196: Chapter 196 Climbing the City Wall

In a single encounter, the defenders in the southeast corner were utterly routed.

Tang Yu stood inside the gatehouse, his face ashen as he watched Su Bai lead his men onto the city walls, shouting, "Hold them back! Hold them back!"

"Hold them back! Hold them back!"

He roared with all his might, but the defenders' morale had already collapsed.

The Fourth-grade Array had been broken, and the Commander was not even on the walls; who would still have the heart to fight to the death?

"Your Highness, please retreat! We can't hold the walls!"

A general came over and tried to pull Tang Yu away.

Tang Yu shoved him aside and drew the longsword from his waist.

"Retreat? To where? This is my city! I'm not going anywhere!"

He charged toward Su Bai with his sword raised.

"Su Bai, give me your life!"

Tang Yu's cultivation was not low; he was at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage, the same Realm as Su Bai.

However, most of his cultivation had been piled up using Medicinal Pills, and his actual combat experience was pitifully sparse.

Su Bai watched Tang Yu charging toward him and let out a cold laugh.

He swung his long blade horizontally, directly parrying Tang Yu's sword.

Clang—!

Sparks flew in all directions.

Tang Yu felt a massive force travel up his sword; his palm went numb, and he nearly lost his grip on the weapon.

"That's it?"

Su Bai flicked his wrist, and the long blade slid down the length of the sword, heading straight for Tang Yu's wrist.

Tang Yu was alarmed and hastily let go, jumping back.

The longsword fell to the ground with a clatter.

Su Bai took a step forward and kicked Tang Yu squarely in the chest.

Pfft—!

Tang Yu spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing heavily against a pillar of the gatehouse.

"You... you..."

Tang Yu struggled to get up, but the sharp pain in his chest made it impossible for him to move.

Su Bai walked over and looked down at him from above.

"Tang Yu, didn't you just tell me to be more sensible?"

Su Bai crouched down, looking at Tang Yu's pale face.

"Now, who should be sensible?"

Tang Yu's lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.

Su Bai stood up and beckoned to Ma Lie.

"Tie him up."

"Yes, sir!"

Ma Lie grinned and waved his hand, and two personal guards rushed forward to bind Tang Yu tightly.

As Tang Yu was being dragged away, he was still muttering, "I am the Emperor... I am the Emperor... you can't treat me like this..."

Ma Lie slapped him on the back of the head.

"Emperor? You're not worth a damn as an Emperor!"

The battle on the walls continued, but the outcome was no longer in doubt.

The defenders either died or surrendered; in less than half an hour, the entire city wall was completely under Su Bai's control.

Su Bai stood on the gatehouse, looking down at Jing Province City.

This city was larger than Ze City and Mu City combined, with crisscrossing streets and rows upon rows of houses stretching as far as the eye could see.

The citizens in the city hid behind their doors, peering out through the cracks, their faces filled with terror.

Su Bai withdrew his gaze and looked at Su Xing beside him.

"Have you figured out the situation in the city?"

Su Xing nodded.

"Yes. Tang Yu's Prince's Mansion is in the center of the city; it stores a large amount of grain, fodder, and Spirit Stones. Additionally, there is a military camp in the north of the city with about three thousand men stationed there—they are Tang Yu's personal guards."

"Three thousand men?"

Ma Lie frowned. "That's more than we expected."

Su Bai didn't speak, thinking for a moment.

"Su Xing, take some men to the north of the city and surround those three thousand. Tell them Tang Yu has been captured; those who surrender will be spared, but those who resist will be executed without mercy."

"Yes, sir!"

Su Xing took the order and led five hundred men toward the north of the city.

Su Bai then looked at Ma Lie.

"Ma Lie, take men to the Prince's Mansion and seal off all the grain and Spirit Stones. No one is to move them without my order."

"Understood!"

Ma Lie grinned and led three hundred men down from the city wall.

Su Bai stood alone on the gatehouse, looking at this unfamiliar city.

Jing Prefecture had been taken.

It was smoother than he had imagined, but also more troublesome.

Although Tang Yu had been captured, his three thousand personal guards were still there, and the citizens in the city were still waiting to see what would happen.

To truly turn this city into his own territory, there was still much to be done.

Su Bai took a deep breath and turned to walk down the gatehouse.

At the city gates, the citizens had begun to emerge from their houses one after another.

They stood on both sides of the street, watching the Yunzhou Army enter the city, their eyes filled with curiosity and dread.

Su Bai sat on his horse and nodded to both sides.

He didn't make any grand speeches; he simply had Su Xing post notices to reassure the public throughout the city.

The notices were simple and clear:

Tang Yu colluded with the Yao Race and has been captured. From this day forward, Jing Prefecture is under the jurisdiction of the Yunzhou Army. All exorbitant taxes and levies are abolished. Citizens farming their own land only need to pay twenty percent of their harvest as military rations.

After this notice was posted, the people of Jing Prefecture were first skeptical, then half-believing, and finally overjoyed.

"Twenty percent? Tang Yu used to take forty percent!"

"Is this for real? It's not a trick, is it?"

"It's written right there on the notice, how could it be fake?"

"General Su is a good man! My relatives in Mu City said General Su gave out porridge and distributed land over there; the people's lives are much better now!"

The citizens discussed fervently, the fear on their faces gradually replaced by smiles.

Su Bai breathed a sigh of relief as he watched this.

Winning the hearts of the people could be difficult, but it could also be easy.

A bowl of porridge and a piece of land could win over the populace.

Of course, the prerequisite was that you had to keep your word.

Su Bai rode his horse to the Prince's Mansion.

Tang Yu's Prince's Mansion was more than ten times grander than the City Lord's Mansion in Mu City.

The main gate alone was thirty feet wide, flanked by two stone lions, and the steps were paved with white marble.

Su Bai walked in, looked around, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"This old fellow really squeezed out a lot of good stuff."

Su Xing followed behind, holding a ledger—it was the inventory of Tang Yu's family assets.

"General, Tang Yu was the Prince here in Jing Prefecture for twelve years. He squeezed out over a million taels of silver alone, not to mention countless grain, cloth, medicinal herbs, and Spirit Stones. Additionally..."

Su Xing paused and looked up at Su Bai.

"Additionally what?"

Su Bai sat in the main seat and took a sip from a tea bowl.

"Additionally, Tang Yu has thirty-six concubines."

Pfft—

Su Bai spat out his tea.

"How many?"

"Thirty-six."

Su Xing felt somewhat helpless as well. "Every one of them was a woman from a respectable family whom he forcibly took from Jing Prefecture and the surrounding villages. The oldest is only twenty-eight, and the youngest is just fifteen."

Su Bai put down the tea bowl and fell silent for a long while.

"Tang Yu is such a beast."

He stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

"For those thirty-six women, ask them if they're willing to go home. If they are, give them travel expenses and send them back. If they aren't, marry them off to the brothers under our command."

"Yes."

Su Xing took the order and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Su Bai called him back. "Regarding the fifteen-year-old, ask her if she wants to go home. If not, find a good family for her to marry into. Don't let her be mistreated."

Su Xing said solemnly, "The General is benevolent; I understand."

That night, Jing Province City was brightly lit.

Soldiers of the Yunzhou Army patrolled the city to maintain order.

Although the citizens were still a bit nervous, seeing that the Yunzhou Army did not commit the slightest offense against them, they gradually felt at ease.

Su Bai stood in the courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, looking up at the moon in the sky.