South Xinjiang

The news of the explosion in the three cities of Yinghu District spread throughout the Central Plains in an instant, and the emperor ordered the second prince to rush to Yinghu District in person to carry out post-disaster reconstruction work.But these are things for later.

Shen Mo and Su Yunshu rushed to Shenmu City, and met Qin Qi and Hua Lixuan before leaving. Hua Lixuan was afraid of insects, and would never join in the fun.

Su Yunshu wrapped herself tightly in a black robe and was unable to speak.But Shen Mo frowned slightly, and said to Qin Qi: "I want to ask you to do me a favor."

Qin Qi replied politely: "Please tell me."

Shen Mo said in a deep voice: "Call together the major families of martial arts, and collect another batch of food and grass."

Qin Qi asked: "Is this going to war? What happened?"

Shen Mo shook his head lightly, "It's just a guess, I hope it won't come true."

Qin Qi didn't ask any more questions and accepted the task.

Qin Qi had already helped take care of Su Yunshu's horse when he was in a coma, and the two of them rode to Shenmu City, and only then did they truly see what it means to live in poverty.

It's already winter, the bugs are basically frozen to death, and there is no need to cure them, but this famine is really tormenting the people of Shenmu City. The accumulated food is exhausted, and the people eat grass and soil. After winter, there are no plants. They dug the roots of the ground and chewed.

When the people saw Shen Mo and Su Yunshu, they went crazy and rushed to steal and snatch them. Su Yunshu was afraid of infecting others with the plague, so he kept avoiding it. Shen Mo held Su Yunshu in a circle to prevent others from touching him.This kind of chaos was unexpected by Su Yunshu. They didn't want to hurt these people, so they ran away as if fleeing for their lives.

Su Yunshu panted, and said regretfully: "In ancient times, there were thousands of miles of red land, and they ate human flesh raw. I think, if they can't eat enough anymore, they should change their children and eat."

Shen Mo frowned, and asked, "Does the imperial court still have food left?"

Su Yunshu shook his head and sighed deeply.

The entire Shenmu City was in despair and panic, as if it was the end of the day. Su Yunshu felt that he had foreseen the end of Daqi Kingdom.The most pitiful ones were the women and children, who were visibly emaciated to the naked eye. Although they were not skinny, they were still unbearable.

In a country, there is not enough to eat everywhere, the people can't even meet the minimum requirements for fullness, the price rise is terrible, money is not as good as food, Su Yunshu feels depressed, and doesn't know what he is insisting on for this disappointing political system , but if you don't insist, the people can only wait to die?Someone has to stand up, someone has to resist, to plead for public opinion.

Su Yunshu cheered himself up, cheered himself up, and said to Shen Mo: "I'll write to the second prince now to see if he can get food."

Shen Mo nodded, "Let's go to other granaries to see if there is any old grain."

The situation in Shenmu City was no longer plagued by insects, but famine, and Shen Mo could do nothing. He had never planted land, nor studied agriculture, so he didn't know how to help.He can only use medicine to eliminate the places where insect eggs may be hidden in the places he sees, so as to avoid being attacked by insects again in the spring of the next year.

They searched for granaries in several nearby cities, but there was no food left, not even old grain. The only hope was to see how much grain the Second Prince could send to Shenmu City.

Su Yunshu knew that he couldn't do anything, disasters would always lead to suffering, he hated this feeling of being unable to do anything, but Shen Mo comforted him: "There is always hope, don't underestimate people's power to survive."

Su Yunshu smiled bitterly and asked him, "Then where are you going next?"

Shen Mo looked at the sky, "Go back to southern Xinjiang."

Shenmu City is very close to Southern Xinjiang, Su Yunshu can understand his desire to go back and have a look.

After the Southern Border was broken, the Qi army was stationed here, and Shen Mo took Su Yunshu to the most remote village in Southern Border.

In the village lived the people in southern Xinjiang that Shen Mo had rescued one after another along the way, and Yunxian was also here.

It's just that as soon as they entered the village, all the people put down their farm work, knelt down on the ground, and shouted: "Enter!"

Su Yunshu was overwhelmed, and looked at Shen Mo at a loss. Shen Mo raised his hand, and the people in southern Xinjiang got up and went on with their own affairs.Shen Mo whispered: "Let's go."

When Yunxian heard that Shen Mo came back with a person, he went to look for it happily, but Su Yunshu hid when he saw her. Yunxian was puzzled, and it was Shen Mo who helped explain that Su Yunshu had a plague on his body, so it was inconvenient to see people.

Su Yunshu lived in a farmhouse and did not go out, but Shen Mo disappeared without a trace. Yunxian chatted with Su Yunshu through the door to relieve boredom.

Su Yunshu heard from Yunxian that people in southern Xinjiang have good personalities, but they are a bit old-fashioned and stubbornly believe in gods.She originally wanted to teach the people in southern Xinjiang how to make some farm tools and sell them for money, but she couldn't speak the southern Xinjiang dialect, so it was difficult to communicate. Fortunately, she met a southern Xinjiang salesman who could speak the Central Plains dialect. The man was a bit shy, but he treated her well. Very good, I don't dislike the scar on her face, and I helped her a lot.

Su Yunshu knew that Yunxian was moved, so he smiled and blessed her.

Yunxian told him the story of Shen Mo that he heard.

Shen Mo was originally the child of a pair of ordinary people in southern Xinjiang. The previous Southern Xinjiang Witch Emperor prayed to the gods, and appointed Shen Mo as a soul boy who could communicate with the gods, that is, the next Witch Emperor.

After Shen Mo was weaned, he accepted the baptism ceremony.Shen Mo's parents are loyal believers, they have the highest belief, and they are honored to know that their child is a soul boy.

The baptism ceremony began. The previous Nanjiang Wuhuang held the baby Shen Mo in both hands, stepped up to the altar step by step, and placed him on the top of the altar.Use the soot obtained by Shen Mo's parents to mix with spring water to make holy water, and bathe Shen Mo.

Since then, Shen Mo has become the god incarnation of the entire southern border country.People in southern Xinjiang began to worship him.

Shen Mo was raised in the White Pagoda since he was a child, and couldn't go out, saying that it was worship, which was another form of imprisonment.The former witch emperor taught him divination and witch doctor skills in the White Tower.

Since he was a child, he knew that he was responsible for communicating with the gods, but apart from the hexagrams and astrology, he couldn't see any shadows of the gods.

Once, he asked the former Witch Emperor a question: "Do gods really exist?"

But the answer was a severe beating.

The former Witch Emperor was strict with Shen Mo, and he would never allow the soul boy to question the existence and status of God.If the soul boy doubts God, how can the people in southern Xinjiang believe in it?

After that, Shen Mo never asked similar questions again.

There is a national festival in southern Xinjiang every year, and Shen Mo can go out of the pagoda on the day of the national festival to see the outside world.

But whenever he wanted to play or talk to others in a friendly way, those people would kneel down and kowtow to him in awe.No one knows what such an attitude of reverence and fear means to a child.

But Shen Mo didn't say anything, nor did he lose his temper.He just slowly became quiet and quickly accepted who he was.He knew that he represented the beliefs of the people of Southern Border and the highest majesty of the Southern Border Kingdom.

Even though the people in southern Xinjiang respect him and fear that he will alienate him, he still deeply loves this land and the lovely people living in this land.

I don't know when, Shen Mo began to criticize himself, he would never allow any mistakes in his divination, because even a small mistake would determine the fate of the people in southern Xinjiang.

When Shen Mo was 14 years old, the former Witch Emperor died.He became the youngest witch emperor in the history of southern Xinjiang.As the Witch Emperor, he can freely enter and leave the White Tower, but he still habitually locks himself in the White Tower, reads a lot of ancient books and volumes, understands the customs of other countries, learns the culture and characters of other countries, and teaches himself learned martial arts.

Su Yunshu felt distressed when he heard that, Shen Mo is the god of southern Xinjiang, but to him, Shen Mo is also a person, he can't even imagine that a child has enclosed himself in an empty white tower since he was a child. He asked himself to practice hard, quit all playful desires, and took the responsibility of protecting the country on himself.After so many years, Shen Mo must be very lonely.Whenever he stood alone on the top of the tower and looked at the bright lights in the world, what was he thinking?

When Shen Mo returned to Su Yunshu's room, he was holding a bowl of medicine in his hand, "You've almost recovered, and you'll be cured after drinking this medicine for three days."

Su Yunshu stared at Shen Mo intently.

Shen Mo asked: "What?"

Su Yunshu said movedly: "I heard that you became a god when you were young."

Shen Mo frowned slightly, "Drink the medicine."

Su Yunshu gulped down the medicine in one breath, this time the medicine did not smell of blood.

They stayed in Southern Xinjiang for three days, and on the third day Su Yunshu was allowed to leave the room, and he followed Shen Mo to the tomb of the King of Southern Border.

Shen Mo stood in front of the Nanjiang king's tomb, and said a prayer-like incantation in Nanjiang dialect. After he was about to leave, Su Yunshu held him back, "Wait for me."

Su Yunshu knelt in front of the Nanjiang king's tombstone, kowtowed three times, and sincerely said "I'm sorry".After speaking, he took out a dagger from his pocket, lifted up the sleeve of his left arm, imitated Shen Mo, and carved a circular cut on his left arm.He poured blood on the Nanjiang king's stele, and said solemnly: "I know my crime, but I still have a heavy responsibility. I will lead Shen Mo to find the truth of what happened back then, and give you rest in peace."

Shen Mo looked at his movements and felt a little moved in his heart, but he didn't stop him.

Su Yunshu stood up, smiled slightly at Shen Mo, and said, "It's wrong, most of it is on me, you can no longer carry it alone."

Shen Mo didn't know what expression to make, so he turned around and said, "Let's go."

In the evening, in order to celebrate Su Yunshu's recovery, Yunxian took Shen Mo to drink with him.Shen Mo said that he didn't drink well and wanted to replace wine with tea. Su Yunshu didn't say anything at first, but when Yun Xian returned, he pretended to remind Shen Mo that when they first met Shen Mo, he had only wine and no water on him, so he insisted on letting him go. Shen Mo fooled around again.Su Yunshu blinked and said, "I'll have a drink, and you have a drink. If you don't want to drink, just answer my question."

Shen Mo had no choice but to resist Su Yunshu's persistence, so he nodded in agreement.

Su Yunshu's first question was: "What were you thinking when you were alone in the White Tower when you were young?"

Shen Mo glanced at him and replied, "Forgot."

······OK.

The second question: "Have you really grown up without a playmate?"

Shen Mo nodded.

Question Three: "Are you... lonely?"

Shen Mo was silent for a long time, with a sharp smile in his eyes, "You don't have to think too hard about me, some things you get used to from the beginning. Moreover, before I was 14 years old, the former Witch Emperor came to teach me every day, After the age of 14, the king of Nanjiang also often came to the White Tower to look for me, so no one would talk to me."

Su Yunshu tilted his head, and asked in a doubtful tone: "The King of Southern Border? Do you have a good relationship with him?"

Shen Mo's eyes fell on the wine glass in front of Su Yunshu. Su Yunshu raised his eyebrows and took another drink.

Shen Mo's eyes were a little empty, as if he saw a place a long time ago.He said slowly: "It's not good. He is ten years older than me. He probably sympathizes with me as much as you do. He always comes to chat with me like visiting a younger brother. But he is the king of Southern Xinjiang after all. I still have the proper etiquette." Obedience, he may feel that I am alienated from him, so he gradually reduced the number of visits to me, and cared more about the quality of my diet and daily life. But the things he sent are not very useful, I would rather he send a few ancient books to me. I."

Su Yunshu was curious, took another drink consciously, and asked: "So, in fact, you are very grateful to the king of Nanjiang for taking care of you, but you don't know how to express it, so when the kingdom of Nanjiang is broken, you have to protect him and him with all your might." People in southern Xinjiang?"

Shen Mo lowered his eyes, nodded slightly, and admitted, "Almost."

After drinking two glasses of wine, Su Yunshu asked anxiously, "Do you hate me? Then why didn't you kill me then?"

Shen Mo didn't answer any more, poured himself two glasses of wine, and swallowed them down.

Su Yunshu couldn't get an answer, feeling a little depressed, she poured herself two glasses.Shen Mo got up and lay down on his couch, closed his eyes, and did not move.Su Yunshu turned her head to look at him, wondering in her heart, why is the capacity for drinking so poor that he downed two glasses of wine?