In the Yanluo Plain at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the fields are covered with white snow and the herds are hibernating. It should be the coldest and quietest time of the year. However, now, it has turned into a different scene.
Jiang Yan set out from Caobo overnight and headed eastward. Before he reached the entrance of Hulantai Pass, he immediately saw a crowd of ink crows gathering in the air ahead and thick smoke rising from all directions. The young man's heart tightened and he was busy and urgent.
The horse moved forward, completely regardless of whether most of the cavalry behind him were following, nor did he even think about his own safety for a moment.
On the road in front of the pass, the snow has long turned into a piece of yellow-brown mud. It is even more difficult to tell whether the footprints in the mud were left by people or horses, but a trace of rust-like red gradually revealed in them, making people more aware of the footprints.
As we move forward, our mood becomes heavier.
Finally turning the pass, the young Hehan couldn't help but scream, and quickly turned his face away, unable to bear to look at it any more. But less than a hundred steps away from him, there was a building over three feet high, with corpses as well.
The tower-shaped hill made of dirt stood in front of it without any obstruction.
Those bones were all men from the Muyun tribe who died in battle. Jiang Yan heard from Tuya that the southerners called these things martial arts to show off the victor's martial arts and intimidate the enemy. Before that, he
I have also seen the military armies left behind during the Shuodi Rebellion more than a hundred years ago along the Pinjin River. Although the once towering military armies have weathered and collapsed over the years, the dense skeletons exposed among them are still fascinating.
shudder.
The Shuodi Rebellion that year had already forged an indelible blood feud between the northern and southern clans. Even after a hundred years, there are still undercurrents surging under the calm surface. Now that Yubei is making a large-scale invasion, it is his army.
It was a good opportunity for the lieutenant general to make a great contribution. And raising such a large military force in the holy land of the grassland people was not only an unscrupulous provocation, but also a symbol that the Shuodi tribe was about to be completely conquered.
Soon, the cavalry following young Hehan also saw the military army in front of them. They were also shocked by the scene in front of them, with fear written on their faces. Some of them hesitated to ride forward, wanting to
He set out to destroy this military force. However, he was stopped by Jiang Yan's order.
"Hehan, why are they not allowed to do anything?" Meng Dun couldn't understand what the young man was doing, and his face was full of doubts.
Jiang Yan looked back at him, then turned his horse's head and shouted to the team behind him:
"I know that in your hearts, you may be secretly scolding me, a foreigner, for being cold-blooded, and scolding me for not working together with you. But you must understand that it is precisely because of the sacrifices of these tribesmen that the Northern Army may not have conquered Hulan yet.
Taiwan's last line of defense! If we waste time here, we will kill the last hope of the surviving tribesmen! If you have anger in your heart, follow me and pour anger into the knife in your hand! We will not stay here
, full speed ahead!”
Young Hehan's words seemed to ignite everyone. War roars immediately erupted in the military formation. Every soldier said no more, but held the sword tightly at his waist.
The look of fear on the face has turned into endless anger. The team passed by the military army, and each rider among them bowed his head to salute the remains of the tribesman, then clamped the mount under his crotch, and followed General Yan.
He started running wildly behind him.
However, the scene they were most worried about happened. As soon as they entered the Muyun tribe's camp, the soldiers did not face a fierce battle with Saxueqi. Instead, they saw broken tents, scorched earth everywhere, and old corpses strewn everywhere.
Weak women and children.
The Imperial Northern Army beheaded all the Muyun tribesmen who had no time to escape and burned them on the spot. The mutilated corpses curled up after being exposed to the fire, and the blackened flesh and flesh were stuck together. In addition, they were covered in ice and snow, making it difficult to tell who they were.
, and there is no way of knowing how many people were buried here.
"I ordered everyone to dismount. We cannot let our people die in the wilderness like this. Send a few more teams of cavalry to search for them. Anyone who encounters a military force will be destroyed and buried on the spot..."
The black-eyed boy jumped off Wu Chen's back, but he could not hide his inner uneasiness - before that, he had always had the illusion that no matter what the war was like, Yuan Ti could protect Tuya from disaster.
But the situation in front of him made him worry that even a veteran on the battlefield like Yuan Ti might not be able to withstand Yubei's overwhelming offensive.
Soon, his worries came true. Next to a pile of unidentifiable corpses in the center of the camp, the young man found a small piece of cloth that had not been completely burned. The piece of material was as red as blood, and it stood out among the charred darkness.
In the upper corner, you can still see the edges trimmed with gold velvet.
The last glimmer of hope that Jiang Yan tried to maintain in his heart was completely shattered. His legs softened, and he suddenly knelt down in front of the pile of corpses, held his head in his hands, and looked up to the sky and screamed:
"So many years... so many years have passed, but I still can't save anyone, I can't save anyone!"
A deep feeling of powerlessness, like countless vines protruding from the void, tightly locked his limbs and bones, sucking all the strength from his body. When he was a child, he witnessed the scene where his parents were separated from him.
, also emerged clearly from the depths of memory again, as if it were the scene from yesterday.
After everyone had buried all the remains, it was already sunset. In the sky where the remaining clouds had dispersed, the rays of light shone across the mountain shoulders to the unnamed graves, as if the Immortal Sky was calling them.
This situation finally calmed down the surrounding Shuodi warriors. They set up bonfires in small groups everywhere, took out the dried meat they brought with them, and swallowed them whole with the melted snow water.
Full belly.
Meng Dun was ordered by General Yan to arrange several teams of scouts to patrol in four directions in order to prevent Saxue Cavalry from sneak attack. But in fact, the two of them knew each other tacitly. At this moment, even if they ordered the soldiers under their command to take some time off and wait for work, even though there were still more than 10,000 soldiers
There are so many people, but if they really engage the Northern Army in close combat, their morale is low and they will not be able to win easily.
Jiang Yan sat alone on the side of the camp, staring up at the Milky Way above his head in a daze. Previously, he had confidently thought that he could at least protect Tuya and the grassland man Zhouquan in the Muyun Department this time. However, now
, there was only endless self-blame left in his heart, and he completely gave up his persistence. It seemed that the flame in his heart that supported him step by step until today was about to be extinguished.
The night sky in Shuobei seemed to be more transparent and closer to the ground than what he saw during the Great Rising Star. And in the middle of the two disc-shaped bright moons on the celestial sphere, there was an extremely bright star hanging in the middle.
.
Tuya told the young Hehan that the star is what the southerners call the Sui Star. Every twelve years, it will circle around the celestial sphere and return to the clear and turbid months.
In the eyes of the prairie people, this star is the location of the Everlasting Sky. Its appearance also represents the coming of a new era.
I don’t know if the Muyun tribesmen who fell under Saxue’s sword have gone to that land of bliss at this moment. I don’t know if Tuya and General Yuan Ti are also on that star, looking at me.
The black-eyed boy suddenly felt that his nose was sore, his vision was blurry, and the stars and twin moons gradually became hazy. He bit his lip hard and refused to let go until a fishy-sweet taste came from between his teeth.
But he couldn't restrain his trembling body.
"Hehan, there are salha and some dried meat here. You can eat them to keep out the cold."
Meng Dun didn't know when he came to the side of Jiang Yan who was alone. The young man didn't want the other party to see his gaffe, so he quickly turned his head away and secretly wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of his eyes:
"Just leave it there, I have no appetite now."
Even though he tried to lower his voice, Meng Dun still heard something strange from it and refused to leave. Instead, he stepped forward and persuaded:
"Dahehan, this salha was specially heated for you by the warriors. If you don't drink it while it's hot, the smell of alcohol will dissipate after a while."
"I said, just leave it at that!"
Jiang Yan raised his voice, and his tone was full of doubts. But the other party didn't understand him, and actually walked directly to the opposite side of him:
"Dahehan, are you suspecting that I might poison the wine?"
Indeed, the black-eyed boy had always been wary of the leader of the Choluo tribe along the way. At this moment, the other party's words sounded more like a blatant provocation, which immediately aroused an unknown anger in his heart. He
He raised his head and stared fiercely into the other person’s eyes:
"Yes, I am indeed doubting it! Don't forget, not long ago, you and Mu He fought against the Muyun tribe. If you were too frightened by Mu He before to make a mistake, but now he
Now that you are dead, what reason do you have to continue to be loyal to me?!"
"Hehan, when you say this, I really have no reason to stay here."
Faced with the naked doubts, Meng Dun did not shy away, "Before, I did think that if I could help Mu He win the position of Tianhehan, our Choluo tribe would be able to get a lot of benefits from it. After that, I
I also didn’t expect that Yuan Ti could actually borrow troops from Yubei to fight, so he wisely protected himself and immediately gave up resistance.”
"So, now you finally have a chance to get rid of me, a foreigner who has taken the position of Tianhehan, and then legitimately become the new King of Shuobei. What are you waiting for?"
Jiang Yan squinted his eyes and looked at the other person up and down, seeming to be more and more confused.
Meng Dun's eyes did not dodge in any way, but instead showed no fear:
"Does Hehan think that if I really do this, I will be able to win over everyone? Although you are from the south, you are also the legitimate consort of Princess Muyun. Since the grassland people have recognized you as our Dahehan, then
It’s what everyone expects. What’s more, today there is a powerful enemy. If I take action here, what kind of situation will I put myself and the entire Shuobei Grassland in?"
"But now I have been defeated. Even Tuya and Yan Luoyuan couldn't be saved!" Jiang Yan was already disheartened and didn't care whether the other party would suddenly attack. He was immersed in self-pity again.
Meng Dun opened the wine bag in his hand, drank two big sips, and then handed it to young Hehan:
"It's not just Muyun who is in trouble now, but also every grassland person who has lived here for generations! I, Mengdun, am first of all one of them, and secondly the leader of the Chuoluo tribe! Now, what we need is Tianhehan
To lead everyone to continue fighting, I need you to eat something first and then read this letter carefully."
"What letter?"
Jiang Yanzhong raised his head again, only to see that the other party took out something as thick as a little finger from his arms - it was obviously the thin bamboo tube used by Mo Crow to send messages. By the light of the fire, the young man could clearly see
The sealing wax on it turned out to be a white deer pattern representing the head of the Bakwuqin family. He immediately jumped up:
"Where did you get this letter?"
"Half an hour ago, an ink crow flew from nowhere and landed on the military building in front of the Hulantai Pass with this letter. The nearby sergeants sent it to the camp. Your Majesty
It is speculated that Princess Tuya and Old General Yuan Ti may still be in the world at this moment——"
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yan couldn't wait to hold the thin bamboo tube in the palm of his hand. He dug out the sealing wax and carefully pulled out a piece of silk that was as thin as gauze and covered with small regular script.
Open it before your eyes and take a closer look.
This letter was indeed written by Tuya, and it was written in the words of the Great Sheng Dynasty. The black-eyed boy read it from beginning to end, but his expression suddenly changed, and he read it again from the beginning several times, and suddenly
The silk ball was in his hand, and he was about to throw it into the bonfire in front of him.
It turns out that the letter was written in a hurry by Tuya when the camp was attacked. What was written in it was what she decided to do to General Yan before the war when she didn't know whether she would still be alive to see him.
Confession:
Not long ago, the letter Ning Yue sent with Brother Miao was secretly burned by Tuya!
"Hehan, where is the princess now and is she well?"
Meng Dun on the side saw He Han's uncertain expression and asked anxiously. But the black-eyed boy didn't say a word to him, turned around and wanted to leave.
At this moment, a fast horse galloped into the camp, shouting loudly: "Twenty miles to the north at the foot of Lancang Mountain, there are two armies fighting fiercely, maybe the remnants of Muyun!"
Even though Jiang Yandang realized that Tuya might be there, he didn't say anything. Meng Dun couldn't help but feel strange and anxious when he saw this situation. While ordering the warriors to mount their horses quickly and prepare to set off, he shouted loudly to the young He Han.
shouted:
"Dahehan! Although I don't know what is written in the letter, if you don't save her now, I'm afraid you will never see your wife again!"
After hearing this, Jiang Yan lowered his head again, unfolded the letter in his hand, and looked at it. After hesitating for a moment, he jumped up on Wu Chen's broad back, patted the horse's butt hard, and pointed towards the sky like an arrow.
Rushing past the foot of that big mountain.
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