Yu Zhi followed the displaced people to a dilapidated mountain temple.

The mountain temple is not large, only able to accommodate a few dozen people. Others, on the other hand, went to a post house a little farther away.

In short, five or six hundred people had their own settlements. The so-called resettlement is to find a place to shelter from the wind and rain to survive the night.

Yu Zhi hugged Tuan Tuan and followed behind the crowd. After entering the mountain temple, I found a corner and sat down.

Yu Zhi's clothes were clean and tidy, there was no smell of sweat on his body, and there was no extremely tired look on his face.

This appearance blends in with the crowd, and you can see the difference at a glance.

But these people have been displaced for months, and they are mentally exhausted, and they don't care about what is mixed in with the crowd.

After about a stick of incense, the sunset completely fell under the western mountain, and the night fell.

The night shrouded the mountain forest, and also covered the entire mountain temple.

Soon, some people got up and they started to make a fire to cook. Bonfires illuminate the entire mountain temple.

Yu Zhi glanced into the pot, which was full of rotten vegetable leaves and some leaves, and there was still a very small amount of rice at the bottom of the pot. That's all there is to a meal for these fifty or sixty people.

Everyone received a bowl... Soup. Obviously, this bowl of soup is not enough to make them survive the night, but it is better than nothing.

Tuan Tuan held his little belly and gurgled and screamed. "Brother, Tuan Tuan is hungry."

Before meeting Yu Zhi, she followed others to pick up leaves on the ground and eat them.

An old man beside him handed over a bowl of soup and said weakly, "Give it to the child." ”

Yu Zhi looked at the old man, the other party was skinny, and under his messy long hair was a pair of dull eyes.

In the darkness of the night, this appearance is extremely scary.

Yu Zhi didn't take the soup, because he knew that the old man only had such a bowl of soup tonight.

"Old man, you gave us this bowl of soup. What about you? What do you eat? ”

The old man sighed, helpless and sad. "The old man is buried in the earth from the neck down. What does it matter if you eat or not? One more day of life is one more day of food wasted. ”

Yu Zhi took out half of the dough from his arms and handed it to Tuan Tuan. This is what is left over from before Tuan Tuan.

The little girl just put it to her lips, but she put it down again.

"Brother, give it to grandpa. Round... Tuan Tuan is not hungry. ”

Tuan Tuan returned the bread to Yu Zhi, still holding his little belly, as if doing so would keep his stomach from being hungry.

Yu Zhi gently touched Tuan Tuan's head and said softly: "Tuan Tuan eats half of it, and Grandpa eats half of it." ”

Yu Zhi broke the dough in half, half to Tuan Tuan and half to the old man.

"Let's eat it, old man." Yu Zhi said.

With the soup, the old man took a big gulp. Since the mountain bandits, he... Including the people in the village, they all rely on the leftover vegetable leaves to satisfy their hunger.

In front of him, half of the bread was something he hadn't eaten in months.

As he ate, the old man lowered his head, tears bursting out in his eyes, splashing on the stones like a stream in a mountain stream.

Yu Zhi didn't speak, his eyes swept over the people in the mountain temple.

After drinking a bowl of soup, they also went to bed early. Probably because going to bed earlier can make you less hungry.

After a long time, Yu Zhi asked, "Old man, are you all villagers from those villages outside Sioux City?" ”

The old man nodded, his dry hands wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"We are all from nearby villages. A few months ago, the thieves in the mountains ransacked our village, leaving nothing behind. So I could only live in the mountains outside Sioux City, picking up some vegetable leaves from the field to eat. The old man cried.

Yu Zhi was puzzled: "Could it be that the government of Suzhou City doesn't care about you?" ”

At the mention of the word "official mansion", a red tide appeared on the old man's face, and his body trembled, obviously extremely angry, but despite the anger, in the end it only turned into a helpless sigh.

"At first, the government took care of us, that is, gave us some food. After a few days, we were left to fend for ourselves, and I was not left to beg. ”

"The people in the village reasoned with the officers and soldiers, but they were all put in prison. Until now, I don't know whether I live or die. ”

Yu Zhi listened to the old man's story, and his thoughts flew away.

A few months ago, when the mountain bandits were in turmoil, the county guard of Sucheng County at that time was Su Sui. can listen to the old man's story, Su Sui acted like this, and this official was unjustly dismissed.

Before knowing these things, Yu Zhi might also want to help Su Sui, which is the best way to let Su Muci gain a firm foothold in the Su family.

But now, Yu Zhi only had a sneer in his heart.

"When you were at the city gate, I saw those officers and soldiers driving you away, and the Sioux army was also driving away the people on the official road. Why is that? Yu Zhi asked.

The old man shook his head lonely and said, "The officers and soldiers in the city will not let us enter the city, nor will we spend the night under the city walls. They said it was affecting the trade and convoy traffic in Sioux City. Alas... I heard that some people were begging on the official road, and they were mistakenly killed by the Su Cheng army as mountain bandits. ”

"Mountain bandits often go down the mountain to kill people, and we don't dare to go anywhere else, so we can only hide under the official road or the walls of Sioux City."

The closer you are to Sioux City, the safer it is.

Yu Zhi said lightly: "These dog officials really deserve to be killed." ”

"That's what I said." The old man just used him as a teenager to vent his grievances. "How can ordinary people like us fight with the officials. Alas, in this world, life is hard. ”

Yu Zhi asked again: "I heard that the imperial court has dismissed the previous official of the county guard of Sucheng County, and the current county guard of Sucheng County is also so indulgent to the mountain bandits, regardless of your life or death?" ”

The old man glanced around the mountain temple, and his eyes were full of vicissitudes and sadness. If so, how did they end up here?

It seems that Sucheng County is also a puddle of mud, whether it is Li Jun or the current Sucheng County Guard. In short, he is not a good person...... Yu Zhi knew who to take to Liwei.

Yu Zhi asked, "I walked all the way and saw many people nearby. Very few young children are visible. Is there a place for these young children? ”

After walking on the official road for a day, there were many people who were killed on the road, but Yu Zhi only saw such a young child as Tuan Tuan. Even the children who were seen under the walls of Sioux City were only a handful.

With so many people in distress, why are there only so many children?

Yu Zhi was puzzled all the way.

The old man could not express his grief, and said in a trembling voice: "The mountain bandits looted, they not only wanted money and food, but also robbed children. In that looting, almost all the children in the village were robbed, and the parents of those children were also killed. ”

"Snatching a child?" Yu was puzzled. "It's common for mountain bandits to ask for money and food, but what's the use of robbing children, more children, and more rations in the cottage."

The reason for this is not something that Yu Zhi can know.

Yu Zhi thought for a while and continued: "Old man, you will enter the city with me tomorrow. I don't believe it, the huge Sioux City can't accommodate you? ”

......

......

The city is brightly lit, the rivers in the city are full of flower boats wandering, and bursts of piano sounds float out of the attics on both sides, like a melodious turn.

The people on the street are leisurely. Strolling in the summer evening breeze and watching the circus acrobatics on the street, it is so lively.

Just separated by the city wall, there are two heavens and two worlds inside and outside Sioux City.

Outside the city is a miserable situation of starvation, but inside the city is a peaceful and prosperous era of singing and dancing.

Mountain bandits are rampant, and bandits are not endless. Everything is a rhetoric, and everything is the suffering of the people outside the city.

In the Sioux County Warden's Mansion, the newly appointed County Warden is having fun with the parrot in the cage. It was a fiery red parrot, its red feathers were shiny, and the long-tailed spirit was shaking, obviously very spiritual.

The new county warden of Sioux City is named Zu Anbang, with a wide heart and a fat body, and a smile on his face forever, and he looks like a good old man at a glance. But if you look closely, you will find that there is a trace of cruelty and treachery hidden in the eyes of the good old man.

The ruthless and treacherous good old man is none other than a smiling tiger.

Zu Anbang also spent more than ten years in the officialdom of Nanzhou Prefecture and was transferred from Jiangnan City, the capital city of Nanzhou.

For Zu Anbang, this appointment is a promotion. To become the county warden of Sioux City is to stand in the middle of the Southern State officialdom.

Behind Zu Anbang, a middle-aged man sat and drank tea leisurely. He looked at Zu Anbang and said with a smile: "Lord Zu, the inspector from Kyoto is coming." Are you still so laid-back? ”

Zu Anbang continued to tease the fire parrot and said, "Master Su is too worried. It's just a hairy kid who has not dried up, he is the inspector of the imperial history, that is, a child, what kind of officialdom can he understand. Wait for him to come to Sioux City, treat him well, and send him back well. ”

The so-called Su Gongzi is Su Ling, the son of Su Rongxing, the second room of the Su family.

Su Ling sighed, and said, "Master Zu doesn't want to underestimate him. I heard that this Lord Yushi found out the murder of the official in Beiliang Mansion, and was promoted to six levels in a row, and was promoted to the left deputy capital of Zhengsanpin. With such means, I'm afraid it's not an ordinary hairy child. ”

Only then did Zu Anbang put away his joke and sat down on the chair. "Master Su, you must know that the one in Jiangnan City will never let outsiders come to Nanzhou to do evil. If you are this inspector of the imperial history and current affairs, look at the mountains and rivers of Nanzhou, and return to Beijing safely. If he didn't know the current affairs, he wouldn't have a good time going south this time. ”

Before the inspector arrived, Zu Anbang had already made plans.

He has only been in Sioux County for a few days, and he also wants to stand up.

Su Ling no longer persuaded and said, "Master Zu, don't forget. You can become the county guard of Sioux City County, and I also have a credit to my Su family. Master Zu promised me about the Su family......"

Suddenly, Zu Anbang stared at Su Ling fiercely. Su Ling was also stunned, a chill enveloped his body, he choked up, and swallowed the words back into his stomach.

After only a moment, Zu Anbang regained his old smile and said happily: "Don't worry. What I promised the Su family will definitely be fulfilled. Besides, Ling Zun is the county guard of Lin'an, how dare I deceive the Su family. ”

"I've just been in Sioux City, though. Su Gongzi has to give me some time to sort out. ”

Su Ling thought about it carefully and said, "Master Zu, don't forget it. ”

"Today, Su Muci's woman is back, although Su Sui is a straw bag, Su Muci is not. We also have to be careful about our affairs, so as not to be noticed by Su Muci. ”

Zu Anbang drank tea and echoed: "Naturally, naturally. ”