Liu Xin looked at Kuai Liang who was sweating profusely in surprise and said, "Zirou, do you know him?"
Kuai Liang said with embarrassment on his face: "Back to my lord, this person's name is Chen Jie. He is the head of the Chen family, one of the four major families in Xiangyang, as my subordinates once said. His family assets are tens of millions, and there are tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land. This Xiangyang city
The southeastern area is all his family’s land.”
Liu Xin understood. No wonder he knew Kuai Liang. These aristocratic families are often inextricably linked. It can be said that the bones are broken and the tendons are connected. Is it because of Kuai Liang's face that he should be spared? That's true.
This put Liu Xin in a bit of a dilemma.
Although Chen Jie was a bit arrogant, he was not stupid either. Hearing Kuai Liang call Liu Xin his lord, he knew that the young man in front of him was really a Jingzhou shepherd. Seeing Liu Xin's hesitant expression, he quickly knelt down and said, "I don't know, I don't know."
This is Mr. Zhou Mu, I have caused many conflicts, please forgive me!"
It was okay that he didn't speak, but when he spoke, Liu Xin was still a little hesitant, but her anger rose and she said to Kuai Liang: "Zirou, you are the governor of Xiangyang now, what crime should you be guilty of robbing a civilian girl?
"
The Kuai and Chen families had frequent contacts, so Kuai Liang had no choice but to bite the bullet and said to Liu Xin: "Returning to my lord, there are more than 100,000 refugees living in Xiangyang from Nanyang and Yingchuan, and there are many beautiful women among them. Xiangyang and
Families of noble families from nearby counties often came here. Whenever they saw some pretty women, they would pay to buy them as slaves. There was even a single woman living here who had no one to rely on and volunteered to be a slave to a wealthy family.
I just want to have enough to eat. Chen Jie must not be able to rape a civilian girl, so this woman probably surrendered voluntarily."
Liu Xin turned around and asked the woman: "Sister-in-law, where are you from? But you voluntarily surrendered to the Chen family as a slave?"
The woman cried miserably and choked with sobs and said: "My lord, my real name is Zhu, and I married the Zou family in Wancheng. The Yellow Turban bandits occupied Wancheng, and my family and their daughter fled out of the city in chaos. I heard a few days ago that
Wancheng recovered and wanted to go home. Unexpectedly, her husband's family's house was burned to the ground. Her husband and his parents-in-law did not know whether they were alive or dead. They could not find relatives anywhere, so they were living here with their little daughter. In desperation, he had no choice but to join the Chen family as a slave. It was indeed a voluntary act.
, I just never thought that Yuan Chen would not take in the little girl, and the slave family is begging hard."
After listening to Zhu's words, Chen Jie felt reassured and said: "Sir, you heard it too. I don't dare to lie. I will take their mother and daughter home right now and treat them well. Please don't worry, sir."
Liu Xin sneered: "Huh, take them home? Don't even think about it!"
He knew that Chen Jie was just a temporary measure. Who knew what would happen after he brought Zhu's mother and daughter home, so he said to Zhu: "Sister-in-law Zou, are you willing to go back with me or with him?"
go back?"
Mrs. Zhu understood that with her appearance, no matter who fell into the hands of someone, it would be more difficult to keep her innocent body than to reach the sky. Although she came from a scholarly family and knew the etiquette, justice and shame, she knew better that in this age where men are superior to women,
, Women who were born in troubled times are sad, and beautiful women are even more sad. At this time, for the sake of her daughter, she had no choice. Zhu didn't hesitate at all, pulling the little girl to kneel to the ground towards Liu Xin,
Said: "As long as the master is willing to take in my mother and daughter, I am willing to work as a cow or a horse for the rest of my life to serve the master."
Liu Xin helped her mother and daughter up, looked at Chen Jie and said, "What else do you have to say?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm leaving now, I'm leaving right now." Chen Jie turned around and left in embarrassment, but muttered, "Sir, you're not bullying the weak."
Since Liu Xin came to the Han Dynasty, not only has his kung fu improved by leaps and bounds, but his hearing has also improved a lot. When Chen Jie said this, although his voice was small, it reached Liu Xin's ears very clearly. He suddenly remembered what Kuai Liang had just said.
, the southeast area outside Xiangyang City is the land of the Chen family. He rolled his eyes, had an idea, and said: "Want to leave? It's not that easy!"
Chen Jie was about to leave with the support of two servants, but the servants who started the attack were still lying on the ground unable to get up. After hearing Liu Xin's words, they couldn't help but froze and stood there unable to move.
Liu Xin turned to Jushou and asked: "My lord, Chen Yuanwai just said that he was the Jingzhou shepherd who was beaten! If Dianwei hadn't come quickly and seven or eight people had beaten me, how would I still be alive?"
The Chen family is very wealthy, and their territory is all outside Xiangyang City. I really don’t know how to deal with this matter."
Jushou had already seen the look Liu Xin was throwing at him and said seriously: "Chen Jie acted boldly and attempted to assassinate the lord. It is no different from rebellion. According to the law, he should kill his entire family and kill all nine of his clans!"
After listening to Ju Shou's judgment, Chen Jie's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Kuai Liang was also shocked and said hurriedly: "Isn't it too harsh to convict you like this? Please think again, my lord."
A flash of cruelty flashed through Liu Xin's eyes. He pretended to understand and patted Kuai Liang on the shoulder, saying: "Zirou, you are a local. It's a little awkward for you to handle this matter. I'd better let Mr.
Go and check him carefully to see if there are any other illegal things he did, so there is no need to implicate the nine clans."
Chen Jie had already fainted. He could not imagine how he could end up like this because he just picked a woman.
Liu Xin watched Chen Jie and the gang being dragged down by the soldiers. She thought that if Zhu was taken home by Chen Jie, the little girl in front of her would become an orphan. She couldn't help but think of the brother and sister she just saw.
When she looked back, they had long disappeared. Liu Xin turned to Kuai Liang and said, "Mr. Zirou, the burden on your shoulders is very heavy. There are many children without fathers and mothers among these refugees. You can find a way
Build an orphanage, take them in, and take care of them properly. In addition, the Nanyang area has gradually calmed down. You must organize the local refugees to return home as soon as possible, so as not to delay the summer sowing and affect the autumn harvest."
Kuai Liang did not expect that Liu Xin would also use such thunderbolt methods to deal with Chen Jie. He was inevitably a little sad, so he responded in a low voice: "Don't worry, my lord, I will do my best."
Liu Xin looked at Kuai Liang's lonely back and said to Jushou: "My lord, Zirou is probably frightened by your words. Go and enlighten him. However, we still need to check Chen Jie carefully and go to his home."
The land outside Xiangyang City also needs to be taken back, so won’t there be land for expansion? As for the whole family being copied, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Jushou smiled and agreed, and chased in the direction where Kuai Liang had left. Liu Xin then said to Zhu and his daughter, "You also pack up and follow me back home."
The mother and daughter were poor and had nothing to deal with. Even a broken bowl was shattered in the tug just now. It was easy to follow Liu Xin on the road. Liu Xin saw that the little girl was young, and the two
Her eyes were red from crying, and she was leaning timidly beside her mother. She couldn't help but feel pity in her heart, and stretched out her hands to the little girl: "Little sister, come here, let the uncle hold her."
The little girl stared at Liu Xin with a pair of big eyes, but said nothing and shrank back. It was obvious that she was deeply frightened by the scene just now.
Liu Xin stepped forward, smiled and touched the little girl's head, and asked: "Little sister, don't be afraid, the uncle is a good man. Come, tell the uncle, what is your name?"
The little girl said softly: "My name is Rui'er."
Liu Xin continued to coax the little girl: "Ruier, um, what a nice name! How old are you this year?"
The little girl had already relaxed a little and replied softly: "I am seven years old this year."
"Oh, you are seven years old, and you will be a big girl soon." Liu Xin hugged the little girl when she was not paying attention, and said, "But you are walking very slowly like this. Let the uncle hold you and walk faster." , we can get home early."
The little girl struggled desperately in Liu Xin's hands and burst into tears: "Wow...Mom, I want my mother."
Liu Xin patted the little girl's back and coaxed: "Rui'er, be good. Come to the uncle's house with your mother and you will have food to eat. Rui'er won't cry." The little girl must have been very hungry these days. I heard that there is food. After eating, he stopped making trouble and drooled on Liu Xin's shoulder.
Liu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. With him holding the little girl, everyone could walk faster, so she said to Mrs. Zhu, "Sister-in-law Zou, let's leave quickly. If we're late, we'll miss lunch."
At first, Ms. Zhao didn't understand what Liu Xin meant by wanting to hold her daughter. She just thought that he meant something different and that like Chen Jie, he wanted to throw her daughter away. But now she finally felt relieved and said, "Thank you, sir."
Liu Xin and Dian Wei took the Zhu family into the city, and Zou Rui became restless in Liu Xin's arms. These days, she stayed outside the city together, mixing with the refugees, and Xiangyang City was more expensive than Wancheng. It was much more prosperous, and children were curious about everything. They couldn't help looking around and twisting in Liu Xin's hands. Liu Xin's arms gradually became a little sore, and she couldn't help but sigh: "This kid is really troublesome. It looks like there is no flesh, and my hands are quite sore after hugging her for a while."
Seeing the funny look of Liu Xin holding her daughter, Mrs. Zhu couldn't help but said, "Master, I'd rather hold her daughter." She had obviously never held a child before.
Liu Xin looked at her thin body and said: "Forget it, we'll be there soon. You haven't had a full meal in a few days, so I'll come. By the way, tell me what other relatives you have at home, etc." Settle down and I'll send someone to look for you."
Mrs. Zhu showed a sad expression and said sadly: "Go back to my husband, I am afraid that no one from my husband's family or my natal family is alive. But Rui'er once promised a family, and that person went to Kansai. I don't know what is going on now."
Liu Xin looked at Zou Rui strangely and asked in confusion: "Logically speaking, your husband's family is from a good family. Rui'er is only seven years old, so he shouldn't be betrothed to someone so early."
Zhu said: "This is what I have decided. Years ago, I went out to visit friends and encountered robbers on the road. I was rescued by a young man. The young man called himself Zhang Ji and went to Guanxi to join the army. I saw him He had martial arts skills and saved his own life, so he betrothed Rui'er to him and agreed that eight years later, the young man would come to Wancheng to marry Rui'er."
When Liu Xin heard that the young man's name was "Zhang Ji", she thought for a moment that it couldn't be such a coincidence. This Zhu family was married to the Zou family. Could it be that the little girl she was holding in her arms was Zhang Xiu's aunt Zou? Liu Xin couldn't bear it. He turned around and looked at Dian Wei. Historically, he died because of the Zou family! Dian Wei didn't realize it. He didn't talk much to begin with and just followed Liu Xin and Zhu family silently. Liu Xin didn't You stretched out a finger, lifted the chin of the little girl in your hand frivolously, and looked at it carefully.