Chapter 146 The storm is coming
With the distant morning bell the next day, the first batch of grain trucks arrived.
General Sun sent 500 armored soldiers and 100 elite cavalry to support them in case any trouble occurs at the last moment.
The construction of the granary is nearing completion. Once the granary is completed and a large amount of grain is stored, these refugees can collect their rations and leave Nanyang City in batches.
As for why it was necessary to build granaries instead of distributing grain directly to the victims, Wang Buzhi had explained this issue before. If even making porridge or distributing steamed buns could lead to looting and trampling, if the grain was transported directly into the refugee camps, ten times the number of soldiers would not be able to control the situation and bloody conflict would be inevitable.
The blow from the Seventh Heaven was truly terrifying, and it took Zhao Yushu a full day and night to recover to 70% or 80% of his condition, and that was on top of the miraculous healing power of his divine will.
Lan Rong's intention was very clear. He deliberately beat him severely, but he held back. He just wanted to make him unable to participate in the events of the past two days. He wanted him to stay at home and recuperate and not wander around anymore. As for asking him to get out today, it was just an angry remark, because early in the morning, Lan Rong sent A Yao to bring him some food, and directly told him to heal his wounds and get out quickly. A Yao was very smart and said that Lan Rong deliberately emphasized the three words "heal your wounds".
This made Zhao Yushu feel a little contemptuous. If you really want to establish your authority, it's not enough to just ask me to leave for an hour today. You should be cautious and think twice. General Sun's evaluation is absolutely correct.
"Brother Zhao, when are we going to leave?" A Yao asked while having breakfast with Lao Zhao.
"You can leave after you finish eating. I have to finish my work first."
"Where are you going?"
"Government Office, wait until Governor Lan tells you to leave. If you can't find me in the academy, go to the mound in the south of the city and wait for me."
"I mean, where are we going after we leave Nanyang?"
"Jiang Ning, have you been there?"
A Yao shook his head: "No, but I heard it's a good place."
"Shili Qinhuai is, of course, a good place, but you are still young. It will take a few more years for you to know its goodness. Have you eaten? If you are full, get out of here quickly."
Ah Yao stuffed the bun into his mouth in two or three bites: "Almost there. By the way, when I came here just now, the sister in red was squatting at the door."
Zhao Yushu slapped him on the head: "You only care about eating, why didn't you say so earlier!"
After opening the academy gate, Zhao Yushu saw Fang Sanniang sitting on the steps in front of the door: "Why didn't you knock on the door?"
There was one more person at the dinner table. A Yao looked at Sanniang who ate the buns faster than him, and hesitated whether to take a few and hide them in his arms first.
"The child is ignorant and I didn't let you in directly." Zhao Yushu apologized and glared at A Yao.
A Yao looked aggrieved: "I let my sister in, and she said she wouldn't disturb you."
"So you waited until you finished your meal before you told me that?"
A Yao immediately lowered his head and drank the porridge.
Sanniang smiled and said, "Don't blame him. I didn't allow you to be disturbed. You asked me to leave the day before yesterday. I don't know why I wanted to go into the city. I wandered around for a whole day yesterday and didn't know where to go, so I came to the academy."
"You waited all night?"
"I don't know if it counts as waiting, and I don't know if I should look for you."
Zhao Yushu understood. Now her master was imprisoned, the previous arrangements had failed, and the enemy's next move was completely unpredictable. This made Fang Sanniang panic and she was completely at a loss. Now in the entire Nanyang City, Zhao Yushu was probably the only person who could be barely considered an acquaintance, so she subconsciously ran to the academy to find him again.
Zhao Yushu sighed, "The old captain is in the government office. I wanted to see him yesterday but was kicked out. But he should be fine. You don't have to worry. Since he didn't leave, let's go to the granary together later. If Wang Shaolin really has any tricks, we can take care of each other."
Sanniang also sighed: "Well, I'll listen to you, you're a good person."
Thank you for giving me a good guy card.
Zhao Yushu was silenced by this joke that only he knew, and he drank the porridge in silence.
After finishing his meal, A Yao went back to the government office, which was now the safest place in the whole of Nanyang. Zhao Yushu and Fang Sanniang left the academy together and went straight out of the city.
"Mr. Zhao, do you think it is possible to distribute grain?" Fang Sanniang looked at the granary that was about to be completed in the distance, and a glimmer of light flashed in her gray eyes.
"It's possible." Zhao Yushu put his hands behind his back and looked at the mound farther away. The outline of a pergola was vaguely visible on it. He wondered if Wang Shaolin was still there?
If he had not come, the local gentry of Nanyang could have resolved the crisis with concerted efforts. Although this was against the court's policy, this was how it was in the feudal era. The emperor's surname was far less important than whether one could continue to be a local emperor.
"You said, the court should have just not increased taxes, but now it has increased taxes and released grain again. Why is it going back and forth?"
Because this is a struggle for power. The court is not one person, but a group of interest groups. They do all kinds of incredible things for their own interests, but it’s useless for me to tell you these.
"Sanniang, have you seen your leader?"
Sanniang shook her head: "Not really. I saw him once from a distance when I was a child following my master, but I couldn't even see his appearance clearly."
"Then tell me, would it be better if your leader became the emperor?"
"Of course, the leader just wants everyone to live a good life!"
Zhao Yushu smiled but said nothing. The history of his previous life told him that perhaps many rebels wanted to make everyone live a good life before they succeeded, but once they succeeded, they would degenerate at an alarming speed.
"We are all united in the Red Lotus Sect, and everyone is thinking about the people of the world. So when Master and you asked me to keep an eye on the people outside the city, I didn't believe it from the bottom of my heart. We are all cultivators, and we don't have to wait until now to live a good life."
Zhao Yushu frowned, realizing that he seemed to have found the direction: "The dean went to see the old helmsman, and it seemed that he talked about the traitor, and then he was assassinated. I think the old helmsman has a suspect, and the dean is likely to come to find him, so the assassin had to take action."
Fang Sanniang shook her head. "No, there are only a few monks in the entire refugee camp. They are all from the Red Lotus Sect. I have checked them one by one. No one has any problems. Besides, they have all left Nanyang now."
After hearing this, Zhao Yushu began to doubt himself. If all the cultivators had left Nanyang, it would not seem like there was a traitor. After all, even if an ordinary person wanted to, he would not be able to use any tricks in front of thousands of soldiers and a group of cultivators.
So what is the secret that this assassin is willing to protect even at the cost of being exposed?
The two men walked near the refugee camp and found that refugees from the other three directions were also beginning to gather in the south of the city. There were not enough shelters for the new arrivals, so they squeezed in everywhere and waited for food to be distributed the next day.
Zhao Yushu felt more and more uneasy. A dark cloud slowly covered the sun and the wind gradually grew stronger. It seemed that a storm was coming.