The willow branches hang low, the breeze caresses, the river flows slowly, everything is quiet and serene. The light drizzle fell lightly on the surface of the river, splashing up bursts of smoke, hazy and beautiful.

A wooden boat came from the rain and fog, and the old oars creaked like heaven here. Standing in the head was a man with a large hat on his head, a robe on his body, and a calm face on the water.

This person had an indifferent look on his face, but there was a trace of sadness in his eyes, and he said lightly: "The spring breeze leans on the city, and the spring of the water country is cold and cloudy." The drizzle wet clothes are invisible, and the gossip is silent. The shadow of the lonely sail on the sun slopes the river, and the grass is green and the lake is thousands of miles away. If the host meets and asks, the green robe has now been mistaken for Confucianism. ”

"Good poem, really good poem, worthy of an adult, this poem is really at the right time!" A sturdy kanji walked up with a smile on his face and a sincere face.

"You! On weekdays, let you read a little more books, and always prevaricate with various reasons. This is an old poem, this is a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Changqing. Zhou Jiamo glanced at the man and said with a smile.

The man scratched his head, but he didn't have any shame, and said with a smile: "This Liu Changqing's poem is excellent, and the adult's poem is also excellent!" ”

Ignoring the man, Zhou Jiamo looked at the misty river with a little melancholy on his face, and muttered: "The boundless drizzle is as thin as sorrow!" ”

"What did you say, my lord?" The man didn't hear clearly, so he asked cautiously.

"Didn't say anything, how long will it be before we get there?" Zhou Jiamo waved his hand, they didn't understand what he was thinking, and Zhou Jiamo naturally wouldn't do useless work. After thinking about it, let's ask about your itinerary!

The man looked around, then called the guide and asked. After confirming it, he said respectfully: "Back to my lord, it won't take half a day for us to get to Yangzhou." I don't know if I sent someone to know the magistrate of Yangzhou? Or inform the official of the earthquake? ”

Shaking his head with a serious face, Zhou Jiamo advised: "Now that Yangzhou disaster relief matters are quite onerous, how can you bother in many ways because of the arrival of old decay? We can't find our way without anyone to greet us? Let's go into town ourselves! ”

See what Zhou Jiamo said resolutely. The man didn't say anything, replied respectfully, and went to the back to operate the boat with the people.

Half a day later, Zhou Jiamo and his entourage boarded the Yangzhou wharf, and saw the boats coming and going on the Yangzhou wharf, Zhou Jiamo nodded with a smile. It seems that this official should do a good job of disaster relief. Many of those ships were ships carrying grain, and the rest were salt ships or merchant ships.

The group walked and stopped, slowly walking towards Yangzhou City, and the more they walked, the more smiles on Zhou Jiamo's face. There were no beggars on either side of the street, but a few soup kitchens were seen in the distance. casually walked to a small tea stall and sat down, Zhou Jiamo smiled and said to the people around him: "Sit down and rest." Drink some tea! ”

"Yes, sir!" A few men replied respectfully, and someone went to clean the table and beckoned the shopkeeper to serve tea.

Zhou Jiamo ignored this, walked to the side of an old man, and said with a smile: "This old man, can you let the old man share the table with you?" ”

"Look at what you say. How can the countrymen be so exquisite, at first glance you are a rich and noble person, as long as you don't dislike it, you can sit as you like! The old man was slightly stunned, but soon said with a smile, and stuffed a piece of pastry into his little grandson's mouth, and the old man continued: "I'm afraid you have something to ask, right?" ”

"How does my husband know?" These Zhou Jiamo were stunned, could this be a human spirit? Before he could speak, he had already guessed his intentions.

The old man picked up the big gray bowl in front of him and said with a smile: "The old man will not meet each other. The old man guessed. You look like a foreigner, and you don't look like an ordinary person. Sitting down at the old man's place, there must be something to say! ”

"The old man's eyes are like torches, but the old man has some things he wants to ask the old man!" Zhou Jiamo nodded, this is also human nature. I didn't bother with it anymore, and said with a smile.

"Look at what you say, what do you say!" The old man seemed to be very talkative, and said with a smile.

Looking around, Zhou Jiamo said in a deep voice: "Uncle, I heard that Yangzhou has been affected, and I have seen a lot of collapsed houses along the way. But I didn't see many refugees on the road, so where did all these refugees go? ”

"That's when you came, half a month ago, there were people everywhere here, and some of them sold their sons and daughters. Don't talk about that miserable thing, it's sad to think about. The old man sighed deeply, his tone full of helplessness.

A hint of anger flashed in Zhou Jiamo's eyes, but he still smiled and said to the old man: "Uncle, then the government doesn't care?" I heard that Zhang Qian, the prefect of Yangzhou, is a good official! ”

"If you want to talk about this adult! is indeed a good official, but Master Zhang is too small to be useful! When Yangzhou had just been earthquaked, Mr. Zhang organized people to relieve the disaster, raised food everywhere, and opened porridge sheds. It can be said that although you can't eat, you can't starve to death, and you don't have to sell your children and daughters. There were injured people, and Lord Zhang said that the whole city of Langzhong was concentrated in the east of the city, and they didn't need money to give medical treatment and medicine to the people. Who doesn't talk about the good of Lord Zhang in his life, that's really a good official! The old man's face carried a trace of emotion, and there was a hint of resentment.

Hearing Zhang Qian's actions, Zhou Jiamo nodded slowly, but thinking of the twists and turns, Zhou Jiamo looked at his mouth and asked, "Uncle, what happened then?" Why did you make it easy to eat? ”

Later, a "qunjian" merchant came to Yangzhou and sent people to the porridge shed to make trouble, selling high-priced grain, and causing misery to the common people. However, Master Zhang moved faster, and quickly arrested these people and detained all their food. At that time, those people were not convinced, but Lord Zhang said that no matter whose food it was, it would be left for disaster relief now. Sighing with embarrassment, the old man shook his head and sighed: "If you want to talk about this adult, then this is a good official." ”

Seeing that the old man still had something to say, Zhou Jiamo took a big teapot, poured a bowl of tea for the old man, and motioned for him to continue.

Later, I don't know who came forward, and all the profiteers were released, the grain was also taken away, and Master Zhang was also dismissed. Things can be imagined, Lang Zhong is gone, the porridge shed can no longer be opened, and the people have no choice but to eat. The old man sighed, a touch of sadness flashed on his face, and said, "In the eyes of these people, human life is really as cheap as a dog. ”

Syllable! Zhou Jiamo slapped the table vigorously and said loudly: "The moths of the country, a group of rats!" ”

"You are always a scholar, the old man can't understand what you say, many people said at the beginning, when you can't afford to live, then attack Yangzhou City, grab the food and run!" The old man didn't seem to treat Zhou Jiamo as an outsider, and said with a smile.

Zhou Jiamo wiped his cold sweat, fortunately there was no White Lotus Sect involved, otherwise he would definitely rebel. After thinking about it, Zhou Jiamo said again: "I heard that the imperial court sent a minister of disaster relief? ”

"Yes! Oh, yes! Hearing the Minister of Disaster Relief, the old man came to his senses again, and said with a smile: "This official is amazing, it is said that he is a big official in the capital, and that is a big official next to the emperor, it seems to be some kind of university scholar, anyway, he is a big official." This official is also a good official, on the first day he arrived in Yangzhou, the porridge shed was reopened, and Langzhong also returned. The soldiers in Yangzhou also came out, built shacks for the places where the victims gathered, and let people bathe and throw away the dirt. Those profiteers who sell grain and buy children have also been arrested, good officials! ”

Slowly nodded and nodded, this Zhou Jiamo had long expected this, Guan Yingzhen has always flaunted himself as Zhang Juzheng, and it must be no problem to deal with such a thing. As if remembering another thing, Zhou Jiamo said in a deep voice: "Uncle, where are all these people now?" ”

"It's home, it's all home! Each household in the imperial court was given 20 days' rations, saying that the rest of the grain was being distributed at home. I'm almost the last to go, old man, and I'm all home! With a smile on his face, the old man glanced at a cloth bag beside him, which was obviously his ration.

"Then you're not afraid that the government won't give you food at that time?" Zhou Jiamo was slightly stunned, he didn't expect to be able to deal with it like this.

The old man was suddenly a little annoyed, glared at Zhou Jiamo, and said, "You don't like what you say, the prefect and the lord of the Qincha came together at that time, and they finished talking to us." Let's go back to that and that, what is it called rebuilding homes, that is, to go back and build houses and level the land. said that there are still many good officials in the world, and the emperor already knows what is going on here, and no one dares to do something sorry. Lord Kipchak also said that when the time comes, he will go to various places to distribute grain, and who dares not to distribute grain to the common people, in the words of that official, this is called the emperor's grace! ”

Looking at the old man's smug appearance, Zhou Jiamo couldn't help laughing, and echoed on the side: "Yes! The Emperor's grace is immense! Looking at the sky, Zhou Jiamo said again: "It's almost time to rest, it's time to go on the road!" ”

"Yes! The old man is also gone, and he will go back to level the ground! The government said to give seeds, and there will be a good harvest in the coming year! As he spoke, he took his grandson, carrying the cloth bag containing the rations, and a wooden stick, and staggered away.

Looking at the back of the old man, Zhou Jiamo's face was extremely serious, and he muttered: "The emperor's grace is vast, the Ming Dynasty has produced a prosperous emperor, but you are here to discredit the emperor." Is this world really your own world? Turning around and glancing at his entourage, Zhou Jiamo said in a deep voice: "Go, enter the city!" ”

Zhou Jiamo entered Yangzhou City, fifty miles north of Nanjing, and a group of people dressed as merchants were sitting on a high post. The leader poured a sip of wine into the sheepskin bag in his hand and gently touched the knife at his waist. The moment he looked up, he could see a resolute and angular face, it was Luo Sigong, the commander of the Jinyi Guard! (To be continued......)