The night in the north always comes very suddenly.

Unconsciously, like a thin veil gently covering down.

Covered the body of Jing Yao and his party.

They had just come out of the forest.

Although they are all camouflaged, such a long team of horses, with all their belongings, is still very eye-catching.

Gao Ren prepared more than one female dependent for Jing Yao.

There are also local costumes from the Zhenbei Royal Domain.

The steppe people are born with a strong physique.

If you want to buy it in a general garment store, it is estimated that it is difficult to find a suitable one.

These clothes were specially customized by Gao Ren.

"It's dark!"

Gao Ren said.

"Hmmm......"

Jing Yao answered, still riding her horse and walking forward.

Jing Yao was very absent-minded.

But his eyes were straight ahead.

Look at the last moment of the sun.

"About five miles ahead, there is a town!"

Gao Ren continued.

"Hmmm......"

Gao Ren said one sentence after another, and he had to force Jing Yao to speak.

The two had already made an agreement.

Although Gao Ren will go all the way, he will obey Jing Yao's arrangements along the way.

The nearby mountains are like the sea.

From a distance, the remnant sun is like blood.

"If you miss this town, you'll have to sleep in the field tonight!"

"Everyone has to sleep, aren't you sleepy?"

Gao Ren asked rhetorically.

"I'm not sleepy...... I just want to travel more and get there early. ”

At least until you get to the iron mines.

"You want to sleep?"

Jing Yao finally turned around and said a complete sentence.

But Jing Yao ignored a reality.

That's that no one will move at night.

There are only two kinds of people who move at night.

Jing Yao said coldly.

The soldiers are fast, and the late ones will change.

It's all about speed.

But the person who saves his life will not bring anything, but only want to run as far as possible.

After saying this, Jing Yao seemed to suddenly understand such a truth.

So he snorted softly.

The first is to owe money and run away overnight to avoid debts.

The second is to kill someone and run away overnight to save your life.

Those who hide from debts will take with them everything they can take with them.

This is the boundary of Yanzhou in the Zhenbei royal domain.

It is only a small river away from Hongzhou.

Places with good weather during the day can look across the water.

Urging the horse under his crotch, he spread his hooves.

After all, it was not long after sunset that I arrived at the town that Gao Ren said.

The lights are on, and the streets are bustling.

He asked Gao Ren and his subordinates to find a place to settle down first, but he went to the water's edge first.

At the riverside, he didn't see any ferries.

Presumably, very few people crossed the river at this point.

The town is called Xia Tong.

Although it is a place name, it resembles a woman's personal name.

After Jing Yao walked into the town with a team of horses, it naturally attracted passers-by to watch.

Most of the veins in the Zhenbei King Domain are in Hongzhou.

Yanzhou only accounted for one tail.

The so-called water cut mountain.

The boatmen were either eating and drinking in the town, or they had already fallen asleep after a day's work.

Jing Yao sighed softly, and had to turn the horse's head and return to the town.

Indeed, he wanted to cross the river today.

The façade is not big.

The first floor is a restaurant, and the upper two floors are inns.

It's a great design.

Mountains and rivers are cut off.

Where there is water, the mountains either rise by the water, or they are divided into the middle.

There is a small shop in the town.

"The guest officer is with them?"

The guy asked.

"How many rooms do you have here?"

A drunk person only needs to staggering up the stairs to fall headlong into bed and sleep soundly for the night.

However, if you really want to get drunk, I am afraid that you will not even have the strength to go up the steps in the end......

Jing Yao dismounted and handed the reins to the man who greeted the guest in front of the door.

"Three floors, I want it! Don't let others go up again!"

Jing Yao said that, took out some scattered silver and threw it on the ground.

"Okay!

Jing Yao asked.

"Except for a few guests on the second floor, the rest are empty!"

The guy said.

Don't say it fell to the ground.

Even if it is still in the muddy pool, in the big manure tank, he will not hesitate to fish it out.

Silver is silver, and nothing can be defiled.

The guy crouched down and said as he picked up the money.

He didn't care if the money was handed to him or if it was still on the ground.

In this fellow's eyes, silver is the holiest thing in the world!

Wouldn't the money be for nothing?

You don't have to do anything, but you can get a reward.

Whoever you put it on, you will laugh out loud with joy.

But this guy is happy, not just for the reward.

It's because after thinking about it in his heart, he found that Jing Yao's group was just enough to fill the third floor.

But it also saves himself and the shopkeeper a lot of effort.

The shopkeeper asked.

"Big fish and big meat are on it, and then I want you to have the best wine here!"

Gao Ren patted the table and said.

Walking into the store, Jing Yao and his party occupied three seats.

When the shopkeeper saw that so many people had come, he immediately came out to serve in person, and his face was full of courtesy.

"Would you like something to eat?"

At a glance, it can be seen that this Gao Ren is not the master who can make decisions in this line.

If you want to let yourself go to the back hall and order these dishes to taste wine, you have to nod the head of the master next to you.

"That's all for now. You don't have to drink too much. ”

The shopkeeper glanced at him and said yes.

But his body didn't move.

The shopkeeper's eye is full of vision.

But he immediately turned around and walked towards the back hall.

At this moment, the guy who greeted the customer at the door also returned to the store to respond.

The two of them circled around Jing Yao like marquees.

Jing Yao said.

"Come on, please, get on right away!"

The shopkeeper said.

Gao Ren said.

He could know what Jing Yao was trying to write.

Therefore, along the way, he always gave him an answer before Jing Yao spoke.

made Jing Yao very unhappy.

He looked at his group, only to find that the woman was missing.

She went to her room first and said she was going to clean up. ”

But time and time again, it's just cleverness.

To a certain extent, it's not just about making people jealous......

It's annoying!

Although this saved Jing Yao a lot of worries.

But the feeling of being seen through everything is really annoying.

Once or twice, it can be said that it is heart-to-heart, and the heart is spiritual.

When the woman went downstairs, the wine was just on the table.

The woman naturally sat next to Jing Yao and poured wine for him.

Originally, his identity was Jing Yao's dependent.

Now Jing Yao looks at Gao Ren, but how awkward she looks.

There were a few times on the road that I almost drew my sword.

But every time his hand just couldn't hold it and was on the hilt of the knife, Gao Ren just smiled and walked away with the horse in his arms.

"I only have flower names. Now you can call me whatever you want. ”

The woman said.

Jing Yao nodded.

Such an attitude and approach are also reasonable.

"I don't know your name yet. ”

Jing Yao picked up the wine glass and said in a low voice.

Even when he told the shopkeeper before, he didn't drink too much.

Gao Ren, on the other hand, drank directly with the wine jug.

It's still addictive in my mouth.

But he only smelled the wine in the glass, but he didn't drink it.

The grassland people are not happy without meat, and they are not happy without wine.

Why didn't Jing Yao drink tonight?

It's not that he doesn't want to drink.

Rather, they did not dare to drink.

Especially in front of Gao Ren, he didn't dare to drink.

Jing Yao glanced at it indifferently.

Not much to say.

Just greeted his subordinates casually.

People have to do things with a purpose.

Gao Ren has his own purpose.

The shopkeeper and the guys are courteous to make money, which is also a purpose.

As long as your mind is a little slow.

He had to worry that he would fall for Gao Ren's calculations.

This worry has been haunting him since he set out, and it has not dissipated until now.

He even wanted to ask directly, but in the end he gave up.

For a person like Gao Ren, what he wants to say will tell you everything in detail.

If you don't want to say it, you don't want to hear a word.

However, Gao Ren was so active in communicating with Jing Yao, but he couldn't see any benefits at all.

Jing Yao had already thought about this question when she saw Gao Ren in the hut.

But there was no answer.

Fish, the fish in the river outside Xia Tong Town.

The method is just ordinary braised dishes.

But it's not oiled.

What's more, Jing Yao didn't feel that she had enough ability to balance Gao Ren.

"The guest officer has come from afar?"

The shopkeeper personally brought a plate of fish and put it in front of Jing Yao, and then asked.

"Why is there no oil or water in this meal?"

Jing Yao asked.

He chewed on the greens in his mouth, only to feel unusually bland.

So the appearance of serving it is very unsightly.

Jing Yao didn't eat fish.

Instead, he added a mouthful of greens.

"What's the difference between oil, water, and salt and far?"

Jing Yao asked.

"The location of Xia Tong Town is the junction of the two states. Originally, it was in an excellent location in the field, and there was an endless stream of pedestrians and merchants. ”

Not only is there no oil and water, but even very little salt is put in.

"That's why I said that the guest officer came from afar......"

The shopkeeper sighed and said.

Although Jing Yao didn't like it in her heart, in order to show natural peace, she also politely poured a glass of wine for the shopkeeper.

"Then why are you so depressed now? I don't think you're the only wine shop in this town, and even this hall is empty......

Jing Yao said.

The shopkeeper said.

But he moved a chair from the side and sat down, looking at the posture, and he was also a talker......

Once you open your mouth, you will definitely refuse to give up without finishing speaking.

Jing Yao is no exception.

"Xia Tong Town is surrounded by mountains, there is a cliff in the east, and there is a mountain road path in the west, but it is necessary to climb over the looking peak. The mountain roads are rugged, everyone knows that. However, with the convenience of the river, it is much more brisk. This river can go straight to the north of the earthquake to the north of the city. To the south, it joins the Taishang River. ”

The shopkeeper said.

He had no interest in the affairs of Xia Tong Town.

After all, tomorrow morning, he was leaving.

However, the words of this shopkeeper can arouse people's curiosity.

When he was a child, there was also a river in front of the tent where he lived.

Meandering through the grasslands.

In the early morning, the young Jing Yao would get up early and climb to a high place not far from the camp tent to look.

"With such a river that communicates the north and the south, Xia Tong Town can be regarded as a paradise!"

Jing Yao said.

The shopkeeper's description reminded him of his hometown.

Jing Yao lay on the ground.

Look up at the sky.

But I felt like I could reach it as soon as I stretched out my hand.

Look at the red sun in the east, rising from behind the snow-capped mountain breeze at the end of the grassland.

Against the backdrop of the brilliant morning sun, the sky is extremely blue.

But it's not very far.

Even in the height of summer, you can still see wildflowers dotted with endless greenery.

If it rained yesterday.

There will be a moist aroma in the air.

Boundless blue and boundless green converge under the snowy peaks at the end.

Like a piece of immaculate jade, rippling in the sea, and dotted with a small piece of mutton fat.

Spring in the steppe doesn't come early, but it's always long.

At this time, his mother also got up and released the cows, sheep, and horses that had been kept in captivity.

It was in a group, with leisurely steps, lying on the ground, very carelessly gnawing on the tender grass.

And it is a little wolf who cares for them.

It was the smell of earth mixed with flowers and grass.

White tents are dotted on the grassland.

Under the rising sun, it shines brightly.

A gust of wind blew, bringing her mother's call to Jing Yao's ears.

He trotted down from the high ground, passed through the herd, reached out and touched his wolf, and then went into the tent.

In the middle of the morning, there would be a crisp sound of bells in the distance.

It was Jing Yao's mount and his most loyal companion.

In the sun, its coat color is exceptionally shiny.

Especially on the ears and neck, it seems that every tip of the hair is shining with new light.

Let him grow up quickly, and become as majestic as the wolf in the crotch of this leader.

But every time his little wolf would scoff at these words.

Turning his head, he left with his tail between his legs.

It was a merchant on the steppe, carrying goods, walking along the river and selling along the road.

The leader rode a tall and handsome wolf, whose posture was majestic against the blue sky, snowy peaks, and green grass.

Jing Yao looked at the wolf ride under the leader's crotch, and would always hug the neck of her little wolf and whisper.

The crooked waters of the river are no exception.

The flowing red water of the river burned like a fire.

His mother told him that it was the blood of his ancestors.

This is not Jing Yao's favorite time of the day.

He loves the deep sunset more than the bright morning sun.

The sunset casts the grasslands in a blush.

What if one day, a foreigner wants to take away the fresh air, the green grassland, and the fresh river?

So his mother gave Jing Yao a knife when he was ten years old.

The knife was too cumbersome for him at the time......

Although they have passed away, they are still incarnated in the grassland, silently nourishing us and guarding their descendants.

Jing Yao grew up drinking water from this river.

It was the ancestors who nursed him with their own blood.

Can blood stains be washed with water?

The stains of blood can only be completely clear with blood.

The young Jing Yao held her father's knife and saw the reflection of the sunset in the river, and there were as many as eighteen.

But it was a knife left behind by his father.

The scabbard still had dried blood.

To this day, Jing Yao has not wiped it clean.

But he didn't notice the smile of his mother behind him.

The sound of the wind can send his mother's call, and it will also send away his last sigh.

Jing Yao was not sad after her mother's death.

His mother pointed to the reflection of the setting sun in the river and told him that when his father died in battle, he had been hit by eighteen arrows in addition to the scars of his sword.

Jing Yao angrily pulled out his sword that was nearly one person high.

Slash at the reflection of the setting sun on the river.

And his mother must have seen the scene of her son riding on a wolf riding and fighting.

Jing Yao looked out the door and saw a soaring eagle in the dark sky.

Between the wings of the eagle is the mother's even brighter smile.

The steppe people have always been able to face death calmly.

Because in their minds, the Heroic Spirit will not be extinguished.

They will still live in the campfires in front of every steppe man's tent, in the silent flowing river, and in every inch of the steppe.

Jing Yao muttered.

"It's a good place, indeed, but since the arrival of a group of bandits on the peak, all of this has changed......"

The shopkeeper continued Jing Yao's words.

The shopkeeper saw Jing Yao distracted.

I closed my mouth and sat quietly on the sidelines.

"It's a good place......

"Mountain bandits, why didn't the government send troops to encircle and suppress them?"

Jing Yao asked.

Although the grassland is not as prosperous as the Five Great Princes.

Jing Yao smiled.

He said that the good place was his hometown.

But it was the shopkeeper's crooked beating that he thought he was admiring this Xia Tong Town.

"Of course, it was encircled and suppressed! But this group of mountain bandits is also very good...... When the officials and troops of the king of Zhenbei surrounded and suppressed, they took the money they had looted and hid in the water. But he didn't emerge from the river for several days. The officers and soldiers were in the air, so they had to set fire to their camp, and then made an official article to appease the people, and left. ”

The shopkeeper said.

That's an exaggeration...... How can a person be in the water for days without showing his head? If you don't drown, you will suffocate to death!"

But it is very rare for a strongman like this to block the road and rob a house.

Thinking of this, Jing Yao arrogantly glanced at every person in the Zhenbei Domain.

The pride in my heart is palpable.

The shopkeeper said.

Jing Yao looked at him with such a big belly now, and she really couldn't imagine that this shopkeeper was still a water athlete when he was young.

Many people by the river rely on a good water to live...... If a passing ship capsized, they put on a set of water gear they had made and went down to help them salvage it. ”

Jing Yao said.

But I feel that this shopkeeper is a little too exaggerated.

"Guest, you may have lived inland for a long time, but I don't know that many people on the banks of this river can do this! Even when I was young, I could swim out more than a mile in one breath!"

He had only seen armor and steel knives.

The word water is really new to him.

"Everyone is different...... Most of them are made of oilcloth, and they are impermeable and have no gaps. Then he has a hollowed-out wooden stick in his mouth, which can reach out to the surface of the water to breathe. That way, even if you stay in the water for a few days, you'll be fine. I just can't stand hungry!"

The shopkeeper continued.

"What does the water look like?"

Jing Yao asked.

Jing Yao asked.

"Of course! They have already taken this path and made a fortune! How could they give up so easily? After going and returning, they will not only be the king of the mountain...... Even the river near Xia Tong Town has been managed!"

The shopkeeper said.

The shopkeeper said while gesturing.

After speaking, he smiled and touched his stomach.

"So those mountain bandits went and came back after the officers and soldiers left?"

"So...... If foreign merchants want to do business in Xia Tong Town, or pass through Xia Tong Town to go to Hongzhou, they will be troubled by them in various names. There are even private courts! There are even countless exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes under various names...... Over time, everyone would rather take a long detour than covet this near place. Xia Tong Town just fell like this......"

The shopkeeper said.

The tone was full of helplessness.

Jing Yao nodded after hearing this.

No wonder when he went to the river, he didn't even see a boatman.

It turned out that these waterways and dry roads were monopolized by those strongmen.

The shopkeeper said.

With that, he drank another glass of wine and got up to leave.

"Since you can get this oil, salt and wine, are you familiar with that group of strongmen?"

"So this meal lacks salt and oil, and that's why it's the case?"

Jing Yao asked.

"No, that's it, I got it from outside...... This shop is said to be old, but it is also an ancestor. I'm ready to live one day, open one day. The son and a pair of daughters followed their wives back to their parents' homes. I don't have any worries either. Anyway, there are fewer and fewer people in Xia Tong Town......"

"How can I say that I know each other! That has to be called filial piety! The three or five people in the lead are not a few years older than my son, and I almost call my father ......."

The shopkeeper said.

But with a stomach full of resentment, he sat back again.

Jing Yao suddenly spoke.

The shopkeeper's back was facing Jing Yao, a fine light flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were hooked upward.

But when he turned around, his face was full of bitterness......

The shopkeeper waved his hand again and again.

Jing Yao had already thought of this layer.

The one who just opened his mouth to stop the shopkeeper was also because of this matter.

"I'm going to cross the river to Hongzhou tomorrow. ”

Jing Yao said.

"Don't blame me for not reminding you, this guest officer...... If you just go to the riverbank, no one will take care of you on time!"

I did this just to hook him out.

It's really aggrieved to think about it......

The prince of the dignified grassland royal court is a pivotal figure in the entire grassland.

"But I'm here...... You can't turn around and take a long detour, can you?"

Jing Yao said.

He knew that this shopkeeper must have a way.

It's not loud.

The tone is extremely light.

"Madame, insight......ful! So if you don't have any preparations, it's better to go back the same way and take a detour to Hongzhou!"

How did you get to this Zhenbei King Domain, but you still have to give worship to a group of strongmen......

"The strong dragon does not suppress the head snake!"

The woman beside Jing Yao spoke.

The throbbing turned into pain in the blink of an eye.

But she thought too much and too far ahead, and she was amorous......

Life is like a play, but what is acted is acted, and what is fake is fake.

The shopkeeper arched his hand to the woman and said.

Just hearing the word 'madam' in his mouth, the woman's heart throbbed......

She looked at Jing Yao's cold and resolute face.

Jing Yao noticed the strangeness of the woman beside her.

But he still asked quietly.

"Of course it'......"

The real thing can be sung on the stage.

But how many things on the stage can be sung true?

"What is the so-called preparation of the shopkeeper?"

"There must be a ...... for this preparation It's just that this mountain gate is high, but there is no way out!"

Jing Yao said.

Gao Ren listened to the conversation between the two, but he only cared about drinking and ignored it.

The shopkeeper stretched out his right hand and rubbed his thumb between the other four fingers.

Jing Yao saw this action and smiled.

The shopkeeper laughed too.

But Jing Yao is not a fool either.

If Xia Tongzhen has become like this, and his shopkeeper can still gain a firm foothold here and run an inn and wine shop, then he must have a lot to do with those strong people.