Be an emperor from drawing cards

Chapter 180: During Disaster Relief

Qingtan Mansion, Xishan Ridge.

There is a small village at the foot of Xishan Ridge called Liujiazhuang.

Zhuangzi is not a big city, with only about [-] people. Most of the people in Zhuangzi make a living by farming and hunting.

The reason why Liujiazhuang is named Liujiazhuang is because when our ancestors moved here, most of them had the surname Liu. In addition, there is an old willow tree at the fork outside the village that has been eroded by time. It takes three people to reach it. Surrounding it, this village was called Liujiazhuang.

At this time of the year, the willow branches that cover the sky and the sun have already been sprouted with tender willow leaves, layer upon layer, full of green, graceful and swaying in the breeze, blocking the scorching summer sunshine for countless people.

The men, women, and children in the village also like to gather under this old willow tree during the off-season. You and I chat about household matters and talk about this year's harvest.

But at this time of year, there is not even a hint of green on the branches of the old willow trees.The dry brown bark is like fish scales, turning up and falling off layer by layer on the trunk. The yellow willow branches hang down listlessly. People touch them slightly with their hands, and then they fall to the ground.

It seems that even this old willow tree of unknown age cannot withstand the ravages of the severe drought and dies silently.

The early morning light was slightly bright, and before midnight, the villagers of Liujiazhuang had already gotten up early. Men, women, old and young walked out of their homes one after another, gathered in groups, and walked towards the old willow tree at the entrance of the village.

Originally, this time was supposed to be the best time for rice to ear, and villagers would also offer sacrifices to God under the old willow trees at this time, praying for God's blessings for smooth weather in the coming days and a good harvest this year.

But now, the villagers have no intention of offering sacrifices to heaven, and their faces are extremely serious.

The old man staggered, shaking his head and lamenting from time to time; the middle-aged man frowned, walked heavily, and looked bitter; the young man clenched his fists and kicked stones, irritable and restless; even the lively children lowered their heads for a step. I followed the adults one step at a time, losing the vitality I should have.

Depression and depression enveloped the entire Liujiazhuang like dark clouds.

To be precise, not only Liujiazhuang, but the entire Qingtan Mansion, and even most of the southeastern part of the Chu Kingdom were shrouded in this dull atmosphere.

Since mid-April, for nearly three months and a hundred days, it can be said that not a drop of rain has fallen in the entire southeast of Dachu.

Nowadays, the land is dry, the grass and trees are withered, and all you can see is a withered and dead scenery.

The rice in the fields has lost the moisture of rain, and acres upon acres are withered.

Faced with this situation, no one would feel too good.

Arriving under the old willow tree, the villagers all turned their attention to the old village owner, whose hair was already gray.

The old owner of the village, whose surname is Liu Ming Dexiao, is already seventy-seven this year. In this era, he is considered to have a long life.

He practiced martial arts when he was young, and now his body and bones are still healthy. If there is no serious illness or disaster, it will not be a problem to live to the age of 80, and even 90 years old has some hope.

Although he is old, his mind is not confused at all.

Nowadays, the drought is raging, and every household is counting their rice and grain to survive. Therefore, although there is a sacrifice to God today, he did not ask the villagers to prepare sacrifices like three animals and six animals. Instead, he ordered everyone to just prepare sacrifices on the altar. Just put three bowls of water on the table.

If God had eyes and saw the severe drought in the world, he would sympathize with the suffering of all sentient beings and would not blame them for being so negligent.

If there is no way in the sky, even if they prepare three animals and six animals, there will still be drought.

The villagers followed the instructions of the old village owner Liu and placed three bowls of water on the altar under the old willow tree.

Just after Chen hour, a red sun leaped out from the east, its light erupted and burned everything.

Above the sky, it was cloudless and it was another sunny day.

"Ugh--"

Old owner Liu stroked his beard, looked at the blue sky through the cracks in the old willow tree's withered branches, and let out a long sigh.

He was also well versed in farming. When he looked at the sky last night, he knew that there would be no rain today, but at this moment, he still felt extremely bitter in his heart.

If it doesn't rain again, how will we and the other people survive?
God, are you really going to drive us all away and kill us all?
He let out a heavy breath, walked to the altar with a willow crutch, straightened his clothes and hair, and knelt down on the ground.

Seeing this, the other villagers also knelt on the ground.

woo-

The steaming summer wind blew by, and pieces of dead willow branches fell down, hitting people on the heads and bodies.

The villagers couldn't help but look sad.

For these people who have lived here since childhood, the old willow tree is more like an elder who has accompanied them through the ups and downs of these hundreds of years.

It makes no one feel good to see the old willow tree withered like this now.

Low sobs gradually came from the crowd.

"quiet!"

Liu Dexiao slapped his cane, turned his head and scolded in a low voice, which scared everyone into silence.

He kowtowed respectfully three times to the altar, and then said loudly:

"I, together with the 340 people from Liujiazhuang, sincerely tell the God of Heaven and the gods of the four directions: It has been more than [-] years since our ancestors established the village here. We have experienced countless droughts, floods, and wars. Fortunately, we have experienced countless droughts, floods, and wars. The protection of heaven, earth and the gods of the four directions helps our people to survive every disaster. We are also protected by the gods of the four seasons. Wind, rain, frost and snow arrive at the right time. As a result, the grains are abundant and the livestock is prosperous. Then the people of Liujiazhuang live and work in peace and contentment, passing on from generation to generation. The ancestral temple is endless. This is a gift from the gods of heaven and earth. Today, I should sacrifice three animals and six animals to repay the protection of the gods of heaven and earth. However, the drought is raging, and every household lives on only a few meters. It is difficult and difficult to survive, and today I offer Three bowls of plain water are enough for now. When we get through this difficulty, we must double the amount. I hope the gods of heaven and earth will sympathize with our suffering and do not blame us."

"I hope that the gods of heaven and earth are sympathetic to our suffering, so don't blame us." The crowd shouted.

"Now that there is a severe drought in the world and no crops have been harvested, we have to leave our homes to find a chance to survive. I hope that the gods of heaven and earth and the spirits of our ancestors will protect us and keep us safe during this trip. When we come back in the future, we will definitely bring three animals and six animals to us. Thanks!"

"I hope that the gods of heaven and earth and the spirits of our ancestors in heaven will protect us and keep us safe during this trip. When we come back in the future, I will give you three animals and six animals to thank you!" Everyone prayed.

Nine knocks are over.

Everyone stood up, a touch of moisture appeared in their eyes.

Homeland is hard to leave.

This Liujiazhuang was the place where he was born and raised. If he had no other choice, who would be willing to support the old and the young, far away from their homeland, just for the slightest chance of survival.

"Aye, where are we going?"

In the crowd, the ignorant child blinked his eyes, tugged on his father's sleeve, and asked timidly.

The farmer man with the earthy smell tugged at the corner of his mouth and did not answer.

This journey is unpredictable.

If push came to shove, he would even sell his own children in exchange for money and food to survive.

Thinking of this, the already sad farmer's face became even more sad.

"Master, if we leave like this, will these crops and fields be abandoned like this?" A man asked with a frown, "If we return home one day, will these crops and fields still belong to us? ?”

His words asked what everyone was thinking.

As long as the people are there, the fields will be there, but if the people leave, these prime mature fields will fall into the hands of some rich landowner, and they will never be owned by them again.

For these farmers, this field is their greatest asset.

"Confused!"

Liu Dexiao scolded in a low voice.

"Everyone is seeing this severe drought. Can it be ended in a short time? Are you going to be crucified and starve to death for the sake of the fields?"

Seeing that the man who had spoken just now was still a little dissatisfied, Liu Dexiao was a little angry and scolded in a low voice:

"If I starve to death at home, don't those guys have the means to take this ownerless land into their own hands?"

"The field is gone, but at least the people are still there, and there is still a chance to come back. But if the people are gone, then there is no chance to come back again! Do you understand, kid?" The man was stunned, and finally slumped. nodded.

Liu Dexiao looked around at everyone, stretched out his hand to touch the cracked bark of the almost dead old willow tree, sighed and said:

"Everyone, please go back and think about it carefully. I don't insist on this matter. If you are willing to leave with me, please pack your belongings and meet under the old willow tree at this time tomorrow."

After that, he walked towards Zhuangzi.

At this moment, bursts of smoke and dust rose from the road in the distance, and the crisp sound of horse hooves reached everyone's ears.

"Stop, Mr. Liu, stop, Mr. Liu!"

A series of breathless shouts made Liu Dexiao stop and look back.

I saw a young man dressed as a police officer, and before the horse stopped, he turned over and jumped off the horse.

He bowed his hands to everyone, then saluted Liu Dexiao and said:
"I, Wang Xiu, have met Mr. Liu."

As one of the three elders around Liujiazhuang, Liu Dexiao has a high prestige in the surrounding area, so even though Liu Xiu is a servant, he respects him quite a bit.

Liu Dexiao quickly returned the gift.

After the two of them met, Wang Xiu just asked in confusion: "I don't know, Old General Liu, the people from Liujiazhuang have gathered here..."

Before Wang Xiu finished speaking, Liu Dexiao understood what the other party meant, sighed and said:

"Wang Langjun has also seen that with this severe drought, everyone has no food left. We, the common people, have no choice but to leave our homes and become refugees in order to survive."

When Wang Xiu heard this, he couldn't help being surprised and couldn't help but ask: "Is Mr. Liu serious about what he said?"

"Is this still false?" Liu Dexiao said with a heavy face, "If Wang Langjun had come two days later, I'm afraid what he would have seen would be an empty village."

"In that case, I arrived just in time."

Wang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and said filial piety to Liu De with a smile:
"This time, Mr. Liu doesn't have to leave his hometown. Your Majesty has issued a decree to reduce the taxes of the people of Qingtan Prefecture for two years."

This news is undoubtedly good news for Liu Dexiao and other people who are suffering from the disaster.

"Your Majesty is truly a kind and kind emperor."

Liu Dexiao cupped his hands in the direction of the county seat, and then said, "It's just that water from afar can't quench the thirst for nearness!"

Shenjing City is really too far away for this old man who has never left the county town in his life.

Therefore, he didn't know where the divine capital was, so he had no choice but to thank him in the direction of the county seat.

"Mr. Liu, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Wang Xiu laughed and said loudly to the curious crowd around him:
"Everyone, the county magistrate has ordered the opening of warehouses to release grain to provide relief to the people. The price of grain has only doubled from before."

As soon as this was said, the villagers surrounding him couldn't help but whisper.

In normal times in the past, the price of a bushel of rice was around ten cents. When there is a drought or flood, the price of food can even soar tenfold or dozens of times.

Now that they heard that the price of food had only doubled during the disaster year, everyone couldn't believe it. They even wondered whether the messenger who came to deliver the message had given the wrong figure.

Sensing the suspicious looks from everyone, Wang Xiu felt guilty, and then thought of what he had seen and heard along the way, and said quickly:

"Everyone, I don't dare to lie at all about the price of food. Otherwise, if the county magistrate finds out, he won't be able to spare me. This is what I heard from the villages along the way. If you still don't believe it, you can send someone. Go to the county town and see if what is said below is false. However, although the price of food is low, in order to prevent people from hoarding it, the quantity that each person can buy at one time is limited, and they can only buy it once every five days. If you dare to fish in troubled waters, Once you find out, you will never be lenient!"

By the end of Wang Xiu's words, his voice was already stern.

Then, he added: "If someone's family is really poor, they can go to the county first. The county magistrate and the wealthy households in the county have opened porridge shacks. Although they can't eat enough, they won't starve to death. In addition, In addition, if you want to eat well, you can go to the county government to sign up and join the construction team. Although you will not be paid, you will have enough food."

Hearing what Wang Xiu said, many people in the crowd showed expressions of excitement.

"The county magistrate is really a good official who thinks about the people!"

Liu Dexiao couldn't help but sigh like this.

A faint voice came from beside Wang Xiu.

"This is also His Majesty's benevolent policy. The county magistrate is just doing things according to orders."

At this time, Liu Dexiao realized that there was another person standing next to Wang Xiu.

It was just that this man's clothes were almost exactly the same as those of ordinary farmers, which made Liu Dexiao ignore him unknowingly.

"Wang Langjun, this is..."

Wang Xiu quickly introduced: "Mr. Liu, this is the disaster relief envoy sent by His Majesty. He is here to help you get through this drought."

Unexpectedly, when the man heard this, he waved his hand.

"Wang Langjun's words are a bit exaggerated. We, the farm disciples, are indeed here under His Majesty's orders to help the people fight the drought. But we are not gods. We can only say that we will do our best."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to support Liu Dexiao, who wanted to bow down and salute.

"Old man, don't be so polite. Just treat me as an ordinary farmer. My surname is Xu Mingfang. Just call me Xu Langjun."

Liu Dexiao was pushed so hard by Xu Fang that he couldn't bend down, so he had to give up.

Faintly aware of the extraordinary nature of the other party, Liu Dexiao suppressed the throbbing in his heart and asked:

"Xu Langjun, I don't know how you can help me? If there is anything we can do for you, Langjun, just ask."

Xu Fang smiled and said:

"I only need a few strong men who have practiced martial arts. Just follow me to find water sources around Xishan Ridge. For the rest, you don't need to worry about Mr. Liu."

"Water source?"

Not only Liu Dexiao, but also everyone else was stunned.

In this drought season, where is the water source in the mountains?
Xu Fang blinked and said: "Maybe you can't find it on this mountain, but you might not be able to find it in this mountain."

What is the difference between the mountains and the mountains?

Liu Dexiao and others were confused by Xu Fang's words.

Despite this, Xu Fang's request was quickly met.

After having a simple lunch in the village, Xu Fang took five strong young men and headed towards the Xishan Ridge.

A few hours later, night had just fallen.

Xu Fang and his party returned to Liujiazhuang, and the five young men accompanying them all looked excited.

It turned out that they found an underground water source on the shady side of Xishan Ridge.

Now, only the last step is left, digging the well.

As the news spread, the village suddenly burst into cheers.

With relief from the court and water sources, they no longer have to leave their hometowns to find a glimmer of hope.

(End of this chapter)