On the river in the morning, the light smoke is not dark, and the fog is misty.

In the distance came a rowing boat, with a not-so-tall boy standing in the bow, and his friend resting in the spacious cabin.

Speaking of the chance encounter with Song Ji, Meng Qingye simply wanted to sigh at the coincidence, after the Chongdu City was broken and Da Zhao perished, Meng Qingye asked Xi Yan to resign, it was time for him to find his father and brother.

Although Qi An captured Chongdu, for some old ministers he didn't hate, Qi An still didn't kill him, but just cut off his official positions and put them under house arrest.

When the news reached Anding, Meng Qingye's hanging heart also settled, but he also felt a little relaxed, because when he went back this time, he was not standing on the opposite side of Xi Yan.

Xi Yan and An Ruofei didn't do much to keep him, they only equipped him with guards, and prepared enough silver taels to clear the customs and espionage, so they let him board the bow of the Qujiang ferry with confidence.

When the night boat docked for supplies, the sky was too dark, and everyone on the boat did not find that there was a light boat on the side side, the big boat overturned the small boat, and the person who was sleeping in the boat suddenly fell into the water, Meng Qingye was in a hurry to rescue the person, and found that this was Song Ji who had been away for several months.

Fortunately, Song Ji was only frightened when he fell into the water, but there was no major problem, Meng Qingye was happy and sorry for a while.

Song Ji left Anding alone that day, after thinking about it, he felt that he was somewhat sorry for him, the world was in chaos, and he let Ah Ji leave alone without thinking too much...... What if he is in distress on the road?

But Song Ji is not an ignorant person, the world is not peaceful, just out of the Lingjiang River, he saw the scene of thieves robbing and killing the people, simply turned around and bought a light boat, wandering alone in the Qujiang River.

Until he met Meng Qingye, Song Ji had lived alone on the Qujiang River for nearly 90 days and nights.

Suddenly there was a flute sound at the stern, Meng Qingye seemed to be stunned, and at the end of the song, Song Ji was gone, only the peaks on the river were still echoing.

Song Ji came out of the back of the cabin, dressed in a cyan shirt, and still did not change his original thinness.

"Ahh

Song Ji smiled lightly and said, "I heard the boatmen say that the day after tomorrow at the latest, you can get to the last ferry on the Qujiang River, and at that time...... Are we going to change the bus? ”

Meng Qingye pinched his fingers and responded: "That's true, it's just that the Qujiang River is still stable, and when you get out of the Lingjiang River, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful......"

Seeing Song Ji's face suddenly sad, Meng Qingye waved his hand and said: "But we don't have to be afraid, with so many people, and it is the sign of Anding Xi Mansion, who dares to be embarrassed?" ”

"I ...... I'm not afraid of this, I have lived alone on the Qujiang River for several months, how can I be afraid of that? It's just that...... Ah Ye has a home to go back to, but I ......"

"You just come with me," Meng Qingye grinned and put his arm around Song Ji's shoulder, "Since we are friends, we should be blessed and shared together, and we should go and return together." ”

Song Ji couldn't help but smile: "With Ah Ye's words, I'm really relieved." ”

……

The boat broke through the water and went down the river, and in just two days, Meng Qingye and Song Ji's big boats were moored by the ferry.

The boats were changed to horse-drawn carriages and headed for Chongdu to the north, but along the way, countless hungry people swarmed in droves towards the place where there was food.

They were all the people of Da Zhao who had no worries about food and clothing, but the drought and the devastation of the war, the people who could not make waves could only become hungry slaves, you want you to give him food and water, and he is even willing to pay his wife and children.

Seeing such a scene, Meng Qingye divided the scattered silver that could be used in his hand, leaving only a large piece of silver ingot and a silver ticket remaining.

"Originally, when I left home, Da Zhao was still splendid, but it was only two or three years...... How did it become such a withering scene? ”

A guard looked at him and stepped forward, arching his hand and said, "Little master, there are homeless people in front of you, are we going to take a detour?" ”

Meng Qingye laughed self-deprecatingly, and said with a sad face: "I am no longer a little grandfather, Da Zhao's country is dead, my father and brother...... It's just the old ministers of Da Zhao who are imprisoned under the Qi family's steps, and it is not bad if they still have a life left. ”

"That'...... Let's take a detour, there are too many displaced people, and we can't get through in front of us. ”

"Let's go around ......"

Meng Qingye depressedly turned his head away and didn't let himself look at the fleeing scene of the people outside the car curtain.

As far as he is concerned, fate and identity have never been decided by him, his net worth and life were once linked to the fortunes of Da Zhao, and now that Da Zhao has been destroyed, he is naturally not a powerful and high-ranking grandfather Meng, but like all the people, he is an old citizen of Da Zhao.

If he is lucky, he can still live without worrying about food and clothing; If he is unlucky, maybe one day when he opens his eyes, a death edict from the Qi family will be sent to him.

It's just that no matter what, Meng Qingye has to go back, after leaving his father and brother for nearly two years, he has already made up his mind that he must go back and stay by their side.

"When the weather is dry, several families use swords and soldiers, where is the way for the people to live?"

The return journey this time is also like traveling, the mountains and rivers are still the mountains and rivers of the former Great Zhao, but the folk customs are completely different......

The people's sentiments outside Qujiang are completely different from those in Lingjiang, Lingjiang has bumper harvests year after year, and Xi Yan has implemented a policy of light and meager endowment, and the people's lives are moisturized, and Meng Qingye never thought that famine turned out to be such a terrible thing.

Song Ji had been sitting quietly beside Meng Qingye, looking at this situation, he couldn't help but sigh: "If you want to come to Chongdu City, you can't see such a scene, right?" ”

Meng Qingye's gaze suddenly became far away, and he whispered about the high walls, tiles, grass and trees in Chongdu City.

"Once upon a time, when I was at home, I rode alone on horseback without a single escort in my spare time, and ran along every street and alley in the city of Chongdu, from the inner city to the outer city, and around the lake in the city...... Finally, go out of the city from the south gate and go to the Xi's villa on the shore of Xixin Lake...... Later, when I got tired of playing, I took some silver taels from home and took a dozen people to travel the mountains and rivers of Dazhao...... I remember the bowl of tea I drank when I passed Xiaogushan that year, fresh tea leaves, brewed with spring water on the spot, it was really refreshing and sweet......"

Song Ji listened quietly, he knew that Meng Qingye had grown up in Qiluo since he was a child, and he couldn't accept such a depression.

"I remember the old trouble, I wanted my brother to teach me to catch shrimp, dig moss in the corner, and know the tip, but now that people are growing up, the heart lake is swinging......"

Meng Qingye's voice was low, he had been singing this ballad since he was a child, and now that he has really grown up, he finally understands that those peaceful days in the past years are the most cherished.

In the past, at the wine table and at the banquet, he also patted his chest with several brothers and said that a man should protect his family and defend the country, but when the world was really full of smoke, he no longer dared to pull out the cold sword in the sheath.