In the first year of Hongxi in the great Ming dynasty, on a winter night, Zhu Gaochi ascended to the throne. In Shuntian Prefecture, Beijing City, lanterns were hung and decorations were put up, just in time for the Spring Festival. On this festive night without curfew, the normally strict law-enforcing officials of the Five Cities Military Garrison also relaxed their usual stern demeanor. When patrolling soldiers encountered drunken idlers, they would only kick them forward without causing trouble. In every household, there was a warm and harmonious atmosphere of family reunion.

  However, at this time, the Dingbianhou Mansion did not seem to have any festive atmosphere. The servants and maids all had worried expressions, and from the dark corners came whispers of hushed conversations. Two green-clad little maids were hiding here, discussing in low voices:

  "Alas, you say Master Hou is in a bad way, the chief steward has already lost his temper many times today, even the imperial physician from the palace has come."

  "Shh, keep your voice down, you're afraid of being overheard by the housekeeper and dragged out for a flogging."

  One of them was so frightened that she trembled with fear, and hastily looked around to see if anyone was passing by. After finding no one, she patted her chest and said, "You scared me to death! Fortunately, there's no one around. Let's go back to our quarters, it's not safe in the mansion today." With that, the two little maidservants quickly walked back to their living quarters with their heads down.

  The inner courtyard of the Hou Mansion at this moment

  "Old master, you'd better hurry back inside and lie down. It's very windy outside and it looks like it's going to snow. With your poor health, it's not good for you to be standing outside." The chief steward of the Dingbian Marquis' manor, Ma Liu, anxiously said to a round-faced old man with a short beard.

  "Alright, I won't stand up, I'll sit down, haha, someone bring a chair over." The old man instructed.

  The servant by the side heard the old master's order and hastily brought over a taishi chair. The old man sat down, tightened his tiger skin cloak and said: "I'm really getting old, just this short while and I already feel cold, in my younger years I could lie in the snow and ice to scout out enemy positions for a whole day and night."

  Ma Liu stood beside him with a sad face, his eyes welling up with tears. He opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out. The old man's eyes were distant, and he stretched out his palm, flat and open. A pure white snowflake was falling onto the old man's withered palm.

  "It's snowing, and next year will be a good scene too. I was born when it was also snowing." The old man's dim eyes gazed at the snowflakes melting in his palm, lost in thought.

  Yuanshun Emperor to the twenty-fifth year of Zhong, this year is also the year when Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, who was then Wu Wang, launched his campaign. After swallowing Chen Youliang, the emperor's ambition was at its peak, and while sweeping away Chen Youliang's old forces and recovering his two lakes' old territory, he was also accumulating strength to prepare for the conquest of Zhang Shicheng.

  At the outer town of Xiangzhou Prefecture, in Chenghe Town, Zhangzhuang Village, the owner Zhang Xuanzheng arranged a wine feast for his grandson's full moon celebration. The large courtyard of the Zhang family was filled with villagers who came to celebrate. As the old village owner had always been kind to the villagers, everyone naturally came to attend the full moon celebration of the old village owner's grandson. The villagers were chatting and drinking, creating a lively atmosphere.

  At this time, the old village owner Zhang Xuan stood up with his cup and said: "Fellow villagers, today is the day my grandson, the third generation of my single lineage, celebrates his full moon. I am honored that you all can come to attend the ceremony. Today, let us drink until we are drunk, and no one shall leave."

  The good villagers all chimed in unison, amidst the clinking of cups and plates, a joyful atmosphere filled the air.

  Inside the Zhang's residence, an elegantly dressed old woman was holding a baby, carefully examining the infant's round face, with eyes narrowed and mouth sucking on her own fingers, occasionally making soft "ah" sounds. The old woman's face was filled with joy and delight.

  A young woman standing beside her smiled and said, "Mother, you've been holding him for half an hour and still haven't had enough."

  "Not enough, not enough, even a day is not enough. This is my good grandson, the future pillar of the Zhang family." The old woman responded with a smile.

  "Alright, alright, you carry it then." The woman shook her head helplessly and turned to leave, but just as she stepped out the door, she bumped into someone. Just about to get angry, she looked up and scolded instead: "Husband, what are you doing? Why are you in such a rush?"

  "Don't be surprised, it's Father who said he wants to take the child out to show him off to the villagers. You also know Father's temperament, having just gotten a grandson how could he not be delighted? That's why he sent me here to bring his precious grandson to the front hall."

  "Uh, our son is still in his mother's arms, let's tell her and go." The woman gave her husband a glance before turning back and walking into the house.

  "Mother, Father said to take the child to the front hall for everyone to see, let the villagers have a look."

  The old woman laughed and scolded, "This old fellow only knows how to show off. My grandson is not someone for those rough people to look at and play with?" She handed the child over to the woman's arms, waved her hand and said, "Go, go, go! Hurry up and finish watching, then bring him back and wrap him warmly. It's cold in this first month of the year, and it's snowing outside, don't let my good grandson get frozen!"

  The couple smiled wryly and took the child, turning to go to the front hall. At this time, Old Man Zhang was drinking and chatting with his neighbors in the village, and when he got excited, he even slapped the table and laughed loudly, feeling extremely happy. When he turned around and saw the couple walking out with the child, he immediately stood up to greet them. He happily took the child from the woman's arms and walked into the hall, holding the child and saying to the villagers, "Everyone, look at my grandson, Zhang's family's son! Look how sturdy he is! Haha!" Old Man Zhang said this while laughing, and the villagers also raised their cups to congratulate him.

  "The young master will surely wear embroidered clothes and eat fine food in the future, enjoying wealth and honor."

  "Hum, you're talking nonsense, I think this young master will definitely become a high-ranking official in the future, maybe even a top scholar."

  "That's it, young master will surely make a great achievement in the future and bring glory to his ancestors."

  Mr. Zhang laughed heartily and said with great pleasure: "Housekeeper, give 500 coins to each of the guests who came to my house today." The housekeeper also smiled and repeatedly responded with a yes.

  Just as everyone was drinking and celebrating, the main gate of Zhang's mansion suddenly burst open, and a servant with blood on his clothes rushed in, shouting loudly: "Master is in trouble! A group of bandits has broken into the estate, and our brothers can't hold them back!"

  Zhang Lao Ye was shocked and flustered, saying: "Where's Lin Jiao Tou? Quickly send someone to order him to block the bandits."

  "Old master, they all came riding horses. Lin the instructor was killed by a strong man wielding a wolf-toothed club as soon as he showed his face." The villagers were already frightened to death and now hearing that Lin the instructor, who normally flaunted his power, had been killed, they fled in all directions in a state of panic.

  Old Zhang was also shocked and muttered to himself: "What's going on? What's going on?"

  "Father, father, let's hurry and escape from the backyard, or it will be too late."

  "Run, run, yes, my son you quickly take your wife and my grandson away, I'll block for a while."

  "Dad, let's go together."

  "What's wrong with you, still dawdling at this time? Are you trying to make your old man die with his eyes open?"

  The couple had no choice but to hold the baby and rush towards the backyard, at this time, a group of men with weapons rushed in from the front door, led by one who was holding an iron wolf-toothed club upside down, with bloodstains on the tip. It seemed that Lin Jiao Tou had died at his hands. The big man looked around and picked up a jug of wine from the banquet table, poured it into his mouth and then smashed it to the ground.

  At this time, Old Man Zhang's face turned pale and he trembled with fear as he said: "This brave warrior, take whatever you want, we only beg to be spared our lives."

  That man glanced at Old Zhang with a slanting eye and shouted loudly: "Hurry up and kill them all, move away the valuable things, and return to the city before dawn." (Mongolian)

  Old Zhang was taken aback, his hands trembling as he pointed at the leader of the group and said: "Mongolians? Are you the Yuan army in the city? My Zhang Village has always paid its tribute on time, not a single day late. I know General Chahar, how dare you do this!"

  Yuán bīng hàn zǐ piē le piē zuǐ, yī bǎ ba zhāng lǎo yé zi dǎ fān dì de, fǔ shēn yī dāo jié wù le zhāng lǎo yé zi de xìng mìng. Qí tā de méng yuán shì bīng rú láng sì hǔ de chōng xiàng le hòu yuàn, fēng rén biàn shā, jiàn rén jiù kǎn, jiā dīng pū yì bèi zhǎn shā yī kōng, yāo niú shì nǚ bèi jiān yín líng rǔ.

  The head of the Yuan army, Wei Da Han, was drinking in the courtyard when a soldier came over and whispered: "General, several people have escaped from the back door by carriage. What do you think?"

  "I've told you before, kill them all, can't you understand?" The big Han's face revealed a fierce light as he scolded.

  "Yes." Nuan Bingyi hastily lowered his head and replied, immediately sending someone to chase after him from the back door.

  A horse carriage was hurrying along the small path outside the back gate of Zhang Village, with the coachman swiftly wielding his whip and lashing it heavily on the horse's body "Hurry up, hurry up"

  Inside the carriage, three people looked flustered and huddled together, with a woman holding an infant in her arms. This was indeed the couple from Zhang Village who had fled in a panic, along with their child.

  A series of "whooshing" sounds rang out, and two Mongolian soldiers emerged from the rear, drawing their bows to shoot at them. "Neigh...neigh..." The horse pulling the carriage was shot and fell to the ground, causing the carriage to overturn. The sound of horseshoes grew louder and closer from behind.

  "Madam, take the child and hurry away, I'll hold them off with the servants."

  "Brother..." The woman stumbled and ran towards a maple forest by the side of the road, hugging her child. At this moment, the Yuan soldiers also arrived, two horses galloping over, and in the chaos, the family servant and Young Master Zhang were instantly cut down to the ground.

  Young Yuanbing said: "You go back, I'll go and kill that little girl (Mongolian)"

  "All right, hurry up and don't delay Captain Mu's business." Another veteran soldier said as he rode his horse back and forth.

  The remaining soldier chuckled and dismounted to chase after them. The woman holding the infant had just run out about fifty zhang away, but the deep snow in the forest had already drained her of energy. She lowered her head to gaze at the sleeping infant in her arms, a smile spreading across her face.

  "Son, you are the descendant of the Zhang family's bloodline. From now on, without your parents' care, you must live a good life in this wicked world." After saying that, she took out a round jade pendant from her bosom, with a character engraved on it, apparently a family heirloom of the Zhangs. The woman placed the jade pendant in the baby's swaddling clothes and then carried the child to the back of a huge boulder, placing him under it. Her palm gently stroked the child's cheek, wiping away the tears from his face.

  She gazed at the baby for a moment, bent down and kissed the baby's forehead, then turned around and ran in another direction. After a while, the Mongolian soldiers also chased after her, he looked at the giant stone and continued to pursue the footprints, leaving only the baby wrapped in cotton cloth under the stone sleeping soundly, in the dark forest, only the snow on this winter day was still falling...

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