Stealing Hook [Rebirth]

In the dead of night, Gucheng was shrouded in white snow.

In a dilapidated thatched hut in the northwest corner of the city, three people were squeezed together on a hard plank bed. The straw under them was already stained with moisture, and the quilts covering their bodies were light and thin. The calm, chilly snowy light came in through the narrow window, reflecting his delicate eyebrows tucked into a ball.

There was the sound of irregular footsteps on the street. The young man opened his eyes, but he didn't know whether he was awakened by the noise or the cold. He listened carefully and knew that it was the soldiers guarding the city at night.These people stayed in Gucheng all year round, lacking the tempering of the battlefield, they were comfortable and lazy, and their footsteps lacked the slightest momentum, so they could be easily distinguished.

Relying on the city walls being as strong as copper and iron, these lazy city guards generally do not patrol in the middle of the night, and there is often only one reason for them to come out in the cold and snow-someone died.

Sure enough, the indistinct voice confirmed his guess.

"I heard that when she was young, she was as beautiful as Luoshen. I never thought that she would be so miserable when she died."

"This is fate! How many families want to marry their daughters into the palace, and how many of them end up well in the end?"

"Speaking of fate, the favor of this person in the palace was not fading. If the late emperor hadn't been...she would have been favored for a lifetime. How could she starve to death and freeze to death in Gucheng like she is now?"

"Hush—you dare to say such outrageous words, don't die!"

"What are you afraid of? Do you think the people here can still get out? Let's talk about the one next to him. He is the eldest son of the emperor. He has been trapped for ten years and no one cares about him. There is no way he can turn around. Even the deposed prince can't get out. , the late emperor's concubines have nothing to do but wait to die, we can't get any money in this Gucheng, can't we even talk?"

"Misfortune comes out of your mouth, what you said is the most taboo thing for the emperor!"

The voice of talking gradually dissipated in the night, and the young man seemed to be getting colder. He stiffened his body and quietly looked at the roof in the darkness. Hearing the deliberately suppressed breathing of his parents beside him, he knew that they were all awake.

None of the three spoke, until there was a "gurgling" sound from the boy's stomach, and the suppression of the night was broken.

Yan sat up, pressed the thin quilt around the young man's neck, and said softly, "Is Zhen'er hungry? Mother will make you some rice soup."

Before the young Xie Rongzhen had time to speak, Xie Huan who was beside him quickly got out of bed: "I'll go, you continue to sleep."

Yan Shi pulled Xie Huan back: "Let me go, you can talk to Zhen'er."

Xie Huan turned his head and met Yan's eyes that were as bright as water in the dark. Those eyes were soft and full of determination, but at the moment they were tinged with worry. He looked at his wife who was old and tired from the ten years of confinement. Her face and her throat were slightly choked, and she knew that she was worried about her son and wanted to let herself stay to let go, so she didn't insist anymore: "Okay, you go."

Yan Shi smiled, put on her clothes and went to the kitchen next door.

Xie Rongzhen sat up at the sound of fetching water and burning fire next door, without the ignorance and innocence of a young man in his dark pupils, he looked extremely calm, just like his voice at the moment: "Father, you don't have to worry about me, I was born in Gucheng, grew up In Gucheng, I have already gotten used to the life here, and it’s okay if I can’t get out for the rest of my life.”

Xie Huan was silent for a moment: "Then why do you want to study and practice calligraphy? It's useless to learn those things."

The relationship between father and son is like a teacher and a student, as well as a friend. Xie Huan never speaks to him in a coaxing tone, nor does he act coquettishly to his parents. Their situation is doomed that they cannot live like ordinary people.

Xie Rongzhen has the blood of the emperor's family flowing through his body, but he has been a common man since he landed. His parents will not hide anything from him. While caring and caring for him, they will also teach him severely. He has been sensible since he was a child, and he has learned everything seriously , but never asked myself why I should learn this.

Xie Huan thought that he was always looking forward to the day when he would go out from here.

Xie Rongzhen turned his head to look at Xie Huan: "Father, I didn't expect to get out from here. Gucheng, as the name suggests, is used to imprison us people. The emperor made us useless, but we can't really raise ourselves to useless, even if Those who have learned are useless, and there is a difference between learning and not learning, at least when I die, I know that I have not given up on myself in this life, and it is not a waste of life."

Adversity made his son mature. Xie Huan felt sad when he heard it, and his eyes turned red immediately. The hand at his side was clenched into a fist, trembling. Finally, he slowly lifted it up and put it on his shoulder, and squeezed it hard: " Good son, parents did not teach you in vain."

Both father and son turned their heads to look at the white snow outside the window.

Although life is difficult, at least they are still alive, and being alive is better than anything else.

At this time, a sound of uniform footsteps broke the silence of the night. It was completely different from the laziness of the soldiers guarding the city before. The sound got closer and closer, and finally stopped at their door. Wiping his hands, he opened the door and went out, looking at the unexpected guest in surprise.

The person who stood under the umbrella first was pale and beardless, but it was Eunuch Xu next to the emperor, and the others were disguised as forbidden soldiers.

Yan's complexion was tense, flustered for no reason, bowed slightly, and tried to calm down: "I don't know how many adults came to visit late at night, what's the matter?"

Eunuch Xu raised his eyelids and glanced at her, then glanced at the dilapidated thatched hut in front of him, pinched his throat and said with a fake smile: "The emperor heard that you are short of rice and food here, and I feel really uncomfortable, so I specially asked our family to send it to you." Come here for some food, after all, you are close relatives, and the emperor loves you too, so hurry up and take it."

At this time, Xie Huan had already led Xie Rongzhen out, and the family of three knelt down on the ground, silently accepting the food given by the emperor.

Eunuch Xu raised his hand and lazily said, "Hurry up and eat, so as not to disappoint the grace of God."

Seeing these people standing still and not leaving, Xie Huan knew that he wanted to watch them eat them face to face, so he silently carried the food box into the house.

There is a bowl of minced meat, a few pieces of meat patties and a pot of wine in the food box. The smell of meat and steam rushes straight into the nose, which makes people feel sick for no reason. Sending them to Huangquan Road with their meaty food is considered as benevolent and righteous.

Xie Huan raised his head to look at his wife and children. His wife Yan looked at him with tears in her eyes, and then looked at Xie Rongzhen with great reluctance. Xie Rongzhen kept his eyes down, unable to see clearly under the dim oil lamp.

Eunuch Xu urged with a smile: "Eat it while it's hot, and we can go back to the emperor's life after eating."

Xie Huan gritted his teeth, stretched out his hand to pick up a piece of meat pie, and took a bite tremblingly. Yan Shi and Xie Rongzhen also picked up the meat pie. The three of them stiffened under the surveillance and finished eating the meat pie, minced meat and wine. With a calm expression, he watched Eunuch Xu pack up the food box, waiting for the moment when the poison would be released.

Eunuch Xu walked to the door with the food box, then stopped and turned around, smiling and said: "I forgot to tell you, the food and drink are non-toxic, our family just came to spread a message: the deposed empress Yan escaped from the cold palace and pretended to be a palace maid." Assassinated the emperor, the emperor was furious, and ordered Yan's beheaded, decapitated, and chopped into meat paste."

The last eight characters are like a bolt from the blue.

The three suddenly raised their heads and looked at Eunuch Xu in horror.

Xie Huan was trembling all over, his straight eyes gradually shifted to the food box, and there was a burst of blood in his chest, and the panic on his face was quickly replaced by fury. He rushed over and grabbed Xu Gonggong's lapel, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "I What happened to the queen mother! Say it again!"

The imperial guards guarding the door immediately rushed in to stop him.

Eunuch Xu smoothed the front of his clothes, lightly brushed the hem of his clothes, and his smile remained the same: "The emperor specifically explained that he will tell you after you have finished eating that the abolished Empress Yan's assassination of the emperor has been chopped, chopped, meat, and mud."

After all, he meaningfully raised his finger and pointed to the food box in his hand.

The three of Xie Huan couldn't stand upright for a moment, and after a while, acid water surged up in their stomachs, they all turned around and staggered to the corner of the wall, vomiting and crying.

Eunuch Xu pinched his nose with one hand and fanned the wind with the other: "The words have been brought, our family is leaving."

Xie Huan rushed over to catch him, but was immediately restrained by the guards next to him. He kicked his legs and roared ferociously: "Ask him! Is he human! Is he still human! He has been bloodbathed in Jiuxi Family, isn’t that enough! That’s his first wife whom he’s been with for more than 20 years! How can he do it! That’s his first wife! It’s my mother! Ahhh—”

Eunuch Xu turned his head back: "By the way, the emperor also said that southern Xinjiang is a land of filth, pretending to be gods and ghosts, shameless, uneducated, and ignorant. Sacrificing to heaven and harming people with Gu poison, in terms of human nature, the Jiuxi tribe is the most inhumane. What's more, the Jiuxi tribe intends to raise troops to rebel, and there will be more than one death."

"Bloody mouth! If you want to commit a crime, there is no excuse! He forgot who helped him leave the southern border, who helped him win the world! He is an ungrateful person! Such a person is not worthy of sitting on the world! He deserves to die! He deserves to die! Even if I'm a ghost, I won't let him go!"

Eunuch Xu narrowed his eyes and said, "You can say such outrageous things, but our family can't hear them." After speaking, he let out a cold snort and walked out the door.

The people who came soon all left, leaving Xie Huan's family of three crying with each other in their arms. Half of the blood of the Jiuxi clan flowed on Xie Huan, the deposed prince. At this time, hearing such bad news, the three of them were so sad and angry that they almost fainted, wishing they could rush into the palace immediately and smash the corpse of the person on the dragon chair into thousands of pieces.

Yan wiped her tears and cried bitterly: "The emperor will not let us live, we will find a way to let Zhen'er escape."

Xie Huan quickly covered her mouth and said in a low voice, "There are people outside."

Xie Rongzhen immediately raised his eyes and looked towards the door.

The gate was not closed, and the snow fell harder and harder outside, quickly covering the footprints left by Eunuch Xu and others. Just as they held their breath, there was a slight noise from the roof, and then several figures fell from the door. Quickly rushed into the house, closed the door and fell to their knees.

The three of them froze.

The first person took off his veil, lifted his face and said in a low voice, "Your Highness."

Xie Huan looked at him carefully and was taken aback. He stepped forward excitedly and pleasantly to help him up: "You are Ma Qi! I met you when I was in southern Xinjiang! You... you are still alive! Where are the others?"

Ma Qi's eyes were red, and she choked with sobs: "Yes, I'm still alive, but only a dozen or so people from the entire Jiuxi tribe managed to escape. Your Highness, I'm here to rescue you, but unexpectedly, I came a step late..."

Xie Huan closed his eyes in pain, and took a deep breath: "Gucheng is heavily guarded, it may be too difficult for the three of us to escape at the same time, please rescue Zhen'er."

Xie Rongzhen said coldly: "If you want to go, we will walk together, if you want to die, we will die together."

Yan patted his head, choked with sobs and said, "Don't be brave, just go with them."

Ma Qi said urgently: "Let's go together, some of us have sneaked into the guard camp, and we have already deployed!"

Hearing what he said, Xie Huan pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth and nodded: "Okay!"

The family was poor, so naturally there was nothing to clean up, so the three of them followed Ma Qi out to the nearest northwest gate.

Ma Qi and the others had prepared for this moment for a long time. The northwest gate was guarded by their own people at the moment, and with the heavy snow falling and no one was seen, they took advantage of the night to leave the city without any danger.

It's just that I didn't expect that just after leaving the city gate, it was only a cup of tea, and there was a rush of horseshoes behind me.

Soon after, the pursuers got closer and closer, and arrows flew like locusts, whizzing past their ears, faces, and legs, with the intention of leaving no one alive.

Xie Huan was accidentally shot in the shoulder by an arrow. He groaned in pain, grabbed the reins tightly, and shouted in a low voice, "Hurry up! I'll lure the pursuers away!"

Yan's eyes were resolute, and he immediately followed him and turned the horse's head: "Ma Qi! Be sure to escort Zhen'er out of danger!" Then he said to Xie Rongzhen who was lying in front of Ma Qi, "Zhen'er, if you are really desperate, take Go to Lianjiabao with that jade pendant! Lian Laobao advocates Bo Yuntian, and he will surely protect your life!"

The jade pendant was hanging on Xie Rongzhen's neck. He heard his parents mention the Lianjiabao, and he knew that the old castle owner had received favors from his great-grandfather when he went deep into southern Xinjiang. This jade pendant is the gratitude left by the old castle owner The token is also their only possession at the moment.

Xie Rongzhen grabbed the jade pendant through the skirt, his eyes were red: "I will die with you! Uncle Ma Qi, follow me!"

"Don't come here!" Yan sternly reprimanded him for the first time, gritted her teeth, "You have to live! Live well!" After saying that, she looked at him deeply with tears in her eyes, straightened up and clamped the horse's belly hard, and followed Xie Huan closely. go.

Xie Rongzhen looked at the back of his parents, his eyes were tearing apart, he opened his mouth to shout, but Ma Qi quickly covered his mouth, and then his waist tightened, and he was taken off the horse, rolled into the grass half as high as half a person, and was followed by Ma Qi. Qi Shi was suppressed tightly, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as his parents led several Jiuxi tribesmen and led the pursuers to fly away.

Xie Rongzhen struggled from anger to trembling and crying, and finally regained his composure, staring at the vast night where the sky and the earth meet with his lifeless red eyes.

Ma Qi let go of him, and helped him up again, her throat choked up: "My lord..."

Xie Rongzhen was silent for a long time, and finally said in a low voice: "Uncle Ma Qi, let's go."

Get out of here and live!

Don't let the hard work of Ma Qi and others go to waste, don't let the blood of grandma and clansmen flow in vain, don't let your parents die in vain, don't let your loved ones hurt your enemies!

He simply knelt down and kowtowed three times in the direction his parents were going away, with his forehead on the ground, his voice hoarse and cold, like sand wrapped in ice, and he said calmly, "Father, mother, I will avenge you."

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