Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Northern Yan, within the capital city of Yanjing.

A protracted war dealt an extremely heavy blow to the country.

The war ended, leaving behind devastation and countless broken families, swaying precariously in the storm.

"My child, my child~"

When a carriage full of corpses drove into the city gate, a group of elderly and weak people who had been waiting at the gate cried and leaned on the carriage floor, running towards Yanjing Square with the carriage.

The cruelty of war, which accompanies the loss of their children, is not limited to the battlefield; it also inflicts the heaviest blows on these already vulnerable civilian families.

These elderly and frail people are undoubtedly fortunate, because at least they were able to witness their husbands' already cold corpses and properly bury them, allowing the deceased to rest in peace.

However, a large number of others were not so lucky.

All they could obtain was a small identification tag—this insignificant object became the only proof and symbol of their loved one's existence in this world before death.

A desolate and sorrowful atmosphere permeated the city of Yanjing. Every moment, funeral processions could be seen, with coffins or bamboo mats being pulled onto carts and headed towards the Nine Gates.

"Bara!"

On the square, a court officer shouted a message.

As soon as he finished speaking, a hunched-over woman tiptoed up to the officer from the crowded throng.

"Who are you to Bala?"

"Replying to your question, sir, Balan is my man."

"Please leave your fingerprint."

The woman, without even glancing at the contents of the booklet, pressed her fingerprint onto her husband's name.

Throughout the entire ordeal, her face remained devoid of any emotion, only an endless sense of weariness and numbness.

The officer glanced at the handprints in the booklet, then turned and winked at his adjutant beside him.

The adjutant immediately ordered someone to bring a bag, and then took out a square grain measure and filled it with grain.

Only when she saw the bright yellow millet did a glimmer of hope appear in the woman's eyes.

The adjutant filled the bushel with millet, then neatly arranged it to ensure there wasn't a single grain left before placing it on the rice bag and removing the bottom layer.

In an instant, the millet fell into the rice bag, filling it to about one-third full.

The officer handed the rice bag to the woman: "Take this, it's your family's pension."

After receiving the bag of relief grain that her husband had risked his life for, the woman finally couldn't hold back anymore and broke down in tears, clutching the bag of rice and collapsing to the ground.

No one knows why she cried. Was it because she missed the man who died, or because human life was so cheap? Nobody knows.

A bushel of millet represents the loss of a precious human life, which is exchanged for only a few days' worth of food for the bereaved family.

In chaotic times, human life is as cheap as grass; that's how cruel it is.

"Next!"

The officer was unmoved by the woman's weeping, coldly calling out the name of the next victim and mechanically repeating the previous steps.

The distribution of relief grain continued from early morning until afternoon.

After glancing at the empty rice sack, the officer's cold voice rang out again.

"The relief grain has been distributed today. We will notify you when the next distribution will take place!"

After saying that, he turned his head and led his troops back without looking back.

Instantly, the crowd erupted in excitement.

"Sir, you can't leave! My two sons died on the battlefield, and there are seven mouths to feed in my family. When will I receive my pension?"

"Sir, don't go! I see there's still some rice in the rice bag. Please give some to my family too. Please have pity on us, a widow and her orphan. My husband can't just die like this without even a full meal."

"Heavens above! Please have mercy! We've run out of food. We've eaten all the tree bark and grass roots. If we don't bring back food today, my mother will starve to death!"

Hearing the commotion from the deceased's family behind him, the officer's cheek twitched slightly.

But he still resolutely led the team to evacuate the scene.

As a court officer, he knew some of the reasons.

There is a severe food shortage in Yanjing City right now, and there is simply no way to distribute more food to comfort the families of the deceased.

If this was the case in Yanjing, then the rest of Northern Yan was even more unthinkable.

……

Inside the imperial city of Yanjing, Emperor Murong Zhao of Northern Yan was in increasingly poor health after the war.

At this moment, he was forcing himself to sit in the main hall, discussing the next steps with his ministers, despite his illness.

"Murong Ke, tell me, how much grain is left in the city's granaries right now?"

"Your Majesty, the grain reserves in the capital have exceeded the warning line. If we do not receive grain aid, the entire city will run out of food in at most one month."

"Cough cough cough..."

Upon hearing this reply, Murong Zhao coughed violently.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health."

The ministers all offered their advice and remonstrance.

Murong Zhao wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, glanced at the bloodstains on it, and calmly crumpled the handkerchief into a ball before scanning the entire hall.

"Is it possible to bring grain from outside the city?"

Murong Ke bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, the Great Yan has just suffered a war, and all regions have been severely damaged. There is simply no grain to transfer."

Murong Zhao: "So, what are your thoughts?"

Murong Ke raised his eyes: "Yes! We can borrow grain from the Jin Kingdom."

"Can the Jin state lend us grain?"

"Last year, the Jin Kingdom besieged Bianjing of the Song Kingdom twice. The northern border of the Song Kingdom was almost completely looted by the Jin people. The Song Kingdom must have a large amount of grain stored in its treasury. We can borrow grain from the Jin Kingdom to solve our immediate problem."

After hearing Murong Ke's words, Murong Zhao immediately ordered: "Send someone to Shangjing to inform Wanyan Lie to quickly borrow 500,000 shi of grain to Yanjing."

"Absolutely not."

Murong Ke, however, stopped him.

"Your Majesty, the Jurchens are inherently cunning. Now that our Northern Yan has just ended its war with the Wolf Clan, our national strength is greatly diminished. If we were to openly go to borrow grain..."

The Jurchens will surely realize that our Great Yan is currently weak; it is best for me to handle this matter personally.

Murong Zhao nodded: "Then I'll leave the matter of borrowing grain entirely to you."

"My son, take your orders!"

As soon as Murong Ke finished speaking, someone in the ranks immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Even if the Jurchens are willing to lend us grain..."

The journey between Shangjing and Yanjing is two thousand li (approximately 1,000 kilometers). The city may face a food shortage before the grain arrives.

The speaker was Ashina, the Prime Minister of Northern Yan.

Murong Zhao responded, "Then tell me, what should we do to solve this urgent problem?"

Ashina replied, "The best course of action now is to borrow some of the surplus grain in the army to stabilize the situation."

Once the Jurchen supplies arrive in Yanjing, we can return them; this way, we can ensure everything goes smoothly.

Murong Ke: "Prime Minister, are you aware of the consequences if you mishandle the requisition of military provisions?"

Ashina: "With a food shortage imminent, is there a better way than to transfer food to the army?"

Besides, this is only a temporary transfer; it will be returned once the food shortage in Yanjing stabilizes.

Murong Ke wanted to argue, but Murong Zhao interrupted him, saying, "Alright, do as Ashina said. Leave this matter to Murong Ba."

"The fate of the nation is paramount. Let's stabilize the situation first before considering anything else. Murong Ke, you should set off for the Jin Kingdom immediately and persuade Wanyan Lie to send the grain supplies."

Murong Ke remained calm, bowed to Murong Zhao, and replied calmly, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Report~"

A sharp cry of surprise shattered the atmosphere in the court.

"Your Majesty, the Song army has captured Xiangzhou Prefecture and is now advancing directly towards Taizhou Prefecture of the Jin Kingdom."

Upon hearing this news, all the officials and civil and military officials were completely dumbfounded.

When did the State of Song become so powerful?