Gu Sang followed up on Zhou Qichen's words: "Indeed, General Qin, one should choose a wise ruler and be at peace. Can't you see the situation clearly yet?"
"General Qin, why don't you take another look outside the city and see how your fifty thousand troops are faring?"
"Your commander has already abandoned his troops and fled. Do you still want to defend Pei Changying?"
Gu Sang gestured for the Qin Vice General to look down from the city wall.
It was only then that the Qin Vice General realized the army should have already begun their assault on the city. He immediately turned his head to look, and his heart sank.
Below, there had clearly been a battle.
But why had it ended so quickly?!
That was supposed to be an army of fifty thousand!
Moreover, why hadn't he received any notification when the army retreated?
The Qin Vice General's face alternated between pale and flushed, both angry and helpless. In the span of a minute, the expressions on his face were quite a spectacle.
The Elder Princess stared at the Qin Vice General's face and smiled.
Then, with a wave of her hand, she said: "Enough. Loyalty that comes from coercion is not true loyalty. Since General Qin is so loyal to his master, I won't force him."
"Qichen, let General Qin go!"
Upon hearing this, the Qin Vice General looked up at the Elder Princess in shock.
He couldn't understand why the Elder Princess would let him go again.
He was an enemy, after all!
Who would show mercy to an enemy time and time again?
"I respect the General's character. This is the last time I will spare you. If you remain obstinate, next time, I will not be so lenient."
The Qin Vice General looked at the Elder Princess with mixed emotions. Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, a bitter smile appeared on his face.
The emperor he served was cruel and tyrannical, demoting and punishing at will.
Yet the Elder Princess, whom he was ordered to attack, was kind-hearted and respectful towards the talented.
Between these two, it was clear who was more worthy of loyalty.
What a pity!
What a pity that the Elder Princess wasn't a man!
Even though the Elder Princess had the momentum to conquer the world, she would ultimately not be accepted as legitimate by the people or by tradition!
But, but, but were traditions always right?
Were they truly unbreakable?
The Qin Vice General stood at the gate of the plague-ridden city, looking up at the Elder Princess and her entourage who had already left the city walls. The leg he had stretched out to leave the city suddenly retracted.
He was confused.
-
"Urgent dispatch, eight hundred li!"
"Quick, change horses!"
A memorial was immediately sent to the capital at the speed of eight hundred li.
Pei Changying, sitting high on his throne, turned pale with shock and fear upon reading that the Elder Princess had already manufactured cannons.
How could that earth-shattering thing possibly have been made!
It must have been given by Gu Sang!
Damn it!
When exactly did Gu Sang give it to her? Was it before talking to him? What kind of deal did she strike with Pei Weiqi? How could she give such a powerful weapon to Pei Weiqi?
The cannons had such a huge impact on Pei Changying that he immediately assumed it must have been Gu Sang who helped, without even thinking about it.
"What's wrong with Your Majesty? Why do you look so troubled?" Seeing Pei Changying's terrified expression, the court officials were curious about what was written in the memorial.
Before they could ask, Pei Changying threw the memorial down.
"Slap!"
"Ministers, take a look and tell me how to solve this matter!"
The Prime Minister picked up the memorial, and after reading it, his expression changed several times. Finally, taking a deep breath, he said: "Your Majesty, according to General Guan's report in the memorial, the destructive power of these cannons is far less than those of later generations."
"If Pei Weiqi can manufacture them, our craftsmen should be able to make them as well."
"Moreover, even if we can't make them, we can create armor to defend against them..."
"Furthermore, I've noticed that these cannons fire in concentrated bursts. If we position our soldiers farther apart..."
The Prime Minister quickly spotted numerous issues with the cannons. After the initial shock, he calmed down and began to analyze the attack range of the cannons step by step in court.
Pei Changying's fear gradually turned into confidence.
Thank goodness!
Thank goodness they weren't as terrifying as the cannons of later generations!
Sang, I knew you wouldn't have the heart to do it. Even if you sided with that wretched Pei Weiqi before, you would still hold back for my sake!
If a woman can make them, I don't believe my craftsmen can't!
Thinking of this, Pei Changying smiled and confidently ordered: "Send out the decree to summon all the craftsmen in the country to the capital to manufacture cannons!"
"I refuse to believe that with the resources of an entire nation, we can't make better cannons than that woman Pei Weiqi!"
"Once we make the cannons, it will be Pei Weiqi's death day!"
"I will have that wretched woman dismembered! And bring Sang back to the Imperial Palace!"
-
While Pei Changying was confidently gathering people to make cannons, at that moment in the plague-ridden city.
After confirming the details of injury compensation and schools with Gu Sang,
The Elder Princess immediately implemented her plans with swift and decisive action.
"By order of the Elder Princess, each soldier's family is entitled to one enrollment spot in school... For those without children, as long as they achieve..."
"By order of the Elder Princess, for any soldier who dies in service of the people, they will be..." There weren't many literate people in the plague-ridden city, so soldiers had to go around the streets beating drums and gongs to announce the news.
After hearing about the series of benefits for soldiers from the Elder Princess, the entire plague-ridden city was in an uproar.
The citizens' eyes were filled with surprise and amazement.
They discussed among themselves: "Free education? Compensation for injured and fallen soldiers? How can there be such good things! This can't be real, can it?"
"How could it be fake? Didn't you see the soldiers going door to door to inform everyone? It must be true!"
"Hahaha, luckily my son was smart and joined the Elder Princess's army early. Grandson, you can go to school now. Our Old Wang family will finally have an educated person!"
"Mother, I want to join the army! If I can return safely, I will definitely give you a good life. If I can't return, at least I won't have to worry about your future!"
"Dad, Mom, your daughter wants to join the women's guard. If I join the guard, my younger brother can go to school. Are you still going to try to stop me?"
Many young and middle-aged people, even some in their fifties, rushed to the city gate to enlist in the army.
In the past, being a soldier was a bitter job that could get you killed, so they were naturally reluctant.
But now, not only did being a soldier come with generous rewards, their children or grandchildren would have the opportunity to receive free education.
Rather than begging the heavens each year not to bring down disasters and living such a hard life, it would be better to fight for a way out.
If they won, it would mean achieving success and returning home in glory.
If they died, the Elder Princess would take care of their parents, wives, and daughters afterwards, so they would have no worries left behind!
"Sir, I want to sign up. Look at how strong and robust I am - I can kill a bull with one punch."
"Psh, I doubt the bull would die from your punch. It's more likely to die from your boasting. Sir, take a look at me..."
"Oh, Elder Brother Yu, you've come to sign up too? Excellent, excellent. We brothers can go together and look out for each other on the battlefield."
"......"
