in2ebook Chapter 116 After Mu Yunxi and Yongle left the palace,
Chapter 116 After Mu Yunxi and Yongle left the palace,
Then they heard the expected news—Zhang Banxian's entire family had been killed, and his grandson's body had been found on a hillside outside the city. It was said that after learning that his entire family had been murdered, Zhang Banxian, overcome with grief, committed suicide by banging his head against a wall.
Upon hearing this, Yongle couldn't help but sigh deeply and said with deep emotion, "In my opinion, Zhang Banxian's family must have been killed by the murderers when he was arrested. How pitiful! Zhang Banxian spent most of his life fortune-telling, but in the end, he couldn't even predict his own family's fate..."
Mu Yunxi had never been a big believer in fortune-telling. In her view, destiny should be in one's own hands. The results achieved through one's unremitting efforts, and everything one is willing to work hard for and maintain with all one's heart, are the most real and reliable existence. At this moment, she held Yongle's hand tightly and spoke softly, "Think about it, wasn't he chosen by those people in Youdu because of his so-called semi-immortal status? If he could stand up and testify against you, the people would probably believe it almost immediately. If the emperor hadn't chosen to trust you and me today, wouldn't it be you and me who would be imprisoned in the Zhenfu Division prison now?"
Hearing this, Yongle couldn't help but raise his hand and gently stroke his chest, nodding with lingering fear. "Yes, you're absolutely right! To be honest, even now, I'm still terrified. At that time, I was really worried that my father would believe the nonsense of Zhang Banxian."
Mu Yunxi thought of the He family and asked again: "Have you told your emperor about the He family?"
"Yes, but it won't happen for a few years. Right now, Father is just waiting for Concubine Rong to speak up!" Yongle said slowly. Mu Yunxi nodded, indicating that he understood. Since Emperor Qing Zhao already knew about this, he would naturally make arrangements, so he didn't need to worry about it.
However, within a few days, the people of Zhao State learned that Emperor Qing Zhao had ordered an attack on Youdu. The reason for the attack was that Youdu had repeatedly persecuted the people of Zhao State, and Emperor Qing Zhao vowed to avenge the people of Zhao State and would not accept peace talks.
At the edge of Zhao's vast territory, as the Zhao army's iron hoofs approached, the sky above Youdu City was gradually shrouded in the haze of war.
The Zhao army's war drums began to beat, their fighting spirit sweeping over them like a torrential downpour. With thunderous force, the Zhao army launched a fierce assault on Youdu City. Atop the walls, the defenders fought with all their might, arrows rained down, and the clash of swords rang out incessantly. However, facing the Zhao army's overwhelming force, Youdu City's defenses gradually began to fail.
In the sea, the Zhaoyang warship braved the wind and waves, crushing the Youdu navy in just half a day. It was on this day that Youdu truly witnessed the Zhaoyang's power, realizing that it possessed more than just its superficial weapons: it could attack with fire and poison. Its endless array of tactics rendered their modified defenses against the Zhaoyang insignificant. The poisonous mist the Zhaoyang spewed penetrated every pore, catching them unawares.
In just two weeks, the Zhao army reached the gates of Youdu Royal City. It took a full day to break through the last gate of the Youdu royal family. Soldiers poured into the city like a tide, and the battle quickly drew to a close. With the collapse of the last line of defense, Youdu City changed hands and was renamed Youdu City.
During this time, the enemy used a poisonous Gu, which killed many Zhao soldiers. Fortunately, Zhao was well prepared, sending the elders of the Gu insect clan from Pro City to fight. They chose to fight Long Duo, but Long Duo was a step behind the elders and was ultimately killed by the Gu insects. Following his younger brothers, the elders showed no mercy, saying that since they had grown crooked, keeping them would be a disaster, so they decided not to keep them. From the conversation among the elders, they also learned that the witch who had previously taken a fancy to Ouyang Yi was Long Duo's niece, but she was no longer among them. Later, they learned from Mu Yunxi that she had long been dead, but that is another story.
After the war, the Zhao army quickly launched a series of pacification and reconstruction efforts. They dispatched envoys to announce the arrival of the new regime and promised civilians protection and support. They also established temporary relief stations, distributing food, clothing, and other necessities to severely affected civilians to alleviate the trauma of the war.
To maintain order, Wu Jianghua quickly established a local management team comprised of local residents. They stepped up patrols to prevent looting and cracked down on all forms of crime to ensure stability. Thanks to their efforts, public security in Youdu City gradually improved, and residents began to return to normal life.
At the same time, Wu Jianghua also organized manpower and material resources to begin repairing buildings and infrastructure severely damaged during the war. Important facilities such as city walls, bridges, and water sources were promptly repaired and reinforced, laying a solid foundation for the reconstruction of Youdu City.
After achieving initial success in pacification and reconstruction, Zhao State began focusing on cultural integration and development. They respected and preserved Youdu's original cultural heritage and traditional customs, encouraged cultural exchange and mutual learning, and promoted understanding and friendship between the two regions through various performances.
Despite having captured Youdu City, the Zhao Kingdom remained vigilant. They strategically positioned their garrisons to effectively monitor the surrounding area without overwhelming the local population. They also strengthened military training and improved the quality of their soldiers, ensuring they were ready to respond to any emergency.
As time went on, the people of Youdu City expressed that they preferred Zhaoguo's governance style, turning the once quiet Youdu into a place full of vitality and hope. And this battle caused Husha, who had just extended his hand, to retract his claws.
In fact, in Mu Yunxi's opinion, Youdu was not even as big as a province in Huaguo, and Husha was even smaller, except that Husha's terrain was more difficult. He didn't know what Emperor Qing Zhao was thinking. Zhaoguo's territory was many times larger than those of the two smaller countries combined, yet it was the one that was bullied the most.
After she shared this idea with Yongle, she learned from him that the late emperor had instructed Emperor Qingzhao to govern the country with benevolence and righteousness, and not to go to war with other countries, saying that it would be a waste of money and manpower. After learning this, Mu Yunxi said, "No wonder the two small countries grew up to bully us!"
Yongle said that she was also helpless, but fortunately Emperor Qing Zhao trusted her. When she told Emperor Qing Zhao some things that happened in her previous life, Emperor Qing Zhao immediately sent someone to deal with it.