Every summer, the weather in Beijing is always sultry, the sound of cicadas chirping, and the air seems to feel that everything in front of you is distorted.

The entire Beijing Division, except for those dignitaries who have ice cubes in the bedrooms to cool the heat, can still survive this scorching heat.

But how can ordinary people enjoy ice cubes, especially the eunuchs and palace maids in the Forbidden City. According to the rules, even if the weather is hot, the long clothes and long shirts must be worn according to the rules, and many people have prickly heat on their bodies, and the symptoms are serious, and there are boils and mosses, which are dense and itchy.

It's September now, and it's early autumn according to the season, and an autumn rain should have fallen a long time ago to make the weather cooler.

But for more than ten days in a row, there was no drop. The Ming Dynasty has two capitals and thirteen provinces, and other provinces do not know what the situation is, but this Beijing is Shuntianfu, and this year's harvest is afraid to suffer.

In the palace, the eunuchs of the two shrine eunuchs each held a broom and swept the ground in front of the Qianqing Palace.

When they swept to the Danbi Bridge in front of the hall, the two of them finally couldn't resist the heat, rested against the shade of the bridge hole, and took the broom with the crook of their arms, and one of the eunuchs fanned the wind with his sleeve, "This thief God, it's hard to endure in winter, and it's very hot in summer, I'm afraid that this year will be another disaster year."

"You dare to say this, you don't want your head anymore?"

"There's no one else, let's say a few words to ourselves that we're afraid of, and then talk about it."

"Shhhh

As he spoke, the two of them looked up at the Danbi Bridge, and when they saw the person walking on the side of the bridge, they were so frightened that they knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

Xiao Yan didn't pay attention to them, maybe he didn't see them, but he just crossed the Danbi Bridge and walked all the way to the gate of the Qianqing Palace.

The doors of the Qianqing Palace were wide open.

Standing at the door and waiting for a while, waiting for the notice that he was allowed to enter, he stepped in, only walked a few steps into the main hall, and then he clearly felt the shade, and there was a wind blowing in the hall behind him.

Xiao Yan walked all the way to the door of the dormitory and whispered to the person kneeling there, "Dad." ”

Xiao Jing's face was dripping with sweat, although the hall was shady, and the wind was blowing through the hall, but kneeling in front of the carbon stove, Rao was a little unbearable hot.

He turned his head to look at the son, and said softly, "Go, bring us that porcelain bowl." ”

“.”

Xiao Yan didn't speak, turned around and took the small celadon bowl.

Xiao Jing wiped the sweat on his face a few times with his sleeve, picked up a towel and padd the medicine pot of the charcoal stove, took it and poured a bowl into the small bowl, and then sat the medicine jar on the charcoal stove.

Taking the medicine bowl over, Xiao Jing asked, "What is the matter with your entry into the palace this time?" ”

"There is a report from Li Gelao."

"Put it in your sleeve for us. Add more charcoal, don't let this stove go out. ”

"Yes."

It was a bowl full of soup and medicine, and Xiao Jing walked into the dormitory, where the green smoke curled and the incense was lit to calm the nerves.

Emperor Hongzhi was dressed in a light single coat, leaning on the couch and flipping through the notebook.

A few days ago, the factory guard came with the news that the two were still alive. Knowing this, Zhu Youzhang's nerves, which had been tense, were finally broken.

The spirit that had been forcibly lifted for many days suddenly relaxed, and he fell asleep for two days, and the evil consequences of not sleeping for a few days finally appeared.

After some time, his body is still weak, but the complexion on his face is better.

Xiao Jing was sweating on his face, and brought the bowl of soup to the edge of the collapse, and before he could speak, the bitter smell wafted in, Zhu Youzhang's brows were already wrinkled, and he said with disgust: "This soup is added to gentian again?" ”

"If you really can't hide anything from the emperor, isn't this medicine just added gentian? However, although this gentian is a little bitter, it is the most effective to laxify the liver and gallbladder fire, and it is often said that good words and bitter mouths are good for disease."

Xiao Jing said as he pulled Xiao Jindun, sat down with a bow, scooped up some decoction with a spoon, and was about to feed the emperor, but Emperor Hongzhi stretched out his hand and said, "Take it, I drink it myself." ”

"Then the emperor, drink slowly, don't choke."

Zhu Youzhu didn't answer, just took the medicine bowl, and looked at this bowl of black decoction with a face full of resistance, Chinese medicine is already bitter, this gentian is one of the most bitter herbs, and the taste of this bowl of decoction can be imagined.

Better a finger off than always aching.

Gritting his teeth, he took it up and drank it all down.

Xiao Jing hurriedly wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, and saw that Emperor Hongzhi was already suffering beyond recognition, so he turned his head to the outside of the hall and said, "Quick!" Bring in that bowl of plum soup. ”

After that, Xiao Jing said again: "The emperor waits, the slave and maid in this plum soup ordered people to put a lot of sugar, and if you press it down, it will be fine." ”

Zhu Youzhu frowned with a bitter expression, and he didn't have the heart to answer, until the bowl of plum soup came in, he reached out and took a big gulp and drank it, and then he felt that the bitterness had subsided a lot.

With a sigh, Emperor Hongzhi asked, "Counting the days, Li Qing's family and his party should have already arrived in Puzhou, right?" ”

The factory guards sent out, as well as the 3,000 men and horses of the Beijing camp, did not get their son and son-in-law back.

Although Zhu Youzhu is angry, he is quite stable, he pinned all his hopes on Li Dongyang, who is also a cabinet minister, and when he arrived in Puzhou, he quickly took over the disaster relief matters, and it was not easy to get the two people back?

Hearing this, Xiao Jing remembered something, "Emperor, don't you say that the slave and maid have forgotten, the slave and maid received a report, which is from Li Gelao." ”

As he spoke, he took out the letter from his cuff, and said that it was a letter, sealed in wax, and presented it respectfully.

"Presumably, Li Qing's family has sent those two people back, and I hereby write this report to explain this matter, I am afraid that the two of them will return to Beijing in a few days."

Zhu Youzhu sat up, didn't lean on the pillow anymore, his face was a little energetic, and when he reached out to take the letter, the fierce light in his eyes flashed.

He had waited too long for this day, and now he was full of waiting for the two beasts to come back, and then dissipate the negative emotions that had been suppressed these days.

Capturing the fierce light in the emperor's eyes, Xiao Jing's heart trembled, but he remembered that when the factory guard's report came a few days ago, when he learned the news that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Xia Xima were still alive, the emperor first cried with joy, and then he was furious, threatening to kill these two beasts when the two came back!

roared for a while, maybe it was a lack of oxygen, and the emperor pumped it over.

Emperor Hongzhi tore open the letter and took out the folded letter inside, which was just ordinary paper, far from meeting the standards of the report, but what paper did not matter, what mattered was the content.

Unfolding the letter, Zhu Youzhang's heart suddenly began to feel apprehensive, according to the report a few days ago, although he learned that the life of the two animals was better than the other, but these days have passed

He only hoped that this was a report that the two of them had returned to Beijing, but it must not be a bad thing.

The letter was long, and as is customary, it was preceded by something that was not nutritious.

He looked at the past at a glance and ten lines, and saw that the sentence that the minister was ordered to enter Puzhou, in the name of disaster relief, and looked for His Royal Highness the Prince, so he began to read it carefully.

"The ministers and the accompanying officials will take hundreds of people all the way into Puzhou, many cities and counties have become mounds, the Yellow River is overflowing, full of devastation, the corpses of people and animals are countless, Puzhou is already a hell on earth."

Seeing this, Emperor Hongzhi's heart pinched, this Puzhou is in such a miserable situation, those two beasts are still there.

While thinking, he looked down, but the style of the painting of this content changed abruptly, "When the minister arrived at the camp where the victims gathered, he suddenly seemed to have entered a paradise. Almost all the surviving victims of Puzhou gathered here, more than 60,000 people, in an orderly manner. The people have enough food and clothing, and live and work in peace and contentment. Everyone has something to eat, something to rely on, and a place to live, and there is no disaster. This is all the work of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Xia Xima. ”

"The minister has been here for a few days, and His Royal Highness the Prince Meng has taken care of it and let the minister take charge of the affairs of the warehouse. I am busy with cases every day, and I have little free time, and I don't hear or see much, but I see it."

It's still hell on earth in front, but it's become the Peach Blossom Spring, and this jump is really unexpected, and it caught Emperor Hongzhi off guard.

Especially this sentence of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Xia Xima's merits, this paradise was created by these two people?

When he saw the latter again, Zhu Youjiao's face became a little treacherous, the dignified cabinet assistant, I will give you the will, let you go to the general consul for disaster relief, and you will go to the warehouse?

Or Prince Meng valued.

Emperor Hongzhi really didn't expect to send Li Dongyang out, and this old man not only did not take the lead of the camp, but was sent to the warehouse.

According to his assumption, Li Dongyang went to Puzhou, and he should quickly take over the disaster relief affairs, take the leading position, and then easily send the two back to let himself vent his evil anger.

The son of iniquity must be hung up and whipped with a whip, and the son-in-law must be punished.

One is the prince of the country, who ran to disaster relief regardless of his personal safety, putting himself in danger and being a beast.

Although the other is a courtier, it is very admirable to resolutely go to the disaster relief, but he cares about others in vain, and the daughter of the victim washes her face with tears all day long, and she is also a beast.

Available now. It's all in charge of the warehouse, what else to send.

You, a cabinet minister, go to the warehouse, and you are busy with the case every day, and you have very little free time, and it seems that you have really sold your strength.

But even if the prince asks you to take care of the warehouse, he is the prince, but you are really honest and obedient to take care of the warehouse, why are you so bad?

Anyway, there is a holy purpose, although the prince is the prince, how can there be a holy decree?

Zhu Youzhu didn't know what to say for a while, so he had to continue to look down.

"Everything in the camp is well arranged, repairing the Yellow River embankment to control the flooding; disposing of human and animal carcasses to prevent plague; Search around to rescue the remaining victims; The people who transported the supplies were frequent and never stopped.

The orderly order, and the more lamented thing for the ministers, is that there is no one in the camp of more than 60,000 people, everyone has something to do, no one is idle, as the slogan says, work together to build a home.

This situation is possible thanks to the regulations in the camp. Although it is very different from the old practice of disaster relief in the past of the national dynasty, it is quite effective. From the perspective of the ministers, the imperial court may be able to promote it widely."

(End of chapter)