Yunxiao remained silent as he recalled the scene of the city filled with wounded and sick soldiers.
Yun Lian didn't wait for his reply and said to herself, "There is not a single civilian in such a large city as Qinglin City, and there are only 50,000 troops brought by General Han in the city."
So where did all the soldiers and border guards who were originally in Qinglin City go?
What kind of interests could drive an entire city to abandon the city that raised them?
The closest city to Qinglin City is Chang'an City, where they are about to go.
Yun Lian recalled the slight awkwardness on their faces when she suggested that the two of them go to Chang'an City to wait for Han Feifei's good news, which made her even more interested in the place.
Yunxiao had obviously also thought of the connection between the two, and his face was ashen.
Seeing the precious sword that Yun Lian brought to her father's hands, she finally felt a little comforted.
The army only recognized the tiger tally and the sword that the emperor used when he personally led an expedition.
When the two arrived in Chang'an, they were immediately shocked by the city's prosperity.
It seems that this place has not been affected by the war at all. As soon as you enter the city, you are greeted by a cacophony of vendors' cries. Moreover, there are no strict checks upon entering the city; you can enter as long as you pay.
The two even saw many blond-haired, green-eyed strangers wandering around the city.
Seeing the two people's curious eyes, the vendors nearby offered to explain.
"Is this your first time visiting Chang'an? Those outsiders are vendors from remote, small towns on the outskirts. They are rich in gold, and doing business with them is very profitable."
"A tael of tea leaves can be exchanged for a tael of gold. They're foolish and rich; they're all gods of wealth."
Yun Lian followed up, saying, "Brother, we just happened to pass through your city, but this is the first time we've seen such a prosperous place as Chang'an. Even the population here seems to be larger than in other cities."
The vendor patted his chest proudly and introduced, "Of course! In terms of prosperity, the Great Wall is almost comparable to the capital city."
He spoke furtively, lowering his voice and glancing around carefully before whispering, "Although our Chang'an City has a large population, it is very safe and secure, with many guards. There is almost no need to worry about safety."
"So many city guards? But there's been a war going on lately, where did all these officials come from to protect us?"
The vendor immediately shut up: "Those are not things for us ordinary people to concern ourselves with. Are you buying or not? If you want to ask for information, go somewhere else. We just want to do some business to support our families, and we don't want to get involved in other things."
Yun Lian bought several oddly shaped drinking containers from his stall and handed him a piece of silver.
Keep the change, please.
The vendor grinned from ear to ear and quickly packed the food for the two of them.
"If you two want to learn about Chang'an, you can go to the Penglai Restaurant up ahead. Perhaps you can find the answers you are looking for there."
After bidding farewell to the vendors, the two did not go to the Penglai Restaurant, but instead wandered aimlessly through the city.
The more he shook, the more his brows furrowed.
"Could it be that we have wronged the Lord of Chang'an?"
Yun Lian looked at the satisfaction on the faces of the people, and even the women were not like those in other places, actually showing their faces to do business.
Along the way, you can see many small stalls run by husband and wife.
"Whether it's right or wrong, we'll find out when we meet them."
The two went directly to the City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord's Mansion was magnificent and grand, and because it was located on the border, its architectural style had a touch of exoticism.
They were stopped by the doorman as soon as they entered: "Do you two have an appointment?"
"You need an appointment to see your city lord?"
Seeing the two men's imposing presence, the doorman stood still and smiled as he explained, "The city lord is very busy and must have an appointment to see you. Otherwise, if just anyone came to see you, why would you confine yourself to this place?"
Yun Lian handed the jade pendant to the doorman: "Show this to him, and he will come out on his own."
"Please wait a moment, I will go and inform them."
Not long after, a young man in official robes came carrying a jade pendant. Yun Lian raised her hand to stop him from bowing.
Once they were alone, he bowed and said, "This humble official, Gong Wuyan, the city lord of Chang'an, greets Your Highness. I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and was unable to personally greet you at the city gate. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"
His hat was worn crookedly, clearly indicating that he wasn't someone who frequently wore official robes.
"No need for formalities. I have come to Chang'an City with a request. I would like to trouble you, Lord City Lord, to summon the Lord of Qinglin City to see me."
The city lord of Chang'an wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.
He chuckled foolishly, "What is the princess talking about? I don't quite understand. How could the city lord of Qinglin City be in my Chang'an City?"
Yun Lian rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes half-closed: "Then let me put it another way, I'm here to borrow 100,000 troops."
"Princess..." The city lord of Chang'an City had only uttered two words of delay when Yun Lian drew her sword and cleaved the table in two.
Her smile didn't reach her eyes, carrying an overwhelming chill: "The city lord had better think carefully before answering."
When the city lord of Chang'an saw that things were getting serious, his previous timid demeanor vanished instantly. He straightened his clothes and sat down in a chair.
With a relaxed smile on his face, he said, "Princess, could you please tell me what you intend to do with the 100,000 troops? If anything happens to so many people, we will be unable to bear the responsibility."
"Shouldn't the city lord have already guessed it? Java must be destroyed."
"Our ancient Yue Dynasty has always been a land of etiquette, and we always emphasize that there must be a legitimate reason for our actions. Java and we have always had trade relations, which is a great convenience for both sides."
"Your Highness, without His Majesty's decree, I may have no choice but to stand by and watch."
They knew perfectly well that Han Feifei had come under orders, but she was only doing so because the area was far from the reach of the emperor and couldn't be controlled by them.
Yun Lian placed her sword directly against the city lord's neck. The sharp blade barely touched him, yet a small string of blood beads appeared on his neck.
"An imperial decree? Gong Wuyan, open your eyes wide and see what this sword is called!"
Gong Wuyan stiffened and lowered his eyes. He saw the words "Shangfang" on the sword, then looked at Yun Lian and was extremely surprised.
It was rumored that Princess Mingzhao was deeply favored by the Emperor, but he never expected that she would be favored to this extent, even the Crown Prince might not have received such treatment.
The prince...
Gong Wuyan slowly turned his head and carefully examined the man who had been following Yun Lian like a transparent person, but whose aura was astonishing.
"Your Highness?"
Yunxiao nodded: "It is I, Lord Gong. It's been a long time."
Gong Wuyan immediately knelt down: "This humble official greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Yunxiao raised his hand to stop him: "Now, is Lord Gong able to cooperate with Princess Mingzhao?"
Gong Wuyan stared at the greatsword that was always resting on his neck, moving with him, and smiled bitterly: "It's not that I'm unwilling to cooperate, Your Highness, the Princess and I will know once we go to a place together."
Following his footsteps, we arrived at a place hidden among ordinary houses, where the view stretched as far as the eye could see.
Ordinary people are all mining, while the overseers are mostly blond-haired, green-eyed devils. If you're even a little slow, you'll be whipped from behind.
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