Seeing the soldiers kneel, the crowd hurriedly dropped to their knees as well, kowtowing and not daring to lift their heads.
With the road cleared, Feng Xiyan and Zhan Qi smoothly rode up to the city gate.
Pulling the reins, Feng Xiyan stopped his warhorse outside the city gate. Looking at the gate captain and the soldiers, he said calmly, "Everyone, please rise."
Just as his words fell, Fan Wanming and the other generals arrived.
Clasping their fists, they said in unison, "Welco back, Great General, General Zhan."
Zhan Qi clasped his fists and responded, "Thank you, Brothers."
Feng Xiyan nodded at the generals and replied, "Thank you for taking care of the city, General Fan, General Ding, General Xue, and General Tan."
After saying that, he looked around but couldn’t find Tuluo Cheng, so he asked, "Where is Military Advisor Tuluo?"
When the generals heard this, they exchanged complicated glances.
Noticing their silent exchange, Feng Xiyan frowned slightly and asked, "Did sothing happen while this general was away? Why is the city gate still open at this hour?"
Since no one answered, Feng Xiyan turned to Fan Wanming, who was in charge of the city’s security. "General Fan, you tell this general."
Being called out by na, Fan Wanming stepped forward and reported, "Reporting to the Great General. Two days after you departed for Xiquan City, many refugees arrived. Military Advisor Tuluo said that since we had more than enough supplies, we should accept them."
"By employing them as workers, the city construction could progress faster. In addition, the people from the remaining twelve tribes also ca. They arrived yesterday at noon, and most of their strong and capable n expressed their wish to join the Feng Army."
"Currently, Military Advisor Tuluo is in a eting with them to discuss the conditions for joining the Feng Army."
Hearing this, Feng Xiyan raised his brows slightly and muttered, "This general did not expect so much to happen during my absence. Looks like Military Advisor Tuluo had done a very good job while this general was away."
While Feng Xiyan was lost in thought, Xue Ruhong looked around but couldn’t find Mo Yuan or the other soldiers coming after waiting for a while.
Frowning slightly, he asked, "Great General, where are Vice General Mo Yuan and the other soldiers? Why did only you and General Zhan return?"
Hearing this, Feng Xiyan ca out of his thoughts and explained, "This general has promoted Vice General Mo Yuan to Garrison General of Xiquan City. He will be stationed in Xiquan City from now on and guard the city."
"The Ji Army also surrendered and wished to join us, so this general decided to leave the supplies and five thousand soldiers there to help Garrison General Mo maintain order."
Upon hearing this good news, the generals’ eyes lit up.
Stepping forward, Ding Zhenshun asked, "Great General, does this an you succeeded in taking over Xiquan City?"
Feng Xiyan nodded. "Mhm. And without war."
Noticing that the commoners and refugees were still kneeling on the hard ground, Feng Xiyan said, "Let’s return to the barracks so we can discuss this matter in detail."
The generals clasped their fists and said in unison, "Yes, Great General."
With that, Feng Xiyan and Zhan Qi rode toward the Feng Army stables, while the other generals proceeded directly to the barracks.
After they left, the gate captain looked at the kneeling crowd and said, "You may all rise. Please queue properly and don’t cause trouble. Anyone who does will be banned from entering the city forever."
Upon hearing the warning, the crowd obediently followed the soldiers’ instructions and began queuing in front of the city gate.
While the soldiers were busy recording their information and questioning them, those waiting in line whispered among themselves about what they had just witnessed.
Standing near the back of the line where the rchants and wealthier refugees gathered, He Jingtai turned to his father and asked, "Father, did you hear that? They said Great General Feng has succeeded in taking over Xiquan City."
He Xuan Ren nodded. "Mhm. It seems our decision to co here was right."
Noticing his father’s serious expression, He Jingtai asked, "Father, what’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?"
He Xuan Ren frowned slightly and answered, "Although we made the right choice, our future will still be difficult."
"Father, why do you say that?" He Jingtai asked, feeling confused.
Looking up at the tall, sturdy city wall before them, He Xuan Ren replied, "Don’t you find anything strange here?"
The question made He Jingtai’s heart skip a beat. He looked around carefully, at the crowds, the walls, and the soldiers, but couldn’t see anything unusual.
Shaking his head, he replied, "Father, I don’t see anything wrong here."
Glancing at his son, He Xuan Ren sighed in disappointnt.
"Look at the soldiers’ clothing and complexion. Look at the city walls and gates. Then, look at us and the other refugees. Do you notice the difference?"
Though puzzled, He Jingtai followed his father’s instructions. After observing closely, his eyes flickered with realization.
"Father, the soldiers of the Feng Army look strong and healthy, and the city wall seems newly repaired. Compared to them, the refugees are like beggars and malnourished."
Satisfied with his son’s observation, He Xuan Ren nodded.
"That’s right. Since they are well-clothed and well-fed, the Feng Army clearly has enough supplies to keep their soldiers strong and healthy in such a short ti. Also, the resources required to build and repair such a tall, solid wall are imnse."
"Do you think, with this kind of strength and wealth, Great General Feng would be interested in our goods?"
Realizing the truth, He Jingtai grew anxious. "Father, then what should we do? We only have a little food, dicine, and water left. We don’t know if we can buy these later, so we must keep them for ourselves."
"The rest of our goods are gold, silver, jewelry, fabrics, and collectible items. However, who would buy those when food and water are more precious than gold?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers