In ancient times, the transportation conditions were extremely backward, and the only way to travel was to take a boat or a carriage, of course, you could also choose to ride a horse, provided that you had to have a strong buttocks, on the rugged official roads in ancient times, riding thousands of miles, I am afraid that even if you practice the iron butt of the Golden Bell Jar, you can't bear it.

In addition, taking a horse-drawn carriage is an expensive way to travel, not everyone can afford to ride, most of the people still have to rely on two legs to go out, if you walk from Hubei to Beijing, it will take two or three months.

On September 27, Xu Jin left Anlu Prefecture and traveled north in two luxury carriages given by Xingwangfu.

Despite all the caution, the two luxury carriages were too ostentatious, so there were still a few thieves cutting the path on the way. Fortunately, they were all small thieves in groups of three or five, and they were easily dismissed, and the time when the other party had a large number of people, Xu Jin flashed his handcuff and blasted it, and those thieves were immediately frightened and scattered.

In fact, what Xu Jin feared the most was not the thief who cut the path, but the plague. Once the carriage passed through a desolate town, littered with rotting and stinking corpses, and the sore-covered townsfolk rushed to the carriage and drove away in fright.

After getting away from the town where the plague broke out, Xu Jin immediately asked Erniu and Dabao to boil water in a pot on the spot, steamed the utensils they used on weekdays and the clothes they were wearing, and even washed the wheels and hooves of the carriage.

It's not that Xu Jin is making a fuss, in ancient times, the plague was not a joke, people would die in minutes, and once they died, it would be the entire village and town, and when it was serious, it even spread to a radius of hundreds of miles.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty later perished was that in addition to the decay of the roots of the imperial court, the plague was also one of the important reasons. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, drought, locust plague, famine, plague, and war broke out almost at the same time, nearly 30% of the people in the capital died of the plague, and Henan, Shanxi, and Beizhili died forty percent of the population, which was very terrible.

In the next few days, Xu Jin was scared, but fortunately, everyone showed no signs of illness. In late October, Xu Jin and his entourage finally crossed Henan Province and crossed the Yellow River into Hebei Province, when the weather was getting colder and colder. At this time, Xu Jin was completely relieved, because once the weather turned cold, the plague would gradually disappear.

Everyone rushed north for more than ten days, and when they arrived in Baoding Mansion, it was already early November, the sky was snowing, and Xie Xiaowan was also sick, which made Xu Jin's heart rise again.

……

In the afternoon, the sky was covered with lead clouds, the north wind was as cold as a knife, and the two carriages braved the severe cold to march on the official road, and the two healthy horses pulling the carriage were panting for white air, and the horse's mane was blown by the north wind.

Although Dabao and Erniu, who were in charge of driving the car, were tightly wrapped, they were still so cold that they shrunk into a ball, and their upper and lower teeth chattered.

In the carriage, Xie Xiaowan leaned listlessly in Xu Jin's arms, her cheeks showed a sickly flush, obviously with a fever, but her delicate body trembled slightly.

"Ahem!" Xie Xiaowan let out two weak dry coughs.

Xu Jin hugged the person in his arms tightly, feeling distressed and worried, he didn't expect that the little girl who practiced martial arts on weekdays and had a good body was the first to fall ill, and she was not lightly ill. What to do? In ancient times, cold and flu could kill people.

Xie Xiaowan barely squeezed out a smile and comforted: "Xianggong, Xiaowan just felt a little cold, just wait for a few doses of medicine after entering the city." ”

Xu Jin nodded and smiled: "Xianggong knows, be good, sleep with your eyes closed, and when you enter the city, Xianggong will find you a doctor." ”

Xie Xiaowan smiled sweetly, closed her eyes, and fell asleep groggily in a moment. Yue'er next to her reached out and touched Xie Xiaowan's forehead, and couldn't help but whisper: "Master, Madame is burning very badly!" ”

Xu Jin naturally knew that Xie Xiaowan was burning badly, and at this moment he seemed to be holding a ball of coals.

"Erniu, how long will it take to enter the city?" Xu Jin lifted the curtain of the car and asked, and a few snowflakes immediately drifted in, and it turned out to be snowing.

Erniu replied in a buzzing voice: "Master, I'm afraid there are still forty or fifty miles away from Baoding City, and it will snow heavily, so it is estimated that I won't be able to enter the city before dark." ”

Xu Jin's heart suddenly sank to the bottom, Xiao Wan was so sick that she had to be properly accommodated immediately, and decisively ordered: "Then hurry up and find a village nearby." ”

"Okay, Brother Dabao, let me find a place to stay." Erniu yelled at the carriage in front of him.

Dabao, who was driving the car in front, waved his horsewhip violently, sped up his speed and explored the way forward. By this time, the snowflakes had fallen in large areas, and they were getting bigger and bigger, and in the howling north wind, the distant mountains and rivers were white, and even the horses began to hesitate.

Dabao walked forward against the wind and snow, and suddenly saw a broken temple on the official road in front of him, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, immediately jumped out of the carriage, rubbed his hands and ran back to the carriage where Xu Jin was riding, and reported loudly: "Master, there is a broken temple in front of you to avoid the wind and snow, or let's go to the temple to rest for the time being, and then make plans when the snow stops!" ”

Although Xu Jin was anxious, he also knew that with such a big snowstorm, it was impossible to continue to hurry, otherwise the driver would be frozen, and even if he agreed to Dabao's proposal. So, the two carriages drove to the small ruined temple next to the official road despite the wind and snow.

Xie Xiaowan was still asleep, Xu Jin wrapped her head and face tightly with a scarf, and then covered a cloak, and then gently picked up the little girl and got out of the carriage. Yue'er hurriedly picked up the umbrella and got out of the car, but the north wind was too strong, and as soon as she got out of the car, the umbrella was blown out of her hand and flew out, and Yue'er was almost taken to a fall.

It was better in the carriage just now, but at this time, the wind and snow in the sky slashed his head and face, Xu Jin couldn't help but shudder, and hurriedly rushed to the temple gate with a short waist.

Boom......

Dabao originally wanted to push open the temple door, but when he pushed hard, the two temple doors fell to the ground, and the dare was already broken. At this time, everyone couldn't care so much, and rushed into the broken temple by stepping on the door panel.

At this time, there was a bonfire burning in the ruined temple, and four people were sitting around the fire chatting in a low voice.

Xu Jin chuckled in his heart, and secretly screamed that it was not good, the four people in front of him, three men and one woman, had sharp eyes, and they all carried weapons, they were not good at first glance, and they all reached out to touch the handle of the weapon at this time.

Dabao subconsciously shrunk his neck, my mother, this can't be a bandit's den, right?

At this time, it is impossible to withdraw again, not to mention that it is windy and snowy outside, and Xiaowan has a high fever, how can she afford it, so Xu Jin nodded to the four people next to the bonfire, and said politely: "It is windy and snowy outside, and Neiko is sick, so I have to disturb you." ”

"Cut, it turned out to be a sour!" One of the four thin men snorted coldly, and the others were silent, but the hand that touched the weapon was released.

Xu Jin didn't care so much at this time, and immediately ordered Erniu and Dabao to bring in the items on the carriage, clean up a place in the corner, spread the futon, and then gently put down the sleeping Xie Xiaowan.