Chapter 1100: Entering the City (2)

The first thing Qi Xiuyuan did when he entered the city was to get Qi Haoran and the others to handle the Jin soldiers. He would not allow a mutiny to happen.

Qi Haoran ordered more than 80,000 Jin soldiers to be separated and merged into the Qi army, in groups of 100 Jin soldiers each. While they were familiar with each other and would not be too afraid of being merged into the Qi army, 100 people would not be able to cause chaos even if they wanted to.

The Jin soldiers were still filled with fear when they were integrated into the Qi army. They were at a loss. By the time they realized that they had been abandoned by their king, they could no longer contact more of their compatriots.

When Mu Yangling entered the city, she only had time to hold Qi Haoran’s hand before separating. He was so busy that his feet didn’t touch the ground, but Mu Yangling was free. After thinking for a while, she went to the camp where the Jin soldiers were received. Although there was no conflict between the Jin soldiers and the Qi army, they looked at each other with fierce gazes from time to time.

Mu Yangling turned around to look for the Jin soldiers.

Rather than leaving them at a loss and breeding killing intent, it was better to tell them the higher-ups’ decision and let them choose freely.

Actually, Qi Xiuyuan had not decided how to deal with these surrendered Jin soldiers. Seeing Mu Yangling mention this, he smiled and asked, “What good ideas do you have?”

“Big Brother, it won’t do us any good to keep them by force. Instead, we’ll have to spend more effort to reorganize and guard them. Killing prisoners will disrupt the harmony. Why don’t we let them choose? If they’re willing to stay, we’ll take them in. If they want to leave, we’ll just give them some rations and a few taels of silver.”

Qi Xiuyuan frowned. “Isn’t this providing combat strength to the escaping Jin royal family?”

Mu Yangling smiled and said, “Big Brother, it’s no longer a secret that Wulie used the Central Capital to trade for the escape of 30,000 people. Do you think the abandoned Jin soldiers will still be loyal to them?”

Qi Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“Besides, in order to sow discord between Great Yuan and the city, Wulie even scattered gold, silver, and jewelry, disregarding the Jin soldiers guarding North City. Once this news spreads, will those soldiers who lost their father and brothers still be willing to join the Jin royal family?”

Qi Xiuyuan knocked on the table and said, “Perhaps there’s even more we can do. The Jin royal family didn’t take away many nobles, and many people were left behind. I don’t believe they don’t bear any resentment at all. Even if they don’t resent the Jin royal family now, I can make them resent them.”

Qi Xiuyuan took Mu Yangling’s suggestion and asked the generals who had recruited the Jin soldiers to be more amiable to them. He also told them that once the Yuan army retreated and the situation in the city stabilized, anyone who wanted to leave would be paid ten taels of silver each and five days of rations. Also, they could take away their luggage and the military salary they had saved.

Those who did not want to leave could continue to serve in the army. If they chose to enter the Qi army, they had to respect the laws and military rules of Great Qi.

In order to increase the reliability of his words, Qi Xiuyuan even specially got someone to write a document and post it all over the camp with the Emperor’s seal on it.

In this era, words from a figure like the Emperor were authoritative. If it came from the Emperor’s mouth, it might not be 100% realized, but at least he would not go back on his word.

The dazed Jin soldiers in the army sobered up a little.

In addition, Mu Yangling also asked the generals of the Qi army to give them a pep talk and let the Jin soldiers look forward to a beautiful future. After this, the soldiers of the Jin Kingdom who had wanted to die with the country gradually got over their sorrow.

Once the situation in the army slowed down, it affected the atmosphere in the city. The dark clouds that had been pressing down on the Central Capital seemed to have dissipated a little.

Outside the city, the Yuan army gathered 600,000 troops to attack the city.

Qi Haoran sneered at them from the city tower. “Ogedei has just conquered the country and is so poor. I don’t believe that he has so much rations to support his soldiers. They will definitely retreat in another ten days.”

General Yuan was worried. “There are still villages and towns outside the city. I’m afraid the Yuan army will forcibly collect grains and rations on the spot. The people outside the city…”

Qi Haoran’s face was also a little cold, but he said, “This is inevitable.”

Not to mention Great Yuan, even Great Qi needed some time to mobilize the rations of a 600,000-strong army. For Ogedei to be in such a hurry to mobilize his 600,000-strong army, it was obvious that he planned to gather grains on the spot.

Qi Haoran was not worried about them snatching the commoners’ food. He was only worried that they would harm the lives of the commoners.

The Jin royal family left in a hurry and left behind a lot of grains. In addition, they had confiscated grains from the families of the Jin nobles, so it was not difficult to provide relief to the people after the war.

After all, this was the capital of Great Jin, and the wealth of a country had been left behind.

Qi Haoran turned around and left, leaving behind an order. “You must guard the city.”

General Yuan lowered his head and obliged.

Because Great Qi had taken down the city without expending a single soldier, although the Yuan army had increased by 400,000 troops, they gradually became anxious. Even Ogedei’s actions were not as steady as before and he made repeated mistakes.

As for the 600,000-strong army, the amount of rations they consumed every day was three times that of before. Most of the rations that previously were to last them for 20 days had been used up in a few mere days.

Ogedei had no choice but to send troops to forcibly gather rations in the nearby villages and towns. The commoners complained, and the rear gradually became unstable. However, they were still unable to take down the Central Capital, and the Han people’s defense became tighter and tighter day by day.

Many generals suggested giving up.

However, Ogedei had only conquered Great Jin’s devastated territory, but he had not been able to obtain the wealth left behind by Great Jin. How could he rule the entire country without money in the national treasury?

Most of Great Jin’s wealth was in the Central Capital. When he thought of the jewelry that Wulie had thrown down in the city a few days ago, Ogedei’s heart burned with passion. However, they really could not afford to last any longer. Without rations, if they stayed any longer, the soldiers would probably mutiny.

Ogedei’s expression was ugly, but on the eighth day after the Qi army entered the city, he had no choice but to order a retreat. In order to avoid Great Qi’s pursuit, Ogedei quietly split up his troops and left.

However, Qi Haoran still received the news.

Mu Yangling exclaimed, “This Li Zhang is a genius at spying. To think he can actually spread the news at a time like this.”

Qi Haoran kept the note and said, “This is his last resort. He knows that Ogedei won’t kill him if he catches him, but Ogedei will definitely vent his anger on him when he retreats this time. He is aware that his death is inevitable. However, he is indeed very tolerant, to have kept his trump card until now.”

“You’re going to save him?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t it be a pity not to save such a talent?” Qi Haoran said with a smile, “I’m still counting on him to come back and continue working for us.”

After this series of events, Qi Haoran really had a whole new level of respect for Li Zhang. Naturally, he couldn’t bear to see such a talent die. He was one of the founding ministers of Great Yuan and had been with Ogedei since he was a mining slave. In addition, he was extremely familiar with the civil officials and generals of Great Yuan and knew Ogedei well, making him truly a great weapon to use against Great Yuan. Not to mention Qi Haoran, even Qi Xiuyuan had ordered that Li Zhang must be saved at all costs.

Qi Haoran picked 3,000 people from the elite soldiers he had brought previously and left quietly.

Mu Yangling could only continue to wait for him at home with a worried heart. She touched her thumping heart and thought to herself that she must have been frightened by his entry into the city previously. Otherwise, why would she be so flustered?

In the past, when he went to war, she would always wait for him to return with a smile.

When Little Bear returned happily from outside and saw his mother’s uneasy expression, he asked curiously, “Mother, what’s wrong?”