With his back against the wooden countertop of the shop, Tan Laizi felt a little relieved, but it was still not enough to stop him from shaking. It seemed that this place was originally a shop selling copperware. According to the practice of hiding from military disasters, the shopkeeper must have been attacked one after another after he ran away.
The people looted it, but even so, there were still a few copper fragments left on the ground, but more of them were broken.
Broken pottery pieces, the window panels covering the counter were lying on the ground, and there was also a broken bamboo basket.
Tan Laizi touched a piece of copper under his buttocks, which seemed to be used on the lampstand. The copper itself was valuable, so he stuffed it into his arms with trembling hands.
Hearing someone in the street growl and the sound of footsteps running towards the east, Yang Guangdi looked out and turned to Tan Leizi and said, "The whistle said they were Tatars." Tan Leizi was stunned for a moment.
, my heart was beating wildly, and I subconsciously wanted to run to the backyard. When I looked up, I realized that the store was very narrow, without even a back door. The front counter faced the river diagonally, and I could hear the sound of hooves outside.
It kept ringing, and he might be seen by Tatars when he went out. Tan Leizi's legs and feet became weak and he couldn't stand up for a while. Just when he was nervous, Yang Guangdi stood up. Tan Leizi stopped him in a low voice, but his voice was hoarse.
Unable to make a sound, Yang Guangdi unfolded the drooping shop sign in front of the door. The sunlight formed a dark shadow inside the shop, and then Yang Guangdi
Then he lifted up the broken bamboo basket and placed it on the counter, forming a new shadow behind it.
"Don't touch me. That's a Tatar. It's awesome to see him?!" Tan Laizi finally calmed down. He was very angry at Yang Guangdi's actions that might reveal his whereabouts. It was best not to move now.
Another set of footsteps passed by outside, and a voice was heard shouting, "Stay still. If anyone crosses the river, catch them alive. Yang Guangdi, prepare your musket."
Yang Guangdi responded, "The bullets are all loaded."
After he finished speaking, he took out a piece of flint, spread it on the tinder and began to beat it. The sound of hoofbeats outside was getting closer and closer, and the beating sound was not obvious at all, but Tan Laizi still felt frightened. Fortunately, Yang Guangdi's hand was very steady and he didn't knock a few times.
It was lit. He carefully protected the fire, then took a piece of match rope from his waist and lit one end on the fire. After taking it away, the flames on the match rope disappeared, and a slow and dark fire began.
Burn.
"Mr. Tan Qi, hold it for me." Tan Leizi didn't bother to correct the inappropriate title. He took it blankly and held it in his hand. He watched Yang Guangdi place the blunderbuss across his lap and break open an iron piece.
, then opened a copper kettle on his waist and started pouring something under the iron piece.
West.
At this time, the sound of horse hooves hitting the stone slabs on the other side was as loud as raindrops. Upon seeing this, Tan Laizi said anxiously, "Be careful not to make any noise. I'm afraid the sound of hoofbeats can be hundreds..."
Suddenly I heard Yang Guangdi's voice saying, "Listen to the sound of hoofbeats and ride forty."
When Tan Laizi was stunned, Yang Guangdi had already closed the lid, reached out and took the match rope, fixed the burning end on the faucet, and wrapped the match rope behind his hand in circles.
"General Tan Qi helped me light the fire. I forgot to look at it many times. Once the fire went out, we would not be able to attack the Tatars."
Tan Laizi was so nervous, "Don't hit them casually. You'll know when you hit them." After saying that, he leaned behind the counter to catch his breath. The sound of horse hooves on the opposite side gradually stopped, occasionally mixed with a few frightened cries. After a while,
Afterwards, silence returned, and Yang Guangdi cursed, "How come there are still people hiding over there who can't even run for their lives?"
Know how to escape."
Tan Laizi's throat was dry and his lips were trembling. Yang Guangdi stuck his head out of the counter and looked out in the shadow of the shop signs and bamboo baskets. He quickly reached out to pull him, "Be careful not to let the Tatars watch!"
Yang Guangdi broke away and whispered, "It's so bright outside that you can't see clearly inside. We've tried this many times during training. The closer you get inside, the less you can see."
"Maybe the Tatars can see clearly, otherwise why would they be called Tatars?"
After Tan Laizi retorted, he felt that it was a bit shameful to be too cowardly in front of such a little kid, and he didn't know how to make up for it.
There was a strange howl from the other side, and the sound echoed on both sides. It sounded like some kind of wild beast. Tan Laizi had never heard any animal sounds, so he couldn't distinguish it. Tan Laizi was scared and curious, so when he saw Yang Guang, he kept
While observing, I couldn't help but poke my head out of the counter. The broken bamboo basket first appeared in my sight. The afternoon sunlight passed through the strips of the basket, casting dappled and alienated light and shadow on the counter.
.
After what Yang Guangdi said just now, these shadows made Tan Leizi feel quite safe. He looked out from the gap in the basket and saw the river first. The sun was shining on the ice from the west, making it dazzling.
There were two rangers in the shop opposite, including the flag general, and two more were squatting on the second floor, each with their bows and arrows ready.
Tan Leizi felt a little more at ease when he saw An Qingbing, and then looked across the way. The Chujiaquan ferry opposite was also a market. The gray-black roofs drew a continuous outline in the sun, blocking the view here. Only
The road leading to the ferry is not blocked, and the smooth stone slabs reflect the sun, but there is no
See no trace of the Tatars.
After waiting for a moment, a shadow slowly appeared on the stone road. Tan Laizi trembled all over and subconsciously shrank his head. The shadow continued to extend on the ground, and finally a shaking horse's head appeared in his field of vision.
Tan Laizi couldn't help but tremble again. Rumors about the ferocity and cruelty of the Tatars that had been circulating for many years kept reappearing in his mind. Yang Guangdi over there was breathing rapidly, but he was still observing intently.
The fear in his heart gradually increased, and Tan Leizi almost couldn't help but cry. When he turned to look at Yang Guangdi, he happened to see the matchlock head, which was completely charred and black, and no smoke could be seen.
"The rope is out of flames."
Yang Guangdi came back to his senses and quickly lowered his head to blow on the fire on the rope. A piece of ashes fell from the charred match rope, then it brightened for a moment, then dimmed again, and a burst of white smoke came out.
Tan Laizi quickly stretched out his hand to scatter the white smoke and said urgently, "Don't let the Tatars watch."
This time Yang Guangdi ignored him, pulled the match rope forward, and continued to look out. Tan Leizi followed the head out, and the rider had just stopped at the intersection on the other side. He was wearing a bright silver armor.
The helmet is a four-flap helmet similar to the Anqing camp, except that there is an extra pointy thing on the top. The armor
The light kept flashing under the sun, because against the light, the front was in a dark color, and it was impossible to see the appearance clearly.
There was a big knife standing on his side, and there were bow and arrow holders on the left and right sides of his waist. The mount was taller than ordinary horses, and its limbs cast long black shadows on the ground. At this time, he twisted his neck, and puffed out.
A breath of white air.
The rider gently pulled the reins, and still stood quietly at the intersection of the river bank. His face turned to the left, and the changing light revealed the iron mask he was wearing, with a ghost face pattern painted on it. (Note 1)
The ghost face with metallic luster turned slowly, scanning the street on the other side, and gradually faced the shop where the two men were hiding.
Tan Lezi retracted his head and leaned against the counter, gasping for air. "Don't be afraid, Mr. Tan Qi, he can't see us, it's across the river." Yang Guangdi's deep voice came, and he couldn't breathe.
Urgently, with a very calm tone, he stared at the other side carefully, "It turns out that real Tatars only look like this, and they are not that tall."
What?"
"What are you afraid of? Mr. Tan, am I afraid that he is a Tatar? You can ask in Anqing, ask..." Tan Laizi stopped and looked at Yang Guangdi, "Real Tatars? Have you ever seen fake ones?"
"
"There are many straw men on the field with a pigtail, let us kill them. They are higher than this real Tatar."
Tan Laizi was stunned and didn't know what to say. At this time, a long beast-like howl came from the other side. Tan Laizi trembled and couldn't help the fear in his heart. He raised his head to observe again. Other people appeared one after another around the bright-armored rider.
Riders, some with bright armor or dark armor, gathered at the street entrance, and the shadows in the sun obscured the entire
pavement.
Someone shouted, but Tan Laizi couldn't hear the accent clearly. Then most of the riders dismounted and walked along the river bank. Some stepped onto the ice to check, while others took out their bows and arrows and looked towards the east bank as they walked.
Tan Leizi was hiding in the shadows. Whenever someone from the other side looked over, he would feel nervous. But it seemed that what Yang Guangdi said was correct and he was indeed not discovered. Several dismounted riders were riding on the ice near the shore.
They were discussing something on the surface, and then someone shouted a few times, and five or six people were driven out of the market, and were driven toward the ice by a man wearing a fur hat. They were crying as they walked.
As soon as he reached the ice, he fell to the ground.
Tan Leizi murmured, "The Tatars want to drown them?"
Several people walked forward cautiously. The leather hats behind them were waving swords and threatening them. The people were getting closer and closer to the center of the river. The one walking at the front was a middle-aged man. He was crying and walking further and further.
Slowly. Finally there was a crisp sound, and the middle-aged man screamed and fell into the river. He climbed towards the nearby ice surface, trying hard to climb up, but the ice continued to crack. The man struggled in terror, waving his arms randomly, intensively
drops of water
It flies up and scatters five colors of light in the sun.
Yang Guangdi whispered, "Jiannu is testing how thick the ice layer is." The few remaining people collapsed on the ice and howled, saying nothing and refusing to move forward. The leather hat waved his knife towards the ground.
The nearest person was chopped off, and tragic screams rang out. Blood flowed on the ice, and white clouds rose up.
heat.
Tan Laizi opened his mouth and stared blankly at the scene in front of him behind the broken basket. His face had turned pale. The leather hat slashed at another person again. The person raised his hand to block, and blood and flesh flew everywhere on his arm. He shouted
After screaming and being stabbed several times in succession, the man suddenly screamed, lay down and was stabbed on the top of his head.
He hugged the leather hat regardless.
The leather hat was caught off guard and stumbled on the ice. The man howled like crazy and pushed the leather hat towards the center of the river. There was a loud popping sound and the two people who were wrestling fell into the river together.
Neither of them seemed to know how to swim, so they immediately let go of each other and just focused on flopping on their own. The leather hat had floated on the water, a bare head emerged, and a small braid swayed violently with his struggle.
Tan Laizi's heart stopped for a moment, and Yang Guangdi shouted in a low voice, "Tatars." The Qing troops on the shore yelled and cursed loudly. Those on the ice did not dare to approach the edge. Two of them took out their line guns from their horses and pointed at the ice.
Running up to him, he seemed to be going to pick up the leather hat. The Tatar with bright armor was still sitting on the horseback, glowing.
The metallic mask stared at everything in front of him indifferently.
Tan Leizi saw the flag general in the shop opposite making a gesture. Yang Guangdi returned the gesture, and then the two rangers squatting on the second floor opposite began to prepare their bows and arrows.
Yang Guangdi blew on the head of the match rope, adjusted the position of the rope head again, took a step back and slowly raised the matchstick, with the muzzle of the gun pressed against the edge of the shadow of the bamboo basket.
Tan Laizi was stunned, and finally realized that the flag general wanted to catch the Tatar who fell into the river in broad daylight. His heart almost jumped out of his chest.
In the shadow, Tan Leizi looked nervously at the shop opposite. He saw Mr. Qi holding a light arrow in his right hand and a walking bow in his left hand, squatting down and slowly coming to the door.
...Note 1: There are many records about the iron masks used by Jiannu slaves, such as Xu Guangqi's "The Liao Zuo Tuan Wei has become very sparse": "I also saw the returnees in the Liao Dynasty and said that the armor, masks, arms and hands worn by the thieves were all
"Fine iron". Referring to the Ming Dynasty military masks, the decorations are usually ghost faces, or fighting demons.