2. Yao tribe

"Yao Ruyan, thank you for the grace of the young master. The rescued girl bowed to Rong Zhongyuan Yingying. Yao Bu had already knelt on his knees and shouted loudly: "Yao Bu thank the young master for saving his life." The young master is kind-hearted and sympathetic to all the people, and the untouchables must swear to follow the young master to the death to follow the work of dogs and horses. ”

Hundreds of craftsmen around him also knelt down one after another, shouting in unison: "The untouchables swear to follow the young master to the death, in order to follow the work of dogs and horses." ”

"Alright. Rong Zhongyuan did not seem to be willing to listen to these compliments, waved his hand, and said, "Tell me these words and listen to my father! If you are really grateful, you should use more effort to build this castle earlier." With that, he turned and walked away, walking towards a high platform.

Standing on the platform, a killer said: "Young master, if you can't speed up the progress, I'm afraid it will delay the deadline set by King Rong." ”

Rong Zhongyuan still looked into the distance and didn't answer his words, but asked, "Rong Da, how many people do you say there are here?"

Rong Da hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm afraid there are tens of thousands of people!"

Rong Zhongyuan looked thoughtfully at the slaves in the distance and said, "When Rong Fa's leather whip fell on Yao Bu, I saw the anger in the eyes of the Yao clan, and ignited their anger, maybe just a little spark. And Yao Ruyan was beaten, maybe it was that little spark. These people of different races are naturally fierce and extremely powerful. If we are forced to be in a hurry, in case of a grandstanding, will we not be trapped in the danger of the Dog Rong tribe, not to mention that the surrounding tribes have always been eyeing us, if these people cooperate with the foreign race to attack me, the people of the Dog Rong tribe are afraid that they will become slaves like them, driven by the whip to build castles for the aliens, and suffer the humiliation of prisoners. ”

Rong Da said sincerely: "I didn't expect the young master to have such foresight, and his subordinates admired him." ”

Rong Zhongyuan glanced at him, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he said noncommittally: "Rong Da, when will you learn to flatter?"

Rong Da grinned and said, "The subordinates are truly admired, not flattered. ”

Rong Zhongyuan didn't argue with him, and said: "Rong Er, you go to check Yao Ruyan's life experience, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, although she is dressed in tatters, she has the beauty of the country and the city, especially those eyes, which seem to be made of the soul of water, I want to get her." ”

Rong Er, who had a rough face, said loudly: "This is not simple, the woman that the young master wants, I will go and arrest her and hand her over to you." ”

Rong Zhongyuan glared at him and said, "I really obeyed you, and I was afraid of you." How can the woman I really want to get be robbed by forcible marriage?" Then he said to the other person: "Rong San, when you go to do this, you must inquire secretly, and do not let her know." ”

Among the three people, Rong San was the youngest, but he looked very calm, and when he heard Rong Zhongyuan's command, he clenched his right hand into a fist and pressed it on his left chest, saying, "No, my subordinates will go and check." ”

Rong Er scratched his head on the side, not knowing what he was wrong.

Yao Bu was supported by everyone and returned to the place where the Yao clan lived, where there were a number of thatched houses, about a thousand, and a courtyard surrounded by a fence outside, with stacks of firewood and grass in the yard, and some flowers and trees planted. Although the thatched hut is not dilapidated, it can only withstand some cold rain and cold wind. Fortunately, this thatched hut is within the city wall, and after the city wall is built, it can provide protection, but there is no need to worry about being attacked by foreign races.

Yao Ruyan felt sorry for her grandfather's wound, and said to her grandfather: "Grandpa, you sit still, I'll go pick some herbs." ”

Yao Bu waved his hand weakly and closed his eyes tiredly.

Yao Ruyan carried a small basket on his back, and soon went to the nearby mountains to pick some herbs to stop bleeding and relieve pain, put them in a stone jar and mashed them, and applied them to the wound on his grandfather's back.

At noon, two fast horses galloped like the wind down the desolate official road, kicking up dust all the way.

On the fast horse that rushed to the front sat a young man in a light yellow robe, with long hair fluttering, a long sword at his waist, and a graceful man, it was Rong Zhongyuan.

The two fast horses did not stop until they reached a thatched hut settlement.

Rong Zhongyuan jumped off his horse, and Rong San hurriedly ran to the front to lead the way.

It turned out that after Rong Sanda heard where Yao Ruyan lived and knew that she was the head of the Yao clan, he truthfully reported all this to Rong Zhongyuan. Rong Zhongyuan was itchy when he heard this, and his eyes were full of smoke, and he couldn't help but come over to take a look.

Rong Zhongyuan stopped in front of a courtyard, the courtyard wall made of wooden fences, inside which there were two dilapidated thatched houses, it was close to noon, and smoke rose from one of the thatched houses, which seemed to be the owner cooking.

The guards pushed open the fence door, and Rong Zhongyuan went straight to the smoking thatched hut.

The door of the thatched hut was open, and Yao Bu and Yao Ruyan were cooking inside, Yao Bu was lighting the fire, and Yao Ruyan was standing in front of the pot with a spoon in her hand. A few days ago, it rained a little, and the firewood used to light the fire had obviously not been dried by the sun, and once it was ignited, the smoke was billowing out, and it was stuffy in the house and could not be emitted, and the damp and astringent smoke was easy to choke people's tears, and the thatched hut at Rongzhongyuan Station was still some distance, but it was already a little unbearable to the pungent smell of smoke.

Rong San shouted loudly: "Prince Dog Rong has arrived, come out quickly and bow." ”

As soon as Yao Bu heard that it was Rong Zhongyuan, the prince of the dog Rong tribe, he hurriedly ran out, and as soon as he got out of the thatched house, he crawled on the ground and bowed to the ground, and said loudly: "The common people Yao Bu knocked on the prince." As he spoke, he turned his head to the girl standing next to him and said, "Like smoke, kneel down quickly." ”

Yao Ruyan stood without kneeling, just bowed down, which was considered a salute, and then looked at Rong Zhongyuan and Rong San, his eyes were like autumn water, and he didn't have the slightest intention of kneeling. Yao Ruyan was born with such a character, her appearance is weak as water, but her heart is as hard as steel. She had already knelt for him in the morning because of Rong Zhongyuan's life-saving grace, and now goodbye, she will no longer kneel, this is her principle.

Although the Yao clan is down, as the daughter of the Yao clan chief, she is working hard to maintain her own dignity.

Rong Zhongyuan was not angry, but Yao Bu said: "Yao Bu, your knees are too soft, you are not as good as a woman, hurry up!" turned his head to look at Yao Ruyan, and said with a smile: "Ruyan, I came to see you." ”

Yao Ruyan smiled indifferently and said, "How does Prince Rong know the name of the little girl?" and then said: "Oh, I forgot, Prince Rong is the young master of the dog Rong, if you want to know the name of the little girl, it is very easy." ”

"Like smoke. If he angered the prince, with the violent temper of the dog Rong people, I am afraid that the people will be implicated, under the eaves of people, how can they not bow their heads, of course Yao Bu understands this truth, for a while, his eyes were full of fear, and fine beads of sweat have oozed from his forehead, and his voice trembled and said: "How can you talk to the prince like this?"

Yao Ruyan looked at her grandfather and was speechless for a while.

Rong Zhongyuan didn't want Yao Bu to disturb the conversation with Yao Ruyan here, so he said: "Yao Bu, you don't have to accompany you here, get busy!"

Yao Bu smiled all over his face and said, "Okay, Prince Rong, let Ruyan accompany you! ”

Rong Zhongyuan suddenly said, "Do more, I'm going to eat here." ”

Yao Bu heard Rong Zhongyuan's words clearly, but he couldn't believe his ears anyway, he was stunned for a while, looking at Rong Zhongyuan blankly, and forgot to answer.

A noble prince of the Inurong clan wants to eat in the house of a pariah, and if he had not heard and seen it with his own ears, he would have put a knife on his neck, and no one would have dared to believe it.

Yao Ruyan's face was still expressionless, and she said, "Coarse tea and light rice, can the prince eat it?"

Rong Zhongyuan said: "As a woman, you can eat it, why can't I eat it?"

Yao Bu finally came to his senses, and was immediately flattered, the prince of the dog Rong clan had a meal at his house, but it was a big deal, and those fierce and bullying dog Rong officials were afraid that they would never dare to go wild in front of him in the future. He quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Command, go and prepare a meal for the prince." After saying that, he got up and went in a hurry.

Rong Zhongyuan looked at the back of Yao Bu entering the thatched house and said, "Your grandfather is so timid. ”

Yao Ruyan said: "In front of the prince, who dares to be bold?"

Rong Zhongyuan looked at Yao Ruyan, and said with a smile: "You!"

Yao Ruyan suddenly looked at Rong Zhongyuan very seriously, and said, "Does the prince want to kneel down to greet Ruyan?"

Rong Zhongyuan was stunned for a moment when he heard her say this, and then laughed and said, "It's a joke." He looked around the desolation and said, "I don't think you can live in such a desolate place." ”

Yao Ruyan stared at the dilapidated house and said, "The prince thinks this place is desolate, but my grandfather thinks it is heaven." ”

Rong Zhongyuan was surprised and said, "Why?"

Yao Ruyan said: "The Yao tribe was destroyed by a foreign race, the tribe was displaced, there was no clothing to wear, no food to eat, life was like a mayfly, and starvation was everywhere. Although this place is desolate, it can have a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat, and it is better than heaven for those of his own people who die unexpectedly. ”

Rong Zhongyuan asked, "Which alien race was the Yao tribe destroyed?"

Yao Ruyan said: "Ji Cheng." ”

Rong Zhongyuan smiled coldly, and then said: "Born in troubled times, the winner is the king and the loser is crowned, the world is like this, but it hurts you." ”

Yao Ruyan smiled bitterly, shook her head, and said: "Ruyan has not suffered from displacement, born here, raised here, has not suffered from war, has not suffered from hunger, and naturally does not suffer." ”

Rong Zhongyuan laughed and said, "You are very at ease, but this is not the case, right? I am afraid that the suffering in your heart is far greater than the suffering in your body." ”

Yao Ruyan smiled slightly and said: "The bitterness that the prince said is afraid that the mountains and rivers are broken, and the suffering under the fence is sent. If smoke is not an ambitious person, a humble body, can have a house to hold, a porridge to satisfy hunger, in this troubled world, is enough. ”

Yao Ruyan looked at the eyes in the distance, confused and sad. The heaviness of her gaze was by no means as relaxed as her words suggested.

Although Yao Ruyan's words were not impatient, neither humble nor arrogant, she showed a look of no resentment, no quarrel with the world, and contentment, but Rong Zhongyuan always felt that this was not her true thoughts.

A sixteen-year-old woman, if she is not entangled in her heart, will never have such a mature mentality.

Rong Zhongyuan therefore determined that Yao Ruyan was by no means an ordinary person.

Rong Zhongyuan looked at the thatched huts around him and asked, "Are all your people living here?"

Yao Ruyan said: "No, most of the people here are from the Yao clan, and some are from the Dog Rong clan. Yan looked at Rong Zhongyuan and said, "I don't know if the prince is interested in going inside." ”

Rong Zhongyuan nodded and said, "Okay! I just happened to take a look at the customs and customs of the Yao tribe. ”

Yao Ruyan said: "We have lived here for hundreds of years, and we have long been accustomed to the customs of the Dog Rong tribe, and we have forgotten that we are members of the Yao tribe. ”

Rong Zhongyuan laughed when he heard this, and said: "That's not necessarily, how can the descendants of a clan easily forget their own customs." What's the difference between the same person who has no soul?"

Yao Ruyan glanced at Rong Zhongyuan, and quickly moved away. Rong Zhongyuan's words made her feel a little worried, and she began to affirm that Rong Zhongyuan came this time not just to visit her.

"Staying alive is sometimes more important than anything else. Yao Ruyan whispered.

Rong San was about to accompany him, but Rong Zhongyuan waved his hand and said, "No need, you can help Yao Bu cook!"

After speaking, the two walked along the path between the thatched houses, although the thatched houses in this area look dilapidated, but the flowers swayed gently in the wind, the chickens and dogs barked at each other, and the children laughed and shuttled, but it was also a comfortable scene.

There was no one in front of them to guide the way, but the two of them walked freely. No one here knows Rong Zhongyuan, of course they don't know that he is the famous prince of the Dog Rong clan, and it is a courtesy to simply wave his hand to greet him.

Yao Ruyan couldn't help but cover her mouth and snicker.

Rong Zhongyuan looked at the snickering Yao Ruyan, who looked even more touching, his heart moved, and his tone was soft, and he asked, "Why are you snickering." ”

Yao Ruyan said softly: "When did the prince of the dignified dog Rong clan inspect the clan's residential area, when did he suffer such a snub?"

Rong Zhongyuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Are you sarcastic about me, or sympathize with me?"

Yao Ruyan said with a straight face: "I don't have the courage to be sarcastic, and I am not qualified to sympathize. ”

Rong Zhongyuan said: "Your mouth is really powerful, I have to be careful in the future." ”

Out of the area of the thatched hut, to a jungle, in the distance is a field, some farmers are working in the field, in the jungle, there are actually some people dancing with guns and swords, judging from the moves, it is by no means ordinary people.