Story of Yanxi Palace

Chapter 81: Disaster relief

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When Nalan Chunxue came, Zhilan was applying balm to Concubine Hui's fingers.

"The noble concubine's complexion is like snow, and she is as smooth as fat." Nalan Chunxue took the opportunity to flatter, "I'm really envious of my concubines and concubines."

"If you feed it with cow's milk all day, and moisten it with perfume every day, it will be the same as in this palace." Concubine Huigui leaned on the couch and responded lazily, then suddenly her expression turned cold, and said, "Stop talking nonsense, Ben Gong took so much thought to get rid of the empress's thorn in the eye. Who would have guessed that another concubine Xian would appear. Relying on the banquet of Chongyang Palace to save the queen mother, she suddenly became a celebrity in the palace. Ben Gong finally picked it up. She was the one who robbed her first! Tomorrow she will be at Di'anmen to help the victims, what do you think I should do?"

Nalan Chunxue lowered her head to think for a moment, then raised her head and smiled: "Don't worry, madam, concubine will definitely not let her live so well."

Although Concubine Xian presided over the disaster relief, it was not something she could do alone. Many people were needed. In the Xinzhe library, Liu mama glanced at everyone: "Tomorrow, you all have to help out the porridge and disaster relief at Di'anmen. The grace of Concubine Xian, all the servants of the lucky people who go to Di'anmen will be rewarded with one or two coins each, and will have one rest each shift. day."

The crowd immediately rejoiced.

"Cough cough..." Wei Yingluo coughed a few times. This news meant nothing to her. She could barely stand now, so she could only lean on Yuan Chunwang.

Madam Liu glanced at her in disgust: "Concubine Xian said that anyone who is sick in the Sixth Palace will be referred for medical treatment and given a day off. If you are lucky, you can stay tomorrow."

After Mama Liu left, Yuan Chunwang said with a smile: "Concubine Xian is really powerful, calm and convincing. Your queen master is not far behind."

Wei Yingluo raised her eyebrows, although she didn't say anything, she was obviously unhappy.

"Okay, if you have time to worry about others, it's better to worry about yourself first." Yuan Chunwang suddenly picked her up and put a stick on her forehead, "The fever hasn't subsided, so go back and rest."

There was someone next to him, Wei Yingluo was ashamed and angry: "You put me down first!"

Yuan Chunwang was unmoved: "What mark, I'm your brother! Don't move!"

"When did the two of them get along so well?" A palace maid watched from behind, bumping her elbow against Jinxiu who was beside her, and said maliciously, "Could it be that... have already formed a 'Eating Condition'? "

Jinxiu looked at the two from a distance, and her eyes gradually filled with resentment.

The days passed quickly, especially in Xin Zheku, getting up, working, and sleeping. The day passed quickly. The next day, a group of servants went to Di'anmen, ready to attack Concubine Xian.

Yuan Chunwang was among them.

Wei Yingluo was not there, so he kept silent again. After helping to set up the cauldron, he and other servants distributed porridge and steamed buns to the refugees. It was orderly at first, but as the number of refugees increased, the scene became more and more difficult. It became more and more chaotic. Not only did some people jump in the queue, but some also snatch the food that others had been allocated, so fights were inevitable.

Concubine Xian stood in the porridge shed, looking at the scene outside, frowning slightly: "Mr. Wu, why is there such a mess!"

Wu Shulai wiped his cold sweat: "Concubine Xian, I don't know why so many refugees have come here, and the whole scene has turned into a mess! Look, don't you stop for a while?"

A refugee smashed the porridge heavily on the ground, and said angrily, "Isn't it saying that the concubine in the palace gave her kindness to loose porridge? This porridge is clearly water, and it can even see people's shadows! Look! There is also this steamed bun!"

He rushed over quickly, grabbed a steamed bun from the palace maid's hand, and broke it open with force: "It's brown rice, and there's sand in it, and it's crushing human teeth!"

Wu Shulai was annoyed: "Nonsense, where is the sand in our steamed buns!"

But how could the refugees believe his words, or in other words, they believed more in the same filthy and gaunt lower-class person next to him than the high-ranking man in front of him who even had his fingernails clean.

The refugee who had attacked earlier held up a steamed bun and yelled again: "We ran thousands of miles to the emperor's feet, thinking that there would be food and drink, but the officers and soldiers drove them everywhere. They can sell their sons and daughters, and beg everywhere! What the palace says to be gracious and give food is a lie, they lie, lie!"

The refugees were half-believing, when a voice suddenly sounded in the crowd, choking his throat: "What line are you still lining up, hurry up and grab it, there will be no clear porridge and steamed buns in the evening!"

As soon as the words fell, a refugee rushed out to the front of the team in three steps, grabbed the steamer from the screaming maid, and threw all the steamed buns into the air.

The steamed buns fell from the sky, and countless hands raised up. In a short time, the steamed buns were all taken away. Many people couldn't get the steamed buns at all, and they screamed and cried together. Some people even fought for a steamed bun, and blood was flowing.

The women held their children and stood aside in horror. The old man was pushed to the ground, howling loudly.

The palace maids and eunuchs fled back in panic, but Yuan Chunwang remained motionless, standing on the spot with an expressionless face, his eyes constantly wandering in the crowd.

During the turmoil, several refugees rushed in towards the porridge shed where Concubine Xian was staying, and were stopped by several guards: "What are you doing, get out!"

"Oops!" It was the refugee who attacked first. He suddenly covered his chest and took a step back, then shouted, "The guards beat people, they are not good people, grab them!"

The crowd had already lost their minds, and with him taking the lead, many people gathered blindly and scrambled to snatch the guards' weapons and clothes.

Wu Shulai was in a hurry: "Quick! Quickly call someone to protect the empress!"

"It's her!" The refugee who caused all this suddenly pointed at Concubine Xian and shouted, "There's not enough food at all, so what fake charity, she's a big liar, catch her!"

All of a sudden, the refugees ran towards Concubine Xian.

Wu Shulai was shocked: "Niangniang! Niangniang, what should I do! Let's go back to the palace, let's go back to the palace!"

Concubine Shu narrowed her eyes and looked at the refugees who rushed over with a cold expression.

The guards rushed to protect Concubine Xian, pulled out the blades in unison, and prohibited the refugees from approaching. However, no matter how sharp the blades were, there were only a dozen or so. Compared to the hundreds or thousands of refugees outside, it was a drop in the bucket. The more sweat, the more sweat on the guard's forehead.

Seeing that a catastrophe was about to occur, a young eunuch suddenly rushed out of the porridge shed, and with a clanging sound, he pulled out a sword from the waist of a guard.

Xueliang's sword body showed his handsome profile - it was Yuan Chunwang.

Holding the long sword, Yuan Chunwang rushed into the refugees without any hesitation. He didn't even move his brows. He raised the knife and fell, and a refugee's head fell off.

Blood flowers rose to the sky, and their heads rolled in the crowd. Everywhere they went, there was a terrified cry.

"Killed! Killed!"

"Help!"

"I don't want steamed buns, let me go!"

Yuan Chunwang raised his hand to wipe the blood splattered on his cheek, and then said loudly: "He is not a refugee at all! Refugees have fled from Zhili, Tianjin and other places all the way, with straw sandals on their feet, all of which are worn out. Although he is wearing refugee clothes, his feet are intact with cloth shoes, clearly a bandit with ulterior motives mixed in with the refugees!"

Inside the porridge shed, Concubine Xian, who was angry at his good advice, was startled when she heard the words.

"You are talking nonsense!" a refugee pointed at him and shouted, "You guys are basically a gang. If you kill someone, you will even wrong us. Kill him! Kill him!"

The refugees became excited for a while and rushed towards Yuan Chunwang.

Yuan Chunwang laughed, and there was a bloody smile on his cheeks. He looked extraordinarily monstrous and terrifying, like a flower demon snake spirit that feeds on people. Facing refugees hundreds of times his own, he flicked the sword in his hand. Shaking off the fresh blood on his head, he sneered: "If anyone takes the lead in making trouble, he will end up with him!"

The feet rushing towards him stopped immediately.

Someone takes the lead before the refugee tide, but in the face of the bloody sword in his hand, no one wants to be the leader.

Including the refugee who attacked first, now he only dares to hide in the crowd, looking at him with flickering eyes.

As a result, the best opportunity to attack was missed.

Boom boom boom - the sound of neat footsteps from far to near, the brigade of guards rushed in, separated the refugees with swords, and protected Concubine Xian tightly.

The leader said with concern: "Concubine Xian, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Concubine Xian said, then turned her eyes to Yuan Chunwang, and said with a hint of sophistication, "Did you see something?"

Yuan Chunwang put away his sword and bowed respectfully to her: "Hui Niangniang, there are eight refugees in the story, besides the one who has been beheaded, there are seven others..."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at the crowd, and pointed out seven of them with his fingers from left to right.

"These eight people have been pushing the refugees to sow discord, especially the one who is escaping to the southeast corner." Yuan Chunwang said, "He not only launched the attack first, but also instigated the refugees to attack the empress. With ulterior motives, there must be someone behind it. As for who, It is still necessary for the empress to order the arrest and inquire carefully."

Concubine Xian snorted coldly: "What are you waiting for, arrest them!"

The guards rushed up and locked all the seven refugees who were making trouble. After a while, they were all gagged and escorted down, waiting for them to be tortured one after another.

The troublemakers were dragged away, and the remaining refugees turned back into sheep. Under the guard of the army guards, they lined up again to receive food from the palace maids and eunuchs obediently.

Looking at the endless crowd, Concubine Xian sighed, "I didn't expect the number of refugees to be so large. I'm afraid the food I prepared is not enough."

"That's because there are not only refugees below." Yuan Chunwang said suddenly.

Concubine Xian was stunned when she heard the words, and frowned, "You mean... someone impersonated?"

"The refugees have come all the way, all the time, all with yellow faces and thin muscles and weak limbs, but you can look at them." Yuan Chunwang randomly ordered a few people, "How could they be refugees."

Concubine Xian looked at those people carefully and found that this was the case. Although they were wearing shabby clothes, they were either sullen or in good spirits, and they didn't look like refugees.

"Who do you think these are?" Concubine Xian asked.

Yuan Chunwang: "Beggars, lazy people in the capital, or people hired with money. As for the purpose of hiring them, Niangniang, you have seen it..."

If the real refugees can't get relief, they will naturally complain, and maybe even make a big mess.

Concubine Xian's face sank, and she suddenly announced loudly, "The porridge hut is far from enough to handle the number of refugees. Except for children under ten and the elderly over 60, everyone must participate in building the porridge hut!"

When the refugees heard the news, they began to stir again.

"why?"

"Yeah, why let us work!"

"It is said that it is free porridge, but they lied to us to work!"

"That's right, it's too much! It's just a lie, we won't do it!"

"Yes, if you don't work, don't do it!"

"We want to eat! Hurry up and put the steamed buns!"

"Zhili, Tianjin and other places were hit by floods, and countless refugees poured into the capital. The Forbidden City and the wealthy households threw porridge and food out of a benevolent heart, but such benevolence should provide for those in need!" Concubine Xian glanced at everyone. , his eyes are cold, "Every bowl of porridge and every steamed bun here is saved by others from their own bowls. It is a gift to give you, and it is a matter of course not to give it! You are not qualified to ask questions, and you are not qualified to ask for it! Your own labor in exchange for food is what truly belongs to you, and no one can take it away! Now, the children, the elderly, the sick and the weak distribute food for free, and as for the rest, they all go to work.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yuan Chunwang stood up: "Today, eight porridge huts will be built outside Di'anmen, and refugee camps are also being built outside the city. Those who are willing to work will come to register, give rations by human hair, and eat enough to eat. , I have the strength to exchange labor for the next day's rations, and I want to get something for nothing, but I don't have a grain of rice!"

Everyone looked at each other, and finally divided into two groups, one group went to register, and the other group dispersed.

The catastrophe was over, and Concubine Xian's satisfied gaze fell on Yuan Chunwang: "Which palace are you from?"

Yuan Chunwang knelt down and said, "Return to Concubine Xian, the servants are from Xinzheku."

An eunuch was dissatisfied with his showing off the limelight, and interjected: "Concubine Xian, he is just a clean army who pays tribute to buckets!"

Everyone burst into laughter, but Yuan Chunwang did not say a word, knelt quietly, his eyes calm.

Concubine Xian looked at him and smiled slightly: "Heroes don't ask the source, Xin Zheku lacks a manager now, so you can make it up!"

Everyone was surprised and whispered.

Yuan Chunwang lowered his head to hide the ambition in his eyes: "Xie Xian's concubine's grace!"

Once in power, chickens and dogs ascended to the sky, everyone was far away from Yuan Chunwang when he left the palace, and when he returned to the palace, everyone gathered around him, and the eunuch who had interjected before slapped his own mouth again and again, ingratiatingly said: "I was offended a lot earlier. , I hope Eunuch Yuan will not blame him."

After dealing with this group of snobs, Yuan Chunwang hurried to Xinzheku.

He couldn't wait to share this good news with Wei Yingluo.

"...Huh?" Looking at the empty warehouse, Yuan Chunwang frowned, "Where's Yingluo?"