Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 574: "Duck Army" Kills Locusts (Special thanks to book friend Tangtanger for 2 monthly tickets!)

After hearing the news, Chai Zongxun thought of Madam Zhu, who had once been astonished by her beauty, and sighed:

“I also have a woman I want but cannot have.

However, to be a wise ruler, a sage ruler, one must also control one’s desires.”

In mid-June of the 59th year of Kaixi, the Imperial Commissioner and Minister of Works Feng Zheng led his officials to purchase 300,000 ducks from ordinary people in Huainan after half a month of shopping.

So, Feng Zheng followed the instructions of Emperor Chai Zongxun and transported the 300,000 ducks in horse-drawn carriages to the area in Huainan where the locust plague was happening and released the ducks.

These ducks had not eaten anything on the way, but when they were released in the field, they immediately rushed to eat the locusts that were wreaking havoc on the farmland, and they ate very quickly.

In just half a day, the 300,000 "duck army" with quick movements and large appetites ate up all the countless local locusts. On average, one duck ate more than a hundred locusts.

Feng Zheng and other officials and local people were overjoyed. Seeing that the strategy of "using ducks to kill locusts" was very effective, they quickly loaded the "duck army" on horse-drawn carriages and rushed to other locust-infested areas.

In the nearly two months from the end of July to the end of July, Feng Zheng led 300,000 "duck troops" to fight in dozens of locust-stricken areas. Wherever they arrived at a place, they were able to quickly wipe out the local locust plague.

By early August, the locust plague, which had affected a very large area and population, was completely eliminated.

Although the people suffered heavy losses in their farmland crops and lost this year's summer and autumn harvests, they felt relieved when they saw that Emperor Chai Zongxun's original "duck army to kill locusts" plan could eliminate the locust plague, and they were no longer helpless against the locust plague as before.

To express gratitude to the 300,000 "duck soldiers" who made great contributions, the people in the disaster-stricken areas raised funds to build the "Duck General Temple" locally, burning incense and praying for good weather in the coming year.

After the news that the imperial court used 300,000 "duck troops" to kill locusts spread across the country, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty all called Emperor Chai Zongxun the "Holy Son of Heaven."

On November 7, the 59th year of Kaixi, a memorial was submitted to Chai Zongxun stating that "Duke Weiyuan" Huyan Zan was critically ill.

Chai Zongxun immediately decided to visit him the next day.

Hu Yanzan was born in the fifth year of Tianfu in the Later Jin Dynasty (940), and by this year, the fifty-ninth year of Kaixi (1018), he was already 78 years old.

At 3:00 p.m. on November 8, when Chai Zongxun set out for the residence of "Duke Weiyuan" in the north of Bianjing City, Huyan Zan's four sons, Huyan Bixing, Huyan Bigai, Huyan Biqiu and Huyan Bixian, had led all the people in the residence to welcome him for a long time.

All of Huyan Zan's four sons passed the military imperial examination. The one with the shortest time, Huyan Bixian, had been in the Longxiang Army for sixteen years. Except for the eldest son, Huyan Bixing, who was the commander-in-chief of the Fifth Corps, the other three sons had served as army commanders in various corps and had made great military achievements.

After seeing the ceremony, Chai Zongxun said:

"Take me to visit Lord Huyan."

Led by the four disciples, they soon arrived at the main hall in the backyard. Huyan Zan was sleeping on the big bed in the side room.

After the four sons shouted for a while, Hu Yanzan woke up. After recognizing that it was Emperor Chai Zongxun, Hu Yanzan struggled to get up and pay his respects.

Chai Zongxun sighed:
"My dear Hu Yan, please don't be polite.

Time flies. I can still vividly remember the scene of me watching Lord Huyan taking the exam for the top military scholar in the military training ground. But it was already sixty years ago. Sigh..."

Hu Yanzan said:

"I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness! You have entrusted me, a newly crowned martial arts champion with no family background, with the important task of commanding the Longxiang Army, and given me the opportunity to make contributions to the country. You have shown me great favor!

My whole family is grateful to Your Majesty for his kindness!"

The two men recalled the battles in the early years of Kaixi that wiped out various separatist forces in the country, and they clapped and laughed from time to time.

Hu Yanzan said:

"Your Majesty has granted me a high position and listed me as a famous minister of the Palace of Time. I have been extremely honored and favored. I have no regrets in this life! I only hope that after I die, my four sons can continue to serve Your Majesty."

One of Chai Zongxun's principles of military management was that no matter how great the achievements of a general were, there could not be more than one person in his family serving as the commander-in-chief of a corps at the same time.

Therefore, when Huyan Zan retired at the age of seventy, Chai Zongxun promoted his eldest son Huyan Bixing to be the commander-in-chief of the Longxiang Army Corps.

Chai Zongxun said:

"Lord Huyan has a good way of educating his children, and his family has a good tradition. All four of his sons have become successful.

In the future, you only need to inherit your family tradition and be loyal to your country. According to the selection system I have established, famous generals will emerge from generation to generation, and dukes and marquises will last for generations."

When Huyan Zan heard this, he felt relieved.

The two chatted for more than an hour. Seeing that Huyan Zan was exhausted, Chai Zongxun told him to take care of his health before returning to the palace.

Eight days later, on November 16, Huyan Zan died in the residence of "Duke Weiyuan" in Bian Jing at the age of 78.

Chai Zongxun sighed for a long time after receiving the report. Huyan Zan could be said to be the military general he relied on most in the first thirty years of his reign. In major wars of the empire, such as the first battle to unify the world, "capturing Nanping and Wuqing Army", the destruction of Southern Tang, the pacification of the Nan Army, the destruction of Liao, and the destruction of the Xingxing Sect coalition, Huyan Zan was the backbone and made great contributions.

Moreover, Huyan Zan was respectful throughout his life and never said a word that was arrogant or domineering.

Chai Zongxun immediately issued an edict to promote Huyan Zan to the title of Grand Marshal and buried him with the rites of a king.

His eldest son Huyan Bixing succeeded to the title of Duke.

After consultation with the court officials, Hu Yanzan was posthumously named "Wu Zhong" and was known as "Hu Yan Wu Zhong Gong" by the world.

In March of the 60th year of Kaixi, Kou Zhun, who had retired from the position of Grand Tutor, reported to Emperor Chai Zongxun that the imperial statues on the imperial mausoleum had been completed.

In the 50th year of Kaixi, Chai Zongxun asked Kou Zhun to preside over this project, which took ten years to complete.

Kou Zhun, feeling humiliated by Ding Wei, vowed to make this project better than the "Hall of Time" built by Ding Wei, so he paid attention to every detail.

The statues of Emperor Chai Zongxun and his concubines on the imperial mausoleum and the statues of Emperor Taizong and Empress Dowager Fu and Empress Dowager Fu on Taizong's "Qing Mausoleum" are all made of extremely hard granite produced in the mountains. They have been meticulously carved by tens of thousands of top craftsmen of the Great Zhou Dynasty over a period of ten years and have extremely high ornamental and artistic value.

Following the advice of his subordinates, Kou Zhun also planted exotic flowers and trees, rockery, ponds, pavilions and towers throughout the imperial mausoleum, making it magnificent.

The entire project cost more than 12 million taels of silver.

Chai Zongxun was delighted and immediately decided to go to see the imperial tomb the next day or the day after tomorrow when the weather was fine.

On the afternoon of March 16, the 60th year of Kaixi, seeing that the weather was fine and windy, Chai Zongxun led all the members of the imperial family and set out for the imperial tomb located in Laoqiu, the former site of the Shang Dynasty royal palace, 30 miles north of Bianjing City.

The carriage traveled for nearly an hour. When it was a few miles away from the imperial mausoleum, Chai Zongxun saw exotic flowers and trees, pavilions and towers, and the scenery was very beautiful.

The statues of herself and more than 5,000 concubines and imperial concubines are scattered throughout the scenery in an orderly manner, which is quite charming.

These statues are distributed according to the ranks of Chai Zongxun's concubines. The closer to the core of the imperial mausoleum, the higher the rank.

In the center of the imperial mausoleum, huge stone statues of Emperor Chai Zongxun and his two queens Fu Zhenzhen and Diwu Chaolu stand proudly, looking lifelike.

Among them, the statue of Chai Zongxun is seven zhang high, and the statues of the two queens are six zhang high.

(End of this chapter)