Late Tang

Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, once said that riches and honor do not return to their hometowns, just like traveling at night in brocade.To achieve success and fame, and to return home in rich clothes, this can be regarded as the dream of most people who go out to make a living.

Early in the morning, Li Jing returned to the Jincheng Mansion at the foot of the mountain with the deep jade tooth mark on the tiger's mouth on his left hand.Li Huier and the others greeted him, but they never saw that white figure again.Seeing him appear, Yu Youniang came over to greet him with concern.It turned out that everyone thought that he went back to Wangli Village alone last night. Li Jing explained a few words to everyone absent-mindedly, only saying that he was worshiping Buddha in the temple, and then suddenly fell asleep and didn't wake up until morning.After hearing this, Li Huier came over and questioned Li Jing a few words, but she didn't take it too seriously.No one thought that what a bizarre and charming night Li Jing experienced last night.

While everyone was packing their luggage, Li Jing took the initiative to go to the shopkeeper to check out.But the checkout was just incidental, what he really cared about was Zhang Yingying.After asking a few words, the shopkeeper replied that Zhang Yingying had come back more than half an hour ago and paid the bill and left.After asking a few more questions, I didn't know where she came from or where she was going.At this time, Li Jing regretted why she didn't ask her about her identity last night.

Because of this matter, Li Jing has been in a low mood throughout the morning.But the others were very excited. If it wasn't for Li Jing's military regulations, the 100-odd people would have been anxious to go home last night.Most people stayed up all night, excitedly imagining the scenery when they returned home with money, silk and food.

Before disbanding the team, more than 100 people had a rich breakfast for the last time.Lin Wei, Wang Zhong and others all stepped forward to explain some things in detail, but Li Jing just said a few words casually, and then ordered to disband after dinner, and everyone went back to their respective homes.

After the other brothers each carried their donkeys on their shoulders and took their own food and money, there were only nine people from Wangli village left in the mansion, along with Lin Wei and the other four, as well as Li Huier and Yu Youniang. People plus their four maids, a total of nineteen people.

"Go home, brother!" Wang Shi looked excitedly at the items piled up with twenty carriages, and said happily to Li Jing.

"Let's go!" Li Jing nodded and got on his horse. He could understand Xiao Shitou's mood.It's only been a little over a month since I left the village, but when I come back, it's completely different.Except for the dead Wang Liang, they all looked different, not to mention that Li Jing is now a dignified general of the seventh rank, even Xiao Shitou and the others are all gang leaders.And they all knew that after the Chinese New Year followed Li Jing to the Shamen, they would definitely mention it again, and they would officially be promoted to a higher rank.

Back in the village today, Xiao Shitou and the others specially changed into the brand new blue round-neck robes they made when they were in the city, black gauze headbands, leather belts around their waists, and black leather boots under their feet.Coupled with the draft horse that they got off, it was an angry horse in fresh clothes, proud of the spring breeze.

Even Li Jing changed into a new set of green Lingluo official clothes before going on the road, and the leather belt around his waist was replaced with a sapphire belt presented by the princess. All 19 people rode in the front, and the [-] carriages behind were driven by coachmen temporarily hired from the mansion.

The road from Didian to Wangli Village is only more than ten miles away. Now that the New Year is approaching, the fields are already deserted due to the drought, but there are many passers-by everywhere on the road.Most of these people were dressed in shabby clothes, with yellow complexions, and many even took care of their families.One of the man in charge of escorting the cart in the mansion shop followed Li Jing, and seeing Li Jing's eyes lingering on those people from time to time, he quickly said: "It's all famine. There was a severe drought in Henan, Hebei and East, and then there was a plague of locusts. Almost There was no harvest throughout the year. As early as June and July, people in many places had run out of food. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he also ordered the states and counties to open warehouses to release grain for disaster relief, but in fact, none of the states and counties released grain. A few. Our Dengzhou is close to the sea and has a sea route to Silla Bohai, so it’s better. But basically those who can persist until now are almost out of food. If they want to survive, they can only come out and beg for food. .”

"I heard that the situation in Xuzhou is more serious than here. There are already many local refugees who have gathered to make trouble and rob the granary. Hey!"

Li Jing had a sullen face and did not speak.Without the explanation of the head coachman, he knows better than anyone how serious the current famine is.The current situation is not at its worst yet. Most of the people have gone out to flee famine and beg for food, and they can barely save their lives.But next year, there will be another severe drought. At that time, more people will join the famine begging team, and then they will find that the Central Plains will not even have enough food.Then, these hungry people will really lose control, and people like Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao will also take advantage of the opportunity.

Many of the hungry people on the road came to join relatives and friends. Compared with many other counties in Henan and Hebei, Dengzhou, which guards countless ports along the coast of the Shandong Peninsula, is undoubtedly much better.At least, the people of Dengzhou can still go fishing in the sea, go to the port to carry labor, and exchange some food.Many hungry people saw Li Jing and his team, dozens of tall horses, and twenty carts of goods, especially when most of the carts were full of grain bags, their eyes lit up up.They begged all the way here, and they almost couldn't remember the last time they saw so much food.

Envy, and then expectation.

A yellow, thin, and disheveled little girl of eight years old stared at the food on the carriage with bright eyes, pulled her father who was also thin and out of shape, and said, "Aye, food."

The man was only in his thirties, with thick hands and feet. It was obvious that he was also a big man with a thick back, but now he was a thin bamboo pole.He was half lying on the road, his lips were already chapped. Hearing what his daughter said, he looked up at the team that came, and then at his daughter, the unconscious woman and several other children beside him.Struggling to get up, but finally couldn't stand up, and fell down on the dry grass by the roadside.

The little girl pulled her father a few times, but she couldn't get up after all. Then she suddenly ran to the middle of the road and knelt down there with a plop.

"Please give me some food, save Xing'er, Aye, Aniang and the younger brothers. Xing'er is willing to be your maidservant. Xing'er can do laundry, sweep the floor and cook. I will never waste food. Xing'er only needs one meal a day." Just a bowl of porridge. Please, please help me, Aye, Auntie, and others, and my younger brother.”

The little girl rushed out suddenly, but fortunately Li Jing, who was on the front horse, reacted quickly, reining in the reins, stepped off the black horse, which was also an excellent war horse, and stood up with a hiss, barely trampling on the young body.

Li Jing frowned slightly, but she couldn't bear to blame the poor child.Thinking of myself who just came to this world, isn't it also embarrassing to fill my stomach? "Little Shitou, give them a bag of grain." Hearing this, Xiao Shitou didn't say much. He rode to the carriage behind, took a bag of grain and went to the front again, jumped off the horse and handed the grain to the thin Xing Xing. Son. "Take it, this is what my general gave you."

Xing'er accepted the bag of grain, looked up at Li Jing with those bright black eyes, then knocked her head three times on the ground, got up and took the bag, which weighed ten buckets and fifty-five catties, nearly half a stone. The food was picked up and staggered back to the side of the road.From a distance of about ten steps, Li Jing was a little surprised to see that this little girl had such great strength in such a thin body.Li Jing was about to continue on her way, but saw the thin girl say something next to her parents, then knelt down and kowtowed to her parents a few times, then got up and walked towards them empty-handed.

Xing'er went straight to Li Jing's horse. Li Jing was slightly surprised, thinking that she just wanted some more food, and said, "Little Shitou, you can bring her another bag of food, by the way, you can also bring some steamed cakes and water." Send it to her family. They are all so hungry that they don’t even have the energy to cook just by giving them food.”

The little stone took dry food and water again, and sent a bag of food directly to the big man.When he came back, Li Jing kicked the horse's belly lightly and continued to move forward. Who knew that the little girl continued to follow his horse's rear. Although the walk was a little hard, she gritted her teeth and persisted.

"Little girl, I have already given your family two bags of food, what are you still doing with me?" Li Jing asked a little puzzled.

"Young Master, Xing'er has been sold to Young Master as a maidservant. Wherever Young Master goes, Xing'er has to follow." Xing'er looked up at Li Jing and said seriously.

Li Jing was a little surprised, and said with a smile: "I just gave you the food, not bought your food. You can go back and follow your parents to continue to vote for relatives."

"Xing'er, Aye, taught me before that you can't take other people's things for nothing. You give Xing'er food, and Xing'er will be a maid for the young master." Xing'er stared at Li Jing, like a poor stray cat Same, "The relatives we want to vote for have also fled the famine, and our family has nowhere to vote. Xing'er can save a grain of food for Aye, Aniang, and the younger brothers by following the son, so maybe we can persevere." gone."

Li Jing was startled by her words, never thought that a little girl would have such thoughts.He felt his heart was stabbed, couldn't help jumping off the horse, picked up the skinny girl who was as light as a puppy or cat, helped her remove the grass clippings from her head, and walked to the In front of the man who was eating steamed cakes with bright eyes.As soon as the man saw Li Jing approaching, he immediately kowtowed and knelt down to him, but Li Jing hurriedly stopped him.

"Would you like to work at my house? If you do, just follow me. When you arrive at my house, I will provide food, lodging and clothing for your family."

The man seemed to be unable to believe Li Jing's words, and he finally came back to his senses after being stunned for a long time. He pulled the woman and three children who had just woken up, and knelt down and kowtowed to Li Jing, no matter what he couldn't stop him .After kowtowing, when Li Jing pulled him up, this big man, who was seven feet tall and over two meters tall, was crying so hard that he couldn't make a sound.