Chapter 1 Mengzhou

  On that day, they crossed the Yellow River. Gao Qiu exerted his strength and broke open the iron cangue on Yang Zhi's neck. The two jailers, Dong Chao and Xue Ba, seeing that they had already crossed the Yellow River, and also considering the repeated requests from within the yamen, did not dare to refuse any longer. They wet the seal with water and removed it, then took off Yang Zhi's cangue. If this were an ordinary escort, they would have definitely demanded a bribe for removing the cangue. However, since they were dealing with such renowned officials from the capital city's yamen, they only hoped to gain their favor and did not dare ask for any benefits.

  Gao Qiang asked about the journey, and Xue Bang hastily replied: "Reporting to your honor, this journey to Beijing is approximately 800 miles. The first stop is Mengzhou, then Huai Prefecture, Weizhou, and after that, it will be within the borders of Daming Prefecture."

  Only 800 miles? Gao Qiang was taken aback, saying that the Mansion of the Great Name shouldn't be near Shijiazhuang, huh, it's all because of the name Beijing that causes trouble, always thinking of Beijing City. But when mentioning Mengzhou, Gao Qiang felt a little familiar, but couldn't think of it for a while.

  As soon as the shackles were removed, the group of people walked leisurely and freely along the road, touring mountains and rivers. The area north of the Yellow River was one of the most prosperous regions at that time. Although it couldn't compare to the "three autumns of osmanthus, ten miles of lotus flowers" in Jiangnan, the population was dense, merchants and travelers came and went, and along the banks of the Imperial Canal, all industries were thriving. This journey was a feast for the eyes, taking in the local customs.

  Especially for Gao Qiang, who has traveled through time and space to the 12th century, everything is incredibly fresh. The various fruits on the roadside stalls, the self-brewed wine from the village taverns, the storytelling and singing of the street performers, every single thing can spark his great interest. To say that these things also exist in Tokyo's Bianjing City, but with more variety and larger scale, only in the past two months, he has been busy with either practicing martial arts or acting out big plays with people he could only read about in books, plus the complex emotions of being in a new place for the first time, he hasn't had a chance to experience them properly.

  However, the most enjoyable part of this journey was still the two escorts. They thought that these officials usually escorted convicts and received some silver coins for their expenses, not to mention the hardships they endured on the way. If the convict had some accomplices who were willing to rescue him, they might even risk their lives. Of course, sometimes there would be some good fortune, such as when the convict's enemy was dissatisfied with the light sentence and wanted to take advantage of the situation, so they would bribe the escorts to quietly get rid of the convict along the way, and then claim that he had died from exhaustion due to the hardships of the journey.

  This trip was different from the usual ones. With the wealthy and generous High Commissioner leading the team, they would buy anything new and interesting along the way without asking the price; if it was a famous fruit or pastry, they would have to try some, and if it was delicious, they would pack it up and take it with them on the road. The two bailiffs were familiar with this route and acted as tour guides, pointing out all sorts of interesting places to the Commissioner. As for wine shops and restaurants, there was no need to mention them - with someone like Lu Zhishen, a connoisseur of fine drinking, in their midst, they would spot a green flag waving in the distance and their mouths would water, their feet would stop moving, and they would have to try some before continuing. On this trip alone, he had drunk dozens of jars of wine, but fortunately, Song Dynasty wine was not as strong as later distilled liquor - one bushel of grain could produce six or seven bushels of wine, which High Commissioner thought tasted milder than beer. Even if he drank until his belly was bloated and his head spun, it wouldn't be fatal; otherwise, with Lu Zhishen's drinking habits, they would have lost a man by now, and the carriage might have needed an extra seat.

  That day, they entered the territory of Mengzhou. On the left side of the road, he saw a large forest, although it was daytime, but inside it was dark and gloomy, unable to see the scenery clearly, which was quite different from the clear mountains and rivers along the way. Gao Qiang was curious in his heart, so he asked the two bailiffs: "You two, what is this forest? It seems to me that it's not a good place."

  The two men were taken aback, and Dong Chao hastily smiled and said: "Report to the official, this forest is called Wild Boar Forest, where many wolves, tigers and leopards roam. Many traveling merchants travel in groups during the day, so it looks a bit suspicious."

  As soon as Gao Qiang heard the three words "Wild Boar Forest", his spirit was lifted. He took a look at the people around him and couldn't help but laugh to himself: Who would have thought that the infamous scene of attempted murder was right in front of him, and the two main actors and supporting actor were all present? It's just that thirty years ago they were on opposite sides of the river, but now the two jailers are still jailers, while Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen have risen to prominence. But what's even more laughable is that there is still a prisoner - Yang Zhi, the Green Faced Beast!

  Just as he was thinking it was interesting, Lu Zhishen suddenly let out a cold laugh and shouted: "Humph! You two scoundrels, only spouting lies to deceive the disciples of Shaolin. How could Shaolin not know that this Wild Boar Forest is a notorious and treacherous place on the Hebei Road? You officials often accept bribes from the Avenging Family and then lay hands on people in this forest, ruining countless good men's lives! What wolves and tigers? I only see you two as jackals ruling the road!"

  The most words only scolded Dong Chao and Xue Ba's face turned blue and red, but they didn't dare to say half a word back. Gao Qiang heard this and saw Lin Chong, the original protagonist, looking at the two with disdain, couldn't help but burst out laughing, haha, unfortunately, this episode of "Huahe Shang Da Nao Yezhulin" can't be said, stuck in his heart with no one to share, it's really hard.

  Two bailiffs looked unpleasant, quickening their pace to hurry past. After turning around the wild boar forest, a vast expanse of houses suddenly appeared before them, densely packed and lined up along the main road, with people coming and going in a lively atmosphere, and a city wall faintly visible in the distance.

  Gao Jianxiu was delighted to see the excitement, and hastily pulled over Xue Bang to ask for information. Only then did he realize that this was the first bustling place on the Mengzhou Road, called Kuai Huo Lin!

  This is quite something, and a flash of light suddenly appeared in Gao Qiang's eyes: Who among those who have read Water Margin doesn't remember the Happy Forest? Wu Song got drunk and beat up Jiang the Gate God, drinking over thirty bowls of wine along the way, with a hint of intoxication, and those few moves were called "Linked Ring Steps, Mandarin Duck Feet"...... Cough cough, I've digressed, but who knows whose territory this Happy Forest is now?

  No matter who is in charge, the wine of Kuai Huo Lin must be drunk. Let's also experience the feeling of Wu Er Lang sweeping through Mengzhou Road with a drunken intention back then. If we can play a game of Cosplay, wouldn't that be a wonderful life!

  Just then Lin Chong said from the side: "Why is the apprentice waving his hands and feet?"

  Gao Jian woke up with a start, only to realize that he had gotten overly excited and lost himself. His face turned red, but fortunately, he still had his wits about him, and hastily laughed, saying: "Master Lin, as your disciple, I saw such a lively scene and thought there must be good wine and fine liquor, so the two masters and Yang Zhuang can drink to their heart's content, that's why I was so thrilled and forgot myself for a moment." Lu Qian wasn't much of a drinker, so he didn't mention it again.

  Lin Chong had not yet replied, when Lu Zhishen burst out laughing: "Good disciple, I know that our family's wine is not very good these days, just a mouthful will make you spit it out, and if you're not satisfied in your heart, then put it on your mind, don't waste my efforts to teach you this time!" As he spoke, he heavily patted Gao Qiu's shoulder several times, causing half of his body to go numb.

  Since the good wine was in front, Lu Zhishen immediately sprang into action, his feet moving swiftly as he flung open his monk's robe and took the lead. He didn't care about anyone else. Lin Chong and Yang Zhi exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads in dismay, and followed behind with Gao Qiu. Lu Jian urged on the two young servants who were pushing the cart to follow closely behind.

  As I walked closer, I saw that this was a three-forked road junction with hundreds of trees scattered in the distance. It's an important transportation hub, and merchants traveling north and south must have stopped here to rest and transfer goods, gradually forming a small market town. As a result, all kinds of industries gathered here, and everything is thriving.

  High strength sees Lu Zhishen see a wine shop, want to go in, busy pulling his sleeve: "Master, this piece looks at least three or five ten wine shops, among which there must be outstanding ones, wait for the apprentice to ask local people and know, so as not to let Master be annoyed by those village wines."

  Lu Zhishen was even more delighted, thinking that this apprentice truly had a predestined relationship with his family. He said that everything was going smoothly. However, Gao Qiang said he would go ask, but his feet didn't move. Dong Chao had already rushed to a nearby shop to inquire and came back to report, naturally mentioning the name of Kuai Huo Lin Wine Tower, pointing directly at the signboard at the front intersection.

  Gao Qiang walked up to the front and saw that this wine shop was indeed well-built, located at the intersection of three roads, a place where people must pass by, and it was the golden area of this piece. The facade was wide, about 10 meters open, with a large flagpole standing in front, hanging high a signboard, inscribed with four big characters "He Yang Feng Yue". Gao Qiang didn't read many ancient books, and for a moment, he couldn't think of what allusion this was.

  As I walked closer, I saw two rows of railings in front of the door, all painted emerald green. On either side were inserted two golden-painted flags with a couplet written on them: "The sun and moon are long in the pot" on the left, and "The universe is vast in drunkenness" on the right - both phrases related to wine. Inside, dozens of seats were already packed full, mostly occupied by traveling merchants who had dressed up for the occasion, as well as some local guests. The atmosphere was lively with people shouting and laughing non-stop. From time to time, someone would loudly demand wine or meat, while over a dozen waiters scurried back and forth, each one busier than the last.

  A young man, less than twenty years old, with a pale complexion and a small mustache, was sitting on the cabinet, chatting and laughing with several military men. He thought to himself: Could this be Shi En, the son of the commander of Mengzhou Prison Camp, nicknamed "Golden Eye Leopard"?

  He looked around, and the shop assistant from next door came over with a smile: "A few guests, all the seats in our small store are full, but there are several tables under the willow tree across the street. Why don't you go there and sit down? Our staff will serve you wholeheartedly, we must make sure that you, a few guests, are satisfied."

  The young man's words were pleasant to hear, his smile was warm and welcoming, and his service attitude was impeccable. Moreover, it was already late May, the weather was extremely hot, although it was approaching dusk, the heat still lingered, but sitting under the willow tree drinking wine was a delightful thing to do.

  Lu Zhishen burst out laughing and sat down under the tree, calling out: "Waiter, bring up some good wine and dishes, and also cut three to five catties of tender yellow beef - if the wine is not good, I won't forgive you!"

  The shopkeeper was overjoyed when he heard this, seeing that these few people were all dressed neatly, with a cart carrying their luggage. He thought to himself that they must be wealthy merchants without a doubt. This time, he could make a small profit, and if he served them well, getting a tip of one or two hundred copper coins wouldn't be a problem either. He hastily agreed and raised his voice to shout into the shop: "This way, nine traveling gentlemen! Good wine and good dishes are coming right up, wake up the cashier!"

  This shout was over, and the wine keeper in the shop should have responded with a "yes", but instead, a loud roar came from one side of the house.

  "Where is little Shien? Jiang Zhong of a certain family is here!"

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