Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

"The north gate is indeed quite desolate, mostly because of these land grabs."

After going around in circles, Li Yuanheng and Li Yuanli arrived at the North Gate, which was the least populated area but second only to the main East Gate in size.

"Brother, if you ask me, we were too good to the Zhao, Xie, and Zhang families back then. If we hadn't been so generous, how could they have occupied so much land? Not counting the farmland and ranches outside, I'm afraid one or two of them would have assets comparable to our Li family."

"Where is there a subject who is wealthier than his master?!"

Mentioning the three major families that currently wield considerable power in Jinshan Prefecture, Li Yuanli's anger flares up immediately:

"Especially that third brother Xie from the Xie family, he keeps talking about the camaraderie between his ancestors and my Li family. Damn it, he makes it sound like my Li family can't stand in the Western Regions without the Xie family."

With a "smack," Li Yuanheng lightly patted Li Yuanli's neck. The latter had just turned around when he was met with those eyes that were like alarm bells:

"Foolish! You should keep such thoughts to yourself. Saying them out loud is just asking for trouble."

Li Yuanli said "I know" with some grievance, but in his heart he was increasingly dissatisfied with the Xie family among the three families, thinking that it was all his family's fault that he was criticized.

Li Yuanheng seemed to have read his mind, and then whispered:

"The Zhao, Xie, Zhang, and Li families have many marriage ties with my Li family. We all have blood from different families in our veins. I don't care what happened between Xie Yu'an and you. I only know that Jinshan Prefecture is a remote and isolated place. It is only by relying on the Jungar that it can stand here. If internal troubles arise at this time, wouldn't it be like letting the wild wolves outside smell the blood and destroy themselves?"

"Completely wiped out??"

"Little brother understands and will not do it again. If he does, please punish him, elder brother!"

Li Yuanli demonstrated the bowing etiquette he had learned from Wang Haizhou to Li Yuanheng in a very professional manner, which made the latter laugh continuously.

"Erlang, don't act like a daughter. That's not the true nature of a man from the grasslands!"

"yes!!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanli seemed to have been granted a pardon, and quickly reverted to his dashing and noble demeanor in front of Li Yuanheng.

Li Yuanheng nodded in satisfaction, and was about to make a move when he heard something behind him:

"But Young Master Li, Second Young Master Li, upon hearing of Young Master Li's triumphant return, Registrar Zhao is holding a banquet in his residence to await you, and has specially sent this servant to respectfully invite you."

Li Yuanheng didn't turn around, but tilted his head and chuckled softly:

"Second Brother, is the distinction between master and servant evident?"

The latter remained silent, saying nothing.

----------

Inside the Zhao residence at the north gate of Jinshan City, the atmosphere was one of peace and prosperity, with constant singing and dancing. However, beneath this tranquility lay a series of problems that overwhelmed even the Zhao family patriarch, the third most important figure in Jinshan City, and Zhao the registrar who, along with Li Yanlong, was in charge of finances and provisions.

"What kinds of grains should the people plant?"

"Wheat, millet, and buckwheat."

"What is the yield per acre for each?"

"The wheat yield is three and a half dou in superior fields, three dou in medium fields, and between two and a half and three dou in inferior fields."

"If it is millet, it is the same, from bottom to top, between four, five, and six dou."

According to the Qing Dynasty's unit of measurement, one shi (石) equals ten dou (斗).

Taking advantage of a moment while toasting, Zhao Hucheng glanced down at the note that a servant had secretly handed him:

"Three bushels of buckwheat for medium-quality land, four bushels for medium-quality land, and five bushels for the best quality land."

"Last year, one plot of land yielded six and a half bushels of grain, which the local farmers called an auspicious field. Later, the village head even wrote a letter to the emperor, saying it was a sign of good fortune!!"

Li Yuanheng nodded slightly, a satisfied smile on his face. His attitude became even more enthusiastic, and he raised his glass to toast three or four times in a row, prompting the people at the banquet to exclaim, "What a great capacity for alcohol!" This was a real hardship for Zhao Hucheng. The former was twenty years old, in the prime of his youth, while he was over forty. Even the best capacity for alcohol had worn off, so how could he withstand this?

So when they had drunk the eighth cup of wine, Zhao Hucheng made an excuse to urinate and left. His eldest son, Zhao Shuhan, took over the drinking. The latter immediately displayed a drinking capacity no less than Li Yuanheng's, prompting Li Yuanheng to exclaim:

"Zhao Lang truly has the spirit of his ancestor; he can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk!!"

[Zhao Ji, the ancestor of the Zhao family, was known for his exceptional drinking capacity. When the city of Jinshan was being built and the local grassland tribes were dealing with each other, he would always take the lead in drinking.]

Zhao Shuhan smiled shyly, then took the initiative to start a conversation:

"I heard that back on the battlefield, Dalang always took the lead in every battle, truly a hero. Although I studied literature since elementary school, I also had many thoughts about the battlefield, but my father forbade it, so I gave up. Today, since we parted at the academy, I am overjoyed to see Dalang again---"

After listening to the flattery for a while, Li Yuanheng frowned slightly and looked at Zhao Shuhan:

"Zhao Lang wishes to compete with me in archery and horsemanship?"

"No, no, I just wanted to ask you to tell some stories from the battlefield so everyone could have some fun. Besides, what kind of person are you, sir? Although I don't go out much, I've fought with every single one of your houses since I was a child. To be honest, among my peers, I'm the weakest. If I were to presumptuously challenge you, sir, it would be like a cat playing with a mouse; I'd better find a hole to crawl into!"

"Hahaha-----"

Upon hearing this, a burst of laughter immediately erupted around him, causing Zhao Shuhan to lower his head in shame, too ashamed to face anyone.

"I see," Li Yuanheng muttered, then rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular arms, and spoke amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd:

"That day I was leading my troops to rest and recuperate. We finally found a grove of trees and were just about to doze off when we heard something coming from afar—"

Li Yuanheng spoke with intonation, his tone sometimes heavy and sometimes light, giving the audience a sense of being there, making them feel as if the event was happening right before their eyes.

"Then the wild boar, after thrashing about for a long time, still hadn't broken off its tail; it just kept getting strangled tighter and tighter, and its squeals went from loud to soft. Before a cup of tea had been brewed, it was dead and turned into cured meat!!"

"Hahaha-----"

Inside the banquet, laughter never stopped after Li Yuanheng began recounting his experiences of slaying Qing demons. Zhao Hucheng, who was eavesdropping in the back hall, muttered something under his breath after the laughter subsided.

"He can be a dragon or a snake, big or small, skilled in martial arts or a rogue. This Li Dalang has changed completely in just a few months. How come I couldn't have seen him before? This kid has the air of our great-grandfather. How strange! Alas, I'll have to be extra careful under him from now on, lest I harm the Zhao family, or I'll be a sinner!!"

After the banquet ended, Li Yuanheng stumbled and blushed as he sat in the four-bearer sedan chair sent by the Li family. Li Yuanli, who was also drunk, was then slapped awake by him.

"Silly boy, Zhao's young lady is so beautiful, it's no wonder you're so infatuated!!"

Li Yuanli wiped the sweat from his brow and answered, though his words were somewhat unclear:

"Big brother, she stole a kiss from me."

"When??"

Li Yuanheng's eyelids twitched.

"Right here, right here----"

Before Li Yuanli could finish speaking, he fell asleep, prompting Li Yuanheng to curse him angrily:

"Damn, you're having a good time, but I was only halfway through the drama!!"