The old man held the bowl of porridge in both hands. Besides fresh, tender cabbage, there were also a few bits of minced meat floating in it.
“Thank you, benefactors, for saving us from our living hell and even giving us such delicious food.” As he spoke, more murky tears spilled from his eyes.
Perhaps he had been oppressed for far too long. Even the slightest kindness from others was enough to fill him with gratitude.
What was more, this was no small act of kindness—it was a debt of gratitude for saving his life.
As frail as he was, the old man had thought he would not last another two days. Then the Jinyang Army arrived and rescued them from the Ji Army’s oppression.
The Jinyang Army did not even mind his frailty and assigned him the job of cleaning the city walls.
Now, after working for only half a morning, he had been given such wonderful food. He felt both ashamed and grateful, his emotions almost too much to bear.
A soldier smiled and comforted him. “We’re not worthy of being called everyone’s benefactors. Everything is thanks to our lord’s grace.”
He looked at the others. “Just follow the arrangements made by your superiors with peace of mind. Better days are ahead.”
The old man wiped away his tears. “Yes, yes, I’ll listen. I’ll definitely follow the arrangements.”
The soldier nodded. “Eat slowly. You’ll have half an hour to rest at noon.”
The old man stared at him in astonishment and asked in a trembling voice, “Can… can I take it home to eat?”
His son and daughter-in-law had been called away by the Ji Army to do labor a year ago, and had never returned. Since then, he and his six-year-old grandson had depended on each other for survival.
The soldier immediately understood that there must be someone else waiting for him at home. “Yes. Just make sure you return at the stipulated time.”
As he spoke, he ladled a little more porridge into the old man’s bowl, filling it almost to the brim.
The old man had only just managed to hold back his tears, but now his eyes reddened again. He bent at the waist and bowed to the soldier before leaving carefully, carrying the bowl as though it held a rare delicacy.
In the distance, Sun Yuan’s eyes also reddened. “The Jinyang Army really are good people.”
Sun Xi relaxed completely and gave a soft hum. Only now did she truly feel that they had been saved.
An army that treated the common people so well could not possibly make life difficult for those under its rule.
Besides, she had noticed that the Jinyang Army seemed to be very wealthy.
At least when it came to food, they were extraordinarily generous. In all her life, she had never seen porridge so thick—made with fine grain, no less, and containing meat.
On the hillside, shadows from the trees dappled the ground. An Yun watched the several thousand elite cavalrymen galloping rapidly in the distance, her expression grave.
The man standing beside her asked in a trembling voice, “What exactly is going on? That’s already the Ji Army’s third group of soldiers today, and they’re all marching at full speed.”
An Yun remained silent for a long while before saying, “Judging by their direction, they should all be heading toward Wenxia City. Something must have happened there.”
But what exactly had happened was unknown. Everything had still been normal yesterday.
No—that was not right. Things had been abnormal for some time now.
The man pressed his lips together. “Should we go to Wenxia City and take a look?”
An Yun turned to him. “Do you want to die? I certainly don’t. This isn’t something people like us can get involved in.”
Worry flashed through her eyes. With the balance of power changing, she could not tell whether it would be good or bad for Chongzhou.
When those in power made even the slightest move, ordinary people might once again be plunged into a living hell.
For some reason, she suddenly thought of Nan Wen again. This matter probably had something to do with him.
She wondered whether he was dead or alive.
She only hoped that all the Han people could remain safe.
Almost at the same time, all of Chongzhou descended into chaos. Troops were being mobilized and deployed, all marching rapidly toward Wenxia City.
The bandits and common people of Chongzhou were terrified. They trembled in fear, not understanding what was happening and not daring to make a move.
The winds were rising, and a storm was coming.
By the time all the bodies had been carried away from Wenxia City, it was already afternoon.
The Ji Army had not only “purchased” the bodies of all the Ji soldiers inside the city; they had also carried away the corpses of the soldiers who had died outside the city the previous night and that morning.
They were afraid that the Jinyang Army would come demanding another price.
With a heavy bang, the gates of Wenxia City closed, and the drawbridge was pulled up. Everything returned to normal.
Bian Huai watched from a distance, unwillingness and gloom filling his eyes.
“How is it? Did you find the tunnel?” he asked slowly.
Shi Ju shook his head. “No. They should have hidden it somewhere in the deep mountains.”
Bian Huai thought for a moment before saying, “Keep an eye out for freshly turned earth. If they really dug a tunnel into the city, the soil must be piled up somewhere nearby.”
Shi Ju nodded. “Rest assured, Great General. I’ve already told them. If there is a tunnel leading inside, we’ll definitely find the entrance today.”
Bian Huai sighed. “I’m only afraid they collapsed the tunnel. If so, it will be difficult for us to get inside again.”
That was what worried Shi Ju as well.
After hesitating for a moment, Ji Cang asked, “Great General, are we still attacking the city?”
Bian Huai shook his head. “No. The Grand Chanyu and a large number of our officials are in the Jinyang Army’s hands. Now is not the time to fight.”
Whenever he thought of the Grand Chanyu still inside the city, Ji Cang felt both humiliated and worried. “I’m just afraid the Jinyang Army will mistreat the Grand Chanyu and the others.”
Bian Huai nodded. “Let’s go. We’ll negotiate with them now.”
Yao Ji looked down at Bian Huai and the others from the city wall but said nothing. He was not the one in a hurry at the moment.
Ji Cang shouted, “Could we discuss the matter of the Grand Chanyu?”
Yao Ji was in a good mood. “Of course. We are a nation of propriety. If you have a request, you may state it.”
Ji Cang snorted. “Then release our Grand Chanyu.”
Yao Ji smiled. “We are a nation of propriety, not fools.”
Ji Cang was rendered speechless. He did not dare say anything unpleasant, fearing that the Jinyang Army might take its anger out on the Grand Chanyu.
Bian Huai raised his head to look at Yao Ji. “What would it take for you to release the Grand Chanyu?”
Yao Ji smiled. “Inside the city, besides your Grand Chanyu, there are also one hundred and sixty civil and military officials, more than five hundred yamen clerks and minor functionaries, and over twenty thousand Ji nobles and commoners. You don’t want any of them?”
Bian Huai froze for a moment. Then his heart leaped with joy.
The Jinyang Army intended to use every Ji person in the city as a bargaining chip!
His family was among them.
Shi Ju, Ji Cang, and the others likewise revealed expressions of delight. Their families were also in the city.
They had already identified the bodies recovered earlier and confirmed that most of their immediate family members were not among the dead.
Bian Huai kept his expression neutral and merely asked, “What are your terms?”
Yao Ji replied, “That depends on how much they mean to you. You may name your price first.”
Bian Huai gritted his teeth. After a moment, he said, “What if we exchanged money, goods, or Han civilians?”
Yao Ji smiled. “Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, you’re thinking too much.”
Bian Huai was at a loss for words. Indeed, he had been thinking too much. He had assumed that money and goods might be enough to buy back his loved ones.
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Do you have the authority to make that decision?”
“I certainly do.”
Just then, Jiang Jin stepped onto the city wall.
Yao Ji bowed. “My lord.”
Jiang Jin nodded and looked down at Bian Huai and the others beneath the wall. “What are you prepared to offer in exchange?”
Bian Huai frowned. “Could Princess Jinyang perhaps give us some terms to work with? If they are acceptable, we are willing to negotiate.”
Jiang Jin did not waste any words. “Simple. I want all the Ji people in the city, including your Grand Chanyu, in exchange for the three commanderies of Shangjing, Punan, and Shouci.”
