Chapter 164 Representatives Enter the City

Ma Qiang sneered, "With thirty or forty thousand of us, I don't believe we can't capture this city. If that guy is willing to let us in, that's fine. If not... haha... I'll take our men in and kill everyone inside!"

Wang Xingye, however, was calm and composed. He seemed a scholar, and although he looked disheveled, he appeared more refined and composed than the others. He listened to everyone's opinions before slowly speaking, "This is a bad idea. Attacking a city is bound to result in casualties. We're all fighting for a living, and no one wants to risk their lives. Furthermore, Lan County's walls are dozens of feet high, and we don't have ladders or grappling hooks. A forced attack would only result in countless casualties."

Ma Qiang couldn't stand Wang Xingye's slow pace, so he said, "We've come this far. We can't advance or retreat. Are we just going to wait for that pretty boy on the city wall to make his move?"

Wang Xingye said, "Don't worry. Let's see what he says later. Since he hasn't made his final decision, there should be room for maneuver. It all depends on how we respond."

"Damn it!" Ma Qiang stood up and kicked away the stones on the ground, somewhat furious. "If I hadn't heard that there was food in Lan County, why would I have walked such a long mountain road to come here? Anyway, I don't care, I will definitely enter Lan County today! If all else fails, the ten of us will enter the city and directly kidnap that pretty boy to force the soldiers to open the city walls. I've just observed him, and I don't know who that pretty boy is, but he's definitely not a show-off. The people under him respect him very much, and his head must be valuable!"

"Brother Qiang is right! We're going to die anyway, so we might as well kill him!"

Wang Xingye shook his head but said nothing more.

When a scholar meets a soldier, he cannot explain his reason clearly, so he doesn't want to argue with this group of ruffians.

Coincidentally, the figure on the city wall reappeared at this moment, and then the young man on the wall was heard shouting into the iron trumpet: "Everyone, we have temporarily decided to start distributing porridge tonight! As for entering the city, please invite ten representatives of the refugees to come in and discuss! The rest of the refugees, all of you, retreat one kilometer!"

The refugees looked at Xu Zhenying blankly, but no one took any action.

They seemed to have become a complete zombie.

"When you step back, we'll start cooking porridge!"

This sentence finally had a positive effect. When the refugees heard the word "cook porridge", there was finally a hint of reaction in their confused and empty eyes.

Everyone walked back slowly, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Soon, the city gate opened and Ma Qiang led his men into the city gate.

The city gate slowly closed, and it felt quite cool walking in the corridor.

There was already a person waiting at the city gate.

The man was tall and thin, with sharp shoulders and a slim waist. He wore a long sword at his waist. He stood there silently, the sun falling on his shoulders, a majestic presence without anger. The willow catkins beside him seemed afraid to disturb him and could only fall at his feet.

What a handsome young man!

Jiang Yongkang raised his chin slightly and uttered only four words coldly, "Drop your weapons."

Ma Qiang was furious and was about to start cursing when Wang Xingye stopped him. He whispered in his ear, "Don't act rashly. We're the ones begging them now, not them begging us. We're both wary of each other now, so don't make things more complicated."

Ma Qiang dropped his weapon cursing.

Xu Zhenying was waiting for them not far away.

She even joked with Sun Qingchen behind her with a sense of wicked humor: "Sir Sun, does this scene look familiar to you?"

Sun Qingchen snorted coldly, "Things change. Who knows, maybe you, Xu Zhenying, will be my next Sun Qingchen."

Xu Zhenying laughed heartily. "Master Sun, you really can't take a joke. Could it be that I haven't treated you well enough? Have I ever hurt you or your family since I came to the city?"

Sun Qingchen glanced at her, inwardly cursing her shamelessness, but he said, "What you did was a thousand times more despicable than what they did. They killed people, but you destroyed their hearts."

"It seems that Lord Sun has a deep misunderstanding of me." Xu Zhenying smiled and didn't care about Sun Qingchen's anger at all, which made Sun Qingchen even more annoyed.

There is nothing more frustrating than having your anger ignored.

Especially by a little girl who is still wet behind the ears.

Just like her, Xu Zhenying, who never took Sun Qingchen seriously. In her eyes, his anger was just a child's rage.

Xu Zhenying stood up and greeted the ten refugee representatives.

And those ten people all looked at her curiously.

So small.

So naive.

Why is Lan County... in the hands of a childish pretty boy like him?

But seeing how respectful the people around her were to her, they were confused about the situation and naturally did not dare to act rashly.

Only Wang Xingye asked, "When did the Great Zhou Dynasty have such a young county magistrate?"

Xu Zhenying pointed at Sun Qingchen behind him and said with a smile, "This is the real county magistrate."

Sun Qingchen gritted his teeth and glared at Xu Zhenying fiercely, wishing he could grab the knife and poke a few transparent holes in her.

"But he works for me now."

"What's the meaning?"

Xu Zhenying smiled slightly. "Because I am a refugee like you. Four months ago, we captured this city and became the king of the mountain—"

As soon as Xu Zhenying said this, the faces of those ten people changed drastically!

They never expected that the pretty boy in front of them was actually a refugee!

But they also wondered how he captured Lan County?

Now no one dared to look down on him anymore, even Ma Qiang restrained his expression slightly.

These people still have one thought in their minds, which is that it’s over.

They are afraid that they cannot enter Lan County.

They are all refugees, how could they accept so many people into the city?

Xu Zhenying looked around, taking in everyone's expressions, and then slowly said, "But you don't have to worry. Since I asked you to go into the city to discuss in detail, I naturally have other arrangements. As I said, you don't have to think about going into the city-"

Seeing everyone's faces change drastically, Xu Zhenying quickly said, "Stop arguing and wait for me to finish! Think about it yourselves. How will you, 30,000 or 40,000 people, be accommodated after entering the city? How will you be managed? Forget about the food issue. Where will you live after entering? Can you control your subordinates from harassing the people of Lan County? Entering the city is not the best option for me or for you."

Ma Qiang was about to burst into a rage again, but Wang Xingye stopped him. He hurriedly asked, "Since the City Lord has said there are other arrangements, may I ask what they are?"

Xu Zhenying raised his eyebrows and looked at the person who spoke.

If she was not mistaken, although this trip was led by a man named Ma Qiang, the one who actually controlled the pace of the negotiations was a man named Wang Xingye.

This person is calm, cautious, observant, and patient.

Yes, it is a good leek worth cultivating!

Xu Zhenying immediately took a fancy to this promising young man. If he could catch such a strong man, he would be a ready-made labor force!

"Although you are not allowed to enter the city, you are allowed to set up camp outside the city walls. We will try our best to provide all necessary supplies, and we will also provide two meals of porridge every day until we run out of food in Lan County. But during this time, you must control your people and not cause trouble."

The refugee representatives were shocked again. They thought that it was impossible for them to enter the city this time, but unexpectedly, the situation took a turn for the better. Xu Zhenying actually agreed to provide food!

The group of people were overjoyed and seemed unable to believe what Xu Zhenying had just said.

Only Wang Xingye had a serious expression.

Xu Zhenying's words made him suspicious. He really couldn't believe why Xu Zhenying wanted to feed so many people when there was a shortage of food.

That’s tens of thousands of people!

There is no way there could be so much food in Lan County!

"Are you serious?!" Ma Qiang almost jumped up with joy. "If you're willing to give us food, we won't cause trouble!"

Wang Xingye stared at Xu Zhenying. "City Lord, I'll give you food for thirty or forty thousand men if you say so. But I'd like to ask, what are you after?"

Xu Zhenying was somewhat surprised at Wang Xingye's sharpness.

Even with this huge pie falling down, Wang Xingye was the only one who remained calm. His ability to remain calm in the face of temptation was enough to earn her a higher regard.

Very good, she has decided to pull out this leek.

Ma Qiang was afraid Xu Zhenying would regret it or get angry, so he quickly scolded him, "Wang Xingye, are you a fucking idiot? The city lord was kind enough to save our lives, but you're acting like a thief, guarding against him? Apologize to the city lord now!"

Wang Xingye glanced at Ma Qiang, seeming to look down on this idiot teammate. He didn't argue with him, but continued to question Xu Zhenying: "As the saying goes, there is no reward without merit. I hope the city lord can clarify my doubts so that I can feel at ease."

"Okay!" Xu Zhenying smiled slightly, seeming to admire Wang Xingye greatly. "Since you asked, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth! The little emperor is dead, the chieftain of Qianzhou is rebellious again, and Jinzhou Prefecture has been severely damaged by last year's flood. Therefore, I estimate that the southwest will not be stable for several years. If the people from Qianzhou attack us, or if bandits and rioters attack us, what should we do? Because of this, I urgently need to expand my manpower. We are all refugees from Jinzhou Prefecture. Naturally, in troubled times, we should stick together for warmth."

"The little emperor is dead?"

Everyone present was shocked. Even the Xu family had just learned the news. Sun Qingchen had already rushed towards Xu Zhenying, but was restrained by Jiang Yongkang. Sun Qingchen screamed at the top of his lungs, "Traitor! How dare you curse our emperor! Are you planning a rebellion?! I'm telling you, I've already sent word. Jinzhou Prefecture will soon send troops to wipe you out. Don't get complacent, you traitor!"

Xu Zhenying walked up to Sun Qingchen with a condescending attitude and said slowly, "Send a letter? Do you mean the letter requesting Jinzhou Prefecture to send troops? Oh, I forgot to tell you, that letter is already in my hands. But Lord Sun, there's no need to be angry. It doesn't matter whether you send this letter or not, because the officials in the court are worried about who will become the emperor. I'm afraid Jinzhou Prefecture can't spare anyone to deal with a traitor like me."

"Also, the young emperor is not the late emperor's biological son. Prince Gong beheaded Zhu Ci, Empress Zhu was executed for adultery, and the emperor was burned to a skeleton by a fire from the sky. The name Zhu is no longer in the Great Zhou Dynasty." Xu Zhenying's words were cold and clear, like a drum beating on everyone's heart. "Now the Great Zhou Dynasty is leaderless. I estimate that the officials will argue for a year or two over who will be the emperor. Not to mention the other seven vassal kings are on their way to the capital. A bloody storm is inevitable. So I say that the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in chaos for at least three to five years—"

Xu Zhenying ignored Sun Qingchen, who had been struck by lightning, and continued to speak to the rest of the group, "Even though we're far away in the southwest, we can't escape the fate of ants. It's foreseeable that over the next ten years, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be a land of warring factions. Taxes and corvée labor will increase, wars will be frequent, and the people will be constantly displaced. War is more terrifying than the plague. Weak people like you and me should stick together for warmth, otherwise we will soon perish in this chaotic world."

Not only Sun Qingchen, but everyone in the Xu family was shocked by this shocking news.

However, Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo had extremely complicated expressions.

Their enemy's entire family is dead, they should be happy.

But when they thought about the future trajectory of the Zhou Dynasty, they could not be happy no matter what.

But Xu Yinxi was looking at Xu Zhenying who was speaking.

No wonder…

Many things suddenly seemed to have reasonable explanations.

No wonder she wanted to absorb so many people, no wonder she sent Feng'er and Xu Huiming to develop trade routes, no wonder she wanted to cultivate land and train soldiers, no wonder she always promoted universal education...

Sixth sister, what exactly do you want to do?

Are you just trying to protect yourself, or are you trying to... dominate the world...

Xu Yinxi's heart was pounding. She thought of a certain possibility and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't even dare to breathe, or even look into that person's eyes.

Sixth sister, you...you...

However, the Xu family found it hard to accept. After all, they were exiled because of Uncle Zhu. Now that their enemy was dead, they were more panicked.

The panic came from the fact that once the emperor died, only Prince Ming would be qualified to succeed him, but Prince Ming himself rebelled and it was feared that the throne would not be passed on to him.

The late emperor had so many brothers and nephews, and now that the throne is vacant, I'm afraid they will really fight to the death.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is really going to be in chaos——

With this realization, everyone had a heavy look on their faces, except for the refugees here who had no expression at all.

They were starving, their stomachs full of grass roots and tree bark. They couldn't even eat enough, so why would they care who was the emperor?

Anyway, they have no money, no food, and no land. What difference does it make to them who is the emperor?

In short, they were extremely happy to hear Xu Zhenying say that he was willing to help them. As for what was happening in the court, they didn't even want to hear about it.

Only Wang Xingye had a look of despair and pain on his face.

He seemed to quickly digest the negative emotions and turned to thinking about the present. "So what the City Lord is saying is that if we eat your food, then tens of thousands of us will have to serve you and fight for you? Two bowls of porridge a day in exchange for our lives. Isn't this deal too good of a deal, City Lord?"

Xu Yinxi, standing by, sarcastically remarked, "Back when we entered the city, a girl was only sold for a bushel of rice, yet the girls in our ranks were eager to sell themselves. How likely are they to fight in battle? But eating our food is a sure thing. Trading one absolute for one possible, who do you think is getting the better deal, Young Master Wang?"

Wang Xingye blushed slightly at Xu Yinxi's words, biting his lower lip lightly, but still bowed and said, "I'm sorry. I was wrong and misunderstood the city lord."

"It's more than just a misunderstanding! You have no idea how much pressure the City Lord is under to help you. Jinzhou Prefecture was severely hit by disasters this year, and every county is struggling to meet its food needs. Lan County has already accommodated refugees like us, and with you guys added to the mix, do you really think Lan County is a treasure trove of gold and silver? To tell you the truth, the City Lord is the only one who agrees with the porridge distribution. All of us disagree! Put yourself in their shoes. Who would give out aid to beggars on the street when they're so poor they can't even afford to eat?"

This time Wang Xingye was so embarrassed that he was speechless.

Xu Zhenying laughed in his heart and secretly gave Xu Yinxi a thumbs up.

The effect of one playing the good cop and the other playing the bad cop was really good. Wang Xingye was left speechless and could only apologize repeatedly.

Ma Qiang, on the other hand, looked worried.

Seeing that the refugee representatives were all silent, Xu Zhenying began to make big promises in order to encourage everyone's enthusiasm and quietly draw them into the rebellion: "Actually, you came at the right time. The previous batch of refugees are currently working on distributing land. If you agree with what I'm doing, or want to stay for a long time, then you can help us open up the wasteland. If you perform well after the land reclamation, you can stay and become a real citizen of Lan County. Oh, right, the kind that will be distributed with land!"

These words immediately made the representatives, who had been sullen just now, excited. "Divide the land? City Lord, are you serious?"

"How can we divide it? You are not the county magistrate!"

Xu Zhenying smiled, "Although I'm not the county magistrate, the title of county magistrate is in my hands, as are the treasured book and the jade seal. As long as we clear the wasteland, enter it in the book, and stamp it, then even if the king of heaven comes, the land will be yours!"

The representatives' faces instantly turned red with excitement.

For refugees who have lost their land and homes, the most valuable thing is a place to stay. Once they have their land divided and their houses built, they are no longer refugees, but real farmers!

They no longer have to wander around, slash-and-burn agriculture, and live a life no different from the wild beasts in the mountains.

Fang Xun also continued, "Not only that, our city lord is also planning to promote universal education. This means that all children aged five and above and under ten will be gathered together, and teachers will be hired to teach them. They will also be provided with a meal every day."

Even Wang Xingye looked at Xu Zhenying in disbelief after hearing this.

The teachers who teach children in the countryside have to pay at least a few hundred coins a month, but Xu Zhenying gathers all the children together and teaches them for free?

What is Xu Zhenying trying to do?

Could it be that Lan County is really some kind of paradise?

Wang Xingye still couldn't believe that such a pie would fall from the sky. Even if, as Xu Zhenying said, they had to stick together to keep warm and withstand the chaos in the near future, would Xu Zhenying really pay out of his own pocket to do this?

Wang Xingye expressed deep doubt, but he couldn't find any point to refute it for a while.