"Miss Xiaoyue, tell me about the current situation in Jiangnan."
Jin Feng said in a low voice.
Miss Xiaoyue was stunned for a moment, and then understood what Jin Feng meant.
With Jin Feng's current status, every decision may affect thousands of people.
Miss Xiaoyue was afraid that her words would affect Jin Feng's judgment, so she shook her head and said, "Sir, I usually stay in the county. Even when I go out, I go to Jinchuan to purchase goods. My understanding is limited."
"It's okay, let's just chat. Just say whatever you see." Jin Feng encouraged.
"Then let me tell you what I saw."
When Miss Xiaoyue saw that Jin Feng insisted on listening, she nodded and talked about what she had seen and heard recently.
Jin Feng listened very carefully, and the more he listened, the more solemn his face became.
Before asking the question, Jin Feng had already been mentally prepared, but the news he heard from Miss Xiaoyue was much worse than Jin Feng expected.
Ever since King Chu, King Xiang, King Wu and others were executed, the government in the south of the Yangtze River was in complete chaos. Many government soldiers and city guards became official bandits, collecting exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes under various names, and killing people if they didn't pay.
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But they only took money and did not work. They were more diligent than the others in collecting taxes from the common people. However, when bandits came to rob the common people, they all retreated to the city and did not show their faces.
The common people robbed some grain from the landlords and gentry, but it was also robbed by government soldiers and bandits.
In order to survive, people in many places become bandits from village to village.
But food will not be produced out of thin air. If villagers become bandits, they can only rob other villages.
This is how a vicious cycle is created.
Recently, the number of bandits in Jiangnan has increased sharply.
The situation along the Yangtze River is slightly better because there are often escorts to suppress bandits. However, escorts do not dare to go deep into the hinterland of Jiangnan, so the banditry in the hinterland of Jiangnan is extremely serious.
Miss Xiaoyue noticed that Jin Feng had a solemn expression and was silent. She was also afraid that she had said the wrong thing, so she looked at Tang Xiaobei for help.
"Xiao Yueyue, your family members must have been frightened just now. You should go back and accompany them."
Tang Xiaobei patted Miss Xiaoyue on the shoulder: "My husband, I'm here!"
"Okay then," Miss Xiaoyue glanced at Jin Feng again and followed Tang Xiaobei out of the room.
When he arrived at the door, Tang Xiaobei suddenly asked: "Xiao Yueyue, how did you know that my husband and I were on the boat?"
She had been sleeping in the cabin and was just woken up by Jin Feng.
Although Jin Feng got up earlier, he did not go to the guardrail. Under normal circumstances, Miss Xiao Yue would not have known that they were on the boat.
But when she asked for help just now, she called out Jin Feng and Tang Xiaobei.
This made Tang Xiaobei have to doubt.
This is why she did not let Miss Yue and her family get on the big ship, but continued to let them crowd into the speedboat.
If something goes wrong with the family, they will lose at most one speedboat without threatening Jin Feng's safety.
It's not that Tang Xiaobei is suspicious, but that the enemy is too cunning, and for Jin Feng's safety, she has to be on guard.
"I saw Brother Iron Hammer and Miss Xiao Wei, and guessed that Mr. and Mrs. were there. I was really anxious at that time, so I tried to shout."
Miss Xiaoyue explained: "Xiaoyue disturbed Mr. and Mrs., and please ask Mrs. to atone for her sins!"
Iron Hammer is Jin Feng's personal guard, and Miss Xiao Wei is one of Tang Xiaobei's assistants. They are usually inseparable from Jin Feng and Tang Xiaobei.
"It's okay. You are in danger and it is right to seek help from us."
Tang Xiaobei rubbed Miss Xiaoyue's hair: "Go back!"
Miss Xiaoyue bowed to Tang Xiaobei and walked out under the leadership of the bodyguard.
Tang Xiaobei was still uneasy, so he called Tie Zhui and Xiao Wei over and asked, "Where were you when Miss Xiaoyue was hunted down just now?"
"I was looking over there on the deck," Iron Hammer replied, "but I'm not very familiar with Miss Yue, so I didn't recognize her right away."
At the beginning, Jin Feng and Tang Xiaobei bought too many female shopkeepers, and Tie Hammer's main focus was in the Dujiangyan and Xichuan areas. They had only met Miss Xiaoyue a few times, but could not remember them.
"I came out when I heard the noise," Xiaowei said, "I recognized Miss Yue, but just as I was about to call you, my husband sent someone to rescue her."
"I understand, you go and do your work!"
Tang Xiaobei nodded slightly and motioned for the two of them to leave.
This statement is actually consistent with what Miss Xiao Yue said.
In the cabin, Jin Feng looked remorseful at this moment: "I took it for granted!"
Although Jin Feng was not happy when the Ninth Princess killed those feudal kings, he did not take it too seriously. He felt that as long as the bodyguards were intimidated, the landlords and gentry would not dare to exploit the people excessively.
As long as the people hold on until he pacifies Sichuan and Shu and accumulates enough strength, the world will soon be at peace.
Only now did Jin Feng realize that he was too idealistic.
The chaos in Jiangnan does not come from the landlords and gentry, but from the common people!
"Mr. Sir, don't blame yourself. You have worked very hard. The current situation is not caused by you."
Tang Xiaobei comforted him: "Wu Yang once said that every time there is a change of dynasty, there will be turmoil for decades. The people will suffer for a while, and it will be fine if they can survive it!"
"It's so simple, is it so easy to hold on?"...
Jin Feng couldn't help but think of a saying that was said badly on the Internet in his previous life: "A grain of sand of the times is like a big mountain when it falls on an individual's head!"
Take Miss Xiao Yue for example, if they hadn't happened to meet us, their family would have died by the river!"
"When a grain of dust of the times falls on an individual's head, it becomes a huge mountain!"
Tang Xiaobei repeated Jin Feng's words in a low voice, thoughtfully.
Yes, for individuals, they are too weak in the face of the tide of the times.
Miss Xiaoyue's family has money and a bodyguard, but it is still in such a bad situation. How should the people who have no money and no ability to protect themselves live?
Maybe he will be killed by a passing bandit at some point!
Tang Xiaobei wanted to persuade Jin Feng again, but he didn't know how.
At this moment, Tang Xiaobei saw a sense of powerlessness on Jin Feng's face.
Since Jin Feng came to this world, he has always been full of confidence. Even in Zhongzhuanggou, facing elite enemies several times his own, he could only be anxious, angry, and sad for the sacrifice of his comrades, but he never despaired and was always full of fighting spirit.
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This was the first time Tang Xiaobei saw such a helpless expression on Jin Feng's face.
For the next half day, Jin Feng was in a very low mood. He stopped writing textbooks, drew pictures, and played with Tang Xiaobei and Runniang. Instead, he sat under the cabin window and stared at the river in a daze.
I just sat like this until noon, when Tie Hammer came over and reported: "Sir, there is the pier ahead. The Fengnian Granary is near this pier, and Brother Liang is also here. The captain asked me to ask sir, should we dock?"