The way to the Holy Capital is a long way, especially if you start from the Imperial Capital of the Silver Moon Empire. The three of them had to go all the way to the south, but also beware of Lantai's people chasing or intercepting them, and along the way, they were detouring and disguised, and they couldn't always drive the carriage away, sometimes they had to ride horses, sometimes they had to take boats, and sometimes they even had to walk......

On the way, the three of them heard the news from the imperial capital from teahouses, inns and other places one after another. Those news were usually conveyed to the local government by the messengers of the empire galloping down the official roads on fast horses, some of them were even conveyed by the wind falcon, and some of them directly posted notices and spread slowly.

From these news, the three of them knew that the imperial capital of the crown prince Longde was deposed, but for a while there was no other crown prince, leaving a position; the imperial capital sent an envoy to the flying fox to seek peace talks with the other party, but obviously he was not very sure, so he recruited a large number of soldiers and laborers throughout the empire, and requisitioned a large army and grain and grass to the north......

The atmosphere of the coming war once again filled the entire empire. Where the three of them passed, they could often see a large number of troops marching north along the official road, shouting horses and neighing, and making noise. The army of the empire was not all cavalry, and the infantry was still the largest, although it marched along a wide and flat official road, but how fast could it walk on two legs?

In this way, it is impossible to reach the northern border in ten days and a half months, and it is impossible to complete the assembly in more than a month!

On this day, the three of them rode down the road, and by noon they were hungry and thirsty, and the horses looked quite tired. This kind of continuous rush, although they are all cultivated, but some of them can't withstand it.

Xiao Yao took a sip of water, looked at the front of her with a cloth hanging on the tree, looked at it with her hand on the pergola, and said with a smile: "There seems to be a tea pavilion in front, let's go over and finish drinking tea, and let the horses rest by the way!"

Que Wan'er said, "Hmm." We can withstand it, but the horses can't stand it. Go and rest!"

Ling Ye naturally would not object. The three of them came to the front together, and saw that it was indeed a tea pavilion, cooking tea on a pot stove, and there were five or six somewhat shabby tables and more than a dozen benches beside the tea pavilion. An old man with gray hair in an apron was sitting by the stove, as if in deep thought about something.

Seeing the three of them coming, the old man stood up and greeted in a somewhat hoarse voice: "Do you want to drink tea? There is only a big bowl of tea here, if you don't dislike it, please choose a seat and sit!"

All three looked at the old man for a moment. The old man was a little hunched over, his face was full of wind and frost, his hands and feet were rough, and his hands were covered with calluses.

Xiao Yao smiled: "It's tea." You don't have to rush to greet us, you just boil the water, I'll make tea, and the tea fee will be paid. ”

The old man bowed slightly, "Yes, thank you for your patronage!" and said as he stepped forward, led the horses of the three of them to the side, and brought a large bundle of fresh grass to feed.

Que Wan'er chose a place that looked fairly clean and sat down, opened the bag and took out three bowls. No matter how she said it, she was born in a noble family, and she loved clean people very much, and she didn't want to use the dishes and chopsticks used by many people on the road, so she walked with the dishes and chopsticks. Ling Ye took the bowl to the stove, took boiling water, scalded it and washed it, and then took it back. Xiao Yao asked the old man for a teapot, took out the best tea leaves he brought, and made tea with his own hands.

Before the tea was brewed, the three of them chatted with the old man. Xiao Yao asked, "Boss, shouldn't this be the time when there are a lot of people? You are a tea pavilion opened on the side of the road, why no one comes to drink tea?"

The old man sighed and said slowly, "The three of you are from afar, right? No wonder you don't know what is going on here." Recently, the empire conscripted soldiers and servants, and from the ages of eighteen to thirty-five to serve in war, and from thirty-six to fifty years old, they were to serve in hard labor. No one is willing to work hard for the empire, let alone work hard, so at this age, when they hear the rumors, they all run away, and no one comes to drink tea. ”

Xiao Yao asked, "Run, where can I run?"

The old man said, "Go to the mountains and forests and hide! ”

Que Wan'er said: "The government won't just give up, right?"

The old man nodded: "Definitely." When orders and documents were issued from above, they had to look for people according to the number of people they wanted on the documents, and if they couldn't find them, they would arrest them, and if they couldn't catch them, they would search them. If you really can't do it, you can pull it away like an older or younger one. Anyway, it looks like it's about the same, as for the age, it's written on the paperwork, what kind of number to write, the government knows better than anyone else. ”

Que Wan'er shook her head again and again: "Really...... Brutal!"

The old man sneered slightly: "For the people in the official government, if the orders from above cannot be fulfilled, they will not be able to keep the official hat on their heads, and they will be fined for the light, and demoted for the heavy." There's no way, in order to keep the official hat, if you don't take the common people to top it, who will take it?"

Ling Ye asked him, "What about ...... Your family ......"

The old man shook his head: "I'm not worried. I am a lonely old man, without a wife or children, and I am too old, and the government has no interest in me. I still just need to sell big bowls of tea here, and I can't care about anything else!"

While speaking, the tea was also brewed, Xiao Yao picked it up and poured it for the three of them, and poured a bowl for the old man. The old man thanked him and said, "The three of you are drinking good tea! This is not the tea that the little old man can sell at this roadside tea shop!"

All three laughed but did not answer. The old man blew off the hot air and took a sip, sighed in admiration, and said to the three of them: "I think the three of them are all young, and it is best to be careful when walking these days and avoid people in the official mansion." Because there are too many people running, the government can't make up enough for a while, and they will definitely arrest people when they see them, and they won't ask you where you came from. Que Wan'er's master and servant both changed their men's clothes, but he didn't see it.

Que Wan'er smiled: "Yes, thank you for your advice!"

Ling Ye stretched out his hand to pick up the bowl, then put it down again, listened to it closely, and said, "Footsteps, many people, are coming this way!"

Que Wan'er was startled and asked in a low voice, "Are you here to catch us?" Her skills were not as good as Ling Ye, and she couldn't hear the sound of footsteps.

Ling Ye shook his head: "No." The footsteps were heavy, disorganized, mixed with some shouting and scolding, and there seemed to be people waving whips, which sounded like a group of ordinary people who had not cultivated or trained. ”

Que Wan'er said: "Then it is estimated that it is the people in the official mansion that the old man said!"

The old man heard them speak and reminded: "Three, if the little old man guessed correctly, it is the people in the official palace who used to arrest people before. You'd better hide behind them and avoid them!"

Ling Ye said quietly: "It's not busy, it's still a little far, and we still have time to drink this bowl of tea." ”

After drinking the tea, the three of them gathered up and led the horses that were still grazing towards the woods behind. The old man also hurriedly cleaned up, and then returned to the tea pavilion and sat down, waiting for the group of people to arrive.