Since entering the Southern Song Dynasty, Xin Qiji has been eating really well and comfortably, much better than when he went south from Zhongdu to Haizhou.
But Xin Qiji soon realized that the Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty were different.
The treatment of officials, the system, and the food and drink are all completely different.
Let him choose. Although he must be very comfortable in the Song Dynasty, he will still choose the Ming Dynasty without hesitation.
There was hope in life in the Ming Dynasty, which gave people a high-spirited spirit, but the Song Dynasty... was afraid that it would sink softly, right?
Eating well is not a problem. Everyone wants to eat well. Xin Qiji also plans to go back this time and instigate some colleagues to report to Su Yonglin and take good care of the food standards at the inn so that officials on business trips can eat better——
Not to mention the delicacies of mountains and seas, at least you should feel satisfied after eating them, right?
Therefore, the problems of the Ming Dynasty can be solved with a little improvement, and they are good to everyone.
But the problem of the Song Dynasty is no longer a question of whether to eat well or not. It is a choice between eating luxuriously and being very luxurious. It is the kind of feeling that makes people unable to help but indulge in this rich and luxurious life. .
This involves cruel oppression and exploitation.
Xin Qiji knew very well that his life in the Ming Dynasty was actually very good. Of course, it was far inferior to the life he lived in his childhood, but this just showed that the Ming Dynasty took care of ordinary farmers.
The total production volume is so much, the officials eat so well and luxuriously, and live so comfortably, so if we exchange equal amounts - who is suffering?
Xin Qiji looked at the official road far away from the town. On his dining table were seven dishes and two soups. The exquisite food and gorgeous dishes made him feel like he was back to his childhood for a moment.
At that time, he was still an eldest young man living a comfortable life, and the Xin family could barely be regarded as a family with great food. Every meal he ate was very particular, and the ingredients and seasonings were all of the best.
But time has passed, and now, when Xin Qiji looks at such exquisite dishes, he does not miss them, but feels disgusted from the bottom of his heart.
These dishes are delicious, the meat is tender, and a lot of effort has been put into cooking and seasoning them, but why are they so boring to eat?
Looking at the accompanying officials from the Song Dynasty feasting around him, Xin Qiji felt that he was out of tune with them, and he was worried. He always felt that the officials of the Southern Song Dynasty were too extravagant, and something would happen sooner or later.
As if to confirm Xin Qiji's guess, something happened when he was still one day away from Lin'an.
It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, it doesn’t mean it’s small.
Anyway, there must be a lot of such things.
When it was time to eat that day, Xin Qiji and others came to an inn. The inn was still the same as before. Very good cooks and various precious ingredients were prepared. They were waiting for Xin Qiji and others to arrive and started cooking. .
The fire is strong, the cook is banging the spoon, the ingredients are tumbling up and down in the iron pot, the separated individuals are gradually merging into one under the fierce fire and the cook's operation, the pot is bursting with steam, the scene and the spirit are definitely not inferior to those competing on the battlefield. Soldier.
Xin Qiji didn't show any pretense, he ate whenever he could. He was really hungry. Smelling the tempting aroma, he couldn't resist the urge to eat. He was waiting to eat when he suddenly heard a commotion outside.
There were the sounds of soldiers roaring and women and children crying.
Wang Lun's expression suddenly changed.
"Mr. Xin, please be patient. Maybe some careless people outside bumped into the frame. It doesn't matter. I'll go out and take a look. You can sit down."
"No, I'll go out and take a look. What's going on outside?"
Xin Qiji stood up decisively, put on his coat, and strode out. Wang Lun was stunned but did not stop Xin Qiji.
When Xin Qiji left the inn, he saw at a glance that many ragged refugees appeared outside. They came in groups and wanted to enter the inn.
Seeing their dirty and pale faces, Xin Qiji knew that it was the aroma emanating from the inn or the smoke from cooking that had attracted them.
Now they looked at the inn with extremely longing eyes, full of yearning for the tempting aroma of food inside. However, facing the heavily armed guards Song Bing and their sharp spears, they did not dare to move forward and could only form a circle. A circle that doesn’t want to break up.
The noise just now was caused by two weeping women and two young children kneeling in front of the guard Song Bing, seeming to beg them to be more generous and give them some food. The children couldn't hold on any longer.
However, the guard Song soldiers could not allow them to approach the inn, so they roared at them to leave quickly and not to surround them, otherwise they would use force to kill them.
Their rude roars scared the children to tears, and this was how there was a commotion just now.
"Privacy Wang, this..."
Xin Qiji turned to look at Wang Lun, but saw Wang Lun walking forward with an embarrassed look on his face, trying to invite Xin Qiji back to the inn.
"These are probably the people living around. They smell the fragrance, are greedy, and want to come in to eat. Don't pity them. They are all unruly people and very dangerous. Chief Xin, please come into the house. What's going on here I will arrange manpower to solve it completely."
Xin Qiji stood still.
"Unruly people? I have never seen unruly people with ragged clothes and food on their faces. Privy Wang, don't try to trick me. These are clearly homeless people who have no food and are hungry. Maybe they were attracted by the aroma and smoke... This It’s only a day’s journey from Lin’an, so why are there so many refugees in the imperial capital of the Song Dynasty?”
"This...maybe this is a snow disaster somewhere? Magistrate Liu! What is going on? Explain to me clearly! Why are there refugees here disturbing Mr. Xin?"
When Wang Lun saw that he could not trick Xin Qiji, he was embarrassed and annoyed, so he could only direct his anger at the head of Liu Wei, the magistrate of Yuhang County, who came to serve the meal.
Liu Wei didn't know whether he blushed or was blushing from the cold weather. Anyway, Xin Qiji remembered that his face wasn't that red just now.
What's even weirder is that there is sweat on his forehead.
In this cold weather, he was able to hold back the sweat on his forehead.
It seemed that this incident really panicked him.
"This...this...this shouldn't be the refugees in Yuhang. Yuhang has always been prosperous and there have never been refugees. This is probably because some remote villages in the south were hit by snowstorms. These refugees had no home, so they came north in search of food...like this In fact, it is not uncommon. As long as the weather is not good and it snows heavily, then... just..."
"I'm asking you why they showed up here to disturb Director Xin's frame!"
Wang Lun was so angry that he pointed at Liu Wei's nose and cursed: "General Manager Xin is an important envoy of the Northern Kingdom! You have disturbed General Manager Xin, frightened him, made him feel unhappy, and surprised your friends. Can you bear this responsibility?!" "
I don't know whether he was pretending or sincerely wanted to curse. Wang Lun's scolding was very fierce, completely different from his previous gentle and gentle appearance.
Anyway, Xin Qiji didn't know that Wang Lun's thin body could actually arouse such great anger, scolding Liu Wei, who was taller than him, until he couldn't stand up like a grandson.
Perhaps, this is a high-ranking official?
After Wang Lun scolded Liu Wei, Liu Wei lowered his head and hunched over, motionless, as if he was frightened.
So Xin Qiji sighed.
"It's freezing cold. These refugees have thin clothes and are hungry. If they don't have food and nothing to keep out the cold, how long can they last? I'm afraid they will soon be littered with corpses.
Privy King, a gentleman is like an animal: seeing it alive, he cannot bear to see it die, and hearing its sound, he cannot bear to eat its flesh. Faced with this situation, how can I not feel compassion? "
Wang Lun scolded Liu Wei and knew that Xin Qiji might have some special ideas, such as helping these refugees, so he stepped forward with an embarrassed look on his face.
"Director Xin, these cunning... refugees are not easy to deal with. Look at how many people are surrounding you, and you don't know how many are nearby. If you let one or two of them eat, they will all surround you.
We don’t know if we have enough food. When the time comes, some people will eat and others will not, and they will become resentful. This place will be filled with water, and something will happen in the end. Mr. Xin, I can’t put you in danger. "
Wang Lun insisted that Xin Qiji enter the inn, and he would handle the refugees and ensure Xin Qiji's safety.
