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ps: Thanks to book friend Wen Lianghe Dream for the tip.
Chief Secretary Zhongmu returned home, hired a carriage, took his wife, children, and family members with him, and the whole family rushed to Dongcheng in the carriage.
The news of the banditry in Henan has long since spread to Zhongmu County, and the people in the city have heard about it. There are usually many people talking about it in restaurants and teahouses, and it has become a topic of gossip.
The political atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty was relatively relaxed. Unlike the later dynasties, in order to maintain their rule, traders and lackeys were not allowed to discuss state affairs with scholars and children.
Many people in Zhongmou County simply did not believe that the rebels claimed by the government could reach Zhongmou County.
It is not that there have been rebellions in Henan. They were all quickly put down by the government. Moreover, for the people at the bottom, the rebellion in Henan was still far away from them.
In the minds of many people, the rebels are still in Henan Prefecture and Nanyang Prefecture, so they have to live their lives as they please. If they don't go out to work for a day, the whole family will go hungry.
Compared with the people living at the bottom, several wealthy families in Zhongmu County have their own channels for obtaining news, and they have already learned about the rebels' appearance in Xingyang.
The news about Yang He's escape back to Zhongmu County and the fact that the magistrate of Zhongmu County followed Yang He to Kaifeng Fucheng were known to these wealthy families through their own spies in the Yamen.
Unlike the ignorance of the common people at the bottom, several large households in Zhongmu County knew how powerful the rebels were, and even knew that the rebels were approaching, so they all considered leaving Zhongmu County.
They are different from the lower-class people in Zhongmu County. Those lower-class people have no way of living after leaving Zhongmu County and can only beg for food. But they are different. They have money in their pockets and are served by people wherever they go.
Just when several big families in the city were privately contacting each other about whether to leave Zhongmu County, the family of the chief bookkeeper of Zhongmu County had already arrived at the gate of Dongcheng.
Zhongmu County is just a county town, and the city gate is guarded by a yamen servant and seven or eight white servants.
When the officials at the city gate saw the chief registrar coming to the city gate, they hurried forward to greet him.
"Open the city gate. I have something important to do and have to leave the city." When the chief clerk saw the yamen guarding the city gate, he asked him to open the city gate without any nonsense.
The yamen servant secretly glanced at the carriage behind the chief clerk.
There is no important matter here. I want to take the whole family to escape Zhongmu County.
"What? Even my words are useless!" The chief clerk's face sank.
The yamen servant hurriedly put on a smile and said: "It's not that the little ones don't open the city gate, but the lord has a rule that the city gates can only be opened for one hour at Chen time every day. The city gates are not allowed to be opened at other times. Don't embarrass me. ”
"The Ming Dynasty followed Governor Yang to Kaifeng City. All the affairs in the city, large and small, have been handed over to me. I now order you to open the city gate immediately." The chief clerk said to the Yamen in front of him.
However, the Yamen servant did not move the place, let alone ask anyone to open the city gate. He still said with an apologetic smile: "How about you talk to Master Dianshi? I really can't make the decision."
Hearing this, the chief clerk understood.
Dian Shi should have sent someone to tell the government officer in front of him something. Dian Shi, who was in charge of arrests and prisons, was the direct superior of the government officer in front of him.
"Go and send someone to inform Dian Shi. I will be waiting for him here." The chief clerk understood that the problem was not with the Yamen servant and was too lazy to talk nonsense with him.
The yamen servant nodded and bowed: "Master, please wait a moment. I will order someone to see Master Dianshi now."
With that said, he called a white servant and asked him to run around.
The chief clerk left the government servant in front of him and returned to the carriage with a cold face.
The yamen servant watched him get on the carriage, and then returned to guard the city gate.
About a quarter of an hour later, two carriages drove from the city and finally stopped behind the chief registrar's carriage.
A man jumped out of the car, walked quickly to the chief registrar's carriage, clasped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I hurried over as soon as I heard about it."
At this time, the yamen guarding the city gate also ran over, stepped forward with a smile, and said, "Master Dianshi, you are here."
"You ignorant person, didn't you see that Master Chen is leaving the city? Go and open the city gate." Dian Shi raised his foot and kicked the Yamen servant who came over.
The yamen man cooperated and took two steps back and said, "Young man, I will ask someone to open the city gate."
After saying that, he turned around and ran back to the city gate.
Dianshi turned around, looked at the carriage next to him again, and said, "I have already taught him a lesson. Master Chen, just wait a moment. The city gate will open soon, and you will be able to leave the city soon."
"Why do you think you have to go with me?" Master Chen leaned out of the carriage and said to Dian Shi under the carriage.
Dianshi said with a smile: "Now that the Ming Dynasty has also escaped, we are the only two left in Zhongmu County. I think it is more practical to stay with you."
"It's all a disaster. It doesn't make any difference whether they are together or not." Master Chen shook his head slightly.
Norihi just smiled.
At this moment, a government official ran towards the city, waving as he ran.
"The Yamen has sent someone." Dianshi, who was standing next to the carriage, immediately spotted the Yamen running over.
After all, the dress of government servants is different from that of ordinary people, and they can be easily distinguished even from a distance.
After hearing this, Master Chen leaned out of the carriage and looked behind the carriage.
The yamen servant who came from the city panted and came to the two people.
"Second, gentlemen, Mr. Chen is here. He is outside the west city gate now. He wants to enter the city. The people guarding the city gate do not dare to open the gate privately, so they sent a young man to come over and find the two gentlemen to make up their minds. "The yamen servant took a lot of effort to finish the sentence.
After hearing this, Dian Shi looked at Master Chen on the carriage.
"How many soldiers and horses did Mr. Chen bring?" Chief Chen asked.
The officer said: "There are almost seventy or eighty people, and everyone is riding a horse. They look like the personal servants kept by the generals."
"Hurry up and get out of the city." Master Chen said to Dian Shi outside the carriage.
Dianshi said hesitantly: "Don't you want to meet him? That man is the commander-in-chief, we can't afford to offend him."
"I want to see you, but I won't." After Master Chen finished speaking, he retracted into the carriage and told the driver, "Drive out of the city."
"drive!"
The driver raised the whip he used to drive the cart and struck the animal on the rear, while shaking the reins.
The horses pulling the carriage pulled the carriage towards the city gate in front.
When Dianshi saw Master Chen leaving as soon as he said so, he quickly ran back to his carriage and ordered the driver to follow Master Chen's carriage out of the city.
When the yamen officer who came to report saw that the two men were about to leave, he hurriedly chased Dianshi's carriage and asked eagerly: "Master Dianshi, if you leave, what will happen to Mr. Chen and those people outside the West City Gate?"
"You make up your own mind. Master Chen and I have important matters to attend to. We need to see the Ming Dynasty. Go back!" Dianshi replied, then retracted his body into the carriage.
Several carriages left the city one after another through the newly opened city gate.
