Chapter 4: The Thief (Part 4)

One by one, emergency military reports were copied and delivered from all directions, which stimulated Cheng Mingzhen's bones. In the troubled times, he didn't send so many good brothers. Now that the troubled times are finally showing signs of the end, Wu Tianxi, Xiong Kuohai and others are gone, and they are so hasty. Not even a chance to say goodbye was left.

Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen was almost unable to support it. Wang Ermao took the initiative to take over the daily military affairs and urged the Zhaozhou battalion to march to the party in the rain. The momentum of Liu Heimin's army this time is so great that I am afraid that Shangdang, which is only a mountain away from Hebei, will not be at peace. The families of the soldiers are all placed there, and if it is affected, it will inevitably shake the morale of the army.

At the same time as the military reports from the front, the military orders of the imperial court were also constantly sent to the camp in Zhaozhou. Urging Cheng and Wang Ermao to speed up their journey, they must rush to Zhao County before Liu Heimin launches the next round of offensives and contain part of his troops.

"The open-mindedness is no less than that of Dou Jiande, and the resoluteness and decisiveness are especially victorious!" In the military order to the front, Li Yuan reminded worriedly. lest the generals be too anxious by themselves and accidentally fall into Liu Heimin's trap. Regarding the reasons why Li Shiji and Luo Yi were ambushed one after another, the imperial court has found out clearly through special channels. There are Diao people in all parts of Hebei who collude with Liu Heimin, and once the official army enters the country, all actions will fall into Liu Heimin's eyes as soon as possible.

In this regard, Li Yuan did not understand what the generals should do to ensure that their movements were not controlled by Liu Heimin. But between the lines, the murderous breath is about to come out. Seeing this, Cheng Mingzhen became even more angry, so he had to do everything possible to speed up the march, and strive to avoid a greater disaster within his ability.

However, when he walked to Tongqi County, which is at the junction of Shangdang County and Xihe County, an even more terrifying news came. When Liu Heimin raised the army, his mother and wife were not in the party, but followed a few homesick old companions to Hebei. After the destruction of Ping'en City, there was no news back.

"Where did you hear that!" Fearing that Cheng Mingzhen would not be able to stand this series of blows, Wang Ermao reached out and grabbed the veteran who reported the news, and asked loudly. "Who, who told you to send a letter. If you mess up the morale of the army, you are the only one who asks! ”

"Yes, yes!" The veteran was caught by him and was out of breath, and he pushed his hands and feet desperately, "Yes, it's Aunt Caixia, the girl asked me to come." She, she has already sent someone to infiltrate Hebei to find out the specific situation. Say, say that if you can meet the teacher, the head of the teaching, be sure to ask him not to worry! ”

"Hey, you idiot!" Wang Ermao slammed the veteran to the ground. The people who can call Cheng Mingzhen the head of the sect are all the old brothers of Juluze back then, no matter how anxious he is, he can't kill him. "You won't be able to inquire and come back. Sister-in-law Lian, why didn't she stop it! ”

"It was the old lady herself who proposed to go." The veteran rolled on the ground, his face full of fear. "No one can stop it. The seven masters had no choice but to pack up their blades and follow. Miss Caixia had just given birth and couldn't move, otherwise she would have to follow. She, she said, please don't worry. No one is more familiar with the road over there than Seven! ”

"Hey!" Wang Ermao, Zhang Jin and others were so anxious that they couldn't wait to fly over Taihang Mountain immediately and rescue Du Juan and Cheng's mother. After the initial panic, Cheng Mingzhen behaved calmer than everyone else, pondered for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "Liu Heimin's people haven't crossed the mountain. How about other people's families, not disturbed! ”

"It's okay, it's okay!" The veteran who reported the news thought for a moment and nodded heavily. "Together, Miss Caixia summoned us retired veterans to monitor all the paths that can cross the mountain. At present, Liu Wuzhou's people have not crossed the mountain. Most of the other brothers, and their families, were not affected. But, there are dozens of families with elderly people, and they have secretly gone back to see the villagers before! ”

"It's none of your business. You go down and get ten pennies and have a good rest. Be careful not to spread the word! Zhang Jin, you find him a horse and let him sleep on horseback! Cheng Mingzhen waved his hand and ordered in a deep voice.

"Yes, my subordinates know the military order!" The veteran saluted Cheng Mingzhen and followed Zhang Jin back.

Crossed the mountain, went to Pingen, and was in a hurry to return home to see! Seeing the veteran's back disappear in the crowd, Cheng Mingzhen couldn't support it anymore, and his teeth began to chatter up and down. His mother was homesick, and he knew this very well. In my impression, since the day when the father-in-law Du Scar and Uncle Hao Wu became monks, their mother-in-law has been talking to him and Du Juan, saying that they hope to return to Ping'en in their lifetime and strive to be buried in the ancestral grave of the Cheng family.

At the beginning, neither of them knew when Hebei would be captured by the Tang Dynasty, so they could only comfort them with kind words and promised to take the old man back to see it as soon as the official army was restored. Unexpectedly, the nostalgia in the old man's heart was so strong, he didn't wait for himself to return from Chang'an, so he hurried over.

The only thing that can be counted on now is the knife in the cuckoo's hand. If she sees the opportunity early, with her martial arts, she may be able to fight a bloody way for herself and her mother. But the hope is so slim, just like the continuous rain in front of you, no one can see where the road behind is clearly?

"Sect leader, someone has sent a letter again!" Suddenly, the shouts of pro-soldiers sounded ahead.

Cheng Mingzhen cheered up, forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart, and ordered in a low voice, "Bring it here, don't shout!" ”

The soldiers took the order, and a moment later, they carried a man who had been fished out of the mud. Seeing Cheng Mingzhen, this person immediately fell to the ground with a thud, and shouted with a crying voice: "Sect head, sect head." You're back. Table, Miss Cousin has just been rescued. Seriously injured! ”

"Miss Table!" Cheng Ming shook his head for a moment, and then realized that the other party was talking about his cousin Zhu Xinghua. "He's a man, he's not coming back with him!"

"No, I don't know!" The visitor shook his head slightly, then gasped and said, "Cai, Miss Caixia, Pai, sent a carriage and sent her to you." Specifically, you have to ask Miss Table. She, she's coming soon! ”

"Click!" A bolt of lightning illuminates the dark sky. Tuesday Childe is the county order of Ping'en, with this guy with no conscience, can anything good happen?

Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen's face was terrifyingly pale, Wang Ermao stepped forward and pulled him by the hand, and persuaded him in a low voice: "Don't worry, Juanzi's martial arts are no worse than the two of us." Waiting for three or five people at leisure, I can't help her at all! ”

"Yes, the seven masters grew up on horseback, and the idlers don't pay attention to it at all!" Zhang Jin and the others beat the small drum in their hearts, but they forced a smile to relieve Cheng Mingzhen. For the general is the courage of the three armies, if Cheng Mingzhen loses his square inch at this moment, the next battle, there is no need to fight, and the result can be imagined.

Cheng Mingzhen hesitated and shook his head slightly. "The cuckoo should be fine. Liu Heimin's main force is in the south, and there are no generals in the direction of Pingen. Besides, everyone else knows that she is my wife, whether they miss their former colleague friendship or not, in order to bargain with me, they shouldn't be too difficult for her! ”

Although he said yes, he couldn't stop his scalp from flapping. He led the team for a few hundred steps, sighed, turned his head and instructed Wang Ermao, "You help me take my brothers, let's camp in Jiashui City tonight." I'll ride a horse and go first, maybe I'll be able to catch the little apricot blossom! ”

"Uh......" Wang Ermao stretched out his hand to stop him, wanting to tell Cheng Mingzhen that his current identity is a grain officer, and he can no longer meddle in the military affairs of the Zhaozhou camp as before. But he didn't stop it, so he had to look at the backs of Cheng Mingzhen and several personal guards, and quickly disappeared behind the vast rain curtain.

Listening to the sound of horses' hooves, Wang Fei leaned forward and discussed with Wang Ermao in a flattering tone: "Second brother, she will be fine with the seventh master!" She is so good at martial arts, she is plain and accumulates virtue and does good......"

"Shut your foul mouth!" A nameless evil fire surged into Wang Ermao's heart, glared at Wang Fei fiercely, and he scolded loudly. "Sister Juan was alone, and she was able to clean up the head of the sect and me. As long as she rushes out desperately, under Liu Heimin's account, who can stop her? ”

"Yes, it's unfounded. Who has the ability to stop the Seven Masters?! Zhang Jin also came up and added worriedly. The name of the Jade Rakshasa is not called in vain, I think that in Julu Ze back then, except for her master Hao Laodao, almost no one can be called an opponent. Although she has not wielded knives and guns for many years, she ......

Everyone cheered each other on while urging the team to speed up. In the white rain, a muddy road leads from west to east, and every footprint carries a fervent hope. Every footprint was muddy by the rain and slowly smeared clean.

Cheng Mingzhen galloped along the official road. The maple dew purple under the crotch is very miraculous, as if he knows the master's thoughts, and since he took a step, the speed has not dropped for more than 30 miles. Just when both men and horses were exhausted, under the rain curtain in the distance, a corner of the blue-gray carriage was finally revealed. Cheng Mingzhen's heart suddenly trembled, and he stepped forward with strong spirits. The man on the wheel wiped his face, recognized the figure on horseback, pulled the brake with all his might, and then rolled down.

"Leader, Miss Table is here!" Behind the carriage, several escorted men also jumped off their mounts and reported loudly to Cheng Mingzhen.

"The head ......" didn't wait for his knees to hit the ground, and the man who was driving the car had already cried. You're back, Miss Watch......"

"Don't be verbose!" Cheng Mingzhen jumped off the horse and pulled up the man who was driving the car, "How is Miss Cousin?" Is there any news of the Seven Masters and my mother? ”

"Watch, Miss Watch, in the car! You, you ask her! I don't, I don't know! The man wiped the muddy water from his face and responded tremblingly. It was cold and rainy, his face was pale from the cold, and his upper and lower lips were completely bloodless.

Cheng Mingzhen didn't care about his life or death anymore, let go of his hand, stepped forward and ripped down the car curtain. More than a dozen Zhuang households escorting the carriage also stepped forward, jumped off their mounts, and no one dared to speak, watching Cheng Mingzhen pick up the sleeping Zhu Xinghua.

Xiao Xinghua's appearance was even more haggard than when she first came to Cheng's house to take refuge, a pair of tightly closed eyes were deeply trapped in the sockets, the eyelids were blue and black, her face was sallow, and her breath was dying.

"Apricot blossom, apricot blossom!" Cheng Mingzhen put the little apricot blossom across his lap, stretched out his rain-soaked sleeves, and wiped it on the other party's forehead. "Wake up, don't sleep. I'm here, how is your sister-in-law and sister-in-law, tell me quickly! ”

Zhu Xinghua's forehead was already bloodless, but he wiped it a few times, and gradually a touch of blush floated. One of the guards took off his helmet and scooped up rain on the side of the road. Cheng Mingzhen took it and poured it on the little apricot blossom. The forehead that had just been wiped hot was poured with cold water, and the unconscious little Xinghua immediately shivered, a moan came out of the corner of her mouth, and slowly opened her eyes a slit.

"Wake up. Your sister-in-law and your sister-in-law are still waiting for me! Cheng Mingzhen stretched out his hand and slapped Xiao Xinghua's cheek vigorously. At such a critical juncture, he didn't care about pity and cherished the jade, and he didn't hesitate to take any means to get the news of his mother and wife.

was slapped four or five times in a row, and Zhu Xinghua finally regained a little sense. When he opened his eyes and saw the fierce and vicious Cheng Mingzhen, he was so frightened that he rolled hard and actually rolled off the other party's knees. "Don't kill me, cousin!" She cried out as she struggled to roll away in the carriage. "Don't kill me, I'm running back to report to you!"

"Who's to blame you!" Cheng Mingzhen stretched out his arm and grabbed the little apricot blossom back like an eagle catching a chicken. "You, you say slowly, what the hell is going on? Where is your sister-in-law, your sister-in-law, and the children? ”

"Cousin......." Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen's face finally showed a somewhat soft expression, Xiao Xinghua's mouth was crooked, and she cried loudly. Liu Heimin's man-made reversal. They opened the gates of Pinn! The sister-in-law organized people to rush out, and she had already rushed out for the first time, but the concubine, the concubine's legs and feet were not good, so she went back to pick it up. …… Woo, woo....... It was good, but the court's envoys had to collect money to atone for their sins. The people in the city hated the court so much that they helped the people outside to fight together, and during the day they said that they would ask you to find a way, but at night they turned their faces and wooed...... Woohoo......"

She cried hoarsely, and she couldn't speak in the first place. But intermittently, Cheng Mingzhen also guessed the general situation of the matter. Because Dou Jiande finally set the capital in Zhaozhou, the three counties of Ping'en have always been regarded as the Gyeonggi important place of the Dou family's army, and the city is full of family members of the Dou family's high-ranking people. With the surrender of Pei Ju and Dou Jiande's son, Hebei was initially decided, and these three counties also became the focus of the imperial court's propaganda.

The mother took the juan and the little apricot blossom back to her hometown, and Dou Jiande's old department wanted to find a way out in the new dynasty, and they had been treating their mothers like guests, and together with the new county commander Zhou Wen, they all got a lot of benefits from it. But I don't know if it was because of the inherent contempt of the noble family for the reckless heroes, or out of the pride of the victors, whether it was sent from the Qin Palace, or the officials handpicked by Li Yuan, they all made things difficult for Dou Jiande's old department. So, as soon as the news of Dou Jiande's killing spread, it was like sparks splashing into dry firewood.

Liu Heimin was forced but took a risk. Dou Jiande's old department, which was scattered all over the country, took pity on him and immediately responded with troops. Under the cover of the nest, Ping'en City could not be spared, and was broken by Dou Jiande's remaining internal and external alliances. The cuckoo protected his family and the people to flee together, and fought his way out. But the mother was trapped in the city because of her legs and feet.

With the cuckoo's temperament, you can imagine what will happen next. In an instant, Cheng Mingzhen's eyes were foggy. The whole world turned black and white, and between the black earth and the white sky, there was a red shadow, which smiled at him and rushed towards the blue-black city in the distance with his sword. The swarming black rebels engulfed her, trying to dissolve her figure into the darkness, but the red scarlet split a crack in the black and white world like lightning, illuminating the entire heaven and earth.

"Click!" A bolt of lightning was followed by another muffled thunder. Cheng Mingzhen stared at Xiao Xinghua with straight eyes, his fingers were clearly released, but his arms still maintained the posture of pulling back hard just now. He seemed to be trying to hold on to something, but he couldn't hold on to anything. The whole person squatted in the carriage like a log, and his soul was scattered.

"Leader!"

"Cousin!" Everyone was stunned and shouted loudly. After shouting several times in succession, Cheng Mingzhen finally relieved himself a little, glanced at Xiao Xinghua, and asked with a sneer, "When did it happen?" How many days should it be? ”

"No, not in a few days. I, as soon as I left the city, entrusted the child to someone else. Then I hurried over to report the news, and met Caixia halfway through......."

Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Cheng Mingzhen slowly moved off the carriage and straightened his body in the wind and rain. "What about Zhou Wen, he lowered Liu Heimin again, right? The two of you discussed it, right? ”

Seeing that Cheng Mingzhen seemed to be crazy, Xiao Xinghua didn't care that her body was already extremely weak, and she rolled over the side of the car. "My man, my man is gone!" After a few steps in the muddy water, she cried loudly. "As soon as the city broke, he entrusted me and the child to my sister-in-law. He rushed into the rebels with a knife. He said that he would rather die at this moment. I also want to give my children a good background! ”

"Boom!" Another bolt of lightning struck, illuminating Cheng Mingzhen's crimson eyes. The mother is gone, the cuckoo is gone, and the enemy is gone. In this world, what is left of him except himself?

Reaching out to push away the guards who tried to hug him, he rolled over and jumped onto his mount, shaking the reins. The rest of the guards tried to stop him, but he was knocked to the ground with his scabbard one after another.

At this moment, only a trace of reason was lost from his eyes. The whole person has no sense of time and space, only thinking that his wife is not far away, and only thinking that he can kill a bloody way and save her safely.

She had saved him countless times, and this time, it was finally his turn to fight for her. Juanzi, you wait, I'll be right there.

"Cousin!" Zhu Xinghua rushed forward a few steps and crawled. At the moment when the war horse rushed to speed, he grabbed the horse's tail and shouted with all his strength, "My cousin-in-law has a word, let me bring it to you!" You wait! Sister Juan has a saying......."

"....... Juanzi?" Cheng Mingzhen grabbed the mount and turned back blankly.

"My cousin said!" Seizing the opportunity of lightning, Xiao Xinghua lay down in the mud and repeated loudly in a voice that did not belong to her, "Marrying you in this life is the happiest thing." If it is unfortunate to go here, please Lang Jun must find another woman who can give birth to two sons. The concubine is under the Nine Springs, and she will also pray for Lang Jun! ”