The so-called loess root is just the rhizome of a wild plant. It tastes slightly bitter and is non-toxic, but it cannot be linked to food.
At this time, Xu Hu couldn't help but said: "I ate a lot of this stuff when I was a child, and I still remember the taste. It's not something that children should eat."
Xiao Yuan was silent for a moment, and then asked the child: "Do the children in the village eat this every day?"
"No, it's just that when there was no fire at home, my father asked us to dig some by ourselves." The little boy said.
This sentence has already shown that the people here are actually hungry and full.
What a prosperous people's livelihood!
Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, smiled and said, "Can you share some with me?"
"Yes." The little boy handed him the loess root in his hand.
Xiao Yuan took it, looked at it first, and then took a bite. After chewing it, he murmured: "What is the difference between this and tree bark..."
After saying this, he stood up, pulled the little boy and said, "Let's go home."
Unexpectedly, the little boy shook his head.
"What, don't you want to eat?"
"I want to, but my father told me that there are distinguished guests in the village today and asked me not to go back."
Such an innocent and obedient child, Xiao Yuan's eyes flashed with distress, and he said gently: "Daddy won't blame you, let's go home."
He held the little boy's hand and asked him about the situation in the village on the way.
When he returned to the village chief's house with the child, several people in the courtyard quickly got up. Seeing the child, Village Chief Shi was obviously a little panicked. He was at a loss at first, and then turned to the child with a straight face: "Er Niu" !What are you doing!"
"Dad..." The little boy lowered his head in fear.
"Get out of here yet!" Village Chief Shi scolded.
Xiao Yuan interrupted him unhappily, "Don't scold the child. What's wrong with him? Why don't you call him when you eat?"
"This." Village Chief Shi swallowed and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, the child is young and not sensible. I am afraid of offending your Majesty."
"That's nonsense!" Xiao Yuan said angrily: "I think you are guilty of being thieves!"
Hearing this, Tao Xingde, the village chief and others were all startled. The latter said in a trembling voice: "This, this, why did the king say this?"
Xiao Yuandao: "The adults lie for the sake of gain and disadvantage, but the child is naive, and everything he does will only reflect the true situation in the village."
As he said that, he also picked up the loess root in his hand and said, "What is this? Well? Is this what you give your children for lunch?"
"This, this." Seeing Huang Tugen, Village Chief Shi showed an anxious expression, while Tao Xingde winked and said, "Mr. Shi, hurry up and explain to the king."
"Ah? Yes, yes." The village chief reacted and said quickly: "Your Majesty, these are just made by children while playing..."
"Really?" Xiao Yuan laughed angrily: "But the child said that if you eat this, you won't be so hungry."
"Chief Shi, are you talking about the people of Shijia Village having enough food and warm clothes? Do you know that you have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor!"
ah! ? Hearing this, Village Chief Shi's heart was in his throat. He was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, calm down your anger. Your Majesty, calm down your anger. No matter how brave a villain is, he will not dare to deceive you... …”
"Then you still haven't reported the situation!"
"Yes, yes..." At this point, Village Chief Shi still dared to hide it.
As he told the story, the situation in Shijia Village became clear. Every household's happy life was all a superficial phenomenon given by Tao Xingde.
After Xiao Yuan heard this, he took a deep breath and couldn't help but ask: "Did Tao Xingde ask you to do this?"
"This, this..." The village chief did not dare to speak easily for a while, and subconsciously glanced at Tao Xingde secretly.
Although he didn't say it, the way he didn't dare to say it already indicated some problems.
Xiao Yuan asked no more questions, but changed the subject and said, "By the way, I heard from the children that a few days ago, a little girl in the village drowned. She could have been saved, but why not?"
"This, this, that is the child's second aunt's daughter. It's not that we won't save him, but... but..." Village Chief Shi seemed unable to speak.
"But what?" Xiao Yuan asked.
"But, it's that his second aunt can't support the girl at all, and she will suffer even if she saves her..."
Just watch the child die?
As everyone knows, people's livelihood is in trouble and they don't have enough to eat. Some families have too many children and they can't feed them at all. Some of them kill them with their own hands. This is the cruel reality.
"I know that the king is going to inspect the village today, but I don't want to bring discredit to Shijia Village. I am confused for a moment..." Village Chief Shi said, covering his face and crying sadly.
Hearing this, Xiao Yuan closed his eyes deeply, and what followed was overwhelming anger!
There is no doubt that without saying a word, he slapped Tao Xingde hard in the face!
With a snap, the dignified county guard was knocked to the ground by the slap, and then he crawled to his knees and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, calm down your anger, Your Majesty, please calm down..."
The Jun Cheng on the side even screamed out in surprise, and quickly knelt down, with his butt raised high, his hands on the side of his head, and his body trembling slightly.
"Calm down?" Xiao Yuan became even more angry, pointed at him and said sternly: "Is this what you call people's livelihood and prosperity!? This is what you call people living and working in peace and contentment!?"
"Tao Xingde! As the governor of Lianzhou County, you dare to make false reports and conceal reports for the sake of so-called political achievements! I think you, as an official, have gone too far!"
Hearing this, Tao Xingde tightened up in fright and said in a panic: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was confused for a moment, and I had no intention of deceiving you."
"Shut up!" Xiao Yuan was furious and shouted at Xu Hu: "Take off his official hat!"
"Promise!" Xu Hu responded immediately.
Tao Xingde cried and begged for mercy again.
Everything that happened was based on his so-called political achievements. Xiao Yuan inspected the villages. He was not panic at all before. If everything goes according to plan, then on the surface, Lianzhou is really developing well, and he will definitely get the favor from the court. Commendation.
But what they didn't expect was that Xiao Yuan would stay at the village chief's house for lunch. This was something that no one expected.
This lunch also caused all the problems.
False reporting and lying, deceiving superiors and concealing information from subordinates are sometimes even more despicable than corrupt officials because they have no regard for the lives and deaths of the people.
After handling the affairs here, Xiao Yuan did not stop in Shijiacun. As soon as he returned to the county government, he dismissed Tao Xingde and the county magistrate, and at the same time ordered the sergeant to put them in jail.
Afterwards, he reprimanded all Lianzhou officials and reorganized Lianzhou affairs.
Under the king's anger, all the officials were silent, but Xu Hu brought tea and bravely said: "Your Majesty, what should we do next?"
Xiao Yuan seemed to be still angry: "Deal with Lianzhou affairs first, and then go to Huanzhou. I want to see how Zhang Gongyou, the order of Huanzhou, does it!"
