Tread.
There were about a dozen figures on horseback, walking coldly in the wind and snow.
The leader did not wear robes and armor, but only wore a loose winter robe, and he didn't even bother to tie the robe belt. His face was covered with pockmarks, and he carried a bright silver rosewood gun on his back. He raised his head proudly in the wind and snow.
The war ahead is probably a foregone conclusion. The sound of the officers and soldiers retreating became even more tragic under the gray weather.
"Master, Daping Kingdom is out of siege."
The figure carrying the bright silver gun nodded slightly and then focused his gaze again.
At this time, another figure on horseback broke through the wind and snow and hurriedly came from a distance.
"Young Master...Master, I have seen my little boss, they are coming out of the east gate of Mei County."
"What is he going to do?"
"I don't know. There are only twenty people around me. If not, are they here to ask for business?"
"At this time of day, there are troops defeated everywhere, looking for trivial business. Did he come out?"
"They came out and ran into the woods."
The figure carrying the bright silver gun lowered his head.
"Leave him alone."
"He is a man who wants his life. If you block his life, he will get angry and fight with you."
The figure walking in the snow seemed to understand.
"The officers and soldiers retreated, and the army that asked me to wait also retreated. It is rare to burn a big fire in winter and put it out before the body is warm. After all, it is not good."
…
The woods more than ten miles away in Mei County.
Xu Mu frowned and looked at the outline of counties in the wind and snow ahead. What happened this time far exceeded his expectations.
"Lord, the rebel reinforcements appeared for no reason this time. If the army was defeated elsewhere, there should be traces to follow."
"I can probably guess who it is."
"who is it?"
Xu Mu sighed, didn't say much, and turned over to General Feng.
Dong Wen, who ran out after him, and the last three remaining guards all looked scared.
"Wei Feng, ask someone to give you a ride, and we'll rush to Changyang."
For some reason, Xu Mu doesn't want to get involved with these Liangzhou envoys anymore.
After resting for less than half a stick of incense, the figures of fifty or sixty riders reined up their reins and stepped into the wind and snow again.
As the roar passed by his ears, Xu Mu could vaguely hear the screams one after another under the Meixian City Gate.
Almost non-stop, two days later, Xu Mu, Dong and Wen, who were disguised in disguise, entered Changyang in silence and walked into the Hou Mansion.
Even at dusk. But the figures of Yuan Tao and Gu Ying were already waiting in front of the Hou Mansion.
In the sky, the originally goose-like snowflakes suddenly turned into knives when they fell in front of us, cutting people's faces.
Yuan Tao's face was filled with unspeakable excitement as he hurried out of the Hou Mansion. Gu Ying, who was behind him, hurriedly caught up with a stove in hand.
"Little boss, you have really accomplished this!"
"Thanks to the great blessing of Lord Marquis, things are going smoothly."
"That's it, that's it. Xiaodong never disappoints."
Xu Mu remained silent and did not answer.
Dong Wen and the others behind him hurriedly stepped forward at Gu Ying's call, preparing to enter the Hou Mansion. What Xu Mu didn't expect was that Dong Wen, the sighing young prince of Liangzhou, suddenly turned around, knelt down in front of him, and bowed deeply.
Xu Mu was startled and clasped his fists slightly.
"My dear boss, the young prince thinks you are a trustworthy person." Yuan Tao smiled and raised his sunken eyes.
"My dear boss, do you know what the little king of Liangzhou brought here?"
"I don't know." Xu Mu shook his head seriously.
"It is a famous painting written by Li Yazi. Li Yazi passed away a few years ago and it has become a masterpiece."
"It's such a valuable item, no wonder the young marquis took so much trouble."
"Come, little boss, come into the room and talk." Yuan Taoxu stretched out his hand.
Xu Mu paused and took a small step back unconsciously.
Yuan Tao retracted his hand silently.
"There are some things I don't want you to know, not because I want to hide them from you."
"I know."
"What do you know?"
"I know what the Marquis means."
Yuan Tao stood up with difficulty, "Next spring, the Beidi people will knock on the city again. Now it is still winter, and there are countless rebels in Daji territory."
"There is a party of traitors in the court."
"Under the court, there are no generals who are useless."
"Chang Xiaotang would scold me for being a fool, knowing that I couldn't be saved, but still trying to save him. But again, I survived by eating water and rice given by the late emperor. My father and brother all died on the battlefield of Daji. superior."
"Sometimes, I feel that I am probably dead, and the one who is still alive is just the body of a surnamed Hou."
"I know that you don't want to join the court, and I have never forced you to do so. But I also know that deep down in your heart, you are not willing to surrender to Xiao Haitang. You are arrogant in your bones, and you are definitely not willing to do things like being under someone else's side."
"Little boss, you are a complicated person."
"It's so complicated that even I can't see clearly, Xiao Haitang can't see clearly, and many people can't see clearly either."
"Maybe you should have your own way."
Yuan Tao coughed twice and slowly took out a file from his sleeve.
"If you talk about the whole Daji, who else can I trust than Xiaodong? You don't look like a dirty person."
"This file should be useful to you."
"Master Marquis, is this a private notarization?"
Yuan Tao paused for a moment, raised his head, and looked a little sad.
"When spring comes next year, I'm afraid there will be more and more rebels. If I'm not mistaken, with the temperament of those old foxes in the court, Your Majesty will tell the world that you can privately recruit refugees to become soldiers and cooperate with the official army to kill them. enemy."
"They are probably happy to save money on food and military pay."
After saying that, Yuan Tao raised his head and laughed hoarsely.
Xu Mu remained silent.
He could probably still remember the knowledge from his previous life. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the court delegated military power to local governments in order to quell the war as soon as possible. Although it was effectively contained, later on, one by one ambitious generals or family members, raising troops was a disaster, and the tail was too big to lose.
"Master Hou, the Daji is dead." Xu Mu advised in a deep voice. If possible, he hoped that the young prince in front of him would put down all his burdens and seek medical treatment in secret, and maybe there would be a turn for the better.
"My dear boss, a dog doesn't mind a poor family."
"Take this file back and take a good look at it. If one day, you take another path, if you don't mind, come to my grave, offer me a glass of water and wine, and say a few words."
"I'm going to die next spring."
Yuan Tao's face was pale, neither sad nor happy, "I tried many methods, but I couldn't get out those poisonous insects that eat the roots."
"This time, let's fight fire with fire."
Xu Mu took the file and silently bowed his hands.
"Little boss, come back."
"Master Marquis, take your leave."
After walking more than a hundred steps, Xu Mu turned his head again.
In the wind and snow, Yuan Tao happened to turn around, and his figure in white clothes and snow-covered head was set off by his frosty hair.
It was extremely tragic for a while.
