It was getting dark and the winter nights were even colder. These days, there were more refugees entering the city. Not only were there Shanxi, Shaanxi, but also the accents of Hebei and Shandong appeared. Many refugees who did not beg for things during the day, sleeping under the eaves on both sides of the street. In order to fear of freezing to death, the whole family squeezed into a bunch of them. They were trembling in the biting cold wind, moaning, complaining, and sighing. The women whispered to the old man, crying and praying for good-hearted people tomorrow, even if they were to say a bit of moldy porridge, so that the children could live another day in this difficult day.

The children shrank in their mother's arms, crying and shouting coldly and hungry, tearing the hearts of adults apart. But as mothers, the only way is to open their thin and tattered clothes, wrap the children in their arms, and stuff their shriveled pacifiers into their mouths to make a comfort.

When the patrol soldiers sent by the Wucheng Military Academy approached, their mother blocked the children's mouths so that they could no longer speak, because the Ming Dynasty's cruel household registration system allowed them to be driven to the wilderness outside the city to see, and they died faster. In this way, hundreds of refugees died every day, and no one remembered the relatives who slept by the Wucheng Military Academy tomorrow, and they would accept this separation of life and death with numb expressions. The northeast wind blew tonight, which was particularly cold. Who knew how many corpses of all sizes would be carried to the mass grave tomorrow morning?

There are soldiers and horses patrols in the city, and night walks are prohibited, but they are often just in the deep courtyards separated by a wall, and they still live a life of delicacy. In those palaces closer to the imperial city, in order to avoid being heard in the palace, they do not use gongs and drums, or even silk and bamboo when singing and dancing. They only let the singing girls lightly light their eyes with red sandalwood or ivory clappers and sing softly. Sometimes the singing voice is as delicate as a trace of hair, as if there is something or nothing, and it is constantly lingering, hovering on the exquisitely painted roof beams, and then flying towards the mysterious space. The host and guests stop glasses in their hands, and their toes lightly on the ground, listening attentively, and almost even their breathing stops. As soon as the singing stops, they nodded frequently and praised, happily urging to drink and make food, guessing and making a fist.

A deep house, luxurious and dazzling, the singing and dancing in the front hall was in full bloom, the owner held a wine glass and looked at the dancer's eyes. What he was greedy was not the graceful charm of singing and dancing, but the graceful figure and beautiful face of the dancer girl, and her mind was not the gorgeous and elegant lyrics and music, but the various interests in the bed.

Just as the dance music was approaching, the master hooked his hand gently, and the most caring Xiao Si came over and listened to the instructions.

"Why haven't the elixir from the immortal family been sent yet? What are you doing? If it delays my interest, be careful of your dog legs."

The close-knit servant explained in fear and fear: "There has been words on that side, because medicine is now causing difficulties and people are in short supply now, so we have to wait a few more days."

Still waiting, not only can the sacrificial pills not be calmed down, but the tears of tears that communicate the ants' pain that is full of pain is enough for people to bear. He must get the sacrificial pills, enjoy the feeling of dying, and also solve the current desire-fire.

The master frowned, "I have paid 20 taels of silver per pill. Can't I satisfy their appetite? Such a person is really hateful. Go, ask me overnight. I will pay thirty taels. If I can't get the pills, be careful tomorrow I will write to the court to make a fool of him and dismantle his turtle nest."

This little Si quickly withdrew quietly to fulfill his master's mission.

The host happily raised his wine glass and congratulated the guests in the hall: "The Holy Emperor is here, and the goal of the scholar-official government and the scholar-official government in governing the world is about to be achieved. We gentlemen can govern a peaceful and prosperous era and attract prosperity."

With his proposal, the guests raised their glasses to congratulate: "For the gentleman to be rich in the court, for the literati and officials to govern the country for generations, and to attract prosperity."

At this moment, a mansion that looked at an ordinary mansion with unknown lights, and in the deepest secret room, an official, with a brilliant court uniform, worshipped devoutly in front of a divine case divided by a veil, muttering: "My husband, old godfather, the court is in chaos now, the noble group and the Donglin Party members have already slammed you to the death, and the purpose of avenging you is about to achieve." Then he lay on the ground and cried.

At this moment, the most caring butler outside the door knocked softly: "Master, Master Aries is here, please welcome me."

When the official heard this, he bowed and kowtowed to the shrine three times and nine times again, then stood up, and when he turned around, the breeze brought from his clothes stirred the gauze of the shrine. In the darkness was a statue of a god without a beard, looking at the world.

In another secret room, Master Aries sat upright with his eyes narrowed, and the official paid a visit to the immortal with the most solemn kneeling etiquette.

Master Aries shook the whisk: "The immortal family will give you both good fortune and fortune, and all your wishes will come true. Get up and talk."

The official stood up, turned his body respectfully and sat down: "Thank you for your care and grace."

The Aries said lightly: "You are not well-informed and let us do a good show."

The official quickly saluted again humbly: "This is what I should do."

Master Aries nodded but said, "But the immortals also need to worship. The 100,000 silver you promised is still in short supply. Is this your sincerity to the immortals?"

The official knelt down again in fear and fear: "Because I have a shortage of cash silver positions, my senior brother doesn't want antiques and treasures. In addition, there is a temporary shortage of goods, so I'll ask my servant to give me a grace for two days."

Master Aries snorted in his nose: "I have given you a lot of pills, but you are too greedy and have doubled the price in vain. How can you achieve great things so greedy?"

The official kowtowed again: "It's not because of the greed of disciples. The disciple wants to use this method to raise more funds for us, and the other hand, it's also to use this method to control some officials. The disciples use fishing methods. Please understand this from the immortals."

The Aries Taoist snorted: "I understand your thoughts, but now it is a critical moment. The people who have been under house arrest in my Taoist temple are already in a state of irritability and can no longer suppress them. If you drag this down, it will be a mistake sooner or later. Besides, I only cost ten taels of silver for one pill, but you have increased the price to 30 taels. From this point of view, you have no distinction between importance and disappointed me. I decided to stop the supply of your elixir from tomorrow."

When the official heard this, he immediately kowtowed: "Suppose your life, I will do it immediately as your old instructions, collect the money and not delay the major affairs of the immortals."

Then he got up, ran to the door, and called the butler to the outside.

The butler trotted over and didn't dare to look inside, so he asked for instructions at the door.

The official hurriedly ordered: "You should send the elixir to the pervert of the Ministry of Rites and other officials to get the cash silver back."

Seeing the butler turning around and leaving, the official pulled him back and whispered: "The price doesn't need to be increased, but you have to tell them that you must block the matter for me. Just drag it on like this and you must not leave it to the Jinyiwei."

"Don't worry, Master, I understand."

Watching his old housekeeper walk away, then touching the ticket in the pawnshop under his sleeve. It was a receipt of 30,000 taels of silver. He could only grit his teeth and turn back, kneel down in front of the master again, and present the ticket with both hands: "This is the cash silver that the little disciple has. I will hand it over to the immortal family first. Please arrange it properly."

There was no money shop in this era. Those dirty money privately that officials only existed in the name of pawnshops. Even if the incident happened in the future, they could gain a reputation for integrity in the name of pawnshops.

Master Aries Temple took the ticket as a ticket, but he didn't look at it. He smiled and said considerately: "I have brought you another ten elixirs, which are specially for you, so enjoy it." Then he floated away with big sleeves.

Holding these ten immortal pills, the official opened the box in a hurry and stuffed one into his mouth. This was not to vent his desire - fire, but to relieve the pain of biting like an ant on his body.
Chapter completed!