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Chapter 380 Plague (I)

Jiang Shaohua was not angry: "You mother and daughter, both stand up. When the Japanese princess sent food, it was for Xiaoliu. Now Xiaoliu is fair and healthy, which is enough."

As for such trivial matters as who the food ends up in, it is actually not worth mentioning.

Xiaoliu's mother was grateful and ashamed. She kowtowed three times before pulling Xiaoliu up.

Jiang Shaohua smiled at Xiaoliu and beckoned her to come closer. Xiaoliu was a smart child and immediately came over obediently.

It can be seen that Xiaoliu is well taken care of. She has a rosy little face and innocent eyes. The little skirt she wears should be an old piece of clothing that has been altered to a smaller size. The stitches are delicate and clean.

It was rare to find fair and clean-skinned children these days. It was obvious that the whole family had remembered what she said that day and took very good care of Xiaoliu.

"Are you called Xiaoliu?" Jiang Shaohua asked with a smile, "Do you have a real name?"

Xiao Liu looked puzzled: "I am Xiao Liu, why do I need a big name?"

Jiang Shaohua was amused by the childish words: "You are still young now, so I will call you Xiaoliu. When you are ten years old and enter the Nanyang Palace, I will give you a nice name."

Xiaoliu still didn't understand, but just said "oh" obediently.

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly and reached out to rub Xiaoliu's slightly sparse and yellow hair.

Xiaoliu's mother was very excited when she heard this. It was a great joy for a farm girl to be a maid in the palace. Look at the two pretty maids behind the princess. You can't find such girls in Wuyin County.

Xiaoliu's mother wanted to kneel down and kowtow, but Chen Jinyu stopped her with a smile: "The princess is talking to Xiaoliu, you just listen on the side, don't kneel down all the time. Our princess doesn't like people kneeling."

Xiaoliu's mother wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and responded in a low voice.

The princess stayed for a cup of tea and then got up and left.

Xiaoliu snuggled up to his mother and whispered, "Mom, the princess is so pretty."

Xiaoliu's mother wiped her eyes again, her eyes were red, but the corners of her mouth were raised high. She reached out and picked up her precious daughter and turned her around: "Silly Xiaoliu, you are so lucky. With the princess taking care of you, you will have a good life forever."

The old woman and the middle-aged man led a few children to gather around, asking what the princess had just said. Xiao Liu's mother repeated every word the princess had said.

The old woman was overjoyed when she heard this. She picked up Xiaoliu and kissed her vigorously: "Oh, my little girl, you are born blessed. You have caught the princess's eye. There will be countless good days waiting for you in the future!"

"Good girl, grandma will buy you some meat today."

Xiaoliu grinned.

Xiaoliu's mother saw this and was delighted but also a little sad. When Xiaowu was born, she was thrown into the Children's Tower. Poor Xiaowu starved to death in the Children's Tower without even a mouthful of her mother's milk. Fortunately, the princess saved Xiaoliu, and Xiaoliu is now in this situation.

Even the mother-in-law who favors boys over girls now likes Xiaoliu the most, and all the other grandchildren have to line up behind her.

……

"Everyone values ​​male offspring. First, males can carry on the family line and have offspring. Second, males can study and take the imperial examinations, and can support the family and bring honor to the family. Even if they work in the fields, males are stronger."

"For ordinary families, having more boys means more people can work on the farm, which means they can better resist natural disasters, man-made disasters and various risks."

"If you want to improve the status of women, you can't just say a few empty words, you have to start with small practical things, step by step." "Everyone is snobbish. One day, women will be like the girls in Ye County, able to earn money and support their families, and it will be common for them to marry men at home. Women will be able to read and write, work as accountants, teachers, and officials. At that time, people will pay more and more attention to their daughters."

After returning to the county government office, Jiang Shaohua was rarely moved and talked a lot with Chen Jinyu.

Chen Jinyu has also been quite touched recently, and nodded when he heard it: "The princess is using Ye County as a pilot. Let's use Ye County as an example first, and then we can slowly promote it in the future, and the other counties will follow suit."

"That's right." Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly: "Empty words are useless. We must let everyone clearly see that this princess values ​​smart and capable women. For example, Chen Sheren, although his official position is not prominent, he is always by the princess' side. He is the princess' most trusted confidant."

Chen Jinyu was so amused that she couldn't stop giggling: "The princess' words are so nice, why not say more."

After some joking, Jiang Shaohua continued, "In Ye County, this princess personally gave Lu Zhen a name. After a few years, Lu Zhen will be recruited as a female official."

"And Xiaoliu, I will send her to Ye County to study in a few years. There is no shortage of maids in the palace, and I want everyone to see that women will have a better future if they study."

Chen Jinyu's heart warmed and he nodded vigorously.

As they were talking, there was a hasty knock on the door.

The knock on the door was urgent and fast.

Jiang Shaohua frowned slightly, and Chen Jinyu quickly got up and opened the door.

"My Lord, Chief Secretary Chen sent someone to deliver the latest court documents and news." Song Yuan reported in a deep voice: "Something big has happened in Pingzhou."

Jiang Shaohua's eyelids twitched, and his bad premonition became stronger and stronger: "Where is the document?"

Song Yuan stepped forward and presented the official document and two letters.

Jiang Shaohua did not read the official documents, but opened the two letters first. The writers were all important officials in the court, and they had always had close private contacts with the Nanyang Palace. They wrote letters specifically, obviously for important matters.

After reading the first letter, Jiang Shaohua's pretty face became solemn and she quickly opened the second one.

Seeing the princess's face becoming increasingly ugly, Chen Jinyu's heart sank.

She and the princess were always together and knew her temper best. The last time the princess looked so unhappy was when she learned that Emperor Taikang had passed away.

What happened?
After Jiang Shaohua finished reading the letter, he went to read the official document sent by the court. After reading it, he remained silent. But there was a storm brewing in his eyes.

Chen Jinyu couldn't help it and asked in a low voice: "Princess, what happened in the court?"

"There's a plague in Pingzhou." Jiang Shaohua took a deep breath and said quickly, "The rebels in Pingzhou have been using human flesh as rations. At first, some people died of bloating and fever, but no one took it seriously. As a result, more and more people got this strange disease, and the rebels in Pingzhou began to die in large numbers."

plague? !
Chen Jinyu took a breath and blurted out, "What about the troops sent by the court to Pingzhou? Have they been infected with the plague?"

Jiang Shaohua pursed his lips and nodded slightly: "The plague is prevalent, and the imperial army has also been infected. The exact number of deaths is still unknown."

Song Yuan's expression was also very ugly. He whispered, "Even animals don't eat their own kind. If people eat human flesh, they will be punished by God."

There is a plague raging in Pingzhou now. Isn't this a punishment from God?