Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 1066: Chapter 976: Official of the First Rank 38

Murong Shuangshuang kept pace with Wei Yan, and when they entered the city, Wei Yan noticed that the soldiers guarding the gate did not charge an entrance fee.

The city was even more bustling, with shops everywhere and numerous vendors and pedestrians. The common people’s steps were light and their backs straight. Wei Yan noticed that their clothing was still very ragged, with many wearing clothes patched upon patches.

Even their bodies were still skinny and malnourished-looking, but their spirits were great, eyes bright and faces smiling. These were the expressions of people with hope for the future, filled with tranquility and contentment.

Wei Yan continued to walk around the city, moving from busy areas to more secluded places. Along the way, Murong Shuangshuang didn’t stop Wei Yan and simply followed him silently, only pulling Wei Yan into a hotel for a simple meal when they were hungry – just some basic soup noodles and steamed dumplings.

The entire day, Wei Yan wandered around, observing the living conditions of the common people. The more he observed, the more silent he became. This was a city full of vitality where the common people lived in peace and contentment.

The people here were genuinely happy. Although their lives were still hard, and years of suffering weren’t something that could be recovered from in just a few good months, they were full of hope.

Here, there were no harsh taxes, no soldiers or officials bullying them. They could earn money by working, harvest food by farming, and as long as they worked hard, life was getting better day by day.

But in the city he guarded, there was no sign of hope on the people’s faces, only numbness and despair. They lived in Hell, while the people of this city lived in Heaven.

Seeing such a contrast with his own eyes shook Wei Yan’s loyalty to the Emperor like never before. Was his steadfast loyalty truly right?

Though Wei Yan was blindly loyal, he wasn’t someone with no regard for the common people. He wanted them to live better lives too. He had secretly reduced many of the court’s harsh taxes for the people’s sake, but compared to the court’s levies, his reductions were just a drop in the ocean, and the people still had no way to survive.

Wei Yan left the city gates and returned to the large stone where he’d sat upon waking that morning, silently watching the closing city gates.

Murong Shuangshuang looked at Wei Yan’s upright back, his hair completely white, and sighed. ”Old General, I truly admire your character. I don’t want you to continue sacrificing for such a muddle-headed ruler.

I brought you here today to show you that under the Marquis’s governance, the people can truly live well. I hope the Old General can consider whether your loyal reputation is more important, or are the common people of the world more important.

I won’t say more. The Old General is wise. This court, is it beyond saving? Is it worth saving? Does this Emperor deserve your loyalty? I believe you understand in your heart.

I will send you back to the city, but I hope you can ally with the Marquis and strive for peace for the common people. I will wait for the Old General for one day. If you are willing to join the Marquis, please open the city gates. If not, I will begin the siege, but I hope the Old General can care for the people and not be blindly loyal.”

Wei Yan’s figure remained upright with his back to Murong Shuangshuang, showing no sign of softening, but Murong Shuangshuang still noticed that Wei Yan’s hands had involuntarily clenched tightly; evidently, he wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

Murong Shuangshuang did not force Wei Yan to give her an answer, instead knocking him unconscious and sending him back to the General Mansion in the city. After that, she patiently awaited news from Wei Yan in the military camp.

Murong Shuangshuang was eighty percent sure she could turn Wei Yan. Although Wei Yan was blindly loyal, he wasn’t someone who could truly ignore the life and death of the common people just for the sake of his loyal reputation.

Before, he could pretend not to see that the people lived badly, but once he saw with his own eyes that some people’s lives could indeed be good and happy, he could no longer deceive himself into believing that the people’s lives were the same under anyone’s rule. Once this belief formed, it would inevitably force Wei Yan to choose between loyalty and the people.

And just as Murong Shuangshuang had predicted, the afternoon after Wei Yan returned, the previously shut city gates opened, the drawbridge was lowered, and Wei Yan, dressed in plain clothes, led his soldiers and the citizens of the city, who were filled with anticipation in their eyes, to surrender.

Murong Shuangshuang did not make Wei Yan kneel like a surrendering general and present his surrender document. She dismounted early and walked to Wei Yan, personally accepting the surrender document from his hands and solemnly promised.

”Old General, I will let you see that your decision was right, the people will live good lives, and you will not regret today’s decision.”

Wei Yan’s surrender allowed Murong Shuangshuang to capture the most troublesome city without a single soldier lost. Murong Shuangshuang continued to lead troops swiftly to flank the main city Wang Wei was attacking. Meanwhile, the other General, after a delay of seven days, also captured another city and came to join Murong Shuangshuang in helping Wang Wei enclose the main city.

Both of these smaller cities on either side were independent cities but also served as auxiliary cities to the main city, providing it with grain supplies. Now that these two auxiliary cities were captured, the main city’s grain source was suddenly cut off.

Wang Wei ordered the encirclement of the main city, cutting off its supplies, and waiting for the grain inside to deplete so they would willingly surrender. This was a slow siege. According to Wang Wei’s strategists, the main city’s reserves could last at least two months.

Wang Wei had the army surround the main city without attacking. This main city was the crucial path to Capital City. Once captured, they could march directly toward Capital City, so Wang Wei was determined to take this city.

Seeing that Wang Wei’s forces were sufficient to besiege the main city, Murong Shuangshuang, along with Wei Yan, who had been heavily relied upon after his surrender, seized the time to train soldiers.

Murong Shuangshuang did not avoid others while training, and over time, not only Wei Yan but several other generals came to learn from Murong Shuangshuang’s training experience, practicing every day below the city walls.

The daily training, with the thunderous sounds of drills and battle cries, placed significant psychological pressure on the besieged city’s defenders. This was an unexpected bonus.

Two and a half months passed quickly, and the city had been out of food for several days. Recently, Wang Wei ordered his soldiers to cook meat and prepare meals under the city walls daily. The aroma wafted into the city with the wind, and the defenders and citizens, already without food and desperately hungry, couldn’t help but swallow hard, wishing they could gnaw the city walls.

After three days of such ”food attacks,” the starved, skinny-necked, big-headed general defending the city, to prevent his family, subordinates, and the city’s people from starving to death with him, led his soldiers to bring the surrender document and opened the city gates to surrender.