The Vanished People

When the disaster victims saw the County Magistrate leading a young master who looked even richer than he was up the mountain, and caught sight of several sword-bearing guards following behind him, all looking wealthy as well, they rose one after another and looked at them with eager anticipation.

Dai Rong happily introduced him to them. "This is Lord Xue, the Investigating Censor from South of the Yangtze. Lord Xue will go to the Capital City on our behalf to seek an audience with His Majesty and petition for relief grain for us."

The moment the commoners heard this, they dropped to their knees in a great wave. Before long, the entire mountain was filled with kneeling people.

Xue Shao went to help the leader up, but he could not lift him at all. He could only sweep up his robes and kneel before them, solemnly promising, "Xue will spare no effort."

That night, Xue Shao and his party camped at the foot of the mountain with Dai Rong.

Dai Rong had settled his elderly mother at the mountaintop, while his wife and children had remained with him at the foot of the mountain. He brought over a bowl of tea broth and handed it to Xue Shao with a smile. "I have no rice or grain here. Even the tea leaves are gone, so I can only offer you branch soup."

Xue Shao sniffed it and smiled. "Plantain herb. Has Brother Dai been coughing lately?"

Dai Rong smiled. "It is for disease prevention. There is not enough atractylodes, so we can only use plantain herb in its place. This stuff grows everywhere."

Xue Shao sipped it slowly and glanced at Madam Dai. She had just gently coaxed the child to sleep, then carried him over and laid him on