The city was in ruins after the flood receded.
Mo Qiaosheng led his guards and rode on the muddy streets.
Countless Jin soldiers holding spears maintained order on the roadside after the war.
On both sides of the road, uneasy civilians from Qi County knelt and lowered their heads before the tips of their spears.
Those expressionless faces facing the mud, some are filled with grief and indignation over the destruction of the city and the loss of the family, and some are filled with worry about an unknown fate.
No matter what, the enemy general in black armor riding past them was a terrifying presence.
Even before the city was flooded, the legend about this general who was born a slave had spread throughout the city.
Some say that she served the emperor with her beauty and had no strategy. Some say that she killed people without mercy and was cold-blooded.
Of course, the most mysterious story is the one about "the city that cannot be exchanged". The "city" in the story that was used to exchange the general is the land they depend on for survival.
Now, the city has been breached, and the murderous "Mo Yanwang" has led his army into the city.
They could only kneel on the ground trembling in fear, praying that the general would not use their lives as civilians to pay for the mistakes made by their master.
Qi County garrison commander Gan Yanshou knelt on the ground, naked and tied up, awaiting his impending fate.
This was the most humiliating moment in his life, but this humiliation might not save his life.
Am I wrong? I should have taken the initiative to attack when the Jin army first surrounded the city, instead of being so cautious and only thinking about defending the city.
Nowadays, there is no point in thinking too much.
He only hoped that Jin Jun General Mo Qiaosheng would put aside his personal grudges and not take revenge by massacring the city, considering his humble request for surrender. If he could simply give him a knife and end this humiliation, it would be a blessing.
A black horse stopped in front of him, its hooves paused, splashing some cold mud water.
Gan Yanshou raised his head and saw the face perched high on the horse.
The figure stood with his back to the light, his expression was cold, and he spoke in a loud voice, saying words that determined the fate of tens of thousands of people in the city.
"Since you have thought of the people and surrendered the whole city, I will not hurt your will. Now, I will make three laws for all the elders in the city. After entering the city, any Jin army officer who kills, robs, or rapes will be punished by military law. I will keep my word!"
On both sides of the road, whether it was the detained Qi County soldiers or the onlookers, they all cheered when they heard this.
Gan Yanshou removed a large stone from his chest, prostrated himself on the ground, and surrendered sincerely.
At night, Mo Qiaosheng was in the wing of the former city lord's mansion, reading the military newspaper under a lamp.
His personal attendant came to the table and asked: "General Gan Yanshou, the surrendered general, informed the general that there is a hot spring in this palace and a beautiful room has been built for bathing and refreshing. Please give your instructions, general, whether we should move here?"
The orderly was somewhat nonchalant in his heart. After Qi County was captured, the former officials in the city had already sent a batch of beautiful slaves and concubines. The general was unmoved and gave them all as rewards to his soldiers.
Gan Yanshou wanted to curry favor with the general, so he recommended a hot spring. I'm sure the general would not like it.
"Hot springs?" Mo Qiaosheng stopped what he was doing, pondered for a moment, and stood up. "Lead the way."
Mo Qiaosheng entered the hot spring alone. This spring room was not as wild as the Luna Spring, but was surrounded by exquisite houses and utensils.
He dived into the water and scooped up a pool of clear spring water with his palm, feeling a sense of loss.
It’s the same hot spring, why is the feeling so different when taking a bath with the lord
He looked around and saw his guards stationed outside the spring room, and he was the only one in the spring.
Mo Qiaosheng stretched out his hand, pulled out a black belt from the pile of clothes on the shore, and bound his eyes with it.
He finally let out a long sigh.
Relaxed body leaning against the pool bank.
I found a little bit of the feeling of taking a hot spring bath with my lord.
…
Cheng Qianye and Yao Tianxiang were surrounded by the white mist of the Luna Spring, enjoying the comfort of the warm spring water soaking their skin.
There is a small wooden barrel floating on the water, filled with fine wine and preserved fruits, which are within easy reach.
Yao Tianxiang drank two glasses of wine, her face flushed, and she sat on the white marble steps, sighing comfortably: "This is what it's like to enjoy. Qianyu, you've been busy all day, and it's rare for you to come and soak in the hot springs, can't you worry less and relax?"
Cheng Qianye was lying on the bank of the pool, stretching a smooth arm out of the water, and drawing a simple map with water marks on the white marble surface of the bank.
"Tianxiang, did you notice when we went up the mountain? The farmland on the north side, near the Bian River, is growing well. But the harvest on the side of the mountain near Bianzhou City is much worse."
"That's true." Yao Tianxiang replied, "Water conservancy has a great impact on farming. Areas with abundant water sources naturally have good harvests. In our Wei country, the people near Daye Lake are the richest."
"Water conservancy?" Cheng Qianye touched his chin and fell into deep thought.
"But!" Yao Tianxiang turned her head over, "As the ruler of a country, you can't be the one to consider everything. Even if you have eight heads, they won't be enough."
"What you need to do is to select the right person to do this. Now, put aside all these national affairs and take a good rest."
"You are right." Cheng Qianye smiled. She stretched out her fingers and slowly drew a rough map of Bianzhou City. "My task is to find the right person. I do have a candidate in mind."
Cheng Qianye thought of Cui Youyu, who was covered in dirt and was serious but too straightforward, whom he had met at the city gate. He had once submitted a detailed and professional engineering drawing for the renovation of the Bian River, but for various reasons, it did not attract Cheng Qianye's attention.
"Qianyu." Yao Tianxiang looked at Cheng Qianye with some worry, "I noticed that since Qiao Sheng went to war, you have been very tense and busy every day. Is it because you are worried about him?"
Cheng Qianye stopped pointing his finger: "Tianxiang, what kind of troops do you think can be considered as elite soldiers? What kind of generals can be considered famous generals?"
"General?" Yao Tianxiang nodded her chin. "Of course, a general is one who can command troops like a god, defeat a larger force with a smaller one, and come up with countless ingenious strategies."
"You are wrong," Cheng Qianye pointed his finger at the distance, "The so-called victory of the few over the many is to win in danger."
"As the ruler of a country, what I can provide to the thousands of soldiers at the front is to allow them to win without having to take risks."
"Sufficient food and grass, a force twice as large as the enemy's, a steady stream of reinforcements, and a stable political environment are the foundations for the army to truly win. Therefore, I have to think about it and do it."
"The front line has been reporting successive victories. Qi County will surely be captured soon. Qiao Sheng was able to defeat the enemy without fighting this time. Although he was an expert in maneuvering troops, it was mainly because he had twice the number of troops as the enemy, which enabled him to besiege Qi County and launch a clever water attack."
"I do this not just for Qiao Sheng. As the king of a country, since war is inevitable, I have the responsibility to be responsible for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers."
"Qianyu, you have such a broad mind. I really admire you." Yao Tianxiang sighed and looked at Cheng Qianye seriously, "I also hope to do something for you and for the country where I live and work now."
"Okay, think about it carefully and tell me if you have any ideas." Cheng Qianye smiled.
Yao Tianxiang couldn't be serious for a moment, and smiled slyly again: "We'll talk about this later. Now that we're all here to take a hot spring bath, we should think of something fun first."
She reached out and wiped away the maps drawn by Cheng Qianye: "Don't keep looking at these maps and military newspapers. I have something good to show you."
Cheng Qianye poured a glass of sake and drank it slowly while leaning over to look at a silk book that Yao Tianxiang took out from a box on the shore.
The silk book, as thin as a cicada's wing, was turned over by Yao Tianxiang's slender jade fingers, revealing the lifelike pictures inside.
Cheng Qianye spat out the wine in his mouth with a "pu" sound.
"What are you doing?" Yao Tianxiang pushed her away in disdain. "This is Mr. Tang's painting. It's not easy to get. Don't damage it."
"You, you, you." Cheng Qianye pinched her arm hard, but still couldn't help but lean over.
"Oh, is this still possible?" Cheng Qianye blushed.
"You are ignorant, aren't you? Men are particularly weak in this part." Yao Tianxiang was very excited. "When Qiao Sheng comes back, you can give it a try. After all, you are the lord, and you cannot weaken your power when you are with him."
So, the two close friends, crowded together on the hot spring shore where red leaves were fluttering, explored the door to a new world through an album that could not be shown to anyone else.
Mo Qiaosheng's army flooded Qi County without losing a single soldier, and the news of the capture of the fortress soon reached Bianzhou City.
The Marquis of Jin Yue was delighted and rewarded the three armies. He conferred the title of General of the Cavalry on Mo Qiaosheng and appointed him as a duke of the seventh rank.
The Jin army advanced rapidly all the way, capturing some important points and clearing the road from Bianzhou to Zhongmu, the border post of Jin State.
Zhongmou was originally the fief of Cheng Qianyu's half-brother Gongzi Zhang. After Gongzi Zhang was executed for the Zhongmou Rebellion, the management of this place fell into chaos.
Mo Qiaosheng led his troops to Zhongmu and put everything here under military control with force.
In Zhongmu, he implemented new policies and rectified military affairs in accordance with the old practices of Bianzhou.
Although many of the local powerful families were dissatisfied, Mo Qiaosheng was in control of the military power and had just won a victory, so he acted vigorously and decisively.
These scattered families located in the marginal areas of Jin State could not make any waves.
But in Bianzhou City, rumors began to spread.
Whether in the streets or in the military and court, people gradually began to talk about it, accusing Mo Qiaosheng, who was far away in Zhongmu, of holding military power, being arbitrary and domineering, and being detrimental to the country.
In Cheng Qianye’s palace.
Cheng Feng, who was on guard in front of the palace, secretly glanced at his lord who was reviewing memorials at the desk.
At this moment, standing beside the desk was a young man with handsome features.
Just like Princess Tianxiang often complained, Lord Cheng Qianye rarely had servants with stunning looks around him, regardless of gender.
Although the young man's skin was slightly tanned due to the long journey, he still looked handsome, his manners were slightly gentle, and he was very familiar with his lord.
This person's name is Xiao Xiu. He was once the lord's favorite and had contact with Cheng Feng for a time.
Cheng Qianye laughed and said to the young man, "Thank you for running back and forth. Zhang Fu is indeed Zhang Fu. The news he asked you to bring is very important to me."
Cheng Feng couldn't help but look sideways a few more times.
Cheng Qianye, who was sitting at the desk, suddenly raised his head and waved at him.
"Recently, there have been so many rumors about Xiao Mo. Are you worried about him?"
Cheng Feng saluted: "I am not worried about Qiao Sheng."
"Oh?" Cheng Qianye raised his eyebrows.
"Qiaosheng will not be swayed by rumors. What I am worried about is..."
"you say."
"Even if Qiao Sheng's actions in Zhongmu were extreme, it is impossible for the rumor to spread so quickly and so widely in our Bianzhou. What I am worried about is the source of this rumor." Cheng Feng expressed the thoughts that had been lingering in his mind for many days.
"You are very perceptive, Cheng Feng." Cheng Qianye pointed at a memorial in his hand, "In fact, we don't need to think so much. There are only two groups of people who are most likely to have done this. One is the old pervert Han Quanlin, and the other is the Quanrong who were just repelled by us. They are all beginning to fear Qiao Sheng who has shown his military ability. I can't control Han Quanlin for the time being. But the Quanrong, especially the Weiming Mountain near Zhengzhou, is our biggest worry."
"Whoever did it this time, they reminded me. We will give them a taste of their own medicine."
"They want to slander my general with gossip, but can't we do the same? Sometimes, war doesn't have to happen only on the battlefield. The conspiracy in the court can more easily defeat a military god who has won every battle on the battlefield."
The author has something to say: I opened a Weibo account: Jinjiang Gong Xinwen. But I don't usually use it, just to occupy a place first, in case I want to register in the future, I'm afraid there will be no name. If you are interested, you can add it.