Chapter 1072

Hu Zhongyang said: "Sir, if you insist on going your own way, I fear it will chill the hearts of the people of Dongliang Jun, and we see no need to stay here."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "If I heard correctly, Hu Cai Dong seems to be threatening me?"

Hu Zhongyang's face grew solemn as he said: "I, a humble subject, dare not!"

Hu Xiaotian said offhand: "How many years has Hu Cai Dong been in Dongliang Jun?"

Hu Zhongyang said: "Born and raised here, our Hu family has been operating here for seven generations, over a hundred years."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "I suppose Hu Cai Dong must have special feelings for this place?"

Hu Zhongyang nodded: "One's native soil is hard to leave; to be frank, Sir Hu, in my heart I have already regarded Dongliang Jun as part of my own life."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I can understand your feelings; if you didn't have such sincere affection for your homeland, you wouldn't have lingered to this day. It's said that more than half of the merchants in Dongliang Jun have already moved to Da Yong. If Hu Cai Dong were merely protecting his own interests, he would likely have moved north like the other merchants."

Hu Zhongyang said: "Thank you, Sir Hu, for your understanding. The reason I am unwilling to leave is indeed this."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Do you know what our biggest difference is?"

Hu Zhongyang didn't speak, but thought to himself: "You are an official, I am a commoner; that is our greatest difference."

Hu Xiaotian said: "In your heart, Dongliang Jun is your homeland, with deep feeling, while my homeland is not here, meaning I don't feel as strongly about Dongliang Jun as you do. The Emperor granting Dongliang Jun to Princess Yongyang as a fief does not mean he values this place; given the current situation, you should be able to see and understand clearly, even though this is our first meeting. But I believe Hu Cai Dong is a smart person; Dongliang Jun holds no special significance for Dakang."

Hu Zhongyang said: "I recall that it was you, Sir, who brought Dongliang Jun back from Da Yong." He inwardly warned himself, Hu Xiaotian's words clearly told him that Dongliang Jun is not that important in Hu Xiaotian's heart; if necessary, he could take any extreme measures, even at the cost of sacrificing Dongliang Jun's interests.

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Princess Anping was killed in Yongdu. That is why the Da Yong Emperor used Dongliang Jun as compensation. I also know that the people of Dongliang Jun no longer feel allegiance to Dakang; as the saying goes, 'forced melons are not sweet.' Since the people's hearts are not here, keeping them serves no purpose. Tomorrow I will issue an order: anyone who wishes to return to Da Yong, I will not stop. However, people may leave, but not a single blade of grass or tree from Dakang may be taken."

Hu Zhongyang's scalp went numb; Hu Xiaotian was threatening him: if they wanted to leave, they must leave all wealth behind. This kid is ruthless. He whispered: "Sir, don't forget, the people are the foundation of the state. If all the commoners of Dongliang Jun leave, Dongliang Jun will become an empty city, perhaps even cease to exist."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Wasn't it said Dongliang Jun already has thirty thousand refugees? I think they wouldn't mind becoming permanent residents of Dongliang Jun."

Hu Zhongyang sucked in a breath of cold air; this newly arrived lord, whether in strategy or tactics, far surpasses Governor Li Mingcheng, making it hard for me to gain any advantage in our clashes.

Hu Xiaotian said: "However, Da Yong's borders are now sealed; without permission from Da Yong, no one may set foot in its territory. Perhaps Hu Cai Dong has a way to pull strings and return to Da Yong, but I think most of the people lack that ability. If they abandon Dongliang Jun yet cannot gain Da Yong's acceptance, wouldn't they be stuck between a rock and a hard place?" He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and quietly awaited Hu Zhongyang's reply.

Hu Zhongyang said: "Sir Hu, those who can remain in Dongliang Jun are mostly those who have feelings for this place; if there were any way at all, nobody would choose to leave. Although we are not unsympathetic to the refugees coming from Dakang, the endless influx has already exceeded Dongliang Jun's capacity; if we keep taking them in, Dongliang Jun will collapse, and we will all perish together."

Hu Xiaotian said: "According to your view, how should we resolve this?"

Hu Zhongyang said: "I am not talented, but earlier I consulted with peers and assessed Dongliang Jun's situation. Due to its geography, Dongliang Jun has not suffered Dakang's natural disasters, yet grain stores are limited; given the current circumstances, it can accommodate at most thirty thousand refugees, and it is now nearing saturation. Because these refugees lack unified management and dispatch, once they arrive in Dongliang Jun they resort to any means to survive; lately, incidents of adultery, crime, murder, and arson have been cropping up constantly. It is precisely because of this situation that we funded the formation of the guard unit."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What do you think Dongliang Jun currently lacks most?"

Hu Zhongyang said: "A force to maintain Dongliang Jun's stability." He paused, then added: "Actually, most of Dongliang Jun's people already realize that Da Yong will eventually take this place back; under Da Yong's rule for nearly a century, most consider themselves Yong people."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Does Hu Cai Dong consider himself a Yong person or a Dakang person?"

Hu Zhongyang sighed: "To be frank, Sir, I, Hu, once offended a powerful figure in Da Yong; that is one reason I dare not return to Da Yong. Moreover, my ancestors have always considered themselves Dakang people, never relinquishing the wish to return to Dakang, so I, as a humble subject, still do not wish to leave."

Hu Xiaotian expressed satisfaction with Hu Zhongyang's reason, nodded: "The guard unit must be disbanded; as for refugees from Dakang, we may accept them conditionally in the future, and we must strictly screen those entering the city."

Hu Zhongyang said: "If the guard unit is abolished, who will control the current situation?"

Hu Xiaotian gently set down his teacup and said: "To untie the bell, one must find the one who tied it; to manage the refugees well, we must start from within them."

Hu Zhongyang blinked his eyes, seemingly not understanding Hu Xiaotian's meaning.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Dongliang Jun has always been your homeland; to me, from today onward, this place is where I will survive and develop. If we wish to preserve this land in troubled times, every person in Dongliang Jun should join hands and move forward together, rather than tear each other down. Among the thirty thousand refugees, we should be able to select a decent force. If you have already prepared to accept these people, then perhaps you could let down your guard and view them with equal eyes."

Hu Xiaotian naturally understood that a mere Dongliang Jun could not accommodate too many refugees; his first act upon arriving in Dongliang Jun was to demarcate an area twenty li west of Dongliang Jun exclusively for temporary refugee shelter, and simultaneously issue an order to conscript refugees. The reasons: first, to give refugees a chance to become legitimate members of Dongliang Jun; second, because Hu Xiaotian does not trust the native residents of Dongliang Jun much—most lack allegiance to Dakang and would be unreliable allies against Da Yong.

After Hu Xiaotian issued the conscription order, enrollment in the refugee camp was enthusiastic; within just three days, nearly twenty thousand signed up. According to Hu Xiaotian's conditions, if they met the criteria and were conscripted, they could bring one family member to live in Dongliang Jun, which for these refugees meant a temporary escape from their plight. Naturally, as training progressed, within the camp, with promotions or meritorious service, they could obtain more favorable terms.

Although nearly twenty thousand signed up, only five thousand passed the layered screening; after initial training, another three thousand were eliminated, leaving only two thousand. These two thousand trained while beginning to deploy defenses; Xia Sha Port became the key defensive point. As the weather turned cold, Dakang's side still had refugees streaming in clandestinely. Hu Xiaotian sympathized with their plight, but faced with reality he had to ruthlessly turn them away; those who came to enlist and met the criteria were accepted. Within Dongliang Jun he specially established a Children's Hall to take in refugee children; as for the elderly, weak, and women, they could no longer be accommodated. Even so, one month after Hu Xiaotian arrived in Dongliang Jun, the refugee camp and Children's Hall were already fully saturated, with no possibility of taking in more refugees.

He sternly ordered his subordinates to arrest the boatmen who smuggled refugees across the river; these boatmen, by transporting refugees for profit, were essentially profiteering from national crisis and must be severely punished. By punishing the organizers of smuggling at the source, the incidence of smuggling decreased, prompting many smugglers to choose other landing points, and the number of refugees sneaking into Xia Sha City indeed dropped considerably.

Liang Yinghao and Xiong Tianba entered the council hall, seeing Hu Xiaotian standing with his back to the door, silently gazing at a map on the wall; they dared not disturb him and waited quietly behind him.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, turned around, and said: "What do you need from me?"

Xiong Tianba laughed: "Good news, the brothers I used to have in Cangmu have come over—more than two hundred, all skilled, including a hundred crack marksmen." Although conscription has been ongoing, due to the strict conditions the numbers have only just surpassed three thousand; these people mostly lacked combat experience, and training them has given Xiong Tianba no end of headaches. With his former two hundred brothers, not only will combat prowess leap forward, but the pressure on his training will also ease considerably.

Hu Xiaotian said to Liang Yinghao: "Do you have any news?"

Liang Yinghao said: "I have examined the terrain around Dongliang Jun; aside from the city walls, there is only the Yong River, and where it borders Da Yong there are no natural defenses left. To strengthen our defenses, we must work on the city walls."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "For now, that's unnecessary; even if we raise and thicken the walls, once the Da Yong armies march south and encircle Dongliang Jun, we will eventually run out of grain and fodder."

Liang Yinghao said: "Lately I haven't heard any news of Da Yong mobilizing troops; it seems they are preoccupied with internal affairs and, in the short term, lack the energy to consider a southern advance." (To be continued~^~)