Zhao Tiangang calmed himself down, walked quickly to Xia He, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with admiration that was difficult to conceal:
"Boss Xia, well done! You have done a great job this time!"
Xia He smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said:
"General, you are too kind. I am just doing my duty."
Zhao Tiangang nodded and then asked:
"Tell me quickly, how did you do it?"
Xia He then briefly recounted the events of the night attack.
From how to discover the ambush of the White Robe Army, to how to use the terrain to launch a surprise attack, and then to how to capture Su Changfeng alive.
Everyone was stunned and praised Xia He's courage and strategy.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Zhao Tiangang said "good" three times in a row, his face full of joy.
"Once the White Robe Army is eliminated, the army will no longer need to take detours. We can march directly after daybreak and reach Youzhou in less than two days!"
Other generals also echoed this, and some even began to praise Xia He:
"General Xia Qian is so young, yet he has such courage and vision. He is truly a god sent from heaven, brave and capable!"
Zhao Tiangang laughed and patted Xia He on the shoulder:
"I will definitely take credit for you when I return this time! But..."
He changed the subject, with a tone of criticism.
"As the commander of the reserve battalion, you should report this large-scale operation to me in advance. Do not act on your own next time."
Xia He nodded and replied, "Yes, I understand."
At this moment, Xia He suddenly interrupted everyone's joy and said a little inappropriately:
"General, there is one more thing I need to report. When we were arresting the White Robe Army, we also captured several local civilians from Youzhou."
After saying that, he looked at Ming San and the others standing aside.
"Bring the man up."
Several civilians staggered and after being carried out, they knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
Xia He ignored him and asked loudly,
"They claimed that their fields were destroyed by the spiritual grass and their entire families starved to death."
"Now the spiritual grass is overgrown in Youzhou, and the people are suffering. How should we deal with this matter after we enter Youzhou?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the originally cheerful atmosphere suddenly became solemn.
When Zhao Tiangang heard Xia He mention the word "Linghe", his face changed instantly, his brows furrowed, and a hint of shock and uneasiness flashed in his eyes.
He raised his head suddenly, and said in a low and rapid voice:
"Spiritual grass? Deal with it? Xia He, do you know what you are talking about? This thing is called 'immortal grass' by His Majesty, and it was personally ordered by the imperial court to be planted throughout the country!"
Although Linghe is poisonous, it can indeed prolong life after being purified.
It can even help warriors break through bottlenecks and improve their cultivation!
If not, how could the imperial court cultivate several martial saints in just a few years?
There was a hint of warning in his tone, and he was clearly extremely uneasy about Xia He's suggestion.
After a pause, he added coldly:
"As for these unruly people who rebelled against the imperial court, they should all have been executed..."
In their eyes, people are just numbers.
Just like harvesting wheat, as long as you harvest something after harvesting it, it is worth it!
"We are here to quell the rebellion. The matter of disaster relief will be decided by the imperial court. There is no need for us to meddle in it!"
Xia He couldn't help but sneer when he heard this, and interrupted Zhao Tiangang and asked,
"General, why are these civilians rebelling? Isn't it because they will starve to death if they don't rebel?"
"If the people could have enough food without these spiritual herbs, would they still rebel? The spiritual herbs disaster has made life miserable for the people of Youzhou. If it is not resolved, the rebellion will only intensify!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the tent froze instantly.
Zhao Tiangang's face was terribly gloomy, his eyes pierced Xia He like a knife, and his voice was cold:
"Xia He, what do you mean by this? Do you want to disobey His Majesty's order?"
The surrounding generals also changed color, and some hurriedly stood up to dissuade him:
"General Xia Qian, this matter is of great importance. You must think twice! Linghe is the immortal herb designated by His Majesty. If you handle it without authorization, it will be a crime of treason!"
Another person also echoed:
"Yes, Mr. Xia Qian, you are young and have a bright future. Why do you want to ruin your future for these irrelevant things?"
"Why don't you hand over the White Robe Army? We will take them back to the court to report. This matter will have nothing to do with you."
Xia He was not moved at all, and glanced at everyone:
"I arrested these people, so naturally I will deal with them personally."
Zhao Tiangang was immediately furious when he heard this. He slammed the table and shouted:
"Xia He! You are openly disobeying orders! Do you know the consequences?"
Xia He remained calm and looked directly at Zhao Tiangang.
"If the scourge of Linghe is not eradicated, the people of Youzhou will never have peace. I propose destroying Linghe and returning the land to the people, so that they have a reason to live. This is the fundamental way to quell the rebellion."
"How dare you!" Zhao Tiangang was furious and pointed at Xia He's nose and cursed.
"Are you questioning His Majesty's decision? You simply don't know your place!"
At this moment, a general could no longer hold back, stepped forward and said in a cold voice:
"Xia He, since you are still stubborn, don't blame us for being rude! Come on, take these rebels away!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand to signal the soldiers behind him to come forward.
However, a cold light flashed in Xia He's eyes, and his body suddenly moved and he slapped out with his palm.
Before the general could react, he was knocked backwards by a powerful force, spurting blood from his mouth, and fell heavily to the ground!
Everyone was suddenly horrified and drew their swords against each other, creating a tense atmosphere.
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