Xiongzhou official, Zhizhou Ma Huaide sat behind the desk, holding a scroll in his hand and reading a book. Wang Gongyi, the general judge, walked in quickly, stepped forward and arched his hand: "Zhizhou, recently the Khitan repaired Zhuozhou, and the Daxing errand. Many people fled from the north across the Juma River to the vicinity of the state capital. ”

Ma Huaide's posture remained unchanged, but he said: "Did the Khitan send someone to ask?" ”

Wang Gongyi said: "Not yet." However, according to the estimation of the lower officials, there are many people who have escaped, and they should come over soon. ”

Ma Huaide nodded slightly: "Don't pay attention to the Khitans." He ordered the fleeing people to be carefully arranged so that they would not starve. ”

Wang Gongyi said yes. I wanted to leave, but after thinking about it, I came back and said, "Zhizhou, if we take these people in, what if the Khitan sends someone to pursue it?" It was originally a Khitan people, so it was not good not to return it. ”

Ma Huaide said: "In the place north of the Juma River, most of the people living in the country are converted military households, which were originally under the rule of the imperial court. The Khitans came to ask, and they just ignored them. If the Khitan raised troops, wouldn't there be no soldiers and horses in this dynasty? ”

Seeing Ma Huaide sitting there, his expression unchanged, and he didn't even move his posture, Wang Gongyi knew it and resigned from the official hall.

Xiongzhou was the border between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan, and it was also the place where the relationship was most complicated. It is located on the north-south post road, and there are two more losers under the rule, and if the ruler is not careful, it is easy to have border disputes. Ma Huaide was a military general who fought with the party and made meritorious contributions when he was on the Shaanxi Road, and he had been in charge of Xiongzhou for two or three years, and he knew this. If in the past, the people of the northern land fled, most of the Song Dynasty would have sent them back, so as to avoid disputes between the two countries. This time, Ma Huaide's attitude was obviously different, and Wang Gongyi knew what his attitude towards the Khitan would be in the future.

At the beginning of the year, the Khitan failed to seize Shuozhou, although there were no major losses, but it affected the entire border. In the past, it was the Khitans who had the upper hand, and when disputes occurred, the Song Dynasty mostly tolerated them. Now it's different, since the Khitan was defeated on the Hedong Road, the Song Dynasty officials on the Hebei Road have also changed their attitude towards the Khitan. The two losers around Xiongzhou were the result of the Song Dynasty's forbearance, and now their attitude is about to change.

North of the Juma River, not far from Daliu Village, Qin Xiaoniang said goodbye to Zhu Erlang and returned home happily. When the younger brother Huzi saw his sister coming back, he hurried up to meet him, pulled the corner of his clothes, and asked questions.

Entering the courtyard, Qin Xiaoniang put down the goods she bought, and said loudly: "Mother, I'm back!" ”

There was a sound of promise coming from inside, but it just sounded, a little hoarse.

When the little lady Qin entered the room, she saw her mother crying against the wall. The father crouched to the side, his face gloomy.

stepped forward to support her mother, and Qin Xiaoniang said, "Mother, why are you crying?" This year, the millet in the fields is growing well, and we will certainly be able to harvest more grain. If you can sell it for more money, you can buy a calf. ”

Mother shook her head and just wiped her tears. The father on the side said: "Just now, Li Zheng said that Zhuozhou is repairing the city. I had to go in three days, bring my own food, and do thirty days of work. In such weather, how can you survive repairing the city? I heard people say that a lot of people have died in the city of Zhuozhou these days, but I am afraid that this time there will be more luck and less luck. ”

Hearing this, Little Lady Qin couldn't help but be stunned. Their family is also considered a two-loser, but in the north of Juma Hebei, under the management of the Khitan, the errand is divided on the Khitan side, which actually has nothing to do with the Song Dynasty. The Khitan was heavier than the Song Dynasty, but now in this weather, it is too much to send people to repair the city.

Sitting down on the side, Qin Xiaoniang thought for a while and said, "Daddy, you are the only man in the family, can you talk to Li Zheng, is it bad to change someone?" We are single-dred, where can we serve so much? ”

The father sighed and said, "Think I didn't say it?" Li Zheng said, this time is unusual, all men must serve, no matter how you say it. If you don't go, the government will come to arrest people. Alas, I'm afraid I can't escape this level. ”

Qin Xiaoniang said: "Do you want to go to more than a dozen families in our village?" ”

Hearing this, my father looked around and whispered, "If it is arranged by the government, naturally I will go." However, last night, Mo Laosi's family suddenly disappeared today. I heard that all the valuable things in his house were gone, but the people were gone. ”

Qin Xiaoniang was stunned: "How can you move away in one night?" ”

The father said: "This kind of thing must have been prepared in advance and cleaned up." A family trip in the middle of the night, who knows? ”

Qin Xiaoniang couldn't hear it clearly: "Why do you travel in the middle of the night?" Where can they go? ”

"Idiot!" Father slapped his thigh. "With such a heavy service this year, many people have died in Zhuozhou, who is willing to serve? Mo Laosi's family has relatives on the south bank of the river, and I heard that they fled to the other side of the river! ”

Little Lady Qin nodded, and then suddenly realized. Here in Zhuozhou, close to the Juma River, the Khitan is called Guiyi County, which is actually the Guixin County of Xiongzhou in the Song Dynasty. There are two losers who pay rent to the Khitan in the south of the Juma River, and on the north bank of the river, there are naturally two losers who are under the control of the Song Dynasty. It's just that Taizong exempted the people of Xiongzhou from taxes, and the servants returned to the Khitan, and after a long time, it gradually had nothing to do with the Song Dynasty.

In the past, when the Khitan was heavily served, some people from the north fled to Henan, and most of them in the Song Dynasty would take refuge. However, in the past ten years, the Khitan has also deliberately reduced the burden of the households under its rule, and no one has fled to the Song Dynasty for many years. Defeated at the beginning of this year on Hedong Road, the Khitan began to renovate the border city on a large scale, and suddenly increased the errand service of the households under its rule, and the people fled again.

Looking at her father's appearance, her face was full of sorrow and a little yearning, and for a while, Little Lady Qin didn't know what to say. After a while, he tried to ask: "Daddy, you are the only man in our family, if there is an accident in Zhuozhou this time, the family will not be able to live." ”

The father nodded: "Yes, that's what makes people worry." If there is another man, he will always be able to hold on. ”

Qin Xiaoniang said: "Daddy, why don't we also flee to the other side of the river?" ”

The mother, who was still wiping her tears, was startled: "What do you say! If you are caught, you will be guilty of killing your head! ”

The father said, "What's your name?" My own people in the family, just talk about what's wrong? In this conscription, I heard that Zhuozhou was there to use people to death. After a day, I don't know how many people die every day! ”

Hearing this, the mother cried again: "If you go to Zhuozhou, there is an accident, how will our family live——"

Little Lady Qin looked at her younger brother who was playing outside, and said, "Daddy, if this battle of Zhuozhou is so dangerous, we must really think of a way." My younger brother is only 11 years old, and he can't do any work, so how can he do it without a boy in the family? ”

The father nodded, but didn't speak.

Qin Xiaoniang said: "Otherwise, let's ask again." If the people who fled to the other side of the river can be taken in by the Song Dynasty, we-"

Father nodded: "If it is really a life of nine deaths to Zhuozhou, it is also a way to escape to the other side of the river." It's just that in our neighborhood, it has only started to serve in the last two or three days, and there are really not many people who are as decisive as Mo Laosi. Or wait and hear the news. Besides, how can we get by if we flee to the other side of the river and have no relatives? ”

Little Lady Qin thought about it and said categorically: "Daddy doesn't have to worry. In the past two years, I often go to the grass market to buy goods, and I don't hide it, and I also know a few people from the south bank. If you escape the river, there is always a way to live. ”