Chapter 105 Revenge and Natural Disaster
Ji Xie replied that Li Chu had been extremely obedient since he came to his side. He would not dare to go west if he was told to go east. As his subordinate, he was very efficient and had never had any bad intentions.
When Rong Yin saw the content of the reply, she could imagine Ji Xie's silly expression with his teeth bared as he wrote the letter.
However, having dealt with Li Chu for several years, Rong Yin did not believe that he was an honest person, and specifically reminded Ji Xie that it was better to be careful.
Ji Xie's truckload of seafood was used by Rong Yin as a special benefit to reward old customers. If a certain amount of consumption was reached at the hot pot restaurant, one could get a portion of seafood-based food. When the dish was served, the waiter would even shout out that this was a special gift for someone, which was considered a great way to give the customers face.
Everyone says that Boss Rong is really good at doing business. No wonder he is so highly regarded by His Majesty despite being a Hu person.
Yes, in the eyes of the uninformed common people, Rong Yin with his blue eyes and outstanding appearance was a Hu man. Otherwise, how could one explain how he could make so many delicacies that were not available in the capital?
Everyone was guessing that he must have donated a lot of gold, silver and other treasures to His Majesty in order to gain the Emperor's protection. His shops were doing so well that he probably had to give part of his earnings to His Majesty.
There is more than one Hu merchant in Beijing, but strangely, other Hu merchants said they didn't know him and had never heard of the food he sold in his hometown. When a customer asked Rong Yin which country he was from, he smiled and said it was a secret.
At this time in the palace, Boss Rong, who in the eyes of the people had gained the emperor's trust because of his wealth, was comfortably dozing on the emperor's shoulder, while the emperor was tirelessly massaging his neck.
Rong Yin had a stiff neck last night. When he woke up in the morning, his neck was so stiff that he dared not move. In the end, he had to rely on Zong Zhengxiao for help.
"It is your massage technique, Xiao Xiaozi, that pleases me the most." Rong Yin hugged Zong Zheng Xiao's waist and sighed comfortably.
Zong Zhengxiao's face was full of smiles, and he followed his acting: "Being able to serve you is the blessing I earned in my previous life. I don't ask for anything in return. Your praise is the greatest reward for me."
Rong Yin sighed and said, "You understand my heart the best. You are not like the male tiger in my house who knows how to control me all day long, not letting me do this or that. That is why I love to come to you, my dear. You are my gentle hometown and my ecstasy nest."
Zong Zhengxiao asked, "Oh? May I ask who is the male tiger in your house?"
Rong Yin couldn't help laughing, and said with a trembling body: "Who else could it be? The current emperor Zong Zhengxiao, a very bad person."
Zong Zheng Xiao helped Rong Yin sit up and looked him in the eyes. "Then, please tell me in detail what is wrong with this Zong Zheng Xiao?"
One look at Zong Zheng Xiao's expression told him that he was most likely trying to find trouble, but Rong Yin didn't give him the chance.
He approached Zong Zheng Xiao, and his slender fingers stroked Zong Zheng Xiao's eyebrows like soft willow branches, then moved down, passed over the high nose bridge, and lightly touched the plump lips.
"I told you, he is a bad guy, and he has done bad to me."
Zong Zhengxiao didn't expect Rong Yin to be so cunning. He didn't dare to show weakness. He grabbed Rong Yin's waist and pulled her towards himself, making their bodies fit tightly together.
He lowered his eyes, met Rong Yin's affectionate eyes, and whispered: "Master, can you show me what it means to be bad?"
"Of course you can. You are my sweetheart. If you have any request, I will naturally agree to it."
The two of them, one willingly and the other unwillingly, made their decision and started to stir up trouble in each other, completely forgetting that it was still broad daylight and the time was ripe for unexpected events.
So when they were halfway through taking off their clothes, Xiao Ai rushed in with the puppies, and the palace servants were unable to stop them.
The scariest thing was that Xiao Ai had a frog in his mouth that he found from somewhere.
After rushing in front of them, Xiao Ai loosened his mouth and the frog fell to the ground with a loud "quack" sound.
Rong Yin, who had always been afraid of creatures like frogs and toads, screamed immediately and climbed onto Zong Zheng Xiao like a monkey, almost knocking Zong Zheng Xiao off the couch.
Xiao Ai and the puppies thought the two were playing, so they happily jumped up and barked non-stop.
When the palace servants rushed in, they saw the two masters hugging each other in dishevelled clothes, with a bunch of puppies lying on their bodies and a poor frog croaking next to them.
To put it in one sentence, it's a mess.
In the end, Xiao Ai and the puppy were punished by not being allowed to eat snacks for a day, and the palace servant who failed to stop them had half a month's salary deducted.
This year was another year of good weather and good harvest. After the autumn harvest, Rong Yin met Zhao Laoer's family in a hot pot restaurant.
After the autumn harvest, the villagers have some free time and their wallets are a little fatter. Most of them will take this opportunity to go to the city to spend money and reward themselves for their hard work for half a year.
Last year, the paper mill recruited workers again, with the same quota for male and female workers. This time, the government did not need to advertise vigorously. As soon as the news came out, the men and women who came to sign up almost broke down the threshold of the paper mill.
Because there are so many applicants, the selection criteria this time are more stringent. Most people are regretting that if they had registered without hesitation last time, they wouldn't have to compete with others like they are now.
Because there was an old employee named Tian Xiaocui in Xiaoxi Village, the people of Xiaoxi Village received the recruitment news in advance. Tian Xiaocui also taught them some tips during training.
When the final quota was decided, Xiaoxi Village had the largest number of people recruited. Now that everyone had benefited from Tian Xiaocui, they had more trust and respect for her family.
In the past few years, the Zhao family worked together and not only bought the land but also completed the renovation of the house they had longed for. Their lives are getting better and better, and they are gradually becoming one of the wealthy families in the village.
This time I went to the hot pot restaurant, on the one hand to reward myself with a good meal, and on the other hand to send something to Rong Yin.
The Zhao family received Rong Yin's kindness and naturally wanted to repay him, but they could not afford gold, silver and treasures. Even if they were forced to buy these things, they were afraid that Rong Yin would not look down on them.
With Rong Yin's status, he certainly has no shortage of food and clothing, but he probably likes new and fresh things. In the past, when villagers picked wild game from the mountains or hunted game, they would send them to the city to sell. The rich people in the city like these and pay very high prices for them.
Normally, whenever the Zhao family picked mushrooms, black fungus, bamboo shoots, etc. in the mountains, or hunted deer and rabbits, they would pack them all and send them to Rong Yin.
Rong Yin knew what they meant and did not refuse. The Zhao family was not the kind of people who would not repay a favor. Only a relationship of give-and-take could make them feel at ease.
This time, in addition to wild game, the Zhao family also sent this year's newly harvested autumn grain, saying that they wanted Rong Yin to have a taste of something new.
Rong Yin accepted the gift and gave them a discount. After returning to the palace, Rong Yin asked the chef to cook all the ingredients, and she and Zong Zhengxiao ate until they were full.
Autumn passed and winter came. At the end of the year, Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin were each busy with their own things, but they were both very pleased to hear the news that the cement road had been built longer and farther.
It is also winter. Some people stop working with their families, leisurely and happily waiting for the coming of the New Year. However, some people's hearts are as cold as ice and snow. During this period of time, they will think of their deceased relatives and be tortured by the pain of separation.
Today was the anniversary of the death of the second young master Chen. Since morning, the Chen residence had been unusually quiet. The servants did not dare to smile at all, and even spoke and walked carefully, for fear of becoming the sinner who broke this eerie silence.
The Chen family went out to worship in the morning and did not return until the evening.
Mrs. Chen cried so hard that she could not walk, and was almost carried back to the house by the old maids. The eldest and third young masters Chen were in better condition, but their eyes were also red and swollen.
Only the head of the Chen family had a blank expression on his face. Not to mention tears, his eyes didn't even turn red.
But if you look closely, you can see the grief and hatred in his eyes.
Although several years have passed, no one in the Chen family can come to terms with the death of Young Master Chen.
On New Year's Eve, the two remaining brothers of the Chen family brought wine to the room of the second young master Chen and got drunk, muttering all the time, "We will definitely avenge you and make the Cui family pay for their blood debt with blood."
It's the New Year again. Rong Yin flipped through the account book and saw the huge expenditures. He couldn't help but sigh: "If only making money was as easy as spending money."
Zong Zhengxiao hugged him from behind and rubbed his neck. "Let me pay for the money first. I have enough money in my private vault, and the income from the shop and paper mill is also increasing. When I have used up all the money here, I will open your small private vault."
Hearing this, Rong Yin put down the account book and slapped Zong Zhengxiao's hand around her waist unhappily, "What nonsense are you talking about? I feel bad that the money is spent quickly because I feel that I don't earn enough. I am not reluctant to spend it. Every penny of this money has been used for the right purpose. Your Majesty, you are making me look stingy by saying this."
"That's not what I meant." Zong Zhengxiao turned to Rong Yin and explained anxiously, "I don't think you're stingy, Ayin. I just want you to be happier. Didn't you say before that the more money you have, the happier and more secure you'll feel?"
Rong Yin pretended to be angry, "I am happy and feel safe because with money, we can do what we want and no longer be restricted. So saving money will not make me happy. Only when I spend it can I really feel safe."
"I'm sorry." Zong Zhengxiao said sincerely, "I misunderstood you, Yin."
Rong Yin then laughed, "It is a great honor to admit your mistakes and improve yourself. I forgive you."
Zong Zhengxiao chuckled and hugged Rong Yin again. "Are you tired after reading the account book for so long? If you are tired, you can rest in my arms for a while."
Rong Yin leaned on Zong Zhengxiao's shoulder, her expression gentle, "I was a little tired at first, but after your majesty came, all the tiredness disappeared."
Zong Zhengxiao stroked Rong Yin's back gently: "It seems that I am A Yin's panacea."
Rong Yin chuckled: "Then I will eat you later."
"No need to wait, you can eat now." Zong Zhengxiao said, then he held Rong Yin's face and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Rong Yin responded instinctively, hugging his neck and deepening the kiss.
After the spring ploughing, it rained several times. The spring rain was as precious as oil, moistening the vast land. Looking at the young sprouts of crops emerging from the ground, the farmers smiled with satisfaction and exclaimed: "This year will definitely be another bumper harvest year!"
Until early summer, everyone still had this idea.
But man proposes, God disposes. Since the end of May, the temperature in the north has gradually risen, but it has rained very rarely. Even if it rained, the rainfall was so light that it couldn't even wet the mud.
You know, these months are the critical period for crop growth. Without rain irrigation, this year's autumn harvest will be over.
On the contrary to the north, the sky in the south seems to be leaking. It rains lightly every two days and heavily every three days. The people in the south have not seen the sun for a long time, and their eyes seem to have moldy along with their clothes.
The only thing to be thankful for was that Da Sheng's water conservancy project was relatively complete. After the drought occurred, Zong Zhengxiao ordered the reservoir to be opened to release water for the people to drink and irrigate the fields, which temporarily solved the urgent problem.
But if there is no rain throughout the summer and autumn, the reservoir will not last long.
The summer is hot and there is little rain, so the prices of everything related to water in Beijing have basically increased. Even the two milk tea shops, Cui and Chen, which used to compete with each other with low prices, have raised their prices at the same time.
Even so, the number of customers who came to the store continued to increase, and the Cui and Chen families took the opportunity to make a lot of money.
But what is different from them is that even though the temperature keeps rising, Ji's Ice Shop still insists on selling low-priced ice, giving away free ice, and its attitude remains warm and humble.
The same goes for Rong Yin's milk tea shop. Not only does it not raise prices, it also often offers discounts so that more people in need can afford water and ice.
Even if penniless beggars come to beg, the people in the milk tea shop will still politely give them ice without any discrimination or contempt.
Because they control the prices, even if other businesses, including the aristocratic families, raise their prices, the increases will not be too outrageous and beyond the affordability of ordinary people.
Only then did the people deeply feel that although they were all doing business, in times of crisis, the aristocratic families would only take advantage of natural disasters to skin and suck the blood of the civilians, while the Ji family and Boss Rong, who had the emperor behind them, would always put the people first in everything, giving priority to the lives and safety of the people and putting their own interests behind them.
It is clear at a glance who deserves the trust and respect of the people.
Returning from the palace to the Silver Shark Garden, Rong Yin felt like a fish in a steamer, being so hot that he was almost cooked.
His throat was extremely dry and he coughed a few times. He entered the house without even taking off his clothes and jumped into the pool with a splash, submerging himself completely.
When Zong Zhengxiao came back, Rong Yin, who had just finished drinking enough water, surfaced.
Walking up to the half-submerged steps, Zong Zhengxiao squatted down and gently stroked the face of Rong Yin who was swimming in front of him. He frowned and said distressedly, "Stupid, you are more afraid of heat than humans, and you don't listen to me. You insist on running outside the palace every day. What if you get yourself too hot?"
The high temperature tortured Rong Yin more than ordinary people. Zong Zhengxiao originally wanted to detain him in the palace, let him soak in water and eat ice cream, and comfortably endure this hot summer.
But now the milk tea shop is booming, the high temperature makes people restless, and friction is more likely to occur between people. Rong Yin is worried that something might happen to the shop, so he has to go there and keep an eye on it in person every day before he can feel at ease.
Zong Zhengxiao understood Rong Yin's thoughts, but seeing Rong Yin working so hard, he still felt very distressed.
Rong Yin held Zong Zhengxiao's hand against her face and comforted him, "It's okay, you won't die, and you only have to be busy for a while. I believe it will rain in the north soon."
After saying this, Rong Yin seemed to have thought of something, his eyes drooped, and his expression became frustrated, "I clearly had the script in my hand, but I still couldn't predict the disaster in advance. I'm really useless."
Hearing his words, Zong Zhengxiao knew that Rong Yin was starting to put the blame on himself again. He quickly pinched his face and said coldly, "This incident is not written in the original book. You are not a god, how can you know every detail? And, Ah Yin, we agreed before that you are not allowed to blame yourself without knowing the truth, otherwise I will teach you a lesson."
When the disaster first occurred, Rong Yin carefully recalled the contents of the original book. He clearly remembered that the book did not mention droughts and floods.
This is the tenth year since he traveled through the book. In the original book, the hero and heroine have already retired with their children, and Zong Zheng Lianjun has inherited the throne.
Because the story is approaching its finale, the book only describes how Zong Zheng Lianjun put a lot of effort into governing Da Sheng, which eventually led to his untimely death from overwork.
The plot was just briefly mentioned without any details, so Rong Yin didn't know much about it. This also included the natural disaster this year.
Rong Yin hung his head and said sadly: "I am just a little sad."
Zong Zhengxiao touched his head and said softly, "In fact, ever since Ayin came to me and changed my early death, this world has nothing to do with the original book. Ayin has created a new history with me. It is normal to encounter setbacks and difficulties when walking a path that no one else has walked. We should find ways to solve the difficulties instead of blaming ourselves for not foreseeing them in advance. Ayin, it's time for you to move on from the old past."
His words were like burning flames, illuminating Rong Yin's dark heart and leading him out of the dead end of thinking.
"Your Majesty is right. You and I are going to create new history. How can we be stuck in the past and stand still?"
After saying this, Rong Yin smiled again. He looked at Zong Zheng Xiao with sparkling eyes and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty is my mentor in life who has shown me the way out of confusion!"
Zong Zhengxiao gently rubbed the place he had just pinched for Rong Yin, smiling, "Ayin is also the god who saved my life."
The two of them have long become an inseparable part of each other's life.
There was drought in the north and floods in the south. Government orders were issued from the capital to all parts of the country. Zong Zhengxiao also sent people to the south to supervise the southern prefectures to earnestly carry out disaster prevention, disaster reduction, and post-disaster relief work.
Thanks to the cement roads built in the past two years, the time for news transmission was greatly shortened. After discovering that the rainfall in the south was abnormal and that floods might occur, Zong Zhengxiao immediately ordered the south to take disaster prevention measures.
Because of advance preparations, embankments and bridges were reinforced, and people in danger areas were relocated, so even when floods broke out later, the number of people affected was still within a controllable range.
Thanks to the convenient cement roads, the cash and supplies were delivered to the disaster-stricken areas in a timely manner, thus preventing further human disasters caused by the natural disaster.
Ji Xie happened to be in the south during this period, so Zong Zhengxiao secretly ordered him to investigate the actions of officials in the south to see if there were any people who pretended to obey his orders but actually did something against their will.
But just as there are always a few bad seeds in a pile of grain, the same is true for people. Although they knew that Zong Zhengxiao attached great importance to the disaster in the south and would definitely be severely punished if there were any mistakes in their work, some officials still had a mentality of taking chances.
They ignored the advice of their subordinates and thought that the area under their jurisdiction was safe. Therefore, they neither surveyed the terrain and water conditions in advance to prevent flooding, nor relocated the people in advance to prevent them from escaping in time when the flood broke out.
So when the accident happened, the disaster left them no chance to regret.
Zong Zhengxiao didn't know that along with his decrees that were sent to the south, there was also a mysterious secret order sent from the aristocratic family mansion. This secret order was tainted with murderous intent and hatred, and it was aimed at someone's life the moment it was issued.
When the tragic news that a county in the south was flooded by mountain torrents and no one in the county survived reached the capital, the whole court was outraged and Zong Zhengxiao was furious.
After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the tragedy was caused by the county magistrate's neglect of duty and indifference to the court's orders.
Although the county magistrate also died in the flood, this was not enough to offset his sins. Not only was he stripped of his official position and became a sinner for all eternity, his family and officials related to him in the court were also implicated. Not only were his family members imprisoned, but close officials were also demoted.
Just as the whole world was grieving over this tragic incident and cursing the county magistrate who deserved to be cut into pieces, a shocking cry came from Cui's mansion and almost echoed throughout the capital.
"What? Elder Maoshan and Cui Xin are dead?"
Even someone as calm as Zong Zheng Xiao was so shocked that he almost broke his voice when he heard the secret guard tell him the news.
Rong Yin beside him opened his eyes wide, looking as if he was dreaming.
Old Man Maoshan was a famous scholar of the time who loved to travel around the world giving lectures. Cui Xin was the youngest son of the Cui family. Many years ago, he was spotted by Old Man Maoshan, who took him in as his personal disciple. He took him on a journey around the world and has not returned to the capital since then.
I didn't expect that the next time I heard news about them was the news of their death.
The guard said, "Yes, I have heard that Mr. Maoshan brought Cui Xin to Anchang County two months ago, which was the county town that was flooded not long ago. Their original intention was to visit an old friend and they had no intention of giving lectures, so they did not disclose their identities. Therefore, local officials did not know where the two were. The Cui family also received a letter from Cui Xin and learned that they would stay there for a while. Who knew that a flood would happen afterwards..."
After the Cui family learned that Anchang County was flooded and no one survived, they still stubbornly refused to admit the fact.
They hoped that their son would be alive, but also hoped that the two of them had actually left Anchang in advance. The reason they did not send a letter to the capital to report their safety was because the south was too chaotic and they could not find a chance.
It was not until they sent people to the south and found out after great difficulty that the master and his apprentice were indeed in Anchang County when the flood broke out, and that neither the government nor the public had found a single survivor in Anchang County to date, that they completely accepted their fate.
The fact that Cui Xin was chosen by Old Man Maoshan is enough to show how outstanding he is. The Cui family is waiting for him to grow up a little, learn from Old Man Maoshan, and then return to take over the family business from the head of the Cui family.
Now that Cui Xin is dead, the Cui family not only loses a relative, but also means that the Cui family may have no successor, and there is a high probability that they will decline.
Who can accept such cruel consequences?
So now almost the entire Cui family has gone crazy. Old Mrs. Cui is bedridden, Mrs. Cui cries all day long, and the head of the Cui family has turned all his grief into anger and directed it all at the surviving family members of the county magistrate.
I'm afraid the fate of the county magistrate's entire family will not be much better than that of the tragic death of the county magistrate.
The news of Cui Xin's death was good news for Zong Zhengxiao.
But what many people don't know is that the people who laughed the loudest at this moment were actually from the other two parties.
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