In the forest, in an abandoned ancient temple.
The sky began to become gloomy again. After the battle in the water, many people's clothes had been wet, so a bonfire was built in the ancient temple. Several followers were guarding outside. In the ancient temple
Guarding Lu Huaining were Chi Yuran, Chi Zhongyu, Lin Zhao and others. Liu Liying followed Lin Zhao with a folding fan, looking like a fairy.
"I haven't asked this immortal master yet..."
Lu Huaining stood up, bowed and made a Confucian salute, and said, "Thank you so much, Master Immortal, for your help. Otherwise, Lu Huaining would have turned into the flesh and blood of the dragon."
"My name is Lin Zhao."
Lin Zhao stood up, performed a martial artist's fist-cup salute, and said: "A passer-by in the world of flowers."
Lu Huaining smiled and nodded.
A group of people sat down to warm themselves by the fire again. The fish in the pond frowned and said: "Master Lu, how come your dignified second-grade minister of household affairs doesn't even have a decent boat? If there were official boats, he wouldn't be in such a mess.
Already."
"Don't mention it."
A household inspector who followed Lu Huaining frowned and said: "After your Excellency arrived at Jiangzhou Prefecture, all the official ships were recruited early. After your Excellency, the governor of the two states, took office, there was no one else."
An official ship can be mobilized. To put it bluntly, the local officials in Jiangzhou and Longzhou actually hope that Mr. Lu will leave, and it will be better if he leaves as soon as possible."
"The embankment must have been dug manually."
Lin Zhao frowned and said: "I came from the ancient Shu Kingdom, so I don't know much about the situation in the Xu Dynasty. Who is digging the river embankment and what is the intention of digging the river embankment? I'm afraid
It won’t be simple, right?”
"It's really not simple."
Lu Huaining took out a bottle of wine from his luggage. This exceptionally elegant scholar raised his head and drank a large gulp of wine. Looking at the jumping firelight, he laughed at himself: "I, Lu Huaining, knew that this road was certain when I left Beijing."
It’s hard to leave, but I didn’t expect it would be so difficult. Everyone in the officialdom of Jiangzhou Prefecture seems to want me, Lu Huaining, to die.”
Lin Zhaodao: "Master Lu, can you elaborate on this?"
"Um."
Lu Huaining groaned and said: "This matter has to start from the source. As for the source, the immortal master must have heard something about it. It is the legendary national policy of converting grain into rice. Over the years, our Xu Dynasty has been fighting for many years, relying on the mountains.
With the assistance of the forces, a large area of the territory except the ancient Shu Kingdom has been unified. Your Majesty and the Imperial Advisor have tasted the benefits and want to continue to increase the power of our Xu Dynasty on the mountain, hoping to conquer the ancient Shu Kingdom in one go in the future.
Bones, so there is a national policy to convert grain into rice, but once the farmland in Jiangzhou and Longzhou are all used to grow spiritual rice, our Xu dynasty will definitely not have enough food to eat, and those wealthy families will naturally not be hungry.
Death, but what will the people eat? Therefore, the court was divided into two factions, one supported the conversion of grain into rice, and the other opposed it. Standing behind Lu Huaining were countless Qingliu people in the court who cared about the people, so Lu Huaining went
Wenhua Pavilion met with His Majesty and asked for the position of governor of two states to patrol the south of the Yangtze River on behalf of the King. His Majesty said that if changing grain to rice really hurts the country, he will reconsider it again."
Lin Zhao nodded: "No wonder so many people want Master Lu dead. It turns out that you are blocking other people's way of making money."
The household inspector gritted his teeth and said: "After your Excellency arrived at Jiangzhou Prefecture, there was no treatment equal to that of the governors of the two states. Before we arrived, Xu Changnian, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, secretly ordered Longzhou that the garrison in Jiangzhou should not do anything without tiger talismans.
So much so that after your Excellency, the governor of two states, arrived at Jiangzhou Prefecture, he could not mobilize a single soldier!"
Lu Huaining frowned and said: "The river bursting its banks... must be their plan. It's almost autumn now, and only grains can be grown next season in the south of the Yangtze River. But the fields flooded by the river cannot grow grains at all. This season, the people must have to
The harvest was gone, and the people who had lost their source of food were so hungry that they sold everything. Therefore, before the river burst its banks, a large number of businessmen from the capital had already poured into Jiangzhou, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and sell it at low prices.
They purchased the farmland of the people in the two states and then started their spiritual rice business. As long as the monks on the mountain can have enough to eat, green clam money, flying fish money, and gold mullet money will come rolling in. They will not care about the lives of the people, even if Jiang
I'm afraid they won't care if a million people die in Longzhou."
"That straightens it out."
Lin Zhao frowned and said: "The interests of Beijing merchants and the official circles of the two states have been tied together. They all hope that the conversion of grain into rice can be implemented smoothly. All they want is the fields, so the appearance of Mr. Lu Huaining, the governor of the two states, is simply
It is a thorn in their side and a thorn in their flesh, so naturally they want to get rid of it quickly."
Lu Huaining sighed, his eyes full of loneliness: "We, the scholars, have read so many books by saints and sages, but in the end we became the pen bearers of those fat-minded and corrupt officials. Instead of doing this, we should not have gone to school in the first place and lose the face of the disciples of sages and saints!"
The fish in the pond frowned and said, "What should we do next? Master Lu, have you ever thought about it?"
"Save the people, in the final analysis, we still have to save the people..."
Lu Huaining looked completely lost.
At this moment, a guard from outside came in and said respectfully: "Sir, there is someone outside with soldiers asking to see you. They say it is Lu Zili, the commander of Jiangzhou Navy Yamen."
"finally come!"
Lu Huaining's eyes lit up, and he led everyone to get up and walk out of the ancient temple.
Outside the ancient temple, with the cold wind howling, a young warrior in military armor dismounted from his horse, followed by a group of navy soldiers. He clasped his fists respectfully and said, "Student Lu Zili, I have met the teacher."
"Um."
Lu Huaining nodded: "Zili, you are finally here. How many people have you brought with you?"
"Five thousand."
Lu Zili frowned and said, "Almost all the people from the Navy Yamen have been brought here. Please give me the order, teacher."
"First plug the gaps along the river and repair the Lingze River dam."
Lu Huaining took a deep breath: "I'm afraid you'll have to throw in all five thousand troops. In addition, use my order to mobilize the salt officer ships and salt transport troops, and ask them to immediately enter the flooded areas to rescue people!"
"yes!"
Lu Zili took the order, frowned and said, "Teacher, I'm leaving right now, you have to take care of yourself!"
"Go ahead."
…
In the afternoon, Lu Huaining took Chi Yuran, Chi Zhongyu and others back to Jiangzhou Mansion. Lin Zhao and Liu Liying also followed them into the legendary Jiangzhou City. The city was located in a high place, so they were not affected by it.
Despite the flood, on the contrary, the lights of thousands of houses in Jiangzhou Prefecture in the evening appeared extremely peaceful, and the main street was also quite prosperous.
The fish in the pond said goodbye. He had a heavy responsibility to protect Lu Huaining.
Lin Zhaoze, as a passer-by, did not deliberately involve himself in the civil strife in the south of the Xu Dynasty. He was dressed in white and had Liu Liying hidden in his scabbard. Since he came, he wanted to take a good tour first.
Let’s talk about the beautiful scenery of Jiangzhou City. At night, I asked for a private room in a well-known restaurant in Jiangzhou City. When I opened the window, I could see the river view in the north of Jiangzhou City in the distance. The gentle breeze came, which was very pleasant.
After the waiter finished serving the food and left, Lin Zhao patted the scabbard and said with a smile: "Come out, let's eat."
A light golden light flew out. Liu Liying was dressed in a red dress, holding a folding fan in her hand, and said with a smile: "It smells so good. Jiangzhou City is indeed a big city."
"That's not the case."
Lin Zhao picked up the chopsticks, took out two bottles of green bamboo wine from the package, and said with a smile: "Don't delay, eat and drink first. You have worked hard these past two days, so take good care of yourself."
"Thank you, Master!" The folding fan goddess smiled like a flower.
Lin Zhao kept the window open, allowing Liu Liying to see the beautiful scenery outside, but on the other hand, he tried his best not to let people outside see Liu Liying. After all, he put on white clothes to conceal himself from others.
During the battle at the Qinglu Inn, the news that the second prince Xu Beiwei was killed must have spread. God knows how many dead warriors and monks were sent to the capital to hunt him. If he didn't keep a low profile, he might really be in trouble.
And this is also the reason why he and Chi Zhongyu, Lu Huaining and others split up. If Lu Huaining is implicated again due to his own reasons, I am afraid that Chaozhong Qingliu will not be able to survive soon.
In fact, Lin Zhao's heart is like a mirror, and Lu Huaining's heart is for the people, so he asked for orders to go south. But the emperor's heart is not necessarily for the people, it may just be the world. For Emperor Xu Chen, the lives and deaths of the people are just numbers on a book.
He unified most of the world by relying on the power of the monks on the mountain, not the people. Therefore, Lu Huaining may still have hope for the emperor, but Lin Zhao disagrees. Maybe in the end, all Lu Huaining got was disappointment.
…
late at night.
In a rather luxurious inn in Jiangzhou City, Lin Zhao was lying on a soft bed, with his arms pillowed on his pillow, his face bathed in the moonlight outside. At this moment, he could finally take a short rest.
On the side, Liu Liying was holding a folding fan and sitting at the coffee table by the window. She looked at Lin Zhao with a pair of beautiful eyes and smiled softly: "Young master, please take a rest for a while if you are tired. Liying will be here to guard you."
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
Lin Zhao asked.
"ah?"
Liu Liying's pretty face suddenly turned red: "Master, what you mean... is that you need Liying to accompany you to sleep? If so, Liying will also sleep with you."
"etc."
Lin Zhao frowned: "I didn't mean that. I mean, Liying, don't you need sleep?"
"Not required."
Liu Liying said with a smile: "Liying is the spirit of heaven and earth in the mural. She has slept in the mural for countless years. Now that she has stepped out of the mural, she will be fine even if she has not slept for a hundred years."
"That's okay."
Lin Zhao nodded: "Then I'll squint for a while."
"Um."
Not long after, Lin Zhao started snoring slightly, and Liu Liying pursed her red lips and looked at his sleeping face, and couldn't help but smile. What kind of man is he? He can actually control himself.
…
But at this moment, a scholar in a green shirt appeared on the street with high lanterns in Jiangzhou City. He held a scroll in his arms and an oil-paper umbrella behind him. He raised his head and saw the people in front of the window from a distance.
Liu Liying suddenly showed a smile and said from the bottom of her heart: "At the beginning, I destroyed the mood of the fish in the pond with an understatement. How come I am here with Lin Zhao, but I still can't do it?"
This chapter has been completed!