Chapter 345 Inviting the Prince to Go North to Take Charge of the Situation
Yun Zhaoxue learned about hybrid rice seed cultivation in class before.
There are also relevant books in the space, and in her spare time, she will browse through them to review and study.
Then, an experiment was conducted. The first experiment with the space rice paddy failed.
Because not a single male-sterile plant with underdeveloped stamens and normal pistils could be found in the entire acre of rice paddy in the space.
She decided to print and publish the theory and methods of hybrid rice in large quantities.
The ancients produced many talented people, and the wisdom of the working people should not be underestimated. As long as the correct answer is given to them, they can conduct repeated experiments.
If it doesn't work in one year, try two, three, five, ten years... one day we'll figure it out.
She will not give up the research until she finds a solution.
High-yield crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and cassava have spread from Panyu County to surrounding cities, and most people no longer have to go hungry.
However, when he went out on the street that day, he was shocked by what he saw.
The roadside was full of beggars with their families, carrying broken bowls and begging along the street. They would get up and kneel down to beg passersby.
"Kind-hearted people, please have some food! We haven't eaten a single grain of rice for three days. My child will starve to death if he doesn't eat soon. Our whole family is begging you, please give our child some food..."
"Sir, please give me some food..."
"Please save my child, I'm willing to be your slave..."
"Please have mercy and give us some food... We fled from the north, but bandits robbed us of all our money on the way, and our child is crying so hard he's gone."
"Sir, please have some compassion and give me a copper coin to buy a steamed bun."
...
Hongzao couldn't bear to watch any longer and lowered the curtain. "Princess, there are many refugees on the road. Why don't we go back first?"
The scene on the street is too chaotic. The two young masters are still in the carriage. If someone startles the horses, the carriage will go out of control and cause an accident.
"I'll go back after I finish my business." Yun Zhaoxue went out of town today to discuss publishing with a bookstore. She would self-publish and sell the book at a discount so that more people could see it.
Most of the exiled people from Datian Village moved to the town. Commander Jia Quan often went out on business with Zhao Xuan. No one cared about them. They could go wherever they wanted, as long as they didn't leave the city.
Most of the convicts moved to the city.
Only the Xiao family and a few other households have remained in the village, almost completely isolated from the outside world, unaware of the dramatic changes that have taken place and the widespread displacement of people.
"Chasing Shadow, why are there so many people begging on the street? Where did they come from?"
“Princess, there weren’t this many people on the streets a couple of days ago. They must be people who fled to the south from the war in the north. A small number of them are locals. Their land was taken away by wealthy merchants, so they have no land to cultivate and they come out to beg.”
"With so many refugees, isn't the government doing anything about it?"
"The government hasn't taken any action yet. Based on my understanding of that county magistrate, I estimate he won't interfere."
The city defense battalion's side.
Zhao Xuan gathered the talents he had recruited together for a meal and drinks, and discussed national affairs.
As they were eating, a personal guard led a general in armor, looking travel-worn, into the hall.
The other person held a letter in his hand, walked to Zhao Xuan's side, knelt down on one knee, and presented the letter to Zhao Xuan with both hands.
"This humble general Zhang Jun pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Xuan."
"Who are you……"
"This humble general is a deputy commander under the Zhenbei Army. I was ordered by the Grand Marshal to send a message to His Highness Prince Xuan at full speed to welcome him to the north to take charge of the overall situation and recover the Central Plains."
"Let me take charge? Where is my father?" Zhao Xuan held a grand banquet today, waiting for this moment, but he asked the question knowing the answer already. He wanted to confirm whether his father and his brothers had been arrested.
"The Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and others have all been captured by the enemy..."
Zhang Jun, with tears streaming down his face, recounted the devastation of the capital being looted by the enemy and the humiliation of the emperor and the entire royal family being taken captive to the north.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuan dropped his wine cup with a clatter, shattering it into pieces. He then slowly knelt down, facing the direction of the capital.
He wept and confessed, “Father, I still hope to return to the capital one day to be with you and fulfill my filial duty. Father, you have suffered such a great humiliation, and I was unable to save you. I am unfilial. Rest assured, as long as I live, I will do everything in my power to bring you back to Your Majesty.”
"Your Highness, this is the seal and documents that Marshal Ye instructed me to give you."
Zhao Xuan clutched his aching chest, took the document, a whole page long, and the last few words were the key: ordering him to quickly head north and take charge of the overall situation.
He propped himself up on his legs, but suddenly his legs gave way and he knelt down again.
“Your Highness…” Zhang Jun and his personal guards helped the man up and placed him on a chair.
Jia Quan bowed to him and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to lead men to escort Your Highness northward."
Fortunately, he was smart enough not to offend the future emperor in front of him.
If King Xuan becomes emperor, he will rise from a lowly city defense commander to a favorite of the emperor, with unlimited potential.
Jia Quan got incredibly lucky, hahaha!!!
His men were quick to agree, saying, "We are also willing to escort His Highness Prince Xuan northward."
Zhao Xuan nodded, "I entrust my safety to you all."
The people of Dajing will definitely ambush and kill him on the way; these good-for-nothings are no match for them.
He needed Xiao Xuance's protection.
Zhang Jun added, "Your Highness, please don't be too sad. Hundreds of thousands of troops are waiting for your command."
"I know, but I'm worried about Father Emperor. The people of Dajing are cruel by nature. They massacred the capital. I'm worried they'll kill Father Emperor..." Zhao Xuan was almost crying with anxiety.
Xiao Xuance asked Zhang Jun, "General Zhang, with hundreds of thousands of troops in the north, why did you allow the enemy to reach the capital?"
Zhang Jun looked at him and respectfully replied, "The Zhenbei Army blocked the main force of Prince Wanyan's Second Prince, but failed to defend the east and west flanks. The enemy attacked the capital from both the east and west, causing the capital to fall."
"There are tens of thousands of imperial guards inside the capital, and fifty thousand troops in the capital's garrison outside the city. How many days has the capital been defended?"
Zhang Jun replied, "Less than...one day."
"Less than a day?" Jia Quan and the others looked at each other in dismay. The enemy was so powerful, and the gap between the two sides was too great. Going north would be tantamount to suicide.
Can they take back what they just said? They don't want to go anymore; they'd rather stay alive in the south than lose their lives.
Just a month ago, Xiao Xuance received news from the north that the enemy was holding back for the time being.
In just over two months, the Great Jing army reached the capital. The situation in the north was more severe than he had imagined.
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