February 21st is a day that is not special at all.
But that day, the weather was sunny and the wind was gentle.
The rain in recent days has stopped today, and the sun peeked out from the clouds, dispelling the coldness of early spring.
There is a clear spring five miles outside Zhuoxian City. It is small, only the size of a washbasin.
There is a thatched pavilion by the spring. The thatched roof of the shed has been exposed to the sun and rain, and has long been in tatters. The place has been abandoned for a long time.
But in the pavilion, you can still see the broken bowls and plates used by the wealthy nobles in the past to make flowing water.
Xu Yue and his party arrived here early. Looking at the dilapidated scene, they could only roll up their sleeves and clean the pavilion again.
Just remove the weeds and rotten leaves covering the spring to restore its original clarity.
Only five of Xu Yue's group came, including herself and Xu Dalang, plus Zhao Bei, Zhang Fei, and Ma Liang, who was guarding them.
The five of them were all wearing Xu Jiajun's six-bag turmeric suit, which was similar in shape to the armed police uniforms of later generations, with a sports top, overalls, and lace-up leather boots.
This outfit, regardless of men or women, looks heroic when wearing it.
The five of them brought their own cups and cups and placed them on the stone table in the pavilion.
The wine was high-quality liquor, and its mellow aroma made Zhang Fei gulp down his saliva - if it weren't for this sip of wine, he wouldn't have come here at all.
In the morning, all the dishes prepared by the military camp chef were put in large food boxes. Ma Liang took out all the dishes and lit a small stove, which could be used to warm soup, wine and so on.
Everything was ready, but it was still early. Looking towards the city gate from a distance, there was no movement yet.
Xu Dalang hated sitting and waiting for others, so he simply stood up, picked up the white porcelain cup in front of Xu Yue, walked to the small spring, gave her a bowl of clear spring, and presented it to her like a treasure.
"Sister, drink."
Xu Yue took a sip. The spring water was clear and sweet, and she said, "This spring water is not bad. It should be delicious when used to make tea."
The tea in Xu Yue's mouth was not the Daqing Dark Cuisine tea brewed with various onions, ginger, and garlic foam, but the tender tea from the tea tree.
Zhao Bei didn't know what kind of tea she was talking about. When he heard Xu Yue say that the water was good, he asked Zhang Fei to get a pot of spring water and cooked Xu Yue's Daqing dark cuisine - tea soup on the small stove.
A strong aroma of minced ginger wafted out from the stove. Xu Yue felt a little overwhelmed after just one whiff. Zhao Bei took out a rare packet of spices and added a little bit of it as if it was a treasure.
Xu Yue and Xu Dalang both tilted their heads back, as if they were avoiding snakes and scorpions.
Zhang Fei and Zhao Bei, however, looked like they were enjoying themselves. Smelling this unique fragrance, they felt comfortable all over.
Ma Liang looked at the completely different reactions from the two sides and asked curiously: "Is this tea soup delicious?"
His family comes from a poor family, and his grandfather started joining the army in order to shine the family name. Unfortunately, the world has been in chaos since his grandfather's generation, and he has never enjoyed the life of a famous family that his grandfather said in his life.
I have never drunk this expensive tea soup.
Zhang Fei laughed loudly, patted Ma Liang's shoulder, and poured him a glass generously.
Ma Liang took a sip with anticipation, his eyes lit up, "It felt spicy at first, and then after tasting it, there was a smell of tangerine peel. After stopping for a while, the tip of the tongue was a little bitter and numb, but the bitterness has a long aftertaste, which is very good!"
Xu Yue and Xu Dalang immediately looked over with wide eyes, "Is it true?"
They suspected that Ma Liang was flattering Zhao Bei, the tea maker.
Ma Liang nodded seriously and encouraged Xu Yue and Xu Dalang to try it too.
With a bit of disbelief, Xu Yue picked up the tea soup that Zhao Bei brought over and took a sip while holding her breath.
"Um?"
It’s not as bad as I thought!
Xu Yue looked at her brother in surprise and motioned for him to try it too. Xu Dalang stepped back two meters away and stared at Zhao Bei coldly, as if he wanted to force him.
In Xu Dalang's logic, it was Zhao Bei who cooked the tea, and it was he who successfully provided Xu Yue with peace of mind, so he was the culprit.
"Brother, I'm not going to lie to you. Try it. It's much better than what I drank at my aunt's house before."
While Xu Yue was trying to be safe, she thought suspiciously in her heart: I haven't lived a modern life for so long, and I actually feel that this tea soup is a bit like drinking milk tea!
Yes, you can add milk!
Xu Yue's eyes suddenly lit up and she hurriedly told Zhao Bei her thoughts.
Zhao Bei was doubtful and agreed to try the tea soup with milk later to see if it was as delicious as Xu Yue said.
Ever since, when Zhao Yu and others came, they saw this leisurely scene.
The five people in the pavilion seemed to be on a spring outing. They had prepared food, made tea and soup, and were chatting and laughing.
If it weren't for the invitation handwritten by the leader of the Xu family army in his hand, Zhao Yu would have doubted that he had come to the wrong place.
The movement outside the pavilion naturally attracted the attention of Xu Yue and the five people in the pavilion. They stopped making fun of Xu Dalang drinking tea soup and stood up to greet them.
Yan Rou, who was accompanying him, looked around and made sure that he didn't see any Xu Jiajun who was ambushing him. He was secretly surprised.
Is Xu Jiajun too confident in his own strength?
Or are you too proud?
Together with Zhao Yu, the three masters and servants entered the thatched pavilion, and the fifty cavalry guards who came with them surrounded the thatched pavilion, always alert to possible dangers around them.
Zhao Bei acted as the middleman and introduced both parties.
Zhao Yu looked at the young brother and sister standing in front of him and was surprised again. They were so young.
Based on this calculation, Xu Yue was only thirteen years old when the Xu family's army rose up!
What can a thirteen year old do?
Some of them were still acting coquettishly with their parents at home at the age of thirteen, playing tricks on cats and dogs, and being scolded by their masters in the academy all day long.
And some people at the age of thirteen actually rebelled against the imperial court!
Zhao Yu took a deep breath, suppressed the emotion in his heart that he couldn't tell whether it was envy or helplessness, and bowed lightly to Xu Yue.
"I've heard his name a long time ago, and when I saw him today, the leader of the Xu family army is indeed as extraordinary as the rumors..."
"Thank you, I understand. Let's not talk nonsense and sit down first."
Xu Yue smiled and interrupted Zhao Yu's predictably lengthy praise, pointing to the stone bench opposite and gesturing for him to sit down and talk.
Zhao Yu was obviously confused, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He was suddenly interrupted. After reacting, he inevitably felt a little emotional.
Fortunately, Zhao Bei explained in time, "It's not aimed at your Excellency, it's just because the Xu Family Army values efficiency, and the leader doesn't like to beat around the bush in the past. If you have anything to say, you can just say it directly, and the leader won't blame you."
As the person who had the most contact with Xu Jiajun, Qi Zhou had a deep understanding of Xu Jiajun's style. He nodded to Zhao Yu,
"My lord, this is indeed the case for the Xu Jiajun. Regardless of whether the officials or the people are equal, the people do not obey the officials, and the officials do not bully the people. Both parties are direct and efficient."
After listening to the explanations of these two people, the awkwardness in Zhao Yu's heart was finally eliminated.
At the same time, he also developed a strong interest in Xu Jiajun's series of rules.
He sat down in front of Xu Yue, and Xu Yue asked Zhao Yu if he wanted to drink wine, tea, or water. Anyway, there were only these three, and there were not many choices.
