dognovel Chapter 872 Another Layer of Identity
Chapter 872 Another Layer of Identity
"Didn't you already guess the answer? Why should I go through all this trouble?" Zhang Yuelu regained her usual composure, trying to keep her gratitude towards Lin Ping buried deep in her heart.
Lin Ping's voice turned serious. "If I'm not mistaken, the reason why there are large areas of land in Weinan City that are not being cultivated is not because of crop rotation, but because there simply aren't enough men here."
With his keen observation skills, Lin Ping could easily see that there were very few men in the city.
Zhang Yuelu cast an approving glance, which vanished in an instant; such observational ability was not enough to shock her.
"Then tell me, why is there a lack of men in the city?" Zhang Yuelu asked.
"Because the empire is conscripting soldiers on a massive scale! Almost all the men here have joined the army!" Lin Ping said in a startling statement.
These words immediately made Zhang Yuelu lose her composure. She stared at Lin Ping with astonished eyes, wishing she could pry open his head to see what was inside. His intelligence was simply amazing.
“First, Weinan City is located in the heart of the country and will not suffer from the calamities of war. Second, there is no shortage of elderly people and children here, indicating that it is not caused by an epidemic. All signs indicate that the men here were deliberately taken away, and only imperial conscription could have accomplished this,” Lin Ping explained his analysis.
Zhang Yuelu was inwardly full of admiration, but her face remained cold. "Then do you know why we're recruiting soldiers on such a large scale here?"
In the era of cold weapons, a major war often involved hundreds of thousands of people, and conscription was a major reason for population decline.
Intelligent people would arrive at the same answer as Lin Ping.
However, the next problem significantly increased the difficulty. Did the massive conscription need a reason? It was simply because the empire's military strength could no longer satisfy the emperor's ever-expanding dream of unification.
"Because of your identity!" Lin Ping said decisively.
“Little brother, you are far too confident. Your sister’s identity is well hidden and she could not possibly bring such a disaster to Weinan City.”
All signs indicate that Zhang Yuelu loves the people here and will never allow Lin Ping to pin the blame on her.
"You really hid it well? Then how did Xiaomei know you were a princess?" Lin Ping countered.
Zhang Yuelu then realized that Lin Ping was referring to her status as a princess, not as the Holy Maiden of the Vermilion Bird Sect.
“As the Holy Maiden of the Vermilion Bird Sect, I am indeed ruthless in killing, but as a princess, I will not harm anyone,” Zhang Yuelu retorted.
Lin Ping shook his head: "You didn't kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of you."
"Because you are a princess, your father is the city lord, and the emperor has always wanted to take back the city lord's fiefdom." When it comes to reverse thinking, Lin Ping was truly the best at the time.
This is the same reason why his father's surname is Chen, just because his name is Lin Ping.
“But Father has already handed over the fiefdom and disbanded the private army,” Zhang Yuelu argued.
Just as Lin Ping guessed, Zhang Yuelu's father was the kind of city lord who compromised, which destined him to a tragic fate.
"Is it enough for you to hand over your fiefdom and disband your private army?" Lin Ping continued, "You still have the impregnable city lord's mansion and the ability to rally the people with a single call. Only by completely eliminating the military households here can the emperor feel at ease."
"Father should never have submitted to the imperial court!" Zhang Yuelu clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails almost dug into her flesh.
She was still young when the city lord submitted to the imperial court, and her words carried little weight, but she knew that everything changed from that moment on.
After surrendering the fiefdom, the emperor immediately dispatched a county magistrate, whose real power surpassed that of the city lord. Not long after, the court conscripted soldiers, including the two thousand private troops originally belonging to the city lord's mansion.
This was just the beginning of a nightmare. In the following years, the imperial court would conscript soldiers every two years, and the number of soldiers would increase and the age of the soldiers would decrease.
Over time, Weinan City has suffered from a severe labor shortage, which has led to the current situation.
"If we don't submit, I'm afraid the city lord's city will have already been razed to the ground," Lin Ping said mercilessly.
Zhang Yuelu had to admit that Lin Ping was right. How could the city lord's two thousand private soldiers possibly stand up to the empire's massive army of hundreds of thousands?
This is tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot, courting its own destruction.
"I must avenge this!" Zhang Yuelu said coldly.
"Revenge? Who is your enemy?" Lin Ping asked sarcastically.
“Naturally, it’s the current emperor. If he weren’t so incompetent and tyrannical, he wouldn’t have brought such a huge disaster to Weinan City,” Zhang Yuelu said resentfully.
"On the contrary, the current emperor is not incompetent at all. If it were me, I would do the same. Only by swallowing up the city lords and city lords within the country can we fight against external enemies without worrying about our rear, and thus achieve the goal of great unification."
This wasn't the first time Lin Ping had encountered something like this; it was exactly the same thing the King of Wu had done.
The reason why the lord of Huai'an City was able to escape was because he had sufficient troops and Lin Ping's help.
The lord of Weinan was different; his private army numbered only two thousand, and the enemy he faced was the emperor. Without the help of a genius like Lin Ping, he could only surrender.
To be honest, the fact that the city lord's mansion has existed for over a hundred years is already a testament to the emperor's benevolence.
"A despicable scoundrel who will stop at nothing to achieve his own selfish desires!" Zhang Yuelu glared at Lin Ping, already regarding him as an enemy on par with the emperor.
"Every man for himself, and I am indeed that kind of person," Lin Ping said without any hesitation.
He never aspired to be a saint, and thus had a very objective self-assessment.
Zhang Yuelu didn't want to talk to Lin Ping anymore and walked straight into the main city.
With the disbandment of the private army, this place is now unguarded. If it weren't for the towering city walls, no one would guess that this was once the main city.
The main city had long been part of Weinan City, under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate. The situation inside was exactly the same as outside, with begging sounds filling both sides of the road.
When begging becomes a common practice, it loses its original value, and there are no wealthy people with the ability to give alms here.
Before long, the three large characters "City Lord's Mansion" came into Lin Ping's view.
Judging from the imposing grandeur of the mansion, Lin Ping was certain that it had once been glorious.
"Such a big house, the monthly expenses must be quite a lot," Lin Ping muttered to himself, shaking his head.
According to Lin Ping's understanding, even if the city lord surrendered voluntarily, he wouldn't receive much benefit; his monthly salary would definitely not be enough to support such a large mansion.
"Even if it costs me my life, I will not let the City Lord's Mansion fail to survive." Zhang Yuelu swore softly, her eyes filled with determination.
Upon seeing Zhang Yuelu, the only gatekeeper was overjoyed and shouted with excitement.
"It seems you've really hidden your other identity very well," Lin Ping said meaningfully in Zhang Yuelu's ear.
"If you dare utter a single word, believe me, I'll tear you to pieces," Zhang Yuelu threatened coldly.