Chapter 668 The ancient sound of the piano, the ambush (4)
In the northwest, in the dog days of summer, there are large areas of wheat fields. In the distance of the wheat fields, there is a tree.
People in ragged clothes gathered under this tree. Zheng Huixin was one of them. She was eight years old. She was wearing tattered clothes. Her face was stained with sweat and stains. Her hair was cut short and messy. No one could see her.
It turned out that she was actually a girl. Her father, Zheng Laocheng, was sitting next to her. Like all refugees, he was weak and tired.
The Zheng family in Yanzhou City was originally a scholarly family with a good family background. Zheng Laocheng ran a private school and was well respected by the people nearby. When Yanzhou City was destroyed, the Xixia people looted the city and robbed the Zheng family.
Most of the things were not discovered at that time because the Zheng family had several private cellars. After that, the Xixia people stabilized the situation in the city, and the Zheng family was not forced to the end.
However, it was precisely because of the existence of several private cellars that the Zheng family was reluctant to leave and did not know where to go. The nearby Xixia soldiers occasionally came to the door, and the family was often bullied. Perhaps they realized that the Zheng family had surplus grain, and the Xixia people forced them to
The frequency of visits gradually increased until half a month ago, Zheng Huixin's mother died.
Zheng Laocheng did not tell her how her mother died, but soon after, her father, who was in the shape of a shell, picked up his bag and took her out of the city, starting to walk to a place she didn't know. There were many similar people on the road.
Ragged refugees, the Xixia people occupied this area. In some places, you can still see traces of houses or cottages that were burned down in the war. Where there are traces of people, there are also large areas of wheat fields. Sometimes Zheng Huixin will see her colleagues.
The expression on the man's face when he stood on the road like a father and looked at the wheat fields was so hollow that it reminded people of the sand on the ground.
When the Xixia people came over, they looted and massacred the city, but soon after, things calmed down and the surviving people resumed their old lives - after all, no matter what kind of rule, there must be subjects. If you cannot surrender to the Wu Dynasty, surrender to Xixia,
It’s the same life after all.
But Zheng Laocheng is a scholar, and he can understand that more difficult days, like hell-like scenes, are still to come. The wheat that people planted this year, and all the harvests, are no longer theirs.
No matter how well the wheat is planted in autumn, it will be difficult for most people to obtain food. Once the previous storage is exhausted, the northwest will experience an even more difficult winter of food shortages, and most people will starve to death. Only the real
The obedient people of Xixia will survive by chance after this. But it is also difficult to be such obedient people.
With the arrival of the harvest season, more and more people can see this scene. In the eyes of those who look at the vast wheat fields on the road, there is a real despair. They have planted things, and now
These things are still in front of us and look so good. But they are destined not to belong to them. What awaits them may be starving to death alive. There is nothing more despairing than this.
Along the way, Xixia soldiers would occasionally be encountered, intimidating everyone with bows, arrows, swords and guns, and strictly prohibiting them from approaching the wheat fields. Sometimes hanging bodies could be seen beside the wheat fields. It was now noon, and the group
Zheng Laocheng was too tired to rest under the shade of a tree on the roadside. He leaned against the roadside and soon fell into a light sleep. Zheng Huixin sat next to her with her legs crossed, feeling that her lips were thirsty and she wanted to drink water.
Wanting to find a convenient place, the little girl stood up, looked around, and then walked to a dirt valley not far away.
She took off her pants in the dirt and squatted for a moment. At some point, her father's voice came faintly, with a hint of anxiety in his words. Zheng Huixin couldn't see what was going on over there, so she folded two pieces off the ground.
Another sound came from a branch, but it was the loud shouts of Xixia people, and the father was also shouting anxiously: "Huixin - daughter - where are you -"
The Xixia people's voice was still ringing, but the father's voice suddenly stopped. The little girl picked up her pants and ran out. She saw two Xixia soldiers, one holding a bow and the other holding a knife, shouting on the roadside. The people under the tree were in confusion.
In one scene, my father's body was lying on the edge of a wheat field in the distance, with an arrow stuck in his chest and a pool of blood.
"Ah...ah uh..."
The world was becoming chaotic and pale. She walked towards that direction, but someone held her back...
The memory after that is confusing.
Some people feed her, some drag her around, and sometimes they carry her or hold her. She is a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, wearing shabby clothes, carrying a bag, and his arms are strong. Sometimes he
He talked to her, but her spirit was in a trance, and it rained again on the way. At some point, all the people traveling with her had disappeared. They passed through the desolate mountains. Of course, the little girl didn't know where they were, but
There are tall and short trees around, rugged mountain roads, and loose rocks.
At noon that day, the sun was shining brightly again, and they stopped in a small forest. Zheng Huixin could already eat mechanically. She was holding a small broken bowl and eating fried rice in it. Suddenly, a voice suddenly sounded.
, screaming like a ghost.
"Er--"
Zheng Huixin only felt her body being pushed, the sound of pinging rang around her, and the rapid and ferocious voices of the Xixia people came to her ears. In her eyes, figures were intersecting, including the man who had led her all the way.
He swung the knife again and again, and a bright red light lit up in his field of vision. The little girl seemed to see him stabbing a Xixia man to death on the tree trunk with a knife, and then the other person's face suddenly enlarged, and he rushed over,
He held her in his arms with one hand and ran quickly through the woods.
The trees fell backwards in the field of vision, and the terrifying shouts could be heard in the ears. The Xixia people were also walking through. The man held a knife in one hand and fought with the opponent. For a moment, the little girl felt his body shake.
, but he was stabbed in the back by the person chasing him, and the fishy smell filled his nose.
In the blink of an eye, the light in front of them expanded, and the two of them had rushed out of the woods, and the Xixia villains were chasing them. This was a steep soil slope, with a terrible slope on one side and strange rocks loose. The two sides ran and fought, and then, the wind howled, and the vision
Spin sharply.
The sound of crashing was already heard. The man held the little girl in his arms and forced the Xixia man to run down the steep slope. The two people's footsteps rushed down at a rapid speed. The earth and rocks flowed rapidly in the field of vision and rose up.
Huge dust. Zheng Huixin only felt the sky shrinking rapidly, and then, bang!
After a long time, Zheng Huixin felt her body move slightly. It was the man holding her who was trying to stand up from the ground. They were already under the hillside. Zheng Huixin tried her best to turn around and saw the man holding her up with one hand.
What lived there was a human head with mutilated flesh and blood, and a split brain. Looking at the man’s hat and braid, he could be identified as the Xixia man. The two sides rushed down the steep hillside together, and the Xixia man was at the end.
She was lying on the bottom, her head was bleeding and her internal organs were broken. Zheng Huixin was protected in the arms of the man. The injuries she received were the smallest. The man was injured and had the blood of Xixia enemies. At this time, half of his body was covered with wounds.
After being dyed.
"Are you OK."
She heard the man ask weakly.
"It's okay."
The man put her down and untied the Xixia man's clothes in front of her. After a search, he took away the Xixia man's badge and dry food. The sun was still shining brightly, and the man whose body was half-stained with blood held a knife in one hand and held a knife in the other.
The child's hands walked unsteadily towards the other side of the mountain.
That evening, they came to a place. A few days later, Zheng Huixin learned the man's name from others. His name was Qu Qing, and the valley they came to was called Xiaocang River.
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During June, the daily construction and troop training in the river valley continued from beginning to end.
Everything was operating smoothly as usual. When the daily work was completed, the soldiers would listen to storytellers, perform operas, or listen to the news from outside. The current situation would be discussed with friends around them.
But at this time, the power of the Xixia people and the Jin people's blockade against the outside world had begun to show. The news coming from outside the mountains was relatively sparse. However, from this blockade atmosphere, keen people often...
Can feel more personal information. Imminent crisis, pressure to act urgently, etc.
Xiaocanghe's interactions with the outside world are not limited to the informants he released. Sometimes stray refugees accidentally enter the mountain range - although it is not known whether they are outside spies, but the surrounding defenses are usually
The soldiers would not make things difficult for them, and sometimes they would kindly send them some dry food that was not much in the valley and send them away.
Among these interactions with the outside world, there is one thing that is the strangest and most intriguing. The first time it happened at the end of last year, there was a caravan that might have been transporting grain, with dozens of porters carrying loads.
When we arrived in this mountain, we seemed to have lost our way. When the people from Xiaocanghe showed up, they were shocked, put down all their food burdens, and ran away like that, so Xiaocanghe harvested
It seemed like dozens of loads of grain had been delivered. This kind of thing happened again when spring was about to pass.
Not many people in the valley knew about the whole thing. Ning Yi took the direct decision to seal up nearly a hundred tons of grain and rice in the warehouse. The third time it happened was at noon on June 11th, dozens of tons of rice were stored.
The grain was carried by porters and accompanied by some guards, and entered the Xiaocang River. But this time, they put down their burdens and did not leave.
An old man with white hair, elegant clothes and sharp eyes stood in the middle of the team. When the secret sentry guarding the Xiaocang River came over, someone handed him the name card.
There are only three words on the name sticker: Zuo Duanyou.
After a while, Qin Shaoqian, dressed in military uniform, came out of the valley to welcome him. He was now a rebel bandit who had raised troops to rebel against the whole world, but he was the only one who dared not neglect him.
******************
When the Wu Dynasty was still prosperous, Emperor Jinghan and Zhou Zhe had just come to power. There were three famous scholars in the court who were in high positions and had similar interests. They planned many things together, and the Secret Investigation Department was one of them.
Xiang, one of them, provoked civil strife among the Liao people and caused the rise of the Jin people. These three people were Qin Siyuan, Zuo Duanyou, and Wang Qisong.
During the implementation of these major events that subverted the world, many problems were encountered. Among the three, Wang Qisong had the most correct theories and methods. Qin Si was originated from Confucianism and had profound attainments, but his methods were relatively utilitarian. Zuo Duanyou had an extreme temperament, but
The family heritage is very deep. After joining forces many times, they finally parted ways due to various issues. Zuo Duanyou retired from office, and Wang Qisong took the blame and left in order to protect Qin Siyuan's position in a political dispute. After that, it was the Blackwater Alliance where the Liao people went south.
.
This time, Wang Qisong led his family to resist the Liao soldiers. Almost all the men in the family died, leaving only a single seedling in Wang Shanyue.
After the Blackwater Alliance, due to the tragedy of the Wang family, Qin and Zuo further broke up and had almost no contact with each other since then. Later, when the disaster relief incident in the North was involved, Zuo Houwen and Zuo Jilan of the Zuo family were involved, and Qin Siyuan wrote to Zuo Duanyou.
Letter. This is the first contact between the two in many years. In fact, it is also the last contact.
After Qin Siyuan's death, the three people who used their means to stir up the world's situation were now the last old man left.
The Qin and Zuo families had become friends many years ago. This was not the first time Qin Shaoqian met him. After so many years, the serious old man now had a head full of white hair, and the young man who was once high-spirited was now weathered.
One eye was missing. The two sides met without much greeting. The old man looked at the black eyepatch on Qin Shaoqian's face and frowned slightly. Qin Shaoqian introduced him into the valley. In the afternoon, he and the old man worshiped the temple in the valley.
Not much was said about Qin Siyuan's tomb and the conditions in the valley. As for the grain he brought, it was placed in a warehouse and sealed separately like the previous two batches.
That night, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er and Ning Xi participated in the family dinner to welcome the old man.
On the morning of the next day, Ning Yi came forward and accompanied the old man around the valley. Ning Yi respected the old man quite a bit. Although the old man looked serious, he always looked at him as the brains of the rebels.
.In the afternoon, when Ning Yi went to see him again, he sent over several new bound books.
"This is what Mr. Qin has been doing before he passed away. I am afraid that no one in the world will dare to read the few books he annotated in a short period of time. I think Zuo Gong can take them back and read them."
"Collected Commentary on Chapters and Sentences of the Four Books", signed by Qin Siyuan. Zuo Duanyou had just woken up from his nap at this time. He reached out and stroked the cover of the book. His eyes were quite moved. His serious face relaxed a little. He stroked it twice slowly.
Then he spoke.
"I came here today and saw the situation in your valley. There is a shortage of food. My Zuo family can help."
It was already expected that the two parties would come into contact and talk about this direction. The sunlight poured in from the window and the cicadas chirped in the river valley. In the room, the old man sat, waiting for the other party's nod. To solve this small river valley.
The whole problem. Ning Yi stood and was quiet for a long time. Then he slowly handed over his hands and said: "There is a solution to the food shortage in Xiaocang River, so there is no need to trouble Mr. Zuo."
Zuo Duanyou looked at him with lightning eyes: "I say one is one, and two is two. I never like to beat around the bush and bargain. When I was away, I heard that the inner demon Ning Yi was full of cunning, but he was not sloppy or careless.
My dear, if you want to use your scheming skills on me, wouldn’t you think that you are too ignorant to advance or retreat?”
Ning Yi cupped his hands and lowered his head: "Old man, what I said is true."
"Are you kidding everyone's life?"
"If the Zuo family only provides food and doesn't say anything, I will naturally want to take it. Just thinking about it, it's not that simple, right?"
The old man frowned, and after a moment, he snorted coldly: "The situation is stronger than the people. You and I have laid out everything we want and need. Do you think the Zuo family is taking care of you? Ning family boy, if not
For the sake of you being the last line of the Qin family, I will not come. I think you also know this. The Zuo family will help you for what you want, but it will not check you too much.
The emperor has been killed, what are you afraid of?"
Many major events in the world sometimes depend on the tireless efforts and negotiations of countless people, and sometimes they depend on decisions made in a few words. There is no doubt that there is a friendship between Zuo Duanyou and Qin Siyuan. He came to
Xiaocanghe, the mood after worshiping Qin Siyuan and taking over Qin Siyuan's writings is definitely not fake. But this kind of friendship is the friendship between gentlemen and will not affect the overall situation. Qin Shaoqian also understood this, so he asked Ning Yi to accompany Zuo Duanyou.
Because Ning Yi is the decision maker in this regard.
With Zuo Duanyou's status, being able to take the initiative to speak on the food issue has already given Qin Siyuan face, but he never expected that the other party would give a refusal. This refusal was just a sentence, turned into a real problem, that was
Tens of thousands of people are facing imminent life and death.
Ning Yi looked at him and said calmly: "I understand Zuo Gong's good intentions, but Xiaocanghe does not accept restrictions from people who do not share the same path. Therefore, Zuo Gong has good intentions, and we do not want the food. What Zuo Gong said twice before
The grain that was delivered is still sealed in the warehouse, so that when Zuo Gong returns, he can take it with him."
After he finished speaking, Zuo Duanyou's eyes narrowed and he was really angry. Just as he was about to speak, someone suddenly ran in from the door: "Something happened!"
The person who came in was Chen Fan. He glanced at Zuo Duanyou and said, "Something happened to Ning Xi..."
A small accident interrupted the confrontation between the two.
For some time, it has become the normal life of the children in Xiaocanghe to pick wild vegetables, catch fish and find food when they have nothing to do.
It was already the dog days of summer, and no solution had yet been found for the lack of food in the valley. Under Ning Yi's management, everyone in the valley did not show chaos, but sometimes the pressure could be suppressed in their hearts, and sometimes
It will also be reflected in all aspects that people see. The actions of children are a direct reflection of this pressure.
You can eat things in the mountains, things in the water, wild vegetables, and tree barks. According to the news from Min Chuyi, there is even a kind of soil that can be eaten. This makes little Ning Xi feel very happy.
Optimism, but optimism is optimism. Children and some women are gathering wild vegetables. There are not many edible wild vegetables and plant roots near the Xiaocang River. After all, adults can organize trips to places a little further away.
There was hunting and digging in the area, so children were strictly prohibited from leaving the valley. Therefore, every day she stayed in the valley, Ning Xi never harvested much in the small basket she carried.
He just thought that he was too poor and could not endure hardships like Min Chuyi. Many times, after searching for a whole day, he would feel quite frustrated when he looked at his small basket. In fact, Min Chu didn't get much from his small basket, but
From time to time, they would give him some. Out of the vanity of taking credit in front of his parents, he finally accepted it.
So every morning, he would give Min Chu half a small piece of wild vegetable cake - he couldn't finish it anyway.
He never thought that he would find a rabbit in the valley that day. When the fluffy little animal with two erect ears ran out of the grass, Ning Xi was a little frightened. She stood there and pointed at the rabbit.
He stammered and called Min Chuyi: "This, this..."
The seven-year-old girl had already rushed over quickly, and the rabbit turned and ran away.
"Catch it! Catch it! Ning Xi catch it—"
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah--"
The screams of the two children rang out chaotically on the hillside. The two children and the rabbit ran as fast as they could. Ning Xi bravely rushed across the hilly road, jumped down from the high earth col, and blocked the rabbit's escape route. Min Chuyi
She ran around from below, jumped up, and grabbed the rabbit's ears. Ning Xi rolled on the ground a few times, got up from there, blinked, and pointed at Min Chuyi: "Hahaha, hahaha...
...Uh..." He saw the rabbit being caught in the little girl's hand, and then falling down again.
"Well, you catch it, catch it, it runs away, it runs away..." Ning Xi said and wanted to chase after her, but she ran two steps and then stopped, because Min Chuyi was looking at him strangely.
Looking at him, there was some fear in her eyes, and then tears fell out.
Ning Xi wiped the forehead of the person he was looking at and found blood on his hand. He hadn't figured out what it was yet. Unfortunately, the rabbit in the corner of his field of vision ran further and further away. The little girl burst into tears. Not far away, responsible
The female soldier taking care of her also ran over quickly... (To be continued.)