By then… all of Great Liang’s territory would become Jin’s territory, clearing northern obstacles for unifying the realm. Even if Jin cannot achieve unification under the current Emperor and Crown Prince’s rule, it would make Jin the wealthiest and strongest nation under heaven, with a hegemonic position no one could shake.
Otherwise, once Yan destroys Wei while Jin fails to completely occupy Great Liang’s cities, Yan would replace Jin as the new hegemon.
Moreover, if Jin doesn’t seize this opportunity while Great Yan and Wei are at war to ruthlessly destroy Liang, there will never be another chance to destroy Liang in the future. Because once Yan becomes powerful, it absolutely won’t sit idly by watching Jin grow stronger and threaten Great Yan’s position as supreme hegemon.
She was willing to clear away the obstacle of Great Liang for the Crown Prince before she died.
Bai Qingyan’s letter was earnest and sincere, fully displaying her loyalty, perfectly expressing the sentiment of someone whose life was ending but was willing to exert her final efforts for the Crown Prince before death.
She wrote this way because she had thoroughly understood that while the Crown Prince lacked ambitions for unification, he… had always prided himself on Jin being the hegemon. The Crown Prince would not allow Yan, which Jin had once trampled underfoot, to replace Jin and become the hegemon of all nations again.
After pondering for a moment, Bai Qingyan gave the letter to Zhang Duanning, having him ride swiftly back to the capital to deliver it to the Crown Prince.
Although Bai Qingyan hadn’t specifically instructed Zhang Duanning to personally deliver the letter to the Crown Prince, Zhang Duanning feared Princess Zhenguo’s letter was urgent. After arranging Fan Yugan’s return route, he departed first with men, riding swiftly back to the capital to deliver the letter.
The people in Liuzhou City’s Taoist temple had originally been panic-stricken, preparing to resist Jin’s army together.
Who would have thought that the Taoist priests in the temple and the Liang soldiers protecting the people would see Jin’s army bringing physicians and medicine to treat the people, even discussing prescriptions together with Great Liang’s physicians and debating whether expensive medicinal ingredients in the prescriptions could be substituted. This greatly shocked the Liang soldiers.
Among Great Liang’s physicians were also extremely excellent doctors. They examined the prescription that Physician Hong originally used for Jin people and the prescription previously improved by Liang army medics at Qingxi Mountain pass. Combining and adjusting these two prescriptions, the new prescription could make the epidemic patients recover faster.
Mothers who had originally brought their children to this temple to await death, upon hearing that Jin’s army had brought prescriptions and medicine for treating the epidemic, knelt and wept in gratitude. These mothers, having no way to repay Jin’s army for saving their children’s lives, heard that medicine dregs made into sachets and worn could prevent the epidemic. They all collected the medicine dregs to make sachets for Jin’s soldiers as thanks.
Common people are actually very simple – whoever can save their lives in times of crisis, whoever can let them eat their fill in peaceful times, they will sincerely be grateful to.
So whether Jin people or Liang people, common folk uninvolved in power struggles never minded who would become emperor. What the people sought was nothing more than having fields to cultivate, grain to eat, clothes to keep warm, and tiles over their heads.
Liuzhou’s defending general, Yang Wuce, was quite surprised to learn of this situation. Hearing that people who had been moved to the temple outside Liuzhou City for epidemic treatment and had recovered were outside the city holding travel passes requesting the gates be opened, Yang Wuce ordered his subordinates to open the gates, strictly check the passes, and allow the people to enter the city.
On the twenty-sixth day of the tenth month of Xuanjia’s seventeenth year, Jin’s army arrived beneath Liuzhou City. Liuzhou’s defending general, Yang Wuce, ordered them to defend to the death. Zhao Sheng, who had already submitted to Princess Zhenguo, rode forward alone, requesting to meet Yang Wuce.
After much deliberation, considering his past friendship with the Zhao Family Army, Yang Wuce also rode out alone from Liuzhou City, meeting the unarmed Zhao Sheng beneath the city walls.
Both men remained mounted on their horses. Yang Wuce glanced at the vast Jin army in the distance and lowered his voice to ask Zhao Sheng: “General Zhao, were you coerced by Jin’s army and need my assistance?”
Zhao Sheng shook his head at Yang Wuce: “Brother Yang, you and I once fought together through blood and battle – we’re comrades who’ve shared life and death. Today I’ll speak frankly: I’ve decided to submit to Princess Zhenguo. Though Princess Zhenguo is a woman, she has the ambition to pacify the realm. Zhao Sheng is willing to follow Princess Zhenguo in achieving this unprecedented feat!”
Hearing these words, Yang Wuce’s hand gripping the reins tightened. He straightened his back, his gaze toward Zhao Sheng filled with coldness and contempt: “Zhao Sheng, you surrendered to the enemy army, turned your horse around to become Jin’s running dog… serving as their vanguard to attack your people. How can you face your grandfather, father, and all the Zhao family ancestors who once protected this Great Liang land?”
“What do we fight for, Brother Yang? Have you ever considered this?” Zhao Sheng wasn’t angry; his voice was calm.
“Naturally, to protect the nation and pacify the people!” Yang Wuce’s words were firm and resounding.
Zhao Sheng gritted his teeth, his voice rising: “But now our Majesty, Great Liang’s Emperor! Disregarding whether people live or die, disregarding whether soldiers live or die, only wanting revenge for the Fourth Prince! Unwilling to bow to Jin, unwilling to set aside hatred for the sake of people’s lives and soldiers’ lives, to first obtain life-saving prescriptions! How many of our soldiers… how many of our people have died from the epidemic! Is such a ruler worthy of our sworn loyalty unto death? Brother Yang… we military officers protect the people! If an emperor can save the people from fire and flood, we’ll obey his commands! But now he’s full of hatred, won’t listen to advice, and disregards whether people live or die – is he still qualified to be a nation’s emperor?”
In the distance, Lin Kangle, mounted among Jin’s soldiers, frowned and asked Wang Xiping: “What are they saying? That surnamed Zhao isn’t playing tricks, is he?”
Wang Xiping turned to look at the woman in silver armor on a white horse, her expression composed, and said: “Princess Zhenguo knows what she’s doing.”
Under the blazing sun, Yang Wuce’s warhorse pawed the ground restlessly. He pulled hard on the reins to control his mount, clenching his jaw.
Zhao Sheng pointed his riding whip toward Jin’s army formation: “It was Jin’s army – as soon as they arrived, they treated our infected soldiers, and it was Jin’s army who went to the temple to help treat the people! Because in Princess Zhenguo’s heart, there’s no distinction between Jin and Liang – all nations under heaven are one family, all people under heaven are people!”
Yang Wuce couldn’t deny Zhao Sheng’s words. The Great Liang Emperor’s thoughts were now entirely off the people, his heart full of hatred. The Liang court couldn’t even provide enough medicine for frontline troops, let alone the people. Most of Liuzhou City’s people sent to the temple were left to die, and it was indeed after Jin’s army arrived that they saved Liuzhou’s people in the temple. He knew all this.
But this all made Yang Wuce suspect it was Jin’s army’s scheme.
“In the end, you still betrayed your motherland…” The contempt in Yang Wuce’s eyes became even more obvious. “I look down on you. You’ve brought shame to the Zhao family’s reputation for loyalty and righteousness!”
Zhao Sheng didn’t argue: “Princess Zhenguo says… though the nations each govern themselves, they share the same written language, the same wheel gauge, the same measurements, the same customs! They’re originally one family! Princess Zhenguo’s campaign isn’t to destroy Liang for the sake of attacking Liang, but for unifying the realm, so people will no longer suffer from warfare, and everyone can live peaceful lives! Brother Yang… don’t you want to see such a day?”