When Xie Lanzhi returned, her expression was calm, showing no sign of anger, which contradicted the rumors circulating on the street. She must have used this as an excuse to deal with those domineering people.
She breathed a sigh of relief and went to greet her: "Lanzhi."
Seeing her wife's worried look, Xie Lanzhi's expression softened instantly. She opened her arms to catch her as she walked over, saying, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
“It’s just killing a few dogs.” Si Xitong’s gaze turned cold, her soft voice carrying a hint of chill: “Lanzhi, we don’t need to be so afraid of the Huns.”
"In less than three years, we will inevitably clash with the Hu and Xiongnu on the battlefield."
Xie Lanzhi originally wanted to say that the reason she hit someone was because Hu Xiong had offended her friend, and she was just giving him a small punishment. She didn't expect that her wife already had plans to fight back.
She paused for a moment, then gently pulled her out of her arms to examine her closely. Seeing the doubt in her wife's eyes, she smiled and said, "It seems my little phoenix is already confident."
"What did you say?" Si Xitong couldn't help but reach out and poke her chest with her fingertip, gently accusing her of teasing.
Xie Lanzhi told her earnestly, "Anyway, I have a lot of confidence in you now. Go ahead and do it your way."
For some reason, when the topic of solutions came up, Si Xitong's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was hiding something.
Xie Lanzhi has begun to accept that her wife has a little secret because she trusts Xiao Fenghuang. She knows that if it really hurts their relationship, Xiao Fenghuang will be the first to object. So she knows what she's doing.
As for what little secret it was? She was genuinely curious.
Xie Lanzhi's handling of the dogs didn't escalate too much, as it was disgraceful for the Huns to be beaten and their reputation spread, and Anshan didn't give anyone another opportunity to exploit the situation. This caused the Hun generals who followed her to swallow their anger.
Logically, being kicked a few times without causing any death should have been the best course of action, to let the matter rest. But who were they? They were subordinates of powerful figures vying for control of the north during the chaotic end of the Jin Dynasty. They were the ones who were always the ones being bullied; who dared to bully them? Now, something truly out of the ordinary had happened. The head of the Xie clan had openly assaulted their men and told them to swallow their anger and act as if nothing had occurred. The envoy was still lamenting daily in the Northern Prefecture that he had disgraced the prince, that someone had practically slapped the face of the entire Northern Prefecture.
Anshan believed the matter was not serious; it had merely dampened their spirits and was nothing to worry about. He couldn't afford to cause a transnational incident over a simple slip of the foot. He now oversaw all the coal mines north of Huayin, essentially acting as half-king of Huayin, controlling most of the north. His brother, the King, needed large quantities of coal to ship to the motherland for steelmaking, so he absolutely couldn't afford any trouble at this critical juncture.
We must not cause trouble.
However, Anshan underestimated the awareness of his men. Today their morale was dampened, and tomorrow the Xiongnu soldiers would have a chain reaction. Perhaps they were used to being domineering and acting like kings wherever they went, which created the illusion that the Xiongnu should be treated as honored guests wherever they went. Now, whenever they encountered Xie's soldiers on patrol, they saw the men staring at them with eyes like wolves and tigers ready to devour them.
The Huns realized that besides themselves, there was another group that was powerful. They were no longer the most feared and respected group; now it was Xie Bing's turn.
The Xie soldiers adhered to the rules to the end, simply avoiding disturbing the people. They paid for their meals, and thus earned a reputation in Huayin for "not bullying weaker nations, a sign of the benevolence of a superior country." Compared to the Xiongnu soldiers, the Xie soldiers were nothing more than a bunch of clowns who served to highlight their virtues.
When Xie's soldiers saw the Huns causing trouble, they stopped them and helped the Huayin Kingdom maintain order. Later, Hun officials took advantage of the situation to arrest people for personal gain, highlighting the difference between public and private interests, which further enhanced the reputation of Xie's allies. Xie Shangguang even took the lead in bringing honor to Xie Lanzhi by arresting Hun merchants from Huayin Kingdom who were smuggling Xiaoyao pills and Fushou cakes.
This time, he was beaten to death in the street, without even being given the chance to ransom the Xiongnu officials.
The Xiongnu officials and soldiers wanted Xie Bing to give an explanation, but Xie Bing only wanted one: "Our marshal hates the poisonous smoke that harms the country and its people, and he hates even more those who use smoke to harm the people of other countries, and even those who do not treat the people of other countries as human beings!"
"Kill them all! No one can stop us!"
These words immediately shocked the entire Huayin Kingdom. Just moments before, a Huayin minister was about to submit a memorial to the king, impeaching the Xie family for usurping power and oppressing friendly nations. The next second, Xie Bing's words were met with immediate acclaim from the people of Huayin.
The Xiaoyao Pill has already poisoned people in Huayin Kingdom, even causing the destruction of their families. However, the officials of Huayin Kingdom have always turned a blind eye, only concerned with currying favor with the Huns for promotion, or simply dared not do anything about it.
The ineffectiveness of domestic officials and the unfair environment meant that a foreigner's simple statement of justice triggered a series of chain reactions.
People of vision and integrity in Huayin began to organize to resist the Hu and Xiongnu. The people responded enthusiastically, and even the intervention of local officials could not stop this wave of anti-Xiongnu sentiment.
Some even shouted a slogan: "Drive out the Huns and give us back our green hills."
This is because the excessive mining by the Huns and Xiongnu led to frequent mine accidents, killing many laborers, most of whom were ordinary people. They helped mine coal but received no income, not even a hot meal from the Huns and Xiongnu. Yet the Huns and Xiongnu ate their food, mined their coal, and even sent coal that their own people had never used cheaply to the north, benefiting those ruthless Huns and Xiongnu who devoured people without spitting out the bones.
Public resentment grew until Xie Bing shouted the slogan of self-reliance, which awakened many people to resist.
At first, many people were just watching, but gradually, with the help of others, more and more people joined the anti-Hungarian movement.
Even when the Hu and Xiongnu were rampant in the countryside, they usually only had a force of five thousand men. However, the number of people temporarily assembled by the Huayin Kingdom to fight against the Xiongnu was as high as two hundred thousand.
If 200,000 people unite, they might be able to take down these 5,000.
The Huns had lost their former arrogance. They dared not even leave their homes at night, fearing that if they did, they would be beaten severely with a sack over their heads. If they weren't beaten to death, they were lucky. The next day, because they couldn't see the face of the assailant, they couldn't even find the person to report to the authorities.
As a result, the Hu and Xiongnu people gradually restrained their arrogance and began to realize that they were guests and that the guests should not occupy the land as hosts.
The Northern Prefecture is now heavily guarded, and its defenses were once even more stringent.
The Hu and Xiongnu envoys and officials reported on the various situations they were facing. Not only was there a surge of anti-Xiongnu sentiment in Huayin, but the coal mines were also staffed by people from Huayin. Now, the people of Huayin were united and refused to work for the Hu and Xiongnu anymore, even if they offered a lot of money, they would only be met with curses.
The lack of coal mining has delayed this month's coal production, and the higher-ups will punish us accordingly.
"Prince, please think of a solution quickly, otherwise we will all be punished by the king if we don't have enough coal."
“We never expected that the beating of the envoy would cause such a big reaction. If only Your Highness hadn’t been so indifferent to this matter, you would have ended up getting yourself into this mess.”
"Prince, these people deserve a lesson. Why don't we send some men to teach them a lesson? Once they realize they're scared, they'll naturally disperse and things will return to normal."
"Prince! Please come up with a solution quickly."
Anshan covered his forehead, but the people around him kept chattering and making a headache.
"Alright, I understand. Please calm down." For now, his only option is to go to the palace and have Anyi take the initiative to quell the public's grievances. This is also the purpose of the king keeping her as a pawn.
Otherwise, the Huayin Kingdom would have been replaced long ago. Why would she be in this position? Since she's the ruler, even if she's just a puppet, she'll have to serve him.
Anshan immediately went to the palace, thinking things would go smoothly. Unexpectedly, Anyi seized this opportunity and turned the tables, helping the miners recover their money and even imposing fines to quell public anger. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to help her.
Anshan wanted nothing more than to pin her down and beat her up on the spot, but now was the time to need her, so he had no choice but to endure it this time and wait for the day he could take revenge.
The Northern Government allocated 100,000 taels of silver to quell public grievances and compensated the miners who suffered the mining disaster with 5,000 taels of silver.
The Hun people retreated again, and the Huayin soldiers began to take over various positions, regaining half of their real power. This caused the Hun officials to lose a lot of leverage, and the area that the Hun soldiers could go was also reduced due to the area under the jurisdiction of the Hun officials.
Now, the only place that can be reached is that small area to the north. Once you cross it, Xie Bing will help the local soldiers and officers to keep them in check. The soldiers and officers, taking advantage of Xie Bing's power, have managed to intimidate many Xiongnu soldiers.
The Hun soldiers, looking dejected and restricted in both directions, were used to bullying others and had short tempers. Now, with their own men gathered together, anyone who uttered a single inappropriate word was instantly met with a beating. Their own men weren't tolerating them, and many of the Hun soldiers who had previously acted arrogantly experienced the harsh realities of society for the first time.
at the same time.
In the main palace of Huayin, Anyi was filled with joy. She held a glass of plum wine and sat beside Xie Lanzhi, her timid nature seemingly vanished overnight, replaced by confidence as she spoke loudly. She even offered Xie Lanzhi a toast without stuttering. Beside her, Azi was chatting happily at Si Xitong's table. The wives and their husbands sat at separate tables.
Xie Lanzhi drank cup after cup, and seeing that she was going on and on, she immediately stopped her: "That's enough."
"Marshal, may I have another drink? I'm so happy today."
"If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be like a quail." Anyi had never felt so triumphant as she did today. For three whole years, she had been controlled by others, without any opportunity to do anything for her subordinates. The ministers only knew how to curry favor with the Xiongnu officials, caring nothing for her life or death. The common people were all cursing her as a son of a bitch and a tyrant. She couldn't have been more miserable.
Now she could finally do something for everyone. The palace servants and guards around her all had tears in their eyes; they all knew their mistress's suffering.
Xie Lanzhi observed their expressions and realized that Anyi was very popular; otherwise, such a large group of people wouldn't have followed her.
The main problem now is that she has lost the bridge to communication with the people, and her power was cut off shortly after she came to power, so she has no opportunity to develop her skills. That bridge was her officials.
She put down her wine glass and reminded Anyi, "I didn't do anything. You're just lucky that your country still has heroes who care about you and your people."
She was telling the truth; her people were simply trying to awaken the sense of self-reliance in the people of Huayin, making them understand that everything depends on themselves. The greatest effect of the 200,000-strong anti-Xiongnu fervor was to inspire morale.
Now that the Hu and Xiongnu are invincible, the illusion of their fear has been shattered, and presumably no one will be as afraid of them as before.
As long as the Xiongnu don't act recklessly for the sake of their own interests, Anyi can regain some of the initiative.
In fact, she underestimated the audacity of the Huns abroad. Even before their king, Aqina, had conquered the world, many Huns had already viewed the world through the lens of their motherland, considering it a great disgrace to be outdone by a small country, and forgetting that they were on someone else's land.
The people at the foot of Anshan were restless. They secretly led a group out and attacked the soldiers of a coal mine in Huayin Kingdom, killing two hundred people. This enraged the local people, who rebelled. The Xiongnu soldiers showed no mercy, only wanting to intimidate these rebels. This time, they massacred the entire village, leaving no one alive among the thousands.
Chapter 126 Xie Lanzhi Sends Troops
When the officers and soldiers from Huayin arrived at the scene, they found the ground covered with corpses. Before they could even report it, they were apprehended.
The killing of two thousand officials and civilians in Huayin by five hundred Xiongnu soldiers was horrifying. The anti-Xiongnu fervor, which had surged to two hundred thousand, cooled considerably. Xiongnu officials regained power and the initiative, while the Huayin officials began to slack off again. Few held onto hope. Huayin's army was too small, numbering only ten thousand, and most of them were already stationed on the border. To fight the elite Xiongnu forces, the entire nation had to mobilize to save itself.
However, since the old king relinquished sovereignty twenty years ago, the people of Huayin have become a spineless generation.
Many officials in Huayin even had marital ties with the Xiongnu. Furthermore, with the majority of those advocating peace, there were few left who dared to oppose the Huayin state.
The anti-Hungarian fervor, which was high in morale, quickly subsided.
We are facing the darkest period before dawn.
No matter how many orders to send troops were issued by Anyi, they were intercepted by his subordinates, and he could not contact anyone brave enough to resist.
This time, she put down her wine glass and cut her hair.
In just a few days, the situation reversed as follows, which Xie Lanzhi witnessed firsthand.
An Yi sat in front of her with short hair, his eyes no longer showing any struggle, perhaps because he had given up all hope for Huayin Kingdom.
Xie Lanzhi asked her, "Where is your wife from?"
“She is from Yue. She is from Yue.” An Yi said, “Marshal, I would like to send A Zi to Tianjing. Can you take her in?”
Xie Lanzhi said, "Tell Little Phoenix, she won't refuse."
“I don’t want to trouble her anymore, so I’d like to ask you for a favor.” An Yi’s eyes darkened, and his fist clenched on his knees: “This is my last request.”
This time, Xie Lanzhi agreed without hesitation: "Okay. From now on, Azi will live in Jiujin as Little Phoenix's sworn sister."
"Thank you." An Yi stood up, knelt down deeply, and kowtowed to her.
She then left the table, leaving behind her favorite plum wine. This time, the pot was filled to the brim, but she didn't pour another cup.
Watching her departing figure, she nodded and lowered her head, revealing her expression.
A ruler should live and die with his country. The emperor guards the nation's gates, the monarch dies for the state. This is her final dignity as ruler!
The anti-Xiongnu fervor was like a fleeting resurgence of fortune in Huayin, coming and going quickly. Anyi organized a thousand people to make a final decision with the Hu and Xiongnu.
Ironically, before she even encountered the Huns, one of her own officials, along with three thousand soldiers, blocked her at the North Gate. Over the years, Huayin officials had been secretly raising many private soldiers, who were now being used to protect their masters like dogs against their own people.
Two thousand troops were sent from south of Huayin, but that was too little, too late to help the immediate crisis.
An Yi was immediately surrounded in the coal mining area where the accident had occurred before. The people there risked their lives to protect her, simply because she had stood up for the victims, and that's why they remembered her.
On the sixteenth day of the tenth month of the second year of the Jin Dynasty, under a full moon, the coal mining area was finally breached, and Anyi's last line of defense was broken. A thousand Xiongnu cavalrymen trampled through the mining area, but did not intend to capture Anyi alive.
Anyi was already waiting to die.
She thought this might be the bravest she had ever been.
She was now unarmed, no longer the ruler of a nation, and couldn't even afford the cheapest plum wine before she died. She told the remaining people to flee, but none of them did.
An Yi realized for the first time that her people were much braver than she was.
"I'm sorry, in the three years since I ascended the throne, I've never once made sure you were well-fed and clothed, and now, in my final moments, I still expect you to die with me. Your unwavering loyalty makes me... feel ashamed."
A surviving young man from Yugan firmly told her, "Your Majesty, though you die, you are honored!"
"Huayin is a small country, so the people of Huayin must strive to be more competitive! We can't let others bully and trample on us forever!"
An Yi looked intently at the young man.