Just as the Xia Royal Palace was spiraling into crisis due to diplomatic and internal turmoil, the banners of the Hexi Prince's Estate were already firmly planted across the cities of the Xia-Zhou Plain.
The call to "overthrow the landlords and distribute the land" held a massive appeal, not only in Xinjiang City but across every city in the region. Since this was an era defined by aristocratic clans, every city, large or small, held a vast population of the propertyless. As Yang Yumniang and the Hexi Army arrived, the cities descended into chaos; one after another, they sent envoys to surrender, or in some cases, subordinates rose up to execute their own city lords and offer the gates to the invaders.
In mid-December, a force of only five thousand men secretly departed from Xinjiang City, heading toward the lands of the Shu State. Although Li Feng was well aware that under the governance of the Shu State Emperor Liu Adou, the state’s national strength was at a low ebb, he remained cautious and chose to proceed with discretion.
Chapter 256