In the autumn of the seventeenth year of Kangxi, continuous lewd rain came to the world. Since the confession, God has been evil, and it is only raining, or dripping, or fluttering, either heavy clouds and dense fog, or Xiaoxiao cold rain, and there are no three days of sunshine. The newly built post roads in Zhili, Shandong, Shaanxi and Henan are like rain curtains stretching out into the distance like mud dragons. The muddy yellow water flows from the fields to the ditch that the farmers raised in the rain, and then into the pond ditch and into the big canal. Yongding, Fuyang, Haihe, Hutuo, and the canal all became thunderous for a while, roaring and shouting; Rolled with sediment, grass roots, leaves, straw, broken purlins, and all kinds of melons and fruits...... Rushing and reversing the terrible whirlpool, the white foam like soy milk rolled eastward.

The most chilling is the Yellow River. On the endless river, the bleak wind swept the white rain back and forth, stirred it into a cloud of mist, and threw it fiercely into the turbid current of the raging waves, sending out a thunderous river roar. Qingjiang County, Jiangnan Province is located at the junction of the three rivers of Huang, Huai and Yun, since the autumn of Jiao, the upper reaches of the Huaishui Gaoliang Stream, the plate workers and other 26 places, the Gaojiayan stone embankment breaks seven places, the Yellow Water and the Huai Water rush through the Qianjiagang, pour into the mudflat, the Qingshui Lake of Qingjiang County is filled with water high and five, climb the city and look at it, the Ming Ming is misty, the Yellow Wave is endless.

Qingjiang City is a newly built town, because it is located in the traffic point, the imperial court set up a grain road, a salt road, and the submarine ships often put cables here to sharpen, and gradually became a market town. In fact, there are only more than 10,000 people on weekdays, but at this time, they are surrounded by water on all sides, and the victims crowded into the city to avoid the flood, and it suddenly increased to more than 100,000 people. All the pavilions and shops in the city, and the eaves of the sheds and nunnery were full of people with yellow faces and thin muscles, and there were wet luggage everywhere in the streets and two rows, and all the shops selling food in the city were closed, and a dough cake that only cost one eldest son on weekdays could only be bought for one or two silver.

Qingjiang County Commander Yu Jackie Chan, because of the rebellion case in the territory, has been dismissed and resigned, the new county order has not yet come, and even the seal collector is trapped in the city. In this situation, Yu Chengchan refused to hand over the seal, and the seal collector was afraid of taking responsibility, so he was happy to listen to him, and hid in the big grain depot inside the east gate to enjoy leisure. Yu Chenglong was originally a native of Shandong, and his brother Yu Chenglong was a famous and honest courtier, and the official residence was the governor of Shandong. Yu Chenglong inherited his mother's training at a young age, and was dedicated to being a clean official, but he only gave a pair of cloth shoes to the governor of Liangjiang Ge Li as a gift, which made Ge Li very angry, so he looked for something to join him. Yu Jackie Chan is not interested, and it is reasonable to bump into this bad luck.

At this moment, the rain has stopped temporarily, and Yu Chenglong is holding his mother Yu Fang, who is over fifty years old, standing under the arrow tower at the south gate of Qingjiang City, looking at the Yellow River embankment exposed in the distance. The clothes of the two people seemed to be intolerant of the autumn cold, and their bodies were a little trembling. Forty or fifty guards of the city were covered in mud, staggering against the wall of the arrow tower.

"Jackie Chan," Yu Fang said after a while, "Look at this day, I'm afraid it won't be sunny for a while, right?" ”

Yu Chenglong shook his head, and there was no expression on his clear face. He took out the newspaper from his arms, handed it to his mother, and said, "Mother, this is the newspaper from the imperial court...... The old lady gently pushed it away and said: "Mother's eyes are out of order, and it has been on another layer of puff in the past few days, and it is getting worse and worse, you tell me about it." Yu Chenglong shook off the paper and looked at it, and said in a low voice: "Yes." One is the imperial court ordered the governor of Anhui Jin Fu to go to Beijing to report on his work; One content is to appease the general of the Senate Yuan, and serve as the governor of Fengtian; Another is the Zhengzhou Garden Mouth Breach - the upstream Zhengzhou has burst, and the water here can't rise, so don't worry, Mother! ”

"I'm all the rage, I'm dead, what's there to be afraid of?" A cool breeze came suddenly, Yu Fang's family was choked and coughed violently, Yu Chenglong was busy beating her back, but she pushed her hand away, panting and said: "The important thing is that there are more than 100,000 people gathered in the city, cold and hungry, how can you bear it?" You're the parent of this place, so you have to make up your mind quickly - I heard that more than twenty people starved to death yesterday! ”

This is exactly what Yu Jackie Chan is most difficult about! Guarding the stacks of wheat and rice in the granary, almost every household in the city was cut off, and he felt like a heart-wrenching pain. But the grain depot is not under his control, not to mention that Liang Shouyi, the seal collector, lives there, and the grain depot guard and the Taoist platform are all officials who are several levels older than him. It's a real mess. Yu Chenglong listened to his mother's words, pondered and said: "Mother, my son knows that it is distressing for the people to starve to death. I have already asked someone to ask Lord Liang, Guo Zhenbei and Han Chundaotai to check the disaster situation together, there will always be a way. So saying, he put his mother into the arrow tower and placed her, called the officials, and said, "Let's go to the library together." ”

just came out, but saw Liang Shouyi, Guo Zhen, and Han Chun with a few masters carrying robes and going up the steps to the city. Han Chun is a Taoist platform, with the highest position, and is also in charge of civil and military affairs, walking in front, seeing Jackie Chan standing on top, he hurriedly bowed his hand and said: "Brother Jackie Chan, hard work!" Oops, I haven't lost weight like this for a few days, and I'm missing something! ”

"Han Guan, Lord Liang, Lord Guo," Yu Cheng Chan saluted, and said while letting them into the Hall of the Arrow Tower, sitting on the stone bench, "The humble post sent his family to submit the book to the mansion in Lu this morning, and he must have read it?" ”

The three of them looked at each other after hearing this, and Han Chun said with a smile: "Daza has already read it." Mr. boxing, the heart of the people, the brother is already clear. However, it is unusual to open a position to help disasters...... Ahh Brothers can't help it! Liang Shouyi smiled when he heard this: "That's it." In the past few days, a few of us have been talking about our dude. Qingjiang City survived the flood safely this time, and the water finally did not enter the city, and it was all thanks to the old brother who led the people to protect day and night, which was a great achievement. Brother was sent by Ge Xiantai to pick up the seal, what about this seal, the brother will not take it off first, go back and tell Lord Xiantai, I'm afraid I have to re-enact! ”

Yu Chenglong listened, pondered the meaning of their words, and said coldly for a while: "I was born as a scholar of Xiao Ran, and I would like to be a scholar of Xiao Ran." Lord Liang did not take off the seal, the brother was still a city keeper at this time, the court prepared grain for the people, and several adults knew that more than 70 people had starved to death in the city in the past three days. In the event of a civil uprising, there will be no soldiers inside and no help from outside, who will take responsibility and how will the aftermath be dealt with? "We came here to visit Guixian, and that's what happened." Guo Zhen said uneasily, "The people in the city are already discussing gathering people to grab grain. Don't hide it, brother, three troublemakers have been killed at the door of the grain depot yesterday......" A contemptuous smile flashed at the corner of Yu Chengchan's mouth, and said: "Since it is a troublemaker, come one to kill one, come to two to kill a pair, how refreshing!" They made trouble in the library, it is your Excellency who should be in charge, what can the brother do? ”

Guo Zhen was born in martial arts, where could he hear the meaning of ridicule in Jackie Chan's words, and said with a dry laugh: "If ten thousand people coax, the brother is beyond the reach of the whip, not to mention that the soldiers guarding the library are all locals, and they don't want to start, who the hell has a way?" ”

"So we came here to borrow your county." Liang Shouyi couldn't help frowning when he heard Guo Zhen's rudeness, leaned over and said, "In the past few days, I have seen that although my brother has suffered something, he is still expected by everyone, and the people here are willing to listen to you." Brother, you come forward to tell me, and if you press it, it will definitely work. After the disaster day, won't Shangfeng come to help? - Is that the scene of ten days? ”

Yu Fang's family in the back room couldn't help it when he listened, he came out a few steps with a cane, and said loudly: "More than ten days, do you know what is going on with more than ten days of food shortage?" That's a thousand lives! She stood in the doorway, her white hair trembling.

"Who are you?" Everyone was discussing it, and they were all stunned when they heard someone outside the bureau speak. Liang Shouyi saw that it was a poor old woman, so he broke off and said, "This is where you speak?" You-" Han Chun recognized it as Yu Chengchan's mother, and hurriedly stopped Liang Shouyi and said, "This is Lord Yu's high hall." …… Old lady, you are an old man, so let's rest, aren't we discussing a solution? ”

Yu Fangshi snorted, did not retreat, pulled over the stools and sat down, pondered for a moment with a cane, and said eloquently: "Women should not be involved in political affairs, don't I understand when I have been studying since I was a child?" But now that I am asking for the people's lives, I can't say this rule - the puppet advocates chaos, and responds to every call, how many lessons are there in ancient times? The water outside the city can be blocked by earth, and the water inside the city can be overturned. Once the people are provoked, the old woman dares to ask who will bear it? As he spoke, he shook his head slightly, and the bamboo cane lightly touched the ground, although his eyes were dull, his face was like frost.

Several people were stunned, and the old lady's righteous words, calm demeanor, and everyone's demeanor stopped several officials at once.

"Well, what about the old lady?" After a long time, Han Chunfang came back to his senses and asked.

"My son's idea is right," Yu Fang said coldly, "In today's situation, there is no better way than to open a warehouse for disaster relief!" "There is food," Han Chun said with a sneer, "But it's neither mine nor Yu Chengchan's, it's the imperial grain of the imperial court, and I still owe a million stones this year and haven't had time to ship it to Zhili-" Yu Fang's interface smiled: "That's great, just use it to relieve the urgent need - Jackie Chan, you make an IOU, borrow one million catties of grain to help the victims, and pay it back as soon as the matter is over." ”

"Yes!"

"Slow!" Liang Shouyi waved his hand, walked in front of the Fang clan with a smile, bowed behind his back and said, "Old lady, one million catties is 10,000 stones, according to the five coins of stone rice, it is 5,000 taels of silver. ”

Yu Fangshi laughed when he heard this, and said, "It's a shame that your adult's name is 'Shouyi'!" Do you not hear what is right, and do not avoid it, though it is harmful? I can afford 5,000 taels of silver, and I don't believe that the people will not pay back in the future - please write with pen and ink! The officials stood inside and outside the arrow tower, and they were stunned. They have already run out of food at home, and they can't wait for this sound, so they are busy bringing out the four treasures of the study room where Jackie Chan usually reviews the documents.

"No way!" Han Chun's job was located, and he knew that the matter was very important, so he leaned back and said categorically, "This food is military salary, and the emperor has a special order to allocate it to Shi Lang's military training for military training." If you move a grain, everyone here is guilty! ”

"Rather than the remnants of the people, it is better to drag the tail in the mud! I don't believe that the lives of your officials are worth more than the lives of tens of thousands of people! ”

Guo Zhen saw that it was not a problem, and hurriedly said: "We are all emperor's courtiers. Old lady, this word of loyalty and filial piety, loyalty first, how can we disobey the mandate of heaven? Before he finished speaking, Yu Fangshi pushed back: "Mencius: The people are precious, the society is secondary, and the monarch is light—do you understand?" ”

Yu Chenglong has long wanted to borrow food, but he knows that the stakes are very important, and he will be guilty of a lot in the future, for fear of affecting his mother. Yu Chenglong couldn't help but feel ashamed, stood up and came to the bookcase, brushed and wrote a few lines, walked in front of Han Chun, bowed his body and held it with both hands, and said, "Please sign and approve." ”

Originally, in order to find Yu Jackie Chan to suppress the hungry people, he accidentally touched this hard nail here. Yu Fang's mouthful of a saint's quotation made the three of them look at each other, but they refute her. Han Chun was already impatient, and when he saw that Yu Chengchan seemed to be forcing him to sign, Tie Qing's face turned blue, and he said in an official tone: "Yu Jackie Chan, do you want to force this way - what if I don't sign?" ”

"I have been ordered to guard this county," Yu Chenglong arched his hand and said, "Now there are 100,000 victims inside, and there is a flood besieging the city outside. I have long borrowed the grain of the rich households in the city, and those who hoard and live in strange places are not benevolent to the rich, and the county has the responsibility to rule the country by law! Before they finished speaking, the three of them were already trembling with anger. Liang Shouyi "snapped" the case, and roared like a pig's liver with his face: "You are arrogant! I'll take your seal now! ”

"It's a little late, it's a little early!" Yu Chengchan looked up to the sky and laughed, "You should have taken off the seal a long time ago, and you are afraid that the flood will collapse the city and take responsibility; Since I haven't picked it, I should take full control of it to the end, and when I finish putting the grain, I will hand it over to you!" ”

Han Chun saw all the officials standing at the door, his heart was a little timid, and he regretted that he didn't even bring a few soldiers with him when he came out today, so he snorted and stood up and rubbed his hands and said: "Guo Zhen, Shouyi, it's not early, you can't grind your teeth with this two-five-eyed person, let's go!" As he spoke, the three of them stood up with gloomy faces.

"......Someone is coming," Yu Jackie Chan sat back in the center, tilted his face and commanded, "Seal the door!" ”

"Wow!"

Dozens of officials responded in unison, beat a thousand children on the spot, and closed the door with a "bang", and actually put on the style of the usual trial of the case in a figure-of-eight shape according to the geese row, standing on both sides of Jackie Chan.

"The wealthy Han Chun's family in this city has grain in stock," Yu Chenglong's thin face was expressionless, and he said unhurriedly, "In order to save the people of the city, this county asked for 10,000 stones of brown rice." Mr. Han Chun, please sign! ”

Han Chun was so angry that he felt that his heart was empty and had nothing to rely on, and when he looked back at the two of them, they were also staggering as if they were drunk in a dream...... After a little hesitation, all the officials shouted in unison: "Sign quickly, and take it!" Han Chun woke up in shock, shivered excitedly, and looked left and right at Yu Chengchan's servants, it seemed that as long as he hesitated again, he would be punished immediately, as a fourth-grade official of the imperial court, he was beaten to pieces out of thin air, and he really wanted to "leave a name for eternity". Stunned for a moment, Han Chun gritted his teeth and said with a cruel smile: "If the eldest husband can bend and stretch, I will sign it and see how you can escape the Holy Three-Foot King Law!" As he spoke, he picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the paper, and with a "snap", he pinched a snow wolf millilake pen in two.

"Well, good!" Yu Chenglong picked up the paper and blew the ink, "As long as you are willing to borrow food, this county doesn't care about your roaring court." After that, he handed the borrowed scroll to the official and said: "Take it and hire someone to bring the grain to the temple of Emperor Guan after the county ya, come back to me, and I will personally distribute it." ”

Guo Zhenyuan was a military attaché, and he wanted to use force, firstly, Yu Jackie Chan was a powerful man, and secondly, Yu Jackie Chan was an official of the imperial court after all, and he couldn't take advantage of it as soon as he started fighting, and when he saw Han Chun signing, he said: "Yu Jackie Chan, the words have also been signed, and the grain has been borrowed, you kid should let us walk, right?" ”

"I have to sit for a while longer," Yu Chenglong glanced at his mother with a smile, "Brother has to borrow food to rest assured, besides, if my brother commits such a big royal law, there will be a catastrophe in the near future, why don't you bear to go right away-officials, do you have any wine, get a bottle." Liang Shouyi smiled and said: "It's very interesting to have wine at this time, but it's hard to appreciate it after eating wine, the three of us will make a joint declaration tonight, and ask the Xiantai to turn the court to ask for credit for you!" ”

"Whatever you want!" Yu Fangshi said lightly, stood up and went into the back room.

That night, Yu Jackie Chan was busy all night and didn't close his eyes, and distributed the 10,000 stone brown rice transported to the Guandi Temple to the victims, and he was tired of waist cartilage crisp. Han Chun and the three of them went back to the warehouse to write a film, and the joint name was played by Jackie Chan. In less than ten days, the governor's palace arrived in Qingjiang, and ordered Yu Chenglong, the commander of the county to be detained, in Yamen, waiting to listen to the investigation, and the local gentry rushed to tell each other, and some people came forward to discuss the joint name of 10,000 people.

Governor Ge Li's excerpt was not urgent, so it was delivered to Beijing half a month later.

At that time, the feudal officials were all hired in Beijing to see the master, living in the well-informed dignitaries as a guest, as soon as the excerpt arrived, the master first opened and looked, according to Beijing's public opinion and the intention of the imperial court, the master decided whether to submit or not. Ge Li's master is called Chen Xijia, and his brother Tie Jia and teacher Wang Mingdao are all in the mansion of Suo Etu, the minister of the upper study. A few days ago, a few ordinary people bumped into Jingyang Zhong and knocked on the bell, for Jackie Chan to avenge his grievances, he was a little unsure after reading this excerpt, so he went to discuss with Tie Jia.

"Fourth brother," Xijia shook Ge Li's recital and said, "Ge Zhijun wants to participate in Jackie Chan, but now someone is knocking on Jackie Chan to protect Jackie Chan." Do you think you want to hand this fold in? ”

The five Chen brothers were arranged according to gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin. The three elder brothers have already developed their careers and are working as state and county officials outside. But the two of them were not selected, so Suo Etu accepted it and became a guest. Listening to his brother's words, Tie Jia snorted and smoked for a while on the coal, and said with a smile: "I think I can hand it in." I know that Yu Chengchan has always been arrogant, and he doesn't even want to see him. Now that the imperial court is smoking on all sides and asking for grain on all sides, he is a big official with sesame seeds, and he dares to move the grain warehouse, is that not impermanence? After some deliberation, Chen Xijia got the idea, sealed the fold into the concert box, sealed it, and waited for the request to return home before forwarding it. Seeing that it was already dusk and still didn't see Suo Etu come back, Chen Xijia couldn't help but wonder, so he called the housekeeper Cai Dai and asked, "Has the master come back today?" Cai Dai said with a smile: "The master didn't come back, he just asked someone to bring a letter to Mr. Wang, saying that he would go to various ministries to discuss matters, and maybe he would have to go into the big house!" Chen Xijia was speechless, thought silently for a while, and took a small sedan chair to the yamen of the household department with the box.

The sky is heavy and dark, and it is dark early, because of the food shortage in Beijing, the imperial court ordered a ban on alcohol, and the shops have long been on the door panels, and the street is dim, even the baked cakes, wontons, and tofu brains are not sold for snacks, only a few fresh fruit shops in the distance are sparsely lit with a few sheep's horn lamps, and the ghost fire is swaying in the wind, which is very desolate.

When he arrived at the door of the household department, the sky had already risen, Chen Xijiaha got out of the sedan chair, and Goshha in the household department was all acquaintances, greeted him, and said: "The fifth master came by coincidence, and he also ordered someone to go back to get the box!" Chen Xijia nodded with a smile, greeted him slightly, and was about to go in, when he heard a rush of footsteps in the distance, a woman begging for food was covered with dirt, scattered bigfoot pieces in a panic, and rushed into the door hole of the household yamen in a few steps, "plop" is to kneel, panting and saying: "Uncle, help me!" Someone chased after him...... They kill ...... "caress their chests and kowtows, and they murmur for a while." Everyone was stunned, but they heard more than a dozen people shouting and chasing after them in the distance, and no one could understand the Mongolian language they were all speaking. The doorman Liao Shengyu knew that something was wrong, and while asking Chen Xijia to take care of himself, he protected the woman behind him and asked someone to go in to report it. At this moment, more than a dozen Mongols who were chasing the woman, wearing crimson robes, wolf skin hats, and partial-sleeved boots, rushed to the door of the household office, carrying a bright knife, pointing at the female beggar and scolding in Mongolian, and wanted to rush over and arrest her.

"Where did you come from, do you have no king's law for such wilderness?" When Liao Shengyu saw it, it was a Junggar Mongolian who lived in a nearby post house. They went to Beijing to pay tribute, and more than 2,000 people came at once, and they made trouble every day, and today they actually made trouble at the door of the household department, and they couldn't help but say angrily: "This is the important place of the state, you should know the law!" Geldan called Khan without authorization, and the emperor may have to condemn him, how dare you do this! ”

A Mongolian man came over with a knife, his face was unmoving, he glared at Liao Shengyu fiercely, and said, "My name is Dorji!" That woman is a fugitive slave from the Khalkha Ministry! Khalkhatu Shetu Khan was the enemy of our Western Mongolia, took advantage of my attack on Mobei Mongolia, disturbed my rear, robbed me of cattle and sheep, cut off my grain and grass, and was annihilated by my Boshoketu Khan's heavenly soldiers. Today, our envoy found her in a restaurant and ordered me to arrest her, why do you want to shelter her? ”

"I don't care what kind of Ph.D. or sweat you have," Liao Shengyu said impatiently, "I only know that this is the Sikong Yamen of the Celestial Empire!" You are guilty of coming here! What's more, this woman accuses you of murder, and the cause is unknown—someone is coming! He waved his sleeve and shouted, "Don't let any of them go!" ”

Dolzige smirked and said, "The chief seems to want to arrest the murderer?" That Han Gouzi restaurant owner, let go of this fugitive slave, I killed him! I don't know what to do with it? ”

"Take it!" Liao Shengyu shouted. "Wow!" Goshha in the doorway had long been impatient to hear it, and when he heard this, he rushed out and wanted to arrest people.