Chapter 96 Two Choices
Unexpectedly, Li Heng's answer was even more infuriating:
"The Black Feather Battalion can enter the city and station there, but the garrison soldiers cannot. Yanzhou is so small, and if so many people enter at once, it will cause chaos."
Jin Sui's voice became colder and colder: "Then the refugees and herdsmen I just took in, as well as the people living near this border town, can't enter the city to get shelter?"
Li Heng said in a matter-of-fact tone: "Your Highness, you are joking. Those people are not even considered Xia people, how can they enter the city?"
Seeing Jin Sui's face getting darker and darker, he continued to explain: "Your Highness, you don't know, this is the role of the army here!"
"The Black Feather Battalion is usually responsible for suppressing bandits and patrolling. Now that the foreign enemy has arrived, it is natural that they should go first."
Jin Sui stroked his chin and said, "There are only a little over a thousand Tartars in total. Let's join forces and send out the Yanzhou Army and the Black Feather Camp to set up defenses outside the border city. We can make sure they never come back. Why doesn't Governor Li have any intention of fighting?"
Li Heng said in a didactic tone, as if he had heard a huge joke: "It seems that the prince really doesn't know the situation in the border areas."
"That's not right. Didn't Your Majesty defend against the barbarians in Hexi before? You should know how to deal with the Tartars' extortion."
Jin Sui narrowed his eyes and said, "If you want to say something, just say it directly. Don't talk to me about other things here!"
Li Heng said hurriedly: "The Tartars sent their vanguards to the border cities to collect spoils. If they could get supplies and slaves, they would not risk attacking the main city."
"They just quickly swept away and then withdrew. But if this vanguard army was besieged, even if only half of them were killed, the Tartar army would be at the gates of the city."
"Haha, in fact, the Tartars have not wanted to go to war with Daxia in recent years. They are only robbing the people in the border areas and cannot hurt Daxia at all."
Jin Sui felt sick to her stomach. What a great official of Da Xia stationed at the border! This is how they protect the people of the border and deal with foreign enemies! She tried her best to calm herself down and asked in a deep voice, "Do the nobles of Yan also let the Tartars go like this?"
Li Heng's statement was ambiguous:
"Your Highness knows that it has only been a few years since Daxia took back Yan territory. We call the Northern Frontier Kingdom the Tartars, but in fact many of them are related to the Yan territory nobles."
"That's why smuggling is rampant here despite repeated bans!"
Now Jin Sui really understood that some of the aristocratic families were secretly doing business with the Tartars in Northern Xinjiang, and there might even be branches in Northern Xinjiang.
The court officials in Yan just wanted to save their lives and their future, spend three years in peace as much as possible, and then be transferred away.
The only ones who suffer are the people of Great Xia and the soldiers on the border.
They are like leeks, being harvested one after another.
Like a sacrifice, it was offered by the Yan people to the northern border to ensure its safety.
She asked one last question: "Doesn't the court know about these things?"
"It's a minor conflict, the casualties are not serious, and it will not be reported to the court."
"What you meant by not having heavy casualties is that the nobles of Yanzhou were not hurt.
But the people outside the city were massacred, the old and the young were killed, the men were taken as slaves, the women were taken as maids, and they became the Tartars' reproductive tools. "
This is why there are so many refugees! Li Heng was silent for a while, and then he advised again: "Your Highness, your three thousand border soldiers can't change anything. Please follow me into the city as soon as possible. Once you are safe, the border city can be rebuilt!"
Jin Sui sneered: "Now that you know to save my life, you know what the imperial envoy from the court is here for, right?"
Li Heng is indeed a seasoned man, he even laughed dryly: "I know that the prince is blessed by heaven, the Zheng family can't hurt the prince at all."
Jin Sui raised his eyebrows: "So Lord Li admitted that the assassin was sent by the Zheng family?"
Li Heng was shocked. This King of Brutality would set traps for people at any time. One really had to be more careful when talking to him.
"Assassin? What assassin? I don't know!"
Jin Sui stretched his head out to look outside: "How many people did Lord Li bring with him?"
Li Heng stood up in shock and tried to retreat to the door: "What is your Majesty going to do?"
"Don't do anything. The Tartars are coming to attack. One more person in the border town means a better chance of victory. My lord, please join me in guarding the border town!"
Jin Sui looked at him with contempt and disdain, and lightly told him the scene that terrified Li Heng the most.
Li Heng thought of the rumor in the city that anyone passing through the border town would be captured and forced to do some work.
Even a dandy like Yan Shiyilang has become a prostitute.
Even a noble lady like Yan Twelve Niang was looking for a matchmaker for the border town.
Li Heng had sworn twice that he would never set foot in the border town again, but he did not expect that breaking his oath this time would have such a result.
He rushed to the door: "I don't agree! So what if you are a prince? You can't detain a high-ranking official of the court!"
Jin Sui sneered: "Can you try me?"
"Someone, send Li Zhoumu to my house to rest."
Li Heng was really scared now. He knew very well that King Li's so-called keeping him to guard the city was just a trick.
How much strength can he bring to the border town with these dozen followers? After years of dealing with several forces in Yanzhou, he has already mastered the ability to perfection. He quickly calmed down and asked: "My lord, what do you want me to do? Please tell me!"
Jin Sui smiled and said, "That's more like it. Lord Li acted like he didn't want to get involved before, so I really couldn't talk to you any more."
"My request is very simple. Yanzhou City must protect all the border soldiers and civilians. Only then will I enter the city and give you the Black Feather Camp to guard the city."
Li Heng gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, please don't embarrass me. This is simply impossible! There are at least 20,000 border soldiers and civilians. How can Yanzhou City protect them?"
"Besides, if the Tartars can't grab food and slaves, they will attack Yanzhou City by force! The loss will outweigh the gain!"
Jin Sui spread his hands and said, "This is what I want. As for whether Yanzhou agrees or not, that is up to you, Lord Li."
Li Heng stamped his feet and said, "This request is really unacceptable. Even if I agree, the Yanzhou nobles will not agree."
When the time comes, once the Yanzhou nobles unite, they will drive him to the border town as well. That would be disastrous! He looked at the expression of the King of Li, and suddenly remembered that the King of Li had mentioned before that the Tartars who came only had more than a thousand soldiers and horses, and if they cooperated, they could conquer it. Fu Ling had an idea: "Can the prince make other requests?"
Jin Sui raised his eyebrows and said, "Since you are unable to protect all the border soldiers and civilians, then I will protect them. However, Yanzhou must provide troops, and the nobles must provide food and supplies."
Li Heng was surprised and asked, "Your Majesty, do you still want to fight the Tartars?"
"Nonsense! You are willing to watch the Tartars bully our people, but I cannot stand it! Aren't you afraid that if you kill these thousand men, there will be a large army coming to attack us?"
"Then I will destroy all his troops! Let my border town be safe and sound!"
"You go negotiate with the nobles of Yanzhou. There are two options. One is that all the border soldiers and civilians can enter the city and be protected."
"Second, we will send troops and food, and I will lead them to defend the border town."
Li Heng asked in a deep voice: "What if they both disagree?"
Jin Sui laughed: "That's even easier."
"There's no need to worry about the Tartars attacking Yanzhou City. I'll attack first!"
(End of this chapter)
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