Zhurou

Chapter 143 Pen and Paper
The next day, at dawn, Zhao Mingzhi woke up.

When she moved a little, Mu Xiang, who was on duty at night, heard the movement, and also got up.

I thought that the palace people in the cubicle were too tired to travel day and night from Caizhou, and most of them were sound asleep, but when the two of them went out, the main hall outside and the side hall behind were brightly lit, and many torches were actually lit.

Looking into the palace, the tables and chairs are put together with the bed in the corner, the palace people are lying down, lying down, leaning on and leaning on, and there are even people dozing off behind the door.

Just as Mu Xiang pushed the door, the person guarding him jumped up like a frightened rabbit.

Zhao Mingzhi pointed to the table and bed in the corner, and asked in surprise, "Why do you sleep like this?"

Since the earth dragon is burned at night, some quilts can be spread on the ground. Although it is simple, it is not as comfortable as sleeping on such a uneven patchwork "bed".

The man from the palace confessed: "Because the earth dragon was burned, the house became warm and there was some food to eat. At night, many mice came from nowhere and almost bit people. Everyone dare not sleep on the ground..."

Zhao Mingzhi was silent for a moment.

In the past, the center of the Great Jin Dynasty and the place of the Tianjia, one day even people could not live in it.

But when I think about it again, I think it should be so.

The palace has been vacant for too long, perhaps in the eyes of those mice, their group of people are the bad guys who are trying to seize their territory.

Hearing that someone had been arranged to deal with the group of rats, Zhao Mingzhi was relieved. She had comforted the palace servants and packed them up properly. When the palace gate opened, she would bring Mu Xiang and some guards. Huamen is along Liangmen Street, and as for Wanshengmen, it goes around the city.

As soon as I went around, I went around to lunch time.

She was not in a hurry to go back to Da Nei, because she knew that she had spent most of her time in the feudal land, and she didn't know much about the situation in Beijing. Do you know where the bustling place used to be, has it changed now, and which place has it become?"

The guide said: "There is no change, but it's not very lively anymore."

He also said: "The capital is divided into inside and outside. In the past, all the streets and alleys in the inner city were very lively. Except for the less populated area near the gate of the outer city, the rest of the city also has its own excitement. To the east is Caomen Street. Wazi and Xiaowazi are connected together, playing and singing non-stop day and night, there is Niuxing Street, to the west there is Zhouxi Wazi, there is Jinliangqiao Street, Liangmen Street, and further outside, there is Jinming Pond outside the city, It’s a good place to enjoy and play…”

He counted for a while, and when he talked about the prosperity, eating, drinking and having fun in the past, his eyebrows were really beaming. However, after speaking, his voice gradually faded, and he said: "Now the population of central Beijing has decreased by half, and the rich and famous families have followed to Caizhou. Many business people also left together, and all the props in the big tile had been scattered, only a few three-legged cats, and they couldn’t breathe when singing operas on weekdays, I thought Xuzhou was going to..."

As if realizing that his voice was wrong, the man hurriedly coughed, and covered himself up: "If Your Highness wants to eat, you might as well go to Panlou Street. It's also close to Da Nei, and it's cheaper to go back after eating."

Zhao Mingzhi shook his head and said, "I won't go back after dinner, I'm going west of the city in the afternoon, is there anything I can eat along the way?"

The other party asked: "Is Your Highness planning to go to Jinming Lake?"

"No, I'm going to see the refugee shelter." Zhao Mingzhi said directly.

The face of the person opposite changed immediately, and he said: "To let His Highness know, the refugee hut has only collapsed for a few days, and the mess is so messy, those corpses had to be buried on the spot in a hurry, and it was too late for everyone to hide, why did they go to that place?" run around?"

"I just look at it from a distance, I don't get close, please lead the way."

The man had no choice but to agree, but he still did not forget to persuade: "There is really nothing worth seeing in the refugee hut. Your Highness wants to know something. Why don't you come and ask the younger one. In fact, if you talk about it, it is not much different from seeing it with your own eyes. It is not necessary." Baba rushed over, the road was bumpy, the wind was strong, and it was cold."

He said a few more words, seeing that Zhao Mingzhi had made up his mind, he was still quite smart after all, after following for half a day, he also saw clearly that this new princess was quite different from the former imperial relatives, she was easy-going on the surface, but actually had her own calculations in her heart, so he Don't dare to violate again.

After asking about Zhao Mingzhi's plan for the afternoon, this person gritted his teeth and simply suggested: "If Your Highness wants to finish all these places today, there is actually not enough time, unless you can eat a little for lunch, and then hurry up and hurry up. Only then can we return to the palace before dark."

Zhao Mingzhi wanted to take advantage of the dawn to find Pei Yong to discuss matters, so naturally he didn't want to delay, and replied: "Then we will deal with it."

A group of people didn't look for any restaurants, just entered a small roadside shop, ordered a few food and drink, and set off again.

If you ask detailed questions in the morning and walk slowly, then the afternoon will be like watching flowers on horseback.

Holding a map in his hand, Zhao Mingzhi corresponded one by one along the street, and asked about the past and the current situation. After leaving the city, he looked at the wasteland and acres of fields near and far, took a pen to write them down, and then asked about the population, taxes, and so on.

The entourage who led the way was originally a small official in the Yamen of the Kyoto Prefecture. If he could answer one, two, three, four of the first thing, he would not be able to match the second question at all, so he had to wipe his sweat and say, "Take it back, little one." Ask the government officials..."

Zhao Mingzhi didn't intend to make things difficult, and he also knew that this matter was not in his hands, so he didn't urge him, and he agreed with it.

After walking roughly around, I finally turned to the middle of Wansheng Gate and Guzi Gate in the west of the city, and walked another two or three miles. Before I got close, I heard faint crying and howling in front of me. .

The official even lowered his voice, stopped the coachman and told him to slow down, then turned around and said, "Your Highness, there is the refugee camp..."

Today, from Chenshi to Weishi, Zhao Mingzhi ran around the city for a day, so he naturally knew what kind of mess the capital was in at this time.

The roads are dirty, and the ground is full of discarded things. The area from Da Nei to Xiangguo Temple, and then to Sangjia Wazi has always been the most prosperous. In the past, people cleaned it all the time. When she entered the city yesterday, the princess's guard of honor had arrived. Still dirty.

In fact, the snow had stopped long ago, but there was no one to sweep around. The messy bricks, broken wood, dried lotus leaves left over for food, bamboo and wooden sticks for stringing things, broken bowls and rags were left after the Di people looted. The broken walls and broken doors below, and the scorched black bricks and tiles, were all exposed to the sky. Compared with the grand occasion of previous years, it was a sigh of relief.

But even if it was that messy, it couldn't be compared with the situation ahead.

The so-called refugee shed was originally built by the Kyoto government in the early years for the temporary residence of refugees. Although it looks simple, it has bricks and a roof.

However, there are too many people fleeing southward this year, and all the previous ones can't be used at all. In the rush, they can only make hasty piles.

Because Xuzhou was besieged, and seeing that the city was about to be destroyed, Deputy Marshal Zhang, who was originally in the capital, was well-qualified and far-sighted. Going to repair the city wall and dig waterways.

In this way, naturally few people paid attention to this side of the refugee hut, the progress was slow, and the materials were poor.

People have no place to live, and in winter, they can't use the sky as a cover outside.

The refugees made a hastily built new shed with some straw and rotten boards beside the original shed, and barely lived there.

They all live in thatched huts, so naturally there is nothing to choose. It is common to cram 20 people in a shanty at night, and if it is too crowded, you can even sleep [-] or [-] people.

According to those old people, it is warmer when people are crowded together.

The crudely built shed could barely shelter from the wind, and when the snow was heavy, it couldn't bear it. One day, the snow was heavy, and it really collapsed, including the newly built refugee shed by the government office.

It was the middle of the night, and everyone was sleeping peacefully. The snow came suddenly, and the shed collapsed even more suddenly. No one had time to react. In a short time, thousands of people were killed or injured.

It just so happened that Vice Marshal Zhang died of illness at this time, and the funeral was the only thing to be done. people pass.

Originally, those who were still breathing were terribly dead, and some of them were dug out by relatives and friends desperately. They had to be hit by headless flies in the middle of the night, and no doctor could be found. Naturally, the treatment was delayed, or it should be a minor injury. Seriously injured, he might be able to survive, but he was dragged to death.

No one is in charge of the refugee camp, and no one knows the exact number of people in it. If there are no family members present, their death will be in vain.

In the end, it was estimated that more than [-] people were suppressed by the government of the Kyoto government, and there may be four to five thousand people missing. As for the actual number, there are only more.

There was such a commotion in the north, and Deputy Commander Zhang walked away suddenly. The capital suddenly lost its pillars. Not to mention the ordinary people, even the officials and generals of the Kyoto government who stayed behind were flustered. Many people were even ready to move and hesitated. Following the imperial court to go south to Caizhou, there was no one to manage the affairs of the city, and many things were left aside.

Seeing that nothing could be dug under the collapsed hut, and seeing that the princess was about to return to the capital, the government office couldn't spare a hand to move it for a while, so they had to bury it with snow, and let it go perfunctorily.

On Zhao Mingzhi Road, he had already learned the ins and outs of the incident from the official, and he knew that the situation in the west of the city must be bad, but he never imagined that it would be such a tragic situation. Because the crowd in front of him blocked the road and the car was not moving, he was about to push the door to get out of the carriage when he was caught. Mu Xiang was good at stopping her.

"Your Highness, there are many people here. Once the refugees riot, there is almost nothing to control them. There are only a dozen bodyguards behind, so it is difficult to have much protection." She persuaded.

The official jumped off his horse and pointed to a shop soldier in the yamen not far away and said, "Your Highness just wait here a little bit, I'll go over here and ask what's going on."

Knowing that he was sloppy, Zhao Mingzhi no longer insisted on going his own way. He was about to retreat to the carriage when he heard a woman in her thirties and forties with a baby in her arms, and a seven or eight-year-old child in her arms rushing towards him. In the middle of the road, completely block a cart going outward.

The cart pusher stopped his hands and feet, and managed to avoid hitting anyone, and hurriedly shouted: "That crazy woman, what are you doing blocking my way! Hurry up and get out of the way!"

"You can go if you want, just leave my child and his father behind!"

The driver was stunned, "When did I take your husband with me?"

The woman pointed to the piles of dead bodies on top of the car, and shouted, "Isn't it?"

The driver had no choice but to stand the cart firmly, but he didn't dare to move away, he just frowned and said: "I called you to come and recognize people earlier, but they said they couldn't recognize them, but now they're all mixed together, how can I recognize them again? "

He also urged: "Since you can recognize it, then hurry up and take it away, don't delay my errand!"

But the woman said: "I have been under the shed for a long time, everyone is mixed together, how can I recognize his father's face, you just take the car away, and leave everyone in the car."

"Are you kidding me?!" The driver suddenly changed his face, he lifted the cart and started to leave, but many old and weak women and children in sackcloth and filial piety all followed and pressed over from the roads on both sides, and the cart was separated. All the carts behind were blocked on the road.

"Where are you taking my son?"

"My father and mother are going to be buried together. You're messing around with people who don't know their origins, and you don't ask people like us to watch. What do you mean?"

"My daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law were buried shallow, and there might still be some breath left, but they were frozen stiff. If I could find them out and wrap them in clothes to warm them up, they would definitely be alive. Why are you in such a hurry to transport them away? What does the yamen want to do?" ??"

All of a sudden, the voices on the road were extremely noisy.

The person pushing the cart at the head was wearing a public uniform, but he was a shop soldier. He was surrounded and scolded at this time, how could he justify it, but somehow he returned, and he didn't dare to return. Seeing those refugees getting closer and closer, he was afraid. Being beaten, he had no choice but to put the cart down, and shouted to the back: "Sir!"

Soon there was a man dressed as the head of the shop and led a few subordinates to come forward, holding water and fire sticks from nowhere in their hands, and they wanted to drive them away, but when they saw the crowd in front of them, I was also taken aback, and almost turned around and ran away immediately.

As soon as these people came, they were immediately surrounded by many refugees. They asked many questions, but they still didn't dare to answer them.

Where the refugees were willing to give up, they had to push and scold. The movement became louder and the smell of gunpowder became louder.

Seeing the din and the uproar, an official in a green robe finally came.

The man's expression was very ugly, and as soon as he stepped forward, he shouted: "What are you doing? The government is doing business, and you surround all the officials, are you trying to rebel?!"

He relaxed a little more, and said: "If you have something to say, why did you suddenly block the way?"

As soon as this person spoke, the refugees saw his official uniform and heard his stern tone, but they became more restless and dissatisfied.

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "What are you doing that you don't know? Are you blind?"

Another shouted: "When your family dies, you will know what we have done!"

As soon as the two words were called, all the officials behind the official changed their colors.

Someone in the middle stepped forward and cursed: "This is the official business of the left side of the Kyoto government. If you make troubles recklessly, be careful and catch them together!"

As soon as these words came out, the woman who blocked the way at first untied the swaddling clothes in her arms and bumped into them, scaring the front office worker back again and again.

The woman cried, "If you catch me, take me away with the two little ones in the family. Seeing that the father of my child has gone away, we are left with the third child, and we have to hold a young one and raise another." The big ones, I don’t know how many days without food, they will die on both sides, starving to death is worse than going to prison to die!”

The yamen servant hurriedly stopped the water and fire stick in his hand, and shouted: "You are so nonsense, you will really be arrested!"

The man in the back who was doing business in the left chamber also said: "If you have something to say, I will not be polite if you make trouble again!"

For a while there were boos and curses.

Suddenly, someone shouted: "Master, we are homeless and never want to cause trouble. We just want to ask - what does the yamen mean by rushing away all these corpses? Are they going to burn them all?" ?!"

The official frowned and said: "These corpses are all unclaimed, should they be placed here and let them stink?"

Although he didn't admit it, but judging from what he said, he obviously acquiesced.

All of them were dressed in linen and filial piety, and suddenly there was a loud cry.

The woman cried the most, and shouted: "The man has died so badly that even the whole body is not allowed to be kept. His father can go underground, what should we do?!"

While crying, she turned around and wanted to pounce on the cart in front, but after only two steps, she was stopped by the left and right yamen servants, so she had to turn around again, crying: "Are you really not going to give me a way out?! "

After finishing speaking, he wiped his face, took off the hairpin on his head, and stabbed it back at his throat.

She was not joking, she really wanted to die, and she used all her strength, even if she was held tightly by the yamen servant, she couldn't break it apart.

Except for this one person, the rest of the people also made a fuss, making a fuss and coming forward one after another, as if they were going to grab the corpse in the car.

In fact, there are quite a few yamen servants and shop soldiers in the field. Seeing that the situation is not right, they will come to support them.

The officers and soldiers have guns and sticks in their hands, and they are all strong and brave, while the refugees are either old or weak, or women and children.

Zhao Mingzhi looked down from the carriage and had a panoramic view of the scene. Knowing that he couldn't wait any longer, he immediately supported the horse's back and jumped down from the carriage.

She looked around and saw a shop soldier not far away holding a gong and drum in his hand. Without hesitation, she quickly stepped forward, grabbed the mallet with one hand, and hit the gong hard.

The sound of gongs and drums was already sharp, but at this moment they were hit hard one after another, and it penetrated into everyone's ears. Immediately, everyone in the field paused for a while, and everyone heard their reputation.

Zhao Mingzhi didn't dress up today, she was only dressed in casual clothes, and she didn't wear any makeup, but she was already very good looking, and she was even more solemn when she was upright and solemn. Old people and old women who know each other can also see that their identities are different.

The guards at the back had already reacted, and quickly followed, holding their sabers to protect their sides.

This line is all guards carefully selected by Caizhou, all of them are tall and mighty, looking very energetic.

Zhao Mingzhi was in front, followed by the imperial guards, like a star.

Such a battle bluffed the people in the field for a moment.

And what Zhao Mingzhi wanted was this moment.

She was able to go forward, pulled out the dagger at her waist, grabbed the hairpin in the hand of the thinking woman with one hand, cut it hard, cut off half of the sharp edge, threw the thing on the ground, and asked spontaneously: "What is your husband's name?" Who is it, and where is it from?"

The woman's face was full of snot and tears, and she was stunned for a few breaths before she could react to this question.

She was relying on a burst of courage. After being interrupted by Zhao Mingzhi, no matter how difficult it was to get together, she would just stand there in a daze.

Seeing that this person did not reply, Zhao Mingzhi turned to the crowd and asked, "Who knows her husband?"

An old woman said: "Her family is my neighbor. Her husband's surname is Hou, and his name is Hou Jibao. He comes from Hejian."

Zhao Mingzhi looked at the woman again after hearing the words, "Really?"

The woman nodded numbly after a while.

Zhao Mingzhi turned around and said, "Go find me a pen and paper."

She inserted this bar in the middle, acting unexpectedly, no one could guess the meaning, but it caused everyone to stop and look here.

Mu Xiang reacted very quickly, immediately grabbed the pen and ink in the carriage, touched the paper, trotted over, and offered it with both hands.

(End of this chapter)