Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1223 Did they flee famine and end up in front of Lord Shen?

Legally speaking, after a local disaster, the government prohibits people from fleeing the famine.

The reason for the ban is simple: people fleeing famine would not only cause turmoil in neighboring prefectures, but also damage the reputation of local governments, delay the progress of post-disaster reconstruction, and affect tax revenue in the following year.

Therefore, in the mouths of the people who fled famine, their behavior was not called "fleeing famine," but "going out to make a living."

If you plan well, you can return home in glory.

If you don't plan well, you'll find yourself wandering the world.

But at this moment, looking at the people in front of him, Gouwa couldn't understand: "Although your crops are gone, your houses and fields should still be there, right? Why did you flee to Liuyang Prefecture?"

“Yes…” the other villagers from Wangyue Village chimed in, “For us ordinary folks, our homes and land are the most important things. If you leave, won’t we lose everything? And you’ll go from being farmers to being displaced people… this… this…”

This is not right.

This is very wrong.

Everyone was truly baffled.

"We really had no other choice..." The middle-aged man leading the group looked back at the border, his eyes filled with both reluctance and fear. "If we don't run now, we might lose our lives..."

The villagers of Wangyue were taken aback: "W-what do you mean? You have no grain left in your family? But the government is still there, and the county and prefectural governments haven't taken care of you?"

"Manage? How can we manage this!" A woman in the crowd burst into tears: "There's an epidemic in the county and towns! Many people have died from drinking dirty water. If we stay in Yanzhou, we'll either die of disease or starve. We might as well try our luck in Liuyang Prefecture! If we can meet Lord Shen, maybe we'll have a glimmer of hope..."

"Dirty water? Plague?" Shen Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately turned around and shouted, "Everyone back off! Bring me lime!"

The villagers of Wangyue's expressions changed, and they all understood what Shen Zheng meant.

Gouwa retreated while raising his hoe again and shouting, "Back off! All of you, back off! Don't come any closer! Your town is having an epidemic, so you come to our village to wreak havoc on us? A bunch of heartless bastards, go back now!"

"We didn't!" the woman cried out, enduring the resentful glares of her companions. "We're not sick! We didn't drink any water from the village, and we didn't encounter those people. As soon as we heard the news, we ran away!"

"Who believes you!" Whether from fear or the heat of the fire, Gouwa was covered in sweat. "Anyone can talk a good game! Anyway, you're not allowed to go any further. We're not letting you pass!"

"We're really just passing through, we won't stay in the village!" The middle-aged man leading the group kept turning back, looking anxious.

Seeing this, Shen Zheng glanced behind them and suddenly asked, "Is someone chasing you? Who is it? Government officials?"

From the moment they arrived, Shen Zheng noticed that this group of people frequently turned back to look at the border, their expressions cautious, as if they were on guard against something.

"That's not true!" The middle-aged man's voice suddenly rose as he looked behind Shen Zheng and the others: "Let us through. You can send people to follow us. We will not stay in the village!"

“No.” Shen Zheng refused, her expression serious. “Leaving aside your escape from famine, the dangers of the plague alone are no joke. I am…”

Shen Zheng originally intended to reveal her identity first, then prepare some food for them before calling Xin Shunyun over to discuss countermeasures.

Before he could finish speaking, he ignited the emotions of the other group: "Why are you making things difficult for us! We didn't steal or rob, we were just passing through, why are you making things difficult for us! Would you be happy to see us die in Yanzhou! Move aside! Move aside! Let us through! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"rub--"

Seeing that they were getting more and more agitated and even trying to pounce on Shen Zheng, Hua Duo immediately drew his sword from behind his back.

The blade was wide, reflecting the orange glow of the fire in the pit.

"Retreat to the border." Hua Duo gripped his knife in one hand, pressing forward step by step.

"What are you doing..." The other group looked horrified, seemingly not expecting Hua Duo to actually use a knife.

"Go back." Hua Duo repeated, his face flickering in the firelight.

Just as the group was stunned by the gleaming blade and their steps began to falter, the sound of horses' hooves came from behind them, followed by a heavy shout: "It's them! Seize these scoundrels trying to escape!"

"The soldiers are catching up!"

The farmers of Yanzhou turned around and glanced back, and their faces turned ashen with fear, and they began to tremble all over.

Can't be caught.

We must not get caught...

"Run! Run!" Someone shouted this first, as if lighting a fuse.

In the next instant, the farmers of Yanzhou scattered and fled. Some crashed into the villagers of Wangyue, some ran towards the distant farmland, and some, in their panic, even tried to jump into the burning pit.

Gouwa glanced over and said urgently, "Stop them! Don't let them into the village!"

He glanced over there and cried out in alarm, "That's a pit of fire! Don't jump in!"

The scene was chaotic, resembling a brawl.

Seeing this, Shen Zheng no longer hesitated, took a deep breath and shouted: "Stop! Fellow villagers of Yanzhou, listen up—I am Shen Zheng, the prefect of Liuyang. Come before me now, and I will find a way to protect you and ensure your safety!"

After he finished speaking, the world fell silent.

The Yanzhou farmers, who were trying to escape, stopped in their tracks. The soldiers who were chasing them on horseback reined in their horses. Even the Wangyue villagers, who were outwitting and outmaneuvering the Yanzhou farmers, stopped moving.

"Lord Shen?"

Just as everyone in Yanzhou was in utter shock, another clatter of hooves sounded from the direction of the locust-drawing road, followed by Jiang Zhiming's shouts: "What happened? What's going on? Lord Shen, Lord Shen! Are you alright!"

Not long after she finished speaking, Jiang Zhiming and Xin Shunyun rode up to Shen Zheng, their hair disheveled.

Seeing that Shen Zheng was safe, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord Shen, what has happened?" Xin Shunyun dismounted first, asking Shen Zheng while looking at the seemingly frozen scene before him, "...People from Yanzhou?"

The people and soldiers of Yanzhou were still in a daze.

Xin Shunyun immediately took out his token and addressed the Yanzhou soldiers: "I am Xin Shunyun, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. Come here and answer my questions!"

Provincial Surveillance Commissioner!

The soldiers from Yanzhou immediately dismounted and rushed over, their steps trembling: "We...we greet Lord Xin..."

After saying this, the group exchanged glances and cautiously looked Shen Zheng up and down: "Greetings, Lord Shen..."

Shen Zheng turned to look at the farmers in Yanzhou and pointed to an open space in the distance: "Go over there and stop running around. I keep my word."

"Lord Shen...?"

The farmers of Yanzhou were panting heavily, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing: "You, you are really Lord Shen?"

They were just fleeing a famine, yet they ended up right in front of Lord Shen?