novelraw Chapter 568 - 500: Was That Kick for Nothing? (Part 3)
Chapter 568 - 500: Was That Kick for Nothing? (Part 3)
Su Jingchen patiently explained to her, "What is the crime for rebellion?"
Rebellion is a capital offense. Reporting Jun Mobai wouldn’t bring them any benefit, and they might even lose their life in the process. It’s a harmful and self-detrimental act, so who would want to do it?
Moreover, when Jun Mobai disbanded these people, he had already made sure to distribute private military funds to each individual, so every private soldier received considerable benefits.
If you were one of those private soldiers, would you take the money to find a place to live peacefully, or get involved in the murky waters of the nobility and officials?
Reporting Jun Mobai might result in the Emperor treating him like Prince Yu, sending Jun Mobai to guard the Imperial Mausoleum, while those who reported him might lose their lives in an instant.
No one is foolish. Who would dare oppose a powerful prince if they were an ordinary citizen forced to become a private soldier?
Moreover, over the years, many civilians have died of hunger and disease. In the army, there’s food, drink, and medical care, much more than what people on the outside have. Having recently defeated the detestable bandits and receiving such a large severance, everyone is eager to reunite with family they haven’t seen in years. Who has the time to engage in acts that harm others without benefiting themselves?
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter to them who becomes the Emperor.
Meanwhile, the people who had taken refuge in Jinzhou City, Bohai City, and Ping City were gradually returning, seamlessly reconnecting with these private soldiers.
Those with families reunited with them, while those without settled their registration at the county government.
"I’ve heard that now, registering in Linzhou not only allows you to be directly registered in the Yellow Book, but also entitles you to a free bag of salt and a bag of grain seeds. I wonder if it’s true or not?"
Due to an agreement between Su Jingchen and several other cities, the population returning to Linzhou was quite substantial.
In just a few days, the population of Yangcheng had doubled since Su Jingchen first arrived.
Though the people have returned, the salt and grain seeds have not yet been delivered from other cities. To keep his promise, Su Jingchen assured the people that everyone would receive their share before spring plowing.
Today, Yu Xiaolian acted as a benefactor, distributing five taels of Silver to each of five hundred people, spending a total of two thousand five hundred taels in one go.
Since the barbarians retreated, no one had mentioned the five taels of Silver anymore. They initially thought the County Magistrate’s Wife was lying to get them to risk their lives defending the city.
Unexpectedly, after many days without seeing her, when the County Magistrate’s Wife returned, it was to distribute money.
Those who received the money were overjoyed, while those who didn’t, having not helped defend the city for various reasons, were filled with regret.
Reportedly, the barbarians never even breached the city, so these five hundred people were lucky rather than meritorious for the defense.
"Who would have thought, just by boiling some water in the city, we’d earn five taels of Silver!" someone remarked, biting into a piece of Silver in disbelief at their fortune.
Hey, and it’s five taels of Silver each!
To ensure they received actual Silver, Yu Xiaolian had sent Cao Gen to the Money Shop early in the morning to exchange for silver ingots.
"Defending the city isn’t frightening; what’s frightening is those who dare not even face the threat. I hope that next time there’s an invasion, we’ll unite with the troops and defend our homeland together!" Yu Xiaolian thought it would be a pity not to use this opportunity to garner public sentiment for Su Jingchen.
"The barbarian army had twenty thousand, while we only had four thousand. So what happened in the end?
We won, and not just that, we won beautifully. Whose credit do you think it was?"
"It’s Master Su’s!"
"It’s the Prince of Linzhou!"
"What are you talking about? The Prince of Linzhou was defeated and ended up like a rat in the street. What credit does he have?"
"Without the soldiers and grain the Prince of Linzhou brought, wouldn’t Su Jingchen have faced an impossible task?"
Two people began to argue stubbornly.
Yu Xiaolian clapped her hands to signal for silence. "Stop arguing. The credit for defending the city doesn’t belong solely to Master Su nor solely to the Prince of Linzhou; it belongs to all of us.
When united, even metal can be cut. As long as we Linzhou people stick together, we have nothing to fear.
This year, Master Su will repair the main roads nearby. Then during the winter, we won’t have to serve, the granary will be full, and our families will be warm and comfortable. We’ll be leisurely spending winter!"
"Madam, will there really be such a day?" someone questioned, thinking Yu Xiaolian was making empty promises.
"Yes, there will be. You must believe in Master Su’s leadership. As long as you obey and unite, wealth is within reach.
Ask yourselves, hasn’t there been some positive change in your homes since Master Su arrived?"
There certainly have been changes. Last autumn, Su Jingchen exempted them from all the exorbitant taxes and fees that County Magistrate Qian created. When collecting grain taxes, they used a fair measure instead of the oversized measure County Magistrate Qian used. Additionally, last winter, Yangcheng didn’t need to perform labor service for road construction, all benefits brought by Master Su.