Longzang

Chapter 218 Long time no see
The grain trucks returned to the border, but failed to avert the crisis.

Each of the military fortresses contained only ten days' worth of rations, with not a single grain left over. Ten days' worth of rations for four thousand soldiers could last an ordinary civilian thirty days if they ate sparingly. If you calculate it by day, Wei Yuan's entire day's work was equivalent to reclaiming one day's worth of food from the entire realm.

They looted a lot of military equipment and armor, which were quite valuable, but they couldn't eat them now.

At this moment, Ningxi County's largest granary was still in Quliu Town, located right next to the county governor's mansion and adjacent to the military camp. Wei Yuan's original plan was to launch a direct surprise attack on Quliu Town, but after careful consideration, he felt it would have too many repercussions. Just as Wei Yuan was hesitating, more than ten thousand reinforcements arrived in Quliu Town.

According to the news from Xu Jingfeng, the newly arrived troops, numbering over ten thousand, were all border troops transferred from the north, and were considered elite veterans. The general leading the army was surnamed Xu, and came from the direct line of the Xu family. He had both strength and connections, and the presence of such a force in Ningxi carried a clear deterrent effect.

Therefore, Wei Yuan turned eastward, first dismantling the blockade network that Yuan Qingyan had painstakingly built, and then seeing how he would respond.

Upon receiving the battle report, Yuan Qingyan was both shocked and furious. He had never expected that Wei Yuan would actually dare to attack the government troops. Wasn't this tantamount to rebellion?

As for his outburst of anger that led him to smash the cup, three parts were genuine, but seven parts were an act. Many of his political enemies in the past mistakenly believed that Yuan Qingyan was short-tempered and easily angered, making him easy to deal with. They underestimated him and tried every means to provoke him, only to unknowingly fall into his trap.

At this moment, Yuan Qingyan was already thinking about how to submit a memorial, how to word it to enrage the Prince of Jin, and ideally, how to send troops to eliminate Qingming, this thorn in his side, regardless of the consequences.

If he could force Wei Yuan to transfer the realm master position, then Yuan Qingyan would naturally be the only choice to succeed him.

But at this moment, Xu Jingfeng, that clown, is still jumping around.

After the servants cleaned up the broken teacups on the floor, Yuan Qingyan looked at General Xu and said, "Xu Jingfeng is disrespectful to me and has acted recklessly. I request that General Xu take action and capture this man."

The general surnamed Xu said, "I will not go."

Yuan Qingyan's eyebrows shot up, and he said coldly, "I didn't hear what the general just said!"

General Xu raised his voice and said again, "I'm not going!"

Yuan Qingyan sneered repeatedly in anger, saying, "This is blatant disobedience!"

General Xu pointed above his head: "My superior is Commander Yue, and I only receive orders from Commander Yue. You, a mere prefect, have no authority over me. Even if you could, do you think I would accept an order to send me to my death?"

Yuan Qingyan's expression hardened, and he asked, "Why do you say that, General?"

"The Xu family of Ningxi has been established here for hundreds of years, and those mansions have always been the locations of their branch families. The Xu family is also a prominent family. You expect me, a late-stage Dao Foundation cultivator, to go in and take someone away? Lord Yuan, I advise you not to go in either. In places like the old mansions of a powerful clan's branch families, a mere Dharma Aspect cultivator probably can't control the situation."

Then the general surnamed Xu sneered again, pointed at the general sitting opposite him, and said, "Besides, your dog is sitting right across from me. It's perfect for him to do things that offend the Xu family. Otherwise, why keep him?"

The general's face turned pale and then red, and he said, "General Xu, this humble general has not offended you."

General Xu chuckled and said, "I don't care if you've offended me or not. I just don't like the look of you right now, so what?"

The general turned to the side, unable to look at him.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and a messenger rushed in, delivering an official document. These messengers all possessed Dao Foundation cultivation and were subordinate to the prefectural city, specializing in delivering important documents.

Yuan Qingyan opened the official document, read it carefully, and said, "This is an official document jointly issued by Governor Chen and Commander Yue. The two officials are quite furious about the bandits' attack on the military camp and have ordered us to rebuild the fortifications and apprehend the bandit Zhan Tian Gang within a specified time. General Xu, the document states that I can mobilize the troops within the prefecture for this matter. Would you like to take a look?"

General Xu took the official document, read it carefully, snorted, and handed it back to Yuan Qingyan, saying, "I only handle matters related to the military camp and bandits; the Xu family's old residence has nothing to do with me. Anyone who wants to offend the Xu family can go ahead, but I'm not going."

Yuan Qingyan's smile froze as soon as it appeared, and then she barely suppressed her anger and said, "Then I'll trouble General Xu to take over the military fortifications in the east."

"Don't worry, with me here, the whole battalion won't be stripped naked again."
-
Anzhao County, Dingbian City.

Dingbian City was bustling with activity at this time, with camps stretching as far as the eye could see and buildings of all sizes rising from the ground. The choice of this location to establish the prefectural city was a decision carefully considered by the high-ranking officials in the court, as it was a strategically important location guarding all four directions.

At this time, there were more soldiers than civilians in the city. The entire prefecture was garrisoned with over 100,000 troops, in addition to more than 30,000 wounded soldiers. Outside the prefecture, a large cemetery had been set up, and there were still 20,000 bodies of war dead that needed to be buried.

More than ten figures flew over the city and landed in front of the garrison gate. The soldiers guarding the gate quickly saluted the newcomers and addressed them as General Yue.

The leader was Yue Jinshan. He waved for his entourage to wait in the side hall, and then took two close attendants into the study in the backyard of the garrison headquarters. Chen Dao was reviewing official documents in the study. Seeing Yue Jinshan enter, he stood up and asked, "How is the war going?"

Yue Jinshan said, "The Wu Clan has temporarily retreated. But in reality, we didn't win; it was just a draw. The Wu Clan's commander this time was very capable; he didn't make any mistakes and almost ambushed me."

Chen Dao laughed and said, "You always say you almost got ambushed, but I've never actually seen you get ambushed."

"Where is that eunuch surnamed Zhao? Has he left?"

Chen Dao hurriedly said, "Be careful what you say!" Then he glanced at his two attendants.

Yue Jinshan said nonchalantly, "They've all been through thick and thin with me, they're trustworthy. ...Alright, you two stay outside and keep watch, I need to discuss some secrets with Lord Chen." After his attendants left, Chen Dao spread out a map and said, "There's a troublesome matter now. Wei Yuan has almost completely uprooted the military fortifications along the eastern edge of the territory, he's really audacious."

Yue Jinshan said, "He didn't harm any soldiers, he just robbed them of their property and food, so he was still somewhat restrained."

Chen Dao said meaningfully, "This person is unruly and has the backing of a major sect. If it weren't for the powerful clans standing on our side this time, he would probably become too powerful to control."

"What are you going to do?"

Chen Dao said slowly, "Although Yuan Qingyan is annoying, he has insight and ability. This move of sealing off the grain supply hit the enemy's weak point. Otherwise, they wouldn't have attacked the military camp and seized the grain. If it weren't for the invasion of the Wu tribe, this alone would have been enough to sentence him to death. Even the Taichu Palace would have had to choose between keeping the land or keeping the people."

Yue Jinshan frowned and said, "You guys... that Yuan Qingyan is no good. When I was fighting the Wu Clan, that guy didn't send a single soldier to help. But he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve when it comes to messing with his own people!"

Chen Dao laughed and said, "I know you're thinking that we're not good people. But think about it, what will happen to this place after the Wu Clan retreats? You don't want a lawless area to appear in your territory, do you?"

"Why not just follow the usual procedure?"

Chen Dao said softly, "According to convention, this land may not necessarily belong to us."

Yue Jinshan frowned deeply.

"So I think the strategy of sealing off the grain supply is excellent and we should continue to use it. Send some battle-hardened veterans to infiltrate the military camp and wait for him to attack. As long as I have a solid handle against him, I won't have to worry about him not submitting!"

Yue Jinshan asked, "What if he doesn't come?"

Chen Dao smiled slightly and said, "He has no choice but to come. I have received definite news that there are only a few days' worth of food left in the realm. There is no scattered food within a radius of several hundred miles around Qingming, only military rations in the camps. If he doesn't come, he will have to watch hundreds of thousands of people starve to death. So I think that in two or three days at the earliest, or five days at the latest, the Zhantian Gang will definitely come out in full force. It will definitely be a tough battle then, and it will all depend on you, General Yue."

Yue Jinshan said calmly, "If he really dares to attack the camp, I will make sure he doesn't return."

Chen Dao nodded and said, "It would be best if we could capture him alive. If we capture him, we won't have to worry about the Taichu Palace not bowing down."

With just a few words from both the scholar and the warrior, they laid an inescapable trap for Wei Yuan.

At this moment, in the vast Wu Domain, several riders were traversing mountains and forests, heading east. Wei Yuan had only brought Xu Yi and Wang Yu with him on this trip. The three of them possessed profound cultivation, and with the power of their Dao enhancing their warhorses, they traversed mountains and valleys as if walking on flat ground.

"Lord of the Realm, what are we going to do?" Xu Yi asked curiously.

Wei Yuan said, "I'm going to see an old friend and also to gather supplies."

"Isn't there food in the military camp?"

Wei Yuan said, "Yuan Qingyan isn't stupid. He didn't put much food inside, actually intending to lure us into an attack. He just didn't expect us to sweep through five of his military camps in one go, making things so big, which makes him look incompetent. I reckon he's busy rebuilding his camp now and has prepared a surprise for us inside. Unless we bring out all the Dao Foundation elites from our realm, we might not be able to take down that surprise."

"The Realm Lord is truly amazing, anticipating the enemy's moves. He's far more capable than that prefect!"

Looking at Xu Yi's adoring face, Wei Yuan secretly shook his head. If it weren't for the fact that the azure energy from Xu Yi was only a faint wisp, Wei Yuan would almost have believed it. In contrast, although Wang Yu was taciturn, the azure energy she contributed was almost condensing into a drop of great fortune.

The three traveled at full speed, covering more than a thousand miles in half a day, and arrived at the county town of Bianning.

Compared to Quliu Town, the county seat of Bianning County was much more prosperous. The city originally had 20,000 residents, and after it was officially designated as the county seat, several thousand more people, including officials, guards, and their entourage, moved in, along with many scattered residents from the surrounding area.

As dusk approached, a group of soldiers escorted an official sedan chair to a newly built residence, where the sedan chair was dismounted in the front yard.

A slightly plump official with a handsome appearance stepped out of the sedan chair. As soon as he alighted, the steward came forward and said, "Master, three people have come forward saying they are your old friends. I have already asked them to wait for you in the study."

The official's face darkened, and he said coldly, "These past few days, there have been at least eighty or a hundred old friends who have come to see me. If I let them all in, how am I supposed to get some sleep?"

The steward hurriedly said, "How could I be such an ignorant person? But these people are really different."

As he spoke, the steward presented an item, a heavy piece of silver. The official knew at a glance that it was worth at least fifty taels!
With a flick of his official robe sleeve, the immortal silver vanished. This flick was effortless and utterly devoid of any worldly air, suggesting at least twenty years of internal energy.

The official, beaming, said repeatedly, "An old friend has come to visit; how can I keep him waiting? Take me to see him quickly! Also, tell the kitchen to prepare a good meal; today I'm going to drink until I'm completely drunk!"

The steward led the official to the study, and the official froze instantly upon seeing the people in the room.

Wei Yuan rose, bowed, and smiled, "Lord Sun, it's been a long time."

(End of this chapter)