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Chapter 24 Food shortage

 Throughout September, Liu Bei did not dare to relax his guard. Although the spies in Fushi came back with news every day, saying that the Liang people's army had begun to move south one after another, and the flags were getting less and less day by day. But he knew the weakness of the front line.

, still maintaining the army stationed on the front line, repairing Baitu City day and night, first building an outer layer of it, and then digging water channels to divert water into the moat of Baitu City. They were busy until mid-October, when Baitu City was completely completed.

, he then led his troops back to Jinyang.

On the other side, at this time, Xu Rong had indeed withdrawn to Guanzhong as he said, but the lost Shangjun would not come back because of this. Han Xian and Yang Feng did not leave either, but went directly to Qiuci north of Fushi.

He stayed in the city and used the money left by Xu Rong to gather the old troops and serve as the front line for the imperial court to regain Bingzhou. However, the location of Qiuci was not dangerous enough, so Yang Feng and Han Siam abolished this old town and built another one about thirty miles south of the city.

A new city was built there and was still called Qiuci.

At least within this year, both sides have no intention of fighting again, so the border has been stabilized between Baitu and Qiuci. However, this does not mean that the difficulties are over, or it should be said that many difficulties are only now becoming apparent. Soldiers died in the battle

The aftermath of the war, the reorganization of the Baibo Army, the refugees in the counties caused by the war, and the reconstruction of the counties in Xihe, etc., but these are not the most important issues. The most important thing is actually the food problem.

Originally, under Chen Chong's actuarial calculation, although this year was not good, it could still be managed. However, the timing of Dong Zhuo's attack was too sinister. He planned to fight during the autumn harvest. Originally, this year's harvest was already quite pessimistic. As a result,

During the war, the three counties of Hedong, Xihe, and Shangjun had no time to harvest, and a large amount of grain rotted in the fields, especially in Hedong. This was also a gift from Xu Rong.

Hedong County had as many as one million households and was the most prosperous under Chen Chong's rule. However, when Baibo rebelled, Xu Rong led troops and joined forces with Niu Fu to suddenly attack Hedong. Niu Fu led 30,000 troops to surround Jie County and confronted Zhang Fei.

Xu Rong, on the other hand, was like locusts passing through the border, sweeping up grain and rice in Hedong inch by inch.

Wang Yi, the governor of Hedong, was stationed in Anyi at the time. When he saw refugees coming to report and Liang people attacking, he immediately tried to lead troops to harass his flanks. However, not long after leaving the city, he was repulsed by Xu Rong's troops. However, Xu Rong did not change his plan.

, but just like the old plan, they all circled the big cities such as Anyi, first collecting food in the villages, and then searching for goods in the small cities. No one could resist. So in just one month,

Xu Rong created nearly 300,000 refugees in Hedong.

As for these refugees, Xu Rong either let them go or expelled them to Anyi and Linfen, rapidly consuming the food stored in the city. When he reached Pingyang, he suddenly went south again and led his troops to quickly surround Anyi. The refugees in the city were not allowed to leave.

Fortunately, at this time, Dong Zhuo ordered Xu Rong to lead his troops to fight in Shangjun because Zhang Ji was unable to break the city. The war in Hedong ended.

It was already early November. Chen Chong took off the gauze on his left eye. His eye injury had healed, but a ferocious cross scar was left on his eyebrow bone. There were also some sequelae, such as his left eye

He couldn't open his eyes very well, and his eyesight had also dropped a lot. Sometimes he would feel dizzy for no reason, but overall it also increased Chen Chong's majesty. Liu Bei laughed at him and said: "He looks like a smiling tiger."

But Chen Chong didn't care about this. The disaster in Hedong had reached a point where there was no need to delay, and he had to pay more attention. In October and January alone, Hedong County sent eight documents asking for food. As soon as Chen Chong recovered from his injury, he immediately

Leading the officials of the state government south, what they saw along the way was shocking. Sanhe was originally the essence of the country. Last year's war, the two counties of Henan and Hanoi were already a wasteland. But after the Liang people passed away this year, the only prosperous place in Sanhe was also

It has become a hell.

The weather has always been gloomy and gray, but the temperature has suddenly cooled down. The northern grasslands bring the breath of ice and sea. Chen Chong saw along the road that refugees were wandering all over the mountains and fields. They were peeling trees one by one along the mountains and fields.

The bark of the tree, their eyes were hollow with no strength, and their bodies were covered with short brown linen cloth that could not cover their bodies. When they saw Chen Chong's motorcade, their eyes suddenly glowed with hope, and they made uh-huh sounds from their mouths, like

It was the groan of the hungry ghosts in hell, and it was like the last trace of life in the bones, so they came closer like a swarm of ants and followed Chen Chong's carriage loading food. Many people had evil intentions in their eyes, but Chen Chong came too late, and most people

They didn't even have the energy to grab food. Along the way, people kept approaching, and people kept falling down. In this way, they formed a long team. By the time Chen Chong arrived in Anyi, his team had been traveling for more than ten miles.

Chief, Chen Chong has already distributed half of the 70,000 shi of grain he brought from Taiyuan Mianjiang.

When he handed over the remaining grain to Wang Yi, Wang Yi saw that the grain could not last for even half a month, and he became decadent. Chen Chong could only encourage him and said: "I will go back and think of a way. No matter what, I will definitely survive this winter."

The past."

Having said that, he really can't produce much grain. If he adjusts the grain again, he can only use next year's spring planting. Even if he barely survives this winter, how can he survive until next year's autumn harvest? This must not be done.

, then we can only think of other ways.

Chen Chong first spent a lot of gold and silver, hired local reliable tenant farmers, and assigned his soldiers to dress up as grain vendors and ride donkeys to buy grain in various places in Jizhou. But the grain that could be bought was limited, and every day

One donkey and two long sacks, often traveling in groups of ten or so, can bring food for almost a hundred people, which seems like a lot, but it requires crossing the Taihang Mountains. Bandits are rampant in the Taihang Mountains, and the Black Mountain bandits dare not take action against the army.

But they often like to rob small caravans like this, but if the state capital sends a large army to suppress it, there is really no money and food to mobilize.

Fortunately, the Black Mountain Army is also poor this year. They look down on Bingzhou, a place without oil and water, and are not willing to conflict with the state capital. Now they are leading most of them south to Hanoi to attack Yanzhou to seize food. Therefore, although this method is not very useful,

But I still brought back some rice and noodles.

The second way is to borrow food. Now there is no food in the state capital, and most of Baibo's food and grass have been taken away by Han Yang. However, the Huns have been saving for two years and barely have some left. There are also many wealthy families in Taiyuan, Shangdang, and Hedong.

In order to save grain, Chen Chong sent his staff to the house one by one to raise grain and grass, but the effect was not good. Many people refused and said that in troubled times, not a grain of rice was superfluous. However, Meiji still raised the money for Chen Chong's sake.

I got some, about 80,000 shi.

But this was far from enough. Chen Chong simply discussed with Liu Bei, arranged for some refugees, distributed weapons to them, and asked them to go to the wealthy mansions in Hedong to make trouble first. They pretended to be deaf and dumb.

But this method soon failed, not because there were no weapons to adjust, but because there was a sudden heavy snowfall in Hedong.

What a heavy snow! What an early snow! The sky, which has been gloomy for January, still seems to have no mercy. It cruelly dropped buckets of snowflakes, covering the sky and the earth with a layer of cold silk cloth overnight, and the air was shrouded in freezing

The atmosphere. The snow caught Chen Chong off guard. He hurriedly transported the borrowed 80,000 stone grains and rice to the east of the river. However, the snow was so heavy that it blocked the mountain road, so that he could only send people to clean it up and provide food at the same time.

The wheels are covered with fur and they are moving hard in the mud.

After walking like this for a decade, Chen Chong finally led the convoy out of the long and narrow Luliang Mountain Road. He arrived in Pingyang first, but the tragic scene in Pingyang made him unbearable and couldn't believe it.
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Under his stern supervision, more than ten porridge sheds had been set up, and more than ten large pots were cooking porridge over the fire. However, the living people did not rush to line up, but sat or lay around.

On the snowy ground, these people no longer have the strength to stand up. Why do you want them to rob food?

Even worse, not far from the living people, there were many dead people lying on the snow. At this time, people recruited from Pingyang County were pulling bamboo mats from the cars and wrapping them one by one.

Chen Chong's eyes were full of sadness. He turned back to look at a porridge shed, and his eyes immediately became stern.

The Pingyang County Magistrate also came. At this time, he was wearing a thick deerskin coat, and there was actually a Cangtou who moved the bed for him and placed it in front of a large cauldron stove to warm himself.

Chen Chong said to a staff member from the state capital next to him: "Call Pingyang Ling over."

"Yes." The aide walked to the bonfire, "County Lord, Mr. Chen invites you to come over and talk."

Pingyang Ling stood up and walked to Chen Chong: "Chen Chong."

Chen Chong asked: "How can we bury so many dead people?"

Pingyang Ling replied: "We are looking for someone right now. We are going to dig a big pit as a grave and bury them in one place."

Chen Chong asked again: "There are so many people alive, even if they have a bowl of porridge to drink, where will they sleep at night?"

Pingyang Ling sighed: "I'm worried too. How can there be a place for them to sleep with so many people."

Chen Chong asked urgently: "Then let them freeze to death?"

This Pingyang Ling was from Nanyang and was appointed by the imperial court as a son of a wealthy family. He originally followed Wang Yi in the rebellion and was worried about something. Now seeing Chen Chong's anxious and stern expression, he became even more angry and said: "Please don't talk nonsense!

Who wants them to freeze to death?"

"If the porridge shack is not located in the city, and we let so many people stay in the wilderness during the snowy weather, don't you just want them to freeze to death!" Chen Chong's eyes suddenly pierced Pingyang Ling, and his injured left eye looked particularly special at this time.

Sharp.

"So many people have entered the city, how to arrange them?" Pingyang Ling became angry and showed no sign of weakness.

Chen Chong scolded: "Where are you sleeping? Where are your family sleeping? Don't they all live in the city? You have a place to sleep, but there is no way to resettle these refugees!"

Pingyang Ling was startled: "Chen, Chen Shijun, how can you talk like this..."

Chen Chong said "ha": "What do you want me to say? I will leave Pingyang to you. I don't expect you to have much integrity, nor do I expect you to contribute money or effort. I just hope you remember that the people of Pingyang are all you.

People, do you do this to your own sons and daughters! I tell you, I have already brought you food. If there is not enough, I will find a way to transport it, even if I steal it! But from today on, no more food will be delivered here.

If you starve to death or freeze to death, you should stop working here!"

When Pingyang Ling heard this gust of wind and rain, he remembered that he was in troubled times and couldn't help but feel a little discouraged: "Then Shijun Chen can give me a clear path. What should I do if Shijun becomes my county magistrate?



Chen Chong said solemnly: "Vacate the county government, the arsenals, rice warehouses, temples, Taoist temples, and some wealthy families, and all the places that can be vacated in the county, and let the refugees live in them! They have no clothes.

Just give them more firewood and let them light the fire! The more prosperous the fire, the better!"

Pingyang Ling seemed to have heard the huge absurdity: "Yes, does this make sense?"

Chen Chong sneered: "Let me tell you, I was a wine sacrificer in Luoyang and a prefect in Xihe. This has always been the case! After giving this porridge, I moved the porridge shed to the city!"

After saying this, Chen Chong ignored him, strode towards the refugees on the snow, and said loudly: "The porridge will be ready soon! Fellow villagers, please sit up if you can sit, and stand if you can stand."

Get up, you won't be able to get up if you lie down any longer! After finishing the porridge, we all moved to the city, and your county master arranged a house for you! Listen to me, get up. Those who can't get up, please ask others to help.

!" As he said that, he walked to an old man and squatted down, put the dying old man's arms on his shoulders, half hugged and half helped him up.

After helping the old man up, Chen Chong looked towards Pingyang Ling and the county officials: "You are still standing, do you want me to invite you one by one?"

The county officials and staff all rushed over.


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