The answer came without the slightest hesitation. Xie Lanzhi paused for a moment, then asked her again, "If it was your idea, I have no objection."
What about Anyi?
Huayin was originally Anyi's homeland, so it was only right for her to want to restore her kingdom. On the contrary, the side that suddenly attacked was the unjust one. But this was the end of the Jin Dynasty, who cared? It was an era of chaos, with local rulers pursuing fame and fortune, and the morals of the time decayed and justice was no longer a thing.
Even if she and Little Phoenix wanted to uphold fairness and justice, they couldn't do it alone. They were only local overlords who could only quell unrest in their own region, not the whole world.
Huayin has been without its country for twenty years, and its backbone has long been broken. The current surge of national restoration is nothing more than a last gasp before the flames die out.
“As the ruler of Anyi, she should live and die with the country.” Si Xitong took a deep breath, her eyes dim, and said, “No matter what choice she makes, my affection for her will not change.”
"Good!" Xie Lanzhi supported her without hesitation: "I will personally lead the troops then."
They were wives, so she couldn't leave her to face her former friends and wives alone.
Si Xitong gazed at her intently, her eyes glistening with tears.
It seems that Little Phoenix's decision wasn't as easy as it appeared; she was also suffering greatly. If no one could understand her at this time, she would truly be pitiful.
Xie Lanzhi was about to hug her, but considering that Ma Hong was still there, she stopped.
Ma Hong wondered if he was superfluous now.
Then, Si Xitong lowered his fingertip and pointed it at the seventh county of Huayin State.
Ma Hong immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes filled with murderous intent upon receiving the order.
The main palace of Huayin was filled with joy. Anyi had changed back into the king's crimson four-clawed python robe. Upon hearing that Azi had returned, she immediately set out to fetch her.
Unexpectedly, when she saw Azi, she found Azi crying her eyes out. An Yi went over to her with heartache and asked what happened.
The envoy from Huayin Kingdom was also baffled and repeatedly said he didn't know.
Finally, An Yi carried A Zi back to their bedroom. A Zi kept sobbing on her shoulder, which broke An Yi's heart.
"Did someone bully you?"
"Tell me, and I'll deal with him immediately." Times have changed; Anyi's expression is now fierce, and he already possesses some of the dignity of a king.
She was someone who had experienced the battlefield; her aura was different.
Azi witnessed the changes in Anyi firsthand. Seeing that Anyi was no longer timid and had become confident, she was happy but also sad.
"Anyi!" Azi hugged her neck and cried incessantly, but wouldn't say why she was crying.
After An Yi carried her back to her palace, she wiped her face and sent all the palace maids and guards away, leaving only the two of them. Then, An Yi held her hands and finally said, "It's because of your sister, isn't it?"
Azi was startled, and she quickly shook her head: "No."
"Don't try to hide it from me, don't I know you?" An Yi smiled bitterly: "Nobody in Yue Kingdom values you. They treat you like a maid and bully you. A princess of Yue Kingdom lives worse than a maid because of her lowly status."
“If it weren’t for my sister’s trip to Yue with the Emperor of Xicheng and the sworn brotherhood you formed, perhaps your father would still not have noticed you or valued you.”
"So for you, your sister is the closest person in the world."
When the news of the fall of Tianjing and Si Xitong's capture and imprisonment in the Musk Temple, along with the death of her father, reached the main palace of Huayin, Azi cried for three days and three nights. An Yi was powerless to help Si Xitong, and the couple fell into deep self-blame.
Now that Anyi has returned to power, things are different from before.
Azi nodded in the end, but she still didn't say anything. An Yi hugged her and sighed, "You and Huayin Kingdom are my home, my family, my home."
The couple embraced each other tightly.
Three days later, just as the gentry of Huayin Kingdom, together with all the civil and military officials, were about to push for the recapture of Jinghua Prefecture in the meeting hall.
An Yi has not yet held court.
From the main palace of Huayin came the panicked cries of the Restoration Army: "Report! Report! The newly formed army of Jinghua Prefecture has invaded our northern border and has already captured seven counties."
"What?"
"impossible!!"
"The ruler of Jinghua Prefecture, no, the ruler of Jiujin, actually took advantage of the situation to invade! Utterly shameless!" The prime minister, ministers, and generals of Huayin Kingdom were clamoring in condemnation.
The pro-war faction of Huayin immediately issued a strong declaration: "This is a great opportunity to recapture Jinghua Prefecture. Since Jinghua Prefecture is unjust, then don't blame us for being unjust!"
"Let's seize this opportunity to reclaim our lost territory!"
"Yes, immediately send troops to defeat the newly formed army, reclaim Jinghua Prefecture, and return the territory of Huayin to us!"
"Defeat the newly arrived army and recapture Jinghua Prefecture!"
"Defeat the newly arrived army and recapture Jinghua Prefecture!"
"Defeat the newly arrived army and recapture Jinghua Prefecture!"
At this time, the entire nation of Huayin was jubilant with the joy of restoration, and morale was soaring. Everyone was filled with an invincible mentality. They all believed that the Hu and Xiongnu had been driven away by them, and if even the Hu and Xiongnu feared them, why would they fear some unknown newly formed army? If it were Xie Bing, they would be somewhat wary, after all, Xie Bing was the only army that could rival the Hu and Xiongnu cavalry.
Now Xie Bing has withdrawn, and Xie Zhu is recuperating from his injuries. The ones who have come are all soldiers from the Nine Jin tribes whom I've never heard of before.
The Jin army had long been infamous for its inability to fight at the end of the Jin dynasty, and the Huayin state, influenced by these two mindsets, underestimated the newly formed Jin army. They raised the slogan of retaking Jinghua Prefecture.
The 100,000-strong restoration army was just as brave and spirited as when they attacked the capital. Looking at the imposing Huayin army, everyone felt that they were an invincible force.
The newly recruited army has a main force of 10,000 men and 30,000 newly recruited soldiers. Most of them have been trained for less than two months. At first, the new recruits were a little apprehensive about going to the battlefield, until Ma Hong shouted: "Whoever attacks the main palace of Huayin and captures Anyi alive will be promoted three ranks and be granted fertile land and a hundred beautiful wives!"
The morale of the new recruits and the newly enlisted regulars soared. With such a bright future before them, everyone wanted to seize the opportunity. If they won, they'd enjoy fertile fields and fine wine for generations; if they lost, they'd be alone, dead for eighteen years, yet still a hero.
Forty thousand men charged at the hundred thousand-strong Restoration Army, and the two armies clashed in a melee. Archers and firearms provided support from the rear, instantly scattering the Restoration Army. The Restoration Army never expected this battle to be so difficult. They had thought they could wipe out the Jin soldiers, but after three rounds of charging, their commanders were felled one by one with a spear, until no one dared to charge anymore.
Without a leader, the morale of the Restoration Army plummeted. No one listened to the young general's order to charge. Then someone shouted, "Open the gate, surrender your weapons and you will not be killed!" The Restoration Army immediately lost its composure. Although the gate was not opened, they were already like frightened birds in the face of firearms.
At this moment, all the members of the Restoration Army hoped for rain to soak the newly formed army's firearms, so that they could repel the newly formed army as before.
A few rumbling sounds filled the sky, dark clouds gathered, and soon it began to rain. The Restoration Army was overjoyed, believing that Heaven was helping them! The Huayin Kingdom was destined to be restored!
"It's raining! It's raining! Charge! Their firearms are useless in the water!"
"Don't be afraid of them, kill them all!"
"Kill the Jin dogs and let them taste our power!"
"Recapture Beijing..."
Bang! A gunshot rang out, shattering the rising morale once again.
The newly formed army attacked with the ferocity of tigers. Their firearms, far from catching fire due to being wet, were even more menacing, their eyes gleaming like eagles and wolves, as if they were prey to be torn apart by the Restoration Army. The closer they got to the capital, the faster they charged.
The Restoration Army erected a strong gate, but a single cannon shot blew it down instantly. With the last line of defense breached, the newly recruited army, led by Ma Hong, charged in, completely shattering the morale of the Restoration Army.
"They, they've broken in!"
"We can't win at all, run!!"
"The newly recruited troops have stormed in!"
"Quickly, quickly go to the palace and report to the King...!!"
"The country has fallen."
Ma Hong led his men in a relentless killing spree, treating anyone from the Restoration Army or carrying firearms as a rebel.
The newly recruited soldiers relentlessly pursued the Restoration Army troops who were still putting up a last-ditch resistance in the streets.
The killing lasted for a day and a night. When the sun rose the next day, Ma Hong went into the palace and asked the women and wives of Anyi to leave. In front of the remaining Restoration Army soldiers, he took Anyi and Azi to the capital.
They even slaughtered aristocratic officials in front of everyone and pursued Huayin people who resisted.
It took a total of seven days to kill them all, leaving no one in the capital city daring to leave their homes. Anyone who came out, whether a man or not, was killed as a warning to others.
They routed the Restoration Army, making them no longer dare to call themselves the Restoration Army, and they killed so many civilian organizations that they no longer dared to fight back.
Ma Hong and the newly formed army completely defeated the last remaining force of the Huayin Kingdom.
When the battlefield was cleared and the number of casualties was tallied, it was found that the Restoration Army had suffered 80,000 dead and wounded, with only 20,000 escaping to various places. Instead of sending men to pursue them, Ma Hong arrested people in various places, controlled villages, restricted movement, imposed a curfew at night, and implemented a grain control plan.
They brought the merchants and gentry of Huayin under their control. Anyone willing to surrender to the newly formed army would be released immediately with food and supplies. However, the condition for surrender was that the people of Huayin must keep an eye on each other, and anyone who harbored disloyalty would be punished along with the others.
Ma Hong knew the nature of the people of Huayin like the back of his hand. They were also masters of infighting. Those Huayin people willing to join the newly formed army felt it was no different from joining the Xiongnu; they were just under the same master. They were already used to it.
With the support of this group, Ma Hong, under the instructions of Si Xitong, focused on supporting this force to suppress the opposition.
Huayin, Beifu, the seven central counties, and numerous important cities, large and small, were all captured by Ma Hong in just ten days. Ma Hong had expected the people of Huayin to carry out the same assassinations they had against the Huns, but to his surprise, not a single one dared to resist.
Most of those in the upper echelons who harbored rebellious intentions were killed, leaving mostly women and children. Ma Hong did not exterminate them, but spared these people.
As for the common people, if they pose no threat to them, they can live peacefully without Ma Hong sending troops.
The reason why the people of Huayin were so peaceful was that Si Xitong ordered that any rebellious aristocratic families be exterminated and their property and assets be distributed among the people.
When the whale falls, all things flourish. The people of Huayin benefit from this and will compare the newly arrived army with the Huns.
When the Huns were in power, they would not only retaliate but also fleece the Huns several times over before they would be satisfied. Now, the newly formed army specializes in confiscating the property of those who rebelled against them. After confiscating their property, they would distribute it evenly among the lower classes to win over the hearts of the people.
If those at the lower levels behave themselves, even the most ambitious individuals who want to incite resistance against the newly formed army will have to pay a price.
Furthermore, the Hu and Xiongnu had emptied several coal mines in Huayin State, leaving 50,000 people in nearby villages homeless. Seeing that they were about to starve, these people considered taking the opportunity to rebel. The Jinghua Prefecture issued a new order: to hire people to quarry the remaining coal from the Hu and Xiongnu, with the Jinghua Prefecture purchasing it at a fixed price per kilogram. The coal mining rights could be divided among the local people, with the newly formed army holding the pricing power, and 10,000 people would be hired to mine the coal.
On the first day, the Jinghua Prefecture paid 1,000 shi of grain as wages.
Afterwards, Ma Hong went to investigate and found that the Hun people were really good at digging. In twenty years, they had basically dug up most of the large coal mines, causing soil erosion. If it rained, there would definitely be mudslides that would impact the roads.
After Ma Hong reported the matter, Si Xitong immediately issued two orders: "Stop mining, restore forests and build roads!"
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:17:32 on January 15, 2022 and 19:46:58 on January 16, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the grenade: Qingshan (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Hongyan (10 bottles); QAQ (3 bottles); and Lu Cong Jin Ye Bai (2 bottles).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 149 Little Phoenix Graduates
The people of Huayin discovered that the ruler of Jiujin seemed different from the ruler of Anshan. Although she needed coal mines, she did not force people to mine them. Instead, she paid people two dou of rice a month to mine coal and transport it to Jinghua Prefecture.
At first, many people in Huayin resisted fiercely, but some secretly took on odd jobs to survive. Those who worked the night shift had rice to cook and feed their families, even if they were scolded by their neighbors. Their stomachs didn't lie. The will to survive couldn't deceive themselves.
Many people initially dug at night to avoid acquaintances. Later, finding that everyone was doing the same, everyone simply opened up. At least the coal mine still had a small share of control from the Huayin people.
They even get paid for the coal they mine, which is far better than the treatment given to the Huns. Even when their own people buy the mines, they're not necessarily as generous as those in the capital.