met free Page 1899
Page 1899
Countless people died of starvation and disease during their escape.
Some artisans and women were also captured by the Jurchens.
"It's almost dark; Tokyo should have a curfew."
"Let's stay here tonight," Gao Qiu sighed.
Many dilapidated houses are empty.
No one has claimed it.
Gao Qiu led two thousand imperial guards to find a place to stay.
The Imperial Guard soldiers felt the devastation of the post-war situation.
Even more worried about their families,
He wished he could return to the city that very night to inquire about the situation.
The eldest son, Gao Yaokang, said worriedly, "This time when we return to Beijing..."
"Are we sure our father and I won't be punished?"
"Brother, rest assured, Marshal Zhu is very benevolent."
“I didn’t suffer when I was captured last time.”
The second son, Gao Yaofu, was quite experienced.
He was captured by the rebel army in Fengxiang Prefecture.
They were released after the peace talks.
Gao Qiu emerged from the cracks in the dilapidated house.
Looking at the wind and snow outside,
He tightened his collar and said,
"Beheading isn't warranted; I'm not one of the Sixth Thieves."
“Even if we seize land, we will only seize the Imperial Guard’s barracks and training grounds.”
"We never seize people's houses."
"And we will certainly not seize farmland outside the city."
"This time, he has once again made a great contribution by sacrificing Xuzhou."
"How can someone be severely punished instead of rewarded for their merits?"
"But what about our family's wealth?"
"I don't know if it can be saved."
"It's good enough that I can live."
Gao Yaokang pointed outside and said,
"The people living on the outskirts of Beijing along the Guangji River,"
"At least tens of thousands died,"
“There are empty houses everywhere, no one lives there.”
We don't know how many died.
There are definitely more than 10,000 missing.
According to recent official statistics
The residential area stretching ten miles along both banks of the Guangji River outside the city.
The number of soldiers has decreased by at least 20,000 compared to before the war.
Everyone who could come back has come back.
Most of those who didn't return had died of illness or starvation.
Or they were captured by the Jin soldiers and taken to the north.
Inner city, outer city, and the four suburbs,
They were all organized and managed by a unified system of wards.
The war, which lasted only six months, resulted in a population loss of nearly 100,000.
Especially within the city,
Many people did not starve to death directly.
Instead, they died from complications caused by long-term malnutrition.
Spending the night freezing in a dilapidated house
Gao Qiu led his troops to the outskirts of the city.
This area is a bit more bustling.
But it still looked rather desolate.
The main problem is the lack of commercial and entertainment activities.
Even the food vendors,
There are really not many to be found.
Because the government strictly controls grain.
"Popcorn for sale! Popcorn for sale..."
There are plenty of places selling popcorn.
Kaifeng this winter,
Only corn regulations are slightly more relaxed.
It's a pity about this kind of popcorn.
It has no added sugar or salt, so you can only eat it plain.
There is fighting in the Lianghuai salt region.
Fang Mengqing was appointed as the General Manager of Huainan.
They fought a back-and-forth battle with the salt smugglers and rebels who had accepted Emperor Huizong's offer of amnesty.
This also led to a shortage of salt supply.
We also need to transport Sichuan salt to Beijing to fill the gap.
"Halt! Who are you?"
The soldiers guarding the city stopped Gao Qiu.
Gao Qiu produced the official document signed by Zhang Tang.
"We used to be the Imperial Guards of the former Song Dynasty,"
"After capturing Xuzhou, the entire prefecture surrendered to Marshal Zhu."
"Now I lay down my armor and serve the people,"
"Returning to reunite with family,"
"Please allow us to enter the city."
Chapter 1659 Robbing a House
The guards at the city gate dared not be negligent.
He hurriedly went in to report.
Soon after, officers and clerks arrived one after another.
People like Gao Qiu,
You need to report to the Five Cities Military Command first.
Then go to Kaifeng Prefecture to register.
After their identities were confirmed, they were separated and sent home.
Gao Qiu owned several residences.
One location is south of the inner city wall.
That was bestowed upon it by Emperor Huizong of Song.
The remaining few places,
All are north of the outer city wall.
That was real estate he developed himself.
The father and his two sons first went to the south of the city to investigate.
They discovered that their home had been seized.
After carefully inquiring with the neighbors,
Only then did I learn that it was a residence bestowed by Emperor Huizong of Song.
Every single place must be confiscated and turned over to the public.
Only a small amount of valuables are allowed to be taken away by the original owner.
As for the Gao family, no one was arrested.
They were all moved to the area outside the north city.
So the father and his two sons went out of the city to the north.
Gao Bing, the illegitimate son, cried whenever he saw them.
"Father, elder brother, all the valuables of our Gao family have been confiscated,"
"All of my father's treasured antiques and collectibles are gone."
"How much wealth is left?" Gao Qiu asked.
Gao Bing replied, "The court said that my father was meritorious for surrendering Xuzhou and was allowed to take away 200,000 strings of cash."
“One of the residences in the north of the city may be preserved.”
"It's alright, it's alright," Gao Qiu murmured to himself.
Two hundred thousand strings of cash in floating wealth
In addition, a luxury mansion outside the city,
Not to mention continuing to enjoy wealth,
At least two or three generations can live well.
Gao Bing added, "Those houses that Father built before,"
"Whether they were sold or not, they were all confiscated by the imperial court."
"Some of the training grounds were demolished and rebuilt,"
Some were left for the soldiers to live in.
"I live here, constantly on edge,"
"The people living next door are all soldiers from Sichuan."
In the northern part of Tokyo, there is a large area of military camps and drill grounds.
Most of it was seized by Gao Qiu for real estate development.
They also opened more than ten companies of various kinds.
Even properties that have already been sold,
They all have to obediently move to a new place.