Cheng Pu first ordered people to select more than a dozen fast horses and divide them with Liu Bei and his party. After explaining all the things in the battle, he picked up his gun and got on the horse and traveled north with Liu Bei. Yan Rou led the way in front, and a team of men and horses came out of the water bar, went to Shangguan Road, and went straight to Yanshan.

In the farmland encountered by the road, I saw that the seedlings were uneven and the growth was extremely poor. Liu Bei asked Fang Zhi that Xianbei and Wuhuan often rode horses and gnawed on green seedlings, and the villagers were miserable.

Sudden horses come and go like the wind, and local officials can't catch up, which is the norm.

So much so that people fled one after another along the way. The villages are decaying, and many places are said to be uninhabited. The population is declining, the land is barren, uncultivated and overgrown with weeds. Degraded into Xianbei, Wuhuan pastures. The land governed by Youbeiping County has shrunk year by year, and now there are only four counties left. In particular, the border counties beyond the Great Wall have long been turned into barbarian pastures.

In addition to the border people fleeing, a large number of people were plundered into Wuhuan. brought advanced skills and strengthened the momentum of Wuhuan.

Liu Bei was young and short. A special saddle horse was brought with the boat all the way to the right place. The benefits of bilateral stirrups are unknown to outsiders. Cheng Pu was very appreciative of the soft ladder on the stirrup. In this way, even if you are short, you can ride a tall horse.

Mercedes in the wilderness of the border county is completely different from the feeling of Mercedes in Zhuo County. The official road here is seriously damaged. There are almost no post pavilions. Even if there are one or two remains of a post house, most of them are incomplete. A smoky smoky trace. Closer, you can smell the burning smell of burning wood and the faint smell of corpses in the air. The existence of the Great Han is being erased little by little by the barbarians. and other weeds are everywhere, and border people are rare. The only remaining four counties will also degenerate into Xianbei grasslands.

The white soldiers were scattered in front of and behind the horse team, firmly protecting Liu Bei in the center. On the left is the yellow cover, and on the right is Cheng Pu. All of them looked solemn and full of murderous aura.

I can't wait to meet a team of Xianbei rangers, chopping over the ground with knives. to sacrifice this devastated Han land.

As a relative of the Han family, Liu Bei only needs to remember that 'those who commit crimes against the strong Han will be punished even if they are far away'. That sentence alone is sufficient.

This goes to Wuzhong County, more than 500 miles, and can be reached in two days.

If you walk at night under the stars, you can arrive in one day. Helplessly, the official road fell into disrepair and was seriously damaged. Fearing that the horse's hooves would be injured on the night road, the team landed early.

The camp was a burned house. The walls and walls were all there, but the doors and windows were all burned down. The house was looted and set on fire. The ground is scorched black. Fortunately, the well fence is still there. But the water from the well is so foul that it is not feasible to feed the horses, let alone drink it to people.

Except for Liu Bei, everyone had the same expression. Liu Bei thought about it and understood.

There are floating corpses in the well.

"Call up." Liu Bei said.

"Yes." Several white soldiers immediately surrounded the platform and lowered their hooks. Soon, a swollen female corpse was recovered.

The female corpse was hit by an arrow in the left shoulder, and a young child was still in her arms. Both mother and son drowned.

From the golden hairpin and brocade skirt inserted in the cloud temples, it is not difficult to see that it must have been born in a noble family. His clothes were intact and his body was uninjured. There is still a young son in her arms, why do you throw yourself into the well?

There is only one possibility.

To preserve innocence.

Presumably, he was desperate, and he couldn't bear to have his young son killed by the barbarians, or to be adopted by the barbarians and recognize the thief as his father, so he died (preservation festival).

Liu Bei ordered people to use local materials and use the residual wood in the ruins to build two thin coffins and bury the mother and son. No one knows who the surname is. It's enough to know that it's a big Han people.

Everyone set up tents on the leeward side, spread straw mats and blankets, and invited Liu Bei in.

In the middle of the tent, a long fire pit was dug. The charcoal fire in the pond has been lit. Charcoal is fire-resistant and smoke-free, suitable for heating in tents. Charcoal was already common at this time. "The Book of Rites: The Order of the Month" contains: It is the moon, the grass and trees are yellow, and the salary is charcoal.

In the spring of Biansai, it is cold in the morning and evening, and the temperature difference is very large. Walking into the tent early, Cheng Pu, who was also wrapped in wolf skin, found that it was already cold and biting at this time, Liu Bei's white silk guard, and a black iron armor under the big man, should have come in early to keep warm, but why were they scattered around the tent in twos and threes, his expression was relaxed, and he didn't seem to feel cold.

So he asked Huang Gai, who had returned from arranging the sentry.

Huang Gai smiled and knocked on the enamel armor on his chest, and replied: Wear a 'cuì qiú) sweatshirt inside, light and warm. It is sewn from the vellus (fine down) of geese and ducks.

Cheng Pu nodded slowly, and then pointed to the black enamel on the armor and asked, What kind of armor is this?

Huang Gai glanced at Liu Bei, saw him smiling and nodded, so he said bluntly: Enamel armor.

Cheng Pu asked again: What is enamel?

Huang Gai replied with a smile: This is the secret of Lou Sang.

In fact, the protective effect of enamel is similar to that of reactive armor draped on the battlefield in later generations. Shatters in the event of an attack, negating the weapon's destructive power. Especially against long-range weapons such as bows and arrows, it has magical protective power.

Under the enamel armor, Liu Bei also padded a layer of composite gaskets. It is used to absorb the impact of short weapons. Similar to the principle of high-strength fiber body armor in later generations. Swords, guns, swords, halberds, long and short are all defended. The enamel armor is definitely worthy of the 'secret of Lou Sang'.

It is said that 'born Liu Sandun'. Liu Bei is more than the vision of this era. Jelly seems magical, but how easy it is! However, no one could have thought of combining jam and jelly into one. Enamel is also not new, Egypt has long existed. But no one can make it into armor.

His soul pierced. There is no ability to surpass this era, but there is a vision far beyond this era.

Lou Sang is widely spread in the north. Chengpu's Pingbo Water Fortress is a well-informed place for merchants from the north and south. Self-access to first-hand information.

Through the words, this will tell the doubts in my heart.

In addition to the 'secret that is not transmitted' similar to the enamel armor, Huang Gai knows everything and speaks endlessly. Cheng Pu was speechless.

So one question, one answer. Liu Bei is young after all. After galloping on horseback for a day, the people were sleepy and tired, and gradually lost their support.

After the two finished speaking, they looked at Liu Bei again. He slept in his clothes with a charcoal fire.

The elite soldiers scattered around the tent, alternating in pairs, did not even set foot in the tent.

Huang Gai placed the double whip beside his hands and sat cross-legged.

Cheng Pu realized that although it was the first time he met, Liu Bei did not shy away from himself. was about to leave the tent to avoid suspicion, but was stopped by Huang Gai with his eyes: "Young master Yanjun, the ancient road is warm, brave and serious." He is a person who can be trusted. The cold night is long, and there is no fur to keep warm. You can sleep peacefully, and you don't need to avoid yourself. ”

These words came out of Huang Gai's mouth, and the words entered Cheng Pu's ears.

Rao is Cheng Pu, who prides himself on being a hero, and he can't help but feel broken: "I heard that the young monarch is light on wealth and righteousness, and he knows people's hearts with one gold." There is the wind of the Lord. When I saw it today, it was like a rumor. ”

Huang Gai smiled and closed his eyes, and there was no sound.

Cheng Pu lay down in his clothes. Sleep peacefully.

Nothing was said all night.