CHAPTER 994: CHAPTER 951 HEAVY SNOW

During Chen Xi’s leisure days, the chess pieces scattered by Jia Xu in the northern areas have already bypassed the territory under Yuan Tan’s control, and started transmitting intelligence on the Wuhuan Xianbei to Jia Xu.

"Heavy snow?" Jia Xu looked at the casually mentioned piece of information on the report, frowning tightly.

"Fengxiao, do you have any intelligence on the northern climate?" Jia Xu turned his head to ask Guo Jia.

"I’m currently researching the climate of the Xianbei over the past fifteen years." Fa Zheng said, looking up from a pile of bamboo slips. He was quite sensitive to climate, as it was a significant focus of his attention.

"No need to look it up. If it snows in September every year, it means that the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Huns will certainly come to plunder, and the intelligence we have is from a month ago, meaning..." Guo Jia looked up with a flash of coldness in his eyes.

"Snow in August!" Fa Zheng pinched his brow, feeling a bit of a headache. "But piecing together this scattered information doesn’t reveal the extent of the snow coverage."

"Prepare to apply for grain relief for the people of Youzhou from Zijing." Jia Xu paused for a moment and then spoke slowly, "Gather the people, take the land. Originally, I wanted to slow down a bit, but now it seems we have to get ready."

"Mobilize all our spare intelligence personnel to the north, first to ascertain the extent of the snow cover, and be ready to stop trading grain and spirits with the northern Hu people at any moment." Guo Jia said slowly.

"Xiaoo Qi, have someone take my sealed letter to notify Weishuo to send learned scholars knowledgeable about the climate to the north to see the situation with this year’s heavy snow, where it hasn’t snowed, and how long until it does. Quickly send people to the Northern Grasslands to buy wool and felt tents, offer a higher price." Jia Xu turned to Chen Zhen, who was taking notes, and said.

"Alright, I will send someone right away." Chen Zhen nodded and left with the notes.

"Should we use the Hu people to attack Yuan Tan?" Fa Zheng hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"No need. On the contrary, for Yuan Tan, who is now overwhelmed, we need to send him our intelligence, and at the same time send it to everyone in the north involved in this matter." Guo Jia shook his head, avoiding such unseemly acts as much as possible.

"Indeed, we also honor the Emperor and are subjects of the Emperor. Why do such things?" Jia Xu slowly interjected, with a thick-skinned smile.

"Then let’s send it to all the Han officials in the north. As for Youzhou, I think we need to prepare for disaster relief, and there are certain people in Youzhou we can win over. If we are to do it, we must do it well, and when Yuan Tan is powerless, we will lend grain to those Han officials we can win over." Fa Zheng spoke slowly.

"That’s also possible, but it requires Zijing to handle it. Recently, there are certainly not a few things Zijing needs to mediate, but development and disaster relief are always the most important for us." Guo Jia nodded in agreement.

By the way, Guan Yu has already led the troops to suppress bandits, while Guo Jia, due to health reasons, stayed in Ye City and did not accompany the army. Originally assigned tasks to him were only for assistance, and with repeated changes, Guo Jia returned to his old profession, and the same was true for Fa Zheng.

"But if it really is heavy snow in the north, what means should we use?" Fa Zheng made a neck-slitting gesture, then picked up a pastry and waved it, symbolizing the current dilemma faced by all the northern Feudal Lords.

"The second method is too difficult, but we have no choice. Zichuan’s inland river plan is too grand; we can’t mobilize all the people. As for the second plan, go ahead, you two are so idle, and someone else is too." Jia Xu glanced at Fa Zheng, sneering as he spoke; the Xianbei were even more troublesome than the Qiang and Hu.

"At least there is a buffer period of four to five months, which can be resolved somehow." Fa Zheng said with disdain.

"I’m afraid it might just be two months." Guo Jia said with a bitter smile, "If it really is heavy snow, I’ve heard that the Xianbei Chanyu Helian is extravagant and lascivious, ignoring his subordinates. If the snow is severe enough to affect the Royal Court..."

"He will definitely deploy troops." Li Youu pushed the door open and walked in. Just like Dong Zhuo later, caring only for himself, his decision-making speed in certain matters was astonishingly quick, and he didn’t need consultations to make a decision.

"Once such a situation occurs, there might truly be enormous results unexpectedly at first." Guo Jia didn’t mind Li Youu speaking what he wanted to say and continued.

"Send this speculation to everyone in the north as well. Chen Gongtai, Sheni Zhengnan, with their wisdom, will surely understand." Jia Xu concluded, turning to Li Youu, "Wen Ru, any updates on the household registration?"

"The biggest progress is that the Aristocratic Families of Hebei are truly skillful at hiding their population. I estimate I need to stop compiling the household registration and resume it after stabilizing the entire Hebei with Zijing." Li Youu said with a slight cold smile.

"The Zhen Family has also hidden quite a few people?" Guo Jia immediately understood Li Youu’s implication, that investigating certain nobility would lead to a significant uproar, so preparations were necessary.

"Over twenty thousand people, but not quite thirty thousand." Li Youu said quietly, "Whether there’s more hidden behind the scenes, I don’t know. It seems we need an adjustment, as even Mount Tai and Qingzhou didn’t have many aristocratic families. Although Xuzhou’s aristocratic families were numerous, they made a mistake first."

"Stop compiling the household registration." Lub Su stepped in and said, having roughly reviewed the archives he also considered, seeing many issues, "We need to have a good discussion with all the Jizhou aristocratic families."

It must be said that Jizhou is indeed worthy of being the head of the Nine Provinces, with a great number of aristocratic families, and land annexation has reached a severe level. The reason there’s been no unrest is entirely because the Jizhou aristocratic families have not fully exploited the lower classes, but it’s quite enough already.

"This matter is quite easy now. Just send a letter, and naturally, they will come over, which is completely incomparable to the past." Guo Jia also knew about the affairs of Yingchuan in those years and reflected on the vast difference now.

"It’s indeed necessary to talk, but let’s wait a bit longer. Very soon, the aristocratic families of Qing, Xu and Yan will also come here, as certain times have arrived again." Lub Su thought and then said, "When there are aristocratic families from Qing, Xu, and Yan, we can handle some issues."

"Then let’s wait a bit. After all, some things need to be announced, and Zichuan plans to push some matters, but it’s not ready yet." Li Youu nodded in agreement with Lub Su’s proposal. Naturally, it wasn’t that he couldn’t solve this problem, but it would be foolish not to use available resources.

"Every end of the year and beginning of the year, Zichuan makes minor adjustments in the main direction. I wonder what’s going to change this time, and he hasn’t notified us." Fa Zheng sighed and said. (. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)