Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 507 Disposal
In the silent night, the uneasy-looking soldiers of the State of Chen stood guard at the side of the official road, staring into the distance.

The number of soldiers was not small, at least more than four thousand.

They were divided into four parts and stationed in square formations on both sides of the official road.

The stars in the sky are gradually becoming dimmer.

The darkness gradually dissipated and visibility continued to improve.

Yuan Xian, wearing thick clothes, stood on the official road, staring blankly into the distance.

Several officers paced back and forth around him anxiously.

Yuan Xian was ordered to come to the south. Just as he arrived, major events occurred in front and behind. He could only continue to go south to pacify the rear first. However, before the rear was pacified, the front was breached again. Yuan Xian had no choice but to lead the troops in the rear to come hurriedly to provide support.

The troops left behind by the State of Chen were not really elite.

These armies were meant to suppress the local barbarians, but the combat effectiveness of these barbarians was not very high. In previous dynasties, those who could fight had been almost wiped out, and they no longer had much combat effectiveness.

Yuan Xian had already agreed on a meeting place with Mao Xi.

But until now, there was no movement in the distance, not even the scout who was supposed to deliver the message had appeared.

Looking at Yuan Xian who was standing frozen in place, several generals moved away and started talking in low voices again.

In this chaotic era, there are loyal ministers, but they are rarer than in the past. After all, due to years of war, frequent changes of the throne, and mutual harm, everyone cares more about their own safety and their own interests.

These generals gathered together and talked about the future in a low voice.

"Your Majesty has not returned. Could it be that he has fallen into the hands of thieves?"

"Cough cough."

The general on the side coughed a few times to remind him of his mistake, and he also hurriedly adjusted, "Could it be that it fell into the hands of the Han army?"

"Judging from Mr. Yuan's appearance, this should be the case."

"Then what do we do?"

"After they have dealt with His Majesty, will they come and kill us?"

Several generals looked hesitant. It was no problem for them to bully the common people, and it was also possible for them to bully the barbarians in the south, but forget about fighting the Han army. It was okay to wave flags to cheer, but they would be wiped out in a head-on battle.

These people have never fought anyone except bandits in their lives, and the army under their command is made up of forcibly conscripted militiamen who can barely form a battle line and don't even have all the weapons.

Someone asked: "If this is true, what should we do?"

The other people suddenly looked at Yuan Xian, but they were all a little hesitant.

One person whispered, "Mr. Yuan has been very kind to us. He helped us when we were treated unfairly in the past. We really can't bear to treat him unfairly."

Several generals around him also nodded.

They were not good people, but Yuan Xian was a good person and treated them well. He was not as arrogant as the top nobles. If it were someone else, they would have tied them up and sent them to the Han Kingdom without a second thought, but Yuan Xian.
Everyone couldn't help but ponder.

Yuan Xian remained frozen in place, motionless, oblivious to everything around him.

The sky began to brighten, and although it was still dark, outlines could be seen in the distance. There were not many stars left, and the sun had not yet risen, but the generals no longer held out any hope.

One of them slowly walked to Yuan Xian's side.

"Mr. Yuan."

"Are we still going to wait?"

Yuan Xian suddenly looked at them, and then his eyes became even sadder.

"No need."

Several generals suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. What they feared most was hearing Yuan Xian order them to continue waiting or even go over to look for him.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, and then looked at Yuan Xian, "Mr. Yuan, then we..."

"Surrender to Han."

Yuan Xian said it quite straightforwardly.

The generals were overjoyed. As expected, Lord Yuan was wise and knew how to make a reasonable choice.

Yuan Xian looked at them and said seriously: "There is chaos in the south right now. We can return to the south first, resettle the people there, and then order them to submit to the Han Kingdom together."

"This will help avoid a lot of unrest. The south has gone through hundreds of years of cultivation to reach its current state. It cannot be destroyed by war again."

The generals naturally agreed quickly.

It would be even better if we could surrender to the Han Kingdom with our military achievements.

Yuan Xian no longer hesitated and immediately ordered everyone to go back. This shocked many generals. They always felt that Yuan Xian was more decisive than them and did not care about the emperor at all. He did not even want to leave some people to gather information.

But they had no intention of asking further questions and quickly evacuated the place under the leadership of Yuan Xian.

Yuan Xian rode his horse on the road. After dawn, he no longer had any hope.

This is the emperor's last chance. If he fails to escape this time, even if he has not been caught yet, it will be a matter of time. There are enemies on all sides and no way to go.

Given the emperor's character, Yuan Xian felt that he probably would not choose to surrender.

Yuan Xian led his people all the way south, and then sent people to various places to inform the government to stay at their posts, not to be afraid, not to flee, not to cause civil unrest, and to resist the barbarians from entering the city. He said that he would lead them to submit to the Han Kingdom, etc.

Yuan Xian had a great reputation in the State of Chen and had many friends everywhere.

After the Han State launched a general offensive, the entire south seemed extremely chaotic.

Especially in these rear areas, the barbarians were in turmoil, and the officials were so scared that they just wanted to escape and return to their homes. Order was almost lost.

But Yuan Xian's letters and notifications calmed them to a great extent.

They also hurriedly sent people to express their willingness to surrender to the Han Dynasty together with Yuan Xian.

Yuan Xian also sent people to inform the rebellious barbarians that he had decided to surrender to the Han Dynasty and asked them not to rebel again.

Yuan Xian has tried his best to maintain stability in the south.

More and more places began to send people to contact Yuan Xian, expressing their willingness to surrender with him. At this time, the Han Kingdom also officially released the news that Chen Xu had died in battle and the Chen Kingdom was officially destroyed. It demanded that all places surrender, and those who disobeyed would be killed.

Yuan Xian learned the news on the morning of that day.

Many officials and generals have gathered around him.

When they heard the news, they were all heartbroken; some cried bitterly, and some wailed.

There was crying in the government office.

The officials cried heartbreakingly, and their heartbroken expressions were very natural and not hypocritical at all.

Perhaps only Yuan Xian sat in the upper seat quite calmly, without much sadness in his eyes.

He had anticipated this outcome as early as that fruitless morning.

The officials wiped their tears. Although they were very sad about the emperor's death in battle, no one dared to show any intention of revenge. After their tears were wiped away, they could not wait to start discussing surrender.

Yuan Xian did not say much. These people had already made preparations and had written documents ready to be sent to the Han army to surrender together. Of course, in the documents, they asked the Han army to guarantee their safety.
The document of surrender was sent to the front, and the destination was Chunyu Liang.

The remarks that Chunyu Liang had spread earlier were still widely recognized in the south. Everyone felt that since they couldn't win the battle, they should find one of their own to surrender, and southerners should help southerners.

More than ten days later, the envoy successfully arrived in Qiantang where Chunyu Liang was.

These envoys had never moved so fast before, but now with the threat of the Han army, their efficiency was greatly improved.

Chunyu Liang sent people to send the captives and Chen Xu's body to Wang Lin, but he himself did not go with them. Although he had received the greatest credit, he still wanted to continue fighting.

The other generals were also attacking fiercely at this moment, and each of them had good results. More and more counties fell into the hands of the Han army.

When Chunyu Liang learned that the envoy had arrived, he was very happy.

He had heard news before that Yuan Xian was preparing to bring the entire south to submit to the Han Dynasty.

I didn't expect that my luck was so good that he actually came to surrender to me! !
When the envoy arrived, Chunyu Liang sent people to greet him and hosted a banquet, which was a great honor.

The messenger who came was called Lu Shan.

This person has outstanding looks and a dignified manner. His every word and action is that of a noble man. He is also well-known and is considered a wise man in the South.

Chun Yuliang knew him, and was even a little surprised to see that it was him. "Why is it that Lord Lu came in person?"

Lu Shan lowered his head hastily, "I know I am humble. Lord Yuan wanted to come here in person, but there are still barbarians in the south causing chaos. If Lord Yuan leaves, I am afraid it will cause greater unrest. So I dared to let me come here. I hope Lord Chunyu will not blame me."

"What is this nonsense!"

"If we had known earlier that it was Lord Lu who was coming, we should have gone to greet him."

Chunyu Liang said a few polite words and then asked Lu Shan to sit next to him.

Lu Shan sat aside, forcing a smile on his face. Lu Shan was different from the others. He was very sad about the demise of his country. However, the situation was not something he could save. The country had already perished, and at this moment, he was representing everyone else in surrendering, so he could not show any displeasure.

The two of them exchanged a few polite greetings before Lu Shan began to explain why he had come.

"Many officials in the south are very afraid of Chunyu Gong."

"They had heard some rumors earlier that many officials who surrendered were also punished."

Chun Yuliang waved his hand, "Rumor!"

"The Han Empire never kills prisoners. Even prisoners of war can be spared, let alone officials who surrender."

"As long as there is no intention to gather together to rebel, there will be no punishment."

"Even if you don't trust those northerners, why can't you trust me?"

Chunyu Liang lowered his voice and played the territorial card again. He made a promise, "As long as they can surrender to me, I will protect them. Even after the unification, they can assist the new king with peace of mind, even if it is Lord Lu. With Lord Lu's talent and integrity, why should we worry about not accomplishing great things in the future in the Han Dynasty?"

Lu Shan nodded and forced a smile again, "Thank you, Lord Chunyu."

Once the most important issues are resolved, the next steps will be easy.

Chunyu Liang agreed with him on the date and place of surrender, as well as the order in which troops would be dispatched to take over.

After finishing these things, Chunyu Liang hurriedly passed the message on, mainly to Wang Lin.

Donghai County.

The cold sea breeze blew, and the spears in the soldiers' hands were like a dense forest. Thousands of soldiers stood on the shore, motionless.

And in the middle of them, there were several people kneeling.

Zhou Luohou was tied up and knelt in the middle of the crowd.

He was tied up quite tightly and his head was hanging down at the moment.

Surrounded by a group of generals, Wang Lin quickly walked through the soldiers and came in front of Zhou Luohou.

He lowered his head and looked the young man in front of him up and down for a long time.

"Oh, who tied him up? When I tied up Hou Andu and the others, if I had used this method, would he still be able to escape?"

People around laughed.

Zhou Luohou looked curiously at the high-spirited old man in front of him.

There are many rumors about Wang Lin in the south, but when I actually met him, I felt that many of the rumors were not credible.

As if noticing his gaze, Wang Lin lowered her head and looked at him, "Why, are you afraid of being eaten by me too?"

Zhou Luohou shuddered. Wang Lin looked around and explained, "Chen Baxian and Chen Qian slandered me in the south, saying that I was a cannibal and ate several people at one meal!"

Wang Lin then ordered his men to untie the ropes on Zhou Luohou, and the generals did not hesitate and rushed to take action.

Zhou Luohou stood up in surprise.

He was not surrendering, but was being captured. He didn't know why Wang Lin wanted to untie him.

Wang Lin looked at the tall man and could not help but nod, "What a mighty young man."

"Wouldn't it be a pity if you died in my hands?"

"Would you like to follow me?"

Zhou Luohou stretched his aching hands and asked, "I have been fighting with General Wang here for so long. Will General Wang not kill me?"

"No, I always cherish talented people. If you were defeated by me when we met, I would not see you at all. You have been able to resist me for so long, so you are a capable person. Don't waste your talent. How about it, do you want to surrender?"

Zhou Luohou immediately bowed and greeted him.

"I am willing to submit to the general!"

Wang Lin then smiled and helped him up. "There are many talented people in the South Country. Now they are in the hands of a wise leader. Maybe they can show their talents in the future."

As he was speaking, a soldier walked quickly towards them from a distance. Wang Lin asked his generals to take Zhou Luohou to rest, while he went forward to join the battle.

The soldier whispered a few words to Wang Lin, and Wang Lin was overjoyed and hurriedly took everyone away.

The envoy sent by Chunyu Liang finally arrived here with the spoils.

The spoils were extremely rich, and Chen Xu's body was one of them.

Wang Lin didn't care much about Chen Xu's body. He went to see his old friend, Sun Rong first.

Sun Rong was called out alone to meet Wang Lin.

The other officials were quite envious of his treatment, but they did not dare to show their jealousy.

Only a few people begged Sun Rong humbly, hoping that he could say a few good words about them in front of Wang Lin.

Wang Lin met his old friend in the government office. Both of them were quite excited. They held each other's hands and even had tears in their eyes.

Neither of them had ever thought that they would see each other again in this life.

The two of them really had a lot to talk about.

The two began by talking about their memories of their youth, the battles with the Chen people, and the years when they walked side by side.

At their current age, all they have left is regret.

After talking for a long time, Wang Lin finally took his hand and said, "From now on, you will live here with me. When the court sends a ship to pick up the ministers and go north, you must stay and follow me back."

Sun Rong had a smile on his face, but when he heard this, he suddenly realized something.

"My Lord, doesn't the Han Kingdom not kill those who surrender?"

"Yes, don't kill the surrendered."

Wang Lin said calmly, "We won't kill those who surrender, but this is only on the battlefield. We can't just say that just because you surrender, we'll let bygones be bygones for what you did in the past, right?"

Sun Rong was a little confused. "But the laws of the Han Kingdom and the Chen Kingdom are different. What does what they did in the Chen Kingdom have to do with the Han Kingdom?"

"All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are his subjects!"

"In the past, there were those who took bribes, those who exploited the people, and those who killed innocent people."

Wang Lin narrowed his eyes. "All these people will be taken to Yecheng and sentenced one by one. The Emperor of Chen tolerates these guys, but the Emperor of Han will not tolerate them."

Sun Rong was silent for a moment, then asked, "Now that Lord Chen is dead, the rest of the country will certainly surrender. It's a rare time of peace. If we punish these surrendered ministers for their past crimes, won't it cause chaos in the region?"

"how could be?"

"We usually send these people to the place where they committed the evil, announce their crimes in public, and then deal with them. Ordinary people will naturally not riot for such people, and those who riot, I think, also have ulterior motives, so we kill them all. We have even destroyed Zhou and Chen, so why should we be afraid of them?"

Sun Rong was really shocked at this moment and couldn't even speak.

Wang Lin picked up the wine cup, took a sip, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, and don't plead for them."

"The emperor wants to kill these people, not because they are disloyal to Chen Xu."

"It's because of the immoral crimes they committed in the past."

"It's you. I heard that your mansion is extremely luxurious and wasteful."

Wang Lin glanced at Sun Rong and said, "Fortunately you didn't commit any other crimes, otherwise how could I protect you?"

"The world is different now. Your Majesty is a benevolent and righteous king who cares about the people of the world. If you continue to keep these people, how can you govern the south in the future? Only after clearing the weeds can you cultivate the land again. What do you think?"

ps: I dedicate a book to a fellow book friend, it’s called “Cao Song”.

(End of this chapter)