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Chapter 2550 The Descent of the Divine Chapter

After capturing Mingzhou, the rebel army did not rush to march on the capital.

He Jingyuan ordered them to rest on the spot and sent people to post notices everywhere to reassure the people, telling them that the righteous army would not loot, kill, or burn, and that they should continue with their normal activities.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world.

In the capital, the emperor received a report of the fall of Mingzhou.

He held the battle reports in his hands, making a rustling sound, then threw them to the ground and slumped onto the dragon throne.

"Mingzhou... Mingzhou is lost... Fengzhou is lost, Mingzhou is lost, is the capital next? My empire, is it really gone just like that?"

The ministers in the court all lowered their heads, and none of them dared to utter a sound.

The hall was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat; the ministers didn't even dare to cough.

Wei Yan stood at the front, his face ashen, without saying a word.

Li Xing stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, “Your Majesty, at this point, we cannot win by force. He Jingyuan has 200,000 troops, and Prince Changxin has over 100,000. We have fewer and fewer troops at our disposal. If we continue fighting, the capital will fall sooner or later.”

The emperor raised his head, looking at Li Xing with a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "Grand Tutor Li, what do you suggest? What can we do if we don't fight? Should I just hand over the throne to someone else?"

Li Xing gritted his teeth and made a suggestion that everyone had considered but no one dared to say aloud: "Your Majesty, why don't we... send someone to negotiate? He Jingyuan's terms are easy to negotiate. As long as he is willing to submit to the court, we'll grant him a kingship or a marquis title, and give him anything we want. Let's get past this hurdle first."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the imperial court.

"Peace talks? Isn't that bowing down to rebels? Where will the imperial court put its face?"

"Is face more important or the country? Let's stabilize the rebels first. We can deal with them later once we've calmed down."

"I'm afraid He Jingyuan won't agree! He has a strong and well-equipped army now, why would he negotiate with us?"

"How will you know if you don't try? You have to give it a try."

The ministers argued amongst themselves, creating a chaotic mess.

Wei Yan stood in front, remaining silent, his face frighteningly gloomy.

The emperor, his head throbbing from the noise, slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne: "Stop arguing, all of you!"

The hall fell silent. The emperor turned to Wei Yan and asked, "Prime Minister Wei, what's your opinion? Peace talks or no war?"

Wei Yan remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "Peace talks are possible, but we can't let He Jingyuan think we're afraid of him. We need to discuss the terms, but we can't agree to everything. We can grant him a title of king, and we can give him a territory, but we can't give him military power. We must hand over the 200,000 troops he has in his hands."

Li Xing panicked: "Prime Minister Wei, are you dreaming? How could He Jingyuan possibly hand over military power? His biggest bargaining chip right now is those 200,000 troops. If he hands them over, he'll be nothing."

Wei Yan gave him a cold look: "Then let's not talk. If he doesn't want to, let's continue fighting."

"Fight? With what can we fight?" Li Xing's voice rose. "You know better than I how many soldiers we have left. If we keep fighting, we'll lose the capital!"

The two started arguing again, neither willing to give in.

The emperor was so annoyed by their commotion that he suddenly stood up. "Enough! Issue an edict to send someone to Mingzhou to negotiate with He Jingyuan. The conditions... the conditions are negotiable. As long as he is willing to submit, anything is negotiable."

Wei Yan opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept it closed.

In fact, he himself knew that this was the only way.

Whether he likes it or not, he has no choice but to do it.

Li Xing hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty is wise! I will arrange for an envoy to depart as soon as possible."

……

After the court session ended, Wei Yan returned to his residence and locked himself in his study, not coming out for the entire day.

The food that the housekeeper brought was taken back untouched.

Wei Yan stared at the map hanging on the wall, at the arrows pointing towards the capital, his mind in turmoil.

He couldn't understand how things had turned out this way.

Wei Xuan is dead, Fengzhou and Mingzhou are lost, nearly 200,000 troops have been wiped out, and He Jingyuan's army is only a thousand miles away from the capital.

The situation he had built up over a decade collapsed in just a few months.

What made him even more uneasy was that person named Su Ning.

From Fengzhou to Mingzhou, every battle was inseparable from this man.

Explosives, besieging enemy strongholds to ambush reinforcements, digging tunnels to blow up city walls—these methods were unheard of and could not have been conceived by ordinary people.

Could it be true, as the rumors suggest, that this person possesses supernatural abilities?

Wei Yan rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.

The imperial court can only hope for peace talks now.

Even if He Jingyuan made an exorbitant demand, the imperial court would have to agree.

First, remove the hand that's holding the knife to your neck, catch your breath, and then we'll discuss this further.

……

Li Xing acted quickly.

The messenger set off early the next morning.

The envoy was of high rank; he was Zhou Wenhan, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who was eloquent and known for his persuasive speech in the court.

The emperor personally summoned Zhou Wenhan and repeatedly instructed him to persuade He Jingyuan to negotiate peace no matter what.

Zhou Wenhan rode a fast horse, accompanied by several attendants, and left the capital, heading towards Mingzhou.

In truth, he was uncertain whether He Jingyuan would see him, and even less so what he would say if they did meet.

But the imperial edict had been issued, and not going would be considered disobeying the edict, which meant losing one's head.

Going there offers at least a glimmer of hope.

……

Meanwhile, in the camp of Prince Changxin, Sui Tuo, the loss of Mingzhou was also being discussed.

Sui Tuo sat in the commander's tent, a map spread out in front of him, his finger pointing repeatedly at the location of Mingzhou, his expression not very good.

The generals beside him also had solemn expressions.

"The city fell in half a day?" Sui Tuo's voice carried a hint of disbelief. "The walls of Mingzhou are not much weaker than those of Fengzhou. All four gates were blown open at the same time. What kind of method is this? What exactly is that explosive? And where did He Jingyuan get so much explosive?"

The subordinate general shook his head: "Your Highness, it's not that there's too much explosives, it's that Su Ning knows how to dig tunnels. He dug tunnels under the city walls, planted explosives, and detonated them all at once, causing all four gates to explode simultaneously. The defending troops didn't even have time to react before the rebel army rushed in through all four gates at once."

After a moment of silence, Sui Tuo slowly said, "Between the point and attack the reinforcements, dig tunnels and blow up the city walls, this Su Ning is not simple."

Sui Yuanqing sat down next to him, holding a glass of wine. Hearing this, he sneered: "Hmph... So what if he can dig holes? What's so great about that? He's like a ground rat, not worth mentioning."

Sui Tuo glared at him: "What do you know? War is about brains, not brute force. He Jingyuan got to where he is today not because he had more men, but because he calculated every step ahead of the court. You look down on him, but he's almost at the capital."

Sui Yuanqing pursed his lips, said nothing, picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

After thinking for a moment, Sui Tuo said to the general beside him, "Pass down the order to speed up the march and prevent He Jingyuan from taking over the capital."

Just as the general was about to accept the order, Sui Tuo waved his hand again: "Wait. Simply speeding up isn't enough; we need to communicate with He Jingyuan. Although both of our families are against the imperial court, we're each fighting our own battles. If we were to collide, it could easily cause trouble."

Sui Yuanqing put down his wine cup: "Father, you want to join forces with He Jingyuan? Who does he think he is? Does he even deserve to join forces with us?"

Sui Tuo patiently explained, "It's not a joint effort, it's an alliance. He can fight his battles, and we'll fight ours; we won't sabotage each other. We'll settle things once we're in the capital. Falling out with him now won't benefit anyone."

Although Sui Yuanqing was unconvinced, he knew that his father was right, so he kept quiet.

After thinking for a moment, Sui Tuo added, "Who should we send? We need to find someone who is eloquent and influential."

"..." The advisors present all had a suitable candidate in mind, but they dared not tell Prince Changxin casually.

After thinking for a long time, Sui Tuo also thought of this person: "Let Yuan Huai go."

Sui Yuanqing was stunned for a moment: "Father, Yuan Huai, he..."

“He’s the right person.” Sui Tuo interrupted him bluntly. “Although Yuan Huai is my adopted son, he’s reliable, quick-witted, and tight-lipped. He’s the most suitable person for this kind of occasion. If you go, I’m afraid you’ll get into a fight with He Jingyuan’s people.”

Sui Yuanqing's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but in front of so many generals, he couldn't show his anger, so he could only mutter a reply: "Hmph! As you wish."

The Yuan Huai that Sui Tuo mentioned was his adopted son, whose original name was Qi Yu. He was the legitimate son of the Crown Prince of Chengde and the eldest grandson of the Emperor of Dayin.

When the Crown Prince was framed and his entire family was executed, Qi Yu escaped by chance. He changed his name and identity and sought refuge with Prince Changxin, becoming his adopted son.

This person appears gentle and soft-spoken, but deep down he is a ruthless character with a profound mind; no one can guess what he is thinking.

……

That evening, Qi Yu was summoned to Sui Tuo's command tent.

“Yuan Huai,” Sui Tuo said, looking at him, “I have something I need you to do.”

Qi Yu bowed and said, "Father, please speak."

"Go to Mingzhou and see He Jingyuan," Sui Tuo said bluntly. "Talk to him about the alliance. Both of our families are against the court, so let's not end up fighting each other and making a fool of ourselves in front of the court."

Qi Yu asked, "Father, what are the conditions for the alliance? Who will listen to whom?"

Sui Tuo thought for a moment and said, "No one listens to anyone else, and they each fight their own battles. But before they reach the capital, the two sides cannot have a conflict. Tell him that the Chongzhou army is willing to keep to themselves and wait until they enter the capital before discussing the future."

Qi Yu nodded: "Understood. When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone prepare horses and documents for you." Sui Tuo patted him on the shoulder. "Yuan Huai, if you handle this well, I'll give you the credit when you get back."

Qi Yu smiled, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Stepping out of the command tent, Qi Yu stood in the night, looking at the moon in the sky. The smile on his face slowly disappeared, and his eyes became complicated.

He glanced up in the direction of the capital, his lips twitched slightly, and then strode back to his tent.

……

The two groups set off almost simultaneously early the next morning.

A group traveled from the capital to Mingzhou, carrying the emperor's decree, with the sole intention of seeking peace.

A group of people headed from the Changxin King's camp to Mingzhou, carrying Tuoba Hong's alliance document, intending to join forces with He Jingyuan.

Two groups of people, two purposes, but they're heading to the same place.

In Mingzhou City, He Jingyuan was busy reorganizing military affairs.

After conquering Mingzhou, he felt even more confident.

With the capture of Fengzhou and Mingzhou in succession, the imperial reinforcements were routed, the capital was within reach, and the dawn of victory was already in sight.

At this moment, he was discussing the next step of the advance with Wei Qilin and Su Ning when Li Huai'an ran in from outside, clasped his hands and said, "My lord, master, someone outside is requesting an audience. They say it is an envoy sent by the imperial court, Zhou Wenhan, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who has come with an imperial edict."

He Jingyuan was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "The imperial court has sent an envoy? And with an imperial edict? Is this a request for peace?"

Wei Qilin laughed as well: "When you can't beat them, you want to negotiate. Even that old bastard Wei Yan has his moments of weakness."

Meng Lihua said from the side, "We can't let them get away with this. When they slaughtered our entire family back then, they never thought about negotiating."

He Jingyuan waved his hand: "Let's meet him first and hear what he has to say. Peace talks are possible, but they have to be based on our terms."

Then he turned to Li Huai'an and said, "Let Zhou Wenhan in."

Just as Li Huai'an was about to leave, another soldier ran in, panting, and said, "General, another group of people has arrived outside. They say they are envoys sent by the Prince of Changxin, named Sui Yuanhuai, and they want to see you, General."

He Jingyuan raised an eyebrow: "Prince Changxin has also sent people? What's going on here? The imperial court and Prince Changxin, both of them are coming today?"

Wei Qilin thought for a moment, "The imperial court has come to seek peace, while Prince Changxin has come to form an alliance. These two groups have bumped into each other; this is interesting."

He Jingyuan laughed: "Interesting. Then let's meet them, first the court officials, then Prince Changxin's. One at a time, no rush."

……

After capturing Mingzhou, the rebel army controlled an increasingly larger area, from Jizhou to Fengzhou, and from Fengzhou to Mingzhou, with more than a dozen prefectures and counties falling under He Jingyuan's control.

With a larger territory and a larger population, how to manage it becomes a major problem.

Suning called Wei Qilin, Meng Lihua, and He Jingyuan together for a meeting.

"Gentlemen, now is the time for us to consider how to govern the world."

He Jingyuan spoke first: "My lord, we now occupy such a large area, and the population has increased significantly. But the old rules of the imperial court were a mess, with a ton of exorbitant taxes and levies. The people only joined us because they couldn't survive. If we adopt the same system as the court, what difference would there be between us?" Wei Qilin nodded: "Brother He is right. We raised an army to give the people a way to survive. If we continue with the old ways after taking over the territory, why would the people support us?"

As Su Ning listened to their conversation, she already had a plan in mind.

He had seen all sorts of governance methods in other worlds and knew what kind of rules could make ordinary people live a good life.

Su Ning thought for a moment and said, "I have a method that we can try."

He Jingyuan asked, "My lord, what's the plan?"

Su Ning said, "First, we should encourage land reclamation. There is wasteland everywhere now, but no one is farming it. People want to farm, but they dare not, fearing that the government will take it away. Let's issue a notice that whoever reclaims the land will own it and will not be taxed for three years. Once people have land, they will feel at ease and will be able to make a living."

Wei Qilin slapped his thigh: "That's great! What the common people want most is land. With land, who would still want to rebel with the imperial court?"

Su Ning added, “Secondly, reduce taxes and corvée labor. The imperial court’s taxes are too heavy, with 30% or 40% collected out of 100%, leaving ordinary people with nothing to eat after paying taxes. Let’s set a rule to collect only 10%, no more than that. Corvée labor should also be reduced; we can’t just conscript people to work all the time. During the busy farming season, no corvée labor should be collected; let them finish their work in the fields first.”

Meng Lihua nodded: "That's right. When my father was alive, he said that the government's taxes were too heavy, and the people would rebel because they couldn't survive. If we can lower the taxes, the people will definitely appreciate our efforts."

Su Ning continued, "Third, abolish all the exorbitant taxes. In addition to the regular taxes, the court has all sorts of miscellaneous taxes, such as poll tax, population tax, salt tax, tea tax, toll fees, and so on. They add up to more than the regular taxes. We will abolish all these miscellaneous taxes and only collect the regular taxes, and even then, we will only collect 10% of the regular taxes. When the people calculate it, their burden will be reduced by more than 80%."

As He Jingyuan listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter: "My lord, is there anything else?"

Su Ning said, "Fourth, the land tax system will be implemented. In the past, the imperial court collected taxes based on the number of people, regardless of whether you had land or not, or whether you were rich or poor. Poor families with many children could not afford to pay taxes and had to sell their children. We will change the system to collect taxes based on the amount of land owned. Those who own land will pay more, and those who do not own land will not pay. This way, the poor can survive."

Wei Qilin thought for a moment, "What about officials and scholars who didn't pay taxes before? What about them now?"

Su Ning glanced at him. “Fifth, officials and gentry shall pay taxes equally. In the past, officials and those with official titles did not pay taxes or perform corvée labor, and all the burdens fell on the common people. This is unfair. From now on, whether you are an official or a scholar, as long as you own land, you must pay taxes. Everyone shall be treated equally, and no one shall be an exception.”

After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

He Jingyuan frowned and said, "My lord, this... I'm afraid it will be difficult. Those officials and scholars are all prominent figures. Will they agree to pay taxes?"

Su Ning smiled and said, "We have no choice but to agree. We conquered the world by relying on the common people, not on those officials. If the common people support us, we can rule the world. If the common people don't support us, we are nothing. If officials and gentry pay taxes together, it will offend a few people, but it will benefit the people of the world. No matter how you look at it, it's worth it."

Wei Qilin thought for a long time, then slammed his hand on the table: "Let's do it! So what if we offend them? Anyway, not many of those officials are any good."

He Jingyuan nodded: "Alright, let's do as our lord says. You write down the regulations, we'll issue a notice, and implement them first in the areas we occupy."

"The new policies will inevitably cause growing pains. We need to be mentally prepared and also have a certain ability to withstand pressure."

"Yes, my lord."

……

The public's reaction to these policies was even more enthusiastic than expected.

On the day the notices were posted, each notice board was surrounded by people.

Those who could read stood in front and read aloud, while the others listened from the surrounding area.

After it was read aloud, everyone started discussing it amongst themselves.

"Does the reclaimed land belong to the owner? And is there no tax for three years? Is this true or false?"

"It bears the official seal of the rebel army; how could it be fake? General He keeps his word and never lies."

"Only 10% tax? It used to be 40%! That's such a big reduction?"

"That's right! And all those miscellaneous taxes have been abolished, like the poll tax and the household tax, which no longer need to be paid."

"There's also the land tax reform! From now on, taxes will be levied based on land area, and those without land won't have to pay taxes. My family has eight children, and before, the poll tax alone bankrupted us. Now, thankfully, we don't have to pay anymore!"

"Officials and gentry pay taxes together? Officials have to pay taxes too? I've never heard of that before. Those officials used to own hundreds of acres of land, but they didn't pay a single penny, leaving the burden entirely on us ordinary people. Now, well, they have to pay too!"

Some people burst into tears on the spot, squatting on the ground wiping away their tears: "Heaven has opened its eyes! Finally, a team has come to stand up for the people. This life has not been in vain; we have been born in a good era."

Some people carried hoes and headed out of the city, shouting as they went, "I'm going to clear the wasteland! The sooner we clear the land and plant the crops, the sooner we'll have food to eat next year!"

For a time, the wasteland outside the city was filled with people clearing land.

Some families work together, while others help each other out.

Pieces of wasteland were turned over, and the scent of soil wafted far and wide.

……

Standing atop the city wall, He Jingyuan looked at the people reclaiming land across the mountains and fields outside the city and said to Wei Qilin with emotion, "Qilin, you see, the common people don't ask for much, just a piece of land to feed themselves. We gave them land, and they're willing to risk their lives to support us."

Wei Qilin nodded, his eyes a little red: "Back when I was fighting with the Marquis, he said, 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.' Now I truly understand the meaning of those words."

In addition to a series of administrative reforms, Suning also did something that left everyone speechless.

That day, Su Ning stood on a wasteland outside Mingzhou City, followed by He Jingyuan, Wei Qilin, Meng Lihua, a large group of generals and soldiers, and civilians who had rushed over upon hearing the news. The crowd was huge and no one knew what he was going to do.

He Jingyuan asked, "My lord, what exactly do you want to do by calling everyone here?"

Suning said, "This land is too barren; nothing grows well here. I'll add some fertilizer."

He Jingyuan didn't understand: "Add fertilizer? How? Are you going to have someone bring manure?"

Su Ning gave He Jingyuan a meaningful look, but remained silent.

He raised his head, looked at the gray clouds in the sky, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly raised his right hand.

Everyone present stared at Su Ning, wondering what he was up to.

Suddenly, the sky changed.

The gray clouds began to churn, as if something was stirring inside.

The clouds grew thicker and lower, their color changing from gray to white, and then from white to bright silver.

A golden light rose from Su Ning's body and shot straight into the sky.

Golden light shot into the clouds, instantly turning them gold and transforming the entire sky into a dazzling golden hue, so bright it was blinding.

"Look! The sky! Look at the sky!" someone exclaimed.

Everyone looked up at the golden cloud.

Some people were so frightened that their legs went weak and they knelt down with a thud.

Some people put their hands together and muttered incantations.

The golden clouds churned for a moment, then it began to rain.

It wasn't ordinary rain, but golden rain.

Each raindrop carries a faint golden light as it falls on the ground, seeps into the soil, and makes a hissing sound.

The rain grew heavier, and a golden curtain of rain enveloped the entire wasteland outside Mingzhou City.

Su Ning stood in the rain, his whole body soaked by the golden raindrops, but he remained motionless, his eyes slightly closed, as if sensing something.

The rain stopped after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The clouds dispersed, the sun reappeared, and golden rays shone upon the earth.

When they looked at that wasteland again, everyone was dumbfounded.

The once dry, barren, and desolate land has now been transformed into fertile soil.

The soil was jet black and shiny, and felt soft and spongy underfoot, like walking on cotton.

The air is filled with the fresh scent of earth; just taking a breath makes you feel completely comfortable.

Someone squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, smelled it, tasted it, and then exclaimed with wide eyes and a trembling voice, "This soil...this soil is sweet! I've farmed all my life, and I've never smelled such good soil before!"

He Jingyuan also squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil and rubbed it in his hands. The soil was as fine as flour and crumbled when pinched.

He looked up at Su Ning, his eyes filled with shock and awe: "My lord, this is... this is immortal magic!"

Su Ning opened his eyes and smiled: "It's not some kind of magic, it's just restoring the land to its original state."

……

The news quickly spread throughout Mingzhou, then to Fengzhou, then to Jizhou, and to every corner controlled by the rebel army.

"Our lord possesses magical powers! He can make golden rain fall from the sky! He can turn barren land into fertile fields!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! The rain was golden, and when it fell on the ground, the land became fertile!"

"I saw it too! When that golden light shot into the sky, the whole sky turned golden!"

"Our lord is no ordinary man; he is a deity descended to earth to save us common people!"

The story spread by word of mouth among the common people, becoming more and more legendary with each retelling.

Some say Suning can command the wind and rain, some say Suning can turn stones into gold, and some say Suning is a celestial being descended to earth to save the world.

Wei Qilin saw this as a good opportunity and said to Su Ning, "Su Ning, it's a good thing that the people trust you. We should take advantage of this and let more people know about your abilities. If the people trust you, they will trust our righteous army."

Su Ning thought for a moment and said, “Okay. Let them build my temples in various places. They don’t need to be big, just a small room will do. My statue will be placed inside. People can come and burn incense if they want, and kowtow if they want. I won’t charge them for incense. They can offer whatever they want, even a piece of fruit or a bowl of water. What I need is the power of their incense.”

He Jingyuan, standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled: "Build a temple? Didn't you say you didn't want the people to make offerings to you?"

Su Ning smiled and said, "What I want is not their money, but their hearts. When ordinary people come to the temple to burn incense and kowtow, they are thinking of me. That thought is the greatest help to me. This is called the power of incense."

He Jingyuan seemed to understand but not quite, and although he was somewhat skeptical, he still did as instructed.

He sent people to various prefectures and counties to build special temples, which were then used to enshrine portraits or wooden statues of Su Ning, thus becoming temples dedicated to the Lord.

When the common people heard that a temple was to be built for Suning, they were even more enthusiastic than the government officials.

Some people donated wood, some donated bricks and tiles, and some contributed their labor without pay, bringing their own food.

In less than half a month, hundreds of temples were built in more than a dozen prefectures and counties.

The temple is very large and magnificent, and there are also dedicated temple priests inside.

In the very center is a portrait of Su Ning, dressed in a white robe with golden light shining behind him, looking very imposing.

People flock to the temple to burn incense every day.

There were old and young, men and women; some came to pray for peace, some for a bountiful harvest, and some to fulfill vows.

An old woman knelt before the statue of Su Ning, kowtowed three times, and murmured, "My lord, you are a great man! My son went to fight with you, please bless him to return safely. I don't have anything good at home, please don't mind these few eggs."

She placed the eggs before the statue, kowtowed three times, and then walked away shakily.

An old farmer brought his grandson to the temple. Pointing to the statue of Su Ning, he said to his grandson, "Remember, this is our lord. If it weren't for him, our family wouldn't have enough to eat right now. When you grow up, you should be like General Su and become a useful person to the people."

The grandson nodded vigorously, then knelt down and kowtowed, imitating his grandfather.

A young woman came to the temple carrying her child. She placed the child on a prayer mat, pressed the child's head down, and kowtowed to Su Ning, saying, "My lord, I hope you can bless my child with peace and safety, and that everything will go smoothly for him."

The temple is becoming increasingly popular, with incense smoke filling the air every day, and the offering table is piled high with gifts from the local people.

There were eggs, fruit, homemade steamed buns, and homemade wine...

Suning occasionally travels through his spirit to visit temples in various places.

Every time he appeared, it was regarded as a miracle, and the people would surround him, kneel down and kowtow, shouting "My Lord!"

The power of incense offerings from all over the world is frantically flowing into Suning's spirit, making Suning's spirit stronger and stronger.

The trust and support of the common people also surged towards the rebel army like a tidal wave.

Young people enthusiastically joined the army, the elderly and children helped deliver food and water, and women made shoes and socks for the soldiers.

Wherever the rebel army went, the people lined the streets to welcome them, offering them tea and water.

He Jingyuan said to Wei Qilin with emotion, "Qilin, I never expected our lord to understand people's hearts so well."

Wei Qilin nodded, glancing at Su Ning, who was lost in thought in the distance. "Brother He, this world, in the end, still belongs to the common people. We are just fighting for them."

He Jingyuan laughed: "Even after we enter the capital and rule the country, we cannot change. If anyone changes, the people will overthrow us as well."

Wei Qilin looked at He Jingyuan meaningfully and said, "Then it's a promise. No matter what happens in the future, we will not forget today."

The two looked at each other, reached out their hands, and clasped them tightly.

As for what they were thinking, that remains unknown.

...(End of this chapter)