Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 644 Zhang and his comrades in the army ate the food of the Qin people and protected the common people of Qin.

Startled by Zhou Chang's shout, Song Huai-ren was first taken aback, then rolled up his sleeves, picked up a blue stone with both hands, and followed behind Zhou Chang.

The other undisciplined Confucian scholars and officials looked at each other and went forward to move bricks and stones.

On the riverbank, the river workers watched this scene. Someone shouted, and everyone rushed up the river embankment like madmen.

……

Half an hour later, the gap in the riverbed was completely blocked.

A group of soldiers and warriors escorted Marquis Zhang Yuan of Qingyang from the breach in the river channel onto the riverbank.

"Master Hou!"

The river worker, covered in mud, looked excited and knelt down, but Zhang Yuan reached out to help him up.

Zhang Yuan patted the river worker on the shoulder and continued walking forward.

Reaching the high point of the riverbank, Zhang Yuan stopped, turned around, and said, "Cao Jiada."

Covered in mud and unrecognizable, Cao Jiada quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Zhang Yuan's gaze swept over the crowd, and he announced loudly, "Today, all river workers will receive an extra ten days' pay, and will be given their fill of meat."

"Yes, sir," Cao Jiada replied with a bow.

"Thank you, Lord Marquis!"

"Thank you for the reward, Marquis Xie Qingyang!"

On the riverbank, the cheers of the river workers resounded through the sky.

Zhang Yuan waved his hand and turned to walk towards the river engineering camp.

Lu Changwu and the others quickly followed.

The Confucian officials and scholars who had been escorted here were now unattended and stood by the river.

Song Huai-ren, with his white hair and beard, turned around and looked at Zhou Chang, whose clothes were covered in mud and water.

"Your Excellency, Vice Minister—"

Zhou Chang waved his hand and looked at the Confucian officials and scholars around him.

"Gentlemen, we have done our part in sealing the river embankment, so let's go to the camp for a meal first."

With that, he strode toward the camp.

The Confucian officials and scholars looked at each other and followed closely behind.

Upon arriving at the camp, a long table, scattered about, was already laden with meat and steamed buns.

Many soldiers, generals, river workers, and conscripted warriors sat around the long table.

Marquis Qingyang, holding a steamed bun in his hand, sat there, raised his hand to indicate that he was eating, and then began to eat by himself.

Zhou Chang didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down at the long table next to Zhang Yuan, grabbed some cooked meat and steamed buns, and stuffed them into his mouth.

After blocking the river, everyone was indeed hungry.

The only sounds in the entire camp were the sounds of people enjoying their meals.

After Zhang Yuan finished eating, he rubbed his hands together, and the soldiers and warriors around him gradually stopped eating.

Those civil officials and Confucian scholars who had been quietly observing their surroundings naturally sat up straighter.

Zhou Chang stroked his beard, sighed softly, and looked up at Zhang Yuan.

"Lord Qingyang, back then, I, Zhou, planned to exchange one county for five cities. You fought to the death in Fengtian County and refused to retreat. You and those Red Scale Army soldiers hate me, and I acknowledge that."

"But you must understand that this is the general trend of the world, and you shouldn't involve the civil officials of the Eastern Territory in this matter—"

Before Zhou Chang could finish speaking, Zhang Yuan slammed his hand heavily on the long table.

"Bam—"

On the long table, all the bowls and plates were broken.

In the camp, everyone immediately looked up at Zhang Yuan.

"Zhou Chang, what is the general trend of the world?"

"For the sake of the greater good, the people of Fengtian County should be abandoned, and we soldiers who are defending Fengtian County should die?"

"How is such behavior any different from the Eastern Wei emperor sacrificing 100,000 people to evil spirits from beyond the borders?"

Zhang Yuan's voice echoed throughout the camp.

Chen Wu and the others standing behind Zhang Yuan all clenched their fists.

Five years.

ten years.

These orphans of soldiers who died in the bloody battle of Fengtian County have been waiting for ten years to clear the names of their fathers, brothers, and elders who died in that battle. Today, the Marquis of Qingyang has finally spoken those words.

Zhou Chang opened his mouth, then sighed softly and remained silent.

Song Huai-ren paused for a moment, then looked at Zhang Yuan.

"Lord Qingyang, you came from the border and fought your way to where you are today. You should understand the hardships of the common people."

"This time you sent 100,000 surrendered people to Yinma Plain and even accepted Wu Daoling's gold. This is truly..."

Song Huai Ren looked at Zhang Yuan and said, "My lord, return the gold and let these people enter Qin territory. Only then can we show the magnanimity of our Great Qin and win over more people from other countries."

Song Huai-ren's words elicited slight nods from the surrounding Confucian officials and scholars.

“My lord, this should have been a happy occasion for everyone, and it should have been your great achievement.”

"This humble official suggests that Your Excellency return Wu Daoling's gold and welcome back the people of Guishun."

The short-bearded middle-aged man in a blue robe stood up and bowed to Zhang Yuan.

"Please, Your Excellency, return the gold and welcome back the people."

Around him, Confucian officials and scholars stood up and bowed to Zhang Yuan.

Although the Marquis of Qingyang had imprisoned them and acted arrogantly, what we saw today—that he was the first to jump into the breach in the dike—showed that he was a man who cared about the people.

Wrong is wrong, and right is right.

Marquis Qingyang's character is actually not a problem.

Zhou Chang's gaze fell on Zhang Yuan.

Is today's stepping stone enough?
As long as Marquis Qingyang is not truly reckless and readily accepts good advice today, presenting a peaceful scene in the Eastern Border's officialdom, then there will be no problem.

Otherwise, I'm afraid even the Marquis of Qingyang would be in a difficult situation.

"Return the gold?"

Zhang Yuan's voice rang out.

He looked around and said, "Today, the river workers have done their best to seal the breached dike. I will reward them with ten days' pay and cook meat. What do you all think? Is this appropriate?"

Zhou Chang paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's right."

Others nodded.

Those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded.

This applies not only to the military, but to all things in the world.

"From the moment the people of Eastern Wei entered the pass, they were escorted all the way, and the food and clothing provided by the local officials and the people along the way were simply a matter of course?"

"If we don't reward them this time, I'm afraid no one will be willing to escort or receive any more people who come to surrender in the future."

Zhang Yuan looked at everyone.

In the camp, the river workers and martial artists all nodded.

Zhou Chang frowned, sensing that something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Song Huai-ren opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

“But the Marquis sent those surrendered people to Yinma Plain.” A scholar in a blue robe looked up and spoke loudly.

Some people turned around, while others looked up at Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan's gaze fell on the Confucian scholar, then looked at the other Confucian scholars and officials.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Wu and the others behind him stepped forward and unfurled a two-zhang-long (approximately 6.6 meters) roll of cloth.

The roll of cloth was covered with densely packed line drawings.

"This is a map of Donghan County and the planned waterways in the eastern border region."

"Taking the Jiuchuan River and Yuncang River as the main lines, we will connect the existing waterways, dredge and traverse them, excavate and reinforce them, and strive to add 30,000 li of navigable waterways in the eastern region within ten years, turning the flood-prone area of ​​300,000 li into fertile land."

Zhang Yuan pointed to the route on the map, his voice clear and loud.

"Once the river channel is completed, the river embankment must be able to withstand a once-in-a-century flood to ensure that the eastern border will never again be a scene of thousands of miles of water.

Zhang Yuan looked up and looked at everyone around him.

“Today, I, Zhang Yuan, jumped into this riverbed and used my body to block the breach because I am a Qin man, and I am willing to protect the Qin villages behind the riverbank and the Qin people in those villages.”

"Because these Qin people have Zhang's comrades and soldiers under Zhang's command."

“Zhang and his comrades in the army eat the food of the Qin people and protect the people of the Great Qin.”

"Gentlemen," Zhang Yuan said, looking at the river workers and warriors around him, "if we jump into the river to protect outsiders, not our Qin people, but outsiders, and we risk our lives just to protect outsiders, are you willing to accept that?"

(End of this chapter)