after being kidnapped by the general

Early the next morning, three carriages were parked in front of the Chu Palace.

Chu Hechao was waiting at the front with his horse, his strong arms wrapped around the reins, and the corners of his lips were cold and hard.

Yang Zhongfa was wearing coarse clothes, and he also rode behind him, staggering half of Chu Hechao's body, glanced at the gate of Chu Palace from time to time, and said in a low voice, "General, why hasn't your sister-in-law come out yet?"

Chu Hechao was too lazy to speak.

Yang Zhongfa chuckled, and was about to say something more, when his spirit suddenly shook, "Come out!"

Chu Hechao looked in front of the gate, and saw Yuanli walking out of the mansion with a horse in a spring outfit with a smile on his face.

His black hair was tied high by a bright red belt, flowing and intertwined, and the sideburns on both sides were raised playfully, showing a bit of joy.Yuan Li's waist was tightened, a water bag and a dagger were hung, and a black and red riding whip was in his hand.

"Hey!" Yang Zhongfa said curiously, "Luoyang is a hundred miles away from Ruyang, and it takes a day for a fast horse. Is he sure he will ride a horse for a whole day instead of riding in a carriage?"

This is not an hour or two, but a whole day. Those who are not physically strong may not be able to close their legs even if they dismount at the end.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Yuan Li turn on the horse neatly, with his right hand skillfully wrapped around the rein, and his figure was so beautiful!When the horse got under him, he was more obedient than Yang Zhongfa's youngest son.

"..." Yang Zhongfa smacked his lips, "It looks like he can ride for hundreds of miles in one go."

Yuan Li rode his horse to their side.It seems that because he is going home today, he is very energetic, his eyes are clear, his smile is full of smiles, and his youthful vitality is fully blooming, "General, when are we going to leave?"

Chu Hechao said indifferently: "Now."

After speaking, he swung his whip and left first.

Yuan Li tightened the reins, patted the horse's buttocks lightly, and said in a low voice, "Let's go baby, I'll use you to raise you for a thousand days, let's run hard today."

The brown horse let out a low cry, and started to trot slowly.

Horses are not allowed in Luoyang City, so Yuanli took this opportunity to take a good look at the bustling scene in Luoyang City.

The emperor is worthy of being the capital of the emperor, the crowds are bustling, the city walls are tall and majestic, the roads are smooth and clean, there is no feces and sludge that can be seen everywhere in the countryside.

When passing by Guozixue, a Cuju was suddenly thrown from the inside of the wall, and Yuan Li subconsciously reached out to catch it.The next moment, a young man in Tsing Yi poked his head out from the fence, with some weeds mixed in his hair, and shouted towards Yuan Li: "Brother, can you help throw the Cuju back?"

Yuan Li replied, "Give way!"

The boy turned sideways quickly, Yuanli raised his hand to throw the ball, Cuju drew a perfect arc in the air, and was accurately caught by the boy.

"Good skill!" The young man looked at Yuanli in surprise, and said heartily, "Can I get acquainted with Zhan Shaoning in Xiajing Zhaoyin Mansion?"

Yuan Li smiled, clasped his fists and said: "In Xia Ruyang Yuanli, brother Shaoning, I'm going ahead."

The horses gradually went away, Zhan Shaoning blinked, and suddenly said "ah", before he remembered, "So he is Ruyang Yuanli."

Ever since Yuanli went into the deep mountains alone for his mother and stayed in the mountains for three days just to pick life-saving herbs, the name of his filial piety has spread to Luoyang.

Both Zhan Shaoning and his father had heard the rumors about Yuanli, and they knew it was Yuanli's way to make a name for himself, but no one would think there was anything wrong.Just like Zhan Shaoning himself, when he was a child who didn't understand anything, he was coaxed to cry by his family for two days because of his grandmother's death, and then there were rumors that he cried for 30 days because of his grandmother's death. He praised his filial piety.

In fact, Zhan Shaoning didn't get along with his grandmother for a few days.

The Chu Palace was overjoyed the day before yesterday, and Ruyang Yuanlang couldn't bear to refuse Princess Chu's plea, and the news that he married into the Chu Palace to save his eldest son spread throughout Luoyang.The streets and alleys regarded it as a chat after dinner, and chatted with great interest. Because of Yuanli's original good reputation, most people only praised him as an act of benevolence and righteousness.

Zhan Shaoning looked at Yuanli's back again, and jumped off the fence.

This person feels good to be around.

After leaving Luoyang City, the crowd galloped fast without stopping.It was not until noon that I was so hungry that I found a place with a stream to stop and refresh.

The servants took out the dry food and distributed it to the people. Yuan Li sat on a rock under the tree, chewing the hard pancakes, sweating profusely from the heat.

The croaking of cicadas and frogs seemed to be coming from all directions, and it was hard to tell where it was, which made people upset.

He had to swallow five or six sips of water for every bite of pancake, and it didn't take long for the water bladder to be completely emptied.

Yuan Li took the water bag to the stream to fetch water.

The stream is quite wide, and the water is quite deep. It is gurgling, and the waves are dazzling.

There were people and horses squatting beside the stream, and the horses were thirsty, and they were unwilling to lift up when they buried their heads in the water. It was too crowded here, so Yuanli walked upstream.

Upstream weeds are growing more vigorously, and there are small puddles in the mud.After Yuanli walked for a while, he saw Chu Hechao and Yang Zhongfa.

Yang Zhongfa tore his clothes to pieces, squatted shirtless by the water's edge to drink water, cursing the bad weather.Chu Hechao sat under the shadow of the tree, and he also took off his outer robe. Water drops fell on his chiseled face, and a large part of his neckline was wet.

Seeing Yuanli, Yang Zhongfa greeted him warmly, "Sister-in-law is also here to drink water?"

Yuan Li frowned, walked to the side and squatted down, "Yeah."

Yang Zhongfa said: "This damn weather, I'm shivering in the morning, and I'm sweating in the heat at noon, and the horse is about to foam."

Yuan Li was also sweating profusely from the heat. He rolled up his sleeves and washed his face first.

The mountain spring is clear, exuding a clear coolness.The pores blocked by the hot air felt a lot better immediately, so Yuanli took the water bag and filled it with water.

Yang Zhongfa rolled his eyes and said, "Sister-in-law is really good at riding. When did you start learning?"

"I started learning at the age of five or six, first with pony horses, and then switched to big horses when I became proficient," Yuan Li said with a smile, "I learned riding from a Bingzhou veteran."

"That's why you're so good," Yang Zhongfa said, "Sister-in-law is pretty good too, right?"

Yuan Li said modestly: "It's not as good as your lord."

Yang Zhongfa washed his face, and said carelessly: "Sister-in-law, don't be self-effacing. I am old, and I am not as powerful as you young people. When we have time, we can practice."

Yuan Li readily agreed, and chatted with Yang Zhongfa for a few more words.

Chu Hechao frowned while listening.

Yang Zhongfa was originally trying to test Yuanli, but who knew that he went off topic while chatting, not only changed the address from "sister-in-law" to "Mr. Yuan", but also talked about his beloved son.

"Yixuan is my old son. I didn't expect that I am already in my 40s, and my old wife can give me another son." Yang Zhongfa stroked his beard, his expression of complacency couldn't be concealed, "Although Xuan'er is only five years old , but he is talented and can speak well, so he looks like a good material who can read."

Yuan Li bowed his head to hold the water, and flattered him sincerely: "Father Tiger has no sons, so the son will be able to be both civil and military when he grows up."

Yang Zhongfa laughed happily, and patted Yuanli's back excitedly, "Then thank you, Mr. Yuan, for your good words."

Yuan Li was choked by the water, and his center of gravity was already unstable, so he was caught off guard and was photographed in the river all of a sudden.

Yang Zhongfa was dumbfounded, he looked at his hands, "My mother!"

Immediately panicked, "General, my sister-in-law fell into the water! What should I do, I'm a landlubber!"

The moment Yuanli entered the water, he was also stunned. The cold water pressed in from all directions, covering his head in an instant.He wanted to laugh when he heard Yang Zhongfa's cry, and wanted to tell him don't panic, I know water.Just as he was about to adjust his posture and emerge from the water, a splash of water suddenly splashed, and a big hand grabbed Yuan Li by the back of the collar, and he was roughly lifted out of the water.

Yuan Li peeked out of the water and saw that Chu Hechao was leading him to the shore with his jaw tense, soaked all over his body.

When they reached the shore, Chu Hechao threw Yuanli onto the shore and strode up by himself.

Yuanli's throat was still a little itchy. He was lying on his side and coughing. After coughing, he looked at Chu Hechao in surprise, "You don't know how to drink?"

Although Chu Hechao jumped into the water and rescued him, he walked up step by step by stepping on the bottom of the river because of his stature.

Yuan Li lowered his head, and sure enough, he saw the thick mud on Chu Hechao's boots.

Chu Hechao's face was not very good-looking. He took off his shirt and squeezed the water. His bare and strong back muscles were tense. There were fine and dense drops of water, and most of his hair was wet.

Yang Zhongfa was so frightened that his legs went limp, and he sat down on the grass, "Our soldiers in the north don't know much about water, and the brothers who are good at water didn't follow. Fortunately, the water is not deep, and the general can pick you up. Young Master Yuan, you really scared me to death."

Yuan Li was also drenched, he sat up, didn't pay attention to himself, but frowned first.Having an occupational disease, he couldn't help but worry and said: "This is not good. You don't know how to water, how will you fight water in the future?"

Yang Zhongfa seemed to have heard some joke, "We are all fighting the Xianbei Huns, and their land is even more water-scarce than ours, so why is there a need for a water fight?"

Yuan Li stood up, took off his belt, and took off his robe, "But if there is a water fight, wouldn't you all lose for sure?"

Yang Zhongfa opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find any words to refute.His thinking was taken astray, and he thought about what Yuanli said, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, "Even if we know water, we can't take advantage of water fights. There is little water in the north, and the opportunity to take a boat is not good." No, there is no place to practice, and I still feel dizzy when I get on the boat, and I can't even stand up."

Yuanli also knew that this was due to the lack of hardware conditions in the north.In terms of naval divisions, the south is stronger than the north, while the land division is just the opposite.However, Chen Wang and Chen Liu were stationed in the Jiangdong area. In the future, the world will be chaotic, and there will be a water battle with Jiangdong.

Yang Zhongfa suddenly clapped his hands excitedly, as if he had thought of a good way, "Yes! When the time comes, connect the boats together, and connect all the boats. Wouldn't this reduce the sloshing, like walking on flat ground?"

Yuan Li thought that you and Cao Cao had something in common, "Then if someone uses fire to attack and the wind is against you, wouldn't it burn you from the beginning to the end?"

Yang Zhong was dumbfounded, "This..."

Chu Hechao looked sideways at Yuanli, "Do you know water?"

Yuanli has already taken off the headband, and the damp black hair is scattered on the back.He wrung the water out of his hair hard, and threw the tadpoles that came out of his body into the stream, "Yes."

Chu Hechao was thoughtful.

Chu Hechao and Yuanli, who were drenched all over, stayed where they were, and Yang Zhongfa went to get them dry clothes.

Yuan Li imitated Chu Hechao's appearance, and put his outer robe on the branch to drip water.He untied the belt of the upper body of the inner coat again, and when he was about to take it off, he caught a glimpse of Chu Hechao's upper body from the corner of his eye.

The muscles are plump and the abs are clearly visible.

In front of him, Yuan Li's pretty figure looked a little thin, so Yuan Li put on his belt silently.

Soon, the servants of the two brought clothes.

Chu Hechao was so calm that he didn't even plan to hide, so he sat in the shade of a tree and loosened his belt.Yuan Li had a thinner skin than him, and hid in the woods with his clothes on.

After Chu Hechao changed his clothes, Yuanli hadn't come out yet.Chu Hechao looked casually into the woods, and saw a white and firm back looming.

Half a branch was trampled off.

Yuan Li turned his head and saw the back of Chu Hechao leaving quickly.

Because the two of them accidentally fell into the water, the rest time was extended to half an hour. They had to wait until their hair was dry before going on the road, so as not to catch the wind and cold.

Yuan Li walked back into the crowd refreshed, and after a while of fussing, he became even hungrier.Since there was half an hour to spare, Yuan Li didn't want to eat cold pancakes anymore.He asked Guard Meng to take people to hunt, and called Lin Tian to build a fire.

The others thought it was too hot, so they hid away one after another.Only a few people who followed Yuanli to the tooth festival couldn't hide their excitement, and they handled the ingredients neatly.

Meng Huwei reaped a lot, and brought a deer and a pheasant.He took care of the things, and found a banana leaf according to Yuanli's request.

The boy took out the ingredients.

Although Bei Zhou used only salt and sauce as the seasoning for cooking, Yuanli found a lot of condiments that could be used in the pharmacy because of the vast land.When he was really hungry, he would take someone to hunt to satisfy his hunger.

Yuanli is already familiar with handling ingredients now.He wiped the chicken with sliced ​​ginger to remove the fishy smell, and then soaked the chicken with salt and sauce for a while.After Guard Meng skewered the venison, he stuffed the pheasant with fennel, star anise, green onion, ginger and garlic.

"Where's the wine?"

Lin Tian brought the wine jug with both hands, and Yuan Li poured all the wine into half the jug.

There were still green fruits growing on the nearby trees, Yuanli asked someone to pick a few, picked one of them up and tasted it, his brows twisted with sourness.

However, such astringent fruit can just be used as a seasoning.

Yuan Li squeezed out the fruit juice and dripped it on the greasy flesh of the pheasant, wrapped it in washed banana leaves, dug it up with yellow mud, and placed it under the fire.

The fire is lit, and the venison is treated in the same way, but it is grilled by the fire.Soon, the mouth-watering fragrance slowly spread.

Yang Zhongfa swallowed his saliva, he thought Yuanli's way of handling ingredients was strange, but now he has the cheek to come forward, "Mr. Yuan, can you give me a piece?"

Yuan Li was a generous person, he not only distributed it to Yang Zhongfa, but also gave each of the others a piece of hot and tender venison.

Everyone ate so much that their mouths were full of oil, their eyes were shining, and their tongues were so hot that they refused to slow down.

Chu Hechao swallowed a piece of venison the size of a palm in two or three gulps, walked slowly to the fire and sat down.

Yuan Li handed him a deer leg regardless of the past, and asked with a smile: "I don't know if I have offended the general before?"

Yang Zhongfa coughed his throat, took over the conversation, "Mr. Yuan, you don't know something."

Yuan Li looked at him, "Huh?"

Yang Zhongfa said: "We returned to Luoyang from northern Xinjiang this time, and we came here specifically for the military pay of our 13 soldiers in northern Xinjiang."

The salary of 13 soldiers?

Yuan Li's heart moved, and he listened quietly, his black hair slipped from his shoulders, making his side face as gentle as water.

The matches crackled and the venison sizzled with oil.

Yang Zhongfa was just acting, but he couldn't help but bring some real emotions with him, "Xianbei and the Xiongnu are ambitious, and they are coveting my Central Plains land in the north. They are not enough to fight by themselves, and they have to invade my Great Wall border again and again , killing the people of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and robbing the land of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, my 13 soldiers in the Northern Xinjiang are another towering city wall, keeping all these barbarians out of the Northern Zhou Dynasty! Only we know the bitterness and suffering, but such achievements are invaluable Do you remember that the military pay of the 13 soldiers in northern Xinjiang is still later than one year. This year is March, but the shadow of the military salary has not been seen, and even these soldiers have not even tasted a full meal for a long time ..."

After a few words, Yang Zhongfa was already in tears, "Our generals are fighting ahead, and the army's salary is all supplied by the rear. In the past, there was Xiaoge Lao in the court, and Xiaoge Lao was able to send us the military salary on time at least every year. But since Xiaoge After Mr. Ge became seriously ill, no one in the court still remembered our 13 soldiers in northern Xinjiang. I waited to write to the court, but the court did not reply directly. One layer of rice porridge disappears in the blink of an eye, if children can't bear it, how can soldiers bear it? Mr. Yuan, we are really hungry."

Yuan Li thought of the days when he was in logistics. He knew how much each soldier could eat in a day of hard training. 1 people is an unimaginable number, but how much food should 13 people need a day?

That is a frightening figure.

But in ancient times, few soldiers could eat enough to eat every day.

Yuanli knew what it was like to be hungry after training, and it wasn't a good feeling.He empathized, his eyes reddened.

In ancient times, most of the people who joined the army were refugees.Refugees join the army just to have a full mouthful of food and warm clothes, and their lives are not much more expensive than straw on the side of the road.

Honor, returning home, defending the country.

This is something that most people have never thought about. They don't even have enough to eat, and they don't even know how old they are. How can they think about more things?

These soldiers on the frontier probably don't even know that what they are doing is defending their home and country.

A certain idea in Yuanli's mind became more and more eager to move.

He could tell that Chu Hechao lacked a stable rear.

In the past, it was Chu Mingfeng who provided Chu Hechao's military salary, but Chu Mingfeng was about to die.

Yuanli lacks soldiers and horses, but has the confidence and experience to raise soldiers and horses.Chu Hechao has soldiers and horses, but he lacks an excellent logistics.

Isn't this a situation where we can cooperate with each other and win each other?

But this was just a thought that came up temporarily, Yuanli kept these thoughts in his heart, and didn't reveal anything on the surface.

Yang Zhongfa wiped away his tears and sighed softly, "Young Master Yuan, we are all one family, so I will tell you directly. The court is too busy to take care of itself, and the treasury is empty, so it may not necessarily allocate food for us. A few days ago, we It’s not easy to have a batch of goods that can be used as military pay, but I didn’t expect that this batch of goods was robbed by a group of disaster victims halfway.”

Yuanli was a little surprised, "Snatched by the disaster victims?"

Yang Zhongfa looked at his ignorant expression, and began to hesitate in his heart, "Exactly. Speaking of it, there is also a destiny. The place where the goods were robbed happened to be very close to Ruyang County."

Yuan Li frowned slowly, and the corners of his lips that had been smiling all the time retracted, "Have you found out who these people are?"

Yang Zhong smiled wryly, "To be honest, I haven't found out yet."

Yuan Li sighed, "If there are such disaster victims around Ruyang County, I will feel uneasy. Master Yang, if you find any clues, just tell me, and I will help you."

Yang Zhong was taken aback for a moment, looked at Chu Hechao from the corner of his eye, and winked.

General, sister-in-law really doesn't seem to know anything.

Chu Hechao couldn't see any expression, and said lightly, "The things underneath are ripe."

Suddenly, Yuanli remembered that there was a beggar chicken under the fire.He put out the fire and moved it away, dug out the beggar chickens underneath with a wooden stick, and smashed the yellow mud wrapped on the top with all his strength.

Surrounded by a circle of people who poked their necks to watch the excitement, as soon as the yellow mud broke apart, a strong fragrance spread out, encroaching on a territory around it extremely domineeringly.

Many people swallowed their saliva, and their stomachs began to growl again.

Yang Zhongfa wiped his mouth, and felt the deliciousness before he ate it, "Young master Yuan's craftsmanship is amazing, I smell it is much more fragrant than that Yipinzhai in Luoyang!"

Yuan Li laughed out loud.

The plantain leaves have been baked by the juice and are about to rot, and the pheasant meat after tearing is already soft and rotten.The fragrance is rich, delicious and juicy, and the fruit fragrance is very greasy.It's just that there are really few chickens. Except for Yuanli and Chu Hechao, the others got one or two bites.

Chu Hechao ate wildly, under Yuan Li's jaw-dropping gaze, he ate most of a chicken by himself, and after eating it, he still couldn't get enough of it.But it should not be too late. After eating, everyone set foot on the road to Ruyang again.

After a day of rushing, when night fell over the mountain, a group of people finally arrived in Ruyang County.