The day after the decision was made, Guo Song wrote a letter to Sijie Khan Saler and sent three cavalrymen on two horses to Sijie's tent to deliver the letter.
Guo Song immediately issued an order to withdraw westward from Yulin County.
Yulin County is a large county with a population of nearly 3,000 households and more than 15,000 people. However, due to the drought, a large number of people from southern Shengzhou fled to Yulin County, doubling the population of Yulin County to nearly 3,000.
Thousands of people.
Yulin County Magistrate Zhao Zhiwu has also been restless these days. He also received news of the locust plague in Shengzhou and Xiazhou. He knew very well that the Shengzhou government was now unable to deal with the locust plague. Shengzhou is surrounded by mountains to the south and to the east.
Facing the Yellow River, the other side of the Yellow River is also a mountainous area. Locust swarms will definitely move up the north bank of the Yellow River, and Yulin County is inevitable.
In the fourteenth year of Tianbao, the locust plague went from Xiazhou to Shengzhou, then along the Yellow River to Yulin, and finally invaded Fengzhou. Locusts have memories, and they will definitely take this green channel again.
At this time, Zhao Zhiwu received an order from Guo Song with a flying eagle, ordering him to lead the people of the county to Fengzhou to participate in the locust drive. The crop losses suffered in Yulin were compensated by Fengzhou military fields.
This plan is very good. Zhao Zhiwu can completely understand it. Instead of being defeated by the locusts individually, it is better to concentrate manpower to drive away the locusts together. Moreover, the army is willing to compensate and the people can accept it.
But what made Zhao Zhiwu a little embarrassed was that the county magistrate and county magistrate of Hebin County in the south came and wanted to negotiate with the two counties to fight the locust plague together.
Hebin County is less than a hundred miles away from Yulin County. It is a small county with a population of more than 900 households and less than 4,000 people. The land is relatively barren and mainly dry fields. Only millet can be grown, and the yield per mu is not large. The people are very poor.
There is no sense of presence in Shengzhou. People from the south who fled the disaster did not go to Hebin County at all, but to the relatively affluent Yulin County.
Li Huan, the county magistrate, advised Zhao Zhiwu: "The population of Hebin County is too small to play any role. It is better for them to gather the people together and move to Fengzhou to participate in locust extermination."
Zhao Zhiwu sighed and said, "I don't know if Guo Shijun is willing to compensate Hebin County for its losses. After all, they are Shengzhou, not Fengzhou."
Li Huan smiled slightly and said: "Don't forget, county gentleman, Guo Shijun is still the deputy envoy of Shuofang Jiedu, and Shengzhou is also under his military jurisdiction. He used military field grain to compensate for the losses. I think the same is true for Hebin County."
It makes sense.”
"But it's better to make sure."
Li Huan thought for a while and said: "It is noon now. If you send the eagle letter, it can be sent to Jiuyuan County before dark. Then Guo Shijun will reply to the letter tomorrow morning. We will receive it at noon tomorrow, so we arrange to send it tomorrow afternoon and
Riverside County officials will discuss it and there will be enough time."
Zhao Zhiwu nodded, "You are right, I will do it according to your suggestion!"
........
In the Yulin County Station, two officials who came from Binhe County were anxiously waiting for the news.
One of them is Wang Dazhi, the magistrate of Binhe County, and the other is Miao Wei, the county magistrate. Although they proposed that the two counties jointly resist the locust plague, in fact, both of them knew in their hearts that the locust plague could not be resisted by the two counties joining forces.
The real purpose of their search for Yulin County was to discuss the resettlement of victims after the locust plague. Shengzhou could no longer count on it. Yulin County was relatively wealthy and might have some surplus food in its warehouses, so it could accept the victims from Binhe County.
At this time, the voice of County Magistrate Zhao Zhiwu came from the yard, "Is Magistrate Wang here?"
Wang Dazhi was overjoyed and hurriedly greeted him, "Here! Here! Magistrate Zhao, please come in quickly. Magistrate Li is also here. Please come in and sit down."
The magistrates and magistrates of the two counties gathered together and took a sip of tea. Wang Dazhi asked tentatively: "Have your county's measures to combat the locust plague been deployed?"
Zhao Zhiwu nodded, "In fact, it is a unified deployment by Fengzhou. I have received an order that all young people, old and young, from Yulin County should evacuate to Feng'an County within three days, and all the manpower of the three counties and three towns should be concentrated to fight the locust plague."
Wang Dazhi and Miao Wei looked at each other, and Miao Wei quickly asked: "What about the wheat fields in Yulin? Isn't it all over?"
Zhao Zhiwu sighed, "There is no way. Yulin County alone will definitely not be able to withstand the locust plague. It is better to concentrate on protecting Jiuyuan County. We also think it makes sense. Of course, if Yulin County suffers losses, Fengzhou will use the army to collect food."
To compensate us, this is called killing two birds with one stone. We can also get compensation for our efforts."
Wang Dazhi and Miao Wei felt extremely disappointed. Why didn't there be such good things in Shengzhou? As long as they were willing to compensate for their losses, they were willing to contribute!
Zhao Zhiwu saw the expressions of the two people and smiled slightly: "Our two counties are brother counties and have been taking care of each other for hundreds of years. I specifically consulted Guo Shijun yesterday, and Guo Shijun has already stated that as long as the people of Hebin County follow Yulin
If the people of the county go to Fengzhou to fight the disaster, he will also compensate Binhe County for its losses."
Wang Dazhi and Miao Wei were immediately overjoyed. Wang Dazhi quickly expressed his position: "We are very willing to follow Yulin County to Fengzhou to fight the disaster."
Miao Wei asked: "What should be done specifically? Do all county residents have to go?"
Zhao Zhiwu said: "In principle, young people over ten years old and elderly people under sixty years old must participate in the locust eradication. The whole family can go to Fengzhou together. Fengzhou provides tents to live in. When it comes to the actual locust eradication, the elderly and young children do not need to participate.
The main reason is to facilitate care. Of course, if you don’t want to go, you can do it, don’t force it, but there will be no food compensation.”
Wang Dazhi said extremely decisively: "The disaster is spreading very quickly. Let's go back now and immediately mobilize the people to come to Yulin County. Let's go to Fengzhou and Zhaozhi County together. What do you think?"
Zhao Zhiwu nodded, "As soon as possible! Mobilize as many as you can. If you really don't want to go, don't force it."
Wang Dazhi and Miao Wei left immediately and returned to Hebin County overnight...
At the same time, Yulin County also began to mobilize. The government officials went from house to house to inform the people. The county government also summoned the big families in the county and the elders of each family to discuss the matter.
There was a crowd in the lobby, and Zhao Zhiwu said loudly to everyone: "Everyone who has experienced the locust plague in Tianbao in the 14th year knows that the power of one county alone cannot withstand the invasion of locusts. Guo Shijun came up with a good plan.
Concentrate the entire Fengzhou manpower to resist the locust plague, and then use the saved wheat to compensate for everyone's losses. I fully agree with this plan, but I will not force anyone. Everyone participates voluntarily. I will give everyone one night to discuss with their families tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
In preparation for the registration time, we will begin to evacuate westward the day after tomorrow. We will follow the army from Dongshou Jiangcheng and set off for Feng'an County, where we will be accommodated in tents."
After a pause, Zhao Zhiwu said again: "I hope everyone can explain the situation clearly to their families. Only by giving can you get something. If you don't go to Fengzhou to participate in the locust extermination, then the Fengzhou government will not compensate you for your losses, and you can only get something."
A little bit of food for disaster relief."
"May I ask County Magistrate Zhao, how much compensation can the Fengzhou government compensate us for our losses?"
"The compensation is based on two hundred catties of wheat per mu. If you participate in the wheat harvest in Jiuyuan County, it will be two hundred and fifty catties."
There was a commotion in the lobby, and someone shouted loudly: "Can County Magistrate Zhao issue a formal notice to clearly state the situation and post it all over the county?"
Zhao Zhiwu nodded and said: "Absolutely, we will have a formal announcement soon. Everyone should go back and inform their relatives and friends. If you have any questions, you can ask them now. If you don't have any questions, you can go back."
"May I ask the county magistrate, if the entire Fengzhou cannot resist the locust plague, will the government still provide compensation?"
This is also a key issue. Zhao Zhiwu did not avoid it and said calmly: "If the wheat fields in Jiuyuan County are also destroyed, then we can only count on the imperial court to transport grain to provide relief. The premise of compensation is to preserve the military fields in Jiuyuan County. This
I hope everyone understands that we must do our best to fight the disaster, not only to protect Toyosu, but also for our own vital interests."
.........
The news quickly spread throughout Yulin County. More than 15,000 Shengzhou and Xiazhou victims who had taken refuge in Yulin County were the first to respond and were willing to go to Jiuyuan County for disaster relief. Other families also called their families for discussion.
Many families made a decisive decision and began to pack their bags and prepare to evacuate westward. Others were more hesitant, but they were no longer able to control the changes in the situation.
When the first group of nearly 10,000 people followed the 500 soldiers and retreated westward, the remaining people realized their stupidity. Even a county might not be able to withstand the locust plague. How could the remaining few thousand people still keep their wheat?
If they don't leave, Fengzhou will not compensate them for their losses.
At this time, thousands of people from Binhe County also arrived in Yulin County. They were very decisive. All families were willing to go to Fengzhou. Under the leadership of several county officials, the entire county evacuated westward.
The second batch of people from Yulin County and Binhe County who retreated westward, escorted by 500 soldiers from Dongshou City, marched toward Feng'an County hundreds of miles away.