Chapter 54: Persuasion
On the third day of March, news came from the capital that Yang Yuanli had passed away.
Yang Rui, who was only seven years old, succeeded to the throne and changed the country's name to Chang'an.
North of the Yellow River, a heavy snowstorm arrived as expected, as if it was going to clear away all the snow that had accumulated for several months.
Palm-sized snowflakes fell for three days and three nights. The snow piled up more than a person's height, collapsing countless houses and leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
Hearing that the porridge provided by King Chengtian of Xuzhou could save their lives, the refugees flocked south and gathered outside the city of Xuzhou from thousands of miles away, waiting for the porridge to be provided and rescued.
Xu Bing, standing on the tower, looked at the huge number of refugees outside the city and said, "Your Highness, there are more and more refugees these days. The big pot responsible for distributing porridge at the city gate has already cooked nearly thirty pots, and it is still not enough."
Song Yuzhu frowned and said, "We can't go on like this. If we let them get used to eating for free, I'm afraid there will be disaster in the future."
The problem of refugees is imminent. Although there is enough food for a while now, it will run out one day.
Seeing that they didn't have to work and had food to eat every day, the refugees outside the city stayed here and refused to leave.
Some simply built small shacks and lived in them with their whole family, eating and waiting to die.
Moreover, these people did not pay attention to hygiene and urinated and defecated everywhere, polluting the water in the moat and causing many people to suffer from dysentery.
Song Yuzhu was angry and decided to take good care of these refugees!
The first thing to do was to count the number of refugees, their age, gender and place of origin, and register them one by one.
Young and strong men were all sent to mine! Older men stayed outside the city to build houses, while women were responsible for weaving and farming. Elderly people who could not work stayed outside the city to look after their children!
The order was given, and naturally these refugees would not obey. If they did not obey, they would be driven away without food. If they dared to sneak in to get food, they would be beaten with a big stick!
After four or five troublemakers were beaten to death, the refugees finally calmed down.
Four to five thousand able-bodied men were taken to the mines marked on the map to dig coal and iron ore.
The remaining two thousand or so old but still healthy men began to build a city around Xuzhou.
These houses will be used by them in the future, so the old people are naturally very careful about them. If the one allocated to them is shoddily built, it would be a waste of time.
The women received seeds and reclaimed wasteland on the outskirts of the city to plant crops. Xuzhou is located in the North China Plain, where the thing most lacks is land. As long as they are willing to work, they can survive.
The refugees found order and gradually lived a stable life.
Only then did Song Yuzhu officially open the gates of Xuzhou, allowing the people in the inner and outer cities to trade with each other.
*
By mid-April, rebel forces from all over the country flocked to Xuzhou, and the number of troops in Xuzhou had reached more than 100,000.
Zhao Xiao promoted three more deputy generals and promoted Ma Zhenwei, who had made a mistake, to the rank of captain, which made the boy very happy.
However, this time he did not get carried away, but led his soldiers steadily, training from morning to night every day, which made the other barracks grit their teeth.
The mines also produced tons of coal, which was used to refine iron. The blacksmiths used the refined iron to forge strong armor and weapons.
Song Yuzhu finally decided to send troops to the north to unify the world!
*
At this time, people in Beijing were in panic.
In fact, the seeds of the decline of the Sheng Dynasty had already been sown. Since the defeat of the Jin people during the reign of Emperor Tiansheng, the Sheng Dynasty had not experienced a war for nearly a hundred years.
The long-term emphasis on culture over military power and the cuts in military spending have resulted in a shortage of soldiers available today.
Most of the generals were already old, and the younger generation was not capable enough. It was difficult to find someone who could lead the troops to fight against the Chengtian Army.
In addition, during the reign of Emperor Longwu, he distributed land on a large scale, which indirectly weakened the country's strength.
Now the only one who can lead the troops to fight is Ye Qing, who is guarding the border.
The Grand Tutor has already written an imperial edict on behalf of the Emperor, ordering him to return to the capital as soon as possible.
But it will take at least half a month to get back from Beiguan. What should I do during this time?
So some ministers began to come up with bad ideas. They submitted memorials to the emperor proposing to negotiate peace with King Chengtian, using the Qinling Mountains as the boundary, with the south coming under the jurisdiction of King Chengtian and the north continuing to be ruled by the Sheng Dynasty, in order to temporarily delay the Chengtian army.
When this memorial was submitted, the whole court was in an uproar. Was half of the Da Sheng territory going to be divided among those rebels?
The emperor's teacher Tian Qiju was the first to stand up and oppose him. He cursed him as a rebel running dog. How could we hand over the country that our ancestors had conquered?
Imperial Tutor Feng Zhi, however, thought that this method was feasible. As the emperor was still young, he could make plans after General Ye returned to Beijing.
After nearly half a month of quarreling, the Chengtian army actually reached Shangdu and was about to cross the Yellow River!
They were so frightened that they dared not delay any longer and quickly sent people to negotiate peace.
*
In the marching tent, Song Yuzhu was wearing a plain robe and a jade crown. Holding a charcoal pencil in her jade-like hands, she was drawing a marching map based on the picture in her mind.
Although it was chilly in spring, the tent was very warm because there was a small stove in the tent room.
This stove was drawn by Song Yuzhu based on his memories of his previous life. In his previous life, he lived with his grandparents, and every household in the countryside had such a small round-bellied stove.
The stove is not big, and there is a chimney covered with iron sheets. A few pieces of coal can burn for half a day, which is much warmer than the previous charcoal basin.
Coal was discovered as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, but it has never been used in large quantities. One reason is that it is difficult to mine. In the absence of modern tools, it all depends on manpower, and the amount of coal mined is limited.
Secondly, people do not master the skills of burning coal and are easily poisoned by carbon monoxide.
Now with stoves with chimneys, soldiers can easily master the skills of burning coal. Small pots and kettles can be placed on the stoves to boil water, cook noodles and make tea, which is very convenient to use during the march.
During this march northward, he ordered people to build hundreds of stoves in advance to keep the soldiers warm.
Zhao Xiao opened the door curtain, rubbing his hands and walked in: "Hiss, why is the weather getting colder and colder?"
Song Yuzhu glanced at the weather forecast on the map. It was nineteen degrees below zero today. Although it was not as low as the coldest time of winter, this place was located in a plain with no mountains around. The cold wind was biting, so the perceived temperature was naturally lower.
However, the low temperature also has a very good advantage. The ice on the Yellow River is very thick, which can completely stop a large army from crossing. Otherwise, it would be a hassle for so many people and horses to cross the river.
"Come over and warm yourself by the fire." Song Yuzhu put away the map he had drawn most of the way, picked up the kettle from the stove, and poured him a cup of hot water.
"I heard this morning that the Sheng Dynasty sent an envoy to negotiate peace?"
Song Yuzhu nodded: "Yes, they said that they would give us the land south of Qinling Mountains and govern it separately from the mountains."
Zhao Xiao: "We have already fought this hard, and they are just thinking of asking for peace. Isn't it too late?"
Song Yuzhu had no intention of negotiating peace. His purpose of this trip was to overthrow the Sheng Dynasty. If the roots of the problem were not removed, there would be trouble in the future.
The unlucky guy sent by the Sheng Dynasty to negotiate peace was Liu Lin, the Minister of Rites. He was a man in his early thirties, with a fair face and no beard, but he was very handsome.
Before coming, Liu Lin knew that this would not succeed. Those old guys were still living in the fantasy of the prosperous Spring and Autumn Period of the Great Sheng Dynasty and did not care at all about the current momentum of the Chengtian Army.
But now that I'm here, even if I can't negotiate peace, I have to delay it for a few days, otherwise it will be difficult to report back.
A guard outside the tent passed on the message: "Your Majesty, Lord Liu is here again."
Song Yuzhu raised her eyebrows and said to Zhao Xiao, "You will meet this person later. He is quite interesting."
"Let him in."
Liu Lin opened the door curtain and walked in, bowing and saying, "How are you, King Chengtian? Is this General Zhao?"
Zhao Xiao hummed as a reply.
Liu Lin raised his head and stared at him intently, with a surprised expression on his face: "I have long heard of General Zhao's great name. Seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed worthy of his reputation. He is truly... extraordinary and heroic!"
Song Yuzhu couldn't help laughing. This guy must be obsessed with looks. He had the same expression when he saw her for the first time.
"Oh, Xuzhou is indeed a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery!" Liu Lin sighed. Both leaders were so good-looking, which made him feel good about them. If he had a chance, he would definitely go to Xuzhou to take a look...
Zhao Xiao looked unhappy when he was looked at by him and coughed heavily.
Liu Lin quickly withdrew his gaze, and felt a chill on the back of his neck, sensing murderous intent.
Song Yuzhu: "Master Liu, please sit down."
"Hey." Liu Lin moved a small stool and sat next to Song Yuzhu. After all, King Chengtian was more handsome and looked less stressful.
"Heavenly King, where were we this morning?"
Song Yuzhu said: "The Prince of Yan in Beidi attempted to usurp the throne but failed, and was torn to pieces by a chariot."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Does the Heavenly King know what became of his wives, concubines and offspring?"
"how?"
Liu Lin said quietly, "His wife, Hu Er, was cut into a human pig and lived in a pigsty outside the Great Wall for three years. His two sons were castrated and sent to the palace to do menial work. They were never allowed to stand up for the rest of their lives."
Song Yuzhu sighed: "That's really tragic."
"Yes, the root cause is that the King of Yan was arrogant and conceited, and he attempted to usurp the throne, which led to disastrous consequences."
Zhao Xiao understood that his grandson was telling stories to scare them.
"From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were not a bad person. There was compassion in your eyes for all living beings."
Song Yuzhu narrowed her eyes and smiled: "Ah, then I'm afraid you've seen it wrong."
"Do you really want to put all the people in the flames of war and ignore them?"
"Now the prosperous dynasty has fallen into the hands of the people and has ignored them."
Liu Lin said anxiously: "If you steal the world, I'm afraid you will be criticized by the world in the future."
"From whom did the first emperor of the Sheng Dynasty get stolen?"
Liu Lin said: "That's because the previous dynasty did evil things and the people suffered. The emperor of the Celestial Empire is following the will of heaven and saving the people from disaster."
"Is the current prosperous dynasty different from the previous one? During the reign of Emperor Longwu, he indulged in pleasure, imposed harsh punishments and heavy taxes, and the people suffered terribly. In the court, officials protected each other and corrupt officials were rampant."
Liu Lin's face flushed: "This...this is also a good official!"
"Where are all the good officials? Are they banished to a cold and bitter land? Are they pushed to the border? Or are they ordered to negotiate peace?"
Song Yuzhu continued, "Master Liu, do you know how many people died in the snowstorm this year? Did the court allocate grain for disaster relief? Have the people been properly resettled?"
"I……"
"You sit comfortably in the temple, how can you know that the old and the young are shivering in the cold wind? The mother holds her child tightly in her arms to protect him, but she suffocates the child to death? The men have their hands and feet frozen, but they still have to earn a bowl of thin porridge for their families?"
Liu Lin was silent. King Chengtian said every word correctly. The current Sheng Dynasty was indeed no different from the end of the previous dynasty.
Song Yuzhu sneered: "Now, do you still want to persuade me?"
"The new emperor has ascended the throne... maybe things will be better in the future..." Liu Lin felt unconfident when he said this.
The court is still controlled by those aristocratic families. The emperor is young, and his mother's family's power is gradually rising. No one knows what will happen in the future.
Song Yuzhu said: "Maybe, but it will take too long. The people can't wait, and we can't gamble on whether a child can save the collapsing building."
Song Yuzhu stood up and added two pieces of coal into the stove. The flames soared higher, and the tent room became warmer.
Liu Lin stood up with a dejected look on his face and said, "I understand. I hope the world...will get better."
Zhao Xiao, who was standing nearby, said, "Don't worry, things will probably get better and better!"
(End of this chapter)
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