Chapter 97: Dispersing the Light and Fog in the World (4)
The road paved with bluestone passes through the elegant courtyard. The midsummer sunshine casts golden dapples from the gaps between the trees. The warm and gentle wind carries the subtle voices and footsteps. The refreshing summer is like the warmest memory in my memory.
At a certain time in his memory, while following the woman in white towards the inner courtyard, Yu Hezhong suddenly felt this way.
The youth that has passed away, the past Bianliang, the possibilities in life that are gradually solidifying... When these thoughts flashed through his mind, he was also introducing the identities of the people accompanying him under the teacher's inquiry: colleagues who have been cared for over the years.
Yan Daolun came all the way to Chengdu this time. He came to see his old friends. Yan was worried that his trip would be in vain, so he came with him.
Yan Daolun followed the words and introduced himself politely. The teacher tilted his head to listen, smiled softly, and exchanged a few customary greetings. The three of them turned into the courtyard next to it. This is a small courtyard with rooms on three sides, and the courtyard faces the moor.
There are rockeries, trees, pavilions, tables and chairs in Hechi. Every room seems to be occupied by people, and there are guards on duty in the inconspicuous corners.
"...This side was originally the villa of He Lang, a rice merchant. After the Chinese army entered the city, the superiors were looking for a place to hold meetings and receptions in the future. He Lang planned to donate this villa, but the land near the Maha Pond was very expensive.
We didn't dare to accept this donation. Later, we bought the yard at a discount of 20% off the market price for 32,000 yuan, which was a bit of an advantage. I live in the two rooms on the left, but it's sunny and sunny today.
, let’s drink tea outside…”
Shishi smiled and introduced the origin of this courtyard to the two of them. She was no longer young, but her appearance had not aged. On the contrary, her smile became more and more pleasant with experience. Yu Hezhong looked at that smile,
He just replied subconsciously: "Li Heng has always been good at doing business. I guess he is not short of money."
The master smiled and shook his head: "Actually, the money is very short. Of the thirty-two thousand guan, only about 10,000 guan were paid in cash. The rest was paid in cash by the people in the glaze workshop, and they were pieced together to deliver the money."
"The Huaxia Army's glaze workshop will be valuable in the future." Yan Daolun interjected, "The Huaxia Army is so grand. He Lang has taken a big advantage."
The corner of Shishi's mouth raised a crescent moon: "Mr. Ning never eats alone when doing business. Only when everyone is willing to come in can the business be big. Mr. Yan, you and He Zhong sit down first, and I will call someone to pour tea."
They stopped in front of the swaying wooden table in the shade of the lake. When the master spoke like this, Yan Daolun quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, Yan just happened to be on the way today, so he came with brother Yu. Since the two brothers and sisters
We meet again after a long absence. I still have things to deal with there, so I won’t bother Miss Shishi... In fact, I have heard about the reputation of Shishi for a long time, and I am honored to meet you today... My wish is fulfilled, hahahaha..."
True to his word, he said hello and was about to leave, but the master also raised his hand: "No, no, since Mr. Yan is a good friend of Brother Yu, he has arrived today, so he has to have a cup of tea before leaving, otherwise outsiders will want to leave."
They say that I, a younger sister, don’t understand etiquette..."
She raised her left hand and smiled kindly. When Yan Daolun wanted to refuse again, he tilted his head and smiled and said: "...I insist." There was a hint of seriousness in this friendly smile. Yan Daolun was stunned for a moment before finally smiling.
He pointed at the table and chairs: "Then I... have a drink? Just one drink... I really don't want to trouble Miss Shishi..."
"It's okay, it's okay, just sit down." Yu Hezhong on the side was very satisfied and tried to persuade him to stay. When Shishi went over to greet the female soldiers in the yard to prepare refreshments, Yan Daolun looked around and said to Yu Hezhong: "I didn't expect this.
With Miss Shishi's current status, this courtyard only has two rooms."
Yu Hezhong frowned and nodded: "Yes, when she was in Fanlou, she had an entire small courtyard. Now... maybe the Chinese army is like this..."
After a few casual conversations, they were naturally unsure. Then Yan Daolun admired the lake view and led the conversation to the scenery here. When the teacher came back, the two of them also praised the scenery nearby. After that, the female soldier brought refreshments.
The teacher asked Yan Daolun: "Does Mr. Yan have anything important to do when he comes to Chengdu? Don't delay, right? If there is anything important, I can ask Xiaoling to take Mr. Yan with him. She is familiar with this place."
Yan Daolun smiled and said: "No, no, it's all ordinary matters." He didn't say too much, and they all had ordinary greetings after that. After drinking a cup of tea, he stood up and left. Yu Hezhong was no longer a fool.
Qing was at a loss after meeting his master. After he casually left Yan Daolun behind, he was worried that he had some purpose, or to monitor him, so he kept accompanying him along the way. At this time, he finally calmed down.
He and Shishi stood up and walked away from each other for a few steps, and then asked the female soldier Xiaoling to take Yan Daolun out of the house. Although he was a little confused about Yan Daolun's behavior of only meeting face to face, he no longer thought about it at the moment.
He turned his head, Shishi was looking at him, and then smiled brightly.
Having bid farewell to Yan Daolun, the two people who had reunited after a long absence sat opposite each other at a small table by the lake. After all, this time of separation had been too long. Yu Hezhong was actually somewhat restrained, but Shishi was cordial and natural and picked up a piece of cake.
While eating the cakes, he began to ask with interest about Yu Hezhong's experiences over the years, as well as about his wife and children at home. Yu Hezhong chatted with her for a while, and felt very comfortable in his heart - this was almost his first experience.
It was the first time for such a comfortable conversation in more than ten years. Later, many interesting and difficult things encountered in the past ten years were also added to the topic. When Shishi talked about his own situation, Yu Hezhong said to her,
I can now joke about the Chinese army relatively casually. Even though there are sometimes unhappy memories, in the current atmosphere of reunion, the two of them can laugh very happily in the sunshine by the lake.
Shishi is nostalgic, and this feeling of spring breeze is exactly the same as that in Bianliang more than ten years ago. At that time, neither he nor Chen Sifeng could express his feelings unscrupulously in front of Shishi, and Shishi never could
I feel like there is something wrong with the thoughts of these childhood friends.
They talked for a while, and Yu Hezhong remembered what Yan Daolun mentioned before about "she only occupied two rooms", and also recalled the power struggle within the Chinese army revealed by Yan Daolun yesterday. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke cautiously: "Actually,
...Although I have been outside these years, I have also heard about some... situations of the Chinese Army..."
"Huh? What's going on?" Shishi asked with a smile.
"I heard someone say that you are also a great figure in the Chinese army."
"How can there be any big shot?" Yu He said with a hint of ridicule, and the teacher shook his head and laughed, "Actually, after so many years since the establishment of the Huaxia Army, almost everyone in the world is shouting about beating him up. Although Li Heng has trained many cadres, the really good ones are
There are not many cultural officials. I had studied in the past and could write and do calculations, so Li Heng asked me to do this and that, so I was able to find a strong man... In fact, there is also a shortage of such officials at the moment, and the gap is still huge."
When she said this, she looked at Yu Hezhong, who looked at her for a moment and blinked: "You mean...actually...that..."
"Don't worry, Brother Yu, you don't know what the Huaxia Army looks like yet. Anyway, you have to stay in Chengdu for a while and think about it more." The master smiled and pushed the pastry towards him, "But I'm not a big head, so there's nothing I can do about it.
Why do you want to be a high official?"
"My family members are all still in Shishou. They have lived there for several years. It was finally settled. Didn't everyone say that there will be no more wars in a few years..." Yu Hezhong rambled on.
The teacher nodded: "I know, I know, and the possibility of fighting in the past two years is indeed small. Well, you said you heard about the situation of the Chinese Army before, what else did you hear?"
"It's your business. It's said that you are in charge of diplomatic missions in the army and are so majestic..."
"Hmm, is that what you said?"
"Of course, there are many people who have been granted asylum because of you, such as Li Jingshen, Nie Shaotang, Yu Changqing... These people used to be powerful in Sichuan Fourth Road, and now they will come to visit you, and
Anyone who speaks to the outside world will support you in the future. Mr. Li is incredible. Look, there is a female prime minister in the north, and you are in the south..."
The teacher smiled while eating cakes: "That's nonsense. Lou Xiang is very powerful, beyond my reach. On the Huaxia Army side, not to mention the ladies from Liheng's family, even the ladies from Zhuji
Shopkeeper, they are all top-notch powerful people, I can’t compare to them...then what? What else is interesting?"
Yu Hezhong hesitated for a moment: "Talking about you... could have become a big deal, but in April, for some reason, I was pulled back to write notebooks, those... short stories, the notebooks used for storytelling in brothels and Chu palaces.
... Then some people speculated whether you... you have offended someone anyway, and you are suddenly asked to do this... Master, between you and Li Heng..."
He hesitated, then said: "If you think I'm talkative, you don't have to say anything."
"Then I won't say anything." This sentence came out of Shishi's mouth, leaning on the table, covering her mouth and laughing. She used to have an eccentric side when she was friendly with others, but now she is not offensive at all.
, Yu Hezhong said: "That's fine..." only to hear the master say again: "You guys really love to think wildly..."
"I also heard it mentioned by others, so I'm a little worried about you."
"I'm fine, although... I haven't married myself yet."
"Then how did they transfer you back from such an important matter..."
"Of course there are serious reasons." Shishi said, "Hezhong, you have to stay in Chengdu for so long. Just wait and see. When you understand, I will drag you into the Chinese army... Peace
Although it will last for a few years, there will always be a fight in the future."
When she said this, a serious expression appeared on her face, but after a moment, she changed the topic to a more relaxed direction.
The sun was still warm, and the warm wind blew over the lake. The two chatted happily. Yu Hezhong asked about the internal problems of the Chinese Army. From time to time, Shishi would answer some questions in a teasing or gossiping manner, and he had a lot of questions about the relationship between her and Ning Yi.
Although she never gave a direct answer about the relationship between them, her words also confirmed some speculations. For more than ten years, she and Ning Yi have been close and far away, but they have not been able to get together smoothly.
When we chatted until noon, the division commander asked the female soldier Xiaoling to order some food from the kitchen, and then had lunch in the yard. After that, someone seemed to come to visit, so she sent Yu Hezhong out and made an appointment.
goodbye.
Walking through the streets of Chengdu, Yu Hezhong only felt that the veterans of the Chinese Army on Yingbin Road no longer looked scary, and they seemed to have become "one of their own". However, when he thought about it, he finally felt that he was in deep water in the Chinese Army.
I couldn't see it to the end, how much meaning was hidden in Shishi's words? Was she thrown into the cold palace, or did something else happen to her? Of course, this was because they only talked once and couldn't make it clear.
The reason is. As long as he sees many situations a few times, the teacher may no longer be vague - even if he is vague, he believes that he can make a rough guess.
He was not enthusiastic about the possibility of joining the Chinese Army mentioned by his teacher at the moment. That afternoon he met Yan Daolun again at the agreed place. He revealed to the other party many inside stories about the Chinese Army that his teacher had mentioned. Yan Daolun was all
Their eyes lit up because of it, and they admired and nodded from time to time. In fact, they naturally understood a lot of the situation, but the information revealed by the teacher was naturally more systematic, and there were more key points that they could not find out from the outside world.
Yu Hezhong was also satisfied with this. He joined the Chinese Army, which he didn't understand at all, and took care of the division. Can his ability stand out in the Chinese Army? The possibility of this is actually slim. But as long as there is a division
If the line of division is there, he will definitely be taken seriously by General Liu Guangshi and Liu. He knows how to wait for the price and manage this relationship well.
The truce may only last a few years, but as long as he makes good use of these few years, saves a lot of wealth, supplies, and makes a lot of relationships, even if the Chinese army takes over the Central Plains in the future, and he has his teachers to help him speak, he can still be in China at any time.
He can clear his name in front of the army, anyway. When he has property and status, he may be able to truly talk to each other on an equal footing in front of his master.
On the other hand, if Yan Daolun or General Liu Guangshi really valued his relationship with his master and Ning Yi in the future, and took this as an opportunity to contact and trade, he would be very likely to be retained by the other party.
Chengdu serves as a messenger and channel for communication. At that time, I might be able to see my teacher as an equal every day.
He thought about these things all afternoon, and in the evening, the entire outline became clearer and clearer. After that, he tossed and turned in bed for another sleepless night.
As for the teacher, after sending Yu Hezhong away, she met with a few people and then started to sort out the meeting manuscripts that would be used in the meeting the next day.
Entertainment and publicity work is a top priority in the Chinese military - even Shishi and others did not understand it at first. It was only after more than ten years of running in that they roughly understood this outline.
Ning Yi's ideas in this regard are also relatively extreme. Classical Chinese should be changed to vernacular, and dramas should be popularized and improved. Many dramas that are quite excellent in the eyes of his teacher are considered by him to have too many literary voices and are sloppy and unsightly.
, he would consider the threshold of beautiful words to be too high, and I don’t know how he wrote those magnificent poems.
For a while, Ning Yi even discussed with her the idea of simplifying Chinese characters, such as removing the cumbersome "1" in traditional Chinese characters and unifying them into common characters (Note: There was no traditional and simplified Chinese in ancient times, but some characters had simplified writing methods.
The formal writing method is called Zhengti, and the simplified writing method is called popular style) "One". There are some characters that currently do not have popular writing style. As long as they exceed ten strokes, he thinks they should be streamlined. For this project, Ning Yi later considered that the scope of influence was not yet
It's not big. It's difficult to promote it, so I gave it up temporarily.
By this time, the promotion of vernacular and the popularization and improvement of dramas had achieved many results in the Huaxia Army's cultural system. However, due to Ning Yi's insistence on popularization, the dramas they arranged may appear more "low-grade" in the eyes of elite literati.
"Three abuses" is also possible.
However, with the cessation of the Southwest War, cultural work was considered by Ning Yi to be the focus of the aftermath. For example, the surviving soldiers needed families, and the widows without their husbands needed their partners. The Chinese Army could certainly organize social gatherings, but at the same time,
Arranging a warm and touching love story may make this process more logical; soldiers in the Chinese army are brave in combat, but they may not necessarily have outstanding character and are suitable for starting a family, especially those who serve in the army are more or less prone to violence, so Ning Yi early
The most important thing is to ask the cultural front to use drama to create one or two domestic violence models that everyone despises. In this way, the work of the Military Justice Department and other aspects can be done much better.
This time, Chengdu welcomed visitors from all directions with an open attitude, and even allowed foreign Confucian scholars to criticize the Chinese Army in newspapers and start debates. The pressure on the Chinese Army was actually considerable. At the same time, dramas promoting fighting heroes were launched,
In dramas and storytelling manuscripts, the problems of the Wu Dynasty and the ugly behavior of the past ten years are emphasized, which arouses people's sentiment of despising the Wu Dynasty. So no matter how Confucian scholars criticize the Chinese army, as long as they make their stand clear, they will be popular among the people at the bottom.
People cry out for beatings - after all, countless people have personally experienced the suffering of these more than ten years.
Regarding the over-utilitarian principle issue of "looking good" as the main requirement in the cultural policy, the division division and several relatively knowledgeable staff in the Chinese Army have more or less put forward some opinions to Ning Yi in the early years.
.Especially because Ning Yi can recite good poems casually, but is keen on such crooked ways, which was quite confusing for a time. But in any case, in the current Chinese army, this policy has a good effect. After all, the literati base is
Not very big, but the soldiers in the army, the women and children of the military dependents really only eat this popular diet.
The meeting on June 15th the next day discussed the summary of previous work, speculation on possible public opinion trends in Chengdu, as well as consideration of response methods and measures that need to be prepared in advance. As for Shishi,
She said that this would be the first time she and Ning Yi see each other again since they separated in February.
Ning Yi returned to Chengdu on the ninth day of the lunar month, and she entered the city on the 13th. Although she missed him very much, she did not disturb him at the first moment yesterday. She had not been in the center for several months, and Shishi also knew that once he
When I come back, there will definitely be a continuous exchange of stories.
After preparing the manuscript for the meeting in the afternoon, she went to the guesthouse cafeteria for dinner in the evening, and then she found an official from the Intelligence Department: "There is someone who can help me check. My name is Yan Daolun. I don't know if it is a pseudonym. He is in his early forties and has a square face."
He has a round chin, a mole on the corner of his left ear, and his accent is..."
…
In the early morning of June 15th, it rained heavily in Chengdu, accompanied by lightning and thunder. It was still dark when Ning Yi got up, so he sat in front of the window and watched the thunderstorm for a while.
When the lightning flashed across, the giant trees outside were dancing in the wind and rain. Beyond the lightning, there was a chaotic darkness, and the majestic city was submerged in the even more majestic heaven and earth.
…
When I woke up in the morning, the heavy rain was still falling, and a curtain of rain fell on the huge lake. After breakfast, the teachers came back and put on their black civilian military uniforms, with their hair tied into a convenient ponytail. Before going out, Zhu Ji was in charge of the publicity.
Chen Xiaoxia, the female shopkeeper, waved to her: "It's a meeting."
The teacher nodded: "Yes."
…
At the end of the hour, Shishi and other civilian soldiers entered the Mingdetang venue, about two miles away from the Guest House.
When Ning Yi came in, she was talking to her companions with her head tilted, looking focused on what she was talking about. Then she looked at Ning Yi, her lips pursed slightly, and a calm smile appeared on her face.