Talking in Songhe Courtyard until nearly dusk, Xiao Yu and the three of them bid farewell to Mrs. Tai and returned to Shenghua Courtyard for dinner, Xiao Yan sent his father back to Rui Si Tang, and the father and daughter talked in the study.

Xiao Yu is not as big-hearted as the eldest princess of Anping, she is just happy to see her daughter come back, and she just asks with a smile.

In his heart, his daughter's sudden return was a surprise, and the surprise was greater than the joy.

It's only been a few months since I've been out, how can I have the opportunity to break through the innate so quickly?

What happened?

Xiao Yu's expression was majestic and solemn, and he didn't play sloppy with his daughter, "Let's say - what's the important thing to suddenly go home to find your fourth brother?" ”

Particular emphasis is placed on "important things".

Xiao Yan knew that his father was worried about him, and immediately said, "Father, don't worry, it's not a matter of martial arts." I went to Daomen and something happened, I have to tell the fourth brother, and then report to my father and mother. ”

Xiao Yuxin said, of course it's not a matter of martial arts, otherwise how could you talk to the fourth child first.

What happened at the Daomen?

If the matter of the Daomen is related to the interests of the family, he should also tell his father.

Unless, it's something related to the fourth.

What is there about Daomen that is related to the fourth child?

Could it be ......

Is it something related to Shen Zhiyuan?

Xiao Yuyan's gaze sharpened.

"Is it related to Shen Zhiyuan?"

"Yes, father."

Xiao Yan was not surprised that her father guessed that it was related to Qingyi, after all, the information revealed in her words was obvious: Daomen, related to the fourth brother - with his father's keen and perceptive, he would definitely be able to guess it.

Xiao Yu's expression became even more grim, "What kind of demon is she?" ”

There was hatred in his tone.

Xiao Yan sighed bitterly in his heart, and there was an indescribable complication.

Qingyi planned to reconcile and leave step by step, which made his father angry, but it was not all because of himself.

She sat upright behind the tea tray with purple robe and jade belt, secretly calmed down, raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Father tastes the tea I brewed." ”

Holding the high-grade white porcelain hexagonal pot from Dayi kiln in his right hand, he ordered six cups of tea with the momentum of Han Xin's soldiers, picked up a cup and handed it to his father, and said with a smile: "Father, this is the snow and amber oolong of Daomen." I've brought you back with Shifang. "The top bud tea is all in jade cans, and one or two are called one side. The tea was given to her by Shen Qingyi, and it is only produced in the peak of Miaoshan Mountain in the south of Shennong Domain, and it is said that the annual output is not more than 100 catties, and it does not flow out.

Xiao Yu raised her eyebrows and glanced at her daughter, and picked up the thin white porcelain cup, but saw that the tea soup was bright, with a thick and deep amber color, and the leaves were white, green, yellow, red and brown, which were very bright, and she was in a good mood just by looking at the tea soup. Lift the cup and sip it slowly, the tea aroma is thick and sweet, with the aroma of ripe fruit, and the aftertaste has the fragrance and sweetness of honey, and you will have a good mood in your throat. Of course, the main thing is that this is the daughter who personally brewed to honor him.

How could Xiao Yu not know the preciousness of this snow and amber oolong?

There are a bunch of tea-loving old guys in Daomen, and the top tea produced in the mountains and treasures of Shennong Domain rarely flows out, and Xuehao Amber Oolong is one of them. Xiao Yu only got two taels when he asked Dao Xuanzi to treat Xiao Cong thirty years ago, but he didn't expect his daughter to bring back a catty when she went to Daomen......

Seventeen will get the blue eyes of the Taoist again, and those old guys will not be reluctant to cut the love tea to her - this tea must have been given by Shen Zhiyuan.

This woman is stepping on Xiao's with peace, but his son and daughter still have a deep relationship with her, which has to make Xiao Yu jealous and even more disgusted.

After using this tea, he snorted with a straight face, "So attentive, do you want to say good things to Shen Zhiyuan?" ”

But just after enjoying the tea made by her daughter, the strong fragrance and sweetness are still in her throat, although Xiao Yu has a straight face, her heart is quite sweet, and she decides not to care that this is the tea sent by Shen Zhiyuan.

Xiao Yan smiled and said: "This tea was given to the child by Shen Zhiyuan, but it is the child's in the hands of the child." It is the child's intention to honor his father, not to say good things to Zhiyuan. He rolled his eyes again, "But the child doesn't pay much attention to tea, and this ten-square tea is still for your father." ”

Xiao Yu's daughter.

finally beat around the bush and said good things to Shen Zhiyuan.

Liang Guogong Shen snorted, but for his daughter's sake, he no longer said that Shen Zhiyuan was a demon, but he hated her in his heart, and he couldn't help but remind his daughter, "Shen Zhiyuan is good at scheming, the city government is deeply obstructed, and he seems to be clear but actually cunning, you don't want to be scolded by her." ”

Xiao Yan saw his father's cold appearance, and smiled bitterly in his heart, his father had a deep opinion of Qingyi, so he could only grind it slowly. raised his eyebrows and smiled: "The child is so smart and witty, which one else can be confused?" ”

A proud look.

Xiao Yu laughed, but he was also proud in his heart.

His daughter is the best.

Xiao Yan poured water into the pot, and while controlling the internal force of the fire attribute to boil water, he wittily changed the topic, "Father, how can there be a torrential rain and flood in Shanshan and Yanzhi Prefectures, which have not happened in hundreds of years?" This is also what she doubts and cares about.

Such a severe disaster, with so many dead people, cannot be ignored in any case.

Xiao Yu's eyebrows were raised, his lacquered eyebrows were like knives coming out, and his voice was cold and boneless:

"It's not an act of God, it's *!"

……

Xiao Yan came out of his father's courtyard, and it was already the second watch.

The wind of the cold night blew her clothes up, and her heart was churning, and she couldn't help but stop and look at the starry sky.

The stars in the sky are uncertain, just like the things in this world, there are light and dark, and the sinister in the dark is unpredictable and frightening.

The road is far away, the road is narrow and narrow, and the hearts of the people are all ends, each for the benefit.

It's just that under this frenzy of competing interests, how many innocent lives have died in vain?

***

The next day, Xiao Yan said goodbye to his father and mother and went to Shanshan.

Last night, his father said that the flood was*, Xiao Yan was very worried about the fourth brother, in case there was another congenital war-although the possibility was relatively small, but he was not afraid of 10,000, just in case - although the seventh great-uncle was over there, Xiao Yan felt that he still had to go and see it to rest assured.

Moreover, her heart was heavy.

Presumably, the fourth brother's state of mind is also facing a test.

She wants to go to Shanshan, no matter how dangerous the world is, no matter how heavy the situation has happened, she should bear it side by side with her brother.

Her body was as fast as the wind, and she soon arrived in Shanshan City.

Xiao Cong has already left.

Xiao Chengxin, a guard who stayed behind, reported: "Three days ago, the prince took the guards and cavalry to inspect the Baihe floodplain area...... On foot, this will lead to the lower reaches of the White River. So he let the eagle letter go. Half a day later, Yingxin returned, and Xiao Cong replied that he was in the Bohu Nanwan Ranch in Yanzhi Prefecture.

Xiao Yan looked at the map and went to Bohu.

Bohu Lake is about 400 miles southwest of Shanshan Prefecture, located in the north of Yanzhi Prefecture, the north lake is adjacent to the southern vein of Tianshan Mountain, Bohu Lake water is formed by the fusion of snow water of Tianshan Mountain, the water area is more than 3,000 square miles, it is the second largest lake in Hexi Road, the South Lake reaches Yanzhi Mountain, and the Nanwan Horse Farm sandwiched by the southern foot of Yanzhi Mountain is a famous horse farm in Hexi, and the Yanzhi horse, one of the top ten military horses of the Tang Dynasty, is mainly produced here - a flood has turned this excellent horse farm with green grass into a yellow muddy land. A cavalry of thirty or forty men walked in this yellow mud.

Xiao Yan let out a clear whistle from afar, the cavalry stopped, and Xiao Cong reined in his horse and looked back.

"Fourth brother." Xiao Yan's figure swept close like the wind, and saw that his brother Qingjun's face had lost a circle, his eyebrow bones protruded slightly, a pair of warm eyes were more heavy and introverted, and his temperament like jade was more thick and earth-loaded. Her heart was sad for a while, "Brother, you have lost weight!" ”

"Ayan."

Xiao Cong smiled and stretched out his palm, clasped his sister's hand, and leaned over to hug his sister.

Xiao Chengzhong, the leader of the guards, had already let his horse come out and turned over and rode on the empty horse he had prepared.

Xiao Yan and his brother walked side by side, Xiao Cong asked in surprise, "When did Ah Yan return to Hexi?" How did you come back so soon? ”

"I'll come back to see my brother." Xiao Yan said with a smile, turning his face to look at his brother with a serious expression.

Xiao Cong laughed, looking at her sister's expression, she knew that she was not talking casually, but had something important.

But this is not the time to speak.

The brother and sister have a tacit understanding not to mention it, but to talk about the disaster first.

Xiao Yan asked the fourth brother: "The two horse farms in Bohu West and Bohu South are all abandoned?" ”

"The West Lake Racecourse is also abandoned." Xiao Cong's voice and expression were very heavy, "It is estimated that it will not be able to recover in five or seven years." ”

Xiao Yan rode on a horse and looked around, but when he saw hundreds of miles of yellow mud, ponds and muddy grass everywhere, walking in it, there was a feeling of desolation.

Her mood was also desolate.

Father said that the four congenital from Yanzhi Mountain to Bo Lake, and from Bo Lake to the Tianshan Alming Snow Peak, not only caused an avalanche, but also the congenital cultivation of Longhu Mountain is the Samadhi True Fire Fist, Maoshan congenital use of a large number of flame charms, the avalanche at the same time caused a large area of snowmelt, a large amount of water vapor rises, and the high-altitude cold air flow collides and spreads, causing the storm weather that swept through Shanshan and Yanzhou, heavy rain and snowmelt caused floods, not only the Baihe River flooded, the terrain is high in the north and low in the south, and the water of Bohu Lake is also overflowing on three sides. The natural aquatic pastures in the west and south have become yellow mudflats.

Innate power, destruction is like this!

Xiao Yan used to be frightened by the destructive power of high-end force to the environment, but it was all imagined in his mind, but now when he saw this bleak scene, he felt that the cold air rose from his feet, and his whole body was cold.

"The abolition of the horse farm is not only the loss of Hexi's military horses, but also the livelihood of 300 herdsmen. These herders have been raising horses for generations, and their parents, wives and children all depend on the horse farm for their livelihood. Xiao Cong's eyebrows were together, and his eyes looked at the vast and yellow Bohu Lake from afar, "Fortunately, you can still rely on the lake to eat the lake." This horse farm has to be raised, and within five or seven years, they will have to turn into fishermen first. In addition, the horse farm also requires manpower to raise, which is also a subsistence job. …… Taking advantage of the cold winter, the fleeing herdsmen were first moved back, cleaned up the mud, and provided relief through work. The water quality of the Bo River is good, the mud at the bottom of the lake is also fertile, and the silt cleared from the horse farm can be used as fertilizer, which can be sold to the fertile fields of the prefectures and counties with poor soil quality, and 40% of the silver money obtained goes to the disaster relief and reconstruction funds, and 60% goes to the herdsmen, which is also a livelihood. ……”

Xiao Cong walked and talked all the way, obviously thinking about it for a long time.

Xiao Yan listened and nodded, occasionally adding his thoughts.

As they spoke, the brother and sister rode not slowly, and certainly could not run fast in the mudflats, so they went south for about an hour out of the racecourse and went southwest along the west bank of the White River. After the flood receded, the wheat fields and corn fields were in shambles, full of yellow mud and white sand, and the ears of wheat and corn stalks were crooked, which rattled in the cold autumn wind, making them even more desolate. On the way, there were old people, young people, women, children, and a baby under the age of one, who came out of the barrel and hid it with its head down in the yellow mud.

The entire cavalry was particularly silent.

There were ten officers of the Hexi Army in military uniforms in the cavalry, and they were all rescued from the search: the leading lieutenant and the next lieutenant were the Tiele people from Yanzhi and Shanshan Prefecture, and the other two brigade commanders and three team members were all from poor families, and they were particularly touched by this tragic situation—they also had parents, wives, and children...... If they are in danger, will someone help them?

When he saw the corpse, Xiao Cong would ask the cavalry to stop, and order the guards to turn over the face and draw a charcoal portrait, so that the family could recognize the person in the future, and then dig a pit to bury it and bury it on the spot, which is also to prevent the corpse from spreading the plague.

The cavalry galloped out for dozens of miles and saw a village, which was also a mess after the flood receded, and the mud-walled houses were full of mud and sand, and some of the unsturdy walls had collapsed and collapsed, leaving the ruins bleak.

There are still old and weak people alive in the village.

The Tiele people all live in flat-roofed houses, and the rich also have two-story flat-roofed buildings, as well as attics for grain, and when the flood hits, the old and weak in the village gather on the flat roofs of the rich families to wait for death...... Before starving to death after eating the food in the attic, they waited for the search and rescue team of the Hexi Army to survive.

These old and infirm people who remained behind were all voluntary, leaving the opportunity to flee – wooden basins and water tanks – to their children and grandchildren. This is the tradition of the Tiele people, abandoning the old and leaving the young and young to ensure reproduction. Unlike the Han people's respect for the elderly, this is a wolf-like way of survival. Bleak and heavy, but also ruthless and tenacious.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves, the old people in the village looked up and saw the red-bottomed gladiolus flag fluttering in the cold wind, like a red flame, and they all staggered out excitedly.

When the cavalry arrived, Xiao Cong immediately jumped off the horse, helped these old people up one by one, and asked them if they still had anything to eat? "Yes, yes." The old people said, "There is still food in the cellar, and the children did not have time to take it away when they fled." - The son is healthy, the Buddha blesses you with all blessings! The old people's green eyes were cloudy, but they were shining, and they read the words of gratitude and prayer, and replied simply, "The prince of the world, you will collect the relief food and distribute it to the people in need later, and our village can still help each other." ”……

Until the cavalry was gone, the old people were still waving.

The officers' silent faces also brightened.

It's the lives they saved.

In the face of the heavy question of life, the value of life seems to be impossible to measure with their original thoughts.

……

After galloping seventy or eighty miles, I arrived at another village, where there were also old and weak rescued by the search and rescue team.

Because it was already dark, Xiao Cong ordered to rest in the village tonight.

The old people happily welcomed the son to the best house in the village, the house of the village chief, who was sixty years old and one of the surviving old people.

The guards and officers set up military tents on the flat roof of the second floor, took out dry food to cook a simple dinner, and fried ginger black tea to ward off the cold, and served it to the brothers and sisters in wooden bowls.

Xiao Cong and Xiao Yan sat on the flat-roofed floor with tea, talking in the night.

Xiao Cong asked her sister: "How do you feel after watching this way?" ”

Xiao Yan was silent for a while and said, "Innocent, miserable. ”

"yes, innocent."

Xiao Cong sighed.

"What did these people do wrong? The old people stay and wait to die, the prime of life, the youth, the youth, the women, the children, abandon their homes, flee in the flood, if it is a natural disaster, then there is nothing to say, all living beings can only bear it - but it is*! ”

Xiao Cong looked at the dark sky, the stars were clearly extinguished, flickering with cold light.

"They are all human beings – brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, grandfathers, grandmothers – all want to live. Even though they are the lowest and lowly people, they are all the same. There are also loved ones, and it will be painful to lose them. And the children, what are their sins? is still ignorant of this world, and they are ruined by the power of the strong, except for crying and death, they don't even know how to resist. They have no way to resist but to accept the fate of death, and they don't know where to go. ”

"Ah Yan, it shouldn't be like this."

"This is not how the world should be."