Return on snow

[In the 29th year of Yunzheng, it was a time of troubled times, and the separatist regime of many countries had been maintained for nearly ten years, among which Liao was the most powerful.Wei Guo followed.The border wars between Liao and Wei continued, and the weak state of Yan was sandwiched between Liao and Wei, and was bullied during the war between the two countries.During the war between Liao and Wei, the border area of ​​Yan State Chuzhou was repeatedly disturbed.Yan Guo strived to protect itself, dared to be angry and dared not speak out, and never sent troops to town. ]

Li winter, Yan Guo.

Tonight, light snow fell outside the city of Chuzhou, and the cold wind seemed to be able to penetrate the window paper and prick people's bones.

Ning Ke in front of the desk shuddered.After glancing at the burning candle, he silently put down the scroll in his hand, and walked lightly towards the inner room.

On the bed in the back room, his seven-year-old sister Wan Tao was lying on her back, the quilt was almost kicked to the ground.Ning Ke sat on the head of the bed, reached out and patiently tucked the corner of the quilt for his younger sister again.

Since his father and mother were killed by the Liao army six years ago, he and his younger sister have been guarding this small courtyard together. In the past six years, he has not had a peaceful night's sleep.

Ning Ke has just turned seventeen this year. In addition to keeping his younger sister safe, he also wants to catch up with the Spring Festival next year. After middle school, he can enter the court to assist the government and save the Yan Dynasty, which has been precarious in the wind and rain for nearly ten years. It is not in vain. I am full of calligraphy and ink, and I have been in a cold window for ten years.

The wind outside the house suddenly picked up violently, and the wooden window panes were creaked.

Ning Ke raised his eyes and saw light and shadow shaking outside the window. He held his breath and heard the intermittent sound of horseshoes.

He frowned and moved to the window. Through the crack of the window, he saw sparks of fire in the distance. Through the dim yellow light of the fire, he finally saw clearly the purple military flag swaying in the dark night.

He couldn't read the writing on it, but he could never forget the flag with the purple background and gold border.On the night when his father and mother died tragically six years ago, when he crawled out of the cellar with his infant sister in his arms, he saw with his own eyes the Liao army marching away with purple military flags.

He closed the window resolutely, quickly wrapped the sleeping Wantao with a quilt, then took the bamboo basket in the corner, and gently put her in.

The sound of hooves getting closer and closer was like a drum for death, Ning Ke didn't care if he was only wearing unlined clothes, he just put his sister on his back and rushed out of the house.

After leaving the yard, Ning Ke looked around and found that the Liao people's gold-plated military flags were everywhere in the distance. He took a deep breath and felt that running around with headless flies is usually not a solution. He must find out the situation and think of a surefire strategy.

Ning Ke is a native of Chuzhou, he knows where to hide and where to be dangerous.He ran all the way south, crawling in the wilderness of the low hill not far away, observing the follow-up wind direction of the Liao army, he thought, if the Liao army only came to slaughter the village to sweep the grain, then they would naturally take pictures when they were full of food. Slap your ass and leave.

But he lay down for half an hour, and the Liao army had no intention of retreating. What made him even more puzzled was that the Liao army did not grab food, and they were not even willing to lift the thatched shed in his courtyard.A group of people stood in the yard of his house for a long time, and did nothing but hacked his dog to death and kicked a few reed chickens in the yard.

Ning Ke leaned extremely low, his vigilance remained undiminished, and a pair of black pupils quietly looked at the Liao army in the distance.Ning Ke didn't fully understand until the end when a Liao soldier lifted the tarpaulin on a grain cart.

What was loaded on the carts was not food and grass, but full of corpses. The Liao people randomly piled up the Yan people they had just killed on the carts, like a pile of scrap copper and rotten iron discarded casually.

He understood that the Liao army did not come for food, grass and property this time, but simply for the people of Yan.As soon as he clenched his fists, he saw several Liao people strip off the clothes of the dead Yan people and put them on themselves. They put their right hands on their left chests, bowed to a leader, and walked in swaggeringly. left their home.

The Liao army began to retreat, but the few Liao people who changed their clothes did not leave, they were still at his home.

Ning Ke loosened his clenched teeth, and rubbed his sore and swollen calf while standing beside him.Feeling the jolt, Wantao in the bamboo basket muttered a few times and slowly opened her eyes.

"Wow--"

The girl's cries pierced the sky, Ning Ke halfway up his body and tilted suddenly, he subconsciously hooked his hands to protect his younger sister on his back, and did not have time to avoid the branches and leaves of the firewood next to him.

With a "hissing", the wooden splinter slashed from his knee to his calf, and the cold wind poured into the wound from the torn gown. Ning Ke grunted and gritted his teeth to hold back the pain.

The Liao army moved after hearing the sound, and a large group of people waved torches and came towards the low hill.

Ning Ke threw down the bamboo bamboo and the quilt, and hugged his younger sister directly in his arms, with a pure voice, mixed with a little youthful air: "Don't be afraid, brother is here."

Wantao became quiet when she heard the sound, her eyeballs rolled around, and she murmured childishly: "Brother, it's cold."

Ning Ke tightened his arms a little more, but he was already dripping with cold sweat in the icy and snowy field.

Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he followed the Liao army around in circles in the wilderness like hide-and-seek. The more he ran, the clearer his mind became.

Flesh and blood are no match for iron hooves, Ning Ke looked at the road in front of him, not knowing where to return.

Ning Ke ran along the path. At the end of the mountain forest was the Jibei River, the boundary river connecting the three kingdoms of Yan, Wei and Liao.

This is the shoal of the lower reaches of the river, where the river sand and crushed ice are in a mess, and there is also blood spilled during the war between Liao and Wei. Everything looks strange and desolate under the hazy moonlight.

Ning Ke was heartbroken, took off his shoes and carried them in his hands, and walked across the river barefoot.

When the Liao army found a way to chase after them, there was only a string of thin ice cracked footprints on the river surface. Just as the group was about to ride their horses across the river, the burly captain leading the banner at the front swung the mace in his hand and grinned ferociously. One voice: "No more chasing."

When the people of Yan set foot on Wei soil, it is no different from setting foot on the road to Huangquan.

Wei Jun camp.

In the main general's tent, Yi Shu was sleeping soundly on a soft bed, wearing an indigo robe that had not faded off, with the blue-sealed "Anecdote of Chuzhou" still covering his face.

A lightly armored soldier broke in without knowing how to do it: "Your Highness!"

Yi Shu turned over in agitation, grabbed the book on his face and threw it over: "Fucking hell!"

The soldier was so frightened that he almost bit his tongue when he spoke: "Your Highness...Your Highness, I just caught a spy from the Yan people outside the camp, and I am here to ask for orders."

Yan people?Also spies?The war between the Great Wei and the Liao Kingdom was just to take advantage of the territory of the Yan Kingdom, and the Yan Kingdom has not said a word for so many years, why did a spy suddenly come here?

Yi Shu raised his eyebrows: "How do you conclude that that person is a spy?"

"The Yan man said that he had a clever plan to present to His Highness, but was intercepted by Zhou Duwei. The captain said, it is the time when our Great Wei and Liao soldiers are at a stalemate. How can Yan people come to vote for the Wei army? It must be spy!"

"Join the army?" The corners of Yi Shu's eyes raised slightly, and with some interest, he sat up slowly: "Ask Zhou Yang to bring someone in."

A moment later, the burly Captain Zhou escorted the muddy Ning Ke into the tent. The ragged boy's brows and eyes were light, as clear as the morning mist in the distant mountains, his expression was calm, and he showed no signs of embarrassment. Tao stood silently.

King Heng of Great Wei is the thirteenth prince of Chengxian Emperor of the Kingdom of Wei. Since the start of the war between Wei and Liao a few years ago, the thirteenth prince has volunteered to volunteer and traveled all over the barren land. He has made great achievements in battle, but he has never asked for his order to return to the court. Ning Ke has also heard the good story.Loyalty and bravery are of course respected by Ning Ke, but it is also a fact that the Wei army has invaded and occupied the land of Yan State unscrupulously over the years, and he naturally cannot cross this hurdle.

Seeing that Ning Ke was standing still, Zhou Duwei kicked him on the leg angrily: "I'm not polite to see His Highness King Heng!"

Ning Ke was so agile that he turned his body a little bit, and only brushed against Zhou Yang's big feet.Zhou Yang kicked in the air, and wanted to go up again in a hurry.

"Stop!" Yi Shu patted his robe, raised his hand and pulled out the black iron long sword beside the couch, and walked slowly to Ning Ke's side.

"Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick all day long." As he spoke, he raised his backhand, and the black iron sword was already resting on Ning Ke's snow-white neck. Yi Shu looked at Ning Ke meaningfully, with a pair of peach blossom eyes that were touching Xin Po: "What plan do you have to offer?"