While Qu Zhao and his people were discussing their options, Jiang Jin was also trying to guess Qu Zhao’s next move.
Dong Si was somewhat worried. “My lord, what should we do if Qu Zhao attacks Chongzhou?”
Jiang Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Qu Zhao probably won’t choose Chongzhou. Apart from bandits, there are virtually no Han forces in the region.”
“If Qu Zhao chooses Chongzhou, he’ll face the full counterattack of the Ji Army. It wouldn’t be worth the cost. Still, if he really does choose Chongzhou, that wouldn’t be a bad thing for us. We can take advantage of the chaos and look for an opportunity.”
Zhou Sui studied the map. “Qu Zhao is very likely to choose Anwu County.”
Jiang Jin nodded. “That’s right. It’s a place that suits Qu Zhao very well.”
Dong Si frowned and thought for a while before recalling the situation in Anwu County. He couldn’t help but sneer. “Traitorous rebels. They deserve whatever happens to them.”
Mu Ning asked, “The Jiao Army definitely won’t agree to that, will they?”
Jiang Jin smiled faintly. “That’s their problem.”
Tian Xiang of Anwu County had no idea that Qu Zhao was plotting against him. At that moment, he was worrying about this year’s grain supply.
His brother-in-law, Chen Ning, complained bitterly, “It’s all because we have to hand over so much grain to the Jiao Army every year. Otherwise, how could we possibly be short of food?”
They had farmland, the Shishan River, and farmers. Even though last year’s drought had reduced production in King Anwu’s territory, the decrease had not been particularly severe.
Unfortunately, they had to give away a huge amount of grain every year. Their already inadequate food supply was stretched even thinner as a result.
Adviser Li Wei sighed. “We’re not in a position to go up against the Jiao Army yet. For now, we can only endure the humiliation.”
Chen Ning gave a cold snort. “When will we finally be able to stand against the Jiao Army? These past two years have been suffocating.”
At first, he had believed that following Tian Xiang would allow him to accomplish something great. He wanted the glory of helping a future ruler rise to power.
And he had indeed followed a dragon—but unfortunately, it had turned out to be a false dragon. Other than the two counties they controlled, they had failed to expand by even a single commandery or county.
The population under their rule had also fallen from one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty thousand at the beginning to just over eighty thousand now.
It wasn’t because so many had died in battle. They had died of disease and starvation, or been killed by their own rulers.
The reason was simple: there wasn’t enough food. They had no choice but to kill the elderly and infirm, keeping only the able-bodied young adults who could work.
Tian Xiang said helplessly, “The Jiao Army is powerful. We still have to wait for the right opportunity.”
Chen Ning frowned. “They’re currently fighting Daqing to the east and facing Sizhou to the south. This is the perfect time for us to act. Otherwise, once the Jiao Army takes Daqing and Sizhou, we’ll be their next target.”
Tian Xiang’s expression darkened. How could he not understand the situation? He simply had no choice.
He currently ruled over more than eighty thousand civilians and nearly thirty thousand soldiers. Against the Jiao Army, they might be able to resist for a while, but victory was impossible.
He didn’t want to flee, and he didn’t want to die.
As long as the Jiao Army left him alone, he felt that he would be satisfied with the current situation. He could continue ruling this small territory.
Here, he was the king. He was heaven itself. He held the lives and deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in his hands, and he took immense pleasure in wielding such power over other people’s lives.
Seeing that his expression was worsening, Li Wei hurriedly said, “Our forces are too small. We still need to find a way to expand the army.”
Chen Ning shook his head. “Where are we supposed to find more soldiers? We’re lucky if we can keep the civilians and troops we already have.”
“But it hasn’t rained even once so far this year. It looks like we’re going to suffer another drought, just like last year. The harvest will certainly decline. When there isn’t enough food, are we going to kill another batch of civilians?”
Li Wei frowned. “I’m afraid the people will rebel if we keep doing that.”
Chen Ning snorted coldly. “They wouldn’t dare. If they rebel, I’ll kill them. No matter how many of them rise up, I’ll kill them all.”
Tian Xiang nodded. “Exactly. Killing the elderly, the sick, and the disabled is meant to allow more of the able-bodied to survive. We’re doing it for the people. It’s an act of mercy.”
He governed his army with absolute severity. Any soldier who disobeyed orders was killed.
He ruled his people with the same severity. Any civilian who refused to obey his decrees was killed.
When food had first become scarce and he ordered the first group of elderly and infirm people executed, some civilians had risen up in protest. In the end, the protesters had been killed along with them.
After that, whenever anyone rebelled, he killed them.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
By now, no one dared to oppose him.
That absolute control brought him profound satisfaction.
In a stretch of woodland outside Wenxia City, Luo Ah-di was listening to a scout’s report. After a moment, he frowned. “Are you certain of their identities?”
He had been sent here some time ago to oversee the excavation of tunnels and had become fairly familiar with the surrounding area.
The scout shook his head. “They claim to be villagers from nearby, but some of them are carrying iron picks and other farming tools.”
Just moments ago, the scouting team had discovered several dozen Han men and women sneaking into the dense forest.
They had no choice but to stop them.
Luo Ah-di frowned as a thought occurred to him. “Take me to them.”
Before long, he followed the scouts to a mountain hollow. Several dozen men and women were squatting on the ground. Around them stood five or six Dragon Shadow Guards, each holding a Dragon-feather crossbow.
“Which of you is in charge?” Luo Ah-di asked, looking at the civilians on the ground.
The people were all extremely nervous. They looked up at him, and after a long while, one man stammered, “I—I am.”
The man appeared to be around forty years old. His face was dark and sallow, and he was painfully thin, with prominent cheekbones and deeply sunken eye sockets. His entire body seemed to radiate a lifeless air.
His clothes were filthy and tattered, almost reduced to rags. The bones of his arms and chest were clearly visible, while his dry, claw-like hands gripped an iron pick tightly.
The Dragon Shadow Guards had not taken their tools away because there was no need.
With adequate precautions already in place, if they were injured by such frail civilians while holding crossbows, they would have no face left to show anyone.
Luo Ah-di looked at the man. “What’s your name? Which county and village are you from?”
The man’s lips trembled. After a long pause, he said, “My name is Zhu Liao. I—I’m from Jiashan County.”
Jiashan County was located in Punan Commandery.
Luo Ah-di continued questioning him. “Do you have proof of household registration?”
Zhu Liao shook his head. “No. I didn’t bring it with me.”
He looked up at Luo Ah-di and the others, all fully armed. Although they appeared cold and intimidating, they had not harmed him or the others so far.
Summoning his courage, he asked, “Who—who are you?”
Luo Ah-di ignored his question and asked instead, “I discovered a tunnel nearby. Did you dig it?”
Zhu Liao’s pupils contracted. He hurriedly lowered his head. “No, no. We’re just refugees fleeing the famine. We got lost by accident. Please, please let us go.”
Luo Ah-di smiled faintly. “You’d better tell the truth. We don’t kill people indiscriminately, but that doesn’t mean we won’t kill.”
“We’re all Han Chinese. As long as you tell us the truth, we won’t make things difficult for you. We may even be able to help.”
Zhu Liao’s heart tightened, and he hesitated.
To be honest, these people looked exceptionally brave. They seemed like soldiers, yet they were different from any soldiers he had ever seen.
If they really were soldiers, did that mean the Yan Kingdom had finally remembered the people of Chongzhou and sent someone to rescue them?
They were simple farmers with little worldly knowledge. They had survived only because of a single, stubborn conviction—one that had driven them to persist in living and to make their way here.
Zhu Liao pressed his cracked, dry lips together. After a long while, he finally made up his mind.
“T-That tunnel… we dug it.”
