I am a living immortal.

Chapter 555 Refugees

The Shenzi Chamber of Commerce, under the guise of massive financial resources, wooed numerous Yan Dynasty officials. Of course, corruption was ineradicable in this era. If you wanted to get something done, you had to pay, even Wei Ming's faction was no exception. The difference was this: some officials accepted bribes that they could handle without undermining the foundations of the state; some took the bribes but didn't deliver; and some acted without scruples.

After the incident in Jizhou, many people had invested in this granary, including Wei Ming. With the help of the Mirage Chamber of Commerce, Wei Ming's people had become a major force in Beizhou. The idea of ​​being able to take money without having to do anything wrong was like a dream for these officials, so they worked even harder.

The Shenzi Merchants Guild, taking advantage of this favorable wind, also established roots across the country. Because they were dealing in grain, they were able to reach grain merchants, large and small, throughout the Yan Dynasty. Grain was hard currency, and from the imperial court to the common people, no one could live without it. This provided a wealth of intelligence.

"What intelligence?" Cao Chen didn't even bother to calculate, but asked directly. Although he could have predicted it if he wanted to, relying too much on fate wasn't a good thing. If fate were to become confused one day, it would be like being blind.

"Refugees." Mirage Dragon uttered those two words, and everyone's brows furrowed.

"what happened?"

“It’s just war.”

They knew the neighboring states were at war. They had even appealed to the Yan Dynasty for help, but it wouldn't help. They weren't about to be ripped off, so they didn't want to be the victim. The Yan Dynasty wasn't without other options, either. They immediately dispatched another 100,000 troops to the border to prepare for any emergency. They had received intelligence of this a year earlier. The two states then engaged in a relentless war for over a year.

The war was initiated by a neighboring state. Instead of attacking the powerful Yan State, they attacked a smaller neighboring kingdom. The reason for the attack wasn't provocation or deep hatred, but rather the depleted treasury and the emperor's incompetence and extravagance. This led everyone, from top to bottom, to follow suit in an effort to curry favor with the emperor. A single trip or dinner could cost an average family of three a year, or even several years. This reveals the depths of corruption within the state.

The amount of money was limited; it was impossible to generate a large amount all at once. Therefore, the only option was to extort money from the people. This led to widespread resentment within a few short years. It's easy to go from simple to extravagant, but it's difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. Even if one wanted to change, it wouldn't work. Furthermore, if this continued, rebellion would surely break out. If the people couldn't survive, they would surely bring trouble upon the emperor.

The emperor and his ministers hadn't been driven to stupidity by extravagance. They still had some sense. This meant they couldn't plunder the people's pockets anymore. There was no way to stop the extravagance. The only solution was plunder.

So the war began. On the one hand, they wanted to seize those small countries, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and drinking poison to quench their thirst; on the other hand, they also wanted to use war to divert the attention of the people and divide the contradictions, killing two birds with one stone.

The idea was good. They didn't choose a great and prosperous nation like the Yan Dynasty; that would have been suicidal. So they targeted smaller nations. However, the problem was that they overestimated their own strength. At the start of the war, they were overwhelmingly powerful, crushing the enemy's forces several times their size, and they were unstoppable, taking several cities in a row.

However, the battle became increasingly difficult as time went on. The smooth start led to some soldiers becoming dismissive, others eager for glory. Still others, seeing an opportunity to make a name for themselves, frantically filled the army with new members to share in the spoils. The problem was, these individuals were incompetent warriors, held high positions, and their leadership was chaotic, indirectly contributing to the war's defeat. A mighty nation was defeated by a smaller nation that could have been crushed with a single finger.

However, extravagance truly can corrupt people's hearts. Those lazy men shoved into the army made repeated mistakes. Cities initially captured were recaptured one after another. While the small nation initially trudged in, their morale soared as the battle progressed. "So I'm so powerful, and the nation they once looked up to is nothing more than this." So, in just six months, the small nation not only reclaimed all the cities, but also set its sights on its former suzerain, ready to take advantage of its weakness and take a bite out of it.

The truth is, this neighboring country was truly in trouble, having been directly invaded. The emperor and his ministers were stunned, and chaos reigned. It's true, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. There were still some ambitious people within the country. With their strenuous resistance, they managed to hold on. This was thanks to the country's vast territory and abundant resources. However, this war had only just begun.

The upper echelons are incompetent, the middle echelons are flattering, and the lower echelons are complaining and mourning. A country like this can only survive by hanging on. Furthermore, other smaller nations, seeing how utterly incompetent the suzerain is, also want to take over. This puts the country in a precarious position.

As time went on, these small states gradually advanced towards the capital. The Yan Dynasty was torn between sitting back and watching the tigers fight, or whether to take a bite. The Yan Dynasty was not in a hurry. They had a strong army and strong horses. No matter when they took action, they would have a piece of meat, a big piece of meat. This piece of meat would come to their mouths on its own.

But there was one thing: refugees. Neighboring states were already in turmoil. Although war hadn't broken out, some nobles and wealthy merchants had already begun to devise solutions. The Yan Dynasty was protected by a series of mountains to the north and the sea to the south. Its only contact with its neighbors was a small, southwestern stretch, separated by a vast river. The river was hundreds of miles wide, making it impossible for small boats to cross such a distance; only large ships could do so. This was why the Yan Dynasty didn't rush into an attack. They didn't have enough ships; they needed to build larger and more.

Yet, even this couldn't stop the refugees. A vast multitude crossed the river. Most vanished, but a few still managed to cross. However, this minority was a relative minority; there were actually millions of people. The influx of so many people into Yanchao was undoubtedly a burden for the towns along the river. Not to mention the food needed to feed a million people, it was unclear how many of these individuals were involved in causing trouble.

The river was too wide for the Yujiangguan navy to cover even with their constant patrols. And even if they encountered a ship, they would simply expel it. Should they sink it on the spot? Obviously not. Expelling it would only address the symptoms, not the root cause. If they weren't careful, the ship would drift ashore, and there would be no way to recapture it.

These are all problems. Rather than thinking about how to conquer the land, the imperial court should consider how to deal with the endless influx of refugees. Furthermore, among these refugees, there will inevitably be some particularly dangerous individuals.