Pacifying the People

It would take at least two or three days for the battle report to fly back, so let us set that aside for now and speak only of Military Commander Xue Qingyao of the Huben Guard leading people to pacify the residents of Bamboo Island.

Xue Qingyao was the second Military Commander of the Huben Guard. He and his predecessor, Xue Dongliang, belonged to the same clan. Both had been members of the Cave Tribe who joined the Han Tribe in its early days. What they had in common was that they had each organized engineering projects involving more than a thousand people, such as building cities, digging rivers, and constructing schools—in plain terms, they had come from contractor backgrounds.

Being a contractor was a major advantage. They all had experience with large-scale logistical support, making them the first choices for Military Commanders in the regular army.

Xue Qingyao first led his people to the nearest village. To reduce the local people's panic, he had specially brought along some soldiers who had not directly fought the enemy just now. These soldiers were clean and had no bloodstains on them. Some had even disguised themselves as merchant caravans not long ago to promote the currency. The locals could say they looked familiar, making conversation easier and more cordial.

There was also a translator jointly dispatched by the Golden Crow Guard and the Emissary Group, providing communication between both sides. If the local people were still unfamiliar with these soldiers, they were certainly familiar with the translators who had spent years active on Bamboo Island and alongside the Emissary Group.

The party rode horses and drove carts, about a hundred people in all, and arrived at the nearest village. Yet in those settlements that clearly showed signs of activity just moments ago,