On December 22, Chen Jian came to the vicinity of Xia Cheng. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Some riders and officials from Chen Jian's family who had arrived from the wolfskin fiefdom entered Xia City first to take over everything and maintain order.

In the wind and snow, a sharp whistle sounded, followed by several vigilant riders galloping in.

"Ji Xia, the white horse of Yangguan is here."

"How many?"

"A dozen."

While speaking, at a distance from Jian Chen, several people jumped off their horses and came to Chen Jianjian's side with a respectful attitude.

The leader is the white horse who has been stationed near Yangguan to plunder and defend the grassland, dressed in white fur, luxurious and tall.

After approaching Jian Chen, the white horse bowed and said, "I'm guilty." ”

Chen Jianqi said: "What is your sin? ”

"There was civil strife in Xia City, but no one told me what to do, and I was stupid and couldn't tell right from wrong."

"In July, there was chaos in Xiacheng, and some people fled to Yangguan to cry, but I knew that I was stupid, and I still followed Ji Xia's teachings and went to the grassland to plunder. Because this is what Ji Xia told me a long time ago, it must be the right thing to do. It's the only thing I've been able to know for sure in the chaos that is right and wrong. ”

"But it was precisely because of the troops and plundering that those betrayers controlled the city, so that such a big change happened in Xia City."

"Now Xia City is in ruins, this is all caused by my stupidity, please forgive Ji Xia. If I hadn't been stupid and had distinguished right from wrong earlier, I would have driven them out even if I had fought for my life. ”

Jian Chen sighed, held the hand of the white horse and said, "Where is your sin?" You're doing it right. Before that, who knew that Xia Cheng would become like this? You are guarding Yangguan precisely to prevent the grassland tribes from becoming strong, if one day they attack Xia City, where can it be compared to the current misery? ”

really relieved a few words, and Jian Chen was very satisfied. Of course, he guessed the wishes of those people, and also heard the reactions of various cities and forces after the rumors of his death in July and August, and the fact that Hakuba was able to suppress the desire in his heart and continue to go north to the grassland instead of returning to Xia City has proved his loyalty.

He was sure that when Bai Ma returned to Xia City, he would become a very important force in Xia City, because his prestige and strength in the Yangguan generation over the years were extremely high.

But this is also the cleverness of Bai Ma, he knows that his foundation in Xia Cheng is too shallow, even if Jian Chen is really dead, how can he fight those conspirators when he returns to Xia Cheng, so he simply continues to go north to plunder and not participate in the distribution of interests in Xia Cheng, just to be stable in Yangguan.

After the advent of dirty politics, never count on a person's infinite loyalty, only a certain amount of loyalty is sufficient. A truly smart person knows how to make trade-offs, and such a person Chen Jian is also very relieved, Bai Ma only came here with a dozen retinues to prove his attitude.

Whether it is the Acropolis of Echeng, after hearing the news that he died in Dongyi, he will inevitably start to contact the conspirators of Xia Cheng, which is understandable, and it has nothing to do with betrayal, so there is no need to pursue it, otherwise it will only give birth to mustard.

If they are alive, they will come to the alliance, and that is enough. They died, and they didn't carve up the weak Xia City in the first place, which was enough to show that they could become their important allies.

Bai Ma was naturally not an ally, nor was he qualified to become an ally, he was only a part of the Xia City system, so Jian Chen gave the order in the name of the leader.

"The rebels fled north, and the army came from Yucheng exhausted all the way, and there were not many riders. You quickly return to Yangguan, gather your riders in pursuit, and kill if you resist. See you in Xiacheng. ”

The white horse took the order, and the army continued to move forward, finally returning to the summer city that had calmed down.

Outside the old city wall, thousands of people outside the city wall knelt on the ground in unison, and cried loudly after seeing Chen Jian.

What caught Jian Jian's eyes was a ruin, full of corpses, blood, heads, gallows, frozen corpses.

Burned houses, dead cows and horses, frightened women and children...... All this in the cold wind, shattered the last bit of sanity of the countrymen who followed Chen Jian back, and wept with those who stayed in Xia City in disregard of the military order.

This is their home, the place where their dreams began, and the place where many people look forward to the end of their lives, but now it has become what it is.

Chen Jian stepped on the chariot, facing the restless crowd and angry soldiers, and shouted, "A few days ago...... Just a few days ago, the envoys sent by those betrayers consulted with me, asking me to spare them for the sake of the clan, and let them go to the fiefdom with those who were willing to follow them, and never return to Xia City, so that all this is over. ”

"But I didn't say yes. Why didn't you say yes? Tribesmen, people, look around you, look all this...... They ruined everything, ruined the summer city, but tried in vain to continue their good life in the fiefdom without any punishment, just a light sentence that they would never betray again, and they delusionally thought that they could escape everything. In the case of you, did you agree? ”

Thousands of people shouted that they would not agree, and many more shouted that they would now go north and arrest them all and put them to death.

Jian Chen suppressed the chaos of everyone and shouted: "I know, you think the rules are a bit strict, but seeing all this, don't you understand?" Who does the rule protect? ”

"When there are no rules, whoever has more land and more slaves can decide everything, because whoever can kill is the rule."

"They may deceive you by saying that I am the only one who is against it. But in reality, they are against the rules, against the rules that bind their hands and feet, and prevent them from acting recklessly. ”

"Now that I'm back, you trust me and are willing to respect me as your leader, so what kind of summer city do you want?"

"A Xia City where there are no rules, everything is subject to the decisions and manipulation of the clans, and the clans kill each other?"

"Or is it a Xia City with rules, all clans are nationals, and the leaders are under the jurisdiction of the officials of the Six Divisions?"

"Now, I want your answer. Tell me, which one do you want? ”

The people of Xiacheng, who had experienced chaos and vendetta, looked at the ruined city, reminisced about the chaos and horror before, and made their own choice, which was also a choice that satisfied Jian Chen.

It's just that this choice means that Xia Cheng's blood will continue to flow, I'm afraid.

It is thought that those who conspire according to the rules have only one way to die, and those who follow the conspirators to make trouble, or those who are involved in it for their own interests, are also certain to die, and there is no room for return.

Maybe others hadn't thought about what all this meant, but Hongyu, who followed Jian Chen back to Xia City, understood.

Even she was a little uneasy at this time.

It's not that I'm soft-hearted and afraid of bloodshed, but I'm just worried that this kind of killing will attract everyone's dissatisfaction, after all, there will always be some notoriety left behind by relatives.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she quietly found Jian Chen and asked, "Is the blood still going to flow?" ”

Jian Chen was silent for a long time, and finally nodded.

"Maybe it's better to let them flee somewhere else? They won't and won't dare to come back, and they can make their own of themselves elsewhere. Maybe exile is better? After all, it's still a blood kinship, isn't this what you often say about kinship standing first? ”

Jian Chen shook his head and said, "Sometimes, the bloodline may not be reliable, and there is really a day when an alien invasion of Xia City is made, those who flee will definitely be at the forefront. ”

"Since they are all relatives, then it's a simple arithmetic problem, no one is more noble than the other, as long as the number is good, the numbers will not deceive."

"Kill these hundreds, and the city can gain the trust of thousands. Isn't the gathering of these thousands more than the place that those few hundred can occupy? Why should I let go of these hundreds and lose the trust of thousands? ”

"In the future, something new will emerge, and Xia City is just one of them. I'm going to be the leader of this new thing, not the leader of the clans in Xia City; I want to be the leader of tens of thousands of ethnic groups in Xia, Yu, Xinhua, Yangguan, Heyin, Shang, Wei, Feng, Fugitive Slaves, etc., not the leader of the thousands of people in the old Xia City. ”

Redfish was slightly stunned and asked, "What the hell is this?" ”

"Country."