The enraged populace, almost beside themselves, surged towards the Helian family in droves.
More and more citizens joined the ranks of resistance until all able-bodied youths in the city were involved.
The two thousand patrolling elite soldiers, faced with the combined might of five thousand local troops and tens of thousands of civilians, were either killed on the spot or surrendered their weapons, begging for mercy.
The garrison on the city walls and the citizens there, upon receiving the news, immediately joined the uprising. The entire city revolted, their target set directly on the Helian family!
Of the eight thousand elite soldiers, a large portion, realizing their hands were not yet stained with civilian blood, discarded their allegiance to the Helian family, tearing off their insignia and joining the rebellion.
In total, four thousand elite soldiers, unwilling to surrender due to their oppression of the Xichuan populace, perished in the Jin City rebellion and uprising!
Zhuo Ying, Nan Jiyun, Yue Yun, and Shi Liuyun, each leading an army, approached the four city walls and observed the situation.
"General, shall we seize this opportunity to attack the city?"
The four generals quickly understood that Liang Xiao's rallying cry had worked, and a rebellion had erupted within the city!
"Approach within a mile of the city walls, assess the situation, and if necessary, attack immediately to rescue the citizens!"
Within a single day, sixteen thousand garrison troops and over a hundred thousand mobile civilians, like a surging tide, converged on the Helian family, apprehending all two thousand of them, including their household servants!
Helian Xun and Helian Jun, having shaved their heads and eyebrows and donned monk's robes at home in an attempt to escape amidst the chaos, were spotted by sharp-eyed former elite soldiers and apprehended on the spot, beaten to an unrecognizable state.
Two hours later, the Great Gan soldiers, prepared to storm the city, saw white flags suddenly raised on the city walls.
Cheers erupted from the Great Gan troops outside the city.
Without the need for an assault, the tragedy of fratricidal conflict and a river of blood was averted!
General Lin Ping, who led the rebellion against the Helian family, personally oversaw the detained Helian family members. He led fifteen thousand soldiers, disarmed, to the northern city gate to request an audience with Liang Xiao.
"The Helian family has been tyrannical and cruel. The military and civilians of Jin City, united, have apprehended them and await judgment!"
Upon seeing Helian Xun and others bound and begging for mercy, the crowd erupted in ecstatic praise: "The Marshal is a divine strategist!"
Liang Xiao personally stepped forward to help Lin Ping to his feet and asked, "How many casualties among the city's populace?"
The jubilant crowd paused, and Lin Ping, along with the soldiers behind him, were deeply moved: "By the Marshal's grace, casualties are less than three thousand, with most of the military and civilian deaths occurring during the Helian family's elite soldiers' final desperate counterattack!"
Liang Xiao cast a cold gaze at the terrified Helian family members and sighed, "All armies, enter the city from the four directions!"
Jin City, renowned for its impregnability and ability to withstand a three-year siege, experienced a complete upheaval in a single day, with the Great Gan army taking it without bloodshed!
The citizens of Jin City, though weary, flocked to the northern part of the city, eager to catch a glimpse of the An Guo Hou of Great Gan, whom they had longed to see.
Liang Xiao, leading ten thousand soldiers, entered Jin City through the north gate and was astonished to see the citizens kneeling along the route.
"We, the people of Great Gan, welcome the An Guo Hou! Welcome the Royal Army!!"
Countless citizens prostrated themselves before Liang Xiao, their words filled with earnest entreaty.
Liang Xiao surveyed the scene, his face etched with shock.
More than half of the over ten thousand citizens present appeared gaunt, their clothing threadbare, their voices weak. Thousands looked as if a strong gust of wind could blow them over.
With his extraordinary hearing, Liang Xiao could even clearly discern the rumbling of hunger from the surrounding citizens.
Was this truly the most prosperous Jin City in Xichuan?
And these were the people who, throughout the entire city, had risen up and overthrown the Helian family?
But soon, Liang Xiao discerned a different light in their eyes.
Joy, anticipation, and a touch of reverence.
They seemed lost and uncertain about the future, and despite knowing the Great Gan army's slogans, they still seemed to fear that Liang Xiao might renege on his promises…
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Liang Xiao, his face filled with shame, unbuckled his Fuyou Sword, planted its tip on the ground, and knelt on one knee.
"Our elders and kin of Great Gan, it is we who have arrived late!"
Nan Jiyun and the others were startled. Recovering their senses, tens of thousands of soldiers knelt in unison, their earlier high spirits gone, replaced by faces full of remorse: "It is we who have arrived late!!"
The citizens, who had been fearful and anxious, now shed tears and kowtowed, their cries shaking the heavens.
The Ye family's official historian, accompanying the army, tearfully recorded the events, later elaborating on the subsequent developments ten years hence.
[In the fourth year of Jian Yuan, the year Yi Chou, on the sixth day of the fifth month, the military and civilians of Jin City bound Helian Xun to welcome the Royal Army. The An Guo Hou, seeing the gaunt faces and tattered clothing of the populace, felt a pang of guilt and suddenly knelt, offering an apology in the street. From this day forth, the hearts of Xichuan returned to Great Gan, never to rebel again. Subsequently, the Xichuan armies, fierce and valiant, shook the nations, repaying the grace of their sovereign.]
Jin City finally found peace, and the people were assured that Liang Xiao's army was indeed the Royal Army sent to liberate them.
[By imperial decree, the entire populace of Xichuan is exempted from land taxes for three years. Granaries shall be opened throughout the region, dispensing relief to the people. The assets of the Helian family and their associates shall be tallied and distributed equally among the citizens of Xichuan. Surrendering soldiers in Jin City and fallen civilians shall each receive farmland equivalent to five times their current holdings!]
On the day Liang Xiao entered Jin City, he ordered posters to be put up throughout the region, informing all citizens.
A Jin City soldier, including himself, would receive farmland for two households, which was entirely deserved.
If it had relied solely on civilian resistance, it would not have been so effortless. The local troops who held arms and a portion of the elite soldiers who defected also played a significant role.
Upon learning that the uprising was triggered by the mother and son quadruplet who had been beaten to death and had no surviving heirs, the soldiers were overcome with grief. Liang Xiao immediately ordered their burial with the rites befitting a fourth-rank official.
The citizens of Jin City shook off their gloom and inquired where they could collect their provisions.
"The An Guo Hou has already dispatched people to deliver grain and cloth to each household; please await their arrival at home."
Upon receiving the notice, the citizens waited at home and soon received enough dry rations and rice to sustain their families for half a month. Each person received two qian of silver, averaging one tael per household.
Helian Heng, Helian Xun, and Helian Jun were brought before Liang Xiao, prostrating themselves and begging for mercy, promising to surrender all their family assets in exchange for clemency.
Liang Xiao summoned the executioner and ordered, "Take these three out and execute them by dismemberment in the street. Thoroughly investigate the remaining members of the Helian family; with the exception of a very small number of innocents, the rest shall be beheaded."
Regardless of how Helian Heng and the other two pleaded, Liang Xiao remained unmoved, even forbidding them a final good meal before execution.
Tens of thousands of citizens flocked to the execution grounds to witness the dismemberment of the three, cheering with satisfaction.
After pacifying Xichuan, Liang Xiao immediately dispatched Zhuo Ying and Shi Liuyun, each leading thirty thousand troops, to guard various locations in Xichuan and inform the populace.
Liu Fan arrived with a stack of official documents to see Liang Xiao, his voice filled with righteous indignation: "The Helian family and their three other confederates occupied over thirty million mu of land in Xichuan, with assets beyond land totaling three million taels of silver! It is presumed that those Helian family members who escaped have already taken a considerable amount!"
"Damn it, they're probably richer than the Dugu family!" Yue Qingtian blurted out in anger.
"Confiscate all of it, turn it over to the state, and distribute it among the Xichuan populace. Then, conduct a census of Xichuan and disseminate the news of the levied tax and the three-year tax exemption throughout the region, so that those without household registration and hidden households can report themselves with peace of mind for easier distribution," Liang Xiao said, then looked at Liu Fan and Nan Jiyun, "I intend to propose General Liu as the Prefect of Xichuan and General Nan as the Marshal of Xichuan. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Nan Jiyun's clandestine crossing of Yinping was bound to make him famous in the Xichuan region and secure his place in history. Moreover, he was loyal and acted with prudence, making him a trustworthy appointee.
The two were taken aback, aware of the immense responsibility, and both pledged, "We will spare no effort!"
Nan Jiyun could not help but ask, "Marshal, will I still have the opportunity to campaign against foreign tribes in the future?"
Liang Xiao smiled and replied, "This is merely a temporary reliance on you to stabilize Xichuan. When we fight the Tianri tribe in the future, how can we do without General Nan?"
Only then was Nan Jiyun content.
Liang Xiao's gaze then fell upon a pile of secret lists.
These recorded how the Huichun Cult had corrupted Xichuan for centuries, as well as the arrangements of the Sun Moon Army and the Huichun Cult in southern and central Sichuan.
They also included records of the destruction of the Sword Clan, the Monk Clan, and the Ghost Valley lineage.