247. I am a good emperor (8) (1/2)

247. I am a good emperor (8) (1/2)

The attack on the noble disciples at this stall can be said to have angered most of the officials in the court. Even those officials with lower official positions and no Huns intruding into their homes were a little scared.

If something happens to the descendants, then what's the use of sitting in a high position.

The officials who were a little afraid of the Xiongnu before now no longer talk about peace. They all come to Kyoto with swords to kill. Today, the princes practiced martial arts and escaped. If those people break into them someday, In the house.

Even if Long Yan is furious and starts a war with the Huns, his life will be gone, and nothing will be lost.

The wind direction in the court has never been consistent like it has been in the past few days, and everything is going on in full swing.

The people in Beijing had no idea what happened that night. They were just a little surprised that the neighbors or tenants who had recently moved in were missing.

February has officially arrived, and the real cold winter has arrived. In such weather, people don’t even dare to go out to solve physical problems. If they freeze, they will have to spend money to see a doctor, and they will also be laughed at.

Even the young gentlemen who always went to the martial arts training ground to practice in the past were too cold to go out. Although their bodies were better after practicing martial arts, they were raised in fine clothes and fine food. How can the thin skin and tender meat withstand such cold wind?

Fortunately, the family has also hired many guards with high martial arts skills. They are also busy learning from their teachers and don't like to go out to get together.

Naturally, no one noticed that the two Lang Jun who were detained in Lang's mansion to practice martial arts by His Majesty's orders never appeared again.

There are no such playful young men in Beijing, and everything is quieter. This winter is too cold, and the hawkers don't like to go out. Walking on the street, it seems that they can freeze even if they breathe out. into ice cubes.

Fortunately, although it is colder this year, the people's life is actually better than in previous years. The officials' mansions have discarded kapok quilts, and the kapok quilts are all spread in the Huang'en Courtyard. But people who are hiding from the snow only need to rush to Huang'en Hospital. On a snowy day, they only need to huddle in the house and quietly wait for the winter to pass. Although it is still cold, at least it is better than wandering outside. Better.

I heard that such Huangenyuan has been built in various places in order to provide accommodation for the wandering people who had nowhere to go and could only freeze to death outside. The emperor's grace was so great that it was named Huangenyuan.

In the distance, in Rongcheng, where it was also snowing heavily, the people who were born as Liu people could not even get a kapok quilt, not to mention the emperor's favor.

Everyone had the same look on their faces, numb and stiff. They were driven and crowded into a ventilated wooden house. Even if they were crowded together, the cold wind that kept blowing in still made them unable to feel the warmth.

Their hands, feet and even their faces were covered with frostbite, and the clothes they wore were smelly and thin and did not keep them warm at all. They had lived under the hands of the Huns for more than ten years, and not a single year had passed. The winter is as cold as this year.

Some older people looked blankly at the heavy snow falling outside the gap, with a hint of despair in their hearts.

This winter, they may not be able to withstand it.

Originally, the Huns still counted on them to work, but since some time ago, for some reason, the Huns began to frequently capture people from outside, these old people knew that their death was coming.

Being imprisoned here, with no access to news from the outside, and working hard day after day, the only thing that can be inferred about the outside situation is the attitude of the Huns towards them.

But now, they could clearly feel the dead eyes of those Huns looking over.

They are not afraid of death. In the past ten years, there is no day that is worse than death. The terrible thing is that even after death, they cannot return to their roots.

The land under their feet is no longer the Liu Kingdom. Even if they die, they don't want to die here.

But now, it seems that their wish cannot be granted.

The people who were crowded together had no heating. They had been frozen stiff for a long time. Even if they were warmed up, their whole bodies would soon become cold. It was better to stay frozen like this. No one spoke, as if just one more word could take away the life in their bodies. .

There was a ragged young man crowded in the corner. His hair was messy and his face was full of black. He was curled up and shaking slightly. Beside him, an old woman anxiously held him in her arms, trying to make him no longer so cold. .

He has been ill for a long time, and if he continues like this, he may not even be able to survive the night.

The wooden house was obviously crowded with people, but there was not even a sound. In the huge house, there was only dead silence.

Suddenly, the cursing voices of the Huns came from outside. The eyes of these people were a little panicked. They had been enslaved and whipped by these Huns for a long time, so that they could not stop trembling and shrinking back when they heard the Huns' words.

After staying for such a long time, they all understood some Xiongnu language and knew that the two Huns outside were scolding the people they brought for walking too slowly.

Liu Guoren's already darkened eyes darkened again. It seemed that a new Liu Guoren had been captured.

Following the scolding, the chains outside were opened and bright light came in. A young man wearing patched clothes and straw sandals was pushed and thrown in. He seemed to be trembling with fear and fell to the ground with his head cut off. Neither dared to lift it.

The two Hun soldiers seemed to be amused by his appearance. They laughed and taunted a few words, then went out and locked the door from the outside.

The young man from Liu Kingdom shuddered at the cold wind that drifted in when the door was opened just now, but other people who had long been used to it were numb and did not move.

Now that we are short of food and clothing, it seems that as long as we do nothing, we can prolong our lives.

The young man raised his head, and his eyes covered by his messy hair calmly scanned the scenes of Liu Guoren who looked numb in front of him. When he saw clearly, he lowered his head again, moved his steps, and reached the corner. He looked out through the gaps between the logs at the vast expanse of snow.

***

"The soldiers enter the enemy's belly first."

In the room with the fire pot burning, two figures, one tall and one short, sat face to face on their knees at the table. Wei Mingyan picked up a chess piece with small characters on it and followed the narrow path to the middle of the black chess pieces on the opposite side.

"But the soldier is so small, any enemy soldier can spot him."

Zhao Shujiu was still wearing a white winter coat today. In addition to the original jewelry, there were two small white balls pinned to her black hair, which swayed left and right as her head shook, making her even more agile.

"Although the soldiers are small, the enemy country is too arrogant to take precautions at all. What's more, here..."

The emperor stretched out his white finger and gently tapped the soldier with the word "big" written not far away from the small soldier. "The inside should be coordinated with the outside. As long as the army is brought in, the rest will be easy."

Although Zhao Shujiu had been smart since she was a child, she was born a girl and had never been exposed to the art of war. After hearing this, she felt that the man sitting across from him was amazing and could come up with such a solution.

When Zhao Shuqing came back from the outside, he saw that his good sister had moved the pawn into the black chess piece he was obsessed with. This was plausibly called the internal response and the external cooperation.

Zhao Shuqing held the chess piece and was silent for a moment, "Jiu'er, that's not the rule."

"Brother Shuqing, why do you have to stick to the rules? Aren't these rules also set by you and me? If you want to win, you still need to be flexible."

Looking at the emperor who was laughing and joking across from him, Zhao Shuqing stared at him quietly for a few seconds. When his smile gradually fell in embarrassment, he threw the persistent black pawn in his hand directly in front of Wang Qi surrounded by white chess pieces.

"Then I will make a change and let the soldiers assassinate the enemy king."

Watching the white king chess piece on his side being swallowed up by the black chess piece, Wei Mingyan did not make any fuss, but smiled even more cheerfully, "You are a swindler. There are so many masters around the king. How can it be so easy?"

Zhao Shuqing asked calmly, "If a soldier is of low rank, how can he be able to coordinate internally and externally?"

"Hey, Brother Shuqing, why don't you think more about it, what if this little soldier is very skilled in martial arts?"

Ah.

Anyway, no matter what, the shameless emperor opposite can find a reason.

Zhao Shuqing took back his hand and decided to read a book by himself.

"You don't want to play anymore? Come on, Jiu'er, let's play together."

Watching his little sister obediently start collecting the chess pieces, Zhao Shuqing sat back silently.

At worst, he would just read here and never give the two of them a chance to be alone.

Rongcheng

Lang Su had been sitting silently in this corner for a long time. He kept scanning the snow outside, looking at the Huns patrolling back and forth. His body seemed to be curled up with his back to the many people behind him, his hands But it kept moving on the wood.

Fortunately, although the wooden house was large enough, it was also in disrepair. Lang Su's hands were very strong. After going back and forth a few times, he used his knife to cut open the piece of wood.

Everyone around them closed their eyes numbly, and no one noticed Lang Su's movements.

As long as it's night, he can escape from here smoothly and open the city gate to let the soldiers hidden outside enter.

While he was working hard, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He stopped and turned around to look, only to see a young man with a dirty face staring at him silently. He was thin and small, but his eyes were bright and dark.

Lang Su was shocked. According to the information, most young people as old as Rongcheng were driven as slaves when they were young. Compared with the Liu people who were imprisoned here as adults, these children who lived here since childhood did not He felt so much longing for his hometown, and if he saw what he was doing, and if he shouted it out, everything would be in vain.

He was afraid that the boy would scream, so he quickly took it out of his arms, and he actually took out a candy bar from his tattered clothes.

Carefully handing the candy bar to the young man's hand, Lang Su made a silent gesture. I don't know if he understood it or not. He always held the candy bar and looked at Lang Su to make a move, but never made any move. Make some noise.

It wasn't until the sky got dark that Lang Su finally finished everything. His hands, which had never endured hardship, were so cold that he quickly and carefully put them in his arms, silently waiting for the night to come.

Unexpectedly, before it was night, there was the sound of chains being opened outside. The two Huns who came in looked at the Liu people who looked like dead people in this place, laughed a few words, and then focused on Lang Su. , walked towards him with a clear purpose.

Lang Su had learned the language of the Huns in the mansion, so he just listened to what they meant, as if he wanted to catch a Liuguo man for fun.

It was said to be fun, but in fact it was just to whip the Liu people and watch them scream and struggle for mercy.

As a newcomer to the Liu Kingdom, Lang Su naturally became the target of this whipping.

If he is taken out, there is a risk of the knife hidden on his body being discovered. Even if he goes out at night to spread the news, he will also be delayed.

But if he turns against him now, how can he alone resist the Huns who are both awake now?

His heart trembled, and he clenched his fists behind his back tightly, hanging his head tightly to prevent the cold eyes from being exposed.

The two Huns were laughing and approaching, and from time to time they would kick the other people sitting on the ground who were frozen stiff with disgust.

Just when they were about to get here, the young man with a dirty face suddenly fell to the ground, rolling on the ground twitching all over.

The old woman next to him was startled, and she quickly stepped forward to hold the young man down while kowtowing to the two Huns and begging for forgiveness.

"Sir, my son is sick. Please don't argue with him. Please don't argue with him..."

The two Huns looked at the young man rolling on the ground and trembling all over. They looked at Lang Su again, but saw that he was also half dead. They suddenly lost interest and cursed a few words with disgust on their faces. Went out.

The door was locked from the outside again. It was still twitching violently just now, as if he was about to pass away in the next second. The young man silently got up from the ground and curled up in the corner again, never meeting the man who was staring at him in amazement. Su looked at each other.

The old woman looked at Lang Su for a few times, but didn't say anything. She just held the young man in her arms and patted his back gently to comfort him as if he was afraid of being frightened.

That night, Lang Su quietly slipped out of the hole he dug. As he was leaving, he suddenly wanted to take a look behind him, but saw a pair of bright black eyes looking at him quietly under the dim moonlight.

Thinking that he might have been forced to become a slave of the Huns in his infancy, Lang Su hesitated for a second, turned around and said softly, "Just stay quiet, I will come to pick you up soon."

The young man who had not spoken a word nodded and silently watched Lang Su leave quickly and lightly.

That night, Rongcheng lit up with fire.

Soldiers wearing cotton clothes and armor, holding long swords and looking resolute rushed in.

The Huns had long been accustomed to the Liu people who did not dare to resist being robbed and extorted by them. Even if the Liu people issued documents, they did not take them to heart.

Will the Liu people come over? How can it be.

The leader of the Liu Kingdom had been frightened by them for a long time. How could he fight with them? Wasn't he afraid that they would directly enter Kyoto and take off his head?

Until the last second before death, the eyes of these Huns were full of disbelief.

In the midst of the fire, the originally numb people of the Liu Kingdom stood up one after another and looked frantically at the people fighting outside through the gaps in the wood.

There was expectation in their eyes, but also disbelief, and most of all, it was as if they were dreaming.

Until the shouting and fighting outside subsided, there was the sound of chains being chopped off with a knife.

——Clang!

The hearts of every Liu Guoren person pounded with the sound of the lock falling to the ground.

The door opened. Outside, someone held a torch and shouted inside, "But we, the people of the Liu Kingdom?"

boom--

Almost immediately after hearing Liu Guo's words, everyone in the room collapsed and started crying. Even the old man with gray hair who was still holding on until now fell to the ground and let out a cry of sorrow and relief.

They can finally go home——

The people of Liu State walked out of the house one by one, supporting each other. Their hair was all messy and knotted, and they were all in ragged clothes. Everyone was as skinny as a stick, but everyone's eyes were full of gratitude and gratitude. hope.

Even if they were not related by blood, the Liu ladies who were responsible for registering their names all showed intolerance and sympathy in their eyes.

"Those who come out first go over there and line up. Tell him your name and place of origin. After recording it, go to the room over there to rest."

The soldier who had been arranged long ago was afraid that they would not be able to hear clearly, so he shouted several times, "Those who are hungry should go over there first to get food. After eating, they have to come back and continue to line up!"

"If you have any children, please come to me first to get cotton-padded clothes!"

A few soldiers were making a big pot with fragrant porridge in it. It was a smell they had not smelled for a long time. Everyone was not full, but everyone did not eat the porridge. Instead, they carefully cooked the porridge. There was a long queue in front of the table where their identities were recorded.

The skinny young man followed the old woman. He didn't know how long he waited in line before he got to the front. He looked at the person who registered his name. He was dressed like the others, wearing a cotton coat and armor on the outside. His appearance was quite handsome. Although slightly rounded, his expression is extremely serious.

He dipped his hands in ink and asked skillfully, "Name, where is your family name?"

After waiting for the people of Liu State who were waiting in line to answer, they quickly wrote down two copies. One was put aside and the other was given to the people. Their voices were a little hoarse, but they still warned in a gentle voice, "Take it with you." Hold this piece of paper and go to the house over there to rest. If you are hungry, there are people making porridge and food here, so don't run around. "

"Yes, yes, thank you sir."

The common man was a gray-haired old man. He carefully took the paper he handed over while wiping his tears. He was very hungry, but he did not eat porridge, but ran quickly to the house.

Because there were soldiers standing there, soldiers from the Liu Kingdom wearing Liu Kingdom armor.

Fan Yuan took a look at the paper he had just written on and sighed sadly when he saw the name Xu Chengren on it.

Rongcheng was so prosperous in the past, with countless people coming and going to work, but now, only these people are left, and even among these people, there are not many locals in Rongcheng.

As far as what he just recorded, 80% of them were from other cities.

Think about it, if there weren't blood relatives in other cities, how could it have been able to sustain it for so many years.

Two more were recorded, and an old woman stood in front. She carefully protected the thin young man behind her, and said impatiently, "We are from Rongcheng. This is my little master, whose surname is Qiu, and whose name is Qiu Jiuniang."

fur?

Fan Yuancai was stunned, looked at the girl dressed as a teenager in front of him, and asked softly, "Does the prefect of Rongcheng have anything to do with you?"

The girl who had been silent opened her mouth and said in a clear voice, "It's my father."

Fan Yuancai's hand holding the pen shook, and his eyes turned red almost immediately. He asked hoarsely, "Then, is there anyone else alive in your family?"

The girl shook her head and replied calmly, "When the thieves entered the city, my father was killed at the city gate to resist. My mother couldn't bear the humiliation and committed suicide. The other brothers and sisters didn't save their lives. Only my wet nurse took me to escape."

Fan Yuancai's hand holding the pen could no longer hold it up. The prefect of Rongcheng was his biological grandfather.

He died fighting against foreign enemies, but it took more than ten years for his biological grandson to know of his existence.

Lang Su was patrolling and noticed something was wrong here, and quickly came over, "Fan Yuancai, what's wrong with you?"

As he spoke, he looked at the old man and the young man standing in front of the table, and paused for a moment on Qiu Jiuniang.

Fan Yuancai wiped away his tears and handed over the pen, "Lang Su, please write it down for me. I'll take me first..."

He paused, barely able to suppress his tears, "Take my aunt to settle down."

Lang Su was shocked. It was only on the way that he found out why Fan Yuancai was so dedicated to learning martial arts. He just took over the task of recording Liu Guobai's name in order to find his family more conveniently. He didn't expect to find them so quickly.

He quickly saluted the old woman and said, "This is my aunt, my nephew is polite."

"No, no."

Fan Yuancai quickly grabbed him, pointed at Qiu Jiuniang and said, "This is my aunt."

Lang Su faced Qiu Jiuniang, who was a little shorter than him and looked like a man no matter what.

Very good, another elder who is younger than myself.

He paused for several seconds before saluting again, "...Lang Su has met my aunt."

When will he be able to be worshiped by others as an elder...

***

The people of the Liu Kingdom who had lived in hell for more than ten years gathered in the house, where a warm brazier was lit. They were wearing clothes from Liu's hair. They didn't look very thick, but they were wearing clothes. His body was warm from head to toe.

They even put on shoes called cotton shoes, and their frostbitten feet could finally feel the heat. Perhaps because no one dared to eat porridge, the soldiers in armor pushed a pot of porridge directly on a flat cart. , urging people in the house to eat.

When the warm, fragrant and soft porridge entered the abdomen, and while eating, some people held the bowls and chopsticks and cried softly, but this time, they were crying with joy.

Their country did not give up on them and eventually rescued them.

It can be seen that these rescued people are still very cautious, so eloquent soldiers are sent to take care of them.

These soldiers were not very old, and looked more relaxed than the serious-looking veterans. They also loved to talk. They sat down on the brazier, filled a bowl of porridge, and started talking while eating.

"You don't have to be so careful. These quilts won't be hard to sit on. They are called cotton quilts. They are made by our majesty using cotton grown in the greenhouse of the palace. Even if they are shriveled now, they will be dried when the sun comes out. good."

"You see, the cotton-padded clothes we are wearing are made of cotton. These are rare items. Your Majesty is willing to use them and brought them specially for us to wear."

As he spoke, he sighed again, "You no longer have to worry about those Huns in the future. They can't defeat us at all. We Liu people no longer have to worry about being treated as slaves."

Wearing warm clothes, with a comfortable brazier underneath, and feeling full for the first time in a long time, the rescued people all shed tears of gratitude.

As Xiao Bing was listening to what he was saying, an exclamation suddenly came from outside.

"The red sun is actually a red sun!!"

The curtain was opened, and the red sun on the horizon was revealed from the edge.

Lang Sugang yawned, turned around and saw a room full of frightened faces.

Isn't it just that the sun is a little red? Why are you so scared?

He rolled his eyes, knelt down directly towards the red sun, and shouted, "God bless my Liu country! Long live your majesty! Long live your Majesty!!"

In an instant, all the soldiers and generals and the people in the room were infected and knelt down.

Especially the white-haired old man, with trembling lips and tears streaming down his face:

“God bless my country Liu!!!”

"Long live your Majesty! Long live! Long live your Majesty!!"

The author has something to say: The first ten little angels give out red envelopes, good night everyone