Chapter 120

Still following the local architectural characteristics, the defensive fortress that could be built reminded Ye Jia subconsciously of the bunkers that were popular in Western Europe for more than a decade.

She had read relevant literature before. Military defensive structures constructed of wood, stone, iron, or concrete were highly reliable in evading war, resisting attacks, and even natural disasters. This, in fact, was the secret weapon that helped Western Europe survive several world wars. While their production capacity wasn't up to par today, they could emulate it, using peach blossom paste instead of concrete to build earthen bunkers with equivalent structures.

Ye Jia had studied the designs of several types of bunkers. Besides European bunkers, China also had successful earthen bunkers during the Liberation War. The earthen bunkers and plum bunkers of Dongshan, Taiyuan, were built according to the terrain and have survived for a century.

While Ye Jia was writing to Zhou Jingchen, he designed a more suitable pier based on the actual conditions and combining the advantages of Chinese and Western styles.

Zhou Jingchen's previous fortress was intended to defend against Turkic invasions. Built in haste, it was naturally incomplete. After carefully examining the fortress's structure, Ye Jia determined not only to address its weak materials but also to improve it wherever necessary. She promptly sent a letter to Zhou Jingchen and designed a diagram of the earthen fortress based on the terrain. It encompassed a variety of functions: a weapons depot, storage facility, and aid station all within easy reach. Tunnels, trenches, and transport trenches were also installed to prevent evacuation difficulties.

As for the ventilation problem that would be unsolvable if the watchtower were built thicker, there's actually no need to separate the functions of each building. If there's insufficient space, simply combine multiple functions into a vertical structure, combining the watchtower with a beacon tower, and hollowing out the underground area for emergency storage. This would allow for greater space.

At this point, no matter how thick the wall is built, there is enough space to play with.

Ye Jia drew three designs in quick succession, calculating the materials needed. The European-style bunker was naturally the strongest, featuring a closed structure. It took the longest to build and required the highest quality materials. The semi-circular Chinese earthen bunker, designed to fit the terrain, was more cost-effective, but its protection against a backstab was far less effective than a closed-style bunker.

Considering the vast territory of the Beiting Protectorate, Libei Town lies below the inner towns of Beiting, and below that lies the Anxi Protectorate. Unlike the independent small city-states of Europe, the possibility of backstabbing is relatively low. For now, building a semi-enclosed earthen fort is more practical.

However, these were just Ye Jia's ideas; the specifics would have to be decided by Zhou Jingchen based on next year's strategic plan. After all, rebuilding the earthen fortress based on Ye Jia's design would take at least six months. It was a major undertaking, requiring careful decision-making. But one thing was certain: Zhao Weiqing could be removed. Ye Jia saw through his superficiality with a single glance.

Deciding that the project couldn't be done for now, Ye Jia immediately stopped Zhao Weiqing's renovation project. His approach was simply a waste of materials.

Beiting Protectorate was a bitterly cold place, and not wealthy to begin with. Last year was a harsh winter, and the two years of tax revenue and military support were already stretched thin, leaving no room for excess assets to waste. While the Zhou family could offer assistance now, Ye Jia disliked ineffective help.

Zhao Weiqing was extremely dissatisfied with the suspension of the renovation project and came to Sun Yushan several times to ask for an explanation.

Sun Yushan held Ye Jia in high esteem. He considered Ye Jia a reliable person who would not interfere with his master's business unless for a specific reason. Ye Jia's decision to halt the operation after an inspection must have been due to him discovering something amiss.

Sun Yushan did not respond, so Zhao Weiqing wrote a letter to Zhou Jingchen.

In his letter, he harshly criticized Sun Yushan's abuse of power for personal gain and his interference with public affairs. He hurled a vehement scold at Sun Yushan's despicable behavior, saying one thing to his face and another behind his back. Because of the importance of repairing the fortress, Zhou Jingchen had given Zhao Weiqing special contact information. Zhao Weiqing's letter arrived before Ye Jia's.

Zhou Jingchen's brow furrowed upon receiving the letter. It had to be said that Zhao Weiqing had a talent for writing. It was extremely emotionally stirring.

However, Zhou Jingchen did not immediately believe Zhao Weiqing, but was just surprised why Sun Yushan did this.

On his way back, he galloped straight to Zhou's house in Dongxiang Town. However, when he got home, he didn't see Ye Jia. After hearing Yu's words that Ye Jia was in the Libei Town fortress, he immediately rushed to Libei Town.

Ye Jia spent days and nights surveying the fortress's topography, refining her design in real time. During this time, Ye Jia also had to manage the numerous businesses under her command. Regular tasks related to the shops and farmland were still delivered to her. While the shopkeepers had some freedom to choose their business models, they were required to report financial and operational status to Ye Jia.

One of the difficulties this year is spring plowing. The fertile land purchased in Khotan last year, donated by the Yang family, and confiscated by the Wu family all need to be arranged.

This matter cannot be delayed, and Ye Jia is busy like a spinning top.

In fact, last year's exceptionally cold weather had given Ye Jia a very ominous feeling. Extreme weather always evoked a sense of natural and man-made disaster. Ye Jia couldn't recall if there had been a drought in the original book, but a drought during wartime would have killed millions.

Ever since Zhou Jingchen decided to launch his campaigns, she had been continuously stockpiling food and supplies. Last year, an entire granary was used up to provide aid to the people. The dwindling food supply left Ye Jia with an unconcealable sense of urgency. This year, when planting crops, she subconsciously favored more drought-resistant crops. There weren't many drought-resistant crops, but eggplant, sesame, sweet potatoes, corn, and peppers were among them.

Ye Jia was a skilled trader. Sweet potatoes, a foreign food, were a plant she knew how to cultivate. Over the past two years, the sweet potatoes she had stumbled upon had become widely cultivated thanks to the efforts of Zhang Changli and others, and the current yield was astonishing.

The superiors made the decisions, and the subordinates, though they didn't understand, would still follow their orders. Planting crops was left to the subordinates, and while Ye Jia waited for Zhou Jingchen's reply, he decided to build a granary in the Anxi Protectorate.

February passed quickly, and Zhou Jingchen's reply arrived even faster than his letter.

On the day Zhou Jingchen arrived at the fortress, he was stopped by Zhao Weiqing in front of his tent. Zhao Weiqing, seething with anger, dropped to his knees upon seeing Zhou Jingchen. Every word he spoke was stern, as he pleaded with Zhou Jingchen to seek justice for him.

The noises they made outside the tent were quite loud, and every word they said was clearly transmitted into the main tent. Ye Jia was reading a letter in the tent, and when he heard the noise, he put down what he was doing and came out.

As soon as the tent curtain was opened, the two people outside looked over.

Zhao Weiqing's tearful manner froze as he met Ye Jia's eyes. He stared in astonishment as Ye Jia walked over to Zhou Jingchen. Zhou Jingchen saw the light flash across her face for a moment, then naturally raised his hand to tuck Ye Jia's hair behind her ear. "Are you feeling better? Why did you come here alone?"

"I'm worried about the renovation of the fortress." Ye Jia glanced at Zhao Weiqing lying on the ground. Zhao Weiqing's face was pale at this moment. "Have you read the letter I wrote to you? I have something to tell you about the renovation of the fortress."

"A letter?" Zhou Jingchen ignored Zhao Weiqing and just shook his head. "I came back in a hurry and didn't receive it."

Ye Jia nodded and turned to Zhao Weiqing and said, "Master Zhao, it was my idea to stop the renovation project. If you have any complaints, you can tell me."

Zhao Weiqing's forehead was covered in sweat, and he drooped his head as his body began to tremble. He couldn't answer Ye Jia's question, and remained silent.

"You should get up first." There wasn't much time for arguments these days; repairing the fortress was a major undertaking. As they walked, Ye Jia said calmly, "I've just drawn three plans. Since you haven't received the letter, come in and I'll explain everything. This matter can't be delayed. The fortress is crucial to the stability of the entire northwest. The sooner it's repaired, the more peace of mind we'll have."

Zhou Jingchen glanced at Zhao Weiqing who was climbing up slowly, and followed Ye Jia into the tent.

Zhao Weiqing had never imagined the woman he'd scolded that day was his master's wife. Had he known, he would have been more humble. His inner clothes soaked through, he followed the two men inside, sweating profusely. Ye Jia had already spread out her three drawings on the table. For each one, Ye Jia meticulously noted the details of the internal structure, including plan views, side views, top views, and even three-dimensional views.

Ye Jia's drawing style was quite modern, and anyone with a certain level of spatial thinking immediately recognized its power. Zhao Weiqing's pent-up anger was instantly quenched by a bucket of water, and a chill ran down his spine. At least this kind of three-dimensional image was beyond the capabilities of Dayan's current artisans.

Ye Jia explained carefully: "This multifunctional enclosed bunker has the best defensive effect, but it takes too long to build. But I prefer this encircling earth bunker, which can save more than half of the building materials and shorten the construction period..."

As Zhou Jingchen listened, his eyes lit up as he looked at Ye Jia.

Zhao Weiqing was already sweating profusely.

"...I've checked the mud we're using, and the adhesion isn't what I expected, but it should be usable for seventy or eighty years." Ye Jia raised her eyes. "Husband, the fortress is already quite large. If it's rebuilt according to my design, even with all the soldiers in the fortress working, it will take at least six months."

When Ye Jia said this, Zhou Jingchen frowned: "Half a year is a bit too long..."

It was indeed a long time. Half a year was enough for a lot of things to happen, and half a year was enough for Zhou Jingchen to conquer half of Dayan.

"Jia Niang, can we borrow only half?" Zhou Jingchen had originally planned for three months, but the cold winter delayed it by two months. Worried about the long wait, he pondered for a long time and asked, "For example, is it okay to only use the outer part?"

Ye Jia's eyes fell on the spot where he pointed, and after a moment's thought, he nodded: "Of course, the trench area needs to be adjusted."

Zhao Weiqing stood silently by, feeling as if he were back in his days at the Ministry of Construction. Back then, others were always smarter than him, coming up with more practical solutions. He looked a little dazed, but Ye Jia didn't give him a hard time. Although Zhao Weiqing wasn't in charge of the renovations, he did have some knowledge of construction. It was just that he wasn't very bright, and couldn't apply what he had learned.

Although Ye Jia had presented the design and tried to avoid practical issues, she couldn't stay in the Walled City for long. She had so many businesses waiting for her to manage, and most importantly, little Shubai had just been born. She had to return to her child. She needed someone knowledgeable in the field to execute the plan.

"Master Zhao, do you understand?" Ye Jia took a sip of tea to moisten his lips and suddenly spoke.

Zhao Weiqing woke up with a start and nodded immediately: "My Lord and Madam, I understand everything. I understand everything."

"If you were to come and see, where do you think trenches, transport trenches, drainage, etc. should be located?"

Zhao Weiqing felt a cold sweat drip down his chin, and his pupils began to tremble. He carefully studied Ye Jia's drawing, and after a long while, he pointed to a spot and said, "This area is densely covered with thorns, the terrain is hidden, and it's a bit far from the watchtower. Setting it up here will provide the greatest interception effect. For drainage, follow the edge, downstream of the water flow, to prevent sewage from contaminating the water source..."

He spoke timidly, but Ye Jia narrowed his eyes: "Master Zhao also understands, why are you so stubborn?"

At these words, Zhao Weiqing sank to his knees again and kowtowed repeatedly: "My Lady, I was blind and ignorant. I have offended you and committed a heinous crime. I beg you to be magnanimous and spare my life."

Ye Jia didn't ask him to stand up immediately. He just said, "Knowledge alone is not enough if you don't know how to use it. Mr. Zhao needs to do something practical."

"Alright, you can go down now." Zhou Jingchen hurried over, he had other things to do. Now that the design was decided, the rest could just go on as planned.

Zhao Weiqing escaped the disaster and hurried out.

As soon as the people left, Zhou Jingchen pulled Ye Jia to the inner room and sat down. Ye Jia was a little surprised to see him like this, blinking her big eyes at him. Zhou Jingchen seemed to be a little embarrassed to speak, her raven-feather eyelashes drooping to cover her eyes. She seemed to be thinking about how to open her mouth. Seeing him like this, Ye Jia suddenly had an idea: "...Your expression is almost the same as that of a person who needs money and asks for help."

Zhou Jingchen's eyelashes fluttered, and after a pause, he spoke with difficulty: "...What is the "hand-out gang"?"

Ye Jia thought for a moment, then stood up, one leg splayed out, chin raised slightly. One hand on his waist, the other hand extended toward him, palm facing upwards. "Dad, I'm out of money. Give me some money to spend."

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

...Ye Jia always keeps silent, but once he opens his mouth, he's like a fire breaker.

Zhou Jingchen nearly choked to the point of vomiting blood at her blunt words. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and said awkwardly, "...We're indeed a bit short of money. Jia Niang, how much money do we have in savings right now?"

She had guessed it right. Ye Jia didn't ask what he wanted the money for, but only asked, "How much do you need?"

"About 100,000 taels."

Ye Jia definitely wouldn't have been able to come up with 100,000 taels of silver before, but after confiscating the Wu family's property, it was no longer a problem. However, even if she could come up with it, it would still be a huge expense. She pondered for a moment, then looked up at Zhou Jingchen.

"Last year, the entire Beiting's tax revenue was less than 150,000 taels, and even maintaining the Northwest's military equipment is somewhat stretched. To ensure our invincibility, we must be fully prepared." Having said this, the rest of the story came easily. He slowly said, "War with the imperial court will definitely begin in mid-April of this year. Furthermore, there are other matters that require financial support."

"Anything else?"

"As the saying goes, praise and criticism form a faction, and public opinion can spread everywhere." Zhou Jingchen's long eyelashes cast a clear shadow on his pupils. "Before the war begins, the sound comes first."

Ye Jia understood immediately. This was a campaign of publicity before the war began. As the saying goes, only when you have a legitimate reason can you sail smoothly. Building momentum naturally requires silver: "The Wu family's silver vault is still at the Wu family, and the key is with me."

The Yang family's treasury was in Qiuci, quite far away. The closest one was the Wu family's. As for the Zhou family's own treasury, Ye Jia had no plans to move it for the time being.

Ye Jia then informed Zhou Jingchen of the Wu family's treasury's address and handed him the key. With the war set to begin in mid-April, and only a month and a half remaining, time was running out. Zhou Jingchen didn't stay in the fortress for long, rushing back to Dongxiang Town overnight. Before leaving, however, he handed over the repairs to the fortress, which Ye Jia was currently overseeing.

Ye Jia wouldn't monitor the entire process; she would leave once the prototype was finalized. The next morning, she took the blueprint to the construction site and convened a briefing with all the craftsmen. After all, the real people doing the work were the craftsmen and their subordinates.

The situation was explained briefly and the repair work was restarted.

After that, Zhao Weiqing became remarkably honest and steady. Ye Jia would often visit, and most of the time, it was Zhao Weiqing who was watching. Time flew by, and it was already mid-March. The foundation of the earthen fortress had been dug, and the internal structure planned and laid out. The outermost defensive wall was also mostly finished, though not yet completely dry. Seeing that things wouldn't go wrong as long as they continued, Ye Jia prepared to return home. Coincidentally, the day she was about to leave, a caravan returning from the Western Regions urgently requested a meeting.

This caravan wasn't a stranger; it happened to be members of the Cheng family. Coincidentally, the leader was none other than Mr. Cheng, the long-lost Second Master.

Speaking of which, the Cheng family had also provided considerable assistance to the Walled City during the cold winter of the previous year. The soldiers of the Walled City all had a sense of camaraderie with the Cheng family. Cheng Feng requested an audience, and Sun Yushan summoned him without hesitation.

Cheng Feng brought some very bad news. A nomadic tribe to the west, the Wuhuan, had been abusing caravans from Dayan on the road to the Western Regions. Someone had somehow leaked news of the civil unrest in Dayan, fueling the small Wuhuan's ambitions and hinting at military action on Dayan's borders. The Cheng family caravan had been ambushed, suffering heavy casualties.

The Cheng family's escorts were renowned for their bravery throughout Libei Town, capable of defeating ten or twenty men. Even during the height of the horse banditry's rampage, they dared not attack the Cheng family escorts, demonstrating their legendary fighting prowess. The fact that the Wuhuan could so brazenly ambush the Cheng family caravan was not only despicable, but also a testament to their considerable power.

"Is the news accurate?" Sun Yushan was guarding the northwest, and the first town to bear the brunt of the attack in the west was Suiye Town.

Cheng Feng nodded: "From my own experience, the Wuhuan people seem to have the support of the Turks."

Cheng Feng had been seriously injured on the trip, and he was exhausted by the time he reached the fortress. Sun Yushan immediately had him carried to the military doctor's tent and sent a pigeon message to Zhou Jingchen and Ogus in Suiye Town, asking them to prepare for battle immediately.

At the same time, a cultural trend of satirizing current affairs suddenly emerged within the Central Plains.

Suddenly, a flood of satirical poetry, mocking the authorities and exposing social realities, filled the streets. The murky waters of government were a familiar sight, often indifferent to the public. Until pointed out, the tide of public discontent had been simmering in silence. Now, suddenly exposed, a single sentence ignited a wave of outcry. The court erupted in chaos. The Yan court, traditionally indifferent to the lives of the lower classes, realized that the widespread resentment was beyond control.

The Dayan court began to severely punish those students and storytellers who sang privately to shake the people's hearts, attempting to use force to intimidate the people into silence. However, the more they arrested and suppressed them, the more chaotic the situation became.

In early April, Zhou Jingchen took advantage of this favorable situation to declare war on the imperial court.

By this time, repairs to the Libei Town fortress had been completed, and Ye Jia had Zhao Weiqing rush to Suiye Town. The Wuhuan had recently launched a exploratory raid on a village near Suiye. Unable to gauge Dayan's capabilities, they dared not make any major moves, relying instead on minor looting. Just like the previous bandits, they didn't linger, looting and then leaving immediately.

After several rounds of harassment, the people in the westernmost part of Suiye Town suffered terribly.

The northwest fortress needed to be built, and the western defenses also needed to be reinforced. The original three-division blueprint was based on the topography of Libei Town, but a wise person would draw inferences from one example. While Ye Jia was sending Zhao Weiqing there, she was also on her way back to Dongxiang Town.

At the same time, Zhou Jingchen, Li Wenzhu and others led their troops across Yizhou, crossed the Yellow River, captured Shuofang and Hedong Road, and were unstoppable.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "Tao" is the first of the five elements. Tao represents the will of the people and the overall situation. Those who follow the will of others prosper, those who go against them perish. Zhou Jingchen's campaign led him to an unstoppable assault on Yanjing. From the northwest, he marched straight down, capturing six cities of Great Yan in less than two months. Before the Nanling army could react, a hundred thousand border guards were already at the gates.

Things happened suddenly and naturally. When Zhou Jingchen led his troops to the gates of Yanjing and 100,000 border guards set up camp outside the city, the current emperor Zhou Ye was still playing a heartbreaking game with Gu Mingyue in the harem.

To stimulate Gu Mingyue's awakening, Zhou Ye took Gu Mingxi into his harem. At this point, he neglected state affairs and was preoccupied with love. To show his favor for Gu Mingxi, he not only invited her to his palace every day for pleasure, but also built a palace for her.

If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beams will be crooked. The emperor leads the way, and those below will naturally follow suit. The city's civil and military officials, living in a state of drunken delusion, vying for power, secretly making bets and taking sides, hoping to gain the credit of following the emperor. When they finally woke up, they found themselves trapped. The front and back gates of Yanjing were blocked. The high walls could prevent the army from entering the city and slaughtering them all. But on the other hand, they also trapped them, unable to leave.

Yanjing was home to the powerful and influential of Great Yan. Nine out of ten people who fell under a brick were officials. There was no farmland within the city, and most people did not engage in productive activities. Once the city's food and fodder ran out, even the most wealthy would starve to death within.

In other words, even if the outsiders did not attack, they would starve to death if they delayed their attack.

There was chaos in the court. The nobles who were once respected and honored were crawling in a ball like ants on a boiling water.

Zhou Ye hadn't expected Zhou Jingchen to arrive so quickly, and he hadn't anticipated his army's vulnerability. In just four months, Zhou Jingchen had marched from Jizhou to Yanjing. Liu Yuan had already led his troops north of the Nanling Mountains to intercept them, cutting off any information from the Lingnan army. By the time the Lingnan army realized what was happening in Yanjing, it was too late to help.

Gu Mingyue was completely unmoved when she heard Zhou Jingchen throw the jade pendant she had given her. The plum blossom hairpin she was holding fell to the ground. The pure white jade shattered into pieces as she abruptly stood up, knocking over her chair and falling to the ground.

With a loud bang, the entire Weiyang Palace fell silent.

Gu Mingyue stared at herself in the bronze mirror, her eyes gleaming with eccentricities. Suddenly, she turned and ran. This frightened the palace maids, their faces pale, wondering what had happened. She was shoeless, stomping on the ground in only her silk stockings. The maids paused and hurried after her, shouting after her as they ran. Gu Mingyue ignored them, storming into Zhongcui Palace in a rage.

She was tall, and the complicated palace dress and her beauty, like a blooming peony, made her look like a flower in full bloom.

She took two steps at a time, pulled Gu Mingxi down from the dressing table, and slapped her hard across the face. She looked delicate, but she was incredibly strong. Having grown up on a farm, she'd done rough labor, so the slap left Gu Mingxi's face swollen. "Bitch, you lied to me!" she cried.

Gu Mingxi was stunned by the sudden slap in the face: "You dare to hit me?"

"What on earth is that jade pendant?" Gu Mingyue was so angry that her whole body was shaking. "That's not a token of marriage at all!"

Panic flashed across Gu Mingxi's face. She immediately lowered her eyes and turned away with an innocent and aggrieved look: "I don't know what you are talking about."

Gu Mingyue's eyes instantly turned red. He grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the dressing table. With a bang, Gu Mingxi screamed, but Gu Mingyue's face was filled with viciousness: "Bitch! How dare you play with me!"