Hearing this, the big man immediately stopped and turned around: "What did that man ask me to do?"
Zhao Tong smiled and said, "Come back, I have something to tell you."
The big man was confused and just walked back: "That man, don't worry. Since he is a big cat hunting, I won't worry about it anymore. Just carry him away. I have to go elsewhere to find prey, so don't waste time."
Zhao Tong shook his head and said: "Although I killed this big insect, you were the one who chased it. In this way, you are half the enemy. Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"
"That man, are you serious about what you said?" The big man was delighted when he heard this, but then he frowned and whispered to himself: "It doesn't seem to be true..."
Zhao Tong smiled and said: "The truth is, where does a man like you come from with so many hesitations? This big bug is half as big as you."
The big man also smiled and said: "Then I won't think about it anymore. My head hurts when I think about the truth."
Zhao Tong looked at him with a smile: "You look like a hero, but what's your name?"
The big man stared at the tiger on the ground and couldn't hide his joy and said: "My surname is Guan, so I call you Guan Jiu."
"Guan Jiu?" Zhao Tong smiled and said, "I saw that this big insect was afraid of you, so it ran away far away and didn't even dare to fight. Why?"
Guan Jiu said: "But you don't know something. I, Guan Jiu, have a nickname, Guan Jiulang, the raw tiger and leopard. He is the wolf, bear, tiger and leopard around here. Whoever sees me will not run away."
Zhao Tong couldn't help but laugh when he saw him patting his chest and bragging, and said: "Since the big insect is half as big as you, he can carry it down the mountain on his back."
Guan Jiudao: "That's good. My home is at the foot of the mountain in the south. By the way, that person... what is your name?"
Zhao Tong said: "You call me Yuan Erlang, and the one over there is my wife's thirteenth mother."
Guan Jiu responded, stepped forward and picked up the tiger, put the two tiger paws on his shoulders, carried it on his back and walked down the mountain.
After an unknown amount of time, I finally came down the mountain. I saw a small village at the foot of the mountain, with only a dozen or so households. Guan Jiu walked to a door with the tiger on his back, kicked open the courtyard door and said, "This is my home. You guys Just come in."
Zhao Tong and his wife walked in and saw the rough and deserted environment. Zhao Tong couldn't help but ask: "Guan Jiulang, do you live by yourself?"
Guan Jiu threw the tiger into the courtyard and said, "Originally, I lived with my second uncle and my seventh uncle. Later, both of them disappeared, and I was left alone."
Zhao Tong looked around and said, "How come you still don't know where you are going?"
Guan Jiu scratched his head and said: "I heard from the neighbors that the second uncle eloped with the young widow named Hu from the village. I really don't know about the seventh uncle. He is a little crazy. I'm afraid he went up the mountain and talked nonsense and was taken away by the mountain god. .”
Zhao Tong smiled and said: "What you are saying is quite mysterious, but if you have anything to eat, put it on the table."
Guan Jiudao: "Yuan Erlang, please wait a moment while I go to clean up."
After a while, Guan Jiu invited the two of them into the house, and then brought over a large basin of marinated game meat, dried deer breast and other things. Zhao Tong took a few and went out and threw them into the sky to feed the big eagle. Guan Jiu saw it and said in surprise: "So I brought this big bird with me, but I can't hunt it. My archery skills are never very accurate."
After eating, Zhao Tong pointed to the tiger in the courtyard and said, "Guan Jiu, I'll give you all these big insects. Just prepare some dry food and meat for me."
Guan Jiu was overjoyed when he heard this, and when he was going to prepare, the sound of horses running suddenly came from outside the village.
There was only one road in front of the village. Zhao Tong set up an arbor to watch. He saw two people and three horses covered in blood. One of them seemed to be seriously injured. Zhao Tong looked carefully and couldn't help but feel happy. It turned out to be Huang Gu and the other two.
The route to Jinzhou and Laizhou heading south was decided after leaving Qingcao Gorge, because they were afraid that they would be attacked on the road and they would go separate ways. If nothing happened to Huang Gu and Ouyang Bei, even if they didn't meet on the road, they would meet in the south.
At this time, Zhao Tong shouted hurriedly when he saw the two of them. Huang Gu was overjoyed and couldn't help but turn his horse's head and go straight into the small courtyard.
When several people gathered together, Zhao Tong saw that the extra horse was actually Chi Ji. They met Huang Gu on the road after they broke out of the siege, so they brought him over. As for the horse abandoned by Xiao Niang, it was nowhere to be found. .
This Chi Ji is one of the eight horses. It is the best at endurance and has a more stable temperament than Bai Yi, Qu Huang, Hua Liu and other horses. It is the best mount for long distances.
Zhao Tong looked at Ouyang Bei's injury again. Although it was not serious, it was far from fatal, so he took out the medicine from his body and bandaged him again.
Guan Jiu got a big bug, no matter where Huang Gu and Huang came from, originally this place was bordered by Liao on one side and Jin on the other. There were always wounded soldiers passing by, so it was not surprising. The villagers hid in the mountains to avoid military disasters, not twice at a time. Second-rate.
Zhao Tong asked the two of them to eat something, and asked Guan Jiuduo to prepare dry food, dried meat, etc. If it was not enough, he would use the money to buy it from his neighbors. Then it was about the horses.
After the red horse came back, there was still one missing. Zhao Tao asked Guan Jiudao: "Jiulang, are there any horses for sale in the village? I am willing to pay a lot of money to buy them."
Guan Jiu thought for a while and said in embarrassment: "Widow Hu's family at the head of the village does have a horse, but the little widow eloped with my second uncle, and her parents-in-law don't want to see me."
Zhao Tong smiled when he heard this and said, "If you don't want to see Jiulang, don't you want to see Yin Qian?"
Guan Jiu scratched his head and said, "That's true. That old woman is greedy for money. I'm afraid there's nothing she can't do with more money."
Zhao Tong smiled and took out the silver. Not long after Guan Jiu left, he brought back a big black horse. Everyone looked at the horse and asked the little widow where the horse came from.
Guan Jiudao: "You and I didn't pick it up in the mountains after the war. They always wanted to sell it for a good price, but now they got what they wanted."
Zhao Tong smiled and said, "Guan Jiulang, do you know where your second uncle has gone?"
Guan Jiudao: "No one knows, but my second uncle did say before he left that the Song Dynasty in the south is good. Even if you have some strength, people will not starve to death. I think they probably ran there."
Zhao Tong looked him up and down and said, "Does Jiulang want to go to Song Dynasty?"
Guan Jiu rubbed his hands and said, "I heard from my second uncle that I wanted to go, but he ran away with the little widow, and I couldn't find the way..."
Zhao Tong looked at his naive appearance and said with a smile: "I heard that Kaifeng City in the Song Dynasty was very lively. Your second uncle might have gone there. Guan Jiulang, if you want to go to the Song Dynasty to find your second uncle, go to Kaifeng to look for him. I guess I can find it."
Guan Jiu clicked his eyes: "Kaifeng, I remember, I can't live here anymore, so I'll go to Kaifeng!"
Several people mounted their horses, and Zhao Tao waved his hand to Guan Jiu. Guan Jiu looked at the big insect on the ground and hurriedly gave him a fist.
A few people left in the dust, and an hour or two later, they saw an intersection. The road to the west was wider, and it was the road leading to Shangjing, while the road to the south went straight to Jinzhou. direction.
After reining in the horse, Zhao Tong looked at his mother and said, "Is Thirteenth Mother going back to Beijing?"
The young lady sat on the horse and looked at him, her eyes sparkling: "Yuanjiro..."
Zhao Tong smiled and said: "We are so far away from each other now. I don't know when we will meet again. But I can't go to Beijing, but Thirteenth Mother can come to Kaifeng."
The girl looked a little gloomy and said: "Yuan Erlang, I have written it down. You must also remember to be careful along the way and don't take risks."
Zhao Tong jumped off the horse and said with a smile: "This red horse is a famous horse, so I will give it to Thirteenth Niang."
When the young lady heard this, she panicked and said, "I have a short journey back to Beijing. Yuan Erlang, you want to keep going. How can I ask for this horse?"
Zhao Tong said: "The black horse is the same steed, the rider is the same, but this red horse is given to you by me. Don't refuse, Thirteenth Mother."
Seeing Zhao Tong's determined look, the young lady had no choice but to get off the black horse. Zhao Tong handed over the reins and sighed: "There are many things in life, the road is long, Thirteenth Niang, get on the horse!"
Watching the little girl get on the horse, Zhao Tong slapped Chi Ji hard, and the horse galloped away along the road. The little girl turned around and saw Zhao Tong looking at her with a smile. She couldn't help but feel empty inside, as if all the strength in her body was gone. He was taken away in an instant and supported on the horse, two lines of tears fell silently.
Seeing the little girl's back gradually disappearing, Zhao Tong's expression became lonely. He laughed at himself and got on the dark horse.
Huang Gu looked at Zhao Tong and hesitated: "Master... why don't you take Miss Xiao back to Tokyo?"
Zhao Tong glanced at him without saying anything, and after walking a few dozen steps, he said: "Dugu Wudi, I think your name Wudi is very bad. People with such names often die on the battlefield. Hurry up, you’d better change your name!”
Huang Gu said "Ah", his face twitched, and he couldn't make up his mind for a moment.
Ouyang Bei lay on the horse, his mouth almost bursting with laughter. He looked at Zhao Tong in front of him, and as his eyes gradually fell on the black horse, he looked back at the road to Beijing and frowned, his face There was a trace of confusion and confusion...
The three of them headed south almost non-stop. On the way, they encountered several groups of Liao soldiers, numbering about a hundred people. As long as there were no such people who would fire their crossbows when they met, the three of them would rush towards them.
This was a time grab with Yelu Dashi. Since the four Zhao and others were not killed on the mountain on the border of Taizhou, Yelu Dashi's first reaction must have been that they retreated to the Golden Realm.
What Zhao Tong had to do was to hurry all the way south and let the news reach Yelu Dashi one step later. When Yelu Dashi received the news that they were still in the Liao border and rushing south, it would take time to issue an order to mobilize troops at this time. Rush to Jinzhou before this time and enter the sea from Jinzhou.
When you come here, you go to Laizhou, but when you go back, you will never go to Laizhou again.
Moreover, Laizhou is close to the sea, so the defense should be tighter, while Jinzhou City is a little far away from the sea, so it is better to go to the seaside...
Recently, the water camp in Jinzhou City encountered a headache. They actually encountered pirates.
It can be said that in a place like Jinzhou, which is located on the bay, there have been no pirates for hundreds of years, because there are few goods to rob in this place. As a military fortress, there are not that many people in the city, and the city is far from the sea. Pirates come ashore. The seizure front will be stretched too far.
The current water camp of the Liao army has long been beaten by the Jurchens like a frightened bird. Although the Jurchens do not pay attention to water warfare and do not have many ships, the Jurchen army can completely force the water camp of the Liao army to the point where they do not even dare to approach the shore. .
At that time, Liaodong was lost, and the Shuiying did not dare to fight at all. They could not shoot the Jurchen soldiers on the shore from the ship, but the Jurchen soldiers shot them very accurately, which shows the strength of each other's combat.
The Liao and Song Dynasties did not have many water battles, and it was even more difficult to contact them at sea after the Chanyuan Alliance. The Liao army's water camp had long been a decoration for a hundred years. It was only because of the existence of Goryeo that it had to be set up like this. A military division.
Now even though the Jurchens do not have naval forces in Liaodong, these naval soldiers in Jinzhou do not even dare to approach there. However, they unexpectedly avoided the Jurchens, but pirates came.
These pirates have a total of seventy or eighty large ships. Even if the Shuiying ships in Jinzhou and Laizhou are added together, there are not so many, and the pirates on them are several times as many as Shuiying soldiers.
These pirates came to the shore every now and then to cause harassment. At first, the water camp of the Liao Kingdom was angry, so they clashed head-on twice. Who knew that their navy was like paper and no match at all? Not only did they suffer a complete defeat, but they were also robbed. Several ships were lost and suffered heavy losses.
From then on, even if these pirates often came to the shore to show off their power, the people in Shuiying had no choice but to endure it. As long as you come to Jinzhou, fine, then we will sail the ship to Laizhou. Anyway, when Liaodong fell, this is how the ship came. .
But who knew that these pirates were getting more and more aggressive, and in the end they actually sent someone to deliver a message, threatening to attack Jinzhou if they didn't get the money.
The governor of Jinzhou had nothing to do, but the pirates just shouted and came every few days to disgust the Liao army without actually attacking Jinzhou, so he suppressed the matter. Now the situation in the court is in chaos. If he can't even control the sea, I'm afraid that he, the governor, will not talk about it until the end, but will still be questioned.
On this day, Zhao Tong and others finally arrived near Jinzhou. They rode almost non-stop along the way, even at night, without taking much rest. After arriving here, all three horses were dead.
As for the clothes of the three of them, almost all of them were purple-red, stiff and dirty, and the smell of blood was permeated. I don’t know how many people were killed along the way. During this period, they also encountered a large group of Liao troops. It was not that Yelu Dashi sent them, so they couldn’t catch up. The three of them then left.
That night, the three of them took advantage of the moonlight and entered a small fishing village. This small fishing village was only five miles away from the seaside and a few miles away from Jinzhou City.
The fishing village was not big, with dozens of households. The three of them took a look at one of the more regular courtyards, climbed over the wall and entered, and then tied up several people in the house.
But it turns out that they are two brothers. Although they are both married, they have not separated yet, and they live in separate houses.
The three of them found clean clothes and changed into them. Zhao Tong sat on the pier and drank from a water gourd, looking at the brothers with his eyes.
The brothers and their family were all tied up and thrown next to the stove. Seeing Zhao Tong's eyes, they couldn't help but shrink back in fright. Especially, he used his body to protect his mother-in-law and children. It looked like he would rather die than protect them. Live with family.
Zhao Tong nodded and gave Huang Gu a wink. Huang Gu immediately stepped forward and put a knife on the brother's neck and said: "I want to ask you something. If you don't yell, just pull out the rag in your mouth. If you yell, all of them will be killed." Hack to death."
The brother was so frightened that he trembled all over and kept nodding. Huang Gu pulled the thing out of his mouth. Then Zhao Tong began to ask about some situations at the beach. When he heard that pirates were harassing him every now and then, Zhao Tong couldn't help but smile: "Now What month and day is it?"
The elder brother trembled and said: "Back...back to the king, after tonight it will be the eighth day of September."
"The eighth day of September?" Zhao Tong nodded and felt relieved. Before he left, he made an agreement with Lei Huhu to harass Jinzhou every second day of the ninth lunar month. But now it was just in time. Otherwise, if he were delayed for two or three days, maybe Yelu Dashi would be attacked. Will catch up here.
Thinking of this, Zhao Tong said to the two of them: "Let's rest here for one night and then go to the beach tomorrow morning."
(End of chapter)
