My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Chen Sansi continued, "If you have relatives and friends in the neighboring counties and prefectures, you can also spread the word that all citizens in places that surrender to our Great Sheng Dynasty will receive their share of food!"

"Xiao Zheng!"

"Present!"

Chen Sansi commanded, "Go and find the gentry and Martial Arts Halls in Meizi County and have them take out half of the grain from the granaries to distribute."

"Mr. Chen, what if they are unwilling?"

"They will be willing."

"Yes!"

Xiao Zheng gradually realized, "Mr. Chen is using Qing Country's own grain to win over their own people's hearts, truly a brilliant strategy!"

"General Chen!"

"The General is truly a compassionate and righteous leader!"

Wang Feng continuously kowtowed on the ground, "Mr. Chen, I, I am willing to surrender to the Great Sheng and serve under your command as a foot soldier!"

"Stand up."

Chen Sansi looked toward the side at a General dressed in fine armor, "Are you from Xinghua Prefecture?"

"Indeed."

Du Baozong said shakily, "I am also willing to surrender and serve under General Chen."

"There is no need for difficulty."

Chen Sansi indifferently said, "You and your brothers can return to Xinghua Prefecture the same way you came."

What?

Du Baozong, thinking he might have misheard, incredulously asked, "Mr. Chen, you, you are letting me go?"

Was this a sign of contempt, deeming him useless, or a test?

Chen Sansi did not deny it but merely instructed his men to lift the restrictions on him.

"Mr. Chen! I am useful!"

Du Baozong hastily added, "I can return to Xinghua Prefecture and persuade General Ma to surrender; General Ma is a distant relative of mine!"

Chen Sansi neither agreed nor refused, only calmly repeated, "You may leave."

"This... I thank General Chen for sparing my life!"

Du Baozong slowly stood up, made sure he was safe, and led his brothers to mount their horses and speed out of the city. The only difference from when they came was that they no longer had their armor and weapons; other than that, they were unharmed.

"County Magistrate Li!"

Wang Feng accused, "What more do you have to say? Fortunately, we did not sell our lives for you; otherwise, would that not be forcing General Chen to commit slaughter?"

County Magistrate Li's head thudded loudly, leaving traces of fresh blood on the stone road, "Lord Chen, spare my life, please spare me! I am also willing to become a citizen of the Great Sheng!"

"A citizen?"

Chen Sansi countered, "Why can't you continue being a County Magistrate?"

"Hm?"

The kowtowing of County Magistrate Li abruptly halted; he slowly raised his head, "General Chen, what, what do you mean?"

"You must know the Magistrates of the several nearby counties, don't you, Lord Li?"

Chen Sansi stated gravely, "If you can successfully persuade a County Magistrate to surrender, after the battle at Lai State is over, you will remain a Magistrate. Should the number of those you persuade be sufficient, promotion and ennoblement are also possible."

"Is that really so?"

County Magistrate Li's eyes sparkled, "Very well, very well, very well. The county magistrates of Qimen County and Zhangde County next door are old schoolmates and good friends of mine. Now that General Chen has personally arrived here, and with the Mysterious Armor Lion under his command, plus my persuasion, it's definitely going to work!"

"Good. Then we'll trouble County Magistrate Li. Also tell your friends that anyone who surrenders will receive the same treatment. We, the Great Sheng Dynasty, are an army of benevolence and righteousness, here only to reclaim lost lands, not to slaughter the innocent."

Chen Sansi helped him to his feet, "Someone get County Magistrate Li a fast horse, and send two people to escort him along the way!" Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"Yes!"

Soon, everything was properly arranged.

After the people of Meizi County received their grain, Du Baozong returned to Xinghua Prefecture, and County Magistrate Li went to various places to persuade...

Yet on the surface, everything seemed unchanged.

It appeared as though all they had done was exhaust their efforts to conquer a useless and impoverished small city, but in reality, the momentum was established. All that was left to do was to wait, this was called gathering strength to strike!

"Transmit my military order!"

Chen Sansi spoke loudly, "The entire army will rest in Meizi County for ten days. During this period, no one is to disturb the common people in the slightest. Anyone who violates this order will be executed without mercy! Also, send orders to the forces in the other cities to maintain their original positions, any unauthorized actions will be met with the same fate!"

"Ten days?!"

Xia Cong was puzzled, and he voiced his concern, "Are we to stay in such a place for ten whole days? Isn't that a waste of valuable time? My lord, the people of Meizi County are now deeply grateful to us and we have the help of Qing Country's magistrates to persuade the others to surrender. Isn't that exactly the momentum of surrender you wanted? Why not strike while the iron is hot and take the cities in one go?"

"Xia Cong, you are too impatient. Hand me the bow and arrow."

Chen Sansi stretched out his hand, and Zhao Kang, who was responsible for carrying the bow, immediately handed it over.

He drew the bow and aimed an arrow at a sparrow perched on the top of a tree, some three hundred paces away, nearly a mile distant, "Do you see that sparrow?"

"Buzz—"

The bowstring sang.

An arrow flew swiftly through the air.

"My lord."

Xia Cong grew more confused, "What does this have to do with the sparrow?"

As soon as he finished speaking,

The arrow pierced the sparrow with precise accuracy.

"Let the arrow fly for a while."

...

Outside Yong Yue Prefecture,

Sheng Army camp.

"Report—"

"Commander Meng, a spy from within Qing Country's territory has sent news that an army of seventy thousand has already set out, and they are expected to arrive in the vicinity of Green Ridge Mountain in no more than fifty days!"

"So soon?"

Meng Quji was slightly surprised.

"What should we do?"

Deputy General Zhan Taoming's brow was deeply furrowed, "We must organize our forces to resist in the Green Ridge Mountain area before the Qing Country reinforcements arrive, yet all our forces are currently in a stalemate. To give them all up would mean losing more than half of Lai State!"

"What about Chen Sansi?"

Meng Quji inquired, "Didn't he take a military order vowing that Zhao Tong Prefecture would open its gates and surrender within two months? It's been half a month already, where are they now?"