In the afternoon, the sun was so hot that it made people feel sleepy.
After Xiao Tao He'er had eaten her fill, she cooed in Tao Yu's arms for a while and then fell asleep on his shoulder.
Tao Yupan remembered the days. Every now and then, someone from the village would go to the city to inquire about news from the south.
Although the news from the south was slow to return, news of such a major event after the war spread quickly. They had already received news of the pacification of Tongzhou.
Hearing that Tongzhou had been recaptured and the world was at peace again, the news was so beautiful that it felt like a dream for a while, and the people in the village shed tears of joy.
Not to mention that Tongzhou is a fertile land in the south. The roots of the villagers are there after all. The place where their ancestors have lived for several generations will always be remembered in their hearts no matter where they go.
It only took a few days for the news to arrive, and the villagers who acted quickly had already started to pack up their belongings so that they could move things back to Tongzhou at any time.
Taoyu knew that Tongzhou had been calmed down, and she was in a good mood. However, she had not seen Huo Shu come back for a long time, so she was still looking forward to it as she waited.
Everyone is still waiting for him to come back and take charge of the overall situation.
"I'll take Little Taohe and take a nap."
Taoyu saw that the little boy was sleeping and his breathing was steady. Although he was not sleepy, he was still ready to hold the little boy and lie down for a while.
Usually he would be very sleepy at this point, but for some reason he didn't feel sleepy today.
He felt gloomy in his heart, and he didn't know whether it was because he ate too much at lunch or what.
Just as he said something to Huang Manjing and was about to walk into the house with Xiao Taohe in his arms, there was a commotion in the village.
Everyone in the yard heard the noise and couldn't help but stop what they were doing.
"Is it possible that Ah Shu and the others are back?"
Taoyu's eyebrows moved when she heard this, she hugged little Taohe and ran out to take a look.
Just as they were leaving, a group of soldiers in blue uniforms were filing into the village.
Tao's heart skipped a beat. Although he hadn't figured out the situation yet, he quickly backed away with the child in his arms when he saw the situation, and quickly ordered people to take the path to inform Caochang Village.
"Why, how come so many officers and soldiers are here."
Everyone in the compound also took a look. Seeing that no one came to brief the meeting, they barged in. It was estimated that the guard team had been detained.
It seemed that the person was very aggressive and the momentum was wrong, so everyone couldn't help but panic.
Most of the men in the village when Huoshu sent grain went with him, and most of the people left in the village were old, weak, women and children.
There are still some people left, there are a lot of strong people on the grassland, but these days are very stable, and they heard the news of peace in Tongzhou, everyone is happy, but they also put down some precautions.
Who would have thought that the government would quietly come over at this juncture.
After a moment, the door to the courtyard was knocked open.
"The main thing is here, right?"
Suddenly a man burst into the yard. He had an official sword on his waist, and he looked very powerful.
"This courtyard is quite luxurious. No wonder it dares to disobey the government orders."
The man looked around the courtyard for a few times, and suddenly his face condensed: "The sky is high and the emperor is far away, but the earth emperor here is doing well!"
Seeing this posture, Ji Yangzong quickly softened his tone and said: "What you said, sir, you are exaggerating. We are just refugees migrating from the war in the same state. We came to Guibao to seek temporary safety. We have no other intentions."
"It's really disrespectful that I don't know that the officials are here today. I wonder which officials it is?"
"I am the military commander of this county. I have been ordered by the county magistrate to clean up the homeless people."
The man reported himself to his family and sneered: "The government has tried to make peace several times, but you still openly refused to make peace! What crime should you be guilty of for flouting the court's laws?"
When Dian Shi, the county military commander, led his officers and soldiers to find Lin Village, he was greatly surprised when he saw such an idyllic village opened in the wild forest.
He was even more angry: "What's going on? I shouldn't be sued by the government. I'm determined to become a bandit here!"
"Master, we are all farmers, how dare we do such a thing?"
"We originally heard that settling here required 60% of the food supply, which we really couldn't afford. I heard that the imperial court was quite tolerant of refugees. I thought that the government in Chongqing would not make things so difficult for us refugees, so I ignored it. I didn't know that it was a government invitation. "
The military officer Dianshi sneered: "You don't know, you didn't know when the government announced that only 50% of the grain was needed?"
"The terrain here is remote. We really can't get news from the city. Bandits are rampant in the southeast, so we don't dare to go out unless necessary."
"Come on, don't pretend to be deaf and dumb with me."
Bingfang Dianshi said bluntly: "Now that Tongzhou has been pacified, knowing that you are planning to go back, settling down is no longer important. However, we in Chongqing are not just people who want to come and pee and leave."
"Since you have cultivated the land here, and the county has provided you with a year's supply, not to mention more, this year's taxes and grain production should also be fully paid."
Ji Yangzong and Huang Yisheng looked at each other. At present, there were many people coming from the government, and Tongzhou had been pacified, so they could not conflict with the government head-on.
He said: "We will give you the grain, and I hope the officials will show their respect."
However, Dianshi raised his hand: "Since you are so cooperative, that would be great. Being able to do it without having to use a knife or a gun is better than anything else, so please do so."
Immediately, several officers and soldiers came forward to detain Ji Yangzong. The people in the courtyard immediately panicked. The officers and soldiers surrounded the courtyard tightly. The villagers outside couldn't help but panic when they saw the government officials trying to arrest Ji Yangzong. He wanted to stop him, but he was blocked by officers and soldiers.
"What's the matter, do you want to go with us? The prison of the Criminal Department is very spacious, enough for you to live in!"
When they heard that they were going to jail, the people outside were even more panicked: "Master, we are willing to pay taxes, why do we still need to jail someone!"
"I know you have a lot of manpower. I have agreed to pay you now. When I come back tomorrow, will I be sure that I still have this attitude?"
"I'd like to ask you, the responsible ones, to leave. We'll wait until you collect all the food and supplies."
Seeing this, Taoyu quickly grabbed Ji Yangzong. He was about to be taken away. Who knows what would happen: "Pay as you say, how could you..."
Before he finished speaking, the soldier pushed Taoyu away. He was unsteady on his feet and fell directly to the floor.
"Just right, one is not enough, take him too."
Taoyu was restrained and clasped on the back of his arm, and his face turned pale in pain.
Suddenly, the crowd outside started making noises, and Dianshi scolded coldly: "I see you are all rebelling!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several soldiers knelt down and rolled into the courtyard.
"I don't know if Dianshi is here to invite someone to tea. It's just a coincidence that I'm here. I wonder if I can get some."
Dianshi saw several soldiers rolling in in a panic and was about to curse. He looked up and saw Duan Chi and Huo Shu coming in, and swallowed the words on his lips.
"Credit Duan, why are you here here if you are so elegant? Could it be..."
Before Dian Shi could finish his words, he heard a bone-chilling scream from the soldier beside him, and fell limply on top of him.
Huo Shu directly broke the hand of the soldier holding Taoyu hostage. Seeing his companion's miserable condition, the other two soldiers holding Ji Yangzong subconsciously let go.
When Ji Yangzong saw them coming back, the tensed people suddenly relaxed a lot.
Taoyu looked at the person holding him, his brows furrowed, feeling a little aggrieved.
Even though there were many emotions in his heart, he opened his mouth and finally turned those emotions into a sparse and ordinary sentence: "I'm back."
It's like leaving the house early and returning home in the evening.
Dianshi watched his man being pinned to the ground by Huo Shu without saying a word of greeting. Even though he was a little afraid of Duan Chi, it was too much for him to get off the stage.
He had a livid face and was just thinking about how to speak when he first heard a cold voice coming from behind him: "Should you get out now or should I send you away?"
When Dian Shi heard this, he couldn't help but exploded: "You are so bold and unruly, how dare you be so contemptuous... Ouch, damn me."
Before he finished speaking, the man was kicked from the eaves of the courtyard.
Duan Chi lowered his eyes and looked at the people on the ground: "Liu Diande, this is not the first time that you and I have dealt with each other. It would be a villain to come to the village to pick up people when they are not prepared. Just lead them back by yourself."
The man got up from the ground and said angrily, "I came here on the orders of the county magistrate! Duan Chi, don't bully others too much. The court's military rations were lost in the Yuchang boundary. It was done by bandits. Yangzhai is the most involved!"
Duan Chi said coldly: "Huo Shu took people south to donate food to the imperial army. The farmers here have already given their food to the imperial court. The county magistrate wants to plunder it twice?"
"As for the military rations, I'd also like to know where they went."
Liu Diande's face turned pale when he heard this.
I originally thought that the war with Tongzhou was over, but the county magistrate estimated that these refugees would move back, but he felt regretful thinking that they had come here for a good year in vain.
So we increased our troops to search, and used threats and inducements from people from nearby villages to figure out the location.
Due to the many losses suffered before, we conducted a secret investigation this time and found that there were not many men in the village, so we took advantage of this opportunity and brought a large number of people here, intending to take away the people in charge first, and then wait for the money and food to be paid. Let them redeem people.
Seeing this situation, Liu Diande immediately lost his arrogance.
"In that case, then, then I will go back and report to the county magistrate to say goodbye."
After speaking, Liu Diande immediately evacuated with his people.
When he went out, he saw dozens of men suddenly appearing in the village. He felt a chill in his heart. Fortunately, he gave up his stubby thoughts when he saw Duan Chi. Otherwise, he really didn't know if he would have been able to get out from here.
The people from the government came aggressively, but this time they withdrew in dejection.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the men who had been away for more than a month come back, they felt relieved.
Duan Chi saw that Tianyin was not here today, so he didn't stay long. He just said to Huo Shu before leaving, "Don't pay attention to these people. They are nothing more than grasshoppers after autumn at that time."
Huo Shu didn't take them seriously either.
"I'm back. It's good to be back."
After the disaster, everyone was extremely happy.
Everyone in the courtyard rushed to ask about the situation in Tongzhou, and Huo Shu patiently answered them one by one.
"Now that everything has settled down, can we go back?"
"Tongzhou is still being cleaned up. Although the army has been stationed in the area to manage it, there is no guarantee that there are still some fish that have slipped through the net. For safety reasons, we can wait until the court dispatches a new prefect to take office before going back."
After hearing what Huo Shu said, everyone nodded and followed his arrangements An Ran.
After struggling for some time, everyone dispersed.
Huo Shu finally got time to spend time alone with Taoyu.
There was a panic outside, but little Taohe'er was sleeping soundly on the bed. Huo Shu stared at the bed for a long time, and was reaching out to tuck the little boy into bed, but little Taohe'er woke up unexpectedly.
The little boy blinked and looked at Huo Shu several times, then stretched out his fleshy hand and said, "Tumble."
Huo Shu smiled and reached out to pick up the little boy.
The little guy who just woke up was very warm all over, and he was very happy next to Huo Shu.
"I'm sorry that little Taohe'er has a good memory and remembers who his father is."
Taoyu laughed.
He was about to get a small coat for Little Taohe to wear outside. As soon as he stretched it out, his arm suddenly felt a stinging pain, making him hiss involuntarily.
Huo Shu's expression changed when he heard the sound: "What's wrong?"
Taoyu held her arm: "Maybe it was pulled by the soldier earlier."
Huo Shu quickly put the little peach core on the sink and sat down. He looked at Taoyu's arms, and the shoulder blades were obviously red.
He quickly took some medicated oil, heated it and rubbed it on Taoyu: "I came back late."
"If you keep your promise and come back, these things won't happen."
"You pacified Tongzhou, I don't blame you."
The corner of Taoyu's mouth raised, and she said softly: "This morning is stable, which is better than anything else."
Huo Shu glanced at the little Tao He'er who was watching the two of them beside him. He blinked his big eyes and tilted his head slightly, as if he didn't quite understand what his father was doing.
He said: "We can return to Tongzhou soon."
After Huo Shu finished speaking, he didn't get a response from Tao Yu. He only felt that the body of the person who was half leaning on him softened. When he lowered his eyes, he found that the person actually fell asleep next to him.
Taoyu has not slept very well these days, but as the servants feel more at ease, they start to feel sleepy.
Huo Shu looked at the big one and the small one, and found that they were of the same origin.
He carried Taoyu to the bed and put him down, then went to carry little Taohe to the bed as well.
Little Taohe'er, who had just woken up, opened his watery eyes, and saw that he was back on the bed again. He was a little bit angry, but seeing his eldest father hugging his little father to his chest, he calmed down again and also He followed the example of the little dad and lay on the big daddy's chest.
The room was quiet and he didn't make a sound.
Huo Shu pulled up the mattress and slept soundly with one big and one small in his arms.
In November, news came out from Beijing that the situation in North Korea and China had changed dramatically.
Duan Chi found out that the case of missing military rations was related to the third prince. The old emperor was very angry and removed the third prince from his position as prince.
The fourth prince committed a crime against the emperor because he was implicated by Shao Gongde, the prefect of Tongzhou.
If the uprising had been suppressed earlier, Tongzhou would not have been lost. It was all because of Shao Gongde's concealment and failure to report. Although he died in the war, he was a member of the fourth prince, so he was also Being involved.
The eldest prince saw that Lao Liu was in control of the army, and after returning from a great victory, he had won the hearts of the people and the sacred heart, which was already unshakable.
Seeing the fate of the third and fourth children again, I knew that the sixth child was definitely not a good person, so I realized that I had to withdraw from this dispute.
Naturally, these are also secret messages that Huo Shu got from Duan Chi.
The people in the world only heard a few words from the emperor about the sixth prince, and there was no need to know the twists and turns that followed.
But the Sixth Prince's acquisition of the position of Crown Prince was already expected by the public.
The old emperor was preparing to abdicate in the spring of the following year.
Originally, I wanted to take the throne this time, but at the end of the year, there are many things to do, such as rewards for the three armies and celebrations. If I abdicate, it would be too much to prepare for the new emperor's enthronement.
However, although he abdicated the throne the following year, everything had been handed over to the prince, who was already in charge of the country.
This time it shows the determination of the old emperor, who finally figured it out and was willing to abdicate.
His control over the dragon chair, old age and fatuousness have led to the decay of the imperial court over the years, but now the world can finally usher in new life.
Huo Shu looked at the imperial edict sent with the letter and didn't know what to say for a while.
"Commander-in-Chief of the Tongzhou Hoarding Army?!"
People in the room screamed in surprise.
No wonder everyone is surprised. A commander can be big or small, but it also depends on the size of the place. If he is a commander of county soldiers, it is just an official position that has not entered the mainstream.
But the person appointed was the commander of Tongzhou, and he was also the commander-in-chief. His official position had already reached the third rank.
The official position of military attache is not as rigorous as the first-class civilian official. It requires scientific examination and then slowly starts from the lowest level.
Military attachés are mostly meritorious, and their promotions will be more ups and downs than civilian officials, but the benefits they enjoy are still real.
The prince granted Huoshu the title of commander of the army in Tongzhou. On the one hand, he was grateful for his donation of food and grass in times of crisis and his help in winning the battle. The reward was promised from the beginning.
Secondly, although the prince was able to sit firmly in that position, he still lacked his own people after all, and there were still many restless people in the court.
Even though Tongzhou was severely damaged by the war, it is still a very important city. Rebuilding it after the war will require reliable talents.
The remnants of the imperial court have not yet been cleared up. If Tongzhou falls into the hands of others, it will only increase the trouble.
Due to emotions and reasons, Huo Shu was the best candidate to hold the troops and defend Tongzhou.
Huo Shu has never mentioned the matter of returning to Tongzhou during these days. In fact, it is not entirely because Tongzhou still has And it was in the cleaning stage, and he was also waiting for changes in the capital.
They have offended the county government. If the matter is not resolved, the people left behind will definitely be bullied when they leave.
Since we have been together for so long and we have worked hard to run this place, we can't just throw it away casually. Everything must have a beginning and an end. We must arrange this place properly so that he can leave with peace of mind.
Now that the imperial edict has arrived, everything is easy to say.
Huo Shu immediately went to the county to find someone.
When the county magistrate saw Huo Shu, he was almost scared to death. He nodded respectfully and bowed his head, and settled good households in both villages. He also promised again and again that the things of the past would never happen again.
Huo Shu also expected that they would not dare.
When Lin Village left, most of the people in the village also left. In order to prevent the village from being abandoned and wasting the great fields and water conservancy, Huo Shu kept the people he bought here.
After returning to Tongzhou, they continued to carry out business between the north and the south, and this place returned to its original intention as a transit place.
Now that it has been approved by the government, it is possible to build roads. When the time comes to connect with the official roads, everything will be convenient.
There are also farmers who came from Tongzhou who don't want to leave anymore. Those small households with no big roots in Tongzhou feel that life is good here and everything is prosperous, and they are no longer willing to go back and make trouble.
It was a hard life over there, but everyone here supported me and opened up the land, and now it is in their name. On the contrary, it is better than going back. It is better to stay here alone.
Huo Shu should not force himself.
Most of the people in Caochang Village are Jin Kelu. Now Jin Kelu is going to follow Ji Wenliang. He is married and has his own family. He doesn't want the servants to wander anymore, so he allows them to take root here. .
So whether to stay or go is up to everyone to decide for themselves.
After settling matters in Caochang Village and Lin Village, it was already the twelfth lunar month.
The weather is extremely cold, but the farmers who are going back to Tongzhou feel warm in their hearts.
In order to rush back to celebrate the New Year, everyone packed up early in the month.
Large cars and small cars, large and small bags of luggage were crowded together.
Huo Shu said: "Go back to Tongzhou."
It expresses the expectations of farmers.
The carriage was swaying, and Little Tao'er was so surprised that she was held in her arms. Regardless of the cold wind, her head went straight outside the carriage curtain.
It was his first time riding a carriage, and it was also his first time leaving Lincun. Although the little guy didn't know what he was doing, it was strange to see a long line of carriages and horses with no end in sight.
"Down, down, down!"
Little Tao He'er jumped up and down in Tao Yu's arms, waving her hand and pointing at Huo Shu who was riding a horse outside.
Huo Shu stopped by the window and handed a round orange in.
Taoyu couldn't help laughing when she saw this.
When he came, he carried the little boy in his arms. He was very happy, so Huo Shu went to find an orange for him.
Now when I go back, the baby I carried in my belly is already so chubby.
Things in the world are impermanent but ultimately determined, and life is determined but impermanent.
Many things happened one after another and kept changing. Fortunately, the love between them never changed at all.
It's still the same cold weather and the same rush, but the mood is completely different.
Taoyu rubbed the soft little peach core in her arms and said, "Go home! Our little An Ding is going home!"