"You're welcome." Feng Liao asked Alan very gently, "What's your last name? Where are you from? Are there any relatives in the family?"
"The girl's surname is Ma, and she lives in Majia Village, Zaojiaopu, Wulin County. There are no other relatives in the family." Alan's voice trembled, but the answers to the questions were fairly complete.
After she finished answering, she began to wipe her tears again: "Men's daughters have a hard life. They lost their father since they were young, and only grew up with their mother and grandmother. The grandmother was gone two years ago, and now the mother is gone. In this world, only I'm all alone..."
"Then do you have any relatives?"
"Minnv also has an uncle who lives in Xiushan County. It's just...my mother and my uncle were not born to the same mother, and we haven't been close since childhood. I have never been to my uncle's house since I grew up. Minnv is in this season I don’t know if my uncle will recognize me or not.”
When Alan spoke, she humbly referred to herself as a "minister of the people" for a while, and seemed to forget her humility for a while, and called herself "I" very smoothly.
This is very similar to the way an ordinary girl who has not received etiquette training suddenly speaks when facing a nobleman.
"You and your mother came out of the village, did you want to go to Xiushan County to find your uncle?"
Alan nodded, his expression was a little perturbed and at a loss: "My mother said: If there is no other way, she would not take me to find my uncle. Now that my mother is gone, I don't even know where my uncle lives in Xiushan County. I don’t know a single place.”
Feng Liao was silent, turned her head to look at Yong Ruo, and asked with her mouth: What should I do
Yong Ruo looked at him and smiled, and answered with mouth shape: You have decided.
Feng Liao thought for a while, then turned to Alan and asked, "What are your future plans?"
"I..." Alan hesitated for a moment, and tears fell down again, "The daughter of the people wants to take my mother home and bury her in the ancestral grave..."
She sobbed heavily, and cried again: "My mother often said: The fate between her and my father is too shallow, and she became a widow within a few years of marriage. Now my mother has gone with my father, and I am a daughter." Yes, we must take her bones home and bury her beside my father. Since their fate in this world is shallow, let them continue to be husband and wife in the underworld! Wow... "
She said this with tears in her eyes.
After she finished speaking, she fell on the ground and burst into tears again.
Alan's words deeply touched the softest part of Fengliao's heart.
There was a very obvious look of pity on his face, and he waited patiently for Alan to stop crying, and then asked more softly: "How is the drought in your village?"
"You did a great job!" Alan wiped his tears with his dirty sleeves, and there was an obvious cry in his voice, "This year's summer grain harvest is not much. After a while, the seedlings in many people's fields have withered Already, there is no hope for Qiuliang.
"The well water in the village has also dried up. If you want to drink water, you have to go to a cave far away to carry water.
"Nowadays, some families have gone out to escape the famine. Others have no hope in their fields, and have no ability and courage to escape. They are already living on grass roots and bark, and they are living day by day!"
Feng Liao murmured, unconsciously drawing circles with her fingers for a while, and then asked about the location and transportation of Majia Village.
The village is not far from here, and the transportation is relatively convenient.
More than 200 years ago, when the rebellious kings of various places ruled the world, the king of Lu who occupied the Qilu area cut down many big trees from the nearby hills in order to build the palace.
In order to transport timber, the king of Lu recruited peasants and built a Lumu Road that could accommodate two carriages.
Later, this Lumu road has been used by local people and timber merchants, and the government and merchants have been repairing it piecemeal.
So until now, this Lumu road is still available for vehicles, but it is not suitable for two carriages to run side by side as before.
Lu Mudao happened to pass not far from Majia Village.
Stop the carriage in a small valley next to this road, and then walk or ride over two not too steep mountain ridges to reach Majia Village.
It took eight days for Alan's mother and daughter to come here from Majia Village.
If Feng Liao and the others rode horses and took a car, even if Dr. Xu slowed down the schedule, it would only take three or four days to arrive.
Feng Liao decided: Anyway, the transportation is convenient, he will go to that village to have a look.
"One is that the mother and daughter can be sent home. Otherwise, the little girl may have to suffer a lot and even die before she can bring her mother home.
"Secondly, if what the little girl said is true, this Majia Village is considered to be a village that has been severely affected by the disaster. I want to see what's going on in the village."
The others naturally obeyed his orders.
To inspect the disaster area is to look around! Where the prince wants to go, if there is no legitimate reason, no one else can stop him.
Yong Ruo has no reason to object.
Although she suspected that Alan's move was to lure them into a trap.
But until now, there is no evidence to confirm her suspicion, so she can't persuade Feng Liao to change her mind, so as not to leave a thorn in Feng Liao's heart.
She comforted herself: If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get a tiger cub? Besides, it may not be a tiger's den. More than 200 elite guards, and more than 20 ancient scouts, such a team, is not so easy to be wiped out, right
Feng Liao gave Sun Fusheng a few taels of silver, sent away all the members of the Sun family, and then ordered the team to go to Majia Village.
Alan knew that Feng Liao and others were going to Majia Village, and they would bring her and her mother with them. He was overjoyed and grateful, and kowtowed to Feng Liao several times.
One of the carts carrying supplies was vacated. The body of Alan's mother, the middle-aged woman, was wrapped in a roll of tarpaulin by the guards, tightly tied with ropes, and placed on the vacated cart.
Alan also got into the car and led Feng Liao and others towards Majia Village.
Along the way, Alan seemed to start thinking about his future.
Huarou, the girl who served the nobles, became the object of her deliberate curry favor and advice.
"Sister Huarou, how can I become the prince's and his wife's girl?" Alan asked at a moment's chance.
Hua Rou smiled: "First of all, you must be innocent, and second, you must have a reliable matchmaker to sell you to the palace."
"Then where can I find a reliable matchmaker?"
Hua Rou continued to smile: "You didn't find a reliable matchmaker, but the palace found it."
"Oh? Then how do I know the matchmaker that the palace is looking for?"
Huarou still kept smiling: "The matchmaker that the palace is looking for is all in the capital. If you want to know them, you have to follow them to the capital first. Whether you can follow them to the capital depends on your luck!"
Alan continued to ask.
Hua Rou stopped answering her questions, and only said: "When you are lucky enough to go to the capital, you can ask these things again!"
In addition to asking how to become a maid of the palace, Alan would also take advantage of the fact that the guards were not paying attention, run to Huarou's side, and tried every means to ask Huarou how to serve others.
Hua Rou would occasionally give her some pointers.
But when it came to actual operation, she would never let Alan get close to those pots and pans.
She only smiled and said to Alan: "When you are lucky enough to be a girl in the palace, come and learn from me slowly! There is no rush now."
Then, Huarou ran to protest Su Mingjian: "The prince took Alan to see her pity. But Alan is a stranger after all, and I don't know whether it's good or bad, so how can I let her wander around unprepared?" ? If the prince eats 'unclean things' again, can you afford it?"
Su Mingjian, a fourth-rank military officer of the dignified imperial court, was taught a lesson by a little girl!
But he could only touch his nose to admit it, and when he turned around, he brought over the two guards who were in charge of "taking care" of Alan, and strictly ordered them: "Keep an eye on Alan, and don't let her out of sight at all times! That's the end of the matter. But if I neglect to take precautions and let her make trouble, of course I will be unlucky, and you can't even try to please me."
The two guards were reprimanded by their superiors, and they didn't dare to soften their hearts anymore. From then on, they detained Alan in the carriage carrying the corpse, and only let her out of the carriage when it was convenient for her.
Alan couldn't go away casually, Huarou's ears were finally quiet.
Yong Ruo, who was observing Alan and wondering if she would do something wrong, could only let go of his doubts temporarily with a little regret.
She thought: This girl Hua Rou is also very defensive! Then she asked Hua Rou: "Don't you like that girl Alan?"
Huarong smiled and said: "I don't dislike it either. In fact, this girl's current situation reminds me of my past, and I have some sympathy for her. However, the safety of the prince and his wife is very important, and I dare not ignore it. I lost my guard against strangers. If the prince and his wife bring her back to the capital in the future, the slaves will teach her well."
Yong Ruo smiled and didn't ask any more questions. I feel in my heart: Huarou's words are impeccable.
On the afternoon of the third day, Feng Liao and his party finally arrived at the small depression near Majia Village on Lumu Road.
In this small depression, there are several dilapidated thatched houses, which should have lived in several families.
According to Alan, these families are all surnamed Yu, so this small mountain depression is also called Yujiaao. Today, those thatched houses in Yujia'ao have all been vacated, and no one lives there anymore.
Alan guessed, "I must have gone out to flee famine."
Because when she and her mother passed by here last time, they originally wanted to go to those houses to ask for some water. But not only did they not see a single person, they also found that the only well in the valley had dried up, and the seedlings in the field were all dead. If you don't flee famine, why don't you stay here and wait to die
Su Mingjian sent someone to have a look, and when he came back, he said: The well has indeed dried up, and the mud at the bottom of the well has cracked.
Feng Liao decided: Today, I will climb over the two mountain ridges and rush to Majia Village.
One is because they are running out of drinking water. And Alan said: On the mountain behind Majia Village, there is a very deep cave, and there happens to be a spring in the cave, and people in the village now drink water there.
The second is that Alan Niang's body has begun to rot, and now there is a faint smell wafting out, it is better to send it back for burial earlier.
Feng Liao left the carriage and most of the supplies in Yujia'ao, leaving some guards to watch over them.
He originally wanted Yong Ruo and Imperial Doctor Xu to stay in the carriage and wait for him. He took people to the village to have a look, and then returned after fetching some water.
But not only Yong Ruo insisted on going with him, but also Imperial Physician Xu insisted on going together regardless of his age.
"The emperor ordered the subordinates to stay with the prince as much as possible. The old man dare not disobey the order! If the old man is really unable to walk, let the old man sit on the horse and find someone to lead the horse. It's not too far anyway."
Imperial Physician Xu mentioned the name of the emperor, Feng Liao had no choice but to say nothing more, and took Yong Ruo, Hua Rou and Imperial Physician Xu to climb the mountain together.
Alan followed along. Alan Niang's body was tied to a horse and carried with her.
As soon as they climbed the first mountain ridge, Rob, who was in charge of opening the road, came back in a hurry and reported with a serious expression: "My lord, the small village in front has been destroyed! Judging from the location, it should be the Majia Village that Alan mentioned."
"Majia Village was destroyed? What do you mean?"
"The scout said: Most of the houses in the village were burned, and some scattered houses were also burned. It doesn't look like a natural disaster. They have sent people to investigate. More detailed information will be reported by the scouts." Just known."
Feng Liao's face became serious, and gradually became a little pale, and the hand holding the horse's rein was also tightly clenched into a fist.
Yong Ruo felt more and more: This trip to Majia Village may not be that simple. Then he said to Feng Liao: "My lord, why don't we go back to Yujia'ao first, and wait for the scouts to find out the situation."
Feng Liao gritted her teeth slightly, and shook her head: "Don't retreat yet. We'll wait for news here."