Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 52 Overnight
On April 48, 25th year of Kangxi, in the northern suburbs of the capital, Changchun Garden, Qingxi Bookstore.

Cao Yong was wearing a blue guard uniform, holding a knife handle and standing at the gate of the hall, following Shuming and the other two guards on duty.Today is the first time he is on duty after recovering from illness, but it is not in the Forbidden City, but in Changchun Garden.

In mid-April, when the weather was getting hotter, Kangxi's holy car went to Changchun Garden to listen to the government.

Cao Yong and his group of guards are on duty from Shenshi to Youshi ([-]:[-] p.m. to [-]:[-] p.m.), and it will take more than half an hour to go back to the city from Changchun Garden.The city gate is closed at unitary time, so Cao Yong will stay overnight in the garden today.

*
When the shift was over, Cao Yong followed Shuming and others to the place where the guards were off duty, which was in the two rows of connected rooms behind Taipuxuan.There are a few low-ranking eunuchs doing handymen here, and seeing these guards come back on duty, those who brought water brought water, and those who went to fetch food fetched food.

Cao Yong and his group of eight people, besides the first-class guard Shuming, there are two second-class guards, and the others are third-class just like Cao Yong.The place where everyone settled down in the garden was a room on the left side of the connecting room.Except for the side that opens the door, the other three sides are kangs.

When everyone went outside to wear their vests, wash their hands and faces, the little eunuch had already set the kang table and served everyone their share of food.

The meals are all placed on the kang in the north. Although they are both guards, the meals provided in the yard are also different due to their different grades.In the stated portion, there are chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep, and all four dishes are considered big dishes.In front of the three second-class guards, braised lamb shank was missing, and braised cabbage was added.For the four third-class guards, there are only chicken and duck, and the other two dishes are stewed cabbage and fried bean sprouts.

This can be regarded as an ancient big pot meal. Before Cao Yong came out of the mansion in the afternoon, although he ate something, he was still a little hungry.

Seeing that other people moved their chopsticks, Cao Yong took a piece of duck meat and put it in his mouth.As a result, after biting it several times, I didn't bite much, and it was indecent to spit it out, so I had to swallow it directly.Looking at the few good-looking dishes in front of him, he reluctantly took another bean sprouts and put them in his mouth.The pungent bean smell, no wonder it looks so hard, it is not cooked at all.

"Haha!" Seeing Cao Yong's expression, several other guards couldn't help laughing out loud.Shuming pushed the leg of lamb that he had just taken a bite of in front of Cao Yong, and said, "This one is not bad, it's not too badly stewed." Then, he poured the half bowl of duck soup in front of him on the rice, and it was delicious. Stuttered.

There was a third-class guard named He Shan, who was holding a white flag, and said: "Looking at the way Xiao Cao eats, you can tell that he has never stayed in the palace or the garden. The food in these two places is just mixed. It’s just full, I was very uncomfortable when I first came here, but I got used to it after a long time!”

We are all warriors, and there is no rule of not talking when eating or sleeping. After hearing what He Shan said, the others followed suit.

"Yeah, I thought the food in the palace was so good, and I bragged about it to the outsiders, but I know it myself!" Another guard sighed.

"The duck is old and the chicken is thin, and the uncooked rice is hard. It's good to be able to maintain this level!" Another guard said.

Hearing everyone's complaints, Shuming laughed and cursed: "It's full of bastards. Ordinary people eat a chicken and a duck. It's New Year's Eve. You big fish and big meat are still picky!"

Cao Yong picked up a chopstick of mutton leg meat, which was indeed more mushy than chicken and duck, but the others did not move. He imitated everyone's appearance, eating duck soup with rice, and pushed the mutton leg to the middle of the table.Everyone didn't want to be polite to him, they all stretched out their chopsticks, and Heshan took the lamb leg that had lost its meat and gnawed on its tendons.

After gnawing on the leg of lamb, He Shan wiped his oily mouth and said, "Long live God will leave Beijing tomorrow, and we will all follow his retinue. If we follow the itinerary of previous years, it will take three or four months to return to Beijing. Compared with the vegetables and rice on the road, the current ones are pretty good!"

After everyone finished eating, the little eunuch came up and removed the table.

Regarding the matter of Ming'er's retinue, Shuming babbled a few more words, nothing more than getting the horses ready, how much clothes to change and so on.

Just as he was talking, he heard footsteps, and someone came in through the door: "Old Shu, brothers are here to play with you!"

The people who came were Detehei, Nalan Fusen and others. They were on duty at midnight, so they also stayed in the garden.Now that the sky is long, knowing that Shuming and the others are here, they come here for a stroll.

It was late at night, and it was inconvenient to move guys to practice martial arts, so Detehei suggested arm wrestling.

But Shuming refused, looked at Detehei contemptuously, and said, "No, your bastard can hold me down, what else can compare to it!"

Detehei scratched his head: "If you don't compare with me, don't compare, so as to save you from nagging, let the boys play and win two out of three rounds. After leaving Beijing, we put two tents and objects in one place, and if we lose, we will be responsible for one. On the way, we will add game to everyone!"

This suggestion was approved by everyone in the room.Cao Yong was by the side, secretly amused, it seemed that everyone was frightened by the food provided.

After De Tehei finished speaking, he happened to see Cao Yong, pointed at him, and said: "I am no match for Lao Shu, so forget about Xiao Cao, he is still a child!"

Shuming nodded his head, but the younger third-class guards on Detehei's side quit: "Tou De, why are you turning your elbows out! Xiao Cao is not our business now, it shouldn't be!"

The guard who explained this heard it, and laughed and said: "Aren't you courageous, you just want to take advantage of it, and you are afraid of losing, don't you?"

Everyone in the room was chattering, Cao Yong said with a smile: "If the seniors are not afraid that I will hinder everyone, then I will have a competition!" Wink.

Since Cao Yong himself is willing to compare, everyone naturally has nothing to say.Dethenash seemed to want to win this round steadily, and he didn't take into account the argument that the big bullied the small, and the second-class guard Aji was directly sent on the field.

Aji's tall and thick appearance is in stark contrast to Cao Yong's thin body, which shows that someone among these people has already shouted: "Brothers, I really admire it, it's shameless!"

Detehei smiled "hehe", but did not stop him.

Everyone lifted a table next to the window to the middle of the room. Cao Yong and Aji stood still, rolled up their sleeves, bent down, and put their arms on the table.

Cao Yong has practiced martial arts for several years, and he still has some strength in his hands, but there is still a gap between him and Aji.Therefore, it is a bit more difficult than lifting the wrist.

Everyone thought that there was no suspense, and Cao Yong would definitely be defeated immediately.The second group of guards on both sides had already begun to roll up their sleeves.The result is surprising, Cao Yong has been insisting.

Entering the palace as a bodyguard, working with these men, is completely different from Cao Yong's life in Jiangning in the past.However, speaking of it, he does not reject this atmosphere, because they are all adults, and it is easier to talk.Everyone is a warrior, if you don't want to be underestimated by everyone, then you have to show some real skills.Because of this, Shuming urged Cao Yong to play.

Cao Yong is persisting, although the strength of his wrist is not as good as that of Aji, but he is always persisting.In the attention of everyone, Aji gained the advantage little by little, and Cao Yong regained it little by little.In everyone's eyes, Cao Yong is not so much a warrior as a weak boy, and they treat him more or less as a child.Now, seeing his tenacity, everyone around him applauded endlessly.

Two quarters of an hour later, Cao Yong and Aji were still comparing each other, their faces were dripping with sweat.In the end, Aji was the first to admit defeat.Cao Yong rubbed his wrist and glanced at Shuming.Shu Ming nodded at him, with a little more approval in his eyes.

Others didn't notice, but Shuming did. Cao Yong's seemingly white palms were covered with calluses, which was the result of years of wielding knives and guns.Therefore, he let Cao Yong show his hand, so as not to be looked down upon by Tongshi's guards.Unexpectedly, De Tehei and the others sent the strongest Aji. Shu Mingben lamented that this was self-defeating. Unexpectedly, Cao Yong persisted to the end despite the disadvantage.

In the next two matches, both sides won one game each, so Cao Yong and the others won.Detehei and the others left with a sigh, leaving everyone happy.Cao Yong is a little strange, but it's just a game every day, it's not a big job, why everyone is like this.

Seeing that Cao Yong was ignorant, Shu Ming smiled and said, "You have never been out of Beijing with your retinue, so you don't know. If you march all day long and don't want to get on your horse when you get to the camp, that's a bad feeling!"

This uproar took more than an hour.Seeing that it was late at night, Shuming asked everyone to settle down.

Shuming occupied the north kang by himself, three second-class guards were on the east kang, and Cao Yong was on the west kang.The luggage was prepared in the garden and looked clean, but there was a faint musty smell.

Cao Yong was lying on the bed, unable to fall asleep for a while, his mother had only been in Beijing for a few days, and he had to leave again.Fortunately, because her sister was pregnant, Mrs. Li planned to stay in the capital and wait for her daughter to give birth in August before returning to Jiangning.If Cao Yong can come back before then, he can be reunited with his mother.

After thinking about his mother, Cao Yong thought about Xiao Man again. After the city gate opens tomorrow, Xiao Man will come to the garden with the servants of Shu Ming's family.Xiao Man took care of horses, luggage, clothes, etc.

Although there are servants under the name of the guard battalion, they just set up a tent and prepare meals.Because it will take a few months to leave Beijing, each person has to prepare two to three horses, as well as luggage for changing clothes, etc., so many guards bring servants or long-term followers.Most of the guards in the guard camp are from the family of Lord Shangsanqi, and they were all raised by others.Few of them have ever done such tasks as braiding and washing clothes.

Two brothers, Wei Hei and Wei Bai, heard that Cao Yong could bring a person as a follower, and they rushed to follow.But Cao Yong looked at the two brothers, it really didn't look like they could comb their hair and wash their clothes, so they decided on Xiaoman.

Xiaoman was very happy, but Zijing was worried about him, and patiently taught him to braid his hair.

Xiaoman is young, although his hands are a little clumsy, but he pays attention to learning things, and looks for someone to braid his hair everywhere.Amidst the grinning of everyone's teeth, Xiaoman's work became smoother and smoother, and he looked decent.

Xiaoman proudly showed off to Zijing, but Zijing gave him a blow, learned how to braid other people's hair, what about her own?Xiaoman was very annoyed, but he couldn't handle his braids, and was so anxious that he almost wanted to shave his head.The hair and skin of the body, the parents who received it, shaved it when they said it, after being kicked twice by his father Cao Fang, Xiao Man became honest.

(End of this chapter)