Chapter 698: Misery
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The world was difficult, and the inn where Mingzhu and her group stayed was crowded with refugees fleeing the war. Because arrangements had been made in advance, the innkeeper saved the best and biggest room for them, along with a relatively independent courtyard equipped with a kitchen. However, while the courtyard walls and gate could block sight, they couldn’t block out the sounds of crying and wailing coming from the neighboring rooms.
The most heart-wrenching cries came from a family of orphans and widows who had fled, penniless and without warm clothes. After struggling to squeeze into the relay station, they could only huddle together in a pile of dry hay against the wall, trembling with cold. The three children, each barely older than the next, cried and complained of hunger incessantly, while their mother, besides crying, had no other means to help them.
Everyone felt heavy-hearted, unable to eat, and the carefully prepared lamb soup quickly cooled, forming white oil patterns on its surface. Mingzhu stood up and said, “Let me take this to share with them…”
Jiang Zhouzi immediately stood up and aggressively blocked her. “No way!”
Mingzhu frowned. “Why not? It won’t kill us to eat a little less.”
There was a fierce glint in Jiang Zhouzi’s eyes. “It won’t kill us, but while others are starving and freezing, you generously offer lamb to them. Isn’t this blatantly telling others that we’re foolish and wealthy, inviting them to come and rob us? Can you control just one family? Can you control everyone inside and outside this inn?”
Rob? Mingzhu had never encountered such a thing before, so she was momentarily stunned. “We’re sharing food with them out of goodwill. Why would they want to rob us? The government is still here…”
Jiang Zhouzi looked at her as if she were an idiot. “The government is still here, the emperor is still here. But does it matter? People consider food as their top priority. When they’re starving and going crazy from hunger, they’ll resort to robbery. They’ll fill their stomachs first and consider consequences later. Do you think we can resist hundreds of people gathered inside and outside this inn?”
Mingzhu suddenly felt hurt. Although she had experienced nightmares, she had never experienced civil unrest like this before, so it wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know how to handle it. But more importantly, Jiang Zhouzi’s words were harsh. Yes, the government and the emperor were still there, but did it matter? Wasn’t this a mockery of Yuwen Chu, the regent, for occupying the position without doing anything, implying he was incompetent?
She immediately retorted, “What does this have to do with the emperor? Does he want this? He has just ascended the throne, and even if he wants to suppress the rebellion, he needs time, right?” It’s not that Yuwen Chu is incompetent, but when the fire starts, even the best firefighter needs time to fetch water. Besides, Yuwen Chu’s foundation is unstable, and many people have their own agendas, which hinder his actions. Is it his fault?
Jiang Zhouzi took a deep breath. “Anyway, I don’t agree.” Then he looked at Jing Song and the others. “What about you?”
Jing Song looked apologetically at Mingzhu and said tactfully, “What Mr. Jiang said is indeed the truth. These are all poor people. If you give to one person, the second person will come to ask for it. If you give, the third person, the fourth person, and even the fifth person will come. If you don’t give, the second person will be resentful. Why don’t you give it to him? Resentment turns into hatred, and then we’ll be in big trouble.”
Mingzhu had calmed down. The situation was similar to a three-year-old child carrying a treasure through the market. It was akin to courting death. However, the crying outside was too pitiful. Her eyes turned red, she lowered her head, and said softly, “It’s my oversight. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Jiang Zhouzi thought she would disregard them and use her position as the regent wangfei, but he didn’t expect her to calm down so quickly and admit her mistake. He also softened his tone and said softly, “Even refugees have strong and weak. This mother and her children are indeed very pitiful. If we want to help them, there may be a way.”
Mingzhu glared at him. “I don’t need you to say it. I’ll figure it out myself.” She couldn’t let him look down on her.
Jiang Zhouzi thought carefully and realized that his unintentional remark had hurt Yuwen Chu. Mingzhu was defending Yuwen Chu. Considering that Yuwen Chu had also sheltered her comprehensively, she hadn’t let down his goodwill. So his impression of Mingzhu improved a bit more. He didn’t argue with her anymore and said, “Lamb meat can dispel cold and replenish qi, which is most suitable for you. Even if you want to do something, you need to ensure your health first.”
Mingzhu quietly ate her meal, and after dark, she said to Dong Hui, “Quietly take these dry food and some silver to that woman and her children. Don’t let them see who you are, and don’t let anyone find out where you went.” Would this be okay?
Jing Song and the others didn’t object. Everyone had compassion, and self-preservation didn’t mean being cruel. As long as it didn’t endanger everyone’s safety, they wouldn’t object.
Not long after, Dong Hui came in quietly and whispered, “I’ve done as you instructed. The children have already fallen asleep, and the woman was about to hang herself. I saved her, gave her some things, and when she saw it, she quietly woke the children.”
“It’s a pity I couldn’t help them more.” Mingzhu felt very sad. She realized she had just attended a vivid lesson. The suffering of the common people was not as simple as she had seen in the countryside. If not for this opportunity, she might never have known the hardships of the lower class.
Dong Hui understood what she was thinking and comforted her. “Don’t think too much. Your trip will help the courtiers and generals convince His Highness, unite their efforts to suppress the rebels, and end the rebellion as soon as possible. It’s also doing your best.”
Although this was the case, Mingzhu still felt uncomfortable. She tossed and turned in bed for a long time without being able to sleep, so she got up and wrote a letter to Yuwen Chu. However, they were getting further and further away from the capital, and it was inconvenient to deliver letters, increasing the risk of exposure. So these letters couldn’t be sent. She wrote them, let Dong Hui burn them, and then she felt it was a waste. She dipped her finger in water and practiced calligraphy on the wooden table.
Feeling tired from writing, she wanted to sleep. When she saw Dong Hui sitting under the lamp sewing, she asked casually, “What are you patching?”
Dong Hui was startled, and the needle pricked her finger, but she didn’t mind the pain. She hurriedly hid what was in her hand. “My socks are torn. Are you going to sleep? It’s late. You should sleep.”
Mingzhu’s inquiry was initially casual, but seeing Dong Hui’s evasive behavior piqued her curiosity. Pretending to agree to sleep, she deftly pulled out what Dong Hui had hidden on the side and chuckled, “These are men’s socks, aren’t they? Don’t tell me your feet are that big. Whose are they? It couldn’t be that old man’s, could it?”
Dong Hui’s face flushed red. “They’re Yang Dianjun’s. When we’re out and about, he doesn’t bring many shoes or socks, and those old men won’t bother to mend them, so I…”
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