flstandardbreds Chapter 134 Just standing on the city wall,
Chapter 134 Just standing on the city wall,
Zhao Ming signaled his guards, "Everyone, look over here and identify who these are!" Regardless of whether they understood or not, he shouted, and the crowd below began to stir. Some began to surge forward, but were quickly stopped by the soldiers. Mu Yunxi noticed an old man among them. His gaze swept across the city wall, and when he saw the bound men, his expression darkened.
Zhao Ming looked at the crowd below the city with sharp eyes and said, "It seems you know them! I'll give you one last chance. Tell me your origins and purpose, otherwise the fate of these people and yours will be death!"
The crowd was silent for a moment. Finally, the old man stood up and said in the awkward Zhao language, "We have fled from afar and did not mean to offend. Please, General, let them go."
Zhao Ming snorted, "Seeking refuge? The weapons they carry are real! It's also true that they bullied the people of Zhao! Don't even think about deceiving this general." He turned to look at Mu Yunxi, "Lord Mu, what do you think should be done with them?"
Mu Yunxi didn't expect Zhao Ming to ask her so suddenly. After a moment's silence, she said, "Let's find out their purpose first!" After thinking for a moment, she added, "General Zhao, just make the decision yourself. There's no need to ask me. I don't understand what's going on on the battlefield, and I still need to learn from General Zhao."
Zhao Ming asked her just now because he thought Mu Yunxi was sent by Emperor Qing Zhao to take charge. After all, Mu Yunxi now holds an important position in the court, so it is not easy to ignore her. That is why he asked this question. But seeing her so modest,
Zhao Ming couldn't help but admire her a little more. He nodded, turned to the old man at the foot of the city and said, "Since that's the case, tell me the truth. Who are you and why did you come to my Zhao Kingdom?"
The old man hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, "We are indeed fleeing from disaster..." Seeing the old man about to tell Mu Yunxi and the others, Xiao Wu, who was on the wall, anxiously tried to stop him using their language. But the old man ignored him and continued to tell them their origins...
After his explanation, Mu Yunxi and the others learned that these aliens came from an island across the East China Sea, nearly 300 nautical miles away. Their homeland was always flooded during high tide. So, more than a decade ago, the young men of their tribe formed a group and set out to find a more suitable habitat.
After their unremitting efforts, they accidentally arrived at Qingxue City. However, they could not speak the language and felt the xenophobia of Qingxue City. After returning to their own tribe, they told the other tribesmen in detail what they had seen and heard. After some discussion, they finally decided to send some people to infiltrate Zhao Kingdom.
These selected foreigners cautiously embarked on their journey to Zhao State. They disguised themselves, blended in with the Zhao people, learned the Zhao language, and gradually began to understand the country's customs, political system, and social structure.
They carefully collected various information, gradually integrated into Zhaoguo society and established connections with the locals.
Over time, these people gained a deeper understanding of Zhao. They discovered that while Zhao appeared powerful on the surface, it actually had many internal contradictions and problems. They began to plot how to exploit these contradictions, gradually weakening Zhao's power and ultimately achieving their goal of annexing it. However, when Youdu's true identity was exposed, their people were also implicated. They wanted to take advantage of the war between Zhao and Youdu to join the battlefield and get a share of the spoils, but they didn't expect the battle to end so quickly that their people were gone before they could even arrive.
The reason they occupied Qingxue City was because the small island they lived on had been completely submerged and could no longer be inhabited. The other islands were no longer able to accommodate people, so they had to take this action. At this point, the old man stopped talking.
Mu Yunxi looked at the old man sharply. "What is your purpose in being so deliberate? Is it just to find a habitat? I don't think so. Also, do you have more than one island?"
The old man was shocked. He didn't expect that the young woman in front of him was so smart. Looking at the determination in her eyes, it was obvious that she had guessed their true intention.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "We're not just looking for a place to live, nor for just one island. But we're separated because the tide hasn't receded, splitting our island into several parts. There's nothing we can do about it. Our clan longs for more resources so that our descendants can survive. We're simply searching for a better way to survive."
Mu Yunxi sneered, "No matter what your purpose is, invading another country's territory and killing its people are unforgivable crimes. We in Zhao Kingdom will never tolerate such behavior of yours."
The old man's face darkened. "My dear lady, we have no intention of becoming an enemy of the Zhao Kingdom. As long as the Zhao Kingdom is willing to cooperate, we can share the resources of this land. Moreover, our clan knows how to hold their breath and can survive for a quarter of an hour underwater."
Hearing this, Mu Yunxi and Zhao Ming exchanged a glance. Mu Yunxi didn't respond to the old man's question. Who could hold their breath for so long under the sea? It wouldn't be suffocating to death. It was just a breathing method. When he was learning to swim in his previous life, he had specifically learned how to breathe underwater.
Seeing that Mu Yunxi didn't care, Zhao Ming guessed that Mu Yunxi knew the breath-holding technique the old man mentioned, so he didn't talk about it anymore. He asked coldly, "How many people are there on your other islands? Did they come after you completely occupied a piece of land? Or have they already come?"
The old man looked at Xiao Wu and the others and said, "Let them go first, and I'll tell you!"
Zhao Ming raised his eyebrows and readily agreed: "Sure! Let him go!"
After Xiao Wu and his companions returned to the crowd, the archers and crossbowmen immediately prepared. Seeing this, a cunning look flashed in the old man's eyes. He knew that the situation was not favorable for them, but he had to buy time for the tribesmen on other islands to prepare.
He took a deep breath and said, "We have six islands, and each island has about a hundred people. People from other islands have already arrived and are waiting for orders in the nearby waters."
Zhao Ming's heart tightened. He hadn't expected the other party to be so large. He looked at Mu Yunxi, and the two exchanged glances.
Mu Yunxi calmly analyzed, "I think it's more than that. To dare attack Qingxue City, they must have a population of at least 200,000 or 300,000." She scanned the crowd below with a cold gaze. Besides the casualties, there were still around 10,000 people. She added, "This group should only be from their island! This old man's words are a mixture of truth and falsehood. Furthermore, they definitely have their forces in the court, yet he hasn't revealed a single word."