CHAPTER 455: CHAPTER 455: RELOCATING THE PEOPLE

After Feng Qi finished speaking, Liang Qingde finally reacted.

His identity, his purpose for coming to the Northwest, were all crystal clear.

Therefore, his words at this moment were unmistakably clear.

Since Liang Qingde had already surrendered, he naturally had to follow the Emperor’s will.

So he immediately replied.

"To rebuild, I fear it would take at least a few months, and this area has nothing for the people to survive on, so, migrating to the Central Plains might be better."

This was exactly the response Feng Qi had been waiting for.

He immediately expressed.

"East of Sui Province, west of the Central State, large areas of land have been designated, with houses, shops, markets, fertile fields, schools, everything is available, the people don’t need to bring anything, just register and they can go."

"Really?"

"The Emperor had us plan these places early on. We didn’t know how to persuade the people to go, but now that their homes are destroyed, why not take a look? Perhaps a new world awaits!"

Liang Qingde saw the sincerity in Feng Qi’s eyes and thought that this plan might just work.

After pondering for a moment, he nodded toward Feng Qi.

Then he solemnly declared.

"If that’s the case, I will vouch for you!"

He then went out and spoke to the disaster victims who were already homeless.

"Since the Emperor has understood the will of heaven and foreseen this earthquake, he must have left a path for everyone. Building a new home now might take more than a year, why not follow General Feng and see the new home in the Central Plains? What do you all think?"

The people looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

If their homes were still intact, it would have been impossible to get them to all move away.

They were not drifters; why would they want to leave their homes?

But now, their homes were destroyed, and they had antagonized the Northwest Army.

Even if they wanted to stay, they feared retribution from the Northwest Army.

Rather than waiting for death, it’s better to struggle forward and carve out a path for themselves.

After a moment of silence, someone with resolve stood up and spoke loudly.

"The General saved our lives, so we will listen to you, we will migrate!"

"We will migrate too!"

"Migrate!"

This is how people are; once someone leads with agreement, others will follow and go with the flow.

Seeing the approval, Feng Qi made a prompt decision and instructed his men to start the registration.

Every household, how many family members, their ages, place of origin, previous livelihood, skills...

All recorded on file.

The disaster victims were honest farming folks, so the registration process was not complicated.

However, Liang Qingde did mention one more thing.

The disaster victims of Ganzhou should migrate, and so should those of Anzhou.

Even though they weren’t physically harmed, their homes were equally destroyed.

So, he gave an order according to this rule as well.

Perhaps because they had saved the disaster victims’ lives before the earthquake, the people there obeyed Liang Qingde’s commands very willingly.

As a result, the process was faster in comparison.

In just two short days, everything was ready.

On the seventh day after the earthquake,

snow fell once more upon the Northwest.

This snowfall wasn’t heavy, but the cold air was harshly piercing.

Tens of thousands of disaster victims followed Feng Qi’s men, embarking on the migration journey to the Central Plains.

Before leaving, they buried their relatives who had died in the earthquake.

And packed up their tattered belongings.

Some families had only a single bundle between them.

Some merely wrapped themselves in the newly issued cotton jackets.

And they marched on with the main group.

As they left, many people cried.

Leaving their homes, caught in disaster.

And still unaware if the road ahead held promise or despair.

Anyone facing such circumstances would feel sorrow.

Seeing the confusion in the people’s eyes, Liang Qingde, who had come to see them off, felt a bit uneasy.

Thus, he implored Feng Qi solemnly.

"The people are the foundation of the nation; I hope General Feng will treat them well."

Hearing this, Feng Qi felt comforted in his heart.

Though Liang Qingde once followed the Marquis of Northwest, his care for the people marked him as a conscientious leader.

So he cupped his fists and said.

"General Liang, rest assured. I pledge with my life that everyone will be properly settled!"

Hearing his guarantee, Liang Qingde no longer hesitated.

He nodded immediately and even assigned three thousand Anzhou Army troops to protect the people on their journey.

Watching the departing procession, Liang Qingde’s trusted deputy also stepped forward.

With some doubt, he asked.

"General, has the Marquis of Northwest really met his end?"

He was the sky for their Northwest land and soldiers, could he truly die so easily?

He found it hard to believe.

But whether he believed it or not, what could be done at this point?

Then he heard Liang Qingde speak.

"Whether he truly died or faked it, even if he were alive, to us, he would be a breathing corpse. The Emperor would not allow two masters in this world. The Marquis of Northwest and the Liu Family have lost their power."

As he spoke, certainty grew clearer in his eyes.

"Let’s go, we have other matters to attend!"

"Yes!"

They immediately returned to the Anzhou Army camp.

After all, they had indeed fallen out with the Northwest Army.

If Liang Qingde didn’t make preparations in advance, they might not withstand the sharpened blades of the Northwest Army.

He quickly penned two secret letters after some deliberation.

And instructed his deputy beside him.

"Take these two letters to the commanders of the Qingzhou Army and the Liangzhou Army."

"Yes! At your command!"

At this moment, Liang Qingde thought, since rebellion was inevitable, he couldn’t do it alone.

Among the six states of the Northwest, except for Ganzhou.

Yan State was the furthest from his Anzhou, and the current general of Yan State’s daughter was a member of Uncle Liu’s household; he couldn’t intervene there.

And since Sui Province was the place of ambush for the Marquis of Northwest, it must have long been loyal to the Emperor.

So that left Qingzhou and Liangzhou.

Coincidentally, the geographical position of the three states surrounded Ganzhou perfectly.

Though in terms of strength, they couldn’t compare to the mighty Northwest Army.

But if they acted together, it would still give the Northwest Army a significant challenge.

Thus, the alliance of the three states was their only hope for survival.

The dark scouts entrusted with delivering the letters moved like a gale across the Northwest.

Meanwhile, Uncle Liu in the Northwest Army Camp was not idle either.

Through various means, he eventually received the news of his father and brother’s deaths.

And he also learned of his cherished daughter Liu Xu’er’s suicide in the great hall.