After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Chapter 321 Public Opinion War
It turned out that Chang Zizai and others on the front line had already begun attacking the city.

After the shell was fired, flames flew everywhere, sounds like thunder, smoke and dust filled the air, and it instantly hit the city wall several miles away.

Then, there was a "crash" sound, the city wall collapsed, the earth shook, and accompanied by screams, the city wall fell slowly like a domino, splashing dust all over the ground.

The soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture cheered.

Especially the soldiers who had never seen the power of firearms, all of them widened their eyes at this moment, as if they were unwilling to let go of everything in front of them.

Not to mention the soldiers, even the close ministers around Xu Zhenying's eyes jumped and subconsciously held the railing of Xu Zhenying's carriage.

Zhou Houfang covered his chest, his face pale, staring blankly at the huge dust in front of him and said, "Is this the power of firearms?"

Old Lin was so frightened that he took several steps back until he landed in front of Zhao Qiaonian. He still held Zhao Qiaonian's hand tightly.

Both of them turned pale and supported each other to keep their balance, not being frightened by what they saw.

Elder Lin murmured, "I have heard that this firearm is incredibly powerful, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes, words cannot describe it."

Zhao Qiaonian heard the screams coming from the other side, and saw that the city wall was pierced, with two large holes on it. Countless people fell from the city wall and were then killed by stones. He quickly regained his composure, but he was only concerned about one question, "Is the general defending the city still alive?"

Old Lin's face turned pale. He and Wang Xinde had some friendship. He had even been his grandson's teacher for a year.

At this moment, he felt a little reluctant and said, "I just saw that some people were blown into the air, and some were killed by stones. Wang Xinde didn't listen to our advice, and he was in the middle of the city wall. I'm afraid he can't escape death."

Zhang Wanjun saw that Mr. Lin looked uncomfortable, so she said considerately: "Mr. Lin, war is so cruel and bloody. Why don't you go to the rear and rest for a while?"

But Elder Lin looked her up and down, and said in a rather unconvinced tone, "You, a little girl, dare to rush forward, so why should I, an old man, not dare?"

Zhang Wanjun smiled helplessly, "Mr. Lin, we youngsters are also concerned about you. There are so many ugly corpses on the battlefield. We have rolled in the pile of corpses and have seen broken arms, hands, and heads. When we fought in Fancheng, I hid in the pile of corpses for a day and a night."

Old Lin was stunned when he looked at Zhang Wanjun's sparkling eyes.

Zhang Wanjun had a smile on her face when she said this, and she looked proud when she talked about these things.

But looking at her childish face, Old Lin remembered that this girl was about the same age as his granddaughter, and his granddaughter had just moved to Jinzhou Prefecture, and currently only knew how to indulge in romantic affairs and feel nostalgic about the passing of time.

Mr. Lin was speechless and didn't know what to say for a moment.

While everyone was still guessing what happened to the people on the city wall, Xu Zhenying had already taken a quick look with a clearer telescope, and then said, "Wang Xinde and Deng Quanan are really lucky. Fortunately, the soldiers beside them pulled them away in time, otherwise they would have been killed on the spot! Go and shout, don't let Chang Zizai go, Jiang Yongkang, you go--"

Chang Zizai was riding on his horse, holding a trumpet and ready to give it a try, but he was suddenly stopped by Jiang Yongkang, "Chang Zizai, stay here!"

After saying that, Jiang Yongkang snatched the loudspeaker from his hand and rode out.

Chang Zizai was full of confusion, wondering why he, a general on the front line, was jerked off after only working for half an hour.

"What's wrong? Didn't His Highness ask me to go to the front of the battlefield to persuade them to surrender? Why is Minister Jiang here to take credit?"

The soldiers around him also wondered, "Could it be that General Chang's scolding just now was wrong?"

Chang Zizai suddenly realized, "I understand, Your Highness must have thought that I didn't scold you harshly enough! It turns out that scolding is an art -"

Jiang Yongkang rode up on his white horse, and then roughly estimated the distance to make sure that the archers on the city wall would not shoot him. He waved his hand, raised the trumpet and shouted in the dust in the distance: "You have seen the power of this firearm! Your Highness does not want to kill innocent people, so you will be given three days to surrender. As long as you are willing to surrender, we will not kill anyone from top to bottom! Think about it! After three days, if you agree to surrender, raise the white flag on the city wall!"

"Damn it! Damn it, the firearms of Jinzhou Prefecture are really powerful! No wonder even Zhou Heng fell into their hands!"

At the critical moment, Wang Xinde was pulled to the side by his confidant, and as soon as he moved away, the city wall behind him was pierced by firearms. He had a tinnitus and even dizziness, and he almost couldn't stand up on the spot.

If a few of his trusted aides had not dragged him to the side, he would have been blown away by the firearms like the soldiers who had just stood with him!
"Master Deng! Master Deng!"

In the chaos, Wang Xinde did not forget to call Deng Quanan.

After a long while, a hoarse voice was heard in the smoke, "General Wang, I'm fine—"

There was no problem, but Deng Quanan was a beat too slow to react and nearly fell down with the collapsed city wall.

I just sprained my ankle and can't walk at the moment.

Looking at the broken and crumbling walls in front of him, Deng Quanan felt very upset. He burst into tears, "My Great Zhou Dynasty has lasted for more than 300 years, but today it has fallen into the hands of a woman! I, Deng Quanan, have been deeply favored by the emperor, and I wish to serve my country throughout my life! If Fengxiang Prefecture cannot be defended today, I will jump off this wall and die for my country!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the soldiers shouting again: "Hurry, hurry, they are coming again!"

Wang Xinde stood up immediately, but saw dozens of archers riding on horses suddenly appearing from the other side and dispersing rapidly from both sides.

"What kind of fighting style are they using?!"

Deng Quanan limped over with the help of the soldiers and said, "Are they going to attack from both sides? Didn't they say they would give us three days to consider? It turns out that the people in Jinzhou Prefecture are all villains who don't keep their promises!"

"Sir, no, they are not going to attack the city! What are they going to do?"

However, the city wall of Fengxiang Prefecture was square, with only two gates, and only lookout patrols in the middle. Moreover, the city wall stretched for several miles, so they could not catch up at all and could only watch these Jinzhou Prefecture soldiers ride around the city on horseback.

"My lord! They are shooting arrows into the city!"

"What?!" Wang Xinde wanted to catch up with them immediately, "What on earth are they going to do?"

Sure enough, the next moment, dozens of soldiers from Jinzhou Prefecture began to draw their bows and shoot arrows. Only the sound of "swish" was heard, and the arrows flew through the air, rising into the sky, and then fell into the city.

Either on the ground, on the wall, or in the courtyard.

"Be careful, people from Jinzhou Prefecture are shooting arrows from behind—"

Someone in the city shouted, and the people dodged. Arrows rained down like rain, and the people could only scream and run away. Then they heard a scream, and everyone thought that the man was unlucky, but there was no blood and flesh. The man pulled out the arrow with his backhand and said in surprise: "Hey, there is no arrow."

When the rain of arrows stopped, everyone dared to come forward and said, "There are indeed no arrows."

Someone with sharp eyes said, "Hey, there seems to be a note on it!"

"Who can read please read it, what is written here——"

Someone immediately volunteered to come forward.

——The people of Jinzhou Prefecture have meat for every meal.

——Lan County adopts a new breeding method for pigs, which can grow 100 kilograms in half a year and the pork is cheap
——The price of a cotton coat in Jinzhou Prefecture dropped to 200 wen
——Free schooling for children over five years old in Jinzhou Prefecture
As the man spoke, more and more people gathered around him. Many of them even looked for arrows around them, then handed them to him and asked him to read the contents of the note.

——Jinzhou Prefecture has occupied the sixteen states of the Great Zhou Dynasty, occupying two-thirds of the land in the world
——Jinzhou Prefecture’s firearms can penetrate the city walls.

——Those who surrender will not be killed. Those who persuade others to surrender can make achievements and be awarded five to one thousand taels of silver according to their merits.

——Follow Jinzhou Prefecture, distribute land and food! Clothes and food!
Seeing that more and more people were on the street and people kept muttering about the notes from Jinzhou Prefecture, the common people were no longer afraid and came out one after another, asking questions.

"Well, was that the firearm that caused the earth to shake just now?"

"It must be! There's a crackling sound over there on the city wall. It must be the firearm mentioned on the note! It seems that this firearm is indeed worthy of its reputation!"

"The people in Jinzhou Prefecture have so many new things! It also says pork is cheap. How cheap is it?"

"I know, I know! I went to Jinzhou Prefecture last year to buy soap and ate their pork. The price is not much cheaper. A pound of pork belly here costs 25 cents, and it's about 15 or 16 cents there. But the advantage is that it doesn't have any fishy smell! It tastes even better than mutton."

"Lan County pigs are still very famous! Many of us have eaten them!"

"Old Luo, what have you eaten? Have you eaten it? Here, only the extremely expensive Tianxianglou has Lanxian pigs, and a plate of braised pig head costs nearly one tael of silver! Where have you eaten it?!"

The old man smacked his lips and said, "Of course I have eaten it. My son went to Lan County two years ago and brought me some pickled meat. How come I haven't eaten it before—"

A student from the academy was filled with indignation: "What a bunch of fools! The enemy has come to your doorstep, but you are still obsessed with your appetite! How foolish! They threw these notes specifically to shake the morale of the army, hoping that you and others will work together to open the gate of Fengxiang Mansion. This is all a trick of the enemy--!"

Another scholar-like person also said, "Yes, you are a bunch of fools, just like uncivilized beasts and dogs. How can you know the words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism? Looking at each of you, you look like you are selling out your country for fame and fortune. No wonder you can't defend Fengxiang Prefecture!"

Immediately, some people who were dissatisfied started to argue, "You have read the books of sages for so many years, why don't you go into battle and kill the enemy?"

"That's right! When those arrows were shot down just now, you ran faster than anyone else!" The people below were arguing, and the people on the city wall were not idle either.

The soldiers from Jinzhou Prefecture came and left quickly. After shooting arrows, they disappeared on horseback, escaping unscathed before they even had time to react.

Among the soldiers there was one who could read. He quietly picked up the piece of paper on the scissors and gathered together with a few close brothers.

"Look, it's written here. The monthly salary for the soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture is one tael of silver!"

The others looked worried, "We knew that a long time ago!"

That's true. After all, Fengxiang Prefecture is close to Xingyuan Prefecture, and they have fought each other more or less. The soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture are all tall and strong, and they eat very well. They even often try to persuade them to surrender when they meet, saying that not only are the salaries in Jinzhou Prefecture high, but they are also never in arrears, and they also hold technical competitions from time to time. Those soldiers, even the female soldiers, seem to be not to be underestimated.

"I really don't know why General Wang is so conservative. If you ask me, who cares if he is the emperor? What does it have to do with ordinary people like us? They all say they are loyal to the emperor and love their country, but the military pay is repeatedly in arrears, and my wife and children are almost starving to death. Why don't I see that the Great Zhou Dynasty loves me?"

"You have been bewitched by that newspaper!"

"Am I wrong? The superiors put pressure on you by saying you are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, so we soldiers have to charge forward with our heads tied to our belts. They eat and drink well, and order servants around, but what about us? Lao Liu, your house has been broken for several years, and the roof has not been repaired yet."

The man called Lao Liu gnashed his teeth and said, "The military pay has been delayed again and again. I have a lame father and a blind mother at home. The medicine costs several hundred coins a month. How can I have the money to repair the house?"

"I heard that in Jinzhou Prefecture, the soldiers were given houses!"

Several people gasped.

"really?"

"Before the war, I had an uncle who was a peddler. He went to Jinzhou Prefecture several times and became rich when he came back. He told me that there was gold everywhere in Jinzhou Prefecture and you could pick it up just by bending over! He also said that it was not easy to be a soldier there, because they had to select and choose again and again, and the requirements were very strict. It was said that there were countless people recruited every year, and only those with a good ancestral grave could be selected. Do you know why?"

Several people all looked at him.

"They are well treated! Three meals a day, all you can eat. This is the most basic thing, one tael of silver a month, paid on the 15th of every month, never in arrears. And they have clothes all year round, and they have oil and rice for the New Year and other festivals. And when they join the army, they have to learn to read and write, practice military tactics, and take monthly assessments. As long as you perform well, you have the chance to become a general!"

"Really?" Everyone was very excited by his words. "Pay it on the 15th of every month? No delays?"

"We never default on our payments, otherwise how could people rush to serve as soldiers? And most importantly, if they get injured or disabled in battle, they will be supported by the imperial court for life!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then someone said, "No wonder they fight like they don't care about their lives! They say that fully paid soldiers are loyal and brave, and this is indeed true!"

Then someone said angrily: "They say whoever feeds you is your mother. Now think about it, the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't give us money or food, but just lets us charge forward. We are not fools! Why?! If you ask me, we should just rebel against him! Let's kill General Wang and send his head to the Queen Mother. Then we will have all the fame, wealth, honor and glory, right?!"

However, some people objected: "General Wang has been very good to us! We can't be ungrateful!"

"Then instead of killing him, we can just tie him up and then let the people from Jinzhou Prefecture into the city, right?"

Everyone looked at him in astonishment, "Brother Wang, are you really planning to surrender?"

The man snorted coldly, "Why should I work for the Great Zhou Dynasty? Whose life is not life? Besides, didn't you see the power of the firearms? Xiao Lei from the next team was only 18 years old, and he was blown away today? Now they haven't even picked up the body! We are lucky that we can still discuss whether to surrender here! Who knows, we may end up like Xiao Lei tomorrow!"

Everyone was silent.

"Just tell me, are you willing to follow me? Let's take a few brothers to tie up General Wang and Lord Deng, then raise the white flag of surrender and welcome His Royal Highness Prince Zhao into the city—"

After a moment, someone responded, "Fuck him! Anyway, the Zhou Dynasty will be over sooner or later. They have already reached our doorstep. Sooner or later, the world will belong to the Xu family! If we do it now, we can still have a future. It's better than being blown away by firearms!"

After a brief hesitation, everyone said, "Let's do it! Why not!"

"Okay, go back today and see if there are any brothers who want to rebel. After dark, we will take advantage of General Wang's unpreparedness and tie him up and present him to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao!"

However, Wang Xinde and Deng Quanan returned to the government office.

They had been holding the city wall for two whole days, and now that the wall was destroyed, they had already seen the difference in strength between the two sides. If the people of Jinzhou Prefecture really wanted to attack the city, it would only take a thought.

Right now, maybe they really should be given three days to consider surrendering.

"Everyone, take a look. These are all notes collected from various places in Jinzhou Prefecture. They shot arrows today to shake the morale of our Fengxiang Prefecture army! Now the whole city is in turmoil. The people know that Jinzhou Prefecture said that those who surrender will not be killed. Our people's hearts have been scattered! There is no point in fighting this war!"

The person who spoke was Deng Quanan. He was usually polite, but now he was cornered and swearing.

Wang Xinde said: "Public opinion warfare, psychological warfare, the people in Jinzhou Prefecture like to engage in these conspiracies and tricks the most."

"It doesn't matter if it's a conspiracy or not, as long as it works! Go out and take a look. Now the people of Longxiang Prefecture are just waving flags and cheering to welcome them in."

All the civil servants below had pale faces.

Some were brave enough to persuade them to surrender directly, "Lord Deng, the firearms of Jinzhou Prefecture are extremely powerful. To put it bluntly, we are just fish on the chopping block. The fall of the city is a matter of time. It is better to surrender now. First, it will reduce the casualties of the people in the city, and second, it will save our own lives. After all, we will not lose anything!"

Deng Quanan's face was rather grim. "Have you forgotten that we are still wearing the official uniforms of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

"What is the difference between the official uniforms of the Great Zhou Dynasty and Jinzhou Prefecture? Apart from other things, at least Her Highness Prince Zhao has a good reputation among her subjects. In recent years, she has promoted education, expanded the population, reformed the military system, and accepted refugees. All these things show that she is a wise emperor. Lord Deng, don't you know that the people in Jinzhou Prefecture speak highly of Her Highness Prince Zhao? She now owns thirteen states and has the support of tens of millions of people. Our Great Zhou is declining and corrupt. How can we deal with such an enemy?"

Then someone advised, "Sir, what kind of hero was Zhou Heng? In the end, he died at the hands of Xu Zhenying. It shows that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is destined to be the king. If we surrender, we may be able to save the lives of the people in the city. If we don't surrender, the firearms can still be used. After all, we can still discuss matters now, and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao has given us three days to consider. Isn't this a manifestation of his love for the people like his own children?"

Wang Xinde said, "You bunch of scholars have really read too much! This is all the enemy's conspiracy! Let me ask you, why there are five iron weapons over there, but only one is firing in the end?"

Everyone looked at each other for a while.

In this chaotic time, who would pay attention to a few gunshots?

"Humph, I think it's obvious that they are short of troops and are setting up a false formation. Maybe they only have one firearm available! If we can hold out for a few more days and wait for the imperial court's reinforcements to arrive, why can't we fight them?!"

Deng Quanan sighed and looked at the silent crowd, "Now you all know why she gave us three days, right? It's not because she is kind! She is keeping track of the time."

"On time?"

"In three days at most, the imperial court's reinforcements will arrive. She wants to capture Fengxiang Prefecture before the reinforcements arrive."

Everyone in the room was shocked. They never expected that there was such a deeper meaning behind this.

But soon someone said, "But what if the court is unwilling to send reinforcements?"

"Yes, there are not enough soldiers in Bianjing City. How can you guarantee that reinforcements will come?"

Deng Quanan coldly rebuked: "Everyone, this is truly a critical moment for the Great Zhou Dynasty. Our Fengxiang Prefecture is only a few hundred miles away from Bianjing City. If reinforcements don't come, are we waiting to be destroyed by the people of Jinzhou Prefecture?"

Yes.

If you go further, there is only one Hezhong Prefecture.

But this also means that as long as Fengxiang Prefecture is captured, Jinzhou Prefecture can be said to be invincible and aim at Bianjing. This also means that if they want to defend Fengxiang Prefecture, it is destined to be a bloody battle!
But one official said, "General Wang, Lord Deng, it is useless to talk about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. The army is already demoralized. Do you really think we can hold on to Fengxiang Prefecture?"

"We must defend it even if we can't!" Wang Xinde stood up and held his sword in front of him with murderous intent. "Even if I have to sacrifice my life, even if I die on the battlefield, I will never let the enemy take a single step inside."

The man stared at Wang Xinde and said, "Lord Wang is loyal, brave and passionate. We admire him. But what about the people in the city? Do they believe us? Do they want us to continue to be in charge of Fengxiang Prefecture, or do they want people from Jinzhou Prefecture to take over?"

Wang Xinde was speechless.

He really couldn't say anything against his will.

Even though the city was dead silent and without any commotion, for some reason he always felt that beneath the calm surface there was endless turmoil and crisis.

"Lord Wang, don't forget that when Fengxiang Prefecture and Jinzhou Prefecture were exchanging what they had, the common people knew what kind of life the people in Jinzhou Prefecture lived. Haven't you heard of this saying circulating in Fengxiang Prefecture: It's better to be a dog of Jinzhou than a person of Da Zhou—"

Wang Xinde and Deng Quanan both felt a chill in their hearts.

Looking at the officials below, they have obviously become united as one, and even seem to have reached some kind of tacit understanding secretly.

Deng Quanan smiled uncomfortably: "That is indeed the case. But since Xu Zhenying has given us three days, there are still two days left. You can go back and reconsider it."

"Okay, that's right, there are still two days left. Everyone go back and think about it."

An official shouted, and then everyone dispersed.