Heavenly Dao Formula

The outskirts of the west gate of Jinxia City is another scene.

The temporary camps previously established for refugees can naturally also be used to house captives.

But rather than washing their bodies, what they need more is a full meal to dispel the cold accumulated along the way.

The Bureau of Affairs is not stingy in this regard - the porridge uses the seasonal grain stored in the grain depot, and you can stick chopsticks in it after cooking. The porridge is mixed with salt and minced fish, which is delicious and filling, richer than the meals in the Privy Council army.

The captives had never encountered such treatment, one by one holding the bowl and gobbling it up.

Even if this is the last meal of your life, you have to be full before you go on the road.

"Master Hong, the stage in the camp has been set up and we can start anytime." Ding Pan reported to his superior. Ever since Hong Siqi abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side, formally relinquished his prefect title, and joined the Bureau of Civil Affairs as the head of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he, who was originally a domestic servant, also got a job as a secretary.

Although the rank of this position is not high, it is also a name in the bureau. In layman's terms, it is an "officer ordered by the imperial court". Ding Pan is already overjoyed to be able to do this as his servant. For him now, the most important thing is that Jin Xia defeats the imperial court and completely replaces it, and at worst maintains his independence - only in this way can he secure his status as an official and become a master in one fell swoop.

Of course, Ding Pan also knows that the bureau's propaganda has always emphasized that officials should serve the people, so he can at most think about this kind of thinking in his heart, but this does not prevent him from working hard to move towards this goal. For example, when it comes to dealing with captives, Ding Pan is very concerned - let these people go, and they may return to the enemy army, so if you want to weaken the power of the Privy Council, it is best to keep them all .

And this is also the thought in Hong Siqi's heart.

In other words, those who have served in the Qiguo court and the Privy Council will have the same expectation-only when the original regime falls, their position can be stabilized.

Hong Siqi vaguely realized that Xia Fan had seen this point and entrusted him with the task of guiding the prisoners.

"Let's go there."

The so-called stage was a three-foot-square stage. When Hong Siqi climbed on it, the prisoners below were being escorted into the arena one after another. It can be seen that after a full meal, everyone's complexion is much better than when they disembarked, and there is a gleam in their eyes. However, when they were brought here by the guards of Jinxia City, they showed obvious uneasiness and even some resistance.

Hong Siqi thought about it for a while, and suddenly realized that the stage was set up in a hurry, and the layout was rather crude. At first glance, it looked like a guillotine.

"Look at what platform you built!" Naturally, he would not admit that it was his own negligence, and Ding Pan reprimanded him, "Don't you think it looks shabby? Hurry up and buy some colored silk and decorate the surroundings. Put a few more flower pots, don't save money here!"

Seeing the latter nodding quickly to do it, Hong Siqi cleared his throat and said loudly to the captives, "Everyone, listen to me—"

Under the effect of the loudspeaker, his voice instantly spread throughout the camp in the western suburbs, and it also made the more than 5,000 people below it much quieter.

"This is not an execution ground. You don't need to worry about the food for cutting off your head. On the contrary, during the time in Jinxia City, you can enjoy the same food every day until you get rid of the status of captives."

As soon as they heard that there was enough food to eat every day, everyone's uneasiness was immediately curbed. No matter what the future situation was, at least they could relax in the short term.

After the fear temporarily dissipated, it was replaced by doubt and speculation.

"His Royal Highness is really so merciful?"

"The porridge has meat in it..."

"What does it mean to be released from captivity?"

"I guess they sent us into the army."

Hong Siqi pretended not to hear the discussion, and continued to speak loudly, "Since we are full, it's time to talk about the business. But listening to me talking here alone must be boring, and it may not be very good. I really understand Jinxia’s policies, so I’d better let everyone listen to Dr. Cha’s stories first.”

After speaking, he actually walked down the stage.

Next on the stage was a tea doctor and two piano girls.

This was the first time that the prisoners had encountered such a situation, and they stayed in place one by one. And the other party didn't care about the audience's reaction. After playing a ditty, Dr. Cha told the story on the spot.

There are only a handful of entertainment projects in this era, especially for low-level soldiers. What's more, what the other party is talking about is not about the lingering relationship between the son and the eldest lady, but a new generation of vernacular novels compiled by the Propaganda Department at Xia Fan's request. , the easy-to-understand beginning quickly made everyone immersed in it.

The story tells the past of three representative characters respectively.

One is a soldier who was forcibly conscripted into the army.

"He" originally had a happy family, but because of the outbreak of war, he was forcibly drawn into the army by the yamen. He ate pie and porridge and received the lowest salary. Even so, he was exploited by his superiors from time to time, and he always rushed ahead of the generals in battle. His comrades from all walks of life died in battle one after another. Although he was lucky enough to survive to the end, when he was sent back to his hometown, he found that his family was in decline, his wife was prematurely aging, his family property was sold off, and all he was left with was a piece of deserted land.

One is a brothel girl who has the courage to travel from Gyeonggi to Jinxia alone in the face of change.

This part is basically adapted based on Yu Shuangxue's experience, but in the story, her experience is more tortuous, and finally under the care of the policy, she has a successful career, got married smoothly, and lived a happy life in the new city.

The third is the deeds of Baisha County official Huo Ying.

From an ordinary scholar to a preparatory official of Jinxia City, to a heroic sacrifice in order to protect the mine - this matter is remembered by all Shenzhou residents. While his widow and descendants received generous pensions, they were also respected by the neighbors and the Bureau of Affairs His care is in stark contrast to the uncaring soldiers in the first story.

There are many stories like this in the Propaganda Department. However, after repeated reference and comparison, Hong Siqi finally chose these three stories as the focus of his presentation.

He was born as a prefect, and he also worked as a conscript, so he knows the living conditions of the soldiers at the bottom. In his opinion, the first story is considered euphemistic. In fact, when the main labor force of a family is conscripted, what happens next? It is far more terrifying than the separation of wives and children. How long you can last depends on how much savings you have on weekdays. This is also the most worrying thing for soldiers, that is, after finally escaping the life-and-death struggle on the battlefield and returning home alive, they find that their former home has long been changed. everywhere.

As Hong Siqi expected, the first story greatly resonated with the prisoners. Dr. Cha mentioned that when the protagonist returned to his hometown and found that his family had undergone drastic changes, there was even a low cry of crying. With the melancholy tune of Shangqinnv, the atmosphere was a little frozen for a while, so he had to interrupt the narration on stage. , so as not to lead to riots.