Chapter 18 - Second Battle, Citizens' Mourning Heart
After two days, Song Capital, at the first glimmer of dawn...
"You bandits, it's nothing if you are plundering Gu Mansion's public industries, but this is my Jade Store! My lord will not let you off! Ah, my Yu Ruyi, in the name of this father, don't you steal, just don't, ah!"
A scream pierced through the sky, making the citizens of Song Capital who were sleeping spirited at the same time.
At almost the same time, countless citizens quickly woke up from their dreams.
"Daughter-in-law, wasn't that the scream of Jade Store's proprietor? That's not Gu Mansion's public industry? This..." a man said with surprise.
"Why are you not quickly leaving? Last time, you were late and were surpassed by Ergouzi Sun. This time, if you can't bring home a Yu Ruyi, this old lady will fight it out with you!" a woman on the bed suddenly screamed.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of doors opening echoed throughout the city. The God of Wealth had once again arrived to scatter wealth. The citizens who didn't grab a thing last time turned crazy as they rushed out of their houses without even getting dressed.
A similar scene occurred throughout the Song Capital. It seemed as though a large number of Gu Mansion's secret industries had suddenly emerged in the city, while countless citizens madly charged towards them to wantonly plunder. Seemingly, such robberies were perfectly justifiable.
In a moment, screams and the sounds of quarrels and punching were mixed with the break of dawn. At some places, billowing smoke had already started to rise.
------
At the Gu Han mansion...
"Godfather, we only have six secret industries in the Song Capital, can it stimulate the citizens of entire Song Capital?" Gu Han was a bit worried.
"Six? That's enough, people wished for many of this kind of store to exist, so there will be more! Their hearts are astir, just a few stores are enough to arouse the ambitions in their hearts!" Gu Hai said while sipping his tea.
------
Outside...
As the sky got brighter, sounds of plundering continued without end.
Once again it was a big harvest. Some citizens were beaming with smiles, but there were countless citizens that were getting increasingly anxious.
"Dammit, I was late again!"
"This Father could also not rob anything, aren't there any more Gu Hai's stores?"
"A bit too slow, just a bit, damn!"
........................
..................
............
Six stores were far from enough to quench the thirst of the citizens of the entire capital. Only a small number of citizens could rob, while most of the citizens were anxious, incomparably anxious. The God of Wealth had come to scatter wealth, but they didn't get to loot?
Countless citizens didn't return to their homes, but wandered around the streets, their eyes continuously swooping around, hoping to find another Gu Hai's store.
"Bright Gold Store, it is so bright, it would be a lot better if it was Gu Hai's property!" A citizen furiously gazed at the Gold Shop that had just opened its door.
And also said with jealousy. However, these words garnered the attraction of everyone.
"Gu Hai's industry? Right, this is definitely Gu Hai's industry!" Another man who was more anxious than him suddenly shouted.
"What? Gu Hai's industry? Damn, finally got you!"
"This time I'll definitely plunder!"
"Rob it!"
........................
..................
...
The citizens in the surroundings seemed to have gone crazy as they charged towards the Bright Gold Store, the crowds on the street had found a target in the blink of an eye.
The complexion of Bright Gold Store's proprietor changed.
"The Bright Gold Store is a hundred-year-old store, it is impossible for it to be a Gu Hai's store! Don't rob, you are committing a crime, don't you steal, ah!" the Gold Store's proprietor screamed as he was knocked to the ground.
At this moment, the citizens had gone mad, why would they care about anything? All they could think of was charging ahead. As long as they were first, they could steal, not to mention, everyone was stealing. Why would they just watch like a fool?
"Mine, mine, dammit, this is mine, don't you rob!"
"Hahahaha, father is going to be wealthy!"
"Don't you grab what's mine, hahaha, finally I have robbed something!"
............
"We are a hundred years old shop, this is not Gu Hai's industry, don't rob, ah!"
............
Cries of anger, curses, explosions rang without end.
Not only the Bright Gold Store, a fire seemed to have been kindled throughout the Song Capital. In the blink of an eye, the entire capital was in chaos. One by one, all the stores in the entire capital became the targets of robberies by the citizens in the blink of an eye.
Gu Hai's industries? Were they really? There was no need to be sure!
As long as the citizens were furious and someone shouted just one sentence, 'Is this Gu Hai's industry?', immediately everyone would turn into a pack of hungry wolves.
Rob, loot, plunder!
The entire Song Capital had gone crazy.
One by one, flames were kindled throughout the capital, no longer were the citizens good and law-abiding; in the blink of an eye, all of them turned into bandits.
Just the stores? No! The noblemen and rich were being looted too.
BOOM!
Having smacked down giant doors one after another, citizens, just like an entire lair of bandits out for looting, charged into various mansions of the nobility and the rich. All the nobles and rich could hear was one sentence and one sentence only before they were looted: 'This is the secret manor of Gu Hai!'
BANG BANG BANG!
The nobles and the rich were swiftly looted clean.
Of course, only a few noblemen and wealthy were robbed; stores were still the main target of the citizens.
In a moment, all the stores had turned into targets of plunder by the crazed citizens. It seemed as though the entire Song Capital was Gu Hai's property.
ROB, LOOT, PLUNDER!
------
Quickly, the Royal Palace was informed of the state of the Song Capital. All the officials were immediately summoned and left for the Royal Court.
The Royal Court was in pandemonium, it was all utter chaos.
"Magistrate of Song Capital, why is the entire capital in such chaos? Where are your men? Why are they not doing anything?" Song King, seated on the Dragon Throne, asked furiously.
An official who was presently kneeling down answered, "Your Royal Majesty, it's a mess, it's a total mess, this old official did indeed go to ask the city guards to control the situation. However, only a few city guards obeyed, the rest went to plunder!"
"What?" Crown Prince Song's complexion changed.
"My Royal Majesty, most of my city guards are absent and have gone to plunder!"
"Your Royal Majesty, thirty-six places in the capital are already ravaged by fire!"
..............................
..................
…
The congregation of ministers reported anxiously. As for information gathering, there was no one available, a majority of everyone's subordinates had left to plunder.
"How could this be? How the hell this could happen?" Crown Prince Song said with an ugly complexion.
"We also don't know how the things panned out like this. Two days ago, everything was going all well and good, everything was calm, yet how did the things suddenly go crazy? Why did everyone suddenly went crazy?!"
At this point, all the civil and military ministers were unable to anything. Their eyes filled with a look of shook.
"Gu Hai? Maybe this is Gu Hai's plot?" Suddenly, Crown Prince Song screamed in wonder———
Everyone was acting like bandits and this did not stop just at Song Capital, the same scene was being played throughout the Song Kingdom.
Plundering! Chaos!
In the entire Song Kingdom, the citizens were acting like bandits, the citizens had lost morale.
Border City!
Standing atop the barrack, Gao Xianzhi watched the soldiers gathering. In fact, about half of the soldiers had deserted and went to major stores in the city to plunder. Gao Xianzhi too felt a chill running down his spine.
Fire was raging through each and every house, smoke, and dust rose up in the air. Every part of the Border City was just like a purgatory in the human world. Blood-curdling screams filled with desperation along with the sounds of servants fighting rang to no end.
At this moment, Gao Xianzhi once again felt as though he was looking at Gu Hai, who dressed in armor and a double-edged sword in hand, pointed the sword tip towards the Song Capital.
Whereas, all the citizens of Border City had become the soldiers of Gu Hai. So long as Gu Hai laid down his command, the citizens of the Border City would kill their way to the Song Capital.
No, no, no, Gu Hai was not just directing the citizens of all the cities in the Song Kingdom, but rather all the citizens residing throughout the Song Kingdom had suddenly become the soldiers under Gu Hao. And all Gu Hai had to do was issue a command and the citizens would tear apart the Song Kingdom without a moment of hesitation.
Last time, when Gao Xianzhi was at the military camp, he seemed to have seen Gu Hai directing his very own 800,000 soldiers to deal with him. And this time, Gu Hai seemed to be commanding the citizens of entire Song Kingdom.
Just the 800,000 soldiers had sent a chill down Gao Xianzhi's spine, and now, the citizens of entire Song Kingdom, even more so, sent Gao Xianzhi tumbling down an ice cellar.
"Gu Hai? Only this person alone can destroy six kingdoms!" Gao Xianzhi exclaimed in shock—
After three days, everything once again went calm. The businesses throughout the Song Kingdom had been ravaged. At this moment, the entire kingdom had fallen into a deathly silence.
The citizens were unable to buy anything, meanwhile, the owners of shops, even more so, were in despair.
At this instance, a group from the Clear River Sect also arrived at the Song Kingdom which was lead by the female hall lord and Grandmaster Liunian, along with Clear River Sect's Chief and Song Jia Sect's Chief. As everyone arrived at the Border City, they met Gao Xianzhi.
At present, Gao Xianzhi was respectfully standing before everyone.
The female hall lord who stood upon a high stage of the Border City, overwatched the entire Border City.
The Border City was terribly desolate. There was almost no one in sight, only one or two pedestrians, and that too occasionally could be seen passing by. A cold wind gradually swept across the leaves laden streets. The Border City was no different than a dead city; it was shrouded in a deathly silence.
"Hiss! This is just in one month?" The girl exclaimed with wide-opened eyes.
Grandmaster Liunian's eyes flickered with complex emotions.
"Everything within the range of thousand li has been laid to waste! This Gu Hai is indeed monstrous. In a span of just one month, all the citizens are sent into mourning by him!" Grandmaster Liunian said with emotions.
The complexion of Song Jia Sect's Chief turned extremely horrid, "So what if the citizens are mourning, aren't the citizens still alive and kicking!"
Gao Xianzhi, who stood on the side, bitterly smiled and said, "The citizens are indeed alive but their heart is dead. The citizens don't support the Song Kingdom already!"
"En?" The Song Jia Sect's Chief was puzzled.
"Those who had been affected by the disaster hates the Song Kingdom for sure, for they have lost everything, whereas those who plundered the properties of others indeed know that many of the properties they had plundered don't belong to Gu Hai and now, they are nothing be robbers. And although the law may not punish them, how could you expect the robbers to show patriotism? How can the robbers shed blood and lay down their lives for the country? How could the robbers go to war? It's not that they aren't loyal to Song Kingdom. To be precise, would anyone would willingly go and fight to the death with such property at hand? Whereas those who had not been robbed or had not committed any robbery, even more so, are in bigger despair. In their opinion, the Song Kingdom is unjust, so why should they help the Song Kingdom in war?" Said Gao Xianzhi bitterly.
"So to say, the patriotism of Song Kingdom's citizens is laid to waste?" The Clear River Sect's Chief said in happiness.
"Although I don't want to admit it, it is indeed true. The soldiers at the barracks simply had no intention to go to war! Until and unless the things are returned to the way they were; all the confusion is cleared and everything is set right. However, it is easier said than done! Gu Hai is still eyeing!" Gao Xianzhi said in anguish.
"Hahahaha!" The Clear River Sect's Chief burst into a jubilant laughter.
"Making citizens act as bandits and lost their morale! This move of Gu Hai is truly ruthless!" Grandmaster Liunian said with emotions.
"Isn't there any other way to rectify this?" Song Jia Sect's chief said as an ugly complexion covered his entire face.
"I'm afraid this is not the worst. If the Chen Kingdom sent troops at this moment, our Song Kingdom's cities would be no different than paper walls; they would simply unable to resist. At least no one will be able to block them in a short period of time!" Gao Xianzhi said in anguish.
Clear River Sect's chief looked slightly surprised as he said, "Ah, five days ago, Chen Tianshan passed me a message that Gu Hai had ordered the Chen King to send 15,000 troops to the Song Kingdom. At that time, I did not take it seriously. It was just 15,000 troops, that's all. How would they be able to breach through the Song Kingdom's border. Now that you say it...?"
A bitter smile appeared on Gao Xianzhi's face as he said, "Gu Hai planned very carefully and took every conceivable possibility into account. He had planned each and every step. 15,000 soldiers who should be filled with hatred will pave a way with bloodshed, and all they would be up against is the Song Kingdom with a paper-wall defense. Alas, I am not good as Gu Hai!"
"Song King, that fool, how is he ruling the country?" A begrudging look covered the face of Song Jia Sect's chief.
"Gu Hai should be at the Song Capital, yeah?" The female hall lord's eyes flickered with excitement.
"I guess so!" Gao Xianzhi smiled forcefully.
"Let's go, let's go to the Song Capital!" The female hall lord said without an ounce of hesitation—
Song Captial.
At this moment, the Song Capital too was incomparably desolate. The entire royal capital was shrouded in a deathly silence.
At Gu Han Mansion.
Gu Hai, who was drinking tea, listened to Gu Han as he described the situation of the outside world.
"Godfather, the first phase, Soldiers' Mourning Heart and the second phase, Citizens' Mourning Heart of the Song's Destruction Plan is finished!" Gu Han's voice was filled with excitement.
Over this one month, having witnessed and experienced everything from the start, Gu Han's heart had long been surging. For many years, he had not seen his godfather play so much.
Taking a light sip from the cup, Gu Hai narrowed his eyes as he said, "Chen Kingdom's army is already proceeding towards the Song Kingdom, now soldiers and citizens have lost morale, we are now going to start the third phase, Ministers' Mourning Heart!"
"Ministers' heart?" Gu Han's eyes lit up.
"Right, who is still supporting the Song Kingdom? The Song Kingdom had already lost popular support, all that's left is the support of some ministers and aristocrats. What if these ministers and aristocrats also lost their morale?" A sliver of cold smile appeared on Gu Hai's lips.
"Aristocats and the ministers should not easily abdicate their support to the Song Kingdom in order to keep their high positions!" Gu Han said with a frown.
"No, making ministers lose the morale is easier and would take shorter period of time!" Gu Hai's face revealed a sliver of confident smile as he said.