After hearing the elder's advice, Meng Zhong stayed at home with his mother and brother for five days.

Five days later, the Meng clan had received a military order from Sima "Xiao Zhu (zhǔ)" from Shangqiu Cheng County, so they set off for Shangqiu with a ten-ride army led by Sima "Meng Qing", preparing to join the soldiers of the other families outside Shangqiu City, and then set off for Pengcheng together.

As one of the top families in Shangqiu and Jingbo, the Montessori sent ten chariots and a full 750 clan soldiers to set an example, with Meng Qing as the commander, and his younger brother "Meng Zhi (zhì)", including the elder Meng Xian's son "Meng Xian", ten athletes of the Montessori family, all served as military officials for each chariot, and each commanded 75 soldiers.

Meng Zhong's elder brother, Meng Bo, was placed on the chariot of "Meng Zhi", as a sergeant, and the latter's auxiliary.

In this regard, Meng Zhong must be grateful to Meng Hu, a companion who grew up together.

Although Ge has asked Meng Qing, but Meng Qing, as the family Sima, his duty is to be responsible for all the Meng's children, and it is difficult to cover everything, so Meng Hu asked his uncle Meng Zhi for Meng Zhong - because his father Meng Qing was too strict, Meng Hu has been close to his uncle Meng Zhi since he was a child, and Meng Zhi also likes this naughty nephew, after receiving Meng Hu's plea, he arranged Meng Bo to his chariot "under the pretense of public help".

You must know that even if they are Montessori disciples, even if they also have the status of "armor soldiers", there are only 30 people who are qualified to ride in chariots, and there are nearly 200 Montessori disciples on this expedition, which means that nearly 170 people must go on foot, whether they are on the road or fighting.

As a newcomer on the first expedition, Meng Bo was able to stand on top of the chariot, and it must be admitted that this can only be done by connection.

"Let's go!"

With the order of Sima Mengqing, the soldiers of the Meng clan slowly walked in the direction of Shangqiu.

During this period, the patriarch Meng Qi, the elder Meng Xuan, Meng Jin, Meng Fei and other old people in the clan stood outside the township to see off, and the young sect leader Meng Hu led the clan to send off the children of his family on foot.

In the send-off team, there were Ge Shi and Meng Zhong's mother and son, as well as the latter's companion Meng Hu.

After sending each other for ten miles, Meng Hu stopped, and stopped the clansmen from continuing to send each other, and instead watched the clan soldiers led by Meng Qing.

At this time, there was a faint suppressed cry in the send-off team, Meng Zhong looked around, and saw several aunts and sisters-in-law in the clan, all of whom couldn't help crying at this time.

Young Sect Master Meng Hu also heard this voice, and was about to open his mouth to scold, but in the end, he pursed his lips and said nothing.

Meng Zhong was also very worried about his mother Ge Shi, he looked up at Ge Shi, and saw that Ge Shi's eyes were slightly red, but there was still a forced smile on her face, but from her hands clutching her sleeves, it could be seen that her mother was not as calm as she appeared at the moment.

Not only Meng Zhong could see it, but even Meng Hu could see it, and he persuaded him: "Auntie, you don't have to worry, I also asked my uncle (Meng Zhi), my uncle loved me the most in the past, and he will also help take care of Brother Meng Bo." ”

"Auntie, thank you, good boy."

Ge Shi looked grateful, hugged Meng Zhong and Meng Hu in his arms, looked at the distant clan soldiers, and took away his eldest son Meng Bo.

When the clan soldiers had disappeared from view, Meng Hu urged the clansmen to return to the township, but at this time, there were still many aunts in the clan who refused to leave, and even turned back three times in one step, so that it took nearly two hours for the team to return to the township.

After returning to the township and returning to her home, Ge's inner emotions seemed to have calmed down, so she urged Meng Zhong and said: "Zhong'er, you should have been by Master Zhuang's side, but you returned home because of your brother's business, and now that your brother has set off, you should also return to Master's side." ”

Meng Zhong nodded, but said worriedly: "However, if the child also leaves, you will be the only one left in the family." ”

Ge Shi stroked Meng Zhong's head and said with a smile: "In this township, are you still worried that something will happen to your mother?" ”

This is also the case, in the big family, the clansmen will generally help each other, if there is a short-sighted gangster sneaking into the city and trying to rob and commit murder, the men in the entire township will stand up, so Meng Zhong is not worried about this.

What he was most worried about was just because their two sons were not around, and he was afraid that Ge Shi would feel lonely.

However, this problem was solved for him by the elder's recommendation.

About half an hour later, just as Meng Zhong was packing up at home and preparing to return to Zhuangziju, the elder Meng recommended a little donkey and came to Meng Zhong's home, intending to give the little donkey to Meng Zhong so that he could travel back and forth between Zhuangziju and the township.

"This is the clan's reward for you to become a disciple of Master Zhuang." Meng Jian explained with a smile.

Even if it is Meng Zhong, it is difficult to hide the surprise in his heart at this time.

After all, in contemporary times, most horses are used to march and fight, transport grain and grass, and it is not easy to get a horse to travel, and instead of horses as a means of transportation, it is a donkey, but this is not something that ordinary people can get.

Not to mention, let's just say that Meng Hu, his grandfather and father, two generations in a row are the family Sima, can be regarded as the "three generations of officials", but he used to visit Meng Zhong and Meng Sui in Zhuangziju, they were all on foot, only this time when he sent a message to Meng Zhong, he got the permission of his grandfather Meng Jin, allowing him to ride in a carriage.

It's not that Menghu doesn't have extra carriages in his home, but under the "etiquette system" of Confucianism, it strictly stipulates what kind of treatment people can enjoy - Menghu has not yet been qualified to own a carriage and a war horse.

And Meng Zhong, as a disciple of Zhuangzi, has a donkey to travel, which is not a disgrace.

Because the little donkey was covered in gray hair, Meng Zhong named it "Gray Ash", which made Meng Hu who was watching from the sidelines envious for a while.

After having lunch at home, about another hour or so, Meng Zhong said goodbye to his mother and playmate Meng Hu, and rode the little donkey to Zhuangziju.

Ash is a very ordinary donkey, maybe because he is still young, he doesn't walk fast, at least not faster than Meng Zhong's own hurry, but it is better to save effort, after having such a means of transportation, even if Meng Zhong returns home every few days to see his mother, it will not make his body tired.

Towards dusk, Meng Zhong returned to Zhuangziju.

Sure enough, the existence of the little donkey gray made all the sons in the house very surprised and excited, in fact, these children of various families had not seen a donkey before, but with their age, they had not been able to have it for the time being.

"Ah Zhong, can I ride a lap?"

Hua Hu asked excitedly.

Of course, Meng Zhong was not stingy, and said with a smile: "Of course you can, but it's still small, don't let it get too tired." ”

"Then Wu Ying can't ride." Mu Wu laughed and teased Wu Ying, making Wu Ying, who was burly but stupid, blush.

Throwing the ashes of the little donkey to his companions, Meng Zhong walked into the main house where Zhuangzi lived, and saw that Zhuangzi was sitting in the house with his eyes closed, so he gently sat down on his usual seat and greeted in a low voice: "Master, the student Meng Zhong has returned. ”

Zhuangzi slowly opened his eyes when he heard this, and after glancing at Meng Zhong, he wrote on a bamboo plaque: Farewell to your brother?

"Hmm." Meng Zhong nodded and told Zhuangzi what had happened in the past five days, including what he had done with his mother and his brother today.

Zhuangzi looked at his disciple deeply, and suddenly wrote in Zhupai Mountain: You are very frightened.

Meng Zhong opened his mouth, and finally nodded: "The student has long felt that it is difficult for the Song Kingdom to be stable for a long time, so he wants to prepare in advance so that he can protect my relatives in the future, but the student didn't expect ......"

In fact, not to mention Meng Zhong, even Zhuangzi did not expect that Song Wangyan would send troops to attack Teng, after all, Teng is only a small country sandwiched between Song and Lu, and the country area is less than 10% of the territory of Song State, but it is also a country that implements the "Jingtian system" and governs by benevolence and righteousness.

But unfortunately, even if he is Zhuang Zhou, who is admired by everyone, he cannot influence the decision of the monarch.

"Study with peace of mind".

Eventually, Zhuangzi wrote on the bamboo plaque.

This is the only way he can appease his disciples.

After a few more days, the weather gradually turned colder, and when Meng Zhong rode back to his hometown to visit his mother, the sky was already snowing.

At this time, Ge had already sewn winter clothes for his youngest son, but when he saw Meng Zhong put on the warm clothes, Ge couldn't help but think of his eldest son.

"Your brother must still be on his way to Pengcheng at the moment, right? It's getting colder and colder, and I don't know if he's going to freeze on the way. ”

Seeing his mother's worried face, Meng Zhong was relieved: "Mother, didn't my brother bring warm clothes when he set off, don't you worry, Brother will be fine." He is a soldier standing on a chariot, and he doesn't need to travel on foot when he marches, if you are still worried, what do the aunts in the clan think? ”

"That's just as well."

Ge nodded.

Indeed, his eldest son, Momber, was able to become a soldier on board, and if she still complained, what should the mothers of the tribesmen who were hurrying on foot think?

Seeing that his mother nodded, Meng Zhong said again: "By the way, mother, I have already asked the master, you can move with me to the master's courtyard this winter, so as not to block the road with heavy snow and the children will not be able to return home, so that you can remember it." ”

"W-How does this work?"

Ge Shi said in surprise.

In fact, she was also very worried about this, after all, it was almost winter, and when the heavy snow closed the road, it would be difficult for her son to go back and forth to the house, but let her follow her son to move near Zhuangzi's residence...... That's Master Zhuang.

"Mother, the child has already told the master about this, and the child's companion in the Zhuangzi residence has also built a small bamboo house outside the courtyard for the mother, and no one will talk about it."

"This ......"

After Meng Zhong's persuasion, Montessori responded, and then she asked her son again: "That...... So what gifts should you bring for your mother? ”

"Let's bring some of the rice and wheat we grow." Meng Zhong replied with a smile.

His teacher was Zhuangzi, and Zhuangzi, who refused to serve as the minister of Song and Chu, would he care about what gifts the people who came to visit him?

In the afternoon of the same day, Meng Zhong told the elders of the clan about this, and after obtaining the latter's permission, he let his mother sit on a donkey and carry the package of the mother and son, and slowly walked towards Zhuangziju.