The group of people walked through Fang Street and came to the horse farm located south of Langge. The next village was her manor.
Before and after the harvest, people in the village harvested the wheat. Many old people in the village sat on the ridges of the fields and chatted while looking at the sky. I went wild and harvested the wheat. Xiao Qingxue suddenly thought of this word, wheat is in the field. In ancient times, most crops were grown in the north. In Youzhou, chestnuts and wheat were mostly grown, while in the south, rice was grown.
Xiao Qingxue dismounted and recalled that the ears of wheat she had seen in the granary were not as fruitful as modern ones. Instead, the shells were small and a bit shriveled, and their appearance was different from what she had seen in modern times.
But this kind of wheat is the life of the people in the village. When the cold dew turns to frost, they will sow it again.
Seeing the young master dismounting, the other riding servants also dismounted one after another. On the field ridge, several farmers saw the noble man and ran over quickly, fearing that the horses would damage the crops. An old man saw the young lady riding on the servant and was stunned for a moment: "Little master?"
"Everyone, the young master is here!" Following the old man's shout, people in the field gathered together, and everyone looked at the young master cautiously from a distance.
Xiao Qingxue smiled: "Uncle Tan, are you all done?"
"I'm done with my work, I'm done with my work." The old man rubbed his hands, with deep wrinkles on his smiling face. He was frightened and happy that the little master called him: "The wheat seeds have been planted, and now the big guys are free, you Do you still need fruits and vegetables in your manor?”
Xiao Qingxue thought of the many steps in the manor and said, "Of course I want them. Just like before, you can just send them over."
As soon as these words came out, the people present became even more happy. The young master's manor was close to their village. Since there were not many people in their village and they had to farm, they could not supply hundreds of Bu Qu's daily meals, so Bu Qu's response was The food is purchased from Nanfang by the housekeeper in the manor.
But which household in the village doesn't have extra vegetables and fruits? Even if they don't, they would like to sell some to the young master's manor to add some income to their family. The young master is kind-hearted, and the housekeeper also told them if they want to sell directly Find him and pay according to the market price, which was originally the case, but everyone was busy planting wheat and soybeans, and there was less food to sell in the village. Usually everyone made an appointment to go together, but suddenly a few people seemed like It's like coming to ask for a bargain.
So everyone was too embarrassed to sell it. When he heard that the young master didn't mind, the old village chief laughed.
Xiao Qingxue looked at this group of people. There were old and young people. Their age and appearance were seriously inconsistent. They were wearing coarse clothes and linen. Years of hard work had made them age prematurely. But they were still smiling. Xiao Qingxue felt a little blocked in her heart. Panicked, she got on her horse again, waved to those people and headed to her manor.
In the heart of the old village chief, their life is good enough compared with before. The taxes in Youzhou are not high, they have land to farm, they can fill their stomachs, there are no foreign invasions, and there are no worries about life. They have experienced displacement and precarious life. As long as these people lived safely and had enough to eat, they already felt great kindness to Sect Master Zhou.
Xiao Qingxue looked at Jiang Da and the tribes behind her. They were all given to her by Sect Master Zhou.
And the reason why she made them obedient was also because of Sect Master Zhou.
Inside the manor.
Xiao Qingxue looked at the people training in the audience. Jiang Da was training their endurance more. One day was weapon training, the second day was physical training, and the third day was formation formation. He repeated the past, training hard every day.
When everyone in the audience saw the young master approaching, they all knelt down on one knee, held a knife in one hand, and said in unison: "See you at the Tiger Camp, young master."
Xiao Qingxue's heart beat violently. Every time she saw such a scene, she could deeply feel the ancient people's crazy pursuit of power. Just six hundred people could make her excited. She couldn't imagine ten thousand people. What kind of scene is it to bow your head?
"Get up and train hard." Xiao Qingxue stabilized herself.
"Wei!" Hundreds of people responded in unison.
Three little leaders stood beside the little master, and a young man said respectfully: "It's rare for the little master to come here, so why not have an archery competition in the afternoon to make it fun."
Xiao Qingxue said: "That's fine. The winner will get a sheep, three pieces of silk, and mutton soup tonight."
Jiang Da looked at his excited subordinates and felt that the young master was really generous. The food for them was not bad. After all, they trained a lot every day and the food was larger than ordinary people. Although the young master did not understand military affairs, there was an advantage. Even if he listens to others' advice, he will not pretend to understand. For Jiang Da, such a little master is already very good.
Not to mention eating meat for five days and meat soup for ten days. If they didn't train hard, they themselves wouldn't be able to justify it.
Xiao Qingxue had read in a book before that the most powerful people on the battlefield were archers. Archers in ancient times were ruthless men who mounted their horses to shoot, dismounted and drew swords to fight hand-to-hand. She could also shoot arrows herself, but every time she saw them It's still amazing that a bow and arrow can draw so many stones.
The winner was a rather prominent man. After receiving the reward, he was extremely happy.
At dinner time in the evening, the men finished the meat soup in the bowl, then went home with meat cakes, sheep, and cloth. Many of them immigrated to nearby small villages with their families, like single men. Live in the manor.
After returning home from the walk, the man put the sheep in the yard and soon attracted the young lady.
"Ah, where did the sheep come from?" The young woman is not as tall as the Northland. She is a little petite. Her parents took her to escape from the drought in the South many years ago. After arriving in the Northland, she married a man. The man He didn't say anything, just looked at his wife and giggled, and took out two pieces of warm meat pie from his arms, one for the child who ran over, and one for his wife.
"Eat quickly, the meatloaf is still hot." The man said.
The young woman blushed, took the cake, and couldn't help but muttered: "You don't have to take home something delicious every time. Dandan and I don't suffer here. You train in the village all day. You should eat more.”
The man patted his belly and said with a smile: "The food in Zhuangzi is good, I have enough to eat every day, but you have to work in the fields with your children, this meat pie is just right for you, and Zhao Er next door has meat. He often brings bread to his wife during the day. Many colleagues in the team do this, so feel free to eat it."
The young woman took a bite of the oily meat pie and swallowed her saliva. No matter how many times she ate it, she never got tired of it. The meat pie was so delicious.
The man looked at his wife with a smile and told her about the afternoon archery. The woman was even more surprised.
"My little master is so kind to you."
After the meal, the woman puts her child to sleep and nestles on her husband's shoulder, looking at the bright moon in the sky together.
"I heard from Lieutenant Jiang that there is going to be a war with those foreign races in the north."
The young woman was startled: "We're going to fight again. Do you want to go?"
The man smiled and said, "I won't go." He paused and said, "The master didn't say anything. If you leave your post without permission, you will be beheaded."
"It's okay if you don't go." The young woman hugged her man's arm and murmured: "You don't know that every time you go to the battlefield, I am always worried that I can't sleep well."
The man bit the grass roots and looked at the moon in the sky, but the sound of soldiers calling for battle in autumn seemed to ring in his ears! The sound of horse hooves, the sound of swords being unsheathed, and the sound of iron swords clashing, he has been running thousands of miles to take heads.
The man looked at his sleeping wife and finally smiled freely and regretfully.
Under the same night sky.
Xiao Qingxue looked at the letter sent back by Xue Ying. She read it several times under the light. A Niang just said that she had left Guchao City, and also talked about a few small things. The weather was getting colder, so she remembered to wear more clothes and menstruation. It was almost time to be careful not to eat cold food, and she had to take Bu Qu with her wherever she went. When she wanted to go out, she had to tell Shenzhi at home. She still called her "good baby" in the letter, and also brought her a dried purple flower.
Xiao Qingxue looked at it, and her vision suddenly became blurry. She wiped away her tears and found that Tuoba Amu also gave her several colorful dried flowers.
Tuoba Amu wrote in the letter that the mistress is very good and she even rescued an Orchid when she was in Gu Chang. Now that the army has set off, don't worry.
Compared with Aniang's letter, Tuoba Amu only had a few lines of words. Xiao Qingxue watched the army above set off, and her heart tightened again.
"Jiang Da." Xiao Qingxue called Jiang Da: "Is there going to be a war?"
Jiang Da looked at his young master and said, "Half a month ago, Youzhou's five thousand cavalry arrived in Guchang."
Xiao Qingxue originally wanted to ask why she didn't tell him earlier, but if she told her earlier, what could she do? Grandma had already gone, and she looked out the window dejectedly.
"My lord, let me protect you." Jiang Da cupped his fists and cupped his hands.
Xiao Qingxue understood what he meant. These steps were not only for protection, but also to prevent her from going to the battlefield impulsively.
After Jiang Da left, Xiao Qingxue held the sachet given to her by her mother-in-law and fell asleep with tears on her face.
Far away from the customs.
Five thousand Youzhou cavalry poured into the outside of the Bitter Cold Great Wall like a black tide, while hundreds of elite scouts wandered around like ghosts to investigate.
Under the cold moon, the bloody night falls.
Chapter 67
The high autumn air on the grassland during the day will drop sharply to white dew and frosty cold at night. Even the wind is cold. The old Maoying is wearing a black sheepskin coat and sitting on a shabby blanket drinking mare's milk. , his expression looked a little gloomy and shriveled under the firelight, and the hand holding the pottery bowl did not move. The warm mare's milk gradually became cold, as if he was waiting for something.
The Pugu people around him all looked uneasy and panicked, and did not dare to speak. Even the breastfeeding Pugu women were looking around, as if there was a danger more terrifying than a pack of wild wolves hidden in the darkness, staying behind in the tribe. The women and children inside were extremely quiet. Not far away, a group of horses were drinking water and grazing.
After being fed with abundant water and grass in summer and autumn, their current cattle, sheep and horses can be said to be fat and strong. The horses' fur is shiny and the horse's milk is abundant. The fat of the livestock can completely feed them on this scale. The Pugu tribe, which is not big or small, should have been enjoying a happy harvest in the autumn. In normal times, they might have visited the ancient city of Chang across the border, whether it was small-scale harassment and plundering or extorting goods. By exchanging things, they can live a more nourishing life.
Imagination is always beautiful, but now they are in panic all day long, hiding like bereaved dogs.
Maowen looked at his father, a small leader of a branch of Maori of the Pugu tribe. They had been fleeing to the north for several days. Behind them was the nightmare of all grassland tribes. The wind was blowing from above, and it was clear that they were smelling the wind. Being accustomed to the smell of green grass, Maowen seemed to smell the strong smell of blood and the sound of clanking iron hoofs.
On the shore of lush water and grass, there was a sudden cry of crickets, and two horses with their hooves heavily wrapped in thick cloth came out, and then they went to the herd of horses to graze with a bleating sound.
The Pugu people stood up instantly, and soon they all gathered around the old leader. Women, children, and the elderly entered the circle, and on the outside were Pugu's young and strong men. There were about three hundred people, plus the old and young, five hundred Left and right, they huddled together. It was so late at night. They didn’t even set up a tent, and no one took off their clothes to sleep. They just wanted to escape faster when danger came. They threw away all their belongings if they could, and put the rest on the horse. on the back.
Maoying quickly kicked the bonfire over and buried it with soil. A cricket sound came from his lips, just like the secret chirping of crickets in autumn.
Maowen held a notched machete and looked at the dark front with more than a hundred armed tribesmen. They accidentally discovered this water and grassland area. The surrounding grassland was all new stubble, and the nearby cattle, sheep, and horses The feces has long dried, which means that no one has been here recently, so it is considered a temporarily safe place.
Autumn is when the grass finally grows wildly, and this provides good cover for them.
Two Pugu men came out of the darkness. They were both experts who were familiar with the grassland terrain. Their eyes were bloodshot and dusty. Their sheepskin coats were stained with mud from crawling on the ground, and their feet were wearing special soft-soled boots. , which can make their actions more silent. One of the Pugu people wiped the cold sweat from his face and said before the old leader asked: "Those Youzhou cavalry are more than a hundred miles behind us. Now They were setting up pots to make rice, but we didn’t dare to get close for fear that they would find out. We would come back immediately when we saw the fireworks from a distance.”
"You were not discovered when you came back, right? How are those people from the Gu branch of Gu Lun House?" Maowen asked anxiously. They had already started to flee when they knew that the Youzhou cavalry had gathered in Gu Chang. Among them, Gu The Lunwu Ancient Tribe was a little slow to respond. Their branch tribesmen were really unlucky. They were discovered by Youzhou scouts just after robbing a small tribe.
Needless to say, it is definitely a disaster!
Maowen knew something about what his tribe was doing, and he, like his father, naturally disapproved of it. So what if he cooperated with Huiyi? What if he lost?
"No, Hubul and I are very careful. Those people from the Gu Lunwu Gu branch have been captured by Youzhou cavalry, but I didn't see their women and children." When Pugu people said this, they were a little frightened. : "Youmanzi didn't bring any food and grass this time. It looks like he needs to move in a hurry. Chief, we'd better evacuate here quickly."
More than a hundred miles sounds very far, but here is an endless stretch of flat grassland, opposite the Youzhou cavalry with war horses! The fact that the rear only brought baggage and no food and grass meant that they had regarded the small tribes they saw along the way as food. It was autumn, and the horses were strong and the sheep were fat. They only needed to drink mare's milk and eat their livestock every day. However, once they were captured, everything in the tribe belonged to them. The more the Pugu man thought about it, the more frightened he became.
When he was a teenager, he would never have imagined that such a thing would happen! They have always been the nomadic people who went south to rob the Central Plains people in the autumn when their horses were fat and strong, and arbitrarily robbed their food, women, and supplies. Relying on the talent of horseback riding, they could arbitrarily ravage the farming Central Plains people.
At some point, their identities were switched with those of the Central Plains people, and they became prey instead.
The grassland tribe was actually attacked in autumn. It was a joke before, but now the joke only smells of fear.
"Chief, let's go!" a Pugu man advised.
Maoying wrinkled deeply, looked back at the boundless darkness, and said in an old voice: "Let's go? Where to go? Are you running around like a headless fly? If you don't figure out the way back, those Youbarbarians say Come here, it will be a dead end! Calm down!"
After being scolded by the leader, the Pugu people were restless for a while and then gathered around the leader.
Maoying looked at the herds of cattle and sheep on the shore, his cheeks twitched hard twice, and said: "Throw away the cattle and sheep, we will just ride horses! Remember to bring a lot of dried meat, and fill everyone's milk bottles for me The Hun tribe is not far from here, let’s catch up with them and be with them!”
Maowen was shocked: "Father, you have thrown away all the cattle and sheep. What will happen if the Hun tribe doesn't accept us?"
"If we are still reluctant to part with those cattle and sheep, we will be the ones who die." Now that those things have become a burden, Maoying took a few steps with his hands behind his back: "Take all your weapons. Not long ago, the great Khan of the Hun tribe and our Pugu tribe The Great Khan has just become a brother of Jinlan, so he shouldn’t act so heartlessly.”
Maoying took a few steps and looked at the elderly and children surrounded.
If the Pugu women felt something, they hugged their children tightly and looked at the leader in fear. Many Pugu people became restless. After all, many of them were their children.
Maoying closed her eyes, but still couldn't make up her mind.
He thought in his mind that it would be better if it was summer now. He killed the cattle and sheep. The corpses were piled up in groups and were easy to rot. Even if the barbarians found them, they couldn't eat them. If they were killed now, the smell of blood would attract animals. It was not good for them to cause any noise, so they let it go and let the cattle and sheep run around, which might also disrupt the exploration of Youzhou scouts.
The old leader let himself calm down and think. Now that the weather is cool, the Youzhou cavalry can move very quickly, but traveling three hundred miles a day is already the limit. Plus, with a lot of luggage, they will not be caught so quickly. I think After a while, he quickly made a decision: "Let's herd the cattle and sheep. Let's get on the horses and drive all night. Hurry!"
At this moment, the old leader suddenly heard the cry of an eagle, so close and yet so far away. His mind went blank for a moment, and he shouted without thinking: "Alert! Everyone get on your horses and line up!"
The Pugu people took action quickly, and the men formed a circle on horseback. The horses' hooves were tapping restlessly by the river, and everyone was uneasy and panicked.
The hawk's chirping seemed to be an illusion.
The old leader suddenly remembered that Youzhou Jiedushi had a very humanistic love eagle who was the dominant one in the sky. Despair gradually filled his heart. He suddenly turned his head and said: "Didn't you say that no one discovered you?"
Scout Pugu was so anxious that there was cold sweat on his forehead: "Hubul and I checked several times, and there is really no one following us."
The old leader suddenly thought of a possibility. Could it be that the Youzhou Cavalry's burying the pot to make rice was just a hypothesis? They don't get any rest at all!
This conjecture made the old leader's eyes darken, and he almost fell off his horse. The darkness in the distance seemed to engulf them. At some point, torches lit up in the distance. At first, they were just dots, but later they turned into small wisps. Firelight.
The old leader looked at the fire and saw black cavalry appearing like ghosts. There were only a hundred cavalry. The leader had an eagle on his shoulder. Next to him was the Tuoba tribe, whom the grassland people deeply hated.
