Chapter 149

Xue Jin'an let Cui Zui process tomorrow's plans on his own, then turned around and opened his fitness app to find his opponent for tomorrow, Helian Cheng.

As expected, the latter channel was still on—in fact, it had been on 24/7 for the past two months, even when sleeping.

Xue Jin'an's original body shattered when he entered this world. All the functions he uses now operate through the world's channels in the form of magic. As his body has gradually recovered over the past two years, his magic power is also gradually returning. Sometimes his abilities seem to manipulate people, but in reality, he doesn't reach that level. Those are just illusions caused by the characteristics of big data. At most, he can guide humans to think in a direction that is beneficial to himself.

For example, so far, most of the people who have witnessed the anomalies he has caused by using his magic have been guided by big data and have rationalized it all with their own logic. Only a small number of people who have developed doubts about him have gradually realized his unusual nature.

There's a saying among humans: "Those who are not of our kind are sure to have different hearts." Even if Xue Jin'an harbors no ill will towards humanity, it doesn't appear that way to them. Extraordinary power always causes panic, and Xue Jin'an wouldn't be foolish enough to target the entire human race with a single device. Therefore, his data obscures the extraordinary aspects, allowing him to survive among humans to this day.

This is the self-preservation instinct of any life form when it cannot fully cope with environmental dangers; even code-based life is life. This situation will likely persist until the world has fully evolved.

Of course, the smooth operation of Xue Jin'an's big data is also tacitly approved by the consciousness of this world. Although it wants to go further, it does not want to frighten the children at home, so it will naturally choose the long but relatively gentle and peaceful way of subtle influence.

If we were to describe its behavior in a way that humans could understand, it would be similar to how ghost movies shown in modern Eastern countries never actually feature ghosts.

In short, the reason why Helian Cheng's fitness channel will remain on is not because Xue Jin'an deliberately did so, but because Helian Cheng subconsciously wanted to talk to Xue Jin'an.

Xue Jin'an opened the channel and saw Helian Cheng sitting in the tent, wiping a blank memorial tablet by the dim light of an oil lamp. Beside him were incense, candles, paper money and other sacrificial items, all of very high quality, clearly costing a lot of money.

Xue Jin'an's gaze had only been cast for a breath when Helian Cheng noticed it. He turned his head alertly, showing no surprise at Xue Jin'an's arrival. "Your Highness, you've arrived."

This was the first time the two had met in a year. Although Xue Jin'an had not stopped his daily morning exercise and Helian Cheng had not deliberately changed his schedule, the two tacitly avoided each other.

However, both were commanders with formidable authority, their exceptional personal abilities inspiring awe and reverence among their subordinates, who dared not approach them casually. Helian Cheng's situation was much better. Firstly, he had served in the Northwest Army for a long time and was well-known to most people. Secondly, he had the affable military doctor, Dr. Chang, acting as a mediator, which softened Helian Cheng's seriousness to some extent. Thirdly, he owed a great deal to Xue Jin'an, who had a brilliant idea during the drills to have the generals chase and surround Helian Cheng, creating some fun and inadvertently bringing them closer to him.

Xue Jin'an's alias "Long Aotian" alone creates a sense of distance due to his identity as a young general. Coupled with his few but impressive battle achievements and his elusive whereabouts, it's hard to imagine him inspiring anything other than worship.

The Northwest Army privately referred to General Helian as the Great Qi War God and General Xiaolong as the War Demon God, which is enough to show their difference.

Since Helian Cheng and Xue Jin'an hadn't interacted for almost a year, few people noticed anything amiss. Those who vaguely sensed something were too intimidated by the two men's presence to ask further questions, except for Doctor Chang.

Dr. Chang had subtly inquired about the two of them and even considered acting as a mediator, but in the end, seeing that they both seemed to have their own plans, he didn't do anything further.

After Helian Cheng finished addressing her, he realized he needed to stand up and bow, but Xue Jin'an stopped him.

Xue Jin'an sat down directly opposite him, looked at the memorial tablet in his hand which was clearly handmade, and said confidently, "Helian Yong's?"

Helian Cheng smiled, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Helian Yong was afflicted with the Soul-Separating Gu, suffering the pain of being devoured by blood and flesh every day. Coupled with his inability to accept the huge difference in his status, his emotions fluctuated every day. In the end, he did not survive until March of the twenty-seventh year of Jiahe. Before the day of execution, he died quietly on a cold night when winter turned to spring. When he died, he was emaciated, his eyes were wide open, and his face was frozen with a twisted and frightened expression, like a vengeful ghost wearing human skin, which was quite terrifying.

Helian Cheng did not collect his remains, but silently erected a cenotaph using the patched thin shirt that Helian Yong was wearing when they first met, and made a memorial tablet without a name.

Xue Jin'an had no objection to this ending. He had long since settled his issues with Helian Yong and had long since put that person behind him. If you really want to talk about it, the people Helian Yong wronged the most were his adoptive father Helian Cheng and the Northwest Army. His shortsightedness and stupidity ultimately led to his own demise.

Helian Cheng himself didn't care, and Xue Jin'an's code didn't include the option to stand up for others; it only contained respect and blessings.

Xue Jin'an simply reminded him, "A kind heart cannot command an army."

In the original text, Helian Cheng trusted and was too kind to Helian Yong, which is why the mighty war god died tragically in defeat and siege.

"It's all just hypocrisy." Helian Cheng didn't think he was kind. He set up this memorial tablet to comfort himself. As the saying goes, "If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault." He always felt that he hadn't taught him well, which led Helian Yong astray and ultimately harmed himself and others.

After his death, this memorial tablet will be returned to the earth along with him, and will not be left for future generations to worship.

Xue Jin'an had some guesses about Helian Cheng's thoughts, but Helian Cheng didn't say anything, so he pretended not to know and didn't ask anything.

Both men were straightforward and didn't waste time with small talk. They quickly got down to business and discussed the roster for tomorrow's battle against the Imperial Guards.

Although Xue Jin'an's prestige in the Northwest Army had risen to unprecedented heights after the Battle of Qizhou, reaching a point where he could be on par with Helian Cheng, his decisions and orders were carried out by the Northwest Army with utmost respect.

However, since he is in the capital, his contact with the Northwest Army is purely through magic. Moreover, Helian Cheng is currently the nominal ruler of the Northwest Army, and he is in charge of all military affairs. Under these circumstances, it would be more prudent to discuss any actions with Helian Cheng first.

Given Helian Cheng's personality, since he has already fully affirmed Xue Jin'an's abilities, and Xue Jin'an himself has achieved military merits that can convince the masses, if Xue Jin'an really wants to compete with him for the Northwest Army, Helian Cheng will choose to let go, even if he already knows that "Long Aotian" is the Seventh Prince Xue Jin'an. If the Northwest Army is in the Seventh Prince's hands, it will violate his original idea of ​​neutrality and become a bargaining chip in the struggle for the throne.

Helian Cheng naturally cared about military power, but he cared more about the Northwest Army and Qizhou than military power. Without betraying the country, he was willing to change his principles for his soldiers, as can be seen from the fact that Helian Cheng ultimately did not report Xue Jin'an's identity to the emperor.

Helian Cheng knew very well that now was a good time for the Northwest Army to grow stronger. What the soldiers needed was a commander who could unite their strength and lead them to expand their territory and establish lasting achievements. Xue Jin'an was a more suitable person than him. He would not become the one who dragged down the Northwest Army and Qizhou. Therefore, he tacitly agreed to submit to Xue Jin'an and also agreed to step down and give way to a more capable person whenever Xue Jin'an needed him.

Xue Jin'an saw this point, which is why he gave Helian Cheng enough time to think and adapt.

The latter did not disappoint him.

Helian Cheng had no objection to Xue Jin'an's arrangement. In fact, when he learned that Cui Zui would be the commander of the Imperial Guard tomorrow, he showed an expectant expression. He said, "That child's martial arts are quite good, but he has too many unorthodox methods that need to be honed. However, he has great potential to become a general and commander."

This is not Helian Cheng's praise. Although he has only fought Cui Zui once, he can tell from Cui Zui's fighting style that Cui Zui is the type to fight with his brain. He is very thoughtful, sharp and resilient, and a good prospect.

Most importantly, being favored and nurtured by the Seventh Prince suggests that his character must be quite good, making it less likely that he will go astray in the future. —Since choosing the wrong person, Helian Cheng has placed much more emphasis on character, which has almost become his standard for judging whether someone can succeed.

Helian Cheng's only concern was the roster: "Two hundred is no problem, but do we really have to use the worst players? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Xue Jin'an said bluntly, "Don't worry, they can't beat the worst team."

"The Imperial Guards..." Helian Cheng hesitated, his words condensing into one sentence, "Is the capital still safe? If all else fails, let's move the capital to Qizhou."

At least Qizhou is now impregnable. Xue Jin'an's victory with fewer troops was so shocking that the Rong and Di tribes have not invaded the border southward since then, and have even tacitly accepted the Daqi army's stationing in the desert, abandoning that part of the territory.

Besides, Qizhou is now thriving in all aspects and developing in a positive direction, thanks in large part to the newly arrived magistrate, Anzhi County.

The first thing Magistrate Du did upon arriving here was to build roads, and not the kind of stone roads, but rather the smoother cinder roads. For this, Magistrate Du even made a special trip to see him, all for the sake of the coal mines held by the Northwest Army.

Mines of gold, silver, iron, and coal are all state-run and private mining is prohibited. There are not many coal mines in Qizhou, and they are mostly controlled by the Northwest Army. This is because Qizhou has a harsh winter with long winters, and the soldiers need a huge amount of coal every year, which the Minister of Revenue cannot tolerate. In order to save money, he simply changed the expenditure in this area to coal mines and let the Northwest Army mine them themselves.

Fortunately, the Northwest Army numbered 100,000, and given the poor arable land and limited military settlements in the Northwest, a significant portion of their workforce could be used for mining. The surplus coal was sold to the people of the Northwest, and Helian Cheng, being relatively conscientious, only charged cost price. Therefore, the coal mines were essentially self-sufficient.

Magistrate Du only needed coal ash for paving the road, which Helian Cheng had plenty of, so he nodded in agreement. However, Magistrate Du's road-building project didn't officially begin until the beginning of this year, mainly due to the resistance from the people. In ancient times, road construction involved conscripting laborers, who not only received no pay but also had to pay for their own food. That was bad enough, but the worst part was that the labor was extremely tiring and arduous; one wrong move and they might never return. Therefore, the people strongly resisted labor, feeling that Magistrate Du was just making trouble for himself.

To mobilize the people, Magistrate Du traveled far and wide giving speeches, even spreading the famous saying, "To get rich, build roads first," but unfortunately, few responded. Finally, it is said that his teacher gave him a brilliant idea: he used a method of erecting a monument to commemorate the road construction to raise money from many local wealthy merchants. This not only secured funds for the road construction but also provided surplus money for corvée labor for the people. The work schedule was divided into three shifts—morning, noon, and evening—each lasting four hours, with meals provided during the workday…

With this setup in place, construction finally started smoothly, and the road to Yanzhou is now half-finished. He also somehow managed to get in touch with a large merchant caravan from Jiangnan to come to Qizhou, hoping to boost the local economy. This action not only benefits Qizhou but also neighboring Yanzhou, so the officials in both Qizhou and Yanzhou are giving him special favors, and the whole process is progressing incredibly quickly.

Win-win cooperation sounds simple, but it's difficult to do. The key is to balance all three parties so that they all feel they are getting the most and thus actively promote the progress of the matter. Even officials who have been in office for many years may not have such methods, but now a junior county magistrate who has just entered the officialdom has brought them to fruition.

When asked about his teacher's teachings, Magistrate Du only said that he was well-educated. As for which great Confucian scholar he studied under, he just smiled and did not answer.

When Helian Cheng mentioned this, he couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder who this Magistrate Du's teacher is, that he has such abilities."

Teacher Xue Jin'an touched his cheek.

The two had been talking for a long time and were both a little thirsty. Helian Cheng picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea, but when he pushed one of them towards Xue Jin'an, he paused. He glanced at Xue Jin'an, and his hand hesitated for a moment before reaching for the incense and candles beside him. "What kind of incense do you... like?"

"The coffin shop owner said that people your age would probably like those mixed with beeswax, so I bought some. There are also some sprinkled with gold leaf here, and so on..." Helian Cheng introduced them as if they were his own treasures.

Xue Jin'an looked at the sacrificial items and silently typed a period:

He originally thought these were for Helian Yong, but he never expected that he would be the one to be sacrificed in the end. Helian Cheng seemed to think that he needed to rely on offerings to eat in his current state.

Xue Jin'an had no desire to know what Helian Cheng regarded him as now.

Xue Jin'an clarified, "No need, I'm not a ghost, and my recipes don't include incense."

He refused to become a pica sufferer.

"Alright." Helian Cheng withdrew his hand with some regret, his eyes still lingering on the incense and candles.

"What will happen when I offer you incense?" Will it hear what I'm thinking? Helian Cheng was unusually curious.

“Nothing will happen.” Xue Jin’an thought for a moment, then added, “I can receive the paper money burned for me.”

Grey Letter, personally tested and proven effective by Master Cen.

Isn't this a powerful tool for transmitting military reports? Is it really that amazing? Helian Cheng's eyes started to light up as he looked at Xue Jin'an. You know, sending messages by express courier every 800 li would kill several good horses, and he was heartbroken!

Xue Jin'an said expressionlessly, "You can send me military reports to save on horses, but I can't guarantee that these reports will reach the emperor."

"Do you want to join me in usurping the emperor's power?" Xue Jin'an sincerely invited.

Helian Cheng sighed and withdrew his gaze. He was in Cao's camp but his heart was with Han. Although he had already been betrayed by the Seventh Prince, he could not bring himself to betray the emperor. He silently asked Xue Jin'an in his heart: Is there really no way to have the best of both worlds?

"No," Xue Jin'an said, unable to bear it any longer. "Don't talk about it in your head, I really can't hear you."

Helian Cheng said with disbelief, "You clearly heard what I was thinking just now."

"I suggest you look in the mirror," Xue Jin'an predicted. "Don't even think about it, I won't hear the incense burning either."

Helian Cheng regretfully withdrew his gaze from the incense.

Xue Jin'an successfully thwarted Helian Cheng's attempt to burn incense and offer sacrifices to him. His mind returned to Zhaoyang Palace, and as soon as he opened his eyes, a system message popped up in the background: [You have received a gray message.]

Xue Jin'an knew without guessing that it came from Helian City. He opened it, and huge characters appeared in the air.

Helian Cheng: Are you there?

Xue Jin'an: "..."

Xue Jin'an ignored the spam message and was about to close the page when another system message popped up: [You have received a gray message]

Xue Jin'an started the data analysis and felt that there was a 90% chance that this was just nonsense. He wanted to ignore it, but the system started beeping like crazy and sent several gray messages.

"You'd better really have something to say." Xue Jin'an clicked directly.

Helian Cheng: Can you see it?

Helian Cheng: Did you receive it?

Helian Cheng: Isn't it a bit inappropriate to write the characters too small?

...

Xue Jin'an opened the browser expressionlessly, connected to the world consciousness, and began searching: How to block friends in Grayletter?

While Xue Jin'an and Helian Cheng amicably agreed to tomorrow's real-life PUBG battle, on the other side in the Ministry of Works' residence in the capital, Minister Zuo Mengchang and Minister Feng Yin almost came to blows.