Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, the girl took the scroll handed to her by Xuan Yi, raised it high, and shouted: "In the twelfth month of the third year of Yonghe, the Ministry of Revenue of Yan Kingdom converted 300,000 shi of military rations into silk! This is because the Empress Dowager wants to build a nine-story gilded lantern tree for the Lantern Festival!"

As her words fell, the blood-stained register was slammed onto the snow, its dense red fingerprints seemingly telling a story of endless injustice and suffering.

"These grain transport laborers who left their fingerprints are currently recuperating in the western suburbs of Xiangcheng."

Wang Ben suddenly roared, "Witch! Stop bewitching people here!" He broke free of his chains and lunged forward, but froze three steps away from Qiao Jingjing. The county princess then pulled out a longevity lock from her sleeve! It was a pattern commonly used in their Yan Kingdom.

"Two days ago, we rescued a child in Pengcheng." She placed the silver lock on the trembling blade, her voice calm yet filled with boundless sorrow.

He said his father had gone to war, and his mother had been forced to throw herself into a well by the grain requisitioning officials, where she died.

"Seven days ago, when Tuoba Jun crossed the Blackwater River, he released all the soldiers over forty years old." Qiao Jingjing stroked the bandages of the young prisoner from earlier, her fingertips stained with blood, but her voice was gentle. "Guess why?"

She suddenly raised her voice: "Because your emperor has even embezzled 30% of the compensation money for the families of the fallen!"

Suddenly, a sobbing sound arose from the snowy night. Someone threw down their weapon first, and the clanging sound became a continuous clatter. Cries suddenly erupted from the pile of prisoners.

As Wang Ben's knife clattered to the ground, Qiao Jingjing was helping up a man who was weeping bitterly. She sighed and said, "I know you are all heroes, but heroes are not only heroes of the people, but also the foundation for protecting themselves and their families. If you can't even protect your own family, how can you talk about heroism and righteousness?"

The moment she turned around, Xuan Yi strode forward and whispered in her ear, "Princess, although Wang Ben threw away his knife, there is still resentment in his eyes. We must be wary of him resorting to desperate measures."

Qiao Jingjing nodded slightly, but showed no fear. She raised her voice again: "If anyone still has doubts, they can step forward and discuss it with me again. I swear in the name of the County Princess of Liang that as long as you sincerely return to Liang, I will forgive and forget the past."

Wang Ben's gaze slowly swept over his brothers. Their dark red faces were covered in grime, and some of their hair was stained dark red with blood, tangled together and frozen into hard clumps.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm, and said, "How can you guarantee that you will keep your word, and how can we tell if you are bluffing or not?"

Qiao Jingjing smiled slightly, a hint of helplessness in her smile. She said softly, "I have no acquaintance with any of you, nor any enmity between us. Why would I want to harm you? Is it simply because you are people of Yan, and our motherland is different? In my eyes, you are just one of the millions of ordinary people who yearn for a peaceful and prosperous life."

She paused briefly, as if gathering her thoughts, before continuing, "Besides, you have already lost the ability to resist. If I truly wanted to harm you, I could have simply cut off your food and medicine. You would have starved or died of illness sooner or later anyway, without needing to go to such lengths. The only reason I did this is out of pity for you, who are also innocent people."

War is inherently cruel, and this is not our fault. I simply cannot think of any reason to harm you.

After talking so much, Qiao Jingjing was a little thirsty, so she took a clean bowl and poured herself a bowl of soup to drink.

Everyone fell silent. After a long while, Wang Ben spoke up: "I admit that what you said makes sense. But we are citizens of Yan, how can we easily betray our country?"

Qiao Jingjing had just finished her soup and slowly put down her bowl, saying, "Don't you already know that the Emperor of Yan has abandoned you? What, do you still have illusions about the court?"

Wang Ben was momentarily speechless when asked the question, and a hint of struggle flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, a young soldier stepped forward, his eyes filled with confusion: "Even if the Emperor of Yan is unkind to us, the teachings we received from childhood make it difficult for us to betray the Yan Kingdom like this."

Qiao Jingjing looked at him and said seriously, "I understand your concerns, but the current Yan emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, and the people are suffering terribly. What is the point of you continuing to serve such a monarch? Liang has always put the people first. If you return to Liang, you can live a peaceful life with your families and no longer have to suffer the pain of war."

Upon hearing this, the crowd began to whisper among themselves. Wang Ben gritted his teeth and finally said, "Very well, the county magistrate's words are so convincing, we are willing to surrender. We only ask that my brothers be safe. However, I can only guarantee that the brothers in my battalion will submit to you. As for the other battalions, you will have to negotiate with them yourselves. I will not act as your advocate. Furthermore, you must guarantee the safety of us and our families."

Qiao Jingjing quickly helped him up: "General Wang, rest assured, I, Qiao Jingjing, have made a promise and I will not break it. I will protect you all. Once the fighting has subsided, I will arrange for you to reunite with your families." Hearing this, everyone felt relieved, and even the soldiers who had been hesitant no longer wavered.

The prisoners of war knelt down and shouted, "We are willing to surrender to the Liang Kingdom!" Their voices echoed through the snowy night.

Qiao Jingjing was overjoyed; the surrender negotiation had been a success. She immediately arranged for people to take care of the surrendered soldiers and asked Xuan Yi to prepare some hot soup and meals.

As she left, she said to Wang Ben meaningfully, "General Wang, you will be grateful to yourself for making the right decision today."