146: Chapter 0146 Dawn Breaks

Upon hearing this result, Prefect Cai Heng was stunned for a moment, but his face showed no trace of fear.

Looking at Prefect Wu Yonghe, who was slumped on the ground with his soul already scattered to the nine heavens, Prefect Cai Heng even let out a laugh.

As the two were imprisoned, Lin Xiao didn't bother further. He ordered Qin He, Chen Chuan, and the others to quickly take over Lincang City according to the original plan.

Old Zhou and a group of defending soldiers were stripped of their armor and weapons, then sent to a temporary prisoner-of-war camp.

They expected a cold dungeon, but instead, they found the area ahead steaming with heat—over a hundred coal stoves had been lit.

Two large iron pots were set up, gurgling as something boiled inside.

“Come on, split into two lines and grab a bowl yourselves!”

[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network, good for boredom, super smooth]

The Militia member in charge pointed to a pile of ceramic bowls nearby.

Old Zhou was confused, but he picked one up and walked to the large iron pot. He looked inside and saw it was actually Dough Drop Soup?

“Don't just stand there, take it quickly! There are so many people waiting in line behind you!”

Urged by the Mess Cook, Old Zhou took his bowl of soup and moved to an open area in the back.

Although some Zhenbei Army guards were standing around, no one came to restrict them.

“Commandant Zhou, what's going on? This couldn't be our last meal, could it?”

“Yeah, why are they giving us Dough Drop Soup? It smells quite good, seems like there's lard in it?”

Old Zhou gave a bitter smile. “I don't know either; it's my first time being a prisoner.”

“Whatever! Even if it's poisoned, I’m drinking it. How long has it been since I've had any grease!”

One veteran didn't care if it was hot and began gulping it down greedily.

Seeing this, the others couldn't hold back any longer and began devouring their food.

Before long, everyone realized it was just ordinary Dough Drop Soup. A warmth spread through their bodies, making them feel incredibly comfortable!

“Lincang defenders, who here has the highest rank?”

At that moment, Wang Chong, who had been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Zhenbei Army, arrived on horseback with his men.

Old Zhou stepped forward. “This lowly general is Zhou Da, the Brave Might Commandant of the garrison.”

“Very well. Compile a list of which soldiers here have family in Lincang, Baishui, or Wu Mountain.”

“If you want to send a letter home to report your safety, go directly to the tents in the south. There will be people there to write the letters for you!”

“If you aren't from these three prefectures, you can still write a letter, but we can't guarantee the delivery time.”

Hearing this, Zhou Da and the group of defenders were beyond excited!

They had actually prepared themselves for the worst, but their hearts were ultimately concerned for their parents, wives, and children at home.

Now, though the city had fallen, they weren't dead. They were afraid their families would hear rumors, be devastated, or even do something drastic out of despair.

“General, can we really send letters home?”

Wang Chong smiled. “What, you don't believe me?”

Zhou Da and the others had complex expressions, not knowing what to say.

“Listen up, all of you! Our General Lin is the Great General of Zhenbei, personally appointed by the Emperor!”

“Our Zhenbei Army is not some barbarian tribe or rebel faction. We are a king's army meant to purge rebels and restore order!”

“You are all soldiers of Great Gan. Defending the city was your duty. As long as you don't side with the rebel vassal princes, our General will show leniency!”

Wang Chong patted his chest proudly. “I, Wang Chong, was originally a Brave Might Commandant of the Cangzhou Army, and I started in the mess corps!”

“General Lin not only disregarded our past enmity but also promoted me to Deputy Commander of the Third Infantry Battalion of the Zhenbei Army!”

“Commandant Zhou, put away your suspicions. Now that our Zhenbei Army is here, the dawn has broken over Lincang Prefecture!!”

Whether by coincidence or something else, as he spoke, the dark clouds in the sky happened to part. The morning sun, unseen for a long time, scattered over Lincang City, bringing a long-awaited touch of warmth to the whole city.

Zhou Da and the group of defenders looked at the majestic Zhenbei Army before them, their iron armor shimmering in the cold wind. Holding their still-warm soup bowls, their eyes turned red one by one...

This was the Great Gan army they had always yearned for in their hearts!

At a residence in the south of the city.

Old Man Xu and his wife, along with their daughter-in-law and grandson, were cleaning up broken bricks and tiles.

During the siege, some cement shells had rolled in and directly damaged their house.

Fortunately, the whole family had hidden away early, so no one was hurt.

“Father, what are we going to do? It's the middle of winter, how can we live in a house with holes in it?” the daughter-in-law sobbed.

“Don't cry. In a bit, take the children to the Mountain God Temple outside the city and make do for a couple of days...”

“This Zhenbei Army... if they want to fight, then fight, but why did they have to smash the houses of us common folk?” the old woman said indignantly.

Old Man Xu hurried to signal her to be quiet. “Keep your voice down! Do you want to die? Don't you know that Lin Xiao is a living Yama?!”

As they were speaking, several mounted Zhenbei Army soldiers and a civil official who looked like a scholar arrived at the scene.

“Old man, is this house yours?” the official asked.

Old Man Xu was incredibly nervous. He nodded with a stiff smile. “Yes...”

“Then you have no place to live now, right?” the official asked again.

“I... we're fine! We don't resent the Zhenbei Army at all! It's just our family's bad luck!”

Old Man Xu waved his hands repeatedly, and his family behind him followed suit, nodding for fear of getting into trouble.

The official smiled. “Old man, you've misunderstood. Our Zhenbei Army has a rule: any houses destroyed during the siege will be repaired by our construction team.”

“How many people are in your family? I'll record it for you, then arrange a place for you to stay where food and drink will be provided.”

“In half a month, once the house is repaired, you can move back.”

Old Man Xu gave a bitter smile. “Sir, our family doesn't have any silver. My son delivers goods for others and doesn't make much money.”

“Old man, you've misunderstood again. All the food, lodging, and house repairs won't cost you a penny. The Zhenbei Army pays for everything!”

Old Man Xu was dumbfounded. “There's such a thing? Sir, you aren't joking with me, are you?”

The official didn't know whether to laugh or cry. “I am from Northern Construction. Have you heard of us? We were responsible for building the cement roads outside.”

“We aren't just repairing your house. Auntie Liu's house and Old Man Chu's house ahead have already been recorded.”

“If you still have doubts, go ask them. They are packing their bags right now.”

Hearing that it was indeed his old neighbors, Old Man Xu was overjoyed.

“Oh! Thank you so much! This old man will kowtow to you, sirs!!”

The family wept with joy and were about to kneel.

The official had a hard time persuading them to stand up, then sent soldiers to lead them to the temporary lodging.

The news that the Zhenbei Army was helping to repair houses, providing lodging, and giving out free food and drink quickly spread throughout the city.

Even in the prison, the head jailer and the guards were all singing praises, full of admiration.

Cai Heng, who was being held, listened to the head jailer's words with a look of disbelief.

“Old Ma, is what you're saying true? The Zhenbei Army is repairing houses for the commoners for free?”