"The straw dogs are to rituals much like you are to the gods. Use them and then discard them, without hesitation or pity. This is the cruelty, but also the awe-inspiring part."
Thinking of the altars covered in black oil on the stone walls and the group of dull-looking children she had just met, she suddenly felt a deep anger of shock.
"Since you firmly believe that humans have souls, how can you think that humans are like straw dogs, disposable beings?!"
Her words were filled with anger, but they didn't seem to cause any disturbance in the old woman's ears.
"Judging from the girl's figure, she must have come from a military background. Since she's been in the military, she must understand that the same principles apply to marching and fighting. When those in power make decisions about killing or slaughtering, do they ever consider the life and death of a single pawn?"
Xiao Nanhui was stunned by the question, and the straw dog in his hand was squeezed out of shape.
Not far away, the man was standing under the hanging flower gate, looking back at her, as if silently asking her why she stopped.
The old woman lowered her head again, as if she had never said those terrible words.
"Girl, don't delay."
******************
The Yin hour is about to pass, the sky is still dark, and the stars and the moon are invisible.
On the eastern section of the Quecheng Jifu official road, several soldiers from the Guangyao Camp stationed at the post station were throwing mugwort into the fire to drive away mosquitoes.
The hour before dawn is when people are most sleepy. Armies often choose to launch surprise attacks at this time. However, since it's not wartime now, soldiers changing shifts tend to be more lazy, yawning openly even in front of their superiors.
The person on duty tonight is Zhao Youshan, the captain of the 6th Battalion of Dingzi. He has been patrolling the area around the capital for more than ten years and has done countless night watch jobs like this. Even with only one eye open, he has never made a mistake.
The half-dried wormwood burned and emitted a puff of green smoke. He stared at the smoke in a daze. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly reached out and woke up the drowsy subordinate beside him.
The soldier, who was completely sleepy, struggled to get up. After a while, he heard the faint sound of a carriage coming from the end of the road.
Zhao Youshan signaled him to check the barricades and fences to make sure no one could break through the pass, and then wait for the other party to arrive.
After a while, a dark shadow appeared from the end of the road.
It was a very old carriage, the horse pulling it was skinny and bony, and the carriage behind it was rickety. The driver wore a black veiled hat, and his exposed hands were also covered with coarse cloth gloves.
This outfit is definitely not what a coachman would normally wear on a summer day.
Zhao Youshan brought a few veterans forward. His right hand seemed to be holding his belt, but in fact he was touching the scabbard.
"Stop the car. Where are you coming from? Where are you going?"
The carriage had just stopped when the driver wearing a conical hat coughed twice. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse as if he had not had water for three days.
"In reply to your Excellency, I am a farmer from Shili Village outside Jiaosong County. I am on my way to Dawei Town to seek refuge with my relatives."
Dawei is a small town in the east of Quecheng. There are not many people in the town, but there are often relatives from other counties visiting.
Zhao Youshan gave a wink, and his men handed over the torch that had just been dipped in pine oil.
"Take off your hat, let me see it."
The driver stood there frozen for a while before slowly raising his hand to take off his hat.
Zhao Youshan approached with a torch, wanting to see the man's face clearly, but was suddenly hit by a foul odor, which made the veterans who were used to bloody killings take a few steps back.
In the firelight, the driver's face was dark blue and he looked very haggard, with a hint of sadness in his expression.
"I have no food or shelter at home. My wife and daughter passed away two years ago, and I've been left with only my son. A few days ago, a wealthy man in the village killed my son, a groom. He initially refused to tell us, but only sent him here after his body started to stink and he couldn't hide it any longer. Poor old man, I don't even have a decent coffin at home, so I've come to my uncle for help, hoping to find a place to bury him."
Zhao Youshan's gaze shifted to the board behind the carriage. On the board was indeed a large wooden box made of planks. Perhaps due to the haste, the top board had not been nailed shut, revealing a layer of unpainted wood core.
The other soldiers on duty were already unwilling to step forward, but Zhao Youshan remained calm.
He stepped back a few steps and turned to the corner, then took out the portrait hidden on his body and compared it carefully with the person in the carriage.
The person in the portrait is Lieutenant Shika Matsudaira of the Black Feather Battalion, who has been missing for several months and his whereabouts are unknown.
The officer issuing the arrest warrant had specifically warned that Lieutenant Lu was incredibly skilled, making it extremely difficult to capture him alive or even kill him with a single strike. He would likely be prepared to die. Consequently, every battalion offered a bounty, with even the most stingy Yan Chi battalion putting in a hefty sum, pinning their hopes on each unknown warrior.
However, reward is reward, and death is death.
Everyone knows that gold and silver are often earned but not spent. Except for those young people who have just joined the army and are eager to make a name for themselves, all the old soldiers who have held some official positions and have been in the army for some time want to stay as far away from this job as possible. If they see anyone carrying weapons or riding a horse from a distance, they will question him from fifty steps away.
Zhao Youshan is one of them.
He had already made up his mind that even if he found something wrong, he would never make trouble on the spot. The only thing that mattered was saving his own life. He would wait until the man left before reporting his whereabouts. At worst, he would receive a beating with a military stick, which was better than losing his head and going to heaven.
However, that was clearly not the case tonight.
Zhao Youshan breathed a sigh of relief, carefully put away the arrest warrant, and nodded to his men.
Several soldiers stepped forward to push aside the barricades and clear the entrance.
Seeing this, the driver thanked him repeatedly.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."
Zhao Youshan waved his hands, asking him to drive the stinking car away quickly.
The carriage had been gone for a long time before the night wind dispelled some of the horrible smell.
The soldiers returned to the fire and added several bundles of mugwort.
And there is a portrait posted next to the fence where the mugwort is temporarily stored.
Because it has been posted for a long time, the portrait is covered with dust and many corners are missing.
But if you look closely, you'll notice that the person in the portrait bears a striking resemblance to the skinny man driving the rickshaw just now. The only difference is that the rickshaw driver looks even more haggard and with a dark complexion, as if he's been dead for days.
The night wind blew, revealing the lower half of the portrait that had been folded over. Three small words "Zou Sifang" were written underneath.
The summer heat was invading and the night was long and unbearable. The soldiers on guard began to feel drowsy again. Zhao Youshan stared at the fire and suddenly realized something.
The direction the carriage was heading when it left just now did not seem to be heading towards Dawei Town, but rather towards Shuxi Mountain on the outskirts of the city.
The country people don’t even know the way, so they have to go through a lot of trouble.
Of course, he wouldn't have to worry about these things. If he had to worry about these things for the few copper coins he earned every month, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?
Zhao Youshan yawned, and the day's fatigue overwhelmed him. He put his sword across his waist and fell asleep against the fence.
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