Chapter 542: Open the city gates and accept refugees
The end of the first month.
Outside the northwest border, the cold wind is still howling and the snow is falling.
Standing on the city wall and looking out, you can see ice and snow covering thousands of miles.
The snowy ground near the city gates was crowded with refugees.
The sounds of children crying, women sobbing, and wails drifting over the city walls on the wind could be heard everywhere.
After trekking through mountains and rivers to escape here, the refugees were all ragged and exhausted.
Not only were they hungry and cold, they were also extremely anxious.
The city wall blocking their way was built of bluestone and was tall and majestic.
The old, heavy gray tones are colder than the winter wind and snow.
Separated by a wall, inside and outside the pass are two completely different worlds.
Inside the pass, there is the stability and peace they long for.
They came from far away, seeking refuge but were not given any.
The thick city wall and the tightly closed city gate seemed like an insurmountable chasm in the eyes of the refugees.
It's so close.
"Cold... cold..." The old man in tattered clothes curled up in a ball on the snow, his eyes closed and his face pale.
"Dad? Dad! Hold on a little longer, don't sleep. The city gate will be opened soon and we will be able to enter the city soon!" The man sitting next to him quickly crawled over and picked up the old man, his eyes filled with tears.
"Son, it's Daddy... I've dragged you down..."
"No, don't say that! Dad, hold on a little longer! There are clothes and food in the city. We will be able to enter the city soon and be saved soon, Dad!"
The people around stared at the scene blankly, numb and disheartened, with despair in their eyes.
In this situation, no one is better off than anyone else.
They came from afar with a glimmer of hope, but they had already wasted a lot of time outside the city gates. The dry food they brought with them was slowly eaten up, and their hope became slimmer day by day.
Even if you can survive the cold today, you can't survive the hunger tomorrow.
No one knows when the closed city gate will open.
No one knows whether they can survive to the end.
"Mom, I'm so hungry." In the corner, a child, tightly held by a woman, looked pale and thin, so weak that he could barely open his eyes. Even so, a glint of hope still shone in his innocent eyes. "Mom, the city gates will really open soon, won't they?"
The woman had already burst into tears and didn't dare to look into the child's eyes. She could only hug him tighter and said, "Yes, yes, the city gate will be open soon. We will have something to eat soon. Bao'er, wait a little longer, wait a little longer..."
"Okay, Bao'er, be good, Mommy won't cry..."
Similar scenes abound.
The guard on the city wall watched the scenes below quietly, his brows furrowed and his face solemn.
"Sir, these refugees have been staying outside the city for a long time. If there is no help, I'm afraid..." The deputy general stood behind, hesitant to speak.
"Deputy General, we are soldiers." The guard closed his eyes and said in a stern voice, "This is the city gate. Our responsibility is to protect the people behind us. Military and national laws cannot be ignored."
The deputy general responded in a low voice.
The cold wind whistled sharply as it blew through the city walls, and it felt like a knife cutting people's faces.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard on the stairs leading up to the city wall, and a loud voice announced, "Report! General, an imperial decree has arrived from the court!"
The guard's eyes lit up, and he immediately took the imperial edict and unfolded it. The solemnity on his face faded, and he laughed and ordered, "Accept the emperor's order, open the city gates! Let the refugees into the city, and choose a place to set up tents for them! Our emperor is benevolent!"
The solemn defenders on the city wall shouted in unison, "Our emperor is benevolent!"
"Open the city gates and let people in!"
"Open the city gates and let people in!"
Loud shouts echoed inside and outside the city walls, awakening the ears and inspiring people's hearts.
The cries of grief outside the city gate suddenly fell silent. The refugees listened blankly to the cries, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They stood still on the snow, not daring to move, until the tightly closed city gate roared open, and the scene inside the city appeared before them, and then pairs of gray eyes suddenly burst into light.
"The city gate is open, really open. Is this what we've been waiting for?"
"We've finally waited. Dayue has accepted us... Dayue has accepted us!"
"Dad, did you see that? Open your eyes and look! The city gate is really open. We can go in!"
"Bao'er, wake up! Look, the city gate is open, someone is saving us, we are saved!"
"Emperor Xuan Jing is benevolent!"
"Ogoshi Rende!"
Nearly ten thousand refugees swarmed towards the city gate, but with soldiers maintaining order, there was no apparent chaos.
After choosing a location and setting up tents to settle the refugees, they would check their household registration, distribute food, clothing, and other supplies, report to higher authorities, and then wait for the emperor's order...
Well-organized.
In addition to the northwest checkpoint, the situation is similar at the western and northeastern checkpoints of Dai Viet.
In just a few days, Dai Viet received more than 30,000 refugees.
The news spread very quickly, and more people from other countries who wanted to escape the war came in an endless stream.
…
Nansang.
The secret room of the palace.
The retired emperor sat in an armchair, his silver hair reflecting a cold light under the lamplight, his expression gloomy and cold. "Daiyue is a medium-sized country. It used to rely on Su Jiuni, but now it relies on the Killing Palace. It has become a tough nut to crack. Humph!"
"When other nations learned of the refugee acceptance, they all remained silent. However, Dai Viet's move truly demonstrated the dignity of a nation and established its prestige." Yan Changkong half-lowered his eyes, his voice light, "It's not just refugees who are rushing to Dai Viet; it's also the people's hearts."
"You're right. It's not just the refugees. The royal families of various nations have been trying to ease relations with Dai Viet in recent years, trying to get closer to Dai Viet. Kong'er, we can't wait any longer. The chaos in various nations is the perfect time for us to take action."
"Grandfather, are you planning to send troops now?"
"Otherwise, when should we wait? The Ghost Emperor has spent two years inciting chaos among the nations, weakening their strength. This has actually helped Nan Sang, hahahaha!" The retired emperor laughed, but his smile didn't reach his eyes, which only grew fiercer. "Mobilize the troops and send out the troops in the spring! Take the East China Sea route and detour to take Dongpu and Beixiang first! Of the four major countries in the Central Plains, besides Nan Sang, Beixiang and Dongpu are the most powerful. As long as we defeat them in one fell swoop, the remaining small and medium-sized countries will be nothing to fear. They rely on relying on large powers to survive and have a place on the continent. Without a master to lead them, they are like sand castles that can be easily destroyed!"
He turned to look at the silent young man, pursing his lips. "The divine weapon has two opportunities to be used. One is to destroy the various nations. Once all the nations are under our control, it will be time to destroy the Killing Palace! Ghost Emperor Bai Yu is cunning and treacherous, but the divine weapon is more than enough to deal with him. No matter how smart and capable a person is, they cannot defeat the power of the gods! Once Bai Yu dies, Dayue and Xiling will naturally be mine, Nansang!"
Yan Changkong was silent for a moment, then reminded him, "Grandfather, we only have two chances to use our divine weapons, and we must be extremely cautious each time. But Ghost Emperor Bai Yu's methods are well known to you and me, and no one knows when he will come to Nansang to take our lives next time. Things may not go as smoothly as you and I expect."
"No, things will proceed as planned. Bai Yu is eager for us to take action. Do you think his goal is just to disrupt the countries and kill a few emperors of Nansang for fun? He wants to destroy the entire world. Nansang is the knife he deliberately left behind, pointing at the other countries. He will never take action against Nansang again until we have destroyed all the countries."
The emperor raised his lips and smiled slyly.
The Ghost Emperor Bai Yu used a knife to kill someone, and Nan Sang took advantage of the situation.
As for who will win in the end, it all depends on who makes the better final move.
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