After leaving the sealed land, Qin Mu stopped caring about those things and focused on building relationships with the people of the ten major tribes. Other aristocratic families were also giving gifts, but Qin Mu was giving them refined salt and ballistae!
One could improve their food, and the other could make them more relaxed and less likely to die.
Not only that, Qin Mu also arranged for people to teach them farming, planting wheat and rice on the newly reclaimed wasteland. This was what enabled them to develop rapidly, far superior to the aristocratic families sending grain, wine, and clothes.
There was nothing they could do about it. It wasn't that the powerful families were unaware of these things, but refined salt and crossbows were controlled by the imperial court; they didn't have them, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare to use them. Meanwhile, their tenant farmers were busy establishing their own bases, so they didn't have any extra manpower.
According to Qin Mu's plan, apart from the imperial court, the area would mainly consist of castles. Firstly, castles are easier to defend, and secondly, they are less expensive.
Castles, which occupy a smaller area than cities, can be built near mining areas, which is the fundamental reason why others agree with this.
The city Qin Mu built was actually a castle complex, also built against the mountain. The castle complex was divided into defensive areas, trading areas, and living areas. He reserved a large area for each of the ten tribes so that the elderly and children of the tribes could live in peace.
Li Shimin did not summon him, so Qin Mu stayed there with peace of mind. He just missed his child occasionally, so the two of them decided to have another one.
While cultivating relationships with the ten major tribes and busy creating effigies, Qin Mu's life was quite leisurely. The key was that he possessed information about the ability to gather spiritual energy, which had somehow spread, causing almost everyone to come to him seeking favors.
Qin Mu had to give up some slots, but he also gained a lot in return. At least a large amount of jade and gemstones allowed him to pocket quite a bit after setting up the formation. This was blatant embezzlement, the kind where he had no choice but to take it.
The moon waxes and wanes twice a month, once for alchemy and once for cultivation, all clearly arranged. How those outside are assigned to their own affairs is up to them to decide. Qin Mu's people are divided equally: half are used to train top-tier experts with exceptional talent, and the other half to train newcomers. This way, the top experts become even stronger, while many new talents are also promoted.
The most powerful are still the people from the ten major tribes. Qin Mu gave them twenty spots, and in just three months, the strength of their top experts has increased significantly.
This is actually their talent. The people of the ten tribes are powerful because they have always lived in places rich in spiritual energy and constantly fought. However, they have never used elixirs for cultivation, so when they first used elixirs combined with formations, their strength increased explosively.
With the weapons and ballistae provided by the Tang Dynasty, the casualties of the ten tribes were minimal, and within a year, they had almost accepted their identity as subjects of the Tang Dynasty.
Gifts and personal relationships accounted for half of the reason, while the other half was the history that Qin Mu explained to them.
Although the Central Plains had been isolated from them for thousands of years, they were all descendants of Yan and Huang, and were originally one family. This was another reason why they genuinely accepted them.
The ten tribes have now accepted the imperial court's offer to send people to reside there and help with defense. In Qin Mu's words, this means they need enough manpower to rotate and rest, cultivate more land, and have more children!
They laughed and agreed to this good thing, after all, many men died because of the constant fighting, and almost everyone had several wives to take care of, so how could they not have time?
Once the sealed land stabilized, Li Shimin's order to withdraw troops arrived, but it was the highly skilled warriors carefully trained by Qin Mu and his team who were evacuated.
In just one year, the Tang Dynasty gained two thousand more top-tier experts, a number that already equaled the total number of top-tier experts in the Tang Dynasty before. Although the most powerful among them still couldn't compare to the generals.
Only two thousand top-tier experts were sent out of the mountains this time; the rest are still being trained inside. Accompanying Qin Mu were two hundred and ten tribes, each with two adult experts and eighteen young men. Qin Mu had encouraged them to come out and see the world. They couldn't live in the mountains forever; if they wished, a few could be sent out each year.
Joining the Tang army and making great contributions would reward them with a large amount of food, including various delicacies from the sea, which they had never even seen before due to the difficulty of transportation. This was all Qin Mu's enticement tactic. Of course, even if they didn't receive a reward upon joining the army, Qin Mu would still send them a batch of food as a gesture of goodwill.
"It's wonderful that you're back, my dear minister." Li Shimin received the newly promoted top experts in the palace, bestowing upon them titles and official positions. He was especially hospitable to the people of the ten tribes. Finally, he took Qin Mu back to the imperial study.
"Your Majesty, I have not disappointed you."
"The people you brought back are just in time," Li Shimin said, waving his hand with a hint of excitement.
"Could something have happened again?" Qin Mu asked, slightly taken aback.
"Indeed, in those newly appeared areas, many enemies and wild beasts have emerged, causing many casualties among the people. Although the imperial court has sent many people to clear them out, it is still powerless and can only try to evacuate the people as much as possible," Li Shimin explained.
"Your Majesty, why didn't you recall us sooner?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"My main concern was that it would affect your arrangements, and what I needed were top-tier experts, but I didn't expect you to have trained so many," Li Shimin explained.
"Is the enemy very powerful?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.
"There aren't actually that many enemies, but unlike ferocious beasts, they don't appear in a fixed location, and ordinary soldiers can't stop them."
Qin Mu thought about it and finally understood the reason. The new area was very large, and the beasts could not be expected to appear from anywhere. This was the most difficult point to defend. Li Shimin hoped to use top experts to eliminate them.
After talking with Qin Mu, Li Shimin bestowed upon him a title, granting him the title of Duke of Tianshui, in exchange for the Tianshui Commandery relinquished by the four great families. This was practically the highest possible title. As for the title of Duke, Qin Mu would only inherit it if Qin Qiong passed away, or if Qin Mu were to be in his thirties or forties.
In fact, this was Li Shimin's reward for Qin Mu's merits and also his compensation to him, because this time all the people he had trained were going to leave. So even the shameless Li Shimin first pulled Qin Mu aside and made up some explanations.
Qin Mu certainly wouldn't object, since he had no intention of rebelling, and with so many top experts, how could he possibly keep them?
"My dear minister, I have heard that most of the top experts this time were cultivated using elixirs. I wonder how strong they are?" Li Shimin asked in high spirits.
"Your Majesty, although they broke through using elixirs, as you know, top-tier experts cannot be cultivated without sufficient accumulation. Therefore, their strength is absolutely not a problem; it's just that further progress will be much more difficult," Qin Mu replied.
"Yes, you are right. I am relieved. I hope you will continue to refine some elixirs to cultivate more talents for the Tang Dynasty." Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction.
"That is exactly what I wish for."
"Can people like Shubao and Jingde take elixirs to increase their strength?" Li Shimin asked.
"Of course, Your Majesty. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have prepared them." Qin Mu said, taking out several bottles of pills. Originally, he only intended to give them to these acquaintances, but since Li Shimin had asked, he naturally gave them to Li Shimin to use in winning people's hearts.
Li Shimin looked at Qin Mu with great satisfaction. For the first time, he felt that his daughter was too young and he had missed out on a good son-in-law.
No sooner had Qin Mu returned home than he received a reward from the palace. In addition to the imperial edict conferring a new title, there were also a large quantity of jewelry, fabrics, and porcelain.
"Mu'er, your aunt wants to ask you for a favor." During the meal, Aunt Zheng said hesitantly.
"Auntie, you're being too polite. Just tell me what's on your mind," Qin Mu said with a smile.
“The Zheng family has been declining in recent years. A few days ago, they came to our door asking for help, and I couldn’t refuse. Your father isn’t home, so I don’t know what to do,” Aunt Zheng said with a troubled expression.
"This is a bit of a problem. His Majesty has no intention of sending me out to a distant place. Also, because Ruoxi is pregnant, I want to rest at home and it's really not convenient for me to take care of them," Qin Mu said, his brows furrowing slightly.
“It’s wonderful that you’re not going out. The Zheng family is known for its scholarly traditions, and your family would like to ask you to teach the younger members of the family,” Aunt Zheng said happily.
"Really? The Zheng family has a long history of scholarship and extensive connections. It's not my turn to teach them, is it?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
“The Zheng family no longer has any great scholars. Sending them to study under someone else is certainly an option, but it would be a loss of face. Mu’er, you are different. You are a relative, and you have a great reputation. You have cultivated countless talents. It’s no exaggeration to say that there are as many people who want to follow you as there are fish crossing a river. In this situation, no one will gossip if you learn from you,” Aunt Zheng explained.
"Since the Zheng family doesn't mind, of course I have no problem. Let them come in a couple of days," Qin Mu said with a wry smile. To be honest, he hadn't yet come to terms with the fact that he had become a celebrity.
Everyone enjoyed the family dinner, and Princess Changning, who was pregnant again, naturally became the family's darling.
Two-year-old Qin Ying was already able to walk and, having not seen her father for a long time, followed him almost every step of the way. Qin Huaiyu, who had grown into an adult, was assigned to entertain guests from the ten major tribes. Li Shimin instructed Qin Mu to make arrangements for them first, to help them get used to the outside world, and then to assist in clearing out the local area.
…………
The Imperial Palace!
"Your Majesty, I have a request to make." Consort Yang knelt before Li Shimin.
"My beloved consort, what are you doing?" Li Shimin frowned slightly. He didn't like being coerced into discussing matters, but thinking that the person in front of him was his wife, he reached out and pulled her up, saying, "My beloved consort, please speak freely. I will grant you anything I can."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I wish Your Majesty would grant Ke'er a marriage." Consort Yang said gratefully.
"Oh, so that's what it is. Ke'er is not young anymore, it's time for him to get married. My dear consort, which family's daughter have you taken a fancy to?" Seeing that it was such a small matter, Li Shimin's expression relaxed.
“She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Yi.” Consort Yang said, glancing cautiously at Li Shimin.
“Shubao!” Li Shimin frowned again.
Li Ke's identity forced him to consider the gains and losses involved.
"I have no other wish than for my two children to live a peaceful and safe life. Ke'er's identity is somewhat special, and I don't want him to be used by those with ulterior motives. The Duke of Yi's family is the most suitable in my opinion," Consort Yang said, bowing again with a pleading tone.
"My beloved concubine, please rise first, allow me to consider this," Li Shimin said gently, waving his hand.
Li Shimin quickly figured it out: Qin Qiong didn't belong to a noble family, but was only a meritorious official, always serving in the court and not getting involved in the struggle for the throne. As for Qin Mu, although he had a good relationship with Li Ke, Qin Mu wasn't power-hungry and had a deep connection with the royal family, so he wasn't worried that Qin Mu would do anything to harm the royal family.
Most importantly, Li Shimin recalled the evaluation of Qin Mu. Both Li Gang and Kong Yida had said that Qin Mu cultivated a noble and upright spirit, and those who cultivate a noble and upright spirit must be selfless and incorruptible! Just like the Meng family, although they helped the court, they only ever held nominal positions and focused on teaching and educating people.
"I grant your permission! Go and find the Empress, and let her handle it." As Consort Yang waited anxiously, Li Shimin's expression softened, and he said softly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Consort Yang said gratefully, bowing deeply.
"Alas!" Li Shimin sighed and pulled Yang Fei back. As his sons grew up, some people in the court began to cast their shadows on them. As someone who had been through it all, how could Li Shimin not understand these intentions?
However, this was unavoidable, especially now that the world is expanding and maintaining the country will be more difficult. He had to consider more about what would happen after his death.
Thinking of these things, he became somewhat disheartened and, with Consort Yang's help, fell asleep.
…………
"What? You want me to teach them to read?" Qin Mu asked in surprise. Opposite him was Li Shentong's old face.
“You’re always so easily startled. You’re a father now, can’t you be a little more composed?” Li Shentong said, stroking his beard.
"No, Father-in-law, what are you doing? The imperial family has its own Imperial Academy to educate them. Asking me to teach them would offend people." Qin Mu smiled wryly. He hadn't expected Li Shentong to make such a request. However, looking at the embarrassed Princess Changning, he knew that his wife had let something slip, prompting Li Shentong to make the idea on the spur of the moment.
“I’m getting old. Apart from Ruoxi, the rest of our lineage are just mediocre talents. Without guidance, they can easily fade into obscurity. I’m entrusting this to you to see if you can help train a few talents,” Li Shentong said, reclining in his chair and swaying leisurely.
"You're overthinking it. All of you brothers are outstanding individuals."
"Don't give me that nonsense, just tell me if you're going to teach me or not!" Li Shentong interrupted Qin Mu.
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