NOVEL FROG Chapter 21
The surprise attack in Xuzhou City.
With Cheng Lian being beheaded in public by Cao Jian, it soon came to an end.
After an inventory after the battle:
Cao's army lost more than 500 men; more than 1,500 enemy soldiers in the city were beheaded, and 1,203 soldiers surrendered! As for the surplus food in the city, it was piled up like a mountain, too numerous to count! According to a rough estimate, it can at least provide food for 5,000 soldiers and horses for several years!
Faced with such a huge harvest, everyone was naturally very happy.
The only tricky problem is: what should be done with these more than 1,000 surrendered soldiers?
Le Jin, a ruthless guy who doesn't talk much, rarely took the initiative to express his opinion this time.
Unexpectedly, he let Cao Jian borrow a step to talk, then leaned next to him and whispered in his ear:
"Second Master! Not all of these more than a thousand surrendered soldiers are sincere. What if someone is plotting something bad and sneaking in among them, and then taking the opportunity to start a rebellion?
Then the Xuzhou City that we have captured with great difficulty will be in jeopardy!"
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, we should kill them all to avoid endless troubles.……"
After hearing this, Cao Jian smiled calmly and replied in a low voice:
"If we follow the conventional method and disrupt them all and disperse them into our ranks, will it be possible to eat them?"
Le Jin said without hesitation:
"Reply to Second Young Master! I have also done some calculations on this approach.
We don't have many people this time. If we include them, then almost one out of every four soldiers will surrender!
In this way, we can't suppress them absolutely, and it's quite difficult to control them!
I am worried that it might be a bit forced.……"
After hearing this, Cao Jian nodded approvingly.
"General Wen Qian, you are right!"
"However, so many surrendered soldiers are just right to make up for our losses.
If they can be used, it will be a great help!
Killing them all would be a pity...
Besides, I heard that there is a saying in the army: killing surrendered soldiers for no reason is bad luck!
I wonder if this is true?"
After hearing this, Le Jin immediately looked embarrassed:
"Sir, you are right!
There is indeed such a saying!"
"But, if we don't kill them?
If that doesn't work, we can only detain them temporarily, and then disperse and recruit them after our army gathers together.……"
After hearing this, Cao Jian thought for a moment and had a better idea. He couldn't help but said with a smile:
"No problem! I'll take care of this matter myself!"
After discussing it secretly, Cao Jian turned back to the formation, smiled and bowed to Chen Deng:
"Mr. Yuanlong! You have made an invaluable contribution to the capture of the city this time!
I will tell my father about this later and report it to the emperor to reward him according to his merits!"
After that, he smiled and continued:
"I heard that you have made a lot of achievements in Guangling County, and the people under your rule live and work in peace and contentment!
Now Xuzhou City is in a mess, and I hope that you, Mr. Yuanlong, will have pity on the suffering of the people in the city!
How about temporarily taking over the peace of the people and handling the post-war affairs?"
When Chen Deng heard this, he immediately expressed his opinion:
"What virtue and ability do I have to be so highly regarded by you? Since you have given me the order, how dare I not fight to the death to serve you?"
Cao Jian smiled and nodded, then he went with the flow and pointed to the more than a thousand surrendered soldiers beside him and said:
"There are also so many soldiers who were unfortunately captured. Please help us arrange their disposal!"
"I believe that with your ability and understanding of Xuzhou, you will be able to see through everything!
When the time comes, please select soldiers with clean family backgrounds and good behavior and recruit them into the army; as for those who pretend to surrender, or those with unknown origins, or those who have committed crimes, they will be severely punished to avoid leaving behind disasters.……"
After hearing this, Chen Deng's heart skipped a beat:
"This second young master is really not simple!"
"It seems like he is praising me in public, but in fact, isn't it just pointing out that he let me into the city?
In this way, I am completely placed in opposition to the existing forces in the city!
In this way, even if I want to help, it is impossible!"
"In this situation, you still let me handle the surrendered soldiers?
Aren't you afraid that I won't do my best to find out the soldiers with evil intentions among them?"
After secretly complaining, Chen Deng couldn't help but secretly look up to Cao Jian again.
Immediately, he hurriedly expressed his position again in public:
"Don't worry, Second Young Master! This matter is up to Chen Deng!"
Le Jin watched silently on the side: after a simple thought, he quickly figured out the key!
"Second Young Master, you are really smart!"
"Such means are far beyond our reach.……"
After everyone secretly admired him, they soon started to get busy.
Without Cao Jian's instructions, they began to take care of the post-war affairs...
Only then did Cao Jian finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Then someone's true nature began to show!
After dismissing his attendants, he smiled meaningfully and asked Le Jin:
"Have you found the family members that Lü Bu left in the city, as well as Mrs. Du?"
Big discount for reading during Dragon Boat Festival! Top up 100 and get 500 VIP points!
Top up now (Event time: June 22 to June 24)