Yuan Tao walked in front with a paper lamp in a depressed mood, followed by fourteen brothers, one of whom drove a carriage towards the shed area in the east of the city.

At this time, the sky was still dark, and there was only a white star dotted with deep blue on the horizon, surrounded by the outline of the roof, and the city of exchange was under curfew. Only they, the soldiers of the Tang Army, can walk on the streets in a dignified manner.

After entering the shed area, one person stayed in the carriage and waited, and the rest and Yuan Tao gathered around to discuss in a low voice.

"Our people's four-month salary is just enough to settle a family, or the old way, decided by lottery."

Yuan Tao took off the bucket from his waist and shook it back and forth with both hands solemnly until a bamboo stick fell out of the tube.

A chief bent down to pick it up from the soil and handed it to Yuan Tao. Yuan Tao leaned in front of his face to identify it carefully, Shi Chang hurriedly hit the flint with a fire sickle, and by the flickering glimmer of light, he vaguely distinguished the eight small characters "Xu Liuniang, Lu Sanjing's wife".

"Okay, it's time for the Mitsui brothers' wives and daughters, let's call them up while it's dark, pack up our things and get out of the city as soon as possible. You have to be careful, don't wake up other ladies and let them see the sadness. ”

The crowd stooped and groped forward, and after passing through five or six sheds, there was a collapsed clearing in front of them.

Yuan Tao blinked in surprise: "This is the case, we didn't go to the wrong place?"

"No," said one of the chiefs affirmatively behind him, "we have been here dozens of times in this shed alley, how can we go wrong."

Another person said, "Isn't it because a ghost hit the wall?"

Yuan Tao turned his head and glared at the person who spoke, and decided to continue to explore a little, and just a few steps away, he vaguely saw a lady wrapped in a headscarf in front of him, bending down to pick up things in the basket. Behind her was a pony with a basket of broken things such as sheep felt and water jugs. The other basket contained two young children.

"Six ladies?"

Xu Liuniang straightened her waist, took off her headscarf and bowed, with a grateful and excited look on her face: "Marshal Yuan, you are finally here, they said that you are on official business...... In short, the slave family wants to thank you for your great kindness on behalf of the dead Lu Lang and his brothers. ”

After she finished speaking, she knelt on the ground with a puff, turned around and took out the two young children sitting in the basket, and pressed them to the ground: "Kowtow to the uncles, quick, thank you to the marshal and the military masters for giving us widowed women a way to live."

"This can't be helped!" Yuan Tao hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, and asked excitedly and excitedly, "What the hell is going on?" Also, where are the other ladies?"

Xu Liuniang asked with a surprised expression: "You don't know?" Yesterday it was not you who sent men to distribute money and rations for our journey, and gave us an animal for each family. ”

Yuan Tao and his brothers stood in place, and they didn't react for a long time.

They hurriedly stepped forward, and while helping to hang the basket on the back of the pony, Yuan Tao asked, "What does the person who gave you money look like?" When did the other ladies leave, and will they be taken care of on their way?"

Xu Liuniang stroked her hair and said: "They all said that it was the robe of your eighth regiment, although we didn't know any of them, but after all, they were here to send money, and we didn't have any doubts." One of the lieutenants was sturdy, but he was particularly careful in his work, and he was afraid that we would not take care of it when we brought so much money on the road, so he exchanged some of it for gold trees, and said that gold was cheaper in Anxi, and when it arrived in the Dunhuang area of Guazhou, it could be exchanged for more copper coins. ”

"The captain specially found a caravan for them to accompany them on the road, and there is also a team of bodyguards of the Suo family in Guazhou, saying that although you can rest assured, this is the captain's acquaintance, and he will definitely be able to escort them to Longyou safely."

Yuan Tao nodded in a trance, he was indeed thoughtful and meticulous, even if he Yuan Tao arranged it, it would be impossible to do it to such an extent.

A chief asked, "Xu Liuniang, why didn't you leave with them yesterday?"

Xu Liuniang's expression was a little sad, and she lowered her head and said, "Yesterday they were in a hurry, and they didn't bother to go to the grave to burn incense for the Lang people. But I am a little reluctant, it was Lu Lang who took me to Anxi to change the city, and now we are going to return to our hometown, but I left him here alone......"

She raised her hand and wiped away a handful of tears and said, "Yesterday I stayed, burned incense on the grave for them, made offerings, and dug a pot of soil, ready to take it back to the hometown, where Lu Lang's soul should be contained."

Yuan Tao and the brothers couldn't help but feel sad, thousands of miles of green mountains buried loyal souls, this may be their future destination.

"Don't talk about that." Yuan Tao personally led the pony in front and said, "I have prepared a carriage for you and arranged for two brothers to personally send you back to your hometown."

Xu Liuniang waved her hand again and again: "How can I trouble you again?" It takes more than two months to come and go from Anxi to the Central Plains, and you are in military affairs, how can you delay because of me. ”

"It's okay, I've already taken leave from the lieutenant on their behalf, and we don't feel at ease if you go on the road alone."

A group of them hugged Xu Liuniang to the street, two of them drove in front, the other led a pony, Xu Liuniang and the child were sent into the carriage.

At this time, the sky was already bright, and there was a glow gilding gold on the female wall of the city, and the bell chime of the city tower had already struck six times. The caravans stationed in the city had begun to organize their goods and feed the camels, and the jingle of camel bells rang in all directions.

The carriage carrying Xu Liuniang was mixed in the middle of the caravan, waiting for the city gate to slowly open in a creaking sound. She poked her head out of the window and beckoned to Yuan Tao and his party who were behind.

"Let's go back!"

"When you return to the Central Plains in the future, Liuniang will entertain you with chicken millet!"

The ruts of the carriage pressed the vigorous green grass and chariots, and the green hills wearing ice and snow hats spread on Xu Liuniang's way home.

Yuan Tao turned around in a daze, carrying a paper lamp and preparing to return to the regimental camp, the rest of the people followed him unhurriedly, he lowered his head and slowly savored and pondered, and suddenly turned around and asked: "When I followed them to rob the big food caravan that day, the big food merchant said that what is the value of the goods left behind?"

The brothers were puzzled and did not understand why he was asking such questions.

"I remember, it seemed like two million dollars."

"Two million money...... Yuan Tao pondered carefully: "These two million dollars, in addition to the salary of the whole group and the placement of twelve ladies, can there be any left?" How much can be left?"

"There isn't much left, the military salary of the Eighth Regiment for four months adds up to nearly one million dollars, and it also takes more than 900,000 yuan to settle the girls, maybe it's just enough."

In this way, Li Siye's motive for taking his own soldiers to rob the Great Food Caravan was found, and he could not measure what Li Siye had done, or perhaps he was not knowledgeable enough to find the answer in the yellowed scriptures.

Yuan Tao stopped, turned around and said with a stern expression: "You remember for me!" You may not be accustomed to his robbery, but you must not forget his kindness to our dead brothers of the Sixth Regiment, even if he has a utilitarian heart, you must not let him down!"

With that, he strode into the distance, leaving his brothers looking at each other on the ground.

One of the chiefs muttered angrily, "Who can't get used to it? I've wanted to do this for a long time! If it weren't for the marshal, you would be high, and I would ......"

The other brothers hurriedly grabbed him and said, "Don't let him hear it, you think you're unlucky!"

"Actually, he didn't say that to us."

"Who can he say to just us?"

"Guess?"

……