Chapter 264: Soldiers turn into bandits to rob
Xi Ze’s words made Ye Chutang stunned for a moment.
"The horse was stolen?"
Caesar nodded and took out the reins that had been broken by the sharp stone.
"The horse thief couldn't untie the knot I had tied, so he wore the reins through and stole the horse."
Strong horses are usually only owned by government officials and the military.
The horse thief is so bold!
Ye Chutang looked at the arm-length reins and said, "The people who stole the horses must be villagers nearby, either to sell or to eat."
If you know horses well, you will be able to untie the reins.
Caesar looked at the blazing sun that could melt people and asked, "Madam, do you want to go to the nearby village to find a horse?"
"No need. Leave the matter of finding horses to Kong Zhizhou. This place is not far from Jizhou City. Let's squeeze in and go back first."
It’s too hot. If you stay any longer you’ll get heatstroke.
You can also feel cooler by getting on a horse and running.
Ah Man looked at the two horses and asked, "How do we squeeze in?"
There was only a single saddle on the horse.
That is to say, if two people ride on a horse, one person must sit on the horse's back.
Although it's only a quarter of an hour's journey, it's enough to make your butt suffer.
If Ye Chutang wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't mind suffering a little.
Now I can only let Xize suffer.
"Xize, Ah Man and I will ride horses, and you can walk back to Jizhou City, okay?"
Caesar thought so too, so he naturally had no objection.
"OK."
After saying that, he looked at Ah Man.
"I have finished my water. Do you have any water left in your water bag?"
Although ten miles is not far, it is not easy to walk back because the sun is strong and the temperature is high.
Ah Man patted the empty water bag and shook his head.
"I've finished the water I brought with me. How about you ride a horse with me? It's not like we haven't ridden together before."
Caesar was choked by these words and coughed twice.
"Ah Man, I was forced to do this because of the situation. Don't mention it again in the future. It will damage your reputation."
"We are open and honest with each other, and we have a clear conscience. Others can say whatever they want."
After saying that, she jumped on the horse.
"If you're a man, stop being so fussy and come up here!"
Ye Chutang looked at Xi Ze with an unnatural expression and understood.
"Xize, it's hot, make a decision quickly."
In the end, Caesar did not agree to ride on the same horse with A'man.
He agreed only because he had no choice but to save his master and the road they were taking was deserted.
It’s different now.
If he and Ah Man rode on the same horse back to Jizhou City, Ah Man would definitely be criticized.
Seeing that Xize was determined, Ah Man whipped his horse whip and galloped away.
Ye Chutang threw the unfinished water bag to Xize.
"There's still half a liter of water left. Fill it into your water bladder."
"Thank you ma'am."
Xize filled the water bag and returned the empty water bag to Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang put the water bag on his waist and rode back to Jizhou City.
As soon as she entered the inn, she felt the refreshing coolness.
Ah Man came back before her and was already drinking iced sour plum soup.
Aunt Xu quickly scooped a bowl and handed it to Ye Chutang.
"Madam, please drink a few sips to cool down."
The sweet and sour cold drink goes down my throat and makes me feel comfortable.
Ye Chutang drank two bowls in a row.
"Aunt, is there anything to eat? I'm a little hungry."
Aunt Xu took the bowl and nodded.
"Yes, the Second Young Master asked me to make a lot of meat patties and chicken soup. I'll go get them."
"Don't worry, I'll go take a shower and change my clothes first."
Ye Chutang went upstairs after saying this.
Qi Yanzhou's body had not yet recovered, and the medicinal food had a calming effect, so he slept soundly.
He was awakened by the sound of the door opening and opened his eyes.
Seeing that it was Ye Chutang who came back, he immediately got up and handed over a sweat towel.
"Atang, you've worked hard. How's the result?"
Ye Chutang did not take the towel and picked up the bag.
"The results are pretty good. I'm going to go take a shower first and we'll talk more later."
After saying that, she went downstairs to the backyard.
Aunt Xu had thoughtfully brought two buckets of warm water into the shower room.
"Madam, if there is not enough water, please call me."
"There is enough water, thank you, auntie."
Two buckets of water are just right for washing your hair and taking a bath.
After Ye Chutang finished taking a shower, the sticky feeling on his body disappeared and he felt refreshed.
She came out of the shower room, twisting her hair.
"Auntie, please help me send the dirty clothes to Qi Jingyao to wash."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Yanzhou entered the backyard.
He naturally took the towel and helped Ye Chutang to twist her hair.
"Han Chong's people have returned one after another, bringing back a lot of good news."
"Let's go to the lobby."
Some of the people who were sent out to find water sources have returned and are chatting in the lobby about their discoveries.
"I found two water sources in Qushan, and one of them is still bubbling."
"You're really lucky. I only found one, but the area with green grass is very large."
"Hey, guess how many I found?"
Ye Chutang took over and asked, "How many places?"
When the National Protection Army heard Ye Chutang's voice, they immediately put away their arrogance and became humble and polite.
"Reporting to Madam Qi, I have found everywhere."
As he spoke, he took out the map of Yuncang Mountain that he had drawn and handed it to Ye Chutang.
"This map is a bit rough, Madam Qi, please bear with it."
As soon as Ye Chutang took it, Aunt Xu came over with meat patties and chicken soup.
"Ma'am, everyone, let's eat first and then talk."
At noon, everyone ate some dry biscuits with well water. They had been busy until now and were already hungry.
Smelling the aroma of meat patties and chicken soup, some people's stomachs started growling.
The tall and strong man blushed and was a little at a loss.
Ye Chutang said, "There are plenty of meat patties and chicken soup in the kitchen. If you want to eat, help yourself. You're welcome."
Qi Yanzhou was worried that the National Protection Army was too polite, so he echoed the words.
"Meatloaf and chicken soup are for you guys, go ahead."
After receiving his order, the National Protection Army no longer hesitated and went to the kitchen to get food.
Two baskets of meat patties and two large pots of chicken soup were enough to feed and satisfy all those who went out.
Ye Chutang ate slowly and chewed carefully, and was the last one to put down his bowl.
After eating, she started talking to everyone about water sources.
People came back one after another, including Caesar who walked back.
When the sun sets, everyone who was out comes back.
Ye Chutang kept chatting with them until nightfall, and his voice became a little hoarse.
She looked at Sun Chu and said, "Go to the prefectural government and invite Lord Kong over."
Sun Chu was originally going to go out with Ye Chutang.
Later, his job was taken away by Xize and A'man, so he rested in the inn.
He just wanted to move around, so he was happy to run errands.
"Okay, wait for me to come back for dinner."
After saying that, he left.
Ye Chutang's hair was dry and felt a little hot when draped behind her.
She casually pulled out a chopstick from the chopstick holder on the table and tied up her long hair.
There was another strand of hair by the ear that he didn't catch, and it nestled in the neck.
A little itchy.
But she was too lazy to put her hair up again, so she reached out and lifted the strand of hair behind her.
After seeing this, Qi Yanzhou took away the chopsticks that Ye Chutang used to tie her hair and helped her tie it up again.
His skillful movements stunned the National Protection Army.
And A-Man.
In her impression, Qi Yanzhou is always a man of integrity who wields swords and guns.
Now looking at his gentle side, I am surprised but also feel that it is reasonable.
Because Ye Chutang is worthy of Qi Yanzhou's love.
Not long.
Sun Chu brought Kong Zhizhou with him.
The ten runners arranged by Prefecture magistrate Kong had already told him the general situation.
He had already had people dig out groundwater in the city according to the city layout map marked by Ye Chutang.
After entering the lobby of the inn, he bowed deeply to Ye Chutang.
"Madam Qi, I would like to thank you for giving the people of Jizhou City a way to survive!"
"You are welcome, sir. I am doing this for the people as well as for myself."
Kong Zhizhou understood what Ye Chutang meant.
He looked at Qi Yanzhou and said, "If Mr. Qi needs my help one day, just let me know."
Qi Yanzhou corrected him, "Lord Kong, you should say this to my wife."
Kong Zhizhou instinctively regarded women as vassals of men.
Only after hearing Qi Yanzhou's reminder did he realize that he had said the wrong thing.
Ye Chutang is as brave as any man. She does things that no man can do. How can an ordinary woman compare to her!
Kong Zhizhou immediately apologized to Ye Chutang.
"Ms. Qi...Ye, I apologize for my mistake."
Ye Chutang waved his hand nonchalantly.
"No problem."
Kong Zhizhou repeated to Ye Chutang what he had said to Qi Yanzhou.
"Miss Ye, if you ever meet Kong again, just speak up."
Ye Chutang was very satisfied with the three words "Miss Ye".
"I accept Lord Kong's promise. Let's talk business."
She was just about to summarize today's search for water sources and then arrange tomorrow's tasks.
Aunt Xu and Old Madam Qi prepared dinner.
"Master Kong, how about we eat first and talk after that?"
Kong Zhizhou thought that Ye Chutang had been tired for most of the day, so he nodded quickly.
"Okay, Kong is bothering me again."
"It's just an extra pair of chopsticks. You're welcome, Master Kong."
Aunt Xu's cooking skills are now comparable to those of a restaurant chef, and Kong Zhizhou ate one more bowl of rice than usual.
After eating, Ye Chutang talked about business with him.
"Master Kong, continue to send people to look for water sources, and have the garrison go to the suspected water source and dig deeper."
The National Defense Army and the police officers do not have special abilities and may make mistakes in judgment.
But it doesn't matter.
As long as the success rate is 50%, the drought can be alleviated.
Thinking of this, she added.
“Maybe not every time there will be a good result, but as long as we can dig out one, it won’t be in vain.”
Of course, Kong Zhizhou understood this truth.
If water sources were easy to find, there wouldn't be so many people worrying about water.
"Don't worry, Miss Ye. I will talk to the garrison in advance to prevent them from having too high expectations and becoming discouraged."
"That's best."
Before leaving, Kong Zhizhou said, "Madam Qi, the weather is hot, so you don't have to go out and find a water source yourself."
His people have already mastered the skills to find water sources, so Ye Chutang doesn't need to worry about it.
Ye Chutang didn't want to suffer either, so he nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Master Kong, if you have any questions, feel free to come to me."
After saying this, she informed Kong Zhizhou that the horse had been stolen.
"The people who stole the horses should be villagers near Taohua Valley. The prefect must handle this matter properly, otherwise there will be more if there is one."
Turmoil often starts with a small thing.
Kong Zhizhou knew the seriousness of stealing horses.
"Don't worry, Miss Ye. I will investigate the matter of the stolen horse thoroughly."
He even dared to steal the government's horses. How audacious!
Ye Chutang thought of the hunter who became a bandit.
"Master Kong, mountain bandits are often the source of unrest, so we should suppress them if we can."
"General Zhang is already making arrangements."
"Where is the gang's lair?"
Kong Zhizhou has already learned the specific location of the bandits from the hunter.
He didn't think much about it and told Ye Chutang.
That night.
The bandits' lair was destroyed.
While Ye Chutang was killing bandits to earn merit points, he was also looting the entire village.
***
The next day.
Before dawn, Caesar and A'man packed their luggage and prepared to leave.
Mrs. Qi knew that Ah Man was leaving, so she got up early to make breakfast.
She held Ah Man's hand, feeling reluctant to let go.
"Ah Man, you're leaving before you even have two days of rest. You must have worked so hard."
Ah Man hugged Madam Qi and said with a smile: "Sister Chu gave me the opportunity to become famous. It's worth it no matter how hard it is."
"Don't tire yourself out, take adequate rest."
"Mother, I will. I will write to you when I get to Tianshan County."
"Okay, let's eat something first, then we can get on the road."
This didn't sound very auspicious, so Madam Qi quickly changed her words.
"Come and have breakfast, don't travel on an empty stomach."
Ah Man and Caesar finished eating quickly.
The two men climbed onto their horses.
Ah Man smiled and said, "Sister Chu, I'll go ahead and wait for you in Tianshan County!"
"Okay, be careful on the road."
"I will. See you later!"
"drive!"
The two men rode away and soon disappeared from everyone's sight.
Qi Yanzhou took Ye Chutang back to the room to take a nap.
In the next few days, Qi Yanzhou rested quietly and Ye Chutang occasionally discussed water source related matters with Kong Zhizhou.
Several water sources were dug out inside and outside Jizhou City.
The people cheered and every day someone came to the inn to bring things to Ye Chutang.
Knowing that she didn't accept expensive things, the gifts she gave her were basically fruits, snacks, and some seasonal vegetables.
Life was so comfortable that everyone almost forgot they were still in exile.
Occasionally, students would come to Ye Chutang to ask for advice.
Most of the time, it was Qi Yanzhou who came forward.
So in just a few days, everyone knew that the former God of War was also a talented man with great knowledge.
A talented man and a beautiful woman always give birth to many beautiful stories.
Even storytellers began to sing the story of Ye Chutang and Qi Yanzhou.
Three parts true and seven parts false, it sounds quite interesting.
Seven days later.
Qi Yanzhou's health has improved, and the exile team set out again.
Just like before, it is still the hour of Mao.
It is late summer now and the daybreaks are coming later.
But Jizhou City was brightly lit.
Every single citizen came to see the Qi family out of the city.
Every household brought something to show their gratitude.
There is food, useful things, and money.
Ye Chutang had already prepared the necessary supplies for the journey and just picked up a few of them to show his sincerity.
When she reached the city gate, she called out to the people who were seeing her off:
"The drought will last for a long time, so everyone should store water and not waste it."
Kong Zhizhou said: "Don't worry, Miss Ye, the people know the importance of things and will not do anything that harms others and does not benefit themselves."
"That's good, Master Kong. We'll say goodbye now and see you later!"
"See you later!"
Qi Yanzhou also said goodbye to the three adults in charge of Jizhou City.
Han Chong shouted, "Let's go!"
***
It is now late July.
Although the drought has caused the temperature to remain high.
But the north gets cold early, and the temperatures in the morning and evening are significantly lower.
The daily distance could also be as prescribed by the law, which was fifty miles.
Every place I go.
Ye Chutang would meet with the highest-ranking local official and teach him how to find water sources.
She didn't know if it would work, but it was definitely a good idea to do it.
Maybe one day, her merit points will soar because the water source she found saved many people.
Half a month after leaving Jizhou City, there was still not a drop of rain.
There were gradually more and more refugees on the road.
Most of the refugees were pale and thin, with chapped lips.
Occasionally, you will encounter people who bully the weak and rob others of their property.
Qi Yanzhou takes care of it every time.
He killed all the most vicious and evil people.
Anyone who showed repentance would have two fingers cut off by him as a punishment.
Ye Chutang leaned against a tree trunk with few leaves on it, looking at the lifeless refugees, feeling a little upset.
She thought: Maybe it's the effect of progesterone that makes me a little sentimental.
His hand fell on his stomach, feeling the increasingly obvious curve, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Qi Yanzhou put the veil hat on Ye Chutang's head.
The breeze blows on my face, and the white gauze sways gently.
"Atang, the problem of drinking water is getting more and more difficult. I may not be able to cook frequently in the future."
Even if Nan Xiao provided water in secret, it would be just a drop in the bucket due to the large number of people.
Ye Chutang had food in his space, so he wasn't worried about having to eat coarse food.
She said nonchalantly, "It's okay, just eat something on the way, and then make up for it when you pass through the states, counties, and towns."
Qi Yanzhou hugged Ye Chutang from behind and placed his hands on the back of her hand that was touching her pregnant belly.
"You misunderstood me. I won't cook for you in a big pot. I will cook for you individually."
In the current situation, he can only focus on Ye Chutang and the child.
Ye Chutang didn't want to eat alone, so he quickly refused.
“No, the weather is getting cooler now, and the food has been stored for a long time, so it’s fine to eat it for two days.
Every time we arrived at a state, county, or town, we would prepare two days' worth of food, then wait a while before heading to the next town. ”
The north is vast and sparsely populated.
Not to mention prefectures and counties, even the distance between counties and towns sometimes takes four or five days to walk.
If you are willing to take a detour, you can often come across the village.
But the villagers were poor and not only could they hardly get enough food, but they also had difficulty getting drinking water, so they were unable to entertain the exiled team.
Therefore, the method proposed by Ye Chutang is the best.
But Qi Yanzhou didn't want Ye Chutang to suffer any injustice.
"Atang..."
He was interrupted by Ye Chutang just as he opened his mouth.
"A Zhou, it's not appropriate for me to eat alone, but don't worry, I won't let myself down. Don't forget, I still have..."
She turned around, faced Qi Yanzhou, and whispered two words in his ear.
Ghost thief.
This name had not appeared in Qi Yanzhou's ears for a long time, and he almost forgot that there was such a "weapon".
The "ghost thief" is omnipotent and can do anything, so getting some food is definitely not a big deal.
He felt relieved.
"Ah Tang, you are now in your third body. If the 'ghost thief' can't get you food, you must tell me and don't be too hard on yourself."
"Don't worry, eating and drinking water are as easy as breathing for the Ghost Thief.
But I can't let the 'ghost thief' take care of everyone's food and water, so as not to get myself into trouble.
So every time the 'Ghost Thief' brings me food and water, you have to cover for me. ”
The last sentence is the purpose of Ye Chutang mentioning "Ghost Thief".
Only with someone covering for her could she eat and drink in peace.
Qi Yanzhou felt that he was already very grateful that the "Ghost Thief" could take care of Ye Chutang.
Naturally, we would not ask the "ghost thief" to take care of everyone.
He kissed Ye Chutang's forehead through the veil.
"Ah Tang, don't worry, I won't let anyone find out that you're eating~alone~"
He used a teasing tone for the last three words.
After Ye Chutang solved the problem of food and drink, he pulled Qi Yanzhou to sit down.
The ground was a little hot from the sun, and Qi Yanzhou asked Ye Chutang to sit on his lap.
As soon as the two sat down, the scumbag's roar was heard in the distance.
"If you don't want to die, hand over your valuables!"
"And there's food, hand it all over!"
What followed was the screams of men, one louder than the other, and not just from one person.
The pleas for mercy and cries of the elderly, the weak, women and children came one after another.
Ye Chutang's vision was blocked by the grass and trees, and he couldn't see clearly what was happening in the distance.
But her intuition told her that something was wrong.
She stood up and said, "Azhou, go and take a look."
Just as Qi Yanzhou was about to agree, Han Chong said, "There are quite a lot of people being robbed this time. Something is wrong. I'll take some people over to take a look."
"If anything happens, give me a call."
"Okay, I'll go first."
Han Chong called ten people to go to the scene of the accident with him.
Ye Chutang withdrew his gaze and sat back on Qi Yanzhou's lap.
"Is there any news from the capital recently?"
Qi Yanzhou lifted Ye Chutang up so that she could sit more comfortably.
"Yes, the emperor's health has recovered to about 70% and he has started attending court. The fighting among the princes has ended, a large number of Taoist temples have been demolished, and the money collected has been used to fill the national treasury."
"Eunuch De was severely poisoned and his health has not improved. The emperor took the opportunity to eliminate some of his people, and I took the opportunity to plant some people."
"The emperor was still obsessed with cultivating immortality, so he brought Shancun Zhenren into the palace and secretly let him live in Ziyun Pavilion."
Speaking of this, Qi Yanzhou raised his eyebrows.
"I have some news that will surely interest you."
Ye Chutang thought that what Qi Yanzhou was talking about was news from the palace, and she immediately thought of someone.
"About Ye Anling?"
Qi Yanzhou was not surprised that Ye Chutang could guess it.
Because there are not many people related to her in the capital.
"Yes, she is not only the emperor's woman, but also entangled with the real person Shancun. She is very ambitious."
"Why, does she want to have a son to fight for the throne?"
"Should I say, to kill her?"
There are many women in the palace, so it is normal for one of them to die.
Ye Chutang knew very well that Ye Anling could not cause any trouble because the emperor was no longer fertile.
"No need, if Ye Anling really gives birth to a child, her death will be imminent.
Even if the emperor felt that he was still strong and healthy, killing Ye Anling was something the new emperor should be concerned about. ”
After saying that, she remembered Song Jingning's high profile and asked, "The emperor didn't do anything to the Song family, did he?"
Song Jingning traveled all the way north to study.
In addition to teaching and answering questions, he also secretly helped Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang become famous.
Qi Yanzhou wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"Don't worry. My Song family has experienced many changes of dynasties and knows how to protect ourselves. Even if the emperor takes action against the Song family without any regard for the consequences, Bei Ning will protect them."
Speaking of the Song family, he mentioned Jun'er who was studying at Huating Academy.
Jun'er is very well behaved and hardworking. His health has improved a lot and he is often praised by the teacher.
Although he had Le'er to take care of his food, clothing and daily life, he always did things himself.
"Atang, you have good taste. Jun'er is a good boy."
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "Of course, Aunt Jin and Shan'er will soon arrive in Tianshan County, right?"
"It will arrive in about ten days."
As soon as Qi Yanzhou finished speaking, Han Chong's voice with internal strength came over.
"Master Qi, bring fifty people over here!"
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