"My lord, we suffered no casualties in today's battle and entered Datong smoothly, but why do we remain inactive?"
Inside the tent, Qi Jiguang asked Qin Ze.
Qin Ze put down the water bag and said calmly, "Nanze is an old capital, a large city with a large population, and the old lair of the Jin family."
"The Jin family's influence is deeply entrenched there. Whether in the imperial court or in the marketplace, their people are almost everywhere. That's why we need to enter the city in the safest way possible."
Dian Wei looked puzzled and asked, "No way, my lord, are we afraid of them? Let's just fight our way in."
Qin Ze shook his head and laughed, "Who said I'm afraid of them?"
"Today's battle has utterly routed them, leaving them utterly powerless to fight back. What reason do they have to fear? Even if Nanze City has a deep foundation and a million soldiers, we will surely defeat them."
"But...you must know that our goal has always been the same: to wipe out the Jin family and restore peace to this land."
"Nanze is the Jin family's stronghold. Are we just going to ignore everything and use cannons to clear the way, blast open the city gates, and kill everyone we encounter? If we do that, won't the people in the city think we are really ruthless and bloodthirsty executioners?"
"Nanze, no matter what, that's still the land of my Yan Kingdom. How can this city be reduced to ashes along with the destruction of the Jin family?"
After he finished speaking, Qi Jiguang nodded.
Qin Ze continued, "That's why we need to do it cleanly and neatly before we completely take over Nanze. We need to destroy the Jin family without giving them any ammunition."
"We must not allow the people of Nanze to harbor resentment after we take it over. We cannot kill the people, nor can we allow them to live in one country but have two minds."
"We are strong enough, but precisely because we are strong enough, we must earn everyone's complete respect when we take this final step."
Dian Wei suddenly understood and immediately said:
"Then... what should we do?"
Qin Ze's expression turned serious, and he said in a resounding voice:
"Tell the people of Nanze that the Yan Kingdom is destined to prosper, and those who cause trouble must be eliminated. Our mission here is to quell the rebellion and wipe out the rebel army!"
Upon hearing this, Dian Wei's expression changed.
"ah?"
"Suppress the rebellion? Suppress the rebels? This is referring to..."
Qin Ze nodded slightly and said loudly:
"The Kim family is in power, yet the country is in chaos and the people are suffering. They are living a peaceful and comfortable life. This is a betrayal of the people."
"Tu Yuan, when Japan invaded our country, the Jin family did nothing and did nothing. But this time, when foreigners came to our country, they even offered up their territory. This is called betraying the country."
"They have betrayed the people and the country. Tell me, aren't they traitors?" Qin Ze said, arms crossed, as he looked around at his generals.
"What our lord says is true!" the generals naturally agreed.
Qin Ze pursed his lips slightly, lowered his arm, and smiled:
"If that's the case, how can our Imperial Tutors not quell the rebels and restore peace and order to the world?"
"Aren't the people already lining the streets to welcome us? Let them go to Nanze, and once they enter the city, the news will spread. Then we'll launch a massive army attack. By then, the only ones still resisting will probably be the die-hard loyalists of the Jin family."
"In this way, we can take direct action, completely crush them, and then take over Nanze entirely. At that time, everything will fall into place naturally."
As he finished speaking, Qin Ze's eyes gleamed.
——
Meanwhile, in Nanze, the discussions in the imperial palace were gradually coming to an end.
Jin Fengluan still decided to have all troops guard Nanze, and even urgently dispatch troops from several nearby small towns, since if Nanze were lost, the troops from other places would be useless.
At this moment, after Jin Fengluan issued the imperial edict, Prince Qing spoke:
"Your Majesty, since we have decided to abandon all the cities along the route from Nanze to Datong, Nanze is now of paramount importance. Although the rebels suffered some casualties in today's battle, their firearms are extremely powerful."
“If they force their way in, our city defenses, though formidable, may not be able to hold out. It would be better to rally the people in the city and have them join us in resisting the rebels.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan raised an eyebrow.
"Don't we still have a lot of troops? These ordinary people don't know how to fight. Even if we give them weapons, they'll just be a bunch of rabble."
Prince Qing's face was grim, and he continued:
"Your Majesty, this is a critical moment. Nanze is our last line of defense for our great cause."
"To put it another way, if Nanze cannot be defended, everyone will suffer. At this critical moment, everyone should dedicate themselves, both for the sake of the great cause and for their own sake!"
"You must know that throughout history, dynastic changes caused by rebellions often result in the rebels massacring the entire city after they storm the capital. At such times, even ordinary people should stand up for their country."
"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. I think they will understand this principle."
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, that's a good idea."
Jin Zhou, standing to the side, looked at Prince Qing's gloomy face, but his heart was trembling.
He vaguely guessed Prince Qing's true intentions. Although war is bound to kill people, and many people will die, making the common people join the army at this time and fight the enemy together is undoubtedly dragging everyone down with them.
What significant role can ordinary people play without training? They're just a large group.
Involving them now puts the rebels in a dilemma; it remains to be seen whether they will disregard everything and launch a direct assault on the city.
This will inevitably lead to more people dying in the battle...
Thinking of this, for some reason, when Jin Zhou looked at Prince Qing again, his hair stood on end and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
At this moment, Jin Fengluan stood up and addressed the crowd in a resounding voice:
"My dear ministers, I'm sure you all understand the current situation very well."
"Although the rebel forces are not numerous, their fighting strength is indeed formidable. If they were to breach the city, Nanze would be a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!"
"As you all know, Qin Ze is a vicious and ruthless man. He's capable of murder and arson, and he's an extremely violent person."
"For the sake of the imperial court and for the sake of our great cause, we must unite as one, gather all available forces, and fight against the rebels together!"
"Therefore, after you return, you must not rest. You must go and rally the people, get them to stand with us, and get them to defend Nanze together with us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of responses rang out.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Jin Fengluan's expression softened slightly, and she continued:
"I believe that if we unite as one and work together to resist the rebels, we will be able to keep them outside Nanze City. After we defeat them, we will gather our troops and crush them in one fell swoop!"
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