While Xie Xiao continued to impart his experience to Achang, Li Ruo and the others continued to build greenhouses and cook hot porridge.
Li Ruo didn't use the same tactics as General Mountain to win over the people of Beishan, because Song Zhijing had already plundered most of their things. And those things were in her space. Since the wool was used on the sheep, she decided to use a policy of appeasement first to win over a group of people.
When the news spread that Black Wind Village would be distributing porridge on the mountain, the people who came to hear it were moved to tears.
Furthermore, the work done by Achang and his brothers in the past, compared with that of Zhang Mu and others, clearly shows their superiority.
If we extend an olive branch and let them exchange their labor for clothing and food, the people of Beishan will come to Black Wind Village.
She's about to marry Xie Xiao, so Black Wind Stronghold will also be hers. What's wrong with her putting in some effort?
At this moment, on Qinghua Mountain.
The Prince of Runan received a letter and was shocked: "Shu'er is actually in Song Zhijing's hands?"
"What? Isn't he dead?" Zhang Yun was furious. "This is outrageous! He actually said that Father killed his mother and wants Father to come and see him."
Exchange Zhang Shu'er for 10,000 jin of grain with him!
“Shu’er cannot die at his hands.” The Prince of Runan said, “I will follow his instructions in his letter and lead men to transport grain. You will lead a thousand men behind him to surround that mountain forest.”
Zhang Yun nodded and immediately went to make the arrangements.
However, when the Prince of Runan was transporting some of the grain, he was ambushed. Countless soldiers emerged from all directions and shot half of them to death.
Zhang Yun, who should have been hiding in the shadows, was also killed.
Upon seeing the head that Song Zhijing threw at him, the Prince of Runan shuddered and fell to the ground. "Yun'er! Yun'er!" he cried out, glaring at Song Zhijing. "You—how could you have so many people!"
Song Zhijing said, "You'll find out soon enough."
The Prince of Runan fled back to Huaning Temple with his remaining troops, only to find that all the guards of Huaning Temple had been subdued. His mother and concubines, Zhang Fei and his eldest daughter's family were all tied up and made to kneel outside the gate.
"Who? Who did this?!" The Prince of Runan could hardly believe it.
"Of course it is me."
A man wearing a silver-gray cloak came out of Huaning Temple.
The Prince of Runan's eyes widened in fury. "The Prince of Jiangning, it's you!"
"Exactly."
"So you've been pretending to be on good terms with me all along, but in reality you wanted to annex me." The Prince of Runan stared at him.
The Prince of Jiangning was unwilling to say more to him, and looked at Song Zhijing who was chasing after him. "Prefect Song has indeed lived up to my expectations. Now this family is yours. Whether you steam them or roast them is up to you."
Song Zhijing's eyes were filled with coldness. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The old lady of the Prince of Runan's mansion shouted and cursed, "Song Zhijing, you ungrateful wretch—"
Before he could finish speaking, Song Zhijing stabbed him in the heart with a sword. "You old hag, you're the most disgusting one. Weren't you the one who always invited my mother over? Weren't you the one who brought me and Zhang Shu'er together? You controlled me so you could control the whole of Yuzhou. My mother is dead, why aren't you dead?"
The old lady clucked a few times like an old hen, dying with her eyes wide open.
In just half a day, almost everyone in the Prince of Runan's mansion was slaughtered, leaving only two thousand surrendered soldiers, because the Prince of Jiangning still needed them.
After Chu Yunji settled his men at Huaning Temple, he was talking to Song Zhijing when a scout arrived.
"Your Highness, General Mountain..."
The scout glanced at Song Zhijing, unsure whether he should speak.
Chu Yunji said, "Lord Song is not an outsider."
The scout then said, "Xie Xiao and Li Ruo went to Beishan, killed the Prince of Runan's nephew, and took control of Beishan."
Chu Yunji's pupils contracted. "They're quick!"
A hint of hatred flashed in Song Zhijing's eyes. "Your Highness can take advantage of his unstable foundation and attack him."
Chu Yunji said, "There's no rush. Xie Xiao might actually want us to come over."
He had already fallen for his trick last time; this time, he needed a plan that was sure of success.
Moreover, Qinghua Mountain is not stable, and the Prince of Runan has secretly allied with several powerful families. If he were to launch a counterattack, the losses would outweigh the gains.
The scout added, "Also, Xie Xiao and Li Ruo will get married in ten days, on the twenty-fifth."
"Let's get married!" Song Zhijing clenched his fists.
Chu Yunji glanced at him, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. "I remember this Li Ruo is Lord Song's ex-wife."
Song Zhijing's eyes were bloodshot. "It's still true now! I don't recognize that letter of divorce, and the court doesn't recognize it either!"
As long as the imperial court exists, and he remains the prefect of Yuzhou, Li Ruo can only be his wife.
Although he will kill her after he catches her, she was born a member of the Song family, and she will die a ghost of the Song family.
"Your Highness, there is something I have concealed from you. I have already sent someone to request His Majesty's decree to reclaim my wife and severely punish Xie Xiao..."
Meanwhile, the flooding situation across the country was also being discussed by people in the imperial court.
When the flood came, the capital of the Great Yin Dynasty was also submerged, and the royal family, princes, ministers, and common people all fled to higher ground.
Eight hundred li south of the capital, in the Qin River Valley, there was no shortage of places to go, but countless people died on the way there.
However, the royal family and princes and ministers, because they had 100,000 inner court guards and 200,000 imperial guards, and most of the guards who died were still alive, continued to harass the people, and there was no shortage of food, blankets and other necessities for the time being.
The Great Yin Dynasty believed in Taoism, and Taoist temples were everywhere. The emperor and his sons stopped at the Yutai Temple on Zhongnan Mountain.
However, two of his sons were not content to stay in their positions and took advantage of the chaos to fight each other for power. In the end, the third prince, Chu Yue, the son of the imperial concubine, stood on the emperor's side, rendered meritorious service in defending the king, and killed his two rebellious brothers. He was then made crown prince by the emperor.
The struggle between the three kings finally came to an end, and the emperor finally had time to look at the urgent reports that were flying in like snowflakes and had already piled up on his desk.
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