Fifty horsemen swept out of the woods like the wind, Sima Dan asked forty horsemen to wait outside, and only took nine horsemen to the woods, and after walking for a while, he saw another scout standing under the tree shivering in the cold wind, waiting for their arrival.

It's too cold.

Sima Dan reluctantly left the warm saddle, turned over and dismounted, and vigorously patted Niu Tian, who was waiting for him in the bitter cold at the risk of danger, on the shoulder: "Hard work! Then he went under the tree and examined the corpses of the Huns that had been found.

The wind and snow had drowned the corpse's face, Sima Dan wiped what his hands could erase with his hands, and saw a round face, his head was shaved clean, leaving only three small whips, and his facial features were as thin and crowded together as rats, but this person's figure was extremely wide, and even if he added two more heads on his shoulders, he was as calm as ordinary people.

Sima Dan wanted to turn over the corpse, but the corpse had been condensed in the ground by the ice and snow and flesh, and then looked closely, the man's hands and feet were cut off, only the head remained, thinking that he had not lost his breath at that time, but looking at his expression, it seemed to be sleeping peacefully, with a sneer, and there was no expression of torture and murder.

At this time, Liu Yi, the general also approached to take a closer look, his face suddenly turned iron-blue, and he muttered: "Is this a vegetable person?" ”

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a great hunger in North China, there were vegetable people on the market miscellaneous, human flesh was bought and sold by catties, many people who were slaughtered, rows were tied up and waited for the buyer, the buyer could only buy one arm and one leg, the vegetable man was slaughtered on the spot, he was not dead for a while, but his face was bloodless, so he was called a vegetable man.

This kind of trade was also revived during the Eight Kings Rebellion, but Sima Dan couldn't think of why Liu Yi would say that the Hun corpse in front of him was a vegetable man.

Liu Yi knew that he didn't understand, so he explained: "The tradition of the Central Plains Cairen is actually introduced from the far north, where the Xiongnu have a branch called Ghost Fang, they eat raw people, Ru Mao drinks blood, and the raw meat is placed on the thighs, and they eat it raw when it is hot, because the war between the tribes in their place is extremely ferocious, and sometimes even the entire tribe of the other party is eaten, and those who can't finish eating will cut off their hands and feet as food, so I remembered the matter of vegetable people." ”

Sima Dan couldn't help but shudder, feeling sickened, he couldn't imagine that there was such a murderous thing in the world, he had heard of ghosts, but it was the first time he had heard about people eating people.

Gao Chun was also afraid: "I heard that the ghost side is in the company of fierce beasts, and when they fight, they don't know the pain and fatigue, and they often fight to the death and are inexhaustible, like wolves biting their prey. ”

Liu Yi smiled bitterly: "Rouran is already an extremely fierce tribe, if it weren't for it, it wouldn't be able to guard the fattest grassland, but the real ghost side is really terrifying, I just hope they don't come south if they are afraid of the heat, otherwise... Otherwise, the Central Plains will not know what disasters will be experienced. ”

At this time, the snow in the sky was getting heavier and heavier, and the surroundings were already gray and black, and the sky was already half dark at some point.

Sima Dan pointed to the corpse: "What tribe do you think this person belongs to?" ”

Liu Yi shook his head: "There are too many tribes of the Huns, and I can't recognize them, but this person is definitely not the Rouran we are facing head-on." ”

Sima Dan looked around, this grove was terrifyingly quiet, he was busy analyzing this corpse just now, and he didn't pay attention to the environment, but fortunately, the nine knights spread out and surrounded him, forming a protective circle.

Sima Dan ordered: "Bury the vegetable man, and then we will go back!" ”

For some reason, Sima Dan suddenly felt uneasy in his heart, but he was not worried about his own safety, but remembered the other forty soldiers waiting for him outside the forest.

He touched the saber on his back, and felt a sense of steadiness in his heart.

After Sima Dan and his party came out of the woods, they found that the soldiers waiting for him outside the woods had formed a small phalanx and were on guard, so he hurriedly urged him to ask another lieutenant general, Deng Bing.

Deng Bing hurriedly ordered everyone to get on their horses and reported to Sima Dan: "It is not advisable to stay here for a long time, there are traces of the enemy in the northeast, but the other party does not have many people this time, and they dare not come over, they may be searching to the south now, if it is concluded that we have no reinforcements, we will definitely be surrounded with enough manpower." ”

******

Sanqing Dao Chang returned to Baoding and immediately went to Zhao's Mansion to listen to the announcement.

Zhao Hou also put down everything and howled: "Why didn't you come back now?" He took Sanqing's hand and hurriedly called someone to prepare a table.

Sanqing laughed: "Although it's a little late, it's still very rewarding, the lord is so anxious, didn't he open the tips of the trail for no reason?" ”

Zhao Hou was embarrassed: "Aren't you in a hurry, although there is nothing wrong, but I still open it to see, how do I know that there is only a blank piece of paper inside!" ”

Sanqing smiled bitterly: "I calculated the time, when winter is coming, the Huns will not invade the south, unless there is a snow disaster, they will have to plunder south, if so, it will definitely wait until this month to take action, as long as I can rush back, I can protect the Hou Ye from losing, that trick, just let the Hou Ye have a peace of mind." ”

"What did the Taoist gain this time? Ben Hou is really anxious! Several times I sent people to Beijing, but the Taoist just didn't say anything! ”

"How can such a confidential matter be communicated by someone else?"

Zhao Hou's eyes flashed: "Dao Leader must have found some useful information?"

"If I were the Hou Ye, I would do two things now: first, send a letter to King Yan, telling him that he must not support the prince; Second, send out an assassin battalion and be sure to put him to death. ”

******

The white-haired but still upright Ban Wu entered Chang'an City on a hazy day and lived in a royal post station.

Although it is a post station, in fact, with the luxury of the Great Jin Dynasty and the nature of this post station, it is much more luxurious than many hotels, and the Sima family has never had a thrifty emperor, which can be seen from the elegant furnishings in the imperial post station.

In the evening, a group of forbidden soldiers surrounded the station, and a thin and short figure entered the station.

Ban Wu hadn't enjoyed the silk for a long time, and at this time, he was lying halfway on the bed that he couldn't leave without, and he didn't expect a thin man to enter his room directly, Ban Wu frowned, but he was still sitting on the bed: "What are you doing here?" ”

The person who came was dressed as an official in the palace, and he was the most trusted figure of the emperor today: Guan String.

"Ban Wu, do you think it will be the emperor who is coming?"

Ban Wu was noncommittal: "I really miss here, no wonder the West is competing for our silk, it's so comfortable, my father-in-law is here all the year round, but I will really enjoy it!" ”

"Humph! If you want to be a eunuch, I can also open a convenient door! ”

"Haha! Can you be like my father-in-law, who has all the power in the world? I'm old, it doesn't matter! Alas! ・・・I haven't seen the emperor for decades! Father-in-law! If the emperor is not here yet, does he no longer trust the "Western Holy Mission"?"

"The emperor is very angry!"

"The Mandate of Heaven has been running for the Great Jin, what is the emperor not satisfied with?"

"The emperor's time is numbered, but he still has no heirs, he may not be able to wait until the prince grows up, the emperor wants to know if you have done something?"

"Joke, we still care about the royal family?"

"Humph! If the emperor has no heir, you can decide who belongs to the world, right? ”

Ban Wu was angry and shouted: "Fart! Who do you think can decide who belongs to the Mandate of Heaven? Do you know how much effort we spent and how many people died to turn our destiny around? The Great Jin should have been broken, how could there be today? If your emperor doesn't summon me personally, then I'll leave immediately, leave it alone, and you'll be responsible for it in the future!" Not long ago, the star was revealed, and I guess the star is back again, and we're at the turning point of destiny, so do you think we should continue our alliance, or do we go our separate ways? ”

******

The fifty horsemen led by Sima Dan stayed in a permanent camp on their patrol at night, and there were still two days to go before the camp in the north.

The camp was poorly equipped, barely able to fit fifty men and horses, the wooden fence on the periphery had only recently been repaired, and the wooden houses inside could also shelter from the wind and snow, but there was nothing else here, after all, it was only a reconnaissance setting, and had no strategic defense value.

However, at this time, Sima Dan regretted that he did not order the digging of the horse pit at that time.

If there is an attack tonight, the wooden fence will be the only defense.

No more traces of the enemy were found during this half-day journey, is the difficulty of the other party really as Deng Bing said, search south, and then come back to outflank the net?

"Fuck! It's been so long to build a fire! Deng Bing angrily scolded a soldier.

Sima Dan ran over to take a look, and found that in a frozen world, it was indeed more difficult than usual to make a fire, he patted Deng Bing's shoulder: "General Deng, it's a good thing that it's difficult to make a fire!" In this way, the enemy will not be able to attack with fire, so let's go to General Liu to discuss something. ”

Originally, Cao Lie would never send any deputy generals to lead the reconnaissance, but the prince insisted on going together, so he sent two deputy generals to accompany him, in order to protect the prince, of course, to protect the prince, but for Deng and Liu, the reconnaissance under the ice and snow was naturally drudgery, and Sima Dan felt that Deng Bing was even more dissatisfied.

Sima Dan and they found Liu Yi, the three of them sat down, each took out a small gourd, drank some wine to warm up, Sima Dan saw that Deng Bing drank his share, so he handed him the gourd.

Liu Yi grimaced: "Prince, the situation may not be good, and Deng Bing's foul mouth may be right." ”

Deng Bing scolded him: "You stink, I just expect the enemy to be like a god." ”

Liu Yi: "Anyway, if there is anything, you first protect the prince and return to the North Daying!" ”

Deng Bing was reluctant: "If we want to walk together, our horses are fast, and we may not be able to run away!" ”

Sima Dan shook his head: "I will never go first by myself, besides, if the enemy really has overwhelming forces, he doesn't have to be so careful, he would have attacked us a long time ago." ”

Liu Yi nodded: "The prince is reasonable, they may also be scouts, but they are afraid that we will expose the intentions of their army, and they will definitely choose to risk annihilating us, so the prince must return to the northern camp and report to Yanzhou Dao." ”

"You don't need to say it, I won't run away alone, we'll go back to the camp together."

Deng Bing hesitated a little: "It's too ...... Prince...... If it's really a ghost, I'm going back...... It's not that easy. ”

Sima Dan frowned: "Our Dajin men are not vegetarians, so we will kill as many as we come!" Damn it! ”

Liu Yi glanced at Deng Bing: "It's not that Old Deng is afraid of death, it's just that the rumors circulating among the officers and soldiers are too terrible, we are all fighting men, and we are not afraid of death, but this kind of rumor came from the war between us and Rouran." ”

Deng Bing: "That's what is terrifying, to see them rushing towards our iron crossbow regardless of life and death, just to escape the pursuit of the ghost side?" Many soldiers ...... at that time I don't know how to say it, but it's ...... anyway."

Liu Yi: "It's a ...... that is enchanted in my heart"

Sima Dan was puzzled: "...... Enchanted? ”