In the first three years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, that is, in 192 AD, the world had been in chaos for eight years. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info started from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the first year of Zhongping and 184 AD, to the heroic crusade against Dong Zhuo in the first year of Chuping, and then to the current princes' division and melee, which was originally the most prosperous Central Plains and Hebei region, has been a bleak place.

Hundreds of miles of uninhabited, embarrassed walking in the ruins, white bones exposed in the wilderness, everywhere is the sound of crying, wailing, selling children and daughters, this has become the most common scene in Hebei, Qing, You, and, Si, Yan, Henan. The main battlefield of the Yellow Turban is here, the heroes who crusade against Dong Zhuo are also here, and the most powerful melee is also here. The long-term war has displaced people and forced them to leave their homes and move to more secure places.

Most of this migration went south. Because the place north of the Great Wall is too cold, and there are Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wuheng and other grassland peoples, it is really not suitable to open up a new homeland. In the south, although it is called a miasma land, the actual situation is much better.

No matter how far away it is, the areas of Huai, Yang, and Jingbei have become a survival circle that can be compared with the Central Plains. In the midst of Huai, Yang, and Jingbei, Xuzhou, which is located in the west of Henan and Yan, south of Qingzhou, east of the sea, and south of Yangzhou was the first choice of the migratory people at that time.

First, the terrain here is flat, the land is fertile, the climate is distinct, and the transportation is also very convenient, which is suitable for the northern displaced people; Second, it is not too south, and it is still relatively close to their hometown, which naturally makes the hearts of these displaced people settle down a little.

After all, the Han Dynasty has not experienced **** in the past two hundred years, and the common people generally underestimate the duration of ****. In their opinion, although the current chaos is chaotic, it will soon be like Wang Mang's disaster, and it will be restored to stability in a few years. So they don't want to be too far away from their hometown, and they always want to return in their lifetime. Chinese people always find it difficult to give up their homeland.

The old system of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Western Han Dynasty was based on counties, counties (countries), and prefectures, and was divided by prefectures. The county is the smallest administrative unit, and its chief is called the chief of the large county, and the small county is called the order, and they are all under the orders of the county and the minister of the country. The county is set up as a guard, and the state is set up as the minister of state, who is in charge of the administration, finance, taxation, and public security of a county (country), all of which are official positions with a rank of 2,000 stones. The prefecture has a state assassin history and exercises the right to supervise local officials, and its rank is 600 stones, which is much lower than that of Taishou. However, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, in order to strengthen the control of the locality, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty followed the advice of Liu Yan, Taichang, and upgraded the state assassin to the state pastor, exercising the military and political power of a state, and his rank was also 2,000 stones. At that time, there were three people who were named state pastors, Yizhou Mu Liu Yan, Youzhou Mu Liu Yu, and Yuzhou Mu Huang Wan.

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the struggle between the general He Jin and the eunuchs intensified. Although He Jin is a relative, he is probably regarded as a representative of the scholar's side. When most of the generals who quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion were also on the side of the scholars and had military power, the defeat of the eunuchs in this struggle was already a decisive matter.

However, due to He Jin's short-sightedness, he recruited foreign soldiers into Beijing, which not only killed himself, but also caused Dong Zhuo to enter Luoyang, so that there was finally a matter of local princes crusading against the central government. Since then, the authority of the central government has become weaker, and gradually some people have stopped taking it seriously. There are those who claim to be too guarded, and there are also those who claim to be assassins and state pastors. Anyway, if you have the right to soldier, you can occupy the territory first, exercise your powers, and seek the final appointment in the center of the above table, which can be described as "getting on the bus first and making up the ticket later".

However, Tao Qian, the actual ruler of Xuzhou at that time, was not like this, "get on the bus first and then make up the ticket". Tao Qian was appointed by the imperial court as the assassin of Xuzhou during the Yellow Turban Uprising in the first year of Zhongping, and exterminated the Yellow Turban Army in Xuzhou. Later, in the battle against Dong Zhuo, although Tao Qian did not show much performance, he was also one of the princes of the Eighteen Towns. Later, Dong Zhuo died, Li Dao and Guo Yan occupied Chang'an, and Tao Qian reconciled with him and accepted the appointment of the Chang'an court as the state minister. That's exactly what happened this summer.

Tao Qian is still a figure who is both civil and military. Of course, he can't compare to an all-rounder like Cao Cao in terms of martial arts, but he can still do it to defend one side and keep the people of Yizhou safe in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. As the assassin of Xuzhou who was sealed by Emperor Ling, the first thing he did when he arrived was to clear the Yellow Turban Army in Xuzhou. At that time, he was only a thorn, but he was a thorn with an army. In fact, the right is similar to the later state pastor, but the difference in reputation.

Although Xuzhou is also one of the states most affected by the Yellow Turban, because of the efforts of Tao Qian and Sun Jian, it was quickly peaceful.

At that time, Sun Jian was appointed as Xia Picheng, who was a 600-stone official. Later, because of the benefits given to the eunuchs, he had more military merits and was appointed as the Taishou of Changsha.

Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Xuzhou has been living a relatively nourishing life. Tao Qian's administrative means were much higher than his military strategy. He is indeed a person with a heart for the people, so Xuzhou under his rule has not been affected by the impact of the northbound migrants and has become more prosperous, but has become richer because of the increase in population. When Hebei, Qing, You, And, Si, Yan, Henan and even Guanzhong were all in war, Xuzhou was famous all over the world for its "rich households over one million".

Xiaqiu County is one of the eight counties under the Xuzhou Zhizhi Office, which is bordered by the Sui River in the north and Yuzhou in the west, which is the key point of the north-south junction. Because of the irrigation of the Sui River, the land around the summer hill is quite fertile. For displaced people from the north, it is not too difficult to establish a new home on the banks of a river.

At that time, there were tens of thousands of people who stayed in Xiaqiu County to make a living. They cut down timber from the woods along the river, built embankments along the river with mud, and built small huts that could barely withstand the cold. Although this wooden house is not luxurious, it is a dream for those who have left their homes. This winter, when the snow has fallen early, they will spend it in this wooden house.

Due to the large increase in the population of the county, the business of taverns and restaurants in the city is much better than in previous years, especially those who operate on a small budget and make some steamed bread snacks. Although most of the people who fled from the north were poor, they still had some money left over after settling down here and selling some things. Of course, they will treat their bellies after a long journey. Anyway, the things in those snack bars are not expensive. Are they all people, and a bowl of hot soup and noodles will just charge a few pennies.

As long as they can protect their capital, most of the owners of those small shops are not willing to make more money. After all, when the Yellow Turbans were in turmoil a few years ago, they also suffered from the turmoil. Under the heart, they still sympathize with those homeless. In a small place, most people's hearts are still simple and kind.

Because it is not the seat of the county, the city of Xiaqiu is only of average size. The city wall is three zhang high and three miles long, and the city is surrounded by a square. A north-south avenue intersects with an east-west county office in the middle of the city, dividing the whole city into four equal parts. After that, the streets parallel to the avenue were cut straight through the castle, and the layout of the castle was transformed into a chessboard-like neatness.

This is exactly the most standard urban layout in ancient China. Originally, according to the imperial court's division of the four people's ranks, the shops in the city could only be opened in the specially planned city in the city. However, due to the needs of long-term urban development, most places outside the national capital no longer pay attention to such regulations. Although the city in the city is still the place with the highest concentration of shops, outside the city, where the intersection of the two official roads meets, it has gradually become the place where the shops are opened.

In the northern section of the North and South Streets of Xiaqiu City, there is also a street that intersects with the avenue near the city gate. Because of its proximity to the city gate, there are many people passing by here every day, so the Surabaya House, a tavern that opens in this place, has become a lively place.

It is a small three-story farm. It is divided into three entrances, the latter entering the natural owner's house, and the middle entering has 20 wings on the opposite side, which are used as guest rooms, and the advance is a place for business and eating.

Surabaya House opened six years ago and the owner is a woman. She appears to be a widow with a young daughter and several handmaidens who cook well. With the help of the maid and the money left by my husband's family or my mother's family, I bought a piece of land here and built such a house in Surabaya. Her husband's family seems to be surnamed Li, and the neighbors are familiar with her, and most of them call her Mrs. Li. She is a woman with quite a temperament.

Surabaya is definitely the number one restaurant in Xiaqiu City. Its three-story and four-zhang specifications are also unique in Xiaqiu City. The first level of the restaurant is to the public, and most of the business is some snacks and buns; The second floor of the restaurant is aimed at some local residents or merchants from other places with slightly higher grades, with drinks and dishes; The third floor of the restaurant is where the Accord box is located, and the drinks and dishes are several times the price below, and the entertainers are some extremely wealthy businessmen and officials who come from the bottom and so on.

Mrs. Li is not a hands-off shopkeeper. For the Surabaya house she built, she poured a lot of effort into it. For the life of dozens of people up and down in Surabaya, she is constantly busy inside and out. Finally, with his own efforts, the reputation of this Surabaya residence was fought in this Xiaqiu City. This may not be a merit for a man, but it is very rare for a weak woman who has fallen from Luoyang. At that time, because the Han Dynasty was influenced by Confucianism, most of them looked down on women. This has not changed in this small place in the countryside.

There is a gain and a loss. While Mrs. Li, as a mother, worked hard for her career, she naturally couldn't be careful in disciplining her daughter. This little girl named Li Zhong didn't know when she met a few wild boys around her, and she followed them indiscriminately and went crazy. In addition to digging birds' nests in trees and taking off her clothes and swimming in the river, she couldn't do it because of her frailty, and she was also proficient in other things that boys liked, such as sticks and slingshots. Because no one was going to restrain her, she even went with the boys to play in the mud in the fields outside the city. Every time, it gets dirty. As for her mother's reputation as a "money-earning lady" throughout the county, her name as a "crazy girl" is also known to the neighbors.

On a winter afternoon, the sun shines warmly on the earth, making people feel very comfortable and a little sleepy. On such a day, except for those who have to run around for the busyness of life, most of the others who have some free time want to have a good rest at such a time. After all, it's a treat.

However, such weather is always a time for children who have always had a lot of energy, and they can play wildly. Not very cold, not very hot, just a good time to go out.

Because of the familiarity with the bell, a few little ghosts who slipped out of the house behind the Surabaya House quietly sneaked into the backyard of the Surabaya House. One of the boys, who was a little older, pulled a snail from his bosom and played it himself. Although this little ghost is only ten years old, he looks very experienced when he blows this conch. He's certainly not just blowing it for fun. It was just a code, a code that he and the bell inside agreed to go out and play.

Waiting for oneself can be boring, especially for imps who are in a hurry to get out and play. The long wait was almost killing him. Under the boredom, he just blew the trumpet snail in his hand vigorously, blowing the sound louder and louder, not caring at all that such an action would really provoke the disgust of others.

Finally, the back door of Surabaya House squeaked open, revealing a thin slit. A beautiful seven or eight-year-old girl who was arguing to the sky slipped out cautiously through the crack in the door. I saw that she was dressed very neatly, with a small red cotton jacket on top, a pair of cyan cotton pants on the bottom, a pair of carp-shaped cotton boots on her feet, and a cotton hat with ear protection on her head. As soon as she walked into the middle of the group of children, she slightly frowned the thin willow eyebrows on her face, widened her eyes, gently flipped the two small red diamond mouths, and asked in a low and sharp voice: "Stinky De'er, you are called a ghost." Blow the trumpet, don't blow it so quickly, so loudly. It made my aunt's inn restless. ”

"Hey, hey!" De'er, the eldest of the children, was just smiling there. Although he is not afraid of heaven and earth, but in front of the bell in front of him, who only has the demeanor of an eldest sister, he only fell into a Wei Wei. He likes Bell very much, so he is quite obedient to everything Bell Er says. Therefore, at this moment, he can only be stupid about his dissatisfaction with Zhong'er. He didn't have any embarrassment about it, and he seemed to be used to it.

Seeing De'er pretending to be stupid, Zhong'er rolled her eyes, pursed her lips disapprerovingly, ignored him, and asked another child next to De'er: "Da Niu, where do you say we should play today?" ”

Of course, the big bull with a big brain can't answer this question, and he is a little straightforward by nature, and he usually looks forward to De'er as the head. In today's event, he was also called over by De'er mysteriously, saying that there was a good thing to be able to make a fortune. As for that good thing, what exactly Del had not yet told him. So at this moment, when he heard Zhong'er ask himself, he just shook it stupidly, and said bluntly: "It was Boss De who called us over." ”

Boss De also refers to De'er. Because he is the oldest in this group of children, and he is also the strongest in fighting, so the imps regard him as the head, and naturally call him the "boss" and nothing else.

Of course, the people who call "Boss De" here should exclude the bell. She directly calls De'er by her nickname, and De'er herself is willing to call herself by such a direct name. This guy is a little ghost, I don't know where to know: "Such a title is actually a sign of closeness." De'er naturally likes Zhong'er very much, and is close to him.

"Oh? De'er ......!? Zhong'er stretched out her voice, and her eyes were directed at De'er: "Quickly explain the matter to me." ”

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Faced with the threat of Zhong'er's willow eyebrows, De'er hurriedly waved his hand: "We plan to go outside to pick up something later." This is something that only the brave can do! ”

"What do you mean?" Zhong'er hurriedly asked. For what De'er said, not only was Zhong'er curious, but even the "subordinates" around De'er also showed a look of attention.

"Have you heard of the dead people out there?" Seeing that everyone's attention was on him, De'er couldn't help but feel a little proud, and hurriedly said what he knew: "Those are all people from the north. While many of them may not have much oil or water, it is possible to find some good goods. I heard that the 'Peeling Week' on South Street also turned out silver bracelets in it. It weighs five cents. Enough to buy a lot of fun. The kid was desperately showing off in front of me. It's so bad that I don't have face. I'm not going to lose to him, and besides, if you are blessed and shared, and you may get something good, I will not pull you down. ”

"But there are dead people out there, alas......!" Hearing this, the bell was a little hesitant. Dead people are always terrible to them little imps. Although the temptation of silver made De'er and other poor families forget the horror of the dead for a while, Zhong'er, who was not short of money, couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive in her heart.

"What, you're scared?" De'er squinted at her. has been with Zhong'er for so many years, and De'er knows a little bit of Zhong'er's temper. He understood that she was the least willing to be looked down upon, and that she was easily provoked by the deliberate contempt of others.

Sure enough, as soon as De'er's words came out, Zhong'er's face changed a little. She turned red angrily, raised her voice slightly, and denied it sharply: "Who said I was scared, didn't I just find something in the dead." It's just a trivial matter, Miss Li, how can I be stumped by such a trivial matter. As she spoke, as if to prove that she was indeed so bold, she ignored the snickering boys and walked straight down the street north of the city. It is the place that leads to the north gate.

"Wait!" A group of boys rushed forward with a shout and caught up with the bell.

Two miles out of Xiaqiu City is the Sui River. Although the influx of displaced people from the north has occupied most of the open space between the riverside and the city gates, there is still a lot of land suitable for cultivation that is barren. The weeds that had grown naturally on it had completely withered with the seasons, and had been set on fire and burned to the ground. Because it's suitable for farming, no one will build a house on it. After so many more people, the big guys have to think about next year's life. The places that are still empty are being prepared for next year's reclamation.

Of course, these wastelands are not needed this winter, so they are temporarily used to park the corpses of displaced people. During this cold season, people die almost every day. Either they froze to death or they starved to death. Many of them are the so-called old and weak.

Although Mu Taoqian of Xuzhou had ordered local officials to vigorously support these southbound refugees, and also allocated a good amount of relief funds and food, these things seem to be huge, but when it comes to each person, they seem to be a little insignificant. In a place like Xiaqiu, free porridge can only be served for one person a day. Even the able-bodied young can only eat half a full, let alone the old and weak who are particularly in need of food.

The death of these people was inevitable.

Their bodies were abandoned in this clearing. Wait for a half-monthly burning, and then carry out the burial. After all, there are too many people who have died, and there is no family to deal with. It is impossible for the yamen to find good tombs for them one by one. Uniform incineration, followed by burial of the ashes, requires minimal effort and space. Dealing with such things is carried out by a group of honest people. Most of them were the earliest believers of Futu in the Han Dynasty, that is, Buddhists.

Today is November 21, and there is still some time left before the burning of bodies at the end of the month. The clearing was naturally littered with corpses. Among them, the corpses of the elderly, the young, and the women are the majority. Some of them have been sitting for days. Although it has not decomposed for a while because of the cold weather, there is a faint smell of corpses in the air here.

A man dies like a lamp goes out. Although Chinese have a habit of respecting the bodies of the dead, that is only in ordinary times. For those who came from the north, they didn't know if they would be able to get the next day, so they didn't pay much attention to such things. Gaining some advantage from these dead is another means for them to find the means they need to live.

Standing in the open space full of corpses, looking at the figures shuttling between the many corpses, everyone was shocked at once. As a young child, they read all the things that "the beginning of man is good," and they were convinced that the world was beautiful to them, but everything they had known was punctured like a beautiful bubble in the face of the cruelty in front of them. The children thought that the adults who were searching here were just like the occasional valuables, as they thought, but they didn't want the adults to want to take the flesh from the corpses while wielding blades that they had found out of nowhere.

The cold light slid over the corpse, and the red flesh left the white bones, and the looted man took him into his arms. Seeing that they had found another satisfactory piece of "goods", those guys who were already skinny suddenly burst into a sinister smile. It was like a black skeleton baring its teeth. It's horribly tight.

"Run...... away!" The little ghosts who had been shivering with their feet finally let out such a loud cry, and hurriedly staggered away in a panic. They dare not face such a cruel hellscape again.

The fastest runner at the moment is De'er, after all, he is the strongest here. In second place is Da Niu, who is also a person with extra strength. And the cute bell was gradually thrown away by them because of the girl's low strength, and pulled out the distance.

"Wait for me......!" The loud call of the bell is the one in front. Suddenly, he seemed to have tripped over something under his feet and fell down. watched De'er and the others run farther and farther.

"You ...... Don't run! Don't leave me behind! I'm afraid! Fear, sadness, and the feeling of abandonment suddenly came to her heart, and her eyes gradually became confused by tears. She began to cry and sat down on her ass where she had fallen.

At this time, an inexplicable voice suddenly remembered under her body, startling her who was still crying: "Little sister, if you want to cry, please move your position too?" Don't sit on my belly. ”

"Huh? Where does the sound come from ......? Bell was jumped and quickly stood up. Only then did she realize that it was a boy who had just tripped over her that was older than De'er.