Promise!

Chapter 307, Pioneering the Wilderness

Yong'an, the capital city, the second ring road, Yuwen Mansion.

Yuwen Shentong met with representatives of powerful families from various states to discuss the reclamation of Songling.

"I'm sure everyone is concerned about the procedures for this matter, so I, the Great General, will not beat around the bush."

Yuwen Shentong stated directly: "At the end of last year, the late emperor's mausoleum collapsed, and at the same time, an earthquake struck Songling, causing a continuous beast tide. The daily resource supply of the millions of people in the capital Yong'an was affected."

"Solving the beast tide is of utmost urgency. Those who make significant contributions will be granted land reclamation orders of various levels, and afterwards, feudal territories will be established in Songling."

He continued, meeting everyone's gaze, "Specifically, considering ability and needs, the reclamation orders are divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Each grade is further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, which determine the size and location of the territory and require different contributions."

"This is the initial proposal discussed by the imperial court. Please take a look and see if you have any comments."

The order to reclaim wasteland was spread throughout the land, and a comprehensive strategy had already been developed. At this moment, it was sent out via a small regional network group through the Hanging Commander's Tablet.

Representatives of the powerful families of the Nine Provinces, such as Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang, immediately went to look.

As Yuwen Shentong said, the level of contribution to resolving the beast tide is roughly determined by the amount of effort put into it. Different levels of beasts, such as those at the stages of skinning, flesh refining, tendon strengthening, bone forging, internal organ strengthening, blood exchange, Vajra Realm, and Great Vajra Realm, have different levels of contribution and can be exchanged for different levels of pioneering tokens.

Based on their abilities and the amount of food they consume, in the end, all participants should be able to obtain the corresponding level of pioneering order.

For example, a branch of aristocratic families or large households, if they invest resources below the Innate level, can probably obtain a 'Yellow' level land reclamation order; a powerful family in a prefecture city, if they participate, can probably obtain a 'Mysterious' level order; an aristocratic family, if they definitely invest, can obtain a 'Earth' level order; a Heaven level land reclamation order, which requires dealing with a Great Vajra Realm beast, is the largest contribution and is the private reserve of the powerful clans.

—The powerful clans will naturally participate in this matter and take the lead. After all, if they don't take the lead, how can the lower-level officials feel at ease to invest their efforts?

Returning to the matter of reclaiming land in Songling, it was spearheaded by powerful clans. While aristocratic families in various states also had some right to make suggestions, those below them had no say. Those who were willing to participate simply followed their rules.

What we need to do today is to dispel the doubts of the aristocratic families and put their minds at ease.

Yuwen Shentong sat with his legs spread wide, sipping tea and waiting quietly.

Zhuang Jin looked at the preliminary proposal and silently calculated: 'The powerful families will definitely invest, and they might be able to obtain land reclamation orders of various grades. However, there are different grades of land reclamation orders, divided into upper, middle, and lower levels, which affect the size and location of the territory.'

'If I truly unleash my full power, obtaining the Heavenly Rank wouldn't be difficult, but it wouldn't be enough. Even if I held back, I could still reach the top level of the Earthly Rank.'

"To attract investment from prominent families, there are various policy supports, such as tax breaks and subsidies. The measures are comprehensive and basically fair, and seem feasible."

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, and exchanged a glance with Shangguan Yunchang. They both nodded slightly, and both could tell that the court seemed to be sincere this time.

This is indeed the case. With the entire nation mobilized to deal with the beast tide and develop Songling, it is natural to ensure basic fairness and justice. Just as attracting investment requires creating a good business environment first.

Even if they were to take the credit, they shouldn't have given themselves away so early on.

Other representatives from the Kyushu Clan were also communicating and exchanging information, eventually raising two questions.

"We invited you all here to discuss this matter so that we can resolve the issues and put your minds at ease. Please feel free to speak your minds."

Today, Yuwen Shentong is no longer as arrogant as he was the night before. This is partly because he is facing the entire Kyushu aristocratic family today, and partly because he genuinely wants to make this happen and is willing to lower his stance for it.

Just like a courtesan who is high and mighty in a brothel, she will still try to get money out of her customers.

Another point is...

Zhuang Jin's previous transaction of the "Nine-Nine Heaven and Earth Technique" and Yuwen Shentong's deduction of the secret method further fueled his ambition for power. He was about to take advantage of his achievements in quelling the beast tide and developing Songling, as well as his prestige, to rightfully ascend to a high position, refine the power of all living beings, and break through to a higher realm. With a higher realm and strength, he would then use it to support his position of power, thus forming a positive cycle.

"Then we'll speak."

The representatives of the Kyushu aristocratic families raised their first concern: "Firstly, is this matter involving only the royal family, the Yuwen clan, or all five major clans?"

The implication is whether the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu families will get deeply involved, or if not, whether they will deliberately hold them back.

The essence of the problem is the worry about whether the project will succeed, the fear that it might fail halfway through, and that all the investment will be wasted.

"I am aware of your concerns in this regard."

Yuwen Shentong nodded slightly: "First of all, the beast tide problem affects the resource supply of Yong'an, the capital, which is related to the overall situation of Yong'an and even the stability of the world. It involves the well-being of hundreds of millions of people and must be resolved."

This demonstrates determination.

"Secondly, the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu families are aware of the greater good and will not do what you all think."

The members of the aristocratic families present were all old foxes. Upon hearing this, they outwardly nodded in agreement, but inwardly they all scoffed: If the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu families had known the greater good and considered the overall situation, what were they doing before? Would the beast tide have been delayed until now?

Yuwen Shentong seemed to know what everyone was thinking, and laughed and said, "The past is the past. Now that you have all arrived, the situation is different... I have already won the support of the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu clans. I can vouch for this."

The reason the beast tide wasn't resolved before wasn't because the five major clans lacked the ability, but because they used it as a bargaining chip in their power struggle. However, the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu clans also didn't want the capital, Yong'an, to fall into ruin, as it was their foundation and its decline was not in their interest.

Now that the vanguard of the powerful families from various states has arrived, the royal family and the Yuwen clan are already capable of handling the situation. The reclamation of Songling is an even bigger opportunity, and the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu clans will naturally support it.

The representatives of the powerful families from each state were all shrewd and understood Yuwen Shentong's subtext, so their worries vanished instantly.

"Secondly, regarding the land reclamation in Songling, I wonder if there will be any changes in the future?"

This stems from the concern that after the land is cleared, built up, and becomes prosperous, the five powerful clans will abandon them, reaping the benefits and annexing their territories. All that hard work will be for the benefit of the five powerful clans, which is something the aristocratic families cannot tolerate.

"I understand this concern as well."

Yuwen Shentong had already anticipated this and made preparations for it: "After the beast tide is resolved, rewards will be given according to merit, and a grand ceremony to worship Heaven will be held. The four major clans outside the royal family will worship their ancestors together, proclaiming to their ancestors that they have sworn an oath by the Luo River, and that the development of Songling will be established as a national policy. On that day, iron certificates will be distributed to demonstrate that this policy will be shared with the country and will remain unchanged for ten thousand generations."

Upon hearing this, the representatives of the Kyushu aristocratic families were all moved, exchanging glances, none of them having expected that the five major clans would be so determined this time.

The imperial edict, signed in red ink and set as national policy, was guaranteed by the credibility of the Great Qian Dynasty. This was one thing, but the five great clans jointly worshipped their ancestors and swore an oath by the Luo River. Since it involved their ancestors and forefathers, it still carried great weight in their hearts.

Only Zhuang Jin was present, and upon hearing this, her eyelids twitched.

The capital of the Great Qian Dynasty, Yong'an, is located in Luozhou, the heart of the Nine Provinces. Outside Yong'an, there is a river called the Luo River, but this is nothing special.

But the oath by the Luo River reminded him of something ominous. 'The oath by the Luo River sounds ominous; will the story of Sima Yi be repeated in this world?'

Zhuang Jin understood very well that for an individual, whether or not someone would betray them often depended on whether the benefits were large enough; the same was true for a power. If the Songling reclamation was a great success and the territory developed in the future, with such enormous benefits, it would be hard to say how much binding force the Great Qian national policy, the proclamation to the ancestors, and the oath at Luoshui would have on the five great clans.

Zhuang Jin knew this, and the aristocratic families of Kyushu were also aware of it.

However, in their view, this "tightening rein" on powerful families means they won't act openly or behave too blatantly, which is enough, and there's still room for them to play.

They are well aware of tactics such as land annexation by powerful families and taking advantage of natural disasters. However, as long as these methods are similar and not outright robbery, they are still confident that by sticking together, they can protect their territory, or at least retain a portion or establish a branch.

Even if we take a step back and fail in the end, as long as we extend the timeframe and invest the resources in developing the Songling territory, we could potentially recoup tenfold or even a hundredfold in the long run. This business is still worthwhile.

'This is actually good for me too!'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, 'If the five great clans really want to seize the spoils, it will be after the territories of each family in Songling have developed. That's a matter for the future, a long-term issue. Right now, expanding my territory and acquiring resources will allow me to lie low for a while longer.'

'Once I expand my territory, cultivate the land, and accumulate wealth, I will break through to the second or third level of the Yang God realm, and even surpass the Yang God realm. At that time, all schemes and plots will be nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot under the weight of absolute power.'

The two points raised by the representatives of the Kyushu aristocratic families, though not perfectly resolved by Yuwen Shentong, did reassure them. Thus, the matter was settled, awaiting confirmation at the court meeting the following day.

……

On that day, the content of Yuwen Shentong's invitation to the representatives of the Nine Provinces aristocratic families to attend the meeting, and even every word spoken by each person, appeared before the Yangshen Ancestors of the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu clans.

If Yuwen Shentong could turn Meng Duangui against the authorities, then the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu families could naturally also turn other aristocratic family representatives against the authorities.

Yes, the Kyushu aristocratic families had just begun to band together when they each had their own agendas, and the alliance was already riddled with holes.

At this moment, Shi Yongnian, Mu Tianyuan, and Gongshu Yuheng, the three Yangshen Ancestors, gathered to discuss this matter. The national policy of expanding Songling was decided by the conversation of these three people.

"Fellow Daoist Mu, Fellow Daoist Gongshu, what are your thoughts?"

"The beast tide's influence continues, which is indeed outrageous and not in our best interest. Since we have already agreed to support this strategy, we can cooperate with the grand ceremony of worshipping the heavens and the oath of the Luo River. However, we can invest a minimal amount in the development of Songling. This way, we won't have to exert much effort. Once those powerful families and scattered cultivators have completed their work, we can directly reap the rewards."

"I don't quite agree with what Brother Mu said."

Gongshu Yuheng, the ancestor of the Yangshen lineage of the Gongshu family, stroked his beard and said, "Since I am willing to support this, I can sincerely invest some resources. There are three reasons for this."

"Firstly, this is a righteous matter. We didn't look good in front of others during the previous beast tide, so this can salvage our reputation."

There is a saying that "the most important matters of a state are sacrifice and war," and another that "only fame and power should not be lent to others." This speaks to the importance of fame and power. Naturally, one should participate in such a politically correct matter to gain fame.

"Secondly, if the investment is small, the powerful families may hesitate, and the wealthy and poor families below them will be even more hesitant. This will make it difficult to accomplish. It would be better if we all worked together to make this happen first, so that we can reap the rewards later."

This is actually the same as fundraising: the gentry donate first, then the common people donate later, and then the gentry's money is returned in full, while the common people's money is split 30/70.

"Thirdly, for the sake of the future, even if we invest to a lower limit, we will still reap the rewards one day. This is not good because our preparation and investment are not as good as those of the royal family or the Yuwen clan."

"I agree with Fellow Daoist Gongshu!"

Shi Yongnian said, "We don't need to be hostile to General Yuwen. The only thing we really need to guard against is to delay and even prevent the emergence of a Yangshen Emperor who wields the Xuanyuan Sword in the royal family again, especially someone like Emperor Qianyuan, who has both the title and the power, as well as the political acumen, and who makes the other four great clans feel suffocated."

The emperors of the Great Qian Dynasty can basically guarantee breaking through to the Yang God realm. The outstanding ones can even reach the second level of the Yang God realm or the Grandmaster of the Saint realm. Moreover, they have the Xuanyuan Sword bound to their bloodline in their hands. The legendary third level of the Yang God realm, the Pure Yang realm, and the Grandmaster of the God realm are not needed. They are enough to suppress the other four great clans.

—The other four major clans were not destroyed; they were simply protected by the immortal who left behind some means.

This situation was unique because Emperor Qian Yuan died suddenly, and due to various reasons, the succession was disordered, which caused the royal family to temporarily lose the power to suppress the other four clans.

“That makes sense. Although Yuwen Shentong is close to the Empress Dowager, he is ultimately from the Yuwen clan, which is outside the royal family. We all share the same stance and do not want another emperor to overpower our four clans in the Great Qian Dynasty. Yuwen Shentong may not be someone we cannot win over. What benefits can we all share?”

"It seems that our great general has also contacted two fellow Daoists."

The three exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

……

Yong'an, the capital city, the imperial palace.

"How could that be? I am irreconcilably opposed to those three old scoundrels from the Shi, Mu, and Gongshu clans. My intentions are clear as day and night! My aunt told me who spread these slanders, and I will go and kill them!"

Yuwen Shentong responded angrily to Empress Dowager Yuwen's words.

"Of course I believe in your supernatural powers."

Empress Dowager Yuwen spoke gently, but then changed the subject: "This is a concern of the royal family, who are worried about your relationship with the three great clans... To silence them, your aunt had no choice but to agree to let the Grand Princess enter the court."

"This……"

Yuwen Shentong naturally did not want members of the royal family to enter the court and take away his power, especially that Grand Princess who was rumored to be extremely difficult to deal with. However, he had just shown such loyalty, and it would be difficult for him to turn around and change his attitude now.

—It's not that there can't be a shift from 'I'm willing to become your godfather' to 'How can a great man live a life of subservience for long' to 'How dare this old thief insult me', but it can't be changed overnight; there has to be a process.

"Compared to my sister-in-law, who is very capable, your aunt is much closer to you. Just bear with it for now."

Empress Dowager Yuwen had her own selfish motives. She agreed to the matter to maintain the balance of the court. However, she also knew that she could not let her nephew feel disheartened. She immediately spoke to appease him, saying, "Shentong, your efforts in leading the suppression of the beast tide and the reclamation of Songling have yielded initial results and have made great contributions. I hereby grant you the title of 'Regent Prince'."

This is a case of giving a stick and then offering a sweet treat.

In her view, Yuwen Shentong already had great power as an advisor on state affairs, so it was no big deal to add this title now. She could just remove it when her son came of age.

"Then... I will listen to my aunt. Thank you, Empress Dowager!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Shentong looked frustrated, continuing to garner sympathy for himself, but a sense of satisfaction welled up inside him: 'Success!'

……

(End of this chapter)