This means that if they want to find Fang Laosan, they have to go to the farthest border, and maybe even into the territory of the Tartars.
That would be a disaster.
The most turbulent part of the entire Dayu Dynasty was the frontier, especially the northern frontier. The Tartars were brutal, and once you encountered them, you were either killed or wounded.
The closer you go to the border, the higher the chance of encountering the Tartars.
This can be seen from the dilapidated walls along the roadside and the increasing number of bones that are indistinguishable as human or animal bones; Northern Xinjiang is truly not a benevolent place.
"Boss, do we really have to deliver these things?" After seeing a clearly visible skull, Wang Xiaosong asked nervously. "If it's really not possible, we can do it next time. Next time, we'll bring Jiang San and Jiang Si with us."
This way, you won't have to worry about your skull separating from the back of your head.
Zheng Ruqian sighed, "It's fine if we can't find Lao San, but we need to leave a base in the northern border region."
We can't just go back empty-handed after all that hard work.
“Okay, let’s head into the village, towards where there are more people.” Wang Xiaosong was almost in tears. “This kind of remote snowy area is really scary.”
The two men turned the reins and hurried toward the village where smoke was rising from the chimneys.
I thought I was safe, but I never imagined that the place with cooking smoke was the most dangerous.
In January and February after the New Year, the Tartars were in a period of food shortage, having exhausted their reserves and lacking new grain. The barren land and cold climate meant they were destined to go hungry, and their children were destined to starve to death.
In order to survive and to continue their lineage, they rode horses, carrying long knives, and charged into courtyards where smoke was rising from chimneys.
This is the territory of the Dayu Dynasty. Abundant grain from Jiangnan is transported here every year and distributed to the equally hungry people on the frontier.
There is meat, vegetables, rice, and noodles.
They can have all the food if they kill everyone in the village.
The Tartars laughed and joked. After the sentries scouted and found no ambush, they shouldered their long swords and brazenly stormed into the village, startling chickens and ducks into squawking, cats and dogs into howling, and donkeys and horses into neighing.
There was no panic among humans.
Because the horses were fast enough and the knives were sharp enough, the villagers hadn't even recovered from their laughter before their bodies were torn apart.
One, one, and another.
The heads of the people of Dayu rolled onto the ground, staining the ground with beautiful red snowflakes.
"Good, good!" the Tartars shouted excitedly. "Kill, plunder grain, eat our fill, and seize women."
The bloodthirsty nature hidden deep within them boiled over at this moment.
They killed all the men and children, looted all the rice, flour, meat and vegetables, and also plundered young women who could bear children.
With a swift stroke of the knife, the peaceful and tranquil village vanished.
By the time Zheng Ruqian and Wang Xiaosong arrived, the killing was nearing its end. The surroundings were silent, except for a faint, fishy smell in the air, somewhat like the smell of Aunt Zhang killing chickens and ducks, but stronger.
"The smoke is rising from the chimney, so the meat should be cooked. Why does it taste like this?" Wang Xiaosong muttered.
Zheng Ruqian didn't speak, but felt his heart pounding wildly, as if something unsettling was about to happen.
He quickly reined in his horse, intending to turn around and leave, but it was too late.
A blood-soaked Tartar walked out of the village entrance, clutching a long lock of hair. At the end of the hair was a young woman being dragged along, her life or death unrecognizable.
Seeing the two people in the carriage, he smiled contemptuously, "They've come to their deaths."
After saying that, he dropped the long-haired woman and mounted his horse.
"Go, go, go!" Zheng Ruqian frantically turned the reins around. "Go faster, horse, go faster!"
Theoretically, a carriage should not be able to outrun a horse, but at this moment, the old horse seemed to have a mind of its own and turned around and galloped wildly, causing the two people on the carriage shaft to be jolted and shaken, their faces turning pale.
The Tartars chased after them, whistling with great interest, as if they were teasing livestock.
He knew that the two people in the carriage couldn't escape.
The contents of the carriage will also become spoils of war.
"Master, it's all my fault." Wang Xiaosong gradually broke down. "If I had known we should have continued through the dense forest, we wouldn't have come to the village. If we had died, my sister would have been so heartbroken."
“The girl has other brothers, but my sister only has me. How will she live if I leave?”
As he spoke, he burst into tears, not even caring that some snow was being swallowed.
The cries reached the rear, and the Tartars on horseback suddenly burst into laughter, as if mocking the cowardly and incompetent Dayu people, or as if ridiculing two monkeys that had been teased.
"Stop crying!" Zheng Ruqian shouted. "You can't die, and neither can I."
My sister has five older brothers, but each brother loves her differently. Each brother cherishes her and watches her grow up happily.
The second brother hasn't bought his sister embroidered shoes inlaid with pearls, nor has he expanded his transportation network throughout the entire Dayu Dynasty, and he hasn't earned enough money to satisfy his needs.
How could he die?
He cannot die.
But he was still going to die.
The Tartars behind him seemed to have grown tired of teasing him, so they sped up and rushed forward, swinging their swords at Zheng Ruqian's neck.
In the blink of an eye, Zheng Lao Er's skull will be buried deep in the snow of northern Xinjiang, becoming one of the countless innocent souls who died unjustly.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, Wang Xiaosong hugged Zheng Ruqian and shouted his last words, "Master, if you live, remember to treat my sister well and find her a good husband."
Some people merely exist, while others create greater value and more benefits.
Without a doubt, Zheng Ruqian is the latter, while Wang Xiaosong considers himself the former.
If they both die, that's fine. But if only one of them is destined to survive, Wang Xiaosong hopes it will be the boss.
“Xiao Song…” Zheng Ruqian was stunned.
There aren't many people in this world who would sacrifice themselves for someone else. It's normal for a brother to sacrifice himself for his sister, but Wang Xiaosong and he only had an employer-employee relationship, one being the employer and the other the long-term worker.
I've never seen a farmhand willing to risk his life for his master. If he manages to escape this time, he must get a raise.
As Zheng Ruqian's mind wandered, he felt for the first time how long time had passed.
The image of the swung knife, Wang Xiaosong's tears, Jiang Sheng's reddened eyes, and the silent expressions of his brothers flashed rapidly through his mind.
By the time he came to his senses, the blade was already at Wang Xiaosong's neck.
Judging from the force and angle, it seemed he intended to sever both heads with a single blow.
Wang Xiaosong miscalculated, losing a life for nothing. If he had hidden himself, he might have been able to hold out until someone came to his rescue.
These were Zheng Ruqian's last thoughts before he lost consciousness.
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