Chapter 100: The Wind Blows on the Tongguan Road

The mountains are continuous and the peaks are like swords.

This majestic pass is bordered by a river to the north, the Qinling Mountains to the south, and Mount Hua to the west.

There is only a winding path in the middle, with deep valleys and steep cliffs on both sides, high mountains and narrow roads, which can only accommodate bicycles.

Since ancient times, this place has been the only pass for Shandong states to enter Guanzhong and the Western Regions. To the west is the Tongguan Road where bandits are rampant.

In the early years of the Guochao Dynasty, Emperor Taizu established Tongguan Guard here to guard the key points of Qin, Jin and Henan provinces.

To this day, the Acropolis has not been invaded for a hundred years and is more like a prosperous town.

There were two teams of soldiers standing at the city gate, their weapons and armor were neat and tidy, but their posture was crooked and they had no spirit of steel at all. They looked no different from peddlers.

"Why isn't the front moving?"

"Master Hu, the city gate is blocked. Two carriages are squeezed together and neither is willing to give way. The two shopkeepers are fighting. The officials are coming out to mediate. It should be over soon."

The guy who went to inquire about the news came back and said.

The man sitting in the cart jumped onto the shaft and saw that there was a long queue of more than a mile in front of him, at least a hundred vehicles, and the sky was already dark. It seemed that they could not enter the city today.

"These brain-chopping people are wasting my time. I really should give them a piece of iron guts and throw them into the Yellow River to feed the carp."

Tongguanwei is a military city after all, and the gates must be closed and locked before dark.

The caravan ahead of him drove their carriages away from the team and headed south. They probably knew that they had no hope of entering the city before dark, so they planned to go outside the city to find an inn to stay in.

Three gong sounds.

"The time has come, close the door and lock it."

The general, wearing a red mandarin duck battle jacket and with a bulging belly, appeared in the sunlight a few feet in front of the city gate. Seeing that there were nearly fifty carts outside, he nodded, and eight soldiers brought in the antler fence to block the city gate.

A shopkeeper who often traveled to Tongguan Road asked, "Captain Hu, it's not dark yet?"

"Yes, it's not time yet, why are the city gates closed in advance?"

The caravans that were closer to the city gate were naturally unwilling to accept this and came forward to argue.

The fat general smiled and said, "When will the sky in Tongguan City get dark? I, Old Hu, don't have the final say, and neither do you. Only Lord Wang has the final say. Shopkeeper Qiu, you are a familiar face too. Do you have anything else to say?"

Tongguan Garrison was under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi Dusi. The Garrison Commander Wang Dechang had been running the Garrison for many years. Although his 5,000-plus garrison soldiers were not very capable, he spent a large amount of money to maintain a team of more than 300 elite light cavalrymen as his personal servants. It was said that they were equipped with firearms and were very fierce.

When the caravan owners heard that it was Lord Wang's idea, they didn't dare to say anything and could only blame themselves for their bad luck.

The fat general smiled and looked at the caravans behind him, then walked forward a distance and shouted loudly.

"Everyone, go seven miles south and you will find Huilongji, which has everything you need, including inns and restaurants. You can also find a singing girl to entertain you. Don't waste time here."

Seeing this, Tiger Erye cursed in a low voice: "Damn it. Let's go too! Go to that damn chicken in the cage."

Four carriages loaded with medicinal herbs and animal skins also headed south.

A waiter said, "Second Master, I heard that the tavern in Huilongji is four or five times more expensive than other places."

Another experienced fellow understood the situation clearly: "In the hundreds of miles around, besides Tongguanwei, there is Huilongji. Our goods are precious and cannot stand the rain and dew. We definitely cannot stay in the wilderness at night. They are clearly determined to eat you, Second Master, don't you agree?"

"Second Master?"

The big man in the lead didn't say anything. He looked towards the path to the south, and smoke and dust were rising.

A black horse passed the caravan wagons.

The man on the horse was dressed in a white robe, with a long sword hanging from his waist. He had a handsome and elegant appearance and was extremely handsome.

He spurred his horse and whipped it, and in the blink of an eye he had reached the edge of the mountain.

"Second Master, what are you looking at?"

"It seems... I see a familiar face."

"Is he Erye's friend?"

The Tiger Master smiled and said, "We met once before, and drank three cups of wine in the Zuixian Tower in Pingyang. I didn't expect to see you again in Guanzhong. The road is long, but life is full of encounters. Let's go, hurry up, before dark, Master, I want to eat the caged chicken from Qin."

There is a Shuanglong Mountain just seven or eight miles away from Tongguan City Wall.

There is a vacant lot in front of the mountain, where hundreds of large houses with green tiles were built.

There are restaurants, shops, gambling houses, carriage and horse trading companies, escort agencies and treasure houses. 70% of the industries on this street belong to the Liu family on Shuanglong Mountain.

There is a Badao Sect on Shuanglong Mountain. It is said that their ancestors were once glorious and dominated the Sanqin area for many years. However, with the passage of time, it has now declined greatly, with only about 200 disciples left.

The lights are dim and the place is bustling with people.

It is hard to imagine that there is such a place among the mountains on the Tongguan Ancient Road.

However, the prosperity of this place cannot be supported by the caravans that missed the time to enter the city.

There are several other types of people on the street.

One type is mountain people, who are dressed differently and bring mountain products to Huilongji, exchanging them for things that cannot be produced in the mountains.

It is difficult to farm in the vast mountains and it is not suitable for the Han people to live in. However, these mixed-race mountain people make a living by hunting and gathering. They build villages deep in the mountains to protect themselves and avoid taxes and labor service. As long as they do not encounter major natural disasters, they live a relatively comfortable life.

Then there are the wanderers, who don't like the constraints in Tongguan City. Unlike the caravans that seek stability, they would rather go back and forth to Longji to spend the night.

"Sir, would you like to stay at our hotel?" The sharp-eyed waiter immediately came out to greet him at the door.

The white-robed swordsman led his horse and stopped in front of the inn. He looked at the sign with a surprised expression.

"Tongfu Inn."

The waiter laughed and said, "In Guanzhong area, many inns are named 'Tongfu'. It is said that Emperor Gaozu of Han and King Overlord of Chu became brothers and swore to share happiness and difficulties. However, it is easy to share difficulties but difficult to share happiness. Later generations felt this and took this as their name."

"Feed the horses well. Add soybeans and eggs to the fodder."

When the white-robed swordsman saw the reins thrown over, he smiled lightly and walked into Tongfu Inn.

The waiter happily took the reins and made the deal, which paid off for all his nonsense.

There was not a single middle-aged woman in the inn. An elderly innkeeper was standing at the counter, fiddling with an abacus.

Four lanterns were raised between the buildings, illuminating the space brightly, and two or three tables of guests were drinking.

"I want a room upstairs, and some food and wine."

The waiter asked, "Should we have the food and drinks delivered to the room or in the lobby?"

"right here."

Zhang Yu found an empty table and sat down.

The people at other tables glanced at him but didn't pay much attention.

This place is right under the eyes of the Tongguan Guards, and with the Badao Sect there, even if there are some extremely vicious criminals, they dare not cause any trouble. Although Huilongji is a mixed bag, it still maintains peace overall.

"Sir, the food and drinks are here."

The waiter held a wooden tray and placed a pot of wine, a plate of bacon, a plate of peanuts, and a bowl of noodles in front of Zhang Yu one by one.

After all, an inn is not a restaurant. If you want to eat better, you can ask the waiter to buy it for you at other restaurants.

"Enjoy your meal, sir. Here is your room number, Room A-5."

Zhang Yu nodded.

There were three men sitting at the table next to them. The one sitting in the main seat was dressed elegantly in a fine silk robe, with a fair face and no beard. He did not look like an ordinary wanderer. His voice was a little shrill, as if he did it on purpose so that others would not hear the content of their conversation.

The white-faced man ate half a bowl of noodles and went upstairs to rest.

The two men who looked like guards breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him leave. They ordered some more wine and food and started eating and drinking casually.

After dark, Tongfu Inn became even more lively, and the owner asked the waiter to raise four lanterns.

People came into the inn one after another. They were all wanderers and merchants who came here to stay because Tongguan City was locked.

A man carrying a package on a whistle stick walked into the inn. He was dressed shabbily. He walked into the hall, touched his empty stomach, looked around, and saw an acquaintance. A look of joy immediately appeared on his face.

"I have heard that you two brothers are doing business in the Qin Palace, enjoying endless wealth and glory. I am lucky to meet you today. It is really a blessing for me."

"It turns out to be Brother Liu Yong. Long time no see. Please take a seat."

The two guards were somewhat helpless when they saw the newcomer, but due to their past friendship they had no choice but to ask him to sit down.

"I am sorry to bother you. Waiter, please bring some more bowls and chopsticks."

Liu Yong placed his whistle and bag at his feet, pulled a stool and sat down, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat in no time. Soon, only a mess was left on the table.

"Brothers, please eat. You're welcome."

Liu Yong put down his chopsticks, touched the oil stains on his mouth, and smiled at the two of them.

Zhou Boxiong smiled and said, "After so many years, brother still has such a good appetite."

Liu Yong burped and said with a smile, "My mother once said that to travel the world, one must be famous, ambitious, and have an even bigger appetite!"

The three of them were all from Xi'an Prefecture, and were distant relatives. They had practiced martial arts in the same martial arts school. Later, the two of them found connections and joined the Qin Palace as guards, and now they have made a name for themselves.

The man named Liu Yong, who yearned for the pleasure of revenge in the martial arts world, had been wandering around Guanzhong for several years. Now it seems that he has nowhere to go and can't even make a living.

The three of them reminisced about the past and talked about their past friendship, and soon became familiar with each other.

The down-and-out man named Liu Yong was worldly-wise and spoke sweetly. Every word of flattery he said touched the Zhou brothers' hearts. He also lowered himself very low, and the two sides immediately started to talk about everything.

"So the two brothers went to Yangzhou to buy maids. This is a good job. If you do it well, the King of Qin will definitely reward you greatly. Maybe you can get a proper official position, which will bring glory to our ancestors."

Zhou Zhongda shook his head and said, "Alas, we had the same idea. We even spent money and used connections to get this job."

Liu Yong observed their expressions and saw that they looked unhappy, so he asked, "Are your tasks going poorly, brothers?"

Zhou Boxiong said, "Suzhou is a prosperous place. Take the salt merchants for example. They are all as wealthy as a country. The silver we brought with us couldn't even buy a first-class skinny horse. We only bought four second-class ones. It will be a blessing if we don't get punished when we return."

The princes in various parts of the Ming Dynasty had no real power and were strictly forbidden to interact with local officials. Their main occupation was to seize farmland and lure beautiful women.

The Qin King of Guanzhong has been passed down for three generations. The one who prefaced the family tree is the uncle of the current emperor. He lived in the capital when he was the crown prince, and became a close friend of the emperor who was still in the palace. He was quite favored. However, compared with Shuzhong, Luoyang, Jiangnan and other places, Guanzhong is still relatively poor.

Liu Yong's eyes turned, and he sensed an opportunity: "Brothers, I have an idea that will not only help you two complete your mission, but also help you shine."

Zhou Boxiong was somewhat displeased when he saw that Liu Yong was extremely poor and yet he still wanted to interfere in the affairs of the Prince of Qin's Palace. He smiled sarcastically and said, "Oh, did you meet a stunning beauty in a cave? We can keep her for our own enjoyment, but we dare not offer her to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin."

"My two brothers have just rushed back to Tongguan, right? You may not know that there is a big event in Longji this time, and there are especially many people coming here in the past few days."

"What's the matter?"

"The Tyrant Blade Sect will be selling a stunningly beautiful woman in the Juyun Tower tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)

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