Chapter 416: Recent Situation in Southern Yunnan
Xiao Yanlin's words once again touched the sore spot of Emperor Defeng, and the depression in his heart was swept away.
A number of court officials also came out and praised the Eighth Prince highly.
Emperor Defeng pondered for a while and issued an oral decree on the spot.
"The Eighth Prince was ordered to go to southern Fujian to provide disaster relief. He worked diligently day and night, dispatched troops with great efficiency, saved countless lives, and effectively prevented the epidemic, thus averting the disaster and winning the hearts and minds of the people. He is truly my right-hand man."
"Promote him to the title of Prince of Ning, grant him the golden seal and royal seal, enjoy the same salary and ceremonials as other princes. Grant him an additional 1,000 hectares of fertile land, and increase his annual allowance by 10,000 dan of rice. Prince of Ning's birth mother, Concubine Zhao, will be promoted to the rank of Zhaoyi."
Prince Ning Xiao Yanlin immediately showed a look of joy and knelt down to express his gratitude.
After the court was dismissed, all the ministers congratulated King Ning.
Gu Qishan looked at the young man surrounded by the crowd, with a dark look in his eyes.
Xiao Yanlin seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to look at him.
Their eyes met, Gu Qishan's expression remained calm, and Xiao Yanlin smiled back at him.
His smile still looked innocent and harmless, but Gu Qishan felt as if he saw a wolf with bared fangs.
Gu Qishan's heart sank, and he only hoped that the news he was sending to southern Yunnan could be delivered as soon as possible...
Southern Yunnan Prefecture.
After a devastating mountain flood, all that was left behind was mud and broken homes.
The bluestone road was overturned, and broken wooden boards and pottery fragments were stuck deep in the mud, with a corner occasionally exposed, as if silently accusing the brutality of the disaster.
The people in southern Yunnan had no time to repair their homes, and the Kingdom of Nanyue took advantage of the situation and sent troops to attack. In order to protect their homes, the old, the weak, women and children all worked together, carrying swords and rushing onto the battlefield.
This is their home. Even if it is destroyed, it is still their home, and no outsiders are allowed to set foot here.
Southern Yunnan Prefecture soon fell into a food crisis.
The King of Southern Yunnan opened the granary of his palace, but could only supply the army first.
He sacrificed his reputation and borrowed food from the wealthy merchants in the city, which solved his urgent problem. However, the thin porridge they distributed was so clear that you could see your reflection in it.
Just when the Southern Yunnan Prefecture was in danger, Xiao Yanci arrived with reinforcements.
He brought the court's elite troops, each of them was a skilled soldier who killed people as easily as cutting melons and vegetables. The South Vietnamese army was successfully repelled.
He also brought a large amount of food and fodder.
In addition to the grain distributed by the imperial court, there was also grain raised by Taicang Trading Company and Luo’s Trading Company on their own.
The full, heavy, white rice was transported into the city, which immediately became a reassurance for everyone.
The people finally had enough food to eat and saw hope.
But God didn't seem to want to let them off easily, and the heavy rain continued.
Southern Yunnan Province is suffering from severe flooding. Since the first drop of rain fell a month ago, the sky has been like a burst water bag, with no sign of stopping.
Dark clouds covered the city, and it was day and night, and the pouring rain washed over this land that had suffered so much.
While everyone was busy resettling the affected people, they also had to resist the frequent harassment from the South Vietnamese army.
After the disaster, the plague began to spread. The air was filled with the stench of decay and bitter medicine, and corpses wrapped in straw mats were constantly carried out.
The yamen runners wearing face scarves searched house by house, and dragged away the patients by force when they found them. Their cries and screams scared away the crows that were taking shelter under the eaves.
Xiao Yanci never had a good night's sleep.
He reported the situation in Southern Yunnan Prefecture to the emperor and asked him to send reinforcements.
Food, medicine, manpower, everything is in short supply!
The capital of Southern Yunnan Prefecture is located in a basin on the foothills of the Yunling Mountains. To the east, there are the knife-like cliffs of Qinglong Mountain, to the west there are the jagged rocks of Baihu Mountain, and to the north, there is the Xuanwu Peak, which is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round.
These three mountain ranges act like natural city walls, with only a pass in the south leading to the border of South Vietnam.
It is precisely because of this terrain feature that the climate of Nanyue Kingdom is completely different. Although the southern Yunnan Prefecture suffered floods, Nanyue Kingdom was safe and sound.
Once the Southern Yunnan Prefecture falls into the hands of Nanyue, the Great Qi will lose a barrier and the people of the Central Plains will be in danger.
Today, floods are raging, and natural barriers have become deadly places, and the former barriers have turned into swamps.
Several important roads leading to the capital were also washed away by the rain. In order to enter the capital, one had to cross the high mountains.
Apart from this, the only option is to travel by water.
The Yudai River, a tributary of the Lancang River, flows around the city in an S-shape. On normal days, boats travel back and forth, but now it is overflowing with floods, and the river has merged with the swamp outside the city to form a vast ocean. Only a few high grounds remain, with the corners of bamboo buildings visible.
Traveling by water is very risky, and if you are not careful, the boat may be destroyed and people may die.
News from Southern Yunnan Prefecture could not be spread out, and supplies from outside could not be delivered, so it became an isolated island.
This news was like a huge rock pressing down on everyone's heads.
The King of Southern Yunnan is over 60 years old, his figure is still as tall and straight as a pine tree, but the fatigue between his brows is as deep as if it were carved by a knife. The sharp eyes that once frightened the enemy are now bloodshot and covered with fine lines at the corners of his eyes.
Ye Xianfeng, the prince of Southern Yunnan, was a strong man in his prime, but his black hair was mixed with silver threads, which were wet by the rain and stuck to his temples, making him look even more tired.
During this period of time, they have not had a good night's sleep and have been worrying about the livelihood of the people every day.
Since the imperial court could not provide support, they could only rely on themselves.
The King of Southern Yunnan had sharp eyes and a strong voice.
"It's not like Southern Yunnan Prefecture hasn't encountered floods before, but it managed to get through it. We'll definitely be able to get through this time as well."
Ye Xianfeng frowned and didn't speak for a while.
Southern Yunnan Prefecture had indeed encountered flood disasters before, but none was as severe as this time.
Moreover, this time the Kingdom of Nanyue is watching covetously from behind.
"Grandfather is right."
Xiao Yanci's voice came from outside, and he strode in.
He came in the rain, his black robe was soaked by the rain, and a few strands of wet hair stuck to his angular cheeks. He wiped the water droplets from his chin casually, revealing his wrists that were rubbed red by the wristband.
Seeing him coming, the King of Southern Yunnan's originally tense face suddenly softened a bit.
"Grandfather, uncle, if we work together, we will definitely be able to get through this difficult time. Please relax and don't worry too much."
The King of Southern Yunnan nodded, "Aci is absolutely right."
Then he looked at Ye Xianfeng and said, "As an uncle, your character is not as open-minded and resolute as Aci's."
Ye Xianfeng looked ashamed.
Xiao Yanci then turned to talk about the main reason for his visit.
"Grandfather, uncle, I have something important to tell you."
The two of them immediately straightened their expressions.
Xiao Yanci moved closer and lowered his voice again, "There might be spies in our army."
These words made the two men's expressions suddenly darken.
"Aci, are you serious? Have you found any evidence?"
Xiao Yanci shook his head. "I haven't found any evidence, but he's been the target of numerous assassination attempts during this time. It seems like they're well aware of my whereabouts. Furthermore, during these Nanyue attacks, they seemed to be able to predict our battle plans in advance. One or two times would be fine, but this happens every time. This makes me suspicious."
The King of Southern Yunnan did not lead his troops into battle personally and did not discover this.
Ye Xianfeng participated in the battle, but he acted boldly and was not careful enough, so he did not notice it.
He attributed his defeats against the Kingdom of Nanyue to low morale on his side.
Now with Xiao Yanci's reminder, he thought about it seriously and actually found some clues.
The King of Southern Yunnan's expression grew increasingly gloomy.
What he hated most in his life was those people who betrayed their own people!
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