Chapter 259 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Thirty-Five Chapters) How to Become a Super Strategist...
After exchanging pleasantries, Cai Ziyi naturally got down to business.
Before his departure, General Xiang said he had something he wanted me to pass on to General Song.
Song Ce gestured for him to sit down, and smiled gently: "Please speak."
"The general said that the people of the south have suffered from war for a long time and are already living in fear and can no longer bear the hardship. He only hopes that after all our troops surrender to Dali, General Song can keep his promise and treat the people of the south well."
Upon hearing this, Song Ce stood up solemnly and said, “Captain Cai, please go back and tell General Xiang that Dali has always put the people first and won people over with trust. Whether it is Qin, Qi, or the South, or even the future Northern Yan, Dali will treat them all the same and love them all the same! Whether it is taxation, land policies, or the benefits of exemption from corvée labor and new policies, the South will be in line with the national policy and there will be no partial treatment.”
Upon hearing this, Cai Ziyi's tense shoulders relaxed considerably. He rose again, cupped his hands in greeting, and said passionately, "This humble general dares to express his deepest respects to the General on behalf of the countless people of the South!"
Song Ce nodded slightly, "No need for formalities. You should rest in Xindu for a few days and recuperate before returning to the south."
"Thank you, General Song!"
Three days passed in a flash. Cai Ziyi did not linger any longer. After bidding farewell to the group of people, he left with his entourage.
After the largest power in the south submitted to Song Ce, the other weaker powers followed suit, and almost all of them came under the control of Dali. Thus, Dali's territory expanded by more than half. Apart from the Yan army entrenched in the north and a small number of Meng troops stationed in western Qin, Dali had completely unified the south.
Afterwards, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, Song Ce personally guarded Ye City, west of the new capital, to eliminate the old and establish the new, select virtuous and capable people, develop production, and quickly develop the prefectures and counties in the south. In just over a year, Ye City reached its peak, and the surrounding counties traded with each other in good relations, and there were no more wars.
Meanwhile, in Qinxi, Mengjia Village.
Meng Tianxi put down his pen and read the letter he had just written several times, his brows furrowing inwardly. Lu Ying, standing beside him, noticed his serious expression and instinctively asked, "Tianxi, what's wrong...?"
Meng Tianxi sighed and handed the letter to Lu Ying. “The Northern Yan army is strong and well-equipped, while our Meng army only has three thousand soldiers left. If we were to confront them head-on now, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock. Now that Xiang Wende has led his troops to surrender to Dali, I, Meng Tianxi… must also make a choice.”
Lu Ying took the letter and read it carefully. After a long while, he said with a sigh, "The Meng family army has been stationed in Qin for generations and is a local hegemon. Now they have to turn around and depend on Dali. I am really unwilling to accept this."
"Unwilling to accept it?"
Meng Tianxi sighed, "And what about me? But our Qin Prefecture was severely weakened after that battle. If we fail to see the situation clearly and become enemies with Dali, I'm afraid that in the future, there will be no more soldiers of my Meng family army in this world."
"General, you are truly righteous." Lu Ying straightened his body and bowed deeply to Meng Tianxi. "The current situation is beyond our control. Song Ce is not only a brilliant strategist, but he also cares deeply for the people. If we surrender to him and follow him, it will be a way out for the people of Qinxi."
Meng Tianxi remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.
After more than three months of twists and turns, the last remaining force of the Meng family army officially returned to Dali. In response, Song Ce wrote a letter and sent it to the capital, reporting the situation in Qin, Qi, and Nan to Wei Shaosu.
A gentle evening breeze blew by, bringing a refreshing coolness.
Inside the Zichen Palace, Wei Shaosu walked to the window and looked at the still lush mulberry tree outside, feeling a mix of emotions.
Once upon a time, the Dali Dynasty lost all its territory, the imperial city was moved several times, and the people were displaced. The once glorious and legitimate Chinese dynasty could only live a meager existence in a remote corner. But now? The Dali Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, and the Qin, Qi, and Nan regions have all been incorporated into its territory, expanding its borders several times over. All of this is thanks to Song Ce!
As he thought about it, Wei Shaosu couldn't help but raise his voice in praise.
Upon seeing this, Chief Eunuch Deng Ping hurriedly knelt down and flattered, "It's all thanks to Your Majesty's discerning eye that you were able to recognize and appoint General Song against all odds in the Golden Hall, which has led to the excellent situation we have today! Your Majesty is wise!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Shaosu simply smiled faintly and said, "You certainly know how to talk."
"Your Majesty, these are truly my heartfelt words!"
"Hehe, now Qin is at peace, Qi is prosperous, and the South is loyal. My acquisition of Song Ce is like Emperor Zhaolie acquiring Marquis Zhongwu. Deng Ping, convey my decree to enfeoff Song Ce as Marquis of Changping, with a fief of ten thousand households, and bestow upon him the former residence of King Zhang, Wei Jingsi, as well as a gold medal for stabilizing the country. All ministers shall treat him as if he were their lord. In addition, I will bestow upon him ten thousand taels of gold, one hundred fine horses, and fifty beautiful concubines and dancers to show my favor."
"Your Majesty, this..."
Deng Ping knelt on the ground, his face showing hesitation, as if he hadn't reacted for a moment. The Imperial Gold Medal, such a royal token, was an honor never before bestowed upon anyone since the founding of the Dali Dynasty.
Wei Shaosu looked at the flickering candlelight on the table and said softly, "Why aren't you going yet?"
Deng Ping trembled and quickly kowtowed: "Yes! Your Majesty! This servant will go and convey the decree immediately!"
By the time the messenger arrived in Ye City at breakneck speed, it was already late autumn. At that time, Song Ce had just recaptured Leixu City under the guidance of Meng Tianxi and others, and had only been back in Ye City for two hours when he heard that someone from the imperial city had arrived.
Faced with the imperial edict's bestowals and rewards, Song Ce stood firm as a pine tree, resolutely declining to accept them.
Seeing the hesitant look on the eunuch's face, he simply wrote a letter, earnestly stating: "Your Majesty's favor has enabled me to achieve both literary and military success, to implement reforms, and to lead troops into battle. However, the victory today is not solely due to my abilities, but rather the result of the desperate struggles of countless soldiers. The fiefdoms, mansions, beautiful women, gold, and fine horses are all imperial favors, which I am truly unworthy of. I only wish that Your Majesty would distribute these rewards to the soldiers on the frontier and provide relief to the displaced people; that would be enough for me. As for the Golden Token of National Stabilization, I am well aware of its weight and dare not accept such an honor. I humbly request Your Majesty to rescind your decree."
Although the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict looked fearful, he was able to return and report back with a personal reply from Song Ce.
After the messenger returned to the capital and presented the letter to Wei Shaosu, he remained silent for a long time. In the end, with an inscrutable expression, he placed the letter in a brocade box and waved for the palace servants to leave.
Over the next three years, Song Ce clashed with Northern Yan several times, gradually gaining an understanding of the minds of Northern Yan's high-ranking officials. Ultimately, he exploited the discord between Luerruolie and Awutai, sowing discord and launching a surprise attack while the two sides were embroiled in internal strife, decisively destroying the Northern Yan capital!
Having been imprisoned by the Dali army for three years, Lu Erruolie had lost his former vigor when facing Song Ce again. Upon hearing that the Dali army had entered the city, he was caught off guard and fell from his horse, only to be trampled over by several warhorses, losing his life in an instant.
Although Awutai was born into the family of a concubine of the King of Northern Yan, he possessed the courage to make tough decisions. After the King of Northern Yan's death, he resolutely led the remnants of Northern Yan to retreat to the old capital of the Northern Yan grasslands. However, despite his meticulous planning, he never expected to be tricked and kidnapped by his own guards on the way, who then obsequiously handed him over to the pursuing Dali army.
The battle between Dali and Northern Yan lasted less than two days. When the last wolf flag fell, the capital was filled with the deafening cheers of Dali soldiers!
The Northern Yan dynasty has been destroyed!
When news of Song Ce's capture of the Northern Yan capital reached the imperial city, Wei Shaosu, clutching the thin battle report, felt his eyes welling up with tears. He looked at Deng Ping, who was beaming with joy, and suddenly asked, "Deng Ping, do you think my empire is about to be at peace?"
Upon hearing this, Deng Ping hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, now that Northern Yan has been destroyed and all sides are subdued, the day of peace and prosperity for the world is just around the corner!"
"It's just around the corner! What a wonderful 'just around the corner'!" Wei Shaosu stood with his hands behind his back and ordered, "Pass on my decree: whatever Minister Song needs from now on, the court will grant it without fail."
This time, Deng Ping did not hesitate at all and readily agreed: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Afterwards, Song Ce entrusted all affairs of Northern Yan to Mu Anyong, Tang Yuan, Bao Zhuozhi, and others, while he gave full authority over Ye City, the largest prefecture in the south, to Gao Chengfeng. He also treated Meng Tianxi, Xiang Wende, and others well, appointing them to official positions, thus completing the task properly.
After doing all this, he refused Gao Chengfeng's insistence on escorting him and instead led a troop of light cavalry back to Pingzhou City on horseback.
Back then, when he took Pingzhou, he had already arranged for Song's parents to be brought to the county town to reunite with his brother Song Jing.
Meanwhile, in Songzhai, Pingzhou County.
Song Jing emerged from Xu's Pastry Shop, carrying pastries that his parents, wife, and children each loved, a gentle smile spreading across his face.
"Big brother."
Song Jing was taken aback and subconsciously looked up.
Not far away, under a willow tree, stood a young man dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit. He had a handsome face and a tall, upright figure. Who else could he be but his long-lost younger brother, Song Ce?
"Ah... Ce?"
The oil paper package in Song Jing's hand fell to the ground with a thud. He could hardly control his emotions and rushed forward, his eyes red as he grabbed Song Ce's arm. "A-Ce, you, you're finally back! Why didn't you send someone to let us know beforehand? Your parents are celebrating the New Year with you today. They would be overjoyed to see you come home!"
Song Ce paused, then grasped Song Jing's hand in return, a warm feeling welling up inside him. "Brother, is everything alright at home?"
"Good! Good! Good! All good!"
Song Jing nodded repeatedly, then pulled Song Ce towards home, saying, "Come on, Ce, let's go back quickly so your parents can take a good look at you!"
And so, the two brothers hurried through the streets and alleys, and soon arrived at the gate of the Song residence. Song Jing stepped forward, pushed open the courtyard gate, and called out loudly towards the main courtyard, "Father! Mother! Come and see who has returned?"
While sewing clothes inside, Song's mother felt something and accidentally pricked her fingertip with the needle, causing a slight stinging pain. She subconsciously put the basket on her lap aside, got up, and went outside.
"Mother, your son is back."
When Song's mother saw Song Ce standing in the courtyard, tears welled up instantly. She staggered a step, rushed forward, grabbed the young man's forearm, and sobbed uncontrollably, "A-Ce, it's my A-Ce who's back!"
Hearing the commotion, Song's father hurried over from the backyard. Although he wasn't as emotional as Song's mother, his eyes were still red. He gently patted Song Ce's shoulder, choking back tears, and said, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"
Song Ce bowed deeply to his parents, saying, "Your unfilial son has caused you worry."
“Good child, your parents know you are destined for great things. Our dynasty’s prosperity is all thanks to my son and the soldiers on the front lines fighting bravely! Alright, A-Ce, come inside quickly, it’s windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold!” said Song’s father.
As the family was talking, a series of light footsteps came from outside the door. Song Ce looked in the direction of the sound and saw a child of about three or four years old skipping and hopping in.
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Author's Note: [Shrug] Under revision
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