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In June of the first year of Xiande, the First and Second Divisions of the National Defense Army quietly moved south.

There was no oath-taking ceremony, no temple visit, and no grand departure ceremony.

More than 20,000 people left their posts in batches, traveling by night and hiding by day, like two silent giant pythons, winding their way southwest along the official road.

It wasn't until the army arrived at the walls of Xiangzhou that the people of Nanping finally awoke from their daze.

Xiangzhou, the northern gateway to Nanping, was garrisoned by 5,000 troops. The garrison commander was surnamed Sun and named Chengyou, who was Gao Baorong's brother-in-law.

He stood on the city wall, looking at the dark mass of Zhou's army camp outside the city, his legs trembling.

"This...this is Zhou Jun? When did he arrive? Why was there no sound at all?"

No one could answer him.

Outside the city, the camp of the 1st Division of the National Defense Army has been set up.

Neatly arranged tents, rows of neatly lined up, smoke rising from chimneys on schedule, and scouts moving back and forth.

Everything was in perfect order and without the slightest disorder.

Pan Mei, the commander of the First Division, was in his early thirties, with a fair complexion and no beard, looking like a frail scholar.

But Sun Chengyou dared not underestimate him and immediately sent someone out of the city to ask him questions.

When the messenger returned, his face was ashen: "General, Pan Mei said... that tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the city gates should be opened to surrender the land to ensure the safety of the entire city. If the gates are not opened at Chenshi, then we will attack the city."

“Attack…” Sun Chengyou’s voice changed. “What can they use to attack? Our city walls are three zhang high!”

The messenger did not speak.

He simply gazed at the Zhou soldiers outside the city...

They did not bring ladders, battering rams, or any siege equipment.

But they were standing too steadily.

That kind of steadiness made Sun Chengyou uneasy.

That night, something happened in Xiangzhou City.

Suddenly, a captain of the garrison at the north gate, along with dozens of his personal guards, killed the officer on duty and opened the city gate.

By the time Sun Chengyou was awakened by the shouts of battle, Zhou's army had already entered the city.

“How could this be…” Sun Chengyou stumbled into the courtyard and saw squads of Zhou soldiers carrying torches, advancing rapidly along the street.

The firelight reflected the calm expressions on their faces, like a pack of silent wolves.

"General," the bodyguard dragged him toward the backyard, "Quickly! Let's go through the south gate!"

Sun Chengyou was put on horseback and fled Xiangzhou in a sorry state.

He looked back and saw that the flags on the city wall had been changed...

The flag he had never seen before, embroidered with the five characters "Great Zhou National Defense Army," was fluttering in the morning breeze.

At almost the same moment, at the foot of Jiangling City.

Wang Yanjun, commander of the Second Division, stood at the front of the battle line, gazing at the capital city of Nanping.

Jiangling is more difficult to attack than Xiangzhou.

The city was high and the moat was deep, with more than 10,000 troops stationed there. The general in charge was Zheng Yanhua, a veteran whom Gao Baorong trusted the most. He had fought in battles and seen blood, and was not a good-for-nothing like Sun Chengyou.

But Wang Yanjun wasn't in a hurry.

He is waiting.

Sure enough, at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the general opened the city gates wide.

It wasn't a siege.

It's surrender.

Gao Baorong personally went out of the city, holding the official seal, household register, and map, and knelt before the Zhou army.

"Your humble servant Gao Baorong respectfully welcomes the royal army..."

Wang Yanjun stepped forward, took the seal of office, glanced at the trembling Nanping military governor kneeling on the ground, and said only one sentence, "Gao Gong is pragmatic."

Gao Baorong's surrender was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

They were from Minglitang, and they entered Jiangling City three months ago.

Disguised as merchants, they infiltrated the governor's mansion. They first bribed Gao Baorong's most trusted advisor, and then, through that advisor, delivered a secret letter to Gao Baorong stating that "after surrendering the territory to the Zhou, the title can be retained and the children can study in Bianliang."

Gao Baorong hesitated for three months.

Until news of the fall of Xiangzhou arrived.

He knew that if he didn't lower his price now, it would be too late.

When Wang Yanjun led his troops into the city, the people of Jiangling hid in their houses and peeked at the Zhou soldiers through the cracks in their doors.

They expected to see a pack of ferocious northern soldiers, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities.

But what they saw were rows of neat lines, their steps steady, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

No one broke into homes, no one robbed property, and no one even made a loud noise.

Some of the bolder children peeked out from behind the door, curiously looking at the unfamiliar faces.

A young soldier passed by, suddenly grinned at him, and handed him a piece of dry rations.

The child was stunned.

By the time he came to his senses, the soldier had already gone far away.

……

Seven days later, the news spread throughout the land.

Xiangzhou fell, Jiangling surrendered, and Nanping was destroyed.

From the dispatch of troops to the pacification, it took no more than half a month.

The shock not only affected the southern kingdoms of Southern Tang, Western Shu, Chu, and Wuyue, but also the northern warlords who had been observing from the sidelines.

In Bianliang, officials whispered amongst themselves in the imperial court.

"Half a month...that's a whole country!"

"How exactly are the soldiers of the National Defense Force trained?"

"I heard that those soldiers train once a day, their food and clothing are better than those of the regular Imperial Guards, their pay is never delayed, and they even receive compensation for fighting..."

"No wonder...no wonder..."

On the throne, Guo Rong's expression was calm, but he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.

He glanced at Su Ning, who was standing at the very front of the military officers' column.

The man remained calm, as if his achievements over the past two weeks had nothing to do with him.

After the court session ended, Guo Rong kept Su Ning behind alone.

"Your Highness, Pan Mei and Wang Yanjun fought a brilliant battle."

Suning nodded. "They were already quite good."

"Who was that person from Minglitang who bribed Gao Baorong's staff?"

"It was arranged by Zhao Pu. As for who exactly it was, I will not ask."

Guo Rong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Crown Prince, I believe you now."

"Believe in what?"

"I believe you—before attacking Southern Tang, take Jingnan first."

Suning did not respond.

He simply looked out the window.

Outside the window, the sky over Bianliang City was a clear, bright blue.

The sky must be just as clear over Jiangling City, a thousand miles away.

Those National Defense Army soldiers who had just entered the city should be getting used to this unfamiliar city and adapting to the complicated gazes cast by the surrendered soldiers from Nanping.

……

On the third day after the fall of Jiangling, the first batch of high-ranking officials from Nanping were escorted north.

The long convoy departed from the north gate of Jiangling and slowly proceeded along the official road towards Bianliang.

Inside the car sat Gao Baorong, his relatives, staff, and generals who were still trying to resist at the last moment.

Gao Baorong sat in the bumpy carriage, lifted the curtain, and took one last look at the Jiangling city gate that was gradually disappearing into the distance.

He guarded that city for twelve years.

Now, it's no longer his.

Outside the carriage, the soldiers escorting the carriage could be heard talking in hushed tones: "What should we do with these people once they're sent to Bianliang?"

"I heard that His Highness the King of Qin has ordered that we not be killed or humiliated, but to be fed and cared for properly."

"Then why keep it as collateral? Why not just release it on the spot?"

"Release them? What if those old subordinates in Nanping cause a riot if we release them? Let's take them back first and wait until things settle down here."

"That's true..."

Gao Baorong lowered the carriage curtain, leaned against the carriage wall, and gave a bitter laugh.

He was well taken care of, with good food and drink. In other words, he would probably never be able to return to Jiangling in this lifetime.

What would Bianliang, that legendary capital, be like?
he does not know.

But he knew he had no other choice.

Passing by Gao Baorong's motorcade were groups of officials heading south.

They were dressed in the robes of officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty, riding horses and accompanied by their entourages, hurrying southward.

Each person carried a letter of appointment, indicating the place they were about to be assigned to...

Jiangling Prefecture, Xiangzhou Prefecture, Guizhou, Xiazhou...

The administrative team that would take over Nanping had been prepared long before the war.

More than 300 officials, key personnel drawn from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Justice, along with young people from the Chengxin Trading Company who had gained experience in local areas, formed a large "reception team".

The leader was surnamed Zhang, named Yong, in his early forties, and was a capable official personally recommended by Wei Renpu.

As he passed by the outskirts of Jiangling City, he saw the National Defense Army soldiers changing shifts and suddenly reined in his horse, asking, "Which division is guarding the city from?"

The accompanying official was taken aback. "Lord Zhang, we're on our way to take up our new post. Why are you asking this?"

Zhang Yong shook his head.

“You don’t understand. In places where the military is well managed, civil administration is easy to manage. In places where the military is poorly managed, no amount of civil administration can help.”

He spurred his horse forward, gazing at the distant outline of Jiangling City.

"Judging from this situation, the National Defense Force is managing things quite well."

In Jiangling City, various affairs are being handed over in an orderly manner.

On the third day after the National Defense Army entered the city, a notice was posted to reassure the people.

The notice clearly states:

The Great Zhou Emperor was benevolent and virtuous. The common people in the south lived as usual, with no increase in taxes and no changes to old customs.

Former Nanping officials are free to stay or leave as they wish; no one will be forced to do so.

Anyone who dares to take advantage of the chaos to plunder, rape, or kill shall be executed on the spot.

The notice was stamped with three seals: the seal of the First Division of the National Defense Army, the seal of the Jingnan Military Governor's Office, and the private seal of Prince Su Ning of Qin.

The people were skeptical when they saw it.

Three days passed, and indeed there was no robbery, no abuse, and no arrest of Dinah.

Those Zhou soldiers either patrolled the streets or stayed in their camps and didn't come out.

Occasionally, when ordinary people pass by the camp gate, they can hear the sounds of orderly drills coming from inside, as well as the instructors' swearing.

An old man selling vegetables tried to approach the camp with his load, hoping to get lucky.

The guards didn't chase him away; instead, they called the cook and bought all the vegetables he was carrying.

Fair price, cash payment.

As the news spread, the people of Jiangling City gradually felt relieved.

It turns out that the soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty did not eat people.

When Zhang Yong led the takeover team into the city, the city's order had been basically restored.

He didn't rush to the military governor's residence, but instead took a stroll around the city, observing the streets, shops, and the expressions on the faces of the people.

After the tour, Zhang Yongcai said to his men, "This place isn't difficult to manage."

"If the people are not afraid of soldiers, things will be easier."

Over the next month, all tasks were rolled out in full swing.

Household registration was re-registered.

The old registers in Nanping are in a mess, and many households are not even listed in them.

The National Defense Army sent more than a hundred literate supervisors to work with the officials of the receiving group to re-register households one by one.

The fields were remeasured.

In recent years, the tax system in Nanping has been chaotic, with wealthy households concealing their land holdings and small households paying excessive taxes, causing immense suffering to the common people.

Zhang Yong personally led a team to the countryside, measuring every acre and calculating every household.

Taxes were redefined.

The standards in Da Zhou were much lighter than those in Nanping. When the news spread, the people who had been hiding in the mountains came down and took the initiative to register their household registration with the government.

What surprised Zhang Yong the most was that most of the former officials from Nanping had stayed.

"Aren't you afraid of being purged after the Great Sunday?" Zhang Yong asked an old official who was willing to stay in office.

The old official gave a bitter smile. "Lord Zhang, I've served in Nanping for twenty years, and I've been under the jurisdiction of five different military governors. I've long since become indifferent to any purges or reorganizations. As long as I can make a living, what difference does it make who I work for?"

Zhang Yong nodded.

The old official's words may be rough, but the reasoning is sound.

A month later, something happened in Jiangling City.

A new stele was erected at the entrance of the Jiedushi's residence.

The inscription on the stele does not record anyone's merits, but rather the newly established land tax standards, the number of days of corvée labor, and the litigation procedures.

Each character was engraved so deeply that even ordinary people passing by could see it clearly.

An old man stood in front of the monument for a long time, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times to it.

Someone nearby asked, "Old man, what are you doing?"

The old man raised his head, his cloudy eyes filled with tears.

"I've lived for sixty years, and this is the first time I've ever known how much tax I should pay."

Zhang Yong stood at a distance, watching this scene, and remained silent for a long time.

He didn't go forward; he simply turned around and went on to do the next thing.

In the military camp outside Jiangling City, the First and Second Divisions of the National Defense Army were resting.

The soldiers took turns going into the city for leave, with one team going out at a time and returning on time.

No one caused trouble, and no one broke the rules.

Pan Mei stood at the camp gate, watching the young faces coming and going, and suddenly asked the deputy general beside him, "Do you think they know what this place they conquered will become in the future?"

The lieutenant thought for a moment, but couldn't answer.

Pan Mei didn't ask any more questions.

He simply gazed at the distant outline of Jiangling City and remained silent for a while.

Then he turned around and went back to camp.

Bianliang, the imperial palace.

Guo Rong looked at the report sent from Nanping and remained silent for a long time.

"After half a month of fighting, we've stabilized the situation in a month..." he murmured. "Your Imperial Brother, your national defense army is even more impressive than I imagined, and the officials of the Great Zhou are becoming more and more competent."

Su Ning stood at the lower end, his expression calm.

"Your Majesty flatters me. Fighting a war is easy, but governing is difficult. The affairs of Nanping have only just begun."

Guo Rong nodded.

He knew Su Ning was right.

Conquering territory is easy; winning the people within that territory's loyalty is difficult.

But at least, the first step has been taken very steadily.

Outside the window, the sky over Bianliang City was crystal clear.

In Jiangling City, a thousand miles away, the newly surrendered people stood in front of the newly erected stone tablet, looking at the deeply engraved characters over and over again.

Their future lies within those words.

Su Ning withdrew his gaze and looked at the map spread out on the imperial desk.

The Southern Tang Dynasty is still waiting in the south.

Western Shu is still holed up in the west.

The Khitans are still eyeing us covetously from the north, and could join forces with the Northern Han to invade the south at any time.

“Crown Prince, actually… you are more suitable to be the emperor. After all, you are Father’s own flesh and blood, and your army is extremely brave and invincible.”

"Your Majesty, Father chose you to succeed to the throne for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty's longevity."

"Yes! Since the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, there have been too many ambitious outlaws who all want to sit on this dragon throne."

"That's why we need to find a way to completely prevent the recurrence of the incident of someone being forced to wear a yellow robe."

“Your Highness is right! But now that you are of age, it’s time to consider marriage.”

"Your Majesty, I have no such thoughts. How can I have a home if the Xiongnu are not destroyed?"

"Don't talk nonsense! For the sake of the Guo family's lineage, you also need to consider marriage. I'll have your sister-in-law choose one for you later."

"..."

...(End of this chapter)