My Cultivation Starting from Archery

"Yes, even if they don't kill the commoners, they won't spare us soldiers."

"If you become surrendered soldiers, the unlucky ones are directly turned into slaves, or simply treated and slaughtered like animals!"

"There is a female general in the Sheng Dynasty named Rong Yanqiu, it is said that she has to kill more than a dozen living people every day; otherwise, she can't sleep!"

"Even if you're lucky and they accept you, the provisions, rations, and medicinal materials you get are the worst. In the future, when you go to the battlefield, you must rush to the front and shield them from arrows!"

"And you have to be separated from your family!"

"..."

"My brothers, elders, and fellow villagers!"

Deng Feng's voice, amplified by his Qi-Blood, resounded for miles: "Don't panic. Right now, the city has ample grain and forage. Our military might is slightly inferior, but we have over a hundred thousand civilians!"

"Those outside, Cui Congyi and Sha Wenlong, to someone like me, are nothing more than flies and dogs, not worth mentioning!"

"As long as our two hundred thousand people work together, what are those mere thirty thousand outside the city? They are nothing!"

"Moreover, I have great news to tell you all!"

"At most, in another two months, our great Emperor of Daqing will personally lead the charge! By then, not only will Zhaotong Prefecture survive, but we will also achieve great merit, and all soldiers and civilians who defend the city will be richly rewarded!"

"Exempt from taxes for three years, no, five years!"

"I, Deng Feng, promise you, after this battle, the entire Zhaotong will be exempt from tax on grain for five years!"

"Additionally, orders are given to open the granaries, and for the coming two months, there will be plenty of white rice and big white steamed buns!"

Five years!

What does exempt from taxes for five years mean?

It means that during these five years, the commoners might be able to eat their fill, and perhaps even save some extra money, not having to live those days when each spring, for planting, they had to borrow seed money at high-interest rates.

After this speech.

Over a hundred thousand people once again rekindled hope.

In a word, hold out, and not only can you survive, but you'll also be tax exempt!

On the contrary, if you open the city gates and surrender, it's a dead end.

Their morale soared like never before, and they all hurried to strengthen the defensive fortifications.

However, by that afternoon.

Above the city walls, a Qing Country soldier squinted into the distance. He pointed at the empty plain: "Look quickly, those in red clothes seem to be our brothers from Daqing!"

The soldiers and armor of each country are distinct.

Most of Qing Country's soldiers wear armor with bright red linings, which are very easy to distinguish.

"Reinforcements? Could it be reinforcements?!"

Someone shouted excitedly.

"It's not right!"

"Take a closer look!"

"It seems the Sheng dogs don't plan to deal with them!"

"And, why aren't they wearing armor, and why are they not carrying weapons?"

"Damn it, they are captives who have defected to the Sheng dogs!"

"Damn it, how could captives make it here?"

"..."

Deng Feng, who heard the commotion, also climbed up to the city wall to check. He immediately sent people to investigate the situation.

At that moment, scouts that had been sent out earlier hurried back.

"Report—"

"Great General! Those outside indeed are our brothers!"

Deng Feng, suppressing his anger, asked, "Have they committed treason?!"

"No, Great General!"

The scout knelt on the ground: "According to the information I gathered, the Sheng Dynasty is now releasing captives."

"Releasing captives?"

Deng Feng frowned: "Where to?"

Stammering, the scout replied: "To... to our Daqing."

"Nonsense!"

Deng Feng, doubting what he heard, grabbed the scout: "Say it again,"

"Great General, it's absolutely true!"

The scout himself seemed hardly able to believe it: "It is said that the Sheng Dynasty plans to send back all twenty thousand surrendered soldiers through Ghost Gate Canyon to Daqing territory. They're not only releasing people but also providing them with dry food. For those who have trouble walking, they are even equipping donkey carts."

'Absurd!'

'Would not this entire battle be in vain? There is no sense in sending enemy soldiers back!'

Type thoughts raced through Deng Feng's mind but he dared not voice them aloud. He asked again, "Who gave the order?"

Before he finished speaking.

He noticed something odd in the eyes of the soldiers around him.

Such a malevolent strategy!

Clearly, this was a way to shake their military spirits!

If it were Meng Quji, he would have definitely found a way to use these twenty thousand men as human shields, not release them completely—after all, there would be significant risks in going through Ghost Gate Canyon, to think of such a scheme!

Trembling, the scout said, "They say it was that Chen Sansi..."

"Chen Sansi?"

Deng Feng was only too aware of that name.

His country, Daqing, was brought to misery by this man.

This man became famous all over the world for leading people across rivers two years ago, and even the commoners of Daqing praised him non-stop, calling him a rare hero and an upright official.

Not to mention his victory afterward.

In the Battle of the Four Crossings of Hongze River at Ming State, it was a shock to all; it was known far and wide, putting Daqing in a difficult position where they almost lost the Lai State.

Not just Daqing, but Nan Xu and the Northern Barbarians probably began studying the Four Crossings of the Hongze River, too.

This man...

Had also been sent to Lai State, and started with such a venomous scheme!

"It's fake!"

Deng Feng quickly reacted: "It's a sham, meant to disrupt our morale! The surrendered soldiers outside, they're all fakes, merely dressed in red. Isn't red fabric easy enough to find?"

"General, you're right!"

Everyone agreed in unison.

"The Sheng people are the most deceitful!"

"During the times we traded with them, they loved to cheat the most!"
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"But, didn't they just say it was Chen San..."

"..."

"Stop standing around dumbfounded!"

Deng Feng loudly interrupted, not allowing the topic to continue: "Have you forgotten what I told you before? They are clearly panicking, even resorting to such lowly tricks. We only need to hold on for the last two months, no, it won't even take two months!"