Zhurou

Chapter 144 Around
Zhao Mingzhi took the pen and ink, and because he had nowhere to put it, he turned his head and put the paper on the horse's back, grabbed the pen and wrote a few big characters, then lifted the paper upright, faced the woman, and asked, "But these three characters ?”

The woman on the opposite side looked at the paper with her eyes wide open, but she clutched the hem of her shirt tightly and stood awkwardly without speaking.

The old woman on the side helped her, "She can't read!"

Zhao Mingzhi realized for a moment, knowing that he hadn't considered it carefully, and asked again: "Inheriting the ancestors, inheriting the ancestors, pearls and ingots, are these two words?"

The woman muttered, "It should be..."

After speaking, he was at a loss and stood in a daze.

Zhao Mingzhi said solemnly: "My lady, please distinguish clearly whether it is true or not."

Before the woman could speak, someone in the crowd had already reacted and hurriedly asked, "So what if it is, and what if it's not?"

Zhao Mingzhi turned around and looked for the place where the sound came from.

Wherever she looked, the people being watched all lowered their eyes and bowed their heads, no one dared to look at each other.

"If, in the future, a stele is set up in the court for sacrifice, then this name will be carved on the stele..."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone in the field became restless, and everyone could see it.

"What stele? What do you mean by that??"

"Will the imperial court do sacrifices? What kind of sacrifices?"

"Which one is sacrificed, who can enter the stele?"

Seeing people asking more and more questions, Zhao Mingzhi put the dagger back into its sheath, first glanced at Hou Jibao's wife just now, then turned around, looked up at the jute crowd, and said: "This time such a catastrophe happened in the west of the city, although it is due to natural disasters, There is no lack of man-made disasters among them—if it wasn’t for the lack of supervision, bad management, and insufficient intentions of the Kyoto government, how could it have led to this..."

Hearing that she put the blame on the government, the atmosphere in the field suddenly relaxed, and the anger in the eyes of many who were eyeing her has also subsided by a little.

"Although we are far away in Caizhou today, how can we not feel sad once we learn about this? The Kyoto government government knows that it has made a mistake. Although it is difficult to recover, it will not make the same mistake again and again. It has no choice but to accept the crime first and wait for the court to punish it. .”

Zhao Mingzhi admitted his mistake first, and waited to observe the reaction of the crowd for a while before he said: "Besides, the newly appointed Quan Zhi Jing Du is to serve as a political advisor for the court, and he will not just sit idly by. Going to Caizhou, I thought of many ways to deal with the aftermath, and many things have already started to be dealt with today..."

"Firstly, all the victims here have been buried under the snow shed. It has been too long and it is difficult to identify their identities. If you ignore them, you are afraid that your heart will be too painful. You just want to find out where your family and friends are, and dig around here day and night. In fact, it is very easy to be injured, if you don’t pay attention, you will be frostbitten, rubbed, smashed, and friction will easily occur because no one is watching and persuading; secondly, if you are about to be stung, once the snow melts, you can’t ask people to go to the ground for peace. Such an open air? Such a smell, and it is afraid of causing diseases, even if you are not afraid of it yourself, are the children, old and weak in your family also fearless?"

Zhao Mingzhi spoke loudly here, neither too fast nor too fast, and his tone of voice was either paused or faltered. He sounded very sincere, and he only explained the reasons why the corpse must be transported away.

Everyone listened, and no one refuted.

In fact, who doesn't know that the corpse can't stay for a long time, it is easy to breed plague, and it only spreads on one's own head. It is really difficult to make a choice because of emotions.

After a few breaths, someone finally asked: "How did it get into the ground? To put it lightly, could it be mixed together and burned clean? Doesn't that mean that in the future, everyone will be entangled in one place, and they will all be lonely ghosts underground... ..."

There was already a discussion in those words, and it was obvious that the speaker had calmed down.

Zhao Mingzhi said: "Life and death are important events. You are worried about your relatives and friends. This is the good nature of human beings. However, the situation today is different from the past. It is difficult to distinguish those who died underground. No matter whether they are buried or buried, they should be burned as ashes before burial." Anyway, it’s actually not easy, since that’s the case, I have two methods, please listen to them.”

"If you don't want to be cremated and want to be buried in the ground, you can work together to transport the person out of the city first, and choose an inaccessible mountainous place to dig a pit for burial together..."

Everyone was silent, and no one spoke.

Although this method can keep the whole body, it sounds simple, but it is very troublesome to implement.

Since there is no way to distinguish one's own relatives and friends, what kind of luck, which one?
If it is transported to someone else—in fact, there are nine out of ten—such an unlucky thing as a corpse, who would want it?
What's more, there are mostly old and weak women and children here, and there are no tools, how can they exercise?

Even if it is shipped out, where will it be buried?Since it is required to be in a mountainous place with few people, it must be extremely remote. Firstly, it is difficult to find such a place, and secondly, even if it is found, it must be extremely far away from here, which is extremely inconvenient. Besides, it is so remote, how can I go to visit the grave in the future?
But these questions are not easy to use for further questioning, after all, it is all for the burial of all beards and tails to cause such trouble.

After a while, someone asked, "What's the other way?"

Zhao Mingzhi said directly: "It will be cremated, and the government will arrange for people to transport it out of the city right now. Once it's done, you can go and pick up a share of the ashes, and return to your hometown with the rest in the future to repair the tomb..."

"As for this place, the yamen will choose a place outside the west of the city as a place to put it. Lu Canzheng's book has already asked the emperor to give the stele and words. When His Majesty returns to Beijing, he will come to personally sacrifice..."

Hearing these words, there were early buzzing sounds everywhere, and no one was anxious to whisper to each other.

Someone couldn't help but shouted: "Who are you? Are you serious? Didn't you lie to us? Your Majesty will really return to Beijing and come to sacrifice in person?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was stabbed with elbows or stomped on by several people around him.

"Blind, didn't you see it? There are guards behind!"

"Didn't you go to the west of the city to watch the fun yesterday? You don't even recognize that this is Her Royal Highness the Princess!"

"As soon as she came, I could tell that she was like a fairy. She only dressed like an ordinary lady, and she didn't pay much attention to pomp. If there were no guards behind her, I wouldn't dare to recognize her..."

A group of people were muttering to each other, but they dared not speak loudly, for fear that Zhao Mingzhi would hear them.

And the official in the left chamber had already learned about the situation from the accompanying officials, and was very anxious. He heard that the emperor would return to Beijing. Although he didn't dare to believe it, he didn't want to believe it. So, promise a thousand gold, how can you do anything to coax?"

Although he was guilty in his heart, his tone was very strong.

Being so tough at this time was actually somewhat useful, and the scene quickly became quiet.

Zhao Mingzhi said again: "If you choose cremation, a place will be set up here in a few days. Please register the names and places of origin of your family members and friends. In the future, all of them will be engraved on the stele. It can be used for underground distinctions, so you don't have to worry about being alone." Guikongwusacrifice is also a warning, so that when the future emperor comes here to worship, he will know that he must take precautions."

Although the Supreme Emperor went to Xiazhou, causing the Jin court to lose everything inside and outside, and lost the hearts of the people long ago, the idea of ​​the real dragon's destiny has been deeply rooted for thousands of years. , there is really no one who is not tempted.

It is difficult to distinguish, as long as there are names and birthplaces on the stele, then the offerings are clearly marked, and the relatives in the underground can share the food they offer if they want to come, right?
If you follow the second method, you don’t have to spend your own money and effort to deal with the funeral. Funerals have always been difficult. If you are not careful, your family will be empty, and you can’t get enough to eat. How can you have money to buy a coffin for a monument?
For a moment, no one is not excited.

Zhao Mingzhi said again: "The trouble here today is not very good. Naturally, the yamen did not do enough, but in the final analysis, it is still the fault of the court-the capital guarded for several months by itself, and repelled countless Di people who went south. As far as I know, there has been no serious payment of salaries in the government office for nearly half a year. The last time Deputy Commander Zhang guarded the city, he even raised food and money from the officials in the government office. All the family heirlooms were sold..."

"Whether there are officials or soldiers, officials or pawns, or conscripted servants, many of them are working hungry. The work is complicated, and it is inevitable that there are some places that are not in place, but none of them are kind..."

As she was still talking, many of the servants and soldiers who were pushing the carts and carrying the corpses had red eyes, and even the one who was doing business in the left chamber turned his head away and blinked desperately.

Zhao Mingzhi pretended not to see him, and said: "Fellow folks have suffered this catastrophe, the imperial court can't make amends for the past, so we have to try to settle them down in the future, please don't worry now, wait for a few days, and wait for the government to make detailed arrangements. "

Seeing that the crowd was full of people, she looked around and stepped out of the crowd.

When everyone saw her coming, they separated naturally without speaking.

Zhao Mingzhi walked forward for more than ten steps, raised his right hand, pointed to the open space on the right, and said: "If you have made up your mind, you should divide the two sides at this time, and if you want to choose a burial, come and stand on my right hand."

After a pause, he said again: "If anyone is willing to do cremation first and then erect a stele according to the imperial court's arrangement, then he will stand on my left hand."

She has already escaped from the position where the crowd was standing. In fact, facing the crowd, there are only a few people in the direction pointed by the left and right hands. However, when the words were uttered, no one moved at first. Seeing that no one was coming, he quickly moved to the middle, and the many refugees standing in the middle, as if the wheels were pressed in the same direction under their feet, slowly rolled towards Zhao Mingzhi's left hand.

Seeing that this matter was finally resolved without causing unrest, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Mingzhi said quickly: "Since that's the case, please continue with your errands, officials and servants. It's going to be dark, so be careful all the way."

After saying this, many refugees who were originally blocking the road in sackcloth and filial piety slowly moved out of the way and let the carts pass by.

Finally everything was back on track, someone suddenly shouted: "Princess, is Your Majesty really going back to Beijing? If Xuzhou can't keep it..."

Zhao Mingzhi said: "The capital is originally the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty. If His Majesty does not return here, where else can he go?"

He added: "As for Xuzhou..."

She hesitated for a moment, always felt that it was very difficult to say, and still thinking about it, she heard a person behind her answer: "The Forbidden Army has gone northward with the Western Army, Xuzhou must be fine..."

The voice was calm and powerful, and he said it firmly, as if hitting the ground, and the sound of iron tools rubbing against each other when walking, made people involuntarily convinced.

Zhao Mingzhi's heart skipped a beat, and he turned his head quickly, only to see Pei Yong striding from behind in half armor.

He was already tall and tall, but after wearing armor, he was even more powerful. He held a long stick in one hand, walked a few steps, stood in front of Zhao Mingzhi, bowed first, then stood up straight, and said to the speaker: "I listen to you The accent should be a real person, right?"

The man held his head high and said: "The eight generations of my ancestors are all Zhending people, but it's a pity that they are too old to join the army!"

Pei Yong said quickly: "If you want to drive out thieves, and you want to return to your hometown in the future, you can go to the city gate tomorrow to queue up for labor in exchange for food. If you have something to make, even if you can't go to battle, you can also help the front line to kill the enemy."

He raised his voice again: "In the past, you didn't have to choose. Many things will require manpower in the future. As long as you are willing to contribute, you can go to the gate of the city to register tomorrow. Whether you win or lose this battle depends on the frontline officers and soldiers. Let's see if I can't work hard in the future!"

If it is said that Zhao Mingzhi needs help from other people to recognize each other, Pei Yong is wearing armor, considering his height and appearance, most of the people recognized him as soon as he appeared, and since they knew his identity, no one came to question him.

Only then did the real man shout: "I will go! I only hope that Pei Jiedu can really kill me and go back to my hometown, so that I can return home after I die!"

Pei Yong looked at him and said: "You don't need to die, your Highness is here, and you will be sent back to your hometown alive."

At this time, Dajin didn't make any progress against Beidi, but retreated steadily. Although such a grand wish came from Pei Yong's mouth, people dared not believe it immediately, but because his reputation of winning many battles in the past was so great that it made him The listener can't help feeling a little more hopeful.

Now that the crisis here has been resolved, the refugees, who were very difficult to deal with at first, help the servants and servants transferred to carry the underground corpse and tidy up the place, while the woman who committed suicide earlier picked up the swaddling baby on the ground, and dragged her son to the side , coaxing the baby in his arms not to cry, but couldn't help but sneak a look at it.

Zhao Mingzhi noticed this person's gaze and looked back, but the other party subconsciously brought the child to kneel on the ground.

The clothes on her body were very thin, and the baby in the swaddle was different from the round and puffy cheeks of ordinary babies, only dry and thin, without a trace of blood, and his face was still yellow.

As for the older child, he was even more barefoot, with his toes sticking out, layers of chilblains, torn and scabbed, scabs torn and torn, and he couldn't see it at all.

In such a situation, she is not the only one in the family.

Zhao Mingzhi knew that he couldn't look at the watch, so he found a palace official to give him a few words, and when he saw the palace lady went to look for the woman, the two of them had a conversation, so he was relieved, and turned his head to look for Pei. Yong, but saw him standing two or three steps away from his side, close and not close, his eyes were warm, and there seemed to be a faint admiration in them, looking at him.

Being looked at by such eyes, she suddenly had some subtle feelings, so she could only call out "Second Brother", hesitated for a while, and said, "I wanted to talk to you again at night..."

Pei Yong said softly: "I was patrolling the city wall ditch at the city gate. I heard that there was trouble here, so I came to see it because I was afraid of disturbance."

The two were talking, when the coachman behind him had already driven the carriage over.

Pei Yong reached out to take the rein, turned his head to Zhao Mingzhi and said, "When I was young, I went to Beijing with my stepfather. I once ate a fish soup here. When I came out in the morning, I saw that it was still open. I didn't move south. Now that I'm here today ..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Mingzhi said, "I'm just hungry, so I'll go eat fish soup with my second brother."

(End of this chapter)