The sky is blue, the birds are chirping, and the biting cold wind is mixed with warmth.
It's a bit like when they first lived in a ruined temple. The only quilt was given to the eldest brother who had broken his leg. The others could only lie on piles of straw, with the cold on their bellies but the warmth on their backs.
Zheng Ruqian wiped away his tears. He felt that he must be dead. People love to miss the past crazily before they die.
When his fingers touched a cold feeling, he was frightened again and sat up from the ground suddenly.
The two people who were talking next to the fire turned around, a thin, dark soldier with an expressionless face, and a wretched man with a white cloth around his neck.
"My boss, my boss, are you awake?" The wretched man burst into tears and rushed over, "My boss, you scared me to death. The knife didn't kill me, but you almost scared me to death."
It turns out to be Wang Xiaosong. It looks really awkward without a neck.
Zheng Ruqian tried his best to break away from him, his eyes fell on the thin black soldier, and he said sincerely, "Thank you brother for saving me. Without you, we two would definitely not be able to escape today."
Wang Xiaosong stopped crying and almost pulled away, "My boss, don't you recognize her?"
"Him?" Zheng Ruqian was confused, "How could I recognize him? Do you?"
"Yes, it's her..." Wang Xiaosong looked anxiously, but accidentally pulled the wound on the back of his neck, gasping in pain.
Seeing the two masters and servants talking to each other, the thin and dark soldier finally couldn't stand it anymore. He took two steps forward and saluted coldly, "I've met the second young master."
His name is Second Young Master.
He is from Fang Heng.
Zheng Ruqian, who was serious in front of others, finally couldn't help but feel a sore nose. There was a flash of moisture in his big eyes under his thick eyebrows, "Are you Jiang Ji? Jiang Yi? Or Jiang Ba?"
The thin black soldier pursed his lips and said, "I am Jiang Wu."
At first, Fang Heng hired a total of eight servants, six of whom were willing to join the army, and two who stayed to protect his brothers and sisters.
Jiang Wu is the only girl, the toughest, and the first one to take the initiative to join the army.
At that time, Zheng Ruqian had wondered how a girl could join the army, march and fight, and live among men.
Now he understood that Jiang Wulian's voice was deliberately lowered. Apart from being too short and thin, there was no trace of a girl's atmosphere at all.
"Second Young Master has just woken up. Eat something to replenish your strength." Jiang Wu pulled out a burnt bird from the fire.
No wonder I felt the sound of birds chirping just now. It turned out to be the struggle before death.
Zheng Ruqian took it tremblingly and tore off a piece of bird feather with a grimace, "Why are you the only one, where is the third child? Where are the others?"
"I came to patrol nearby and saw you two being chased by Tartars." Jiang Wu said in a cold and emotionless tone, "Now that he is dead, we have to go to the village ahead to rescue people."
Just out of the tiger's mouth, you have to re-enter.
Thinking of those Tatars who killed without blinking an eye, Zheng Ruqian and Wang Xiaosong fought with each other, their faces turning pale.
"Second Young Master, don't be afraid, I'm here." Jiang Wu stood up and pulled out the bloody long knife from his back, "Let's go, we can't waste any more time."
If we delay for a while longer, a few more people will die.
The master and servant resigned themselves to their fate and got into the carriage, running towards the village.
On the way, Zheng Ruqian suddenly thought, "Since I'm not dead, what happened to me just now?"
"My boss, you have the nerve to ask." Wang Xiaosong's eyes were full of contempt, "You were scared to death just now."
Zheng Ruqian, "..."
I should have known better than to mention it.
The three of them galloped to the entrance of the village. The woman whose long hair was dragged was gone. Going further in, the Tartar riding a horse and carrying a knife was also gone. Instead, there was blood all over the ground, which was the head separated from the corpse. And a pair of unwilling eyes.
Old people, children, men, women.
Some of them are still eating, some are smiling and chattering, some are sewing new cotton-padded jackets, and some are telling their children not to freeze.
In the blink of an eye, corpses were everywhere, and the sky was filled with blood.
Zheng Ruqian and Wang Xiaosong supported each other and followed Jiang Wu.
This girl, who looked cold from the inside out, had red eyes at this moment. When she saw the dead people, she reached out to touch her eyelids. When she saw the naked women, she covered them with clothes.
When she saw the body of the infant, her tears finally condensed into balls. Her long knife was stabbed into the ground. She lifted up her clothes and knelt on the ground on one knee. She choked and said, "I will not return the Tatars until they are destroyed." .”
Some hatred cannot be condensed in a day or two, and some hatred cannot be solved by killing one or two people.
Dayu and the Tartars had been at odds with each other for decades. They had won battles and suffered tragic defeats. They were afraid of each other, but they could not engulf each other's existence.
"If the border is so miserable, why do people still live here and can't go in?" Wang Xiaosong asked puzzledly.
Jiang Wu wiped away his tears and stood up with a knife, "Because the enemy's heart is greedy. Wherever you retreat, they will invade."
Even if they retreat to Anshui County, it will just turn Anshui County into a new frontier.
It was the sacrifices of these frontier soldiers and people that brought peace and tranquility in the hinterland, and brought peace to Fengjing.
Zheng Ruqian suddenly felt that the corpses on the ground were not so scary.
They are also other people's family members. They were born and raised on this land, and finally died on this land because they were reluctant to leave this land.
The Tartars are hateful, but they are respectable.
"These corpses..." Zheng Ruqian steadied his steps, "But do they need to be buried?"
He originally wanted to say that he could help dig the hole, but Jiang Wu shook his head.
"There will be an army coming to take care of them. No matter whether we are the soldiers of the Dayu Dynasty or the common people, our corpses will never be exposed in the wilderness." Jiang Wu sighed and turned around, "Retreat, there are no survivors here."
Several people left the village again. When they reached the entrance of the village, a woman with disheveled hair suddenly rushed out, knelt down and cried, "Benefactor, benefactor."
Zheng Ruqian took a closer look and realized that it was the young girl who was being dragged by her hair by the Tartars. Because of the appearance of her wretched master and servant, the Tartars let her go and crawled and hid in the pile of firewood before she was able to pick her up. A life.
"Without my two benefactors, I would have died. Thank you so much, my benefactors." The girl cried loudly.
Zheng Ruqian and Wang Xiaosong looked at each other, feeling indescribable in their hearts.
The two of them broke in recklessly and almost lost their lives. They were originally regretful and afraid, but when they saw that their unintentional act could save a life, they were filled with pride and no regrets.
In an instant, Zheng Ruqian seemed to understand his third brother's choice.
He was so proud to have protected a life. Fang Laosan must have saved so many lives during the two years he was stationed at the border.
If you really say Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.
Just as Jiang Wu helped the girl up, he suddenly looked up to the north and said in surprise, "Sir... the captain is here."
It's cold in northern Xinjiang, and places without sunlight are covered with white snow. There is no overwhelming dust and fog when running.
But the snow falling on the branches and the shaking of the ground under his feet can clearly prove that his most heroic third brother is galloping towards him with his subordinates.
