September 20 of the 13th year of the Great Qi Yuanhe.

The autumn wind is bitter, and the cold wind is biting.

A mixed military and civilian team is slowly moving from east to west, in the middle of this team there is a carriage guarded by dozens of sergeants, behind the carriage a standard-bearer holding high the banner of the word "Yong", in this carriage is the ninth son of the current emperor, Guo Qi, who has just been canonized as King Yong.

Among the many sons of the emperor, Guo Qi, the king of Yong, was not favored by the emperor, and his mother Concubine Hui did not have a prominent family background, and was born as a palace maid; Otherwise, the emperor would not have given Guo Qi Yongzhou, which was located on the far western border of the empire.

"General Hu, where are we now?" Guo Qi, who was sitting in the carriage, lifted the curtain of the car window and asked the general riding outside.

"The prince has already passed Xinfeng, and there is the Baqiao Post Station not far ahead." Hu Qiong reported to Guo Qiyu.

"General Hu is getting late today, I'm afraid I won't be able to arrive at Jingzhao Mansion, let's set up camp at Baqiao Post Station tonight!" Guo Qi ordered General Hu Qiong.

"No! The last general will go to give the order. After Hu Qiong received the military order, he immediately rode away and went to make arrangements.

When Yongwang Guo Qi came to the Baqiao Station, the post commander was already waiting with more than a dozen post men, and after Guo Qi got off the car, the post order immediately knelt down and said: "The villain sees the prince." ”

"Lord Ejo, please get up." Guo Qi said very kindly.

"Lord Wang, your accommodation has been arranged, it is the best room, Lord Wang, please." Yi Ling said to Guo Qi very respectfully.

Although Guo Qi is a down-and-out prince, it is not something that these little officials dare to offend easily.

"Lord Wang, are you satisfied with this? If there is something missing, the villain will prepare. Yi Ling asked Guo Qi.

Guo Qi walked around the room and said, "It's already good, go get busy with you!" If something happens, the king will call you. ”

"No, the villain retires." Yi Ling said respectfully, and when he left, he also brought the door to Guo Qi.

The whole room is not very big, divided into two rooms, inside is the bedroom, and outside is a living room, but compared to the place where he lived before, it is much better, since leaving Luodu, Guo Qi has not rested in such a good place for a long time.

Guo Qi walked to the window and opened the window, looking at the busy crowd outside, he couldn't help but sound the scene when he had just left Luodu.

It was a month ago, on the third day of Guo Qi's canonization as King Yong, outside the Changle Gate in Luodu, Jingshi, only Guo Qi's mother Concubine Hui and his younger brother Guo Chong were the only ones who came to see Guo Qi off, and there was no one else.

And among the kings who went out to work in the domain, Guo Qi was also the poorest one, except for Guo Qi as the king of Yong, the emperor did not have any other palace officials, but gave Guo Qi a thousand soldiers and horses, fifty craftsmen and fifty thousand taels of silver, and the rest had nothing......

Just when Guo Qi was thinking about what to do when he arrived in Yongzhou, there was a knock on the door, and Guo Qi said very calmly: "Come in!" ”

After Hu Qiong, who was dressed in military uniform, came in, he saluted Guo Qi and said, "See the prince for his humble duties." ”

"General Hu, please get up." Guo Qi stepped forward and helped Hu Qiong up and said, "How many times has this king told you, you don't have to bow at every turn." ”

"Remember." Hu Qiong scratched the back of her head and said; Originally, Hu Qiong was very dissatisfied with being suddenly transferred to this position, but after contacting Guo Qi for a period of time, Hu Qiong respected this kind and loving prince from the bottom of her heart.

"General Hu, just say what you have to say." Guo Qi said to Hu Qiong.

"Lord Wang, we don't have much food." Hu Qiong said to Guo Qi with a heavy face: "Originally, the grain and grass we brought from Luodu were enough to Yongzhou, but along the way, the prince recruited displaced people, and it was very expensive. ”

Guo Qi asked Hu Qiong with a heavy face: "How many homeless people have been recruited now?" ”

"It's more than 30,000 people." Hu Qiong reported to Guo Qiyu: "Among them, more than 20,000 are young and strong, the remaining more than 10,000 are women and children, and there are more than 500 orphans. ”

Guo Qi nodded and said, "It's good at this time, these people will be our foundation in Yongzhou!" ”

"I know that the prince loves the people like a son, but the consumption of so many people with us is too great." Hu Qiong suggested to Guo Qi with a heavy face: "According to the humble opinion, it is better to leave those old and weak women and children behind and only take the young and strong to Yongzhou." ”

"No, since they have gone with the king; This king will not leave any of them behind. Guo Qi said in a very firm tone: "You have also seen along the way, the earth is dry and the people have no harvest, if this king gives up, they don't know how many people will be starved to death; This king's ability is limited, but it is one that can save one! ”

"No! Obey the king's commands. Hu Qiong commanded: "But the prince, what about the grain?" ”

"Doesn't this king still have 50,000 taels of silver! When I arrive at Jingzhao Mansion tomorrow, I will use this money to buy food. Guo Qi decided.

"Lord Wang, don't blame you for being humble and talking, saying something you shouldn't say, Your Majesty didn't let you go to Yongzhou to send you to death!" Hu Qiong glanced at Guo Qi and said: "Everyone in the world knows that Yongzhou is one of the most serious places in this drought, and Xirong in the west has been harassed eastward from time to time, and the people have long been gone......

"Presumptuous." Before Hu Qiong's words were finished, Guo Qi shouted angrily: "If you let this king hear this again in the future, this king will never spare it." ”

"No!" Hu Qiong hurriedly knelt down and said, "Guilty of despicable duty." ”

"Get up!" Guo Qi glanced at Hu Qiong, and after Hu Qiong got up, Guo Qi continued: "General Hu, Yongzhou is indeed a place of nine deaths and one life, if you don't want to go, you can leave immediately, this king will never force it." ”

"Lord Wang, you don't need to say it, you swear to follow the prince to the death." Hu Qiong immediately expressed his loyalty to Guo Qi.

"Okay." Guo Qi smiled and said to Hu Qiong: "Hu Qiong obeys orders, this king has ordered you to be the general of the palace guards, in charge of the palace guards and all the soldiers and horses in Yongzhou." ”

"No! The last general commanded. Hu Qiong said very excitedly; Guo Qi handed over all the military power to Hu Qiong, which was equivalent to putting his life in the hands of Hu Qiong, and this trust alone was enough for Hu Qiong to live and die.

"Let's go! Let's go down with this king and have a look! Guo Qi said to Hu Qiong.

Guo Qi, accompanied by Hu Qiong, went to the place where the victims lived, the living environment of the victims was very simple, some lived in grass huts, and the others could only sleep in the open air next to the bonfire; And the food was also very poor, more than a dozen people gathered in front of a large pot, in which white porridge was cooked, and there was nothing else; Even with such poor living conditions, they are happy in the eyes of these victims, and their demands are simple, as long as they have a stutter, they can survive.

This was an era of human life, with tens of thousands of people dying of starvation in a single drought, and on the way from east to west, Guo Qi could see corpses lying on the ground everywhere he passed; These people who are willing to follow Guo Qi to move west, everyone is grateful to Guo Qi, and in their eyes, Guo Qi is their reborn parents; Of course, there are also people who mix and eat here with Guo Qi, and no one is seen the next day, but those who stay are determined to follow Guo Qi with all their hearts.