Chapter 15: What I See (2)

Zeng Zhaoji said: "It's not because I've changed anything, it's just because the people I'm loyal to have changed." Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info"

"Haha," Yang Du suddenly laughed, "I was joking just now, junior brother doesn't have to take it seriously." He paused and continued: "China is in an era of great changes unseen in 3,000 years, and the persecution of foreigners from outside is getting worse day by day. The imperial court has long been unable to deal with such a situation, and in such a situation, the Black Dragon King and Lord Yuan should join forces to jointly support this fluctuating country. ”

"I don't really understand what you're saying, and I don't want to understand it." Zeng Zhaoji shook his head, "Because that's not something I should take care of, I probably can't help my senior brother anymore." ”

Yang Du was dumbfounded, even if he could bloom lotus flowers, he would be helpless when he met someone like Zeng Zhaoji. So he had to change his words, "Then junior brother, can you tell me about the situation of the Black Dragon Society?" ”

"Didn't Senior Brother say that he had collected a lot of information? Why do you need to ask me? ”

"Those are all news that I don't know how many hands have changed, of course, they can't be compared to the accurate and detailed ones that the senior brother has seen and experienced with his own eyes." Yang Du said: "Please don't have any reservations, and tell me more about the news of the Black Dragon Society." ”

Zeng Zhaoji was silent again, and after a long while, he said slowly: "I won't hide what I can say, and I won't say what I can't say." Senior brother, you can just ask. ”

Then, the two began to talk one question and one answer. Zeng Zhaoji didn't want to say more, but as long as Yang Du asked, he still answered honestly, neither exaggerating nor concealing. It wasn't until the middle of the night, in the dead of night, that the two went back to their rooms to sleep.

On the second day, Zeng Zhaoji took Yang Du to visit inside and outside the city again. This time, Zeng Zhaoji was not so enthusiastic. He already understood that the positions of the two were different, so there was nothing to say. Handan City is a thousand-year-old city, the Spring and Autumn Period was the seat of the Zhao family of the Jin State, and later in the Warring States Period, it became the capital of the Zhao State. Such a thousand-year-old city has the kind of profound historical accumulation that all historical cities in this era have. And in addition to these historical deposits, the city also has a vitality that Yang Du has never seen.

There are a lot of people in the city, there are a lot of people in the streets, there are also a lot of people in the restaurants and teahouses, and there are also a lot of people in the shops. Why are there so many people in the city? Yang Du carefully looked at these passers-by and found that the complexions on their faces were not bad. Although not everyone was wearing new clothes, the high-spirited spirit was something he had never seen in Shandong.

In the eyes of these people, it was the struggle of their sons, fathers, and brothers that defeated the foreigners on the battlefield for the first time, and this victory was like adding fuel to the fire to arouse unprecedented popular morale. In the post-war propaganda, the Black Dragon Society also vigorously advocated that it was the soldiers at the front and the workers and peasants in the rear who fought together to achieve this great victory.

The soldiers who had been sent home returned to their villages with medals and large bounties, and they also went out of their way to brag about how brave they were in battle. These actions irritated everyone to themselves, and everyone talked about the victory as if they had won it themselves. Of course, in the end, they had to sigh, but it was a pity that the court did not dare to continue fighting, betrayed the victory won by everyone's bloodshed, and made peace with the foreign devils.

Yes, tell the foreigners that this black pot is buckled on the head of the Manchu court. Yang Du couldn't cry or laugh, it was obvious that your Black Dragon Society had made great concessions to the British, but you put this black cauldron on the head of the imperial court. At the same time, he is also a little vigilant, this reversal of black and white, referring to the ability of deer as a horse, although it cannot be on the table, but it does not look to be underestimated. At the very least, it can deceive people's minds, which must be guarded against.

There are many other things that interest Yang Du, such as the supply and marketing cooperative, as well as the chengguan who wears a red vest to clean the streets, and the patrol police on the streets, all of which show extraordinary vitality. While opening Yang Du's eyes, his vigilance became bigger and bigger. He knew what virtues the Beiyang Army had when it was in Shandong, although the military discipline was much better than that of other armies, but the places where the Beiyang Army was stationed were all in a situation where the people's livelihood was withering, where would there be such a scene as Handan?

"Perhaps, the Mandate of Heaven has really turned," Yang Du said in a low voice: "In five hundred years, there will be a king, will the king appear in Handan this time?" ”

"What did you say?" One of the soldiers who was sent out as a guide asked, "Are you hungry?" Why don't you go to the restaurant in front of you for some bread?"

Zeng Zhaoji's vacation was only four days, but after four days, there was no corresponding personnel to meet him, but a non-commissioned officer was sent to take him to continue wandering around the city and outside the city. In Yang Du's view, this probably also has the meaning of surveillance.

So, Yang Du, who was hung up, had to walk around Handan, and this time he went to the Yali of Handan County. Originally, he thought that the Black Dragon Society would act so domineeringly, and most of the county orders had already been driven away. But when he looked at the county office, yo, the county order and the officials were still there.

Just behind the lobby, a few people made a few pots of hot tea, and the Great Wall was in full swing in the room, which is commonly known as playing mahjong. There are three people playing mahjong, and they still play in the form of four-way dealing. Yang Du looked at it for a while and found that one of the whiter middle-aged men was playing with the cards of the two sides.

Yang Du was dumbfounded, he could be regarded as well-informed when he traveled south and north, but it was the first time he had seen such a strange way of playing mahjong. went in and talked to these three people for a while, and sure enough, the one holding the two cards was the county magistrate of Handan, and the other two were the county officials. As far as these people said, the Black Dragon Society was very polite to them, but they were deprived of all the rights to things like the management of the tax collection and streets. Most of the people who work in the yamen are here to be able to eat and get cards, and there is no such welfare as adenocarcinoma, and they take some pure money every day, which is not even enough to eat. So, by now, there are only three or two kittens left.

Yang Du asked, "Then why don't you leave?" ”

"Why are you leaving?" The county magistrate asked rhetorically: "Anyway, the imperial court is still giving us money, and the shares of the shops in the city can still share some money, and we can eat our stomachs without doing anything every day, is there anything better in the world?" ”

"However, you are a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, how can you give in to the thief so easily?"

"Thieves?" The county magistrate and the two officials glanced at each other a few times, and a look of fear suddenly appeared on their faces.