Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 508: Gu Erlang never cried out in pain [Thank you! Thank you again! 47K more to be added]

North bank of the Yellow River,

Winter is setting in the west,

The sun is golden,

Without the sunshine at noon, it feels much colder.

The leafless trees around add to the chilly and bleak atmosphere of winter.

There are trees planted on both sides of the official road south of Changyuan County. Although there are no leaves, they block the view of the bend.

On the official road,
There were three people and three donkeys walking at a fast pace, breathing out white air.

The donkey has already shed its coat by this time, and its thick black fur is tight and warm.

A saddle is fixed on the donkey's back, and there is a thick pad under the saddle to protect the donkey's back.

Four large wicker baskets for storing things were tied to both sides of the saddle.

The porter who was walking in front, with his face red from the cold, looked into the distance, pulled the donkey in his hand, and turned back to say:
"Dad! Brother! Look!"

The two porters at the back looked up and saw two knights on tall and strong horses appearing from behind a tree in the distance, and were riding towards them.

The sunlight coming from the west allowed people to vaguely see something flashing on the knight's body.

"Dad, what should we do?" The porter who had just spoken said in a panicked tone.

The older porter looked behind him and then at the side of the road. The terrain here was flat and there was no place to hide.

"We should have a drink in the city, so we won't run into each other if we leave the city later."

"Shut up!" the older porter scolded with a little panic in his eyes.

After the training, the old porter looked at his three donkeys, then raised his head and looked into the distance.

While they were talking, more knights appeared around the bend in the distance.

"Go to the side, let's make way for the road, and take off the sackcloth from the basket."

"Dad, why are you lifting the sackcloth? What if they see what we are carrying and steal it?"

After hearing what his youngest son said, the old porter slapped his son on the shoulder: "Do you want me to listen to you or to me? Come on! I'll go in front!"

The three men deftly removed the sackcloth covering the basket and walked along the roadside, leading the donkey.

quickly,

The three of them were getting closer and closer to the two knights in front of them.

Only then did the older porter in front see clearly that the two knights were wearing scarves to keep warm, with only their eyes exposed, and their gazes towards him were full of scrutiny.

The older porter leading the donkey bowed hurriedly.

"What's in the basket, old man?"

A muffled voice came from behind the thick scarf.

"Reply to Yu Hou, dates, dried dates."

As he spoke, the older porter leaned over, stood on tiptoe, reached into the basket, and pulled out a handful of red dates: "I went into the city today, and they haven't been sold out yet."

The knight nodded, glanced at the other two porters, then tapped his horse's belly and walked forward.

The older porter no longer moved forward, but stood quietly by the roadside, watching the line of carriages and horses gradually approaching from behind.

"Den! Deng!"

Among the group of people and horses, an exceptionally strong black horse passed by, and the sound of its thick hooves stepping on the ground was unique.

Looking at the white breath coming out of the horse's nose,

Feeling the knight's gaze, the older porter smiled hastily.

"It's really hard for my father-in-law to make a living in winter."

"Oh, it's not hard, it's not hard. It's not easy for Yu Hou to be outside in winter."

The knight on the black horse nodded slightly, looked at the three people, turned around and said, "Give me the gourd of wine!"

"Yes, son!"

A knight from behind responded.

Hearing this, the two people behind the older porter looked at each other in surprise.

The knight who spoke had already walked over, and the knight who responded from behind really handed over a gourd.

"Thank you, thank you for the reward, Lord Yu!"

"You're too polite, old man. Let's drink some wine to warm ourselves up."

"Hey!"

As he was speaking, the older porter saw the saddle of a knight behind him, on which hung a bloody object. The older porter was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head.

After the tail of the team had passed by for a while, the older porter dared to look back, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It turned out to be a rabbit!"

"Dad, where did this knight come from? This horse is so handsome and polite."

"He came from the south, and his mount is so handsome, he must be from Bianjing."

As he spoke, the older porter unplugged the gourd, put his nose close to it and sniffed it, his eyes lit up.

When I was about to take a sip,
"Dad, be careful there's drugs in this wine!"

The older porter looked at his son and said disdainfully, "Why put drugs in such good wine? Are you trying to get our three donkeys and six baskets of dates?"

As he said that, he took a sip, smacked his lips and said beautifully, "Good wine!"

Looking at his father's appearance, the porter who had just spoken licked his lips enviously.

Afterwards, the three of them each took a sip of wine and led the donkey to continue heading south along the official road.

After passing the bend just now,

After walking for a while on the official road, the three of them turned onto a small road leading to a village. Soon, their figures disappeared in the village.

The sun has set.

The sky is red,

There was no one on the official road and the sky began to darken.

When it was dark enough to light a lamp and the stars appeared in the sky, a white figure stood up from the snow beside the official road.

Rolling up the wolfskin mat on the ground, the figure walked towards the official road.

After waiting for a while,
The sound of horse hooves came from the direction of the county town.

Outside Changyuan County,
Inn,

The horses, which had been running all day, were eating their fine food with grunts.

Alan and Zhique were carrying hot water buckets and mixing them with warm water, preparing to feed water to the horses.

In the house,
Xu Zaijing and his group gathered together. The flame on the stove was burning brightly, and on top of it sat an iron pot with soup bubbling and rabbit meat boiling inside.

Xu Zaijing took off his coat and stood in the middle of the earthen bed. After looking around at everyone, he bowed and said, "I am deeply grateful for your company this time!"

"Wulang, let's not say any polite words to each other!" He Guan said.

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "Brother He is right! But this trip to Beizhou is not for sightseeing. The situation ahead is uncertain, and Zhang Shipan and I have always had a grudge! So I think it's better for us to be more prepared on the road."

Captain Gao, who was sitting on the kang, nodded repeatedly: "Wu Lang is right, but how should we proceed?"

Xu Zaijing said: "When encountering a situation, we definitely cannot fight alone, it is best to have a commander."

Hearing this and looking at Xu Zaijing's gaze, Gu Tingye was eager to try.

"So, on the way, I recommend Brother Gao Puyu as the commander! After arriving in Beizhou, Brother Zhao will be the commander. What do you think?"

After Xu Zaijing finished speaking, Zhao Meifeng showed an approving look in his eyes and said, "I agree."

He Guan smiled and said, "Brother Gao has followed Lord Gu for many years and is familiar with everything along the way north. I have no objection."

Seeing Xu Zaijing looking at him again, Gu Tingye nodded quickly and said, "Me too."

Gao Puyu looked at Xu Zaijing with hesitation and said, "Wu Lang, I heard from my master that you have led the troops in the Western Army and have made great achievements. Why did you push me to be the commander? It was decided this morning that Ye Ge'er would come. If we don't come, what will you do?"

"Well, Brother Gao, if you don't come, Brother Zhao, Brother He and I will discuss it."

Gao Puyu smiled and said, "How about Wulang still be the commander on the way, and I will assist you from the side, okay?"

Xu Zaijing hesitated a little: "The right time, the right place, and the right people! It's freezing cold, we don't have the right time! I also want to take advantage of Brother Gao's familiarity with the route and take advantage of the right place and the right people." "Haha, so Wu Lang treats this as a war! Very good! But Wu Lang, you are quite decisive in the northwest, and there are some things I don't think I can do better than Wu Lang, so I'll still help you! Everyone?"

Looking at Gao Puyu's eyes, He Guan thought about it and nodded in agreement.

Zhao Meifeng said: "Captain Gao's words make sense."

Xu Zaijing pursed his lips and nodded, "If that's the case, then I'll tell you a little bit, and you can give me some advice."

"We will rest in the city tonight, and start our journey tomorrow morning, passing Chanzhou but not entering Nanle."

"The next day we will pass Guantao and go north along the Yuhe River (Weiyun River) to Beizhou."

Zhao Meifeng frowned and said, "Wulang, are we going to Beizhou in such a high-profile manner? Don't we need to hide our bodies? And at this speed, it is difficult for the Imperial City Bureau to make arrangements in advance."

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, I went to Beizhou on the orders of His Majesty, why should I hide it?"

"This, in case there is an ambush on the road."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Meifeng smiled and shook his head: "If Beizhou is fine, then why would we need to ambush?"

Gao Puyu said, "Wu Lang, I've heard about what happened between you and Er Lang! Judging from Zhang Shipan's scheming, there may be no ambush on this road, but there may be some insidious tricks waiting for us."

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"It's better to pay more attention to the food and drink of people and horses on the road."

Seeing Xu Zaijing nod, Gu Tingye interrupted and said, "Brother Jing, the Guangjie Army under the command of the Gan family is stationed near Guantao. Brother Liulang Liang Jing is also in the Guangjie Army. We may be able to borrow some of them when the time comes."

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Alright, at the same time we should set up night sentries along the way to be prepared for any eventuality."

Everyone nodded.

At this time,

Someone came into the room with a cold look on his face.

Looking at the person coming, Zhao Meifeng asked, "What's the situation?"

Gao Yunqing blew air into his palm and said, "Master, there is no tail behind you. I will go to bed early tonight, and I will go to the front at midnight."

Zhao Meifeng waved his hand: "No need, let's go to Nanle County together tomorrow."

Gao Yunqing was stunned: "Ah? That's quite far."

Afterwards, everyone returned to their respective rooms.

When Xu Zaijing was writing and drawing in the room, Qingyun came in with a bowl of rabbit meat and said, "Sir, there is a steward from the Chai family outside the post station who wants to see you."

"Um, the Chai family?"

"Yes, the manager of the coal shop in the city."

"Please come in."

After a while

A middle-aged man wearing earmuffs and silk clothes was led into the room by Qingyun.

"Greetings, Wulang! The boss sent a message asking me to prepare two carts of fine grains, and I have already brought them."

Xu Zaijing stood up and was stunned again, then said with a smile: "Well, I'll trouble you to take care of it!"

"No, no, do you have any other instructions, Wulang?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Please ask the steward to prepare a few more draft horses. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Wulang! I'll get ready right away! Goodbye."

Xu Zaijing nodded and gave Qingyun a wink.

After a while

Qingyun returned to the room and shook his head, saying, "Sir, the manager refuses to accept our reward money!"

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Well, go to bed early. You and Alan will be on duty at Chou time."

"Yes, son!"

After dinner,

Gu Tingye and Zhique were in the room preparing to go to bed. When they were taking off their clothes, Zhique grinned and said, "Sir, does your thigh hurt?"

Gu Tingye: "Hiss! It doesn't hurt! This little distance is nothing."

Zhique raised his eyebrows.

At this time, a voice came from outside the door: "Sir, I am Gao Puyu."

"Enter!"

Captain Gao entered the room, turned around and closed the door, then placed a bottle of ointment on the table and said, "Sir, this is the pain-relieving and blood-activating medicine that the Marquis asked me to bring this morning."

Hearing this, Gu Tingye stared at the porcelain bottle blankly, with a look of joy in his eyes.

"Also, the sentry Goro told me tonight that you and I were at Haishi." (11: p.m. to : p.m.)
Gao Puyu continued, "Sir, the Chou hour is for Alan and Qingyun, and the Yin hour is for Wulang and Mr. He."

Gu Tingye nodded, looked at Gao Puyu who was hesitant to speak, and said:

"Needless to say, I know in my heart that Wu Lang is taking care of me. The time from Chou hour to Yin hour is always the most difficult time for people."

"On winter nights, these two hours are also the coldest. If there is a sneak attack, it will most likely happen during these two hours! I understand!"

Gao Puyu bowed and said, "Yes, sir!"

Having said that, Gao Puyu left the room.

After applying the ointment, the candles in the room were extinguished. It was only six o'clock in the evening.

Gu Tingye lay on the bed, smelling the cool air without incense, and looking at the firelight shining through the window paper, which came from the brazier in the yard for heating.

"Zhi Que, do you think Jing Ge'er will have pain in his thighs?"

"Sir, I didn't see that."

"Well, it's so cold sleeping in the inn. How uncomfortable it would be to sleep in a tent!"

"You are right, sir, but let's go to bed early."

"Ah."

night,

The Imperial Palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty,

The floor heating that had been burning for a long time made the hall very warm.

The emperor sat behind his desk, frowning, quietly looking at the memorial in his hand.

Although the emperor's eyes were on the memorial, the eunuch knew that he was distracted at this moment.

After a while,
"Pfft~"

The emperor threw the memorial on the imperial desk, and the breeze blew the candle beside it.

On the spread-out memorial, there were faint words like "Northern Liao's Xijin Prefecture's military presence is frequent".

"Where are they at this point?"

The eunuch bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we have to leave the city and cross the river today. The road is difficult to travel after the snow. We should stay in Changyuan County tonight."

"Well, I heard that the Xu family sent letters to several families last night?"

"Your Majesty, yes!"

The emperor looked hesitant and said, "Well, tell me, am I..."

He said half a sentence and didn't continue.

There was silence in the hall.

The eunuch who had accompanied the emperor for many years bowed his head and said softly: "Your Majesty, in fact, Jing Ge'er has always been a good and filial son."

"Although I have a quick temper, I also speak my mind! I often think that if I get old and can no longer serve Your Majesty, I would like to ask Your Majesty for grace and let that servant give Jing'er some good things!"

The emperor looked up at the eunuch and said with a smile, "You have saved up all these good things for decades, but you have the heart to give them to that boy?"

The eunuch bowed and said, "Your Majesty has laughed more and more in recent years. Let alone those things, even if it is my life, I would not be willing to give it up."

The emperor looked at the eunuch who bowed his head and laughed. After a long pause, he said, "I heard that the elite soldiers of the Jin Kingdom still retain their fighting power in winter. So, let's send the troops under the command of Duke Ying, Marquis Ningyuan, and Marquis Zhongjing to Beizhou for military exercises. We should rush them 800 to 600 miles."

"According to the order."

"By the way, the new cavalry under Zhang Jiadalang have been training for a long time, so let's go and exercise as well."

(End of this chapter)