Chapter 129 Guidance from Bloodline
"What do you mean? Was the colt sold to Shuntian Prefecture and detained?"
The general walked into the house while speaking. He Xiong followed him and helped the general take off his armor while saying, "General, you guessed wrong. The foal didn't leave our northern land. It's in Tai'an County. But you'd be surprised to hear that there are families raising foals now.
"Back then, the Seventh Battalion, which followed the old general to the battlefield and achieved great success, had only one wounded soldier survive. The general should still remember this, right?"
"Remember!" The general raised his eyebrows, with a look of realization in his eyes.
He is tall and strong, and the years of severe cold and hardship at the border have created a firmness and sternness in his brow.
But when he thought of the Seventh Battalion, he couldn't help but look a little regretful.
That was once the most powerful and admired battalion of troops in the border army, led by his father, the deceased old general. They were invincible and terrified all the enemies outside the border.
Unfortunately, no matter how powerful the soldiers were, they could not withstand the conspiracy and scheming, and finally died in regret.
But their sacrifice prevented the border from being breached and ensured a smooth transition between the old and new dynasties.
Although the emperor of the Xin Dynasty was still wary of the border troops and was reluctant to provide them with food and wages, he was afraid that the border troops would rebel and seize his throne again.
As a result, the border troops were attacked from all sides, and had to resist the occasional harassment from outside the border, as well as guard against all kinds of difficulties and contempt from the court.
But all the soldiers and generals have no regrets. They defended their country and endured humiliation, which brought peace to the Wei Dynasty, especially the north!
"If I remember correctly, the only surviving wounded soldier's surname should be Tai. When he was still in the army, besides following the old general on campaigns, his favorite thing was to take care of horses. The old general's horse Mo Yun was given to him to take care of, and the old general often helped him brush Mo Yun's fur and give him water."
He Xiong nodded and smiled, "I remember when the general was fifteen, he wanted to steal a horse to go out and play, and he was almost kicked into the wall by the horse. It was Uncle Tai who pulled the general away..."
"Ahem!" The general coughed twice to stop the personal guard who had grown up with him from speaking without restraint.
He Xiong chuckled dryly and hurried to pour tea.
After they both sat down, He Xiongcai recounted what had happened. He then added, "It was truly a coincidence. Perhaps there was something in the foal's blood that allowed it to find Uncle Tai when it was on the verge of death. He was treated and survived.
"Uncle Tai's family treated the foal very well and named it Jifeng. Uncle Tai's children were especially close to Jifeng.
"Jifeng also looked very smart and was worried that I would take it away. He even rolled his eyes and spit at me!"
The general couldn't help but laugh out loud, and responded curiously, "Really? That's truly rare! If I get the chance next time, I must go see this foal!"
It was rare for He Xiong to see the general so happy. After all, the general had too many things to worry about for the entire border.
So he racked his brains to say more so that the general's happiness could last a little longer.
"General, if you ever get the chance to visit the Tai family, don't just focus on Ji Feng. You must also take a closer look at the Tai family's little granddaughter. She's clearly a farm girl, but she looks like a fairy child under the seat of Guanyin. She's beautiful and adorable, and incredibly smart and courageous. She clung to my neck and wouldn't let go, insisting on sitting in my arms. She's so adorable!"
"According to Uncle Tai's family and the villagers, this child was mentally retarded until he was three years old. Suddenly, one day, he woke up after a bump. Since then, everything has been going smoothly for the family, and life has been prosperous. Uncle Tai's family and the villagers have benefited from this and doted on this child. Fortunately, the child is extremely intelligent and not spoiled at all."
Halfway through his speech, he slammed the table and said in surprise, "Oh, we encountered another thing on the way!
When we reached the southern pass, a large rock from the top of the mountain suddenly rolled down, half-blocking the pass! If I hadn't had a stomachache and stopped the team for a short rest before crossing the pass, we would have all been crushed to death by the falling rocks!
"Maybe it was thanks to the little girl from the Tai family that I was able to escape danger. Next time I see the little girl, I'm going to buy her some goodies!"
The general was surprised to hear this, but he didn't take it seriously. Years of living on the edge of a knife and relying on himself to survive had made him immune to ghosts and gods.
After all, burning incense and praying to Buddha is effective, so tens of thousands of border troops don’t have to fight against the weather, enemies and wind and snow in the north year after year.
But he didn't spoil the fun and agreed with a few words with a smile.
As he grew older and gained more power, there weren't many people around him who were willing to joke with him like He Xiong...
He Xiong spoke frankly, and when he saw that the wrinkles between the general's brows had softened, he stopped talking.
"Uncle Tai's family is really good to Ji Feng, and Ji Feng doesn't want to leave, so I decided to let him stay for the time being. I'll just wait for the general to make a decision. If it doesn't work out, I'll go again."
The general took a sip of tea, lowered his head to think for a moment, and then asked a question.
"Do you think it's possible that the old general had entrusted the item he hid to the Tai family?"
He Xiong was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously turned his head to look around. He saw that there was no one else in the room and there were guards surrounding him outside, so it was impossible for anyone to eavesdrop.
He lowered his voice and replied, "I don't think so! General, you don't know, Uncle Tai's family used to live in extreme poverty. I heard that Aunt Tai died of illness and starvation. And one of Uncle Tai's grandsons was very talented in studying, but because he injured his leg, he had no money to treat it and was lame for several years, so he was raised at home.
"If that thing was in Uncle Tai's hands, how could he watch his wife and children and grandchildren suffer without any remorse?
"The Tai family has just built a new house and bought some land. I heard that a little girl from the Tai family was kidnapped, and the Tai family risked their lives to fight against the gangsters and rescued a boy from a wealthy family.
"The wealthy families sent a lot of gifts, so to avoid the jealousy of outsiders, the Tai family quickly spent them, and now they have a lot more food. Otherwise, the Tai family...wouldn't even have enough to eat!"
The general sighed when he heard this, and the last bit of hope in his heart was extinguished.
"Never mind. The news about that thing is probably just hearsay and may not actually exist. Even if it did exist, given the old general's temper, he would definitely make proper arrangements. Why would he entrust it to a wounded soldier?
"I was too impatient. I kept thinking that if we could find that thing, the whole army wouldn't have to struggle like this. At least we wouldn't have to endure the cold and hunger and still have to fight the enemy!"
He Xiong did not respond, and he really didn't know what to say. After all, it happened twenty years ago.
The general perked up after he finished speaking. "Spring is coming soon. We should reclaim more wasteland and grow more crops. If we can solve the problem of military rations first, the power of the court to hinder us will be much smaller."
After saying this, he instructed, "As for the Tai family, it's better not to have any contact with them. When Jifeng grows up, send him a suitable mare and bring the foal back with you.
"As for that thing, don't mention it again. After all, we're not the only ones thinking about it, and those people are convinced that it exists.
"Don't let those people know about the Tai family and bring trouble to the Tai family. After all, there is only this old soldier left in the old general's Seventh Battalion."
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