Xizhou Qu (2)
The next night, Nanyang Hou Fang entered the room and found a letter placed neatly in the middle of the desk.
He opened it and looked at it, frowning. He looked around and quickly closed the doors and windows.
Cicadas were chirping softly, and even though he had laid down a mat, he still couldn't resist the stifling heat. Feeling anxious, Nanyang Hou drank a large bowl of ice water, then lay down again, unable to sleep because of the worries in his mind.
Early morning.
Yongding Gate had not yet opened, and the officials were talking about it. As soon as Nanyang Marquis Han Jishan got out of the sedan chair, he attracted everyone's attention.
There were looks of contempt, disgust or surprise in groups of three or four, and most people would step away from him when they saw him.
Han Jishan was confused and grabbed the sleeve of a minor official to ask him what was going on, but the official ran away in panic.
A military officer's voice rang out from a distance, "Why should we be afraid of him? A man who would dig out his own wife's eyes just to advance his rank is truly unfit to be an official!"
Han Jishan tightly grasped the tablet, about to lose his temper.
"Poor Madam Wen! She's been a charity girl all her life. Wherever there were refugees, there was her porridge stall. I really thought she cried herself blind, but I never expected that."
Han Jishan received this letter last night. What he didn't know was that all officials of the fifth rank and above received the same letter.
…
It takes at least half a month to travel from the capital to Wutong Pass, let alone by horse carriage.
It was still hot in the southwest, and as we entered the northwest, the wind and sand started to blow. Many people along the way were starving and emaciated, and some had dark circles under their eyes, dirty hair, and yellow skin.
There were fewer starving people in the southern region, and occasionally there were two or three old women on the road. The weather in the northwest was not suitable for the land, and many people switched from growing rice to mulberry trees. When the weather was dry and they had no food to eat, there were many victims.
Xu Ning and her companions found a place to rest. As soon as she took out the cake, a woman in her thirties came over with her little daughter and asked her for some.
"Girl, please be kind. We have been hungry for several days."
Xu Ning looked at the child, then at the woman, and smiled at the mother and daughter, "Take it and eat it." Xu Ning stood up again and walked towards Su Wujin.
This was the first time Su Wujing saw Xu Ning walking towards him on his own initiative. He stood up, straightened his robe and greeted her with a smile.
"Give me a few more cakes." Xu Ning didn't want to meet those fox eyes, so he simply looked away.
Su Wujin signaled to his followers, and Xu Ning said again: "Bring another pot of water."
Xu Ning gave some food to the mother and daughter, and also gave some dry food to other beggars on the roadside.
Soon a large group of people came to ask Xu Ning for food.
"Give me some!" "Please, give me some."
"Don't worry, don't worry, we have them all." Xu Ning was pushed to the side, and Su Wujin only saw her raised hands.
Su Wujin went over to disperse the people, sent servants to distribute food, and gave each of them some silver.
These people dispersed and did not surround Xu Ning.
"Thank you, ma'am and master." said an old woman.
"Thank you, ma'am." The little daughter, whose face was covered with dark stains, smiled brightly.
Su Wujin, who was standing aside, was smiling so wide that his lips were almost stretched to the corners.
"You all misunderstood. I am not his wife." Xu Ning's ears were red and his hands were sweating.
"My name is Xu Ning, and I'm the fourth disciple of Wangyue Tower." Xu Ning was wearing a light blue shirt. If she hadn't introduced herself, one wouldn't have guessed that she was a martial artist.
"It turns out to be Miss Xu. Thank you so much, Miss and Young Master. We will always remember your great kindness in our hearts. Even if we are unable to repay you in this life, we will definitely repay you in the next life." A man was about to kneel on the ground, and Xu Ning quickly walked over to help him up.
Xu Ning walked over to Su Wujin and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, everyone. This man is a close minister of the emperor. He already knows your situation and will report the truth when he returns to the capital soon."
Everyone felt reassured and thanked him repeatedly.
Su Wujin raised his eyebrows and looked at the little girl behind him, "You really know how to cause trouble for me." His tone was gentle and there was always a smile on his face.
Xu Ning withdrew his hand from Su Wujin's shoulder and ate a snack. "I'm not trying to cause trouble for you. Those in power should be sympathetic to the people's livelihood and understand their sentiments. I believe that His Royal Highness the Prince also cares for the people of Daxin."
After a while, Su Wujin said, "Of course. Miss Xu is right."
After they had a good rest, they got back into the carriage. Su Wujin still rode in the same carriage with Xu Ning.
"You are so rich, why don't you buy another one?" Xu Ning closed his eyes, and the calming incense slowly rose.
These days, the two of them mostly rode in the same car. At the beginning, since they were not familiar with each other, Xu Ning did not chase them away.
"Why are you so unfamiliar? I held you and fed you when you were little."
Xu Ning turned her head and covered her ears, "Don't say anymore!" Xu Ning didn't expect that Fang Hongzhi was actually born in Xizhou, and half a year later, when the court was going to war, "Xu Ning" was sent to Wangyue Tower.
Su Wujin smiled lightly and said nothing more. When he arrived at the post station, he bought another horse.
"It's not far from the royal court. Just hold on a little longer and we'll arrive tomorrow night." Su Wujin tightened the reins and turned the horse around.
Entering the Ye County area, the sky was filled with yellow sand, strong winds blew, silver bells rang, and passing merchants and travelers walked slowly, leading their camels.
The wind and sand were too strong, so Xu Ning followed the local customs and changed into dark coarse cloth clothes and put on a veil to block the wind.
"Where is Chief Su? Why can't I see him?" Xu Ning took a big sip of the offal soup and put some crushed steamed buns in it to soak until softened.
Su Wuji's attendant said at this moment: "Master, Chief Su said he was going out to buy some things. The market is so small, and an hour has passed and Chief Su still hasn't returned."
Su Wujin put down the bowl and said coldly: "Why are you saying this now?"
The attendant frowned and lowered his head, saying no more.
Su Wujin left without saying goodbye. Xu Ning hadn't finished eating yet, "Hey, why are you leaving? I'm unfamiliar with the place, what should I do if I get lost?" Ye County had changed so much after eleven years that Xu Ning could no longer remember the way.
Xu Ning finished his meal in no time, wiped his mouth casually with his sleeve, and followed Su Wujin closely.
The desert stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see. The howling wind filled his ears, and occasionally grains of sand jumped into Xu Ning's eyes. All around him were sand dunes, with little greenery, save for the occasional pool of water.
"Chief Su disappeared from here." The little attendant originally followed Su Zhanfeng, but he disappeared while he was peeing.
Su Wujin hasn't paid the final payment yet, and Su Zhanfeng hasn't completed his mission yet, so it's impossible for him to leave suddenly.
Su Wujin grabbed a handful of yellow sand on the ground and sniffed it, smelling the fresh smell of rust.
Xu Ning saw the glaring red from a distance, and the blood on the sand stained Xu Ning's hands.
"The person who could injure Su Zhanfeng is at the border of Daxin and Xizhou. Could it be the Lieyin Sect?" Xu Ning speculated while twisting the sand.
"No, there's no reason for the Lie Yin Sect to hurt him."
Su Wujin threw away the sand, clapped his hands and said, "Let's move forward first. He's the leader of the Dark Front, so he won't die anyway."
Xu Ning had already walked ahead. She felt that the camel was moving too slowly and the sun was not strong enough at the moment, so she simply got off and walked by herself.
"Since you have known him for a long time, tell me about him." Xu Ning held the reins, looking at the yellow sand in the distance, his voice faint. It seemed that he wanted to mention this person but didn't want to mention him at the same time. It was really a strange idea.
Su Wujin did not live in the royal court of Xizhou since he was a child. Unlike other princes and princesses, he lived in the Central Plains with his mother during the internal war in Xizhou. He happened to meet Ye Yulan. At that time, Ye Yulan was just a knight who liked to wander around the world and do justice.
Ye Yulan and Fang Hongzhi rescued Su Wujin, and after his mother returned to Xizhou, Su Wujin continued to stay in the Central Plains to learn skills. Ye Yulan was also considered half of Su Wujin's master. After Xu Ning was born, Su Wujin was the first person besides Ye Yulan and his wife to hold her.
"Come to think of it, I changed your diapers back then." Su Wujin and Xu Ning walked side by side, recalling the past that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar to Xu Ning.
A blush quickly crept up Xu Ning's earlobes, and Xu Ning looked away and stared straight ahead.
"I don't have a specific master. Master Ye is the one who taught me for a long time and left a deep impression on me. If the Western Region martial arts he practiced were not accepted by the Central Plains martial arts world, he might not have come to my Western Continent."
"Do you want some water?" Su Wujin unscrewed the lid of the kettle.
Xu Ning shook his head. He didn't know how long the road was and there might not be an oasis ahead, so it would be better to save money.
Su Wujin talked a lot, and even when his mouth was dry, he only drank a small sip.
"What kind of person is he, and what kind of person is my mother?" Xu Ning knew that they were not her "biological parents", but she had a strong desire to know.
Su Wujin pondered for a moment, "Master Ye loved the people. He came to Xizhou and taught us many farming techniques from the Central Plains. The same was true of Immortal Fang Jianxian. She taught women how to practice martial arts and how to support their families like men. Many tribes are still grateful to them."
Xu Ning suddenly looked around, "Why do I feel like something is wrong the further I walk? Where are your subordinates? It's just you and me, Weihe?" He listened to Su Wujin's stories all the way and walked so far without realizing it. He didn't know where Su Wujin's attendants had gone. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a fiery red. Xu Ning and his companions were the only ones in the entire desert.
The sand sea stretched as far as the eye could see. Xu Ning hadn't kept track of time. Her lips were already chapped from dehydration, and now, in the summer, her forehead was already damp with sweat. If this weren't ancient times, Xu Ning would have wanted to wear shorts and short sleeves. Now, this long dress looked like a steamed dumpling.
Su Wujin hadn't walked this road for many years. He frowned and looked around. The sand dunes that were behind him just now had moved to the right.
"The wind is blowing faster, the sand dunes have already started to move, and they've lost us. From now on, you must follow me closely and don't separate." Su Wujin tore a piece of cloth from his body, tied one end around his wrist and the other around Xu Ning's wrist. He thought for a moment and said, "It's best not to leave each other's side."
It was still a sunny day, but the wind was getting stronger and stronger. Xu Ning's veil had fallen off and was hanging down behind her back, and the wind was stinging their cheeks.
"The wind in your Xizhou is so strong!" Xu Ning shouted into the wind.
"This is still the territory of Xin State. Only after crossing this desert can we reach Xizhou!" Su Wujin stepped forward with all his strength. The wind and sand blocked their vision and hearing, and both of them moved forward with difficulty.
The wind was blowing from the north, and Su Wujin was holding the cloth strip and leading Xu Ning to walk eastward.
“Huh, huh—”
Xu Ning brushed away the loose hair that blocked her view, but the wind blew it away again.
"Are you going in the right direction? Why is it getting more and more difficult?" Xu Ning shouted.
“Woo——” “Huh, huh——”
Just as Su Wujin was about to speak, a gust of wind came and blew the girl behind him up.
Su Wuji walked over quickly and grabbed Xu Ning's wrist through the cloth. "Hold on tight! Don't let go!"
"Woo--" Su Wujin was exhausted and both of them were blown away, with Xu Ning's mouth full of sand.
“Cough, cough, cough”
Su Wujin was still holding her from behind, so Xu Ning didn't feel any pain when she rolled down.
"Look! There seems to be an oasis ahead!" A cluster of green shadows entered Xu Ning's field of vision. Xu Ning got up, patted the dirt, and ran over quickly.
"ah!"
The woman's screams were surprisingly quiet in the vast desert.
"What's wrong with you?" Su Wuji walked over quickly, his eyes anxious.
"Xu Ning?"
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