Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 393 How were they able to plunder Bianjing...?

"Your Majesty, great joy, great joy!" Li Bangyan was extremely excited in the Empress's palace.

"Is it Mei Zhan who's here?" Zhao Ji could guess, and he just kept pulling Li Bangyan's hand and shaking it.

"They're getting closer! The news from the day before yesterday was that they were still besieging Chenzhou, but today we have news that Chenzhou has already fallen. And this is just the news that has come back. If all goes well, Xu Jingji and Taikang have also fallen, so they are heading towards Xianping and Chenliu. The troops in the prefectures and counties along the way will not put up any resistance and will rush forward. It all depends on their speed. Xu will be there in three days, and they will be able to reach Bianjing in three days!"

Li Bangyan was truly excited. Even today, his son Li Lu had already left the city and headed south to Chenliu, hoping to meet Mei Zhan there.

"Good! Excellent!" Zhao Ji's words were resounding. He was excited, but his body did not move. He just looked up slightly at the window, as if he was in a daze for a moment.

Just when they thought he was really lost in thought, he suddenly turned back and asked mysteriously, "Has Minister Li sent someone?"

"He's gone! I sent my eldest son, Li Lu!" This time, Li Bangyan may have really succeeded.

Anyway, we can't lose money no matter what. If things go well here, being granted the titles of duke or king won't be far off.

If things don't work out here, even if Su Wu were to enter the capital in the future, how could he not pacify the world?
Zhao Ji immediately said, "After this is accomplished, Minister Li can become the King of Chu, and Minister Li's son can become the Prince of Chenliu!"

They're here! Li Bangyan felt his blood rush to his head, and he bowed deeply: "I am willing to die a hundred times for my country and for Your Majesty!"

Zhao Ji turned his head away again, gazing out the window for a moment, as if lost in thought...

Suddenly turning his head back, he stood still and said, "Mei Zhan, as long as you can save this world and save me, I will be granted the title of Prince of Qin. You... quickly send someone to inform your son to deliver this imperial edict to Mei Zhan!"

"Very well, very well..." Li Bangyan nodded repeatedly, then got up to leave, adding, "Your subject will go now..."

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) didn't linger, and simply escorted Li Bangyan out of Yanfu Palace...

As Li Bangyan walked alone on the palace road once more, he recalled the exciting moment from just now…

He was the King of Chu, and his son was the Prince of Chenliu...

Two kings from one family—if this were to happen, it would be a legendary tale, remembered for generations to come…

The plum blossoms are in full bloom, and the plum blossoms seem to be even more magnificent, King Qin!

This……

A warrior...

Forget it, let's get this done first...

After thinking for a moment, Li Bangyan suddenly smiled again. Emperor Xu had put his mind to it. Mei Zhan had started his rebellion in Yingzhou. To bestow upon him the title of Prince of Qin would be the highest honor. Perhaps Emperor Xu would really send him to his fiefdom someday…

Otherwise, wouldn't it be difficult to handle another force in Tokyo? Wouldn't it be like losing one Su Wu and gaining another Mei Zhan?
Then it might really be time to establish a real fiefdom. At that time, the King of Qin might have to go to his fiefdom. Where is Qin? Needless to say, there are countless powerful troops there, as well as the Prime Minister of the Zhong family. If Mei Zhan really goes there, wouldn't he be surrounded on all sides?

He could easily suppress Mei Zhan, this soldier...

Haha... In the end, he's just a brute; he probably doesn't understand these things...

His Majesty is becoming more and more resourceful.

Thinking of this, Li Bangyan felt relieved. The prestige of the King of Chu was truly beyond compare.

He left the palace; quickly send someone to chase after him and bring back the imperial decree to Li Lu.

Li Lu indeed received it halfway through; his father was the King of Chu, he was the Prince of Chenliu, and Mei Zhan was the King of Qin…

These few words only fueled Li Lu's growing confidence. He was certain that he could easily win over Mei Zhan with such conditions.

Just hurry on to Chenliu. Chenliu isn't far at all; it'll only take two days to get there. Don't even go into the city; just keep going south around it...

Mei Zhan hadn't arrived yet, and Li Lu hadn't seen any rebel troops or chaotic soldiers, so he didn't go any further and just waited by the roadside...

After waiting for half a day, the rebel scouts passed by first. After waiting for another hour or so, they finally saw the main army. The banner was high, and the character "Mei" on it was indeed true.

Li Lu was not afraid at all, because his father had said that Mei Zhan was a loyal and righteous man who would die for his country, and his army was also loyal and righteous.

He didn't bring many people with him, just a few servants.

He simply went to the middle of the road and blocked the way, shouting, "I am an angel, please see General Mei!"

A group of soldiers stepped forward. Upon hearing this, they didn't shout for battle but simply told Li Lu to wait.

A moment later, someone returned and led Li Lu to the back.

Li Lu also kept observing the soldiers who passed by. There were quite a few imposing and valiant men, with a chilling aura between their brows and eyes. They must be good soldiers...

No wonder they are such skilled warriors; they fought their way from Yingzhou to here in what seems like only six or seven days...

As they walked, it became rather strange. Logically speaking, such a rebellious army should have taken countless captives and plundered a great deal. These were the words of his father, who said that he might encounter hundreds of thousands of loyal and righteous men...

Where are the hundreds of thousands? Looking at the numbers, although I lack experience and can't calculate it precisely, it doesn't seem like hundreds of thousands; it's probably in the tens of millions...

It's not necessarily true that there was countless looting. The looted goods would need to be transported by carts, and those carts would have stretched endlessly, but I didn't see any...

Just as he was thinking about it, the soldier leading the way suddenly stopped. Li Lu looked up and saw a burly man sitting on a strong horse.

"Greetings, General Mei!" Li Lu greeted him with impeccable manners.

"Are you an angel?" Mei Zhan asked, actually wondering where angels would come from. The emperor was gone, so what was the point of angels?

"Indeed, indeed! I have come to meet the general on His Majesty's secret orders!" Li Lu said.

Mei Zhan was taken aback. What kind of rule was this?
what happened?

The Emperor... no, the Zhao Emperor, also wants to slaughter all the noble families of Dongjing?
This... doesn't make sense!
How come the Emperor Zhao and the Prince of Yan are of one mind?
The Prince of Yan didn't mention that before...

Mei Zhan turned to look at the man beside him, a tall, muscular man with ugly, even somewhat sleazy features, but with an extremely fierce look between his brows.

The man also looked at Mei Zhan, but just shook his head.

Mei Zhan turned to look at Li Lu again: "What did the Emperor... say in his secret edict?"

Li Lu was overjoyed, knowing that he had given the signal. He said in one breath, "The Emperor has said that as long as the general leads his troops into the city and saves the nation, he can be granted the title of King of Qin!"

"Save the nation and ensure its survival?" Mei Zhan was completely bewildered.

"Yes, General, your arrival is the epitome of loyalty and righteousness. Once you enter Bianjing, it won't be long before this story spreads throughout the land. Loyal and righteous men everywhere will surely emulate you. Our Great Song Dynasty, like the Eastern Han Dynasty of the past, will surely rise again!"

Li Lu's words were undoubtedly his father's earnest admonitions.

Only then did Mei Zhan realize what was happening, nodding and saying, "Oh, I understand..."

Then he looked at the man beside him, who also looked surprised and then understood.

Misunderstood!
This is quite a misunderstanding!
That makes sense... The emperor abdicated, and the Prince of Yan left with his troops, and news of the uprising in Yingzhou followed.

In other words, in terms of time and space, the rebellion in Yingzhou occurred before the Prince of Yan went north.

Whose rebellion is this in Yingzhou? Could it not be the Prince of Yan?
If Mei Zhan isn't the most loyal and righteous person, then what is he?
This has caused quite a stir...

Mei Zhan then looked at the man beside her, whose name was Shi Qian. The two exchanged a brief glance and nodded.

Mei Zhan then said, "Alright, I understand. Has everything been arranged in Bianjing? Is it easy to enter the city?"

Li Lu hurriedly replied, "General, rest assured. There seem to be many soldiers guarding Bianjing, but they are all incompetent. The only threat is Liu Yanqing, the Deputy Privy Councilor, but he is all alone, without money or food, and cannot be mobilized by anyone... There was also Miao Fu, who once opened the city gates for the traitor Su Wu, but now he has gained the favor of that traitor Su Wu, and we have taken him with us this time..."

"So that means I only need to get to Bianjing City, and entering the city is no problem?" Mei Zhan asked.

Li Lu nodded repeatedly: "My father is also contacting military officers. If it works out, we'll have news when the time comes. We'll just have to see which gate to enter through..."

Mei Zhan and Shi Qian exchanged a glance, nodded, and smiled: "That would be perfect..."

Li Lu was all smiles. It was a success!

But then Mei Zhan asked, "How is the defense of Chenliu City ahead?"

Li Lu waved his hands repeatedly: "When I came over, I saw that there were no soldiers on the city walls, and the roads along the north side of the city were full of fleeing people... General, just go into the city..."

Li Lu wasn't surprised; it had been the same all along.

He still wanted to fight a battle, to show the Prince of Yan that even if it wasn't a tough one, he wanted to show the Prince of Yan that he, Mei Zhan, was not a coward who feared death, and that he had risked his life for the Prince of Yan...

No matter what, Mei Zhan was a man of honor.

No chance!
No chance at all.

The only time was in Nandun, the county town of Nandun. The city gates were tightly closed, and there were many soldiers and armor on the city walls.

They just wanted to exchange a few words, to say that they were merely passing through and would not commit any offenses or robberies...

Then a few more threats, like "If you don't comply, we'll slaughter you all..."

The city gates actually opened...

And so, they arrived at Chenliu City.

"Let's go, follow behind, get in the carriage and follow!" Mei Zhan waved his hand, and the horse's hooves continued.

Li Lu was overjoyed and went to the back. Not far behind, there was indeed a carriage. He jumped on and sat down.

At the front, Shi Qian laughed: "King Qin, that is the head of all kings!"

Mei Zhan also laughed: "This is a deal that requires no investment. Not to mention the King of Qin, even the Daoist Master and Vice Sect Leader might agree to it..."

"General Mei, are you really not tempted?" Shi Qian asked with a smile.

Mei Zhan did not hesitate for a moment and waved his hands repeatedly: "I am ready to die for the Prince of Yan, and I will never waver!"

Shi Qian nodded and said, "General Mei is truly a hero!"

Although the two had only known each other for a short time, they were both men of heroic origin and talked a lot with each other.

Even though Shi Qian was not in a hurry, so what if Mei Zhanzhen was tempted? He had several hundred elite men by his side, and this army was already under his control.

Mei Zhan, of course, understood this as well. With just a few thousand soldiers from Yingzhou, how could they possibly withstand the might of the King of Qin or the King of Zhao...

"General Shi, in this world, only His Highness the Prince of Yan truly cares for the soldiers. Apart from the Prince of Yan, where else can the soldiers really find a way to survive?"

Mei Zhan spoke his mind, and looked back at the several thousand soldiers and men from Yingzhou, most of them dressed in tattered clothes...

"Yes..." Shi Qian nodded. One should always be wary of others, but it's also true that one can be sincere with them. Mei Zhan is a real man.

Then Mei Zhan shouted, "Brothers, give it your all! Hurry up! We're almost at Bianjing! When we arrive, we'll be living the high life, with mountains of money and grain!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers indeed seemed to gain more energy and quickened their pace.

Two days later, on the third day early in the morning, the Yingzhou army could already see the magnificent city walls of Bianjing in the distance, stretching for an unknown distance.

There's no rush. Let's set up camp first, rest, and conserve our energy. Killing is no easy task...

Moreover, the task was extremely important; the list given to Shi Qian by the Prince of Yan was incredibly long…

They even need to assign tasks to prevent anyone from escaping.

The tasks must be divided step by step, and each household must arrive as soon as possible. There can be no chaos or confusion. Who will lead the way and how to get there must be clearly assigned...

Li Lu had important business to attend to, so he left the group a day early and rushed into the city...

We also have to wait for Li Lu to tell us which door to enter.

Of course, if there's no gate to enter, it's fine; you can just climb the wall. The soldiers on the walls of the capital city even charge money before you can shoot an arrow...

Without money, not a single arrow will be fired.

It's just a matter of waiting for the soldiers under Qian's command to actually climb up; wherever they climb, they will naturally break through—that's a certainty.

Of course, it's best not to climb.

Inside Bianjing, Li Bangyan was overjoyed. In the first two days, news had arrived in the capital that the rebel army was about to arrive, and there was still a sense of panic in the city...

Many more people are trying to flee with their families...

I don't know where the news came from, or who spread the word, but it said that Mei Zhan was fighting on the front lines of loyalty and righteousness to the emperor...

And it really did immediately calm the city of Bianjing down...

Where did this news come from?

It wasn't just Yan Qing spreading the word; Li Bangyan was also fueling it... At this very moment, Li Bangyan had actually secretly discussed the matter with a general in the Palace Guard, and they were just waiting for the Loyal and Righteous Army to arrive before opening the gates...

What was promised was the position of Duke.

Li Bangyan and Li Lu had already met; Li Lu secretly left through the city gate of the future Duke.

Li Bangyan went to see the emperor again.

Even so, there is still trouble. Inside the capital, there is a contingent of Su Wu's soldiers, numbering around seven or eight hundred. They were sent ahead with the words of the loyal and righteous army to the emperor, hoping to scare these people a little...

Scare them away!
Unexpectedly, they're still here.

As he walked into the palace, observing the soldiers, Li Bangyan thought that a fierce battle might ensue.

At this moment, we need to discuss one thing with the Emperor: what should we do if war breaks out?
They were just waiting to see the Emperor so they could share the good news.

Emperor Huizong was so excited that he ran back and forth several times before finally stopping and asking, "Is it outside the city?"

Li Bangyan nodded emphatically: "We'll set up camp outside the city, prepare for the worst, and conserve our strength. We'll enter the city after lunch!"

"Have everything been arranged at the city gate?" Zhao Ji asked again.

"Everything has been explained! I have been secretly searching for loyalty and righteousness for months. I found a hidden agent, a mole spread far and wide, just waiting to be used today!"

Li Bangyan nodded repeatedly, also trying to flatter himself.

"Very well, only Minister Li is so farsighted and so devoted to the country. In the past, I had some misunderstandings about Minister Li, and that was my fault!"

Emperor Huizong was truly moved, and his eyes welled up with tears again.

"Thunder and rain, all are the emperor's grace; this is the loyalty a subject should fulfill! It's nothing to boast about!" Li Bangyan's hair and beard were white, his face full of loyalty, comparable to Zhuge Liang of Shu Han...

Then, speaking earnestly, he said, "I fear there will be another fierce and brutal battle on the imperial city walls. Your Majesty must avoid it..."

Zhao Ji replied immediately: "It's alright. Su Wu wouldn't dare kill me. Without Su Wu's order, those soldiers would be even less likely to kill me. As long as Mei Zhan charges in, I will have no worries!"

Li Bangyan nodded repeatedly, finding the words reasonable. He then added, "I'm afraid Mei Zhan and the soldiers of Yingzhou don't know where the imperial city is. This old minister should personally go to the city gate to guide them to the imperial city as quickly as possible!"

Li Bangyan has gone to such lengths; he is truly a living Zhuge Liang!
The emperor's tears were genuine, and his emotion was real. For the mighty Song Dynasty to have such loyal and righteous people, it was not destined to die!
Since ancient times, the Chinese dynasty has never existed for more than 160 years.
Zhao Ji was filled with excitement and also had a plan: "Splitting the troops, the first thing to do upon entering the city is to split the troops and not let those people escape. Send Cheng Wanli to his home. As for Liu Yanqing, capture them both immediately and bring them before me! I want to interrogate them personally!"

As they spoke, they couldn't help but grit their teeth.

"As you command! I will personally take command. I will fight to the death in this imperial city!" How could Li Bangyan not know that his time to prove himself had come?
Although the number of loyalist troops who came to support the emperor was not large, with tens of thousands of people fighting against seven or eight hundred, it was bound to be a one-sided battle.

These seven or eight hundred people were only used as a blockade and sentry post. In fact, they couldn't even fill the walls of the imperial city. How could they possibly defend against an attack by ten thousand people?
"Then I entrust everything to Minister Li!" Zhao Ji bowed deeply.

Li Bangyan knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I must go now. There is no time to lose, I must leave immediately..."

"Alright, go quickly. I'm waiting for your good news. I'm waiting for you to personally lead your troops to the outside of Yanfu Palace to invite me to the main hall for court again!"

After saying this, Zhao Ji sniffed, raised his hand to wipe the snot and tears from his face, and changed his expression.

It was exactly the majestic emperor Zhao Ji who once sat upright in the palace!

"I am leaving! I will die a hundred times to repay my country!"

Li Bangyan's steps were retreating, but his words remained, clear and forceful!
He escorted him again, all the way to the gate of Yanfu Palace. Zhao Ji didn't return for a long time, watching Li Bangyan's figure disappear from sight, and he still didn't turn back...

He took a deep breath and murmured, "Our ancestors protected us, Heaven has eyes! Heaven and Earth, all the gods of the ancestral temple, we shall hold a grand ceremony in the future!"

outside the city.

In the army, everything, big and small, was clearly assigned. Who would accompany whom, and where they would go after entering the city, were all perfectly clear...

Once Li Lu arrived, we knew that we should enter through the outer city's Xin Cao Gate, and then continue straight without turning until we reached the inner city's Jiu Cao Gate. From there, we would continue straight without turning until we reached the Donghua Gate, where the list of successful candidates for the imperial examinations was posted...

Li Lu continued talking animatedly in the central command tent.

Mei Zhan waved his hand and said, "Let's go, into the new Cao Gate! Lead the way!"

Li Lu was extremely excited and was the first to head out of the main tent, his steps quick and full of energy.

Before long, the army began to move.

At the Nanxun Gate of the South City, Liu Yanqing was also there, frowning. The enemies outside the city were not numerous...

The city was simply enormous, stretching to all four corners of the earth, far beyond imagination...

Looking around at these soldiers, not one of them showed any fighting spirit.

Some burly men were even asking and making a scene: "Is there any reward money? If the imperial court doesn't send any more, we're going to leave the city!"

Liu Yanqing looked in the direction of the sound and, to his dismay, saw a cacophony of voices all around him. Many were talking, and even more were egging him on…

No matter who you are, you won't get anywhere without money; if you pay, you'll get two arrows; and if you pay a lot, you'll be thrown even logs and rolling stones.

Of course, if the Prince of Yan were present, offering money and risking his life wouldn't be out of the question...

But life can't be used too much; you can only use a little...

The soldiers in Tokyo were already greasy, so greasy they were practically slick with oil...

I've seen too much of the world, and I've suffered too many grievances...

They have no objection whether the emperor is changed or not; after all, the capital city of Tokyo will remain the same...

It is a city of high-ranking officials and nobles.

The soldiers in Tokyo were still from the lower classes. Their service to these high-ranking officials and nobles consisted of looking after this person's house, guarding that person's yard, repairing this person's roof, and digging that person's pond...

They all have this kind of work, and you have to fight for it, even to the point of giving money and gifts to get these good jobs.

If you can't get any, you can do manual labor in the stonemason's workshop, carry heavy loads at the docks... If you're too weak or sickly, you can stay home and make lanterns and kites...

We all have to survive, right? Prices have been rising year after year, for over a hundred years now, and as for food rations... let's not even talk about that...

A cacophony of noise rose and fell...

So you think Liu Yanqing lacked the skills to manage an army? How could he not? He just grabbed people and beheaded them.
But it doesn't make any sense here...

Suddenly someone shouted, "It's moving! It's heading east... It's not coming this way!"

"It's better if they don't come. Anyway, I didn't see the money box delivered, so there must be no reward money..."

Liu Yanqing remained silent, his expression serious and helpless. This Song Dynasty…

How can it not perish?
How could it not perish?

The sigh in my heart was utterly disheartened; it had been disheartened for days.

Why are the soldiers guarding the city? Isn't it for the sake of the high-ranking officials and nobles throughout the city?
How many copper coins does the soldier have?
Why can't people with so much money and so many businesses understand this principle?

These past two days, there have been rumors about a loyal and righteous army to serve the emperor. Liu Yanqing was puzzled as to why those high-ranking officials and nobles in Tokyo would believe such rumors.
How could anyone believe that there would still be loyal and righteous soldiers in the Song Dynasty?

Just look at the soldiers standing on either side of Bianjing city wall, which one is loyal to the emperor?
What if there was even one?

How could anyone truly believe that an army from Yingzhou, which had suffered countless defeats, could be a loyal and righteous army that served the emperor?

Ugh……

With no other choice, Liu Yanqing turned to look at Bianjing, a city whose size was unknown...

Buildings stand in rows, colorful flags flutter in front of shops, and in the distance, there is a spacious mansion with grass, trees, stones, and water...

The rebel army really did head east. Liu Yanqing, being very responsible, gave a single order: "The three units on the left flank, quickly move east to provide reinforcements..."

The military order was carried out.

The generals, having received their orders, began shouting commands, and the soldiers moved, their feet shifting...

Countless words: "This is really delaying my business..."

"They don't give me any money, and I have to run around all the way to the east, more than ten miles away. I could sell my strength for money..."

If Su Wu were present, he might suddenly understand the true underlying logic behind something that had once seemed incomprehensible to him.

During the second siege by the Jurchens in history, why did the emperor and his officials really believe in the existence of immortals who could use the magic of "Six Ding and Six Jia" to turn beans into soldiers and defeat the Jurchens?

It was probably because of these soldiers on the city wall at that moment...

It wasn't that all the civil and military officials believed it; it was that there was no other way. The soldiers were genuinely causing trouble, refusing to obey orders, or simply being passive-aggressive...

This made it clear to many that Bianjing could not be defended...

Then, just like Liu Yanqing, in utter helplessness, whether the civil and military officials believed it or not was another matter. The Daoist leader, Emperor Zhao Ji, believed it, and the rest of the people probably just wanted to give it a try, so they let it go...

The reinforcements were moving eastward, their steps faltering, their complaints echoing.

Rebels and bandits are different; they rushed off.

The new Cao Gate could be opened whenever it was asked.

Mei Zhan and Shi Qian rode straight into Bianjing City, where countless soldiers swarmed in.

Li Bangyan was indeed waiting at the door. As soon as he saw the tall horse enter, he shouted from afar, "General Mei, General Mei! I am Prime Minister Li Bangyan! I am here! I am here!"

Mei Zhan certainly saw it. Since there was no one on the street, and a war was about to break out, the people had all gone home to hide. How could he not see an old man with his servants by the roadside?
Mei Zhan didn't rush forward. Instead, he waved his hands to the left and right, signaling the soldiers to quickly head towards their respective targets.

Then he spurred his horse forward, dismounted, and asked, "Lord Li, are you here?"

"That's right, that's right!" Li Bangyan exclaimed excitedly, stepping forward to greet him.

Mei Zhan walked towards Li Bangyan, his hand already gripping the hilt of the sword, about to draw it, when Shi Qian reached out and grabbed Mei Zhan's hand that was about to draw the sword.

Mei Zhan turned to look, and asked with a smile, "Are you going to play another trick on me?"

Shi Qian replied with a smile, "Isn't that interesting?"

“Very well…” Mei Zhan nodded, then quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, “Greetings, Minister Li!”

"No problem, no problem..." Li Bangyan raised his hand and gestured, his gaze no longer on Mei Zhan, but looking around anxiously: "Why are the soldiers running around everywhere? Quickly gather them together, get to the capital first, get to the capital first, saving His Majesty is the most important thing!"

"My lord, do not be anxious. I have a plan. This is a feint attack. The soldiers guarding the capital will think I am coming from the east. By scattering my troops like this, we can surround them from all sides and catch them off guard!"

Mei Zhan also finished composing quickly.

"Really?" Li Bangyan asked, somewhat puzzled.

"My lord, you have confidence in my judgment regarding the battle. We've already entered the city, and the matter is settled!" Mei Zhan grinned.

"Oh..." Li Bangyan nodded, Xu also made sense. Looking around, he added, "We should hurry and get two more people."

"No problem, no problem, everything is arranged..." Mei Zhan simply waved his hand.

“Well…” Li Bangyan turned his gaze back to Mei Zhan. He actually wanted to ask Mei Zhan why he was still here, but he couldn’t be rude. After all, he would need to rely on him for a long time to come, so he had to appease him.

Mei Zhan spoke bluntly: "Husband, please take me to your home immediately..."

"Why is that?" Li Bangyan asked, puzzled.

"My lord, you don't know, these soldiers are terrified of poverty. They're just waiting for things to settle in the capital so I can allow them to loot a little. If I don't go to your house beforehand, make sure you know where the gate is, and leave someone to guard it, what if the soldiers don't know? Wouldn't that be like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple? That would be such a terrible injustice..."

Mei Zhan and Shi Qian stared at each other, their mischievous ideas surprisingly in sync.

"Oh, so that's how it is..." Li Bangyan was extremely anxious, but he also asked, "But... but if they are loyal and righteous and serve the emperor, how could they still plunder Bianjing..."

Mei Zhan replied immediately: "I have no money or food, only loyalty and righteousness. Otherwise, why would these illiterate soldiers fight so hard for me?"

That makes sense... There are countless historical records, and this kind of thing has indeed happened many times throughout history...

Helpless, Li Bangyan said to himself, "In times of emergency, we must act expediently. As long as we remain loyal and righteous, let's go, let's hurry to my house..."

Better to die than lose a friend. The soldiers have already entered the city; there's no time to say anything now. Take care of your own family first...

As for who's unlucky... well...

They have all done their utmost for the country and the emperor!
Thinking back to Liu Yanqing's efforts in raising funds... it's possible that the future expenses for the emperor's million loyal and brave soldiers could have been raised in this way...

(Goodnight, guys...)
(End of this chapter)