The Demon Lords

The Governor’s Mansion, we have arrived.

Entering the Governor’s Mansion, Lord Zheng did not have the Sword Saint enter first, as after all, if the Governor’s Mansion were unsafe at this time, it would mean the rebel forces have completely conquered Ying Capital City, which is clearly impossible.

Upon learning that Lord Zheng has returned, Governor Mao and Prince Cheng Situ Yu came to greet him proactively.

Having been benefited and his desires fulfilled, Lord Zheng naturally wouldn’t show any unpleasant demeanor. Not to mention anything else, just with Governor Mao’s earlier kneeling before him, he now had to maintain his dignity.

"Greetings to Prince Cheng, greetings to the Governor. Prince, Governor, please be assured that the rebels within the city have been mostly suppressed. Now, there is only a small clean-up left."

Situ Yu spoke, "Fortunately, we had Lord Pingye here, truly a blessing for Ying Capital City."

Governor Mao stroked his beard, nodding, "Indeed, if not for Lord Pingye being here, the Prince and I would definitely be overwhelmed with this chaos."

The three then entered the endorsement room together, where Lord Zheng explained the situation to both of them.

Of course, he certainly did not speak the truth.

"Therefore, Grand Tutor Sun can be considered loyal and dedicated to the nation," Governor Mao remarked emotionally.

Actually, at first, he didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe that Sun Youdao would do such a thing because he felt Sun Youdao’s awareness was not that low.

The awareness here does not refer to loyalty to Yan, but another form of national sentiment.

In Mao Mingcai’s view, Sun Youdao merely watched from the sidelines; there was truly no need to have his eldest son engage in internal and external collaboration.

For what purpose?

You should know that back then, the Emperor issued an edict wanting him to serve in Yanjing, but the person refused citing old age and frailty.

Old age and frailty, as everyone knew, was just something said officially.

To put it plainly, he still did not wish to serve Yan.

But everyone could understand that if he did not want to do it, he simply wouldn’t. The Emperor and the court did not trouble the person.

But the fact that he did not wish to serve in Yanjing and then turned around to contact Lord Pingye for collaboration internally and externally,

What was he doing?

Of course, these words could not be uttered by Mao Mingcai as it was forbidden.

You can’t say it’s wrong for someone to be loyal to Yan.

Moreover, with Lord Zheng’s prior strategic steps, preemptive judgments, and handling that was flawless, Mao Mingcai also believed that someone had previously tipped off Lord Zheng and prepared for internal and external coordination.

Emotionally, it was somewhat incomprehensible, but rationally, he had already accepted this reality.

After listening to these words, Situ Yu’s eyes flickered with a hint of dark emotion, which he quickly hid.

His position was indeed awkward.

As Situ Lei’s son, did he wish to restore his father’s former glory? Restore the Situ Family’s dominance in eastern Jin?

The answer was certainly yes.

But firstly, he was aware of the vast power of the Yan people, their strong soldiers and horses, while on his side, there was clearly insufficient strength. Even the few formidable Jin armies left by his father had long been forcefully reorganized and transferred to the Fengxin City frontline by Lord Jingnan.

Secondly, he was unwilling to part with his current life.

Situ Lei’s dying effort preserved Ying Capital City, and an edict of internal subjugation to Yan earned Situ Yu a Yan hereditary princely title.

Although he couldn’t claim sole sovereignty, it was enough to ensure wealth and prosperity for his descendants for generations.

Yet, upon learning from Lord Zheng about Sun Youdao’s "actions," Situ Yu couldn’t help but harbor resentment.

Because he knew, if the rebels succeeded, they would certainly support him as Emperor.

Fortunately, the Sword Saint did not enter the endorsement room. When Lord Zheng was in a perfectly safe environment, he could freely move about, otherwise the Sword Saint might quickly find the reference point the Wild King had spoken to him about here.

"So, Master Mao, Prince, I think there are three things we need to do now.

First, Master Mao, using the Ying Capital Prefect Order, requisition another force to safeguard Ying Capital."

The recruited troops would naturally be the Yan Army, and there’s an unspoken agreement that the Jin army from the northern and southern camps outside the city would need to be relocated somewhat.

The place of Ying Capital is simply too important, and it is best kept firmly in Yan hands.

Mao Mingcai nodded.

"Second, Master, please open the treasury at once, and likewise, Prince, open some of your Royal Mansion’s treasury. This time, it’s the pacification within the city, with the army having entered the city, and the rebellion being suppressed, the troops should be rewarded promptly.

The troops who entered the city for pacification, and the soldiers from the West Gate camp, naturally need to be well rewarded, and likewise, those from the northern and southern camps also need consolation, as it is at this time that their morale is most unsteady. Moreover, the swift suppression of this rebellion largely depends on the stability of the northern and southern camps.

Additionally, timely rewards can stabilize the troops; otherwise, I’m worried it could harm the city’s citizens."

The Yan Army has strict military discipline here, referring to discipline in warfare, but the daily discipline is not flattering, and once soldiers get caught up in the carnage, it is normal to start burning, killing, and looting once the rebels are eliminated.

The many historical precedents of massacres following prolonged sieges are also due to the extreme anxiety and tension in the soldiers’ spirits; once they enter the city, rage needs to be vented, and a commander won’t be able to stop it, lest the soldiers mutiny in minutes.

One reason the court wishes to reclaim local governance is precisely because military leaders governing places are truly not friendly to local citizens.