Chapter 236, in prison

The prison cart squeaked and walked extremely bumpy on the dirt road, because the sky was cloudy, and the wind blew from time to time, and it did not feel stuffy, the scenery of the Guanzhong Plain in July was extremely beautiful, the water and grass were abundant, the trees were shady, the crops were growing very well, the wild flowers on the side of the road were blooming consultatively, and the butterflies and bees were very recklessly teasing the flowers, and Changsheng suddenly understood that compared with them, the people in this car had lost their freedom.

From time to time, peasants led cattle or white sheep to walk by, looking at the group with curious and different looks, because the prisoner cart had no shelter except for the wooden fence, and could see the beautiful field scenery without any leeway, Changsheng felt that in addition to the description of these cars was too embarrassing, except for the extreme humiliation and fear in his heart, it was really a bit like traveling in a sightseeing car.

Jin Shu and a few children who have hardly gone out felt the novelty that they have never had before, they have long forgotten the fear and anxiety in their hearts, and greedily looked at the beautiful scenery and houses along the way, and soon became excited, the young Jin Niang saw the cows, sheep and chickens and even screamed, Jin Shu was also full of excitement, as if she was really traveling in a sightseeing car, Changsheng smiled bitterly, it was a child at the bottom, as long as she was happy in front of her, what did she care about what was waiting for them?

After walking for about two hours, the sky became more and more cloudy, the wind became stronger and stronger, and the southeast side changed from black clouds to clouds, Changsheng was very worried, seeing the appearance of the team leader, could it be that he really wanted to enter Beijing overnight? If it doesn't rain in the summer, it will rain heavily, and the lightning and thunder will be in danger. Can this pampered men, women and children ever stand it? If nothing else, what should Jin Shu do? and the portrait of her sister and the silver ticket she hid, all of which were soaked in the rain, wasn't it in vain?

In the same car with them were the four concubines of Mingche, in the most dangerous time, they instinctively chose to be with Mingjing and Changsheng, and the other two prison cars, one was occupied by the old lady and the sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and grandchildren, and the other was stuffed with the concubines of the Ming and Qing dynasties, including Aunt Qing who was holding her stomach.

seemed to sense her uneasiness, and comforted Mingjing in a low voice: "Don't be afraid, the wind is so wild, the clouds can't stay, it may not fall, and this season is also a thundershower, the team leader just doesn't care about us, but also takes care of their own safety, in case someone is really struck by thunder, he can't pay the difference, if there is an inn in front of you, you will definitely let you take a break and wait for the rain to stop before leaving!" ”

Changsheng felt a little more at ease, and saw Jin Shu staring at a little lamb with excitement on his face, and couldn't help but smile bitterly at Mingjing half helplessly and half gratefully, and the expressions of several aunts were also a little lighter, and no one wanted to brave the lightning and thunder and the pouring rain to hurry.

Changsheng intuition Mingjing and Mingche had something to hide from her, and vaguely guessed Mingche's situation at this time, and couldn't help but want to ask Mingjing what was going on, seeing the gun-wielding soldiers around him, he still held back, Mingjing looked around, and held back what he wanted to say, and finally just whispered: "When I get to the capital, I will be locked up in a men's prison, I can't be with you, I'm afraid it's difficult to see each other, Shu'er depends on you, please protect Shu'er while also protecting yourself, take the lead in case of trouble, and I will find a way if things loosen a little." ”

Changsheng's heart warmed, but he didn't bother to say anything, just touched Jinshu's hair and nodded solemnly. Different from the frustration and despair of the other concubines, Aunt Qiu on the side couldn't help but complain: "What the hell is going on with the general? Does he know where we are now? Didn't you say that the emperor relied on him very much, how could the Xie Mansion be raided? And the eldest aunt and grandmother's family are so powerful, why didn't they send the letter earlier? ”

Mingjing was about to reprimand, when the soldiers on the side heard her voice louder, knocked on the prisoner cart with the barrel of a gun, and scolded: "Splashing woman, what is the noise? Quarrel again and follow the car! ”

Aunt Li hurriedly pulled her sleeves, Aunt Qiu was so frightened that her face turned white, she didn't dare to make trouble anymore, Changsheng looked at all this indifferently, I don't know whether to sympathize or hate, there are eggs under the nest, when Xie Mansion is beautiful, they follow the brocade clothes and jade food, and if something happens to Xie Mansion, they will naturally be implicated, and this is how things in the world.

Fortunately, as Mingjing said, the wind is blowing stronger and stronger, but the clouds are gradually dispersing, only one or two drops of rain falling sporadically, although it is summer, it is still a little cold, Changsheng is a little glad that he and Jinshu still have time to wear a few more layers of clothes, and even more fortunate that there is no need to worry about the silver ticket and portrait being soaked in the rain.

At ten o'clock in the evening, the carriage and horses stopped in a slightly larger inn, the smoke was blown away by the wind, and the smell of food wafted over, and the soldiers of the leader ordered the soldiers to take turns to eat in two, and they also entered the inn, the adults seemed to have forgotten to eat because of their hearts, but several children couldn't stand it, Jinshu looked at Changsheng and Mingjing pitifully: "Auntie, third uncle, I'm hungry!" ”

Changsheng hugged her distressedly, where would these officers and soldiers care if they didn't eat or not, not to mention that they couldn't starve to death after one or two meals, and they didn't dare to take out the silver on their bodies to ask them to buy it, and if the children were not hungry, she would definitely be thirsty and hungry and couldn't stand it. If as usual, she is going to eat some snacks and drink some soup in the middle of the afternoon, and this will also start to pass on dinner, but suddenly changed, not to mention that she didn't eat snacks all afternoon, don't even think about today's dinner, and then go to prison, you don't have to think about how bad the food is, not to mention eating well, it's impossible to even eat enough, fortunately, the key time is clear, and the messenger delivered the news in time, and he brought some silver tickets, maybe it can play some role.

Mingjing himself was also so thirsty that his lips were chapped, and he couldn't bear to look at Jin Shu and said, "Shu'er, the food in this inn is very delicious, we don't eat it, will we eat again tomorrow in Chang'an?" ”

Jin Shu realized her current situation, and she shook and stubbornly said, "But I'm really hungry, thirsty and hungry!" ”

Changsheng was afraid that Mingjing couldn't help but ask Jin Shu for food and was scolded by the team leader, so he pulled his arm hard: "You save some trouble, don't ask for hardship, it's okay for a child to be hungry, it's okay to get to that place, you can't let people be so hungry, right?" In fact, she was very worried, remembering that after the death of Zhang Juzheng, a powerful minister of the Ming Dynasty, his house was raided, the whole family was locked up together, and the emperor ordered no food and drink for six days and six nights, and several children starved to death.

Shu'er had already sensed that if they wanted to eat at this time, the people who were guarding them would be even more fierce, so she hummed aggrievedly, buried her head in Changsheng's arms, and never mentioned being hungry again. But Jin Wen Jinshu and Jin Niang couldn't help but be hungry, crying loudly, the soldiers on the side raised their guns and scolded a few times, they were too frightened to speak, Changsheng was very distressed but could only hug Jin Shu tightly to comfort her, secretly blaming himself for being too careful for fear that the silver would be discovered, and he didn't even dare to bring a few pieces of snacks.

The first batch of soldiers who went in to eat came out, and the second group went in again, and there were children crying and crying out for hunger, and after a while, a soldier led two people who looked like men out, one carrying a basket full of mixed noodles and steamed buns, and the other carrying a large pot of water, holding a coarse porcelain bowl in his hand, and the soldier shouted in his mouth: "Grace of adults, reward you with steamed buns, get up and eat quickly!" ”

Changsheng was overjoyed, it turned out that the team leader was really good, Jin Shu didn't have to be hungry at night, and he could drink a bowl of water by himself, and the most important thing was that the person who held the power of life and death above did not deliberately order them to torture them, otherwise give a hundred guts, this team leader would not dare to give them steamed buns to eat, does this mean a little more hope for survival? Everyone's mood calmed down.

Two guys stepped forward, one handed out steamed buns to everyone, one for each person, and the other poured water bowl by bowl and handed it over one by one, everyone was thirsty and hungry, and no one cared about what was clean or not, but except for Changsheng, the Xie family had never eaten mixed noodles steamed buns, Changsheng took it, smelled the pure fragrance of food, and said to Jinshu with a smile: "Eat quickly, Shu'er, it's not enough, and this!" ”

Jin Shu frowned and looked at the mixed steamed bun in her hand in embarrassment, drank a bowl of water with Changsheng's encouragement, and then tentatively bit a steamed bun, nodded and ate it, Changsheng felt a pain in her heart, and didn't dare to look at it again, since she was a child, where had she ever seen such a rough meal? The minions of the Xie family don't eat mixed noodles and steamed buns.

Mingjing asked her, "You can eat it too, why don't you eat it?" ”

Changsheng smiled: "I'm afraid that Shu'er won't have enough to eat, so let's keep it for her first." ”

Mingjing shook his head: "It can't be like this, it's not that I don't love Shu'er, if you really love her, protect yourself first, because she will rely on you in the future, if your body collapses first, who does she expect to go?" Those women? It's okay if you don't hurt her! Eat it, keep mine for her! ”

Shu'er on the side heard their words, raised her head and smiled sweetly: "Third uncle, aunt, you can eat by yourself, I will be full after eating this, I can't be hungry, you can't be hungry, otherwise no one will care about me!" ”

The three of them looked at each other and smiled, holding the mixed noodles steamed buns and eating them sweetly, and this scene was also extremely warm in the midst of suffering.

Suddenly, there was a "snap", which came from the first prisoner car, followed by the cry of Lin Xinhui's youngest son Jinshu, and the old lady probably slapped him and reprimanded: "Don't cry!" There are no meat buns here, no roast chicken, and no eight-treasure porridge, there is still this in the grace of adults today, and there may not even be this tomorrow, you can eat it, and if you don't eat it, you will starve to death! The men of our Xie family must be able to enjoy wealth and suffering! ”

After hearing these words, Changsheng and Mingjing looked at each other and were silent, Mingjing lowered his head in pain, and the soldiers who were about to reprimand stopped talking, Jinshu sobbed a few times, picked up the mixed noodles steamed buns he had just thrown away from the car, patted the soil and stuffed it into his mouth and ate it with tears.

After dinner, it was completely dark, there was a strong wind, the dark clouds were almost dispersed, as if a few stars were exposed, and the soldiers had already lit torches and ran straight to the capital.

Arriving in the capital at about midnight (three or four o'clock in the morning), with the help of torches, he could only roughly see the distance, although Changsheng couldn't see where he was going, he could guess that he must be going to the prison where the prisoners were imprisoned, and finally everyone stopped together, and someone shouted: "It's here, let's all come down, except for the nursing children, regardless of age, men and women will stand separately!" ”

Mingjing took Jinshu's hand and handed it to Changsheng, and said reluctantly: "Men and women have to switch separately, I can't see them for the time being, remember to take care of myself and Shu'er!" Wait for me! ”

Everyone got off the prisoner car in turn, the sleeping children were woken up, making dissatisfied sounds, and some even cried, Lin Xinhui stepped forward and begged the cell boss to say that his son was still young and should not be separated from the mother, but he was coldly refused, Mingjing persuaded: "Second sister-in-law, don't worry, you still have to take care of Jinniang, Jinwen and Jinshu have me and the second brother, you can rest assured!" Ming Qing also said softly: "Don't be afraid, I will take care of Jinwen and Jinshu, you take care of yourself and your mother, and our Jinniang, don't be afraid!" ”

Lin Xinhui was stunned, how many years has her husband not spoken to her so gently? Today I was in prison and lost too many things, but the love between husband and wife came back, she couldn't tell whether she was sad or happy and cried a few times, and finally nodded.

Soon there were men and women holding torches to take them in turn, everyone walked down the long steps, men and women walked separately to the two ends, a smell of cold tide and mildew came out, some people began to cover their noses, some people began to shout, some people began to cry, Changsheng looked back at Mingjing, the two separated, she held Jinshu's hand tightly and followed forward, it is not only a prison, especially the prison where Qin prisoners are held, can it be a good place? Fortunately, although it is dark here, it is easy to leave no one behind, and it is quite quiet.

Looking through the thick wooden fence door, sure enough, the cells were empty all the way, they were soon taken to the largest cell, and some people began to cry, the female cell head opened the cell door with a blank face, and scolded them to go in quickly, the old lady hesitated for a moment, and took the lead in walking in, Changsheng secretly convinced her to calm down and understand the current affairs, and also led Jinshu to go in quickly, everyone went in one by one with desperate and depressed faces, and the cell had nothing but a pile of rotten grass, although it was cold and musty in summer, it was still coming, and someone let out exclamations and low sobs againThe old lady was always very calm, she found a haystack and sat down, and said to the female cell head: "I'm tired of the cell boss! ”

The head of the women's cell was stunned, as if surprised that someone could still hold her breath in the face of such a big drop, she quickly regained her expressionless face, locked the door without a word, locked them in the prison, and then went out with a torch, and suddenly there was no light in the prison.

Changsheng hugged Jinshu and sat down on the haystack, and said softly: "Don't be afraid, didn't you wake up just now, my aunt will hold you and sleep for a while!" When you wake up, it'll be light! ”

In the dark, her calm and soft voice has a reassuring power, Jin Shu buried her head in her arms and was silent, Lin Xinhui also picked up her daughter to coax her to sleep, the old lady said softly: "Everyone can sleep or not, if you come, you will be safe, sit down and rest, everything will be said tomorrow when it dawns!" ”

Soon there was no sound except for the sound of the grass in Suosuo, everyone pulled the hay in the dark and sat down together, the cell was calm and dark, and Changsheng, who was shaken up in the prison cart all the way, actually fell asleep with Jinshu in his arms.