Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 216 A Moment's Intention

After settling a group of children in Lingnan, Beijiwu took two attendants and went to Lingnan to play.

The train arrived in Anzhou.

Beiji Wu and his two attendants disembarked together, along with thousands of others who had purchased monthly or annual passes.

The freight trucks can also carry people. Each person prepares a small stool to sit in the empty truck, and each truck can seat two hundred people.

It can carry a maximum of one thousand people, with the rest used for cargo and fuel.

Tens of thousands of people bought monthly and annual passes, most of whom were businessmen from several heavy industrial regions in the north.

The main businesses were salt, iron, tea, porcelain, and antiques, and there were also many merchants and nobles who had to travel to other places for business.

Beijiwu changed into a cheap, breathable outfit, accompanied by two attendants who could speak Lingnan dialect and Mandarin.

Because he is not from this era, and Beijiwu himself lacks interest in learning other languages, the local dialects of various regions sound very awkward to him.

There are significant differences in language between provinces and even between states.

The cultural customs were also very complex, so he brought two attendants with him as translators when he went out.

One was Zhang Xianwen, a fifty-year-old official from Lingnan, and the other was Huang Zheng, a forty-year-old man in charge of handling criminal cases and bandits in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions.

Zhang Xianwen was a civil official with a good physique. His family had been officials who were exiled to Lingnan in their early years, and later became officials in the capital to serve the Wen Dynasty.

Now, almost ten years have passed, and he has gradually gained attention for his political skills. This time, he came to Lingnan to serve as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Huang Zheng was a military officer who quelled bandits in the Yellow River, Huai River and Yangtze River regions in his early years. He was exiled from the south to Yangzhou and Yanzhou by the rebel army and formed a naval and land force. When he was clearing out bandits in the four mountains and four lakes, he laid the foundation for the security of the canal transport for more than ten years.

Even a regular army and a nation of millions couldn't stop the Mountain Farmers Kingdom, let alone those bandits who ruled the mountains.

Frequent battles would filter out a group of warriors. The mountain farmers did not have the idea of ​​valuing literature over martial arts, and the Northern Martial Arts School never suppressed its subordinate generals.

Some people are just useless themselves, no wonder they're not good at Arctic warfare.

The three of them followed the crowd out of the train station, and as soon as they stepped out of the station, they saw the bright sunshine outside.

The earth seemed to be all white, dazzlingly bright.

Beijiwu stood at the entrance, adjusting to the changes in temperature and light. His eyes gradually became able to see the concrete road and various white buildings outside.

"Let's go, who designed this place? It's really ugly."

Zhang Xianwen replied, "It should have been built by the Prefect of Anzhou. I'll have him demolish and rebuild it later."

Bei Jiwu walked outside, and Huang Zheng next to him took out a parasol to shield Bei Jiwu from the sun.

Upon seeing this, Beijiwu raised his hand and took it himself.

The three walked outside. On both sides were four- or five-story buildings made of cement and stone, as well as some wooden houses of the same height.

Not only merchants traveled between the two sides, but also many beggars and vagrants.

Many beggars saw Beiji Wu and his two companions and were about to kneel down when they saw Huang Zheng about to draw his sword.

Huang Zheng had killed thousands of people and carried out many missions of attacking cities and capturing strongholds, but none of them were as important as this mission to protect the Arctic Martial Arts.

This time, there is no room for error, or it will lead to utter ruin.

Huang Zheng's eyes were like those of someone who wanted to kill, as he closely observed every little movement around him.

His fierce demeanor and the gleaming knife in his hand successfully made the nearby beggars and cart drivers lower their heads, not daring to provoke this ruthless man who was clearly a former soldier.

It wasn't just Huang Zheng, who came from a military background, who was nervous and afraid; Zhang Xianwen, who was used to big scenes, was also nervous and afraid.

Zhang Xianwen said proactively, "Young Master, the people here are known for their fierce and unruly nature. There are too many reckless and ignorant people. You are of noble birth; it's not safe for you to be out here..."

Arctic Martial smiled. "Not safe? No need to say more. Just follow along obediently. We'll naturally use you when we need to take action."

"Yes..." they both obediently agreed.

Although I am indeed very worried about the safety of the Arctic Army, the emperor in front of me, who is in his twenties, has never needed anyone to protect him.

Beijiwu was walking around nearby, holding an umbrella.

The streets were full of men; you could hardly see any women.

After walking several hundred meters of cement road, the connecting roads are ordinary stone slab roads and dirt roads.

As Beijiwu walked along, he saw a group of women carrying baskets of fruit walking towards him.

These were mostly women in their teens to forties, dressed like locals, their bodies were generally tanned from the sun, and they wore straw hats and towels on their heads, some even with their faces covered.

What they had in common was that they were all carrying heavy baskets covered with leaves, and there were also two horses in the procession carrying four baskets each.

If one person can carry one basket, then two horses carrying four baskets is indeed very inefficient.

If it's a horse-drawn carriage, it's probably a road problem; the rugged mountain roads aren't suitable for horse-drawn carriages.

"What are you carrying? Is it something you're selling?"

Arctic Wu took the initiative to stop the road and ask questions.

The group also spotted Arctic Wu holding an umbrella from afar.

In this day and age, few men would use an umbrella on a sunny day, and no one in this region is as fair-skinned as Beijiwu, even fairer than the women.

Beijiwu is indeed white, firstly because he has lived a life of luxury, and secondly because he has always maintained a good habit of keeping himself clean.

They work during the day and sleep when it gets dark. The nightlife in Beijiwu is not very rich, and they rarely stay up late.

In earlier years, I used to work, but these days, the wind and sun have nothing to do with Arctic weapons, so they naturally look different.

Although he no longer kills on the battlefield, he still executes many people with a single decision or thought in ordinary times, and his aura has become even stronger.

A man who exudes confidence and strength from the inside out is someone you can tell is no ordinary person just by looking at him.

The group of women waited for someone else to speak, and finally a young woman who was not the leader answered, "We sell Lizhi."

Looking at the fair-skinned man, the young girl A-Ping felt that he was the kind of young master who could only come from a place like Jiangnan.

"Pear juice?" Beijiwu said with a smile, "I'm thirsty too. Give me a pear. How much are the pears per pound here?"

Chief Ouzhen couldn't understand what Beijiwu was saying. Seeing her daughter Aping talking to the young master, she urged, "Let's hurry up and leave. Don't talk to him anymore."

At this moment, someone rode up from the back of the group. When he saw a group of people and a young man with an umbrella standing there, he drew his knife and pointed it at a group of women, cursing loudly.

"A bunch of lowly slaves! Get out of here! If you delay King Wu's business, I'll kill you and feed you to the dogs!"

Beijiwu raised his head and looked at the crew-cut young man in military uniform in the distance.

Upon seeing this, Ouzhen immediately tried to walk forward.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xianwen stopped them at this moment.

Zhang Xianwen reminded them in Vietnamese, "My master is talking to you. You don't need to be afraid of the person behind you. Just answer my master's questions."

Ouzhen hurriedly explained, "We are the people of Nanyue who transport lychees, longans, and bananas. The imperial court made us pay taxes and do our work."

Zhang Xianwen continued to inquire in Vietnamese: "Is there any payment?"

Ouzhen hurriedly shook his head and answered very carefully, "No, we are criminals, slaves sent from Linyi. The Hu and Han people bought us to work for them."

The young man on horseback approached with a knife. Upon seeing Beiji Wu and the long-haired old man Zhang Xianwen in a robe, he immediately cursed, "You two Han dogs, how dare you delay King Wu's affairs! Get out of the way right now! Or I'll kill your whole family!"

Bei Jiwu frowned. "Huang Zheng."

"Yes, sir!" Huang Zheng immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, awaiting orders.

“Kill his entire family,” Beijiwu said calmly. “Leave no one alive.”

"Yes!!"

Huang Zheng didn't dare hesitate for even a second. After agreeing, he immediately looked up at the young man on horseback.

Wang Yu stared at the three men in astonishment. He had only meant to curse them, since they looked like Han Chinese, while he was a mountain farmer.

But after I just scolded him, this guy actually dared to talk back?
Wait… Wang Yu soon heard the sound of a sword being drawn.

With a whoosh, the middle-aged man with a murderous look on his face walked towards him, knife in hand.

Wang Yu immediately shouted, "Who are you? I am a mountain farmer! If you dare to harm a single hair on my head, I will make sure your whole family suffers a terrible death!"

Huang Zheng lunged forward, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, and swung his body horizontally as he approached the horse's legs.

His eyes were fixed on Wang Yu, and on the knife in Wang Yu's hand, which, in his panic, dared not swing at the enemy.

Some people only brandish their swords at their servants, and only draw blood on their own people.

Now Huang Zheng's blade landed on the horse's leg. As the pampered warhorse's leg was severed and it fell to the ground, Huang Zheng raised his broadsword with both hands and slashed at Wang Yu, who had fallen to the ground.

Wang Yu's arm was severed and pinned to the ground.

"Tell me, where do you live? Who are your family members?! This will save me the trouble of asking around!"

Huang Zheng stepped on Wang Yu's back, watching the young man bleeding profusely and struggling desperately.

The reason we didn't kill him wasn't because we misjudged him; it was simply because we needed to follow orders to kill his entire family.

And we must leave none behind.

If they dare to leave even one alive, Huang Zheng's family will be in deep trouble.

Arctic Martial was too lazy to listen to such screams; he was already used to them.

Beijiwu looked at the Linyi woman nearby, who was trembling with fear and had clearly seen blood before.

The women immediately knelt on the ground. Although they didn't know what had happened, they knew that this was the only way to survive.

"You are free," Beijiwu said calmly. "Except for the emperor, no one else may use slaves. All your debts and indentures are now cancelled."

Aping looked up and carefully observed the young man with the umbrella.

"Sir, are you a high-ranking official?" A-Ping asked cautiously. Perhaps because of her youth, she felt far less fear than her mother and her people.

The other women who had experienced the destruction of their country did not sense the fair and beautiful youthful temperament from Beiji Wu, but rather the terror that could determine their life and death.

At this moment, the man with the severed hand was still crying, his eyes filled with tears, snot, and blood, and he was wailing incessantly.

Many more merchants and civilians gathered nearby, along with soldiers from the train station. "It's too noisy, kill them."

Arctic warfare is very troublesome.

Huang Zheng did not reply and quickly killed the snarling beast.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; the nearby guards and civilians watched the three men but dared not approach.

Arctic Warrior, holding an umbrella, seemed completely unconcerned about whether the person lived or died.

Zhang Xianwen, who looked like a high-ranking Han Chinese official, had an indifferent expression, like a well-versed scholar who had seen many grand occasions.

After killing someone, Huang Zheng wiped the knife with a man's clothes, sheathed the long sword, and stood beside Bei Jiwu without the slightest fear.

Instead, the local patrols that were supposed to stop them, and the guards who were supervising these Lin Yi slaves with the men, were terrified and at a loss for what to do.

Zhang Xianwen approached and explained the situation to these people, including how they used these slaves without paying them wages.

Beijiwu looked at the Linyi people kneeling on the ground.

"Are you from Linyi in Champa County?"

Aping replied, "We are from Jiaozhi County. We were not originally from Linyi Kingdom, but the Han people call us Linyi slaves or Kunlun slaves."

Beijiwu laughed and said, "Kunlun slaves, so you are Kunlun slaves. You are indeed quite dark-skinned. I also have many Linyi slave women in my family, including Kunlun slaves, Silla maids, Bodhisattva maids, Persian dancers and so on.

"However, keeping slaves is my privilege. No one else should have this right or do this. What do you do to make a living now?"

Aping hadn't realized who this person was, but some people nearby immediately knelt down.

As soon as someone takes the lead in kneeling down, the rest of the people quickly follow suit.

The last person standing will feel very uncomfortable.

Aping replied, "We grow lychees and sugarcane in the Nanman Mountains outside the city."

“Then let’s continue planting.” Bei Jiwu didn’t like the sweltering climate here and walked outside. “Zhang Xianwen, I’m going to the government office to rest. Let them choose the most suitable orchard to work in and make a living. They can plant all kinds of fruits for me in the future.”

"I need the best varieties. I'll have 10,000 mu of orchards exclusively for my use, and give them another 1,000 mu to manage themselves and make a living, without having to pay taxes in the future."

"Her tribe later became Han Chinese, and there is no longer any talk of Linyi slaves or Kunlun slaves."

Zhang Xianwen followed Beiji Wu for more than ten meters. After Beiji Wu finished giving instructions, he returned and dealt with various troublesome matters under the scorching sun.

However, things were much easier now, at least the emperor was willing to go to the government office to escape the summer heat and wouldn't run around outside anymore.

If something happens to you outside, your whole family won't be enough to kill you.

Zhang Xianwen breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Get up. I am Zhang Xianwen, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi Province. From now on, your tribe will be His Majesty's slaves. No one will bully you or prevent you from doing business."

On this day, the Lin-yi tribe and all the slaves in the Lingnan region were liberated.

The Linyi people were rescued from various powerful, wealthy, and landlord groups, and even from a large number of ordinary people, and given legal Han Chinese status.

Arctic Martial Arts has done this kind of thing—stealing money and people from others—more than once or twice, and never thought it was difficult.

It's not difficult to do this kind of thing as long as you don't treat them like human beings.

The slave market in the South had only been around for less than two years when it collapsed.

Whether the people of Linyi become slaves or human beings is entirely up to Beijiwu.

Whether the powerful and wealthy merchants in several southern provinces were treated as human beings or as slaves was a matter of a single thought for Beijiwu.

The Hu people dared not resist the Arctic Warrior, for their country had long been destroyed by the Arctic Warrior.

Southern elites also dared not reason with Arctic military forces and demanded compensation.

The abolition of slavery was a matter of a single word from the Arctic Warrior; there was no opposition or discontent whatsoever.

Beijiwu ate fresh lychees he had picked an hour earlier, but lost interest after eating two or three.

The taste was just average.

Kneeling in front of the Arctic Army were several high-ranking officials from the Mountain Farming Kingdom, including powerful local officials such as Meng Hetong, Wang Qing, and Zhang Weicang.

The three of them were not the only ones kneeling, but they could be seen as a microcosm of the Shan Nong Kingdom's court, representing three different forms of official positions.

The three individuals had completely different career paths and did completely different things. Although they looked similar, they actually did what their respective roles entailed.

What scholars pursue is actually a form of political status. There has never been a principle that true talent and learning can lead to high office, nor has there been a rule that the best fighter can become emperor.

Those who gain power must have a respectable status; to become emperor, one must first be a general, a commander.

Status should come before ability; this is the normal way to develop one's career.

Arctic Martial's identity was self-given; he would kill anyone who didn't surrender, and the people in front of him were all surrenderers.

Meng Hetong and Wang Qing both surrendered when they saw the Arctic military coming, not wanting to die.

Zhang Weicang was also sent to work by Beiji Wu after he took control of Huanghuai Province, and he did so without any reluctance.

“It’s true that the poor and remote Lingnan region is prone to producing unruly people,” Bei Jiwu said, wiping his hands with a towel. “But it has also produced quite a few talented individuals.”

The people on the ground knelt obediently, not daring to look up at the Emperor Wu.

It's normal for Arctic warriors to kill people; killing someone's entire family is perfectly normal.

Whoever is stubborn will die.

Ma Weiming initially refused to surrender, but after his father and young son were killed, he finally became afraid.

Nowadays, Ma Weiming's son and daughter identify themselves as mountain farmers, and the family has long since altered the children's memories, saying that they died of illness.

Loyalty is something the Ma family constantly teaches their descendants to be loyal to the emperor and to love their country.

Meng and the others were aware of the Ma family's affairs, and they also knew that Beijiwu had never taken them, these so-called generals, seriously.

The reason why Wanhu is not being killed is because everyone's attitude is very proper. Anyone who dares to cause trouble and be arrogant in front of King Wu would be killed on the spot, which would be the least of their worries.

Despite Arctic Martial Arts has always been good to its own people.

However, not a single official in the court was unafraid of him.

Beijiwu began wiping his arms with another clean, ice-cold towel to cool them down, and slowly inquired about the matter.

“In previous years, a lot of soldiers were recruited from Lingnan to go to Annam. After winning the war, they brought back a lot of Yue people. Today, when I see those Yue people who are slaves, I am reminded of those soldiers who died in Annam.”

"Have all those people received their compensation?"

Meng Hetong replied, "Your Majesty, they have all been distributed."

Arctic Martial glanced at the man on the ground.

Meng Hetong felt a sense of quiet, and as soon as he looked up, he met Beiji Wu's calm gaze, which instantly startled him so much that he lowered his head again.

Arctic Martial asked, "Were they really all sent truthfully?"

Meng Hetong quickly thought for a moment, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! This matter occurred before my arrival. Since no one mentioned it, and there were no similar rumors among the civilians or the military, I did not investigate it thoroughly. However, there are records of funds allocated for relief and compensation!"

Beijiwu casually said, "Go check it out. You don't need to check those ledgers. Just go to the homes of the deceased's families and ask a few hundred people."

“Go yourself,” Beijiwu said calmly. “Treat it like your own business. Go to your doorstep and ask around. Record exactly how much each person received. If anyone gets in your way, just kill them.”

"Yes!" Meng Hetong quickly agreed.

Meng Hetong knew very well that if the final answer did not satisfy Beijiwu, he would be in trouble, extremely unlucky.

After briefly dealing with military matters, Bei Jiwu looked at Wang Qing.

"The train has been successfully put into operation, and the compensation for the workers who laid the tracks has been paid on time. The workers who performed well have been given a railway household registration and a job with wages above average."

"One hundred slots, you can allocate them yourself, mainly responsible for railway maintenance and stationing and guarding sections."

Wang Qing knew this was a reward for his subordinates. "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

Beijiwu then looked at Zhang Weicang, "Zhang Weicang, Liu Jingshun's matter was your fault. It delayed me for more than two years in arranging things in Annam. You will continue to serve as the governor of Annam and make amends for your mistakes."

Zhang Weicang kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Majesty! I will certainly devote myself to the cause until my dying breath!"

Beijiwu waved his hand casually, "Go down. Zhang Weicang, go assist Zhang Xianwen in enclosing 10,000 mu of orchards for me. Also, arrange for some Lin Yi slaves to manage the orchards. When you go back, don't bring gold, silver, jewelry, or women's specialties. Just pack some fruit to take back."

"Yes!" Everyone agreed in unison.

***
Annam Province, Champa District, Lin-yi County

Liu Jingshun looked at the letter that the messenger had urgently delivered. After just one glance, his scalp tingled, his eyes snapped open, the hairs on his arms stood on end, and his whole body suddenly felt a chill.

"King Wu has arrived..."

Liu Jingshun had never done anything to wrong King Wu, but he was still terrified, feeling a tension as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

Fortunately, Beijiwu disliked the hot, dirty, and poor conditions of the Lingnan region, so he only stayed one night before taking a car back.

Liu Jingshun received the intelligence two days later. During those two days, he kept arranging for people to clean the best house, and constantly consulted with people on how to entertain the guests, how to welcome them, and how to greet and speak to them.

Liu Jingshun, who was extremely busy, finally breathed a sigh of relief after learning that King Wu had returned to Luoyang to prepare for the autumn harvest, and could finally get a good night's sleep.

The next day, Liu Jingshun sent people to select a site to build a palace, in order to prevent the future from not having a good place to entertain King Wu.

For the Shan Nong Kingdom, neither conquering the Western Ocean nor Annam was as important as entertaining and serving the emperor of the Shan Nong Kingdom.

The primary task of officials is indeed to serve the emperor, and all departments are working overtime to collect the autumn data that Arctic Military attaches great importance to.

Whatever the emperor values, that's what everyone focuses their attention on.

The Mountain Farming Kingdom has always valued industry and agriculture, but it has only given leeway to commerce, not suppressing it, but rather supporting it.

Merchants from all over the country were eagerly seeking an opportunity, and people from all over the country also wanted to become servants of the emperor of the Mountain Farming Kingdom, just like the people of Linyi.

Only by serving as slaves to the Wudang sect in the Arctic can one avoid all oppression.

Otherwise, even if the imperial court did not levy taxes, local clans and gentry would always find various ways to collect them.

(End of this chapter)