Chapter 53
The waiting time always makes people a little anxious, especially when the transportation routes of supplies are blocked due to snow.
At this moment, the office was filled with the sound of shuffling papers, as if trying to cover up something, accompanied by a familiar question:
"Did the people we sent out write back?"
Song Jin asked the soldier on duty, and the soldier, whose face was a little red from the cold, shook his head, saying that he did not see the person who came back to deliver the letter when he was on duty in the morning.
In fact, even the birds were gone, let alone people or carriages. Far from the city, it was difficult to tell the direction, and the people who had been sent out had all turned back for this reason. Fortunately, the wheel tracks had not been completely covered up in such a short time, so they finally did not get lost.
This was not the first time Song Jin asked, but it was obvious that the answer he got this time was still "I don't know". There was no rush for this matter, so he could only sigh and waved his hand to signal the soldiers to leave.
"Got it. Have the next person keep a close eye on it and tell me immediately if anything happens."
The soldier who came to report took the order and left. No one else in the room commented on this, but the worry in their expressions could not be concealed in any way.
This snowstorm came suddenly. Despite some preparation, Pingyi was still covered in white in just one or two days. The roads inside the city were still okay, but the roads and fields outside the city were indistinguishable.
Many people took advantage of the daylight to clear the snow from their roofs. Although the newly built houses could handle this, it was still safer to do this just in case.
The snow outside hadn't stopped yet, so Song Jin sent people out to clear the main roads first, making it easier for people in the city to travel, and then to clear the snow from the city hall and workshops. The merchants who had been preparing to leave also paused, waiting for the snow to subside before planning their return journey.
The river flowing through the city was also covered in a thin layer of ice. Some people were currently trying to break through the relatively thin layer with tools, at least to create a crack for easy access to water for daily use. The waterwheels also needed to be cleaned and moved promptly to prevent damage to the equipment.
Most people drink roughly filtered water from wells in the city, so they are not affected much.
The doctors in the city were also extremely busy. In addition to dispensing medicine, they also needed to notify their apprentices according to the records to deliver the medicine to many families in a timely manner.
Many people in the city have caught the cold recently. Winter has been a time when many people stay home, and sneezing is common. Many families only discovered they had the cold after it spread to their entire families. Initially, the situation was moved to a dedicated facility outside the city. When it became uncontrollable, they simply recorded the number of cases and sent people wearing simple masks to visit every household daily to check on the situation and deliver medicine and food.
Of course, extremely serious cases still need to be treated uniformly, and those with different symptoms should be isolated to reduce cross-infection.
Wen Yi had unfortunately also been infected, and most of the vacancies in the office were due to the cold. Fortunately, perhaps because his genes had been screened for many viruses, he was just not in good spirits. To avoid infecting the rest of the office, he simply stayed in his room in the backyard, waiting for food and medicine to be dropped off at his door every day.
Originally, Shu was thinking of finding someone to look after him, but seeing that Wen Yi's condition was not too serious and his attitude was quite firm, he told him to go to the clinic immediately if the symptoms became serious.
"Okay." Wen Yi's voice was a little hoarse.
The black-haired cat in the room didn't move when it heard the noise, but just turned over lazily on the blanket. The heat provided by the flue made it very comfortable. In addition, because of the cold wind, Wen Yi only opened the window a little to let in air, which made it much warmer than other places.
Originally, Wen Yi didn't want Yuwan to get close to her. Although there is no connection between the cold viruses of humans and cats, she cannot rule out the possibility that she may be carrying some other viruses.
Wen Yi could stop Shu and the others, but she couldn't stop a persistent cat. She carried it out several times, only to see the black figure back in the house. She could only let it go. Fortunately, after a few days, Yuwan didn't show any signs of sneezing, so she figured she had just caught a cold.
Apart from anything else, it is really comfortable to have a warm cat hug you when you feel dizzy.
Song Jin asked someone from Mingxue Palace to help summarize and copy the important daily events, and brought them to Wen Yi when delivering meals. That's why she also knew that Pingyi had cut off contact with the surrounding areas, and wondered if the same was true in Xinyi and other places.
As expected, the cold wave covered a vast area. Not only the cities where Wen Yi and Yao Wenjun were stationed, but also the remnants of the Ji and Xi kingdoms, and even further south, suffered the same disaster.
Moreover, because those places had not been so cold in previous years, the response measures to the blizzard were insufficient, houses collapsed under the snow, and countless people could not withstand the cold and fell into sleep.
Because the snow was still falling, except for contacting the soldiers stationed in the mountains not far from Pingyi, the roads to other places were still blocked. The people sent out could not identify the direction clearly and could only wait for the snow to stop before making plans.
Wen Yi held Yuwan in her arms and looked at the snow scene outside through the window, with a small stove holding warm water beside her.
The yard hadn't been cleared for just a few hours, and it was already covered in snow again. Qingping and the others would have to clean it again when they returned. Over the past two days, the workshop had hastily crafted a long pole specifically for clearing snow from roofs. A piece of coarse cloth was attached underneath. While not as smooth as a film, at least it didn't require climbing too high, and the city's residents were very satisfied.
A few days ago, many people accidentally fell while climbing on the roof because of their clumsy hands and feet. Now their legs are still unable to move, and they have been laughed at by their neighbors.
Joking aside, the people living nearby were kind enough to come visit me with some gifts, but I didn't really want to show up.
Wen Yi had also heard some of these amusing stories. While writing them down on paper diminished the humor of verbal retelling, it was still quite amusing to imagine them. He just didn't know what was happening to people elsewhere. While more interesting stories were fine, having enough food and warmth was most important.
Yao Wenjun, who was being thought of by Song Jin and Wen Yi, was looking at the mountain not far away, feeling quite distressed.
Places like Pingyi only had covered roads, so it was possible to go there if she had to. However, she was directly trapped in the city in the mountains by the snow. If she had not brought enough supplies, she would have had to take the risk of returning to transport food.
"General, there is no news from other places." It was not surprising that his subordinates reported the same news.
However, there were contingency plans for the snowstorm, and I just hoped those people could overcome the difficulties they encountered. All I could do now was to take shelter in the city. Many houses in the city had collapsed under the weight of the snow, and kangs were not common here. Yao Wenjun simply had several vacant warehouses cleared out and provided temporary shelter for the homeless, providing them with porridge and water daily.
Fortunately, there were so many people huddled together to keep warm, and there were a few stoves brought by the marchers, so no tragedy happened.
Yao Wenjun and his men are currently living in the mansion of a wealthy family after they fled. The place is large enough, and although the gold and silver jewelry inside have been taken away, the basic infrastructure is still there and can be used after the chimney is slightly cleared.
There were a few servants left behind to look after the city, but they quietly left when the city changed hands, leaving only a few cleaning servants.
Yao Wenjun would not use these people, but he did provide them with a job - preparing food and providing help for the people living in the warehouse, which was considered appropriate.
Wen Yi converted the reception room into a meeting place and made a temporary table using wood from the treasury. She spread the map on it and began to think about what to do next.
The snow not only disrupted their offensive and deployment, but also caused damage to the enemy. Several cities on the other side were already short of food, and now they were facing severe cold. It was unclear whether the enemy would choose to fight to the death or give up resistance and join the light.
Mostly the former.
The deputy generals and staff officers present shared Yao Wenjun's sentiments. At this point, surrender was meaningless, and the few remaining cities wouldn't secure sufficient benefits for the monarch. However, the snow hadn't stopped yet, making it difficult to identify the direction and conceal one's tracks. Once it stopped, they would have to be ready to fight the enemy.
Yao Wenjun had been keeping a close eye on her men during this period, never removing her custom-made metal wire armor and keeping her dagger close to her body. She recalled her previous tactics, and the easiest way to resolve the Ji Kingdom crisis now was to eliminate her.
However, this was a bit of an overreaction. The internal chaos of the Ji State had already made it impossible for them to carry out assassinations. Many places had already been in chaos. The wealthy and noble, taking advantage of the fact that no one came to plunder, packed up their belongings and took refuge outside the city or in nearby farms. Ordinary people also took the opportunity to hide in the mountains, but finding a place with enough shelter from the wind and snow was a matter of luck. At least there was enough firewood in the mountains, and with a little luck, they could even find prey, which was a better chance of survival than in a city with no food.
These people undoubtedly have a keen sense of smell. When the managers are short of food, the people who were originally sheltered will become the primary targets of looting.
Even those who originally lowered their heads and dared not look them in the eye would lose their former awe and fear when they were extremely hungry and cold, and the desire to survive would be far higher than those ideas formed by discipline.
Fires broke out in many places in the city, and countless people took advantage of the chaos to rush into the mansions and warehouses, snatching those things that had not been taken away.
*
Wen Yi originally thought that she would get better soon from this cold, but she kept coughing for a long time. She then went to see a doctor and got some medicine specifically for treating coughs, and only then did she feel better.
The snow had stopped before she fully recovered, but it was still extremely cold when the snow melted. The sweaters and quilts in Pingyi that were originally of somewhat old styles were still very popular, especially among those vendors who had not made any preparations. They even bought various warm products woven by others at home at high prices, probably intending to sell them elsewhere.
The first place to receive the news was Xinyi. Some people in the city fell ill. Fortunately, several people in charge controlled the situation in time, so there was no serious damage. Only a few temporary houses were not cleaned in time and collapsed. After that, the city also paid attention to the accumulation of snow.
News also arrived from Shangyong and Fuyi, located to the east. The Shangyong official had been injured in a fall during his initial inspection tour, and the students who had come to assist had been quite helpful. They were said to have lost weight, and the official praised them highly in his official documents. Fuyi, like Pingyi, had suffered similar looting incidents, with much damage to buildings outside the city walls. Fortunately, no one was injured, a blessing in disguise.
The people sent by Song Jin and others to contact Nanxun, Yao Wenjun and others have already set out for a few days. It will take some time to get there based on the walking distance, so there is no time to rush.
There were several small towns that were in urgent need of supplies. The towns to the south had been built relatively recently, and many of the houses were still the original thatched huts. Even if people were taken to a safe place in time, it would be extremely difficult to keep them warm.
Nanxun also allocated some excess supplies to those in the city who had nowhere to go, and the rest depended on luck.
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