One hundred twenty-seven million mu of land in Jiao Prefecture would be equally divided among its people. Soldiers who surrendered promptly on the battlefield would receive double, and all soldiers who voluntarily submitted would receive triple!
Xiao Qing issued an order: all adherents of the Southern King's Mansion were to turn back now and would be spared their lives. Otherwise, they would share the same fate as Xiao Feng, with no leniency!
These momentous announcements spread like wildfire throughout the city.
Xiao Feng and Duguxiao's subordinates, despite repeated prohibitions, continued their illicit activities.
Within Panyu Commandery, a portion of the officials, gentry, merchants, and traders aligned with the Southern King's Mansion and aristocratic families also distanced themselves from the Southern King's Mansion, returning to their homes and closing their doors.
Even the Southern King's Mansion's personal guards in Jiao Prefecture began to waver!
Sensing the shift, Xiao Feng finally grew panicked. He shut himself in, urging his subordinates and clansmen.
"Pack up and take only essentials!"
Facing Xiao Feng's furious shouts, everyone in the Southern King's Mansion, including some heavy antique furniture, was abandoned.
Duguxiao, Ouyang Sheng... families and clans followed suit.
However, the outside world remained unaware of the situation of Xiao Feng and his group.
Ye Feng quietly returned to the military camp, reported Yan Shiming's family's stance to Liang Xiao, and presented a city defense map.
"The Marshal and the generals' concerns were indeed correct. There are indeed several underground tunnels within the city. One is extremely hidden, known only to the Southern King's family and their trusted prefects. It was reportedly for unforeseen circumstances, as Jiao Prefecture had to face both the imperial court and the Peacock Dynasty and the Great Liang Kingdom simultaneously! However, Prefect Yan only discovered the exit by chance and did not know the entrance location!"
Looking at the layout on the city defense map, everyone discovered that Yan Shiming had even marked the locations of the tunnel exits.
Lü Changhe and Yan Huaixi on the side could not help but feel delighted and satisfied.
Liang Xiao finally understood.
Xiao Feng's refusal to surrender, which seemed like foolish last-ditch defiance, actually allowed him to preserve a fallback route, giving him a sense of security.
He could not escape Panyu Commandery. Hiding within the city after its fall was unrealistic, and it was not in his character to prefer destruction to capture.
Therefore, only the underground tunnels remained as a means of escape. But even the best-laid plans can have flaws, and the Great Gan army might still find them.
Liang Xiao immediately ordered his generals to strictly guard all tunnel exits, patrol extensively, and simultaneously oversee the siege.
Three hundred thousand Great Gan troops surrounded the magnificent Panyu Commandery. The ancient city, repeatedly fortified by the Southern King's family, had walls over three zhang thick and six zhang high. Even in the southern regions of the Great Gan, only Luzhou and Jinling could compare.
Other commandery cities in Jiao Prefecture had also been fortified to varying degrees by the Southern King's family and Xiao Che's clan.
However, such defenses were merely to ensure their oppressive rule remained undisturbed from the outside.
Facing the approaching army outside the city, the soldiers on the walls of Panyu Commandery began to tremble as they gripped their weapons.
The folk songs of the Jiao Prefecture soldiers echoed from outside again, continuously shaking the resolve of the Panyu Commandery garrison.
This was followed by the surrender calls of the Great Gan soldiers.
As the soldiers of Panyu Commandery were in a state of alarm, they suddenly discovered that Xiao Feng and his group had vanished!
"What are we still fighting for! Rebel Xiao Feng has fled, we should return to Great Gan and become citizens of the Qian clan!"
"Accept the land allocated by the imperial court, escape the rule of the Southern King's Mansion, and live like human beings, isn't that good?"
Great Gan spies hidden within the army seized the opportune moment to incite the crowd.
In the various commanderies of Jiao Prefecture, apart from the Southern King's Mansion's personal guard, most soldiers could barely ensure their own sustenance.
Even so, they were content.
The reason was simple: the people within Jiao Prefecture were poorly clothed and fed, with almost all assets belonging to the Southern King's Mansion. During times of famine, cannibalism was common. In comparison, being a soldier at least guaranteed survival.
But the news from the newspapers yesterday had spread, and they finally understood the situation in Great Gan, as well as why those hundreds of thousands of Jiao Prefecture soldiers had surrendered to Great Gan and were now here to persuade them to surrender!
A nation that could provide dignity and a stable livelihood for its military and people – this was a future that many in Jiao Prefecture dared not even dream of!
As the voices of incitement spread like a prairie fire throughout the army, more and more Jiao Prefecture soldiers raised their weapons tied with white cloth and waved them towards the troops outside the city.
The four gates of Panyu Commandery slowly opened...
Liang Xiao had finally taken Panyu Commandery through the most gentle means, without bloodshed, avoiding further casualties among soldiers and civilians!
"Marshal An Guohou has ordered the capture of the rebel Xiao Feng and his collaborators!"
Nan Jiyun, Lü Changhe, Zhuo Ying, and Yue Yun, respectively, accepted the surrender of the garrison outside the four city gates and then issued a warrant for Xiao Feng and his followers.
In a dimly lit underground tunnel beneath Panyu Commandery, the core members of the Southern King's Mansion and various families were fleeing.
Two hours later, everyone emerged from the tunnel one by one. Xiao Feng let out a wild laugh.
"This tunnel connects to the southwest. Outsiders have no idea. Once the entrance is blocked, we can evade the enemy! My Southern King's family has enjoyed all the glory and wealth, how can we become prisoners of Liang Xiao!"
Duguxiao and the others looked around at the heavens that seemed to bless them and breathed a sigh of relief.
"To the southeast lies the vast ocean. As long as we bypass the Great Liang Kingdom, join forces with the Returning Spring Cult in the south, or cross the sea from here, we can rise again, completely break away from Great Gan, and live happily!"
The group dared not rest and continued their journey, even abandoning the elderly and infirm of their clans, wanting only to escape this nightmare as soon as possible.
As they traveled, the sound of hooves grew louder in the distance, tightening everyone's nerves.
"How is this possible!"
Gazing at a cavalry unit in the distance, Xiao Feng's pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out in disbelief.
It was Shi Liuyun, leading the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, who had been waiting here for a long time!
Looking at Shi Liuyun, who was smiling wickedly at him, Xiao Feng felt his vision spin, his anger surged, and he fell backward, losing consciousness!
"Marshal, Panyu Commandery has been captured, and Xiao Feng and his cohorts have all been apprehended!"
Liang Xiao, who was waiting for news in the main camp, could not help but show a pleased expression upon hearing the urgent report from the messenger.
"This was even smoother than pacifying Xichuan."
The soldiers also showed expressions of great joy and celebrated with applause.
Some of the Jiao Prefecture soldiers responsible for logistics in the army rejoiced, feeling a great weight lifted from their shoulders.
At last, their families were safe!
The Jiao Prefecture army, along with the Yizhou and Zhongzhou contingents, entered the city to maintain order and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos.
"Our army brings grain to relieve the people!" "The slogans outside the city are the imperial decree of His Majesty, which will surely be honored!"
The people of Jiao Prefecture were both surprised and delighted: "Are we really going to have land divided among us?"
"Yes! Calculated by population, everyone gets a share. A family can get several dozen mu of land, no problem!"
Lü Changhe, in high spirits, stepped forward to answer the assembled populace, drawing waves of applause and cheers.
Looking at the cheering crowd, Lü Changhe felt a mix of emotions.
There were few present who wept with joy; most were simply happy and a little reserved, as such a promise was almost dreamlike for them.
Their ancestors had lived here for generations, toiling in the fields, and no one had ever treated them so well. They had long become numb, able to survive by gritting their teeth as long as they had food.
The Southern King's family had skillfully maintained this balance, ruling the people through ignorance and a combination of carrots and sticks, slowly making the populace accept the notion of their inherent lowliness.
This was inseparable from the influence of the caste system in the Southern Peacock Dynasty. The Southern King's family simply followed suit, with the help of aristocratic families, to reshape the culture of Great Gan and flexibly apply the caste system... 138 Reading Network
"From now on, our army will never allow foreign tribes or rebels to oppress the people. His Majesty promises that the military and civilian population of Jiao Prefecture will enjoy equal status with the military and civilian population of all regions of Great Gan, with no distinction between noble and common from this day forward!"