The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 198

Separated by a mountain from Yangjinchuan Salt Factory and less than a mile away from the labor reform camp, a huge wooden door more than three feet high opened a crack, and an old man and a young man walked out.

The guard at the reform center threw out two bags and reprimanded loudly in Mandarin with a strong Jingzhou accent: "You two must change your mind after you go out and behave yourself. If you do something wrong next time, don't think about going out easily." ! Let’s go!~”

With a bang, the door of the Muzhai was closed tightly, and the labor reform field surrounded by mountains in the depths resumed its isolation from the outside world.

The two men in ragged clothes and unkempt hair were none other than Xu Xuan and Li Congjia.

The two of them each held their own baggage and looked at each other with a bitter smile.

"It's someone's fault that the little prince suffered an unreasonable disaster!" Xu Xuan had tears in his eyes and was about to bow down as he spoke.

Li Congjia hurriedly supported him, and forced a smile of relief on his dirty face: "Mr. Xu is serious, you and I are both strangers in a foreign land. We have no connections when we first come here, and we never expected that Jingzhou's rules are so strict. It's just... Staying near that salt factory for a while will lead to labor disaster.”

Li Congjia spread his hands. His originally delicate and white hands had been used for a month to hold hoes, pickaxes, shovels and other tools. They had become black and rough. His knuckles were much thicker. His palms were rubbed with a thick layer of calluses. His nails The cracks were full of black dirt.
This is not the hand of Mr. Wang Sun holding the pen, but it is clearly the hand of a poor peasant boy going to the fields to do farm work.

His skin was tanned and chapped, his cheeks were dark red, his lips were chapped, and only two rabbit teeth were still white.

One month ago, Li Congjia was still a nobleman from the royal family who had come from afar, a naive young lady who had no idea of ​​the dangers of the world.

After digging stones in the renovation site for a month, Li Congjia felt that he had undergone a transformation from the inside out, and his clear eyes showed a bit of vicissitudes of life.

Sure enough, suffering makes people grow.

Xu Xuan held Li Congjia's hand tightly with rougher palms and burst into tears: "Xu is incompetent and has made the little prince suffer!"

The two held hands tightly, with tears in their eyes.

For many tossing and turning nights, on the cold Datong street in the renovation yard, the two of them held hands and cuddled tightly, giving each other encouragement and warmth.
"Bang~" A harsh sound of gongs and drums came from above their heads, making the two of them jump up and look up hurriedly.

On the watchtower inside the village gate, a guard with a crossbow on his back was holding a gong and shouted loudly: "You two, leave quickly and don't stay in front of the gate!"

Xu Xuan was angry and annoyed, but he did not dare to argue. He pulled Li Congjia and left quickly from the path down the mountain.

Arriving at a clear stream halfway up the mountain, the two of them sat on the bluestone beside the stream to rest.

Xu Xuan found a piece of silk handkerchief from his bag, soaked it in the stream to wet it, and twisted it to wipe Li Congjia's face.

"Mr. Xu, go and clean yourself. I can do it myself." Li Congjia took the wet handkerchief and wiped his face.

Xu Xuan smiled happily and squatted by the stream to wash his face.

After a simple wash, Xu Xuan tidied up his appearance in front of the stream.

Looking at the dark, tired face with messy buns reflected in the water, Xu Xuan sighed melancholy. At this time, how could he still have the elegance of a Jiangnan scholar?
I'm afraid that all the poor local scholars in Jingzhou look more like scholars than him.

Li Congjia carefully opened his skirt, and wiped the red marks on his shoulders with a cold wet handkerchief.

Those were the scars worn out by carrying the basket on his back.

Prisoners will not be mistreated in the correctional facility. If you are sick or injured, you just need to report it and you will receive treatment if you meet the conditions.

However, the strangulation injury on Li Congjia's shoulder was not to the point where he needed to be treated with medicine. It was just because he had been pampered since childhood and had fine skin and tender flesh.

Xu Xuan made a report, hoping to ask for some medicine to apply on the wound. After the inspection, the director of the reconstruction site, Monk Hun, refused mercilessly, saying that as long as he polished it more and polished off two layers of skin, he would be fine.

Xu Xuan was furious because of this, and he explained the whole truth with righteous indignation, but it was a pity that it was a scholar who met a soldier, and a muddled monk who could not understand a lot of characters could not understand the sage cloud and what he said, so he slammed his face with Jingzhou slang , and then ordered people to hit Xu Xuan ten times as punishment.

Poor Xu Xuan's ass, when had he ever suffered such persecution? He had to lie down for two days before he could get off the ground.

The two learned about the strict rules of the rehabilitation center and the one-eyed monk's ruthlessness, working honestly and not daring to make any mistakes again.

Xu Biao and ten warriors were even the focus of supervision. They were shackled hand and foot and detained alone to work in a quarry, enjoying the same treatment as Zhao Daer.

Li Congjia wrung out his handkerchief and saw Xu Xuan's face full of sadness, and said softly: "Mr. Xu, are you planning to give up on searching for the author of Xuefeng and just go home?"

Xu Xuan hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said, "I can't just leave before Xu Biao and others are out of trouble. What's more, it's a long way to Jiangning, and the journey is dangerous. Without the protection of Xu Biao and others, I'm worried that the little prince will be in danger."

Li Congjia said quietly: "Xu Biao and others should have had a premeditated plan when they came to Jingzhou. It was definitely not a temporary move, and it was not just to escort me and my husband. What is the real situation, please tell me the truth."

Xu Xuan smiled bitterly and said: "The little prince is really smart. All of Xu Biao's subordinates are my Xu family's retainers, and Xu Biao is a collateral descendant of my Xu family. The little prince should know that the Xu family's side house has been doing a private salt business, so Xu Biao will He is the leader of this generation.

The little prince must also be aware of the name of Jingzhou White Salt. The quality of this refined salt collected from salt rocks is comparable to that of fine lake salt.The Xu family also mastered the techniques of mining and producing rock salt, but the quality of the rock salt produced was far inferior to that of Jingzhou white salt.

Therefore, the family intended to ask Xu Biao to go to Jingzhou to find an opportunity to do business with Zhang Yijun. "

Li Congjia blinked and said: "The Xu family has no shortage of salt. The road to Jingzhou is far away, and it is not cost-effective to traffic in white salt. Could it be that the Xu family wants to learn the techniques of making rock salt from the Zhang Yi Army?"

"The king of the small county made it clear!" Xu Xuan praised, "Xu Biao had already prepared to go north to Jingzhou, and just as Xuefu's stunning appearance appeared in the world, Xu also moved his mind and came to Jingzhou to look for an expert."

Li Congjia smiled and said: "So that day when Wazi and Song Qiqiu were arguing with each other in Xiliang River, Mr. Xu threatened to come to Jingzhou to study. It was not a matter of anger but a plan."

"Ashamed, ashamed, it made the little prince laugh."

Xu Xuangong cupped his hands and sighed, "I didn't expect that we traveled all the way from north to south, east to west, entered Sichuan and crossed the Qinling Mountains. The journey was safe and smooth, but when we arrived in Jingzhou, we were imprisoned. We are really unlucky~
Speaking of which, if Xu Jiazhi had not been at the salt factory, it would not have caused misunderstandings among Zhang Yijun and caused the little prince to suffer.The little prince suffered this misfortune entirely because he was implicated by the Xu family."

Li Congjia sighed and said: "The matter has come to this, Mr. Xu does not need to blame himself. I have been taken care of by him all the way, and I have inherited the kindness of the Xu family. Fortunately, you and I can save our lives. The Zhangyi army is rude and brutal, but it is still reasonable and there is no torture." Beat us."

Xu Xuan nodded silently. Although the rules of the reformatory were strict and the labor was very heavy, the prisoners were not treated harshly in terms of food and daily life. They were also allowed to relax every day, giving the prisoners a certain degree of free time.

These treatment and management measures are not available in Jiangning Capital Prison.

On the outside, Jingzhou seems to have harsh punishments, even throwing ashes into the toilet has to abide by the rules, but when you think about it carefully, these seemingly cumbersome regulations do not really violate the normal life order of the people.

On the contrary, what they saw and heard around Anding County all showed a scene of vitality and people living and working in peace and contentment.Xu Xuan knew that if two outsiders went to Jiangning and accidentally violated the law and were imprisoned in the capital prison, they would most likely die miserably in there and end up as skeletons that no one cared about.

Even if you are lucky enough to be cleared of your grievances and leave the prison alive, you will only have half your life left.

In comparison, Jiangning City, which is bustling and bustling on the surface and full of gold and dust, seems to be darker and ugly behind the glamor.
In an instant, a spark seemed to flash in Xu Xuan's mind. He realized something, but he was more confused.

"Mr. Xu, what are our plans in the future?" Li Congjia tilted his chin and looked at the few small fish swimming in the stream, feeling worried.

Xu Xuan rummaged through his baggage and found that except for a brocade coat and some changes of underwear, he had less than enough money left.

Xu Xuan remembered that when he entered the rehabilitation center, the one-eyed bald man who claimed to be in charge arbitrarily searched their belongings and ordered people to search them all over. He said that all personal belongings were not allowed to be taken and that they would be returned when the rehabilitation period was over.

At that time, Xu Xuan just sneered, not taking it seriously at all, and did not expect these things to be returned to their original owners.

I didn’t expect that after I left today, I would get back everything I handed in that day.

Xu Xuan turned around and looked at the watchtower hidden in the mountains and forests. It was an inconspicuous labor camp with many complicated and thorough regulations.

From this, many unique features of the Chang Yi Army can be reflected.

As a son of an official, Xu Xuan not only had great literary talent, but also had rich administrative experience.

He realized that Changyi Army seemed to be different from other feudal towns all over the world. It was a magical place.

"Does the little prince still have money in his baggage?" Xu Xuan asked.

Li Congjia poured out the items in the small bag. There were several pieces of unused silk calves, a kind of baggy shorts worn close to the body. Farmers in the countryside often took off their outer haori and wore only the outer haori when they were working because the weather was too hot. The calf goes to the field with his nose in his crotch.

There is a difference between open crotch and closed crotch. Li Congjia likes to keep cool, so the calf crotch he carries with him is also open crotch.

In addition, there were two small regular script brushes, a small piece of Huishan ink, and a palm-sized square of She inkstone, but there was not even half a penny.

"I rarely carry copper coins with me when I go out. A few gold collars are also given to Xu Biao for safekeeping." Li Congjia sniffed, feeling a little discouraged.

"Xu's belongings were also handed over to Xu Biao for safekeeping, and he was responsible for the expenses along the way."

Xu Xuan sighed. As a son of a noble family, he would always be accompanied by at least one or two servants when he went out. It was not his turn to worry about spending money.

Xu Biao and others are still serving in the rehabilitation center. Monk Hun said that since Xu Biao and others entered the country secretly concealing standard weapons and seriously violated Jingzhou laws, they would have to pay fines and extend their sentences, and would not be released until two or three months later.

During this period, Xu Xuan needed to find a way to take care of the eating, drinking and drinking of the two of them.

Li Congjia asked weakly: "Mr. Xu, is the usual money enough for us for a month?"

Xu Xuan glanced at him and said quietly: "The little prince doesn't know something. There are 13 of us walking all the way. It's okay to sleep in the wild. As long as we stay and eat and drink, we will spend about four or five guan a day."

"Ah? So many?" Li Congjia's dark face turned slightly red, a few beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose, and he felt guilty.

This was far from what he expected.

Xu Xuan smiled bitterly and said: "This is still a small amount. We spend dozens of dollars every day in Chengdu, all of which we draw from the Xu family's shop. Otherwise, we would not even be able to reach Hanzhong and we would starve to death."

Li Congjia Gong cupped his hands and said: "Xiao Wang has never traveled far and has no idea about money, so Mr. Xu spent a lot of money. When he returns to Jiangning one day, Xiao Wang will pay it back."

Xu Xuan waved his hand: "I have something to say before setting off. All expenses will be borne by the Xu family. There is no need for the little prince to be polite. However, no one expected that we would end up in such a situation. Now we only have this money left. We can only increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and find ways to support it." Let Xu Biao and others come out."

Li Congjia nodded hurriedly: "Everything will be subject to Mr. Xu's arrangements."

Xu Xuan thought for a while, took Li Congjia's small baggage, and sighed: "Pawn these things first, exchange for some money, find a place to settle down, find some work, and make money while waiting."

Li Congjia opened his eyes wide and cried mournfully: "Mr. I can use the pen, ink and inkstone as a pawn, but can you leave me a few pieces of this short skirt?"

Xu Xuan looked at the trousers sewn with fine Sichuan brocade, shook his head and sighed: "You can get a lot of money for this. I will go to the city to find a cloth shop, pull out a piece of burlap, and make some new ones." , the little prince should change to wearing coarse cloth from now on. It is too luxurious, but it will easily attract people's attention. If someone doubts your identity, without Xu Biao's protection, I'm afraid it will be dangerous."

Li Congjia pursed his lips and watched with dismay as his panties were confiscated.

Forget it, small pants are nothing compared to a small life.
Li Congjia comforted himself silently in his heart.

Xu Xuan estimated that with the remaining money in his hand, after pawning all the valuable items, it should be able to support them to live in Anding County for about a month.

In addition, he also had to inquire about the expert who wrote the poem. It would also cost a lot to find someone to manage the relationship. After all, the money was still scarce.

"We must find a way to make money as soon as possible." Xu Xuan sighed.

"Sir, is there any way to make money? Xiao Wang has never had any experience in this area~" Li Congjia felt unsure and uneasy.

The afterglow of the sunset fell, and the fields were golden, and the horn of the end of the day sounded in the Yangjinchuan River Valley.

Xu Xuan stood up and looked at the quiet scenery among the mountains, feeling proud in his chest.

"The Little County King doesn't need to worry. I, Xu Xuan, have been an official for nearly ten years. I have traveled all over the thirteen states in the south of the Yangtze River. Even if I have nothing to do, I can live comfortably with the pen and ink in my chest. I will definitely not let the Little County King feel wronged!"

Li Congjia looked at him with admiration and bowed: "Xiao Wang relies entirely on Mr. Xu!"

Xu Xuan waved his hand and said proudly: "Let's go! Go down the mountain! Find a hotel to stay in, and then go to the Taihe Building for a meal. Just treat it as the little prince and meet Xu!"

Li Congjia's face showed joy and he swallowed hard.

Two cheerful figures walked on the rugged mountain path under the sunset.

(End of this chapter)