Chapter 649 – Unifying Wanzhou (Part 2)
In my previous life, when His Majesty established the Jiang Zhao, the early days of the dynasty were chaotic and tumultuous, filled with natural disasters everywhere. The remnants of the Red Lotus Sect took advantage of the chaos, rising from the ashes to stir trouble. Although their actions didn’t cause significant damage, they certainly cast a gray shadow over this new dynasty, leaving the common folks in a state of anxiety.
Some audacious rebels went so far as to spread wild rumors that the Empress was a seductress and even attempted multiple assassinations against her.
It’s even said that the Emperor’s death had connections to the Red Lotus Sect if you trace the roots back.
Every time Wei Ci thought about this, he found it difficult to control his emotions.
“But…” Qi Guanrang hesitated slightly.
Wei Ci’s thin lips parted, emitting a chill that was somewhat unnerving.
“The battlefield is chaotic; the rebels intend to open the city to the Red Lotus Sect. Isn’t it abnormal for someone to die accidentally amidst the disorder?”
If this unstable element weren’t dealt with pronto, were they planning to stick around for the New Year?
Qi Guanrang had initially wanted to leave the matter to Jiang Pengji, but Wei Ci had a point.
The longer you leave unstable factors, the greater the risk; it was better to nip them in the bud.
As Wei Ci contemplated, he continued, “Previously, the Lord promised An Huan that after the war, he would allocate one-tenth of the wealth and resources to him… The captives need to be thoroughly screened. Those useful should remain, while the stubborn and radical ones should really be eliminated…”
He didn’t want Jiang Pengji to get involved in the dishonorable act of killing captives; it was better to let An Huan take the fall for that.
Given An Huan’s capabilities and the Red Lotus Sect’s penchant for self-destruction, the latter would surely tread on the former’s bottom line.
Once An Huan had utilized this group, the Red Lotus Sect would be prepared for that backstabbing moment—like the classic case of kicking away the ladder after climbing it.
Wei Ci felt absolutely no pangs of conscience putting this hidden danger onto An Huan.
Qi Guanrang keenly picked up on Wei Ci’s emphasis on the phrase “stubborn and radical.”
Choosing captives would mostly involve selecting those who were strong, young, and physically healthy; the elderly, weak, and ill wouldn’t be considered. Yet Wei Ci made it clear—he didn’t want those with “problematic thoughts”; physical strength and well-functioning limbs seemed secondary.
This oddity piqued Qi Guanrang’s curiosity while also raising his vigilance.
Wei Ci understood Qi Guanrang’s suspicions and quickly clarified, “The doctrine of the Red Lotus Sect traces back to a certain evil cult from the Sixteen Kingdoms period… Wen Zheng is well-read and naturally knows how many evil cults caused trouble during the initial establishment of the Great Xia while unifying the Sixteen Kingdoms? They’ve risen repeatedly from their graves, fanning the flames and inciting the common people, wreaking havoc… One must be cautious about this Red Lotus Sect. Those with mental issues are better left untouched.”
This reasoning did indeed persuade Qi Guanrang.
Not to mention the current rivalry between the two giant religions, Buddhism and Daoism, with followers spread across the five nations.
The Red Lotus Sect couldn’t even compare with those two colossal forces, but all three were religions, faint shadows of each other.
Though Buddhism and Daoism weren’t traditional powers in the usual sense, their influence over the grand trends of the world couldn’t be overlooked.
If the Red Lotus Sect managed to cultivate a wide following, igniting discord and causing disturbances, they would indeed be quite irritating.
Qi Guanrang nodded in agreement.
“Understood, I’ll take note of this.”
This recent battle was an unprecedented major victory, with a total of over twenty-three thousand captives. Others either died on the spot or succumbed to heavy injuries; the remaining survivors were transported to the military hospital for treatment. The female camp temporarily dispatched a large number of personnel, still busily attending to matters at hand.
Qi Guanrang dispatched people to clean up the battlefield, clearing away the bodies, searching for survivors, and retrieving usable arrows…
Though their lord was rich, the costs of warfare were exorbitant, so every bit saved counted.
In the upcoming days, the busiest place would likely be the medical area.
For those with superficial wounds, cleaning and bandaging them would suffice; once healed, they could bounce back and earn military merit.
As for those with severed limbs, ruptured abdomens, broken bones puncturing organs, or large chunks of flesh chopped off… For such grievous injuries, the doctors could only do their best; whether the patients lived or died was left to fate.
Some couldn’t endure and literally died from the pain.
In fact, the massive casualties among soldiers occurred not on the front lines but afterward.
So many succumbed to injuries that were beyond healing.
Even those who survived faced risks during the healing period; if their wounds encountered filth, infections could easily arise, leading to fatal outcomes.
Fortunately, it was still the depths of winter, with temperatures not overly hot and humid, significantly reducing the chance of wound inflammation.
But still, the mortality rate remained higher than that of survival.
Meanwhile, after letting everyone rest for a day, Jiang Pengji ordered the troops to pack up and set out as planned to attack Fenghu County.
Coincidentally, the day before the attack was the festival season.
Before breaking camp, Jiang Pengji had ordered about sufficient pigs and sheep to be bought from the common people using silver or equivalent rice.
On the festival day, the cooks were busy slaughtering and processing the pigs and sheep.
The pig’s blood was poured and solidified into blocks, prepared to be used as ingredients later.
The entrails were treated to remove the stench and then cooked with spices to turn into delectable side dishes.
The pig bones were simmered into a thick, rich soup, flavored with spices, the aroma wafting all the way to Fenghu County.
As for the other pork and lamb cuts, each part was sorted out.
Some were boiled in plain water, while others were stewed with black fungus, creating a mouthwatering meat stew that made anyone’s mouth water.
Dry-fried spicy pork ribs, stir-fried pork strips, Kung Pao pork cubes… the pork was also minced and made into dumplings…
Additionally, some raw meat and cut bamboo strips were prepared for the soldiers to skew their own meat and grill it over the fire.
As for the rice prepared by the kitchen, it was cooked using the meat broth instead of plain water.
“Today’s festival, everyone can eat to their heart’s content.”
These were Jiang Pengji’s very words.
Marching was already grueling, but such a lavish meal was seldom seen even during the New Year.
Soldiers gathered in small groups around the campfire, enjoying their New Year’s eve meal. A pot hung over the fire, simmering various mountain delicacies and chunks of meat, with the rich broth bubbling happily… Hot soup and warm rice warmed all who consumed it.
On the other hand, the atmosphere inside Fenghu County was grim and cold.
Strong soldiers were stationed outside the city; even though it was a festival, almost no one was celebrating.
The most unfortunate ones were the soldiers guarding the city, sitting on the high walls, their thin, tattered clothing offering little in the way of warmth, their stomachs empty and growling painfully, their plight resonating in the quiet night… Many couldn’t help but gaze longingly into the distance where Jiang Pengji’s army had set camp; they couldn’t see much else, but they could spot the flickering flames of campfires.
Straining to catch a whiff, some faint scents of food wafted through the air.
Even at such a distance, they seemed to hear the joyous sounds coming from over there.
“How nice…”
One of the soldiers guarding the city murmured softly, filled with envy, as his mind envisioned the flavors of the delicious food…
The more he imagined, the more saliva pooled in his mouth, and soon he was swallowing hard, his stomach growling thunderously, echoing like a drumroll.
Inside Fenghu County, the head of the Red Lotus Sect on guard received reports from outside the city and grew increasingly irritated.
“How infuriating! They’ve stirred up my wrath; tonight, I’ll raze their lair!”
