Pick all the cold branches

The long wind blows the ground, the blue waves fall to the sky, and the rolling fat grass draws out the continuous white tents under the Daqing Mountain, reflecting the torchlight and stars, like white jade beads flowing on the velvet.The beaded curtain on the crown of the prairie girl and the colorful skirt together swirl into blooming flowers in the loud and clear song.Under the boundless dome, everything looks so peaceful.

Outside a secluded small tent, there was a young man dressed as Han sitting in front of the fire, holding a long sword and roasting something.The heat made his face reddish. Sweat climbed from the corner of his forehead to the peak of his eyebrows, then ran down his cheeks, and finally disappeared into the wet stains on his clothes. However, he remained motionless as if he was unconscious. She pursed her brows tightly, and her pair of jet-black eyes stared at the flaming flames in front of her from beginning to end, as if she was meditating.He was obviously a thin man, but he was surrounded by silence for some reason, as if he had already escaped from this hustle and bustle of the world, making people afraid to disturb him.

In the distance, in front of Ordo, where songs and dances were endless, the young Mongolian Khan Batumengke stood with his hands behind his back, watching this cold and independent fire for a long time, and summoned two warriors, and after cutting off one, he was still alive The fat and fat leg of lamb was in his hand, he jumped on the horse, patted the horse's buttocks, and trotted over. "Zhen Xian, eat mutton?" He took the leg of mutton and walked around the Han youth, squinting and smiling like a wolf that has thrown down its prey.

Without raising his head, Zhen Xian replied coldly, "I told you I won't eat your mutton."

Batu Mengke jumped off the horse, brought the leg of lamb to Zhen Xian's mouth, slapped it with his hands unwillingly, and said softly, "Eat it, it's delicious."

Zhen Xian frowned and turned his head to avoid, "Prince, you are so bored when you come here every day."

Hearing the word "Prince", Batu Mengke's face darkened immediately.It turned out that although he inherited the Khan throne since childhood, and recaptured the Mongolian tribes in the grassland from Oala, gradually recovering the tribes that had fallen into a trough, the Han people in the south still looked down on him, not only did they not recognize him as "Great Yuan Khan" He even made fun of his succession to the throne when he was young, jokingly calling him the "little prince". Even now that he is twenty years old, he still calls him that. "Little Prince", this is the title he hates the most in Batu Mengke. In his opinion, this is an insult to himself and the ancestors of the Golden Family.This Zhen Xian, even though he removed the word "little", it's just half a catty and not much better!Batu Mengke was so angry that his teeth were itching, and he wanted to pull this man up and bite him twice. He stomped his feet and said angrily, "Okay! Don't eat or drink anything if you want to!" Aggrieved, he scratched his heart with all his paws, turned around twice but couldn't find the exit, and added bitterly: "Even if you eat grass, it grows on the grassland!"

Zhen Xian still didn't even glance at Batu Mengke, and continued: "This potato was originally born in the world. I dug it back and planted it for myself to eat. It has nothing to do with you." What is strung on the body is a potato with skin.

Batu Mengke gritted his teeth and said, "Don't forget that the water you use to stay here is all the air from the grassland!"

Zhen Xian continued calmly, "The two qi, the five elements, and all things belong to the heaven and the earth. You belong to the heaven and the earth, and the heaven and the earth belong to the heaven and the earth."

Batu Mengke firmly insisted: "The grassland is mine, and so is the world!"

Hearing these words so loudly, Zhen Xian couldn't help being stunned for a moment, then he raised his head and smiled at the staring Mongolian youth standing beside him.

When he smiled like that, Batu Mengke couldn't help being stunned, but when he came back to his senses, he became inexplicably annoyed, and asked angrily, "What are you laughing at?"

Zhen Xian withdrew his eyes, smiled still, and sighed: "'A gentleman has three fears: Fear of the destiny, fear of adults, and fear of the words of sages.' Although the prince has courage, it is a pity that he lacks some respect."

After finishing his sentence, Batu Mengke was stunned again, and complained for a long time: "...can you speak something understandable? What's the twist, the sages of the prairie people also said: 'The wolf eats the sheep, and the sheep eats the sheep. Grass is the truth!'”

But Zhen Xian ignored him, but smiled and broke the baked potato into his mouth.

Batu Mengke was left hanging for a long time with a lamb leg, annoyed and bored, he whistled to call the horse back, jumped on the horse's back and whipped away.

After the sound of horseshoes gradually merged into the night with the singing in the distance, Zhen Xian swallowed a mouthful of roasted sweet potato, and slowly took a deep breath.

The wind on the grassland is very clear, with the fragrance of green grass and soil, but it is a pity that it is not the taste of hometown.

Four years later, he stayed here, looking at the long grass in spring, green in autumn and yellow in autumn. Looking south, he couldn't see the border of his hometown.

Batu Mengke would come here every day, and then leave without speculating like this, and come back the next day, as if as long as he could eat a bite of mutton on the grassland, he could stay in the grassland.

In fact, he still hasn't figured out when he got into trouble with this "little prince".

I still remember that four years ago, he accompanied Bai Haoren, the commander-in-chief of Shuozhou, to the four towns in the northwest. Batu Mengke suddenly led a group of Tatar cavalry to break through the Tucheng and occupy Yansui Town, and put the people in the town in front of the battle to name them. Dou Xing yelled for Zhen Xian to come and change alone, and if he didn't come to kill one person in an hour, if the whole town was killed and still didn't come, he would occupy Yulin Town and continue to kill, and if he didn't come, he would kill all the way until he came. Taking Shuoying Erzhou, the arrogance is so arrogant that it is really going against the sky!

Not to mention that if the two prefectures of Shuoying were really captured by the Tatars, Juyongguan and even the capital would be in danger. Just talking about the lives of young and old in Yansui Township, there is no room for slack and delay.

So he ignored Bai Haoren's obstruction and resolutely went to the meeting alone, but saw that the murderous "Dayuan Khan" was actually a young man who was only fifteen or six years old and even had childish eyebrows and eyes. He didn't know what to say for a while. what is good.

Batu Mengke asked him to help Dayuan invade the south and restore the country.He naturally refused.When there was a stalemate, Batu Mengke once asked him angrily: "The emperor killed your whole family! Why do you sacrifice your life for him? Don't you think that only the emperor has no parents in your eyes?"

He flatly replied: "Zhen Xian does not work for anyone, he only does what he should do." He didn't want to ask why this "little prince" knew about his family affairs, and he didn't want to explain more to him.It is true that the emperor killed his whole family and exiled him to Lingnan, but the emperor is not equal to the world.The emperor killed his grandparents and brothers, but the people of the world have no enmity against him. If he helped the emperor to treason because of his own personal enmity, how could the people be blamed for being tortured?He thinks he can clearly distinguish between the emperor's order and the country's safety.However, he didn't think that an unarmed commoner who beheaded a man could understand it like a Tatar boy who butchered a sheep.

Of course Batu Mengke refused to accept it, and swore: "One day I will ask you to willingly work for me!"

He thought it was a child's anger, so he smiled back and said, "Don't worry, there are still Boyi and Shuqi who don't eat Zhou Su when the Shang Dynasty died, and my holy pilgrimage is still here, so I will still eat you." lamb?"

But Batu Mengke took it very seriously, and persisted for four years in the blink of an eye. For four years, he came to him every day with mutton. People came to coerce him, but fortunately his sister Suge Balabeji let him know the news, so he rushed to find Batu Mengke before the cavalry set off and said: "If you dare to let this cavalry step over the Great Wall Half a step, I can cut off my own head right here! Even if you chop up my body and throw it to the wolves on the prairie, my soul will return to my homeland. I surrender to you."

He always remembered very clearly that at that time, Batu Mengke jumped up from the shock and confusion, and roared angrily to call back the cavalry, just like a little wolf whose fur was pricked up in anger.

Up to now, even though Batu Mengke still failed to get him to eat a bite of mutton on the grassland, he felt more and more that the young king on the grassland was simply a child raised by wolves, possessing the same viciousness and strength. Force, but also inherited that purity and pride.

In order to get what you want, you will do everything you can or even do anything, but you never hide it, and you don't bother to pretend.This is Boerjijin Batumengke, the descendant of Genghis Khan and the current King of the Grassland.

Of course he couldn't accept this kind of violent and murderous intent, but he didn't dislike this frank confession. It could even be said that he actually appreciated it.If there is no gap between the safety of the country and the righteousness of the nation, perhaps he will appreciate it more.

But now, no matter what, it was really difficult for him to prioritize the benefits of this guy who was thinking about how to fight across the Yellow River all day long.

It's been four years, when will he be able to return to the pass?If he had known that he would be trapped in Tatar for no reason, would he not hesitate when he left the capital?What about the person he threw away in Beijing?Is it still the same as before, is it all right, does it... still remember him?

Three years at the border, four years outside the wall, after all, it has been seven years.

Seven years.He is no longer a hot-blooded young man, maybe what should be forgotten has long since been forgotten, what should have been cold has already become cold, and what should have changed has also changed.

As thoughts spread, there seemed to be countless torrents hitting my heart, and ice slag was curled up in the dry heat, which sharply stabbed the throbbing softness in an instant, and awakened the long-sealed scars in an instant.The blood that still lingered in the past gushed out suddenly, dyeing the eyes red.

Never forgotten, and never forgotten.

At least, it is his inability and inability.

He took another deep breath, put down the unfinished yams, wiped his hands carefully, and slowly took out the book from his arms.That "Chai Fei Xiaozha".I left in a hurry back then, leaving only this book that I carried with me. I read it countless times over the past seven years, treating it with care as a treasure.This book is his memory, full of those indelible past and clouds that cannot be ignored.

Holding the book in his hand, he didn't open it, but just stared at the wanton ink marks on the cover for a moment, and became infatuated for a moment.

Suddenly, someone slapped him fiercely, and the slap landed on his shoulder, which made his chest jump suddenly, and he couldn't help crying out "ah".Looking back at the moment, I saw a young girl in a green shirt and a red skirt standing behind her. The red jade on the crown of the scorpion reflected the light yellow forearm, and the whole person looked like a flower blooming on the grassland.

That's Batu Mengke's younger sister, Brother Su Balabeji.I remember that when he first came to this grassland, she was just a little girl who could only run around behind her brother.

His thoughts drifted away for a moment, and he heard Su Ge Bala asking him: "What is this?"

Zhen Xian subconsciously put the book in his hand back into his bosom, glanced at the two sticks wrapped in green leaves in the girl's hand, and replied: "This is a bud reed, which was passed down from the West, and Westerners regard it as food to eat."

Hearing that it was edible, Brother Su immediately peeled off the outer leaves two or three times, but when he saw those bright yellow and white rice grains, he didn't know what to do, and almost stuffed them directly into his mouth.

Seeing this, Zhen Xian hurriedly brought over the two reed sticks, took off the leaves and placed them under them, barely made a ridge with his sword, and rubbed them in his palm, and after a while, all the rice grains were rubbed off and piled up on the pile. On the green leaves.

Su Geba picked one and stuffed it into his mouth, and immediately cheered happily: "It's sweet, it's delicious!" As he said, he put all the rice grains into the cloth bag he carried, and stuffed them into his mouth again. After taking a few grains, I started to play around with the remaining two bald sticks, and asked, "Do you also eat this in the Central Plains?"

Zhen Xiandao: "We usually use it to grind it into noodles, or crush it to make porridge, or directly boil it in water and eat it as a snack."

"Brother Zhen, how can you know everything?" Su Ge sat down beside Zhen Xian, turned his face to look at him, his big eyes were watery, "I heard from Brother Khan that you are from the Middle Earth The most talented person, when your emperor presided over a competition, people from all over the capital flocked to bet on whether the emperor would make you a 'No. Envy and worship.

Being captured by two bracts and a boundless legend, this is the innocence of a simple child. After all, this little girl is still a child.Zhen Xian thought it was funny for a while, but felt melancholy for a while.A little bit of loneliness surged up from the depths of my heart, and when it fell on my lips, it became a sigh.He swallowed it reluctantly, and explained: "It's called the 'Palace Examination', which is presided over by the emperor himself. If a scholar can pass the 'Palace Examination', he can display his ambition and serve the country."

Brother Su asked: "What about 'No. [-] Scholar' and 'Tan Hua'?"

Zhen Xiandao: "'Zhuangyuan' is the reputation of No. 1 Jinshi who is hand-picked by the emperor in the 'Palace Examination'. The second is also called the 'Second Place', and 'Tanhua' refers to the third place."

Su Ge asked again: "Where did the second 'No. [-]' go? Why did you leave it out?"

Zhen Xiandao: "It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, after the announcement of the palace examination, there was a custom for Jinshi to visit the garden. At the garden party, young and beautiful people should be selected to pick up flowers to welcome the number one scholar. They are called "Tianhuashi". You can’t be a Tanhualang unless you have both talent and appearance.” In fact, the palace examination is a big test for the country’s virtuous, and it’s just an article about talent and learning, and it has nothing to do with appearance.”

Even though he said so, Su Ge Bala was still very determined, clapped his hands and said happily: "Oh, I see, then Brother Zhen, you must also be a 'Tan Hua Lang', right?"

Zhen Xian couldn't help laughing, changed the topic, and asked, "Prince, what are you doing here again?"

Brother Su stared at him for a while, then asked, "Brother Zhen, why do you keep calling me 'Wang Nu' instead of 'Princess'?"

Zhen Xian was slightly taken aback, and replied: "Because I am a Han Chinese. You are the Mongolian 'Bie Ji', but not my 'Princess'."

"That's why you don't want to call Brother Khan 'Khan'." Suge Baba lowered his head, thought for a while, and asked again: "But why do those captured slaves call me 'Princess'? Aren't they Han Chinese?"

Zhen Xian was stunned again when he heard that, he could only sigh: "They are Han Chinese, but they also want to live." I don't know if this little girl is sharp, or if the speaker is not interested in the listener, it is difficult to answer these questions one after another.He didn't want to say something against his will to coax her, but he couldn't tell a Mongolian child some complicated truths.

But Brother Su asked: "What about you? Don't you want to live?"

After a moment of silence, he slowly said: "For some people, some things are more important than survival."

Brother Su tilted his head and remained silent for a while, his eyes full of confusion. "I don't understand. We are Mongolians, but brother Khan and I have learned Chinese and read Chinese history since childhood, and we all know the 'Tian Khan' of the Tang Dynasty, so we don't think there is anything wrong with it." She said those fragile The sweet bud reeds were slowly stuffed into the mouth, chewed carefully, swallowed, then turned to look at Zhen Xian, and said: "Actually, whether it is 'princess' or 'princess', it doesn't matter if it's just a title. But , I don’t know why, I still feel a little sad to hear you say that. Even if we sit side by side like now, will there always be that long city wall between us? Brother Zhen, do you really want to stay behind? Maybe none of them came down?"

Zhen Xian said disappointedly: "Your brother probably won't take the initiative to let me go. But as long as there is a chance, I will definitely go back."

"Why? Didn't you escape from your capital?" Su Gebala seemed to be a little anxious, and asked again and again.

escape?Zhen Xian's heart trembled.He knew that Batu Mengke probably checked his family background, but he didn't expect that even Su Gebala knew about it.In fact, that's right, speaking of it, he did escape.From the cloud and smoke of the prosperous capital of Emperor Huihe, from the person he chased, feared and cared about, from the indescribable timidity in his heart, he escaped.But even if he escaped, he never thought of crossing the Great Wall and fleeing here...

Brother Su didn't wait for him to reply, and said again: "Brother Zhen, no matter what, you have been on the grassland for four years, don't you really not see that Brother Khan really cares about you?" He is the wolf on the prairie, the king, no one dared to contradict him, and none of those who offended him survived. He invited you here because he really wanted you to help him. You are a piece of gold, Why do you want to bury yourself in the sand? Wouldn't it be nice to stay and ride the world with us?"

gold.Oh, if it is really gold, even if it is buried in the sand, it will not be melted or melted. One day it will shine, no matter how long it takes.What I am most afraid of is not that the gold is buried in the sand, but that I think I am gold, so I roll around in the tide of the world and get carried away. When I recover, my body is already completely black.After going around in such a big circle, it turned out that it was just a different person to persuade him.Zhen Xian said in a low voice: "Your brother just thinks that I have been in Beijing for two years, had contacts with the dignitaries of the dynasty, and stayed in Yingzhou for three years, and met Bai Zongbing. Maybe it will be helpful for him to break the city and go south. But since you have inquired about my details, don’t you know my temper? Don’t say four years, even if it’s 40 years, I’m still the same as before. I, Zhen Xian, will never do it." His voice was low, but it was beyond dispute.

Su Geba bit his lip, stared at him for a while, stomped his feet, and said: "Then, if I say, I don't want to talk about state affairs with you, and I don't want to care about the Mongolia-Han dispute, I'm just asking You, I like you, please stay for me, will you agree?" When she said that, a little blush bloomed from the tip of her nose, staining her cheeks with rouge.

Zhen Xian couldn't help being taken aback, and finally looked at the little girl in front of him carefully, then smiled and shook his head.

"Why? Am I okay?" Seeing him shaking his head, Brother Su knew that he would definitely not agree, so he grabbed his arm anxiously, and when he asked directly, the gleaming joy in his eyes disappeared.

"No, you are a good boy." Zhen Xian sighed.

"I'm not a child anymore!" Brother Su yelled and jumped up, his pretty face turned from shy and rosy to flushed.

"To me, you are still a child." Zhen Xian quietly dismissed her defense.He wiped his saber carefully with his sleeves, put it back into the sheath, raised his head and said, "And my heart has already been filled with another person. It was long before you were born." The light has already looked south to an unknown distance.

"Is she a beautiful girl from the Han family? So you must go back, and you can see her when you go back." Su Ge stood aside frustrated and unwilling.

"Forget it." This statement made Zhen Xian smile involuntarily, thinking in his heart: If that person knows that he has become a "beautiful Han girl", he doesn't know how he will be annoyed.But it doesn't matter, it won't be known anyway, why not just turn a blind eye to this unexpected innocent person, after all...they will never meet again in this life...

He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts again.Brother Su stared blankly at him, and murmured, "Is she that good? Are you thinking about her so wholeheartedly?"

Almost without thinking, Zhen Xian replied: "Yes, in Zhen Xian's heart, there is only this one in this life, and there will be no others." In his voice and on the brows, there is firm gentleness.

Su Geba was so shocked that he subconsciously opened his mouth, but finally lowered his eyes sadly, unable to say anything else.