xymnovel Chapter 32 Taking Money from the People to Win Their Hearts
Chapter 32 Taking Money from the People to Win Their Hearts
Although there were still more than 10,000 garrison troops in Changyang City at this time, their strength was not weak.
After this bloody battle, the commander and deputy commanders died one after another on the battlefield, leaving the army leaderless and in complete chaos.
Han Xiujing was merely a civil official. Although he was resourceful and courageous, and could usually accompany the army to discuss matters and offer advice, he did not have the prestige or qualifications to command troops and defend against enemies.
It was simply impossible to win over these ordinary soldiers who had fought on the battlefield year after year and only recognized their comrades and commanders, let alone fully command and direct them to fight against the enemy.
At this moment, the soldiers in Changyang City were already demoralized and had their own thoughts, and the morale of the defenders plummeted to rock bottom.
Meanwhile, the Laiyang army had completely taken control of the battle. The army surrounded the city layer by layer, and the soldiers were all in high spirits and strong, holding an absolute and overwhelming advantage.
Jiang Ce knew perfectly well that 70% of the guards on the city wall were border soldiers who had been stationed there for years. They chose to join those powerful families simply to survive.
It can be said that they did not intend to die in this defense of the city. Moreover, now that their commander has died and the battle is over, they must be full of worries. They are afraid that no one will collect their bodies if they die on the battlefield, and they are worried that no one will take care of their wives, children and elderly parents. They have long lost the determination to fight to the death.
Having considered this, Jiang Ce no longer hesitated. Under the close protection of Sun Hanchuan and Mu Yu, he led a team of elite personal guards and personally climbed the city wall abandoned by the enemy.
Jiang Ce, clad in silver armor, stood tall and straight atop the city wall, his gaze sweeping over the anxious and uneasy guards below.
Then, in his capacity as the Prince of Laiyang, he loudly proclaimed, his voice steady and powerful, penetrating the chaotic crowd and clearly reaching the ears of every soldier.
"You need not put up any more futile resistance! I hereby promise that anyone who lays down their weapons and surrenders today will be pardoned for all their past crimes. Those who wish to return home will be given travel expenses, and those who wish to join the army will be incorporated into my ranks and treated equally!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers on the city wall looked at each other, their eyes filled with hesitation and emotion. After a brief discussion, their concerns vanished.
They had no desire to fight anymore, and now that they had such a safe way out, they dared not continue to resist. After a moment of hesitation, some of them were the first to drop their swords and spears.
Immediately afterwards, more and more soldiers laid down their weapons, and the sound of weapons hitting the ground rose and fell.
Finally, all the defenders knelt on one knee facing the city wall, shouting in unison, their voices echoing across the walls of Changyang: "We are willing to surrender! We are ready to obey the orders of the King of Laiyang!"
Seeing this, Jiang Ce raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up, and said in a calm tone: "Now that you have surrendered, you are brothers of my Laiyang army. The past battles will be forgiven. You may all step back and regroup. The quartermaster will arrange your subsequent arrangements."
Mu Yu immediately accepted the order and dispatched his soldiers to take over the defense of the city wall. They orderly accepted the surrendered garrison and confiscated weapons and armor. The entire Changyang city wall quickly returned to order, and the chaos of the previous scene was no longer visible.
At this moment, Han Xiujing stood at the corner of the city. Seeing that the situation was hopeless and knowing that he was powerless to change it, he knew that others could choose to surrender, but he, as a member of the Han family, could not. He immediately chose to commit suicide.
With the deaths of Wang Guodong, Zhao Qiao, An Wei, Jin Xin, and others, and Han Xiujing's suicide, there was no one left in the city capable of shouldering the responsibility.
After taking the seal from Han Xiujing's corpse, Jiang Ce immediately ordered Wei Renpu to properly settle the people in the city, and at the same time strictly forbade his soldiers from taking the opportunity to cause trouble.
In addition, he ordered military doctors to treat the wounded soldiers in the battle and to distribute food and fodder to relieve the starving people.
Before long, the people of Changyang City lined the streets, and seeing the disciplined Laiyang Army, they all felt relieved, and the streets gradually returned to their usual bustling atmosphere.
Mu Yu stepped forward to report that the remaining forces outside the city had been wiped out, and all the grain and weapons had been seized. Jiang Ce looked at the stable city below, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
With Changyang secured, the next step is to deal with those scoundrels.
"Your Highness, I never imagined that this small Changyang would have so much gold and silver treasure."
At this moment, Liu Hong and Huang Shan pulled cart after cart of money into the Changyang County Government Office, their voices filled with disbelief.
"Changyang was once the seat of Laizhou, so it was naturally the most prosperous place among the thirteen counties of Laizhou. It's no wonder they have this kind of wealth!" Jiang Ce glanced at it briefly and didn't make a fuss.
He had long ago learned about the situation through the Luo Wang network. Changyang, as the Han family's money bag, had been providing the Han family with a steady stream of funds over the past few years, enabling them to recruit soldiers and expand their strength.
Now that Changyang is in his hands, it's basically a pipe dream for the Han family to take it back.
"General Li Xian, take half of this money and return it to the people of the city!" Yin Jun said to Li Xian without hesitation.
Li Xian, courtesy name Zhonggui, was born into the Li clan of Zhao County. He was a famous minister of the Northern Wei Dynasty. As an infant, he survived because his father was executed but was hidden by a retainer. After being pardoned, he entered officialdom at the age of twelve and inherited his title at the age of seventeen. He was appreciated by Emperor Xiaowen.
He was a respected official who brought order and improved the local customs. He once led an army to quell the rebellion of Yuan Faseng. Later, he was defeated by the Liang army while defending Shouchun. After returning to Wei, he was implicated in the rebellion of his son-in-law Yuan Jian and was forced to commit suicide in 527. He was 58 years old.
Li Xianqing was a man of integrity and character, studious and principled, and refused to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. As an official, he benefited the people.
Despite his many misfortunes and repeated entanglements with his family, he remained steadfast in his loyalty and political ideals. His epitaph is a fine example of Wei stele calligraphy and provides important historical material for the study of the Li family of Zhao County.
Li Xian, as a figure brought along by Chen Qingzhi, was quite famous during the Northern Wei period. Jiang Ce naturally would not treat him as an ordinary military general, so he planned to cultivate him further and develop him in the political arena.
Take the task we just completed, for example; it was clearly a way to give him credit.
The money in Changyang City was clearly stolen by Wang Guodong from the people in order to appease his master. In that case, it would be better to return it to the people and use it to win their hearts.
As for leaving half, that's naturally for the purpose of supporting the army later.
Currently, the army needs money for food, weapons, and soldiers' salaries, resulting in huge expenditures.
However, Jiang Ce knew in his heart that even if he only took out half of the captured wealth and distributed it to the people in the city, it would be enough to make up for the losses they suffered in the war.
After all, the world's wealth has always been in the hands of a few.
The money confiscated from the city mostly belonged to wealthy households and powerful families who had amassed their fortunes over many years. Ordinary people could never have access to it.
As for those families who hoarded wealth, most of them fled to areas such as Wendeng County and Fengxiang County to develop their own power. Those who remain in the city are basically people without much background.