Boom!
It was still raining, and lightning flashed across the gloomy sky.
It was early summer, and the mountains around Luliang and Hengshan had been shrouded in heavy rain. The short trees, shrubs, and exposed rocks were all shrouded in the heavy rain.
A seemingly small group of people walked slowly in the heavy rain on the mountainside.
The roads in the mountains near the main mountain range of Luliang were difficult to travel, and there were many places where it was impossible to find the road. At this time, the group consisted of about thirty or forty people, and most of them were wearing straw raincoats and carrying heavy loads. They seemed to be passing merchants.
The northwest was desolate, and the people were tough. However, during the period when the Western Army was guarding, there were still roads to travel. In order to collect food supplies at the frontier, the imperial court had adopted the method of letting the border residents take the initiative to send the annual food supplies to the military barracks. Therefore, it was quite convenient for people to travel to and from various places in the northwest. However, the Xixia people had come back to the country and had already broken through several big cities that were originally guarded by the Central Army. There had even been several massacres. So, the situation outside had become complicated.
Qin Youshi was the leader of this group. He was originally a merchant in the northwest of Pingyang. At the end of last year, he went to the security army to sell winter clothes. He also brought some valuables such as illicit salt, and prepared to exchange them for some goods at the border. The Xixia people had attacked Yanzhou and blocked his way. Although the heavy snow had started to seal off the mountains, the eastern side was in a state of chaos. Even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't. He had been stranded in a nearby village for several months. The situation in the entire northwest was already a mess.
The flames of war spread and continued to expand. Not long ago, Qin Youshi heard that the General of the Central Army had come back and lost to the kidnappers of Xixia. The soldiers of the Western Army were defeated, and the Xixia people were wreaking havoc everywhere. He saw many people who fled after the city was destroyed. After asking around for a while, he finally decided to take the risk and go to the east.
The Central Plains was already a mess. It was said that the Female Zhenren had destroyed Bianliang City and wreaked havoc for several months. The capital was already ruined, and the Xixia people had pushed Hengshan. The world was going to change. Although most of the refugees began to flee to the west and south, Qin Youshi and the others could not. Pingyang, Gengzhou, and other places were in the east, but the Xixia people had not reached there yet.
Their families were still there.
The northwest was a battleground on all sides, but ever since the Western Army became stronger, the place where they were located had been peaceful for many years. Now that the Xixia people had come, he didn't know how they would treat the local people. Whether they would flee or become obedient citizens, they would have to go back and reunite with their families first.
The army of the Xixia Country had already broken through Qingjian, Yanzhou, and other places. At this time, they had begun to threaten the surrounding areas. But the northwestern region was not small after all, and the people of the Xixia Country couldn't control all the territories. When the snow melted and the ice melted, more people began to flee their residences on a large scale. Some of them were fleeing to the south, some to the north, some to the east, and some to the west. Qin Youshi made some enquiries. Then, he started to travel to the east with a lot of goods that he had stored during the winter, as well as the assistants of the Chamber of Commerce. At this time, there were already many Western Xia troops moving about in the east. The group of people was dodging and moving at a slow speed. Later on, when they wanted to venture into the mountains that were usually difficult to traverse, they met the two strange young men at the front of the group.
From the beginning, the northwestern region had been deeply affected by the Western Army, especially by the Zhong family. The men of the northwestern region were very grateful for their kindness, so they also had a lot of backbone. Clear Stream City, Yanzhou City, and other places had engaged in fierce battles and resistance when the Western Xia Country's army arrived. But, it was futile in the end. But, even when the defeated soldiers and the refugees had scattered in all directions, many loyal and loyal people still organized themselves to fight against the Western Xia Country's army.
As a result, a lot of rumors and stories about righteous warriors had spread among the refugees who were fleeing for their lives this winter. Some of them said that some of them had sacrificed their lives in a fierce battle with the Xixia army while fleeing for their lives. Some of them said that some of them didn't want to flee and perished together with the city. Some of them said that some of them had gathered hundreds of brave men to fight against the Xixia army. Some of these rumors were true, and some were false. But one of them was quite strange.
It was said that after Qingjian City and Yanzhou City were breached, the refugees scattered in all directions. The Xixia army had hunted them down and looted them all the way. But there was a troop that killed their way out of the mountains and covered the refugees' escape. In winter, when the mountains were sealed off by heavy snow, they would even help some refugees who had no belongings at home by sending them some food to help them escape. In fact, whether it was the scattered troops or the righteous people of the Greenwood Forest, it was not strange for them to do these things. What was strange about this troop was that they asked people to write two words.
After this troop rescued people, it was said that they would say some nonsense to them. The general meaning might be that everyone was a citizen of the Huaxia and should help each other. This sentence was upright, so it was not a big deal. But after that, they would often take out a book and ask people to write the two words "Huaxia". It did not matter if they did not know how to write it, because they would teach people to write the two words.
Imagine that after the city was breached, the army rescued the refugees on the snow-covered mountain ridge and then asked them to write two words on the snow with a branch — this scene was very strange no matter how one thought about it. But this was how the rumors of the world were. They were vague and unclear. In such an environment, there were a lot of things that people said blindly, and they were often not accurate. Qin Youshi had vaguely heard this story twice, but he dismissed it as nonsense. Although he heard some versions later, such as that this troop was the rebel army of the Wu dynasty, that this troop was the direct descendant of the Zhong family, or that they were the generals of the Zhe family, etc., he was too lazy to investigate further.
But when they were about to enter the mountains, they accidentally met up with a group of refugees. Two people saw that they were asking about the roads in the mountains, so they came over and said that they could show them the way. It was not the first time that Qin Youshi had traveled outside. He understood the principle of being unaccountably solicitous. However, during their conversation, the young man who was the leader of the two people asked, "Are you literate? Can you write the two words "Huaxia"? "
Qin Youshi immediately remembered that rumor.
At that time, the Xixia people were blockading the surrounding roads. After all, Qin Youshi did not have many choices. Although he did not agree verbally, the two parties still met after entering the mountains. Qin Youshi's subordinates were also men who traveled in the northwest. Most of them were armed. He asked everyone to be vigilant. After a few contacts with the other party, the two parties began to travel together.
For Qin Youshi, this was a gamble under desperation. He wanted to go home, but he did not have a guide for a while. After all, he could not wander around in this barren mountain for a few months. He recalled the rumors and felt that these two people did not seem like the kind of strong people who would lure people into the mountains and then rob them. After a conversation, he found out that the other party had the background of the Green Wood Village.
The Green Wood Village of Lüliang was somewhat famous among the merchants in the northwest. But the young man who was the leader of the two people seemed to be an outsider. This person was called Zhuo Xiaofeng. He carried a big saber on his back and was usually amiable and talkative. After combining these words and recalling some trivial rumors that he had heard, Qin Youshi managed to organize some clues in his mind.
In the second half of last year, there were rebels who killed the emperor and raised an army to create chaos. Although the northwest was not greatly affected, it seemed that this army had entered this mountain. In the winter, it seemed that they also came out to fight with the Xixia army several times and saved some people. After understanding this, Qin Youshi was more or less relieved. Usually, he might be a little afraid when he heard about rebels who killed the emperor, but now he was not so afraid.
The two parties continued to move forward. The man from the Green Wood Village acted as the guide and the young man called Zhuo Xiaofeng walked in front. Qin Youshi followed and chatted with them. This was the most desolate part of the border between the west of Lüliang Mountain and Heng Mountain. The mountain was rugged and there was heavy rain, making it even more difficult to walk. When the group of people arrived at this wild ridge, Qin Youshi squinted his eyes and looked at the opposite side of the mountain stream. Only then did he see that although the mountain over there was not easy to walk, there seemed to be a small path through it. It was much better than this side.
Qin Youshi became vigilant. He looked in that direction and asked tentatively, "There seems to be a small path on the opposite side." The guide from the Green Wood Village nodded calmly and said, "Yes, it's closer." "Then why …"
"We fought with the Xixia people before," Zhuo Xiaofeng answered. He stretched out his hand and pointed to the front and back of the mountain path. "A few months ago, the Xixia Bu Ba chased us here. The army blew up both sides of the mountain, causing the snow on the mountain to collapse. The stream below is full of corpses. Now that the mountain over there is loose, it's very unsafe."
Qin Youshi was startled. "The Xixia people?"
"The Xixia Bu Ba are very difficult to deal with." Zhuo Xiaofeng nodded. Qin Youshi looked at the hazy mountain in the heavy rain. There were indeed traces of recent movements in the distance. He looked down at the mountain stream and saw water roaring in the heavy rain. He could not see anything else clearly.
In this area, the Western Army and the Xixia people fought from time to time. Those who were experienced and knowledgeable had a good understanding of the Xixia army. The Iron Sparrow Hawk's charge was unparalleled in the world. But in the mountains of the northwest, the most frightening thing was the Xixia elite Bu Ba. These foot soldiers were originally selected from the mountain people. They could pass through the mountains as if they were walking on flat ground. If the refugees ran into the Iron Sparrow Hawk during their escape, they might be able to hide in the mountains. But if they ran into the Bu Ba, they would not be able to outrun them no matter where they ran. Their combat strength was not much different from the original Western Army. Now that the Western Army had dispersed, there was no one in the northwest who could control the Bu Ba.
Qin Youshi already had some suspicions about the origin of the "Hua Xia" army, but he did not think too much about it. Now that he thought about it, this army had killed the emperor and come to the northwest. They were indeed not good people. They even had the upper hand against the Xixia Bu Ba in this kind of mountain. Although the other party said it casually, he was secretly shocked.
At this moment, thunder rumbled in the sky. The crowd was moving forward when they heard a loud rumble in front of them. The mountain rocks trembled faintly. On the opposite slope, the soil and rocks surged in the hazy rain. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a mud dragon and surged down the mountain. This mud and rocks continued to rush into the deep stream in front of them. In the mountain stream below, the water collided with the soil and rocks and rose rapidly. The muddy water surged rapidly and rumbled in all directions. The crowd looked down from the top of the mountain. In the heavy rain, they felt the majestic power of heaven and earth, and their own bodies were indescribably small.
The scene of the mud and rocks flowing in front of them lasted for a long time before it stopped. Perhaps the explosion that caused the avalanche a few months ago had loosened the slope, and now the mud and rocks had slid down after being soaked by the rain. After the crowd finished watching, they could not help but be more cautious when they moved forward again. They also became less talkative. The group of people turned around in the mountains. In the evening, the rain had stopped, but they had already entered the main mountain range of Mount Luliang.
This area was close to the territory of Mount Luliang's Green Wood Stronghold. Because the trade route was previously opened, it did not suffer much damage from the flames of war. The road ahead was not considered difficult. Zhuo Xiaofeng and the man from Green Wood Stronghold bid farewell to Qin Youshi. Seeing that the two of them had helped out and were about to leave without hesitation, Qin Youshi panicked. He took out two dried deer legs from the goods that accompanied them and wanted to give them as a reward. However, he saw Zhuo Xiaofeng take out a pen and paper from his bosom. "Elder Qin knows how to write, right?"
"Young Master Zhuo is saying …"
"The people of Huaxia are originally one family. Now that the situation is turbulent, we should help each other. It is fate that we travel together with Elder Qin. It is nothing more than a slight effort. Of course, if Elder Qin really feels that there is a need to thank us, just write two words on this book. " Seeing that Qin Youshi was still a little hesitant, he smiled and opened the book. It was filled with the two crooked words of Huaxia. "Of course, just two words. There is no need to leave a name. It is just a memory. In the future, if Elder Qin has any trouble, just remember these two words. If we can help, we will definitely do our best. "
Qin Youshi only hesitated for a moment. At this moment, he laughed and picked up the pen to write on the book. However, he was puzzled. He could understand the matters of the outside world, those who did favors and those who did not expect to be repaid. However, what was the meaning of this in front of him? After receiving a favor, writing a name was a proof of allegiance. However, he did not even leave his name. Even if he wrote the two words of Huaxia in a righteous and upright manner, what could it compare to?
He was a person with some foresight. After writing the two words, he still insisted on sending the deer leg over. However, the other party was also determined to not accept it. At this time, the sky was already dark. Everyone found a place to camp. Qin Youshi kindly invited two people to stay and cooked a relatively sumptuous meal of meat. He then asked Zhuo Xiaofeng and the others about the future situation.
This time, he went west to do business. Since the Female Zhenren attacked, some of the precious things that he had originally received were actually useless. This trip was clearly a loss. But, the loss was not a big deal. The most important thing was where they should go in the future. This army was able to confront the Xixia people. Although their reputation was not very good, they could still form a good relationship with them. Who knew if they would need their help in the future?
During this half night of conversation, the other party also said everything he knew and analyzed the future predicament with Qin Youshi. With the Jurchens running amok and the Xixia invading from the south, it was impossible for the people north of the Yellow River to live the good life they had before. However, the ordinary people would not be driven to the last one. In the past, the Wu dynasty was still considered rich and the rich families still had some surplus food. However, within one to two years, the Female Zhenren and the Xixia people would definitely consolidate this territory. It was purely a way to leave food and death. He was a merchant, so he might as well be more flexible and do more activities, relying on the protection of the larger forces.
After all, the Green Wood Stronghold of Mount Luliang was located in a valley and did not recommend it. However, the Green Wood Stronghold still had a few remaining trade routes with the Female Zhenren. The treasures and valuables he brought back this time might be useless in the Land of Chaos. The Green Wood Stronghold might be able to help with the transfer. However, the mountain would definitely be short of food. If he had too much surplus food, he might as well go to the mountain to exchange for some weapons. Of course, this was just a casual suggestion.
Qin Youshi was not a person without his own opinions. Even if the other party said it, he would only take it as a reference in his mind. In the morning of the next day, they waved goodbye to each other and went their separate ways. Qin Youshi looked at the two figures heading north and remembered the two words "Huaxia" he wrote yesterday. He only felt that this group of people was really strange.
*****
After waving goodbye to Qin Youshi, Zhuo Xiaofeng and the man from the Green Wood Stronghold called Tan Rong walked through the rugged mountain road back. When they could see the collapsed mountain in the distance, they turned northwest again.
In the afternoon, they saw the silhouette of the Little Cang River from the ridge of the mountain in the distance. The river flowed rapidly and meandered towards a mountain pass with traces of a dam at the end of their vision. There was also a watchtower at the side of the mountain pass. In the rugged valley between the two mountains, they could vaguely see a group of small figures walking together. They were children who had come out from the settlement of the Little Cang River to gather wild vegetables.
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