Dear readers, please offer your opinions. What kind of future development do you prefer: farming or war? The Fifth Prince's plan is to unify the world and incorporate ancient elements. This was the initial concept. (The above is free word count.)
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When will the spring flowers and autumn moon end? Memories are all about barbecue; beer, barbecue skewers, scallops, abalone, and crayfish. Thinking of these things, Qin Mu felt his mouth water. Although there were no crayfish, prawns, crabs, abalone, or scallops, these were all delicious foods, and he wondered how nutritious they were in this world. There were also the fine seaweed and wide kelp, which were also good dishes, at least better than most wild vegetables. They even had a salty flavor, so they should be very popular, especially since they could be caught near the sea; anyone who could swim could do it.
People generally don't like shellfish, mainly because they think they're ugly, have little meat, and are afraid of poisoning. But Qin Mu liked them, and since there was a pregnant woman at home, eating some would be beneficial. He had them packed up in buckets. That evening, he and Feng Ang enjoyed a delicious meal in the fishing village. With Qin Mu's guidance, Feng Ang also discovered the deliciousness of these shellfish, and was even more delighted. Qin Mu also offered some new suggestions. For example, drying the seaweed and selling it in Guanzhong along with dried fish would give it a seafood reputation, and the price wouldn't be too low.
Qin Mu originally thought that things would develop peacefully and bring prosperity to Lingnan, but things didn't go as planned. The Nanyang monkey tribe launched a large-scale attack. This was something no one expected.
"Although the monkey tribe is warlike, they are lazy by nature. The mobilization of two million troops this time is unprecedented," Feng Ang said with a serious expression.
"How many troops can Lingnan spare right now? How many experts are there?" Qin Mu asked.
“Lingnan only has 300,000 troops. If all of them were mobilized, we could raise tens of thousands more, but they would be hardly of any use. As for experts, there are a few dozen, but they are all martial artists and cannot be compared with those in the Central Plains,” Feng Ang explained.
"Does the Commander-in-Chief have any strategies to defend against the enemy?" Qin Mu asked again.
"The only thing I can do now is to ask the imperial court for help while also requesting troops from the mountain strongholds. There are still many large strongholds in the mountains that rarely have contact with the outside world. But if we keep going back and forth, by the time the imperial army arrives, there probably won't be enough time! I can only hope that those strongholds will understand the principle of survival of the fittest," Feng Ang said with a heavy heart.
"Why are these monkeys from Nanyang attacking Lingnan? They still have vast territories to the west, don't they?" Qin Mu asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Sigh! The reason is actually very simple: they're lazy! The weather in the south is hot, which is suitable for growing crops. They can easily grow some land and not starve. But those guys just don't want to farm, so they think about robbing. Even though Lingnan is poor, it's still much richer than them, so you understand."
As for why they didn't head west, it's quite simple: they didn't have large ships and couldn't go far, or perhaps there were larger groups in the west that they couldn't defeat—we don't know the answer to that," Feng Ang explained.
Qin Mu and the others understood Feng Ang's words, especially Qin Mu, who knew best that even though it differed from another world, the basic elements still existed, only on a larger and wider scale. The South Seas were islands, separated from the mainland by mountains, so it wasn't surprising that the monkey tribe focused their attention eastward. However, this was the first time they had launched a proactive attack with such force. Last time, the monkey tribe was on the defensive; when the Qin Emperor's million-strong army marched south, they were forced to retreat repeatedly, and even with millions of troops, they couldn't withstand the onslaught.
"Governor, you said the monkey tribe doesn't have large ships?" Qin Mu suddenly thought of something and asked, his eyes darting around.
“Yes, they don’t have big ships. Their ships are just hollowed-out trees,” Feng Ang nodded.
"Holding out for a while shouldn't be a problem, right?" Qin Mu asked again.
"We can still hold out even if we abandon some places. The worst thing is that they might have reinforcements, since those monkey tribes are numerous," Feng Ang said after some calculations. In fact, he had already considered abandoning some less important places for defense.
It makes sense. The monkeys are quite lazy, and they don't lack food, so with so much free time, they'd definitely want to find something interesting to do. And what kind of things are both fun and convenient? Qin Mu knew this all too well. On nights without entertainment, besides cultivation, the only things that brought him joy were things that made him feel good.
"I want to lead men and strike straight at their rear," Qin Mu said, under Feng Ang's expectant gaze.
“No, no, the South Seas are not like the grasslands. Your heavy cavalry will be of no use. Besides, you are not familiar with the terrain, so you cannot go,” Feng Ang hurriedly objected.
“As you said yourself, Commander, the monkey tribe doesn’t have large ships. We’ll go by sea, hit them and run. They can’t possibly jump into the sea to chase us, can they?” Qin Mu said.
"This~~~~"
"If we send more experts this time, even if we get surrounded, we'll be able to break through," Qin Mu added.
"This~~~"
"It's settled then." Before Feng Ang could object, Qin Mu made up his mind and gave the final decision.
"Alright, take care. I'll have my fourth son, Feng Zhiyu, take some men with you. He's an expert swimmer and knows about naval warfare," Feng Ang said solemnly as he stood up.
"That would be best. We soldiers from the north really don't know anything about naval warfare." Qin Mu did not refuse and nodded in agreement.
With the situation urgent, Qin Mu immediately returned to Panyu to gather manpower and prepare supplies. The biggest difficulty this time was not just manpower, but also insufficient combat preparedness, because they were only here for development, unlike when they came to Shuofang, where they were prepared for battle.
Five days later, a fleet of twenty ships set off from Panyu and headed west. On the shore, Baili Rou held her son in one arm and supported Princess Changning with the other, watching her husband go.
They continued along the coastline and arrived at Yazhou at sunset the next day, where they would resupply.
"Brother Qin, no, Governor Qin, I have been waiting for you for a long time." As soon as we docked and before we even disembarked, a young man carrying an ancient sword greeted us with a fist salute.
Qin Mu recognized him; this was Sun Hu from the Sun family. Some time ago, when the Sun family sent people to Panyu for cooperation, they mentioned that the two were acquainted.
"Brother Sun, how have you been?" Qin Mu disembarked, his legs went weak, and he swayed before regaining his balance. He smiled wryly and clasped his hands in greeting. He had underestimated the sea expedition. The ocean was not like a river; the turbulence was far greater. They were already weak-legged shrimp as soon as they set sail, and half of them were seasick and dizzy. This was why they had to dock to rest after only two days at sea.
"Thank you for your concern, Commander. I am well," Sun Hu nodded slightly.
"We have fought against the same enemy before, so why be so formal? Just call me by my name; it sounds much better."
“That won’t do,” Sun Hu shook his head and said seriously.
"???" Qin Mu
"Because I want to go to sea with them, and the Governor is the commander-in-chief, so we can't break the rules." Seeing Qin Mu's astonished look, Sun Hu smiled and said.
"I couldn't be happier!" Qin Mu realized that Sun Hu was joking with him and laughed happily.
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