Brother, brother. The newspaper has arrived.
Fan Kuai found Liu Ji with a stack of newspapers in his arms.
Liu Ji sat among a group of sheep and looked at him with an unkempt face: "We'll be there when we get there. Why are you so excited?"
After saying this, Liu Ji still opened the newspaper.
These people were exiled to the desolate places in the far north and lived a life of tears.
Life here is very hard, and what is even more painful is the feeling of being abandoned, as if the whole world no longer exists. Only them and this desolate world are left.
Therefore, they like to read newspapers very much. Even when the newspapers from the Central Plains are delivered here, it is already a long time late, they still read them with gusto.
Liu Ji is the most literate among these people. Of course, being more literate is a relative term. In fact, when he read the newspaper, he didn't know one-third of the words.
But...Liu Ji would not admit that he didn't know him. But... I'm just guessing, it would be great if I could continue reading.
He took out a newspaper, read it first, then nodded and said, "It said that Huaiguzi and the mistress of Weiyang Palace were getting married. On the day of the wedding, something called... an electric light came on in Xianyang City. thing."
"When this lamp is lit, it will illuminate the night as bright as day. The entire Xianyang City is in a trance, like a fairyland."
Everyone around was fascinated by what he heard, and many people said with emotion: "It's a pity that we didn't have the chance to see it."
Although they didn't say it, they actually regretted it in their hearts.
It's really unlucky that I was exiled to a place like this just to cheat my insurance. If I had known this, I might as well have been a peaceful and wealthy man in Peixian County.
Liu Ji naturally knew what these people were thinking, but he couldn't say anything. After all, these people were all implicated by him.
Finally, Liu Ji Leng snorted, took out another newspaper, and read: "Your Majesty ordered Mr. Fu Yao and Mr. Fusu to go to Chu to pacify the thieves respectively, so as to test the strength of the two young masters."
The people around were talking again.
Although there were many newspapers, he couldn't help but read them. Under the urging of these people, Liu Ji quickly finished reading the newspapers, and everyone fell into boredom again.
They are exiled prisoners. They are quite free here, but this freedom is not much different from no freedom.
There was wasteland everywhere and not a single person in sight.
The nearest military camp is thirty miles away. Logically speaking, the prisoners are most afraid of the military camp, but Liu Ji and his group like it very much.
Because...only there can I hear news about my hometown.
In fact, these newspapers were all taken from the barracks.
The soldiers had no demands on them other than restricting their escape back to the Central Plains.
They farm if they like, herd sheep if they like, and look for minerals if they like.
Later, Liu Ji and others realized that they were probably being used for experiments.
Test whether it is possible to survive in this place. If possible, the imperial court would probably immigrate to Shibian.
Liu Ji sighed and said to everyone: "Sleep."
Everyone looked at the sun in the sky and said hesitantly: "Isn't it... too early now?"
Liu Ji cursed: "Who the hell knows what time it is now? Just go to bed if you feel sleepy."
Everyone thought about it and felt that this made sense. There's not much to do in this place anyway, so just sleep when you feel sleepy.
So everyone fell asleep one after another.
At this time, the sun was hanging in the south and it looked like noon.
But Liu Ji knew that you couldn't rely on the sun to tell the time in this ghost place.
Not long after they arrived, they encountered a strange phenomenon. The sun only appears for two or three hours a day, and the rest of the time is at night.
This phenomenon really shocked Liu Ji and others. They panicked and thought that this might be some kind of evil place.
They had a very hard time because there was almost nothing to eat.
Finally, they had no choice but to risk their lives to steal food from the barracks.
Fortunately, Qin Zu seemed to feel a little pity for them and did not criticize them too harshly. These people barely survived.
As a result, a few months later, the sun changed again, and it was daytime for eight or nine hours every day. This was an unheard of spectacle in Great Qin.
But there are advantages to doing so. Because of the long daylight hours, the temperature here has risen a lot. From a bitter cold land, it becomes like spring.
At this temperature, if the grain brought from Da Qin is grown, it will not be able to bear fruit at all. But grazing cattle and sheep is enough.
So...Liu Ji and others raised a group of sheep.
They have now become almost herders. In addition to raising sheep during the day, they also collect some pastures and dry them in the sun to be used as feed in winter.
After all, when the long night comes, there is almost nothing but wind and snow.
By that time, Liu Ji and the others would have to rely on their flocks of sheep.
The sheep died, and they had to become thieves again. If Qin Zu is in a bad mood when he catches up with him, he will be completely ruined and will not be able to steal.
Now they are living a life that is a bit confusing. In a place like this, relying on the sun to tell the time doesn't work very well.
So these people began to eat when they were hungry and sleep when they were sleepy.
Today, Liu Ji went to bed early.
When he woke up, he found that the sun was still hanging in the sky.
I don’t know how many hours I slept. Alas, it was so torturous.
At this time, a man came into his thatched hut.
It's Lu Wan.
Each of them has a thatched hut, which is half on the ground and half underground, barely able to keep out wind and rain.
Liu Ji asked Lu Wan, "What's the matter?"
Lu Wan said: "Brother, I thought about it and I can't go on like this."
Liu Ji was slightly startled: "What?"
Lu Wan said: "Brother, I only know that among this group of brothers, there are not many who are as fraternal as me and are willing to follow my brother. Fan Kuai may be one of them, and Xia Houying may be one."
"I think it's a little hard to say about the other people. In the past, when my brother was in glory, they could have enough food and clothing by following him, so they were naturally overjoyed and willing to let him drive them."
"But this time, we were exiled to this bitter and cold place, and these people had different intentions. During the last winter, many of them complained, a little resentful that their brother had made a wrong step and brought them to the end. harmed."
Liu Ji sneered: "These people are too ignorant. If I hadn't led them to rob their homes, they would have starved to death in Peixian County."
Lu Wan sighed: "Having said that, how can these idiots know how to be grateful? Wherever there is profit, they rush there, and wherever there is unlucky, they avoid it."
Liu Ji chuckled: "So what if they have resentment in their hearts? Even if they don't dare do anything to me."
Lu Wan said: "Having said that, but...brother, don't forget, why were we not beheaded in the first place, but just exiled?"
"That's because the charges the court has charged us with include falsely claiming household registration, falsely accusing an immortal, defrauding insurance, and counterfeiting antiques..."
"They didn't find out that we had robbed homes and acted like thieves. If they found out, we would definitely die."
Liu Ji frowned: "So what?"
Lu Wan said: "I'm worried that those people, in order to return to the Central Plains, will take the initiative to surrender to the government and tell what happened back then."
"They surrendered on their own initiative. The government may not pursue the case and even give them some rewards. But brother, you are out of luck."
Liu Ji stood up suddenly, with a fierce light in his eyes: "Are these people saying they want to use Liu Ji's head in exchange for the right to return to the Central Plains?"
Lu Wan said: "This is just my guess, brother, don't be angry. I don't know if they think so."
Liu Ji slowly shook his head: "You are right. Your worries are very reasonable. Maybe that's what they think."
"If I were to change places with them, I would do so without hesitation. These people have to be guarded against."
Lu Wan was a little scared when she saw that Liu Ji seemed to have murderous intentions. He said cautiously: "Brother, I think it is not necessary to kill them."
"Although those Qin soldiers don't seem to pay much attention to us, they still know how many people we have here. If they are traced..."
Liu Ji chuckled: "This place is deserted, how can they trace it? I said that Youyang was lost, and they went to look for it, and then they got lost and died on the way."
"If those Qin soldiers have the ability, they can just go and find them themselves."
After Lu Wan heard this, she lowered her head and said nothing.
Liu Ji asked curiously: "What? Do you have a good idea?"
Lu Wan laughed dryly: "It may not be a good idea. But I think... so what if we kill them? What if those Qin soldiers find out?"
"Brother, have you forgotten that there is a noble person who looks at my brother's children and says that they are all rich and noble?"
Liu Ji almost shed tears as he spoke.
He was homesick.
After he was convicted, Lu Pheasant took his children and separated from him.
After all, the magnanimity of banishing immortals means that Liu Ji's sins will not affect his family members.
But if Liu Ji is sent to a place thousands of miles away, only a fool will follow him.
Therefore, Liu Ji agreed with Lu Pheasant's decision.
But after arriving in this ghost place, he missed his relatives even more.
Liu Ji smiled bitterly and said to Lu Wan, "Whether they are rich or not now has nothing to do with me."
Lu Wan shook her head: "No, I have been thinking hard these days and found that my brother's wealth may be right here."
Liu Ji: "Huh? How do you say this?"
Lu Wan said: "When I was reading the newspaper a few days ago, wasn't there an old news article in it? It said that Maodun and Shatilie, with more than a dozen cavalry soldiers, actually conquered a small Western country. A great king of a country.”
"It can be seen from this that our Qin army has strong soldiers and strong horses. The people in those wild lands are extremely weak. What if my brother takes us away from here and finds a small country to dominate?"
Liu Ji's mind suddenly became alive.
Lu Wan said: "If the brothers can see hope, they will naturally be loyal to my brother."
"If my brother becomes the king of a country, maybe he can secretly send someone to pick up his wife and children. Wouldn't that be great wealth?"
Liu Ji nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes. But...where can we find such a small country?"
Lu Wan said: "It is said that the territory in the west has been almost completely conquered. Now that the railway has been built, the number of Qin soldiers is still increasing. If we go to the west, we may not have a chance."
"I think it's better to go to the east and keep walking eastward."
Liu Ji said: "Are there small countries in the east?"
Lu Wan said: "The world is big and the earth is big, so it should be possible. What's more, no matter how bad the situation in the East is, can it still be as bad as we are now?"
Liu Ji nodded: "It makes sense. Go and call all the brothers."
Soon, all these people were found.
Liu Ji announced his first decision on the spot, to escape and flee eastward to see if he could conquer a country.
Because of the examples of Satire and Maodun, these people were extremely enthusiastic about this.
Of course, there was a reason why Liu Ji told them so assuredly.
He used the old trick again. Those who wanted to follow were brothers, and those who didn't want to follow were enemies. Kill them with one knife.
Faced with the threat of death, everyone naturally raised their hands in approval.
So Liu Ji ordered them to kill all the sheep, dry them into dried meat and take them with them, and ran away that day.
All the way east.
Of course, before leaving, Liu Ji sent someone to the military camp to borrow a compass.
This compass was a crude version and the price was very cheap, so Qin Bing didn't care.
He never expected that Liu Ji would never repay the loan.
Liu Ji led the people and traveled in a hurry.
When you are hungry, you can eat some hares on the table, or shoot birds from the sky.
Although they all carry dried meat, these are for emergencies.
They walked for several months, and finally, the terrible winter arrived.
Liu Ji comforted everyone and said: "Let's not panic. Although the day is a little shorter, it is still enough for the journey. What's more, those Qin soldiers should give up chasing us, and we can walk more calmly."
Those who followed him nodded in agreement.
Half a month later, they walked to the beach.
Liu Ji was confused and said to Lu Wan: "Is this the far east? Is there the sea in front?"
Lu Wan wiped the cold sweat from her head: "Brother, don't panic, let's walk again. Let's walk again. Maybe we can find a way to the east by searching along the shore."
As a result, after they walked for a few days, they suddenly discovered a terrible phenomenon.
The sun has not come out for a long time.
Although they did not have timekeeping tools, they also knew that it must have been twelve hours, or even three to five days.
The sun never rose again.
In the team, someone suddenly cried out: "I know, this is the hell that the monks talked about. A hell where there is darkness and no light all year round. We are finished..."
