Although the words were said lightly, the army had just passed Yangxin, the administrative center of Bohai County, and Erya's face was already as white as the remaining snow that had been blown by the cold wind for half a month. Xuzi saw this and couldn't bear to let her continue to suffer.
After calling Danu Niu, he asked the other party to arrange a few soldiers to take his wife to the wounded camp. Don't think about it. After her body has almost recovered, she will slowly drive from behind. Shi Erya shook his head and said stubbornly: "It's just that I haven't ridden a horse for a long time.
, it’s just that my muscles and bones can’t stretch for a while. In this world, there are only blessings that we can’t enjoy, but there’s no fatigue that we can’t bear!”
Li Xu saw that there was a circle of darkness around her eyes and her face was very haggard. In order not to worry herself, she still managed to put on a smile on her face. She was very moved and moved the two horses closer and whispered: "
The Wounded Barracks is just walking slower, but it won't really leave you behind. Why are you so stubborn?"
"The brothers under your command are all watching, I can't be laughed at!" Erya gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Only a few people know your identity, and besides, you are a woman, so you will talk nonsense when you are full!"
"Even if no one knows and no one laughs at me, I will follow you every step of the way!" Eryayan frowned slightly, resisting the pain like a knife on his lower back and responded. "At least, in your eyes, no
Don't fall behind Zhen'er!" Deep in her heart, she added a detailed explanation to her words.
She knew that she did not have the backing of three generations of the Duke's family, nor did she have a fortune as a dowry, so she usually worked hard in managing the family affairs so that she could always occupy a corner in her husband's heart. She followed slowly behind the large group of people.
Although she did not have to suffer the pain of forced march, it also meant that she was inferior to Erya in some aspects. With this kind of acquired ability that had nothing to do with her origin or family background, Erya was absolutely unwilling to admit defeat, and she felt that she could not lose.
Li Xu heard Shi Lan's resolute words and had no choice but to let her go. After walking for a while, he finally felt uneasy. He raised his head and looked around, and whispered: "When we get to the next village, I will send someone to help."
You buy a softer saddle. This thing is specially made for marching and fighting. After all, it is not as wide as the one used in daily life!"
Horse harnesses used for marching and fighting all have narrow saddles, which focus on saving horsepower rather than whether the rider feels comfortable. However, the carved saddles used by wealthy families for daily play are characterized by their gorgeousness and comfort, even for people with a frame like Li Xu's.
A thick adult man can also sit completely with his buttocks in the carved saddle. In this way, the rider's whole body weight is concentrated on the horse's back, and the waist and thighs do not consume any effort. But it is very cruel for the mount. Usually people
It was fun, but the horse was exhausted and sweating profusely.
Farmers in ordinary villages care about their animals like soldiers, so they would rather suffer more than use carved saddles. Therefore, Li Xu wanted Erya to walk less hard, so he had to go to a large village or fort.
.But Bohai County is not a prosperous place in the first place. There are people on both sides of the official road who want to buy carved saddles. How can they find it in such a short time?
"This is actually quite good. It's because I have been so spoiled by you in the past two years that I have forgotten my roots!" Erya knew that her husband really cared about her, and stuck out her tongue mischievously, "I want to buy a house from a wealthy family and go out to enjoy the mountains and rivers.
I'm afraid you have to go to Daji to get that kind of carved saddle. I was escorted by Luo Shixin on this official road in the spring. I remember that from Yangxin to Yanci, I couldn't find even a decent village.
, let alone a market!”
"How is that possible? When I took this official road a few years ago, I clearly saw many villages with more than a thousand households!" Li Xu frowned, expressing doubts about Erya's statement.
"Look at the scenery around here, it's not even half the same as it was back then!" Erya shook her head and responded in a low voice.
After her reminder, Li Xu did realize that the scenery on both sides of the official road was very different from what he saw when he went to Qi County alone to take up his post. At that time, he only thought that the scenes he saw along the way were very desolate, with hungry people everywhere and overgrown trees everywhere.
The crop fields of weeds. But now, the hungry and abandoned crop fields are gone. Both sides of the official road paved with Sanhe soil have completely turned into a world of weeds and shrubs. The further away from the official road, the taller the wild sunflowers of various colors grow.
, some are already higher than the horse's legs. If a young man walks in, he can completely hide under the grass blades.
"Daniu, bring me the map!" Li Xu's first reaction was that the scout might have led the wrong way, and he shouted an order.
Zhou Daniu, the commander of the personal soldiers, agreed, quickly found a map from the back of a pack horse, and held it in both hands before Li Xu's horse. On the exquisite sheepskin map, the lines representing official roads were drawn very clearly. From the nearby mountains and rivers
Based on the analysis of the river markings, the official road at your feet is indeed the one leading directly to Yanci Ferry. However, the place where the villages were once marked on the map is now inaccessible.
"This is almost the same as outside the Great Wall!" Li Xu suddenly had an extremely ridiculous idea in his heart. "The wind blows the grass and the cattle and sheep are low, but it's a pity that all the bones are buried under the grass roots!" As if to confirm his thoughts,
A sharp autumn wind swept through the withered yellow weeds, bending the grass stems neatly. Several charred broken walls and rotten doors and windows were immediately revealed, reminding passers-by that this place was once prosperous.
There is no need to ask who committed the crime. Li Xu knew it clearly. First, there were three conquests of Liao Dynasty, and then there was the ridiculous decree to force people to live in the city. Then, the bandits looted and invaded, and the officers and soldiers annihilated and suppressed. For example, under his command, Bo
There are definitely a minority of officers and soldiers like the Ling Army who do not kill prisoners. Most of the officers and soldiers are accustomed to trying to solve the problem once and for all like the old general Yang Yichen did. In this way, he silently calculated in his heart the first time he passed by the Bohai Sea and rushed to Qi County to take up his post.
The years that have passed are less than four years, and a vast wilderness has been created in less than four years. The power shown by people when they kill each other is really huge!
In an instant, the autumn wind was like a knife, penetrating through the gaps in the leather armor and piercing into his bones. Xuzi always believed that everything he did was just. Although the reason for the bandits' rebellion was worthy of sympathy, the bandits killed and robbed indiscriminately.
His behavior was absolutely inexcusable. But the facts before him and what he had experienced clearly told him that the order he had insisted on for a long time was as ridiculous and pathetic as the bandits' slogans of justice. It was precisely because of him and Zhang Xutuo,
Thanks to the joint efforts of Yang Yichen and others, the imperial court was able to survive. It was precisely because the imperial court continued to act perversely that it forced more people to become bandits. Then the bandits and the imperial court joined forces to completely turn countless once prosperous villages in the north and south of the Yellow River into
wilderness.
"You are different from them. You have protected many people!" A low and gentle voice suddenly sounded in Li Xu's ears, bringing him back to reality from his confusion. "When I was in Boling, I once went out disguised as an ordinary peasant woman.
When I was shopping for groceries, I heard that many people were saying good things about you. They said that you not only defeated the bandits, but also scared the corrupt officials away from doing bad things..." Erya told the story softly, with pride in her eyes.
"The duty of a general is to protect!" The old oath almost blurted out. But Li Xu gritted his teeth and hid these words in his stomach. "Daniu, put the map away. Tell the brothers that walking is
Try not to make any noise, so as not to disturb the people!"
If there are still people nearby, he prays to the gods and Buddhas in the sky, hoping that whether it is Taoist kings or Buddhas, they can open their eyes and see what is going on in this world. If he does not suppress the bandits, the bandits will plunder the cities and villages.
Burned into ruins. If he continues to suppress the bandits, it will be equivalent to maintaining the power of the court to oppress the people. In the end, all prosperity will eventually be deserted.
At noon, the army finally saw a fort. But Xuzi had no chance to ask if there were carved saddles available in the fort. All the men and women in the fort were crawling behind the wall and watching them, from the white-haired old woman to the one who had just learned to have sex.
The urchins who dug out bird eggs all had disheveled faces and ragged clothes, but the postures of holding their bows and holding swords were very pure. Although those weapons were simple and worn-out, they were the reason why the fortress was able to survive in troubled times. They did not believe in "replacement".
The righteous thieves who "walk the path of heaven" do not trust the officers and soldiers who "protect the country and the people". In these turbulent years, the only thing they can trust is the weapons in their hands.
The leader of the fortress refused to go out and interact with the officers and soldiers, although he could clearly see the banner of the champion general displayed by the guards. However, these days, there are many guys who call themselves Donghai Duke and Changle King, and another champion general comes out.
Nothing surprising either.
"We are just passing by and want to confirm whether this road leads to Yanci Ferry!" Zhou Daniu was ordered to step forward, open his hands and shouted to the people in the fort.
"Just walk away quickly when you pass by, don't pay attention here!" A feather arrow was shot from the wall of the village, almost half a foot into the ground close to the neck of the war horse. "Don't come close, there is no food for you in the village!"
Whether you are officials or bandits, it doesn’t matter.”
"His grandma's!" Wang Junkuo was so angry that he took out the bow from the saddle and wanted to teach him a lesson. But Li Xu reached out and stopped him, "Go to the rear army and get twenty good bows and ten horizontal knives, and put them in
Fifty steps away from the village gate, then let’s continue on our way!”
"Yes, obey, obey the order!" Wang Junkuo looked at his general in surprise, not understanding what caused the other party to make such a ridiculous decision. But he still faithfully carried out this 'random order', which confused the people in the village.
In his eyes, he placed the weapon in a position where the opponent could easily get it and would not cause misunderstanding. Then he followed Zhou Daniu back to the team in dismay.
When the large group of people walked out for more than a mile, a horn sound came from the wall of the village. "Woo-wu-wu-wu-wu-wu" was long and graceful, as if a wild beast was calling its kind in the forest. Xuzi knew that the other party had given the answer,
Smiled and continued moving in the right direction. (To be continued)
