Xiang Shaolong emerged from the tunnel without any danger.
It was a large well next to the stable. The exit was in the middle of the well wall. It was seven or eight feet above the water, and there was a stone gap for stepping onto the well mouth.
When he poked his head out of the well, the snow had stopped, and there was a faint dawn in the sky. There was a row of stables on the left, and there were several rooms where horse breeders lived.
This type of stables is very common, both public and private. Most of the horses come from pastures outside the city, for the powerful and those who can afford to buy and rent horses.
Xiang Shaolong walked into the stable and was hesitating whether to steal one of his sheep, but he was afraid that the target would be too obvious. Suddenly someone heard a voice, and he was so frightened that he hid in a corner and covered himself with the grass for the horse.
Two people came.
One of them said: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang. The superiors have already taken care of me and asked me to pick the four best horses for you. Well, who of us in Daliang doesn't want to see your young lady's singing and dancing that is world-renowned? I can do this for you."
It’s a great honor for her to do her best.”
Han Yu, whose surname was Zhang, was obviously very good at putting on airs. He just grunted and came to the horse fence near where Xiang Shaolong was hiding and said, "This horse looks good, with neat and white teeth. What kind of horse is it?"
The man in charge of the stable said: "This is a purebred horse from Luyuan in the north. It is both beautiful and hardy. Mr. Zhang is really discerning."
The man surnamed Zhang pondered for a while and then said: "Have you found the chariot I asked you to find? We have been really busy this time. A good person suddenly died of illness. I am so tired that I have to look for someone everywhere."
The head of the stable said: "How can I not try my best to do something for Miss and Master Zhang? I have found a man named Shen Liang. He once drove for Master Wuji and is proficient in martial arts. He looks like
It’s quite good and definitely meets Mr. Zhang’s requirements.”
Then he whispered: "He is an old friend of the villain. Mr. Zhang should understand that no one in Daliang dares to use Mr. Wuji's old man. Otherwise, with Shen Liang's skills, how could he have been idle for two whole years."
Han Yu, surnamed Zhang, snorted coldly: "Where is he?"
The head of the stable said with an apologetic smile: "He didn't know that Master Zhang would come so early. He is afraid he is still sleeping at this moment. Master Zhang went inside to drink hot tea first. I will call him to come and see Master Zhang."
The man surnamed Zhang said: "I don't have time to drink tea. You pull the horse out for me first, and I will pay you immediately. Then you call that guy over. If he is late, don't blame me for waiting for him. You know we are not
There are no other charioteers available."
Then there was the sound of horses being led, and the two went to another stable.
Xiang Shaolong secretly asked God to help me, and quickly took out the stolen clothes and put them on.
This set of clothes was the most inconspicuous in Mr. Pingqiu's box, and it was very suitable for a servant of a wealthy family like Shen Liang who was in trouble.
After hiding the old clothes in a secret place, the stable owner left the stable and walked towards the house, apparently to wake up Shen Liang.
Xiang Shaolong dodged out and saw Master Zhang inspecting the four strong horses. He coughed dryly, went up to them and bowed to the ground: "Young man Shen Liang, please forgive me for being late, Mr. Zhang."
Mr. Zhang didn't expect that he would come so quickly. He looked him up and down, flashed a satisfied look, his eyes fell on his Blood Wave Sword, and said calmly: "My name is Zhang Quan, and I am Miss Feng's manager. You should take it for granted."
Of course you know the rules if you are a charioteer of Wei Wuji. For five taels of silver a month, if Miss Feng is satisfied, you can continue to do it for a long time." Zhang Quan was in his thirties, and he was shrewd, but his appearance was quite vulgar, and his lips were stained
He had a thick beard and looked a little drunk.
Xiang Shaolong hurriedly agreed.
Zhang Quan said: "We don't have much time, let's go, it's going to snow again."
Xiang Shaolong secretly thanked God, put on his cloak, led his horse and followed him.
The process of leaving the city went surprisingly smoothly.
The most ironic thing is that there are countless dignitaries coming to see him off, and he, a fugitive, is right in the middle of them.
Before he reached the city gate, heavy snow fell again. He put on a cloak and a windshield mask and lowered his head. Moreover, this was the normal attire of a charioteer, so naturally no one would suspect it. The best thing was because
He sat in the position of a charioteer, making his majestic figure invisible to people.
Originally, he was afraid that Feng Fei would recognize him, but luckily he had no chance to meet Feng Fei face to face.
Moreover, he was covered with beard at this time. If Feng Fei had not paid attention to him, she would never have easily figured out that he was Xiang Shaolong.
It's funny to say that he didn't want to alarm Shan Meimei, but in the end he relied on her help to escape from the palace. He also didn't want to involve Feng Fei, who he had no friendship with, but in the end he relied on her to get through the East City Gate.
This time it can be said that I have survived from a desperate situation.
I hope it will be smooth sailing from now on and return to Qin safely.
Of course he didn't want to go to Qi State. As long as he saw the right opportunity, he would immediately desert.
The Wei people were very courteous to Feng Fei and sent a team of 500 light cavalry to escort her along the way, led by a partial general named Ao Xiang.
Feng Fei's singing and dancing troupe was so large that more than a dozen carriages were filled. There were two hundred dancers, musicians, and maidservants, and they only had to pay each person's salary. This shows how rich Feng Fei's income is.
.He couldn't help but think of the stunning beauty in the car behind him, and even recalled the touching scene of whispering with her in the small building that day.
She is expected to be a superstar in the music world of the 21st century, but being able to enjoy her singing and dancing is only reserved for the rich and powerful, and ordinary people do not have this blessing.
After the chariots and horses left Daliang, they crossed the ditch and headed north. When they arrived at Jishui, there were already five three-masted ships waiting for them.
Only then did Xiang Shaolong realize why he had to start early because it was almost dusk.
When he saw that Wei Bing also accompanied him on board the ship, he couldn't help crying in his heart.
It would be really bad if he was forced to go to Qi in this way.
It takes only four or five days to go down the river and enter Qi. At that time, if you want to turn back to Zhao, you will have to go through a lot of trouble.
However, there was no other choice at this time, so I had to bite the bullet and board the ship.
There were five large ships, three of which were taken by the Wei people, and two by Fengfei.
This made Xiang Shaolong breathe a sigh of relief as he no longer had to face Wei Bing day and night.
He was on the same ship as Feng Fei. At that time, he was the lowest class in the dance troupe. He was assigned to a room with only a small window in the bottom cabin and had to be crowded with other servants.
, six people share a room.
The other charioteers didn't know if it was because he had snatched the honor of driving for Feng Fei, so they banded together to exclude him. They immediately started gambling after entering the room, but did not invite him to join.
Xiang Shaolong was so happy that after dinner he got into the bed on the mat in a corner and fell asleep with his head covered.
Those people also deliberately gossiped, some of which insulted his "master" Lord Xinling, criticizing Sang and Huai. Xiang Shaolong was amused in his heart, and it really had nothing to do with him, so he soon fell asleep and fell unconscious.
He didn't know how long he had been sleeping when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his thigh. When he opened his eyes, he saw that one of the charioteers named Gu Ming had kicked him hard.
Xiang Shaolong sat up angrily and shouted: "What's the matter?"
Another charioteer, Fu Yan, hugged his knees and sat leaning against the wall like a rogue and said with a smile: "Shen Liang, you were born that year, are you a pig? Otherwise, how could you sleep like a dead animal?" Pig-like?”
The others laughed together, full of contempt and ridicule.
Another man named Fang Sheng was the only one who did not make fun of Xiang Shaolong. He shouted: "Stop teasing people. Shen Liang is coming up at dawn, come with me."
Xiang Shaolong suppressed the anger in his heart and followed him out of the room.
When we came to the deck, we saw the sky clearing up and the both sides of the river bank covered with snow. My mood suddenly brightened and I forgot all the unpleasant things just now.
The servants were queuing up to wait for the cooked meals, and a bunch of people were fetching water to wash themselves. It was noisy and gave a different feeling of life.
A pretty maid, accompanied by two strong women, was talking to Zhang Quan. When she saw Xiang Shaolong's majestic figure, she looked attentive and looked at him carefully.
Xiang Shaolong had a ghost in his heart, and he felt uneasy when he saw her. Fang Sheng's voice rang in his ears: "That is Miss Xiaoling, the maid of Dong Shuzhen, the second young lady. We all call her Little Pepper. She relies on her to The young lady loves pets and likes to be domineering, so it is best not to provoke her no matter what."
Xiang Shaolong smiled bitterly in his heart, he had always been aloof and aloof, but he didn't expect that there were also classes and factions among the maids and servants.
After the attendant washed his face, he got two bowls of food and squatted in a corner to eat and drink.
Fang Sheng said: "Are you still angry about what happened just now? In fact, they are angry with Zhang Quan, and Gu Ming is the deputy manager Sha Li. The chief manager wants to kill their arrogance and deliberately hires you, an outsider, to replace him. People are vying for the position. If they weren’t afraid of going too far and angering the chief executive, it would be easy for you.”
Only then did Xiang Shaolong understand why he was hired even though there were so many people, and he secretly said he was lucky.
Fang Sheng saw him silent and said nothing more.
Xiang Shaolong felt very sorry and said, "How long has Brother Fang been following Miss?"
Fang Sheng said: "It's been three years."
Xiang Shaolong really wanted to ask him about Feng Fei's details, but finally felt it was not suitable, so he asked instead: "Does Brother Fang have a family?"
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Fang Sheng's lips, and he said: "Slaves who have subjugated their country, we can talk about starting a family. If the young lady hadn't taken pity on him, I, Fang Sheng, might have died in the street."
Xiang Shaolong stayed for a long time before he lowered his head and finished his meal. At the same time, he kept asking Fang Tutao about the situation of the song and dance troupe.
At this time, a strong male servant came to Xiang Shaolong and said coldly: "Are you Shen Liang?"
Xiang Shaolong remembered his identity and hurriedly stood up and said, "What orders does this elder brother have?"
The strong servant said proudly: "My name is Kunshan, and I am Mr. Zhang's deputy. Just call me Brother Shan. I heard that you know how to use a sword. Show me the sword."
Although Xiang Shaolong was unwilling, he had no choice but to draw the sword and hand it to him.
Unexpectedly, Kunshan's expression changed and he said, "Is your other hand lame?"
Xiang Shaolong almost punched him into Jishui, so he had to offer him with both hands instead.
Most of the male servants like Feng Fei are equipped with long swords, and Kunshan is certainly no exception, but it is undoubtedly far behind compared to Xuelang.
When Kunshan held the sword and looked at it, his eyes immediately lit up.
Xiang Shaolong knew that he was greedy, so he preemptively said: "This is the sword given to me by the old master. The sword is with the person, but the sword dies and the person dies."
He blocked his mouth first.
Kunshan looked envious and played with Xiang Shaolong for a long time before he was willing to return Xiang Shaolong and said with a straight face: "Master Zhang wants to see you, come with me."
Xiang Shaolong secretly thought that no real high-ranking official could show off like these people. He smiled bitterly in his heart and followed him to the upper platform.
This ship is about thirty feet long, nearly twice as long as the largest "Big Wing" warship in the Qin State. This is because the ship is used to carry people and cargo, and it is not required to be flexible and fast, but only to be able to carry a heavy load.
The hull is slender, about two feet wide, with a raised stern. There are two sail masts, one on the ship and one on the stern.
In the middle of the two sets of sail masts is the cabin, which is divided into three floors. The upper two floors are built on the deck and the bottom floor is under the deck.
Feng Fei and a group of high-status singers and dancers naturally lived on the top floor, which was the most comfortable. The second-level stewards and maids lived on the lower floor. Those with low status, like Xiang Shaolong, were crowded on the bottom floor where the environment was the worst.
Including the sailors, the ship carried nearly a hundred people. It was noisy, but it was a lively situation.
The development of water transport was so advanced during this period that there was a saying that "we cannot abandon the use of boats and ships in a day".
Especially in the southern water network area with dense rivers, water transportation has always been the main mode of transportation. When wars became frequent, the establishment of a navy was inevitable, and civilian ships were also popular.
Every time Xiang Shaolong took a boat in the past, he was always "above the top", but this time he tasted the feeling of "being below others".
Zhang Quan was leaning on the railing on the platform and looking forward. There were two swordsmen who looked like bodyguards beside him. He looked very impressive.
When Xiang Shaolong walked up to him and saluted, Zhang Quan seemed not to know that he had arrived, still facing the cold wind and not looking at him.
Xiang Shaolong was amused in his heart, Zhang Quan himself was like this, no wonder the people below were putting on airs to show their authority.
In the casual chat with Fang Sheng just now, he already had a general understanding of this song and dance troupe.
The one who stands high above the others is of course Feng Fei, one of the three most famous girls.
Then came the twelve singing and dancing girls, all of whom were first-class beauties, among whom was Dong Shuzhen, who was known as the second young lady.
The reason why Dong Shuzhen is so distinguished is because she is the only one besides Feng Fei who knows how to compose and arrange music.
Zhang Quan, the chief steward, and Sha Li, the deputy steward, also belong to this level; they are responsible for all large and small affairs within the regiment. The latter is also responsible for the charioteers and porters and other servants. This time, Zhang Quan stepped in and personally hired the charioteers who drove Fengfei. It is obvious that
It is within the scope of Sarit's authority to carry out the power struggle in this small circle.
Below the singer's manager, it is the turn of the senior musicians and the singer's personal maids. Since they are all close to Feng Fei and the other singers and dancers, although they have no actual positions, they actually have considerable power.
Among the senior musicians, Yun Niang is like the leader of the band. She is a retired singer and dancer, and is also responsible for training newcomers. She is highly regarded by Feng Fei, so no one dares to mess with her.
Among the maids, Feng Fei, the pretty maid who Xiang Shaolong met and called her his little sister, and Xiao Ping'er, the maid who had just met Dong Shuzhen, were the most important. Even Zhang Quan
We have to rely on their breath to do things.
Since the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, rituals and music have always been valued, and this kind of song and dance troupes came into being. Famous people traveled around the country, performing on tour, and were welcomed everywhere. Outstanding people like Feng Fei were even more noble than princes, and basically
not affected by the war.
Zhang Quan asked Xiang Shaolong to wait for a while, then said in a deep voice: "I heard that Gu Ming and those people have provoked you many times, right?"
Xiang Shaolong didn't know what kind of medicine his gourd was selling, so he responded: "They are indeed not very friendly, but they can be tolerated by villains."
Zhang Quan turned around like a whirlwind and said disdainfully: "Aren't you proficient in martial arts? You should have seen many scenes. You kick someone's butt and don't dare to fight back. What kind of man are you?"
The other two bodyguards and Kunshan standing behind him all sneered in agreement.
Xiang Shaolong was confused and said: "I was afraid that I would be blamed by Mr. Zhang for causing trouble when I first arrived, so I didn't dare to fight back. If Mr. Zhang thinks that there is no problem in fighting back, I will know how to do it next time.
Already."
In fact, he is aware of his own suffering, and he is most afraid that things will go wrong with Feng Fei and she will recognize him, otherwise this will be a clever escape plan. It is best for Sarit to dismiss him immediately, so that he can show off his talents when the ship docks.
went.
Although Shan Meimei said that Fengfei admired him very much, people's hearts were unpredictable and that was always an unknown variable.
He had gone through so much trouble to escape from the trap and never wanted to fall into it again.
Zhang Quan's expression softened slightly when he heard what he said.
The tall bodyguard on his left said: "Master Zhang thinks highly of you and has given you this lucrative position. Naturally, you should show some performance and not undermine Master Zhang's prestige."
After Xiang Shaolong came to this era, he followed Tao Fang and spent every day in the struggle for power. At this moment, listening to their words, he immediately understood and secretly exclaimed that Zhang Quan was powerful. This was indeed murder.
Wonderful work without any blood.
The reason why he was hired was Zhang Quan's clever move to deliberately anger the deputy manager Sha Li's faction. It would be best to cause trouble and let the superiors know that Sha Li was squeezing and bullying newcomers. Then Zhang Quan could take the opportunity to recruit Sha Li.
Standing is not.
And Sarit was now on another ship, without even a chance to defend himself. This move was really not enough.
Zhang Quan's act of hiring him could completely destroy Sha Li's prestige and show the subordinates that he, Zhang Quan, was the one who had the most say.
Who would have thought that such an incident would involve a power struggle within the song and dance troupe?
The life span of this type of song and dance troupe will never be too long. Once Feng Fei gets tired or gets married, it must end. Of course, the members of the song and dance troupe can also receive generous severance pay, and that is what Fang Sheng told him about singing and dancing.
The group has great expectations.
Kunshan behind him interrupted: "Even if someone is killed, as long as you don't cause trouble first, Master Zhang will still help you. Do you understand?"
If Xiang Shaolong still had anything to say, he nodded helplessly.
Zhang Quan's tone became gentler and said: "As long as you are loyal to me, I, Zhang Quan, will never treat you poorly. Looking at your skinny skin, you must have suffered a lot in the past two years. You have done things with your heart."
Having served Wei Wuji, you will naturally understand what I am talking about."
Xiang Shaolong was moved when he heard that. His appearance had indeed changed a lot. In addition to gaining a beard, he had also lost a lot of weight. So even if he faced Feng Fei and Xiao Ping'er, they probably wouldn't recognize him.
.
We met in the small building that night, the lights were dim, and we spent most of the time sitting and talking. Now that our image has completely changed, it is indeed possible to hide it from them.
Thinking of this, I felt very happy.
After Zhang Quan waved him away, Xiang Shaolong returned to the lower deck, but Fang Sheng did not know where he was. Just as he was about to look for him at the bow of the ship, when he passed the narrow walkway on the side of the cabin, someone blocked the way and shouted: "Zhang
Didn't the steward tell you the rules? No servants are allowed to come to the bow of the ship. If you disturb the ladies, it will be easy for you."
Xiang Shaolong was startled and looked forward to look at his husband. He saw a slim and pretty maid staring at him with round eyes and her hands on her hips, like a female tiger.
He hurriedly apologized, retreated, and simply returned to the bottom cabin to fall asleep.
When I woke up, there was faint music coming from above. It must be Feng Fei and others rehearsing a song and dance.
The afternoon sunlight filtered in through the small window, and he was the only one in the room.
Xiang Shaolong was sat up and leaned against the bulkhead, thinking that he had missed lunch, but Mr. Fang pushed in the door with a bowl of rice piled with vegetables, handed it to him and said, "I saw you sleeping.
I don’t want to wake you up, so I’ll leave a bowl for you.”
Xiang Shaolong felt moved in his heart. After taking it, he took two bites and chewed, "Does Brother Fang have any other relatives?"
Fang Sheng sat down next to him and was silent for a while before he said calmly: "They all died in the war."
Listening to his tone, Xiang Shaolong knew that things would not be that simple.
This student had a good conversation and was obviously a person of good origin. He might have been from a clan of a small country. He escaped when the country was destroyed and his family was destroyed. He later joined Feng Fei's song and dance troupe and became a charioteer.
Fang Sheng added: "I have no other hope now. I just want to make a few bucks, then find a quiet place to build a house, and buy a few acres of land to cultivate. I won't have to look at the faces of those villains in the future."
Xiang Shaolong felt sad when he saw that his face was weathered, and although he was about the same age as himself, he looked like he had experienced many hardships. He almost took out the two gold ingots in his arms and gave them to him on impulse, so that he could realize his dream.
But knowing that this was very unwise, he suppressed the tempting thought and continued eating.
Fang Sheng said: "The boat will arrive at Gucheng at dusk and will set sail again tomorrow. Let's keep company and go to the shore to find two girls for fun. If Brother Shen has no money, I can lend it to you first."
Xiang Shaolong was surprised: "Don't you want to save money to buy a house and land?"
Fang Sheng said: "Save money and return it. We are a bunch of lowly people. We are not like Zhang Quan and others who can play tricks on those elder sisters. We have to bear the pain and spend some money when necessary. But we must be careful to avoid Gu Ming."
That group of people, I just saw them whispering to a few family generals, and they mentioned your name again, are they afraid they are going to deal with you?"
Xiang Shaolong heard Wu Ming become angry, snorted coldly, and said nothing. He secretly thought that if he didn't give them some clues, how would he live in the future?
Xuan secretly cursed himself for being confused.
If you don't take advantage of this opportunity and run away, you'd be a fool.