Chapter 10: Zhu Xian Town? Refugee Camp?

  (Thanks for fmsu's vote)

  After leaving Yue Fei's command tent, Yue Yun led Guan Ling and Niu Tong on horseback directly to Zhu Xian Town.

  The main camp of the Yue Family Army was just beside Zhu Xian Town, and it would take Yue Yun no more than a short while to get there on horseback. Thinking that he was about to arrive at this historically famous Zhu Xian Town, Yue Yun's emotions were still very excited. He imagined in his mind the beautiful scenery of this town, which later generations would call the first of the four great towns...

  But as soon as he entered Zhuxian Town, Yue Yun took a cold breath. What kind of famous town is this? It's simply a refugee camp!

  Only the roadsides in the town were lined with all sorts of sheds. The wood used for these sheds was obviously freshly cut from the surrounding forests, and some of the shed pillars still had fresh green leaves growing on them. From the entrance of the shed, you could see various colorful old quilts rolled up inside.

  Around these sheds were crowded all sorts of Han people. Among them, there were large families with brocade clothes and jade belts, as well as scholars in green shirts. Of course, most of them looked like craftsmen and tenant farmers at a glance. They either supported the elderly and held children, or carried luggage on their backs, some even led children by the hand, with numb and weathered expressions on their faces.

  These were obviously the people from outside who came to Zhuxian Town, watching Yue Yun ride a horse with soldiers coming over, and they couldn't help but subconsciously retreat backwards, giving them a way out. After Yue Yun and others left, they continued to busy themselves collecting things...

  Yue Yun couldn't help but sigh, thinking that they had pinned their hopes on Yue Fei and the Yue Family Army, not knowing that Yue Fei only had a little over a year left to live. The Yue Family Army was also dispersed and defeated. The dream of the Han people driving out the foreign tribes and recovering the Central Plains was delayed for more than 220 years. It wasn't until the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang rose up in arms, that he finally conquered the Yuan capital in 1368, and the Han dynasty was finally restored.

  As they entered the town, the more they walked towards the center of the town, the more people there were. In addition, the simple sheds built everywhere on the road occupied almost half of the road surface. Yue Yun's horse could not pass through at all. He had no choice but to dismount and let Niu Tong lead the horse, while he and Guan Ling proceeded slowly. After asking pedestrians for directions, they finally squeezed their way to the entrance of the private school in Zhuxian Town.

  Yue Yun took a look at the private school in front of her, and saw that it was just an ordinary four-in-one courtyard. The walls were all made of green bricks, but because of the continuous war here, there were many knife marks on the wall bricks. The gate of the yard had long been broken and worn out, and even the lock had rusted and could not be used. So the gate was just barely closed, like a decoration.

  Yue Yun walked into the courtyard, looked around and found that the houses in the courtyard were ordinary tile-roofed houses, but the door bars and window frames were all antique and had a special flavor. However, these door bars and window frames were somewhat yellowish and worn out, giving him a feeling of long-term neglect. The courtyard was very clean, not even a fallen leaf could be seen. It seemed that Wang Tong was a meticulous and tidy person.

  At this time, Guan Ling, who had entered with Yue Yun, shouted loudly: "Is Mr. Wang Tong here?"

  After a moment, the door of a wing room in the courtyard creaked open and Wang Tong walked out. He was wearing a white long shirt that had turned slightly yellow with age but was spotlessly clean. His feet were clad in black boots with green trim. His face looked somewhat listless, but his eyes remained bright and piercing. However, as soon as he saw Yue Yun approaching, his spirits lifted greatly and he hastily stepped forward to pay his respects, saying: "Your subordinate greets the young master!"

  Yue Yun heard him call himself a subordinate, first stunned, then came back to his senses. He had already agreed to serve as an official and be his own strategist, which could already be considered his own subordinate.

  Yue Yun hurriedly helped him up and corrected: "Wen Qing, no need to be so polite, we're not much different in age, why don't we just call each other brothers!"

  Wang Tong was unwilling to do so and repeatedly said he didn't dare. Yue Yun persisted for a while, but seeing that Wang still disagreed, she had no choice but to give up.

  Wang Tong led Yue Yun into his own room, then picked up a chair and asked Yue Yun to sit down, and poured a pot of good oolong tea for Yue Yun.

  Yue Yun took the tea bowl and drank two mouthfuls, her eyes darting towards Wang Tong's room. Inside, on the wall hung a poem written by Du Mu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, titled "Jiangnan Spring". The content was: "A thousand miles of orioles chirping, green mapping red, village waters and mountain passes, wine flags and wind. Four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasty, how many towers and pavilions in the rain and mist." These four lines of poetry were written with strength and vigor, majestic and powerful, truly a fine work of calligraphy.

  But the scene next to the poem is even more unbearable. The white paint on the inner wall has fallen off by half, and the furniture in the house is even more dilapidated.

  The young master saw Yue Yun measuring his house and sighed, "I'm a big boy, but I was originally an orphan. My parents died at the hands of the Jin army when I was ten years old. Later, I was taken in by this private school's old master, who passed away five years ago. After that, I took over the private school and taught the town's children to read and write, while also helping the townspeople with their letters. However, these years have been chaotic, with war and famine everywhere, and people's lives are in danger every day. Who has the leisure to send their children to school? If it weren't for the townspeople seeing that I'm a scholar and having some reputation, they wouldn't have helped me out so much. Otherwise, I would have starved to death on the streets long ago."

  No wonder, during the Song Dynasty, scholars were respected and military officials were looked down upon. Most literati looked down on military generals. But Wang Tong himself only slightly advised, and agreed to serve as an official, which was not common among scholars in the Song Dynasty. It turned out that he had long been unwilling to muddle along like this.

  Wang Tong sat down and asked: "I don't know what important matter the young master has come to see me about this time?"

  Yue Yun said calmly, "Recently, many villagers from nearby places have heard that our army is about to withdraw southward. They all came to the surrounding areas of Zhuxian Town, asking to follow the army back south. I suppose you also have a deep understanding of this, Wen Qing. At present, according to the estimates of our military advisors, there are already more than 200,000 villagers who want to evacuate together with us. One month's preparation time is probably far from enough. Do you have any plans for this, sir?"

  Now the inside and outside of Zhuxian Town are filled with people from all over, and Wang Tong is deeply moved. In the past few days, he has not been idle either. Thinking that he wants to be a strategist, he took out some military books and strategies to read for a while, gaining a lot.

  He thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, this matter involves too many people. Tens of thousands of civilians are temporarily settled by our army, and it's possible that they will have to move again. To avoid making the people suffer from another relocation, why not report this to the imperial court now and let them send someone to take charge of the resettlement directly? This way, our army can focus on escorting the people without being distracted by the resettlement."

  Yue Yun thought that he really had to shout loudly now, but unexpectedly Wang Tong actually had some talent for being an advisor. The method he came up with was similar to his own, which was to kick this trouble to the imperial court. Moreover, since Wang Tong proposed it himself, it would be natural for him to go as the 'petition representative', so there's no need for Yue Yun to persuade him.

  Yue Yun burst out laughing and said, "A literary youth's plan, exactly what I had in mind. Today, I, Yue, have come here specifically to ask you, Wen Qing, to organize a group of people to go to Lin'an to file a complaint! Let the officials and court ministers know about these things that are happening on the front lines and make proper arrangements!"

  Wang Tong's face changed with shock: "Petitioning?"

  Yue Yun smiled and nodded: "Yes! I'd also like to ask you to be the leader of this 'petition team'! You can organize two or three hundred merchants and scholars to go to Lin'an to petition the government. Whether or not the court will agree to postpone the withdrawal of troops again, increase grain and grass supplies, and settle the people, it's all up to you!"

  At this time, he told Wang Tong his own ideas and plans, and Wang Tong was more and more surprised.

  After Yue Yun finished speaking in one breath, he was already deeply impressed and sighed: "The great young master has such a wonderful plan, I'm afraid the imperial court will not be able to disagree with delaying the withdrawal of troops."

  Yue Yun smiled slightly and said, "Even the best strategy needs excellent people to execute it, otherwise it's just empty talk. I wonder if Wen Qing is willing to be the leader of this 'petition team' and go to Lin'an?"

  Wang Tong immediately bowed and said, "The young master thinks for the people, and his methods are also very clever. I will definitely do my best to help, but I'm afraid that I, Wang Tong, am foolish and won't be able to accomplish things as you wish."

  Yue Yun immediately helped him up and encouraged: "Wen Qing, others go to do things, I'm not at ease, only you do things, I'm at ease. There are some famous writers and businessmen nearby, I don't know much about them either. You're a local, so you must be more familiar with it than me. This matter is entrusted to you! No matter whether the matter succeeds or fails, Wen Qing, I won't blame you!"

  Wang Tong was deeply moved. He had just been taken in as a subordinate by Yue Yun, and yet he was entrusted with such an important task, which showed how much Yue valued and trusted him.

  He said excitedly: "Young Master, the kindness of knowing me and promoting me, Wang Tong will never forget. This time in Lin'an, Wang Tong will definitely do his best to make this beneficial thing for the country and the people a success! To get a satisfactory result for the people of Central Plains. It's just that... I'm afraid... I'm afraid of failing at the last moment, and then I'll have no face to see you, Young Master..."

  Yue Yun saw the situation and hurriedly comforted him again, saying that whether or not the petition was successful, he would not blame him. Then, she repeatedly instructed him on several details and things to pay attention to regarding the petition, especially telling him: although he was in charge of this matter, it was still best to push forward a reputable and well-known scholar as the representative, so as to better create a sensation and attract everyone's attention. Moreover, scholars often have connections in the imperial court, making it easier for the petition to be successful.

  Yue Yun bid farewell to Wang Tong and left after repeated instructions.