One hundred and sixty-one

Yu Ying had just entered the city when, due to the continuous influx of refugees, the prefect directly ordered the city gates to be closed, allowing only exit and no entry.

Before the New Year, Cangwu City was considered prosperous, with people coming and going in an endless stream, shops and stalls bustling with activity, and children playing and fighting everywhere on the streets.

But now, refugees can be seen squatting everywhere on the streets. Many shops have closed their doors for fear of trouble, and there are even fewer street vendors.

Every street was deserted and very desolate.

Although the inn was open, a quick search of all the inns in the city revealed that they were almost all full. Occasionally there was one room left, but it was not convenient for so many people to stay there.

There were nine of them in the group.

Yu Ying and three female students, as well as five strong men, escorted them to the county seat.

There is only one room left, so I have to book it now, for fear of missing it and having no room left.

She placed the things in the inn and let the two people who had been on guard last night and had not slept for two days to rest first, while Yu Ying went to find Song Sanlang.

Song Sanlang had lived in the county seat for a year and a half and was familiar with it, so it was most appropriate to ask him for help in finding a place to live.

Perhaps because the city was in chaos, Song Sanlang and his wife did not continue their business.

Song Sanlang no longer lived in the place he originally rented, but had moved to a nearby place.

Fortunately, when Song Sanlang got married, Yu Ying came to congratulate him and knew the place.

A group of seven people found Song Sanlang's residence.

After knocking on the door, a woman's alert voice came from inside: "Who is coming?"

"It's me, Yu Liuniang."

Madam Su recognized the voice as her landlord's, so she quickly unbolted the door and opened the gate.

Seeing so many people outside, he was stunned for a moment and came to his senses, then hurriedly greeted them, "Everyone, come inside first."

The seven people followed Madam Su into the house.

After entering the main hall, Madam Su went to heat a pot of tea and came in, saying, "You guys sit down first. I'll go make something to eat."

Yu Ying glanced at her already noticeably bulging belly and said, "Sister-in-law, don't bother. We've already eaten at the inn."

After that, he asked again: "Isn't Third Brother Song at home?"

Madam Su sighed helplessly and replied, "The governor has closed the city gates, allowing only exits and no entry. I don't know how long they will be closed, let alone what will happen next. He's worried about my parents, so he went to visit them and also sent some food. From now on, I'll go out as little as possible."

At this point, Madam Su added a few more words: "Maybe some people received the news yesterday and stockpiled food. The price of food has increased today. It used to cost seven or eight wen a jin, but this morning it's ten wen a jin. I guess it will be even more expensive from now on. Fortunately, Sanlang stockpiled a lot of food when it was cheap before, so he didn't have to pay too much."

Hearing this, the eldest son of the He family was surprised and said, "A few days ago, when my mother went to the county seat, she found Aunt Luo. Aunt Luo said that Fu Erlang had sent a letter back from Yuzhang, asking her to store more food. He said that the snowstorm in the north was severe and the price of food might rise sharply, so he asked us to store more."

The He family, who used to be their neighbors, knew best how powerful Erlang and his wife were. So after hearing this and thinking about the weather this year, they had a bad feeling.

After discussing it, the family took half of the silver in their home to buy food.

The men accompanying him were all from Lingshui Village. After hearing what he said, they also echoed: "Our family also listened to your family's advice, so we have stored some food."

When the people in Lingshui Village saw that the He family had bought so much grain, several of their close friends secretly went to the He family to inquire about the matter.

The He family roughly revealed that Erlang of the Fu family had connections in Yuzhang and knew some information, and that the price of grain might rise.

With just these few words, everyone started stockpiling food.

Some people followed suit.

Once someone followed the trend, everyone in the village thought something was happening and after careful consideration, they all started to stock up on food.

Yu Ying said, "My husband said that the snowstorm in the north was severe and there was no harvest this year. If grain from other places is transferred there, the price will definitely skyrocket."

Everyone said gratefully, "This is all thanks to Fu Langjun's reminder."

The situation in the north is true, and Fu Wei has no problem understanding it.

He reminded his mother first, and then his mother told the He family, or Yu Ying reminded the Yu family. The logic was right, and no matter what, no one else would suspect the mysterious direction.

When Mrs. Su heard what they said, she immediately realized that the reason her husband was hoarding food was probably because of the reminder from the employer.

Thinking of this, I felt grateful.

While waiting for Song Sanlang, Yu Ying took Madam Su's pulse and briefly checked the condition of the fetus.

I am more than five months pregnant and everything is going well.

Just after the inspection, Song Sanlang came back carrying a heavy basket.

The Song family only had two rooms. After Yu Ying discussed with the couple, the four women decided to stay in their house for a few days.

The five people who were accompanying them squeezed into the inn.

Having a place to stay that is sheltered from the wind and rain and not having to sleep in the open is better than anything else.

After arranging the accommodation, Yu Ying spoke to Song Sanlang alone.

He asked, "Have the food and medicinal materials in the barn been hidden?"

Song Sanlang said, "The number of refugees has been increasing recently. I'm always worried that someone might climb over the wall and get in, so I go over there every day to check on them."

Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, "Tomorrow you will find the eldest brother of the He family and his family. On the pretext of having work to do, have them go to the house and move all the food and medicinal herbs that can be moved into the cellar.

Lingnan is humid and not suitable for digging a cellar. After renting a house, paying extra money, and repeatedly promising to fill the cellar back up when I leave, I finally got the owner's consent and dug a cellar in the yard to store food and medicinal herbs.

The cellar had been built a long time ago, but the grain and medicinal herbs had not been moved there yet. The main reason was that the humidity underground was too high. If the grain and medicinal herbs were put in there too early, they would still go bad after a long time.

"He Dalang and Erlang are tight-lipped. I'll find them tomorrow. They'll charge us two hundred coins a day. The three of us should be able to finish moving in two days."

Song Sanlang guessed that Fu Wei knew something when he was the son of the prefect, which was why he actively stored food and medicine, so he stopped asking about it and acted even more cautiously.

Yu Ying nodded: "Let's do as you say. Tell them that I have agreed. I will split their wages for the past two days equally between the other two people."

"I think the other three will be happy to hear that I'm not being mean to them."

*

Early in the morning, Yu Ying went to the prefect's mansion.

Yu Ying met the prefect's wife.

The wife of the prefect was surprised and said, "Everything is in such a mess at this time of year. I thought you wouldn't come this month."

"I had originally planned not to come to the county seat for a while, but I really needed to have the governor's wife see me again before I could feel at ease, so I came this month."

When Yu Ying talked about the change of scene, she was not at all pretentious.

"I'm in good health. I understand your situation if you send someone to talk to me." Although the wife of the prefect said this, she was still happy in her heart.

Who doesn’t like to hear nice words?

After the consultation, the prefect's wife repeatedly asked Yu Ying to stay and have lunch together.

Unable to refuse the invitation, Yu Ying accompanied the prefect's wife for lunch and then went to the tea room for tea.

The prefect's wife whispered a reminder: "Madam Yu, don't go back these days. Stay in the county seat first."

Yu Ying asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's all because of those refugees outside. I heard from the adults that many refugees have been driven out of other counties and are looking for a place to stay. Many refugees have gone to the neighboring counties. If we don't take them in, they will cause trouble sooner or later."

As he spoke, he advised, "It's almost all the people outside the city who are suffering. Those on the road are the most in danger. It's better to wait until you and the governors of other counties have discussed how to deal with these refugees. Once they've dealt with them, it won't be too late to return."

Yu Ying thought for a moment and thanked him, "Thank you, Madam, for your reminder. I'll go back and think about it carefully."

"Why thank you? If you hadn't rushed to the county seat, how could you have encountered these things?" After a pause, he continued, "If you encounter danger, come to me. It's not too late to thank me when I can help."

Madam Yu was born into a noble family, and she knew when to act. Her every move showed the calm demeanor of a lady from a noble family, not to mention that she was more capable than other ladies from noble families. The wife of the prefect was happy to interact with her, and her feelings were sincere.

Yu Ying came out of the prefect's mansion and went to Renshan Medical Clinic, and also stated that she would not come after March.

If you have an appointment in March, you can see the patients during these days. The number of patients seen can be increased appropriately, but the consultation fee will not change.

During these few days in the county government, Yu Ying has been seeing patients.

Originally, it was thought that since the consultation fee remained at five taels, not many people would come to see the doctor. However, the women who had not been able to get an appointment before found out that this famous female doctor was in the county seat, so they all came to the clinic. As a result, there was no shortage of female patients in the morning and afternoon.

After two busy days, the two He brothers returned.

They all came from farming families and were used to doing hard labor. After two days of hard work, they only needed to rest for a night.

Originally, Yu Ying planned to follow the advice of the prefect's wife and stay in the county seat for half a month before leaving depending on the situation. However, who would have thought that after only three days in the city, Cangwu City, which was once only open for exits, was now closed to both exits and entrances.

The reason was that there were many refugees outside the city, and there were always refugees wanting to rush in, so the prefect simply closed all the city gates.

Yu Ying went to the prefect's residence to ask the prefect's wife for information and learned that he would be locked up for at least a month.

She asked the wife of the prefect for help. If there were any messengers going to the subordinate counties to deliver news, they should inform her family that she was left in the county seat.

This small favor could be done, so the prefect's wife agreed.

In addition, if the city gate is really closed for a month, Yu Ying would not want to trouble Song Sanlang and his wife for a long time, so Yu Ying asked Song Sanlang to help find a house nearby and rent it for a month.

To prevent him from thinking too much, Yu Ying explained the situation - they didn't know what would happen next, so it would be better for everyone to stay together to take care of each other.

Song Sanlang said, "Although it's hard to find a place in this situation, it's still possible to find one. The only problem is that the rent might be much more expensive."

There are only two small rooms in my house, which are really too small, otherwise I would let everyone live here.

"It's okay if the rent is high. I just need a place to stay right now. I'll rent for a month and see how it goes."

After thinking for a moment, he added, “We must have strong and high walls; this is the most important thing.

The people accompanying them are there to protect them, but she also has to consider their safety.

After Song Sanlang agreed, he went out with He Dalang.

About an hour later, the two ran to all the places they could in the vicinity, and came back to drink some tea before explaining the situation.

"We need to rent it urgently, and only for a short period. Plus, the city gates are closed, so it's hard to find a house. I only found two places. One has only two rooms and can't accommodate many people. The other has four rooms and is also surrounded by high walls, but the rent is ridiculously high."

He Dalang continued, "And they're asking for five taels of silver. This is just like taking advantage of someone's misfortune!"

The others couldn't help but gasp when they heard this.

The wages they were paid this time were fifty cents a day, but the wages of all of them combined were not enough to cover a month's rent, which was not cost-effective.

He Dalang continued, "I wanted to negotiate a lower price, but the owner wouldn't give me a penny less."

He Erlang said, "Second Sister Fu, why don't we just find a yard and squeeze in."

Although five taels of silver was expensive, Yu Ying could still afford it and made a decision immediately: "No, let's just go with that house. Safety is the most important thing."

After confirming it, the group followed Song Sanlang to find the house.

I had just rented the house when someone from Zhuangzhaiyahang came to ask about renting the house.

After sending the people from the Zhuangzhai dental clinic away, the owner said to Yu Ying, "Don't be too picky about the price. These are very popular."

I only started doing some simple cleaning after the owner left.

There were four rooms, one for Yu Ying, one for the three girls, and the other two were arranged by the five men themselves.

The rented house is about a quarter of an hour's walk from Song Sanlang's place.

Not long after, Song Sanlang sent a bag of rice, as well as some oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, pickled vegetables and bacon.

"Sending too much at once will attract attention. I'll send some more tomorrow."

Yu Ying said, "Brother He and Brother He can go there tomorrow. You only have Third Sister Song at home. Things are not peaceful these days, so it's best for you to stay at home with your sister-in-law."

Song Sanlang thought about it and nodded.

Before the city gates were closed, many refugees poured in. With the refugees wandering around the city, he was also worried about his wife being alone at home.

Song Sanlang didn't stay long and went back soon.

Every day when Yu Ying went to Renshan Medical Clinic for consultation, she would bring an apprentice and two people with her.

Seven or eight days passed, and the city gates were still closed. The refugees who were originally in the city would be driven out if they caused trouble, so the number of people in the city was decreasing.

There was a kindhearted person in Cangwu who set up a porridge stall for half an hour every day. Although there were only a few grains of rice in the porridge, it was not enough to starve people to death.

But not starving to death does not mean you can survive.

It's still so cold even though spring has begun. The refugees are already weak, and in this cold weather, the flu is rampant.

Yu Ying was also afraid that there would be another epidemic in this season, so she went to see the director of Renshan Medical Clinic to discuss whether a solution could be found.

In fact, the best solution is for every clinic in the city to set up a medicine stall for a few days in turn and deliver typhoid soup.

But the clinic is not a charity, and she is not someone who can give orders, so she really has to find a way to prevent it, at least to ensure that there is no epidemic in the city.

Even the director of Renshan Medical Clinic shook his head and said, "This is not going to be easy."

Then he lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, in this situation, no one is sure whether there will be a war in the future. The price of food is rising every day. If a war really breaks out in the future, medicinal herbs will also be expensive and in short supply. Few people will be so generous as to donate medicine."

"As for me, I can only provide enough medicine for fifty people, no more."

Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, "Boiled ginger in water can also invigorate blood circulation and dispel cold. A pound of ginger boiled in water can make dozens of bowls of ginger soup. It's not as effective as the cold-dispelling soup, but it's better than nothing."

"A pound of ginger costs only a dozen coins at most. Ten pounds of ginger a day is only a hundred or two hundred coins, and even a month is one or two taels of silver."

Having calculated this, Yu Ying looked at the director of Renshan Medical Clinic and said meaningfully, "No one knows when the war will break out. Before that, a good reputation and medical skills are the foundation of the clinic. A few taels of silver a month can earn a good reputation, which is not a loss."

The curator thought about it seriously, then asked doubtfully, "If that's the case, why doesn't Madam Yu do it?"

Yu Ying smiled helplessly: "Not everyone knows me. I'm not familiar with the area, and I don't have enough manpower. If someone makes trouble, I won't be able to stop them. It would be best if a reputable local clinic or a philanthropist could do it."

Yu Ying asked, "What does the Director think?"

The director of Renshan Medical Clinic smiled and said, "It's not a lot of medicine. Let alone ten taels, even if it's a few dozen taels, I will do my best to help."

The director agreed to the task, and Yu Ying finally had one less thing to worry about.

*

Yu Ying stayed in the county seat for more than half a month, and it was still cloudy and rainy. The rain would stop for a while occasionally, but there was no sun, and it would start raining again soon.

The clothes, hair, and the room all felt damp, and the whole body was wet, as if soaked in water, making people feel restless.

Yu Ying was worried about something else.

If the weather continues like this, the food and medicinal materials stored in the cellar will probably go bad.

Besides, she was also worried about the situation at home and Fu Wei.

There was no communication, and there were so many refugees. County Magistrate Zhou and Fu Wei were not in Yu County, so it was unknown how Yu County dealt with the refugees this time.

She was in a restless mood and was afraid that it would affect the consultation, so she didn't go after seeing the patients who had made appointments.

The situation in the city has improved somewhat. At least there are fewer people starving to death or causing trouble, and even fewer refugees dying from colds.

I heard that there were kind people in Hepu who were offering work-for-relief, so many refugees flocked to Hepu County.

There has been no news from the court and Governor Shen, so the granary naturally cannot be opened. The refugees can only rely on themselves to survive, or have some help from wealthy and kind people.

The number of refugees in Cangwu is gradually decreasing, which means that the city gates will be opened and they can return to Yu County.

Originally thought that the city gate would be opened soon, but Yu Ying waited for seven or eight days without hearing any news.

Unable to wait for any news, Yu Ying could only visit the prefect at his residence.

But when they arrived at the prefect's mansion, the servants said that their masters had gone out a few days ago and had not returned yet.

Going out?

The city gates are closed, why go out?

And why choose this time to travel far away?

It's so weird.

Yu Ying had a vague bad feeling.

Facts proved that Yu Ying's premonition was correct.

Yu Ying had nothing to do in the county government, so he recorded all the diseases he had learned and seen in a book and compiled them into a medical book.

While he was writing down the symptoms in the house, the young apprentice trotted across the yard in the drizzle, stopped outside and knocked on the door: "Master, someone is looking for you outside."

Yu Ying stopped writing, stood up and walked away.

He opened the door and asked, "Who's looking for me?"

"I don't know him. He's a tall, muscular man, like Deputy Chen. Oh, and he was carrying a knife. Luckily, he was polite and didn't seem like he was looking for trouble."

Yu Ying frowned slightly.

A man as strong as Chen Minglang, carrying a knife?

Yu Ying looked outside the courtyard gate, but because of the trees blocking the view, she could only see the man wearing a straw raincoat.

After pondering for a few breaths, he asked his apprentice to call the He brothers, and then he went to the courtyard gate with an umbrella.

The He brothers followed behind. When Yu Ying was about to reach the door, she took a closer look and found that the person who came looked somewhat familiar.

The man, leading a horse, wore a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, under which the handle of a knife could be seen.

Seeing her come out, the visitor bowed and said politely, "Greetings, Doctor Yu."

When she stopped in front of the door, Yu Ying remembered who this person was.

Last May, she and Fu Wei came to the county seat to collect grain, and Prefect Shen asked Fu Wei to go hunting with him.

During the hunting, Prefect Shen was assassinated and many of the guards and soldiers accompanying him were seriously injured, including Fu Zhen. Huo Yacha took her to Fu Zhen for treatment.

At that time, the captain of the guards came to ask her to treat other injured soldiers.

The person who came was the captain of the guards at that time, whose surname was Luo.

Yu Ying asked in surprise, "How did Guard Captain Luo know I was here?"

Guard Captain Luo said, "I was the one who inquired about this at the Renshan Clinic. I hope Doctor Yu will not blame me for being so abrupt."

"It's not that I blame you, but I don't know why Guard Captain Luo came here to look for me?"

Guard Captain Luo glanced at the person behind her and asked, "Doctor Yu, may I have a moment with you?"

Yu Ying didn't know this person, but since he was willing to ask for help in order to treat his subordinates and expressed his sincere gratitude, he could be considered to be somewhat decent.

She nodded: "Of course you can."

She borrowed the He brothers' room, leaving the door open. The others took the initiative to move away, but still within earshot of the shouting.

When only two people were left, Guard Captain Luo said solemnly, "Doctor Yu and his men, pack up quickly. I'll arrange for someone to escort Doctor Yu out of the county seat after nightfall."

Yu Ying was stunned: "But what happened?"

Guard Captain Luo said, "I'm not too sure if something major is going to happen, but judging by the current situation, there's a high possibility that something major will happen in Cangwu City."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying's face turned serious. "If Guard Captain Luo trusts me, please tell me the reason so that I can make all the necessary preparations."

Guard Captain Luo said, "I trust you, so I asked Doctor Yu to step aside for a moment to speak."

He took a deep breath and said, "The master may have run away."

"Ah?" Yu Ying didn't react for a moment and was a little confused.

Guard Captain Luo explained, "A few days ago, the lord brought his wife, several concubines, and all the young men and women to a temple outside the city to pray for blessings for this disaster."

"He originally said he would be back in two days, but four days have already passed and he still hasn't returned. The captain and I went to Jinshan Temple outside the city, but the abbot there is someone you have never been to."

"If something unexpected happened along the way, there would definitely be traces. But we searched along the way and asked many refugees and civilians along the way, but no one saw several carriages passing by at the same time."

"That's not right." Yu Ying interrupted him. "This natural disaster isn't serious enough to warrant punishment, and the situation has improved. There's no reason for the governor to run away."

Guard Captain Luo said, "We thought so too, but we heard from the servants that when the master left, he moved a lot of heavy boxes. I went to check the eldest son's room, and all the valuables were gone."

"To confirm my thoughts, I ventured to visit other masters' houses and found the same thing: all their valuables were gone.

The more Yu Ying listened, the more confused she became.

"It's really not a case of questioning, why did you escape?"

Guard Captain Luo shook his head: "Although I don't know the situation, I think we can't stay in the city."

Yu Ying hurriedly looked at him and asked, "What about the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Cangwu City? And what about the tens of thousands of soldiers originally under the jurisdiction of Prefect Shen?"

Guard Captain Luo shook his head: "I am only the guard captain in charge of the palace. I have never interfered in military affairs. I don't have the ability to deal with the people in the city..."

After a pause, he continued, "The city cannot be ownerless. The court knows that Prefect Shen has escaped, so they should appoint a new prefect soon."

"Doctor Yu helped us before, so I know he's still in the city. I came to inform him and help him leave Cangwu City."

"Are you sure that Prefect Shen ran away?" Yu Ying still couldn't understand why Prefect Shen escaped.

Guard Captain Luo nodded: "If not 100%, then at least 80%."

Yu Ying pondered, carefully recalling the details in the book that she might have missed.

After she entered the book, she would carefully recall the details in the book whenever she had free time.

The story of Governor Shen abandoning the city and fleeing was either due to less attention or she skipped it.

"I've arranged for a carriage to be waiting outside the city tonight. Madam Yu, please pack your things first. I'll come over in the evening."

"etc."

Guard Captain Luo looked at her puzzledly: "Doctor Yu, what else are you worried about?"

Yu Ying frowned and said, "This is strange. Please let me think about it for a while. If it's not urgent, have some tea before leaving."

Guard Captain Luo hesitated for a moment, but still responded, "Then I'll wait for a moment."

Yu Ying nodded and called Deputy Chen outside to make tea for them.

Yu Ying returned to the house and thought for a long time. She realized that this should be the time when a powerful official usurped the throne.

When a powerful official usurps the throne, loyal officials would rather die than become his subjects.

Governor Shen doesn't look like a loyal minister either.

But he was not a loyal minister, but that did not mean he had no relatives serving as officials in the court, and it was hard to say whether his relatives were loyal ministers.

This time he must have received some news and knew that if he didn't escape, his entire family would lose their lives.

If this is the case, then the reason why Governor Shen escaped makes sense.

But she remembered that the book also mentioned the name of Prefect Shen at the end, and he was still the prefect of Cangwu in the end.

Did she get it mixed up?

Yu Ying is in a difficult situation now.

If Prefect Shen really escaped, it would be fine for her to seek refuge outside the city, but if Prefect Shen suddenly came back and she escaped from the city, it would be a blatant disregard for the prefect's order.

Not only will they be charged with disturbing public order, but even Captain Luo, the guard who escorted them out of the city, will be implicated.

After a while, Deputy Chen came to urge: "Director, the guest asked if you have made up your mind?"

Yu Ying opened the door, walked out, and headed towards the room she had just been to.

After entering the room, Guard Captain Luo, who was sitting on a stool, immediately stood up and asked, "Doctor Yu, have you made up your mind?"

Yu Ying's expression was even more solemn than before.

"Has Guard Captain Luo ever thought about what would happen if the governor suddenly returned and found out that Guard Captain Luo was disobeying orders and sending people out of the city?"

Guard Luo sighed deeply. "I don't think you will come back. Starting tonight, I will send Madam Yu and my family out of the city. I will stay here. If you come back, I will take the initiative to apologize. If you don't come back, and something unexpected happens in the city..."

At this point, he let out a faint bitter smile: "I can only advance and retreat with the guards in the palace and the soldiers in the city."

After hearing the last part, Yu Ying felt a little admiration in her heart.

After a moment of silence, Yu Ying asked, "Since there is a change, there must be some clues. When Guard Captain Luo left the city to look for the governor, did he find any clues? Did he find a large gathering of refugees, or an army heading towards Cangwu?"

Captain Luo the Guard did suspect that someone was going to attack Cangwu.

He did not make it public, firstly to avoid causing unrest among the people, and secondly because he had not found any evidence. If he spread the rumor of war, his whole family would lose their heads along with him.

He shook his head: "The absence of any signs is what makes people most uneasy."

"Since there's still no information, Guard Captain Luo might as well wait a bit and then go out of the city to conduct a thorough investigation. Don't just look at the land routes, check the water routes as well."

If Prefect Shen was afraid of being implicated by his relatives in the court and fled, he would definitely not take the land route, but the water route, which would allow him to hide his tracks.

Guard Captain Luo hesitated for a moment and said, "Perhaps I am a little too impatient. I will think about it carefully after I return. If there is any sign of trouble, I will come to find Doctor Yu."

Yu Ying thanked him, "Thank you for your concern, Captain of the Guards."

Guard Captain Luo shook his head: "It's because Doctor Yu is kind-hearted and has done us a favor. We all remember it in our hearts."

Doing good deeds will always bring good rewards.

Yu Ying smiled faintly: "Anyway, Captain Luo, you should handle this matter with caution. You can't ruin your future because of this."

At the end, he said sincerely: "Captain Luo is a good superior. If he can continue to be promoted, it will be a blessing for many people. If he is held accountable and demoted because of this matter, it will be a pity."

Yu Ying's eyes were firm, as if she was telling the other person with her eyes - you are such an outstanding person.

Hearing this, Captain Luo's eyes moved slightly, and he felt a strange feeling in his heart.

Captain Luo suppressed his inexplicable feeling and felt a little embarrassed.

"I'm not as kind as Doctor Yu said. If I were to encounter a disaster, I would also like to send my family members out of the city."

"It's human nature to favor one's family. Even if he ran away, there's nothing wrong with that. But Guard Captain Luo chose to stay, which is much better than many people."

Captain Luo said goodbye and left. He led his horse out of the alley and couldn't help but think deeply.

Maybe he jumped to conclusions too early?

Based on his understanding of the prefect, if he really knew that a war was going to happen, the prefect would most likely rely on a more capable family and would not leave himself alone in the chaos without any soldiers or power.

There are indeed too many unreasonable things, and he is just too anxious and confused.

After thinking for a while, he got on his horse and did not go home or back to the prefect's mansion, but headed out of the city.

He really needed to conduct a thorough investigation before making a decision and find out why the prefect had left.

*

After Yu Ying saw Captain Luo off, she breathed a sigh of relief.

When she was thinking about it in the room just now, she was still wondering if she had remembered it wrongly.

But her memory is excellent.

Perhaps the prefect's escape was truly just a few words, or perhaps she had overlooked it.

But there is a chapter in the book that is dedicated to Fu Wei's return to Lingnan to pay homage to his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and niece, and to look for clues to Fu An's disappearance.

The host was the prefect Shen, who had humiliated Fu Wei.

She wouldn't be wrong.

That chapter was a special chapter, and Prefect Shen alone took up half of it.

He was humble in front of Fu Wei, who had become a powerful official, and his psychological activities were very rich. He also gave Fu Wei many beauties.

At that time, Fu Wei's legs were damaged and he had to rely on a wheelchair to travel, but his appearance was still stunning.

Fu Wei thought back to the first thirty years of his life. He had drunk a bit too much, and the beauties sent by Prefect Shen surrounded him, pouring tea and water, and one of them even sat delicately on his lap...

Why am I suddenly getting angrier the more I think about it?

Yu Ying took two deep breaths and continued to recall.

In the book, Fu Wei angrily dismissed the beauty, which also indirectly describes that he is still a lonely man who is not interested in women and feels lonely at the top.

The more Yu Ying thought about it, the clearer the content of this chapter became, so clear that she was very sure - the emperor may come and go, but Governor Shen will always be there.

Because she was sure, she repeatedly dissuaded Captain Luo. If he really chose to send his family away in the end, there would be nothing she could do.

*

A month has passed, and there are almost no refugees outside the city. However, if you stand on the city gate and look out carefully, you can still see the bodies of refugees exposed in the wilderness.

If a corpse is exposed in the wilderness for too long, it will emit a foul odor and may also cause people to become sick.

The weather is cold now, and the body will not rot so quickly, but it still needs to be dealt with in a timely manner. However, Governor Shen is not here, so he cannot make a decision for the time being.

In the end, the chief secretary, who was only lower than the prefect, also followed the example of Hepu County and used work-for-relief to recruit refugees in the city to go out of the city to bury the bodies, with five kilograms of grain per person as compensation.

Fifty people were recruited to leave the city and be sent to deal with the bodies.

After dealing with it, they were allowed to return to the city.

On the eighth day after Prefect Shen disappeared, Guard Captain Luo came looking for Yu Ying.

"Hepu's use of work-for-relief is odd. Even if they were to let the refugees repair the city's outer walls, without imperial approval, where would the money and food come from?"

Yu Ying thought about it. Hepu was the territory of Mu Yun Village, so she had some guesses about what they were planning.

But these speculations can only be kept in her mind. She said: "Or are you overthinking it?"

Guard Captain Luo shook his head. "I went to Hepu County to check. I wouldn't have known otherwise. The number of refugees is enormous. Most of the men who built the city walls were among the refugees. Just looking at it, there are at least a thousand of them."

“The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong. I still think that tonight I will send my family away from Lingnan and go to Yuzhang to seek refuge with relatives. Is Doctor Yu going to leave?”

Captain Luo, the guard, was very firm in his words and it seemed that he would not change his mind this time.

Yu Ying: "No, I'll stay and wait."

"Doctor Yu, would you consider this again?"

Yu Ying shook her head: "I really don't want to consider it."

"Well, after all, I'm still in the city, and I'd like to help if you have any difficulties."

"Thank you." Yu Ying thanked him.

Captain Luo, the guard, did not stay long and quickly said goodbye and left.

But just half an hour after leaving, he turned back for some reason.

When Yu Ying heard that Captain Luo the Guard had come again, she walked out of the room in confusion and looked at the people in the yard with puzzled eyes.

The captain of the guards, Luo, said in a daze, "Sir, you are really back."

Hearing this, Yu Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief for Captain Luo.

Fortunately, I stopped the loss in time and did not make the wrong choice.

No matter what the superiors think of them, they will not like subordinates who are hypocritical.

After arriving at the He brothers' house, Yu Ying asked, "Have you found out where the governor has been these days?"

Guard Captain Luo said bewilderedly, "They said they encountered refugees and had to hide in the mountains leading to the temple. But I investigated the waterway and indeed found that the master left by water. So why did he come back?"

"Moreover, none of the young masters have returned." Having said this, he became even more confused.

Yu Ying was also puzzled when she heard this, but she still said, "After all, he's back. It's a good thing that Guard Captain Luo hasn't sent his family out of the city yet."

Guard Captain Luo did not breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, his brows furrowed. "But the captain who went with me to search for you, sir, has already sent his family out of the city. You will definitely investigate when you return this time."

In fact, Captain Luo, the guard, had also advised him to wait, but the captain was anxious and even found a way out for himself. He would leave immediately if anything went wrong.

Yu Ying sighed: "It all depends on one's luck."

No, it's not fate.

Captain Luo, the Imperial Guard, knew very well that if Doctor Yu had not reminded him to hesitate, he might have already sent his family out of the city.

Just as they were talking, there was a knock on the gate again.

Deputy Chen responded, "Coming."

He opened the door, looked at the people outside, and asked cautiously, "Who are you looking for?"

you?

Yu Ying vaguely heard the word "you" and wondered about the identity of the person.

Captain Luo, the guard, had good hearing and immediately became alert when he heard the noise outside.

She stood up and said, "Captain Luo, please don't go out yet. I'll go out and take a look. If something is wrong, I'll go out through the window."

Give her instructions and she walked out.

She secretly wondered why so many people were looking for her recently?

Yu Ying walked out of the room and through the gaps between several tree trunks, she could vaguely see a number of people standing outside the house, and they all seemed to be wearing knives on their waists under their straw raincoats.

——He comes with ill intentions.

This was a thought that suddenly came to Yu Ying.

He secretly exhaled and walked out with full concentration.

Holding an umbrella, he walked to the gate and was about to ask, "I wonder if you all..."

When she saw the person in front of her raise his head and reveal his face under the bamboo hat, she opened her eyes wide and felt that the person in front of her was very unreal.

"Why... are you here?" Yu Ying exclaimed, and couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes full of disbelief.

The man wearing a bamboo hat beside him suddenly laughed out loud: "Madam Yu, your expression of shock and bewilderment is not right. You should be filled with surprise and delight."

Yu Ying glanced at the person who was speaking, then looked back at the person in front of her with a smile in his black eyes. She covered her mouth and smiled involuntarily, her eyebrows and eyes were filled with joy, and a faint light appeared in her eyes.

There was a soft light in her eyes, what a surprise.