Hanhou

On the way back, the caravan encountered wolves again.

Unlike before, even if the guards offered torches and shot five wild wolves on the spot, the wolves were still not scared off, and continued to follow the caravan, waiting for opportunities to hunt cattle and sheep.

There are too many cattle and sheep in the market, which slows down the speed of progress.The guards and carts were scattered, and the deterrent effect on the wolves was greatly reduced.Women and children picked up sticks and stones, but they still couldn't scare off the wolves.

When there was nothing to do, the camels in the team gave Zhao Jia a surprise.

In the middle of the night, a wild wolf found a gap, bit two guards, and tried to drag away a fat sheep.

Hearing the cry of the sheep, Zhao Jia grabbed the torch, bow and arrow, and ran towards the place where the sound came from.Arriving at the scene of the incident, they found that the flock of sheep was intact, and the wolf that was sneaking up was in trouble and was being chased and trampled by a tall camel.

In Zhao Jia's impression, camels should be insulated from the word "violent" after being domesticated.The scene in front of him completely broke his cognition.

With a height of more than two meters, powerful long legs, and huge hooves, he runs so fast that he probably can't even catch up with ordinary horses.

As a predator, the wild wolf was driven away by the camel and ran away without even daring to look back.Even if he ran back to the pack of wolves, the chaser behind him still refused to give up, insisting against the threat of the pack of wolves, he rushed forward and stomped hard.If it wasn't for the wolf lying down, [-]% of the time it would be bitten.

The wolves were enraged and howled piercingly, with green lights flashing in the night, trying to round up the camels that rushed up.

Unfortunately, camels are not alone.

Not to mention the guards who opened their bows, the other three camels rushed up, with such strength that they knocked the wolf into the air.When a pack of wolves meets these big guys, it is like a thin-skinned can meets a locomotive.

In less than a moment, the wolves were defeated and began to run around.

Everyone in the caravan seized the opportunity to shoot arrows.

Zhao Jia drew the horn bow and aimed at the largest wild wolf in the chaos. One arrow hit the wolf's hind leg, slowing down its speed, followed by three more arrows, and the third arrow just hit the wolf's left eye. .

The wild wolf rushed forward two steps, and fell to the ground with a plop, blood spreading under his body.The wolves howled terribly, and soon disappeared into the vast night.

While cleaning up the battlefield, several camels suddenly started fighting.A guard wanted to pull the camel away, but he didn't want to be chased by the latter. He ran around the flock twice but failed to get rid of it.It was the woman who figured out a way to successfully lure the camel away and tie it up at a distance, so that no greater chaos was caused.

Zhao Jia dismounted, left the bow and arrow on the horse's back, took the torch from the guard, approached a camel, and wanted to examine it carefully, but was stopped by a woman.

"Lang Jun, be careful, don't get too close!"

While stopping Zhao Jia, the woman drove away the surrounding guards, and at the same time asked the child to bring fodder and spread it in front of the camel, finally calming down the violent guy.

"What's going on?" Following the woman's instructions, Zhao Jia stepped back two steps and asked curiously.

"These are the war horses of the Gaoche people."

The woman explained clearly in a few words, and Zhao Jia suddenly realized.

These camels have been specially domesticated. They usually look like nothing, just like ordinary camels. Once they are in danger, they will explode with amazing fighting power.

The Qiang people don't know how to domesticate camels, so naturally they can't tell the difference between camels.This is not the case for the woman. When she was in the Gaoche tribe, she prepared fodder for the livestock every day, and she knew the habits of these camels clearly.

"The Qiang people took advantage of the night to sneak attack. The Gaoche people had no time to guard against them. Most of the camels were killed before they opened the corral. These camels were all in the pen. After the battle, they were looted by the Qiang people along with the cattle and sheep."

When the woman spoke, the camel completely fell silent, lying on the ground docilely chewing the grass.

Hu Bo and Ji Bao counted the cattle and sheep with torches, and after making sure that none of them were lost, they felt relieved.

Without the threat of wolves, the team leader asked the guards to take turns to rest, and set off immediately at dawn.The women and children were used to the night breeze of the grassland, so they didn't follow Zhao Jia's suggestion to board the cart. Instead, they wrapped a sheepskin in a short brown jacket, squeezed among the sheep, and quickly fell asleep.

The night wind was getting colder and colder, and Zhao Jia was still shivering despite his fur jacket.Putting the torch on the ground, boarding the cart in two or three steps, closing the door, and wrapping up two animal skins, the body gradually felt warm.

Hu Bo and Ji Bao took turns to watch the night, and the guards chopped up the wolf meat and roasted it on the fire.When the outer layer is cooked, slice it off with a dagger, dip it in salt or put it in your mouth with pickles.Not to mention the taste, at least it can dispel the coldness.

"It's a pity that there is no wine." A guard grabbed the wolf's leg, tearing it openly while regretting.

"Don't be dissatisfied." The team leader came over and kicked the guard from behind, "How can such good wine be available all the time? It's not because Zhao Langjun is generous, even if he is rich, he may not be able to taste it!"

The raw material of wine is grain, and the imperial court will naturally not allow large-scale brewing.Bian County's food production is not abundant, and natural disasters occur every now and then. Whoever dares to make wine here simply feels that his life is too long, so he takes the initiative to stretch his neck under the knife.

The guard was reprimanded by the team leader, scratched his neck, handed out the wolf leg in his hand with a smile, and said with a smile: "Team leader, I'm just talking."

The team leader took the wolf's leg, tore off a large piece of meat, chewed and swallowed it, and said seriously: "Tomorrow, we will be back in the county. Be vigilant on the way, don't make any mistakes."

Everyone agreed in unison, seeing the swaying fire not far away, knowing that it was time for rotation, they threw the eaten bones into the fire, picked up bows, arrows and short knives, got up and walked towards the fire.

As dawn approached, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and a cold wind blew up on the ground, indicating that a rain and snow was coming.

Zhao Jia was woken up by the wind beating on the carriage, and looked out through the crack of the window, thinking that it was still dark.Hearing the noisy human voice, he opened the car door in a daze, and was shocked by the cold wind on the spot, and woke up instantly.

"Is it going to rain?" Looking at the sky, Zhao Jia frowned.

Uncle Hu handed the scones to Zhao Jia, and said, "It's going to be winter, maybe it's snow. The wind is too strong, sir, stay in the car, don't ride a horse today."

Zhao Jia nodded without raising any objections.

If he doesn't listen, Huber and the team leader will definitely take care of him.Better stay in the car.If you are in trouble, just get out of the car and help.

After eating the scones in two or three bites, Zhao Jia called Ji Bao and asked him to tell the woman to get in a cart and send all the young children to him.The big cart had no canopy, and the wooden boards on it could barely block the rain and snow, which was completely incomparable with Zhao Jia's "RV".

"The weak and injured get on the bus."

Zhao Jia's attitude was firm, and the woman quickly brought the children and wrapped them in sheepskins. Those who could ride horses rode them, and those who couldn't rode them got on the carts loaded with goods.

The sheep became restless, and so did the cattle and camels. The team leader told Zhao Jia that if the snowstorm came too fast, they would have to throw away a few empty cars and try their best to protect the herd.

"The elders can arrange it."

After handing over the scheduling to the team leader, Zhao Jia returned to the car and motioned for the children to come over.The compartment can be protected from wind and rain, but the doors and windows have gaps, and the cold wind will still seep in when moving forward, and it will always be warmer if you squeeze.

Wuhuan merchants have traveled the grasslands all year round and have experienced a lot, so they are extremely sensitive to such rainy and snowy weather.Seeing that the clouds were thickening and the sky was getting darker, his face gradually became solemn, and he kept urging the team to move fast.

"Rush to that mound as soon as possible, and set up a cart with wooden boards, which can block the rain and snow!"

The Wuhuan merchant pointed forward, but the leader couldn't see clearly, so he could only follow his guidance and let everyone hurry on their way.

"Rain and snow are coming, it has to be fast!"

Sitting in the car, Zhao Jia listened to the cold wind whistling by, and couldn't help but think of the heavy snow last year, his brows became more and more wrinkled.If there is another snow disaster this year, the Xiongnu will definitely go south again.For the people in Bianjun, it may be another disaster.

A married couple can't stop a bad neighbor's horseshoe.According to a saying of later generations, the purpose of making a contract is to tear it up.If you want to prevent the Huns from going south, you must speak with your fists and swords.

Wuhuan merchants led the way, and the team drove cattle, sheep and camels to the mound before the rain and snow fell.

The guards rode their horses back and forth, and the cattle and sheep were driven to the area where the wild millet grew.The cart was pulled to the outside, using the terrain to block some cold wind.The camels do not need to be drawn, but hide behind carts and mounds according to instinct.

With the help of the woman, the animals were quickly settled.The crowd tied the cart tightly with hemp rope, set up planks, and then got together in twos and wrapped the animal skins around their bodies, preparing to carry the rain and snow.

If they didn't have herds, they could have driven fast and rushed back to the border county before the rain and snow fell.However, the team leader and guards all knew that the county had been hit by rain and hail this year, and the grain production in the county had been reduced. These livestock were life-saving things, so naturally it was impossible to abandon them halfway.

The wind was howling, and the wind was getting higher and higher. The hemp rope tied to the cart was constantly tightened, and the car board was pulled and squeezed, making a harsh creaking sound.The snow and the rain fell together, more and more, more and more dense, the sky and the earth were dark, like a doomsday scene.

Looking out through the car window, Zhao Jia's heart sank continuously.

The snow came too early, and natural and man-made disasters are inevitable.

When the rain and snow fell, a team of scouts flew across the grassland, and their destination was the mound where the caravan took shelter from the wind and rain.

Seeing the team next to the mound through the dense rain curtain, the team leader frowned in surprise.But the wind and rain were too strong, so there was no room for hesitation, and immediately led the riders to speed up and rushed to the mound to shelter from the rain.

The sound of horseshoes pierced through the rain curtain, beating everyone's ear drums.

The leader and guards quickly got up on guard, the bowstring was fully drawn, and the dagger was unsheathed.

In the heavy rain, the torches could not be lit, and the people coming could not be seen clearly, only a few vague shadows could be vaguely recognized.This place is not too far from the border county, and scouts will often appear. In order to avoid accidental injury, the team leader raised his voice to ask the person who came, asking him to reveal his identity.

"Stop! Declare your identity, or I'll shoot the arrow right away!"

The scout pulled the reins, slowed down the horse, and approached a certain distance, did not recognize the person opposite, but recognized the carriage opposite, and immediately said loudly: "But Zhao Langjun and his party?"

Zhao Jia opened the car door curiously, let the children stay in the car, stood on the railing of the car, and raised his voice, "Who is here?"

"Zhao Langjun, I'm Wei Wu!"

The scout leading the team walked out of the rain, lifted the helmet, wiped off the rain on his face, and revealed the iconic scar on the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Jia, the leader of the team, recognized the person one step ahead, and immediately took two steps forward, punching Wei Wu on the shoulder, and then asked the guards to move a cart away to allow the scouts to pass.

"Why did Captain Wei come here?" Zhao Jia asked strangely in sheep's clothing.

In his impression, Wei Wu has always been by Wei Yue's side, a real "soldier".

Wei Wu sat on the wooden cart, grinned, and explained: "Since Mr. Lang entered the grassland, there has been no news. In addition to the weather changes, the third son is worried about the sudden heavy snowfall, so he ordered me to go out and disperse the surrounding area. Hu tribe, welcome Mr. Zhao Lang."

"Third Young Master?" Zhao Jia was surprised.

Wei Wu nodded and continued: "Third Young Master originally wanted to come by himself, but when he met people from Shangjun and Yanmen County, things suddenly increased, and the person from Shangjun was the son of the prefect, so he really couldn't leave."

People from Shangjun and Yanmen County?

The son of the prefect of Shangjun?

Zhao Jia didn't know much about the prefect of Yanmen County, but he knew very well that the current prefect of Shangjun was Li Guang.Li Taishou's son, judging from his age, should not be Li Gan, then Li Danghu, or Li Jiao?

What is the specific purpose of sending people from Yanmen County and Shang County to Yunzhong County, Wei Wu did not say clearly, and Zhao Jia did not ask in detail.However, the most important thing in Bianjun is military matters. Zhao Jia already had the answer in his heart after contacting Wei Yue after returning from training in Yuanyang City.

At present, this is not something he can participate in, and he has to keep it in his heart if he guesses it, and he can't easily tell it.However, thinking of a certain possibility, Zhao Jia still couldn't restrain his excitement, clutching the sheepskin on his body tightly, his cheeks flushed faintly.

The rain and snow fell for a full quarter of an hour, and there was no sign of stopping.

The cold wind, wrapped in snow, hit Bianjun from the grassland.

Next to the beacon tower, the frontier army dared not slacken against the strong wind from the north.

In Yunzhong City, more than a hundred Bianjun officials and troops are racing horses in the martial arts arena, holding weapons to hedge, and personally experiencing the advantages brought by saddles and stirrups to cavalry.

Hedging several times, a gap appeared in the long sword in his hand, Li Danghu reined in the reins, turned over from the horse and fell down.

"Ah Yue, it's not enough to compete with them, let's have a game?" Lifting his helmet, the young man wiped off the sweat on his face, smiling very handsomely.

Wei Yue shook her head with a smile, and said: "You are born with supernatural powers, and you can't be as happy as you are."

Li Danghu laughed loudly, thumped Wei Yue on the shoulder, and said, "You have been like this since you were a child. You are obviously a tiger, but you want to pretend to be a fox. Be careful if you pretend to be too much one day, you won't be able to change it even if you want to. "

Wei Yue just smiled and didn't say anything.

The fighting in the martial arts arena was still in full swing, but it was different from the previous fights. The officials from Shangjun and Yanmen counties were divided into two teams and began to rehearse the battle formation.

Li Danghu walked to the side of the martial arts arena, ignored the dust, sat down directly on the ground, poured down a bowl of warm water, wiped the water stains around his mouth with his backhand, and said, "A Yue, do you think Chang'an will order troops to be dispatched?" ?”

"I don't know."

"What if the Huns call directly?" Li Danghu turned his head, and the smile on his face gradually faded, "When the wind blows in the grasslands, the tribe will run out of food, and the Huns will go south. This happens every year. Follow me Say, talk about resuming marriage, and kill as many as you come, the man should die in battle, and the shroud of horse leather will live up to the name of the Han family!"

Wei Yue walked up to Li Danghu, pressed his shoulder, and said in a low voice: "Danghu, there are some things that others can say, but you and I can't."

"I know." Danghu Li was stopped, knowing that he had made a slip of the tongue, he got up and grabbed his helmet, turned his head to look at Wei Yue, and said, "I am here this time, except for what A Weng told me, I wanted to see Zhao Shaling Shi Zi. You said that he left the fortress a few days ago, and it is unknown when he will return?"

The saddle and stirrup was presented by Zhao Jia, but because it was requested, it is not known to others.But there is a method of taming cattle, as well as long curved plows and columbine carts, which is enough for Li Danghu to be curious about this young man from Shaling.

"It shouldn't be too late." Wei Yue said.

"I heard that his father was a guest of Wei Shijun, and he lived in the prefect's mansion when he was young?"

"That's true." Wei Yue nodded.

Li Danghu tossed his helmet up and down, with a hint of mischief in his smile, and said deliberately: "I guess you have been bullied a lot."

Wei Yue raised her long eyebrows and whistled suddenly.The black war horse jogged over, facing Li Danghu's mount, they were breathing from their nostrils.

"The head of the household just said, let's fight?" Wei Yue stepped on the stirrup and jumped on the horse.The long sword was held in his hand, flashing a cold light.

"It's exactly what I want!" Li Danghu laughed.

Seeing that Wei Yue was not wearing a helmet, Li Danghu also threw off his helmet, holding the rein in one hand and the sword in the other, and galloped out at the same time as Wei Yue.

Bypassing the wooden stakes and straw figures set up in the martial arts arena, the two turned their horses' heads at the same time, preparing for a head-on confrontation.

The distance was getting closer and closer, the swords collided instantly, and the horses under them suddenly stood up, fiercely bumping their necks, and biting together in the next moment.Wei Yue and Li Danghu were not on guard and were almost thrown to the ground.

This sudden scene shocked everyone's jaws.

In the martial arts arena, apart from the neighing of war horses, not a single human voice was heard.