auspicious time has come

Chapter 1 Wedges
On the autumn night of August, the bright moonlight illuminates the mountains, forests and fields like a thin day.

The sound of trampling horseshoes and rolling wheels is approaching. When a group of three chariots and horses are about to leave the mountain forest, after the vegetation on both sides of the mountain road is covered, a cold light suddenly appears, like the eyes of a hungry animal.

Accompanied by the cold light rushing out from both sides, there are rough and unevenly dressed figures covered with face scarves.

That cold light was the long knife and cold sword they held in their hands.

The leader of the coachman looked shocked and hurriedly reined in his horse. It is terrible to encounter hungry animals blocking the road in this mountain forest, but what is more terrifying than hungry animals are bandits!

"Old rules, people are killed cleanly, and the money is kept!"

The bandits headed by them had a vicious voice and took the lead in raising their swords.

Hearing this sentence that they didn't intend to save them a way out, the coachman's followers and others were immediately terrified to respond to the enemy.

In the carriage in the middle, the girl who was sleeping soundly woke up.

There was already a sound of fighting outside the car, and the eight or nine-year-old girl had no time to react to what happened, only a tragic scream sounded through the car curtain, and blood was sprayed thickly on the azure car curtain.

When the owner of the blood fell against the wall of the carriage, the voice that came out of his throat was as hoarse as the night wind pouring into the scratched window paper: "Master... let's go!"

In the dark carriage, in a couch separated by bamboo curtains, the girl's last trance was shattered and disappeared, leaving only unknown fears.

"Aon!"

She shouted subconsciously, and immediately reached out to pull the hanging green bamboo curtain.

A slender old hand raised the green bamboo curtain hurriedly one step ahead of her, and the thin figure of the old man appeared in front of her eyes, protecting her in front of her, while pushing the wooden door at the back of the carriage, her tone was urgent but not forgetting to comfort her: "Don't be afraid, Ah Weng is here!"

The wooden door was pushed open, and the old man jumped out of the carriage protecting the girl.

The girl tightly held her grandfather's big withered hand, and ran forward with all her might.

"Puchi-"

The sound of the sword plunging into flesh and blood was close at hand, and she noticed that her figure froze half a step after being deliberately sideways.

The dense long knife pierced through the heart of the old man, piercing his thin and straight body.

"... Ah Weng!"

The girl watched this scene in disbelief, and hurriedly stepped forward to help the old man.

The old man tried his best to push her away.

"go!"

This voice seemed to have the power to shake the mountains and forests.

She had never heard the elegant and gentle A Weng who pampered and pampered her speak so loudly.

It was clear that his figure was already unstable, and blood was overflowing from the corner of his mouth.

Aon must be in pain!
She had to take Ah Weng to find the doctor!
Find a doctor!
Save Aon!
The little girl was frightened and panicked, tears rolled down, and she wanted to pounce on it again.

But the long knife had already been pulled out from the old man's body, and it was slashing towards her.

The old man hugged the bandit's arm violently, stopping his movement of swinging the knife.

In confusion, the girl saw a tattoo on the inside of the bandit's left wrist.

The bandit hit the wound on the old man's back with an elbow, and the knife that changed hands fell on the old man again.

The old man still hugged and dragged the bandit tightly, his usual neat gray hair was untied, and his dark gray gown was covered with blood.

A pair of red eyes stared at the girl tightly due to the great pain and hard work, and urged in a voice: "Xiao Yu'er, be obedient! Go away!"

"A Weng! I want to be with A Weng!"

"Be obedient!" Tears welled up in the old man's eyes, and every word was like the most serious order he had given in his life: "...Only by living can I avenge Ah Weng! Go!"

Under the gaze of those eyes, the girl clenched her teeth tightly, her lips stained with tears moved silently, and turned around abruptly.

The old man's stern voice sounded behind him again——

"Go! Don't turn back!"

Her mind was buzzing, her eyes were full of tears, like a child being reprimanded by her elders, she could only obediently run forward, fleeing from the bloody place.

The dark clouds covered the bright moon at some point, and the sky and the earth gradually returned to green and black.

The girl ran into the forest, and after running for an unknown amount of time, she finally stopped almost before the edge of a cliff.

From a distance, the mountains overlap and connect, but there are many cliffs between the two mountains!

The bottom of the cliff was pitch black, and strange rocks loomed, like a giant beast with its fangs open.

In the silence of the night, the sound of footsteps chasing after him became more and more waking.

The girl squatted down on the edge of the cliff, her hands were trembling, but she took off a pair of light-colored embroidered jade rabbit and moon embroidered shoes very quickly, threw one two steps away behind her, and took the other on the edge of the cliff Leaving traces of slipping and throwing to the bottom of the cliff.

Then he sat up and stepped on the thick dead leaves to hide in the bushes behind the boulder.

The few people who came after had a torch in their hands, illuminating the vegetation, trees, mountains and rocks indistinctly.

The girl huddled in the thorny bushes, unaware that her cheeks were scratched, and only opened a pair of tear-washed eyes to look at those people through the gaps in the vegetation.

They are all masked, wearing coarse cloth robes and bunts, the swords in their hands are new, old, sharp, and blunt, and their hair buns are messy and dirty, and they look like ordinary bandits.

But such a group of people...

This kind of filthy thing that regards human life as nothing, is ignorant, vicious, filthy, and wants to kill strangers for a little money, has no humanity... but it took her Aunt's life!

She, A Weng, was famous for her talents when she was young. At the age of 17, she was the number one scholar appointed by the late emperor. She once held the position of Taifu. She is the teacher of today's saints. A role model for people... but in this unknown place in the wilderness, he was killed by the swords of these desperadoes!
Why?
Why are these people able to influence the life and death of her Ah Weng!
The girl was full of grief and anger, her eyes were like a little wolf's, she almost couldn't control herself and rushed out to tear those people to pieces.

"Tsk, I fell off a cliff...it's so high, I'm afraid my flesh and blood will be separated."

One of them picked up the girl's embroidered shoes, took a look at them, looked in the direction of the cliff, and dropped them casually.

The girl raised her brows and eyes soaked in sweat and tears.

wrong……

It is clear that they have always spoken very authentic Beijing dialect!

But this place is nearly two thousand miles away from the capital, and the folk customs and language are very different from the capital!

Are these people from the capital?Falling grass here is a bandit?

The girl's mind was full of thoughts, only to hear the leader, who was also the one who killed her grandfather with a knife, said coldly: "If you want to see people, if you want to see the corpse, half of them will come back with me, and the rest will go down the mountain to investigate. In detail until someone is found."

"Yes!"

Return? !
Return to whom?
The girl was tense and cold.

They are not ordinary bandits who kill people and rob money at all!

I don't know whether it was the murderous aura that was generated by the hatred in the girl, or something happened inadvertently because of the shock, I saw the leader who turned around and was about to leave stopped, and turned to look at her hiding place. come over.

The girl subconsciously clutched a dead branch with thorns tightly.

If the other party really finds her...she will die, but she will try her best to drag the other party into the cliff together to avenge her grandfather!
The man clenched the long knife in his hand, and raised his foot as if he wanted to step forward to have a look.

At this time, there was a rustling sound from the girl's side and feet.

Visible under the firelight, a gray thing quickly passed through everyone's sight and entered the mountain forest.

It's a mixed-haired rabbit.

The masked man withdrew his gaze and strode away with his subordinates.

Soon, another group of more than ten masked men arrived. After handing over, they found another way to the bottom of the cliff.

There was no sound anymore, the girl got up unsteadily, and ran towards the direction she came from——

She is going to find Ah Weng!

However, in the middle of it, only the light of torches flickering in the mountains can be seen faintly.

Those people may be cleaning up property, since they are pretending to be bandits, they will definitely do it well...

Or maybe they are searching for her whereabouts... They are very careful, and they will not stop until they see the dead body!
Can't go back.

She will continue to escape.

The girl was terrified but paradoxically sober and calm. She didn't know how she got out of the forest, let alone how far she had traveled.

It rained heavily the next night, and amidst the thunderstorms, she hid in a dark ruined temple drenched all over.

The incense table in the temple was broken and accumulated dust, the Buddha statue was also damaged and missing, and it was covered with cobwebs everywhere. The roof in the southeast corner was broken, and the rain fell on a pile of straw that was piled up here at an unknown time.

The girl sat down beside the incense table, at first she just sat silently, and gradually she couldn't help crying in the silence.

In the dimness, the little girl sat there hugging her knees like a kitten drowning in the water, desperately suppressing her crying, sometimes raising her hand to wipe away her tears.

Suddenly, her crying stopped.

The flight without stopping all the way made her very sensitive to any movement.

In addition to the sound of rain outside the temple, there seems to be the sound of horseshoes...

Yes, that is the sound of hooves!

She sat up like a frightened bird, and was hesitating whether to hide in the temple or run out immediately, when an arm was suddenly grabbed!

Without waiting for a reaction, the force pulled her behind the Buddha statue.

She obviously bumped into a body, the man held her shoulder with one hand, and covered her mouth very quickly with the other hand.

"Shh, don't make a sound—"

It was an extremely low voice of a teenager.

The girl nodded slightly in shock.

Seeing her cooperation, the boy covered her mouth slightly less forcefully, and whispered again: "Hold your breath."

The girl complied.

The sound of horseshoes stopped outside the temple, followed by the sound of a group of people getting off their horses and entering the temple.

They wore bamboo hats and held swords in their hands. They used the swords to pry open the dilapidated curtains to check. The dust they brought up caused several of them to cover their noses and cough.

"It's inconvenient to travel on a rainy night, why not rest here for a night now." The person who came in suggested.

The man in black with the sword glanced at the direction behind the Buddha statue, and said, "This matter cannot be delayed. Since you are not here, you will continue on your way—"

The rest of the people obviously did not dare to disobey his order, and they all answered "yes" when they heard it.

A group of people quickly got on their horses and left here.

The sound of hoofbeats disappeared completely, and the hand covering the girl's mouth was slowly released.

"Are they chasing you?" The young man got up and walked out from behind the Buddha statue.

"It's more like chasing you."

This childish but calm answer made the boy slightly taken aback, and then nodded to her: "Yes."

"But thank you anyway." The girl also came out from behind the Buddha statue.

It was only after chasing in that he realized that it was him. Before that, no one could predict which way it was.

It's always true that he helped out the first time.

The young man was noncommittal, and the two sat down side by side in front of the Buddha statue.

Xu is that there is someone around, and it is not easy for the girl to cry if there is no girl.

Perhaps it was just that the two of them had experienced life and death together, and although they were silent at this time, the atmosphere was still at ease.

A bolt of lightning tore through the dark clouds, giving the temple a moment of light.

Under this light, the boy who had taken off his outer robe handed the clothes to the girl, and she saw that the knuckles of that hand were clearly slender and white.

"It's inconvenient to start a fire, so put on one or two."

The girl with her arms folded turned to look at him: "What about you?"

It was dark everywhere, and the white tunic on his body stood out, faintly outlining the young man's slender figure with shoulders and back.

"I haven't been caught in the rain, you need it even more." His tone was calm, as if it should be so.

The girl didn't refuse anymore, said "thank you", and took the wrap around her body.

A Weng said that under the principle of no harm, there is no need to be brave in everything.

A Weng also said that every bit of kindness between people is precious.

Aon...

The girl felt pain in her heart, tears were about to roll down again, she held back desperately, and asked in a hoarse voice as if deliberately diverting her attention: "Have you been hiding behind the Buddha statue all this time?"

When she came in, she obviously paid attention to the temple, but she didn't know anyone was inside.

As far as running for her life was concerned, she really couldn't do it.

The boy seemed to have sensed the girl's inexplicable frustration, and while resting on the lotus seat of the Buddha statue, he said: "You are so young, you don't know kung fu, and it's amazing to be alone."

As he spoke, he didn't know what to think of, and he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Go home." The girl looked at the rain curtain outside the temple, her earnest voice could hardly contain her sobs.

She was supposed to go home with Ah Ong.

Ever since she was five years old and A Weng resigned from office, he took her to travel around mountains and rivers, only this time...

go home……

The young man pursed his thin lips slightly, and his hand on one side clenched into a fist.

After a while, he asked again: "Which family in Beijing are you a girl from?"

The girl was silent for a moment, then said: "I can't tell you, and I won't ask your identity."

He has already guessed a lot.

They are both fleeing for their lives, knowing too much about each other is not good for each other.

To put it bluntly, if bad luck fell into the hands of the other party, under pressure, she might confess him.

The road ahead is unknown, so it's better not to know.

Likewise, he is the same.

Those people are still looking for her, she can't and dare not reveal her identity to anyone.

The teenager understands.

"That being the case, then rest, I will guard."

When lives are at stake, it is useful to recharge your batteries, not cry.

Girls obviously understand this too.

"I slept for an hour, you wake me up, let me guard, and you come to rest."

Meeting by chance, cooperation should be mutual.

The boy said: "Okay, go to sleep."

The girl closed her eyes and forced herself to stop thinking.

After escaping for a day and a night, he was hungry and tired, and he was only nine years old, so he was overwhelmed with drowsiness and quickly suppressed it.

When I woke up, I opened my eyes and saw that the rain outside the temple had stopped and the sky was dimly bright.

How long has she slept?

And she didn't know when she fell asleep on the other's shoulder——

The girl raised her head and looked at the boy who was only wearing a jacket and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he opened his eyes unhurriedly and said, "Are you awake?"

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I sleep lightly, it doesn't matter if someone is watching over me."

The girl looked at him.

Is it a high level of vigilance, even when you are asleep, you can pay attention to the movement around you?Or is it that you can't sleep soundly after running for your life for a long time?
She still didn't ask much.

The sky was about to light up, and the boy lit a fire.

The girl stretched out her hands to warm the fire, and the warmth of the fire made everything seem more real.

In her sleep, she thought to herself that this might just be a dream, and when she woke up, she could still hear A Weng calling her Xiao Yu'er with a smile.

A cry from the belly interrupted the girl's thoughts.

The boy took out the kettle, and took out a piece of hard naan bread, baked it on the fire for a while, and handed it to her.

Seeing that he had other dry food, the girl thanked him, took it with both hands, took a bite and chewed slowly.

She traveled around with A Weng, and also ate a lot of delicacies in the market, but it was the first time that she had such rough dry food.

The girl couldn't help but get red eyes while eating.

Seeing her gnawing on the cake like a little rabbit, with red eyes, the boy couldn't help but ask, "It's hard to eat?"

Indeed, it can only satisfy one's hunger.

"It's delicious." The girl said, a bean-sized teardrop fell from her eye socket.

The young man wanted to laugh a little inappropriately, but this smile was not because of happiness, after all, there was nothing to be happy at the moment.

Under the reflection of the gray-blue sky and the light of the fire, he was able to see clearly that her dress was full of blood and mud.

Further down, is a pair of dirty bare feet.

The corner of the skirt seemed to be scratched by something, and a fleshy wound on the white ankle was particularly conspicuous.

The boy took out the wound medicine and bent down.

The girl seemed to notice something, her feet shrank to the bottom of her skirt.

"If the injury on the foot is not treated in time, it will be impossible to walk."

He couldn't walk, let alone escape.

The young man cleaned up her ankle wound, applied medicine, tore half a circle off the corner of her jacket, and used it to bandage her.

At this time, the girl was able to see his appearance clearly.

He looked fourteen or fifteen years old, and he was a gentleman who was a few years younger than her elder brother.

Even though her complexion is yellowish, she can't suppress the outstanding facial features and bones.

The boy tidied up his burden and carried it on his back.

It's dawn, it's time to go.

"My troubles are not small compared to yours, so I can't take you with me." He took out some broken silver and handed it to her, saying: "When I find a place to stay, go buy ordinary men's clothes and cloth shoes. You are born It's too eye-catching, it's safer to pretend to be a man, and it's also good for getting rid of those who are chasing you."

The girl hesitated for a moment, took it and put it away.

She quickly took off the bead flower on her head, and the red gold pendant jade pearl necklace around her neck, and held it in front of him: "Wait a little farther away, you can exchange these for silver."

These jewelry are no more special than personal jade pendants, and he is so cautious that he knows how to use them so that they will not attract attention.

It is inconvenient for her to carry it.

"Okay." The boy didn't refuse.

After accepting her jewellery, he took back the robe she handed over and put it on. He didn't know what to think of, and took out a porcelain bottle from his bag: "Take it, apply it on your face to conceal your complexion."

The girl was a little surprised, so was his skin color covered up?
"May you return home soon." The boy finally said before leaving.

"You too..." The girl paused on her lips, and said seriously, "Take care too."

The young man nodded, and the green bamboo-like figure quickly disappeared outside the temple gate.

The girls also continued on the road.

Tossing and escaping for more than ten days, she changed into a boy's attire, passing by a town that day, and occasionally heard passers-by talking: "...Have you heard about the robbery and murder by bandits in Wu Ning Mountain ten or so days ago?" case, the murderer was actually Mr. Qinghan from the capital!"

"Who is Mr. Qinghan?"

"Mr. Qinghan, you don't even know? He used to be the teacher of today's sage! The famous Taifu Ji!"

"This matter has been widely circulated. After the official autopsy, nearly a hundred students from Youzhou rushed to the official office and all cried bitterly..."

"It's a pity and a pity, why did such a thing happen!"

"I heard that Mr. Qinghan still has a young granddaughter who is missing... I think it's more ominous."

"Don't talk nonsense, the government is still looking for it now..."

The girl clutched her sleeves tightly.

People from the government are also looking for her?

Should she go to the government for help?

Do not……

She knew that the government was looking for her, and those people must also know, maybe they would wait in secret for her to show up...

What's more, are the people in the government here sure to be reliable?

The identities of those who robbed and killed her A Weng were unknown, and she really couldn't trust anyone in this strange place two thousand miles away from home.

And since this matter has spread, her father, mother and elder brother will definitely come soon, it is safer for her to wait until her father arrives...

Even though she is only nine years old, because of what she has seen and experienced since she was a child, she has been carefully taught by her grandfather, so she is different from ordinary official girls, being considerate and cautious in situations has long been silently engraved into her bones.

The girl made up her mind, she took a look at the dark sky, and wanted to find a place to stay.

"Xiao Langjun, please do me a favor..."

At the entrance of the alley, several ragged beggars begged the girl with broken bowls and blocked her way.

The girl looked at several people, and she couldn't help but feel defensive.

Yesterday and the day before yesterday, she had seen these people in different places.

Or in the eyes of ordinary people, beggars whose descriptions are blurred due to their rough appearance are all similar, but she has a photographic memory and will never admit mistakes.

Are these people following her?

She didn't think at all that her unrefined attire would attract beggars to follow her for dozens of miles.

The girl took a few steps back warily.

The next moment, someone suddenly blocked her retreat from behind, and before she could turn around to react, a cloth towel with a strange smell tightly covered her mouth and nose.

The girl tried to struggle, but her strength and consciousness were quickly dissipating, and her eyes gradually fell into darkness.

Under the great fear, she seemed to see the picture of A Weng covered in blood again, and heard A Weng shouting with all his might——

Xiao Yuer!
Xiao Yuer, let's go!

……

　Long time no see everyone, did you miss me?

　　This is a long wedge, but this time it's a not too long story~ Let's start a new story journey together
　　
　
(End of this chapter)