klisemfg Chapter 543: Western Camp, Goodbye Guan Shouchang
Chapter 543: Western Camp, Goodbye Guan Shouchang
"Fellow villagers, I give you until tonight to elect a new mayor. The requirements are that he must be highly respected, have good conduct, and be capable of maintaining the town.
Also, it can’t be someone from the Hong family.
Tomorrow morning, have the new mayor report to my military camp."
"According to the order!"
After saying that, Yan Fuyao walked towards the carriage.
Things here have been dealt with, it's getting dark, and it's natural for the emperor to leave.
The rich man also came and found some people to carry the old soldier's coffin to his home, where he would hold a funeral for the old soldier tomorrow.
The people all spontaneously carried the coffin.
After returning to the military camp, Fairy Mei Yan let Qiu Xiaoyi live with the other people from Jiutian Tower, and asked those people to take care of him and teach him how to do things.
After returning to the general's tent, Shen Changgong changed his clothes and took a shower to wash off the blood stains on his body.
Everything that needed to be dealt with was dealt with, and they didn't say much. After washing, they went to bed.
The next morning, when they were having breakfast, the new mayor came. It was the same official from yesterday.
Everyone had a good impression of him, so they gave him some advice, asking him to bury the veteran properly and build a ancestral hall for him.
After finishing speaking, the official stammered,
"The horse that the old soldier rode yesterday has been tied outside the restaurant. In the evening, the waiter went to give it water and grass, but it refused to eat and just lay on the ground without moving.
When I went to check on it this morning, the old horse was dead. There wasn't a single scratch on its body, and there was no poison in its feed or water. It was so strange that it just died like that."
Shen Changgong said,
"Perhaps the old horse knew its owner was dead, so it died too.
After all, this horse followed the veteran in his battles across the entire State of Qi, so it must have a deep affection for its owner.
Have someone dig a bigger pit so that Old Ma and the old soldier can be buried together."
"Yes, yes, I will obey your command."
Afterwards, Yan Fuyao rewarded him with five hundred taels of silver, asking him to bury the old soldier properly, which would be used to buy a grave and for funeral expenses.
The official was afraid to accept it at first, but he had no choice but to accept it.
After breakfast, the army set out again towards the west.
On the way, they encountered a huge funeral procession. Shen Changgong took two plates of pastries and asked them to place them in front of the old soldier's tomb as a memorial.
……
After passing the town, they entered the territory of Liang.
Now it's time to call it a cool place.
The State of Liang was already desolate and sparsely populated. In addition, in the previous Three Kingdoms War, the Qin and Qi states defeated the State of Liang and killed countless people. The Emperor of Liang then recruited a large number of able-bodied men, recruiting hundreds of thousands of people to guard Xingqing Prefecture.
The final result was that 600,000 troops of Liang were destroyed, 400,000 troops were buried alive, countless civilians were killed or injured, the entire country was in decline, and the ground was full of starving people.
There is even a serious generational gap between young and middle-aged people.
The contrast between Liangdi and Qidi is like the difference between heaven and hell.
The further west you go, the more desolate it becomes, with everything looking barren and devastated.
Yan Fuyao was worried and lamented that it would take at least two hundred years for this place to recover, and that the refugees from Kun and Qi would need to be resettled here to develop the western region.
After walking along the border for half a month, they finally arrived at the garrison of Guan Shouchang and other troops.
To the south of Xingqing Prefecture is Guyuan County, and to the south of Guyuan County is Tianshui County on the border.
They were stationed in Cheng County, the southernmost part of Tianshui County, and its vicinity. Further south was Yulei Pass, the most important pass in the northern part of Qin State.
Yulei Pass is a majestic pass that guards the most important transportation route between Qin and Liang. It has always been a place that the two countries must fight for. Whoever can control Yulei Pass can seize the initiative in the war.
When they learned that the emperor was coming, Guan Shouchang and others prepared the soldiers early and were ready to welcome him at the gate of the military camp.
The three commanders were already waiting outside.
It was not until the afternoon that the huge team appeared on the horizon and came all the way.
Zhang Yide stood on tiptoe and looked at it, and said to Guan Shouchang happily,
"Old Guan, Old Guan, look, the prince is here. Hahaha, I can finally see the prince. It's been over a year, right?"
Guan Shouchang glanced at him and whispered,
"Be careful, you should have said His Majesty was coming. You only mentioned the prince and not His Majesty. If someone complains and the news reaches His Majesty's ears, tell me, are you harming yourself or the prince?"
"Come on, Your Majesty is not such a petty person."
"Your Majesty is indeed a man of broad mind, but you must also be careful with your words and actions and not speak nonsense, understand?"
"I know, I know."
Su Wuan, who was standing aside, gently touched Chen Qing and said with a smile,
"Old Chen, how are you feeling now?"
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said,
“It would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous. I just didn’t expect that the Emperor of Great Yan would come to our barbaric and desolate land in person. This shows how much His Majesty values us.
I have never met His Majesty, but today I am able to see His Majesty's face."
"Your Majesty is very beautiful."
"You little kid, be careful with your words. His Majesty's appearance is not something you can comment on."
"Hey, you're as boring as Lao Guan."
The team in front was getting closer and closer, and finally arrived in front of them.
A dragon chariot stopped on the road, the curtain was lifted, and Shen Changgong walked out holding Yan Fuyao.
All the people who came to greet them knelt down and shouted,
"This humble general pays homage to His Majesty, His Majesty. Long live His Majesty!"
"Everyone loves you."
Yan Fuyao walked forward slowly.
"General Guan, it's been almost two years since I last saw you, right?"
Yan Fuyao said to Guan Shouchang with a smile.
Guan Shouchanghe said with a smile,
"Your Majesty, we set out from Yanjing two years ago, fighting against Kun and Qi all the way. It has been almost two years now."
"Well, it's hard for you to stay here. Once the world is at peace, it will be time for you to enjoy your life."
"For the Great Yan, for Your Majesty, I will sacrifice my life for the country."
Yan Fuyao nodded, walked in front of Su Wuan, and said with a smile,
"Xiao Su has become quite formidable now. He was invincible on the battlefield of the Military Conquest Order, and now he has become the commander of an army."
"It's all thanks to your majesty's kindness. We are doing well here."
"Well, if there's anything you need, you can tell me and I'll do my best to satisfy you."
"I have everything I need, except a wife."
Su Wuan said with a smile.
"Oh? Which girl have you taken a fancy to? You are the commander-in-chief of the Wushuang Army, are you still worried about not being able to find a wife?"
Su Wuan glanced at Shen Changgong behind him, and then smiled and said,
"Nothing, nothing."
He actually missed Yang Hongying, but he heard that Yang Hongying had become the deputy commander of the Yuying Army, and he was afraid that it would be difficult to see her again in the future.
If we don’t see each other in a few years, who knows who Yang Hongying will marry. After all, others are the first to get the upper hand because they are closer to the water.