The decision to go into the desert at the beginning of August was really crazy, and everyone - handsome or not, old, little men and women, seemed to be brushed with oil.
In the entire team, only Princess Xingping, who was wrapped in veil and cloak, and smeared on the ointment of the Beiliang court, still maintained her original skin color, but this skin color was already darker than when she left Beiliang. , He Mulan can't guarantee whether she still has that good skin when she arrives in Pingcheng.
As far as she knows, fair-skinned girls are prone to spots and sunburns.
'Your Majesty, it's not my fault if the Princess Xingping I brought back becomes ugly...' He Mulan thought with tears streaming down her face.
'In this world with no sunscreen and no air-conditioned cars, it would be amazing for me to be able to bring her back to Pingcheng! '
He Mulan's skin was tanned now, and she smiled with her not-so-white teeth. Not to mention that she herself said that she was a woman, even if some respected old man said she was a woman, I am afraid not half of them would believe her.
Later, He Mulan was forced by Zheng Zong, and half really had to add water. Drinking water on the road could reduce the consumption caused by a lot of sweating. There was no urine at all. If she doesn't just wipe it off with water at bedtime, she can even rub salt grains from her body.
Yuan Fang, Chen Jie and others would show complicated expressions every time they saw He Mulan's current dress and appearance, which meant something like "Your Majesty is too much to let a woman go to such a hot place" or something. I am afraid that in their hearts, Tuoba Tao has become an unscrupulous boss who squeezes every drop of sweat and tears of He Mulan.
After entering the desert, He Mulan realized the insignificance of human beings. The scenery between heaven and earth is exactly the same. No matter from which angle you look, it is sand, sand, sand...
Even a person with a strong sense of direction like He Mulan would have black eyes in the desert. She couldn't understand how the guides could tell the right path from the dunes that looked exactly the same.
The guide named Lao Sangtou that Gai Wu knew was indeed a very useful person. He taught everyone to tuck a cloth under the white hood to prevent sunburn on the scalp. He told everyone that you should not drink water when the sun is at its maximum and hottest, because not only will you not be able to quench your thirst, but you will also sweat immediately. You should add a lot of water in the evening and early morning, so that you will not suffer from lack of water during the day. syncope.
He led the mission to walk from the shade of the sand dunes. He knew every big oasis and small oasis in this desert. The guides Bei Liang recruited in Qingtong Gorge were like ignorant children in front of him. , everyone respectfully called him "Master Sang" at the end, because the help he brought to the entire mission was even greater than those hard-working camels.
The Lushuihu people are all honored, and at the same time, the stories about Lao Sangtou spread from the Lushuihu people.
What? In his early years, he walked east and west with Gaitiantai, went to the Devil's Gorge, went down the deep sea of Beiyan, climbed the snow-capped mountains, and crossed the swamps that no one has walked through. He was almost an expert in wild adventures. generally.
Although He Mulan knew that there were intentional exaggerations and bragging, the fact that there were such rumors in the team helped to increase the confidence of the entire team, so He Mulan did not care about these rumors. He Mulan had even heard rumors that "Old Sangtou knew about a desert treasure to fetch, but was tracked by horse thieves and had his fingers chopped off before he escaped".
Many people are very curious about the legendary "treasure". Some of them even bluntly asked Lao Sangtou if those treasures were real, but the angry Lao Sangtou directly drove them away.
Fortunately, he was among the Lushuihu people all day long, so he was not pulled directly into a corner by someone with a sack to extract a confession.
It's just outrageous to hear the sinister mind of the person with the treasure.
"Have you found out who sent it?"
He Mulan originally didn't want to stop the previous rumors, but when the rumors might endanger people's lives, especially Gai Wu came to ask He Mulan to investigate the matter in person, of course she had to make the decision that the team leader should have.
The investigation of the rumors was handed over to Zheng Zong and Yuan Fang. One of them was familiar with the situation of the whole group, and the other was proficient in the language of several tribes. After asking many people, Zheng Zong had some news.
"It wasn't from the Lushuihu people, but a soldier from the Iron Guard Battalion in Beiliang. He was from Dunhuang, and he heard about the 'night owl treasure hunt' locally. This old sangtou never broke his fingers before. He used to live in Dunhuang at the time, and he has some reputation. He once recruited people to enter the desert once, saying it was a treasure hunt, but the whole army was wiped out, only he came back with a broken finger... "
Zheng Zong's expression was serious: "After his hand was broken, he was always asked about the treasure in Dunhuang, and then disappeared one day, and has no trace in Dunhuang. Originally, this Beiliang native didn't know this old man. The head is that Ye Xiao, but the Lushui Hu people said that his previous name was 'Ye Xiao', and the characteristics of the broken finger were consistent, so it was passed on."
"So, he really knows that a treasure is in Dunhuang?" Gai Wu blinked, "Then why didn't he tell us? If he wants to take out the treasure, he doesn't need to run at that time, he just needs to gather the brothers from the Tiantai Army together. Going to Dunhuang is enough, isn’t it better than recruiting some other brands to go to the desert in Dunhuang?”
"No wonder he is so familiar with the desert, he knows how to protect himself, how to find water sources in the desert, and how to quickly pass through the dunes..." Yuan Fang thought about other issues, "This person has traveled deep into the desert before, or to enter the desert in order to After a lot of preparation, he can now live by being a 'guide' for the caravan. In this regard, he is a treasure."
"I don't want to hear about this in the embassy anymore." He Mulan frowned and said to Na Luohun beside him, "You pass my order, the whole army is not allowed to harass Lao Sangtou again. Even if he knows The news about the treasure is also his own business. There is no need to make it known to everyone. The military's heart is floating. We are here to pick up the family. Princess Xingping's dowry is already a headache. You don't even have to rush the road!"
"Yes!"
Naro nodded.
Gai Wu still frowned. He probably didn't know why Lao Sangtou went to Beiliang to "seek treasure" four years ago, and he didn't go back for so many years.
His experience in the past few years is a mystery, and he is reluctant to talk to them.
"It would be good if my grandfather was still alive." After a long time, Gai Wu sighed, "I still can't convince the public. It is precisely because I am not trustworthy that Uncle Sang dare not let us share his past."
"Don't blame yourself, everyone has a secret." He Mulan patted his apprentice on the shoulder and winked at him.
If she doesn't say that she is a woman, who can know that she is a woman
Gai Wu obviously also thought of this, smiled gratefully, and continued: "No matter what, Uncle Sang's character is absolutely..."
"General, Master Sang asks to see you!"
Mangu outside the door suddenly reported to the tent.
A group of people in the tent were discussing the matter of Lao Sangtou. At this time, it was said that Cao Cao and Cao Cao had arrived. Several people looked at each other, He Mulan adjusted his clothes and let him in.
When Lao Sangtou entered the account, he did not expect that there were so many people in it. After greeting everyone, Lao Sangtou told He Mulan with a worried expression:
"Tonight the stars are shining brightly, and the red moon appears again. From tomorrow onwards, we won't be able to make our way during the day."
"Why?"
He Mulan couldn't help but feel anxious when she heard that she couldn't hurry.
"This oasis is very small and there is not enough water. If we stay here for a few more days, our horses will die of thirst first!"
Horses drink much more water than humans. For so many days, horses' consumption of water has accounted for the largest part of the water loss. Even He Mulan's Yueying and Dahong have been languishing these days. Get up.
"The red moon and the stars appear together, indicating that the next few days will be extremely hot weather, and the heat will be even worse than now. The extremely hot weather will cause miasma to appear, and there will be 'gossamer' in the desert, and the gossamer will make the whole desert look like It's all twisted up and it's easiest to get lost, so from tomorrow onwards, we can't travel any longer during the day."
Old Sangtou is obviously also very troubled by this ghost weather now.
"Before I came, I communicated with several other guides. It will take two days to reach the next big oasis, but the journey is not bad. We will rest in this oasis where the sandstone is located tomorrow, but from the evening Begin to 'night-time sleepers', otherwise there will be a large number of people suffering from heat stroke, dehydration and even death."
He said it carefully, and everyone in the tent couldn't help but become serious.
"Departing at night? Can you see the way?"
Yuan Fang is most worried about getting lost. "It is difficult to identify the direction during the day. If you can't see the road at night, will you go the wrong way?"
"Traveling at night is no different from traveling during the day. For camels, it is almost unnecessary to use eyes to identify the direction. Several other guides and I have pointed the way at night, and this road is not an uncommon route. It is best to travel at night. Worrying about meeting is meeting poisonous insects and snakes, not the direction."
Old Sangtou didn't take his worries to heart.
"Does Master Sang think that we have to travel at night to reach Qinhan City? We can't take any risk during the day? We still have enough water."
He Mulan was also worried about the safety of the more than 5,000 people marching at night.
When the desert is docile, the white sand is no different from the beach. Although horses don’t like to walk in the desert, the firm sand does not hurt their hoofs. There is nothing wrong with walking except a little slower.
But the temperature difference between day and night in the desert is huge, and when the night is the coldest, you need to cover it with a woolen mattress. If you are traveling in thick clothes, and the temperature difference between day and night is too large, He Mulan is worried that most people will get sick.
"Staying here is even more dangerous. There is not enough water. I have not seen the soldiers of the Tiger Ben Army secretly drink water once or twice. They have not strictly controlled the amount of water they drink. The water in this oasis can be exhausted for us in one day…”
The water in the oasis is usually collected from the rainy season and underground springs. Once it is used up, it often takes a long time to renew it. Several guides shook their heads at the oasis, but it was a pity that later people had no water to use.
"That's the only way. I'll send Officer Bo Ya to order everyone to prepare water and food for the desert during the day tomorrow. From tomorrow onwards, we will travel every night and keep our spirits up during the day."
When He Mulan was cut off, he cut it off, and immediately summoned the Bo Ya officer in the mission to give orders, and then thanked Lao Sangtou: "Thank you Master Sang for your help along the way, we need you to take care of us a lot, and we will wait until we return. Pingcheng, I will report to Your Majesty and ask for a reward for you, Master Sang."
Unexpectedly, Lao Sangtou didn't even raise his eyebrows when he heard these words, he just looked at Gai Wu: "Young Master, can Lu Shuihu people be officials in Wei now?"
Gai Wu was stunned and shook his head.
"It's just giving fields, no one has been an official in the court yet."
"Not even the general?"
"No."
He Mulan stood there a little embarrassed, not knowing what Lao Sangtou meant by this.
"Since other Lushuihu people can't be an official, the reward I can get as a cripple is only some gold and silver. I'm like this now, and I don't care about wealth and silk." Lao Sangtou showed a sarcastic expression, "I'm not a helper. You are afraid that the clansmen will be inexplicably lost in the desert, General Hua had better be optimistic about his Hu Ben army, don’t drink water randomly, otherwise you will ask us for water.”
This time, even Gai Wu was a little embarrassed, so he could only say goodbye to He Mulan and drag Lao Sangtou out of the camp. After walking a long way, he could hear Gai Wu complaining to Lao Sangtou.
"Master Sang seems to have a big prejudice against the Wei people." Yuan Fang's eyes were faintly worried, "I don't know if he has suffered from Wei people other than Gaitiantai, and he is so cautious. ."
"Probably it was a loss on the way to escape. When Gai Wu wandered all the way to Pingcheng, he didn't know how much he suffered. Xianbei and Han people are very strict with Zahu, and they are not like Jie people and Di people. The appearance is quite different from the Central Plains people, and it can be seen at a glance that it is a mixed beard."
He Mulan sympathized with his experience and didn't say much.
Zheng Zong, who was on the side, opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything, but Yuan Fang, who was so thoughtful, found out what was wrong with him, and asked him curiously: "What do you want to say? Cover up."
"I have some guesses, I don't know if I should mention..."
Zheng Zong is always sensitive to the dark side of others.
"You may not have noticed that the last time the horse thieves attacked the caravan, even the leader and leader of the caravan where Lao Sangtou was dead died. But he was unscathed. Even if he has martial arts skills, most of the horse thieves are soft persimmons. He is not tall and has wounds on his hands. Why didn't the horse thieves attack him as an adult man?"
He Mulan blinked.
"There's a big difference between those who practice martial arts and those who don't know how to do martial arts. Even if you tie my hands, I can easily dodge an enemy as skilled as a horse thief."
"Not only that, on the night the general annihilated the horse thief, everyone was talking about the horse thief, but he didn't say a word about it. It stands to reason that the horse thief attacked his caravan and killed so many people, even if he was a temporary The hired guide has been with him for at least so many days, and he is not necessarily the same enemy. There is always a little feeling of hurting others, right? But after he entered the camp of the Lushuihu people, he never mentioned the previous caravan, strange. very."
Zheng Zong often hangs out with Lushuihu people on weekdays, and he also knows a little about this "Master Sang".
"What do you mean, Lao Sangtou probably knows that there are horse thieves on that road?" Yuan Xin thought carefully, and took a breath after thinking for a while.
"Do you mean that the old Sangtou is probably a spy who was ambushed by the horse thief in the caravan, who specially led the caravan to the road where there would be an accident?"
"I'm just guessing. I've been to Beiliang and Xia before, and I know that the guides in some places have colluded with the local horse thieves. If the people in a place can't survive, they will fall into trouble, and the local people will become thieves. In order to protect their relatives and friends who have fallen weed, they often cover them, or even become a group, designing the caravans and travelers in the past."
Zheng Zong said worriedly: "What is more convincing than a guide? Even if the caravan's guide points in the wrong direction, someone will follow him, just like he told us today to travel at night to avoid the scorching sun. If it is really an internal response, it is normal to guide the caravan to a remote place to start."
Yuan Fang and Chen Jie's expressions were already very ugly.
"This is really just a guess. Even if the old Sangtou and the sandstorm thieves are a group, we kill all the horse thieves, which means that he will find the family again, maybe just get rid of such a life and go back to his hometown. Now we need His ability, just watch him carefully, there is no need to startle the snake."
He Mulan was very distressed by Zheng Zong's ability to always go to great lengths to think badly about people.
Just as he was certain that Princess Xingping would seduce him.
Another example is that he thinks Lao Sangtou is by no means that simple.
"I don't think Zheng Zong's guess is completely unfounded. Lao Sangtou is too familiar with this road, and he is not a native of Beiliang." Yuan Fang had some confidence in Zheng Zong, "General, it's better than this. , every time the scouts sent out to explore the road will be sent several times more, walk a little further, make sure that there is no problem and come back. Especially the direction pointed by the old man..."
The horse thieves are not without a trace. Even if a team of more than 5,000 people wants to launch an ambush, they must at least have a similar number of people.
Experienced scouts can find clues hundreds of miles away, even in the desert. This is a natural intuition. It is almost impossible for so many people to completely hide.
"That's all."
He Mulan nodded, her heart heavy.
"Sure enough, the intention to harm others is indispensable, and the intention to guard against others is indispensable...?"
***
Old Sangtou's experience is really important.
In the early morning of the next day, the sun had just risen, and everyone noticed the heat that had never been seen before.
At this time, it was August in the lunar calendar, and it was already the beginning of September in modern times. Even in the desert, it would never be so hot. The sun was like fire in the sky, and there was not a single cloud. Everyone felt the terrifying warmth. Even if they wore close-fitting white clothes to avoid direct sunlight, they were still dizzy and dizzy.
Some people started watering right away, while others hid under the shadows formed by the crawling camels to cool off a little. It was impossible to live in the tent, which was not much different from the sauna room. Even Juqu Bodhi and Princess Xingping left their tent, wearing thin clothes and hiding under the shadows of a few camels.
A few palace maids fanned them by the side, and the remaining melons and fruits were cut into beautiful shapes and placed on the plate, which was used as a mouth-watering food before breakfast, causing many soldiers to look eagerly.
In the desert, whether your status is precious or not is also reflected in how many people serve you. The sun doesn't matter if you are a noble or not, you should bask in the sun together.
Princess Xingping also appeared in front of people more and more. Later, because it was too hot, occasionally she would take off her veil and appear with her younger brother Bodhi.
Princess Xingping's beauty is still able to withstand some men who have been immersed in women's lust all the year round, because her beauty is the full play of hormones. Men have seen many women, and they still have some resistance to her.
But for these middle-aged soldiers who have never seen a woman, live by war, and have never even touched a woman, Princess Xingping's appearance, body, and even her voice can arouse their infinite reverie.
The horror after the army was suppressed for a long time was indescribable. After He Mulan found out that more and more soldiers in the Hu Ben army began to follow Princess Xingping quietly, He Mulan immediately and decisively asked Meng Yulong to send iron. The Weiying closely protected Princess Xingping, and Prince Bodhi and his dark guard guards also tried to stay by Princess Xingping's side.
She knew that many of the boys in the Hu Benjun might not really want to offend Princess Xingping, and Xie wanted to talk to this beauty, and Xie wanted to "confess", but as long as one person does this, there will be countless People follow suit, maybe once one person gets out of control, Princess Xingping will be torn to shreds by the bloated lads that are about to explode.
Zheng Zong had already told her worriedly that he had seen many times when the young men with the Tiger Ben army got up in the morning to wash their trousers, and during the day there were also people looking at the back of Princess Xingping and seeing them fall off the horse.
Not because of deep thought, but because if you lose your posture on the horse, you will feel pain when riding. It is better to fall directly from the horse once. That kind of pain will distract your attention and make the swelling go away.
Only at this time did He Mulan know how terrible a woman is in the military camp. In the past TV dramas and those "joking" Hua Mulan, all of them were beautiful in appearance and good-looking. How could such a woman live in the army? get down
Men who are out of control and only have animal desires are likely to directly transform into beasts. When marching for a long time or the tension before a big war, a restlessness will trigger a camp change.
Even in order to eliminate the uneasy factor in the army, the coaches will expel or kill the woman.
He Mulan said with certainty that if Princess Xingping was not the object of their protection, and this woman was very important to the Northern Wei Dynasty, if it was another woman, no matter how ugly she was, when she found out that the Tiger Ben army was starting to get out of control, will kick her out.
She was so glad that Mulan was a girl who was neither beautiful nor plump.
Who is the most afraid of Hu Benjun
There must be He Mulan among them.
It is precisely because of this, for the safety of Princess Xingping and to appease Princess Xingping's emotions, whenever He Mulan is free, he must appear beside her and Prince Bodhi. It can block many people or prying or scorching eyes.
For Princess Xingping, at the beginning, she found that when many men showed her warm eyes, her heart was proud and satisfied.
She knew that she was extremely beautiful since she was a child, and she fully satisfied herself in the eyes of men, and thus found her self-confidence and established wrong values.
Think about it, countless men are obsessed with her, and can even watch her fall from the horse's back. What kind of beauty is this
Men conquer the world, women conquer men, and sometimes men do things that men can't do, and women even offer men with just one look.
But when there are more eyes like this, what Princess Xingping feels is not smug, but fear. No matter where she went, no matter what she did, countless people would stare at her, licking every inch of her skin with their eyes, and even the air was filled with the stinky smell of men, making her want to die. .
She was accompanied by more than 100 palace maids, some of whom found "good friends" in the Hu Ben army, and some in the Iron Guard camp, but they didn't dare to sneak out for the night or do anything too exaggerated. Not because of restraint, but because of so many eyes watching, who knows if someone will go crazy, from two Yan Hao to a group of demons dancing wildly
Women are naturally sensitive to this kind of thing, and they don't dare to take risks at all.
Fortunately, Princess Xingping's drowsiness and vomiting disappeared from a certain day, as if it suddenly disappeared, otherwise the situation would have been worse.
Maybe she's young, maybe she's in good shape, maybe it's because of God's favor, after her vomiting and drowsiness are gone, she can eat and sleep, even if she rides a camel all day in the scorching sun, her stomach has nothing to do It's uncomfortable, but after going to bed at night, I always have nightmares of having a miscarriage halfway while walking, or being dragged by a group of men to a no-man's place while walking...
At this moment, Hua Mulan seemed to hear her inner uneasiness, and approached her more and more.
"Sword Comes"
He is like a silent mountain, covering her eyes from everyone's visit and soothing her restless heart.
He is different from every man she has ever met. He doesn't speak eloquently, sometimes he doesn't even say a word. He has neither a handsome appearance nor a burly figure that makes people blush, but he just stands quietly. There, you can strangely calm your heart.
With him by her side, she was not afraid of other people's eyes at all, because as soon as others saw him, they would obediently lower their heads, as if for fear of letting him find out what was in their minds.
Because of his existence, Bodhi began to approach her more and more, getting closer to her, so that she also felt the warmth of her family in this isolated and helpless Tiger Ben army.
All of this was brought about by Mulan. Although he never said it, she gradually felt the soft heat beneath his icy exterior.
She was sure that he must also be watching her secretly, because every time she felt uncomfortable, he would always be the first to find out and then rush to her.
Last time, her camel was suddenly frightened, and everyone was panicking. Only he drove the Dawan horse named Yueying directly in front of it and took her directly from the camel's back.
At that time, his arms were so strong, his riding was so exquisite - at least she had not seen anyone who could move freely on horseback.
When Hua Mulan was sure she was safe, he even jumped off the horse and grabbed the reins of the camel, pulling it to a stop!
You know it's a camel! Compared with people, it is simply a behemoth!
The camel, which was so fierce when it got angry, was like a poor bastard who had unfortunately met a lion in front of him.
It was at that moment that Princess Xingping knew that this man was indeed extraordinary.
At least those rumors about his innate divine power or his noble character are not just rumors.
He must also love himself, just because she is a friendly princess, and he is so loyal to that majesty, so he can only suppress the turmoil in his heart and silently watch himself from behind.
He would patrol in front of her camp several times a day, he would prepare fresh melons and fruits for her, and a few times he went to the oasis, and he even carried several large buckets of water to bathe her...
Before, she thought he was very stinky, but after being with the other Tiger Ben Army and the Iron Guard Army, and even her younger brother Bodhi, she realized that the general's body odor was probably the smallest.
He must have noticed her sensitivity to smells, so he wiped it from time to time. He must have cared too much about her comfort, so he personally carried water so that Aijie could take a bath.
It was precisely because Hua Mulan brought all the water that no one in the embassy reprimanded her for taking such precious water to bathe.
How much wind and rain has he shielded her from
His love is not completely concealed, at least the translator beside him who is often surprised seems to have found something, always pretending to insert between the two of them unintentionally, or block them both. It is hateful to talk to people, or to keep them from being alone.
This translator was so snarky, looking at them like a thief, if it was not a lackey specially sent by Tuoba Tao, or he had unbearable thoughts towards her or him.
Are others as careful as he is? She looked at the guards that Mulan was close to, whether it was Chen Jie or the one named Na Luohun, they didn't care.
Just as they completely believed in Hua Mulan's conduct, there would never be any cowardice.
Hey, thinking about it like this, she was a little annoyed by Hua Mulan's too upright personality, and even the people around him were so magnanimous, how rigid should he be
When she thought that her plan was so far away, and that the children might all come out, Princess Xingping felt a little anxious again.
But because of Mulan's silent tenderness, Princess Xingping felt a little ashamed of herself.
She even felt that she was selfishly pulling Hua Mulan to be unlucky together, not only sorry for Bei Liang who raised her, but also sorry for Hua Mulan and these mission members who came all the way to welcome her.
She has seen soldiers who were still sleeping in the middle of the night, but they were silent during the day. The kind monk said that he was bitten to death by a scorpion that haunted at night, and this kind of thing happened more and more frequently. I dare not sleep until I have smoked my tent with an unpleasant twig at night.
It is precisely because of so many hardships and dangers on the road that Princess Xingping began to realize that perhaps for this peace, the people of Wei country are not much less than the people of Beiliang.
If something goes wrong with her and cannot succeed with her relatives, what will Bei Liang do
What will happen to her brother Bodhi
Hua Mulan, who was falsely accused by herself, may be able to escape death, but she will probably hate her to the bones in this life.
Thinking of this, Princess Xingping had the urge to take Wushi San to relieve anxiety.
Since her mission to the present, she has endured for a long time not to use the five stone powder. The scorching sun also suppressed the chill on her body, which never happened.
'Wait until it's safe...'
Princess Xingping looked at Mulan silently.
At this time, he was dozing on the camel in front of him, and Juqu Bodhi, who was sleepy early in the morning, fell asleep on his lap, and the latter was lying there, docile like a kitten.
She really wanted to be herself lying in that position right now.
Even though there was still a slightly sour smell of sweat on his body, but because of the good feeling in his heart, the smell of sweat was like a special mark on Hua Mulan's body, which made her disgusted at all.
Princess Xingping leaned on the camel and looked down at her toes...
So slowly crazy.
***
After a day's rest, both horses and camels are adjusted. After the sky gradually turned red and the temperature dropped, He Mulan ordered all the people to let the horses and camels nibble away the only turf and shrubs left in the oasis, bring all the water they could carry, and follow the old Sangtou to start walking. On the footsteps into the desert.
At the beginning, everyone was still in high spirits. The Hu Ben army had also marched at night or launched overnight raids. They were no strangers to this kind of night travel, so they could still chat with each other to pass the time.
But as the night got darker, even with wind lanterns and torches in hand, he couldn't see anything more than ten feet away, and the weather became cold. He Mulan had to order all the camels to go to the front of the line. At least the camel is taller, and seeing the back of the camel is better than seeing a gust of wind blowing and thinking it is a ghostly atmosphere.
The camel walked silently, and the camel bell was heard from afar. In order to adjust the atmosphere, Yuan Fang joked: "If any caravan sees our group of troops traveling at night, they must think that they have seen a ghost, or A whole bunch of ghosts…”
"Do Hundred Ghosts Walk at Night?"
He Mulan looked around without being amused at all.
There is no reference in the desert, so it is more frightening than marching at night. Looking around, except that the sand is sand, and there is no wind tonight, the sand has not changed much, but occasionally some snakes or some reptiles crawled out, making strange crawling sounds of salad salads, and occasionally the horses neighed in shock.
The people in the Hu Ben Army are all veterans who kill without blinking an eye, but in the face of this strange atmosphere, everyone is like a boulder pressing on their chests, no one can think of a joke, so they can only squeeze tightly. Lips, only looking at the burning torch ahead.
The burning torches are like their hope and beacon, allowing them to relax a little.
"Master Sang, can you make some noises? Like singing a song together or something?" He Mulan called out to the guides who were leading the way.
"It's so boring now, I'm afraid someone will fall asleep on horseback later."
Several guides laughed when they heard He Mulan's words.
"General Hua, you feel quiet now, but it will only be noisy later!" a guide said with a smile: "wait for the place we are going to pass through, we are all called 'noisy sand', you'd better let your subordinate do it Be mentally prepared, don't fall off your horse and camel!"
Old Sangtou was also half-smiling, pointing to a direction in front of him where he couldn't see anything at all.
"From here, we walked straight through a patch of rustling sand, a patch of dunes and sandstone, and in the daytime there was natural shade, and our destination was there. There was no oasis, but we had enough water to go. The next oasis can be reached in one day.”
"Huh? That sandstone that's always windy? Are we going there?"
Several guides asked him strangely: "Didn't we go all the way to the sand head?"
Sand heads are huge bulging dunes. Some dunes will not move. In the process of rushing, they are natural indicators, and there is no danger in resting on the sand heads.
But if you sleep under the sand and the wind really blows, it is very likely that people will be buried alive.
"There is no wind at all tonight, and the sandstone city is safe." Lao Sangtou looked at the sand that had not changed at all. "We have to rest during the day. The sand head is too hot and will dehydrate people."
"That's what it says."
The guides looked at the sky today and began to admire Lao Sangtou's decision.
"This way you can rest early, your decision is right!"
They are all shrewd people. Knowing that this old sangtou is hooked up with Hua Mulan, and is an old friend of Hua Mulan's apprentice, they are happy to hand over the decision to him. In this way, the money is taken and the blame is on him, as long as he can point the way. .
After walking for a while, maybe for a short time, maybe for a long time, because everyone was drowsy and didn't know how long they had been walking, and suddenly heard a strange sound.
The sound was sharp and loud, as if the index finger was playing on a taut silk string, but it was the second, third, fourth...
The people and horses all showed uneasy expressions, and some people even screamed "there is a ghost" out loud. The camels were overwhelmed by the sound behind them, and stopped all of a sudden, and the entire team stopped.
Only the sharp sound continued, the harsh sound kept ringing, and some of the people in the Hu Ben Army were so nervous that they pulled out their weapons.
"Don't panic, it's Mingsha!"
"Don't use your weapons, everyone, this is the sound of sand dunes, only found in the desert, this is the sound of sand!"
He Mulan and Meng Yulong immediately shouted in tandem, soothing the nervousness of the soldiers.
Meng Yulong has also walked through a lot of deserts. Naturally, he knows that this is a strange phenomenon in the desert. Although it sounds ugly and scary, it is not dangerous at all.
He Mulan knew about "Mingsha" in the book before, so he quickly realized it.
Seeing that the two generals knew what was going on, Old Sangtou turned around unexpectedly and smiled with satisfaction: "It's fine if you don't mess up, just follow the camel in front and go straight through."
At this time, the sky was completely dark, and the temperature was so cold that Princess Xingping was already wrapped in a blanket. He Mulan sent a group of scouts to come and go in the sand pile in front of him several times. There was no danger at all, so he ordered the army to move on.
That Mingsha can really scream, like a silk and bamboo orchestra, and it was played by an urchin who didn't have any rules. When the army passed by on the sounding sand, the sound was even louder, like an enlarged version of a fingernail scraping glass. Everyone was screaming, and everyone accelerated their speed and tried their best to pass through.
Because this section of Mingsha Road was too weird, everyone was exhausted. Princess Xingping almost fainted from fright. Juqu Boti even directly asked He Mulan to ride with him because his legs were already weak and he couldn't Way to ride a horse.
After a lot of tossing, and there are camels running away from the team to find them back, the rocky sandy ground that should have been there before dawn was stunned to be seen only when the sky turned out the fish belly white.
"My God, why is it called again!"
Zheng Zong was about to collapse and looked at a dark shadow in the distance.
Listening from a distance, it seems that there is a wind passing through the gap, and the sound is shrill and miserable, but because the sound is subtle, it is not very obvious.
It's a pity that Zheng Zong was scared crazy by Mingsha just now. Now that he heard the sound again, he almost ran away on a horse.
"Don't worry, General, such a small voice means that there is no wind blowing." Lao Sangtou pointed to the distance, "It is often windy there, so a natural mesa is formed. The sand accumulates there, forming a sandstone-like formation. The high ground is like a city wall, and the wind is very gentle in the high ground, and there is no danger."
The other guides were also tired and sleepy, and nodded frequently.
He Mulan asked people to raise a few torches, looked at them carefully for a while, and then nodded.
It is a sand dune with Yadan landform, probably because the wind is not so strong, the age is not so far away, the scale is extremely small, and it is not as spectacular as the famous Devil City in Xinjiang.
But what Lao Sangtou said was right. If there is a height difference, there will be shadows. If there are shadows, you can rest during the day.
Because He Mulan has the knowledge of later generations, her anxiety is not as serious as the others. She just sent the scouts of the Hu Ben Army to the sandstone in front of her to inquire, and let the others wait in place.
About half an hour later, the scouts who went to inquire came back, and the situation was as Old Sangtou said. Not only was there no danger, but the sand foxes and wolves that were common in the desert were not haunted.
"Keep going! Reach the rocky sand before dawn."
He Mulan let out a long breath.
The long night walk is finally coming to an end.