The weather is cold, and it is already a heavy snow season. Duguyue heard the rustling sound outside the window late at night, the snow fell in the season, there were still embers in the brazier in the house, and she was cold and cold, so she simply got up, went to the kitchen of the inn with the lamp and scooped a pot of thick wine, put it on the side of the brazier, borrowed the embers to simmer hot, drank half a pot, and the cold breath on Shang Jue's body was gradually dispersed by the warm wine in the stomach, and the body warmed up and fell asleep.

I had a good night's sleep until dawn, and I was woken up by Sima Cuo's shouting downstairs. The dream was disturbed, and when the cloak opened the door, he was about to attack, and saw that the eaves, yards, mountains and rivers were white, and it was snowing, and most of his anger was gone. Sima stood in the courtyard and told her that her horse was missing. Duguyue regarded her two beloved horses as relatives, and when she heard that the horses were lost, she was immediately confused.

Two horsemen have been following her for five or six years, and they are two gelding stallions, one is called Chasing the Wind, the other is called Yongyue, and the two horses are loyal to the master, and they have been in touch with the master for a long time. Although Duguyue was ready to endure the pain and cut her love last time and send the chasing wind to Nangong Han, she also made a lot of determination.

The horse was gone, so anxious that she hurried back to the house to get her cloak, put on her felt hat, and held a horizontal knife in her hand, and came to the stable, and sure enough, only the wind was chased. She shouted, "Chasing the wind, where did Yongyue go?" ”

Chasing the wind neighed at her, Duguyue hurriedly put on the saddle, untied the reins, turned over and ran out against the wind and snow. Seeing this, Sima Cuo hurriedly called Li Dao and Wan Buddha to ride horses to follow quickly, but in a blink of an eye, Duguyue was gone.

Duguyue let the wind chase through the post street to the south, slowed down when she reached the mountain road, snorted from time to time, and after smelling it for a while, she ran towards the mountain. Last night there was a heavy snowfall, and the snow on the road was about a foot thick, and there was a lot of snow on the branches, and there was a sound vibrating on the road, and the snow fell and fell on the hat and cloak.

Duguyue patrolled the mountains some time ago, mostly on the trails between the east and west, but she never came to the south. Because the south side is deep mountains, the mountains are high and densely forested, the further you go in, the miasma spreads, wild beasts are infested, big insects are rampant, only a few fierce hunters live in it, and from time to time they will come to the nearby post town to exchange furs, animal meat, and game for some grain, oil, cloth, and iron tools. Orions are mostly people who can't tell where they came from, and few people can tell what they have done or done in the past. There are only a few woodcutters in the town who are familiar with the situation in the mountains, and ordinary people do not easily step into the mountains, and they also go in groups, one is afraid of insects, wolves, tigers and leopards, and then they are afraid of getting lost and not being able to get out.

Walking to the mountain pass, facing the whistling mountain wind, chasing the wind is already impatient to enter the mountain. It has been grinding with Yongyue for five or six years, and they are familiar with each other, how they were separated last night, which may make Chasing Feng very annoyed, and he is determined to find Yongyue.

Chasing the wind and carrying Duguyue stood at the mountain pass and stopped, no longer walking. She patted the chasing wind a few times, but the chasing wind still didn't move forward. Duguyue knew that chasing the wind was dangerous, so she decided to wait for Sima Cuo and others to come and take a few people into the mountain, but after waiting for about two or three moments, she didn't see anyone, she was worried that something would happen to Yongyue, so she simply slapped a few times on the buttocks of chasing the wind, and after chasing the wind, she ran along the mountain road for a while, and then entered the reckless mountain. Chasing the wind forward, running for seven or eight miles, it seemed that he had smelled the breath of Yongyue and slowed down, snorting from time to time. The further in, the denser the forest, the smaller the road, and there was no trace of people in the mountains, Duguyue was worried, pulled out a horizontal knife, and cut off the branches on the path from time to time, leaving marks for the people who came behind.

Along the way, she was thinking, this horse was lost strangely, chasing the wind and the moon The two horses have different temperaments, chasing the wind is fierce, and ordinary people can't get close; Yongyue is gentle, but the living may not be able to control it, somehow ran into this mountain...... will this stupid horse have been slaughtered? I don't dare to think about it anymore.

Not long after, I came to a mountain col, and there was a big locust tree on the side of the road, and under the tree there should be a flat land, and the flat ground was full of snow.

Chasing the wind stood on the snow for a long time, snorted a few times, sniffed, and suddenly hissed. Immediately after, there was a neighing of horses from the mountain, and the sound was Yongyue. Just as she turned over and dismounted, happy to find Yongyue, she suddenly felt two feather arrows shooting over the mountain, and Duguyue thought: "It's not good, it's a plan!" He rolled and hid behind the locust tree. She dodged the dark arrow, but she heard a few screams and screams from the chasing wind, and she ran into the thorn bushes next to her, and she should have been shot.

Duguyue didn't dare to show her head, knowing that this was luring her into the game, and in this reckless forest, shoot her like a prey for fun.

This time, she had a premonition that she was really in danger, not as lucky as last time when someone came to the rescue, blaming herself for acting recklessly, obviously chasing the wind and knowing the danger, and not knowing the reason, she was in a hurry, so she fell into the trap. She didn't know what the other party's next means would be after these two arrows? I don't know what kind of mechanism the other party has arranged, so that she will never dare to move. She heard Chasing Wind screaming not far from her, and she should have been injured. Yongyue on the mountain also kept screaming, as if she had been whipped with a whip. But she could only do it in a hurry, unless someone came to save her, there was no other way.

The biting cold still made her gradually calm down, she thought that she would either fight to the death, she couldn't drag it out, and if she dragged it down, she would be so frozen that she couldn't even hold the knife; Either surrender and beg for mercy, this is the most despisable thing for her as a heroic descendant. So, she simply shouted: "What pickled people on the mountain, stealing my horse, and trying to shoot me with arrows? ”

As soon as the words fell, there was a voice from the mountain: "Haha! It's been a long time, post chief, I want to see your embarrassment today, or let you call for wind and rain in Qinglong Town, can you get it. You can see what means you can get out of this forest. Hahaha"

Duguyue was taken aback, this voice was so familiar, thinking back for a while, it turned out to be the second mother of the Barberry Inn. I really didn't expect her to hide here, this bearded girl really has two hits, and she dares to be alone in this deep mountain and old forest.

She also quipped: "It turned out to be Erniang, I said you disappeared out of thin air, I didn't expect to be in the company of wolves, tigers and leopards here, it's not easy for a woman's family!" It's cold, come back to Qinglong Town with me, eat a few glasses of warm wine, and have a few plates of tapir. I know that your sins are still shallow, but I can protect you. ”

"Chief, you better think about how you go to Hades yourself!" A man's voice came from the other side of the col, and as soon as the words fell, two more feathered arrows were shot from the left, and "dong, dong" sank into the trunk of the locust tree. Just when Duguyue thought that there were bows and arrows behind her and on the left side and nowhere to hide, Erniang suppressed her voice and shouted in a low voice: "Keep your mouth alive."

As everyone knows, Duguyue understands Hu language, which family in the Guanzhong family doesn't raise a few Hu maids. When she heard this, she secretly rejoiced that as long as they were not captured alive, they would not put themselves to death, so she still hid quietly behind the tree, trying to find a flaw and then take the opportunity to escape.

Erniang continued: "Chief, it's not you who came to persuade me to go back to Qinglong Town today, you can't protect yourself, think about how you can die first!" That night, you dared to follow us, if someone hadn't saved you, your trouble would have been removed, so why should you use this trick to serve you today. ”

"Hmph, you are doing nonsense, robbing the imperial mail car, killing my brother, sooner or later I will take your heads and avenge them."

"Chief, stop daydreaming, what are you going to take revenge on now! Haven't you been looking for us for a long time? Now my head is in front of you, come and take it! Hahaha"

"Listen to this tone, this is a mute hiding in a ruined temple."

"Haha! Worthy of being the post chief, you know me! But I'm not dumb, I've been pretending to be dumb for a few years. The dumb man got carried away.

"You are indeed not dumb, or if you come down, the two of you will fight in this snow for a hundred and ten times and teach you how to be a person." Duguyue said excitedly. She guessed that there should only be two people on the other side, and she was going to wait for the mute Ruozhen to go down to the flat ground, and knock him down with a few ruthless moves, and then it would be easy to deal with Erniang alone.

The dumb man pretended to be deaf and dumb in Qinglong Town for four or five years, and robbed a woman from a good family under the noses of the whole town, but he was not known, and he still had this patience, so he joked: "Haha, what does the post chief think." It's hard to trap you here, so I don't want to fight with you. You still obediently suffer death, you don't want to die, so you obey us, and everyone is good, hehehe. After saying that, there was a lewd laugh.

Duguyue was even more convinced that they wanted to capture themselves alive, not to kill me, presumably I would still be useful to them, or if these arrows were shot down just now, they really shot at me, how could I live? In this way, it is impossible to be caught with your hands tied. Presumably, there are traps set up around here, and the two of them may not have a chance of winning when they come down to fight me, so they want to take advantage of the cold to boil me and let me freeze so that I can take it.

This can't retreat, can't advance, the arrow injured in the chasing wind is still screaming from time to time, Yongyue still doesn't know how. Alas, I really blame myself for being reckless, Yongyue didn't succeed, and she caught the wind.

When he was thinking about how to escape, he suddenly heard the sound of horses kicking and neighing, only to hear Erniang's "oops" after a miserable scream, he heard the horse rushing down from the mountain, Erniang shouted: "Dumb! Shoot this horse. ”

It was Yongyue who rushed down the mountain. Last night, I don't know what kind of means they used to drive the horse into this barren mountain, but when it sensed that its master was in danger, it was desperate to break free from the restraints and save it.

Yongyue rushed to the side of the locust tree, Duguyue glanced at it, only to see that the horse was full of scars, she didn't have time to pity, she rushed to the horse, hugged Yongyue's neck, and ran wildly along the road where she came, only to hear the feather arrows shot from behind pass by, and there was a tragic neighing of chasing the wind......

After running for about four or five miles, Yongyue slowed down, panting, Duguyue turned over and dismounted, only to see that Yongyue was hit by an arrow in her buttocks, and it didn't enter two or three inches, but this beloved horse endured and ran so far until she was out of danger. Duguyue was very moved, but she didn't dare to stay for a long time, so she took Yongyue and continued to rush out.

Thinking that she was out of danger, she relaxed her vigilance, and when she crossed a dense forest, she suddenly dropped a net from above, covering Duguyue in the net, she took out a horizontal knife and chopped and cut at the net rope, but to no avail, fortunately Yongyue was not covered, and struggled a few times to break free and ran into the bushes.

Duguyue thought that this was really over, and three masked people flashed out of the jungle and pointed a knife at her: "If you move again, I will kill you." ”

Dugu Yue was angry and shouted: "If you want to kill, you have to kill casually, if the old lady frowns, it is not raised by her father." ”

"Dugu Yichang, I know that you are not afraid of death, but there are things you are afraid of. Hmph" After speaking, he slammed a blow to the back of Duguyue's neck, and Duguyue fainted.

It is said that Li Dao and Wan Buddha followed the footprints of chasing the wind to the mountain pass, and they did not dare to rush into the mountain, so they left Li Dao to answer at the intersection, and Wan Buddha returned to the town to report to Sima Wrong, after Sima Misheard, he immediately summoned Mo Si, blacksmiths, butchers and other cadres to come to the intersection. As soon as he arrived, a post man rode a fast horse and reported: "Lord Xuanyuan has arrived in Qinglong Town, please ask the post chief quickly." ”

Sima Coo muttered, at this juncture, why did Lord Xuanyuan come, he didn't dare to slack off, so he ordered a few people to wait at the intersection for the post chief, and hurried back to the town. Sima Cuo walked into the backyard, saw Xuanyuan Ledao was looking at the snow on the osmanthus tree, Sima Cuo screamed before turning around, turned around and saw that Sima Cuo had arrived, after saluting and greeting, Xuanyuan Ledao asked: "Pavilion chief, this snowy day is also busy?" ”

"My lord, last night one of Dugu's horses was stolen, and the captain rode another horse and chased him to the mountains to the south. I was about to bring a couple of brothers to pick it up. ”

"Oh, put this matter on hold for now, I have a major business trip here, to check the grain and grass prepared by Qinglong Town."

"My lord, is there any movement on Fan Yang's side?"

Xuanyuan said: "It's not just movement, it's already wolf smoke and war drums." ”

Sima Coo gasped.

Xuanyuan Ledao continued: "The 800-mile expedited report has been sent to Chang'an. ”

Sima Cuo sighed: "Although there have often been wars in the frontier since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, this Central Plains Guanzhong has been really stable for many years. In the peaceful and prosperous world, this military disaster is together, but the lives are devastated! ”

"Pavilion Chief Sima, this is not something you and I can explain. You might as well take me to the granary. ”

"My lord said that this military disaster is together, and the thousands of miles of plains from Fanyang to Luoyang have nothing to do with the danger and obstacles, and Hangu Pass is the first to bear the brunt. Since his father took over the position of pavilion chief, he has always had food and grass, and he did not dare to slack off, for fear that one day the court would need it urgently. ”

So, after the two came to the granary in the west of the town to inspect it, Xuanyuan Ledao was quite satisfied, and sighed: "Only the pavilion chief here has a good granary, but the arrival of hundreds of thousands of troops is only a few days' porridge!" ”

"My lord, aren't there more than a dozen granaries inside and outside this pass?"

"Chief Sima Ting, I don't know, there are seven or eight of these dozen granaries that are not well supervised, all of them are Yin eating grain, and the deficit is huge, in case the Hedong army can't resist the rebels, the eastern capital Luoyang is difficult to protect, and after Hangu Pass, it is Chang'an!" After speaking, he felt that he had leaked his mouth again, and hurriedly said to Sima Mistake: "This official is in a hurry, and the pavilion chief is more forgiving!" Otherwise, the old man will be guilty of killing his head. ”

"Please rest assured, my lord, the contemptible person is not the kind of person who has many mouths and many tongues, and he will rot what the adult just said in his stomach."

"Then there is Chief Lao Ting!" After speaking, the two stood in the granary, relatively speechless, facing the wolf smoke and war drums, fate has long been beyond the control of individuals, the country is home, home is the country, if the country is broken, An can have a home!

Soon, there was a hurried sound of horses' hooves outside the warehouse, and someone shouted, "Sima Tingchang!" Sima Pavilion Chief! "It's Captain Nalan.

Sima Cuo and Xuanyuan Ledao hurried to the outside of the warehouse gate, and when Nalan saw that Lord Xuanyuan was there, he knew that Fan Yang's army was known to Sima Cuo. After paying homage to Xuanyuan Ledao, he hurriedly asked Sima Cuo: "Pavilion Chief, when I came, I heard that Dugu Yichang went deep into the southern mountains, and he has not returned for a long time, I am afraid that it will be more auspicious." ”

"I've asked Li Dao, Wan Buddha and other brothers to wait at the intersection."

"I'll bring someone in and look for it right away." Nalan turned to Xuanyuan Le Dao and said, "Please move to the Barberry Inn immediately to rest, and I will go into the mountain with Sima Pavilion to find Dugu Yichang." ”

Xuanyuan said a little apologetically: "Then you go and go back quickly." ”

Nalan Yanghe and Sima Cuo came to the mountain pass quickly, only to see Li Dao, Wan Buddha and a few other people raised a fire in the fire, and their bodies were dyed white by snowflakes, but they didn't see the blacksmith, butcher, Mo Si and a few others.

Nalan Yanghe said to Sima Cuo: "Pavilion Chief, a few of you are guarding the mountain pass, and now it's too late to go back to the pass to get the information bomb." After speaking, he went around the dilapidated mountain temple next to him, found an old gong and a broken drum, and continued to say to Sima: "The sergeant and I took the gong into the mountain, and you used the drum as the corresponding to exchange information at the mountain pass. One gong is struck for safety, two for continuing to walk into the mountains, three for finding the post chief on the way back, and several times for urgent things and need reinforcements. If you beat the drum in response, it will be fine, and if you beat it several times in a row, it will be urgent. ”

Sima misheard it and hurriedly said yes, and after making such an agreement, Nalan Yanghe took a few soldiers into the mountain. After walking for about five miles, I heard someone talking in front of me, and after a few shouts, I realized that it was a blacksmith and a butcher, and the blacksmith saw that there were blood stains on the ground, and traces of fighting, so they stopped and searched around, and found Yongyue, the horse escaped and got into the thorn bush, and those people were only for Duguyue, so they did not look for it again. At the Barberry Inn, the blacksmith often fed Chai Feng and Yongyue, and was familiar with the horse. The horse neighed at the sound of a familiar person, and was found by the blacksmith.

Nalan Yang and Yongyue were covered with whip marks, as well as the feather arrow on their buttocks, and they knew that Duguyue was more than lucky. The blacksmith took out the gold sore medicine from his arms and rubbed it on the wound carefully, after the wound was finished, he gently stroked Yongyue with one hand, and the other held the arrow shaft and pulled it out violently, Yongyue convulsed in pain, and after several streams of blood gushed out, the blacksmith quickly poured the gold sore medicine into the wound wound of the arrow, and pressed it for a quarter of an hour before the blood gushed out. The blacksmith patted Yongyue and said, "What a good horse!" ”

Nalan Yanghe asked: "The post chief found that Yongyue was missing, so he rode into the mountain chasing the wind!" ”

"Yes, when I got up in the morning to feed the horses, I didn't see Yongyue, so I told the pavilion chief, and the pavilion chief immediately told the post chief, and the post chief rode in a hurry to chase the wind." The blacksmith replied.

"The chasing wind should still be inside, let's continue to look forward." At this time, Yongyue hissed, as if agreeing with Nalan Yanghe's opinion. So a sergeant led Yongyue to the mountain pass. The others continued to move forward, striking a gong from time to time, and they rang it in response to the Yamaguchi's Sima. After walking five miles to the foot of the big locust tree, he saw a horse crossing the road, the horse's hind legs were cut open, the horse's front shoulder was hit by an arrow, the horse's mouth was full of blood, and when the snow on the horse's body was wiped off, the blacksmith recognized at a glance that it was the post chief's chasing wind.

Nalan said: "This horse must be to protect the post chief, and he refuses to give way when he is stabbed several times. Alas! Then it is possible that the postmaster was captured alive. ”

At this time, someone shouted, come and see, everyone gathered around the big locust tree, only to see a few arrows on the locust tree, one nailed with a letter, Nalan Yanghe was shocked after reading it.