“After these Western Liang people leave today, in no more than ten days at the latest, I estimate the starving refugees from Western Liang will come…” When Bai Qingyan said this, Bai Qingqi immediately understood.
He nodded. Back then, Bai Jintong had raised the prices of jade brocade and fur, causing the people to abandon farming. He had also colluded with the eight great families of Western Liang to prevent news from reaching the emperor’s desk, hoarding grain and planning to use food to control the people’s throats… harvesting the hard-earned money the people had made from jade brocade and fur, resulting in severe grain shortages in Western Liang.
Later, when the Tianfeng Kingdom came to Western Liang, they searched everywhere for grain, making the people of Western Liang suffer terribly. Not only were there many more refugees, but some places had already begun experiencing famine. It was said that wherever people passed, not a blade of grass remained, and even tree bark had been stripped bare.
As for Yecheng Pass, because it had always been the Ye family’s territory, and most of the time Lord Ye had the final say, although Lord Ye couldn’t prevent most people from abandoring farming, at least Yecheng Pass had considerable grain reserves!
Moreover, because the Ye family’s influence had been entrenched in Yecheng Pass for generations, neither the Western Liang court nor the Tianfeng Kingdom dared to come to Yecheng Pass to plunder grain, which allowed the people of Yecheng Pass to survive.
But the people in other parts of Western Liang weren’t as fortunate as those in Yecheng Pass, who could rely on local officials to get through the grain shortage.
“When there was famine in Yanwo, A’Jue led people to Nan Jiang, which is how A’Jue came to have that small portion of the Bai family army under his command! The Yan Kingdom… also knew the importance of people, so at that time they secretly led disaster victims to the Yan Kingdom!” Bai Qingyan watched her footing, supporting her belly with one hand as she walked downstairs with Bai Qingqi. “If I’m not mistaken, the reason Yan Kingdom also chose to divide their forces into two routes to attack Xiangyun Capital wasn’t to compete with us, Great Zhou, for territory, but to lead a wider range of Western Liang people to the Yan Kingdom!”
“Soldiers… come from the people, and if we want to achieve the Great Zhou’s vast and strong military strength, we must have many people and citizens. Although our Great Zhou has already privately reached an agreement with the Yan Kingdom to compete through governance and merge into one nation, we still need to prepare for both possibilities and cannot put all our eggs in one basket!” Bai Qingyan’s voice was gentle and measured.
The corners of Bai Qingqi’s lips revealed an extremely shallow smile: “But today, elder sister released the people in Yecheng Pass from the city so that these Western Liang people would spread word about the situation inside Yecheng Pass and how Great Zhou treats Western Liang people!”
She nodded: “Compared to the Yan army making various promises to the Western Liang people, do you think the Western Liang people would rather believe what their fellow Western Liang people say… to come to Yecheng Pass, or would they rather go with the Yan army?”
“Naturally, the words of their compatriots would be more trustworthy!” The smile in Bai Qingqi’s eyes deepened. Elder sister had always seen through people’s hearts clearly, then used the most upright and honorable open strategies.
His spirit was supremely great and strong.
Nurtured through righteousness without harm, it would fill the space between heaven and earth.
With their elder sister as such an emperor in Great Zhou, the future would surely be as their ancestors and grandfather had hoped—within and without the court, throughout the entire nation, all would be filled with righteous spirit, all would use open strategies and righteous paths, without dark schemes and tricks.
“If at that time there are people who left Yecheng Pass and return, that would be even better able to attract Western Liang people from various places to come to Yecheng Pass.” Bai Qingqi said.
“Exactly…” Bai Qingyan smiled and nodded. “Vast rivers flow into the sea, which can contain them all, achieving its vastness and magnificence! The people are the foundation of the nation. A Kingdom that can embrace the people of a hundred nations can achieve the prosperity and flourishing of an eternal golden age.”
Walking down from the city wall, Bai Qingqi released Bai Qingyan and followed beside her at an unhurried pace: “So, elder sister plans to stay to attract the refugees, then settle them properly… even take them to other cities to settle them well, before setting out to return to the capital?”
“Mm, I’ve already sent someone back to the capital with a letter. I’ll return before the palace examination and set the date for the palace examination on March 15th.” Bai Qingyan looked up at the brilliant sunny sky and exhaled a thin mist. “I hope that by then, we will have pacified Western Liang. If… if we siblings return to the capital together, grandfather would surely be comforted if he could see it.”
Hearing these words, Bai Qingqi lowered his eyes and pursed his lips thoughtfully. After following Bai Qingyan for some distance, he finally said: “Elder sister, before March 15th, A’Qi will do everything in his power… to pacify Xiangyun Capital! To capture Li Tianjiao alive!”
“Don’t be reckless!” Bai Qingyan thought of General Cui Shanzhong leading the expedition and still felt uneasy. “You’re facing the resourceful and cunning General Cui. Grandfather once said… General Cui Shanzhong is full of tricks and uses any means necessary on the battlefield! He’s not like the Ye family generals who are upright and honest. Yun Poxing’s little schemes aren’t enough to catch General Cui Shanzhong’s attention, so you must be careful in everything, prioritize the big picture, and don’t rush to meet deadlines!”
Bai Qingyan didn’t want A’Qi to make any reckless moves just because of her casual sentimental remark, insisting on destroying Western Liang before this date and causing him and their younger siblings to get hurt—that would truly be more harm than good.
“A’Qi knows, elder sister. Nothing… is more important than having family all present, unharmed and safe!” Bai Qingqi’s eyes showed a smile. “Elder sister, I’m truly happy… that my younger brother is still alive, very happy that A’Yu is still alive! Happier than anything!”
“Elder sister knows!” Bai Qingyan raised her hand, but could no longer reach the top of Bai Qingqi’s head. Looking at Bai Qingqi’s white hair, her heart felt sour. If there were no parting sorrow in the eyes, one wouldn’t believe there was white hair in the human world.
Since Bai Qingqi’s return, except for the coronation ceremony when he first came back, he had never spoken such heartfelt words to anyone like this.
She smiled and patted Bai Qingqi’s shoulder: “That you all can return, that you all can be safe—elder sister is also… happier than anything!”
·
That day, there were quite a few Western Liang people wanting to leave Yecheng Pass. At first, Bai Qingyun had people process them one by one, but later discovering there were simply too many people, Bai Qingyun simply had them queue at the city gate to receive travel funds before leaving.
That day, Great Zhou continued distributing travel funds until it was completely dark, yet there was still an endless stream of people queuing. Great Zhou showed no signs of obstruction whatsoever. Many Western Liang people who originally didn’t dare leave, fearing that the Great Zhou would secretly kill people, saw their neighbors all leaving and became wavering in their hearts, also discussing with their families about wanting to leave.
Who would have known, before more Western Liang people could queue to leave, that some people who had received travel funds and left the city in the morning returned, wanting to enter the city, but were blocked outside the gates of Yecheng Pass.
The gate-guarding general of Yecheng Pass looked down at the Western Liang people wanting to enter the city: “You are not citizens of our Great Zhou. Leave quickly and don’t linger around the edges of our Great Zhou cities, or don’t blame us if swords and arrows have no eyes!”
As soon as the gate guard general finished speaking, soldiers immediately drew their swords and nocked their bows. How could ordinary people have seen such a formation? They immediately fell to the ground, their legs so weak and trembling they couldn’t stand up at all.