"My name is Yang Xi."

"It's a native of Ningqin County (Huayin County, Shaanxi)."

On the first day of July, in the prisoner of war camp of the Northern Expeditionary Army, under the candlelight, the young cavalry Yang Xi was a little restrained, he wiped the corn grains that were still stained on the corners of his mouth, rubbed his hands, and began his long self-description:

"Ningqin County was originally called Yin Jin, which was the land of Wei State, and was ceded to Qin State during the reign of King Huiwen, so it was renamed Ningqin ......"

Speaking of this, Yang Xi smiled nostalgically.

No matter where he goes, how far away he is from his hometown, as long as he closes his eyes, Yang Xi can see the Huashan Mountain opposite his home, steep and beautiful, and the rocks are born, which is the scenery that Yang Xi's ancestors have seen for generations......

The geographical location of Ningqin County is very important, there is Huashan Mountain in the south, Fenglingdu to the east of the river in the north, there is a road in the west to connect Guanzhongfu, and more than 100 miles in the east is the Peach Forest Fortress and Hangu Pass, only by winning this, the Qin State can be called peaceful.

This name change seems to have worked, and since then, for more than 100 years, except for two petty coups, there has been almost no war in Guanzhong.

The leaders don't have to worry about being rushed into their homes by robbers in their sleep to kill people and set fires, and they don't have to be afraid that the enemy army will suddenly surround the city.

The only thing to worry about is the harsh punishment after accidentally breaking the law, and which family will be called up to serve as a soldier this year, sweeping the Six Kingdoms for the king......

"In my family, in addition to my mother, there are two younger brothers......"

Yang Xi is the eldest in the family, his parents were very happy to have their eldest son, and felt that they finally had a son to inherit the title, so they named it "Xi" to express their happiness.

A few years later, the second child was born, still a son, Yang's father and Yang's mother were also in a good mood, saying that even if Yang Xi set up another door when he became an adult, their family also had a second son enough to support the elderly, so he named it Yang Le.

You must know that Qin is different from other states, men must immediately separate their household registration when they reach adulthood, which means that when the eldest Yang Xishan has an independent household, the old father and mother of the Yang family will continue to pull the remaining few boys who have an amazing amount of food to adulthood, and when they can work, they have to separate the household and stand on their own, generally leaving only the old man to support the elderly.

A few years later, that is, on the eve of Qin Shi Huang's unification of the world, the third child was born, but soon died of illness, and when he buried this little creature in the back mountain, after thinking about it, the Yang family still decided to give him a name.

"Yang Ai."

Mourn to mourn, bitter to bitter, but the days have to go on, smash the kettle and sell iron, repair my spear, and also support the unification of the first emperor!

It stands to reason that the Six Kingdoms have been swept away, and the burden on the head of Qiantou should be lightened, but the labor is heavier than in the past, not only the major projects of Guanzhong Jinren, Lishan, and Afang continued, but the land promised by the first emperor was always divided into remote counties, and service became a matter of no return.

However, the Qin people had long been accustomed to this kind of farming and warfare life under the domestication of the Shang Dynasty, and they did not have great complaints like the land of the Six Kingdoms.

Thirty years after Qin Shi Huang, those heavy soldiers gradually intensified, and few of the sons who went to Nanyue, Northern Xinjiang, Haidong, and Hexi returned, either staying in the local area or dying of epidemics.

Fortunately, Yang Xi was still a minor at that time and escaped by luck, but there were already folk songs circulating at that time:

"Be cautious when giving birth to a man, and breastfeed a girl. You don't see the five Lingnan and the Great Wall, the bones of the dead are supporting each other! ”

In this context, Yang Xi's Ji brother was born, and his father actually wanted a daughter, looking at his young son, he was helpless and angry, so he named him: "Yang Nu!" ”

But at that time, I only dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak.

With this anger, Father Yang followed Tu Sui to the south of Luliang Land, and never returned, only the news of his death came back.

Now, Yang's mother has to work hard to pull her three children......

Joy and sorrow, four springs, is not only the mood change of the Yang family, but also a portrayal of the life changes of the Qin people in Guanzhong for more than ten years.

Fortunately, at that time, Yang Xi was already a Fu and was able to help his family Litian, and his life was barely passable, but he was also recruited to Lishan and Afang to work for a few months.

In the summer of the thirty-seventh year, when Yang Xi was still working hard in the fields, after the news of the death of the First Emperor suddenly spread throughout Guanzhong, no matter which county, all the Qin people seemed to have lost their souls, and their first reaction felt as if they were dreaming, and they didn't believe it was true, thinking that they had heard it wrong.

After the news was confirmed, the three elders in the township howled and cried outside the inner door, heartbreaking, eager to go with the first emperor, and even Yang Xi's illiterate mother would secretly wipe her tears at home.

"She said, shouldn't Your Majesty live forever, how can you say that if you don't, it's gone?"

Although there are some complaints secretly, in the minds of the Qin people, the first emperor is a god, how can a god die like a mortal? In the past few years, because every time the first emperor is on his birthday, all counties cheer the slogan from Jiaodong: "Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live", which is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

In addition, the government announced that the First Emperor had let General Li Xin find the West Queen Mother State, and soon the Queen Mother would soar through the clouds and bring immortal medicine to offer, and Afang Palace was built for her! Therefore, I always thought that the First Emperor could really live forever.

Yang Xi also felt empty in his heart, full of fear and confusion about the future.

In the education of his elders, all the victories of the Great Qin and all the happiness of the Qin people were given by the First Emperor, and two generations of Qin people were accustomed to the rule of the First Emperor, and every wise edict and decree was closely related to the life of the Qin people, and his influence has become an indispensable part of the Qin people's spirit.

Without him, it is like a ship without a rudder, what will happen in the future?

Facts have proved that Daqin, a big ship that was accelerated to speed by Qin Shi Huang in the narrow channel, really began to stumble after losing its helmsman.

The new emperor Hu Hai was just a young and weak child, although he tried his best to put on a crown and put on the power of the emperor, but he did not have the prestige of the first emperor at all, not to mention that the southern Marquis of Changnan (the Qin people did not know that Heifu was named Marquis of Wuzhong) suddenly rebelled......

Recalling those difficult days, Yang Xi muttered: "The rent reduction promised by the second emperor has not been fulfilled, but the labor has become heavier......"

"Since the second half of the thirty-seventh year, there has been a locust plague on Shaoliang's side, which has affected Ning Qin, but Xianyang has to send money and grain every quarter, and there are endless harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes all day long, as well as forced labor."

The Lishan Mausoleum is to be completed, the rebellion in the south is to be quelled, and the rebellion in the hometown of the Six Kingdoms has to be suppressed, as if returning to the Second War of Exterminating Chu, and the entire Guanzhong was mobilized again.

In this case, Yang Xi, who inherited his father's title of "no change", was drafted into the army.

"It was February, around the time of spring ploughing, I was plowing the old horse at home, but I was approached by someone from Li Zheng, saying that it was my turn to serve on the front line......"

"I said, I went to the New Year to serve two shifts, worked in Lishan, and returned in autumn. In the spring of this year, I was ordered to go to Hanguguan to dig a ditch, and I only came back a few days ago, not to mention that I am the only adult male in the family, and I should not be a soldier, I went, only two younger brothers are left, and I don't do farming? Don't pay the rent? ”

"But Li Zheng didn't listen, and people forced me to leave home with my horses and clothes."

The law of Shang Yang has been immersed in prostitution for a hundred years, and in the character of the Qin people, the gene called "obedience" has been deeply impressed.

They did not dare to go up to the mountains to cut firewood or go down to the river to fish until the summer, because that would violate the "Tian Law".

They did not dare to evade taxes, and even if the tax collector carelessly omitted it, which was basically impossible, they would take the initiative to ask Lizheng, because once they were discovered, the punishment would be a hundred times that of the land rent.

Its people are simple, its vocal music is not dirty, its clothes are not bad, and it is very afraid of being obedient...... This was Xunzi's praise back then, but Xunzi didn't know the profound reason behind it.

The only chance to release this long-suppressed was when attacking the Six Kingdoms, because public war was encouraged, so there was an almost hysterical madness on the battlefield of Qin Zhirui.

Even if the First Emperor is dead now, the law has collapsed, and the rope is loosened, the Qin people will habitually restrain themselves and stand in the circle, not daring to move.

Therefore, the whole world rebels, but Qin does not rebel.

This is also the reason why after the death of Qin Shi Huang, Hu Hai's court was able to maintain its rule and did not collapse quickly......

So even though it was unreasonable, Yang Xi still bowed his head in front of the officials, took the only old horse in the family, and went on the road with almost all the school-age men in the middle school.

"When I arrived in Lantian, because I had a horse and inherited my father's lordship, I became a horseman, and I was in charge of five people......"

In the land of the Six Kingdoms, you can't be a countryman, but what is it in Guanzhong? There are several chiefs in Ningqin County, and they have to work in the fields by themselves, not to mention the lords, and they can only be small officials after enlisting in the army.

"We didn't go to Nanyang immediately, but trained in Lantian until April......"

The news of the defeat of Nanyang shook Guanzhong, even if the officials blocked the news, but there was no shortage of whispers among the soldiers, didn't the government say that under the command of the Marquis of Tongwu, the rebellion of the black thieves in the south would soon be quelled? How can you be flat, and all the outside of Wuguan is lost? Those Nanyang soldiers also retreated in despair?

Under this kind of panic, Yang Xi and their new recruits were accepted by Wang Li from Shangjun......

Wang Li, the grandson of Wang Jian of Wucheng and the son of Wang Ben, Marquis of Tongwu, this background alone is enough to reassure the soldiers who don't have much knowledge, but there is no shortage of such voices:

"What about the tiger father and the dog...... I heard that this little general Wang has no talent, and he lost his way when he fought the Huns......"

But after all, there is a foundation for family education, and Wang Li has a certain way to govern the army, and after killing a few people, he packed up the recruits' uniforms. There is also the Shangjun Corps, which has been trained in northern Xinjiang for many years, as the main force, and the recruits are caught in it and obediently march to Wuguan.

"When we arrived in Shang County, we saw the Shangjun soldiers and Nanyang soldiers, which added up to a dense pack, and the camp was larger than ten Ningqin counties."

How bold the people are, Yang Xi and them are a little more relieved.

But this last confidence in the Huhai court was shattered in the roar of Wuguan......

Recalling that night, Yang Xi would still be pale and trembling in his body.

It was like a thousand candles rising into the air at the same time, accompanied by a huge explosion, shining white and dazzling.

"Hex?"

"Heavenly thunder?"

"Fire Raven?"

"Meteor!?"

The 100,000 troops who were on standby ten miles west of Wuguan were stunned by this scene, followed by a new loud noise, Wuguan smoke and dust rolling, suddenly broken, and the little general Wang evacuated in embarrassment, seeing that the three armies were in turmoil and the formation was not in order, so he ordered to retreat!

"That's a retreat, it's clearly a ......escape," Yang Xi muttered, a fellow villager of his, who was accidentally trampled to death by the rebels that night.

The incident happened suddenly, the people of the northern army were in great confusion, they couldn't take care of each other, they couldn't form an army for a while, and fled to the northwest in the form of a formation, lest the meteors in the rear fall to, and ran wildly all the way, only hating their parents for having two legs.

The Dongmen Leopard, the vanguard of the Southern Army, took the opportunity to pursue in the rear, annihilating more than 10,000 prisoners.

Yang Xi was lucky, he was a horseman, he had a horse, and he ran for more than fifty miles in one breath at night, and only stopped after returning to Shang County.

At this time, the army was exhausted, before the start of the war, 120,000 people, only less than 80,000 remained, the soldiers were depressed, everyone was depressed to the extreme, and in the process of continuing to evacuate to the pass, rumors spread.

Recalling the scene at Wuguan, most people associate it with the terrifying scene of countless meteors piercing the sky and falling to the east in the 37th year of Qin Shi Huang......

"There is a prophecy that says that the dead Qin is black, is it true, and Heifu really has the help of the gods?"

Some of the soldiers who witnessed the whole process near Wuguan swore that they clearly heard the cheers of the southern army:

"The First Emperor has appeared."

"Why did the First Emperor help the rebels fight the official army? Beat your own son? At that time, Yang Xi felt inexplicable.

Some of the old soldiers who had returned from Nanyang told the rumors they had heard earlier:

"Hu Hai's young son is also not worthy of establishment, the Southern Army preached that it was Hu Hai and Zhao Gao who usurped the throne, and Heifu was ordered to raise troops, otherwise why would the First Emperor make him 'Wuzhong'?"

"Who is the one who stands? The eldest son, Fusu? Didn't he plot to assassinate the First Emperor and abscond? ”

"I'm afraid that the person who is in charge is not Fusu, but the person who is helped by the first emperor!"

The brains of the low-level soldiers are getting bigger and bigger:

"The god of the first emperor was not passed on to Hu Hai."

"I haven't sheltered Fusu either."

"Instead, he was succeeded by Marquis Wu Zhong! No wonder he can break through the martial arts with the Heavenly Thunder Fire Crow! ”

The speculation became more and more irresponsible, and eventually, more exaggerated claims emerged.

"The first emperor protected Heifu so much, could it be that he is also the emperor?"

……

"Could it be that Marquis Wuzhong is also the son of the First Emperor? Otherwise, why can you get the help of the gods of the first emperor. ”

"Mr. Uncle Sun, is that so?"

After talking about this temporary interruption, Yang Xi raised his head and looked seriously at his uncle and grandson Tong who was waving a pen to record his story.

This Confucian is the former doctor of Qin Shi Huang, and now the celebrity around Wuzhong Hou, the public opinion propaganda of the Northern Expeditionary Army, before the war, Ji Ying was in charge of the united front, and after the war, he handed it over to his uncle and grandson.

After the end of the war yesterday, Shusun Tong was ordered by Marquis Wu Zhonghou to come to the prisoner of war camp to find a suitable candidate, talk to him, and finally fell in love with Yang Xi, who took the lead in surrendering.

He asked Yang Xi to describe the experience and mental journey from being captured and becoming a puppet army - the army of the puppet emperor who helped the abuse, to waking up and defecting to the Northern Expeditionary Army......

At this moment, Shusun Tong stopped the pen in his hand, a little stunned, Yang Xi's question had nothing to do with Heifu's work assigned to him, but this ignorant pawn's question reminded Shusun Tong, and he suddenly secretly twisted his thigh.

"yes, I didn't think of that!"

There is one thing that has made Uncle Sun Tong depressed for a long time, that is, the prince always likes to advertise himself as the "son of the head of Qian" everywhere, and even stubbornly retains the name of the head of the Qian, which is a scumbag like "Heifu", and he does not change it.

After breaking through the Wuguan, Shusun Tong once suggested that Heifu change his name to "Wei Bang", "Bang" means country, big Bang, small Bang.

"Although Zhou is an old state, his life is renewed" and "the son of his state, the Yanxi of the state"...... It's all good words. This is more compatible with the future status of the prince.

But Marquis Wu Zhonghou was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, and resolutely rejected the proposal.

"I, like most people in the world, have eight generations of poor peasants, and there are no ancestors of ancient emperors and sages......"

He also smiled and said: "I'll be called Heifu, not Weibang." ”

At the end, he added: "I won't call Yu Yuanzhang ......"

This made Shusun Tong puzzled, and at that time, while pondering that "Yuanzhang" was actually a good name, he slandered again:

"The prince can easily cling to the bloodline of the ancient emperors, and the name is justified, and the great cause ......"

"Why do you have to stick to the lowly Qianshou background?"

……

PS: Chapter 2 in the afternoon.

In addition, I recommend this book that I found by chance, "A Guide to Catching a Fish", which is easy and interesting, and drives without saying a word......