Chapter 28 The whole world is blessed by his grace, and the mountains and rivers are overturned Zhou Cheng came back to his senses. His eyes fell on the bearded man's clothing, which was very different from the southern style. He couldn't help but ask: "This big brother, is he from the north?" The big man didn't want to say much, but he saw that the boy's temperament was really outstanding among the crowd. The bearded man was a veteran of the escort agency who had traveled all over the country. He could tell at a glance that the young man only had one servant with him. But his every move revealed an innate nobility that was difficult to conceal. This young man is either rich or noble, or maybe both. Having experienced war, he has become more cautious and vigilant. In fact, the world has been at peace for only a few years. At this moment, he brought his wife and children from the north to Mount Zhongnan, just to fulfill his wish in the Taoist temple. The man didn't want to cause trouble, so he ignored it.
The child was chubby and was now sleeping peacefully on his broad shoulders. His wife was waiting by his side, a gentle woman from the south of the Yangtze River. The two people formed a contrast. Hearing the voice, the woman turned around. She first took the child off her husband's shoulders with a distressed look on her face, then rubbed the man's shoulders and asked softly: "Just tell me when you're tired, you always do this!" There was a hint of blame in his eyes. The man responded with a gentle look in his eyes: "Not tired." Zhou Cheng stepped forward with a smile and said: "This must be my sister-in-law. Big brother is so lucky." Just by listening to the boy's words, the woman knew that he was definitely a noble from the south. Only someone who grew up here could speak the elegant Beijing dialect so authentically. Land in Kyoto is very expensive and it is not easy to live in Kyoto. She nudged her husband. The big man then spoke in a sullen voice. "I am not worthy of being called elder brother, you said. We are indeed from the north." When Zhou Cheng heard this, a look of doubt appeared between his brows. "Brother, you have traveled thousands of miles to come to Mount Zhongnan. What are you doing here?" "It can't be that they are burning incense to pray for blessings!" The burly man remained silent. The woman gently held her husband's hand and took over the conversation. "Sir, do you know who is the most famous person in Zhongnan Mountain?"
"Of course it's the awe-inspiring Young Master Lu." Zhou Cheng answered without hesitation. The woman smiled gently: "Young Master, I think you are here for the Young Master's Protection, and so are we, my husband and I." Her words revealed her admiration for the young guard. After hearing this, Zhou Cheng couldn't help feeling a little confused. He understood that the couple opposite him could not possibly know his true identity, but he was not wrong. He did come here for Lu Chen. The woman seemed to see through Zhou Cheng's confusion. She pointed toward the mountain road, which was extremely crowded with people and pilgrims. Among them there are many people whose attire is similar to theirs, so they should be from the north. "Most of them are from the north, and they all came here to fulfill their vows to Shao Bao." "You still wish?" After hearing this, Zhou Cheng became more confused. The woman sighed softly, with a hint of sadness in her eyes, and slowly explained: "In the past, I followed my father to the north to take up his post. It happened that the northern cavalry marched southwards, smoke of war rose everywhere, and the north burned, killed, and looted along the way. My father eventually died there. He was a southerner, but his soul returned to the north." After hearing this, Zhou Cheng roughly outlined the woman's life experience. She was born into a family of officials and moved to the north because her father was transferred. My family must be in a disadvantaged position, otherwise how could they be in the war-torn north? "I wanted to die to show my loyalty, and I didn't want to be humiliated by the hands of my enemies. Fortunately, my husband risked his life to save me, and I am here today." Hearing this, the man held his wife's hand tightly, giving her silent comfort. "But," the woman's eyes revealed deep reminiscence, "there were many refugees back then. My husband and I traveled south with a mighty force of more than 30,000 people. Although we took care of each other, we were too big a target for the northern cavalry in the end." "They pursued us relentlessly, but instead of catching us all in one fell swoop, they forced us to Fenglingdu." "You may not have heard of this place, but in my heart, it is a place I will never forget in my life." Zhou Cheng nodded. He was well versed in military tactics and knew the terrain of the north like the back of his hand. "Fengling Ferry is a key point on the Yellow River. It goes straight down to Tongguan, dividing the water into north and south, and the energy of the Central Plains is intact. Here, the crowing of cocks in three provinces can be seen. Passing this place, you can go straight to the south. Its strategic position is no less than that of Hulao Pass." Chen Ji said with a little pride on the side: "My son is well-read and talented. He knows everything about astronomy and geography. He has read thousands of books at the age of nine. He is very knowledgeable. How could he not know about a place like Fengling Ferry?" After hearing this, the woman couldn't help but look up to this young man even more if it was true. In this era, if a family could collect ten books, it would mean that the family was well-off, let alone if one could read ten thousand books, which meant that the family must be a prominent and famous family. Zhou Cheng glanced at Chen Ji with a bad look. Chen Ji quickly shut up. The man next to him spoke coldly at this time: "The commander of Fenglingdu, facing the threat of Beifeng's 50,000-man army, resolutely stated that although the lives of 50,000 people are precious, how can they be compared with the safety of the country?" Zhou Cheng nodded in his heart. Fifty thousand cavalrymen and fifty thousand civilians were like fish eating. Once Fengling Ferry is broken, the north wind will be able to bypass Hulao Pass.
The big man sneered, "I hate these people the most. They always talk about the people of the world, but in their hearts they are all thieves and prostitutes. They are spineless and do all the bad things." After hearing this, Zhou Cheng smiled leisurely. The woman continued: "I thought I could not escape death, but I didn't expect that after Shao Bao knew about this, he brought 9,000 Lu family soldiers to come overnight." Talking about this, tears flashed in the man's eyes, as if he had returned to that desperate moment with the howling north wind and the cavalry like a tide. When you are in desperate situation, others will sacrifice themselves to save you. Who doesn’t cry! A man doesn't shed tears easily, but only when he is moved. "I still remember clearly how Shaobao looked when he arrived. He was covered in blood and could only lie on the horse's back." "We encountered several days of battles on the way. Shao Bao didn't sleep for several nights. In addition, the cold wind in the north made him seriously ill. However, he was worried about the safety of 30,000 people, so he came here in person." "I couldn't hold on any longer, but I was still talking." "I'm late." "I, Lu Shenzhou, am late and have made you suffer." When the big man said this, his lips trembled and his voice became deeper. "Nine thousand Lu family soldiers fought a bloody battle with fifty thousand Beifeng cavalrymen, killing eight thousand enemies. Only three thousand of the Lu family soldiers were left after their brothers died. The Lu family soldiers were fearless and scared off Beifeng." Zhou Cheng frowned, he had already memorized the battle report of Lu's army in the north, and remembered that there was no incident at Fengling Ferry. The man said angrily: "No one from Fengling Ferry was dispatched from the beginning to the end. At the end of the battle, the Shaobao ordered the city gates to be opened." "The garrison commander negotiated a condition: the victory would be his and the city gates would be opened." "Master Bao, I agree." The man didn't know what was wrong, and suddenly he said with some melancholy: "Master Bao, agreed without the slightest hesitation." "At that time, many of the 30,000 people wanted to join the Lu family army, but they were all rejected by the Shao Bao." The man could no longer control his voice and sobbed more and more. "The young guard said with a smile..." "Stranger, go home early." When the man said this, his voice was hoarse and tears were in his eyes. "If I hadn't had to protect A-ju back then, I would have really worried about him being a girl. I would have kneeled down and begged the young guard to hold his horse and whip for him." Aru is a woman's name. The woman held the child in one hand and held the man's hand with the other. The big man said, "The young master once said that you should go home early to get married and have children. If you have children, there will be hope. If you really have children, just remember to tell him." During the conversation, they were loyal to each other and a man's promise is worth a thousand gold.
"I promised Shao Bao back then, how dare I break my promise?" "Compared to Shao Bao's three days and three nights, traveling thousands of miles, our journey from the north is nothing." The man gently stroked the child in the woman's arms, his eyes full of emotion: "Later, Shao Bao retired to Mount Zhongnan. Now the child is already three years old. Some things delayed us in the past three years. My husband and I thought that we must come and tell Shao Bao about this year no matter what." "Whether the young guard knows or not, my husband and I have to come anyway." "We call it fulfilling a vow!" After hearing this, Zhou Cheng looked carefully at the people on the mountain path who were wearing the same clothes as the big man, and found that many of them were carrying children. The man laughed and said: "You don't need to look at it, sir. Back then, only 30,000 of us were saved by the Shao Bao. Who would have known that tens of millions of people in the north were saved by the Shao Bao?" After hearing this, Zhou Cheng couldn't help but think of the time when Lu Chen resigned and retired. A minister in the court made a secret report. "Please kill Lu Chen." The reason is: "The whole world has received his grace. If anyone has any other thoughts, the mountains and rivers may be overturned." (End of this chapter)