Song Xiu

Chapter 131 Kaifeng Shocks Critical Strike Talisman King
The dark clouds hung extremely low, and Kaifeng was immersed in a vast expanse of snow.

The streets and alleys, which should have been bustling with activity at the hour of Si (9-11 AM), were eerily quiet due to the heavy snowfall.

Today, Kaifeng is quiet in the cold weather.

In this silence, a sense of helplessness among the people of the time towards the dark and oppressive heavens is faintly revealed.

Suddenly, amidst the swirling snow, several messengers on horseback sped toward Kaifeng.

As a heavily guarded capital, the fact that these few messengers were able to approach Kaifeng is enough to prove that they were not enemies.

The rapid sound of horses' hooves echoed intermittently across the boundless wilderness.

Several excited messengers arrived through the snow, seemingly wanting to inject some life into the heart of the stagnant dynasty before them.

As the rapid hoofbeats approached Nanhua Gate, the defenders on the city wall saw the snow mist kicked up by the iron hooves below.

Looking in the direction the messenger had come from, the soldiers guarding the city walls immediately began to speculate:
"Is there any new news about the battle of Wuping Kingdom?"

Previously, news that the King of Taiyuan had led the Song army to conquer Nanping Kingdom without bloodshed had just spread in Kaifeng.

Upon learning that after the Prince of Taiyuan quelled the rebellion in Huainan, he was able to annihilate the Nanping Kingdom in one fell swoop, the people of Kaifeng would discuss this news whenever they had nothing else to do.

The people of the capital are extraordinary.

Among the common people were descendants of aristocratic families who had fled from Guanzhong and Hebei, as well as prominent gentry from Jiangnan and Sichuan who longed to go north.

Through their accounts, the other people were able to learn about the general situation of Nanping Kingdom.

Although Nanping was a weak and impoverished nation, it was still considered a country.

The news of conquering a country in half a month was enough to spark heated discussions within the city.

However, even the most heated discussion was abruptly suppressed by the subsequent heavy snowfall.

As refugees gathered outside the city, Kaifeng Prefecture began to control the flow of grain within the city in order to provide relief to them.

The soldiers on the city wall had barely formed a guess when several messengers rode up to the city walls.

As the messengers stopped their horses, it seemed as if the snowflakes falling from the sky were slowly decreasing.

While the messengers were panting heavily on horseback, a junior officer from the city walls arrived in a gondola to further investigate their identities.

After verifying that his identity was correct, the junior officer waved a flag towards the city wall, signaling to open the city gate.

As the city gates slowly opened, the junior officer quickly asked what he had been guessing:

"Has the Prince of Taiyuan won another battle? Zhou Xingfeng must have been forced to retreat!"

Although it was phrased as a question, there was a certain certainty in his voice.

Several major victories had already given Zhao Dexiu a strong military reputation in Kaifeng.

Many soldiers in the city believed that Zhou Xingfeng might be a formidable opponent, but Zhao Dexiu was likely to have the upper hand.

More than a month has passed. I wonder if the King of Taiyuan has recovered any of the prefectures?

As this expectation surfaced in his mind, the junior officer did not notice the smile that immediately appeared on the messenger's lips.

huddled up?

As the city gates opened fully, several messengers bent down and tightened their reins. Before charging forward, the lead messenger laughed loudly:

Zhou Xingfeng is now a ghost!

After answering the junior officer in a low voice, a loud shout erupted from the mouths of several messengers:
"A great victory for our army! A great victory for our army!"

The scalding shouts pierced through the snow, and the hot breath from the mouth melted a few snowflakes.

As the cheers rose, several fine horses charged toward the city gate.

A few breaths later, the figures of several messengers disappeared into the shadows of the city gate.

The next moment, shouts, mixed with the sound of gongs, began to echo through the city streets.

"Our army has achieved a great victory at Dongting Lake! The Kingdom of Wuping is dead!"

The five words “Wuping Kingdom is dead” were like a meteorite crashing into an icy pool.

Thanks to the previous discussions, most people in Kaifeng knew that Wuping Kingdom had 100,000 armored soldiers and a territory of a thousand miles, which was far superior to the small Nanping Kingdom.

As cries of good news echoed through the streets, shops and houses on both sides of the street opened their doors, revealing many heads peeking out.

Some people shook their ears, which were red from the cold, as if they couldn't believe it.

Some people looked into the distance upon hearing the sound, staring intently at the speeding figure.

"Zhou Xingfeng died, and all ten prefectures of Wuping were returned to the state!"

As more and more people ventured into the streets, the messengers' voices grew louder and louder.

In an instant, the silence in Kaifeng was torn open.

Upon hearing the good news, the scholars began running through the streets and alleys, excitedly shouting, "Great victory in the southern expedition! Great victory in the southern expedition!"

Scholars from all over the country gathered in the capital, all hoping to put their knowledge to use in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

The better the future of the Song Dynasty, the more excited they become.

The shouts of the scholars echoed from one street to another.

However, the number of scholars was still too small, and their excited shouts were not enough to completely shatter the silence in Kaifeng.

Until the messenger shouted this sentence:

"Several million shi of grain stored in Hunan and Hubei are being transported to Bianjing by the Prince of Taiyuan!"

The wealth of Hunan is renowned throughout the world.

The wealth of Hunan lies not in money, but in grain!

Due to the widespread snow disaster this year, Zhao Kuangyin ordered the transfer of grain from the south to the north to nourish the Central Plains.

When the city of Kaifeng heard that Zhao Dexiu was transporting millions of shi of grain to the city, the atmosphere in the city was instantly ignited.

The thin children in the city broke free from their mothers' hands, trudging through the snow as they chased after the messenger's retreating figure, cheering and shouting, "There's grain! There's grain!"

The pale-faced people, who were just about to turn around and go home to rest, instantly revealed a joyful expression of relief after surviving a disaster.

Hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people.

More and more people joined in the children's cheers at the top of their lungs.

The sound of tens of thousands of roars startled the snow piled up on the eaves, completely shattering the silence that had enveloped the entire city of Kaifeng.

The snow was still falling little by little, but it didn't feel so cold anymore.

The move to transport grain from the south to the north revitalized the increasingly disheartened hearts of people in Kaifeng.

The city of Kaifeng, now revitalized, is once again the subject of lively discussions throughout the city.

Many people were talking at once about how powerful Wuping Kingdom was:

Having occupied Hunan and Hubei for many years, and having repelled the Southern Tang invasions several times.
The more the news of Wu Pingguo's prowess spread among the people, the more unstoppable the exclamations of amazement became.

Even the mighty Wuping Kingdom fell to the hands of my Great Song Crown Prince.

Amidst gasps of amazement, many people rubbed their hands, which were blue and bruised from the cold, and joyfully imagined:
"When Hunan is prosperous, the Central Plains are well-fed!"

The messenger had already ridden his horse toward the palace, the sound of hooves fading into the distance, but the message he left behind spread rapidly through every street and alley of Kaifeng, like a snowball rolling downhill.

The tightly closed shop doors were gradually removed, the frozen vendors set up their stalls again, and even in the most remote alleys, the laughter of children writing the three characters "King of Taiyuan" on the snow with twigs could be heard.

This time, the Song army has won a great victory, and the Zhao family is willing to share the spoils with the people!
The revitalized city of Kaifeng awakened the Khitan delegation residing in the embassy.

Hearing the increasingly loud cheers outside, the Khitan envoy Han Kuangsi's face was filled with worry.

He was overjoyed to see that Kaifeng city and its surroundings had gradually lost their vitality due to the sudden snow disaster.

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince of the Central Plains would possess such miraculous healing abilities!
While worried, Han Kuangsi also feared the rampant growth of the virus.

Two countries destroyed in three months!
In light of this remarkable feat, Han Kuangsi recalled a man in the Khitan army whom he never wanted to mention again—Li Cunxu.

In contrast to Han Kuangsi's apprehension, Xiao Yanyan, who was playing chess with Han Derang, excitedly picked up a chess piece and slammed it heavily onto Han Derang's piece after hearing the news of victory spreading throughout the city.

This isn't how Go is played, but she's unrestrained and loves to play it this way. As the crisp sound of the Go stones clashing rang out, a smile appeared on her face as she thought of Xiao Yanyan, the person she had promised Xiao Siwen:
"She's found the hero of the Central Plains!"

In the Hall of Ten Thousand Years.

Zhao Kuangyin and his ministers were deeply worried about the approaching snow disaster.

Zhao Pu, who had just been promoted to Chancellor, was the first to bow to Zhao Kuangyin and say:
"This snow disaster came with great force, and the number of displaced people outside the city is increasing day by day. If we issue another order for relief, it may become even more difficult to control."

Zhao Pu's report made Zhao Kuangyin's worried expression even more so.

"Is it really impossible to allocate any more of the grain stored in the city?"

Upon hearing Zhao Kuangyin's question, Zhao Pu decisively shook his head.

Over the past year, the situation around Kaifeng has been steadily stabilizing, leading many of the people who had fled to return to the city.

If Kaifeng, as the capital of the country, could restore its population to pre-war levels, it would be a good thing for the nation.

However, the increasing population of the capital was gradually bringing a problem to the Song Dynasty:
The grain reserves in the city gradually decreased.

The fundamental reason for this is that the agricultural economy in the Central Plains has not fully recovered.

Years of war have caused immense damage to the Central Plains, resulting in widespread desolation of the land and severe population displacement.

Indeed, from the past few years to the present, Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin have been encouraging agriculture and sericulture.

With the support of policies from two wise rulers, the agricultural economy in the Central Plains is gradually recovering, but it will take time to return to its peak.

The massive influx of people can happen in just a few months.

Although the granaries in Kaifeng received a substantial replenishment after the Battle of Huainan.

However, in recent years, the Imperial Guards have been engaged in numerous battles abroad.

When an army goes out to fight, it is always the most expensive thing to spend money and supplies.

This is also causing Kaifeng's grain reserves to be rapidly depleted.

Fortunately, Zhao Dexiu pacified the Nanping Kingdom within half a month, allowing the frontline imperial guards to receive their food supplies in the Nanping Kingdom.

Otherwise, Zhao Kuangyin would have ordered Zhao Dexiu to withdraw his troops last month.

Sensing Zhao Kuangyin's worries, Fu Yanqing, who was present, proposed a solution:
There are priorities in everything.

Your Majesty should send troops to expel the refugees gathered outside the city.

As soon as Fu Yanqing finished speaking, many of the ministers present showed signs of agreement.

Many ministers believed that, if they did not have to worry about the refugees outside the city, the grain stored in the city would be enough to last until the next grain shipment from the Southern Tang Dynasty.

In addition, expelling refugees to prevent them from affecting the economic ecology of important cities was a common tactic used by monarchs of the time.

Displaced people in chaotic times cannot be called ordinary citizens.

As for how many refugees will die or be injured during the expulsion process, and what their future will be like after they are expelled...
Does it matter?

When Fu Yanqing was in charge of pacifying the local area, he always did this in order to maintain local stability.

In his mind, refugees were a destabilizing factor and could not be considered one of his kind.

As soon as Fu Yanqing finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin gave him a deep look.

How could he not know this method?
It's not that I don't know, it's that I don't want to.

“What you say is indeed reasonable, but all the people under heaven are my subjects.”

I will not easily abandon it.

When responding to Fu Yanqing, Zhao Kuangyin tried his best to suppress his anger.

If it weren't for Fu Yanqing's significant local influence, Zhao Kuangyin would have had his guards drag him away long ago.

Shen Yilun noticed Zhao Kuangyin's displeasure and stood up to speak:
"The grain stored in the city can last for a while longer."

"Or perhaps the Prince of Taiyuan has already begun transporting grain northwards."

As soon as Shen Yilun finished speaking, Fu Yanqing chuckled softly to himself.

Fu Yanqing knew that Zhao Kuangyin had ordered Zhao Dexiu to allocate grain.

It was precisely because of this incident that Zhao Kuangyin hesitated to make a decision to expel the refugees.

Zhao Kuangyin's strategy was effective, but it had one prerequisite.

Even if Nanping is wealthy, it is already quite an achievement to be able to support the army fighting on the front lines.

Where would we find the spare capacity to supply Kaifeng?

To transfer grain from the south to the north and solve Kaifeng's urgent crisis, Zhao Dexiu would have to swallow up Wuping Kingdom in a short period of time.

Given that the Song army was not adept at naval warfare, what were the chances of them conquering Wuping Kingdom in a short time?

His Majesty favors the Prince of Taiyuan.

His Majesty's judgment has been clouded by his favoritism.

For both public and private reasons, Fu Yanqing decided to persuade him again:
"The King of Taiyuan was skilled in battle, as is well known throughout the world."

But how can the safety of the capital be entirely dependent on the King of Taiyuan?
I am deeply concerned for the nation.

Fu Yanqing enjoyed great prestige in the court and among the people, and he himself was a renowned general.

People sometimes refer to Fu Yanqing as "King Fu".

His words stirred interest among many ministers in the hall.

Fu Yanqing's words made Zhao Kuangyin subconsciously tighten his grip on the jade axe in his hand.

Just as Fu Yanqing was calm and collected, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall.

A moment later, Fan Zhi, with a happy expression, strode in as cheerfully as a young man.

Upon entering the hall, Fan Zhi hurriedly addressed Zhao Kuangyin and the assembled officials:
"The Kingdom of Wuping has been conquered and destroyed by the King of Taiyuan!"

The Prince of Taiyuan sent a messenger saying that he was expediting the transport of grain northwards!

Fan Zhi's two exclamations were like two shot of adrenaline to everyone in the hall.

At first, everyone was still in shock at how quickly Zhao Dexiu had destroyed the country.

The next moment, their hearts were filled with joy brought by the words "transporting grain northward".

Of all the people present, Zhao Kuangyin was undoubtedly the happiest.

Zhao Kuangyin abruptly rose from his throne:
"Bring it here quickly!"

Zhao Kuangyin's tone was full of urging.

Before long, the military report sent by Zhao Dexiu had fallen into Zhao Kuangyin's hands.

After reading the contents of the military report, Zhao Kuangyin burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"The fire that burned Dongting Lake caused the heavens and earth to change color!"

"That fire was well set!"

After saying this, Zhao Kuangyin could not hide his excitement. He subconsciously raised the jade axe in his hand and strode towards Fu Yanqing.

Zhao Kuangyin was already a powerful figure, and now that he was holding a weapon and walking menacingly toward Fu Yanqing, Fu Yanqing was so frightened that his face changed drastically.

The old man is gone, only panic remains.

Just as Fu Yanqing was so frightened that his legs went weak, Zhao Kuangyin, who had come to his side, did not strike him with the axe.

Zhao Kuangyin placed the military report directly in front of Fu Yanqing:
"Say it again, how about the Prince of Taiyuan?"

As soon as Zhao Kuangyin finished speaking, all the officials in the hall looked over, and Fu Yanqing's face immediately turned red.

Sometimes, psychological attacks are even more infuriating!

(End of this chapter)