The General and the Mountain God

After wandering around with Tao Ping and Mu Xu for a long time, returning to the General's Mansion, Du Heng entered the study.

The last time I entered this study was four years ago.

In the corner of the table case, a small portrait the size of a handkerchief lay quietly.

Du Heng picked up the small portrait and sat down.

The brushwork of the small portrait is clumsy, and the lines tremble slightly.

It can be clearly seen that a person is sitting on a big rock with something lying on his lap.

The man was dressed in red, with black hair hanging down.

This portrait was painted by Du Heng when he was five years old.

After returning from the hunting ground, he talked about the mountain god with the people around him for several days.

People around him patiently listened to what he said, and then didn't believe it.

He drew this little portrait again to show them. Those servants heard it for a long time, thinking that the young master was stained with something unclean, and some people suggested that General Du ask Taoist priests to exorcise the young master.

General Du didn't believe in ghosts and gods, and felt that Du Heng fell off his horse and was frightened, so he asked the doctor to prescribe some sedatives for him.

Du Heng talked about it for half a month, but still no one believed him, and he was not as eager to explain as he was at the beginning.

Du Heng kept this small portrait on the table and took it up to look at it from time to time.

With General Du on his back, he asked Uncle Ming to take him to the hunting ground to find the mountain god several times, but the bamboo forest before was nowhere to be seen.

Over the past few years, Du Heng felt that the encounter with the mountain god when he was five years old was a dream.

At the age of 11, Du Heng went to the hunting ground for the last time, and then went to Monan with his father.

When I came back half a year ago, I only stayed in the capital for ten days and hurried back to the border. I didn't even have time to enter the study room, and the red figure was gradually forgotten.

Now, this little portrait stands quietly in his hand.

The red figure began to linger in his mind again.

When he saw Mu Xu, he had a feeling of deja vu.

The familiar red reminded him of the mountain god.

But Mu Xu couldn't be a mountain god.

He and Mu Xu met each other when they were two years old, while he and the mountain god met when they were five years old.

mountain god...

Rubbing the small portrait in his hand, Du Heng suddenly wanted to go to the hunting ground.

He had a strong feeling that the mountain god was very close to him, and he could find him if he went now.

Putting the little statue in his arms, Du Heng went out to lead the horse.

A sound of the piano brought him back to reality.

Turning over and jumping onto the roof, Du Heng saw the person playing the piano under the moon.

After sitting quietly and listening to a piece of music, Du Heng turned to the person beside him: "The little prince is very elegant."

"I'm here to beg for something." Mu Xu grinned.

"I don't remember what I owe the little prince." Du Heng thought about it seriously, "Could it be that there is a charge for listening to the little prince's piano?"

Mu Xu couldn't help laughing for a while, adjusted his expression, and said in a cheerful tone: "I can play the piano for you for free. I'm here to see the jade bow."

"The little prince came here in the middle of the night just to reward the jade bow." Du Heng stood up, "It seems that he is also a person who likes archery."

Mu Xu wrapped the zither behind his back, stood up, and said, "I'm eager to see what kind of bow can make the little general like that."

The two walked into the study, and Du Heng put a box in front of Mu Xu.

The servant should clean the study frequently, there is no dust on the carved wooden box.

Mu Xu picked up the jade bow and stood up, walked back and forth in the study, pretending to look at it for a while, and kept scanning the study from the corner of his eye.

Not finding what he was looking for, Mu Xu put the jade bow back into the box: "It feels good in the hand, and it looks good enough. It's worth the little general's holding on to it."

Du Heng laughed when he heard the words: "It's as if I only like good-looking things."

"Everyone likes good-looking things, that's right." For example, Ben Xian.

Mu Xu looked around Du Heng's study openly again, but still didn't find what he was looking for, so he asked Du Heng, "Does your family have an armory?"

"Huh? Yes." Du Heng looked at the thin, fair-fingered little prince, who didn't look like he could wield a knife and stick, "I don't see that the little prince has any research on weapons."

"Can I go and have a look?" When Du Heng said yes, Mu Xu's eyes lit up.

Du Heng didn't know what Mu Xu's idea was, but he was happy to show others his treasured weapons.

After entering Du Heng's arsenal, Mu Xu couldn't help but exclaimed, he was indeed a martial arts practitioner, the arsenal was huge, it seemed that several houses were connected and built.

Mu Xu looked over one by one, Du Heng seemed to prefer simple and light weapons, and there were all kinds of ancient swords and daggers in the room.

Mu Xu walked to a row of spear-tasseled gun racks, pulled out a spear and tried it.

Du Heng saw that he picked it up easily, and felt a little respect in his heart, thinking that he would do a few moves, full of anticipation.

As a result, Mu Xu just weighed it, said "it's quite heavy" and put it back.

There are many whips hanging on the wall. Mu Xu doesn't know the goods, so he thinks there is no difference in appearance.

The innermost room was full of bows and arrows. Mu Xu was overjoyed and walked over quickly.

He saw the small blue-gray bow at a glance. In order to make it less obvious, Mu Xu pretended to look carefully at the other bows for a long time before walking to the small bow and picking it up.

Du Heng saw that Mu Xu was fascinated by holding the small bow, leaned against the wall and said, "Have you never seen such a small bow?"

"Huh?" Mu Xu came back to his senses, glanced at Du Heng, then continued to stare at the small bow in his hand, "Yes."

"This bow was given to me by my father on my fifth birthday," said Du Heng, "he made it himself."

"Well, it's beautiful."

"He also made dozens of short arrows." Du Heng scanned around, trying to find one to show Mu Xu, but he couldn't find it. "It seems that there are no more now. Those arrows are shorter and lighter than usual. The tail was dyed black by my father, which is just right for this little bow."

"Well, it should be quite easy." Mu Xu was a little lost again, no one knew what those short arrows looked like better than him.

"It's very smooth. Once I went hunting with my father, and was praised by the mountain god..." and was praised by the mountain god for his good arrow skills, Du Heng kept silent.

"Huh?" Mu Xu's heart skipped a beat when he heard the word "mountain god".

The fragile little heart of human beings... really can't stand the stimulation, and the mountain god is not used to it.

It has been a long time since Du Heng mentioned to others that he met the mountain god. Even the people around him thought he was talking nonsense. He didn't want outsiders to think that General Du was living in a dream all day long.

But now, he suddenly wanted to talk to the little prince in red in front of him.

"Little Prince," Du Heng considered his words, "There are quite a lot of hills in Bian Nan's place, right?"

"Huh? Mountains?" Mu Xu was dumbfounded, not understanding why Du Heng asked this suddenly, "There are quite a few, what's wrong?"

"Then..." Du Heng stared at Mu Xu, "Do people in Bian Nan believe in mountain gods?"

Mu Xu understood a little bit: "It seems that there is such a saying."

"The little prince," Du Heng asked cautiously, "do you believe me?"

"Believe me." Mu Xu blurted out.

After Mu Xu found out that he had finished speaking, Du Heng let out a sigh of relief, which made Mu Xu a little depressed, as if the mountain god was a cult.

After waiting for a while, Du Heng didn't say anything, and Mu Xu added: "Does the little general believe it?"

"No..." Du Heng paused, "I...have seen it before."

"Have you seen it?" Mu Xu's fragile human heart jumped again, "A mountain god?"

"Yeah." Du Heng changed his playful tone: "I said I've seen it, do you believe it?"

"Believe me." Mu Xu blurted out again.

Du Heng looked at him, opened his mouth and closed it again.

Mu Xu chased after him and asked, "What does the mountain god look like? Is it good-looking?"

Du Heng felt that Mu Xu was teasing him, and said solemnly, "I mean it."

"I'm also telling the truth." Du Heng replied in a solemn tone.

Du Heng stared at him again and didn't speak.

Every time I tell someone about the mountain god, I have to explain it for a long time. Now that someone believes it directly, he suddenly doesn't know what to say.

"Hey, little general, does the mountain god look good?" Mu Xu tugged at his sleeve.

"Well," Du Heng thought about it seriously, "It looks good."

The smile on Mu Xu's face couldn't be controlled immediately, "What kind of mountain god is it?"

Du Heng didn't understand why he was so happy, and recalled: "The mountain god has very long hair, tied up slightly with a red ribbon and draped over his shoulders, with very white skin, wearing red clothes, and hugging a civet cat."

Seeing Du Heng staring at him, Mu Xu also looked at himself, and suddenly felt guilty.

My current attire, except for the face, is almost the same as what Du Heng described.

Mu Xu's smile became a bit forced: "Did the little general just say me? Hahaha, do you always praise people in such a devious manner?" After speaking, he added cheekily: "I, directly Praise is fine, come as you please, no need to turn around."

Du Heng was amused by him, reached out and took out the small portrait in his arms, and handed it to Mu Xu: "This is his portrait."

Mu Xu took the small portrait, stared at the abstract painting style on the paper, and laughed out loud.

What I hold in my hand is not so much a portrait as it is several pieces of ink of different colors put together.

The yellow and black ball in the middle should be Ali.

It's really... just understandable.

Du Heng ignored his laughter and said, "I drew it when I was five years old."

"I see," Mu Xu smiled, "give it to me."

"Huh?" Du Heng didn't understand.

"I want to treasure it." Mu Xu said.

"Treasure?" Du Heng still didn't understand.

"Give it to me, and I'll give you a big gift someday." Mu Xu looked sincere.

"The little prince can take it if he wants it, and the big gift is unnecessary." Du Heng looked at Mu Xu's shining eyes, and gave it away directly.

"Don't refuse so quickly, you will want it."

"Oh, thanks in advance."

......

Mu Xu chased Du Heng again and asked him about the scene of the two meeting that he knew. He also heard from Du Heng that he failed to find him many times, and that the people around him did not believe that he met the mountain god. After pouring him a few bowls of sedative medicine, Mu Xu couldn't help laughing again.

Feeling that Du Heng had a good impression of him, Mu Xu was very satisfied, and happily left with the small portrait.

When Du Heng was left alone, thinking back on his behavior just now, he felt a little funny.

For many years, I have been wanting others to believe that I saw a mountain god. When someone really believed it, nothing seemed to change, except that one more person knew.

But...it seems to be a little smoother in my heart.