There is a saying that you have no jokes.

This morning, Chongzhen mentioned a mouthful of displaced people when he met with Zheng Hongkui, but in the afternoon, a large number of displaced people appeared on the official road west of Xuzhou.

There were few displaced people in Xuzhou.

In fact, there are not many displaced people in the whole of Henan.

As the main battlefield of the battle between the peasant army and the Ming official army, Henan can be said to have been war-torn for a long time, and its population has plummeted to less than one-tenth of the original.

The rest of the population was also coerced by Li Jiyu, Liu Hongqi and other powerful people.

The number of Henan refugees who are still in exile is very rare.

Therefore, it is obvious that it will not be Henan refugees who appear on the official road to the west.

It was the exiles from Beizhi who came, because of the shaving order issued by Dolgon, many officials and gentry rebelled, and a large number of officials and gentry fled south.

By the evening, there were more than 1,000 displaced people gathered outside Xuzhou.

And there is still an endless stream of homeless people on the official road, and no one knows how many will there be in the end.

Xuzhou Zhizhou has long been on the verge of the enemy, because there is a large army stationed, especially Chongzhen is still stationed outside the city, so he does not dare to close the city gate, so he can only send additional officials to guard the city gate.

Several gates were quickly blocked.

"Sir, just let us in."

"Get out, get out of here, get out!"

"We just want to stutter, please."

"I don't have anything to eat, and the people in the city are starving to death, so let's go."

"Master, you can do it, okay, the little old man will kneel down and knock on you."

"Where did the old pig and dog come from, hurry up and get out of Lao Tzu, otherwise Lao Tzu will kill you!"

Years of frequent wars have already trained the officials of Xuzhou into iron-hearted, not to mention kowtowing a few heads, you just kowtow all the way from Beijing to Xuzhou, and you will not get the slightest mercy from them.

This is actually the norm in troubled times, and it is not wrong to do so.

But Chongzhen, as a traverser, can't see this kind of thing.

Because Chongzhen, like Zhu Yuanzhang, is easier to substitute for the people, rather than the elite class.

"Who do you want to kill?" Chongzhen's expression was cold, "You want to kill one for me to see?" ”

Chongzhen only wore a shabby cotton armor today, and he didn't wear a hat, and he only had a scarf wrapped around his head, although he was followed by a few eunuchs and a small team of Yiding, but no one recognized him.

Because Wang Chengen's eunuchs were also wearing shabby cloth clothes.

The emperor is dressed so worn, they eunuchs dare to wear silk brocade? Looking for death?

As for the team of Yiding, because they have seen it more often, the officials don't care too much.

At this time, the group of displaced people gathered outside the city gate had already seen Yiding, and they dispersed, and in these years, the common people were most afraid of soldiers, especially Yi soldiers.

The outcasts all looked at the group with fear.

However, the guards at the gate fell to their knees.

"The villain knocks on the saint!" The officials pouted their butts and said in a panic.

During this time, Chongzhen was in Xuzhou, and all the officials already knew him.

"Get out of the way." Chongzhen said, "Let the people into the city, they just want to beg for food." ”

Xuzhou is not as good as Nanjing or Beijing, there are a large number of houses outside the city, and even shops and markets, there is nothing outside Xuzhou, and there is no place for the homeless to beg for food.

Without food, the homeless people can only starve to death in the wilderness.

The emperor has already opened Chrysostom, what else do they have to say, they quickly get out of the way left and right, and even bow down to invite those homeless people in.

But the homeless people looked at each other and did not dare to enter.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came.

"Can't get in! Don't let them in, stop them quickly! ”

With this loud shout, an old man who was dusty rushed to the city gate.

"Hey, where did the old pig and dog come from?" Gao Qiqian was suddenly angry, rolled up his sleeves and was about to step forward to beat someone, long live the Lord said to let the people into the city, you still dare to stop it?

But the old man said to himself: "Just now I saw a few homeless people who died on the official road, and their symptoms look very much like they have a plague, if the old man's conjecture is true, letting them into the city will kill a city." ”

"What? Pestilence? Gao Qiqian had just taken a step forward, and when he heard the words, he quickly retracted.

Chongzhen also hurriedly grabbed a sweat towel to cover his mouth and nose, the plague is really not a joke.

Some plagues can be transmitted through droplets, and sweat towels can also provide some protection.

However, Chongzhen also wondered, wasn't the epidemic in Shandong, Henan and Hebei the fourteenth year of Chongzhen? Now that it has been the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, it is said that the epidemic should also pass.

"It looks like it." The old man said, "It's not yet decided. ”

As soon as the words fell, one of the homeless people in the crowd suddenly fell to the ground.

"There's a plague!" The surrounding homeless people shouted, and immediately ran away.

The old man didn't run, not only did he not run, but he unloaded the cage on his back, first took out a sweat towel to cover his mouth and nose like Chongzhen, and then approached to observe the homeless man who fell to the ground.

While inspecting, he said: "Vomiting and leaking, there are obvious symptoms of dehydration, it is really a plague!" ”

At this time, Chongzhen's attitude took a 180-degree turn, and he said to the group of officials: "Wait and listen, from now on, the city gate will be strictly guarded, and no one will be allowed to enter or exit without a pass token!" ”

"Yes!" The officials were a little confused, and they weren't allowed to enter the city?

"Dirty charcoal!" Chongzhen turned around and instructed the Yi generals behind him, "You immediately go back to the barracks and order three hundred Yiding, arrest all the displaced people near Xuzhou, and concentrate them in the abandoned barracks before." ”

"Yes!" Wu shook the charcoal in his hand, turned around and got on his horse and galloped away.

Only then did Chongzhen walk towards the old man and ask, "I don't know the old man's name." ”

The old man didn't answer, but asked, "Venerable also seems to know a lot about the plague?" ”

"What a respectful driver." Gao Qi said angrily, "This is the Holy Lord today, long live the Lord!" ”

"Ah, Holy One?" The old man was stunned for a moment and quickly fell to the ground, "The grass people don't know that the holy car is here, and it is a capital crime." ”

"Settle down, those who don't know are not guilty." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "I didn't ask my husband for your honorable name." ”

It was only after this incident just now that Chongzhen suddenly reacted, he only cared about guarding against Jiannu going south, but he forgot that there was another strong enemy, that is, the plague.

War and plague are twins.

But where there is war, there must be pestilence.

Therefore, while building the Huanghuai defense line, we must also take precautions to prevent plagues.

The old man in front of him looks like a Lang Zhong, and he seems to have a lot of research on the plague, so he will be tested first, and if he really has research on the plague, he will stay and be a military medical officer.

The old man hurriedly said: "The grass people Wu has sex, and he doesn't dare to be respected." ”

"Wu has sex?" Chongzhen was a little stunned, "Are you Wu Youke?" ”

This time it was Wu Youke's turn to be stunned and said, "Have you heard the name of the grass people? ”

"I've heard of it, but I've admired the name for a long time." Chongzhen was pleasantly surprised, "You're a plague expert. ”

"Plague experts?" Wu Youke was a little dazed when he heard this, what is an expert? Specialized in the home doctor? This is a mistake for the old man, who likes to travel the most.

Chongzhen explained: "It specifically refers to a famous doctor who has studied the plague very well. ”

"Don't dare, don't dare, don't dare to do this." Wu Youke hurriedly said, "What kind of famous doctor is the grass people." ”

"Sir, don't be modest, I've read your plague treatises." Chongzhen said, "That's definitely a monograph. ”

Wu Ke couldn't help but be a little proud, it turned out that the emperor had read the plague theory he wrote, and thought it was a treatise, which was undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of him.

"Hasn't Sir always practiced medicine in Guanzhong?" Chongzhen asked again.

"Oh, there is no war in Guanzhong, and there is no plague, I heard that the sword soldiers in Henan and Beizhi have risen again, and the old man feels that the plague may reappear here, so he hurried over here."

Well, this is another madman who wants to die for academic research.

In fact, there were many academic madmen in ancient China, but unfortunately their research results were not valued by the rulers, so they could not be promoted, and finally disappeared in the long history of Haohan.

But Chongzhen's emphasis on natural science is unquestionable.

"So, sir has come to the right place." Chongzhen said.

"A big war is going to break out in Xuzhou soon, so it's better to stay."

"Since the saint has made a will, the grass people should obey it." Wu Youke said happily.

Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately turned back to Lu Jiude and said: "Lu Companion, from now on, you and your godsons and grandsons will obey Mr. Wu's dispatch, and Mr. Wu's words are my will." ”

"Huh?" Lu Jiude's face fell, let me serve a Langzhong?

Wu Youke also shook his hands and said: "Holy Lord, this can't be done, this can't be done." ”

"I said to make that." Chongzhen said solemnly, "If the gentleman has any needs, just tell them, if they dare to disobey the slightest, I will never spare them!" ”

Lu Jiude shivered with excitement.

Wu Youke didn't dare to say anything more.

Chongzhen said to Wu Youke again: "In addition to Lu Banban and his son and grandson, Mr. Xu, the official of Xuzhou, can also be used at any time, and when necessary, he can also mobilize the garrison of the military camp outside the city!" In a word, no matter what Mr. asks, I will definitely find a way to do what I can do, but there is one. ”

Wu Youke said solemnly: "Holy Lord, please speak." ”

Chongzhen said solemnly: "The plague must not be allowed to spread. ”

"Please rest assured." Wu Youke said, "The grass people can make a military order to you, if you can't control the plague, the grass people are willing to die." ”

"Sir is no longer a grass man." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "From now on, you are the head of the Tai Hospital, and I will also send an urgent delivery to Nanjing as soon as possible, so that the imperial doctors and doctors of the Nanjing Tai Hospital will come to Xuzhou." ”

Wu Youke hesitated for a moment and bowed down: "Minister Wu Youke can thank Lord Longen." ”