Chapter 8 Chapter 08 Border Town

The setting sun is like blood, and the new wind is like a knife.This is the northwest desert in late winter. It is fierce, sad, profound, and mysterious. No words can truly describe the feeling it brings to people, just as people can never describe the despair and fear in the face of death. It is the season of early spring, but there is no spring in the desert.In the desert in the northwest frontier of Dazhou, time seems to be frozen.The endless sand sea is still covered with thick snow, and the yellow sand and white snow complement each other, making the desert look even more desolate and harsh.The desert in winter is always covered by thick dark clouds, and the sudden gust of wind blows away the dark clouds occasionally, and the bleak sunlight is projected on the tumbling and swirling wind and sand, bringing more chilling weather.Between the endless sand dunes and the desert, there are fallen grasses, and the withered branches of Populus euphratica and red willow, which seem to have been dead for thousands of years, leaving only the incomplete body carved by the wind and sand, in vain. The earth stands tall in the boundless wilderness, waiting for the next more violent new wind and blizzard to completely bury them.

This is a cold world, this is a barren world, this is a lifeless world. In another two or three months, the temperature in the desert will rise rapidly, and the snow will melt overnight, and before it even has time to slightly moisten the surrounding land with its clear sweet liquid, the hot summer will come.Dry, scorching heat, and the sand, gravel and yellow sand under the scorching sun become scorching hot, and even the flow of air will quickly take away moisture. The desert at that time will bring people another kind of despair. But in this world, there are always some courageous and fearless people who will put life and death at risk in order to pursue their goals.Therefore, even on this desert that is so harsh that it is almost impossible to survive, the people who came and went slowly and persistently blazed out one road after another. Samarkand, Syria, the Great Food on the * Peninsula, and even the Byzantine Empire as far away as Europe are connected.Just above these trade routes, wealth from the east and the west flowed, and all kinds of strange goods and materials were carried by carts, camels, horses, or donkeys, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles there were, and no matter how With great risks and sacrifices, the road marked by human and animal bones stretches forward, leading to hopes and dreams.

At this moment, just above this desert, a caravan composed of hundreds of camels is struggling forward.They are just one of the countless caravans that travel on the Silk Road every year, but after all, it is rare to choose to cross the desert at the end of winter like this.As the sun sets, the temperature on the desert is dropping rapidly, and the freezing cold winter night in the desert is coming soon. At the front of the caravan was a white Bactrian camel covered with multicolored felts, which had been stained black by dust after many days of trekking.Because of the frost, the camel's long eyelashes became snow-white, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, and the dark brown eyes under the white eyelashes shone with a tired and gentle light.Riding on the hunchback was a barbarian with a weathered face. His burly and sturdy body was slightly hunched after months of trekking. He was the leader of the Persian caravan—Alatimer.

Facing the golden light of the setting sun, Alatimuel narrowed his eyes and exhaled deeply. In his eyes, the endless sand dunes in front of him slowly transformed into the golden field full of tulips in his hometown.How long has it been since you left your hometown?Almost half a year, right?I really didn't expect that the road to Dazhou from the east would be so long, but fortunately, it's almost here.isn't it?Looking forward to the right, on the top of the high and distant Tianshan Mountain, the snow that never melts all year round floats in the sea of ​​clouds, just like the residence of the gods in the heaven.Just at the foot of the mountain, on the Longyou Road under the jurisdiction of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Tingzhou, Shazhou, and Yizhou, these busy northwest towns, open the door to the Central Plains to merchants from the West and lead them into the Yumen Pass. An imaginative piece of China.

Just to set foot on this dream land, Alatimuel and his companions have been walking for more than five months, and the journey is much more tortuous and difficult than they imagined.Generally speaking, starting from Persia, along the edge of the Pamirs, entering the jurisdiction of the Anxi Dufu on the northwestern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you can choose two paths at the southern and northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains to continue to Yumen, and pass the Yumen Pass. It is considered to have really entered the hinterland of the Great Zhou.The caravan of Ala Timur took the northern route. This road can avoid the mysterious Kunlun Mountains, the boundless Tulun Moraine, and the terrible Death Gobi, and the risk is relatively small.

Of course, there are enough hardships and hardships on both the southern and northern routes.The greatest danger on the Northern Line does not come from nature, but from manpower.Due to the lack of effective control of the Western Turkic tribes by the Great Zhou court, the northern line has always been haunted by bandits and frequent robberies.In this regard, Alatimuel is confident that he is relatively fully prepared. His caravan is full of the strongest Persian men, all of whom are extraordinary in skill and good at wielding knives and guns. They are still very sure of dealing with ordinary bandits and robbers.

The journey was fairly smooth, and there were many twists and turns, large and small, but none of them caused serious losses to the caravan.In the past few days, Alatimuel has checked the map frequently, and can conclude that as long as he walks out of this desert area, Tingzhou is not far ahead.For long-distance business travelers, as long as they arrive in Tingzhou, it will be a paradise on earth full of oases, covered grasslands, blue lakes and numerous towns. Alatimuel looked back to inspect his caravan again. The tall Bactrian camels on the Bailai Peak had lost their stomachs after a long journey, but they were still walking vigorously, and they were not sick. It seemed that they should be able to complete it smoothly. the rest of the journey.Although his companions were all exhausted, the hope of victory in sight added luster to their dark and vicissitudes of face these days, and even songs wafted from their hoarse throats from time to time.It is said that there are many dancers from Persia in Tingzhou who can dance the most authentic Persian dances. Then everyone will really have a good time!

Thinking of this, Alatimuel's eyes couldn't help but burst into hot *, he quickly calmed down, and shouted: "It's getting late, we will camp here today." A sigh of relief and a sigh of relief came from the caravan. Laughter, people started busy setting up tents, the camels were all driven to one place, and several hounds who followed along the way did their duty on the outer circle.The caravan camped next to a small oasis the night before, so the sheepskin water bags and buckets they carried with them were still more than half full.The bonfire was raised, and the first thing to cook was the samovar. In the cold night air, the fragrance of tea soon wafted, and the heat from the pancakes and barbecue spread, and everyone hurriedly poured shochu around the bonfire. Eat dinner before the mountain sets, and when it gets dark, the temperature in the desert will immediately drop to much below freezing point. At this time, the only way to keep warm is to hide in a tent surrounded by thick cotton felt.If you stay outside, you can freeze a person to death within two or three hours.

Night fell and the wind picked up.The storm in the desert has the power to destroy everything. There is no way to resist it. The only way is to pray to Allah. During the journey of the last few days, he can protect their caravan from the most dangerous new wind. Alatimuel is struggling in the strong wind After inspecting all the tents, at the leeward side, camels and vehicles were firmly tied to wooden stakes that were driven deep into the ground. The hounds curled up beside the camels, barking in the wind. It will be called like this all night long.Aratimuel returned to his tent and spit on the ground, still feeling his mouth full of sand.The others had finished their prayers and crawled into blankets.

Grant us a sweet sleep, O Allah, and tomorrow when we set off, it will be another severe and beautiful winter day, just like today.The most important thing is that this kind of life will not last for a few days, soon, the destination is almost here... In the middle of the night, Alatimuel suddenly woke up from his sound sleep.He raised his head, the tent was pitch black, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.At some point, the gust of wind stopped whistling, and even the barking of the hounds was also annihilated.Aratimuel heaved a sigh of relief, and lay down on the blanket again, but for some reason, the panic in his heart suddenly became clear and intense.Sabil who was beside him also turned over when he heard the movement, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Aratimuel didn't make a sound, he strained his ears and listened carefully to the movement around him.It seems that there is no special sound, only a few howling wolves in the distance, as always sad and sad, and I have long been used to this kind of cry in the desert. According to the sound, Alatimuel can accurately judge the wolves The location should be relatively far away, not enough to pose a major threat... "No!" Aratimuel jumped out of the blanket, his temples throbbed, and his teeth chattered uncontrollably due to the cold and fear: No barking of hounds!Normally, they would bark in panic whenever they heard wolves howling, but today they were abnormally silent. Sabile also noticed the problem, and quickly got out of bed, calling out to others.Lighting the oil lamps, everyone was in a hurry to get dressed and pick up the guy. A flash of deep remorse flashed in Aratimuel's heart. Today's negligence is unforgivable!During the entire journey, people took turns to stand guard every night during the break, just to fight against bandits who appeared and disappeared on the commercial road. Maybe it was because the road was safe, maybe it was because we were about to walk out of the desert, maybe it was because of this winter night when a drop of water turned into ice, It is unimaginable that there will be an attack at night... Everything has caused tonight. For the first time, Alatimuel has not sent anyone to be on duty. Almost at the same time when the Persian caravan was waking up and preparing to fight, the sound of whistles pierced the night sky, and burning rockets rushed in, and the felt tents were firmly nailed, and the tents suddenly turned into big fireballs. Flames soared into the sky, lighting up the cold night unexpectedly.The Persian, who had just woken up from his sleep, didn't care about his disheveled clothes, holding a Persian long knife and other weapons in his hand, shouting and rushing out of the fire.Alatimuel jumped out at the head, facing the rocket that hit his head and face.Alatimuel held it very fiercely. He swung the long knife in his hand vigorously, and the rockets fell around him. With the light of the fire, Alatimuel tried to look forward. He wanted to see the attack clearly. Who is it from. But the attacker was not prepared to give him any chance.After several rounds of rockets were released, all the tents turned into a sea of ​​burning flames, all the Persians were forced out of the tents, and a few of them who were handicapped had been shot to the ground by the arrows. The killing came quickly.The gangsters in black, flying up and down with sharp knives in their hands, killed every step at the sight of blood. With the number and attack power several times that of the caravan, they carried out the most thorough massacre. Aratimuel raised his hand to block the slash from the head, and then swept across the middle with another slash. He yelled wildly and kicked the knife away.Sabil was also shouting and fighting beside him. This strong Persian man was very desperate, and in a blink of an eye he had knocked down two bandits who rushed forward, and wiped the blood splattered all over his face. Shouting Alatimuel's name, he approached the leader.Between the eyes of the two, they had already stood back to back, forming a defensive posture, facing the bandits who surrounded them vigilantly. At this moment, Alatimuel already knew that the situation was very critical.Although they were caught off guard by the attack, the caravan still has strong combat effectiveness. In the short-handed encounter just now, he and Sabil killed many bandits, but when one looked up, there were so many bandits again. When the generals came up, they still trapped them tightly.Moreover, these gangsters were neatly dressed and acted in an orderly manner. Several leaders were masked in black cloth. The scattered bandits that I saw were not the same at all, but more like well-trained soldiers.What is especially frightening is that all their actions are guided by the steel knife wielded by the leader. From the beginning to the present, these people have not made a single sound. When Alatimuel was thinking quickly in his mind, the wailing in the camp became louder and louder. You don't need to look at it to know that the bandits are brutally killing the companions of the Persian caravan.The raging flames behind him had already illuminated the desert in front of him, Alatimuel's eyes were a little dazzled, and beyond the gangsters tightly surrounding him, he could see behind him tall horses standing neatly, and the black horses on the horses. The knights in clothes wore iron armor and carried hard crossbows on their backs. Against the backdrop of the fire, their whole bodies shone with silver brilliance. "What should I do?!" Sabile hissed wildly behind him, the wailing of the others had gradually subsided, and only blood flowed down the gravel towards their feet. Alatimuel knew that only in this After a while, the companions probably all went to see Allah!From behind the tent came the chaotic sound of camels, some bandits must have gone to rob their cargo and camel caravan.Aratimuel stomped his feet and shouted wildly: "No!" His hard work, his wealth, and his dreams were all destroyed in an instant! Alatimuel thought of fleeing!Obviously, it was impossible to get the property back from the robbers in front of him, but he didn't want to die just yet.He shouted to Sabile behind him: "Get out!" The two still stood with their backs to each other, and rushed towards the crowd surrounding them together.The battle between trapped beasts was so tragic, Alatimuel and Sabile's eyes were red, and they fought bloody battles to save their lives.Many corpses fell around them quickly, and a small gap really protruded from the encirclement. The two spread their legs and ran desperately into the depths of the desert. The gangsters were not in a hurry to catch up, and the knight on a horse in the middle seemed to be the leader of the whole gang.The eyes behind the black mask were stern and even mocking. He calmly looked at the two people running across the desert. He estimated that the distance was about the same, so he waved lightly. The two mastiffs who had been waiting impatiently Jumping out from the team, the pitch-black figure flashed like a ghost in the night, and chased after the two fleeing in a blink of an eye.The mastiff let out a creepy howl and pounced. Sabil was caught off guard and fell to the ground, his neck was bitten off immediately. Alatimuel was already crazy, he swiped his knife and slashed on the front legs of the jumping mastiff. The beast rolled on the ground, howling, and Alatimuel continued to run wildly, when he suddenly heard the vibration of a bow and arrow in his ear With the sound of the air, he raised his face and stared at the stars in the night sky with his empty eyes. Is that the jewel inlaid on the forehead of a Persian beauty?Aratimuel heard a gurgling sound in his throat, lowered his head, and saw an arrow protruding from the front of his neck, which was still dyed with a faint ray of bright red.Alatimuel fell on his back, his eyes still wide open, as if he was still looking forward to the beautiful land of the Central Plains, and the money, enjoyment and satisfaction that could be obtained just one step away. The leader of the bandit urged his horse forward, put the bow in his hand behind his back, circled around Alatimuel's body, and signaled his subordinates to pull out the cluster of arrows stuck in the body, and then fired three rockets into the sky, The long whistle echoed over the desert for a long time. After a while, the desert returned to deathly silence.After a while, heavy snow began to fall in the sky, and the howling wind rolled up the snow and sand all over the sky. The burned fragments of the tent were flying in the air and were quickly blown away.The white snow and the yellow sand worked together to cover the scarlet everywhere, and the corpses of nearly a hundred Persian merchants were about to be buried under the endless pile of sand. Only a few years later, people passing by would find their bones.The camels and the vehicles loaded with goods have long since disappeared, and like the gangsters, they seem to have disappeared forever at the end of the desert. After a long time, the gust of wind subsided, the blizzard started to ease, and there were little dancing lights on the wasteland. A small group of people braved the wind and snow and went forward with difficulty, and finally arrived at the camp where the Persian caravan was stationed.From the appearance, they are very similar to the gangsters before, with the same black clothes and iron armor, horses and crossbows, but instead of black cloth covering their faces, they are covered with a satyr-shaped bronze mask. Judging from their cautious steps, they followed suit Judging by his demeanor, this should be another team. Approaching the camp, I saw corpses lying horizontally under the sand and snow, which had not yet been completely buried.All the felt of the tent was burned and blown away, only a few iron frames used to fix it were bent and bent by the fire, and they were still standing unwillingly.The new group of people carefully inspected the killing scene, all of them looked solemn and horrified.They silently searched for the remaining items on the sand: Persian weapons, vehicles and other luggage... They left these items in place, but carefully inserted iron rods beside them, and the ends of the rods were all tied with red ribbons. as a mark. Soon, the entire camp was searched.A light and strong knight in red led the crowd to face the camp, put his hands on his chest, bowed his head and prayed silently for a moment, then flew on his horse and led the team away.The leader in red walked ahead of the whole team, and just after leading his horse to run a few dozen steps, he found the body of Aratimuel.The leader signaled the team to suspend, and got off his horse to look at the body of Aratimuel. Perhaps his clothes proved his identity. The leader lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his hand, and the two subordinates immediately picked up the body of Alatimer. Put it on the carriage. Along the way, the team planted iron rods at intervals, and densely planted clues on the wasteland.Walking and walking, on the far side of the sky, a white light appeared behind the thick dark clouds, and the dawn on the desert is coming.Facing the faint dawn in the sky, the leader tore off the mask on his face, and his thick brown hair fell down. Under the long eyelashes, a pair of green eyes as deep as a bitan pool, reflected in the half-bright and half-dark light. The charm of poetry.This is a beautiful face that only belongs to young girls. Even the severe cold and wind and sand cannot take away her soul-stirring beauty. The green starry eyes quickly swept across the stretching sand dunes in front of her. The girl's face showed a firm and decisive expression, and her clear voice aroused a distant echo in the desert: "Hurry up, we must reach Tingzhou tomorrow!" "Yes!" The horse team galloped across the desert like lightning, leaving a long string of footprints on the sandy sea behind them. The next night just after You hour, Mr. Qian Guinan, the governor of Tingzhou and the military envoy of the Han Navy, finished his official duties for the day. He changed his official robes in the back hall, drank a sip of tea, and asked people to prepare the carriages and horses, and planned to go to have dinner. The carriage stopped by the back door of the Inspector's Mansion, Qian Guinan came out in a hurry, and was about to lift his legs to step into the car when suddenly a person jumped out from behind the car, shouting loudly, "Master Inspector, Lord Inspector!" Qian Guinan Terrified, he backed up abruptly. His bodyguard, Wang Qian, jumped forward and was about to draw his sword to stab the person. When he took a closer look, he quickly retreated, stomping his feet and shouting, "Cough!" , Wu Xun! Why are you again?!" This man named Wu Xun stood in front of Qian Guinan, clasped his fists respectfully and saluted, and said: "Tingzhou Han Haijun, Captain Wu Xun of the Shatuo Regiment, has met the governor." "Oh, so it's the military captain." Qian Guinan stroked his beard, and raised his eyes to look at the short, middle-aged man in front of him. The black military uniform of the captain was grayed and yellowed by the dust, and the military cap on his head was drooping. He is also the same color, his face is full of dust, and even his sideburns and beards are all glued together. This appearance can only prove that he has just rushed from the desert. Qian Guinan suppressed the hatred in his heart, put a smile on his face, and said kindly: "Lieutenant Wu, look at you, you are so tired, are you exhausted? Why don't you go back to the Han Navy Department to rest? Haven't eaten yet?" Dinner? Don't be so hungry... I'm going to eat too. Wang Qian, get on the horse quickly, what's the delay?" He said, stepping on the carriage again. Unexpectedly, Wu Xun rushed forward and grabbed Qian Guinan's robe sleeve.Qian Guinan's complexion changed suddenly, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes, but he immediately changed into a smiling expression, pretending to be surprised and asking: "Lieutenant Wu, is there anything urgent for you?" While talking, One side was about to free his hand, but Wu Xun ignored him, and tightly grabbed Qian Guinan's robe sleeve and refused to let go. Seeing that Wang Qian was shameless, he also stepped forward to grab Wu Xun's hand, and scolded in a low voice: "Lieutenant Wu! What do you look like! Hurry back!" Wang Qian paid homage to Han Haijun on the sixth rank Lieutenant Fu Guoyi is also a guard for the fourth-rank governor of Tingzhou, how can he take a seventh-rank captain like Wu Xun seriously in his eyes.However, this Wu Xun is a well-known dumb-headed young man in Tingzhou, a troublemaker, a small captain who likes to meddle in other things, asks about everything, and is very upright and honest, as long as he sees any injustice Things, or slight dissatisfaction with the actions of the Tingzhou government, they all speak up, argue hard, and never give up until they make it clear.Just because he has always been for the public and not selfish, so there is no big or small on weekdays, and the Tingzhou government and Han Haijun have nothing to do with him.Of course, with his personality, Wu Xun has served in the army in Tingzhou for 20 years and made a lot of military achievements, but he is still only a regimental lieutenant. Wu Xun shook off Wang Qian's hand, his eyes were about to burst into flames, he stared straight at Qian Guinan, and shouted: "Master Qian, Lord Inspector! How many times have I reported to you, Sha Tuo?" There are bandits in the moraine, but you just don’t believe it! Now something happened again!” Qian Guinan frowned: “Lieutenant Wu, what did you hear again? I’ve said it before, don’t play on rumors.” Wu Xun became even more anxious, his black face was flushed red, and he was almost shouting: "Master Qian! I am not chasing rumors. Just in the early morning of the day before yesterday, another tragedy happened in the desert where bandits robbed a Persian caravan! More than a hundred People's caravans were slaughtered, camels and goods were robbed, the scene is really horrible!" Qian Guinan shuddered, shrank his neck and said, "Lieutenant Wu, don't be so excited. You said so vividly, did you witness it yourself?" Wu Xun was stunned, and replied: "I didn't see it with my own eyes. See, but I just came back after checking in the depths of the desert for the past two days, the corpses of the hundreds of Persian merchants must not be fake, right?" Qian Guinan trembled again, his face turned pale, and he stared blankly. Staring at Wu Xun, he muttered, "A hundred corpses of Persian merchants?" "That's right! Master Qian, Wu Xun led a small team into the center of Shatuoqi today, and found this Persian caravan there. The body is still very fresh. It will not be killed earlier than the day before yesterday, and the tents have been burned. , there are stakes and carts for tying camels, but no camel caravan and goods, they must have been robbed by thieves!" Qian Guinan's face became paler and his body began to shake, and Wang Qian hurriedly approached him to help him Holding his arm, I heard the governor muttering to himself: "It's terrible, it's terrible. Is there really a gang in Shatuoqi? No, it's impossible..." Wu Xun said anxiously: "Master Qian, Wu Xun asks Master Qian to order that tomorrow, the brigade of the Han Navy will be sent into Shatuoqi, and sentries will be set up along the way. The caravan was killed again. Wu Xun is willing to lead a team!" Qian Guinan looked at Wu Xun in a daze when he heard the words, opened his mouth but couldn't speak, as if he had become stupid. "Master Qian, Master Qian!" Wang Qian called out repeatedly, and this Master Qian just woke up like a dream, trembling to get into the carriage again.How could Wu Xun let him go? He stopped in front of the car door and yelled loudly: "Master Qian, you should speak plainly. What should we do with such a big matter?!" Wang Qian couldn't bear it anymore, and while pushing Wu Xun, he yelled at him sharply: "Wu Xun, are you crazy! You are committing a crime, do you know that? You are a captain, what right do you have to order Mr. Qian? Get out of here!" As he said that, with a wink, several subordinates around him swarmed up and pushed Wu Xun to the side, Wu Xun still refused to let go, struggling desperately, straightening his neck and rushing towards the money. Nan shouted: "Master Qian! The bandits in Shatuoqi are rampant. In the past few years, they have hurt many passing caravans, forcing merchants from the Western Regions to dare not choose this northern route to enter the Great Zhou. What's more, they simply took a detour In the East Turkic territory, the routes from Dazhou to Gansu, Iraq, and Shazhou via Beiting are all in vain! This not only greatly damages the majesty of our Celestial Dynasty, but also causes Dazhou to lose a lot of wealth brought by merchants from the Western Regions! Don't say that so many innocent people died in the desert in vain! Lord Qian, as the governor of Tingzhou, can you turn a blind eye to all this?!" "Wu Xun! The more you talk, the more shameful you are! Arrest him quickly and take him to the Han Navy camp, where he will be punished for committing a crime!" Wang Qian shouted angrily, and those subordinates were about to tie Wu Xun up.But Wu Xun also brought a small team with him, and when they saw the officer being captured, they all rushed over shouting and shouting, and the secluded alley behind the governor's mansion suddenly became chaotic. Qian Guinan was so angry that his whole body trembled, and he barely raised his voice and shouted: "Stop! Stop it!" Finally, everyone was still intimidated by the status of the governor, and temporarily stopped fighting. They all looked at Qian Guinan and waited for him. speak.Qian Guinan walked up to Wu Xun staggeringly, and asked weakly: "Wu Xun, you always claim that there are bandits in the desert, but I have never seen you produce any physical evidence?" The officer has never received a report from the caravan, aren't you making trouble for no reason?" Wu Xun gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Qian, everything Wu Xun said is true. However, the gangsters are cunning and the desert is full of wind and sand, so it is often difficult to find traces of the caravan that was killed. Everyone in the team was slaughtered, so there were not many people who reported the case. But... Lord Qian, this time Wu Xun found the corpse of a Persian businessman in Shatuoqi, and this is the best evidence!" He said to The subordinates signaled, several people hurriedly lifted a dead man from a carriage, and threw it in front of Qian Guinan and the others, it was the corpse of Aratimuel! Qian Guinan's face was already pale and he was on the verge of falling, but when he saw a dead person, he immediately rolled his eyes up, made a gurgling sound in his throat, and fell backwards on his back.Wang Qian quickly supported him, and stroked his chest again and again.After a long while, Mr. Qian turned around slowly, leaned on Wang Qian, and said half-deadly: "Wu, Wu Xun... I am not feeling well, I am not feeling well, I want to go home and rest, rest... What you said, I am not afraid of it." Officer...understand, I will make plans after discussing with everyone..." Wang Qian helped Qian Guinan into the carriage, Wu Xun still wanted to talk, Wang Qian glared at him: "Master Governor is like this, you still want to kill them all?" Wu Xun pursed his lips angrily, although he was reluctant , and had no choice but to step back.Qian Guinan sat in the car, lifted the curtain, and ordered: "Lieutenant Wu, send this dead man to the morgue of the governor's office... Don't, don't disturb the people." The carriage started and drove out of the alley in a panic.At this time, Wang Qian, who was sitting in the front of the car, turned around and asked inside the car: "Master Qian, shall we go home or go..." Qian Guinan's cold and calm voice came from inside the car: "Forget about today, just go back home." go home!" In front of the governor's mansion, Wu Xun stared blankly at Qian Guinan's carriage driving away.The subordinates came up and asked: "Lieutenant Wu, is this corpse?" "Send it to the morgue!" Wu Xun shouted, followed by a long sigh. More than half an hour later, in a restaurant three streets away from Tingzhou Governor's Mansion, Wu Xun took three or five of his closest subordinates and drank a lot of wine.Several people sat around the greasy wooden table, with one leg resting on the bench, rolled up their sleeves, guessed punches for a long time, and drank two full jars of wine, Wu Xun still felt extremely depressed in his chest. The sky was already full of stars, and the strong wind at night in the desert slowed down a lot in Tingzhou City, but it still blew sand and rocks on the street, making it dark.The common people had long closed their doors and hid in their homes, while merchants gathered in twos and threes in restaurants, wine shops or inns. Tingzhou, a big town like an oasis outside the Great Wall, also looked like a chill in the winter night, completely devoid of daylight. Bustling and colorful. Wu Xun was a little drunk. He picked up his wine glass and complained with his tongue out: "Damn! I've had enough! What kind of bullshit assassin will faint when he sees a dead person, worse than a woman! This kind of person, just go home Let's nurse the baby!" A few of his subordinates burst into drunken laughter.One of them yelled openly through his drunkenness: "Lieutenant Wu, you are a good man! Brothers admire you! Unlike other officials and lords, all of them have no serious business except making money and playing with women." Do it! It’s better to be dead than to be alive!” Another subordinate hurriedly waved his hand: "Hey! Be careful that misfortune comes out of your mouth! Our Wu Xiaowei is already a well-known stabbing head in Tingzhou City. You haven't seen many elders treat Wu Xiaowei as a thorn in his side, and it's too late to find an excuse. ! Don’t cause any more trouble for the Martial Officer!” "Wow!" Wu Xun smashed the wine glass in his hand to the ground, and shouted with red eyes: "Damn! What's wrong with getting into trouble?! When did I, Wu Xun, ever fear trouble? Want to catch me? I'm doing the right thing. Sit upright, wholeheartedly for Da Zhou, for the court, not to mention the Tingzhou government, even...well, even if the Holy Spirit comes to ask, I am not afraid!" "Yes, yes. The brothers know the character of Captain Wu the best. But who cares about your painstaking efforts, Captain Wu?" A seemingly sober interface among his subordinates said: "Look at you, brother. To this day, I’m still only a school captain, that Wang Qian, what? In terms of kung fu, character, and talent, nothing compares to your brother Wu, but he just knows how to flatter and behave, isn’t he? Lieutenant Guo Yi, who is on the top grade, has been following Lord Inspector all day long, his eyes almost rolled to the sky! Lieutenant Wu, the brothers are really sorry for you!" Wu Xun sneered: "Wang Qian's kind of villain, I don't want to be with him. The hateful thing is that I, Wu Xun, have a passion for serving the country, and I am always misunderstood by these treacherous people! Just like Sha Tuoqi this time. I have been talking about the banditry for three full years! The Tingzhou government has completely ignored it. The huge Han navy is stationed here. Regardless, seeing that in the past three years, fewer and fewer caravans have entered Tingzhou, and the commercial traffic in the Beiting area has been sluggish day by day, my heart aches!" Wu Xun slammed his fist on the table heavily, and the dishes and cups The chopsticks rang together, as if they were also pleading for him. Everyone was silent, and they all lowered their heads and drank a few glasses of wine. The person sitting next to Wu Xun said, "Lieutenant Wu, Mr. Inspector should seriously handle the case of the Shatuoqi bandits this time, right? Wu Ping, the dead body was thrown in front of him today, can he continue to tease us?" Wu Xun's face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed and he didn't speak.This subordinate thought for a while, leaned in front of Wu Xun, and said in a low voice, "Lieutenant Wu, brother, I have never understood why the governor is so taboo about the banditry in Shatuoqi? He neither wants to pursue it nor allow us to mention it. There will be no tricks?" Before he finished speaking, Wu Xun suddenly jumped up from the stool, rushed to the nearby table, and yelled at the person sitting at the table: "Who? Eavesdrop on our conversation?!" The man was not flustered, he glanced at Wu Xun lightly, then looked away, still sitting quietly.Wu Xun waited for a while, and seeing that he didn't answer his intention at all, he couldn't help feeling angry and annoyed. He raised his hand and slapped the table, shouting, "Did you hear my captain talking to you?" Then the man raised his head, The fierce eyes approached, and the eyes of the two sides intersected. Although it was only for a moment, Wu Xun shivered fiercely.The man said slowly, "Are you talking to me? Is there something wrong?" His voice was deep and slightly hoarse. Wu Xun was stunned for a moment by this man's restrained and sharp aura. When he came back to his senses and looked carefully, he couldn't help being surprised, but saw that he was wearing a whole set of school captain's military uniform. Military temperament.Wu Xun just felt that this person had been paying attention to his conversation, and was worried that the visitor was not kind, so he jumped over to question him.Now, noticing that this man's expression and manner are definitely not the style that ordinary people can have, and even more so, he is wearing a military uniform that is just like his own, and he can't help but feel surprised from the bottom of his heart.Wu Xun has served in the army in Tingzhou for nearly 20 years, and he knows the situation of Han Haijun very well, so it can be concluded that this person is definitely not a local, and he definitely does not belong to Han Haijun. Thinking of this, Wu Xun cleared his throat, tried his best to restrain the churning alcohol in his chest, and said in an official tone: "Well, the captain is talking about you. Who are you? Why have I never seen you? Where did you come from? What are you doing here? ？”那人微微眯起眼睛，嘴角浮起一抹嘲讽的微笑，平淡地回答：“校尉大人，你问我这些，是在执行公务吗？” “当然是执行公务！”武逊郑重地回答，再一看，才发现对方一直稳稳地端坐，自己反倒站着，连忙一屁股坐到凳子上。 那人安静地观察着武逊的举止，眼中闪过戏谑的光芒，待武逊坐定后，才闲闲地道：“既然是执行公务，为什么还在此聚众酗酒吗？”武逊顿时语塞，脸上红一阵白一阵，恼羞成怒道：“这……你管不着！”那人微微一笑：“那你也管不着我。” 武逊勃然大怒，指着那人的鼻子大叫：“放屁！爷爷我今天还管定了！你到底是什么人？怎么还穿着校尉军服？为什么我从来没在翰海军见过你？快把官凭路引呈给我看，如若不然，爷爷我立即将你收监！”那人就像根本没听到武逊的话，回头扬声叫道：“伙计，我要的酒菜都做好了吗？” 店伙计提着几个冒着热气的纸包和一个小酒坛子，跑过来放在桌上，点头哈腰地道：“都，都好了。”那人点点头，往桌上扔下些钱币，提起纸包和酒壶，起身就朝门外走去。武逊气得眼前都冒出了金星，跳起来跺着脚嚷：“弟兄们，给我拦住他！”他带来的那干人等早已看得火冒三丈，此时呼拉拉便堵在了那人的面前，一个个横眉立目，咬牙切齿。 那人停下脚步，直视着武逊，一字一句地道：“我说过了。如果你是在执行公务，我一定会回答你的问题。但你聚众酗酒，肆意谩骂，根本就没有执行公务的规矩，所以你最好还是让我走。” “你！你！”武逊气得连话都说不利索了，干脆一挥手，众人朝那人就拥过去。 那人往后一让，身形快如闪电，众人根本来不及看清他的动作，两条长凳一左一右扑面飞来，众人躲闪不及，纷纷被长凳砸倒，武逊还要抢前进攻，刚刚才从腰间拔出长刀，就觉右手臂一阵锐痛，长刀脱手落地，后背上又被猛击一掌，武逊本已醉得脚步虚浮，连冲数步，往前扑倒在其他人的身上。 满地的叫骂喊痛声乱作一团。等这些醉鬼们蒙头蒙脑地从地上爬起来，哪里还能找得见那人的身影。食肆外黑黢黢的街道上空，再度白雪飘飞，冬夜无边无际，寂寥深邃。 等李元芳冒着风雪，回到庭州官府开设的馆驿时，韩斌已经趴在门边眼巴巴地等了好久。李元芳把带回来的酒菜放到桌上，轻轻拍着韩斌的脑袋，笑着说：“等急了吧。是我不好，回来晚了。”韩斌满嘴里塞满吃食，含含糊糊地回答：“嗯，饿死了！哥哥，外面的雪下得好大吧，我都担心死你了呢。” “担心我？你这个小机灵鬼，我还用不着你来担心。”李元芳说着，转头看看横躺在榻上的狄景辉，问：“怎么不想吃？看样子你还不饿？” 狄景辉闭着眼睛，大大咧咧地回答：“不饿？哼，被你锁在屋子里面一整天，就靠点凉水和碎饼度日，我已经半死不活了，起不来了！”李元芳轻哼一声：“行啊，那样也好，我买的酒不多，刚够一个人喝。” “酒？”狄景辉从床上一跃而起，往桌前一坐，两眼放光地凑在酒坛子前深深地吸了口气，叹道：“唉，一个多月都没闻到这股子清香了。” 李元芳满斟了两杯酒，和狄景辉各自干杯，两人接着痛饮了好几杯，狄景辉畅快地鼓掌：“咳！从去年十一月到现在，整整三个月都在寒风暴雪里赶路，我这辈子都没过过这么长的冬天，全身上下都快给冻住了。还亏得有这些酒啊，才算能暖暖心肝。”他看了看李元芳，笑道：“嗳，你今天好兴致啊，居然想到买酒？事情办得很顺利？” 李元芳仰脖又喝下一杯酒，苍白疲惫的脸上浮现出微薄的血色，他微微摇头，笑道：“只许你有兴致，我就不能也偶尔有些兴致？”狄景辉一愣，忙道：“当然可以。我还巴不得你的兴致越多越好呢。”李元芳又苦笑了笑：“不过这种兴致也就是最后一次了。今天我把剩下的一点儿钱都花光了，咱们山穷水尽了。” 狄景辉呛了口酒，连咳几声，才憋出句话来：“我说呢，原来你是破釜沉舟了啊。哈哈，也好，从明儿起就吃官粮了。啊，对不对？”他见李元芳低头不语，便撞了撞他的胳膊。李元芳深深叹了口气，才道：“今天我去翰海军府递上戍边调令，结果在军营外面等了一整天，根本没有人来理睬我。”狄景辉也呆住了：“啊？为什么会这样？” 李元芳面沉似水，低声道：“今天我在军营外面呆了一天，据我观察，翰海军的军纪十分松懈，早晚两次点卯松松垮垮，前后拖了很长时间，人似乎都没到齐，上官也不加以惩治，看上去就是在走过场。另外，军营里的秩序混乱，队伙标旗杂乱无章，步骑军械都没有按规矩摆放。”狄景辉随口应道：“你倒还看得仔细。”李元芳正色道：“翰海军是我戍边的军府，我当然要尽快熟悉。关键还不是刚才说的那些。” “那关键是？”李元芳紧握起拳头，狠狠地道：“关键是我在翰海军的营盘外面晃了整整一天，换了许多角度观察军营内的情况，虽然没有入营，却可以说将营内的状况掌握了八九不离十。而一整天里居然没有任何一个值哨过来盘查我，阻止我。你说，这对一个边疆驻军来说，不是特别危险的吗？” 狄景辉皱起眉头不说话，李元芳停了停，接着道：“今天翰海军没人理睬我，明天我就直接去闯庭州刺史衙门。”狄景辉鼻子里出气：“哼，难道刺史大人就会理你？”李元芳冲他一笑：“所以还得要动用你这个流放犯，明天咱们一起去。”狄景辉一撇嘴：“干什么？我这个流放犯还能帮你的忙？”李元芳点头：“那是自然，我敢说明天咱们一定能见着刺史大人。”狄景辉会意地笑起来：“你这个人，鬼心眼其实比谁都多。” 韩斌嘴里咬着块鸡肉，趴在桌子上睡着了。李元芳伸手过去取下鸡肉，将他抱到榻上，小心地给他盖好被子，才回头轻声道：“我去买酒菜时还听到些话，似乎这个庭州刺史也有些古怪，明天咱们就去会会他。”狄景辉没好气地道：“行了，行了。你我一个是流放犯，一个是戍边校尉，还是赶紧找人把我们安置了要紧，别没事弄得自己好像黜置使！你啊，全是跟我爹学出来的坏毛病。”李元芳听得愣了愣，也笑道：“你说得倒有些道理，我是得改改。” 两人继续喝酒聊天，直至二更敲响，俱感困倦难支，便各自洗漱了睡下。五更刚过，李元芳惊醒了。自小时候开始习武，他就养成了每天五更即起锻炼的习惯，除了极少的几次重伤卧床之外，一直坚持到现在。 李元芳轻手轻脚地起身穿衣，触手可及的一切都冰冷刺骨。狄景辉说得不错，从去年十一月开始，他们一路向西向北，总是走在最最酷寒的冬季里面，昨天总算是到达了目的地——庭州，却仍然见不到一丝大漠绿洲的春意。李元芳下榻朝门外走去，后背上一阵一阵的痉挛和刺痛，令他呼吸艰塞。李元芳苦涩地笑了，大人嘱咐过很多次，不要喝酒，不要喝酒，可这漫长的冬天实在太难熬了，即使是他，也会有意志力枯竭的时候。 户外还是漆黑的冬夜，昏暗的天空中晨星寥落，李元芳踏着积雪走到一棵银杏树前，折下根长长的枝条，挥了挥，感觉倒挺称手。把幽兰剑留给狄仁杰以后，他的身边就没有一件可用的武器了。李元芳想，等入了翰海军，首先要给自己找一样兵刃，最简单的钢刀就可以，他习惯用刀，况且战场上杀敌，刀比剑更实用更有力。 想到翰海军，李元芳的心中又涌起一阵不快。昨天上午到达庭州以后，他把狄景辉和韩斌安置在馆驿，自己便立即去翰海军府报到，却未曾料想到是那样的局面。整个旅途虽然艰难，他的心中对从军戍边始终抱有很大的期待。正是这种对塞外烽烟和大漠金戈的向往，支撑着李元芳离开狄仁杰，也给了他坚强面对被贬遭辱的处境、带着伤痛一路西行的全部勇气。不是不了解军队的现实，也不是不懂得天下乌鸦一般黑的道理，但人总要给自己找寻精神的寄托，尤其是他这个几乎已经一无所有的人。 不，李元芳摇头摒弃纷乱的思绪。永远都不泄气，这是他为人的准则。边塞的生活才刚刚开始，现在就质疑和彷徨，为时过早了。反正无论自己受到何种待遇，他都要尽一切努力把狄景辉和韩斌安置好。昨天李元芳选择先去翰海军报到，就是为了能够把握住局面，结果却遭到冷遇，但这一整天的经历也让他断定，面对庭州官府和翰海军府，必须要使用些非常的手段。利用狄仁杰的名头来做文章，是他从心底里憎恨的行为，但是为了能给狄景辉寻求一个相对较好的环境，也只能不得已而为之了。 想过这些，李元芳静下心来，缓缓调整气息，站定、起势、手中的树枝舞动生风，脑海中杂念顿除，一套刀法练完，浑身寒意祛尽，僵硬的后背松弛了不少，虽然疼痛依旧，头脑却清醒了，胸口的憋闷感也随之减轻。 看着树枝上和地下干净的积雪，李元芳突然起了玩兴，他解开上衣，捏起雪团，将雪抹上前胸和肩膀，用力摩擦，皮肤很快变得通红，热辣辣的感觉随着血液流动到全身，精神顿时为之一振。李元芳正打算往后背也擦一点雪上去，猛地听到身后细细簌簌的声音，他头也没回，就将手里的雪团往后抛去。 “呜！”的一声怪叫从脑后传来，李元芳猛转过身，就见一小团黑影蜷缩在雪地之上，蹬了蹬腿就不动弹了。原来是只野猫，李元芳摇摇头，觉得自己大惊小怪的十分可笑。他把衣服拢上肩膀，刚想回屋，面前的枯树丛中飞快地跑出一个矮小的身影，嘴里大叫着“哈比比！”直接扑到了黑猫身旁，抱住那猫的身子嚎啕大哭。 李元芳看得又诧异又好笑，向前走了几步来到那人身边，轻轻拍了拍那人的肩，低声招呼：“喂，这是你的猫吗？你再仔细看看，它应该还没死。”那人浑身一震，慢慢回过头来，李元芳仔细端详，只见他形容幼小，分明还是个孩子，看上比韩斌都要小好几岁。一身胡人孩子的装束，还带着顶毛皮小帽子，煞是可爱。只是满脸泪痕，眼神呆滞，样子有些奇怪。 李元芳蹲下身，微笑着朝那孩子伸出手去，想要摸摸他的脑袋，安慰几句。哪知道那孩子突然目露凶光，满脸狰狞地哇哇大叫，拼命朝李元芳撞过来。李元芳一把捏住他的小胳膊，忙问：“你干什么？”那孩子也不说话，就是死命挣扎，呲牙咧嘴地冲李元芳吐着唾沫，好像发了疯似的。李元芳心想，也许这边塞的小孩听不懂自己说的话，误会自己杀了他的猫，所以才会这样癫狂，正在寻思该怎么办，手里的孩子突然眼睛朝上一翻，舌头伸出嘴巴老长，喉咙里咔咔的声音乱响，全身抽搐着连连蹬腿，随后便软瘫在李元芳的怀里。 这下李元芳倒有点儿茫然无措了。他慌忙试了试小孩的鼻息，还挺粗重，他晃动着孩子的身体叫了几声，一点用都没有。地上那只惹祸的黑猫醒了，刚才李元芳的雪团只是把它砸昏，现在这畜牲摇摇晃晃地站起身来，冲着李元芳怀里的孩子“喵，喵”乱叫，搞得李元芳更加心烦意乱。他抱着小孩刚站起身，面前的树丛中又闪出一个人影。 李元芳皱起眉头朝来人看，心里嘀咕着，这个早晨真是够热闹的。那人看见他怀里的孩子，正要往前冲，又犹豫地停下了。躲在树丛的阴影之中，那人冷冷地命令道：“快把孩子放下！”听声音原来是个女人，虽然竭力掩饰，语气中的慌乱和焦急仍相当明显。李元芳对她鬼祟而倨傲的态度很有些不悦，便反问：“这孩子是你什么人？” 黑影中的女人沉默着，李元芳能清晰地听到她急促的呼吸，明显是焦虑非常，对这昏迷的孩子关切至极。李元芳心中有些不忍，便抱着孩子朝她走过去，那女人向他伸出双手，声音颤抖着哀告：“求求你，把他给我。”就在这时，李元芳怀里的孩子醒过来了，听见那女人的声音，便也朝她张开两手，嘴里含糊不清地叫着：“娘……娘……”李元芳不再犹豫，轻轻将孩子递到那女人的手中。 那女人紧紧搂着孩子，把脸埋在孩子的身上，低声呜咽着：“安儿，安儿，叫你不要乱跑……吓死我了。”安儿攀住娘的脖子，回头到处乱看，继续嘟囔着：“哈比比，哈比比。”李元芳明白他的意思，从地上捡起那只乱叫的小猫，也送到安儿的手中，轻声道：“看好你的孩子，看好这只猫。”说完，转身便走。那女人只是低头不停地摩挲着孩子的脸蛋，并没有注意到李元芳离开。 大清早，李元芳和狄景辉便离开馆驿，前往庭州刺史府的衙门。一路之上，狄景辉始终兴致勃勃。他昨天刚到庭州，还没来得及欣赏这个西域重镇的风貌，就被李元芳反锁在馆驿之中，今天才得以一睹芳容，就忙不迭地东张西望。庭州地处西域腹地，北邻沙陀碛，南面天山山脉，东临戈壁荒漠，环绕它的大部分地区不是高山峻岭就是荒漠沙海，可以说是个名副其实的大漠绿洲。时值冬末，植木凋敝，还看不到生机盎然的绿意，但街道两旁千姿百态的房屋、路上样貌打扮五花八门的行人、喧哗热闹的集市、还有供奉着截然不同的神灵，却比邻而居，相安无事的*教、萨满教、沃教、景教的各式寺院、教堂和神庙，都看得人眼花缭乱。完全可以想象，当春天降临的时候，天山上冰雪消融，滋润着干涸的土地，满山遍野的花草怒放，这个城市将会是如何的色彩缤纷，绚丽多姿。 狄景辉还没来得及看尽兴，两人就已来到了庭州刺史府的衙门前。这座刺史衙门倒是按中原官署的式样兴建，高耸的黑色琉璃瓦屋顶，夹在大片高高低低的白色圆顶清真建筑和黄泥灰堆起的方形民居之间，显得十分突兀。李元芳在门房递上自己的戍边调令和大理寺出具的狄景辉的流刑判决，便与狄景辉一起耐心等候。 果然不出他们的预料，没过多久，一个身披甲胄、头顶纱笼的军官便急急忙忙地迎了出来，将二人直接引进了刺史府的后堂。 后堂中，钱归南笑容可掬地请二人坐下，热情周到地过问了旅途和住宿的情况。随后，钱归南便开始长篇大论地表达起对当朝宰辅狄仁杰大人的无限景仰之情，以及对狄、李二人遭遇的同情和感慨。他的这番谈话显然是做过充分准备的，竟将狄仁杰从政以来的事迹逐一叙述，有些二三十年前的往事连李元芳和狄景辉都闻所未闻。二人边听边互相交换着眼神，心中说不出是什么滋味，甚至感到有些荒谬。 总算钱刺史大人说得口干舌燥，低头喝茶，李元芳捡了个空，便直接了当地询问起对狄景辉在庭州下属伊柏泰服流刑的具体安排。钱归南胸有成竹地笑起来：“哎呀，李校尉莫要着急，本官早就为狄公子盘算好了。二位昨日才到的庭州，何不先休息休息，赏玩这西域边城的风光，伊柏泰嘛，过一段时间再去也不迟。”李元芳也微笑着答道：“钱大人，这样不太好吧。钱大人的好意我们心领了，出发前狄大人曾嘱咐过，万不可因为他的缘故打扰到州府行使职责。另外，卑职也想尽快在瀚海军赴任。” 钱归南眼珠转了转，应道：“嗯，有理有理。唉，狄阁老为人为官都这么光明磊落，真令人钦佩。这样吧，现已到了晌午，本官想请狄公子和李校尉共进午餐，关于二位今后的安排，咱们边吃边谈，如何？”狄景辉和李元芳一齐点头：“恭敬不如从命。” 午饭就摆在后堂上，钱归南请李元芳和狄景辉入席，王迁作陪。李元芳看桌上多副碗筷，知道还有人要来，便向狄景辉使了个眼色。狄景辉会意，看来这位钱大人的葫芦里装的药还挺复杂。果然，尚未酒过三巡，门外传来“蹬、蹬”的脚步声，一人大步迈进后堂，向钱归南抱拳行礼：“钱大人。” 钱归南招呼：“哦，武校尉来啦。好，好，快坐下。”武逊往桌边扫了一眼，看到李元芳，不由地愣了愣。钱归南以为他是见到陌生人纳闷，便赶紧给做介绍。三人互相见礼，李元芳只当从没见过武逊。武逊脸色阴沉着，也坐了下来。 自武逊进门之后，此前一直喋喋不休、精神亢奋的钱归南就换了个模样，说话变得有气无力，也不再把酒布菜，甚至连脸色都发灰泛黄起来，整个人就像霜打的茄子似地蔫了。饭桌上顿时气氛沉闷，大家都不知说什么好，只有狄景辉毫不在意，依旧自得其乐地喝酒吃菜。武逊忍不住了，粗声粗气地问：“钱大人，您今天让武逊来所为何事？武逊公务繁忙，还请钱大人快些示下。”李元芳听得一乐，心想此人果然耿直，居然这么和上官说话。 钱归南“嗯”了一声，以手撑额，做出副困顿难支的样子来，低声道：“武校尉，你昨天所说的沙陀匪患之事，令本官十分焦虑啊。本官昨晚彻夜难眠，反复思量，直感这件事情不仅牵涉到商路安定，更影响到我大周天朝威严，实在是责任重大啊……想我庭州官府，深受圣上和朝廷的嘱托，以维护北庭地区的通商秩序和治安为要务，哪里想到在我的治下却出了这样的事情，我……我，怎么还有面目去见圣上，又如何面对庭州的百姓和来往西域的各国商团啊……”武逊拼命耐住性子，才能端坐着听钱归南这通言不由衷的胡扯。 狄景辉本来只顾吃喝，扫到一耳朵“匪患”，好奇地问：“沙陀匪患？怎么回事？庭州不是有个翰海军吗？干嘛不去平匪？”钱归南的脸上顿显尴尬之色，支吾了几句。李元芳一直紧盯着他，发现他的眼中闪过一抹恶毒的冷光，转瞬即逝。武逊紧接着逼问：“钱大人，您到底想怎么办？” 钱归南似乎头痛欲裂，拼命按着太阳穴哼哼唧唧地说：“武校尉，本官身体不适，你说话小点儿声。”武逊不情愿地低下头，马上又抬起来，依旧逼视着钱归南。钱归南长叹口气，指了指李元芳：“亏得神都来了这位李校尉，本官才算是有了主意。”李元芳一愣：“我？”武逊比他更急，吼道：“和他有什么关系？！”钱归南无奈地摇头：“唉，翰海军日常军务十分繁忙，腾不出额外的人员来处理匪患。本官要向朝廷请兵支援的话，一则开不出口，二则也怕旷日持久，更加耽误剿匪。我左思右想都找不到万全之策。万没想到，今天迎到了李校尉来沙陀戍边，这真是久旱甘雨啊，我沙陀碛匪患指日可除！” 李元芳朝钱归南抱拳，正色道：“钱大人，您是要指派卑职去平定沙陀碛的匪患吗？”钱归南点头：“正是。本官想请李校尉协助武逊校尉共同赴伊柏泰县，在那里组建起一支剿匪团，平定沙陀碛的匪患，还商路平安。” “是！”李元芳刚应了一声，武逊却跳起身来，大声道：“钱大人，您这是什么意思？让我和他，呃，这个李校尉一起剿匪也就罢了，为什么要去伊柏泰？为什么要重新组建剿匪团？我的沙陀团呢？” 钱归南虚弱地摆摆手：“武逊，你且稍安勿躁，坐下说话。这位李元芳校尉的来历，刚才我已给你介绍过了，相信他一定能够给你鼎力相助。伊柏泰县位于沙陀碛的腹地，以它为据点，探查沙陀碛中匪患的活动状况，是最佳的选择，既能攻又可守。至于你的沙陀团嘛，要维护整个沙陀碛周边地区的治安，不能单单用来剿匪。伊柏泰本来就有翰海军招募的编外兵团，你和李校尉过去以后，将编外兵团治理一下，本官授权你们重新建立剿匪团。” 武逊的额头青筋暴起，瞪着眼睛不吱声。钱归南便转向李元芳：“李校尉，因你刚来，就委屈一下，给武校尉当个副手。剿匪团的团正还是请武校尉担当，你看如何？”李元芳笑答：“钱大人这样安排很好，卑职领命。”钱归南又看看狄景辉，满面笑容道：“狄公子，你也要去伊柏泰的，就与李校尉一同前往吧，彼此有个照应。李校尉只要给狄公子随便安排个闲活，就算是在充役服刑了。武校尉，你可要代本官多多照料李校尉和狄公子啊。” 李元芳和狄景辉相互点点头，便都微笑着向钱归南道谢。沉默了一会儿的武逊突然哑着嗓子问：“钱大人，假如武逊不去伊柏泰，也不肯放手沙陀团呢？”钱归南语气轻松地回答：“如果武校尉不想剿匪，就继续留在沙陀团嘛，本官不在意。”武逊的双眼通红，牙齿咬得咯咯直响，半晌才挤出句话：“武逊领命！不过……伊柏泰那里的编外兵团没有正规的兵械，我要带些过去。”钱归南冷冷地道：“剿匪不需要很多正规兵械吧？这样吧，我让王迁去给你准备些军械，你带去就是了。” 武逊点点头，猛地站起身来，朝钱归南抱抱拳：“钱大人，武逊这就去做准备了。”李元芳也忙起身道：“武校尉，我与你同去吧。”武逊斜了眼李元芳，鄙夷地道：“不必劳动李校尉的大驾。李校尉刚从京中来，旅途劳顿，还是多多歇息。钱大人这一桌请的可都是边塞难得一见的好吃食，二位千万别辜负了钱大人的好心。武逊给二位打个招呼，伊柏泰是个不毛之地，比庭州可差远了，二位多加小心吧。明天早上，我会去馆驿带你们一起上路。”说到这里，他又冷笑一声，道：“二位要是有别的想头，趁早对钱大人明说。待明天上路以后，就没有转圜的机会了！”撂下这句话，武逊像来时一样，迈着山响的大步走了。 当天傍晚，钱归南提早结束了公务，就坐上马车出了刺史府。和平日一样，马车在庭州的街道上转悠了半天，确定没有被人跟踪，才驶过一座高大的萨满教神庙，停在旁边僻静的小巷中。整条小巷里只有一座当地式样的民居，灰泥垒的院墙，院门朝巷内开启。王迁先查看了四周的情况没有异常，钱归南这才匆匆下车，闪身进了院子。 不算很大的院落中搭着长长的葡萄架，沿院墙载的一溜库尔勒梨树和阿驿果树，枝叶上都覆盖着白白的积雪。钱归南沿碎石铺的甬道匆匆向后院走去，刚到后宅门口，就听“喵呜”一声叫唤，一只两眼冒着绿光的黑猫朝他的脚下猛蹿过来。钱归南吓得往后退了一大步，忿忿地骂了句：“晦气！”举手推门而入。 屋内四壁涂成天蓝色，上面挂满了五颜六色的挂毯，地上也铺着大幅的织锦地毯，满屋都飘着安神香催人入睡的气味。钱归南抽了抽鼻子，掀开垂地珠帘，坐在榻边的女人听到动静，赶紧回头起身，朝他露出妩媚的笑容。这女人大约二十七、八岁的年纪，全身胡人女子的打扮，天青色的锦袍上缀满胭红、绛紫、和黑白两色的珠串，看容貌却是汉人女子的模样，小巧的鹅蛋脸，肤色白皙，五官秀美绝伦，乌黑的头发挽成高耸的反绾髻，满头华丽的珠翠，很有中原贵妃的神韵。 钱归南握住女人伸过来的手，一边摩挲着，一边走到榻前，俯身查看榻上酣睡的幼童。