What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 308 Another national treasure appears! Cement!
Su Mo finally managed to get a big one from the Empress, a gold medal that was as if the Emperor himself had been there, which was much more practical than just getting a handful of hairs from the carriage back then!

The thought that even the arrogant Zhang Shouling would have to kneel before him in the future made Su Mo feel incredibly happy!

Even becoming a coachman didn't affect his mood at all.

After leaving the city gate, he rode his horse at full speed, driving the carriage towards Lonely Peak Mountain.

Upon reaching the foot of Lonely Peak, a stone tablet stands by the roadside, inscribed with the words: "County fiefdom! No unauthorized personnel allowed!"

Beside the campfire, a dozen or so soldiers in gleaming armor, wielding sharp knives and crossbows, stood guard with menacing expressions.

The leader was none other than Niu San, one of the five brothers from Niujia Village.

In addition, most of them were the old guard from Changping County, with only a few young and strong men selected from the local households.

Although Su Mo did not formally establish a private army, he still gathered more than two hundred people and trained them day and night without leaving their jobs.

However, Su Mo didn't understand much about military formations and tactics; his training mainly focused on military discipline.

Formal training will likely have to wait for news from Wanghai County.

It would be best to find several more experienced instructors from Baicheng County.

Nevertheless, the dozen or so guards stood straight as javelins, their eyes fixed straight ahead, displaying a remarkable level of discipline and hinting at the strength of a powerful army.

Upon seeing Su Mo drive over, Niu San was taken aback. He quickly stepped forward and gave Su Mo a less-than-perfect military salute.

"Niu San greets you, sir!"

Su Mo glanced at Niu San, then at the guards standing ramrod straight, and nodded with a smile, "Not bad!"

"During my absence, have any incidents occurred?"

Niu San quickly replied, "Master, everything is as usual!"

After hesitating for a moment, he added, "However, Mr. Wang has recently discovered that some martial arts experts and immortal sorcerers often appear around the fiefdom, and we have already increased our vigilance."

As his base of operations, Su Mo naturally had to take precautions.

Wang Xiuzhi, a great sorcerer at the Divine Realm, naturally had to be stationed at Lonely Peak Mountain.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Su Mo has encountered several highly skilled immortal cultivators, including several Golden Core cultivators; it's simply because his current level is high enough.

In fact, a Grand Sorcerer in the late stage of the Divine Realm can already easily defeat 99.9% of martial artists and immortal sorcerers.

Adding a white snake spirit would be enough to stop most of the martial arts masters and immortal sorcerers who infiltrate Lonely Peak Mountain.

The White Tiger Pills were transferred to Lonely Peak Mountain.

The two ferocious dogs have an incredibly keen sense of smell, making it extremely difficult to sneak into Lone Peak Mountain undetected.

However, as Lonely Peak Mountain becomes increasingly important, relying solely on Wang Xiuzhi and Xiaobai may not be enough.

We must find a way to improve the cultivation levels of the next human and demon.

The Tao Te Ching could not be passed on to Wang Xiuzhi, and it is unknown whether the Romance of the Three Kingdoms had any effect on him.

Alternatively, we could make a trip to the Duke of Ningguo's mansion later and try to get two Five Elements Spirit Peaches for Wang Xiuzhi, along with Sweet Dew, to help him advance to the Returning Aperture Realm.

Su Mo has no clue how to improve the White Snake Spirit's power, but he could ask her for advice.

Of course, it would be best to lure Xiao Lizhuang, the mistress of Su Nu Palace, into the mountains.

The old loli is a true Golden Core cultivator, whose combat power is many levels higher than Wang Xiuzhi and the White Snake Spirit.

As Su Mo was thinking about this, he unknowingly drove past the stone tablet.

As soon as he entered the fiefdom of Lone Peak Mountain, his expression suddenly changed!
"what on earth is it?"

Su Mo subconsciously looked down at her chest!
It was the demon-slaying pestle hanging around her neck, which suddenly became very hot.

Su Mo clearly felt an extremely rich incense offering power, which could even be described as a tidal wave, rushing towards the Demon-Subduing Pestle!

The speed at which the Demon-Subduing Pestle replenishes its magical power increases dozens of times in an instant!
In the blink of an eye, he replenished the magical power he had lost while cultivating with Lin Moyin that evening!
Moreover, the upper limit of the magic power stored in the Demon-Subduing Pestle seems to have broken through again, reaching five or six times the magic power of Su Mo's own, which is probably comparable to a sorcerer in the early stage of the Returning Aperture Realm!

Could it be a bonus from the fiefdom?

This unexpected turn of events occurred only after I entered my fiefdom!

If the Empress hadn't been in the carriage, Su Mo would have gone out immediately to test his suspicions!

He suddenly remembered that the Empress had told him about the Demon-Subduing Pestle, and a new guess suddenly popped into his mind!
The Demon-Subduing Pestle is the natal magic weapon of the Nine Dragons Taoist!
As a half-step terrestrial immortal, why did he keep working for the Great Qian Dynasty?

Could the reason lie in the demon-subduing pestle?
To absorb the national fortune of the Great Wu and enhance one's cultivation?

Or perhaps, he could first become the Grand Preceptor of the Great Wu Kingdom, and then, with the help of the nation's fortune, advance to the half-step terrestrial immortal realm?
In the end, Bao Gan lost the support of the people, and Jiulong Daoren was probably attacked back, which greatly reduced his strength. He was then seriously injured and defeated by Wu Taizu and others.
If I'm not mistaken.

That Nine Dragons Taoist is definitely unable to maintain the half-step terrestrial immortal realm now!
This also explains why he has always kept a low profile and dared not show himself.

Otherwise, the number one immortal without any scruples could probably slaughter the high-ranking officials of the Great Wu!
Now that the Demon-Subduing Pestle has changed, it is probably because the villagers, even the hired workers, have provided him with incense and prayers!

I really need to treat them better.

Just as Su Mo was pondering this, the Empress's voice suddenly came from inside the carriage: "Su Lang, stop the carriage."

Su Mo was slightly taken aback, then pulled on the reins and looked back at the carriage.

Suddenly, the curtain was lifted, and the Empress peeked out.

"What's wrong?"

Wasn't she in a hurry to see the sweet potatoes?
They even summoned an old farmer to the palace to serve sweet potatoes?
The Empress chuckled lightly: "This concubine wishes to take a stroll around Su Lang's fiefdom."

As she spoke, she gracefully stepped out of the car.

She turned her head and looked around, slightly surprised, and said, "I haven't been to Lonely Peak Mountain for quite some time. I didn't expect it to have changed so much."

The once desolate Lonely Peak Mountain now has a road that has been repaired and expanded, paved with gravel and rammed earth, making it passable by horse-drawn carriages.

At the foot of the mountain, rows of strangely shaped, square wooden and stone houses, without any courtyards in front of or behind them, are arranged in a neat and orderly manner.

Although it was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), there were still occasional glimpses of starlight in the houses, and even the sound of reading and reciting could be heard.

The desolate mountains and wilderness suddenly transformed into a paradise on earth!
How could the Empress not be shocked!

Su Mo said with a frustrated look, "This small Lonely Peak Mountain has attracted 30,000 people. How can it be the same as before?"

"The night was alright."

"During the daytime, there were heads everywhere, so densely packed that it was frightening to look at."

The Empress nodded slightly: "Lone Peak Mountain is indeed a bit small."

The total area of ​​Gufeng Mountain is only about 100 square kilometers, and it has many peaks and ravines, with a dangerous terrain, so there are not many places suitable for building houses and living.

Especially in those days, there were no tall buildings, and the per capita living space was much larger than in later generations.

Even with Su Mo's meticulous design and layout, he still had to occupy a lot of the original farmland to plan five residential areas, barely enough to settle people down.

It was built as a two-story dormitory-style house, covering an area of ​​no more than 100 square meters.

Each house could house five or six families, totaling thirty or forty people.

To save space, the house was even more rudimentary than dormitories in later generations, and Su Mo had to build a large bathroom and a large public toilet.

This was certainly inconvenient, but for the refugees who had fled here, it was already like living in paradise.

At least we won't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter.

Although the Empress said that Lone Peak Mountain was a bit small.

But Su Mo didn't expect the Empress to expand his fiefdom. After all, land near the capital was incredibly valuable, and any decent plots were already occupied.

He smiled and said, "Though the sparrow is small, it has all the vital organs."

“I have dug the river channel. When the river thaws next year, I will install a large waterwheel to divert the water from the Xima River tributary here.”

"Once the sweet potatoes are harvested, even the mountainous areas that couldn't grow grain before will be able to grow sweet potatoes. Even if we can't be completely self-sufficient, at least it won't be like now, where all the grain is controlled by those grain merchants!"

The Empress chuckled and said, "Young Master Su is also proficient in water conservancy, geomancy, and the art of herding people. Even if he were given a prefectural governorship, he would probably be able to manage it in an orderly manner."

"However, I am not surprised."

"On the contrary, it would be strange if there were things that Su Lang didn't understand!"

Hearing the Empress's praise, Su Mo couldn't help but blush: "Your Excellency is too kind. I only know a little about this."

"It would be impossible for me to manage a prefecture."

The Empress neither confirmed nor denied it, but changed the subject: "Let's go to Shenma Rock and see my sweet potatoes!"

Su Mo was too lazy to correct the Empress's statement.

In fact, once the Empress learned about the sweet potato, it no longer belonged to her—well, strictly speaking, two hundred pounds of it still belonged to her.

"My lord, please follow me!"

Shenma Rock is located beside Wulongtan (Five Dragon Pool).

Su Mo's villa was also built beside the Five Dragon Pool.

In addition, paper mills and textile factories were also set up nearby.

The workshop needed to transport a large amount of supplies, so a main road was built that went straight from the foot of the mountain.

The empress walked along the mountain path, carefully observing her surroundings as she went.

Before long, they arrived at the outside of the Five Dragon Pool.

Then, her pretty face changed, revealing utter astonishment and suspicion as she stared intently at the enormous stone wall that had appeared before her!
There was a huge and solid stone wall, three meters high and several kilometers long, that followed the contours of the mountain and completely protected the Five Dragon Pool!

The Empress even saw that many of the walls located on high ground had watchtowers and were equipped with crossbows of eight oxen, indicating that the thickness of the stone walls far exceeded that of ordinary walls!

There are probably no fewer than a hundred crossbows on the wall, arranged in a staggered manner throughout the wall, clearly a well-designed system that protects the wall from every angle.

No matter which way the enemy comes from, they will face being shot by no fewer than three eight-ox crossbows!

Furthermore, what surprised the Empress was...

Atop the wall, a roaring bonfire blazed, emitting dazzling beams of light that transformed into patches of light that moved across the ground!
Even in the dead of night when it is pitch black and moonless.

Under the light, the situation under the stone wall can be easily seen!
Leng Liuxi took a deep breath and turned her gaze to Su Mo: "Su Lang, what is this?"

Su Mo looked at the Empress in astonishment: "This is a searchlight that I had made. You didn't know, my lord?"

Leng Liuxi shook her head: "I haven't been here for quite some time, how could I know?"

Su Mo was taken aback again, but Leng Liuxi immediately explained, "To avoid any misunderstanding, I have not had anyone monitor the situation in your fiefdom."

Su Mo...

Although we don't know how much truth the Empress has to say, let's just assume she's telling the truth.

He could only say, "Those lights were caused by a concave bronze mirror that I made to focus and reflect the firelight, so that no villains could sneak in under the cover of night to spy on our secrets."

The Empress was slightly taken aback.

She hadn't asked that, but the light did indeed surprise her.

It's almost as good as the light spells of Taoist sorcerers.

"A bronze mirror focusing light?"

Su Mo nodded: "It's a concave bronze mirror. But like ordinary mirrors, it uses the principle of light reflection. I'll explain that to you in detail later."

He paused slightly, then continued, "Bronze mirrors are not good at focusing light. I am currently researching how to make glass mirrors that can focus light, which should be much better."

After the Empress nodded, her phoenix brows suddenly furrowed: "That stone wall..."

Su Mo explained, "My papermaking technique, my secret method for softening wool, and my Suzhou-style spinning machine all attract covetous eyes, so I've built a wall to keep them away..."

Before he could finish speaking, Leng Liuxi waved her hand to interrupt him: "What I want to ask is, how could Su Lang build such a stone wall in just two months!"

A stone wall of this scale could even be described as a city wall.

In fact, according to the Empress, it was even more difficult than building a city wall out of thin air!
Even if the new dynasty were to mobilize as many as 100,000 laborers, it would still take two or three years to build such a facility.

Su Mo hadn't expected the Empress to ask this, so he immediately replied, "Lonely Peak Mountain has nothing in abundance except for its rocks."

"Using local materials makes it faster to build!"

“The textile factory can’t take in many people. After the disaster victims hired workers to build houses and dig river channels, I was afraid that they would be idle and cause trouble, so I simply built a wall around them.”

The Empress frowned slightly.

She understood what Su Mo meant.

But I still don't know how to build the wall quickly.

However, this time he did not interrupt Su Mo.

Su Mo continued, "The refugees who managed to escape all the way to the capital are generally in good physical condition. I will provide them with enough food so they can recover. Among them are some strong men with the strength to lift a thousand pounds in their arms, and they are very efficient at their work."

"Furthermore, I have built some cranes and other labor-saving machinery, which makes it easier to transport stones and speeds up the construction of the wall."

Leng Liuxi finally couldn't hold back any longer: "A city wall isn't just made by piling stones together..."

Su Mo quickly corrected the Empress: "My lady, I was building a wall!"

Leng Liuxi rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "Such a magnificent wall is the first time I've ever seen one!"

She didn't continue arguing with Su Mo whether it was a city wall or a fence: "To firmly bond the stones together, the materials are precious, and the process is extremely complex and time-consuming..."

Su Mo suddenly laughed and said, "You mean glutinous rice paste, egg whites, lime, clay, etc., right?"

Leng Liuxi nodded gently, looking intently at Su Mo: "Could my lord clear up my doubts?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo couldn't help but look at Leng Liuxi with suspicion.

Seeing that she seemed genuinely unaware, could it be that she really didn't send anyone to monitor Lone Peak Mountain?

However, since the Empress had arrived, she had also seen the stone wall.

The secret of cement will definitely not be kept.

In fact, the Empress didn't need to ask herself at all; a little investigation would have revealed everything.

Therefore, Su Mo nodded: "The wall was built so quickly not only because of sufficient manpower and materials, but also because of the cement."

The Empress's eyebrows twitched suddenly!
Another new term!

Clearly, the cement Su Mo was talking about was not the water and mud he had imagined!
Water and mud cannot bind stones together.

As everyone knows, every new term Su Mo comes up with may signify a tremendous change or transformation!
In particular, cement can miraculously erect a super stone wall comparable to a city wall in just two months!
"cement?"

Leng Liuxi stared intently at Su Mo with her phoenix eyes shining brightly: "What is this cement that you speak of, Su Lang? I don't understand."

(End of this chapter)