Chapter 98: Original Intent

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

The affairs of some merchants are, in the end, trivial 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 intelligence 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 identical.

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 enter Yanzhou with such great fanfare, plunder, and then leave with a swagger.

And Yanzhou possessed no power capable of stopping them.

The Yuan Family cared only for 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 garrison commander at the time truly could not bear to watch.

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

Unexpectedly, the Northern Di seized the opportunity, suddenly arrived with a large army, and nearly caused the loss of Yanguan.

Only then did the Yanguan garrison 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 lightning strike.

Since then, the Emperor Zhao Heng was furious, had that Yanguan garrison commander imprisoned, and sent Mo Di to Yanguan.

At the same time, he strictly ordered Mo Di that unless there was an Imperial order, he was not allowed 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 dispatch troops on a large scale to deal with the Northern Di in Yanzhou.

But he adopted a strategy of attacking instead of defending, and gave them a taste of their own medicine 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 troops 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 force for the annual Autumn Hunt.

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

"Ten days, so fast." The faces of the County Magistrates were very ugly.

Especially the County Magistrate of Wuan County.

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

The remaining six counties have three to the north of Yancheng and three to the south.

Among them, Wuan County is the furthest north; 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 Your Highness laughing, but this subordinate is indeed afraid," said Wei Yang, the County Magistrate of Wuan County.

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 Clan live in their Fortress, 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 merit. Your Highness, no one can protect the common people of Yanzhou."

The other officials heard this,

and all remained silent.

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

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

Yes, since Yan Wang arrived, 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, like the Yuan Family, abandon the common people and hypocritically govern here again after the Northern Di left?

"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 issue 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 set a military order with you all; whoever flees in the face of battle shall be executed with this sword."

Having said that, 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 indeed suffered too much over these years. The Imperial Court's impotence in Yanzhou and the Yuan Family's tyranny in Yanzhou have made people's hearts grow cold 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 the great ambition of establishing a life for the common 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 did run, given this lad's courage, he would truly dare to behead him.

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

If he really did flee, 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 even 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 Royal Tutor 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."