Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 645 Floods and Poverty for the People
It turns out that opening champagne at halftime is not a good habit.

On December 14th, just after the pontoon bridge had been laid, more than 6,000 Han soldiers had been assembled, and the scattered soldiers between the Yellow River and the Ju River had been wiped out, the scouts brought a shocking message.

After crossing the Bian River, Wu Jiejun breached the northern dike.

This time, Wu Jiejun learned from his experience in Xuzhou and did not summon any laborers, but quietly carried out the task at night.

Moreover, the Bian River embankment was naturally not as sturdy as the Su Causeway, so much so that Wu Jie's army actually completed it overnight.

Even though the Bian River's water volume had been greatly reduced due to the Yellow River's turmoil, it was still considered one of the major rivers in the Central Plains. With the collapse of several river embankments, the river water instantly flooded a hundred-mile stretch of land from Liuzi Town to Jing'an Town, and even Fuli City, which is now the seat of Suzhou Prefecture, was submerged in the flood.

While these rivers wouldn't turn the entire plain into a swamp, they certainly made the land they passed through muddy and impassable.

Countless people were displaced and could not even start a fire in the cold winter. In just one day and night, countless people froze and starved to death.

Faced with this situation, Liu Huai was naturally furious and wished he could take a detour across the Bian River, capture Pu Cha Shijie, and tear him to pieces.

Let alone whether there is enough time, how can the laborers transport supplies around this large muddy area? And with so many disaster victims, are we just going to abandon them?
If Liu Huai weren't here, it wouldn't matter, but since he is, he can't turn a blind eye to these disaster victims. Otherwise, what about the political program of "establishing principles and laws to relieve the people"?

A political leader abandoning his political platform is like a widow in the old society abandoning her only son—it's suicidal.

"Issue my military order: disperse your troops and gather the civilians, using the south bank of the Ju River as the boundary. The laborers should establish camps on the high ground, cut down trees, and build houses. Do not transport grain and fodder from the rear to this area; instead, transport them along the Ju River to replenish the civilian camps."

With a grim expression, Liu Huai issued the order, and finally said to Xin Qiji, "Fifth Brother, this place is now entirely in your hands."

Xin Qiji clasped his hands in agreement.

"Zhang Silang, take five hundred Flying Tiger soldiers and come with me to Suzhou City."

Zhang Baiyu didn't dare to be negligent and immediately turned around to muster his troops.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Huai said fiercely, "This scoundrel Pucha Shijie has truly crossed the line. If my orders are relayed again and the proclamation is spread to all regions, Pucha Shijie will be an outcast. If anyone can bring me his head, I will personally reward them with high-ranking official positions, great wealth, and countless riches. I will never break my word!"

Having said that, Liu Huai said no more, spurred his horse south, and crossed the Ju River via the pontoon bridge.

Under the protection of five hundred Flying Tiger soldiers, Liu Huai arrived at the city of Suzhou in the early afternoon, enduring the cold and muddy conditions along the way.

“I know you have a way to get into the city. Don’t go looking for those Jurchen officials. Go directly to the local officials and soldiers.”

Liu Huai led his troops to a high ground, pointed to Fuli City, and said to a minor official from Suzhou beside him, "Go and tell them that the Jin bandits are going to use such methods to kill all the people of Suzhou. Do you think they still want to work for the Jin Kingdom?"

The minor official, who had been pulled from a puddle by Liu Huai, immediately kowtowed and said, "Young Master Liu, I am deeply indebted to you and will surely repay your kindness!"

Having said that, the clerk wrung out the hem of his clothes, which had become wet from kneeling, then waded through the water to bypass the moat outside Fuli City. He then arrived at the foot of a city wall and shouted loudly.

Before long, a group of people appeared on the city wall. Upon seeing the minor official below, they tied a rope to a large basket and threw it down. The minor official sat in the basket and soon reached the city wall.

Only then did Liu Huai have time to observe the terrain around Fuli City.

The Bian River did not breach its banks near Fuli City, but rather in a basin upstream. Because of the moat protecting the city, Fuli City was not completely submerged despite its proximity to the Bian River. However, the moat had not been dredged for many years, so the water of the Bian River still spread to the area below the city.

Liu Huai estimated that some of the low-lying areas in the city had already been flooded. Even with the city gates blocking the way, how could they possibly stop the floodwaters that seeped in everywhere?

Just as Liu Huai had predicted, less than half an hour later, the city gates opened wide, and several scholars dressed as wealthy men, along with several officials dressed in blue robes and a dozen or so warriors clad in armor and carrying swords, waded through the icy water and arrived near the army.

They were then stopped by armored soldiers, who confiscated all their weapons before they came to Liu Huai's side.

The middle-aged scholar at the head of the group, disregarding the fact that his shoes and clothes were soaked, knelt down on the ground, opened a package with both hands, and took out an official seal and several books.

"Reporting to Commander Liu, the seal of the Prefect of Suzhou and the official register of Suzhou officials are all here. Suzhou surrenders."

"We beg Commander Liu to save Bianshui and Suzhou!"

The others also prostrated themselves on the ground and cried out, "Please, Commander Liu, save Suzhou!"

Liu Huai neither accepted the official seal nor granted their requests. Instead, he asked directly, "Who are you? Are you Zhou Ren, the prefect of Suzhou, or Pu Chatu Mu, the vice-prefect of Suzhou?"

These two men were considered the top two leaders in Suzhou. During the Longxing Northern Expedition in history, they were besieged by Shao Hongyuan in Hong County, but eventually surrendered to Li Xianzong, which became the cause of the conflict between Li and Shao.

The middle-aged scholar at the head of the group shook his head and said, "These two have already fled with Puchagou, and the officials in the city have also run away. I am Liu Shi, the registrar of Fuli County, a local scholar from Suzhou. I am leading these villagers to request to join Commander Liu!" After saying this, Liu Shi crawled forward two steps on his knees, held out the yellow book and seal in his hands, as if worried that Liu Huai would refuse.

Historically, after Li Xianzong captured Suzhou, he appointed Liu as the acting prefect of Suzhou.

Liu Huai had no recollection of this, but that did not prevent him from immediately deducing the man's identity from Liu Shi's position and post.

This fellow must come from one of the most powerful and influential families in Suzhou.

Therefore, Liu Huai didn't give this fellow a friendly look. After staring at Fu Licheng for a long time, he said, "Registration Officer Liu, do you know that this is not the first time the Jin traitors have tried to use such underhanded tactics?"

Liu Shi trembled and shook his head repeatedly.

Liu Huai didn't expect Liu Shi to answer, and just said to himself, "When the Jin invaders wanted to dig up the Su Causeway in Xuzhou, the people of Xuzhou rose up and attacked, and drove the Jin invaders away. And what about the people of Suzhou?"

Liu Shi mustered his courage and said, "Commander Liu, the people should not be so harsh..."

“Registrar Liu,” Liu Huai interrupted, his voice growing more forceful, “It should be said that the common people should not be harshly punished, but you scholars, who are supported by the people and respected by the government on ordinary days, what have you done in this critical moment?”

Liu Shi felt a sense of panic, but he still had to hold the seal and the yellow book with both hands, not daring to put them down, and was soon drenched in sweat.

The Jin army has just left, and now the Han army is going to continue to wreak havoc on Suzhou?

Liu Huai continued, "Registration Officer Liu, these things can actually be dismissed as cowardice, after all, everyone has the will to survive. But there's still one thing I don't understand..."

As he spoke, Liu Huai pointed to the Bian River: "I also have talented people in my ranks who are good at water management. In order to understand the hydrology of a river, they have devoted themselves to it, enduring wind and rain, conducting on-site interviews and investigations, and it often takes them several months to succeed."

The Bian River stretches for thousands of miles, its course marked by varying elevations, some sections of embankment, others of riverbed. After the Yellow River breached its banks, the hydrology became even more complex. How did Wu Jiejun and his group of newcomers know where to breach the embankment to flood the entire county of Fuli?

Liu Huai finally looked at Liu Shi and the others behind him who were clearly flustered: "Registration Officer Liu, who exactly told the Jin traitors? Was it an ordinary citizen? Or a Jin official? It couldn't be that Pucha Shijie has telepathy and can foresee cause and effect, could it?"

Liu Shi was sweating even more profusely.

Aside from the obviously ridiculous claim that Pucha Shijie had special abilities, it's unlikely that the other two types of people would have such abilities. How could ordinary commoners and Jin Dynasty officials possess such skills?
That means it can only be local powerful families and wealthy clans.

Regardless of the motives of those who did this, or whether they were forced into it, by doing so, they have already placed themselves in opposition to all the people of Suzhou.

Should there be a liquidation?!

Absolutely!

But Liu Shi was also an official, so how could he not know that this was the beginning of a standard political upheaval?

It could very well turn into a melon vine cult!

In fact, Liu Huai thought so too.

Was the breaching of the Bianhe River dike really due to the machinations of powerful local magnates?
That's not necessarily true. Maybe the Jin officials were just meticulous with their documents and knew the locations of the dike repairs every year? Maybe an ordinary citizen was interrogated? Maybe Pucha Shijie was just incredibly lucky?

Both are possible.

The key point is that Liu Huai wants to use this incident as a political lever to thoroughly clean up the civil administration in Suzhou. Those who should be arrested will be arrested, and those who should be executed will be executed.

This has nothing to do with whether the powerful families themselves are good or evil, but rather because they control a large amount of means of production. If we don't find a way to take them away from them, what will happen to the people of Suzhou who have suffered from war and floods?
Are we just going to stand by and watch them die?
This is the root cause of why dynasties throughout history have had to suppress powerful clans.

To paraphrase a line from a later film: This has nothing to do with personal grudges.

If Liu Shi could take the lead in doing this, that would be ideal. But if Liu Shi dared to shirk responsibility, then Liu Huai would make an example of Liu Shi first.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is willing to investigate the truth for Commander Liu..." After hesitating for a moment, Liu Shi gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"No, it's not for me," Liu Huai interrupted Liu Shi again, quite rudely. "It's for the people of Suzhou to find out the mastermind behind this crime!"

"Yes! Yes!" Liu Shi had been completely subdued and could only repeatedly agree.

At this point, Liu Huai finally reached out and took the seal and the yellow book, and said to the people kneeling before him, "Get up, everyone. Now, let's discuss how to provide disaster relief!"

(End of this chapter)