I have lived forever since the end of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 270 The bitterest wine in the world

"The Xiongnu have retreated, South Vietnam has become a vassal, the world has been established, and all the seas are safe. I am an old man in Sipei County, so I am returning to my hometown. I would like to invite my old relatives and friends to have a long and happy time."

This not-so-formal decree was sent in all directions along with the envoys on Liu Bang's way back to Peixian County, inviting his old friends from Peixian County to come and attend the banquet.

Xiao He and others who stayed in Chang'an probably didn't have time to rush, but they could often meet each other when they went to court in Chang'an. The audience for this edict was not them, but the many Chehous scattered in Qi and Sanhe, as well as Qi Prime Minister Cao Shen and King Jing Liu Jiao.

They will have a banquet in Pei County, which is equivalent to saying that the team that Liu Bang conquered the world has basically reunited, at least two-thirds of it.

This banquet to reminisce about old times is also an opportunity for the invited Chehous.

The top batch of Chehou, either like Xiao He and Chen Luo, held high positions in Chang'an as the Three Gongs and Nine Ministers; or like Han Xin and Zhou Bo, they were ready to be dispatched and led troops when war broke out; or like Cao Shen, they were foreign ministers. As the prime minister of the underage princes and kings, he has all the power and accumulated seniority.

In Chang'an City, if you throw a brick at the edge of the palace and hit it, you might be a Qianhuhou.

There were too many nobles in the early Han Dynasty.

If the background is not strong and the military exploits are not outstanding enough, the ordinary Chehou will not be able to sit in a position that satisfies them. Therefore, many people wasted a year or two in Chang'an, then submitted a letter to resign, and chose to return to their own country as a prince. The laid-back "Emperor of the Earth".

After living a comfortable life for ten or twenty years, people who are originally ambitious will indulge themselves in the comfortable environment and no longer want to mention struggle.

The timing of Liu Bang's banquet happened to be stuck at the middle point. The Chehous, who would not want to work hard in a few years, now have hope and want to take a chance to see if they can use this opportunity to rejuvenate the third party. In the second spring, he got a good position in Chang'an City.

After receiving this edict, the most powerful group of people in the territory of the Han Dynasty went out collectively.

The last time they acted in such a unified manner was when they returned to their fiefdom from Chang'an to join the country.

The suburbs of Peixian County.

The wheels kicked up billowing dust. In front of them was a guard of honor from the Forbidden Army wearing brand new armor, clearing the way. Rows of soldiers stood beside the road to maintain continuity, carefully screening for possible assassins or thieves.

Seeing this scene, some people were amazed and said: "I'm afraid that after today, this road will be stepped down three feet high."

Liu Bang, who originally kept talking to Chen Ping about interesting things about his hometown on the road, saw that he was really close to Peixian County, but he said nothing and became quiet.

Perhaps he was more timid due to being close to his hometown. Facing the villagers who knew everything about him, he really couldn't put on the same airs as he did in Chang'an. He was too embarrassed to shout, "Fathers of Peixian County, your emperor is back."

"We have arrived at the gate of Pei County." Liu Bang, who had been silent for a long time, squinted his eyes and looked into the distance. "I have walked this road countless times. I walked here when I left Pei County and walked here when I came back to Pei County. I didn't expect to come back today. What a scene. But it's a bit strange. The old locust tree on the roadside is still there, the road is much wider, and the city gate must have been renovated..."

Looking at Liu Bang who was nostalgic, Chen Ping listened quietly and said nothing.

He was not from Peixian County and could not empathize with him. Therefore, no matter what he said at this time, it would disturb the current atmosphere. The right choice was to remain silent and let Liu Bang express his feelings.

With a leisurely sigh, Liu Bang stood up, cupped his hands around, and then said loudly: "In the past, Liu Ji was in the west of the city, and today Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, has returned to his hometown as a wanderer!"

He looked around and saw unfamiliar faces everywhere. He used to hang out with friends in Peixian County, and he would definitely meet an acquaintance who could go drinking with him within ten steps.

The wanderer returns to his hometown, but things in his hometown have changed.

Who can help but feel sad about this?

Seeing that the people around him didn't react too much, Liu Bang sat down slowly, waved his hand and said, "Let's go to Pei County and have a look. I don't know how many old acquaintances I still have here."

Following the sadness of morning dew on the bluestone road, the carriage passed through the bustling crowd and drove into Peixian County.

After entering Pei County, Liu Bang entered Pei Palace.

This palace was built last year when he took leave from Chen Luo and returned to Chu. He felt homesick in his heart, so he sent people to build the "Pei Palace".

Of course, according to his usual simplicity standards, Changle Palace is not magnificent, let alone the palace in his hometown, so it is built according to small and beautiful specifications. Although it lacks lavishness, it is quite comfortable to live in.

Staying in the palace, Liu Bang simply took a shower, put on his normal clothes, and then called his attendants.

"I should have some old friends in Peixian County. Help me find them to reminisce about the past. Hmm... Let me think about it. The wine sellers in the south of the city are Wu Fu and Wang Apo. There is Zhao Heiniu in the north of the city. His family lives in Qiao. The bridge next to it has no name, but it’s the only bridge in the north of the city. Well, I remember an old man once told me my fortune. He said that my appearance is priceless. You can go look for it. It would be great if you can find it. I have to thank him, and..."

He mentioned the past and talked a little bit when he told those memories, just like those old people in their dying years telling their descendants about their past, trivial and messy.

When the attendants followed the instructions and left to look for the person, Liu Bang was left sitting in a strange palace.

Rubbing his chin, he muttered to himself: "I wonder if I can drink with a few old acquaintances this time. They should still remember me. If anyone forgets, they will have to drink three drinks as a penalty."

After less than half an hour, a few people came in one after another. Their expressions and movements were very reserved, and they could not sit still in the corner.

Even if Liu Bang repeatedly told them to relax, it had no effect.

Looking at those old but slightly familiar faces, he could only sigh helplessly, thinking that when the crowd became more lively, the atmosphere in the hall would be like before, with everyone happily singing and drinking.

"Your Majesty, we have tried our best and can only find so many people. There is probably no trace of the other old friends you just mentioned." An attendant hurried into the palace and reported to Liu Bang in a low voice.

He was a relatively smart person. He could tell that His Majesty was in a bad mood as he sat there, and he had not completed the task he was assigned to do, so he did not dare to speak loudly.

"I just mentioned the NO. 30 people. Did you really look for them carefully?" Liu Bang frowned and asked, "If you are perfunctory, you should be punished for the crime of deceiving the emperor."

"I don't dare." When the attendant saw this, he knelt down and humbly begged for mercy.

Shaking his head in dissatisfaction, Liu Bang looked at his old friend who was sitting closest to him on the right and said: "Wu Fu, why are you the only one here this time? Where is Grandma Wang?

I owed a lot of wine money when I was drinking at your place. I remember it. I came to you specifically to pay it back this time. When you leave, I will give you ten taels of gold as a thank you for that time. "

Immediately, Wu Fu stood up excitedly and saluted: "Thank Liu... Many thanks, your majesty, many thanks, your majesty, thank you, thank you, ten taels of gold is really, really precious." He was a little embarrassed at first, but now he heard This is an eye-popping "debt repayment", and I couldn't be more excited.

At that time, Liu Ji was the head of the Sishui pavilion and had many brothers and friends. He still owed money for drinking, so he did not have the courage to go to debt collection. The debt he owed was not much, probably worth half a copper coin.

There was no inflation from the end of the Qin Dynasty to the beginning of the Han Dynasty. The half copper coin at that time fluctuated up to a few copper coins now, without much change.

Suddenly turned into ten taels of gold, how many copper coins would that be?

He only regretted that he didn't have enough brains to calculate this account at once, but no matter what, it was the most worthwhile investment he had ever made in his life.

"Wu Fu, Wu Fu?"

"Ah?" Wu Fu suddenly looked up and found that everyone's eyes were focused on him, and Liu Bang was constantly calling his name.

Seeing that he was overwhelmed with joy, Liu Bang did not blame him too much and patiently repeated his question: "I just asked you, where is the grandma Wang who is partnering with you? You should know where she is, right?"

"Grandma Wang?" Wu Zheng was stunned for a moment, then he realized what he was doing and answered like the attendant, "Your Majesty, Grandma Wang passed away seven years ago, and her son buried her on the mountain in the northern suburbs."

"Died seven years ago?" Liu Bang was in a daze. He felt that in his impression, Grandma Wang had a very strong body and could carry a wine barrel to the river to clean it with one hand. He often went over to talk to her at that time and say a few words. Tell her something nice and make the other person happy. When the time comes, you can go back and have a few more drinks.

"Yes." Wu Fu scratched his head, "Liu... Your Majesty, you have been away from Peixian County for ten years. It is normal that you don't know some things."

Liu Bang was stunned again, and after a long while he said leisurely: "It's been ten years, so it's like this. Oh, I'm wondering how Pei County has changed so much. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye."

With a few sighs in a low voice, he cast his gaze outside the hall without a clear focus.

When a person realizes that he has begun to grow old, it may be when he suddenly notices the first white hair growing on his head when he wakes up in the morning, or when he cannot chew the fat on the ribs, or when the amount of exercise that he used to despise is not enough. Let yourself have backache and back pain the next day, maybe it started from the "three feet in the wind" before to the "wet shoes" now...

At this time, Liu Bang realized that he had now become an old man, and he felt extremely clear and real.

This was when he suddenly discovered that his old friends and even his peers had begun to pass away, but he had missed funerals one after another, and the city of Chang'an was so comfortable that he had forgotten the ruthless passage of time.

"Okay, then return the money I once owed to Grandma Wang's son, which is also ten taels of gold." Liu Bang then lowered his eyes, looked at the attendant who was kneeling on the ground and ordered, "Stand back. Remember my decree just now and execute it well."

"Wei." The attendant, who was lying on the ground with some numbness in his legs and feet, felt that his whole body was already weak after answering. He just held on and tried to slow down his pace so as not to fall down in this palace.

After being silent for a while, Liu Bang kept rubbing his eyebrows and said to himself: "Grandma Wang has such a strong body, how could she run away all of a sudden? It's really...

The old man who once said that my appearance was beyond words was probably older than Grandma Wang at that time. At that time, I thought he was just flattering me and asking for a drink of water. I didn't even ask about his identity. Now I want to I'm so grateful, I don't even have a chance.

Alas, alas, alas. "

Liu Bang glanced across the hall, looked at the corner, and said with a hint of surprise: "Zhao Heiniu, you are hiding there, I didn't notice it just now.

Will you still go to the east of the city and wander around with nothing to do? "

Back then, there were two pretty widows in the east of the city. Whenever he and Zhao Heiniu had nothing to do, they would carry this thing and pass by their door. Later, he hooked up with the prettier of the two widows and gave birth to a child. Got Liu Fei.

Zhao Heiniu was too honest and timid every time. Until he left Peixian, he failed.

Now that Liu Bang came back and saw Zhao Heiniu, his first concern was this matter.

This is just like the comics and novels that I have followed for years to come. I feel too tired and give up in the middle, but when I think of it one evening, I still want to take a look at the ending that I had been thinking about back then.

Seeing Zhao Heiniu awkwardly stand up and salute, Liu Bang felt that he was probably out of luck with his dull appearance.

Then he heard the other party say: "Your Majesty, I married A Cui five years ago."

"Okay, Ah Niu, you've got a lot of potential." Liu Bang patted his thigh excitedly. This was the rare smile he showed after entering the hall, "I should ask you to bring her over this time to have a look." .”

"Your Majesty...A Cui died of illness two years ago."

Liu Bang's raised corners of his mouth gradually calmed down, and he changed his uninhibited posture of slapping his thighs back to sitting upright.

"That's it." He didn't know what to say to comfort him. If it was Liu Ji in the past, he would probably step forward and pat Zhao Heiniu on the back and say, "Aniu, why should a man be without a wife?"

Now I can't say such words.

Probably because at this age, he understands how feeble such comfort is, or because when he stood up, everyone else in the hall had to follow. That was really a comfort to Zhao Heiniu, rather than being revealed again in front of everyone. A wound?
"Drink, drink." Pointing to the wine glass on the desk, Liu Bang picked it up and drank.

He had never had such a bitter drink.

It tasted worse than the bad wine mixed with water when I was young. It was so bitter that I wanted to curse loudly.

The interior of Pei Palace was as quiet as the passage of time.

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Gaozu loved wine and sex.Wang Lao and Wu Fu often drink wine and lie down drunk. Wu Fu and Wang Lao often see dragons on them, which is strange.Emperor Gaozu drank several times every time he drank.When it gets weird, the two families often break their bonds and give up their responsibilities. ——"Historical Records·The Chronicles of Emperor Gaozu"

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When Emperor Gaozu was the chief of the pavilion, he often reported to the field.Empress Lu and her two sons were living in the fields, and an old man came over to invite him to drink. Empress Lu was satisfied with the meal.The old father said to Empress Lu, "Madam, you are the most noble person in the world." When the prime minister saw Xiaohui and his two sons, he said, "The reason why Madam is noble is this man." Xiang Lu Yuan was also noble.My old father has passed away, and my great-grandfather came from the other side. Empress Lu said that she had a lot of troubles, and that I, my son, and my mother are all very noble.Emperor Gaozu asked, "It's not far." Then he caught up and asked his father.The old father said: "The wives and babies of the people in this country are all like you. You are so noble that you are beyond words." Gaozu thanked him and said, "As my father said, I dare not forget my virtue." Since Gaozu was noble, he didn't know where his father was. ——"Historical Records·The Chronicles of Emperor Gaozu"

(End of this chapter)