Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 146
On the official road from Luonan to Huayin, a huge team is slowly moving forward.

This team is quite strange, more than a hundred people around are all men on horseback with swords, and there is only one carriage in the middle. From a distance, it is unclear whether they are escorting darts or what they are doing.

Taichang couldn't help it, he had to be careful, because the legendary Sanqin land was full of hungry people and piles of refugees, if he didn't bring more expert guards, how dare he go on the road.

The hundreds of guards guarding the surrounding area are only half of the masters, and the other half have already dressed up as refugees and scattered around the team for several miles to guard.

However, what is strange is that there are no refugees on this official road, not even the checkpoints of the inspection department, and the vast wilderness is empty, only the wasteland that has been cracked by drought is left.

what on earth is this kind of happenings?
After the team traveled several miles, Taichang finally couldn't help but said to Luo Sigong, who was riding a horse and following closely beside the car: "Let everyone stop for a while, I will get out of the car and have a look."

Hearing this, Luo Sigong quickly ordered his Jin Yiwei to scatter their horses to protect the surroundings. Cao Huachun, Liu Shiyou and Gu Cheng got off their horses, came to the carriage, and respectfully took Taichang and Wang Zheng out of the carriage.

Taichang walked to the dry land beside him, squatted down and looked carefully, then looked up again, his brows could not help frowning.

How could it be so serious?

The land was too dry, the cracks were bottomless, and there was still dry loess under the cracks, with no trace of water at all.

It shouldn't be. From the map, the Weihe River is only more than ten miles away from here. Is it difficult to dig a diversion canal that is more than ten miles long?

He frowned and pondered for a moment, then stood up, took the binoculars from the guard next to him, and slowly scanned them.

The surrounding fields are all the same, all dry and cracked, and the villages in the distance seem to be abandoned, and no one can be seen.

Thousands of miles of red land, desolate and uninhabited!
The legendary desolate scene actually appeared in such a place, what's going on?

This is Huayin, just beside the Weihe River, and the Weihe River is not a small river, it is impossible to dry up!

Question, why is it doing this here?
He stood there again, frowning and thinking for a while, and finally greeted Wang Zheng to get on the carriage, and continued to Huayin County.

The party came to a place about four or five miles away from Huayin County, and people finally appeared on the official road.

However, the roads were sparsely populated by Jin Yiwei in disguise.

A Jinyiwei family pretended to beg for food, nodded and bowed: "Your Majesty, there are tens of thousands of hungry people gathered around Huayin County!"

what?
Tens of thousands of hungry people!

When Taichang heard this, he couldn't help being startled, these hungry people may become rebels at any time.

He thought for a while, then asked, "Have these hungry people ever caused trouble?"

The Jinyiwei Baihu said cautiously: "They haven't caused trouble, it seems that someone is giving porridge."

It should be fine if someone gives porridge.

Taichang thought about it again, but still gritted his teeth and said, "Go ahead, be careful."

The team went forward for two or three miles, and the outline of the city wall of Huayin County was finally exposed in front of it. As expected, there were hungry people everywhere around the county town.

But, fortunately, most of these hungry people are queuing up to receive porridge. They are a team full of knives, and the hungry people dare not gather around to eat.

Seeing this, Taichang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the money and food for the disaster relief were not in vain, and these hungry people were not so hungry that they rebelled.

The team came outside the south gate, and there were several porridge sheds on both sides, while the city gate was guarded by some yamen servants and people who looked like Xiangyong. Peaceful.

Taichang was thinking about how to find an excuse to see whether the porridge the hungry people drank was thick or thin, when Wang Zheng suddenly pointed to an old man in a porridge shed and said excitedly: "Your Majesty, that is Liu Yingkui, this is all right, he actually It’s still there, and it’s running a porridge shed outside the city.”

This is indeed a bit of a coincidence, but it is not surprising.

After all, the Liu family in Huayin was one of the few official families in Huayin County, and there were limited officials in the county government, and each had their own duties. It was normal for prestigious gentry like them to supervise the distribution of disaster relief food.

It would be easy to have acquaintances, Taichang greeted immediately, got out of the carriage, and led everyone to the porridge shed where Liu Yingkui was.

Liu Yingkui was instructing people to pour millet into a newly boiled pot of water when a servant suddenly pointed to the outside of the porridge shed and said something, so he raised his head to have a look.

Why are so many people coming to his porridge shed?

Just as he was curious, Wang Zheng had already walked up and cupped his hands excitedly: "Brother Wenhe, I haven't seen you for many years, how have you been?"

This is?

Liu Yingkui took a closer look, and there was a look of surprise on his face. He stepped forward excitedly, held Wang Zheng's arm and said, "So it's Liangfu, you were mentioned in the teacher's letter a few years ago, didn't you?" Are you working in the capital, why did you come here?"

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something again, and quickly cupped his hands and said: "Oh, I forgot, you are all a matter of Shao Zhan of the fourth rank, Mr. Wang, please be rude."

Wang Zheng couldn't help holding his arm and said with a smile: "Brother Wenhe, what joke are you kidding? It's not rude to be rude. You were earlier than me in high school. Wasn't I being rude every day?"

Alas, the road to the imperial examination is really difficult!
Hearing this, Liu Yingkui couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "It's still Liang Fu's virtuous brother who is talented and intelligent. He was named on the gold list early on. I'm ashamed of my brother. I'll be a successor in this life."

Wang Zheng and Liu Yingkui were reminiscing about the past, but Taichang took the opportunity to walk to the big pot where the porridge was being served, and poked his head to look inside.

Seeing this, his face suddenly darkened.

Millet seems to be cheaper than rice. The porridge in this pot is so clear that you can count the number of grains of millet in it. Are you hungry after drinking it?
He looked up at the victims who lined up to receive porridge, all of them were pale and emaciated from hunger, shivering in the cold wind, and their eyes were full of dead gray.

How much are these corrupt officials corrupt?

The hundreds of people queuing up probably won't be able to eat ten catties of millet!

He couldn't help being annoyed and said, "Why did you put such a little millet?"

Uh, who is this?
When Liu Yingkui heard this, he couldn't help looking at Wang Zheng with a puzzled face.

Wang Zheng quickly explained: "This is a close friend of my younger brother in Beijing, and they are here to check the disaster situation in the Northwest."

Oh, a close friend in Beijing must be an official.

However, judging by his age, he should not be a high-ranking official.

Alas, young and vigorous!
Liu Yingkui thought for a while, and then sighed helplessly: "Oh, dear brother, I can't help it. The money and food at home are really limited, and there are so many hungry people. In order to persevere, let these hungry people survive this winter. I just counted the grains and cooked them."

What does this mean?
Hearing this, Taichang couldn't help being surprised and said: "Brother Wenhe, do you mean that you pay for the porridge yourself?"

How dare you call the emperor's younger brother!
Your Majesty, are you still called Brother Wen He?
Wang Zheng was dumbfounded.

Liu Yingkui sighed again and again: "Oh, there is no way, we really can't bear to see the starving people outside the city starve to death, so we can only do our best."

What does this mean?
Taichang couldn't help being curious: "What do you mean, all the porridge here are your local gentry? Didn't the imperial court distribute money and food for disaster relief? Didn't the county government organize people to give porridge?"

How about this?

Hearing this, Liu Yingkui looked around cautiously and stopped talking.

what's the problem?

Seeing this, Taichang couldn't help winking at Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng hurriedly approached Liu Yingkui, and said in a low voice: "Brother Wen and we are all on our own, so don't have any scruples, if you have anything to say, just say it."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yingkui asked in a low voice, "Liangfu, you shouldn't be an eunuch, are you?"

How could I be an eunuch!
Wang Zheng quickly shook his head and said, "No, no."

Liu Yingkui immediately asked again: "Where is this virtuous brother?"

My God, you are still a good brother, this is Long Live God!
Wang Zheng was really startled when he heard the word "virtuous brother".

Taichang shook his head without hesitation and said, "We are with Liangfu, of course we are not."

Not good.

Liu Yingkui carefully looked around again, and then said in a low voice: "This is not a place to talk, if you really want to know, you can follow me back to the mansion, how about it?"

OK!

Taichang nodded without hesitation: "Then bother brother Wen He."

(End of this chapter)