Chapter 62
Xie Changgeng asked the guide, “Does the next Sui match with Cang Feng?”
“Exactly.”
“Starting here, with today’s road conditions, how long will it take to arrive?”
The straight-line distance between two beacon towers is usually ten miles, but because beacon towers are built on top of mountains or high ridges, the actual ground road in the middle is far more than this number of miles.
“It’s about 30 miles away, and it takes an hour on weekdays to ride fast, but now it’s hard to travel with snow, so I’m afraid it will take more effort.”
“As long as the news is out before dark, it’s still too late. Lead the way and drive at full speed!”
Xi’er said: “Thank you, sir, I really can!”
Xie Changgeng smiled slightly: “Xi’er can of course. But Lord Xie brought you out this time to pick up your mother. Besides, you are still young. When you grow up, you can help Lord Xie again.”
He picked up the child and turned to go.
Of course, this was said to the child, but it was not for Liang Tuan and others to listen to.
Everyone knew that he did not want the young master to be in danger, so listening to his words, he would follow his lead.
The group got off the beacon tower, and scurried through the snow in a detour. After walking for only a few miles, they reached a gentle mountain ridge and were about to go downhill. team.
The two sides were caught off guard and met head-on.
There were about two or three hundred people on the other side. Although they were all dressed as the defenders of Hexi, the outlines of their faces were vaguely recognizable, and they should be northerners.
This group of northerners was the team that was sent to control the beacon tower. When they walked here, they suddenly saw the small team of people appearing on the opposite mountain ridge, and stopped.
Someone shouted loudly: “Xie Changgeng, the Jiedu envoy of Hexi! He’s right there!” The voice was full of ecstasy.
There was an immediate commotion in the team.
They did not expect that they would meet Xie Changgeng, the Jiedu envoy of Hexi, here.
There are only a few dozen people around him, but on his own side, the number is ten times that of the other side. If you can catch him, no matter how bad it is, and kill him, the credit will be huge, one can imagine.
Accompanied by the sound of excited roars, hundreds of people immediately chased up.
Xie Changgeng ordered his entourage to retreat, turned his horse’s head, followed the original path, and quickly descended the mountain ridge.
Clusters of arrows kept flying from behind him, swept past him, and penetrated into the snow.
A horse’s belly was shot with an arrow, making a painful neigh.
Xie Changgeng looked back at the group of northerners who were chasing after him, and quickly made a decision.
He ordered Liang Tuan to take half of his manpower to continue to Hecang Feng, be sure to light the beacon fire before dark, and after completing the task, take the children to Jincheng without having to come back.
This group of chasing soldiers was led away by him with the remaining fifteen people.
“My lord! I’m willing to cover the lord and rush out, and ask the lord to go to Hecangfeng!”
Liang Tuan and thirty guards pleaded in unison.
Xie Changgeng said: “The northerners’ goal is me. If I go to the beacon, they will chase after them desperately, which is not good for things.”
“Transmitting the wolf smoke is the first priority! Act according to my order!” He drank.
People dare not disobey their orders any more.
“Sir—” Xi’er called to him.
“Wait, I’ll find you!”
Xie Changgeng said to the boy, and threw him along with the skin to Liang Tuan, and immediately took the rest and galloped away in the other direction.
Liang Tuan and the dozen guards hid in the depression behind the snowy hills, watching the hundreds of people from the north whizzing past, suppressing the anxiety and anxiety in their hearts, gritted their teeth, and continued to move forward.
Xi’er clutched the mouth of the skin bag tightly with both hands, and couldn’t stop looking back. After walking for a few miles, she suddenly shouted, “Guardian Liang, take me back! I’ll set the fire for you, so you can immediately go and help the adults. Kill the bad guy!”
Liang Tuan continued to move forward.
“There are so many bad people, if you don’t help the adults, he will die!”
In the snow, the cries of children echoed.
…
Half an hour later, Liang Tuan and his party returned to Mo Lifeng with Xi’er.
He handed the fire fold to the child, taught him how to use it, and repeatedly reminded him of various precautions after going down. He used a rope soaked in snow to fasten his waist firmly, and let the smoke pass from the top of the beacon tower. In his mouth, he slowly put the person down.
Liang Tuan and the guards were waiting outside, constantly maintaining a dialogue with the children inside.
It has been some time since the child went down.
Everyone held their breath and waited anxiously.
Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke slowly drifted out of the mouth of the smoke. Everyone immediately clenched the rope and shouted to the inside: “Little Young Master, come out quickly, are you ready?”
There is no response inside.
Everyone glanced at each other with anxious expressions in their eyes. They were about to try to lift the rope when a coughing sound came from below.
“I’m ready-”
Everyone was overjoyed, and hurriedly pulled the rope up.
A small head protruded from the mouth of the cigarette.
Liang Tuan hugged the child’s shoulders and quickly dragged the person out of the hole.
When he first came out, the child closed his eyes and his face was covered with soot. He coughed for a while, opened his eyes, turned his head, stared intently at the thick smoke that kept wafting from the chimneys, and asked, “Is this all right?”
Liang Tuan was overjoyed: “Little Young Master, you’re done!”
The Jiedu envoy has formulated a strict system for the beacon towers on this westward marching road. Every beacon tower, at any time, must ensure that at least one beacon guard is always staring at the wolf smoke in the direction of the next beacon tower to ensure the transmission of military intelligence. Unless the beacons of He Cang Sui are also buried in an avalanche like here, otherwise, there is no way to miss the wolf smoke floating in this direction.
Xi’er breathed a sigh of relief, wiped her eyes that were reddened by the smoke, and said, “I’m fine, go and help the adults!”
Liang Tuan had great admiration for this child, knelt down to him, and kowtowed respectfully.
“Little son, I’ll help you find a place, you can hide for now!”
…
Liang Tuan hid Xi’er in a cave near the beacon tower, left two guards, dry food and water, and left with the rest.
Xi’er waited for three days and three nights.
On the third day, he was very sleepy, lying in the sleeping bag, and when he fell asleep, he suddenly heard footsteps coming in.
He opened his eyes and stuck his head out of the opening of the sleeping bag.
He saw a tall, blood-stained figure striding towards him from outside the cave.
He recognized it at a glance, screamed in surprise, got up from the sleeping bag, and flew towards the figure of the adult.
“Thank you sir! You are back!”
Xie Changgeng grabbed the child and hugged it.
“Yes, I’m back!”
He suppressed a burst of enthusiasm in his heart and touched the child’s hands and feet.
“Are you hurt?”
Xi’er shook her head immediately.
“I ran so fast! Before the fire reached me, I was pulled out by Liang Guards and the others!”
The child’s tone, with a little pride.
“By the way, my lord, are your soldiers here? Are you injured?”
The child looked at him with worry in his eyes.
Xie Changgeng retracted his arms and hugged the child in his arms tightly.
“They saw the wolf smoke you passed on, and they have already rushed over. Not only did they defeat the enemy, they also captured many prisoners!”
“Do you want to see it?” he asked.
“think!”
Immediately, the child’s eyes lit up and answered him loudly.
Xi’er sat on the back of a horse and was wrapped in a coat by the adults behind her.
The war horse galloped, and the wind whistled past his ears. People seemed to be flying through the clouds, and the children were being led. I don’t know how long the horses had traveled. Suddenly, there was a faint sound of cheers in the wind.
Hee opened her eyes.
He was stunned by what he saw in front of him.
At the end of the line of sight, on the snow-covered place, there was an army waiting in formation. The flags were hunting in the wind, and the soldiers’ robes were stained with blood, but they were full of energy. Their armor and swords, in the snow, shone with a chilling light that made the enemy terrified.
They lined up here, as if they had been waiting for a long time. The news of Jiedu’s arrival was handed down by the messenger one by one, ten by one.
All the soldiers gave out a neat cheer.
Xie Changgeng took Xi’er on horseback, and the horse crossed the rows of soldiers who were cheering him, walked to the center, and stopped.
Jincheng’s arresting envoy came to us on horseback, and when he walked in front of Xie Changgeng, he dismounted, knelt down on one knee, and gave a military salute.
“Reporting to Jiedushi, all the northern cavalry who committed the solemn defense have been eliminated! There are still more than 100 prisoners. How to deal with it, please order Jiedushi!”
“Kneel down!”
The soldiers standing by the side made a neat shout.
The Beiren prisoners were already so frightened that they knelt down and waited for the verdict that was about to be handed down to them.
Xie Changgeng said: “Push it down and kill them all!”
The arrest made the order, and the news quickly passed on.
In the thick and solemn voice of the herald, the prisoners had already felt the murderous aura, and they all collapsed to the ground.
More than a hundred icy and heavy big knives fell, and a dazzling blood light splashed on the snow.
Xie Changgeng ordered someone to cut off one of the ears of the last remaining prisoner, and shouted, “Go back and tell your king, this is the end of my Hexi!”
The prisoner was like a lost dog. Amidst the sound of killing behind him, his legs softened, and he fell to his knees and got up again. Then he stumbled and ran away.
The soldiers once again made a mighty sound, which shook the field.
Xie Changgeng lowered his head, looked at Xi’er who was sitting in front of him, and asked, “Are you afraid?”
Xi’er clenched her fists tightly and looked up at the man behind her, her eyes shining with admiration.
He exclaimed, “I’m not afraid!”
Xie Changgeng burst out laughing. Amidst the thunderous voices of the generals and the countless gazes cast by him, the child in front of him was raised high.
…
Mu Fulan had arrived in Jincheng a few days ago. After a short rest, escorted by a team of men and horses who were familiar with the geography of the Tianshan Mountains sent by Jincheng’s arresting envoy, they went up the mountain to find medicine.
Along the way, the bad weather was beyond her imagination. And the process of finding medicine is also very tortuous.
Fortunately, after going up the mountain for several days, one after another, she finally found enough herbs in the ice crevice. After digging the roots and harvesting, they finally descended the mountain. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain today, it was already dark.
From here back to Jincheng, we still have to walk for two days. The road is icy and snowy, and the road is dangerous at night. The leader set up a camp in a sheltered valley at the foot of the mountain, and prepares to spend the night before leaving at dawn.
The Mu Fulan people were extremely tired, but they kept their spirits high. In their small tent, they preliminarily disposed of the medicines they had collected and prepared to go back to the city to refine them. After making the medicines, they set off immediately.
A soldier brought her hot water boiled with snow water, and helped her add some fuel to the heating stove, covered the stove, and backed out.
She packed her things, washed her face, hands and feet indiscriminately, got into the bed, and lay down with her clothes on.
It’s been a month since he came out, and I don’t know how the old leader is hurt now.
And Xi’er, I don’t know how he is doing there alone.
She is helping him with a very important thing. At this point, she believed that man, he would definitely take good care of Xi’er on her behalf.
She listened to the sound of the wind and snow raging outside the tent, closed her eyes, and slowly fell asleep.
I don’t know how long I slept, but in the dimness, I suddenly felt that there was another person beside me.
She shuddered and opened her eyes suddenly.
On the low table in the tent, the yak oil lamp was still on. In the dim light, she saw a man squatting at her feet.
The man held up one of her swollen feet and was rubbing ointment on her.
He lowered his head, his eyes fell on her feet, his movements were gentle, and he was completely absorbed, as if he didn’t notice her waking up, until she retracted her feet, Fang stopped, turned his head, and looked at her slowly sitting up.
“Your feet are frostbitten. Lie down and I’ll put the medicine on for you.”
Xie Changgeng said in an ordinary tone.