Chapter 390 Chaos!

It was a hot summer day and there were few pedestrians on the road. A donkey cart was moving alone under the scorching sun.

The curtains on all four windows of the donkey cart were rolled up to allow more cool breeze to enter the moving cart.

But in this way, there is wind in the car, but it is hot wind. It can only be said that it is not that uncomfortable, but it is still hot.

There was only an elderly man in the car, who was thin but as tall as a pine tree. The years had carved deep and shallow wrinkles on his face, but that was a unique mark given by time, which added a bit of vicissitudes of life yet charming charm to him.

Although it was scorching hot, his eyes were like a deep pool of water, full of endless wisdom and open-mindedness.

Although his beard was already grey, it was neatly trimmed and when it fluttered in the wind, he looked elegant.

At this time, he was sitting in the car with the window rolled up. When someone passed by and saw him inadvertently, they couldn’t help but look sideways.

However, passers-by did not know that this person was a big figure who made the entire Song Dynasty pay attention to him during the Xining period – Lu Huiqing.

Although the hot wind was blowing on Lu Huiqing’s face as he was riding in the bumpy donkey cart, his thoughts had already drifted back to the shock he felt when he first entered Yan’an Prefecture.

Two days ago, he rode this donkey cart into Yan’an Prefecture and was shocked by the earth-shaking changes in Yan’an Prefecture.

The official road of Yan’an Prefecture became wide and flat, the road surface was clean and tidy, and there were rows of shops with signs on both sides.

There were crowds of people walking around, including vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables on their shoulders, wealthy businessmen in gorgeous clothes, and students carrying book baskets on their backs. Their faces were filled with enthusiasm and anticipation for life.

In the farmlands, the newly introduced crop varieties are lush and green, swaying gently in the breeze as if dancing happily.

The crisscrossing irrigation ditches, with clear water flowing, precisely nourishes every inch of land.

The farmers, wearing straw hats, work hard in the fields, with satisfied and contented smiles on their faces, which reflect the joy of a good harvest in sight.

In the factory, all kinds of roars were deafening, tall chimneys stood in the sky, and thick smoke rose up.

Although he had no way of getting inside, he could imagine the workers inside busying around, operating equipment he had never seen before, and producing all kinds of goods in full swing. The goods were produced continuously like running water.

The reason why he thought so was that there were countless goods loaded onto carriages outside the factory, and these goods would be shipped to various places, and even sold far away to the border areas – this was the information he obtained from sending people to investigate.

When he took a tour around the city of Yan’an, he found that it looked brand new. The city walls had been repaired to be tall and solid, and the bricks were arranged neatly, shining majestically in the sun.

At the city gate, the guards stood tall, holding spears, with sharp eyes, watching the passers-by vigilantly.

There was an endless stream of merchants’ caravans, loaded with goods, entering and leaving the city gates in an orderly manner, presenting a scene of prosperity.

He suddenly became a little dazed.

He once served as the governor of Fuyan Road, and he knew what Yan’an Prefecture was like before.

At that time, Yan’an Prefecture was on the front line of war all year round, and the Dangxiang people would besiege the city from time to time. Therefore, this place seemed like a corner forgotten by time, filled with endless decline and depression.

He still remembered the first time he stepped into the city after being exiled here. All he saw were dilapidated streets, broken bricks and stones, and weeds growing in the cracks.

The houses on the street were crumbling, with peeling walls, revealing the rotten wooden structures inside. The people were hunched over, pale and thin, with numbness and despair in their eyes, struggling to survive on this barren land.

In the farmland, the crops were pitifully sparse. Under the scorching sun, they drooped their heads and looked lifeless.

The water conservancy facilities have not been repaired for many years, the ditches have dried up, silt has accumulated, and the irrigation water source in the past has long been cut off, making this already scarce land even more barren.

Business is even more bleak. The few shops that exist are deserted and the goods inside are outdated. The shop owners look helpless as they watch over their deserted shops, without any hope for the future.

Unexpectedly, as time passed, when he stepped into Yan’an Prefecture again, the scene before him had changed drastically, which made him open his eyes wide in an instant, and his heart was filled with shock.

But he smiled immediately – he was not afraid that Yan’an Prefecture was strong, he was just afraid that Yan’an Prefecture was not strong enough!

Beneath this prosperous appearance, Lu Huiqing keenly sensed the huge threat to the Song Dynasty court.

Today, the army of Yan’an Prefecture is well-trained, strong and well-equipped with all kinds of weapons – this can be seen from the soldiers on duty at the city gate.

The Yan’an Prefecture he saw was even more prosperous economically, with bumper agricultural harvests, booming industry, and thriving commerce and trade, and had already accumulated a large amount of wealth.

——Yan’an Prefecture already poses a certain threat!

This is the judgment made by Lu Huiqing.

At this time, Yan’an Prefecture was like a tiger ready to pounce, and could launch a fatal attack on the foundation of the court’s rule at any time.

If it is allowed to continue to grow and develop, it will become a major threat to the Song Dynasty and endanger the country.

Lu Huiqing laughed even more happily.

It’s good to have a serious threat. Only when the threat is big enough can the court take it seriously. If the problem of Yan’an Prefecture can be properly solved, returning to the center of the court will no longer be a dream!
“Let’s go! It’s time to go back!” Lu Huiqing said to the coachman.

“Yes, sir!”

After he finished speaking, the donkey cart sped up a bit, and more hot air poured into the carriage, making the already sweaty Lu Huiqing feel a little cool. He was in a good mood and suddenly felt inspired to write poetry.

Lu Huiqing closed his eyes and let the hot wind blow across his face. His thoughts kept shuttling between the past and the present, and he chanted slowly:

“In the past, Jimo was surrounded by siege, and the people were saddened by the ruins.

The Zheng Canal dried up and the crops withered, the shops were deserted and the merchants were sighing.

Today, I see galloping horses on the streets, and new rice seedlings dancing in the fields. The sound of engines is surrounded by mist and clouds, and the city is as solid as a golden platform.

Zhou Chu’s power in eliminating the dragon is gradually becoming apparent, and the court should be alert to the danger.

I will wield my sword to quell the troubles, and then I will hold the balance of justice to bring glory to the nine regions!”

After reciting the poem, Lu Huiqing opened his eyes, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

In the poem “Thoughts on Viewing Yan’an Prefecture”, he used the Battle of Jimo to illustrate the difficulties of Yan’an Prefecture in the past when it was besieged by the Dangxiang, borrowed the story of Zhengqu to show the scene of abandoned water conservancy in the past, and used Zhou Chu’s extermination of the dragon to imply the potential threat to Yan’an Prefecture today.

This poem is not only an expression of his emotion about the changes in Yan’an Prefecture from the past to the present, but also a straightforward disclosure of his own inner ambitions.

——Return to the court, pacify Yan’an Prefecture, and regain the pinnacle of power!

This series of goals has become a clear roadmap in his mind.

The donkey cart continued to move forward, raising dust along the way.

……

Bianjing.

In the evening, the summer sun shines through the window lattices onto the desk in Chongzheng Hall, and the light is enough to clearly see the dust.

Empress Dowager Gao was leisurely reading ancient books. She was in a very good mood. The world was at peace and she had no worries. It was a good time in the world.

Empress Dowager Gao cherished the finally available free time very much, but she soon frowned.

There were footsteps outside.

A eunuch hurried in, holding a memorial in his hand and looking nervous.

Empress Dowager Gao raised her eyes and saw the eunuch’s appearance, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.

The eunuch knelt on the ground, holding up the memorial with both hands, his voice trembling slightly: “Your Majesty, this is the memorial that Lord Lu Huiqing sent back urgently from Jianning Army.”

Empress Dowager Gao put down the book in her hand, took the memorial, and as soon as she unfolded it, Lu Huiqing’s fierce words came into her sight.

As she read further, Empress Dowager Gao’s expression became more and more solemn, her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were full of shock and anger.

After reading the last word, she slammed the memorial on the table with a “bang”, shaking the teacup next to it slightly.

“This Yan’an Prefecture has actually developed to such an extent!”

Queen Mother Gao muttered to herself, with uncontrollable anger in her voice, “How can such a rebellious act be tolerated!”

She stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, then said, “Hurry and find the Privy Envoy Zhao Xie!”

Not long after, Zhao Xie hurried over. After entering the hall, he saw Empress Dowager Gao’s face full of anger. His heart skipped a beat and he thought to himself that something was wrong.

Zhao Xie quickly bowed and said, “Your Highness, I am Zhao Xie, and I pay my respects to you.”

Empress Dowager Gao stared at Zhao Xie with a sharp gaze and said coldly, “Lord Zhao, please take a look at Lu Jifu’s memorial first.”

Zhao Xie raised his eyebrows when he heard this and quickly picked up the memorial on the ground. He saw Lu Huiqing’s handsome and beautiful calligraphy. What was said on it made Zhao Xie panic. He accidentally dropped the memorial to the ground!

Seeing this, Empress Dowager Gao sneered and said, “My dear companion, Zhao Shumi is not feeling well, you should read it!”

“Yes, Your Majesty! … Your humble servant, Lu Huiqing, is extremely terrified and is crawling under Your Majesty’s phoenix carriage, risking his life to speak from the bottom of his heart.

Today, the changes in Yan’an Prefecture are like a raging fire, directly threatening the foundation of our Great Song Dynasty. It is indeed a critical moment for our survival. We must carefully observe it and must eliminate it as soon as possible!

I heard that the Dangxiang people were showing signs of instability again, so I planned to go there in person. However, when I passed through Yan’an Prefecture, what I saw and heard was shocking and truly outrageous!
There was chaos in Yan’an Prefecture. The Su Society was rampant and spread rebellious ideas in schools. The students were deeply misled. The people only knew about the Su Society but not the Song Dynasty court. The moral principles were in ruins and this was the worst case scenario.

Its power is like a vicious dragon lurking in the dark, growing secretly and ready to strike.

The city walls are tall and majestic, as solid as rocks, and as unshakable as a golden throne.

At the city gate, the guards were wearing strong armor, holding sharp swords, with eyes as sharp as eagles, and their military appearance was neat and orderly, and they were full of murderous intent.

All these things indicate that the Yan’an Prefecture has already gained its own army and the Su Xuehui has committed heinous acts. Their wolfish ambitions are obvious, and they want to overthrow the country and people of our Song Dynasty!

Its development momentum is as rapid as Zhou Chu’s extermination of the dragon, it is coming with great force and its power is growing day by day.

If we allow it to continue to grow stronger, it will be like a tiger out of its cage, roaring in the mountains and attacking the foundation of our Great Song Dynasty.

The rebels in Yan’an Prefecture pretended to obey the court’s orders but secretly disobeyed them, disregarded the court’s authority, openly provoked the court, and acted recklessly.

If this continues, all the people will follow his evil deeds, and the imperial court will lose its authority. How can it command the world? The country will fall into turmoil, and how can it maintain long-term stability?

If we don’t mobilize troops to eradicate them immediately at this critical moment, when will we?
As time goes by, Yan’an Prefecture will become more powerful, and the Song Dynasty will be in a desperate situation with enemies from all sides.

With wars raging one after another and flames of battle raging, the people will suffer and the foundation built by our ancestors with great difficulty will be destroyed and wasted!

I implore the Queen Mother to quickly dispatch the heavenly troops to wipe out the rebellion in Yan’an Prefecture with the force of thunder and lightning.

I, your humble servant, am willing to be armed to the teeth and lead the royal army in person, charge into battle, and fight bloody battles to quell this rebellion for the Queen Mother, eliminate the root of the problem, prevent future troubles, and revive the supreme power of our Great Song Dynasty!
I hope the Queen Mother will see clearly and make a decision early to ensure that our Song Dynasty will be forever stable and the people will live and work in peace and contentment!”

(End of this chapter)