Emperor Chongzhen had long heard of the daimyo of Lantian County.

However, it was before I crossed in my previous life. After all, in addition to the poem that has been passed down through the ages, Lantian also has a prince surnamed Yun. Although I don't know why, this heirloom did not reach his own Ming Dynasty.

At this time, it is almost September, and it is close to the autumn harvest.

However, in Lantian County, there is no sign of the autumn harvest at all, or there is no harvest at all.

On the ground, which had not rained much, the cracked ground looked as if someone had scratched the ground with a knife.

The land was supposed to be full of crops and farmers who were busy with their work in the cool morning. None of this, however, except for the occasional half-dead crop. All that's left is patches of cracked land.

Shocking. This is Chongzhen's most direct feeling about Lantian County, or the drought in Shaanxi.

However, Chongzhen has no way to change all this. When there was a great drought in Shaanxi, Ma Weiqiu, the prefect of Xi'an, had already organized the people to dig wells to save themselves.

However, it was useless, and it was not so much water that came out as a pitiful yellow mud soup. After many attempts to no avail, Ma Weichuan also gave up the idea of digging a well and simply asked the court for help.

Sighing deeply, Emperor Chongzhen decisively turned over his horse and ordered: "Go into the county seat and have a look." Then he rode away. Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua and others, who were accompanying him, also kicked the horse's belly in unison, and galloped towards the county seat of Lantian County behind Chongzhen.

After arriving in Lantian County, Emperor Chongzhen had the most intuitive understanding of this drought that was recorded in the history books as "March of the first year of Chongzhen, the whole Qin was in drought, and the sky was as red as blood".

Everywhere you look, there are some ragged people, with yellow faces and thin muscles, so that Chongzhen himself later traveled to the Middle East refugee camps in later generations, and even the slums of Africa.

The only thing that is better than those places is probably that Lantian County still maintains a certain degree of cleanliness.

Just when Chongzhen was standing on the street in a daze, a voice came from afar: "Hey, let let, let go!" ”

Chongzhen looked around, but it was a few errand servants pushing a flatbed cart, the car was covered with a broken grass mat, and under the mat, a few pairs of feet were exposed, it seemed that there were men and women, adults and children.

Chongzhen, who had always thought that this kind of scene could only be seen in TV series or movies, was completely shocked. A middle-aged man who also looked like a victim of the disaster asked a question: "Brother, what's the situation?" ”

The middle-aged man looked like he was about thirty-four years old, and when he heard this, he glanced at Chongzhen, and saw that he was dressed as a rich kid, but he didn't get angry, but just pouted and said, "What else can I do, I'm starving to death." ”

Even though he had been prepared in his heart, Emperor Chongzhen was still shocked: "Starving to death? Didn't the imperial court release relief food? I heard in the capital that the current emperor knew about the drought in Shaanxi, but he got angry in the court and asked not to starve to death. ”

The man sighed and said, "Emperor? The mountain is high and the emperor is far away! I heard that there is food for disaster relief, but a bowl of porridge that can show the shadow of a person every day is not normal, and how many people starve to death? You said that the emperor was angry, I believe it, I have heard that today's son is a lover of the people. But can he take wings and fly here to see? ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he said curiously: "I heard that the imperial court bought a lot of grain and shipped it here, how can people still starve to death?" Could it be that someone is greedy? Even if there are three or four out of ten people, they shouldn't starve to death. ”

The man glanced at Chongzhen and sneered: "Your little brother is a rich kid at first glance, and he reads a lot." Is there a three-four-tenth? Even if there are one or two floors, they can't starve to death for so many people. If you are brave enough to go to the mass graves outside the city and see how many corpses there are, nine times out of ten they are starving to death. It's someone else's child to eat it, I'm afraid it's going to be fast. ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he just gasped. This situation is even more serious than the situation reported by the Jinyi Guardian.

Letting go of the man, Chongzhen commanded with a gloomy face: "Go, let's not delay." ”

After speaking, he took Fang Zhenghua, Zhu Gang and others who accompanied him and walked towards another street.

By the time he finished turning half of Lantian County, Chongzhen's face was completely invisible. Not to mention Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua, who guard Emperor Chongzhen every day, even a nervous warrior like Zhu Gang can also see that Emperor Chongzhen at this time is on the verge of an outbreak.

At noon, Emperor Chongzhen just hurriedly ate a few bites of food in the restaurant, and after someone asked for the direction, he took Fang Zhenghua and others to the mass grave outside the city.

In broad daylight, the wild dogs, which have become addicted to eating dead human flesh, do not shy away from people, but only care about tearing the meat on the corpse that has just been thrown over, and the dog's eyes have turned blood red because they have eaten too much human flesh, and they look more like wild wolves after returning to their ancestors.

Even Emperor Chongzhen, who had seen too many dead people on the grassland because he had ordered a massacre, couldn't help but gasp at this moment.

Those who were slaughtered on the grassland were enemies, not compatriots in later generations, so Chongzhen's heart didn't have any pressure.

It's just that I don't know how many corpses there are in front of me, but they are my own compatriots and people, and this feeling is completely different from looking at the corpse of the enemy.

Chongzhen really couldn't imagine what could make these readers who were full of poetry and books so desperately greedy, sitting and watching the people starve to death and be indifferent.

Quietly glanced at Chongzhen, Zhu Gang was also quite waxy at this time. If you want to persuade, you don't know where to start. The emperor in front of him looked like a scholar, but on the grassland, he could give a slaughter order with a smile, and it was a massacre that did not leave any chickens and dogs, regardless of age.

If you don't persuade it, this master's fire will be suppressed like this, and I don't know how many people will be burned to death once it breaks out.

was entangled, but he heard Emperor Chongzhen say lightly: "Spread my will, and order Zhang Zhiji to enter the city and take over the city defense in the name of taking a temporary rest before the Beijing camp was ordered to enter the Qinling Mountains for training. The gates were then closed and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

Also, the county government of Lantian County has been surrounded, and not a single bird is allowed to fly out.

It is rumored that Ma Weiqiu, the prefect of Xi'an, came to Lantian to see me. If he can't see his people tomorrow, let him get out of here and go home to farm.

Chuan Tian Ergeng, Cao Huachun, ordered the two to bring more Jinyi Wei Lieutenant and Dongchang Fanzi, and hurried to Lantian for 600 miles. I will see them in five days. No matter how many horses they killed, they wouldn't arrive within ten days, and I skinned them!

Wei Zhongxian was ordered to step up the transfer of manpower to the Shanxi region of Shaanxi, and the southeast could be postponed first.

In addition, a batch of grain was transferred from the transfer post to Lantian first, and the soldiers of the new army were sent to keep an eye on the road. Whoever has the idea of beating these grains in the middle will be killed on the spot. If the matter involves the local magistrate, record it, and not a single list is allowed to be missed. ”

Wang Chengen diligently wrote down Emperor Chongzhen's instructions, and hurried away after confirming that they were correct.

After Wang Chengen came back and said that everything had been done, Emperor Chongzhen turned over again and went to Lantian County again.

At this time, in the backyard of Lantian County, the county magistrate Shen Xiuting was entertaining a distinguished guest.

This eldest son of Master Wu from the southeast is a real distinguished guest. Although he has not been in Jiangnan for a long time, he has been assigned to eat ashes in such a shabby place as Lantian, but Shen Xiuting has also heard of the name of this Master Wu.

This time, Wu Qi and Wu Dagongzi personally took this small broken place, doesn't it mean that the Wu family has noticed him. As long as the Wu family helps, it will be convenient for him to get out of Lantian in the near future.

Shen Xiuting, who was becoming more and more happy in his heart, raised his glass with a smile and said, "Come, Wu Gongzi, this county will give you a drink." ”

Wu Qi hurriedly stood up, made a flattered look and said: "It can't be deserved, the old parents are promoted, but the students can't be deserved." ”

There is a way to be a sedan chair that everyone carries, and there is a way to be an official for thousands of miles just for money.

This Wu Qi and Wu Dagongzi are not only his own God of Wealth, but it is rare to have such a shelf, he is really a talent that can be created.

Shen Xiuting, who was becoming more and more satisfied in his heart, said with a smile: "Sit, sit." ”

After Wu Qi sat down, Shen Xiuting continued: "The food this time is finally almost over, right?" ”

When Wu Qi heard this, he smiled slightly and said, "It's almost over, the student is going to go back to Zhejiang tomorrow to report to his father." Presumably, my father will have another heart for his old parents, and I hope that his old parents will not mind. ”

Shen Xiuting, who understood it, stroked his beard and smiled: "Ling Zun is too polite. Left and right are just some food. This is also a short time, and Ling Zun is urgent, otherwise, it will be doubled, and it is not a difficult matter. ”

When Wu Qi heard this, he just stretched out his thumb and praised: "Old parents are good means!" Students admire, admire! ”

Speaking of this, it just tickled the itch in Shen Xiuting's heart. After a lot of stealing the day, four or five percent of the grain here was replaced by himself with rotten or inedible grain. There are also one or two percent, which are simply replaced with sand.

As for the brocade guards in the city, phew! The left and right are just dogs who don't know how to lift, what can they do with themselves?

Just as he was complacent, the housekeeper that Shen Xiuting brought from his hometown ran in in a panic and shouted, "Master, master, it's not good." ”

Shen Xiuting said calmly: "Panic, what kind of system!" If there is anything, talk slowly. ”

Seeing that Shen Xiuting still looked indifferent, the housekeeper didn't care about pleading, that is, he didn't even care about wiping the sweat on his forehead because of the trotting all the way, but he hurriedly said to Shen Xiuting: "Master Qiqi, Jingying, the Qiu Ba people in Jingying have surrounded the county government!" ”

With a bang, Shen Xiuting no longer saw the breezy appearance just now, and asked, "How could Jingying come to such a small place as Lantian?" What about the county lieutenant? Ever asked what's going on? ”

The housekeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "The old slave had already asked the county lieutenant when he came just now. The prefectural governor said that the Kyoto camp had entered the castle under the pretext of resting before entering the mountains for training. It's just that later, I don't know why.,Forcibly took over the city gate again.,Now it's the county government again.,Now it's the county lieutenant who has also been driven into the county office.,Don't go out.。。 ”

Not only did Shen Xiuting start to get angry in a hurry, but even Wu Qi, who was full of demeanor as everyone's children, also lost his sense of proportion: "Old parents, how is this good?" Didn't you leak the news and provoke the army to come? How good is that? ”

After the initial panic, Shen Xiuting had calmed down at this time, and when he heard this, he just glanced at Grand Master Wu, and said leisurely: "What did Grand Master Wu say?" How did the official not know? ”

Wu Qi, who was taken aback by the coldness in Shen Xiuting's tone, said, "The matter of food." Didn't we join forces to fiddle with food? But how did this army come silently? ”

Shen Xiuting smiled and said, "God of Food? What kind of food? This official is just taking over the grain arrangement to help the victims, so what's wrong with the grain? ”

Wu Qi was stunned for a moment, and then reacted, and said with a smile: "Yes, the student just came to Lantian County to visit the old man, and seeing the people of Lantian suffering from this disaster, the student also couldn't bear it, so he could only donate 500 stone of grain on behalf of his father, talk about his heart, and hope that the old parents will not refuse." ”

When Shen Xiuting heard this, he laughed and said, "Wu Gongzi and Ling Zun have a patriotic heart, how can this official refuse?" In this way, this official thanked Mr. Wu and Mr. Wu on behalf of the people of Lantian first? ”

After speaking, the two looked at each other, and they laughed together, which was quite unspoken.

After laughing, Shen Xiuting said to the housekeeper: "This official suspects that the county lieutenant Zhao Jing is secretly reselling grain, and he is secretly investigating, and he doesn't want the army to come, but he just handed it over to the Shangguan who came to dispose of it." ”

The housekeeper also understood, and said with a bitter face: "If you go back to the master, the county lieutenant has already committed suicide after returning to the county office." ”

When Shen Xiuting heard this, he said bitterly: "Why is this? For the sake of a little food, he is confused! ”

When the housekeeper heard this, he dodged and said, "Master Qiqi, the old slave still has some things to do, you and Wu Gongzi will feast and drink first, and then come over to serve after the old slave is busy?" ”

Shen Xiuting waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, go ahead, I don't need you here for the time being." ”

After the housekeeper stepped back, Shen Xiuting picked up the wine glass again and said to Wu Qi: "Come, this official will pay tribute to Wu Gongzi first." This cup is that the official thanked Wu Gongzi and Ling Zun on behalf of the people of Lantian on behalf of the people, and Wu Gongzi can't refuse. ”

Wu Qi hurriedly said with a supermarket wine glass: "These are just things for students, but they can't be so loved by old parents." ”

Just between the two of them pushing the cup and changing the lamp, Emperor Chongzhen, who had just come to the county government and had a gloomy face, instructed Zhang Zhiji beside him: "Smash the door, take people, don't get out of one!" ”