"I thought Li Guanyi had come back."
Yuan Zhi swallowed hard; it was clearly just a simple sentence, yet it inexplicably carried a heavy murderous aura, making Yuan Zhi’s scalp prick. Yuan Zhi went to pour tea, saying, "Ah, Daiqing should also take a good rest."
Yan Daiqing held the tea, sneering:
"Don’t I want to rest?"
"Who’s preventing me from resting?"
"That Li fellow, who relocated these hundred thousand households, did he move an entire city over?! What about logistics? What about food? Where do these hundreds of thousands live, where do they exist? How much do they eat, how do we resupply?"
Li Guanyi’s forces traveled downstream, taking advantage of mechanical ships and naval formations, it took an entire season, from autumn to winter. One was to wait for the civilians, another was to prepare time for the Jiangnan Eighteen States.
Fortunately, the Mo School, and the Gongsun Family were present, mechanical techniques were intact, building houses wasn’t difficult; however, the biggest issue was food, gold, silver. Earlier, during the two-season rice harvest, the Farmer School’s strength was proven.
The harvested grains were bountiful. The common folk said they hadn’t seen such good harvests in years; during those times, Yan Daiqing felt very joyous every day, yet soon, when an unnamed Marquis Qin Wu Heavenly Strategy General began to move, Yan Daiqing’s mood began to decline.
Initially, his mood was quite good.
Because Jiangnan Eighteen States were in desperate need of people, and those families were quite revolting.
Originally, those families had Pong Shuiyun to handle them with composure, but Pong left to initiate a strategic public opinion campaign, Yuan Zhi being of commoner origin, was too straightforward and robust; Xiao Zhi being too petty-minded and ruthlessly cunning.
So this season, while Yan Daiqing was responsible for internal politics, coordinating the progress of constructions, barely coping with autumn floods, still needed to build houses, adjust internal politics, and engage in wits and courage with those families every day.
Upon learning of civilians arriving, Yan Daiqing immediately understood it was to increase his side’s population, strengthening the Jiangnan Eighteen States, restricting those families, gaining great reputation, a triple-win indeed.
A population increase of ten thousand households, Daiqing laughed cheerfully.
Thirty thousand households, Yan Daiqing could still force a smile.
With fifty thousand households, Yan Daiqing’s smile gradually vanished.
As population surged to one hundred thousand households, Yan Daiqing’s aura became so cold, even passing dogs had to detour; when the record of one hundred twenty thousand households coordinated by Wang Tong’s disciple returned, Yan Daiqing’s sleep reduced significantly.
At this time, Xiao Zhi avoided him.
Even refused to share a table with Yan Daiqing during meals.
Yuan Zhi took out that letter again, witnessing Yan Daiqing with a gloomy face, Yan Daiqing said, "Since it’s his order, Yuan Zhi, go and lead the troops, and take warriors Fan Qing, Murong Yuan along."
"Require thirty thousand elite soldiers, leave two thousand to revisit, proceed swiftly."
"Regarding logistics, don’t worry."
Despite saying not to worry about logistics, Yan Daiqing’s dark circles seemed even deeper.
Yuan Zhi said, "Daiqing, you should rest too."
Yan Daiqing just laughed heartily: "If I rest, gentlemen and folks will not rest well; precisely because I’m here handling these records, the people can come here without suffering through harsh winter unrest."
"Such matters, are indeed harmless."
"If it were for a leisurely rest at home, living in luxury, Yan Daiqing would not have come here."
Yan Daiqing spoke up, stood with a slight bow, earnestly said:
"As for our lord, I entrust you."
Yuan Zhi composed his expression, returned the salute: "Prefecture Governor, rest assured."
Only then did Yan Daiqing feel relieved, Yuan Zhi went to fetch Li Guanyi’s secret letter, gathered the troops and generals for departure, then Li Guanyi reached the area after passing Ying Country’s pass, which was before the Jiangnan Eighteen States, in fact, the remaining seventeen state cities in Jiangnan.
These state cities belonged to Chen Country; during the region where Jiangnan Eighteen States were contested between Ying Country and Chen Country, these seventeen states acted as a buffer zone, varying in size, usually barely more than an individual state city.
Around these state cities were two or three smaller cities, surrounded by towns, below towns were villages, where locals either farmed or harvested mulberry.
Once the news of Li Guanyi’s troops arriving in Jiangnan spread, the other state cities in Jiangnan responded cautiously, though they were Chen Country’s cities, they were positioned in Jiangnan within the Jiangnan Eighteen States’ sphere of influence.
This was quite an embarrassing situation.
What’s worst, the Jiangnan Eighteen States were managed incredibly well.
After managing, with various methods, it spread through Jiangnan.
Adding to that old scoundrel Pong Shuiyun, truly detestable, originally from the Academy’s Zongheng School, a famed strategist back then, but in this turbulent world, countless bones lie beneath one general’s success, Pong Shuiyun’s reputation quickly faded.
Until now re-emerging, Pong Shuiyun not only spread the transformations of Jiangnan Eighteen States through various ways across Jiangnan, but somehow stirred up admiration in other state locals’ hearts; with admiration comes comparison with their own lives.
Comparison breeds dissatisfaction.
Why are we all Jiangnan people, but the Eighteen States offer land while Chen Country doesn’t? Why are the taxes there so low while ours so high? Why there they have Academy scholars teaching literacy, while we remain illiterate all life?