Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

It was cold in winter, and some people persuaded the boss to go down the mountain to plunder, while others traveled across mountains and rivers and crossed states.

In the north, heavy snow blocked the sky and the earth.

Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong were also lucky. Although the latter's relatives in Jizhou Prefecture issued a warrant for Yang Xiong's arrest, they also hinted that the yamen runners going to other places should walk slower, so the two of them did not encounter the officers who came to pursue them.

On their way to Jingzhou, they met a caravan going to Qi State. After a conversation, the generous manager of the caravan asked the two men who were going to Qi State to join their friend to travel together. The two of them were not ignorant and reckless men. Yang Xiong insisted on giving them money, but the manager insisted on not taking it. He had no choice but to help the caravan people do some chores within his ability.

The manager was very happy that Shi Xiu could drive the cart, so he let him do the job of driving the cart. Yang Xiong, relying on his ability to shoot arrows, caught a lot of prey, which also gave the group of people an alternative to dry food in the wild.

It would be better for them to have someone to lead them along the way than to find the way on their own. However, the caravan was going to the market in Jinzhou. When they arrived there, the manager of the caravan wanted to hire Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong into the caravan, but the two did not agree. They just said it was a pity, gave some cold-resistant items, dry food and strong liquor as gifts, and then separated from Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu and went to the market on their own.

It was already past the middle of the first lunar month. Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong had no carriage for transportation and no horses on hand. The freezing weather made the journey even more difficult than usual. They had no choice but to continue on their journey, enjoying the northern scenery of Liaodong.

The third year of Tianshun in Qi Dynasty, the ninth year of Tianqing in Liao Dynasty, the first year of Xuanhe in Song Dynasty, the middle of spring.

The sky was hanging behind the clouds, with round balls of light shining through the clouds, and the cold wind blew on people's faces.

The two stood at the city gate, leaning on their whistles, and looked up at the three simple words "Liaoyang Prefecture" above. Shi Xiu smiled bitterly and said, "We are finally here. I almost thought we would never get here in this lifetime."

Yang Xiong also looked exhausted, his fur coat was stained with snow. He looked up at the cleaned city gate and started walking: "Let's go, let's find a place to stay first."

Shi Xiu nodded and followed.

There were fewer people on the streets in winter than before, but there were still people out shopping. Shi Xiu looked around and approached Yang Xiong: "The people in Liaoyang Prefecture seem to be living well. On my way here, I saw that many people were wearing thick clothes, and there were also many people drinking in the taverns on the street."

"After all, it was one of the five capitals in the past and the capital of Qi, so it's not bad." Yang Xiong replied, looking at the sign of Cao's Restaurant in front of him, pointed and said, "That's it, I really don't want to move forward any further."

Shi Xiu was also tired and was eager to rest early, so how could he have any objections? The two of them walked into the store and asked for a big room. They didn't even bother to warm their feet. They took off their coats and fell directly on the bed. They slept until dark before waking up.

After washing up, the two of them went to the front lobby to get some food. After eating and drinking, they felt less hungry and finally felt relieved. Shi Xiu held up the wine glass and looked at Yang Xiong: "Brother, we have arrived now. Where is your friend?"

"I don't know either." Yang Xiong chewed the tender mutton. "When he left, he just said that we could come to Liaoyang Prefecture to find a man named Yang Lin, who was working for someone there."

Shi Xiu sipped his wine and said, "Then Yang Lin must be a wealthy man."

"...I think so." Yang Xiong held the chopsticks, a little hesitant: "He said it as if everyone knows Yang Lin. I think he should be famous. Tomorrow you and I will go out and ask around. Who knows, we may find him."

Shi Xiu nodded: "That should be the case. Have a good rest tonight, and walk around more tomorrow."

Yang Xiong smiled: "We should go together. You sound like you're going out alone."

He raised his glass and clinked it with Shi Xiu: "Tomorrow I will go to the east, and you go west. No matter whether you find it or not, come back to check at the end of the day."

"it is good."

The two brothers gobbled up the rest in no time, asked the store owner to prepare some hot soup for their feet, and chatted until the end of the night before they took a break.

The next day, the wind was howling. The two got up and had breakfast. It was almost the end of the hour when they went out in the cold wind. They thought Yang Lin was some wealthy businessman, so they went to the market to ask the shopkeepers and clerks about him. However, they were all answered with "I don't know" and "I've never heard of him." This made them feel a little uneasy.

He did not come back until the end of the day. After ordering some food and wine, they sat down against the wall and looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"...Brother." After a while, Shi Xiu pondered and said, "Could it be that your friend was deceived by someone?"

“No.” Yang Xiong shook his hand first, then paused, his expression gradually becoming a little unsure: “…I don’t think so, that guy looks quite shrewd.”

Shi Xiu's mouth twitched: "This... If we talk about being smart, shouldn't the liar be three times smarter?"

Yang Xiong's expression froze, and he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

When the two were at a loss as to what to do, a waiter came over and placed the food and drinks on the table: "My two guests, the food and drinks are all here. Enjoy your meal."

Yang Xiong first said "Hmm." and then called him: "Hey man, wait a minute."

Looking at Shi Xiu, he smiled and said, "We have asked so many people, but we actually forgot about the information circulation place like the restaurant. Maybe we can get some information."

Shi Xiu nodded hesitantly.

The shop assistant looked at them strangely: "Guest, what's the matter?"

"Let me ask you." Yang Xiong turned around and asked, "Is there an official named Yang Lin in this city?"

The guy hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "I haven't heard of it."

Shi Xiu smiled bitterly: "Brother, it seems that your friend has been deceived."

Yang Xiong frowned and said "Tsk!", then took a breath and said, "Forget it, buddy, you go down first."

"Hey, take your time chatting."

The shop assistant responded, walked to the front desk, put the tray on the counter, looked back, approached the shopkeeper who was looking down and whispered: "Someone is asking about Yang Lin. Could it be Yang Yezhe?"

The shopkeeper looked up and asked, "Which table?"

"The one near the wall is staying at the hotel. Judging from his accent, he's from the State of Song."

The shopkeeper looked at them vaguely, put the brush and account book on the counter and locked it: "You stay here and watch. I'll be back soon."

The waiter responded, grabbed the fur hat like the shopkeeper, put it on and walked outside. He walked around and came to a secluded place. He looked around, pushed the door open, and quickly walked through the front yard into a house.

There were a few men dressed in civilian clothes sitting inside. When they heard the noise, they looked at him and said jokingly, "How come you are so free today as the owner of a restaurant? Did the cold wind drive all the customers away?"

"Don't laugh." The shopkeeper came over and said, "Two strangers came to my place, asking about Yang Lin, the palace's usher." (End of this chapter)