In the depths of winter, the weather is cold, the wind blows strongly, and the sky is falling with snowflakes. In the depths of the Gobi, a rammed earth building dozens of feet high stands majestically, proudly looking at the west, as if telling the glory of hundreds of years ago and the desolation of today......

Three camels came slowly in the wind and snow, and the man on the camel pushed up the hood.

Feng Weiwei hurriedly covered his mouth and said, "I'm sorry uncle, I didn't cover my mouth...... Louis smiled and said: "It's nothing, this is also a fact." It's wise to keep reminding yourself of your current situation. ”

Feng Weiwei looked at Su Yuyao, and Su Yuyao said softly: "You, which pot is not opened." Feng Wei was the only one who stuck out his tongue. Sir, how far is it from Hexiwei? ”

Louis looked at the sky and said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to make it today, let's go around again and find a village to stay in." Su Yuyao and Feng Weiwei nodded. The three of them urged their mounts forward.

Xuanhua Fort is the first town after the Yangguan in the west, on the bank of a huge poplar forest in the Gobi. The whole fort is made of rammed earth, the fort wall is more than three zhang high, and the fort gate is similar to the city gate of the ordinary town, and it is seven or eight zhang high. At this time, it was almost dusk, and the surroundings of Xuanhua Fort were deserted, and the gate of the fort was closed. In the cold wind and snow, Louis and his party came to the castle.

Louis looked up at the words on the door of the fort and read: "Xuanhua Fort, the name should be Zhendian." Feng Weiwei asked, "Why is Zhendian closed?" ”

Louis also said: "It's a little strange. Su Yuyao said: "Let's ask." It will be dark in a while, and we will have to stay overnight as soon as possible. ”

Louis nodded and shouted at the top, "Is there anyone up there?" A young man in the corner tower above the fort gate showed his head: "What man?" ”

Louis said in a loud voice: "Those who pass by, want to spend the night in the castle!" The young man said, "Is it a passing guest?" ”

"Exactly." "Please wait." Louis let out a sigh of relief.

In the end, the gate of the fort squeaked open, and the young man said, "Guests, please come in." Louis smiled politely: "It's hard work." As he spoke, he led the camel with Feng Weiwei and Su Yuyao into the city, and the castle gate was closed.

Louis patted the snowflakes on his body and said, "What a lot of snow!" The young man asked, "Where did the guests come from?" ”

Louis replied, "From Luoyang." The young man said in surprise: "I'm afraid there are thousands of miles of land?" ”

Louis stretched out five fingers and smiled, "Five thousand miles." The young man rejoiced: "Oh, that's really a guest from afar." ”

Louis said: "Little brother, I would like to ask you a message, how far is Hexi Wei from here?" The young man said: "It's not far away, and from here thirty miles to the west is Hexiwei." ”

Louis nodded, "Thank you." The young man said, "Old guest, do you want to stay here?" Louis said: "Exactly." ”

The young man said: "Our Xuanhua Fort is the first stop in the west of Yangguan, and there is a good inn. Guest, I will lead you there. ”

Louis said: "Don't dare to bother. The young man smiled, "It's okay. Left and right are also fine. ”

Louis said: "Then there is labor." What is your surname? The young man said: "The surname is high, and the height is twelve." What is the surname of an old customer? ”

Louis said: "The surname is Huai, Huaiying." ”

Su Yuyao asked the young man with a smile, "Are you ranked twelve?" The young man nodded. Su Yuyao said again, "No big name? The young man smiled and said, "Countryman, don't use a big name." As he spoke, he exchanged a few words with the guards of the castle, pulled up Louis's camel and said, "Let's go." Louis nodded, and the group walked towards the castle.

The fort is crowded with people, the streets are neat, and there are all kinds of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Two patrols of fort guards patrolled back and forth.

Louie, Su Yuyao and Feng Weiwei followed Gao Twelve down the street.

Feng Weiwei praised: "Uncle, I really can't imagine that the town outside the gate is so lively, which is a bit unexpected to me. ”

Louis said with a smile: "The outside of the fortress is different from the inside of the Guan, a fort, in peacetime it is a civilian town, and in wartime it becomes a military fortress, so the scale is much larger than the town in the Guannai." If my prediction is correct, there should be nearly 2,000 households in this Xuanhua Fort, right? Gao Twelve gave a thumbs up: "Hey, old guest, you are really a bit of a god, there are not many of the two thousand families in the fort, but there are many families." Louie smiled.

Feng Weiwei said: "I said why is it so lively. Louis laughed and said, "It's going to be wartime, and it's going to be even more lively here." Gao Twelve said: "That's right! When a war starts, we will have to garrison 5,000 soldiers and horses for our small fort. ”

Su Yuyao said admiringly: "Sir, how do you know everything?" Louie quipped, "I know everything I ought to know." ”

Feng Weiwei on the side smiled and grabbed Su Yuyao's arm and said, "Sister Zhong, you especially admire my uncle, right?" Su Yuyao nodded: "Of course." Feng Weiwei smiled mysteriously: "In the future, if you are with him every day, you will worship him even more, ah......" She deliberately said the word "every day" very seriously, and made a strange face at Su Yuyao. Su Yuyao smiled and pinched her arm, Feng Weiwei deliberately shouted: "Uncle, help......" Louis laughed.

Gao Twelve also smiled: "These two female guests are all the way to the old guests?" Louis said: "Exactly." ”

Gao Twelve or Four looked down and said: "It's not too peaceful in the fort these days, and the old guests have their daughters, so you must be careful." Louis said: "Just now the three of us were still discussing, closing the fort gate during the day, and there are patrols on the street, what is going on?" ”

The Twelve Gods said mysteriously: "In the past few months, every household in the fort has lost its population. Louis and the three looked at each other: "Oh, the loss of population? ”

Gao Twelve said: "Yes." More than a dozen strong young men went to the poplar forest to collect firewood, and disappeared. Louis gasped and said, "Is there such a thing?" ”

Gao Twelve said: "Yes, the capital is on a business trip, and there are people in the fort looking around, but there is no one alive or dead." No, the head of the Heavenly Fort ordered that no one should leave the fort, otherwise they would bear the consequences. Louis nodded slowly.

Su Yuyao said: "There is only one of you in this vicinity?" Gao Twelve said: "The closest to this is Hexiwei, where there are two forts." Su Yuyao nodded. As they spoke, several people had already walked into the middle of the street. Suddenly, there was a shouting and scolding and the crying of children on the side of the street. Louis was stunned for a moment, and followed the prestige.

Wang San'er's face was pale, and he pointed to the purse in Su Yuyao's hand and said: "You, you framed a good person, I ......" Su Yuyao sneered and said: "How are you?" Do you want to commit murder after stealing something? ”。

Feng Weiwei's fingers tightened, Wang San'er was so painful that her toes lifted off the ground, and she screamed. Ruyan shouted: "Did you steal it?" Dare you say no, I'll break your wrist! ”