Yuan Wu then realized that Qin Shan and others were alone and had nothing with them. He quickly ordered the soldiers to give them several carts of food and water.
"Commander Qin, there's no need to thank me." Yuan Wu said, "These foods were prepared by the girls. I should be the one thanking you."
Hearing this, Qin Shan took it with a clear conscience, still saying, "I still have to thank Captain Yuan."
It's not advisable to stay here for long.
No one knows how many survivors there are nearby, and whether they will call for help and fight back again.
It’s not that they are afraid of those unruly people, but it’s too hot outside. Standing in the sun for a long time and fighting will consume a lot of physical strength for the soldiers. In serious cases, they may even get sick and suffer from heatstroke. There is no medicine to treat it outside.
Rest in place for a while.
Everyone drank some water, and after their breathing stabilized, the two groups continued their journey together and rested in a forest two miles away.
The gentlemen naturally followed everyone's lead.
Including Wei He, the dozen or so young men of the Wei family, had been exposed to the wind and sun for so many days, and they no longer looked like they did when they first came out. They all looked much thinner, and their skin had become more than a shade darker.
The Wei family's troops pushed the few grain carts they had just received and quickly distributed the water on the carts to the men. They borrowed some pots and pans from the Zhongshan army and cooked on the spot. Soon, wisps of smoke rose from the woods.
The Wei family's troops and the Zhongshan army, plus a few hundred civilians transporting grain, totaled a thousand people.
Bag after bag of wheat was poured into the pot with only a little water, and the pot was covered with a lid and simmered until cooked.
After many days, everyone finally had a full meal.
Several gentlemen didn't even care about their manners and just wolfed down the food.
The wheat was not husked, and in order to save water, most of the wheat was even lumped together, giving off a burnt aroma. The men did not mind it and buried their heads in eating, as if they were tasting some delicious delicacy.
Qin Shan saw it and sighed deeply.
Young men from prominent families have never suffered such a crime.
We have to go back quickly.
"I wonder what Captain Yuan's next plan is?" Qin Shan asked. "Captain Yuan, why don't you just come with us and take a detour to Wutao County? If the princess appears in Julu County, it seems more likely that she will be in the three border counties."
And we have obviously reached the center of Julu County.
Qin Shan guessed in his heart that it was very likely that the princess was with Li Langjun and others. Since both parties were looking for the same group of people, why didn't they set out together.
Yuan Wu thought for a moment and replied, "Shortly after entering Julu County, we ran into Centurion Cheng Xiu. We agreed to split up and search for him. If there's no news from here, we'll naturally return to reunite with them."
The implication seems to be that we will stay in Julu County for two more days.
Qin Shan didn't force it.
The next day.
Just when both parties were about to separate.
Cheng Xiu led a hundred soldiers and followed the marks left along the way to find the men. Seeing that all the men were safe and sound, and not a single one was missing, everyone finally felt relieved.
Cheng Xiu saluted Qin Shan and immediately explained the situation in Jingwu County.
When Yuan Wu and others learned that the princess had been found, the heavy stone that had been weighing on their hearts fell to the ground.
The three teams joined together and decided to return to the fort immediately.
………
Wei's Fort.
The Wei family army searched the area for several days and finally found traces of water in a cave.
There must be a deep pool behind the mountain, and a steep valley at the foot of a high hill.
Based on their long-term experience of surviving in the wild, one team, led by local guards, discovered a small cave at the foot of the mountain.
How short is it?
People have to knock off some sharp stones and crawl on the ground to enter the cave. No wonder many people who have lived here for generations don't know about it.
After entering, you will find a different world inside with a huge internal space. Above your head, you will see huge stalactites. These naturally formed stalactites are of various shapes and magnificent, emitting a soft light in the dark environment.
Unfortunately, the water storage capacity inside does not seem to be much.
The Wei family army searched everywhere in the cave and only found two deep pools inside. One was stagnant water, formed by water droplets dripping from stalactites, and the other was running water, flowing down from the undercurrent under the rocks on the mountain, and then flowing to the groundwater outside.
As the temperature rises, the undercurrent on the mountain has dried up, leaving only the small amount of water in the deep pool. The soldiers have tried many ways but have not been able to measure the size of the deep pool. They also don't know whether this water can help everyone in the fort survive the dry season.
The news of finding the water source quickly spread back to the fort.
The uncles and aunts in Mingjingtang breathed a sigh of relief. The water stored in every household in the fort was almost exhausted, and they had to use the reservoir on the mountain.
Although the news sent back by the Wei family army was that the amount of water might not be much, it was better than having very little left.
Stagnant water is definitely not drinkable. Who knows how many years ago that water was gathered?
The stagnant water can be transported back and used to build city walls and blacksmith shops. It doesn't matter whether it is stagnant water or running water when forging things, as long as it can serve the purpose of cooling down.
Thinking of this, several uncles immediately organized people to go and transport water.
The news of finding a water source spread, making the residents living in the dock as lively as New Year's Day. Everyone's face was filled with smiles. There was water and ice in the dock, so this hot season was not difficult for everyone.
Now that the temperature is getting higher and higher, people who work only go out in the morning and evening.
The land had become extremely dry and hard after being exposed to the sun for a long time, making the excavation process very difficult, resulting in the construction of the city wall at the border not going smoothly.
Water is needed to create rammed earth. Without water, the city wall cannot be built at all.
Therefore, there are still dozens of miles of city walls that have not been completed.
Wei Mingyuan ordered the Wei family army to follow the people to the cave to transport water. The entrance of the cave was too small, so they needed to open up the entrance and exit first.
To prevent zombies from breaking in at night, a high wall needs to be built outside the cave for defense to ensure that the water in the deep pool is not polluted.
At the same time.
Wei Li, Princess Zhongshan and others, as well as more than 200 civilians who were transporting grain, returned to the fort.
Returning one after another with them were some scouts who had gone to Zhongshan State to gather information.
But everyone in the fortress's attention was on the young men.
No one cared about the scouts' movements.
The girl and the two commanders were not there, even Mr. Chu was not there, so the scout had to return to the camp to rest and wait for the girl to return.
The tribesmen heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the men who had disappeared for a long time come back.
Although no one knew what Wu Niang asked them to do, how could they feel at ease if they hadn't seen anyone for a long time?
When they got closer, the clansmen at the door discovered that only three men had returned.
Everyone hurriedly asked about the whereabouts of the others.
Wei Li remembered his fifth cousin's words and said, "Commander Qin is with them. I think he will be back in a few days."
The tribesmen nodded repeatedly, "With Commander Qin here, there will be no trouble. Business is the most important thing, as long as everyone is safe."
While everyone was talking, Cao Awang had already led Princess Zhongshan to the old house to meet the clan leader.
Wei Li watched the man walk into the suspension bridge without saying anything.
He didn't stay at the door for long. After greeting his tribesmen, he took his two cousins home to reunite with his family.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com