In the hotel, Zhao Yong picked up a dried date from the grass basin and threw it into his mouth.
Dried dates are a little bitter in the mouth at first, but after chewing, they become sweeter and full of saliva. Although jujube trees have a high drought-resistant survival rate, they are still a rarity at this time.
"Old man, I was walking all the way in the village, why didn't I see a few young people working hard?" Zhao Yong asked.
Although Zhao Yong already vaguely knew something about the situation, he did not dare to think about it.
"Hey! Young master, I don't know something." The township chief sighed heavily after hearing Zhao Yong's words.
Then he replied with a choked voice: "In the past two years, Zhongshan and other countries have often invaded our Zhao territory. Thirty-seven of the seventy-nine strong men in our hometown have been killed in battle, and several others have lost their limbs! The remaining two More than ten young men were recruited again a few days ago and went to guard the border." The township chief said sadly.
Zhao Yong was shocked!
Reality is always cruel, and things in the world will not always develop as people imagine.
He knew that life was difficult for the common people in this world, but he never thought that... this small village was about to become extinct.
In war, those who suffer may always be the common people begging for food from the sky.
The old man said so.
Although what Zhao Yong heard from him was full of resentment against the Hu people, there was no complaint about Zhao's policies in his tone. Perhaps this was the rule of survival in troubled times.
In their own eyes, this is their fate!
The working people can only follow the wheel of the times and drift with the tide. As for whether they will eventually lead to prosperity or destruction, they cannot see it.
Before leaving, Zhao Yong learned that the mayor originally had two sons and a daughter. Both sons died on the battlefield a few years ago, and the youngest daughter was also kidnapped by the barbarians.
The originally happy family was ruthlessly destroyed by the war.
Zhao Yong saw grief and resentment on the old man's face, but he didn't see a trace of suicidal intention.
Perhaps for him, only by living, only by living, can he hope to see the moment when his enemy is killed by his own hands.
... When they came out of Zaolin Township, everyone felt a little heavy. No one spoke a word along the way. Even the chatty Pang Nuan was silent at this time.
Before Zhao Yong left, he asked everyone to distribute all the sword coins (copper coins, the currency of Zhao State) they carried with them to the people in the village.
Perhaps for Fei Yi and others, they are already used to the old man's experience and even the situation in Zaolin Township.
But for Zhao Yong, a man of two generations, if it were not for this chance encounter with Zaolin and his party, he would never have been able to truly understand the suffering of the common people in this era, the true normality of being naked and unkempt.
But this experience also strengthened Zhao Yong’s belief!
He took out a dried date from his sleeve, held it in his mouth, and then looked firmly into the distance.
…
…
'Whoa, whoa, whoa...'
Passing through layers of wind and sand, Zhao Yong suddenly heard a clear sound of flowing sound. The sound got louder the further he walked, until the water vapor completely dispersed the yellow dust in front of him.
A vast long river lies in front of everyone's eyes, the Hutuo River!
This strange river originates from the Taihang Mountains in the north and has been flowing in the land of China for countless years.
Thinking of the weak "stream" in later generations, compared with the majestic torrent today, it was like a clear spring.
Zhao Yong looked at the fast-flowing river in front of him. He knew that it would continue to run in this hot land for thousands of years.
Day to evening.
There were still ships on both sides of the Hutuo River, transporting goods.
Not far away, there was a wide wooden bridge spanning the two banks. There were dozens of armored soldiers on both sides of the bridge.
There were also many people around, old and young, men and women.
Seeing Zhao Yong coming on dozens of horses, a middle-aged man who looked like a general led the crowd to greet him.
When he came closer, he took a look at the attire of Zhao Yong and others, as if he saw an acquaintance in the crowd.
"On behalf of the county magistrate, Wu Guang pays homage to the monarch." A middle-aged man who called himself Wu Guang took the lead and knelt down on one knee to pay homage.
As soon as Wu Guang finished speaking, people behind him fell to their knees.
"What does Magistrate Wu mean by this? Didn't I say on the slip, don't delay the work of the common people?" Zhao Yong said with a little displeasure as he looked at the people kneeling in front of him.
In Zhao Yong's opinion, this kind of scene is pure extravagance and waste. Now the Zhao country is full of waste and waiting for prosperity. If you have this little time, you might as well create a man for me.
"I will never dare to disobey the king's order. It is the people of Dai County who heard that the king traveled north to Dai County, so they spontaneously called for them to come here to welcome the king." Wu Guangfu replied aggrievedly on the ground. (Common people were a term used for aristocratic groups during the Warring States Period)
oh? I am so loved by the people of Zhao State. "Everyone, please get up quickly. I feel very relieved to receive this gift from you!"
"Please also ask me to lead the horse for the king." At this time, Wu Guang walked to Zhao Yong and bowed and said.
"Then Dr. Lao will be here." Zhao Yong said noncommittally.
"It's getting late, please follow me into the city." Zhao Yong said to the people below.
"Here." Then the group of people walked toward the county seat not far away.
After crossing the Hutuo River and heading north for a few hundred meters, a city wall about several feet high stood in front of everyone.
At this time, a bold woman suddenly stood on tiptoes and raised her head from the periphery of the crowd. She looked around, and her eyes finally locked on the young man at the front of the team, surrounded by everyone.
She sneaked out of her home this time just to see what the prince who was said to have defeated the princes looked like.
The woman is dressed in gray coarse linen clothes, dressed in men's clothing, with her hair styled in a man's bun, and a crown scarf on her head.
Zhao Yong was riding on his horse and was learning about the major and minor political affairs in the county in the past two years with the county magistrate Wu Guang underneath him. Suddenly he felt something unusual around him, as if someone was peeping at him.
Zhao Yong didn't know when he had such keen senses, but he had always been very good.
Zhao Yong followed his feeling and glanced around, only to see that both ordinary people and ordinary people were walking slowly with their heads lowered.
"My lord, what's the matter?" Fei Yi, who was beside him, noticed Zhao Yong's movements and asked.
Zhao Yong waved his hand to indicate that nothing was wrong and asked the team to move on.
Little did he know that one of his actions had broken a girl's mind.
…
"It was so close that I almost got discovered!"
"But the king looks so young, he looks younger than me..." the woman muttered in her heart.
"Sir, please go back home quickly. If the county magistrate knows that you sneaked out this time, I will be beaten to death." A girl behind the woman begged, pulling her sleeves.
"I'm here to protect you, so what are you afraid of?" the woman replied impatiently, still recalling her profile just now.
"Sir..." the young lady begged.
"Okay, okay, go back." The woman pinched her mother's cheek lovingly and said helplessly.
…
