Chapter 527 Brothers and Sisters

Before heading north in the cold wind, Zhuge Qiao took one last look back at Jiangling City.

He has never been good at words, but just thinking about the changes that have taken place in this city over the years will inevitably make people feel excited.

General Guan took the order to build the city, and the people obeyed the merchants. It can be said that it is wise.

According to reports, the Yangtze River is bustling with ships and merchants are bustling with each other, which can be said to be prosperous.

The isolated city retreated to the east of the Yangtze River and the powerful crossbows destroyed the enemy chieftains. This can be described as strong.

Vertically connecting the north and south of Jing, and connecting across the river, it can be described as prosperous.

Seeing the Xiong City rising, seeing guests at the banquet, seeing Bo City still standing after the end of the tribulation, seeing riding horses to the north...

"Brother, why are you in a daze? Go to that pass to find your father!"

The crisp voice crushed Zhuge Qiao's emotion into pieces, and then mixed with some laughter that was like silver bells, scattering these thoughts into white clouds in the sky, which were particularly beautiful when reflected by the scorching sun.

Then Zhuge Qiao's mood improved and he promised Zhuge Guo:

"Go north to Guanzhong to find my father."

Two young men and women, one big and one small, jumped into the car and left Jiang Ling behind. They looked at the mountains in the distance and were already thinking about what they were going to say after meeting their father.

At this time, Jiang Wan slapped the wall on Jiangling City and sighed:

"You have to go, you have to go."

Zhang Yi on the side smiled heartily when he heard this:

"The prefect's words will make others think that Mrs. Huang is difficult to deal with if they don't know it."

Jiang Wan just smiled casually.

After the war last year, Zhang Ni rushed thousands of miles to help, and joined forces with Shamoko to fight the Jiangdong Army in Lexiang County, west of Jiangling City. He killed Han Dang and made a meritorious service. This left a deep impression on Jiang Wan, so he wrote a statement to Chang'an. He also spoke highly of Zhang Yi Shamo Kexing.

Either considering that Nanzhong has been decided, or preparing to leave Jingzhou and enter the Central Plains, the lord finally ordered Zhang Ni to temporarily station in Jiangling and discussed merits with Shamoko and rewarded him. The two generals worked together as Jiang Wan's deputy. This truly allowed Jiangling to dominate Jingnan.

Samoko was brave and Zhang Ni was prudent, so neither of the two generals showed any arrogance when facing Jiang Wan, which also made Jiang Wan's behavior as the prefect become more satisfactory.

Of course, the most powerful weapon that could deter these soldiers was probably the powerful crossbow at the top of the city. After all, Lu Meng died because of this.

So Jiang Wan also smiled and said:

"The powerful crossbows are powerful and good at defending the city. If Mrs. Huang can stay a little longer and build crossbows according to local conditions to defend Jiangling, the city will be in perfect condition."

But Jiang Wan was just saying this. Mrs. Huang went north to find her husband. Who dares to stop her? Who can stop her?

After all, the elite cavalry guarding the convoy at this time carried a flag with a large word "Zhao" embroidered on it. No one dared to go against their authority, and no one could guard their lead.

After the report of the war in Jingbei reached Jiangling at the end of last year, Jiang Wan saw that a well-informed businessman had printed portraits of Guan Guan and Zhao, calling them the little door gods.

Zhao Zilong's thousand cavalry rolled into Cao's camp and defeated the enemy at starry night.

Guan Yunchang's thousands of cavalry defeated Cao's army, and no one could defeat him.

So unsurprisingly, who is stronger or weaker between General Guan and General Zhao has become the most talked about topic after dinner in Jiangling during the Chinese New Year.

Neither Zhao Yun nor Guan Yu knew or paid attention to such topics.

But after Zhao Yun heard that Mrs. Huang wanted to go north, he still sent a team of elite cavalry under his command to escort her.

Zhuge Guo, who was being escorted, sat in front of the carriage and looked at the unchanging scenery of the mountains. He quickly lost interest and simply climbed to the back on his hands and knees. The baffle of the carriage was temporarily lowered, and Zhuge Qiao was sitting here and following him. The knight next to him was chatting with each other.

The topic was nothing but the battle a year ago. Zhuge Guo was interested. After the knight finished talking about his general gains that night, he asked:

"Since Uncle Zhao defeated the thief, why not go to Chang'an with my mother-in-law?"

The knight on horseback laughed:

"Why go to Chang'an? When General Zhao destroys the thieves here, he will lead his troops north. We will meet in Luoyang then."

Then Zhuge Guo's little face wrinkled:

"Why do you still need to run around?"

For her, the memory of escaping from the north to the south several years ago was not clear, but the shaking and bumpy carriage beneath her now reminded the passengers how tiring the journey was.

Xizhen, who was riding on the horse, smiled and shook her head, but looking at Zhuge Guo's innocent expression, she thought of her brother whom she had not seen for a long time, so her heart softened a little:

"How do you think the people in Dangyang are doing here?"

It was only a hundred miles from Jiangling and happened to pass by the west of Dangyang City.

Perhaps because the grain and grass transported to the north during the Battle of Jingxiang the year before last year passed through this place, Dangyang has become more prosperous. At least from here, there are already people in twos and threes checking the land conditions in the fields. It seems that there are Ready for spring plowing.

Dangyang? Zhuge Guo's first reaction was the story his third uncle told him about how he defeated millions of Cao's troops here, but Zhuge Guo looked left and right and couldn't see where the bridge was.

But her eyesight was still good, and she could clearly see that although the clothes of the common people were obviously patched, at least it had nothing to do with being half-clothed and unkempt.

And she is not ignorant of worldly affairs. She can understand one or two of her mother's casual remarks and her father's lamentations, so she hesitated and guessed:

"It should be... passable?"

"More than acceptable?" Xi Zhen shook her head and sighed:

"Compared with the villagers in the north, these people look almost like the master."

Zhuge Qiao nodded slightly. Zhuge Guo didn't understand.

Xi Zhen was the leader of this team this time, so she didn’t have much leeway. In the end, she just said:

"This time I'm going north, let's see. The people in the north are eagerly waiting for Duke Xuande to clear the world. How can he not live up to the wishes of the people?"

Xi Zhen left temporarily and went to the front to shout for the scouts to go out and be sure to check that there was no danger around them.

Zhuge Guo looked at the people in Dangyang who were pointing at the convoy.

Their waists were not very straight, but the joyful gestures that burst out instantly when they pointed to the flag were clearly visible.

Zhuge Guo looked up and saw that there were two flag-carrying knights on the left and right of the convoy. The left rider was holding "Han" and the right was holding Zhao. The two flags were blown by the cold wind.

Zhuge Qiao raised his head and sighed:

"It's a good east wind."

Zhuge Guo was very curious about everything at this time, so he asked why he said that.

"The February wind is the wind of Jianmao."

Zhuge Qiao Wenyan explained:

"The most ferocious wind in Jianmao is the west wind and the north wind, which belong to the two seasons of autumn and winter."

"If there is a west wind or a north wind, the Yang Qi will be overwhelming and the cold air will always come, causing the bandits to invade and the people to plunder."

"If the wind in Jianmao is southerly from south to north, there may be flooding if it rains continuously for several months."

"The east wind is blowing now, which is the wind praised by Tai Shigong. When the common wind blows, all things will come out."

Then Zhuge Guo's eyes also curved into small crescents, and he praised:

"Brother is very knowledgeable."

"Then the east wind starts in February, which is a sign of good weather."

Zhuge Qiao also responded politely:

"My sister is smart."

Riding on the east wind, the group arrived in Xiangyang quite smoothly.

Before entering the city, Zhuge Guo was a little curious: "Who is the fierce general painted on the wall?"

Zhuge Qiao thought for a moment and guessed:

"Or General Huang?"

Zhuge Guo looked at the fierce-faced veteran outlined by rough lines on the wall, and then thought about Huang Zhong, who looked as kind as an old neighbor, and he burst out laughing:

"If General Huang knew about it, I wonder if he would be unhappy."

"Old General Huang..."

Zhuge Qiao was a little worried. Although the old general seemed to be in good spirits, he was getting older after all, and there had been endless wars from the past year to the present. I wonder if the old general's body could bear it?

For Huang Yueying and her group, being in Xiangfan is more like having fun.

First, we rested for a day in Xiangyang, and then we crossed the Han River and watched the giant crossbow arrows standing on the south wall of Fancheng facing the river on the boat, and lamented the intensity of the battle between Jing and Xiang.

Then we detoured to the east of Fancheng, where a new Jing'an Temple had been erected next to several tombs.

Led by Huang Yueying, Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Guo also had solemn expressions on their faces, and they earnestly offered sacrifices to the ancestral hall.

For Zhuge Guo, the atmosphere among the people has been completely different since crossing the Han River.

The city south of the Han River is peaceful and the people are safe, and the gentle east wind seems to bring warmth to people.

The north of Han River is like the clanking of iron hooves, and the east wind blowing by the side of Jing'an Temple is also like the sound of gold and iron.

Whether it is the unplugged crossbow arrows on the south wall of Fancheng or the clean and carefully maintained Jing'an Temple, they all tell that the war has never gone away.

As we continue to go north, this scenery that is completely different from the surrounding Jiangling gradually overlaps with Zhuge Guo's blurred childhood memories, which are somewhat similar.

Her father was invited by Duke Xuande to Xinye to serve as a military advisor. She was only six years old when she came here with her father and mother.

But after only a year of stability, Cao came to attack Jingzhou, and Zhuge Guo could only follow Xuande Gong and his father to flee south in a hurry.

Time has passed and nearly six years have passed. I once crossed to the south and now am returning to the north. Cao's army is attacking again. People's hearts are agitated and they feel like they are facing a formidable enemy.

The difference is that the people in Jingbei no longer have fear in their eyes, and their expressions are almost numb under the obvious fatigue.

When we arrived here, there were already Jingqimen holding the Guanzi flag waiting here to hand over to Xi Zhen.

After both sides handed over the seal for inspection, Xi Zhen said goodbye to Mrs. Huang, whistled and led his men to ride eastward.

Zhuge Guo even had time to compare.

The strength of the Guanzi Jingqi lies in their obvious bravery.

Zhao Zi's fine riding is better than the agility in his movements.

In this land, the east wind becomes more and more fierce, and the convoy heading north becomes more and more silent.

And in such silence, they passed through Gucheng, Yan County, Shunyang and Li County until they arrived at Xi County. Zhuge Guo heard a noise outside the car, so he poked his head out of curiosity.

What you see is a gorge, and in the gorge are thousands of people. They drag their families with them with a look of reluctance on their faces, and they are trying their best to move forward even if it is difficult.

"The place they want to go to should be the same as us." Zhuge Qiao took a look and concluded at a glance.

Zhuge Guo cast a puzzled expression, so Zhuge Qiao explained:

"This place is located along the gorge road and over a hill to the west, which is Wuguan. After descending from Wuguan, it is Shangluo, Shang County."

"After crossing the Zhongling Mountain, we will enter the pass where my father is. This is the only way to go forward."

Zhuge Guo nodded, and her eyes couldn't help but look at a mother holding a baby with a sad look on her face.

The child in his arms was still very young, but his face chapped by the cold wind looked a bit older than Zhuge Guo.

Zhuge Qiao followed his sister's gaze and turned his head to whisper a few words to the servant. Then he watched the servant run towards the carriage where his mother was in front.

Soon the convoy also stopped, perhaps with Huang Yueying's order, and several servants ran to the back and unloaded the extra carts of baggage and put them together. Then the cavalry commander came out and shouted to the elite cavalry to maintain order, and then simply and rudely announced that rations would be distributed according to the number of people.

Zhuge Guo looked at the commander's face and softened a little, and his words seemed to be more nagging:

"After eating, hurry up and leave. You can rest at Wuguan. Take advantage of the wind and snow to enter Guanzhong quickly."

"Who donated the food? Why ask this? It's a big deal to get a bite of food."

"Wait until you enter Guanzhong and divide the land, and live a peaceful life. There will be no war over there."

Seeing the refugees who were much happier, Zhuge Guo thought for a while and asked:

"Brother, if you can also farm in winter, won't no one go hungry?"

Zhuge Qiao rubbed Zhuge Guo's head:

"For this matter, as long as my sister concentrates on studying it, there will be gains."

Wait until the matter here comes to an end Zhuge Qiao sent two servants to inquire about the situation, and finally said to his sister:

"The general commander Zhao Lei said that General Guan also knew about the people's migration to Guanzhong, and there is a relief station at Wuguan."

"Maybe they didn't expect that the cold winter has not passed, and there will be people on the trade route again. They are already hungry before they reach Wuguan."

"General commander Zhao Lei said that he will report to General Guan when he returns, and then set up one or two more relief stations."

This is the only way, Zhuge Guo nodded, and for the first time he felt a sense of urgency in his heart, but he didn't know whether he wanted to grow up early to study the method of growing food in winter, or wanted Lord Xuande to send troops as soon as possible to truly end this mess.

After passing Wuguan, perhaps because the people around him were full of hope, or the east wind in Guanzhong was a little different, in short, Zhuge Guo felt that he seemed to be a little lighter.

Shangluo County also has a relief office. Zhuge Guo listened to the official named Ma Zhong clearly announcing to the people that those with a skill could go to him to register and receive generous treatment. Even if they did not have a skill, as long as they registered, they could be exempted from half of the taxes in Guanzhong for the first three years.

Leaving the people behind and continuing on, the mountain road of Zhongling Mountain was obviously repaired by humans, and it was not difficult to walk.

When they reached the top of the mountain, the scenery of Guanzhong was already in sight.

The 800-li Qinchuan was embraced by mountains, and the 9,000-foot-high pass was guarded by one man.

Hundreds of villages and counties were surrounded by stars, and the Great Chang'an in the center was majestic.

The scenery, which was completely different from the south, struck the hearts of the group. After a long silence, they continued on the road. However, after this trade route, everyone's expectations could no longer be concealed.

After descending the Zhongling Mountain, it was only a hundred miles away from Chang'an. After descending the mountain, Huang Yueying did not expect that the shadow that had only appeared in her dreams in the past two years was standing by the Bashui River with a smile and looking at her.

"My dear~" A soft cry seemed to express endless sorrow, causing Kong Ming to immediately hold his wife's shoulders and whisper some intimate words in her ear. Soon, the two felt that this was not appropriate. Kong Ming led her to the cabin to talk to each other.

The smile on Zhuge Guo's face stagnated. He watched his father appear and then watched his father disappear at the speed of light. His raised hands were awkward in the air.

Fortunately, a man with a dull face broke the silence:

"Mr. Kong Ming's eldest disciple is still being punished, so he can't come here. My name is Ma Jun, and I apologize for Bo Yue."

Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Guo looked at each other: "Eldest disciple? Being punished?"

Ma Jun nodded:

"I obeyed the master's punishment and now work as a gatekeeper in the Imperial College to cultivate my mind."