After a hurried meal, Xiao Chen began to examine the captain's injuries one by one.
Because they all rushed out of the ambush circle while lying on their horses, the army horses withstood most of the attacks, and most of them suffered superficial injuries.
There was only one captain, and his little finger on his left hand was hit by a stone blown up by gunpowder, and the entire little finger no longer existed.
Looking at the captain's left hand with only four fingers left, the cold light in Xiao Chen's eyes was piercingly cold.
"The weather is hot, don't bandage too tightly, and remember to change the dressing on time."
Xiao Chen patted the captain's shoulder and whispered.
"Yeah. This little injury won't be a problem." The captain nodded.
"Have a rest early." Xiao Chen said.
After traveling for several days and experiencing a thrilling ambush, everyone was already exhausted.
After a while, the snoring in the room became one after another.
Looking at the crowded Datong Shop, Xiao Chen took a bench and placed it behind the door. He leaned against the door and looked at the dim oil lamp, not feeling sleepy at all.
All along, wherever people from Dongchang went, they were treated with respect.
From the officials of the imperial court to the common people of Li, you can investigate whoever you want.
In the whole world, except for the emperor, Dongchang is the most respected one.
This time, he was ambushed!
He was ambushed on Ming's own territory.
"We have to go on a journey tomorrow, why don't you sleep?" Duan Tianming, who was lying on the bus in Datong, raised his head.
"You go to sleep, I can't sleep." Xiao Chen said.
"I can't sleep either." Duan Tianming sat up, turned around, kicked his feet into the fast boots on the ground, and slipped out of the Datong berth.
He also took a bench and sat next to Xiao Chen.
"Do you think this group of people are from the caravan?" Duan Tianming said, leaning against the wall.
"Judging from the speed at which they move in the mountains, they should be people who often move around in the mountains. The soldiers in the guard station are not so strong."
"We didn't bring any big luggage. They probably weren't looking for money."
"Of course not." Xiao Chen snorted coldly, "There were huge rocks and arrows carrying gunpowder. Even if there was any property, it was smashed to pieces. Their goal is our lives."
"This is the first time we have heard the name of the caravan, let alone any deep hatred. Who instigated them to do this?"
"No matter who they are, they will not escape death to apologize."
Duan Tianming turned his head and looked at Xiao Chen: "Ambush the Dongchang, ambush the imperial team sent by the imperial court to Gongchang for disaster relief. Should we report this matter to the imperial court?"
Xiao Chen shook his head: "Not yet. The Gongchang disaster is the biggest concern in the emperor's heart. First, we can calm down the victims, guide the people to regain their confidence, jointly overcome the panic caused by this famine, and stabilize the people's hearts. Then we can
Investigate this matter secretly."
"Drought is different from other famines. If it doesn't rain, this famine will not be completely solved." Duan Tianming said.
"Then dig canals to divert water and irrigate the farmland."
"But this will take a long time. If you don't take a few months and half a year, you won't see any results."
"Then stay for half a year." Xiao Chen smiled faintly, "If we can't fundamentally solve the problem and only temporarily solve the problem of food and clothing for the victims, isn't it just using the court's disaster relief food funds to fool the court and the emperor."
This cry, like a wake-up call, made the captains on the Datong bunk sit up one after another.
A few of the ones who moved a little more quickly had already jumped off the ground and began to push on their feet with fast boots.
Qingshui County is still more than 400 miles away from Gongchang Mansion. Starting early will make it possible to reach Gongchang smoothly before dark.
Everyone finished dressing and opened the door. The scene in the yard surprised Xiao Chen.
Everyone's military horses were tied up in the stables of the official post and looked after.
But at some point, many military horses were tied to a few locust trees in the yard.
Under the wall next to the locust tree, two figures were sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, snoring softly.
"Cough, cough, cough." Xiao Chen made a fist with his right hand, put it to his mouth and coughed a few times.
The two people under the wall were awakened by Xiao Chen's cough, got up and hurriedly walked towards the crowd.
With the light reflected in the room, Xiao Chen could see clearly that they were the magistrate of Qingshui County and the Cheng of Qingshui County.
"Sir, according to your instructions, I have prepared the generals and horses." Pointing to the horses tied to the locust tree, he straightened his body and said in a low voice.
"Master Zhizhi stayed like this all night?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"The disaster in Gongchang is urgent. I am afraid that it will delay the adults on their way. After selecting the horses, they sent them to the official post. I originally thought about knocking on the door and handing over to the adults. But when I thought about the adults coming all the way from the capital, I was exhausted from the boat and carriage.
, so I couldn’t bear to disturb you." The magistrate said in a low voice.
These words made Xiao Chen feel very warm in his heart.
Some people want to take the lives of Dongchang people, but some people can't even bear to disturb Dongchang people's rest.
"Your Majesty, you are sincere. I will report Qingshui County's support for disaster relief to the emperor truthfully." Xiao Chen raised his fists and saluted the county magistrate.
"Your Excellency, you are so polite." The county magistrate was a little flattered and hurriedly returned the courtesy, "As a local official, I know the hardships of the people's lives. Now, there is a drought in Gongchang, and the people are struggling in the water and fire. Your Excellency, shouldering the mission of the imperial court, went to provide relief.
Qingshui County should do its best to provide convenience for adults."
"The magistrate understands the great righteousness, and I will keep this in mind. Disaster waits for no one, so I'll say goodbye." Xiao Chen clasped his fists again and saluted, and then began to greet everyone to lead their horses and set off.
Seeing Xiao Chen and others mounting their horses and exiting the gate of the official post office, the magistrate couldn't help but shout: "Sir."
"What's wrong, Lord Magistrate?" Xiao Chen reined in his horse and turned around.
The magistrate's seriousness flashed a trace of hesitation: "Take care."
"Take care." Xiao Chen smiled, clamped his legs lightly, and rushed out like the wind.
It wasn't until everyone completely disappeared on the official road that the magistrate slowly lowered his head and called to the magistrate next to him: "Let's go back."
"Did your Excellency just want to remind those Dongchang adults?" the county magistrate whispered as he walked out of the gate.
"I can't bear that no one is going to save the victims."
"Dongchang is an agency directly under the emperor, and all the state governments must cooperate fully. They will definitely be able to reach Gongchang smoothly."
"I hope so." The magistrate's voice became lower and lower.
After a night's rest, everyone's spirits returned to their original state.
Two hours later, he had traveled more than a hundred miles.
The sun showed half of its face, and golden rays of light shone onto the fields.
In the fields on both sides of the official road, people in twos and threes have begun working for the day.
"This is the boundary of Qinzhou, and further ahead is Gangu County. The seedlings in the fields here have been twisted into ropes. You can imagine the drought in Gongchang." Xiao slowed down his pace,
Chen looked towards the fields in the distance.
"I don't know if Gongchang Mansion has opened a warehouse to release grain. If not, I'm afraid some victims have already died." Duan Tianming had a serious look on his face.
"If a disaster victim dies and the Gongchang Mansion is indifferent, then we will take off his feathers."
Xiao Chen clamped his legs together and accelerated his speed.
Galloping all the way, at noon, they had thrown the Gangu County town fifty or sixty miles away.
After resting under the shade of a tree on the roadside and eating a few mouthfuls of dry food, when it was getting dark, I finally saw the tall city wall of Gongchang City from a distance.
At this time, Xiao Chen's face was deformed with anger.
From the moment we entered the jurisdiction of Gongchang Prefecture, there were no seedlings in the entire field.
The few grass seedlings that could be seen occasionally were only about an inch high, and they were completely dry and twisted into ropes, and they were dying.
Not to mention that there was no one in the fields, I visited several villages and no one knew where they were.
Not even the barking of the local dog that usually guards the house was heard.
The entire wilderness was silent.
Even so, we haven't seen any disaster relief measures taken by the government.
"Xiao Chen, look." Duan Tianming, who was standing next to him, raised his right hand and pointed at the city wall in the distance. "There are people under the city wall. There seem to be a lot of people."
"The people in the village can no longer survive. They are preparing to go to the city and ask the government for help." Xiao Chen tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart, "Let's go and take a look."
The city wall is more than two feet high, and two large characters are engraved above the huge city gate: Gongchang.
Outside the gate, hundreds of officers and soldiers armed with red tassel guns formed a fan-shaped defensive formation to block the city gate behind them.
In front of the officers and soldiers were tens of thousands of ordinary people wearing ragged clothes and skinny bones.
Some were kneeling or standing, each holding a broken bowl in their hands, looking eagerly into the city gate hole.
