Chapter Twenty-Five: First Take Lingzhou

  Fu's tyrant of Lingzhou is gone, and the county government is empty. Li Zhēn can completely occupy Lingzhou with justification!

  Li Zhēng was initially considering how to gain the most benefits from Lingzhou at the smallest cost after Fu's departure, but that is no longer necessary now.

  The opportunity came so suddenly, Li Zhēng couldn't help but carefully sort out the reasons behind it.

  The Fu family is dominant in Lingzhou, to a certain extent, without the Fu family, there would be no Lingzhou. Even if the Fu family wants to move their whole household, the well-informed county government will certainly not sit idly by.

  If the county magistrate of Lingzhou is a hardliner, after Fu's departure, he will do a good job in stabilizing the people and nothing will happen in a short period of time. But apparently, this county magistrate of Lingzhou does not have that kind of spirit!

  The county magistrate made a move, and the county government immediately collapsed.

  Once the official management agency collapsed, those with some power in the city would also be frightened. In connection with Fu's actions, they would certainly follow and escape.

  This will lead to a chain reaction, and it would be strange if Lingzhou City doesn't fall into chaos!

  Thinking of this, Li Zhēn couldn't help but smile: "It's truly heaven helping me!"

  Having spoken, he waved the long spear in his hand and shouted: "White Wolf, you immediately lead the light cavalry to take a step ahead, enter Lingzhou, see those who burn, kill, loot, and disrupt order, all will be killed without pardon!"

  "Ah!"

  "Zhang Shan, Nu Luo!"

  "Agreed!"

  "Zhang Shan led the light infantry archers to closely follow the White Wolf, maintaining order in the city, while also contacting Zhou Lin to prepare for the announcement of amnesty. Nu Luo led the heavy armored gunners to occupy the four gates of Lingzhou, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving!"

  "Ah!"

  "You go first, I'll be right behind!"

  Having received the order, the three men led their troops separately, in an orderly manner, and quickly headed towards Lingzhou City.

  Li Zheng led the remaining five riders of the Qing Jia troops and followed slowly.

  The White Wolf led sixty light cavalrymen, each with two horses, at incredible speed and in a mighty display. Before long, they arrived at the North Gate of Lingzhou.

  As I looked around, I saw that the North Gate was extremely crowded, with people of all kinds pushing and shoving each other, rushing out of the North Gate in a frantic manner.

  In the midst of the wind, there were shouts and curses, screams and wails, that shook heaven and earth, utterly chaotic to the extreme!

  The chaotic crowd at the city gate discovered the White Wolf cavalry and became even more panicked. Many people thought that the rebels had arrived!

  "It's no good, the rebels have arrived!"

  "Hurry up!"

  "Get out of the way! Move it!"

  The white wolf furrowed its brow.

  The crowd blocked the city gate, the road was impassable, and the cavalry could not enter the city at all.

  Thinking of Li Zhēng's orders, looking at the chaos in front of him, a fierce glint flashed through Bái Láng's eyes.

  "Draw your bow and prepare for battle!"

  Sixty light cavalrymen got the order, simultaneously raised their longbows hung on the saddle hooks, and drew out arrows from the quiver behind their backs!

  "Four hundred paces outside the city gate, release arrows!"

  Buzz!

  It was like the sound of a swarm of bees flying, sixty arrows fell like a heavy rain outside the city gate!

  Then, there were several shrill and mournful cries.

  This wave of arrow rain was just a warning from White Wolf, but outside the city gate was too chaotic, and naturally there were some unlucky ones who got shot.

  "Disperse at once, do not block the city gate, otherwise you will be killed without pardon!"

  The White Wolf let out a loud shout and led his light cavalry in a charge towards the city gate at full speed!

  The crowd at the city gate was in an uproar, and when the light cavalry shot arrows, they were stunned for a moment, then cried out like headless flies, rushing around wildly.

  There were some astute and calm people who either fled to both sides or retreated into the city, while others followed blindly. For a time, the area around the city gate became empty!

  The white wolf smiled and followed closely behind him, like a gust of wind, rushing into the North Gate.

  The White Wolf's series of movements was too swift, although they quickly entered the city, but after entering the city, they had to slow down their speed.

  Inside the city gate, only those who were close by knew White Wolf's movements and made way for him in fear. However, people behind him couldn't avoid even if they heard the thundering sound of horse hooves. Because on this section of street near the city gate, it was packed with people. You push me, I squeeze you, there was simply no room to make way.

  "Retreat quickly to both sides, otherwise there will be no pardon for those who are killed!"

  The white wolf let out a loud howl, the saddle creaked as he hung his bow, and drew out the horse knife from his waist.

  Zhang Shan led his light infantry archers closely behind Bailang and also arrived at the North Gate.

  Although the White Wolf's light cavalry did not intentionally kill people, those who were shot and the bloodstains on the ground constantly reminded everyone, making them fearful.

  So after the White Wolf entered the city, it became even more crowded. Everyone was eager to use all their strength to escape from Lingzhou City.

  But in an instant, the chaotic crowd found out that another team had arrived!

  Unlike the White Wolf, in terms of personality or orders received, Zhang Shan's main task was to pacify the people. When he saw this chaos, Zhang Shan didn't say a word and immediately led his men forward, quickly controlling the situation at the North Gate with ease.

  Although there is a thorn in the head, it can't resist the sharp horse knife!

  After the situation at Beimen Gate temporarily stabilized, Zhang Shan immediately started doing pacification work. First, he proclaimed that they were not rebel troops but rather imperial reinforcements, hoping that everyone would calm down and not be reckless, and announced control over the city gates, prohibiting entry and exit. He ordered everyone to return home immediately and shut their doors without going out.

  When Nuo Luo led the heavy armored gunners arrived, Zhang Shan immediately handed over the affairs of the North Gate to him and led his men into the city.

  Nuo Luo controlled the North Gate and immediately divided his troops to head towards the other three gates, racing against time to control all the entrances of Lingzhou City.

  Li Dang arrived at the North Gate when it had already become completely deserted here.

  Apart from over thirty heavily armed guards on patrol, there is no sign of any ordinary civilians.

  He nodded and Li Zhēng led the Qingjia War Riders into Lingzhou City.

  There were Bai Lang and Zhang Shan in front controlling the order, after Li Zhong entered the city, he didn't encounter any obstruction. Although he keenly sensed the fearful and astonished eyes from the houses on both sides of the street, he ignored them and headed straight for the county government office.

  They arrived at the county government office, where there were ten light cavalrymen left behind by Bai Lang to guard the place, and Zhou Lin was also waiting here.

  "Your Majesty!"

  Zhou Lin saw Li Zheng, and his originally nervous heart immediately relaxed. He hastily stepped forward to make a bow and led Li Zheng into the county government office.

  The county government is no better than the streets, it looks like a ruin at first glance.

  "When the county officials fled, they took everything they could carry."

  Zhou Lin said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

  Li Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Take it away if you want to take it away. The old will not go, the new will not come." He paused for a moment and continued, "I now need manpower to control Lingzhou and comfort the people. You immediately issue an amnesty notice and at the same time issue a decree seeking talents, regardless of background, as long as you have read books and feel capable, you can come to the county government office to find me."

  Zhou Lin heard this and bowed deeply before turning around and leaving.

  Xin stepped into the county government's main hall, Li Zhēn walked to the front of the main seat with a calm and composed demeanor, then knelt down. Behind him on both sides, his personal guards stood tall with their heads held high.

  In the silence, Li Zhēn was thinking about how to better and faster control Língzhōu City, while quietly waiting for news from Zhang Shān and others.

  About half a time, Zhang Shan, Bai Lang and Nu Luo arrived at the county government office one after another. In a short while, Zhou Lin also returned.

  Several people divided into two groups, knelt down on both sides of the hall, and reported the current situation in Lingzhou to Li Zhong.

  "My lord."

  Zhang Shan said first: "After an hour of effort, the city of Lingzhou has basically stabilized. The county town is under military control, and no one is allowed to walk on the streets. All civilians have returned home and closed their doors."

  Li Zheng nodded slightly and looked at Bai Lang and Nuo Luo again.

  Bai Lang continued: "After leading the light cavalry into the city, I beheaded dozens of people who disrupted the order, and their heads were all hung at the market entrance!"

  Nuo Luo followed with: "All four gates are under control, entry and exit are prohibited. At the same time, nearly a hundred people who insisted on leaving the city were detained."

  After these three people finished speaking, Li Zhēn praised: "Well done, but we must continue. Before the ban is lifted, there can be no relaxation."

  "Zhou Lin, how about you?"

  "Your Majesty." Zhou Lin said: "The announcement of amnesty and the recruitment order have been issued, and at the same time, I ordered the apprentices of the business firms to beat drums and gongs, proclaiming throughout the city, striving to spread Your Majesty's will as soon as possible."

  "Good!"

  Li Zhuang smiled.

  By nightfall, the county government office was brightly lit.

  In the hall, many people have gathered. They are chatting with each other in hushed tones, filling the room with a gentle hum of conversation.

  "Li Lao, what kind of people are these? They don't seem like rebels, nor do they appear to be imperial soldiers."

  The one who spoke was a fat man wearing silk and a red turban, while the person he was speaking to was an old man with a scholarly air about him.

  The old man had white hair and wore a complete set of dark blue Confucian robes, with an ancient bamboo hat on his head, held in place by a wooden hairpin.

  The two of them knelt in the first and second positions on the right, but no one showed dissatisfaction. In ancient China, the right was considered honorable, so the first and second positions on the right were naturally the highest status.

  The old man with the surname Li shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "I don't know either. But judging from their clothes and behavior, they are not mountain bandits or horse thieves, you don't have to worry."

  "Don't worry about it!"

  The fat man's face was all scrunched up: "Not letting us leave the city, and then gathering together some of the wealthy families, it's clear they're going to extort us! Although they haven't used violence yet, who knows what will happen later?!"

  He said, Fatso complained: "You say that Fu Shi is really like this, saying go and go, without even notifying us, now it's a mess, alas..."

  "Be careful what you say!"

  The old man said: "What the Fu family does is their own business..." The old man spoke to this point, with a somewhat hesitant tone, and after a long time he said: "The rebel army is now powerful, I heard that Han Yang County is already in danger, the master of the Fu family is the governor of Han Yang, I suppose..."