Ashes

"Brother, when did you come? You scared me." Dorgon stroked his chest and said, no need to pretend, he was indeed startled.

"Just when you were about to shoot that rabbit."

"If you run out alone, you will be scolded by Father Khan, so I won't be afraid." Dorgon said pretending to be simple. Because of the height difference, he raised his neck with difficulty. He hated this perspective, hated You must look up.

Huang Taiji looked back at the people under his banner in the distance, and approached with a smile: "Do you want me to help?"

"Already escaped."

Huang Taiji walked in front of him and walked deeper into the jungle: "Let's look for it again."

The two stayed away from the crowd and walked farther and farther.

Because of the rain, the muddy ground is so wet and soft that it is not easy to walk on. The mud sticks to the shoes, and it is easy to slip if you are not careful.Huang Taiji carefully pushed aside the low branches and leaves, making it easier for Dorgon who was following him to walk.

A puddle appeared in front of him, Dorgon didn't think much, and was about to wade across it, but just as he raised one foot, he suddenly lightened up and was picked up by the volley.It was Huang Taiji who easily picked him up and walked across the puddle in a few steps.

His legs were off the ground, without a sense of solidity, Dorgon was extremely nervous, while struggling, he grabbed Huang Taiji's clothes tightly: "Put me down!"

Huang Taiji looked at him inexplicably: "What's wrong?"

It is common for the older brother to cross the puddle with the younger brother in his arms, but it is extremely unusual in Dorgon's mind.The image of that cruel king was deeply imprinted in his mind, and he couldn't get rid of it, his heart almost jumped out of his throat.

Dorgon said in a panic, "I...is..."

Before he finished speaking, Huang Taiji had already put him down, not caring what he was saying at all.

Dorgon breathed a sigh of relief, and he didn't know what he was sighing, but in the next moment, Huang Taiji's hand covered his lips, and his heart was immediately suspended again.He widened his eyes and hesitated a few times.

"Shut up." Huang Taiji squeezed his head even tighter without turning his head.

Huang Taiji's hands were big and warm. Dorgon felt that he was about to be smothered to death. Following his line of sight, he found the gray rabbit again, squatting under a tree and grazing.

The two were short and did not make any sound, for fear of disturbing the prey.Huang Taiji took out an arrow from the quiver, and calmly drew his bow to aim.

Dorgon was also watching him aim, but suddenly he patted Huang Taiji on the back anxiously, seeing that he didn't respond, he stretched out his hand to cover his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Huang Taiji was puzzled.His hands were soft, as if they had no bones, and they were soft all the way to his heart.

"This is my prey. If you shoot it, it becomes yours. I want to shoot it myself!" Dorgon said while holding down his bow.

Seeing his serious face, Huang Taiji couldn't help laughing: "Okay, then you can do it yourself."

Dorgon bent his bow to aim, because he made a mistake before, so he was more careful this time.

Huang Taiji stared closely at Dorgon, watching him draw his bow in a dignified manner, his small eyebrows were twitched, his childish face was serious, and there was a persistent energy in his bones.Suddenly he felt that he was really an interesting person, and when a smile hung on his lips, he didn't notice it at all.

Dorgon couldn't concentrate at all, Huang Taiji's gaze seemed to be able to pierce people through, and bead-sized beads of sweat emerged from his forehead and flowed down his cheeks.

The bow has been drawn for a long time, but it has not been shot yet. Dorgon's strength is exhausted bit by bit, and his hands tremble involuntarily.

"Don't panic." Huang Taiji lowered his voice and said in his ear, turned sideways to Dorgon's back, embraced him, held his hands firmly, and stretched the bowstring for him.

Unexpectedly, Dorgon trembled more violently, and his whole body became stiff.

Huang Taiji was very confused: "What are you afraid of?"

I am Dorgon, Aixinjueluo Dorgon, nothing in this world can make me afraid!So what about Huang Taiji, it's just an obstacle I'm about to overcome!

Dorgon thought from the bottom of his heart, swallowed hard, and forcefully suppressed the strong uneasiness.

The tense muscles relaxed, the numb arms gradually regained consciousness, the strength returned to the hands, and the arrow aimed at the prey.

With the strength of Huang Taiji in his hands, this time the aim was much more stable, and with a bang, the arrow shot the rabbit to death.

Huang Taiji seemed even happier than Dorgon: "Hurry up and pick it up."

Dorgon walked towards his prey step by step, every step he took, his face became heavier.On one side is the gentle and caring elder brother, on the other side is the cruel and ruthless emperor, which one is the real him?Complicated emotions rose in my heart.

He picked up the gray rabbit and went to pull out the feathered arrow. He was absent-minded and was scratched by the barb on the arrow, and a big gash was cut in the palm of his hand.

Huang Taiji stepped forward a few steps, just about to scold him for being careless, but when he saw his bloody palm, he couldn't say anything, so he quickly took out the veil and simply wrapped the wound.Then, he pulled out the dagger and dug out the arrow, and handed the rabbit to Dorgon: "Take it, your spoils."

Dorgon took it numbly, his palms tingling one after another.

"Hurry up and get someone to give you medicine." Huang Taiji grabbed his hand and walked back.

Dorgon withdrew his hand abruptly, and said stubbornly, "No."

"Why not?"

"I... I don't want people to know."

Unexpectedly, he was so strong, Huang Taiji couldn't laugh or cry: "Then on my side, I will re-bandage you. Such a big wound can't be dealt with in time, okay?"

Dorgon hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.

Following Huang Taiji back to his camp, he did not expect that Huang Taiji's bandaging of wounds was superb, probably because of the years of fighting.After washing the wound and applying medicine, he took Dorgon's hand and wrapped it round and round, tightly, firmly, tightly.

Dorgon looked at his palm repeatedly, as if he was looking at something strange.

"With such an obvious injury, your mother and Father Khan will still find out after you go back." Huang Taiji said as he packed his things.

"It's okay." Dorgon pulled his sleeves to cover half of his palms, and then glanced at the gray rabbit on the ground.

Huang Taiji noticed that there were only a few loops of leather rope wrapped around his right thumb, which was scratched by the bowstring, so he took off the thumb and put it on his hand.

That finger is made of deer bone. Dorgon used to see a lot of gold and emerald rings. This one is not worth much at all, but it may be because of long-term use. It is as delicate and smooth as jade, with a milky yellow color. If you look closely, there are still faint lines.

Dorgon squeezed the wrench with his small hand: "It's too big."

"Then keep it for now, and I'll ask someone to make a suitable one for you."

Dorgon fiddled with the wrench, but didn't speak.

The atmosphere gradually cooled down, and a person broke the silence.

"Ama!" That was Huang Taiji's eldest son, Hauge, who was eight years old this year.He bared his teeth and dragged a fat badger in with all his strength, yelling: "Ama! We dug out a nest of badgers! I brought you the biggest one!" When he Seeing that Dorgon was there, he called again: "Uncle Fourteen."

"Okay, don't get it in, I know, you did a good job." Seeing his strenuous effort, Huang Taiji said hastily.

For a child, being able to eat fatty and fragrant badger meat is enough to make him excited for several days, and Hauge is no exception. Huang Taiji praised him again, and he was even more delighted.

Dorgon stared at Hauge coldly, clearly remembering that when Huang Taiji passed away, he was backed by two yellow flags, and he became a faction that confronted him strongly.And now Hauge is just a kid trying to please Ama.

Perhaps aware of the unfriendly gaze, Hauge looked at Dorgon, and when he saw the finger in Dorgon's hand, he frowned obviously, showing a jealous expression.That look was exactly the same as Fulin's look at him when he succeeded to the throne, only with more resentment and hatred.

Now it's just a finger wrench, but at that time it was the noble throne.

Dorgon was secretly amused in his heart, lightly fiddled with the overly wide thumb spanner with his fingers, and the irony on his face was even more serious.Of course, Huang Taiji didn't pay attention to all this, and Hauge couldn't understand it yet.

"Let's go out first." Huang Taiji said to Hauge.

Hauge glanced at him again, and reluctantly left.

"I'm going back too." Dorgon got up and said.

"I'll take you back." Huang Taiji pointed to his hand and warned, "Be careful when you go back, don't touch the water."

Dorgon raised his head and smiled: "I know."

"You won't get hurt if you know." Huang Taiji lifted the curtain, "Let's go."

Back at the place where Nurhachi was stationed, the hunters had already returned to the camp one after another, and the passers-by saluted Huang Taiji one after another. The young Dabeile was admired by everyone.

"Give the rabbit you killed to Father Khan." Huang Taiji pushed Dorgon.

Dorgon took the rabbit and looked at it, and then looked at Nurhachi in front of the camp. As a custom and respect for the elders, of course he should give it to his father, but such a little rabbit is shabby when taken out. Why is he: "No need."

"Yes, you hunted this with your own hands." Huang Taiji said solemnly.

When Dorgon was hesitating, a group of people rushed over not far away, Huang Taiji and Dorgon looked up.

Dodo is riding on a man's neck, dancing with hands and feet, and several people behind him are carrying an adult stag.

Still far away, Duduo's clear voice came over: "Father Khan! I caught a deer! I caught it myself!"

Nurhachi was talking to the minister at first, and when he heard Duduo's shout, he greeted him with a big smile.

Doduo jumped down and ran towards Nurhachi, pulling his hand towards the prey. He pointed at the sleepy deer and shouted: "Father Khan! Look! I'm trapping in the lye field!" Arrived!"

"Squatting in alkali field" is a common hunting method used by hunters in spring. Dig a pit in a place frequented by deer, sprinkle salt and pour hot water. After drying, it will become an alkali field. Deer, musk deer, Beasts like roe deer will come to the alkali field to lick, and the hunters will lie in ambush and hunt and capture the prey when they are not prepared.

For a four-year-old child like Doduo, it was impossible to trap a deer by himself, and he had to be helped by an experienced hunter, let alone an adult stag. It was lucky that he didn't kill him.Of course Nurhachi knew this, but no one would care about it.Because this is the prey caught by Tianming Khan's favorite young son.

Nurhachi proudly lifted Duduo high and said with a bold smile, "Good son! Fight for me in the future!"

Duoduo giggled and became the focus of the audience.

Dorgon watched all this quietly, the gray rabbit was still in his hand, as if all this had nothing to do with him.

Surrounded by powerful enemies, Dorgon only felt that he was in a desperate situation, and if he was negligent, he would fall into the abyss.The biggest enemy is standing by your side, why not take the initiative to approach him and look for opportunities.

The huge contrast made Huang Taiji very worried. He looked at Dorgon, and just as he wanted to comfort him, Dorgon raised his head and smiled brightly: "Brother, I want to ask you something."