Volume 1 The Wind Rises Chapter 3: Ruined Capital
Luo Youdu was walking on the streets of Tokyo, leading a donkey. The surrounding roads were deserted, and the houses on both sides were mostly dilapidated. As it was almost dusk, there was not even a wisp of smoke from cooking fires. The occupancy rate of the entire street was only 30%. Rats, insects and ants could be seen everywhere in the broken walls and weeds. There was no sign of prosperity at all.
"well!"
Accustomed to the prosperity of high-rise buildings and the hustle and bustle of crowds, Luo Youdu showed some discomfort on his face and a hint of sadness in his heart.
In troubled times, human lives are worthless!
This is the capital of the Zhou Dynasty. If the capital is like this, it is obvious what the scene would be like in other places.
In this era, the only place that can truly be called prosperous is Jinling in the south of the Yangtze River.
Luo Youdu felt deeply moved.
The defeat of Tokyo Kaifeng was certainly not due to Guo Rong, but was a historical issue.
Since Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Kaifeng has been valued by the court because of its strategic location on land and water. After the development of the Sui and Tang dynasties, an economic zone comparable to Chang'an and Luoyang was formed around the Bian River. This also led to the Later Liang, Later Jin, Later Han and the current Later Zhou all choosing Kaifeng as their capital.
In just over thirty years, Kaifeng witnessed the rise and fall of five eras: Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Liao, and Later Han.
This also means that Kaifeng has suffered from military disasters almost continuously in these thirty years.
Especially nine years ago when the Liao Kingdom ruled the Central Plains.
Yelu Deguang led the Liao army into the Central Plains and established his capital in Kaifeng, where he indulged himself in pleasure. The Liao army was in need of support, so Prime Minister Zhao Yanshou submitted a petition requesting funding.
Yelu Deguang said directly: "My Great Liao has never had such a group. If the armies are short of people, let them go and fight in the grass valley."
Once these words were spoken, one can imagine what the result would be.
The Liao soldiers were already brutal, and now, following orders, they looted the two capitals, Kaifeng and Luoyang, as well as many surrounding towns in the Central Plains, looting all their property and livestock.
Yelu Deguang's behavior angered both the people and the people. Eventually, he was forced to flee northwards to the Central Plains, intending to return to Liaodong.
Before leaving, he plundered on a large scale and took thousands of surrendered officials of the Later Jin Dynasty, hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs, and all the property in the treasury northward.
Kaifeng was severely damaged by this.
Liu Zhiyuan of the Later Han Dynasty was not good at governance, and he died of illness less than a year after taking control of Kaifeng.
Liu Chengyou, who had just ascended the throne, was busy with internal strife. He was determined to get rid of powerful ministers such as Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, Wang Zhang and Guo Wei, and had no time to pay attention to governing the country.
In the end, he was destroyed by Guo Wei.
It was only after Guo Wei ascended the throne that Kaifeng got a chance to catch its breath.
Unexpectedly, Guo Wei was a man of little luck. He died after being emperor for only three years.
His adopted son Guo Rong was a wise and brave man, but he had just ascended the throne and lacked prestige, so he was attacked by Liu Chong of the Northern Han Dynasty.
Although Guo Rong won a great victory over the Northern Han in the Battle of Gaoping, they suffered successive defeats in the subsequent Battle of Jinyang and the Battle of Xinkou, losing a lot of soldiers and horses. Even the general Shi Yanchao was killed on the battlefield, and the economy suffered a considerable blow.
Kaifeng has had a tragic fate . It suffered from constant disasters over the past decade and suffered severe population loss. How could it have been prosperous?
If Kaifeng wants to become prosperous in the short term, it can only be done by learning from the legendary Gaoliang River God of Carts who uses inhuman means to gather wealth from all over the world to support the city.
Luo Youdu was lost in thought. The further north he went, the more popular the place became, and it began to look a little like a capital city.
His destination was Zhao Kuangyin's mansion. Compared to those who lived in civilian areas, he, as Guo Rong's most trusted and beloved general, naturally lived in the most popular part of the city, close to the imperial palace.
Luo Youdu and his donkey attracted a lot of attention.
All the people passing by would give way three feet.
It was not because Luo Youdu looked ferocious, but because the donkey he was leading had a heavy yoke hanging on one side, which showed that it was not a good person.
Relying on my memory, I came to Zhao Kuangyin's residence. Looking at the two drum-holding stones in front of me and thinking about my own shabby house, I realized that it is really frustrating to compare myself with others.
These two stone ornaments are worth more than his entire house.
After a slight pause, Luo Youdu walked forward and knocked on the door.
The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man with a broken arm. He was tall and strong, with a firm and spirited look, and did not look disabled at all.
The middle-aged man greeted him very politely and invited him in.
Luo Youdu was slightly startled, and asked curiously, "Why don't you ask me why I came here, and just let me in?"
The middle-aged man smiled humbly and said, "My family's Du Yuhou has always been hospitable, and I have special instructions. No matter who you are, as long as you come to visit, you will be treated equally and invited to the reception room for hospitality."
Luo Youdu said in his heart, "Wow!" This Zhao Kuangyin was indeed extraordinary.
Luo Youdu did not accept the invitation and said, "I thank you for your kindness. But as a bad guest, I still have some self-awareness. I came here today to arrest the murderer Zhao Kuangyi. I hope you can report to Zhao Du Yuhou and ask him to hand over the person."
There was a flash of anger in the middle-aged man's eyes, and there was even a hint of murderous intent on his body.
Luo Youdu suddenly smiled and said, "I have heard for a long time that Zhaodu Yuhou is extraordinary. Judging from your demeanor, I can get a glimpse of it. The reputation of the soldiers and generals is well-deserved."
The middle-aged man's face changed slightly, and he smiled and said, "I am just a doorman, young master, you are too serious. Please wait for a moment, and I will go and ask for instructions from the chief military officer."
Zhao Kuangyin had just finished court and rubbed his slightly aching forehead. He was worried because he had tried to get close to Wei Renpu today, but he just left without paying any attention to him. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, the old and new civil officials have their own thoughts. As a new military general, he is too popular. Not only are the old and new civil officials in the temple hostile to him, but even the veteran military generals have different thoughts.
Under such circumstances, he really did not dare to hand Zhao Kuangyi over, lest he be implicated because of himself.
"If all else fails, I'll just ask His Majesty to go and guard a place, away from this filthy temple!"
Zhao Kuangyin seemed to have made up his mind.
It is true that Guo Rong was a leader who could restore the country. For the reform of military and political affairs, the imperial guards under his control were the most important part, and their future prospects were limitless. But facing his own brother, Zhao Kuangyin did not hesitate at all.
Just when he was thinking about how to get Zhao Kuangyi away from this dangerous place, he received the news that Luo Youdu was coming to arrest him.
Zhao Kuangyin was instantly furious and shouted, "Good boy, I didn't want to embarrass him, but today he came to me?"
Who is Zhao Kuangyin?
He was born in a military family, was gifted, and had extraordinary martial arts skills. He could beat anyone in the world with his fists and sticks. How could he not see that the marks on Luo Youdu's neck were new injuries? He just didn't want to explain.
Thinking about the fight between gods, he, a small pawn, could not do much. He went to the opponent's door just to seek help from desperation. Seeing that the opponent was forced to hurt himself to avoid disaster, he did not point it out and did not force it.
It's only been one day and he's already bullying you?
He naturally didn't know that the wound was caused by suicide, and thought it was just a realistic acting.
