第三章 乱世求生

崇祯二年二月，北风还是刮得紧。朱由检蹲在破庙的门槛上，盯着地上那滩干涸的血迹发呆。那血迹被冻成暗红色，像块抹了蜡的泥土，粘在青石板上，怎么也刮不干净。他记得昨天晚上，是跟着王老五进的村，结果王老五一进门，就被朱员外家那黑狗给咬了。 王老五当时就倒地了，血糊了一地。朱由检当时吓傻了，只想往回跑，可脚腿像灌了铅，挪不动步子。后来还是王老五喘着最后一口气，把朱由检推上了这破庙的屋顶，才没被乱兵发现。 屋顶上没生火，四面漏风。朱由检缩在稻草堆里，冻得瑟瑟发抖。他想起县里的告示，说山海关总兵吴三桂吃了败仗，李自成带着人马往南进了。崇祯帝派了兵去救，结果兵都没到，崇祯自己上吊了。 他摸了摸怀里，还有一块冷硬的饼子。那是王老五塞给他的，说饿不死就吃一口。饼子已经冻得像块石头，可朱由检还是啃了一口，咂咂嘴，居然还有点咸味。 天蒙蒙亮的时候，朱由检醒来。他看了看周围，都是光着身子的叫花子，有的抱着孩子，有的发着高烧， whimpering like dying animals. He noticed a lean, worn man shivering nearby, clutching a rags bundle. The man blinked, then looked up at him. "Who are you?" the man whispered. His voice was rough from hunger and cold, yet there was something familiar in his eyes. "I'm Zhu Yuojin," 朱由检 replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm a scholar. I... I came here looking for a job." The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Job? In what sense? Selling yourself?" He laughed, a wet, broken sound. "No one wants to buy a scholar when the world is ending."