Before the house is confiscated, the enemy's warehouse is emptied and exiled

After saying that, he stood up quickly, took two steps at a time, and ran towards the door.

When Zhao Bao disappeared outside the door, County Magistrate Zhang stood up, gathered his thoughts, and shouted, "Where is Commandant Wu?"

"I am here!"

"Quickly gather the soldiers defending the city and all the troops from the nearby counties to the county seat and await orders.

In addition, have your deputy commander immediately strengthen the security of all streets in the city and strictly prohibit the people from walking around at will.

If you spot anyone acting suspiciously, there's no need to report them; they'll be arrested immediately! This matter is of great importance and no mistakes can be made!

"Yes, sir!" After receiving the order, Captain Wu strode out of the door.

Only County Magistrate Zhang and other officials remained in the library, and the atmosphere in the entire library began to become tense.

County Magistrate Zhang's expression was not as furious as before, but he was still very fierce.

He thought to himself that today he would tear the Fifth Prince, Shen Qingge and others into pieces to relieve his hatred.

……

It was almost noon, and the sun was brighter than in the early morning, but not scorching hot.

The vassalage team and the exile team led by the fifth prince Xiao Heng slowly arrived at the city gate of Anshan County.

Everyone had seen the world, and they noticed something was wrong with just a glance.

You know, the city gate is the most critical entrance and exit passage of a city. It should be bustling with people coming and going on weekdays.

However, at this moment, there were only a few guards standing guard at the city gate, and the few scattered figures seemed particularly deserted. The number of pedestrians passing by was even smaller, as if they were under martial law.

At this moment, a group of people hurried to the city gate to greet Xiao Heng and his group. The person leading them was not the county magistrate Zhao Bao who had come to greet them two days ago, but a lower-level official.

The man had a huge smile on his face, and when he saw the team approaching, he couldn't wait to greet them. His enthusiasm was almost overflowing.

However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that this smile was too fake and seemed forced.

This person, smiling, hurriedly introduced himself to Xiao Heng:

"Your Highness, I am the chief clerk of the county. Today, I am here on the orders of the county governor to welcome Your Highness!" As he spoke, he made a gesture of invitation, indicating that Xiao Heng and others should follow him into the city.

Although he had noticed many things that were unusual, Xiao Heng did not lose his temper on the spot. Instead, he nodded expressionlessly and followed the chief clerk with the people behind him into the city gate.

As he entered the city, the sight before him made Xiao Heng's heart tighten. He had originally thought that the city would be busier than outside, but in reality, the streets were completely empty, with not a single soul in sight.

An ominous premonition came to his mind, and Xiao Heng immediately became alert.

He pretended to be nonchalant and lazy, and asked casually:

"It's sunny and the weather is perfect, so why is Anshan County so desolate and deserted? Is this how your county governor welcomes me?"

As he spoke, his sharp eyes were fixed on the chief clerk, as if he wanted to find a flaw in the other's face.

The county magistrate was frightened by his sharp gaze and stammered, "Well... recently there have been thieves in the county. The county magistrate was afraid of disturbing your carriage, so he ordered the people in the city to rest at home."

What a great way to "rest at home". These four words are so refreshing and refined, describing the city-wide martial law in such a light tone.

It seems that County Magistrate Zhang must have already made a perfect plan, and this operation must be determined to succeed! Xiao Heng pondered in his heart, and when he cast his eyes on Yun Yi, his eyes became more and more profound.

The group continued walking through the streets, but from time to time they could see some dilapidated mansions along the way, even on the most prosperous streets.

Some of these mansions had their doors tightly closed, with the vermilion paint peeling off; some had broken roofs with tiles scattered all over the ground; and some had collapsed walls, revealing the rotten beams and pillars inside.

Everyone was shocked when they saw this scene, with expressions of disbelief on their faces.

At this moment, there were bursts of low-pitched discussions coming from the group of prisoners.

"I've never seen a county street look like this. Is this county really that poor?"

Another person echoed, "Who says it isn't? Many of the mansions we passed just now looked dilapidated. We've lived in the capital for a long time, so what we've seen and heard is limited. Today has broadened our horizons!"

Someone else chimed in, "This place isn't too far from the capital, yet it's already so dilapidated. I wonder how bleak the scene will be when we get to Lingnan."

......

For a while, various discussions arose one after another, and the voices became louder and louder.

In order to control the situation, the captain Wang Gui had to stand up and shout, "Shut up! No more gossiping!"

Although he was also puzzled in his heart, he saw that the chief clerk's face had obviously turned pale, which was too embarrassing, whether it was a good thing or not.

The entire team calmed down amid his scolding.

Xiao Heng was naturally among those present who were as confused as everyone else.

He clearly remembered that when he came here last night, the streets here were still very prosperous, but what appeared before his eyes now was a miserable scene of broken walls and devastation. The huge contrast between the two was really difficult to understand.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—he remembered Shen Qingge's slightly unusual behavior last night. Although he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, considering the current situation, there must be some connection between them.

In an instant, Xiao Heng felt that this matter was not simple at all.

After a brief thought, Xiao Heng summoned Yun Yi to the carriage.

He lowered his voice slightly and asked, "Yun Yi, let me ask you something. Have you ever heard of such a miraculous martial art in this world that can absorb everything in sight in an instant?"

Yun Yi was stunned at first, then shook his head blankly, and asked in confusion:

"Master, why do you suddenly ask this? In my opinion, only the legendary gods can possess such abilities!"

Xiao Heng was obviously not satisfied with the answer given by Yun Yi. Deep down in his heart, he was certain that the dilapidated appearance of the city today must be related to Shen Qingge.

But for some reason, he felt a little happy. No wonder Shen Qingge was so calm last night.

Thinking of this, Xiao Heng couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, revealing a barely perceptible smile. His originally tense nerves also relaxed a little, and he felt a little more confident.

The team marched for about half an hour and the chief clerk stopped in front of a magnificently decorated restaurant.