Chapter 84 Section 84

When he left the city at dawn the next day, the boxers knew that the county magistrate had bad intentions, so he obediently let him out of the city.The red scarves were scattered along the way. It can be imagined that the Boxers were also afraid that if the officers and soldiers arrived, there would be a catastrophe, so they threw away the red scarves and ran for their lives. Arrived at Yulinbao at ten o'clock, rode horses into the town, a long street turned into a dead market, with no people except wild dogs looking for food.Wu Yong was panicked and hurried to the post station. Usually, he could hear the long neighing of the horses from a long distance, but there was no sound at this moment. After shouting for a long time, only one person came out. He was Wu Yong's old servant, who was specially sent to the post station so that Greeting Dong Fu who comes and goes.

"Dong Fu," Wu Yong's first words were: "Are you prepared?" Dong Fu replied with a wry smile: "Yulin Fort is empty! Anything that is a little bit decent can't escape the eyes of the rebels. There are five post-horses left, all of which are too old to walk. I received a notice from the master yesterday. I'm so anxious. It seems that there are only three mules and horse shops. The houses are relatively tidy and there are still people. I discussed with them and borrowed their place for the Queen Mother and the Emperor to rest. Finally, I arranged it a little bit. As for the food, After discussing for a long time, it was decided that each family should cook a big pot of mung bean and millet porridge. Once it was cooked, the soldiers would come to the door and eat it up. There was still a pot left, and I begged repeatedly, saying that the queen mother and the emperor should not be allowed to eat it. They couldn't even eat a bowl of thin porridge. The rebels showed mercy and stayed."

Hearing this, Wu Yong felt very sad, but he was not allowed to express emotion at this time, so he just said repeatedly: "It's okay, it's okay! This pot of porridge must be kept desperately no matter what." So Wu Yong, accompanied by Dong Fu, went to the mule and horse shop where there was a pot of mung bean and millet porridge, and went in to inspect it. The main room was a tile-roofed house with two lights and one dark. There are two chairs, and a picture of Mi Tuo's "Shou" character hanging on the middle wall.Look around carefully, it is still clean, you can get by.He took Ma Yong with him and sat at the gate to guard in person. The stragglers could not look away, and the pot of porridge was finally saved.

Soon, two horsemen came, the one behind was King Su Shanqi, Wu Yong knew him very well in Beijing, he hurriedly got up to greet him, King Su was not polite, and said straightly: "The Empress Dowager is sitting on the sedan chair of Yanqing Prefecture. The next four pack sedan chairs are filial piety from the Li Family Escort Shop in Guanshi. The emperor and Lun Beizi take one ride, followed by the queen, then the elder brother, and the last one is the manager Li. After registering for the driver, wait for the sedan chair and the first ride. Once the palanquin enters the door, you can stand up."

Wu Yongnuo said repeatedly, keeping it in his heart.Soon, a dozen or so horses were leading the way, calling all the way: "Come here, come here!" After a long while like this, I saw a blue woolen sedan chair, carried by four sedan chairmen, coming slowly, and when it was about to reach the store door, Wu Yong knelt down and sang: "Wu Yong, the magistrate of Huailai County, Kneel to receive the empress dowager's holy carriage." There was no sound in the sedan chair, and it was carried all the way into the store door, followed by the first pack sedan chair, the emperor and his son Pu Lun sat facing each other dejectedly.Wu Yong picked up the driver again, and after getting up, he was still sitting at the door of the store, only to see seven or eight mule carts coming one after another, and they all entered the mule and horse shop together.In addition, the princes and ministers who followed, the guards, and the officers and soldiers under Ma Yukun's subordinates were looking for places in a mess, sitting or standing, all of them were sad and haggard.

At this moment, an eunuch came out with a big belly, a pair of goldfish eyes bursting out, and the voice of splitting the bamboo was shouted: "Who is the magistrate of Huailai?" Wu Yong had already guessed that this person was Cui Yugui, the second manager, so he immediately replied: "I am!" "Go! Call from above," Cui Yugui grabbed Wu Yong's wrist and said sharply, "Follow me!" Seeing this menacing appearance, Wu Yong couldn't help muttering in his heart, and asked with a smile: "Excuse me, does the empress dowager have any blame?"

"Do you know? Touch your good fortune!" When they were taken to the main door, Cui Yugui opened the curtain and went inside to report, and then let Wu Yong enter the house.I saw the Empress Dowager Cixi in a commoner bun, sitting on the chair on the right. According to the example Wu Yong introduced, she knelt down and reported her resume before taking off her big hat and bumping her head "Dongdong". "Wu Yong," the Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "are you a banner man or a Han Chinese?" "Han people." "Which province?" "Zhejiang."

"Oh," the Empress Dowager Cixi asked again, "is your name the word Yong?" "Yes," Wu Yongshun replied, "Changle Yongkang's Yong." "Oh! Is it water plus a little?" "yes!" "You have been in office for three years?" "Three years before and after." "How far is the county seat from here?" "Twenty-five miles." "All supplies, have you prepared?" "It has been carefully prepared." Wu Yong replied, "But last night, I just got the information. The preparation was not thorough, and I was extremely panicked."

"Okay! Just prepare it." The Empress Dowager Cixi had been holding back the desolate grievances, but because of the warmth she felt from Wu Yong's answering performance, her tears thawed like ice, and she couldn't hold it anymore, and suddenly burst into tears. Sue: "The emperor and I walked hundreds of miles in a few days, but we couldn't see a single person, and the officials didn't know where to hide? Yesterday when I arrived in Yanqing Prefecture, no one greeted me. Now in your Huailai County, you are still dressed in the same clothes." You can be called my loyal minister. I really didn't expect that the overall situation would be so bad! Now that you have not lost the etiquette of the magistrate, it is possible that the dynasty can still be preserved."

After all, the louder the crying, the eunuchs in the room were all weeping, and there were also slaps and slaps in the back room. It is expected that the concubines and family members are also sad.Seeing this scene, Wu Yong's nose was sour and his throat was choked up. Although he didn't cry out, he couldn't speak either. The Empress Dowager Cixi collected her tears and complained about the situation, "I was cold and hungry for several days. I was thirsty on the road and asked the eunuch to fetch water. There was a well, but there was no bucket. The eunuch said that there was no well. There, I was trembling with fear. I was really thirsty, so I picked a few stalks and chewed them with the emperor. A little bit of juice is always better than nothing. Last night, the emperor and I only had one bench, and the mother and daughter were back to back. After sitting all night, it was too cold at five o'clock, so I had to bear it. The emperor is also very hard, and he hasn't eaten for two days. Is there any food here?"

Hearing this, Wu Yongcai knew that Qin Kuiliang, the magistrate of Yanqing Prefecture, had escaped with his seal.Except for a sedan chair, no food was provided, and the words "Manchu Banquet" and "Yipinguo" on the banner were just generosity of others. Thinking about it this way, he felt that although it was a pot of bean porridge, there was nothing to be ashamed of, so he immediately replied: "Originally Jingjing prepared a banquet, but Kui Yong snatched it all. In addition, he cooked mung bean and millet porridge to prepare his followers to be the best." , I also ate two pots. Now there is one pot left, I am afraid it is too rough and I dare not submit it." "Have you got millet porridge?" The Empress Dowager Cixi's voice was pleasantly surprised: "Very good, very good! Send it here quickly. In times of adversity, it would be good to have this. How can it be better or worse?" "yes!" Only then did Empress Dowager Cixi remember, "You should kowtow to the emperor!" She turned her face and said, "Lianying, introduce yourself to Wu Yong." The emperor stood behind the chair on the left side of the table, but according to the rules, when seeing the emperor, someone must "lead the class", so Li Lianying acted as the "imperial minister" and announced to the emperor: "Meet Wu Yongjin, the magistrate of Huailai County." Wu Yong turned half of his body and kowtowed, the emperor was expressionless.Wu Yong raised his head after kowtowing, and then took a closer look at the emperor. He saw that his hair was more than an inch long, his face was covered with dirt and greasy, and he was wearing a wide and large black old lake crepe cotton robe.That look reminds me of a prodigal who smokes opium in a shabby household. "Wu Yong!" Empress Dowager Cixi ordered on behalf of the emperor, "Go down!" The first thing to do when you go down is to bring in a pot of millet porridge. There are also a few thick bowls, but no chopsticks.Fortunately, Wu Yong was wearing luggage, and he carried a pair of tooth chopsticks in his purse as usual, as well as a hand-cleaning knife, which was wiped clean and used by the Empress Dowager Cixi. Not long after the door curtain was lowered, the sound of Xilihulu eating porridge was heard inside, very loud and unpleasant, at first it sounded like a dog drinking water. Wu Yong, who was waiting outside the door, was full of emotions, and there was an indescribable sadness in his heart.However, Li Lianying, who came out from the curtain, had the opposite expression. She raised her thumbs up with a smile, first made a gesture of appreciation, and then spoke. "You are very good! Lafayette is very happy." He said: "Serving with heart will definitely benefit you." This was of course a comfort to Wu Yong, and he immediately replied: "Everything must be taken care of by Director Li." "Of course, of course!" Li Lianying said again in a discussing tone: "Lafayette really wants to eat chicken, can you think of a way?" There was a problem, Wu Yong could only bite the bullet and say, "I'll find a way!" As soon as Li Lianying turned around, Wu Yong regretted immediately, he shouldn't hastily agreed, the whole castle is empty, where to find eggs?To tell the truth, I can be forgiven, but it's not easy to do business now if I can't do it. Thinking all the way, walking all the way, walking to the street with the intention of touching it temporarily.There was a small shop, which was empty, but there were dried peppers and garlic hanging there. It seemed to be a grocery store, so I walked in and opened a drawer on the counter to have a look. After looking at it, Wu Yong couldn't believe his eyes, there were five eggs neatly placed in the drawer.Wu Yongxi couldn't speak, took off the hat on his head, put the five eggs in it, and carefully carried them back to the mule shop. However, people dispersed, and the people who used to watch the store ran away in fright because the royal driver was there. It took a lot of time to cook the five raw eggs and present them. As a last resort, I had to do it myself.Fortunately, I carried a pack of matches originally named "Yanghuo" in my purse, which was renamed "Qidenger" because the Boxers avoided the word "Yang".There is kindling, and it is not difficult to make a fire. Find a cold stove and a broken cauldron, boil a small pot of water with shredded paper and wood chips, and cook five "women", put them in a rough porcelain bowl with a gap, add a pinch of salt , carefully took it in and handed it over to the eunuch. After a while, Li Lianying came out again, "Master Wu," he said, "the five chickens you bought, Lafayette was very useful, he ate three, and the other two were rewarded to the Long Live Lord. People, no one can get involved. This is good news. However, Lafayette wants to smoke hookah, can you find some paper coal?" This is another unexpected problem, Wu Yong agreed and thought about it.I think of the Boxers who burned watches and kowtowed to the sky, and watched the ashes rise and fall. The yellow watch paper used to determine life and death is the material for making paper coal. I also remember a family not far away. The remnants of the words "Waiting" are still there, it must be a boxing arena, and yellow paper may be found in it. When I found it, as expected, there was a piece of trampled yellow paper on the ground, dirty but not broken, barely usable, Wu Yong cut it into two-inch wide strips, rolled them into paper coals very carefully.A total of eight pieces have been worked out, but only half of them are intact and usable, but they are enough for work. It was not long before the paper coal was put in, but when the curtain was lifted, the Empress Dowager Cixi, accompanied by Li Lianying, came out slowly with a hookah in her hand. Spotting Wu Yong who was hiding in the side room and waiting for orders, the Empress Dowager Cixi immediately made a move with paper coal and shouted: "Wu Yong!" "The minister is here!" Wu Yong agreed, and flashed out, ignoring the mud in the yard, and knelt down to wait for the order. "The trip was too hasty this time, and I didn't bring any clothes. It's already outside the customs, and it's very cold, can you find a way to prepare some clothes to keep out the cold?" Wu Yong thought for a while and replied: "My wife is dead. The mirrors and suitcases are all stored in the capital. There are no female relatives in the office, but there are a few sets of clothes left by the minister's mother, which may be crude and insufficient." "It's enough to keep warm. But the emperor's clothes are also very thin, and the princesses all have to wear one set of clothes. It's better if you can prepare more." "Yes! In the yamen of the minister, the minister will check the entry immediately." "Okay! You can go back to take care of the food first, and the emperor and I are leaving soon." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again: "I came here in a sedan chair from Yanqing Prefecture. The bearer is very tired. Can I change my master here?" "The minister is already prepared." "The bearers in Yanqing Prefecture are very good. I wonder if the people who change here can be like the bearers in Yanqing Prefecture?" "They're all officials, and they're used to serving errands, so they should be pretty much the same." "I don't know how many people serve high officials?" Li Lianying interrupted: "There's no reason why you can't even lift the sedan chair!" So Wu Yong knelt down in the mud and retreated, and then there was a decree from Yi, calling for Luan.This time, Empress Dowager Cixi took Wu Yong's sedan chair, and the Yanqing Prefecture sedan chair belonged to the emperor.After Wu Yong signed up to kneel and send him off outside the gate, he immediately rode his horse back to the city by Jiandao. The east gate had been opened, and the Boxers were nowhere to be seen. After asking, he found out that this generation had already received news, and there were many officers and soldiers under him. He was afraid of being poisoned. Ran away. The palace is prepared at the west gate, and it was originally a platform for entertaining high-ranking officials in the past. The house is spacious and bright, as long as it is cleaned and furnished, it will be impressive.Wu Yong entrusted his close relatives to handle this matter with great care, inside and out, not only decorated with lanterns and festoons, but also pasted many door couplets on plum and red paper, although they are all old-fashioned like Yao Tian Shun Ri , but the paper is fresh and the ink is thick, and it looks very energetic, Wu Yong is quite pleased. However, there is a very inappropriate scene. Because of the fear of rebellion in the city, the doors of every house are closed, the streets are like a dead market, and the weather is bleak, so more messengers are sent to find the land security and notify each house: "All residents will open their doors. Set up incense tables, hang lanterns with lanterns, or use red paper to paste them. When the driver arrives, you don’t have to avoid it, you can kneel outside the door to watch, but no noise is allowed.” Just after this matter was done, the eunuch who stood in front had arrived, and accompanied him to see the palace, and when he was satisfied, he couldn't help feeling: "Today is finally here!"