The Fallen Medicine Woman: The Daily Life of Chun Nuan-Chapter 398 - 222:

Everyone was very excited.

Who could believe it, the General divided the troops into two teams, one to transport grain and the other to attack the city.

Originally, it was thought that these were hard bones that couldn’t be chewed.

In the end, in just two short hours, everything was accomplished.

The people of Changzhou were even more startled awake in the middle of the night: They could buy grain and survive?

Early in the morning, long lines crowded the city gates.

The soldiers did not shout or scold, but patiently instructed them to queue properly.

"Don’t push, there’s plenty of grain, if you push, no one can buy it, come one by one."

Of course, the people at the back were anxious, really afraid that when it was their turn, there would be no grain left.

Previously, when the rebel army entered the city, the grain shops were forced to open, and they queued like this to buy, but didn’t get any when it was their turn.

"If you keep pushing, your buying rights will be revoked."

This was more effective than anything else; instantly, no one dared to push.

"I bought it, I really bought affordable grain, only ten coins per jin, just like before."

"Is it millet or rice?"

"Millet, there’s no rice for sale."

Millet at ten coins per jin would even make you wake up laughing from a dream.

"How many jins did you buy?"

"Five jins per family, can’t buy more, but you can buy again tomorrow."

"Is it enough to eat?"

"We have a big family, it’s not enough, but we definitely won’t starve to death."

"That’s great, General Xia is really great."

"Yes, if only he had come a little earlier."

On the city wall, General Xia looked at the people below the city gate and then turned to look at the bound General Ma and his men.

"Do you see clearly now, what do the people need? What can you give them?"

"General Ma, I respect you as a true man, you’ve done countless meritorious deeds at the border in the past, and now you’ve come to this end; I feel pity for you."

"The victor becomes king, the loser becomes a bandit, spare the empty words, just kill or butcher as you wish."

Saying he didn’t regret it would be a lie!

General Ma, also a renowned heroic battlefield commander, climbed his way up to the position of General from a mere soldier.

His childhood dream was to protect the country and gain glory.

Who could have thought that fate would play tricks, the Ma family was demoted to Shu City due to some incident.

King Shu did not look down on him, on the contrary, he made extensive use of him.

Entrusted him with commanding thirty thousand troops, treating him like a brother.

"King Shu’s benevolence towards me is as heavy as a mountain, I, Ma, am willing to sacrifice for him without regret."

"General Ma, you’re confused."

Even at this stage, still serving King Shu.

"Why would King Shu favor you? He has many capable people at his side, is it truly your skills that are extraordinary?"

"Do you believe that after this defeat, he will put all the blame on you, you are just a scapegoat."

When Xia Guangcheng unveiled the truth, General Ma was dumbfounded.

Yes, King Shu had many trusted aides, why did he only favor someone who joined midway?

All along, it was he who issued orders, King Shu said he trusted him, but there was never a single written directive.

From King Shu’s suspicious nature, this unreserved trust in him was abnormal from the start.

Xia Guangcheng’s words made him suddenly realize: he had been used as a pawn.

The Ma family, ultimately, was ruined at his hands.

A taste of blood surged to his throat, and he swallowed it forcefully.

"There’s still one thing I don’t understand."

"Please speak, General Ma."

"Where did you mobilize so much grain from?" General Ma said, "As far as I know, especially in Changzhou, three years ago there was a natural disaster and poor harvests, and grain production has been sparse for the past few years; most people have no surplus to sell."

The moment he arrived, he mobilized considerable grain.

"Moreover, how can you ensure that this grain will continue to be supplied?"

General Ma was convinced that if he had that much grain, he would not be the one defeated.

Unwilling to accept it!

"General Ma, you should know a fact: gaining the way, one gets much help, losing the way, one gets little help," Xia Guangcheng said indifferently, "What I do is for the people, naturally there are those willing to lend me a helping hand."

"You..."

So infuriating!

Yet helpless.

The situation was lost, death was already a foregone conclusion.

What was left to live for?

"General Ma..."

Observing something amiss with General Ma, Xia Guangcheng stepped forward and grabbed his jaw, but it was too late, blood gushed from his mouth, staining Xia Guangcheng’s clothes.

"General Ma, what was the point of this?"

Xia Guangcheng felt no joy, he deeply understood: General Ma was deceived by King Shu, but also was powerless, although they were Generals, the power still lay with the royal family, he couldn’t change it nor resist it.