Chapter 1120: Annexing the High Kingdom (Part 7) [Requesting Double Monthly Tickets]
Several people worked together to lift the bolts of the city gate.
As the city gate creaked and groaned, the towering gate was pushed open, first revealing a narrow crack, then gradually unfolding to show the anxious general behind it.
The garrison commander was a notorious swordsman in the area. Upon hearing at home that his predecessor had deserted in the face of battle, he flew into a rage and immediately agreed to go and find his childhood friend who had fought alongside him in defending the city. Together, they lobbied throughout the county and countryside, raising an army of about three hundred laborers. Among them, only a handful had cultivated martial arts skills. Their cultivation levels were low, and their armor was rudimentary. The ordinary people could only scrape together a few sets of tattered armor after searching the armory; the rest could only wear coarse cloth and hemp clothing, with wooden planks and bamboo strips tied to their chests.
He was covered in dust and dirt, and looked pale and thin.
Compared to the imposing, murderous army outside the city, they appeared weak and pitiful. Let alone defending the city from their jaws, even meeting their eyes would send chills down one's spine. What kind of eyes were those? Excitement, bloodlust, restlessness, as if they were about to break free of their reins and open their blood-red maws to bite the vulnerable neck of their prey.
Bai Su took the lead.
With a flick of her whip, she sent a swarm of soldiers rushing forward to bind all the surrendered guards. Then, several more rows of soldiers marched out in neat formation to guard key points of the city, such as the armory and granary.
"...It was completely empty inside; even rats would shake their heads at the sight of it."
Bai Su was mentally prepared: "It makes sense."
Before fleeing for their lives, the wealthy and powerful families in the city had already taken away all their valuables, and smashed and burned anything they couldn't carry. When Lu Ji and his men led their troops to take over, the government office was deserted, and even the desks piled with files were covered with a thin layer of dust.
Lu Ji said angrily, "Let these scoundrels run away if they want, they've even moved the granary and supplies, they really want to starve the soldiers guarding the city to death!"
Although they were enemies, she couldn't stand this behavior.
In any case, the garrison soldiers had more backbone than those deserters.
Bai Su was also furious, but without these cowards, it would still take some effort for their side to enter the city. It was already a miracle that a siege could be fought without bloodshed and death: "Let's not talk about that. First, let's take stock of our manpower and see how many people are left in the city. Right now, calming the people is the priority. If there's a food shortage in the city, we'll fill it ourselves first and show those Gao people the difference."
The food shortage in the city was greater than expected.
Not only were government granaries emptied, but private grain reserves were also looted in advance. Local grain merchants, belonging to local powerful figures, had far better access to information than ordinary people. They knew the direction of the Kang Kingdom's army's attack more than half a month in advance and took advantage of the information gap between the two places to buy and hoard grain. They planned to sell it when grain prices were at their highest, and perhaps even take advantage of the chaos to make a quick profit.
However, Shen Tang's army was quite formidable.
They overestimated the defensive capabilities of various parts of Gao Kingdom, their dreams of wealth were abruptly shattered, and they were forced to pack their belongings and flee prematurely, leading to famine within the city. Bai Su ordered his soldiers to set up tents and distribute porridge, and also sent his men on horseback through the streets and alleys to spread the news. At first, no one believed it, and every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, fearing that showing their faces would result in being killed for military merit.
Until someone couldn't bear the hunger any longer and went to the nearest soup kitchen.
Inside the porridge stall were several waist-high earthenware vats with fires burning underneath. Strangely, there wasn't much firewood at the bottom of the vats. Several soldiers could be seen squatting intently in front of the vats, reaching under them. Nearby, several other soldiers with headscarves were stirring the porridge in circles with long-handled ladles. As they stirred, the rich aroma of porridge wafted into the nostrils of passersby.
Judging by their faces, these soldiers were both men and women. But by their physiques, each of their arms was thicker than their own legs, making it somewhat difficult to tell their gender. Especially the woman who was stirring a large soup ladle with her sleeves rolled up; she held the ladle handle with one hand, her upper arm slightly straining, revealing bulging, powerful muscles. Sweat from the intense heat covered her brown skin, making it look like it had been carefully polished, gleaming brightly.
Several commoners stopped in their tracks, fearing that the soldiers would slap them.
That slap could break a person's front teeth effortlessly, and even splatter their brains. Some beggars, wanting to take a gamble and hoping not to starve to death, timidly approached.
The nearest soldier looked up.
One look was enough to frighten the beggar so much that his legs stiffened and his whole body trembled.
Before the beggar fainted, the soldier spoke up: "Did you bring a bowl?"
Her voice wasn't as high-pitched as a typical woman's, nor did it possess the deep, resonant quality of a man's. Anyone who heard it could tell she was a robust woman with a strong voice and abundant energy. Even though they were several paces apart, her voice could still be clearly heard by the beggar.
This sound also proves that she has been well-fed all year round.
Unlike those who go hungry for three days and are weak and powerless.
The beggar pulled a chipped earthenware bowl from his pocket; the bowl, with a small section broken off, was his main possession for making a living. The soldier glanced at it, winked at the man beside him, and ordered, "Give him a new bowl. After he finishes drinking, throw the bowl into that bamboo basket and don't take it with you."
Throughout the entire process, the beggar was in a daze.
When he came to his senses, he found himself squatting in a corner, a steaming wooden bowl in front of him, and a large, savory, crispy flatbread in his right hand. The flatbread was twice the size of his face and about an inch thick. He took a bite, the meaty oil filling his mouth, along with a hint of fresh scallion flavor. He could count on one hand the number of times he had tasted such a delicacy in his memory.
On a few occasions, I was lucky enough to eat the swill of wealthy families.
Normally, beggars weren't allowed to handle these swill buckets. In wealthy households, servants would take the swill to a processing plant, where it could be sorted and sold for a considerable sum, enough to buy a decent house over several years. Such a good thing was rare; without a bit of luck, you wouldn't even get a taste. However, there were exceptions.
If there's a joyous occasion with a lavish feast, even a beggar might get a share by saying a few auspicious words. But if you're unlucky and encounter a stingy and mean-spirited host, you're lucky if you don't get a single scrap of food or even a beating and your life.
Think about these things, then look at what's in front of you.
The beggar, fearing someone would snatch the food from his hands, devoured the flatbread with both hands, swallowing it without chewing. If he couldn't swallow it, he would gulp down a mouthful of hot porridge. Looking up again, he saw that the porridge stall was already crowded with people.
The chaotic crowd fell silent instantly at the sight of the soldier's glare, and they lined up one by one as ordered: "Those who don't line up won't get porridge, and those who dare to cut in line will get a beating! If you can take a beating and not fall apart, then try it."
As he spoke, he looked at the wooden sticks standing upright on the ground of the porridge stall.
This stick is thicker than the waists of everyone present!
If I really get hit by a stick, I'll really have to go see my great-grandmother.
Faced with a life-threatening situation, the crowd dared not take the risk. No matter how hungry or anxious they were, they could only wait one by one. Even the thugs mixed among them dared not cause trouble. They had all seen that the soldiers' clothes were still stained with indelible brown blood. No one wanted to have their neck crushed by the other, washed clean, and become a familiar face in a clay pot.
As the news of the porridge distribution was confirmed, more and more people were willing to come out, but some unpleasant scenes occurred. Some people were being dragged out by soldiers with one hand. The force wasn't heavy, but it still made them stumble. The person glared angrily, their face flushed, and said, "What are you doing? I wasn't waiting in line obediently, and I didn't cut in line. Why are you dragging me out? If you can't afford the porridge, don't lie to people!"
Realizing that this group had no intention of killing anyone, some of the scoundrels became bolder, revealing their usual arrogant and domineering nature.
"Look at your body, fatter than a pig, what are you going to do with porridge?"
He's so fat his chin is so fleshy it looks like his eyes are being squeezed out.
"You can survive on water alone, what are you trying to gain by coming here?"
His face was rosy and glowing; he didn't look like he was starving at all.
The fat man, still trying to be defiant, lost all his temper the moment his feet left the ground. He was lifted up by a woman a head taller than him and thrown out of the queue. He reluctantly got up, his buttocks aching as if they were split in four, and stormed off.
Then, more people were identified.
The man wasn't particularly fat, but his clothes didn't even have a single patch.
As the soldiers inspected the crowd, those who were robust, had ruddy complexions, were dressed intact, and were full of energy were all thrown out. According to the rules of the soup kitchen, the elderly and children could receive two cakes and a bowl of soup, while adults could only receive one cake and one bowl of soup.
This arrangement takes into account the fact that the former group has difficulty walking and it takes them a long time to come to the porridge stall; giving them an extra pancake means they can come less often. It's different for the young people; they can eat their fill in one meal and come back for the next.
Some clever people finish eating and then go to the end of the line to continue queuing.
The soldier serving the porridge glanced at him, and the man was carried away.
When he was taken away, he tried to argue, but he clearly underestimated the memory of a martial artist. Although martial arts don't enhance memory as much as literary skills, they still far surpass those of ordinary people. The person serving the porridge could immediately tell whether someone was coming for the first time or making a false claim. As more people were exposed, the imposters mingling in the crowd could only give up and quietly disperse.
Their departure significantly accelerated the team's progress.
Some people harbored malicious intentions and hid extra cakes for the elderly and children.
In response to this—
Bai Su had only one order.
"Catch them and kill them, no need for further explanation."
Distributing porridge and killing are not mutually exclusive; if you want food, you must abide by her rules. Those who break the rules deserve to die. By the end of the day, the turmoil in the city had subsided. However, before dawn the next day, several corpses were found hanging from the top of the city wall. Someone recognized the corpses as those of the owners of the city's grain shops, who had long since fled.
Why is the body hanging here?
It's actually quite simple.
Chaos reigned throughout the Gao Kingdom. Those who carried large quantities of grain couldn't go far. Some risked continuing their escape, while others hid in villages outside the city, concealing all the grain there. With the city surrendering and food shortages looming, a clever man sought out Bai Su.
Bai Su was quite surprised when the other party introduced himself.
Ask the other party why they came.
Because the grain merchant said he had grain on hand and wanted to offer it as a gift to Bai Su, Bai Su agreed to meet him to pass the time. The grain merchant's plan was simple: soup kitchens were not a long-term solution, and with so many people in the city, distributing soup would cost a lot of military funds.
Why not stop distributing porridge and sell the grain instead?
The grain sold at a premium yielded 70% of the profit for Bai Su.
Bai Su looked at the other party's shrewd and calculating eyes with interest: "Seventy percent? That certainly shows sincerity. How many people can you count seventy percent?"
The grain merchant gestured with his fingers.
Bai Su got up and paced back and forth in thought, seemingly moved.
The grain merchant wasn't in a hurry. He'd seen plenty of these insatiable bandits, all robbing and pillaging, each one more greedy than the last. As long as the profit was high enough, there was no one he couldn't bribe. Sure enough, Bai Su walked up to him, lowered her eyes, and said approvingly, "Tsk, you're very sensible."
The grain merchant fawned, "This is also a general..."
Then the conversation abruptly ended.
As the head rolled on the ground, he heard Bai Su say softly, "For those who are too sensible, the reward is to make you young again."
These kinds of people don't even need to think about whether they can kill someone.
"Kill his entourage as well."
A few words casually decided the fate of several people.
They dispatched troops overnight to raid the grain merchants' stronghold, taking everything they could, leaving not a single grain of millet behind. Bai Su promised not to kill the garrison or disturb the common people if the city surrendered, but he didn't say he wouldn't kill those who were courting death. Even the Old Man of Longevity couldn't stop someone so eager to die.
Bai Su then sent people to spread the news of what had happened in the city.
We'll offer porridge and bread to those who surrender willingly, without killing or disturbing the people—we mean what we say! Gao Guo is barely clinging to life; rather than starve for three days and nine meals a day, why not become a citizen of Kang Guo? The sooner you become a citizen, the sooner you can enjoy life; abandon darkness for light, and your life will be safe. Look at how well the people of Kang Guo live, then look down at ourselves—is there any need for hesitation?
Especially local officials.
Switch jobs early, first come, first served; latecomers miss out.
It wasn't just Bai Su's army that did this; the other two armies did the same. We should try to avoid using force if problems can be solved with food. Besides, Shen Tang was also cunning, deliberately spreading threats to intimidate families in various regions, scaring away as many as possible.
It doesn't matter if these family members run away; just leave her the tenants and land, which will save her the trouble of finding excuses to sharpen her knife later.
She also has ways to deal with those who don't run away.
Those who were friendly surrounded the house, trapping the person inside.
Those who were unfriendly were all thrown into the dungeon.
Of course, she couldn't openly admit that she was after the tenant farmers, so Shen Tang made up other reasons, including but not limited to bullying men and women, forced buying and selling, disregard for human life, and sending someone to assassinate her... Regardless of whether it was true or not, she wanted to throw this mud at them first and arrest them. After the war, an investigation would be conducted, and no innocent person would be wronged; their innocence would be restored.
How long will they be detained?
How long will the investigation take?
Sigh, this is just a matter of going through the procedures!
If these people are willing to cooperate, the process will be faster; if they are not, the process will be slower. She has been the ruler for so many years, and everyone who has tried her has praised her methods!
Wei Cheng, who was out buying food for his uncle and also inquiring about news, asked: "...You really weren't a bandit in your past life?"
Who wouldn't call them damned robbers after seeing this?
Wei Cheng, who also came from a prominent family, understood but did not approve of Shen Tang's behavior, as she had gone too far.
"Whether I was a bandit in my past life is still a mystery, but it's a certainty that these local powerful families are bandits in this life! If they weren't bandits, how could they have so many hidden tenant farmers? Wu Zhaode spoils them, but I only know how to discipline them with the stick!" He glanced at Wei Cheng as he spoke, "You went this far to buy supplies for your uncle? Could it be that you and your uncle have spies in Gao State?"
|ω`)
My driving instructor has almost fully recovered from surgery and was finally able to practice driving today. He practiced driving forward and backward for over an hour at the driving school, and then he asked me to go on the road to take another student home _(:з」∠)_ I don't even know how big a turn to make!
P.S.: Sigh, learning C2 in Yueqing is ridiculously expensive, it hurts. Tuition, registration fees, gas money, and all that, it comes to eight or nine thousand yuan, and that's assuming you pass everything on your first try.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com