Chapter 258 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Thirty-Four): How to Become a Super Strategist...
Over the next few days, Zhou Renrong did not rush to leave Xindu. Instead, he strolled around quite naturally, exploring all the streets of the city. After witnessing the bustling activity in various parts of the city, he became even more determined to submit.
As dusk fell, Zhou Renrong had just stepped into the second gate of the government office when he suddenly heard a clear and familiar voice behind him.
"Mr. Zhou, what a coincidence!"
Zhou Renrong turned around and saw that it was Bao Zhuozhi who had led him into the city. He smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "Military Advisor Bao."
"Why are you so late, sir? Have you eaten yet?"
Zhou Renrong nodded slightly, "I just used it outside, thank you for your concern, sir."
Bao Zhuozhi smiled upon hearing this, "You're too kind, sir. By the way, when do you plan to depart for the south? If all preparations are complete, the general said he could send a light cavalry escort to ensure your peace of mind."
Zhou Renrong's heart stirred again. Song Ce always thought of these small details when he acted. He looked at Bao Zhuozhi, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "That's very good. Then thank you for your kindness, General."
The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they arrived at the entrance of the small courtyard where Zhou Renrong lived.
Bao Zhuozhi tactfully stopped and said gently, "Please rest early, sir. I will not disturb you any longer. If you need to leave tomorrow, you may send someone to the front yard to inform me at any time."
Zhou Renrong nodded in agreement, "Alright, take care, soldier."
After watching Bao Zhuozhi leave, Zhou Renrong pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside.
The courtyard that Song Ce had chosen for him was extremely beautiful, with two red fruit trees planted inside. When the evening breeze blew, the leaves rustled, adding a touch of ancient elegance and vitality.
Zhou Renrong sat nonchalantly on the stone steps beside the Zhuguo tree, gazing at the gradually darkening clouds on the horizon, while inwardly pondering how to persuade Xiang Wende and the others after returning to the South.
In the blink of an eye, it was already broad daylight. After having breakfast and getting ready, Zhou Renrong, guided by a servant, arrived at the front courtyard of the government office.
At this moment, Song Ce personally led more than ten light cavalrymen to wait at the gate. The leading cavalryman was holding a fine horse with a full saddle and bridle, which was obviously prepared in advance.
"Sir, your journey to the south is long. Here are some provisions and medicine for your wounds. I hope you will accept them. May the heavens be kind to you and I wish you a safe journey."
Zhou Renrong accepted the package from Song Ce, feeling a warmth in his heart. He bowed deeply to the young man before him, "Thank you, General Song. I shall set off now." With that, he mounted his horse and led his light cavalry troop southward at breakneck speed.
Traveling day and night, Zhou Renrong returned to Xiang Wende's camp in the south in just five or six days.
When the soldiers guarding the camp saw him return, they quickly put away their weapons and let him pass. They even sent a fast-moving soldier to the main tent to inform Xiang Wende.
As soon as Zhou Renrong stepped outside the central command tent, he saw Xiang Wende leading Li Lishi and others to greet him.
“General!” Zhou Renrong bowed respectfully, his expression solemn.
"Renrong! Renrong! You're finally back!"
Xiang Wende was very excited. He stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and asked urgently, "Quick, come into the tent and tell me what's going on in Xindu?"
Zhou Renrong nodded and followed Xiang Wende into the main tent. After the servants served warm tea and left, he slowly began to recount everything he had seen and heard in Qi.
From the Xindu Tax and Service Stele to the Song Dynasty's policies on exempting people from poll tax, imposing a tax rate of one-fiftyth of the total tax, renting official land, and levying taxes on merchants, every single detail was meticulously explained.
The people inside the tent were increasingly astonished as they listened, especially when they heard that Song Ce was willing to take out all the wealth from the Liang King's private treasury for the people's livelihood and allow the displaced people to cultivate wasteland and permanently own it. They all fell into deep thought and remained silent.
After Zhou Renrong finished speaking, not only the staff and guests in the tent, but even Xiang Wende remained silent.
After a long pause, Li Lishi stood up first and looked over, asking in a deep voice, "Gongquan, in your opinion, Song Ce does indeed have the talent to govern a country?"
“Not only that,” Zhou Renrong sighed. “Mr. Li, I spent five days in Xindu and witnessed firsthand how Song Ce prioritized the people in all his actions. How long has it been since the fall of the Liang King? The people of Xindu are all smiling, the streets are bustling with merchants, and they speak with great fervor for the Dali court. In contrast, our southern region has been plagued by constant warfare for years, and the people are suffering immensely! Last year, in particular, there was a severe drought, and the people had no harvest, yet the army's provisions were still collected on time… Therefore, if we continue to be enemies with Dali, not only will our Xiang army be unable to win, but even more people will be plunged into misery!”
He paused, then continued, “Have you all forgotten how Song Ce vigorously implemented reforms a few years ago? Although he is now a military general, he is well aware of the hardships of the people. The series of policies he has implemented may seem to benefit the people, but in reality, they are consolidating the foundation of the regime. Now, Dali holds the Qin and Qi territories, with strong troops and ample supplies. If we insist on resisting, in the end we will be no different from the Meng and Liang armies!”
Li Lishi frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "Gong Quan's words make sense, but what about us..."
"Don't worry, Mr. Li." Zhou Renrong smiled faintly. "You all might as well think about it. Song Ce can even properly settle the surrendered soldiers of Northern Yan, let alone us orthodox Dali people. In the past few days, I have observed his character and he is definitely not the kind of person who is jealous of talent and seeks revenge later. As long as we sincerely submit, he will definitely treat us with kindness."
“You make it sound so easy for you! Once we surrender, we’ll be fish on a chopping block. Whether we live or die will be entirely up to this person! Zhou Renrong, you’re all alone and have no ties, so you’re willing to gamble, but what about us?” one of the aides shouted.
Zhou Renrong, upon hearing this, did not become angry. Instead, he calmly looked at the advisor and said, "Mr. Wang, you are mistaken. I am not without ties, but given the current situation, I have no choice but to take this measure. Even if we continue to resist, how long can we hold out? In this way, not only will the people of the south suffer from the ravages of war, but our soldiers will also die in vain! Is this the result that Mr. Wang wants to see?"
Silence fell again in the tent. The advisor surnamed Wang opened his mouth, but ultimately could not utter a rebuttal.
Looking at the silent crowd, Xiang Wende felt a surge of emotions. He couldn't help but recall the turmoil that had followed the division of the South over the years, and the sight of people struggling to make ends meet, barely clothed. For a moment, he wavered.
At this moment, Zhou Renrong knelt down again, saying, "General, our army is surrendering, not kneeling, but surrendering entirely for the people of the South. Since Song Ce has promised to implement the same benevolent policies in the South as in Qi, isn't this the best outcome for our Xiang army?"
Silence fell again inside the tent.
After a long while, Xiang Wende softened his body and sighed deeply, "So be it, so be it... Rather than resisting to the end and causing the people of the South to suffer from the ravages of war again, let's end it here! I, Xiang Wende, have only one wish: that Song Ce can keep his promise and treat the people of the South well. If that is, what harm is there in surrendering?"
With these words spoken, Zhou Renrong finally felt relieved. Seeing that their commander had made a decision, the others in the tent exchanged glances and fell silent in their opposition.
“Now that the general has decided to surrender, we need to carefully plan what to do next,” Li Lishi said.
Xiang Wende was taken aback. "Isn't the most important thing right now to send someone to inform Song Ce?"
Li Lishi shook his head and said with a wry smile, "If the general really thinks that way, then it's too rash. We need to show some sincerity."
"Sincerity?"
After a moment's thought, Li Lishi suggested, "General, in my opinion, we should first compile the household registration and land registers of all the prefectures in the south, and send trusted officers along with the light cavalry squad to the new capital of Qi. This will not only demonstrate your determination to surrender, but also allow Song Ce to know the actual situation in the south in advance, which will facilitate subsequent actions. In addition, you can also order the dismissal of some of the temporarily recruited soldiers, allowing them to decide for themselves whether to stay or leave."
Xiang Wende closed his eyes and sighed, "Alright, do as Li Shi says!"
"Yes, General! We obey your command!" The staff bowed and accepted the order.
The southern camp was bustling with activity. Li Lishi, along with several staff members familiar with documents, worked day and night to organize the registers of the various prefectures and counties in the south; Zhou Renrong was responsible for disbanding the soldiers according to the roster and distributing a considerable amount of pre-conquest allowance to those who did not wish to stay.
After more than ten busy days, everything was ready.
Xiang Wende personally directed his subordinates to load the wooden boxes containing the books onto the carriages, and then gave detailed instructions to the escorting generals before watching the convoy slowly leave the camp and head towards the new capital of Qi.
Meanwhile, inside the Xindu Prefecture government office, Song Ce was discussing the next steps with Mu Anyong, Gao Chengfeng, and others.
“General, the Meng army is now practically dead, the Northern Yan has lost 100,000 men, the King of Liang has been killed, and Xiang Wende in the south also intends to surrender! It seems that our Dali territory has expanded considerably! Shouldn’t we withdraw our troops and return to the city?” Mu Anyong asked.
"No."
Song Ce pointed vaguely at the map on the table, his fingertip landing on the fragmented region in the south. "The time is not yet ripe."
"opportunity?"
"Yes, timing. Although Meng Jun has retreated to a corner of Qinxi, there are still uncertainties; although Bei Yan has just suffered a defeat, the strength of its main city should not be underestimated, and it may not be able to avoid attacking again; although Xiang Wende has the intention to surrender, the southern region has been divided for many years, and the various prefectures are deeply entrenched. If they are not all recovered, it will be difficult to maintain stability."
Gao Chengfeng, who had followed Song Ce the longest, couldn't help but interject when he saw his general's somber expression: "General, why the need for this? In my humble opinion, we should take advantage of the current momentum of our Dali army and wipe out the Qin Xi Meng army and those scattered forces in the south in one fell swoop! This will save them from causing trouble in the future!"
Song Ce shook his head, "No, we absolutely cannot use strong troops in the current situation."
Why?
"Our Great Li has been fighting continuously for half a year. Although the soldiers are in high spirits, they are inevitably feeling exhausted, not to mention the civilians who have just escaped the chaos of war. They need peaceful days, not war!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anyong continued, "General, do you intend to stabilize Qin and Qi first, and then proceed gradually?"
"Indeed, since Xiang Wende is willing to submit, let's show him our sincerity and help the people of the south settle down as soon as possible."
Before everyone could say anything more, a guard's voice came from outside the door: "General, General Xiang from the south has sent an attendant with dozens of boxes of books, saying he wants to present them to you in person."
Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in Song Ce's eyes. He smiled and said to the group, "Gentlemen, please come with me to the front hall to greet our guests!"
"Yes, General."
As soon as the group arrived at the hall entrance, they saw a middle-aged man in a gray military uniform standing nervously inside, with six equally cautious attendants standing outside the door. Not far away, more than ten red lacquered wooden boxes were neatly stacked on the ground, their lids half-open, allowing a clear view of the neatly stacked books inside.
Upon seeing someone enter, the middle-aged man quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the overly young commander at the head of the group. "Greetings, General Song! I am Cai Ziyi, the second captain of General Xiang's personal guard. I am here on orders from my lord General Xiang to deliver the household registration, land records, and registers of various prefectures and counties in the south. There are five prefectures and eighteen counties in the south, with approximately seventy thousand households registered. This is consistent with the records and there is no concealment. Please verify, General."
Song Ce stepped forward and helped Cai Ziyi up, his tone quite gentle: "Captain Cai, you must be tired from your journey. Please have a seat."
"Thank you, General!"
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Author's note: I'm revising it and it's almost at the end. [shrug]
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