Chapter 536 Disaster He sat and discussed Taoism with the Taoist Priest Changchun, and the two of them chatted and laughed happily. It was getting late, so Jiang Wen stood up and prepared to leave. After all, he couldn't stay with Changchun Zhenren for long, lest something unexpected happen. The Thirteen Venerables represent both status and constraints. Emperor Zunlong would not allow Changchun Zhenren to stay in the imperial capital. He must have something to do when he called him into the capital this time. Although Changchun Zhenren said that all the people in the God Worshipping Society's headquarters were under his control, the world's strange and mysterious methods were so mysterious that he was afraid of someone finding out. "I give this to you, sir. If you meet members of the God Worshipping Society again, show this to them." Changchun Zhenren handed Jiang Wen a token with the words "Longevity Turtle" engraved on it. Jiang Wen took it, thanked him, turned around and left. He returned to his residence and told Changnian about the incident. Changnian was overjoyed to know that his child would not be snatched away by the God Worshipping Society. This treatment of Jiang Wen was even more affectionate, as if he were his reborn parents.

One day, Jiang Wen and Li Xiangyue were strolling around the imperial capital. Beside them was Bai Jing, who was dressed as a man. The three of them were quite leisurely and elegant. When I passed by the street corner, I saw a group of ragged beggars kneeling on the ground begging for help. As I was walking over, a boy blocked my way. "Master, please buy us!" "Buy you?" Jiang Wen frowned and looked at the boy. The boy was only wearing some coarse cloth to cover his body. His body was covered in dirt and there were stains in the cracks between his fingernails. He looked like a beggar who had been wandering for a long time. When the boy heard Jiang Wen's question, he was happy at first, then he hurriedly knelt on the ground and looked up at him. "Master, please buy me. I will serve you well and do anything for you." As he said this, he turned his head to look at his mother who was lying powerless on the ground not far away. The mother was holding her younger brother, who was only a few years old, in her arms. "...You get up first." Jiang Wen said calmly. He was still a little surprised. I'm just passing by here, why do you suddenly want to buy someone? "Master, please be kind and buy me. I only need a bite of food." The other person was in tears and knelt on the ground begging him. "Don't cry first, tell me what happened." Jiang Wen said with a smile. The boy stopped crying when he heard Jiang Wen’s words. "My mother and brother are almost starving to death. I beg you to have mercy on me and give them some food to save them. I am willing to sell myself to you."

The boy pointed at the two people lying on the ground not far away and whispered. Jiang Wen looked at the two people, then looked at Li Xiangyue beside him, and couldn't help but sigh. He helped the boy up and said to Li Xiangyue behind him, "Go buy some food. Human life is the most important thing. We can talk about other things after we are full. By the way, it is better to eat something thinner to avoid killing people." "Okay, I understand." Li Xiangyue nodded and walked towards the street stall in the distance. Jiang Wen stayed and looked at the three people in confusion. He looked at the boy and asked, "Where are you from? What happened? Why did you come to the imperial capital?" When the boy heard Jiang Wen's words, he first respectfully told Jiang Wen his name, and then slowly told him what happened. This boy is called Li Qingran, and he is from Chu and Yi states. Next to him are his younger brother Li Jicheng and his mother Zhang. It was just because of a drought in Chu state that no rain fell for half a year. The crops were destroyed and the people had no harvest. The edible grass on the mountain was eaten up. If they did not leave their homeland, they would not be able to survive. Li Qingran and his family followed the others to the imperial capital to seek refuge. However, their family was originally a wealthy family, and they had some reserves even in the disaster. Unexpectedly, on the way here, they were robbed of everything, including the carriage, maids, and concubines. His father and grandfather also lost their lives in the robbery, leaving only the two of them and their mother, who survived by hiding in the crowd. Finally, after stumbling along the way, he arrived in the capital. "Is the drought in Chuzhou so serious?" Jiang Wen looked at the boy with some doubt. Chuzhou has always been the granary of Daqian, how could there be a drought? Even if it was the hundreds of immortal sects, they would not watch the disaster in Chuzhou and do nothing. "It's more serious than what the master thought." Li Qingran lowered his head silently, with a bit of fear in his eyes. "We can't even grab the soil. If there is really no other way..." He didn't say anything more, but Jiang Wen could understand. After all, there are records of various disasters in history. When there is no food, exchanging children for food is already the norm. "Didn't the imperial court provide disaster relief?" Jiang Wen asked. "Yes, there was, but the food provided as disaster relief was barely enough for a person to eat." "In recent years, Daqian has been blessed with good weather and good harvests. How come they can't even provide food for disaster relief? I'm afraid there is something else going on." Jiang Wen was quite puzzled when he heard what the boy said. It was just that the incident in Chuzhou was too coincidental, and it seemed to be man-made. When he saw Li Xiangyue bought porridge, he handed the porridge to Li Qingran. "First, relieve your mother's hunger. People who have been hungry for a long time will easily get an upset stomach if they eat too much." Jiang Wen warned. Li Qingran took the porridge with tears of joy and ran to his mother to feed her. "Mother! We are saved! We are saved!" The child shouted excitedly, his voice a little hoarse. It seemed that the journey was full of bumps and the hardships were hard to describe. "What do you think happened to this disaster?" Jiang Wen asked softly to Li Xiangyue who was standing beside him. "In my opinion, things are probably not that simple." Li Xiangyue said seriously. "Chuzhou is an important grain-producing area. Even if it didn't rain for half a year, it would never fall to this point. Now Daqian has not used troops in the wasteland for a hundred years, and the government's policies are mostly to reduce corvée and taxes. No matter how difficult Chuzhou is, there should be grain reserves from previous years. How could it fall to the point where the people are displaced." "Do you also think this is strange?" Jiang Wen asked. "I'm afraid so. In my opinion, these people are probably just the vanguard. More victims will pour into the imperial capital in the future." Li Xiangyue sighed. Jiang Wen nodded when he heard this and stood aside waiting for Li Qingran to feed his mother and brother. "How are you going to make a living in the future? Continue wandering the streets or find something to do?" Jiang Wen asked. "Just now I said that as long as the master can give me food, I am willing to sell myself to the master." Li Qingran said solemnly. "Since I have already said this, how can it be a breach of oath." "Yo hey." Jiang Wen was amused by the boy's attitude and looked at him with some interest. "Do you know what the consequences of selling yourself to my family are?"

"Of course I know." Li Qingran said with a relieved look. "But if you come into my house, what will happen to your parents?" Jiang Wen pointed at his brother and mother. "There are only three of you left. Are you going to let your mother wander around?" "Since I have already sold myself, I cannot let my brother and mother do the same. I hope the master can give me some money from selling my body to ensure that my mother and brother can gain a foothold in the imperial capital." Li Qingran looked at Jiang Wen pleadingly. He spoke in a very organized manner and was indeed a child from a wealthy family. "In fact, I can pay to help you and your son, so you don't have to think about selling yourself to come in." After hearing Jiang Wen's opinion, Li Qingran hesitated for a moment, then shook his head firmly. He looked at Jiang Wen and said word by word: "My father taught me that a man should keep his promises. Since I have already said so, how can I go back on my word and live up to my father's teachings? Moreover, even if I take that money, it will be difficult for me to stay in the imperial capital for a long time. It is better for me to be a servant with the master and get a salary every month. Even if mother has no other skills and can't make money, I can still give her some money." "You have a good plan, kid. How old are you this year?" Jiang Wen laughed when he heard his words and had a better understanding of this kid's thoughts. "This year, it will be November." "Ah, you are eleven years old. If you are willing, then follow me. I will not treat you unfairly." (End of this chapter)