Si Lei's face was deathly pale.
Xie Lanzhi waved her hand to drive the guests away. Si Lei was taken to Master Si's courtyard, where Master Si also tried to persuade him.
He was advised to prioritize protecting Weidu, otherwise even Weidu would be lost. Currently, the officials in the capital are completely aligned with Xie Zhu in both name and interest. As direct subordinates, they wouldn't speak up for Si Lei; instead, they would collectively support Xie Lanzhi. With both the legitimate wife and the officials in the capital on Xie Zhu's side, everything they do will fall into place.
At least nominally, there is no longer any point of contention.
Si Lei, puzzled, asked Si Bogong, "Why did you accept your fate so quickly?"
Si Bogong said, "It is precisely because we have seen the situation clearly that we must accept it. Compared to the Baishi Kingdom and the Northern Region, with the Hu and Xiongnu as the leaders, Marshal Xie is decisive in killing and punishing, clear in rewarding and punishing, and willing to correct his mistakes. He is the most suitable candidate to lead in this chaotic world."
“Now you still have the chance to negotiate, but if you encountered another Lord, you wouldn’t even have the chance to negotiate.”
"Before you arrived in Tianjing, Xie Zhu could have launched an attack on the various Jin states within two days, but she did not. Your Majesty, you should reconsider."
Si Lei smiled wryly and said, "What else do I need to consider?"
Si Bogong said, "Next year, Xie will probably head north and do something that even our ancestors couldn't do."
Si Lei was startled: "Does she really dare to challenge the Xiongnu?"
Yelü Lili, at the State Palace, received a recall order from the Northern Khan.
He wanted to go to the palace immediately to see Xie Lanzhi and settle the matter of Shangdu.
Xie Lanzhi had already sent someone to give him a detailed plan for establishing the capital, and advised him to return to the Northern Region first.
Upon receiving the "plan," Yelü Lili and Yelü Qiqi left Tianjing early in the morning.
Xie Lanzhi received news that Yelü and his sister had returned to the Northern Region. She ordered Si Lei to return to Qi Jin the next day to select a ruler and not to let the news out.
Si Lei received the order and stared at the pressure of Wei Du. Just then, the ruler of the Four Jin Kingdom came to visit and inquired about Xie Zhu's intentions.
Si Lei did not answer, but the King of Si Jin proposed to choose another patron to serve the Shi Kingdom.
Si Lei sneered. "Too clever of you."
It seems that Lord Xie has already planned ahead and is giving him a chance to decide. With the Four Jin states now stirring with ambition, he has no choice but to verbally agree and then inform Xie Lanzhi.
Using the pretext of the four Jin states betraying the Southern Regions, Xie Lanzhi declared that she would protect seven of the eight Jin states and choose the final ruler from the remaining Jin states. In other words, she would take nine and leave three.
The final decision rests with Si Lei.
When this news reached the fourth, fifth, and sixth states of Jin, the three rulers regarded Si Lei of the seventh state as a traitor and launched military campaigns against Jin.
Xie Lanzhi did not send troops to support the Seven Jin, and Si Lei, feeling guilty, did not ask for help either. Instead, he used his personal guards of 50,000 to fight his three younger brothers. The battle raged for seven days and seven nights, with neither side gaining a clear advantage. However, the Seven Jin suffered heavy losses. Of the 70,000 troops of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Jin combined, 30,000 were lost. The Seven Jin also lost 30,000, leaving them with only 20,000 soldiers.
Xie Lanzhi immediately dispatched 30,000 Xie troops to attack the fourth, fifth, and sixth counties of Jin, using them as breakthrough points.
Xie Ji, as the commander-in-chief, took the initiative to send troops.
The army split into three routes, with four counties as their garrisons. On the first day, they captured the capital of the Four Jin Kingdom. The ruler of the Four Jin Kingdom returned to reinforce the capital, but was intercepted by Xie Xia and his men on the way and died at Shili Slope.
The next day, they captured the capital of the Five Jin states. The ruler of the Five Jin states surrendered with his troops, and the last ruler in the power struggle retained his position. That night, he sent a letter, but was assassinated by radicals within the Five Jin states, indicating that he would continue to resist to the end.
On the third day, the mixed troops from the Five Jin states were driven to the Six Jin states. The rulers of the Six Jin states refused to allow the mixed troops to enter their capitals and sent a letter to Si Lei requesting his protection. The letter was not delivered that day, and the Five Jin states attacked the Six Jin states in retaliation, burning, killing, and looting.
On the fourth day, Si Lei refused to send troops. Faced with heavy losses, he rejected his brothers' surrender letter.
On the fifth day, Xie Ji attacked the Six Jin states, annihilating the miscellaneous troops of the Five Jin states and the main force of the Six Jin states, and capturing 30,000 enemy soldiers.
On the sixth day, the three Jin states attacked and entered the first Jin state, delaying Xie Xia's advance. The remnants of the second Jin state returned to rescue the ruler of the first Jin state, and Xie Ying was wounded.
On the seventh day, the forces of the First, Second, and Third Jin armies launched a counterattack against the Fourth Jin and successfully recovered seven towns. Xie Xia and Xie Ying then retreated.
On the eighth day, the first, second, and third Jin states, in a final burst of energy, attacked the sixth Jin state. Xie Ji temporarily withdrew his troops, choosing instead to wait and see.
On the ninth day, the forces of the First, Second, and Third Jin, advancing with unstoppable momentum, hastily recruited 100,000 soldiers and, together with the remaining soldiers and civilians of the Seven Jin, launched a counterattack against Xie Ji under the name of the Six Jin. Xie Ji dispatched 10,000 troops, scattering the 100,000 mixed forces.
On the tenth day, Xie Bing returned to various places to defend and surround Shanxi, Shanxi, and Shanxi.
Today is the day of the decisive battle.
In the end, Si Lei did not choose a ruler to protect. Although he felt ashamed, when he thought about his loss, he immediately wrote down the name of the ruler to be retained - Princess Fengning of Jiujin.
After receiving the letter, Xie Lanzhi threw it into the fire.
"Si Lei chose Little Phoenix in the end because he wanted to recoup some of his losses from me."
Wu Qiu couldn't help but shake his head: "The various Jin states attacked him, and he was already disheartened. The places where he fought were devastated, and he couldn't gain any benefits in a short time. So, taking it back from you is the most rational choice."
"But it's also ruthless."
This incident perfectly reflects that Si Lei was just as meticulous in his calculations when Tianjing City fell and the Emperor of Xicheng died.
This person may serve as a subject, but he is by no means a good companion.
Xie Lanzhi said, "Since he has made his choice, whatever price he has to pay in the future is something he should bear."
Si Lei's future is basically over.
Wu Qiu quickly handed over a list: "Marshal, of the eight Jin clans, seven have been eliminated, and the remaining members of the Si clan have all submitted their petitions. The one leading them is Si Maogong, the eldest son of the first Jin clan."
"Oh, it's him." Xie Lanzhi opened it and saw that the first name was indeed Si Maogong.
Ambitious people like this are easier to motivate.
She said, "Let him stay in Jin. Although he is not the ruler of the country, it would be appropriate to grant him the title of Second-Class Duke."
"This matter will be handled by Princess Fengning."
Wu Qiu then asked, "It's been ten days now. Should we massacre...the city?"
"What do you think?" Xie Lanzhi fell into deep thought; the word "massacre" was so heavy.
Wu Qiu was wary of her, knowing that she was no longer capable of killing, but she would still kill those who deserved it.
Tu Liujin is no small matter. As Si Xitong said, twenty years of development cannot be eradicated immediately. Things cannot be rushed, but it is also not advisable to leave things unresolved once they are done.
Xie Lanzhi sighed, "This is not a change of dynasty, but the cost of retaking it is enormous. Our Xie family's military campaign was a victory built on the sacrifice of lives."
"If I don't kill the six Jin generals, how can I face the soldiers who have given their lives for me!"
In her final moments, she withdrew her aura and said emotionlessly, "Kill them."
Wu Qiu was slightly startled, and he quickly said, "I will issue the order immediately."
On the tenth day, young men from the Six Jin states continued to join the army to defend them. The generals of the Six Jin states, under the slogan of fighting to the death to protect their homes and country, kept gathering everyone to go to the battlefield, regardless of whether they were willing or not.
Xie Ji was outside the city, and he was somewhat wary of the overwhelming force inside.
They also worried that the marshal might not be able to make a decision.
He dared not assert that the marshal was soft-hearted, but such a decision could drastically alter the course of the war. The marshal's soft-heartedness could protect the Xie family, but it could also protect the enemy.
Her compassion and ruthlessness were no longer what they were two years ago. Although one might miss the ruthless and domineering Lord Xie of the past, Lady Xie preferred the Lord Xie of today. Lady Xie had learned from Lord Xie what it meant to die a heroic death, and from the Lord Xie of today, she had learned what it meant to live with self-respect and self-love.
Xie wanted to live, and wanted to live better.
Xie Ji's face was grim. His generals and commanders had different thoughts, all wondering whether their lord Xie wanted to persuade them to surrender or... massacre the city.
"The Marshal said that if we leave people and land, we will have both people and land."
"The Marshal also said that the recapture was perfectly justified!"
"This humble general believes that Commander Xie will not harm his clansmen because of his wife. Just look at those people in Tianjing and you'll understand."
"Not necessarily. If the marshal orders the killing of the rebels, they will still be slaughtered even if they surrender."
"The Marshal will definitely advocate for peace this time."
"We must not compromise! We cannot let our people die in vain!!"
The generals below were making a huge fuss, which greatly affected morale. Even the ordinary soldiers couldn't help but whisper among themselves. This was the first time they had faced such a situation. They had clearly won, so why was it more worrying than if they had lost?
The soldiers even made a bet in private: "If the marshal kills, he'll pay ten times the amount; if he doesn't, he'll pay twenty times the amount."
Many people chose ten times the amount. Although they were angry, many believed that even if the marshal didn't kill them, he would have a backup plan, so there was no need to worry.
However, the hot-tempered Xie soldiers believed that it would be difficult to quell their resentment without killing them. They thought that if they were to take in some resentful soldiers later, these soldiers would eventually grow stronger and rebel against Xie. It would be better to kill them now.
This war between the six states of Jin caused the Xie family to waver for the first time.
Xie Ji, who called himself a Confucian general, still believed that the Six Jin states could not be allowed to remain. The Six Jin states had too much influence; the people below were willing to die for them, and their spirit had already moved the Xie family.
This reminded Xie Ji of when they were still in the Southern Region. The old marshal was afraid of battle because of his age and worried about having an heir. He wanted to have a son to inherit his mantle and was also training Lord Xie as a candidate.
That year was a grueling one for the Xie family. They were soundly defeated by the Shi Kingdom, their grain was robbed by the Northern Regions, and their supply lines were intercepted by imprisoned rebel troops. They were also constrained by the Nine Jin.
Within the Xie clan, the old marshal's direct relatives monopolized resources and suppressed lower-ranking clan members. They were beset by internal and external troubles.
If Xie Zhu hadn't acted decisively and killed the old marshal, Xie Shi and he himself would never have been able to sit in their current positions.
However, Xie Zhu acted tyrannically and went too far, almost wiping out her entire clan. As a result, she was the only one left of the Xie family's direct lineage.
The current Xie Zhu has experienced a crisis in the past six months that is even greater than it was five years ago. Her previous use of violence to suppress violence caused a chain reaction, leading Huang Mang, the Northern Region, and the Shi Kingdom to turn against her.
Thank you for fixing the mess.
Xie Ji sincerely respected Xie Zhu. She could use force to suppress violence, or she could use literature to overcome strength with gentleness. The different transformations of the two periods propelled the Xie clan to its peak and completely transformed the Xie family.
"General, there's a fight breaking out down below?" the advisor said with a headache. "If we continue to hold out, morale will drop. Perhaps..."
Xie Ji insisted, "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer."
The aide couldn't help but sigh: "General Right, advocating for peace this time will come at a great cost in the future."
"I know, I'm just waiting for the Marshal's orders," Xie Ji said. "Send some men to keep an eye on things, and if necessary, kill a few to keep watch."
The staff had no choice but to leave. Compared to the Six Jin states, the current Right General is clearly less ruthless towards his own people.
Several of Xie Jun's men were stabbed on the spot, but they didn't die, so they dared not continue fighting. Their morale suddenly plummeted, like that of a defeated rooster.
They clearly had the upper hand on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Xie Xia, who was guarding Xie Ji's retreat route in the rear, was extremely anxious.
His injured niece was also with him.
"When will Xieji attack the city?!"
With bandages around her head, Xie Ying's eyes shone with arrogance and ignorance. She leaped onto her horse and said, "My Xie family cannot tolerate any hypocritical benevolence. Uncle, please let me go. After I have slaughtered the Six Jin, you can take my head and explain to the marshal."
Xie Xia was startled by her and scolded her, "Nonsense! Your father's entire life depends on you to inherit the family business. Do you want him to be childless?"
"And then there's Cuicui. She may not be good at fighting, but she's intelligent and quick to learn. If she's not good at martial arts, she can become a civil official." Xie Ying said dismissively, "Anyway, let me go!"
"Shut up!" Xie Xia stared at her even more intently.