"Great! They've withdrawn!" Jing Xi exclaimed excitedly. They finally had time to wait for reinforcements to arrive.
"Yes, Jingxi, your method worked! We can finally breathe a sigh of relief." Jiang Bai said excitedly, looking at Jingxi. The desolate and tragic Northwest was a scene he had never seen in Jiangnan.
"Let's go, Jiang Bai, let's go back! Brothers, let's go back, we've succeeded." Jing Xi called to everyone to return to the city together.
On the way, they also met other garrison commanders of Yunzhou City. They changed their previous attitude towards Jing Xi and even took the initiative to express their joy and praise for Jing Xi.
"Miss Jing, you are truly a remarkable person! You came up with such a clever idea, we are truly impressed!"
"Yes, yes, how clever!"
Seeing everyone praising her, Jing Xi quickly waved her hand and said, "You're too kind, everyone. I just read a few books and borrowed the wisdom of others. But what's truly admirable is you all, working diligently to guard the borders for the country. In Jing Xi's heart and in the hearts of the people of Da Yin, you are all great heroes, protecting us." Jing Xi said sincerely, "The soldiers guarding the borders are the most respectable, whether in ancient times or in modern times."
The generals were touched by Jing Xi's words. It was their duty to defend Yunzhou City, and now Jing Xi was expressing his respect for soldiers in front of them. No one had ever said such a thing to them before.
The generals exchanged glances, then straightened their clothes and solemnly saluted Jing Xi. This was both an expression of their admiration for Jing Xi's brilliant plan and gratitude for her respect for all the generals and soldiers guarding the border. It made them feel that their years of defending Yunzhou City had been meaningful, and that their sacrifices were worthwhile. The court had not forgotten them, the people had not forgotten them, and some even considered them heroes—that was enough.
What my heart desires, I will not regret even if I die nine times.
When Ji Mosheng came out, he happened to see this scene and was somewhat moved. The court paid far too little attention to the border cities. They even forgot about these meritorious officials who guarded the Yin Kingdom during peacetime, and only remembered the generals who guarded the border after the outbreak of war.
When my elder brother first came to Yunzhou City, he must have been moved by these lovely people, otherwise why would he have voluntarily stationed himself in Yunzhou City for more than ten years?
Looking at the earnest and devout expressions of the generals, Jing Xi bowed deeply to them; they deserved it.
"Miss Jing, Young Master Jiang, and all the generals, I have important matters to discuss with you," Ji Mosheng said, before turning and returning to his tent.
Jing Xi and Jiang Bai exchanged a glance and then entered the tent, followed closely by the other generals.
"Hey, Song Jue, what do you think His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to do by calling us all here?" Wei Ting nudged Song Jue's arm and whispered.
"You'll find out soon enough," Song Jue said, too lazy to pay him any attention.
"Hey, Brother Wei, do you also think this is unusual?" Yunlong poked his head out between the two of them and said.
Wei Ting's attention was immediately drawn to him. The two of them were secretly chirping crickets. Song Jue looked at the two of them, whose heads were almost touching, and shook his head helplessly.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Ji Mosheng said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, I called you all here today because I have an idea that I would like to discuss with you to see if it is feasible."
The people below all looked at His Highness the Crown Prince with puzzled expressions.
Ji Mosheng continued, "The Northwest is bitterly cold, and its economy has never developed. Miss Jingxi reminded me that to get rich, you must first build roads. So I want to build a road in the Northwest that can connect to the capital and also to the south of the Yangtze River. What do you all think?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Tingyi excitedly stood up abruptly. Everyone else noticed his sudden movement, including Ji Mosheng, who said gently, "Young General Wei, is there something you'd like to say?"
Wei Ting scratched his ear and said, "His Highness Prince Han also mentioned wanting to build roads before, but at that time His Highness had just arrived in the Northwest and had no foundation, so it was directly rejected by the then military governor."
Wei Ting paused for a moment, then looked up sharply and continued, "However, His Highness Prince Han has never given up on the decision to build roads. His Highness ordered people to build roads between the cities of the northwestern states. Later, because the road construction was too time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive, it had to be temporarily stopped."
"Your Majesty is truly farsighted, starting road construction so early," Ji Mosheng said with some respect. Everyone says he is the most suitable person to be emperor, but in fact, Your Majesty is the most suitable person for that position.
Seeing the Crown Prince's respectful expression, Song Jue breathed a sigh of relief. Wei Ting, that fool, almost killed his master. Fortunately, the Crown Prince didn't think too much about it.
Jing Xi noticed that the atmosphere in the tent was a bit strange. She saw Song Jue pull Wei Ting down to sit and glare at Wei Ting fiercely. She raised an eyebrow knowingly and then said, "Since His Highness Prince Han has already paved the roads to the cities in the Northwest, then we can directly build roads to the capital and Jiangnan. Although the Northwest is a poor place, it is not entirely incapable of becoming prosperous."
After hearing Jing Xi's words, everyone's spirits lifted, and they looked at her intently, waiting for her to continue. It would be a good thing for the country and its people if the Northwest could become prosperous.
"The harsh climate of the Northwest is ideal for growing cold- and drought-resistant crops, such as corn, potatoes, and cotton, as well as fruits and vegetables. Other crops can also be grown, for example, in greenhouses. Furthermore, the Northwest has abundant cattle and sheep, which can be traded. In the capital, my good friend Yan Wan, also known as Princess Han, runs a hot pot restaurant called Yan Ji Hot Pot. It has branches not only in the capital but also in Jiangnan. The restaurant sells lamb rolls, beef rolls, and other meats. You could cooperate with her to supply these goods. Of course, all of this depends on building a road that allows trade." "If all goes well, once the road is completed, merchants from other places will come to the cities of the Northwest to do business. Over time, the Northwest will become prosperous." Jing Xi spoke calmly, ignoring the eager gazes of the crowd. It just so happened that Ji Mosheng's idea aligned with her and Wan'er's. However, with the involvement of the imperial court, things would be much easier and more efficient. She had to expedite this process. Judging by the timeline, Wan'er should be arriving in the Northwest soon. Then, Wan'er would lead the way, encouraging merchants from Jiangnan and the Northwest to form a trade association to better develop the Northwest.
After Jing Xi finished speaking, Jiang Bai also stepped forward and said loudly, "As long as this road is completed, the Jiangnan Hengtong Chamber of Commerce will be the first to come to the Northwest to do business." This was an agreement between Jing Xi, Yan Wan, and the Hengtong Chamber of Commerce, a mutually beneficial agreement.
"What do you all think?" Ji Mosheng said with satisfaction. He also wanted to contribute to the prosperity of the Northwest. He would write a memorial to report to his father, the Emperor, and ask the court to take the lead in making this happen.
“Your Highness, I think this method is feasible,” Song Jue said, standing up first. Building roads would be entirely beneficial to the Northwest.
"Your Highness, I also think it's feasible."
"Me too."
Ji Mosheng looked at the harmonious situation with satisfaction. Excellent. Next, he would finalize the arrangements with the prefects of each prefecture.
The Northwest has been quiet for so long, it's time for it to come alive again.
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