Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Upon hearing that Cao Xun had been defeated, Xiong Yuan surrendered without the slightest hesitation.

When the vanguard heavy cavalry of the Northern Kingdom arrived at Wanchang City, they found several white flags fluttering on the city walls, and Xiong Yuan and the soldiers of Wanchang City were respectfully waiting for their arrival outside the city.

Xiong Yuan had no intention of resisting. He had already learned about the situation from the soldiers who had escaped and knew the power of the northern weapons.

He didn't believe that the walls of Wanchang City could withstand the mysterious weapons of the Northern Kingdom.

Seeing Xiong Yuan kneel down so quickly, the vanguard soldiers of the Northern Kingdom were stunned. They had originally planned to shout at the city gate of Wanchang City, but the other side had already opened the gate and was waiting for them to arrive.

When Xuan Yuanchen arrived with his large army, Xiong Yuan glanced at the Northern army in the distance and was somewhat shocked. Cao Xun had at least taken the initiative to ambush the Northern soldiers, but now it seemed that the 150,000-strong Northern army had not suffered any losses.

Not only did they suffer no losses, but their numbers actually increased. Of course, Kumahara knew very well where the extra people came from.

Seeing the captured soldiers, Xiong Yuan sighed. It was all Cao Xun's fault. If Cao Xun hadn't been so eager for quick success, they might not have been defeated so quickly.

But none of that matters now, since he has already surrendered.

Xuan Yuan Chen rode up to Xiong Yuan on horseback. After glancing at Xiong Yuan, he asked, "Are you the garrison commander of Wanchang City?"

Xiong Yuan immediately bowed and said, "Yes, General."

Sensing the aura emanating from Xuan Yuanchen, Xiong Yuan was somewhat horrified. This person's power was so terrifying; he was clearly a Grandmaster.

Has the Northern Kingdom become so extravagant as to let a Grandmaster lead the army? Even if the Northern Kingdom didn't possess those so-called weapons that could summon heavenly thunder, they would still be no match for a Grandmaster.

Xiong Yuan was somewhat worried; he wasn't sure if Xuan Yuan Chen would execute him directly.

Just then, Xuanyuan Chen said, "My king is merciful. As long as you cooperate with us in attacking the Qi Kingdom, my king will spare you. After the war ends, you can choose whether or not to return to your hometown."

At this moment, Xuan Yuan Chen's gaze fell on Xiong Yuan. "Judging from your appearance, you are also a Grandmaster, so your status must be quite high and you must know a lot. Next, tell me everything you know about Prince Qi."

Xiong Yuan respectfully replied, "Yes, General."

Xiong Yuan then led Xuan Yuanchen and the 150,000-strong army of the Northern Kingdom into Wanchang City.

When the Northern army entered Wanchang City, there wasn't a single civilian on the streets. The people were all afraid that the Northern army would burn, kill, and loot after they entered, so they simply hid in their homes and kept their doors and windows tightly closed.

However, the people soon discovered that the northern soldiers simply lined up in rows and quietly passed through the streets without harassing the people in the city.

Seeing this, even Xiong Yuan himself was stunned. Had the military discipline in the north become this good?

It seems that the Northern Kingdom's army is strong not only because of the power of its weapons, but also because of its strict military discipline.

With not only powerful weapons but also such strict military discipline, could the Qi Kingdom truly withstand such an army? Xiong Yuan harbored deep doubts about this.

In his view, Prince Qi probably only has one path left now: to surrender as soon as possible. That way, perhaps the Northern King would consider that they are uncle and nephew and allow him to live a life of comfort and security for the rest of his life.

If they continue to resist like this, they will probably only face death in the end.

Over the next few days, the people of Wanchang City remained very wary of the Northern soldiers. However, the Northern soldiers were only stationed in specific locations and hardly ever left their temporary camps, let alone harassed the people.

Just as people were about to relax their vigilance, the people in the city soon became worried again. Xuan Yuanchen ordered the temporarily appointed prefect to take stock of the land and assets of each household.

The first thing people thought of was that the Northern army was planning to take back the land, since that's what the Northern King did in the Northern Kingdom.

Although they were very worried, the people of Wanchang City and those noble families had no choice but to cooperate due to the deterrent effect of the Northern Army.

Of course, there were also some people who tried to play dirty tricks. For example, some people underreported a lot of land, hoping to hide it for themselves. As a result, those families who tried to play dirty tricks soon disappeared from Wanchang City.

A few days later, Wanchang City regained some vitality, and the people in the city were willing to go out.

The common people also discovered that the soldiers from the North Kingdom did not burn, kill, or loot; at least they never made things difficult for ordinary people. The ones who suffered were the landlords or powerful families who hoarded land and refused to cooperate with the land survey.

Soon people were surprised to find that the Qi family, the most powerful family in Wanchang City, was still doing well. The head of the Qi family was still traveling around for a while, acting as if nothing had happened.

People originally thought the Qi family would definitely be eliminated, but to their surprise, the Qi family was completely unharmed.

Some people who were on good terms with the head of the Qi family asked him why their family had not been raided and exterminated. The head of the Qi family replied that they had cooperated with the Northern Army to conduct a land survey, completed the transfer of land ownership, handed over some uncultivated land to the prefectural government, released the excess servants, and in the end, nothing happened.

People soon realized that the Northern King had only legally declared that the land belonged to him, but in reality, he had no intention of taking the land back, since he didn't have the capacity to cultivate so much land.

With the Qi family as an example, the people of Wanchang City and the surrounding area cooperated more actively with the prefectural government in surveying land, and completed the transfer of land ownership in a short period of time.

Of course, this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the prefectural government suddenly announced that from now on, agricultural taxes under the rule of the Northern King will be collected at one-hundredth of the total tax, and no other taxes related to agriculture will be levied.

As soon as this policy was introduced, the people of Wanchang City and the surrounding counties all supported the rule of the Northern King, praising him as a benevolent vassal king. They believed that if the Northern King were to become the Xia Emperor in the future, he would certainly be a benevolent emperor as well.

News of the fall of Wanchang City and what the Northern army had done there quickly reached the ears of King Qi.

When Prince Qi learned that Wanchang City had fallen, he was so angry that he fell ill.

Qi State, capital city.

Prince Qi's Mansion.

Prince Qi lay on his bed, looking haggard. At this moment, his wives, concubines, and children all came into the room.

With a face full of sorrow, Prince Qi said, "The 100,000-strong army of Wanchang City was equipped with Cloud-Piercing Bows and Cloud-Piercing Arrows, so why were they defeated so quickly? Is the Northern Kingdom really that strong?!"

The alluring Princess Qi sat by the bedside, looking at Prince Qi with a worried expression, and said, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance!"

"Don't we still have 100,000 troops in Dongri City? We still have hope."

But just then, a soldier's panicked voice came from outside the room, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Dongri City!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Prince Qi coughed violently a few times, then said, "Come in."

The next moment, a soldier entered the room, knelt on the ground, and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Dongri City has been breached by a large army from the north, coming from the sea!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Qi's vision went black and he collapsed.

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty, what's wrong...?"

"Quickly...quickly get a doctor..."

...(End of this chapter)