had been drinking, so why am I the only one who has more things to do...

In the end, it was okay if I didn't look at it, but after looking at it, I found that in the frosty moonlight, Feng Zhichang's face was flushed abnormally, and his breath was heavy.

It turns out that you have also been tricked.Xie Zhixu was a little gloating, and the next moment he saw Feng Zhichang was so uncomfortable that he raised his hand and unconsciously scratched his neck, leaving a few red marks on his skin.

"..."

Xie Zhixu suddenly submerged his head into the water, and felt steam rising from the top of his head.

There is a constant echo of blood hitting the eardrum in the ear.

Isn't the second senior brother pretty...

Of course you know it's beautiful?

No no no, I mean, pretty like a girl...

Oh damn what was I thinking!

White smoke buzzed from the two ears above the water.

quietly spread in the water.

With a splash, Xie Zhixu sprang out of the water, like all young men who have just experienced human affairs, hurriedly took a towel from the hanger to wipe himself, halfway through wiping, he found that it was his underwear, which was already soaked, and immediately: "..."

With a heavy gasp, Feng Zhichang turned over and faced the cool breeze outside the window.

Xie Zhixu had no choice but to put on his robe and walk over lightly.Feng Zhichang's face is rarely seen with blood, according to Wu Li, it is inherited from his mother who practiced the Snow Mountain Kungfu, the color of his eyes is very light, and the color of his lips is also very light, like a piece of ice, or like amber, the water shines After soaking, the beautiful color inside will emerge.

Xie Zhixu held his sleeve and gently wiped off the sweat on his face, and pressed the back of his hand to his cheek.Burning hot.

The back of his hand was still cool from being soaked in the water, Feng Zhichang unconsciously stuck it up, and made a weak and ironing sound, put his slender fingers on Xie Zhixu's wrist, and turned his palm over after a while had a face.

Xie Zhixu looked at the face that was snuggled into his palm, he was so hot that even he, who had just taken a cold bath, burned up again.

The feather-like eyelashes fluttered for a long time, and finally opened.At that moment, the watery eyes were dazed and uncomfortable, and they fell on Xie Zhixu as if he was not quite sober, as if he was begging for relief.

Xie Zhixu withdrew his hand.

"..." Feng Zhichang closed his eyes, opened them again, and regained his clarity:

—Did you take the wrong medicine?

so smart.

Xie Zhixu gave him a thumbs up.

Feng Zhichang was lazily lying on his back, his eyes swept over Xie Zhixu, he was like a sharp knife on weekdays, but tonight it was like a beautiful tulle half-covered.

——Why are you here?

'I...' Xie Zhi was as humble as a drum, 'I just finished taking a bath. '

Feng Zhichang immediately sat up:

——Great, I’m going to wash one too, it’s all sticky.

He went to touch the wooden leg on the head of the bed, but he didn't touch it, and reached out his hand to Xie Zhixu, motioning for him to lend him a shoulder.

Xie Zhixu was about to step forward, remembering what he had done in the tub just now, his face was filled with blood, and while praying that Feng Zhi could not see him in the middle of the night, he said in a panic: "This water has been washed, I will give it to you." You get a bucket instead. '

But after all, it seemed that there was no way to wake up the postman for a while and fetch a bucket of water with him.

Feng Zhichang quietly tore open the collar of the skirt, it was really uncomfortable, the fair skin on the chest appeared a layer of bright red as if it had been raped, and his arm moved again.

Xie Zhixu stared at him for a moment, then stepped forward, bent his knees, and hugged him horizontally.Feng Zhichang was startled, and grabbed the back of his neck by the collar:

--do what!I will let you help me!

This time it was Xie Zhi's turn to keep silent, he kicked a stool to the side of the bathtub, gently put Feng Zhichang down, and knelt down on one knee to untie his robe.

Feng Zhichang didn't know what he was thinking in his heart, he just thought it was his junior serving him, half pushing and half doing it.

——It’s too polite, no need...well, thank you.

The robe was open, and only half of his right leg was exposed in the night. Xie Zhixu had seen it before when Feng Zhichang was taking a bath last time, but he didn't dare to look closely at that time. , giving Xie Zhixu the illusion that he would be silenced if he took one more look.Feng Zhichang didn't say much this time, he always hated being found out about his disability, but it seemed that there was nothing he could do with Xie Zhixu.

——Why is the water not cold at all?

Xie Zhi humbly said, of course, I boiled it for you.

Feng Zhichang raised his eyelids and looked at him in bewilderment.

Xie Zhixu stopped thinking immediately, remembering that there was still an electrocardiographic communication between him and Feng Zhichang.

He turned his eyes to other places, trying not to look at Feng Zhichang, but his ears were filled with the sound of water pouring on the skin and sliding across the texture, which was full of imagery.

Fortunately, at this time the next door also began to restless.

"It's too hot!" He heard Wu Li's scream.

Huffing, wheezing, wheezing—it was Yue Guanshan sticking out his tongue.

"Um……"

The soft voice of □□, as small as a mosquito.Xie Zhixu turned his head secretly, and the corner of his eyes saw the bluish-white knuckles grasping the edge of the barrel.

He guessed what Feng Zhichang was doing, and suddenly his heart flared up again.Too bad, Xie Zhixu pulled his robe to cover his reaction.

--why do not you talk?

Feng Zhi was often carried back to the couch, and after the medicine was relieved, the whole person exuded a comfortable and lazy atmosphere, like a seductive flower bud without knowing it.

Xie Zhixu covered him with a blanket, avoiding his eyes: 'Good night. '

In the early morning of the next day, before the post house served breakfast, Yu Guanchong's coachman knocked on the door to wake up the group.

Both Wuli and Yue Guanshan had dark circles under their eyes, and Yue Guanshan had changed from a good hound to a weak old dog on the street.

"I didn't fall asleep all night," Wu Li said painfully. "It's too hot, and I'm really about to evaporate. Is it my problem? Is it because I'm young and strong?"

"You took the wrong medicine," Xie Zhixu said, and added Feng Zhichang's idiomatic expression, "Squint your eyes."

Feng Zhichang passed by pushing a wheelchair, and Xie Zhixu followed him tacitly to help him get into the carriage.

——What to do, no need.

In front of everyone, Feng Zhi is often a little unhappy.

'Ok ok ok. '

Xie Zhixu promised him while carrying him into the carriage.

Several people staggered in the carriage trying to catch up on sleep, Xie Zhixu and Wu Li got together to study the map left by Yu Guanchong.The route leading to Yingzhou connects Jiangkou, and the second half turns into a waterway to the east.

"Where do you want to send us?" Xie Zhixu was confused.

Wu Li said: "That's right, you don't know it yourself, and of course Hou Daizhao doesn't know it either."

Xie Zhixu: "No, no, actually someone told me last night that Hou Daizhao and the forces north of Yingzhou are very different. I think my grandfather just wanted to send us out of Hou Daizhao's jurisdiction. He thought we just had a grudge against Hou Daizhao. But I don’t know that behind Hou Daizhao is the imperial court, and those who are eyeing us are Wang Gan’s subordinates.”

"North of Yingzhou?" Wu Li said a few names, "They are all students of Wang Gan, how come they don't want to see each other with Hou Daizhao?"

Feng Zhi often closed his eyes and rested his mind, listening to their discussion, Yueguan Mountain was still a little feverish, and half of the fur jacket that never left his body was collapsed. Well, maybe you used to be an official in the court, and you have any grievances with Wang Gan?"

The two were reminded and fell into deep thought.

Suddenly a flash of lightning struck his mind, and at the same time he said a name - "Hou Chengtang?!"

"Wait, wait," Xie Zhixu said hastily, "The ages are wrong!"

"That's right!" Wu Li said excitedly, "Are you stupid? He was you when you were six years old, and you are twenty now, so of course he must be in his thirties! He graduated from Sanwen Academy!"

"But!" Xie Zhixu raised his palms to signal everyone to calm down, "Hou Chengtang died in Jiangling when he was eighteen, and Hou Daizhao joined Guiyizhuang four years later. If they are the same person, then he did it in the past four years. What?!"

——He went to Suzhou, planning to clean up the Liang family of the local emperor who relied on the protection of his ancestors to support the soldiers.

Feng Zhichang said coldly.

Thanks to Zhixu: "!!!"

"So," Wu Li concluded after listening to Xie Zhixu's narration, "their purpose is not only to attack the martial arts and green forests, but also to clean up the local tycoons and centralize power. Hou Chengtang ascended to the Golden Palace at eighteen, and his three thousand strategies became famous all over the world. , talented and ambitious, who was about to show his strength in the court, but was canceled by death, and sent to do such a shady job, no wonder he had conflicts with the host behind it-Prime Minister Wang Gan. But killing you is the king According to Gan’s order, neither the isolated island in the lake 13 years ago nor the fire in Guiyi Village two years ago, no one can survive. If there is no survivor, then these things are crimes committed by lackeys in order to please their masters. Once you have witnesses, you will be famous as a teacher, and you can fabricate any proclamation, as long as you draw witnesses..."

For example, Xu Hui brought out Xie Zhixu in Yuxianlou to accuse Hou Daizhao of his crimes.

Wu Li didn't say this half sentence, but everyone present knew it well.

There was a moment of silence in the car.

Yue Guanshan tilted his head and asked, "What are your plans?"

Wu Li and Feng Zhichang both looked at Xie Zhixu.

Xie Zhixu thought for a while and said, "I don't intend to seek revenge on Hou Daizhao."

Everyone did not interrupt and listened to him quietly.

"I want to join the league."

"What alliance?" Wu Li frowned.

"Sooner or later there will be," Xie Zhixu said, "there will be more and more things like the Liang family and Gui Yizhuang, and sooner or later an alliance will be established."

He raised his head to look at Feng Zhichang, and Feng Zhichang was also looking at him. At this time, there was no need for the same roots, and they could understand each other with just one look. 13 years ago, I was informed of the drastic changes in ordinary life. Two years ago, Xie Zhixu’s family was destroyed. The joys and sorrows of the world are connected at this moment.