Duan Wuji and Feng Yu are both from Shiqiao Village, but their personalities are completely different.

Duan Wuji was calm and Feng Yu was out of his mind. The two stood together like a mature and steady elder brother with a naughty and mischievous younger brother.

Having grown up together, Duan Wuji understands Feng Yu less and less.

He thought that Feng Yu was still the same boy next door in Shiqiao Village who climbed trees to dig bird's nests, went down to the river to fish for shrimps, and often got into trouble. However, as he got older, he gradually no longer understood Feng Yu.

The young people who were once are no longer young people. After reading the books of the sages and understanding the principles of the sages, the young people all have ambitions. Most of their ambitions are to be officials. They all follow Gu Qing and Song Gensheng as examples. Some become officials purely for personal gain.

Some also want to benefit one party, but Duan Wuji and Feng Yu are unwilling to become officials.

Duan Wuji had a choice. He believed that seeing the true nature of the world was more important than being an official.

What about Feng Yu? What did he think?

Duan Wuji asked him many questions along the way from Chang'an to Qiuci. Every time, Feng Yu would just smile and change the subject to a thousand miles away, but never answered his question directly.

The camels of the caravan were lined up in a straight line, and the breeze blew on their faces, mixed with a little bit of wind and sand, which made them feel chilly and stinging.

The desolate scene of the desert looked particularly poignant at sunset. The two of them were overwhelmed by the majestic and desolate scenery when they first left Yumen Pass. However, after traveling for a month, they had become numb to the scenery.

The vast expanse of yellow sand resembles a life without hope.

The two men, who were listlessly riding on their camels, suddenly heard a burst of cheers from the Hu merchants.

“We’ve arrived at Kucha City!”

…………

The desert is very cold in winter. The cold wind picks up yellow sand and flies all over the sky. There is a vast yellow smoke all over the place.

Gu Qing sat cross-legged in the handsome tent and carefully smeared the leg of lamb with soybean oil. There was a simple grill above the charcoal fire in front of him. He placed the leg of lamb on the grill and kept turning it. After a while, the leg of lamb began to cook.

The ground is full of oil.

The sound of the sheng blows up the autumn wind, and the wine blows away the winter snow.

Pair it with hot roasted, tender and juicy lamb leg with wine, and you will probably have no regrets in life except for a wife.

Han Jie squatted in front of Gu Qing and helped him turn the leg of lamb over and over again. Gu Qing filled a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp. The strong wine burned from his throat to his stomach, which made him feel very comfortable.

"Good wine, but drink sparingly. There isn't much strong wine brought from Chang'an anymore..." Gu Qing squinted his eyes and sighed happily.

Han Jie stared at the sizzling and oily lamb leg in front of him and swallowed his saliva.

"If Lord Marquis wants to drink wine and eat meat, why don't you go to Fuzhi Inn? The female shopkeeper's cooking is so good, it would be a pity not to have more meals."

Gu Qing sighed: "I'm testing my will. I can't go often. If a good man is subdued by a woman's cooking skills, he won't be able to explain to my fiancée later, and there will be no future for him even if he gives me the reasons."

Han Jie said disapprovingly: "A woman must be a little stronger than others to be worthy of the Marquis. Lord Marquis, you have to think about it the other way around. It is because of her good cooking skills that the female shopkeeper can get the favor of the Marquis. Go, Marquis."

She looks up to her when eating at her restaurant."

Gu Qing praised: "I appreciate your way of thinking. Why don't you go to her shop and tell her exactly what you just said again to see how she reacts."

"How else could she react?"

"If she doesn't chase you three miles with a kitchen knife, I will go to her restaurant to eat."

It will take a long time for the lamb leg to be roasted. Gu Qing couldn't wait any longer. He used a dagger to cut off a piece of meat that was already cooked on the surface. He blew a few puffs of cool air and stuffed it into his mouth. It was so hot that he screamed.

But the expression is very enjoyable.

"It's delicious, but a bit bland. Sprinkle more salt." Gu Qing commented.

Han Jie picked up a pinch of salt and sprinkled it on the lamb leg.

Gu Qing said sadly: "I always feel like I've been spoiled by that female shopkeeper's craftsmanship recently. There's nothing wrong with eating this leg of lamb today..."

Han Jie turned over the leg of lamb and said: "Master Hou, why don't you take the female shopkeeper's house and make her a concubine? I'll cook for you during the day and warm your bed at night. In this barbaric and cold desert place, there is no one around you who knows the Marquis."

The life of Leng Zhire is too miserable. Miss Zhang will not object to taking in a female shopkeeper. After all, she is just taking in a concubine..."

Gu Qing rubbed his chin and thought seriously, then murmured: "That makes sense... If she comes to accuse her then, I will say that you asked me to do this. I will sleep with the woman and you will take the blame. No matter what, I won't suffer any loss..."

"

Han Jie froze for a moment and said in shock: "Master Marquis, you just sold me like this?"

"It's not like I've never sold people before. I have many advantages that you haven't discovered yet. If you dig them out slowly, you will admire me more and more..."

Gu Qing stared at the leg of mutton in front of him in trance, and suddenly said: "Speaking of the female shopkeeper, find someone smarter to keep an eye on her. I always feel that she is a bit suspicious, whether it is her motive for approaching me or her true identity.

Very suspicious."

Han Jie said: "Is there a problem with her true identity?"

"Her background should be high, and she shouldn't just be an innkeeper who welcomes people to her home. People who have had a good upbringing can't cover up the past in details, and no matter how good their acting skills are, they can't hide it."

"What details?"

"I have noticed her many times. She looks very elegant when eating. She looks like a lady when she lifts her chopsticks and holds a cup. Ordinary people put their chopsticks down on the table casually after eating. But she put her chopsticks down.

Later, it was neatly placed flush with the edge of the table, and there was never a grain of rice left in the bowl, once or twice, every time. People from ordinary families do not have such upbringing."

Han Jie was surprised and said: "Master Hou has been observing her for so long without saying a word. You still say you are not interested in her?"

Gu Qing sighed: "Have you misunderstood the point? Does this have anything to do with my being careless? The point should be to praise me for my perceptiveness and meticulous thinking. Even if it is a dog chewing bones on the roadside, I will observe it for a long time. Could it be

Am I attracted to that dog?"

Han Jie thought it was right, so he nodded and said: "Since Lord Marquis thinks she is suspicious, he will arrange for someone to keep an eye on her."

Gu Qing said calmly: "Don't alarm her, I'm just curious about whether she has a backer, and what her origins are. I always feel that there is a story about her. I don't want the Anxi Protectorate to be secretly planted as a chess piece for evil purposes."

The lamb leg was finally cooked. Gu Qing cut off a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it for a few times, he found it tasteless.

One code equals another, no matter how suspicious her identity is, her cooking skills are really good. It would be a pity if she was his enemy.

Recalling that when she was poor, she didn't hesitate to lend herself a hundred taels of silver cake. She was so loyal to her friends, so she shouldn't be an enemy. If she did it deliberately to get close to herself, this woman's city would be terrible.

Outside the handsome tent, the voice of the bodyguard came.

"Reporting to the Marquis, there are people outside the gate of the camp asking to see you. They say they are the Marquis's fellow countrymen and old friends."

Gu Qing said in surprise: "Old friend from the same hometown? Which old friend from the same hometown would find me here?"

After thinking about it, he asked the guards to lead the people into the camp.

Duan Wuji and Feng Yu carried simple luggage and followed the guards into the camp. They looked left and right with strange eyes, watching the roars of the soldiers training on the camp grounds, and the rolling yellow sand, strips of naked sperm.

The upper body of the soldier was crawling and rolling. Although it was just ordinary drills, there was still a chilling air in his face.

"This... these are the soldiers under Brother Gu's command? What a mighty and elite force!" Feng Yu's nose turned red with excitement, and the pimples on his cheeks almost burst with excitement.

Duan Wuji was also a little excited. From now on, he would be a guest under Brother Gu, and he could be regarded as a member of this elite division.

"They are the Anxi Iron Army that was rumored to have wiped out more than 20,000 Tibetan rebels in Chang'an. They all have to obey Brother Gu's military orders. Brother Gu is so majestic!" Feng Yu almost cheered in the camp.

Duan Wuji said in a deep voice: "Feng Yu! When you enter the military camp, be careful about your words and deeds. Don't smear Brother Gu's face!"

Feng Yu calmed down a little and followed the guards obediently, but he still couldn't help but glance towards the school grounds.

After walking a few steps, Feng Yu suddenly quickened his pace and walked side by side with the guard leading the way. He patted his shoulder affectionately and said with a smile: "Hey, brother, Brother Gu... that is your Lord Marquis, who is here on weekdays.

Isn’t it very majestic in the camp?”

The guard said nothing, and walked forward like a stone sculpture without emotion, without even a single change in his eyes.

Feng Yu didn't get angry when he didn't get a response, and said with a smile: "Don't be like this, brother, we will be Pao Ze soon. With my ability, I might be able to become an official in a short time. You will have to bow when you see me in the future.

It’s better to make more good connections while I’m down and out.”

The bodyguard still ignored him.

Duan Wuji grabbed Feng Yu's collar and yanked hard, his expression already a little angry: "Too many words will lead to disaster, you'd better shut up. Brother Gu has his own decision on how to arrange us, so why do you talk nonsense?"

What nonsense are you talking about being an official?"

Feng Yu chuckled and said: "Just saying, I don't really want to be an official. If I want to be an official, I have already taken the scientific examination. Why do I come here to suffer."

Duan Wuji sighed: "You have such a temper... We are about to go to the commander's tent. Please be more calm. Brother Gu is now a county marquis, and he is also the crown prince's Shaobao Guanglu doctor. Really.

The second-grade officer is no longer the Brother Gu of Shiqiao Village. He must be careful when speaking and don't let others gossip behind his back, saying that Brother Gu's fellow villagers are so virtuous. Brother Gu has no face. You and I

Is there light on your face?"

Feng Yu responded bitterly, then lowered his eyebrows and looked more honest than before.

Looking at the silent bodyguard leading the way, Duan Wuji suddenly sighed: "You can tell the whole story with a glimpse. The soldiers under Brother Gu's command are really extraordinary. They deserve the word 'strong'. Just looking at this military discipline is enough to win."

He has fought many armies in the Tang Dynasty. Brother Gu's abilities are much greater than what is shown in books. You and I should have a humble heart to learn."

While they were talking, the three of them had already walked to the commander's tent. The bodyguard still bowed respectfully through the curtain and said loudly: "Your Majesty, your fellow countryman has arrived."

The door curtain was opened, revealing Gu Qing's familiar face, looking at Duan Wuji and Feng Yu with a smile.
Chapter completed!