Song Xiu

Chapter 132 Officials Welcome the People Outside the City, Winning Their Hearts
The more intense the gazes of the officials, the more Fu Yanqing's face flushed.

Having weathered decades of ups and downs in turbulent times, this was the first time Fu Yanqing had ever felt the sting of being publicly humiliated.

Normally, or if it were anyone else, Fu Yanqing would have gotten up and stormed off in anger.

But the one who is slapping him in the face right now is the emperor, and the emperor's way of slapping him in the face is with undeniable facts.

What could Fu Yanqing do?
Even though she was unwilling, Fu Yanqing had no choice but to lower her head in the face of the undeniable facts.

Then a sincere word of praise came from Fu Yanqing's mouth:
"Only when the king exerts his martial prowess can he conquer all. All strategies are exhausted, and he is subdued from all sides."

His mighty southern expedition achieved such valor. Which of the southern kingdoms dared to act so recklessly?

Upon hearing Fu Yanqing's praise, Zhao Kuangyin burst into hearty laughter once again.

"Fu Qing is right!"

Fu Yanqing is different from ordinary regional military governors. He was able to bow down to Zhao Dexiu's martial prowess, so the resistance to implementing the new policies in the future will definitely be much smaller.

Seeing that Fu Yanqing was willing to back down, the magnanimous Zhao Kuangyin would not hold a grudge.

After Zhao Kuangyin turned back to his throne, he looked at the assembled officials below and said:
“A few days ago, I held a court session with you all.”

On that day, I wore a mink coat and a fur hat, while you all stood on a warm blanket laid out in the palace.

Nevertheless, we all felt very cold, and some officials trembled and could hardly speak when they presented their reports.

If even high-ranking officials are like this, what about the common people inside and outside the city?

I have heard that the Princess of Taiyuan has done a great service to the people.

If even a royal princess can love her people so much, how can I, as the ruler of the world, remain indifferent?

Lü Yuqing!

Zhao Kuangyin's call prompted Lü Yuqing, the Prefect of Kaifeng, to step forward with his official tablet.

"Chen is here!"

"In the current freezing weather, many people who lack food and clothing and have no charcoal for heating will find it difficult to survive."

Go and comfort the poor people inside and outside the city on my behalf, and learn from the Princess Consort of Taiyuan's act of providing timely help!

Zhao Kuangyin's words surprised all the officials in the hall.

Zhao Kuangyin was referring to the people inside and outside the city.

That includes refugees from outside the city.

According to yesterday's estimates, there are at least tens of thousands of displaced people outside the city.

Even if we don't expect them to have enough to eat, just enough to keep them from freezing or starving to death, the amount of grain and charcoal consumed would still be enormous.

After the Luzhou Rebellion was quelled, the city had no shortage of charcoal, but not of food!

The officials originally thought that after Zhao Dexiu transported millions of shi of grain back to Bianjing, Zhao Kuangyin would at most distribute the benefits to the people in the city.

Then they used most of the grain to massively expand their army.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Kuangyin genuinely regarded the refugees as human beings.

Which monarch in the past would have thought this way?
Many ministers showed their respect for Zhao Kuangyin.

Admittedly, since the late Tang Dynasty, the idea of ​​"saving the people of the world" has mostly been regarded as a joke.

But who wants to live in a chaotic world where every day is uncertain?

When an emperor is willing to take a universally acknowledged "joke" as an aspiration and strive to put it into practice, the magnanimity he exudes will inspire his ministers.

"The emperor should do the things of an emperor."

"Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."
Those words, which seemed so naive back then, now sound all the more powerful and resounding.

This father and son are quite a sight!
Filled with hopeful anticipation for the future, the officials couldn't help but rise and bow to Zhao Kuangyin, saying:

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Then, the ministers praised him repeatedly:

"Wang Xianming of Taiyuan!"

On the surface, Zhao Kuangyin's measures to care for displaced people were spurred by the timely assistance provided by the Princess of Taiyuan.

As husband and wife are one, Li Duruo's virtuous deeds will ultimately benefit Zhao Dexiu.

Moreover, if Zhao Dexiu hadn't swiftly conquered Wuping Kingdom, where would Zhao Kuangyin have gotten so much grain to comfort the refugees in the capital?
The heartfelt praise from his ministers made Zhao Kuangyin stroke his beard and laugh heartily.

"On the day the Prince of Taiyuan returns to court, you shall all personally welcome him!"

Overjoyed, Zhao Kuangyin issued an imperial edict.

Upon hearing this imperial edict, all the officials bowed and accepted the order.

Today's King of Taiyuan deserves to be personally welcomed by all the court officials.

Late December of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty.

Outside Kaifeng, the snow had cleared, and the winter sun shone high in the sky, warming people's bodies.

Before dawn, the official road outside Nanhua Gate was already packed with civil and military officials and people who had come to hear the news.

Civil officials in purple robes and gold belts lined up on the east side according to their rank, while military officers with jade belts around their waists stood on the west side according to their positions. Even Fu Yanqing, a veteran of five dynasties with white hair and beard, was among them, leaning on a cane.

Today, civil and military officials are to welcome Zhao Dexiu, the Prince of Taiyuan, who has returned victorious from his southern expedition.

The people outside the city, however, were more eager to welcome the millions of bushels of grain that would bring them a chance to survive.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. First, a messenger arrived before Zhao Pu and Fu Yanqing, dismounted, and reported to them:
"The army's triumphant procession has reached within five miles!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a look of joy appeared on Zhao Pu's face, while Fu Yanqing opened his cloudy eyes.

Looking at Fu Yanqing beside him, Zhao Pu said calmly:

“King Fu, I am holding a cane to greet Your Majesty. I fear this may be disrespectful.”

In the past year, with the support of Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Pu rose through the ranks to become a Chancellor.

Tongpingzhangshi was the chief official of the Zhengshitang (Hall of State Affairs), and was the prime minister of the central government of the Song Dynasty.

In addition, just a few days ago, Fan Zhi and Wang Pu successively submitted their resignations to Zhao Kuangyin.

It is likely that soon, the situation of a "sole prime minister" in the Song Dynasty will be fully formed.

As Zhao Pu wielded more and more power, his behavior and conduct gradually changed.

In the past, Zhao Pu would not have easily exposed Fu Yanqing's pretense through his words.

Zhao Pu's words made Fu Yanqing glance at him.

Even though Zhao Pu wielded considerable power, Fu Yanqing was not particularly wary of him.

Fu Yanqing was originally Li Cunxu's bodyguard. After Li Cunxu, Fu Yanqing served under many emperors. He witnessed or secretly participated in the tragic end of many emperors.

In Fu Yanqing's mind, even the imperial power held little sway, let alone the power of the prime minister.

But Fu Yanqing feared military power.

Zhao Pu's words involved Zhao Dexiu, so they could not be dismissed lightly.

Thinking of the Imperial Guards who were increasingly supporting Zhao Dexiu, Fu Yanqing snorted coldly and handed his cane to Fu Zhaoshou beside him.

After Fu Yanqing compromised, Zhao Pu's smile grew even wider.

Then, Zhao Pu and Fu Yanqing saw billowing dust rising on the horizon, with the clear, sharp sounds of clashing weapons carried on the wind.

Upon hearing this commotion, all the civil and military officials straightened their hats and gathered their robes, and even the clamor of the people around the official road gradually subsided.

Outside Kaifeng, only the increasingly close clanging of light armor remained.

A moment later, the vanguard of the Imperial Guards came into view.

A thousand elite cavalrymen led the way, followed closely by an infantry formation, with tens of thousands of imperial guards standing tall and marching with firm and powerful strides.

What is most eye-catching is the endless rows of grain carts on both sides of the formation—thousands of donkey carts and wheelbarrows lined up one after another, their wheels making a heavy sound as they rolled over the bluestone road.

The carts were bulging with wheat and rice, and the cloth bags, still bearing the sealing wax of the granaries of various prefectures in Wuping, gleamed brightly in the sunlight. The laborers, though weary from days of travel, showed no signs of fatigue.

Many laborers would occasionally wipe the sweat from their brows and smile as they looked at the grain on the carts.

The battle of Wuping yielded many gains.

The thought of bringing back food that their families desperately needed during the winter motivated the laborers to work with all their might.

Zhao Dexiu disliked riding in cars.

His love of riding horses made him stand out conspicuously amidst the guards of his generals.

When Zhao Dexiu's mount came into view, all the officials bowed and shouted, "Long live the King!"

After the officials finished shouting, the people outside the official road all looked at Zhao Dexiu.

Then, a chorus of discussion arose among the crowd:

"The Prince of Taiyuan doesn't appear to have double pupils, does he?"

"The Prince of Taiyuan's earlobes aren't very long, are they?"

After the discussion came doubts.

Because of the recent hype surrounding the power of the Wuping Kingdom, many people who have never met Zhao Dexiu, who swiftly conquered the kingdom, have spontaneously made many connections to him.

In Kaifeng, storytelling was very popular, and many people easily associated Zhao Dexiu with some of the "strange phenomena" in history.

Of course, these slight doubts did not cause the people to think too much about it.

After all, Zhao Dexiu's helmet obstructed the view of the people.

When Zhao Dexiu, dressed in bright silver armor, saw the officials welcoming him, he waved to stop the army's advance and then dismounted.

After dismounting, Zhao Dexiu strode up to Zhao Pu and Fu Yanqing, who were at the head of the officials:
"It is my great honor to be greeted by such nobles."

Then Zhao Dexiu personally helped Zhao Pu and Fu Yanqing, who were bowing slightly, to their feet.

After Zhao Dexiu helped Zhao Pu and Fu Yanqing up, the civil and military officials behind them all stood up.

Supported by Zhao Dexiu, Zhao Pu spoke with great excitement:

"Your Majesty has pacified two kingdoms and recovered lost territories for the Great Song Dynasty. At a time when the capital was short of food, you brought a large amount of grain north to relieve the court from its dire straits. It is only right that we personally welcome you."

After gaining power, Zhao Pu gradually became domineering in some aspects.

However, Zhao Pu dared not show the slightest disrespect in front of Zhao Dexiu.

As soon as Zhao Pu finished speaking, Fu Yanqing continued:

"The merits of the Prince of Taiyuan are enough to be recorded in history."

Zhao Pu's praise was not unexpected for Zhao Dexiu.

When he was weaker in the past, Zhao Pu gave him a lot of advice, which Zhao Dexiu always kept in mind.

It's this Fu Yanqing.

Zhao Dexiu had heard Zhao Kuangyin express his fear of Fu Yanqing.

As a deeply entrenched local power during the Five Dynasties period, Fu Yanqing was one of the representatives of the interests of the military governors across the country.

"Abolishing the power of military governors to govern subordinate prefectures throughout the country" will be an important part of the new policy.

It remains to be seen whether Fu Yanqing will take any opposition measures once this new policy is fully implemented.

Furthermore, Zhao Dexiu was well aware that Fu Yanqing's political stance had always been biased towards Zhao Guangyi.

Despite being wary of Fu Yanqing, Zhao Dexiu outwardly responded gently to the highly respected Fu Yanqing's praise:

"King Fu is too kind in his praise. The victory in the southern campaign was largely due to the bravery of the soldiers."

After dealing with Fu Yanqing, Zhao Dexiu noticed the common people who were far away outside the official road.

Many people were eagerly anticipating this, and Zhao Dexiu knew what they were hoping for.

Disaster relief efforts must begin with healing people's hearts.

Zhao Dexiu turned around and waved, and a grain transport team immediately brought the grain to his side.

Then Zhao Dexiu drew his long sword from his waist, went to a grain cart, and stabbed the sword into it.

As the sword was drawn, tempting grains of food leaped out of the hole from the bags on the grain cart.

After catching the falling grain, Zhao Dexiu strode forward to the soldiers blocking the crowd and opened his palms towards the people.

Since ancient times, members of the royal family have always been proud and delicate, and have never been so close to ordinary people.

Zhao Dexiu's friendliness and the grain in his hand immediately drew cheers from the onlookers.

"Long live the wise king! Long live the wise king!"

Over the years, the people have experienced too many hardships.

Although Zhao Kuangyin never broke his promise to the people since the establishment of the Song Dynasty.

But how can years of disappointment be reversed in just one year?

With so many people living both inside and outside the city, the act of "moving a log to establish trust" was necessary to reassure them and prevent them from being exploited by those with ulterior motives.

Confucius said, "A nation cannot stand without the trust of its people!"

The cheers that erupted from the people were enough to prove that Zhao Dexiu's measures had successfully built their trust in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Dexiu's actions brought a smile to Zhao Pu's face.

Even if Zhao Dexiu didn't do it, he would have done it anyway.

It would be best if Zhao Dexiu took the initiative to do this, because he represented the Song Dynasty imperial family.

The cheers of the people rose in waves, completely drowning out the drums and music outside the city.

Looking at the scene, Zhao Dexiu gestured for the people to stop cheering.

The common people were not imperial guards, and under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to quell their noise.

But after Zhao Dexiu gave the signal, the cheers of the people gradually stopped.

Seeing that Zhao Dexiu could easily stop the commotion of the people, many civil officials immediately understood Zhao Kuangyin's true intentions.

According to past practice, when the army returned to the capital, the common people would be cleared out in advance.

Not to mention the distinguished Zhao Dexiu, even many high-ranking officials and common people had no chance to see him.

Zhao Kuangyin's unconventional actions were intended to help Zhao Dexiu win over the hearts of the people.

If Zhao Dexiu can do this, he will receive far more than he would in a typical reward ceremony.

After the officials understood, Zhao Dexiu's voice followed:

"Your Majesty is benevolent, and grain from the south has been transferred to the north! The court will not break its promise, so you can return home in peace!"

As soon as Zhao Dexiu finished speaking, the civil officials clapped their hands, and the soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing across the plains.

The people were overjoyed and wept tears of joy, and many spontaneously began to worship Zhao Dexiu.

Some people craned their necks to get a clear look at Zhao Dexiu's face, and the crowd grew increasingly dense.

To avoid a stampede, Zhao Dexiu removed his helmet and exposed his face to the people.

"Do you wish to see the King of Taiyuan? He is just like any other man, not with double pupils or long ears, but simply with great wisdom!"

The fact that Zhao Dexiu could say these words shows that he had clearly heard and heard the discussions among the people just now.

After saying this, Zhao Dexiu laughed and remounted his horse, continuing his journey into Kaifeng.

As soon as Zhao Dexiu moved, civil and military officials followed behind him, followed by tens of thousands of elite guards.

Finally, as the grain carts drove through the gates of Kaifeng, the Song Dynasty quietly moved towards the second year of the Jianlong era.

(End of this chapter)