Chapter 18: Resentment is surging
"My family suffered misfortune, my brothers quarreled, my servants were greedy, my whereabouts were exposed, and I was outnumbered, so I suffered the disaster."
Yuchi Shuo's face instantly darkened. He had intended to go to Liangcheng, reveal his identity, and take officials to provide disaster relief. However, who knew that within two days, his whereabouts would be exposed, leading to wave after wave of assassinations.
"Luckily, the villagers came to my rescue, otherwise, I would have been doomed."
After hearing this, Gu Tingchuan sighed.
He had been in trouble before, and even though he had shown some talent in front of the man in front of him, he was only treated like a servant. Now he was also in trouble, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a lot more balanced.
Knowing that this was not a good idea, Gu Tingchuan secretly despised himself, his ears reddening, "This is the dry food that the villager gave me, you can eat some first."
Yuchi Shuo thanked him but did not move. Instead, he leaned against the tree trunk and stared at Gu Feixue.
"There's a plague in Liangcheng, so we can't go in. Where should we go?"
Gu Feixue walked over and saw that Yuchi Shuo's lips were cracked and white. She thought that just a dozen days ago, he was still a wealthy and energetic young man, but now he was no different from a refugee.
She sighed inwardly and asked about the situation outside.
Yuchi Shuo picked up a branch nearby and drew a terrain map on the ground.
"Linan Prefecture, near Jiangzhou, was also affected by the disaster. However, at the border between Liangcheng and Linan Prefecture, there is a Changshou Prefecture. The prefect here is a good and upright official. He opened the city gates and accepted the refugees."
"You can go here and receive the governor's help, fill your stomachs, and recuperate. Then, head north to Baling City. It's surrounded by mountains and has two rivers flowing through it. It's rich and prosperous. If you don't want to return home, you can find a village here to integrate into."
When Gu Feixue heard this, she knew that he treated their family as ordinary refugees.
She opened her mouth but said nothing. Seeing that Gu Tingchuan was about to explain, she immediately coughed, gave him a look, and asked Yuchi Shuo where he was going.
"I want to sneak into Liangcheng and find out the real situation inside." Yuchi Shuo's cold tone revealed endless chill.
Gu Feixue's heart trembled, and she looked at him with inquiring eyes, and was about to speak.
Gu Lang suddenly came over and said in a low voice, "I am Gu Lang, the Minister of Revenue. There are many suspicious points regarding the drought in Jiangzhou. I wanted to investigate this matter, but I was framed by a traitor. My entire family was sentenced to exile to the border."
"But I'm unwilling to give up, and I also want to seek justice for the refugees, so if you don't mind, you can take me with you."
The moment he saw Yuchi Shuo, Gu Lang recalled what his family had experienced during this period, and the resentment in his heart surged out like waves.
So, he had been paying attention to Yuchi Shuo. When he heard his words, he knew his chance had come, so he came out immediately and revealed his identity to him.
"Minister of Revenue? You are Gu Lang, Lord Gu!" Yuchi Shuo was a little surprised. No wonder their family's demeanor was different from that of the refugees. It turned out that they were the family of the convicted Minister of Revenue.
Gu Feixue looked at him. Although she didn't know his identity, Gu Lang was willing to reveal his identity as a criminal in front of him. It can be seen that although he is young, he is also a remarkable person.
She quickly chimed in, "Big brother, my father is a good official, you should trust him."
Patting her chest, she pretended to be innocent and said, "Xue'er can also help Dad investigate the case and clear his name."
Yuchi Shuo listened to her innocent tone, and his eyes, as if seeing through everything, fell on her.
When Gu Feixue was looked at by him, she felt as if her internal organs were seen through and her thoughts had nowhere to hide.
She panicked and couldn't help looking at him with innocent eyes, "Big brother, just trust us."
"Xue'er is so smart." Yuchi Shuo smiled meaningfully.
Gu Feixue heard the double entendre in his words and her face turned red unconsciously.
It was a bit awkward for her, a twenty-something adult, to pretend to be a child, but after all, she was just a seven-year-old girl in her current body.
So no matter what Yuchi Shuo meant by that, she couldn't understand.
"Ahem." Yuchi Shuo cleared his throat and said, "Master Gu actually wants to investigate this matter. I'm naturally willing for Master Gu to accompany me to Liangcheng, but what about the others?"
"Refugees heading to Liangcheng were turned away, leading to cannibalism and the exchange of children for food."
"This group of beasts who have eaten human flesh, seeing that they can't enter Liangcheng, have gone to other places. Those people you encountered earlier were just the weakest group."
Speaking of this, Yuchi Shuo's face looked unhappy.
Gu Feixue's eyes were also extremely cold. "To prevent these beasts from appearing, Liangcheng must be opened as soon as possible to let the refugees in."
Her eyes rolled, and she said indignantly, "It's been so long, why hasn't the court sent anyone to provide disaster relief?"
"The relief grain from the imperial court has arrived a long time ago. Unfortunately, corrupt officials have hidden the grain in order to raise the price of grain and oppress the people." Yuchi Shuo said in a cold voice.
Gu Feixue immediately remembered the food they had found earlier. She clenched her fists in anger and said, "It turns out that all that food was relief food sent by the imperial court. These corrupt officials are truly despicable."
Gu Lang agreed with this and went to discuss things with Wang Wu.
When Wang Wu heard that he could not go to Liangcheng, his face twisted for a moment.
However, upon hearing that they still had a way to survive, and could even go to the prosperous Baling City, he immediately said happily, "How long will it take to get to this city?"
"If we go in this direction, it will only take half a month to reach Mingyang River near Baling." Yuchi Shuo came over and explained the road conditions to him in detail.
Wang Wu figured out something unusual and asked in surprise, "Aren't you going to come with us?"
He asked this to Gu Lang, his eyes fixed on him.
Gu Lang nodded: "Our family is not refugees. We are going to Liangcheng this time because we have important things to do."
The opportunity to clear his name is right before his eyes, and he must seize it to keep his family safe.
Realizing this very clearly, Gu Lang gave some earnest words of advice and asked Wang Wu to find someone to discuss it.
Soon, Wang Wu and his group decided to follow the villagers to Baling City.
They didn't waste any time, packed up their things, and headed in the direction pointed by Yuchi Shuo.
Not long after they left, Gu Feixue discovered that there was some extra food in her package.
"Dad, Mom, look, they actually left the dried sweet potatoes behind."
When Gu Lang saw the dried sweet potatoes that could support his family for more than a month, his eyes couldn't help but turn red.
He had heard the old saying that a friend in need is a friend indeed, but he had never felt it from his colleagues. Instead, he felt it from a group of refugees who were starving and poorly clothed.
His heart was shaken, his voice choked with sobs. "The refugees struggling to survive were so kind-hearted. How could those officials have the heart to swallow the relief food, leaving them homeless and their families broken up?"
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