The scorching sun of July was like a fire, and the scorching sun hung overhead, roasting the earth to a scorched yellow. The crops wilted and could not support their waists, and the water channels that irrigated the fields were left with cracked dry mud. This is the worst drought in the history of the Great Jin Dynasty, since June, there has not been a trace of rain here, many people can't bear the scorching heat to go to other places, and those who stay are exhausted after more than a month of continuous drought.

The crops have not been harvested this year, but the imperial court's tax and grain collection orders have been issued to each county, and the conscription notices have made people even more panicked.

I've heard that this time there was a conflict with the neighboring Zheng Kingdom, didn't the princess of the Great Zheng Kingdom marry the emperor? What is the big deal in the family? As soon as this battle starts, it is not the common people who are unlucky!

"Alas, the world is difficult. finally managed to survive until the barbarians were driven out, which was related to Zheng Guo again...... The bones of the little marquis have not shivered again, and I don't know who else can suppress this war like him. ”

"Alas, now that even the Mighty Marquis Mansion is gone, what do you say to calm the war. ”

"Isn't there a major general—"

"Hey, it's long gone, Young General Mo Han, it's long since he unloaded his armor and returned to the field and is not in the court. I heard that his subordinates, there is a man named Mu Feng, who is fighting with Da Zheng with the army, but unfortunately, Zheng doesn't know how, he just can't press back, it seems that there are also generals with real skills in command, in short, this peaceful day has not long passed, you have young men in each family, it is better to make plans as soon as possible. ”

As a result of those words, everyone in the restaurant changed color, and the people who were still chattering scattered with their own concerns. In the corner by the window sat two men, one of whom hung his head silently after hearing those words.

"I have said that you can't believe what you haven't seen with your own eyes, you fool, and you silently shed some tears. Lingering and distressed, he wiped away the tears from the corners of Xi Hao's eyes, and seeing his gloomy and listless appearance, he couldn't help but sigh softly: "I'll go to inquire about the news in a while, you are tired and wait here, I will be back soon." ”

Xi Hao didn't want to be separated from him, but he was disheartened after listening to what those people said, thinking that he was still together with Bai Yan when he left, but after he came back, the two were nowhere to be found, Bai Yan was even said to be dead, he felt uncomfortable in his heart, afraid that he couldn't help crying, so he went to find out the news alone, and he was tired and waited in place.

They have been following all the way for some days, lingering is indeed very well-connected, and he has indeed found very useful news, he knows that Baicha's mother and son are not dead, those people just took them through the town in front of them two days ago, which finally gave him some confidence.

After walking for a while, he rubbed his chin on the dishes on his plate, but he couldn't muster up the energy to eat, so he put down his chopsticks and leaned against the window to look at the street.

This is a city near Jingyang, and a few hundred miles further into the range of Jingyang. He sighed, thinking of his small island of Ruoshui, and the two people who had made him walk out of the island.

With tears in his eyes, he wiped it desperately, thinking that he could hold it back, but unexpectedly, it flowed wantonly.

Zong Xihao, don't cry, what is the use of crying! If tears can save everything, these can't happen, you can't be so weak, do you hear it!

He cursed himself in his heart, hated for his weakness, he wiped away his tears and stood up, just thinking about settling the bill first and then waiting for the lingering to come back, but when he touched his body, he found that his bag was gone.

"Is the guest officer paying the bill?" The little second brother saw him get up, and hurriedly walked over, Xi Hao was embarrassed there, nodded, and shook his head.

"I, my money bag is gone...... he just wanted to say that the money bag is gone, and he will give it when he comes back, but the little second brother saw that they were originally two people, and now he ran away in advance, and he said pitifully that the money is gone, and he really looks like a person who eats and drinks, so his face changed, and his tone was quite bad: "We are a small business, and the son is also presentable, but why do you do something for nothing." ”

Xi Hao's face turned red in an instant, he had never encountered such an embarrassing scene, and he didn't know how to deal with it. He only knew that he would definitely not repay the account when he came back, so he didn't argue, just turned around and sat down again, and said to the little second brother: "My husband will come back soon, he has money, he will give it to you, I will wait here, I won't run." ”

He originally said to the little second brother to let him rest assured, but unexpectedly, the two people sitting at the table next to him accosted, one looked at him with a smile, took out a few ingots of silver from his arms, and said to the little second brother: "Little second brother, I gave the silver, this little boy is handsome and painful, don't embarrass others." ”

Xi Hao was stunned for a moment, and when he looked sideways, he saw two or five big and three thick men staring at him, with a few ingots of silver on the table, and one of them was dragging a bag in his hand, which was his own.

"You-"

He knew in his heart that he was being targeted, but he was not there, there were two people on the other side, and they were pretending to be good people here to relieve themselves, if he said that the money bag was stolen by them, no one might believe it. In a flash of thought, he got up and walked out, and the two looked at each other and immediately followed.

"Don't go, little boy. As soon as he went out of the door, he was dragged by a person, who pulled him and ran into the alley, he was afraid, struggled desperately, and was about to call for help, but was stopped by another person and hugged him.

"Hehe, this might sell for a good price. The man who held him was so strong that he could barely breathe with his hands banded, and he felt disgusted in his heart, but he struggled to get out, and when he saw that he was about to be dragged into the depths of the alley, he heard a sound of breaking the air, and then the man screamed and rolled on the ground with his wrist.

"Ah, it hurts me!" The ground was dripping with blood, and the man was still rolling on the ground, and the other fell to his knees.

"Lingering ......" Xi Hao sobbed and cried out, but he didn't get a response, he looked around, but still didn't see any movement.

"Lingering—" He shouted again, and finally found a flashing figure at the entrance of the alley, he raised his legs and chased, but when he ran out of the alley, he found that there were people coming and going, and where could he still see the figure of that person.

Who saved him? Who would save him in such an unfamiliar place?

He was puzzled in his heart, thinking that the two people were still lying in the alley, so he turned around and looked back, but when he arrived at the alley, he was shocked by the scene in front of him and froze in place, and then his stomach churned, and he threw up against the wall at the entrance of the alley.

The two were still there, but they were no longer alive, and what was even more unexpected was that their hands were cut off and bloodied aside.

Xi Hao leaned against the wall and vomited in the dark, and when his body was suddenly hugged, he couldn't help but struggle like crazy, until the lingering sound came into his ears, he slammed it suddenly, and then collapsed in his arms as if he had been pulled out of his muscles.

Lingering gently picked him up, glanced at the scene in the alley, and then strode away.