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“Is that so? I will eagerly await that and hope you truly won’t disappoint me,” Su Yu remarked meaningfully.
“Of course,” the defending general replied as he and his deputy went out to inform the people about collecting provisions.
After Su Yu led his troops into the city, the people started anticipating when they would receive the provisions, and to their surprise, it happened sooner than expected. Despite the general’s assistance, the provisions were merely a drop in the bucket for them. Now with the arrival of the Prince, they finally had food. They just needed to get through this difficult time.
Regardless of what others thought, the common people were overjoyed.
On the Lu Empire side, after capturing the capital city, they captured the Qi Empire emperor, the crown prince, and the rest of the royal family. The emperor ultimately committed suicide, leaving the crown prince as a prisoner of Lu Empire.
“Your Highness, we’ve received the battle report from over there,” a Lu Empire general hurriedly brought the news to their prince.
After reading the report, the Lu Empire prince slammed his hand on the table fiercely, his expression dark and menacing.
Observing their prince’s visibly agitated state, the general beside him was surprised and asked, “Your Highness, is something wrong?”
The Lu Empire prince nodded with a grim expression, “Do the people of Qi Empire have a mental deficiency?”
“Mountain Sea City was also directly handed over to Xuan Empire by their defending general. Su Yu acquired Mountain Sea City without sparing a single soldier. It seems we might encounter difficulties if we plan to attack Xuan Empire,” the Lu Empire prince stated coldly.
The Lu Empire general looked shocked as he said, “Again? Wasn’t that general supposed to…”
“So what if it’s like this? Everyone knows the principle of choosing the right person for the job. Since the attack on Qi Empire, Su Yu’s strategies have been truly remarkable,” the prince continued. Su Yu had been distributing enough food to the people at each city they conquered, totaling nearly two million pounds of provisions during this period.
Even with high-yield crops, such a feat was challenging. Lu Empire couldn’t match this level of generosity, but Su Yu and Xuan Empire did.
“Your Highness, should we continue our attack?” the general inquired.
“How can we continue? We have been fighting for so long, and although our losses have not been significant, they are substantial. How can we face Xuan Empire’s well-prepared troops? Besides, my sources inform me that Luo Yan is by Su Yu’s side.”
Luo Yan?
That name sounds familiar, but it’s just not coming to mind right now.
“Luo Yan from the Luo family in Lu Empire, he developed a highly potent explosive. We’re unsure if he has brought it with him this time. Additionally, after fighting for so long, our food supplies are running low. Even though Lu Empire is wealthy, we don’t have enough food supplies,” the prince explained.
“We may need to pacify the people in the near future,” the general hesitated before speaking.
“Pacify the people?”
“The people in Qi Empire are running out of food, while the people in Xuan Empire have received ample provisions. If we don’t take action, the people might revolt. We haven’t firmly established our presence in these Qi Empire cities, so if the people rise up, we might not be able to handle it.”
They may have killed one commoner, but can they really slaughter thousands more?
If they resort to such extreme measures, those people might do anything, which would be disastrous for Lu Empire. The Lu Empire prince glanced at those around him and remarked, “I do want that, but you should be aware of how much food we have left.”
He knew how to handle such situations, but the contrast between their food supplies and what Su Yu possessed was stark. Su Yu likely had millions of pounds of provisions, which explained his bold actions.
The general fell silent. The prince was right; they were in no position to act in that manner.
Feeling frustrated, the general scratched his head, feeling troubled. Not helping the people risked their rebellion, yet supporting them would deplete their own food supplies.
“Perhaps things will improve next year. We’ll find another opportunity to attack Xuan Empire then.”
“Understood.”
Lu Empire now poses a formidable challenge for them, like a tough nut to crack. They feel powerless, unable to act while watching Su Yu just a wall away, knowing they can’t do much.
Moreover, they are still uncertain about what Su Yu truly holds in his arsenal. The mere presence of crossbows and bolts had already sent shivers down their spines.
Furthermore, those crossbows were capable of twenty consecutive shots.
Letting out a sigh, the general sensed that if they missed this opportunity, seizing Xuan Empire in the future would be much harder.
With a slightly furrowed brow, the general’s expression turned grim.
“Your Highness…”
“Inform the soldiers to rest and prepare to move towards the next city.”
“Understood.”
After capturing the next city, Lu Empire and Xuan Empire eventually became neighbors.
Su Yu showed no surprise upon hearing the news.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Su Yu, with a smile, responded to Su Jiu’s question, “I’m not thinking much, just find the leader of Lu Empire’s troops quite intriguing.”
“And with the cities they’ve acquired from Qi Empire, the people inside are struggling,” Su Yu added mischievously.
Startled, Su Jiu looked at Su Yu, suddenly realizing something, and asked in surprise, “Are you plotting something again?”
“Both from Qi Empire, our people here are temporarily free from food concerns, while the Qi Empire residents in Lu Empire are living a different life. Big brother, how long do you think they can hold on?” Su Yu asked casually, propping his chin.
The others exchanged glances, and one of them spoke up, “Your Highness, are you suggesting that Lu Empire might also provide food to their people like us?”
“They may have the intention, but lacking the capability,” Su Yu chuckled.
Su Jiu, looking at Su Yu’s smug expression, jokingly remarked, “Don’t be so cocky, or someone might use it against you later.”
“Even if Lu Empire tries to capture us, so what? After fighting for three to four months, they are running low on food supplies. Distributing to the people will be a mere afterthought for them, as they lack the ability to do so,” Su Yu explained playfully.
The onlookers exchanged glances, realizing that what the prince said made sense.
Lu Empire indeed seemed incapable of such actions, making the situation quite intriguing.
“When the people can’t hold on any longer, they might resort to direct action or even flee,” one of them suggested, likely heading towards Xuan Empire.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Yu casually remarked, “How simple is that? Just instruct someone to pay a visit to Lu Empire.”
“Brother Yu, have you come up with another interesting plan?” Luo Yan asked eagerly, looking at Su Yu.
“Send someone to inform the people there that once they come to Xuan Empire, they will receive provisions, access to high-yield crops, assistance in building houses here, and even land allocation,” Su Yu explained.