Frozen bones
The wind is whistling and the Yi River is cold; the hero will never return once he leaves.
Wen Ding'an's clothes and armor were torn and soaked with blood. His former majesty and perseverance had long since disappeared.
The servants in the general's mansion fled everywhere, and no one cared about a once glorious general.
Wen Jingzhao staggered towards Wen Dingan and helped him stand up. Wen Dingan gasped for breath and slowly stood up with the help of his strength.
"I was poisoned by Qin Lang and trapped in Yezhou. The emperor was afraid of me and took away the military power. Your aunt has been banished to the cold palace. Zhao'er, live well."
He glanced at Wen Jingzhao, a look filled with a father's helplessness and guilt.
He pushed Wen Jingzhao away. His seemingly strong body was actually covered with wounds and was already at the end of its strength.
Wen Dingan raised his head to the sky and roared angrily. His voice resonated throughout the entire palace like thunder.
He Yingchun was so shocked that she stopped in her tracks. She turned around and saw the wind blowing towards her, so cold.
"While alive, be a hero! Even after death, be a ghost hero!" The general's roar and the sound of the wind intertwined into a tragic symphony.
"It's a pity that I heard Ding'an spent his whole life in the military, but he never died in the battlefield." He could have died bravely, but he was framed by these despicable people.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy! May the mountains and rivers be magnificent and the world be peaceful!" As the last sentence fell, he waved away Wen Jingzhao, suddenly drew out the leader's sword, cut his own neck with the blade, and ended his life resolutely.
The red and white plum blossom petals floated down and scattered all over the sky, like a rain of flowers, falling on him, raising a weeping blood-red cloud.
"No!----"
Wen Jingzhao's despair was deeply engraved on his face.
He Yingchun had never seen such a sad expression on someone's face.
He knelt beside Wen Ding'an's body, his hands trembling and his eyes filled with pain and tears.
One was lying down, the other was kneeling, like two silent sculptures.
"The General is dead! The General is dead!"
Some people tried to escape during the chaos, but were forced back by the soldiers surrounding the palace. Some people tried to force their way in with kitchen knives and sticks, but were stabbed by cold spears.
The air was filled with the smell of blood and sorrow, and the wailing sounds were like heavy heart monuments, suppressing the entire general's mansion.
No one got out alive.
"Where is Zhuyi?" asked a young guard.
Zhuyi, what kind of place is that? No one has ever been there. On the other side of Zhuyi is the Northern Desert, the border with the enemy country. People die every day because of the cold, disease, and war.
Silence, endless silence.
Sudden,
Some people picked up whatever was at hand and threw it at the person they thought was the culprit.
"It's you! It's you! It's all your fault!!!" The angry man had already lost his mind. The submissive servant now had red eyes and picked up stones to smash at Wen Ding'an's body and the staggering Wen Jingzhao.
With an outlet to vent their anger, people seem to come alive.
"Yes! It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"
"ah!!"
"right!!"
Their faces were distorted and full of anger, and they were throwing all sorts of things in their hands. The resentment and roars were getting louder and louder.
"Are you crazy? That's the general!!" The butler rushed out and yelled, trying to stop them.
"Li San, Wang Hui, Zhao Qi, the general took you in! Is this how you repay him?!"
Su He stood in front of Wen Jingzhao, "The general is dead! Wake up!!"
But the group of people who were so confused that they lost all their rationality, they finally raised their heads to look at people, but they had distorted faces and were shouting and cursing.
The scene was full of barbarity and absurdity.
"Hahahaha, hahahahahahahahahaha" Wen Jingzhao laughed.
There are still many people who are afraid of this young master's "You...what are you laughing at?"
"Hahahahahahahahaha" Wen Jingzhao bent over with laughter, his eyes curved like two frozen lakes, icy and biting.
"Wen Ding'an!!" His voice was hoarse, and he laughed in the cold wind, his hair was rolled up, like a thrilling painting.
"Open your eyes! Look quickly, hahahahaha, look quickly! Hahahaha, this is what you are defending! This is what you are guarding!!"
"Puff--" He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which mixed with that from Wen Ding'an's body and fell onto the snow, a glaring red and cold white.
Wen Jingzhao staggered, he stood up, looked at Wen Dingan on the ground, his eyes full of sadness, and said slowly,
"Wen Ding'an, you are a joke."
The mark on He Yingchun's chest was burning hot. She touched her chest, and hot liquid flowed down her cheeks from the corners of her eyes.
It doesn't matter who you are,
This is imperial power.
She was shocked, sighed, and terrified.
Finally, the general who came to confiscate the property could not bear it anymore and ordered everyone to be quiet. The cold light of the spears flickered in the sunlight and no one dared to move.
Wen Jingzhao fainted on the ground, and the housekeeper and Su He supported him, not knowing whether he was dead or alive.
He Yingchun tightly grasped the lightning mark on her chest. The plaque of the general's mansion collapsed, and she took a last look.
The world is cruel and indifferent, and human nature is as cold and cruel as an iceberg.
***
The snow has not melted yet, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of snow. The cold wind blows across the snowfield, and snowflakes float down. It is another heavy snow, wrapping the already uncertain winter day with a layer of silver-white frost.
It was so cold. He Yingchun looked forward and saw a long line of exiles. The road ahead was so long that it seemed to have no end.
The men were wearing shackles and the women were wearing handcuffs. Everyone's face was full of vicissitudes and fatigue. The footprints on the snow were of varying depths, leaving a series of deep marks.
"How long have we been walking?" Xiaozhi leaned against her mother and asked, looking up.
"Seven days? Or ten days?" They had been walking for so long that Mom couldn't remember clearly. She patted her head and sighed, "Talk less and save your energy."
Behind him were the housekeeper and Su He, who were supporting Wen Jingzhao. They walked even slower and soon fell to the end of the team.
"Cough, cough, cough." Wen Jingzhao was already injured in the lake, and hiking in the snow and ice was even worse for his body.
He vomited a mouthful of blood, which was shocking.
"Master! Master! Are you okay?" Su He hurriedly wanted to take out a handkerchief from her arms and give it to him, but there was nothing inside the empty prison uniform. She was stunned.
Wen Jingzhao wiped the corner of his lips with his sleeve and said, "It's okay."
"Sister Su He, let me help." Li Bin followed behind them. He was originally a servant in the general's courtyard and had received many favors from the general and his ex-wife. There were many people in the general's mansion before, so he didn't dare to step forward.
"What are you dawdling for?! Hurry up and grab it!"
“Bang!!”
The whip made a sound when it hit the ground, and a gust of cold snow was blown up and flew onto people's faces.
"Hurry! Let's go!!"
No one spoke anymore and everyone quickened their pace to move forward.
He Yingchun licked her dry lips, pretended to cough, put her fingertips in her mouth and took a sip, which brought up a stream of warm spiritual spring water, and the fatigue in her body was relieved.
This is the bottle she exchanged for Wen Jingzhao. She kept a part of it, and it really came in handy.
Muma and Xiaozhi beside her were already dehydrated and their faces were numb. He Yingchun had tried to feed them spiritual spring water, but this spiritual spring water had no effect on anyone except her.
Wen Jingzhao was an exception, perhaps because the jade pendant was his at that time, or perhaps it was just a coincidence.
He Yingchun didn't think about it anymore. The most important thing now was to save his life.
She supported Su He and walked mechanically.
"Thank you, Yingchun." Part of Su He's body weight was on He Yingchun, and she really had no strength left.
"It's okay, you and the young master saved me." He Yingchun thought to herself while drinking a bowl of porridge. It was the most delicious porridge she had ever tasted in her two lives.
Su He smiled softly. "The young master is kind-hearted."
He may not be kind-hearted. Both of them knew that Wen Jingzhao was not the kind of person who was willing to do good deeds.
Su He opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Actually, when Madam was around, the young master was really very good..."
At that time, the general's mansion was harmonious. The general's wife was kind and beautiful, with a tolerant and soft heart. Although Wen Jingzhao was also naughty, he always smiled. He studied martial arts diligently and would read by lamplight at night so as not to make his mother sad.
But that was all in the past. Su He's eyes dimmed a little and she fell silent.
“Bang!”
The sound of a whip hitting someone came from behind, and the two men shrank back in fear.
He Yingchun turned around and saw a yamen runner holding a whip high. His fierce eyes revealed ruthlessness and cruelty. There was no mercy on his face, and it was full of arrogance and laughter.
The whip landed on Wen Jingzhao's back, splashing blood, and he groaned in pain.
There was a "snap" sound, and another whip.
The bailiff sneered, "Oh, you still think you are a young master and need someone to support you. How about we find a sedan chair with eight bearers to carry you?"
Wen Jingzhao was indifferent and continued to walk forward. Seeing this, the yamen runner raised his whip high again.
"It seems that the eldest master is dissatisfied!"
"Let me see if you're convinced!"
Just as the whip was about to fall, another older yamen runner stopped him, "Alright, Wang Kui, we've only been gone for one day, there's still a lot of time to go."
Wang Kui lashed the whip on the ground, "Get out of here!"
The housekeeper and Li Bin held Wen Jingzhao tightly. Both of them had whip marks on their bodies, and red blood was oozing out.
The people around watched silently, then turned around numbly and continued walking. Many people showed anxiety and helplessness in their eyes.
Wen Jingzhao was almost holding on with one breath, his breathing was rapid and unstable. He stared at the road ahead and walked forward firmly.
"We've arrived at the post station!"
"Post station! It's a post station!"
"arrive!!"
The team finally stopped.
After a long journey, we arrived at a place to rest.
A rickety oil lamp hung at the entrance of the post station, emitting a faint light in the night, barely illuminating the surroundings.
At this moment, the light was like a beacon, making everyone excited.
The post station was built of earth and wood, with thick snow on the roof and icicles hanging by the windows. The howling cold wind could not move the icicles at all.
Wen Jingzhao breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the word "post station". His legs went weak and he fainted.
The housekeeper and Li Bin were just holding on, and at this moment, their legs were shaking, and they were taken to the ground.
"Young Master? Young Master?" Su He hurriedly helped the man into the inn.
He Yingchun supported him on the other side, and while Su He was checking the wound, she put her index finger into Wen Jingzhao's mouth and gently swept a few drops of spiritual spring water into his mouth.
Wen Jingzhao moved his throat and his eyelids twitched.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and his black pupils seemed to be soaked in ink, which scared He Yingchun so much that she shrank back.
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