Mengjindu is the nearest Jinhe wharf from Luoyi, where business travelers from all over the world gather, or cross the river and go south and north; Or take a boat and go along the Jin River in two different directions.

Although the war clouds in the Central Plains of the Shengtang Dynasty are now thick, and the forces of all parties are about to break out into a series of wars, Mengjindu is still a prosperous and noisy scene. Regardless of the prosperous times or troubled times, the days must continue to pass, especially the rare transportation arteries like Mengjindu, which occupy the advantages of extending in all directions, and inevitably gather more popularity and wealth. However, at present, in addition to those businessmen who are buying and selling for their livelihood, more people in Mengjindu are refugees who are ready to flee to Hebei to escape the scourge of war.

Everyone knows that after the fall of the imperial capital, the next one should be the eastern capital.

Regardless of whether it is a Turkic ghost who kills people without blinking, or Taifu Xie who occupies Luoyi City, or the prince who is preparing to counterattack in Hebei Province, they will definitely have a fierce fight in Luoyi in the end, and leave early, so as not to become an unlucky pond fish.

Not far from Mengjindu Wharf, there is a small town, which has always been the first choice for business travelers to rest. While waiting for the boat, people crowded into the town, eating and resting, and inquiring about all kinds of news.

In the evening of this day, on the main street of the ferry town, a beautiful woman wearing a green dress and a sword on her back suddenly came. Just looking at her hurried appearance, you can know that this person is in a hurry to get on the boat. But it's a pity that the world is not peaceful at the moment, so Mengjin Ferry Wharf has changed the rules, and only during the day can the boat ferry, as soon as the sky is dark, the boat bosses will call it a day and go home.

Sure enough, the woman ran across the long street and went straight to the ferry, and after a while, she turned back in a daze, apparently eating the closed door. A few beggars on the side of the road called Hanako Seeing this, they secretly laughed and surrounded them, calling their aunts and grandmothers to be okay, and begging the woman to reward a few copper plates to buy buns to eat.

The woman in Tsing Yi was also refreshing, and while taking out a few big sons from her waist bag, she asked with a smile that there was a cleaner inn in this town, and how to go. The eldest old man named Hanako took the money, thanked him a few words, and then recommended Yunlai Restaurant to the woman, saying that all high-grade businessmen usually settle there, and the more expensive ones are, but the conditions are the best.

The woman nodded in satisfaction, and was about to lift her feet to leave, but inadvertently, out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a beggar lying under the root of the wall not far away. The woman was slightly stunned, obviously the person seemed to be known to her, but she wondered if she was dazzled and recognized the wrong person, so she couldn't help but look at it for a moment.

The old man standing next to him called Hanako was old and mature, and when he saw the woman paying attention to his companion, he said with a smile: "Grandma, that guy is very pitiful, and I don't know what trouble he suffered. On weekdays, thanks to the help of a few of us, we survived. Or would you pity him? ”

The woman in Tsing Yi ignored him, and carefully identified it for a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly rushed to the side of the crazy beggar, and called softly tentatively: "Murong Xue? ”

The beggar was not asleep at this time, but when he heard the woman's voice, he did not respond, and turned over to lie down against the wall.

At this time, the woman could completely conclude that the filthy, smelly and dirty Huazi in front of her was indeed the dignified East Palace Zhan Shi Murong Xue.

She showed a look of surprise, and shouted softly: "Hey, Murong Xue, look at who I am, don't you know me?" Brother-in-law, look at me! Remember? I'm Renhime. ”

With a "brother-in-law", the beggar's body couldn't help but tremble slightly. He paused for a few moments, slowly turned his head, squinted his eyes at the woman, and then hesitated and asked, "Xiaolian?" ”

"yes, that's me." Lian Ji looked very happy: "I thought you really didn't remember me." ”

The down-and-out "crazy beggar" in front of him is indeed Murong Xue, but at this time, he does not have the grace of a young general and the head of the East Palace, but is unkempt, ragged, and indescribably lonely and sloppy.

Lian Ji waved her hand, signaling the beggars not to gather around to watch the excitement, then turned her head and asked, "Brother-in-law, how did you become like this?" What's wrong? ”

With this question, Murong Xue couldn't help but feel shocked again, and then his eyes became hollow, as if he remembered something terrible, and after a while, Murong Xue suddenly beat his chest and cried: "I...... My good girl......"

The terrible cry caused the beggars, who had already gone away, to stop and turn back, not knowing what had happened.

Lian Ji was also taken aback by his appearance, and hurriedly said, "Hey, what are you doing here?" What kind of mourning is the howl of the good end? ”

"That's right! It's a howl! Murong Xue snorted and cried, and shouted in pain: "In order to save this rotten life, I am greedy for life and afraid of death, and I have killed your sister and our children, I am not as good as a beast!" ”

Lian Ji was slightly stunned when she heard this, and then she seemed to understand something, leaned over and whispered in Murong Xue's ear: "Don't cry, my sister is not dead!" ”

This sentence was like a thunderbolt from the sky, which shocked Murong Xue, and looked at Lian Ji in disbelief: "What did you say?" What nonsense did you just say? ”

"I'm not talking nonsense, my sister is still alive." Lian Ji looked left and right at the dimly lit street, and her voice was still very low: "This is not the place to talk, you get up and follow me, let's find a secluded place and talk slowly." ”

Murong Xue was puzzled in her heart, and staggered up from the ground, and when Lian Ji saw this, she turned around and walked in front. The two of them left the main road and turned into a remote alley not far away, and happened to see a tavern that was a little deserted. Lian Ji looked around vigilantly again, and then without saying a word, she walked in with Murong Xue.

As soon as she entered the store, Lian Ji sat down on the innermost table, and instructed the store to arrange a fat chicken, a few hot dishes of meat and vegetables, and a jar of warm wine.

The shopkeeper saw that the business was finally opened, and he didn't care about Murong Xue's stinky and dirty identity as a flower child, so he hurriedly ran into the back kitchen to arrange some work, and after a while, a table of wine and food was placed in front of the two.

Murong Xue didn't have the heart to eat at this time, and asked anxiously, "Xiaolian, what did you want to say just now?" Can you tell me quickly, why do you say your sister is still alive? ”

Lian Ji tore off a chicken leg with her hands, put it in the dish in front of Murong Xue, and then said leisurely: "Look what the hell you have lost weight." Eat it first, or I won't say a word. ”

Murong Xue was stunned when she heard this, and after confirming that she was not joking, she immediately grabbed the chicken leg without hesitation, tore and bite, and swallowed it all in a few bites. He struggled to swallow the food in his mouth as he asked with difficulty, "Okay...... You, you speak quickly! ”

Lian Ji couldn't help but smile bitterly, and instead of answering, she asked, "Let's talk about it first, why do you think my sister is dead?" ”

Murong Xue glared at her dissatisfied, and said angrily: "The people from the Reverse Scale Division came to save me, but they left your sister alone in the Taifu Mansion. After I escaped death, I felt ashamed of my wife and children, so I didn't rush to leave Luoyi, but hid in the shadows to find out the news of your sister, hoping to save her too. But it didn't take long for me to hear that Rui had died in the scuffle that night...... I couldn't accept this news, and I didn't believe it was true, so I ventured to find the old soldier who was carrying the body at that time, and only then did I confirm the implementation of Rui's death. Do you know? Later, I went to the mass grave in Beishan, Luoyi, and found her body......"

Lian Ji frowned slightly: "Are you sure that corpse is my sister?" ”

"The body was so badly damaged that it was unrecognizable." Murong Xue was a little hesitant: "However, I recognize the dress and clothes on her body." ”

Lian Ji showed a crying and laughing expression, and sighed: "Alas, you are really a person, not in vain infatuation." I'll tell you the truth, my sister didn't die, we were together the other day......"

Murong Xueteng jumped up from his seat: "What you said is true?" Not a nonsense made up to comfort me? ”

Lian Ji gave him an angry look: "I have no relationship with you and no friendship, why should I make up a nonsense to comfort you?" My sister is alive and well now, but she is still in Lao Jianhua's hands, and you can't see her. ”

"No, no, no!" Murong Xue trembled with excitement, first showing a nervous look of joy, and then said anxiously: "I'm going to rescue your sister!" ”

Lian Ji pulled him to sit down, first looked at the shopkeeper who was dozing off not far away, and then said, "Why are you confused?" Single-handedly, you save a ghost! I ask you, why did you end up where you are today, and become a beggar? Didn't you have a long time ago? ”

Murong Xue now pretended to be Rui Ji in her heart, and replied in a reluctant manner: "Alas, I thought that corpse was your sister, so I took it away from the mass grave and buried it in another place." Later, I remember how long I stayed at the grave, and I don't know how long, but I was in a daze, and I don't know when I left or where else I went. To tell the truth, without Rui's good girl, I feel that there is no point in living, just wandering around, dying wherever I want, anyway, the troubles in this world have nothing to do with me. ”

As he spoke, he turned his head and asked, "Has your sister suffered any hardships?" Didn't you meet her the other day? Why didn't you save her? ”

Lian Ji drank all the wine in the cup: "It's okay to tell you." I have an agreement with Lao Jianhua, as long as I help him do a few things, even if I repay a favor back then, after that, everyone will go their own way and will not owe each other. Therefore, from this point of view, my sister and I are not enemies in front of them, and there is no question of whether we can save them or not. Moreover...... Because of our different views on some things, my sisters and I just had a fight, so I left Luoyi alone. ”

Murong Xue was confused when he heard it, but he also knew before that Rui Ji Lianji and Lao Jianhua had indeed known each other for a long time, and the relationship between the three of them could not be explained clearly in one or two sentences. However, since Lian Ji said that his sister is safe for the time being, his heart is a lot more steady.

"Where are you going? Do you still do things for Lao Jianhua? Murong Xue couldn't help but ask.

Lian Ji smiled and shook her head: "The debt has been paid off, and I am now free." Next, I'm going to go to the western frontier. ”

"Western Xinjiang?!" Murong Xue was a little surprised

"That's right, the ghost desert of the Western Frontier." Lian Ji smiled casually: "The Turks captured Tongguan and completely cut off the road between the east and the west. So I had to cross the Kim River from here, turn to Jinju Hajin, and then cross the Kim River again from that place, enter Guanchung, and head west. ”

Murong Xue waved her hand: "I'm not asking you how to go to Western Xinjiang, but I'm curious about why you want to go." Isn't it the territory of the Turks? ”

Lian Ji glanced at him with disgust: "Brother-in-law asked knowingly!" I traveled thousands of miles to the western frontier, of course, to find your good brother Li Jiangyao. You forget, I said before that I would stay with him for the rest of my life. ”