In May, as the Ming Dynasty no longer stabilized the grain prices in the provinces, and turned to the provincial officials to provide disaster relief on their own, the grain prices in the provinces rose several times for a while.

The price of rice and wheat in Shanxi soared to one tael and one stone, an increase of hundreds of wen.

The price of rice in Shaanxi rose to 800 Wen, an increase of 60%.

Sichuan, however, due to the fact that there are too few people and too much arable land, the price of rice can still be supported, and it is still maintained at the price of more than 400 wen per stone, but Jiangxi is not so good.

By May, the hungry people in Jiangxi had no food, and the price of rice soared to 221 stone, and Jiangxi Huangdian and grain merchants frantically bought grain.

By June, Jiangxi Huangdian had purchased nearly 10 million stone of rice and wheat from Huguang and Fujian provinces, and although the price of rice in Jiangxi had dropped to one tael, the price of grain in Huguang had risen to 600 wen per stone, and Fujian had also risen to 580 wen per stone.

By July, the drought situation in various places was still unabated, and Henan also suffered from drought, and the people of Mi County were full of rumors, hundreds of miles of red land, and more than one million acres of cultivated land were affected.

Henan was affected by the disaster, and the price of rice rose from more than 500 wen per stone to more than 600 wen, and the three prefectures of Beizhili were affected by the disaster, and the price of rice also rose to more than 500 wen.

The price of rice in the three nearby provinces of Shanxi has risen, and the people have fled one after another......

"Woo-woo-"

On July 28, the thirteenth year of the Apocalypse, when the whistle of the train sounded in Yanshan County, two teenagers on horseback also saw a terrifying scene along the tracks.

I saw that the train was full of ragged people, and not only that, but the roof of the train was crowded with people.

Those who could not get on the train had to walk north along the railroad towards Donghai Province.

The people were dressed in black cloth clothes, their hair and beards were disheveled, their clothes were not covered, and they carried baskets of broken vegetables behind them, and their bodies were so hungry and emaciated that their muscles and bones protruded.

In the crowd heading east, some people held broken bowls in one hand and fast in the other, begging along the railroad tracks for leftovers from various families, and devouring them.

If one beggar has some food in his bowl, the rest of the people will look at the food in the beggar's bowl like wolves, and the beggar will feel this gaze and be eager to fill his stomach.

Among the victims, there was a one-eyed old artist wearing a rotten straw hat, patched clothes, and straw sandals.

He still has the backbone and does not want to beg for food, so he takes a few children and grandchildren to straddle the flat drum, carry a bamboo basket on his back, beat the drum with a drumstick in his right hand, hold an allegro in his left hand, and sing the lotus flower falling in his mouth, showing his talents, begging for food and money from the people who came to watch their migration.

should be at an age where he should be in retirement, but at this moment he is full of flattering expressions and bitter eyes, just for those few taels of food.

In addition to them, there are also the unkempt, skinny and emaciated women.

The long walk caused abscesses and swollen sores on the soles of their feet, and they had to use crutches in their hands and hold naked babies wrapped in clothing in their left hands.

Hungry babies can't cry, and old women can't squeeze a little milk.

These are immigrants who can't get on the train.

"Imperial Court ...... Didn't you say that the migration train is free......"

Looking at this scene, Zhu Ciran, who came to watch with Li Dingguo on horseback, felt uncomfortable, turned his head sideways, and couldn't stand it.

It's Li Dingguo, he has experienced all the things that these victims have experienced, so he is very familiar with the cats.

"The train is free, but they have to be able to get on it......"

"The railway capacity of the Guozhao Dynasty is limited, and the railway in Shanxi is only built near the Orangutan Prefecture in Taiyuan Prefecture, and the Beijing-Liao Railway is only built near Duoyan County."

"Not to mention Shanxi, it is hundreds of miles away from Duoyan to Songhua County and Jilin County in the East China Sea."

"There are millions of hungry people in Shanxi, how can we transport millions of people with only four railways and more than 200 flights?"

"For you and me, it's okay to wait a few days, but for them, it's life and death......"

The development of the Ming Dynasty is indeed rapid, but this rapidity is limited.

The Shanxi section of the railway and the railway of Beizhili and Modong provinces are more than 1,400 miles long, with more than 200 shifts, and can transport more than 100,000 people at one time, but it also takes time to get on and off the train, and it also takes time to transport.

Counting the time to get on and off the train, as well as the time to transfer, it took at least three days for the Ming to transport the people to Duoyan County in Modong Province, and then they had to walk more than 800 miles on their legs to the Songnen Plain to cultivate the land and receive food.

This is only the time to go, and if the time to come back is counted, it will be at least five days.

That is, in five days, Daming can transport more than 100,000 people.

That's a staggering number, but it's a tiny fraction of the millions of hungry people in Shanxi.

The people who live in Datong and Taiyuan are okay, but for the people who live in Pingyang and Zezhou, which are in the south of Shanxi, they have to walk six or seven hundred miles to reach the railway station in Taiyuan.

When they arrived at the station, they were greeted by millions of people who wanted to relocate.

If you don't want to wait, you can only walk north along the railway, and when you encounter a train station where there is no one, you will immediately wait for the train to get on the train.

As a result, the people of Shanxi rushed to the north, but in just a month, from the Xizhou Station in Shanxi to the Duoyan Station in Modong Province, the border railway was already crowded with people.

Some people can't stand the hunger, so they can only hurriedly settle down in Modong Province, after all, this also belongs to the three provinces outside the Guan, and they can also exchange food stamps, but because of the proximity to the northern captives, many people do not want to stay for a long time.

Staying where they are, they will have to wait at least three or four months before it is their turn to get on the bus, and since they have to wait for three or four months, it is better to move on foot.

This is the helplessness of the victims and the helplessness of the Ming court.

Zhu Ciran had never seen such a scene, even if he was only eleven years old this year, but in the face of such a scene, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Is there any meal arrangement at the train station along the border?"

Zhu Ciran felt compassion in his heart, but Li Dingguo nodded: "There are meals provided, but compared with ordinary people, they eat a little worse." ”

"Then I can buy them ......" Zhu Ciran wanted to say something, but Li Dingguo interrupted:

"How long can you buy them for them? You are the crown prince, not the emperor, how many people can you save with a few thousand taels of annual salaries, not to mention, just if you buy food and cook for them, how many disaster victims will be entrenched together because they are full? ”

"Immigrants, as long as you move, you can't stop, if you set up a stall to cook, for those who eat, I'm afraid they will gather in piles and can't leave."

"When you can't afford it, how should you deal with the immigrants gathering to make trouble?"

"Expect everyone to be sensible and understand everything?"

"If the people were really like this, then the people of Shanxi would have moved away spontaneously."

Li Dingguo educated Zhu Ciran in a didactic tone, and then he turned his head to look at the immigration team that was going east all the way, and said calmly:

"Instead of keeping them, think about how to place them."

When Li Dingguo said this, Liu Yanen, a member of the household department at the same time, also came to the summer palace of Dading Palace, less than sixty miles away from them, with the immigration papers.

"By the fifth day of the seventh month, more than 796,400 people had received iron plates in Shanxi, more than 615,200 people in Jiangxi, more than 300,000 people in Beizhili, more than 16,700 people in Sichuan, more than 35,000 people in Shaanxi, more than 34,900 people in Henan, and about 1.8 million people according to household statistics."

Liu Yanen is a student who graduated from Yanshan in seven years and is good at arithmetic, so he did well in the household department, and became a member of the household department at a young age.

Zhu Youxiao has heard a little about him, and Zhu Youxiao is also a little concerned about what he reports.

"Can these people be well settled......

"Planer—"

Zhu Youxiao was dressed in a middle coat, with his back to Liu Yanen, concocting wood in the summer palace of Dading Palace, and he didn't know what new things to do.

Liu Ruoyu and Wei Zhongxian stood not far away, holding tea towels, ready to come forward to serve at any time.

Faced with such a scene, Liu Yanen stood straight, and the ridge beam was like an iron beating, but his eyes were lowered, and he didn't mean to look at Zhu Youxiao.

"According to the arrangement of the imperial court, the people of Sichuan and Jiangxi will move to Jiugang and Luchuan, and there are enough ripe fields and enough cattle in the local area, so there should be no problem."

"As for the 1.2 million people in the four provinces of Beizhili, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan......"

Liu Yanen paused, and then continued: "For example, if a man over the age of fifteen distributes a ploughing ox, the officialdom needs to hand over 386,437 ploughing oxen to the household to pull the horse. ”

"The officialdom's ploughing cattle and horses should be sufficient, but it is only the follow-up rations of the immigrants, which is difficult to make up for only the three provinces of Modong, Beishan, and Donghai, so it is necessary for Yingzhou to transport 6 million stones of grain to the three provinces."

"Coupled with the will to be exempted from the disaster for one year, and the task of the relocated provinces to be responsible for the rations of the immigrants, this year's land revenue of the national dynasty is probably as low as 50 million stone ......."

"Fifty million stones?" Zhu Youxiao stopped the action of planing wood:

"If I'm not mistaken, the amount of land estimated by the household department at the beginning of the year is 98 million stones, right?"

"Long live, it is true, to appease the immigrants, it is necessary to allocate at least 30 million stone of rice and wheat, plus the provinces will not harvest and be exempted from disasters, and the annual income of the national dynasty will be reduced to 50 million stones."

Liu Yanen explained where the reduced field grain went, but Zhu Youxiao was silent when he heard it, lowered his head and continued to process his wood.

After a long time, he spoke: "These things will be handed over to King Qi in the future." ”

"The minister led the ......" Liu Yanen responded, and then saw that Zhu Youxiao had no other meaning, so he returned the salute and withdrew from the hall.

Although he had to be crowded with the victims when he came, most of the vehicles returning were empty, so it took Liu Yanen six hours to return to the capital.

Zhu Youzhen, who got the news, only responded with a "I know", so he stopped responding and continued to deal with the slight.

The babbling Zhu Cihong walked around in the carrier hall, and Wang Chengen and a female official followed him closely, afraid that he would fall.

Seeing this, Liu Yanen withdrew from the carrier hall, and after he withdrew, Zhu Youzhen put down the Zhu pen and exhaled a breath of turbidity.

"How are Xuan'er and Jiong'er......"

Zhu Youzhen closed his eyes and asked Cao Huachun, who was standing behind him, and Cao Huachun replied when he heard this: "The two Highnesses are fine, that is, Wei Niangniang and Li Niangniang want His Highnesses to be closer to the two Highnesses." ”

Zhu Cixuan and Zhu Cijiong are the two Qi Wangfu males born to Wei Pingyang and Li Shaoxi, but it seems that they have adapted to their father's identity, or they are too busy with state affairs, since the two children were born in May and June respectively, Zhu Youzhen has only seen them two or three times.

Compared with Zhu Cihong, who follows Zhu Youzhen every day, it is normal for Wei Pingyang and the two to be dissatisfied.

However, this kind of dissatisfaction is only limited to female officials and eunuchs, and they never dare to show their dissatisfaction with Zhu Youzhen.

To tell the truth, Zhu Youzhen can understand their feelings, but there are too many things he needs to deal with at the moment, and the children in infancy and toddler are too noisy, and he is unwilling to take them with him.

It's just that after all, they are all their own sons, although they don't have the excitement when they have Zhu Cihong, they still have to be taken care of.

"The two highnesses, let's also take care of the side hall of the carrier hall in the future."

"Yes......"

stroked his forehead, Zhu Youzhen gave Cao Huachun an order, and Cao Huachun also responded honestly.

It's just that after responding, he still said: "Your Highness, Tian Niangniang and Shen Niangniang are also happy." ”

"......Got it," Zhu Youzhen responded, and then said: "Since they all have children, let's stop the affairs of the harem and let them concentrate on the fetus and take care of the children." ”

"Yes......" Cao Huachun agreed respectfully, and Zhu Youzhen also picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.

After a long time, he asked, "How is Old General Qi's health?" ”

"This ......" Cao Huachun's expression was a little stiff, and Zhu Youzhen saw this, and he also had a bottom in his heart.

The old general Qi in his mouth is undoubtedly Qi Jin.

In ancient and modern times, military generals are always shorter than Wenchen.

Therefore, Qi Jin, who is already 77 years old, also fell ill around the spring of this year.

After Zhu Youzhen learned the news, he sent Wang Kentang to Guangzhou to see Qi Jin, but Qi Jin's condition was not optimistic.

"The royal court envoy returned, Dingyuan Marquis has been unable to eat since the summer, his weight has dropped sharply, less than 100 catties, his stomach is difficult to grow, I am afraid it will be ......"

Cao Huachun cautiously spoke, which made Zhu Youzhen's mood more and more depressed.

As the noble family of the Great Ming Qi Dynasty, it can be said that a generation of characters are hardcore loyal ministers, even if Zhu Youzhen has the grace to support them, they are still loyal to the emperor.

At present, Qi Jin, one of the pillars of the two families, is ill, and life and death are only in the day, and the emperor's prestige in the army may also be reduced.

Although the Qi family still has the second-generation Qi Yuangong, Qi Yuanfu, and Qi Yuanbi supporting the scene and standing for the imperial power, these three people are not young.

Qi Yuangong is nearly sixty years old, Qi Yuanbi is over fifty years old, and Qi Yuanbi is also in his forties.

Among the three of them, Qi Yuanbi is a little younger.

Although the three of them can at least last the Southern Military Governor's Mansion for more than ten years, they are not afraid of 10,000.

In addition, Zhu Youzhen is more worried about the Qin family.

Among the generals of the Qin family, Qin Bangping, Qin Banghan, and Qin Liangyu are all in their sixties, and the youngest Qin Minping is also seven out of fifty.

Their generation is also the generation that supports the emperor the most, while the corresponding second generation is complex.

In the news of Beizhen Fusi, the couple Ma Xianglin and Zhang Fengyi supported the emperor, but Qin Yiming, Qin Gongming, and Qin Zuoming have always obeyed the decrees of the palace.

Among the children of the three generations, they are basically looking forward to the Qi Wangfu.

The Qi Wangfu is not Zhu Youzhen's Qi Wangfu alone, it is full of various forces, so the three generations of the Qin family and the Qi family's children are probably ......

Zhu Youzhen sighed in his heart, and at the same time instructed Cao Huachun: "Use the identity of long live to send some medicinal materials and ingredients to General Qi." ”

"Yes......" Cao Huachun knew that Zhu Youzhen's feelings for Qi Jin were a little complicated.

From personal experience, Qi Jin was the first person to knead the art of war and feed it to Zhu Youzhen, although they are all basic, but they can be regarded as half a master.

From the perspective of the family and country, if there is no Qi Jin in the battle of Liaoshen, I am afraid that even if Qin Bangping and the others do not lose Shenyang, they will encounter a bloody battle, and it will be a problem for how many people can survive.

It was the Qin and Qi families who defended Liaodong for the Ming Dynasty for three years, so that Zhu Youzhen had the capital to fight the battle of Liao.

If there is no battle to restore Liao, if Liaodong falls, then I am afraid that at present, many of the technologies of the Ming Dynasty do not have the energy to develop them, and in the face of drought and the attack of the Houjin, the situation of the Ming Dynasty will also be very dangerous.

Seeming to be a little uneasy, Zhu Youzhen got up and walked away, and then he added:

"Long live Shangshu, please crown General Qi as the Duke of Fengguo."

"This ...... Guogong? Cao Huachun hesitated for a while, after all, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, only the Yongle period has been canonized, and no one has the honor to get the title of the Duke of the Kingdom at other times.

"That's right! Feng Guogong! Zhu Youzhen nodded solemnly, and Cao Huachun also knew that his Royal Highness was not joking, so he hurriedly asked people to go to Yanshan to ask Zhu Youxiao.

This matter spread quickly a few days later, and Zhu Youxiao also followed Zhu Youzhen's advice as always, and after learning that Qi Jin was seriously ill, he specially ordered to canonize Qi Jin as the Duke of Fengguo, and posthumously presented Qi Jiguang and Qi Jimei respectively.

Qi Jiguang was posthumously presented as the king of Dongping, and Qi Jimei was posthumously presented as the Marquis of Weihai.

Since then, the Qi family has a reputation of a king, a duke, a marquis and three uncles.

Zhu Youxiao did this, I am afraid that he also wanted to use this to rejoice for Qi Jinchong.

Many of the military generals in the capital did not find it strange that although Qi Jin did not fight any major victories, his merits were too heavy for the Ming Dynasty in the early years of the Apocalypse.

Under the hopelessness of being critically ill, a non-hereditary prince is nothing to his credit to the Ming Dynasty.

Li Yongzhen was appointed by Zhu Youxiao as a eunuch to carry the decree south, and finally arrived in Guangzhou City on August 24.

Li Yongzhen, who got off the boat, didn't have time to rest, so he rushed to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion near the Yamen of the Southern Military Governor's Mansion.

Li Yongzhen, as the playmate eunuch sent to Zhu Ciran by Zhu Youxiao, is not as tall as Wei Zhongxian, Cao Huachun and others, but he can be regarded as a very heavy person.

However, compared to Qi Jin, he is just a firefly, and he doesn't dare to put on a shelf.

Under the greeting of Qi Yuangong, Li Yongzhen was taken to Qi Jin's sickbed, and Wang Kentang was diagnosing Qi Jin's pulse at that time, but when Li Yongzhen saw Qi Jin's first sight, he knew that Qi Jin might not be able to do it.

As the saying goes, only when you see a person who is sick, you can feel the preciousness of health, so when Li Yongzhen saw the emaciated appearance of Qi Jin, who was tall and tall, weighed less than 100 catties, his first reaction was to be stunned.

Qi Jin's cheeks were unusually sunken, the flesh on his body was about to fall off, only some of the skin and flesh were still connected to the bones, his complexion was dark, and the blackened small blood vessels could be seen.

At this moment, he is extremely weak, he has lost the vigor of the year, and he is only a hero in the twilight.

"Admiral Lee......"

Qi Jin's voice was very small, so small that Li Yongzhen barely heard what he said, and only heard the three words of Admiral Li.

Hearing this, he quickly knelt down and took out the holy decree.

"Congratulations to the old general, last month King Qi showed the merits of the old general, long live canonizing the old general as the Duke of Fengguo, posthumously presenting Qi Wuyi as the king of Dongping, and Qi Zongbing as the Marquis of Weihai."

Li Yongzhen did not use the official language to introduce the holy decree, but chose the vernacular that was easy to understand.

Such behavior is undoubtedly a violation of etiquette, but in front of Qi Jin's sickbed, more than a dozen second- and third-generation children of the Qi family did not say anything.

"Good...... Good...... Good ......"

Li Yongzhen's words made Qi Jin's eyes appear a gleam, but it quickly went down again.

He said yes again and again weakly, and he didn't know whether he could only say "good" or if he couldn't say the words later.

Facing Li Yongzhen and Qi Yuangong, as well as the three generations of the Qi family, he lay on the sickbed, as if he had returned to the light, and he had some strength to speak:

"In my life, I traveled thousands of miles with my uncle, fought bloody battles and annihilated the Japanese, went north to the imperial captives, looked at Youyan, and drank horses and North Korea...... The first emperor, long live and His Royal Highness have been loved, and after the resurrection, they will guard Liaodong and defend their home and country, and they have no regrets......"

"If you really say regret, then the only regret is that the two uncles were wronged, and the brothers in the army shed blood thistle."

"Right now, the two uncles have been posthumously gifted by Banzai, and I am grateful, but I have no clue about the matter of Jimen, and I want to ask Banzai to investigate thoroughly......"

"I can live to this day...... It's longevity...... It's already OK......"

Qi Jin's voice became weaker and weaker, and it seemed that he had reached the limit, but he still reached out and clasped Li Yongzhen's hand.

"Please...... Admiral Lee...... Long live the tell...... Old minister Qi Jin...... Bow again and again...... Prostrate...... Bow again ......"

"Long live the Thistle Gate...... Give the Zhejiang soldiers a fair ......"

Qi Jin's eyes were fixed on Li Yongzhen, as if if he didn't agree, Qi Jin wouldn't let go.

Seeing this scene, Li Yongzhen knew that agreeing casually would cause trouble, but he still looked at Qi Jin sincerely and gave an answer:

"Lao Guogong, please rest assured, our family will definitely convey Lao Guogong's words to Long live."

"Good...... Good ......" Qi Jin's hand let go, and his eyes looked at Qi Yuangong and the others.

Seeing this, Li Yongzhen also knew that Qi Jin was about to explain the future, so he got up and saluted repeatedly, and then withdrew from the courtyard and the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

After Li Yongzhen left, Qi Jin glanced at Qi Yuangong and the three generations of disciples: "All kneel down ......"

"Daddy......" Qi Yuangong looked at his father's appearance, his nose was sore, and while kneeling down to hold Qi Jin's hand, he also turned his head and scolded: "Kneel down!" ”

When the three generations of disciples heard this, they could only bow their heads and kneel down one after another.

Looking at their appearance, Qi Jin first explained to Qi Yuangong: "You must be loyal to the monarch and love the country......

"Hmm......" Qi Yuangong couldn't cry anymore, and then Qi Jin looked at the three generations of children.

He could see that his group of grandsons and clan grandchildren wanted to get ahead and go down in history, but he still spoke in a pleading tone:

"The matter of partisanship...... Don't get involved in ......"

"Don't make trouble...... Let Your Highness rest in peace......"

"I'm an old man, please......"