We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Outside the city of Chang'an, the sun was setting, making people feel sleepy.

Gou Wa lazily nestled in a patch of half-human-high grass, holding a sweet grass stem in his mouth, squinting at the flock of sheep that were also lazily nibbling on the grass not far away.

Beside him lay a local dog covered in black fur, with its long tongue hanging out and its tail occasionally sweeping the grass clippings on the ground.

The sun was so hot that he felt dizzy. Although his body was still on the hillside, Gou Wa's mind had already flown to the theaters and brothels in Chang'an City.

I heard there are fire-breathing jugglers and beautiful ladies singing, as well as water basin mutton sold at small stalls, which tastes delicious.

He had been herding sheep for two years, but had never tasted mutton.

Unfortunately, Chang'an City was not a place that people like him could go. He had only seen the towering city walls from afar, and had only heard about what was happening inside the walls from the groom at home.

Suddenly, the originally quiet flock of sheep became agitated.

A few timid ewes bleated in panic and stamped their hooves nervously.

Dahei suddenly raised his head, his ears stood up alertly, and a low humming sound came from his throat.

Gou Wa seemed to sense something was wrong. He jumped up, put his hands on his shoulders and looked into the distance.

At the end of the official road, dust was slightly raised.

A group of black shadows were moving quickly, with faintly visible flags fluttering, and they were rushing towards the hillside.

They are rebel soldiers!

Gou Wa's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that the groom at home had told him that Chang'an had not been very peaceful these days.

These days, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between soldiers and bandits, and if you run into one, nothing good will happen.

Gou Wa was so scared that he shrank his neck and subconsciously wanted to pull Da Hei into the deeper grass to hide.

Just at this moment, the frightened flock of sheep was in chaos, and several sheep broke away from the flock and ran in different directions without thinking.

Gou Wa's little face turned pale in an instant.

This flock of sheep does not belong to him, but is the property of Mr. Gao’s family outside Chang’an City!

Not to mention a few that ran away, even if one of them accidentally broke its leg, he would definitely give it a good beating when he got home, and it might not even have food to eat for several days.

The huge fear overwhelmed his fear of the cavalry in the distance. Gou Wa didn't care about much else and jumped out from the grass, his voice so anxious that it sounded like tears:

"Dahei! Quick! Chase the sheep!"

He called out, and the thin figure rushed out like an arrow.

Dahei let out a wild bark and instantly rushed several meters away, trying to drive the frightened sheep back to the flock.

Gou Wa was panting and sweating profusely from running, and his shoes were almost falling off.

After much effort, he and Dahei coaxed three sheep that had run away back to the flock, but when he counted them on his fingers, his heart immediately sank...

There's one missing! The naughtiest little lamb is gone!

"It's over... it's over..." Gou Wa stood there at a loss, his eyes red with anxiety, "The young lady loves that lamb the most, how can I explain it to her when I get back?"

Just when he was in despair, a dull sound of horse hooves rang out.

The sound was like the drumsticks in the hands of a theater performer hitting the ground, getting closer and clearer.

Gou Wa was shocked and turned his head suddenly, only to feel his hands and feet instantly become cold.

The next second, clusters of bright red tassels emerged from the ridge of the hillside, like a patch of red grass.

Immediately afterwards, a row of black iron helmets emitting a cold and chilling light appeared before their eyes.

When Gou Wa came to his senses, dozens of black-armored cavalrymen were standing silently on the hillside as if they had jumped out of the rocks.

The white mist exhaled by the man and the horse mixed together, like the heavenly soldiers and generals puffing out clouds and mist on the murals in the temple, but with a murderous aura that told people to stay away.

Dahei, who had been baring his teeth and growling at the cavalry, now tucked his tail tightly between his hind legs, let out a whimper of fear, and suddenly shrank behind the thin Gou Wa.

Dogs are the most psychic. Even though Dahei is usually very dark, he is not afraid of those palace soldiers.

This group of cavalrymen must be carrying evil spirits!

Gou Wa felt as if his breathing had stopped, and he watched helplessly as the terrifying cavalry team pressed down like a dark cloud.

The leading knight, holding a long lance, rode out of the crowd and rushed straight towards him.

What shocked Gou Wa even more was that there was something tied to the shiny tip of the spear - it was the little white lamb he had lost!

The lamb was so frightened that it trembled, making a faint bleating sound, and looked at Gou Wa with its big, lifeless eyes.

The cavalryman rushed until he was a few steps in front of Gou Wa before reining in his horse. The tall horse snorted and pawed its hooves impatiently.

The cavalryman looked down at the frightened Gou Wa, and then glanced at the big black dog hiding behind him.

Then he raised his hand, and with a light "click" sound, the visor was pushed up, revealing a rather handsome and youthful face.

Gou Wa felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat. He grabbed the fur on the back of Dahei's neck tightly, and his thin body was tense.

My mind was filled with stories told by the old people in the village about the rebels from the previous dynasty who crossed the border, burning, killing and looting.

But the general in front of them was really handsome, except that his face was a little too pale, not like the kind of people who worked in the fields like them.

The young general looked at the lamb on the tip of his spear, then looked at Gou Wa and asked:

“Is this your sheep?”

Gou Wa was so frightened that his soul was about to be shattered that he said in a Tang Dynasty accent: "Yes, General, if you want it, I will give it to you, but please don't kill me!"

He grabbed the fur on the back of Dahei's neck tightly, as if this was the only way he could gain a little courage.

The young general was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he burst out laughing.

With a flick of his wrist, he skillfully untied the lamb from the tip of the spear, and with a light toss, the little creature, whose legs had gone limp with fear, fell on the grass in front of Gou Wa.

"We are the Fengtian Army. We don't kill civilians. Don't be afraid, little kid."

The little lamb bleated and rubbed against the dog's legs tremblingly.

Fengtian Army?

Gou Wa had vaguely heard of this name. It seemed to be the army under a prince in the north.

The most important person Gou Wa had ever met in his life was Master Gao. He didn't dare to think about it, and couldn't imagine how high an official the prince was.

But at least Master Gao is much more ferocious than this young general. Even though Prince Feng is a big shot, he is probably not as powerful as Master Gao.

Goudan didn't dare to believe the other party's words completely, but he was slightly relieved that the young general in front of him did not swing his sword at him.

He quickly bent down and picked up the little lamb that had been lost and found, holding it tightly in his arms, but his black eyes were still vigilantly looking up and down at Yue Yun and the cavalry behind him.

"I'm asking you, is Chang'an ahead?" Yue Yun pointed with his whip at the vague outline of the huge city wall ahead.

Gou Wa nodded vigorously and muttered softly, "It's just ahead, not far away."

"Would you like to lead the way for me?" Yue Yun asked again.

"When Gou Wa heard this, he became anxious and subconsciously refused, "I still have to herd sheep!

If he lost one sheep, he would be severely beaten. If he lost the entire flock, Master Gao would eat him and his brother alive!

Yue Yun seemed to see through his fear, smiled, and said in a relaxed tone: "What are you afraid of? I'll buy all your sheep!"

"I dare not, I dare not!" Gou Wa was so scared that he waved his hands repeatedly, shaking his head like a rattle, "These sheep belong to Master Gao. I am just a kid herding his sheep. I have no say in the matter!"

He was afraid that these soldiers would force him to buy things and sell things, and if Mr. Gao didn't pay enough, he would be the one who would be in trouble if he blamed him.

"Master Gao?"

Yue Yun seemed to be lost in thought. It sounded like a local tyrant.

I came here to explore the way under the order of His Majesty. If I had a local strongman to lead me to understand the situation, it would be much easier.

He no longer insisted on buying the sheep, but fumbled in his arms, took out a small object that flashed with an attractive white light, and threw it to Gou Wa.

Gou Wa caught it in a hurry. The small object felt heavy and cold in his hand.

He looked down and his eyes widened instantly - it was a piece of silver!

Although the silver was not too big, the most money he had touched since he was a child was just a few shiny copper coins, and he had never really owned a piece of silver!

He followed Master Gao's example, picked up the silver, put it to his mouth and bit it lightly with his teeth, leaving a shallow tooth mark.

it is true!

With this piece of silver... Gou Wa's heart was pounding and his mind was calculating rapidly.

With this piece of silver, he might really be able to build a shack next to the abandoned land temple at the end of the village, which would at least provide shelter from the wind and rain.

Maybe he could even buy another thick old quilt, so that this winter he and his brother wouldn't have to huddle in the corner of the drafty cowshed, freezing and unable to sleep all night long!

If you spend more money, you can buy some hot meat buns... or even a bowl of mutton!

Gou Wa held the silver tightly in his hand, as if he was holding the entire warm winter.

He nodded vigorously at Yueyun, and for the first time, a childish smile appeared on his face:

"Okay! I'll take you there. Mr. Gao's house is the largest one in the farm ahead."

"But you have to be careful. Master Gao is very fierce. If you provoke him, he might whip you!"

After saying that, he turned around and shouted at the flock of sheep and the big black dog. The small figure, with unprecedented enthusiasm, took the lead and walked towards the direction of Zhuangzi.

The dog named Dahei seemed to sense the change in his little master's mood. He stopped whimpering in fear and followed the little dog, wagging his tail.

Yue Yun reached out to stop him: "Wait for me for a moment."

After saying this, he winked at the cavalryman beside him, who understood and rode away.

Soon, another group of cavalrymen came from a distance, accompanying a young man.

Gou Wa looked at the young man curiously and found that he was even more handsome than the young general just now.

The young man was also wearing armor embroidered with lifelike black dragon patterns.

For some reason, Gou Wa felt that this young man looked unusual and had a sense of majesty without even being angry.

'Maybe he's a big shot as powerful as Mr. Gao!' Gou Wa thought.

The young man walked up the hillside without speaking to anyone, but everyone followed him respectfully.

He stood at the top of the hill, looking towards the city of Chang'an in the distance.

He stared at it for who knows how long, until Gou Wa felt a little sleepy. The young man finally let out a long sigh and said with emotion:

"This is Chang'an..."