Bend Over [ 折腰 ] - Chapter 12

[Chapter 12 Liu Lang]

It was normal for the people to send the monarchs and brides out of the city. Wei Liang didn’t care at first, but gradually he saw more and more people gathered. In the end, they were chasing after the carriage. The crowds on both sides were like a market. Blocked, I was afraid that he was about to squeeze over, and his heart became anxious. He looked back at Wei Shao, who was slightly behind, and saw that his face seemed to be a little unhappy.

Obviously, such a scene should not be within his expectations.

Wei Liang couldn’t help but complained about Nv Qiao’s troubles, and then looked at the carriage. Fortunately, she had already lowered the curtain and hurriedly patted the horse close. While escorting the carriage, he shouted for the people to disperse, and finally got out of the city. The speed finally stopped on the side of the road several miles away from the city gate.

Wei Shao’s face was still as deep as water, he couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and he didn’t dismount. When Wei Liang and the others came to him to say goodbye, they gave him two orders and told him to be careful on the road. Then he raised his eyes and glanced at the carriage in front of him whose curtains had never been lifted since he left the city. He drove the horse and turned around. back to the city.

Wei Liang stood on the side of the road and watched Wei Shao’s figure on the horse’s back gradually disappear. He turned to his entourage and shouted loudly: “Go on the road! Send the lady home as soon as possible, and I can also come back sooner!”

…

This New Year’s Day, in On the way past. After four or five days, I arrived at a place called Qiuji, and I crossed a winding mountain road a few miles away, which was the realm of Hejian. It was almost evening, and it was dark, and the wind was blowing like a knife, as if it was about to snow. Considering that the winding mountain road is difficult to walk, I stopped and settled in the Yiting for the night.

There was a stove and mattress in the carriage that Xiao Qiao sat in, but even so, after a day, her toes were numb from the cold, not to mention that Zhong Li and the maids were riding in an ordinary carriage without a stove. I can hold a few more people in this carriage. During the noon break, I once asked Chunniang to call Zhong Li and the maid, and let them sit in her carriage to keep warm. Zhong Li refused, saying that there is a difference between upper and lower, and master and servant should not be confused. The maid was a little afraid of her, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue to ride in the same car with her. It’s finally time to stay here. Although this post courtyard is shabby, it is a lot warmer than the outside. After entering, everyone relaxes.

Xiao Qiao paid and asked Yi Cheng to buy some pig head meat and wine to come back and let Wei Liang and the sergeant who escorted him all the way to warm up with wine. Yi Cheng learned that she was a family member of Wei Shao, how dare to ask for money. Xiao Qiao naturally wouldn’t let him post it backwards, so Chunniang handed it over. Yicheng went out and bought it himself, and served it hot. The sergeant was very grateful to this considerate lady, and sat down to eat and drink. Wei Liang, however, stood at the door of Yiting, looking at the dark sky outside, as if there was some concern in his expression.

The severe cold of the northern twelfth lunar month is really not covered.

Xiao Qiao gave birth to a pair of fleshy feet, round toes, light pink fingernails, and neat little crescents on them. It looks very cute. When I was in Yanzhou, I never gave birth in winter. Frostbite. It’s only been a few days here, and it started to itch. Last night, it was even more itchy, rubbing and rubbing under the covers. Fortunately, Chunniang was thoughtful and brought frostbite cream before going out, and picked out some to give. She rubbed it on, massaged her again, and tossed for a long time before falling asleep in the middle of the night. Early the next morning, Chunniang woke her up, saying that it was snowing outside, and General Wei got up early. She was waiting in the lobby outside for a while, and she just sent someone to urge her.

Xiao Qiao was very sleepy, yawned, resisted getting out of bed, and was pulled out of the hot bed in great pain, with her eyes half-closed, she was served by Chunniang, dressed in a daze, and finished her grooming. , took a few bites of what was delivered, and the maid over there also put away the bed and went out to the lobby together.

Wei Liang had been waiting for a while, and was impatient when he finally saw her coming, although he was dissatisfied, but she was a queen after all, and she didn’t dare to be too rude. After saying, “The winding mountain road is difficult, I’m afraid that the snow will get worse and worse, and it’s better to get on the road earlier, and it’s better to go there earlier.”

Xiao Qiao knew that he was anxious to get himself to Yuyang earlier. Walking under the eaves outside the inn, I saw that overnight, the world had become a world wrapped in silver, and the ditch beside the road had accumulated snow that was deeper than my calf. In the distance, a gust of wind swept over. , the whole person shivered.

The carriage had already stopped at the door, and Xiao Qiao was about to go up, when four or five people came hurriedly on the opposite road. They looked like businessmen who had been on their way in the morning. They ran to the door of Yiting to hide from the snow, while stamping the snow on their feet, while Said: “The general is going to Hejian? The mountain road is blocked in front of him, and it is impossible to pass!”

Wei Liang asked. The businessman explained at length. Said that they went out early in the morning, and when they reached the front of the mountain, they saw that the rocks on the mountain collapsed, blocking the way and making it impossible to pass.

“It’s like a pile of hills!”

A businessman gestured.

“Oh, I’m afraid I’ll be blocked here, and I don’t know when I can pass.”

Another of his companions sighed.

Wei Liang was stunned, as if he didn’t believe it, he pondered for a while, and asked Xiao Qiao to go ahead and wait for a while.

When he came back, his brows were wrinkled, and he said that the road was indeed blocked by falling rocks, and he should not be able to walk today.

When Xiao Qiao heard this, she covered her face and yawned, then turned around and went in. The maid opened the bed and re-laid it, and she got in to make up for her sleep.

No one urged her any more. This sleep was refreshing. When I woke up, my cheeks were flushed red, I rubbed frostbite cream on my feet, and put on socks before going to bed. It was warm and very comfortable now. When I got up and ate something, it was already noon.

The lobby in front of the post court was also much busier than in the morning.

In such bad weather, most of the people who are still running outside are on business trips for laymen, except for a few people like Xiao Qiao who have a hard life. All in the lobby because the road was blocked and turned back here temporarily to stay warm. The Yicheng did not chase them away, and allowed the business traveler to temporarily stay in the front hall, but was not allowed to break into the back hall at will.

Wei Liang only wanted to send Xiao Qiao to Yuyang Interchange as soon as possible. He didn’t expect that the road would be blocked in just a few days. When I want to eradicate it again, it will be even more difficult. After noon, seeing signs of the snow gradually stopping, I immediately organized people to go to the passage.

The merchants also wished they could go on the road earlier. Seeing that the general was taking the lead, they all responded. Wei Liang counted the people, brought tools, and left two personal soldiers.

…In

the back hall, the charcoal fire of the stove in the house is burning hot and warm.

Anyway, I couldn’t leave today anyway, so Chunniang took out the basket of needles and started sewing with a few maids around the fireplace. Xiao Qiao crooked on the couch beside him in a daze. Suddenly someone knocked on the door, and it turned out that the postmaster had brought a plate of chestnuts that had just been roasted on the fire, which was sweet and tangy. Chunniang handed the postman some money and took the chestnuts. Xiao Qiao asked the maid to wrap some in a handkerchief and give it to Zhong Ni in another room next to her.

After a while, the maid came back and said that Zhong Li didn’t want her, but only asked herself to pass the message on her behalf, saying that she had thanked the lady for her kindness.

Seeing that she didn’t want it, Xiao Qiao didn’t force it, so she let the maids share the food. The maids were very happy and sat around the fire while peeling chestnuts and gossiping in a low voice.

Chunniang stopped making needles and needles, washed her hands, sat next to Xiao Qiao and peeled chestnuts for her, saying, “This woman is really hard to get close to, even a servant is like this, and I don’t know where she’s going. How is Mrs. Xu? What about the lady’s mother-in-law?

She put a freshly peeled yellow chestnut meat into Xiao Qiao’s mouth, and sighed to herself.

Seeing that she was starting to worry about herself again, Xiao Qiao also peeled a chestnut, forcibly stuffed it into her mouth, and said with a smile, “Could it be that someone over there is going to devour me alive? Chunniang, what are you worried about? Chestnuts!”

“It’s on fire!”

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, and someone shouted loudly.

Chunniang was startled and hurriedly got up and pushed the door out to check. I saw that the house in a corner, just a few rooms away, was actually on fire. The flames and thick smoke were coming out from the doors and windows, and it looked like it was burning from the inside. The woman next door also heard the sound. The postmaster rushed over in a panic, ordered someone to put out the fire, and apologized to Xiao Qiao who heard the sound, saying that it was a utility room, and suddenly the fire started for no apparent reason. , for fear of burning here, I can only ask Mrs. Junhou to go to the front hall to temporarily avoid it.

Chunniang ran back to the house and helped Xiao Qiao get the cloak out. Zhong Nuo took the maid back to the room to clean up, and then came out, and a group of people accompanied Xiao Qiao to the front hall.

The people in the Yiting followed Wei Liang to the passage, but there were not enough people to fight the fire, so the Yicheng hurried back and begged to use the two attendants to put out the fire together, but Zhong Li refused, saying: “Everyone should perform their duties. The two of them have important tasks to protect the lady…”

She just finished speaking, and with a “bang”, the door behind her was suddenly pushed open, and a few people who looked like business travelers but held knives in their hands He rushed in, without saying a word, and rushed in the direction of Xiao Qiao.

“Protect the lady!”

Zhong Ni reacted very quickly and shouted, and she rushed to Xiao Qiao and blocked her from behind.

Chunniang also reacted and rushed to Xiao Qiao’s side.

The two followers were well-trained on weekdays, and although they were less to more, they didn’t hesitate at all. Seeing this, they immediately drew their swords and quickly blocked the front side by side, facing each other.

“Who? How dare you rush into the family of Yanhou in Youzhou?”

Zhong Ni asked sharply.

At this moment, there was a rapid sound of horses’ hooves stepping on the snow. Almost in the blink of an eye, a white horse rushed into the gate, and a man sat high, wearing a bamboo hat and a scorpion. , The brim of the hat is very low, and the face cannot be seen clearly, but judging from the figure, it should be a man. He was extremely skilled in riding, and after his horse broke in, he didn’t stop for a moment, wrapped in a gust of wind and snow, and drove straight towards Xiao Qiao. The white horse came to Xiao Qiao in a blink of an eye and bumped into Zhong Ni and Chunniang who were in front of him. With a scream from the maid, Xiao Qiao was already leaned over by the man on the horse, and the knight made an emergency stop. Turning around, carrying the two of them, they rushed out of the gate. At first, those who were pretending to be business travelers gave a whistle, and they all retreated in a blink of an eye.

All of this happened too suddenly, from the beginning to the end, in just a few tens of seconds.

When Zhong Ni and Chunniang were rammed away by the horse, they each suffered some contusions, and regardless of the pain, they climbed up from the ground and chased to the door. disappeared into the vast snow field.

[End of This Chapter]