"That is the Heavenly Strategy General."
"A natural born killer, and how old is he this year? Just a teenager, yet he can ride a horse and kill during autumn hunts, and dared to lead five hundred heavy cavalry into the palace and draw blades against the nobles."
"This person’s notorious reputation has spread far and wide."
"Moreover, Li Guanyi himself possesses great martial skills. Although he only commands a thousand men, they are the most formidable heavy armored cavalry; we are merely at a border city within Daying, how could we withstand such fierce individuals?"
"But if we let him pass..."
Shao Junlie’s face turned somewhat unsightly.
As Breaking Army said, there are many internal problems within Ying Country, suppressed only because the Great Emperor Jiang Wanxiang’s grand vision leads Daying Kingdom in constant expansion, bringing benefits apparent to both civil and military officials.
However, these many benefits have little to do with the common people.
Thus, Ying Country seems prosperous on the surface, but actually has layered problems. The contradictions between civil and military officials are suppressed by Jiang Wanxiang and Jiang Su, and the various issues among the civilians are suppressed by the bureaucrats and aristocratic families.
In the past, there was no choice but to bow down and, like an old ox plowing the field, silently endure.
Yet as Li Guanyi charged through, his fame and prestige grew, effectively providing those who previously could only bow down and serve like beasts with a second path. How could these people remain subdued?
Shao Junlie paced back and forth, saying:
"Letting him go is no good, and not letting him go is also no good; what should we do?"
His staff thought for a moment, then answered: "It’s said that Sword Madman Murong Longtu has long left the martial world, with no one knowing his whereabouts, and his inner strength was shattered in the last battle. While Li Guanyi is strong, he is still just one man. We can set a scheme to entrap him."
"Then, we’ll host him with a banquet, and when he arrives, ambush him with elite soldiers."
"At the midpoint of the banquet, smash a cup as a signal and capture him!"
"You mean to imitate the banquet of the Red Emperor and the Overlord from eight hundred years ago?"
The staff confidently replied: "Even though Li Guanyi has taken the Chi Xiao Sword, he may not be able to escape from such a situation like the Red Emperor did."
Shao Junlie said: "Could we really capture someone with Li Guanyi’s martial skills? Even if we did capture him, he still commands a thousand heavy cavalry." The staff, named Liang Yunxiu and also from an aristocratic family, replied:
"Renowned generals are still mere mortals if they are not grandmasters. I have karmic ties with a famous grandmaster who is willing to lend a hand once. In single combat, with Eighth Layer Heaven’s cultivation, capturing Li Guanyi is not an issue."
"Besides, a thousand heavy cavalry are adept at fighting outside; we’re not stupid like Yan Baotai. By keeping the gates closed and waiting for reinforcements, a thousand heavy cavalry can’t break through this city."
Shao Junlie was still hesitant.
Liang Yunxiu persuaded: "If we let Li Guanyi go today, can we control the city’s populace, prevent the nearby townspeople and villagers from joining Li Guanyi?"
"When His Majesty sends officials to inspect the population, won’t mismatches lead to our demotion and possibly accusations of dereliction, tarnishing our names and even implicating our families?"
"One option is to risk failure, yet only one person dies, and the family can still raise the wife and children; the other option is to implicate the family—does there really need to be a choice?"
They were local officials, thus they understood better.
When Li Guanyi’s group arrived, the local populace had already started to waver.
Especially those landless citizens, who were stirred up by unknown people speaking about the Qilin Army, and upon hearing the benefits of joining them, they all wanted to leave.
What were these spies doing?
Shao Junlie recalled.
They said the Qilin Army provided food, land, and even opened private schools for common-born civilians’ children, teaching them to read, write, and practice martial arts, telling this even to the families of the city guards.
These spies essentially recounted all the Qilin Army’s deeds.
The guards returned to the city and, while dining with their parents, were told, "Son, it seems the Qilin Army offers land."
Some guards even began to resign.
Thinking of this, a fire raged in Shao Junlie’s heart.
Although Jiang Wanxiang’s policies were considered modest, compared to the Eighteen States of Jiangnan, where the treatment of civilians seemed even better, despite occupying this position, he could only bitterly say: "Despicable, deceitful!"
"What base scoundrels."
"To think they rely on these meager favors to win over these people."
"Li Guanyi, and those mud legs, Li Guanyi himself is the son of the Taiping Duke, and could have been part of our esteemed families, yet he sides with these commoners, moreover, with these civilians."
"Our aristocratic families provide them food, clothing, protect their land, and exempt them from corvee labor, they ought to work for the aristocracy; without us, how could they survive?"
"Without us, they can’t even pay their taxes."
"Not to mention, during festivals, we gift them meat, and at eighty, they don’t have to work anymore, they can even drink and eat meat each New Year."