I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 259 Fang La's End
...

The reason Chen Miaozhen told Zhao Yu was because of the social welfare institutions such as nursing homes, sanctuaries, and gardens that the Zhao Song Dynasty had established throughout the country.

The nursing home system originated in the first year of the Yuanfu era of Emperor Zhezong of Song. At that time, an official residence was set up in Huaidong Road to house widows, widowers, orphans, the poor and unable to support themselves. They were given monthly rations and medicine for the sick.

Later, Emperor Zhao Yu named it "Juyangyuan" and promoted it widely throughout the country.

The nursing home was mainly subsidized directly by the imperial court. After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he also stipulated that the funds could be supplemented by the interest from the property of the deceased and the grain.

Anjifang originated in the fourth year of the Yuanyou reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song. During Su Shi's tenure as the prefect of Hangzhou, due to frequent floods, droughts, and epidemics, he raised funds and purchased land to establish "Anlefang" to provide free medical care and food.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, the court took over these sick wards and renamed them "Anji Fang" (安济坊), and promoted them to prefectures and counties throughout the country.

Today, Anjifang have been widely established in all prefectures and counties across the country—they can be considered the prototype of hospitals.

Louzeyuan was first established during the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Shenzong of Song. At that time, due to frequent wars, there were many unclaimed corpses of people who died far from home and those who were too poor to afford funerals. Therefore, the imperial court set up Louzeyuan to collect and bury the dead.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he established the Louze Garden and vigorously promoted its development.

In short, this was not a charitable undertaking, but a public welfare project of the Zhao Song Dynasty that benefited all the people, which was very original in Chinese history.

Frankly speaking, this achievement does not belong entirely to Zhao Yu, but rather to a public welfare project that many emperors of the Song Dynasty insisted on. Historically, even in the Southern Song Dynasty, these three policies that benefited the people were still being upheld.

Of course, Zhao Yu, who inherited the will of his "father and elder brother", must have done the most and the best.

This made these three policies that benefited the people one of Zhao Yu's signature policies.

Chen Miaozhen was talking to Zhao Yu about Anjifang, one of these three policies to benefit the people.

According to Chen Miaozhen's observation, Anjifang's starting point was good, but it still had many shortcomings.

Chen Miaozhen handed Zhao Yu a stack of documents that she had prepared for who knows how long, which were densely filled with the current situation of Anji Wards in various parts of Jiangnan.

"Your Majesty, I have visited Anji Fang in several prefectures, and what I have seen and heard is deeply worrying. First, most of the doctors there are not well-versed in medical principles and classic texts. Not only are they often helpless when faced with difficult and complicated diseases, but they also often misdiagnose common illnesses, causing those who should not die to perish. Second, Anji Fang relies heavily on government allocations for medicinal materials, and remote prefectures and counties are often at risk of supply shortages, leaving patients without medicine, which is a serious matter. Third, management is lax, and there are no assessments or rewards for doctors, resulting in many lazy doctors and making it difficult to achieve effective medicines."

"Your Majesty, I humbly suggest the following: First, establish a special team within the Imperial Medical Bureau to compile concise medical texts and dispatch imperial physicians on regular rounds to instruct and answer questions from barefoot doctors who can reach the common people. Second, combine the barefoot doctors promoted by the court with the Anji Fang (medical clinics), with the former primarily responsible for treating simple illnesses and the latter for treating complex and difficult diseases. Third, broaden the trade routes for medicinal herbs and establish public pharmacies in various prefectures to purchase herbs during good harvests and distribute them at affordable prices during famine years. Fourth, formulate the 'Anji Fang Medical Officials Evaluation Method,' based on cure rates and public reputation, promoting and rewarding the excellent and dismissing and punishing the poor. In this way, the Anji Fang can become a vital instrument for benefiting the people, and Your Majesty's benevolent rule can extend its blessings to all..."

Zhao Yu could see that Chen Miaozhen truly had a heart set on healing the sick and saving lives.

Chen Miaozhen had always been dedicated to treating and saving lives.

However, Chen Miaozhen discovered that there were far too many patients in the world, and even if she worked tirelessly, she could not save even a fraction of them.

To truly alleviate the suffering of the people, we need to work on the system and fundamentally improve medical conditions so that more people can benefit.

Only one person could accomplish this: Emperor Zhao Yu of the Song Dynasty.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu continued to do similar things.

As a result, she was captured by Liu Guangshi, who even said he would offer her to Zhao Yu. Chen Miaozhen then went along with the plan and came to Zhao Yu's side, wanting to help Zhao Yu with medical reforms.

After listening to Chen Miaozhen's request, Zhao Yu directly handed Chen Miaozhen over to Ye Shiyun and told her, "Ye Huangfei is in charge of the Juyangyuan, Anjifang, and Louzeyuan. She is extremely intelligent, but lazy. You can go and be her assistant to promote these policies that benefit the people."

Upon hearing that she would be going to be Ye Shiyun's assistant, who had compiled "Ye Shiyun's Medical Classic", Chen Miaozhen was naturally willing.

She had studied Ye Shiyun's Medical Classics carefully and knew just how brilliant this medical book was.

In her view, although Ye Shiyun's Medical Classics does not cover many difficult and complicated diseases, it is easy to understand and makes it easy for folk doctors who are not familiar with medical classics to quickly get started and master the methods of treating common diseases. It is a good work to popularize medical knowledge and improve the level of grassroots medical care.

And barefoot doctors were the best supplement to Anjifang.

Since Chen Miaozhen is willing to help Ye Shiyun keep an eye on medical reform, and unlike Ye Shiyun who doesn't actually understand medicine at all, Chen Miaozhen's medical skills are very high, the two can complement each other perfectly.

Later, Zhao Yu made Fang Baihua his personal bodyguard and handed her over to Li Lin for training.

As for Shao, who had no special talents, she could only be an ordinary palace maid—a plaything that Zhao Yu could play with whenever he wanted.

……

Now let's talk about Fang La.

Since escaping from Hangzhou, Fang La was filled with remorse, especially after he learned that Shao had been captured by the Song army and taken to the capital to be handed over to Zhao Yu.

Fang La wasn't deaf, so how could he not hear the people in his rebel army talking about how Zhao Yu had a particular fondness for seizing the wives, daughters, and relatives of his enemies as playthings? They also speculated that both Fang Baihua and Shao Shi must have fallen victim to Zhao Yu's cruelty.

Hearing these words, Fang La felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

To be honest, Fang La regretted not listening to Lü Jiang's advice to leave Hangzhou earlier. If he had left Hangzhou sooner, at least he wouldn't have lost the Shao family.

Fang La sat alone by a campfire in a simple campsite in the dense forest of Muzhou Bangyuandong. The flickering firelight reflected his furrowed brows and the desolation in his eyes.

The soldiers of Fang La's rebel army were either sitting or lying down around him. Occasionally, a few low conversations could be heard, but more often, there were sounds of weary panting. All of this added to Fang La's heavy mood.

Looking back, Fang La once used "Manichaeism" as a rallying cry, and with a single call, hundreds of thousands responded, quickly amassing a force of tens of thousands. He attacked and occupied prefectures and counties, his power immense, and for a time, it seemed that the entire Jiangnan region trembled beneath his feet. How spirited and ambitious he was then, believing that with his passion and unwavering faith, he could overthrow the Song Dynasty and become the emperor he had always dreamed of.

However, reality is always much harsher than ideals.

Because Fang La did not heed the advice of General Lü and General Chen, and instead sent his rebel army to occupy Jinling, which controlled the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, he found himself in a passive position under the pressure of the Song army, making it difficult to realize his initial plan to defend the area along the river.

Crucially, the Song army first defeated Fang Qifo in Xiuzhou, and then defeated Fang La in Hangzhou, which dealt a heavy blow to Fang La's rebel army and severely damaged its momentum.

More importantly, Song Jiang's rebel army is about to attack from the east, and even Song's army from the north is about to attack. Fang La's rebel army, especially the Fang La rebel army personally commanded by Fang La, is about to be surrounded by Song's army and Song Jiang's rebel army.

At this moment, Fang La was filled with mixed emotions, including nostalgia for the glorious past and helplessness and despair in the face of his current predicament. He knew that the uprising he led, though it had once been as brilliant as a raging fire, was ultimately destined to be extinguished.

As night deepened, the chirping of insects in the forest mingled with the occasional neighing of warhorses in the distance, as if foretelling an impending storm. Fang La's gaze pierced through the flickering firelight, looking towards the unknown distance, a nameless sorrow welling up within him.

"If time could turn back, I would definitely act more cautiously and never underestimate the enemy or act rashly again," Fang La murmured to himself, his voice filled with regret and resentment. However, there is no medicine for regret in this world, and everything has been set in stone. All he can do is face it.

At this time, Fang Fei, Bao Kang, Wang Gong Laofo, Chen Gutong, Lü Jiang and others came to Fang La to discuss matters.

Fang La quickly suppressed his dejection, pretending to be spirited and confident, as if everything was under his control.

Fang Fei and the others stepped into the camp, their faces filled with solemnity and anxiety. Their footsteps were exceptionally clear in the silent night, as if each step was treading on Fang La's taut heartstrings.

"Your Excellency, the situation is becoming increasingly critical. We must make a decision as soon as possible," Fang Fei spoke first, his voice low and urgent. Clearly, he was deeply worried about the current situation.

Fang La nodded slightly, gesturing for everyone to sit down. In the firelight, his face appeared even more resolute. Although his heart was churning with turmoil, he knew that as a leader, he could not show the slightest weakness. Fang La cut to the chase: "The situation is so critical; what good strategies do you gentlemen offer me?"

Everyone remained silent, and it was easy to see that they were all pessimistic about the current situation.

Fang La's heart sank further. He looked at General Lü, who had gotten everything right the previous few times, his eyes filled with a desire for guidance.

Lu Jiang wanted to say, 'If you had listened to me earlier, you wouldn't be in this predicament.'

But Lu Jiang swallowed the words back before he could finish, and instead said, "If we can capture Hongzhou, our army might still have a chance to be saved."

Fang La's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

"After capturing Hongzhou, our army can proceed to Jingzhou. With Jingzhou, we can head north to attack Luoyang, the western capital, or we can sail down the river to attack Liangzhe. If that fails, we can attack Chengdu Prefecture from Jingzhou and enter Bashu."

“Jingzhou is crisscrossed by waterways and is located at the confluence of three rivers and one lake. Its land is fertile, it has no shortage of food, and it has a large population, which provides a foundation for great things.”

"Jingzhou is located near Dongting Lake, where rivers and lakes are densely distributed and waterways crisscross, forming a natural barrier. The complex water network terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the inconvenient land transportation makes it difficult for the Song army to advance rapidly on a large scale. The climate here is warm and humid, and the soil is fertile, making it an important grain-producing area that can be self-sufficient. In addition, the area has abundant fishery resources and sufficient material reserves, which can be used for a long-term defense."

"The Song army consisted mostly of northern soldiers who were unfamiliar with naval warfare and the terrain, making the attack extremely difficult."

"If our army retreats to the Jingxiang region and relies on Dongting Lake to establish a naval force, build sturdy ships, and integrate military and agricultural operations, fighting in wartime and farming in peacetime, utilizing ships for flexible warfare, we will surely defeat the Song army..."

Upon hearing Lü Jiang's suggestion, Fang La's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and said, "I will personally go and seize Hongzhou!"

Unexpectedly, General Lü shook his head and stopped him.

Fang La was puzzled and asked, "Why?"

“Hongzhou is surrounded by three mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. One man can hold the pass against ten thousand, so it is difficult to attack. This is the first reason.”

"The garrison commander of Hongzhou is named Zhang Jun. He is brave in battle, strict in disciplining his troops, and has a firm will. Moreover, he is extremely obedient. The prefect of Hongzhou, Zhan Du, is both a scholar and a warrior, and is also well-versed in politics and people's livelihood. He is deeply loved by the people under his jurisdiction. These two men were personally appointed by the Song emperor to guard Hongzhou. They will surely defend Hongzhou like an iron fortress. This is the second reason."

“The Song army is close at hand. If our army leaves this place, they will follow us like a shadow and wait for an opportunity to annihilate us. If they catch up with our army and chase us to Hongzhou, our army will be attacked from both sides and the outcome will be more dangerous than good. This is the third reason.”

In fact, it wasn't just Lü Jiang who saw Hongzhou as the only way out; however, this way out was so difficult that it was practically nonexistent, which is why no one else spoke of it.

After hearing what General Lü said about the difficulty of taking Hongzhou, Fang La also began to have second thoughts.

It wasn't that Fang La was cowardly; it was simply that allowing them to seize Hongzhou would be an almost impossible task.

Putting everything else aside, if they could have defeated the Song army in open field battles on the plains, Fang La's rebel army wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat, and Fang La wouldn't have lost his wife, Shao.

Fang La slumped back down, muttering to himself, "What should I do?"

Bao Kang, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "There is another way."

Fang La hurriedly asked, "Which way?"

Bao Kang said in a deep voice, "Surrender."

"?"

Everyone looked at Bao Kang. They hadn't expected him to propose surrender.

Moreover, Bao Kang did not mean to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty, but rather to surrender.

What does surrender mean?
That means giving up all resistance, admitting defeat, and entrusting one's life, honor, and disgrace entirely to the mercy or harshness of the enemy.

The moment those two words were uttered, the atmosphere inside the tent froze instantly, as if even the firelight trembled, reflecting the complex and unreadable expressions on everyone's faces.

In fact, many people, if they calmly consider their current predicament, can understand that Bao Kang's proposal, though unexpected, is also reasonable.

Now the situation is very clear: resisting to the end will only lead to death, while surrendering may offer a way out.

The key point is that the imperial court has never had any problems. The vast majority of them do not hate the imperial court; they only hate corrupt officials, gentry, and landlords.

Furthermore, they did not initially rebel against the imperial court; they merely killed corrupt officials, gentry, and local gentry.

If the imperial court could offer amnesty to Song Jiang's rebel army, which had done the same thing, why couldn't it give them a way out?
Well, they made a mistake in Hangzhou, but they were only misled by Fang La and Manichaeism, not genuinely rebelling against the court. Ignorance is no excuse.

Someone is tempted.

However, for Fang La, who once aspired to overthrow the Song Dynasty and become emperor himself, this was undoubtedly a betrayal of his beliefs and ideals, and a denial of the bloodshed and sacrifices of the past.

Moreover, Fang La's wife, Lady Shao, and his sister, Fang Baihua, had been captured by the Song army and might have already been taken advantage of by Zhao Yu.

How could Fang La tolerate the hatred of having his wife stolen?
Fang La's expression shifted uncertainly in the firelight. He clenched his teeth, his hands unconsciously forming fists, his knuckles turning white from the force and making a soft cracking sound. The word "surrender" was like a sharp blade, cutting through the pride and resentment deep within him, and ripping apart his facade.

Fang La suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing as he scanned everyone present, his gaze filled with both determination and undisguised threat.

"Surrender?" Fang La's voice was low and hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from the depths of his throat. "Our Manichaeism has always been regarded as a demonic sect by the imperial court. This time, we have gathered millions of followers and swept through Jiangnan. Do you think the imperial court will give us a way out?!"

Upon hearing Fang La's words, those who had considered surrendering immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

Fang La's statement was not unfounded. Rumors had already circulated that all the Manicheans in Fang La's captured rebel army had been executed by the imperial court.

However, very few of the core members of Fang La's rebel army were not Manichaeans.

Fang La then said, "Furthermore, we have already established a new era and reformed the system. You are all princes, dukes, generals and ministers of my Yongle Dynasty. How could you possibly surrender and seek death?"

The Manichaeans were enough to kill them, let alone the fact that they were the kings and generals falsely appointed by Fang La. Their crimes were compounded, and surrendering seemed to offer no way out.

As a result, Bao Kang, who did not believe in Manichaeism, naturally lost the power in his words.

After all, if both sides surrender, Bao Kang has a greater chance of surviving. So who would dare to believe Bao Kang's "bewitchment"? What if Bao Kang has ulterior motives?

Seeing that Bao Kang could no longer persuade Fang La and the others, and that if he waited any longer, he would have to be buried with the already possessed Fang La and the other foolish people, Chen Gutong spoke up and said, "Hong Zai has 400,000 rebel troops, and I have some connections with him. Why don't I go and persuade him to take Hongzhou? If it succeeds, it may solve this predicament."

Fang La's eyes lit up, and he immediately wrote an imperial edict appointing Hong Zai as the "King of Xiang" to Chen Gutong, ordering Chen Gutong to quickly go and join Hong Zai in seizing Hongzhou.

At the same time, Fang La sent many of his trusted men with his imperial edicts to various Fang La rebel armies, urging them to come quickly to Muzhou to rescue the emperor...

……

(End of this chapter)