A strong wind blew, and the sky darkened, pressing down heavily on the treetops. The wind rustled, and the branches and leaves of the trees rustled. Soon, raindrops began to fall, splashing onto the ground like rolling pearls and broken jade, creating ripples.
Zhu Jiayu stood on the steps, letting the rain splash onto the hem of her skirt. She looked up at the churning clouds on the horizon and asked Lüzheng without glancing to the side, "How many days is it?"
Green Kite replied softly, "Miss, it's the fourth day."
They were supposed to leave four days ago, but the young lady suddenly claimed to be sick and stayed in the city. Today is the fourth day.
During these four days, Lüzheng was sent out every day to deliver food and clothing to some sick and weak women and children.
Sometimes it was a piece of meat, sometimes a few bolts of cloth, but she would chat with them as instructed by her mistress, and then return to her mistress's side to relay everything they had said to her.
In the past few days, the refugees, who had initially been appeased, have somehow become increasingly defiant and rebellious. On her way back today, she witnessed several fights among the refugees, often resulting in bloodshed. She dared not ask any further questions and hurried back to her courtyard.
Thinking about what happened that morning, Lüzheng couldn't help but feel a little flustered. She brought a cup of hot tea to Zhu Jiayu's side and asked cautiously, "Miss, when can we go back?"
Zhu Jiayu took the teacup and said, "Tell me again what you've heard from the refugees these past few days, focusing on the important parts."
Lü Zheng, bewildered, stammered, "Li Wangshi said that a young man came from their area. He originally fled to Songjiang. According to him, he came from Chengwu, a famous and prosperous place in the south. In recent years, the emperor suddenly increased the tax rate in Chengwu. The local officials are also vicious and cruel. They are ruthless towards those who pay less tax. They bully men and women and do all kinds of evil, making life miserable for the people of Chengwu."
“Jiang Wei said that recently she often heard children singing nursery rhymes at the alley entrance. The content was something like, ‘The immortals sit carefree in their high halls, unaware of the famines in the human world… The rulers stand empty in the court, and the officials have lost all conscience.’… This refers to Cheng Wu, the tax official, and Songjiang County Magistrate, who was beheaded and displayed to the public a few days ago.”
"And yesterday, the Zhu family's child said that he saw people fighting in many places. It's like everyone has become a powder keg, and they start fighting as soon as they can't agree on something. This has never happened before..."
Regarding the last matter, Lüzheng spoke with particular sincerity. She had never seen or heard of oppressive government or nursery rhymes, but she had actually witnessed the refugees fighting and taking action.
After she finished speaking, she still didn't know what Zhu Jiayu wanted to do, and looked up in confusion: "Miss?"
Zhu Jiayu watched the flowers swaying and falling in the wind and rain. Not long ago, these flowers were bright, vibrant and beautiful, but after the rain, they were left in a sorry state with only a few petals and bare leaves. Some even had their stems broken by the rain and lay on the muddy ground.
In her past life, Rong Heng asked her, "What is life like?"
She shook her head, saying she couldn't think of anything. In folk tales, beautiful women like to compare themselves to flowers, victorious generals to eagles soaring in the sky, fierce whale sharks in the water, or savage wolves on the grasslands, and scholars love to boast of themselves as pine trees, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, and lotuses. But these are ultimately just personal qualities and appearances, not a metaphor for life itself.
But today, she looked at the scene before her with delight. The beautiful flowers fell to the ground and turned to mud under the impact of the rain, and her soul trembled at the sight—isn't life just like the flower garden before her? The splendor and beauty that can be contained are ultimately limited. When the rain falls, all the beauty must return to the earth and dust, and the final destination is nothing more than a handful of yellow sand and a cup of turbid wine.
As the rain gradually stopped, Zhu Jiayu withdrew his gaze and asked Lüzheng, "Floods are natural disasters, and oppressive government is a man-made calamity. Both force people to become refugees who have no choice but to flee abroad. Which one do you think is more hateful?"
“It is, of course, a harsh government,” Green Kite replied decisively.
"The north is plagued by constant warfare and years of military disasters, while the south has been experiencing torrential rains for several days. Impoverished areas are barely able to make ends meet, while wealthy areas are burdened with exorbitant taxes. Throughout Da Ye, the common people have hardly any peace to live on. If you were a refugee, what would you think?"
Green Kite put herself in the shoes of the refugees, remained silent for a moment, but could not utter a word.
Or perhaps, she dared not say it.
Zhu Jiayu answered for her: "You will resent the injustice of heaven, and you will resent the inaction of those in power."
"The refugees are emotionally charged and prone to fighting. If this continues, the government and soldiers will inevitably suppress them. However, with suppression comes resistance. They start chanting slogans and rising up in rebellion, seeking benefits for the country and the people. What choice will you make?"
Before Lü Zheng could speak, Zhu Jiayu smiled faintly and said, "We'll be back soon. Once this matter is over, everything will be settled."
Green Kite silently looked down at the tips of her shoes. She couldn't understand Zhu Jiayu's words, but she knew that her mistress was never wrong.
Since the young lady said she would be back soon, she would just wait a little longer.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and Zhu Jiayu returned to her room. It was already evening. She yawned and asked Lüzheng to cook some white porridge.
There wasn't much food in Songjiang. She had barely managed to eat vegetables for the past few days, but when she thought of Rong Heng, she felt that she could endure anything.
Wei Qinglou was not a callous and indifferent bureaucrat who did nothing but serve his country. He had power and troops, and he was courageous and decisive. She believed that he would not let Rong Heng off easily.
She waited to see Rong Heng die.
After dinner, it was already night. Zhu Jiayu stood by the window for a while before reading a book. When her eyes became sore, she got up and asked Lüzheng what time it was.
Green Kite sat on the threshold and replied, "It's already 7 PM, Miss."
Zhu Jiayu nodded and then asked her to fetch water to help him wash up.
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