Misty Rain of the Old Times

Judging from the situation on the map, Prince Qing has already captured two-fifths of Rongguo's territory, almost half of it!

How long has it been? From the time the news of Prince Qing's self-determination was learned, it has only been about a month.

Of course, his success was partly due to his years of patience, planning and scheming, but more importantly, it was due to the opportune timing. Last year, Rongguo suffered a severe drought, causing widespread turmoil and widespread rebellion. With Rongguo preoccupied with its own problems, his uprising can be seen as taking advantage of the situation.

At the very beginning of his uprising, several states in Rongguo directly declared their submission, and then he occupied many places without any real resistance. It was like sweeping away fallen leaves in autumn, and he managed to occupy nearly half of Rongguo in just one month.

In the words of Chen Xuan's hometown, it's like he's cheating; even God seems to be on his side.

It's highly likely that he spent most of the past month or so on the march.

The Rong Kingdom lost such a vast territory under his control, and the drought in the remaining lands continued unabated. Rebellions were rising in many places, and there were already signs of the country's demise.

However, even though Rongguo has reached this point, it is still a world of extraordinary martial arts with great power and grandmasters as its trump card. The outcome is still unknown. Right now, it has only suffered minor damage.

The map shows that the territory currently occupied by Prince Qing is located between the Rong Kingdom's controlled area and the Jing Kingdom, bordering the Yu Hua Kingdom to the northwest. He is caught in the middle, not only having to confront the Rong Kingdom head-on, but also having to be wary of the Jing Kingdom sending troops to take him down as a traitor, and even more wary of the Yu Hua Kingdom's interference.

However, although the situation seemed extremely unfavorable to him, after Chen Xuan used his brain to analyze the layout on the map, he found that the situation was not so.

Firstly, there's the situation in Yuhua Kingdom. The territory occupied by Prince Qing only borders it to the northwest. However, that direction is first and foremost a desolate, mountainous region with deep forests, and beyond that lies a vast desert—a natural barrier separating Yuhua Kingdom from it. It's easy to imagine how difficult it would be for Yuhua Kingdom to cross that treacherous region and launch a southward attack against Prince Qing. Not only do they have no enmity with Prince Qing, but they'd also pay a huge price just to help Rong Kingdom stabilize its situation and reclaim its territory? Don't be ridiculous. It's already merciful that they don't take advantage of the situation. Besides, Yuhua Kingdom doesn't have that many resources available. Although the war with Shuangyue Kingdom is temporarily at a truce, the ownership of the gold mines remains unresolved, and their main focus is on that. Therefore, the possibility of them launching a southward attack against Prince Qing is unlikely, but not impossible.

Secondly, there's the Jing Kingdom. Qing Wang's territory currently only borders Jing Kingdom in two states, a short battlefront. The main passes can be defended with minimal forces, and Qing Wang has been building up the key areas for years, making them virtually impregnable. Jing Kingdom would have to pay a heavy price to launch an attack. But that's not all. The main issue is that Jing Kingdom's new emperor has only recently ascended the throne, and everything is still unstable. They simply can't spare the resources. Qing Wang chose the most advantageous time to declare himself independent. By the time Zhou Chen stabilizes things and starts dealing with Qing Wang, Qing Wang will have already achieved considerable success. At that point, will Zhou Chen still be able to weigh the pros and cons and decide to target his fifth brother? After all, they're family.

Finally, there's the Rong Kingdom. Their situation is already unstable, leaving them little room to deal with Prince Qing, allowing him to sweep through the enemy lines. Chen Xuan astutely observed from the map that many areas between Prince Qing's territory and Rong Kingdom's were occupied by Rong Kingdom's rebellious forces, and on a considerable scale. This meant that if Rong Kingdom wanted to launch a major attack on Prince Qing, they would first have to deal with the rebels, creating a buffer. But if Rong Kingdom did that, would Prince Qing remain indifferent while they attacked the rebels, waiting for an attack? Anyone with a modicum of sense would seize the opportunity to launch an attack while both sides suffered losses. In this way, the rebels would be caught in the middle, attacked from both sides, feeling extremely uneasy.

Chen Xuan doesn't understand military affairs; it would be an understatement to call him a theorist. However, he did learn some basic common sense when he was in school with Xiao Gao, so he was able to deduce these things using his limited brainpower by looking at the various markings on the map.

But that's about it. He doesn't understand military affairs, lacks strategic vision, and can't see many core issues. Most of these are just his guesses and can't be taken seriously. Real war, especially one of this scale, involving multiple national forces, is something a mere military man like him can't possibly understand.

Even with just these things, he admired Prince Qing immensely. This man was either a man of great talent and vision, or he had a highly capable subordinate who was three levels above him in military matters.

As the sun set, Chen Xuan and Zhou Xing left the manor, which had temporarily served as the central command tent, side by side. They strolled up the hill, surrounded by heavily guarded soldiers.

This place is located behind Zhou Xing's army camp, and it is also a commanding height for the two armies to confront each other. Looking up, people are running around everywhere, passing on information and intelligence, but no one comes to disturb the two of them. It must have been arranged by Zhou Xing in advance.

Standing in their position, Chen Xuan looked again at the county town across the way, which looked like a frightened bird, during their casual conversation. Thinking of his previous guesses, he roughly understood why Zhou Xing did not take it down in one fell swoop. Because the rebel army was there, it was a buffer, able to block the Rong Kingdom army on the other side. If the Rong Kingdom army wanted to attack, it would have to deal with the rebel army first.

Although Zhou Xing needed to deal with the rebels before he could march south, he wasn't in a hurry. He could take a steady approach, deal with the rebels first, and then continue his southward campaign.

At this point, it becomes clear that Zhou Xing's momentum is not as rapid as it was a month ago. He needs to further digest the large territories he has gained in a short period of time, and what follows will likely be a protracted and steady war.

Looking at the military camps stretching out at the foot of the mountain, heavily guarded and well-organized, showing no sign of impending battle, Chen Xuan couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly a fierce and powerful army!"

“Brother Xuan, you flatter me. It’s just that the military discipline is strict,” Zhou Xing said with a smile, without showing any smugness, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Sensing that he didn't want to talk about these things too much, and knowing that he himself didn't understand them well, Chen Xuan simply changed the subject, asking, "Fifth Brother, when did you arrive here?"

"We set up camp here early this morning. The temporary central tent was bought from a wealthy family, not seized. Brother Xuan, please don't misunderstand me as a bandit or a villain. I had been waiting for you and my sister nearby, so I sent people to welcome you. It wasn't to inquire about your whereabouts. Scouts were scattered around to gather information and report back. I hope you won't misunderstand," Zhou Xing said frankly.

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised by this, but what surprised him was that the manor currently serving as the central command tent was actually purchased by him. In addition, the cavalry that had recently gone to invite them hadn't bullied the people along the way. If they continued to act this way, how could they not succeed? After all, the common people didn't care who was in power; they would support whoever could make their lives better.

In this era, ordinary people at the bottom of society don't really ask for much, especially during times of war. They are very obedient to anyone who can give them hope of survival. If they are treated with more leniency, they might be able to unite and overthrow the oppressors above them to welcome the arrival of the king's army.

With tens of thousands of troops and various logistical support, the fact that they were able to set up camp in such an orderly manner in just half a day is truly remarkable.

For some reason, Chen Xuan felt like he was being led by the nose, as if he was being guided in a certain direction without anyone noticing. He wondered to himself if he was really that bad at thinking in front of smart people.
Then, he decisively deviated from the expected approach, pointing curiously to the back of the hill they were on and asking, "Fifth Brother, what are they doing over there? Are they your men too?"

The direction he pointed to was about four or five miles away. There was a hilltop there, with little soil or vegetation, mostly gleaming rocks. At that moment, hundreds or even thousands of people were busy at work, including skilled practitioners and even some innate masters. They were quarrying stone, with those below the innate level chiseling the rock and transporting it to an open area, where innate masters would cut it into neat stone slabs. The efficiency seemed extremely fast; although there was no construction machinery, it was as if martial artists were being used as machines, even more smoothly than machines.

Take that innate master who cut the stone slab, for example. With a few swift strokes of his knife, he neatly cut the huge rock mass. The quarry workers almost couldn't keep up with the demand. Cutting the rock mass alone doesn't consume much innate true energy. If one has pills to replenish true energy, one can continue for a long time.

Following the direction he pointed, Zhou Xing glanced over and explained with a smile, "It is indeed my men. As you can see, they are collecting rock material and cutting it into stone slabs. This is just preliminary work."

"Why is that?" Chen Xuan asked subconsciously, then immediately realized what was going on and was secretly troubled. He was indeed not a smart person and had fallen into Zhou Xing's trap. This was probably what Zhou Xing wanted him to see. Any normal person would ask this question subconsciously.

While he was secretly laughing and crying, Zhou Xing said, "Of course it will be of great use. First, prepare enough stone slabs. After we take Ganning County ahead, we can send people to dig a canal to connect with the Qingping River and bring water from the Qingping River. This will not only irrigate the farmland along the way and restore cultivation, but also fill the moat outside Ganning County for city defense."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "I shouldn't have asked that question. It was practically giving Zhou Xing a free pass to show off. Look at his plan, anyone who hears it would give him a thumbs up in admiration."
Now, with the severe drought causing widespread suffering, he is thinking of ways to benefit the masses and restore production. What a noble sentiment he has!

Having said all that, Chen Xuan had no choice but to add, "Fifth Brother is so kind and righteous; having you around is truly a blessing for all people."

However, Zhou Xing put away his smile, shook his head, and said with a sigh, "It's not that easy. This place is more than 300 miles away from Qingping River, and only Qingping River has a large water source. Even if we want to dig a canal and build a canal, even if it's only a ten-foot-wide canal, it would take two or three innate masters working day and night for several days to see any results, bypassing the mountains and ravines. This doesn't even include the initial surveying and subsequent maintenance. Moreover, such a canal can only serve the area along the left and right sides for a few dozen miles, and that's only in flat areas. Restoring farming is definitely not something that can be done overnight."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "Is this how you use a master of innate cultivation? You're probably treating them like cattle."

However, upon closer examination, this line of thinking is indeed flawed. Using the skills of innate masters for production is the true way to make the most of their abilities, while using them for fighting and killing is a waste.

Could two or three innate masters really carve out a 10-foot-wide irrigation canal stretching for hundreds of miles in just a few days, working day and night? Even if the route had been measured beforehand, it would still be a long shot. It's not that they could actually do it, but they were certainly doing it.

This shows that Zhou Xing is indeed slowing down and taking steady steps. Once the infrastructure is in place and the disaster victims see hope for survival in his territory, they will flock to him. With people, why worry about not having soldiers?
It's unrealistic to think that a few innate masters could handle such a large project. But does Zhou Xing only have innate masters under his command? Chen Xuan remained skeptical about this.

Putting himself in Chen Xuan's shoes, he felt that if it were him, he could easily plow a trench hundreds of miles long into the earth in half an hour. Then, he could lay stone slabs to prevent leaks, and the small canal would be completed.

After thinking it over, Chen Xuan felt that this routine was somewhat familiar. It seemed that he had once boasted to Xiao Gao that infrastructure was essential to governing a region well. Could it be that Xiao Gao had told his brother-in-law all the boasts he had made?
"Whatever," Chen Xuan thought, not dwelling on it too much. Even if it didn't work out, things couldn't get any worse. If it did work out, it would be a great thing for ordinary people.

Then Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Fifth Brother, do you do this everywhere you go?"

"Brother Xuan, do you think I have that much ability and energy?" Zhou Xing retorted, then added, "Before this, I was busy running around and really didn't have time to do these things. This action is only because this place is closest to the Qingping River, which has a large water source. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. If it doesn't rain for a day, the drought will continue, and it's always the people who suffer. Whether it's digging canals to divert water or opening up underground rivers, we have to find ways to alleviate the drought and restore production. Even if it takes more than a day, we have to do it."

I had a feeling that we weren't talking about the same thing; Zhou Xing seemed to be expressing his long-term plans for the future.

Putting aside other factors, Zhou Xing's image in Chen Xuan's mind suddenly became incredibly lofty, as if he were radiating light, making Chen Xuan feel inferior. Was this due to his personal charisma, or his great talent and strategy that made people sincerely admire him?
This person is a bit scary.

"What if it's inconvenient to dig canals to bring water or it's difficult to find groundwater sources in many places during a drought? What should be done in that situation?" Chen Xuan asked curiously.

In response, Zhou Xing frankly stated, "If there's really no other way, we can only give up or pray for rain. There are other options, though. You know about the mist array, right? If we set up a mist array, although it won't make it rain, it can still gather a lot of moisture to hydrate the land, thus allowing us to resume farming. However, there are too few array masters. I only have a handful under my command, and materials are hard to find. Crafting array flags is also difficult. Widespread deployment is a long-term endeavor. These measures can only alleviate the immediate crisis as much as possible. Ultimately, we still need the heavens to restore the sunshine and rain."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan remained silent for a long time. It wasn't because Zhou Xing had array masters under his command who could also refine mist arrays. There were countless extraordinary people in the world, and he knew such methods himself, not because they were exclusive to him. Rather, it was because what Zhou Xing said was about using these methods, which were originally out of reach for ordinary people, for the benefit of the people.

With such a broad mind and long-term vision, it is evident that Zhou Xing has a grand vision and is absolutely not content with holding power in a remote corner. Rather, he truly has the ambition to conquer mountains and rivers. No matter how far he ultimately goes, he is moving forward step by step.

As Chen Xuan pondered for a moment, Zhou Xing looked into the distance, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. He spoke as if answering his own question, "I dare not ask for too much. Right now, I only hope that no one starves under my rule. And then, in the future, I hope to ensure that everyone under my rule has enough to eat. I know that ensuring everyone under my rule has enough to eat is too far-fetched, but we must have a goal, mustn't we? Let's start by ensuring that no one starves under our rule."

Even though he spoke calmly, Chen Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. This was no longer just about achieving great things. In this day and age, did Zhou Xing want to become a saint if he wanted to ensure that everyone under his rule had enough to eat? Judging from his tone and actions, he was indeed striving in that direction!
By the way, Xiao Gao seems to have similar thoughts. Which of these two brothers influenced the other? Or are they just like birds of a feather, thinking the same thing?

"Then I wish Fifth Brother all the best in achieving his goal. It's getting late, let's go back," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

He was worried that Zhou Xing might suddenly say, "Xuan-di, come and help me." If that happened, Chen Xuan feared that his life would be ruined.

Zhou Xing is a terrifying person. Regardless of whether he's bluffing or not, it's best to stay away from him as soon as possible, otherwise you can easily be influenced by him... (End of Chapter)