Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Zhao Bei ultimately decided to send a small team disguised as ordinary people into the city to investigate.

Just as they were making preparations, they saw a procession of carriages galloping out of the city and heading towards them.

Zhao Bei gripped his broadsword tightly, squinting as he looked at the group of people clearly approaching him. Just by looking at the style of the carriage, he knew that government officials were inside.

The carriage stopped ten zhang away from Zhao Bei's army. Soon, a man in an official robe got off the carriage and walked quickly toward Zhao Bei.

Zhao Bei did not dismount, but looked at the newcomer with some wariness.

"Zhang Wenzhi, the garrison commander of Mingyao City, has come to welcome General Zhao into the city," Zhang Wenzhi said, bowing very respectfully to Zhao Bei.

"Haha...haha...so it's Lord Zhang! My apologies for not recognizing you!" Zhao Bei jumped off his horse, clasped his hands in greeting to Zhang Wenzhi.

"General Zhao, the army of the Prince of Ding'an stationed here, I heard that he suffered a great defeat in Dingcheng, his 100,000 troops were scattered, and those people immediately packed up and fled overnight. Now the city is very safe, and the people are living in peace and contentment. Please come into the city to take a look."

"Oh? So all those people ran away? I thought it was you, Commander Zhang, who was helping the rebel king guard this city!" Zhao Bei looked at Commander Zhang with a half-smile.

"No, no, the rebels attacked so suddenly. Even though I led my men in a desperate resistance, we still couldn't stop the rebel king from entering the city. But once he took the city gate, I and the generals in the city were placed under house arrest." He sighed somewhat embarrassedly as he said this.

"I am truly ashamed to say this! I have failed the imperial court!" Then he covered his face with his sleeve and wept bitterly.

Seeing his effeminate manner, Zhao Bei felt a pang of sympathy. But regardless, Zhao Bei had no right to deal with Zhang Shoubei, and he hadn't openly aligned himself with the Prince of Ding'an like the Lu family. Moreover, the princess wasn't present; all he had to do was take charge of the defense of Mingyao City, and the court would handle the rest.

Seeing the man across from him still crying, he had no choice but to speak up and offer words of comfort.

"The court naturally understands Zhang Shoubei's difficulties. Don't cry anymore. Now is a good time for you to make meritorious contributions. You should seize the opportunity."

Zhao Bei's last words successfully stopped Zhang Wenzhi, who was still weeping with his face covered, from crying.

He raised his eyes, which were slightly red from rubbing, and said to Zhao Bei...

"The general is right. Now is the time to eliminate the remnants of the rebel king. General, please!"

Seeing that he was sensible and stopped crying, Zhao Bei nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Deputy General Guo and gave him instructions.

"It's inconvenient for everyone to go in. A thousand people will come into the city with me. You can stay here and wait for my news."

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."

After saying that, Zhao Bei looked at Zhang Wenzhi and smiled.

"Lord Zhang, please!"

"General Zhao, please!"

Zhao Bei led a thousand light cavalrymen into the city, attracting a large crowd of onlookers on both sides of the road. Soldiers disguised as civilians, as previously agreed, blended into the crowd to quietly inquire, and the result was exactly as Zhang Shoubei had predicted. The army of the Prince of Ding'an had suddenly deserted, and only then did Zhang Shoubei take over Mingyao City.

After investigating and finding nothing amiss, Zhao Bei fired a signal flare to notify Deputy General Guo. They didn't linger, staying only two days to ascertain the situation in the city before leaving the Right Assistant General of the Eastern Route with 50,000 soldiers to garrison the area. While ostensibly to assist the garrison commander in protecting Mingyao City, everyone understood that this was a way of stripping Commander Zhang of his authority.

Although his men were somewhat unwilling, their actions during this period had been far from honorable, and given the vast disparity in numbers, they had no choice but to endure it for the time being and cooperate.

After settling everything in Mingyao City, Zhao Bei led the remaining army to continue marching to the next city.

The army marched at a fast pace, and in just two days they arrived at Yishui, the last city occupied by the Ding'an Prince's army.

When they arrived, the commander of Yishui was already waiting for them outside the city with his men. Therefore, Zhao Bei smoothly took over the military defenses of Yishui. The commander and his men knew they had been in too much contact with the Prince of Ding'an. Moreover, when the Prince of Ding'an had attempted to use their passage to attack the capital, they hadn't resisted, but rather reluctantly opened the city gates. Therefore, they were all quite at ease now; they were already lucky to still have their weapons. With all these reasons combined, the commander obediently handed over command without a word.

Zhao Bei stationed himself at Yishui and submitted a military report to the court, awaiting further instructions. He also sent a letter to Xia Yu, expressing his thoughts and requesting that the princess provide further support in terms of supplies.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ji, the Prince of Ding'an, was confidently fleeing towards the fiefdom of the Prince of Huainan, but he was stopped by troops as he entered the territory of Huainan Prefecture.

“Uncle, Father sent me here to welcome you. Father said that you can ask for anything you need, but there are things going on at home recently and it is inconvenient to receive you. You should go back first.” Zhou Xian, the third son of the King of Huainan, rode a white horse, wore yellow armor, and held a red-tasseled spear. He looked every bit the fine young general.

"Hehe, good nephew, you don't need to be so nervous. I'm only here to have a few words to say to your father in person. Are you sure your father doesn't want to hear them?"

“Uncle, before I came here, my father had already instructed me that no matter what excuse you give me, I will say the same thing.”

"This matter concerns the lives and safety of everyone in your Huainan Prince's Mansion. Don't you want to know at all?" Zhou Ji tried to persuade him again, unwilling to give up.

"Uncle Wang, I'll say it again. Is it inconvenient for the Prince of Huainan's residence to receive you? Please return home. I've heard that Zhao Bei's army has already stationed itself in Yishui. I wonder where he'll target next? Uncle Wang, please don't stay away for too long and find your home has been robbed when you get back!" Zhou Xian said to Zhou Ji with a hidden meaning in his words.

Hearing the other party's firm refusal to let him in, Zhou Ji gritted his teeth, turned his horse around, and prepared to leave.

"Uncle, please wait a moment. Father has something to give you." After saying this, he instructed a junior officer beside him to bring him a long box.

He took the exquisite sandalwood box, wondering what he wanted to give him. Upon opening it, he found a thick stack of silver notes inside, roughly estimated to be worth tens of thousands of taels.

Zhou Ji felt humiliated at first. He closed the lid and asked Zhou Xian with some annoyance.

"What does your father mean by this? Is he using these things to humiliate me?"