The group returned to the post house, and the post was already waiting at the door. Seeing them coming back, he hurriedly greeted them and said, "Lord Belle, Yangzhou Grain Dao Kou Mingchen has already come, and I will see you in the flower hall!" ”

The two of them entered the main hall one after the other, and the entourage had just arranged a snack and tea food, and saw an official at the West Corner Gate, wearing a robe with eight pythons and five claws, covered with snow goose supplements, and wearing a blue nirvana glass top on his head. Then he bowed his head. Yin Zhen sipped tea and replied, "Come in, you don't have to be formal." "Lord Shabel!" Kou Ming got up and said a thousand more, and Fang cautiously picked up the curtain and came in.

"Sit down, forgive me for not eating, this snack is optional." Yin Zhen waved his hand and said to Dai Duo who was standing aside: "You also sit - Kou Ming, can the grain be shipped within three days?" ”

Kou Ming pinched the sit that had just sat down, and hurriedly replied: "If you go back to your master, you are worried about this matter!" There is food, that is, it is ready-made, and there are three dollars of rice on the market, and how much is needed. However, the money in the customs road cannot be passed, and this famine is not easy to fight. begging the fourth master to urge the customs road to issue silver as soon as possible, it is sympathetic to the lower officials. Yin Zhen casually picked up a piece of snack, but didn't eat it, and said after a while: "I have urged the customs a few times." They were restrained by Wei Dongting, the governor of customs. The day before yesterday, I had sent a letter to the governor's yamen and asked him to approve the silver immediately. The money will come in the morning and evening - this is a loan, and the money will be returned to the household, you can only rest assured. Kou Ming smiled and said, "Ye Shengming! But now the silver has not come, and it is impossible to gather 100,000 stone rice at once. I can only ask the fourth master to transport Kudi'er away, about 50,000 stones. The remaining 50,000 stone shall be equal to silver. I have decreed that all large grain stockpiles and rice stacks should be leveled in the national treasury at the current price of rice, and that no one should take the opportunity to raise them, no hoarding them, and no unauthorized shipments should be made. As soon as the silver arrived in March, the vocational road personally escorted the Tongcheng Qin to the line, I don't know if it will be successful? ”

"You're doing your best." Yin Zhen glanced at Kou Ming, got up and paced two steps, stood at the door and looked out of the courtyard through the curtain, and said for a long time: "There are also 20,000 hungry people in Yangzhou, I looked at the market today, and I felt very sad - this also has to be helped, 50,000 stone is less, isn't it more difficult to keep grain?" So you have to buy food! "But it's useless to have no silver......," Kou Ming muttered, "If only the Yangzhou Mansion could make some money."

Dai Duo smiled beside him: "That's it, ask Che Ming to take a few!" Kou Ming shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It's just a matter of talking, Che Ming also asked my yamen to borrow money the month ago!" I said that Yangzhou is a fat shortage of fart oil crotch, and you have the idea of beating my grain road with 7,000 silver from the treasury? He said it was the Temple of Literature, and when I inquired, it was not like that—he was for three—" He suddenly felt that he had gone too far, and pretended to eat tea to cover up. Yinzhen listened to everything in his heart, because he saw Gao Fu'er coming in with a newly-dressed Cui'er, he only nodded, and said with a smile on his face: "Do you say half of the words to ask the fourth master to guess the riddle?" ”

"Back to Lord Belle!" Kou Ming's face suddenly turned red and became a little embarrassed, "Listen...... I heard that it was to send Bing Jing to the university scholars[1]

- And, there is - there is a man named Meng Guangzu, who is from Sanbeile Mansion and lives in Nanjing, and he also needs to be embellished...... Fourth Master...... In fact, these things are just rumors, just rumors......" He couldn't hold his mouth, and he was so flustered that he didn't know what to do.

Yin Zhen couldn't help but gasp, he couldn't imagine that there was such a big background behind Che Ming. Yu Xu is the uncle of Yinhe, the eldest son of the emperor, who is known as "Da Chitose", and this is not enough, and he is the henchman of the eighth elder brother Yinxu. The eighth elder brother Yinyu is known as the "Eight Sage King", and the ninth elder brother Yinyu and the tenth elder brother Yinyu are called the "three masters", crisscrossing and crisscrossing, prosperity and withering, if it is in the six forces, it is still above the prince Yinren. is Meng Guangzu's master, the third elder brother Yinzhi, and the "holy family" is also far above himself...... This Kou Ming is afraid of getting involved in the turmoil of his brothers, which is reasonable. Yin Zhen thought about it, and coldly interrupted Kou Ming's words: "You don't have to say it, I already know your difficulties." Okay! There are only fifty or sixty million taels of silver in the treasury, and it is seven trillion to copy the family of Mingzhu (the father of the Xu)! - Xu Xu is also a rich and rival country, and he is still so money-saving! It's really a city fox club rat! ——Tell you, he is an iron rooster, I have steel pliers, plucking is the purpose of the fourth master, silver, must be called Yangzhou Mansion to take it! ”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kou Ming rubbed the sweat on his head and agreed, and secretly praised in his heart: "No wonder people say that the fourth master is the 'King of Iron and Stone Hearts and Cold Noodles', it is really worthy of his name!" But he said: "The fourth master knows the hardships of the lower officials, and the lower officials are grateful!" ”

Yin Zhen sneered and said, "Of course I won't embarrass you." You go to meet Che Ming, we don't mention anything we said. only said that the fourth master asked him to give 20,000 silver to honor the victims - to give up rice and open a porridge field. Listen carefully: rice, two houses a day, chopsticks do not fall, towels are wrapped without seepage, and cold rice balls should be held in your hands to eat. No one is allowed to starve to death on the ground in Yangzhou Mansion, and a few of the abductors and traffickers will be slaughtered - I still have three days to go to Yangzhou, and he can't do it for me, so I will ask the king to kill him first and then play the court. Even if I go back to Tongcheng, I have to leave someone to watch him do this errand, against my order, he is still unable to protect his wealth - don't think about this brother and brother, it's no good to think nonsense, the sword of Shang Fang in my hand is on his neck! ”

Kou Ming was already sweating through his heavy clothes, stood up, Yinzhen said, he promised "yes", and said: "The fourth master Bodhisattva heart, this is the fulfillment of humble duties, and it is also the protection of Che!" ”

"You said it was none of your business, as I said." Yin Zhen said slowly, gently pulled Cui'er, and stroked her hair, "Look at this child, so little, my father and mother died in the flood...... Hungry like this! The people are the foundation of the country, and the change of the people is more important than the prevention of Sichuan! You are also a reader, you should understand this truth - go back to find a copy of "Liuhe East Collection", read "Send Hedong Xue Cunyi Preface" - go! ”

When Kou Mingnuo retreated, Yin Zhenfang turned his face, sat on the chair, and asked Cui'er gently, "Are you full?" Changing this outfit, it's more decent, right? Cui'er kept listening with her fingers in her mouth. She is young, and most of the adults don't understand what the adults say, but Yinzhen understands what she said, "Don't fall down with chopsticks in your meal" and "Don't starve to death". With intuition, she felt that this majestic and cold "big official" was a good person, and when she saw Yinzhen being so gentle to her, her eyes turned red, and she gradually became attached, so she said: "Master, I have never eaten such a good thing." The dog and the brother are all burping, and they are discussing going out to play! ”

"Did they go?" Yinzhen asked Gao Fuer.

"These two boys are very wild, and they are afraid that they will not come back, so the slave did not let them go."

"Tell them to go." Dai Duo smiled, "They only came here for Chong Cui'er, what are they doing and never going back?" I'm afraid that something will happen to them, just with a person. ”

Cui'er laughed when she heard this, and said, "This master is right." I'm here, they won't run. We came out of a small place, and I fell into the hands of human traffickers, not for their protection, I would have been sold to Qin He Huailou - let alone if something happens, Brother Dog is nicknamed 'Stalking Ghost', Brother Kan is nicknamed 'Ghost is difficult', which one has a loss for them to eat? ”

"Haunting ghosts, ghosts are difficult!" Yin Zhen looked up to the sky and laughed, "It's really a good name!" - Gao Fu'er, tell them to go out and have fun, don't make trouble, and come back before dark! ”

Yinzhen's knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger was very effective, and three days later, Kou Ming's 50,000 stone brown rice was ready. Due to the siltation of the water transport, all the cars were loaded, and they were divided into more than 400 rides, and they were transported north by the dry road. Yinzhen took a mule cart, because the weather to the north was still cold, according to Dai Duo's meaning, he wanted to hang a silk tweed cover on the outside of the car, which was warm and generous, and he was a brother. Yinzhen didn't want to be eye-catching, so he only put on a cotton bib with elephant eyes (oblique wins). Dai Duo Gao Fu'er knew his nature, and it was useless to admonish him, so he had to give up.

After passing Baoying, the car entered the yellow flood area. It seems to be long gone, with endless beaches and swamps left behind by floods. In February, the grass has just budded, and the yellow sand beach is full of withered grass from the autumn of the previous year, and the shaggy ones tremble and whisper in the curling spring breeze. The horse stepped on the sand and walked very hard. Gao Fuer and Dai Duo rode back and forth to take care of them, and the sergeants who guarded the grain had to help the wheels of the handlebars stuck in the mud from time to time, and they could not walk thirty miles a day. The villages along the way are also deserted, and the young people in the prime of life have long since flown away, leaving only some hungry old and weak women and children. Yinzhen was ordered to give relief on the spot, and he was even more busy when he entered Huai'an, and there were more than 2,000 stone grains out of the way.

"It's finally out of this dead beach!" In the evening of this day, the tired and tired convoy stopped, Gao Fuer dragged his heavy steps, and went to Yinzhen's car and said, "Fourth master, I'm afraid I have to sleep here for one night today." Yinzhen held a copy of the "Diamond Sutra" in his hand, was watching Cui'er and Kan'er untie the rope with great interest, listened to Gao Fu'er's speech, moved his body down, looked at the sun lazily falling on the beach, and asked, "Where have you been?" Before he could say anything, the dog jumped out of the car, and Kan'er smiled and said, "This was originally a ferry, but now it is silted." Cui'er pounced on the car and said, "I went here with my father to beg for food, called Peach Blossom Crossing!" ”

"Peach Blossom Crossing!" Yin Zhen's expression suddenly became a little excited, his eyes flashed, and his breathing was a little short, and he calmed down after a while, and let out a long breath, "What a beautiful name!" Gao Fuer smiled: "It's Peach Blossom Crossing...... This place lord has been here......" He paused for a moment and didn't say anything, but changed his words: "Thirty miles further north, you will go to the official road, and the road will be easy to walk." Saying that, Dai Duo also caught up and said with a smile: "It's also a shame that the fourth master is a good one." I'm going to change the thirteenth master, and the yellow mud beach for half a month has been boring! ”

Yin Zhen didn't say a word, squatted down and picked up the river sand under his feet, half a foot down, below is the black and swarthy cooked soil, at a glance, it was originally a good field, couldn't help sighing, and said: "The prince is in the prosperous world of Qiluo thicket, and I don't know the suffering of the world if I don't go here-it's a pity that this place is ......" Because he ordered everyone to get up a stove and cook, he set up a tent on the deserted beach for the night.

The sun has set. The vast sky, the layers of pink lotus petal-like sunset gradually dimmed in the curling smoke, the bonfire licked the black and red flames, the pork knuckle in the hanging pot exuded a pungent smell of meat, and the dog named Lu Lu snuggled in the dog's arms, so greedy that he stuck out his tongue and drooped his tongue. Yin Zhen sat silent when he saw everyone's fire, knowing that it was because of his presence, but he refused to indulge Dai Duo and Gao Fu'er, and only said to the three children: "Why are you all sitting still, do you have any songs?" Sing it! ”

With just one sentence, the children immediately became excited. The dog pulled out a flute from his arms, licked his lips, and tried the sound for a moment, and the deep and trembling flute sound immediately broke through the air. Kan'er smiled: "I'll have one first!" So he sang at the top of his voice:

My sister is not far from the other side, and my brother is not far from here.

The two sides of the strait are relatively populated, only separated by Qinglongshui!

Yinzhen listened to him sing "love songs" with incomplete tones, and couldn't help laughing, clapping his hands and cheering: "Okay! Who's coming again! Before she could speak, Cui'er sang:

I miss my mother! How many waves is my mother in the yellow water? I couldn't bear to let go to the sky, leaving Jiao'er and going around...... I think about it day and night, and I wake up crying in my dreams......

Although the voice was childish, it was clear and bright gushing out of the heart spring, and Cui'er was moved by her true feelings, with tears rolling in her eyes. The dog played the flute and closed its eyes, as if he was not thinking of anything. Kan'er lowered his head and said, "The dead are dead, and the living are still alive, and you love to sing these things so that people will be terrified." Then he put his hands on his knees and sang:

Oh my God! I'm going to fight you! People say that you can bring blessings, your mother starved to death in the suburbs, and the filial son couldn't help it! People say that you can bring disaster to disaster, only to see the old cow hit by lightning, and even the tiger was struck by thunder? Xi Shi married Wang Laoma, and the sixty-year-old man married Jiaowa...... People are afraid of you, but I'm not afraid - are you confused with a pot of porridge and eat our incense?

…… After singing, the flute whimpered and stopped. For a long time, no one squeaked, only the firewood and grass crackled in the bonfire, and the flames jumped one after another to shine on the pensive faces of everyone.

Yin Zhen sat on the dragon beard grass mat, motionless like an iron statue, he lowered his head, and people couldn't see what his expression was. After a long time, Yin Zhen Fang stretched out, and his voice was a little hoarse: "Singing is excellent." When I go back to Beijing, I want to see Mr. Wu and ask him to polish it, and let the emperor and the officials of the six ministries listen to it! After a little contemplation, he said, "Do you want to hear the story?" ”

"Okay!" The three children cheered, and Kan'er said, "Tell a grandson to learn from the scriptures!" But the dog said, "That's all vulgar, what's interesting?" It's better to talk about ghosts! Cui'er covered her ears and said: "You are ghosts that are difficult to haunt and haunt ghosts, I am afraid to listen, I don't want to listen to ghosts!" ”

Yin Zhen smiled faintly and said, "Don't talk about ghosts and gods." I believe in Buddhism, and I don't have the courage to blaspheme heaven and earth, so I'll tell you the truth. He struck the fire with his stick to calm himself down, and began to speak: "I can't remember which dynasty or generation, but there was an emperor who gave birth to more than twenty sons—"

"My Mom!" Cui'er said, "So many brothers? Kan'er hurriedly said: "Don't interrupt! I didn't listen to the drum first, and I said that Prince Wen has more than 100 sons! Yinzhen nodded: "There is a son in it, who is the most timid and benevolent by nature." He was reluctant to trample on the ants on the ground, and the crickets also frightened him to shrink back, and he didn't want to kill the rat when he caught it in the palace, for fear that the old rat would die and the little rat would not be able to live. Hearing him say something funny, several of the children grinned. Dai Duo and Gao Fu'er looked at each other and said nothing. Yin Zhen said: "You know, since you are the son of the dragon and the grandson of the phoenix, you have to help the emperor do things. In charge of the world, the good people will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished and killed, how can this kind of character be achieved? Besides, these sons grew up in the palace since they were children, and they have never seen the world, and they don't know how the common people live. When the old emperor thought about it, he told his sons to go out on errands. This son was assigned to Huai'an to inspect the Yellow River and the Huai River.

"When the prince of the dynasty sits in Huai'an, the officials below will naturally come to worship. From the envoys to the state and county officials, they are surrounded by a large group of people all day long. The prince himself is also careful, seeing that the work is easy, and the people under him see that he is obedient and loyal like his father, the prince feels that his ability is a lot greater, and the emperor said that the officials here are the pillars of the court, and the emperor is naturally happy.

"I don't want the Yellow River to flood that year - do you know what a sheep report is? There is a bronze gorge in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, and when Yu ruled the water, he set up an iron flagpole there, and carved a measure of proportion. The water in Qingtongxia rose by an inch, and the water downstream rose by a foot. In order to let the downstream know the water potential of the Qingtongxia, the sheepskin was swollen, and the good man who was not afraid of death was tied to the top and floated down the river with a bamboo stick written on it, and the people under the head knew that they were ready to prepare the berm, and the sheep newspaper that floated down above this year, the water in the Qingtongxia rose by three feet! ”

The dog was startled, and flashed his eyes: "God! Then let's go up three feet, Huai'an City is going to be full! I've only been around once in the year I can remember! ”

"That's it!" Yin Zhen muttered, "It also rained downstream that year, and it has been cloudy for more than half a month. On this day, the rain was particularly heavy, and he saw that the river was dumped, and he was afraid that the city would be difficult to protect, so the prince ordered the officials in the government to prepare boats, and he only took a long entourage to the west of the city, wanting to see if the river embankment could be expected to be kept.

"The clouds in the sky are very thick, and at noon, the dragon's tail is as black as the bottom of the pot hanging from the sky like ink threads, and the wisps are swaying, and the clouds are flashing, some are purple, some are golden, and some are like fireballs jumping up and down and exploding...... The thunder was so tight that it shook the towers. Cui'er shuddered and said, "You also said that this prince is cowardly!" This is the dragon angry, why don't you run away? ”

"I also said he was kind-hearted." Yin Zhen's face was a little pale, "He muttered a prayer to the heavens, please save this city catastrophe." He saw the Yellow River collapse and sweep up the embankment, and the tide more than five feet high roared, and the mountains and seas poured in, and he exclaimed: 'Master, go quickly, go back to the yamen and get on the boat!' It doesn't matter whether the prince agrees or not, drag the prince on the horse and run...... Just listen to the sound of gongs all over the city, 'The water has filled the south gate, run!' Then I heard a 'boom' from the south, and the walls fell. The flood poured into the city, and everywhere there were people crying and dogs barking. The dust from the collapse of the house and the collapse of the house spread into the sky in the heavy rain. The water was more than four feet deep in the street, and even the horses could not run...... The sound of thunder, the sound of rain, the sound of the river, the sound of the collapse of one house after another, the sky was as dark as night, the rain was blind, nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard, the heavens and the earth were all stirred!

The master and servant abandoned their horses, waded chest-high water and finally returned to the yamen, and they were both relieved - as long as they got on the boat, they were not afraid - who knew that as soon as they entered the door, the two of them were stunned, and the big official ship tied to the instrument gate had long disappeared! These scholars, who are usually full of loyalty to the monarch and love the people, have already untied their cables and fled, and they don't even care about their masters!

"The water in the courtyard was rushing back, and there was no one left behind. They grabbed a ladder floating on the water and tried to get to the roof. Suddenly, the servant remembered that there was a big fish tank with water lilies in front of the signing room, and hurriedly went to get the tank out of the water, and emptied it, hugged the prince and cried loudly, saying: "Master, you can only go to the room for a while, and these unreasonable black-hearted thieves may not think of coming to pick us up...... Good master, you sit in, I will hold the edge of the tank, and we will float down the river...... God's eyes are above, it's up to us to die......"

Hearing this, Dai Duo was shocked, and he remembered what Gao Fuer said about Kangxi's forty-three years and Yinzhen's escape from death, but it was not as detailed as Yinzhen said. Gao Fu'er's eyes were straight when she heard this, as if she had returned to the terrible life and death catastrophe of the year, and after a long time, she sighed: "Why did the master tell this story again?" It's weird, don't talk about the rest of it. Kan'er glared and said, "When it comes to the joints, why don't you call it out?" I love to hear it! The dog also said: "Didn't Lord Yue also escape by sitting in a water tank?" If you don't die in a big disaster, you will have a blessing! Cui'er seemed to be still immersed in the story, and suddenly Lingling asked with flashing eyes: "Master, did the prince escape?" ”

"He's not a prince." Yin Zhen smiled bitterly, "If it's the prince, those bastard officials don't dare to run for their lives privately...... They floated in the water for two days and two nights. I wasn't hungry, there were a lot of things to eat floating in the river, pumpkins, persimmons, eggplants, and occasionally a steamed bun nest. It's just that the prince is sitting in the tank, dizzy and doesn't know the south, south, west, and northwest, and vomits when he eats something; What about the servants? Holding the edge of the cylinder, he was exhausted, and he let go of his hand after napping several times, but the prince pulled it back with his hand.

Two days later, the tank drifted to the shore, and as soon as the two of them came up, they chanted the Buddha, and suddenly the world spun around, and they both fainted on the beach.

"When I woke up again, it was already dark. When the prince opened his eyes, he saw a broken table in front of the bed, on which an oil lamp was lit and flickered. An old man sat on a stool smoking a cigarette, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl held a bowl of ginger soup and looked at her blankly. The prince moved his lips, and just as he was about to say something, the girl shouted in surprise: 'Daddy! When he awoke...... then he saw the servant come in, and fell to his knees with a thud and only kowtowed: 'Thank you, old man, for saving us!' I will repay you for your kindness...... Our lord—' He glanced at the princes, but did not dare to reveal their true identities. The prince sat up and said, 'My name is Wang Sunlong, please ask the old man your surname?' You are so kind, God will bless you! ’

"'What kind of 'noble surname' are we, the surname is black, and the family is a happy family. The old man's face was full of wrinkles, and he sighed and said, "The ancestors have atoned for their sins, and the accumulation of virtue is also for themselves - it is my second daughter Xiaofu who saved you, and I have not come back to borrow rice, this is my eldest daughter Xiaolu......" Xiao Lu hurriedly brought the head of the nest and said: "There is water on all sides, there is no salt and no vegetables, and the rice may not be borrowed, so let's eat it - Dad is too, saving people's lives, winning the seventh-level floating slaughter, just scared like that!" The prince's spirit was better, and when he looked at Xiao Lu under the lamp, although his appearance was not stunning, he was quiet and pretty, and his speech was refreshing, and he couldn't help asking: 'What is there to be afraid of?' ’

"Xiao Lu brought a bowl of wild vegetable soup, beckoned the prince's master and servant to eat, and said: 'I won't tell you, our ancestors in the former Ming Yongle Ye Jing was difficult to raise a bad thing, changed his surname to Hei, became a pariah, the court has a will, and only allows the clan to sing from generation to generation, be a drummer, a play, a paper man and a paper horse, and be an elegy, a matchmaker, and a stable woman...... Help people with weddings and funerals...... It's been more than three hundred years. In the past 300 years, generation after generation, there have been ninety-four festival women, and two martyrs - one died in Heilongjiang for her father's lawsuit, and the other died without passing through the door, and she also committed suicide. Five years ago, when a Taizun heard about this, he checked the family tree again, and said that it was rare to have such a cheap background, and those who did not sell themselves were still out of the festival! It's a pity that there are not enough of a hundred, and when this number is full, he will worship the book and play, and get rid of the whole clan, and there are a lot of them. In short, the clan has made a dead rule: if the martyr woman is less than a hundred, who will have an accident here......' she suddenly blushed and said, "What are you doing with this?" The prince smiled and said, "You have to say it yourself!" Xiao Lu listened, took a nest and went out.

At one moment she came in again, but she was holding a ladle of rice, and a large piece of salt from an egg, and she crushed it on the board without saying a word, pinched a little and put it in the prince's bowl, put the rice on the stove, looked at the prince timidly, broke half of the nest, and squatted under the stove while eating the firewood pot. The prince smiled and said, 'Why don't you like it?' Don't worry, it's mine, it's not. She didn't answer, only glanced at the prince suspiciously, suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, and lowered her head to burn wood. The prince was wondering, and outside the door came another Xiaolu, holding a cleaned radish in his hand, neatly cutting it, and laughing and saying, 'You are blessed! I wonder if I can borrow rice - you don't know that I am a girl, I can't speak, and my popularity is good! ’”

Only then did everyone realize that it was not a person who came in front and behind. Kan'er smiled: "Ha! It's a pair of twin sisters! Dai Duo has never seen Yinzhen have the interest to say so many words to his subordinates, these words are spread out to other elder brothers, there is no benefit, because he saw that the meat was cooked, while fishing it out with chopsticks, he first cut a piece and held it to Yinzhen Just about to divert the topic, Kan'er was dripping and gnawing on the meat, and tearing and feeding the reeds, squinting and smiling: "Fourth master, you don't need to talk about it, I know everything!" ”

[1]

The usual amount of silver that diplomats give to Beijing officials in the summer is called "Bingjing".