Captain Qu of the Zhongbao garrison looked at the rough ramming, his brain was actually not stupid, seeing Duan Si talking and hiding his head and showing his tail, from beginning to end he did not introduce another haggard and crumbling seven-rank captain at all, Jin Xi was stupid and full of stupidity, so he knew that there must be something mysterious and unspeakable. However, he was reluctant to inquire about what was going on. Even the lieutenant of the Admiral's Mansion is like a guard who obeys the orders of others, and that matter must be no small matter, let alone something he can ask about! Since Duan Si was in a hurry, he couldn't ask for it. Immediately changed the best healthy horses in the army, and prepared a few large packs of horses with food and water, tiger skins and miscellaneous horses, and sent a team of cavalry to open the way with his leading flag, and respectfully sent Duan Si and them out of the village.

There was a garrison in Zhongbao as an outpost, and the road was even more unimpeded. The forts in the south did not know what was happening, and when they heard the bell from afar and saw the commander leading the flag and galloping, they immediately ordered the shops along the street to close their stalls and expel pedestrians to clear the road...... When the sun fell in the west, the wild geese had already closed the sorghum slope.

The sorghum slope was the edge of Ma Zhichuan's jurisdiction, and at this point, the guards accompanying the escort could no longer move forward. On the side of the stone bridge of the Gaoliang River, the two junior colonels of the garrison saluted Duan Si on horseback and said, "Captain Duan, my subordinates can only send you here." After crossing the river, you have been going to the southwest, to Xiaochenzhuang and then to the southeast, if there is no delay on the road, you will be able to get to Beizheng when you get up. ”

Duan Si nodded and didn't speak, Huo Shiqi said beside him: "Thank you two for giving each other a ride." What are the honorific surnames of the two? ”

A flower immediately bloomed on the faces of the two colonels.

Hearing that both of them were surnamed Qu, and they were all brothers of the Lieutenant Qu of Zhongbao, Huo Shiqi nodded with a smile and said, "I have written down the names of the two." I think we'll have a chance to meet in the future. After I go back, I will tell you that if you have the opportunity in the future, you will definitely repay him for his love today. ”

This is obviously a bit of an overstatement. But the two colonels surnamed Qu sent each other all the way to this sentence, although they didn't know Huo Shiqi's true identity, they couldn't imagine how low they were compared to Duan Si, and then they looked at Huo Shiqi's earnest words and solemn demeanor, not as if they were casually perfunctory, and they were all happy. He saluted respectfully to a few people, and with a whistle, he led the team away one after another.

Watching a cloud of smoke and dust tumble and disappear behind the sorghum slope, Jin Xi retracted his gaze and asked in surprise and joy: "Seventeenth uncle......" Duan Si cut off his words and said undoubtedly: "Now is not the time to say this!" While the horses are still strong, it is important to hurry! "After saying that, he will fight the horse and leave.

Duan Si didn't care about horsepower at all, and just urged forward. The sun has not fallen over Xiaochenzhuang, Shen Shi is carved through the tethered horse post, passing through Taiping Town when the mountain is getting thinner, and then three moments, it will pass the important pass of Yanbei Wanzhongguan. At this moment, all the people and horses were so tired that they were sweating all over. Duan Si's black face was covered with dust and loess, and the sweat on his forehead and sideburns were like pulp, he unbuttoned the two buttons of the iron leather armor under his neck to breathe, wiped a handful of sweat rolling off his eyelids, pointed to a dense green forest on the side of the road in front of him and said, "Just rest there." ”

No one cheered, no one spoke, and the guards were silent, turning over and dismounting, either with their faces bored and doing things, or they scattered around to rest, and after a long day of breathing, some people stood up and distributed the food and drink they had brought to each person.

Huo Shiqi was already tired and numb, and he was holding on with all his breath. At this time, he realized that his limbs and bones had already disappeared, and his arms, back, legs and feet were all so stiff that he was unconscious, not to mention that he stepped off the horse, even if he wanted to move his little finger, it was impossible. Three or four guards surrounded him, carefully pouting him before he was lifted off his horse. Carrying him around a few trees and walking slowly back and forth, when he saw that the sweat on his head and body was gone, and his legs and feet could also make a little strength to stand on his own, without saying a word, he stripped off his iron helmet, leather armor, shoulder armor, battle skirt, and coat and trousers inside, leaving only a pair of trousers, Duan Si took a gourd of liquor, and sprayed it all over his body with his mouth, and the little soldier next to him immediately rubbed his hands on his chest, arms, backbone, legs, stomach, and feet, rubbing and kneading along the muscles and bones.

Of course, these soldiers are not comparable to the people around them, and they don't know the severity of their hands and feet, which makes Huo Shiqi frown in pain, bare his eyes, and grinning vigorously. Duan Si threw the empty gourd, sat on the muddy ground next to him, ignored Huo Shiqi's howling and scolding his mother, and took out the dusty dry cake in his arms and stuffed it into his mouth. Jin Xi came over and circled Huo Shiqi several times, grinning: "It's good to know that it hurts!" Uncle Seventeen, don't scold Duan Siyi, he's saving your life! ”

Duan Si swallowed the cake in a few bites, clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Everyone knows that I am a hob meat stinky temperament, and if Uncle Seventeen wants to scold, he will do it." Come, Brother Jinxi, come and sit. ”

Kim Hee came over and sat down. He also thought that Duan Si had something important to say, who knew that Duan Si shouted that he would sit and never speak again, lowered his head and picked up the waist knife, slowly untied the velvet thread tied to the handle of the knife to absorb sweat, and then wrapped it tightly in a circle again, loosened and tightened the handle of the knife a few times, and then took out the knife and scraped the edge with the belly of his thumb to try the sharpness. After doing these things, he still hung up the knife again, but he still did not speak, and his eyes were swollen and red, and he stared at a small grave beside the ridge by the roadside without blinking.

It was a newly erected tomb, and there was no grass in the circle of half a grass a few steps around, and the traces of shovel compaction on the mound were clearly recognizable. At the head of the grave was a clay pot filled with earth, and three incense sticks of different lengths were inserted on it. There is no monument in front of the grave, and there is no sign inserted, obviously an underage doll grave. There is a stone with a length of a ruler in front of the pile, and there are some vague chiseled marks, which are probably the boundary stones on the ridge next to them, which were temporarily dragged to the case. On the stone table, some cakes and pastries were pinched with mud, and they were piled into three small piles, as well as a few things such as mud figures, mud horses, mud bowls, mud bowls, etc., which may be the family's letting the doll take to the underworld, or it may be the doll's favorite toy when she was alive. There was a thin wooden pole stuck in the side of the tomb, a few bills of paper money tied to it, and a spirit flag. The long five reverberations fluttered in the gentle breeze......

After a long time, Duan Si suddenly asked, "You say, after I die, can I have such a grave?" ”

More than three hours have passed since they met, and Jin Xi has long held back his words, but he has not asked because of the rules and regulations in the army. Duan Si asked him to sit next to him, he thought that the mystery would be revealed soon, who knew that Duan Si had been making a gesture for a long time, and he would ask such a sentence coldly, which immediately made him speechless and unable to answer. He took off his iron helmet and scratched the back of his head that was itchy with sweat, and said vaguely, "Why do you ask this?" ”

Duan Si lowered his eyebrows, sighed at the corners of his mouth, and asked, "You say, does this person have three souls and seven spirits?" If there is a soul, where does the soul go after that person dies? ”

Jin Xi rolled her eyes and looked at him. He and Duan Si are actually not very familiar with each other, and the two had a few disputes when they were in West Malaysia, and he also beat Duan Si; Duan Si also threw stones at the door of his house in the middle of the night. But that was all back then. Now everyone is a straight person from West Malaysia, the monk is not kissing the hat, and the past is scattered with the wind when they meet, laugh and laugh, and no one will hate anyone in their hearts. Therefore, he was not very taboo to speak in person, and said with a sucking of his teeth: "You're not fucking dead, what are you doing with these nonsense?" As the saying goes, good people don't live long and disasters are bad for thousands of years, rest assured! You can't die if I'm dead! ”

Duan Si probably also felt that he had spoken too deeply, hehe smiled and put away the solemn look on his face, looked at Jin Xi and pursed his lips, and said with a smile: "You just desperately put gold leaf on your face!" Back then, when he pulled the wall and peeked at the widow of the Zhou family taking a bath, who was hit with a rolling pin and his face was blue? He didn't admit it to death, but he said that he was walking and hit the south wall. ”

Hearing that Jin Xi still has such a "glamorous thing", several soldiers around him looked at him and smiled.

Jin Xi glanced at Duan Si with slanted eyes, and originally wanted to reveal Duan Si's original story, but he was surrounded by guards from the Admiral's Mansion, and it was a trivial matter to make people laugh at it, and it was another thing to be despised by his soldiers...... Thinking about it, it was also a pleasure, and he said a few random words to cover up the topic, and then got up and supported Huo Shiqi, who had a sallow face, and half sat and half leaned on the saddle, and then asked in a low voice: "Are you really going to Yixian County this time?" ”

Duan Si didn't say a word, exchanged glances with Huo Shiqi, seeing that Huo Shiqi pursed his lips without nodding or shaking his head, knowing that he was also a little undecided, he asked, "How are you the commander of Beizheng?" It's smoother than in West Malaysia, right? ”

"Bullshit!" As soon as he talked about this, Jin Xi was so angry that he even left behind him about finding Duan Si to ask what was going on this trip. "It's better to be my little sentry in West Malaysia! Last year, the general issued an order that the border army's daily salary would be distributed according to 70 percent of the guards' usual practice, and the remaining 30 percent would also be allocated to the border army at the end of the year, and the Lantern Festival would be followed before the New Year's Pass. This rule is good, and the soldiers below are also happy, but who let us have a general Li Shen Li on the ground in Duanzhou! He spat hard. I was fucked by Li Shen's eighteenth generation blood ancestor! God, why don't you kill that bastard with a thunderbolt! In the lunar month of last year, more than a dozen commanders of our Duanzhou border army went to him to pay New Year's greetings, hoping that he could raise his hand and allocate the 30% of the grain and salary. Who would have thought that he didn't let out a single fart in the yamen of the right army command of Duanzhou Mansion, and no one let us see it, so he sent a small soldier out to tell us that there was no money and no food, and he sent us away. More than a dozen of our commanders almost didn't wipe their necks in front of the yamen, and one by one he said 'no money', it's easy, what should we do when we go back? The people under the people have been working hard for a year for the extra 30% of the salary, or they won't be able to see the copper coins of the food and salary, which can tear us all apart and eat! I still remember that day, the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, it was still snowing, the weather was freezing, and more than a dozen of us were bitterly pleading at the yamen, not asking for food, but wanting to see General Li, begging him to be considerate and considerate of the suffering of the border army, so that we could return part of the food...... salary" He held his head in pain, gasped for breath, and could not say any more.

"And then?" Duan Si was silent for a moment and asked. Looking at Kim Hee's painful appearance, he could imagine the bleak situation at that time.

Jin Xi wiped his face, with an expression on his face that couldn't tell whether he was laughing or crying, he sniffed and said lightly: "Speaking of which, we are still lucky, and the B Brigade of the Right Army also came to pay New Year's greetings to Li Shen that day." The commander of the Second Brigade, Qin Luoman, had a lifelong friendship with one of our commanders, and he said a few good words for us. He is the first confidant under Li Shen's subordinates, and his words are more effective than us saying hundreds of words. With his help, Li Shen finally gave us a ...... Don't be afraid to say your jokes, for the sake of this seven, our Duanzhou border army has said all the good things and good words, and almost knelt down for him! After speaking, he pursed his lips and shook his head and smiled miserably.

"Qian Laosan and Fan Quan, didn't they help you?" Duan Si asked again. This is also key. From time to time, people's hearts have changed, and people's hearts are separated from their stomachs, even if Qian Laosan is the one brought out by Shang Cheng, but at this moment, he and Huo Shiqi have to take precautions against many things.

Jin Xi shook his head and said, "This matter involves the three or four thousand people of the entire Duanzhou border army, and they can't intervene even if they want to help." Besides, I also lost money to them in Beizheng, and it was common for them to borrow money for emergency food, and there were two times when Duanzhou owed us money and grain, and they came forward to ask for it back for me. He sighed again. …… You don't know, it's difficult for them to be the third money. Their two brigades are both cavalry brigades, and the expenses are large, Li Shen grasps the money, food, and finances, and they often eat without a meal; Li Shen also often instructed the right army to command the yamen to find their mistakes, and forced them to jump on their feet in three days. ”

Duan Si and Huo Shiqi were both a little surprised. This is the first time I've heard of it! The two brigades of Qian Laosan and Fan Quan are both large cavalry brigades with seven battalions, and they are the first-class main brigades in the Right Army and even the entire Yanshan Guard, and they know this; But Qian Laosan and the others were recruited back to Yanzhou Weifu from time to time to learn military affairs or listen to explanations of tactical examples, and they also exchanged letters with Shang Cheng, but they never heard them mention this matter...... How does this say?

Jin Xi sneered and said, "Who doesn't know Li Shen's black-hearted intestines? He just wants to force Qian Laosan and them away, so that his people can take over those two brigades! Qian Laosan didn't tell the general, because he didn't want the general to know about the trouble. He told me and Fan Quanji many times, repeatedly told us not to pass this on to the general, and said that no matter what, even if we knocked out our teeth and swallowed blood, they had to defend these two brigades for the general! ”

He was a rough man, and his words were plain, but Huo Shiqi's eyes were moist and hot, and his heart was hot, he raised his hand to wipe the oil, sweat, mud and tears on his face, and was about to say two words, when he heard Duan Si ask: "You are in Beizheng, how many people are there under your hands?" ”

Jin Xi was stunned. That's a strange question. He was faintly aware of something, but he couldn't fathom it in his haste, so he told the truth: "There are not many people in the city, only about sixty; There was also a battalion outside the city. However, it is not a five-battalion establishment, and there are less than 300 people. ”

"How much can you command?" Duan Si asked again. Seeing that Jin Xi blinked his eyes and didn't understand what he meant, he said, "I mean, among these three or four hundred people, how many people can listen to your command and do whatever you say?" ”

Jin Xi didn't know why Duan Si asked like this, he thought about it for a while, and said honestly: "Except for these few," he pointed to the four or five border soldiers around him, and then raised his two index fingers and crossed them. "In addition, there are up to ten random orders."

Duan Si and Huo Shiqi's hearts were cold at the same time: This is really too little...... But Duan Si's mind is not exactly the same as Huo Shiqi's. Although there are not many people, he still admires Jin Xi a little. To have such people shows that Jin Xi is still very attentive in military affairs......

Jin Xi had already sensed that Huo Shiqi's purpose of traveling lightly must be extraordinary, so he thought about it for a while and said carefully: "I really don't have many people. However, you probably don't know that Qian Laosan and Fan Quan's soldiers are stationed outside Beizheng City, if the general has any military orders......" He quickly glanced at Huo Shiqi and Duan Si's faces, leaned down and lowered his voice and said softly, "If the general has any military orders, they can do it!" ”