After all his efforts failed, Yuan Zhen made a last-ditch effort to move north, hoping to return to Caizhou, where his ancestral home was. In his opinion, this was the best of both worlds, which not only satisfied the needs of the imperial court for relocation. His request also prevented them from leaving the hinterland and settling in remote, unfamiliar, complex, and dangerous frontier areas, and then was rejected again. In other words, the responsible officials directly ignored his request and had no intention of listening to his plea.
In the end, Yuan Zhen, who had always been well-mannered, was filled with anger and resentment for the first time. He was disappointed and even hated the Han Dynasty, and he missed the Jinling court extremely. Similarly, because he is a scholar, he cannot take any drastic measures and resist like many right-wing people who are unwilling to move abroad.
It is conceivable that the relocation operation in Jiangnan was not smooth sailing. Although the culture was prosperous, it did not mean that there were no bloody people. Especially when faced with serious interests and life-and-death conflicts, they felt the pain and several rebellions occurred.
However, the imperial court was too well prepared and the government's control ability was too strong. Even if there was a mutiny or rebellion in Dangtu caused by former Jiangnan soldiers, they would not change their will. All the turmoil was suppressed and put out by the garrison. All those who participated in the turmoil, regardless of their status, were either killed or convicted and exiled.
During that time, Yuan Zhen heard the news about which family in which state was exterminated, which family had their homes confiscated and questioned, which family was exiled...
Under power, there are a lot of profound lessons ahead, and there are only two choices available. One leads directly to the abyss of despair, and the other still leaves hope. Smart people know how to choose.
So, with a heavy heart, Yuan Zhen began to clean up his property and cooperate with the migration to the north.
Having read books, learned extensively, and had the blessing of experience, when faced with a major decision, his actions were stronger than those of ordinary people. During the preparation period, Yuan Zhen's actions fully demonstrated what insight is and what it means to be knowledgeable. It's called smart.
He distributed his family's land to relatives, friends and tenants, and sold the rest to the government. At the same time, he liquidated and sold all his property, including the manor that he had lived in for decades, and continued to expand, and converted it into gold, silver, etc. Convenient and portable belongings.
Most of the children, servants and maids in the family were dismissed and distributed with land, money and food, completely giving the appearance of "dispersing" the family wealth. As for his concubines, because they had no children, they were given enough money and food to allow them to go home and remarry.
After his selection, only five families of strong and loyal slaves and two healthy women finally moved north with him. Yuan Zhen knew very well that the migration journey involving thousands of miles, even if it was organized by the government, was too dangerous and risky, so compared to those who had dozens of servants and loads of furniture, he chose to keep a low profile and keep a low profile.
Of course, this is not to say that Yuan Zhen is really generous, really upright, and really has that much magnanimity. After all, the family property accumulated by three generations in half a century has shrunk by more than half after this move. Who wouldn't feel distressed? Even if you have squandered it all, you will feel better.
The only shortcoming of the Yuan family is that the bloodline is too weak. He is an only son and has only one son and one daughter. The son is twelve and the daughter is seven years old. If such a family continues to act arrogantly and does not know how to hide its wealth, it will be a recipe for disaster.
However, no matter how low-key he is, the few heavy boxes and carriages accompanying him can all prove that he still has some wealth. In fact, if the Yuan family is like other families and has several direct bloodlines who are young and powerful, then even if Yuan Zhen keeps a low profile, he will not be so cautious and treading on thin ice.
In fact, Yuan Zhen's concerns were not unfounded. What he didn't know was that a team that also migrated north met with misfortune after crossing the Yangtze River. The escorting officers and soldiers saw the wealth and killed and looted them all. More than 600 people were moved to their homes, no matter men, women, old or young, no one was spared.
That group of dozens of officers, soldiers, and servants fled to the Dabie Mountains with a large amount of looted money and became bandits. Although they were eventually wiped out by troops sent by the Huaixi Dadu Division, there was no one to avenge the hundreds of people who were killed. .
Money touches people's hearts, but the consequences of revealing it are so serious. This is the risk. Everyone from the local government to the imperial court, from officials to the army, tried their best to cover up the matter. The matter may eventually be exposed one day, but the families of the victims may not have imagined that farewell would become a reality so quickly. Those hundreds of people, even There is no chance of blowing sand in the northwest...
Therefore, it is indeed a blessing for this group of relocated households from Jurong and Lishui to arrive in Pizhou smoothly. It's just that they don't think so. In fact, a right-wing person like Yuan Zhen has to thank for his relatively good reputation. The lawless people in the fish and meat village in the past only went on the road after some liquidation.
Now, what Yuan Zhen regrets most is that he chose to hide in the countryside instead of seeking an official position in the government when he saw the unsafe situation in Jiangnan. In that way, there may be a chance to directly transfer to the military and political system of the Han Dynasty, which can provide some protection for oneself. Of course, there is no regret medicine in the world.
"Husband, the child seems to be sick, and his forehead is hot..." I don't know how long it took, maybe an hour, maybe two hours, when Yuan Zhen was in a daze, he suddenly heard his wife's panicked voice.
Hearing this, his brows furrowed, Yuan Zhen hurriedly bent over to check, and saw the girl huddled in her mother's arms, her eyes tightly closed, her little face still red, a bit bright red. Yuan Zhen quickly spread his hands and touched her forehead. Even though his hands were cold, he could feel the unusual warmth on his beloved daughter's forehead.
"I'm afraid I have typhoid fever!" Yuan Zhen said in a heavy tone, with worry in his eyes.
In such an environment, the most feared thing is injuries. Listening to his words, his wife couldn't hold back her tears. Typhoid fever is not a minor illness, and the child is so young...
Yuan Zhen was naturally in a heavy mood, because he had few heirs, and he always cherished his children. On the other side, Yuan Ke also "lived" and looked at his unconscious sister and crying mother. He looked up at his father and asked, "Dad, is my sister going to die too?"
There was a sudden "pop" sound, and Yuan Zhen turned his head and glared at his son fiercely: "What are you talking about!"
Yuan Zhen had never been so out of control, nor treated his son so harshly, nor had he ever touched his son, which shows how angry he was at Yuan Ke's unfavorable words. Yuan Ke covered his face and was stunned for a while, then slowly lowered his head and became silent.
What he said was not without basis. Along the way, some people, including old people and children, also died. The road of migration is also a real separation of life and death...
"We need a doctor to diagnose and administer medicine! Just stay in the car and I'll find a solution!" Trying to calm down his panic, Yuan Zhen said to his wife, then opened the curtain and refused to let the driver stop the car (stopping for a while without permission) causing trouble), he simply jumped out. Although the speed was not fast, he still fell.
In the car, his mother was still at a loss. The young Yuan Ke looked at his sister and swore in his heart that if his sister died, he would find a way to avenge her in the future.
If there is still some warmth inside the car, it is another world outside the car, with a long queue with no end or tail in sight. The several families of loyal servants who followed him to the north basically had a car each, but the treatment was not as good as the master's. They all silently endured the invasion of wind and frost, and had to have someone to take care of the valuables loaded with furniture. pallet truck.
The vast world looked particularly gloomy in Yuan Zhen's eyes. An ordinary winter in the eyes of the people in Guanzhong was like an icy hell in the eyes of southerners like them. The cold weather is not terrible. What is terrible is being in such an environment for a long time and having to take care of the schedule.
It took a long time for Yuan Zhen to find the highest officer in charge of the escort, Jurong County Lieutenant. The county captain's surname was Chen, and he was originally just a lowly official in Jurong County. In the past, Yuan Zhen could be looked down upon with contempt even if he was not a wealthy noble. Today, such people have become "big shots" who can control their own wealth and life.
The transfer of power often represents the breaking of the old order and the establishment of a new order. This process is also a good opportunity for some speculators to take the lead. County Lieutenant Chen was such a "lucky man". Last year, Wang Shinan settled in Jinling and accepted Liangjiang Prefecture and County. He first took the lead in opening the door to welcome the Han army to garrison, and then actively cooperated in maintaining public order, collecting wine, meat, money and food to feed the garrison.
Later, when the county magistrate sent by the imperial court from the south came to take office, he decisively surrendered. With his unswervingly loyal behavior, he finally got rid of the low-status "official position" and became a county lieutenant officially awarded by the imperial court.
After the decree to move Hao was issued, he also actively cooperated with Shangguan. Because he was a local, he knew the situation inside the country very well and provided a lot of effective intelligence. Later, he took the initiative to ask for help and took over the drudgery of escorting.
There is basically no need to have high expectations for such a person morally, but it has to be said that every country needs such people and officials. And this county captain Chen also has something extraordinary, that is, he knows what he wants and has a clear goal.
After learning that the officer in charge of the escort was County Lieutenant Chen, Yuan Zhen took the initiative to make friends with him and paid him heavy gifts, hoping to get protection.
County Lieutenant Chen accepted everything according to the order, and at the same time showed an attitude of "treating everyone equally". He repeatedly stated that he only wanted to reach Gyeongju smoothly on this errand, and hoped that these "virtuous people" would not cause him any trouble and would not let him get in trouble. If he is in trouble, everything will be fine.
Therefore, when he fled, he directly exposed his cruel side. When dealing with such a person, you need to be careful, at least, not to offend him.
When Yuan Zhen approached him on his own initiative, the first thing Chen, the county lieutenant, showed was an expression of displeasure.
