He Brings the Wind and Thunder

Chapter 8

The three women in the carriage didn't know that danger had passed. They hugged and cried, shivering. The middle-aged woman closed her eyes and kept reciting Amitabha. Hearing the words of someone outside the carriage, the middle-aged woman carefully opened the curtain and peeped out through the gap. When she saw Tianci, who was half-blooded, she was so scared that she put down the curtain again and stammered, "Is it the man who saved us?"

Tianci said coldly, "I was saved instead of being saved, so let's not mention it. Where do you want to go, Madame? Do you need my help?"

The middle-aged woman finally had the courage to lift the curtain and stuck her head out. She said, "My young lady's surname is Wu and her family is in Hai Zhou. She came to the capital city to visit her master. She planned to change a boat in Ji Ning, but she didn't expect to encounter this accident halfway. Several of her family members were killed. Her reputation would have been ruined if the hero hadn't saved her in time." Her tone sounded like a servant woman. In the car, there was a little girl with a round face. Her face was calm and tears had not dried up. The young lady's figure was slim, and her long white dress was in a white gauze, with a light green short jacket. Her head was low, so one could not see her face clearly.

Tianci said, "It's a great pity that I haven't been able to rescue you in time. I will try to bury your companion's body with someone else and move it back to my hometown in the future. As for this carriage driver... well, I'll do my best and fill it up."

The master and servant three were very grateful. Miss Wu still lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you for your kindness. Your humble concubine does not dare to bother you."

Tianci smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. Are you going to Jining by yourself? Although it's my first time to drive, I'm still stronger than you." Miss Wu said, "I'm sorry to have wronged a brave man, but my concubine is very uneasy." Tianci smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. In fact, the fifth doctor of the Qin Dynasty was a driver. It can be seen that a whipman is not inferior to others. He can also be an official. Today, I have been addicted to the privilege of being an official. If I don't follow the rules, please don't laugh at me."

The three girls couldn't help but smile. Miss Wu smiled and said, "Your father, Kong Shang, is willing to be a whipping man. We are both the direct descendants of Kongmen. We follow the old man's footsteps. What's wrong with that?" Confucius once said, "The more you get, the better. Even a whipping man will do the same thing. Miss Wu has been doing this all the time, which shows that she is not an ordinary girl. At least she has read the Four Books skilfully."

Tianci smiled and said, "I didn't expect that I could match the sages. It's amazing!" He tied the ebony horse to the back of the carriage, jumped to the carriage driver's seat, and set off with a whip. Tianci had never driven a carriage before, but he had seen a lot of it in daily life. The horses were very well-trained, so he was able to control them with ease and skill.

Miss Wu said, "My humble concubine is extremely impolite. I haven't asked the noble man's name yet." Tianci answered casually, "My name is Li Tianci. I live here in Bianzhou City. Today, I am out hunting and don't want to meet you." Miss Wu said, "The noble man's surname is Li. Your honor, Mr. Li. Do you know Disposition Li?"

Tianci smiled and said, "That's my father. How can I not know him? Miss is far away in Hai Province. Have you heard my father's name before?"

Miss Wu let out a cry of surprise and said,"Ah, so Lord Li is your Lordship! Your Lordship's name has spread throughout the world. Who doesn't know about the Seven North North North and Six-Three Prefectures, not to mention the sea province that is right in front of them?"

Tianci was greatly surprised. How could his father, a mere magistrate of a prefecture, be so famous? He asked, "Are you complimenting me, Miss?"

Miss Wu replied, "Your lowly concubine is speaking the truth. Your Lordship is a man of integrity. He has come to the court to accuse the officials repeatedly. He doesn't hide from the axe and cauldrons, and doesn't care about life, death, or shame. This matter is known to the world and known by the imperial family in the sea. Young master, you are too modest."

Tianci said calmly, "As a courtier, I should be responsible for the country and not have selfish thoughts. This is a matter of my own accord, so it's nothing." But Tianci was very happy in his heart and thought, "The right and wrong are in accordance with the human heart. Dad has impeached all the traitors. Although I haven't succeeded, the people in the world have seen it clearly."

Miss Wu was grateful that Tianci had saved her. When she heard that he was the son of famous Mr. Li, she felt closed to him. She tried hard to repress her shyness and peeked out through the curtain. She couldn't help but gasp. What she saw wasn't the handsome young man she had imagined, but a wretched half-naked scene. She asked with concern, "Is the young man hurt? Is he serious? Let me take a look." After getting out of the carriage, she grabbed his injured arm and tore off his sleeves, regardless of whether he agreed or not. The mouth of the knife was nearly a foot long. Although no blood could be seen, it was still very scary. Miss Wu saw it and felt pain. She took out a handkerchief and wrapped it up in her heart. Perhaps out of gratitude for the news, or perhaps out of a sympathy for the young man she met, she was very concerned about him and cared about him a lot. She had completely forgotten her identity as the daughter of a rich family.

Tianci was not panicky. A faint feminine scent wafted into his nose. Soft fingers wandered around his left arm. The pain on his left arm seemed to have become incomparably comfortable. Tianci was like a monkey and could not help but turn to look at Miss Wu. Her brows and eyelashes were long and her lips were as white as snow. She was extraordinarily beautiful. Everyone had the heart to love beauty, although even a saint could not stop it. Tianci could no longer turn his gaze away when he looked at her, and an unspeakable feeling arose in his heart.

Under Tianci's strange gaze, Miss Wu's cheeks were flushed and her delicate hands were trembling. She finally managed to bandage her wounds. She rolled her eyes at Tianci and turned into the carriage, lowering her head without a word. Her heart was beating like a deer's. No one knew whether it was sweet or panic.

Tianci found it hard to suppress the itch in his heart and his soul had flown out of his body. He thought to himself, "This is so beautiful for Miss Wu. She glared at me, looking a bit coquettish. Are you angry? The way she's angry is even more charming." Then, he started to blame himself. "Oh, Li Tianci! You're so incorrigible! You've completely forgotten the principle of 'don't look at others when they're waiting for you'. You were the chivalrous lady in red who had saved your life just now. Now, you're thinking of all these lecherous thoughts."

Self-blame was one thing, but the desire in Tianci's heart was another. He was a graceful lady and a gentleman. It was normal for a young man in his early twenties to have an illusion of a beautiful young woman. The charming figure of the woman in red quietly unlocked Tianci's heart. Although it was just a glimpse, it left an indelible impression. The sweet smile of the moment of her death was deeply imprinted in Tianci's mind, and Miss Wu's beautiful face seemed to be washed away.

The carriage rumbled forward. Tianci was worried and speechless. Staring at his strong back, Miss Wu's shyness faded away. Finally, she broke the silence and asked, "Mr. Li, what are you thinking about?"

How could the thoughts in his heart be told to her? Tianci forced a smile. "I'm thinking about this trip to the capital. It's a long journey and there must be someone to take care of her. I'll ask Lord Juezhou to send someone to escort the young lady to the capital. The family of officials and families were robbed in the boundary of Jining. As a local official, I can't leave her alone."

Miss Wu said, "Have we already reached the boundary of Ji Ning Prefecture? I thought we were still in Bian Prefecture!" Tianci said, "It can't be wrong. Please take a look. That's Pengzi Mountain. If you can see Pengzi Mountain, you'll see him coming to Ji Ning Prefecture."

Looking into the distance, they saw that the wilderness was vast and endless, and the carriage had already driven out of the rugged mountain road. In the distance was a vague mountain shadow, and close to it were emerald fields. There were three to five smoke villages dotted with small hills and lush forests. Miss Wu asked, "What is the name of this small mountain?"

Tianci said, "This is not a mountain. It's a relic of the old kingdom of Lu. Duke Lu once defeated the Master Song here. It was built to defend against the disaster of war, but eventually, it was destroyed. After thousands of years of erosion, the broken walls and debris disappeared, leaving only a pile of loess for future generations to rely on."

The girls were all very sentimental. Miss Wu couldn't help frowning and sighing, "Why is there always a war in every city in every relic? When it comes to the Qiu, it is either Duke Lu defeats the teacher of the Song family, or Zhao Wei defeats the Chu family of the Chu dynasty. The Book of History says it is a piece of land, and the Book of Water noted that it is a land of Song. The Book of the Nether World is to proclaim that it is a land of the Song. The book also mentions a sentence,'In the Battle ofQius, the Childe comes out of theexact gate of Lu City, and at that time, he conquers the Qiu dynasty. The war is full of books, as if the ancestors are killing and killing. I like reading, but I can't read it anymore every time I see it. Is there anything else to record other than the war?"

Tianci replied, "The ancient sayings that aristocratic courts are nothing more than open-handed battles. Music is a superficial article. Going there is a way to consolidate one's power. Only after the war breaks down will the world be in peace. The cities that have been destroyed will spring up like mushrooms and be rebuilt, becoming more prosperous than in the past. It is a pity that the innocent who have died in the war will never be born again. Wars are terrifying, and greed is even more terrifying. Sorrows are hard to fill. Your children are like jade spears, and your power and titles will never be satisfying. The war will continue to last forever, and there will always be battles in books."

The two of them had a pleasant talk and did not know the distance. Miss Wu was well-read and thoughtful. Tianci felt that he was inferior, and he admired her. While they were talking and laughing, they seemed to cover a distance of tens of miles in a flash, and Jining City was looking at them leisurely.