Chapter 1 Escape from famine

  In the sixth year of Yuanping, the first emperor passed away suddenly. The new emperor was unkind, killed loyal ministers in vain, and imposed tyranny. In addition, natural disasters happened successively, causing the people to be hungry and displaced.

   Famines, wars, and floods have left the land without harvests. People sell their sons and daughters, and there are many mourners. There are many refugees fleeing famine on the official roads, dressed in rags, like beggars.

  Among the crowd, there was a team of gray chariots and horses moving forward slowly.

   This is the convoy of the Gu and Li families. The two families are life-and-death friends, and now the two families in trouble are fleeing famine together.

  The Gu family is a first-class marquis mansion, and the Li family is a first-class government mansion. Both families are families of military generals with illustrious military exploits.

The loyal military generals who have been passed down for a hundred years were repelled by fear, and ended up in a sad end of being killed by the sword. Get rid of these old, weak and widowed people.

  Three men and one woman rode horses to protect the carriage.

   "Where do you rest at night?"

  The young man with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes is the eldest son of the Gu family, Gu Lei.

  He glanced sideways at the bright girl beside him, his eyes were gentle, and his fair and handsome face was a little red under the scorching sun.

   "Going into the mountains, it is easy to hide in the mountains, and it will be troublesome for these refugees to follow."

  Li Yu, the eldest daughter of the Li family, is especially good at martial arts, with a tomboy-like temper and a dashing spirit.

   While speaking, an eight or nine-year-old beggar followed the carriage and begged in front of the carriage window of the women's relatives.

   "Good-hearted people, please, give me a stutter."

  The little boy raised his hands, his eyes were full of pleading, he was also very thin, and his outstretched arms were so thin that they seemed to be broken if he exerted force.

   On the carriage were the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family, Li Wang, her cousin Li Xu, Gu Lei's mother, Gu Lin, and her cousin, Gu Xin, mother and son.

   Sitting by the window is Lin Yue, Gu Lin's natal niece.

  Lin Yue took out a sesame seed cake and was about to give it to the boy. It looked so pitiful.

   "Don't give it."

   Li Yu saw it with his sharp eyes and scolded.

  Lin Yue shivered in fright, and took her hand back.

  The little boy lowered his head in disappointment.

  Li Yu rode forward a few steps, approached the car window, and glared at Lin Yue fiercely, "Are you looking for death, don't give it to anyone."

   "I think he is pitiful, a pancake... It doesn't matter."

   "What do you know, don't give it to me."

   Li Yu scolded in a low voice.

   He took a cup made of bamboo, untied his water bag from the carriage, poured a glass of water and handed it to the boy.

   "Drink it, squeeze it, you won't be able to eat it even if I give it to you."

  Li Yu looked at the thin boy. The boy had obviously been hungry for a long time, so his head was big and his body was small, as thin as bean sprouts.

  But she was still unmoved, her eyes were cold and unwavering.

   "It's just a pancake, you are too cruel, but you are just a poor child."

  Lin Yue muttered angrily.

  I just gave the child a pancake, isn't that okay? We still have silver and are not short of money, and we can also buy food, but it's not for everyone to eat.

"Shut up."

   Li Yu glared at her angrily.

   "Okay, stop arguing and make people laugh, Yu'er, you are too strict, but it is for children to eat, we are not for everyone, so there is no need to make a fuss."

  Gu Linshi was also a little displeased, this child was too cold-hearted and hard-hearted.

   Mrs. Wang glanced at Mrs. Gu Lin, but she pursed her lips in displeasure but said nothing.

  Li Yu didn't reply, just watched the little boy drink the water, and gave him the cup as well.

   "I'll fetch water for you."

"Thanks."

  The little boy still thanked softly, and slowly left the carriage.

  In contrast, they still have food to eat, and their life is obviously much better than that of refugees.

The carriage continued to move forward for more than an hour. There were many refugees behind who could not keep up with the speed of the horses and gradually opened up the distance. There were still a small group of people following the carriage. There were about a dozen people, most of them were men and women. In the minority.

  The little boy also followed the carriage.

  An old man's voice came from the carriage behind him, "Yu'er, stop for a while, the horse needs to drink some water and feed some fodder."

  Old Man Li, the head of the Duke's Mansion, Li Yu's pro-grandfather.

  Li Yu took a look and chose a flat shade of a tree to stop the horse.

   "Take a break here, don't take out the food, eat in the carriage, don't come out."

"oh."

   "I'm going to fetch water and look around."

   "I'm going to collect firewood."

  The middle-aged man dismounted and prepared fodder and water for the horse.

  This somewhat refined man is the boss of the Li family, the eldest son of the Duke's Mansion, and his wife Wang, who has two brothers and sisters, Li Rui and Li Yu.

   "I'll go to make it easier and see if there is any prey."

  Li Rui and Gu Lei also left and walked into the woods.

  Li Rui, the eldest son of the Li family, is calm and upright.

  Seeing them leaving, the little boy slowly leaned over, approached Lin Yue, and begged softly.

   "Beautiful sister, please give me a stutter, I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten for two days."

   "Where are your parents?"

"died."

  Lin Yue had a struggling expression on her face. She looked back at the direction Li Yu was leaving, turned around, got into the carriage, took out a bundle, took out a pancake from it, and handed it to the little boy.

   "Eat quickly, don't let people see."

  The little boy's eyes lit up instantly as if he had found a treasure. He grabbed the pancakes, gobbled them up and stuffed them into his mouth desperately.

   At this moment, a dozen or so refugees who had been hanging behind the carriage suddenly rushed up in a swarm.

   "Don't grab, go away, help!"

  Lin Yue screamed out in fright.

  (end of this chapter)