On the outskirts of Luoyang City, there is a ten-mile long pavilion.
From time to time, a few thin clouds would block the sun, but would be pierced by the sun for a moment, and then blown apart by the still biting cold wind.
In the long pavilion, a person was sitting across from Xia Houshang. He saw that person, wearing a moon-white straight-hemmed deep coat, which made his whole person look a little more scholarly, but his voice could not be heard at all.
Wen Ruo. There is always a warm smile on his lips, but there is always a shallow mark between his eyebrows, like frost.
"Brother Xiahou, I am going to Jingzhou this time. Can you help me?" He frowned and looked worried. Although the Xiahou Shang in front of him was the governor of Jingzhou and was the commander of the military in the south. He had a high position and was able to help this little man.
Being busy is not a problem, but if there is nothing he can do, he really doesn't want to trouble his old friend.
"You and I are family friends. If you can help Brother Yu, I will never refuse."
Feeling warm in my heart.
"Bo Ren is going to Xiangyang. Can you help Yu Gui and find out some information?"
"It's related to Uncle Jin." Xia Houshang added a bottle of wine for the other party. He understood that the person in front of him still couldn't let go of that knot in his heart.
Two years ago, in the 24th year of Jian'an, Guan Yu made a northern expedition to Xiangyang and advanced on Fancheng. His momentum was overwhelming and shocked China.
Yu Jin was one of the most relied-upon generals of the late king Cao Cao. Fancheng was in danger and the door to the Central Plains was about to be opened. The late king ordered him to lead the seven elite northern armies and help the front line with the pioneer Pang De.
When Yu Jin arrived in Jingzhou, it was mid-autumn, and the Han River surged, drowning the soldiers. The Seventh Army was severely damaged, but the main force was still there and could still fight.
However, what no one expected was that a famous general who had been known as "Yizhong" and had been on the battlefield for decades would surrender to the enemy overnight and risk his life. Pang De, the pioneer, would rather die than surrender and serve as a feather.
Killed.
Later, Sun Quan attacked and killed Guan Yu, and Yu Jin was captured by Soochow again, and his whereabouts are unknown.
But Yu Gui would never believe that his father would be a man who was greedy for life and ruined integrity.
"Brother Yu, don't worry, I will definitely live up to your trust." Xiahou Shang held up the bottle and smiled: "By the way, I have to trouble brother Yu to take care of several children for me."
"Don't worry, Boren." Yu Gui raised the wine bottle, his eyes serious and firm.
"Let's just say goodbye."
"treasure."
The wine vessels touched each other, and the two drank it all in one go.
Not far away, the guards began to move slowly. Yu Gui watched from a distance as the Xiahou couple's chariot went further and further away, until the dust cleared and the sound of hoofbeats gradually became distant.
The clouds in the sky continued to gather and disperse, and the sun turned westward and gradually lowered to the other side of the mountain, reflecting the mountains and rivers in a bright red.
————
Xuanyangmen Street is the most prosperous avenue among the 24 streets in Luoyang City.
From Changhe Gate to Xuanyang Gate, this five-mile-long royal road is the axis of the entire Luoyang City.
It is connected to the imperial palace to the north and the big market to the south, where merchants gather and every inch of land is valuable.
Less than a mile to the west of the imperial road, at the intersection of three streets, is the residence of Dongxiang Hou, General Zhengxi. [Note 1: The descriptions of Luoyang streets and Dongxiang Hou's mansion refer to the map of Luoyang City in the Han and Wei dynasties. 】
In the back garden of the mansion, a boy in his teens, wearing a black honeysuckle pattern and narrow-sleeved Hufu, stood holding a bow. Looking at his expression, he looked a little bored.
This child is none other than the third son of this mansion, Cao Xi.
His father is the owner of this mansion, the adopted son of the late King Cao Cao, the current brother of His Majesty, the General of the Conquest of the West, and the Marquis of Dongxiang Cao Zhen.
Since the new king succeeded to the throne a year ago and was immediately proclaimed emperor by Zen, Cao Zhen was promoted to General of the Expedition to the West and went west to Chang'an to take charge.
He has seven brothers in total. The eldest brother, Cao Shuang, followed his father to Chang'an. The second brother died shortly after his birth. The seventh brother, Cao Ai, was sent to Longhu Mountain in the south of the Yangtze River by his father to rest at an early age due to his weak health.
Therefore, in this huge mansion, he naturally became the "head of the family".
However, Cao Xi knew in his heart that he would not be the owner of this mansion now or in the future.
Because the future owner of this place is destined to be his eldest brother, his father's eldest son, Cao Shuang.
In his heart, he has always envied his eldest brother. However, it was not because of his position as the head of the family. What he envied was that his eldest brother had been able to get everyone's attention and expectations since he was a child, and was valued by his father, instead of being like himself.
, was ignored.
Cao Xi closed his sour eyes and raised his bow, trying to divert his attention.
In ancient times, "stringed wood is used as an arc, and broken wood is used as an arrow." Cao Xi held an exquisite carved bow in his hand. According to etiquette, only emperors could use carved bows, but Cao Zhen, as the emperor's clan brother, could still use it.
Enjoy this honor. Cao Xi was still young and lacked arm strength to draw the army's standard road bow and corner bow, so he secretly used it. [Note 2: "Yixi Ci Xia": The string wood is an arc.
, the sticks of wood are used as arrows, and the power of the curved arrows is used to command the world and capture all the enemies. The description of the types of bows and arrows here is based on the Han Dynasty. The Han bows are divided into: Huben bow, carved bow, horn-end bow, road bow, and border bow.
Strong bow.]
Cao Xi stood upright, walking shoulder-length, slowly aiming the center of the bow at the bull's-eye dozens of steps away, clasping the bowstring with his right hand, and drawing the bow steadily. As the son of a general, his movements were impeccable.
.
"Whoosh-", the arrow was like a white-tailed bird of prey, pouncing towards the bull's-eye.
In the corridor not far away, a slightly smaller child cheered and ran towards the target. He saw that the arrow penetrated the target and turned white. It was the "white arrow" of the Junzi's Six Arts.
"Third brother is so awesome!" The boy took a lot of effort to pull out the arrow, and then rushed to Cao Xi like a gust of wind, looking at his third brother with admiring eyes.
"Ayan, you are lazy again and don't study hard!" Cao Xi took the arrow and gently tapped his younger brother on the forehead as a punishment.
"Where!" Cao Yan rubbed his forehead and shouted unconvinced: "I'm just tired from studying and come here to take a rest."
Cao Xi sighed helplessly but lovingly, and shook his head, thinking that this kid had rested several times in just an hour. It seemed that he couldn't do anything without giving him a lesson. Just as he was thinking this, he saw
A servant hurried to the back garden.
"Third Young Master, Young Master Xiahou of the Hou Mansion in Pingling Township is waiting for you in the east hall." Although the servant came running all the way, his tone was unhurried and very orderly.
"Cousin Xuan is here!" Cao Xi suddenly became excited and hurriedly handed the bow and arrow to the servant: "Call A Xun, A Yan and the others. Recite a few chapters of "The Book of Songs Qin Feng" by heart. I will take the test when you get back."
The young man sped away before he finished speaking, leaving behind only the servant holding a bow and arrow, and a reluctant and frustrated Cao Yan.
The Yu family's residence is located in a less prosperous area in the outer city of Luoyang.
However, it is a rare treat for a minister with a foreign surname to have a mansion in Luoyang City.
Not only that, the late king also granted him the title of Marquis Jin Yishou Ting, and he was granted the title of Marquis of Yishou Ting, which provided enough food for 1,200 households, which was enough to make him rich and noble.
However, a few years ago, since Yu Jin surrendered and was imprisoned in Soochow, as well as the death of the late king, Yu's family began to decline. First, the food and town rents and taxes were no longer guaranteed, and later even all the servants dispersed.
The dignified Tinghou Mansion has become deserted and dilapidated.
Just like an ancient temple that has been in disrepair for many years.
Passers-by could only vaguely make out the word "Yu" with the paint peeled off on the dilapidated door plaque.
"Squeak-" The study door was slowly pushed open.
Without raising his head, Yu Gui knew that the person coming must be one of the only two old servants left in the house.
"Master," the old servant said slowly in a hoarse voice: "We have guests visiting, and one of the children seems to be the young master of Xiahou Mansion."
Yu Gui gently put down the letter.
I originally wanted to find a time to meet this child in person, but I didn't expect that the other party actually came to visit me.
"Look at the tea."
This was not the first time that Yu Gui met the child in front of him.
However, he remembered that the last time they met, the young master Xiahou was just a milk baby who had just celebrated his fifth birthday.
At this moment, the child was looking at the elegant uncle in front of him with clear and sharp eyes. He always felt that the uncle's warm smile seemed to contain indescribable sadness and coldness.
Yu Gui was a little uncomfortable being stared at by those clear eyes. He couldn't help but look elsewhere, but he inadvertently caught a glimpse of two children waiting at the door. They were looking at him timidly. Yu Gui nodded with a smile and motioned to the two children.
Children can come in.
"You are Uncle Yu Shi, right?" Xia Houxuan didn't mean to be afraid of strangers at all: "My father said that I want you to teach us, Uncle Shi."
"Teach you..." Yu Gui smiled: "Then, why don't you call me master?"
"I've met Master." The children were very obedient, and actually bent down and saluted seriously. Yu Gui was just joking at first, but he didn't expect the children to be so sincere, and he felt inexplicably touched in his heart.
It turns out that in this prosperous Luoyang, besides old friends, there are still people who respect and value themselves like this...
The frozen eyebrows seemed to melt a little, flowing into his eyes, and then swallowed into his heart.
In this huge mansion, only this small courtyard is full of vitality that has not been seen for a long time.
Yu Gui's thoughts were a little vague.
Since his father was captured three years ago, apart from himself, there are only two old servants left in the Yishouting Hou Mansion. The same is true for the three children. Their parents are also thousands of miles away at this moment. Looking in front of them
Yu Gui couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the nimble figure.
He had heard in his early years that the Xiahou Cao family was the best in swordsmanship in the capital. Yu Gui had been in Luoyang for many years and was a family friend of the two families, so naturally he had seen it with his own eyes. However, he did not expect that the two children in front of him, even though they were young,
He is only ten years old, but his swordsmanship is already remarkable.
Although Xia Houxuan's swordsmanship is a bit gentle, his light and agile bird-like footwork has already made up for this less obvious flaw almost perfectly. And Cao Xi's every move is extremely skillful, and it is easy to see at a glance.
Knowing that he worked hard every day, the two of them were evenly matched for a while.
What’s even more interesting is that the swordsmanship of Xiahou Cao’s family is closely related to the Cao family’s poems and poems of all dynasties. For example, the swordsmanship of Taizu Cao Cao, the drunken swordsmanship created by the young master Cao Zhi, and the swordsmanship of the Central Plains No.
The swordsmanship of the current Majesty Cao Pi, Shi A, a disciple of the swordsman Wang Yue, coupled with the military martial arts of the generals of the Cao family and the Xiahou family, was compiled by private experts hired by the palace, and combined with the Cao family's poetry, it became the famous book today.
Xiahou Cao’s swordsmanship in Zhenzhongyuan.
And what the two children are currently using are the "Breaking Willow Line" and "Mo Shang Sang" among the sword techniques created by His Majesty.
Xia Houxuan's footwork is like "riding on the floating clouds with a light hand, traveling thousands of millions in a flash" in "The Willow Walk", his figure is so erratic that the sword light is so erratic that it is difficult to find his trace.
What Cao Xi used was exactly the movement and technique in "Mo Shang Sang" where "the tiger and the leopard roar, the chicken frightens the bird and loses it", which is as fierce as the tiger and leopard, and as powerful as the frightened bird.
Yu Gui recalled how the friends of the Xiahou Cao family competed with each other in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. The continuous movements of arms and wrists, and the strange lights and shadows of swords were still breathtaking in retrospect.
However, the two children in front of them obviously didn't understand how to control themselves freely.
It was the first time for Xia Houxuan to use such a sharp blade. Naturally, it was difficult to control his propriety. He slashed at it with a "frost and dew" sword, and actually cut the long sword in Cao Xi's hand into two pieces!
Yu Gui's heart trembled, this quality was indeed extraordinary.
Xia Houxuan's heart sank. The sword that was cut off was an eighth birthday gift from his uncle Cao Zhen to his cousin. It was of great significance to his cousin, but he...
Xia Houhui had been sitting on the stone steps shouting and cheering randomly. At this moment, when he saw Cao Xi with a face full of regret, he also ran over: "Cousin Xi, isn't it just a sword? I'll ask my brother to pay you one back."
Yes, brother."
Xia Houxuan looked guilty and didn't even dare to apologize.
"It's okay, Ah Xuan..." Cao Xi stared at the broken sword for a moment, then said.
I don't know when, swarms of ants gathered under the stone steps. Cao Xi looked at the ant army and was a little lost. He seemed to vaguely remember his father once said that ants moving to their burrows heralds the coming of heavy rain. As a former king, Cao Xi
The son was deeply influenced by the late king's rule of law, and he was extremely strict in governing the family. He remembers that since he was a child, he would shudder when he saw his father's back.
But now...he actually misses his father and eldest brother very much.
"Brother Xi." Seeing that Cao Xi was worried, Xia Houxuan squatted beside him and asked softly: "Do you miss your uncle?"
Cao Xi nodded gently.
There were more and more ants. From a distance, they looked like black snakes and insects, meandering. Yu Gui raised his head and looked at the thick gray clouds in the sky. There were a few muffled thunders in the clouds, like
God coughed softly.
"It's going to rain." Yu Gui murmured.
The rain was like this, flying to the ground like a thousand arrows in an instant. It was already March, and thunderstorms were already common, but today's rain turned out to be rare and intense. After a while, there was a thick layer of water in the courtyard.
.The three children looked at the ripples of the raindrops falling into the water, just like watching the flowers that bloomed and withered in an instant, they seemed a little lost.
This feeling of quietly observing seems very good.
The children were too lazy to go back home, and at this moment, "God was good", so they naturally refused to leave. It rained so heavily, and Yu Gui certainly didn't feel comfortable letting the children go home in the rain, so
He sent the two old servants to the two houses to announce that the children could stay in their houses for one night.
Although the dinner was much simpler than usual, the children enjoyed it extremely happily. They had not heard such laughter for a long time. A long-lost relaxed smile appeared on Yu Gui's face.
He even felt that for the first time in three years, this mansion felt like home.
The sound of rain outside the window became clearer. The rain in Luoyang may not have fallen like this for a long time.
I don't know how long it took, but Cao Xi woke up from his dream. He felt that although it was late at night, there was a ray of light outside the window.
He put on his clothes and opened the door. The rain was still falling.
The light seemed to come from the house.
He walked along the corridor, and in the sound of dripping water, he seemed to hear a familiar voice telling something.