"Lord Yongwu, have the supply troops leave some food here, so that the men can eat sparingly."
"Yes, sir!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Kang was immediately moved to tears. He was already a loyal fan of the emperor, and now he was so moved by his idol's actions that he almost knelt down and banged his head on the ground.
Zhao Huan then asked, "I remember that the imperial court started transporting grain here a month ago. Where is the grain?"
Zhang Kang smiled wryly, unsure how to begin.
A military commander happened to be passing by and, upon hearing this, stopped and said, "Sir, the grain allocated by the imperial court has all been diverted by Prefect Sima!"
A murderous intent clearly gathered in Zhao Huan's eyes.
Zhang Kang said, "Prefect Sima also heard that Qizhou had fallen and sent grain to help the city."
The commander said, "Brother Ji Zhong, stop speaking well of Sima Qing. Everyone knows what kind of person he is. Although he has been kind to you, as an official of the court, you should distinguish between gratitude and resentment."
After saying that, the commander hurriedly left: "My lord, I have to attend to my duties and cannot accompany you."
"Go ahead and get busy."
Zhao Huan asked, "How much grain did Sima Qing take away?"
"Your Majesty, we took away a month's worth of food."
Zhao Huan took a breath, and before leaving, he said to Zhang Kang, "Those who govern should never let personal feelings weigh them down. When you have figured things out, come to the capital city of Dongjing to find me."
"Your Majesty's instructions will be followed!"
Zhao Huan led his men away, heading towards Tai'an.
On the road, he saw too many disaster victims traveling through the night.
Each of them was so downcast, even desperate.
They originally thought that the emperor's new policies would improve their lives day by day, but unexpectedly, disaster struck, and they were forced to leave their homes.
Someone on the street cried out in despair, "God, please save us!"
Hearing such a voice made Zhao Huan feel even worse.
Throughout the night, scouts were constantly scouting ahead, and the emperor's route was naturally the safest.
On the third day at noon, Zhao Huan arrived in Tai'an City.
When the emperor arrived in Tai'an, Zong Ze was no longer there; he had led the main force across the Yellow River.
Zong Ze gathered all the boats on the Yellow River and headed towards the north bank.
It is said that the area is a disaster zone, and the main force is going there to rescue people, to block the collapsing river mouth, and to save the county and townships that can be saved.
When the emperor arrived at Tai'an City, he saw many tents outside the city, with people lying inside.
Someone was cooking porridge at the city gate. Zhao Huan saw Zong Ze's son, Zong Ying, organizing the army in front of the city gate, seemingly ready to set off at any moment.
When Zong Ying saw that the troops arriving were dressed as the Central Imperial Guards, and then realized it was Han Shizhong, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Liangchen, what brings you here?"
Han Shizhong said, "General Zong, His Majesty has also arrived."
Zong Ying glanced at the carriage behind him and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Your subject pays respects to the Emperor."
Zong Ying never expected that the emperor would come to Tai'an; this was completely unexpected.
Zhao Huan got out of the carriage and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Your Majesty, the Grand Chancellor says that the waters of the Yellow River should be diverted to Liangshanbo, poured into the Wen River, and then dispersed to flow into the sea."
"Wouldn't the southern prefectures and counties also suffer from the disaster?"
"Your Majesty, the breaches of the dikes in Puzhou and Qizhou have already slowed the flow of the Yellow River. At the current rate, diverting the water into the Wen River will not have much impact on the southern prefectures and counties. Prime Minister Zong has already ordered the prefectures and counties along the Wen River to prepare for flood control."
"If we divert water from the Wen River, are we confident that we can quickly reduce the floodwaters?"
"I'm confident!"
"Alright! Go there immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
"I command you to return alive!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Your Majesty has granted me life, and I dare not die easily!"
In fact, Song Ting had done this before.
Otherwise, how did the story of Liang Shanbo, who lived for eight hundred miles, come about?
But this time, Zong Ze wants to completely dredge the Wen River, so that all the water flowing into Liang Shanbo will flow into the sea.
Looking towards Tai'an City, Zhao Huan asked again, "Is Sima Qing, the prefect of Yunzhou, here?"
"Yes, it is in the city right now."
Zhao Huan smiled and nodded: "Very good."
Zong Ying did not ask why the emperor sought out Sima Qing; that was a matter between the emperor and Sima Qing.
Zhao Huan waved his hand, and Han Shizhong immediately shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"
In an instant, the war drums sounded, and the soldiers of the Imperial Guard shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
The sound was like ocean waves, one after another, shaking the soul.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden shout.
Zong Ying mounted his horse and rode at the head of his army, saying, "My men, His Majesty has arrived from the capital, Tokyo!"
A deafening roar erupted in front of Tai'an City, shocking everyone present.
Everyone was shocked and excited that the emperor would come here.
These days, the disaster has claimed too many lives, and people on Jingdong Road are filled with fear and anxiety.
But now the emperor has arrived! The emperor has arrived!
Even the emperor himself came to the front lines!
The thought of the emperor of the empire standing here with them brought tears to the eyes of many.
Ordinary people would find it hard to understand why these people would cry under normal circumstances.
Because when people face death, everyone is afraid.
But now people have a spiritual pillar.
Indeed, the emperor was the spiritual pillar of every person in the Song Dynasty; he was the son of heaven and the body of a true dragon.
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