Chapter 392 Building Reputation
Li Mingxiu looked at Xie Yongchang with some suspicion, unsure of what good ideas Xie Yongchang might have.
Seeing that Li Mingxiu was somewhat skeptical of him, Xie Yongchang suddenly smiled and said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but Lord Yang is my Ninth Uncle's disciple. We have come here largely thanks to Lord Yang's protection. If you don't mind, perhaps you can let us give it a try. Even if we can't persuade him to surrender, we won't let Lord Yang try to kill himself again."
Li Mingxiu nodded after hearing what Xie Yongchang said: "Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you."
After saying that, he led Lin Changning out of the room. The group was quite tired from their journey. Seeing that the arrangements had been made, Li Mingxiu was a little dazed. He noticed that the daylight was getting brighter.
After sighing, he said to Lin Changning, "Let's go back and rest for a while. We'll go distribute the grain when it's light. I feel a little unsteady on my feet right now. Sigh."
Lin Changning was fine; she was used to military campaigns. She glanced at the sky and suddenly said to the two of them, "It's time to practice swordsmanship now, Your Highness, why don't you?"
Li Mingxiu's face darkened instantly, and he interrupted Lin Changning: "Changning, Your Highness, I am a human being, not livestock. I am different from you. I really can't take it anymore. I'm going back to rest for a while. Call me when it's time to distribute the grain."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and sighed, "A beast!"
Then he walked straight into a room.
Standing to Lin Changning's right, Li Mingde also sighed and patted Lin Changning's shoulder: "Changning, not everyone is like you. Let us off the hook today and give us a rest. You should also go back and bandage your wounds and get some rest."
Lin Changning stood there blinking, looking at the two leaving one on the left and one on the right with some confusion. Was the young master referring to her as an animal?
Lin Changning admitted that he had a few bad intentions just now. Seeing that the two of them were heading to their rooms to rest, he smiled and found a room as well, pushed open the door and went in to rest for a while.
After going inside, he had some gauze and medicine brought to him to change his dressing. Lin Changning lay on the bed fully clothed, holding a long sword in his hand, and spoke to the guards outside.
"Call me in two hours."
Pingding City was peaceful overnight, and many people waited until dawn, but not a single soldier broke into their homes.
He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Last night I heard that the rebel army outside was going to attack and that Commander Yan had been arrested, but now the city is quiet. Occasionally you can hear the sound of people and horses walking back and forth on the official road outside the gate.
But no one broke into their homes to burn, kill, or loot, and they endured until dawn.
Only then did some families dare to quietly open their windows and doors to look outside.
Wei Shao, holding the notice that the Xie family had just written, was leading several guards to knock on doors from house to house.
However, since the battle had just ended last night, many people were like frightened birds. When they heard someone knocking on the door, they didn't dare to answer and the whole family hid in the house, trembling with fear.
They were afraid that if they opened the door or answered the door, the people outside would think someone was home and break in.
Wei Shao stood at the door of a shop and knocked for a long time. When no one answered, he said loudly, "Your Highness and the Crown Prince are benevolent. I have heard that there have been frequent disasters in recent years and that the people's families have not had enough food. Therefore, I have specially ordered that after we take the city, we will distribute grain to the people. This morning, we will set up a shed in the east and west of the city. Each household can take a bag of millet!"
Hearing the voices outside, the person inside hesitated for a long time. Only after hearing no more sounds from outside did they dare to quietly open the door a crack.
Peering through the crack in the door, I could only see several neatly dressed soldiers knocking on doors to deliver notices.
Looking back, they saw that quite a few people had quietly opened their doors and windows and were peeking out.
The man peering through the crack in the door muttered to himself, "Judging from the King of Chu's soldiers, they don't seem like bad guys."
The child inside the door also peered curiously through the crack in the door: "Dad, they just said they would give us food, is that true?"
The man shook his head slightly: "I don't know. Let's wait and see. There are many families that are not well-off these past two years. Families without surplus grain will probably go and collect their own. Let's wait and see."
A woman behind them pulled the child, who was peering through the doorway, back to where he was. "You little monkey, don't go near the door, or you'll end up in jail."
The child pouted, shook off his mother's hand, and looked out the window at the soldiers knocking and shouting at each door. Suddenly, he said, "I don't think that's the case, Mother. These men under His Highness the King of Chu don't seem like bad people. Do you think bad people would knock on doors? We could kick our doors open with a few kicks. Besides, they said they'd distribute grain. Right now, every household is short of food and clothing, and they still have to fight a war. Grain is definitely not plentiful. Yet they're willing to share grain with the people. I think they're good people."
Looking into his son's clear and bright eyes, the man gently patted the child's head with a hint of delight: "Oh, how does Cang'er know so many things?"
The child blushed slightly and scratched his head shyly: "My teacher in the private school taught me that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The emperor is the boat, and the people are the water. Yes, that means water can make a small boat row, but it can also capsize it."
A flicker of excitement crossed the man's face as he patted his son's slightly flushed cheeks: "All we know is how to read. The money spent on his education wasn't wasted. Look at our Cang'er now, he's quite the scholar."
The woman looked at her son and nodded gently: "Then Cang'er said that we should go and collect the grain."
The little boy looked up at his mother and nodded gently: "I don't think the King of Chu would lie. After all, he is a prince, and he will definitely do what he says."
The father steeled his heart and gritted his teeth: "Then I will do as Cang'er said and go out to collect the food later."
After saying that, she boldly pushed open the door and looked at Wei Shao in front of her, preparing to walk over.
When Wei Shao saw that someone had opened the door and was about to walk towards him, he paused in knocking and quietly stood on the street with a few guards, waiting for the man to come over.
The man had acted impulsively just now, and only realized his mistake after leaving the house. However, seeing the way Wei Shao and the others were staring at him, he didn't dare to go back.
After all, the child was still at home. With a heavy heart and trembling with fear, a layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. After walking up to Wei Shao and the others, he knelt down.
"Greetings, Your Excellencies. This humble subject has a question."
The man, who was about to ask a question, suddenly forgot what he wanted to say. His mind went blank, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at Wei Shao's face, he stammered and couldn't even speak clearly.
Seeing that the man was somewhat incoherent, Wei Shao went over and helped him up, patting the dust off his knees.
"There's no need for you to kneel before us. Do you want to ask about the food?"
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