Accidentally dressed as an empress

Chapter 271 Captive

The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the thick clouds, and the golden light shines on the Yun Kingdom military camp.

In the center of the military camp, there stood a large tent. The flickering candlelight inside the tent illuminated many figures.

The curtains parted, and Zhong Rong entered the tent. She knelt on one knee, holding a thick volume high above her head with both hands. She reported in a loud and clear voice, "Your Majesty! This battle was a resounding victory, yielding fruitful results. I have already counted the prisoners, weapons, and supplies captured!"

His Majesty Yunse put down the map in his hand, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand slightly and said, "General Zhong, please stand up and tell me quickly."

Zhong Rong stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this time our army has captured over 36,200 Chu soldiers, including 23 generals. These prisoners have been properly placed in a temporary camp behind the barracks, under guard, and everything is in good order."

Yunse nodded slightly, indicating that she should continue.

Zhong Rong continued, "As for weapons and supplies, we seized a large amount of weapons, armor, and food. Among them, we seized over 2,000 sharp swords, over 1,500 sturdy shields, over 800 powerful bows, and countless arrows. As for armor, we had over 1,000 sets of various fine battle armor. As for food, the Chu camp was damaged, and we only seized over 10,000 dan of rice, wheat, and other grains."

Yun Se showed a satisfied smile on his face, "Zhong Rong, you have made an invaluable contribution to this battle!"

Yunse continued, "To celebrate this victory, I have decided to reward the three armies! Let every soldier enjoy the joy of victory to the fullest!"

Zhong Rong and several generals knelt on one knee, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

His Majesty Yunse smiled slightly, turned to look at the messenger beside him, and said, "Pass the order down, take out all the food and fodder we brought, and prepare a celebration banquet!"

The messenger took the order and left. Soon, the military camp became busy.

The soldiers took action one after another. Some set up temporary kitchens, some prepared tables, chairs and benches, and some carried food, fodder and wine.

The air is filled with the rich aroma of meat and wine, making people salivate.

As night fell, the stars twinkled, and the entire military camp was brightly lit and bustling.

The golden and crispy roasted lamb sizzled on the charcoal fire, emitting an enticing aroma; the mellow wine rippled in the cup, and the soldiers sat around the campfire, clinking glasses and passing them around, with warm cheers and applause. The soldiers raised their glasses and drank heartily.

The grand celebration banquet lasted until late at night.

...............

Yun Se walked to the prisoner camp, followed closely by Zhong Rong, Zhong Yuan, Lin Zichen and others.

Yun Se said, "We still need to make long-term plans and deal with these captives properly. What are your thoughts?"

Zhong Yuan stepped forward with a bow, "Your Majesty, I dare to say something."

Yun Se raised her hand slightly, motioning Zhong Yuan to come forward and speak.

Zhong Yuan said softly, "Your Majesty, although these captives come from an enemy nation, they are also living beings. The Chu State's reckless war has displaced its people, and they are merely pitiful individuals caught in the crossfire. I boldly suggest that they be properly resettled, registered as farmers, and become citizens of the Yun State, thus demonstrating our Yun State's inclusive and righteous character."

"Miss Zhong, you are wrong. The Chu State has repeatedly invaded our borders and committed numerous crimes. Now that they have been taken prisoner, we must not let them go easily."

Lin Zichen's tone was icy. "Your Majesty, these captives are perfect deterrents. Take them to the border and parade them for three days, so that Chu will know the consequences of provoking Yun. Afterwards, select the strongest men to serve as laborers to build fortifications for Yun. The rest, the old, weak, and sick, will be exiled."

Gu Zezhi said: "These captives may be the key to our breakthrough. The Chu court is full of factions and contradictions. We can select valuable people from these captives, show them favors, explain the benefits and disadvantages, and make them our internal supporters."

Zhong Rong said, "For those Chu generals, arrange separate tents and treat them with courtesy. Use both reason and emotion to persuade them to serve the Yun Kingdom. Learn from them the Chu army's military system and weaponry. For those captives who don't cooperate, treat them as General Lin did."

Yun Se was playing with a jade pendant in his hand, his eyes scanning back and forth among the captives below.

Yun Se gently put the jade pendant down, turned her gaze to General Zhong Rong, and said with a slight smile, "These Chu captives are all men, strong and healthy. Our Yun State has been at war for many years, and many women have reached marriageable age but have not yet found husbands.

It would be better to assign these Chu soldiers to Yun State women as husbands. This way, we can solve the marriage problem of domestic women and allow these captives to settle down in Yun State and be used by Yun State."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Rong was momentarily stunned, but then a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes. He bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this is a brilliant plan! It will not only reassure people, but also enhance the integration between the two countries. It is truly a far-sighted move."

"As for those generals, just follow General Zhong's method." Yun Se said.

Zhong Rong immediately ordered the Chu captives to be categorized and registered according to age, physical condition, etc. These Chu soldiers would be assigned to unmarried women of Yun State of marriageable age.

The soldiers were full of anticipation, hoping to find a caring husband; however, some soldiers were skeptical, fearing that these Chu captives would harbor resentment and cause trouble for them.

As soon as the news came out, the eyes of those soldiers who had not yet married suddenly lit up. They looked at each other and ran towards the prisoner camp tacitly.

In just a moment, the prisoner camp was surrounded by a crowd of people, like a tide, which tightly surrounded the entire camp.

"Have you heard? There are many young and handsome men among these Chu captives. Maybe I can pick a husband that suits my needs!" A burly soldier shouted excitedly at the top of his voice.

"Yes, yes! We are always busy in the military camp and have no time to think about lifelong events. This time, God has given us such a good opportunity!" A tall and thin soldier next to him echoed, with an irrepressible smile on his face.

"I don't know what those Chu men look like. If I can find one who is gentle, lovely, virtuous and good at housekeeping, that would be a blessing!" A young soldier blushed and muttered softly.

"It doesn't matter what he looks like, as long as he can live a stable life! We soldiers are content as long as we have a home." Another soldier patted her shoulder and said with a smile.

Just as everyone was discussing this, the gate of the prisoner camp slowly opened, and several soldiers came out escorting a group of Chu prisoners.

The crowd instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on the captives. Although these men were dressed in tattered clothes and had haggard faces, their sturdy figures could not be concealed.

They lowered their heads and walked slowly forward under the escort of the soldiers.

"Oh, how ugly! How come he is so dark? Compared with the men in our Yun country, he is far inferior." A soldier frowned and said with disgust.

The tall soldier beside him also shook his head and complained with disappointment, "Look at how strong he is! He's almost as strong as me! I was originally hoping to find someone gentle, docile, and obedient! Now, all my hopes have been ruined."