There are many villages outside Kyoto, but they are still unable to cope with the many poor people who have been displaced by the war. Although they receive relief from the court, they often still lack food and clothing.
So many poor people hid in the mountains and built earthen kilns or grottoes.
What Su Zhen is going to is the largest slum in Huanyu Mountain. I heard that after decades of development, they have established a small village.
Two horses, one black and one white, galloped out of the forest and stopped in front of a hillside.
Su Zhen and Jingyao stood on the slope and looked down. As expected, although there were trees behind the col on the opposite side, it was not difficult to see that most of the small villages were grottoes or cave dwellings, and a few had thatched houses.
Jingyao raised her head to look at the scorching sun above her head, raised the back of her hand to wipe her sweat, Su Zhen turned over and dismounted, and tied the reins to the tree skillfully.
"Huh? Why don't you leave?"
"Are you tired? Take a rest first."
"Oh, okay."
Jingyao jumped off the horse, tied the reins, sat on a relatively clean and flat stone, picked up a leaf and started fanning it.
Su Zhen had been observing her and finally couldn't help but said, "I thought you were a spoiled princess."
"Don't look down on me. I don't like the palace! If my mother hadn't sent a message to say she misses me, I wouldn't have come back!"
"Princess, you have made good friends with Master Yu's sister. If she really can enter the palace and become a concubine, she will definitely participate in the harem battles. So how will you treat her in the future?"
"Are you talking about Wan Wan? In fact, I can't figure out why she has to jump into the fire pit to share the same person with so many women. It would be great to find a good man and spend the rest of our lives together!"
Su Zhen smiled, took off the water bag from her waist and handed it to her, "Drink some water to quench your thirst."
"ah?"
Today's Su Zhen may be because she has changed into official uniform, but her words and deeds are completely different from that of Mr. Meng Lang last night.
"This is new, I haven't used it."
Hearing what Su Zhen meant, Jingyao rarely blushed. After taking it, she pulled out the stopper and took a big sip. The cool liquid went down her throat and dissipated a lot of the heat.
She quietly glanced at Su Zhen a few more times and asked, "Su Zhen, do you and General Xiao... really have any hidden secrets?"
“If you think too much, grass will easily grow in your head.”
"Su Zhen, you don't know etiquette!"
Jingyao finally changed her view of Su Zhen, but in the blink of an eye she became shattered again.
The two sat under the tree to rest for a while. Su Zhen looked at the willow branches above her head, stepped on the stones, jumped up and pulled a few down, leaning her back against the tree, humming a little tune, weaving along the circle, and then
Decorated with small purple flowers, it quickly became a garland.
After looking at it carefully, he raised his hand and placed it on Jingyao's head.
A shadow shrouded Jingyao's head, hot wind blew across her face, and the slender willow leaves tickled her cheeks.
She raised her head in surprise, only to see that Su Zhen had already stood up and untied the reins by the tree. She sat up suddenly, almost throwing off the garland on her head. After straightening it, she fastened the stopper of the water bag and asked, "What are we going to do?
Are you leaving?"
"Well, I didn't bring any dry food. It's best to go out early to avoid going hungry."
"Oh! That's it!"
...
After descending the hillside, they entered a mountain col, where trees were densely packed and insects were constantly chirping in the bushes. Fortunately, there were obvious trails to identify the direction.
When the two of them approached the exit of the forest, they finally saw the slowly rising smoke. Jingyao rubbed her belly, involuntarily pursed her lips and swallowed.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes." Jingyao's cheeks felt a little hot, "I heard something happened to you in the palace today, so I left the palace right away. I didn't even have time to have breakfast."
Su Zhen looked at the dilapidated houses not far away and frowned, "But I'm afraid you won't be able to eat their food."
"It's okay, I'm not afraid."
As they had thought before, the village did not even have a symbolic boundary stone, and the paths were muddy. Except for a few conspicuous dilapidated thatched houses, most of the villagers lived in grottoes and earthen cave dwellings.
There was a well in front of the village, which was covered with a stone slab. Su Zhen stepped forward and looked through the gap. It was too deep to see whether there was any water in it.
The two entered the village and found that the people in the village were even sparser than they expected.
Fortunately, we didn't go far when we heard some noise in front of us, as if there was a dispute.
"Su Zhen, let's go take a look."
"Um."
Not far away, a group of servants in gray cloths surrounded a man in brocade. He was covered in jewels and looked very vulgar.
They were in a stalemate with a group of villagers dressed in rags and linen clothes in front of a thatched house.
There was a scholar in civilian clothes lying on the ground, wearing a black turban on his head, and holding two blue-covered books in his arms. However, because they were badly torn, the original appearance could not be seen clearly, but he still regarded them as treasures and protected them tightly in his arms.
inside.
Facing these ferocious 'evil dogs', he struggled to stand up with the help of other villagers. Seeing their proud expressions, he couldn't help but clenched his back teeth. He was obviously unwilling to give in, but he was unable to do anything.
.
"You scoundrels, you are simply insulting the gentlemen! People must live with blood! Literary people are unbreakable! Accumulation is just a process, it does not mean that we will always endure and surrender! It does not mean that you are right! These grains are for the common people.
It was grown with so much hard work! They once lost their home due to the war, but you still want to deprive them of everything they have left! Why do you take that food! What's more, it was your Huang family who maliciously deceived them before they rented your food.
Land, become sharecroppers! Become your slaves! You! You are not worthy of being called human beings at all!”
"Haha!" Huang Yi smiled sinisterly, his triangular eyes full of evil and sycophancy, "He Lan, do you think you have the right to speak here? Aren't you afraid that this young master will burn you poor thatch in a rage?
House! I don’t think you need to follow these guys to farm in the fields to make a living. I heard that you once came from a scholarly family and read poetry and books. Why don’t you go back with me and write an article for me to relieve your boredom? As for what kind of writing you should do
...You should know..."
"Bah!" Seeing the undisguised lust in Huang Yi's eyes, she spat directly at him, with blood still in her saliva, "I, He Lan, have nothing but this pride, so how can I be afraid of being alone again?
!”
"You're such a bitch! You don't know what's good! Come on! Burn!"
"yes!"
Seeing those servants looking for torches, she really wanted to ignore the rules and set fire to commit murder in broad daylight. Panic flashed in He Lan's eyes.
An old man with frosty white hair next to him pulled his sleeves and persuaded him earnestly, "Xiao He! You'd better leave quickly! We can't fight them!"
"If you can't fight...you have to fight if you can't! How can they have the final say in the laws of heaven and the king!"
"Pfft! Idiot! He Lan, a pedantic scholar like you deserves to be bullied! If you help them, I will not be able to keep you!"