The snow inside and outside Jinyang is dirty and dark.
Unlike Wuchuan, you can't see the endless snow-white world here.
Liu Taozi rode a blue lion and walked on the official road outside Jinyang. The official road had been cleaned up.
The snow was swept to both sides, exposing solid ground, allowing knights and carriages to pass safely.
But this snow.
Whether it's in front, behind, or on both sides.
They all showed a strange black color, not like snow, but like piled up mud, and always exuded a strong stench.
There were many more people around Liu Taozi at this moment.
The person responsible for leading Liu Taozi to Yecheng was General Han Jinming.
General Han is much older than Liu Taozi, but he looks much more refined than Liu Taozi. He has three layers inside and three outside, wrapping himself tightly.
When going on an expedition, don't forget to decorate yourself, and take care of everything meticulously.
In addition to the soldiers, there are also some of his personal entourage behind him.
The number of followers is almost as many as knights, or even more.
They were carrying various things, including General Han's special chamber pot. That chamber pot was not an ordinary chamber pot. It seemed to be much more valuable than the life of the person carrying it.
General Han's face turned red.
He likes wine.
Since leaving the city, his mouth has not stopped.
If you are not talking nonsense, you are eating waste wine.
"The general has given us a shame this time."
"Those Chinese people have been bragging about marching and fighting all day long. After the general killed them like this, they didn't dare to show their teeth anymore."
"For this war, we still have to let people like the general do it."
"It's best for me to make friends on weekdays, but I just didn't meet the general earlier. Otherwise, I would have invited the general to hold a banquet at home!"
General Han blinked, with a lewd smile flashing on his face, "I have three sets of twin girls at home, and they are almost identical in appearance. I spent a lot of money to buy them all."
"If the general is willing to come here one day, I would like to let them come to serve him. Hahaha, the general doesn't know something. The feeling of this is something that others don't know."
Liu Taozi ignored him and just looked straight ahead.
General Han couldn't wait for a response, but he didn't feel embarrassed and continued talking about other things.
"Many Han ministers in the city are looking forward to making friends with the general. The general may not think that we don't know military affairs, but on weekdays, we have never lost the face of the Han people!"
"We have backbone!"
"That countryman used ten cows for a banquet, so we will use a hundred cows!"
"It costs them 10,000 yuan to travel, so we will spend 100,000 yuan!"
"We, like the general, don't want to be looked down upon by those Chinese people. Hahaha, we suppress them in everything. I can't tell you how angry we are!"
Han Jinming looked around, and then whispered to Liu Taozi: "On weekdays, when my slaves go out to vent their anger, I always ask them to try their best to find civilian girls from the country."
The corner of Liu Taozi's left eye twitched.
"Brother!"
Tian Zili rode out and pointed into the distance, "Brother, if you keep walking along this official road, you will reach Yecheng. I have walked this road before."
"Your Majesty really values ​​your brother, so he specially sent General Han to escort him."
"When we finish our work over there and return to Jinyang, we can still go to his house for a banquet."
Yao Xiong and Kou Liu half lowered their heads at this moment, looking directly at Liu Taozi, both of them were ready to kill.
After hearing Tian Zili's words, Liu Taozi's eyebrows slightly stretched and she just nodded lightly.
Tian Zili breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Han Jinming again, his eyes full of displeasure.
You guys, please stop fucking talking!
If you keep talking, I won't be able to protect you!
Han Jinming obviously didn't realize what kind of situation he was in. Hearing Tian Zili's words, he was very happy and said hurriedly: "It should be like this, it should be like this! The general can come at any time, I have good wine at home,
There’s good meat and everything!!”
They continued to move forward.
That is to say, in the cold winter, the knights did not march very fast, otherwise General Han would have been left behind long ago.
This guy has a lot going on.
After walking some distance, he asked his subordinates to bring him honey water. After walking a few steps, he asked his subordinates to bring him some fruits.
In such a cold winter, his followers can actually produce fruits.
He also warmly invited Liu Taozi to enjoy it together.
But Liu Taozi ignored him and just hurried on.
After walking like this for a day, Han Jinming sat in a temporary luxurious tent with a look of great pain on his face.
The entourage on both sides served him.
He asked his entourage in a low voice, "I have been walking for several hours without stopping. How long will it take to reach Yecheng?"
The attendant thought for a moment and replied: "There are still many days."
General Han couldn't bear it anymore.
Early the next morning, Han Jinming rode up to Liu Taozi's side and suddenly started coughing.
"General Liu"
Looking at Han Jinming whose voice suddenly became deep and hoarse, Liu Taozi looked him up and down.
"What do you want, General?"
Han Jinming suddenly coughed violently again, and said in pain: "I was ordered to escort the general to Yecheng, but I am weak and suffered from a serious illness before. I am afraid that I will no longer be able to accompany you. I am planning to return to Jinyang.
I resigned from my position and am recuperating at home. Please forgive me, General."
Before Liu Taozi could speak, he directly led his followers to say goodbye and headed in the opposite direction.
At this moment, whether it was Tian Zili, Yao Xiong or Kou Liu, they were all stunned.
Yao Xiong's lips trembled and he asked in disbelief: "He ran away???"
Tian Zili was also speechless. He was silent for a long time, and then looked at Liu Taozi beside him, "Brother, I know how Na Jin perished."
Han Jinming directly abandoned the accompanying army, resigned and returned to Jinyang, while Liu Taozi and others continued to move forward.
Walking on the road, no one said a word.
Living in Daqi, every day is full of surprises and frights.
They had just walked a short distance when they saw busy people in the distance.
In the distance, there were hundreds of people, including knights and officials, shouting something loudly.
They were clearing the snow from the official road.
Someone suddenly screamed.
A young boy rushed out of the crowd. He was yelling like a madman. He was seen taking off his thin clothes and running back and forth, shouting loudly.
The official reprimanded him angrily, and the knight beat him with a riding crop.
The man didn't react at all. He ran for an unknown amount of time before he suddenly fell to the ground and stopped moving.
A knight cursed and dismounted, grabbed him, and threw him into the mud and snow beside him.
Saw this army coming.
Several knights hurriedly rode up to see him.
The knight looked at Liu Taozi with fear in his eyes, and he did not dare to raise his head to look at the noble man.
"What we did was unfavorable and delayed important events. Please forgive me!!"
Looking at the knights kneeling in front of him, Liu Taozi looked at the farmers working hard in the distance.
"What is this doing?"
"According to the order of General Han, we summoned the civilians along the road in advance to clean the road in preparation for the nobles' march."
"There was a heavy wind and snow last night, which delayed the time here, General"
Looking at the frightened knights, Liu Taozi was silent for a long time.
"My war horse is strong and not afraid of the snow. You can send people to inform them all the way and let them return separately."
The knight was a little shocked, but he didn't dare to disobey, so he quickly got up and left.
The peasants in the distance began to leave the official road under the leadership of the officials. They were shivering in the strong wind. Some of them wiped away tears and looked back several times to look at the high piles of dirty snow.
Liu Taozi looked at Kou Liu who was standing aside.
"Liu, come here."
Without Liu Taozi's urging, General Han's march became even slower.
After walking less than four miles, he set up camp to rest.
His followers also knew what he was like.
General Han resigned not once or twice. Every time the temple was about to use him for work, he would pretend to be ill and run away.
Because of his father's meritorious service, the temple spared him several times. He once said to his officials: A real man should just have fun and not work hard.
At this moment, the man was lying in his tent, eating hot water and enjoying the service of the two temporarily captured folk girls.
General Han was also a little dissatisfied with this.
The quality of women here was really poor. He had thought about gritting his teeth and driving at full speed, enduring the severe pain, and then returning to Jinyang to enjoy it, but he just couldn't bear the pain.
General Han stretched out his legs and took a nap comfortably in the tent.
He stretched out and recalled in his sleep the beauties waiting for him at home.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed outside the camp.
Kou Liu rode his horse to catch up with the army.
It's already very dark.
Liu Taozi sat in front of the bonfire, Tian Zili and Yao Xiong sat on both sides of him.
The sergeants in the distance have all rested, and some are patrolling back and forth.
Kou left his horse, walked quickly to the bonfire, and saluted Liu Taozi, "Brother, it's done."
Liu Taozi nodded and motioned for him to sit down.
The three of them sat next to Liu Taozi.
Liu Taozi just said: "You three haven't been home for a long time."
"After arriving in Yecheng, you can't enter the palace. You can go to Cheng'an first and stay with your family for a while."
"I'll come find you after I've finished my business in Yecheng."
Kou Liu trembled all over and asked dully: "Is that why brother took us with him?"
"Tomorrow, take your own people and return to Cheng'an."
"Brother, let Yao Xiong and Kou Liu go there. Even if they can't enter the palace, there are always places that need people in Ye City. I am willing to work for my brother."
Hearing Tian Zili's words, Liu Taozi waved her hand, "No need."
"I have nothing to do in Yecheng. After meeting the Queen Mother, I will return to my hometown in Cheng'an."
Tian Zili hurriedly said: "Kou Liu's mother is in Cheng'an, and Yao Xiong's sister and brother-in-law are also there. I don't have any relatives. It's better to stay with my brother."
"You also have many friends there. Besides, I don't trust Yao Xiong Kouliu to return alone."
"Just keep an eye on them for me, especially Yao Xiong. Don't let him cause trouble."
Yao Xiong was about to speak but stopped.
"Brother, I heard that King Changguang led a large army to guard Yecheng. Most of the nobles are close to him at the moment. If he is not at odds with his brother, how can he let his brother go to the tiger's den alone?"
"If you're not here, I don't have any worries."
Tian Zili opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Okay, then I will go to Cheng'an first. Brother, Zhangjiacun is no longer as safe as it used to be. I will find a way."
Liu Taozi nodded slightly.
Tian Zili couldn't help but said: "Brother, please don't be impulsive when you arrive in Yecheng. Although King Changguang is evil, he is not a fool. The soldiers of Yecheng and Jinyang are completely different from the other soldiers."
Unlike the Queen Mother, you have to be more careful."
Yao Xiong hurriedly said, "Brother, why don't you let them go and let me stay? My brother and I are the closest in stature."
It's dawn.
The knights divided into two groups and continued to move in two directions.
Tian Zili and others sped up, they still had a lot of things to do in Cheng'an.
Especially for Tian Zili, if he offended the biggest boss in Yecheng, he would have to be careful about them attacking Zhangjiacun. If he could not protect his cronies, the best way would be to take them away.
Let them go to Wuchuan together.
Wuchuan is always safe.
But in this severe winter, if Kou Liu's mother sets off to Wuchuan together now, I'm afraid she won't be able to make it through.
Tian Zili had many things on his mind at the moment and was very worried.
But Yao Xiong was more direct, "Brother is worried that we will be plotted while we stay outside the palace. However, King Changguang is not tied up in Yecheng. We are in Cheng'an, and he can still send people to plot against us."
ah."
Kou Liu glared at him, "You Qihu! I hope for something better!"
After both parties dispersed, they went their separate ways.
Liu Taozi was followed by the knights under General Han. Liu Taozi continued to advance at the same speed as before, taking his time.
The wind and snow here are far less severe than those in Wuchuan, but the corpses along the road are not comparable to those in Wuchuan.
Some villages along the road are completely covered by ice and snow at the moment. This covering is not due to snow on the houses, but because they are really flooded. The entire village is covered with snow, and the broken bricks and tiles are also hidden underneath.
, there is absolutely no trace of the existence of any living creature.
The closer we get to Yecheng, the more corpses there are.
The naked corpses formed sculptures with various strange movements in the distance.
They were smiling, some were hugging the non-existent stove in front of them, some seemed to be hugging their relatives, and some were stretching their bodies greatly.
This year's winter is more severe than before.
More people died.
It’s just that not many people care.
The knights turned a blind eye to the sculpture in the distance, as long as it didn't block the road.
After passing through the jungle of corpses, you can see the tall city wall of Yecheng.
Yecheng is still very different from Jinyang. The style of Jinyang is mainly large, while the style of Yecheng is refined. This does not mean that the walls of Yecheng are small, but that the walls of Yecheng are strong while ensuring
, the design and reinforcement of auxiliary buildings such as battlements, horse walls, and arrow towers are excellent and even beautiful.
Before he even got close to the city gate, he saw the crowd coming to greet him from a distance.
I saw a person standing on the road, surrounded by people on the left and right, bowing his head.
When those people saw Liu Taozi coming, they immediately stopped talking and walked towards here.
The distance between the two parties was getting closer and closer, but Liu Taozi did not dismount. He looked at the people in front of him fiercely. Many people bowed their heads or looked away when facing his gaze, not daring to look at him.
Only the one walking among them showed no fear.
He came to Liu Taozi, raised his head, and looked at him with a smile on his face.
This man looks to be in his early twenties, energetic, handsome and sunny. With this outfit and his smile, he is the absolute protagonist standing here. Liu Taozi, with a gloomy face, looks like a goddamn god
Villain.
There are many good-looking people in Daqi, but most of the things they do are ugly.
The man smiled and said: "What a strong man!"
"No wonder he was able to lead fifty cavalrymen through the northern part of the Great Wall."
Suddenly a person walked out from beside him, and Liu Taozi knew this person.
Heshikai.
He Shikai said displeasedly: "Even if the general is favored by His Majesty, he shouldn't be so rude when meeting the King!"
Liu Taozi was stunned for a moment, then got off the horse and bowed to the young disciple in front of him.
"Meet the King."
Seeing the tiger bear dismounting and saluting, the ministers around him finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although there are not as many nobles in Yecheng as there are in Jinyang, they are not without them.
At this time, those who could follow Gao Zhan out were basically wealthy and distinguished people.
They were really frightened by Liu Taozi. Seeing the tiger bear lowering its head, they regained the noble feeling.
That’s how it should be!!
You are the son of a Cangtou slave. Your grandfather was just feeding horses and tying ropes for King Gao. How can you show off your power in front of us?
Gao Zhan was still smiling, looking at Liu Taozi who was saluting, he walked to him in a few steps and asked him to stand up.
He Shikai and others were startled and wanted to step forward to dissuade them, but it was too late.
Several warriors behind him were already pressing their swords with their hands.
Gao Zhan looked at Liu Taozi in front of him, "I know... what did your majesty call you? Qi Haozhen?"
He suddenly laughed, "A murderer? It's inappropriate, it's inappropriate."
"It should be called Zhe Kuizhen (law enforcer). You are not killing people for no reason. You are killing people according to the law. How can you call it Zhe Kuizhen?"
Then, without waiting for the other party to refute, he directly grabbed his hand and said, "Zhe Kuizhen, I heard that you were coming, but I couldn't sleep for several nights in a row. I have been waiting for you!"
"Let's go into the city with me!!"
He pulled Liu Taozi and strode towards the city.
Everyone followed him, looking at each other from time to time, with joy and expectation in their eyes.
They hated Liu Taozi extremely much. This time he came to Yecheng and insisted on making him pay a price!!
Him, and his grandpa.
The king will definitely not let him off lightly!!
Gao Zhan just pulled Liu Taozi into his car. After getting into the car, he suddenly whispered: "Zhe Kuizhen, I didn't call these people here. His Majesty sent someone to tell them secretly that you wanted to
Come, let them follow you."
"Do you know why?"
Liu Taozi squinted her eyes and said nothing.
Gao Zhan grinned, "Your Majesty is afraid that I will win over you, so he sends these nobles to keep an eye on you. If I get close to you, wouldn't it chill the nobles who are willing to follow me?"
Liu Taozi still didn't speak.
Gao Zhan suddenly raised his head and looked around.
"I want to bring Zhe Kuizhen to my house for a drink!! The rest of the people are waiting! Come back to me!!"
He roared angrily, and those who followed him were stunned.
Gao Zhan looked at Liu Taozi next to him again, his expression becoming friendly again.
"But I think."
"These hundreds of nobles."
"Not as good as you alone."
ps: Thank you to the enthusiastic reader Uncle for his historical data support. He is a very good history buff. He compiled and compiled "Records of the Prefects of the Western Liang Dynasty", "Test of the Prefects of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi Dynasties", etc., and has served as a historical consultant for many novels about the Southern and Northern Dynasties, such as "
"Mou Wei", "Nan Chen Hegemony", "Emperor Cao Wei", etc., provided very excellent historical information, thank you very much, hahaha, he is in the group, book friends can ask him if they don't understand anything.
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Chapter completed!