Chapter 96: Initial Intent

"I have summoned you all today because of the Northern Di invasion."

The affairs of some merchants are, after all, minor matters.

After letting Liu Fu and the others vent their complaints and blow off steam, he spread the map of Yan Commandery on the desk and ordered the County Magistrates to step forward.

"I have received news that the Northern Di will head south immediately; in ten days at most, their vanguard cavalry will appear in Yan Commandery," Zhao Xu said.

Whether it was the secret reports from the Flame Guard or the reconnaissance from the Personal Guard Army, the information brought to him was essentially the same.

Large-scale troop movements are difficult to conceal.

Or perhaps the Northern Di had no intention of concealing them at all.

During the Autumn Hunt in previous years, they would also enter Yanzhou with such great fanfare, plunder, and then swagger away.

And Yanzhou possessed no force capable of stopping them.

The Yuan Family only cared about their own Fanyang; regarding the suppression of the Northern Di, they paid lip service to the Imperial Court while doing the opposite, striving only to preserve their own strength.

The most important duty of the Yanguan garrison was to defend Yanguan, so they could only dispatch a small number of cavalry to drive away the Northern Di.

One year, before Mo Di had arrived at Yanguan, the Yanguan commander at the time truly could not bear to watch.

He dispatched half of his forces to engage in a bitter battle with the Northern Di cavalry of the Autumn Hunt across the commanderies of Yanzhou.

Unexpectedly, the Northern Di seized the opportunity, suddenly arrived with a large army, and almost lost Yanguan.

Only then did the Yanguan commander realize that the Northern Di's Autumn Hunt was not a raid without purpose.

On one hand, they were plundering people and supplies.

On the other hand, they were forcing the Yanguan troops to move out of Yanguan.

Once the number of Yanguan garrison troops decreased, they would launch a thunderous blitzkrieg.

Since then, Emperor Zhao Heng was furious, threw that Yanguan commander into prison, and had Mo Di sent to Yanguan.

At the same time, he strictly ordered Mo Di that unless there was an Imperial command, he was not to dispatch Yanguan soldiers to participate in the Northern Di's Autumn Hunt.

He only required the Yuan Family to deal with the Northern Di's Autumn Hunt.

But this instead allowed the Yuan Family's power to expand wantonly in Yanzhou.

However, Mo Di was indeed a famous general.

With the example of the previous commander, he naturally did not dare to send troops in large numbers to deal with the Northern Di in Yanzhou.

But he adopted a strategy of using offense to replace defense, and retaliated in kind once.

After the Northern Di gathered a large army and entered Yanzhou, he immediately led fifty thousand troops and headed straight for the Northern Di royal tent.

Upon learning this news, the Northern Di immediately withdrew most of their forces to respond.

But when they returned, Mo Di had already withdrawn to Yanguan.

Since then, the Northern Di have not dared to pour out their entire strength for the annual Autumn Hunt.

This invisibly reduced the destruction the Northern Di caused to Yanzhou.

"Ten days, so fast." The County Magistrates' faces were very grim.

Especially the County Magistrate of Wuan County.

Of the seven counties in Yan Commandery, Yan County, where Yancheng is located, is in the center.

The remaining six counties: three are north of Yancheng, and three are in the south.

Among them, Wuan County is the northernmost; every year when the Northern Di cross Yanshan, they always appear near Wuan County first.

Therefore, Wuan County is the poorest county in Yan Commandery.

Of the remaining two counties in the north, Zhu County is to the southeast of Wuan County, and Yi River County is to the southwest, forming a pincer formation with Wuan County.

"What? Are you afraid?"

Zhao Xu saw the expressions of the County Magistrates in his eyes.

Liu Fu had always told him that the fear of the Northern Di was carved into the bones of the people of Yanzhou.

This time, he believed it.

However, he did not blame these officials, because they could not be blamed.

"I am not afraid of being laughed at by Your Highness, but this subordinate is indeed afraid," Wei Yang, the County Magistrate of Wuan County, said.

He was a scholar from a humble background, arranged by Liu Fu to be in Wuan County.

Sighing, he said: "It is not just this subordinate; the vast majority of the people of Yanzhou are afraid. Every year when the Northern Di invade, everyone in Yanzhou is in danger. The officials and the Rich Clans live in their Fortresses, still singing and dancing, while the Yuan Family's cavalry always arrives late after the Northern Di have finished plundering, and they even kill innocent people to claim credit. Your Highness, no one can protect the common people of Yanzhou."

Hearing this, the other officials

all remained silent.

They had experienced these things and felt the same way as Wei Yang.

"So, in fact, what we fear is not the Northern Di, but being abandoned time and time again," Wei Yang said, and finally, his gaze burned as he looked at Zhao Xu.

Yes, since the arrival of Yan Wang, Yan Commandery had indeed undergone great changes.

This kind of change made them feel happy, and it was also the reason they followed Yan Wang.

It was just that they still had one last shred of doubt in their hearts.

Yan Wang was, after all, an Imperial Prince, merely a vassal king sent here by the Imperial Court.

If the situation took a sharp turn for the worse this time, would Yan Wang persist with them until the end?

Or would he be like the Yuan Family, abandoning the common people and, after the Northern Di left, hypocritically governing here once again?

"Hahaha..."

Zhao Xu suddenly laughed. He was very happy; at least Wei Yang had told the truth.

Before the war broke out, exposing the trust issues the people of Yan Commandery had in him was a good thing.

The laughter stopped, and he said sternly: "How could I not have been abandoned, thrown into this Yan Commandery? It can be said that apart from Yan Commandery, I have nothing. Abandoning you—how is that any different from abandoning myself? Since you are not at ease, I shall draw up a military pledge with you all: whoever flees in the face of battle shall be executed with this sword."

Having said this, Zhao Xu took down the sword hanging on the wall.

This is the exclusive sword of Yan Wang.

"Liu Fu, I leave this sword to you." Zhao Xu placed the sword into the hands of the silent Liu Fu.

"Your Highness, this..." Liu Fu's hands began to tremble slightly.

With reddened eyes, he suddenly knelt before Zhao Xu, "Your Highness, your subordinate is guilty; I should not have doubted Your Highness."

"Get up. I do not blame you. Rome was not built in a day; the people of Yanzhou have truly suffered too much over these years. The impotence of the Imperial Court in Yanzhou and the arrogance of the Yuan Family have chilled people's hearts bit by bit. At this critical juncture of life and death, it is only natural for you to have doubts," said Zhao Xu.

Liu Fu usually acted like a sycophant in front of him.

But Zhao Xu knew very well that this lad harbored great ambitions to provide for the lives of the people.

This time, his silence was just like that of the other officials, filled with unease and suspicion.

Now he had given the sword to Liu Fu, granting him the power of life and death.

He could absolutely execute officials who fled; if he really ran, given this lad's courage, he would truly dare to execute him.

Because the original intention behind his following him was the beautiful blueprint he had depicted.

If he really fled, with his faith collapsed, he would inevitably go mad.

"Your Highness is righteous; your subordinates will surely follow Your Highness to the death."

Zhao Xu's actions left the group of County Magistrates shocked.

From ancient times to the present, he had never heard of or seen a vassal king grant his own power to a subordinate.

If Yan Wang could do this, what else did they have to say?

The fear and anxiety in their eyes dissipated one by one, slowly revealing a firm determination.

Liu Fu stood up, his face still showing guilt, "Your Highness, after the Autumn Hunt, I will submit to whatever punishment Your Highness deems fit."

Zhao Xu frowned, "Stop the nonsense. Do you think I really made you the Tutor to the Prince because you know how to flatter? Or is it that you are the best at flattering in all of Yan Commandery? Now, let's talk about how to resist the Northern Di people; stop blathering like a woman."

Sweat instantly broke out on Liu Fu's forehead.

He nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Your Highness."