Chapter 46

The young Western Qin officer who delivered the message into the city was the same one who had made the trip to Maer Mountain. However, in the city, he felt something completely different from what he had experienced on Maer Mountain.

On Maer Mountain, the Chu soldiers he saw were calm, and he felt their indifference. As he walked along, the Chu soldiers at most glanced at him with a roll of their eyes before lowering their eyelids and going back to their own business. The young officer saw some people playing with clay figures, others lying on the ground, intently observing a small flower that was just beginning to bloom, and some with their legs raised high, basking in the sun and sleeping soundly. In short, on the mountain, he did not feel the atmosphere of a great battle, but it made all the hairs on his body stand up.

He was familiar with that indifference. Whenever the Thunder Army was about to face a major battle, they were like this. People who were indifferent to their own lives would not value others' lives. Such people were the most terrifying on the battlefield because they were always ready to die.

He suddenly understood why the Great General was unwilling to attack Maer Mountain. When victory was almost certain and a great triumph was about to be achieved, no one wanted to pay a huge price for something trivial and insignificant. No one wanted to die just as the dawn was about to break, only to be plunged into eternal darkness.

He felt that he was of the same kind as the men in the suicide battalion, and thus felt a mutual respect.

But stepping into the city was a different experience. He felt warmth, as if he were not an enemy but a long-lost friend who had come from afar. From the soldiers who opened the gate to the governor and the commander of the AnYang County troops who now faced him, the overflowing warmth they exuded made him feel as if millions of tiny worms were crawling all over his body, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Please sit, young general," Yang Yi said with a genuine smile, because the entry of the Western Qin officer into the city meant one thing: they would not attack AnYang County. This naturally made him overjoyed. If AnYang County was not lost, he, as the commander of the AnYang County troops, would naturally be credited with defending the territory. With proper handling, a significant promotion was not impossible. With the great defeat in the west, the court needed to give an account to the world, and at this time, it was necessary to set an example. Why couldn't he be that example? Therefore, he was particularly enthusiastic, even going so far as to personally bring a chair over, disregarding his status.

Compared to Yang Yi, Cheng Pingzhi still maintained some of the restraint of a scholar. Although he wore a smile, it looked somewhat awkward. Although the fact that the enemy would not attack AnYang County made him happy, this treaty under the city walls would be a disgrace to him. Yang Yi's thoughts were clear to him, but with the great defeat in the west, as a county governor, he could not escape responsibility.

"I am not a general, I am not even a junior officer. I am just a personal guard of General Bian," the young officer twisted his body, feeling a layer of goosebumps all over, and said coldly.

"General Bian's personal guard, how can you not become a general in the future? It's just a matter of time. I just got a head start by a few years," Yang Yi said with a beaming smile.

The young officer felt that although he had mentally prepared himself, he still underestimated the shamelessness of the Chu general before him. He couldn't help but glance at this person. Compared to the Chu soldiers on the western border, this person was truly unworthy of wearing a military uniform. He couldn't help but think of the Chu soldiers in the Luoying Mountains, who fought to the death and refused to surrender, until they fell one by one.

Thinking of those heroic soldiers fighting to the end, only to protect such people, he couldn't help but feel deeply sorry for them. But from another perspective, he suddenly felt very excited. If there were more people like this in Chu, the Qin Empire would have nothing to worry about. If all Chu soldiers were like Zuo Lixing and the suicide battalion, would the Qin people even have a chance to live?

"These are the conditions for our withdrawal as set by General Bian," the young officer felt he couldn't stay here for a moment longer. He took out Bian Wushuang's official document from his chest and presented it to Cheng Pingzhi with both hands. "General Bian says you have three days to prepare these things. If we don't see them by this time three days from now, the army will immediately attack the city."

Cheng Pingzhi took the document, skipped the introductory words, and went straight to the list at the end. His face immediately changed. "So much? How can we gather so much in AnYang County?"

Yang Yi snatched the document from Cheng Pingzhi's hand, completely disregarding the hierarchy between them, and his face also changed dramatically.

One million taels of silver, ten thousand taels of gold, and ten thousand bolts of silk and cloth. Just these three items were enough to drain AnYang County.

"It's not our concern whether you can gather them or not. We only need to receive these things in three days. If not, you know the consequences. We don't mind coming into the city to search for them ourselves," the young officer said proudly, feeling there was no need to maintain necessary etiquette in front of these people.

"No, no, no, we can gather them, we can gather them," Yang Yi said repeatedly. "Please have General Bian wait for three days. We will definitely deliver these things to your camp in three days."

"Since that's the case, we'll see you in three days," the young officer said with a cold laugh and turned to leave.

After the Qin officer left, the smiles on the faces of the civil and military officials of AnYang County vanished completely. "Where can we get so much gold and silver? Where can we get it?" Cheng Pingzhi paced back and forth in the hall like an ant on a hot pan. "Even if I empty my treasury, there won't be enough."

Yang Yi was silent for a moment, then stood up. "Lord Cheng, there is a way."

"What way?"

Yang Yi sneered. "We have worked hard to prevent AnYang County from being attacked by the Qin people, and we have endured humiliation to negotiate with the enemy. Now that the enemy has set a price, for the safety of the hundreds of thousands of people in AnYang City and for their lives, shouldn't they pay this money?"

"You mean, collect it from the people in the city?" Cheng Pingzhi's face changed. In recent years, in AnYang County, he had portrayed himself as a virtuous and upright official. If he did this, wouldn't his reputation be ruined?

"Lord Cheng, between life and property, I believe the people in the city can see clearly. The amount seems large, but when divided among everyone, it's not much. The people of AnYang County have been living well in recent years, and their homes are quite wealthy. These things won't make them unable to live," Yang Yi said.

Cheng Pingzhi remained silent.

"Are you worried about your reputation?" Yang Yi's sneer grew louder. "Lord Cheng, after this is over, do you think you can stay here, or will you stay here? Since you won't be an official here anyway, what does it matter? When the time comes, we can use our connections with the Left Chancellor to be transferred to a place far from here, and everything will be fine. The key is to get through this crisis."

Cheng Pingzhi sighed. "There is no other way."

Three days later, on Maer Mountain, Zhang Xiaomao and the others watched as the gates of AnYang County City opened, and one by one, carts and wheelbarrows were pushed out of the city, heading towards the Western Qin camp in a steady stream.

"Damn it!" The monk sighed and sat down. "I feel so frustrated, so frustrated!"

"You have to endure the frustration," Zhang Xiaomao sighed. "What can we do? What can we do? We can only watch, and do nothing."

"If only Qin Lao Da were here, he would definitely come up with a plan," Wild Dog, still lying on a stretcher, said with green eyes.

"Don't say Qin Lao Da, even if a god came, they could only stand by and watch like us," Shuchang sneered. "Moreover, you don't even know where Qin Lao Da is now, or whether he's even alive. The Luoying Mountains are now the territory of the Qin people, and Princess Zhaohua is a flower that attracts bees and butterflies. If he goes there, he might run into a powerful expert and die young, what a pity!"

"Bullshit!" Wild Dog, for the first time, became furious. "Qin Lao Da has great fortune and a long life. The grass on your grave is taller than a person, and he's still jumping around!"

With a slap, a plaster was accurately stuck on Wild Dog's mouth, silencing him.

Shuchang pursed his lips and looked towards the Luoying Mountains. Qin Feng, you bastard, where are you now? I hope you're still alive. Don't let me be right, or you'll be buried in a desolate mountain, and there won't even be a place to offer sacrifices to you!