Chapter 380: National Efforts to Overcome the Ice Disaster!
The cold wind howled, heavy snowflakes filled the air, and the land froze. “It’s so cold! Unbearably cold!”
“Overnight, we had a heavy snowfall and a chilling north wind!”
“It feels much colder than last year!”
“Yes, freezing like crazy. Good thing I prepared enough firewood and charcoal for heating!”
“I have elderly people at home who can’t bear this cold. I hope this day passes quickly!”
“That reminds me, the weather can be harsh. My neighbor, that old man, passed away like this last year!”
Due to the extreme cold and snow covering the land, people seldom ventured outside. Even if they had important tasks to attend to, once finished, they hurried back home, and few people were seen outside.
Not to mention, the streets of the capital were now blanketed in a thick layer of snow. What used to be bustling street vendors and a thriving street economy had come to a standstill due to the harsh weather. People were bundled up in thick coats, walking hurriedly and avoiding stopping anywhere.
Under these circumstances, even the morning court sessions of the imperial officials were affected. Most of these officials were older and in fragile health. They had to brave the freezing cold to attend morning court, and after that, they had to return to their respective offices, which was simply unbearable. As a result, the Empress decided to temporarily cancel morning court sessions.
Officials were not required to attend morning court unless they had urgent matters to report. However, Lin Beifan was singled out and had to enter the palace every day to handle state affairs.
“Your Majesty, why is it that other officials don’t have to attend court, but I am required to be there every day? You shouldn’t favor me so; it’s quite challenging!” Lin Beifan asked with a hopeful look.
The Empress chuckled and said, “My dear, most officials are older and in poor health, unable to withstand the severe cold. But you’re young and robust, so there’s no issue for you. I have no choice but to rely on your dedication!”
“Your Majesty is wise!” the officials chimed in.
Just then, Lin Beifan’s face turned pale, and he began to sway, clearly weakened. “Your Majesty, please don’t be fooled by my youth. I’m not as strong as I may appear,” he said weakly.
Concerned, the Empress asked, “My dear, what’s happening?”
Lin Beifan coughed a few times and said, “Perhaps it’s the rapid weather changes recently, but I’ve caught a chill. So, I can’t come to court every day; it would worsen my condition and hinder state affairs. I hope Your Majesty understands.”
“Oh, what should we do?” The Empress worriedly said, “Alright, my dear, you’ll temporarily stay in the palace. There are imperial physicians who can attend to you. You can manage state affairs from the palace, so there’s no need to keep going back and forth!”
Lin Beifan was taken aback. He had just wanted a day off, but now he was being pulled into the palace, on call 24/7. Even Yang Bailao isn’t as demanding!
Lin Beifan’s face quickly regained its color, and he said confidently, “Your Majesty, there’s no need for that! I’m feeling much better now. I’m in excellent health and don’t need to stay in the palace!”
The Empress raised an eyebrow and said, “Really? You looked quite pale just now…”
“Your Majesty, what was just now is in the past. After receiving Your Majesty’s care, I feel as if I’ve been blessed by the heavens. I feel full of energy, in the best of health!” Lin Beifan declared loudly.
The Empress continued to worry, “My dear, are you sure? Please don’t push yourself too hard, or I’ll be even more concerned!”
“Your Majesty, I’m absolutely sure. You can trust me!” Lin Beifan reassured her.
“Alright, then I’ll trust you!” The Empress nodded, a satisfied smile on her beautiful face.
In the days that followed, the cold weather and heavy snow continued to persist.
Lin Beifan estimated that it was around minus 10 degrees Celsius.
This was in the capital, where he controlled the weather, so it wasn’t as severe. If it were in other places, the temperature would drop even further. Minus ten degrees or so, for people today, is still quite cold.
But the challenge is that modern people have heating, various heating devices, thick blankets, and winter clothing, not to mention houses that are windproof and waterproof, so they can endure it. However, for people in ancient times, it would have been a different story.
You see, in ancient times, resources like firewood, charcoal, cotton clothing, and blankets were all precious commodities. Only relatively affluent families could afford to have them. As for housing, the vast majority of people lived in thatched huts that leaked in the summer and let in the cold wind in the winter, which could be deadly. Some people didn’t even have houses.
So, this kind of weather was particularly tough.
“This weather is unbearably cold!”
“We’ve run out of charcoal, and my feet have sores now!”
“I’ve put on all my clothes, but I’m still freezing!”
“Our wooden house offers no protection against the wind; it howls right through, and it’s freezing!”
“Heavens, help us! We need to find a warm place, or we won’t make it through this weather!”
At this time, everyone remembered the shelters that the government had built, and they rushed over.
Government officials were guarding the shelters.
“Can we go in to warm up?” Everyone asked eagerly.
The officials waved their hands generously and said, “Of course! We built these shelters for you to seek warmth in harsh times!”
“Great! We can go in and warm up, wonderful!”
“We used to mock the government for wasting resources, but now we see they had foresight!”
“We have a place to go in this weather!”
Everyone cheered with joy.
“Do we need to pay?” someone asked eagerly.
The officials smiled and said, “No need to pay. This is a benefit provided by the court! However, once you’re inside, you must follow the rules. No mischief allowed, or we’ll have to expel you!”
“We won’t misbehave, we promise…”
Then, everyone excitedly rushed inside and found that the shelters were quite spacious, capable of accommodating many people. In the middle of the shelter, there was a massive charcoal furnace crackling away, warming up the shelter. Compared to the bitter cold outside, it felt like heaven inside.
Everyone was excited once again.
“It’s so warm in here, so comfortable!”
“Yes, even warmer than my home. I can comfortably stay here.”
“These are concrete houses, large and sturdy, no drafts, and there’s charcoal. I’m spending the day right here!”
“I wish I had come here earlier!”
People organized themselves in an orderly manner, each person occupying about one bed’s worth of space. If it was a family, they could stay together and secure more space. Each shelter could accommodate about 40 people.
Although it was a bit crowded, everyone was enduring the harsh weather together, and there was no room for complaints.
As for food and drink, they had charcoal to cook their own food if they brought any. If they didn’t mind, they could have the government-provided communal pot of rice. While not gourmet, it was enough to keep hunger at bay.
And that was the maximum extent the court could do, thanks to Lin Beifan’s foresight and preparations.
In the following days, more and more ordinary people, unable to bear the extreme weather outside, came seeking shelter, and the shelters were almost filled to capacity. Even some essential work tools like oxen and horses found refuge there.
The entire nation came together to overcome the ice disaster!
In comparison, other countries weren’t faring as well. They couldn’t predict the severity of this ice disaster, so they were ill-prepared. After enduring for a few days, they couldn’t hold out any longer, and both people and livestock began to succumb. Every nation’s court was in a state of distress.
“This weather is unbelievably cold!”
“People are already freezing to death!”
“What should we do? Do we need to build shelters like Great Wu?”
“But how can we build shelters in time? I don’t believe this extreme weather will last long; we just need to endure for a few more days!”
People continued to endure, never bowing down. Meanwhile, in Great Wu’s study, Lin Beifan reported to the Empress: “Your Majesty, due to the prolonged cold weather, the entire nation’s people are facing extreme difficulties. So far, approximately 1.6 million people have taken refuge in the shelters we’ve built. The supply of charcoal, food, and other necessities is relatively sufficient, and casualties are relatively low.”
The Empress was very pleased. “Well done! My dear, it’s fortunate to have you. If you hadn’t foreseen the ice disaster and made preparations, countless people might have perished. Look at other countries; due to their lack of preparation, both people and livestock are dying in large numbers.”
“Your Majesty, it’s my duty,” Lin Beifan humbly replied.
“My dear, in your opinion, how long will this ice disaster last?” The Empress asked with concern.
Lin Beifan’s face grew heavy as he raised two fingers. “At least two months.”
The Empress’s expression also turned solemn. Two months! That was too long! Considering that in just a few days, many people had already perished, if this ice disaster were to last for two months, it was hard to imagine the extent of the tragedy it would bring. It might lead to a decline in Great Wu’s national strength and internal instability. They couldn’t control other countries, but they had to take care of their own.
The Empress earnestly instructed, “My dear, you continue to manage this matter. Provide whatever is lacking, and the court fully supports you. You must do everything possible to save as many people as you can, so that they can safely pass through this ice disaster.”
“I obey Your Majesty’s command!” Lin Beifan declared loudly.
Subsequently, Lin Beifan continued to mobilize court resources, supporting shelters across the land, ensuring that as many people as possible survived. Furthermore, he strengthened supervision, warning that anyone found embezzling or delaying disaster relief would face severe consequences.
