NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Belonging
With tears and ear piercing shouts, the women and children were ushered out by the service army, their hands tied and joined by a rope.
Five imperial guards and ten service savages escorted the 60 non-combatants back to Edson's construction site to join the project.
Next, Zhong Yu took the now wreaked with fear service army to his next target.
Though now, Zhong Yu returned to using disguise tactics in slipping past the tribes' defenses instead of intimidation like now.
These savages were oblivious to the bait tactic in conquering since their backward minds couldn't even conceive it.
His army had smooth sailing for 25 km, taking 11 tribes, of which two had 200 people. Before Zhong Yu called it off, the 25 km journey took him around half a day and netted him 800 people.
And since he only had 50 imperial guards remaining at his side, no matter how sure he was the fear still lingered in these savages. It was better to play it safe and return to Edson's site.
Rushing and exhausted, the service army was back in two days. The campaign had gone on for 5 days and they traveled 75 km circling Edson's site and clearing 50 tribes within 15 km of it and without a single loss on his part. It was a flawless victory which brought him 2500 people.
With the people settled in Edson's site, Zhong Yu thought of his next plan.
After five days of work, the Edson's site started to resemble a city. A part of the foundation was set and were working on building homes, markets and offices. This was towards making this new city flourish.
Leaving 1000 to continue and taking the rest, he split them into three groups of 500 as he moved on his way to Luoyang.
Going east 10 km from Edson's site was Luoyang. And he left some to establish a village 5 km from each city.
West of Edson's site, along Zhong Yu's expansion route, he set a village every 5 km as well.
Every spot would develop agriculture, making it a prosperous village with a relay station.
With this, Zhong Yu completed the initial development of Edson's site's administrative plan, working his way to getting a firm grasp on 15 miles around him. These four spots would need to spread out and would make developing future settlement easier.
With Luoyang's west taken care of, he returned to Luoyang with his army of 250 recruits, 100 guarded Edson's site and the rest were split into three groups to overlook the villages.
Tasked with watching the savages' work and making sure none fled.
His 100 imperial guards, 50 recruits and 24 men forming the vanguard returned to Luoyang.
Zhong Yu found his army's mood was off, or more specifically, between the 50 recruits and the vanguard.
Both groups believed they were marching to their death when the campaign began, so their morale was at an all time low.
Only to find every win came easy and quick, without a single loss in gaining 2500 savages. Accomplishing their lord's task was unbelievably easy even though they had a hard time coming to terms with it.
But making this trip made the approval of their lord and Luoyang increase, budding in them a sense of belonging, making them see this city as their place of ultimate power and glory.
Getting in 2.5 km of Luoyang, its citizens spotted the troops coming home.
They saw of the 400 that set off, only half returned and their hearts were filled with horror, tears were being shed.
They rushed home to tell the others to come find their surviving relatives.
The populace panicked and waited at the gates in apprehension, watching the army getting closer with mixed feelings.
The army arrived before the people and seeing their faces, he soon came to reason behind their fears.
This was human nature, worried sick about their loved ones joining a losing battle. Not being worried was what got Zhong Yu suspicious.
Zhong Yu began his speech with a smile, despite the people's anger, resentment and hatred.
"People, I know why you are angry, worried and tense, but do not fear, your loved ones are at the Edson's site, watching over thousands of prisoners and supervising the construction of a new city."
The people were happy but still skeptical. They turned to the recruits, as if asking them if the lord was honest.
The recruits understood their loved ones' worry and nodded and attested their lord's words.
"Long live His Grace! Long live His Grace! We shall never forget Your Grace's endless kindness for as long as we live."
The people cheered, overjoyed at the news that their loved ones were alive and made the soldiers feel an even stronger sense of belonging, finally seeing this strange new world as their home.
Seeing how eager they were to reunite, Zhong Yu released his soldiers to go to their homes.
While the people whose loved ones were stationed in Edson's site looked on with envy.