nycdaug Chapter 190: The Plan in Youyun City
Chapter 190: The Plan in Youyun City
Youyun City, a small city located on the northern border, is cold and windy all year round.
However, in these difficult conditions, the residence of the prefect Luo Yimin was like a paradise and warm as spring.
It was freezing outside, but warm as spring inside.
The spacious and bright hall is furnished with exquisite tables and chairs.
Luo Yimin, dressed in gorgeous official uniform, sat calmly in the top seat.
Below him, on his left and right sides, sat several important officials of Youyun City.
Some of these people had smiles on their faces, chatting and laughing with others; others were holding wine glasses, clinking glasses with others from time to time, making the scene very lively.
In the center of the lobby, a group of dancers with graceful figures and beautiful faces are dancing gracefully.
They wore dance costumes made of gauze as thin as cicada wings, and twisted their waists to the melodious music of the piano, their movements light and graceful.
The explicit dance makes people unable to take their eyes off and feel fascinated.
The dancers would shuttle between the officials from time to time, their delicate bodies gently touching them, causing the officials to become dazed and intoxicated.
At this time, a dancer came to Luo Yimin with a wine glass in her hand, smiled and handed the glass to him.
Seeing this, Luo Yimin smiled with satisfaction, took the wine glass and said, "Come on, come on, let me toast you all!"
As soon as the words fell, several officials stood up, raised their glasses respectfully with both hands, and responded in unison:
"Your humble servants respectfully greet Lord Luo! May your Lordship enjoy great fortune and a prosperous career!"
After saying that, everyone raised their heads and drank it all in one gulp.
Luo Yimin took a sip of the wine in the glass and found it mellow, sweet and with a long aftertaste.
Then he hugged the dancer beside him and kissed her on her pink cheek.
Instead of dodging, the dancer giggled and snuggled into Luo Yimin's arms in a charming manner.
After a brief pause, Luo Yimin waved his hand, signaling the dancers to leave.
"The good life we have now is entirely due to all of you here!"
Luo Yimin looked around at everyone and said with emotion.
As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of flattery came from below.
"No, no, it's all because of your wisdom and bravery, Lord Luo, and your good command, that we can live such a stable and prosperous life now!
Without your leadership and guidance, our small border town with such difficult conditions would not be where it is today!"
"Lord Zhao is right. We swear to follow Lord Luo until death!" said another official.
"Follow me till death, follow me till death!"
Hearing these flattering words, Luo Yimin smiled and waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
In an instant, the room became silent and everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Luo Yimin cleared his throat and continued, "Since everyone believes that following me, Luo Yimin, will lead to a good life, then there is a crucial task waiting for us to work together to complete."
Upon hearing this, the officials present were all perked up, with curiosity and anticipation in their eyes.
They asked in unison, "I wonder what the mission is? Lord Luo, please let me know."
Luo Yimin frowned slightly and said solemnly, "It has been snowing for seven consecutive days. The further north you go, the thicker the snow gets. It's thicker than an average person's height, and the roads are completely blocked.
As a result, the food and supplies we transported to the border cannot be delivered at all, and the problem of food and clothing for the soldiers over there is really worrying!
On weekdays, we all work hard and I can see your hard work.
During this difficult time, we racked our brains and came up with many solutions, but unfortunately, the snow was too heavy and we couldn't successfully transport the food and supplies. It was such a pity..."
Speaking of this, Luo Yimin couldn't help but sigh.
At this point, an official spoke up to offer comfort, "It's a shame, indeed, but this is a natural disaster, beyond human control. We've done our best and have a clear conscience."
"Yes, yes, Lord Luo, you don't have to worry too much."
Other officials also echoed and comforted Luo Yimin one by one.
Luo Yimin narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes were deep and solemn.
After a moment's silence, he slowly opened his lips again:
"There's no doubt this was a natural disaster. It must have been the will of Heaven. Perhaps Heaven intended to take the lives of these 100,000 soldiers, letting them perish in this icy land."
Liu Yihe, the transfer agent sitting below, nodded hurriedly and said:
"Lord Luo is absolutely right. If this wasn't God's will, how could such a rare heavy snowfall occur? Snow this heavy only happens once every century!"
At this time, another official also shook his head and sighed, "That's right! It must be God who wants to take the lives of those 100,000 people. We've racked our brains and tried every possible way, but the food and fodder just can't be delivered smoothly."
After saying this, a helpless expression appeared on his face.
Luo Yimin nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with the officials below, and seemed very satisfied with what everyone said.
After a brief pause, Luo Yimin continued, "Early this morning, I received instructions from above.
The current emperor has sent the Prince of Chen to handle this matter, but the message from above is that we must try to obstruct it and prevent the Prince of Chen from successfully transporting military supplies to the front lines within just ten days."
Hearing this, the officials present looked at each other in bewilderment, and one of them couldn't help but exclaimed:
"Ah? If that happens, won't we just have to watch those 100,000 soldiers starve to death or freeze to death?"
The food and supplies for the 100,000 troops on the front line can only last for eight days at most.
If the new food and fodder cannot be delivered, the lives of those soldiers will be over.
If the 100,000-strong army was wiped out by a natural disaster, some officials might be able to accept and understand it.
After all, natural disasters are unpredictable and sometimes human power is unable to contend with them.
However, if the death of so many soldiers was a man-made tragedy, it would be simply jaw-dropping and unbelievable to them.
Could it be that those high-ranking officials in the court, in order to fight for power and satisfy their own selfish desires, could be so cruel as to treat the lives of these 100,000 people as worthless?
This is really beyond imagination and unbelievable to the extreme!
At this moment, the officials sitting in the lower seats looked at each other, exchanging confused and terrified glances, completely unaware of how they should deal with such a difficult situation.
Although they are all sycophants who covet fame and fortune and are keen on enjoying fine wine and delicious food as well as the company and service of beautiful women, their conscience deep in their hearts still makes them feel uneasy when faced with such an inhumane task.
At this moment, the man with shifty eyes suddenly stood out from the crowd.
He spoke first: "We can live such a carefree and happy life today, all thanks to your wise leadership and careful care, Lord Luo.
Therefore, no matter what happens, I will obey all the arrangements made by Lord Luo!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately echoed him, "That's right, I'm also willing to obey Lord Luo's orders!"
Immediately afterwards, several more people expressed their willingness to follow Luo Yimin closely.
Hearing the responses from the crowd, Luo Yimin showed a satisfied smile on his face and nodded slightly.