The layout of Qiao Xuan's hermitage is exactly the same as the planned plan for the "empty land" before the "courtyard" appeared.
Mountain streams flowed in, gathered into a small pond, and then gurgled out from a lower gap. The small building was built beside the pond. Where the pond was narrow, Zhou Yu originally thought he would build a bridge.
However, only a few stable and huge stepping stones were filled in the position. Even with Xiao Qiao's liveliness, he would not accidentally fall.
The stepping stone is not far away, which is where the big and small Qiao sisters were sitting when the tree broke through the courtyard door. There are a group of stone tables and benches that are not deliberately arranged neatly. At this time, there are also a few simple fans on them.
silk fans and several simple flower and bird patterns.
The other side opposite these stone tables and benches was not a pigsty or a chicken coop as Sun Ce had guessed, but a stable, in which were circled two brown draft horses and a strong black horse.
The two people couldn't see clearly from the position facing the courtyard gate, but it seemed to be a small field. From a distance, it looked green, and it was impossible to tell whether it was flowers or crops.
After taking a brief look at the layout, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu followed the Qiao sisters and Lord Qiao Feng into the double-story building.
The style inside the small building is not much different from that in the courtyard. If you didn't know anything about it in advance, you might think it was an ordinary farmhouse just by looking at the furnishings of tables and chairs and the layout of the house.
"Father is waiting in the study upstairs, you two can go on your own," Qiao Feng seemed to have no intention of leading the way. After entering the house, he just signaled to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, then turned and walked towards the inner room.
Qiao and Qiao looked at their father's back with sad expressions on their faces, but Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had only just met the family and were in no position to mediate their family conflicts.
"Hmm...you said your mother's name is A'Zhu?" Sun Ce tried to change the subject: "It sounds like the sister of 'A Bi' and 'A Zi', hahaha..."
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao both turned to look, and the slight sadness in their eyes had turned into anger.
"Shut up if you don't know how to speak," Zhou Yu whispered, elbowed Sun Ce, and then raised his voice slightly: "As the saying goes, 'Younger is better than blue'. If you rank the colors by seniority, it will not matter at all.
There is no doubt that starting from 'Cyan' is the next generation."
"Yes, is there such a saying?" Sun Ce asked, covering his ribs.
"I made it up now." Zhou Yu responded expressionlessly.
"Pfft...cough!" Xiao Qiao laughed involuntarily. After realizing something was wrong, he quickly lowered the corners of his mouth and continued to make an expression of "I'm very angry."
"Alas..." As a result, Da Qiao could no longer maintain her original attitude. She helplessly softened her expression slightly, and then said: "My grandfather is a serious person. He doesn't care what happens in private, but in front of him
You will be scolded if you play around, so you two gentlemen should take care of themselves."
Obviously, Da Qiao must always take care of Master Qiao Xuan to become such a character. As for Xiao Qiao, excluding the very majestic Master Qiao Feng just now, it is already clear who influenced her to become like this...
…Zhou Yu thought as he nodded.
————
Qiao Xuan is an old man with a thin body, white beard and hair, but a healthy and energetic look. When Sun Ce and Zhou Yu walked into the study on the second floor under the leadership of Xiao Qiao, he was sitting behind the desk and flipping through several volumes of bamboo slips.
"Young man, I've met Mr. Qiao." In order to prevent Sun Ce from saying something unreliable, Zhou Yu held his hands first.
Former officials who have resigned or retired should be called by the highest position they held, such as "Qiao Situ". Juniors or peers who want to express respect can be called "Master Gongzu" by their given name.
But this time it was different. Not to mention that the generation gap between the two of them and Qiao Xuan was quite far. Considering that Qiao Xuan had refused many recruitments and persuasion, he was not suitable for this title.
In the end, Zhou Yu chose a conventional way of addressing his elders when he was younger.
"Yes," Qiao Xuan responded nonchalantly, and then asked: "Is this place Xuzhou or Qingzhou?"
Is it based on the scenery seen from a distance? No, maybe the wind direction, the type of trees, etc...
"This place is Xiapi, Xuzhou," Zhou Yu said, "My father is Zhou Yi, the Prime Minister of Xiapi County. If Mr. Qiao has any instructions, I can tell them on my behalf."
"My father is Sun Jian, the magistrate of Xiapi County." Sun Ce responded.
No one asked you! Zhou Yu glared at him quickly.
"Oh, the 'Tiger of Jiangdong'," Qiao Xuan put away the scroll and looked at Sun Ce carefully: "As expected, it is 'Tiger father has no dog son'."
"Hehehe~" Sun Ce scratched his head.
"Perhaps this is God's will," Qiao Xuan sighed: "I was just about to leave Luoyang, so this 'hermitage' moved away on its own. The first people I met were the sons of local officials who could cover up my whereabouts.
"
"Oh!" Sun Ce responded quickly: "When I go back, I will ask my father to cover up the traces of your coming here, Old Qiao - hiss!"
Da Qiao took back the little boots that stepped on Sun Ce's feet and said, "It's 'Mr. Qiao'."
"Haha, it doesn't matter, it's better for children to be more lively." Qiao Xuan waved his hands.
"...You are really lively, and grandpa wants to teach others a lesson..." Xiao Qiao complained in a very low voice from behind. Only Zhou Yu, who was used as a shield by her, could vaguely hear her.
That's because you reminded Mr. Qiao of the daughter-in-law he didn't like... Although Zhou Yu thought so, he didn't say the words, but straightened his back slightly.
"Actually, even if the traces are not covered up, those people in Luoyang will not have the intention to look for me," Qiao Xuan said: "There is no wind or rain, the sky is as dark as the sky, and the new stars are rising straight up, like the sun is shining in the sky. Once this scene appears, even if there is no chance
The princes of the counties and villages are all moved, let alone those who are already ambitious?"
"I don't understand." Sun Ce continued to scratch his head.
Although Zhou Yu understood, he could not comment on the matter in front of Qiao Xuan due to his status, so he pretended not to understand.
"Haha, you don't need to understand, you just need to go back and tell your father that I am here, and -" Qiao Xuandao: "There will be great changes in Luoyang, so don't go to Beijing unless you have something to do."
"Oh, I understand." Sun Ce nodded in response.
"Haha," Qiao Xuan stood up from the desk and walked around to the four children: "Actually, I had a premonition that the end was approaching, so I resigned in advance and lived in seclusion to avoid leaving my disciples in Luoyang without protection.
The center of the storm, but after this incident, I feel that I can fight for another ten... years?"
When Qiao Xuan said the last sentence, Qiao Xuan's originally steady right foot suddenly gave way, and he fell to the floor. Da Qiao, who was closest to him, exclaimed and rushed over to stretch out his arms to help, but with the strength of her little girl, it was obvious that
If she couldn't do this, she would even be taken down with her.
"Hey!" Sun Ce stepped forward, holding Qiao Xuan who was leaning with one hand, and holding Da Qiao with the other hand who was about to fall to the ground due to lack of strength. His whole body was as steady as a rock, and he shouted: "Be careful, Old Qiao.
.”
"Grandpa! Sister!" Xiao Qiao, who was farthest away, rushed to Qiao Xuan's side and helped to help the old man sit down: "Why did you suddenly trip and fall? Is the floor warped? I told you that it should be changed a long time ago.
Bring a new set..."
"Well..." Qiao Xuan sat on the chair and tried to move his right foot, but found that he had completely lost consciousness from the knee down, and there was no sign of getting worse or recovering, so he smiled bitterly and shook his head: "This is probably true.
'God willing'."
"No, no, maybe I'm just old." Sun Ce responded casually without exerting any effort.
Zhou Yu, who knew Sun Ce didn't need help, raised his hand to support his forehead. He did it deliberately to make people angry, but Sun Ce did it unintentionally and carelessly.
"You!" Da Qiao seemed to want to refute, but found that she was still holding Sun Ce's arm. After hurriedly shaking off her hand, her tone involuntarily softened: "Shut up..."
"Hehehe..." Qiao Xuan looked at Sun Ce and Da Qiao: "It's true that 'tiger father has no dog son'."
————
Xuzhou City, military camp.
An unprepared "big practice" is over.
Although the loser was Zang Ba, the faces of all the civil and military officials affiliated with Xuzhou were not very good.
To put it simply, except for Mi Zhu who was only responsible for supply, other matters related to the military camp, whether it was scheduling, distribution, training, assignments, rewards and punishments, all exposed big problems.
For example, due to an error in the allocation of flags, two teams that were supposed to belong to Zang Ba and Sun Jian fought together for a long time. Until the messengers came with completely opposite orders, the team that discovered the problem first changed hands and replaced the "comrades".
"Destroyed.
Those who believed that they were not promoted by pleasing Zhu Bing, but were also very loyal to their duties, so they were very confident in applying. At this time, they basically wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in - especially when Zhu Jun said that sentence to Zang Ba with a hint of ridicule.
After "Heaven's death of a general is not a crime of war."
"No," Zang Ba said more calmly: "When both sides are in a disadvantageous situation, Mr. Wentai can still win. He has proven his ability, and his subordinates... are convinced."
"It is indeed easy for troops who originally 'belonged to the same army' to fight against each other, but it is not impossible to make up for it," Zhu Jun said: "Fortunately, our 'time to go to war' has not yet come, so we can do it in the next By 'overcoming' this point in training, I hope that in real battles, this problem of 'being unable to attack one's own people' will not happen again - can it be done?!"
"Yes!" A group of generals who were annoyed at their mistakes and did not listen carefully to what Zhu Jun was saying responded loudly.
"..." After struggling to overcome many difficulties, he finally won and got the position of vanguard. Therefore, Sun Jian, who had nothing to blame himself for, completely understood what Zhu Jun meant by "planning to deal with his own people."
"Young Master, as the vanguard, as soon as this matter starts, you will no longer be able to escape. If you don't want to be subordinate to others, we will do our best to escort the young master away." Cheng Pu whispered from the side.
"No, it's also possible that he was serving the emperor's orders," Sun Jian said.
