"Each old case is dredged up, turned completely upside down."
"They don’t understand Wen Qingyu and Xiao Zhi’s thods."
"But they know the fate of the aristocrats."
"These people run faster than anyone."
"Nothing is left behind, but before leaving, they still manage to strip off debts from the civilians, then sell the shops at high prices to ordinary people, thus conveniently retreating, making a fortune in the process."
There are many clever people.
Li Guanyi sighed: "It’s a pity, Nangong Wung couldn’t keep up; otherwise, perhaps we could have dug inside the aristocrats’ walls and found sothing."
Feng Xiao said: "Thank goodness for Master Xue’s help in gathering the rchants’ grain; it saved our Qilin Army at least thirty percent on logistics costs, yet continuing this way is not sustainable."
"Why don’t we go to the villages and towns to buy grain?"
"After all, the rchant guild hasn’t reached there yet."
Li Guanyi nodded, it was precisely after they took two more cities that he felt the difficulty of siege, but when he discovered the defeated army severely impacting morale, these cities were not real Heroic Pass fortresses.
Nor were there those disgustingly massive city walls.
No corridors filled with crossbow arrows.
Not even a concealed river protecting the city, no Inner City or Outer City, not enough grain stored to feed tens of thousands for a month within the Inner City, no iron-like resilient will.
What’s difficult is not the siege warfare.
It’s Lu Youxian.
After breaking Lu Youxian, there were no significant figures among the garrison to block the path in other cities.
It’s only when attacking other cities that the generals of Heavenly Strategy Mansion realized how troubleso Lu Youxian was, but at this mont, the city’s garrison being defeated, the Qilin Army stationed here couldn’t advance further due to logistical issues.
Feeding the troops and horses consud greatly, and with casualties and injuries, dicinal supplies were needed.
Li Guanyi changed clothes, personally leading a few trusted aides, along with Mr. Feng Xiao, to nearby villages and towns; the Qilin perched on Li Guanyi’s shoulder. Once they reached the village, they found it still normal, not in a state of mass chaos.
Yet, within the villages, there was an increased sense of vigilance.
Youths held hoes, sickles, hamrs, guarding the village.
Seeing people approach, soone shouted from a high place to ask who they were. Li Guanyi claid to be a scholar traveling amidst the chaos, fleeing from the city, with the autumn heat still lingering, coming here to ask for water.
Feng Xiao, being one of the Nine Scholarly Palace Sons, had docuntation and proof from the Academy.
Luckily, he hadn’t pawned it for drinking money.
Hearing this, an elderly man laughed: "Ah, at this ti, to have guests arriving truly is an intriguing affair."
Li Guanyi previously claid to be a scholar from the Academy, which the villagers didn’t quite believe, but having presented items from the Academy and offered silver coins to buy things, they let him in. While drinking water, Li Guanyi noticed the vigilant youth around.
"Old man, why is everyone in the village so tense?"
The old man cursed a bit, then explained: "Sir, you might not know, but before, so soldiers, ard with swords and blades, ca to steal. If it weren’t for the village having so strong n, we’d have been in trouble."
Li Guanyi and Feng Xiao exchanged glances, their expressions slightly serious.
Li Guanyi asked: "Which army was it, the Qilin Army?"
The old man suddenly changed his expression, and heavily knocked his cane on the ground, saying: "Young man, how can you say that? I kindly took you in, and you talk of the Qilin Army; who doesn’t know their reputation? If they ca, it would be good!"
"It was the city’s garrison who ca, constantly collecting taxes and levies, proficiently at that. They resisted the Qilin Army for a bit, then ran, brandishing their swords and blades, causing trouble here."
"Turned the city into bandits."
Li Guanyi and Feng Xiao exchanged glances again, a defeated army turned into a chaotic army, bringing calamity worse than banditry.
They listened to the villagers’ complaints and had a simple al.
Li Guanyi sighed: "Making the people suffer is also our fault; even amidst intense warfare, we cannot resolve the matter in one fight, our foundation is still far from mature."
Feng Xiao found so farr’s wine, holding it to drink: "Ah yes, yes, Lord, you’re right."
Li Guanyi remarked: "Engaging in relentless warfare, harming the nation and people, so that’s how it is."
Feng Xiao’s face reddened slightly, his response jokingly: ’Ah yes, yes.’
"Lord, you’re right."
Li Guanyi suggested: "Why not leave Mr. Feng Xiao here to beco a villager’s son-in-law? He could drink to his heart’s content—"
Feng Xiao responded: "Ah, yes... "
He shivered, then widened his eyes, protesting: "Ah, no way, Lord!"
Li Guanyi laughed heartily.
The old man ca forward, chuckling: "Now with the chaotic army here, you gentlen can stay a while, wait for the proper ti, take the small paths from here, it’s only a dozen miles to reach the Qilin Army’s territory."
"Then you can be at ease."
Li Guanyi drank porridge made with yellow millet, picking up so pickled radish, comnted:
"Old sir, how do you view the Qilin Army?"
The village elder slapped his knee and said: "What’s there to say? Before, many people took advantage of the chaos to flee to Jiangnan, let tell you, not only are taxes lower, here we have head tax and various others."
"Jiangnan has a thirty-to-one tax rate, light levies and taxes."
"They teach martial arts and literacy, and even distribute land!"
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