Longzang

Chapter 750 A Different Way to Eat It
As winter approaches, northern Xinjiang has already experienced its first heavy snowfall, with the snow reaching above the knees, making it difficult for the Liaoning horses to move.

Thousands of miles to the southwest, in the mountainous region, a chill was already in the air. Winter clothing had already been distributed to the army, and Li Zhi had gone to great lengths to obtain several thousand dan of cotton, which was distributed to the inhabitants of the region so that they could make winter clothes and bedding.

Winters in the Mountain Lands are not as cold as in the North, but they still snow. Three months of the year are winter, a time when everything is covered in snow, everything lies dormant, and the entire land is silent.

The Qingming region where Wei Yuan is located is in the Wuyu region, which is hot and humid all year round. The advantage is that it can be planted all year round, but the disadvantage is that it is full of miasma. In the past, a human army once ventured deep into the Wuyu region, but after only a thousand-mile march, more than half of them were killed before they even reached the battlefield, and 30% died directly from disease.

After seeing more of it, Wei Yuan realized that Qingming seemed to have been created specifically for the Witch Domain. Jiamu Shengxuan was specifically designed to counter the poisonous gas of the Witch Domain, and its speed of transforming the wind and water of heaven and earth was much faster than that of ordinary boundary stones. In just six months, the earth poison would weaken to a point where strong humans could barely live, and in a year, it would weaken to a point where ordinary people could also tolerate it.

The transformation of heaven and earth at the core of Qingming has been nearly seven years now, and the earth poison has been completely transformed into spiritual energy, with a concentration of spiritual energy far exceeding that of other realms.

Putting aside other things, just comparing it to the Azure Water Realm, which has been established for two years, there is only clean water within ten miles of the boundary stone, and it still needs to be further detoxified and purified through a magic array before it can be drunk.

The entire Azure Water Realm has only a few hundred thousand acres of arable land, and the yield is low, less than 100 catties per acre. The Azure Water Realm is able to support an army of 200,000 and a civilian of 700,000 thanks to the import of food from outside.

In the winter of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Wei Yuan initially reorganized Qingming, bringing together eight million people and opening up ten million mu of farmland. After nearly a full year of recuperation, the stored grain was countless, but fifty million jin of it rotted away due to carelessness.

With the northern border soon to be covered in snow and ice, a brief truce was finally granted, allowing Wei Yuan to withdraw from the northern mountain gates. Now, with his troops well-trained and well-supplied, Wei Yuan finally turned his attention to the five prefectures, preparing to put into practice the title of Grand Councilor in charge of the Southern Military Affairs.

After returning to Qingming from the northern mountain gate, Wei Yuan went to the Military Affairs Hall in the Immortal City immediately.

Now, the Military Affairs Hall has been expanded, with two more halls on the east and west sides, each containing a different sand table model. The central main hall depicts the unchanging Qingming surrounding area, while the first room of the east side hall has been transformed to show the terrain of the five prefectures.

When Wei Yuan entered the Military Affairs Hall, all the cultivators from the Tai Chu Palace who had been notified had already arrived.

On the sand table, the five prefectures are each a different color. Roughly, four prefectures are arranged in a line at the bottom, bordering the Zhao state, while Xiangrong Prefecture is located behind the four prefectures. Hanyang Prefecture, including Hanyang Pass, and the adjacent Huangping Prefecture are two of the eight prefectures of Ningxi, all within the Xu family's sphere of influence, and are therefore marked in dark red. Xiangrong Prefecture is also marked in red.

The colors of each prefecture indicated the degree of resistance to Wei Yuan, the Grand Councilor of the South, in conscripting soldiers and requisitioning grain. Red meant complete rejection, a tough stance, and no leniency was shown; there had even been some armed conflicts.

Wei Yuan had previously sent relatively few men to the five commanderies; Cui Yu only led a thousand light cavalry and several hundred young officers who had just graduated from military academy to take over the defense of each commandery. This step went relatively smoothly, as the Zhao army was watching with predatory intent. Although the main battlefield was in the east, hundreds of thousands of troops were also stationed opposite the five commanderies, and they could attack at any time.

Many of the generals in the five commanderies were originally there to gain experience and prestige through family connections, not because they genuinely wanted to defend the border. After Zhao launched its war, half of the border generals disappeared within the first month. They all used their connections to be transferred elsewhere; those who remained were unable to leave.

According to the laws of Jin, generals and local officials were responsible for defending their territories, and those who deserted in battle were to be executed. If a city was lost, and the defending general or official escaped alive, they too would be executed. In short, the local officials were expected to live and die with the land.

Therefore, Cui Yu faced little resistance in taking over the border defenses. However, he mostly took over empty military camps, with less than one-tenth of the normal number of soldiers. After the generals fled, many soldiers also deserted.

Wei Yuan's gaze fell on the three prefectures marked in red. It was expected that the two prefectures of the Xu family would be difficult to deal with, after all, even the Prince of Jin could only collect three or four hundred thousand taels of silver a year here.

The third red line represents Xiangrong County, the very place Wei Yuan planned to send Niu Jinbao to conquer. Wei Yuan tapped the sand table, and all the information about Xiangrong County automatically appeared.

Xiangrong County has a population of nine million and registered land of six million mu, but the actual land area should be more than twelve million mu. The prefect of Xiangrong County is named Zhuang Zhong, a disciple of the Left Prime Minister, the second-place scholar in the imperial examination thirty years ago, and a Dharma Master at the age of fifty. He cultivated his Taoist path at a cave academy.

This person is arrogant, haughty, and stubborn.

In Xiangrong County, the land owned by Qingliu officials in the capital totaled eight million mu, accounting for more than half of the entire county. This county was the stronghold of the Qingliu faction, and even aristocratic families had to take a backseat.

The records state that Niu Jinbao sent over a hundred people to visit more than seventy wealthy households in the county, requesting them to survey the fields and requisition grain and military pay.

As a result, more than half of them were turned away, and conflicts broke out among more than twenty households. Five households directly defeated and captured all the people sent by Niu Jinbao. Wei Yuan's document, issued by the Southern Military Commission, was torn to shreds on the spot and trampled into mud.

After being severely beaten, these people were sent to the local government and are still imprisoned. Niu Jinbao went to demand their release several times, but he failed to get a single person back and was almost detained himself. A total of more than forty people were detained by the government, and their current fate is unknown.

There were two other wealthy households. Niu Jinbao sent two groups of men, totaling twenty people, but after they left, both groups disappeared without a trace.

Upon seeing this, Wei Yuan was just about to calculate their fates when he suddenly sensed that their souls had returned and entered the Gate of All Realms.

Wei Yuan was taken aback, then a murderous glint flashed across his face as he asked, "Has Niu Jinbao left yet?"

A standing cultivator said, "He set off this morning and should be out of the boundary by now." Wei Yuan's gaze returned to the map, and then he marked the border between Xiangrong County and Huangping County, saying, "This place is where two rivers meet, and the main roads to the three counties all pass through here. It looks good. Xu Yi, you lead 10,000 men to set off first and set up camp here. From now on, this will be my Southern Military Camp. I will bring 50,000 men with me and arrive shortly after."

Xu Yi nodded, then said, "I need to pass through Hanyang and Huangping counties. What if the Xu family sends people to intercept me?"

"We can fire, but we must win."

Xu Yi accepted the order.

Wei Yuan then selected a secluded location 300 miles away from the Southern Military Camp and dispatched two elite battalions of the Extinction Heaven Gang to garrison there.

Ten days later, the Azure Nether army set out, causing shockwaves throughout the prefectures.

Although Wei Yuan's forces were small, their morale was no less than that of 300,000 iron cavalry. Anyone with even a little military knowledge along the way was terrified at the sight of them. All the cities in Xu's two prefectures kept their gates tightly shut, watching Wei Yuan's army pass through.

When Wei Yuan arrived at the Southern Military Camp, Xu Yi had already set up a large camp there, large enough to accommodate 100,000 people, and deployed hundreds of cannons for defense.

After Wei Yuan entered the camp, hundreds of Dao Foundation Incarnations and several Dharma Avatar Incarnations left the camp and flew in all directions to officially reap the benefits of the five prefectures.

In Xiangrong County, in front of a large manor house nestled against the mountain and facing the water, covering hundreds of acres, suddenly the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out, and dozens of fully armed cavalrymen galloped toward the manor gate.

The gatekeepers of the manor hurriedly led a dozen servants to greet them. The leading general, seated high on his horse, coldly said, "I am a guerrilla general of the Great Jin Dynasty. I have important business to discuss with your master. Inform him immediately, or you will delay military operations and lose your head!"

The gatekeeper was perceptive; seeing the dozens of cavalrymen, tall and strong, exuding a murderous aura, he immediately knew they were not to be trifled with and hurriedly sent someone to inform the steward. A moment later, the steward rushed over, accompanied by a young man.

The young man, with an arrogant air, said, "A mere guerrilla general dares to be so arrogant! Don't you know where you are? My master is the second son of the prefect! And my mistress is the daughter of Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Revenue in the capital..."

At this moment, the steward saw the style of the knights' armor clearly, and especially noticed the muskets hanging on the back of their warhorses. His expression changed, and he whispered, "They are men of the Dingxi Jiedushi (military governor)."

The young man, who was initially just a bit arrogant, burst into laughter upon hearing this, then his face twisted into a ferocious grin. He said, "You just sent men here a while ago to rob us of money and grain, and they were all apprehended and handed over to the authorities. You dare to come again now? Men, seize them!"

The voice was powerful, yet the hundreds of servants behind him hesitated and dared not move. The young man was furious and about to lash out when the general suddenly swung his whip and lashed it across the young man's face!
The lash was extremely heavy, leaving half of the young man's face a bloody mess, his mouth gaping open to reveal his gums, and one of his eyeballs popping out.

The knights immediately spurred their horses forward, charging into the manor and quickly felling all the hundred-plus guards. These guards were no different from chickens before these heavily armored cavalrymen. Suddenly, shouts filled the manor, chickens flew and dogs barked, and everyone scattered in panic.

The general grabbed the steward, who was trying to escape, and said coldly, "Where does your master live? Take us there!"

The steward was already trembling with fear, pointing towards the main courtyard, barely able to speak. Just then, an aura surged into the sky from the manor, and a burly man rose into the air, roaring in a thunderous voice: "Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to cause trouble in the Zhuang family manor?!"

This man had an excellent appearance, with bulging muscles and veins. He unabashedly displayed his late-stage Dao Foundation cultivation, and many servants and maids couldn't even stand up. Behind this imposing man, three more figures rose up, all with extraordinary appearances, fierce and menacing, and all possessing mid-stage Dao Foundation cultivation.

Wei Yuan, the avatar inside the general's armor, didn't even bother to look. He simply waved his hand, and the knights immediately raised their guns and aimed. In an instant, gunfire roared, and more than ten flying swords riddled the big man with holes!

The burly man looked utterly astonished, then plummeted from the sky. His three brothers behind him were filled with terror; the knights' firing of their guns had finally revealed their cultivation levels—each one a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Without saying a word, the three brothers turned and ran.

Then the knights, like tigers among sheep, swept through the crowd and stormed into the main courtyard.

A moment later, the manor gates swung open, and several carriages emerged, crammed with elegantly dressed gentlemen, ladies, concubines, and young misses. Nearly a hundred knights escorted the carriages, heading south towards the military camp.

After traveling about two miles, Wei Yuan ordered ten knights to escort the carriage forward. Then he said to the remaining knights, "Everyone, quickly change your clothes. This is the first time our Black Wind Stronghold has been mobilized. We must do it cleanly and efficiently, and not lose a single treasure."

The knights responded enthusiastically, took out black clothes and black headscarves, and changed into them on their horses.

Wei Yuan then said to one of the knights, who was slightly overweight and stood out from the others, "Wenwu, think of a few more names for cult bandits. We need them soon."

Xu Wenwu blurted out, "Of course it has to be the Albizia julibrissin..."

(End of this chapter)