"Tsk, someone got killed."
"Whose carriage is that?"
"Didn't you see the yamen runners carrying swords escorting them? The people in the car must be officials, or their family members."
“No wonder it’s so powerful.”
Amidst the discussions, Jiang Yushu calmed herself down, quickly put on her veil, and hurriedly got out of the car to check.
"What do you mean by hit, hit and kill someone?" Cuimei was shocked and hurriedly followed. She got out of the car and whispered, "Zou Gui was not driving very fast just now, how could he hit and kill someone?"
They were a step too slow. Wei Xu and the other officers had already surrounded the unconscious old man. The leading officer gave an order, and his companions quickly drew out half of their sharp swords and drove the crowd away, shouting, "What are you looking at? What's there to see?"
"Go, go, go, go away quickly, don't block the road."
"It was just an accident. We didn't know this old man at all. Who would have hit him on purpose?"
"Besides, everyone can see that our car wasn't going very fast just now. It was clearly the old man's own weakness that caused him to stumble and bump into us."
The crowds of people saw the officer flash his sword and hurriedly backed away, but they didn't leave. Instead, they stayed a little further away, whispering to each other, "Listen, how rude!"
"The government carriage hit and killed someone, and instead of apologizing, they blamed the common people for their physical weakness."
“It’s just far-fetched talk.”
From ancient times to the present, due to the layers of taxes and the lack of power, the common people are both afraid of and hate the officials. At the slightest provocation, they will unite to denounce the enemy and wish that the sky would send down thunder to kill all the "dog officials who are tyrannical and oppressing the people"
After a long day of running around, Wei Xu and the others were hungry and exhausted, and were eager to return to their residence to rest. Wei Xu looked at the unconscious old man, then at the frightened Zou Gui, and with some patience, he frowned and asked, "What happened? Did you accidentally hit him while driving the car, or did he accidentally hit the car while walking?"
"Little one, little one," Zou Gui said, though clever, he was still young. This was his first time experiencing such a thing, and he was at a loss as to what to do. He hurriedly explained, "I don't know. I was driving, not very fast, and he suddenly rammed me from the side. I couldn't defend myself until I heard the loud bang and realized I had hit someone."
At this time, Jiang Yushu arrived and stopped her companions, saying, "Everyone, put away your knives first. No matter whether we are right or wrong, once we show our knives, we will become wrong. Don't show your knives unless you have no choice." Immediately, she looked at
An old man was curled up on the ground, his clothes were tattered, his face was pale and thin, his head was bleeding, and he was unconscious.
"Looks like a beggar." Wei Xu said.
Jiang Yushu shook her head, pointing at the old man's neatly trimmed gray hair and beard, and said solemnly, "No, he's probably not a beggar. Look at how neatly groomed this old man's hair and beard are. It shows that he's usually a respectable person, but he just fell into poverty for some reason."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the scene was in chaos. Wei Xu anxiously scanned the crowded crowd. When he heard people from the crowd saying, "Look, official uniform, he is indeed an official," "He brought his family with him," "That woman in the veil must be his wife," etc., he was stunned. He felt difficult to describe his feelings. He turned to look at his female colleague, cleared his throat, and said uncomfortably, "They are talking nonsense. You are a mess outside. Go back to the car and I will handle it."
"What are you going to do?" Jiang Yushu didn't even raise her head or pay attention to the discussion. She took the medicine Cuimei got from the car and comforted him, "Xiao Zou, don't panic. He's still alive. Stop the bleeding first." After she finished speaking, she looked up and said, "Come quickly, someone, help bandage it."
"Who said someone was hit to death? The old man is clearly still alive. He is alive," Cuimei announced loudly.
"ah"
"Not dead"
"It looks like he's dead." When the onlookers saw the officers stopped trying to stop them, they all moved closer and looked out to observe.
Wei Xu bent down to examine him, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Since he's still alive, I'll bandage him up and give him a few taels of silver. That would be all I can do. How do you think?"
Jiang Yushu was about to answer when she saw three officials from other places pushing through the crowd. They were also armed with swords, sweating profusely, and looked anxious. One of them raised his hand and pointed, shouting with relief, "Brother Feng, look, Guan Zhonghe is there. The prisoner is not missing."
“Great, I finally found it.”
"Fortunately it wasn't lost, otherwise all our efforts would have been in vain and we wouldn't be able to report back." Zhang Feng, who was in charge of escorting the fugitives, breathed a sigh of relief.
The next moment, Cuimei and Zou Gui, who were squatting, jumped up at the same time and shouted excitedly, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Zhang?"
"I haven't seen you for many years. I wonder if you are still escorting prisoners to the west."
The unexpected reunion brought greetings from both sides in surprise, and the scene was extremely lively.
Year after year, Zhang Feng's face was bronzed by the wind and sun. He pressed the handle of his knife, feeling a sense of emotion and sighing, "I have no other skills, I only know how to do this job, to support my family. No matter how hard or tiring it is, I have to bite the bullet and do it. Oh, I never thought that I would meet you in Yongzhou City."
"Yes, it's really unexpected." Jiang Yushu also had mixed feelings.
Zhang Feng smiled and bowed, "I don't know whether I should call you Madam Guo or Lord Jiang."
Jiang Yushu smiled lightly and returned the greeting, "Both are fine."
"Hahaha, last year, when the brothers who used to travel with us heard that the emperor had pardoned the Guo family, they were all sincerely happy for you."
"Thank you very much," Jiang Yushu said gracefully, turning to Wei Xu and saying, "When we were exiled, it was Lord Zhang who escorted us three thousand miles north."
Wei Xu opened his mouth, not knowing how to respond, and said dryly, "I see."
Soon after, the unconscious old man regained consciousness and groaned. Zou Gui quickly squatted down and helped him lean against the carriage. He scratched his head and said apologetically, "Old man, I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry to get back to the government office, so I drove too fast and accidentally hit you."
The gaunt old man waved his hand and replied weakly, "It has nothing to do with you. Actually, I was so hungry that I felt dizzy and couldn't walk or stand, so I fell towards the carriage."
Wei Xu frowned, glancing at his female colleague with pity. Could it be that she was also hungry and full, walking from the capital to Xicang? How pitiful!
Jiang Yushu walked closer to the old man, "Fainted from hunger"
Zhang Feng sighed helplessly and explained, "Before we crossed the Cang River, the post stations along the way were able to prepare dry food as required. However, after arriving in Yongzhou, several post stations that had been burned down by the enemy soldiers had not yet been rebuilt. Everything was incomplete, and restaurants along the way were scarce and expensive. Alas, not to mention the prisoners, even we often went hungry."
Jiang Yushu nodded in sudden realization. "Yongzhou is indeed in trouble right now, with food shortages everywhere." She immediately ordered, "Bring out all our dry food."
"Hey" Cuimei trotted back to the car. Seeing this, Wei Xu also ordered the servant to get food.
After a while, the injured old man leaned against the carriage, his stomach rumbling with hunger, and almost choked on the pastries. Zou Gui hurriedly handed him a water bag.
Seeing this, Jiang Yushu immediately recalled the embarrassing moments she had faced on the road. She wondered and asked in a low voice, "Why did he commit such a crime that he was exiled at such an old age?"
"The details are unclear, but I heard he was an imperial physician who accidentally killed a relative of the emperor, and so he was punished."
Jiang Yushu was startled. "He's actually an imperial physician."
"It's not surprising. I've heard and seen a lot. Being an imperial physician is not easy." Zhang Feng wiped his sweat and complained, "Alas, there are nearly 300 prisoners on this trip. We can't see them all. There are accidents all the way. It's too troublesome."
"Three hundred"
"There are more to come." Zhang Feng lowered his voice and revealed, "There's a rumor in the capital that the west is short of people, so the court is doing everything they can to send all the prisoners or people they can mobilize here."
Jiang Yushu nodded, not surprised at all.
In a moment, Zhang Feng ordered his men to help the old imperial physician up and apologized, "The rest of the people are waiting at the front. We are in a hurry to report to the government office. We will say goodbye now."
Jiang Yushu smiled and said, "We happen to be staying at the back yamen. Let's go. We will lead the way."
"Okay," Zhang Feng agreed happily.
Wei Xu ordered the servant to give the old imperial physician a few taels of silver, but the old man only accepted the food and firmly refused the money. In his old and vicissitudes voice, he said, "Thank you very much, but it's not necessary. I have money for travel."
After a while, Zhang Feng and others walked, and Jiang Yushu ordered the servant to help the injured old imperial physician sit in the driver's seat, and both parties went to the government office together.
Late-night court
Guo Honglei returned to his room after finishing his work, closed the door with his backhand, and asked drunkenly, "Why haven't you rested yet?"
"You've been drinking," Jiang Yushu put down her pen, wearing a frosty nightgown, her hair half loose, and looked up to ask, "How much did you drink? Are you drunk?"
"I didn't drink much, I'm not drunk." Guo Honglei strode forward, pulling out a chair with a clang. He leaned back, resting his head on the backrest, and said with his eyes closed, "The fugitive who robbed and killed the imperial official last time, and his accomplices, have all been arrested and are facing the death penalty. Today, Prefect Ji is hosting a banquet to reward the brothers. It's quite lively, so I have to have a few drinks."
Seeing his face and neck flushed and his breath full of alcohol, Jiang Yushu knew he had drunk a lot. Just as she stood up to pour tea, Cuimei knocked on the door and said, "Madam, the hangover tea is ready."
"Bring it in quickly." Cuimei put down the tea and left tactfully, never disturbing anyone at night.
Jiang Yushu handed him a cup of tea and turned to twist the handkerchief. "Are you dizzy?"
"A little bit." Guo Honglei was thirsty, so he drank it slowly. After that, he leaned his head back on the chair, his eyebrows were sharp and his eyes were bright like stars.
Jiang Yushu returned, wiped his face and neck with a wet towel, and asked with concern, "Have you recruited enough new soldiers?"
"Over 2,000 men have been sent back to the camp a few days ago, and we've recruited over 1,500 more in the past few days. That's more than enough." Guo Hong said cheerfully, his hands hanging down. "Actually, if we follow General Song's instructions, 2,000 will be enough."
Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing. "I guess you'll recruit nearly 4,000 people. Lord Ji must be heartbroken."
"We can't help it. We're short on manpower." Guo Honglei, drunkenly, sighed. "Tuning Guard is located at the northernmost tip and carries a heavy burden. If we can't hold it, everyone will lose their heads."
"I can definitely keep it, don't say anything unlucky."
Guo Honglei sat up straight suddenly, hugged her in his arms, and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you, Madam."
"Wipe the sweat off your face, don't move." Jiang Yushu sat sideways on his lap, shook out the wet towel and continued to wipe.
Guo Honglei was seven-tenths drunk, spoke a little slower than usual, and asked seriously, "Guess who I met tonight?"
"How can I guess when there are so many people at the reward banquet?" Jiang Yushu was amused. Although she had been invited by the government office, she expected that there would be heavy drinking during the banquet, so she simply declined. Wei Xu would attend on behalf of the military storage warehouse. She was busy sorting out official documents alone and decided to set off for Xicang the day after tomorrow.
"Before the banquet, I met Zhang Feng in the front hall. Do you remember Mr. Zhang?"
Jiang Yushu knew that he was quite drunk, so she suppressed her laughter and replied, "Of course I remember. Didn't I tell you that he was escorting the prisoners to Yongzhou in the evening?"
"Oh, yes." Guo Honglei nodded, feeling a lot of emotion, a little incoherent, and sighed, "We knew each other back then, and I received their care, so I borrowed their flowers to pay tribute to the Buddha and invited them to come and have a few drinks. Oh, and guess who I heard about..."
It was the first time Jiang Yushu saw her husband drunk. She felt amused and said patiently, "Who is it?"
"Guan Zhonghe, the imperial physician." Guo Honglei sighed, "I never expected that he would be exiled as well."
Jiang Yushu was stunned. "You know him?"
"I know him. I've known him since childhood. I don't know how many times Doctor Guan has treated my third brother."
Jiang Yushu suddenly realized, "It turns out that Azhe was once his patient"
"Hmm. The prescription Fang Sheng holds is exactly what Doctor Guan wrote specifically for Azhe, and it's still effective today." Guo Honglei held his wife, lost in thought, counting his breaths. "My third brother was born with a congenital illness. Father, unconvinced, sought help from the Emperor. The Emperor was merciful and sent Imperial Physician Guan to treat him. While he wasn't cured, he saved his life. Otherwise, Azhe might have died young, as the other doctors had predicted."
Jiang Yushu lamented, "Alas, I knew nothing. The carriage even hit him today. Zou Gui has been with you since he was a child. Doesn't he know Doctor Guan?"
"How could he not recognize the boy? He mistakenly thought he had killed someone and panicked. In addition, the imperial physician looked much older and looked shabby, so he didn't recognize him for a moment."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment, "From what you said, Doctor Guan is obviously an excellent doctor. Which royal relative did he accidentally kill?"
"He didn't miss, he was just unlucky."
"I made a quick visit before the banquet began." Guo Honglei paused, feeling drunken and hot. He grabbed her hand holding the wet handkerchief and pressed it against his forehead. "According to the old lady, the deceased was the eldest princess's son. He was gradually recovering, but he ignored the doctor's advice and indulged in excessive drinking and pleasure. As a result, he died of excessive pleasure and indulged in beauty."
Too much joy leads to sorrow
Could it be that he died of the legendary stroke?
Jiang Yushu was too embarrassed to ask in detail, so she asked with pity, "So, the princess took her anger out on the doctor?"
"I'm outmatched, and I'm lucky to be alive."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and suggested, "He's old and weak, so he can't be sent to the army. He'll be assigned to farming, where the work is heavy. I don't think he'll last many years. In my opinion, you should take him back to Tu Ningwei and arrange for him to work in the medical tent so that he can make full use of his strengths and avoid wasting his medical skills."
"What a coincidence"
"That's what I thought."
Drunk, Guo Honglei happily stood up, but staggered drunkenly. He held her in his arms and swayed as he staggered towards the bed.
Jiang Yushu was so scared that she hugged him tightly, "Be careful not to fall, or you'll get bruised and swollen. Everyone will laugh at us tomorrow."
"Hahahaha," Guo Honglei laughed out loud, staggering forward. In a blink of an eye, they both fell on the couch at the same time. He was drunk and hot all over. He pressed her down without any lightness and said, "Let's see who dares to laugh at us."
The next day, Jiang Mansion in the capital
"What"
"What did you say"
The weather was sunny and warm, but Jiang Yushan felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave. Her face turned pale and she shook her head vigorously. "Impossible, impossible! My mother clearly promised not to marry me off to the Xia family."
The eldest son of the Jiang family was named Mingcheng, only one year younger than his sister. He looked embarrassed and glanced around frequently, saying nervously, "Second sister, please keep your voice down. If our parents hear us, they will definitely scold me."
"You, are you talking nonsense?" Jiang Yushan bit her lip, her chest heaving violently. She grabbed her brother's collar and glared at him, asking, "If you dare to scare me, I'll make you itch."
Jiang Mingcheng's face was bitter, and he was helpless under the pressure. "What are you trying to scare me about? As early as the end of March, the Dongqin Marquis's family proposed, and the wedding was scheduled for August. All the relatives knew about it. Alas, mother was afraid that you would make a fuss, so she asked everyone to keep it a secret for a while."
"Getting married in August, oh my god, oh my god."
"It's better to kill me than to marry an old, fat, bald man." Jiang Yushan was shaking with anger, her eyes were fierce, she turned around suddenly, ran out of the room, and angrily went to look for her parents.
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