The lead clouds are low, the north wind is cold, the goose feathers are snowing one after another, and Qiongyao is everywhere.
The royal city of Gaochang was shrouded in a piece of plain silver.
The drums reverberated, the city gate opened, and a caravan composed of camels and horses slowly drove out of the gate. Several carts were loaded with goods, and the barbarian guards wearing felt hats and machetes on their waists followed the team on horseback. Both sides, patrol back and forth.
Yaoying was wearing a snow-white cloak, long boots, a thick felt hat with brocade rims on her head, and a wind and snow mask on her face. At the back of the team, out of the city gate, looking around, there is a vast expanse of snow in front of you.
The wind howled, the caravan left the royal city, facing the wind and snow, driving on the wide snowy road.
Yaoying Lema stood at a high place, and looked around to find the figure of Sultan Gu.
He rode at the front of the team one by one, far away from the others, hunting in black clothes, tall and straight back, stern and lonely, thousands of mountains, and independent peaks.
Yaoying looked at his cold back, and a strange feeling filled her heart again.
Since the night before, Sultan had not said a word to her.
She has something to discuss with him, and every time it is Yuanjue who conveys it on his behalf.
Yesterday, in order to talk to Sultan, she deliberately waited until it was dark, her feet were sore, and she finally met him on the front porch. As soon as she went up to meet him, he glanced at her lightly, raised his feet and walked away.
He didn't avoid her on purpose, just as if he didn't know her suddenly, his eyes were as cold as frost and snow.
Yaoying stood there with a blank expression on her face.
Yuanjue twitched the corners of her mouth and smiled awkwardly, explaining that the Prince Regent has always been like this, please don't mind.
Yaoying smiled and didn't ask any further questions.
Fate is lying.
Sultan ancient times are not like this. He looked cold and indifferent, ignoring anyone, but as long as anyone in the team was in danger, he would definitely come to the rescue. He knew that she was testing his identity when she was sick, but he still took good care of her, condoning her various tricks, and urging her to take medicine. When she asked him for advice, he patiently explained everything to her.
He is like a towering snow peak in the sky, silent and silent, often disappearing in the dust, fog and snow, but she knows that he is always there, no matter when she looks back, she can always see him tall The tall and straight figure stood there, making her feel extremely at ease.
How could such a person suddenly change his temperament
Yaoying closed her cloak and thought back carefully, as if something was wrong with him when she went to look for Sultan in the room that night.
Although he was cold then, at least he was willing to talk to her.
In the past two days, she was so busy that her feet were like a spinning top. She went in and out of the palace, Yang's house, and the market. She saw waves of people, reminding Lao Qi to count the goods, and finally finished the most important thing last night. When she told Yuanjue that she could return to the royal court, Yuanjue breathed a sigh of relief and showed a relieved expression.
Yaoying understood that Yuanjue was as anxious to return to the royal city as she was.
The reason is not hard to guess: Sultan is so eccentric that it may only be restored by returning to the royal city.
The wind whistled, and the horse let out a few impatient neighs. Yaoying recovered from her meditation, leaned over, and patted the horse's neck to appease her.
She is waiting.
Not long after, there was a sound of hooves stepping in the direction of Wangcheng, and Yang Qian came galloping on a jujube red horse.
"Princess!" Before the horse could stop, he loosened the reins, handed over to Yaoying, and took out a dagger full of gems, "Please accept this."
Yaoying recognized the dagger as the one that Yang Qian usually wore on his waist.
"This is what your father left for you?"
Yang Qian held the dagger and said loudly: "My father told me that if I can return to the Central Plains in the future, I will present this dagger to the Emperor of the Central Plains on his behalf, and tell the emperor that even if he is forced to change into a beard and talk nonsense instead. In other words, after he has gone from vulgarity, he still does not forget his homeland, life and death are the sons of the Yang family in Hexi."
He looked into Yaoying's eyes with a serious expression.
"Today I dedicate this dagger to the princess."
Yaoying was slightly surprised.
Without waiting for her to say refusal, Yang Qian put his hands forward, his eyes burning brightly: "Princess, please keep this dagger for me, in the future, I will escort the princess back to the Central Plains, and on the day when Hexi is recaptured, the princess will give it to you again. I. I don't know who the emperor of the Central Plains is, and whether the great eunuchs in Chang'an still remember us, the remnants, all I know is that Princess Wen Zhao is my comrade who fought side by side with me!"
The wind and snow filled the air, and the sky was thin. His young and determined face was covered with a faint brilliance, and there seemed to be two clusters of flames burning in his eyes.
Hot and firm.
Yao Ying's heart surged with heat, she took off her mask, and a bright smile overflowed from the corners of her eyes and brows, like a trembling peony flower, shining brightly.
She took the dagger and said with a smile: "Okay! When I return to the Central Plains, I will definitely have a good time with Shiro!"
Yang Qian laughed loudly: "I measure like a river and a sea of wine, and I have a thousand wine fights. When the time comes, princess, don't think I can drink too much!"
"Agreed?"
"It's a word!"
The two smiled at each other and raised their hands to give a high five.
Yang Qian pulled up the reins and said, "The lord cannot come to see the princess off, please forgive me."
Yaoying's heart moved, she glanced at the caravan in the distance, and subconsciously lowered her voice and asked, "Shiro, do you know what the covenant between the king and the envoy of the royal court was made?"
Sultan Gu and Yuchi Damo must have met. What did they exchange and what did they agree on? Why was Yuchi Damo so secretive, even from Yang Qian
Yang Qian shook his head, his eyes flickered twice, and his voice lowered, and said, "I asked the king, but he didn't reveal a word. I'll go back and ask the king again? Is this a big deal? ?"
Yaoying smiled: "I'm just curious for a while, Shiro doesn't have to take it to heart."
Yang Qian snorted, raised his head and looked into the distance, his eyes fell on the personal soldiers who were waiting not far away.
There were too few personal soldiers around the princess, so he chose 30 family soldiers to serve as guards for the princess. In order to hide from the public, those family soldiers had to pretend to be slaves who sold themselves as slaves.
He originally wanted to send some more people to the princess, but Yuchi Damo reminded him that doing so would arouse Mrs. Yina's vigilance, so he could only put his mind out.
Yang Qian clenched his hands tightly and said solemnly: "Princess, Gaochang can't protect you now, you can only go back to Buddha's royal court to wait for news. But please rest assured, I have been secretly training the rebel army, and the soldiers of each family are also They were dispatched to various tribes. When the time is right, the king can take back the king without knowing it and detain Mrs. Yina. At that time, I will personally go to the royal court to pick you up. As long as Zhang Jiu sends back the news, we will be able to Go back to the Central Plains."
Yaoying lowered her head to put her dagger away and chuckled lightly: "Shiro don't have to worry about me, I have personal protection by my side. Although our plan has not gone wrong, it is impossible for Madam Yina not to see the clue, you and Yuchi King must be careful. ."
Yang Qian nodded yes, and said with a slight dissatisfaction: "Dharma is more cautious than anyone else."
Yaoying didn't answer this sentence.
Yang Qian was full of blood, and wished he could turn against Beirong immediately, and then took the rebel army back to the Central Plains. Little did he know that with Gaochang's current strength, playing the flag of rebellion would undoubtedly hit the stone with an egg. Before they escaped from Gaochang, Beirong would send cavalry to intercept them. .
Now what they have to do is to secretly increase their strength, find out the manpower stationed by Beirong everywhere, and continue to send messengers to contact the Central Plains, send news as soon as possible, and then wait for the opportunity.
The two discussed trivial matters such as how to maintain correspondence, recruit and train rebels, and how to relocate those Hexi remnants who had fallen to various tribes, and waved goodbye.
The young sons and daughters, one put down their burdens and got one step closer to the goal of returning to the Central Plains, and the other saw hope and was more determined to lead the clan to return east. Both of them were full of longing for the future. There is no trace of melancholy sadness.
Yaoying grabbed the reins and kicked the horse's belly lightly.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him.
Yaoying turned back.
At some point in Yang Qian's arms, he held a pipa. He straightened his back and swiped his fingers, and the agitation sound like a gold and stone hitting each other suddenly sounded.
The wind and snow hit her face, Yaoying crouched on the horse's back, waved to Yang Qian who was playing the pipa on the horse's back, smiled sweetly, and let the horse go away, the horse's mane was like a black cloud, and the snow-white cloak swayed.
Yang Qian looked at her disappearing figure, the pride in his chest was like a surge, his fingers flew up and down, and the sound of the pipa became more and more exciting and cheerful.
He was determined to regain his homeland since he was a child. Although he died without regrets, his family laughed at him, his friends ridiculed him, and the elders shook their heads and sighed when they saw him... Now, he finally met a friend who could understand his ambitions and aspirations.
Through the raging wind and snow, the loud and loud pipa song was spread far and wide in the boundless snow field.
The caravan looked back curiously.
On the hillside, the gentleman of a noble family in brocade and splendid clothes held a pipa and saw off his princess with a sonorous song "Liangzhou Song".
The Han and Hu people in the caravan knew this tune, and when they heard the familiar tune, they smiled and hummed along with it softly.
Yuanjue looked around, snorted softly, and rolled her eyes to the sky.
The hoofs were crisp and the slush splashed.
Yaoying galloped on a horse, caught up with the caravan surrounded by personal soldiers, and came to him.
Yuanjue quickly restrained his face and straightened his face.
Yao Ying didn't slow down, she galloped past him directly, and galloped towards Sultan Gu, who was at the front of the team.
Yuanjue froze for a while, grabbed the horse's belly, and quickly chased after him.
Yaoying tightened the reins, caught up with Sultan Gu, and walked alongside him.
"General Su!"
She called out softly, her voice brisk and smiling.
Sultan Gu lowered his eyes, a thin layer of snowflakes on the mask.
"General Su, why didn't you see Buddha's eagle today?"
Yaoying looked up at him, looking for something to say. She came all the way at a gallop just now, she was not wearing a mask, her face was flushed red by the wind, her chest was up and down, she was breathing slightly, and her eyes were bright.
Sultan Gu said nothing, his blue eyes were cold.
Yuanjue followed the two of them, staring at Sultan without blinking, observing his reaction, his expression was tense, his shoulders were tensed, his right hand was vacantly held on the handle of the knife at his waist, and his fingers were stiff.
Sultan made a move.
Yuanjue immediately clenched the long knife, her lips pursed tightly, ready to burst out at any moment.
Sultan Gu turned the horse's head and urged the horse to gallop away, throwing Yaoying away.
Getting along these days seems to be just a dream, she is just an irrelevant stranger to him.
Yaoying looked at Sultan Gu's back, but did not catch up.
Yuanjue breathed a sigh of relief.
Yaoying suddenly turned her head and glanced at him, her eyes were dark, her eyes were quiet and scrutinized.
Yuanjue suddenly felt horrified, his scalp was numb, his hands and feet clung to the reins, turned around and left, pretentiously instructing his personal soldiers to pay attention to vigilance.
After a long time, Yao Ying felt her eyes move away, and he patted his chest, feeling lingering fears.
The princess is worthy of being a princess, it was so scary just now.
…
The journey back to the royal court was peaceful and peaceful.
When they passed by the place where they encountered the bandits last time, Yaoying asked Xie Qing and others to be more vigilant. The caravan people remembered this place and picked up their knives one after another.
In the end, they didn't meet a single person, and they passed through the quicksand hills safely.
Yaoying thought to herself: The bandits were probably really scared by Sultan Gu and went to find another livelihood.
Thinking of this, she looked around.
Sultan didn't know where to go.
Yaoying frowned, thoughtfully.
Out of the uninhabited desert, other camel caravans can be seen gradually on the business road, and there are occasional melodious camel bells in the wind.
On this day, at the beginning of the snow, the sun was shining brightly, and the snow field reflected brilliant rays of light.
The caravan was walking on the snow, and when they stopped to change their horses at a post house, there was a sudden cry of surprise on the opposite side.
Yaoying dismounted and looked at the reputation.
Under the sunlight, a tall and straight man walked towards her, took off his felt hat, and his golden hair fluttered in the wind.
Yuanjue behind her greeted her excitedly: "General Ashina!"