Chapter 44 He's making random accusations again. "Your Majesty, I see that the teacher is quite fond of you..."
By capturing these three local bandits as guides, the imperial army soon traversed numerous mountain paths and successfully located Fufeng Village.
The village was built against the mountain, surrounded by a round wooden fence, and watchtowers were built on both sides of the village gate with taller and sturdier timbers.
The trees are deep and secluded, making it difficult to see clearly inside the village.
The bandits on the watchtower sensed danger and looked around warily. They saw several birds suddenly fly up from the bushes and felt something was wrong.
Just as the henchman was about to jump down from the watchtower to report to the chief, he heard a familiar voice, lowered his head, and saw the second leader standing trembling below the watchtower.
"Second Master!"
Where was the imposing presence of Zhu Wu, with his dark red face?
Zhu Wu, his voice trembling, beckoned to the watchtower: "Hurry up... open the gate! The imperial envoy for amnesty has arrived and wants to see the chief!"
--"What!?"
That single cry of "the imperial court" was enough to terrify anyone.
Although Fufeng Village was located in the mountains, it was not isolated from news because it guarded the official road and robbed people. It knew that the emperor was young but ruthless, and that killing people and skinning them to make drums was a trick that even mountain bandits could not come up with.
Now the emperor demands their surrender, and the imperial army is closing in from the other side of the mountain road.
The mountain road was narrow, and the soldiers' ranks stretched out in a long line, their numbers seemingly countless from afar.
No wonder even the usually fierce Second Dragon Head was thrown into disarray!
The henchmen scrambled into the stronghold to report: "Boss! Boss!"
The desperate cries echoed throughout the bandit stronghold, and the henchman gradually disappeared from sight.
***
The main gate of Fufeng Village is wide open!
In the village, the chief was about forty years old. He had a sallow face with a stubble beard, wore a tattered hat, and his sheepskin coat was ragged and worn. His face was full of wrinkles and signs of hardship.
Led by the chief, behind him stood his wife, the second-in-command, the third-in-command, and so on, along with the henchmen and cooks of the village, all of whom came out of the village to await orders.
The manpower in Fufeng Village is not small.
The leader stood there, followed by a motley crew of seventy or eighty people, each carrying a variety of weapons.
The second-in-command was the only one who had just been released from the Dragon Martial Army's formation. His large ring-bladed sword was still tucked into his waistband, but he showed no intention of using that weapon in battle.
Just now, he saw the Duke of Ying, Xie Qianli, and his deputy, Lian Qing, up close, each one a majestic and imposing Qin soldier.
There were also several crossbows that had once charged straight at him!
Arrowheads, cold and sharp, were densely packed...
Erlongtou's scalp still felt tight, and he took half a step back.
His foot landed squarely on the top of the three dragon heads' shoes, which enraged the hot-blooded young man: "Zhu Wu! You coward, do you still want to be my second brother?"
Zhu Wu clearly had no intention of protecting his second brother's reputation, and at this moment he thought of You Long'e.
Last year, he joined the Qingniu Army in a rebellion and fought against the imperial army at Shequan.
Shequan City is high and deep, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is a rare city that the Qingniu Army can completely control. What makes Shequan even more difficult to attack is that there is a barbican inside the city.
If the attackers, believing the city has fallen, lead their troops into the inner city, they will fall into this barbican and be attacked by arrows, rolling logs, and stones from within the inner city—like being caught in a jar.
Xie Ji's deputy general, Lian Fuzhang, unaware of the inner walled city, led his troops inside. Immediately, the outer gate was closed, and the city was surrounded by walls on all sides, with arrows flying like rain.
Everyone thought they could make Lian Fuzhang into dumplings.
Unexpectedly, a group of soldiers stormed in and broke down the gate, which opened wide. The inner city guards were overjoyed, thinking that someone had delivered themselves to their doorstep.
The small team that broke in was led by a general whose horse was extremely fast. He led his men through a hail of arrows to reach Lian Fuzhang first, and then turned back towards the outside of the barbican.
The Green Ox Army refused to release the man and sent troops to pursue him. The pursuers surrounded him, and anyone who got close was thrown to the ground. Almost everyone who came near was sure to die. A blood-stained semicircle formed around the silver-armored general.
The general leading the rescue couldn't be seen clearly, but later it was revealed that he was Xie Ji's son. His heavy weapon was gleaming white and felt incredibly heavy. Zhu Wu was deeply impressed by the arrow tower.
That Dragon-Edge Sword was right next to his head; it could have smashed his head in at any moment!
Zhu Wu dropped his large ring-handled sword with a clang.
Fear spread rapidly in Fufeng Village!
The bandit leader turned around and his hands trembled. The rest of the henchmen staggered back, shaking, all staring towards the outside of the stronghold—
The envoy in charge of the amnesty was dressed in an official robe with crane patterns, his face as handsome as jade and smiling.
Behind this high-ranking official was the Longwu Army, stretching as far as the eye could see, with the imperial army having an absolute numerical advantage.
“We…” The leader’s throat tightened, and his voice was strained.
The third leader, unable to swallow his pride and surrender, brandished his knife forcefully and shouted with his neck stiff, "We can kill him, but we cannot be humiliated! What are we afraid of!"
But the bandit's wife intervened and threw the knife that the third leader was holding far away.
Third Leader: "Big Sister!"
"Shut up."
The young and smiling wife curtsied, the large red velvet flower at her temple trembling slightly, and asked sweetly, "Gentlemen, it's windy in the mountains, shall we go inside the village to talk?"
***
Inside Fufeng Village, the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.
"The terms of the amnesty consist of seven items and eighteen articles, including the confiscation of weapons, the dismantling of the mountain strongholds, the disbandment of the troops within the strongholds, and the provision of two options by the imperial court: either to be incorporated into the army or to cultivate the land locally."
Zhu Zhao discussed the details of the amnesty with the head of the household and his wife.
The wife, though appearing to be more than ten years younger than her husband, seemed to be in charge. She was adept at entertaining the envoy seeking amnesty.
The husband asked only the truth: "Your Excellency is wise. In recent years, there have been rebellions in various places. The court has been increasing taxes year by year. My family has too many people, so I took a few brothers and became outlaws in the mountains. It was out of utter desperation. I don't know how our status will be determined in the future?"
Ying Xi stood up and flipped open the account books of Fufeng Village.
The accounts are not entirely clean; some criminals have been killed on their behalf, but there have been no kidnappings. Most of the time, they robbed people of silver and released them immediately.
Before entering the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, Ying Xi took the time to observe the composition of Fufeng Village. She discovered that the families of the bandits were also in the village, and there should be a few acres of thin land cultivated by Fufeng Village itself behind the village. The bandits and farmers were well integrated.
He is the emperor; things cannot be viewed in black and white. Ying Xi thought.
He had to use Fufeng Village as a starting point to make it clear to all the bandit strongholds along the southern route of Xiaoshan that it would be best to accept the offer of amnesty peacefully. Ying Xi nodded.
Zhu Zhao then said, "Those who join the army are registered as soldiers, while those who farm are still registered as good citizens."
The leader visibly breathed a long sigh of relief.
The chief still had reservations, and his relaxed eyelids lifted: "Those dozen or so acres of land behind the village..."
Zhu Zhao: "Demolish the village, and let the imperial court distribute the land to those who wish to stay."
"Then, clearing the land..."
“It is currently mid-spring, and the imperial court will provide basic support. If you work hard, you can still catch up with the autumn harvest,” Zhuzhao replied.
They kept asking about the details of resettlement, and every sentence revolved around farming; these bandits were still worth reforming. Ying Xi secretly pursed her lips and sighed softly.
He'd been busy all day.
As dusk approached, having missed two meals, I felt a bit dizzy.
The physical weakness finally overshadowed the excitement of being released from the palace. Ying Xi's knuckles turned white, and her brows gradually furrowed.
Fortunately, Zhuzhao was very familiar with his situation and noticed that Yingxi was acting strangely. He said gently, "Disciple."
The unfamiliar form of address caught Ying Xi's attention, and she slowly replied, "I'm here."
"With General Lian Qing by my side, you should tell the cooks to prepare dinner tonight and set up several tables. I want to invite the brothers from Fufeng Village to visit the camp. After that, you can go and rest. There's no need to see me," Zhu Zhao said.
Ying Xi nodded, and when she stood up, her body was a little unsteady.
"Yes, student takes his leave."
***
Ying Xi left the Loyalty Hall of Fufeng Village.
The sunset was intense, and it was even clearer in the mountains, where the clouds and mountains seemed to blend together naturally.
His steps were unsteady, and a feeling of panic rose within him. He thought of Zhuzhao's understanding and recalled the past.
At that time, Zhuzhao was the only medium through which he could communicate and transmit information to the outside world.
He respected his teacher and had once trusted Zhuzhao implicitly, but who would have thought that Zhuzhao would betray him?
Even if a traitor treats him well, Ying Xi only sees it as a cover-up and doesn't care.
But lately, the constant calling of "student" and "teacher" has made it hard for him to distinguish between the past and the present.
His mind was in turmoil, and his throat felt constricted.
Finally, Tian Tong's sudden words pulled him back to his senses: "Your Majesty, I noticed that my teacher seems to care about you quite a bit. Perhaps you could take him in after you've eliminated Li Yilong?"
Where will it be received?
Sweet Tong: "Hehehehe~"
He's randomly bumping into things again!
Ying Xi was speechless. She went to the camp to contact the cooks. After leaving the place where they cooked, she learned that the Dragon Martial Army would be serving stewed meat, flatbread, and porridge tonight.
The bandits who come to visit will surely be moved by the treatment of the Longwu Army. It is better to reform and protect the country than to harm the local area.
When Ying Xi went out, she was surrounded by the smell of smoke and fire.
Many carts were parked outside the cooking camp. It is said that the cooks usually cooked in the camp, and during wartime, they would pull large pots while marching, cooking as they went, and eating directly at the place where they stopped.
Ying Xi found it unusual and examined it repeatedly. The handle of the cart was worn shiny, which showed that it was not just for show and that marching was extremely difficult.
If an emperor were to confine himself to the inner palace, how could he easily see the suffering of the people?
Ying Xi became even more determined to broaden her horizons.
"General!"
"My lord!"
Ying Xi was still looking at the cart on the ground when the soldiers coming and going behind her greeted her loudly and saluted solemnly.
Ying Xi turned around and saw Xie Qianli personally inspecting the camp, followed by many officers she didn't recognize at all.
Xie Qianli was arranging for his soldiers to tell the bandits stories when they came to eat, praising the benefits of the imperial court and encouraging them to join the army on the spot.
The soldiers nodded solemnly, fearing they might appear negligent in front of the Duke of England. Under the setting sun, the silver-armored youths gradually approached.
Yingxi's heartstrings tightened slowly.
Leave? That's not appropriate.
He is no longer the emperor, and turning away would likely provoke discontent among the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army.
If he stays, even if he is the Imperial Tutor's attendant, he must still pay his respects to Xie Qianli.
Now that she's out and about, Ying Xi doesn't seem to care about losing her status.
But in that instant, a long-standing detail came to mind: even though they had known each other for over ten years, he had never bowed to Xie Qianli, even when they were trapped in Fanglan Palace.
"..."
My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, gently kneaded.
Ying Xi pursed her lips tightly, feeling a tightness in her chest.
At this moment, Xie Qianli had already walked up to him, his silver armor gleaming. He paused, so how could he possibly know that Ying Xi had appeared at the fire station?
The two were a few steps apart. Xie Qianli was secretly surprised. The military officers all turned their gazes to Ying Xi. Ying Xi took a breath without anyone noticing.
Just as he was about to bow in respect, Xie Qianli spoke first: "Extend your hand. I have a task for you."
Ying Xi looked up.
His gaze shifted from Xie Qianli's chest to his face. Seeing the other's solemn tone, he could only extend his left hand, and then his arm suddenly felt heavy.
A whole black falcon was pressing down on Ying Xi's left arm. Ying Xi lifted it up, making it inconvenient for her to bow.
The setting sun blurred Ying Xi's vision, and his heart felt heavy and tense. The black falcon perched on his forearm, trembling excitedly, its feathers ruffled and making a cooing sound like a pigeon.
"Gurgle!"
"Coo coo coo!"
Xie Qianli said calmly, "I intend to send a message to His Majesty, reporting on the situation regarding the amnesty, and to take it down to feed it."
The black falcon flapped its wings in ecstasy.
"Coo! Coo coo coo! Coo coo coo coo coo—"
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