Bend Over [ 折腰 ] - Chapter 35

[Chapter 35: The Second Change (Replacing the Text)]

Under The Lingbi County of Xuzhou, on a yellow mud road, from the direction of the distant county seat, came a young man with a heavy burden.

The young man’s head was wearing the usual bucket hat of the woodcutter in the top of the mountain, and the eaves were pressed very low, revealing only the lower half of his face, but it could still be seen that he had a handsome face. He was tall, with broad shoulders and thick back, thick bone joints, sensitive and flexible joints, and although he shouldered heavy loads, he still strode forward, like no load. The clothes on his body were very old, but they were washed cleanly, the elbows were torn with neat patches, and the stitches were fine and neat, which showed that there was a woman in the family who was good at needlework.

This young man is Biyan. He and Big Joe had already landed in the hunting village under the mountain. Wang Laohan nodded slightly, and he soon became a good hunter. There is no shortage of meat in the family, but the grain and salt need to go to the market to change. This morning he went out of the mountains on fours, came to the market with the fur he had accumulated some time ago, and changed the bag of new millet on his shoulder.

If you change Chen Su, you can add more. It doesn’t matter to Biyan himself. He could eat the bark and leaves without changing color, if he was really hungry.

But he changed to a new millet. He wanted Big Joe, who had been accustomed to fine food, to eat as much as possible. There are beasts in the mountains that cannot be beaten, and they have more inexhaustible strength. Changing a bag of new millet was just a matter of playing a few more animal skins for him.

As luck would have it the other day, he hunted a beautiful fox fur with neat fur and shiny oil. Originally, I wanted to leave myself until the winter for Big Joe to use, but Big Joe didn’t want it, and he would let him sell it at the market. He had to listen to her. After selling the fur in the morning, there was still some extra money left, so he pulled a few feet of cloth for Big Joe.

When I go back, I will definitely be told by her. But Biyan was willing to let her teach herself a lesson.

There are still more than twenty miles away from the village. He looked at the sun that began to tilt westward, afraid that Big Joe would worry about going back late, and accelerated his pace even more. Just then, a column of people came from the opposite side. A dozen soldiers dressed in ochre robes, sabers around their waists, and spears in their hands hurried a group of people tied together by ropes and slowly walked in the direction of the county seat. The man at the front was riding a horse, and it was supposed to be a soldier. The men in the procession whose hands were tied by ropes were men. In addition to the prime-age, there are white-haired old men, and there are several thin teenagers who look like they are only eight or nine years old.

“Military master, do well, let go of the old decay… The old decay is about to turn fifty, how can it still march and fight?

An old man was forced forward by the spear behind him, and kept turning back to plead bitterly, and the soldier said: “Register and make a record of your three sons, now none of them are in the army, obviously they have fled, the son does not come, Lao Tzu replaces, it is natural and righteous!” The old man cried

: “The military master does not know, the third son of the old decay, the eldest son died in the seventh year of Yanyou in Xue Lingjun’s conquest of Qingzhou, the second son Dingkang died in the conquest in the third year, the younger son fell ill and died violently in the last year, and the pavilion chief can testify on behalf of the old decay.” There is no harm in the old decay, and there is a mother-in-law in the family who is sick in bed…”

The soldier was impatient, and smoked the old man’s whip: “If you are told to enlist, you will enlist in the army, and you will starve to death in the family, and you will be full of food when you join the army!” What to do! The old man was

in pain, did not dare to exhale again, wiped his tears, and staggered forward.

Bi Yan knew that this was Xuzhou Thorn Shi Xue Tai who was forcibly recruiting Ding again. In the county market, he heard people nearby talking about it.

He glanced at the sad and weeping white-haired sorcerer from under the eaves, and then looked at the several children behind the old man who were strung together and ragged and dazed, and finally withdrew his gaze.

Xue Tai of Xuzhou was one of the most powerful warlords in the Huaishui River Basin, and used troops all year round. Fighting a war requires the death of people, and when the dead are replenished, the source of soldiers must be replenished, and the strong man is gone, and even the old man and the child are not spared.

Biyan sympathized with these people who were forced to enlist in the army, but this kind of thing was not something he could manage.

Big Joe was still at home waiting for him to go back.

He pressed the brim of his hat and sped up his pace and walked forward. When he passed by the head of the soldier, the head of the soldier noticed him, and the spear came across and blocked his chest.

“Who?”

“Orion.”

“Look up.”

Biyan slowly looked up. The soldier’s head bumped into his green eyes, and he froze. He then poked the cloth bag on his shoulder with the tip of his halberd: “What’s in it?” ”

Millet.”

But the cloth bag had been punctured, and the new yellow millet leaked out of the crack and spilled on the ground.

The soldier looked up and down at BiYan: “Join the army with me!” Bi

Yan did not move: “The military master let it go.” I am not a local household and have no responsibility to be called into the army. The

soldier laughed, “Do you know that the emperor will raise an army to attack Yanzhou in a few days?” I cherished talents, so I invited you to join the army. Yanzhou is rich in land, and once it is captured, the property of the woman is within reach. You don’t want to? Bi

Yan’s eyes moved slightly, and he pushed away the long halberd that was still across his chest: “Please let the military master let it go.” I still have something to do, go first.

He squeezed the sack on his shoulder and continued on his way around the soldier’s horse. The soldier saw him sweep his face, became angry, and stabbed him in the back of the heart from behind. Bi Yan turned his head, grabbed the halberd with one arm, and as soon as he pulled it, the soldier’s head was pulled off the horse, and he fell on all four feet to the sky, and became angry, and ordered the soldier to arrest him. The dozen or so soldiers immediately ran up, and the tuantuan surrounded BiYan and attacked them all at once.

Knowing that today’s events could not be better, Bi Yan put down the grain bag on his shoulder, and the sharpshooter snatched the long halberd from the soldier’s head and swept towards the soldiers who were besieging him. In a vicious fight, the dozen or so soldiers were thrown to the ground with the strength of one person, and the wounded people hugged their legs and rolled and shouted, and the groans came and went. The soldier did not expect that he was as fierce as a beast, and his heart became frightened, and when he saw him striding towards him with a long halberd, he looked as if he was about to kill himself, and he was startled, and he got up and turned over on his horse and fled. The remaining soldiers saw that the heads of the soldiers had fled, and where they were willing to leave them to beg for bitter food, they fled with them, and in the blink of an eye, they all ran away, leaving only a few spear knives on the ground that were not too late to pick up.

In this vicious fight, he looked at the people and saw that all the soldiers had fled, so he returned to the gods and knelt down and prostrated his head, calling him a strong man and asking for help in loosening the rope.

Biyan picked up a falling knife on the ground and went up to cut the rope that bound the people. The multitude was released, and they thanked him repeatedly, and the birds and beasts dispersed.

Biyan took back the corn that had fallen to the ground, took off his coat, wrapped it with the bag of broken grain, put it back on his shoulders, and walked away quickly.

When he returns to the village, the sky will be dark, the birds in the mountains will return home, and the people will return home. Big Joe had already cooked dinner and was waiting for his husband in the fence door, when he saw his figure appear on the mountain path in the distance and ran out. Taking her husband back to the house, the two of them ate a simple dinner together under the lamp, and BiYan told her a few words about what she had seen in the county during the day, but did not mention the accident on the way back, and finally took out the cloth she had pulled.

Big Joe liked it very much in his heart, but his mouth really scolded him for spending money carelessly, and Bi Yan just smiled and let her teach her a lesson. Big Joe finally put it away and took out a pair of Shinna’s shoes. He said that he had big feet and climbed the mountain every day to walk, and the pair he had made was broken, so he changed into new shoes.

The moon goes up the mountain, and the spring insects grunt. The two are young, and they have just been married for a short time, and it is inevitable that they will always be in love, and they will rain and cloud almost every night. After tonight’s intimate bondage, Big Joe closed his eyes and rested on Bi Yan’s chest and asked, “Does the husband have the heart to hide from me?” When I saw you go home in the county, I said less than usual. Bi Yan had

always been reticent, and had not said much before, but tonight he was even less than usual.

Bi Yan hesitated and said, “On my way back, I occasionally heard words saying that Xuzhou Assassin Shi Xue Tai was going to attack Yanzhou.

Big Qiao was taken aback and sat up at once: “I’m at home, I’ve never heard that my family has a grudge against Xue Tai, how can Xue Tai suddenly attack Yanzhou?” Did you hear that right? Bi

Yan then put the road on the roadI said it again. Big Joe suddenly panicked: “If my father is not aware and unprepared, how is it good?” Bi

Yan said, “Don’t panic.” Maybe it was just a mouthful of words from the soldiers. Tomorrow I will dive to the county seat again to inquire. If there is such a thing, I will go to Yanzhou as soon as possible to send a message, so that the envoy can be on guard.

Big Joe settled down a little. Biyan comforted her again. Overnight waited until dawn. Early the next morning, Hibiki re-entered the city. When he returned after dark, he told Big Joe that he had captured an officer during the day, and after interrogation, he learned that the news was unmistakable.

Xue Taizheng prepared grain and grass soldiers and horses, and sent 100,000 troops to capture Yanzhou. Now that the grain and grass have been completed, the army will not set out in the future.

……

On the twelfth day of the month, The East County City was still bustling and peaceful as usual. In the deliberative hall of the Assassin’s Mansion, the atmosphere was unusually solemn.

Qiao Yue, Qiao Ping, and a group of counselors and generals in the office were discussing a message that was like a thunderbolt on a sunny day.

A few days ago, someone in the office did not give a name, saying that Xue Tai of Xuzhou had sent 100,000 troops to Yanzhou, traveling fifty miles a day, and arriving within half a month.

Qiao Yue didn’t believe it at first. The Qiao family and Xue Tai have always had no water in the well, let alone friction. Although Xue Tai was ambitious and infamous, his target had always been in the Huaishui area, and he wondered why he suddenly sent an army of 100,000 to attack Yanzhou? Send out spies immediately. This morning the Meteor Horse returned the favor, saying that the news was indeed true. Xue Tai’s army had already arrived in Tengdi, and in another ten days it would approach Yanzhou.

The more frightened Qiao became, he hurriedly summoned a discussion to discuss countermeasures, and everyone was confused, and the more Qiao became more ownerless.

Zhang Pu said, “Lord Gong Hugh should panic.” I have a solution to this problem. Joe asked more and more.

“Xue Tai is known as an evil tiger, his soldiers are strong and strong, and he is menacing, and Yanzhou cannot be a hard enemy.” Now it is necessary to send someone to send the news to Yanhou as soon as possible. Wei Qiao and his two families have a marriage, and if he does not save them, he will be treacherous and treacherous, and everyone in the world will spit on him.

Qiao Yue was immediately reminded, and hurriedly ordered the master to repair the book, sealed the fire paint, and sent it to Wei Shao’s hand day and night on a fast horse.

Why Xuzhou Xue Tai suddenly raised troops to attack, Qiao Ping was also puzzled. He was not very willing to ask Wei Shao for help again. Last time, because Ren Cheng zhouqun came to cut it, he could only send out his beloved daughter. This time Xue Tai came to enlist, and he had to go to Wei Shao to ask for troops. If Wei Shao loved his daughter, it would only be that he, the qiao family masters, had no face. But if Wei Shao had no love for his daughter, this repeated request for help would probably only make him look down on his daughter even more, and her status in the Wei family would be even more contemptuous. It’s just that the brother is cowardly, he is lonely, the 100,000-strong army is suppressed, and Yanzhou is really in danger, and he can only go back sullenly, but he has not seen his son Qiao Ci, which knows that he is not at ease with his sister, and he has secretly gone to Youzhou with the messenger on a fast horse, panicked, and hurriedly called people to chase, but Qiao Ci has already ridden a fast horse out of the city gate, where is he still chasing back?

……

On that day, Wei Shao finished his patrol of the border city and finally returned to Yuyang from Mayi.

It’s been half a month since he went out on this trip. With the sound of horseshoes, he passed through the north gate of Yuyang City pool and returned to the familiar city.

He was in a good mood. After entering the city, he disbanded the general, he did not go to the office, went straight back to the palace, entered the West House, but did not see Xiao Qiao when he entered the door, and Chunniang was not there. After asking the servant woman, she learned that the female monarch had been invited to the Great Hall of the Golden Mother of the West King in the east of the city and wrote an inscription for a mural of the Queen Mother there.

At present, Buddhism and Taoism are thriving, and in addition to believing in Buddhism, there are also many people who worship Taoism. The Queen Mother is the head of the fairy goddess, sheltering the wind and rain. The local people have lived a stable life for many years, and there are many rich families, so they raise funds to repair the temple. Although Madame Xu offered her offerings to the Buddha, she heard the news and generously helped her. Just a few times ago, the main hall was completed, and the repair was beautiful. In front of the main hall, a frescoed wall is painted with the image of the Queen Mother. The person who painted the painting was Gao Heng, the “Bohai Crown” who came to celebrate Lady Xu’s birthday last time. Gao Heng was invited to paint at that time, and he also intended to leave his own pen and ink in Yuyang, and gladly agreed. Now that the mural was about to be completed, when the inscription was written, he suddenly thought of a good hand written by the Lady of Wei Province, and if he came to inscribe the mural inscription for the Queen Mother and The Fairy Fairy, it would complement his paintings and add icing on the cake. He’s also a wonderful guy who does it when he thinks about it. Visited two days ago. Lady Xu learned of his intentions and agreed. Since Mrs. Xu nodded, Xiao Qiao did not refuse, and went out to that side in the past two days, and today has passed, and she has not returned at this moment.

Wei Shao was a little disappointed. I also felt a little unhappy in my heart. But he didn’t show half a point on his face.

He went out for half a month, every day he traveled non-stop to various cities, and when he came back, he was already covered in wind and dust, freshened up and straightened his appearance, changed his clothes, and first went to the North House to visit his grandmother, Mrs. Xu.

When Madame Xu saw that he had returned, she was very happy and ordered him to sit on his side and talk. Wei Shao accompanied the conversation, and there were not many words. Only occasionally echoed Mrs. Xu’s voice or two.

Lady Xu mentioned the Zhu clan and said that just two days ago, she was allowed to return from the ancestral temple. Dao: “Zhonglin, your mother is the main mother of my Wei family.” That’s it, just for your face, and I shouldn’t have done it that way. It’s just that what she did this time is too much. I hope she will remember the lesson and not make any more mistakes in the future.
Although
it had been some days since the incident, Madame Xu brought it up at the moment, and the tone could still be heard, with some annoyance.

Wei Shao echoed.

Madame Xu glanced at him, thought about it, and showed a faint smile on her face: “You should know, your daughter-in-law, your grandmother lent it out two days ago.” It’s not early, and if you haven’t returned, it doesn’t hurt for you to pick her up. You don’t have to grind your teeth here with my wife. Wei Shao

looked heavy, “Grandson, let’s see the situation.” If nothing happened, I went as my grandmother told me.
Madame
Xu nodded. Urge him to leave. Wei Shao worshiped his grandmother before he got up and came out.

He stepped out of the North House, and his pace gradually accelerated. When he reached the fork in the road leading to the East House, he stopped and looked over, hesitated, and finally continued to move forward, and finally went straight out of the gate, and then ordered the people to prepare horses and go to the east of the city.

[End of This Chapter]