The sudden cold snap will directly lead to a large-scale reduction in grain production and displace countless people.
As February draws to a close, the drop in temperature will put wheat into a dormant state, affecting its growth and delaying its maturity.
Powerful natural disasters can trigger a series of secondary disasters, just as a zombie virus can seep into the ground and contaminate groundwater resources and land.
Similarly, the delayed growth of wheat will indirectly lead to the sowing of rice in the spring.
The delay in spring rice sowing indirectly affects the cultivation of summer rice, which may even lead to a complete crop failure.
In other words, this year's grain output will be half of that of previous years, and it is still unknown whether the output for one season can be guaranteed.
Based on this situation, the harvest next year may not necessarily be good either.
Besides food supplies, according to Yunyu's report, many elderly people survived the winter but did not make it through this cold spring.
Lin Yinan couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion as she looked at the messages and estimates for this year's grain planting.
This is going to be a tough year!
The Southern Prefecture faced similar difficulties.
On a secluded path on the outskirts of Nanzhou Prefecture, a guard returning from hunting in the mountains discovered a person lying in the snow.
One of the guards stepped forward, knelt down, and checked the man's breath.
"Still alive!"
The other man looked around warily; when they came out, there was nothing on the road.
"Let's go, take it back first."
The two men took the man to the Yun family manor and summoned the manor's doctor to examine him.
"This person has been hungry for several days and has been lying on the snow for half a day. He is somewhat exhausted, but fortunately, he is young and has a good constitution. I will prescribe some medicine to dispel the cold and give him some porridge. He will wake up soon."
Not long after the guards gave him the medicine, the man slowly woke up. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the guards assumed he was too hungry to speak, so they fed him half a bowl of porridge, and he recovered.
Once he felt warm, the man said urgently, "Quickly go to the Southern Prefecture to report that the Hu people are coming!"
"What?" The guard thought he had misheard.
"Pingdu and Linjiang prefectures have both been massacred by the Hu people, and their army of 100,000 will arrive in Nanzhou Prefecture soon. Hurry! Go and inform the government!"
The man spoke quickly and angrily, and after finishing a long string of sentences, his eyes rolled back and he completely fainted.
The guard was somewhat puzzled. "Pingdu and Linjiang counties were massacred, yet no news of it has been leaked at all. Do you think what this person said is true or false?"
"Is it possible that news from the two prefectures was deliberately blocked?" another guard speculated.
The two exchanged a glance. If the situation was true, then Nanzhou Prefecture was in grave danger!
“I will go into town to tell the master that you should send someone ahead to scout ahead. Regardless of whether the news is true or false, we must be prepared to deal with it.”
No sooner had he entered the city than the secret guards who had gone to the manor to gather information returned.
Before they had gone ten miles, they heard a great earthquake. Upon further investigation, they saw a large army of Hu people in armor marching in perfect unison toward the Southern Prefecture.
The guard hurried back, and after traveling about two miles, he sent a red signal into the sky.
The snow stopped in the evening, and the dark night sky was filled with tranquility and mystery, with clouds quickly gathering in the sky.
Before the end of the day, a biting chill filled the air, and the sky became gloomy and heavy.
If they were in Longtan right now, Anan would definitely be sitting in front of the stove with Shijiu in his arms, occasionally throwing a few peanuts or potatoes into the charcoal brazier.
Once the spring planting arrangements are finalized and the affairs of Nanzhou Prefecture are settled, he can return home.
Yun Mo withdrew his gaze, pursed his lips, and felt a faint unease in his heart.
The sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed down the long street.
Yun Mo turned his head and saw his men galloping towards him on horseback.
"Master, we received news today that the cities of Pingdu and Linjiang have been massacred by the Hu people..."
Before the guard could finish speaking, a red signal flare exploded in the pitch-black night sky outside the city.
"The barbarians are coming!!" Yun Mo's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice.
Upon seeing the signal, Yun Si, Yun Qi, Yun Xiaodong, and Yun Shiyi rushed over from all directions.
"master!"
"Tell them what happened?"
So the guard repeated what he had just said to the group.
"Yun Qi, go and inform Lord Yun to gather all the yamen runners. Yun Si and Shiyi, wake up all the brothers and guard the other gates of Nanzhou Prefecture. From now on, without orders, no one is allowed to enter or leave Nanzhou Prefecture."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Yun Mo hurriedly headed to the city gate, followed closely by the troops mobilized by Yun Si and Yun Shiyi.
Today, the officers on duty at the city gate are the city gate captains. These troops were reorganized after Yunmo quelled the bandits in Nanzhou Prefecture, and they number less than five hundred.
"General Yun, is something the matter?" The city gate captain hurriedly stepped forward and saluted.
Just now, General Yun San's men rushed into the city, saying they had important matters to report. Then he saw the signal flare outside the city gate.
Yun Mo had a handsome face, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. He stood tall and straight on the city wall, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes fixed intently on the front.
Suddenly, his ears twitched. "They're here!"
"Who's here?" The city gate captain only knew some external martial arts moves and didn't know any internal energy cultivation methods.
"Hu people!"
As soon as Yun Mo finished speaking, the sound of orderly footsteps came from not far away, along with the dull thud of soldiers' armor clashing against each other.
Under the firelight on the city wall, the soldiers' armor gleamed with a cold, menacing light.
A figure in white gracefully landed beside the two.
Yun Er carried a large bow on his back, his eyes fixed on the ever-advancing danger, his handsome face so gloomy it could drip water.
"Ha, quite a few people have come with the bearded man."
Yun Mo took out the Eternal Mirror that Lin Yinan had given him and carefully observed the soldiers below, who were clad in armor and armed with weapons.
"Yun Er, does that person in front look familiar?"
"Where is it? Let me see."
Yun Er looked in the direction Yun Mo was pointing.
The man was also dressed in armor, riding a tall horse with an imposing and spirited air.
"Hey! It really is an old acquaintance!"
Who are you talking about?
The city gate captain was confused by what the two were saying. He didn't have the special telescope made by Longtan, and it was difficult for him to see the face of a person walking in the dark with just his naked eyes.
Yun Er handed him the binoculars. "You know this man too? He's Yu Shida, the mistress of the Yu family!"
The city gate captain picked up the binoculars to examine them closely, then picked them up again and put them down in disbelief.
He used to serve under Yu Shida, but he resolutely left the military government after deciding to join the Northern Expedition with the Wang family of Dongyue.
"Didn't he go on a northern expedition with the Wang clan of Dongyue? How come he colluded with the Hu people to attack Nanzhou Prefecture?"
At this moment, all the Longtan soldiers mobilized by Yun Si and Yun Shiyi had arrived at the city wall to await orders.
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