Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 369 Bonfire Dinner (Special thanks to book friend 2023…7017 for the 2 monthly tickets!)

On August 5th of the th year of Kaixi, Chai Zongxun, accompanied by Yelu Hegudian and Prince Chai Jihui, went out to the prairie outside Shangjing for hunting and entertainment under the protection of imperial guards and the Wude Division.

Chai Jihui was born in August of the sixteenth year of Kaixi, and he is twelve years old this year. He inherited the height advantage of his father and mother. At the age of twelve, he is already more than 1.6 meters tall, with a slender and agile figure. Like his mother, he also has a pair of long legs.

Over the past decade, the "silage method" has been vigorously promoted among herders under the leadership of the government of various prefectures in Mobei. Herders of all ethnic groups in Liao area have learned to store enough forage in winter and spring. They have gradually changed their nomadic lifestyle and settled down in places with abundant water and grass.

The government hired local laborers to build cities, and many small and medium-sized cities appeared on the prairie.

The prairie was covered with lush vegetation and abundant animals. All 50,000 imperial guards and soldiers from the Wude Division drew their divine arm bows, and in just over two hours, they had shot down hundreds of thousands of gazelles, hares, pheasants and the like.

Chai Zongxun, Yelu Hegudian and Prince Chai Jihui, each rode on a Ferghana horse supplied by the emperor from Central Asia, and, protected by personal eunuchs, palace maids, 5 imperial guards and the Wude Division, rode side by side, galloping through the places where Yelu Hegudian had visited in his childhood.

When the three of them rode together to a small hill on the prairie, Yelu and Gudian reined in their mounts and stopped.

Yelu and Gudian pointed to the stream at the foot of the hill and said with a smile:

“Your Majesty, when I was a child, I often came here to play with my brother and friends.

My brother brought more than a dozen of us children to hunt animals and fish, and then set up a rack on the grass by the river to grill them. When the salt and seasoning were sprinkled on them, the aroma was fragrant and we were so happy! "

Chai Zongxun imagined the scene at that time and laughed:
“The food that people love to eat when they are young, they will love to eat throughout their lives.

Since my beloved concubine remembers the barbecue we had when we were little, I will hold a bonfire dinner here today and invite all the people nearby to participate!"

Chai Jihui cheered when he heard this and said:
"The prairie is indeed as beautiful as my mother always told me.

Father, is the bonfire dinner what mother and concubine talked about, where the whole clan gets together, drinks, eats meat, sings and dances?"

Chai Zongxun knew that Hui'er had grown up in the imperial palace and although he had relaxed restrictions on the daily behavior of princes and princesses, the children could still only play in a few limited places, such as the Imperial Garden and the Xingwu Hall.

Because his mother, Yelu Hegudian, was proficient in riding and shooting, and was taught by Chai Jihui since childhood, he was also good at riding and shooting and was quite brave.

Now that I heard that my father was going to hold the "legendary" bonfire dinner, I was naturally very happy.

Chai Zongxun smiled and nodded, saying:

"That's right. When the emperor invites the Liao people to the banquet, they just have to come. With your mother here, the Liao people will flock to the banquet."

Yelu and the Classical Way:

"Your Majesty was joking.

I am just a woman, how can I have more face than your Majesty?

Your Majesty has been benevolent to the Liao people over the years, and the people have all remembered it in their hearts. If Your Majesty holds a banquet, how can they not all come? "

The emperor's decree was naturally carried out immediately. He Yao, the chief eunuch in the palace, made arrangements immediately. Several thousand soldiers went to the nearby new town to invite the local Liao herdsmen to a banquet.

When these Liao herdsmen suddenly saw a large group of elite Zhou soldiers coming, they were quite frightened. However, they felt relieved after hearing that it was the Emperor and Concubine Shu who were hosting a bonfire party.

The Liao people were originally a nomadic people, free and hospitable by nature. When they heard that princesses Yelu and Gudian from their own tribe were present, most of them immediately accepted the soldiers' invitation and began to prepare gifts for the banquet at home.

More than an hour later, the soldiers accompanying the emperor had cleaned the game they had hunted today in the river, and set up hundreds of bonfires on the grass by the river, with the largest one in the center.

Chai Zongxun, Yelu Hegudian and Chai Jihui sat in front of the main tent in the center, chatting and waiting for the arrival of the people. It was almost the evening hour, and the Liao people within dozens of miles nearby came over one after another after the soldiers inspected them one by one.

Seeing the emperor, imperial concubine and prince in front of the main tent, the people hurriedly bowed and paid their respects.

After so many years, Yelu and Gudian were so excited and tears welled up in their eyes when they suddenly saw so many Liao people.

When the people paid their respects to Yelu, Gudian and Chai Jihui, their feelings of closeness were naturally revealed.

After Chai Zongxun consoled them with gentle words, he ordered the people to sit down at the banquet.

It was not until the hour of siege when it was completely dark that the several thousand-man teams that had gone out to visit the people finally returned, bringing nearly 30,000 people from within a radius of 50 miles to the banquet.

Chai Zongxun first raised his glass to invite everyone to drink, and the bonfire dinner officially began.

After eating a large piece of barbecued meat and drinking a few bowls of wine, Chai Zongxun said:

"My fellow countrymen, the Liao people are also descendants of the Chinese people. I treat the Liao people and the Han people equally, without any distinction.

How have you been doing in the past few years since you became citizens of the Great Zhou? If you have any grievances, you can speak out now. "

Chai Zongxun paused and continued:
"My beloved concubine, Noble Consort Shu, is a princess of your Liao people, and Hui'er is also half Liao people. Fellow villagers, just speak freely. With Noble Consort Shu and Hui'er here, I will never blame you."

Many Liao people chuckled.

After a moment, an old man said:

“Your Majesty, at the beginning, we Liao people were not used to settling down, but the local officials patiently taught us the “silage method”.

After a try, it really worked! Moreover, the cattle, sheep and horses of the common people especially loved to eat this silage, and there was no more starvation of livestock in winter and spring.

Therefore, the common people also began to get used to settled life.

Your Majesty's policy of "exempting labor service and reducing taxes" is truly a benevolent policy! I, an ordinary person from other prefectures, may not know that my tribe has more than a thousand households, and every household has lived a much better life in the past few years than before!"

A middle-aged herdsman said:

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case.

In the past, ordinary people raised more than ten cattle, sheep and horses at home. However, during the severe winter, even if they migrated everywhere in search of water and grass, half of them would starve to death, especially calves, lambs and foals, almost all of which could not survive the winter.

Since the government officials taught the common people how to make silage, not only do we no longer have to move around, but our livestock will also have enough fodder to survive the winter!"

Yelu and Gudian, who were sitting next to Chai Zongxun, said:

“Fellow villagers, His Majesty has issued an imperial decree: Liao people and Han people are treated equally.

On weekdays, have local governments ever oppressed our Liao people? If so, you can tell us now, and Your Majesty and I can make the decision for you. "

After the Liao people discussed in low voices for a while, they all said:

"My Lady, the officials in the government have always enforced the law impartially. There have been a few corrupt officials who did not manage their affairs, but they were reported to the court by the local sages not long after they took office, and they were soon dismissed and investigated!"

(End of this chapter)