flstandardbreds Chapter 243: It is not easy to transport to Xi'an
Chapter 243: It is not easy to transport to Xi'an
The two main generals from the east and west were extremely angry when they were threatened, but no matter how angry they were inside, they did not dare to show their anger directly on the table.
If the news were to spread back to the capital and reach the ears of the Eighth Prince, it would inevitably cause some unnecessary misunderstandings.
Besides, since they have already sent out the troops, no matter how reluctant they are, they have no choice but to move forward.
After all, just because His Majesty won't take his own son's life doesn't mean he won't take their lives!
Who doesn’t have a wife, children and elder relatives at home?
The original intention of joining the army was to bring honor to the family, but now...
Things were no longer under their control and they were forced to board the Xi Chu pirate ship. They had no choice but to kill all the people in Xi'an who knew about the situation.
Being soft on the "enemy" means being cruel to yourself.
If any potential threat is left behind and the news leaks out in the future, disgrace would be the least of the consequences, while the entire clan would be exterminated at worst.
People are selfish, and they are no exception.
Since there is no turning back, whether for their own lives or for the lives of their family members and clansmen, they can only... follow Qi Jianshu's rhythm.
Qi Jianshu obviously grasped their weaknesses and this mentality, which is why his tricks always work.
As long as there was any slackness in the progress of the siege, or there was any lack of cooperation between the two armies, he would "remind" them at any time to prevent them from losing their minds and delaying military opportunities.
The east and west gates were originally less siege-proof than the north gate guarded by Han Yaojun, but even so, with less than 10,000 troops facing off against 50,000, it was still a huge pressure.
Now with Qi Jianshu's "urging", the intensity of the siege increased greatly, and the soldiers guarding the city gates on both sides also felt the pressure increased dramatically.
Han Yaojun soon learned the news. This was within his expectations and there was nothing surprising about it. However, there was also news that made the situation even worse...
After listening to the report.
"What?" Han Ziyu frowned.
Rong Qingzhu was the calmest among the group, as if he had been mentally prepared.
He spoke slowly in a clear and pleasant voice, "Medicinal materials are already scarce. After the consumption over the past few days, only one in ten is usable left."
After helping out at the wounded soldiers' hospital in the city over the past few days, he made a preliminary count of how many different types of medicinal materials would be needed.
In the long run, the most terrifying thing is not that the city gates have been breached, but that there is no food or medicine in the city.
The hungry cannot be fed and the wounded cannot be rescued.
Whether it was starvation to death or death in pain, the scene was a human tragedy.
"General Han, we must come up with a countermeasure. This is not a solution. Before they can bring reinforcements back, the wounded will die in agony, and... others will starve to death due to food shortages."
This is the main purpose of Rong Qingzhu's visit to Han Yaojun this time.
He didn't understand military matters and didn't know how to deploy troops, but he could naturally see the difficulties that were visible to the naked eye.
"The Han family has deep roots in the northwest. Although the harvest this year is not very good, given the Han family's status, there should still be a way to raise food, right?" Rong Qingzhu made no secret of his expectations for Han Yaojun and the Han family.
Obviously, the Northwest is not the capital. Even though his father is the prime minister and the Rong family has a deep foundation, it is still impossible to quench thirst with distant water!
The Han family's status in the northwest is like the influence of the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis's Mansion in the capital.
Even though they have kept a low profile for many years, their influence is by no means inferior to that of His Majesty. In fact, in the hearts of the people, the Han family is a more reassuring presence than His Majesty.
To be honest, Rong Qingzhu never cared who the emperor was sitting on the dragon throne, so whether the emperor was wary of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery or the Han family, it didn't matter to him.
He only cares about what he cares about. If Your Majesty is capable and can make the people have enough food and clothing, he will be willing to submit to you.
Your Majesty...if you are incompetent, then what he is loyal to and protecting is not just one person, but the entire Great Zhou.
On this point, he believed that his views were the same as Bai's, even though... they had never discussed such issues in depth.
Since he didn't care about the Han family's influence in the northwest, he spoke frankly without any tentative intention.
Rong Qingzhu said it so frankly, Han Yaojun did not try to hide it and admitted it openly.
"Food... the Han family can indeed raise it, but transporting it to Xi'an... is not an easy task."
Han Ziyu stood aside, hesitant to speak, as if he wanted to stop Han Yaojun from telling the truth. He was still wary and reserved towards Rong Qingzhu.
The waters in the capital are treacherous, and Rong Qingzhu has an uncertain stance. He has a very good relationship with Chu Jiang, but the Rong family is apparently neutral. He believes that he does not have so many tricks and can only be more wary of those people in the power centers.
But since the general had already confessed, it was not appropriate for him to interrupt.
"I know this is not an easy matter. It is very likely that His Majesty will be wary of the Han family. However, the hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers in the city cannot stand starvation..."
"General, you have been fighting outside for many years and have seen countless big battles. You should know better than me that when people are extremely desperate and hungry, they can do anything!"
Rong Qingzhu pursed his lips and lowered his voice solemnly, "For example, there was a drought in Huzhou a few years ago, and the villagers exchanged their children for food..."
As soon as the last four words came out, Han Yaojun's expression changed, and his eyes became cold and sharp.
Han Ziyu turned around and looked at Han Yaojun in astonishment. They had all heard about this matter, and it was precisely because they had heard about it that they were so shocked.
The incident caused quite a stir at the time. It was not uncommon for people to eat their own children due to hunger. What was rare was that the drought lasted for such a long time, a full month, that the farmers had no harvest and no food at home.
The officials of Hucheng and the imperial court above exploited the people, and not a single grain of food reached the people. In the end, one village was forced to eat hundreds of people by exchanging their own children...
When this matter came to light, an eighth-rank disaster relief official who had just taken office and was full of enthusiasm risked his life to write a memorial and send it to the capital. However, he died before the memorial reached the Secretariat.
The memorial was kept secret for three days, and the person who later revealed the matter was... Zhou Yichen.
They didn't care whether Zhou Yichen was just putting on an act or was genuinely fighting for the people. What they cared about more at this moment was...if there was no food, would Xi'an city become the second Huzhou?
"General Han, I know I have made things difficult for you, but I don't want Xi'an to follow in Huzhou's footsteps!"
"I understand." Han Yaojun nodded with a heavy expression.
The matter was concluded through their conversation and eye contact.
Han Ziyu...did not say anything to stop him. Human nature cannot stand the test. Under extreme hunger, no one can predict what will happen!
An hour later, Chu Er, who had sneaked into Xianyang City, brought his men and incited the crowd's instinctive resistance to Western Chu.
In addition, the people had many criticisms about General Wang's leadership of the troops, which now became sharp arrows for him to pull the people into his camp.
General Wang is a man of average ability, but he loves to amass wealth, and he allows his men to rob women, kill people in the street, etc...
The people had long harbored resentment against him.