"What do you want?" Seemingly emboldened by Li Jun's hesitation, Ji Su straightened her chest and shouted, "Let me go!"
"Oh...no." Li Junxian did as she said, but eventually came to his senses. To him, this woman was now a rare commodity.
"Don't run away!" Li Jun averted his gaze from the woman's face, which was making him somewhat flustered, and noticed Ge Shun secretly slipping into the Rong people's ranks. Ge Shun's unusual movement gave Li Jun a bargaining chip. "First, hand over that ordinary man, that fellow in the Confucian robe!"
Before Ge Shun could protest, a Rong man grabbed him from his horse, rode him to the front of the Silver Tiger Army, threw him to the ground, and Silver Tiger Army soldiers immediately stepped forward to tie him up.
"The outcome of today's battle is decided. If Commander Ji Su wants these ten thousand Rong people to return to the grasslands, he must agree to two conditions." Li Jun tried hard not to look at Ji Su's face, imagining that he was negotiating with a man, and a hateful and cruel Rong man at that. But this effort didn't seem to work very well; Ji Su's sullen appearance was still deeply imprinted in his mind.
"Kill us! We will never accept your humiliating terms!" Ji Su said angrily, refusing before Li Jun could even state his conditions.
“It’s easy for you to die,” her words enraged Li Jun. Although he had known since childhood that death was an easy thing, Lu Xiang’s influence on him was too great. Unconsciously, he also began to respect life like Lu Xiang. “These Rong people are just like us ordinary people. They have wives, children and elderly parents at home. If they die in battle here, what will happen to their wives and children at home?”
"Then what do you want?" Ji Su, who was almost stunned by Li Jun's words, took a long time to come back to her senses and uttered these words, implying that she would no longer refuse to negotiate with Li Jun.
"It's very simple. The Rong people and the Peace Army will form an alliance, cooperate with each other, and trade for mutual benefit. We will supply you with grain, tea, salt, and silk at fair prices, and you will supply us with horses and livestock at fair prices. Neither side shall ally with any other force against the other. This is the first condition."
Li Jun's first condition was carefully considered. After this period of research, he discovered that the conflict between the Rong and the common people was not entirely due to the Rong's warlike and plundering nature. Some cunning individuals among the common people exploited the Rong's need for necessities, deliberately inflating the prices of these goods to deceive and exploit them. Initially, the Rong didn't mind, but later, upon discovering this, they began to hate the common people, eventually escalating to a point where both sides were robbing each other. Ultimately, it all came down to self-interest. If both sides could now balance their interests, most conflicts could be resolved. As for the bloody wounds inflicted between the two races during the long-term conflict, only time could heal them.
This condition was almost unacceptable to Ji Su. It wasn't that the price was too high, but rather that she couldn't believe that an ordinary person, especially one of the most cunning and treacherous types that the Rong people hated most, would propose such an equal condition. Based on the impression Li Jun had left on her so far, she was certain that Li Jun had some sinister plot behind this.
"Tell me all your other schemes and plots!" she said coldly.
Li Jun was somewhat amused and exasperated; it seemed he had left a very bad impression on this beautiful Rong female general. "The second condition is," he began, the second condition he had already prepared in his mind, but then hesitated, "uh... well, the second condition is..."
Since Li Jun took control of Silver Tiger City, the soldiers of the Silver Tiger Army had never seen him so hesitant and troubled. Finally, he asked, "Besides you, among these Rong generals, who holds the highest position?"
"What do you want to do?" Ji Su asked warily, her expression suggesting she was interrogating Li Jun.
On the contrary, Li Jun, the victor, was like a deflated balloon. "At this point, neither of us trusts the other, so I need someone of high enough status to be held hostage until we are certain that your Khan agrees to abide by the peace treaty before he can be released," he explained with a sense of helplessness.
"Then why not use me as a hostage instead of someone else?" Ji Su pressed closer.
"What a joke, taking a woman hostage?" Li Jun finally couldn't help but reveal his youthful side. If he were a mature and cunning man, bullying orphans and widows would be the most common thing, let alone kidnapping a Rong woman as a hostage. But Li Jun still had the "heroic" spirit of a young man and didn't want to be seen as someone who bullied women.
"What? You look down on me?" Ji Su also revealed her strong-willed personality. She couldn't accept Li Jun's contempt. "I am the only daughter of Khan Hulei, the commander of the Rong people of the Qionglu Grassland, and the attendant of the God of War Wentian. How dare you look down on me?"
Her string of titles surprised not only Li Jun, but also all the Silver Tiger Army soldiers, including the captured Ge Shun. No wonder she was able to become the commander of tens of thousands of Rong people at such a young age, and no wonder Hulei Khan trusted her so much, and the other Rong people respected her so much. The Rong people, on the other hand, were extremely dejected. Most of them were still busy with diarrhea, and the few Rong people present were all hanging their heads in dejection.
Li Jun was both surprised and delighted. He was delighted that he had indeed caught a big fish, but he was also surprised because the greater the woman's background, the more difficult it would be to deal with her. "Oh, so you are a princess. My apologies for my disrespect," Li Jun said reluctantly. "However, as a princess, it would be too disrespectful to the Rong people to take her hostage. Please leave one or two of your subordinates behind, and I will allow you and your more than ten thousand subordinates to return safely to the grasslands."
"As the commander-in-chief, how can I let my subordinates suffer for me?" Ji Su retorted. "If you are sincere, release my subordinates and I will go with you!"
"This is a real headache..." Li Jun felt helpless. No matter how hard he wanted to let this stubborn Rong woman go, she was unwilling to leave her subordinates as hostages. Moreover, if the Peace Army wanted to keep hostages, she was indeed the most suitable.
"Alright then... that's the only way." Li Jun took back the flying chain short sword that was still around Ji Su's neck. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Mo Rong. The flying chain short sword that Mo Rong had made for him had helped him a lot once again.
The Rong generals all requested to replace Ji Su as a hostage, but Ji Su sternly rebuked them. Some who insisted were even severely whipped by her with a horsewhip. Li Jun was speechless. Was this woman truly ungrateful, or was she refusing her subordinates' good intentions for some other reason?
With the hostages in hand, Li Jun ordered the military doctor to hand over the prepared medicine to the Rong people. Although still somewhat worried that this smirking man might try something else, the Rong people figured there was no need for him to set any traps, so they took the laxatives. Neither side liked the stench of the place. The Rong people left after promising not to loot again on their way back, while Li Jun comforted the rescued people and let them return to their homes.
While Li Jun spoke with the people, Ji Su silently put on her helmet, hiding her girlish side within the cold visor, but her heart couldn't find peace. She didn't regret revealing her true identity, but just as the Rong people were seen as ruthless villains in the eyes of ordinary people, so too were ordinary people demons capable of anything. As a woman, now a prisoner of one of these most despicable demons, what fate awaited her?
She dared not think any further. Little did she know that Li Jun, though seemingly calm, was also filled with conflicting thoughts about how to deal with this prisoner of special status, and was even at a loss for what to do.
Section 2
News of the great victory reached Silver Tiger City early on, and the people of the city were in an uproar. Since they could remember, every year in the battles with the Rong people, there were losses on both sides. There had never been an example of the Rong people being forced to retreat at such a low cost.
More importantly, Li Jun brought the only daughter of the Rong Khan as a hostage. The people of Yinhu City realized that, at least for a short time, the Rong people would not invade again. The people who had suffered from the ravages of war seemed to be able to catch their breath during the lulls in the fighting.
Seeing the jubilation of the soldiers and civilians in the city, Li Jun was also quite moved. The war in Silver Tiger City was even more frequent than that in Thunder City, where the Hua family had silver mines as capital, allowing them to hire mercenaries on a large scale. Silver Tiger City, on the other hand, mainly relied on its retainers and young men. War left the young and strong men dead in the fields, the old, weak, sick, and disabled starving at home, forests turned to scorched earth, and towns turned into wilderness.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to mobilize the Silver Tiger Army for combat in the short term." Qianzong Fan Yong suggested to Li Jun with some concern: "Since the Battle of Leiming City, the Silver Tiger City troops have been running around fighting in the north and south, and the morale of the soldiers has declined. This battle against the Rong people was a last resort. If we have to mobilize them for combat again, I'm afraid their morale will not be high even if they go to war."
“Indeed, during this time of fighting the Rong people, people have been coming to ask us every day when the soldiers will return. Commander, why not let the soldiers rest for a while, and ideally let them go home to reunite with their families?” Sima Hui also said. In the past, he would not have paid attention to these things, but since joining the Peace Army, he has gradually realized that the reason why the Peace Army is invincible is because the soldiers are united. And the reason why the soldiers are united is because the purpose of the Peace Army's war is not for Li Jun's personal achievements and military merits, but for the soldiers' families, that is, the well-being of the people.
The generals of the Silver Tiger Army nodded in agreement. They had also been fighting away from home for a long time and were eager to return home to reunite with their families.
“We should rest for a while,” said Qianzong Shang Huaiyi, who offered a different opinion. “While our army is tied down by the Rong people, the Zhu family and the allied forces of the smaller powers will surely launch a full-scale attack on Kuanglan City. Now, Kuanglan City’s connection with Yinhu City has been cut off for three days. I imagine their scouts will be blocking the way. We should make our soldiers grit their teeth and fight another battle to break the siege of Kuanglan.”
His words silenced everyone. Sima Hui smiled without speaking. Of all the people present, only he truly understood Li Jun's arrangements and strategies, some of which he had personally overseen. Therefore, he was quite confident about the situation in Kuanglan City. However, the other centurions felt somewhat ashamed. They had only considered their own and their subordinates' longing for home, neglecting the safety of Kuanglan City, the home city of the Peace Army. In a sense, they had not fully considered themselves as commanders of the Peace Army.
Li Jun did not blame them. He was already quite satisfied that they obeyed him and resolutely implemented his battle plan. Mutual integration is not something that happens overnight; only through continuous interaction and coexistence can trust be built, leading to true unity. The same applied to the Rong people. The reason he didn't initially tell them that ordinary people and Rong people were equal, or that he didn't reveal his entire plan, was because he understood that the Rong people wouldn't trust him immediately. It was precisely for this reason that he wanted to capture a person of status among the Rong, not just as a hostage, but more importantly, to establish communication through interaction.
The thought of this hostage made Li Jun's head feel twice its usual size. Ji Su's fighting skills were on par with his; she could easily escape no matter who else guarded her. Therefore, all Li Jun could do was try to keep her by his side, even forcing her to sit and listen attentively to such important military and political meetings. But Ji Su was, after all, a woman, and sometimes it was very inconvenient for Li Jun to be with her. How to deal with her was indeed a major problem. Moreover, Li Jun himself suffered from gynophobia and had no idea how to handle this fierce Rong woman.
"If Sister Mo were here, she could easily become friends with this woman, which would make things much easier for me. But she's stationed in Kuanglan City right now and can't leave." Li Jun thought to himself. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Song Yun's wife, Chen Ying, would be a good choice. However, this Rong woman is too fierce. It would be dangerous for Chen Ying to be with her..."
"Commander, Commander!" Sima Hui noticed that he was a little distracted and tugged at him. Li Jun then came back to his senses. He treated hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops as nothing, but he was stumped by a female prisoner. He found it funny when he thought about it, but at the moment, he could only take it one step at a time and deal with the Silver Tiger Army first.
"Oh, I've already made arrangements for the matter of Kuanglan City. Please rest assured, good news will surely arrive from Kuanglan City within the next few days." He didn't reveal the entire plan, not because he didn't trust his new subordinates, but because some confidential matters were best kept to a minimum. "Therefore, the Silver Tiger Army soldiers can be divided into three groups. Every seven days, one group will take turns going home on leave, one group will be responsible for city defense, and the other will undergo training. However, Mr. Sima, during these days, have you distributed the land seized by the powerful clans in the city to the soldiers' families?"
When this matter came up, Sima Hui, who had stayed behind during the battle with the Rong people, had a lot to say: "Commander, rest assured, Yinhu City is based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Therefore, many powerful families have relied on their power to seize the land of the common people. In recent days, not only have we distributed all the land that the Tong clan had seized, but we have also ordered other powerful families in the city to give up their surplus land. In addition to distributing fifty mu of farmland to each household of active and retired soldiers' families, there are still two hundred qing of vacant land. Furthermore, I have taken twenty thousand bolts of cloth and twenty thousand gold coins from the Tong clan's treasury, which I confiscated, as subsidies for the families of the soldiers during the war."
Li Jun laughed heartily: "If Jiang Tang were here, he would definitely blame you for making a losing deal and being a spendthrift."
Sima Hui laughed too. He had dealt with Jiang Tang many times in Kuanglan City, and the two had argued frequently due to disagreements. Sima Hui came from a wealthy family and was used to spending money lavishly, while Jiang Tang was like a businessman, meticulous and calculating in everything. So, the two argued almost every time they met about the Peace Army's finances. But they both understood that the other had no selfish motives, at least not the intention to use the Peace Army's funds for personal gain. After arguing, they would laugh it off, and then argue again the next time they met. Li Jun had tried to persuade them to stop countless times.
"However, speaking of which, the Tong family is indeed quite wealthy. I think that although there are no silver mines in Silver Tiger City, the Tong family's assets are not much smaller than the Hua family's. Just that palace alone must have cost a fortune of the people's hard-earned money."
Li Jun's question made Sima Hui feel quite ashamed. He himself came from a powerful family and had amassed a huge fortune by exploiting the common people and their tenants. The amount of land his family had seized was also astonishing. These days, following Li Jun's instructions, he was distributing the land of powerful families to the families of soldiers. Listening to these poor people lament how they had lost their small plots of land, and seeing their excitement and even kneeling on the ground when they received their land, Sima Hui began to slowly reflect on the enjoyment he had previously taken for granted. If he had regarded Li Jun's oath of equality among all people as just a slogan during the New City Oath, now he was truly thinking about the question: why were the common people in such a miserable situation?
“It cost 500,000 gold coins to build this Silver Tiger Palace.” Pointing to the magnificent palace with its endless pavilions and towers, Shang Huaiyi shook his head and said, “Just as Commander Li said, it was all the hard-earned money of the people. Some people even said that this palace is a tiger that eats people without spitting out the bones, and what supports this palace is the pile of white bones of poor people.”
"Why don't we just burn it all down?" shouted a rather impatient captain. Most of these captains came from humble backgrounds, and despite their numerous military achievements, they remained low-ranking officers under the Tong family's rule. When the Peace Army entered the city, they were immediately promoted from obscurity to their current high positions. This wasn't based on merit, but purely a measure by Li Jun to appease the troops. After following Li Jun in the fight against the Rong people, they were completely on his side. Therefore, seeing any of their former master Tong family's belongings only reminded them of the unfair treatment they had suffered, and it filled them with rage.
"No, no!" Sima Hui exclaimed in shock. "Although this palace was built with the hard-earned money of the people, it was also the result of their wisdom and sweat. If I am not mistaken, the Yue people must have been hired to design the palace, which is why it has such a scale and grandeur. Burning it down would be a waste."