Chapter 286: The Harsh War
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The phrase “useless bums who don’t do any work” was indeed used to describe those court officials. As for being “incompetent and muddleheaded,” Song Ye didn’t really spell out who he was referring to.
Upon hearing this, Song Que’s expression finally became stern.
“Ye’er, watch what you say,” he admonished.
Only then did Song Ye shut his mouth, but his expression showed that he was still a little indignant.
Song Que sighed and then added, “Fighting a war is not that simple, especially against a strong state like the Great Liao.”
“If we really fall out with the Great Liao State, leading to an all-out war between the two states, the people of Great Jin State will live in misery.
“If we get caught in the quagmire of war, and Great Jinn, who is watching greedily from the side, also gets involved, I’m afraid the Great Jin State will be in danger of destruction.”
Qin Xiaoyao and Song Ye’s expressions changed at once when they heard this.
However, it was only for a moment before Song Ye’s expression was filled with displeasure and anger.
When he saw this, Song Que did not get angry.
Instead, he patted his younger brother’s shoulder and continued, “The Great
Liao State’s invasion is not without reason.”
Song Ye immediately looked at his big brother.
“Previously, many provinces and prefectures in the whole Great Jin State suffered from droughts.
“Take for example our Hua An Prefecture. The drought that we suffered is one of the most serious among all the other prefectures.
“Hundreds of thousands of people have fled. Countless people have starved to death or died at the hands of the refugees and bandits.
“Our Mountain Spring Town was previously occupied by mountain bandits. If it wasn’t for the Second Prince’s army that wiped out the mountain bandits, I’m afraid Mountain Spring Town still wouldn’t be at peace now.
“Let’s not talk about places further away. In Hua An Prefecture, a case like Mountain Spring Town is not the only one.
“And even now, not all the towns have been cleared of bandit trouble.
“And this is not only happening in Hua An Prefecture. In the entire Great Jin State, there are many places in the same situation as Hua An Prefecture.”
Upon hearing that, Song Ye quickly fell into silence.
When Song Que saw this, he knew that his younger brother had taken his words to heart and continued, “The current Great Jin State can be said to be facing both internal trouble and external aggression.
“If we fight to the bitter end with the Great Liao State, it will be very difficult to suppress the rebellion within the territory and restore the peace in people’s lives.
“In addition, the Imperial Court has spent a lot of money and food on disaster relief. I’m afraid it will be difficult to raise enough funding for military supplies to support the war at the border.
“The Great Liao State must have noticed this and that’s why they invaded at this time. They wanted to take advantage of the situation to plunder our wealth and people.
“If the Imperial Court seeks peace, the Great Liao State can take the opportunity to extort money and land.
“If the Imperial Court supports war and keeps losing, the Great Liao State will most likely take the chance to destroy the Great Jin State.
“As for the latter option, the Great Jin State will not be able to bear the consequences.”
Qin Xiaoyao and Song Ye’s hearts sank when they heard this.
In particular, Song Ye’s tiny face had already turned pale from fright.
He only heard his classmates talk about how the Imperial Court did not do anything and allowed the Great Liao State to trample on the land of the Great Jin State and how hateful those invaders were.
He didn’t know that there were so many factors at work behind this war.
If what Big Brother said was true, then the Great Jin State was really in a precarious situation.
As a citizen of the Great Jin State, everyone, including him, was naturally afraid of becoming a slave in a fallen country.
When Song Que saw Song Ye’s reaction, he patted his shoulder again to comfort him.
“You’re still too young. You can just listen to the matters of the Imperial Court.
“But don’t get incited or be easily led astray, in case you get into trouble.”
Although Empress Jia might be quite open-minded, not everyone in her faction was like her.
Many people would make use of such opportunities to please and flatter Empress Jia.
In the past few years, there had been many cases of the literary inquisition.
When he saw that Song Ye did not reply, Song Que continued, “When you’re older, you’ll take the Imperial examination and enter government service. You may even enter the hall of scholars whereupon you can preach and listen. There will naturally be people who will listen to your words then. Your words can even affect the fate and future of the state.”
Song Ye was stunned.
Just like that, a seed was planted in his heart by his big brother.
Qin Xiaoyao agreed with what Song Que said. The way she looked at Song Que was tinged with a layer of admiration.
Her husband was indeed extraordinary.
Back at the Song family, after dinner, the couple washed up early and went to bed.
Then, inevitably, they talked about the most popular topic in Mountain Spring Town.
“In my previous life, after I left with the Second Prince, I stopped paying attention to the situation in Mountain Spring Town.
“But according to the development of the war in my previous life, the Great Liao State did attack Hua An Prefecture in the end.
“There’s a possibility of an attack on Mountain Spring Town,” Song Que said with a frown.
Qin Xiaoyao’s face tensed up.
“Then what do we do? Do we… need to move?” she asked.
Song Que shook his head.
“No need. Many places in Hua An Prefecture are still in chaos. If we leave Mountain Spring Town, the journey to other places may not be safe.
“Moreover, Hua An Prefecture is huge, and Mountain Spring Town is located in the deep interior of Hua An Prefecture. It’s only a possibility that the Great Liao State will attack. It’s not an absolute certainty.”
Qin Xiaoyao was still a little uneasy.
Perhaps it was because the commoners hated the Liao army too much. The way everyone described the Liao army was much more terrifying than the way they described the mountain bandits.
Although the mountain bandits had killed indiscriminately when they entered the town, they didn’t casually massacre the commoners after that.
However, it was said that the Liao army had captured many slaves and massacred thousands in many cities.
In a town like Mountain Spring Town which was located so far inland, it was too troublesome to capture slaves and bring them back, and the probability of massacring the entire town was higher.
When Song Que saw her reaction, he reached out and held Qin Xiaoyao’s hand.
“Don’t worry.
“The Imperial Court has already sent messengers to negotiate with the Great Liao State.
“When the Liao army arrives at Hua An Prefecture, the negotiation will be more or less settled.
“Even if the Liao army does come to Mountain Spring Town, they will retreat soon afterward.”
Qin Xiaoyao nodded and leaned into Song Que’s arms.
In her heart, she felt powerless all over again.
The last time she had this feeling was when the mountain bandits entered the town.
After arriving in the ancient times, she believed that she could protect her family with her special ability and unparalleled martial arts.
However, when the mountain bandits entered the town, she realized that she could not control the situation or change anything by herself.
After that, when something happened to her husband, although she held the bandit leader hostage and later killed the bandits’ second-in-command with her own hands…
If the Second Prince had not stationed his troops outside the town and attacked the town in time, she would not have been able to escape with her husband by herself.
If the Liao army were to come next…
And if they proceeded to massacre the entire town, killing everyone indiscriminately, would she be able to protect her family…
Qin Xiaoyao raised her head and looked at her husband, who had already closed his eyes and was ready to sleep. Other thoughts unwittingly popped into her mind.
She and her husband had rejected the Second Prince and stayed in Mountain Spring Town. Was it really the best choice?
If she had troops in her hands, and her husband had power, would they still need to fear the mountain bandits or the Liao army?
In ancient times, when there was chaos, human lives were as insignificant as grass.
If she wanted to be an ordinary person and lead a peaceful life, it was simply too difficult-
According to her husband’s memories, after the Great Liao State invaded, the Great Jin State would still fall into internal strife.
They would have to wait until the Second Prince took over the reins of imperial power three years later. Only then would the Great Jin State enjoy decades of peace.
Would their family be able to survive this calamity safely…
Staring at the man’s handsome face, Qin Xiaoyao’s heart was filled with longing.
After looking at her husband for a while, she moved her body, got up, and blew out the light.
Then she went to bed and fell asleep..