Reincarnation of the powerful minister

In Dingbian Town, Chu Yuan was still at his desk writing the secret letter to the emperor, while the pigeon released by Gao Shuo had already flown into the vast blue sky carrying the note he sent to Shen Qi.

The pigeon flew over the city wall, flying higher and higher, and the two stalled horses on the official road below turned into two solid black spots.

Su Yan raised his head suddenly on the horseback, holding on to the edge of the bamboo hat, squinting his eyes and looking at the sky. "There's a bird," he said. "Look, Chase. Is that a pigeon?"

When Jing Hongzui looked up, there was only a gray shadow in the sky: "It's too high, I can't see clearly, maybe it is."

Su Yan glanced back at the gate of Dingbian City, and vaguely felt that he had missed something, but this idea was clearly groundless, so he shook his head and said, "Let's go to Lingzhou."

After Chu Yuan and Gao Shuo borrowed the carrier pigeons from the secret sentry base to deliver the news, they brought the remaining Jinyiwei back to the river bank near Hengliangzi Town.

Sheng Qianxing was still searching for the missing Su Yushi in vain.

"How many days have passed, even if he is still alive, he may have left this place." Chu Yuan asked his Jin Yiwei with the mentality of a dead horse as a living horse doctor, "Where do you think Su Yushi might have gone? "

A Jinyi guard thought for a moment, and said, "Could he have gone south to Yan'an City? After all, Su Yushi lost all his seals and documents, and only the Zhou Zhifu in Yan'an recognizes him. I'm afraid he won't be able to prove his identity if he goes to other prefectures."

Gao Shuo said: "You have all forgotten that the place Su Yushi insisted on going before was the Qingshui Camp in Lingzhou. He is a person with tenacity in his work, and he may continue to go north."

Chu Yuan felt that what they said made sense, and after discussing with Sheng Qianxing, he decided to divide the troops into two groups.

Sheng Qianxing took half of the troops and went back to Yan'an City to inquire about the situation with the prefect of Zhou.The other half, led by Chu Yuan, went to Qingshui Camp in Lingzhou, searching for Su Yan's trail along the way.Su Xiaobei and Su Xiaojing were more familiar with the Jinyi guards, and decided to go with Chu Yuan and the others.

The two parties bid farewell in the river valley, and agreed that no matter which side got the news of Su Yan, they should notify the other party in time.

At the same time, Su Yan took off his pants by the rock by the stream.On the other side of the stream, an alien man on horseback was looking at him with great interest.

Said to be walking together, on the way, Jing Hongzhui and Su Yan still carefully kept a distance of several tens of feet from Wala's horse team, and half a small forest separated them when they were resting.

It started to rain at night, and the slippery roads are not suitable for driving at night, so the two sides had to get together for the night in the ruined temples in the deserted villages passing by.

More than a hundred horses were driven to the grassy yard with more than half of the wall collapsed, and the horse dealers took turns to take care of them. Others lit a bonfire in the main hall that had not yet collapsed, and baked clothes and dry food.

The ruined temple was in ruins, and the roof was like a sieve, so we had to pick as dry a place as possible to settle down.The Wala men sat around the fire, ate meat and drank wine, and chatted loudly in barbaric language.Su Yan and Jing Hong chased another fire.Between the two sides there is a piece of ground that drips and leaks, like the invisible Chu River and Han boundary.

Jing Hongzhui heated up the biscuits wrapped in bacon on the fire, and it was not so hard, and handed it to Su Yan.

Su Yan took a few mouthfuls of pancakes and began to drink water.

Altan suddenly got up and walked over.His robe was baking by the fire, his muscular upper body was naked, his skin was like flowing dark satin under the licking of the halo, the bead ring on his braid and the gold necklace on his neck and chest were shining brightly.

He handed the unscrewed cowhide water bag to Su Yan, and said, "Kumumiss, have a drink."

Su Yan hesitated for a moment, remembering that he had traveled to the grasslands in his previous life. The tour guide specially explained: When the locals toast, the tourists should catch them immediately.If you push back and refuse to drink, you will be considered as looking down on the owner and unwilling to meet with sincerity.Once identified as hypocritical and arrogant, it is difficult to obtain their friendship.

So he reached out to pick it up, but Jing Hong chased and stopped him: "My lord, let this subordinate try first."

Altan's expression did not change, but the displeasure flashed across the eagle eyes under his thick eyebrows, he stared at Jing Hong and asked, "Try the poison?" He said provocatively, and took a sip first.

Su Yan lightly pressed the back of Jing Hongzhui's hand to smooth things over: "He is my personal bodyguard. He is used to being on guard beforehand, so he doesn't doubt your Excellency."

"Altan."

"what?"

"My name is Altan, not Your Excellency."

Su Yan laughed: "Yes, Altan, thank you for inviting me to drink." He took the water bag and raised his head to take a sip. He felt that there was both a long milk fragrance and a refreshing wine taste, and the taste was round and smooth. , and a little sweet and sour.

In his previous life, he also drank kumiss, which was thick and white milky, with an alcohol content of only about 3 degrees, and it didn't get hot, but it had a milky smell.He didn't really like it.

But this time, what I drank was a clear jade color with no fishy smell. It must have been fermented many times to remove the rubbish and save the essence, and the alcohol was stronger, which was very tasty.

"'The taste is like melting nectar, the fragrance is suspected to be brewed with sweet springs, the new fermented grains hit heavy white, and the exquisite taste is pure and mysterious." It seems that the poems of the predecessors are not exaggerated." Su Yan took a few more sips, and returned the water bag with a smile Go back, "Your kumiss is superb."

Altan showed an obvious smile, "If you like it, this bag of wine will be given to you."

Su Yan wondered: "It's not rude to come here. You gave me leggings and kumiss, but I don't know what to return. I didn't have anything I could take with me when I went out..."

Jing Hong chased him and said: "My lord, any gift in return is not as real as silver taels."

Su Yan nodded and went to take out the money bag.

But Altan turned his attention to a light blue hairband in his hair, pointed at it and said, "No money, just give it to me."

Su Yan was slightly startled, and reached out to touch the hair tie.The plain soft satin has dark patterns like bamboo, and there are two small and clear leaf-shaped jade pieces hanging from the end. He fell in love with it at a glance in the tailor shop in Dingbian City. The jade pendant fell down with the blue silk, knocking against each other as they walked, making a slight sound like a clear spring on a stone.

"This thing is pretty delicate, but it's not worth the money." Su Yan was a little embarrassed, untied the hairband, and handed it over.

Altan took it and seemed very happy.The slender satin ribbon is wrapped around his thick brown palm, like a green cypress wrapped around an ancient wood, or like a jade ribbon wrapped around a dragon's body, with distinct depths.

Jing Hongchai looked on coldly, feeling very uncomfortable.In exchange for silver, you can get both money and goods, but you have to ask for a headband that you can wear next to your body. It's not frivolous, your lord is really straightforward as a Beimo person, and you don't see the evil intentions hidden in the other party.

But it's all gone, he can't forcefully stop it, it will cut the face of the adults, and he can't swallow the murderous anger, so his face is even colder.

Altan fiddled with the ribbon, pulled up a slender braid, looked at it, and stroked his forehead a few times, as if he hadn't figured out where to tie it.Su Yan looked at him, and suddenly thought of the autumn sun shining all over the field, and said with a smile: "Do people in Beimo also wear mop foreheads?"

Altan said: "We are called Meile. In winter, it is cold and windy. The meile is made of animal skin three or four fingers wide to keep out the wind. It is also made of leather. It is covered with large pieces of gold, silver, agate, and turquoise." .”

"This ribbon is too thin, so it's not suitable for making eyebrows for you. Why don't you widen it and inlaid it with gold and jade, and try changing it into a belt." Su Yan suggested.He really felt that this hairband, a scholar, could still be regarded as gentle and elegant, but it would be nondescript for a big man like Altan to use it on the prairie.

Altan didn't want to change the ribbon, but he didn't refute Su Yan face to face, so he wrapped it around his left wrist and tied it with a slipknot. At first glance, he thought his hand was injured.

Su Yan's eyes moved from the opponent's wrist to the abdomen, the tree-shaped tattoo was very conspicuous in the firelight, and the indigo daisy had a slight golden pearl, as if a layer of gold powder had penetrated under the skin.

This sacred tree named "Toktilak", although its outline is only shown in the form of tattoos, it can still be clearly seen that the branches are coiled, the body is surrounded by vines, the crown is luxuriant like clouds, and the tree is strong and vigorous. The roots go all the way down...below the belly button, into the waistband of my trousers.

His chest felt hot for no reason, and he hurriedly inhaled the moist night wind to dissipate the inexplicable heat, and said a little shyly, "I have a merciless request...can I touch your tattoo?"

Altan froze.The Wala men by the bonfire were eating, drinking, and laughing. Whoever heard this sentence muttered to their companions in surprise, causing everyone to turn their heads to look at them.

Eyes wide open, the scene was a bit embarrassing for a while.

Su Yan couldn't help suspecting that he had said the wrong thing and violated their taboo. Thinking of the other party's fighting nationality attribute of "If you don't speak congenially, you can draw your sword at any time", he immediately shrank his neck: "No, I just asked nonsense, don't really--"

Altan frowned slightly, with a serious face. When Jing Hong chased after the sword, he suddenly grabbed Su Yan's hand and solemnly pressed it on his abdominal muscles, "Touch."

The atmosphere in the ruined temple was inexplicably tense. Su Yan swallowed, his Adam's apple slid up and down, his fingers rubbed back and forth on the tattoo, and when he retracted, he rubbed his fingertips again.

No black smudge, no powdery or sticky feel.

The dyes used in tattoos penetrate deep into the skin and will not fade due to external friction.

"What do you use for tattoo dye?"

"Mica stone-milled powder, plus plant juice."

"Is it the same for other tribes in the Northern Desert?"

Altan didn't know what he wanted to know, but he still answered patiently: "Yes, the formulas of tattoo dyes are similar. Our family likes gold, so we add more mica powder, and it will shimmer like gold when exposed to light."

Su Yan thought secretly: the Tatar cavalryman who kidnapped him, the gray wolf tattoo on his chest has faded, it must not be a tattoo, but a painting.It seems that the identities of this group of people are suspicious. It is hard to say whether they belong to the Tatar tribe.If not, what tribe are they?And why did they pretend to be Tatars and enter the territory of Daming to plunder?Do you want to start a war, or frame it?

From this, it can be speculated that if not all Tatars invaded the border, but also cavalry from other tribes, but their leaders expressed their intention to respond to Emperor Jinglong's solicitation on the surface, would they have other plans in secret?

He put his curled fingers against his chin and meditated.Altan, on the other hand, looked down at the hair on the top of his head, with a somewhat complicated expression, and unconsciously stroked the ribbon around his left wrist with his right hand.

"...What are you thinking?" He asked Su Yan.

Now even Wala is within the scope of Su Yan's suspicion. He didn't want to tell the truth, so he dealt with it casually: "It's clean to think about you."

I also thought it was funny when I said it, I was almost breathless from the body odor of the Northern Desert Cavalry before, and I can understand that there is insufficient water in arid areas, and people who have been grazing and fighting for many years may not care about cleaning themselves.But if you ask him to smell it again, he will pinch his nose and never want to get close.

When he first met Altan, Su Yan subconsciously held his breath, but later found that the other party had no peculiar smell.Looking at the braids and the gold ornaments around his neck, he guessed that he might be an Oirat nobleman who would personally bring people to Daming to sell horses. Maybe it was the training method of the other clan, or maybe he used horse sales to cover up other purposes.

Therefore, no matter how hearty and enthusiastic Altan was, Su Yan always had a little bit of guard against him.

But he still smells good.

"You have a special smell, very light, a bit like flowers and herbs, but not any flowers and herbs I've ever smelled."

Altan really wanted to tell him that it was the Zamonmon flower on the grassland, which was dried and soaked in the essential oil extracted from the resin of the sacred tree to make holy oil.Wala nobles used it to paint their bodies to show their devotion to the gods.

But before he could say anything, he saw his companions by the fire, their stupefied dumb faces not yet subsided, they all winked at him one by one.

Altan returned a stern look, and the Vala men turned their heads like bee stings one after another, ate and drank with their heads down, and coughed and coughed all over the place.

Su Yan achieved his goal, hid the strangeness and clues he found in his heart, and returned to his bonfire with satisfaction.

Jing Hongzhui spread the carpet with a cold face, took out a thin blanket and put it on top.

Su Yan asked with a smile, "Is Ah Zhui unhappy?"

Jing Hong chased him without saying a word, and stuffed a wooden cup full of water and a wrung wet towel into his hand.

After Su Yan washed his face with a toothbrush, he wiped his face with a towel and peeped at the other person's expression. He felt that he was really angry, so he sat down on the carpet and patted his side: "You come up too."

Jing Hongzhui squatted down and helped him take off his shoes, her tone was flat: "This subordinate sleeps on the table over there."

"The altar has only three legs, and it's full of dust and cobwebs. Be careful that it will collapse when you lie on it." Su Yan tugged at the hem of his clothes with a little flattery, "You sleep next to me, I'm not afraid of crowding."

Jing Hongzhui looked at his Master Su with a sullen face, and thought to himself why he loves to recruit people so much?

I also felt that this question was really stupid to ask - as early as when the two first met, under the old peach tree in the Su residence, I had already seen his attraction to mad bees, waves and butterflies.

Whether it's King Yu or Shen Qi, they are all vicious dogs who eat bones but don't spit out dregs. Master Su is really natural and kind in this respect. If it were him, he would have managed to chop the two of them into meat, and then carry them on his back The arrest warrants wandered all over the world.Now that it’s so easy to get out of Beijing, get rid of those bullying imperial relatives and court hawks, and get involved with this big man who doesn’t look good at first sight, Mr. Su can’t—

Sigh...it's not Mr. Su's fault, it's because he is too useless and didn't protect him well.Self-blame filled Jing Hongzhui's heart, and she sighed silently, facing Su Yan's almost coquettish eyes, her cold face couldn't hold back anymore, she took off her boots and sat beside him helplessly.

Su Yan lay down happily, moved to the side, tried to make room for another person, yawned and said, "I'm so tired, my thigh hurts, and my calf is sore."

Jing Hongzhui put his calf on her own, kneaded the acupuncture points, pushed the meridians and activated the collaterals.Pressing and pressing, I heard deep and long snorting, and fell asleep within a quarter of an hour in a ruined temple surrounded by savages.

I really don't know if Mr. Su is too broad-minded, or if he trusts his "A Zhui"'s skill and loyalty so much, I believe that no matter what kind of difficulties, I will do my best to protect him and will never abandon him.

... Mr. Su is really a smart person, he has a good idea.The corner of Jing Hongzhui's mouth twitched into a slight smile, and then gently supported Su Yan's head and neck, and pillowed it on her lap, so that he could sleep more comfortably.

He leaned his back against the pillar, with the sleeping Su Yan lying on his lap, and planned to sit like this all night.

Through the flickering firelight, Altan sat by the wall, with one leg crossed, the other knee bent and stepped on the ground, with his right hand resting on his knee, staring at them unabashedly, with probing and guessing in his eyes, but also Indescribably profound.

He lightly touched the tattoo on his abdomen with his left hand tied with a ribbon, and it seemed that the touch of Su Yan's fingers still remained on the skin.

This sacred tree tattoo has never been touched by anyone except his parents since he was tattooed on his body by the shaman of the clan when he was an adult.

The old shaman said that the juice made from the fruit of the sacred tree was added to the dye, and the ancestors in the dark would protect him from evil fronts and diseases.Except for blood relatives and friends, don't let others touch it, so as not to vent the breath of the soul, disrespect the gods, and lead to bad luck.

He attached great importance to this admonition, so he never let the servant girl serve him personally.When wrestling with others, the abdomen is also wrapped with a cloth belt.There was once a boy in the clan who didn't know the heights of the sky and the earth. After losing, he couldn't be reconciled, so he tried to pull his bandages, and he broke his arm directly.As time passed, everyone in the tribe knew his taboo, and no one touched his nilin again.

That's why just now, when he allowed Su Yan to touch his tattoo for the first time, his companions were so surprised. They couldn't help being curious and ridiculed, speculating and discussing wildly.

Even Altan himself didn't know why he made an exception for a young man from the Central Plains who met by chance.

But he knew that this boy was by no means an ordinary traveler.Going to Qingshui Camp in Lingzhou, there may be a strong wind blowing up, stirring up a pool of clear water into a whaling wave that is expected.