The Siege

Si Ming and the others did not deliberately slow down, even though doing so could cause trouble for the Mu Family Army and might even provide an opportunity to escape. However, Mu Wu's move of "guarding against villains but not gentlemen" was very clever, and no one wanted to become a treacherous villain.

If a ruler treats his subjects like his own hands and feet, then the subjects will treat the ruler like their own heart and soul.

Mencius's words apply not only to the relationship between ruler and subject, nor solely to Confucian School, but also to the human heart.

Old Wang did have the idea of making a quick getaway. He was a seasoned veteran who wouldn't be easily moved, but if he was alone, there was nothing he could do. Being in a foreign land, especially a war-torn place, he might just be robbed and killed by bandits or refugees.

The northern lands of Li State have fallen and are completely in the hands of the Barbarian Hu. Given the Barbarian Hu- like nature of the barbarians, they will naturally plunder extensively. Rape and kidnapping are the least of their offenses; massacres of entire cities are commonplace.

Si Ming followed the army forward. Wherever they passed, there was a desolate scene. Rotting corpses could often be seen by the roadside. It was truly a scene of war, fire, and man-made disasters. People were scattered and died in ditches, their bodies exposed and starving.

Passing by a village by chance, I found that the grass roots in the fields had been dug up by refugees, and there were broken bricks and tiles everywhere. In the corners, some miserable people were scattered, their faces pale and thin, and I wondered if they could survive until tomorrow.

Murong Qing looked reluctant to part with his rations, so he gave some to a child who looked only seven or eight years old, who immediately began to wolf them down.

"I'd only ever seen it on the news before: 'Millions of lives lost in a single day; even heaven and earth, gods and spirits, cannot help but grieve.' Although I felt sorrow upon hearing it, it was ultimately just words. I never imagined it would be like this. Is there really nothing our Su State can do? I remember there's something called humanitarian aid..."

Si Ming shook his head and said, "Even if you offer help, the other party has to be willing to accept it. The people of Su State and Li State are of the same blood; they are all Huaxia who migrated from the Divine Land of the Middle Earth. The Barbarian Hu afraid that Su State and Li State will join forces, so how could they agree to let our people set foot on their territory? If it's just a simple donation of supplies, it will be directly accepted by the Barbarian Race and will not be left for these refugees."

Murong Qing silent, then turned to look at the location of Marshal Mu Wu, her eyes flickering.

There aren't many refugees here. If they donate half of the rations the army is carrying, it will be enough for them to survive for a while.

But Murong Qing was not the kind of hypocritical saint who would be generous with other people's money. She couldn't bring herself to ask for it. Besides, what would the soldiers eat if they ran out of food? They had gone through all the trouble of crossing the sea to enter the enemy's territory, not to do charity. If they were exhausted and their surprise attack failed because of this, that would be truly putting the cart before the horse.

Murong Qing asked himself honestly, if he were a general, he would also have to harden his heart and continue advancing. He couldn't afford to delay the operation for a group of refugees. Only by defeating the Barbarian Hu and restoring the country could more people be free from hunger. This was the fundamental solution.

However, Murong Qing dismissed the idea, the other person did not.

"I went to beg my father to leave some military rations for them."

With the heart of a doctor, Mu Qingfeng felt even stronger sympathy than Murong Qing. He quickly ran towards the army, and Si Ming couldn't stop him in time.

"He's really not like someone from a military family. He doesn't have a fierce or ruthless air about him. On the contrary, he's kind-hearted. I don't know how his father raised him."

"Everyone has their own perspective, and Marshal Mu also faces difficulties. I hope that he and his son won't quarrel over this."

Just when everyone thought that Mu Wu would not agree to his son's "womanly kindness" request, a young general ran up quickly to deliver the order.

"The commander-in-chief has ordered everyone to unload their grain and leave it to the people."

Chapter 183 Siege

Si Ming and Murong Qing looked at each other, somewhat incredulous.

It wasn't that the two didn't believe Mu Wu was a good person, but someone whose excessive sympathy prevented him from distinguishing between primary and secondary matters was unsuitable to be an army commander, or even a soldier.

They weren't the only ones with questions; other soldiers also raised objections. The messenger quickly explained, "The commander-in-chief has ordered everyone to speed up the march and try to reach Qianjin City before sunset. After capturing the city, we'll rest directly within its walls."

As members of the Mu Family Army, the soldiers had almost blind faith in Mu Wu. After receiving the answer, they felt it was a win-win solution and immediately followed the order, delivering the rations they carried to the refugees.

Si Ming lacked such confidence and did not believe it was a win-win solution, because it meant that the Mu Family Army had to take Qianjin City in one fell swoop and could not be blocked outside the city. Otherwise, after a night, without supplies, the soldiers would be hungry and thirsty, making it even more impossible to capture the city.

Mu Wu's approach actually reduced his tactical flexibility and the margin for error, but he saved the refugees at the cost of this.

Burning one's boats is ultimately a last resort. A leader, of course, prefers to hold a strong hand, with every card a potential bomb, and to skillfully force the opponent into a corner, rather than making a desperate gamble and resorting to a do-or-die strategy.

As the leader of the surprise attack tactic, Mu Wu's decision was ultimately flawed. He carried the fate of many people on his shoulders and could not act recklessly; he had to know how to make choices.

However, even knowing this, both Si Ming and Murong Qing couldn't help but develop feelings for him.

I'm thinking of helping him out.

"What a coincidence, me too. I guess that's what they call leadership charisma."

Mu Qingfeng ran back, but his face didn't show the joy of success; instead, it was etched with a sorrowful sympathy. "This amount of food will probably only last them two or three more days. I don't know if this approach is even worthwhile."

Murong Qing, "Let's save one as many as we can. If they eat and regain their strength, they might be able to find a way to survive. As for those who, even with their strength, still choose to lie on the ground and wait to die, they can't blame anyone else."

Si Ming, "I suddenly remembered a passage, so I'll give it to you. May the youth of Li State all shake off their apathy and strive upwards, paying no heed to those who give up on themselves. Those who can do something should do it, those who can speak out should speak out. Let each person contribute their share of warmth and light, like a firefly, to illuminate the darkness, without waiting for a torch. If there is no torch, then I will be the only light. If there is a torch, if the sun rises, we will naturally disappear with heartfelt gratitude. Not only will we feel no resentment, but we will also rejoice and praise this torch or sun, for it has illuminated humanity, including myself."

Not only Mu Qingfeng, but even Murong Qing was stunned for a moment after hearing it, and then he repeatedly pondered the words, finding them more and more meaningful the more he thought about them.

Mu Qingfeng bowed respectfully to Si Ming and said, "I have benefited greatly from your words! I have been troubled before, unable to find a way to save the country. Now, looking back, I realize that I have thought too much and done too little. Instead of blindly pondering and searching for a cure, it is better to take the first step. I may not be the sun, nor a torch, but at least I can do my best to be a firefly, giving off light as much warmth as I can."

Murong Qing also cast an admiring glance at Si Ming, not out of awe for his strength, but out of admiration for his character, as if she had met a spiritual mentor who had shown her the way forward.

Si Ming couldn't help but feel a little smug. After all, it was no easy task to win over someone as rational and opinionated as Murong Qing. Fortunately, he knew that these words were not his own original creation, so he didn't get too caught up in them and lose himself in them.

After a short rest, the Mu Family Army set off again. They quickened their pace, but not too much, to avoid being exhausted when they reached the city.

Such intensity is a test for ordinary people, because it requires controlling the consumption of internal and physical strength. People who have never experienced it can easily become exhausted and unable to recover due to excessive exertion.

Midway through the journey, both He Qichang and Liu Qingqing showed signs of strain, their breathing becoming erratic, rough, and rapid, which made the latter's presence even more noticeable.

Murong Qing maintained her regular exercise routine, and with her experience climbing snow-capped mountains and mastering the "Glacier Divine Art" to level seven, she was able to persevere for even longer, only showing signs of fatigue as she neared her destination.

As Higher Vehicle Internal Cultivation, the "Glacier Divine Art" surpasses even those mediocre Internal Cultivation by a large margin, even though its True Qi recovery speed is not its strong point.

Si Ming was the most at ease because the blazing sun provided ample energy, and his Blazing Sun True Qi recovered faster than it was consumed. Moreover, even without using Internal Cultivation, his physical strength alone was sufficient. With his superhuman physique, this level of travel intensity was not enough to cause fatigue. So, halfway through the journey, he simply carried Old Wang, whose internal energy was exhausted, on his back and continued on his way with the added burden.

It wasn't until the sun was almost setting that the crowd Qianjin City.

Ignoring their fatigue, as resting would only make them more tired, Mu Wu immediately ordered a reorganization of the army and preparations for attacking the city.

At the same time, the guards on the city wall also discovered the Mu Family Army. They were initially panicked, wondering why the enemy would appear here. Then they couldn't help but wonder if the main force at the front had already been defeated.

After finally calming down and putting the problem aside, the guards remembered to ring the alarm to warn the garrison in the city of an enemy invasion.