Chapter 1163

First Volume, Chapter 1163: Personally Arriving at the Nan Jing Battlefield

Qin Feng's movements were not swift; though only two hundred Li, he took three full days to travel.

The Northern Border Army had not yet arrived, and with Sun Bo's vanguard and the Gusu City Garrison locked in consecutive battles, both sides needed time to rest and regroup.

Even if Qin Feng raced ahead on horseback and reached Gusu City, he would merely be waiting in place.

So Qin Feng was not in a hurry; along the way, he kept Zhao Yuxiong with him, taking in the scenery of Nan Jing.

Gusu City was a major hub of Jiangnan, so along the route, the scenery was quintessentially Jiangnan.

It was the New Year; the North was still frozen and frigid, while Jiangnan was cold too, but nowhere near as harsh as the North.

Moreover, along the journey, Qin Feng rarely saw frozen corpses by the roadside.

This indicated that life in Jiangnan was decent—at least the Common People had enough grain and firewood to survive the winter.

If not for the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing constantly threatening imperial authority, this war would have been avoidable, and Qin Feng naturally had no desire to strike Nan Jing.

"Did you see that?"

Qin Feng sat atop his Horse, gazing at the stream beside the road, lost in thought.

"As we traveled southward, covering such distance, the farther south we went, the fewer frozen, starved corpses we saw by the roadside."

"Especially after entering Gusu City's territory, we hardly saw any starved corpses at all."

"Life in Nan Jing is far more comfortable than in the North."

"Of course, this also owes to the South's climate—even in the coldest times, it's nowhere near as deadly as the North."

"Northern soldiers are fierce; Southern soldiers may seem frail, but they possess resilience."

"If the North and South unite as one, the golden age of Shedynasty will not be far off."

Hearing this, Zhao Yuxiong felt a wave of confusion.

"Brother Qin, from your words, it seems you lack resolve regarding this campaign…"

Although Zhao Yuxiong was Qin Feng's Shu Xi, he more often regarded himself as a "comrade."

Outside of battle, he did not blindly obey Qin Feng; if he held a differing view, he would voice it without hesitation.

Zhao Yuxiong was the scion of a Military Clan, utterly loyal to Shedynasty; in his eyes, Nan Jing was the Rebel Party, and all Rebel Parties deserved extermination!

If Qin Feng showed mercy toward Nan Jing, Zhao Yuxiong would immediately challenge him.

Qin Feng did not conceal his true thoughts.

"Nan Jing is prosperous—that is a universal truth. Isn't our goal to ensure the Common People live well?"

"The people are innocent; the guilt lies with the Aristocratic Clans."

"I do feel compassion for Nan Jing—but only toward the people. There's no need to doubt me."

Hearing this, Zhao Yuxiong quietly exhaled in relief; Qin Feng was the core of the Southern Campaign, and if he showed leniency toward the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing, the war would be pointless.

Yet for safety's sake, Zhao Yuxiong still voiced his lingering concern.

"This is an Internal War, not a National War."

"Our enemy is the Aristocratic Clans and Powerful Clans—not foreign invaders."

"Gusu City is manageable; most of its people have already been relocated."

"But if we capture Gusu City and press onward toward other key cities and strongholds, will you, Brother Qin, hesitate because of the civilians inside?"

Qin Feng did not answer immediately; instead, he slowly turned his head and gazed deeply at Zhao Yuxiong.

Undeniably, Zhao Yuxiong was an exceptionally gifted general, born with the makings of a commander.

Precisely because of this, neither Xu Mo nor Ning Hu could be compared to Zhao Yuxiong.

With Zhao Yuxiong by his side, Qin Feng felt as if he had swallowed a calming pill.

But…

No man is perfect!

Zhao Yuxiong had his own flaw: he pursued perfection obsessively, despised evil without mercy, and was unwaveringly loyal to Shedynasty.

Even if they were as close as brothers, should Qin Feng ever turn against Shedynasty, Zhao Yuxiong would likely stand with Shedynasty.

Yet this was merely Qin Feng's speculation—nothing had happened yet, so no conclusion could be drawn.

Qin Feng's gaze returned once more to the splendid mountains and rivers of Nan Jing.

"Didn't I already say this?"

"The guilt lies with the Aristocratic Clans, not the people."

"If the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing use civilians as human shields in the coming battles, we must devise a strategy in advance."

"Massacring civilians is the act of foreign barbarians; Shedynasty, as the Celestial Superior State, cannot sink to the level of beasts."

"Moreover, Nan Jing is inherently part of Shedynasty's territory—it has merely been coerced by the Powerful Clans."

"If we kill indiscriminately, even morally, we would have no standing."

Hearing Qin Feng's reply, Zhao Yuxiong already had his answer.

In essence, Qin Feng would never ignore civilian lives to seize a City.

And this directly contradicted Zhao Yuxiong's own beliefs.

If possible, Zhao Yuxiong also wished to take Cities without bloodshed, but reality was cruel; if sacrificing lives was necessary to defend Shedynasty's realm, he could accept it.

Even if one day his own life could secure Shedynasty's peace, he would unhesitatingly offer it.

"Brother Qin, I hope you can find a solution."

"Hope"—the word carried weight because the chance of it happening was vanishingly slim.

The people of Nan Jing were held hostage by the Powerful Clans, utterly powerless; they were destined to become human shields.

At that moment, they would face the agonizing choice: kill or spare?

Should they abandon the war for the sake of the people—or sacrifice the small to achieve the great?

In fact, both Qin Feng and Zhao Yuxiong understood this clearly.

From beginning to end, Qin Feng's heart had always been with the common people, and he had always stood firmly on their side.

Whether it was his earlier struggles in Jingdu against Powerful Noble Sons, or his development of Beixi County, strengthening the Northern Border, and isolating Shedynasty from the Di, all to minimize the occurrence of warfare—

In the end, it was all for the sake of the people.

In contrast, Zhao Yuxiong shared the same goal as Qin Feng: to forge an era of prosperity.

The difference was that Zhao Yuxiong permitted sacrifice, and could accept necessary losses.

The two said nothing more, and continued their journey in silence.

By the time they reached Sun Bo's ZhuZhen, Nightfall had already descended.

Sun Bo had already been waiting at the Door; he wore no armor, only a simple cloth robe, and a battle knife stood planted beside him.

Clearly, Sun Bo had prepared himself for death to atone for his crimes.

"Your Majesty, this old man has lost every battle—he has no face left to live."

"To kill or to cut me down, this old man will not utter a single word of complaint."

Looking at the former Grand General, now disheveled and like an old man near death, Qin Feng felt a pang of pity.

But defeat was defeat; punishment must still be carried out.

Qin Feng, with his hands behind his back, gazed at Sun Bo and said in a deep voice: "This Southern Campaign is under my full authority."

"Whether it is Command on the Battlefield or troop deployments, all shall be by Royal Order!"

"General Sun, you have suffered defeat after defeat, losing nearly ninety percent of your troops—no matter how many reasons you may have, you cannot escape blame."