Surrendering of Their Own Accord
"This is outrageous!"
Hongwen Emperor slammed his fist on the jade table in anger, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the memorial Qin Yan had delivered.
That scoundrel! He actually accused us first!
They are suing the Prefect of Jiu'an Prefecture and numerous powerful families for rebellion!
If you kill someone and then humiliate them, are you going to try to praise them?
"Bastard! Bastard!"
Hongwen Emperor went on a rampage, smashing and destroying things in his study, and threw a huge tantrum.
Upon receiving the intelligence from the palace, Qin Yan smiled slightly.
He was deliberately trying to disgust the other person.
He used to respect Prince Jing as someone important, but he never expected that the other party would join the Dao One Immortal Sect!
Now he's even plunged the Great Li Dynasty into misery, which makes him completely despise this guy.
Now he looked at the map of Youshan Prefecture and its surroundings!
Our next target is the neighboring Tongzhou Prefecture!
This place is also extremely prosperous, with vast plains and fertile fields. Most importantly, the south side of Tongzhou Prefecture is surrounded by mountains, which form a natural barrier.
Youshan Prefecture and Tongzhou Prefecture are connected, and most of them are plains with no natural defenses.
Only by annexing the other side can the southern part of Youshan Prefecture be secured.
This will also allow for the integration of resources between the two governments!
This fertile land stretches for thousands of miles, making it a massive granary. Strategically, he also had to capture Tongzhou Prefecture.
Although Jiu'an Prefecture had just been taken over, Qin Yan had dealt too harshly to those aristocratic families, almost crippling them.
They have already lost the ability to fight back!
Qin Yan mobilized another 3,000 men to replace the Divine Machine Battalion, and the next step was to attack Tongzhou Prefecture.
With these three prefectures, he will be able to swallow up the entire Yunzhou!
The seven prefectures of Yunzhou are quite wealthy; if he were to seize them, he would have the resources to contend for supremacy.
And only by taking control of Yunzhou could he have any defenses; otherwise, with this flat terrain, he would be insecure.
They are easily attacked by others.
Most importantly, there were no other forces in the seven prefectures of Yunzhou that could interfere with their actions.
Whether it's the martial arts world or the Buddhist and Daoist sects, they are all quite scattered and unlikely to pose a threat to him.
Once he takes Yunzhou, he will become the most powerful warlord in the Great Li.
Moreover, there's no need to worry about Hongwen Emperor coming to cause trouble for them, as well as the other several revived immortal experts.
They are also intensifying their encroachment on surrounding territories.
Before they can launch a campaign against him, they should first see if they can withstand the resistance of the immortal sects.
Most importantly, Hongwen Emperor simply did not have the strength to punish him.
Apart from the few prefectures surrounding Capital, the imperial dynasty's influence could no longer extend beyond that region.
Moreover, the other side also has to be wary of the infiltration of the immortal sects in secret, and a large number of troops are stationed at the border for defense.
This is an unprecedented opportunity.
With the imperial court weakened, various local powers rapidly rose to prominence.
Those with the strength have already taken action, while those without are still hesitating.
If you're too slow, you won't even get to drink the soup while others are eating the meat.
Having already decided to rebel, he had no right to hesitate.
Confined to a corner of the world, one will only perish faster.
When Lin Xuansong, the prefect of Tongzhou Prefecture, learned that Qin Yan's army was gathering at the border of the prefecture, he felt completely numb.
Jiu'an Prefecture was clearly stronger than Tongzhou Prefecture, but it was crushed in less than half a month.
The major aristocratic families were dealt with terribly and are now scrambling around like rats.
"Everyone knows Qin Yan's ambition; he will definitely not let Tongzhou Prefecture go!"
"How should this official conduct himself?"
Lin Xuansong paced back and forth in the room!
"Master, the situation is extremely bad. Upon learning that Qin Yan is going to take action against Tongzhou Prefecture, all the major families are packing their belongings and preparing to flee."
The one who spoke was his guard commander, a martial artist at the Xiantian Realm!
"Fu Ruo, what do you think we should do?"
Lin Xuansong looked worried. "Qin Yan's army is fierce and powerful, composed of elite soldiers who have fought their way through the battlefield."
In particular, the enemy's Divine Machine Battalion, with only 3,000 men, routed more than 10,000 enemy soldiers, with an extremely low casualty rate.
He was capable of taking on ten opponents single-handedly, and even killed many powerful martial arts masters.
"The soldiers of Tongzhou Prefecture are not even in the same league as their opponents."
More importantly, Qin Yan had over 50,000 troops under his command, along with countless brave and fierce generals.
If we try to stop them, it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an egg striking a rock.
Moreover, Qin Yan himself is a formidable general, so our chances of winning are extremely slim.
We only have three choices.
Zhang Furuo held up three fingers.
"Tell me quickly," Lin Xuansong said hastily.
"Firstly, we should resolutely resist, but the outcome will probably not be good."
Secondly, pack your valuables and flee Tongzhou Prefecture with your family to avoid the ravages of war!
Third, they took the initiative to surrender to the other side and offered up Tongzhou Prefecture.
"Look at the Prefect of Youshan Prefecture, he's still alive and well."
Lin Xuansong's expression shifted between light and dark upon hearing this; all three paths carried enormous risks.
The first option was ruled out.
We definitely can't win a fight.
As for the second and third options, either choice would likely result in retribution from the imperial court.
He remained silent in the room for a long time, calculating the gains and losses of these three paths.
Zhang Furuo waited quietly to see how Lin Xuansong would choose.
"I have been keeping an eye on things in Youzhou Prefecture. Although Qin Yan is cruel by nature, he is extremely kind to the people under his jurisdiction."
This person is ambitious and capable.
If he can truly succeed in this endeavor, he will undoubtedly be a wise ruler.
Lin Xuansong took a deep breath, his eyes gradually hardening. "Prepare pen and ink; I will personally write a letter to Marquis Qin."
His ambition is clear, and I, your humble servant, wish to serve under the Marquis Qin!
"Lord, mobilize our people to monitor the movements of the major families. Consider this our pledge of allegiance."
He knew that Qin Yan had risen from the very bottom to where he was now, and therefore harbored a deep hatred for aristocratic families!
I guess I've catered to their preferences.
Soon, a secret letter was delivered to Qin Yan.
Upon reading the letter, he couldn't help but smile.
"This Lin Xuansong certainly knows how to assess the situation!"
To be able to become the head of a prefecture is indeed no simple feat.
These people are all shrewd and cunning.
However, Lin Xuansong was a capable man. He was not greedy for money or lust, but he was extremely fond of power.
He's a pretty interesting guy.
Qin Yan immediately replied, expressing his willingness to accept the other party's loyalty.
He was given the task of persuading the Tongzhou Prefecture army to surrender to him.
Tongzhou Prefecture is garrisoned by 8,000 troops!
Although few in number, they are still a vital force.
If he could bring them under his command without losing a single soldier, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Lin Xuansong smiled after receiving the reply.
"These soldiers didn't want to fight against Qin Yan in the first place. As long as I explain the pros and cons properly..."
I'm sure these guys would be happy to surrender.
Moreover, the Copperzhou Commandant is acquainted with me, which will greatly increase my chances of success.
The troops set off in early December.
With Lin Xuansong's influence along the way, the local officials offered little resistance and surrendered without resistance.
In contrast, those powerful and influential families hurled insults at Lin Xuansong.
One by one, they fled in panic, taking their families with them.