Chapter 323 Old People

After everyone left, Wang Xinde glared at Deng Quanan, "Why did you just let them go? Didn't you see the look on those cowards' faces? Aren't you afraid that if you let them go, they'll all surrender?"

Deng Quanan sighed deeply, "General Wang, I saw it. If I don't let them go, I'm afraid they'll force us to open the city gates at knifepoint."

Wang Xinde was stunned.

Deng Quanan's lips trembled with anger. "These cowards! Traitors! I'm afraid they've been planning to join forces with the people of Jinzhou Prefecture. General Wang, it's not their fault. It's really... the people of Jinzhou Prefecture are too strong. We are like fish on the chopping board. Now the people of Jinzhou Prefecture haven't attacked yet, but the morale of our army and the people has been broken. We will be defeated without a fight-"

Wang Xinde was speechless for a long time.

Yeah, how can we fight this?

Jinzhou Prefecture only needs to show off its firearms and use these inferior means to publicize them, and the entire Fengxiang Prefecture will collapse in an instant.

The city wall was still crumbling. The city wall that seemed as solid as a rock in their eyes was like a fragile egg in the eyes of the people of Jinzhou Prefecture. If they hit the city wall today, they could break through the city gate tomorrow.

What difference does it make whether they defend themselves or not?

How can a mortal flesh fight against the firearms of alien creatures?

How can ants stop the progress of elephants?

Deng Quanan was sitting there. He was only forty years old, but since he took the throne of the Lord of Fengxiang Prefecture and was surrounded by powerful enemies, his hair had turned white in just three or four years.

At this moment, there were only the two of them in the huge room.

He was enveloped in a dreary despair—

"General Wang, it's foreseeable that the Great Zhou Dynasty will soon fall," Deng Quan'an said, his face filled with bitterness and resentment. "Ultimately, it's our Great Zhou Dynasty that has delayed us. For years, the Bianjing Prefecture was busy vying for power, unaware of the dangers of raising a tiger, and watched Jinzhou Prefecture develop into what it is today. For this, his Zhou family bears unshirkable responsibility."

Deng Quanan looked at Wang Xinde, but saw that the man was nearly sixty years old, with gray hair and sharp eyes. He had even strongly advocated fighting before, which showed that the old man was still as brave as ever.

But how could Deng Quanan just watch Wang Xinde go to his death?

Wang Xinde also knew the desperate situation he was in. He couldn't help but mutter in his chair, "Is there no other way except surrender?"

Deng Quanan smiled bitterly: "You and I are willing to die defending the city, but our officials and common people are unwilling. General Wang, my Great Zhou Dynasty has lost the support of the people——"

The two men couldn't help but hug each other and cry bitterly. After they were tired of crying, they slept with their feet together. One reason was that they were afraid that someone would take their heads and seek credit from Jinzhou Prefecture during the chaos. The other reason was that they discussed whether to surrender or not until very late.

But who would have thought that before they made the decision to surrender, they were pulled out of their beds in the middle of the night.

A number of people had gathered in the room, including armored soldiers and civil officials. A chill ran down the necks of the two men. Wang Xinde flew into a rage, "Zhou Ping, I've treated you well! Why did you betray us?"

The young general named Zhou Ping smiled helplessly. "General Wang, you should thank me. Tonight, several groups of people wanted your heads, and it was I, Zhou Ping, who saved them. Please open your eyes and look. White flags have been hoisted everywhere outside. Now all that's left is to offer your heads as a sacrifice to the heavens."

Deng Quanan closed his eyes in despair, turbid tears rolling down his cheeks. "I knew this day would come sooner or later—"

When they heard the commotion outside, the two of them saw that the lights outside were indeed bright as day. It seemed that no one in the entire Fengxiang Mansion was asleep. The tranquility during the day was replaced by a riot in the middle of the night.

Zhou Ping was merciless: "Lord Deng, save your spit. Didn't you see what's written in the Jinzhou Prefecture Monthly Report? Everyone has the right to pursue a happy life! The Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't treat us as human beings, but there are people who do! The Great Zhou is unkind, so you can't blame us for being disloyal! Come on, tie these two people up, order people to open the city gates, and welcome His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city--"

The people in Jinzhou Prefecture did not expect that the gate of Fengxiang Prefecture would be opened so quickly.

It's just the middle of the night.

The fog in the mountains and forests has not yet dissipated, the moonlight is dim, and a chill penetrates into the heart.

Jiang Yongkang appeared in front of Xu Zhenying's tent.

The man's voice was low, carried by the gentle breeze through the mountains and forests, "Your Highness, the gates of Fengxiang Prefecture are open!"

Soon, a light came on in the tent and there was a rustling sound.

After only two or three minutes, Xu Zhenying put on his clothes and came out.

She had slept with her clothes on, and although she was a little drowsy at the moment, she looked quite alert. "Is the gate of Fengxiang Mansion open?"

Then she smiled again, "Only one day and one night has passed."

"Your Highness's plan was brilliant. He had the archers shoot so many notes inside. Now the Fengxiang Prefecture's army has lost its morale and reputation, so surrender is inevitable."

"Let's go and take a look."

Xu Zhenying strode forward and saw that the tent was already full of lights. It was obvious that the news of Fengxiang Prefecture's surrender had spread throughout the tent.

Soon, all of Xu Zhenying's confidants rushed over.

Seeing everyone's anxious faces, Xu Zhenying said seriously, "Yes, the gates of Fengxiang Prefecture are open. Let's go and see what's going on."

Jiang Yongkang had already led a team of nearly a thousand people, with torches all over the mountain. Xu Zhenying walked neither fast nor slow. When she arrived at the gate of Fengxiang Mansion, she looked at her pocket watch.

It’s past four in the morning.

The city wall of Fengxiang Prefecture was also brightly lit. To show their sincerity, everyone on the wall threw their weapons down the wall as Jiang Yongkang requested.

To ensure safety, Jiang Yongkang had already taken people around the city in advance. Only after confirming that everything was correct did Xu Zhenying and others enter.

At this moment, the gate of Fengxiang Prefecture was wide open, and the wind was blowing in. Even though it was early in the morning, the sky was still pitch black, but Xu Zhenying seemed to see tens of thousands of people in the city through the city wall.

They all walked out of their homes, stood on both sides of the road, stretched their necks, and looked at the queen who came from Jinzhou Prefecture.

"Fengxiang Prefecture respectfully welcomes His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city—"

As soon as Zhou Ping saw the figure in the middle of the crowd opposite him, he immediately shouted excitedly.

He spoke with full energy and a distant voice. As soon as he finished speaking, there was an exciting sound of war drums, deafening the night sky.

The whole city was quiet.

Fengxiang Prefecture respectfully welcomes His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city——

Fengxiang Prefecture respectfully welcomes His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city——

Fengxiang Prefecture respectfully welcomes His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city——

In Fengxiang Prefecture, all the people knelt on both sides to welcome the new owner of Fengxiang Prefecture.

They knelt with genuine affection and excitement on their faces. The cheers of welcome came one after another like waves. Countless torches were raised high, lighting up the entire Fengxiang Prefecture!

The people behind Xu Zhenying also looked excited.

They also never expected that Xu Zhenying actually did it as he said, that he could take over Fengxiang Prefecture without spending a single soldier!

Before a day and a night had passed, the gate of Fengxiang Mansion was already open to them!

Occupying Fengxiang Prefecture means they are one step closer to Bianjing City!

Xu Zhenying raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Yongkang, the civil and military officials of Fengxiang Prefecture, and the people of the city waiting behind the city gate. She took two steps forward, raised her hand slightly, and said in a loud voice: "From today on, you are the people of Jinzhou Prefecture!"

There was a thunderous cheer.

The woman's face was silhouetted against the flames. She looked like a goddess, noble and inviolable. "The people of Jinzhou Prefecture never kneel! Everyone, stand up!"

The common people of Fengxiang Prefecture were startled at first when they heard this, and then they heard Zhou Ping, the main leader of the surrender tonight, urging, "What are you standing there for? The rule of Jinzhou Prefecture is not to kneel. Didn't you hear what His Royal Highness Prince Zhao said? Stand up!"

There was a sparse sound, and the people looked at each other. Then, a peddler who had been roaming around Jinzhou Prefecture for a long time laughed out loud: "What are you standing there for? His Royal Highness Prince Zhao never allows people to kneel and kowtow. Stand up! From now on, we are citizens of Jinzhou Prefecture. People in Jinzhou Prefecture, knees are precious--"

Only then did the people muster up the courage to stand up.

Xu Zhenying then waved his hand and called Zhou Ping over.

Zhou Ping's heart was pounding like thunder, and he almost ran to Xu Zhenying.

He had never seen such a big shot before. He had the courage to capture Wang Xinde and others to surrender before, but now facing Xu Zhenying, he was so nervous that he couldn't even speak clearly.

Even though the person in front of me is just a girl who is over eighteen years old and not yet nineteen.

But when I saw her from a distance just now, I saw that this person was full of dignity, with sharp but hidden eyes. She was dressed in plain clothes without any silk or satin. When she stood in the crowd, people dared not look directly at her.

Xu Zhenying smiled and asked him, "Are you Zhou Ping?"

Zhou Ping nodded quickly, "It's me!"

"We in Jinzhou Prefecture don't like to be modest, nor do we call ourselves humble or mean. Besides, you have made an indelible contribution to our capture of Fengxiang Prefecture today, so there is no need to be modest."

Zhou Ping's face flushed with excitement. He tried to imitate the Jinzhou soldiers, holding his head high and chest out, forcing himself to look directly at Xu Zhenying, "Yes!"

Xu Zhenying smiled and patted his shoulder, "Good job!"

She saw the two men next to her, bound and covered in dust, and vaguely recognized them. She smiled and said, "Are they Lord Deng and General Wang?"

Wang Xinde snorted coldly: "You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you. I will not betray my master!"

"I, Xu Zhenying, have always used virtue to win people over. I don't like fighting and killing. Besides, why would I kill you? You have no military power now, none of your trusted subordinates obey you, and you have no ability to overthrow my court. Does it really matter whether I kill you or not?"

Wang Xinde's face turned pale in an instant.

Deng Quanan looked at her angrily, and then looked at Lin Han beside Xu Zhenying.

Lin Han sighed, "Sir Deng, you and I were once colleagues, and I have a piece of advice for you. You shouldn't hate our Highness as much as you hate your Great Zhou Emperor. It's his own will that keeps him busy vying for the throne, disregarding the lives of the people. His current fate is a result of bad luck for the country, but it's also his own fault. The Great Zhou Dynasty has lasted for over three hundred years, and it's time for a radical change. How can mortals like us prevent the destiny of Heaven? Why not just submit to His Highness like I did—"

Deng Quanan sneered, "This girl, who hasn't even grown all her hair yet, is what you call your destiny?"

Elder Lin sarcastically replied, "The Zhou family is heartless and treats the common people like ants. Especially after the death of Emperor Renzheng, the court changed emperors like a singing girl changing clothes. Year after year, wars and taxes were constantly being levied, and the court was in a state of chaos. Lord Deng's loyalty to the Great Zhou is truly admirable, but has he heard the saying, 'Those who protect their lord should eat meat, but instead they are eating dry bones to the point of hunger. How many idle wolves and tigers are now eating sheep without benefiting the people?'"

Deng Quanan's body swayed and his face turned pale instantly!

Xu Zhenying waved his hand and said, "Let them go."

Zhou Ping was stunned, his face full of disapproval, but he didn't dare to speak.

Jiang Yongkang immediately ordered his men to untie him, and the security team was obviously worried that the assassination incident in Qiongzhou Prefecture would happen again. Now, in crowded places, they always kept Xu Zhenying firmly in the middle.

Seeing that the two men were untied but still stayed where they were, as if their souls had been taken away, and Xu Zhenying slowly entering the city amidst a huge wave of cheers, the security team finally felt relieved.

But Xu Zhenying had not walked far when he heard a loud noise behind him.

However, there was a cheer in the crowd, and the people stretched their necks to look at her and the group of people entering the city. It seemed that no one heard the sound.

Soon, Jiang Yongkang returned and whispered in her ear, "Deng Quan'an leaped from the city wall and died for his country."

Xu Zhenying's heart tightened, and then he felt an unspeakable pain.

She may never understand the ancients' loyalty to their country, but that does not prevent her from admiring people like Deng Quanan.

She waved her hand and said, "Give him a proper burial."

Afterwards, a smile appeared on Xu Zhenying's face, as if nothing had happened, and he waved warmly to the people entering the city.

Zhou Houfang followed Xu Zhenying closely.

Somehow, she felt that although Xu Zhenying was surrounded by thousands of people at this moment, his back looked so lonely.

It's always lonely at the top.

Emperors are all ruthless——

Zhao Qiaonian, on the other hand, seemed to have developed a heart of stone. He sighed for only a quarter of an hour before suddenly remembering something. He squeezed over to Xu Zhenying and reminded him, "Your Highness, the reinforcements from the Great Zhou Dynasty are probably on the way."

Xu Zhenying waved at the people with his smile still on his face. "Don't worry. I've ordered Zhang Wanjun and Xu Huijia to lead 5,000 soldiers to set up an ambush on the necessary route. Even if they come, they won't return."

Zhao Qiaonian was shocked and secretly praised Xu Zhenying for his sharp mind.

No wonder I heard some noise last night and didn’t see these two people just now. It turns out they had another mission.

And it was obvious that Fengxiang Prefecture was destined to be uneasy that night.

In the backyard of a wealthy family on West Street, a skinny woman sat up with the help of a maid. She coughed repeatedly and listened to the noise outside, her face a little panicked. "Has the city been breached? Is the Queen of Jinzhou Prefecture calling?"

The maid Yanzhi hurriedly said, "Aunt Bai, don't worry. It's not the fall of the city, it's surrender!"

"Has our Fengxiang Prefecture surrendered?"

"That's right. It's a surrender, not a capture of the city. No one will break in."

Aunt Bai covered her chest, seeming to be in a state of dread. "What about the Master and Madam?"

"Master and Madam have gone to the city gate to welcome the new king!"

"The new king? It's the one from Jinzhou Prefecture, right? I heard she's a girl... Really impressive."

"Yes, I heard that the queen is only eighteen or nineteen years old this year!"

"Eighteen or nineteen?" Aunt Bai was secretly surprised. Then, she smiled, as if remembering some distant memory. "She should be in her early eighteens this year."

"Who is Aunt Bai talking about?"

"Just an old friend." Aunt Bai coughed a few times. "I heard that the king never kills innocent people. If she enters the city, will our lives be better?"

"I don't know. But I heard that girls in Jinzhou Prefecture are allowed to become officials! Unfortunately, I am a slave. I am afraid that the master and the mistress will not let me go."

Aunt Bai caressed Yanzhi's face tenderly. Suddenly, she remembered her sister who had been boiled and eaten many years ago. "Don't worry, you've served me for many years. I will definitely go and ask the master for your services. Perhaps I can get your indenture from the mistress. If you can become an official, I will release you from your civil service."

"Thank you, Aunt Bai!" Yanzhi was very touched. Then she heard footsteps in the front yard. "Oh, the master and the mistress should be back!"

Aunt Bai seemed a little afraid of Madam, and shrank back, "Then let's go back to the room quickly. If Madam sees me, I'm afraid she will be unhappy again."

Yanzhi said distressedly, "Madam is really something. She has been unhappy since Auntie gave birth to a daughter. She complains that Auntie couldn't give birth to a son. She beats and scolds her at every turn. Even though Auntie is the master's concubine, she doesn't even give her the slightest bit of face."

The Bai concubine quickly gestured to silence her. "Don't say that. I'm just a concubine, a servant of this family. It's good enough that the master is willing to give me a meal. Besides, the mistress was just a little cruel, at least she didn't kick me out of the house. It's my own fault... I didn't get pregnant and couldn't give the master a son... I'm just unlucky..."

Yanzhi sighed. Seeing that Aunt Bai was panting and sweating profusely after just a few words, she quickly helped her into the house. "Aunt Bai, please stop talking and go inside and lie down. You just gave birth not long ago, you can't stand the wind! If you want to know the latest situation, let Liu Zhu tell you when she comes back."

Yanzhi also felt extremely sorry for her master.

When Aunt Bai first came into the family, she was rebellious and kept thinking about running away. She ignored the master and kept talking about freedom and fairness, as well as some weird things.

The lady gave her a severe beating and locked her up in the backyard for a year, constantly polishing and training her temperament, and only then did her edges and corners were slightly smoothed out.

Seeing that all the hard work was finally coming to an end, Aunt Bai even became pregnant. However, unexpectedly, because there was ice on the steps in winter, Aunt Bai slipped when she stepped on them.

Now he was disliked by the master again and lived in the backyard like an ordinary servant.

Later, for some reason, the master started to go in and out of Aunt Bai's room again. Aunt Bai had just become pregnant, and the master reluctantly allocated a room and servants for her to use.

Unfortunately, it was a daughter.

It has been almost three months since the birth, and the master has never come to visit the mother and daughter.

As expected, Liu Zhu came back soon, bounding and skipping. Her face was flushed and her eyes were bright red. As soon as she returned, she started chattering, "Goddess of Heaven, the streets are full of people! They almost squeezed my shoes off. Auntie, you didn't see the grand scene! All the important people in the city ran to see His Royal Highness Prince Zhao!"

Yanzhi handed her a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, and teased her with a smile, "Look at you, you're all sweaty from running. Have you seen that Prince Zhao? What does he look like? Does he have three heads and six arms?"

Liu Zhu said excitedly, "How can there be three heads and six arms? That's all a rumor! He looks just like us, with two eyes, two ears, and a nose. He seems quite gentle, always smiling and waving at us! Yanzhi, did you know that Her Highness is a woman?"

Yanzhi smiled, "I know. Didn't they say two years ago that the female rebel king was a girl?"

"But... she really is a girl!" Liu Zhu's tone was full of envy, "Just like us, a girl!"

"I see. You mean she's a girl, but she can be a rebel, maybe even an emperor."

"That's right! Her Highness Prince Zhao might become the first female emperor in history! You didn't see it, even though she's a girl, her aura is almost as impressive as our Lord! And more importantly, she's surrounded by so many other girls, they look like court ladies!"

"What's wrong with you tonight? You seem to have lost your mind after going out. You know that there are already female officials in Jinzhou Prefecture. What's the matter? Do you want to be a female official too?"

"Hearing about it is completely different from seeing it with your own eyes! Besides, why can't I be a female official? If you had seen how majestic the female officials were just now, you would know why I envy them. Especially that one called Qian Zhenniang. I heard them all call her Minister Qian. She was riding a horse at the front, with a military officer. Oh, I don't know how to explain it to you, she was just majestic, absolutely majestic!"

Suddenly, Aunt Bai struggled to her feet from the bed, a strand of hair hanging down. Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled: "What did you say? Qian Zhenniang?"

Yanzhi hurried over to support her.

Aunt Bai held Liu Zhu tightly with all ten fingers, "Then...what's the name of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao?"

Liu Zhu was at a loss, "I only heard her last name was Xu——"

The surname Xu, from Lan County, and Qian Zhenniang——

She should have reacted earlier!

Aunt Bai gradually pieced together all the clues, and then she thought of something and became so excited that she fainted.