Chapter 467 Entering the City
After capturing Niangziguan, the King of Chu led his generals into the main city. The people in the city were all trembling with fear, staying indoors and the streets were quiet.
It was not yet nightfall, yet not a single pedestrian could be seen on the road. The army entered the city, and the people in the city were most afraid that the King of Chu would massacre the entire city.
Those who could leave had already departed, and those who remained were unable to escape. The high-ranking officials and nobles in the city fled as soon as they heard the news, leaving only the common people in the east of the city behind.
"Your Highness, we have achieved a great victory today. Shall we hold a celebration banquet tomorrow night?"
The King of Chu pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Of course we should display them. Can the granaries and armories in the city be inventoried?"
Commander Zhao nodded: "We have already ordered people to take inventory. The garrison is almost ready. Please stay at the garrison tonight, Your Highness."
The King of Chu nodded and glanced at Lin Changning: "Little Six, have your wounds been bandaged?"
Lin Changning followed beside the King of Chu and nodded when he saw the King turn to look at him with concern: "Shi Lang has already bandaged me up in the tent. Thank you for your concern, Father."
The King of Chu gave a soft "hmm." Lin Changning watched as the soldiers sitting or squatting on both sides of the road wiped their weapons. Occasionally, a few wounded soldiers, shirtless, were having their comrades help them apply medicine. The doors on both sides of the city were quiet, as if the entire city were an empty city.
Leading the group to the very center of the city, they suddenly heard a low arguing coming from a house.
Lin Changning looked over with some curiosity. Before long, a disheveled woman appeared from the family. She was holding a baby in her arms, and her face was covered in tears. She pushed open the door like a madwoman and hurriedly walked out with the baby in her arms.
They ran right into Lin Changning and his group. The King of Chu frowned and didn't say anything, but he reined in his horse.
Lin Changning rode his horse at a trot over, somewhat puzzled. After riding Moyun to the woman's side, before he could say anything, he saw the woman suddenly kneel down while holding the child.
They kowtowed to him repeatedly.
Lin Chang frowned: "Get up first. Auntie, has something happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Only when Lin Changning got closer could he see clearly that the woman had a bright red handprint on her face, and the baby in her arms had a red face, looking as if it were sick.
The woman didn't dare get up and continued to kowtow repeatedly: "Sir, please, sir, save my life! My dog has had a high fever since early this morning and has been staying at home all day. Now he can't even cry anymore. Please, sir, let me go find a doctor to take a look at my dog. Please, sir, please!"
As the woman spoke, she continued to kowtow. The city had been under attack since early this morning, and the sounds of fighting at the city gates had frightened her husband so much that he dared not go out. The dog had been holding on since early this morning until night. Before, it would cry a few times, but now it wouldn't even cry anymore. If she didn't take the child to find a doctor soon, it was feared that the child would lose its life.
She knew the rebels were in the city, but she couldn't just watch her child die. After arguing with her husband and being slapped, she snatched the dog and went out.
Lin Changning dismounted and reached out to feel the baby's breath. He saw that the breath was hot, indicating that the baby must be running a high fever.
Turning to look at the closed doors and windows on both sides, Lin Changning said in a deep voice, "Given the current situation, you probably won't be able to get the doctor to open the door even if you knock. If you trust me, then entrust your child to me. There are doctors in the army who can try to save your child."
A glimmer of hope flashed in the woman's eyes, but when she looked up and saw Lin Changning covered in blood and exuding a murderous aura, she was horrified. However, seeing her child's face flushed red from the fever, she gritted her teeth and handed the child to Lin Changning.
"Please, sir, save the dog!"
Lin Changning took the child and felt the child's forehead. Sure enough, the child had a high fever. He turned over, mounted the horse, and looked at the woman: "The prince is just ahead. Come with me to see the prince, and I will call a physician for you."
With that, she mounted her horse, carrying the child, and rode towards the King of Chu. The woman stumbled along behind Lin Changning's horse. When Lin Changning reached the King of Chu, the King looked at Lin Changning holding the child and suddenly asked, "Little Six? What's going on?"
Lin Changning, riding his horse, opened the baby's swaddling clothes: "This child has a high fever. His mother wants to find a doctor, but in this condition, it seems unlikely that a doctor will open the door. Father, let Shilang take a look at him."
The King of Chu reached out and touched the baby's forehead. Noticing the unusual temperature on his hand, he nodded and said, "Let the child's mother take him directly."
Lin Changning nodded, handed the child to the woman who had caught up, and then turned to look at Lao Zhou: "Lao Zhou, you should at least take him to find Shi Lang. The child has a high fever right now, let Shi Lang take a look at him."
The lady took the child and saw the men on horseback repeatedly banging their foreheads against the child's. After only a few bangs, bloodstains appeared on the child's head.
Old Zhou rode forward, took the baby from the woman's arms, pulled the woman onto his warhorse, and then rode off towards the rear camp.
Lin Changning stared into the direction where Lao Zhou and his men had left, lost in thought.
Mo Yun followed the King of Chu, who was carrying Lin Changning on his back, and continued walking forward. When the King of Chu saw that Lin Changning seemed a little absent-minded, he asked, "Little Six? We're almost there. What are you thinking about?"
Lin Changning glanced at the people around him with their doors and windows tightly shut and suddenly asked, "Father, I heard that the court has increased taxes by 30% this year. What about these people...?"
The King of Chu nodded in agreement. The court wasn't stupid; he was clearly planning a rebellion. His third brother had rebelled at the beginning of the year, and the court's food supplies were already tight. Not wanting to lose the throne, they would naturally increase taxes to make up for the losses from the war.
Otherwise, the grain supplies from various garrisons wouldn't have arrived so late.
Upon hearing Lin Changning's words, the King of Chu carefully considered the measures taken by Changning and Mingxiu in distributing grain in Pingding City some time ago. Although it was only a portion of the stored grain in the treasury, it earned him a reputation for loving the people like his own children in many places.
Realizing that Changning was reminding him, a smile flashed in the King of Chu's eyes: "Does Xiao Liu want me to give some of the grain to the people?"
Lin Changning nodded and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Father, the court imposes heavy taxes and levies, and the people are full of complaints. If we conquer a city, we can share some of the spoils with the people. We will surely win the hearts of the people. At that time, Father will be the one chosen by Heaven and the one who is in the hearts of the people."
Lin Changning had won a good reputation in the last attack on Pingding City, and the King of Chu naturally wanted the same thing. Seeing Lin Changning reminding him, the King of Chu nodded in satisfaction: "My son is very considerate of the people. In that case, Lao Zhao, after you have finished taking stock of the granaries, give one-third of it to the people. In accordance with Changning's actions in Pingding City, coordinate the population and distribute the grain to the people."
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