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The army’s Supreme Commander, who couldn’t be corrupted by wealth nor bent by force, had once again fallen into the hands of Gu Jiao.
Since he was Gu Jiao's lil’ bro now, Gu Jiao patted her chest and showed that she would protect him!
"Alright, put away the dagger now. It's not good to scare my little brother." Gu Jiao said in an upright manner to Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing put away the dagger.
Gu Chengfeng felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth. That works too?!
Tang Yueshan was left somewhat dumbfounded when Gu Changqing easily put away the dagger. He felt odd that he had agreed too quickly. Just what was going on?
Gu Changqing was a righteous person in principle, but he was not naive or foolish. He wouldn't endanger soldiers or civilians on the border for the sake of one person's life.
If killing Tang Yueshan alone could save everyone, Gu Changqing would wield the butcher's knife without hesitation.
This was Tang Yueshan's judgment of Gu Changqing, and precisely because of this, Tang Yueshan believed that Gu Changqing had genuinely intended to kill him earlier.
Yeah, that's right, Gu Changqing must be serious.
He wasn't just trying to scare him.
He wasn't that easily scared!
There was nothing to regret!
A wise man submits to circumstances. A real man could yield and bend. Just as in ancient times when King Gou Jian of Yue endured hardships and tasted bitterness, now there was he, Tang Yueshan, who recognized an enemy as his big brother!
After an unexpected ceremony to take in a little brother had ended, the group began discussing serious matters.
Actually, Gu Changqing originally had something to discuss with Tang Yueshan. If Tang Yueshan hadn't come to the Prefect's Mansion, he planned to visit the infirmary camp after visiting his grandfather.
"Is it about a siege?" Tang Yueshan asked.
He was still lying on his own sickbed.
Gu Jiao set up the IV drip for him.
Because he was now her lil’ bro, he received an upgraded treatment. Gu Jiao used a catheter for him so he wouldn't need injections every day.
Gu Changqing sat at the square table in the room, directly facing Tang Yueshan's sickbed. Gu Chengfeng's bed was on the left, at a similar distance, but because Gu Changqing was mainly discussing business with Tang Yueshan, he chose a chair facing him.
Gu Chengfeng could only pout as he glanced at his eldest brother's profile. He deliberately made noise while shifting positions!
Gu Changqing was fully focused on the discussion, seemingly not noticing his brother's slight mood. Looking at Tang Yueshan, he said, "I plan to attack Lingguan City tomorrow evening."
Tang Yueshan pondered for a moment and furrowed his brows, "Actually, I suggest you attack Beiyang City first. Beiyang City was the city that resisted the most fiercely initially. The reason for such fierce resistance was that the remnants of the previous dynasty hadn't infiltrated it as extensively. You’ve just arrived at the border, so you probably didn't know about a Living Buddha here."
"A Living Buddha?"
Tang Yueshan nodded, "I learned about it when your grandfather and I came here. The Living Buddha gathered believers widely at the borderlands, delivering all beings from sufferings. Even the Imperial Son-in-law and Princess Ning'an were his believers. Of course, Princess Ning'an isn't anymore. She now understands that the Living Buddha is a tool of the remnants of the previous dynasty. Unfortunately, it's too late. A large number of commoners have fallen for it, unquestionably believing in the Living Buddha. More than half of the remnants of the previous dynasty's army are believers of the Living Buddha."
Gu Changqing suddenly realized, murmuring, "No wonder they could establish such a huge army at the border without being discovered."
Tang Yueshan continued, "Most believers of the Living Buddha are in Ye City. That’s why Ye City, among the three cities, had weakest resistance "
Gu Changqing asked, "What about Yuegu City?"
Tang Yueshan shook his head, "Yuegu City is too small, and its strategic position isn't significant. The remnants of the previous dynasty haven't focused on Yuegu City, so there are currently no followers of the Living Buddha in the city."
Gu Chengfeng sneered, "To think a fake Living Buddha is causing opposition against the imperial court. Isn’t it incredible?"
Tang Yueshan said, "The devout believers are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Living Buddha. He's perceived as the one to save them from suffering. The Living Buddha says that Yi Wang is the chosen son of heaven, the Emperor sent by the gods to rectify the chaos on land. When Yi Wang ascends, the nation will prosper, the people will be well-fed and clothed, and they won't suffer from hunger and cold anymore."
Gu Chengfeng didn't believe this and couldn't understand why the common people fell for such simplistic beliefs.
"The people's lives are too harsh." Gu Changqing muttered. contemporary romance
Tang Yueshan sighed.
The hardships at the border were unimaginable for the people in the capital. Crops struggled to grow here, the harvest was extremely poor, people didn’t have enough to eat or dress warmly, and they couldn't afford to fall ill.
Days like these seemed endless.
Why did they believe in the Living Buddha? Because everyone wished for paradise and to escape suffering.
At first, it sounded foolish, but on deeper consideration, wasn’t it poignant?
Gu Changqing said, "There are plague victims in Lingguan City. If we attack too late, I’m afraid they might use the plague to attack the people in the city."
Tang Yueshan was shocked, "What? Is that true?"
Gu Changqing continued, "It's the information JiaoJiao gathered last time when she went to the Prefect's Mansion in Lingguan City."
Gu Chengfeng widened his eyes, skeptical, "No way, I also went to the Prefect's Mansion in Lingguan City. How come I didn't know about this?"
Gu Changqing gave him an indescribable look.
Sister is better than you.
Gu Chengfeng: "...!!"
Could this also be compared?!
He was with that girl all the time, yet he hadn’t heard about the plague at all!
Gu Chengfeng turned to Gu Jiao, who was setting up the IV drip for him. He was about to ask her where she heard about it when he heard Gu Jiao sigh softly, "Told you to stop daydreaming."
Gu Chengfeng: "..."
"Is the information reliable?" Tang Yueshan asked.
Gu Changqing nodded, "We’ve seen the plague victims, killed the death warrior guarding them, and left medicine for them. The remnants of the previous dynasty send them food daily, but they fear getting infected so they don't enter the houses to check. One of the patients named Little Shitou is pretending to be the death warrior living in the middle house. However, it's uncertain how long he can keep things hidden. That’s why I suggest attacking Lingguan City as soon as possible."
The consequences of the plague were more terrifying than any war.
If the remnants of the previous dynasty found out something was wrong, they might release or kill those patients in anger, spreading their clothing and blood among the city’s people.
Lingguan City would then be in danger.
Tang Yueshan’s face darkened.
Although he knew early on that the remnants of the previous dynasty were not a good bunch, one couldn't have anticipated they would resort to such despicable and vile means.
It appeared that indeed attacking Lingguan City first was necessary.
"Can the plague be treated?" Tang Yueshan asked.
In Tang Yueshan's understanding, plagues were often not resolved through treatment but by isolating those infected until they died. Only when no more people were being infected would the plague cease.
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