"Secretary Du, Mr. Ren is looking for you. Go to the inner courtyard quickly."
Hearing this greeting, Du Fu quickly stood up from the desk, cupped his hands, and walked to the back room anxiously.
Ren Shaojian, named Ren Can, was a Jinshi in the early Kaiyuan years, with profound knowledge and outstanding literary talent.
According to the examiner at that time, Ren Can should have been ranked first in the Jinshi department, but the bad thing was that he had a strong personality and wrote articles that criticized the current ills. He was too sharp, so he had to be ranked at the bottom.
Ren Can has been ups and downs in the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty for more than 40 years. He has served in the Ministry of Justice, Yushitai, Jingzhao Mansion and other official offices. Due to his stubborn personality and difficulty in being gregarious, he did not stay in each place for a long time.
Finally, at the beginning of Tianbao's thirteenth year, he was transferred to the Secretary's Prison and got the job of compiling scriptures and books.
Entering the pavilion in the inner courtyard, Du Fu saw an old man with white beard and hair, calm and self-respecting, reading an album in front of the desk.
As for that volume, Du Fu took a closer look at the cover. It was the manuscript he had compiled from his previous trip to Fangzhou to collect folklore and what he saw along the way.
"The wind is blowing, the rain is coming, and the autumn is coming. The clouds are the same across the world. When you go to Malaya and cattle, you can no longer distinguish between them. How can you distinguish the turbid Jing from the clear Wei?"
Hearing Ren Shaojian recite the poem he composed, Du Fu lowered his head a little.
Ren Can put down the manuscript and said to Du Fu: "I read the Kanji handed over by Du Xiaoshu Caifeng. It talked about the continuous floods and droughts in the north. What happened in it last year?"
Du Fu raised his hand and said yes.
Ren Can asked again: "Do you know what the situation is like there this year?"
Du Fu was silent for a moment, shaking his head and wondering.
Ren Can: "I specifically went to check the documents submitted from Guanzhong Road, Henan Road, and Hedong Road. There are different opinions. Some said that the weather was smooth under the rule, and the country was peaceful and the people were safe. Others said that disasters had been going on for many years and famine was everywhere. Suddenly, it was true.
I don’t know who is right and who is wrong.”
Du Fu opened his mouth to speak, thought for a while, and closed his mouth.
Ren Can glanced at Du Fu: "Although I am in Chang'an and don't know the distance, I can roughly guess from what I have seen in the city. First, the price of food in the city has soared, already three times that of last year; second, the price of food in the city has soared.
A large number of refugees gathered outside and blocked the northbound official road, forcing the Jingzhao Prefecture to send troops to drive them away. These things have proved that the north must have encountered a major disaster."
Du Fu cupped his hands and said: "Ren Shaojian has a sharp eye, and I am ashamed to say that I am not as good as him."
Ren Can emphasized his tone: "It's not that you don't know, you just don't dare to say it."
Du Fu was stunned when he heard this, with a look of shame on his face, and he didn't dare to speak.
Ren Can calmed down for a moment, looked at Du Fu and said helplessly: "Speaking of which, you shouldn't be blamed for this... I heard that you visited Fengfangzhou last year. After you came back, you wrote a memorial about the disaster situation and submitted it to your superior.
I expected the government to deal with it. Unexpectedly, the letter fell into disrepair. Not only did I not receive a reply, but I was reprimanded by the chief officer, and I did not dare to say anything more."
When Du Fu heard this, his body trembled slightly and his face was moved. He lowered his head and choked with sobs: "When I heard that the people were in poverty, I only regretted that my heart was full but my strength was not enough..."
Ren Can: "I was originally writing history in the History Museum, but I moved to the Secretary's Office at the beginning of the year. I didn't know about the current affairs of the world before. Now there are floods and droughts in the Tang Dynasty, and the people are displaced. The reports vary from place to place, and the imperial court cannot provide relief. Since the official position
If the official fails to act, then we will report this alarming matter to the court."
Du Fu: "Young prisoner, what should I do?"
Ren Can: "I will guide you out of the way and issue an official document. You will set off immediately and rush to Guanzhong to find out the current situation of the disaster. When you come back, you will write a memorial. I will use the young eunuch as a guarantee and submit the memorial directly.
Zhongshu Sheng, please take a look at it again. If the disaster worsens, the imperial court will inevitably take action to save the people from disaster!"
Du Fu stood up, looked excited, and sang loudly.
Ten days later, Du Fu headed north without stopping.
Passing by Fengxian on the way, I didn't even bother to enter the house.
When Du Fu first left Chang'an, he still saw convoys of pedestrians on his way; however, the further north he went, the sparser the crowds became.
When we arrived at the border of Fangzhou, the carriage was driving through the wilderness, but everything was quiet. Even the sounds of birds and dogs were rarely heard.
When they arrived outside Fangzhou City, the driver of the land and water coach advised Du Fu: "When Alang enters the city, he should go to his residence as soon as possible and don't stay too long on the streets. Especially at night, he must stay in his house and not go out!"
Du Fu was puzzled when he heard this. Just when he was about to ask more questions, the coachman cupped his hands and left.
Du Fu stepped into the gate of Fangzhou City with full of doubts.
The military guard guarding the city gate was sallow and thin from hunger. When he saw Du Fu, his eyes lit up, he got up from the ground, and rushed in front of the latter.
Du Fu was startled and quickly took out the official fish charm.
After some interrogation, the guards learned that Du Fu was a court official and left angrily.
When Du Fu entered the city, he saw that under the daylight, the doors and windows of every house were closed, and the whole street was silent.
He longed to visit last year. Although the city was also depressed, he could still occasionally see open businesses and passers-by.
But now, the whole city is lifeless.
As Du Fu walked towards his residence, he paid attention along the way. He saw that the bark and leaves of the trees on both sides of the road had been peeled off, and even the white soil on the ground had been dug up.
Walking to the door of the mansion, Du Fu knocked on the door.
A palace guard walked out of the gatehouse. After hearing Du Fu's intention, he looked him up and down, then led him inside and went to the inner garden.
Du Fu entered the side hall in the back compartment, and not long after, Mr. Xie, an old acquaintance of his, came out with a smile.
Du Fu hadn't seen him for more than a year. Although Du Fu saw that Mr. Xie's face was a little pale, he was in good health and looked relaxed.
When Master Xie heard Du Fu ask about the disaster, he shook his head and said, "No one expected that this disaster has lasted for two years, but it still shows no sign of decline."
Du Fu: "Did the state government go to the court to explain the situation of the disaster?"
Mr. Xie: “So what if I say it, but what if I don’t say it?”
Du Fu: "It must be said that when a disaster occurs in the state capital, the imperial court will not turn a blind eye."
Master Xie looked gloomy, shook his head and said helplessly: "There are twists and turns, I'm afraid Du Shaoling doesn't know about it."
Just when Du Fu was about to ask again, the palace guard came from outside the hall and said, "Thank you, Chief Secretary, the Zheng family's grain team has arrived at the city gate."
After hearing this, Master Xie stood up and said, "Let's go."
Du Fu asked in confusion: "Where to go?"
Mr. Xie glanced at Du Fu and said, "We'll find out when we get here."
Du Fu followed Mr. Xie and a group of palace guards to the city gate.
I saw a mighty motorcade parked outside the city gate. The carriage was filled with heavy grain bags, and the "Zheng" clan flag was hung on the front of the carriage.
Mr. Xie exchanged greetings with the leader of the motorcade for a while, and then they walked towards the city together.
Walking on the street, Master Xie saw Du Fu's doubts and whispered: "The Zheng family is a big family in Guanzhong. There are officials in Chang'an and Luoyang, and they are even married to the Yang family. Du Shaoling should be careful with his words and deeds, and don't do anything evil."
them."
Du Fu was surprised.
The motorcade had just entered the long street, and the previously closed houses on both sides of the street were opened one after another. Countless skinny people rushed out of their homes and knelt on the street, crying and shouting.
"My two children have not eaten a grain of rice for three days and are dying. Please show mercy and give me a bite to eat!"
"Nine of the eleven people in the family have died. Only the old woman and her young grandson are left alone. The grandson is hungry, crying and bleeding. Please have mercy on him!"
…
Du Fu was astonished as he listened to these cries of blood.
Paying no attention to the hungry people, the Zheng family's grain team arrived at the trading house and began to transport grain into the store on the street.
Mr. Xie looked at the people on the street who were about to make a move. As if facing a formidable enemy, he shouted to the guards: "Protect the food and don't let the bad guys get close!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a bag of grain fell to the ground while unloading the truck.
The grain bag was damaged and some corn fell out.
When the people saw the leaked grain, they didn't know who made a cry and howl, and everyone rushed forward like hungry wolves pouncing on food.
Master Xie was shocked when he saw this and shouted: "Hit me! Beat me hard!"
The palace guard standing in the front row picked up the water and fire stick, used all his strength, and hit the head of a man who rushed up with the stick.
There was a sound of bone cracking, and the man's Tianling Cap was dented. His face was covered with blood, and he fell to the ground with a bang. He was dead when he saw it.
Immediately afterwards, several more people were beaten to death on the spot by the guards. Only then did the hungry people feel afraid and retreated one after another.
Seeing the mess all over the ground, Mr. Xie cursed in the street: "What a bunch of unscrupulous people! They can't blackmail you, but they dare to rob openly in the street. Don't you have any respect for the law?!"
Taking advantage of this gap, the Zheng family quickly cleaned up the scene and moved all the food into the business.
Upon seeing this, Master Xie took Du Fu and brought the guards into the trading house.
The Zheng family brought some small bags with half a bucket and distributed them to the government officials and guards who came to help.
Mr. Xie received the grain bag with great gratitude and said many good words to the manager of the Zheng family.
Du Fu looked at the grain bag handed to his hand and trembled all over. He didn't recover for a long time, as if he still couldn't believe what had just happened.
Upon seeing this, Master Xie said to Du Fu: "Put away the grain and don't let others snatch it away. Now the price of grain has risen to forty cents, and everyone who sees it will be jealous."
The price of grain in Chang'an is forty-eight cents per dou of rice. Hearing Master Xie's words, Du Fu first breathed a sigh of relief and then said: "Forty eight cents per dou of rice is expensive, but it's not that expensive..."
When Master Xie heard this, he sneered and said, "What's forty cents per pound of rice? It's forty cents per pound of rice!"
"Forty coins per liter of rice?!" Du Fu was shocked: "Isn't that a bucket of rice, which costs 400 coins?!"
Secretary Xie said: "Those nobles in Chang'an don't know the price of grain in Guanzhong. Since the beginning of the year, the price of grain in Fangzhou has risen to two hundred cents per bucket of rice. Now, the four hundred cents are still a favor of the Zheng family."
Seeing Du Fu's surprised expression, Mr. Xie said calmly: "The situation here in Fangzhou is already relatively good. If you go further north, the damage there will be even more serious. You can't even buy a single item for even 800 coins, not to mention 400 coins."
Fight for food!"
After looking around, Mr. Xie whispered to Du Fu: "Du Shaoling, you and I have met each other, and I would like to advise you not to go north again. Compared with Fangzhou, the miserable situation there can be described as a hell."
, it’s not an exaggeration.”
Du Fu staggered and left the Zheng Family Trading Company.
Most of the crowd gathered at the door had dispersed.
Those corpses were also looted and carried away by the hungry people in the city.
There was only an old woman, kneeling on the bluestone slab, picking out the blood-stained millet grains one by one from the cracks in the stone, stacking them into a handful, holding them carefully in her hands, and walking tremblingly