Chapter 41: A Thousand Miles “It’s a big one.”
"Yes, yes, yes."
Zhao Yan's gaze shifted from Yong Shaolan's jealous handsome face, and he put his shoulder on his shoulder and leaned against him: "We are so in love that I can't bear to leave you for even a day."
Several young students: "..."
There is no need to share everything.
The young students across from them smiled awkwardly, then raised their hands and bowed, saying, "True love is rare in this world. Congratulations, brothers."
At this point, the young man couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy. He shook his head and sighed to the heavens, "Heaven and earth are unkind, treating all things as straw dogs. Even sages are unkind, treating the common people as straw dogs. After this blow, how can we, poor students, ever rise again? Alas!!!"
"Why should I be happy? Why should I be happy?"
Zhao Yan: “…”
The atmosphere in the Taoist temple immediately grew somber. The leading young man burst into tears, his companions comforting him, "It's all our fault that we were born at the wrong time, into a world on the verge of collapse. Brother Sun, please don't be sad. You and I are just ordinary people in this world. How can we shake up this shaky government?"
"I only hope that one day, the four regions will rise up in rebellion, and you and I will give up our pens and join the army to revolt against the Zhao family's rule!!!"
My buddy is cosplaying as Ban Chao.
Yong Shaolan prepared some ginger and brown sugar water and let the students vent their anger. As if they hadn't heard, he poured a bowl for Zhao Yan, "To get rid of the cold."
Zhao Yan's eyes were on the students sitting opposite the fire. His lofty ambitions filled him with passion, so much so that he didn't hear Yong Shaolan even when he called him several times.
It wasn't until his finger was pinched that Zhao Yan shuddered and turned back to look at Yong Shaolan, whose face was gloomy: "What's wrong?"
Yong Shaolan handed the dried ginger tea to the boy: "Have some ginger tea."
"Oh." Zhao Yan held the small bowl obediently, took a sip of the fiery ginger tea, and blew out his tongue twice: "Oh my god, it's so spicy!"
While the other party was still passionately venting their dissatisfaction, Zhao Yan held the small bowl and whispered to Yong Shaolan: "Brother Lan, what do you think happened to them?"
"I should have known not to pretend to be a student. Now I can't even gossip."
Yong Shaolan: “…”
"The provincial examination was originally scheduled for this month, and it's only held every three years. This system was established by His Majesty. Zhao Cheng couldn't launch a rebellion without the support of the Yujing nobles, so they naturally had to provide him with sufficient benefits, most of which were official positions."
"The provincial exams were either a formality or canceled outright."
"Oh my god," Zhao Yan was furious. "Doesn't that mean all the positions in the imperial court will become idle jobs in the future?"
"..." Yong Shaolan digested Zhao Yan's meaning for a moment: "Almost."
Zhao Yan pursed his lips, frowning: "Then they are too miserable!"
Before he finished speaking, the three young men opposite him took the initiative to speak: "Two brothers, you also need to calm down and don't be too sad."
Zhao Yan looked up and replied, "Okay, thank you for your concern."
After drying the students' clothes, Zhao Yan helped them prepare hay for bedding. The rain continued outside the Taoist temple. After finishing all this, the three students bowed to Zhao Yan again and again before lying down to sleep.
Zhao Yan had done something good, and his mood was good. He had completely forgotten the ghost story. He lay back down in his seat. Yong Shaolan had already pulled back the blanket for him and said, "Go to sleep."
"Uh-huh."
The next morning, the heavy rain finally stopped.
Wen Quan got up in the morning and was about to cook when he noticed three more people outside. He became alert at first, but then he saw that his prince and his highness were fine, so he felt relieved and went to light a fire.
As soon as Wen Quan moved, the extra young men got up. They first exchanged a few words with each other, and then looked at Zhao Yan who was still sleeping.
It was already past noon, and it was time to get up and review his lessons, but the boy showed no intention of getting up.
Yong Shaolan stood up, glanced at a few people, and tucked in the blanket that Zhao Yan kept kicking away.
Yong Shaolan also dressed like a scholar, yet for some reason, he exuded the powerful aura of a superior. Like a sharp, ancient blade, or a compassionate Buddha statue, even just standing there, he commanded respect.
The movements of the young men also slowed down a lot: "Brother, I haven't asked your name yet."
"My name is nothing to mention," Yong Shaolan said calmly, "The weather is nice today. After everyone has eaten, we should hurry on our way."
"Yes..." The young student could tell that the gentleman didn't want to be disturbed, so he said, "Excuse me for being so rude."
When Zhao Yan woke up, it was almost noon. In the Taoist temple, several young students and Yong Shaolan were sitting by the charcoal fire, talking about something.
Zhao Yan got up from the ground and stretched. Yong Shaolan then stood up and poured some mouthwash for the boy from the water bag he carried with him: "The food is still warm, come and have some."
Zhao Yan gulped a few times, walked outside to spit out the mouthwash, and returned to the Taoist temple.
Yong Shaolan served the porridge, sprinkled some brown sugar on it, and even prepared a spoon for Zhao Yan.
"It looks really good!" Zhao Yan took a sip of the sweet porridge, glanced at the young men looking at him, stretched his neck and swallowed it, then asked, "Have you all eaten?"
"Oh, we ate early this morning. Thank you for your concern."
"That's good," Zhao Yan continued eating.
At this time, a student couldn't help but sigh: "You two are really in love, the envy of others is so great."
"But I see this brother sleeps until noon. Is this what you do every day?"
Zhao Yan: “…”
I feel quite embarrassed.
"Not really. I get up early when I have something to do, and go to bed when I don't."
"You are truly incredibly intelligent," the young student exclaimed. "Back then, I used to wake up at 11:00 AM to study, and it took me six years to pass the provincial exam. Yet, you achieved such remarkable results in just a fraction of the time. I'm truly impressed."
Zhao Yan: “…”
"No, actually, when I was studying, I was pretty much the same as you guys."
"We have to fight for food."
After Zhao Yan finished his meal, Yong Shaolan cleared his bowl. At this time, several young students were also about to leave, so they took the initiative to excuse themselves: "Three brothers, we need to walk back to our hometown. We shouldn't delay too long, so we will go first."
Zhao Yan was about to compete with Yong Shaolan to wash the dishes. When he heard that they were leaving, he stood up to see them off: "Then go slowly and be careful."
"Thank you very much."
After a few young students left, only Zhao Yanyong Shaolan and Wen Quan were left in the Taoist temple.
It was a sunny day today. Zhao Yan watched Yong Shaolan clearing the dishes and asked him, "Brother Lan, should we hurry on our way as well?"
Yong Shaolan nodded: "Yeah."
Zhao Yan: "Then I'll go pack my things!"
Wen Quan had almost packed up his things: "Your Highness, I'm done, you can take a rest."
Zhao Yan: “…”
They are both so nice to him!
After leaving the Taoist temple, Wen Quan drove the carriage while Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan rested in the sedan chair.
When Zhao Yan first left Yujing, he was preoccupied with Yujing's affairs and felt down. Over the past few days, he'd pondered Zhao Cheng and his father, and his perspective on the situation had become much more objective.
Zhao Yan leaned against the sedan chair in a daze. Yong Shaolan glanced at him and asked directly, "Are you worried about something?"
Zhao Yan tilted his head, moved it from the left to the right, and leaned on Yong Shaolan's shoulder: "No, I just think of Yujing when I'm bored."
"Brother Lan asked for six thousand Yanli. How far is that?"
I don’t know which dynasty this fictional background measurement unit refers to. If it is more than 6,000 kilometers, wouldn’t it take them a year to travel at this speed?
"If everything goes well, three months."
"What if it doesn't go smoothly?" Zhao Yan raised his head and looked at Yong Shaolan: "It won't take a year or two, right?"
"It could take any amount of time."
Yong Shaolan: "But don't worry, I'm here."
"This world will be yours sooner or later."
Zhao Yan: "...Brother Lan, how can I make you feel inferior?"
Yong Shaolan said simply: "Your physical resistance."
Zhao Yan: “……?”
Zhao Yan silently moved his head over again.
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened: "If you are unhappy, just say it."
Zhao Yan shook his head: "Well, it's not that I'm unhappy, it's just that I'm worried that I won't be able to do it well."
Saying this sentence is like opening up the Ren and Du meridians.
Zhao Yan raised his head again and frowned at Yong Shaolan: "Brother Lan, what happened to those brothers yesterday made me feel very uncomfortable. Do you think I can guarantee absolute fairness when I become the emperor in the future?"
Zhao Yan: "It refers to all aspects."
Zhao Yan was facing a feudal society, a feudal society where the aristocracy had no mercy at all. He did have many advanced ideas, but they were not necessarily applicable here.
When he first came through, Zhao Yan, who was a poor boy who couldn't even afford a ten-yuan spicy hot pot, suddenly became the richest man in the world. He admitted that he had the mentality of a nouveau riche and just wanted to lie down and let it go.
There are also many emperors in history who were capable and talented but lived in troubled times, such as Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty, etc. Zhao Yan was under a lot of pressure.
Zhao Yan held his head and said, "Whenever I think about becoming the emperor, I get anxious."
Yong Shaolan fixed his gaze on Zhao Yan's furrowed brows and said calmly, "There's no need to think about this for now."
"You don't have to think about it later."
"Don't keep saying that. It makes me want to be a salted fish again." Zhao Yan didn't disbelieve Yong Shaolan's words. He just felt that relying too much on others was not a good thing. If he wanted to do something, he had to work hard and do it seriously. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I will study hard. My father must have left behind many capable ministers who can govern the country. I will study hard in the future."
"Well," Yong Shaolan said, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your best."
"It seems like we're just talking about war on paper," Zhao Yan said, his expression like Ge You again. "I haven't tried to rebel yet. If I fail, will my life be in danger?"
“It won’t fail.”
"You are so confident," Zhao Yan glanced at Yong Shaolan and said, "Brother Lan, tell me about Dayan's current situation."
"You have to speak in a simple way, otherwise I really won't understand."
Yong Shaolan: “…”
"How is it popular?"
"For example... let's say Zhao Cheng and I both opened a noodle shop. List our advantages and the other party's advantages."
Zhao Yan scratched his head: "I think I can understand it now?"
After all, there is a world of difference between playing with pesticides and playing with politics.
Zhao Yan: "Probably..."
Yong Shaolan: “…”
"Um."
Zhao Yan was bewildered as Yong Shaolan discussed a long list of official positions. Finally, he summarized two questions: "So, because my father is the founding emperor, most of his subordinates are hooligans, and Zhao Cheng can't control them. Furthermore, Zhao Cheng's position was not legitimate, so he will be eager to eliminate the forces that threaten him. If they threaten my father's brothers, it's only a matter of time before they rebel."
"Then why do you say my father is stupid?"
"Isn't this leaving someone who can restrain Zhao Cheng?"
Yong Shaolan: “…”
"Sorry, watch your words next time."
Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes, held Yong Shaolan's face and looked at him carefully.
"Brother Lan, you probably haven't noticed that when you judge whether a person is smart or stupid, it's also written on their face."
“…”
Yong Shaolan took Zhao Yan's hand away: "Is there?"
Zhao Yan nodded: "It's really obvious, the way he looks at me like I'm trash, it's a physical disgust."
"Probably," Yong Shaolan said seriously, "In the early years, I had some respect for him."
"His actions in his later years are truly incomprehensible."
Zhao Yan raised his eyebrows and argued, "Father is also a human being. Everyone makes mistakes. Can you guarantee that you won't make mistakes in the future?"
"If you have two sons and you like both of them, can you treat them equally?"
Yong Shaolan: "Will you give birth to me?"
Zhao Yan: “…”
"Okay, okay, I can't argue with you."
Yong Shaolan smoothed his throat, frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and held Zhao Yan's chin: "Born?"
"Give birth to your brother!" Zhao Yan slapped the man's hand away: "We are talking about business, okay? Be serious."
"Then should we contact a few of the emperor's uncles?" Zhao Yan thought seriously and said, "There is strength in numbers."
"Smart," Yong Shaolan lowered his eyes, his gaze passing over Zhao Yan's waist, which he grasped tightly, and her flat belly. "There's no rush for this matter. It won't be too late to go after the enemy is completely defeated."
"Okay, then follow your plan."
Zhao Yan had some idea and was a little excited. "So what should we do next?"
"Run for your life." Yong Shaolan said, "Zhao Cheng should have noticed something was wrong with the honor guard going to the Northern Frontier."
"Are we going to be hunted down?" Zhao Yan: "I'm a little nervous..."
After two days of walking, their carriage drove onto the mountain road again.
Almost seventy to eighty percent of Guanyang's territory is mountainous, with steep peaks and difficult roads. It is also the rainy season, the air is humid and sticky, and the roads are muddy. However, there is also an advantage. Even if Zhao Cheng sends people to hunt down the enemy on such a narrow path, not many people will come.
However, after walking for several days in a row, the food they bought was almost gone. In order to prevent emergencies, such as mudslides and other natural disasters, and to prevent being trapped in the mountains, they had to ensure that they had food to eat in some confined place. So Wen Quan and Yong Shaolan started hunting these days.
Zhao Yan is a loser who can only climb trees to find some fruits.
It rained heavily that day, and the rain almost formed a line and fell to the ground. In order to prevent the carriage from sliding down the hillside, they could only find a cave to shelter from the rain.
When the rain abated in the afternoon, Wenquan put on his raincoat and took out a bow and arrow he had made from tree bark and branches. "Your Highness, I'm going to hunt rabbits. You can rest here."
Zhao Yan was feeding grass to the horse. Fortunately, the mountain was not short of grass. "Go ahead. I'll get some wild fruits later."
"Okay," Wenquan said, and left with his things on his back.
After Zhao Yan finished feeding the horses, he took a sheepskin bag and hung it on his body: "Brother Lan, I'm going to pick some wild fruits nearby. Do you want to come with me?"
"Alright," Yong Shaolan cleared everyone's tableware and took out the water bag. "I just saw a mountain stream. I need to get some water."
"Let's go then." Zhao Yan said, but Yong Shaolan stopped them, "Wait."
Yong Shaolan walked over to the young man, tucked his trouser legs into his boots, tied them tightly with the cloth strips, and put a veil on his head with wrist guards. "There are many insects in the mountains, so be careful."
Yong Shaolan was dressed smartly. If he hadn't said it, Zhao Yan wouldn't have noticed that the tight clothes showed off his figure to the fullest.
Zhao Yan obediently let Yong Shaolan adjust it: "Brother Lan, you have a really nice figure."
After saying that, she punched the man on the shoulder and said, "When you have time, teach me martial arts. I want to get a muscular body too!"
"Teach them to be taller and more powerful!"
Yong Shaolan: “…”
"Well, let's go."
Zhao Yan found a stick as thick as his wrist, which he used to explore the grass and defend himself. He walked away, but Zhao Yan couldn't stop talking. "This place is really primitive. We are now surviving in the wilderness. It's quite interesting."
Yong Shaolan followed behind the young man. Seeing Zhao Yan turning around to look at him every time he spoke, he sighed and said, "I'll explore the way."
Zhao Yan: "Don't..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he lost sight of the person in front of him and stumbled over a stone. Yong Shaolan grabbed the boy's wrist in time, preventing Zhao Yan from falling flat on his face.
"Oh my god, you scared me."
Yong Shaolan took the stick from Zhao Yan's hand and walked in front of him: "You talk, I'm listening."
Zhao Yan: “…”
He picked up a small branch and put it in his mouth, holding his head in his hands: "I am such a loser."
"Then be careful."
"Um."
Zhao Yanan followed Yong Shaolan at ease, so it was much easier for him to talk. He chattered on and on: "Brother Lan, do you think there are any poisonous snakes on this mountain? It is said that snake venom is very valuable."
Yong Shaolan stopped and stepped on the weeds on the ground. "I have enough money with me. There is no need to do anything dangerous. Be careful of the rocks."
After that, he reached out to hold someone's hand: "I'll hold your hand, there's another downhill slope ahead."
"Okay." Zhao Yan extended his hand obediently and followed Yong Shaolan closely. In front of them was a pond that seemed half a person's height. Not far below the pond was a mountain stream, which looked like a small silver waterfall from a distance.
Yong Shaolan first used a stick to knock down the weeds below, making sure there were no snakes or other creatures. Then he jumped down and turned to Zhao Yan, holding out his hand: "Come, I'll catch you."
Zhao Yan shook off the warm palms that were warmed by Yong Shaolan's body, frowned a little uncomfortably, and said, "No, I can do it myself."
"Well," Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened, and he took two steps back, giving Zhao Yan enough space.
After a while, Zhao Yan jumped down and said, "Let's go."
When they reached the mountain stream, Yong Shaolan first knelt on one knee, dipped his fingertips in the spring water, and only filled two large water bags after making sure there was no problem.
Zhao Yan helped hold the water bag, and after that they walked a few meters to another place and found a few wild apple trees.
The fruits that were slightly lower must have been eaten by wild boars. Zhao Yan gave the water bag to Yong Shaolan, climbed up the tree himself, and picked a dozen big, red wild apples from a high place.
On the way back, they returned along the same route. Zhao Yan packed a dozen wild apples in a sheepskin bag, and Yong Shaolan carried two water bags weighing more than ten pounds.
After returning to the carriage and putting the water bag and apples on it, Zhao Yan followed Yong Shaolan to pick up branches nearby.
Because it had rained, most of the trees were wet, so they could only find some dead trees that were not too damp. They collected branches until it was dark, and they barely had enough to burn for two days.
Yong Shaolan glanced at the sky which was getting darker again and said, "Let's go back. It's enough."
"Hehe, okay."
Yong Shaolan used bark to tie the branches into two bundles. Zhao Yan stood beside him and watched, "Brother Lan, you are really amazing. You can do everything."
Yong Shaolan finished and started to carry it, "Okay, let's go."
Zhao Yan followed the man's pace: "Let me get a bundle."
"No need." Yong Shaolan said calmly, "It's not heavy."
When they returned to the cave, Wenquan had already returned, carrying three or four bloody creatures that he was dissecting. Seeing the two men returning with firewood, Wenquan excitedly shouted, "Your Highness, we can have rabbit meat tonight!"
Zhao Yan walked up to Wen Quan, and Yong Shaolan took the firewood off him and said, "You take a rest for a while, I'll go light the fire."
Zhao Yan nodded, moved closer to Wen Quan, and squatted down to watch him pack up the rabbits neatly: "Oh my god, one, two, three, four... Why did you kill so many rabbits? Did you disturb the rabbit nest?"
Wen Quan chuckled, "Who said it wasn't? I discovered some rabbits on the east side of the mountain yesterday. I spent an hour searching for them before I found them. I had to kill a few more."
"Your Highness, you should go and warm yourself by the fire. This stuff smells fishy."
"No need." Wen Quan and Yong Shaolan had already taken good care of him, so he should help with something. "Does this need to be washed? I'll get some water."
It started to drizzle again in the evening. Even though we lit a fire, the cold air still penetrated through the cracks in our bones.
Zhao Yan felt a little cold, so he ate a little more, but he was still cold after eating.
"Brother Lan, do I have a fever again?" Zhao Yan leaned forward and motioned for Yong Shaolan to touch his forehead: "I feel a little cold."
Yong Shaolan frowned and touched the boy's forehead. "Go to the carriage and rest for a while. I'll boil some medicine for you."
"...Ah?" Zhao Yan perked up when he heard this. "No way, no way, I can't be so unlucky, right?"
"I'm going into heat again!"
Yong Shaolan stood up and said, "It's almost time, let's get in the car."
"Well, thank you for your help," Zhao Yan said, and then he climbed onto the carriage obediently. With a layer of cloth blocking the cold air, he felt a little better.
Yong Shaolan took some fever-reducing medicine from the carriage, took the cooking pot, and went back.
Wen Quan placed the uneaten roasted rabbit on brown paper and set it aside to dry. Seeing Yong Shaolan coming back with the medicine, he offered to help: "Your Highness, let me get it for the young prince."
"No need," Yong Shaolan quickly put the medicine in, "You will have to work harder at night, wear cotton clothes and guard outside."
Wen Quan glanced at his prince's furrowed brows. He had never seen the prince so concerned about someone before. "Yes."
Zhao Yan fell asleep in the carriage not long after climbing onto it. At some point, he felt someone touch his forehead. He opened his eyes slightly and saw Yong Shaolan's handsome face.
"Get up and take some medicine."
Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes and took the initiative to rub the man's slightly cold hand: "Brother Lan, I feel so uncomfortable..."
Yong Shaolan put the medicine down and helped Zhao Yan up. "You won't feel so bad tomorrow after taking the medicine."
"Well, okay." Zhao Yan was really drunk. He leaned on Yong Shaolan's shoulder, raised his eyes slightly, and saw the man's Adam's apple moving continuously. He said inexplicably: "It's very big."
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The author has something to say: Here I come [love eyes][love eyes] Thank you all for the nutrient solution!
bow!
Good night, woman (^з^)-☆
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