Yan Zibin had no time to think more. The situation before him was already very bad. He knew that the outside of the city was occupied by bandits and the autumn harvest was coming, but food could not be transported in.
People's hearts have been in chaos for a long time, and those who knew the news in advance started to stock up on food.
Now things are going to be bad.
Food is like this. Since it can be stored for a long time, you can store it for three months, half a year, one year, two years, or three years. It's not impossible. At most, old food won't taste good.
Just like many landlords, they would build granaries in their homes, and it would not be unusual for them to be stored for ten to eight years.
This is still the case in times of peace, but in the years when dynasties are changing, and war is approaching, people without any brains know to hoard more food.
Therefore, almost overnight, there was no food on the market in Laiwu. All food stores, large and small, were closed and locked. The streets were full of people holding bags and pushing carts who could not find food.
"Your Majesty, it's a mess, it's a complete mess. We can't do it even if we don't agree. Hurry up and send things out to give away!" Master Fang begged bitterly.
Yan Zibin's eyes flickered, still hesitating, "Old Fang, when I send this person out, it's like handing the handle of the knife to Mr. Zhu. If the court finds out in the future, they won't spare me. No matter what, I will die, you say I
Now I have issued an order to confiscate the large grain merchants and stop hoarding, and then lead the people to fight to the death. What do you think my chances of winning are?"
Master Fang's eyes widened when he heard this. He waved his hands repeatedly and then leaned into Yan Zibin's ear, "Master, do you plan to die now or in a later time?"
Yan Zibin was stunned, "What do you mean? Who dares to kill me?"
Master Fang looked around and said in the lowest voice: "You don't need Mr. Zhu to take action. Everyone in the yamen will kill you."
"What?" Yan Zibin was shocked, "Are they all thieves?"
Master Fang had no choice but to say, "It's not that he is a thief, but that he has hoarded grain. There are also many people who have colluded with grain merchants to sell grain in private to make money!"
"Ah!" Yan Zhixian was shocked, "You, how do you know?" He stared at Master Fang, and suddenly noticed that his brows were moving slightly. Yan Zibin immediately understood. His face was ferocious, and he wanted to strangle Master Fang to death, "Bastard, you
, you did it too, right? I only knew that you were greedy for money, but I didn’t expect you to still be greedy for money at this time. I, why did I hire you for such a thing? "
Master Fang grinned, "Master, you are a sensible person. It's not that Lao Fang is greedy for money. It's because we don't take it and others don't agree. I'm afraid that they will jump over the wall and be detrimental to the master. I am always loyal..."
"fart!"
Yan Zibin spat hard at Master Fang, but had nothing to say. In the last few decades of the Ming Dynasty, such farts were everywhere. The Qing Dynasty entered the customs, inherited the old system of the Ming Dynasty, and was guarded by the Eight Banners.
Maybe the place can be better. In a small place like Laiwu, the people are still the same, and the rules are still the same. It would be weird if it could get better all of a sudden!
However, it is precisely because of the chaos that there is an opportunity to take advantage of it. As long as the county town still exists in name, he may be able to escape the disaster.
"The only thing we can do is give him the weapons he wants."
Master Fang nodded, but did not go down to implement it.
Yan Zibin was startled, "Old Fang, is there anything else?"
Master Fang said helplessly: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhu is a thief and unreasonable. I am afraid that he will cheat, so I asked your Majesty to lead the troops and horses, hold high the banner, and show off the power of the army."
Just in case something unexpected happens.”
When Yan Zibin heard this, he rolled his eyes. If he had military power, would he be so miserable?
In an ordinary small county, there are more than 10,000 people, and the total number of government officials and horses will not exceed 1,000. After deducting the empty quota, it will be even less.
During the attack on Dawen Village a few days ago, I also heard that someone was attacking the servants of the Confucius family. Yan Zibin was afraid that the Confucius family would blame him, so he sent people hurriedly, hoping to kill some people randomly so that he could deal with it.
In the end, more than two hundred people were killed and many more dispersed.
Now he can barely pull out more than 300 people.
I had no choice but to rely on these few people to go out and meet Mr. Zhu.
Yan Zibin and Master Fang were afraid of being seen, so they chose dusk to deliver the weapons and armor Zhu Yiyuan wanted... Of course, this kind of move was just to cover up.
However, Zhu Yiyuan was very cooperative and actually agreed.
Not only did he agree, but he also came with steamed buns, gruel, and pickles...
Yan Zibin and Master Fang were both confused. Was this given to them?
"Fellows in the city, villagers who have come to work in the city, there is no food in Laiwu City, and you have no way out if you stay in the city. Get out of the city quickly. Don't worry, we have made arrangements, and your village will be able to allocate fields soon.
.From now on, you will have food to drink, you will not be hungry, and you will not be cold, and don’t wait to die in the city.”
After Zhu Yiyuan finished speaking, he stepped aside, and many villagers came out, shouting towards the city.
Some parents call them sons, some brothers call them brothers, and some wives call them husbands.
Being besieged on all sides is not so lively.
Come out of the city quickly. Mr. Zhu is a good man. The steamed buns and porridge are ready.
When we leave the city, our families will be reunited, and we will have enough to eat. In a few days, we will divide the fields, and we have hope for the future.
Yan Zibin and Master Fang's eyes widened and they gritted their teeth, "How, how can you be so vicious?"
Yes, how can you bring steamed buns here?
Is it totally rebellious to divide the fields?
Do you know that it will be struck by lightning?
Yan Zibin gritted his teeth and felt that Zhu Yiyuan was the most hateful thief in the world, ten thousand times more hateful than Li Zicheng.
After all, King Li Chuang just refuses to pay for the food. You have already prepared it and put it in your mouth. What kind of trick is this?
He was angry when Master Fang stabbed him. Yan Zibin subconsciously turned around, his face turned green.
I saw that the city was full of people who came after hearing the news.
Everyone can't buy food, especially the craftsmen's apprentices in the workshops, the porters in the merchant houses, and the ordinary people who do odd jobs... They don't have much food to save, and they can only buy it for a few days at a time.
After all, their wages are not much.
It's better now. Not to mention the skyrocketing price of food, it's still unavailable.
It's a dead end right in the city.
I had no choice but to go out and go back to the village to find a way to survive.
Soon, two to three hundred people had gathered at the city gate, and more would follow.
Looking outside the city, Zhu Yiyuan brought more than a thousand rebels and an astonishing number of ordinary people.
"There is a wolf inside and a tiger outside, what should I do?" Yan Zibin wanted to cry.
"Guan Gu, open the city gate quickly!"
The people in the city were already impatient, "There is no food and they want to starve us to death. If we don't open the city gate, we will fight out!"
"Listen to the county magistrates at the top of the city. We have enough power to capture Laiwu. If we don't open the city gates, we will bear the consequences."
Zhu Yiyuan also became impatient and issued an ultimatum.
With this posture, the city cannot be saved without Zhu Yiyuan's intervention... Yan Zibin had no choice but to let Master Fang open the city.
In just a moment, hundreds of people rushed out.
Family members are reunited, don’t talk about anything, the steamed buns are enough, let’s have a full meal first, and then go home.
The fist-sized steamed buns are soft and sweet. It goes without saying that the whole family is reunited and happy.
Zhu Yiyuan has already made arrangements for the rebels to help relieve the situation. The villagers will return to their respective villages and homes. Everything is in order.
As for the things he wanted from Yan Zibin, he couldn't let them go. After the rebel soldiers inspected them, they carried them away one after another.
Seeing that so many people had gone out, Yan Zibin breathed a sigh of relief. It was all right. Zhu Yiyuan did not attack the city after all, and there was no chaos inside.
Within the tolerance range.
As darkness fell, almost 1,500 people came out of the city.
"Going out so many means that there are no more mouths. If we let out a few thousand people, it will not be so difficult to provide food in the city." Yan Zibin secretly laughed in his heart. Zhu Yiyuan is young after all. Among the people who have sneaked out, there are naturally some
His confidant.
The affair in Laiwu will be sent to Jinan soon. As long as the imperial troops arrive, everything will be easy...
Yan Zibin was thinking proudly. He looked back and suddenly felt that there were so many fewer soldiers than he brought with him.
"Old Fang, where have everyone gone?"
Master Fang rubbed his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, two hundred soldiers are here, quite a few."
Yan Zibin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly became furious and wailed: "It's three hundred, three hundred people! What I brought is three hundred!" This chapter has been completed!