As the two chatted, Lianhua understood why Ma Sanbao looked so familiar.
He resembles a person very much, Cao Xiu. Yes, he is my younger brother.
The same young body, the same long hands and feet, the same bright and bright smile, the same slightly exposed fangs, and even the same cheerful and cheerful laughter. It's just that Ma Sanbao's speaking voice is a little different, it's particularly crisp, like Cao Xiu's voice before he changed his voice, and more like Hai Shou's voice. Lianhua couldn't help but feel a little confused when she listened to Ma Sanbao's words.
"Yes, I am the servant of the palace." Ma Sanbao explained as if he understood what Lianhua was thinking. It was very natural. After hearing this, Lianhua felt pity in her heart. When she saw Ma Sanbao's bright smile, she couldn't help but feel relieved and smiled at him. The two looked at each other and smiled, feeling warm in their hearts at the same time.
The chamberlain mentioned here is the eunuch. Ma and Ma Sanbao were known as the "Three Treasures Eunuch" in history. In the second year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, they were given the surname Zheng by Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty to commemorate his military exploits, so he was named "Zheng He". Starting from the third year of Yongle (AD 1405), Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean in twenty-eight years, an unprecedented feat in the history of human navigation. This is something to talk about later, let’s not mention it for now.
Lianhua pointed to her left arm and asked, "Is this what you bandaged for me?"
"Yes. The arrow shot quite deep and there was a lot of blood, but luckily the poison was not quenched. You should be fine after applying the wound medicine and resting for a few days. When I saw you in the afternoon, you were almost buried in the sand. The good yellow horse is standing aside, and it will be dangerous if it is discovered later."
Ma Sanbao spoke quickly with a smile, while picking up the broken arrow on the ground and showing it to Lianhua: "This Mongolian arrow has a barb on the head. When taking it out, you have to open your wound a little. It hurts you so much." You haven't woken up yet, I was worried that you wouldn't wake up, but fortunately, a few of us gave you water together." Then he looked at the bandaged area: "The wound hurts a lot, doesn't it?"
"Fortunately, it doesn't hurt much," Lianhua imagined that he found her in the desert, cut open the wound, pulled out the arrow and bandaged it under the scorching sun, and stayed by her side... She felt grateful in her heart and couldn't help but smile at Ma Sanbao again: "Thank you."
The cool breeze in the evening blew, and the long hair of the lotus flower was blown up by the wind. Although the face was still full of mud and stains, this smile was like spring flowers blooming, autumn rain falling on the pond, and the wind making the sunset beautiful.
Ma Sanbao was stunned for a moment, and then said: "You have a rest, drink some water and eat something, and then I will take you to see our prince." He handed over the water bag and a bag of dried meat.
Lianhua took the water bag and shook his head at the dried meat: "I am a vegetarian and do not eat meat." Looking at Ma Sanbao, he explained: "I have taken refuge in the Buddhist group since I was a child and keep the five precepts."
After hearing this, Ma Sanbao turned around and shouted: "Jinghong! Bring some noodles!"
A clear voice responded: "Here we come!" A soldier ran over from the crowd in the distance. He also had long arms and legs. He looked younger than Ma Sanbao, but his serious expression looked quite mature and steady.
Ma Sanbao introduced: "This is my deputy Wang Jinghong. We have been following the prince since we were young." He took the noodle cake from Wang Jinghong smoothly.
Wang Jinghong nodded to Lianhua and said hello, without saying anything, he turned around and ran back to the team.
Lianhua asked curiously: "Who is your prince?"
"King Yan of the Ming Dynasty." Ma Sanbao answered as he handed the dough cake to Lian Hua: "The Mongols have been harassing the northern border. The prince has been marching north under orders in recent years. A few months ago, he heard that there was a Mongolian army here, so he Come to this area.”
"King Yan..."
Lianhua thought to herself, and the introduction line on Li Fangyuan's album jumped into her mind: "The King of Yan is the fourth son of the emperor. Since the death of Prince Zhu Biao, King of Qin, Zhu Ping, King Zhu Fang of Jin, he has been the head of the kings in the family order. The title of vassal is In Peiping, Hongwu became a vassal in the 13th year of his reign, and his military strength was strong... So, he is thirty-eight years old this year, and he is the uncle of the emperor's grandson, that is, his uncle... "
While I was thinking, I heard Ma Sanbao ask: "What is your name?"
Looking at Ma Sanbao's inquiring face, Lianhua felt a little worried. She had nothing, how could she prove her identity? What would King Yan's attitude towards him, who was still marching north in the desert? Forget it, let’s wait until we leave the desert before making any plans.
Lianhua hesitated and said, "My name is Xiaolian."
Ma Sanbao looked at the lotus and waited. Seeing nothing more, he smiled and didn't ask any more questions. Passed another one over
piece of cake.
Lianhua shook her head: "I'm full." As she spoke, she combed her fingers and smoothed her long hair, then straightened her clothes slightly and patted away the sand, and said, "I'm fine."
Ma Sanbao stood up holding Lotus and slowly walked towards the Ming army.
There were about twenty or thirty people in the team, sitting neatly on the ground, quietly drinking water and eating, while the horses were scattered aside to rest. The yellow horse he rode was also in the middle, and it looked like he was recovering well.
Lotus was still very weak and stopped walking for dozens of meters. Ma Sanbao was very patient and did not rush her. He held her with one hand and kept smiling. The two came to the middle of the team.
Ma Sanbao signaled Lianhua to stand firm, loosened his grip and bowed forward to salute: "Your Majesty!"
A very burly middle-aged man sat casually among the crowd. His old purple tang-colored robe was covered with dust, but he naturally had an aura that stood out among the crowd. He has a Chinese character face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he is not angry but has a strong sense of authority. The big hand like a cattail leaf fan was placed casually on the knee, holding a piece of dough, but it seemed to be holding gods, ghosts, and all the people in the world.
While listening to Ma Sanbao's report, the man looked up and down at the lotus with a look of surprise on his face. After hearing this, he smiled at Lianhua and asked, "I am Zhu Di, King Yan of the Ming Dynasty. What is your name?"
This short smile is like a sharp sword splitting the dark clouds, and like spring thunder blasting the night sky, the light is dazzling and thrilling. The lotus has grown so big, and for the first time I felt panicked and at a loss.
"What's your name?" Zhu Di asked again.
The lotus flower calmed the mind, and she put on her clothes as a gift: "Xiao Lian, a common girl, has met the prince."
"Xiao Lian? You look pitiful." Zhu Di then asked, "Where are you from? How did you get hit by a Mongolian arrow?"
"The civilian girl was originally kidnapped. She escaped in the dark of night and was shot by an arrow from the pursuing soldiers."
"Pursuing troops? Mongolian cavalry? Why did they kidnap you?" Zhu Di's eyes were sharp.
"The women were taken captive in Tieling. There were still many Mongolians there." Lianhua spoke a little slowly and did not answer directly.
"Tieling, so far away? Do you know who kidnapped you?" Zhu Di asked while thinking.
Lianhua hesitated a little and turned to look at Ma Sanbao, who gave her an encouraging smile.
"You can just say it, don't be afraid." Zhu Di said in a gentle tone.
"It's Thorin Timur."
"What?" Zhu Di jumped up suddenly, took a step forward, held Lianhua's shoulders with both hands, and stared into Lianhua's eyes: "Say it again?"
Lian Hua felt a little pain from being held, and couldn't help but frown: "Solin Tiemu'er, Pingzhang of the Great Yuan Dynasty."
"Ha!" Zhu Di let go: "This guy is really around here!" He walked a few steps with his hands behind his hands, then stopped and asked: "I found you in the afternoon, how long have you been running for?"
"Two nights and one day, maybe two nights and two days." Lotus thought thoughtfully and replied: "That place is called Cheche'er Mountain."
Zhu Di almost jumped up again, as if he was a different person, with excitement on his face: "What else do you know? Tell me!"
"It should be all the way to the north, where there is a station. The deputy envoy of the Privy Council, Bo'er, is also here."
"Haha!" Zhu Di rushed up. Lianhua had suffered a lot just now and couldn't help but take two steps back. Zhu Di stopped, turned around and held Ma Sanbao's shoulder: "God help me! This little pity of yours is really a gift from the Queen Mother!" His words were vulgar and he was unabashedly cheerful.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" Ma Sanbao's smiling smile did not change at all. Could it be that you are used to being caught like this so often that you have calluses on your shoulders
Zhu Di turned to Lianhua again: "Approximately how many Mongolians are there?"
Lianhua looked at the Ming army sitting on the ground. There were about twenty, maybe thirty? I was counting secretly in my mind and couldn't help but worry: "Isn't this King Yan just going to fight him like this?"
Ma Sanbao seemed to notice her worry and explained softly: "This is our scout team, elite scouts. The army is in Daning Mansion, not far away."
Zhu Di was startled and then laughed.
Lotus blushed and thought for a while: "Give me a branch."
The lotus flower held the branch in its right hand and carefully drew Sorin Tiemur's station on the sand: the shape of the mountains and water, the location of the tents, cattle, sheep and horses, and the guarding soldiers, and also specially marked Sorin Tiemur's big tent. . The lotus has good painting skills. Even though it is on the sand, it is still clearly visible at a glance.
Zhu Di and Ma Sanbao Wang Jinghong watched carefully from behind and discussed in low voices. I couldn't hear what was said. It seemed that Ma Sanbao and Wang Jinghong had some disputes. Wang Jinghong tried to persuade her with a long speech, but Ma Sanbao's last sentence was a bit loud: "I believe her!".
Are you talking about yourself? Lianhua was confused and couldn't help but stop the branch in her hand.
"Is the painting done?" Zhu Di stepped forward, looked at the sand painting, and asked a few questions. But Lianhua was confined in a small tent at that time, so her knowledge was actually very limited, and she couldn't answer some questions.
Zhu Di thought quietly for a while, then turned to Ma Sanbao and said, "Hurry up and return to Daning immediately overnight and call General Lu to send troops across Cheer Mountain. This is my order." As Zhu Di said this, he tore off a corner of his shirt. , the military order was written in a flash.
"Your Majesty, let's go back to Daning Mansion with the small team and set off with the army." Ma Sanbao advised.
Zhu Di glared at him: "No need to talk nonsense! Go quickly!"
Zhu Di arrived in this area a few months ago. Countless scout teams wandered around the desert for many days. King Yan himself also made several trips, but for more than two months, he did not even see the shadow of the Mongols. The three people just discussed whether Xiao Lian's information was true or a trap. Wang Jinghong thought he should be careful, but Ma Sanbao believed Xiao Lian.
Zhu Di was about to send troops now, so he chose to believe it. Soldiers are valuable and quick. Since you believe it and are ready to fight, everything must be done quickly. Zhu Di wished that his army would appear at Checheer Mountain immediately and fight a tough battle face to face. These past two months have been really frustrating.
Ma Sanbao did not dare to say any more, so he took the military order and said, "My lord, please be more careful. I will arrive at Daning Mansion at noon tomorrow, and the army will set off in the afternoon. It is estimated that we will reach Checheer Mountain in four days." He hurriedly mounted his horse and galloped away. Before getting on the horse, he glanced at Lotus as a greeting.
"Four days... King Yan's army is really elite." Lianhua thought to herself. This speed is similar to that of a single person running a fast horse. I have only heard that the Mongolian horses are fast and the cavalry team moves quickly. I did not expect that the Ming Dynasty's cavalry was so powerful.
"Well, Xiao Lian! Get ready!" Zhu Di from the front shouted, probably wanting to lead the team forward, but seeing that Lianhua was still covering her arms, he hesitated for a moment and then changed his words: "Rest here tonight. , set off with my team tomorrow morning!"
After resting, the scout soldiers gathered around, and Lianhua smiled and greeted them. They were all young people. They smiled at Lianhua naively, and some shyly shouted: "Little pity girl!" Some people took out food from their bags and handed it to Lianhua, and there was actually a boiled egg. Lianhua agreed with a smile, her eyes filled with tears at some point.
King Yan watched from a distance with his hands behind his back, thoughtfully.
It was already dark, the moon hung high in the dark and deep sky, and the stars were shining brightly. Four scouts stood at the four corners to guard from a distance. King Yan's reconnaissance team formed a circle and lay down on the spot to rest. The lotus wrapped its cloak tightly and lay in the middle.
In order to prevent the Mongols from finding out, there was no fire, and the night wind was blowing and it was quite cold. However, the worry, anxiety, panic and fear of the past few days have all dissipated, and Lianhua only feels unusually warm and at ease in her heart. Nanhuo Zhao Keshan is happy to have a long life and Zheng Zongze. So many people are desperately hoping that they can go to the Celestial Dynasty; but now, I am finally lying in the middle of the Celestial Dynasty army. Maybe I can return to the Central Plains soon, go to the capital, and move to the reinforcements. . Lotus took a long breath and fell asleep, with a smile on her lips.
In the silent night, everything is still.
Suddenly, Zhu Di in Yuanzhong jumped up: "Get up! Meet the enemy!". Two alert scouts from the north were running over, gesturing as they ran.
Dozens of scouts quickly jumped up and onto their horses. Wang Jinghong quickly arranged for everyone to line up in a formation, with a team of eight people on the left and right, and a dozen people in the middle, with Wang Jinghong himself in the middle. Zhu Di stood in the left team. Wang Jinghong hurriedly pulled Lianhua behind the crowd, far away, and quickly piled a pile of sand in front of her.
Zhu Di turned around and roared: "Lie there! Don't move!"
The night is silent. Under the moonlight and stars, the horses listened nervously, and the scouts stood erect on their backs. The team in the middle held bows and arrows, the team on the right took out crossbows, and the team on the left held a long black iron tool in their right hand, and put their left hand into a large deerskin bag on their waist. It was unknown what was in the bag.
After a long time, Lianhua heard the sound, which was the familiar sound of horse hooves, rumble, rumble, rumble. Zheng Zongze risked his life to block the Mongolian pursuers, but finally caught up with them.
Lianhua thought of Zheng Zongze and felt another pain in her heart.
Can you escape this time