On the same day, Chen Yuanheng and Liu Yan went to Qingyang City, and at the same time, several big ships carried Zhao Chongyi, Liu Jingyuan, Chen Wenlin, Mingzhu, Wen Hui, Hu Shi, and some servants, housekeepers, maids, doctors, and many disaster relief materials to Heyang City, the provincial capital of Heyang Prefecture.

Wen Hui took a boat along the river along the way, and saw that on the shore, the crops in some places grew well, because after all, it was by the big river, if it was a canal, or more diligent, there was still a harvest for diverting water to irrigate the land to fight drought, but these were a few, and most of the places were barren fields. I think that the crops were all drought, and some of the people fled the famine, and some simply starved to death, and when the summer came, the rain also came, and the fields were overgrown with wild grass.

Wen Hui felt very sad when she saw this scene. But Liu Jing accused, and there was something even more terrible. Wen Hui couldn't figure out what was more terrifying, and when the boat found a dock to rest at night, Wen Hui really saw something more terrifying.

The boat docked, it was getting late, the sun was setting, the boat began to make a fire to cook, and the smell of cooking smoke and food wafted out, which soon attracted the hungry villagers in the surrounding villages.

At first, they were just children, and these children were all black, thin, and even skinny, and all that was left was big longing eyes. The ladies on the boat relented and hurriedly took out the food for the children. These children may not have eaten for a long time, and they all began to vomit, Hu Shi quickly asked everyone not to give the children food, saying: "These children seem to have been hungry for a long time, and they will not be able to stand eating these things at once, there is rice soup on the boat, let them drink some rice soup first, and then they can eat slowly." ”

Wen Hui and Mingzhu hurriedly asked the servants to bring out rice soup for the children to eat. However, Zhao Chongyi and Liu Jingyuan led the guards as if they were facing a great enemy, and Chen Wenlin asked strangely: "How many children are eating, why are you so nervous?" ”

Before Zhao Chongyi could speak, Chen Wenlin saw a surprising scene, many villagers on both sides of the strait rushed over, and at this time, it was already dark. These villagers all looked like they had green eyes, and they knew that they had been hungry for a long time, and they were holding something in their hands, and there was a fierce light in their eyes, and Chen Wenlin immediately understood that this was going to rob their fleet.

Fortunately, Zhao Chongyi and Liu Jingyuan were both experienced, and they had already ordered the guards and boatmen, and at this time, the ship lifted anchor and started. Some of the people stayed ashore. Some are fierce. Wading through the river to catch up, Hu Shi and Mingzhu trembled in fright, Wen Hui was calm, but his heart was actually tight. At this time, a few people were about to catch up with the boat, Zhao Chongyi's calm face tightened, and he shouted: "Release the arrow!" ”

The arrows of the guards were immediately released, and they brought up strings of blood, and soon the river was dyed red, and the blood made the people behind them dare not come up, and stopped, and the boat did not dare to dock again.

Zhao Chongyi said: "Actually. We have expected this for a long time, but if we don't let you experience it for yourself, I don't think you will take it to heart, and in the next few days, we will have to dock at the dock in the county seat. There are shops in the county, so be safe, don't stop at these wild ferry docks. You people can't feed the victims anymore. There is no point in us saving these one or two, let's go with the relief of the imperial court. ”

Chen Wenhui knew that what Zhao Chongyi said was right, Hu Shi and Mingzhu were still trembling, and they also nodded at this time.

In this way, in the next few days, the fleet was looking for a dock in the county seat, and the small wharf was resolutely non-stop, and along the way, I also saw people selling their children, and seeing small riots of hungry people robbing the fleet and rich families. Their fleet has a lot of escorts, so it's fairly safe.

But along the way, Chen Wenhui and their hearts were very heavy. Originally, they had experienced two disaster victims, and they thought they were strong in their hearts, but they forgot that the two disaster victims they experienced in Anseong and Deqing were both foreign victims who asked them to help, and there was no disaster in the local area, so they didn't know that the disaster was so terrible.

The atmosphere in the flotilla was dreary. After seven or eight days, the fleet finally arrived at Heyang City, the capital of Heyang Prefecture. When they were about to arrive at Heyang City, Liu Yan finally caught up with them and entered Heyang City with them. On the way, they asked Liu Yan about the situation in Huzhou, Liu Yan said: "My third uncle and I rushed to Qingyang City, the predecessor of the assassin Yan Songbai got the news of the capital a few days earlier, and he had already done a good salute, and then happily handed over to us, and took his family members by boat." I read out the holy decree, beheaded several grain merchants, county orders, and prefects who had committed the most heinous crimes, and personally spoke to the promoted officials, and I rushed over. In fact, I don't even want to talk to the promoted officials, it was the third uncle who asked me to say it. ”

Wen Hui nodded and said, "Father wants the officials who have been promoted to thank the four princes, this is to form a gang for the four princes." ”

Liu Jingyuan said: "This is the combination of grace and power, there are those who are beheaded, those who are copied from their homes, and those who are promoted, so that they can shake the field and continue the work below." ”

Liu Yan nodded.

Wen Hui asked again: "My father is now in charge of a state, and he wants disaster relief, I don't know if I can help with money and food?" ”

Liu Yan said with a strange face: "I was so worried before, but the third uncle told me not to worry, he has a way, at that time, when he gave me a list of businessmen and officials who committed the most heinous crimes, he knew that the imperial court would deal with them, and sure enough, they were all sentenced to beheading." This copy can copy half of the grain for the Huzhou disaster relief this time. ”

Wen Hui's eyes widened: "So many? ”

Zhao Chongyi laughed: "When I investigated in Suzhou before, I also found that the most heinous grain merchants colluded with the government to deliberately raise the price of grain, but in fact, they stored a large amount of grain in their hands, but they didn't sell it, and wanted to wait until the price rose to the highest price before selling." ”

Liu Yan said with a calm face: "The third uncle also said that this time the disaster is only one-third of the natural disasters, and more than half of them are man-made disasters. Some of them were made by corrupt officials, some were made by officials who were in the position of corpse food and did not care about things, and some were made by these black-hearted grain merchants. In fact, the wind and rain have been smooth in the past few years, and Jiangnan has always been a land of fish and rice, how can there be a shortage of food? How can there be a small drought, and the people will not be able to live, it is all caused by these people. ”

Zhao Chongyi and Liu Jingyuan have both personally investigated, and they both know it, and they said with hatred: "Yes, our investigation, it is really what the third uncle said, it is not an exaggeration for these people to be beheaded, because how many people have died because of them, and most of them are young children." ”

Wen Hui remembered that she had seen those hungry children before, and she originally thought that it was too inhumane for the emperor to kill people and raid their homes, but now she felt that these people deserved it, and it was not these corrupt officials and rich businessmen who were pitiful, but these innocent people and innocent children.

Liu Yan was silent, but a look of determination flashed on his handsome face.

Finally arrived in Heyang, and all the officials of Heyang City went to the dock to greet him. Liu Yan took Liu Jingyuan, Zhao Chongyi and Chen Wenlin to deal with them. Then there is the reading of the decree. The Divine Decree rewarded the Assassin Shi Bai Jiayuan, and set out 74 prefect orders and 13 prefects.

In fact, there are a total of 17 prefectures in Heyang Prefecture, a total of 108 counties, and this time more than two-thirds of the officials were punished at once, which was really a big shock to the officialdom. Some prefects and prefects criticized a few words, half of the county orders and prefects were transferred, and more than 20 prefects and prefects were dismissed, and nine of them were beheaded and their homes were confiscated. In addition to these counties, the parents and officials of a state were punished, and there were five big grain merchants who specialized in raising grain prices, and these five were beheaded by raiding their homes, as well as grain road officials in several provincial capitals, and grain road officials in several prefectures were also beheaded. Zhao Chongyi was busy for several days, but he was very successful, and the corruption in Heyang Prefecture was even more serious.

Knowing this result, Liu Yan also smiled. In addition to punishment, a large number of officials have also been promoted, and these people have made contributions to disaster relief, and most of these people have real skills. They were all just working for their lives, but they didn't expect Liu Yan to come up and dismiss their bosses, and they were beheaded, and a large number of seats were vacated at once, and the people who stayed behind were all promoted, and they were beaming, Liu Yan had the example of Huzhou, organized a meeting with these people, and encouraged a few words, these people worked harder, and they were tired and half dead and grateful to Dade.

After a few days of cooperation, Liu Yan found that Bai Jiayuan was a capable person, with brains, and he was clean and neat, and Liu Yan admired him very much. After a while, I realized that Bai Jiayuan and Liu Yan were still related. Bai Jiayuan is the sister-in-law of the Bai family and the cousin of Wen Hui's mother, the Bai family. Liu Yan's princess Chen Wenfeng's brother-in-law married Bai Yuying, the daughter of the Bai family, and was the daughter of Bai Jiayuan's cousin. As soon as he said this, Liu Yan began to call Bai Jiayuan uncle. Bai Jiayuan postponed it for a while, but accepted it, and the two of them cooperated better.

Liu Jingyuan was more familiar with the situation in Heyang, and he accompanied Liu Yan and Bai Jiayuan, as well as the officials of Heyang City, to entertain and assign work every day. In addition to these most vicious grain merchants, there are still many benevolent merchants in Heyang City. Liu Yan and Bai Jiayuan invited them to dinner and asked them to donate to the disaster relief. Because of the history of the thorn, of course these rich businessmen have to give face, at the banquet, as the prince Liu Yan and gentle and polite, graceful and graceful touched these rich businessmen, in their eyes, it is already amazing to be able to climb the history of the thorn, and this time to be able to climb the prince, this is a great glory, therefore, these rich businessmen who have changed the color of the silver at home have generously donated a large amount of money and food.

ps：

Newcomer, new book, first time writing an online article, please help. Plenty of pointers.