Chapter 006: Traveling with Chai Rong
To facilitate travel, Li Tinggui left three severely injured individuals at the mountain stronghold
This young man is handsome, possessing a distinct aura that sets him apart from others, making him quite conspicuous
Li Tinggui made meticulous arrangements, dividing the eight large carts of the caravan into two parts, with four in the front and four in the back, while his own six horse-drawn carriages were positioned in the center
Having descended the mountain path, the pace of progress has noticeably quickened. Having entered the basin, faint greenery can be seen by the riverside, indicating that spring has arrived
The young man was taken aback, glancing towards the carriage, and met Meng Chang's gaze, who was looking at him with a smile and a nod. He then politely declined, saying: "Thank you for your kind offer, madam. However, I am accustomed to walking on my own two feet. Occasionally riding in a carriage makes me uneasy. This mountain road is narrow, so I hope you and your son will exercise extra caution."
Encountering a merchant caravan that was resting, the leader, named Xiedie, noticed that Meng Chang and his companions were accompanied by soldiers, and thus requested to travel together
Meng Chang smiled apologetically, "It seems I was being petty."
Li immediately shouted for the car to stop, calling out to the young man who was walking by
Wang Quanbin had actually intended this for a long time, but due to his status, he found it inconvenient to bring it up. Now that Young Master Meng has raised the issue, he immediately adds fuel to the fire: "Old Fourth Fu, your father was renowned far and wide, and your brothers also have great reputations. Do you really want to stay in this bandit hideout and waste away? To be honest, you are not even a decent bandit; you can't even catch a whiff of meat."
The road ahead has become increasingly narrow. Xie Die said: "I passed through this place more than ten years ago, and ahead is a narrow sky. The path in the middle is narrow, with sheer cliffs on both sides. Although the distance is short, it is quite perilous."
In fact, during their time as bodyguards, the relationship between Wang Quanbin and Fu Yanqing was quite ordinary. However, after that life-and-death experience, their reunion made them acutely aware of the caprices of fate, and they became friends who could talk about anything.
Meng Chang also stood up in a somewhat formal manner, raising his bowl to offer congratulations
Traveling westward, then heading south, after several days I crossed the boundary of Hanzhong and arrived at Jianmen, entering the land of Shu
Li Tinggui immediately called for the soldiers to be on alert. The ten subordinates that Fu Yanqing brought from the mountain stronghold had long been entrusted to him, thus his number of soldiers had not diminished but rather increased.
Old Master Fu drank a bowl of wine and said, "To be honest, many of these people are soldiers who followed King Wei, Li Jiji, in his campaign against Shu. On the way back to Luoyang to rescue the emperor, they heard of the death of Emperor Zhuang and the suicide of King Wei. Subsequently, most of the soldiers followed the army's Sima, Ren Huan, to pledge allegiance to Li Siyuan. A small portion refused and scattered on their own. Some of them arrived here and became bandits, claiming the mountains as their own. Many homeless commoners also came to seek refuge, forming this small community." A small portion refused and scattered on their own. Some of them arrived here and became bandits, claiming the mountains as their own. Many homeless commoners also came to seek refuge, forming this small community.
As Xie Die has stated, the road is exceedingly narrow, barely wide enough for a large cart to pass, and one can only see a sliver of the blue sky above.
Master Chai? The Xie Die clan? Oh, I remember now, Zhou Shizong Chai Rong
Xie Die? This name sounds somewhat familiar, but Meng Chang cannot recall who it is after thinking for a while
Wang Wenwu and Old Four Fu sat in the lower seats, completely unconcerned
Li said with a smile: "Chang'er is mistaken! He is afraid that the vehicle is overloaded, which could lead to accidents, and that is why he declined. He also takes responsibility upon himself; such a child is teachable. In the future, he will surely achieve great things, and you should learn more from him"
Wang Wenwu sighed and said: "Actually, my name is Wang Quanbin. This person is Fu Yanqing, the fourth son of Fu Cunshen, the King of Qin from back in the day. We were both bodyguards of Emperor Zhuang. When Guo Shiqian rebelled, Emperor Zhuang was shot by an arrow. Only about twenty of us fought desperately, carving a bloody path to protect Emperor Zhuang's escape. Later, Emperor Zhuang was severely injured and died without treatment, so we scattered to escape. I thought only a few had made it out, but unexpectedly, I encountered Brother Fu. Come, let us raise a glass to our narrow escape from death"
The meal served was quite simple, yet it was already the most delicious dish in the makeshift setting
The six carriages hired at great expense by Wu Zhang are convenient and nimble, making them particularly suitable for traversing mountain roads
Li's approach to work is indeed thorough
Chai Rong does not think this way either. What has been gained is the candy of friendship
After speaking, he smiled and walked over to Xie Die, and they walked together
The young man quickly approached and asked, "May I ask what the young master has summoned me for?"
"It is inappropriate," said Chai Rong, standing beside the Xie Die clan, after listening to Li Tinggui's arrangements.
Meng Chang said with a smile, "It's nothing. I still have some candies here, you can take them and eat."
Du Yifeng looked at him in astonishment. This sentence is quite mature, isn't it
Although Meng Zhixiang served as the military governor of Xichuan, he had only recently assumed office, and his personal guards were primarily gathered in Chengdu. Therefore, Li Tinggui and the Li family decided to proceed directly to Chengdu without alarming the local officials
"Certainly." Fu Yanquing wiped away his tears and shouted, "I am leaving now," and then he raised his spear and descended the mountain
Liu Yuzhou, whose surname is Liu, was born in Yuzhou. With tears in his eyes, he said: "Rest assured, Master of the Village! When you achieve success in the future, do not forget us brothers."
The shack is very dilapidated. In this world, even being a bandit is quite impoverished
This is not acceptable. I have a suggestion that the leader of the Fu clan might consider. Just come with us, and once we arrive in Chengdu, you can personally express your gratitude. Meng Chang stated his intention.
I see. In the future, the captor and the one who will illustrate my story will be none other than this Wang Quanbin, who is short of ten coins from me
Although Meng Chang was young, his status as the son of Meng Zhiqiang placed him in the seat of honor. His mother, Lady Li, despite being a princess, could not take a seat at the table. Du Yifeng and Li Tinggui sat beside him.
"Unappreciative." Meng Chang complained angrily
The names have been matched. Upon hearing these two names, Meng Chang desperately recalled the knowledge he possessed and finally remembered. Both of these individuals later became fierce generals under Zhao Kuangyin, with Fu Yanqing fighting against the Xiongnu and Wang Quanbin defeating Shu, both of whom made significant contributions to the unification of the Song Dynasty.
He opened the window and shouted back: "Chai Rong"
Meng Chang was young, and the four of them paid him no mind, engaging in mutual flattery and playful banter, drinking heartily from large bowls, and soon they were all thoroughly intoxicated
In his youth, Chai Rong once engaged in business with the merchant Xie Die, a fact that Meng Chang remembers vividly. After all, Chai Rong is one of the few enlightened rulers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Wu Zhang hired a carriage and purchased horses, and Li Tinggui immediately directed the soldiers to prepare for departure
Fu Yanqing accepted and bowed to Meng Chang, saying: "Upon arriving in Chengdu, please convey my regards to your esteemed father, Young Master Meng."
In just a few days, we arrived at the borders of Mianzhou. Once we passed Mianzhou, Chengdu was right before us, and everyone was filled with excitement
"Fu Zhaizhu, it seems that everyone can be found in your stronghold." Li Tinggui said
Old Master Fu nodded: "Lord Meng, I have met him once; he is a very kind person"
Having just experienced war, the smoke of gunfire still lingers, and displaced civilians can be seen everywhere
From then on, Meng Chang and Chai Rong became the best of friends. Meng Chang found his conduct and handling of affairs to be very appropriate, and he admired him greatly
It is easy to speak of it, but anyone can imagine the horrific scene and the illustrations at that time
The forgotten young Mengchang spoke up: "Uncle Fu, just accept it. Just look at these houses; it's a wonder they don't leak when it rains."
Li Tinggui has recently become well acquainted with Fu Yanqing, continuing to fan the flames: "A great man aspires to the four corners of the world. With the reputation of Chief Fu, he is sure to achieve fame across the land in the future. Now that Lord Meng is eager to recruit talented individuals, if one can fulfill this wish and go, he will surely be valued greatly."
Hehe. Fu Yanquing smiled shyly.
Guo Chongtao was killed, and Kang Yanxiao rebelled, although it was later suppressed. However, many soldiers who followed Guo Chongtao gathered in the mountains and forests, opposing the court. Additionally, numerous remnants of the former Shu still caused chaos within Shu, leaving Bashu in a state of unrest. We, being unarmed, hope that you will allow us to accompany you. The elder Xiedie, with white hair, was tall and strong, exuding a certain authority.
Very polite, Li immediately took a liking to him, "Come sit in the car."
Xie Die has traveled extensively over the years, quickly becoming well-acquainted with Li Tinggui and others. As he walked, he recounted the strange and interesting tales he had encountered during these years, occasionally eliciting laughter.
Upon mentioning Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang, Wang Fu exchanged a glance with the other person.
Chai Rong was not polite either; he took the candy and said, "I also have some candy here, you can take it and eat."
The adults couldn't help but laugh at this scene. It's all candy, so why bother exchanging it back and forth like this
Fu Yanqing hurriedly waved his hand and said: "No, no. I apologize for any shortcomings in my care, and I ask for your understanding"
The young man approached the car, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said: "May I ask what business brings you here, madam?"
Zhe? '' Fu Yanqing hesitated
The compassionate heart of the Li Bodhisattva naturally agrees
This is a talent. Even if the talent cannot be utilized by me, it must not fall into the hands of others
"Young Master Chai, you truly are blessed yet do not enjoy it," someone in the merchant caravan jested.
Meng Chang knew that this was a quotation from his family's ancestor, Mencius
He has his own considerations. After all, the safety of Lord Meng's family is of utmost importance
Wang Wenwu did not conceal the fact that these individuals were the family members of Lord Meng Zhixiang from Old Fourth Fu
Everyone raised their glasses and said: "Cheers!"
Meng Chang peered out from the carriage. This caravan consisted of eight large carts and more than twenty people. Walking alongside him was a youth who was three or four years older than himself. The carts were loaded with some goods from the north, intended for sale in Shu.
"Mother, can that little friend also ride in the car?" Meng Chang was seeking his mother's opinion
That young master smiled and said: "When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a person, it must first temper their mind and spirit, and labor their muscles and bones..."
After this, the mountain road became winding and narrow, surrounded by desolate mountains and wilderness. Li Tinggui instructed to slow down the speed.
In the evening, the same five people gathered around a table. Li Tinggui stood up and said: "Chief Fu, I apologize for the inconvenience over the past few days. Tomorrow we will be heading to Chengdu. This is a small amount of silver given by my wife, intended to contribute to the development of the stronghold. I kindly ask you to accept it."
The next day, Fu Yanqing selected more than ten capable subordinates to accompany him, handed over the Li family's silver to Liu Yuzhou, and then solemnly instructed: "This stronghold will be entrusted to you from now on. Remember, seek only wealth and minimize killing as much as possible"
After staying for another two days, Li instructed Li Tinggui to leave the mountain stronghold for Chengdu tomorrow
You see how these two are so close, just like lovers reuniting
Meng Chang should not think this way. What is gained here is the candy of a future emperor
As everyone spoke one after another, Fu Yanqing slammed the table and said loudly: "Alright! Tomorrow I will go to Chengdu with you."