The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0620 Policies That Benefit The People

The army rested for two days, but Chen Wei still hadnʼt attacked.

A scout returned with a report: ”General, Chen Wei has retreated with fifty thousand troops to defend Xicheng.”

Xicheng lay between Lanzhou and Maicheng. Although it had a small population, its treacherous terrain made it a strategically important place.

When Cui Mo heard this, he laughed and boasted, ”No matter how strong the defences are in Longzhong, can they be stronger than those of Lanzhou?” They had breached Lanzhouʼs walls in just one night and half a morning—Maicheng would be even easier.

Yun Qing cast a cold glance at Cui Mo and advised, ”An arrogant army is bound to lose.” No matter how brave the troops were, if their commander became overconfident, defeat was inevitable.

Cui Mo fell silent, not daring to speak further.

Yun Qing unfolded a map, pointed at it, and said, ”Longzhong may not have Lanzhouʼs strong defences, but it is known as the ‘Throat of Gansu and the Gateway to Lanzhouʼ. We must not take it lightly.” Longzhong was also an important military base, and Chen Weiʼs decision to retreat there was a wise one.

Yu Cong asked, ”General, when will we attack Xicheng?”

Yun Qing replied, ”We have already rested for two days. We will set out tomorrow.” He could not afford to give Chen Wei any more time—this battle had to be won quickly.

After the others had left, Yun Qing remained behind, still studying the map. Yu Cong brought him a bowl of noodles. ”General, have something to eat.”

Yun Qing took the bowl and quickly finished the noodles. After eating, he pulled Yu Cong over to the map and pointed from Xicheng along a line that stretched all the way to Haocheng. Yun Qing then said, ”Including the fifty thousand troops that Chen Wei has in Xicheng, Ji Xuan has deployed a total of 180,000 soldiers. If my guess is correct, Haochengʼs defences are currently weak. After we capture Xicheng, we will march directly to Haocheng.”

Yu Cong agreed that this was a good plan, although he found Yun Qingʼs sudden change in strategy somewhat surprising. He asked, ”General, havenʼt you always advocated for a steady and cautious approach?”

Yun Qing replied, ”Those who follow the path of righteousness will have more allies, while those who act unjustly will find themselves isolated. The situation is now in our favour, and we must take full advantage of it.”

Because of Sun Shaojian, Yun Qing no longer saw the need for a slow and steady approach. Instead, he believed a swift victory was necessary. If they captured Haocheng and took control of the northwest, he would no longer fear retaliation from the Imperial Army.

Yu Cong laughed, ”General, that sounds like something Madam would say.” The Grand General was not usually one for such scholarly phrases.

Yun Qing nodded. ”Yes, my wife said it. I didnʼt fully understand it before, but now I see its true meaning.” Because they were on the side of justice, they had gained the support of people like Sun Shaojian. In contrast, Ji Xuanʼs misdeeds had alienated him from others. This realisation gave Yun Qing the confidence to pursue a swift and decisive victory.

Just as they were speaking about Yuxi, Gao Song entered with a smile and said, ”General, Madam has sent a letter.”

Every time the General received a letter from his wife, his mood would improve greatly.

Yun Qing saw only one letter and asked, ”Where are the other letters?”

Gao Song replied, ”When Guard Xu handed the letter to the messenger, he said it was very important and instructed them to deliver it to you as soon as possible.” Because of Xu Wuʼs words, the messengers travelled day and night without rest to bring the letter.

This time, Yuxiʼs letter was even thicker than the last one. Yu Cong watched as Yun Qing opened the letter and pulled out a thick stack of pages. He couldnʼt help but mutter in his heart, Why does Madam have so much to say?

After reading it, Yun Qing turned to Gao Song and instructed, ”Go and summon Tan Tuo.” This letter was different from the last one—it wasnʼt just about household matters.

Yu Congʼs eyelid twitched. This letter clearly wasnʼt about trivial household affairs. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, ”General, what did Madam write about?”

Yun Qing pulled out the last three pages and handed the rest to Yu Cong.

After reading, Yu Cong looked up and said, ”General, if we exempt the taxes, how will we support the army in the future?” In her letter, Yuxi suggested that Yun Qing issue an order exempting the people of the Northwest from taxes and labour service for three years. If there were no taxes, what would they eat and drink? The soldiers fought in these wars so that they could have a better life!

Yun Qing thought Yu Cong was being careless and said, ”Did you read it carefully? Madam said only newly cultivated wasteland would be exempt from taxes for three years.”

Yu Cong quickly lowered his head and reread the letter carefully. When he finished, he sighed in relief, ”Good thing I only misread it.” Then, he laughed and said, ”Madam is indeed thorough in her thinking. If we implement this plan, Iʼm sure the people will surely support us.” Encouraging land cultivation while reducing taxes, and even abolishing other miscellaneous levies—if people could farm in peace, they could live a stable life. Wasnʼt that what they all longed for?

Still, Yu Cong couldnʼt help but ask curiously, ”General, how does Madam know so much about taxation?” It seemed like there was nothing she didnʼt know.

Yun Qing replied, ”Not only does she understand taxation, but sheʼs also knowledgeable about law and governance.” His wife was too studious—even when she was heavily pregnant, she spent her days buried in books, making him feel ashamed of himself.

Before Yu Cong could react, Gao Song announced from outside, ”Tan Tuo has arrived.”

Yun Qing met with Tan Tuo, but did not show him Yuxiʼs letter. Instead, he asked, ”If we encourage the people to cultivate new land and exempt them from taxes for three years, what do you think?”

Tan Tuo was overjoyed to hear this. He bowed deeply and said, ”General, this is a great policy that will benefit the people.”

Yun Qing was surprised by Tan Tuoʼs enthusiasm. Although Yuxiʼs idea was good, he didnʼt think it was enough to make Tan Tuo so excited. What he didnʼt realise was that due to Ji Xuanʼs excessive taxation and rampant banditry in recent years, much of the land in the northwest had been abandoned and the population had dropped by nearly 40%. If this tax-exemption policy was enacted, it would immediately win the hearts of the people.

Tan Tuo had followed Yun Qing out of necessity. Since he had committed himself to the rebellion, he naturally hoped Yun Qing would succeed—his own future depended on it. The only thing that worried him was that although Yun Qing was skilled in warfare, he might not be able to govern. But now, it seemed that his worries were unnecessary. If Yun Qing understood the importance of winning over the people, there was no need for concern.

Tan Tuo said, ”General, although this is an excellent policy, there is one problem. If the people cultivate land but lack seeds, it will all be in vain.” Without seeds, even if they cleared vast amounts of land, it would be a wasted effort.

Hearing the term policy, Yun Qing felt a strange sensation in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it, ”Thatʼs not an urgent concern. In the spring, the government will lend them oxen and seeds. When they harvest their crops, they can repay the loan with grain.”

Tan Tuo nodded. ”The General has thought this through carefully.” Although he said this, he couldnʼt help but feel suspicious—Yun Qing was not the type to be this meticulous. And his familiarity with governance seemed… too advanced.

Yun Qing instructed, ”Implement this plan as soon as possible. The period before the spring ploughing is the best time for land reclamation.” Though the weather had turned cold, it would warm up after the Lantern Festival, and there was still time before spring planting. This window of time was enough for significant land reclamation.

Tan Tuo nodded. ”Rest assured, General. I will begin preparations immediately. This policy will be issued within two days at the latest.”

Yun Qing nodded. ”I will leave tomorrow to attack Xicheng. I will leave Yuan Ying in charge of Lanzhou. If anything comes up, consult him.”

Tan Tuo agreed. ”Understood.”

Once they were alone, Yu Cong asked, ”General, are you really leaving Yuan Ying behind?”

Without looking up, Yun Qing replied, ”If you think itʼs inappropriate, you can stay behind instead. I wonʼt mind.”

Seeing Yun Qingʼs attitude, Yu Cong didnʼt dare to argue.

But to Yu Congʼs surprise, Yuan Ying had no complaints. When Yu Cong tried to console him, Yuan Ying simply smiled and said, ”Someone has to stay behind in Lanzhou. If not me, it will be someone else.”

Yu Cong patted Yuan Yingʼs shoulder and said, ”Brother, youʼre loyal.” Sacrificing himself for the team—this was the kind of brotherhood they admired.

Yuan Ying warned, ”You all need to be careful. Chen Wei is no pushover—heʼs methodical in battle, which makes him difficult to deal with.”

Yu Cong laughed, ”With the General leading us, thereʼs nothing to worry about.”

After chatting for a while, Yu Cong went to rest. Passing by Yun Qingʼs quarters, he noticed the lights were still on and asked Gao Song, ”Why hasnʼt the General gone to bed yet?”

Gao Song lowered his voice and replied, ”Heʼs writing a letter to Madam. I donʼt know what she wrote, but his eyebrows are so furrowed that theyʼre practically knotted.”

Yu Cong chuckled. ”Madam is always considerate—she wouldnʼt make things difficult for the General.” Yuxi had left a great impression on everyone.

Indeed, Yuxi hadnʼt made things difficult for Yun Qing. However, at the end of her letter, she wrote that if his reply were just a few words again, she would never write him another family letter again. This threat was very effective on Yun Qing.

The problem was that Yun Qing had racked his brain, but he didnʼt know what to write. He couldnʼt just write about the war—Yuxi wouldnʼt like that. But besides war, he had nothing else to say!

By midnight, Yun Qing still hadnʼt finished. Gao Song came in and said, ”General, itʼs almost midnight. You should rest—you have to leave early tomorrow.”

Yun Qing thought for a moment and then asked Gao Song, ”How should I write a letter to my wife?” He was truly at a loss.

Gao Song was puzzled. ”General, this is a family letter, not an official document. Just write whatever comes to your mind!” Seeing how the General had spent half the night struggling with a simple letter, treating it as if it were a formal decree, Gao Song was speechless.

Yun Qing muttered to himself, ”Just write whatever comes to mind?” Comparing it to Yuxiʼs previous letter, he suddenly knew how to proceed.

If Yuxi knew what he was thinking, she would probably cry.