Chapter 388 Distributing Grain
Lin Changning was well aware of the broken window theory. He didn't know if this person was genuinely loyal to him, but judging from his behavior, he didn't seem to have much ill will towards the King of Chu.
Therefore, it is highly likely that they will take advantage of this defeat to try to surrender to the King of Chu, or at the very least, ask for some benefits and then join their camp.
Li Mingxiu and this person were old acquaintances, and there were some things that were difficult to say or do.
Since he is a veteran general, the prince must want to win him over. However, what conditions are needed to win him over is something that Commander Yan and the Prince of Chu must discuss themselves.
If he were treated with great courtesy, it would be hard to guarantee that the person would not have other thoughts in mind. Therefore, Lin Changning pretended to be about to kill someone as a sacrifice.
The Crown Prince will surely protect the man. Once he is out of danger, Commander Yan will have been indebted to the Crown Prince and will naturally not be able to make any excessive demands.
As Li Mingxiu listened to Lin Changning's words, a smile flashed in his eyes. He seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps considering the feasibility of Lin Changning's plan to kill someone.
After giving Commander Yan a half-smile, Commander Yan swallowed hard and stared at Li Mingxiu with a stiff smile: "Oh dear, nephew, the flag-raising ceremony was too hasty. Your uncle used to hold you when you were little. How about we go back and talk about it?"
Li Mingxiu deliberately looked at Commander Yan, who instantly became serious: "Didn't you just ask for my head, Uncle? Do you still want my head?"
Commander Yan chuckled awkwardly, "Hey~ Uncle was just joking with you, how could I really hurt you?"
Li Mingxiu naturally wouldn't believe such a thing. They were clearly from two different camps. If he could exchange his life for credit, Commander Yan would probably not hesitate at all.
However, this person is indeed quite capable. If he really killed someone, my father probably wouldn't approve. There are definitely two relationships involved.
As for what will happen in the future, it depends on whether Uncle Yan knows what's good for him. Thinking of this, Li Mingxiu glanced at Commander Yan.
"Take the person away first, and escort him back to Taiyuan in a few days."
Upon hearing Li Mingxiu's words, Commander Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely thought these two young lads were about to chop him up.
He wouldn't be so afraid if any of the other generals under the King of Chu had come today; he's just afraid that a bunch of fresh-faced kids might impulsively kill him.
Especially that unfamiliar little brat, he's young but incredibly bloodthirsty.
Instead of trying to win over such a veteran commander, they actually want to use him as a sacrifice. It's outrageous!
After Li Mingxiu finished speaking, he waved to the guards beside him. The two guards then took the order, tied the man up tightly, and led him away.
Lin Changning pursed her lips and stood quietly beside Li Mingxiu.
A short while later, Li Mingde rode his horse from another direction.
"Mingxiu, the prisoners have been taken into custody, and the granaries and treasuries have been seized. What's next?"
Li Mingxiu nodded to his myna bird and said in a good mood, "Naturally, we'll go to the government office and bring the Xie family out."
After saying that, he glanced at Lin Changning and said, "Changning, let's go pick them up together."
The Xie family members who fled with the clan elders were almost the entire Xie family's fortune. Apart from the direct line, almost all the other members of the Xie family migrated to Taiyuan with the clan elders.
It was also a blatant act of taking sides, openly announcing to the world that the Xie family believed the emperor was immoral and that they were going to lead the scholars to join them.
From then on, even though they were still outwardly considered traitors, they would have a significant amount of support in the literary world.
Conquering the world relies on martial prowess, but governing the world cannot be separated from scholars. If a scholar's reputation is ruined, it will be difficult to govern a country well. The current emperor is unable to take action against the Xie family because he is severely hampered by powerful clans.
Once the Xie family is harmed, which other aristocratic families will dare to serve the emperor in the future?
Therefore, the Xie family made a brilliant move.
Now that they are approaching Taiyuan, they should show their sincerity and let the world see what kind of treatment they will receive after joining the Chu Prince's Mansion, and what kind of treatment those who follow the emperor will receive.
Therefore, this time Li Mingxiu had to bring his cousin and Lin Changning with him to the government office to bring the Xie family out, in order to show the Prince's Mansion's respect for the Xie family.
After saying that, Li Mingxiu and Lin Changning rode their horses toward the government office in the city.
Upon arriving in the city, they found that every household had its doors tightly shut and its candles extinguished. The entire inner city was quiet, as if no one was there.
There must be people in the prefectural city, but since they are now being regarded as traitors, the common people in every household are probably afraid of them, which is why they have closed their doors and windows and extinguished their candles.
They were afraid that the other side would go on a killing spree here.
Lin Changning glanced around at the tightly closed windows, then followed behind Li Mingxiu a little behind the two of them. Looking at the tense atmosphere, he sighed softly.
In reality, regardless of who wins or loses, it is the ordinary people who will suffer in the end.
Hearing Lin Changning sigh, Li Mingxiu turned his head and looked at Lin Changning's furrowed brows, then suddenly asked, "What's wrong? Didn't you win the battle today? Why do you still look so worried?"
Lin Changning rode Moyun a few steps forward and walked alongside the two, pointing to the tightly closed doors and windows around them.
"Today we are attacking the city, and the people must be terrified. We fought on the frontier to protect these people, but we never thought that one day we would become the people who fear us."
Li Mingxiu pursed his lips and looked at the tightly closed doors and windows around him. It was quiet all around, and the only sound that could be heard now was the sound of their horses walking on the official road.
In the past, when they won a battle on the frontier, the people would spontaneously line the official road to welcome them. Today, everything around was quiet. The people in the city must be terrified of them, just like they were of the Tartars beyond the Great Wall.
Li Mingde listened to their question-and-answer session in silence without saying a word.
When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer. This has been true of every dynasty.
He has no right to say anything high-sounding now. If we're talking about traitors and rebels, his family was the one who started the first chaotic war. Many good men in their territory also perished in the power struggle with the court.
Seeing Li Mingxiu fall silent, Lin Changning suddenly said, "Your Highness? The harvests have been poor these past few years, and I'm sure most households don't have much surplus grain. Since we've taken over the granaries, could we allocate some to distribute to the people?"
Li Mingxiu's eyes suddenly lit up. Hearing what Lin Changning said, he instantly understood that Lin Changning was trying to enhance the prestige of the Prince's Mansion and himself.
Now that the war has just begun, the Prince's granaries are still quite full, so it wouldn't be a bad thing to share some of it, and it would also earn his father a good reputation.
“Changning has thought this through thoroughly. Let’s do it this way. Post a notice tomorrow and let the people come to collect their grain.”
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