In the land of Liaodong, it has always been getting colder day by day after the autumn harvest. However, since the advent of the fire kang among the people more than ten years ago, for the people outside the Great Wall, whether they are miscellaneous tribes or powerful families, autumn and winter have become colder.

They all have a serious farm job to do - that is chopping firewood!

This is of course, since Suiren lit the first bonfire, fuel has been an eternal necessity for mankind.

However, in Liaodong, which is sparsely populated and densely forested, such large-scale firewood hoarding activities always appear to be full of local characteristics, because at this time, there is usually a nationwide hunting operation at the same time.

Hunting is an activity that can always arouse the emotions of almost everyone. An excellent hunt can not only bring a rare surplus of wealth to a family, but also bring enough honor to the hunter. If anyone can shoot

By killing a tiger or a bear, the person who was the main hunter at that time would even become famous in the county to a certain extent, and the food would become the talk of the town throughout the winter.

However, in the first year of Guanghe's first year, the activity of hunting and farming in autumn, which had gradually emerged in the past few years, became more lively than ever. There were even outstanding good men and fierce rangers from other counties who went to Liaodong to participate in the hunting... And

All because Gao Yan, the governor of Liaodong, personally led his subordinate county officials, powerful households, and soldiers to conduct a semi-official hunt!

That's right, the prefect issued an official announcement through the bulletin boards of pavilions and inns in various places. The announcement read: "I chatted like a teenager, holding the yellow on the left, holding the blue on the right, wearing a brocade hat and mink fur, and riding thousands of horses to roll around Pinggang."

.In order to repay the beautiful city and follow the prefect, I will personally shoot the tiger and reward the civil defense!'

Did you see it? After the harvest in autumn, the county was in great peace, and then the governor of Liaodong actually took advantage of the opportunity of collecting firewood in the autumn to visit the hunting ground, shoot tigers, follow the customs of the border areas, and reward the people. This is so exciting.

?And such words made all the young men in the county so excited? No wonder those good men and knights from other counties who wanted to find a way out were so eager to try and prepared to show their face in front of Governor Gao... Uh,

Even the officials of this county didn't understand it for a while. They thought that their own prefect Gao had suddenly changed his gender, let alone these people who had been coaxed here.

"Wen Qi misunderstood me!" Gao Yan held the hand of the person in front of him at the gate of the county government temple and refused to leave. "I only promised you to reward civil defense, but when did it turn into going hunting in autumn in person?!

And the proclamation you wrote is too unrealistic... How can a mortal shoot a tiger?"

"Fu Jun!"

Gongsun Xun was wearing his crown and armor, but his hands were grabbed by the other party. It was not easy to drag the dignified governor of the county out of the door, wasn't it?

Therefore, this guy had no choice but to explain seriously: "No one asked the prince to shoot tigers in person, and the text can't be said in words. All you have to do is go to the hunting ground in person and show your face, and then you can cook wine and sing in the high court.

Xiangtian, come back that night, and leave all the rest to me! You are very safe!"

"Then it's hard to say it's safe, right?" Governor Gao shook his head repeatedly. "These days when ferocious beasts attack people, how can you just not provoke them? Wenqi, you don't know, before, our Liaodong Pingguo Ling was the patrol county

I was riding a horse on the road, and then I was bitten to death by a tiger that suddenly jumped out from the roadside... You said you asked me to ride a horse for a patrol in a place like a hunting ground. I'm afraid it's hard to say that it's safe, right?!"

"No need to ride a horse!" Gongsun Xun said quickly. "You can just take a car!"

“It’s not safe to ride in a car either!”

"I will send twenty more cavalry to protect the prince throughout the whole process," Gongsun Xun was really helpless. "I brought these knights back from Yanmen. After the battle of Danhan in the Northern Expedition, they are all top-notch elites...

…Twenty people, all wearing armor and holding spears, carrying swords and carrying bows, even if there are tigers and bears, they can’t stab each of them with one spear!”

Governor Gao released a hand, twirled his beard and pondered for a moment, but still hesitated: "You said that hunting is extremely bloody, why do people still treat it as a custom? I won't be asked to come forward to test the prey, right?"

"No, leave everything to me!" Gongsun Xun replied without hesitation. At the same time, he was probably furious, so he couldn't help but said something that was half a reminder and half a warning. "Master, please don't delay any longer. You also know this.

It's a local custom... Since you are the king of a county, you should reward the customs and encourage the people! But now the whole city and the whole county are waiting for you, how can you continue to delay? "

Governor Gao had no choice but to raise his head and look around the entrance of the county mansion... And sure enough, at this time, the street in front of the county mansion was already full of people and flags!

From Gongsunyu, the largest household in the area, the former prefect of Xuantu, to officials at all levels in the county; from the well-equipped personal followers of the Gongsun family, to the county soldiers and county soldiers of the county, each and every one of them is either holding a spear or bow, or straddling a crossbow.

The sword holds the flag... But now, these people are either riding horses or standing in silence, and they are all looking at me with expressionless faces.

To be honest, Governor Gao really didn't want to do such a thing, but no matter how stupid he was, he knew that his delay had aroused public anger, so he was even more unwilling to go against public opinion. In addition, he thought of Gongsun Xun in his back house.

After he took office, he received many gifts from Amway, which could not be wiped off his face. So he could only hold his nose and walk out for a while, then let Xiangping Ling Gongsun Xun help him get into the car, and finally left with the crowd cheering and hugging him.

Went outside the city.

Of course, it seems inevitable to drive the barking hounds to the rear.

"Why would such a powerless scribe come to a dangerous place like Liaodong to be a governor instead of going to the imperial court to become a doctor of the Five Classics?" The car was moving slowly, with the gray-haired Gongsun Yu riding behind.

Seeing that the Goguryeo eagle slave with the mighty Haidongqing was also pushed to the rear group, I really couldn't bear it anymore. "It's a good thing, but he spoiled it!"

"The five counties outside the Great Wall are self-contained, and the court must have rules." Gongsun Xun couldn't help but smile. "From time to time, some officials from the mainland have to be called in to serve as governors of the border counties. This is also to prevent the local area from getting bigger... As for

If you're interested, brother, don't worry too much, he'll just go and sit around wherever he goes, and you and I can do whatever we want."

Gongsun Yu shook his head repeatedly: "As his subordinate, you naturally have to defend him, but what you said is too perfunctory... Where is the matter of coming from the mainland? Your father-in-law was also born in Qinghe, Jizhou.

Why can we win the war? The governor of Xuantu County is also from Beihai, Qingzhou. I heard that he will also wield a bow and sword after he takes office. Why is it that this one of us dares not see even a little blood all day long?!"

Gongsun Xun smiled and didn't answer... Wouldn't it be better? Otherwise, how could he dare to do the matter in front of him privately?

In fact, Gongsun Xun himself also had a strange feeling towards Governor Gao Yangao. He always felt that he was a little too timid. Could it be that he was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? But gradually, after getting in touch with him for a long time, he became really

The level of this guy was confirmed.

Moreover, what Gongsun Xun didn't know was that in another time and space, when Gao Taishou was in office in Shanggu, he was also a major border commander with heavy troops, but he died immediately after the chaos broke out, and his death was extremely embarrassing.

Understand - after Yuan Shao escaped from Luoyang, he asked him for money to support the Kwantung Allied Forces. After he gave all the money away, it was still not enough, so Yuan Benchu ​​wrote a document asking him to pay for it with his life. Then the Shanggu prefect actually wiped his neck to pay for it with his life.

Got it!

In this way of death, I wonder if he was considered cowardly to a certain level? Or was he forced to panic and used his life to show the style of a martyr in the late Han Dynasty?

In short, having this kind of person as your immediate boss is actually pretty good to some extent.

In this way, everyone talked and laughed, carrying flags, horses, eagles and yellow dogs, all the way to the foot of the mountain to the east of the city... The mountains and forests to the east of Xiangping City are part of the so-called Qianshan Mountains, which is a branch of the Taibai Mountains, with crisscrossing mountains.

Known as Thousand Mountains, there are countless large and small mountains, and the mountainside is full of dense forests, which is suitable for hunting in groups.

After the large-scale hunting is over, ordinary households, including women, children, old and young, can safely go into the mountains to cut firewood and pick up dead branches... so-called killing multiple birds with one stone.

Flags were fluttering at the foot of the mountain, and from time to time you could see the words Pingguo County Tiger Hunting Team, Xuantu Volunteer Team, and Luoxiang Civil Defense Team. When these people saw the prefect's guard of honor coming, they also bowed down one after another.

Salute and wave the flag to show your name.

Gongsun Xun tried not to look at the strange flags and team names, and reluctantly turned around and explained to Gao Yan: "For this hunt, officials from each county and civil defense teams from each township will be the team. In addition, there are good family members from other counties in this county who are brave and courageous."

If you can gather fifty people, you can sign up as a team regardless of your status. There are a total of eighty-seven teams of those who sign up. This time they all bring their own weapons, food and water, and they are divided into mountains by drawing lots.

Go hunting and capture according to your own abilities."

Gao Yan was absent-minded, just sitting in the car and nodding, but then motioned for the car to drive quickly in a circle. Gongsun Xun had no choice but to give up, and hurriedly followed the other party, skipping the groups, and headed towards a hillside.

.

When they arrived at the foot of the hillside, as Gao Yan and his party got out of the car and walked towards the hillside, Gongsun Xun immediately took over the command, and then ordered the county officials to call for orders immediately to prevent an awkward situation.

"You are not allowed to fight over prey, you are not allowed to cross the border to intercept others in pursuit of prey, you are not allowed to steal what others have hunted, and you are not allowed to shoot cubs without authorization. Violators will be severely punished!"

"It will last for three days. After three days, a fair weighing and comparison will be made at noon. Among them, if a single prey weighs more than 200 kilograms, it will be judged as double weight, if it weighs more than 300 kilograms, it will be judged as triple weight, and bears, tigers and pigs will be doubled again! The top three

The winner will receive a big reward from the commander-in-chief!"

"The hunt itself belongs to the team. It can be sold directly, or it can be pickled on site with coarse salt sponsored by Amway for free. The government will not care about it!"

"Those who are brave enough to shoot tigers and kill bears will be especially rewarded!"

The county officials carrying the orders carried the flags and conveyed the orders everywhere. Following their words, the edge of the mountain forest covered with flags finally started to boil in an instant. Many people were gearing up, and there were also similar teams holding flags to each other to demonstrate.

.

However, with all the weird names on their banners, it always makes people laugh.

"Click the drum at noon to start the hunting! Now let's set up the tent and go to the hall!" Seeing Gao Yan, Zhang Jian and a few Confucian scholars starting to drink and have fun on the hillside, there was obviously the county magistrate beside them, but Gongsun Xun did his part. The commander mentioned various matters related to this hunt, but others had no intention of refuting. "As soon as the people left, they divided the responsibilities and divided the areas, from the large scales for weighing to the rough ones used for marinating meat. Salt, all must be prepared in advance, and must be well organized!"

For a time, the officials in the county acted as if they were on their own, acting in a safe manner.

"Wen Qi isn't going to try his skills?" Gongsun Yu, who was sorting out his bows and arrows, asked curiously. "I think all your subordinates have gone too..."

"Yes, Shen Zhengnan took the Xiangping County officials, and Han Yigong took my followers, and they divided into two teams to go into the mountain. But since Governor Gao doesn't want to take care of the secular things here, I have to take charge of this matter, so I will go Incredible..."

"Then why are you still wearing your crown and armor?" Gongsun Yu was speechless.

"Doesn't this look majestic?" Gongsun Xun was honest.

Gongsun Yu was speechless for a moment.

"Why, brother, do you also want to try your skills?" Gongsun Xun turned to smile and looked at the other party.

"Isn't it mentioned in the notice? I'm talking about being a teenager..." Gongsunyu, who is nearly fifty years old, said while twisting his beard. "Although I have been idle for ten years, my body has not stopped for one day and three days of hunting. , may not be worse than young people! Besides, even if you live here for a long time, you will always have to worry about the people in the countryside... The elders of Yongning Pavilion in our city came to my head, how can I be embarrassed not to be the leader? "

"That's true." Gongsun Xun nodded quickly. "If you don't become the team leader, brother, I'm afraid no one in Yongning Pavilion will dare to do it..."

Gongsunyu was proud for a while.

"But why didn't my nephew come with his brother this time?" Gongsun Xun suddenly asked out of curiosity. "Isn't he in his prime now?"

Gongsun Yu's beloved son died early. Later, he fell in love with Gongsun Du, who had the same name as his beloved son and was the same age as him. He helped him get married and asked for his parentage, but he had a father and a mother, so he couldn't really accept him as his son... ...It is said that there is an adopted son in reality but not in the name of adopted son. However, these days, the important thing is to have someone who inherits the incense, so he finally accepted a member of his family as his adopted son.

But for the elderly, first of all, their son died early, so they imagined the dead son to be infinitely beautiful; secondly, the former substitute Gongsun Du was really a person, and he was indeed excellent... So adding up the two, it's The son who was later adopted made the son extremely miserable. No wonder the old brother Gongsun Xun changed his nose and his face when he mentioned his adopted son!

"Here we come," Gongsunyu sneered again when he heard this, and then pointed to the place where the prefect was raising the curtain on the hillside in the distance and said. "Holding a copy of "Shang Shu", he said that he wanted to consult the prefect for knowledge... ...I don’t understand. In the Gongsun era, as an official in a border county, even if you want to be a scholar, you must first understand some border affairs, right? If you don’t establish military honors, how can you talk about scriptures? Isn’t this putting the cart before the horse? I’m afraid it’s not the Gongsun clan who behaves like this. Is the Liaodong branch going to perish in his hands?"

Gongsun Xun immediately shook his head and said with a smile: "After all, he is his own son, why should brother be too worried? But if relatives like us in the clan can have some way out, it is inevitable that he will have a place to live and settle down."

Gongsun Yu packed up his bow and arrows, then looked at his very young brother up and down, and then sneered calmly: "If something happens to Wen Qi, let's talk about it when we get back. We brothers don't have to worry about each other!"

Gongsun Xun immediately nodded with understanding.

Time flew by and came to noon. He could hear the beating of drums and hammers all around, but Gongsun Xun, who was living on the hillside, saw with his own eyes a team of five or six thousand people, following their respective routes, heading towards the mountains noisily...for a moment...

The flags are clear, the swords and guns are shining, and the hounds are running and howling, which really makes it feel like a battlefield.
To be continued...