The matters of Dongyi City remained complex and sensitive; the sudden transformation into subjects of Qing Kingdom was not something everyone could accept. Merchants were indeed profit-driven, and prostitutes truly fickle, but even those in merchant houses and brothels found it difficult to adapt immediately. This was different from doing business; ripping off unfamiliar customers was one thing, but the power to control one's own life was best left in the hands of acquaintances. It was also unlike serving customers in a brothel; despite their experiences with many men, the girls secretly hoped for lifelong devotion.

Especially in the vassal states controlled by Dongyi City, uneasy undercurrents were already brewing. The Song Kingdom, near Yanjing, was somewhat better, as its nobles and officials had long been accustomed to the power of the Yanjing armies and lacked any will to resist. But other small kingdoms, not bordering Southern Qing, naturally began to do things in secret, fearing the loss of their nominal power and luxury, and the prospect of becoming insignificant hostages in the capital of Southern Qing.

These small vassal states were not powerful, so they chose more obscure methods, stirring up undercurrents among the people, sprinkling spices on the emotions of the Dongyi populace. In just half a month, protests had become more intense and frequent than before.

All of this was within Fan Xian's expectations. Peaceful acceptance of Dongyi City was never going to be a small matter completed overnight; it was the biggest event to happen in the world in twenty years.

The Eighth Bureau of the Supervisory Council had prepared a large number of civil officials in advance, entering Dongyi City in batches, cooperating with the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) and the City Lord's Mansion to launch wave after wave of propaganda offensives. Coupled with the assistance of spies and bought-off traitors in various countries, and the favorable actions of the Dongyi City side, propaganda about peace, non-war, and co-prosperity unfolded in a grand manner.

Suppressing protests in various regions, and preventing them from turning into uncontrollable civil unrest, required Dongyi City to act on its own. Fan Xian did not want the Qing Kingdom's state machinery to enter Dongyi City too early. If blood were spilled, the hatred in the hearts of the Dongyi people would deepen, and the situation would become uncontrollable.

Three groups of insurgents had already been suppressed, though these were no more than bandits numbering in the hundreds. Of the Twelve Disciples of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), ten had been sent by Fan Xian into the mountains and forests of these small countries, responsible for suppression and explanation. As for the results, Fan Xian was waiting for feedback.

Due to the unstable situation and the natural rebellious psychology of the Dongyi people, some powerful merchant houses within the city also began to become uneasy. Faced with this trend, Fan Xian directly joined forces with Li Bohua, the Second Disciple of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), using the dual pressure of the Taiping Bank and the Internal Treasury to directly deter all merchants from making any moves.

At the same time, Fan Xian and the delegation jointly sent seventeen urgent memorials to the capital, seeking instructions from His Majesty the Emperor. He also inquired in a secret memorial whether the arrangements for the hostages from the vassal states could be lowered by a level, to avoid forcing those princes to desperate measures.

Conquering a territory was not something that could be accomplished by signing a piece of paper. The key was to win over the hearts and minds of the people on that territory, which would inevitably take years, even decades, or centuries.

Fan Xian was not in a hurry, but he was worried that His Majesty the Emperor was too anxious. For him, the goal was to satisfy His Majesty the Emperor while ensuring that the people of Dongyi City could accept the situation, without Qing Kingdom's iron cavalry having to march all the way from Yanjing. It was like a tightrope walk, with empty space on both sides, demanding the utmost caution.

……

……

Conquest required a propaganda offensive, winning hearts and minds, giving the Dongyi people an excuse to convince themselves, requiring Fan Xian to work tirelessly on all matters, requiring him, as a powerful minister of Qing Kingdom and the master of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), to constantly meet with the great merchants and powerful local figures from all over Dongyi City, giving them assurances to set their minds at ease.

This was a very tiring thing. The handsome face of Fan Xian finally had its beauty slightly marred by dark circles under his eyes, and his complexion paled. He was exhausted, but every time he thought that he was saving hundreds of thousands of lives, a sense of martyrdom would awaken him.

Besides all the above, conquest actually required a strong and irresistible force. Only with such a foundation could the people of Dongyi City passively, forced and humiliated, accept being annexed by Qing Kingdom.

So, when the situation in Dongyi City had calmed down a little, the iron cavalry of Southern Qing began to move towards Dongyi City, like dark clouds crushing a mountain, unstoppable.

This was also His Majesty the Emperor's bottom line. If Qing Kingdom did not station troops in Dongyi City, what kind of conquest would that be?

The season was now high summer. The scorching sun shone fiercely in the sky, turning the feeling of Dongyi City's bitter little wives into panting pain, driving away all the rainy weather that had followed the departure of Dongyi City's Grandmaster, leaving only a sea of light.

The Northern Qi delegation had already left. What many people found strange was that although the people of Northern Qi were clearly shocked and angered by Southern Qing's annexation of Dongyi City, they did not take any action but simply watched it all happen quietly, as if they had resigned themselves to fate.

That day, the hundreds of people standing outside Dongyi City included members of the Southern Qing delegation and officials from the Dongyi City Lord's Mansion, as well as Fan Xian and the disciples of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) who had returned from various places.

Fan Xian lowered his head slightly, standing on the rolling yellow earth of the official road, unconsciously shifting his feet, looking somewhat lacking in dignity. He did not want to put on a dignified appearance either, because he could clearly feel that the faces of all the Dongyi people waiting outside the city were particularly ugly, particularly pale, with a particularly forced, restrained anger.

At this time, Fan Xian certainly would not deliberately make a solemn appearance to provoke them.

The ground gradually began to tremble. The body of Yun Zhilan, who stood beside Fan Xian, also began to tremble. This former First Disciple of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), now the City Lord of Dongyi City, could no longer control the desolate emptiness in his heart, and trembled.

The faces of the Dongyi City Lord's Mansion officials were extremely ugly, and the faces of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples were also somewhat pale, revealing their true emotions with the increasingly loud trembling sound.

At the end of the official road, the rumble of thunder could be faintly heard, causing the earth to shake, and the small grains of sand in the yellow earth on the ground were shaken into rolling.

A cavalryman appeared in sight, followed by two, three, ten, a hundred, a thousand... densely packed cavalrymen, marching mightily from the west towards Dongyi City, a chilling and magnificent aura directly enveloping everyone on the outskirts of the city.

The Qing army had arrived.

……

……

The black mass of cavalry slowly approached Dongyi City, representing the powerful military strength of Qing Kingdom, the unstoppable will of His Majesty the Emperor of Qing Kingdom, and conquest.

The Qing army stationed in Dongyi City totaled ten thousand, drawn from the five border armies within a month. Hastily formed, they showed no signs of disarray, because these Qing soldiers, who were about to represent Qing Kingdom in Dongyi City for a long time, were all veterans of the Western Expedition army, and under the command of the Eldest Prince, their combat power was astonishing.

Fan Xian squinted his eyes, looking at the approaching, imposing Qing army, and smiled wryly. He adjusted his clothes and slowly walked up to meet them. At this moment, he couldn't help but think of the verbal battles he had fought with His Majesty the Emperor in his memorials, Si Gu Jian's dying instructions, and how much he had had to say to persuade the old emperor. Of course, His Majesty the Emperor also knew that if the people of Dongyi City were to willingly accept their fate, the Eldest Prince and Fan Xian were indeed two good choices.

The number of Black Riders was too small, so he could only choose the Eldest Prince's Western Expedition army. But Fan Xian absolutely believed that the number of generals in this garrison who truly belonged to the Western Expedition army was not large, and the Eldest Prince was only here to make an appearance in Dongyi City, and would eventually have to return. His Majesty the Emperor could not allow his eldest son to be stationed in Dongyi City for a long time.

Thinking of His Majesty the Emperor, who was far away in the capital but remotely controlling the affairs of Dongyi City, Fan Xian's mood became complicated.

To Fan Xian's surprise, His Majesty the Emperor was not angry that he had taken over the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) without seeking an imperial decree, but instead seemed to know what Fan Xian was worried about, and sent him an imperial edict with an expedited document. The imperial edict contained only two words, just like the ones written in the box back then.

"An Zhi." (安之 - "Rest Easy")

Emperor Qing was comforting Fan Xian's heart. When Fan Xian thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a little lost. The old emperor's trust in him really moved him, but the problem was that he knew how cold and ruthless the old emperor could be once he turned his back, so he didn't even dare to be moved.

Dust rose, unblown, forming a dragon, rolling straight from the official road into the big city. The speed of the Qing Kingdom cavalry gradually increased, and Fan Xian couldn't help squinting his eyes, covering his mouth and nose, wondering who had ordered this oppressive force, and whether it would cause the people of Dongyi City to develop resistance.

He looked back solemnly, but found to his surprise that, apart from a hint of suppressed anger on the faces of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) powerhouses, the other officials of the City Lord's Mansion and the princes who had come to pay their respects showed fear and pale faces, and seemed unable to muster any resistance at all.

Ten thousand cavalrymen arrived, stirring up an astonishing momentum, and actually scared most of the people of Dongyi City into abandoning their hearts of resistance.

Seeing this scene, Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh in his heart. The spirit of Dongyi City was indeed too little. Although the Eldest Prince's move was somewhat rude and impolite, it struck right at the heart of the matter. He wondered if His Majesty the Emperor had given instructions before the departure.

However, the lack of spirit in Dongyi City was a good thing for Fan Xian. He had never expected that the people of Northern Qi would surrender without a fight like the people of Dongyi City. It was good to shed less blood.

The sound of horses' hooves was like thunder, and in a moment they arrived on the outskirts of Dongyi City. Ten thousand cavalrymen were clad in dark light armor, emitting a dazzling light in the sunlight. The stirred-up dust gradually settled, revealing the true faces of these Qing soldiers. The densely packed cavalrymen surrounded Dongyi City.

Silence, a silence that was so intense it seemed to choke the air. Even the warhorses, as they twisted their heads, seemed to be intimidated by the Qing army's discipline, afraid to paw the ground or snort.

Ten thousand pairs of cold eyes stared at the people who had come to welcome them from Dongyi City.

The officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants of Dongyi City watched this scene in fear and trepidation, looking at the Qing army's strict discipline, chilling aura, excellent equipment, and the confidence and domineering that emanated from within. Everyone couldn't help but wonder, if Sword Saint Si Gu Jian had not issued his dying decree to surrender to Qing before his death, and these Qing soldiers had launched an attack on Dongyi City, how many days, or even... how many minutes, could Dongyi City have resisted?

Clop, clop, clop, the sound of lonely horse hooves broke the silence in front of the city gate. The vanguard of the Qing army cavalry split apart, and their commander, along with the extremely complex and magnificent ceremonial guard beside him, emerged from within.

The Emperor's ceremonial guard of Qing Kingdom had arrived outside Dongyi City with the army of Qing Kingdom.

The Eldest Prince, the commander-in-chief, was beside the Emperor's ceremonial guard. He wore a silver light armor, with a sword at his waist, a spear at his side, and a blood-red cloak tied behind him, fluttering in the yellow dust and sea breeze.

The Eldest Prince gently tugged on the reins, escorting the Emperor's ceremonial guard before everyone, looking calmly but with complex emotions at everyone at the Dongyi City gate.

A silent silence.

Yun Zhilan closed his eyes, silent for a long time, struggling for a long time, his eyes gradually becoming wet, and then he slowly knelt down towards the Emperor's ceremonial guard beside the warhorse.

The City Lord of Dongyi City knelt, and all the officials followed closely behind, kneeling down, and the princes of the vassal states also knelt down, kneeling densely on the ground, expressing their submission to the army of Southern Qing, and to the Emperor of Southern Qing.

The disciples of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) did not kneel. Although they knew that this was a helpless decision made by their master before his death, and although they knew that their eldest brother had left the Hut (Jian Lu) to live in seclusion, in order to protect the people of Dongyi City, they could only kneel before these Qing Kingdom troops, but they were not officials of Dongyi City. They were free men, or more precisely, they were Jianghu people.

Jianghu people had their own code of conduct. They had no ties, so they stared at the Qing Kingdom cavalry, who were astonishing in their power and covered the mountains and plains and the official roads, with not a trace of fear in their eyes, but rather with endless anger and fighting spirit.

More than half of the Nine-Rank powerhouses in the world were here. They were not afraid of anything.

The Eldest Prince sat on his horse, coldly glanced at these stubborn Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples who refused to lower their heads, and was about to say something when he heard a familiar, clear, but somewhat tired, somewhat indifferent voice coming from the side.

"Disciples of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), listen to my order." Fan Xian said, with his eyes slightly closed: "Return to the city and help the City Lord's Mansion maintain law and order."

This reason was absurd. Fan Xian sighed in his heart, knowing that he had made a mistake. He should not have let the disciples of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) come here in the first place. These people were all masters among masters, all with arrogant bones that were difficult to subdue. Especially powerful characters like Li Bohua and Wang Shisanlang, one was the head of the world's number one bank, and the other was the powerhouse most likely to advance to Grandmaster. How could they bow their heads under the authority of a country?

Dongyi City did not have much spirit, and if there were ten points, at least nine points were left in the hearts of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples.

Hearing the master's words, the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples did not dare to disobey. Knowing that Master Fan was giving them a way out, after a moment of stalemate, Li Bohua was more mature and steady after all. After a long silence, he sighed, two lines of hot tears silently flowing down, and led his junior brothers to leave sadly towards the city, clearing the way into the city.

Wang Shisanlang did not leave with them, nor did he kneel. He just stood indifferently beside Fan Xian, looking at the Qing Kingdom cavalry that was coming aggressively, as if there was no one in his eyes.

The Eldest Prince looked at Fan Xian with a meaningful look in his eyes, and then Duke Dai beside him unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and read it softly to the officials and merchants of Dongyi City who were kneeling before the ceremonial guard.

"I have heard of the passing of Mr. Si Gu Jian, and my heart is filled with unbearable sorrow. I have also heard of his noble righteousness and his regard for the common people, and my heart is filled with reverence..."

Fan Xian stood on the side of the official road, quietly listening to this most important imperial edict, and found that this imperial edict was not the usual formulaic language of previous years, but truly in the tone of His Majesty the Emperor. Moreover, the words of sorrow and reverence were not false. As for how the people of Dongyi City would view Emperor Qing, who had assassinated Si Gu Jian, that was another matter.

The imperial edict was very long, recounting Emperor Qing's greetings to the people of Dongyi City, and the importance of unifying the world for the common people, with every word sincere.

Finally, His Majesty the Emperor recognized Yun Zhilan's appointment as City Lord of Dongyi City and ordered him to enter the capital at an opportune time to receive the conferment.

Yun Zhilan, who was kneeling at the front, was not surprised to hear this edict. Although his position as City Lord had been obtained through negotiations, he had to be personally conferred by Emperor Qing in order to continue in office.

He got up somewhat sadly, took the imperial edict with both hands, and bowed again.

The ceremony was still continuing. This was an extremely complex and extremely important ceremony, a ceremony about conquest and being conquered.

The Eldest Prince dismounted and walked closer to Fan Xian. After looking at him for a while, he said, "What you did earlier was not good."

Fan Xian knew that this close brother was referring to the matter of letting the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples leave. After a moment of silence, he replied, "I am already very tired. I don't know what else I should do."

"But the attitude of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples still needs to be shown." The Eldest Prince looked at him gently, and after a quiet moment, said extremely seriously: "However, you have already done enough... I think that in this matter, there is no one in the entire world who can do better than you."

Fan Xian smiled slightly, not taking up this topic, but said: "The attitude of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu) disciples will be shown to His Majesty."

He lowered his head and said to Wang Shisanlang beside him: "Shisanlang, you are responsible for arranging the entry ceremony for the army."

Wang Shisanlang, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, not asking why, just looking at Fan Xian quietly, his meaning was very simple - why me?

"Because you are a simple person." Fan Xian gave him a reason he could not refuse, "I have learned a little from you. If you are simple, the world will be simple to you."

Under the Eldest Prince's slightly puzzled gaze, Fan Xian patted Wang Shisanlang and said, "I think you also want this matter to be simpler."

……

……

Wang Xi, the thirteenth disciple of the Sword Hut (Jian Lu), stood in front of the cavalry and couldn't help but remember the bright afternoon many years ago when Sang Wen Niangzi had taken him to choose a girl, the same helplessness, the same headache.

Only then did he realize that from that afternoon onwards, Fan Xian had already decided to tie his life to his. Regarding this point, the simple Wang Shisanlang thought about it and simply accepted it.