RPAGF Chapter 112 Empress Dowager Cixi Eats Straw
Chapter 112 Empress Dowager Cixi Eats Straw
At 6:00 AM on August 15th, the Shenwu Gate on the north side of the Forbidden City quietly opened, and a hundred or so soldiers from the Shenji Battalion escorted more than a dozen carriages, rushing along Shichahai towards Desheng Gate.
At the entrance of Desheng Gate, Yikuang and others stepped forward to pay their respects upon seeing the imperial procession. Empress Dowager Cixi lifted the carriage curtain and nodded slightly upon seeing the orderly procession.
Xiao Dezhang strode forward and whispered a few words in Li Lianying's ear. Li Lianying nodded, walked to Cixi's carriage, and spoke softly for a while.
"Excellent! Little Li, you handled this matter well! Shen Lian's guards are really capable. Have them reorganize our convoy as well."
Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at the well-equipped and imposing Shen family guards beside her, who seemed more reassuring than the Shenji Battalion soldiers around her.
Lai Fu, having received the order, naturally didn't stand on ceremony and cleared out the palace's caravan as well. He also dismissed the Shenji Battalion soldiers who didn't have horses!
"Alright! Let's set off quickly!" Empress Dowager Cixi naturally dared not delay any longer. The distant cannon fire constantly reminded her that the foreigners were about to invade.
After Desheng Gate opened, Laifu sent someone out first. Then he directed the carriages behind to follow in an orderly manner.
At eight o'clock in the morning, the group left Beijing through Xizhimen and headed straight for Changping.
After exiting Xizhimen, with Ma Yukun and about a thousand men from the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard coming to protect him, it was no longer possible to conceal his whereabouts.
At Lai Fu's suggestion, Ma Yukun was ordered to lead men to intercept any pursuing troops the foreigners might send. The convoy sped straight towards Changping.
They didn't dare stop along the way. They arrived at the outskirts of Changping at nightfall. Exhausted, both men and horses were weary; these were people accustomed to a life of luxury and simply couldn't run any further.
"Your Majesty, there is a village ahead. Shen Laifu asks, how about we rest here for the night?" Li Lianying asked as he approached Cixi's carriage.
"Let's rest for the night! I'm too weak to move. Tell Shen Laifu to quickly prepare food; everyone is starving after not eating all day!" Cixi said weakly.
Laifu strode into the village with his two brothers. The young master is truly a genius, a visionary! Not only did he know Cixi was going to flee and make arrangements in advance, but he even guessed the exact same route!
The village chief's family had obviously prepared in advance! They didn't ask for anything fancy, just sweet potato porridge, mixed flour steamed buns, and pickled vegetables.
In addition, a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables and a small dish of cured meat were prepared for Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, and others!
The young master instructed that these people be made to suffer.
Even with such food, the group ate with great relish, praising Shen Laifu for his thoughtfulness as they ate.
After the meal, the village chief's family prepared a few more rooms. Of course, only Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, and the Empress had rooms to stay in.
Everyone else had to live in the carriage because the poor families in the village all lived in thatched houses and there were no extra rooms for them to live in.
Of course, the guard team had prepared their own tents, and they moved in amidst the envious glances of everyone. Fortunately, the weather was hot, so it wouldn't be a problem for them to sleep outdoors at the edge of the village.
In the middle of the night, Ma Yukun and his men caught up with them. They hadn't brought any provisions or supplies, and could only eat some wild vegetables and thin porridge.
Nothing happened that night, and early the next morning, Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't wait to set off with her entourage. She felt that this place was still too close to the capital.
. . . . . .
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the sky was cloudless, and the scorching sun baked the earth. On the official road about twenty miles from Juyong Pass, a group of weary travelers walked along.
This group must have been traveling for a long time; the horses were panting heavily, and the driver's lips were cracked, and he sat dejectedly on the carriage shaft.
"Stop! Stop!" a hoarse voice called from the carriage at the front. The elderly driver quickly stopped the carriage.
The cars behind also stopped when they saw that the car in front had stopped.
"What's wrong?" Li Lianying hurriedly got out of the carriage and walked to the carriage in front to ask.
"Little Li, I'm so thirsty. Have Shen Laifu get some water and food!" Empress Dowager Cixi said weakly, leaning against the carriage.
"Very well, Your Majesty!" Li Lianying looked around, shook her head, and walked towards the front of the convoy.
"What's wrong, Steward Li!" Laifu turned his horse around and asked as he saw Li Lianying approaching.
"Laifu! The Empress Dowager is extremely thirsty. Go and find some food and water!" Li Lianying wiped the sweat from his forehead and said dryly.
They set off from Changping early this morning and have been running ever since, without having eaten or drunk anything. The sun is shining brightly overhead, and everyone is extremely thirsty.
"Manager Li, I've looked around. There's no village in sight, no shop in sight. Where am I supposed to find food and water?" Lai Fu shook his head and said helplessly.
"Let them hurry on their way! They should reach Juyong Pass in two more hours. Once they get there, they will have no shortage of food and water."
Lai Fu sneered inwardly, "You bunch of bastards, die of thirst! Weren't you always so high and mighty? Now you know what it's like to go hungry!"
Anyway, our own people have hidden water bags, so they're not afraid of the heat!
“We really can’t go on. Not only are the Empress Dowager and His Majesty unable to hold on, but even the snails can’t move! Laifu, you’d better think of something quickly!” Li Lianying was also extremely thirsty, his mouth so dry that he had no saliva left.
"Alright! Let's take a break and see if there's any way!" Shen Lian said thoughtfully, looking at the lush cornfield beside the road.
"Xiao Yi, go cut down a few corn stalks and bring them up!" Shen Lian shook his head.
Soon, several green corn stalks were placed in Laifu's hands. He picked one up, peeled off the outer skin like he was gnawing on sugarcane, and chewed the white core.
"Hmm! Not bad, a bit juicy and sweet! Steward Li, what do you think of this?" Shen Lian handed a corn stalk to Li Lianying.
Li Lianying hurriedly took it and started biting into it, not caring that he even cut his lip in his haste. He just kept chewing the corn stalk!
"Good, good! Laifu, you're so resourceful! This stuff not only has water, but it tastes excellent too. Quickly have the guards cut up more and send it to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor." Li Lianying said excitedly after taking a few bites.
Shen Lian told the guards to go down and cut the corn stalks; the leaves they pulled off would be perfect for feeding the horses.
"Your Majesty, the food is here!" Li Lianying stumbled and ran to Cixi's carriage, carrying a bundle of corn stalks.
"Little Li, you're making me eat this?" Empress Dowager Cixi sat up happily, but unexpectedly, Li Lianying brought her a bundle of tree branches.
"Your Majesty, Laifu really knows how to do things! This straw is not only juicy, but also sweet. You'll know once you try it!" As she spoke, Li Lianying picked up a straw and began scraping it without any hesitation.