Though he loathed to face reality, Qin Feng had to admit...
It was true!
Qin Feng's original plan was to dispatch troops to reclaim the county town and then establish a permanent garrison.
After all,
The total number of troop summoning cards in his warehouse had already surpassed one hundred thousand.
He could always summon troops temporarily when needed.
But Li Xiuning's reminder jolted Qin Feng awake.
He wasn't pursuing a ruthless conquest strategy!
Or rather,
Before he had cultivated his own loyal cadre, it was best not to act the villain in front of the noble families.
This way,
Even if he garrisoned troops in various county towns, he would have to solve the problem of grain and supplies himself.
"How can this be?"
"I'm short on grain here!"
Watching Zhang Fei and the others depart, Qin Feng muttered to himself:
"Since they have already set off, the plundering plan must also be put on the agenda."
"Let's go!"
"Let's return!"
...
While Qin Feng was busy preparing the plundering plan, others were not idle either.
Especially Dong Pangzi.
Ever since the imperial decree of amnesty was issued, he had been waiting for good news.
But who would have thought,
Instead of the expected reinforcements, he received news that was not entirely bad, yet not entirely good.
"What did you say?"
Dong Zhuo leaped up as Liu Bei, dusty and crestfallen, ran back.
"That scoundrel not only has ten thousand infantry, but also ten thousand elite cavalry?"
"Yes, yes..."
Seeing Dong Zhuo's somewhat surprised expression, Liu Bei felt a premonition of something ominous and quickly reminded him:
"Lord Dong, that scoundrel killed the imperial envoy! They are rebels!"
"Nonsense!"
Dong Zhuo glared at Liu Bei impatiently, thinking how foolish this man was.
They were already rebels, weren't they?
As for killing the imperial envoy?
Excellent!
As long as their actions drew the Emperor's wrath, he could extricate himself.
Thinking this,
Dong Zhuo suppressed the surprise on his face and then, in a solemn tone, said:
"Xuan De, since that is the case, I must trouble you to inform His Majesty."
"Ah?"
Liu Bei, who had been anxious, was stunned by this.
What the heck?
I'm neither an official nor a soldier, why should I be the one to face the music for everything?
"En?!"
Seeing that Liu Bei seemed to have some objections, Dong Zhuo glared at him with his large, bell-like eyes.
"What? You're unwilling?"
"No, no..."
Although intimidated by Dong Zhuo's glare, Liu Hou (a nickname for Liu Bei, implying his persuasive nature) forced himself to argue:
"Lord Dong, although I am a member of the imperial clan, I have never had an audience with His Majesty!"
"Isn't this giving you an opportunity?"
"I..."
"Stop dawdling!"
Seeing that Liu Bei still wanted to say something, Dong Zhuo waved his hand impatiently.
"Whether what you say is true or false, I cannot confirm, nor do I wish to expend the effort to confirm it."
"In any case, you just explain it to His Majesty!"
"Guards!"
Dong Zhuo roared outside, summoning several personal guards, and directly commanded:
"Send people to escort this fellow to the capital to meet the Emperor. If he dares to escape, kill him on the spot!"
"Yes!"
The guards respectfully agreed, and dragging Liu Bei along, they walked out.
As for this,
Liu Bei, with a heart like dead ashes, had no will to resist and was naturally dragged away.
He was confused.
What was happening in this world?
Rebellion without punishment?!
As an official appointed by the imperial court, upon learning of rebellion, shouldn't one first think of how to suppress it?
Why did that fat scoundrel show no intention of suppression at all?
...
As Liu Bei was reluctantly forced to meet the Emperor, Qin Feng's progress was also quite smooth.
The Wuhuan captives were very obedient.
After all,
Anyone who had experienced several days of continuous mining without being fed would become very obedient.
Let alone letting them go out to plunder, they would even be willing to be cannon fodder on the battlefield!
After all, it was all an opportunity to escape!
"Heh heh~!"
Qin Feng saw through the thoughts of these people and said calmly:
"I forgot to tell you one thing, my soldiers have already found the Chakel tribe."
"What?!"
The Wuhuan generals, who had been showing gratitude just moments ago, immediately became restless.
"Lord Qin, what do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean?"
Qin Feng sneered, looked at their ugly expressions, and said coldly:
"I am using you to give you an opportunity. Otherwise, you would have long become corpses!"
"I might as well tell you directly!"
"Anyone who dares to run away, or disobeys orders and kills innocent people..."
"At best, their relatives for three generations will be executed. At worst, the entire unit's relatives will be executed!"
"..."
As Qin Feng's cold voice fell, the entire hall fell silent.
No one dared to speak!
Even,
Those who had harbored ill intentions at first now felt their legs go weak.
Ruthless!
Too ruthless!
If it were just about executing those who fled, then basically no one would take it seriously.
Because whether they ran or not, they would die,
Why not run?
But now?
Everyone silently prayed in their hearts that their companions would not act impulsively.
Seeing this,
Qin Feng's expression remained unchanged, but he was very satisfied in his heart.
Looking around again,
Qin Feng finally cast his gaze on the deputy general of the Chakel tribe.
"Chalin Shan~!"
"Here, here..."
The Chakel deputy general, called out by Qin Feng, trembled subconsciously.
"This matter will be your responsibility!"
Ignoring the anxiety on Chalin Shan's face, Qin Feng narrowed his eyes and sneered:
"Select five hundred skilled archers and riders. I need them tomorrow."
"Remember!"
"If one runs, I'll kill two. If two run... you'll pay with your life for them!"
"???"
Chalin Shan, who was already terrified, knelt down before Qin Feng with a thud.
"My lord, my lord, I really dare not do this..."
"Clang~!"
Before Chalin Shan could finish speaking, he felt a chill at his neck and subconsciously shut his mouth.
"Hmph~!"
Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling the guards to step back, and said indifferently:
"If you truly feel you cannot do it, I can send you on your way first."
"..."
Chalin Shan wanted to stand up and roar, "Even if you kill me, I can't do it."
But the words reached his lips, only to be suppressed by him.
Death is easy to speak of.
But when death truly arrives, who can face it calmly?
Better to live poorly than die well.
Even if the final outcome was still death, it was good to live one more day.
"I, I understand!"
Chalin Shan took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and agreed, then mustered his courage and asked:
"My lord, if they all return this time, how will you deal with them?"
"Oh?"
Qin Feng raised his eyebrows at this, pondered for a moment, and then smiled:
"It's impossible to just let them go, but assigning them easier work is not a problem."
"And..."
"As long as they are honest and obedient from now on, their lives will generally be safe!"