No one can persevere in the cold wind and rain.
Overnight, rumors spread.
It is said that the county officials filled their own pockets and completely embezzled the Changping warehouse in the county. Not even a grain of rice was left, only hay was used as a pretext.
He also said that the county magistrate did not report the disaster at all in order to prevent embezzlement from being investigated, so there would be no relief from the court.
It is also said that the county magistrate and the city god were transformed into demons, so they caused floods just to kill people.
All the rumors have been verified. One is from ancestors' dreams, and the other is from supernatural beings.
It has a nose and eyes, and it has evidence.
Especially in the case of floods, before the floods come, there will be news from ancestors and warnings from gods and ghosts, all of which mean that the city god will kill people and bring disasters.
This rumor spread widely at first, and many people experienced it personally.
Those who listened to the warning, either moved to visit relatives, or bought rice to prepare food supplies, now all managed to escape with their lives.
Those who did not listen, or were simply incapable of escaping, became one of the refugees today.
Originally, the discussion was still spread privately, but as more and more people became aware of it, it became a consensus.
Then spread it out and speak it with certainty, just like seeing it with your own eyes and hearing it with your own ears.
In particular, these rumors are not only not false, but are well-founded. They may have been slightly distorted when spread, but overall, they have exposed the window paper and make people believe it.
The city god was so good at burning the fig leaf of the county magistrate.
After such a provocation, within half a day, the public was already excited and wanted to attack the county government.
Water thieves, landowners and wealthy households are all being held hostage, with no room for negotiation.
Zeng Fan is considered very prestigious among them. His reputation does not come from his power or financial resources, but from the fact that the refugees themselves see it with their own eyes and know the root cause.
Compared to those wealthy landowners who did not seem to have a good background, or who were not in the same class as them, Zeng Fan was undoubtedly more trustworthy.
Therefore, Zeng Fan became the leading figure in this attack on the county government.
But Zeng Fan was a smart man and got some advice.
He does not think that he can control the situation just because of such trust, and he also understands that if the angry public sentiment is allowed to burn unchecked, the entire Wuning County will be burned to ashes.
No matter they are ordinary people or refugees, they will not end well in the end.
Therefore, before taking the people out, they made a slogan: Distribute food for disaster relief and worship the bright sky.
It is necessary to keep open warehouses to store grain, to report disasters and ask for relief, to offer sacrifices to gods and heaven, and to quell floods.
Only reasonable demands will not completely separate the refugees from other people in the county.
Otherwise, other people in the county will be threatened and turn against the refugees. Then everyone will be an enemy and there will be no way to survive.
The huge number of refugees pressed forward step by step, and the roadblocks set up by the officers and soldiers could not resist them at all.
Zeng Fan led the refugees and shouted loudly and urgently: "Relieve disasters and release food! Sacrifice to the sky and the clear sky!"
"Relieve disasters and release food! Sacrifice the heaven to make peace!"
The voices of the refugees were huge and loud, like thunder, resounding throughout the county.
The combined voices of the officers and soldiers were so shocking that they took a few steps back, feeling fear in their hearts as they looked at the refugees approaching one by one.
There is a huge difference between being organized and unorganized, being disciplined and being undisciplined, being thoughtful and not being thoughtful.
There has never been such a large-scale battle in the alleyway at night, but now, although there is no direct fight, the battle is no longer something that these hundreds of officers and soldiers can stop.
Liu Sheng and Zeng Fan looked at each other across the roadblock and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Zeng Fan said: "It's not what I want to do, it's because we can't survive anymore."
"We want to ask the county magistrate to open a warehouse to store grain, and ask the county magistrate to offer sacrifices to ghosts and gods to calm down the flood."
"Some people say that there is no food in the county's granary, and the disaster has not been reported to the court. We can't wait for relief. To make us feel at ease, please open the Changping Granary and let us take a look."
Although Liu Sheng is brave, how can he stop these refugees.
He couldn't stop it last night, and he couldn't stop it today.
"We don't hurt anyone, we don't plunder, we just ask the official to find a way for us to survive."
"If you can protect yourself from the rain and have a mouthful of food, then everyone will be in peace."
He didn't say the rest, but Liu Sheng understood.
If not, then no one can control these refugees.
The refugees had already begun to dismantle the roadblocks, and Liu Sheng could only watch. He could not and did not dare to stop them at all.
The refugees advance step by step, and they retreat step by step.
"Relieve disasters and release food! Sacrifice the heaven to make peace!"
Loud shouts resounded throughout the county, and the people in the county watched, watching the refugees move, forcing the officers and soldiers to retreat step by step, and retreated to the county government office.
Before the county magistrate had time to escape, the entire county government office was blocked.
In this case, there is no escape.
The county magistrate was sweating coldly, "Liu Sheng, Liu County Lieutenant! These unscrupulous people dare to attack the county government office, why don't we capture them all."
Liu Sheng remained silent and said, "The county magistrate really wants me to take action? Once a civil uprising begins, will you be able to bear the consequences?"
The magistrate wiped the sweat from his forehead, as anxious as an ant on a hot pot.
Those county magistrates didn't even dare to let go of anything. The magistrate pointed at his nose and cursed: "You are all faster than anyone else when you reach out, but now you don't have an idea!"
But no matter how much he scolded him, he couldn't force him to say anything.
"boom!"
The gate of the county government office was knocked open, and the refugees poured into the county government office one by one. The officers and soldiers drew their swords and blocked the refugees' way.
"Please ask the county magistrate to open a warehouse to store grain and worship the bright sky!"
The loud sound made the county magistrate distracted. Liu Sheng took a deep breath and said, "Please come out with a charter."
"In my opinion, it is better to open warehouses to stockpile grain to stabilize the people's hearts and prevent rebellion."
The county magistrate could no longer hold on and showed a desperate look: "Grain? Where is the grain in Changping Granary?"
Even though Liu Sheng had already had a premonition in his heart, he couldn't help but feel his fingers were cold at this moment, "No food at all?"
"There's no grain left at all." The clerk guarding the granary swung his legs and said, "There's not even a strand of hay in the granary."
Liu Sheng grabbed the county magistrate's collar, the muscles on his face twitched, and he made a sound from between his teeth: "You are so brave!"
The county magistrate struggled and said, "What are you going to do! Liu Sheng! Are you going to rebel?"
Liu Sheng sneered, "You don't want to live, but I still want to live."
He threw the magistrate out the door. The magistrate fell to the ground and rolled at the feet of the refugees.
"You're crazy!" the county magistrate screamed, "Come here, come here, capture Liu Sheng quickly."
The officers and soldiers looked at Liu Sheng, who raised his eyebrows and said, "Who dares!"
The officers and soldiers turned their attention to the refugees again.
The county magistrate is covered in mud and water, and his official authority has been completely lost.
Seeing that no one obeyed his order, the county magistrate was suddenly furious: "Rebellion! You are all rebelling!"
It's not that the officers and soldiers rebelled, but that in front of so many refugees, the officers and soldiers are the weakest.
The county magistrate cannot mobilize troops and generals, and now his majesty has been lost.
Although Liu Sheng has been excluded from power in recent years, his illustrious reputation in the early years is still there, and his bravery and command last night are still there.
If the county magistrate cannot take charge of the overall situation, then replace him with the county captain.
The county magistrate is afraid of death, and so are these officers and soldiers.
Liu Sheng stood among the officers and soldiers and said: "Everyone, there is no more food in Changping Granary."
The refugees were in an uproar and their eyes were red.
Liu Shengyun regained his strength and said: "It's this big rat who enriched his own pockets and colluded with others to resell the grain in Changpingcang and was unable to help the victims."
"Kill the dog officer!"
"Kill the dog officer!"
The refugees shouted loudly.
The county magistrate's face turned pale and he fell into the muddy water.
The refugees were approaching step by step and wanted to beat him to death on the spot.
"Wait!"
"Slow down!"
Two loud shouts sounded at the same time.
Zeng Fan and Liu Sheng looked at each other, both surprised.
Zeng Fan closed his mouth and signaled Liu Sheng to speak.
Liu Sheng took off his hair crown, threw it into the water, and said: "A certain Liu Sheng is a county lieutenant in Wuning County. Although he has been unsuccessful in these years, he still has a loyal heart."
"Everyone, please listen to me and don't kill officials and rebel."
"The dog official enriched his own pocket by reselling, and reselling Chang Pingcang is already a capital crime, but he cannot be killed by you, otherwise he will provoke the majesty of the imperial court."
The rainwater slid across Liu Sheng's angular face, "The dog official was afraid that the matter would be exposed, so he did not report the disaster. I will take him into custody, write a letter detailing everything, and ask the imperial court for relief. If you don't want this official uniform, I will definitely ask for it. The court will dispose of it.”
"In addition, I will search Gou Guan's property and buy disaster relief grain. I will also ask wealthy merchants in the city to contribute money and grain to assist in disaster relief. I will definitely help you get through this difficult time."
"If you don't want to believe the county magistrate, Liu will take off his official uniform. Please believe in Liu."
Zeng Fan asked at the right time: "When can we see the relief?"
Liu Sheng said: "Today!"
Zeng Fan glanced at the refugees behind him and said, "We are waiting at the county government office. I hope Mr. Liu will not disappoint us."
Liu Sheng was overjoyed and immediately gave orders in an orderly manner.
First, the county magistrate was imprisoned, and then he contacted various wealthy merchants, stated his interests and concerns, and asked them to help with disaster relief.
The county government will then spend money to find public and private houses to properly resettle the refugees.
Liu Sheng's request was sent to the Shen family, and Shen Shan responded immediately.
Because the Shen family received the fox fairy's warning in advance, they immediately purchased a large amount of supplies and food to prepare for emergencies.
At this time, he was the first to respond, set up a porridge shed, and was the first to start giving out porridge.
The wealthy merchants were not fools. They would not agree if the county magistrate wanted to eat their flesh and bones, but the refugees were driving them crazy, and they could not accept the situation of perishing together.
Therefore, following one another's example, relief efforts began one after another before nightfall.
If there is response, relief, and hope, the people's hearts will be stable.
Zeng Fan also breathed a sigh of relief. Although he went on stage to sing, he was still afraid of screwing up the performance.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and as the Fox Fairy expected, it finally calmed down.
Zeng Fan would not understand that in this play, not only his character was from the Fox Troupe.
Mastering both his left and right hands is the fundamental reason why Gong Mengbi can calculate.
Liu Sheng was busy all night and invited merchants and wealthy households in the county to discuss disaster relief. Seeing the county captain who had been excluded from power, these wealthy merchants were also surprised.
Regardless of the county magistrate or other county officials, they are very skilled in taking advantage of others and exploiting them, but when the critical moment comes, it is the frustrated county captain who takes the lead.
It’s both awe and a pity.
Although the overall situation of Wuning County was preserved, everything the county captain did was out of line and no longer within the rules.
Although everything is stable now, I am afraid that the future will be unpredictable.
Late at night, Liu Sheng fell asleep under the eucalyptus.
But the city god couldn't sleep no matter what.
There was such a commotion, but the thunder was loud and the raindrops were light. Not only did there not be a fight, but the refugees gradually settled down.
In this way, how could he recruit enough soldiers and horses to fight?
Judge Wu said: "The wandering gods of day and night have found out clearly that it was the county captain Liu Sheng who broke the situation."
"Liu Sheng?" Cheng Huang frowned, "This name sounds so familiar."
Judge Wu reminded: "This is Gui Ji's brother."
"It turns out it's him!" Cheng Huang laughed, "He is Gui Concubine's brother, so he is a family."
"In this case, I invite him to come to the City God's Temple to talk. I think he will be able to sympathize with my sufferings."
Judge Wu laughed and said, "That's right. We are all a family. How can we not be considerate of your difficulties?"
Liu Sheng fell asleep for a moment before being woken up by Chi Xia.
"Liu Sheng, Liu Sheng."
Liu Sheng covered his head and stood up, saying, "Mr. Chi, why did you call me?"
Chi Xia stood beside him and said, "Your in-laws are here to pick you up."
Liu Sheng laughed: "How can I come to the in-laws?"
But halfway through the smile, the smile on his face disappeared. Thinking of his sister Liang Ji, Liu Sheng gritted his teeth and said, "If you are really my in-laws, then I still want to see her."
Chi Xia patted him on the shoulder and said: "You ruined the good things of the City God. After you go, you must be careful to deal with it and never show murderous intentions."
Liu Sheng asked: "Can you ask the Fox Fairy for me when the time will come?"
Chi Xia smiled and said: "It's not far, it's not far."
While talking, Chi Xia disappeared into the room.
Liu Sheng stood in the room, and within a few breaths, he heard a knock on the door.
He opened the door and saw a rich middle-aged man standing in front of the door. He smiled and said, "But in front of County Lieutenant Liu?"
Liu Sheng said: "It's me, you?"
The middle-aged man said: "My master invites you to a family dinner."
"Family banquet?" Liu Sheng pretended to be surprised, "What family banquet?"
The middle-aged man said: "You will know after you come with me."
The middle-aged man led the way, and after leaving the county government office, he saw a carriage. The horse that was pulling was dark and shiny, looking very majestic.
Liu Shengyi was brave enough to get into the carriage and heard the middle-aged man say: "Let's go."
The carriage began to move slowly, without feeling any vibration, as if it were in the clouds.
Within a moment, the middle-aged man led Liu Sheng down and said, "Master Liu, please come this way."
Liu Sheng took a closer look and saw that in front of him was the City God's Temple.
Seeing that he was hesitating, the middle-aged man asked, "Master Liu, are you afraid?"
Liu Sheng pretended to be surprised and said: "Master Cheng Huang is a righteous god. I have nothing to be afraid of. I just don't understand."
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "You will understand when Mr. Liu arrives."
Liu Sheng followed the middle-aged man into the City God's Temple. When he arrived at the world between yin and yang, he saw the so-called "family banquet" in the garden.
Sitting at the banquet was a tall, rugged priest wearing a green robe.
Next to the priest stood the sister he longed for.
"Ryoji!"
Liu Sheng was stunned, as if he had lost his mind. He looked at Liang Ji and could not speak for a long time.
Liang Ji saw him, her eyes lit up, and tears filled her beautiful eyes.
Liang Ji laughed, stepped forward and saluted Liu Sheng, and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time. My brother has lost a lot of money."
As soon as she got closer, Liu Sheng smelled a pleasant fragrance, like lotus flowers after the rain.
His mind cleared, he sniffed lightly, remembering that he had smelled this fragrance before.
It was the fragrance that the Fox Fairy gave him that night, and it turned out to be Liang Ji's body.
The two brothers and sisters looked at each other, seemingly speaking a thousand words, but calmly, and then gently looked away.
Liu Sheng said: "Liangji, how are you doing?"
Liang Ji turned around and led him to his seat, saying, "Thanks to the favor of Lord City God, everything is fine now."
Liu Sheng then bowed his hands and saluted: "Thank you, Lord City God!"
