The mountains along the coast are covered in snow, and it is said that the waters of the northern part of the West Sea have long since frozen, but only the southern lakes are navigable. The north wind blew fiercely with snow and ice, and behind the sharp stern of the boat, the white east shore became farther and farther away, merging with the sky. Many of the sergeants of the Chengying battalion lay on the back of the ship, waving and cheering to General Xu Shang, who was standing in the wind and snow. Because of the small hull of the ship, Centurion Zhao Xingde had to order everyone to take turns to get up, so as not to capsize the ship.

Zhao Xingde looked out from the side of the ferry, and his heart swelled with amazement, and he whispered: "The guest house and the state have been frosty, and I remember Xianyang day and night." For no reason, he crossed the mulberry and dry water, but he looked at the state as his hometown. Du Fujiao and Jian Cheng didn't know why, Sima Junfang said in a low voice: "This is the meaning of nostalgia for the homeland." "More than 100 sergeants on this boat, all facing their homeland at this time, greedily looked at the last sight. When we reached the lake, the north wind tightened, and the long and narrow sailboat cut through the waves and headed west. Zhao Xingde looked to the east and let the fine salty snow accumulate on the black thick.

Xu Wenhu watched from afar the ten ferries full of soldiers from the Chengying Battalion gradually disappearing into the sky and snow, and asked Shi Dao, the marching commander beside him, "How do you communicate with the tribes in the north and south of the Taihe Mountains?" ”

This Taihe Ridge is a mountainous area between the Black Sea and the West Sea, in the middle of the high mountains and dense forests, inhabited by these countless barbarian tribes. Hundreds of miles apart, the language and customs are very different, and some are even drinking blood. These tribes sometimes fought against each other, and sometimes formed alliances against each other. It was as if the Murwei, the Jurchen tribes, and the Khitan were the enemies of the world. The Taiheling barbarians also have a common enemy, the Rus' army, which intends to conquer them. Originally, the Xia court thought that the barbarians in Taiheling were difficult to civilize, and did not pay much attention to the war between them and the Rus, and only acquiesced to the merchants selling them some blades and armor in exchange for rare birds and furs in the mountains. At this moment, in order to attract the attention of the Rus' country, the marching division is ready to send two veteran battalions of the Chengying army that have been trained for a long time to go over, so that the Rus' army in the south will suffer a few big losses.

The marching commander Shi Linghu Zhibing said: "I have already connected with several tribes, and when it comes to helping them ambush the Rus' army that has entered the mountains and plundered, these tribal leaders are very happy, and they are eager to make an alliance with us immediately." The detailed arrangements are still being discussed. "The Xia Kingdom merchant traveler walks among these barbarian tribes all the year round, buying and selling fairly. The Xia army has always been an enemy of the Rus' country, and it does not attempt to conquer these mountain peoples, so that they have some trust and good impression of the Xia country.

Xu Wenhu nodded, and said in a deep voice, "Report to the General's Mansion and transfer the Lu army in the middle of the river to the West Sea to garrison it, so as to make a fool of yourself." He stood still in the wind and snow just now, and when he raised his hands and feet, snowflakes fell from the iron armor. In the northwest direction, I saw the black clouds hanging low, and there was a scene of desolation between heaven and earth.

There was crackling and crackling everywhere, and this was also the second Chinese New Year's Eve that Li Ruoxue spent alone in Dunhuang. She's been busy the other day. The bedding at home was tidied up, the courtyard was cleaned, the dust of the doors and windows was wiped off, the door god was replaced, the statue of Zhong Kui was hung, the new peach charm was nailed, and the Spring Festival couplets were pasted. Offerings such as incense flowers are also prepared to pray for the safety of the New Year.

Zhao Xingde is not at home in the New Year, and the tablet of the ancestors of the Zhao family is in the main hall. The three generations of the Zhao family are all single-handed, and Zhao Xingde often forgets the season when he goes out. Although there are no elders alive, Li Ruoxue, as a concubine, has to fulfill her filial piety on behalf of her husband every time she sacrifices to her ancestors. In her own bedroom, she also set up an immortal tablet for her parents, and always sang and prayed, asking the Bodhisattva to bless the safety of her family. It's just that a person faces the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and always has no appetite.

On New Year's Eve, Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Sun both came to visit with gifts, but they did not feel lonely. Only on the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, when all families were reunited, Li Ruoxue could only stay alone in the empty, clean and neat house, the night wind was cold, and she didn't feel a little sad.

"I don't know if Bianjing's parents are good, how is my younger brother's studies? Where is he now? Li Ruoxue leaned in front of the window, thinking distractedly, the day before yesterday, she got Zhao Xingde's family letter, and described to her many wonders of the Western Regions, but the more interesting his narration, the more lovesick it was. Thinking of the love between the two, her pretty face was slightly hot, and she combed the drooping dreadlocks, even if there were thousands of styles, no one knew. There are a few plums in the corner, and Ling Han is open alone, just like Yiren.

In Bianjing's Li Mansion, the cheerful atmosphere during the New Year has also faded a lot. Li Gefei came back from teaching from Guozijian every day, and he read and wrote calmly, as if nothing had happened at home. Only when it came to the season of Qingming Chinese New Year's Eve, I ordered my wife to put three more pairs of bowls and chopsticks on the dinner table, just like when the family was reunited.

When Mrs. Wang thinks of her son and daughter who are thousands of miles away, she always sighs. Li Ruobing is better, and letters from home are often sent back. Li Ruoxue didn't even dare to write a letter to her family because of Zhao Xingde's crime of rebellion. "I really don't know how my hard-working daughter is doing now." Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang couldn't help wiping her tears, she still had to carry the old man on her back.

Li Ruobing and Li Ruoxue were forced to leave home, and the big case that followed, made Li Ruoxu, a young man who was still a little ignorant, mature a lot. He officially worshiped under Chao Buzhi's door, and no longer only thought about ethereal things every day, and he could study hard without the supervision of his elders.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, Chen Dong, who lived in seclusion in Quanzhou Forgetting Cliff, received a distant letter. He has long been removed from his father's genealogy, and no one bothers him during the Chinese New Year. Forget to return to the cliff is remote, there is an advantage, every day he has to receive many letters from all over the country, but it will not disturb the village.

The letter recounts an upheavalous experience and mentions the various institutions seen in the Xia Kingdom. Although the end of the letter was not named, Chen Dong was very familiar with the thin, hard, square and rigorous handwriting, and the words of mutual encouragement, and there was no doubt about the identity of the letter.

"Yuan Zhi is still alive!" Chen Dong suppressed the excitement in his heart and folded the letter preciously. He pulled out a secret box from the Migli in the corner of the house. In this secret box, several account books are placed flat, which is the secret matter of the people of the society to collect the private affairs of officials from all over the world, and only waiting for the situation to be turned over, it is a sharp weapon that will make the traitors and henchmen irreversible. In the past six months, he has spread far and wide, and in Southeast Prefecture and County, he faintly surpassed his master Shao Wu. Even if it is a member of the Ming Sect who plots rebellion, and Chen Shaoyang of Quanzhou, who is compassionate and compassionate, and asks for the people's life, he must respect "Mr. Chen".

Chen Dong took out these account books, and carefully pulled out the bottom plate of the secret box again, and there was a secret drawer inside, which recorded the behavior of the squires of the Lishe to coerce officials from all over the country. Chen Dong tucked the letter in this bookbook and carefully put it back.

After collecting the secret box that tied the lives of more than 10,000 party members, Chen Dong began to examine the other letters one by one.

There is a letter written by a gentry called Fuchun in Guangguang County, Chen Dong met him, he was an old pedant, opened a local academy, taught without class, enlightened schoolchildren, pedantic and upright, and was also known as thin. Chen Dong put it aside with a paper knife, put the letter paper under the pine oil lamp, and planned to look at it at a glance, but who knew that just after reading a few sentences, his eyes became solemn, and the letter mentioned that a squire in Xingze County who opened a mine and fished for profit, because of a dispute with a nearby farmer, actually beat many people to disable, and the government could not solve the matter. And the family that bullied and got away with it relied on was his mentor Shao Wu. What Guo Chun said in his letter is very conclusive, and only a little investigation can prove it.

Shao Wu is not only a mentor, but also a life-and-death relationship between himself and the court. Shao Wu has been the leader of the Qingliu for more than ten years, and the officials who have befriended him are all over the center and various states and counties, and he is even cited by Zhao Xiang as a wing, even if Cai Gongxiang can't help him.

The pine oil lamp emitted bursts of smoke, which made Chen Dong's eyes seem to flicker and darken, and Enshi Shaowu's face became more and more unclear.

After pondering for a long time, Chen Dong sighed: "Although I secretly know the teacher's selfishness, I am suspected of deceiving the teacher and destroying the ancestors. But if Zhang Minghuan and Zhao Yuanzhi were here, they would definitely agree with me. He took out the secret box again, picked up the brush, and excerpted the sentence of Fu Chun's letter accusing the Shao Wu family in the account book.