Chapter 223: He got a little angry

At the same time, many remote villages also welcomed a troop of cavalry.

This really caused considerable psychological pressure for the villagers; the last time soldiers of this scale entered the village was to conscript able-bodied men and send them to the frontier pass.

When they learned it was the king sent to check on their disaster situation, these once stalwart villagers suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, having never experienced such a thing!

You said the King You sent people down to see if they were still alive?

This matter is… somewhat absurd, yet also somewhat moving.

Such scenes played out in many places of You Prefecture; where houses collapsed, they roughly counted the rooms, and when someone was trapped, soldiers helped them rescue and dig out.

Bai Ze, with the king, forged a new path circling You Prefecture City; it might have been walking on snow or on someone's roof, and the king had gotten his fill.

After looking around, he soon felt relieved; the problem wasn't serious, really not serious.

After finishing the circuit, the two turned back to the royal mansion; on the return road, far off they saw a snowman… no, a snow mountain running on the road!

Strange things happen every year, but this year there are especially many!

As it rolled, it kicked up snowflakes across the sky, its aura immensely powerful; the king noticed it from far away at a glance.

"Bai Ze, look, there's a snowman dancing~"

Bai Ze: "……How could there be a person that big? Could it be a clumsy bear that got thrown off?"

The king: ……

Indeed it is.

Moreover, that wasn't dancing; it was snow kicked up by Weini rolling and running.

It had rolled itself covered in snow, no longer looking like a bear, and still couldn't catch up to Bai Ze. People can climb onto roofs, but it cannot.

The king's conscience struck him; he went down to meet Weini, bringing it along as they slowly walked back to the mansion.

The world was a vast white expanse; the street had no one else besides them, and for a moment the king felt happy—just walking on like this would be fine.

Only the sound of Weini happily treading snow remained in his ears; they walked silently for a long time, all the way to East Splendid Gate, where they saw Ling Yin practicing sword in the snow, waiting for him. The king suddenly sighed: "I don't know if it's snowing to the north; if it were also this heavy…… we don't know how long such peaceful days can last."

Bai Ze didn't look back, lazily saying: "Those are things you can't decide; overthinking just adds worries. Anyway, this weather—southbound it's cold, hungry, and suffering—isn't yours; if they dare come when the city gate is shut, you can just use them for practice."

Its nonchalant tone made the king relax considerably.

A moment later, that guy pouted: "I, the king, already boasted last time; I'll drive them back to their grassland homeland again! But now, I, the king, am not ready yet—how annoying!"

Bai Ze couldn't be bothered to comment; the pride of His Highness the King You flared up again.

The king returned to wait for news; idling, he thought it might be nice to find a sea and take out a warship to have a look at the actual thing.

Before he could act, he discovered that the warship fleet's usage there was gray; it turned out that without a military dock, the ship couldn't be taken out in advance.

"I still wanted to glance at a cannon to see if it could be unloaded and placed on the city wall to scare people, but the dream is shattered!" He had no recourse, and began hoping the cavalry would return with good news.

In the afternoon, troops returned one after another; overall losses were not great.

Several very poor villages were severely affected; some due to broken houses, some due to terrain issues, and some houses collapsed.

So far, the reported casualty count is only two, said to be elderly people who failed to evacuate in time.

The last to return was the group headed to Dragon Head County; this small county town with a hint of tragedy faces the sea and lies directly in the path of the wind and snow.

The group that went to Dragon Head County only returned after nightfall, saying that over a hundred civilian homes in the county seat had collapsed; fortunately they had accounted for the houses, and most people had evacuated in advance. Those still inside have been dug out, with six deaths.

The king hearing this was not surprised.

He had personally seen that declining, dingy little county town; six people…… was already a decent outcome.

"Issue an order from This King: families whose homes collapsed in the snow disaster shall be awarded… five taels of consolation silver, from This King's private treasury." The king thought, assessing the level of collapsed houses in You Prefecture; giving too much would be inappropriate and could make him look foolishly rich, so five taels is enough for repairs.

At the scene, aside from Zhao Ba who could speak, Zhao Ba had to play the straight man himself, praising the king's benevolence.

After everyone had withdrawn, the king grabbed Bai Ze and said, "The benevolent king decides to build the main military dock near Dragon Head County; what do you think?" He wanted to lend a hand there.

Bai Ze lazily said, "……Even if we step back ten thousand steps, couldn't we call Wei Shen back? When you have matters, you'd have someone to consult with; now you still have to hold it in until there's no one else to tell me, how troublesome."

The king was stunned: "You actually find me annoying!"

Bai Ze blinked: "Really?"

The king angrily rose to leave home, but upon reaching the door realized it wasn't very realistic.

If he left this palace hall, where would he live? What if Zhao Ba asked him to explain? Say Bai Ze scolded him?

The king acted as if nothing had happened, turned back, and said, "……Hmph! This King is going to set up a stall!"

The king performed his anger, just a little anger.

The next day's court meeting mainly discussed the snow disaster; the king had already settled it himself yesterday, leaving no room for that bunch of old-timers to meddle.

Only Zhang Tu asked whether the parade would proceed as scheduled or be canceled.

The king exclaimed: "Why cancel? This King has already sent out the invitations to the Marquis of the Eastern Capital!"

Zhao Chuan said: "Your servant, looking north from the city wall with a telescope, fears it may also be snowing heavily there. If the temperature there is just a few degrees lower than ours, or if the snow is equally thick, countless cattle and sheep will freeze to death. Your Highness, should we make preparations?"

The king proudly raised his head: "Preparation is necessary; the parade doesn't need to be canceled. Parade is one of the best ways to boost military and civilian morale. Don't worry about things that haven't happened. Whether Eastern or Western Xianbei, whoever dares come during the New Year to spoil the fun, let them see the strength of our new city walls. This King's things aren't so easily taken. Anything else?" At this point, that fellow seemed to have forgotten that he himself had thought the same yesterday.

The parade celebration has only three days left; was it canceled because the northern bearded frighted them?

Does This King care about face?!

Seeing the king's attitude, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed.

At least half the people put their worries to rest; the king is no ordinary schemer, so when he says this he surely has confidence… right?