Chen Zhennan carried the seriously injured Song Yunming slowly into Tianyang Pass. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, casting a heavy shadow.
Once in the city, Chen Zhennan arranged for Song Yunming to recuperate in a quiet courtyard.
Song Yunyang rushed over, thinking her younger brother would return unharmed, but she never expected him to be seriously injured.
"Little brother, what's wrong?"
Song Yunming smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "Sister, I'm fine. I'm perfectly alright."
"What's so good about it? Where's your right hand? What exactly happened? Where are your eight thousand cavalrymen?"
Enraged, Song Yunming stared directly at Chen Zhennan with eyes like knives, as if he wanted to pierce him.
Chen Zhennan felt guilty. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Song Yunyang's gaze. He knew very well that he was largely to blame for this failure.
"Speak!" Song Yunyang's voice was cold, like the winter wind.
Song Yunming slowly got up and pulled Song Yunyang to sit down.
"No, sister, it's not brother-in-law's fault, it was my own carelessness."
"What brother-in-law? Is he your brother-in-law?"
After saying that, Song Yunyang turned to look at Chen Zhennan.
"Chen Zhennan, I no longer want to keep Yunming by your side. From now on, there will be no more connection between you two."
"Yunyang, I promise this will never happen again." Chen Zhennan felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew that the trust between him and Song Yunyang had been broken.
Song Yunyang didn't answer. She simply helped her younger brother up and turned to leave. Chen Zhennan stood there, watching their retreating figures, his heart filled with guilt and helplessness.
The next day, Chen Zhennan stood on the city wall, gazing in the direction of the thirteen prefectures of the customs.
"How is your disaster relief work going?"
Upon hearing the commotion, Wang Lei, Song Yunyang's deputy general, rushed forward.
"In the thirteen provinces of the Customs District, not a single person starved to death." A hint of pride appeared on Wang Lei's face, and his eyes gleamed. "Everyone is grateful for your great kindness."
Nodding, Chen Zhennan said approvingly, "Well done. You've worked hard these past few days, but the disaster relief work can't stop. Immediately mobilize manpower to help those high-ranking officials and nobles with the autumn harvest, and transport all the harvested grain to Tianyang Pass."
Wang Lei was taken aback, then looked up slightly. "Marshal Chen, aren't you afraid that the officials will rebel if you do this?"
"Rebellion?" Chen Zhennan couldn't help but laugh. "I was worried these bastards wouldn't rebel. Just do as I say. By the way, thoroughly investigate the total population and total cultivated land of each prefecture and county, including that of the Great Yan."
Wang Lei was taken aback again, his face full of confusion: "Marshal Chen, what are you planning to do?"
"Fight the landlords, divide the land! In this Great Wu, a governor's annual salary is equivalent to the grain income from six hundred acres of land. These bastards have been engaging in land annexation every year; it's time to make them spit it out!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lei couldn't help but shudder and stared at Chen Zhennan in disbelief.
Throughout history, he has never said that anyone would be willing to distribute land to the people, let alone distribute it equally.
"What are you waiting for? Get these figures clear within three months, and I'll reward you handsomely. If you fail, I'll fire you!"
Wang Lei nodded emphatically upon hearing this, then hurriedly turned and left.
Time flows like a gentle stream, passing by quietly day by day.
Chen Zhennan's days were busy and fulfilling. In addition to allocating funds for disaster relief, he also personally led a group of people to participate in the massive project of road and bridge construction.
In Chen Zhennan's heart, he always held two beliefs that were like truths.
First, he believed that "to get rich, build roads first" was the foundation of development.
Secondly, the principle of "rarity makes things valuable" reflects his profound understanding of economic principles.
If we want to ensure that all people in the world have enough to eat and wear, we must first improve the land transportation situation. This is something that cannot be rushed; we can only start from the grassroots level and work step by step.
About ten days passed, and those ten days felt like an endless ordeal.
Finally, news came from Marin's side, news that shattered the calm surface of the lake like a thunderclap.
Feng Zirou and Gu Siyao successfully assassinated Zhou Jianjia, and Zhou Jianjia has been killed.
However, this victory came at a heavy price. One of Gu Siyao and Feng Zirou was killed. Ma Run did not see the body, so he had no way of knowing who had met with misfortune. Meanwhile, the other survivor was being relentlessly pursued by the enemy.
When Chen Zhennan received this news, he was extremely anxious and immediately sent people to search within the territory of Da Zhou.
Those who were sent out were like arrows released from a bow, but ten days passed, and those ten days felt like ten years. The searchers still found nothing and brought back no useful information.
Chen Zhennan waited anxiously every day. Sometimes he paced back and forth in the house, and sometimes he stood on the city wall and looked into the distance. His tightly furrowed brows never relaxed, and his eyes were full of worry and urgency.
Finally, just when Chen Zhennan was almost in despair and ready to give up the search, an unexpected figure appeared under Tianyang Pass.
The man was dressed in rags, his clothes torn and tattered, covered in dust and blood, looking as if he had just crawled out of hell.
It's Gu Siyao!
To Chen Zhennan's surprise, her long hair had disappeared, replaced by a bald head. In this state, no one would recognize her at first glance as the former Gu Siyao.
When Chen Zhennan first saw this figure, he was stunned, and then felt a pang of pain in his heart.
Without asking any questions, he hurriedly and loudly ordered his men, "Quickly, prepare a room immediately, and find two attentive maids to help her take a bath."
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