The magistrate's wife's daughter was thirteen years old, a lively age. A moment later, she came skipping over, handed her amulet to Zhao Xiheng, and winked at her, "Princess sister, take this. It's really useful!"
Only then did Zhao Xiheng sense the local accent of Pingzhou from this little girl. Her tone was so warm and welcoming that she couldn't think of any other adjectives to describe it.
Upon seeing Wei Li approaching from afar, the young girl and her maidservant abruptly wiped the smiles off their faces, and the atmosphere instantly shifted from cheerful to oppressive. After hastily greeting Wei Li, they all ran off like a group of rabbits.
Zhao Xiheng had seen this scene many times. No matter when or where, and no matter how cheerful the conversation was supposed to be, the smiles would disappear from their faces as soon as Wei Li appeared from afar.
Wherever Wei Li went, he was accompanied by a sense of oppression.
"Let's go." Wei Li didn't say anything this time, but just nodded at Zhao Xiheng.
The group was heading north, and Zhao Xiheng and Xiao Tao were not settled separately in the carriage, but rode horses with the others.
Although the carriage was comfortable, it was slow. After all, given Wei Li's personality, he really didn't want to slow down the journey for the sake of two people, nor was he willing to accommodate Zhao Xiheng.
Zhao Xiheng knew how to ride horses; her father had taught her when she was young. Although riding with Wei Li was warm, it was really uncomfortable, and she dared not move. If she moved, Wei Li would slap her head. Wei Li had a strong hand, and it hurt a lot.
Most importantly, she needed to find a chance to escape. If she were to ride alone with Wei Li, where could she run to?
Wei Li ignored her pleas, as if his ears were covered by snow, and grabbed Zhao Xiheng by the waist, throwing her onto his horse.
This time, Zhao Xiheng learned her lesson and instead of instinctively gripping the reins, she held onto the saddle.
He seemed slightly disappointed because he couldn't ride alone.
Because of the cold weather, the prefect's wife specially armed her fully. She wore three layers of padded jackets, covered with a cloak, and had a shawl covering her head, going around from under her eyes to the back of her head, leaving only her eyes exposed.
Once she was settled, Wei Li mounted his horse. He was still like a small furnace, and as soon as he was close to Zhao Xiheng, she felt warm.
Zhao Xiheng didn't dare to scrutinize Wei Li's expression closely. Perhaps he hadn't been sleeping well these past few days, as his eyes were dark and his face was gloomy, making him look even more fierce.
Ha! She thought Wei Li was made of iron, sleeping later than a dog and waking up earlier than a rooster every day without getting tired.
Wei Li suddenly twisted her face and turned her around, so that the two of them were facing each other. Zhao Xiheng was caught off guard and met his eyes. She found that not only were there dark circles under his eyes, but the whites of his eyes were also covered with red blood vessels, making him look bloody and ferocious.
She quickly turned her eyes to the side, inwardly cursing him for not getting enough sleep.
Wei Li roughly ripped the shawl off her head, revealing her entire face. Because she was huddled in the warm shawl, her face was rosy, except for a layer of frost on her eyelashes.
Zhao Xiheng covered the red shawl that was falling down in horror, thinking that Wei Li would not even leave her something to cover her face. He was even more of a beast than she had imagined!
After Wei Li looked at it, he nodded slightly and then haphazardly wrapped the shawl around Zhao Xiheng's neck, making it hard for her to breathe. She guessed why Wei Li had pulled the shawl off her neck earlier to look at her.
It's probably because she's afraid of sitting down immediately, not because of her.
"We'll arrive in Buxian City the day after tomorrow." Wei Li seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood as he patted Zhao Xiheng's face, which was wrapped in a thick shawl.
Zhao Xiheng thought to herself: We'll be at the wolf's den the day after tomorrow, right?
"Are you happy?" Wei Li asked her again.
"Happy." Zhao Xiheng answered without hesitation, her voice crisp and cheerful, as if she couldn't wait to go to Bu Xian.
After all, would she dare say she wasn't happy?
Wei Li was clearly silent for a moment, obviously not expecting Zhao Xiheng to answer so readily.
Just when Zhao Xiheng thought he was going to remain silent, he suddenly patted her head again, "Good girl."
? ? ?
Are you taking pictures of a dog? Take your paws off my head!
Zhao Xiheng roared inwardly, but gently reminded him aloud, "My lord, it's getting late, let's go."
I heard that because Wei Li was going on a trip, the prefect specially ordered the soldiers in the prefecture to sweep away the snow that had accumulated last night, so the road was exceptionally clean and tidy, but the streets were still deserted.
At that time, residential areas and trading areas were not yet separated, so vendors would hawk their wares, either at the foot of the city wall or at their own doorstep. The streets were empty and devoid of any sign of life, with only the occasional bark of a dog.
Zhao Xiheng had just heard the prefect's wife say that Ji'an Prefecture was a large prefecture with a population of 20,000, and should not be so desolate.
Jinyang City is usually bustling with activity; it has never been so deserted before.
The prefect and his wife seemed completely unaware, and waved goodbye to Wei Li warmly.
"My lord, take care! My lord, may you have a safe journey! My lord, your subordinates will miss you!" Although the prefect pretended to be sad and had a long face, Zhao Xiheng still keenly sensed a hint of joy in the atmosphere.
This joy will erupt collectively as soon as Wei Li and his men step out of Ji'an County.
Wei Li was clearly unaccustomed to such eager enthusiasm. He turned back, pondered for a moment, and said to the prefect, "If you really can't bear to part with it, I will arrange an official position for you in Buxian."
The prefect fell silent, and so did his wife, making the one or two barks of the dog seem particularly abrupt.
The silent and awkward atmosphere made Wei Li twitch the corners of his mouth. He pulled on the reins, and the horse instantly galloped more than ten feet away.
He knew that no one would genuinely welcome him.
“These beasts are making a nuisance. Prefect, I don’t want to hear them again next time I come.”
The prefect nodded hurriedly in agreement, but inwardly he grumbled, "Why should a man bother arguing with some dogs?"
Just because he doesn't like it, he wants to kill all the dogs in Pingzhou? Won't all the dog meat restaurants lose their livelihood?
But Wei Li was never reasonable, so whatever he said went. Killing a dog was better than him killing a person.
Pingzhou is truly quiet. The quietness extends from Dandong to Ji'an. Aside from Wei Li and his men, Zhao Xiheng is practically the only living person there…
No, we didn't see a single living creature.
The group left the city, crossed a mountain, and came to a river.
The river was several tens of feet wide, and the opposite bank could not be seen at a glance. It was covered with thick ice, which was as white as a mirror and dazzling in the sunlight. It was probably safe to run a horse there.
Zhao Xiheng looked down and saw that the horses' hooves were covered with cloth to prevent them from slipping on the ice.
The deputy general was a very young man. Judging from the only thing visible in his eyes, Zhao Xiheng thought he must be quite good-looking. But since he was working for Wei Li, Zhao Xiheng didn't think he could be a good person. No matter how good-looking he was, it didn't matter.
"My lord, this is a tributary of the Yalu River. We'll be crossing soon. Why don't we rest for a bit?" He reached out and helped Xiao Tao, who was swaying from exhaustion in his arms.
After walking for a long time, Zhao Xiheng's inner thighs were also sore from being rubbed, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Before Wei Li could speak, a dog barked.
This time it wasn't just a few cries like in Ji'an County, but a whole pack, like a pack of dogs.
The barking of dogs rose and fell, sharp and piercing, giving one a headache.
A rustling sound came from the white reeds along the riverbank, and the barking grew clearer, sounding more like a wolf's howl than a dog's bark.
Several muscular dogs pulled a sled out of the reeds, followed by dozens more sleds, each carrying several people with quivers on their backs and harpoons in their hands.
Those dogs looked very much like wolves, with dark blue eyes, black and white fur, bushy tails, and fierce eyes.
This breed of dog doesn't exist in Da Zhou; it was probably imported from some unknown country.
Wei Li silently untied the pair of curved swords that were tied to the side of the horse.
Zhao Xiheng heard a hissing sound, the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. She glanced cautiously at Wei Li's weapon.
Its silvery sheen gleamed, becoming even more dazzling under the sunlight and the reflection on the ice. The scimitar was about three feet long, double-edged, with only a curved section in the middle for gripping, making it extremely difficult to wield.
Zhao Xiheng thought for a moment. This thing is spiral-shaped, and it is extremely lethal when thrown out. If you are lucky, it can cut a circle of people's necks. But the key is that it will turn back on its own. If Wei Li fails to catch it, he will probably have his own neck cut off.
She just hoped Wei Li wouldn't use this thing on horseback, otherwise, if Wei Li couldn't catch the weapon, it might be her who would die instead of him.
Zhao Xiheng sighed; her wishes were always so small and simple.
The dogs howled in unison for a while, demonstrating their power to the other side, before falling silent, showing how well-trained they were.
As is customary, both sides must introduce themselves before a fight breaks out.
No one knows who left this rule, but it seems that when Zhao Xiheng was young, Zhao Xinglie told her stories of famous generals, and they had to introduce themselves before going to war.
The leader of the group was dressed in a thick fur coat, a dog-skin hat, and boots. Only his eyes, with frosty eyelashes, were visible. Judging from his hoarse voice, he must have been quite old, but that didn't stop him from being as angry and spirited as a young man.
"Wei, you scoundrel! You murdered your adoptive father, the Prince of Zhenbei, who was so kind to you, and you have treated human life like dirt, harming thousands of people in Pingzhou. Now you are even more perverse, making the people of Pingzhou live in misery and suffering. Wherever you go, there is only wailing and howling. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and kill you, you heartless beast!"
Judging from his voice, he didn't seem like an uneducated person; he seemed to have some knowledge. He spoke with a strong Pingzhou accent, indicating that he was a native of Pingzhou.
Wei Li sat motionless on his horse, even raising his chin and curling his lips in a mocking smile, quite disdainful, "Speaking so grandly, who do I have here? It's you. A spineless coward who tried to seize power but failed and fled through a dog hole."
"The victor is king, the loser is villain; now I am king and you are villain."
Enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile.
"Fight! Fight!" Zhao Xiheng silently cried out in her heart.
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