Sure enough, Shao Qing received the news the next day and was scheduled to set off at dawn the next day.
The twelve counties of Yizhou arrived at the latest in the afternoon of the same day, and no one dared to neglect the congratulations. It was a rare occasion for all the county governors to gather together, so He Yun held a banquet that night. Everyone was quite curious about "Yang Ze". Although Han Xi was taciturn, he knew when to advance and retreat, and he smoothly joined the group.
As for Wei Jing and Shao Qing, the entourage brought by the twelve county governors numbered several hundred in total. This row of houses was very busy, and in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the two did not leave the house all day.
An Sheng spent a day and a night. At dawn the next day, there was a knock on the inner door. Wang Jing called softly, "My dear, it's time to get up."
This time when he went out, Wei Jing's identity was an ordinary guard, and for the sake of caution he did not use any respectful titles that might arouse suspicion. But asking Wang Jing and others to address Wei Jing as an equal was an insult to their lord, so they compromised and called him "Lang Jun".
Wei Jing had woken up. After a "hmm" response, Wang Jing said nothing more. He stayed there while another companion went to fetch water.
Shao Qing woke up as soon as he called them, packed up carefully, and the four of them went out to join the main force.
She rode in a carriage and Wei Jing rode on a horse. They went out of the side door of the governor's mansion and lined up in front of the main gate. There were hundreds of accompanying personnel from the twelve counties, and the two of them were drowned in the crowd, making them inconspicuous as expected.
At the beginning of the morning, He Yun led the twelve county governors out and set off.
After leaving Gucheng and heading west, you will reach Heyin Wharf in a day. Rest for a night and board a big ship the next day. Go down along the Nanshui River and it will merge into the Yangtze River in a few days.
This mighty river that runs across the vast land of China is navigable all year round. If you go downstream from west to east, you can reach Xinling in just over twelve or thirteen days if nothing unexpected happens. Then go north from Xinling to the capital. Although it is the snowy season, there are soldiers in the prefectures and counties along the way to clear the roads every day. It is estimated that it will take 17 or 18 days to reach the capital.
If everything goes well, we will have about ten days left to reach the capital.
The capital of Da Chu was named Luojing, and its exact location was similar to Luoyang in Shao Qing’s previous life.
In fact, this Da Chu has many similarities with her hometown. She once firmly believed that this was her hometown, but the turning point of history was different. But later, I suddenly felt that it was not the case.
"Liu Lang, it's time to get on board."
Shao Qing called Wei Jing "Fifth Brother", so he casually called her "Sixth Lang". Now they were at Pingyin Wharf and were about to board the ship. Wei Jing saw that she was a little absent-minded and called out to her softly.
"Oh, OK!"
No matter whether it is or not, she has no choice anyway. Since she is here, she should just stay here. Shao Qing came back to his senses, responded, jumped onto the gangplank, and boarded the ship swiftly.
There is a row of nine large red-painted official ships moored at the dock, with two upper and lower cabins, each of which can easily carry more than a hundred people. The first ship belonged to He Yun, He Xin and their entourage, followed by two county governors and their two ships, a total of six ships. The last two ships were for the hundreds of state soldiers who were escorting along the way.
Although Anyang County Magistrate Yang Ze had little experience, he had just won the favor of Governor He and was arranged on the fourth ship. On the same ship, Yongchang County Magistrate Cai Yu was He's confidant. The two men were in different camps and disliked each other, so they were clearly placed on the left and right.
Let Han Xicai handle these matters. In just two or three days, Shao Qing discovered that Han Xi was truly a talented person with outstanding abilities in all aspects. No wonder he was picked out of thousands to become Wei Jing's most trusted confidant and was also entrusted with the personal guard battalion.
After she got on board, she and Wei Jing went straight to their cabin.
The official ship was very large, with many cabins, but since it also had to accommodate horses and luggage, usually only two people were allowed to share a room. Shao Qing pushed the door open and saw that the neat cabin was not very spacious. The bed could barely accommodate two people. There was a large box for storing things, which could be used as a dining table or desk when closed. There were two chairs on the side.
"My dears, this cabin is a little small..."
Wang Jing and the others were very uneasy, and felt that their master had been wronged. Shao Qing smiled and waved his hand: "Nothing, it's fine, it's clean."
The two of them are now ordinary dependents, so of course they are inconspicuous. There is no doubt that this is definitely the best cabin that can be arranged.
The porthole was pushed open, and the long-lost sunshine shone on the sparkling river surface. Boats kept coming in and out of the dock, and the shore was bustling with people. Soldiers stood solemnly nearby, and groups from Yizhou to Beijing kept boarding the boats. In the distance, hawkers shouted and porters walked by. It was a very vivid picture of the dock at dawn.
Wei Jing said succinctly: "No problem."
Seeing Shao Qing happy, his usually stern expression relaxed and he followed her into the cabin.
Wang Jing and others were placed in the cabins on the left and right, and upon seeing this, they respectfully took their leave.
The hatch was closed, and Wei Jing asked gently, "Do you like boating?"
Although there was sunshine, the wind was still damp and cold. He took out a thick cloak, shook it out and put it on his wife, pulling up the hood.
"Yeah, I quite like it."
Probably because my hometown is by a big river, I have been particularly close to boats and water since my previous life. Even jumping across the river once did not dispel this liking for them.
Another thing is that Han Xi's disguise was flawless, which made Shao Qing's original worries disappear. She felt light-hearted and naturally in the mood to enjoy the scenery.
The hood was very large and covered half of his vision when pulled up, but Shao Qing was not unhappy at all. The thick cloak blocked the river breeze and kept his body warm.
She turned around and smiled at Wei Jing.
"Thank you, husband."
She returned to her normal voice, leaned forward and spoke with a smile just loud enough for the two of them to hear.
Having said that, because he had been mentally prepared, Shao Qing gradually adapted to the normal married life even though it didn't take long for them to start. Wei Jing is really nice. He is very caring and treats her very well.
Yeah, not bad.
She had an unfamiliar face, her skin was yellow and unremarkable, but her pupils were sparkling and her expression was familiar and no different from usual. Wei Jing raised the corners of his lips and tapped her forehead with his finger.
"naughty."
"Ouch, it hurts."
She covered the place where she was hit, and used exaggerated expressions and body language to show the pain. Wei Jing was the one who knew his own strength best. He knew that she was not in pain, but seeing her expression, he couldn't help but pull her over, "Let me see."
"You're lying. I'm not in pain."
She jumped away, turned back and winked at him with a smile.
…
While the couple was playing, the Yizhou delegation bound for Beijing had all boarded the ship, weighed anchor and set sail. One after another, the huge official ships left the Pingyin Wharf and sailed downstream.
A few days later it merges into the Yangtze River and continues downstream.
The journey was extremely smooth. The nine large official ships were magnificent in scale, with the governor's official emblem hung on the front. All the large and small ships kept out of the way, allowing for smooth passage.
Although it is winter, the Yangtze River has plenty of water and the river scenery along the way is still magnificent. The bustling and prosperous city, the majestic and steep cliffs on both sides, and the beautiful and deep unique jungle. Shao Qing was overwhelmed.
"Although I had no choice but to make this trip, enjoying this river view was a great enlightenment for me."
Shao Qing felt a little emotional. To be honest, this was the only time she could enjoy the scenery leisurely since she came here.
Wei Jing was sitting beside her, hugging her to shield her from the harsh river wind. Hearing this, he recalled the past. He didn't want to spoil the atmosphere by saying such heavy words. He stroked her face and said softly, "The scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River is different in each season, each with its own characteristics. Can I come with you again someday?"
Spring, summer and autumn, by then she will not be taught to be cautious and worried, and she will not even dare to show her true face to others.
"OK!"
Shao Qing turned around and smiled: "Then don't forget it."
"I won't forget."
Wei Jing spoke briefly and to the point, without saying anything grandiose, but he kept the matter in mind.
Shao Qing leaned in his arms, rubbed and adjusted her position. Although the river breeze was cold, the cloak was thick enough. She held a hand warmer in her arms and there was a heater behind her to keep her warm. It was very comfortable.
Well, I sincerely hope that these ten days can go by more slowly.
…
But in fact, Shao Qing’s good mood did not last that long, and she was soon slapped in the face.
Once you leave Yizhou, you enter Jingzhou.
Soon, she truly understood what Wei Jing had meant when he said that natural disasters were frequent, the government was corrupt, and the people were poor and living in misery.
The first time Shao Qing saw a dilapidated village was by the river. The thatched houses had begun to collapse, and the ruins showed signs of being charred. The half thatched roofs that were about to fall were swaying in the river breeze.
"Where are the people in the village?"
Her good mood disappeared without a trace in an instant. She widened her eyes and murmured a question.
Later, the fleet stopped for supplies at a city called Puyi.
Puyi is a big city, with ships of all sizes coming in and out of the port. The shore is crowded with people, the hawkers' cries are heard one after another, porters and porters come in an endless stream, and in the distance, shops are connected to a large area with no end in sight.
Unfortunately, darkness can be seen directly under the sunlight. There are many ragged beggars in the crowd, with sunken cheeks and bony bodies. The elderly, the young, the sick and the weak make up the majority of them. They move with difficulty and beg bitterly.
Unfortunately, they are neither sympathized with nor welcomed by others.
The Yizhou entourage sent a speedboat to inform Puyi in advance, and Puyi specially cleared an area for the Yizhou entourage to dock. The soldiers drove away the idlers. The beggars walked slowly due to their physical condition. One of the soldiers who looked like a sergeant kicked a beggar beside him hard and yelled, "Get out of here!"
The beggar had white hair and was kicked to the ground, unable to get up. His companions, an old woman and a child, were panicking and trying to help him up and leave. Unfortunately, the latter two had difficulty standing by themselves, so how could they help others? When they tried to help, they were knocked to the ground instead.
There were a few laughs from the soldiers around. The sergeant was so angry that he drew his sword and stabbed the old beggar, shouting: "If you don't leave within ten breaths, this person will be the precedent!"
The knife stabbed deeply into the old man's chest and abdomen. Blood splattered, and the old man twitched twice and died. The old woman and the child burst into tears, but they did not dare to stay and even took the body. They were supported by several other companions and crawled and rolled out of the designated area.
This, this killed a person? !
Caught off guard by the bloody sight, Shao Qing's hands and feet were cold and he almost stumbled and fell off the springboard. Wei Jing who was behind him caught him.
His brows furrowed slightly, but his voice remained steady, "Be careful."
Being frightened and angry would be useless and would only expose himself, Shao Qing told himself again and again, then closed his eyes, tried to stay calm, and landed from the gangway.
The deceased was very close to them, only about three or four feet away. The sergeant snorted in triumph when he saw the field was quickly cleared. He turned around and saw many people in Yizhou looking shocked, so he explained, "They are just refugees. The Lord was merciful and did not expel them all, so they became even more aggressive."
It was merciful not to expel them all; he was just a small sergeant, the leader of five soldiers, and he would kill anyone who was unhappy with him by drawing his sword.
Many of the soldiers nearby were laughing and making a fuss, and even those who remained silent did not seem surprised; among the ordinary people such as hawkers and porters who were driven away in the distance, some turned their heads with expressions of reluctance, but most of them had expressionless expressions.
I'm very numb, which shows that I'm used to it.
This is a human being, not a chicken, duck, pig or sheep. How dare you kill them at will? !
Shao Qing had seen dead people before, and even if her life was in danger one day, she could handle it herself, but at this moment her heart began to tremble uncontrollably.
She tried desperately to tell herself to stay calm and not to reveal her true identity. She stepped out of the port one step at a time and headed towards Puyi City.
Shao Qing came down here originally to stretch her legs and take a look at the environment outside Yizhou, but she had no mood to take a walk at the moment, so she just walked around in silence in the bustling market.
After entering Puyi city, she realized that what happened just now was not accidental. Along the way, she saw several horses galloping in the downtown area and countless stalls being knocked over. The poor people who came to set up stalls in the cold wind were crying loudly, but they didn't even dare to cry for too long, for fear of causing more trouble.
The rich became extremely rich, while the common people and even the poor struggled to survive, swallowing their anger and not even mentioning any of them going to the government to file a complaint.
But they are still good, those refugees are really pitiful.
After walking along the way, everyone had a general understanding of the current environment in Jingzhou. Seeing that Shao Qing was in a bad mood, Wei Jing said he wanted to go back. Unexpectedly, after taking two steps, Wang Jing saw the spouse and young child of the old man who had just been killed in an alley.
The two men hugged each other and cried bitterly. Shao Qing and others gave them the buns in their hands. The two men were filled with mixed feelings of sadness and joy, and two lines of turbid tears flowed down again.
"...We are from Shanyang County, Yanzhou. We have been farming for generations. Although we are poor, we can still make a living. Unfortunately, there was a severe drought last year and there was no harvest. The government also imposed corvée labor to build river embankments. All men under fifty and over fifteen must be conscripted, without leaving any alive, wuwu..."
The economic conditions have been bad in recent years, and this is not the first time we have suffered from disasters. In previous years, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince always worked hard to arrange disaster relief, so we were able to still live. Unfortunately, I heard that His Highness passed away last year and the emperor also passed away. After a new emperor was appointed, disaster relief was only partially provided and to make matters worse, he imposed forced labor.
"Wow, all seven of my family members, including my old man and my grandchildren, were conscripted, leaving only a few young ones. Later, when we had nothing to eat, we followed the villagers to the riverbank to look for people, but unfortunately, we didn't find anyone and were driven away. We had no choice but to head south, and several of the young ones died of illness. In the end, only the old man and I were left to lead this..."
The old woman hugged her grandson and cried bitterly, "It's a pity for the old man, he..."
The crying was hoarse and not loud, but it had a miserable feeling of crying blood. Shao Qing felt as if a handful of straw was stuffed in his chest, making him feel messy and uncomfortable.
God damn the new emperor, God damn Ding Hua, he doesn't do his job, why does he build the river embankment instead of providing disaster relief? !
In comparison, Yizhou, where robberies were frequent and the government was not very clean, was simply a paradise.
Wang Jing and others also frowned. It was a pity that the overall situation was like this and it could not be reversed by one person alone. Moreover, a large number of refugees had poured into Puyi alone and they didn't know where to start to help.
Several of them had important tasks to attend to, so they could not show their faces nor return to Yizhou. After thinking it over again, they finally took out some small change and copper coins and gave them to the old woman, telling her about the situation in Anyang County, Yizhou, and asking her to pack up her disguise a little before going to the port to take a boat westward.
Shao Qing was extremely depressed, and she did not feel better after returning to the ship. She was not a woman in the inner house, but her usual consolation was useless. Finally, Wei Jing shook her hand and said, "Nothing can be done without destruction."
"Yes, without destruction there is no construction!"
Shao Qing took a deep breath, met Wei Jing's slightly worried eyes, and forced a smile.
…
This trip to Beijing is extremely important. It is sad that we cannot help the victims. The Great Chu is now in a state of collapse or reconstruction.
Shao Qing understood everything, so she tried hard to regulate her emotions, and after a few days she finally returned to normal.
However, the porthole on one side of the cabin was never opened again.
They sailed eastward and arrived at Xinling seven days later. She was exhausted after sitting on the boat for so long, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the bustling noise at the port.
“We’re finally here!”
But this time, she did not get off the boat first, nor did she open the window. She just waited quietly until the dock outside was cleared before going off.
Although she had a bit of an ostrich mentality, she was powerless and her best option was to not watch it.
In fact, she is not the only one who has this idea. Most people in Yizhou think the same way. After waiting for two quarters of an hour, Wang Jing came to report: "Sir, the boat has stopped and everyone is starting to disembark."
Wei Jing turned around: "Okay, let's go down."
Shao Qing nodded.
…
“Clang! clang! clang!…”
The three were about to go out, but at this moment, they suddenly heard the sound of a gong clearing the way from behind.
Shao Qing was surprised.
The sound of the gong came closer and closer, becoming clearer and clearer. Behind the official ship was the river, which meant that another group of people were approaching the shore from behind.
However, since all the pilgrims who came by the Yangtze River would disembark at Xinling, the Xinling authorities had made preparations in advance and more than half of the area at the dock was vacated and on alert for several days. Naturally, civilian and merchant ships did not dare to approach, so it was very empty. Was it still necessary to sound the gong to clear the way?
The Yizhou group did not sound the gong.
Who is this person?
Seeing Wei Jing walking to the porthole, opening it and looking out, Shao Qing followed him out of curiosity.
On the vast river, I saw a fleet approaching quickly. The red-painted ships were extremely large, even larger than the official ships of Yizhou. Four or five large ships were guarding an even larger ship in the middle, with a red flag flying on top of the main ship.
Just as Shao Qing was about to squint his eyes to carefully read the handwriting, Wei Jing slowly spoke.
"It's Prince Ji."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
