The letter stated that Huang Qi, a salt worker from Changming Prefecture, had gathered thousands of refugees and risen in rebellion.
They aid to overthrow the wealthy gentry, powerful families, and imperial relatives, equalize wealth, and relieve the people's hardships.
The refugees had been living very bitterly these years, so naturally, hundreds responded to a single call.
When the Capital City received the urgent report, there were already thousands of people, and now there were probably even more.
Several counties and towns in Changming Prefecture had already fallen, the speed astonishingly fast.
Prefect Tang Baoyue went to the guard station and military camp to ask for help, but the other side said the soldiers hadn't been eating enough recently and had no strength.
The Ministry of Revenue asked Huan'er to hurry back, allocate funds and issue military pay, and suppress the roving bandits as soon as possible.
A'qiao had a straightforward personality, Chu Xun knew this.
He just didn't expect it to be to this extent.
Huan'er cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, I need to return to the Capital City first."
Chu Xun knew the situation was urgent and said, "Go, be careful on the road."
Huan'er nodded, took another look inside the house, and left.
Only after the sound of the wheels disappeared did Chu Xun sigh.
The Kingdom of Jing had been established for less than sixty years, experiencing three emperors in total, and it had already reached this state?
No wonder Huan'er said he couldn't wait; he truly couldn't wait.
Ti passed day by day.
Although the imperial court issued military pay to the army and sent them to Changming Prefecture to suppress the rebellion.
However, they ignored a very important matter, which was that this turmoil originated from the commoners having no land to farm.
When people can't eat, even if you are the Heavenly King himself, no one will give you face.
Not only Changming Prefecture, but other prefectures and counties also successively experienced civil uprisings.
For a ti, while the Kingdom of Jing couldn't be said to be riddled with gaping wounds, it still made a group of important figures anxious and overwheld.
Even Emperor Chongming no longer supported Tang Shijun's opinion of opposing the issuance of military pay to the army and waiting for the next wave of tax grain to be handed in to distribute food.
Huan'er brought a large sum of silver and personally escorted it to the various military camps, leaving an excellent impression on these military officers and soldiers.
The Minister of Revenue talked about the national treasury being empty and absolutely refused to issue silver; it still had to be this Director.
Disregarding the teacher-student relationship, starting from the big picture, he fought for tangible benefits for them.
The Ministry of Revenue couldn't collect tax grain and had no rations to issue, but the market was not lacking.
With silver, one could eat their fill!
In the blink of an eye, it was Year 7 of Chongming.
Pingshui Town, the Zhang family residence.
The old and decrepit Zhang Sanchun lay on the bed, no longer having much strength to speak.
It wasn't until Huan'er stuffed the ginseng slice sent by Chu Xun into his mouth that he managed to struggle to open his eyes.
Looking at the circle of people around him, Zhang Sanchun's gaze fixed on Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu, who also had heads full of white hair.
"Ah Xun..." Zhang Sanchun called out weakly.
Chu Xun responded, stepping forward and bending down, "Older brother."
Zhang Sanchun tremblingly poked his emaciated hand out from under the covers. Chu Xun understood and hurriedly held it together with his.
Zhang Sanchun said, "Dad wasn't wrong back then. With you, little sister can live a good life."
"Thank you."
These words might sound a bit abrupt to others, but the older generation all understood why he said this.
Chu Xun shook his head slightly, "There's nothing to thank for."
Marrying Zhang Anxiu was not forced by others, but voluntary.
Although there were so small regrets, being a loving couple for so many years made it worth it.
Zhang Sanchun coughed a few tis, and Huan'er hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Dad, why don't you rest for a while."
Zhang Sanchun shook his head; he knew his ti was running out.
He then looked at his wife Lin Qiaoxi standing at the head of the bed. Although she was already old, in his eyes, she was still as beautiful as when she was young.
Zhang Sanchun always felt that he should say a few more words.
But after thinking about it, only a sentence and a half popped out, "I was too stupid."
"But catching up to the fallen star that year was the smartest thing I've ever done."
Lin Qiaoxi stepped forward with red eyes. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Zhang Sanchun's pupils turn dull, having already lost their vitality.
She was stunned for a mont, then threw herself onto her husband and wailed loudly.
"Brother!" Zhang Anxiu followed, crying out loud.
Chu Xun sighed and stepped back, allowing Zhang Shaoheng, Xi'er, and the others to step forward.
The whole room was filled with sorrow, and the sound of weeping rose and fell.
In Huan'er's words, his father Zhang Sanchun had lived his whole life for others.
Whether such a way of living was good or bad, only Zhang Sanchun himself knew.
Zhang Sanchun's coffin was sent back to Pinecone Village for burial.
On the day of the funeral, it was originally a sunny day, but Chu Xun still prepared an oiled paper umbrella in advance.
Qi Ermao looked on in puzzlent. The sun was directly overhead, without a single dark cloud. What was Brother Xun holding an umbrella for?
Could it be that he was afraid Auntie would faint from the sun?
When the coffin was lowered, everyone stepped forward to shovel dirt.
Not long after, fine rain fell.
Chu Xun opened the umbrella and sheltered Zhang Anxiu's head.
Zhang Anxiu's face was as white as her hair.
She leaned against Chu Xun, sobbing softly.
A long ti later, the grave mound was erected.
Zhang Anxiu held Chu Xun's hand and said in a low voice, "Brother Xun, I want to go for a walk to the Songliu Water God Temple."
Chu Xun knew she was feeling unwell in her heart and nodded, "Okay, I'll carry you on my back."
Zhang Anxiu shook her head; she insisted on walking there herself.
She was stubborn when she was young, and she was still the sa now.
After Chu Xun told Huan'er, Huan'er was very worried, "Aunt's body..."
"It's fine, I'm here." After Chu Xun finished speaking, he led Zhang Anxiu towards the Songliu Water God Temple.
Qi Ermao wiped the rainwater off his face, looked at the backs of the two, and muttered, "Brother Xun is truly divine, it can even rain like this?"
From Pinecone Village to the Songliu Water God Temple was not considered close.
When they were young, walking dozens of miles was not a problem.
But now that they were older, they were panting after not walking very far.
But Zhang Anxiu only sat by the roadside to rest for a while, and then continued walking.
Chu Xun didn't persuade her otherwise, only supporting her.
A long ti later, the two finally arrived at the banks of the Songliu River.
Zhang Anxiu stood at the head of the bridge, glanced at the stone stele that had experienced years of wind and rain, and reached out to touch Chu Xun's na on it.
"It's a bit shallow," Zhang Anxiu said.
Perhaps in a few more years, it would beco blurred.
Chu Xun humd in agreent and said, "After all, it's been so many years."
"We are all old now," Zhang Anxiu said, walking onto the stone bridge with his support.
The Songliu Water God Temple was still there, and the people coming to offer incense every year were in an endless stream.
Walking through the many vendors, Zhang Anxiu stopped and went, looking here and there.
It wasn't until she stepped onto the steps of the temple gate that her pace quickened a lot.
The divine statue in the temple hadn't been repaired much in recent years, and the gold paint on the surface had already cracked a bit.
Zhang Anxiu walked over and slowly knelt in front of the divine statue whose face was still blurred.
Chu Xun swept his eyes around. Shitou had said back then that if there really was a Songliu Water God, he would definitely be obliterated by the Underworld.
But no matter how he perceived, he couldn't detect any abnormality.
At this ti, Zhang Anxiu's voice of prayer ca to his ears.
"Songliu Water God above, believer Zhang Anxiu sincerely kowtows."
"I beg the Water God to bless Brother Xun with a long life of a hundred years."
"I also beg the Water God, if there really is an afterlife..."
"Please let be a crow."
Chu Xun was stunned upon hearing this, looking down at his white-haired wife.
Zhang Anxiu didn't ask to tie the knot with him again in the next life, but asked to be a crow?
[End of Chapter]
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