On the ancient road in the wilderness, a long queue snaked like a snake.
From a distance, it looks like an army, because there are many soldiers wearing armor and riding horses running back and forth with spears; when you get closer, it looks like a caravan, because there are many people of different sizes in the team.
Cars of various sizes, including mules, horses, donkeys, and even camels; as you get closer, they look like a
The fleeing people, the poor people in rags, and the rich ladies in silk and satin were all crowded together, marching slowly in the wilderness. Some big men from the northwest were actually wearing a tattered sheepskin jacket on a hot day.
It emits an unpleasant smell, and they only have this one piece of clothing all year round in spring, summer, and autumn.
These were the people Cheng Dexuan and Yang Hao took away from the Northern Han Dynasty. Most of them looked poorer than the beggars in the Central Plains. But at this time, Emperor Liu Jiyuan of the Northern Han Dynasty, who learned the news, was in great pain in the palace. This was the third generation of the Northern Han Dynasty.
One-third of the population.
The scorching sun is in the sky, the air is steaming, and a gust of wind brings a heat wave, making people feel cool at all. Squint your eyes and look into the distance, and the scenery in the distance is faintly undulating in the air waves like reflections in the water. Everyone
We were weak, but the soldiers kept urging,
The soldiers now knew that His Majesty the Emperor was cutting off their rear and was fighting hard with the Khitans, so they had to leave the dangerous area as soon as possible. However, the people who did not know what was going on could not help but complain. While they complained, they were threatened by the swords and guns of the Song army.
Keep moving forward.
A donkey cart in front got stuck. There had been a heavy rain on this ancient road a few days ago. There were some potholes here, but it was dry elsewhere. It was still muddy here, so that the little donkey couldn't pull the cart even though he tried his best.
In the past, people walked by with some indifference.
I looked at the old man in front of the car desperately holding the donkey and the woman behind the car pushing the car hard. No one stepped forward to help. They were strangers. At this time, human sympathy
It seems that I have been tortured by fatigue and the harsh sun.
"Hurry up, hurry up, why are you dawdling, hurry up and leave." The two cavalrymen noticed something was wrong, drove their horses over, and shouted loudly with their spears leveled.
The woman was about to burst into tears and explained pitifully: "Master Jun, it's not that the little woman won't leave, the car is stuck."
Yang Hao rushed over and asked, "What happened? Hey, is it you?"
He saw that the woman looked familiar. When he took a closer look, he suddenly remembered that she was the woman he had met when he was searching for the remnants of the Northern Han Dynasty in the countryside. The woman also recognized him at a glance and exclaimed happily: "
Master Yang."
Yang Hao turned over and dismounted, walked over and said, "You don't need to call me master, just call me lord. Sister-in-law, where is your child?"
At this time, someone in the car shouted: "Uncle Yang Hao."
Yang Hao looked towards the car and saw a corner of the floral curtain opened. A child was huddled deep in the car hood, with only two bright eyes, looking at him with an expression of joy and admiration.
I couldn't see his face clearly, I just felt dirty and looked like a puppy. There were all pots and pans piled up around him.
"Dogs, have you been taken out too?" Yang Hao said in surprise: "Come on, uncle, help you push the car out."
Yang Hao used all his strength to push the cart, but the wheels were stuck. There were many things stuffed in the cart and it was too heavy. When the donkey in front pulled it, the axle part was twisted a little. If he used more force, I'm afraid the cart would collapse.
four points
Five cracks. Yang Hao couldn't use any strength behind him. His face turned red and he was about to call the two soldiers who had no eyesight to come down and help lift the car. Suddenly, a hoarse and low voice came from the side: "Mu En, go
Help me."
Yang Hao looked back and saw a big man with a full beard sitting in a car, with an awning above his head and ventilation all around. The big man was actually at least fifty years old, and his hair and beard were all gray.
, face full of wrinkles
It was as if a knife was cutting an axe. The reason why Yang Hao mistakenly thought he was a big man at a glance was because this man was really tall and tall. Sitting cross-legged in the car, he gave people the feeling of pines on Mount Tai and rocks on the East China Sea.
, aloof, upright.
As soon as the man gave the order, a big man immediately walked around the car. Yang Hao and the old man's eyes, full of vicissitudes and wisdom, touched each other. He turned to look at the big man who responded. He was immediately startled. It was such a hot day.
This big man's back was bare, and his tanned body was bulging with muscles like mounds, as strong as if they were made of iron.
Judging from his height, he is about 1.9 meters tall. Although people in the northwest are generally taller and stronger, this man's stature is really scary, especially since he is not only tall, but also strong, and he is not inferior to Governor Arnold.
Comparing his muscular figure, Yang Hao has a slim waist like a willow.
The big man walked to the back of the car, looked up and down, bent his waist, and put his shoulders on the frame of the car. He shouted "Hey", and the wheels were lifted up by him. He lifted the car over the ridge and gently
He put it down gently, looking relaxed and still with plenty of energy left. The dog in the car yelled "Ouch" and quickly held on to the crumbling pots and jars on the side.
The big man grinned and walked back to his car as if nothing had happened. He picked up a big whip and drove the car forward. Yang Hao noticed that the car was pulled by two strong mules, and there were only two animals on the car.
The tall old man with gray hair sat in the car, and after the car passed by, the people behind the car followed suit.
He was followed by more than a dozen sturdy men, all of whom seemed to be his servants. With such a demeanor, this man should be a wealthy gentry and businessman, but judging from his clothes and the simple decoration of the car, it didn't look like it, especially his
The big men following behind were all in ragged clothes and were no better than beggars.
Curiosity only flashed in his heart, and he stood next to the car, leading the horse while chatting with the woman. It turned out that the woman's husband's surname was Ma, and her husband had died in the military disaster, leaving only
The mother and son depended on each other. They were forced out by the soldiers sent by Cheng Dexuan. She had to give in, but she was afraid that her son would be exposed to the sun, so she begged the old man from the same village to leave a place for her son in the car.
When asked about the situation, Yang Hao said: "Sister-in-law, this journey will definitely be harder, but once you get to the Central Plains, it will be much better than this bitter and cold place in the northwest. It is rich there, so just find something to make a living, and your life will be better.
It’s much better than here. Just go forward with peace of mind. If you need anything, just tell me and I will help you if I can."
The sister-in-law thanked her repeatedly, and Yang Hao got on his horse and was about to gallop forward. The dog in the car shouted urgently: "Uncle Yang Hao."
Yang Hao reined in the horse, bent down and said with a smile: "Dog, what are you calling uncle for?"
The dog looked at him eagerly, but did not dare to poke his head out. He only said: "Uncle, are you going to settle in the Central Plains too?"
Yang Hao smiled and said: "Uncle will not go to the Central Plains, but I will escort you there."
"Oh..." Gou'er was a little disappointed, and after thinking for a while he asked: "Uncle, can you come and accompany Gou'er at night? Gou'er has never left the village and has never seen the world outside. There are many people here at night, okay
It was lively, but my mother was afraid that she would not be able to find our car if we got separated, so she never allowed me to walk around."
Sister-in-law Ma scolded: "You are really ignorant, Mr. Yang... Mr. Yang has a lot of things to do. I don't know how tired I am at the end of the day. How can I have time to accompany you?"
The dog pouted, and Yang Hao smiled and said, "Okay, if you have time in the evening, I will walk with you on the grassland and chat."
When the dog heard this, his face lit up with smiles. He couldn't hold back his excitement and said, "Okay, Uncle Yang Hao, the dog will be waiting for you tonight."
Yang Hao smiled, held the horse's belly with his legs and galloped forward. He saw the car in the distance that was protected by a dozen strong men intentionally or unintentionally. He suddenly remembered the suspicion just now, walked closer, and turned his head.
Looking into the car, I saw the fifty-year-old man picking up a sheepskin bag from his knees, unscrewing the stopper and taking a big gulp. The water stain on his mouth seemed to be wine rather than drinking water.
Seeing Yang Hao looking at him, the old man smiled slightly and Yang Hao said, "What does this old man do? He has such a good figure."
The old man smiled faintly and said: "The old man is a hard-luck man. He has had a rough life. He only makes a living by raising horses, but has never saved any family property. Now he has been moved to the Central Plains by Mr. Cheng. Haha, maybe there will be a few good days. The old man does.
Very happy."
Seeing that he was not sincere, Yang Hao expected that he must be hiding something. It seemed that his team was really a mixed bag, with all kinds of characters. He was about to ask round and round again when he suddenly heard someone coming from the front.
There was a burst of noisy yelling and cursing, and the horse's head was quickly hurried forward.
During this journey, although I was escorting these people to the Song Dynasty, I had not encountered any Khitan soldiers or thieves so far. However, there were always big and small incidents along the way. Some people ran away, some fought, some fell behind, and some fell ill.
How can those soldiers be calm and reasonable?
My master, but when it comes to this kind of thing, he always does it indiscriminately. He will give him a good punch regardless of who is right or wrong. In order to avoid disputes and incur the hatred of the people, the two imperial angels Cheng Dexuan and Yang Hao ran around.
It's really tiring to go around resolving disputes and appeasing the people.
When he saw people gathering in front, Yang Hao was afraid that the escorting people would have a dispute with the officers and soldiers again, so he immediately rushed to the front. When he arrived at the front, he saw several soldiers under his command surrounding a Taoist priest with guns. Fan Laosi was serious.
He was screaming and saying something.
The man looked about forty years old, with a thin build. He had a thin face, black hair, a pair of small eyes that always looked like he couldn't wake up, and a sparse beard under his chin. He wore a worn and dirty coat.
Taoist robes, a lazy Taoist bun on the head, stuck with a branch, a bit like a wandering Taoist in desolate state.
Yang Hao flew over on horseback and asked loudly: "What happened?"
Seeing someone coming, the Taoist raised his head and glanced at him casually. When he saw his appearance, the Taoist was startled. When he took a closer look, he couldn't seem to open his long, thin eyes.
Two stars that were as solid as reality suddenly appeared in the small eyes that were opened, which was actually a bit dazzling.
But Yang Hao never saw it. When he watched Fan Laosi finish his question, and then turned to look at the Taoist, the surprised expression on the old Taoist's face had disappeared, and his eyes had become warm and dull.
As soon as Fan Laosi saw him coming, he hurriedly raised his hands and said: "Master Du Superintendent, we just went to explore the road and saw this Taoist hiding in the bushes secretly. We suspected that he was a Khitan dog spy, so we captured him for questioning.
, but he said that he was out in the bushes and saw a large group of people approaching and did not dare to show himself, so he hid there to spy."
"Oh?" Yang Hao looked at the slovenly-looking Taoist with confusion, and then looked at the endless wilderness in front and behind him: "What is a Taoist doing in this northwest wilderness alone?"
Fan Laosi said: "My subordinates have this question. This ancient wilderness road is rarely traveled by people. When someone does come, at least dozens of people must go together to be safe. It would be suspicious if a Taoist suddenly ran out."
At this time, the Taoist had already shrugged his shoulders, bowed to Yang Hao, and shouted: "Wuliang~~~ Tianzun. This Taiwei invited me. I am an ascetic Taoist who travels all over the world. In the past few days, Japan A caravan passed by here, but was attacked by bandits. All those caravans fled, and Pindao got separated from them, so he got lost here. Pandao is also a Han, and he is not a Khitan spy. I ask the Taiwei to investigate clearly."
"Oh?" Yang Hao looked at him carefully and asked, "Where does the Taoist practice?"
The Taoist puffed up his chicken breast and said with a smile: "If you have a Tao in your heart, there is no place in the world where you cannot practice it."
"Hey, where did the Taoist priest come from?"
"The poor way comes from where it comes from."
"Where to go?"
"Go where you want to go."
Yang Hao smiled, raised his right hand slightly, pointed his index finger downward, and said calmly: "Hit him!"
Several soldiers immediately dropped their swords and guns, and went up to beat and stamp them.
"Ouch, ouch, have mercy on me, Pindao is so weak... Ouch, I can't withstand the fists and kicks of the military men... Ouch..."
The veteran was beaten to a pulp by several big-headed soldiers. He was crouching on the ground and howling as if in mourning. Suddenly, he felt that his fists and kicks had stopped. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lieutenant Yang squatting in front of him. Just as he looked at him with a smile but not a smile, the old Taoist stammered: "Tai... Taiwei..."
Yang Hao gently lifted his chin with the horse's rein and said with a smile: "Where did the Taoist practice and where did he come from?"
"Pindao practices in Yuntai Temple in Taihua Mountain and comes from Taihua Mountain."
"Where to go?"
"Go to Ziwei Mountain outside Yanmen Pass to look for a Taoist friend."
"What is the Taoist priest's honorific title?"
"Poverty-stricken man."
"Haha, look, if you had spoken to others earlier, you wouldn't have been beaten."
Yang Hao stood up and said: "There is a big battle ahead. You can't get out of this level. If you follow my group back, once you enter the territory that I, the Song Dynasty, have complete control over, it will be up to you wherever you go. Fan Fourth child, keep an eye on him and don’t allow this man to leave our team." After saying that, he got on his horse and rode away.
The old Taoist gasped and stood up with a grin on his face amidst the laughter of the soldiers. Looking at Yang Hao's retreating back, he thought to himself: "You monster, you are really capable of this. I will live to be ninety-nine this year, Old Taoist. I have never been beaten like this..."
Yang Hao galloped back, and Cheng Dexuan came up to meet him and asked, "What happened?"
Yang Haole immediately said, "It's nothing. Even if I meet a sloppy Taoist, I can't see anything suspicious. However, for the sake of safety, I have ordered the soldiers to keep an eye on him and move forward with our team. When we enter, Let him go in the Central Plains."
Cheng Dexuan heard this and praised: "Yang Dujian has thought very carefully. Our mission may seem light and easy, but in fact it is full of crises."
"Yes." Yang Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the long meandering team, frowned and said: "It's been three days since we came out, and I don't know how the battle situation is at the official house. It's really worrying. We should go The faster you go, the more you can get out of danger as quickly as possible."
Cheng Dexuan smiled bitterly and said: "But this speed can't be any faster. The weather is hot, and there are many old, weak, women and children in the team. It would be okay if there are pursuers behind. Now that the weather is calm, they are forced to use all their energy to hurry up. This
How can tens of thousands of people agree?”
Yang Hao shook his head and sighed: "I would rather go on like this than to have pursuers come, otherwise... we will be living targets. With so many people, it is not easy to escape the pursuit of the Khitan cavalry."
Cheng Dexuan nodded, worry gradually rising in his heart. It had been three days since he left Chimayuan. The past three days had been calm, but the calmer it became, the more uneasy he felt. If the government won, there was no reason not to send someone to report the battle situation.
The route was designated by the officials, so it was impossible for him to find someone. However, there was no news from the officials. Could it be that the imperial army had already...
He shook his head and comforted himself secretly: "No, if the imperial army was really defeated, the defeated troops would have fled long ago. No matter how ferocious the Khitan people are, can they still eat more than 100,000 horses in one go?
In this case, the two armies should still be in a stalemate confrontation. In this case, I can lead these hundreds of people out of danger and enter a safe area as soon as possible." With this thought, his anxious heart calmed down again.
Yang Haoti immediately looked back and forth, frowned slightly and said: "Brother Cheng, although the situation is calm at the moment, there has been no news about the future. Necessary precautions must be taken. Look, our guard team is too long.
Yes, those chariots are also mixed in with the people
In the convoy, it will be difficult to be effective if someone attacks. In fact, these people are good people who keep their own rights. If a soldier sees a thousand people, no one will dare to resist. We should concentrate our forces and fight.
The cars also gathered together to defend the rear formation."
Although Cheng Dexuan was good at swordsmanship, Yunwen was actually good at medicine and did not understand the art of war. Yang Hao knew more about it through watching movies and TV shows. After hearing what he said, he said: "The government sent us thousands of soldiers.
Firstly, it is used to escort the people to prevent riots, and secondly, it is used to guard against bandits and bandits blocking the road and robbing. If the Khitans really come after them, what can we do with these three thousand soldiers even if they are prepared?"
Yang Hao said: "If there is a police force, our three thousand Tiger Guards can at least resist for a while. If we don't concentrate, it will really be a mess."
Cheng Dexuan shook his head, nodded again, and sighed: "Okay, let's arrange it as you said. I hope our team won't really come in use."
The night is getting darker, the heat of the day has gone away, and the wind on the grassland has become a bit colder. There are so many people, and many of them have no experience in traveling far. Even though it is already the third day, it is really difficult to settle them down.
A lot of effort.
Yang Hao went to visit the soldiers who were behind the formation, and then walked past the people who were gathered in small groups, making bonfires to cook dry food, and walked forward. Not far away, he suddenly heard someone calling.
: "Uncle Yang Hao."
Yang Hao stopped and turned around, and saw a dog running over from a bonfire. His mother was cooking food distributed by the soldiers in a jar on the bonfire. When she saw her son running away, she hurriedly called him, "Dog."
She turned around and shouted: "Mom, I'm playing with Uncle Yang Hao."
Yang Hao waved to Mrs. Ma and said, "Sister-in-law, ask the dog to walk with me. I will take him back in a while." Mrs. Ma responded and squatted next to the bonfire again.
Yang Hao took the dog's thin and slender hand and said with a smile: "Dog, when the sun goes down, the world will be yours. Haha, your mother is very tired of taking care of you. Don't be naughty around her."
The dog replied childishly: "The dog obeys my mother very much and is never naughty."
"Really? I just saw someone resting by the fire. Why do you seem to be teasing them?"
The dog covered his mouth and chuckled: "Uncle Yang Hao, you don't know, today there is a man dressed in weird clothes. Mom said he is a monk, called a Taoist priest. This Taoist priest is so strange. When everyone left, he
He slept while walking. When everyone stopped, he was still sleeping and wanted to ask for something to eat. Just as the fire was lit, he was lying next to him and sleeping. I scratched his nostrils with a small straw stick and he was still sleeping.
Not awake."
"Oh?" After listening to Gou'er's words, Yang Hao knew who that person was. He had already thought that this person was a bit weird, but now looking at his behavior, he really looks like a strange person from the world. How high can a strange person in the world of art be?
, is he as tall as General Cheng? Yang Hao smiled and looked back, only to see the Taoist priest leaning sideways, sleeping soundly with his head in his hands, his goatee being blown by the wind and shaking slightly in the firelight.
"Uncle Yang, I...I'm hungry."
Yang Hao turned around, held his thin little hand, and said, "What have you been eating these days?"
The dog got excited and reported to him with his fingers: "I have eaten a lot of good things these days, including naan, steamed buns, and white rice. It smells so good. Since my father died, I have been eating it again."
I have never eaten these good things before. In the past, I could always have a bite during the Chinese New Year."
Yang Hao felt pity and said: "Let's go and have dinner with uncle. Uncle not only has steamed buns, but also meat. It's very delicious."
He said something distant to Sister Ma, and then took the dog's little hand and walked to his accommodation. When he arrived at his accommodation, the soldiers had already cooked rice, steamed buns, rice, and fragrant dried meat soup. The dog saw
Greedy
Having to swallow his saliva, Yang Hao smiled and asked the soldiers to fill a bowl for him. He also picked up a bowl and while eating, he asked: "Gou, do you always have a nickname? What's wrong with your father?"
Won’t I give you a larger size?”
The dog was devouring its food. When he heard this, he stopped his chopsticks and said sadly: "My father said that my family was poor, so it would be easier to make a living by calling me a dog. My father said that he would give me a good name when I grow up, but...then the soldiers killed him.
Come on, dad will die..."
Yang Hao looked at him. In fact, the dog was pretty and very painful to look at. But due to a strange disease that only appeared at night, his skin was too pale. His poor family background made him a little malnourished. Looking at him, he looked a bit like
Little Luobo Boss Yang Hao then smiled and said, "Don't be sad, or else... uncle, help me give you a name."
"Okay, okay," the dog's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran to him with his rice bowl and sat down: "Uncle, what will you name me?"
"Well..." Yang Hao looked at the flames of the bonfire in front of him and said, "You are born with a strange disease. You can only come out at night and never see the sun. In your life, the most rare thing is light, so...
… Just call your name Ma Yi. The word "燚" means four fires. One of them can make up for your lack of hits."
"Ma Yi..." Gou'er murmured and repeated it twice, suddenly grabbed Yang Hao's hand and said excitedly: "Uncle, I remember, my name will be Ma Yi from now on, can you teach me, my
How do you write your name?”
Yang Haoshun picked up a piece of wooden stick and wrote the word "Ma Yi" squarely on the ground. The dog hurriedly picked up the few rice grains left in the bowl and put them into his mouth, and then picked up a stick.
The wooden stick was lying on the ground and learning stroke by stroke. The red firelight reflected on his face, making him look particularly serious.
"Little guy, are you sleepy or not? It's time for me to send you back, otherwise your mother will be worried."
The dog raised his face and smiled: "I'm not sleepy. I've slept enough during the day." He jumped up, pointed at the crowds far and near, and said happily: "I have never been accompanied by so many people in one night.
It's so lively when you look at me."
Yang Hao smiled slightly, took his hand, and led this lonely little thing, who was easily happy for a little satisfaction, up a high slope, looked side by side at the long queue like a fire dragon, and then turned to the southeast
direction, picked him up, pointed to the distance and said: "Dog, look over there, we will walk a very long way, cross a very wide river, and then arrive at a very large city.
Go inside.
That city is called Kaifeng. When all the countries in the world enter the night, the lights there are as many as the stars in the sky. That city is the first city in the world that never sleeps. People in that city light fires
Cooking doesn't use firewood like us, but some black stones. Do you think it's fun?
The most interesting thing is that every night, there are many, many, many people there, ten times more than us now, wearing bright clothes, walking in the lively night market. When you get there, you will never be as lonely as you are now.
Even if you can only go out at night every day,
You will also see markets, shops, restaurants, and teahouses open all night, just like during the day. You can find many, many friends there, and you no longer need your mother to accompany you, holding a lantern, walking in the quiet village
Here, I went to climb a tree alone in the middle of the night..."
The dog suddenly listened quietly with a pair of big eyes, and his eyes became brighter and brighter. He asked softly: "Uncle, is that... the Song Dynasty over there?"
Yang Hao held him with one arm, and his thin body was as light as a cat. Yang Hao smiled and said: "Yes, that is the Song Dynasty, the richest place in the world."
"Then...why doesn't uncle go live there?"
"Haha, although it's nice there, uncle still has a lot of things to do. When uncle realizes his wish to live here, maybe... he will settle there."
Yang Hao's eyes slowly turned to the east, his smile gradually disappeared, and his eyes became hazy: my mother Yang, Brother Daliang, Zhen Zhu'er, and the annoying Luo Dong'er. Those fresh faces seemed to be dancing in the night sky.
As soon as he appeared, he was smiling at him...
He sniffed and stopped his tears. Although the child in his arms could only live under the night, his childlike heart had never been stained by dust. Yang Hao didn't want him to know that there were still such things in the world.
What a cruel thing, what an ugly person...
The dog was sent to his mother, maybe because there were too many people around him, so many people he had never seen in his life, maybe because of what Yang Hao told him about the outside world tonight, he
He was so excited that he couldn't sleep. He kept holding his mother's hand and learned from her everything Yang Hao told him. He was very proud because he now knew many things.
There are many things that his mother doesn’t know, but he is more knowledgeable than his own mother. He knows that the world is a big place, and he has to go far and wide by car and horse. He knows that where he wants to go, he has to cross a very wide road.
The river is wide, and he also knows that there is a city on the other side of the river. It is the only city in the world that is as lively at night as during the day. There are lights everywhere, as many as the stars in the sky?
He blinked and looked at the twinkling stars in the sky, thinking: "Isn't that just like the heavenly palace where the gods live?"
"By the way, mother, there is another big thing. I now have a name. Uncle Yang Hao gave me the name. Mother, mother?"
The little guy sat up and pouted. After a tiring day, Mrs. Ma dealt with his words casually, and at this time she fell into a deep sleep.
Night was his world, and only night was when he was most energetic. He was not sleepy, so he stood up alone, ran to the bonfire, pulled out a half-burned branch from the bonfire, and extinguished the flames.
He was sitting next to the fire, tilting his head and writing his name enthusiastically: "Ma Yi, four fires, uncle's name is really nice."
"Ah, ah~~~" The Taoist who was sleeping like a dead pig sat up at some point and yawned: "Little girl, are you so happy just because I gave you a name? You have to be careful.
There are many bad people in this world, don’t let others coax you into selling your business, and you are happily helping others count their money.”
"Go to sleep, you dozed off while walking. Now you are more energetic. Uncle Yang Hao is a good man, so he won't harm me. If you say bad things about Uncle Yang, I will ignore you!" After Gou'er finished speaking, he said angrily.
She turned her back to him and wrote her name on the ground again.
The sloppy Taoist laughed and lay down again, leaning on his arms and crossing his legs to look at the starry sky, but his expression became strange: "I have practiced Taoism all my life, and this is the first time I have seen such a strange thing.
Strange man, you might as well go with him and take a look at this man
What kind of thing is it? Maybe the old demon can get a glimpse of the secret. Chunyangzi said, hehe, just let him wait outside the customs for a few more days. He has lived for so long, and he will never die.
He will die, but the Yang Dujian in front of him is a strange person who can be met but cannot be sought."
As soon as it dawned, the soldiers urged everyone to get up, have breakfast and set off on the road. The daily march was boring and boring, and even the soldiers were numb. There was a vast wilderness in front and behind, and the soil here was as sandy as dirt.
, there were no tall trees, only some short shrubs growing close to the ground. Along the way, I occasionally saw a few wild gazelles grazing in the mountains and fields. They were also disturbed by this large group of people and ran away without knowing where to go.
The weather was getting hotter day by day. When the sun went up, everyone was sweating profusely, and even the soldiers on horseback couldn't bear it. Yang Hao and Cheng Dexuan stood side by side on the roadside, holding an awning and looking into the distance, saying: "Master Cheng
, if this continues, we won’t be able to travel during the day. What if we find a shaded place for everyone to rest during the day and travel at night? "
Cheng Dexuan said: "I am afraid that tens of thousands of horses cannot be taken care of at night, especially women, the elderly and children. Some people suffer from eye diseases and cannot see things at night. It is easy to say that, but if we really have to march at night, a well-trained army will not be able to do so."
, this kind of mob..."
As soon as he said this, someone suddenly exclaimed. The exclamations seemed to be contagious and quickly gathered into a huge wave of sound. Cheng Dexuan suddenly drew his sword out of its sheath, looked around and shouted: "What happened?"
A soldier pointed to the sky and shouted in surprise: "Sir, look, look, there are our men and horses in the sky."
"What?" Cheng Dexuan looked up and saw a fluctuation in the white sky. A somewhat blurry picture gradually became clear. The picture was moving, huge, and overwhelming. It occupied one-third of the picture. One is a mountain ridge. Looking down from the mountain ridge, countless warriors of the Song Army and the Khitan tribe are fighting selflessly. The scene is too vivid, just like a battle taking place in front of them. It is cruel and tragic, but there is no trace of it. The sound is even more weird.
"Mirage!" Yang Hao screamed out. Cheng Dexuan was a little startled at first. Hearing his shout, he couldn't help but secretly screamed "Ashamed". He had seen such strange phenomena as mirage recorded in ancient books, but seeing this with his own eyes It was the first time, so I was a little distracted when I saw it, and thought it was some kind of monster causing trouble. Fortunately, I didn't say anything, otherwise it would have seemed like I was ignorant.
However, most of the soldiers, especially the common people, did not know what a mirage was. Some common people screamed "Heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals" and kowtowed to the ground. Many soldiers also panicked and pointed to the sky and shouted: "Why are our men and horses in the sky? And the Khitan dogs, what happened?"
Cheng Dexuan frowned and shouted: "Calm down, what's the etiquette of shouting?" But the only thing he could stop was a few people around him, a long snake-like team, shouting and screaming everywhere, and how could they stop them.
Yang Hao raised his head and looked up intently, wondering when the mirage would disappear. On the sky, the Khitan people were gradually gaining the upper hand. The Song soldiers were retreating step by step, leaving behind countless corpses. The picture always showed the view from the mountain ridge. Looking down, it's like a person standing there, watching the life-and-death struggle between armies on both sides in the valley and on the mountainside.
Suddenly, a big flag slowly fell down. The big flag was standing on the ridge. So as soon as the big flag entered the picture, it enveloped the entire sky. The whole sky was filled with the big flag with the word Song written in apricot yellow. The flag fell slowly, and countless Khitan people were seen running towards the mountain like wolves with scimitars in hand. Then a crested combat boot stepped heavily on the fallen flag, and a figure slowly flashed and occupied the area. The entire canopy.
First there was a slender figure, then she slowly turned around, and saw that she was wearing fish scale chainmail, eight embroidered phoenix war skirts tied around her waist, a shining heart-protecting mirror on her chest, a hood, and a neck protector. Silver fox tail, silver helmet on top of head, a bunch of pheasant feathers fluttering, on the shoulder is a beast swallowing the shoulder, with half a pot of carved feather arrows on the back, willow eyebrows, almond eyes, small cherry mouth, a little vermilion between the eyebrows, there is a sense of awe in the charm that cannot be deceived. The majesty of the prisoner. At this moment, because she was standing close, her feet were really on the earth, and the pheasant feathers on her head reached up to the sky. She looked very much like the great sage of the divine world who can control the sky and the earth.
Many people were so frightened that they kowtowed repeatedly and shouted, "Ms. Guanyin is a saint."
The female general's bright autumn eyes seemed to be looking at something in the distance. She smiled slightly and waved her hand, and many Khitan warriors rushed up the mountain and leaped forward like wolves and tigers.
There was another flurry of air patterns in the sky, and the image of the enchanting female general began to distort. You could vaguely see the formation of the Khitan warriors rushing forward, and there was a burst of chaos, followed by fire. The sky was on fire, and the entire sky was covered with fire. Everything burned red, the raging flames swallowed up everything, and the enchanting yet heroic female general gradually disappeared into the flames...
Cheng Dexuan took a long breath, turned around and said with a smile: "Yang Dujian is really knowledgeable. I have seen such records in ancient books. It is said that there is a big mirage in the world that can swallow clouds and mist and transform into pavilions and pavilions. The characters, carriages and horses, what you and I have just seen, must be... Yang Dujian, what's wrong with you, why do you look so ugly?"
Yang Hao said with a livid face: "Mr. Cheng, this mirage is not actually a mirage formed by a mirage. It is a hot weather and air waves steaming into the air. It is like a mirror, reflecting and projecting the scene of a place in the air. Go to another place and be seen."
Cheng Dexuan asked curiously: "Oh, is that the reason? Yang Dujian is really knowledgeable, Cheng also said..." Before he finished his sentence, his expression suddenly changed: "Yang Dujian, you mean?"
Yang Hao said in a deep voice: "Yes, what the celestial phenomenon just performed is true, and... it is happening just now."
Cheng Dexuan's face suddenly changed, and he said solemnly: "Yang Dujian, you mean... our army has been defeated?"
Yang Hao shook his head slightly and said: "Not necessarily, I should say... our army retreated."
Cheng Dexuan was startled for a moment, and then he understood what a big difference this word meant. Defeat means passive retreat due to the enemy's force; retreat means active transfer to complete the blocking task. How can the two be the same? However, how did Yang Hao know? Did the Song army retreat rather than lose?
He asked in surprise: "Yang Dujian, what you just saw in the mirage is that our army was clearly defeated. What is your basis for saying that our army retreated instead of being defeated?"
Yang Haodao: "Just because of the fire in the sky."
"fire?"
"Yes, where did this fire come from? The Khitans had no reason to set fire. When they had the upper hand, the fire was not conducive to their attack. So this fire was set by the officials. What was the purpose? It was just to stop the enemy. Look at that food, which is not flammable, but it burned with such momentum. It must have been poured with oil. If our army had not already decided to retreat, but was defeated hastily on the battle formation, how could it have burned like this? Fire?"
Cheng Dexuan was reminded by his words and couldn't help but said with great joy: "Yes, yes, what Yang Dujian said is true. Since our army has taken the initiative to retreat, I think the casualties and losses will not be huge."
Yang Hao sighed and said: "But... our journey in the past few days is really not fast. Unless the Khitans are unwilling to pursue us, otherwise... we only need to send a light cavalry, but where will we go?"
When Cheng Dexuan heard this, he stood stunned on the spot, and all the joy in his heart disappeared...