"Where is Your Highness?"
Zhang Luxiang, the left chief of the Yu Palace, anxiously inquired about Jiao Mingfeng. Although there had been rumors a few days ago, the news of the seizing of the gate was officially announced in the capital today. The empress, prince, imperial concubine, and Prince Ji of the Ming Dynasty were all dead.
Well, according to convention, as a direct blood relative, Prince Zhu Ruofeng of Yu should be mourned in the fiefdom, but no matter how hard he searched, there was no trace of His Highness.
Jiao Mingfeng felt that Zhang Luxiang's gaze was like a knife, hurting him, so he did not dare to hide it, so he told the truth, "Early this morning, His Highness took Wang Wan, Mei Tao, and Luo Biao out of the city, saying that he wanted to observe
"Public sentiment".
"What! Your Highness left the city with only three people? Didn't anyone tell him that a hole was dug in the river in the northeast of Kaifeng not long ago, and there were victims everywhere in Yifeng and Lanyang counties? It's all Wang Wan's fault. He didn't dissuade him.
His Highness studies and observes etiquette, and instigates reforms all day long. Now, on the pretext of understanding the people's sentiments, he takes His Highness to wander around. What should we do if we encounter those refugees?"
Zhang Luxiang was so anxious that he stamped his feet. He was a conservative, advocating respect for superiors and subordinates, and ordering seniority and youth. He was very disgusted with Wang Wan, who advocated reform and vigorously preached that the people should be valued above the emperor and everyone should be equal.
After getting angry, he thought for a while and rode a fast horse to the barracks in the west of the city. Three battalions of elite soldiers commanded by King Yu were stationed in the west of the city.
Hearing that Zhang Luxiang was coming, Deng Yao, the commander-in-chief of the Guarding Army Town of Prince Yu's Mansion, did not dare to neglect and hurriedly went out of the camp gate to greet him. "Zhang Changshi is here, and the walls of the tent will be illuminated. Please come into the camp quickly."
"President Deng, hurry up, hurry up and get out of the city, His Highness is missing," Zhang Luxiang said breathlessly.
"His Royal Highness is missing?" Deng Yao was confused.
Zhang Luxiang calmed down and said: "Today, Your Highness took Wang Wan, Mei Tao and Luo Biao out of the city to observe the people's sentiments. Now the rivers in Yifeng and Lanyang counties are dug, and there are victims everywhere. I'm afraid that Your Highness will encounter refugees after leaving the city. Then
But it’s too bad! From the town of Deng, you have to send troops to various counties to look for His Highness.”
"Oh, my highness! Even if you want to leave the city, you have to take more people with you. What's the point of taking only three people?"
Deng Yao cried out in pain and immediately ordered his men to disperse to search in Sunjiadukou, Yangqiao, Veterinary Port, Taojiadian, Zhaopizhai, Xuanwuwei, Zhongmou County, Lanyang County, and Yifeng County. Fortunately, Henan
Many of the soldiers in the royal guard town had accompanied King Yu to conquer the Rakshasa people. King Yu also liked to inspect the military camps, and most of them knew His Highness. With an order, they were divided into hundreds of groups and searched everywhere.
??
The Yellow River comes from the west to conquer Kunlun, roaring for thousands of miles and touching the Dragon Gate. The Yellow River has nine twists and turns, and its momentum of rushing into the sea cannot be stopped by human beings.
When Zhu Ruofeng and others arrived near Taojiadian in the north of Kaifeng, they could already faintly hear the roar of the Yellow River.
"Master, please give it to the one who stutters. Buddha will bless you with a long life and may you be a prince for generations to come!"
"It's pitiful, just buy this baby and give him ten steamed buns!"
"Master, although I am thin, I have a strong body and can do any job. Just buy me and feed me."
Along the way, there were beggars and homeless people sitting on the ground. When they saw people coming, they rushed up, begging for food, and selling themselves, their children, and their daughters.
"Why are there so many refugees in the peaceful and prosperous times?" Zhu Ruofeng was surprised.
"Young master, I don't know that the river embankment in the northeast of Kaifeng burst, and Yifeng and Lanyang counties were all flooded. These victims are from those two counties," said Yiwei Zheng Luo Biao.
Zhu Ruofeng felt soft and asked Mei Tao to get some dry food for the refugees.
"Young Master, you must not do this," Wang Wan hurriedly dissuaded him.
"Sir, why did you stop me? Didn't you often advise me to take the world as one of my own responsibilities?" Zhu Ruofeng was puzzled.
"The prince's food is limited, but the number of refugees is very large. Once the food is scattered, the refugees will be jealous. If the food is scattered, there will be insufficient food, and they will attack in groups. The prince is in danger!"
"Then just watch these people starve to death?" Zhu Ruofeng said depressedly.
"Good deeds come in different sizes. Scattered grain can only save a few people, which is a small good; establishing a prosperous era of great harmony and managing the Yellow River is a great good!" Wang Wan advised.
Zhu Ruofeng nodded, and suddenly asked puzzledly: "The imperial court invests a lot of money to control the river every year, why did Kaifeng have another fight this year?"
Wang Wan sighed, "It's half a natural disaster and half a man-made disaster! Previously, the old man in charge of the Ministry of Works, Guange, ordered the Capital Water Department and various river officials to repair and strengthen the embankments. However, he was not strict about the acceptance of the project, and the quality of each section of the embankment was not good.
, it all depends on the conscience of officials, and there are many people who cut corners, take bribes and bend the law. Later, Mr. Chen Ge took charge of the Ministry of Industry and strictly implemented anti-corruption, and many corrupt officials were arrested. However, he only focused on party fighting against Mr. Guan Ge and had no intention of dealing with river affairs. The river affairs were once again abandoned.
, breaking up is a common thing."
"Alas! Party strife is harming the country!" Zhu Ruofeng sighed.
Just as he was sighing, he suddenly saw several villagers who were beating gongs coming over and shouting loudly: "Fathers and fellow villagers, my family member Zhao has a kind heart and is a well-known philanthropist within a hundred miles. He has set up a porridge restaurant in Tao's shop
Factory to provide relief to the victims. You guys, hurry up and go to Tao’s shop. Once you go there, you’ll have hot porridge to drink."
As soon as they heard that there was hot porridge to drink, the refugees sitting on the ground stood up one after another, helped the old and the young, and went to Tao's store in groups. Most of the refugees in the groups were from the same village, and they looked after each other. The situation was slightly better, although
There are dishes on the noodles, but they look pretty normal.
Those refugees in twos and threes, most of their families have been separated, and they are all alone. Their situation is much worse. Most of them are skinny, their eyes are dull, and they are struggling to walk forward on crutches.
Zhu Ruofeng suddenly saw a man with a belly as big as a bucket, who fell to the side of the road while walking.
"Sir, that man's belly is so big because he eats Guanyin soil. When I was a child, there was a famine in my hometown, and many people died from eating like this." Luo Biao sighed.
"In the peaceful and prosperous times, the people of Ming Dynasty actually ate dirt?" Zhu Ruofeng felt sad and shed tears.
Suddenly, he saw a few more refugees walking towards him, carrying sharpened bamboos and machetes. The strange thing was that the other refugees had slutty faces, but these people had rosy faces, but their eyes were sinister, as if they were green.
Light.
"Quickly leave! Otherwise I'll kill you!" Luo Biao yelled.
But those people didn't listen and slowly approached.
Luo Biao stopped talking nonsense, bent his bow and nocked an arrow, and immediately shot one person down. The others looked at each other, stopped moving forward, and dragged the fallen person into the nearby forest.
"Why did you kill people for no reason?" Zhu Ruofeng angrily scolded Luo Biao.
"Sir, those people have rosy faces," Luo Biao said aggrievedly.
After hearing this, Zhu Ruofeng remained silent and sighed for a long time, "I always thought that in a peaceful and prosperous age, the people would live a healthy life."
While he was sighing with emotion, he suddenly heard Wang Wan saying to himself, "It's strange, it's strange."
"Why did Mr. Wang say it was strange?" Zhu Ruofeng asked.
“Porridge factories set up to provide relief to the victims in disaster years are generally run by the government or jointly run by officials and gentry. As far as I know, there are two government-run porridge factories in Kaifeng Prefecture, located in Xuanwuwei and Zhongmou counties; there are also porridge factories jointly run by officials and gentry.
There are two of them, located in Lanyang County and Yifeng County respectively. I have never heard of this Taojiadian porridge factory. It seems that it was run by Zhao Yuanwai. Privately running a porridge factory requires a lot of money, but it is not as common as a porridge factory.
Most people are not willing to accept praise from the government if it is a joint venture between officials and gentry. It seems that Zhao Yuanwai is really a kind person," Wang Wan said.
"Well, if something goes wrong, it must be a monster. I think this member Zhao is either a good person or a traitor. Let's go to Tao's store and have a look." Zhu Ruofeng got interested and rode towards Tao's store.
This chapter has been completed!