“Smash the gate!”

At Zheng Fan’s command, a barbarian soldier stepped forward to ram the door.

The yamen's main gate wasn't very sturdy, at least not compared to Mianzhou City's city gate; after all, government officials came and went like flowing water. Unlike later generations, ancient magistrates rarely used public funds to repair the yamen.

However, someone was clearly holding it from behind, and for a moment, the barbarian soldiers couldn't break it open.

Liang Cheng raised his hand,

And said in a deep voice:

"Bows!"

The barbarian soldiers around him began to draw their bows. Riding and shooting was a natural skill for the barbarians, something they were born with.

Under Liang Cheng's command, the barbarian soldiers around him immediately understood, and retreated a short distance on their horses, then raised their bows.

"Hum!"

A round of shots rained down. Due to the angle, it was almost impossible to hit the people blocking the door from behind, but screams still echoed from the courtyard.

"Oh, there are quite a few people in the courtyard."

A smile appeared on the corner of Zheng Fan’s lips.

The news of the Yan army entering the city spread quickly throughout the city. For a time, the yamen became the safest place in many people's minds. Many gathered in the yamen to seek refuge or discuss matters.

After breaking through the gate, Zheng Fan didn’t delay and led his army directly to the yamen, effectively trapping everyone inside.

The arrow volley wasn't meant to kill the people blocking the door, but to break their morale through the screams of others.

After all, the people inside the yamen and in the entire Mianzhou City didn't know their true strength and assumed that a massive Yan army had already entered the city.

To be precise, even if the garrison soldiers in this city were useless, the guards of each household and the bodyguards from the trading companies could easily gather a thousand able-bodied men.

Once the numbers were clear, some of those who had been frightened earlier might regroup and counterattack.

This was why Liang Cheng had said earlier that they wouldn't be able to occupy the city. Without waiting for the Qian Kingdom to mobilize troops from other places, the city itself could give them more than they bargained for.

At the same time, this was why Zheng Fan led his army directly to the yamen after entering the city. Since they couldn't occupy the city, they had to take back some souvenirs to prove that they had been here, seen it, and conquered it.

In short, accompanied by the self-inflicted fear of imagining the "Yan Kingdom army" had entered the city, and the screams of those who were hit by arrows in the courtyard, the people blocking the door completely collapsed.

"Bang!"

The main gate of the yamen was finally smashed open.

The barbarian soldiers dismounted and charged in, causing a cacophony of wails. Some, still possessing some courage, thought about fighting back with weapons, but were quickly cut down by the well-equipped and skilled barbarian soldiers. Most chose to kneel and surrender, or… accepted their fate.

The enemy army had already entered the city, and the city had fallen. In the eyes of most people, any further resistance was futile.

At the same time, the Qian Kingdom had been at peace for too long, so long that this generation, even those in the border towns, had never experienced war and were still somewhat confused.

The situation inside was quickly brought under control.

Zheng Fan dismounted and walked into the yamen, with Liang Cheng following behind him.

In the courtyard, a large number of people were kneeling on the ground, and the wounded were wailing.

In front of the barbarian soldiers, these people didn't dare to act rashly. Only when Zheng Fan walked in did some of the more resourceful ones start to boldly observe him.

However, Zheng Fan had no interest in these small fry.

Zheng Fan had actually considered taking over the previous chicken fort. Anyway, his own Cui Liu Fort was also on the border line. Opening a gap there would be like planting his own people in the puppet army's blockhouse, making it much easier for him to enter and exit while earning military merit.

But it would be difficult for Zheng Fan to reach any agreement with the people in this city, especially since he had to run away immediately after finishing his business.

From storming the gate to entering the city and then the yamen, although there were occasional ripples, things went relatively smoothly.

The extent of the Qian Kingdom's military weakness was astonishing. Zheng Fan even felt that the regret of the first Zhenbei Marquis, who was unable to reach the Qian Kingdom's capital because he couldn't get reinforcements from the court, could be easily remedied a hundred years later if the first Zhenbei Marquis were to be resurrected with his former troops.

The real enemy of a dynasty is never a barbaric and powerful foreign country, but… time.

While thinking these thoughts, he continued to walk inside,

But as Zheng Fan was about to step into the backyard,

The calm expression on his face finally wavered.

He heard,

Singing.

It was said to be singing, but most of what was being chanted was lyrics.

Some were filled with heroic aspirations and grief that couldn't be vented,

Some lamented their unfulfilled talents and the impending doom of the nation,

Some satirized the treacherous officials in power and the country being led astray,

Some lamented the impending collapse of the building and the decline of the rivers and mountains,

Zheng Fan wasn't very familiar with tunes, after all, he started out in the north of the Yan Kingdom, and there was no application market for learning poetry and songs.

However, the general meaning sounded a bit like a version of "Man Jiang Hong" and "The singing girl doesn't know the doom of the nation," with similar themes.

Zheng Fan stopped and turned to look at Liang Cheng,

And said:

"I was being presumptuous. I didn't expect the Qian Kingdom's civil officials to have some integrity."

At this time, expressing their aspirations through song, without subserviently betraying their country to survive, was probably a sign that they were prepared to die for their principles.

Either they would commit suicide, or they would wait for him to enter, denounce him, and then beg him to kill them to preserve their reputation for integrity.

Even for the defeated, it was commendable to show such integrity.

Liang Cheng was also somewhat touched. He couldn't help but look down at the tip of the spear still lodged in his abdomen, and the image of the old man single-handedly holding a spear and blocking the cavalry flashed in his mind again.

"Perhaps, if the Qian Kingdom can't be destroyed in one battle, maybe…"

"Alas."

Zheng Fan also sighed.

Liang Cheng said at this time to ease the atmosphere:

"At least, it's a bit more fulfilling. In any case, it's much better than raiding another chicken fort."

"Don't mention that. It makes me angry just thinking about it. Before we go back, tell everyone not to talk about it, or else blind Xue San and the others will make up stories about us behind our backs."

"Yes, my lord."

"Let's go in and see what true scholarly integrity looks like."

Zheng Fan stepped inside,

The barbarian soldiers had already taken control of the situation, but when Zheng Fan walked in,

His eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

Liang Cheng also stopped and looked at the scene before him. He suddenly felt that the wound in his abdomen hurt even more.

Zheng Fan saw a group of civil officials who, even under the fierce gaze of the surrounding barbarian soldiers, still went their own way, singing with abandon while even engaging in indecent acts while naked, seemingly unaware of what was happening.

They were still partying, so hyped up that they couldn't stop.

But the dancing girls who had been forced to participate in their orgy hadn't taken the drugs. At first, they didn't think anything of the shouting and killing outside, but when groups of fierce-looking barbarian soldiers came in, they screamed and cowered in the corners of the hall.

The civil officials couldn't find the dancing girls, but they were still excited and didn't care so much, and actually started doing… things among themselves.

Even the prefect, who was still wearing his official hat, was actually leaning towards a barbarian soldier.

The barbarian soldier looked extremely depressed, looking at Zheng Fan with a pleading gaze.

He hoped that Zheng Fan would give the order,

Because he couldn't help but want to kill the old skeleton in front of him with one slash!

Because of Zheng Fan's orders, they had to abstain from sex, but that didn't mean they became twisted because of it.

Even if they were twisted, they wouldn't be so twisted as to develop an interest in this skinny old man.

Zheng Fan took a deep breath,

Then turned his face,

And looked at Liang Cheng standing next to him.

Liang Cheng closed his eyes slightly, with a look of pain on his face. The wound hurt so much that Zheng Fan was too embarrassed to continue blaming him for being a jinx.

"Alright, I can't shake off this title of model of spiritual civilization."

"My lord… is wise."

"So, we didn't stay home to sleep at night and ran to the Qian Kingdom to attack a city. What was that for?

We're helping the Qian Kingdom get rid of prostitution and drugs, are we here to eliminate the four pests?"

Zheng Fan naturally saw the remaining Five Stone Powder on the table. He knew what it was. He almost ate it to sense his blood energy, and then Liang Cheng's fingernails replaced the Five Stone Powder.

This thing was much stronger than later generations’ drugs, and the side effects were even more terrible, because this thing itself has a lot of metal components in it. Taking too much can easily lead to mental retardation and paralysis.

At the same time, this thing's stimulation and hallucinatory effects on the human nervous system are also very strong. Just look at what these elegant civil officials are doing now…

Ugh,

Zheng Fan really couldn't bear to watch any longer.

He turned his head,

Turned around,

And ordered in the barbarian language:

"Kill them all, take their heads."

"Yes, Master!"

The barbarian soldiers in the hall responded in unison. They had been unable to bear it any longer, and they all raised their knives and started stabbing people.

The barbarians were barbaric, and their level of civilization had always been low, but a higher level of civilization wasn't always a good thing. For example, this blatant Brokeback Mountain scene was something that these barbarians found extremely repulsive.

By the Barbarian God, it was too eye-searing!

Liang Cheng, standing next to Zheng Fan, asked:

"My lord, what about below?"

Zheng Fan looked at Liang Cheng and rolled his eyes at him,

And said unhappily:

"Withdraw the troops and return to the station!"