"I’m glad you know." He Lianfang glanced at the map of the Lingnan region with meaningful expression and said, "Lingnan is indeed a good place."
Zhao Yao looked at the Lingnan on the map, nodded in agreement, and said, "It truly is a good place."
He Lianfang asked, "What do you plan to do next?" Get full chapters from ⓝovelFire.net
Zhao Yao’s fingers gently tapped on the map of the Lingnan region, a habitual gesture he made when deep in thought.
Seeing Zhao Yao lost in thought, He Lianfang remained silent, not interrupting him.
Zhao Yao withdrew his fingers, lowered his head to look at the letters sent from Lingnan, and his eyes hardened instantly.
"Second Uncle, you mentioned earlier that the people over in Lingnan are very tough. If we recruit them, they would make a formidable army."
He Lianfang nodded slightly and said, "That’s right." He looked at Zhao Yao with interest, "Do you want to recruit them?"
"I can’t go to Lingnan right now, so I can’t personally recruit them." Zhao Yao squinted, a deep gleam in his eyes, "However, we can start by recruiting some people in advance."
He Lianfang asked, "How do you plan to do that?"
"Second Uncle, Lingnan has been a place of exile since ancient times. Those who are exiled there are no ordinary people. I want to start by recruiting them." After all, exile is a severe punishment; those sentenced to exile are not simple people.
Upon hearing Zhao Yao’s words, He Lianfang instantly understood his intention.
"You want to recruit the descendants of these criminals."
Zhao Yao nodded and said, "Exactly, and among these criminals, there are surely soldiers. As far as I know, the famous military family of the previous dynasty, the Lin Family, was exiled to Lingnan."
Upon hearing this, He Lianfang raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "You want to take in the Lin Family?"
Zhao Yao nodded and said, "Yes, the Lin Family has been in Lingnan for several generations now. They are thoroughly familiar with the situation there." Sending his own people to Lingnan would take a long time for them to become familiar, whereas the Lin Family could take action immediately.
He Lianfang interrupted Zhao Yao’s words, "Are you so sure the Lin Family is still alive? All the Lin men were executed back then, leaving only the elderly, women, and a few children. Even if they were lucky enough to reach Lingnan, survival was not guaranteed."
"No, the Lin Family will definitely survive."
Seeing Zhao Yao’s determined statement, He Lianfang asked with interest, "Why are you so sure the Lin Family could survive?"
"The Lin Family has been a military family for centuries, always protecting the people, yet they were coveted by the previous dynasty’s emperor, leading to a tragic end." Because Zhao Yao had previously investigated He Lianfang’s matters, he had also looked into the famous generals of the previous dynasty, "Had it not been for the plea of Prime Minister Jiang, the Lin Family might have been entirely wiped out."
"The slanders and humiliation the Lin Family suffered would drive them to survive out of sheer determination. During the chaos of the previous dynasty, I guess there must have been those who returned to the Central Plains to take revenge on the Royal Family." The deep-seated vendetta made it impossible for the descendants of the Lin Family not to seek revenge.
"Moreover, when grandfather founded the nation, he made a point of clearing the stigma on the Lin Family. Of course, there were others too."
When the late emperor ascended the throne, he exonerated those who had been falsely accused in the previous dynasty, restoring their innocence. However, he did not exonerate the Pei Family.
During the previous dynasty, the reputation of the Pei Family was not good, and they committed many misdeeds. Although the Pei Family was accused of rebellion, the late emperor believed they brought it upon themselves.
"The descendants of the Lin Family surely cooperated with my grandfather and his cohort and were surely invited to return to the Central Plains to serve the Great Zhou. But the Lin Family probably refused."
He Lianfang hadn’t expected Zhao Yao to guess everything accurately, which surprised him a little.
"That’s indeed the case. I have met the Lin Family’s members and fought alongside them."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yao’s eyes suddenly lit up. He curiously asked, "Second Uncle, what do you think of the Lin Family people?"
"As expected of descendants from a centennial military family." For He Lianfang to say so, the Lin Family’s descendants must indeed be formidable. "Do you know why the Lin Family descendants are unwilling to serve the Great Zhou?"
"Second Uncle, you’re mistaken. It’s not that the Lin Family’s descendants aren’t willing to serve the Great Zhou; they are unwilling to serve the Imperial Family." Zhao Yao said, "The Lin Family was loyal to the Royal Family of the previous dynasty, always diligently safeguarding it, yet they almost faced annihilation. Anyone in their shoes would feel disheartened. After avenging themselves, it’s normal they would refuse to serve the Imperial Family."
"Since you know this, do you still plan to invite the Lin Family to serve you? Do you think you will succeed?"