Chapter 207 (1/2)
”Gu Shuai, over the top of the mountain in front of you is the junction of Fangshan Mountain and Jieshan mountain. From there, there is a path buried by grass stems and leaves. You can directly reach Qingyuan stream by walking along the path.” Zhai Ning wiped the sweat on his face and pointed to the mountain hundreds of meters in front of him.
”Is Qingyuan stream the source of Guangji river you said before?” Gu Qingcheng raised his right hand to signal the team to stop, turned over and got off the horned horse, looked at the steep mountain in front of him and asked.
”That's the source of Guangji river. After the source of Guangji River, there are many mountain streams and underground rivers flowing into it. That's what we saw before in Guangji county.” Zhai Ning also got off his mount and came to the position of Gu Qingcheng.
”General Zhai, I always have a question in my heart. Guangji county is only a few days away from Fangshan. It's called relying on mountains to eat mountains and water to eat rivers. I have called many hunters in the mountains before. Although they are very familiar with mountains and forests, they don't know this path. How do you know?” Gu Qingcheng looked at Zhai Ning lightly and asked.
This problem has been hovering in Gu Qingcheng's mind for a long time. Since Zhai Ning said that he knew a path from Fangshan to Jieshan, she has been thinking about this problem. Later, she gathered many mountain people from nearby counties, but they didn't know the path. If it hadn't been mentioned in his letter to Lu que, Lu que made her believe Zhai Ning, It is absolutely impossible for her to cross the Guangji River by such means. It's not that she doesn't believe in Zhai Ning Xiang, but that she can't gamble on the life of the soldiers just by Zhai Ning's words.
”Gu Shuai doesn't believe in Zhai.” Zhai Ning's face changed slightly
”It doesn't matter whether I believe you or not. As long as Lu believes you, it's enough. I know that since you can bring us here, it has proved that what you said is true. Originally, I shouldn't ask such a question, so as not to chill your heart. But I am really curious in my heart. Why don't even the hunters who travel in this mountain forest all the year round know that there is such a way, but you know that, you should satisfy my curiosity. ” Gu Qingcheng asked, looking at the mountain scenery in front of him.
Zhai Ning's road is covered with fallen leaves and thorns. Most people would think that under the fallen leaves is the moist and soft woodland, which is not suitable for the army. But when you really walk on this road, you will find that the fallen leaves have just been buried under the horse's hooves, and there are solid ground below. Gu Qingcheng really can't figure out why there is such a road here, and Zhai Ning, who is not from Guangji County, actually knows.
Zhai Ning was stunned. He didn't expect Gu Qingcheng to be so frank. However, when he heard Lu Que's name, he felt warm in his heart. His plan to send a partial teacher to take a mountain road to bypass Guangji river was the one he offered after Yu Tianxiang and Gu Qingcheng stabilized the situation of Guangji county. However, Gu Qingcheng didn't approve of his plan, He understood that this was because of his demoted status. Even if he helped Fengxiang army win Guangji Dacang, he could not get all the trust of Gu Qingcheng.
However, what he didn't expect was that Lu que, who was in the capital of Daqian, actually agreed to his plan and asked his fiancee Gu Qingcheng to lead Fengxiang yunqi, the most elite of the Fengxiang army, to accompany him. No matter Lu Que's mind or Lu Que's trust in him, Zhai Ning had the idea to die for his confidant, You know, he worked for the Qiu family for many years and assisted Qiu ao as his deputy, but he didn't get Qiu Ao's trust. Otherwise, Qiu Ao would not listen to him and was transferred by Lu que.
”Gu Shuai, the reason why I know this road is that I walked this road myself more than ten years ago.” Zhai Ning took a deep breath and flashed a trace of memory in his eyes.
”What? Did you walk by yourself? ” Gu Qingcheng's eyes were full of surprise. Although the road could accommodate the army, it was not easy to walk. There were many wild animals in the mountain. Even the day before yesterday, a fierce beast appeared near their camp. If the fierce beast had not been deterred by the army atmosphere, only a few people would walk on the mountain road, it would have become a meal for him. Zhai Ning actually said that he had walked through such a dangerous road. You know, Zhai Ning is only about 30 years old now. How old was he more than ten years ago?
”Not bad.” Zhai Ning nodded his head with a bitter smile, as if remembering the unforgettable memory. He said, ”I was born in a poor family, and my parents passed away early. When I was young, in order to study, I went out to study when I was less than 15 years old. Gu Shuai may also know that it is not easy for poor children like me to study in Tianxing.”
”Yes.” Gu Qingcheng sighed and nodded his head. Tianxing is different from Daqian. Daqian has elementary school, township school, county school, county school, and nine university palaces. Both elementary school and township school are funded by the imperial court. Therefore, in Daqian, even rural farmers, hunters and fishermen have read some books and know many words. But Tianxing is different. Almost all of Tianxing's book knowledge is monopolized by aristocratic families, and almost 90% of the illiterate people in the folk. It's not easy for poor students to get ahead, not to mention to have books to read.
”In Tianxing, if I want to enter the private schools run by noble families, I have to pay a certain fee. One month's fee is almost the same as the three-month ration of a family of five. In those years, I worked for my master's family and studied at the same time. I often went hungry, and sometimes I was driven out because of insufficient payment. When I was driven out of the school again, I thought of hunting some leather goods for money in Fangshan. I didn't expect to be bitten by a poisonous snake. Fortunately, I met an old man who went into the mountain to collect herbs, and this road was taken by the benefactor of that year. ”
Thinking of the old man who had passed away for many years, Zhai Ning sighed deeply and continued, ”that time I followed my benefactor to pick a five hundred year old xuanxinlian in this mountain. After leaving the mountain, my benefactor sold it to a nobleman in Wangdu for a large sum of money. When he learned about my ambition, he gave me most of the money, I just finished my studies, and then I was valued by the Qiu family and became a disciple of the Qiu family. ”
”So it is.” Gu Qingcheng nodded with some emotion. Before, she only knew that Zhai Ning was from a poor family. Later, she became a member of the Qiu family to assist Qiu Ao. But she didn't expect that his way to study was so hard. If the old herb gatherer hadn't saved him at that time, he might have died of snake venom and become a skeleton under the fallen leaves of the vast mountains.
”Then you should thank the old man. Now you are not a member of the Qiu family, but a real general. You don't have to rely on others or look at others' faces. Although the appointment of the imperial capital has not come down yet, it is at least a powerful general of four grades. If you make great achievements in this battle, maybe you will be a marquis. At that time, the imperial court will build a mansion for you. Since the old man is kind to you, you can take him to the mansion to support him. ” Gu Qingcheng said.
”Thank you for your advice, but I may not have the chance. The benefactor has been dead for many years.” Zhai Ning said that again with tears in his eyes.
Later, after he became a general of the lion army, he went out of his way to find his benefactor. Only then did he know that the old man was a very famous doctor in the south of Tianxing and had passed away. Zhai Ning can't believe that his benefactor, who was walking on the mountain road a few years ago, has passed away. There must be something unknown. Only after some inquiry did he know the truth of the matter.
It turns out that a few years ago, the last generation of Tianxing king suddenly fainted during the court meeting, and the palace doctors had no idea. The queen ordered to invite Tianxing doctors to Beijing for treatment, and zhaining's benefactor was also among them. However, after entering the palace, the old man diagnosed that the vitality of the heavenly king was constantly being swallowed up and eliminated by an inexplicable power, some of which were like mistakes in practicing martial arts, and some were like strange poisons.
Although the old man did not find out what the king of heaven and stars was constantly devouring his life, his years of medical experience led him to judge that if there were no natural resources and treasures to continue his life, the king of heaven and stars would never live longer than five years. But also because of this sentence, the old man was charged with cursing the king and died in prison in vain.
Hearing Zhai Ning's story, Gu Qingcheng sighs deeply. Although the old man's death was caused by Tianxing royal family, it had nothing to do with Daqian, because it was the man who poisoned Tianxing king that killed the old man. Gu Qingcheng can imagine that the old man died in the prison, and there might be a shadow behind him, This old man may be the victim of Daqian's struggle with Tianxing, but she can't tell Zhai Ning about it.
Looking at Zhai Ning with a gloomy look, Gu Qingcheng said softly, ”the old man gave you his belongings in those years, but he just took a fancy to your heart of studying. He didn't want to let such poor students as you lose their ambition. You should not let the old man down.”
Speaking of this, Gu Qingcheng pauses and says, ”as long as Daqian wins the battle, I can guarantee that every Tianxing people will get the same treatment as Daqian people. The poor students will no longer have to worry about reading, nor will they have to sell their dignity with human slaves. In Daqian, the poor students can go to school with xungui family and listen to the audience together. Among them, the best can even go to the cabinet to worship the prime minister and offer their wives and children. I won't tell anyone else. The most famous Duke of Wei was born in a poor family. ”