Back to the Ming Dynasty to be a tyrant

At this time, it is almost September, and it is reasonable to say that it is close to the time of autumn harvest.

But in Lantian County, there is no sign of autumn harvest at all, or there is no harvest at all.

Basically, on the ground that hasn't rained much, the cracked land seems to be scratched randomly with a knife.

In the land, there should have been full crops and farmers who were busy with farm work when it was cool in the morning.However, there is none of this, there are, only a few half-dead crops can be seen occasionally.All that was left were pieces of cracked land.

shocking.This is Chongzhen's most direct feeling about the severe drought in Lantian County, or Shaanxi.

However, Chongzhen had no way to change all of this.During the severe drought in Shaanxi, Ma Weiyi, the prefect of Xi'an, had already organized the people to dig wells to save themselves.

However, there is no use for the eggs, and what comes out is not so much water as it is a pitiful yellow mud soup.After repeated attempts to no avail, Ma Weizhen also gave up the idea of ​​digging a well and simply asked the court for help.

Sighing deeply, Emperor Chongzhen got on his horse resolutely, and ordered: "Go to the county town to have a look." After speaking, he rode away.After that, Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua and others also kicked their horses' bellies together, and galloped towards the county seat of Lantian County after Chongzhen.

After arriving in Lantian County, Emperor Chongzhen had the most intuitive understanding of this drought that was only recorded in the history books as "March of the first year of Chongzhen, a severe drought in the whole Qin Dynasty, and the sky was as red as blood".

Wherever the eye can see, there are all ragged people with yellow and thin faces, which made Chongzhen travel to the Middle East refugee camps of later generations, and even the slums in Africa.

The only thing that is better than those places is that Lantian County still maintains a certain level of cleanliness.

Just when Chongzhen was standing in a daze on the street, a voice came from a distance: "Hey, give up, give up!"

Chongzhen looked around, but there were several servants pushing a flatbed cart. The cart was covered with a broken straw mat. Under the mat, several pairs of feet were exposed. It seemed that there were men and women, adults and children.

Chongzhen, who always thought that this kind of scene can only be seen in TV dramas or movies, was completely shocked.A middle-aged man who also looked like a disaster victim stretched out his hand and asked, "Brother, what's going on?"

The middle-aged man looked about 34 years old. Hearing this, he took a look at Chongzhen. Seeing that he was dressed like a rich man, he didn't get angry. He just curled his lips and said, "What else can happen, I'm starving to death."

Even though he was prepared in his heart, Emperor Chongzhen was still shocked: "He starved to death? Didn't the court release food for disaster relief? I heard that in the capital, the current emperor knows about the severe drought in Shaanxi, but in the court hall If you get angry, ask not to starve to death.”

The man sighed and said: "Emperor? The emperor is far away! I heard that there is food for disaster relief, but it's just a bowl of porridge that can reflect people's shadows every day. Isn't it normal for a few people to starve to death? The emperor you said is angry This matter, I believe, has long been heard that today's emperor is a man who loves the people. But he can fly here with wings to see?"

Chongzhen heard the words and said curiously: "I heard that the imperial court bought a lot of grain and brought it here. How can people starve to death? Could it be that someone is greedy? Even if there are [-]% or [-]% of the grain, they shouldn't starve to death." man."

The man glanced at Chongzhen, and said with a sneer: "Your brother looks like a rich boy, who has read a lot. There are three or four out of ten percent? Even if there is one or two floors, there are so many people who can't starve to death. If you have the guts, go to the mass graves outside the city and see how many corpses there are. Nine out of ten of them starve to death. Even if they are eaten by other people's children, I'm afraid it will be soon. "

Hearing the words, Chongzhen just gasped.This situation is even more serious than what was reported in Jinyiwei Daily.

Let go of this man, Chongzhen ordered with a gloomy face: "Go, let's not delay."

After finishing speaking, he walked towards another street with Fang Zhenghua, Zhu Gang and others accompanying him.

After completing the tour of the less than half of Lantian County, Chongzhen's face was completely dispirited.Not to mention Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua who guarded Emperor Chongzhen every day, even a nervous fighter like Zhu Gang could tell that Emperor Chongzhen was on the verge of breaking out at this time.

At noon, Emperor Chongzhen just ate a few bites in a hurry in the restaurant, and after someone asked him the direction, he took Fang Zhenghua and others to the mass grave outside the city.

In broad daylight, the wild dogs, which had become addicted to eating dead human flesh, did not shy away from people. They only cared about tearing the flesh from the corpse that had just been thrown over. The dog's eyes turned blood red from eating too much human flesh. It looks more like a wild wolf after returning to the ancestors.

Even Emperor Chongzhen, who had seen too many dead people on the grassland because he had issued a massacre order, couldn't help but gasp at this moment.

Those who were massacred on the grassland were enemies, not compatriots of later generations, so Chongzhen didn't feel any pressure in his heart.

It's just that there are countless corpses in front of him, but they are his compatriots and people. This feeling is completely different from looking at the enemy's corpse.

Chongzhen really couldn't imagine what it was that made these scholars who had read poetry and books so madly greedy, and sat and watched the people starve to death without moving.

Quietly taking a look at Chongzhen, Zhu Gang is also quite embarrassing at this time.If you want to persuade, you don't know where to start.The emperor in front of him looked like a scholar, but on the grassland, he could smile and issue a massacre order, and the massacre did not distinguish between young and old.

If you don't persuade, this master's fire will just be suppressed like this, and he doesn't know how many people will be burned to death once it erupts.

While he was struggling, he heard Emperor Chongzhen say indifferently: "It is my order to order Zhang Zhiji to enter the city in the name of a temporary rest before the Beijing Camp was ordered to enter the Qinling Mountains for training, and to take over the city defense. Afterwards, the city gate was closed, No one is allowed in or out.

Also, the county government of Lantian County is surrounded by me, and not a single bird is allowed to fly out.

It is said that Ma Weihou, the magistrate of Xi'an Prefecture, came to Lantian to see me.If you can't see his people tomorrow, let him go home and farm.

Chuan Tian Ergeng and Cao Huachun ordered them to bring more Jinyiwei Xiaowei and Dongchang Fanzi, and rush to Lantian six hundred miles away.I want to see them in five days.No matter how many horses they ran to death, if they can't arrive within ten days, I will skin them!

Order Wei Zhongxian to step up the dispatch of manpower to Shaanxi and Shanxi, and the southeast can be postponed first.

In addition, a batch of grain was transferred from the transfer station to Lantian, and soldiers from the new army were sent to watch on the way.Whoever in the middle has the idea of ​​these grains will be killed on the spot.If the matter involves local officials, record it, and not a single list should be missed. "

Wang Chengen tried his best to write down the instructions of Emperor Chongzhen, and left in a hurry after confirming that they were correct.

After Wang Chengen came back and replied, saying that everything was done, Emperor Chongzhen got on his horse again and headed for Lantian County again.

At this time, in the backyard of the Lantian County Government, the county magistrate Shen Xiuting was entertaining a distinguished guest.

This eldest son of Mr. Wu from the southeast is a real distinguished guest.Although he has not been in Jiangnan for a long time and has been sent to live in a poor place like Lantian, Shen Xiuting has also heard of the name of Master Wu.

This time, Mr. Wu Qi and Mr. Wu brought this small place in person, but doesn't that mean that the Wu family has noticed him.As long as he has the help of the Wu family, he will be able to leave this small place of Lantian just around the corner.

Shen Xiuting, who was more and more happy in his heart, raised his wine glass with a smile and said, "Come on, Mr. Wu, this county proposes a toast to you."

But Wu Qi stood up hastily, and said with a flattered look: "You can't deserve it, your old parents praise you, but you can't deserve it as a student."

There is a saying that everyone carries the sedan chair, and there is a saying that being an official for thousands of miles is just for money.

This Mr. Wu Qi and Wu is not only his God of Wealth, but also rare to be so unassuming. He is really a talent to be made.

Shen Xiuting, who was more and more satisfied in his heart, smiled and said: "Sit, sit."

After Wu Qi sat down, Shen Xiuting continued: "The food is almost ready this time, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Wu Qi smiled slightly and said, "It's almost done. The student is planning to go back to Zhejiang tomorrow to report to my father. Presumably my father will have another heart to give to the old parents. I hope the old parents don't mind."

The understanding Shen Xiuting stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Your father is too polite. The left and right are just some food. This means that the time is short and your father is in a hurry. Otherwise, it will not be difficult to double the amount."

When Wu Qi heard this, he just stretched out his thumbs and praised: "The old parents are good at tricks! The students admire, admire!"

Speaking of this, it happened to scratch the itch in Shen Xiuting's heart.I resorted to the means of exchanging the sky for the sun, and [-]% to [-]% of the grain here was replaced by myself with rotten or inedible grain.There are still [-] to [-] percent, simply replaced with sand.

As for the Jinyiwei in the city, bah!Left and right are just dogs who don't know how to praise, so what can they do with themselves?

Just as he was complacent, the butler that Shen Xiuting brought from his hometown ran in in a panic and shouted: "Master, master, something is wrong."

Shen Xiuting said calmly, "It's so unreasonable to be in a panic! If you have anything to say, speak slowly."

The housekeeper saw that Shen Xiuting was still indifferent, and he didn't bother to plead guilty, but he didn't even bother to wipe off the sweat on his forehead from running all the way, but hurriedly said to Shen Xiuting: "Master, Jingying, Jingying The Qiu Bas surrounded the county government!"

There was a bang, but Shen Xiuting no longer saw the calm appearance just now, and asked urgently: "Why did Jingying come to such a small place as Lantian? Where is the county captain? Have you asked what's going on?"

The housekeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied: "Just now when the old slave came, he had already asked the county captain first. The county captain said that the Beijing camp is to rest for a while before entering the mountain for training. He entered the city in the name of Fan. But later, for unknown reasons, he forcibly took over the gate of the city, and now surrounded the county government, and now even the county captain has been driven into the county government and is not allowed to go out."

Not only Shen Xiuting started to get angry, but Wu Qi, who was full of style from everyone's children just now, also lost his sense of propriety: "Old parents, what should I do? Could it be that the news was leaked and the army came? What should I do?" ?”

After the initial panic, Shen Xiuting had already calmed down. Hearing this, he just glanced at Mr. Wu, and said leisurely, "What rumors are Mr. Wu talking about? Why doesn't this officer know?"