Chapter 49: Civil Conquest

In the twelfth lunar month in Yangzhou, the world was covered in ice and snow.

In this true Northwest, there was rarely any produce to eat once winter arrived. Therefore, most people would store the harvest in cellars or hang it under the eaves to air-dry during the autumn harvest.

Only in this way could they avoid spending the winter gnawing solely on Nang Bread.

Even so, there were only a few types of green vegetables, mostly radishes. The common people never spoke of any quality of life.

With no farming in the bitter winter, the commoners were also left idle at home.

"Lao Hu, have you heard? Ever since that Yinzhou got a County Marquis Mansion, meat and vegetables have been hauled back by the cartload! My second uncle's nephew's neighbor works at that Shen Gong Workshop; regardless of his year-end bonus, he was given over ten catties of fatty meat alone!"

"Huo, is that for real?"

"Could that be fake? Yinzhou has truly become wealthy!"

"Is that the credit of that young master of the Liu Family?"

"That's right! These past few days, Yinzhou has been troubled by bandits, sigh..."

Early in the morning, sixteen-year-old Jiang Xuan wrapped his cotton coat tightly around himself. Braving the cold wind and listening to these arguments by the roadside, he arrived at the entrance of a Private School that had a well outside.

That's right.

He had come to eavesdrop on the lessons!

Biting into the Nang Bread in his pocket that had already frozen into a hard lump, he muttered to himself that it was fortunate he wasn't late. He sat down by the well, and the sound of morning reading already echoed from within the Private School.

As the year-end approached, the curriculum had moved from the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning to abstruse military treatises like Sun Tzu's Art of War, the Wu Zi, and the Six Secret Teachings.

Those wealthy students were all complaining incessantly.

Inside the Private School, the teacher's scolding, the sound of the wooden ruler, and the earnest exhortations to study could be heard.

Jiang Xuan, however, felt a jolt through his entire body and listened intently.

"Therefore, those who are skilled in war do not wait for the army to be deployed. Those who are skilled in eliminating trouble resolve it before it is born. Those who are skilled in defeating the enemy win before the form is visible. The highest form of warfare is to have no war. Therefore, those who struggle for victory before the naked blades are not good generals. Those who set up defenses after the loss has already occurred are not supreme sages. If one's wisdom is the same as the masses, one is not a national master; if one's skill is the same as the masses, one is not a master craftsman."

Since he was young, Jiang Xuan had been keenly interested in various military books. Unlike most people in Liangzhou, who remained immersed in the arrogance of the Liangzhou Cavalry dominating the world, he highly agreed with the ideas in the Six Secret Teachings about adapting to circumstances when deploying troops, winning through Strategy, and not relying on set battles.

Furthermore, he did not believe that cavalry could run rampant across the world.

Different terrains required coordination with different types of troops.

"One must rely on hills and dangerous obstacles, with long weapons and strong crossbows in front, and short weapons and rapid-fire crossbows in the rear, firing and stopping in turns. Even if the enemy's chariots and cavalry are numerous, hold a firm formation and fight swiftly, using skilled soldiers and strong crossbows to guard our rear!"

Today, Jiang Xuan listened with utter fascination.

The Private School teacher focused on lecturing on the Civil Strategy and Military Strategy today, and the military perspective emphasized within them hit the mark for Jiang Xuan.

First, it emphasized winning the hearts of the people!

Among them, "Those who share the benefits of the world will gain the world; those who monopolize the benefits of the world will lose the world!" Loving the people, cultivating virtue, and benefiting the people were all embodied in the Civil Strategy.

Secondly, it advocated for political psychological warfare to disintegrate the enemy.

"Civil Conquest" and "Military Conquest" should be used in coordination: "cater to their desires to follow their will," "befriend what they love," "honor them with titles," "assist their licentiousness," "nurture their corrupt officials," "collect from within and inquire from without," as well as "bribe with heavy treasures," and so on. Using "Civil Conquest" to clear the path for "Military Conquest" is what a truly skilled warrior does!

But the current Lu Zhengyi was not that.

Even the Liangzhou Army was not that.

Suddenly, a blurred figure flashed through Jiang Xuan's mind.

Two months ago, that young master of the Liu Family who "repelled the enemy with white stones" on the city wall—did he count?

The more he listened, the more excited Jiang Xuan became. Without realizing it, he actually paced from the edge of the well to the window of the Private School.

He had many thoughts in his heart and wanted to share them with someone.

"Lowly commoner, you've come to eavesdrop again!"

"Teacher, wait a moment, let us drive him away!"

"Don't run, lowly commoner!"

Suddenly, the group of wealthy students saw Jiang Xuan and shouted angrily. They, who already disliked this Six Secret Teachings course, ran out shouting.

In their hands were either clubs or wooden sticks.

Jiang Xuan was startled and scrambled away, immediately causing a burst of mocking laughter.

"Does the lowly commoner still want to run?"

"Kneel down for me!"

"We've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"You lowly commoners, you still want to study?"

The wealthy sons surrounded him, laughing loudly.

Jiang Xuan, who was clearly somewhat malnourished, was no match for these people. He sat on the ground in a panic, clutching his head, thinking that he couldn't escape this thirty-eighth beating of the year no matter what.

"Something has happened, something has happened! The County Marquis Lu Zhengyi's collusion with the Bandit has been exposed!"

Just at this moment, a page boy from the Private School who had just returned from buying vegetables ran over, stumbling and drenched in sweat.

Everyone was shocked.

"What?"

"Don't talk nonsense; that's a capital offense!"

People along the way who heard this were all alarmed. The Private School teacher even shouted with a cold face.

The page boy smiled bitterly, grabbed a handful of "leaflets" from his vegetable basket, and said, "Teacher, please look!"

As soon as the Private School teacher saw the portrait and the text, his expression changed instantly.

County Marquis Lu Zhengyi, colluding with the Bandit? And having long-term agreements with the Bandit to scrape the fat and blood of the people? The profits obtained were split four-six, and he even turned a blind eye to the Bandit, while the people's resistance was labeled a Great Evil...

The Private School teacher slammed his hand on the table with a bang and shouted angrily, "Preposterous, absolutely preposterous! Such a County Marquis is nothing but a snake and a rat!"

Jiang Xuan held the leaflet in his hand, dazed, while a thunderous roar echoed in his mind.

"Civil Conquest?"

Suddenly, his heart tightened as he remembered the matter of the mountain bandits in Yinzhou, and his face changed instantly: "This is bad!"

This Yangzhou is going to be in chaos!

Yangzhou County Marquis Mansion.

Lu Zhengyi's face was livid, and he was hopping mad.

"Nonsense, pure nonsense!"

"How could this County Marquis associate with those Bandits? Investigate for me, find out where these things came from, and execute them without mercy!"

Looking at the vivid "manga-style" version of himself on the paper, with his round body and fawning, sleazy expression, Lu Zhengyi was about to explode with rage.

"My Lord, we are already investigating!"

"But, there are no leads!"

"My Lord, should we temporarily let those Scattered Soldiers..."

"Burn them for me, burn them all!"

Lu Zhengyi was so angry he fainted.

The entire Yangzhou County Marquis Mansion was in a state of chaos. The whole of Yangzhou City was in an uproar. But on this first day, public opinion had already formed a trend.

Although the Garrison quickly collected all those leaflets and issued wanted posters, vowing to thoroughly investigate these agitators who were misleading the public and punish them severely!

But what about the common people?

Thinking back to those years when the Bandits ravaged Yangzhou, was there ever a time when the common people didn't have to place money and grain at their doors for the Bandits to take just to avoid disaster? Now that they thought about it, there was indeed a suspicion that the County Marquis Mansion was helping the evildoers!

Who would have thought, the second day.

All over the streets, there were these leaflets again, like goose-feather snow, countless in number.

The common people were angry again.

By the third day, those commoners who could no longer hold back had already arrived at the entrance of the Post House where the five thousand Scattered Soldiers were staying, hurling all sorts of radishes and cabbages at Luo Xiongchao and his men as if they were free.

"What kind of Liangzhou Army, they are just mountain bandits and Bandits!"

"Get out of Yangzhou!"

"Although Yangzhou is poor, it cannot tolerate you!"

Over these past few days, the behavior of this group of Scattered Soldiers in Yangzhou had been even more arrogant and domineering than the Garrison. The hatred that had been building up for so long was vented all at once, and it was quite terrifying.

Luo Xiongchao in the Post House was filled with killing intent: "This is outrageous, Member Chen, is this how they treat guests in Yangzhou?"

"Big Brother, let me go kill a few of them, and they will all be obedient!"

A subordinate shouted.

Chen Kui was scared to death, and with a bitter face, he said: "General, General, you absolutely must not!"

"At this time, you must not incite public anger!"

"General, this matter should just be left to Lord Lu of the County Marquis Mansion to handle!"

Chen Kui, at this moment, also felt like cursing.

How could these leaflets be so shameless? They even drew him like a clown! Needless to say, this must be the work of that young master of the Liu Family!

This brat is truly vicious; he is quite adept at these little tricks...

However, they had no Method at all.

Luo Xiongchao sneered: "Lu Zhengyi? Hasn't he already fainted from anger several times? How is it that a person like this manages this Yangzhou City?"

"Haha!"

"Big Brother is a hero of the world, yet you are forced to be out of office and wandering; the affairs of the world are truly so unfair!"

"That's right, General, why don't we take their place?"

Chen Kui's face turned black: "Absolutely not!"

Luo Xiongchao also smiled slightly, noncommittal. To take their place without an appointment from Liangzhou Prefecture, he still dared not. But it had to be said that his subordinate's suggestion did stir his heart.

"Shut up, all of you, just wait for Lu Zhengyi to handle it!"

"Come, drink!"

"What about women, where are the women? Member Chen, hurry and find some women!"

"...... Yes!"

Chen Kui wiped away cold sweat and left, thinking there were still three days left; once Liu Zheng delivered himself to the door, he would drive these masters away.

However, he did not know.

This world is always like this; it is easy to invite a god but difficult to send one away.

At this time, although Yangzhou was still under Lu Zhengyi's control, it was because he had ruled Yangzhou for a long time and his intimidating power still remained. When the hatred and conflict accumulated to a certain degree, it would only take a flashpoint, and the situation would become uncontrollable.

Of course.

They did not know yet.

After all, those involved are often the most confused.

The sudden various chaos in Yangzhou had already left them overwhelmed, and they had not noticed at all.

Behind the scenes, there was actually a large hand controlling and leading all of this.

The direction of everything was following his predictions.

In the entire Yangzhou, no one could see clearly.

Only one person saw it clearly.

Jiang Xuan.

Thus, on the fifth day, when the Yangzhou commoners clashed with that group of Scattered Soldiers on the street for the first time and more than a dozen people died on the spot, Jiang Xuan ignored the obstruction of the Garrison, came to the County Marquis Mansion, and knelt down with a thud.

"Lord County Marquis, the commoner Jiang Xuan requests an audience!"

"Lord County Marquis!"

"Yangzhou is about to fall into chaos; we must take precautions!"

Yinzhou, Shen Gong Workshop.

Liu Zheng had been "drawing" continuously for several days, and Shen Xing, Zheng Yueru, and the others came to report the situation with excitement from time to time.

Starting from the chaos in Yangzhou, the common people were enraged, Lu Zhengyi's Garrison suppressed them and controlled the situation, then the conflict escalated, and finally, the flames were directed toward those Scattered Soldiers.

What shocked the two of them was that the occurrence of all this, and the sequence of everything, was almost exactly the same as the "public opinion war" Liu Zheng had predicted.

A god-like man!

Only at this moment did they realize that Young Master Liu was truly no ordinary person.

"How is it going?"

Liu Zheng had drawn several hundred more pictures, and he walked out of the room rubbing his temples, thinking to himself that he must implement movable type printing when the time came.

Shen Xing said excitedly, "Young Master, large-scale conflicts have already broken out! Within the administration of Yangzhou, bloodshed has already occurred!"

"Oh?"

Liu Zheng's eyes lit up.

It seemed the time was ripe!