After leaving Nanxun Gate, I headed south, and after passing Chicang Town, I felt more and more desolate. From the Jin army, some people were killed, some people died of cold and hunger, and some people escaped. The Central Plains, which was once the most prosperous place in the world, almost became a ghost domain.

Wang Xiaoli rode on the horse, looked around, and said to Cao Zhiyan beside him: "I didn't expect that the same would be true in the south of Kaifeng."

Cao Zhiyan said: "Last year, the Jin people have been attacking Xiangyang, and Caizhou in the south were not spared, but that's the case. Fortunately, although Caizhou was also captured, the prefect was still properly handled and not much damage was suffered. In addition, water transportation is convenient and the grain price is not high."

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, Beijing West Prefectures and County, Caizhou is now the lowest grain price."

After staying in Kaifeng for nearly ten days, Wang Xiaolie slowly understood the surrounding situation. The states in the west of Jingjing were defeated by the Jin army, and the population was plundered. Now the situation is difficult. Jingdong is slightly better, but Zhao Gou has been in that area, and most of the supplies have been recruited. Now, near Kaifeng Prefecture, only Caizhou is less damaged and the river transportation is constantly, so the food price is the lowest.

After weighing the trade-offs, Wang Xiaolie decided to go to Caizhou to buy grain in person. When this matter was spread, almost all the leaders in the capital thought that Wang Xiaolie was fantasy. However, Zong Ze did not stop him, and also gave Wang Xiaolie a document and asked the Caizhou government to help.

Wang Xiaoli asked Wang Yan and Yue Fei to help him take care of the troops in the capital. He took Cao Zhiyan and one hundred soldiers to Caizhou.

This is a very strange thing. The leaders of the capital thought that Wang Xiaoli was a strange man. At this time, there were many prefectures and counties around Kaifeng Prefecture. There was a shortage of food in the army, so I just wanted to steal some. I ran hundreds of miles away and had to spend money. Isn’t it crazy? The gold and silver in the army were exchanged for their lives by the leaders. How could they spend it like this?

Thinking of this, Wang Xiaolie could only shake his head.

Some of the so-called rebels in Kaifeng Prefecture evolved from the king-fighting army like Wang Xiaoli. Most of them were thieves. Calling these people a group of thieves was not a slander, they were originally. Because of Zong Ze, these people were temporarily united and gathered in Kaifeng Prefecture. However, although they followed Zong Ze's orders, they were all in charge and were responsible for their own logistics.

Wang Xiaoli is naturally different from them. He wants to save the world and create a new era.

On the fourth day of the journey, he had already passed Shangcai County. Wang Xiaolie asked for his guide and ordered the entire army to set up camp on the spot and arrive in Caizhou tomorrow.

This area is an endless plain with a fertile field of thousands of miles. However, after the chaos, the population was sparse and many villages were no longer there. There was such a small village where Wang Xiaohao's army camped. Fifty or sixty families were gone.

There were chickens and dogs raised by farmers in the village, and no one took care of them and ran around. Wang Xiaoli sent a few people to catch them, and they improved their food at night. He immediately became numb during the day, so he took Cao Zhiyan and wandered around.

Before I knew it, I arrived at the back of the village. A small earth slope was covered with miscellaneous trees. A stream next to the earth slope was clear and clear.

Wang Xiaoliu said: "I don't know if there are any fish in this stream. If there are big ones, I will catch two to eat."

Cao Zhiyan said: "Where are there big fish in this kind of water? Small fish have no meat and are prickly, and waste firewood in vain."

Wang Xiaolie smiled and stopped mentioning this matter. In this era, there were many fish in rivers and lakes everywhere, not big fish, and no one went to eat them. Unlike later generations, as long as there were small fish in the wild rivers, people caught and ate them, and they thought they were delicious.

Turning over the small earth slope, Cao Zhiyan suddenly said, "Xiaosheren, look there, what are two people doing?"

Wang Xiaoli followed the place Cao Zhiyan pointed. He saw two small bodies lying on the ground and looking at him curiously.

After a tightening heart, Wang Xiaoli lifted his waist knife and walked forward with Cao Zhiyan. When he got in front of him, he realized that they were two children, one was eight or nine years old, and the other was only five or six years old.

Reassuringly, Wang Xiaolie asked, "Are you from this village? Why are you here? Where did the others go?"

The younger child said, "We are from the village in front and have grown up here since we were young."

Wang Xiaolie smiled and said, "You are not very big now. Where are the other people in the village? What are you doing here?"

The child said, "Last winter, a golden man passed by here, and most of the villagers were killed. Those who were not killed were taken by them. I heard that they were going to take him to the north. I don't know where the north is, it seems to be far away."

After hearing this, Wang Xiaolie's relaxation suddenly became heavier. Along the way, this was a problem that he didn't want to face.

Last year, the Jin army traveled thousands of miles and broke through dozens of states in the west of Beijing, causing shocking damage. The more prosperous it was, the more severe the damage was. Most villages were burned, killed and robbed. Occasionally, some people escaped, and there were very few.

This village is on the roadside. I think the Jin army passed by here when they attacked Caizhou, and then snatched it. The young and old men slaughtered it all, and the young and middle-aged men snatched it together with the women, and returned to the north to be slaves. These two children should have been lucky enough to escape and became the only remaining population in the village.

After calming down for a moment, Wang Xiaolien asked, "What are your names? What are you doing here? We are the imperial army, you don't have to be afraid. The Jin people have gone far and will not come back for a while."

The younger child said, "My name is Sun Wulang, and this brother is Qingtou--"

Wang Xiaolie looked at the old child with a big birthmark on his face, but it was the origin of his name.

Sun Wulang continued: "After the Jin soldiers left, we were the only two of us left in the village. We just want to find some food and live in my house. If there is a day when the villagers come back, don't find anyone."

Wang Xiaoli sighed inwardly. I am afraid that the people in this village will not be able to come back. The Jin army invaded the south and caused the population losses to the Song Dynasty far exceeding half. In this catastrophe, unless the will of God is favored, those who can be taken to the north as slaves will be lucky.

Without thinking about this, Wang Xiaolie asked: "What are you two doing here? We are the official army, you don't have to be afraid. Just go back to the village."

Sun Wulang said: "We are not afraid. The cats here are children raised by old cats in the village. We feed them every day. But the little eye poop has disappeared these two days, so we both look for it here every day."

Wang Xiaoli looked around and saw no sign of the cat. He thought he was afraid of strangers, so he hid.

Sun Wulang saw Wang Xiaoli's appearance, clapped his hands and jumped into the ditch next to him, and hugged two cats in his arms and placed them on the ground. He pointed to a tabby cat and said, "This is General Climb, this is just black charcoal. The one that was missing was always invisible. When we were a child, we always had eye poop in our eyes. So we named it Xiao Eye poop. Xiao Eye poop is the most well-behaved and timid, and we like it the most."

Wang Xiaolie looked at the two cats on the ground, lying there, looking at his eyes full of vigilance. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. After the war in this village, only two children and these two cats were left.

Children are innocent and have many things they don’t understand. They have seen burning and killing, and have passed fear, but the time for children passes quickly, and a few months later it is like something in another world. Children who grow up in war will have many mental health, but more people will choose to forget. Forget all this and start their lives again.

Looking at the two children, Wang Xiaolie didn't know how to comfort them. Such stories were many in the Central Plains. This era was the time when heroes rode on the battlefield, but they had to survive first.

After being silent a lot, Wang Xiaolei said: "In this chaotic world, life is impermanent, what can you do? It is not easy for you two children to survive. Let's leave here and follow me in the army. Although there is no glory and wealth, good and bad can survive safely."

Qingtou, who had been silent, said, "If we leave with the officials, wouldn't the people in the village be able to find anyone when they come back?"

Wang Xiaoli smiled bitterly. When the villagers came back, they asked God to help him a lot. He said, "You are determined to come back in a few days and see if anyone is back, wouldn't it be enough?"

Qingtou tilted his head and thought for a while, and focused his attention: "What the official said is."

Wang Xiaoli said to Cao Zhiyan: "You will go back and let Wang Zhong raise these two children. You can watch it first along the way."

After saying that, he pointed at Cao Zhiyan and said to the two: "This is a master in Qingliang Temple in the west. The country is in trouble, and he will join the world and get a knife to defend his country. You will follow him first in the past few days and find a way when you return to Kaifeng."

The two children didn't know what Wang Xiaolie was talking about, but just looked at Cao Zhiyan curiously. Qingliang Temple is not far from here, it is a famous temple. The masters in the temple must be very powerful.

Cao Zhiyan took two children. When he was about to leave, Sun Wulang suddenly turned around and said to the Tuge on the side: "Sanhua, Xiaoyan Shit is gone, so you can live in its house. When Xiaoyan Shit comes back, you have to return it."

As the words were heard, a cat's head stretched out from behind the earth ridge. It seemed that it was a three-cat cat.

Wang Xiaolie didn't want to ask the story of these two children and these cats, but felt so worried that he wanted to cry.

The sun sets down the mountain, and the world becomes wild and wild. All kinds of flowers on the roadside are blooming brightly and colorfully. The surrounding flat farmland is covered with weeds, and people cannot be seen.
Chapter completed!