Chapter 30: One Year Later
A year had passed.
With lightning speed, the Dongyang King gathered the troops of the Zhenshui King, merging them into a formidable force. Within just one year, they conquered Yingnan Commandery and pushed their military toward Pingshan Commandery, Zhaoyang Commandery, and set their sights on Xitai Commandery.
After the Dongyang King launched his campaign against the fake emperor, the fake emperor was forced to divert troops southward, leaving them unable to suppress the unrest. The four counties in the northern region, which had been relatively stable, quickly descended into chaos.
If the Dongyang King succeeded in capturing Pingshan, Xitai, and Zhaoming counties, he would effectively encircle the imperial capital’s three counties, leaving the fake emperor with no path to retreat, signaling his inevitable downfall.
Pingshan Commandery, Jiangzhou District, Hening County.
Many refugees who had fled from the northern region settled in Jiangzhou, hoping for a brief period of peace. But now, with the threat of war encroaching, they were forced to flee northward once again.
It wasn't just the refugees—many locals from Jiangzhou also chose to leave their homes behind.
As the saying goes, "Bandits will pick and choose, soldiers will take everything."
For ordinary people, fleeing was often the only way to survive in the face of natural and man-made disasters.