Chapter 139 Chapter 139 is the only genuine version...
What's the meaning?
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly stood up, a strange glint in her eyes. She grabbed the coarse cloth bag at her feet and ran towards the city gate.
"Hey, girl, girl! And my little grandson hasn't seen it yet..."
The old woman was about to pull her back when she suddenly heard Kong Xiulan shout in surprise, "Tiger Girl, you're awake, Tiger Girl."
"Mom." The little girl said weakly, "I'm hungry."
Hey, you're actually awake.
Can talk again!
Every family that fled brought their children with them, and every family had sick children.
With so many children falling ill at once, they at least suspected it might be an epidemic, but what could they do? They couldn't just abandon all the children. Children were dying almost every day these days, sometimes one or two, sometimes four or five at once. Small mounds of dirt piled up one after another on the slope.
Some families lost two or three children.
In some families, all the children are sick.
Generally, diarrhea occurs first, followed by fever, and later vomiting of blood. The blood is vomited in mouthfuls, and the red color is scary.
Until fainting.
Once someone faints, no one can wake up.
Huniu had been unconscious for two days. Logically, she would have disappeared by nightfall, like the other children, turning into a small mound of dirt.
But!
He actually woke up?
"Hungry."
Kong Xiulan came to her senses and hurriedly picked up a coarse porcelain bowl and fed her.
The coarse porcelain bowl contained cake grains that had been soaked for a long time and were almost turning into porridge.
Hu Niu took a bite and immediately felt like she had tasted some kind of exquisite delicacy. She held the bowl in her two little hands and gobbled it up voraciously.
He doesn't look like a dying person at all.
Kong Xiulan twitched the corners of her mouth, trying to smile, but her stiff face made her expression look a little strange.
The old woman placed her rough hand on Hu Niu's forehead and exclaimed, "It's not hot anymore, it really isn't hot anymore. Come over here and take a look."
If they had some thoughts of trying everything just now, now they really believed it.
"That little girl...where did that little fairy go?"
"I have to go find her and save my little grandson."
"My child is dying, I have to go and beg her."
Everyone scattered and searched everywhere like headless flies, until a young girl suddenly called out, "There it is."
She pointed in the direction of the city gate.
Someone immediately thought: "The little fairy said she was here to look for her relatives. Could it be that she found her family?"
"Hurry, go and take a look, before you get hurt in a fight."
"Girl, girl!" The old woman put her hands to her mouth and shouted at her, "Don't go over there. We will help you find whoever you are looking for."
Gu Zhizhuo vaguely heard someone calling her. Without turning around, she said to Qingmei, "Ask Qi Fu to bring the person over."
Qingmei: "..."
Qin Chen and Chongjiu are not here. If I leave now, won’t the girl be alone?
"Go quickly."
"Chongjiu is ahead. I will go meet him first."
Gu Zhizhuo emphasized his tone and nodded in agreement with a frown.
She looked hesitantly in the direction of the city gate. A large crowd of people, almost all young and middle-aged refugees, gathered in front of the county gate.
There are at least a thousand people.
"Brother Nan."
Several young men helped a sturdy young man up.
"Brother Nan, calm down."
"How can I be calm? My daughter, my tiger girl is dying."
Zhang Zinan fell to the ground, with several footprints on his body, blood on his face, and his fingers twisted and twitching as if they were broken.
He stumbled to his feet.
Zhang Zinan was over thirty years old. Even though he had gone hungry for several meals and was very thin, he still looked the strongest among the refugees.
They had been banging on the gate for two or three hours straight. Just now, the city gate finally opened, and a group of yamen runners rushed out, yelling at them. In addition to the yamen runners, some soldiers also came out, all of them armed.
Zhang Zinan resisted for a few words, and was knocked to the ground by the officer in charge of the troops with a punch, and his fingers were broken by the steps.
Zhang Zinan stood at the front, surrounded by people guarding him.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with deep hatred, and the corners of his eyes were bloodshot, as if about to bleed.
The troop leader was Fang Zhe, the personal guard captain of Prince Xie Qiyun of Jin.
He had been returning to the capital with the Crown Prince, and they were supposed to have arrived, but instead they had been stuck here for four or five days. The Crown Prince was still ill, and had ordered him to dispose of the refugees within the day.
Fang Zhe put his hands behind his back, his stern face full of contempt. He shouted in a stern voice, "The prince has ordered you to leave this place and return to your hometown before dark today."
"Otherwise, kill without mercy."
The surrounding soldiers shouted demonstratively, which was deafening.
"You bunch of dog officials."
Shouts of injustice broke out among the refugees.
Fang Zhe snorted coldly and raised his left hand.
This seemed to be a signal. The soldiers behind him put feather arrows on the bowstrings, and the polished arrowheads emitted a cold light and were aimed at the refugees.
Some refugees took a step back in fear, but when they thought about their parents, wives, and children who were almost starving to death or dying of disease, they took that small step back.
They haven't eaten for several days. What's the difference between driving them away now and letting them die?
"It's all going to be a death anyway, Brother Nan, let's rush in."
"Yes. Brother Nan, kill these damn officials."
Under the cover of others, Zhang Zinan quietly took a machete from behind.
He had to go to the county town to see a doctor today, and his Hu Niu couldn't wait any longer.
Zhang Zinan stepped forward and shouted through gritted teeth, "We're starving to death. How are we going to get back to where we came from?!"
"We just need to go into the city and give us some food."
"If you don't agree, we won't leave even if we die!"
Fang Zhe's expression became even colder. He also realized that these refugees all listened to Zhang Zinan, and it was this man who was repeatedly inciting them.
He sneered, "A mob, you still want to cause trouble? What a joke."
The soldiers tightened their bowstrings even more.
Zhang Zinan clenched the machete, and the muscles in his arms bulged.
He let the blood drip down his face, leaving several bloody marks on half of his face.
He took one step forward, then another, silently calculating the distance in his mind. He had to take the other person hostage in one blow, only then would they have a chance of survival.
"We're going into town."
"We want food."
“We have to survive!”
The young men approached with Zhang Zinan. They all had elderly parents and children to support, and they could no longer walk. If they left now, they would die on the road. At this moment, the desire to survive overwhelmed their natural fear of the government.
Fang Zhe cursed, "Looking for death."
"Try taking another step?!"
Zhang Zinan took another step forward, and there were less than ten steps between him and Fang Zhe.
Zhang Zinan leaned forward slightly, with his center of gravity on his toes.
It seems that they won't be afraid unless they see blood. Fang Zhe said hatefully, "A bunch of unruly people!" It was already dark, and if he delayed any longer, the prince would not be able to leave today.
"kill!"
The bow in the hands of the trusted captain was fully drawn. As soon as the bowstring was released, the arrow shot towards Zhang Zinan's head.
As long as this instigator and leader dies, the refugees will know to be afraid and will know that they shouldn't go against the government! Humph, troublemakers.
Zhang Zinan's face turned pale, and the arrow light magnified in his pupils.
whoosh!
An iron arrow was fired from behind but arrived first, hitting the feather arrow accurately and fiercely. The feather arrow was knocked off course and fell to the ground. The iron arrow still had the force, and hit a big tree behind it heavily, shaking the branches and leaves of the tree and causing green leaves to fall to the ground.
Zhang Zinan was still terrified. The arrow had almost touched his forehead. At that moment, he truly thought he was going to die.
Who is it?
Fang Zhe: “Who is it?!”
Everyone's eyes turned towards the direction where the iron arrow came from.
Gu Zhizhuo stood in the crowd, holding a strangely shaped crossbow in his hand, with a piece of scattered green cloth at his feet.
She was wearing a coarse cloth skirt, and her face and body were covered in mud, making her look dirty. At first glance, Fang Zhe thought she was also a refugee, perhaps a hunter or something.
However, the next thing he saw was the crossbow she held in her hand. It was pitch black, and he couldn't even tell what kind of wood it was made of. The carvings on it were extremely delicate, and it was definitely not something a rural hunter could own. He looked again and saw that she was wearing a pitch-black plate on her right hand, which held the crossbow.
The thumb ring is worn to prevent the bowstring from hurting the hand, and only those from truly noble families would pay so much attention to it.
Who is this person?
"Who are you?" Fang Zhe asked again vigilantly.
Gu Zhizhuo walked out from the crowd with a leisurely pace. Even her plain clothes could not hide her calm demeanor in the face of danger.
She didn't answer but asked, "Did you give the order?"
The voice was silent, but every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.
Gu Zhizhuo continued to question, "The imperial court has issued an order that the local government should do its utmost to provide food and medicine to the refugees in Qingzhou and not shirk its responsibilities under any pretext."
"Yihe County had no troops stationed there, yet they mobilized the army without authorization and shot and killed innocent Daqi citizens."
Refugees are simply people who have left their hometowns and are wandering around.
However, they are still the people of Daqi.
"According to military law, he deserves death!"
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand, put his five fingers together and pointed at him.
Fang Zhe was furious: "Where did you come from, little girl? You are talking nonsense and you are looking for death."
Gu Zhizhuo wasn't afraid at all. She curled her lips and said, "You're not worthy of talking to me."
Fang Zhe originally wanted to have someone capture her, but Gu Zhizhuo's attitude was too overbearing and he couldn't figure out his intentions.
He was confused, and neither were the refugees. They all stared at Gu Zhizhuo, and no one spoke.
Fang Zhe tried his luck and asked tentatively, "Miss, who are you going to..."
"Where is the Yihe County Magistrate? Get out here!"
Gu Zhizhuo snapped open the document in his hand and said with his head held high, "Gu Zhizhuo of the Zhenguo Mansion has come here on orders from Prince Chen to investigate the crime of failing to pacify the people of Yihe County."
Wow.
After a brief silence, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.
The refugees were surprised and happy, happy and afraid.
The good news is that someone actually came to help them.
They seemed to see hope in her, a hope that was almost completely obscured by despair.
What we are afraid of is that this might be another scam, just to appease them.
"Brother Nan, what should we do now?"
Zhang Zinan shook his head, indicating that he should wait and see.
At least the refugees were happy, but Fang Zhe was just shocked.
I didn't expect it to be a member of the Gu family! Even if the Gu family has few descendants, there is no reason for a girl to come out to work as an official, right?
"There are no soldiers stationed in Yihe County. I order you to disarm immediately."
Gu Zhizhuo stared at the soldiers without blinking: "On the count of three, take off your armor, or die."
The corners of her mouth curved up, and one could still see the dimples on her cheeks, but the words she spoke did not allow for any refusal.
She raised her right hand, held up three fingers, and counted.
"One, two."
"Oh, it's Miss Gu, right? I've heard of her name."
"Miss Gu may not know that I am the Prince of Jin's man."
"Miss Gu, please don't act rashly. Think twice..."
"three!"
Pop.
Gu Zhizhuo pulled the trigger.
An iron arrow flew out from the crossbow at a speed that was difficult to capture with the naked eye.
An arrow pierced Fang Zhe's shoulder.
In less than a breath, Fang Zhe didn't even have time to dodge.
The crossbow has a long range and great power, and the arrow knocked Fang Zhe to the ground with his buttocks.
The next moment, all the soldiers' bows and arrows were pointed at Gu Zhizhuo, and the arrow lights emitted a chilling chill.
The short knife at Chongjiu's waist was already unsheathed, and he tapped the ground with his toes, like a tiger ready to pounce.
"Put it down!" Gu Zhizhuo sneered, "Are you planning a rebellion?"
"Killing the imperial envoy is considered treason and the entire clan shall be executed."
When it came to "rebellion" and "execution of nine generations of the family", the soldiers hesitated. They were just following orders and had no intention of rebelling.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled lightly, and her coarse clothes and skirt made her look aggressive: "Do you want to kill all nine generations of your clan, or do you want to die under my arrow?" The name of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was known to everyone in the Great Qi Dynasty.
The Gu family's great reputation was like thunder in their ears. Faced with Gu Zhizhuo's arrogant and domineering attitude, they couldn't help but feel a little timid and loosened the bowstrings in their hands.
Gu Zhizhuo: "I accepted this mission. Do you think it's just him and me who came?"
"It's easy to kill you. Do you believe it?"
That's right! The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. The young lady from the Zhenguo Mansion knew that there were thousands of refugees rioting here, so it was impossible for her to come out on business with only two people. She might have ambushed thousands of troops nearby.
Gu Zhizhuo walked over fearlessly, step by step. Chongjiu lagged behind her half a step, holding a short knife in his hand. His face was expressionless, but when he raised his eyes, they were as sharp as swords.
Boom.
Someone's hand loosened and the longbow fell to the ground.
"Remove the armor."
Gu Zhizhuo shouted loudly, and the others also put down their longbows, and hurriedly took off their armor and threw it on the ground.
"My soldiers of Daqi wear armor to protect the people and our country, not to point arrows at the people of Daqi." Gu Zhizhuo took firm steps, and each step carried a strong pressure. The soldiers and yamen runners naturally made way for him.
Gu Zhizhuo walked up to Fang Zhe and stepped on his bleeding shoulder.
"ah!"
Fang Zhe let out a scream, and even the soldiers hunched their shoulders in pain.
"Open the city gates."
Gu Zhizhuo said to the captain, "Go and get the county magistrate to come out."
The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then quickly clasped his fists and accepted the order: "Yes."
Xie Qiyun ordered the expulsion of refugees and the extermination of them. How could the county magistrate dare to hide in the county government office peacefully? He was now waiting behind the city gate. When he vaguely heard that something was wrong, he didn't need anyone to ask him to come out. He wiped the sweat off his face and came out timidly.
"Girl, mother?...Sir?"
He didn't know what to call her, and there was no precedent in Daqi for a woman to serve as an imperial envoy.
Gu Zhizhuo: "Call me General." The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction.
She has lived two lives, and no one has ever called her a general.
"Yes, yes, General!"
"Prince Chen has ordered the granaries to be opened and the grain released. You should have received the official document."
The county magistrate moved his lips, almost crying in anxiety. He wanted to release the grain, but the Prince of Jin wouldn't let him.
He felt that he could not keep his official hat, and he didn't know whether he could keep his head.
"Yes, yes."
The county magistrate was sweating profusely and said with a folded hand, "I will go right away."
"Requisition the restaurants and hotels in the county town and order them to cook porridge and steamed buns, the sooner the better."
"yes."
The county magistrate responded repeatedly.
Whether it was the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion or the Prince of Jin, he couldn't afford to offend either of them.
He glanced at Fang Zhe who was being stepped on by Gu Zhizhuo, and didn't know how to explain to the Prince of Jin later.
"Gu... General Gu. The Prince of Jin..."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were like knives: "Tell Xie Qiyun to come out and tell me if he has anything to say. If he keeps making comments, I will chop off his hands and stomp his feet."
The King of Jin and his son are in the same company as Changfeng. How can they be good people?
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