In November in Longxi, after the first frost, the whole city was enveloped in the joy of the autumn harvest.

There are mountains of grain and a sea of ​​grapes. When the fruit-picking period is over, every household in Longxi carries out a large wooden basin and puts the picked grapes in the basin.

The men went out hunting, while the women took their children, chatting and waiting at the door.

"Woo——" the horn sounded from outside the city, all the way throughout the city.

Chen Gong was chatting with Hua Tuo. They had a glass of grape juice in each other's hands. When they heard the sound of the horn, Chen Gong asked: "My lord is back?"

"The Lord is back!" The soldiers rushed along the road, and the whole city became lively at that moment.

The army that went out to hunt in the grassland returned with another good harvest. Lu Bu led the unicorn into the city. Behind him were nearly a thousand carts of animal skins and piles of animal meat.

Lu Bu said: "Back!"

Qilin is wearing a deerskin robe and gold beads around his neck, and every household is looking up at him.

Qilin smiled and said, "Brewed wine? Fortunately, we made it in time. Where is Wenji?"

Cai Wenji had been waiting in the school grounds outside the Hou Mansion for a long time. She stood up and said, "I've been waiting for you two all day."

Wenji was wearing jingle rings and jingle bells, just like the autumn harvest girl in the myth of the Western Regions. Qilin took off her outer robe, rolled up her sleeves and said, "Let's start! Make wine. Let's see what the harvest is like in the first year. You step in."

Wenji smiled and said: "No, no... no."

Qilin said: "Women! Get into the tub! You're welcome!"

Wenji had no choice but to pull up her hair, while Lu Bu fetched the Qiang flute, and the music soared high into the sky. Cai Wenji stepped barefoot into the bucket, and the delicious grape juice splashed everywhere.

All the women in Longxi were laughing and playing freely, trampling the grape fruits in the big basin with their bare feet, like colorful dance steps. Lu Bu was eager to try: "I'll come too!"

Qilin said: "You stepped on it yourself, brew the wine and drink it yourself."

Lu Bu didn't dare anymore.

The sound of music is playing in the distance, thousands of families in the city are making wine, and women from every house are trampling the grapes. The bright red grape juice is put into large barrels, pressed together with the peels, and stored in the cellar.

The Liangzhou army divided the hunting proceeds, and another winter came. This winter was destined to be a good year of good food and clothing.

Dear Grand Master:

This year is the sixth year that Lu Bu occupied Xiliang. According to the news returned by spies from various places this year, compared with other cities in the Central Plains, the city's output is close to that of Chengdu, the richest Shu land, and is even higher than Jianye.

However, due to Lu Bu's repeated rejection of tax increase proposals, our official treasury accumulation is not as good as that of Sun Ce, Cao Cao and others, and is only the same as Liu Zhang's.

Our main supplies are iron and wine. After the Battle of Guandu, mulberry trees were planted in the three cities, silkworms were raised, grapes were harvested in the autumn and mulberry trees were planted in the spring. In this way, the city had something to do in every season.

The Silk Road resumed trade three years ago. The trade route went directly to Hangu Pass. We took our wine and iron to Kyushu in the Central Plains in exchange for a large amount of gold and silver. Lu Bu guarded the main road of the Silk Road, and trade transactions from the Western Regions to Longxi were tax-free.

Yes, taxes will be collected in Chang'an after leaving customs.

After the Battle of Guandu, Kyushu entered a relatively peaceful accumulation period, with constant minor frictions and no major military plans.

In just six years, the total population of Xiliang increased by 30,000, most of which were newborn babies and children. They were the descendants of the Bingzhou Army officers and soldiers brought by Lu Bu, and Xiliang Qiang women and Han women.

The mixed-race children are all quite beautiful. Their father is about to go out with Lu Bu to fight and dominate the world, while the children will stay in Liangzhou to grow up.

Should we take advantage of the small accumulation to use troops in Hanzhong, Yizhou and other places? We once had a debate involving all counselors on this issue. Kong Rong strongly advocated that there should be no truce - a stable rear area, as well as his wife, children

The existence of the enemy will make the soldiers feel comfortable and tired.

Chen Gong refuted fiercely, believing that there should be no more hasty dispatch of troops. Once this balance is broken, it will cause great turmoil in the Central Plains again.

Lu Bu's opinion on this is: A wolf will always be a wolf and will not turn into a dog just because it has been raised at home for a long time.

I hope Lu Bu is right. On this issue, I once again have a new understanding of Lu Bu. Regardless of whether he takes the initiative to send troops or not, this result will determine the final pattern of the Central Plains region.

Facing a completely unknown future, even I dare not make a decision easily. Lu Bu is not complacent, but he is quite confident. No matter when we go to war, our strength will not weaken due to the passage of time.

Fortunately, with this god of war in Liangzhou, we were able to gain four years of peace.

Liu Bei is still running around and is currently attached to Liu Biao in Jingzhou; Sun Ce has not heard from him for a long time. I hope he is doing well.

Walking on the streets of Longxi, listening to the sound of reading aloud from the school, seeing fruitful grape trellises at dusk, and the lights of thousands of households at night, the war is far away from Xiliang. I hope that the war in the near future will be over as soon as possible.

It ends and gives the world a fertile soil for peace.

Before that, I'd like to hear your opinion and look forward to hearing back.

——Disciple and grandson: Xiaohei.

Qilin burned the letter and sat quietly in the study. Green smoke curled up in the incense burner. Behind the quiet room, there was a painting. Qilin casually recited the words Lu Bu inscribed: Lord Don't laugh while lying drunk on the battlefield. Fighting in ancient times.

How many people returned.

He looked at the door of the quiet room, and there was a person standing inside the curtain, tall and elegant, wearing a green military robe, a white jade pendant, and a red rope tied around his wrist.

The face is like a crown jade, the lips are like red spots, the sword-shaped eyebrows fly into the temples, and the eyes are the same color as the blue sky, just like when they first met the Han River in the past.

The man said with a smile: "How have you been lately?"

Qilin replied in a low voice: "Very good. Why are you still angry when I haven't written a letter for so many years?"

Sun Ce sighed slowly: "I didn't listen to you. That day when I returned from Guandu, I drove Gong Jin to Danyang and did not announce his return for four years. In the past few years, I have killed too many people.

This is the reward."

Qilin asked: "Where is Sun Quan?"

Sun Ce replied: "Sun Quan is well and he is an adult now."

Qilin's gaze rested on Sun Ce's chest and whispered: "You still can't escape."

Sun Ce nodded, with a pool of black blood on his chest: "I killed Xu Gong and Wei Teng. Two years ago, anyone in the Jiangdong counties who disobeyed me was hanged by my own hands."

Qilin said: "That's what I wrote in the letter I left for you."

Sun Ce laughed and said, "I didn't listen. I was angry with you, but I hurt myself. The day before yesterday, I went out to the city for autumn hunting. I chased a snow-white doe and left my team. I didn't know who was hiding in the grass and shot me.

arrow."

Qilin sighed: "Why are you doing this?"

Sun Ce said: "Gong Jin is on his way back to Jianye. Sun Quan is fifteen this year. If Cao's army goes south and Liu Biao invades eastward in the future, I hope you will take care of the brotherhood of the past and persuade Marquis Wen to contain it and protect our territory east of the Yangtze River."

Creatures.”

Jiangdong and Xiliang are thousands of miles apart, and Sun Ce's soul has left his body. It is obvious that he is on his deathbed. At this moment, it is too late to ask Hua Tuo to ride on the red rabbit horse.

Qilin remained silent and his eyes were red. Sun Ce smiled. Behind him, Lu Bu opened the curtain and entered. Sun Ce's shadow instantly shattered and turned into countless light spots swirling in the dusk.

Lu Bu said: "I was drinking in the hall just now and had a dream."

Qilin said: "That's not a dream."

The two of them watched the souls in the room drift away bit by bit, chasing each other like fireflies, then threw themselves out the window, merged into a stream, and flew into the southeast sky.

Qilin Xing was discharged from the hospital, standing side by side with Lu Bu, looking at the sky.

A shooting star dragged a silvery white line across the dusk sky.

In the tenth year of Jian'an, Sun Ce passed away, and mourning was held in forty-eight cities across six counties in Jiangdong.

Zhou Yu rode hard, traveled day and night, and killed two horses. When he arrived at Jianye, he was faced with a dark coffin.

The military attachés under Sun Ce were wearing sackcloth and mourning. Sun Quan cried until he fainted and was carried into the inner room.

Zhou Yu knelt in front of the mourning hall and stared blankly at the heavy coffin.

Three days ago, Sun Ce led his army on an autumn hunt and was hit by an arrow in the chest. The arrow was actually poisoned. After being snatched back by his subordinates, he lay on the bed all night. The medicine and stone had no effect. Da Qiao immediately sent people to Danyang to inform Zhou Yu, and also sent a messenger

Go to Xiliang and give it to Qilin.

It was early in the morning when Zhou Yu received the first letter: Sun Lang was critically ill, please come quickly.

Zhou Yu didn't care about looking for someone to take over the political affairs in Danyang City and hurriedly mounted his horse.

When I arrived at the city gate, I received a second letter from Da Qiao: Sun Lang has left.

Zhou Yu was devastated and stood in the mourning hall. Da Qiao whispered: "Sun Lang... I stayed up all night and waited for you to come and say goodbye. The poison of the arrow was too strong and I couldn't hold on... I left at dawn."

Zhou Yu said: "Everyone, please step aside. I have something to say to him."

Da Qiao nodded and dismissed the people in the mourning hall.

The autumn wind blew through the hall, the mourning hall was empty, elegiac couplets were fluttering, and a few white dots returned to Jianye, gathering around Zhou Yu and whirling around. A gust of wind blew the flames of the oil lamps on both sides of the mourning hall erratic.

"Gong Jin." The light points of his soul gathered into the shape of Sun Ce, stood in front of Zhou Yu, and said with a slight smile: "I also have something to say to you."

Zhou Yu's eyes penetrated Sun Ce's body, without focus, and looked at the elegiac couplet blankly.

Zhou Yu stood up, dragged his tired steps to the candle holder, rolled up his sleeves, took the iron solder with his own hands, picked up the wick of the first lamp, and whispered: "The wind from Jiangdong is good, and the flowers will bloom in Shu County next year.

Chaohu Lake is still the same as ever with vast expanse of blue waves and cloudless blue sky.”

Sun Ce said: "I won't leave, but I will still stay with you."

Zhou Yu whispered: "When you return home, I will have another glass of water and wine in front of Chao Lake to sacrifice your soul."

Sun Ce whispered: "Gong Jin, I know you don't blame me. The scenery of Chaohu Lake is very beautiful. We met on the lake when we were young."

Zhou Yu lit up the oil lamps one by one, stared at the flames, and said slowly: "Your spirit in heaven must protect Sun Quan and protect the foundation you and I have built. When Sun Quan can take charge of his own business, I will relieve myself of my burden and come to be your companion."

Sun Ce said: "I'm not leaving, Gong Jin."
To be continued...