Chapter 145 Is it a human or a monster?

Fang Ningmo immediately said, "Grandfather, you can't do that! The City Lord is kind and never told anyone about the real culprit who hunted us that night. Therefore, no one else knew that my sister ran away because of Zhou Heng."

Now the Fang family hates the Zhou family to the core, and even Fang Ningmo calls the royal family members by their names.

"But Ming Xiaoshuang knows. He knows who attacked us that night, and he also knows who my sister ran away for. To put it bluntly, my grandfather wanted to marry my sister to Ming Xiaoshuang for the reputation of the women in the Fang family. But for Ming Xiaoshuang, we are like throwing him a hot potato. If he accepts, he will worry about whether Zhou Heng will send people to deal with him. If he doesn't accept, he will worry about whether he will offend our Fang family."

Fang Xun shook his head. "Sister, you're wrong. Ming Xiaoshuang has a close relationship with the City Lord and is his confidant. So Ming Xiaoshuang must have known that our Fang family has no hope of recovery. Our Fang family is now powerless. He is not afraid of offending us. Instead, we are the ones who are afraid of offending Ming Xiaoshuang. After all, compared to the Fang family, the City Lord clearly values ​​Ming Xiaoshuang more. If the marriage between the two families fails and they become enemies instead, that would not be a good thing."

Mr. Fang's face was pale at the moment, obviously he had not thought of this.

Fang Ruyu never expected that her momentary impulse would bring so much trouble to her family.

Earlier, her grandmother had explained to her in detail the whole story, the cause and effect. Only then did she realize that because of her momentary impulse, she had almost brought the entire Fang family into danger. At this moment, she was ashamed and anxious, and after hearing Fang Xun's analysis, her face turned even paler.

Old Master Fang scolded his eldest son, "Now you know why I didn't agree to propose marriage? Look at yourself, you're already old, but you don't see things as clearly as the two younger ones!"

Uncle Fang's face was instantly filled with shame.

Seeing that the entire Fang family was present, Mr. Fang was furious at the incompetence of the younger generation, yet at the same time, he was glad that all the family members were present. He couldn't help but sigh repeatedly, "Now, I'm afraid this girl's marriage will be delayed."

Old Madam Fang also sighed, looking very disappointed. "Now everyone here knows that you and Ming Xiaoshuang have been in the wilderness for a few days. We can only wait and see if Miss Xu can really change our nationality to a legitimate one. If we change it to a legitimate one, we will no longer be prisoners and can move around. At worst, we can move to another place and talk about marriage after the storm has died down. We give up our nationality, firstly, because we are afraid that Zhou Heng will send people to hunt us down if he sees that we are not dead. Secondly, it also saves us from being exiled prisoners. In the future, if you study hard, you may even win some honors. But, can this nationality change really be done so easily? Xun'er, what did Miss Xu say?"

Fang Xun immediately corrected her, "Grandma, you must never address the City Lord by his name again. We are all calling him City Lord now."

Old Mrs. Fang was unhappy, but she also knew that one must be able to bend and stretch. Now that she was under someone else's roof, she had no choice but to agree.

"The city lord is sending people to process this. We, the exiled prisoners, will be mixed in with the five thousand refugees. When the time comes, we'll have Magistrate Sun personally stamp and sign our new identities. But everyone needs to keep this a secret; no one can reveal it. From what I hear, everyone wants to change their location after their identities change, to avoid being exposed in the future."

Old Madam Fang nodded repeatedly, "That's right. When there are too many people, there will always be people who can't control their mouths. After we change our status to good people, we will find another place, even if there is no land. We can't let others be implicated because of our Fang family, and we can't let others be implicated by us. Xun'er, I heard that you are working in the government now. You have to pay attention to this matter."

Speaking of the government office, Old Master Fang had something to say. He said disapprovingly, "I heard you kidnapped the magistrate of Lan County? What's the difference between you and bandits? If the imperial court were to track you down one day, how would you escape?"

Fang Xun said, "Grandfather, the magistrate of Lan County refused to open the city gates, leaving us to starve and freeze to death outside the city. We stormed the city gates out of desperation. Moreover, since entering the city, we have not only not harmed the people, but also distributed food to them..."

But Mr. Fang coldly rebuked: "Then let me ask you, where does the food come from?!"

Fang Xun's face turned pale, but he fell silent.

Old Master Fang continued, "Xu Zhenying is quite calculating. She killed the rich and robbed their grain just to do her a favor! I just walked along and saw the people in the city praising her. If you didn't know better, you'd think Xu Zhenying was the boss of Lan County! This is still Zhou Dynasty territory. The whole world belongs to the king. What's the difference between what you've done and what that Li Datou did?!"

Fang Ningmo refused to accept his words and argued, "Grandfather, if you had been to Zhangjia Village, you would have known that Li Datou is no match for the City Lord. The City Lord's actions benefited everyone except the Chen family, while Li Datou committed murder, robbery, and other atrocities. If you don't believe me, go ask around in the city and see if there's a single citizen in Lan County who doesn't think highly of the City Lord."

Old Master Fang slammed his head and slammed the table. "Alright, let's put everything else aside. I want to ask you how you plan to escape in the future. You've occupied Lan County, kidnapped an official appointed by the imperial court, and even appointed yourself the county magistrate. How is this any different from treason? If Xu Zhenying wasn't just a girl, I'd seriously be skeptical of her plans!"

Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo were speechless for a moment when Old Man Fang hit upon what they had been worried about.

"When spring comes, Jinzhou Prefecture will undoubtedly send troops to clear out bandits along the way. If you occupy Lan County and refuse to return it, won't you be the first to bear the brunt of the consequences? Do you still want to be labeled a traitor? Or do you expect the people of Lan County to protect you? As the saying goes, the people should not fight against the officials. You may have a place to shelter from the wind and rain for now, but that is ultimately not a long-term solution!"

Fang Xun turned pale and was speechless.

"Well, you guys should keep a low profile for the next few days and stop messing around with Xu Zhenying. Once we've settled our household registration, we'll move our whole family to a place where no one can find us!"

Fang Xun's mind was in turmoil, but he finally said, "Grandfather, could you please allow me to finish the last thing I have before I leave?"

Old Master Fang snorted coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but simply asked, "What did she ask you to do?"

Fang Xun hesitated for a moment, as if he couldn't say it. After a long while, he lowered his head and stammered, "The city lord asked me to be in charge of raising pigs..."

"What?!" Old Master Fang stood up in anger and looked around at the eldest wife's family. Seeing that they didn't look shocked, he knew that the eldest wife knew about Fang Xun raising pigs. Old Master Fang was even more furious. "You are a scholar after all, how can you spend all day with livestock? My Fang family treats her well, Xu Zhenying, why would she humiliate you like this? Ning Mo, go and call Xu Zhenying to me now, I want to ask her what she means?!"

Fang Xun hurriedly grabbed Old Man Fang and said, "Grandfather, don't worry. Please listen to my explanation! This pig farming is not that pig farming. It's not what you think it is."

Old Master Fang waved his sleeves and sat down, frowning. "Okay, tell me! If you can't give me a clear answer, I will take you away tomorrow!"

"Grandfather, the city lord has put me in charge of pig farming, but this pig farming is different from the pig farming in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The city lord wants us to gather all the piglets in the city in one place and build a standardized pigpen. At the same time, we must also combine lighting, temperature, ventilation, feed, cleansing, etc. to carry out batch farming, instead of the current free-range farming model of the Great Zhou Dynasty. We are not just raising pigs, the most important thing is to explore under what conditions, the pigs can gain weight quickly. The city lord said that since we want to raise pigs, we must break new ground and shorten the pig market cycle to about half a year."

Old Master Fang was not used to Fang Xun's awkward way of speaking. Although he had never heard of words like cycle, standardization, and mass production, he could roughly understand them. Even so, he was still shocked.

"You mean... raise a pig in half a year?" Old Man Fang gasped. "Do you know how long it takes to raise a pig these days?"

"My grandson knows that raising pigs now will take at least two to three years."

Old Madam Fang also leaned forward. "In that case, Liuya...how is Xu Zhenying going to raise a pig in six months? Or does she mean within a hundred pounds?"

Fang Xun shook his head firmly. "The City Lord said she has a way to make the pigs gain weight quickly while also making the pork less smelly than before."

Mr. Fang immediately said, "That's impossible!"

Old Madam Fang said, "What can't that girl do? Since her exile, she's made backpacks, leggings, soap—each one of them isn't a brilliant idea that you and I wouldn't have thought of. Xun'er, how many pounds does the City Lord want the pigs to grow to in six months?"

"The current plan is 200 kilograms."

Everyone in the room gasped.

Although the Fang family has been noble for generations and they don't need to grow vegetables or raise chickens themselves, they naturally know something about the lives of ordinary people. Therefore, raising a piglet to 200 kilograms within half a year is nothing short of a fantasy for them!

Fang Ningmo quickly added, "Not only that, the City Lord is also planning to set up an agricultural group to increase food production. Right now, they're just trying to raise chickens, pigs, and leeks. From what I've heard from the City Lord, he's planning to research ways to increase food production in the future—"

Old Master Fang's forehead was already covered in cold sweat. He shouted in a daze, "The harvest from that field has always been dependent on the weather. How dare you, a bunch of young girls who haven't even grown any hair, dare to challenge the heavens?!"

"Grandfather, the city lord said, 'If you don't try, how can you know it's impossible?' The yield of the crops here is affected by a few factors: rain, sunlight, temperature, fertility, and seed quality. When the time comes, assign us a plot of experimental land. We can experiment with each factor one by one, like how much water the first plot needs each day, or how fertile the second plot is. We can always find the most suitable conditions for growing crops. In the past, the harvest depended on fate, but now we control it ourselves. I don't believe we can't find the most suitable conditions for crop production!"

Old Master Fang was so frightened that his face turned pale, his eyes flashed with coldness, and he was speechless for a long time.

If someone else said this, he would definitely laugh at the other person's ignorance and arrogance.

But that person is Xu Zhenying.

Xu Zhenying always takes one step at a time when doing things.

Could it be possible that she could really make crops grow quickly in the fields?

That's impossible. So many people throughout history have been unable to do it, so it doesn't make sense that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl like her can do it?

No, Xu Zhenying showed her unusual qualities during her exile. Although she was young, she was extremely experienced in dealing with people. It was obvious from her soap business that this woman was bold and careful, able to control people's hearts and minds, and knew how to advance and retreat appropriately.

Considering the scene when entering the city today, Xu Zhenying and his men have occupied Lan County for only ten days, but there is no sign of post-war decline in the city. Instead, there is a sense of peace.

What was even more terrifying was that within just a few days, Xu Zhenying had already managed the affairs of Lan County in perfect order. In addition to killing the Chen family to establish her authority, she had also firmly grasped the various forces in Lan County, first defending the city, then releasing grain, and finally resuming production.

His level of skill in handling government affairs was so sophisticated that he felt ashamed of himself.

Old Master Fang was in a state of panic. Thinking of what Xu Zhenying had done before, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease in his heart.

This woman has great talent!

Seeing that Old Man Fang remained silent, Fang Xun said earnestly, "Grandfather, I understand what you are worried about. However, the City Lord has saved our Fang family's life. Even if I want to leave, please wait until I have sorted out the agricultural affairs before leaving. I beg for your permission!"

Old Master Fang remained silent for a long time. Seeing that Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo both looked reluctant to leave, he secretly sighed at Xu Zhenying's ability to train people. It had only been a few days, but Xu Zhenying was able to make the people around her fall in love with her. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that a girl had such ability.

But Mr. Fang was obviously interested in something else.

"Tell me, what exactly did you use to attack the city that day? It's said that you only used some saltpeter and sulfur, and you were able to blow open the city gate weighing several hundred kilograms. Is this true or false?"

"Grandfather, the city lord said it was black powder."

"Black gunpowder?" Old Master Fang fell into deep thought. The Great Zhou Dynasty was still at the stage of making fireworks, and gunpowder had not yet been produced. Therefore, Old Master Fang racked his brains but could not figure out what that thing was.

Fang Xun nodded. "That recipe belongs to the city lord. He had the women buy sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal, and other materials, and made it himself. It only needs to be the size of a fist, and when ignited with a small fuse, its power can shake mountains and seas."

"Really?!" Old Master Fang stood up excitedly, his eyes sparkling. He seemed to have instantly become decades younger, his eyes full of brilliance. "Do you know... what this means?"

Fang Xun pursed his lips and hesitated, "Grandfather... the City Lord briefly mentioned the matter of black powder. It can be used in warfare, water conservancy, and blasting. However, the City Lord also said that the production process of black powder is not mature, and the storage, transportation, and operation conditions are extremely strict. With our current level of technology in the Great Zhou Dynasty, we cannot fully realize the true value of black powder."

"She actually thought of this?" Old Master Fang was terrified. He sat down dejectedly, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Xu Zhenying... is truly a gifted talent... If she were a man... I'm afraid the world would be even more chaotic—"

When it came to the sensitive topic, Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo didn't dare to speak, and everyone in the room fell into deathly silence.

"Xun'er, you've been with her for so long, what do you think of her..." Old Master Fang felt his lips dry, "Who is she? Is she a human or a demon?"

Fang Xun was stunned for a moment.

He looked at his grandfather's nervous expression as if he was facing a great enemy, and immediately thought of more things.

Xu Zhenying has gunpowder, money, food, and now a city. If Xu Zhenying wasn't a girl, he would really suspect that she had other intentions.

Fang Xun was stunned and said, "Grandfather, there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. Some people are born with knowledge and have great talents. Perhaps... the city lord is one of them."

Fang Ningmo looked at her grandfather, then at Fang Xun. She pondered for a moment before saying, "Grandfather, whether she's a demon or a deity, shouldn't we judge her by her deeds, not her heart? If she can save thousands of refugees, she's definitely a deity. If she's caused over 15,000 people in Lan County to become homeless, she's definitely a demon."

Old Master Fang looked at Fang Ningmo deeply.

This little granddaughter who never shows off.

At this moment, she stood there, with a slim figure and clear eyes, like a sword drawn from its sheath. Although it had a cold light, it did not seem sharp.

He glanced at his two sons and daughters-in-law from the first and second wives. He could not count on the next generation. The eldest was only interested in mathematics, and the second was even more carefree.

With Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo, the Fang family finally has successors.

Mr. Fang's worries gradually dissipated.

"Did you know that Zhou Heng, under the pretext of avenging our Fang family, united Qiongzhou, Taizhou, Fuzhou, and other regions in a rebellion, declaring himself the Ming King? Zhu Ci and his men were terrified and urgently summoned the nine vassal kings to the capital to protect him. However, Prime Minister Han refused, and Uncle Zhu placed them under house arrest. It seems these nine vassal kings' troops are almost upon us in Bianjing."

Everyone in the Fang family looked terrified. Fang Ruyu lowered her head and bit her lower lip.

"Zhou Heng is a wicked and ambitious man who has long sought to usurp the throne, yet he has left us, the Fang family, to shoulder the responsibility for bringing disaster upon the nation and its people. It's foreseeable that the Great Zhou Dynasty will face unrest for at least the next five years. Regardless of whether Xu Zhenying is a demon or a deity, we must prepare early. Fang Xun, finish your current tasks first, and urge Xu Zhenying to get her household registration sorted as soon as possible. As soon as our new household registration arrives, we'll immediately flee this troubled place!"

Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo couldn't disobey their grandfather's orders. Although they were unwilling, they had no choice but to nod in agreement.

And this night seemed to be the last peace in Lan County.

The next morning, with the issuance of the recruitment order at the gate of the county government office, the city was in turmoil as if a pot of boiling water had exploded.

Someone was guarding the gate of the county government office, talking non-stop.

"What does this mean? Recruiting female soldiers? Every household must send a daughter to serve in the army? Oh my god, this is simply disrupting social order! How can women serve in the army in this world?"

"No, no, as mentioned above, there have been many bandits recently. We are afraid that Lan County will be attacked by bandits, so we have specially summoned young men to guard the city defense. This woman is only targeting families without sons or with young sons. Brother Li, you have plenty of sons at home, what are you afraid of?"