If you lack the will to fight, you are not far from defeat, especially when the enemy is no weaker than yourself.
The slaughter began and never stopped. The majority of the victims were soldiers or former soldiers who had no habit of holding back in battle. In the valley illuminated by firelight, the glint of blades and screams created a symphony.
No one escaped from the valley besieged by the main force. For safety reasons, Qiao Shiwang did not order a search after the battle ended. Instead, he retreated to the outskirts of the town, while the main force continued to surround it, and small elite troops monitored and patrolled the town.
By daybreak, the fire had been extinguished, with only wisps of smoke rising from the town, like someone preparing breakfast. The dilapidated town, littered with broken bricks and tiles, exuded a desolate atmosphere, especially the corpses lying in the dried blood, which made the town somewhat eerie.
The soldiers showed no discomfort, formed ranks, kicked open the somewhat dilapidated doors, and rushed inside, searching house to house.
Misunderstanding Qin Mu's meaning, the Six Doors really did come out in full force, and the two people from the Xiangli Mo family naturally came along as well. They went to the manor in the center of town to search.
Despite last night's attack, not everyone in the town perished. Many were Genghis Khan's family members hiding in their homes, while others were servants who had been abducted. Of course, Qin Mu didn't need to personally identify these people; he could simply wait patiently.
It wasn't surprising to find many women abducted and used for their pleasure in the mountain villa; this seemed to be a favorite pastime of all bandits and outlaws. The Six Doors (a secret police agency) encountered this situation every time they apprehended large criminal gangs. Although it was painful, after seeing it so many times, they could only try to handle the aftermath properly.
To Qin Mu's surprise, a large amount of gold and silver jewelry, as well as minerals and medicinal herbs, were found in the manor, piled up messily in the yard.
"Good heavens! These bandits actually have so much treasure!" Qiao Shiwang grinned and said in surprise.
“Genghis Khan has been entrenched in the Northwest for many years, so it’s normal for him to have so much stock,” Gao Kan said.
"No! I don't think that's much. Temujin has existed for decades, burning, killing, looting, and doing all sorts of things. How could he only have this much?" Qin Mu took a few steps forward, scanning the area back and forth as he spoke.
“Yes! That makes sense. There isn’t much gold or silver here; instead, it’s mostly ores and silk fabrics,” Qiao Shiwang nodded in agreement.
"That's not surprising. Gold and silver are usable, after all. These bandits don't know how to forge, and they don't have tailors, so they left these things behind. Or perhaps they're like cunning rabbits with multiple burrows, and didn't hide them here," Gao Kan analyzed.
"It is said that there is someone else behind Temujin, and perhaps the gold and silver were handed over to that person." Qin Mu also thought that Gao Kan's analysis made some sense. He then expressed his own guess and told him about the rumors he had heard.
"Hmm, have them interrogate me thoroughly! See if there's any news," Qiao Shiwang said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Gao Kan clasped his hands in response and left with two men. He understood Qiao Shiwang's orders, of course; an interrogation was definitely necessary, but he didn't know if he could get any useful information.
"How about we split these things in half, Brother Qin?" Qiao Shiwang said with a smile, pointing to the piles of valuables in the garden.
He knew Qin Mu's identity, and the matter between Qin Mu and Princess Changning was no longer a secret. In fact, the two were like brothers, and after getting to know each other, they began to address each other as brothers.
"Brother Qiao, there's no need to be so polite. You've brought so many brothers, so you can handle all the gold, silver, jewels, silk, and cloth. I'll just take the ore," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Haha! Then I'll gladly accept it!" Qiao Shiwang laughed happily. Providing benefits for his subordinates was something a leader should do.
When soldiers are stationed on garrison duty, if they want to take their troops on missions, they can receive extra pay in addition to their regular salary. They can choose not to pay extra, but if they want someone to risk their life for them, that will be impossible. However, anyone with a brain knows what to do. In such cases, having some income subsidies would be the best option.
"It's a win-win situation! I was looking to forge some weapons for my men, but I was worried about not having enough ore, and this has come to me with a smile." Qin Mu said with a smile.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the two divided the loot, and the others, seeing so much wealth, knew they would benefit as well, and were filled with enthusiasm.
On the return journey, carrying some prisoners and rescued civilians, their speed was naturally slow. After entering the pass and having the rescued people settled, they then turned towards Tianshui County. This was to satisfy Qiao Shiwang's curiosity. Having heard Qin Mu and the others describe the secret realm and witnessed the triangular-scaled ox, how could he possibly miss it?
And it's worth mentioning that, almost a month after they left, the four major families have made quite a few new discoveries in their exploration of the secret realm. They've increased their manpower, following Qin Mu's example, focusing primarily on gathering herbs and hunting. As for how much they've obtained, only they themselves know.
"Captain Qin..." Ouyang Jingbian, who was staying in Tianshui to recuperate, hesitated, unsure of how to address Qin Mu.
"Brother Ouyang, there's no need to be so formal. Let's just address each other as we always have," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Although Qin Mu said that, Ouyang Jingbian still didn't seem as natural as before. However, Qin Mu didn't understand why Ouyang Qian's gaze towards him carried a hint of reproach.
This fair-skinned girl stood out in the Northwest, where people from Guanzhong generally had less fair skin, even those from aristocratic families. To be honest, Ouyang Qian had a good figure and appearance; even with a few light freckles on her face, she still looked cute and charming. However, her voice was somewhat affected, so Qin Mu didn't want to talk to her much.
According to Ouyang Jingbian, there is an even larger beast in the forest. Perhaps due to excessive hunting, it has angered the creature, which is forty or fifty meters long, causing considerable losses to the four major families.
However, Qin Mu didn't plan to make any big moves this time; he was just accompanying Qiao Shiwang on a sightseeing trip. As for hunting and gathering, he simply let his subordinates do as they pleased. Perhaps because too many people had entered and the secret realm had been open for too long, the spiritual energy was thinner than last time. It was estimated that the four major families hadn't noticed this yet. If they had, they would probably have limited the number of people allowed to enter.
When Qin Mu emerged from the secret realm again, he learned that the Baili siblings had returned. This time, thanks to Baili Rou's efforts in turning the tide, the Baili family had gained many benefits. Knowing that Qin Mu needed jade, they specially prepared a large quantity for him.
This made Qin Mu very happy, and before leaving Tianshui, the whole group practiced again.
The imperial envoy also arrived in Tianshui. It was Tang Jian, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, whom Qin Mu had met once but had not interacted with.
Qin Mu was not involved in the specifics of the negotiations. He only learned from Baili Bing that the four major families were strongly supporting the imperial court, with each family sending dozens of core disciples to join the court and take up positions in various regions. The Baili family invested the most, not only sending members to serve in the court but also arranging for three thousand elite troops to join the Shuozhou army to graze on the border.
When they returned to Shuofang, the troop had grown by more than three thousand men. These elite soldiers from the Baili family would join Shuofang Commandery, which not only expressed their allegiance to the court but also showed goodwill towards Qin Mu—a win-win situation. Although Qin Mu understood the underlying meaning, he had no choice but to accept the favor.
At the end of June, they finally returned to Shuofang. The Six Doors personnel were once again dispersed to various counties. After being away for so long, there were bound to be some issues in their jurisdictions. Although local government offices handled the cases, the Six Doors were still more adept at maintaining order and security.
We will launch two consecutive crackdowns to ensure that for a period of time, not even a petty thief will be seen.
With the governance of the Tang Dynasty, Shuozhou gradually regained its vitality. The faces of the people were no longer as numb and lifeless as before, and their eyes were filled with hope. There were always many people busy in the fields. Even at the hottest noon, people would wear straw hats and pull out the wild grass growing in the fields and leave it to dry in the scorching sun.
The common people are hardworking. They don't care about hardship; they only care about whether there is hope for their lives. According to them, wild grass is even cheaper than rats on the grassland. Even if you dig it up and throw it on the ground, it will stubbornly survive after a rain, thanks to the roots that touch the ground.
The busy work in Shuozhou has never stopped. After spring plowing, brick and tile making has been ongoing. Now that the land is vast and sparsely populated, there is plenty of idle land. The soil is dug out, and the bricks are forcefully hammered into pieces using wooden boxes, then arranged in a shady spot. The earliest pieces have already begun firing, and looking around, one can always see wisps of smoke rising from the earth.
This smoke wasn't as thick and persistent as beacon fires, so it didn't cause panic. Instead, the people smiled expectantly. They knew it was for making bricks and tiles to build their new homes, even though it would require a little labor.
After being centrally resettled, although some minor frictions arose among the residents due to unfamiliarity with the area, these were resolved under the coordination of the selected village leaders. Therefore, the problems with the Six Doors were actually not too numerous, including those related to city guards.
Qin Mu had no intention of letting anyone be idle, especially since there was a large army closely monitoring the border. So, shortly after returning to the city, he ordered the constables from the Six Doors and the city guards to take turns going out to clear out the wild animals in the mountains outside the city.
Although Shuofang doesn't have any large mountain ranges, it still has quite a few. In those days, there were always some creatures that could harm people living in the mountains. A cleanup would not only keep my men busy, but also provide more meat to replenish their physical strength.
As a child born under the red flag, Qin Mu naturally understood the principle of the unity between the army and the people, so he continued to help the people with their activities.
With Baili Bing's addition, Qin Mu's workload increased considerably. He only needed to focus on making general decisions, and he had a capable assistant for handling official documents and such. Most importantly, the three hundred spiritual cultivators, perhaps because they had embarked on cultivation and their strength had greatly increased, had also become more agile. The rote learning they had previously received had finally become more integrated and comprehensive. Although they couldn't be considered highly cultured, they were all competent scholars.
With three hundred more scholars under his command, things were much easier. Most things could be handled perfectly with just a word from Qin Mu.
Because their learning was very limited, Qin Mu would also take the time to teach them further.
Qin Mu enjoyed teaching because he discovered that teaching was also a form of learning. Even after becoming a Grand Scholar, he had no clue how to comprehend the profound principles of the universe. Even his three-month journey beyond the Great Wall, exploring secret realms, the Gobi Desert, and snow-capped mountains, yielded no results.
Li Gang had once told him to calm down and focus on his studies to make up for the shortcomings caused by his rapid advancement in knowledge due to his youth. In particular, Li Gang found that Qin Mu's views on the classics were always somewhat incorrect.
Qin Mu was aware of this to some extent. After all, he came from a world where cultivation was not practiced. He could understand the literal meaning of the scriptures and texts, and he could also comprehend the mindset of most authors, but he just couldn't connect those things with cultivation.
During his teaching, some words and phrases would occasionally touch his heart, so Qin Mu decided to dedicate more time to teaching. In addition to his original three hundred subordinates, Qin Mu specially selected fifty bright and clever children from the entire county who had received some schooling to teach.
Another force that brought about change in Shuofang was the triangular-scaled oxen that had now grown to 820 heads. Although these huge creatures ate grass, Qin Mu didn't want them to be idle. After all, such a large group required a lot of manpower to take care of them.
Two hundred and fifteen bulls were to be used as mounts, and each bull was specially cared for by a rider, staying with him almost every step of the way. As for the cows, Qin Mu needed them to help plow the fields and haul goods! These big guys were incredibly strong, so a batch of plows and carts were specially made for them.
The triangular-scaled oxen had never worked and had always lived a comfortable life in the secluded realm. After training, their physical fitness improved significantly. The most obvious improvement was that they ran faster and had better endurance. Unlike before, they no longer foamed at the mouth after running only ten miles.
As for training, it was very simple. The triangular bulls, who had always eaten grass, suddenly started eating beans. How could they resist the temptation of beans, especially beans that were roasted with salt? They loved them the most. When they ate, they would raise their necks, afraid of missing a single one, and their fist-sized bull eyes revealed their joy.
Tempted by the delicious food, the triangular ox gradually realized that as long as it worked obediently, it would get a good meal. Although it still had its moments of stubbornness, it cooperated well with the work.
A rope covered with leather straps hung from Niubei Mountain, and then a cart three or four times longer than a regular horse-drawn carriage was easily pulled forward by the triangular oxen. The eight-wheeled cart was piled high with black coal, transported from Yanmen County for use in kilns. Each cart carried two to three thousand catties of coal, which the triangular oxen moved with ease.
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