After enduring nearly an hour of relentless criticism, Chen Zhennan finally took the panting Song Yunyang back to rest.
At noon, sunlight shone through the clouds onto the drill ground, illuminating the figures of tens of thousands of prisoners. Their armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like a sea of metal.
Standing on the high platform, Chen Zhennan was filled with turbulent emotions, and the scene before him shocked him.
I originally thought that the garrison in Yunzhou City was only 10,000, but the 30,000 to 40,000 prisoners in front of me were clearly due to Li Guangyi’s high regard for his son Li Mingzhe.
"Fellow soldiers!"
Chen Zhennan's voice was as loud as a bell, echoing across the training ground.
"I will not kill you. I have gathered you here today only in the hope that you will stand up and oppose Li Guangyi!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
A burly general stepped forward, his face filled with anger and incomprehension: "Chen Zhennan, opposing Li Guangyi is tantamount to betraying the Great Zhou! We are all soldiers of the Great Zhou, and we are all subordinates of Marshal Li. Do you want us to betray our own country?"
Chen Zhennan frowned slightly, his heart tightened, he took a deep breath and softened his tone: "I understand your feelings. Rest assured, all soldiers of Great Zhou, I will not let you fight Li Guangyi on the battlefield. I just want you to say a few words."
"Say a few words? Hmph! You definitely want us to slander Marshal Li!"
"That's right, we are all soldiers of the Great Zhou, and we will never betray the Great Zhou!"
"Brothers, let's fight our way out!"
Seeing that chaos was about to break out on the training ground, Chen Zhennan suddenly reached for his pistol and fired a shot into the air.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the entire training ground fell silent instantly. Then, Chen Zhennan's special forces appeared one after another, all pointing their rifles at the Great Zhou soldiers in the training ground.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, with the prisoners whispering among themselves, their eyes revealing fear and struggle.
Seeing this, Chen Zhennan continued, "Those who are willing to step forward will immediately receive three months' worth of military pay! Fifteen taels of silver per person, enough for your families to live comfortably!"
These words caused a great stir, and hope instantly shone in the eyes of the prisoners.
Three months' worth of military pay, though not enough to make them superior, was enough to ensure their families no longer had to worry about making a living.
"I do!"
Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward—a burly man with an excited voice.
Then, others followed suit, and the atmosphere gradually became more lively.
Chen Zhennan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although money can't buy you everything, you can't do anything without it.
"I'll say it again: anyone who wants to oppose Li Guangyi, please stand up!"
His voice rang out again, as if pulling the prisoners' shoulders with an invisible force, and more and more people took a step forward.
Chen Zhennan glanced around and saw that about 80% of the people were willing to oppose Li Guangyi, and most of the remaining people held official positions.
Chen Zhennan couldn't help but shake his head. The method of getting things done by spending money was simple and crude, but it was not the most ideal solution in his mind.
Those who conquer the world must first win the hearts of the people; money cannot buy hearts.
Chen Zhennan stood on the high platform of the drill ground, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who were willing to stand up against Li Guangyi.
“You don’t need to deliberately speak ill of Li Guangyi. You just need to go home and see your parents’ situation, and then compare the differences between my jurisdiction and Li Guangyi’s jurisdiction. You will have your own answer!”
After saying this, he ordered his men to distribute three months' worth of military pay to the soldiers and let them go home.
As for those who were unwilling, Chen Zhennan did not make things difficult for them. He sent them all to the rear to help the local people with construction.
...
Three days have passed, and Li Guangyi has remained inactive.
Although Song Yunming is in their hands, their own son is also in Chen Zhennan's hands.
Chen Zhennan was well-rested and ready, and his 200,000-strong army was in high spirits. The Great Zhou had no conditions for a decisive battle.
Ultimately, Li Guangyi chose to defend, after all, this was the interior of the Great Zhou, and he knew the terrain like the back of his hand.
In the afternoon, Li Guangyi led a group of his generals out to survey the terrain.
There were only a few clouds in the sky, yet it began to snow, as if foreshadowing something.
Li Guangyi, with a heavy heart, led his generals to visit various villages, telling them to be prepared, as the imperial army might need the people's help at any time.
Originally, the people of Da Zhou had great respect for Li Guangyi and were willing to help him transport supplies.
However, today many people have voiced their opposition to Li Guangyi.
The Imperial Guard leader was about to arrest the civilians who opposed Li Guangyi, but Li Guangyi stopped him and instead summoned an elderly man over sixty to inquire about the reason.
"Brother, why are you suddenly speaking against me?" Li Guangyi's voice carried a hint of weariness.
The old man looked respectful, yet with a hint of helplessness. “Sir, the garrison of Yunzhou City has returned recently. After they were captured, they accepted money from Chen Zhennan. Everyone is saying that Chen Zhennan’s place is very good and he lives a wealthy life.”
Li Guangyi was shocked, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and his anger flared up instantly.
His face was ashen, a mixture of anger and humiliation.
"What? You accepted money?"
Li Guangyi gritted his teeth, when a general suddenly stepped forward from behind him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"General, why not capture these rebels and execute them all!"
Upon hearing this, Li Guangyi shook his head without even thinking.
“No, if I arrest the rebels, it will definitely provoke even stronger opposition, which is exactly what Chen Zhennan wants to see.”
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