"Qiao'er, grind the ink. I want to write a letter," Chen Qingwan said in a deep voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Qiao'er quickly put down the melon seeds and helped Chen Qingwan write the letter.
Chen Qingwan picked up her pen and wrote:
"Recently, there have been changes in Shannan County. Although the barbarians have surrendered, their intentions are unpredictable. The capital needs to strengthen its defenses in preparation for any unforeseen events..."
After finishing the letter, Chen Qingwan summoned a member of the Imperial Guard:
"You shall immediately send this letter back to the capital and deliver it to the Prime Minister."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard took the letter and rode off on horseback.
Chen Qingwan then addressed the remaining guards:
"The ten of you will stay behind to protect my safety. The rest of you, return to the capital immediately to strengthen the palace guards."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the guards replied in unison.
As night falls, Shannan County is enveloped in tranquility.
Lu Yan had been busy all day and could finally rest.
He lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind filled with the events of the day.
"Nearly ten thousand barbarian prisoners! This would have been unimaginable in the past."
Lu Yan muttered to himself.
"I wonder if these guys can really behave themselves and not cause me any more trouble."
The next morning, Lu Yan rubbed his sleepy eyes and stretched.
He felt a little tired after tossing and turning all night.
But the thought of what I'm going to do today fills me with a strange sense of excitement.
"Nearly ten thousand barbarian prisoners, now they've all become my free labor force, this feeling, tsk tsk tsk..."
As Lu Yan put on his official robes, he muttered to himself with a smug smile on his lips.
After washing up, Lu Yan arrived at the entrance of the county government office and nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the high platform that had been erected.
Today, he is going to hold a special "commendation meeting" here.
It was to honor the five soldiers who sacrificed their lives in suppressing the barbarian rebellion.
This was also to further consolidate his prestige in Shannan County.
"My lord, everything is ready."
Lu Fei, dressed in military uniform, reported to Lu Yan with great spirit.
"Okay! Go and call everyone over."
Lu Yan waved his hand, displaying a grand and imposing air of commanding the world.
As soon as the sound of gongs and drums rang out, the people gathered at the entrance of the county government office.
Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er mingled in the crowd, curiously observing everything around them.
Lu Yan stepped onto the platform, cleared his throat, and began his "speech".
"Fellow villagers! Fellow villagers! Today, we gather here with heavy hearts,"
"This is to commemorate the five martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives to defend Shannan County and our homeland!"
Lu Yan recounted the heroic deeds of the five martyrs with great emotion.
Zhang Sanmin was a native of Shannan County. His family had been farmers for generations and lived in poverty.
When the barbarians invaded, he resolutely picked up a hoe and joined the militia.
During the attack, in order to cover his comrades' retreat, he single-handedly held off the attack of dozens of barbarian soldiers and ultimately sacrificed his life.
Li Ergou was originally a peddler who traveled from street to street. He was clever and well-informed.
After the barbarian invasion, he took the initiative to pass on intelligence to the county government and went deep behind enemy lines many times to investigate the enemy's situation, making a great contribution to the defense of Shannan County.
During this mission, he was unfortunately discovered by barbarian soldiers. In order to protect the intelligence, he chose to commit suicide and die for his country.
Wang Tiezhu was originally a constable in the county government. He was highly skilled in martial arts and hated evil.
After the barbarian invasion, he fought bravely and made many meritorious contributions.
He was seriously wounded in this battle, but he continued to fight until he finally died from exhaustion.
Zhao Liuzi was originally a schoolteacher, well-read and erudite.
After the barbarian invasion, he organized the people to resist and taught them how to save themselves.
He was unfortunately killed by a hail of arrows during this barbarian attack.
Li Gouzi was originally a doctor with superb medical skills who dedicated himself to saving lives.
After the barbarian invasion, he not only treated the wounded, but also risked his life to go deep into the barbarian camp to treat the captured civilians.
They also perished in this barbarian invasion.
Lu Yan's voice was sometimes high-pitched and passionate, like metal striking stone.
Sometimes it sobs softly, like a cuckoo weeping blood.
He recounted the lives of five martyrs, from their humble origins to their initial aspirations to join the military.
From the heroic scenes of bloody battles to the fierce battles, every detail is vividly depicted.
The people listened intently, sometimes holding their breath, sometimes sobbing softly.
Some even covered their faces and wept, and a sense of sadness spread through the crowd.
The heroic deeds of the martyrs are deeply moving, and the people of Shannan County are all deeply touched by them.
Lu Yan's voice choked up and his eyes reddened as he spoke.
He took a deep breath and continued:
"Your sacrifice is a loss to the entire Shannan County. From today onwards, you will be enshrined in the Shannan County Martyrs' Cemetery."
"Having enjoyed the offerings of the entire city's people, I, Lu Yan, swear to all my fellow villagers that I will take good care of your relatives and families."
After saying this, Lu Yan bowed deeply and remained so for a long time.
The people below the stage also knelt down and kowtowed to the spirits of the five martyrs.
This expresses their highest respect and endless sorrow.
At this moment, everyone in Shannan County was immersed in grief and emotion.
They deeply appreciated the preciousness of peace and became even more determined to protect their homeland.
Chen Qingwan initially adopted a critical attitude.
However, as Lu Yan narrated, she gradually became deeply attracted, and her heart was moved.
She remembered Lu Yan, who was usually glib and always smiling.
Standing on the high platform now, he appeared so solemn and dignified, as if he had become a different person.
She never expected that this usually cynical and corrupt official would turn out like this.
She was surprised to see such a sentimental side to him.
After Lu Yan finished recounting the martyrs' deeds, he announced that music would be played and a moment of silence would be observed.
The melodious music echoed in the air, carrying a hint of sorrow and solemnity.
The people took off their hats and knelt on one knee, while the children knelt on both knees and kowtowed to the martyrs.
Chen Qingwan was deeply shocked by what she saw.
She had never seen such a solemn and dignified scene, nor had she ever felt such sincere emotions from the people.
After the moment of silence, Lu Yan spoke again:
"I know everyone is very sad and heartbroken."
"However, we must not wallow in grief. We must turn our sorrow into strength and work even harder to rebuild our homeland and make our lives better!"
"Well said!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, followed by cheers.
After the moment of silence, Lu Yan spoke again, his voice hoarse but firm:
"Fellow villagers, brothers, elders! How can we console the spirits of these heroes who sacrificed their lives for Shannan County?"
The audience erupted in noise.
Someone shouted, "Revenge! Blood for blood!"
Someone cried out, "Kill all the barbarians! Avenge the heroes!"
Some people sobbed softly, "Let the heroes rest in peace..."
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