Chapter 420: Imperial Decree

I don't know who cut out these fine leaves, the spring breeze in February is like a pair of scissors.

In early February, with the end of large-scale wars, greenery swept across the mountains and plains to the two river regions south of Yanshan Mountain, and the spring of the tenth year of Jianyan also arrived in full force.

Taking advantage of this greenery, the Sixth Prince of the Jin Dynasty, who had not been summoned by Emperor Zhao for the second time, led the Datong Governor Oluguan and the Privy Council Chief Secretary Hong Ya, who led the Ministry of War, and arrived in Anle County, Dingzhou, under the escort of the Eastern Mongolian Khan Hebule.

However, after all this, Anle had already been occupied by the Song army. So, the two of them took a short break, asked for some supplies from the Song army in the city, and then rode the Mongolian horses given by Hebule to the northeast again, and arrived at Dingzhou in the evening of that day.

The capital of Dingzhou is more than 100 miles away from Zhending, and there are three rivers of moderate size in between. It is quite awkward to say that the distance is neither close nor far.

Of course, Eluguan and Hong Ya did not expect to live here for long, even though this was a provincial capital... Their plan was simple. They would rest for a night, and tomorrow morning, while the city was still under the jurisdiction of the Jin Kingdom, they would try to collect some defeated soldiers, supplies, and livestock, and then take the local officials in the city who were willing to leave and continue to retreat.

In fact, due to the distance, Dingzhou, which had learned the news of the defeat at the front, had been in a state of panic for a long time, and the Dingzhou governor (according to the Jin Dynasty system, the governor was the governor of the state) Mao Shuo had also promised to go north with them the next day.

But on the next day, which was the morning of the tenth day of February, when they had only finished half of their breakfast, Eluguan and Hong Ya were surprised to find that they seemed to be still a little slow in their actions.

"Mao Zhongquan (Mao Shuo's courtesy name), what do you mean?" After a sigh, Hong Ya, holding a hot oil pancake at the dining table in the back hall, asked coldly, which puzzled Eluguan who was drinking noodle soup.

"I don't have any other intentions. I just want to ask the Sixth Prince and Mr. Hong...if they can eat faster?" Mao Shuo, who was sitting across the table, laughed dryly and tried to answer. "Leave earlier?"

"Is that all you mean?" Hong Ya sneered.

"Minister Hong, you're overthinking." Before Mao Shuo could continue, Erluguan, who had just drunk a mouthful of noodle soup, started to disagree. "Mao Cishi was a general in the Song Dynasty during the Jingkang period, and then served in Liu Yu's Qi State as your subordinate, and then served in his own country as a governor of a state. This status is bound to be unacceptable to the Song people, so he is so anxious... Actually, Mao Cishi, don't worry, the Zhao emperor still values ​​​​respect. As long as we don't resist, even if the Song army arrives in front of the city, at most they will not allow us to take away the livestock and property in the city."

Mao Shuo laughed dryly again, but did not respond.

"Sixth Prince underestimated Governor Mao!" Hong Ya waited patiently for Erluguan to finish speaking, then took a bite of the oil cake, and continued to look at the person opposite him coldly. "Mao Zhongquan, tell me the truth, did the Song people say something or send some message, so you changed your mind and didn't leave? Otherwise, why didn't you drink a sip of your own soup, but just sat there and urged us to eat and leave quickly?"

Eluguan was finally stunned.

Mao Shuo sighed slightly, and finally became serious: "The Sixth Prince is of noble status, and Hong Xianggong is my former boss. I don't want to hide it... Just this morning, Song cavalry arrived at the city and delivered three imperial decrees."

"Who the hell are you? Do you need the Zhao Song government to send three special decrees to persuade you to surrender?" Hong Ya became more and more angry. "I have communicated with the Sixth Prince twice and I have never seen a special decree!"

"Please wait a moment, both of you." Mao Shuo stood up immediately after hearing that.

"I have something to say." Hong Ya quickly pinched the oil cake and scolded sternly. "The two of us came here with the terms of the peace agreement between Emperor Zhao and Yanjing, not to escape. If you try to be smart, you will only make Emperor Zhao dislike you for nothing!"

Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years. E'erluguan was also nervous for a while.

"Mr. Hong, you're overthinking!" Mao Shuo turned back helplessly and stamped his feet. "I'll go get the three decrees for you two!"

Hong Ya and Eluguan had lost interest in eating and could only sit there and look at each other.

After a moment, Mao Shuo came back, bringing with him the three pieces of paper with black words on them... Hong Ya only took a glance and saw the big seal on them, and then he understood in his heart that there was no doubt that this was indeed the will of the Zhao Song government, but it was obvious that the will in the form of a notice could not be directed at an individual.

"I won't read it, and you don't have to read it either. Just tell me what it means!" Hong Ya was a little depressed for a moment, but he stood up and poured a bowl of noodle soup for himself and Erluguan from the big basin in the middle of the table. "See what decree made you change your mind."

After taking a sip, Mao Shuo said bluntly:

"The three decrees were drafted the day before yesterday, which was the eighth day of the first lunar month. They were just delivered this morning... They are all about farming matters."

"Farming?"

"That's right." Mao Shuo said with emotion, referring to the notice in front of him. "The first decree requires all the local military officials in the five routes south of Yanshan, namely, Hedong Road, Hebei East Road, Hebei West Road, Datong Road, and Yanshan Road, to fulfill their duties, guide and appease the people, and supervise the spring ploughing, regardless of whether they are appointed by Jin or Song."

Eluguan and Hong Ya looked at each other, and immediately became a little bored, and both were speechless.

"The second decree." Mao Shuo paused, observed the expressions of the two people opposite him, and continued. "It is slightly related to military affairs, but the main focus is still on farming. It means that if there are large tracts of farmland abandoned due to previous military operations, or farmland left behind by the Jin nobles after they fled, they should be reported early and cultivated as roughly as possible, and not wasted. If there is really no way, Zhending will send the accompanying civilians, auxiliary soldiers, and some captives to come and cultivate the land as roughly as possible, and try to maintain the farming as much as possible."

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