After hearing his analysis, the council chamber fell silent. Clearly, everyone agreed with him.
Ji Yuzhu quickly issued an order. “Report this to the Grand Chanyu as soon as possible. We must be prepared to engage the enemy at any time.”
With Fengzhou changing hands and the situation in turmoil, they could not afford to let their guard down.
Jiang Jin sat in the Wuqin County government office, looking over the various statistics that had been submitted.
Because the three Wuqin counties had retreated so quickly, they had been unable to transport all the grain from the city. Approximately sixty thousand shi remained behind.
The Han Chinese civilians in the city had also been left behind. There were slightly more than fifty thousand of them. As a result, Jiang Jin’s population had surpassed four hundred thousand.
That was admittedly not much for an entire prefecture, but for Jiang Jin, who had only just established herself as a new power, it was satisfactory enough.
Besides, Sizhou was still continuously sending people her way. The population in the regions under her control would only continue to grow.
She looked up at the military commanders, including Zhou Sui and Yao Ji. “We can begin recruiting soldiers again. Also, make absolutely sure that the border defenses between Chongzhou and Juanzhou are properly secured.”
“Whether it is day or night, there must be patrols and scouts. Hidden sentries must be stationed at all critical entrances and exits, just in case.”
Zhou Sui and the others hurriedly acknowledged the order. “Yes.”
Jiang Jin turned to Luo Qingci and Dong Si. “We also need to get civilian affairs up and running so that the people can return to normal life as quickly as possible.”
While discussions continued on Jiang Jin’s side, Lu You of Daqing Commandery had fallen into silence.
Only after a long while did he sigh and bring up the old subject once more. “Perhaps it is time to hand Daqing over to the princess.”
Jin Feng, who had just returned from Yunqi, was stunned. A moment later, he actually began to consider the idea seriously.
After thinking it over, he decided it was feasible. The princess was, after all, His Majesty’s own blood. Handing the empire of Yan to the princess was perfectly reasonable.
Moreover, the Grand General was serving under the princess. Their soldiers had originally belonged to the Grand General’s command, so no matter how one looked at it, the arrangement made sense.
Most importantly, the civilians and soldiers under the princess’s rule were living wonderfully—so wonderfully that it could only be described as comfortable and prosperous. Jin Feng hoped the Daqing army and the people of Daqing could enjoy the same kind of life.
Li Zan sighed inwardly as well. “Have you made up your mind?”
Judging by the fact that Princess Jinyang had conquered all of Fengzhou in just over a year, the First Prince was nowhere near her equal.
As for her being a woman, perhaps Li Zan would once have cared about that. But in the face of genuine ability, such things were unimportant.
The courage and competence of a ruler mattered far more than gender.
Lu You remained silent and drained the wine from his cup.
Apart from worrying that Jiang Jin might settle old scores with him later, he was also somewhat unwilling to give up. He knew very well that once he surrendered his authority, even if Jiang Jin chose not to pursue his past actions, it would be difficult for him to hold military power again.
Li Zan understood Lu You’s concerns. However, they simply had neither the qualifications nor the leverage to negotiate.
For his part, Li Zan felt that if the world could truly become peaceful, living as a wealthy landowner would not be so bad. He had never been particularly attached to power in the first place.
When Jin Feng saw that Lu You was not speaking, he was just about to ask another question when Li Zan shot him a fierce look.
Jin Feng was baffled. “Why are you glaring at me?”
Li Zan: “…”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I wasn’t glaring. Your eyes are going bad with age.”
Jin Feng refused to accept that. “No matter how old I am, am I older than you?”
Li Zan felt as though he had been struck straight in the chest. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I may be old, but I’m still going strong.”
Jin Feng snorted coldly. “Right. Besides being strong, you don’t have much left.”
Li Zan took another blow to the chest. He was indeed a little on the plump side, and Jin Feng was clearly mocking him.
The man was infuriatingly dense and completely incapable of appreciating another person’s good intentions!
The general was clearly struggling with his decision, but it was not something subordinates like them had the right to influence or judge. Until the general made up his own mind, the best thing they could do was keep their mouths shut.
Qiu Tai stood on the deck at the bow of the ship, feeling the salty sea breeze against his face. His heart was filled with both nervousness and excitement.
Just then, he happened to see a Jinyang soldier disguised as an ordinary crewman come out.
Qiu Tai hurriedly asked, “How much longer until we reach Xianglu County?”
The soldier replied, “Not much longer. We’ll arrive this afternoon. Don’t worry.”
Just as he had said, Qiu Tai arrived at Xianglu County’s harbor not long after finishing lunch aboard the ship.
The harbor appeared to be quite large, though construction was not yet complete. A great many laborers were still hard at work, hammering away.
At present, only two piers were available for berthing, and more than a dozen cargo ships were already moored there. The scene was bustling.
Qiu Tai was curious. “Doesn’t Xianglu County already have a harbor? Why is this one still under construction?”
The soldier nodded. “It does, but that one is a military harbor. This is a civilian harbor. It was newly built and hasn’t been completed yet.”
As they spoke, the ship pulled up to the shore.
The soldier had clearly received prior instructions and took especially good care of Qiu Tai. “I’ll take you to the government office to register first. Our ship will remain here for two days, so you can leave your goods aboard during that time.”
Qiu Tai hurriedly thanked him. “Thank you. I’ll find a shop as soon as possible and have the goods taken away.”
As for the registration at the government office, he had already made inquiries beforehand.
Apparently, anyone doing business in Fengzhou had to go to the government office to obtain a business license. They also had to apply for some sort of temporary identity certificate so that government officials could inspect them at any time.
After stepping ashore, Qiu Tai looked at the clean, gray-white road and asked curiously, “What is this road made of?”
The soldier smiled as he explained, “Cement. Most of the roads here are cement roads.”
His servants had already led his usual horse off the ship, and the carriage had also been unloaded.
That was the privilege of the wealthy. Whenever they traveled, they brought along the things they were accustomed to using, allowing them to maintain their usual comforts even in unfamiliar places.
The horse was soon hitched to the carriage. Qiu Tai and the soldier climbed inside, while the carriage servant and the young attendant took their seats on the driver’s bench. Then they set off for Xianglu County town.
A gentle breeze lifted the carriage curtain, and Qiu Tai caught sight of a vast stretch of green outside.
He suddenly sat up straight and pulled the curtain aside. “What is that?”
The soldier glanced over. “Oh, that area is planted with white radishes, Chinese cabbage, chili peppers, and other vegetables.”
Qiu Tai drew in a sharp breath. “How are they growing so luxuriantly?”
The soldier could not help laughing. “This is nothing. There’s an area near Gefeng where the crops grow even better. That’s what you’d call impressive. You can go have a look sometime if you get the chance.”
Qiu Tai grew expectant. “What a pity this place is so far from Gefeng.”
Then, remembering something, he asked, “Is land expensive here? I’d like to buy several dozen mu to grow medicinal herbs.”
The soldier shook his head. “Land in Fengzhou isn’t being sold at the moment, but you can rent it.”
Qiu Tai was astonished. “It isn’t for sale? Why not?”
The soldier gave an awkward laugh. “I don’t know. It’s simply the policy from above.”
Qiu Tai thought about it for a moment, then decided not to dwell on the matter. “Renting works just as well. Hehe.”
There were not many travelers on the road, and Qiu Tai was in no hurry. The carriage rolled along at an unhurried pace, and only after half an hour did they arrive at Xianglu County.
