In the summer of the same year, famine broke out across the country.
Due to successive years of drought, the Jing and Wei rivers have dried up and the rivers have dried up. The ground in several counties has become dry and cracked. The lakes that used to nourish farmland have formed patches of cracked soil.
The ensuing disasters left the people hungry and cold, displaced and millions of people fled. The society was in unrest, the political situation was unstable, and production was in decline.
At this time, the empire was indifferent and the famine spread to Anyang. However, the county governor Yu Anmin still exploited the people and began to hoard grain. He ordered the counties not to open granaries privately for disaster relief, but to pay taxes in full.
Liucheng.
Although this is not the hardest-hit area, the local people have been affected by the drought and still have no harvest. Coupled with Yu Anmin's previous extortionate taxation, every family has no food left.
It didn't take long at all, and the people were starved of food, and famine spread all over the land. Later, they began to eat weeds and tree bark to satisfy their hunger. The whole city was ashes, and wailing people could be seen everywhere.
The imperial court refused to provide disaster relief, especially Yu Anmin.
As a low-level officer, Xiao Yuan had no right to interfere in these political affairs and could only stare blankly.
In front of the gate of Gu Mansion.
Since the famine broke out, the Gu family has begun to use their own grain crops to distribute to the victims.
Gu Tongle was philanthropic and a good person, and his daughter Gu Xue was even more kind and gentle. Seeing this disaster, she would naturally not sit idly by and ignore it.
However, the population of a city is so large that one day or two is fine. As time goes on, victims of the disaster come one after another after hearing the news, and more and more people gather. How can the Gu family be able to support it on their own?
Soon, Gu Tong's family fortune was almost lost, but in front of Gu's house, it was like a market.
Before, the victims of the disaster received food for free from the Gu family. Now that the Gu family could no longer afford it, people gathered here and began to blame Gu Tong.
This is the bad side of human nature. You know, after the famine happened, it was reasonable for Gu Tong not to take out a grain of rice. It belonged to others.
But the victims don't think so, they think it's appropriate.
At this time, there were many troublemakers in front of Gu's house, and many victims started to make noises, clamoring that if the Gu family didn't come up with food, they would break down the door of the house.
Old Man Gu was also shouting with all his strength in front of the house: "Folks! Folks, listen to me, it's not that I, Gu Tong, don't want to help everyone, but that the Gu family is really out of food!"
"You're lying! Your Gu family is so rich! You just don't want to show it!" Someone started shouting.
"Yes! Let's smash this place, rush in and grab it ourselves!" Someone started to raise their arms and shout.
"This, this, this, what should we do..." Gu Tong panicked, and the people in the Gu family quickly protected him and Gu Xue behind them.
At this moment, a deafening sound suddenly came from the street, uniformly!
That was the sound of infantry troops running quickly together.
Not long after, Xiao Yuan arrived with his army riding a war horse and holding a whip.
After he came over, he was not polite and whipped the man who was making the most noise with a whip. At the same time, he stared around for a while and shouted:
"Bold! Who dares to cause trouble!?"
The riding crop was so fast and hard that the man was whipped to the ground and howled in pain.
When they saw the army, other victims were also shocked and couldn't help but start to retreat.
"Everyone disperse!" Xiao Yuan shouted again, and then commanded the army: "Protect Gu Mansion! Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be shot without mercy!"
"No!" All the soldiers responded in unison, and began to run forward with their halberds raised, heavily deployed.
Seeing this, the victims did not dare to cause trouble. They all fell silent and dispersed in a crowd.
Then, Xiao Yuan got off his horse, walked quickly to Gu Tong, cupped his hands and said, "Uncle."
"Xiao Yuan, thank you for coming. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous." Gu Tong couldn't help but trembled.
At this time, Gu Xue also came over and shouted softly: "Brother Xiao."
Xiao Yuan nodded towards her and then towards Gu Tongtong: "Uncle, now the disaster victims are everywhere and the people are eating tree bark. This little food for the Gu family is just a drop in the bucket. Before, you gave them food for free. They might be grateful at first, but Once you stop posting, they will eat you.”
"Alas!" Gu Tong sighed heavily when he heard this.
Xiao Yuan added: "Actually, I came here this time to talk to my uncle about something important."
"What's the matter?" Gu Tong asked quickly.
Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment: "Now, the world is going to be in chaos, and it is no longer suitable to stay here for a long time. In my opinion, uncle should take Xue'er and leave here quickly."
"This...this..." Unexpectedly, this was what he said, and Gu Tong didn't know how to answer for a while.
Gu Xue even said anxiously: "Brother Xiao!"
"Xue'er, listen to me." Xiao Yuan said softly: "This incident will require weapons and weapons. By then, I'm afraid I will have to go to the battlefield. Liucheng is also a place of life and death, and I can't stay any longer."
The reason why he said this was because he had a vague feeling that the world was about to be in chaos and the war was not far away!
If he were to lead an army on an expedition at that time, it would be impossible for him to bring his female dependents with him, and Liucheng was in such a state as it is now, how could he feel relieved.
Seeing that what he said was serious and not a joke, Gu Tong couldn't help but become serious. After frowning, he muttered: "Xiao Yuan is right. The current situation in Liucheng cannot be changed. The Gu family must leave, otherwise, there will be consequences." Disaster."
After saying that, he frowned and said, "Go to Jiangzhou, where I have my friends."
When Xiao Yuan heard this, he immediately said: "Jiangzhou is good. It is close to the river and is a fertile land. Even if there is chaos, it will not spread there."
"But!" At this time, Gu Xue was anxious. After a pause, she said directly: "I won't leave! I want to be with Brother Xiao."
"Xue'er." Xiao Yuan frowned and looked at her.
Seeing that he was displeased, Gu Xueden felt aggrieved, and immediately puffed up his mouth and said in a low voice: "You said you would marry me..."
Understanding what she meant, Xiao Yuan explained: "It's just a temporary separation. After that, I will go to Jiangzhou to find you."
"Liar!" Gu Xue was full of grievances. In fact, she was well-educated and understood Xiao Yuan, but she was just losing her temper.
Xiao Yuan smiled helplessly, then looked at Gu Tong, and said slightly embarrassed: "Uncle, I think... I want to have a few words with Xue'er alone."
"Cough!" Gu Tong coughed heavily, and before turning to leave, Huanwang warned his daughter with his eyes.
The two of them are not married yet, so they can't go too far. If this spreads out, it will not sound good.
After everyone here dispersed, Xiao Yuan and Gu Xue were alone together. Before he could speak, the latter couldn't bear it anymore and took the initiative to hug his waist, leaned his head against him, and said with some resentment. : "Brother Xiao, do you really want to leave..."
"Yes." Xiao Yuan nodded and gently stroked her green hair.
"But will you forget me?" As she spoke, she couldn't help but raise her head and look at Xiao Yuan, her beautiful eyes filled with tears.
"How could it be?" Xiao Yuan consoled seriously.
"Brother Xiao, no matter where you are in the world, I will wait for you..."
She spoke seriously and firmly, tears already streaming down her face.
