Facing his master's inquiry, Zhu Zanxun just glanced at him silently, "I don't know, master, I can't do nothing to save you, but I can't let you destroy my family either. .”
After hearing this, although Zhu Zanxun did not clearly answer any of his questions, in Li Yunlan's view, his words had actually answered his fate.
He couldn't do nothing to save himself, which meant that he wouldn't do anything to him in these three days, but he wouldn't let himself go either.
If he doesn't let himself go, his fate has actually been sentenced to death.
Realizing this, although Li Yunlan felt uncomfortable, he also understood that this was the best choice his apprentice could make.
Although he also hopes that the other party will stand on his side, he also knows that if Zhu Zanxun chooses him, there will be no reason for it.
However, he still chose to look at the student and whispered, "Zanxun, do you know why I betrayed your father?"
Zhu Zanxi just shook his head when he heard this.
Then Li Yunlan continued, "Do you have time to listen to me tell a story?"
Zhu Zanxun naturally did not express any objection. He just gestured to his husband to continue speaking.
After a moment of silence, Li Yunlan subconsciously licked his chapped lips. After a moment, Li Yunlan finally spoke, but what he said was not a story, but a question, "Zanxun, have you ever seen a human pig?" "
Hearing his teacher's question, Zhu Zanxun shook his head. Although he had never seen human pigging, he also knew that it was a very cruel lynching.
Seeing him shaking his head, Li Yunlan whispered, "Yes, it's normal that you haven't seen it. After all, how could your father let you see the bloody storm outside."
After a moment of silence, Li Yunlan whispered, "The human pigs I have met have never made any mistakes. It was just because of poverty and broken families that they became human pigs."
"Everyone knows that Linfu is the land of plenty and plenty in the capital of Yunzhou Prefecture, but only the people in Linfu know that this land of plenty is actually a land prone to disasters. Every year during droughts and floods, many people always flee outside. In April and May, The spring floods and the dry seasons of July and August are often the most difficult months for the people in Yunzhou. Some of them have left their homes, and some have sold their sons and daughters, and their wives and cattle in order to have a bite to eat. But in that year, human life is as cheap as weeds. A cow can be exchanged for two buckets of rice, and a child with sound limbs can be exchanged for only half a bucket of rice. The price of a woman is even cheaper. If you have a full meal, you may give it away. After making the greatest determination and the final pawn, people are still hungry, but there are fewer and fewer buyers. Some men have no choice but to go to the local gang Qingyun Gang in order to have enough food. In fact, the Qingyun Gang is just This is a low-level gang, just a gang of beggars, but the gang leader has some tricks. Therefore, although the Qingyun Gang is a gang of beggars, their upper class has money comparable to that of the rich. And the gang leader is also happy to be there. At this time, people were hired at low prices. The people who were recruited heard that they could have a bite of food, so they followed in. But as a result, one meal every three to five days was common, and they also had a certain amount of tasks. Every person had to do it every day. Five copper coins must be collected. How difficult it is to collect five copper coins in a place full of famine. So many people can only steal and rob. Those who fail to complete the task can only be beaten, starved and punished. If Anyone who has been unable to complete the task for ten days and a half has no value in their eyes."
"At this time, they will make those people into human pigs. Some of them will be put in wine jars, and some will be put in bottles. Then they will let these people go to local wealthy households or surrounding wealthy households in this way. At this time, because of the novelty, the wealthy households who are unwilling to give porridge are still willing to pay some money to satisfy their novel desires."
"Some people even regard this kind of man in a bottle as a fashion because they think it is strange. If there is a trade, there will be harm. In the later stage, the Qingyun Gang began to deal with those who sold themselves to the gang because of poverty and hunger. The limit of tolerance was lowered and lowered. It was ten days and a half at the beginning, then it was reduced to five or six days, and then two or three days. In the end, it was simply made into something like that. "
"And if you want to be a person who can live
For a period of time, there were almost dozens of hundreds of lives behind the man in the bottle. Some people died of infection within a few days, and some died of training accidents during training. "
Hearing Li Yunlan's words, Zhu Zanxun couldn't help but gasped. Because he was weak, he once made medicinal steaming. A large wooden barrel was filled with hot water soaked in various herbs. After that, people Lift him in and cover the barrel with a wooden lid. Of course, his head is exposed, and the wooden lid will leave a hole that can accommodate the head. But at that time, every time he was steamed with medicine, he still would Unbearable. He couldn't imagine how much more unbearable those people were than him.
However, he obviously still didn't understand the meaning of what Li Yunlan said to him. After all, his family had never bought such a man in a bottle.
It was obvious that Zhu Zanxun didn't know why he was telling him this, so Li Yunlan said softly, "I also saw people in bottles like that at a party. They can hardly be counted as human beings anymore." They were human beings, and I couldn’t bear to see them clumsily rolling the bottles. It was also from that person’s mouth that I learned their origins.”
"Since then, I have been secretly investigating the origins of the Qingyun Gang. Although I can't change anything for the victims, I still want them to be at least a little more decent. And I also have evidence. I once approached your father and wanted him to Regardless of this matter, the Qingyun Gang always passed without pain. It was not until a minor official mentioned it one day that I realized that the leader of the Qingyun Gang was also a dead soldier raised by your father. One of them. The Qingyun Gang has been blocking the sky and sun in Linfu precisely because of your father’s existence.”
"And your father has done more than just this. Linfu is certainly richer in products than other areas in Yunzhou, but their products cannot be compared with the rich Luonan. Coupled with the flood disaster, Linfu is actually more The grain that can be harvested may not be as good as that of the surrounding areas, but Linfu has been a major grain payer in Yunzhou for many years. On the one hand, there are frequent natural disasters, and on the other hand, the grain tax remains high. Therefore, Linfu's The people are truly suffering."
After saying this, Li Yunlan paused again, "I actually never understood why the imperial court imposed such high taxes before, but then I asked old friends in the imperial court and found out that Linfu was also a poor household in the imperial court. The same thing exists. The imperial court's taxes are not high. Even because Yunzhou is a special area, the imperial court actually allocates relief food every year. But these things have never been seen in Linfu. Your father deceived and hid them. I still want to treat Linfu as my own private land. I receive salary from the imperial court and eat from the people’s food. How can I pretend that all these things don’t exist?”
"So I have no regrets even if I die! I just pity those farmers who end up with no harvest and sell their sons and daughters."
At the end of his words, Li Yunlan suddenly looked up at Zhu Zanxun, his eyes full of suffering and depth.
Looking at Li Yunlan like this, it seemed that through his eyes, he had seen the life scenes of the people he described.
After all, I couldn't bear to face such a scene.
Zhu Zanxun could only lower his head and whispered, "Master, this is all I can do. I can't betray my father, let alone my family. I can't be this traitor."
Although he already knew that this was the answer Zhu Zanxun could give him, Li Yunlan was still a little disappointed for no reason.
After a long time, Li Yunlan said to Zhu Zanxun, "Let's go."
Hearing Li Yunlan's words, Zhu Zanxun was obviously a little disappointed.
But he really couldn't help Li Yunlan. In other words, after all, this was not what happened to him. It was undoubtedly very difficult for a person with interests to take the initiative to transfer his interests.
So after Li Yunlan's words fell, although Zhu Zanxun couldn't bear it because of the teacher-student conflict, he didn't want to change his opinion at this moment.
So after that, Zhu Zanxun finally chose to leave.
Seeing his only disciple leave, the light in Li Yunlan's eyes was completely extinguished as the door was closed.
Such a big world, such a vast world, why couldn't he fly out of Yunzhou?
Why can't he become that bird and convey the suffering of the people of Yunzhou so that only God can hear it.
He let out one last long sigh.
On the other hand, when Zhu Zanxun left his teacher's place, he staggered away almost as if he was running away.
It was as if nothing would happen if he were far away from this place, as if he didn't have to pay attention to it all and nothing would exist.
When he returned to the courtyard, Shen Fanghui was already waiting in his courtyard.
She originally wanted to praise Zhu Zanxun for his beautiful counterattack against her second brother this time. By the way, she also wanted to ask Zhu Zanxun if he had asked anything.
However, looking at Zhu Zanxun's pale face, she almost thought that Zhu Zanxun was ill again.
Therefore, she immediately walked over to support him, and she immediately called others to get the medicine for Zhu Zanxun.
However, when she asked the maid to get the medicine, Zhu Zanxun pushed her away, and he only said to Shen Fanghui, "I'm fine."
But although he said he was fine, looking at his actions, he didn't look like he was fine, so Shen Fanghui just insisted on asking, "Then why are you looking like this?"
Upon hearing Shen Fanghui's inquiry, Zhu Zanxun just looked at Shen Fanghui silently, and then sighed silently before talking to Shen Fanghui.
