When Cherchen came out of the bathroom after taking a bath, Pedro and Franco drank the third bottle of wine. Even Franco\'s eyes brightened when he looked at Cherchen, who was clean and dressed up.

At the age of 14, Chechen\'s height of 1.65 meters is not short among his peers. His nose is straight, his lips are ruddy, his arms are slender, his legs are slender, and his skin is white like porcelain from the East; And the eyes are shining like stars in the night sky.

"Oh, Pedro, your nephew is such an angel." Franco praised a man rarely.

"That\'s, don\'t look whose nephew he is." Pedro saw his old friend praising Cherchen and kicked his nose and face more and more. I forgot what I looked like.

"Uncle Franco, I often hear my uncle talk about you. He says you are a real knight." Chechen sat down at the side of the table and poured Franco a glass of wine.

"It\'s impossible. Your smelly uncle will praise people?" Franco\'s face was expressionless, but Cherchen praised himself as a real knight, but he was very useful in his heart.

"Yes. Uncle said you are a kind knight." Chechen specially put the stress on "benevolence".

"Chechen!" Pedro took the lead in opening his mouth. He glanced at Franco and then at Chechen.

Franco\'s face hung down. Obviously, he heard some overtones in Chechen\'s words. I\'m afraid that "benevolence" is not praising itself.

"What do you want to say, little friend?"

"Uncle Franco," Chechen said eagerly, "the villagers of zamoshiya bear high land rent every year and live a life without food and clothing. They have paid the land rent this year, but now you have to take their last grain. How can they live in this severe winter?"

Although Chechen knew from Yuri that village head Mikhail had grain in other places, he still hoped that Franco would return the grain found from the village to the villagers in accordance with the knight\'s Creed.

Franco put down his glass and the wine shook in it. His eyes stared at Cherchen like two sharp swords, and Cherchen showed no weakness, just facing Franco\'s eyes.

For a long time, Franco opened his mouth and said to Chechen. There was no doubt in his voice.

"Children, there is benevolence in the knight\'s creed, but I also have responsibility and loyalty. I am a knight, but I am also the head of the mercenary regiment in Smolensk and an officer of the Republic. I have the responsibility and obligation to protect this country. In peacetime, benevolence is indeed the criterion that a knight should abide by, but now it is on the verge of war, everyone should give all his own money Strength to defend this country - Knights draw their swords, priests pray, farmers give grain, businessmen use money. Everyone has his own duty. "

"But." Chechen wanted to retort, but Franco interrupted him as soon as he spoke.

"I know what you\'re trying to say. Are you trying to say that it\'s too cruel to confiscate all their food? We don\'t want to take these, but save them for the time being. Otherwise, when the Russians and zaporoze Cossacks come, they will take everything here, and they will plow it with fire and sword. Zamoshya will have no grass."

Franco paused and continued, "at that time, the food will feed their soldiers and mobs to slaughter the good people. At this time, where is your kindness? As for the lack of food for the people here, you can rest assured that Lord fiordo has agreed to leave them three days of food, and when they are finished, they can come to the city to receive the next three days of food."

Franco\'s words are justified, which makes Cherchen irrefutable. Of course, this is also because Chechen is too young and has too little experience. When he has experienced more things and established his values, he can refute Franco\'s point of view.

"All right, all right. Old friend, you have a lot of truth. You bully a child. Chechen, my nephew. Also pour a glass of wine for my uncle and tell him how you escaped." at this time, Pedro made a round at the right time and turned the topic away.

As a veteran, he didn\'t believe Franco could have an unexpected harvest in zamoshye from the beginning. The villagers here are poor and cunning people, which can be seen from the dilapidated Church - the poorer the people are, the more devout they are in God, because they have nothing to rely on except God. So the more beautiful the church is; The church in zamoshya is so dilapidated that it is obvious that people here have found a way to survive without relying on God.

"Yes, uncle. I was saved by a real knight."

Seeing Pedro asking, Chechen hurriedly talked about a series of things from being captured to being rescued.

Cherchen opened his mouth and told the story of ups and downs. Pedro was so drunk, but Franco heard something strange. When Cherchen finished, Franco asked, "Cherchen, did that man really say he was a knight under the Duke of Dominica?"

"Yes, they also said that they went to Smolensk to deliver the letter for the Duke of Dominica."

Franco looked down at the glass and was lost in thought.

What Chechen said can\'t be a lie, but the identity of the messenger named Bao Geng is too suspicious. Franco had been in Smolensk for many years and had never heard that the mayor of Fyodor was familiar with the so-called Duke of Dominica; Moreover, the cavalry\'s equipment is too gorgeous. A team of messengers can\'t have a sword inlaid with gemstones or a war horse selected from thousands of miles. Bao Geng, Franco couldn\'t figure out what the so-called messenger was.

"What\'s the matter with you, old friend?" asked Pedro when Franco was silent.

Franco shook his head and dispersed his thoughts. Although his face is cold, he is a careful man. Although I doubt it, I have no real evidence. Moreover, as long as you go back to the city and ask the soldiers at the city gate whether there is such a team of messengers entering the city, you can know whether it is true or false. Why say it now? It will increase everyone\'s trouble.

"Nothing. Oh, by the way. Pedro, we\'re going back to Smolensk soon. Are you going with me?" Franco asked.

"Of course, we are going to escort the caravan to Smolensk this time. When we finish this job, we still want to join the Smolensk army."

Pedro had long planned to follow Franco into the city. At this time, Franco asked, why not.

"Well, I\'ll tidy up the team. We\'ll start in an hour."

With that, Franco stood up and tidied up his clothes. Go out.