Suppressing his anger, Gu Qingshan carefully analyzed the pros and cons of the situation. His brothers' families were all in the north; if the Tatars and Hu people attacked, they would suffer even more persecution. If he rashly went out to assassinate the two, even if he succeeded, he wouldn't be able to escape alive. The most important thing now was to notify the people in the rear and evacuate them immediately.
Just as he was about to retreat, he found Azhi in the bushes by the wall. Azhi was also very patient; she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for two whole days and had been hiding there. This was a place where girls usually played, and there was a dog hole there. She didn't know what was happening outside, so she planned to wait until the bad guys left before coming out.
She recognized Gu Qingshan and knew he was one of her father's men. Seeing the uncle acting suspiciously and dressed in the coarse clothes of an ordinary person, she knew he had come in to gather information, at least not like those bad guys. So, just as Gu Qingshan was about to climb over the wall, she deliberately made a noise to attract his attention.
Gu Qingshan naturally recognized Azhi; the child was carrying his father's seal! Thinking of her father and brothers' deaths, his eyes reddened, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
Later, Gu Qingshan led Azhi on a rapid journey north to spread the message.
Most of the forty-nine brothers' hometowns were in the north. They had lived together for five or six years, so she could roughly know their home addresses. If she wasn't so sure, she would go to several nearby villages and search for them.
The method he used was simple: he found the local village head or chieftain and spread the news that the Hu people would soon be marching south. Of course, to gain people's trust, he still wore the uniform of the Divine Arrow Battalion and rode a military horse. As long as he was fast enough, he wasn't worried about being caught up by those behind him. His idea was simple: save as many as he could.
Fortunately, the two traveled non-stop and managed to notify most of the villages that the Hu people might raid before they advanced north.
The north has never been peaceful; even so, there are still many refugees and deserters causing trouble. If the barbarians are added to the mix, the common people will have no chance of survival.
Thus, when he returned to his village, most of the houses were already empty. His own yard was also in a mess, and what troubled him was that the weeds in the yard had grown to an inch or more, as if it had been abandoned for half a year.
Upon reflection, he realized that the war had been intense for the past six months, and he hadn't received any letters from home for a long time.
Fortunately, after searching the entire village, Gu Qingshan finally found a family in a mountain valley. As soon as the family saw him, they rushed over and tearfully recounted their story.
It turned out that six months ago, their village was attacked by bandits. Although they were called bandits, they were probably deserters. After they arrived, they committed all kinds of atrocities, including burning, killing, and looting. Gu Qingshan's wife, daughters, and mother were also hacked to death in the chaos.
Upon hearing this, he burst into tears, burying his face in his hands. He couldn't believe that while they risked their lives for Dasheng, his own family was left behind, unable to even save their own lives! Where is justice?!
So what was the point of all those ideals?!
When the family heard that he planned to go south, they declined his invitation to flee the famine together, sighing, "Qingshan, it's just me and my parents left in our family. They're old and frail. I can survive here in the forest with them. Once we've escaped the bandits and the chaotic army, we'll come down the mountain. If we don't live to see that day, it's our fate!"
Gu Qingshan glanced at the two old men behind him. They were both frail and elderly, and could not withstand the long journey. Otherwise, they would have been killed by the rebel army on the way.
Since he had an idea, Gu Qingshan didn't insist. He helped him reinforce the shack and dug many traps around it. In addition, they went into the mountains to hunt some wild game. Wild pheasants and the like could be raised, and the other meats could be cured, dried, and stored for a long time.
Of course, these things won't last long, but that's all he can do; the rest is up to them to work on.
A-Zhi's real name is Feng Cenxi. Seeing Gu Qingshan's actions along the way, she knew he was a good person, so she obediently followed him, afraid of being abandoned.
Seeing her cautious demeanor, Gu Qingshan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. If his own daughter were still alive, she would be around this age, wouldn't she? It's just a pity that she's gone forever.
As the leader of the Divine Arrow Battalion, he knew that a travel permit was needed to pass through the pass. Fortunately, he still had some money on him, so he went to the black market and got two travel permits for five taels of silver each. For safety's sake, he changed Feng Qinxi's name to Gu Zhi.
Thus, Feng's daughter became A-Zhi, Gu Qingshan's biological daughter. During their long period of mutual dependence, the two truly became like father and daughter. However, deep within their hearts, a hidden corner harbored hatred.
So, after hearing that Qin San Niang was going to transport grain to Qizhou, Gu Qingshan felt that he should do something. In the past, he might have thought of running away, but now, after experiencing so much, he was still alive and well. Thinking of his brothers and family who died unjustly, Gu Qingshan felt that he should go back and investigate the truth of what happened back then!
Hearing him say that, Qin Sanniang felt it was best not to try to persuade him any further. This was her sworn brother's deepest concern, and only a mental remedy could cure it; this trip was necessary!
Hearing his elder sister agree to let him go north, Gu Qingshan was stunned. It took him a while to come back to his senses. "Thank you, elder sister. But I need to ask you and Mother to take care of Azhi."
“Oh, isn’t this what I should do? You have nothing to worry about with Azhi here. Here, I’ll talk to the grain transport team and let you go with them. I’ll also write a letter to Scholar He,” said Qin San Niang.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, elder sister!"
After they finished speaking, they went their separate ways to get busy.
He didn't know how his sister managed to transport the grain out, but she sent him to buy medicine to treat colds and flu, which he did as she asked.
Knowing that the soldiers in Qizhou must be suffering from hunger and cold, she thought that after solving the problem of food rations, there would also be warm clothing and medicine. Of course, she couldn't possibly prepare everything for the tens of thousands of troops on the border, but she could still do her best to help.
Taking advantage of the low number of people at midday, she quickly arrived at the dock that He Yingyuan had mentioned. Fortunately, she was familiar with this dock, as she had visited Tan An here a few days ago.
The grain warehouse was the furthest from the dock and the most inconspicuous.
Qin Sanniang quickly stepped forward, unlocked the door, and only slowly entered after her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Piles of grain were stacked there, and she couldn't help but marvel. He Xiucai was truly a capable man; she wondered when he had prepared so much grain!
How much is 100,000 shi of grain? If one shi is calculated as 100 jin, then 100,000 shi is really not a small amount.
Finding such a large warehouse takes real skill!
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