Travel through troubled times and escape famine with the system

On top of the city wall of Pingchang County.

A burly figure dressed in tight clothes was standing on the top of the city wall with his hands behind his back, looking at the rising sun in the east.

"Wang Mingzheng, how long have you been the county magistrate of Pingchang County?"

As the burly figure asked the question, Wang Mingzheng, who was wearing an official robe behind him, hurriedly replied respectfully.

"In reply to General Qin, I took office in this county in the 48th year of the Wuli period, which is already 19 years ago."

Qin Ming chuckled when he heard that, reached out and patted the wall before turning around to look at Wang Mingzheng.

Qin Ming is eight feet tall, with a resolute face. Because he has been commanding troops for many years, he has an inexplicable murderous aura.

Especially those eyes, even though he had a smile on his face, his gaze was chilled, making people dare not look into his eyes.

"Local officials can be promoted every four years. You have been in this small Pingchang County for almost twenty years. Why don't you think about moving to another place?"

Hearing Qin Ming's question, Wang Mingzheng's body trembled slightly, and he quickly bent down a little more.

"I have limited abilities. I have been in office for nearly 20 years but have not made any achievements. I dare not even dream of promotion."

Qin Ming's smile suddenly disappeared when he heard this: "I think you are reluctant to give up the benefits of Pingchang County!"

"I dare not!" Wang Mingzheng hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Is there anything you dare not do?"

Qin Ming looked at Wang Mingzheng's trembling appearance coldly, his eyes full of murderous intent.

"You, Wang Mingzheng, are well-known in Qingzhou Prefecture for your greed."

"Not only are you greedy yourself, but you also send people to Wudu to deliver silver every year. Many officials in the Ministry of Personnel have benefited from you."

"Qingzhou prefect Wen Xiuyuan wanted to take action against you several times, but was suppressed by the Ministry of Personnel with various reasons."

"I heard that there is a saying circulating in the official circles of your Qingzhou."

"In Qingzhou, you have to look at Wen Xiuyuan's face, but in Wudu, Wen Xiuyuan has to look at your face."

"This... am I right?"

"I am innocent!" Wang Mingzheng knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Your Excellency also knows that I got the position of county magistrate by bribing people from all walks of life."

"Since then, the Minister of Personnel, Lord Hu, has been keeping an eye on me."

"The money I send to Wudu every year is not a bribe, but to keep my family alive!"

Wang Mingzheng choked up and spoke with a tone full of grievance and unwillingness.

But when Qin Ming saw this scene, it did not move the general at all.

"You and Hu Jincheng are birds of a feather. Even if you were held hostage by him, it was your own fault. You can't talk to me about this."

At this point, Qin Ming's face became even colder.

"I heard that when the people from Jianhe County arrived, you ordered people to cook and sell sesame cakes, porridge, and sugar tea at different prices, extorting money from the people. Is this true?"

Hearing Qin Ming's question, Wang Mingzheng quickly raised his head.

"General Qin is very insightful. At that time, there were more than ten thousand refugees and they were all starving. If I hadn't come up with this plan, there wouldn't be enough food in the city to share."

"It is said that what is worrying is not poverty but inequality. If I open the city to distribute food for free, I am afraid that thousands of people will not have anything to eat."

"If that's the case, there might be chaos. If we set a price and sell it to them, even if they can't eat it, they will just think they don't have money and won't complain about anything else. This is the only way to calm people's hearts."

"So, I have wronged you?" Qin Ming said with a sneer.

"You first extorted money from the people, and then forced them to cross the city to the east. Do you know how much panic and chaos more than 10,000 penniless people would bring to the rear?"

"Just based on this, I can sacrifice you right now!"

In wartime, the generals of each prefecture are the main forces. Qin Ming's words were not a threat, but he really held the power of life and death over Wang Mingzheng.

Following this loud shout, Wang Mingzheng fell to the ground, lowering his head and hitting it heavily on the blue bricks under his feet.

"General Qin is very insightful. Although I am greedy, I really have no selfish motives this time!"

Seeing Wang Mingzheng crying, Qin Ming snorted coldly, "Do you have the account book of plundering the people's money?"

"The total amount is 23,000 taels of silver, and the food for each cart can be checked." Wang Mingzheng said while crying.

"Reconcile the accounts and put them into the treasury. All the money will be added to the military ration account."

As he spoke, Qin Ming turned and walked towards the city.

"I'm keeping your head, you dog official, so that we can coordinate the food supplies for the people in the city. If you dare to make the slightest mistake, you will be killed without mercy!"

"Thank you, General Qin!" Wang Mingzheng shouted loudly while kneeling on the city wall.

Until Qin Ming walked down the city wall, Wang Mingzheng was still kneeling on the ground and did not dare to get up. His appearance would make even the soldiers standing guard on the city wall sigh.

"master!!"

Following the shout, a middle-aged man in a scholar's robe ran up the stairs to the city wall breathlessly. Seeing Wang Mingzheng kneeling on the ground, he hurried forward to support him.

"General Qin has left, please get up quickly, sir."

Wang Ming was getting up with the help of the middle-aged man. As soon as he raised his head, the blood on his forehead flowed down his cheek.

"Why are you here?" Wang Mingzheng asked while trembling and wiping the blood off his face, looking obviously frightened.

"There are relatives coming home, and my wife asked me to come look for you."

As the middle-aged man in scholar's robes spoke, he veiledly stuffed a small bamboo tube the size of half a finger into Wang Mingzheng's hand.

Wang Mingzheng hurriedly reached out and held it, then supported the middle-aged man in the scholar's robe and gently waved his hand.

"Help me get home."

Under the watchful eyes of the sentries, the two men slowly walked down the city wall and disappeared among the crowd that had just been recruited and were busy cooking.

…………

Returning to the palace, the moment he stepped through the gate, the cowardice and pain on Wang Mingzheng's face instantly disappeared, replaced by a face full of calmness.

"Master, I will get you some medicine." The young man in the scholar's robe said in a young voice.

"Need not."

Wang Mingzheng said in a cold voice, striding towards the main hall in the courtyard, where a dignified woman was already waiting.

Seeing that Wang Mingzheng's face was covered in blood, the woman hurriedly ordered the maid beside her to get clean water and a towel.

Wang Ming was sitting on the main seat. He took a small knife from Rushan and opened the wax seal of the bamboo tube in his hand. Then he carefully took out a note from it.

When I opened it, there were only two short lines of handwriting on it.

Quickly check the deployment of the Wu army. We received the news and attacked the city at Chou time the next day, using fireworks as a signal. Urgent!

Looking at the words on the note, Wang Mingzheng slowly raised the corners of his mouth.

"Master, has there been a letter from your hometown?" Seeing Wang Mingzheng's expression, the woman next to him asked expectantly.

"Read it yourself!" Wang Mingzheng said as he handed the note to the woman.

The woman smiled after reading it and passed the note to the middle-aged man in scholar's robe again.

"Finally I've waited for this day!" The middle-aged man in scholar's robe said excitedly as he looked at the note.

Wang Mingzheng sighed when he heard this: "It's been more than 20 years! We have been in Wu Kingdom for more than 20 years! We can finally go home!"

The maid next to him came back with a handkerchief filled with clean water. Wang Mingzheng picked up the handkerchief, dipped it in the clean water, and wiped it directly on the wound on his forehead.

"For the past twenty years, we have extorted the people to make them lose confidence in the court, disrupted the Qingzhou officialdom, and bribed and corrupted the officials in Wudu."

"We have been constantly placing Jin Kingdom warriors in Qingzhou and in the county government offices, all for this day!"

"I'm going to draw the Qingzhou Army's defense map. Madam, go and tell the women in your family."

"Master Jia... No! Brother Jia! Go and inform the whole government, including the brothers in the county government, to prepare their knife handles and be ready to obey my orders at any time."

Following Wang Mingzheng's arrangement, the dignified lady and Master Jia both bowed and accepted the order with a smile.

When he stood up, Master Jia clasped his fists and praised Wang Mingzheng.

"Over the years, thanks to Brother Wang's good leadership, we have been able to properly arrange so many secret agents."

"No one would have thought that the entire Pingchang County government had already been replaced by our Jin Guo's men."

"This slow and steady strategy can only be carried out by someone as wise as my brother."

"When the city is conquered, that will be the day for your brother to rise to prominence. I would like to congratulate you in advance. Don't forget to support me when the time comes."

Hearing Master Jia's flattery, Wang Mingzheng laughed.

"Brother Jia, thank you for your praise. Without your help, I would not have been able to survive these twenty years alone."

"Don't worry. When we return to the capital after the mission is accomplished, I will ask for rewards for everyone according to their merits in front of the king."

Upon hearing this, Master Jia hurriedly bowed again.

"In that case, I would like to thank Brother Wang on behalf of the brothers!"

"It should be so." Wang Mingzheng waved his hand and then sighed softly, with a hint of worry between his brows.

Seeing Wang Mingzheng like this, Master Jia stopped smiling and asked suspiciously, "Brother Wang, do you have any worries?"

Wang Mingzheng shook his head slightly when he heard this.

"The brothers in our mansion and the county government are all top-notch soldiers. I have no worries about breaking open the city gates to clear the way for the army."

"I just feel a little regretful. Guan Shanyue passed through the city the day before yesterday. In order not to expose our identities before the army arrived, we had no choice but to let him pass."

"This man is a man of great talent. He knows everything, whether it's astronomy, geography, or assisting in government policy. If we allow him to return to Wudu safely, he will definitely be a disaster for our Jin Kingdom."

"That day, I hid a secret code in the warrant, ordering Wei Anping to kill Guan Shanyue."

"But the warrant was written in advance. When it was sent out, we found out that Guan Shanyue's granddaughter was actually a warrior."

"This is a big change. I'm a little worried that Wei Anping won't be able to handle this."

Upon hearing what Wang Mingzheng said, Master Jia just chuckled.

"Brother Wang, you are worrying too much. After Guan Shanyue and the others left that day, I sent a pigeon to Wei Anping as you arranged, telling him that the woman was a warrior."

"Wei Anping has always been a prudent person. He has only been in office in Qingning for three years, but he has already created a brand like the Golden Horse Escort Agency. I think there shouldn't be any problems."

"I hope so." Wang Mingzheng sighed and said, "After all, man proposes, God disposes. No one can plan everything for the best. Let's get busy."

Master Jia and the woman turned and left, and Wang Mingzheng also walked towards the study.

At the same time, on the cliff at the junction of Qingning County and Pingchang County, a falcon flapped its wings and flew up.

In the nest it left, there was a pigeon corpse that had been eaten to the point that only the wing skeleton was left, with an exquisite bamboo tube tied to its foot.

As the mountain wind blew, the bamboo tube swayed slightly, but no one had the chance to open it again...