His Royal Highness the First Prince of Daliang

At the beginning, Kang Ning always wanted to ask his father about the strong and brave elder brother and his uncle who promised the flower cake. From the twelfth lunar month to the new year's day, he was not sick, so the imperial concubine began to give him a meal every now and then. Softly stewed meat dishes or finely steamed dim sum.On the day of the Chinese New Year, his father took him there to worship the ancestors with his brothers. At night, the second brother held him and lit several firecrackers with his own hands. He stretched out his thickly wrapped arms from his arms , ignited the wire with a thin long incense, and then was hugged by the second brother and rushed out for a few feet, covering his ears, he could still hear the earth-shattering sound of firecrackers!

Kang Ning has never discovered that Chinese New Year is such a happy thing.On New Year's Eve, Emperor Hui and Concubine Zhao were worried all night, afraid that the little things would have a good time, but they would catch cold, or be surprised by firecrackers, or be hit by anger.Corning didn't know anything about it.He didn't have to watch the year at all, and slept soundly and soundly for the whole night that night.

It is rare for the youngest son to be so lively and not get sick.The emperor was very pleased with Long Yan, and even allowed the eldest prince and the others to take the little brother with them when they went out of the palace to pay New Year's greetings at the uncle's mansion.

Even though he just went from one fence to another in a sedan chair, Kang Ning was still amused.He has completely forgotten about the brave brother who came from afar, the uncle who humorously promised delicious food.

The capital city is full of prosperity during the New Year’s Eve. In the far south of Daliang, Zhao Yunxia, ​​who has been completely forgotten, is taking Qi Changfeng to hide under the bamboo building with air leaks on all sides, in a chicken coop surrounded by bamboo fences. inside.Both of them suffered serious injuries, and they were in a state of embarrassment. Their whole bodies were drenched by the wet and cold winter rain in southern Xinjiang, and their clothes were cold and sticky to their bodies.

They are cold and hungry at the moment, but they can't do anything. They can only wait for the time to escape. They can only look at the frightened chickens in bitterness, imagining how delicious they will be on the table.

"Mud-wrapped chicken, have you ever eaten it?" Qi Changfeng leaned against the bamboo fence.He could feel a dangerous heat rising from his body, robbing him of consciousness.The young man tried his best to stay awake, "When we get out, I'll make it for you! This time I'm going to hurt you."

"What are you talking about and not getting involved?" Zhao Yunxia felt that the child he was ordered to pick up was particularly pleasing to him.

The two of them have only been together for more than a month, and they already have a lifelong friendship.Even if he is not ordered by the emperor, Qi Changfeng can be counted as his friend, and he will never let him die in the hands of such a disgusting person as King Xi Nan: "Let's hold on for one more day at most. I have left a signal for Yun Those who stay in the Escort, they will come to pick us up."

Qi Changfeng took a couple of heavy breaths, didn't speak, just smiled.

He is a dark, thin and tall boy, his skin is rough from the wind and sun for many years, and there are many small scars and wounds on his cheeks caused by the owner's carelessness.His clothes are simple, and he has a vigorous, almost wild vitality, but his facial features are very handsome, especially when he smiles, which makes people feel sincere and comfortable.

"His Majesty the Emperor will definitely like you." Zhao Yunxia couldn't help sighing when he saw him.

"It doesn't matter if His Majesty likes it or not." Qi Changfeng replied with a smile.He grew up wild and wild since he was a child, and he has no idea of ​​the laws of the monarchy and the superiority and inferiority of the upper and lower levels.Because of the political environment in Nanjiang for many years, he only knew Wang Ling, but he didn't know that there was a king. He lived in the border of Nanjiang, and their village didn't know much about King Xi Nan.

But now he knows that King Xi Nan is actually a bastard.

He is more like Zhao Yunxia's friends from the rivers and lakes, with limited submission to the court and the emperor.But Zhao Yunxia himself was not a sour and tame minister, so he didn't feel that Qi Changfeng was rebellious - he even knew that Emperor Hui himself would not care too much about it.

So he just said lightly, "Don't say that when you go to two capitals."

Qi Changfeng laughed again, "I'm not stupid." He gradually couldn't sit still, and leaned most of his strength on the cold and hard bamboo fence, feeling the tiny bamboo thorns scraping his skin through the coarse cloth. Pain, I know that this time is more than luck.But he is a person who never speaks of frustration, and only talks about other topics, "You are here at this time, just in time for such a ghostly weather that rains endlessly. Later, I will lead the soldiers and horses given by the emperor to kill That dog lord, come back to Baihe with me to have a look. In spring, flowers will bloom all over the land, and Baihe is as beautiful as a fairyland. Without that dog lord, our people in Baihe will be able to fill up Nanyi by ourselves. Looking for Ya. Those strangers coming from the south will not be able to pass through the Valley of the Dead in our Baihe no matter what."

"I'm going to see it sooner or later," Zhao Yunxia nodded. "However, the Valley of the Dead is the legendary valley where no one can come out alive except you? Is there really such a mystery?"

"You should not be curious about the Valley of the Dead," Qi Changfeng shook his head, "I don't even know how I got out. The witch doctor in our village said that Miasma God just saw that I was young and spared my life. Only then can I come out safely. Let’s not talk about this, let’s talk about the capital. You are not going to take me to the capital. How is it there?”

"It should be celebrating the New Year there." Zhao Yunxia thought of his parents, elder brother and sister in the capital, his nephews and nieces and sweet little nephews, and he felt a little tenderness in his exhaustion. "The Spring Festival, the people here are just Yes. You haven’t seen snow yet, have you?”

Qi Changfeng shook his head.

"When it comes to New Year's Day, the whole capital will be very lively. Every household will buy new clothes, hang peach charms, decorate lanterns, and celebrate the New Year. Children will kowtow to say auspicious words, and parents and elders will give them lucky money. On New Year's Eve, the people will Firecrackers will be fired to drive away the Nian beast, and fireworks will be set off in front of the palace gate, and the royal family, officials and people all over the world will share the rewards."

Qi Changfeng was a little envious.He originally wanted to say that when his father and mother were around, they would celebrate the New Year's Day in Nanjiang every year at the end of summer, and his mother would cook a big pot of delicious pilaf, and his father would always help him with The long knife was sharpened, and he chopped off the bamboo to make a large handful of bamboo arrows, which he put into his quiver.

But my father and mother were killed by the Nanyi people and the dog prince.He also didn't want to mention them to others before gathering his strength and coming back to avenge them.

So he asked another strange thing, "Do you still have the Nian beast? I haven't seen it. What does it look like? If you don't set off firecrackers on weekdays, will the Nian beast eat people this year?"

Zhao Yunxia laughed so loudly that the wound on his shoulder almost burst open.At the end, he said, "The problem with the Nian beast is not that big. You can go to the capital and see for yourself. It's just Changfeng. When you arrive in the capital, it's not enough to speak the southern Xinjiang dialect. Then you and everyone else will be fine except me." I can’t talk anymore. From today on, I will teach you to speak official Chinese.”

Although Qi Changfeng felt that they might not be able to survive today——King Xi Nan was irritated by the conjecture that the emperor sent someone to pick up Qi Changfeng. In the past two days, almost all the masters were sent out to hunt and kill the two of them. In southern Xinjiang, those soldiers who are good at tracking and assassinating will find this small deserted village sooner or later.

But if you can live through an hour, it is an hour, and you always have to find something to do.You can't just wait to die.

"Teach me," Qi Changfeng bent one of his long legs and pressed it against his belly that felt so cold, "I speak Southern Xinjiang dialect, and Brother Zhao answered me in Mandarin. I think... I wanted to ask you a long time ago." , is the princess in your capital really born beautiful?"

Zhao Yunxia thought for a moment about the eldest princess he had seen at the state banquet, and the second princess he saw when he danced the sword for his little nephew last time, and nodded sincerely, "It's just as beautiful as it is beautiful."

"I don't know how it compares with our Sister Afeng in Baihe." The boy who grew up in the frontier couldn't imagine what the appearance of Huayue was like. A beautiful girl, she is very good at using two big swords, and she is well-known among the Nanyi people. She is also the best at working, and the cloth she weaves can be sold in the city. She can also deliver babies to cattle and sheep. Could the princess be more beautiful than Sister Ah Feng?"

How can the healthy and wild frontier women be compared with the rich and delicate flowers with golden branches and jade leaves?Zhao Yunxia almost wanted to laugh.But he had already heard the footsteps of someone approaching in his ears, he bent himself down, and pressed down the boy beside him who was looking at him vigilantly, and the two of them hid quietly under the cover of the bamboo fence, his answer There are only air sounds, barely audible under the cover of poultry calls and wing flapping.

"The beauty of the princess must exceed your previous experience and imagination." He said this, and then he saw the group of people through the gaps in the bamboo strips, and a little joy flashed in his eyes, "Boy, I'm saved, come on!" They are our people! They will help us confuse the public and delay King Xi Nan’s pursuit. We will not go back to the capital according to the original plan. We will go to Sichuan, detour through Yunnan and Guizhou, and go back slowly all the way! I will also take You go meet some interesting friends!"

Giving the secret order to someone like Zhao Yunxia, ​​he is very reliable in the most critical link, for example, he did arrive in time and saved Qi Changfeng's life.But in other respects, this person is destined to be unreliable. For example, he may directly use the excuse of escaping from the hunt, and abduct tomorrow, who is still waiting to be interviewed by the emperor, and go wandering in the rivers and lakes.Although the general direction is still to go all the way back to the capital, the two are involved in the grievances between Sisi Niang and Jiangnan Wujue today, and when they pass by Dengfeng Villa tomorrow, they will go along with the boat and stay at the invitation of the owner of Dengfeng Villa to appreciate the plums.

Qi Changfeng finally escaped from the pursuit of King Xi Nan, but along with the unrestrained and freedom-loving Mr. Yunxia, ​​along the way, he did not know how many disputes and grievances he took the initiative or was forced to be involved in.The experience of wandering and escaping along the way is full of dangers, but it is also exciting and interesting. This wild and wild boy from southern Xinjiang saw the cruelty and cunning of the Central Plains people in a short period of time, and also experienced the friendship of a gentleman who can entrust his life to his life within three days of acquaintance. A few new injuries were added to his body, and he also gained some interesting friends from the rivers and lakes.

When they finally reached the capital, more than half a year had passed.Kang Ning fell ill a few more times, and his impression of the brave brother and funny uncle has long since faded away.The tanned Zhao Yunxia didn't dare to go back to the Zhao Mansion at all, but he didn't dare to enter the palace to face his concubine sister. He was biting the bullet and conveyed the request for an audience to the inner eunuch, hoping that his emperor's brother-in-law could Compassionately summoned him in the Palace of Harmony, delaying the days when his sister would destroy his younger brother.