The devil is coming

Chapter 566
Old He closed the shop, returned to his rented yard, found a bench, sat down, and shook his fan.
Shaking and shaking,
Lao Hetou couldn't help but put the fan in front of him.
It's been months, why hasn't it gotten colder yet?
Besides, it hasn’t rained in a long time.
The emperor overlooks the world every day,
What the people below do most often is to look at the sky.
Because ordinary people basically rely on the sky for their livelihood.
Although Lao Hetou has been running the pork business for most of his life, in the final analysis, he still has not escaped from the rustic nature of half-legs.
"If the drought continues, this year's harvest will be..."
Lao Hetou began to worry.
There is a custom among the people at the foot of the capital, that is, even Lifu on the dock can chat with you about the court affairs in his spare time.
When Lao Hetou's shop is not busy, the owners of several shops also like to grab a handful of sunflower seeds and other things and chat together.
In their mouths, Lao Hetou "saw" scenes of court drama.
Although it is definitely not accurate, and some are even more ridiculous, it is probably red and green, and it can still be distinguished clearly.
For example, his uncle is the prince in charge of household affairs.
Therefore,
Lao Hetou has reason to be anxious about this drought;
He has no concept of royal relatives, nor does he think that father is more important than daughter. All his thoughts and ways of doing things are based on his many years of hard work in Nan'an County.
Because those years of experience and knowledge allowed him to support the He family until now, he didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
If the drought continues, the grain harvest will disappear. Who knows what the Ministry of Household does? Isn't it just to manage the world's money and food?
Money and food, money and food, it’s okay if you don’t have money, but if you don’t have food, it will really cost someone’s life!
A father-in-law is worried that if his son-in-law's errands are not done well, then his daughter will have a bad life, and then his grandson will also have a bad life.
Ouch...
Perhaps, the families living nearby really didn't expect that one of their neighbors, an old man holding a cattail leaf fan, was expressing the purest concern for the country and the people.
He Chu walked in pushing a cart.
"Has it been sent?"
"Send it to you."
"No one left you to eat?"
"If you don't say anything, I'll just reply."
"Bastard!"
Old Hetou cursed.
A few days ago, he asked a matchmaker to find a match for his son.
It was a house in Xibian Alley, and it was not an official family. The man in the family worked as a steward on the dock, and the person they were talking about was his daughter, whose surname was Xiao.
The other party accepted the matchmaker's invitation, meaning that this matter can be discussed.
Tomorrow is the birthday of the Xiao family's mother. She asked a matchmaker to come to the He family pork shop to buy pork.
Talk about matchmaking, talk about matchmaking,
In fact, it is the same as negotiating a business.
Why a matchmaker?
It was not because the young people from the two families wanted to get together to become a family. Talking about money as a family hurt the harmony, but they had to talk, so they had to hire a matchmaker to spread the word.
If someone has to do something at home and needs meat, he comes to buy it from you. It all depends on what you want.
Are you willing to be this in-law? Do you value my daughter?
have to,
First come up with an attitude.
People can make it clear, those who don’t care about money or betrothal gifts, what matters is attitude;
But Lao Hetou himself also knows that without money, you can't show your attitude.
Lao Hetou is a man who knows how to count. This can be seen from why he thought about buying a dowry in the first place;
In the 800th year of the Yan Dynasty, this family was the only one who dared to cheat the emperor on the dowry.
But the two parties have not yet formally negotiated, and they cannot officially appoint someone. Therefore, this pork cannot be given away. This would be disrespectful. At least, this is what Lao Hetou thinks, so he accepted the money, but He only charged less than half of the market price, and what he asked He Chu to send was still the freshest.
But the Xiao family took away the meat but didn't leave their son a meal. This was a bit unreasonable.
Save a meal,
Tomorrow your family will be doing something, and you will ask Chu'er to help you by moving things and doing some work. If you really want to deal with it, this is the attitude your Xiao family should have.
He Chu didn't care, he had a big heart.
Old Hetou was already angry and cursed:
"We can't afford this daughter of the Xiao family. People think I'm not from the capital and it's a shame."
He Chu scratched his head and smiled.
"Smile, smile, just know how to smile. Why are you laughing when people look down on you!"
He Chu still laughed.
Lao Hetou's face darkened, and he cursed: "Do you think you are a noble person, and the Xiao family has not attached itself to you, so you are funny?"
He Chu was stunned.
"As a brother, it is your duty to support your sister. A brother who wants to take advantage of his sister is a fucking loser!"
He Chu drooped his head.
"Go, boil the lard and send it to the palace tomorrow. If your sister asks you about your marriage, please don't mention anything about the Xiao family."
"Yes, Dad."
"Oh, I can hear you scolding my elder brother from so far away."
The courtyard door was pushed open and Ji Laoliu walked in, followed by He Sisi in casual clothes.
Eunuch Zhang and little Eunuch Zhang stayed outside the door. At the same time, there were a group of experts nearby who were on guard.
Ever since the last time the crazy lady from the princess scared her into a cold sweat on her wedding night, Ji Laoliu had become as cautious as his brother named Zheng.
Every few months, Ji Laoliu will bring his wife over to see the He family and his son. As for the child, it is inconvenient to take him out of the palace. He is the eldest grandson of the Ji family. Whether he can take him out of the palace is not up to Mr. Ji. Six has the final say.
"Hey, my uncle is here."
Every time Lao Hetou saw his uncle, he felt a little awkward. Other people's Taishan could handle music, but he couldn't do it here.
Ji Laoliu no longer acted like an "ordinary person" with the He family and his son;
Everyone is like this, be polite, if you feel comfortable and he feels comfortable, that's fine too.
"I went to cook."
He Sisi got up and went inside to replace her eldest brother. She came here with vegetables, so she didn't have to go out to buy them.
Fortunately, the He family doesn't think it's a big deal for He Sisi to cook. Ever since Sisi grew up, the father and son have eaten her cooking every day.
They don't feel the same about the princess or not. After all, she is her own daughter, her own sister, and eating a meal cooked by her, what's wrong?
As for this uncle,
Forehead,
Ji Laoliu sat on a bench.
Old He Tou and He Chu were sitting on small benches.
men's room,
You still have to behave yourself.
"Dad, how's business going these days?" Ji Laoliu asked.
Whether people's livelihood is good or not cannot be determined by looking at the reports submitted by local officials. Those who really have a say in people's livelihood are actually the pork sellers.
When people's livelihood improves, pork will naturally sell well;
People's livelihood is poor, so the pork will naturally not be easy to sell.
Lao Hetou sighed, shook his head, and said:
"This business is getting worse day by day. This is still in Beijing."
Ji Laoliu nodded when he heard this.
This is to be expected.
A national war made Dayan, which already needed to cultivate and recuperate, start to move again. All the yamen in the imperial court were also continuing to work for this war. Countless civilians were running around for this, collecting materials to supply the front line, etc. All the measures taken have completely dug a big hole in Dayan's already weak production and people's livelihood.
He could still move, but the blood seemed to be unstoppable.
"It hasn't rained for a long time." Old He Tou whispered.
Ji Laoliu sighed.
Yes,
Drought conditions in various places have already begun.
Ji Laoliu is worrying about this these days. Dayan's finances have already been in full swing. It can be said that taxes and output for next year and even the year after next have been included in the plan. , just waiting to come up and mend the hole.
The most feared thing for an overloaded tank is that a certain part suddenly breaks. The drought this year is likely to crush the entire Dayan.
Because no one knows how long the drought will last.
This year is not the most difficult, the most difficult will be next year.
The old Yan people can do it by asking the people to tighten their belts and support the war. After all, this is a tradition engraved in the bones of the old Yan people.
But when there is no food in the house, people start to starve to death, and people start to exchange their children for food, if you continue to fight, even the most reasonable people will find it difficult to understand, and public resentment will naturally arise.
but,
Because the tone set by Emperor Yan is there,
Because the commander of the army attacking Chu at the front is Jingnan Wang Tian Wujing,
Therefore,
Up and down the government and the public,
Not even Ji Laoliu dared to write a letter to propose stopping this war.
The war cannot stop. So much manpower and material resources have been invested. If we don't produce results, all the previous investment will be in vain.
But if the war continues, Dayan will really be unable to hold on.
Floods in Jin are also frequent. If the embankment bursting of Wangjiang River is said to be caused by man-made factors, then heavy rains, flash torrents, and floods will affect the affected areas, not just along the Wangjiang River.
In fact, it was precisely because of frequent floods that the Wangjiang River broke its banks, and the court no longer had to hide it, because it was already very inconspicuous.
Nowadays, Dayan has a vast territory and a large population, but the burden is also really heavy.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Ji Laoliu was taking his wife back to her parents' house to relax. She turned to look at her uncle and asked, "How is the marriage going?"
"Okay." He Chu replied with a smile.
The father-in-law wanted to arrange the marriage for his uncle in person, and Ji Laoliu couldn't interfere. Besides, he had too many things to do these days, and it was difficult to devote enough time to the He family. After hearing this answer, Diandian Head, said:
"Has the wedding date been set?"
"No, not yet, how can it be so fast? We have to discuss it carefully." Lao Hetou rushed to answer.
"We need to discuss it carefully."
The aroma of food can already be heard in the house.
Although He Sisi became a princess, her craftsmanship has not dropped at all. In the palace, she is basically responsible for Ji Laoliu's food, and Ji Laoliu also likes to eat her cooking.
Perhaps, it was precisely because of the shortcomings of his original family that Ji Laoliu liked the atmosphere of the He family. This kind of atmosphere where a family is really a family.
most of the time,
Ji Laoliu would also think about it involuntarily,
If the father is a kind father, maybe there are more women, which is normal. Which wealthy family does not have rows of aunts?
He and his brothers can ride horses together, have fun together, laugh, and laugh sincerely, unlike now, even Xiao Qi has learned to pretend to be well-behaved and cute.
But these thoughts were fleeting every time. Ji Laoliu knew that he still had to live in reality because he now had a son.
Simultaneously,
My father's body is no longer good either.
day,
Finally there is hope,
Every day when I wake up, I have something to look forward to, how long it will take before my father passes away.
"I heard that the Ganren in the south are starting to get restless?" He Chu asked cautiously.
The people of Chu were too far away, separated by the land of Jin, but the people of Qian were very close, bordering Dayan.
Going south to attack Qian was a game that most children in Yan played in their childhood.
Ji Laoliu smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, just do some small tricks. They originally had a pretty good commander, but he died of illness a while ago."
After Zhong Wendao died, Qian Guo kept the secret secret for a long time without announcing the funeral.
The funeral decree and the appointment decree of the new trilateral commander were sent together.
After a series of negotiations at the Qianguo court, Zhong Wendao's younger brother, Zhong Wenmian, was appointed as the new trilateral commander.
The original young Mr. Zhong was promoted to the old Mr. Zhong.
But on the second day after the new trilateral commander took office, internal strife broke out in the Western Army in Mianzhou City. It is said that weapons were even used.
Even the Yan people's Secret Service could detect this internal strife, which is enough to show the scale.
The cause of the internal strife is currently unknown. Although it has been brought under control, it must be related to the original death of Zhong Wendao.
The Western Army of the Qian Dynasty was brought to three sides by Zhong Wendao to defend the Yan people. Three years have passed. Now, the fourth year is coming. The Western Army is homesick and war-weary. As a guest army, they have no The passion for keeping one’s home soil.
Therefore, Ji Laoliu's comprehensive intelligence guessed that when old Xianggong Zhong was around, he could still suppress this mood in the Western Army and let them continue to guard the border for Daqian here honestly;
When the news of the death of old Xianggong Zhong spread, the newly appointed Zhong Wenmian probably gave a hint of preparation for the Northern Expedition, which became the cause of internal strife.
Once the accumulated emotions explode, won't there be trouble?
Therefore,
Although Zhong Tianlang became even more crazy because of his father's death and began to frequently lead Gan Ren's precious cavalry to attack the border of Yinlang County of Yan State, under the arrangement of the eldest prince, Gan Ren never took advantage.
As for the subsequent large-scale Northern Expedition, Ganren has been unable to fight. Materials, ordnance, and food and grass can be transported, but in the end, the people who have to fight are still people, right?
The Western Army is recognized as the most powerful army among the three sides of Qianren. No matter who becomes the new commander, he must rely on the Western Army as his central army if he wants to make the Northern Expedition. The Western Army he is now relying on must first You are in trouble, what do the other soldiers and horses think?
Ji Laoliu remembered that his brother surnamed Zheng mocked him in front of the officials of the State of Qian for not knowing how to fight...
In fact, this is indeed the case.
The official of the State of Qian threw Yao Zizhan, the literary saint, into the position of governor of the three sides. He can be said to be the civilian leader of the three sides. Indeed, to a certain extent, he changed the embarrassing situation of the three sides where civilians dominated and laymen commanded experts;
Yao Zizhan was indeed there to win over and mediate the relationship between the three parties, making the atmosphere on the three sides harmonious.
But his fucking army is used to fight and kill people. How are you trying to make peace?
After making peace, how can we fight?
The Northern Expedition is not allowed. Why don't we all continue to stay in the city?
The imperial court of Qian State wanted to launch the Northern Expedition. This can be clearly seen from the reports obtained by the Secret Service from Qian State.
No matter how stupid you are, you all know that it is wrong to watch the Chu brothers being beaten by Yan!
But after the imperial court's will reached the three sides of the Qian Kingdom, they were actually pushed back;
then,
The imperial court had to consider the feedback from the three parties. In the end, the imperial court, which was originally confident in the Northern Expedition, became suspicious.
probably,
The husband-in-laws and the officials of the state began to beat the drum in their hearts.
In this state, we forced the troops from the three sides to march north.
Can it be done?
In addition, due to the continuous transfer of the main force of the Western Army to the north, signs of instability began to appear in the southwest region. When the news of the death of old Xianggong Zhong spread to the southwest region, several chieftains immediately raised their flags and started to rebel!
In this case, the possibility of Ganren's Northern Expedition was reduced again.
Ji Laoliu knew that He Chu asked this because he also wanted to be recruited into the army.
"Those who can't fight in the south will wait until the fighting in the Chu Kingdom in the east is over. Then we can rest. The people are suffering too much."
In fact, from Ji Laoliu's point of view, it no longer matters whether the people work hard or not. He, Ji Laoliu, is really about to die of exhaustion. He has been working hard all day long to find ways to fill the holes in Dayan's finances, but this hole... There are already growing signs.
"Oh."
He Chu was a little disappointed.
Lao He glared at He Chu.
"Let's eat."
He Sisi came out with the dishes and motioned for the men to set up chairs for the kitchen table.
On weekdays in the palace, it was all about fine clothes and fine food, but He Sisi still felt that at home, the family reunited to eat together, which was the real taste of life.
At this moment, Eunuch Zhang walked in.
Ji Laoliu knew that if something really happened, it would be impossible for Eunuch Zhang to disturb his comfort in such a blind way.
get up,
Leave your seat,
Ji Laoliu walked to the door,
Eunuch Zhang hurriedly handed over the note.
said anxiously;
"Master, this is the book just submitted by Huwei County. It is extremely urgent."
Ji Laoliu took the fold,
Open,
Then he opened his mouth and bit his lower lip with his teeth, almost drawing blood:
Under the long drought, one of the most terrifying consequences has already appeared.
The excerpt was an urgent excerpt signed by the prefect of Huwei County himself. It stated that Huwei County had suddenly appeared in many places, and the trend was getting worse and worse, even affecting the Gyeonggi area, that is, Tiancheng County:
That is,
Locust plague!
"Hehehe, hahahaha..."
Ji Laoliu held the book in his hand.
crouched down,
Started to have red eyes and laugh;
While laughing he said:
"I can't live through this day."
(End of this chapter)