Chapter 16: The Hungry

Because of the grain transportation, the fleet that had been at sea for more than 20 days had to dock at Denglai Port and unload the grain before it could be diverted to Liaodong.

Denglai is a military port, but now it is full of hundreds of people.

Zhu Xiongying watched from afar, these people's thin bodies, unclothed, seemed to be crying every step they took, and they were caught on the boat. Filled with righteous indignation for a while, he said to Yang Zhen: "What's going on? ”

When Yang Zhen saw it, he guessed seventy-seven eighty-eight. However, he didn't dare to talk nonsense, and said, "I'll send someone to inquire." ”

After a while, I inquired clearly.

"This is presided over by Wu Yin, the political envoy of Shandong, and all displaced people must be resettled in Liaodong." Yang Zhen said.

Zhu Xiongying said: "Why? ”

Yang Zhen said: "Because the governor of Liaodong gave out the grain, they can survive after they arrive in Liaodong." ”

Zhu Xiongying said: "Didn't we bring food? ”

Yang Zhen said: "Not enough. Far from enough. Shandong is a province with a large population in the north, with a population of several million, although I have not calculated, but I speculate that Shandong's annual grain output must be more than 10 million stones, and there is a shortage of so much grain, so much food we bring is enough. What the court has to do now is to spend this grain on business, no matter what method is used. Expand food production as much as possible. Let the people live. Instead of distributing food to displaced people. ”

Zhu Xiongying still didn't understand and said; "Why?"

Yang Zhen said: "Because they have no land, they have also left their hometown. For any prefecture or county, it is a foreigner. Instability. ”

Without land, that is, the food given to them is pure consumption, and it is impossible to bring food production. It is precisely because the displaced people have left their places of origin that they are not on the list of parents and officials, and the people in this county are starving to death, and that is the people in the county who are starving to death. That's a lot. The prefectural order still has to be boarded. Therefore, it is good to conceal the county order. Whether it is to cover up the facts, they also try to keep the people of their county from starving to death. And these homeless people, what does it matter to their magistrates? Anyway, if he doesn't report it, the court won't know.

Many magistrates drove out the displaced people. Let them die in the wilderness. You can assume that you don't know.

Of course, this is also because during the Hongwu period, the Ming Dynasty had a thick foundation, and even if there was a natural disaster, the loss of the people was not great. It is not enough to form a wave of displaced people, and it is enough for a small number of displaced people to deal with it in this way. If there is a tide of displaced people, the displaced people will besiege the city. That's another way.

So, for these people were picked up by Liaodong. The magistrate was happy to see it.

So there is today's scene.

It is too arbitrary to say that the people are ignorant. However, many people in this era were uneducated, and were only familiar with the situation near their hometowns, and were not familiar with other places. I don't understand either. Moreover, the officials acted in a way that did not enforce the law in a civilized manner. Rough very.

So these homeless people are almost taken into custody as prisoners. In this situation, the displaced people on the ship are faced with an unknown situation. How can you not cry and shake the heavens?

Yang Zhen didn't feel anything.

Yang Zhen has seen more cruel things than this.

However, Zhu Xiongying couldn't understand it. He was compassionate. Seeing these wolf-like officials, their hearts became disgusted with the matter of relocation. Zhu Xiongying suddenly thought of something and asked, "This matter was requested by the governor of Liaodong." That is, uncle? ”

Yang Zhen said: "If you don't guess wrong. It should have been mentioned by an adult. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen was a little worried, he knew He Xi's current financial predicament. When he came over this time, he even mentioned the cash of the Jinghai firm, which was about 500,000 taels. It is already the limit of what Jinghai Merchant can raise.

At this time, such immigrants will consume a lot. Shandong's political envoy will not serve Liaodong, although it is said that Liaodong still nominally belongs to Shandong. However, since He Xi arrived in Liaodong, the connection between Liaodong and Shandong Province has been so weak that there is only one name left.

Shandong Province can bear some immigration costs, which is God's grace.

However, Zhu Xiongying could not understand this. Originally, in his heart, He Xi's image was very good. But at the moment, it plummeted. He secretly said in his heart: "When I arrive in Liaodong, I must ask my uncle face to face why he did this." ”

"Can't you send more grain to Shandong?"

After the flotilla unloaded the grain at Denglai, it turned to Yingkou.

This time, there were a lot more emigrant ships in the fleet. Although they are all in the same fleet, the situation is completely different.

Princess Anqing enjoys a big boat alone, Princess Anqing, He Yuandao, and Zhu Xiongying all have independent rooms, and they are suites. Outside was the resting place of the servants. Inside is where the owner rests. In addition, there are also big shopkeepers headed by Yang Zhen. They are all single rooms. Although, the single rooms on the ship are much smaller than those on land. But it's a separate space.

Not to mention, this ship is Princess Anqing's boat, and the interior decoration is not too bad. Even the cabins, where the servants were crammed together, were spacious.

And the ships are huge. It's smooth in the East China Sea. Not to mention in the Bohai Sea, it is extremely stable. The shaking of the hull is barely felt.

And whose immigration ship is with one side is different. The first is small.

There is no way to do it, although there are signs of surplus in the Ming Dynasty, but there is still a lack of ships, not to mention the commercial atmosphere in Liaodong and Bohai Bay, which is far inferior to that on the southern coast, so the number of ships is less.

Fortunately, the Bohai Sea is small and the waves are low, which also allows smaller ships to travel between Liaodong and Shandong.

And the boat is also cheap.

As a result, this three- or four-hundred-year-old ship followed behind the fleet, and compared with the fleet in front, it was almost the difference between a hen and a chicken. Therefore, the waves that were originally small were very unfriendly to this boat.

A child of the same age as Zhu Xiongying.

His name was Tang Da, and he was the son of a salt household, who boiled salt for the imperial court. During the Hongwu years, it was still possible to get by. Although you have to farm your own land to supplement some income. But a major drought caused the crops to be harvested, and his parents died of illness. The family ran out of food. Whoever borrows from a relative, no one will lend him in the year of the great calamity.

However, someone offered to buy his sister. Tang Da flatly refused.

In front of him, he could only think of one way. That is to go out and beg for food. So, Tang Da took his sister Tang Xiaomei, and their parents only gave them such a nickname, not a big name at all. Because, when you give a big name, you have to give money to your husband.

Parents are reluctant.

And now there are only two brothers and sisters left who depend on each other.

It's not easy to come out and beg for food.

Tang Da tried hard to give his sister a bite to eat. When the officials arrested the displaced people, Tang Da was actually able to escape. But my sister was caught. He could only be taken away obediently. Whether it's life or death. They're all going to be together.

Fortunately, after being caught by the officials, he estimated that the worst situation did not happen. While imprisoned. But a bowl of rice every day. With this job, the two brothers and sisters can survive. That's enough.

It's just that Tang Da never thought that they would go to sea.

He was strong, but he was seasick. What made him feel even more incredible was that his sister, Tang Xiaomei, crawled in his arms, sleeping soundly, as if the boat was shaking abnormally, for her, it was like a lullaby.

But Tang Da is different. Tang Da only felt uncomfortable all over his body, and his stomach was even more upside down. I want to throw up.

He bit hard, and he didn't eat much every day. If you spit it out again, it's even more impossible. Even if his stomach is estimated to be full of water at the moment, he doesn't want to vomit a mouthful. It's just that his reaction was perceived by Tang Xiaomei.

Tang Xiaomei rubbed her eyes, a few years old children were covered in dirt. I couldn't see my face clearly. It's even more unclear whether it's a man or a woman. Many people think that Tang Xiaomei is a boy. This is also Tang Da's disguise for his sister. After all, women in disaster years, many times, are commodities.

Tang Xiaomei said: "What's the matter, brother? ”

Tang Da sweated profusely and said, "It's nothing. ”

How could Tang Xiaomei rest assured, she looked at her brother with her eyes, rubbed her chest with her little hands, and the brother and sister had a hard time getting through this night. Not far away, Zhu Xiongying slept in the layers of bedding, feeling nothing.

The joys and sorrows of human beings are not the same.