In the fifth year of Yonghui (654 AD), July 15, four o'clock in the afternoon.

  Today is the Midyear Festival, and the two states of Wuyue call it the seventh and a half months, and it is also called the Ghost Festival. It is the day of the alternation of summer and autumn, and it is also the node of the alternation of yin and yang in heaven and earth, when yang energy begins to weaken and yin energy begins to prevail. Legend has it that on this day, the ghost door is wide open, the old ghost can go home to receive the sacrifice, and the new ghost takes the opportunity to return to the underworld.

  There is this saying, there is a corresponding custom, in the Jiangnan area, there are ancestor worship, Zhongyuan Pudu and river lanterns. Jiangnan is a water town, Wuyue is full of rivers, people worship their ancestors, will come to Puyang River, carry out river lantern activities.

  However, due to the curfew, it is impossible to put the river lanterns at night, and most of them are concentrated at noon. Wukang respected local customs, lifted martial law for two hours, and opened at noon and at the end of the day. The Puyang River in Zhuji County is densely packed with people, and countless river lights flow eastward.

  At the head of Zhutong Bridge in the south of the county, Wukang accompanied the new city to put on the lights, looking at the river in a daze. After more than two months of busyness, going through countless hardships and overcoming many difficulties, the anti-plague has achieved a phased victory. The suspected isolation rooms are emptied one by one, the non-infected people go home for observation, and the infected people are sent to the intensive isolation room.

  Sixty percent of the poor infected were taken away by the plague, and forty percent were saved by home remedies. Less than 30% of those who can get out of the isolation room and regain their lives. The environment of the isolation room is harsh, and if you want to survive, you need not only a strong body, but also a strong heart.

  As of June 30, the intensive isolation room was emptied, and there were no cases of infection in the county. The plague was temporarily controlled, and from the first day of July, martial law was lifted from village to village. People can go out, but they must move around the village, within a radius of two miles. In case of special circumstances, a written application must be issued for approval by the resident captain.

  instructed Luo Bingwang and Di Renjie to cooperate with Zhang Cambodia to do post-disaster statistical work. The statistical results are worrying, this sudden disaster, Zhuji paid a heavy price, countless casualties, and incalculable economic losses.

  Zhuji was originally a county, and the household registration before the disaster showed that there were more than 6,000 households in the county. Now there are only 3,000 households left, half of the population has been lost, and it has been directly reduced to a middle county, hovering on the edge of the lower county. Before the outbreak of the plague, some people fled with their families; After the outbreak of martial law, countless infected people were infected, and even the whole family died violently, which can be described as tragic.

  The seedlings have all been spoiled, the planting season has passed, and this year's harvest is doomed. According to Zhang Cambodia's statistics, less than 20 percent of the peasant households with grain reserves can survive until next year's autumn harvest. With such a big disaster, how much food does the imperial court have to transfer to plug the hole.

  In fact, this unwarranted disaster, caused by an imbalance in the food chain, can be completely avoided. Wu Kang sometimes thinks that if I were the governor of Yuezhou, I would not allow snake hunting on a large scale; If I were Li Jiu, I would definitely kill the governor of Yuezhou, and then let Lao Rush Chu Suiliang go to Vietnam to catch monkeys in advance.

  Feeling the warmth of the palms of my hands, my soul gradually returned to my shell, and I turned my head to look around. Xincheng's eyes were gentle, and he leaned over and whispered softly: "The river lanterns and candles have been prepared, in order to express respect for the deceased colleagues, Luo Bin Wang and Zhang Khan wrote on the spot, do you want to start now?" ”

  Hearing this, the Wuzhou militia and the imperial doctor also suffered heavy casualties. Fifty-eight militia members were killed in the line of duty, three died while patrolling, and the rest died of plague; The imperial doctor died fifteen times, contracted the plague due to the treatment of the plague, and died in the isolation room with hatred.

  took the river lantern handed by Xincheng, looked at the familiar name, and could not hide the desolation in his heart. Zhu Shuiquan of the Jinhua People's League contracted plague on May 20 and died of illness in the isolation room on his 28th birthday. I vaguely remembered the cremation site, the funeral was very simple, only the security guards saw them off.

  The ashes were put into a sandalwood box, and the loyal soul hall was opened in the county government, and the spiritual seat was set up to worship. I go to worship every day, three incense sticks in the morning and evening, and pray to the gods and Buddhas. Every time a new tablet is erected, they pray that this is the last one, but the gods and Buddhas do not give face.

  Xincheng reminded again, Wu Kang suppressed sentimentality, took the fire fold from the calculation bag, lit the candle in the lamp, and taught Di Renjie around him. Lao Xi'er put the lamp on the iron plate, carefully put the rope, the iron plate sank into the river, and the river lamp flowed eastward. Entering the river lantern group, I can no longer see it, and my brother has gone all the way...

  Remember their names, light the lanterns, and watch them go. Qian Shun stepped forward and handed over the official document of the defense line, and Wu Kang quickly opened it. Yesterday, he sent an official letter to Fang Renyu, explaining the epidemic situation in Zhuji, saying that the plague has basically passed, and he applied to leave the epidemic area, but he didn't know how to reply to the defense line.

  The beginning is to complain, Lao Fang said that he was fed up, you two are Qincha, can't you talk directly, why are you looking for me to be the middleman? The epidemic is a public and important matter, and you are all important ministers of the imperial court, so you should put aside your personal grievances and work together. I am dignified in Yangzhou Assassin History, but I have become a messenger, what are you kidding?

  Wu Kang couldn't help pouting, about half a month ago, because of the home remedies incident, he scolded Chu Suiliang in the air. Lao Chu listened to the advice of Dr. Taiyi, and thought that the stone honey in the home remedies was completely inconsistent with pharmacology and expensive, so the supply should be cut off.

  Stone honey is white sugar, made from sugarcane juice, which can remove the dryness and heat of the heart and lungs, why is it not medical? Wu Kang was not happy and sent a letter to Chu Suiliang, strongly requesting that it be supplied on time and in quantity. may have a bad tone, Lao Chu replied angrily, and opened the official document to scold each other.

  I really can't scold, ask Luo Bingwang to write it on his behalf, and return the sharp text to the past. is worthy of the first troll in the Tang Dynasty, and the writing is called a sharp, so far Lao Chu no longer replied. I learned from Lao Fang's letter that after reading the text, Lao Chu was so angry that he almost vomited blood, and the Chinese army jumped to his feet and scolded in the tent, shouting that he had to kill Wu Yu.

  Le's Wukang hand and foot dance, drink two bowls of porridge per meal, and reward Luo Bingwang with 300 times. Now that I think about it, I am still very excited, and after reading the official document quickly, my face is directly black. crumpled the official document into a paper ball and threw it into the Puyang River angrily.

  Okay, you Chu Suiliang, the communiqué is a personal vendetta, let me stay until the end of July. Wait for the plague to be completely eliminated, and then return to the Wuzhou defense line to discuss the lifting of martial law... Damn it!

  Xincheng laughed dumbly, what an old person, naïve like a child. Chu Shangshu is also ridiculous, he is almost sixty years old, and he is also a child's temper. I remember when I was a child, I was angry with my ninth brother, so I wrote an article to denounce it. Later, Aya learned that he scolded the ninth brother fiercely, and he cried his nose when he was scolded.

  When I think of my childhood trivialities and my deceased father, I don't feel good in my heart. Wu Kang noticed it, licked his face and said, "Sad for me? It's a rarity! But don't worry, I can do it myself, we don't know Chu Suiliang..."

  Xincheng looked at him whitely, turned his head and ignored him, and made himself amorous. However, the sadness is not good to fade, and when I think of what I have done, my eyes quickly turn red. In order to cope with that catastrophe, such a sacrifice was made, and I hope my husband will understand.

  Wu Kang also knew it, and leaned over and whispered: "Fang Renyu's official document said that after the collection of Ge Gen, the eldest grandson brother will personally escort him to Hengzhou, and he will come back at least at the end of the year." The child wants to blackmail the plan, forget it, you can't explain it... I swear to you that if the eldest grandson's family suffers, I will do my best to protect the eldest grandson. ”

  didn't get a response for a long time, and continued to talk bitterly: "Li Chunfeng has some crooked ways, and he may not be able to calculate the overall situation, and no one can say for sure in the future." In case the saint takes care of the relationship between brother and sister and opens up to the eldest grandson, your efforts will be in vain. ”

  Xincheng turned back abruptly, his eyes were cold: "You are right, no one can say for sure in the future, I don't believe in your character, let alone your oath." Li Taishi's divination has never been unfulfilled, I want my eldest grandson to live, and I will not let go of any opportunity. ”

  Resolutely, Wang Ba ate the scales and was iron-hearted, and Wu Kang expressed helplessness. What do you love, I will accompany you to the end, and my head hurts for a while. When your old belly is big, how can you explain to your eldest grandson, like Yang Guozhong's daughter-in-law, that you are pregnant with Ah Quan in her dream?

  With a chill, he lowered his voice and said, "I sleep very lightly, and any wind and grass can wake me up." Every time you get up and repent to the mud bodhisattva, I know it. I love the eldest grandson Quan deeply, and I am forced to cheat and hate men, which is really uncomfortable. Forget it, I promise..."

  Sensing that she was even more angry, she resolutely closed her mouth and looked at the river with nothing to do. Not far from the north bank of the Puyang River, there is an old beggar squatting, putting lamps into the river from time to time. Deng Shi sank his face, and for a while he stared at the river lamps he released.

  Everyone found the abnormality, the atmosphere became tense, Luo Bin Wang pointed to the old beggar, and introduced with great interest: "Ming Gong, look, the old man who put the lamp is the old gentleman who collected medicine with me and entered Zhuji together." He also prayed for the deceased, why don't we go over and I'll introduce Ming Gong? ”

  The words stopped abruptly, and King Luo Bin subconsciously turned his head to look at Di Renjie and Zhang Cambodia, grinning at himself. Looking at the big guy's ugly face again, he was stunned for a moment, and suddenly gasped. Thinking of something, Wang Di Renjie, who was inquiring, couldn't help but be dumbfounded when he nodded in affirmation.

  Time passed, and the time gradually came, and the lantern setters dispersed one after another. Before three o'clock, they must all go home, and they are forbidden to leave the village for two miles, otherwise they will be locked in an isolation room.

  Xincheng stopped his grief and looked at the old beggar, his clothes ragged and his hair scattered. From time to time, from the sack beside him, he took out a piece of white paper and folded an egg-sized river lamp. There are no candles in it, one is let go, another is stacked, and so on.

  In less than five moments, the Puyang River was wide, and only Wu Kang and his gang were left, as well as the old man. Everyone didn't dare to come out, Wu Kang turned around abruptly and went straight to his father-in-law. Qian Shun glanced at him and motioned to everyone not to follow, not daring to stop the princess.

  When Wukang and Xincheng arrived, the old beggar turned a deaf ear and kept folding the river lantern. Half an hour passed, Wu Kang let go of his teeth, and squeezed out words between his teeth: "Aye, this is the epidemic area, you shouldn't wade into troubled waters, I will send someone to send you away." ”

  Xincheng was stunned on the spot, this old beggar is Kang Lang's father? This is impossible, how can he let his father beg for a dignified state assassin and an official of the fourth rank of the imperial court? Such a big unfilial piety, if it spreads, the consequences will be unimaginable... There must be something hidden!

  I heard Cui Xiaoqing say before that Kang Lang's family was lost and was likely to die in the rebellion. Why did Wu Lao appear here and become a beggar, Kang Lang is not an unfilial person. Thinking of this, he slowly saluted, and asked Wen Yan: "The slave has seen the father-in-law, the epidemic area is indeed dangerous, let Akang send you away, right?" ”

  The old man stopped moving, turned his head to look at the new city, and sighed softly for a long time. muttered the sentence "evil fate", lowered his head and continued to put on the lamp, muttering to himself: "The Buddha said that the eighteen layers of hell, only those who do good deeds and accumulate virtue can be reincarnated as a human being." If you do wrong, you must atone for your sins, for yourself, and for your children and grandchildren. ”

  Wu Kang's eyes were slightly red, and he was about to say something, when Qian Shun shouted at the bridge: Jiulongzhuang, Huyi Township, someone has an epidemic and has a very bad cough.

  After about five minutes, Wu Kang sighed lightly and turned to walk towards the horse team. Arrange for Xincheng to go back, step on the fighting horse, take a few more glances at the riverside, and lead the team to Jiulongzhuang.

  Working until dusk, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the family only coughed, and did not cough up blood and fever, not a symptom of plague. For the sake of insurance, they were forbidden to go out, and Wu Yuan was left at home to observe.

  Seeing that it was getting late, let everyone go back to rest, and only took Qian Shun and left. Riding a horse to the riverside, there was no father, it was difficult to hide the loss in his heart, and he hesitated for a long time to turn the horse's head.

  Qian Shun struggled for a long time, and said stubbornly: "Don't be sad, big man, people are old and admit death." Let's just say that my family, seventy-two years old, will have to do farm work. Three of us brothers are all serving in the Prosperous Age, at least forty times a year. But the adults said that a room of money is no better than a warehouse of rice, and they don't listen to any persuasion, so they admit it! ”

  After a long time, Wu Kang smiled bitterly: "The old man is right, there is food at home, and he is not panicking." Shengshi has always had money, buying five hu rice; In troubled times, money can't buy a bucket. No matter when, agriculture is fundamental, and you will go back to the county government office immediately, and you will go back to rest. ”

  Qian Shun was a little entangled, didn't dare to say anything, turned the horse's head and left. Wu Kang returned to the second ya, tied the bucket to the stable, and suddenly heard anxious footsteps. Seeing that Xincheng was in a hurry, the corners of his mouth pulled out a joke: "I said Xiao Shuyu, why are you so anxious that you have killed someone?" ”

  Get your head, Xincheng glared at him twice, and took the Buddha beads impatiently: "Ah Weng is back, give me this string of prayer beads, and say that I can use it in the future." I wanted to keep him waiting for you, but he said he didn't want to see you, so I made a little trick and locked him up in the living room... You can't blame me, do you? ”

  "Of course not, Shuyu did the right thing", Wu Kang was ecstatic, holding his cheek and kissing his forehead, rubbing his hands excitedly: "You talk to him, I'll go buy some wine and food... No, no, I cook for myself, so I have to keep him. ”

  After saying that, he turned around and ran, and slipped into the kitchen with a cigarette, excited like a child. Xincheng was very dissatisfied, wiped the saliva on his forehead, and exhaled back to the second hall. At the door of the living room, he coughed lightly and said, "Ah Weng, Kang Lang is back and is cooking for you." ”

  There was no sound in the house, and Xincheng didn't care, so he moved a stool and sat at the door. Wu Lao was locked in the living room, no matter what he said, he would not pay attention to it, he was used to it. Looking at the bookcase, his eyes rolled around a few times, and tiptoed past.

  Carefully unwrapping the cloth bag, I couldn't help but be stunned, it was white rice. Let go of the palm of your hand, about two taels, such a beautiful money bag, why only contain rice grains? Momentarily interested, he sat upright in a chair and poured rice grains on the bookcase.

  With his hands on his cheeks and eyes, when he is bored, count the rice to pass the time. When I was bored before, I would count my hair, which was very boring and fun. The number of grains is really counted, a total of three thousand and thirty-five.

  opened the money bag and examined it carefully, but found no clues; Put the grain rice in the palm of your hand, put it on your nose and smell it, and you can make sure that it is real rice, and you can't find the problem. Secretly laughing at himself for being stupid, it's just ordinary rice, what secrets can he find out?

  Putting the rice into the money bag, Liu Mei frowned suddenly, and suddenly thought of something. Cui Xiaoqing said that Kang Lang Pingmuzhou rebelled, and once killed 3,000 prisoners of war, which became a lingering nightmare. I've met several times when I suddenly sat up in the middle of the night, my face was hideous and frightened, and I was definitely having nightmares.

  Three thousand prisoners of war, more than three thousand grains of rice, does it matter? After thinking about it for a long time, he shook his head slightly, he should be too careful. Put the rice into the money bag and tie it to the bookcase. The second yamen opened, and when he saw Wu Kang coming in with a tray, he got up to meet him.

  Wu Kang shook his head, took the tray to the door, and motioned for her to open the door. The door opened, and the old man knelt on the futon, fiddling with the rosary in his hand. Put the meal on the table, a bowl of white rice, a bowl of egg soup, scrambled eggs with leeks, scrambled eggs with spinach, and they are fried with soybean oil.

  Set up the dishes and chopsticks, stand next to him, and wait for him to recite the scriptures. After about ten minutes, Dad got up slowly, and Wu Kang greeted him attentively: "Aya is hungry, I made vegetables and porridge, can you taste it?" Just take a bite! ”

  The father was expressionless, did not look at people or food, and put the Buddha beads on his wrist. Touch the dirty cloth bag, take out a black and yellow cooking cake, wipe off the green hair on the cake, put it in your mouth to bite, and walk away slowly.

  Wu Kang's eyes were slightly red, he stopped in front of the door in two steps, knelt on the ground with his knees bent, choked and pleaded: "Aye, I beg you, can you just take a bite?" I picked the biggest eggs, leeks and spinach, both of which are the most tender, and the soybean oil is squeezed by Xiaoqing, which is very delicious..."

  Still expressionless, he bypassed Wu Kang's side, eating moldy cooking cakes while holding a bookcase rice bag. Wu Kang's tears fell, and he roared violently: "I don't want to kill prisoners of war, that's the imperial court's holy decree, how dare I disobey?" I'm just a pawn, I can't do anything! ”

  Suddenly got up, his facial features were hideous, and he was hysterical: "You say that I am guilty, and you want to atone for my sins; You said that the rebels who were killed in the trap were innocent, and justice should be given to them. Have you ever thought about who the Wuzhou soldiers who defended their homeland, fought to the death against the rebels, and died on the battlefield to atone for? And who will give them justice? ”

  Looking at the thin back, thinking of my father in my previous life, the figures gradually coincided, and tears rained down for a while: "I have no mother since I was a child, my mother is my stepmother, but she is the best for me, I treat her as my mother." I don't know about the death of my brother and sister, and I don't know that she joined the rebels and killed her by mistake, I really don't know! ”

  Like a thunderbolt from the sky, Xincheng screamed in surprise, ran out of the door, and closed all doors and windows.

  Wu Kang's heart was like a knife: "Do you think I'm better?" I had nightmares every day, dreaming of what she looked like when she died, dreaming that she was hungry and cold. My best brother died trying to hide it. I have insomnia every day, life is worse than death at night, why are you forcing me? ”

  Helpless shook his head: "You let me atone for my sins, how should I atone, and who will I find to atone?" Even if I am guilty, even if I want to atone for my sins, I will redeem it myself, and I don't need you to help me. I just want to keep you at home, take good care of you, and make up for the regrets of my two lives. Don't you give me such a simple luxury? ”

  The thin figure moved, came to the bookcase, picked up the cyan rice bag, and hung the worn belt. Walk to the gate, pick up the bamboo pole on the ground, and gently push the door to leave. He stopped next to the new city and lightly persuaded: "Leave him, he is guilty of great sin and will bring disaster." ”

  Xincheng moved his mouth, with a wry smile on his face, not knowing how to respond. Father Wu sighed lightly, and his figure gradually disappeared. Suddenly, I heard the movement in the house, and hurriedly ran over, and saw a mess. The dining table was full of broken dishes.

  Wu Kang's eyes were glazed, he sat on the ground, and kept repeating: The son wants to raise but does not wait, he has been like this for two lifetimes, what evil have I done, why did he treat me like this?

  Xincheng had no words, for a long time, silently cleaned up...

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