Hanhou

Due to the sudden fury of the war horse, the discussion between Wei Yue and Li Danghu had to end hastily.

In order to separate the horses, the two of them spent a lot of effort, and even had to order someone to fetch the rope. Once they were thrown off the horse, they immediately put the rope around the horse's neck, so as not to continue beating and cause too serious injuries.

"What's going on?" Li Danghu tightened the reins and tried his best to control the mount.

"I don't know." Wei Yue hugged the black horse's neck, not daring to let go easily.In just a quarter of an hour, it was even more tiring than training a horse at the beginning.

"Third Young Master, these two horses should be winners." A county official who used to be in charge of the racecourse said.There are more than a hundred war horses in the martial arts arena, and only these two horses fight when they meet. Apart from this explanation, the county magistrate really can't think of any other reason.

Wei Yue and Li Danghu looked at each other, and the latter said first, "Ah Yue, where did you get your horse?"

"Wild horse." Wei Yue said concisely, and then asked, "Your?"

"That's right." Li Danghu exhausted too much strength, wrapped the rein around his wrist, hugged the horse's neck like Wei Yue, and said, "I chased this horse for three full days!"

Wei Yue didn't continue talking, and concentrated on controlling the mount to prevent the two horses from biting each other again.

After half an hour, the two horses stopped biting and calmed down.

The county magistrate stepped forward to check, and then gave a suggestion: In order to avoid similar troubles again, it is best to solve the root cause of the troubles for the two horses as soon as possible.In short, goosebumps.

Wei Yue and Li Danghu shook their heads at the same time.

The gelding is indeed docile, but it is impossible to become a stallion.Both of their mounts are one-in-a-million horses, which are better than the horses bred in the racecourse. If they can't leave offspring, it is really a loss.

"Don't mention this matter again." Wei Yue got off the horse, patted the horse's neck with one hand, poured out two pieces of caramel from the silk bag that he carried, and handed it to the black horse's mouth.

Not knowing that he had escaped unharmed, the black horse snatched the caramel from Wei Yue's palm, raised its head while chewing, and continued to blow at Li Danghu's mount, intending to fight again.

Li Danghu took out the silk bag on his body and found it was empty, so he could only wave in Wei Yue's direction, asking the latter for half a bag of caramel.

When the mounts meet, fight as soon as they meet, unless the two change horses, don't even think about trying it out.Helplessly, as long as the two of them approached other war horses, their own mounts would bite them on the spot.There was really no other way but to give up the idea of ​​getting on the horse, and retreated to the side of the martial arts arena to watch the cavalry of the three counties practice battle formations, learn from each other's strengths, and prepare to use them in future battles.

On the grassland, the rain and snow continued.

The yellow tall grass was overwhelmed, the snow melted, the rainwater gathered into streams, and even the dry waterways began to rise.The turbid muddy water filled the ditches, passed through the mounds where the caravans sheltered from the wind and rain, and flowed all the way east.

Zhao Jia sat on the cart and asked Wei Wu what was new in the city.

Wei Wu has been in the military camp for a long time, or in the prefect's mansion, so he doesn't know much about the affairs in the city.In addition, as winter is approaching, the number of caravans traveling from south to north is gradually decreasing, so I really can't think of anything interesting to say.

"The military market and the horse market are the same as usual. There are not many caravans in the city. Except for people from Shangjun and Yanmen counties, there is basically nothing in the county."

While the two were talking, Huber brought out dried meat and scones.

The rain was too heavy to light a fire, and the scones were cold.Fortunately, the outer skin is a bit hard, but the inner is still soft.The scouts put away the dry rations they were carrying and began to compete with the guards for rations.

They were all men from the barracks, and they were not polite at all when they scrambled, punching and kicking, and stuffing them in their mouths without worrying about choking.

Zhao Jia wanted to dissuade them, wanting to say that the rations in the caravan were still ample, plus they could set off to return to Bianjun after the rain stopped. If the speed was fast, they could arrive in less than a day, so there was no need to fight so much.

The team leader stopped him without even looking at him. He punched a scout and explained with a smile: "Your Majesty, don't worry, you have a sense of control. You can move your arms and legs without getting hurt." After finishing speaking, he punched again. Hit a guard and snatch the scones from the opponent's hand.

"You'll still get hurt with this little strength, don't say you're out of the army!"

Huber nodded in affirmation of the leader's words.

Looking at the grinning guards and scouts, and at the two people who didn't take it seriously, Zhao Jia gave up the idea of ​​blocking, but asked Ji Bao to open the rattan basket to get more scones.

The children gathered in front of the car door, watched the guards and scouts huddle together, and shouted hello while watching.

Since being taken out of the Qiang pastures by the caravan, the women and children have changed every day.Prudence and vigilance are there, but the lifelessness when he just walked out of the sheepfold is not seen.Especially the youngest ones, gradually returning to the appearance that children should have, and occasionally being mischievous.

After a meal, the guards and scouts moved their hands and feet, part of them were on guard, and the rest gathered in twos and twos, talking in their mouths, keeping their hands on all the time, drawing short knives and daggers, skillfully cutting wooden arrows.

For frontier soldiers who are good at riding and archery, bows and arrows are very important.Especially the scouts who had to go deep into the grassland, if they encountered the Huns cavalry, even an extra arrow could help them kill the pursuers and return to Han land successfully.

"On the battlefield, iron arrows can be retracted. When you go to the grassland to inquire about news, if you encounter a Hu Qi, there is no such room." Wei Wu cut out an arrow shaft and held it flat in front of his eyes. "A wooden arrow can kill the enemy just as powerfully It’s not as good as the Iron Arrow, after all it won’t be cheaper for the Huns.”

Zhao Jia didn't speak, but watched Wei Wu's movements seriously.

He knew that the cavalry in Yunzhong County had already begun to equip saddles and stirrups, and Shang County and Yanmen County would not be too far away. However, it might take some time before they could arm their troops on a large scale and march into the grassland.

In addition, it is not enough to have cavalry capable of confronting the Huns, but it is also necessary to confirm the exact positions of the various ministries of the Huns.Otherwise, when the army enters the grassland, they can only wander around and find no opponent at all.

Except for the news brought back by the caravan and the spies, most of Bian County's intelligence came from the scouts.Every time they go north to the grassland, they have to take great risks, and it may be a journey of no return.

Seeing the wooden arrow gradually taking shape, Zhao Jia slowly put away his smile, tapped his knees with his fingers, thoughts flashed through his mind one after another, and stopped at a certain point, his movements suddenly stopped.

Isn't the poisonous chimney equipped with caravans just right for scouts?

Change the wooden barrel into a pottery pot, and add some gunpowder to the contained gunpowder to make the fire difficult to extinguish. Even if the smoke is blown away, it can still kill a large number of incoming enemies.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was feasible, Zhao Jia unconsciously curled his lips, and decided to go to the city to see Wei Yue immediately after returning to Yunzhong County.The third son of Wei can easily find gypsum and brine, presumably it will not be too difficult to find these materials.

"Zhao Langjun?" Wei Wu suddenly said.

Waking up from contemplation, Zhao Jia turned his attention to Wei Wu and asked, "What's the matter with Team Wei?"

"No, it's just...it's nothing." Wei Wu faltered twice, but swallowed back the words that came to his lips.Zhao Jia's just smile somehow reminded him of Wei Yue.Just thinking about it, the beast-like intuition told him that it was best not to say these words.

No matter how heavy the rain and snow are, there will always be a time to stop.

After another half an hour, the rain gradually decreased, and the wind also began to weaken.After discussing with the Wuhuan businessman, the team leader suggested to leave immediately and enter the border county before dark.

Zhao Jia has no objection.

"I ride a horse, so I can help herd the sheep." Zhao Jia wrapped himself in a leather jacket and jumped off the cart.After whistling, the bay red horse ran over immediately.

"Lang Jun, the rain hasn't stopped yet." Uncle Hu was worried that Zhao Jia would catch a cold, and his tone was full of disapproval.

"Uncle Hu, I will join the army in the future." Zhao Jia grabbed the long whip and said seriously, "Besides, the most difficult road has already been passed. This place is not far from Yunzhong. I'm not that weak. I won't suffer from some rain. will hinder."

Zhao Jia was very persistent, but Hu Bo insisted on stopping him.

Wei Wu rode over and said to Hu Bo: "I will personally protect Zhao Langjun, the elder need not worry."

With the help of Wei Wu, Zhao Jia finally persuaded Uncle Hu to ride the bay red horse, and together with the guards drove the cattle and sheep to guard against the loss of lambs and calves.

The scouts came out of the surrounding counties, and they were not ignorant of grazing.With them joining, the pressure on the guards is greatly reduced.With the help of women and children, the team left the mound, and the speed continued to increase. After passing through a large area of ​​withered grass, they finally saw the shadow of the beacon tower.

The caravan stayed where it was, and the leader stepped forward and handed over the wooden sign, explaining his identity.The waiting officer and the army checked again and again, confirmed that the wooden sign was not forged, and recognized Wei Wu and others before allowing the caravan to pass.

After crossing the beacon tower, there is still a large piece of wasteland in front of them, but the mood of everyone is completely different.

The women got off their horses one after another, fell on the ground, grabbed the soil and withered grass with both hands, and wept with joy.

They were plundered by the Huns, put into sheepfolds and reduced to slavery.After experiencing unspeakable ordeals, they thought they would go crazy and die in the grassland like other sheep slaves, but they never dreamed that they could set foot on the land of the Han family again and return to the place where they were born and raised.

The children jumped out of the carriage, walked up to the woman, and were immediately hugged tightly.

"Go home, let's go home..."

Seeing this scene, everyone in the caravan fell into silence.

The women and children felt joy, but the guards and scouts felt heavy.

If you can stop the Xiongnu's iron hooves, if you can stop the enemy from beyond the border, if you can raise your whip and go northward to step on the grassland, no Han people will be looted by the Huns, no women and children will be imprisoned in sheepfolds, For the cattle and horses of the Huns, life would be worse than death!

"Xiongnu!" Wei Wu clenched his fist so hard that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Zhao Jia didn't speak, but just stood there quietly, looking at the women and children who were hugging each other.

After this time, these women and children truly "live".Since then, they will not always keep themselves busy and appear restless when they stop; they will not sleep restlessly at night and are always awakened by nightmares.

After an unknown amount of time, the clouds completely dissipated, and a sunset glow appeared in the sky.The rays of the sun reflect the afterglow of the setting sun, and the vast grasslands are all dyed red.

Everyone started on the road again, the herds of cattle and sheep pressed across the grass, the exclamation and laughter of children fell behind with the ruts, and all of them were integrated into the warm glow before the setting sun sank to the horizon.

In the livestock farm, Gongsun Ao opened the fence, and Zhao Xin led a group of teenagers to drive the cattle and sheep into the pen.Zhao Puonu stepped on the railing, carefully counted the number of cattle and sheep, and after confirming that there were a lot of cattle, he signaled to Gongsun Ao to close the fence.

Wei Qing put down the rattan basket on his back, Ah Zhi immediately stepped forward to help, poured out the small fish in the basket, chopped them up with a short knife, mixed them with the food prepared by Mrs. Sun, and fed them to the ducklings and Chicks.

The servants have already left and will not return until next year's spring plowing.

Uncle Xiong and Qing Zhuang need to repair farm tools, patrol around the livestock farm, build wooden fences, and drive out unwelcome wild animals; the woman is busy tanning animal skins, mending everyone's clothes, preparing daily meals, and taking over from Qing Zhuang when necessary Patrolling is very busy.

The teenagers and children took over the work of taking care of the cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks. After they were busy every day, they would find time to practice archery and listen to Wei Shan's recounting of the battles in the border counties, one by one getting more serious.

The more they listen, the more teenagers and children will realize the benefits of practicing calligraphy, and they will spare no effort and be full of energy when learning.

When all the cattle and sheep were returned to the pen, and all the chickens and ducks were fed, Zhao Xin and Gongsun Ao were responsible for sending the rattan baskets and tools back to the warehouse, while Wei Qing and Zhao Ponu took the bows and arrows and torches, and took the remaining teenagers and children to prepare to go back to the warehouse. Go around the fence.

Two days ago, there were foxes digging holes outside the sheep pen. If the stones piled up had not fallen, and there were marmots warning, they might have dug into the pen.

After learning the lesson, the children and teenagers did not dare to slack off. They would patrol outside the sheepfold every day, and if they found something wrong, they would take action immediately to ensure that no beast that dared to attack the lamb would be spared.

Strange to say, there are foxes digging holes outside the sheep pen every now and then, but they are rarely seen near the cattle pen, and even avoid the new pen that currently only has one camel.On the contrary, two half-grown foxes tried to get the idea of ​​the chicken coop, but they were pecked by reed chickens and ran around before Wei Qing and others opened their bows.Not to mention catching chicks and ducklings for tooth sacrifice, the hairs on their bodies are all bald.

Once the hens were provoked, they all entered into a fighting state, putting on a desperate posture, even a black eagle dared to attack, and two half-grown foxes were no problem at all.

Wei Qing and Zhao Puonu held up torches and carefully inspected the periphery of the sheepfold.After confirming that everything was normal, I was about to return to the cabin when the sound of marmots suddenly came from my ears.

"A Gu, go and tell Mrs. Sun!" Wei Qing shouted.

As winter approaches, there are more and more uninvited guests trying to sneak into the farm.Hearing the yelling of the marmot, the teenagers and children immediately became vigilant and quickly gathered together.

Zhao Puonu and Ah Man stuck the torches on the ground, and crossed the wooden railing with one hand, then turned around and quickly hugged the child who had climbed up the wooden railing.

After they all entered the enclosure, the three heads raised their torches, and the teenagers opened their bows and arrows. Their actions were methodical and orderly, obviously they had practiced several times.

The ground under their feet suddenly trembled, and then, a large number of torches appeared in the distance, and they lined up in a long line, constantly approaching the livestock farm.Zhao Puonu swallowed nervously, Wei Qing raised the torch, and looked into the distance by the light of the fire. As the outline under the light of the fire gradually became clear, the expression on his face also began to change.

When Aunt Sun and Uncle Xiong arrived with their people, Wei Qing and Zhao Ponu shouted excitedly together: "It's the lord, the lord is back!"

Seeing Wei Qing who was turning over from the fence, Zhao Jia got off his horse, strode forward, and hugged Wei Qing.Weighing the weight in his arms, he nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the crowd with a smile, and said, "Uncle Xiong, you, I'm back."

Changan

Tian Fu rushed home angrily, ignoring his wife's concerned inquiries, kicked down the short legs, drew out his sword and slashed several times, sat down on the ground panting, and said in a hateful voice: "Wang Xin, I will take you one day." Head on the item!"

Hearing these words, Tian Fu's wife turned pale with shock, and said with a pale face, "Be careful what you say!"

Tian Fu sneered, put away his sword, and asked his wife to take away the intact gift and lock it in the warehouse.He originally wanted to send a message to the queen through Wang Xin to see if there was a chance to get up.Unexpectedly, Wang Xin's words were full of evasions, and all the gifts he brought were returned as they were.

"One day, one day..." Tian Fu's expression was gloomy, and he vowed that as long as he had the chance, he would let the person who insulted him die without a burial!

In the palace, Wang Xin drank a cup of hot soup and heaved a sigh of relief when his loyal servant reported that Tian Fu had left.

"If he comes again, just say I'm not here."

As for Tian Sheng, Wang Xin could barely deal with it a few times. As for Tian Fu, he really didn't want to have anything to do with it.I would rather offend completely than give the impression that the relatives of the descendants want to get up.If the emperor doesn't like it, both families will bring disaster.

In the Changle Palace, the eunuch read the will of the Empress Dowager Dou to the back hall, and the family members selected from Yongxiang were about to leave Chang'an and be sent to the feudal kingdom of the princes and kings.

"Zimei from the Yun family in Shaling County, Yunzhong County, bestowed upon Linjiang King."

In Weiyang Palace, Emperor Jing was sitting in front of a screen, with a book of bamboo slips spread out in front of him, on which it was written: The king of Linjiang violated the law and invaded the wall of the Taizong Temple as a palace.