Chapter 1, Return
"Uncle Fu, come quickly and lend a hand to help the young lady get out of the car!" said the red-haired girl who had just spoken to Uncle Fu.
"Uncle Fu, when did this snow fall?" The young lady walked over with the support of Miss Hong, observed for a moment, and inquired.
Understood, Miss Hong, I will slow down right away!" The coachman, Uncle Fu, quickly responded, "Whoa..." and reduced the speed of the carriage.
The snow on Meng Yan's body grew thicker and thicker, to the point that even if someone passed by, they would only regard him as a small mound of earth rising by the roadside
One after another, people passed by, yet no one noticed a person on the verge of freezing to death in the snowbank by the roadside
With a shiver, Meng Yan gradually lost consciousness, and his soul fell into a state of cold desolation
Meng Yan was stripped down to nothing but a pair of underwear, completely unaware of what was happening.
A long illness makes one a good doctor; this young lady has been frail and sickly since childhood. If it were not for her family's financial means, she might have already succumbed to her ailments.
Sir, just ahead is Wanping City, and further on is the capital. Once we reach the capital, it will be rather difficult to take action
Parting the parched lips, receiving the snowflakes descending from the sky, melting upon entry, and providing nourishment
"Do you mean that this beggar might still be alive?" Uncle Fu said with some surprise and suspicion
He was a secret agent of the Jinyiwei, tasked with a special mission. He was ordered to infiltrate Wala (Northern Yuan) for ten years, but unexpectedly, due to an accident, his identity was exposed, forcing him to return to the Ming Dynasty ahead of schedule
Miss, there is no need for you to be so formal with me
It may be due to the continuous journey over several days, leaving me physically and mentally exhausted, coupled with not having eaten much, which is why what I vomited was not substantial. After vomiting, I felt much better
"Miss, to be honest, I also do not recommend saving this person, after all, their origins are unknown, what if..." Uncle Fu suggested with a worried expression.
"I am taking his pulse, can you do it?" The young lady cast a faint glance, appearing delicate yet strong within, exuding a rare sense of authority.
What grievances could there be, miss? Does he not carry a pouch with him? Let us take a look inside...
"Do not say anything, if you will not help, I will come to the rescue!"
The capital is in sight, but can I hold on? ... Meng Yan continuously encouraged himself, boosting his spirits, yet his legs grew heavier and heavier, his eyelids were battling against each other, and the heat within his body was rapidly dissipating
Some things must be hidden away first; once they are obtained by those who pursue you, the consequences could be unimaginable
"Miss, take a sip of water and rinse your mouth!" Uncle Fu handed over a water bag
If I can still be alive
This is his only way to survive
Yes, miss
Meng Yan finally could not hold on any longer and collapsed. He did not even have the strength to drink the last sip of the remaining wine; perhaps this could have helped him endure the journey ahead.
The young lady is kind-hearted, but unfortunately, her health is too frail. How could the heavens be so unaware of the plight of good people!" sighed Uncle Fu
Miss! The young lady hurriedly took a black cloak from the carriage and draped it over her, a hint of color suddenly appearing on her pale face
After more than a month of arduous journey, while evading the relentless pursuit that shadowed him, he finally could return home, only to find that a heavy snowfall had unexpectedly blocked his way at the doorstep.
The three master and servant continued on their journey, and now there was an unconscious, unknown "beggar" added to the carriage. Although it delayed them for some time, they finally arrived at Wanping County before nightfall
Miss
After removing the snow, Fu Bo and Hong Gu Niang pulled Meng Yan, who was barely alive, out from the snow.
"Miss, look at this person's body..." exclaimed Miss Hong in surprise
This fellow must have boarded a carriage heading to the capital. Let us pursue him; we must intercept him before he reaches the city! The leader mounted his horse and gave the order.
It is past the midpoint of the Shen hour
Oh! Uncle Fu quickly understood, turned around in haste, arranged the stool for getting off the car, and then, together with the young lady in red, helped the pale-faced young lady, who was clutching her chest and feeling unwell, down.
Don't worry about that for now, the young lady is feeling carsick and is about to vomit
Big brother, who is this kid and how is he so impressive
In a short while, his eyebrows and sideburns were covered with snowflakes
What about now
"Miss, could this person be a robber?" the red-haired girl asked nervously
It must be the filth expelled by oneself that has melted the ice and snow, revealing the objects beneath.
"Miss, I was just speaking casually," said Miss Hong, pouting her lips.
Miss, we might as well not save this person...
In other words, this person may have collapsed here for no more than half an hour, the young lady speculated, therefore he might not have frozen stiff yet
The 10th year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty, the 6th day of the 10th month in the lunar calendar
The young lady followed the direction of the finger and was startled, covering her red lips with her hand, revealing a look of astonishment. The body was crisscrossed with scars, battered and bruised, with both knife wounds and arrow wounds. Judging by the condition of the injuries, there were not many old wounds; the majority were fresh.
It was approximately 3:45 PM! Uncle Fu recalled carefully.
Thank you, Uncle Fu
Miss, we must reach Wanping County before dark; if we are to save the person..." said Miss Hong
"Red girl, it is cold outside, put on your cloak. The young lady's constitution is already weak, and if she catches a chill, it could lead to trouble!" Uncle Fu hurriedly said.
"Miss, Red Girl, this is just a beggar who has frozen to death"
Dismount and go take a look
"Uncle Fu, Xiao Hong, you should use snow to wipe your limbs. Be careful, the movements must be swift and even, and continue until the skin turns red..."
Miss, let me handle it...
This fellow is indeed difficult to deal with, more slippery than an eel. He has injured several of our brothers. If we do not capture him and dismember him, my resentment will not be alleviated
After approximately the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Meng Yan's breath became stronger, transitioning from intermittent to a more regular rhythm
"This is what I call fighting poison with poison. Hurry up, don't you want to just watch him freeze to death?" The young lady chided.
Xiao Hong, please help me over there
"Uncle Fu, please slow down, the young lady can't handle it!" A clear voice, as melodious as a yellow oriole, flew out from the carriage.
"Xiaohong, how have I usually taught you? Have you forgotten all of it?"
There is still a pulse; this person should still be saved. Uncle Fu, take a jar of strong liquor from the car. As I instructed, first remove his clothes. The young lady, now serious, shows no trace of weakness.
Ding ding ding ... ... Drive ... ...
"Xiaohong, do not say that. Perhaps the other person has their own reasons! The compartment was already limited, and now with one more person, the available space is even smaller.
"Xiao Hong, Uncle Fu, since we have already pulled the person out from the snowdrift, if we do not save them, where would our conscience be?"
Uncle Fu, having seen the world, was startled by the sight, but quickly understood that a beggar frozen to death by the roadside had been covered by the heavy snow
Indeed, my father often said that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Since we have encountered this situation, if he still has a breath left, we must resolutely save him. What do you think?
Only the last sip of residual wine remains in the portable flask, and he must persevere!
Before she even reached the roadside, she opened her mouth and began to vomit
Is the young lady feeling dizzy from motion sickness?
Such phenomena are actually quite common. Beggars have no home, no food, no clothes to wear, and even less a place to shelter from the wind and rain. When winter arrives and it snows, the homeless are countless, and many freeze to death by the roadside
The white snow that was wiped away has been replaced by white cotton soaked in strong liquor. After a while, following a cup of tea, it was found that Meng Yan's pulse had nearly returned to normal, and his breathing had stabilized. His life had essentially taken a turn at the gates of hell and was pulled back.
Not long after they set out, a group of black-clad knights came rushing through the wind and snow.
However, the person remains in a coma
Uncle Fu, please stop, the young lady is feeling very carsick and is about to vomit
After the vehicle came to a stop, the soft curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a pair of young ladies. The young lady's face was pale, while the maid appeared anxious. Although they were master and servant, they looked more like sisters, and their service was akin to that of an ordinary household.
Uncle Fu, there are my father's old clothes in the car, please change him into them, and then carry him up! The young lady let out a sigh of relief; being able to personally save a life was an extraordinary achievement for her
What heavy snow! As she gently lifted her head, she saw the snowflakes falling from the sky, and the frown on the young lady's brow seemed to relax a little
Elder brother, quickly look, there are tire tracks here
Yes, miss
Miss, although physically weak, has a strong character; once she has made a decision, it cannot be easily changed, sighed both Hong Gu and Fu Bo
"Big brother, it's him. I can smell his scent; he must have lingered here!" A man in black approached, crouched down to sniff for a while, and then stood up with certainty.
Do not ask what should not be asked
Will I freeze to death and then be dismembered by wild dogs
Conceal personal belongings and make proper markings, Meng Yan exhausted his last ounce of strength, thinking to himself, with the heavy snow covering everything, it is likely that no one will be able to discover the items he has hidden
Stop! Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu quickly tightened the reins and commanded the carriage to come to a halt
"No, Xiaohong, although we saved him, this is his property. We cannot act without permission. Let's wait until he wakes up to discuss everything"
"It doesn't seem quite right. From the wounds on him, it looks more like he was being chased!" Uncle Fu, who had some experience, remarked.
Among those people, there are skilled trackers who know that he cannot deceive them for long; within an hour, they will catch up to him
With not a penny to his name and a gnawing hunger in his stomach, even the tattered cotton stuffing he wore was a gift from an old hunter he encountered while passing through Zijing Pass
At the end of the official road leading to the capital, a frail figure, wrapped in tattered cotton batting and leaning on a wooden stick, was trudging forward with difficulty through the wind and snow
Upon seeing his attire, the three of them unanimously regarded him as a beggar
The first snow in the capital is like a young girl's tears, shy and hesitant. After three days of brewing, it finally condescends to fall, dancing in the sky like countless white pear blossoms, beautiful yet desolate
"If he takes off his clothes, won't he freeze to death?" Both Uncle Fu and Miss Hong were taken aback; this was not saving a person, but harming them instead
"Xiao Hong, Fu Bo, what do you see over there?"
Just as the three of them, the master and the servants, were preparing to set off again, suddenly, the young lady dressed in a moon-white pleated gauze skirt inadvertently turned her head and caught a glimpse of a hand emerging from beneath her vomit
He knows that what these people want are the items he brought back from Wala, so he must return to the capital and restore his identity as a member of the Jinyiwei
It is hard to believe that at such a young age, he has actually become a beggar
Some were frozen to death, buried deep in the snowdrifts, and it was not until the following year when the ice and snow melted that they were discovered; this is not an unusual occurrence
It is ! ''
The cavalry of the Wala pursued relentlessly, all the way into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Had it not been for the fear of provoking the Ming, they would not have had to give up. Initially thinking they were safe, little did they know that another group of people took over the pursuit, chasing them relentlessly like maggots clinging to the bone.