When Zhu Yuanzhang came in, he greeted Ji Fei in a friendly voice, as if he really just came to have a drink with an old friend.
But the soldiers following behind him were all ready and their expressions were tense.
As soon as they entered the door, they dispersed in an orderly manner. The people in the front row squatted slightly, holding up their spears slightly, while the crossbows in the back row's hands were not aimed, but had already been cocked.
There is only one target to be on guard, and of course it is Miss Yang holding a long sword.
After all, Zhu Yuanzhang and others had just walked in from the outside of the village and saw Ji Fei's men who had been injured by Yang Yunsu and lying on the ground, so they naturally understood that something had happened.
Looking at the wooden door that was broken into pieces and Yang Yunsu standing in the middle of the house holding a weapon, he became even more convinced.
"Commander, you are here, please sit down quickly.
Brothers, please be patient, it is just a misunderstanding, there is no need to use swords or guns."
When Ji Fei saw Zhu Yuanzhang, he hurriedly greeted him respectfully and warmly, while comforting the soldiers around Zhu Yuanzhang.
"I had some misunderstandings with this Miss Yang, but it's okay now.
This Miss Yang is an acquaintance of Meng Shaoxia..."
When Ji Fei said this, he wanted to talk to Zhu Yuanzhang about the ins and outs of this and what had just happened, but in a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang had already passed by him and hurriedly walked towards Meng Xiuyuan.
"Meng Shaoxia, you are actually here?
Why didn't we send someone to notify you when you came to our army?
For many years, I have been looking forward to seeing you again."
While he was talking, Zhu Yuanzhang had already rushed to Meng Xiuyuan, looking very happy and excited.
Seeing the situation, Meng Xiu also smiled at him and said:
"Long time no see, you have really done a great job.
Now I’m going to call him Marshal Zhu.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang quickly shook his head, and then simply bowed to Meng Xiuyuan and said:
"How dare you, at least most of the reason why I am able to achieve what I am today is because of your favor, Mr. Meng.
If I hadn't received your guidance and passed on your "Liaoyuan Marksmanship", our uprising would never have been so smooth, let alone recruiting subordinates and commanding the troops, we might have died on the battlefield from the beginning."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this, he did not accept his flattery. He just smiled silently and shook his head.
From the moment Zhu Yuanzhang entered the house with his soldiers, Meng Xiuyuan was already observing them.
Although these dozen personal soldiers seemed to have average equipment, their physical fitness and cooperation in facing the enemy were excellent, and they were comparable to the personal guards around Wang Baobao.
This physical aspect can be explained by the "Lighting Fire Spear Technique". However, his reaction to the enemy and his tacit cooperation reflected Zhu Yuanzhang's superb commanding ability.
As expected, he is a person who can conquer the world with just one bowl at the beginning. He has some abilities that are beyond ordinary people.
The "Lighting Fire Spear Technique" that Meng Xiuyuan passed down to him only accelerated his rise and made his early start-up a little smoother. Naturally, he didn't want to take credit.
While the two were talking, Ji Fei had already come over and said diligently:
"Commander, Meng Shaoxia, my room is a bit messy, even the door is broken, it's not the place to talk.
Moreover, it is indeed a rare opportunity for us to meet again after a long absence, so we should have a good time to catch up on the past.
How about I ask someone to go down and simply prepare a table of food and drinks so that we can chat while eating?"
After Meng Xiuyuan heard Ji Fei's words, he wanted to refuse, but before he could say anything, Zhu Yuanzhang preempted him:
"Yes, I haven't seen Meng Shaoxia in so many years since we last said goodbye.
We dare not say that we are capable of repaying his kindness now, but it is appropriate to treat him to a simple meal.
But Brother Ji, please stop being busy and go to my place.
It just so happened that Zhuo Jing came to visit me recently and asked her to prepare two dishes by herself so that we could have a good meal.
Haha, last time in that ruined temple, we had a meal of beef and tricked Meng Shaoxia into teaching us a set of magical skills to move across the battlefield.
If we invite him to another banquet today, I don't know what good it will do."
Zhu Yuanzhang started joking easily at the end of his words.
After saying this, he looked at Meng Xiuyuan with a sincere expression, almost giving Meng Xiuyuan no chance to refuse.
Seeing this, Meng Xiuyuan was not disappointed and nodded to express his excuse.
After all, he had just returned from Peach Blossom Island to get the secret book on the art of war, and he met Zhu Yuanzhang. It could not be said that it was fate.
Seeing Meng Xiuyuan's agreement, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ji Fei were very happy and immediately ordered their men to prepare their horses.
But before leaving, the thoughtful Zhu Yuanzhang naturally did not forget Yang Yunsu who was still standing in the field, and took the initiative to say to her:
"Miss Yang, since you are familiar with Meng Shaoxia, you are also my honored guest.
I wonder if you would be willing to come and have a banquet at our house?"
Hearing this, Yang Yunsu hesitated for a moment and nodded.
Although she has not forgiven Ji Fei yet, she does not have to do it now.
At this time, not for anything else but to finally meet Meng Xiuyuan, she really didn't want to be separated like this again.
In this way, the four people settled the matter, went out and mounted their horses, and left the village surrounded by many rebels under Zhu Yuanzhang.
They walked all the way northwest for more than an hour, until the sun was high in the sky and it was almost noon. The group of people stopped in front of an inconspicuous town.
The town has been completely controlled by the rebels, and there are many soldiers patrolling outside. But once inside, it is a peaceful and peaceful scene.
Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the guards around him, got off his horse, and personally led everyone to a quiet courtyard:
"Young Master Meng, that's a coincidence.
My wife had been staying in my hometown and in the state to take care of the families of my soldiers.
In recent days, my son happened to be one year old. His mother thought that she had not seen me for a long time, so she took this opportunity to take him all the way to visit me.
No matter if you show up or show up later, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat the food she cooked with her own hands."
When Zhu Yuanzhang entered the courtyard, he was still chatting with Meng Xiuyuan about home affairs, with a relaxed and happy feeling after returning home.
"Chongba, have you brought your guests back? Oh, it's Brother Ji. Come in and sit down. I wonder who these two are..."
While talking, a gentle and dignified woman walked out of the room.
She was wearing inconspicuous coarse cloth clothes, and her face did not look like Miss Yang's. Zhou Zhiruo, these beauties were so delicate, but they had an outstanding temperament, with a kind and calm feeling, which made people fall in love with her when they saw her.
"Haha, you are indeed a distinguished guest.
This is the Meng Shaoxia you and I have often told you about, who was very kind to me, and today I went to Brother Ji’s place, and I actually met him."
Zhu Yuanzhang said cheerfully, and then led his wife Ma to introduce him to Meng Xiuyuan and Yang Yunsu.
After being so polite for a while, the future "Queen Ma", who was also respected by future generations, stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare meals.
The remaining people were sitting at the small table in the courtyard, chatting about what they had experienced in the years since they parted.
From the moment they left Huangjue Temple that night and everyone set out to kill the Tatars, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ji Fei took turns telling stories, roughly describing how they had passed through battles and survived in the battlefield in the past five or six years until now.
He gathered tens of thousands of troops under his command.
This period of family history can be described as wonderful and unusual. Although it is described in a vague way, Meng Xiuyuan can still vaguely feel the difficulties and difficulties involved. He only knows that success is not always easy to come by.
When they arrived at Meng Xiuyuan's side, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ji Fei didn't ask any questions, because they respected and admired Meng Xiuyuan as a great benefactor, and they didn't know much about Jianghu affairs, so they didn't want to bother prying.
As a result, the topics of conversation gradually narrowed down to some recent events.
"Meng Shaoxia, I heard that you were on Guangmingding to cover the evacuation of our Mingjiao high-level officials. You actually single-handedly intercepted thousands of elite soldiers of the Yuan army on the mountain road, and even rushed into the army to capture the enemy general...
How did you do it? Is this really the scope of martial arts?
Are there any peerless masters like you in the Mongolian court?"
Zhu Yuanzhang had been holding back this question for a long time, and then he couldn't help but ask it.
He has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, so he naturally understands the power of this army and how powerless a person is when facing an army.
Based on his experience, it is really difficult to guess how unpredictable a person's martial arts is to be able to do such a thing.
In particular, he was very worried that if there was a master of Meng Xiuyuan's level in the Yuan court, he might be caught off guard if he encountered him on the battlefield in the future, or even be directly captured by his opponent.
After all, as the marshal of the rebel army, he did not have so many martial arts masters to protect him. He only had personal soldiers that he had gradually trained in the past few years. He was far behind the prince of Ruyang.
Fortunately, Meng Xiuyuan's subsequent answer dispelled his worries:
"There is no need to worry. I am not boasting. If nothing unexpected happens, there should be no one in the world who has this ability except me and my master Zhang Zhenren...
No, Miss Yang has been practicing diligently in seclusion over the past few years, and her kung fu has improved rapidly, so maybe she also has this ability."
Meng Xiuyuan was mid-sentence when he suddenly corrected his mistake and then couldn't help but look at Yang Yunsu beside him.
Unexpectedly, Miss Yang's eyes had been staring at him. As soon as Meng Xiuyuan turned his head, the two people's eyes naturally crossed and their eyes met. Miss Yang immediately lowered her head in shame, shook her head and whispered
said:
"Young Master Meng, please don't praise me. I have made great progress in my martial arts over the years, but I am far from the level that Marshal Zhu said.
I can only say that Meng Shaoxia has such unparalleled cultivation, even if I cultivate until my hair turns white, I may not be able to catch up..."
Having said this, Yang Yunsu looked a little disappointed.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Ji Fei had experienced many things, and when they saw something was wrong between Meng Xiuyuan and Yang Yunsu, they looked at each other with a smile, and then Ji Fei said flatteringly:
"Miss Yang, you don't need to be humble. It's normal for someone like Meng Shaoxia to be inferior to someone like him.
In our opinion, your kung fu is also unparalleled. I have so many brothers, but they can't stop you alone."
Unexpectedly, Ji Fei's words slapped Ma in the leg.
After hearing this, Yang Yunsu didn't appreciate it at all. Instead, she remembered what happened before. She glared at Ji Fei with a cold snort and refused to answer him.
Ji Fei was a little embarrassed when he saw this, and for a moment he didn't know how to speak again. Zhu Yuanzhang beside him quickly took over the conversation and asked him deliberately:
"By the way, Brother Ji. I haven't heard from you yet. What is the misunderstanding between you and this Miss Yang?"
When Ji Fei heard this, he nodded, and then told Zhu Yuanzhang about getting a wife again.
This time, because Meng Xiuyuan, who was familiar with the situation, was at the table, he did not dare to be too biased, so he could only describe the matter in a relatively objective and neutral manner.
After he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang looked a little embarrassed.
It's not that it's hard for an upright official to deal with household affairs, but according to Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion, Ji Fei should have done nothing wrong. But in front of Meng Xiuyuan and Miss Yang, he couldn't speak so straightforwardly, so he was a little speechless for a while.
After a while, a calm and gentle voice floated out from the direction of the kitchen:
"Brother Ji, I think you did something wrong in this matter..."
While she was talking, Mrs. Ma walked out of the kitchen holding a large plate with four or five dishes on it, all of which looked very good. As she walked away, she continued:
"No matter what you say, that woman is still your legal wife.
Even if two people don't agree with each other, why can't they just say a few soft words to appease them first and then force them to jump into the river?"
Ji Fei was stunned when he heard the sound, and then quickly nodded in agreement.
Although he was called "Brother Ji", he had been Zhu Yuanzhang's subordinate for many years. In addition, Ma was a fair and gentle man, loved by many generals in Zhu Yuanzhang's line, and had great prestige. Ji Fei did not dare to compete with him.
she argued.
And this Ma family also knew how to speak with enthusiasm. After the food was served on the table, he stopped mentioning the matter and changed the subject. He sat down and chatted with Meng Xiuyuan and others about some interesting things in Zhu Yuanzhang's daily life.
With her joining, the atmosphere at the dinner table was greatly relaxed, and everyone put aside their previous unhappiness for the time being. Even though Miss Yang herself still had no expression on her face, she did not take the initiative to say anything to dampen the mood, and just sat there quietly.
After a long while, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was drinking heavily, suddenly asked:
"Where's Biao'er? Why don't you bring him out to meet the distinguished guests?"
Ma shook his head when he heard the sound and said warmly:
"It's not like you don't know that Biao'er is timid and easily frightened, and will definitely cry when meeting strangers.
If you can't coax them over then, won't you disturb your distinguished guests?"
"It's okay, just take him out.
I haven’t seen him for many days since I went out this time, so I’m thinking carefully.”
Zhu Yuanzhang patted his wife's arm and said to her again.
Mrs. Ma had a tacit understanding with her husband. Seeing that he knew so well that there must be deep meaning, she didn't ask any more questions. She nodded immediately and got up and walked into the house.
When she came out again, she saw a small child in her arms. Her face was a little skinny and yellow, and she seemed to be in poor health.
And sure enough, as soon as the child came out and saw Ji Fei's big black face, he was so frightened that he started crying and babbling non-stop.
Ji Fei was a little embarrassed when he saw this. He raised his hand and raised his glass to pretend to drink. In fact, he was using this action to cover his face.
Zhu Yuanzhang stretched out his hand to take the child from his wife, but he was not anxious at the time. Instead, he was playing with the child in a dangling way, with a strong fatherly love naturally overflowing from his face:
"Biao'er, don't cry, dad is back~"
The little Zhu Biao ignored his father at all. His crying became louder and his voice became hoarse.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang felt helpless. He raised his head and confessed to Meng Xiuyuan:
"Sorry, Meng Shaoxia, Biao'er is indeed like this sometimes.
The year I gave birth to him, our rear was attacked by the Yuan army. Before his mother gave birth, she was hiding with the army, which inevitably hurt her fetus.
So the child got the root of the disease in his mother's womb. He is in poor health and a little timid. He drank many prescriptions prescribed by Langzhong but it didn't work..."
Meng Xiu saw the situation and understood in his heart Zhu Yuanzhang's intention to take the child out deliberately. Thinking that it wouldn't take much trouble, he stretched out his hand towards Zhu Yuanzhang and said:
"If you feel at ease, you can show me the child."
Zhu Yuanzhang was naturally happy when he heard this. He hurriedly handed Xiao Zhu Biao to Meng Xiuyuan and said respectfully:
"Excuse me, Young Master Meng."
Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred at this time, and something that no one expected happened suddenly.
The little Zhu Biao had not been handed out yet, but as soon as he glanced at Meng Xiuyuan, he immediately stopped crying. Instead, a smile gradually appeared on his tender face, and his hands were spread wide, as if he was eager to let Meng Xiuyuan hug him.
Everyone was very surprised when they saw this, even Meng Xiuyuan himself did not expect it.
Ji Fei even rubbed his face twice and murmured:
"Can such a young child recognize the ugliness and beauty of others..."
After everyone heard what he said, they couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Haha, it seems that Biao'er is smart enough to recognize who the real god is." Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy on the side, staring directly at his son.
After Meng Xiuyuan took the Zhu Biao, he saw his big eyes staring at him and not crying. He couldn't help but feel that it was very cute.
Immediately, he reached out and touched his back, and the pure Yang Qi slowly entered his body to explore.
Sure enough, the narrow and congested meridians in this child's body are symptoms of congenital deficiencies. If he does not pay attention to maintenance and works too much in the future, it will indeed be a sign of premature death.
He secretly thought that this child had some fate with him, and Meng Xiuyuan would not leave it alone, so he increased the output of his true energy, allowing the pure Yang true energy to circulate around his body, gradually clearing and expanding his meridians.
However, although Meng Xiuyuan had been careful, the process was inherently painful, and the child was too young and very fragile, so he immediately fainted with a groan of pain.
Seeing this, Ma felt distressed and subconsciously wanted to stand up, but Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly grabbed her by her side and held her tightly, preventing her from saying a word.
After a while, Meng Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhu Yuanzhang and his wife:
“The child is indeed a little weak, but it’s not a big deal.
It just so happens that I also like this kid, so when we meet him for the first time, I should always give him something."
As he said that, Meng Xiuyuan continued to channel Qi while reaching out and grabbing it from his arms.