Chapter 1316: The Benevolent Crown Prince

After the fresh rain, the city walls, roads, houses, and vegetation of Liaoyang had all been washed anew. Though the sky was clear of clouds, the air between heaven and earth was damp and chilly, and the cold, clammy mist striking his face made Liu Yang involuntarily shiver.

Seeing this, Ma Huaiyu, standing guard nearby, hurriedly draped a fur robe over Liu Yang. Liu Yang did not refuse, tying the sash himself. This was a gift from the Empress before the campaign, and it had indeed proven useful. Wearing it, he could feel the warmth his mother had brought him.

Among those suffering from the unfamiliar climate was Liu Yang himself, the Crown Prince. He had caught a chill earlier, which had frightened those around him considerably. Fortunately, it was only a minor cold; with medicine and proper care, he had gradually recovered.

Gently stroking the worn city wall of Liaoyang, a thread of cold seeped through his fingers almost straight into his heart, making Liu Yang's mood grow somewhat heavier.

"How many refugees have been taken in outside the city?" Liu Yang suddenly asked, gazing at the refugee camp spread out along the East Liang River beyond the walls.

Murong Defeng, who had been training by Liu Yang's side, reported: "To answer Your Highness, nearly thirty thousand people have arrived!"

"What they lack is far more than just a bite of food!" Liu Yang sighed softly, his hand unconsciously gripping the edge of his robe; the soft texture gave a pleasant feel.

"With the Liao army conscripting soldiers and seizing grain, large tracts of farmland abandoned and left unplanted, and roving soldiers and bandits plundering, what the people of Liaodong need most is food—a bite to eat to keep them alive!" As a close attendant to the Crown Prince, Murong Defeng could roughly understand Liu Yang's thoughts, and he spoke with a tone of reassurance, cupping his hands.

"One autumn rain brings one spell of cold!" Liu Yang said. "Soon it will be the ninth month, and winter is not far off. If they cannot eat their fill and cannot keep warm in their clothing, when the weather turns colder, how much longer can these people hold on? Drinking cold water, dwelling in broken huts, even sleeping under the open sky!" A glimmer of sympathy flickered in Liu Yang's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Murong Defeng said: "Your Highness, most of these refugees are the old, the weak, women, and children—very few able-bodied men. That they could trek all the way to Liaoyang to beg for food is already remarkable. The army has already distributed grain and even sent soldiers to help them build huts. As for drawing water and keeping warm, they must rely on themselves..."

"Can the army allocate some cloth, clothing, and firewood?" Liu Yang said.

Murong Defeng hesitated, then answered with a wry smile: "Your Highness, the supply for an army of several hundred thousand consumes a vast amount daily. Every portion of grain, bedding, and firewood must be used sparingly. To relieve these refugees, we have already diverted a considerable amount of military supplies. Any more, and I fear the army will grow discontent. Moreover, the refugees are not limited to these—large numbers of displaced people are still arriving from all directions..."

"Isn't Minister Han urgently making arrangements? It's been so long—the relief grain should have arrived by now, shouldn't it?" Liu Yang said.

Glancing at Murong Defeng, Liu Yang said in a serious tone: "Though military consumption is enormous daily, with the reserves previously stockpiled, can it not even cover this small amount of expenditure? Using military grain to relieve the refugees was approved by the court!"

"Attracting refugees, distributing grain to relieve hunger, calming the people—now that they have gathered here, if we stop at this, relieving hunger but not the cold, would that not be abandoning the task halfway?" Liu Yang said earnestly.

Looking at Liu Yang's gradually calming face, Murong Defeng sighed: "Your Highness is indeed benevolent! However, I still believe that while relieving the people, we must also let them save themselves!"

"Given their current circumstances, even if they tried to save themselves, I fear they would lack the strength!" Liu Yang countered.

With that, Liu Yang directly gave the order: "Go find the Grain Commissioner and coordinate another portion of military grain. Add more grain and flour to each meal—at least give them half-full stomachs! As for keeping warm, distribute some firewood and charcoal, and have them share heat in groups! Additionally, send a dispatch to Minister Han, telling him that when he procures relief grain, he should also prepare more cloth, clothing, and coal!"

"Yes!"

"What you said is not without reason—ultimately, they must rely on themselves to survive!" After a moment of deliberation, Liu Yang continued: "The refugee camp is somewhat chaotic. Draw some Pacification Commissioners and lower-ranking military officers from the army to organize these refugees. Organize them into teams of five hundred to cut wood and gather materials, and build sturdy thatched huts. A place of shelter should not be so crude. All future refugees who gather here must be organized according to this arrangement!"

"As you command!" Murong Defeng immediately responded: "Your Highness's plan is excellent!"

"Oh, and grain seeds and farming tools—have Minister Han procure a batch of those as well!" Liu Yang added.

Upon hearing this, Murong Defeng said: "Your Highness is already thinking ahead to future reclamation and replanting!"

Liu Yang: "That day will come eventually—let us prepare in advance!"

"Your Highness, having such a large refugee population concentrated in Liaoyang and Shenzhou makes relief easier, but it is not a long-term solution, and it is draining too much of the army's energy!" Murong Defeng reminded.

"These are merely emergency measures for extraordinary times!" Liu Yang said, confident in his mind: "At present, the prefectures and cities of Liaodong lack officials of the Great Han. Once the first batch of officials sent to aid Liaodong arrives, we can deploy them and extend our governance. At that point, civil affairs can be handed over!"

"How is the deployment of those officials progressing? Have there been any updates?" Liu Yang asked.

Murong Defeng: "According to the directive issued by Chancellor Li before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Yan Mountains Circuit has already selected nine prefectural and county officials. Calculating the time and distance, they should be arriving in Liaoyang soon! Subsequent personnel should still be in coordination."

Nodding, Liu Yang raised his hand and instructed: "The moment they arrive, report to me immediately. I want to receive them personally and appoint them to their posts!"

"The representatives of the former Liao officials from the various prefectures who have submitted to the court have arrived in Liaoyang. When would you like to arrange an audience?" Murong Defeng requested.

"After we return to the office, bring them over!" Liu Yang sighed: "Liaodong has only just fallen. If we truly wish to govern Liaodong in the future, we must retain these former officials!"

"However, these people may not be sincerely submitting to the court—they are not to be fully trusted!" Murong Defeng said.

Liu Yang shook his head: "They are certainly not to be fully trusted, but since they have surrendered and can serve the court, there is no harm in being magnanimous. Use them where they can be used and observe their conduct. This is also an important part of governing Liaodong, and it is absolutely necessary. The imperial army has come from afar and suffers from the unfamiliar climate—how much harder is it to reestablish Han rule over this long-lost land? Relying solely on officials dispatched from the homeland would be very difficult to achieve! The directives transmitted from the temporary capital call for restoring order in Liaodong as quickly as possible. We do not have much time—at the very least, we need to show results before winter sets in..."

(Note: The original text appears to have a formatting issue where line 【34】 is empty or merged with 【33】. Based on context, it continues the previous statement.)

Hearing Liu Yang's composed and objective analysis, a look of admiration appeared on Murong Defeng's young face as he cupped his hands and said: "Your Highness's breadth of mind—I deeply admire it!"

Waving his hand, Liu Yang finally showed a slight smile: "All of this comes from His Majesty's teachings. If His Majesty were here, he would make the same decisions!"

"What is the situation in the southern prefectures like Chenyao and Ningsu?" Liu Yang asked again.

"The southern prefectures were taken early, and after rectification, the situation is fairly stable. According to reports from Yaozhou, some refugees have also flowed in, and the local officials and commanders have been taking them in and settling them!"

"Mm!" This time, Liu Yang only responded softly, and judging by his expression, he was fairly satisfied.

Standing on the city wall, gazing at the scenery outside, two massive military camps flanked the East Liang River, both firmly guarding Liaoyang city and keeping watch over the refugees outside the walls.

Compared to the messy and squalid refugee camp, the military camps were naturally far more tidy and orderly. While the refugees could not avoid hunger and cold, the soldiers were well-fed and warmly clothed, and even had recreational activities. Even the conscripted laborers and civilian militia enjoyed generous treatment.

Not to mention inside and outside the city—even the two camps seemed to belong to two different worlds.

"Rixin, what attitude do you think these refugees hold toward the Great Han now? Hatred, fear, or gratitude?" Liu Yang asked in a heavy tone.

This topic did indeed seem heavy. After hesitating briefly, Murong Defeng finally said: "War has certainly brought them suffering, but the grace of keeping them alive is real. Otherwise, these people outside the city would find it hard to survive this winter!"

"Killing with one hand, relieving with the other—perhaps this is what conquest is!" Liu Yang suddenly remarked with emotion.

Seeing Liu Yang's heavy mood, Murong Defeng proactively changed the subject and suggested: "Your Highness, the northern expedition has been underway for over half a year. His Majesty has arrived at the Yan Mountains. Would you take some time to go pay your respects and personally report on military and civil affairs?"

"Mm..." After deliberating, Liu Yang instructed: "The military and civil affairs of Liaodong are weighty. Draft a document and send it to Youzhou, requesting instructions first!"

"Yes!"