On the official road, a long convoy of carriages moved forward slowly. The escorting soldiers rode horses and scanned the surroundings vigilantly from time to time.
After leaving the border of Qingzhou, the road was not so peaceful. From time to time there were hungry and homeless people beside the official road.
The number of these refugees varied. They were all sallow and skinny, and they could be dozens of people gathered together, or hundreds of them. At a glance, it was obvious that the entire village or family had suffered a disaster, and they had escaped together and followed the official road, hoping to find a way out.
Xu Jing and his party had strong soldiers and horses, and the refugees did not dare to provoke them. However, some of them followed quietly, at least they could avoid the plunder of the bandits.
Xu Jing was traveling far away for the first time in his life, and it was also the first time he saw such a scene. He couldn't help but whisper: "Why are there so many refugees?"
"There was a locust plague the year before last, and there was a severe drought last year." The person who answered turned out to be Yushi Meng: "The people sold their sons, daughters, and land, and in the end they had no choice but to flee. Even they themselves didn't know where to flee.
Have a full meal."
The journey was long, and sitting in the carriage all day was boring. Zhao Xiyan invited Meng Yushi to play chess with him three days ago. Meng Yushi liked playing chess, so he immediately accepted the invitation.
After arriving, I discovered that the annoying Prince of Beihai was also there. Even though I was here, I couldn’t turn around and leave! I should just play chess with the little girl to pass the time.
...Then, Meng Yushi was slapped in the face.
Meng Yushi, a self-proclaimed chess master, lost three games in a row against Zhao Xiyan on the first day.
On the second day, I lost two games and drew one.
Today, I was lucky enough to win a round. Meng Yushi was not in a happy mood. Looking at the ragged refugees following the motorcade from a distance, he felt extremely heavy.
Zhao Xiyan stopped what she was doing, took a look, and sighed.
Xu Jing felt a little depressed: "Isn't there any disaster relief provided by the imperial court?"
Meng Yushi glanced at the prince who was ignorant of the sufferings of the world: "The national treasury is empty every year. There is no way to provide relief. The year before last, a decree was issued to let the affected counties and counties help the victims themselves. The result can be imagined."
"In this world, wealthy people can eat dozens of dishes in one meal. Little do they know, this is enough for poor people to eat for half a year."
Xu Jing: "..."
Xu Jing was so choked that he was speechless.
Zhao Xiyan raised her eyes and looked at the cynical Censor Meng: "Censor Meng has lived in the court for a long time, so he should be very aware of the shortcomings of the government."
"Why is the national treasury not rich? It's because the late emperor liked luxury and built many palaces and courtyards. It took more than ten years to build the Zhaoling Mausoleum. Not only did the national treasury be emptied, but hundreds of thousands of people were also requisitioned. There was a lack of strong labor in the people's homes, and the crops were
It is difficult to make a living here, so there are more and more refugees. There are many people who become bandits just to have a bite to eat."
"All the ministers in the court are in conflict with each other, civil and military, fighting for power and profit, and only focusing on forming cliques for personal gain. How many of them really do things for the sake of the people?"
"Meng Yushi is a loyal minister who is unwilling to say anything wrong about the late emperor. He is a good official and is unwilling to say anything about the faults of civil and military officials. Instead, he blames his full resentment on the crown prince."
"Could it be that if the prince just eats steamed buns and drinks cold water, the world will be peaceful and the people will be rich? Is it the fault of the prince who has never been out of Beihai County in his teens that the Jin Dynasty has reached this stage?"
Meng Yushi: "..."
Meng Yushi's face turned red, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
These words, every word is like a sword, piercing the heart.
Zhao Xiyan and Meng Yushi looked at each other and continued slowly: "I admire Meng Yushi's talent and learning, and respect Meng Yushi's character. I don't want to see Meng Yushi be narrow-minded, cynical and get into a dead end.
"
"There are so many offenses today."
Meng Yushi's forehead was dripping with cold sweat. He closed his eyes in pain and quickly opened them.
He stood up, bowed with his hands clasped in fists, and apologized to Xu Jing: "I made a mistake when I made a mistake. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Xu Jing felt mixed emotions in his heart, but he did not take advantage of the victory to add insult to injury. He only said: "I'm not angry."
Censor Meng bowed to Zhao Xiyan again: "Listening to your words is worth ten years of reading. What Miss Zhao Liu said today made me ashamed. It also made my heart brighter. I know what path I should take in the future."
Zhao Xiyan's bright eyes fell on Meng Yushi's face: "I hope Meng Yushi can show his ambition."
Meng Yushi nodded and said no more. After getting off the carriage, he went to where the refugees gathered.
It is natural for people to be afraid of officials. Censor Meng is even more awe-inspiring when he wears the official uniform of a seventh-grade censor.
Some refugees were so frightened that they hid in various places, while others knelt down and kowtowed, begging for a mouthful of food, or trying to give eight or nine-year-old children to Meng Yushi as slaves for free, just for a way to survive.
The bad-tempered Yushi Meng was very patient and comforted them one by one. He also asked people to bring dry food and cold water to distribute to these hungry people.
Xu Jing watched this scene from a distance, turned to Zhao Xiyan and said, "This Meng Xizhi is not nose-to-nose or eye-catching with me, but he is patient with the people."
Zhao Xiyan smiled and sighed: "This is what makes him valuable."
Xu Jing came to a conclusion: "Such a fool will not last long in the officialdom. Sooner or later he will fall into a big trap."
Isn't that right? Meng Xizhi's fate in his previous life was too tragic.
Zhao Xiyan sighed and said nothing.
…
At noon, the sun is blazing and the weather is hot and dry.
Xu Shiyi found a shade tree and was about to move tables and chairs. The master suddenly said: "There is no need to move tables and chairs. The food will be simpler."
Xu Shiyi was a little surprised. His eldest son loved fine clothes, good food, and enjoyed himself. On this trip, he even brought his bed with him.
What's going on today? Has the sun come out in the west?
Xu Shishi was naive and thoughtful. Seeing that the crown prince looked unhappy, he followed the instructions without saying a word. Only four dishes were laid out.
At this point, Xu Jing also ordered two plates to be sent to Yushi Meng. Of course, he said nothing nice: "That fool, he gave all his own dry food to the hungry people. I'm afraid he has already planned to attack me Qiu Feng."
If I wasn't afraid that he would starve to death on the way, I wouldn't pay attention to him."
Zhao Xiyan suppressed a smile: "Brother Chunsheng is handsome and kind-hearted, I know that."
Xu Jing was coaxed to smile and was asked to add a basket of cakes.
At this time, Meng Yushi stopped speaking harshly and ate two fragrant sesame seed cakes with braised beef. The rest was shared among the servants.
After that day, the number of refugees following the motorcade quietly increased.
From one or two hundred people, it became hundreds. They did not dare to get too close, so they followed the convoy from a distance.
The food that Meng Yushi brought with him was all used up, so he confidently asked Xu Jing for it.
Xu Jing was so angry: "The food is mine, why should I ask you to do favors and gain fame?"
Meng Yushi raised his eyelids and glanced at Xu Jing: "I am a good official who cares about the people. As soon as the prince shows up to provide food, he has ulterior motives and sincerely invites people to be named. Therefore, I will do such a hard job."
Xu Jing: "..."
I have never seen such a confident and shameless person!
