There was a great drought in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and thousands of miles of hunger were killed. This is an act of God.

Some people don't want to give porridge and grain for disaster relief, but instead seek to get relief food and gain personal benefits from it, which is a disaster for man.

Natural and man-made disasters forced the toiling masses to rise up in revolt, and those who hoped for food for disaster relief suppressed the matter, while others tried to make trouble to poke it out.

No one is really for the sake of the people......

- Xu Yougui

The more you walk towards Jiangning Mansion, the more you can see the crowds of people gradually gathering nearby. They were not scattered, but were confined by the officers and soldiers in adobe-enclosed sheds, like livestock.

Most of the hungry people had no expression on their faces, and they mechanically lined up to receive porridge in the porridge tent. When you pass by, you can see the smoke curling from the cooking and the steam generated by the cauldron, but you can't smell the slightest aroma of rice.

Without rice, how can there be incense.

Xu Yougui took the porridge in his hand, no, the water in his hand. Look at the walking dead people around you. Growing up in the new era, he has never seen a Chinese person living like this. That can't be called human at all. The slender limbs were wrapped in black skin in the shape of a skeleton, and a dangling head looked like it was about to fall off at any moment. There are also different, that is, children who have not grown up, they support their round bellies, and their limbs are still thin. A round belly is caused by an enlarged liver and spleen caused by extreme lack of nutrients. It's a disease, but it can't be cured.

And not far from where they lived, across a wall, the stench was unbearable.

There are people who have died of hunger and disease. In the hot summer, no one cleaned up, piled up in one place to ferment, the natural smell is unpleasant, and bacteria are constant.

"Won't they resist?" Xu Yougui muttered to himself.

"They've rebelled." A voice like a silver bell sounded around him, but the owner of the voice suppressed his anger. "Look up and look over there."

Xu Yougui looked in the direction she was pointing. On the high mast, there is a bunch of "grapes" like human heads, as if they have been embalmed, revealing a sense of ashes, but the eyebrows and eyes are very clear.

Even from a distance, he recognized the faces of those people. It was the same group of people who were chased by the officers and soldiers before.

"Why do you always follow me?" Xu Yougui turned to look at the girl in the green dress in front of him, he couldn't figure out why he looked like a sweetheart.

"Hehe......" The girl circled around him, and suddenly came closer. said: "Because, you are an outsider!" And...... You were chosen by Yinyu......"

A faint fragrance lingered, Xu Yougui suddenly blushed, and retreated: "You, you just talk well, what are you doing...... Why are you so close? A girl's house, like ...... What does it look like! ”

"Hehe, what are you stammering? Shy? Seeing that he was embarrassed, the girl laughed, but distanced herself, then restrained her smile, and said, "You have seen what it is like now." Have you changed your mind? ”

"What do you want me to do? What can you do for me? ”

Since they were not let go, they simply set their bottom to see what the purpose of this group of people was, and they had to intervene in this matter.

"Figured it out? Then come with me first! This is not the place to talk. The girl walked forward as she spoke, but she seemed to remember something, turned her head and said, "By the way, my name is Ziyan, Yu Ziyan, don't always be you, your ...... It's ugly! What about you? ”

"Xu Yougui."

"Poof, good soil, haha!"

“…… Flying flowers in autumn, occasionally toad palace cinnamon. Where is the soil......" Xu Yougui muttered silently, very dismayed, but Yu Ziyan had already walked away, and he didn't seem to hear it.

Entering the city is a completely different scene, although it is not as lively as imagined, but it is also different from the tragic situation of purgatory on earth outside the city.

"Who are you? is so powerful that even the official government dares to fake it? Xu Yougui asked. The road guide they carried when they came over was forged by modern technology, which can be used to confuse the real with the fake. But this was in the Qing Dynasty, and it was by no means possible for ordinary forces to get a guide that the government could not discern.

"What forgery? It's so ugly...... Yu Ziyan opened it and pointed to him with the official seal, "Look carefully, this is a genuine official audit seal." ”

"It's true......" Xu Yougui frowned, he still thought about the problem simply.

Especially when he saw the restaurant he was about to enter, he regretted his decision more and more.

The plaque of "Quanfu Building" was hanging above, and Xu Yougui turned his head mechanically: "Are you sure we didn't make a mistake?" ”

Yu Ziyan couldn't see his stunned appearance, so he went up and pushed him into the door with a palm: "Don't be sluggish, Mr. is still waiting!" ”

Just thinking that he was about to fall when he entered the door, he was helped by someone at the right time and said politely: "Sir, be careful." Then he took a half step back, bowed slightly, looked down, and said in a respectful tone, "Does Mr. have a reservation?" ”

"We're looking for someone, may I ask Mr. Ye's box?" Yu Ziyan interjected behind him.

The shopkeeper still looked polite and replied, "Mr. Ye is in Xiaoyue Pavilion, please come with me." ”

Xu Yougui followed behind, and he didn't see the location of any hall in this Quanfu Building all the way, and it was a box with twists and turns. The soundproofing seems to be very tight, and you can't hear any movement in the box when you pass by outside. Looking at its construction pattern, it does not look like a style with buried copper pipes. In such a private place, I can guess why this Mr. Ye chose to talk about things here, it should be more than just because the lights are dark.

Jiu Ye really understands the needs of customers, and he doesn't blame others for doing a big business.

"Please." Xiao Er took the person and retreated.

Xu Yougui saw that there was only one person sitting on the desk by the window in the huge box, and he looked at it from a distance by the railing, and couldn't help but ask Yu Ziyan on his side: "You, Mr. Ye, don't go out with an entourage?" He has a big heart. ”

After waiting for a long time and no reply, I saw that the arrogant and eccentric Yu Ziyan had changed back into the shy and gentle little girl at the tea stall before. The well-behaved appearance, as if he was acting "don't talk to strangers", didn't say a word, and quietly walked over and stood aside.

Xu Yougui, who watched it, was stunned.

Women are terrible.

Hearing Xu Yougui speak, Ye Tianxiang turned his head, and Yu Ziyan whispered a few words next to him, as if telling the reason.

Ye Tianxiang nodded and beckoned Xu Yougui to take a seat with a smile. "This is Mr. Xu, please take a seat. Ziyan is not sensible, if there is anything offended along the way, he still looks at Haihan. ”

Seeing that people were so polite, Xu Yougui also took up the etiquette and held the Han courtesy. Although he didn't ask, just after greeting him twice, he knew that this person was a serious Han man.

"In Xia Ye Tianxiang, a businessman, there are some transactions in this Jiangning Mansion. As for not bringing an entourage...... It's just a light meal, and I don't want to be too ostentatious. Although this place is not as good as the official families in the capital, Jiangning also has three provincial yamen, and there are many nobles. It's just a businessman in the next one, and it's not good to be too ostentatious. ”

Mr. Ye was polite...... If you are really an ordinary businessman, you can't make something out of nothing. Give me such a person of unknown origin, and in a few hours, I will get this real official guide. ”

Ye Tianxiang raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, but he didn't speak. Just greeted Yu Ziyan to add tea and cloth dishes, looking at the posture, this is really coming to eat?

"If you can endure it, why can't I wait?" Xu Yougui thought like this, and the chopsticks under his hand were flying, and in the blink of an eye, he eliminated a plate of dried fried bamboo shoots.

Full of wine and food, get up and walk around, this product is pure-hearted.

"Mr. Xu, slow down."

“yes！” Xu Yougui, who had his back to the table, shouted in his heart, how is it, if you want to be patient with me, it is far behind. immediately changed the smug look on his face just now, and turned around seriously: "Is there anything else?" ”

"Mr. Xu, don't be in a hurry to leave, Tianxiang still has something to ask for. However, Mr. Xu's Qi cultivation kung fu is very good! ”

"Awards, generals." People praise themselves, but Xu Yougui is not embarrassed, and he pretends to arch his hands.

looked at Yu Ziyan next to him with disgust.

"Mr. Xu is Han."

"Yes."

"I wonder what Brother Xu thinks of the current imperial court's policy towards the Han people?"

Yo, this is called Brother Xu? That's too self-cooked, isn't it? Policy towards the Han Chinese? Why does this question sound resentful?

"I think ......" was interrupted as soon as he spoke. The emotional family didn't want him to answer at all.

"I believe that Brother Xu came all the way and saw the tragic situation of purgatory in the world outside Jiangning Mansion. The entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang, except for the current city, are full of hungry people who are as scrawny as firewood. The imperial court distributed disaster relief food twice, but you also saw that the rice porridge in the disaster relief tent boiled every day, but there was no smell of rice, and it was full of clear soup and little water. They have gone so far that there is no one to take care of them, no one to take care of them! The more Ye Tianxiang spoke, the more angry he became, his originally handsome and fair face was gradually distorted by anger, and his hands grabbed the edge of the table fiercely. This kind of appearance also scared Xu Yougui.

He finally knows where someone's face-changing stunt master is, and he is worthy of being a master and servant, and he is really in the same vein.

"What is the use of the court that whitewashes the peace so much and treats the people as nothing? ! Ahem! ……”

"Sir!"

"Don't get excited, don't get excited." Xu Yougui hurriedly handed a glass of water.

"In fact, the imperial court is also trying to find a way, but it has accumulated disadvantages for many years, and it is not so easy to change. Moreover, most of the saints did not know about this at this time. Xu Yougui just said it casually, but there was a sneer on the other side.

"Hmph, of course he doesn't know! At this time, he is either sending troops to exterminate the chaotic party, or he is concerned about his princes who have brought disaster to the country and the people, where do they have the leisure to care about the livelihood of the people in the south of the Yangtze River. You see what his good son is doing? Ye Tianxiang pointed to this room, "This Ninth Elder Brother probably wants to intervene in this struggle for food, so as to help the Eight Sages King clear some obstacles by the way." However, he was afraid that he would be busy in vain. ”

"What do you mean? Is it difficult for him to be a royal brother who can't deliver the news? ”

"Hehe, you underestimate this Jiangsu and Zhejiang officialdom too much."

"If I'm not mistaken, now Jiangning Weaving has the authority to perform secret folding."

"Oh? You know quite a bit. It seems that Ziyan's rare vision this time is good. Ye Tianxiang was also a little surprised, and glanced at Yu Ziyan, and the other party was also very confused.

"Did you say Cao Yin? He does have the right to do things, but he is not stupid, and he will not report news that is unfavorable to him. ”

"Could it be that he also participated in the private withholding of food and wages for disaster relief?" Xu Yougui was shocked that he had a good impression of this person before. The main reason is that his boss has had contact with Cao Yin, and his evaluation has always been that he is a capable minister who does practical things.

"What if Caoyun is involved......