Chapter 750
Using the same methods, Liaoyang City was breached!
Ma Su smiled and did not refuse. He stepped forward and looked down at the bound spies:
"Speak, who are you?"
The spy lowered his eyes, his tone indifferent, and slowly uttered two words:
"Chen San".
"Chen San?"
Ma Su raised an eyebrow:
“I’m a straightforward person and I don’t like beating around the bush. You’d better confess everything to avoid physical pain. Otherwise, the punishments here are more than you can handle.”
Chen San's eyes darted around quickly, then he looked up at Ma Su and tentatively asked:
What do you want to know?
"It's very simple."
Ma Su's tone turned somber:
"Why did you infiltrate Fangcheng and find Gongsun Rong?"
"Delivery letter."
Chen San remained indifferent, sparing with his words, and unwilling to say more.
Ma Su immediately took out the secret letter from his pocket, opened it, read it carefully, looked up at Chen San, and slowly said:
"I see. It seems your master wants to take back all the money he invested before, and also wants to use Gongsun Rong to spread rumors and disturb the hearts of the people of Fangcheng, so that he can reap the benefits."
Chen San's expression changed slightly, but he still kept his lips tightly closed, not uttering a single word, gritting his teeth and refusing to say another word.
Seeing his appearance, Ma Su was not angry at all, but instead mocked him:
"It seems that Gongsun Yuan has trained you to be loyal, and you're still quite stubborn."
Upon hearing the name "Gongsun Yuan," Chen San's expression instantly changed.
Although it was fleeting, so fast that it was almost imperceptible, it was still caught by the meticulous Ma Su.
Ma Su understood perfectly, and his smile deepened.
"It seems that all of this was indeed done by the heir apparent, I was right."
Now that the mastermind behind it had been identified, there was no point in continuing the interrogation, so Ma Su turned around and prepared to leave the cell.
He stopped at the cell door, his tone suddenly turning sharp:
"Chen San is no longer of any value. Drag him away and kill him."
Upon hearing this, Chen San was terrified, and his heart turned ice-cold.
"I've really told you everything. I've already told you who the mastermind behind this is. Please, spare my life!"
He collapsed, his body going limp.
Ma Su's face was cold and stern, his eyes showing not a trace of pity:
"I clearly guessed it. There's no use keeping him alive, so kill him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen San's body began to tremble violently.
The Han soldiers standing by could no longer contain themselves; their eyes flashed with a sharp light, and their long swords swept across the battlefield.
"what!"
A bloodcurdling scream shattered the deathly silence of the cell, only to return to stillness in an instant.
Chen San was decapitated.
Ma Su turned and walked out of the prison cell.
Beside the stone table under the corridor, Fei Yi sat upright, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands, leisurely sipping it.
Ma Su stepped forward, teasing and joking:
"You, Fei Wenwei, while I'm painstakingly interrogating you in that dark and gloomy cell, you're leisurely drinking tea and enjoying the scenery in this corridor. You really know how to enjoy yourself."
Fei Yi put down his teacup.
He had already heard the piercing scream from earlier, and he looked up at Ma Su, asking:
"The Grand Marshal ordered you to go and interrogate him, so why did you kill him instead?"
Ma Su smiled, picked up another cup of tea from the table, and took a sip:
"Kill him if you want. I've already found the mastermind behind him. Keeping him around is just a waste of food and he's completely useless."
A hint of curiosity flashed in Fei Yi's eyes as he pressed for an answer:
"Oh? Then who exactly is behind this?"
"Who else could it be?"
Ma Su put down his teacup, his tone revealing a hint of certainty:
"It is the same person we have been speculating about, the heir apparent of the Liao Kingdom, Gongsun Yuan."
Fei Yi looked at Ma Su with surprise and disbelief:
"Oh? It was him? Could it be that he confessed it himself?"
"That's not it!"
Ma Su waved his hand:
"I tricked him. Just now, I deliberately mentioned Gongsun Yuan's name, and that guy's expression changed instantly. He panicked and couldn't hide it at all. It was obvious that it was him."
Hearing this, Fei Yi breathed a sigh of relief and slowly nodded:
“Gongsun Yuan is arrogant and self-righteous. He never thinks things through. I suspected him before, and now it seems that he really is the one.”
Ma Su smiled, his tone slightly mocking:
"Speaking of which, we should thank Gongsun Yuan. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have gotten such a fine tavern for free. Now we'll have a good place to go in the future."
As soon as they finished speaking, the two looked at each other, understood each other perfectly, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Haha, that's right, we really have to thank Gongsun Yuan!"
Fei Yi smiled and agreed, his eyes full of delight.
"There's no time to lose,"
Ma Su stopped smiling, and his expression became serious:
"Let's quickly report this to the Grand Marshal so that we can make arrangements as soon as possible."
After saying that, the two of them did not linger any longer and walked side by side toward the fourth floor of the Da Liao Fang.
The fourth floor of Da Liao Fang.
Xiao He sat upright in the main seat, a pot of fine wine in front of him, quietly sipping it alone.
Ma Su and Fei Yi entered quietly and bowed respectfully.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao He looked up, put down his wine cup, and asked:
"You've arrived? Has the interrogation yielded any results? Have you found out who was behind it all?"
Ma Su stepped forward, bowed, and reported:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, I have ascertained that the mastermind behind this is none other than Gongsun Yuan, the Crown Prince of Liao."
Upon hearing this, Xiao He's lips curled up slightly:
"Oh? It seems our earlier guess was right, it really was him."
He picked up his wine cup and asked:
"Gongsun Kang must be extremely anxious and restless now that he has learned that his heir has done such a foolish thing."
Thinking of this, Xiao He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Ma Su and Fei Yi laughed along with Xiao He, both feeling relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts.
After laughing, Xiao He's expression turned serious, and his gaze swept over the two men: "Now that Fangcheng is stable and the hidden dangers have been eliminated, we cannot delay any longer. We must prepare immediately to march towards Xiangping City and pacify Liaodong in one fell swoop!"
Upon hearing this, Ma Su and Fei Yi's eyes lit up instantly, their faces filled with excitement.
The two responded in unison, "Yes!"
Xiao He nodded slightly, then called out loudly towards the door:
"Someone, quickly summon Generals Deng Ai and the others to discuss the campaign to advance on Xiangping City!"
Within a quarter of an hour, Deng Ai and the other generals hurriedly arrived at the Liaofang Ward, each with a solemn expression.
Xiao He sat upright in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone:
"The city has been successfully captured, and all hidden dangers have been eliminated. Now we should set off immediately to advance on the next city."
The joy of capturing Fangcheng had not yet faded, and upon hearing that they would continue their advance, everyone's spirits instantly lifted, and the fatigue on their faces vanished.
The opportunity to make a name for oneself has once again presented itself.
Deng Ai stepped forward, his gaze falling on the map spread out on the table. His brow furrowed slightly, and he lightly traced lines on the map with his finger, asking:
"Grand Marshal, which city will be our next target?"
Everyone looked at Xiao He, awaiting instructions.
A short while later, Fei Yi coughed lightly:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, according to my investigation, the nearest city to Fangcheng is Liaoyang City."
"Liaoyang City?"
Xiao He repeated the name in a low voice, raising an eyebrow and a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes:
Is this city as wealthy and prosperous as Fangcheng?
Upon hearing this, Fei Yi, who was standing to the side, also looked puzzled and gently shook his head:
"I am not aware of this. After all, our Han army has just entered the Liao Kingdom and is not very familiar with the specific situation of these cities. I dare not make any rash judgments."
The hall fell into deep thought once again, with everyone pondering the situation in Liaoyang.
At this moment, a glint of inspiration flashed in Ma Su's eyes, and he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, proposing:
"Grand Marshal, I have a plan."
“Merchants like Chen Li have lived in Liao for a long time and travel between various cities. They must be very familiar with the situation in Liaoyang. Why don’t we invite them to come and discuss this matter together? Perhaps we can learn more details.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao He immediately agreed:
"This plan is excellent. Men, immediately issue the order to summon Chen Li, Gongsun Rong, and other merchants to the council hall."
The soldiers were ordered to obey and depart.
A moment later, Chen Li, Gongsun Rong, and several other core merchants of Fangcheng gathered in the council hall.
Everyone bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Grand Marshal."
Xiao He raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up, his gaze falling on Chen Li, and asked bluntly:
"Chen Li, you have been doing business in Liao for many years, so you must be very familiar with Liaoyang City. Tell me, what is this city like?"
Chen Li stood up and replied:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, there are many merchants coming and going in Liaoyang City, but compared with the merchants in our Fangcheng, their lives are very miserable and far less comfortable than ours."
A hint of curiosity flashed in Xiao He's eyes, and he asked again:
"Oh? What makes you say that? We're both merchants, so why are our circumstances so different?"
Chen Li sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness:
"It's all because of the oppressive policies of the Liao Dynasty. The taxes are heavy and the rules are numerous. Merchants are bound by these policies and can hardly make a move. They could lose everything if they are not careful. How can we be so carefree?"
Ma Su looked at Chen Li and joked:
"So it seems that you merchants who surrendered to the Han Dynasty have it easy, with no oppressive government and the peace of mind to do business and make a profit."
Everyone shared the same feeling.
Compared to the hardships faced by merchants in Liaoyang, Fangcheng is now practically a paradise for business people.
There are no exorbitant taxes or levies, no oppression by powerful figures, and everyone can pursue profit with peace of mind.
Chen Li also laughed and nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of relief.
After laughing, Xiao He's expression turned serious again, and he asked once more:
"In your opinion, is Liaoyang City easy to take?"
In fact, Xiao He already had a plan in mind. He had previously taken Fangcheng without bloodshed by taking advantage of the surrender of the Fangcheng merchants. This time, he wanted to use the same method to take Liaoyang City at the lowest cost and reduce the casualties of the Han army.
Ma Su immediately replied:
"If the merchants of Liaoyang City are as oppressed by the Liao Kingdom as those of Fang City, then we can use the same method we used to take Fang City to turn the merchants in the city against us and take the city without bloodshed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Li gently shook his head:
"Grand Marshal, I'm afraid this matter won't be so easy. The merchants of Liaoyang have been oppressed by the Liao Kingdom for many years and have long lost the confidence to resist."
Chen Li's words aroused some doubt in Xiao He's heart, and he frowned slightly.
Ma Su, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up, expressing his confusion:
"Since they are suffering from oppression and living such a difficult life, why don't they leave Liaoyang City and go to another city to do business and find a way to make a living?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Li slowly said:
"General, you may not know this, but now, within the territory of Liao, apart from our Fangcheng which has been captured by the Han army, all other places are under the rule of Liao."
"Moving to another city is like jumping from one fire pit into another. The situation may not be any better than it is now. On the contrary, you will have to put down roots again, which is even more difficult."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Yes, the Liao Kingdom had a vast territory. Except for Fangcheng, the whole country belonged to the Liao Kingdom. Even if those merchants fled Liaoyang City, they could not escape the oppressive rule of the Liao Kingdom. It was all in vain.
Just then, Deng Ai, who had been observing silently, suddenly spoke:
“If that’s the case, why don’t they come to Fangcheng? Fangcheng is so stable and prosperous now, it should be able to accommodate them. It’s better than being oppressed in Liaoyang City.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Li spoke without any hesitation:
"It's not that we're unwilling to accommodate them, but Fangcheng has already established rules that prohibit other merchants from entering at will."
“If they come, they will inevitably try to take a share of our business, seize our opportunities, and damage our vested interests.”
He paused, then said:
"Fangcheng was captured by us merchants in cooperation with the Han army. We paid a heavy price and made great efforts. The peace and prosperity we enjoy today is what we deserve. We will not let outsiders enjoy the fruits of our labor so easily."
These words, though seemingly harsh, were entirely reasonable. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Xiao He nodded slowly and asked:
"If our Han army were to capture Liaoyang City, abolish the oppressive policies of the Liao Kingdom, and allow the merchants in the city to conduct business freely like those in Fangcheng, without being oppressed, and even to obtain more profits than they do now, what do you think they would do?"
Xiao He knew perfectly well that merchants valued profit and were naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm.
If the Han army could provide a better business environment for the merchants of Liaoyang City, allowing them to gain more profits, they would certainly not refuse to cooperate with the Han army, much less prevent the Han army from taking the city.
Just like Fangcheng today, if the merchants had chosen to fight against the Han army back then, it would have inevitably resulted in mutual destruction, and the Liao Kingdom would have been the biggest beneficiary.
Fortunately, the merchants of Fangcheng assessed the situation and chose to surrender to the Han Dynasty. Their lives are now several times better than under the rule of the Liao Dynasty.
Xiao He not only did not confiscate the merchants' wealth, but also allowed them to govern their own towns, reduced taxes, and encouraged commerce.
Today, Fangcheng has long been a model of a commercial city within the Liao Kingdom, attracting the envy of many merchants in the surrounding areas.
Upon hearing this, Chen Li pondered for a moment before saying:
"If the Grand Marshal can truly achieve this, then the merchants of Liaoyang City can also conduct business freely, without oppression, just like we do in Fang City, and earn more money."
“I think they will choose to surrender to the Han Dynasty and cooperate with the Han army to take Liaoyang City, just like we did back then.”
Xiao He smiled slightly and nodded gently:
"So, we can still use the same method as before, sending people to secretly contact the merchants in Liaoyang City, turn them against us, and then take the city?"
Chen Li immediately nodded emphatically:
“Absolutely. The merchants of Liaoyang City, though they do not have the strength of our Fangcheng merchants, also lack the confidence to resist the Liao Kingdom.”
"As long as we can give them hope and benefits, they will certainly be willing to cooperate with us to overthrow the oppression of the Liao Kingdom." (End of Chapter)