87 Thus I have heard
Huo Guang: What is the point of being benevolent? It must be a saint! Even Yao and Shun were troubled by this!
The evenings in Pingyang County always seem wrapped in a sweet fragrance. The peach and pear trees lining the road burst into blossom, their pink and white blossoms clustered together. Beneath the grayish-gray city wall, an elderly woman selling rice water sets up her last earthenware jar, where freshly picked elm seeds mixed with millet bubbling. After the night watchman strikes the gong at 3 p.m., the afterglow warms the blue brick floor. Grain merchants in shorts drive their ox carts over rutted tracks, the jingle of cowbells mingling with the thick, local accents of their calls, "Millet from Hedong, wheat from Henei, sorghum from Chang'an—"
Huo Yan strolled slowly in his wooden clogs and saw many people planting sorghum at their doorsteps. He smiled and prepared to go to the winery to get some wine.
There was no official in charge of liquor sales here; instead, local distilleries, both large and small, gathered to sell Suichun liquor, which had been allocated from the county. Huo Yan was used to Suichun and didn't compete with the locals for it. He simply asked the seller, "I've heard that Sangluo liquor is a famous brew from Hedong. I wonder if you have any? If so, please get me a jar."
The wine seller's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly brought out a jar from the house and enthusiastically helped Huo Yan put it into the car.
"Don't worry, this is top-quality mulberry wine."
Huo Yan smiled, untied his purse, and was about to pay when he was stopped by a hand. Little Huo Guang had just returned home from playing with his friends. When he saw Huo Yan, he subconsciously wanted to get close to him. When he saw Huo Yan was about to buy the wine that his father said was expensive and not tasty, he immediately tried to stop him.
He tugged at Huo Yan's sleeve, asking him to go to the side with him. Huo Yan let him pull him aside, bent down patiently, and said with a smile, "Xiao Guang, what's wrong?"
The wine seller wanted to go forward and persuade Huo Yan to buy the wine, but was stopped by the housekeeper behind Huo Yan, "Stop."
"Zi Meng, what are you doing causing trouble?"
The wine seller obviously knew Huo Guang. It was so hard to get a stranger to come and buy the unsellable wine, so why was the eldest son of the Huo family making such a fuss?
Seeing Huo Yan willing to listen to him, Huo Guang breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his head and whispered to Huo Yan, "Sir, buy Suichun wine. Everyone drinks Suichun now. Suichun is cheap, delicious, and lasts a long time. Sangluo wine turns sour after a while."
Huo Yan nodded, patted his little head, and said slowly, "But your brother has had enough of Suichun's wine and wants to try something new."
After saying that, he laughed and winked playfully, "Your elder brother has taken people to hunt wild boar. Xiaoguang, do you want to come to my place to eat roasted wild boar today?"
Huo Guang had not expected him to be so enthusiastic, as his father's words from a few days ago were still ringing in his ears.
His father told him not to call Huo Yan and Huo Qubing "brothers," and certainly not to get close to them. They were powerful and influential, and killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant.
But today, Brother Huo Yan came to invite him again. With such obvious goodwill, he didn't know whether to accept or not.
A look of hesitation appeared on the face of the usually mature child.
Huo Yan was so sharp that he knew what he was thinking the moment he opened his eyes. He deliberately put on a stern face, bent down, and whispered, "Xiao Guang, do you know what happened to those who rejected me in Chang'an?"
Huo Guang looked up at him. His eyes were clear and bright, and he still had a little baby fat. He felt a little awkward and blushed. "Then I'll go back before my father comes back."
Huo Yan's face fell, but as he looked at him, he suddenly found that Huo Guang's eyes were very bright. Huo Yan pinched the child's face and looked at it over and over again, and found that the child did not look like Huo Qubing or him at all. His lips, eyebrows and eyes looked like a combination of his teacher and uncle.
In fact, Huo Guang looked nothing like the person in his imagination, but it was that kind of gentle and silent dullness that Huo Yan liked. The barrage always said that he liked naive and innocent girls, but in fact, he liked those who were gentle but stubborn.
"You must come today. No one will refuse my invitation." He put down Huo Guang's face and took the child's hand. He sent someone to find Huo Zhongru and tell him where Huo Guang was going before taking the wine back.
Huo Guang followed him obediently like a little rabbit, his face flushed. He tried to maintain his previous look by tightening the corners of his lips, but he couldn't help but curl them up a little.
Brother Zhong, do you like him very much?
His good mood disappeared when he entered the Huo family's door, because four children rushed towards him, as excited as calves, and surrounded Huo Yan. Huo Yan patted the kids, picked up the youngest one, spun him around, and couldn't stop laughing.
"Did your father throw you here because you were too naughty?" After the curiosity wore off, he helped them stand one by one. "You are quite capable. You still have clothes left to wear after traveling all the way here."
He was sincerely impressed and touched his chin, "How many purses did you bring to avoid being robbed?"
Liu Ju, who could no longer tolerate Liu Che, stood at the door and suddenly became bored with his brother A Yan.
With that sarcastic look and the way he touched his chin, Brother Ayan must be the one my father gave birth to!
His accusing gaze was so strong that Huo Yan could hardly ignore it, but he didn't care. He straightened up and said leisurely, "Hey, you little brat."
After he finished speaking, he called out Huo Guang behind him and asked him to take the eight-year-old prince, the seven-year-old Marquis of Yichun, the five-year-old Marquis of Yin'an, and the three-year-old Marquis of Fagan to find a piece of land to play. After entrusting Huo Guang with the task, he told the servant who was carrying wine behind him to ask the housekeeper to look after them, then turned around and went to find Huo Qubing to discuss the move without even entering the door.
Huo Guang was left helpless in the face of this group of noble little kids.
"Your Highness." He was a little nervous. "Would you like to play on the swings?"
Liu Ju was dressed in red brocade, with a gold belt and silver, and black boots. The remaining three were also wearing brocade clothes. There were five or six of them, and four pairs of eyes stared at him. Huo Guang said calmly, "There are flowers in the yard of my two brothers."
As he spoke, he unconsciously clenched his fists, his hands were sticky with light sweat.
He shouldn't call it that, but if he doesn't, he can't even be a servant.
Why are these four people silent? Do they think he is overestimating his abilities?
He pondered over this and that, his lips tightly pursed. Liu Ju tilted his head, locked eyes with Wei Kang and the other two, then placed his chubby hand under his lips, examining them like his father. Wei Kang and the other two followed him like chicks. Huo Guang watched as the four men circled around him. Liu Ju, following the same pattern Huo Yan had taught him, circled again, reached out, removed the gold-threaded tassel from his neck, and placed it in his hand.
Not only did he put it on Huo Guang's hand, he also patted Huo Guang's hand with his chubby little hand and recited the lines he had wanted to say for a long time.
"Having you is like having a fish in water."
Huo Guang was dumbfounded and tried to pull his hand away, but Liu Ju'er had been trained by Huo Yan to be a master of Han Feizi and the Three Kingdoms. He knew that a melon would become sweet if you twisted it. So, relying on his strong body, he grabbed the man and refused to let go. With a wink, the younger brothers behind him began to persuade Huo Guang to become Liu Ju's subordinate.
Wei Kang blushed with anxiety, "Do you know who invited you? My brother is the crown prince. If you follow me, I will give my second brother to you. From now on, you will have meat for every meal!"
Liu Ju also nodded, "Qing, join me in restoring the Han Dynasty!"
Restore the Han Dynasty? Even Huo Guang's useful brain was at a loss. The Han Dynasty was not busy yet, so what was this restoration? It was to restore the Qin Dynasty!
If the prince continues like this, the Han Dynasty will be doomed sooner or later.
When Huo Guang was in trouble, Huo Yan became even more anxious.
He was almost crazy, calling out to Huo Qubing in the woods, cursing as he shouted.
"Huo Qubing! Come back quickly!" He shouted until his throat was dry, and found a stone by the stream to sit on. "What's in this forest? Hunting wild boars, let me see you." It looks like a wild boar.
Before he could finish his curse, he heard a rumbling sound.
He suspected something was wrong and squinted his eyes to look towards the sound.
"Help me take a look."
[What's going on?]
[Yanzi, get rid of the disease!]
[This group, yes.]
…
Huo Yan then felt relieved and trotted over. Before he could catch his breath, he saw a tiger chasing a wild boar, its fangs deeply embedded in the boar's neck. Behind the boar was a group of young men, all with smiling faces, and their leader was Huo Qubing.
Marquis Huo Guanjun looked down from a high position, unable to hide his smile, as he leaned against a tree trunk and watched the tiger and the wild boar.
"So beautiful."
Huo Yan was so angry that he rushed forward and said, "Still playing! Uncle is here to catch you and me! Why don't you run away!"
Huo Qubing straightened his back. In the distance, he could hear the howling of a wild boar and the cries of a pretty bird. The old crow flew up in shock, shattering the golden shadows that leaked through the forest.
"My uncle is here!" Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows. He thought for a moment and said, "Based on my uncle's usual behavior, if he was ordered to arrest someone, the guards in the courtyard should have completed their terms by now. He didn't let Ah Yan escape. After all, he still needs you to lure me."
Huo Yan's thoughts became clear instantly.
"If you put it that way, my uncle would run away too!" He said slowly, "It's rare for someone to live like my uncle, where everyone runs after him."
Huo Qubing laughed.
"Then let's go. It's a good time to roast the wild boar."
As they were talking, they walked down the mountain. Xiao Piaoliang bit off the wild boar's neck, tore off a piece of good leg meat, and dragged it to a nearby distance. The big tiger roared and jumped back to Huo Yan's feet. Huo Yan touched its head lovingly, and it roared twice more.
Huo Yan was puzzled and just wiped the half-coagulated pig blood off its face with disgust.
"It's so dirty, it's a waste of the beautiful name."
"Awoo~" Xiao Piaoliang rubbed his hand, his pretty tiger face against his knees, his beautiful amber eyes still looking very pretty.
This tiger is already an adult.
"Aoao~" He hummed like a cub. Huo Yan pushed him away because of the cat's high body temperature. "Go away. I'll give you some meat later."
Xiao Piaoliang nudged him again, pushing him backward. He pinched his waist and was about to grab the tiger by the ear and scold him, "Rebellious son, murder." Laozi.
Before he finished speaking, his tiger rushed out, holding the pig's leg in its mouth, and ran to the other side of the stream. It seemed that there was also a tiger roaring on the other side of the stream.
“Ouch~”
The little beauty roared in response, and the pine needles fell to the ground in fright. The tiger returned to the mountain, and all the other beasts retreated.
The moment Xiao Piaoliang entered the forest, she hesitated for a moment and looked back at Huo Yan. Her beautiful eyes turned golden in the setting sun, like honey.
It's saying its final goodbye.
Huo Yan was stunned.
Like every reluctant parent, he ran towards Xiao Piaoliang, yelling as he ran.
"You idiot, you only have one leg. Can you eat it? Just run!"
Xiao Piaoliang let out a howl and was about to rush into the woods, but was called back by Huo Yan.
"Try to run away, and I'll chop down your tree!"
Da Hu Xiao Piaoliang wanted to return to nature, but he knew that his little father was angry, so he had to dig the soil with his claws in front of the forest.
Huo Yan was very angry. He rolled up his sleeves, waded across the river, and started to hit the pig on the head with the pig leg in his hand.
"You're so arrogant! What did I teach you? To do big things, you need a lot of resources. You only have one leg, and you don't even have enough to eat. How are you going to support a wife, marry a wife, or have children? Stupid tiger!"
"You're so stupid. Bring more food and give it to the tiger you like. That way, they can last longer. Don't think about flirting with other women. With your level, you can hardly support yourself."
"You are already nine years old, which means you are old enough to be a father. It's a pity that you don't like any of your uncle's tigers, and you haven't had any cubs. Now you are so old, and you are still young. Go ahead."
The little pretty girl scratched the ground in grievance.
Huo Yan's throat was dry. He coughed to clear it, then stroked the cat's head and said, "If you get into trouble, come back to me. Don't die outside. Even if you're hungry, come find me. Do you hear me? Your father can still afford to raise a tiger for you!"
He said with some emotion, "You bastard, I raised you in vain."
Xiao Piaoliang screamed and fell on him, pushing him to the ground.
Huo Qubing originally frowned. Xiao Piaoliang had grown up, and he had always kept her wild nature. It was a good thing that she wanted to return to nature now. He thought A Yan was reluctant to let her go, but unexpectedly A Yan had the same idea. He now felt that it was not enough for Xiao Piaoliang to take care of her.
He pushed up the wild boar, his prey, Zhao Po Nu and the others, tied them up with a rope, and let Xiao Piaoliang bite them in her mouth.
"Take them all away." He instructed worriedly, "Find a slightly shady hole on the back. It'll be enough for you to eat for half a month. Be sure to protect yourself outside."
Huo Yan was worried, so he left a few bags of medicine for the baby to take away.
The little pretty tiger roared twice, dragged a lot of food, and then chased the other tiger away.
This time, it didn't look back.
Because another tiger came out silently to help it carry the meat.
The tiger was much stronger than it, with muscles all over its body, and it dragged the pile of meat without any effort. Xiao Piaoliang was busy circling around it and forgot about her two old fathers.
A tiger who forgets his mother after getting a wife!
Huo Yan withdrew his gaze angrily and exhaled slowly, "No, where did it get its lover from?"
Huo Qubing chuckled.
"I've been chasing it from Tongguan for more than half a month."
Huo Yan felt very jealous. No wonder his brother went hunting every day. It turned out that he was just doing something interesting.
"It won't be hungry."
Huo Qubing was confident and had the confidence of a father-in-law in his daughter-in-law.
"Don't worry, Xiaohua is taller and stronger than it. He's obviously the king of tigers. He also has a strong hunting instinct and often helps me drive prey to him. I think it's more than enough for me to support him."
Huo Yan was confused, and then he saw two pheasants thrown at the foot of the mountain, their legs injured by the tiger's claws, in a state where they could neither die nor escape.
This tiger is quite sensible.
[Ayan is very satisfied.]
[So Xiao Piaoliang married a wealthy and capable older sister.]
[Still the Tiger King sister with eight-pack abs.]
[This blessing.]
Ah Yan's expression is like a pig digging up cabbage, with a faint sense of relief. Qu Bing is just showing off. Ah Yan, am I awesome?
[Carefully selected to cure diseases.]
…
They walked side by side, entered the house, went inside, and saw Wei Qing.
Wei Qing sat on a swing. The general had removed his rhinoceros armor and was wearing only a plain dark robe. A jade pendant hung from his waist, and the golden brocade ropes of the swing were wrapped around his wrists, making a clear sound of gold and jade clashing with each movement.
"What's the matter? I just shot two pheasants." He looked back, pinched a piece of raw lamb chop, and whistled, "Beautiful, come to my uncle's place and eat some meat."
Huo Yan's face fell, but then he thought of Xiao Piaoliang's licking dog look, gritted his teeth, and finally a strange look appeared on his face.
"Uncle, Xiaopiaoliang ran away with another tiger!"
Wei Qing was silent for a rare moment. After a moment, the general said reluctantly, "Alas, we haven't seen each other for the last time yet."
Huo Yan had a stinky cat face, but Huo Qubing kept laughing.
Wei Qing couldn't help but pinch their faces and changed the subject, "Why did you leave Chang'an so suddenly? His Majesty is very worried."
This time it was Huo Qubing's turn not to laugh.
"I just don't want to see him."
He clasped his fists and snorted coldly, then naturally placed his hand on Huo Yan's shoulder.
Huo Yan's face was still sullen, and he silently turned his head away.
"I like my current life very much and don't want to change it."
"Indeed, it's a joy to be out here." Wei Qing tapped his toes to stop the swing, bringing it to a stop right in front of Huo Yan. The general said honestly, "It makes me want to stay here for a while, too."
He asked Huo Qubing to push the swing for him, and as he swung, he said, "Qubing, this swing is really beautiful."
Huo Yan laughed.
"Then stay here."
Huo Qubing also laughed.
"Jiacheng, make the beds for my uncle and Juer."
[You're staying here?]
[I thought the general was here to persuade them.]
[My uncle is here on vacation.]
Wei Qing settled down in Pingyang County. He used to be a servant in Princess Pingyang's mansion and was very familiar with Pingyang County. So when he drank Huo Yan's wine, he nodded and said, "This is the taste of Sang Luo."
He was familiar with Sangluo and Pingyang. He loved to eat and occasionally took Huo Yan, Huo Qubing, Liu Ju and others to eat some special delicacies.
The general blended into the crowd. He was wearing a coarse linen short jacket. Apart from his handsome face, which attracted people's attention, he followed the local customs.
Chunyu Tiying never stopped, so Huo Yan opened many clinics, including one in Pingyang County. The front was a clinic and the back was an orphanage, which adopted more than a dozen children.
Huo Yan met with the manager early in the morning, examined the orphans' situation, and gave them a detailed explanation. Occasionally, he would go to the clinic from dawn to noon, staying there during lunch to teach the children.
He went there often. On ordinary days, Huo Qubing would come to pick him up, but now it was Liu Ju and his group of children who came with him. Liu Ju was a very kind child, a kind and righteous man by nature.
The first time he saw the children in the orphanage, he ignored Huo Guang's objections and went to make friends. He happily spent the entire afternoon playing with his new friends. Later, he became familiar with these children. When some of them told him that their parents had sold them to the medical officer because their brothers were getting married and they couldn't support them, or that their parents had put them in the river and nearly drowned them, or that some had lost limbs and couldn't even see their parents, he cried. It was the first time in his life that he cried so hard.
He didn't cry when his father's favor no longer fell on him.
But now he wanted to cry so much. He couldn't see these in Chang'an. He thought that all the mothers in the world would love him like his mother, even if he had those brothers whom he didn't like. But he had the best sisters, uncles, brothers and sisters in the world. He thought that all the children in the world would be like him.
But no, he could do this because Liu Ju was a particularly lucky kid.
Brother Ayan said that all living beings suffer, and we should not only see the suffering in our hearts, but also think about how to act in the future.
He tried hard not to cry in front of Huo Qubing and Huo Yan, but just slammed the door of Huo Guang's house, "Qing, come out!"
He didn't know Huo Guang's name, and he didn't dare reveal his identity. When he was caught by his father, he just shouted, "I am your fish!"
The door opened and Huo Guang led him into the house. His house was simple, with only a small table and a small bed. Liu Ju looked at him with a little red eyes. His lover was so miserable.
When you see suffering, you should do something.
He clenched his fists and encouraged himself solemnly.
Huo Guang was rarely confused. He whispered to the child in front of him, who was half a head shorter than him, "Your Highness, what do you want to see me about?"
Liu Ju let out a cry and threw himself into his arms.
"Qing, you are so kind, why are you suffering so much?" He made Huo Guang's body covered with tears and snot. "I will do something for you first, you help me, and together we can do something for many people. I want to make sure they have enough to eat. Brother Yan said that if they have enough to eat, they won't miss home."
If one gives generously to the people and helps the masses, what do you think? Can this be called benevolence?
If someone can widely benefit the people and help everyone, can this be considered benevolence?
Huo Guang's heart moved, his eyes clear, "Okay, I promise Your Highness the Crown Prince."
What is the matter with benevolence? It must be a saint! Even Yao and Shun were troubled by it!
How can this be called benevolence? This is the realm of sainthood! Even Yao and Shun would have found it difficult to achieve this!
He was just a child at this time, and he was sincere from head to toe, especially in his heart.
Therefore, his promise is worth a thousand gold.
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