In the cabinet hall, the chief minister Shen Shixing's white eyebrows were twisted into knots. Ever since he was pushed to the position of chief minister, he had not slept well for a day. Although he tried his best to do everything well in this position, those words always had to be chewed in front of the emperor. Even though Shenzong trusted him very much and demoted a few annoying guys, his political opponents had no intention of letting go.
Shen Shixing put down the note handed over by the Governor of Zhejiang. He raised his cloudy eyes and glanced at Xu Guo, the great scholar below him. Wang Xijue said slowly: "Weizhen, Yuan Yu, I want to hear about this Jiangnan plague." What’s your opinion?”
Xu Guo stroked his beard and said: "Mr. Ge, Jiangnan is a heavily taxed area. Now that it has been affected by the plague, this year's taxes will be reduced by nearly half. Last year, when troops were deployed in Sichuan, military pay was still delayed. Your Majesty, regarding matters concerning the foundation of the country, He also kept delaying it. He said that he wanted to build a palace for Prince Fu. When the palace was completed, we would discuss the matter of canonizing the prince.
All the money of the Ministry of Revenue has been invested in this matter, and I'm afraid they won't be able to come up with more money for disaster relief. The huge family property of the Ming Dynasty belonged to the emperor. The emperor cherished his people, and we ministers can also understand the holy will. But everything down here requires money. "
Shen Shixing said: "You are telling the truth, but now whether there is money or not, this matter still has to be done? Wei Zhen, it is better to complain less and think more about it. Yuan Yu, what do you think?"
Wang Xijue said: "Mr. Ge, the plague is prevalent in the south of the Yangtze River. The top priority is to stop the epidemic and help the people. The cabinet and the Supervisor of Rites approved this memorial from the Governor of Zhejiang, so that the Ministry of Rites can write to the Taiyuan Hospital and ask them to send personnel to participate in the treatment of the plague. .
Secondly, as disasters hit all parts of Jiangnan, drug dealers should be strictly prohibited from raising drug prices. Third, caravans stranded in the local area will not be released, and those returning home from other provinces will be temporarily detained. Fourth, all humans and animals that died of the plague should be buried deeply. "
Shen Shixing said: "What Yuan Yu said is correct. However, the governor of Zhejiang's remarks are not pleasing to the ears. We will not have an easy time if they reach the ears of the Holy One. I would like to trouble Wei Zhen to bring him some trouble." Let’s polish this memorial a little more.”
Xu Guodao: "Okay, I will do whatever the elder Ge tells me to do." Shen Shi walked outside the palace, and Zhang Jing, the director of the ceremony department, happened to be walking towards here with a few young eunuchs. Zhang Jing said: "Mr. Ge, our family's sage has ordered you to come to the imperial study to discuss matters." Shen Shixing said: "Yes, I will accept the order." After saying that, he followed Zhang Jing to the imperial study.
When the plague came, it seemed like it happened overnight. Although officials from various places and some famous local gentry provided medicine and relief to the people, the deaths never stopped. Regardless of men, women, or children, once infected, they will first cough, then become feverish all over the body, and the fever will not go away. Finally, they will die of dehydration after going to the toilet.
Xiao Yunfan and Bai Ruoxuan rode the water-escaping dragon out of the bottom of Huansha Lake. They planned to have a good meal in the town before saying goodbye. But from afar, a group of people wearing sackcloth and mourning came, carrying a coffin and crying loudly. The two of them saw seven or eight such teams along the way and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Bai Ruoxuan asked: "What happened? Why are there so many people mourning today?" Xiao Yunfan said: "When we go to the town ahead and inquire about it, we will probably get something." The two of them settled in an inn, and the shopkeeper was Asking the waiter to close the store, Xiao Yunfan asked curiously: "Shopkeeper, why is it closed in the clear day?"
The old shopkeeper said with a sad face: "The guest looks like an outsider. There has been a plague in our area recently, and people are dying every day. This inn is the place with the most people, and the official issued an official document yesterday, asking the shop to close. There is nothing we can do. "Xiao Yunfan asked curiously: "How could there be a plague?"
The old shopkeeper lowered his voice and said: "Young man, there is a rumor going around now that the imperial court is treacherous and the emperor's lack of virtue is a disaster sent by heaven. A few days ago, an old man from Xiaoyang Village fetched water, but the water failed and a big piece came up. Stone. Those disobedient words were written on the stone. I saw that you are a foreigner, so I told you the truth. Don't go around talking nonsense, otherwise the officials will arrest you and behead you."
Xiao Yunfan nodded and said: "Thank you, sir. But, sir, if you have anything to eat here, please give me some. I can't live without you." The shopkeeper said, "I'm sorry, sir. The shop now only has cured meat, steamed buns and Liquor and other things are really unavailable now that every shop in the market is closed.”
Xiao Yunfan said: "Okay, then give me as much as you have." As he said that, he took out a piece of silver from his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper walked outside the store, looked around, and said, "Sir, why don't you wait here first? I'll ask the waiter to close the front door and prepare it for you. You two will leave through the back door later." "Xiao Yunfan cupped his hands and said, "That's it, thank you."
The shopkeeper lit an oil lamp and placed it on the corner of the table.
Xiao and Bai sat down across from each other. Bai Ruoxuan frowned and said, "Do you think the government has gone too far?" Xiao Yunfan said, "The common people can only do what the government orders, but how can they speak?"
Bai Ruoxuan thought about this and stopped talking. When I thought about saying goodbye to Xiao Yunfan, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness in my heart, and said quietly: "Xiao Yunfan, after we leave this inn, we will go our separate ways."
Xiao Yunfan said: "Yes, Xiao only hopes that Miss Bai will do more good deeds and less evil deeds." Bai Ruoxuan said: "Okay, I will just promise you. However, I have to remind you that apart from me in the dark pavilion, the Ghost Prime Minister Besides, Mr. Jin from the Painting Hall and Mr. Ye from the Ming Tower are both powerful characters. They won’t be as merciful as me, so you’d better be careful.”
Xiao Yunfan smiled and said: "Thanks to the concern of the girl, Xiao has written down your words." Bai Ruoxuan lowered her head and bit her lips and said: "I hope, I hope you and your girl Qing'er will meet again soon." Xiao Yunfan said: "Thank you for your good wishes. Bar."
After a while, the waiter placed the wine jug and bacon on the table. Xiao Yunfan raised the wine bottle and poured a glass for Bai Ruoxuan first, and then poured a glass for himself. He raised his head and looked into Bai Ruoxuan's eyes with a smile: "Miss Bai, it's not like we haven't met each other before. Xiao is very happy to make a friend like you."
Bai Ruoxuan said: "Thanks to your consideration, I reluctantly agree to it." Xiao Yunfan said: "Let's have a drink today. After drinking, we will go our separate ways." Bai Ruoxuan raised the glass and drank it down, Xiao Yunfan said Drink up the wine too.
Bai Ruoxuan did not eat her food. She stood up and said, "Then let's say goodbye." Xiao Yunfan did not look into her eyes because he was afraid of seeing her eyes. He closed his eyes and said, "I finally didn't do anything out of line, otherwise I would really be sorry for Qing'er."
When he opened his eyes, Bai Ruoxuan's figure had jumped to the roof. The young man was startled and sat down on the ground. Xiao Yunfan breathed a sigh of relief and said: "We will meet again if we are destined." As he said that, he drank another drink. After his third glass of wine, he didn't want to drink any more.
He thought: "Where will Miss Bai go? Go back to Ghost Prime Minister's Gate to face your grandmother, agree to a marriage that you don't like, or go somewhere else?" Suddenly he laughed at himself and said: "Xiao Yunfan, Xiao Yunfan, you are too It's too sentimental. She is your enemy, and it is already good for you to tolerate her, so why do you still care about her affairs? What is Qing'er's whereabouts? Are you not paying attention to whether she has suffered? "
He fiddled with his chopsticks a few times and lost his appetite. He stood up, asked the shopkeeper to pack the steamed buns and meat, drank some wine and left the inn. After walking a few steps, he suddenly heard a chirping sound in his ears. He looked up and saw that it was the swallow that day.
Xiao Yunfan stretched out a palm and said happily: "Little guy, what can I do for you?" It turned out that the swallow learned a strange thing while foraging for food, so he told Xiao Yunfan about it. Xiao Yunfan said: "You mean someone has tampered with the well water in those places?" The swallow chirped twice more.
Xiao Yunfan couldn't help but think deeply, and said to himself: "So, it's the work of the Ghost Prime Minister again. Miss Bai is with me, so naturally she couldn't have done this. Could it be Mr. Jin or Mr. Ye?" I have never fought against these two people, and I don’t know how strong they are.
What is their purpose in spreading the plague? Bai Ruoxuan is a Tatar. I would understand if she did this. But what are the intentions of the other people in Guixiangmen doing this? He reached out and gently stroked the swallow's back and said, "Hey, little guy, can you see those people's faces clearly?" "The swallow chirped twice more in his palm.
Xiao Yunfan said: "Oh! It turns out it's them. Okay, I understand. The plague is prevalent here. You'd better inform your companions to leave here as soon as possible." The swallow screamed twice and flew to the clouds.
In a dilapidated temple, two beggars looked panic-stricken. One of them, with a wart on his face, gasped and said: "I'm so lucky to run so fast. If anyone finds out, the elder will definitely kill us." "
Another beggar said: "Yeah, I really can't figure it out. What's the purpose of the elder asking you and me to do these things? If all the men, women, old and children in the town get the plague, then we don't have anything to eat?"
His companion said: "Yes, the elder we can all think of can certainly think of it. If you ask me, we should just listen to his words obediently. In the future, if we are promoted to four-bag disciples, we will be better than Xiao Amao and the others." The one on the other side Humanity said: "Yes, you are right. Being born in this world, it is good to be able to earn a living.
Although it is detrimental to our morality to do this, if we don't do it, someone else will. Then we will never get ahead. Being a beggar is already the worst. The only thing worse than a beggar is a beggar who has no food to eat. The feeling of being hungry is really unpleasant. We can only ask Grandpa Yama to show mercy and stop those evil spirits from haunting us. "
Before the two of them finished speaking, a voice outside the broken window said: "Okay, the ghosts of injustice will not haunt you." The beggar's expression changed and he clenched the bamboo pole and said, "Who? Come out?" Zhang Chengyun flew to the temple, and that When the two beggars saw that it was him, they knelt down and saluted, saying, "I see you, Elder Zhang."
Zhang Chengyun walked over slowly, walked around behind the two of them and sneered: "Since you don't want the ghosts to haunt you, then I'll send you to be ghosts, so that no one will haunt you." As he spoke, he grabbed the two of them with his five fingers. The neck bone cracked and was broken.
As he spoke, he clapped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, brothers, I can't sleep well while you are alive. Only when you are dead can I sleep peacefully."
