Chapter 295: All Thanks to the Little King's Wang De Fa

Jiang Jiang Mingyu saw the wavering of the city wall garrison and quickly seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, speaking to persuade their surrender: "Everyone, you have seen it too. Pang Pang Wenguang is dead, and the deputy commander Yu Feng stands isolated and without support; you must have your own calculations. The One Da Jiang army has gathered beneath the city; your resistance is futile. It is better to open the gates and surrender; preserving your lives is paramount!"

He paused, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes, and added: "You are not the masterminds; Your Majesty will show mercy. As long as you submit to One Da Jiang, you can enjoy Your Majesty's policy for the people, exempting you from one year of taxes!"

His tone shifted abruptly; his gaze grew solemn, and a chill seeped into his voice: "If you remain obstinate... you will bear the consequences!"

Deputy Commander Yu Feng merely snorted coldly, speaking in anger: "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, stop with the threats! Do you think I will lead the one hundred thousand troops of Maoling to surrender? You are dreaming in broad daylight!"

His eyes turned red as he shouted loudly, "I have received the Emperor's grace; how could I betray it! If you want to attack the city, then come!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo flew into a rage, grinding his teeth as he shouted: "Big Brother, kind words cannot persuade the doomed; let us begin the war!"

However, these words struck straight to the hearts of the garrison. They had been temporarily recruited by Pang Pang Wenguang to fight; where was there any true loyalty to the monarch or love for the country? Now that Pang Pang Wenguang was dead in battle and Deputy Commander Yu Feng was powerless to turn the tide, preserving their own lives was the only right path. Moreover, the policies promised by Jiang Jiang Mingyu were truly too generous... these warriors began to waver.

Just then, several soldiers exchanged glances, suddenly drew their swords from their sheaths, and pressed the blade tips against Yu Feng's throat!

"Open the city gates! We do not want to die in vain!" The leading warrior, his face fierce, also saw this as the last chance.

Yu Feng's face turned deathly pale; trembling, he questioned: "What is the meaning of this? I have received the Emperor's grace..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" That person said coldly, "Whether you live or die depends on your performance! Open the city gates quickly!"

"You scoundrel! What is Jiang Jiang Mingyu to you, that you would betray the Emperor's grace!" Deputy Commander Yu Feng's eyes were bloodshot, his rage shaking him to madness.

Before his words had even finished, a "puchi" sound was heard; a sharp blade plunged straight into his throat, and blood sprayed out.

Li Goudan and Tu Tu Kesiluo were both stunned, while Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled slightly with full understanding.

In truth, he had previously learned from scouts that Pang Pang Wenguang had issued a strict order forbidding commoners from fleeing. This filled the common people who had been forcibly conscripted into the army with bitter resentment.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu accurately grasped this point—using the common people's dissatisfaction to move the garrison and cause the city gates to collapse from within.

Sure enough, the soldier whose blade was not yet dry with blood shouted loudly: "Brothers, Li Li Haoyang is a warmonger who does not treat us as human beings at all!"

"We will open the gates and surrender, submitting to One Da Jiang!"

With a "boom" of a mighty roar, the tightly shut city gates slowly opened, opening their embrace to Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

"Enter the city quickly!" Tu Tu Kesiluo shouted loudly, and the three of them rushed in first.

Seeing that the situation was lost, the soldiers within the city could only submit and allow themselves to be captured.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu walked by with a smile, nodding in satisfaction: "Every soldier in the city will receive a reward. Tu Tu Kesiluo, quickly post a proclamation; those who stay may stay, and those who leave will be given travel funds to return home!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately had people post a proclamation at the city gate, announcing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's policies.

This act caused the common people in the city to erupt in thunderous cheers. These days under Pang Pang Wenguang's rule had been unbearable for them; now that they had gained freedom, everyone felt vindicated, straight praising Jiang Jiang Mingyu as a living Buddha incarnate.

Meanwhile, Li Goudan was smiling as he patrolled the city, finally arriving at the Pang residence, saying: "Pang Pang Wenguang must have hidden many treasures; before the army loots, why not let me choose a few items first to present to Your Majesty?"

Li Goudan and his group arrived before the Pang residence, seeing only the tall, magnificent vermilion double doors tightly shut; the door rings and door studs were inlaid with crystal-clear green jade, shining with dazzling luster.

"Open the door!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu ordered. Two imposing Imperial Guards stepped forward and struck together; the vermilion-painted great doors flew open at the sound.

The crowd entered in single file, seeing inside a space of extraordinary width, everywhere resplendent with gold and jade. In the center stood a towering pavilion; the pillars and eaves were carved and decorated with exquisite jade ornamentation, echoing the outer gate.

Li Goudan strode briskly to the pavilion, suddenly slapped the marble railing, and shouted down: "Descendants of the Pang family, come quickly to pay your respects!"

Only the sound of rustling was heard from within; moments later, a youth of about twenty stumbled out. Upon seeing the visitors, he was so startled that he fell weakly to his knees, trembling as he said: "Your subordinate... your subordinate Pang pays his respects to the Marquis of Stabilizing the Nation!"

Li Goudan said coldly: "Are you the son of that Pang Pang Wenguang? Lead the way quickly and fetch your family's gold, silver, and jewels!"

That youth repeatedly agreed, leading the crowd to a side hall, where antiques were everywhere and treasures covered the ground. Those gold, silver, pearls, and jade, with their dazzling brilliance, made everyone's eyes turn red.

Li Goudan circled around in satisfaction, finally making the decision: "Take it all to present to Your Majesty!"

He swaggered out of the Pang residence, secretly rejoicing in his heart: This move will surely add even more points to his standing in the mind of Your Majesty!

The descendants of the Pang family knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was sitting inside the military camp, waving toward the door: "Come in!"

A soldier was seen kneeling respectfully: "I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu leaned forward slightly, extending a hand to help him up: "No need for excessive ceremony; what is your name?"

After Wang De stood firm, he spoke with fear and trembling: "Replying to Your Majesty, your subordinate is named Wang De."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded, slowly chewing on the name "Wang De" while scrutinizing him. Wang De wore simple armor; his face held no imposing expression, his temples slightly gray, making him look like an ordinary middle-aged warrior. However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's intuition told him this man was trustworthy.

"Wang De... today, in breaking the city and conquering the land, your merit is indispensable!"

Having spoken, he stroked his beard and announced in a deep voice: "I hereby appoint you as a Flanking General immediately and reward you with one thousand taels of silver! From now on, I hope you will work diligently and not disappoint me!"

Wang De, excited and overjoyed, knelt on the ground again to thank for the grace: "Your Majesty is indeed divine; your subordinate will exhaust every effort and will absolutely not fail Your Majesty's high expectations!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled in satisfaction. He believed in Wang De's sincerity. So he spoke: "I am entrusting you with a heavy task: organize the newly surrendered one hundred thousand Maoling troops! Under no circumstances may you disappoint me." Wang De was greatly startled upon hearing this; he never expected Jiang Jiang Mingyu would entrust him with such a heavy task. But he quickly adjusted his mindset and respectfully accepted the order.

At this time, Tu Tu Kesiluo, standing to the side, felt a slight doubt; he worried that the task Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave Wang De was too heavy and wondered if Wang De could complete it perfectly.

But Jiang Jiang Mingyu was full of confidence, shaking his head at him: "Rest assured; this Wang De will surely perform beyond expectations."

That very night, Wang De arrived in a rush to report. It turned out that besides the thirty thousand returning home, the remaining seventy thousand Maoling troops had all chosen to submit to One Da Jiang! This unexpected good news made Tu Tu Kesiluo look at him with new respect; he marveled at Jiang Jiang Mingyu's unique insight.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily, patting his shoulder: "Indeed, I did not misjudge you! Go to Fang Hang to collect your reward!"

Watching Wang De depart, Tu Tu Kesiluo finally relaxed his tightly furrowed brows, revealing a satisfied smile: "Big Brother is wise; now we can prepare to attack Luohe!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu lightly patted Tu Tu Kesiluo's shoulder, signaling him to sit. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the tent, illuminating Jiang Jiang Mingyu's peaceful face like a touch of warmth.

"The great army has just completed a long trek; let them rest well for three days before making plans. After the scouts I sent return to report, we will decide the plan for the next step." Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone was peaceful yet firm, wisdom shining in his eyes.

Tu Tu Kesiluo nodded slightly; he knew the great army needed rest and said no more. At this moment, he showed great trust in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's leadership.

Li Goudan and Fang Hang had already led their subordinates to begin training the newly surrendered soldiers. Under Zhang Zhang Jiani's devilishly strict training, the originally scattered surrendered soldiers gradually entered a good state; their combat effectiveness had clearly improved.

At dawn on the second day, the scouts sent by Jiang Jiang Mingyu returned in a rush, bringing important news to the great army. They learned that Zou Zou Jingtong had already heard that Your Majesty's great army had captured Maoling and had urgently changed course to rush to Luohe.

Hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo could not help but mock: "This fellow Zou Zou Jingtong is truly slippery; I had wanted to personally settle the grudge with his whole family."

However, his expression suddenly became solemn: "Big Brother, the situation over at Luohe is unclear, and with Zou Zou Jingtong's fifty thousand troops under his command, I fear this will be another hard battle."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was not worried at all; he smiled: "Do not worry; they have only fifty thousand, while we have two hundred and twenty thousand troops! Even if we leave thirty thousand to guard the city, it will be enough to handle the task."