It was easy to talk in front of two women, but it was difficult to actually walk.
The snow on the mountainside has begun to melt, but the top of the mountain is still completely white. The ice cubes are caught in the snow water, roaring straight down, and the originally uneven mountain road is broken into pieces. People and horses
If you are not careful, you will miss the mark and fall into the abyss on the outside of the mountain road. Not even a corpse can be found.
Fortunately, Wang Xun, Yu Wenzhi and others are no longer the same bunch of boys they used to be. After several years of experience, they have made a fundamental leap forward in terms of both mental and physical strength. Supporting each other,
Marching slowly step by step, after paying the price of more than twenty horses, he finally emerged from the east side of Congling Ridge.
On the plain, spring has returned to the earth. Looking around, the fields are green. Wang Xun and others have no intention of watching the spring scenery that is untainted by the world. They just rush to Shule. Not a day later, they arrive at Chishui.
On the riverside, seeing Shule Town in the distance, he slowly took the reins of the horse.
"What's wrong! Is there anything wrong?" Sha Qianli was thoughtful and noticed that Wang Xunxingzhi was a little abnormal, so he came forward and asked in a low voice.
"Yes!" Wang Xun frowned and his face was clouded. As early as not far from Congling, he felt a very awkward feeling in his heart. Now, this awkward feeling has become stronger and stronger.
It was so strong that his hand instinctively wanted to touch the handle of the knife at his waist. "I remember when I was walking, there were good farmlands on both sides of the river. Why was it that when I was about to pass Mangzhong, there was no such thing in the fields?
How many people did you see?"
"Really? Didn't you confuse this place with Dawan?" Sha Qianli's memory of Shule was already blurry. He looked around and asked hesitantly. "Back then, I served under Marshal Gao.
At that time, it was almost like this. There were only soldiers and traders living in the city, but outside the city it was desolate."
"Second brother remembers it right!" Yu Wenzhi also felt that there was a difference between the surrounding scenery and his own memory. He galloped forward and added in a low voice, "In those days, in order to fight for good land on the river bank, some people even made trouble to seal the land.
I have been there before the handsome man. Now he is no longer a treasure! If I had known this, why not put it under the name of our brothers! Even if we hire people from the Central Plains to plant it, we can still produce some food."
"Just remember to eat!" Wang Xun interrupted angrily. The fertile fields near the river were abandoned, indicating that the number of Han people in Shule City was greatly reduced. And Anxi Town was originally supported by retired soldiers and migrating Han people. If
The people have all evacuated, the army has lost its foundation, and the living environment will only become more and more difficult.
"Why should I work so hard if not for food and clothing?" Yu Wenzhi retorted instinctively, and then quickly pushed the horse's head away, "Second brother, please walk slowly forward, I will go and grab a few people around and ask
Ask what unexpected thing happened here recently?!"
As he spoke, he galvanized his mount and ran away. A moment later, he panted and chased back from the side of the team. As he ran, he cursed angrily, "Prodigal, prodigal. It's really a prodigal. It's not the fault of any prodigal."
The order actually allowed the Wuha tribe to graze their cattle near the Chishui River. To the west of Shule, there are now Tuqishi people’s felt bags everywhere. Only to the east of the city, there seem to be a few farms!"
"Prodigal son!" Wang Xun was so angry that smoke came out of his nostrils. The fields originally divided between him, Fang Ziling, Wei Feng and others were all located in the east of the city, so it was unlikely to be affected. However, the fields that were finally cultivated were
Turning it into a pasture again is equivalent to throwing the entire bag of grain into sand. After all, in this area of Shule, grain and grass are the scarcest things. It is difficult to sell cattle, sheep, horses, and leather at a good price.
However, the person in charge of Anxi at the moment was definitely no longer Feng Changqing. Even if Wang Xun was angry, he couldn't show it too obviously before he understood the situation. He led the brothers on their way with a dull head, pretending to turn a blind eye to the surrounding scene.
In a blink of an eye, he arrived at the city gate, but he couldn't help but frown.
The originally clean and tidy city gate was now covered with livestock excrement. A few gatekeeper veterans held their weapons, hunched their shoulders, and leaned against the hitching posts near the city gate to bask in the sun. Groups of tribal warriors roared past.
, neither dismounted for inspection, nor showed relevant tokens. When the veterans saw it, they just raised their sleepy eyelids, and then continued to doze off.
When Feng Changqing was the governor, Shule was not in such a state. At that time, the whole city was like a large military camp, clean and tidy, and full of vitality from the inside to the outside. The merchants and common people came in and out through the side door, and the soldiers
The main gate is opened only after training and going out for an expedition. Regardless of whether you are a soldier or a civilian, you must dismount when entering or exiting the city gate. And those shepherds who accidentally come to the city to buy necessities for daily life are full of respect for the gatekeepers. Where can they be like now, so arrogant that their chins are lifted?
All raised to the sky?
"Whose subordinates are you waiting for? Is this how your boss teaches you to perform duties?" Not only Wang Xun felt awkward, Fang Ziling was also so angry at the gatekeeper's behavior that his eyes burned. He jumped off his mount and walked quickly to tie the horse.
In front of the pile, he shouted and asked.
"You don't care about me..." The guard guard didn't even raise his eyelids and started to curse. Halfway through the curse words, he suddenly realized that the danger was coming, and quickly stepped back a few steps, drawing the knife in his hand, "You,
Who are you? Where did those people behind you come from? Don’t, don’t come closer, I will blow the horn to warn you if you come closer!"
"By the time you blow the trumpet to warn me, the city gate has already changed hands!" Fang Ziling was angry and funny at the same time. He stopped and pointed at his robe, "Don't you have eyes? What are I wearing? What's behind me?
What are those people wearing?"
"You, you..." the guard guard was stunned, and suddenly straightened his body. "I have seen the general! My subordinate Liu Ergou is on duty here today. His immediate boss is Feng Duizheng, and today he
My father-in-law moved and rushed to help. He didn’t come here. May I ask what your orders are?"
Several other gatekeepers were also alerted and ran over staggeringly, surrounding Fang Ziling with curiosity on their faces. "Where did the general come from? Why does he look so good?!"
"Captain Feng? Help my father-in-law move?" Fang Ziling was confused by the answer. When did the Anxi Army's military discipline become so lax? Helping my father-in-law move can delay official business?! You are not afraid of being found out by joining the army.
, Catch them and beat them with military sticks?! But there is really no need to get angry with these veterans. He glared at everyone impatiently and shouted loudly: "Stop talking nonsense. Where I come from is none of your business. Now in the city
Who is in charge? Go and give him a message as soon as possible, saying that the Anxi interview envoy, the governor of Dawan, Wang Xun and Wang Mingyun are back! They are preparing to pay a visit!"
"Cai, interviewer?" Several veterans looked at the team not far away with wide eyes, and repeated stammeringly. Soon, someone remembered a legend, jumped up, and asked loudly: "Yes
, is this the Hammer King who killed the most brave general of Dashi with a hammer outside Jiantuoluo City? Ah, his old man is back! You go slowly, I, I will go to deliver a message to the envoy Zhang.
You walk slowly, walk slowly..."
As he spoke, he didn't care about Fang Ziling's reaction and rushed towards the city. Other veterans, Youzi, also remembered Wang Xun's heroic appearance back then, and stepped forward, with tears glistening in his eyes, "It's really the king, General Wang."
What? He’s back from Dawan! Now, now it’s better, it’s better, wind, wind..."
Some people choked up, but some people's faces turned dark, and they gently pulled the speaker's hand, "Sir, don't listen to his nonsense. He admires the King Governor the most. When he is happy today, he has a bad mouth.
Envoy. Sir, please invite me to show you the way. We go straight along the official road, which is the Jiedushi Yamen. Master Zhang and Master Cen are usually in the Yamen!"
Knowing that there was something wrong with what the other party said, Fang Ziling was unwilling to cause trouble for Wang Xun on his first day back. He shook his head and turned back to the team. Everyone suppressed the disappointment in their hearts and continued to walk into the city. They passed through the city gate and passed the barbican.
In the blink of an eye, we set foot on the bluestone avenue that runs from east to west. Both sides of this road were famously prosperous in the past. From sunrise to sunset every day, people of all ethnic groups buying and selling things crowded shoulder to shoulder. Nowadays, it has become deserted. Most of the shops are deserted.
The business was not open, and the few who continued to do business were destitute.
'It seems that news of trouble in the Central Plains has spread here!' Looking at the unfamiliar streets, Wang Xun thought helplessly. Without the support of the Central Plains, Shule was ruined almost instantly. Dawan
Well, it's further away from Chang'an, and it's surrounded by wolves!
While I was thinking depressedly, a scream suddenly came from my ears. A vendor carrying an empty basket stumbled out of the alley next to the street, followed closely by several drunk herdsmen.
Everyone stared with red eyes and staggered.
"Little bastard, stop, stop!" the herdsmen shouted while chasing, not even noticing Wang Xun and others who were moving forward slowly.
"Help, help! Some people are robbing money, some are robbing money!" The hawker shouted for help at the shops on the roadside. In response, there was only the sound of doors closing and locks. All the shops that were doing business invariably announced that they were closed. No.
Anyone willing to stop the drunkards from running amok.
"Help, help!" The hawker's voice had become hoarse, but he did not run towards Wang Xun and others. It was as if the other party was not of his own race. The drunkards also regarded the soldiers and horses within easy reach as nothing, and continued to chase.
Behind the hawker, he bared his teeth and said, "Don't run, don't run, you little rabbit. Let me love you!"
"Stop!" Wang Xun couldn't hold it in any longer. He mobilized his mount and rushed forward, blocking the way between the drunkard and the hawker. "It's a robbery in broad daylight. Is there nothing you can do about it?"
"The king's law? What kind of king's law?" The drunk man was unconscious, but he could speak passable Tang dialect. "The whole of Anxi is going to be ceded to me, my master. What kind of king's law are you talking about?"
! He, they are all slaves of my master! You should mind your own business, otherwise, I will beat you up too!"
