"Aren't you tired of kneeling all the time?"
"Go back to your highness, I'm not tired."
Qin Mu did not dare to look into Zhu Qingruo's eyes and lowered his head to answer.
"Will you eat whatever I don't like?"
"yes."
"When my mother-in-law punishes me, will you take the punishment for me?"
"Yes."
"It's so kind of you."
Zhu Qingruo smiled sweetly, childishly and cutely.
Qin Mu lowered his head.
Under the umbrella, there was a different kind of innocence in the way the two children gathered together and whispered.
Zhu Qingruo has indeed gained some memory after being punished this time.
However, her picky eating habits did not change. She only picked out the things she didn't like and gave them to Qin Mu. Of course, she would also share the things she liked with him.
Qin Mu was still as taciturn and obedient as a wooden man, with a smile secretly showing on his too-quiet little face.
Although he is still a child, he must learn to protect others.
Xu Zhihuaiming was still very strict on the surface, but secretly told others to take care of him.
After the Beginning of Autumn, rumors began to spread in the city.
Mu Xiuwan brought news to Xu Zhihuai: "Many merchants are quietly stocking up on goods, and the prices of firewood, rice, oil and salt have increased by 30%."
Xu Zhihuai frowned: "It's not bad yet, it's already increased by 30%."
Mu Xiuwan said helplessly: "When one family's income rises, every other family will follow suit. Fortunately, my sister had already made arrangements. I asked Grandma Wu's nephew to collect thousands of tons of grain from farmers on the outskirts of the city."
Speaking of this, Mu Xiuwan couldn't help but worry: "Sister, will there really be a famine in winter?"
"We have to prepare for the worst, and I hope nothing happens."
In the evening, Xu Zhihuai told Zhu Suxing that he would open a shop outside the palace to stock up on food in case of emergency.
Zhu Xuxing looked shocked and moved at the same time: "Huai'er, it's hard for you to think so thoughtfully."
Xu Zhihuai had no intention of claiming credit: "I just hope that this winter can go through smoothly."
"Will do."
Zhu Xuxing sighed: "Huai'er, you will definitely bring me good luck."
Autumn is in full swing, and this is a good day to celebrate the harvest. Unfortunately, bad news keeps coming back one after another.
The severe drought was followed by wildfires and locust plagues.
The homeless people who had left their hometowns poured into the capital from all directions for unknown reasons, blocking the city gates every day. One hundred thousand forbidden troops were all deployed to the four city gates to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhu Xuxing had to send a secret order to transfer Wei Li back to the south, asking him to return to the capital quickly and lead the Huangji Fourth Division to quell the chaos in the capital.
Wei Li was thousands of miles away and received the secret order three days later.
He was interrogating people in the dungeon. He didn't close his eyes all night, with blood dripping all over the floor. He squinted his eyes and came into the dazzling sunlight. He spread out the secret order with one hand and curled his thin lips, showing an evil smile.
After eight months, the emperor finally couldn't help but "beg" him.
It was obviously an urgent order, so Wei Li prepared unhurriedly for three days before setting out on the road.
Stopping and stopping along the way, it took more than half a month.
Outside the city gate, there are people blocking it.
Most of them were in ragged clothes, with sallow faces, and spoke with different accents and accents. They tried their best to squeeze into the city gate. As long as they rushed through this gate, everyone would have food.
What a decent scene outside the imperial city gate!
Wei Li watched all this with cold eyes and coldly ordered: "Huang Ji Guards obey orders, anyone who stands in my way will be killed without mercy!"
He took the lead, holding a long sword, and rushed into the crowd.
The ruthless sword turned into gusts of wind, cutting off countless heads in an instant.
Blood splattered and everyone fled in fear.
Amid the screams that shook the sky and the earth, Wei Li forcibly cleared a path, looked up at the guards on the city wall, and asked coldly: "Are you all dead?"
One of them boldly said: "Master Hou, the Emperor has an order not to harm innocent people."
Wei Li sneered: "You losers, open the city gate!"
The guards looked at each other and did not dare to refuse.
The moment the city gate opened, the crowd gathered again.
Wei Li took the lead and said condescendingly: "If you dare to let someone go today, I will send someone to collect the body for you tomorrow!"
Due to the refugee turmoil, the capital has been under martial law for several days, and the streets are deserted without a soul in sight.
Wei Li went straight to the palace, dusty and dusty, and his black silk robe embroidered with gold was splattered with blood.
Before anyone arrived, the news spread first.
When Zhu Xuxing heard that Wei Li was killing people outside the city, his face darkened and he didn't say anything.
He put down the daughter in his arms and said gently to her: "Father is going to meet someone, An'er just be good and play by yourself."
Zhu Qingruo was reluctant to let him go, so she held his clothes and said, "An'er will go too, okay?"
Zhu Xuxing patted her little face: "It would be better for An'er not to see this person."
When the king and his ministers meet, each has his or her own thoughts.
Wei Li stepped forward slowly, leaving bloody footprints one step at a time.
Zhu Xuxing stared at him and said before he could salute: "You will kill innocent people indiscriminately as soon as you come back. I don't know how many people will join you tomorrow."
"I don't care! The capital can hardly be defended, and they are still just wasting paper and ink, looking for trouble."
"You are an important official of the imperial court. I don't want you to kill innocent people indiscriminately."
Wei Li raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Is your Majesty serious? Your Majesty summoned me all the way back just to clear up this mess? If it could be solved without killing people, Your Majesty would have already had a solution. In my eyes, I have never seen this. There are no innocent people.”
This was said very rudely, but he had the confidence.
"Now that I'm back, Your Highness doesn't have to worry about anything. For three days at most, I will ensure that the city gates in all directions are open and everything is as usual."
Zhu Xuxing was silent for a moment and then said: "Go ahead and do it, but don't do anything too extreme."
"I obey!"
Wei Li curled her lips and smiled before bowing and saying goodbye.
Zhu Xuxing looked at his back as he left gracefully, then looked at the line of bloody footprints on the ground, and fell into deep thought.
Over the past year, he tried every means to revive the country and fill the deficit. However, all his efforts ultimately resulted in devastation and chaos.
Zhu Xuxing's heart was gradually softened. He didn't know what the use of his persistence was. In the end, it was up to Wei Li to use the most brutal and violent means to solve all this.
The news of Wei Li's return quickly reached Xu Zhihuai's ears.
She raised her eyelids slightly, seemingly calm, but actually her heart was turbulent.
The emperor still let him come back, at this time, at this critical moment.
Zhu Qingruo was still in a trance when he saw her. He ran up to her happily and showed off the little sachet he just got.
"Aunt Jin embroidered it for me, it's so delicious."
Xu Zhihuai came back to his senses, gently pulled his daughter to him, and seriously warned: "Don't run around these days, and you are not allowed to leave the yard without permission. If you want to see Grandma Huang and Aunt Huang, I will take you there."
Zhu Qingruo seemed to understand: "Can't I go out to play in the future?"
"It's only a few days, An'er is obedient."
Xu Zhihuai called Qin Mu over again: "During the day, you must always follow the princess and never leave her. Don't let her get lost while playing alone."
