The carriage turned into a small lane before a three-way fork in the road.
This trail is very secretive.
Except for the Han soldiers who patrolled between Wuzhou and Mayi all year round, few outsiders knew about it.
Even roads are not actually called roads.
The road is actually covered with grass.
Tian Jian stepped out of the carriage with his two father's soldiers on their backs, and then changed horses.
"This road is the military supplies transportation road left by the Qin army when they built Wuzhou Fortress and Mayi City..." A soldier held Xiao Tianjian and explained to him. This is one of the responsibilities of a retainer.
Pass on the knowledge and skills they have mastered to the new generation of young families.
Through this kind of edification, the aristocratic children born with golden keys will not be too useless.
In the Han Dynasty, this kind of education model was widely popular among powerful landlords and aristocratic official families throughout the north.
Therefore, many dandy boys fight cocks and lackeys in Chang'an, causing harm to the village.
But once you go out, go into battle, and take charge of the place, you can still look the same.
"Three miles ahead, there is a deep valley, as well as the barracks and horse horses' ruins left over from the Qin army in the past..." Another soldier also said: "You can easily hide 10,000 horses there..."
Tian Jian listened to what these two people said. In the past, he would definitely pester these two retainers who were like relatives and elders to get to the bottom of things.
But at this moment, he was not half-heartedly thinking about it.
His mind was full of one thing.
"Father, why do you want to stay in the place of death?"
This question is undoubtedly too heavy and difficult for a young man of twelve or thirteen years old.
"Wait……"
Suddenly, the soldier who was leading the way jumped off his horse and crawled to the ground.
"There are people!" He said nervously, "There are many people!"
The soldier who had been holding Tian Jian also quickly dismounted holding Tian Jian and crawled into the grass beside the road.
"Young Master, no matter what happens, don't make a sound!" The soldier hid Oda Jian in the grass beside the road and warned him.
Tian Jian nodded and silently curled up into the grass.
This is a survival skill that frontier teenagers will know since childhood.
The soldier watched as Tian Jian hid himself. Then, he took out a short bow from his back, bit a knife with his teeth, and skillfully sneaked out from the grass. He came, not forgetting to cover the grass.
good.
Tian Jian, hiding in the grass, motionless.
He firmly remembered the secret of survival that he was taught by the adults in Mayi City - don't move or make a sound until the elders return.
If the elder does not come back, he will immediately hide in the mountains from the opposite direction after two hours.
This is the experience summed up with blood by the frontier soldiers and civilians.
Tian Jian was lying in the grass with his eyes closed.
After a while, he heard a sound.
It’s the sound of fighting!
Then there were screams and the sound of bows and arrows.
He immediately pressed his body against the grass and gritted his teeth.
Because he heard the voice of his father's soldiers and some other unfamiliar languages that he didn't understand at all.
Half a quarter of an hour later, Tian Jian heard footsteps in the grass.
He boldly looked out at the road outside through the gaps in the grass.
He saw dozens of aliens wearing sheepskins and all kinds of strange fur hats, and some even carried things in their hands.
Tick tock! Tick tock!
Tian Jian knew that it was the sound of blood dripping on the ground.
"Dear Xiongnu warriors, these are the soldiers of Lieutenant Wuzhou in Wuzhou Seri. I don't know how they got here..." Tian Jian suddenly heard a familiar voice.
He knows this voice!
"Uncle Nie!" he shouted in his heart.
Although he couldn't see the appearance, he remembered it clearly.
This voice was that of my neighbor, the always friendly Uncle Nie.
Why is he here?
"Mr. Nie!" A stiff male voice called out: "Are you sure they are soldiers from Wuzhou Seri?"
"Yes!" Uncle Nie's voice was as kind as ever: "Of course I know them, their general is still a neighbor to me!"
Then, there were bursts of blah blah blah, in a language Tian Jian couldn't understand at all.
Then, Tian Jian heard someone shooting arrows into the grass.
Some people also used small spears to poke into the grass.
But he's in a good position.
The grass here is dense and deep, and provides good concealment.
Therefore, he was not attacked.
He bit his lip tightly and clenched his fists.
Even though he bit his lip and scratched the skin of his palm, he remained silent.
He stared at the movement outside the grass.
At this moment, Tian Jian wished he was a hero like the legendary Wei Gong or Teng Gong in the story.
You can fight one against a hundred, and you can kill the Huns like wolves and dolphins.
But alas, he is not.
He is just a young man of twelve or thirteen years old who cannot even ride a horse or draw a bow.
He doesn't even have the ability to protect himself.
Therefore, he could only watch helplessly, huddled in the grass, motionless.
However, he swore in his heart: "Uncle Zhao, Uncle Yun, I will definitely avenge you!"
His teacher told him: It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years!
The truth in the book also says: Duke Xiang’s revenge for ten generations will be great in the Spring and Autumn Period!
"This hatred, this hatred, I, my descendants, will take revenge even if I live ten more lives..." He clenched his fists.
In this frontier fortress, countless people had experiences similar to his in their youth.
Hatred for the invaders, feelings for relatives, and nostalgia for hometown.
Over the long years, generations of border residents of the Han Dynasty accumulated boundless hatred towards the Xiongnu and the invaders.
This hatred, which has been accumulated so far, is like a volcano, brewing over the vast land from Linzhao in the west to Liaodong in the east.
Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!
The power of this voice is so great.
So much so that even the dignitaries in Chang'an City could no longer ignore him.
Half a quarter of an hour later, footsteps sounded again.
It gradually became quiet outside.
But Tian Jian still curled up in the grass and remained motionless.
Sure enough, a quarter of an hour later, there was the sound of horse hooves.
"Dear nobles, you are too careful..." Uncle Nie's familiar voice sounded outside: "How can there be any fish that slip through the net here?"
"You have a saying in the Han Dynasty, which is, be careful and you will never make a big mistake..." The foreign man's voice sounded: "If there is a fish that slips through the net, the consequences will be disastrous!"
After a while, these people left, and Tian Jian heard the sound of horse hooves heading towards the Wuzhou Fortress in the north.
Judging from the sound, there were at least several hundred people.
Tian Jian was still lying motionless in the grass.
It wasn't until a long, long time passed that his lips became scabbed and the blood on his hands solidified.
He carefully moved his numb body and quietly crawled out of the grass.
At this time, the sun was gradually setting in the west.
He stood in the open space not long ago, looking at the blood stains dripping on the grass. He walked forward to explore.
Then, he saw two familiar bodies lying on the hillside not far away.
Up and down the hillside, there was a mess, and there were even broken arrows.
"Uncle Zhao! Uncle Yun!" Tian Jian knelt down in front of these two bodies and kowtowed heavily.
He knew that if it hadn't been for him, with the skills and experience of these two people, they would not have ended up like this.
They were willing to die to protect him.
"The boy's life was bought with the lives of his two uncles!" He kowtowed and said, "Until I avenge my two uncles, I will not get married, have children, live in a tall house, have my head hanging from a beam, and my buttocks stabbed.
, honing my martial arts day and night, increasing my knowledge, and learning the art of war. It’s like this today, it’s like this ****! Emperor Tianhou Tu, Taiyi and Five Emperors, bear witness for me!"
As he spoke, he took out a small knife, cut off a strand of his own hair, and placed it on the two headless corpses.
Then he took the knife and began to dig up the land in the open space under the hill.
This kind of work is undoubtedly very difficult for a young man like him.
But he gritted his teeth and dug up the soil silently.
Even if the sun sets and the moon rises, it remains the same.
With great perseverance and willpower, he finally dug the grave before the early morning of the next day.
Then, he wiped his dirty cheeks, dragged the two corpses down from the hillside, buried them in a pit, covered them with soil and covered them with thick hay, trying to hide the smell of the corpses as much as possible.
To avoid attracting wild wolves or foxes.
After finishing these matters, Tian Jian knelt down in front of the tomb and kowtowed: "Two uncles, I am going to travel far away. Please protect my souls in heaven and bring you back to Mayi safely!"
Now, it is impossible to return to Mayi via the same route.
The Huns had internal support and careful guidance to lead the way.
They must have figured out the Han military posts and warning points along the way.
The road from Mayi to Wuzhou Fortress is no longer safe.
But frontier fortress teenagers have been taught many survival skills since childhood.
Therefore, Tian Jian knew that he could go in the opposite direction, like heading north, following the trail through the mountains and tombs.
In this way, we can bypass the interception of the Huns cavalry and craftsmen who infiltrated on the road and return to Mayi City.
He climbed up the hillside and looked at the Wuzhou Fortress in the distance.
The smoke has not yet been lit.
This shows that Wuzhou is still there, my father is still there, and the Huns have not launched an attack yet.
He still has time!
Looking at the vast expanse of land, Tian Jian tried hard to recall the roads and geographical conditions that his father and uncles had told him.
"I can go south from the Wuzhou Mountains. I remember that there is an ancient road left by the Qin people, and there are even valleys where soldiers were hidden!" Thinking like this, Tian Jian took a deep breath and took it out of his arms.
A piece of dry food, mixed with dew, swallowed.
Relying on the power of hatred and hope, he headed north, and then, from the side of the mountain, entered a path that was covered with thorns and no one used it.
The dry food was quickly eaten, and his clothes were scratched by thorns and bushes, and his body was covered with scars.
But he gritted his teeth, climbed hard, and moved forward.
When you are hungry, you pick wild fruits; when you are thirsty, you scoop water from the stream.
Even so, after walking thirty or forty miles, he finally couldn't hold on any longer.
After all, he is just a young man who spent the whole night digging a grave.
My physical strength has long been exhausted.
If it weren't for the power of hatred supporting him, he would have fallen long ago.
But this power cannot be infinite after all.
The scorching sun and the difficulty of the journey exhausted his last strength.
At the bottom of a hillside, he fainted weakly on the grass.
……………………
Not sure how long it had passed, Tian Jian vaguely heard footsteps and voices.
Then, a pair of warm hands hugged him.
But he really didn't have the strength to open his eyes, so he could only let these big hands hold him.
"Langjun, Langjun..." Someone called softly in his ear.
After a long time, when Tian Jian opened his eyes, he found that he was already in a warm barracks. On the walls of the barracks, familiar bows, crossbows, swords and halberds were hung.
A young general wearing armor and looking extremely heroic sat next to him and looked at him.
Finding that he had opened his eyes, the general said happily: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this young man has woken up!"
Then, Tian Jian saw a general in armor walking in from outside the barracks.
When he saw Tian Jian waking up, he smiled and asked: "Young man, why are you walking alone in this dangerous wilderness? If you hadn't met the soldiers I sent out to explore and patrol, you would have been eaten by wild wolves."
Got it!"
Tian Jian took a look at the general's armor style and the name on his waist and that of the young general.
You know that the status of the general in front of you must be higher than that of his father or even his father's boss!
Tian Jian once heard that the Han army's ace Juzhu Army and Feihu Army often sneaked near the Great Wall border fortress for training.
Come to think of it, the person in front of you must be the general of one of the main legions of the Han army.
Only such a person is worthy of the title of Lord and Marquis, and can wear a seal around his waist that symbolizes the authority of two thousand stones.
"General!" Tian Jian jumped down from the collapse, knelt on the ground, and said, "Please save Wuzhou Sai, please save my father!"
At this moment, Tian Jian felt a light called hope in his heart.
"I am the Marquis of Dongcheng of the Han Dynasty, and the hussar general is righteous!" The general smiled and helped Tian Jian up, saying: "What happened, don't be anxious, tell me slowly!"
Tian Jian was overjoyed when he heard this!
The name of Dongchenghou Yizong has resounded throughout the frontier area in recent years.
As the successor of the great hero Wei Shang and a relative of the emperor, Dongchenghou Yizong has done an outstanding job in Yunzhong in the past two years. He has come and gone with the Huns, resulting in many stories, which are widely known among young men.
spread.
In Tian Jian's mind, now that this great hero is here.
So, are the Han's main force, the elite, and the Yunzhong Iron Cavalry still far behind?
Therefore, Tian Jian told the Han general in front of him everything that had happened from yesterday to now.
After Yi Zong listened, he thought for a moment.
"The Xiongnu thieves really have internal support!" Yi Zong turned around and ordered the general beside him: "Send the whole army to enter a state of combat readiness, string their bows, saddle their horses, and be ready to advance out of Wuzhou Fortress at any time to cut off the Xiongnu's retreat!"
"As soon as we capture Wuzhou Fortress, we will immediately light up the smoke and inform the former general to let Xiliu Camp leave the fortress and raid their lair!"
"Promise!" The generals agreed loudly.
Tian Jian, on the other hand, looked like he was dumbfounded and knelt on the spot.
"Leaving Wuzhou Fortress?" His tears couldn't stop flowing down.
He knew exactly what this meant.
Wuzhou Fortress has fallen...
Yi Zong looked back at the crying young man, his heart softened, and he walked over and comforted him: "Young man, don't cry, don't be sad, I will definitely avenge the soldiers and people of Wuzhou!"
"Please general, please take in this kid!" Tian Jian knelt down in front of Yi Zong and kowtowed: "Whether it's serving tea or water, or working as a cow or horse, I'm willing to do it! I just ask the general to take this kid in and follow him in the army..."
Yi Zong looked at this poor young man.
Somehow, he thought of his parents.
At that time, he was also at the same age. His family was broken up and he was forced to live in the wilderness.
If he hadn't met His Majesty, he would still be just the bandit in the mountains in the east of Hedong.
Similar experiences gave Yi Zong sympathy and resonance.
He nodded and said: "If that's the case, then you can stay. I just lack a handyman to clean the inside and outside for me, so you can do it first!"
Tian Jian was overjoyed when he heard this and kowtowed: "Promise!"
"The boy will live up to the general's love!"
The other generals in the tent all looked at this lucky man with envy and jealousy.
Cleaning inside and outside?
From Chang'an to Yunzhong, countless nephews and nephews of powerful families were crying and shouting, wanting to clean the house and make the bed of Dongcheng Hou.
It's a pity that not many people like this prince.
"What a lucky boy!" Many people are thinking in their hearts.
No doubt, everyone knows that cleaning the inside and outside is something that only disciples can do!
You are not a disciple or a nephew, but you want to clean up the inside and outside for Yi Zong, the successor to the mantle of the mighty Han Dongchenghou, the emperor's brother-in-law, and Prime Minister Zhou Yafu?
There are no doors!
Yi Zong looked at the expressions of the generals and knew that his actions might bring danger to the young man - jealousy is the original sin of mankind.
So he said: "It is the emperor's intention to care for the orphans and widows, and to teach the loyal ministers and orphans. Your Majesty, who lived in Chang'an and raised thousands of loyal ministers and orphans, is just following the holy conduct of the Holy Emperor!"
The meaning of this statement is very straightforward.
Don't have any ideas about this young man, and don't want to persecute him.
Whoever does this is an enemy of me and the Emperor!
Such a warning immediately made many people who had small calculations in their minds feel a chill in their necks.
All the generals clasped their fists and clapped their horses: "Your Majesty's holy teachings, some of you have heard about them for a long time. Now you are waiting to follow them. When your Majesty hears them, you will definitely be very happy!"
Yi Zong smiled nonchalantly.
Then, he called two personal soldiers and ordered: "Place this young man in my camp first and teach him to do chores..."
This means to observe.
The two soldiers immediately said: "No!"
Then they took Tian Jian out.
Yi Zong looked at Tian Jian's frail figure and remembered what happened to him after he fell into the grass. He also recalled the training that Prime Minister Zhou Yafu had given him.
"To be a general, one must be selfless..." Yi Zong thought softly in his heart.
Just like Zhou Yafu, he would teach him what he had learned without reservation, and encourage him to study hard and excel in the future.
Yi Zong also knows that he should pass on his knowledge to the next generation of young people.
The firepower is passed down from generation to generation, and each generation is stronger than the other.
In this way, the Han Dynasty will have a future and hope.
And this young man, who had experienced great disasters, was able to choose his path calmly and avoid the Huns' craftsmanship and cavalry.
This kind of character already meets the requirements of a general.
Next, it depends on whether he has talent, whether he is willing to study hard, and whether he can resist the temptation of the outside world.
Only after confirming these issues, Yi Zong will truly lead him into the gate as a disciple of the mantle. (To be continued.)
