People kneeling or lying on the ground may be stepped on by horses' hooves if they move at any time.
Asking the captains to stay where they were, and taking Duan Tianming with him, Xiao Chen carefully stepped on the gaps between the people's bodies and walked towards the city gate.
"These are all victims who have nothing to eat and just want to eat. Why not let them enter the city?" Xiao Chen said coldly, even as the sharp red-tasseled spear head was almost pressed against his chest.
"We are just following orders, but there is nothing we can do." A soldier holding a red tassel gun said.
Perhaps they saw Xiao Chen and Duan Tianming wearing school uniforms, and a man dressed as a hundred households walked over inside the city gate cave.
He nodded slightly towards the two of them as a salute.
"The porridge has started to be cooked in the city, but it still needs a little time. When the porridge is ready, it will be taken out and distributed to the victims."
"They are all victims of the disaster. Do the people of the Ming Dynasty need to hold weapons like this and treat them like enemies?" Duan Tianming on the side couldn't help but speak out.
"I also know that they are all common people, but they are surrounded by the city gate because of hunger. However, hunger can make people lose their minds. Letting them into the city is nothing more than a savage beast. This will do nothing to the people in the city.
For the common people, it is another disaster." There was embarrassment on Baihu's face.
"We can go in and see how well the porridge is cooked?" Xiao Chen said coldly.
"You are?"
Duan Tianming took out the Plum Blossom Order from his waist and flashed it towards the opponent.
Baihu's face was startled, and a trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes: "It turns out to be the master of Dongchang. How about I go inform the prefect and let him personally welcome the adults into the city?"
"No need to go to such trouble." Xiao Chen directed his cold gaze at the other party.
Baihu hurriedly stepped forward, pushed the two soldiers holding red tassel guns aside, and opened a narrow passage: "Sir, please."
Xiao Chen didn't say anything and squeezed in between the two soldiers.
Duan Tianming followed closely behind.
Inside the city, it was a different scene.
Against the inside of the city wall, a row of more than a dozen large iron pots were propped up. Right in front of each pot, a man squatted, filling the bottom of the pot with firewood while shaking the fan in his hand.
There was a man standing next to him, holding a long wooden stick in his hand and stirring the large iron pot.
"They are really making porridge." Duan Tianming behind him whispered.
"It's already dark, so I just started making porridge. What did you do during the day?" Xiao Chen didn't appreciate it.
While the two were talking, Duan Tianming suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the third large iron pot: "Xiao Chen, look. The man squatting on the ground to light the fire seems to be wearing the uniform of our Dongchang school captain."
Xiao Chen was stunned and turned to look at the third iron pot.
This man was not only wearing the Dongchang school captain's uniform, but the boots on his feet were exactly the same as the Dongchang boots.
On the ground next to it, there is a knife with an extremely exquisite scabbard.
"Did you see the knife on the ground next to him? Does it look familiar?" Xiao Chen's breathing became a little faster.
"Where is it? Why didn't I see the knife?"
"On his left, in front of the pile of firewood."
Duan Tianming rubbed his eyes and looked over carefully: "There seems to be a real knife. Hey, this knife looks a bit like Jin Yiwei's Xiuchun Dao."
Before Duan Tianming could finish his words, Xiao Chen had already rushed out like a gust of wind.
Standing in front of the big iron pot, I quietly looked at the thin figure squatting on the ground, constantly adding firewood to the bottom of the pot.
"Little plum?!" Xiao Chen called softly.
"Ah." He responded habitually, holding a fan in his right hand and a handful of firewood in his left hand, and raised his head.
The originally delicate face was now flushed by the firelight, and a few streaks of pot ashes smeared the face so hard that the outline was almost invisible.
"Xiao Chen? It's really you, you came so quickly."
Shouting excitedly, Xiao Lizi stood up: "Are you the only one? Has the court's disaster relief food payment been sent out?"
"I'm not alone. Captain Duan and fifty brothers from Dongchang came together." Looking at Xiao Lizi's colorful face, a stone in Xiao Chen's heart finally fell to the ground.
Duan Tianming walked over and nodded friendly towards Xiao Lizi.
In this look, where is the dignity of Dongchang's father-in-law?
Xiao Lizi also returned the gift politely, and then turned to look at Xiao Chen eagerly: "Has the court's disaster relief food payment been sent out?"
"Look at our little Lizi. He cares about the people all over the world and is so anxious." Xiao Chen laughed: "The day after receiving your report, the Ministry of Household Affairs will prepare the disaster relief food funds. On the third day, one day
We have set off a long time ago. However, due to the long-distance transportation and the huge team, we will see if we can reach Gongchang in five or six days."
"Five or six days later? It should be enough time. In the past few days, Gongchang Mansion has also opened warehouses to release grain and carry out disaster relief. The victims should be able to hold on until the court's disaster relief grain money arrives in Gongchang." After thinking about it, Xiao Lizi said.
"Disaster relief has only started in the past few days?" Duan Tianming on the other side was stunned.
Along the way, we saw that the villages outside were desolate, indicating that the people had already eaten up the remaining food in their homes and began to flee in all directions.
And Gongchang Mansion, as the highest local government office, has only started releasing food for disaster relief in the past few days?
This, does this really mean that you don’t care about the lives and lives of the people?
"Oh, it's hard to explain in words. I'll talk to you in detail about some things later. Let's make porridge for the people first." As he said that, Xiao Lizi squatted on the ground again and began to fill the bottom of the big pot with firewood.
Xiao Chen stopped talking and looked at the other iron pots.
But after going back and forth several times to look, no other Shenji military captains were found.
"Xiao Lizi, where are the others?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but ask.
"The disaster near Gongchang is not too serious. Shouyang Town in the northwest is the hardest hit area. I asked my brothers to go there to help." Xiao Lizi said while adding firewood.
"Isn't this considered the hardest hit area?" Duan Tianming couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Over in Shouyang Town, many people had died when I came here. People from Gongchangwei were there to provide disaster relief. I was also there, but the prefect of Gongchang informed me that disaster relief had also begun here, so I
Came back."
Xiao Chen frowned: "Gongchang Mansion notified you to come back? Just these few days?"
"Yes." Xiao Lizi said.
Xiao Chen couldn't help but sneer.
Gongchang Mansion, did you start to act like it when you learned that people from Dongchang were coming to provide disaster relief?
The entire village was already deserted, so we started to provide disaster relief. Was it because we were afraid that a large number of victims would die and our own plumage would not be protected?
"What's the current situation over there in Shouyang Town?" Xiao Chen asked, remembering what Xiao Lizi said about how many people died there.
"When people first died, Gong Changwei also secretly provided disaster relief. As the death toll continued to rise, Gong Changwei also agreed to Gong Changwei's participation in disaster relief. Now, Gong Changwei is doing his best to provide disaster relief. The problem of food for the victims is basically a problem every day.
It’s guaranteed.”
"What, disaster relief needs to be done secretly?" Duan Tianming thought he heard wrongly and couldn't help but ask.
"The military and political affairs are separated. The Gongchang Mansion is in charge of disaster relief. Gongchang Wei is in charge of disaster relief. He is suspected of exceeding his duties."
"This Gongchang Mansion is really capable. If we don't provide disaster relief ourselves, we won't allow others to provide disaster relief." Xiao Chen sneered.
The gruel in the iron pot has begun to boil, and the man responsible for stirring it is so hot that he is sweating all over his head.
"Is the porridge ready?" At the gate of the city, a middle-aged man dressed as a government official arrived at some unknown time.
"Who is this person?" Xiao Chen asked in a low voice.
Xiao Lizi stood up: "Wei Li, the same magistrate of Gongchang Mansion."
At the same time, he shouted towards the city gate: "It's ready, Master Wei can arrange to give porridge."
Wei Li nodded and walked towards the city gate.
Xiao Chen and Duan Tianming couldn't help but follow him.
This man was in his early forties, and his official uniform must have been worn for some time, and it had become a bit white after washing.
He walked behind the defense officers and soldiers and whispered to the people outside: "Everyone, line up, don't crowd, come one by one. We will cook a lot of porridge tonight, so everyone can eat it."
Listening to the tone of the other person's words, Xiao Chen felt a little more comfortable.
"Although the Gongchang Mansion has failed to provide disaster relief, having such officials is considered a blessing among misfortunes. No matter what, the tone of his words can warm the hearts of the people."
