Chapter 295: Chapter 288: Deterrence
There were originally forty thousand people in West State City, including the State Mansion and bandits. Xie Xun subsequently sent over more than ten thousand, bringing the current total to nearly sixty thousand. Both West State and Jinzhou are major cities among the Twelve States. At its peak, West State had a population of eight hundred thousand. If sixty thousand people can work together, the city may gradually thrive again. Once the Liangma Road is established, Xie Xun will send more troops to reclaim farmland.
Jinzhou, with its fertile and rich lands, focuses on re-cultivating abandoned farmland—a relatively simple process. Fengyu has ambitious plans to establish West State City as a hub for commerce and trade, aiming to make it the center of the Twelve States.
Jiangnan has three cities with populations exceeding one million, while Zhongzhou is also a metropolis with a million inhabitants. In contrast, within the Twelve States, only Jinzhou currently has a population of over six hundred thousand. Developing West State is fraught with challenges, but fortunately, resources are not scarce, potentially attracting settlers. Sitting on a hill outside the city and gazing at the soaring flames in West State City, Fengyu thought of Xie Xun.
She wondered where Xie Xun’s troops had advanced to, and whether the transport of silver and provisions had gone smoothly. Yuwen Jing had reassigned Fang Chuning to Zhongzhou for garrison duty, placing her close to Ningzhou. Would he take the initiative to dispatch troops to the Twelve States? If he did, would the Second Young Master and Fang Chuning inevitably meet on the battlefield?
Before the flames of war ignited, could she revitalize the commerce and agriculture of the Twelve States?
Her confidence in the commerce and agriculture of the Twelve States stemmed from the hope that peace would persist between Yanyang and the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. If war broke out, all her efforts would be in vain.
Fengyu, pondering the turbulent times, found herself missing Xie Xun even more. Stroking the Soul Suppressing Pearl, she smiled lightly. Though she’d jestingly said she would snap the pearl’s string if she wanted to see Xie Xun, she wouldn’t do so lightly for fear of delaying his affairs.
Unable to sleep, she began playing a tune.
Nuanyang, "..."
The Iron Cavalry soldiers stationed outside the city, drinking and gambling, remarked, "Which scoundrel learned a lousy tune and is now disturbing people in the middle of the night? Go tell them to stop!"
"It seems... it’s a lady."
The soldier gasped and reluctantly softened his words, "It’s... not that terrible, right?"
Silence fell; no one replied.
The piercing tune was almost jarring enough to provoke bodily retaliation. Coupled with the fiery scene of West State City, it created an eerie and strangely fitting atmosphere of tension and dread.
"Zhang Da, isn’t our lady the famously talented scholar of Kyoto City, masterful in all arts—music, chess, painting, and calligraphy?" one of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry soldiers gossipingly asked.
"That’s the Second Miss."
"Huh?"
"Is this your first time hearing the lady play?"
"No!" Zhang Da replied succinctly, clearly at a loss for words.
"Has no one ever told her that her playing is... rather unique?"
"The Prince finds it pleasant!"
"Ha!"
"General Nuanyang, allow me to lead a team into the city to investigate and gather information," one deputy general volunteered, rising in an attempt to escape the unsettling atmosphere.
"... Fine!" Nuanyang was almost tearful; he wanted to leave as well! Qiuxiang had remarked that when the lady was in high spirits, she could play throughout the night. His ears were already protesting, yet he couldn’t stray too far from Fengyu.
Fengyu continued playing diligently for over an hour (roughly three hours) until Nuanyang’s deputy general, Chen Jiangdong, returned with his troops to report. Inside the city, rioters had seized military equipment, several people had already been injured, and the situation was slipping out of control.
"Enter the city!" Fengyu immediately ordered, leading five thousand Iron Cavalry directly into the city.
Fengyu had subdued several bandits previously and had always received news from West State during her time in Jinzhou. Although there had been riots, the two opposing factions had merely standoffs without using weapons. Knowing that Fengyu and the Iron Cavalry would arrive, the local State Mansion dared not engage the bandits directly, fearing bloodshed and self-inflicted ruin.
The standoff had persisted for five days, with tensions high enough to ignite at the slightest spark. Tonight, a provocateur had escalated hostilities, leading to open conflict.
Among the city’s tens of thousands, most were able-bodied men. However, the elderly, women, and children were also present, making accidental injuries inevitable.
Fengyu’s carriage trailed behind as Nuanyang led the Iron Cavalry forward in suppression. With crossbows, spears, and shields in flawless formation, the Iron Cavalry swiftly divided the rioting crowd.
On the way, Qiuxiang questioned Nuanyang: "West State has sixty thousand people, while we only have five thousand Iron Cavalry. Can we defeat them?" Nuanyang burst out laughing, replying, "If the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry were defeated by fifty thousand bandits in West State, our Marquis might as well flip his coffin lid open!"
The local State Mansion forces were mostly militia and bandits, not the trained Jinyi Guard or Forbidden Army.
Additionally, in Kyoto, had it not been for sudden circumstances and close-quarter combat during Yuwen Jing’s ambush on the streets, they wouldn’t have struggled so much.
"Third Miss orders: Put down your weapons, retreat ten meters, and anyone who disobeys shall be executed!" Chen Jiangdong’s voice boomed like thunder, and the rowdy crowd was forcibly separated by the Iron Cavalry.
The bandits sent by Xie Xun to Fengyu had interacted with her before. During her solo journey to Jinzhou, Fengyu had made arrangements for the bandits, forming relatively good relationships with a few major leaders’ wives. As the Iron Cavalry charged forward, the local State Mansion’s soldiers reacted with defiance, but the bandits, recognizing her, sensibly backed away.
The local State Mansion troops, however, stood their ground, including a man in official robes who shouted loudly, "Who is your lady? This is West State, Yanyang’s territory. We recognize only the legitimacy of the Yuwen Royal Family. Brothers, drive out these bandits who are occupying our homeland! Those who seize our land shall die without mercy!"
"Drive them out!"
"Those who seize our land shall die without mercy!"
The official-robed soldiers roared in unison, raising their blades to the heavens. Their tense resolve to unleash slaughter was palpable as tens of thousands united in fury and deadly intent.
"Zhu Shengliang, you’re truly shameless! Who exactly drove us from our homeland?" Zhang Hu glared fiercely. "You were originally mountain bandits from Ma Wei Slope in West State, mercilessly killing, looting, and committing all kinds of vile acts. You led your bandit gang into West State, driving out the residents and seizing the iron mines. Don’t think I won’t recognize you just because you put on official robes!"
"I am an imperial-appointed Salt and Iron Department Judge! How dare you petty bandits challenge me, intending to seize the granary and iron mines..."
Fengyu pushed open the curtain and stepped out. Draped in striking red, she melded seamlessly into the fiery backdrop of West State City. Stunningly beautiful and gentle in demeanor, Zhu Shengliang’s gaze was captivated by her appearance, momentarily mesmerized.
"Kill him!" Fengyu’s gaze swept across the murderous West State State Mansion soldiers as she issued her kill order.
"You dare! I’m the Salt and Iron Department Judge, and you..." Zhu Shengliang’s words trailed off when Chen Jiangdong, standing closest to him, thrust a spear through his chest, impaling him before the gazes of tens of thousands. With a casual flick, Zhu Shengliang’s corpse, still skewered on the spear, was sent flying and planted firmly into a nearby pillar.
"Too noisy!"
Absolute silence fell. Under the crushing dominance of sheer force, everyone was struck with fear.
The State Mansion soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. Standing atop her carriage, Fengyu, wrapped in flaming red, greeted their fury and hatred with a faint smile. "I am Fengyu. Shall we sit down for a civil conversation?"
After the slaughter, Fengyu seemed to recall a saying: "The wrath of a Vajra pales in comparison to the tender gaze of a Bodhisattva."
"You actually killed our Judge?" A soldier in official robes raised his longsword to the sky. "We demand vengeance for the Judge!"
Fengyu’s methods in West State were entirely different from those in Jinzhou.
"I want to talk this through with you calmly," Fengyu said. "Yet you approach me with blades drawn. This puts me in a difficult position."