The next day, Jian Ning and Ding Youtian got up, washed up, and had breakfast with the soldiers. Then they put the declaration to the people copied by everyone according to Ding Youtian's manuscript in a sack, rode on Qiu Ge, and flew over Fengyi County.
The drone drop yesterday had confused the people in the city. They didn't know what kind of bird was circling in the sky and dropping cloth strips. Some people couldn't read the words on the cloth they grabbed, so they looked for people to read it to them. They thought it was the sun god appearing and sending a divine bird to give them some guidance.
After learning that the declaration was written by the army outside the city, many people wept. They had lived here for generations. Even if the court expanded its territory, the profits would go to the nobles. What relationship did it have with them? Even after a defeat, they were still being conscripted. The people complained privately.
Some small vendors were sighing even more. The Dayan Army was stationed outside the east gate, and many of their sales were in Haoyi Jishui. Now that their livelihood had been cut off, they were so worried that they had no appetite.
When Brother Qiu appeared above the city carrying Jian Ning and Ding Youtian, many people heard the noise outside and came out to see. They were so frightened that they called him "Lord Divine Beast" and knelt down in the street.
Jian Ning, dressed in red armor and a red cape, looked like a goddess descending from heaven. Xiong Er, watching from the tower, hurried down. A soldier who had found the declaration quickly handed over the piece of cloth.
Xiong Er could barely recognize a few words, so he took the book and planned to go look for Suo Wen Zheng. However, after a few steps, he stopped and turned back to the street.
On the street, an old man in plain clothes was surrounded by a group of people. The old man was reading a letter to the people. Ding Youtian's writing was touching and every word was precious. The old man read it with sincerity and intonation, and occasionally used rich body language.
Xiongji listened silently. Hearing about the separation of husband and children made him think of his own deceased parents. His parents were both slaves. His father was sent to the battlefield due to a lack of soldiers and never returned. His mother worked tirelessly with him and his siblings, not only were they starving but also often whipped.
His mother became ill due to overwork and was so sick that she vomited blood, but the master refused to spend a penny to save her. In the cold winter, he knelt down on the ice in front of the master and kowtowed to him, begging him for mercy, but the master remained unmoved.
That day, Pei Xiyuan came to the master's house to buy furs. He ordered his men to invite a doctor for his mother and gave him money to buy medicine. Although his mother did not survive, Xiong Er was a man who knew how to repay his gratitude and followed Pei Xiyuan wholeheartedly.
Xiong Er has followed Pei Xiyuan since he was young, and has always followed his orders. He would fight wherever Pei Xiyuan told him to, because he was brave and willing to risk his life. Pei Xiyuan also helped his younger siblings escape from slavery, and after that, Xiong Er became even more obedient to Pei Xiyuan.
Xiong Er hadn't thought about anything else in the past few years. He only knew that Pei Xiyuan had given him and his siblings the present day. However, this letter to the people had touched him, causing him to vaguely consider the rights and wrongs of launching a war. His mind flashed back to the figures of the soldiers who had fallen on the battlefield, as well as the scene of his father being carried back in a bloody mess, his mother leading them and his siblings in tears.
Xiongji's heart felt heavy, as if it were weighed down by a lead weight. He'd never considered anything else before, but how wonderful it would be if all nations, like the letter to the people said, stayed away from each other, and every family could live happily in their own homes?
He smacked his lips twice, turned around and was about to leave, but saw a commotion ahead. He strode forward and saw that it was Suo Wen who was leading the officers and soldiers to collect the cloth strips picked up by the people and arrested the people who were preaching in the street. Without thinking, he turned around and ran quickly towards the old man.
"Hurry, disperse, go home, go!" He was wearing a military uniform, and the people also heard the noise in the street ahead, and they all scattered in an instant.
Jian Ning and Ding Youtian distributed the letter to the people over Fengyi County for three consecutive days. The north gate of Fengyi leading to the county cities of Shangjing, Yue Kingdom, had not yet fallen and was still unobstructed, so the letter to the people quickly spread to other counties, and the letter to the people written by Ding Youtian was soon placed on Pei Xiyuan's desk.
Pei Xiyuan's face darkened after reading this. In this attack on the Central Plains, he successfully eliminated the powerful enemy, the King of Yue, with the help of the Dayan Army, but he also lost tens of thousands of Yue soldiers. He was just planning to recruit soldiers on a large scale when he was played like this by the Dayan Army.
"Your Majesty," said the Imperial Preceptor, Nanuoshen, "Your Majesty's cavalry has recovered after a few days of rest. Since that madwoman boasted so much and possesses truly unfathomable magical powers, why not have her lead the troops to crush the Yan army and recapture the lost city in one fell swoop? This would also dampen the Southern Barbarians' prestige and teach them a lesson."
After Pei Xiyuan ascended the throne, his elite troops expanded the territory in the west and annexed several small countries and tribes, but lost fifteen cities in the east. It was like picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons. The civil and military officials in the court had already complained. If they could not recover the lost territory as soon as possible, how would they save their face?
But unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to rely on a crazy woman to help him win the battle. How could an ordinary person in this world live for more than a thousand years?
When it comes to fighting, he only trusts his warriors and his men. War is a man's business. When will it be a woman's turn to make decisions?
He waved his hand, his face darkening as he spoke, "Don't mention her for now. Her crazy words are unbelievable. Just step up your supervision of the guns and artillery, and choose an auspicious day to issue a declaration of war to the Yan army. This time, I will personally lead the army and vow to conquer the Central Plains. This is my promise to my father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen!"
Because Pei Xiyuan was half Central Plains blood, he was initially disliked by his father among the other princes and was also ostracized and despised by the other princes of pure Moon Nation descent. Later, it was precisely this half Central Plains bloodline that made his father change his mind.
It can be said that success and failure are both due to Xiao He.
Blind Liu told Pei Xiyuan's father, the Emperor, that conquering a kingdom is easy, defending it is difficult. He then cited classics and recounted examples of tyranny in previous dynasties in the Central Plains. If the Yue Kingdom could truly conquer the Central Plains, the two nations would merge into one. Whether Yue people or Central Plains people, they would all be subjects of His Majesty the Emperor. Only by treating them equally could long-term peace and stability be achieved.
In order to treat everyone equally, Blind Liu suggested that only a prince with half Central Plains blood could do it, and he would be more likely to be supported by the people of the Central Plains. After a prince with pure Moon blood entered the Central Plains, it would inevitably allow the Moon people to dominate the Central Plains people, and it would also inevitably arouse popular resistance. Even if he could temporarily control the Central Plains, how could he last?
Pei Xiyuan's father was a man of great talent and strategy. Blind Liu's words were like an epiphany for him, and the throne of the new king of Yue Kingdom fell on Pei Xiyuan's head.
Half a month later, Pei Xiyuan reorganized his troops and prepared to personally lead the army to recover the lost territory. The night before the army set out, Wu Yunzhu came to him with the drone, "Gu Shuyu, look at this, take a good look at it, does it feel familiar at all?"
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