Chapter 100
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
In their gaze, Guo Mao and Liu Jixin fell silent.
They were certain that the other person had the same thoughts as themselves, and these thoughts rendered them speechless, even causing their spirits to tremble, a mixture of shock and inexplicable excitement.
The Emperor was considered a co-sovereign appointed by heaven, someone chosen by divine mandate. This idea had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of people from ancient times to the present.
Even though some scholars vaguely sensed that the notion of “the divine right of kings” was merely a means for the royal family to maintain control, they would not deny such beliefs.
The Northern Zhou Dynasty had existed for over three hundred years, and the influence of the Qin royal family ran deep. Whether it was Guo Mao, Liu Jixin, or everyone present, they were born as people of the Northern Zhou.
But of all the Qin emperors, which one could compare to their Lord?
Could this be the will of heaven?
Informing them that the Northern Zhou Dynasty would fall, and the new Emperor was right by their side…
A strong gust of wind struck, and the doors and windows made a loud bang.
Guo Mao shuddered abruptly and hastily withdrew his gaze.
The study door suddenly pushed open, and Yuan Li strode in with a hint of dampness. As soon as he entered, everyone in the room focused their gaze on him and respectfully saluted, “Lord.”
With the arrival of the snow disaster, everything the Lord had done before now had an explanation. Yuan Li’s subordinates felt a burning fervor in their hearts. Witnessing such miracles once again, they remained astonished and still hadn’t fully recovered. Now, seeing the Lord with their own eyes, everyone’s eyes were eager, wishing to devote themselves wholeheartedly to Yuan Li, demonstrating their loyalty.
Yuan Li didn’t care about the changes in his subordinates. Without any pleasantries, he promptly gave orders, “Wu Kai, lead one thousand soldiers to rescue people in the three villages. Save as many as you can and relocate the villagers at the foot of the mountains to the city to prevent further avalanches. Wang Meng, bring food and charcoal to the four counties and have the county governors open their gates to accommodate the refugees. Open their granaries to save the people.”
“In Jixian County, expand the shelters and open the city gates to receive refugees. Set up more porridge stations in the city,” Yuan Li stated one by one. “The recent temperature drop is too severe, and the common people can’t endure it. Inform the people in the city that the government will provide a fixed amount of firewood daily, with each household eligible for only one portion. Take action while the snow is light.”
Everyone clasped their fists and said, “Understood.”
Before dawn, the crowd became busy with noisy sounds.
By the time the sky truly brightened, Xiang Hongyun learned of the snow disaster. It was the first time he had revealed a shocked expression in front of Zhang Liangdong. He hurriedly ran to the streets and saw the soldiers orderly settling the refugees and distributing porridge.
Refugees lined up in front of the porridge stations, and the soldiers shouted their orders, maintaining order amidst the busyness.
Xiang Hongyun looked on in astonishment. A strange thought emerged in his mind—
Could it be that Yuan Le Jun had already foreseen this scene when he stubbornly insisted on his course of action?
Chu Hechao, accompanied by Yang Zhongfa and the food supplies, rushed to the northern frontier to deliver grain and also took on the task of delivering grain to Yuyang County.
Along the way, whenever Chu Hechao passed through a county, he would get off the carriage to check whether the refugees had been accepted in the city, whether there was enough food in the granaries, and whether the county magistrates were fulfilling their duties.
The snow was too thick, making their journey difficult, but they were delighted that the disasters in various regions were within manageable limits.
The county magistrate of Yuyang County trembled with fear upon Chu Hechao’s arrival. After receiving the food supplies, he expressed his boundless gratitude, “Thanks to the timely orders from the Governor after the autumn harvest, I was able to quickly settle the refugees and reinforce the houses, so not many collapsed.”
Chu Hechao nodded, took a look around, and then continued on his way to the northern frontier with Yang Zhongfa.
On the road, Yang Zhongfa sighed, “General, is the Governor truly just an ordinary person?”
Chu Hechao glanced at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m simply greatly impressed and in awe of Lord Yuan,” Yang Zhongfa chuckled bitterly. “General, if the prestige of Lord Yuan surpasses yours in the future in Youzhou, don’t be upset. We truly can’t compare to such supernatural means…”
They couldn’t even muster the defensive mindset anymore.
Who could have foreseen such a situation in advance? Yang Zhongfa had lived for over fifty years and had never seen anyone like this. He truly had no words.
After the snow disaster, it was obvious that Yuan Li’s prestige would soar in the hearts of the people of Youzhou. It would surely surpass that of the general and become the most beloved figure in the hearts of the people.
But even though he knew it would be like this, Yang Zhongfa couldn’t do anything about it because he, too, was convinced and in awe. After witnessing such events with his own eyes, Yang Zhongfa couldn’t help but feel a chill. He began to wonder if Yuan Le Jun was truly just an ordinary person or a celestial being reincarnated from the heavens.
Chu Hechao replied casually, “Do you think I care?”
Yang Zhongfa chuckled helplessly, “Indeed, General, you don’t care about such things.”
From the past until now, the general’s gaze had never been focused on wealth, fame, and high positions. Instead, it was on his soldiers, the fierce Xiongnu, the arrogant Wuwan, and the cunning Xianbei.
It was on all those foreign tribes attempting to threaten the borders of the Northern Zhou.
Yang Zhongfa brightened up and said, “It’s great that you think this way. I just hope that you and Lord Yuan won’t become unhappy with each other because of these matters of fame and fortune.”
“He is my…” Chu Hechao’s words abruptly stopped, and then he changed the subject, saying, “Don’t overthink it. Let’s pick up the pace.”
Yang Zhongfa responded loudly, “Understood.”
The gates of Jixian County were wide open, welcoming the homeless refugees affected by the snow disaster.
The refugees entered the city slowly. Among the crowd, there were young people in their prime, but more were the elderly and children. Their faces were pale, hands and feet covered in frostbite, and their clothes were tattered, barely better than being naked.
Yuan Li stood on the city wall, wrapped in a cloak, braving the snowstorm as he watched these trembling refugees, sighing softly.
Suddenly, the system made a sound.
[System: Chancellor of the First Generation system activated.]
[Task: Shelter the refugees and gain their support.]
[Reward: Medical book]
Yuan Li furrowed his brows slowly, his heart in turmoil.
A medical book.
Where could he use a medical book in the future?
In the military camp?
Or perhaps for the current situation—the post-snow disaster epidemic?
As Yuan Li thought of this, his heart sank. He turned and descended from the city wall, calling Liu Jixin, Guo Mao, and others to handle the epidemic prevention.
After the snow disaster, the temperature would rise, and the ice and snow would melt, making it easier for various diseases to emerge. Viruses could survive longer in a cold environment, and people’s immune systems would be weakened due to the cold, making them more susceptible to illness.
Yuan Li couldn’t afford to be complacent.
The number of refugees in the shelters kept increasing, and more porridge stations were set up.
Thanks to Yuan Li’s quick response and four months of early preparations, the management of the disaster quickly fell into place, minimizing the damage.
However, even so, over a hundred people had frozen to death, and there were more than tens of thousands of refugees settled in the surrounding areas, with over two thousand collapsed houses. The forests and grasslands had also suffered considerable damage, and numerous animals had frozen to death.
Whenever there were reports of frozen bodies, Yuan Li immediately ordered their cremation. Many new latrines were built, and the refugees were not allowed to relieve themselves anywhere, ensuring the hygiene conditions in the shelters to the greatest extent.
If anyone fell ill, they would be immediately isolated and treated together to cut off the source of infection.
In addition, Yuan Li prohibited the refugees from drinking cold water.
The porridge stations boiled a pot of hot water from morning till night. Whoever wanted to drink water could obtain hot water from there.
This method indeed wasted coal and firewood, but compared to human lives and epidemic prevention, these resources were insignificant.
Due to the extreme cold weather, many cows, sheep, and pigs froze to death in the pastures. The frozen animals were immediately sent to the military camp by Yuan Li to provide additional meals for the soldiers tirelessly saving lives day and night.
Yuan Li also followed the example of Zhang Zhongjing and used frozen lamb meat, Sichuan peppercorn, and warming herbs as fillings to make dumplings to warm the refugees.
The taste of these dumplings was not particularly good, quite fishy and unpleasant, and the amount of meat was scarce. However, after eating a bowl of dumplings with soup, everyone felt a warmth spreading throughout their body, driving away the cold, and they no longer felt the chill.
Because of Yuan Li’s actions, many tears of gratitude were shed by the refugees, thanking the Governor for his kindness.
The news of Yuan Li’s actions began to spread and be praised by others.
With the quick and effective response from various regions, the situation in Youzhou gradually stabilized. However, half a month later, the number of refugees coming to Jixian County increased significantly.
It wasn’t just Jixian County; news from various counties reported that the number of refugees being accommodated throughout Youzhou was also increasing.
Upon investigation, Yuan Li discovered that these refugees included not only the local people of Youzhou but also those who had endured hardships and escaped from Liangzhou, Bingzhou, Yizhou, and other places.
As time went on, the number of these refugees did not decrease but continued to rise.
Yuan Li had to expand the shelters once again and send people to the surrounding provinces to gather information. Soon, he learned about the situation in the neighboring provinces.
The snow disaster had affected not only Youzhou but also Liangzhou, Bingzhou, Yizhou, Qingzhou, and other places. There was not a single region in the central and northern areas that had escaped the sudden cold.
Each region suffered to varying degrees, but without the advance preparation and timely response that Youzhou had, the situation in these provinces was much more severe. Countless people had frozen to death, and hundreds of thousands of refugees were left homeless and without food.
As news spread about Youzhou’s acceptance of refugees and the provision of relief supplies, these refugees flocked to Youzhou seeking refuge.
In addition, Yuan Li received some shocking news.
Due to the severe snow disaster in Bingzhou, a rebellion had erupted, and the Governor Liu Quan had fled with his confidants!
Bingzhou was now under the control of the rebel forces, in a state of anarchy. The disaster was uncontrolled, and a large number of people had fled the province.
Upon hearing this news, Yuan Li’s heart began to beat uncontrollably, pounding faster and faster.
A state of anarchy meant that whoever could seize control first would have the upper hand.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
