Chapter 23 Chapter 69: Distant Haze

Shen Zhenzhu, Cheng Yuanzhen, Chen Zhouzhou and his party rode fast, despite the rain and wind, and it took a full 20 days to reach Jincheng County.A year ago, Jincheng County was taken back from Nanzhao and Tubo by Shuofang Jiedu envoy Guo Ziyi.After a short stay in Jincheng County, he set off to cross the Helan Mountains to the hinterland of Huihe.Cheng Yuanzhen and Chen Zhou rode horses, Shen Zhenzhu rode in a carriage, with nearly a hundred attendants, mixed with ox carts and camel teams, dressed as merchants and travelers.Although the number of attendants is small, they are all carefully selected from the inner flying dragon envoys, and each of them can be ten.

It is now the end of spring and the beginning of summer, the grass is verdant everywhere, and the thawed river flows loudly and cheerfully across the mountains and plains.Looking far away from Jincheng County, the dark purple Helan Mountains stand upright and stretch for hundreds of miles. It is even more majestic in this open field. It was originally a natural barrier between Huihe and Tang Dynasty. Because of the close relationship between Uyghurs and Huihe who paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty, the side foothills of Helan Mountain have been passing by for many years, and businessmen and travelers walked a narrow east-west mountain road. A few years ago, Shen Zhenzhu was brought to Huihe King by Moyan Chuo The court is through this road.

This road is precipitous and full of ravines.Fortunately, now is the best time of the year in the north and south of the desert. There is very little rain, the weather is warm, and the snow has melted away. .Inquiring about the scattered people living in the surrounding area, it was found that two months ago, a group of Tang people were indeed seen heading towards Helan Mountain. It must be Li Yu and his party.However, as the crown prince, Li Yu always had messengers to communicate with Chang'an, so why did he disappear and what happened?Thinking of this, Shen Zhenzhu couldn't help feeling tense in her heart.

Seven days later, nearly half of the journey across Helan Mountain has been completed.Because of the urgency, the group traveled day and night, and stopped on the side of the road to rest for several hours when they were tired.Chen Zhou was well versed in the terrain, and seeing that a group of horses and horses were exhausted from running around for several days, and the road ahead was even steeper and more difficult, he discussed with Cheng Yuanzhen and Shen Zhenzhu: there is a valley open not far ahead, let's set up camp for the night and rest for the rest. The spirit will be better tomorrow.

Sure enough, he saw the open area Chen Zhou mentioned without even burning an incense stick. Cheng Yuanzhen sent orders to build felt tents, light bonfires, and feed livestock. Familiar with accounts and routines, everything was arranged properly in a very short time. Chen Zhou invited Shen Zhenzhu to rest in the felt tent, took a blanket himself, and lay down on the bonfire in front of Shen Zhenzhu's tent, wanting to protect Shen Zhenzhu himself.Shen Zhenzhu felt sorry, and persuaded: "Since there are attendants on duty in turn, you don't have to do this." Chen Zhou still said respectfully: "His Royal Highness has disappeared, and if there is any mishap, Mrs. Chen's hundred heads are not enough to count " Shen Zhenzhu insisted that Chen Zhou and others not call her "Crown Princess", so Chen Zhou could only vaguely call her "Madame".

Shen Zhenzhu lay down in the felt tent with her clothes on, and could hear the howling of the wind outside the tent. Occasionally, a falcon screamed strangely, as if passing through the roof of the tent. The camels neighed one after another.At night in the suburbs, if it was too peaceful, it would be frightening. She closed her eyes and gradually fell asleep... When I woke up, it was daylight. Walking out of the felt tent, Cheng Yuanzhen was counting the personnel and cleaning up the team, while Shen Zhenzhu stood aside and watched quietly.After counting and counting, more than ten people were missing.The inner dragon envoys form a team of 20 people, and almost every team is short of people, and the team is checking immediately.After some searching, I thought that these people might just happen to have passed away, but they were nowhere to be seen.Cheng Yuanzhen and Chen Zhou knew something was wrong, they checked the tents by themselves, and found that there were many traces of dragging on the grass outside the tents, Chen Zhou said to Shen Zhenzhu: "No, it is unusual for these attendants to disappear, they must have been killed by someone last night. Subdued and taken away!"

Shen Zhenzhu was also very surprised, one must know that there are attendants on duty at night in turn, although these inner flying dragon envoys are not comparable to martial arts masters, but none of them are weak in skill, who can take away more than ten people so calmly?For the current plan, the first priority is not to shake the morale of the army. Thinking of this, she immediately calmed down, summoned all the attendants, and said calmly: "I think all the officers and soldiers know what happened last night. We are going to Huihe with a group of hundreds of people, and we are taking personal risks. It has been a major event since ancient times. Those who have made great achievements are never mediocre. You are all first-class good men, and you will not retreat at the slightest setback. We are united in one mind, and the enemy is in the dark. Urge me to fight."

All the attendants were a little panicked when they saw more than a dozen companions being taken away without anyone noticing.But seeing that Shen Zhenzhu came to comfort them with the body of a woman, she couldn't help crying "ashamed" in her heart, thinking that since she has been ordered by the emperor to return to Huihe, she can only move forward, there is absolutely no reason to retreat, if she is inferior first Courage, half of the loss has been lost, so everyone suddenly became heroic.In order to prevent another accident, Cheng Yuanzhen specially asked the attendants of the teams to strengthen mutual support so as not to get lost and leave the team.

However, although he was extra cautious, he set up camp three days later and rested for the night. On the second day, Cheng Yuanzhen counted the number of people, and there were nearly ten fewer people.Chen Zhou also told Shen Zhenzhu: "In the past three days, I found some discarded internal appliances by the side of the road." , there are not only the gui (note: it looks like a big bowl, with a round mouth, a big belly, and a round seat under it), as well as the remnants of the green canvas used to build the tent.The special logo of the Eastern Palace can be vaguely seen on the utensils.Fortunately, no remnants of weapons and traces of fighting were found.Shen Zhenzhu thought about it, not knowing what happened to Li Yu and his party, and what these discarded internal appliances meant.

Two days later, they set up camp again. On the second day, seven or eight people were missing.The team size dropped sharply to sixty or seventy people. Now the accompanying guards gradually panicked.There seemed to be an invisible black hand in the dark, closely following their progress, and would reach out and take away a few people at any time. Shen Zhenzhu and the others discussed again and again, but they couldn't figure it out: What is the intention of this person who kidnapped the attendant?As the saying goes, to capture the thief, you must first capture the king. If they intend to deal with their group, since they can easily capture the Inner Dragon Envoy, why not deal with the three of them directly?It's so easy, why not start?Could it be that they want to play the game of cat and mouse, scare the whole group to half death, enjoy the fun until they lose interest, and then crush the mouse to death?

At this time, the accompanying attendants gradually lost their hearts.With Cheng Yuanzhen's prestige, in the next few days, from time to time, some attendants would secretly escape to Jincheng County by the way they came from. Cheng Yuanzhen was so angry that his seven orifices were filled with smoke. This day he personally arrested several people and summoned the remaining forty or so attendants. He wanted to kill them immediately, and Chen Zhou strongly agreed. Shen Zhenzhu knew that Cheng Yuanzhen was firstly angry, secondly because of face and thirdly because he wanted to complete the mission of this trip; Chen Zhou came from the battlefield and hated deserters and cowards the most, so he used this method to kill Bai Liwei to prevent more and more attendants from fleeing. This method is not without reason.But this trip is dangerous, since some of the attendants dare not and do not want to accompany, then it is useless to force it, and it may become a burden in the future, so I persuaded in a low voice: "Since they have no intention of following, why not let them go back?" Cheng Yuanzhen refused, grabbed the collar of one of the escaped attendants with one hand, drew his sword over his head and neck and said: "This is Cheng who has no way to control his subordinates. Once the inner flying dragon envoy entered the flying dragon's stable, he swore to be loyal to His Majesty to the death. Today these The boy is timid to keep his promise, Cheng Yuanzhen can be cut by the sword according to the law." After finishing speaking, he pulled the long sword casually, and the servant never had time to snort, blood dripped from his neck, and he fell dead on the spot.Shen Zhenzhu didn't have time to dissuade her, so she took two steps back. This intimidation was on the spot, and before Cheng Yuanzhen's long sword could be compared, the other servants who were captured rolled down on the ground, begging for mercy again and again, one of the middle-aged servants burst into tears, and said: "Madam, please forgive me. Lord, please forgive me! It’s not that I’m afraid of death. If I die in battle, my subordinates dare not resign, but who doesn’t have an old mother, wife and children at home, and dies like this in a foreign land for no reason, and no one collects the body. Reluctant!" Originally, the other attendants at the scene looked down upon these escapees, when Cheng Yuanzhen said that he wanted to kill them, they all drew their swords and shouted "slash them" and "kill them" in unison, deeply aware of the prestige of these people who have fallen into the flying dragon.However, hearing what the middle-aged attendant said at this time, it aroused compassion, and there was a little silence in the field for a while. Shen Zhenzhu knew that this matter could not be forced.However, Cheng Yuanzhen was the envoy of Nei Feilong, and it would be inappropriate for him to take back the decision he made, so he immediately winked at Chen Zhou. Such a smart person as Chen Zhou, although he was unwilling in his heart, he stared viciously at these escaped attendants, stepped forward to give Cheng Yuanzhen a bow, and said: "Master Cheng, please let me say a few words." Cheng Yuanzhen put his sword back into its sheath, slightly impatient, turned his head away, and said: "My lord, please tell me." Chen Zhoudao: "Although these people's crimes are unpardonable, they are still the first offenders. Now it's time to employ people. Please give them a chance to redeem their sins." Cheng Yuanzhen snorted coldly, noncommittal. Shen Zhenzhu interjected: "Will they live or die. Since Mr. Cheng is very generous, in my opinion, can the guards present judge and make the decision?" What she said was novel, Cheng Yuanzhen turned his head and said in surprise: "Oh, how do you judge Madam?" Shen Zhenzhu took a few steps forward slowly, raised her voice, and said to the attendants on the spot: "You are all selected from the flying dragon envoys beside your majesty, and all of them are outstanding. My mighty dynasty vibrates the four kingdoms, and the people come from east to west. Wealthy, who would have thought that An Lushan rebelled first, and Shi Siming rebelled later, so that all industries withered and the people were in chaos. It has been nearly six years. The imperial court has defeated the rebels and has shown victories. The restoration of our Great Tang Dynasty is just around the corner. Unexpectedly, the prince Suddenly disappeared, the fate is in your hands, even though you have suffered a heavy setback, you will be able to boost your morale, obey the fate, and welcome His Highness the Crown Prince back to Beijing." Pointing to several escaped attendants, they continued, "They once I have shared weal and woe with you, and now I have escaped in the ranks, and I have brought shame on you, but no one has done anything wrong, so make it right; when no one is afraid to retreat, it is better to regroup. Now, you have the right to do something to them Referee, hope - no, allow back in line?" Shen Zhenzhu's question faintly vibrated in the forest, slowly falling.Her question was very simple, and the attendants only needed to answer "yes" or "no".However, no one answered for a while, and all the people stood silently.Her words are powerful.Almost every attendant is introspecting himself at this time.The attendants who didn't escape would think: Madam, women are so fearless, as a man, have I never felt afraid of shrinking and escaping?Your Majesty has entrusted us with such a heavy responsibility, can I fulfill such a heavy responsibility?Those servants who escaped were even more ashamed, feeling deeply that they had failed their great trust, the previous middle-aged servant kowtowed again: "This subordinate knows his mistake, this subordinate does not dare to ask for death, but only asks to make up for the crime." After a while, all the attendants showed determination and knelt down in unison: "Madam, my lords, I will follow you to the death, and I will never retreat half a step!" Shen Zhenzhu didn't expect her words to have such a big agitation effect, Cheng Yuanzhen and Chen Zhou were also deeply shocked by this moment.Her words finally brought back the morale of the army that was about to slacken at the last moment.The strength of these forty people may be much stronger than the original hundred or so. Two days later, a group of people climbed over Helan Mountain, and their eyes and ears suddenly became clear. The grassland at the end of spring is magnificent and full of vitality. The breeze is gentle, and the brilliant sunshine is pouring down on the endless prairie. The Huihe girls with pigtails on their heads ride their horses and raise their whips, singing loudly unintelligible rough songs, galloping and galloping; Like soft snowdrifts, floating around; the sky is clear and vast, the pure and condensed blue echoes the mountains in the distance... Cheng Yuan Zhen Le Ma exclaimed: "I never thought that there would be such a beautiful scenery beyond the Great Wall!" Chen Zhoudao: "Huihe people live after water and grass. The beauty of the grassland in a year is only three or four months at most. After August, the weather is cold, and the snow on the grassland is difficult to melt. It looks beautiful now, but the further north Shuomo is getting bigger and bigger, and there are few grassland oases, so we have to prepare food and water.” Chen Zhou, who is fluent in Turkic and familiar with the habits of Huihe people, is the best guide for this trip. Cheng Yuanzhen said: "Then we will camp here for a night. There is a mountain stream nearby, so it is convenient to prepare water and food." Both Shen Zhenzhu and Chen Zhou had no objection, so they arranged to camp as usual. It was almost noon, watching the servants set up tents, fetching water, lighting a fire, and cooking in an orderly manner, Shen Zhenzhu sighed secretly: the future is bleak, she persuaded these servants, but she, Cheng Yuanzhen and Chen Zhouke have the ability to protect them, Save their lives and bring them back to Datang safely? "Ma'am, what are you thinking?" Cheng Yuanzhen seemed to see Shen Zhenzhu's thoughts, and he walked to her side to make arrangements for camping. Shen Zhenzhu smiled slightly at Cheng Yuanzhen, said: "How can my lord not know what I'm thinking?" Then said: "I think your lord is also full of worries." Cheng Yuanzhen nodded and remained silent for a while before saying: "No matter what, I think Madam will be safe and sound." Shen Zhenzhu chuckled lightly: "You are so sure, no matter what, I have to thank you." Lowering her voice, she seemed to be talking to herself, "Actually, in the past six or seven years, I have experienced all kinds of things, life and death , I also see it lightly." Cheng Yuan sighed, "If His Royal Highness knows Madam—" Shen Zhenzhu interrupted before he finished speaking: "I have known Mr. Cheng for a long time, but I don't know the origin of your family. I heard that Mr. Cheng is very filial to his mother, isn't my mother very good?" Cheng Yuanzhen didn't expect Shen Zhenzhu to ask about his life experience softly, he was a little surprised, but also a little moved, and said: "Actually, Cheng was born in a humble family, and his father died young, all thanks to his mother who washed and washed clothes for the family day and night. , to bring up someone so hard." "Oh, your mother—" Shen Zhenzhu said softly, "It's really amazing." Cheng Yuanzhen nodded, with tears in his eyes: "A certain family's ancestral home is Fuyang, Xiangzhou. Marry, she is always afraid that someone will be wronged, so she insists on refusing." Shen Zhenzhu was gently touched.Ordinary women will also do their best to stay with their sons.But she had the heart to leave her parents and children behind for such a long time.Shi'er is nearly five years old, and she has been away from him for more than two years.How tall is he, can he call "Mother" when he is sick, how many people really share with him when he is happy?However, if he really waited for him to grow up, he might blame his mother forever.This is what she owed to him, an eternal guilt that can never be repaid. Unknowingly, she burst into tears.She heard herself asking, "How is the old man now?" Cheng Yuanzhen replied, "She passed away years ago." Shen Zhenzhu sent several attendants, led by Chen Zhou, to inquire about Li Yu's news from the Huihe people around Zhou.However, just as Chen Zhou said, the Huihe people lived after water and grass, and there were basically no settled people for several miles. Everyone shook their heads and said "no", and at dusk, they still got nothing.