Chapter 551

Xianzhou.

The chill of late winter had not yet faded, and the setting sun in the western sky was slowly sinking, dyeing the horizon a brilliant orange-red.

The afterglow sprinkled on the vast farmland, plating the plowed land with a layer of warm light.

However, beneath this warm scene was a scene of oppressive busyness.

Hundreds of people bent their waists and bowed their backs, busy sowing seeds in the ridges, the sound of iron plows cutting through the mud and sparse panting intertwined, permeating the fields as twilight deepened.

Wang Er straightened his aching waist, wiped his rough palms across his forehead, and sweat mixed with mud slid down his cheeks, gathering into water droplets on his chin and dripping onto the fields.

Having worked for three hours in a row, his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and his arms were already aching unbearably; every swing of the hoe required his entire body's strength.

He turned his body slightly, wanting to catch his breath in the last bit of light from the setting sun, but his gaze subconsciously drifted to the field ridge not far away, not expecting this short pause to be caught right in the act.

"Damn it!"

"Actually daring to slack off in front of me!"

A coarse, angry curse broke the tranquility of the fields.

Steward Meng, with his slightly protruding belly, walked quickly from the field ridge, the flesh on his face twisted with anger.

The cowhide whip in his hand drew a residual image in the twilight.

With a crisp "clatter," it struck Wang Er's back heavily.

"Ah!"

The sharp pain instantly spread throughout his body, and Wang Er screamed, his thin coarse cloth clothes torn by the whip.

Bright red bloodstains immediately seeped out.

He was caught off guard, his body softened, and he fell heavily to the ground, his palms pressing into the cold, damp mud, covered in mud.

Steward Meng walked to Wang Er in a few steps, stood looking down at him, pointed the whip at the tip of his nose, and shouted sharply: "You! Move faster!"

"If you delay the spring plowing, see how I deal with you!"

Wang Er endured the sharp pain, struggled to get up, his lips trembling, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes... yes!"

"The small one will do it right away, will do it right away!"

His voice was filled with irrepressible fear.

Sweat mixed with tears rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the land beneath his feet.

Steward Meng snorted coldly, slowly raised his whip, and his gaze swept over every commoner working in the field like a hawk.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on that ferocious face, adding a bit of viciousness.

"You all listen to me!" His voice was loud and majestic, carrying an unquestionable threat, "Now is the critical time for spring plowing. Whoever dares to slack off and delay the time for sowing, don't say I'm not polite; even the master won't spare you!"

The commoners in the field stopped their work one after another, lowering their heads and not daring to look him in the eye, echoing in their mouths: "Yes, yes, yes! Steward Meng is right, we dare not slack off!"

Everyone's face was full of fear, and no one dared to have the slightest complaint.

A middle-aged man closest to Steward Meng put on a flattering smile and said cautiously: "Steward Meng, please calm your anger, everyone is working hard, no one dares to slack off."

As he spoke, he secretly observed Steward Meng's expression, afraid of offending this evil god.

Steward Meng glanced at him sideways, the corners of his mouth hooked into a mocking sneer, and he waved his hand impatiently: "Get moving!"

"Don't talk nonsense here, if you delay the work, I will be the first to ask you!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The middle-aged man hurriedly responded, not daring to say another word, immediately turned around and picked up his hoe, digging the ground desperately, his movements several times faster than before.

Seeing this, other commoners also accelerated their movements.

The sound of labor in the fields rang out again, only more urgent and more oppressive than before.

Steward Meng looked at this scene with satisfaction, the whip in his palm tapping lightly, cursing constantly in his mouth: "Lowly skin!"

"If I don't whip you for a day, you won't remember the lesson. I have to give you some color before you are willing to work honestly!"

He paced slowly on the field ridge.

His gaze swept over the working commoners from time to time, like an evil wolf patrolling its territory.

Constantly vigilant for any sign of "slacking off."

The middle-aged man took advantage of the gap when Steward Meng turned around, walked quickly to Wang Er's side, reached out and pulled him up, and whispered urgently: "Get up!"

"Don't just stand there, hurry up and work hard!"

"Don't get whipped again, this taste is not good!"

Wang Erzhu looked at him gratefully, gritted his teeth and stood up straight, although the pain in his back was still piercing.

But he didn't dare to delay in the slightest, immediately picked up the hoe beside him, and threw himself back into the labor.

Just then, a dull roar came from the end of the distant horizon, at first like thunder rolling by, gradually becoming clear, shaking the heavens and the earth like ten thousand horses galloping.

"Giddyap! Giddyap! Giddyap!"

The urgent sound of horse hooves came closer and closer, sweeping over with dust.

Steward Meng was playing with his whip, his brows wrinkled tightly, listening intently: "What's going on?"

This sudden movement broke the oppression in the fields, and the working commoners also stopped their work one after another, straightened up and looked blankly in the direction from which the sound came, their faces full of surprise.

"What is that movement?!" Someone exclaimed in a low voice, his tone full of unease.

"Look! What is that black mass?!"

As the distance closed, everyone finally saw clearly that smoke and dust were rising into the sky on the dirt road in the distance, and a dark armored iron cavalry was galloping over.

The armor reflected a cold luster in the faint twilight, like a black torrent, rushing toward the farmland.

Steward Meng's face turned pale instantly. When he saw that it was a charging cavalry and that the target was himself, his pupils contracted sharply, his lips trembled, and he squeezed out two words: "Not good..."

Before the words fell, the iron cavalry had reached his eyes.

Chen Yan, who was in the lead, was wearing dark armor, his posture as tall as a pine, the horse spear in his hand flashing with cold light, and he waved it hard with the momentum of the charge.

With a "puff" sound, the sharp spear tip directly picked Steward Meng up.

"Ah!" Steward Meng let out a shrill scream, his body drew an arc in the air, and he fell heavily onto the field ridge in the distance.

Blood instantly stained the mud beneath him, and he breathed his last.

The other stewards were stunned, and it took them a long time to react, shouting in unison: "Run!"

They turned and ran wildly out of the field.

"Run?"

Lu Ming, who was nearly two meters tall on horseback, wearing dark armor, looked even more majestic. Seeing this, he sneered: "Did you ask the horse spear in my hand!"

Before the words fell, he and Yuwen Ze, Peng Chong, and others chased after them, the horse spears in their hands dancing like flying.

Flashes of cold light passed, and those fleeing stewards let out "Ah, ah, ah!" screams one after another.

They fell into pools of blood one after another and died instantly.

The surrounding commoners witnessed this bloody scene, scared out of their wits, threw away the farm tools in their hands, knelt on the ground with a "thump," and kowtowed and begged repeatedly: "Military lords! Military lords! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

A man closest to them kowtowed until his forehead was bleeding, and choked with sobs: "The commoners have old fathers and mothers above, and wives and young daughters below!"

"Please, lords, raise your hands high and spare us!"

Chen Yan reined in his horse, his dark armor reflecting cold light in the night. He swept his gentle gaze over the kneeling commoners and said loudly to soothe them: "Fellow villagers, don't be afraid!"

"We are the Great Zhou King's Army, and we are here to save you!"

The voice was loud and steady, piercing the silence of the night and entering the ears of every commoner.

The night deepened, and the bloodstains on the field ridge reflected a dark, heavy light under the hazy moonlight.

The dark armored iron cavalry stood like a forest, the steady sound of horse hooves stepping on the mud intertwined with the oppressive breathing of the commoners.

Wang Er, who was kneeling in the front row, still felt the whip wounds on his back aching. When he heard the four words "Great Zhou King's Army," his body jolted violently, his lips trembling as he muttered to himself: "Great Zhou King's Army?"

These four words exploded in his mind like thunder. He looked up abruptly, his bloodshot eyes wide open, his voice becoming hoarse due to extreme surprise: "The Zhou State's cavalry has actually fought all the way to our Xianzhou?!"

This exclamation was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up thousands of waves in the farmland.

In the farmland, which had been silent, the commoners whispered to each other, and discussions rose and fell.

"Xianzhou has always been stable, why did the Zhou State's army suddenly come?"

"Is this a blessing or a curse?"

"Those stewards were killed, will we also..."

Unease and confusion spread in the crowd, and everyone's face was full of complex expressions.

Chen Yan stood still on his horse, swept his gaze over the restless crowd, and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, from this moment on, you are free!"

"Go home!"

"Go home?" The commoners were stunned, their faces full of disbelief, and they whispered these two words one after another.

Someone subconsciously pinched himself to confirm he wasn't dreaming, and muttered: "They aren't killing us, and they want to let us go home?"

The long-term oppression and bullying had long made them accustomed to obedience and fear.

The sudden freedom left them at a loss for a moment.

After a short silence, several young and strong men reacted first, a trace of ecstasy flashing in their eyes, and one of them shouted urgently: "Run!"

Before the words fell, he struggled to stand up and ran wildly toward his home.

With the lead of the first person, other commoners also woke up like a dream, stood up one after another, didn't bother to pick up the farm tools on the ground, and ran wildly toward their respective homes.

For a time, dust flew on the farmland, and the figures of the commoners soon disappeared into the night, leaving only messy ridges and scattered farm tools.

Just then, Feng Muye rode to Chen Yan's side, raised his hand to point ahead, and saw a large silhouette of buildings in the night, with flickering lights, revealing a bit of luxury, "Grand General, the manors described by the refugees before are not far from here!"

His tone carried a trace of excitement.

Chen Yan looked in the direction he pointed, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he nodded slowly: "Then let's split up, one person leads a team of brothers to loot!"

"Yes!" The generals heard this, looked at each other, the corners of their mouths rising in unison, and responded in unison.

Immediately, the two thousand dark armored iron cavalry quickly split into several teams and galloped away.

The night was like ink.

Outside a manor.

Two large red lanterns swayed on the gate tower. Under the dim light, the gatekeeper Old Liu hugged his chest and leaned against the door frame, his eyelids fighting each other.

A burst of faint horse hooves came from afar. He woke up abruptly and nudged the dozing doorman Old Sun with his elbow: "Did you hear the horse hooves?"

Old Sun rubbed his sleepy eyes and listened carefully, then nodded: "I heard it!"

As soon as the words fell, his brows wrinkled tightly, "And it seems to be getting closer and closer to us..."

While the two were confused, Old Liu caught a glimpse of smoke and dust rising at the end of the official road not far away. Under the hazy moonlight, a black mass of figures could be vaguely seen.

His heart was shocked, he pointed to that direction abruptly, and shouted: "Look over there!"

I saw hundreds of dark armored iron cavalry rushing toward the manor like arrows leaving the string, the armor reflecting cold cold light in the night, the sound of horse hooves shaking the earth slightly.

Peng Chong, who was at the front, opened his eyes wide, pointed his horse spear at the gate tower, and shouted: "Get out of the way if you don't want to die!"

Old Sun was shocked and angry when he saw this, and scolded sharply, relying on the power of the manor owner: "Where did these knights come from! Do you know whose manor this is?"

"This is the manor of Chief Clerk Yifu!"

"Are you tired of living..."

"Noisy!" Peng Chong sneered. Before he could finish speaking, the horse spear in his hand had already been waved, and the sharp spear tip, carrying the whistling wind, directly picked Old Sun up.

"Ah!" A shrill scream pierced the night sky, Old Sun's body fell heavily to the ground, and he lost his breath instantly.

"Old Sun!" Old Liu was scared out of his wits and was about to turn and run, but the cavalry behind had already arrived. A garrison soldier swung his long saber and directly picked him up, and another scream resounded inside and outside the manor.

Peng Chong reined in his horse and kicked the vermilion gate of the manor with his horse's front hooves.

With a loud "clatter," the heavy gate was kicked open with a crack.

He took the opportunity to raise his horse spear and point it inside the gate, raising his arms and shouting: "Lads, go in and loot!"

"The Grand General said, how much stuff you can bring back this time depends entirely on your own ability!"

The hundreds of cavalry behind had long been unable to hold back. Hearing this, they became extremely excited and responded in unison: "Yes!"

"Charge!"

Before the words fell, the cavalry couldn't wait to pour into the manor.

The sound of horse hooves and shouting instantly broke the tranquility of the manor.

The servants in the manor heard the movement and rushed out with sticks and knives, trying to block the cavalry.

But these servants, who were usually domineering, were no match for the iron cavalry who had been on the battlefield for a long time.

The dark armored cavalry waved their horse spears and long sabers, beheading the resisting servants one by one like cutting melons and vegetables, and screams rose and fell one after another.

Blood soon stained the blue stone road of the manor red.

After solving the resisting servants, the cavalry began to loot wildly in the manor.

They rushed into the main hall, side rooms, and warehouses, looting all the gold and silver utensils and silk on the shelves, prying open treasure chests, and stuffing the treasures and beautiful jade inside into their arms.

Some garrison soldiers even carried heavy wooden boxes, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, not letting go of any corner that might hide property.

In the pavilion on the west side, candles flickered, reflecting several beautiful women.

They were whispering by the window or tidying their makeup in front of the mirror, with a bit of leisure between their brows, totally unaware that the manor had become a battlefield.

Suddenly, with a loud "clatter," the carved wooden door of the pavilion was kicked open.

Several garrison soldiers in dark armor broke in with sharp blades, the blood on their armor reflecting eerie light under the candlelight.

The women were scared out of their wits and shrank into the corners.

One of the beautiful, slightly older women tried to remain calm, grabbed the scissors on the table, held them tightly, and shouted sharply at the garrison soldiers: "Who are you! Don't come over!"

"We sisters are the concubines of the Chief Clerk!"

The leading garrison soldier held a horizontal saber, the tip of the blade pointing to the ground, his gaze sweeping over the women with hunger, a smile hooked on the corners of his mouth, and he licked his dry lips and said: "This dog-mother-raising Chief Clerk is really good at enjoying himself!"

"There are so many beautiful little ladies raised in the manor!"

"That's right!" The garrison soldier beside him had eyes shining, rubbing his hands and echoing, "So many beauties, how could he enjoy them all by himself!"

Another garrison soldier waved his hand impatiently, stepped forward, and knocked the scissors out of the woman's hand.

The scissors fell to the ground with a "clatter."

He had a bad smile on his face and reached out to pull the older woman: "Let us enjoy them for him instead!"

"Take them all back to Great Zhou to carry on the family line for us!"

The women screamed and struggled in vain.

But in front of the strong garrison soldiers, their resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The garrison soldiers dragged them rudely, ignoring their crying and begging, and forcibly dragged these women out of the pavilion and pushed them toward the open space outside the manor.

An hour and a half later.

A slender figure walked over quickly. Embroidered Attire Envoy Mei Aoshan held a document in his hand and came to Chen Yan's side with a solemn expression.

He held the document high and reported in a deep voice: "Pillar of State, all the manors here have been searched and confiscated, totaling more than 4,700 hu of grain..."

Chen Yan heard this and couldn't help but smack his lips, a trace of emotion on his face: "Tsk! These officials of the Qi State are really good at accumulating wealth..."

No wonder the previous fake loan inflation plan went so smoothly; it was also thanks to the help of these people...

He paused and said loudly: "Pass my order to gather all the people here!"

——

PS: An old friend I haven't seen for a long time drove more than 900 kilometers to find Wanfeng, so I have to accompany him well. I probably won't be able to add updates these two days. They are all chapters of 4,000 to 5,000 words. Big bosses, don't worry, they will all be made up later!