Chapter One, Snow Kill (1)

Such a grand lineup of people is undoubtedly from the capital; whether it is the Eastern Depot or the Jinyiwei is hard to say. One would think that such a commotion for a covert investigation is rather excessive

San Shao! Ding Ya Chen stretched his long neck, calling out excitedly in a low voice without turning his head.

Lan Xishu turned over on the snowy slope, the snow crunching beneath him. Lying on his back, he felt no sensation as the snowflakes landed on his face. He thought of the pleasant autumn weather in the capital, where the air was crisp and refreshing. Unable to resist, he bit his lip and tugged at the tangled robe belt around his waist, tightening the fur-lined cloak a bit more. As he lowered his head, a strong, unpleasant odor from the fox fur collar assaulted his nose. Lan Xishu frowned, stretched his neck, and wore an expression of impatience. Unable to resist, he bit his lip and tugged at the tangled robe belt around his waist, tightening the fur-lined cloak a bit more. As he lowered his head, a strong, unpleasant odor from the fox fur collar assaulted his nose. Lan Xishu frowned, stretched his neck, and wore an expression of impatience.

A luxurious carriage drawn by four strong horses turned around, the splendid curtains swaying like waves, while several robust horses surrounded the perimeter in protection. The escort behind the carriage formed a long line, extending to the corner of Wild Fox Ridge.

Several banners unfurled along the road, as a group of well-armed cavalry, resplendent in their armor, slowly turned onto the official path, coming into view. The long journey had already drained the spirit of the once unrestrained and spirited riders. In the wind and snow, this emerging group of horsemen appeared somewhat disheveled. The officials and guards from the capital, having never encountered such a desolate and nearly untouched environment spanning hundreds of miles, found no one to appreciate their presence, no audience for their display, and no one to impress. At the forefront of the procession, dozens of bright apricot-yellow flags swayed unevenly on the saddle bridge, embodying the royal entourage, with an imposing presence akin to a sorghum field after a hurricane. This emerging group of horsemen appeared somewhat disheveled. The officials and guards from the capital, having never encountered such a desolate and nearly untouched environment spanning hundreds of miles, found no one to appreciate their presence, no audience for their display, and no one to impress. At the forefront of the procession, dozens of bright apricot-yellow flags swayed unevenly on the saddle bridge, embodying the royal entourage, with an imposing presence akin to a sorghum field after a hurricane.

Lan rubbed his sore and swollen eyes, turned his neck, and ignored the ruckus created by his brothers. What troubled him the most at this moment was not knowing how many people his brother-in-law Chen Wufu, who was unfamiliar with vernacular Chinese, had brought along, and whether they would mix with the line inspection officers. If that were the case, the situation would become complicated, and the odds of success would be significantly reduced.

"Going back? Who said we are going back?" A snowflake made Lan Xishu blink, his gaze piercing into the vast snowy sky: "Whether it works or not, we all need to align ourselves with your elder brother Datong. The boss has repeatedly warned that the snow has come early this year; we need to patrol along the route and gather some solid intelligence."

As Hu Dageda, who was feeding the horses with a pocket of hay while going downhill, observed the situation, he decided not to feed the horses anymore. The snowball-like creature wriggled its way up, panting heavily as it approached.

It must be tense! Jing Mao'an, heh heh, can't keep my mouth idle, it's quite uncomfortable.

Lan Xishu's loyalty to Xia Shiyu is incomparable; he merely feels that Xia Shiyu is overly pedantic. Even when others are riding on his neck and defecating, he remains indifferent. What can be tolerated and what cannot be tolerated is clear. Lan Xishu is not going to heed that kind of reasoning. This colloquial little brother-in-law has made Lan Xishu resolute in his decision to take action.

The Dragon Gate is located nearly one hundred miles to the east—Yehuli Ridge

The Wild Fox Ridge, once fierce under layers of snow, now resembles a drunken white fox lying in a deep slumber. At the lowest point closest to the east-west official road, the wild grass is free of snow, with the grass and the tips of the books appearing fragrant. Among the sparse trees, shadows of people can be seen flickering. Just past noon, a gentle breeze blows over Wild Fox Ridge, and snowflakes dance in the air

The factory guard's uniform! Lan Xishu only allowed him to feel excited, but he did not feel close

Lan Xi controlled his excited emotions, not allowing them to show on the surface, yet his large hand tightly grasped a handful of snow, wishing he could squeeze water out of it.

Lan Xi is unhappy

However, Jing Maoan spoke in a feigned, nauseating tone, saying that the Tatar men were truly pitiable, and that the skin of the Tatar women was as rough as the bark of an old jujube tree, making it unbearable to touch. It seemed that they were just making do in the dark. It appeared that he had some insights.

This is the southern slope of Yehu Ridge, and at the foot of the mountain lies the only official road leading to Longmen.

Lan Xi looked at the flag on the saddle bridge, which was haphazardly placed, unable to discern the size of the characters. He pointed at Ding Ya, then lowered his head, deep in thought.

A situation has arisen! Lan Xishu swiftly turned over and climbed up, leaning against Ding Ya while slowly stretching his neck out of the snow wall with one hand pressing down on his hat. Jing Mao'an also excitedly scrambled up using both hands and feet.

Recalling this amusing incident, Lan Xishu couldn't help but smile, feeling an urge to kick Jing Maoan. Below, an inexplicable warmth spread, and Lan Xishu instinctively reached into his bosom. After several twists and turns, he finally touched the embroidered handkerchief pressed against his chest. His icy fingers met a wave of warmth, causing Lan Xishu to involuntarily shudder with sweetness. The handkerchief was coarsely stitched, prominently featuring a pair of ducks wrestling. He chuckled! Lan Xishu truly couldn't contain himself, the curve of his smiling lips widening, almost bursting into laughter. This was the work of a novice female worker, transforming a scene of mandarin ducks playing in water into ducks wrestling. After nearly laughing himself into a fit, Lan Xishu vowed never to dabble in embroidery again.

Although Lan Xishu appears to be respectful and obedient to Xia Shiyu, once he leaves Xia Shiyu's sight, he is no longer the same person. He is filled with bad ideas and has no qualms about doing anything. The men below him are utterly devoted to him; when Lan Xishu heads east, they do not go west, and when he calls for the dogs, they do not chase the chickens.

Lan Xi slapped Jing Mao'an lightly, observing him still grinning foolishly. With a swift motion, he completely buried Jing Mao'an's face under a yellowish dog-skin hat. Jing Mao'an propped his chin on the snow, lifted the heavy hat with a wine pouch, and spat out the melted snow water: "We've been out for five or six days now; have you thought about how to report back to the boss?"

Wow! I have no idea where this guy Jing Mao'an found this ragged outfit; it is clear that he is not someone who values hygiene

September 27

The autumn at Longmen Station is very brief, akin to a few pages of a thin old calendar, flipping by in a rush. The vibrant flowers and lush willows seem to wither away in just a matter of three to five days. In a hurry to add layers of clothing, after several bouts of wind, frost, and snow, Longmen Station plunges headlong into winter.

The winter at Longmen Station has never been late, and this year it has arrived particularly early

Since Lan Xi has been stationed at Yaohu Ridge, he has been constantly deliberating; he will not engage in battles he is not confident about

"Ding Ya! Pay attention! Damn it, your eyes are about to pop out!" Lan Xishu stretched lazily and called out to the most composed Ding Ya. Ding Ya responded and tossed a wine pouch to Hu Dage. Hu Dage caught it in one swift motion and rolled over from an old thorn locust tree, his round body bumping against the tree, causing the dry locust beans and fallen snow to scatter. Ding Ya shook his head, sighed, and gave him a heavy punch with his gaze. Hu Dage adjusted his ill-fitting robe, grinned apologetically at Ding Ya with a face that seemed to invite a beating, and then looked at the frowning Lan Xishu.

It is said that this brother-in-law in colloquial language is coming to Longmen

It is a limited edition! A non-sale item! That girl actually does not know that the embroidered handkerchief she discarded has been carefully collected by Lan Xishu and has traveled thousands of miles to be closely held against his heart.

House! How are you?

Lan Xishu yawned, his figure appearing bulky in the two large cotton robes he wore. He tightly held onto the robe's collar, hoping to take a quick nap, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not close his eyes or rein in his wandering thoughts.

Once Lan Xishu leaves Xia Shiyu's sight, he no longer conceals his bandit-like demeanor

Lan Xi lowered her gaze and smiled gently, her fingertips lightly twisting the corner of the embroidered handkerchief, and amidst the sweetness, a hint of pain unexpectedly seeped through

Lan Xi stood up and stepped onto the snow, crunching with each step as he walked to a small tree under the picture book. Leaning against the tree, he slid down to sit and wiped his nose.

The Wild Fox Ridge runs east to west, with its head to the west and tail to the east. A few mules and horse-drawn vehicles, heavily loaded, are slowly approaching at the bend of the official road. Amidst the vast expanse of white, a few flagpoles droop listlessly, and the long neck of the dingy figure has once again fallen.

Lan Xi turned her stiff neck while kicking her legs, causing a flurry of snowflakes to rise.

"San Shao!" Jing Mao An saw Lan Xi Shu lost in thought and wondered what beautiful thing she was contemplating. He approached with a clumsy demeanor, the wine pouch nearly touching Lan Xi Shu's nose: "What are you thinking about?"

Jing Mao'an also retracted his neck in a lackluster manner. Normally, he would have been clamoring to conduct a thorough inspection by now. Tea and horse smuggling, private salt, ironware, and cotton textiles being transported out—who doesn't profit from these?

I have heard that the Tartars can hardly bathe a few times a year, which results in a strong odor and rough skin Truly pitiful

"Ah! What is wrong?" Lan Xishu clicked his tongue, withdrew the hand that was pinching the wine pouch in his bosom, and pushed it away: "I can't quite express the feeling in my heart!"

Speaking of vernacular literature, this person is so repugnant that there is no need to elaborate. He climbed to the position of the Deputy Minister of the Jinyiwei by stepping on Xia Shiyu. Far away in the capital, he has always been preoccupied with Xia Shiyu, feeling that her mere presence constantly pricks at his heart. A petty person is indeed a petty person; it is foolish to reason with such a person, and Lan Xishu would not engage in such foolishness.

Private matters are private, but public affairs must be handled publicly. Lan Xishu keeps this in mind, which distinguishes him from his peers; while others may not worry about these issues, he does.