Spring Breeze City.
It is a new city on the border between the Kingdom of Yu and the Kingdom of Wushui.
The Kingdom of Yu defeated the Kingdom of Wushui, and the people of both countries migrated in great numbers. Tens of thousands of people left their homeland in a spectacular procession, setting up camps and establishing countless new cities overnight.
This is how Spring Breeze City was established.
A city composed of convicts, good citizens, people from the Wushui Kingdom, and slaves.
This city was bustling and vibrant, a melting pot of diverse people who lived, thrived, and exchanged goods. Soon, it became the trading center of the surrounding area and the most prosperous city.
A horse-drawn carriage stopped at the city gate.
A servant jumped down and exclaimed joyfully, "Young master, we've arrived!"
The carriage curtain was lifted by a pair of fair, jade-like hands, revealing a refined and handsome face looking at the three large characters "Spring Breeze City" on the city wall.
The characters are full of vitality and have a powerful momentum.
A gust of cold wind blew in, and Xiao Ling shivered. He lowered the curtain and said gently, "Let's go!"
"Yes! Young master, are you alright?"
"It's alright!"
The servant hurriedly told the coachman to drive the carriage into the city, and the carriage headed straight for the largest inn in Chunfeng City.
Xiao Ling stepped off the carriage. He was handsome and refined, not exceptionally beautiful, but exuding an air of elegance and grace. He was a first-rate scholar and gentleman, and people around him were immediately stunned.
Xiao Ling tightened his cloak, lowered his head, and went inside.
The servant hurriedly followed behind, carrying a packet of medicinal herbs. As soon as he entered, he instructed the shopkeeper to prepare the medicine, as his young master would need it soon.
Seeing Xiao Ling's imposing presence, the shopkeeper dared not say anything more and hurriedly sent someone away.
Xiao Ling sat in the warm room, warming his hands over a silver basin, which made him feel much better. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
The servant felt a pang of sympathy. “Young master, your health is getting weaker and weaker. It would be so much better if we just stayed in Yongzhou. Why bother coming all this way here? This is a new city after all. The food and supplies here are not as good as they were in Yongzhou. I’m worried that all this trouble will make you even more unwell.”
Xiao Ling waved his hand. "It's alright!"
His eyes were slightly closed.
Why did you travel all this way?
There are certainly people and things worth visiting.
The servant was quite troubled. He didn't understand why his master had come here. His master used to like to travel around, and he had thought it was because Spring Breeze City was so nice that his master had come to take a look. But now it seemed that it was not the case. His master had his own reasons.
The medicine was ready, and the servant helped Xiao Ling drink it and go to sleep.
In the evening, after dinner, I got up and took a walk before going to bed.
The next morning, he visited Huo Jiaying, the local city lord, with a visiting card that read, "Pingnan, a recluse from Yongzhou."
Pingnan, Pingnan.
Huo Jiaying held the name card and thought about it twice but still couldn't figure out who Pingnan was. However, no one would really take someone who dared to call himself a "leisurely person" seriously.
Idleness has always been the privilege of the wealthy.
She said, "Please!"
Xiao Ling was then politely invited in.
Huo Jiaying's eyes lit up; such a person could not be an unknown figure. After exchanging greetings, Huo Jiaying asked, "Is this your first time visiting Spring Breeze City, young master?"
Looking at the City Lord's Mansion, Xiao Ling was overwhelmed by memories of the past. He lowered his head slightly, his eyes filled with recollection, and said thoughtfully, "This isn't my first time here. When I first came, there was no Spring Breeze City here."
“Oh! That was many years ago.” Huo Jiaying’s expression grew even more serious.
“Indeed!” Xiao Ling chuckled.
That was many years ago.
He passed through the territory of Spring Breeze City at least three times.
After Jiang Xinwei's defeat, he followed her from the Yu Kingdom to the Wushui Kingdom. They passed through Chunfeng City once, which at that time was just a mountain pass surrounded by a few earthen walls.
Later, she became the chief minister of Pingnan and traveled from the Yu Kingdom to marry the ruler of the Wushui Kingdom. She also stopped here for a short rest.
Later, after successfully escaping from the Wushui Kingdom, he anticipated that the two countries would inevitably go to war. In order to repay the country's kindness, he secretly infiltrated many places in the Wushui Kingdom and drew an accurate map of the Wushui Kingdom, which he presented to General Guo Feng. The location of Chunfeng City was marked on the map.
This is a good place, surrounded by rivers, making it an excellent location for important tasks, cargo transport, and defense. However, in the hands of the Wushui Kingdom, it is just an insignificant pass.
Now, it has finally developed.
Seeing that Xiao Ling clearly didn't want to discuss his past visit to Spring Breeze City, Huo Jiaying went straight to the point, saying, "I wonder if you have come here on important business, young master?"
Xiao Ling smiled and said, "No one comes to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Pingnan has come here today specifically to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
"Request a person from the city lord."
Huo Jiaying frowned, her eyes scanning Xiao Ling up and down. She asked uncertainly, "Who could have troubled you to travel so far? Could it be an old friend of yours?"
“He is grateful! His name is He Nian.”
I met He Nian on my way to the Kingdom of Wushui to draw a map.
At that time, the Wushui Kingdom was plagued by war for years. Even if he spoke fluent Wushui language, his appearance would still cause him trouble.
He was accidentally spotted by a group of soldiers, and He Nian saved him. He Nian's family was a prominent local clan with considerable power, so saving Xiao Ling, who was disguised as a commoner, was a piece of cake for them.
After that, Xiao Ling stayed at He Nian's house.
He Nian was quite knowledgeable about the culture of the Yu Kingdom, and the two became old friends after a few visits.
Xiao Ling learned many customs of the Wushui Kingdom from He Nian, and truly became one of the few people in the Yu Kingdom who understood the Wushui Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Wushui was destroyed.
Many prominent families in the Wushui Kingdom have fallen from grace, and the He family was no exception.
The last letter Xiao Ling received from He Nian was a plea for help, asking him to spare his people out of consideration for their past relationship.
When Xiao Ling sent people to search, he learned that the He family had been wiped out, and the few remaining members had been sold into slavery. Chunfeng City was the largest slave-owning area in the vicinity, so the only way to find He Nian was to come to the city lord's mansion.
No one knew what year it was, except for Xiao Ling.
So he came in person.
He wanted to repay the life-saving grace from back then, but if He Nian knew that the person he saved back then was one of the people who caused the extermination of his country and clan, he wondered what he would think.
Fate plays tricks on people, never asking whether they want to or not.
If the events of that year were to repeat themselves, he would still be determined to finish drawing that map.
Huo Jiaying responded with an "oh".
What year!
Never heard of him, must be some unknown nobody.
However, it seemed somewhat inappropriate to seek out someone without clarifying their background. "Young master is from Yongzhou, and perhaps a disciple of some prominent figure there. If I have the opportunity, I would like to pay him a visit."
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Ling's snow-white face. "Pingnan!"
"Pingnan?" Huo Jiaying frowned deeply, even feeling a little panicked.
The servant beside Xiao Ling curled his lip in dissatisfaction, "How many Pingnans are there in the world? You, the dignified city lord of Chunfeng City, don't even know this?"
"The Imperial Minister of Pingnan?"
The servant said arrogantly, "Besides the Emperor of Pingnan, who else in the world dares to call themselves Pingnan?"
Huo Jiaying hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject, Huo Jiaying, the city lord of Chunfeng City, respectfully welcomes Emperor Pingnan and begs Your Majesty to forgive my sins."
"Get up!" Xiao Ling said calmly. "Ignorance is no excuse."
As he spoke, a small seal appeared in his palm, and he calmly said, "Find He Nian."
Huo Jiaying verified the seal and knew that the person in front of her was indeed the legendary Pingnan Emperor of Yu Kingdom. Her heart tightened and she dared not say anything more. She immediately ordered people to search the whole city for the person named He Nian. Meanwhile, fine wine and delicacies were served up like a flowing stream.
She herself sat at the lower end, gazing intently at this figure from the legends of the Yu Kingdom.
He went from being a disgraced official to an imperial minister, and then to a meritorious official of the Yu Kingdom. His life was full of ups and downs, more complicated than a play.
He was not of true royal blood, but the royal family and His Majesty recognized his status as an imperial minister and bestowed upon him honors. Moreover, it was because of him that the Yu Kingdom was able to conquer the Wushui Kingdom so smoothly; his contribution was indispensable.
Xiao Ling took a small bite and then stopped eating.
In the royal palace of the Wushui Kingdom, in order to overthrow the former Phoenix King and take control of the harem, he used a self-inflicted injury scheme, but unfortunately, he poisoned himself too much.
After being rescued that time, my body collapsed.
I am sensitive to cold, have aversion to cold, and my hands and feet are always cold. I also have more and more minor ailments. In recent years, I have been living with herbal medicines and I am very careful in my movements and sitting. I have also simplified my diet.
He felt he was nearing the end of his life and that death was not far off.
Huo Jiaying wanted to get closer to Xiao Ling, but seeing that Xiao Ling was indifferent and didn't know where to start, she smiled and said, "Besides He Nian, does Your Majesty have any other business to send me to handle?"
"There's another matter: where did the He family, a prominent clan in Chunfeng City, go?"
"The He family?" Huo Jiaying seemed to finally remember. "During the war, the He family was fought over by several royal families, which greatly weakened them. Later, when the country was destroyed, the He family refused to surrender and was exterminated. The few who managed to escape became slaves and were scattered in various places. I'm afraid there aren't many left in Chunfeng City."
"Oh!" Xiao Ling said thoughtfully.
From the perspective of a long-term future, Xiao Ling could understand Jiang Wujiang's national policy very well, and this policy was undoubtedly excellent.
There are too many people in Wushui Kingdom. Apart from killing some, subjugating some, and selling some, I can't think of a better way.
Only by keeping the number of people in the Wushui Kingdom within a certain range can the long-term stability of the Yu Kingdom be ensured.
This is a magnificent feat that will benefit future generations; however, when such a fate is applied to an individual, it becomes all the more tragic.
However, Xiao Ling understood very well that if the Wushui Kingdom defeated the Yu Kingdom, the fate of these royal relatives and nobles would not be much better. The victor is king and the loser is villain; only the victor has the right to speak about right and wrong.
Finding someone naturally takes time.
Xiao Ling waited patiently until noon, when someone finally came to report that the person had been found in the backyard of the city lord's mansion.
Huo Jiaying's face immediately darkened, and she hurriedly ordered someone to clean He Nian up and bring him out to meet people.
A thin figure was brought out, and he habitually knelt on the ground, his expression blank, unable to utter a single word.
Xiao Ling frowned. "Raise your head."
The thin figure knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
Huo Jiaying said in a deep voice, "Why don't you listen to the nobleman's orders?" Her tone contained a threat.
The man trembled twice before finally raising his head. A tormented face appeared before Xiao Ling, and his eyes pleaded for mercy as he looked at Xiao Ling.
Xiao Lingbing held her breath, waved her hand, and gestured for Huo Jiaying to leave. "Not a single person is allowed to remain. I have questions to ask him."
Huo Jiaying waved her hand, and soon everyone in the room left, leaving only three people.
Xiao Ling asked, "Who are you?"
The man trembled twice and said in a trembling voice, "I am He Yue, Young Master Xiao, please save me."
He Yue, He Nian's younger sister.
Xiao Ling had met He Yue a few times when he lived at the He family's residence. However, He Yue was radiant and dazzling back then, completely different from her current appearance as a prisoner.
"Where is your brother?" Xiao Ling had a bad feeling.
He Yue let out a mournful cry and cried out, "My brother is dead."
Xiao Ling felt a little dazed.
He Yue continued, "My brother died in the chaos of war. I disguised myself as a man and mingled with the migrating group. Unexpectedly, I was captured by a pair of bandits and sold here. Women here are supposed to be taken to the army camp as cannon fodder. I didn't want my own people to kill each other, so I disguised myself as a man and was sold to the backyard to work as a servant doing odd jobs."
As Xiao Ling listened, a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes, and his gaze towards He Yue was filled with complex emotions.
The destruction of a country and the destruction of a family are inevitable, and it is always painful when it happens to someone you know.
"Come with me!"
These few words sounded like heavenly music to He Yue's ears. She looked up in disbelief, her eyes filled with a mixture of joy and fear as she looked at Xiao Ling, afraid that he was lying.
Xiao Ling smiled and walked out first. The servant followed him out. As he stepped across the threshold, he turned to look at the dazed He Yue and said, "Why aren't you coming over yet? Do you still want to stay here as a servant?"
He Yue was overjoyed. She quickly stood up, dusted herself off, and hurriedly followed behind.
The group walked outside the courtyard.
This time, they traveled openly and honestly, and their journey was indeed smooth. Moreover, everyone else treated them with great respect.
He Yue finally understood that the person her brother had saved back then was not simple. Even the city lord's mansion had to treat him with respect. What kind of connections did he have?
With her mind wandering, He Yue forgot to look at the scenery around her. After wandering around for a while, she finally stood at the gate of the city lord's mansion.
"You're out!" Xiao Ling looked at He Yue and said in a calm tone, "You're free now. What are your plans?"
He Yue blurted out, "I'll follow you!"
"Follow me?" Xiao Ling seemed thoughtful. He didn't want to bring another person along; it would be too much trouble.
He Yue's eyes reddened. "If you want to save someone, you should go all the way. If you let me go now, I'll be captured again and sold into slavery soon."
Xiao Ling watched her silently. He Yue didn't have the identity and household registration of a citizen of Yu Kingdom. It would be very difficult for her to live openly and honestly. He was afraid that she would be arrested and taken back in a few days, just as the contract stated.
He sighed silently and nodded. "In that case, come with me. I will have someone give you a new identity."
He Yue was overjoyed, and even found Xiao Ling, this man from the Yu Kingdom, less annoying.
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