The day of the captivity, life is better than death.

Qin Luo was draped in his hair, barefoot, and his hands were tied behind his back, leaning in the prisoner car. He stared blankly at the sky, at the endless grasslands outside the car, and at the endless hills in the distance. The setting sun bursts out through the clouds, emitting a golden glow, adding a bit of brilliant color to the vast land.

This is a very different scenery from Yangcheng. Qin Luo sighed silently, Yangcheng, as the Kyoto of Great Chu, was naturally magnificent. At this time, it is spring, and Yangcheng must be full of flowers at this moment, the ancient trees are verdant, and there is a vibrant atmosphere everywhere. However, none of this has anything to do with him, because he can't go back.

Overnight, the country was ruined. The Xiang Qiang tribe breached the imperial palace and captured hundreds of royal nobles and a large number of officials and civilians. The old emperor and the crown prince of Dachu committed suicide one after another, and the rest of the princes and princesses were also captured or killed. A nation is perished.

After Xiang Qiang burned and looted in Yangcheng, he took them and returned to the grassland. Xiang Qiang was originally a nomadic people, and the capture of these captives was nothing more than as a hostage for his family to pay a ransom. If they can't hand it over, they will be used as slaves for the nobles. Qin Luonai is an official of Dachu, and he was unfortunately arrested this time, and he stayed away from his homeland with the rest of the people and came to this strange land.

When You Ji was first arrested, Xiang Qiang's soldiers gave all the young adults a killing stick. They were all tied with their hands and feet tied and kneeling in a row. The whip behind him rises and falls, like a red silk ribbon in the hands of a dancer, waving in the wind. It's just that there is a little bit of blood mixed in there, soaking the entire sky.

"Ahh Qin Luo heard that someone next to him couldn't stand it and began to wail. However, before he could pity the others who had caused trouble, the pain behind him tightened, and the first whip had already fallen on his body.

The taste of the whip is naturally unpleasant. After a few lashes, Qin Luo's breathing became heavier and heavier, obviously it was only early spring, and the spring cold was steep, but beads of sweat the size of beans flowed from his sideburns, slowly dripping down his handsome cheeks.

After more than a dozen lashes, there were many broken skins on his back, and his clothes were stained with blood, and the beating continued. The whip fell heavily and slammed into the scarred back of the buttocks, adding a few strokes of color. Qin Luo's body was shaky, and cold sweat was dripping on his face. Even if it is not broken bones and wrong tendons, this kind of pain of flesh and skin is unbearable.

He listened to the mourning voices next to him, but he could only bite his thin lips, which had long lost his blood, and did not say a word, enduring inhuman pain.

"Lord Qin."

Someone whispered to him, pulling his thoughts back. Qin Luo turned around, only to see that the man was the same as him, with his hands tied, a big bag on his head, and his clothes were whipped to tatters. Qin Luo recognized it for a long time before he recognized it, and it turned out to be the left waiter of the household.

"Lord Zhao?" Qin Luo asked softly, his hoarse voice revealing a bit of coldness.

The man nodded, slowly moved to Qin Luo's side, and asked miserably, "Where is Xiang Qiang going to take us?" ”

"Qingyun." Qin Luo said, "Last year, when I sued for peace, I went to the Qingyun Department with the mission, and I followed this road. ”

Qingyun Clan, Tuoba Clan, the most ferocious tribe among the four major tribes of the grassland, is also the family of the birth of the king. The current Xiangqiang Khan is Qingyun's Tuoba Hao.

Zhao Shilang was desperate in an instant, is there still life for the sheep in the tiger's mouth?

Spring has already bloomed in the south, but once you arrive in the northwest, it seems to be back in winter. Qin Luo curled up in the prisoner car, letting the wind and rain blow. However, these officials are lucky, and many of them do not even have prisoner cars. The people were bound with their hands tied and shivered in the cold wind. They staggered forward under the whipping of the soldiers. Many people can't bear it and can't get up again after they fall.

Suddenly, another batch of prisoners was sent from the rear. These people are old, weak, sick and disabled, and although they are in the prison car, they are also tortured a lot. Everyone was angry, and it was okay to catch the strong man, but he didn't expect Xiang Qiang to even let go of women and children, but he dared to be angry and didn't dare to speak. The cries of women and children were often heard in the ranks over there, and the Xiang Qiang soldiers were so upset that they picked up whips and whipped them into the prisoner car, scolding them to shut up.

The people in the team cried even harder. The soldier picked up the whip again and whipped it at them. A woman hurriedly covered the child's mouth, held him tightly in her arms, and used her back to resist the whipping behind her.

Looking at them, Qin Luo's heart was not a taste. He thought of his brother again, and wondered if he would also be captured by the enemy. Just thinking about it, I suddenly found that in the prisoner car opposite, there was a child sitting quietly with his head down, not crying or making trouble. It's a pity that the long hair covers the face, and I can't see whose child it is.

"Who are these people?" A soldier in charge asked in Xiang Qiang.

The escort soldier replied: "I escaped that night, and I chased him for a long time before I was caught." It is estimated that they are all noble ladies and young masters, and they will definitely be able to get a large amount of ransom. ”

Qin Luo once served as an official in the Ministry of Rites, and he also sent an envoy to Xiang Qiang, so he naturally understood Xiang Qiang's language. He carefully looked at the prisoner carts on the opposite side again, and sure enough, he saw that the person he knew was the son-in-law of several ministers. At this moment, they no longer have the arrogance of Yangcheng, and they are all wilting.

However, Qin Luo is not proud of the spring breeze. He is a noble son of a poor family, and he has been an official for only five years, so he is appointed as a Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites, and the official residence is five products. He was originally a genius praised by everyone in Yangcheng, and his future was immeasurable. It's a pity that he was born at the wrong time, just in troubled times, Da Chu and Xiang Qiang fought for many years, and the beacon fire was endless. Once the city was broken and captured, he had to be reduced to a prisoner and let others slaughter.

Qin Luo was a little arrogant, but the few months he was captured made all his dignity turn to ashes. At first, I may have thought about resisting, and I also thought about committing suicide. But when he thought that his young brother was still missing, he was worried, so he had to gradually become numb, and he lived in secret, just like everyone else.

Qin Luo originally thought that his heart would slowly die until he compromised. But what he didn't expect was that on this night, Xiang Qiang locked the captives together, and Qin Luo was about to go to bed when someone suddenly broke into his sight, which made him see hope and make his heart live.

This person is the boy who huddled in the corner, not crying or making trouble. In the beginning, he was inconspicuous among women and children. Although Qin Luo looked at him a few more times, he didn't care too much. But in the evening, after everyone was driven into a temporary cell and detained, the young man, under the cover of a man and a woman, secretly moved to Qin Luo's side and called him softly: "Lord Qin." ”

Qin Luo narrowed his eyes and looked at the three people in front of him. An old man, a woman, with a teenage child. He wondered, "Are you?" ”

The young man uncovered his messy hair and revealed a familiar face, which turned out to be Zhao Ruize, the sixth prince. Qin Luo was taken aback, in just a few days, the six princes were a lot haggard, their eyes were red and swollen, and their faces were defeated. The grizzled appearance is like the squeamish prince in the palace. Qin Luo sighed secretly, the poor sixth prince couldn't escape from the clutches of the devil after all, and he was still caught here.

"Six ......" Qin Luo paused, "Why are you also arrested by them?" ”

"It's a long story." The old man lowered his voice and said slowly, "The old slave took his master and finally escaped from the palace safely. Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the gate of Yangcheng, Xiang Qiang began to arrest the nobles in the city again, and he still chose to dress gorgeously. ”

It seems to be for money, Qin Luo said in his heart. Although the six princes were unfortunately arrested, looking at the situation, it seems that the Xiang Qiang people did not know that the person they arrested was the prince. Otherwise, the six princes would have been heavily guarded by heavy troops a long time ago, how could they see Qin Luo?

"Lord Qin." The woman also spoke, "Now that the master has been arrested, we don't know what to do. I'm glad I met you, and you can help our Highness. ”

Qin Luo once served as a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy, and had several encounters with the six princes. This time, the six princes were in trouble, and when they looked around, they knew Qin Luo, and they had to ask him for help. And Qin Luo, as a Han Chinese, naturally hopes that the prince can escape and retain a trace of blood for Dachu.

Qin Luo thought for a while and analyzed: "They arrested this group of people just to ask for more ransom, and there should be no danger to their lives for the time being." You must not reveal your identity, let alone let the captured officials see the face of Your Highness. Many people are under the whip and are very likely to betray Da Chu. Your Highness's identity, don't tell anyone else. ”

"This is natural, we also came to ask for help when Lord Qin was the master's attendant." The old eunuch said.

is worthy of being an old man in the palace, and he is really thoughtful. Qin Luo nodded, and said to the old eunuch again: "Also, your identity is easy to be exposed, so it's best not to follow Your Highness first." As for the safety of His Highness, if you can rest assured, leave it to me. ”

The eunuch is indeed a *, it is easy to hide it for a day or two, but after a long time, it is difficult not to be discovered. The old eunuch nodded and said, "The old slave understands, so the master will ask you and the nurse." ”

"Big Companion ......" The sixth prince saw that he was about to be separated from the old eunuch who grew up with him, and his eyes suddenly turned red and he was reluctant to give up.

The old eunuch was also in tears, but he still smiled and said with relief: "Master, when the old slave is away, take care of yourself." ”

The sixth prince nodded silently and reluctantly accepted this fact. Qin Luo had long known that His Royal Highness was more than well-behaved, but not brave enough. He was the most obedient of all the princes, and the least ambitious.

Such a person who has been clothed and fed since he was a child is now facing the change of the country's ruin. Qin Luo took care of him as much as he could, protecting him from abuse. Someone saw Qin Luo protecting this child like this, and they were suspicious. He said to the public that this was his younger brother who was separated in the war.

Fortunately, the sixth prince is very quiet, often lowers his head, and does not say a word to outsiders. Some officials can't enter the inner palace to see the prince at close range, let alone connect the thin child in front of them with the children of the royal family.

This went on for several days, and all the time there was no incident. But Qin Luo not only protected the prince, but more importantly, let him escape back to Dachu. And if the six princes stay for one more day, it will be more dangerous. It's a pity that Qin Luo is just a prisoner, he can't protect himself, and the enemy soldiers are heavily guarded, so there is no chance for the six princes to escape.

In this way, you can't attack by force, you can only outwit it.

After a few months, the team finally entered the realm of Qingyun, and in a few days, they could reach Danyang City, which was equivalent to Xiangqiang's Kyoto, with more than 100,000 heavy guards, and it was even more difficult to escape.

Since he was captured, Qin Luo had been secretly observing the team and eavesdropping on the soldiers' conversations. He learned from this that the general of this team was named Guo Erhe, who was fierce and lustful, and asked the people below to choose a woman with a good posture every evening, and if anyone resisted, he would directly kill and feed the wolf.

However, in the past few days, Guo Erhe suddenly became disciplined and no longer had to go every night

Insulting a woman. I heard that it was because the third prince of the Khan was going to come over to routinely reward the army, and Guo Erhe had to put away his lust and be busy receiving the prince.

Regarding the third prince Tuoba Yan, Qin Luo has still heard of one or two. He is the youngest son of the Khan, and even more so, he has been favored since childhood. Although he was only fourteen years old, with the help of his mother's family, he and the eldest prince Tuoba Yin competed for many years, regardless of victory or defeat.

Seize the heir, not only Da Chu has, but also Xiang Qiang. Qin Luo sneered, it seems that the grassland is not as peaceful as imagined.

When the third prince came, Guo Erhe, in order to show his merits, tied the captives with their hands, and drove them to the open ground to kneel down neatly and wait. They waited a long time, kneeling until their legs were numb and their heads were dizzy, when the prince finally came.

Qin Luo looked up slightly ahead, only to see a nobleman dressed in black riding a horse, casting a casual glance as he passed by their group of captives. The young man was like a god on high, his eyes were cold and warm. However, Qin Luo didn't expect that his life of entanglement with this young man would start here.