SFS Chapter 152 Barbarians fear power, not virtue
Chapter 152 Barbarians fear power, not virtue
Ge Lou gradually increased his appetite: "10 head of chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep."
"no problem!"
"..."
"OK!"
No matter what the other party said, Pang Shuai nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice, nodding his head like he was pounding garlic, almost as if he was about to kneel down and kowtow to them on the spot.
When Ge Lou saw Pang Shuai's appearance, he was also surprised and thought to himself: The High Priest was right after all!
The Azure Dragon Empire really gives you whatever it has!
I never imagined that I could acquire things from other countries so easily without fighting!
He felt even more pleased when he saw Pang Shuai's fawning manner.
During previous battles, the other side was quite arrogant.
And now,
If he says east, he dares not go west; if he says catch chickens, he dares not chase dogs.
It's just like a dog!
"Hahahaha!"
Just as things were getting out of hand and in complete chaos, a burst of incongruous laughter rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
The Ninth Prince and Princess Nanhua were laughing so hard they were doubled over, tears almost streaming down their faces.
The Ninth Prince laughed and waved his hands, saying, "Stop fooling around, stop fooling around, from now on we're all family!"
"What...what does this mean?!"
They could understand each word individually, but what did they mean when put together?
“We have already subdued the Southern Barbarian army!” Zhao Jihua explained.
Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded, standing there dumbfounded.
It took them a while to realize what was happening. They looked at each other, and it was quite a while before they finally came to their senses.
Suddenly, a thought popped into everyone's mind:
They were either stunned into a daze or bewitched!
Pang Shuai smiled obsequiously: "What conditions does General Ge require for us to return the hostages unharmed?"
"Who are you? Hostages?" Ge Lou was bewildered. "I don't remember us taking any of your hostages before."
They were all directly fed to the Gu poison as food.
"This...this...this..." Pang Shuai was also dumbfounded. He looked at Ge Lou, then at the Ninth Prince.
Did the other party know their high status and want more?
Zhou Qingyu said with a forced smile, "What other conditions do you have? Feel free to ask for the moon!"
Ge Lou: What? You want me to ask for an exorbitant amount?
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony!” He excitedly rattled off a long list of things and conditions. “We hope the Azure Dragon Empire can grant us more governing power so that our unique culture and customs can be preserved…”
These demands are seen by the Miao people as reasonable and necessary for the future of their people.
But to Pang Shuai and others, it seemed both unreasonable and excessive.
What? Taking our things wasn't enough for them; they also want to govern our country?
The generals in the southern border region frowned deeply, their faces so gloomy they seemed to drip water.
Finally, Pang Shuai couldn't hold back any longer and burst out cursing: "You bunch of ungrateful bastards, how dare you make such an unreasonable demand!"
This angry shout acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the pent-up anger between the two sides.
The Miao warriors drew their curved swords from their waists, the blades gleaming coldly.
Seeing this, the soldiers of the Azure Dragon Empire gripped their spears and greatswords tightly, ready for battle.
In an instant, a tense atmosphere filled the air, and the two armies drew their swords, a great battle about to break out.
But Pang Shuai's gaze swept across the Miao people's group and landed on the Ninth Prince, who was being protected in the middle.
He knew that the safety of the Ninth Prince was of paramount importance, and that if he acted rashly, the Ninth Prince's life would be in danger.
Thinking of this, his clenched fist trembled slightly as he suppressed his anger and signaled to the soldiers not to act rashly.
Meanwhile, the Miao general Gelou was also filled with conflict and helplessness.
He knew full well that he had come with the sincere intention of surrendering.
But the two sides had been fighting for years, and they almost instinctively turned to each other with swords!
However, if a war were to break out with the Azure Dragon Empire, not only would the hopes of their people be dashed, but it would also bring endless disasters to both sides.
Just as the stalemate reached its climax, a figure suddenly rushed out from the southern border army.
He drew his knife and was about to slash at Ge Lou.
Fortunately, Zhou Qingyu reacted quickly and stopped him.
"Don't be impulsive..."
He was a general from the southern border, his face filled with grief and indignation, his eyes bloodshot as if burning with raging fire.
"With my enemy right before my eyes, how can I not act impulsively? My daughter was mercilessly murdered by these Miao people's Gu worms. Over the years, the hatred in my heart has never been extinguished. It was with this belief that I joined the army and rose to my current position. Now, seeing the Miao people right in front of me, I wish I could kill them all!" He roared at the Miao people.
"You villains from Miao territory, you killed my daughter! Today I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!" His voice, filled with endless pain and rage, echoed throughout the battlefield.
The Miao region and the southern border have been at war for hundreds or even thousands of years, with both sides suffering casualties, and hatred has long been deeply ingrained in their hearts.
The general's words were like a spark thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting the anger of both sides.
The Miao people roared angrily, recounting the oppression and plunder they had suffered from the people of southern Xinjiang over the years.
The soldiers in the southern border region were not to be outdone, and they denounced the Miao people's witchcraft for the pain and fear it had brought them.
"You people from southern Xinjiang are the ones who feel wronged? Aren't we wronged? We live peacefully on our own land, but you insist on attacking us from time to time. My uncle's whole family was killed by you."
"Who allowed you to release your Gu worms so recklessly? How despicable of you to send insects to kill us! My poor brother, he was sleeping soundly at night, and when he woke up the next morning, he was gone..."
"We're despicable? You people from Southern Xinjiang are the despicable and shameless ones! Murdering and arson in the middle of the night, treacherous and cunning!"
"I remember you! You're the one who killed my father!"
"My Gu worms need to eat when they're hungry. Who told you to trespass into the Southern Frontier for no reason!"
"Bah! You barbarians! All you know is eating human flesh and drinking human blood!"
"..."
The emotions on both sides grew increasingly agitated, and the soldiers' breathing became rapid.
He gripped his weapon even tighter, as if he were about to charge forward and fight to the death with his opponent at any moment.
Just at this critical moment, a clear voice rang out: "Stop!"
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman riding a snow-white steed galloping from the Miao region.
The general who had previously grieved the loss of his beloved daughter rubbed his eyes and asked incredulously, "Daughter? Daughter?"
"It is my unfilial son who has caused my father so much worry over the years."
She dismounted and immediately rushed towards the first general, kneeling down before him with a thud.
"Good child, you're still alive, that's wonderful!" The general and the woman embraced, tears streaming down their faces.
"Yan'er, how come you're still alive? Why don't you come looking for your father?"
"My daughter was on the verge of death when she was saved by Ge Lou. She was recovering from her injuries later..."
"Save you? He clearly killed you with poison! He even knocked me unconscious and didn't even leave me your body!" The general was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.
“No, Father!” Yan’er stopped him, then looked at Ge Lou, “You tell me.”
“Yan’er was on the verge of death at the time. I wanted to take her back to the clan to use a secret technique, but you kept stopping me, so I had no choice but to take you down…”
"Well, I still thought you were the one who killed Yan'er!"
“Father!” Yan’er said, “I went to the southern border to pick herbs for Mother. There was a herb on the cliff that was suitable for Mother. I accidentally fell off the cliff while picking it.”
Ge Lou continued, "I saw her slip and fall off the cliff and kindly went to save her. But I was too late. Who knew that you people from Southern Xinjiang were so delicate? She broke her skin with just a slight fall. I kindly used Gu worms to protect her heart meridian, but you, who arrived at the scene, mistook it for killing her and missed the best opportunity to save her. That's why she fell into a coma. I had no choice but to take her back to Southern Xinjiang for treatment."
"..." The general was speechless, then asked, "But all these years, why haven't you come back to see your father?"
"For the first two years, I was recovering from my injuries. After I recovered, I went back home, but you were all gone..."
"We thought that not long after you left, your mother would follow you, so your brother and I moved away from that heartbreaking place. Later, we both joined the army..." to avenge you.
Kill... the person next to you.
The general glanced at Ge Lou and had already noticed the unusual relationship between the two.
“He, he is my husband now,” Yan’er said shyly for a moment, but then quickly added, “He is very good to me and takes good care of me… Actually, his people didn’t want him to take me back with him at first. He almost risked his life to get me into their territory, not to mention the subsequent treatment…”
"..."
The general pursed his lips and remained silent. He was extremely grateful to his daughter's savior, but if the other party was from Miao territory, he really didn't want to thank him.
Yan'er noticed his awkwardness and changed the subject: "Where is your younger brother?"
"...He's just a lowly soldier, he's not qualified to come out. You'll see him when you go inside later."
Suddenly, one soldier threw himself on another soldier's shoulder, saying with emotion:
"I'm so touched, I've decided not to kill any Miao people today."
"..." You're being very presumptuous!
However, after Yan'er's interruption, the tension between them subsided, though they still disliked each other.
Zhao Jihua strode to the middle of the two sides, his gaze sweeping over every face, whether it was watching the show, feeling awkward, or angry.
"Listen to me, everyone. War only brings more death and suffering. Over the years, whether in Miao territory or southern Xinjiang, we have lost too much in the flames of war."
Look at the land around us, stained red with blood; look at our people, who have spent countless days and nights in sorrow. I know you all can't let go, but if we don't let go of our prejudices, are we going to continue to let our descendants repeat such hatred and slaughter?" Zhao Jihua's voice was filled with sorrow and helplessness.
The Ninth Prince continued, “Brothers of Miao territory, you have come with sincere intentions of submission, and we should welcome you with open arms. Our soldiers in the Southern Frontier should also put aside past hatreds and work together for future peace. Only through peaceful coexistence can we revitalize this land and ensure that our descendants no longer live in fear and suffering.”
Their words, like cool spring water, gradually extinguished the anger in each other's hearts.
The soldiers began to put down their weapons, and their expressions gradually changed from anger to contemplation.
Ultimately, through Zhao Jihua's efforts, both sides decided to put aside their hatred and work together towards a peaceful future.
The land of southern Xinjiang has welcomed back a long-awaited peace and hope.
As he listened, Pang Shuai realized what was happening and exclaimed in shock:
"This...you've really been subdued by the Southern Barbarians?"
Nangong nodded, and Zhao Jihua also nodded: "Yes!"
"Really?"
"real!"
"Oh! I thought you didn't know the way and had been kidnapped by the southern barbarians as hostages!"
"No, we've come here today to submit to the Azure Dragon Empire. Don't you know that?" Ge Lou was completely baffled.
"..."
Once everyone realized what was happening, the room erupted in laughter!
"Hahahaha..."
The group of people looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, slapping their thighs and rubbing their stomachs.
As they laughed, tears welled up in their eyes.
After that, they never fought each other again.
It can be considered that they've buried the hatchet with a smile.
It took Zhao Jihua and his companion a great deal of effort to explain the situation clearly. Afterwards, they added, "That's how it is. From now on, Miao territory is part of our country!"
No one could believe it!
"The Miao region was able to survive between several major empires thanks to its extraordinary Gu magic, which made no one dare to trespass. Did they just subdue them like that?"
"This...is it really that simple?"
"Who can argue with that! The southern barbarians who had plagued my southern border for thousands of years were subdued by those two in less than three days!"
"This is just...like children playing house."
"This is incredible! It's like divine soldiers descending from the heavens!"
"..."
The news that Miao Jiang had become part of the Azure Dragon Empire spread, along with the reputation of Zhao Jihua and his companion as "divine soldiers descended from the heavens."
As the saying goes, "Everyone looks beautiful standing under a cherry blossom tree, and everyone looks handsome with a filter."
With the blessing of divine soldiers descending from the sky, everyone quickly submitted to the two men.
That day, Zhou Qingyu, Pang Shuai, Nangong Jing, and Zhao Jihua sat together to discuss something.
Zhou Qingyu said with a heavy expression, "We are going to the capital tomorrow. I'm afraid... Although Miao territory has been incorporated into our country, these barbarians fear power but not morality. We must be on guard!"