The dream of a lonely hero

Yao Shu lifted up his robe, entered the hall, saluted, and said with a charming smile:"I see you, Your Highness! Your Highness is unparalleled in civil and military skills, and he has made unparalleled achievements in cleaning the bandit's nest and capturing the leader. Why don't you see His Majesty conferring him a prince?" I felt very unsatisfied and couldn't sleep at night, so I wrote a petition to confer the title of Prince on His Highness, and asked Your Highness to read it."

Zhao Guangyi took the memorial and read it carefully. His writing style was strong, his arguments were eloquent, his emotions were sensible, his emotions were blended together, and he was overjoyed.

Yao Shu secretly glanced at his master's expression. After reading it, Zhao Guangyi dropped it on the desk and suddenly changed his color. He slapped the desk with a loud bang and shouted angrily:"Yao Shu, you know you are guilty! Let's not say that you committed crimes and killed people when you were in Zhenzhou, but you were demoted to Zhangzhou to defend against the invaders." You are good at disturbing the people, bribing the strong thieves in Centipede Mountain, and bending the law to get personal gains. You are preying on the people. The people's papers accusing you are piling up like a mountain, and every pile of them is a crime of beheading!"

Yao Shu was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he peed like urine. He fell to his knees with a plop. He begged hard:"Your Highness, spare your life! Your Highness, spare your life!"

After a moment, Zhao Guangyi softened his tone and said:"Even if the lonely king doesn't punish you, can you still stay in Zhangzhou? Yanyun and Yangmao are holding on to you in Zhenzhou. He will not let go of his crimes."

Yao Shu sensed a glimmer of hope, crawled to Zhao Guangyi's feet, and cried:"Thank you for not killing me, your highness. The head on my shoulder belongs to your highness. I hope your highness will give it to me." Point out a way to survive!"

Zhao Guangyi thought for a while and said:"The lonely king will hand you over to the Ministry of Personnel to discuss your crime. I will take good care of you. It is not difficult to hold an official position in Dongfu."

Yao Shu was moved to tears and thought: This is not a demotion but a promotion. Dongfu is the center of the imperial court, where the prime minister sits and governs. Dongfu He was a low-ranking official, but his energy was no worse than that of a county guard. He thanked Zhao Guangyi for his kindness and said:"Thank you, Your Highness! Your Highness is as kind as the ocean to the little one. The only way for the little one to repay him is with death." After arriving in the capital, I will send this memorial to the Prince of Jin to be heard in heaven."

Zhao Guangyi gave a few instructions, which meant that the capital was no different than the local area, and he had to be cautious in everything he did. Yao Shu said goodbye to his master and rushed to Bianliang, the capital three days later.

In a first-class room at the"Wangyue Tower" Hotel in Zhangzhou, Yuanda, Chen Xin, Chen Congbao, Ma Wei, and Yan Yun gathered around a table of sumptuous dishes, eating wine and chatting. The atmosphere was light. After Chen Xin was pardoned by Zhao Guangyi, Yan Yun invited Chen Xin to have a drink, but Chen Xin politely declined. This time, Yuanda invited the Meiyuan brothers to have a small gathering. What Yan Yun dreamed of was for his second brother Chen Xin, eighth brother Yuanda, and fifth brother Ma Wei to serve together under the command of Liangjun Prince Zhao Guangyi. Now his dream has come true, but it is not as happy as he imagined before. His behavior is not as opportunistic and natural as before. Fortunately, Yuanda has a simple mind and well-developed limbs. Chen Xin's change is completely different from before.

Although Yuanda is simple-minded, he is by no means stupid. Of course he sensed the atmosphere here. He stood up, holding the wine, and said:"Second brother, we all stepped into the threshold of the Palace of Hell and were dragged back by the seventh brother. Can you thank me?" Seventh brother! Second brother, let’s reward my seventh brother well!"

Chen Xin also stood up, tried his best to adjust his facial expression to be more enthusiastic, and said:"Thank you Huailong for saving your life!"

Yan Yun immediately stood up, with a guilty look on his face, and said:"Shame on you Yan Yun! How dare Yan Yun be greedy for God's merits? It was His Highness the County Prince who saved his second brother and eighth brother! How dare Yan Yun drink this wine!" This is exactly what Chen Xinxin was thinking. If there was no pardon from Prince Zhao Guangyi of Liang County, Can Yan Yun save himself and Yuanda?

Yuanda hurriedly waved his hands and said:"You are the seventh brother who saved me and the second brother. Think about it, His Highness the County King pardoned us. If it weren't for the Duke King's oral instructions passed down by the Seventh Brother, think about it again, what would have happened? I There is no doubt that I and my second brother will die. Second brother, we have killed and wounded many of the prince’s generals. The colleagues of those generals who were killed and injured wish we died quickly! If they pass on the word, I’m afraid our heads will fall to the ground. This gang The bastard thing is not here yet. If the county king does not pardon us, Seventh Brother will definitely save us."

Yan Yun had the idea of ​​​​rescuing Chen Xin and Yuanda from the tribunal at the time, but Chai Yuxi said Advice, the plan to rob the law field was aborted. Yuanda said this, which made Yan Yun feel ashamed and said:"Huailong is ashamed!"

Yuanda said:"Seventh brother, what are you ashamed of! Even if there is no order from the king to not save the eighth brother, the eighth brother will never blame you. Didn’t Liu, Guan, and Zhang Taoyuan, who were sworn brothers, die in the same year and on the same day?" I originally wanted to dilute the not-so-warm atmosphere in the wine shop, but I didn't expect that it would make it sad instead."Okay, okay! Anyway, my second brother and I were in danger. If we survive the disaster, we will be blessed! The blessings will be the same as those in the future."

Ma muttered:"Anyway - anyway - we - brother - Brothers - get together - get together, talk - talk about that - that's useless!"

Yuanda said:"Yes! Fifth Brother, although you may not think that your words are good, but when you talk, you get to the point. This is called - It's called"It's the flute that blows on the eyes, it's the drum that beats on the spot". Come and drink, drink, drink three big bowls in a row for the reunion of our brothers.""Gudong Gudong" and drank three bowls.

Everyone sitting there also raised their bowls and drank three bowls in a row.

Yan Yun took advantage of the lively atmosphere and said:"Second brother, Huailong has invited me several times. Second brother has no time. Brother must have important official business."

Chen Xin said:"Huailong knows it. Chen Xin's martial arts skills were completely useless in the Huangniutan battle. He can't have free rice under the control of the prince, right? Fortunately, Chen Xin has some medical skills, which he can barely count as a skill. He can only study hard behind closed doors and repay the kindness of the king. Huailong is worrying too much!

Chen Congbao said:"Brother Yan, you don't have to think too much. The county king is extremely generous to the Chen brothers and avenged the Chen family. My brother has lost his martial arts skills and refuses guests behind closed doors. He studies medicine hard to live up to the king's high opinion.""

Chen Xin glared at Chen Congbao.

Yan Yun heard the clue."Avenging the Chen family" undoubtedly meant that Xiang Chunqiu died of alcoholism. However, the prince publicly announced that Xiang Chunqiu died of alcoholism. No matter how he said it, he still avenged the Chen family. After taking revenge, the county king can avenge his second brother Chen Xin, and he will definitely avenge himself soon. Jin Huarong's death is not far away.

""Dengdeng" A man came in and shouted:"Brothers, brothers, you miss me so much, you miss me so much!""

Everyone recognized them at first glance and were all surprised. Who is Wang Jian, Wang Yanxiang, Chen Xin, Ma Xi, Yan Yun and Yuanda's sworn brothers from Meiyuan. Wang Jian wore black clothes and a small hat, and looked like he was down and out.

Yuanda looked like a down and out man. Seeing Wang Jian, he jumped into a rage and roared:"Wang Jian is a thief! I remember that when my second brother went to Wukang County to seek refuge with you, he was almost sent to the government by you, a thief, and his life was ruined. If my second brother had not taken advantage of our sworn brotherhood, he would have whipped you to pieces, and you are still so embarrassed now. Come and recognize me, there is no shameless person like you in the world!"

Chen Congbao couldn't hold back for a long time. He stared at Wang Jian with tiger eyes, raised his fist and wanted to hit Wang Jian, and cursed:"You shameless beast who repays kindness with evil. My brother from Meiyuan Town treats you with kindness like a brother, but you repay kindness with hatred. The Sa family will definitely beat you today. The shiniao comes out!" Chen Xin grabbed him and said:"Cong Bao! Don't let this mess get your hands dirty.

Yuanda said:" Yes!" right! Such a dirty beast, beating him and scolding him will disgrace our status, go away!"

Wang Jian hurriedly knelt down, with runny nose and tears, and said:"Wang Jian is not a human being, Wang Jian is not a human being! Second brother, just ask Cong Bao to beat up this beast like me, Wang Jian, and let me linger with guilt. It’s really better to die at the hands of my brothers! Eighth brother, seventh brother, and fifth brother come and fight! Seeing that no one was paying attention, he raised his hand and slapped himself in the face so hard that his mouth and nose were bleeding, but he still refused to stop.

Chen Xin, Chen Congbao, and Ma Xi shook their hands and went out. As soon as Yuanda took a step, Wang Jian He hurriedly crawled to Yuanda's feet and grabbed his collar, saying bitterly:"Eighth brother, eighth brother! For the sake of our sworn brotherhood, I'll just accept Brother Six!"

Yuan Da raised his foot and really wanted to kick Wang Jian, but he slowly put it down and pulled out his sword with a sudden"cang clang". Wang Jian was so frightened that he rolled far away. Yuanda sneered and said:"Haha! The Sa family was also afraid of getting the sword in their hands dirty." He raised his sword and cut off a piece of his clothes, threw it on the ground, and used his sword to mark a"zhizhi" seal. This is called cutting off the robe and cutting off the meaning to mark the end of the relationship. Yuanda flicked his sleeves and said:"Seventh brother returns. Don't go!"

When Yan Yun saw Wang Jian in such a state of ruin and distress, he couldn't help but feel pity in his heart. However, thinking about what Wang Jian had done, he was deeply disgusted and wanted to leave. Wang Jian hurriedly climbed to Yan Yun's feet, struggling He begged:"Seventh brother, seventh brother! Sixth Brother is the only brother like you. If you really don't recognize Sixth Brother, you might as well give Sixth Brother a sword blow!"

Yan Yun was silent.

Wang Jian said:"Seventh brother! Sixth Brother is sorry for you too much. Four years ago at Tokyo Muyun Inn, Sixth Brother left without saying goodbye and took away all your belongings——(Chapter 6, Tianhan Bridge Yan Qiulong sells his sword)"

Yan Yun Unable to bear it, he shouted:"Thank you for remembering! The owner, Deng Fei, pressed for rent like hell. I had no money. I was punished with hard labor for more than ten days. I also got a serious illness and almost died in a foreign country! I passed through Wukang County looking for you, but you didn’t see me, but you used that penny to humiliate me (Chapter 14, Yan Qiulong was trapped in Centipede Mountain). This is what my sworn sixth brother did. Today you are in despair, You have begged me so hard to recognize you as my sixth brother. I can’t bear not to recognize you. Am I willing to recognize you?

Wang Jian cried:"It's all Wang Jian's fault!" It was really hard to explain why I took away your property without saying goodbye.

Yan Yun said:"Just stop it!" Apart from this, in Wukang County, do you have any secrets behind arresting your second brother?"

Wang Jian said clearly:"The salary of Shijun will help you to share your worries. At that time, Wang Jian was the captain of Wukang County, and his second brother was a key criminal wanted by the government. How could Wang Jian be so kind and generous? Huailong, you are also a public servant. Under the command of Prince Liang, I heard that you were the first to clear up Centipede Mountain, the second brother’s camp. It can be regarded as a righteous act of annihilating relatives!"

One sentence touched on Yan Yun's struggle. This is the pain that Yan Yun can never erase. Without Chen Xin's repeated rescues, how would he be today? What did he do to trick Chen Xin into falling into the trap? Prince Zhao Guangyi carefully set a trap to become a prisoner and almost lost his head. Although he didn't know the truth beforehand, he did it himself after all. He thought that Chen Xin would think that he was Zhao Guangyi's biggest accomplice in clearing Centipede Mountain, and that he was ungrateful. They are people who sacrifice brotherhood for fame and wealth. Yan Yun felt that Chen Xin's cold expression was buried with sorrow. Yan Yun thought: It was him who was wrong, and Wang Jian was wrong. He did not hesitate to sacrifice for fame and fame. At the cost of his brother's life, how could he become as despicable as Wang Jian!

Wang Jian looked at Yan Yun's words and saw Yan Yun's painful expression, knowing that Yan Yun had touched the heart of Yan Yun, and said sadly:"Wang Jian knows that his sins are serious. , unable to control himself, and speaking incoherently. In short, it is all Wang Jian’s fault. Please forgive Huailong!"Dong dong" kowtowed tightly,"Among the eight brothers in Meiyuan, Huailong is the kindest and broad-minded. Wang Jian is shameless and unworthy of being your brother, but we have finally met. We can still be considered old friends." Bar?"

Yan Yun saw Wang Jian's sad and bitter look, and a wave of pity rose from the bottom of his heart. He raised his weak hands to help Wang Jian up. Wang Jian was excited, with tears streaming down his face, and shouted to the waiter to change to a high-class cabinet. , ordered a table of wine and food, and chatted with Yan Yun while eating.

Yan Yun said:"Why does Yanxiang look like this?

Wang Jian said:"It's hard to describe in one word!" Magistrate Jin of Wukang County was jealous of talents, and Brother Yu was the fourth generation and the third prince. Magistrate Jin suppressed and ostracized Brother Yu at every turn. He lived alone and blamed him. Brother Yu became his scapegoat, and he was deposed by that man. The county lieutenant of Wukang County is living here. I heard that Huailong served under the king of Liang County and made great achievements. He is a role that the king relies on. Brother Yu came to you. He is so hard to find. After some time After many twists and turns, I finally met Huailong."

Yan Yun said:"How can we take the talk in the streets seriously? Huailong is just an official under the command of the prince, and he cannot be said to be relied upon by the prince."

Wang Jian said:"Huailong, don't be humble, you are a popular person among the county kings, even the three-foot-tall kid in Zhangzhou City knows about you! I beg you to recommend Brother Yu to the king as a pawn, so I won’t embarrass you!"Looking at Yan Yun with longing eyes.

Yan Yun thought and said:"It's not difficult. Huailong will be on duty tomorrow, so he can recommend Yanxiang to the prince."

Wang Jian burst into tears with gratitude, left his seat and bowed in obeisance.

Yan Yun said:"You and I are old friends, why should we be polite!"

The next morning, Yan Yun took Wang Jian to meet Zhao Guangyi, the king of Liang County.

Yan Yun said:"This is Yan Yun's old friend Wang Jian. He has won the military examination and is willing to serve for His Highness.

Wang Jian said:"The young Wang Jian is Huailong's sworn brother, the fourth generation and the third prince. He is willing to work as an ox or a horse for His Highness. I beg Your Highness not to give up!""Kowtow and bow.

Zhao Guangyi looked at Wang Jian and said:"Since it was recommended by Huailong, he must have extraordinary skills, so I will be the follower of the lonely king for the time being."

Wang Jian kowtowed like a chicken scratching rice, thanking him for his kindness.

In the afternoon, Wang Jian presented the ancestral"Feijing" sword to Zhao Guangyi. Three days later, Wang Jian saw the"Feijing" sword hanging on the wall at Yanyun's residence, and hurriedly Seeing Zhao Guangyi, he sued Yan Yun for stealing Zhao Guangyi's"Feijing" sword.

Zhao Guangyi thought for a long time and said:"The lonely king knows. Wang Jian is a martial artist and has the background of the fourth generation and the third prince. He is really buried in King Gu. It is better to serve in the palace of Prince Fangjun, the younger brother of King Gu. He is in urgent need of talents like you. King Gu can write a letter with you. Prince Fang will never underestimate you."

Wang Jian prostrated himself and cried:"I hope your Highness will punish me severely if I fail, and I hope Your Highness will not abandon me!

Zhao Guangyi said:"Wang Jian is worrying too much!" King Gu is just a sixth-rank governor, while Prince Fangjun is a high-ranking and powerful person in the dynasty. When you become a prosperous person, don’t forget King Gu’s recommendation when you become prosperous in the future! You can leave tomorrow."Then he dried the ink on the written letter and stuffed it into an envelope and handed it to Wang Jian.

Wang Jian carried Zhao Guangyi's recommendation letter and rushed to Bianliang, Tokyo to join Zhao Guangmei, the king of Fangjun. Zhao Guangmei was originally Zhao Guangyi's political enemy. She accepted Wang Jian but took precautions everywhere. After many days of secret investigation, she found that he had nothing to do with the Liang County Prince's Palace. She also sent her confidants to Zhangzhou to spy, and found that Wang Jian was not sent as an undercover agent by Zhao Guangyi. Originally he liked to seek fame and reputation, was arty, and loved people from famous families. Wang Jian's background as the fourth and third prince really came into use, and it didn't take long for Wang Jian to become his personal attendant.

Zhao Guangyi was demoted to Zhangzhou, which was a blessing in disguise. He wiped out the grass bandits in Centipede Mountain, which shocked the government and the public. He recruited 8,000 minions and secretly selected 800 strong warriors who had no father, mother or wife among them. Zhang Ning, the fierce warrior, and Zhou Ying, the fierce warrior, led these eight hundred warriors to hide in the depths of Centipede Mountain for secret training. In order to win people's hearts, Zhao Guangyi rewarded each of the more than 7,000 minions he recruited with 8,000 yuan and a piece of brocade. Zhao Guangyi recruited many talents, including local famous doctor Wang Yuanyou,"Sai Bian Que" Chen Xin, fierce general"Silver Halberd Invincible Peach Blossom Little Wenhou" Wang Rong,"Kaishan Yaksha" Wang Xijie, Gao Qiong, Wang Zhao, Chen Congbao and Yuanda. Gao Qiong recommended to Zhao Guangyi the heroes of the green forest, Mingshan's"Flower Sword King" Wang Haozhong,"Huaqian Taisui" Wang Zhaoyou,"Golden Retriever Lion" Zhang Baoyang,"Double Hammer Competition Cao Zhang" Pei Zhongpu,"Eight-Armed King Kong" Li Jun ,"Sai Yingbu" Fu Sirang from Xindu in Jizhou,"White-faced Tiger" Li Bin, and"Hengjiang Iron Dragon" Geng Quanbin, these are all green forest strongmen who committed heinous crimes by killing people, stealing goods, robbing homes, and Zhao Guangyi not only pardoned them all They committed a serious crime and even gave money and gifts as confidants. How could they not repay Zhao Guangyi for their kindness.