Yuan Fei's order saved Ahe's life. The tip of the spear grazed her right rib and sank into the ground. She was immediately pulled up from the ground in shock, received a slap in the face, and was pushed in front of Yuan Fei.
"Where is the nearest water source?" Yuan Fei took a sip of water and asked the woman who was pushed in front of him.
Ah He's ears were still buzzing, and she could feel a warm and greasy liquid at the corner of her mouth. She licked it, it was fishy and salty, it was the taste of her own blood. The armor leaves on the man in front of me shone coldly in the sun. He was also dressed like this when he came to the village to recruit soldiers! Ah He thought to himself.
"Where is the nearest water source!" Yuan Fei repeated. He was already a little impatient and was considering whether to kill someone to enhance the memory of the prisoners. He heard Ahe's answer: "Go west for about a mile. , there is a spring, and there is a river further away!”
"Is there a river?" Yuan Fei looked around. He was surprised to find that except for a few old people, there were no men, only women and children. Cutting reeds is a strenuous job: "Where are the men? Why are they all children and women?"
"The master said that the barbarians from the north are coming, and all the men have been captured to serve as soldiers!" Ah He looked at the soldiers around him: "Where are you from?"
"We are the King of the Tang Dynasty!" Yuan Fei looked around. Women and children were kneeling on the ground. The old people clasped their hands together and chanted Buddha tremblingly. He spat: "You guys are all here. Watch carefully, I will go back and report the situation here to the captain!"
water! water! water!
Ah He subconsciously covered his nose. The original smell of the cow pen was indeed bad, but it was much better than now. Hundreds of men were crowded into a narrow place less than ten feet square. The ground was covered with all kinds of filth and excrement, both from cattle and humans. They huddled together in the mud, with chapped lips and haggard faces. Ah He stretched out his dirty hands, and Ah He subconsciously took a step back.
"Go back, go back!" the captain on duty shouted loudly, hitting the hands of the Japanese prisoners with the spear shaft and the back of the knife, and driving them back behind the railing.
"Who are these people?" Ah He asked subconsciously.
"It's a Japanese!" Commander Wu replied nonchalantly.
"Japanese?"
"Yes, they are the barbarians on the distant island!" the captain replied with a smile. Although the woman in front of him had a darker skin, she had a good figure and appearance, which made him eager to show off: "They crossed the sea to help Baekje. The rebels fought, but we were defeated, and these are all prisoners!"
"Then what are you going to do with them?"
"It all depends on the top!" The captain pointed his finger at the sky.
"Will you kill him?"
"Probably not!" Wu Zhang smiled and said: "If you want to kill him at sea, just kill him and rush to the sea. Why bother? I heard from the superior that he will be escorted to Chang'an!"
"Chang'an?"
"Yes, that is the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and the emperor's Daming Palace is there. The emperor will be happy to see it, and maybe he will reward our captain with a high official!"
The unfamiliar words of Tang Dynasty, Chang'an, Daming Palace, and Emperor made Ahe a little confused. She pointed to the Japanese in the cattle pen: "Then do you want me to bring some water? They are all so thirsty!"
"Don't worry about these guys!" The team leader didn't want the woman in front of him to leave. He took a step forward with a smile: "Let them be thirsty. It's best if they are too thirsty to move, so I can save some energy!"
Ah He carefully took a step back, keeping the distance between the two sides. At this moment, she saw the sentry kneeling down on one knee, and then she heard someone ask: "What's going on here?"
"The Japanese slaves are causing trouble, and my subordinates will suppress it immediately!" The captain's voice was a little nervous. Ah He, who was standing aside, glanced at the questioner warily. He saw that he was burly and wearing a thick red cloak. He was almost Hanging to the ground, his armor and boots were black. She didn't dare to look at them anymore, so she quickly knelt down and looked at the ground.
"Send these people to the river, wash them clean, and give them a bowl of porridge!" Ah He heard another voice. Compared to the questioner just now, this voice was much gentler: "Lock them here, sooner or later. It will cause an epidemic!"
"yes!"
Ahe heard a rush of footsteps, followed by the creak of the cattle pen door being opened, as well as the footsteps and voices of Japanese people. After half a cup of tea, she carefully raised her head, wanting to take a look at these noble people. When he had already left, what caught his eye was a pair of cowhide boots, and he quickly lowered his head again.
"Get up, I have something to ask you!" Wang Wenzuo looked at the woman kneeling on the ground. She had rough, dark skin, disheveled hair, and several holes in the hem of her linen clothes. It seemed that this place was even poorer than around Sixian City.
Ah He stood up. She didn't dare to raise her head and look directly at the other person's face. She only found a ruby on the hilt of the other person's saber, just like a drop of bright red blood.
"Where are the men in the village?"
"They were all recruited by the master to serve as soldiers!"
"Soldier?"
"Yes, the master said that the barbarians from the north are coming to attack. If we don't send troops to resist, everyone will die!"
"Barbarians from the north?" Wang Wenzuo sensed the sensitive information from Ah He's words: "How much do you know about this, tell me!" At this point, he grabbed a handful of meat from his wallet and handed it over Past: "It's for you!"
"No, no, this is too much!" Ah He waved her hands repeatedly. She had only seen these things in the hands of big businessmen in the market. One piece can be exchanged for a piglet, and a dozen or so can be exchanged for a calf. Then The noble man had at least seventeen or eighteen in his hand, which really frightened her.
"Take it now, and tell the truth later!" Wang Wenzuo threw the copper coins away casually. He has short hands when handling people, but he is soft-spoken when trying to eat others. This sentence is applicable in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad.
Ah He picked up the copper coins and put them in her arms. Perhaps it was a psychological effect. She felt the heat in her waist. She subconsciously thought about what to buy with these coins. However, she knew that this was not the time to think wildly, so she said carefully: "Master, I have never seen those northern barbarians with my own eyes, I only know what I heard from others!"
"It doesn't matter, just tell me everything you know. I will judge whether it is true or false! When did your master recruit soldiers?"
"About a month ago!"
"How much do you know about the northern barbarians?"
"Not many. I heard that they all like to shave the hair in the middle of their heads, leave braids on both sides, and wear gold earrings. They ride horses and use big bows to rob and set fire to children..."
"These should be Mohe people!" Cui Hongdu whispered.
Wang Wenzuo nodded silently. The Mohe people are an ancient ethnic group in Northeast my country, also known as Sushen and Wuji. They are the ancestors of the Jurchen tribe in later generations. At that time, some Mohe people were attached to Goguryeo. Whenever the Goguryeo army went to war, these Mohe people would be recruited. People serve as the front line. There are signs of the presence of Mohe people here, indicating that the Goguryeo army is not far from here.
