When the defending general heard that Bai Qingyan wanted to grant the common people Great Zhou household registration, distribute houses and farmland, and have the people write IOUs to the government to be paid off over thirty years, with annual interest payments to the government, his mind immediately cleared.

It turned out that their Great Zhou Emperor had allowed the former Xiliang people to leave just to wait here for this moment, to incorporate all these Xiliang people into Great Zhou without burdening Great Zhou’s finances.

Indeed, their Great Zhou Emperor was extraordinary. Using such methods, he could not only make the Xiliang people grateful but also avoid increasing pressure on the Ministry of Revenue.

Bai Qingyan stayed in Suining City for three days. Yecheng Pass sent more Xiliang refugees, along with people from cities conquered from Great Yan who had fled to Suining City. Suining City could no longer accommodate them all.

So on the twenty-first day of the first month, Bai Qingyan arranged the new governance matters in Suining City and then departed for Feng’erlan City, bringing with her Chun Zhi, who had been waiting for her in Suining City, along with the army and refugees.

By the twenty-seventh day of the first month, more Xiliang people had learned of the benefits of becoming Great Zhou citizens, and naturally also knew the price they had to pay to become Great Zhou citizens.

The word-of-mouth spread among the Xiliang people, and their eager migration proved more effective than the Great Yan soldiers’ repeatedly assuring the Xiliang people. The people almost swarmed toward cities already occupied by Great Zhou forces, hoping Great Zhou would give them a bite to eat and a way to survive.

When Xiao Rongyan heard of this matter, he fingered the wild goose hairpin, his brows and eyes filled with gentle smiles.

Previously, he had successfully reclaimed Nanyan precisely because Bai Qingyan had enlightened him about the vast power that could be obtained when the people’s hearts turned toward you. So, in terms of winning hearts and minds, their Great Yan was indeed no match for Great Zhou.

“Your Highness, we fight wars to seize cities and territory, but also to seize population and people! Great Zhou is our ally nation – how can they be so unrighteous as to stab us in the back? They’ve taken all the people away, what use are empty cities to us!” A Great Yan general complained to Xiao Rongyan. “In this general’s opinion, after taking cities, we shouldn’t give them such lenient treatment. We should detain them directly in the cities and not allow them to leave! Kill those who try to leave! We should also send someone to tell Great Zhou not to go too far!”

Yue Shi, holding his sword, swept his gaze over the speaking Great Yan general, his eyes cold. Though this general’s words favored Yan, why did they make him so uncomfortable?

This General Song came from a Yan noble family and was openly and secretly a firm supporter of Yan Emperor Murong Li. Completely unaware that the discord between Xiao Rongyan and Murong Li was an act, he repeatedly opposed Xiao Rongyan to demonstrate his loyalty to Murong Li.

“General Song’s words are inappropriate…” Another Great Yan general, hearing this, spontaneously spoke up for the Great Zhou. “These Xiliang people weren’t forcibly taken away by the Great Zhou – they willingly went to become Great Zhou citizens! How can we blame the Great Zhou for this? Their ability to make Xiliang people voluntarily become Great Zhou citizens shows Great Zhou’s capability. Instead of reflecting on how we Great Yan, fall short compared to the Great Zhou in failing to make Xiliang people willingly become Great Yan citizens, we want to use our alliance to make them stop accepting Xiliang people. This reasoning doesn’t hold!”

“Exactly right!” Another Yan general, remembering the division of spoils of war, continued, “Just look at our several major battles… When dividing the spoils of war, the Great Zhou, mindful that we Great Yan, lacked grain, gave us more each time. This is already the height of righteousness. As people, we cannot be ungrateful, expecting them to yield to us in everything. What would that make us?”

“Then what do you say we should do! Now all the people have fled! What use are empty cities to us? You tell me!” General Song was extremely irritated. “If we relocated our Yan people here, see how many would be willing to abandon their homes and livelihoods to come! You tell me!”

Xiao Rongyan’s smile became even more pronounced as he leaned back lazily in his chair: “The reason our Yan failed to make the people stay is because of our Yan arrogance, because we all thought that not massacring cities… letting the people in the cities live was Great Yan’s great favor to the Xiliang people. Do you all present think this way?”

“Isn’t that exactly the great favor our Yan showed them!” General Song continued, “When Xiliang armies entered our Yan territory, they killed on sight! Massacring cities, burning cities! Seizing women and killing the old and weak. We’ve already been very merciful…”

After General Song finished speaking, he looked up at Xiao Rongyan.

“But what about the Great Zhou? The Great Zhou Emperor personally told the Xiliang people at Yecheng Pass… if they were willing to join the Great Zhou citizenship, they could stay and receive land and houses, and if they were unwilling, they would even be given travel money to leave!” Xiao Rongyan’s gaze swept over the Yan generals in the large tent. “Great Zhou’s reputation was spread by word of mouth among the Xiliang people, and they did what they promised, while we Yan… had our soldiers telling the Xiliang people what we could give them! If it were you yourselves, which Kingdom’s citizenship would you choose?”

Seeing that all the generals remained silent, Xiao Rongyan smiled again: “You would all choose Great Zhou yourselves, let alone those Xiliang people? So the Xiliang people going to the Great Zhou to seek survival is not without reason! Our Yan should also learn from this!”

“Learn from the Great Zhou?” General Song frowned tightly. “Your Highness, that Great Zhou Emperor… isn’t even from a legitimate royal bloodline. If we magnificent Great Yan, learn the Great Zhou’s methods, wouldn’t this be openly telling others that we Great Yan, are inferior to the Great Zhou, and that we have to follow behind the Great Zhou learning governance strategies?”

“Then, in General Song’s opinion…” Xiao Rongyan rested his elbow on the chair’s armrest, lifted the hem of his robes, crossed his legs, and raised his profound, smiling eyes to look at General Song, “Do we want the Xiliang people, or do we want the Yan royal family’s face?”

General Song felt chills down his spine from Xiao Rongyan’s superficially smiling appearance, but driven by his loyalty to Murong Li, he straightened his chest: “Naturally, we cannot lose face, but we must also have the people! The Ninth Prince is our Great Yan’s Regent and surely has a way to achieve both. Otherwise… if we truly learned from that Great Zhou upstart girl emperor, it would be grinding our Great Yan Emperor’s face in the mud, and the Regent probably cannot bear such responsibility!”

As General Song spoke, he cupped his hands toward the direction of the Yan Emperor, his words and actions showing complete respect for Murong Li.

Yue Shi looked up at General Song: “General Song still knows that our Prince is the Regent. Even His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have never…”