The feeling of being separated from your soul
"During the time you spent with him, did you notice that he was calm and composed? Did you also see a scar running diagonally down his left forehead?"
The young man bit his lip hesitantly when he heard that, but when he raised his eyes, he saw the urgency in Song Tiaotiao's eyes. He relaxed a little and nodded.
Seeing this, Song Tiaotiao was speechless for a moment.
She couldn't help but know the reason for the whip wound on Brother Gu's forehead.
The night before the incident was the day when Gu Chengjue blocked the whip for her.
After she left that night, Gu Chengjue developed a high fever that lasted all night.
That night, Song Tiaotiao tossed and turned, almost unable to sleep the entire night.
On the second day, when the sun had not yet risen and was only casting a faint glow, Song Tiaotiao, just like last night, tiptoed around the people who were still immersed in sleep and carefully approached Gu Chengjue.
From the back, Gu Chengjue still maintained the same posture as last night, as if he had never fallen asleep...
Thinking of the reason, Song Tiaotiao felt a pang in her heart. Her eyes were filled with reluctance, and she looked at the whip wound on Gu Chengjue's back with trembling eyelashes. However, the moment she saw the injury clearly, even her breathing became restrained and shallow.
The deep whip wounds that penetrated the bone continued to ooze blood. The fabric of the clothes that had been torn apart along with the flesh had been blown dry by the biting night wind for several times, and because of the depth of the wounds, the crimson fabric was soaked several times again.
What Song Tiaotiao could see with her naked eyes was the repeated overlapping of blood of varying shades, like a double-petaled bloody peony, which frightened anyone who saw it.
Her eyes finally turned red in disbelief, and as they trembled, tears unconsciously welled up in her eyes.
She had never seen Gu Chengjue so vulnerable.
The drooping black hair stuck to the cheeks, and the thick eyelashes hung down like crow's wings, completely suppressing the cold eyes.
Two thick strokes of ink made the blush on Gu Chengjue's pale face look like frost flowers covering the snow, sickly and fragile.
She even suppressed the desire to touch Gu Chengjue with her fingers.
She was afraid that the figure in front of her would disappear in an instant like a snowflake falling into her palm.
But Gu Chengjue's phoenix eyes were quietly raised while Song Tiaotiao was still hesitant.
The burning worry in Song Tiaotiao's eyes was reflected in Gu Chengjue's sight.
Their eyes met, and as usual, his gaze shifted away first, but then began to flicker, which was rare.
He wanted to say calmly, "I'm fine," but as soon as the words came out, especially the low and hoarse voice, he pursed his lips tightly.
But before he could see Song Tiaotiao's expression, his eyes were covered by fog, and his mind became chaotic in an instant, wrapped in thousands of miscellaneous thoughts. He was so dazed that he even lost the strength to purse his lips.
"Gu Chengjue? Gu Chengjue..."
The low calls went from doubt to eagerness, and then to a moist cry.
Song Tiaotiao's trembling crying voice sounded like a timely rain to Gu Chengjue.
His mind instantly broke free from the mud of thousands of thoughts, and then, in response to Song Tiaotiao's slightly hesitant inquiries, it was like the first clear day when the clouds parted and the sun came out, and he regained some clarity.
Looking up at Song Tiaotiao again, seeing those wet eyes full of tears, the only thought that came to Gu Chengjue's mind was that he didn't want Song Tiaotiao to be sad for him again.
However, before he could do anything, the escort, who had been awakened by the urge to urinate, looked at the sleeping crowd and became furious. He simply swung his whip and shouted, "Get up and get going!"
Hearing the sound, Song Tiaotiao looked back at the crowd who had woken up one after another. She had just covered her body and was looking back at Gu Chengjue with a confused mind.
His pale fingertips tapped lightly against the wall. Silently, he struggled to his feet, his eyes slightly lowered, breathing softly.
Song Tiaotiao looked at Gu Chengjue's increasingly pale face, and the guilt in her heart gradually grew.
Along the way, her almond-shaped eyes were fixed on Gu Chengjue, and she couldn't even walk steadily.
For the first time, she felt the feeling of being separated from her soul, but she had no intention of trying to figure it out. She was only thinking about how to get Gu Chengjue timely treatment.
Fortunately, they were passing through a small town. Song Tiaotiao wanted to pawn the last valuable item on her body to buy some medicine for Gu Chengjue's treatment.
Unexpectedly, the escort who was chatting about chicken and dog fighting came forward with ill intentions, and his triangular eyes, gleaming with brilliance, moved up and down at Song Tiaotiao: "The famous beauty Song in the capital really lives up to her reputation, but she has a really bad life. On the first day of her wedding, she encountered the unlucky incident of her property being confiscated. I have been watching you for a long time along the way, and the groom has a cold face every day. I'm afraid that you, my young lady, have not yet tasted the sweetness of the Wushan clouds and rain?" After speaking, the escort saw that Song Tiaotiao's brows were furrowed, and she was about to turn around and leave, so he reached out to hook her arm.
"Are you worthy enough to touch her?"
The escort turned around when he heard the voice, and saw the owner of the voice with eyes as cold as a wolf, which made him shudder. He quickly avoided the gaze, but still felt uneasy.
The escort was stared at like this and was sweating profusely without realizing it. However, when he really retreated step by step as Gu Chengjue wished, he came to his senses.
The man in front of him, with shackles on his hands and feet, was no longer the young General Gu who was so majestic when he returned victorious. Instead, he was an exile who was seriously injured and might die at any time.
"Who do you want to scare now?" The escort was furious and whipped the man forward without any rules.
Gu Chenglang, who was helping Gu Chengjue to stand up, narrowed his eyes when he saw this.
The next second, Gu Chengjue was protected by Gu Chenglang, but the sharp whip was like a ferocious beast, tearing at Gu Chenglang's forehead, which he could not avoid, and blood gushed out.
His eyes were covered with blood mist, but he was as calm and composed as ever, and he calmed the shocked and angry people in Prince Ning's Mansion in a quiet voice.
Thinking back to the past, Song Tiaotiao's heart was in turmoil.
Although the escort's life or death was unknown due to an accident, she still felt depressed every time she thought about it.
And Brother Cheng Lang...
There will never be such a coincidence in the world again.
She believed that Brother Cheng Lang must still be alive.
Thinking of this, Song Tiaotiao finally asked tentatively what was in her heart: "Have you ever seen him express his longing for something?
The young man pondered for a long time and shook his head. "Chief Gu toils day and night and rarely rests. When he does rest, he is alone and silent, doing nothing extra. He only speaks a few words when the deputy chief and his wife are present."
Deputy leader?
Song Tiaotiao's eyes moved slightly, and she was about to ask the boy a few more questions.
At that moment, a loud call came from the distant pine and cypress forest.
"Li Ying! Where have you been running off to, you little bastard? Come back here quickly!"
Li Ying shuddered at the sound and looked at Song Tiaotiao timidly: "Sister, I want to go back..."
Song Tiaotiao glanced at the source of the sound and sighed inwardly, what a coincidence. But when she looked at Li Ying, she lowered her eyes and smiled faintly: "Your name is Li Ying, right? Good boy, when you are in Songbai Village in the future, you can come to see me often. Take these foods back with you."
Li Ying lowered her eyes and looked at the food in her arms to resist hunger. She thought of her family, then looked at Song Tiaotiao, stammering and wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Song Tiaotiao smiled gently: "As a grateful child, this is what you deserve. Your answer is very valuable to me. Go back first, and remember to hide your things carefully."
Looking at Li Ying hiding the package in his arms and leaving carefully, Song Tiaotiao lowered his eyes and looked towards the west.
The border was raging with war, and instead of receiving the reinforcements the people had been longing for, they were faced with increased taxes, which made things even worse.
The rulers have amassed wealth throughout the land, leaving the people unable to farm enough to feed themselves, or spin enough to clothe themselves. Sooner or later, they will drown in their own wailing.
The rebels were the raging fire of the people's anger. If a ruler remained oblivious to the people's well-being, facing this blazing fire, he would either open his eyes or be consumed by it.
And with this momentum, they will eventually meet Gu Chenglang.
But Brother Chenglang knew very well that the end of his exile was a village in the far north of the northern border.
When the rebels were marching north, we only heard they were circling around Songbai Village, but never saw them...
I think there must be another hidden story.
…
Since the war between the Western Rong and the Southern Dynasty, a large number of refugees have moved eastward to seek refuge, causing the originally sparsely populated northern border to have a population density that is shoulder to shoulder.
Despite this, the imperial court has remained indifferent.
As the nominal master of the Northern Frontier, the King of Zhenbei watched the large number of refugees pouring into the Northern Frontier, but he also gave an order to know how to use people well and turned a blind eye.
This so-called knowing people and making good use of them, when actually put into practice, has actually attracted a lot of talents from all over the country.
Since the population of Songbai Village and Muye Village reached saturation, refugees from outside the two villages still choose to stay outside the villages for various reasons.
During this period, these refugees solved the problem of basic food and clothing in the two villages, and began to display their strengths and talents between the two villages.
Those who are good at farming, those who are good at beekeeping...and because of its geographical location closest to Xirong, the largest number of people who flocked to the two villages were villagers from Moxi Village who came from large villages in the west.
Now, relying on the road-building and bridge-building techniques they had learned from the experts, and with the support of the village chiefs of both villages, they had, in just half a month, opened up a smooth, broad road connecting the two villages, allowing even horses, carriages, cattle and sheep to pass through unimpeded.
This not only shortens the travel time between the two villages from two days to half a day, but also makes the connection between the two villages closer.
Nowadays, one can often see livestock transporting goods northward in Songbai Village.
The cause was that Song Tiaotiao proposed in the village meeting that Songbai Village and Muye Village could take advantage of each other's strengths and cooperate for mutual benefit.
Songbai Village is rich in real estate and good at trade, but unfortunately, the wine is fragrant and the alleys are deep, and there has been no official caravan for a long time. It is also located in a remote area. Even if it has strong strength, it can only be confined to a certain area and rely on word of mouth to attract customers from thousands of miles away to trade.
The livestock of Makino Village were strong and hardy, and when tied to carts, they resembled highly cost-effective, robust trucks, capable of traversing mountains and rivers, and traveling day and night. However, such excellent livestock, sufficient to supply the army, were ultimately destined for the dining table due to the saturation of transport fleets.
At present, the road between the two villages is smooth. If we combine their advantages and join forces, a caravan that can bring in continuous profits can be officially launched.
After this, Songbai Village's foreign trade will be able to broaden its horizons and have more choices, and Muye Village can also use its proud livestock as a walking signboard to open up trade routes.
As for the issue of security, Zhao Huaian's revitalized Zhao Family Escort Agency became the first choice among the two villages.
Once upon a time, the Zhao Family Escort Agency was renowned throughout Northern Xinjiang as the foremost escort agency. During their partnership with the Jin Family, their reputation spread far and wide to the Northern Dynasty, leaving a lasting impression on many established merchants. Zhao Huaian, on the other hand, was a highly regarded figure in both villages, a spiritual leader.
Now, if Zhao Huaian escorts the goods for them, not only can the goods be delivered safely, but it can also give both buyers and sellers more security.
Song Tiaotiao was looking at a group of caravans passing by the food store. She was happy for the two villages when a bright spot flashed before her eyes.
She saw Shen Pinglang riding a horse in bright clothes, reining in the reins, staring at her intently, and said solemnly: "Miss Song, my father wants you to meet him."
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