Wulong Inn

Cangzhou Jiaqing Pass

The first snow of the new year covered the inside and outside of the pass with a thick layer of cotton white. The heavy snow lasted for three days. It was not until the fourth day that the snowflakes the size of goose feathers faded out of people's sight, but there were still drifting in the sky A little snow.

A light snowflake fluttered down under the fierce north wind, and finally slowly melted into a glass of wine that had just been warmed. Zhang Boxing slowly picked up the wine glass, drank it down, and felt violent The hot stream swirled in the stomach, and then slowly burst out from the mouth, turning into a ball of solid white air.Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Boxing felt that the already numb limbs and bones had become a little more conscious, and he couldn't help but said calmly: "Good wine!"

"Heh," the man sitting opposite him seemed very happy when he heard the words. After a chuckle, he also drank his own wine in one gulp, and let out a sigh of relief. He looked at Zhang Boxing and said in a harmonious voice: "Why don't you go back, think of coming to accompany me, an old man." The gentle and mellow male voice made people feel very comfortable.

Zhang Boxing frowned slightly when he heard the words, and said in disapproval: "Uncle Luo is in his prime, how could he be an old man."

Hearing this, Luo Cheng smiled and shook his head and said, "Old man, in previous years, it would not be a problem to stand outside for a day, now, hmph," after saying that, Luo Cheng tapped his stiff knees: "Now, the weather is a little colder , there are bursts of pain here, I can't accept it." He said, showing some distressed expression on his face, and the expression was only for a moment, and soon, Luo Cheng smiled and said: "I'm worried about you Second Uncle, why come here to avoid the limelight?"

Hearing the words, Zhang Boxing finally nodded with a wry smile: "Now, things are about to happen, but I don't want him to see any flaws."

Hearing this, Luo Cheng nodded knowingly, but still said: "After all, I still have to go back and have a look. No matter what, the ceremony of worshiping the ancestors cannot be delayed."

Zhang Boxing nodded and said, "Uncle Luo, don't worry, I'll save it."

Seeing him nodding, Luo Cheng felt a little relieved, thought for a while, and said, "Speaking of which, I will go to Zhongdu after the new year, so who should preside over this matter in Cangzhou?"

"I already have a rough plan for this," Zhang Boxing said generously: "The business and trade within the pass and the coordination of all parties will be handed over to Mr. Luo and Mr. Tao, and Zhang Zhao will be in charge of the dark army for the time being. Of course, I have to ask Uncle Luo."

Luo Cheng heard the words and said with emotion: "This Jiaqing Pass is originally my responsibility, and I will not shirk it, but you, Zhang Zhao were left in Cangzhou by you, who will go to Zhongdu with you?" Continue to worry.

But Zhang Boxing didn't care: "It's just one more person when he's gone, how can he help, and I'll bring a few more escorts this time." Seeing Luo Cheng's eyes became more worried, Zhang Boxing laughed Dao, after thinking for a while, took out a bright yellow document from his arms, and handed it to Luo Cheng.

Luo Cheng took it with some doubts, first casually glanced at the above content, but then widened his eyes in surprise: "Secret decree!?" Looking at Zhang Boxing in surprise, Luo Cheng said in amazement .

"That's right, there is His Majesty's private seal." Nodding his head, Zhang Boxing agreed.

However, Luo Cheng turned around from the initial surprise and began to read the contents of the paper carefully. After a while, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "If it's true as mentioned above, then your arrangement is not so bad. Nothing wrong." Seeing the words, he seemed to feel relieved a lot.

"Originally, I also had some concerns, but since the Yuan family can come up with His Majesty's secret decree, I have the right to trust them for a while." After collecting the secret letter, Zhang Boxing analyzed: "It is said that you have no jokes, and what's more. This Kaiyuan is the time when there are endless worries, thinking about it, Your Majesty should not break his promise to me, Mrs. Zhang."

"It should be so, it should be so." Hearing this, Luo Cheng also nodded.

"However, as the saying goes, the world is unpredictable, and there are always accidents, so I have to stay behind." Speaking of this, Zhang Boxing's eyes turned sharp: "I will never forget the lessons of my father's generation. I, Zhang One school can't stand two insults."

Hearing this, Luo Cheng's expression became dignified, he thought for a while and said: "Xing'er, no matter what you do, your Uncle Luo will support you, but there is one thing you can't forget, you are my Kaiyuan people, what you do What you do is to be worthy of your status!" After speaking, Luo Cheng looked at Zhang Boxing who was standing aside.

When Zhang Boxing heard the words, his face also became solemn, and he respectfully agreed.

Seeing this, Luo Cheng showed a satisfied expression on his face, thought for a while and said: "Speaking of which, last time you asked me to pay attention to outside the pass..."

"What, did you find anything?" Seeing Luo Cheng mentioning it, Zhang Boxing immediately diverted his attention.

Luo Cheng frowned slightly when he heard the words: "It's not a discovery, but the two volumes of Rou Ran Man Zhen have been too quiet recently, but it's nothing unusual, after all, it's winter." After a pause, he said: "As for the previous After several months of looting, since you merged several large caravans and sent more people, those people have never appeared again. Therefore, I think that group of people should be just a small group of Qiang Yuan rogues. It's not like this happened before. Although most of the Qiangyuan people were killed, there are still a few escaped from the customs, but the number of people is too small after all. In addition, we have spared no effort to clean up these years. It is absolutely impossible to succeed. What kind of weather?"

"Is that so..." After listening to Luo Cheng's words, Zhang Boxing said slowly, but the worry in his heart increased a bit. According to his intuition, this matter is far from as simple as Luo Cheng said, and it will not be so easy. the end of...

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The heavy snow inside the pass had stopped for quite a while, but outside the pass, it was baptized by falling snow. Wanas, the largest grassland in the Western Regions, has long since lost any green traces in the blizzard and the biting cold wind. The vast land was lashed mercilessly, and all the trees and houses were covered up. The fat sheep and the healthy shepherds all disappeared in this bad weather.

In a hidden leeward canyon, several tents made of animal skins and felts stood firmly in the wind and snow, even though the cold wind raged, they did not waver at all.

Among the pile of tents, there is one that is very conspicuous, only because it is extraordinarily large, and the felt on the roof is extra thick.

A more comfortable living environment has always only meant rights, status, or ability, but this theorem has never changed. Therefore, the owner of the tent in the center should obviously be the leader of this simple camp.

A strong man sat alone in this huge tent, drinking the kumiss in his hand with a cold expression. The raging wind and snow outside seemed to have nothing to do with him, but his slight frown still revealed his mood. Obviously, he was Why are you troubled.

Suddenly, the man came back from his imaginings, and looked towards the closed curtain as if he felt something. Not long after, accompanied by the "click, click" sound of the cowhide boots stepping into the thick snow, that The tightly closed curtain was pulled open suddenly, and a tall figure walked in with biting cold air. His figure blocked the wind and snow outside the tent, but the ear-piercing whistling sound of Changfeng still came in.

But seeing that person enter the tent, he first bowed stiffly to the owner of the tent, seeing the owner of the tent nodding his head slightly, he picked himself up on his own.

I saw that he first took off the cloak that was tight on his body and covered his head and face, so his face was finally exposed, but the snow powder on his face made him feel a little funny, but he wiped it vigorously. A face, so, a rough and unrefined face finally saw the light of day.

After shaking off the snow powder on the cloak, the man patted the snow particles sticking to his body. After finishing all this, he came to the tent owner and carefully sat down on the nearest piece of felt. Down.

"Boss!" he said gruffly.

The man called the leader first handed over the kumiss in his hand, and then showed his face and said, "Welcome back, my brother!"

The man was not polite, he drank the wine in his hand in one gulp, let out a breath of comfort, and said with a smile: "This snowstorm is really severe. According to my opinion, it will last at least two or three days."

"It won't get any better in the next few days." The leader said with certainty after hearing the words.

Hearing the words, the man lost his voice and said: "That's really a hell, obviously, I am very convinced of the leader's assertion.

Shaking his head, he didn't answer the man's words. Seeing that he was gradually warming up, the leader said unhurriedly: "How is it?"

The man turned bitter when he heard the words, shook his head and said: "No, I don't know if there is a precaution. Now all the caravans are leaving the country, and the accompanying guards have tripled. There is no chance at all." As he said that, he complained bitterly: "Damn it, these Kaiyuan people are more cowardly than rabbits!"

Although he had been mentally prepared for a long time, when he heard such news suddenly, the leader still showed a little disappointment on his face. It has been more than a month. It has been such a long time since they set up the camp here, but they No longer able to plunder any caravan as easily as at the beginning, it is obvious that the other party has become vigilant and prepared.

But so what, one day I will take my cavalry and level the entire Kaiyuan!Thinking of the ambition in his heart, a little patience is nothing now, and after a moment of silence, he ordered: "Forget it, you don't need to investigate any more in the next few days."

Seeing the unwillingness of the man beside him, he patted him on the shoulder and said in relief, "Don't worry, it won't be long before we show our talents." After speaking, his eyes turned to the closed curtain, firmly He said: "As long as the snow melts and our fellow clansmen reunite, then I will let the glory of the ancestors come to Vanas again. That is, I will take back all the things that belong to my Qiangyuan people!"

There is a strong confidence in his words, and it is clear that this is not just a simple declaration.

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