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墨書 Inktalez
Through the elder's account, he was indeed the chief of Li Family Village. Most of these people were from the surrounding villages of Gao Ping. After hearing that the Qin Army had sent troops to occupy the county seat, they hurriedly fled to this place. Upon learning that the Zhao Kingdom had agreed to accept refugees, they decided to temporarily escape into Zhao territory to avoid disaster. They intended to return home after the war ended, but unexpectedly, they were stopped by Zhao troops who would not let them pass.
They wanted to go home but were prohibited from returning by the Qin Army under the pretext of being spies. Had they known it would come to this, they should never have left their homes in the first place. Even if they were killed by the Qin Army, it would be better than dying away from home like an elder. A single misjudgment ultimately led to a national crisis where they could not return home. Now, facing hunger and cold with a difficult road ahead, they heard from locals that the general of this city was a kind-hearted person. Thus, they came to beg for food to survive and hoped to seek permission from the Qin Army to return home.
"My lord! For the sake of being fellow subjects of the former Han Kingdom, please spare some food," the elder said, preparing to kneel.
One should understand propriety; how could he allow an elder to kneel before him!
Li Xin stepped forward and supported the chief. "Elder! You mustn't do this. I am merely a Deputy General in this city; such a significant matter is beyond my authority. I came here to inquire about the situation outside and any assistance for everyone needs to be reported back to my general."
The refugees saw a high-ranking official and thought he was just making excuses. They were on the verge of starving; dying by his sword was better than letting him go back. So they all stood up and crowded around, trying to block the general.
The soldiers could maintain order as long as the civilians had no intention of fighting back. However, seeing the crowd become agitated, chaos erupted outside the city gates. They nearly overturned the general's carriage but still could not effectively control the situation.
Li Xin jumped onto the carriage and shouted, "Fellow villagers! Please do not panic! Listen to me!"
As people saw the city gates that had been opened begin to close again, no one paid attention to his words anymore. They rushed toward the gates, pushing back against the soldiers maintaining order outside. The soldiers were retreating under pressure; after all, inside was where all military supplies were stored, and if these refugees broke in, they would be held accountable!
The crowd was on the brink of losing control; some even attempted to seize weapons from the soldiers. The soldiers guarding the walls clearly understood what was happening and quickly drew their bows, aiming downwards.
Li Xin noticed this preparation on the walls and immediately realized how critical the situation had become. He shouted loudly, "Everyone stop!"
As his voice echoed throughout the area, everyone halted and looked at this general.
"We're going to starve! What else is there to fear?!" someone suddenly shouted from within the crowd. "If you really want to help us, you can't enter the city!"
Hearing this, public anger flared up again. "Yes! Show us your sincerity! You can't enter!"
"Everyone, listen to me! I will not enter the city! Stay outside and wait for food to be sent to you from within the city! How about that?" Li Xin loudly reminded, "Villagers! You must not act recklessly! This is a military zone!"
What is a military zone? Anyone who enters without permission will be killed without mercy!
The common people understood the gravity of the situation. With Li Xin's reminder, they woke up from their anger. The flames of rage that had just ignited were extinguished, and they sat down on the ground in silence.
Seeing the situation calm down from the carriage, Sun Thirteen finally relaxed. He had been worried about Li Xin; needless slaughter was imminent. The people across were all women, children, the elderly, and the young. Even if it wasn't his order that led to violence, it would still weigh heavily on his conscience. If he truly shot at civilians, he would live with guilt for the rest of his life.
When news of the refugees outside the city reached Han Yongcheng, who was still drinking and enjoying himself, he quickly raised his hand to signal all the musicians to withdraw. He stood up and saluted Zhao Weiran, who was surrounded by beautiful women, saying, "General! A large group of refugees has arrived outside the city, and General Li's attempt to suppress them has failed."
Drunk and in high spirits, Zhao Weiran felt displeased when the music suddenly stopped. Squinting to understand what was happening, he heard this news. "Aren't there always refugees? Just have the soldiers disperse them!"
Han Yongcheng hurriedly explained, "General Li has been surrounded by the refugees and cannot return..."
Zhao Weiran pushed away the beauty beside him and slammed his hand on the table. "Is this how my esteemed Zhao General behaves!? Can't even handle such a trivial matter! If the Qin Barbarians' army comes, are we supposed to surrender? They're just unarmed civilians; what is there to fear? Someone! Assemble five hundred soldiers and immediately go out to rescue General Li. Kill anyone who resists!"
"Understood!"
Hearing this command, Han Yongcheng clenched his fists tightly and shouted, "Wait!"
Zhao Weiran, who was about to leave, halted in place and turned to look at General Han and then at General Zhao.
Han Yongcheng raised his hand to signal for a moment's pause and said respectfully, "My lord! Please think carefully! Those are our Zhao citizens; even if they have done something wrong, they shouldn't be killed."
"Oh!?" Zhao Weiran had intended to summon the musicians again but smiled slightly upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"
"My lord! Those people outside fled here because of the war between Zhao and Qin; they are truly pitiful. Shangdang County originally belonged to Han but has only recently come under Zhao's control. Han Min has just been annexed; we should be calming public sentiment now. If we provide aid to them at this time, they will surely be grateful. Once they return home, they will spread your name as General Zhao far and wide. At that time, all of Shangdang Region will love and support you. Wherever you go, the people will surely welcome you with open arms. This will be a lasting achievement for generations to come, and King Zhao will certainly reward you for it."
Hearing this, Zhao Weiran immediately became interested. He waved for the general who was preparing to lead the troops out of the city to come back and sit down, then asked, "The people outside are just lowly commoners; how could the lofty king possibly have heard of this matter?"
Han Yongcheng took a deep breath and explained, "A prosperous nation relies on a strong populace, and a strong populace leads to national wealth. Wherever the army you lead goes, it will surely win the affection of the people, and this will inevitably spread throughout our military. It’s likely that some commoners will even build shrines in your honor; that remains to be seen. Once the war is over, this news will travel back with the army to Han Capital, and it will be only natural for our king to learn of it!"
Zhao Weiran slapped his thigh and praised, "To encounter a wise younger brother like you is indeed a blessing from heaven! If you can gain favor, you will certainly not forget your wise brother."
Han Yongcheng smiled slightly. "I only hope that my elder brother can achieve great success; I dare not be selfish in any way."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Weiran laughed heartily. This younger brother is indeed rare; he doesn’t try to take credit for achievements. "What should we do next?"
"This matter is simple! You just need to stand on the city wall and give a speech so that the people know this is your kindness," Han Yongcheng replied. "As for the rest, leave it to me; I wouldn’t want to trouble my elder brother."
"That sounds excellent! How should I deliver my speech?"
"Simple! First introduce yourself, then mention that it is due to heaven's benevolence and King Zhao's love for the people..."
"Bring me pen and ink!"
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