Su Jin didn't sleep all night. He got up from time to time and looked at the falling snow, praying for the snow to stop quickly. However, his prayers were ignored by the gods and Buddhas, and the snow continued to fall until the next morning, covering the entire Yangzhou.
The snow in the city is knee deep.
It's clearing up after the snow, and the weather is several times colder than when it snowed. Rich people naturally gather around the stove to eat wine and chat. Snow days are the time for families to get together, have wine, and have fun by the fire, but most people in Yangzhou suffer from this.
What a disaster.
In order to buy the high-priced black market rice, many people pawned all the valuables in their homes. Some people even pawned their quilts and cotton-padded clothes because the weather was not too cold in the past few days, in exchange for one meal and two meals.
They had no choice but to say something at some point, and what to do if it got cold and snowy? Such thoughts basically never appeared in their minds. The stomachs in front of them were not full, so why talk about anything else.
The soldiers clearing the snow suddenly discovered more than twenty frozen corpses on the street. Those stiff corpses were lined up in the square of the government office. Song Xiang was at a loss as he grabbed at them with both hands, unable to do anything.
Su Jin found Song Xiang again early in the morning and discussed with him the use of military rations. Although Song Xiang had no solution, he still stubbornly refused Su Jin. Su Jin angrily cursed the old man in front of him.
Confused, the two finally tore off their faces.
After the snow, the hungry and cold people in the city began to walk out of their homes one after another. The heavily armed soldiers all over the streets left them helpless, but the pressure of survival still forced them to slowly gather in the Fuya Square; while others dragged their tired
He took his wife, children, and children away from the city of Yangzhou where they were born and raised, and began to wander and escape aimlessly.
Su Jin was so anxious that he could not wait any longer. Another civil uprising was brewing in the square. With Song Xiang's temper, this meant another bloodshed.
As for the people who left Yangzhou City, their fate would be unpredictable. They would either freeze to death in the wilderness, or wander to other places that were also short of food, or some would simply become bandits.
Su Jin was determined not to let this happen. He decided to use the last resort, which was to use the gold medal given to him by Zhao Zhen to force Song Xiang into submission. The only problem was that Zhao Zhen made it clear that this
A gold medal should not be shown except as a last resort. It would be a serious crime to show it randomly, not to mention taking the gold medal to violate taboos and transport military rations; but Su Jin could no longer care about this.
When Su Jin returned to his residence to take out the gold medal, an uninvited guest came.
The pale-faced Song Quan hurried to Su Jin's residence. When he saw Su Jin, he shouted loudly: "Brother Su, you have to take care of this matter. Dad is helpless. If this continues, Yangzhou City will be finished. The people, officers and soldiers in the square will be destroyed."
The quarrel has started again, and there is another conflict. If we don't think of a way, everything will be over."
Su Jin said: "There is food in the government warehouse, why don't you ask your father to open a warehouse for relief?"
Song Quan said: "If he doesn't even listen to you, how can he listen to me?"
Su Jin sighed: "I didn't expect your father to be so stubborn. Doesn't he know how many people will die? The military salary of the imperial court is important, but it is not so important that he even cares about the lives of the people. If I say something to offend you,
I really want to scold your father so hard to wake him up."
Song Quan said: "It's not that he's not sober, he's too sober, that's why he did this. If he sticks to his dogma and doesn't change it, the people of Yangzhou will be in bad luck."
Su Jin looked at Song Quan's anxious face, and suddenly his heart moved. It seemed that Song Quan really cared about the life and death of the people, and it was not like he was pretending. A bold idea suddenly came to his mind.
Su Jin gently closed the door, pulled Song Quan to sit down and cupped his hands and said: "Brother Shaoqing, I have something to ask you, or I want to ask you on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people in Yangzhou. If you agree, the people will
I can get through these difficult days. Once my five hundred thousand shi of food arrives, I will have plenty of time to start cracking down on the hoarding black market dealers. By then, Brother Song will be the savior of Yangzhou City.
"
Song Quan said doubtfully: "Brother Su, where do you start with this? What can I do to solve the current crisis?"
Su Jin smiled and whispered in his ear: "Brother Song, if you really care about the people of Yangzhou, I would like to ask you to do something for me. The military rations are stored in the official warehouse. I went to see it yesterday.
, the soldiers are tightly guarded, and your father's official document must be stamped with a big seal before the warehouse can be opened. What I mean is..."
Song Quan opened his eyes wide and said, "You mean to forge official documents and open warehouses to release grain?"
Su Jin raised his finger to his lips, signaling him not to speak loudly, and nodded: "This is the only way we can keep the people alive at the moment, otherwise the people of this city will be completely ruined."
Song Quan rubbed his hands and said hesitantly: "This is a serious crime of beheading. If this matter is leaked, my whole family will be ruined. Then wouldn't I become an unfaithful and unfilial person?"
Su Jin patted his shoulder and said: "It's hard to have both filial piety and righteousness. If you ignore filial piety, you will betray the righteousness of the people. As for whether this is loyalty or disloyalty, it is not up to us to decide. The purpose of forging official documents
It's to save the people of Yangzhou, isn't it loyal to the imperial court? Although the means are not in line with the rules, there is nothing wrong with using some means for a good purpose in extraordinary times."
Song Quan lowered his head and thought for a while, then raised his head and said, "Even if I agree, the big seal is in my father's hands. I can imitate my father's handwriting, but how can I get the big seal?"
Su Jin smiled and said: "You only need to tell me where the big seal was formed, and you don't have to interfere in the rest. After the incident happened, you pretended not to know anything, so that you have nothing to do. If anything happens,
I, Su Jin, can handle it all by myself."
Song Quan thought about it carefully and said with a sudden thought: "Brother Su Xian is very responsible. Even if you are so stupid, you will take this gamble for the people of Yangzhou. However, even if you take the official document, once the grain is distributed, there will be a sensation in the city. When the time comes, my father
Why don't we send troops to capture you?"
Su Jin smiled and said: "The mountain people have their own clever tricks, which can make the magistrate know nothing."
Song Quan said sternly: "Don't hurt my father even a hair, otherwise we will have sworn hatred."
Su Jin also said sternly: "Brother Shaoqing, what are you talking about? Your father is my elder, how dare you disrespect him? If it weren't for an urgent matter this time, involving the lives and deaths of so many people, I would definitely not do it."
Even if you say some stupid things to the prefect, you won't do this forgery of official documents."
Song Quan said: "Okay, I will trust you this time. I will teach you the format and sealing of official documents when the time comes. My father has his own custom of sealing. You must not make a mistake, otherwise you will be found out."
Su Jin secretly called it a fluke. If Song Quan hadn't mentioned it, how would he have known the format and sealing habits? If he was discovered by then, he would have been in big trouble.
"It is my father's habit to keep the seal on his body. His official seal is hung in the cloth bag behind his waist, and he even puts it under his pillow when he sleeps."
Su Jin said: "Okay, I will go to the Yamen to invite the magistrate to have a drink at noon. I will ask you to come with me then, and we will do it after drinking."
Song Quan said: "It's a deal. I'll go back to the government office and talk to my father first. It would be best if we don't use this method. But if it doesn't work, I will only be unfilial this time."
Su Jin bowed to the ground and said sincerely: "Brother Song Xiao's righteousness is really a role model for Su Jin to worship. Su Jin thanks me in advance. If you can be of any use to me, Su Jin, please speak up and I will never give up."
"
Song Quan hurriedly replied: "I am not doing it for you, I am doing it for the people."
…
After the two broke up, Su Jin ordered Wang Chao to buy some food and drinks from the restaurants on the street. Most of the restaurants had long been closed, but there were still a few open near the government office because they were heavily guarded, but only a few people went in.
The money in the pockets of dignitaries and ordinary people has long been sucked away by the high-priced rice on the black market, and no one has spare money to go to restaurants to drink.
Wang Dynasty went there for a while and took two large food boxes of wine and meat. When he came back, he put them on the table. The two affectionate foodies thought Su Jin was rewarding them. Su Jin hurriedly stopped him and said
: "Don't take it out, keep it in the food box to keep it warm."
Wang Chao said in astonishment: "Master, are you going to treat us?"
Su Jin said: "Don't ask any more questions and bring me your anesthetic."
Chao Chao hurriedly said: "Where did I get the anesthetic?"
Su Jin scolded: "Don't fool me. You don't have anything on you. Do you think I don't understand? You should prepare some of these things when you go out. I didn't say anything to you. Give it to me. I can use it."
Wang Chao had no choice but to take out a pack of Mongolian sweat medicine and hand it to Su Jin. Su Jin opened the paper pack and saw a small amount of yellow powder. This was the first time he had seen this stuff. He smelled a pungent smell.
When you come across such a smell, only strong alcohol can cover it up. No wonder people like to add drugs to alcohol.
"What's the point of so little? Just get two more bags." Su Jin said.
Wang Chao opened his eyes wide and said, "What? This medicine is very powerful. Don't look at this small handful, it is enough to paralyze more than a dozen strong men."
Su Jin opened the seal of the wine can and poured it in. Suddenly he tilted his head and asked, "Can this thing kill people?"
Chao Chao said: "You won't die if you eat, you just need to sleep longer."
When Su Jin heard this, he shook his hands and poured a pack of Mongolian sweat medicine into the wine jar. He picked up the wine jar and shook it twice, put it down and sealed it, clapped his hands and said, "It's done."
Wang Chao blinked, wondering what Su Jin was going to do. Could it be that the young master had fallen in love with a girl from a certain family, and if she didn't obey, was he trying to pick flowers?dd