Regarding the emperor's accusation that he deliberately brought him here, Huang Qiong admitted it indifferently. However, Huang Qiong would not admit it even to death when he was accused of interfering in politics. Huang Qiong actually didn't care much about whether his title as a county king should be abolished or not. Because he believed that the threat of the old man's words was far greater than the reality.
But if he became the target of the old man's venting on the street, and received a scolding or a few slaps, then he would not be able to accept it no matter what. Although I still don’t know much about the character of my emperor. But Huang Qiong knows that the more tolerant a person is, the harder it is to control his anger.
I, the emperor, can endure this. I know this from my mother and Sister Yao. But looking at the old man's face now, Huang Qiong felt that at least in this matter, the old man might not intend to endure it. Since you are not going to tolerate it, it is normal to find a target to vent to.
On this street now, Huang Qiong looked left and right, feeling that there should be no one else but herself for this unlucky guy. Therefore, Huang Qiong would not admit it even to death. Although thunder, rain and dew are all your kindness, everyone wants to take advantage of the rain and dew. But Thunder, it’s better for the old man to keep it for himself.
Seeing that Huang Qiong was obviously playing tricks on him and refused to admit it, the furious emperor smiled instead of being angry. He patted Huang Qiong on the shoulder, gave Huang Qiong a look like you were waiting for me, and said nothing more. The emperor didn't say anything, so the story about the strong man's so-called surprise was naturally revealed. Huang Qiong, who has achieved his goal, will not be looking for trouble.
Neither the father nor the son were talking, and the guards naturally did not dare to speak. They just looked around carefully with vigilant eyes. As for the strong man, he didn't come out after entering the shabby house that wasn't even a shelter from the wind and rain. At this time, the scene showed a strange calm. This strange calmness made Huang Qiong feel a little unnatural.
Fortunately, this calmness did not last long before it was interrupted by the report of the guard who had left earlier and returned with a few old men in ragged clothes. Seeing a few old men, the emperor's face looked slightly better. But he didn't intend to let Huang Qiong go. He turned around and whispered to Huang Qiong: "It will be over here in a while. You and I will go back to the palace together. I have something to say to you."
Seeing that the emperor had let him go for the time being, Huang Qiong could only touch his nose and take the initiative to step aside, even though he knew that this might be the calm before the storm. At this time, if there are outsiders present, it is better to keep silent. He doesn't want to be the emperor's punching bag now. As for returning to the palace, let's wait until after returning to the palace.
Several old people who were found by the guards looked at Huang Qiong and his son in fear. In the eyes of these old people, although the clothes worn by Huang Qiong and his son were very ordinary, judging from the silk and satin materials, they looked like they were either rich or noble. Moreover, he has a noble temperament and looks like he is not an ordinary person. Maybe he is that high official.
After all, this is the Jingzhao Mansion where the emperor and I also live. The most important thing here is high-ranking officials, nobles, sons and grandsons, as well as various important figures with profound backgrounds. Maybe it's not even unusual for the emperor to run out of the palace that day and pay a private visit incognito.
However, since these people arrived here, except for the government servants who are like wolves and tigers and only want money all day long, no high-ranking official has ever come here. So when they saw the couple in front of them, they looked like they were no ordinary father and son in terms of their aura and clothes. The old men were very cautious and no one dared to speak.
But these old men who were found by the guards never thought of it in their dreams. The middle-aged man in front of him, who at least looked extremely elegant, was indeed not a high-ranking official, let alone a wealthy businessman. But he is the number one person in the world today, the majestic emperor of Qi Dynasty. But these old people didn't know that it was naturally impossible for the emperor himself to reveal his identity.
Seeing that none of the old men spoke, the emperor was a little embarrassed and gave Huang Qiong another hard look. He said in the gentlest tone possible: "I am also a member of the staff of Jingzhao Mansion. I have lived in Jingzhao Mansion for decades, but this is the first time I have seen a place like this. That's why I took the liberty to call in a few old men. I understand the situation, but I didn’t expect to frighten a few old men, so please forgive me.”
Having said this, the emperor pointed to the surrounding shacks that could not be seen at a glance, and the sewage flowing everywhere. And after seeing the street calmed down again, those people with shabby clothes and hungry faces said: "Sir, I want to ask who these people are, and why is this place so shabby? "
"The situation here is so difficult to imagine that this is also in the capital, the most beautiful place under the emperor's feet. I just saw that the people here are so miserable, hungry and cold, and there are many people who even sell their children. Along the way, I saw dozens of people selling themselves for sex. Doesn’t the Jingzhao Prefecture Yin, who is the emperor’s shepherd, not care about such a scene?”
Several old men who had obviously never seen the world, no one dared to reply immediately to the emperor's question. It wasn't until a long time that an old man with fewer patches on his body and no exposed flesh came forward and replied: "The little old man is exactly the right person here. I don't know who the official is. I shouldn't listen to this." It’s suitable for people in the capital.”
The old man's rhetorical question made the emperor stunned for a moment, but then he said in a gentler tone: "Old man, I am a local. But I rarely go out on weekdays, so I don't know that there is such a place in the capital. Today I just accidentally When I got here, I realized how miserable this place was, so I asked a few old men to inquire."
Hearing the emperor say that he just came here accidentally, the old man who replied looked somewhat disappointed. However, after thinking about it, he replied truthfully: "What the officials don't know is that except for a few poor people like Xiao Lao'er who originally lived here, most of the people here come to the capital from Zhengzhou or Ruzhou. Refugees making a living.”
"When these people were in their hometown, most of them were ordinary farmers with no other skills except farming. Even if they wanted to rely on their strength to make a living, they couldn't enter the inner city where the richest people live. . Although the government is afraid of provoking a civil uprising, it does not dare to drive them away openly."
"But not only did a notice be issued, refugees were strictly prohibited from entering the inner city unless they were hired or bought as slaves. Once anyone was found to have entered the inner city in violation of the order, he would be severely punished by a hundred big boards, and then the whole family would be shackles for three days. Deport them to their place of origin. We also send government officials to search at various gates in the inner city. Once caught, those who want to sneak into the city will be severely punished."
"The only way for the people here to support their families is to wait on the edge of the inner city when an employer comes to hire someone. They may support themselves by selling their children and daughters as slaves, or even They rely on the women at home to sell their bodies behind closed doors to support themselves. This generation is now the largest market for people in the capital, and it is also the largest concentration of private prostitution in the capital."
"The high-ranking official is dressed so elegantly, and it looks like he has lived in the family for generations. As a high-ranking official, he is naturally not able to come to whore with those half-closed doors. When we first met, the old man thought that the high-ranking official was... Come here to buy girls to serve as concubines and maids, or buy a few strong men to serve as servants. But I didn’t expect that the high-ranking officials just entered this place by mistake.”
"Now everyone in the capital knows that the slaves who go out here are in the mansions of high-ranking officials in the capital. There is no house in the Goulan Courtyard in the capital that has not bought women from here. Since the high-ranking officials are in the capital, Human affairs, you don’t know what’s going on here? That’s why I just asked so much.”
Hearing the old man's answer, the emperor was obviously stunned. This wasn't a slight shock, he was really stunned. After a while, he said: "Although Zhengzhou and Ruzhou are not as wealthy as Jiangnan and Lianghuai, they are still wealthy places on Henan Road. How come there are so many refugees?"
"Even if Zhengzhou was hit by a flood the year before last, the imperial court had already allocated money and food for disaster relief. It also exempted Zhengzhou from money and food for three years. It was a big success last year. Ruzhou has had good weather for three consecutive years. Why is this so? How many people leave good land without cultivating it and become homeless? Could you please tell me in detail what is the reason for this?"
Before the old man could answer the emperor's words, the old man thought of a sneer behind him: "Yes, Zhengzhou has indeed had good weather in the past two years and has not suffered any natural disasters. Natural disasters come in turn, and they may not harm the people every year, but this Man-made disasters may not be able to be avoided. Maybe the emperor saw that our lives have been too comfortable in the past few years and sent us a disaster star. "
The one who spoke was the strong man who almost broke Huang Qiong's shoulder with his fist. I don't know when, when he came out of the shabby thatched hut, he heard the emperor's question, but he sneered for these few people. After learning that Huang Qiong and his party were not here to buy servants, he didn't have much interest. The old man who continued with Huang Qiong and his son answered.
How about saying that the King of Hell is easy to meet, but the little ghost is the most difficult to deal with? The emperor had not had time to say anything before the big man's sarcastic words. Several guards quit, and the leader shouted angrily: "Wangyou, do you know who you are talking to right now?"
"Humph, this master is quite majestic. But it's a pity that he only has a powerful mouth. As for the skills in his hands, we haven't seen them before, but they are very sparse. Who am I talking to? Let me tell you, even if Today I am the emperor, and I still talk like this."
"My sweatdrops fall to the ground every year, but I have never missed a day in arrears when paying taxes according to the regulations. I am worthy of this great Qi Dynasty. But what did I do, the emperor? Seeing that we live a comfortable life , so he sent his son to Zhengzhou to become a vassal. I had a good family, but my whole family was ruined by his son, the emperor."
"We are sorry for the emperor, but the emperor is sorry for me. What do you want me to say? I said a few words, but it was presumptuous. But who the hell should I talk to about our family's grievances? There are tens of thousands of refugees here. Go tell that person your grievances? God’s way is unfair, what do you want me to say? If you think what we say is unpleasant, then don’t fucking come here.”
The few words in front of this strong man made him feel like a cat whose tail was stepped on. If the emperor hadn't been by his side, he would have picked up the guy and fought this guy to the death. Although the emperor is by his side, he dare not act rashly without the emperor's permission. But the way the guards looked at this guy, if he could kill people, this strong man would have been riddled with holes.
