sovbooks Chapter 1362: Strange things to live in
Chapter 1362: Strange things to live in
Chapter 1362: Strange things to live in
After mid-October, the weather has turned cold and there have been two light snowfalls in Guanzhong.
After the light snow, Chang'an seemed to be lightly covered with a layer of silver gauze, exuding an indescribable coolness and tranquility.
The air was filled with a crisp and moist scent, and every breath seemed to bring in a biting chill, making people unable to help but tighten their collars.
Even the front of the Sima Mansion, where there was usually a constant flow of traffic, seemed to be affected by the cold and no longer had its former liveliness and bustle.
The base of the gate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion is several feet high, and the steps are built with hard bluestone. The large pillars at the gate are shiny and smooth.
There is a tiger carved on the door lintel, with its mouth open and teeth bared, its eyes flashing with ferocity, and it looks extremely powerful - the prime minister once said in "The Second Letter to the Emperor" that "in the northern Liangzhou, fierce tigers are waiting for orders."
For thieves, especially those from aristocratic families, the Han Dynasty's extremely ferocious tiger has a bloody mouth and will never be satisfied until it has eaten enough blood and flesh.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the entire Sima Mansion was covered with golden light, adding a bit of mystery and majesty.
At this time, in front of the empty gate of the Grand Sima's Mansion, a man was standing there quietly, waiting to be summoned by the Grand Sima.
His shoulders had been dyed white by the frost and snow, as if covered with a thin layer of silver powder.
His face was red from the cold and his skin was so tight that it seemed like it was about to crack.
His eyebrows and beard were covered with tiny ice crystals, sparkling with cold light.
It can be seen that he has been standing here for a long time.
And from the determined look he gave towards Da Sima Mansion, it could be seen that he still intended to wait.
After Tuoba Xianbei's eldest prince Tuoba Shamohan escaped from the grassland, he was left with only two followers.
These two people were able to escape the disaster because they stayed in Chang'an as contacts when he was doing business with Zhang Miao.
We set out on this trip to the grassland with full confidence.
Tuoba Desert Khan thought he would bring peace, prosperity and all kinds of supplies to the tribe.
Who would have thought that the tribe wanted to kill him for fun, and in the end he could only return alone in embarrassment.
When Tuoba Shamo Khan returned to Chang'an, he had nothing.
He didn't even know how he would face Zhang Miao.
Fortunately, he had revealed his identity when he was being hunted.
Perhaps the imperial court felt that he still had some value, so after sending him back to Chang'an, they placed him in the residence of barbarians, so there was no need to worry about him freezing to death or starving to death.
Who knew that Zhang Miao got the news from somewhere, and one day, he came to the door on his own initiative.
The first words he said were reproachful:
"Brother Tuoba, you kept it a secret from me! If I knew you were the eldest prince of the tribe, I would have at least doubled the cargo the last time I went out to the border."
When Tuoba Shamohan heard this, he thought Zhang Miao was speaking in a sarcastic way. He was so ashamed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
He bowed deeply to Zhang Miao:
"Brother Zhang, it's my incompetence that caused you to lose so much cargo..."
What Tuoba Shamohan didn't expect was that Zhang Miao didn't blame him, but comforted him:
"Brother Tuoba, what are you doing? How can there be no risk in doing business? Not to mention opening up trade routes, you have to be prepared to lose everything."
Just a few simple words almost made the man from the grassland cry out loud.
Seeing the other party's expression, Zhang Miao seemed very satisfied, and said half jokingly and half seriously:
"Do you think I was lying when I said I would double the amount of goods? Brother Tuoba, you underestimated me."
"With your status, I wish you would owe me more. The more you owe me, the more you will remember me when you become rich in the future."
Listen, listen!
Not only did Brother Zhang not blame him, but he even expressed his intention to continue cooperating with him.
At this moment, Tuoba Shamo Khan determined that Brother Zhang was his half-brother.
"Brother Zhang, I...how can I be worthy of your trust?"
Tuoba Shamohan choked a little.
Being hunted down by his closest relatives and tribesmen on the grassland, that kind of betrayal made Tuoba Shamo Khan doubt his life and feel hopeless.
Who could have thought that far away in Chang'an, there was someone who was as close to me as a family member?
Under such circumstances, this friendship is extremely valuable to Tuoba Shamo Khan.
It is no exaggeration to say that it is like encountering a sweet spring before dying of thirst in the desert.
"Because you are the eldest prince of the tribe!" Zhang Miao said as a matter of course, "And I have inquired about it. Now the Tuoba Xianbei is the largest tribe on the grassland."
"So," Zhang Miao said confidently, "as long as you can return to the tribe in the future, no matter how much goods I lost, I will earn them back a hundred or a thousand times."
It would have been fine if Zhang Miao hadn't mentioned this, but once he did, Tuoba Shamohan's face was filled with bitterness:
"Brother Zhang, don't you understand? I am no longer the eldest prince. I am just a lost dog."
"A stray dog? No, no, no! Brother Tuoba, how can you be so self-deprecating? Just having this status is worth a fortune."
If the man in front of him was not his biological brother, Tuoba Shamohan would have thought he was being sarcastic.
"This...Brother Zhang, I don't quite understand what you mean by this."
"Oh, Brother Tuoba, now in the northern desert, all the Hu people admire the Han Dynasty, and all tribes and clans are coming here in droves."
"Except," Zhang Miao pointed at Tuoba Shamohan, and then pointed to the northeast, "the Hu tribes in the north of Youzhou have not submitted."
"And you, my friend, wanted to lead your people to join the Han Dynasty, but you were harmed by a traitor and almost lost your life."
"However, you have never regretted your decision to return to Han, and you have come to Chang'an this time to express your longing for Han."
When Tuoba Shamohan heard this, he was immediately stunned:
When did I have such thoughts?
Although I do have some yearning for the Han Dynasty, I have absolutely no intention of relying on it.
Thinking of this, his heart suddenly skipped a beat and a vague idea flashed through his mind.
Before he could catch it, he heard Zhang Miao say with some anguish:
"Brother Tuoba, why are you still confused? You are the eldest prince of the tribe!"
Tuoba Shamohan looked at Zhang Miao in some confusion. It is true that I am the eldest prince, but I am the deposed prince who was expelled by my tribe.
"Your misfortune this time was caused by your loyalty to the Han people. That's why you were unfortunately harmed by the treacherous people in your clan. Do you understand?"
Zhang Miao emphasized it again.
The speaker is unintentional and the listener is interested.
Tuoba Shamohan's face suddenly changed, and the vague thought just now became clear all of a sudden.
My Lord, you have always wanted to ally with Wei to resist Han. No, in fact, you have already formed an alliance with the Wei people.
It was only because I strongly argued the pros and cons that the Lord agreed to let me come to the Han Kingdom to give it a try.
So...what Brother Zhang said is very likely to be true.
There must be someone who took advantage of the fact that I left the tribe and came to the Han State to speak ill of you, or even deceived you and slandered me.
As soon as he thought of this, several figures of his brothers seemed to appear before Tuoba Shamohan's eyes:
Tuoba Xilu, Tuoba Chuo, Tuoba Luguan.
Especially Tuoba Xilu, who often competed with me for favor in front of adults...
The more Tuoba Shamohan thought about it, the more sad and angry he felt.
It’s sad that adults don’t believe in themselves at all.
What made me angry was that my brother could be so cruel.
"Brother Tuoba, Brother Tuoba, what are you thinking about? Did you listen to what I said?"
Zhang Miao's voice seemed to come from a distance, bringing Tuoba Shamohan's thoughts back to reality.
"Brother Zhang, if, if this is really the case, then what should I do?"
Tuoba Shamohan grabbed Zhang Miao's hand and asked anxiously.
Zhang Miao had not expected that the other party would be so tactful. He was overjoyed and said quickly:
"This is easy to do. The fact that the imperial court can place the Tuoba brothers here means that they have recognized the Tuoba brothers' identities."
"What Brother Tuoba needs to do is to find a way to explain your experience to the court and beg for help."
"The imperial court only considers the loyalty of the Tuoba brothers to the Han Dynasty. Even if we cannot spare troops to help them for the time being, at least we will not treat the Tuoba brothers unfairly."
"As long as Brother Tuoba can settle down in Chang'an, make friends with the powerful and wealthy, and find connections, he can wait for the help of nobles in the future and persuade the court to send troops to help. Brother Tuoba, why should he worry about not being able to return to his clan?"
Tuoba Shamohan was a little hesitant when he heard this:
"I am just a fugitive now. Can I really get help from the court?"
Zhang Miao laughed and said meaningfully:
"If the Tuoba Xianbei have already submitted to the Han Dynasty, then the Tuoba brothers are naturally traitors and fugitives, and the imperial court will naturally not care."
"But now, Tuoba Xianbei not only did not submit, but also had the intention of rebelling. Brother Tuoba is the first person in your tribe to abandon violence and submit. If the court turns a blind eye, wouldn't it chill people's hearts?"
Although the words were not spoken explicitly, Tuoba Shamohan had already understood them and felt a little uncomfortable.
Isn't this asking me to trade my tribe for my future?
Seeing Tuoba Shamohan's hesitant look, Zhang Miao frowned and reminded him:
"Brother Tuoba, why are you still in trouble? Have you forgotten about the people being hunted down in the grassland? Or are you willing to be depressed for the rest of your life and die in Chang'an?"
Tuoba Shamohan was suddenly startled.
The memory of the embarrassing escape on the grassland suddenly came back to me.
Yes, if it weren’t for the guards who desperately rescued him and the timely arrival of the Han army, he would have become food for the weeds.
Thinking of this, Tuoba Shamohan clenched his fists for a moment, then loosened them dejectedly, and finally said dejectedly:
"Don't say I don't know any noble people in Chang'an. Even if I do, I have to rely on the government for food and clothing. How can I get to know a noble person?"
Zhang Miao laughed and asked:
"Brother Tuoba, do you know that rare goods are valuable?"
Tuoba Desert Khan had been familiar with the Central Plains culture for a long time, so he naturally knew this historical allusion.
"Now, in my opinion, Brother Tuoba, you," Zhang Miao pointed at Tuoba Shamohan and said sincerely, "are my rare treasure."
Then he pointed at himself and said, "Although I am incompetent, I have some money, so I am willing to gamble with you, Brother Tuoba."
When Tuoba Shamohan heard this, he was choked with sobs and could not speak.
"In fact, the person who has the most say in this matter is none other than the Grand Marshal."
Zhang Miao sighed a little, "Although my aunt is the concubine of the Grand Marshal, she dare not say much on such national affairs."
But he cheered up again and comforted:
"But I have already made arrangements with the concierge, so I can help deliver your visiting card."
After a pause, he continued, "As for whether you can have the opportunity to meet Da Sima, it ultimately depends on you."
In front of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, countless people presented visiting cards, but only a very select few had the opportunity to present them to him.
"Brother Zhang, you have done this for me, it is already very precious, how dare I ask for more?"
Even if it is not for the trade route that allows Brother Zhang to make a profit, but for his own return to the tribe, there is absolutely no reason to retreat.
That's why Tuoba Shamohan waited at the door of the Grand Marshal's Mansion for several days in such a cold day to ask for an audience.
I don’t know how much time passed, but the sun was setting.
In the reflection of the setting sun, the bluestone walls of the Sima Mansion reflected golden light, and the wall lines farther away seemed to be coated with a layer of gold.
Another day is about to pass.
Tuoba Shamohan looked up at the Grand Marshal's Mansion and let out a sigh that even he could hardly hear, and disappointment appeared in his eyes again.
With curfew approaching, it looked like today would be another day of futile waiting.
He gently shook his frozen fingers, tried to make a fist, let the palm of his hand warm his fingers, and then opened them again. After doing this several times, his almost stiff body was finally awakened.
Just as he was about to turn around, he saw a group of people galloping to the gate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion.
When the leading knight was welcomed into the palace by the people, he turned around to look at Tuoba Shamohan who was trying hard to recover his ability to move.
He seemed a little curious that there was still someone waiting in front of the Grand Marshal's Mansion at this time.
This person seemed to be of high status. Not only were all his guards on horseback, but even the doorman at the Grand Marshal's Mansion was bowing and nodding.
Seeing that the noble had noticed that side, the doorman quickly pointed at Tuoba Shamohan and seemed to be explaining something.
After hearing the doorman's explanation, the nobleman glanced at Tuoba Shamohan again. His cold eyes and chilly expression completely extinguished the little flame of anger that had just risen in Tuoba Shamohan's heart.
Seeing the other person disappear in the door, Tuoba Shamohan became anxious and did not care about offending the noble man, and shouted:
"Are you the Grand Marshal?"
Regardless of whether he is true or not, this person is the most likely person to be Da Sima that he has met in these days.
Even if not, he must be someone who can meet Da Sima.
Unexpectedly, after he said this, not only did he fail to stop the nobleman, but the guards, like wolves hunting their prey, suddenly scattered and surrounded him.
The two men in the front had their long swords half-drawn, the blades reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, which was breathtaking.
Seeing those guards who had no intention of hiding their killing intent towards him, Tuoba Shamohan already felt regretful in his heart. However, at this moment, his whole body had not recovered yet, and his legs were very numb.
He wanted to move, but his body fell to the ground uncontrollably.
Most people would hesitate when seeing him like this.
But the guards merely slowed down their pace, became more alert, and subconsciously pulled out the entire blade.
These are definitely elite soldiers on the battlefield, and they will show no mercy until their opponents are completely dead.
Tuoba Shamohan, whose frozen body had not yet recovered, was lying on the snow, looking at the guards who were almost approaching him. He had no doubt that if he made a mistake, the other party would kill him without hesitation.
"I am... I am not an assassin. I am here to ask to see the Grand Marshal."
The more anxious you are, the less your hands and feet will obey you.
As the sharp saber was about to be placed on his neck, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Leave people under the knife!"
(End of this chapter)