161. Change of Generals

"If I dare to burn Xinyang, I am not afraid of killing two more useless officials!"

As soon as these words came out, the people who were there to greet him were all shocked. They suddenly looked up at the beautiful but cold-looking woman in green. They were frightened by the murderous aura that seemed to be real. They couldn't help but feel cold in their hearts. The contempt they had originally had disappeared in an instant. Sun Xingzhi's face turned pale, and soon turned red. They really hadn't received the news from Xinyang yet. They came to the city gate to greet Ye Li hastily after receiving the news. Although they were shocked when they heard that Ye Li had burned Xinyang, they didn't want to lose face in front of the officials and merchants of Hongzhou City. After all, he was a senior official appointed by the court to govern the northwest. In the northwest, he was the highest-ranking official.

His face slightly changed color, and Sun Xingzhi said: "Princess Ding! Xinyang is the largest city in the northwest. You set fire to the city without even consulting me. Do you care about the court and the emperor?"

Ye Liqian smiled and said, "Discuss? I wanted to find someone to discuss it with. But... I don't know where Lord Sun was at that time?"

"This..." Sun Xingzhi rolled his eyes in confusion, then quickly said confidently, "I am the Northwest Patrol Officer, so I can't stay in Xinyang all the time."

Ye Li sneered, "But I heard that Lord Sun left on the first day after Xinyang was captured. Lord Sun, do you know how many people were killed when Xinyang was captured?"

"This..." Without waiting for him to say anything, Ye Li said, "Only one out of ten people in Xinyang City survived, and the casualties reached hundreds of thousands. Lord Sun, since you are the father and mother of the Northwest, you should share the joys and sorrows with the people of the Northwest. They died, why are you still alive?" These words made Sun Xingzhi's face turn pale. He finally noticed the murderous intent emanating from the Mohist soldiers following Ye Li, and he shuddered in his heart and dared not say anything more. Qi Anrong hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Princess, calm down. Please go into the city and rest for a while..." Ye Li glanced at him lightly, successfully shutting him up before walking towards the city gate. Zhuo Jing, who was following Ye Li, stopped in front of Qi Anrong and said coldly, "My lords, please do what you need to do. I'm afraid the princess doesn't have time to attend the cleansing banquet." After saying that, he turned around and followed Ye Li into the city without caring about Qi Anrong's expression.

Qi Anrong was stunned for a moment, and looked at Sun Xingzhi in bewilderment, "Lord Sun, this..."

Sun Xingzhi snorted and said, "The Northwest General is still the emperor's!" He waved his sleeves and followed him into the city.

After entering the city, the scene of Hongzhou City made the Mohist army generals angry. The whole city was not peaceful and prosperous, but looking at the city defense and the soldiers guarding the city, no one could tell that this was an army and a city that was about to face a powerful enemy invasion. The city defense was sparse, and the soldiers and generals were not vigilant at all. The faces of the generals following Ye Li all looked ugly. It was a blessing from God that Hongzhou had not been occupied by the Xiling people. Before entering the prefect's mansion, Ye Li said coldly: "Bring the Hongzhou City Defender to me."

"Yes, sir."

Entering the prefect's mansion, a group of maids and servants came to greet them. The first few noble ladies in gorgeous clothes came forward with a few girls wearing pearls and jade to greet them. "I respectfully welcome the princess..." Ye Li glanced at them casually. Just by looking at the grade of the gorgeous clothes on the leading noble lady, she knew that they were the female relatives of Sun Xingzhi and Qi Anrong. Sun Xingzhi's patrol residence was originally in Xinyang. Since he fled to Hongzhou with his wife and children, he has been temporarily living in the prefect's mansion. Looking at the female relatives dressed in jewels in front of him with some annoyance, Ye Li waved her hand and said, "Take them down!" After that, she walked directly past the group of standing women and went to the lobby.

The speed of the Mo family military work is naturally unquestionable. When Ye Li and his party arrived at the lobby of the prefectural governor's mansion, the Xinyang City garrison had already been brought to the gate. Ye Li took a look and found that this person was not among the crowd that had just greeted them outside the city gate. Entering the lobby, Ye Li walked to the table and sat down. Sun Xingzhi and Qi Anrong also walked in one after another. Seeing Ye Li sitting high in the hall, Sun Xingzhi changed color slightly and said, "Princess, the guest is here, why do you use the guest to bully the host!" Ye Li frowned, and was a little annoyed with this fearless Sun Xingzhi. Could it be that he thought that she would not dare to do anything to him because he was Mo Jingqi's man?

"Lord Sun, if you have nothing to do, please go to the side and do it first. I will talk to you after I finish my work."

Sun Xingzhi said in dissatisfaction: "The princess is just a woman, she should stay in the back house and manage the Dingguo Palace for the prince. Why did she sit in the court and let people arrest the general?"

"Because of what?" Ye Li smiled coldly and said, "Because I am now the highest commander of the Mohist Army in the northwest."

Sun Xingzhi's eyes widened, and he said in disbelief: "What a joke, how can the commander of the Mohist army be a woman? Even if you are the Princess of Dingguo... you have no right to make decisions in Hongzhou City!" Ye Li was too lazy to pay attention to this person, and winked at Qin Feng on the side. Qin Feng understood and waved his hand. Two guards came forward, one on the left and one on the right, and pressed Sun Xingzhi into a chair on the side. Sun Xingzhi was just a scholar, and no matter how hard he struggled, he could not resist the two young and strong guards, and was suppressed and unable to move. Staring at Ye Li angrily, Ye Li took a sip of tea and smiled, "If Lord Sun insists on disturbing me, don't blame me for offending an important official of the court." Sun Xingzhi gritted his teeth and said, "I will definitely impeach Prince Dingguo's Mansion to the emperor!"

"Whatever you want." In this situation, what difference does it make whether he is impeached or not? Ye Li turned her eyes to the general who was also being held, "General Wang? Wang Duo, the garrison commander of Hongzhou? What is his relationship with Wang Zhaorong in the palace?"

After Wang Duo struggled for a few times without success, he raised his head and glared at Ye Li and said, "Wang Zhaorong is my cousin. What do you mean, Princess? If you don't let me go, don't forget that I am the defender of Hongzhou City."

Ye Li flipped through the files on the table, threw them down the hall and landed right in front of Wang Duo, saying, "From now on, you are no longer the garrison commander of Hongzhou. Take a look for yourself."

Wang Duo did not pick up the files on the ground, but angrily said: "What do you mean, Princess? The general's position was personally conferred by the emperor and the court. Do you think you can revoke it with just one word from you?" Ye Li took out a jade pendant with a smile and waved it in her hand, saying with a smile: "Does this have the right to dismiss you? Emperor Taizu left a will that in times of war and crisis, the one who holds the Jiaozi jade pendant of the Dingguo Palace can control all the generals below the rank of general in Da Chu. Or is General Wang not a general of Da Chu?"

“This…” Wang Duo certainly knew about the edict left by Emperor Taizu. Although the generals who were loyal to the emperor might not really buy into it, before the emperor issued an order to abolish the edict, they could only pretend to obey it but secretly disobey it and absolutely could not resist it face to face.

Ye Li took back the jade pendant and said to Feng Zhiyao, "Feng San, the defense of Hongzhou is handed over to you." Feng Zhiyao smiled at the absent-minded Wang Duo and nodded, "I will obey your orders. I will immediately re-adjust the defense of Hongzhou." After that, he waved his hand and turned to leave with several generals. After Feng Zhiyao and others left the door, Ye Li looked at Wang Duo and others again, smiling, "Okay, now General Wang and Lord Sun can speak directly." Wang Duo said unwillingly, "The soldiers and horses of Hongzhou will not listen to the command of a general who does not even have an official rank in the court!" He was talking about Feng Zhiyao. Although Feng Zhiyao is recognized as Mo Xiuyao's right-hand man in the Mohist Army, he is indeed the only general in the Mohist Army who does not have an official rank. Ye Li smiled and said, "Whether people can obey orders is Feng San's business, so General Wang doesn't have to worry about it." Wang Duo snorted and had nothing to say.

Ye Li turned her head to look at Sun Xingzhi who was sitting beside her and said with a smile, "Master Sun, do you have anything to say?"

Sun Xingzhi sneered, "How dare I say anything when the princess is so intimidating?" Ye Li smiled and said, "Since you don't dare to say anything, then there is no need to say anything. Lord Sun, live peacefully in Hongzhou. When the war is over, I will send someone to send Lord Sun back to Beijing. If unfortunately... Hongzhou is lost, I will also give Lord Sun a chance to live and die with Hongzhou." Hearing this, Sun Xingzhi's face twisted and he gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, princess!"

After seeing off Sun Xingzhi and Wang Duo, Qi Anrong was the only one left in the hall. He looked at the woman sitting on the table with some trepidation. With a flattering smile, he said, "Princess..."

Ye Li looked at him and said with a half-smile: "Master Qi, you are so comfortable as the governor of Hongzhou. Not to mention me, I am afraid that even the prince would be very jealous."

"I dare not... I dare not..." Qi Anrong smiled. Ye Li flipped through the files in her hand and said, "He has been in office for six years and has a family fortune of one million. He has one wife, twelve concubines, four sons and six daughters... No wonder I heard that the prefect of Qingzhou earned 100,000 silver in three years. Sir Qi must have earned more than 100,000 this year, right?"

"Princess... Your humble servant, your humble servant..." Qi Anrong's forehead was covered with sweat. Ye Li casually put the file aside and said with a smile: "Master Qi, don't be nervous. I have no interest in your property, wives, concubines, and children." Hearing this, Qi Anrong's eyes lit up and he looked at Ye Li expectantly. Ye Li lowered her eyes and said calmly: "The battle with Xiling is imminent, Hongzhou City..." Qi Anrong was very understanding and said quickly: "It is my duty to cooperate with the princess to fight against the bandits in Xiling. Please follow my instructions." Ye Li raised her eyes, raised her eyebrows and smiled: "It won't embarrass Master Qi, right?"

Qi Anrong smiled and said, "How could that be? As long as Hongzhou is safe, it will benefit everyone, right? Please just give your orders, Princess."

Ye Li nodded with satisfaction, "Very good, Master Qi has made things convenient for me and I will not embarrass you. As long as Master Qi manages Hongzhou City well, I will naturally take care of other things."

"I understand. I will never let the princess down."

"Very good, Master Qi, please go back first."

After sending Qi Anrong away, Zhuo Jing looked at the disappearing figure with disdain and said, "Princess, are you really going to let Qi Anrong go so easily?" Ye Li smiled coldly, "Let him go? That depends on whether he knows what's good for him. We just arrived in Hongzhou, we can't offend everyone at once, right?"

"I understand."