After Shen Yan, Ning Ning and her daughter left, Xiang Yite changed her clothes and went out of the capital to see them off.

The little girl has not yet adapted to her own identity. Fortunately, Shen Yan truly loves her daughter, which can be regarded as God's blessing. But no one else can help Ningning with this kind of thing, she can only figure it out slowly by herself.

Xiang Yi told her not to worry too much, and asked her to take medicine to recover. Finally, she asked Xiao Guan to arrange the manpower to protect Shen Yan's mother and daughter.

Tan Ting found a county town for them with a large number of people coming and going. Although there were many people coming and going, it was just enough to hide their identity as mother and daughter.

Tan Ting was very cautious and assigned other identities to their mother and daughter, as well as the people who were protected by the Tan family. It would not be easy to find out Shen Yan and Ning Ning, nor the Xiang family of the Tan family.

Xiang Yi was secretly relieved that the old man was doing things properly, so he sent the mother and daughter away, exchanged them for the Tan family's carriage and horses, and returned to the mansion.

She hasn't told Brother Yu yet about Shen Yan's appearance and departure with Ning Ning. Firstly, she hasn't thought about what to say, for fear that the young man will act impulsively after hearing such news. After all, everything is undecided. Secondly, Recently, Brother Yu has been spending time with his poor classmates from Boyun Academy, and Xiang Yi has not found any chance.

Thinking about these things, she sat in the carriage and walked back.

There happened to be a new store opening on the street that I didn't want to pass by, and people coming in and out blocked half of the road. Unfortunately, a carriage came from the opposite side, and the same carriage met Xiang Yi.

There were too many pedestrians on the road, and with two carriages, it was impossible to get in, and it was difficult to retreat.

Just then, the coachman saw the surname engraved on the carriage opposite and was a little surprised.

The driver quickly turned around and reported to Xiang Yi.

"Madam, it seems that our Tan family's carriage is on the opposite side!"

Most of the officials surnamed Tan who serve in the capital are members of the Tan family in Qingkan.

Xiang Yi smiled after hearing this, "That's a coincidence."

She called the coachman, "I don't know which branch it is."

Logically, Xiang Yi's coachman would announce that he was the clan's carriage, and the other side would also announce that it was the carriage of the clan. It doesn't matter who you ask to retreat, we are still a family and we can't let passers-by see the joke.

Who would have thought that the driver on the opposite side did not get off the car, but sat high on the carriage. He didn't even ask Xiang Yi who was here and just said one sentence.

"We are the carriage of Mr. Xuan Er's family, and we are taking our wife to Beijing this time."

Mr. Xuan Er, Tan Chaoxuan, was the person with the highest official position in the Tan family of the Qing Dynasty in recent years.

When the Tan clan members heard his name, it was as loud as the clan.

If he were an ordinary member of the Tan family, he would definitely have retreated at this moment. That's why Mr. Xuan Er's coachman was so arrogant. After speaking, he waited for Xiang Yi and others to give way.

Xiang Yi heard the sound while sitting in the car.

She paused slightly and said nothing.

On the other hand, the driver on Xiang Yi's side was stunned for a moment and looked at the driver on the opposite side in disbelief.

The coachman thought he was frightened and raised his chin even more.

Unexpectedly, he said directly.

"What's the matter? We are the carriage of the Zong family, and the wife of the Zong family is in the carriage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the driver on the opposite side was stunned for a moment.

During their years in the capital, they had never seen the wife of the Zong family. She had always been the eldest among them. Now...

according to the rules of the family, the Zong family is the biggest.

The Tan clan is not a clan that makes things difficult for the clan members, but the clan members must respect it. After all, it is no joke to be expelled from the ancestral hall if you offend the clan clan.

The coachman on the other side didn't dare to talk nonsense anymore, and quickly went to ask the people in the carriage for instructions.

The curtains of the car were blown by the wind, and there was a lady sitting inside. She was neatly dressed in such a hot weather, and her posture remained intact even when no one was around.

She closed her eyes and heard the coachman's words, then slowly opened them and asked.

"Are you asking me to go down and salute a down-and-out commoner girl?"

She glanced across the way and saw only a few scenes through the narrow cracks on the edge of the car window. There were many people standing on both sides of the road, some of whom were already there. Look over.

Mrs. Xuan Er pursed her lips.

"No matter what you say, I am always her elder."

When she said this, she meant not to give up.

The coachman on their side listened and sat motionless in the carriage, but it was up to him to see what Xiang Yi would do.

The coachman on Xiang Yi's side had never encountered such a situation before. He was stunned for a moment before he hurried back to ask Xiang Yi for instructions.

"Madam, they are very arrogant and refuse to give way."

Hearing this, Xiang Yi laughed softly.

I saw many passers-by on both sides of the road looking over and chattering about the two carriages surnamed Tan that met each other. It seemed that no one was letting the other go. I don't know what the situation was.

But the number of people watching the show immediately increased, and the discussion became louder.

Xiang Yi lowered his head and gave instructions to the driver, then turned to Qiao Yun and gave a few instructions.

The driver on the opposite side was thinking that this time they would have to confront each other for a while, but he didn't want to see the driver on the other side step back without saying a word, retreating seven or eight feet in one breath to clear the road.

The driver's eyes immediately lit up and he said goodbye to Mrs. Xuan in the car.

"Madam, the Zong family gave way."

The coachman said and added.

"Maybe the wife of the Zong family will come over to salute you."

Mrs. Xuan Er did not expect Xiang Yi to give in so readily.

But then I thought about it, although that woman occupies the position of a clan wife, her background is too low. No matter how you raise your head in front of her, you should lower your head to make way.

Unexpectedly, just as she was figuring this out, a maid's voice came from outside. The voice was really loud and could be heard clearly by people on the street.

"It's hot today, and Mrs. Xuan Er has just arrived in Beijing. She must be tired from traveling all the way. Madam, please go back early and have a rest. It won't be too late to send a message to the Zong family for a visit another day."

After saying this, he added. One sentence.

"I can't write two words "Tan" in one stroke. They are all members of my family. Madam, please don't be polite."

As soon as the words fell, the people around who had just been talking about them immediately changed their tone.

"Tsk tsk, it turns out that the Zong family and the high-ranking officials are fighting against each other. The Tan family's clan wife is really magnanimous. She let them go first without saying a word, and she said it in such a polite and beautiful way. She is worthy of being a clan wife."

Someone said this After saying that, someone murmured and laughed, "On the other hand, the tribe's wife seems to be..."

The person didn't say anything further, but everyone laughed at the end of these words.

Mrs. Xuan Er was sitting in the hot car, wearing decent and heavy clothes, but she didn't feel hot. When she heard the gossip outside, her face immediately became hot.

She really didn't expect that the commoner girl was actually a powerful character and would not bow to her at all!

But the matter has come to this, no matter how much Mrs. Xuan talks or does, it will become even more ugly. She can only ask the coachman to drive over immediately. When passing Xiang Yi's carriage, Mrs. Xuan can't help but lift the curtain slightly and go to Xiang Yi's side. Take a look.

She only saw the wind blowing up the curtain of the carriage opposite. A young woman was sitting in the carriage calmly and gracefully, looking straight ahead, but she didn't even mean to make eye contact with her.

At that moment, Madam Xuan'er felt a lump in her heart.

The carriage quickly went away, and the noise and heat just now gradually dissipated.

The maid hurriedly handed her herbal tea to Mrs. Xuan Er to calm down.

"Why do you need to be like a common girl? It's not worth it to be angry and hurt your body."

Mrs. Xuan Er drank a cup of herbal tea and felt a little relieved.

She said yes, "Let me see how long her clan wife can last?"

After saying that, Mrs. Xuaner thought of something and sneered.

...

Xiang Yi's carriage also passed through the narrow road quickly. As the carriage ran, the wind became cooler and blew in from outside. Xiang Yi didn't pay much attention to Mrs. Xuan Er, but he did. Thinking of my uncle.

When father-in-law Tan Chaokuan passed away, the clan's clamor for Tan Chaoxuan to succeed the clan leader was highest. At that time, Tan Ting had just turned his hair, and from the attitude of Mrs. Xuan, we could tell what kind of person Tan Chaoxuan was.

At that time, Tan Ting must have endured many difficulties in the clan before he survived.

It is really not easy for him to occupy the position of the eldest son...

Thinking of this, Xiang Yi's mood also started to fly.

I don’t know, how is he doing in flood control in disaster areas?

disaster area.

On the day Tan Ting took office, he inquired about the disaster situation in detail with local prefecture, county, government, and river officials, and then went down personally to inspect the rivers, flooded grain fields, and villages.

People in the disaster area have been displaced, and many were simply washed away by the floods, and their whereabouts are still unknown.

Now that the water has not receded, the government can only organize and build sheds for the victims to stay temporarily, but food is limited in various places.

Originally, there was a severe cold at the end of last year, and the output of the fields became thin. People in various places had to sell their land to survive. This year, before they could get over it, they encountered another flood. It was really a bad year, no matter what. The young man had been hungry for several days before he took a sip of soup.

Fortunately, when Tan Ting came, he had already made preparations. He requisitioned grain from various places along the way. The first batch arrived at the disaster area one day after him.

With this batch of food, the immediate urgency has been alleviated. Local officials, big and small, are also exhausted. Tan Ting has not slept a wink in the past three days.

Masaki urged him to finish his meal and said quickly.

"It's finally okay now. Let's get some sleep!"

If nothing happens is still far from it, how to resettle the victims, where to distribute food, and where to divert the Yellow River water are all issues that need to be solved. , but it’s time to take a break.

After Tan Ting had eaten, he talked for a while with the local flood control experts. It was getting dark and everyone was exhausted, so he took a rest.

The night wind was blowing all around, and there was the smell of flooding. Tan Ting sat under the tree, mosquitoes buzzed around, and the heat was coming in waves.

He took out his own small seal from the pouch on his waist. The small seal was smooth, round and delicate, and the word "Yuan Zhi" on it was not an ordinary carving. It was polished by her many times and specially designed for him. look.

Tan Ting held the small seal in his hand, and a slight coolness came from the small seal.

Just like the wife character, her body is always slightly cold on weekdays.

It would be great if she were by his side at this moment...

Before Zhengji had time to light a piece of soothing incense for his uncle so that he could have a good sleep, he saw him sitting under a tree, leaning against the tree and falling asleep. , still holding in his hand the small seal carved by the lady herself.

Zhengji hurriedly walked over, first trying to take out the caution to avoid falling it. Who would have thought that after he pulled it like this, the uncle didn't let go and actually woke up.

But he said a little confusedly, "How can you grab something from me?"

"No, no!" Zhengji didn't dare. "How dare you grab something that my wife gave you!"

After saying this, the old man agreed. He hummed and muttered, "No one can steal it." Still holding the small seal in his hand, he lowered his head and fell asleep again.

...

In the past few days, the disaster relief work has gone smoothly.

It's just that the sun is getting stronger day by day. When it doesn't rain, the world seems to be on fire, burning from the sky.

Life was difficult, especially because the food Tan Ting originally brought was all consumed in two or three days.

Without food relief, it is impossible to appease the victims.

Tan Ting could only ask people to urge the grain behind to be shipped as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, it rained again that night.

Although the steaming heat had subsided, Tan Ting couldn't help but feel worried when he looked at the dark clouds above his head.

"Have the places where the embankment burst been blocked? Will it be washed away again?"

The local flood control officer said that it was not a big problem. "The rain is not very heavy, so it will not cause the embankment to burst again."

Who would have thought that these words had just happened ? After saying that, early the next morning, the flood seemed to come from the Tianhe River, and everything rushed out of the river.

Tan Ting rushed to the front line along the river before he had time to change his clothes.

This time it is not the place where the dike broke before, but another place. It does not seem to be weak or cracked in advance, but it has broken.

Unfortunately, the embankment suddenly burst in this area, cutting off the grain transportation route behind it. Not only that, but a team of grain transporting carriages and horses were directly washed away by the flood.

When Tan Ting heard the news, his face turned livid.

The food was obviously coming soon, but suddenly it was nowhere to be found. The victims either starved to death or had to flee to various places. It was hard to say whether the victims would become refugees or then become bandits.

The relief grains from other places have not arrived yet, and the local government's grains have been used up. If there is still grains left in the local area, it can only be the grains stored by various aristocratic families.

Tan Ting immediately wrote a letter to Qingkan, asking for food supplies to be sent as an emergency. However, before the letter was sent, a local noble family took the initiative to come over and offered to provide food from the clan to help the victims.

Tan Ting was very surprised.

It's not that Tan Ting doesn't trust them, but that as far as he knows, most of these families don't care about the people.

Tan Ting calmly asked them from the government's point of view what market price they needed to buy grain.

In this case, they would probably raise the price. How could the noble family be willing to suffer such a big loss?

However, they were all willing to donate their crops to help the people.

No price increase, not even any money.

Tan Ting looked at them for a while, laughed, and agreed.

"It is really a blessing for the people of the world that you eldest sons and clan leaders are so generous. Then let's start releasing grain from tomorrow! Tan will record how much food you release and report it to the court. The court will definitely remember your great contribution. "Yes!"

He also wanted to give them credit according to the amount of food they put in, so they couldn't put less food in.

At that moment, Tan Ting saw several people's expressions change for a moment, but no one flinched. They all said that this is what a noble family should do for the common people.

But they also asked Tan Ting, "I wonder how much food Mr. Tan's family, the Qingkan Tan family, plans to put out?"

Tan Ting smiled, "Of course, as much as possible."

Everyone expressed admiration, and then said, "Actually, the food in our hands is also very limited. If Mr. Tan can lead the clan to take the lead in helping the people, he will surely attract the small and medium-sized families to do the same. Then there will be no shortage of food."

The Tan family is the largest affected by this disaster . As a family, of course he had to lead by example. Tan Ting agreed at that time, and then told various disaster relief officials that he would first go to Qingkan County to mobilize the food of the Tan family, and some of it would be left behind. Relief was provided locally, and part of it was transported to the worst-hit areas.

He is an imperial envoy, so everyone naturally listens to his arrangements.

Fortunately, Tan Ting had arranged for his tribe to store a lot of grain and rice before, and it really came in handy this time.

But he thought that this time these noble families were suddenly kind-hearted and wanted to help the common people tide over the difficulties. He couldn't help but think about it. First, he sent someone to go to the place where the second dike burst to see if it was the second time the dike broke. There's something fishy about it.

Then he asked someone to go back to Qingkan in advance to send a message, and then he arranged things and started the journey.

As soon as he set out, the message was received.

Chen Fuyou polished the red tassel gun in his hand until it was shiny.

Once upon a time, he wanted to go to the frontier to fight and defend his country. But now, this gun can only be used to obey the orders of the Zong family and target his compatriots.

But he was just a pawn. As a concubine of the Zong family, he could only obey the Zong family's arrangements and had no room to refute.

After hearing the news, he called for help and followed Tan Ting towards Qingkan.